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Over on Ye Olde Webcomic, Kris and I had figured that the seventh issue of DC’s The New 52 series would start to see creative team changes. Considering that DC has announced three new creative teams this week, it looks like our theory is holding true. The party line is that all three creators voluntarily decided to leave their books, although the post announcing Fabian Nicieza’s departure had a weird wording to it:

His schedule just couldn’t keep up with a monthly series right now. It’s a bummer because Fabian and I had discussed some really cool ideas for the series, but I understood his reasons, and we parted on a positive note with hopes that someday we can reteam on something else down the road.

Is editor Brian Cunningham saying he understands Nicieza’s reasons for leaving Legion Lost or Nicieza’s reasons for not being able to keep up? When the plans for The New 52 were announced, DC was pretty clear that delays of the monthly releases dates would not be tolerated. I’m wondering if these voluntary departures are as voluntary as pirate boarding parties back on the high seas where the true measure of a man was how many of his limbs weren’t wooden.

Nicieza is the only writer departing a book who isn’t already working on a second book. It will be telling to see how long he’ll have to sit the bench before he can get a new project. Cornell’s still writing Demon Knights, which is the biggest thing I care about from this news until the rest of the March solicitations come out.