San Diego Comic-Con Panel Round Up

[Local Hero]

DC: Universe Panel

Friday’s DCU panel got off to a quick start, with Bob Wayne presenting slides with a host of DCU creators at the front table with him.

The presentation began with Identity Crisis, with Wayne referring to some of the topics discussed at the day’s earlier panel devoted to the miniseries. Wayne said that people were earlier asking when certain characters would show up and/or react to the heroes actions in issue #2. His response to the questions was to show the cover to issue #4 by Michael Turner, featuring a very pissed off Wonder Woman, holding her lasso. “I think they learn about what’s been going on around issue #4,” Wayne said.

Speaking briefly to what was coming up in JSA, Geoff Johns said that Extant returns for a battle with Hourman, and in November, the JSA teams up with the JSA, when the current team travels back in time to the ‘50s to team with the original team in a six part storyline. Alex Ross will provide covers for the arc.

Showing the slide for Outsiders #17, Wayne turned the mic over to Judd Winick, who told the audience that the man pictured was in fact, John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted. As the writer explained it, Walsh approached DC about doing a comic book, and Dan Didio suggested Outsiders. As Winick explained it, “I didn’t think he wanted to be in a comic. Well…I was wrong.”

The plan and Walsh’s involvement was finalized in a three way call between Didio, Winick and Walsh. “This guy’s the living embodiment of Batman – he’s take the personal tragedy from his own past, and turned himself into a really crime fighter,” Winick said, referring to the abduction and murder of Walsh’s son Adam, which caused Walsh to create the show America’s Most Wanted.

The writer said that Walsh isn’t concerned about looking silly in the comic – he told Winick that he’s been parodied on The Simpsons and been poked fun at on South Park, so he knows what comes with the territory. The storyline will follow the Outsiders as they attempt to track down the head of a child slavery ring with no luck. Nightwing decides that they should go public, and suggests the team contact Walsh. The rest of the team thinks he’s nuts, but goes along with him anyway.

“This isn’t going to be like Spider-Man going on Saturday Night Live or the Avengers going on Letterman - both of which issues I have and love,” Winick said.

A few more were revealed about September’s Teen Titans/Legion Special by Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and Ivan Reis. “This will answer once and for all whether Superboy is a Titan or a Legionnaire,” Waid said.

Johns on who the teams have to fight: “It’s the Fatal Five…hundred.”

Both writers had nothing but praise for Reis’ art, with Waid telling of a note they received from the artist wherein he apologized for only being able to fit in 383 characters, rather than 500 on a double-page spread.

Waid added that the special leads into the new Legion of Super Heroes in December, saying that the idea behind the new series will be to create a Legion where everyone can be onboard from the start, both new readers and long-time fans.

Didio added, “We’ve made a point to go after and fix all of our major franchises and teams, and Legion is one of the last ones.”

According to Waid, one of the conditions he put into place was that they would have to get the blessing of Paul Levitz, DC Publisher and former Legion of Super-Heroes writer. “We didn’t want his blessing as publisher, but as the guy who’d written more Legion stories than just about anyone.”

As Didio reported, Levitz loves the new approach and story.

When the slide of “Johnny DC” was shown, Didio said that DC will be doing a couple of Duck Dogers specials, mainly because internally, DC had been dying to do them.

September will see Identity Crisis cross over into the pages of Flash with the three-part “Sins of the Father” arc.

“Geoff is going to redefine what an crossover story should be,” IC writer Brad Meltzer said. “He took the scripts for the story, and wove his story within the panels of Identity Crisis”

Hawkman co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti said that following appearances by the Atom and Monolith, classic Hawkman villains will appear in the series, starting with issue #34.

In regards to Wonder Woman, writer Greg Rucka said, “If you’ve been reading it, and being patient, I am grateful – now comes the roller coaster.” Rucka hinted that from issues #210-#218, action will move to the forefront of the story, with battles on earth, Olympus, and Hades. “People will die, but not who you think,” Rucka said. “People will be redeemed, but not who you think.”

Back to his usual self, Johns declined to talk about Green Lantern: Rebirth, saying only that it’s a beautiful book, thanks to Ethan Van Sciver’s pencils.

Manhunter will show ties to Identity Crisis, but not in the way people think, according to Didio, who added that the idea behind the series was to start adding new, strong female superheroes in the DCU, “and I think we’ve got it.” The series begins in August.

Firestorm writer Dna Jolley admitted that currently, it looks like there are tow Firestorms flying around the DCU, and hints as to what’s going on will be seen in issue #4, and soon everything will make sense. “The question that I’ve been asked the most since this series started will be answered in issue #6,” Jolley said. “The story won’t be over, but question will have been answered.”

The new art team of Jamal Igle & Rob Stull is set to make its debut in December’s issue #8.

Speaking of his other DCU title, Bloodhound, Jolley said that so far, some people don’t know what to make of it, given that it stars a character who doesn’t wear a costume, but has powers, who hunts other characters with super powers who don’t wear costumes.

Breach, a new monthly will debut in January, written by Bob Harras with art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez. According to Wayne, the series lead, Major Tim Porter, gains the powers of other-dimensional beings that he’s studied for twenty years. Now calling himself Breach, Porter instantly becomes the subject of concern of both the heroes and villains of the DCU.

“Batman: War Games” architect Bill Willingham didn’t offer too many details on the upcoming crossover, saying only that unlike other crossovers, War Games various parts will all play an important role in the overall story.

As announced in DC’s Batman panel, Judd Winick will be the new ongoing writer of Batman, starting with issue #634 in November, with his first arc featuring the return of the Red Hood. Winick was quick to point out that the returning Hood, who’s had many identities over the years in Batman comics, including the Joker, will this time be someone of note, someone whose identity will deeply affect Batman.

November will also see the debut of new regular Batgirl artist Ale Garza, along with new regular writer, Andersen Gabrych.

Starting in 2005, DC will begin its own ambitious reprint project, Batman Chronicles, a trade paperback collection which will reprint every Batman story ever printed in chronological order, starting with Detective Comics #27, and including stories from Batman, World’s Finest Comics and everywhere else that Batman appeared. During he question and answer period, Wayne said that the idea behind the Chronicles is to keep them as a line of relatively inexpensive softcovers.

Steve Niles tries the DCU on for size with Batman: Gotham County Line, a three issue prestige format miniseries illustrated by Scott Hampton, which pits Batman against a rash of home-invasion murderers.

Toe Tags, the new horror series featuring stories and situations from the imagination of George Romero will begin in October, with the six part arc entitled, “The Death of Death.”

In speaking about the upcoming Space Ghost miniseries by Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti (with covers by Alex Ross), Didio said that they finally were able to get permission to tell Space Ghost’s origin. “This isn’t Coast to Coast,” Didio said. The six issue miniseries begins in November.

Jack Kirby’s Kamandi gets the Archive treatment from DC next year.

The publisher revisits the “Bizarro” concept in 2005 with Bizarro World, featuring…unique takes on DC’s icons by the likes of Harvey Pekar, Chip Kidd, Tony Millionaire, Craig Thompson, Peter Bagge, Gilbert Hernandez, Evan Dorkin, Andi Watson and many others.

When asked about what’s coming up in Superman, writer Brian Azarello opted to go in the opposite direction from other creators who remained relatively tight-lipped about their series, and read the script from the first seven pages of issue #207. As anyone at the panel can tell you, spoken word comic script read in deadpan by Azarello makes for a very, very funny time.

Running down the question and answer session which followed the presentation:

Rags Morales’ next project after Identity Crisis isn’t yet solidified, although the artist said he has a few that he’s looking at.

The new take on Legion will be a re-imagining, rather than a reboot.

Asked about the Teen Titans: Games GN by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Didio said that Perez is just about ready to start drawing it again, reminding attendees that roughly 80 pages are already in some stage of being finished. The GN is being targeted for October of 2005, according to Didio.

Greg Rucka said that Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark and he will not stop doing Gotham Central unless DC physically takes away the writers’ keyboards, and pries the pencil out of Lark’s hand. The team has the coming months planned, with a Flash Rogue showing up in issue #28. The series will tangentially tie in to “War Games,” but from the police perspective, as they realize that Batman is, apparently, just letting this war happen, and bodies drop all over the city.

Wayne said that the litigation with Carmine Infantino will not affect the release of future Archive editions of Flash, or any other DC character.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel will hit next spring, just as Azarello and Jim Lee’s Superman run is winding down, according to the writer.

Jeff Smith is getting ready to start his Shazam project for DC. Didio reported that the first three scripts and breakdowns are in. “It’s not something we’re going to rush,” Didio said. “We want it to be the best that it can be.”

Asked if they were going to talk about Grant Morrison’s DCU project, Wayne said no. “And we’re not going to talk about Dave Gibbons’ upcoming DCU project, nor are we going to talk about Frank Miller’s next DCU project,” Wayne added.

Winick said that the current “New Blood” arc in Green Lantern is the most important piece he’s written in five years, and will change Green Arrow forever.

Addressing the issue of writing for trades, Didio, rather forcefully answered with, “We’re not writing stories for trades, we’re building stories for periodical sales. It’s out job to bring you back into the stores each month for the next part.”

Asked if more Chronicles would be coming, along the lines of what DC is doing with Batman, Wayne said that DC needs to wait and see how many people are buying the Batman Chronicles first, but the format is open for other characters.

In regards to confirming or denying a Green Lantern movie starring Jack Black, Wayne said, “I live in no fear of going to see that movie.”

The sequel to Formerly Known as the Justice League is coming out. No other details were given.

Metal Men? Didio: “We’re trying.”

Changes in Aquaman will be announced shortly.

Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family will be coming soon to the DCU.

Asked if anything special was being planned for JSA #75, Johns responded with “Hell yes.” The writer also said that he and Winick are working on finding a home for Tempest, the former Aqualad.

A second Gotham Central trade, collecting the “Half a Life” storyline is planned. No new HERO trades are forthcoming.

In discussing his goals for the company, Didio said that he had three steps he wanted to implement, the first was to secure the best talent, the second to make the books the best that they can be, and the third (which is forthcoming) is to bring continuity back, and bring back the big stories, spanning the universe.

Nothing is planned for Lobo at this time, but something is planned for the Demon.

Asked if anything would be done with Donna Troy, Rucka said, “That would be kind of silly, because she’s dead,” which was followed up quickly by “Read Teen Titans #15,” from Johns.

Martin Stein returning in Firestorm? “No.” – Dan Jolley.

More Images:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/SDCC04/DC/DCU/SPG_Cv1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/SDCC04/DC/DCU/SPG_Cv1.jpg</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/SDCC04/DC/DCU/BMGCL.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/SDCC04/DC/DCU/BMGCL.jpg</a><!-- m -->