Top 10 SDCC 2013 News Including A Big Disappointment: Trinity War, Ultimate Cataclysm, Man of Steel 2 Superman / Batman, Avengers 2 Age of Ultron & More (UPATED)

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The San Diego Comic Con 2013 (SDCC 2013) wrapped up this past weekend. There were some interesting news items reveals. Here are my Top 10 covering several publishers.

(10) Earth 2 Dr. Fate’s Trinity War appearance & “Lantern / League” news

At Friday’s SDCC Justice League Trinity War / Forever panel it was revealed that Earth 2’s Dr. Fate will appear briefly in August’s Justice League Dark #23 as will the main Earth’s Demon Etrigan.

In addition Jeff Lemire has plans for a non-Green Lantern in one of the Justice League series.

Key Facts:

  • Hal Jordan will return to the Justice League in 2014.
  • Geoff Johns illuminates The Question: “The trinity of sin, Question, Phantom Stranger, and Pandora were all punished for some sin. Question doesn’t know who he is, and questions just pop into his head – he explores them, and it usually makes him help someone out. He has a huge question come into his head, which he thinks may be his salvation.” No word on a Trinity of Sin: Question ongoing series, but I imagine it is coming.
  • Deathstroke will have a large role in Forever Evil, the companion ARGUS mini-series and in the Trinity of Sin: Pandora series.
  • The relationship between Black Adam and Sinestro in Forever Evil is being described as a “bromance”.

In addition Jeff Lemire has plans for a non-Green Lantern in one of the Justice League series.

(9) Writer James Robinson’s next project is…?

James Robinson’s lands at Dynamite Entertainment to do a series called “Grand Passion”.

This is his big post DC New 52 Earth 2 project in addition to his 2014 original graphic novel for Marvel alongside co-writer Mark Waid and artist Gabriele Dell’otto. That Marvel original graphic novel will introduce a sister named Theresa for Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Family Business.

No art was available for Dynamite’s Grand Passion, so to the right is what Peter Parker’s sister will look like in Robinson’ upcoming Marvel OGN.

Robinson’s Dynamite work is billed as a departure from his previous comic book work.

Key Facts:

  • Robinson describes the Grand Passion series as being “about two wayward characters Doc and Mabel — one a cop, the other a crook — who are fated to fall in love at first sight even as Mabel swears she’ll kill Doc if it’s the last thing she does.”
  • He further notes that it “marries elements of a Harlequin romance with hard-boiled crime and takes it off in a direction that’s surprising, funny, violent, and sexy.”
  • Robinson is also getting back into movie writing and continues to work on a novel.

(8) IDW’s New Creator-Owned Books from John Byrne AND Walt Simonson

John Byrne has Triple Helix join his ever-expanding series of mini-series for IDW. His other creator-owned work for IDW include Next Men, Trio, The High Ways, Doomsday.1 and Cold War.

He is joined by Walt Simonson on Ragnarök featuring a new take on the Norse Gods that he knows a little something about.

Key Facts:

  • Triple Helix is the same “super-hero” universe as Next Men and Trio.
  • John Byrne’s Triple Helix will be a 4 issue mini-series debuting in October with the first issue including an appearance by Next Men villain Golgotha.
  • Walt Simonson’s Ragnarök explore the Norse mythology“as well as much, much more”.
  • Ragnarök hits stands in 2014 and will be written and drawn by Simonson.
  • IDW will also be doing an over-sized Artists Edition of Simonson’s old Star Slammers series.

(7) Superman Earth One Volume 3 coming?

Zod will be a key player in the New 52’s Villans Month, as well as in the pages of Superman / Wonder Woman, but a take on Zod is also the prime villain in the original graphic novel: Superman Earth One, Volume 3. J. Michael Straczynski will be back to write, but no word on Shane Davis on art. Release date is TBA.

Key Facts:

  • Andrian Syaf designed the new Earth One Zod.
  • Another bit of Zod concept art for Superman Earth One is available here.
  • Plus, Kenneth Rocafort’s New 52 Zod concept art is here.

(6) IDW Brings Back Sam Keith’s Maxx

This was a bit of shocker. Not just that IDW would take up two spots with three news items on this list, but that one of those would be involving Maxx. In the early 1990s, many remember the launch of Image Comics by disenfranchised Marvel artists. In 2013 it remains a strong publisher offering a home for unique comics. In Image’s 1990’s heyday, artist Sam Keith, formerly of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman for Vertigo and even a Manhunter series spinning of Millennium for DC, launched The Maxx. It lasted 35 issues and the character appeared in cult MTV cartoon as well.

Key Facts:

  • The Maxx reverted from Image Comics’ Wildstorm imprint to DC Comics and back to creator Sam Keith. Fitting for the characters 20th anniversary.
  • The new monthly The Maxx series launches in 2014. However, it will no feature new content, but new colors and new covers for a “remastered” monthly rollout of the original 35 issue run. No new content is planned.

(5) Dynamite Entertainment announces Robotech / Voltron

Did you know that DC Entertainment has the publishing rights to Anime cult classic Robotech? Well that seems to be the case as Dynamite announces a “unique sub-licensing” agreement to allow them to cross it over with Classic Media’s Voltron. Plus it appears a new Robotech series will be published after the cross over alongside Dynamite’s Voltron series.

News Release Key Facts:

  • “Dynamite Entertainment proudly announces that they have acquired the rights to publish comic books based on the beloved science fiction anime, Robotech®. In a unique sub-licensing arrangement with DC Entertainment and with the Harmony Gold USA, Dynamite Entertainment will publish a new series beginning with a Robotech / Voltron crossover event. This crossover marks the first time uniting the popular Robotech cast with the five lions of Voltron, a fan-favorite World Events Production property.”
  • The new Robotech / Voltron team-up adds additional content to Dynamite’s existing Voltron projects, published as two series thus far and expanding the mythos licensed from World Events Productions. The first-ever pairing of these two giant animated properties is expected to attract huge media and fan attention in time for Voltron’s 30th Anniversary. A new Robotech series will follow in the wake of the crossover.

(4) Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand marks an end?

It was announced at Friday’s Marvel: Ultimate Universe SDCC panel that writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley reteam for a sequel to their previous Spider-Men mini-series and the more recent Hunger mini that spun out of Age of Ultron for Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand.

Key Facts:

  • 5 issues mini-series starting in November.
  • Followed by a “gigantic epilogue” being compared to Civil War.
  • Bendis describes it as “Galactus coming to Ultimate Earth and eating it”.
  • The stakes are high according to Bendis: “It kind of breaks open the barrier between the Ultimate Universe and the Marvel Universe. The Ultimate characters have to find a way to defeat Galactus, or sacrifice their world to save the regular Marvel Universe.”

So, is this the end of the Ultimate Universe? Miles Morales and Peter Parker to web-swing together in the 616?

(3) Valiant Comics working on first cross-titles cross-over?

In an interview with MTV Geek, Harbinger, Bloodshot and Harbinger Wars writer Joshua Dysart seemingly let it slip that he is working on a universe spanning cross-over for Valiant.

What has been reported:

  • During the MTV San Diego Comic-Con Livestream… Joshua Dysart accidentally said that he’s next working on universe-wide crossover. Dysart was quickly shushed…
  • …according to executive editor Warren Simmons, ‘XO Manowar’ will provide the biggest clues for the future of the Valiant universe.

(2) After SDCC, DC Comics Is Publishing The New 52 48

As we reported on last week in our Top 10 Questions from DC Comics’ October Solicitations, its New 52 is actually a New 47 of ongoing series. The ongoing series benchmark was the one set by DC very early on in the New 52 initiative despite publishing more than 52 series set in the new universe if ones includes concurrent mini-series.

With all that said, as of October DC has 5 ongoing titles yet to launch to ensure its New 52 branding is accurate. Well, at SDCC we learned that one new series coming to DC is Harley Quinn co-written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. That makes it the New 48; only 4 more new ongoing series to go!

Key Facts:

  • The artist for the series has yet to be named.
  • However, at SDCC, it was revealed that 18 separate artists would contribute to Harley’s debut issue with her picking the best one to be the book’s ongoing artist. Expect the fourth wall to be broken.
  • Adam Hughes is one of the artists that will contribute to the issue.
  • The series will launch some time in 2013.

(1) SDCC No Longer A “Comic” Con, Really.

San Diego Comic Con continues to be referred to by its acronym SDCC. Part of me thinks this is because “SDCC” obscures the fact that it is hardly a “Comic” Con anymore. That is a big disappointment for me despite still geeking out at some of the non-comic book news.

The bulk of the news coming from SDCC was concerning comic book ancillary products, or perhaps “primary” products in the movies and TV genres. No big comic news surprises from SDCC, but a lot of movie teases.

Key Facts:

  • The Avengers 2 film was announced and will be called Avengers: Age of Ultron, but will not be modeled on the recent Marvel Comics event nor will Hank Pym be a primary focus of – or even seemingly in – the film.
  • The Man of Steel 2 film was announced as Superman / Batman. Henry Cavill reprises his role as Superman, but no word on who the actor playing Batman will be.
  • Other teaser art for upcoming Marvel comic films was also released at SDCC including Captain America 2: Winter Soldier, Thor 2: The Dark World, X-Men Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy and Amazing Spider-Man 2.

UPDATED

A pic of the Silver Samurai villain’s armor from the Wolverine was revealed at SDCC. Beside it is some footage for scale. Plus we have a pic of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie props.

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John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!