DC Comics has unveiled a new identity, which—as is often the case with logo overhauls—has met it's fair share of criticism and praise. For fans and casual consumers alike, there's a lot of emotion tied to the former logo's association with so many wonderful stories. When you break that emotional bond, people feel strange. DC's '76 mark was a classic, the '05 remix was a departure but also ushered in a raft of DC-certified movies. Here in '12 we have a clean break from the past. I felt this way when UPS updated their logo. The UPS logo was such a classic, and—from a designer's perspective—it was a living piece of graphic design history, created by design-icon Paul Rand.

The DC logo may not have that pedigree, but it does have a passionate following. I like the redesign—it is a clean, modern update with unlimited flexibility across multiple mediums. It can take any form or treatment and still maintain a distinctive and iconic feel. Landor Associates knows how to make contemporary yet classic marks and they've done it again. I'm a fan.

According to DC, DC Entertainment's new identity design "uses a “peel” effect – the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio." They can customize the C to personify a character with effects, illustration or photo overlay.

What do you think—like it, love it, or loathe it?

Some other hand-picked posts you might enjoy on our Design Blog:

The Asian Art Museum Identity Rebrand
The Next Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Poster
The Visual History of the Batmobile: 1941-2010

Via IO9 and The Beat