How Connected Are They Going To Be?

How interconnected do you think the new DC titles are going to be? Should we be expecting crossovers, with a story going from say Batman, to Nightwing, over to Batwoman. Or will it not go any further than the occasional acknowledgement of events occuring in other titles?

I saw it mentioned somewhere that Grifter and Voodoo both take place in New Orleans, which, having not read the latter, I wasn't aware of. It makes me wonder if it means something that Cole grabbed what became his mask from a stand selling Mardi Gras costumes, where the word "Voodoo" was prominently placed on the sign*. Or was it there because this is Nawlins, so there's old bayou witch doctors out in them swamps, doing their hoodoo magic?

I believe Madame Xanadu showed up at the end of Resurrection Man. It was some woman looking at Tarot cards, anyway. Which could mean Mitch Shelley will be meeting the Magic League** soon. That, combined with things like Batman showing up in Batwoman would suggest there'll certainly be guest appearances, but I don't know about back-and-forth between titles.

From a storytelling perspective, whether it's a good idea boils down to what the creative teams do with it. I'd think it should be kept to a minimum to start. Let creative team get their legs under them, get the title moving under its own steam before doing stories that hop from one title to the next. I think the reader needs to have a reason to care if you want them to follow a story to a different book they may not be reading. Letting a title be self-contained to start, where the team can concentrate on their story, on whatever hook it is they hang the book's metaphorical hat on, seems like the best way to do that.

I don't know how the alleged new readers would take to it. Maybe they'd really enjoy the idea of all these books being interconnected, I don't know. Something to ask Alex if I ever get him to do that survey, I suppose.

* That hooded lady that's showing up everywhere was floating adjacent to the word in the panel as well, for what that's worth.

** Zatanna: We've come up with a new name for our team: The Magic League. Now you see us *waves hands in front of face* Now you don't.

Deadman: That's the stupidest name I've ever heard.

Shade: Is it, Boston? I think it's a good name. I think you wish you came up with it.

Deadman: You're right, it's a great name, I'm totally jealous.