Ben Morse here…
Tim Stevens here…
Jamie Hatton is passed out somewhere in the vicinity of the Hyatt…
But man did he show that monkey a think or two about cartwheels…
Yeah, so we’re not posting our news update until like 3 AM (6 AM Eastern Time), but…
a) I promise we go into more depth on these panels than any other site
b) We’re the bad boys of the comics internet scene and you love it for us, because we were out drinking and waiting for Dan Buckley to slip up and slur out the ending of Avengers Disassembled
and c) We’ve got the Eisner results up before anybody else (I think).
We’re also the prettiest, male or female, I’m talking to you Pulse girls
Anyhow, we’ve got three panels to cover (plus the Vertigo stuff from yesterday that Jamie finally got to us in between projectile vomiting) and the aforementioned Eisner results, but first…
This & That
Some aspects of the Con today that did not involve any breaking comic book news…
-We went to the Tru Calling screening/Q & A and Eliza Dushku is every bit as beautiful and charming as she comes off in television. She entered the stage singing the song that played at the end of the clip show (great set of pipes…her vocal chords, perverts) and almost immediately made the comment that the shiny letters on her shirt caused her “bosom to reflect light all over the place.†Unfortunately, I [Ben] did not get to ask her to confirm the rumor that we actually grew up like three blocks apart from each other (I’m 99% sure we did); if you didn’t watch the first season of Tru Calling, the second season looks like it is definitely worth at least checking out.
-Perhaps the most underrated panel of the entire show was the Judd Winick/Brad Meltzer/Geoff Johns “Fans Turned Pro†panel, which, as they admitted, was really just an excuse for them to do a panel to together and tell embarrassing stories about one another. All three (Judd especially) were hilarious and you walked away from the panel realizing how much these guys love their jobs and it made you love comics that much more. The highlight was definitely Meltzer and Winick renewing a college debate over whether Superman or The Hulk would win and Winick responding to any and all of Meltzer’s points on why the Man of Steel would come out on top simply with “Hulk is strongest there is†(for the record, Winick said he’d love to write the Hulk, the same thing Johns said yesterday).
-The Blade III presentation was also a kick; Ryan Reynolds was hilarious, Jessica Biels’ guns (sorry, “armsâ€) are enormous and the movie looks great. The two guys from Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle did a funny short bit promoting their film assuming nobody knew who they were and thus asking each other questions.
–I have to mention that at the aforementioned Hyatt bar, I got to meet one of the my favorite creators of all time and the reason I remain a man who will forever love the characters of Daredevil and Matt Murdock, the incomparable Frank Miller. In addition, he was very gracious and kind enough to throw down some cash for my boozing efforts. It was…transcendent. Shaking hands with Bendis and Meltzer (especially when Meltzer knew who I was) was also quite great.
Wow…I am really full of myself and what creators I got to meet. I am sickened by my name dropping. Not sickened enough to stop, of course, but certainly sickened enough to be aware of it.
Ok, onto the news…
Marvel’s Universes
By Ben
First off, I’ve got to say, I make no bones about the fact that I am generally a DC fan and at time see Marvel as borderline evil, but they seriously won me over with their animated panels, wit, and excellent multimedia presentation. I was terrified to interact with Joe Quesada, but he’s actually quite a nice guy who just happens to have a wicked sense of humor…much like myself and Tim. So regardless of the news they announced, the Marvel panels were a lot of fun. Now here’s that news…
Panel Members: Joe Quesada (Editor-In-Chief), Dan Buckley (Publisher), Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Pulse, Secret War), Axel Alonso (Editor of Marvel Knights & Spider-Man), Robert Rodi (Identity Disc, Loki, Tomb of Dracula), Tom Brevoort (Editor of Avengers & Marvel Heroes), Robert Kirkman (Captain America, 2099), Matt Cherniss (Powerless), Peter Johnson (Powerless), Sean McKeever (Mary Jane, Mystique)
–Ultimate Nightmare, by Warren Ellis & Trevor Hairsine, is only the first book in a trilogy, and, according to Quesada, the last page of the mini will cause fans to “use their favorite Brian Bendis expletive.â€
–Coming up in Ultimate Spider-Man, according to Bendis: a lot more Carnage, a story with Wolverine he called “the most embarrassing story I’ve ever written,†a crossover with the Fantastic Four, an appearance by Dr. Strange, and the introduction of the Hobgoblin.
–The Ultimates hardcover will be out for sure in September and when the series returns, Quesada swears it will ship monthly.
–The lead character of Amazing Fantasy will not necessarily take on the name Spider-Girl.
–A funny bit was done with the Sins Past storyline in Amazing Spider-Man as they showed a slide of the cover with Gwen Stacy being unmasked with a heading of “how did this get in here?†and some panel members mocked Quesada’s “dead means dead†policy.
–Slides were shown that the transformation taking place in the Avengers Disassembled prologue in Spectacular Spider-Man seem to be leading him to mutate back into Man-Spider and then needing help from an Avenger.
–Quesada said he was very proud of the Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Year One series and that it will answer any questions you had about Doc Ock by the end.
–Venom vs Carnage by Peter Milligan is “crazy and sick†and artist Clayton Crain is a “star in the making.â€
–Quesada implored fans to read Mary Jane, calling it one of the best books around.
–The Bullseye mini-series by Zeb Wells has a script “so good†that Alonso said it “lured [artist] Steve Dillon out of semi-retirement.†An interrogation by NSA agents with reveal Bullseye’s past and the Punisher shows up for a fight in issue #3 after Bullseye installs a druglord as the leader of a South American country just to lure him there; if the book does well, Quesada says there is a possibility it could become an ongoing series.
–Bendis expressed a lot of excitement about the Daredevil Anniversary Special, saying it will feature art by the likes of P. Craig Russell, Michael Golden, Chris Bachalo, Jae Lee, David Finch and more. Issue #66 will kick off the “Golden Age†story arc, which will be “set simultaneously in Marvel’s Golden, Silver and current ages and show the development of Matt Murdock, the Kingpin, and their relationship.â€
–A slide showed the cover of Quesada’s Daredevil: Father #2 with a blurb saying “coming in summer 2008!†but Quesada reassured that it was coming two weeks and would be 31 pages.
–Elektra: The Hand will feature the Marvel debut of artist Christian Gossett of The Red Star fame.
–The Hulk/Thing mini-series by Bruce Jones & Jae Lee looked to feature some of the most brutal art ever.
–Quesada talked up Marvel Knight 4 artist Steve McNiven as somebody who is quickly becoming a household name.
–Frank Cho will fill-in on art chores for Marvel Knights Spider-Man issues #5 & 8, which regular series artist Terry Dodson jokingly said would suck; the X-Men guest star in #6.
–Cherniss & Johnson talked about the theme of Powerless being “do the powers make the man? Were these men just fated to be heroes?†and promised a big surprise ending.
–Bendis promised “talking heads is over†as of Secret War #3.
–Quesada promised that Strange, which will be drawn by Brandon Peterson and now co-written by J. Michael Straczynski & Samm Barnes, will “redefine Dr. Strange.â€
–Bendis said The Pulse will dovetail with Marvel Knights Spider-Man and try to sort out the continuity; Brent Anderson was announced as the new regular artist and the next arc will focus on how Secret War is affecting Jessica Jones.
–Quesada gave a hard sell for Loki and Rodi praised Essad Ribic’s art.
–Quesada said the team will actually form in Supreme Power #13 and praised Travel Foreman’s art on the Dr. Spectrum mini-series.
–A Punisher: Born hardcover is forthcoming.
–Bendis thanked the fans for their support of Powers and promised future issues would ship on time.
–Quesada promised more to come from the Icon line in 2005.
–Bendis said he would not be using Echo because the character is too personal to David Mack.
–Quesada answered a question about continuity as saying that both the Ultimate and MAX lines had their own, but Avengers Disassembled was a way of trying to bring the main Marvel books closer together again.
–There will be more team-ups between Ultimate characters and a big event is coming.
–Upcoming plans for The Hulk following Bruce Jones’ exit should be coming in about a month.
–Neil Gaiman’s next Marvel project will be announced in 2005.
–Bendis said Matt Murdock’s estranged wife Milla will be back soon.
–In response to possible plans for Ghost Rider, Darkhawk & The New Warriors, Quesada said “maybe.â€
–Finally, still no word on when future issues of Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target or Spider-Man/Black Cat would be out.
Superman: A New Era
By Tim
I have to say that there is some irony to the arrangements of these reports. I grew up a Marvel Zombie while Ben thinks them borderline evil (this announcement is a surprise to me too) and he is spotlighting them. Meanwhile, myself, who has never made much of a secret of the fact that while I love the idea of Superman, I rarely find myself enamored of his family of titles is covering a Superman panel.
I do believe that is ironic…and not in an Alanis Morrisette, series of unfortunate events sort of way.
Anyway, just thought that it was worth noting. However, as you have probably realized by now, we both love comics, period. We have a great time talking about them, writing about them, and visiting massive conventions about them and as a result we approach this stuff very professionally. In the case of Jaime, very drunk as well, but still, very professionally.
After the raucousness of the first Marvel panel of the day, the Superman panel was sedate in comparison. With the line firmly in place, there was a lack of “shocking†announcements to be made, so the creators placed the ball firmly in the fans’ hands. Thus, I would be amiss if I did not mention that one particular fan managed to hold the panel hostage for quite sometime while almost every member of the creative staff took a shot at answering the man’s question to his satisfaction. The creators showed a patience that extended way beyond most audience members’ tolerance of the questioning man and for that I applaud. I also applaud the man because, annoying or not (by which I mean, VERY ANNOYING), his tenaciousness was inspiring.
Alright, enough of my silliness already, time for the real reason you are here: COVERAGE!!!!
Panel Members: Chuck Austen (Writer, Action Comics), Brian Azzarello (Writer, Superman), Eddie Berganza (Editor, Superman titles), Marc Campos (Inker, Action Comics), Will Dennis (MC, on loan from Vertigo), Jim Lee(Penciller, Superman), Jeph Loeb (Writer, Superman/Batman), Ivan Reis (Penciller, Action Comics), Greg Rucka (Writer, Adventures of Superman), and Scott Williams (Inker, Superman).
–Matthew Clark, while originally scheduled for the panel was, unfortunately, unable to make it.
–The panel began on an amusing note as Loeb joked with the audience about Marvel’s upcoming slate of titles, “Ultimate that, Ultimate this, Ultimately boring.â€
–Azzarello cracked wise about his run on Superman, claiming that he has “no idea†where the book is going. There will be more of the priest character, there will be some new villains introduced and some old unexpected ones returning, and “Maybe Superman will get in a fight. I haven’t decided yet…I’d hate to ruin the rhythm we are on.†Attempts for further reveals were met by Azzarello explaining that he had no intention of telling “what happened. I want you to buy the book.
–Of those already buying Superman, especially individuals who have felt that the current arc is running too slow, Jim Lee assured fans that they would be “pleasantly rewarded for sticking it through
–The other books will catch up to Superman’s time period (a year later) eventually which will potentially give fans a chance to see Lois or Jimmy’s experience in connection to the Vanishing.
–On Adventures, Rucka confesses that he “only recently realized what I was writing about.†What that may be exactly remains a mystery as Rucka feels telling what it is will “spoil it†for the reader who is working to see the theme for himself.
–The oft mocked Austen, who has found new life and critical acceptance on Action, is enjoying himself. “I’m having a great time. I’m totally surprised that I am,†he confessed.
–Every issue, Reis gets better, according to Austen, and so Austen continues to demand more and more detailed scenes to capture. This prompted Reis to comment, via a translator that each script he receives makes his consider killing Austen. His elaboration on his murderous thoughts drew the biggest laughs of the panel.
–Loeb predicts that the conclusion of the Girl From Krypton storyline will make readers, “mad, sad, then happy.â€
–Carlos Pacheco is on for the next storyline which is not, despite what the solicitations would lead you to believe, an Elseworlds or a story that will not have weight or impact. It will, however, give Pacheco a chance to draw every character in the DCU as he wants. “He’s crazy,†is all Loeb would venture to guess as to Pacheco’s motivation to tackle such a large number of characters.
–To the fans concerned with the plotholes in Superman/Batman, Loeb assures that these concerns will be answered. “It will get tied up,†he told the crowd, “You may not like the answers, but they are there.â€
–Issue #25 will be Loeb’s last on the book and it closes on a storyline that will “poke fun at the guys across the street [Marvel] and give fans a great story about why these two characters are the best…they are the first, the best, and everything that follows comes from them.â€
–Rucka revealed that there will be a story upcoming dealing with the evolving relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman that he says is born of an ideological difference between them.
–Lois Lane will be shot in an upcoming issue of Adventures of Superman, but “Will she live or die,†is by no means the focus of that storyline, but rather the emotions that the event causes and the mysteries that grow out of it.
Avengers Disassembled
By Ben
Funny opening anecdote about this panel: Tim & I decided a good way to possibly secure future interviews would be to leave 411 business cards at each panel member’s seat. We asked Joe Quesada and he said “cool,†so we made some piles on either end. A guy working for the con must have seen us talking to Joe and using the panel table as a writing surface and asked if we were on the panel and if our nametags were there, to which we replied “we’re not officially on the panel, but we’re happy to fill space.â€
We asked the gentleman sitting in the middle of the table if he would be so kind as to pass on the cards to other members of the panel; that fellow was Allan Jacobsen, writer of Invaders and director of King of the Hill, who gave us his card as well and was incredibly courteous and did in fact pass out the cards (thanks for being a class act, Mr. Jacobsen, we hope to do an interview soon).
Just before the panel began, I spotted former 411 staffer (and current ComiX-Fan writer) Tom Toner and struck up a conversation. I mentioned our ongoing war with Newsarama and it just so happened a Newsarama writer was sitting right in front of us and said it was on. It is so on…
And the good stuff…
Panel Members: Joe Quesada (Editor-In-Chief), Dan Buckley (Publisher), Mark Waid (Fantastic Four), Allan Jacobsen (Invaders), Brian Michael Bendis (like, everything), Robert Rodi (Loki, Identity Disc, Tomb of Dracula), Joe Casey (Earth’s Mightiest Heroes), Scott Kollins (Earth’s Mightiest Heroes), Ed Brubaker (you’ll see), Allen Heinberg (The O.C.), Robert Kirkman (Captain America), Adi Granov (Iron Man), Tom Breevort (Editor of Avengers & Marvel Heroes), C.B. Cebulski (Talent Relations)
–The long-teased new Avengers series will be Young Avengers, written by Heinberg with art by Jimmy Cheung; it will feature young versions of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk who appear at the end of Avengers Disassembled and who Heinberg said “nobody really knows where they came from or why they should be considered Avengers.†Heinberg admitted to hating the idea at first, but coming up with a way to make it work; the series debuts in January 2005.
–Warren Ellis is the new Iron Man writer as of November 2004 with digital painter Granov moving from covers to interiors. Due to the nature of how hard it is for Granov to work quickly, Breevort said there may be fill-ins, but they will be by other digital painters. Granov said of the art: “I know it’s good, but I hope people like it.â€
–Ed Brubaker was announced as the new regular Captain America writer with Steve Epting as the new artist. Brubaker said he’s always loved the character, particularly Steve Englehart’s run, and said “the stuff I’m doing will probably piss you off, but Steve’s art should make up for it.â€
–(in response to Tim asking) Breevort said there will be a new Thunderbolts series starting in November, written by Kurt Busiek & Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Tom Grummett.
–Marvel Team-Up will return in November, written by Kirkman, and Spider-Man/Wolverine pairing will take up the first two issues, but Spider-Man will not be in every issue.
–The remainder of Kirkman’s Captain America run will feature Modok, Batroc, the Serpent Society and The Red Skull.
–Casey & Kollins described Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as a look back at the team’s early days, from their inception to the first big lineup change.
–Waid said Galactus is returning to Earth to take on of the Fantastic Four as his new herald; he then asked the crowd to guess which and answered “wrong†to all four guesses, but assured that “it will be a member of the Four.â€
–Jacobsen described the appeal of Invaders as being “new characters, a new writer and a new artist who will all blow you away…it’s a legacy book…also we have Scott Kollins doing covers, at least through issue #4.
–Paul Pelletier is officially the new artist for She-Hulk and Quesada heavily praised the book and urged more readers to pick it up.
–Quesada called upcoming Warlock writer Greg Pak the “best writer you’ve never heard of†and said he’d had four projects for Marvel that never saw the light of day for various reasons but were all excellent; he said to expect big stuff from Pak in the future.
–Quesada & Breevort both stressed repeatedly that the Avengers Disassembled tie-in for Thor really was Ragnarok and he would be gone afterwards (which audience members doubted); there were no previews of any sort for Thor following Disassembled.
–Quesada & Alonso said there were huge plans for Black Panther in 2005 and that they’d received “the perfect pitch†for the character.
–Bendis assured that Avengers Disassembled was story-driven, not shock-driven, despite the deaths.
–Bendis promoted the Avengers Finale one shot in November as being like “the last episode of M*A*S*H for the Avengers,†with each character getting their moment; George Perez will illustrate the final chapter and Neal Adams will be drawing the cover.
–Breevort affirmed that Captain America & The Falcon is doing well and will continue for the foreseeable future.
–Waid gave money to a fan that praised his Fantastic Four run and then to Casey as well for doing the same.
–Bendis denied the rumors of a “big guns†Avengers emerging from Disassembled.
–Quesada closed the panel by saying Greg Land would be on a regular project soon enough.
Following the panel, I told Joe Casey, “I respect you for leaving your sunglasses on for the entire panel…oh, and your work is good as well.â€
Vertigo: The Next X
By “Alky†Jamie Hatton via Tim
–Jason Hall (Creeper) and John Watkiss (Human Target covers, design work for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) will be collaborating on a new book in December called Trigger. The book will follow the grand tradition of 1984 Orwellain tales of dystopic futures.
Josh Dysart begins Swamp Thing at issue #9.
A new Deadman book will be written by Bruce Jones, featuring a “new take, new character, same essence.
Jonathan Vankin’s next project is going to be a “horror-esque Six Feet Under
Azzarello signed an exclusive 3 year contract
The last of Morrison’s three already announced Vertigo work, Vimanarama, will hit shelves in early 2005.
The Eisners
The 2004 Will Eisner awards were definitely a very classy affair, it felt like a legit awards show; in other words, Tim and I fit in perfectly.
Pulitzer winner Michael Chabon delivered the keynote address with an absolutely phenomenal speech on bringing comics back to kids after years of trying to prove they were sophisticated enough for adults; if you can find a transcript, it’s well worth the search.
Chip Kidd, designer of Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, had far and away the line of the night, as he said “I heard something on the convention floor today that blew my mind, it was…if you like zombies…and you like Jesus…you will love Zombie Jesus†(try saying it out loud with the appropriate pauses).
And Will Eisner is most definitely still the man.
Here is a full list of winners:
Non-Eisner Award Winners
The Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award: Eric Wite (artist of The Escapist)
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Acme Comics & Collectibles (Sioux City, Iowa)
CBLDF Defender of Liberty Award: Jim Lee (another great speech and a truly modest man)
The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Mimi Cruz Carroll
Eisner Awards Proper
Best Humor Publication: Formerly Known As The Justice League, by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire & Joe Rubinstein (DC) (a pleasant surprise to kick things off)
Best Title for a Younger Audience: Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge, by various (Gemstone)
Best Anthology: The Sandman: Endless Nights, by Neil Gaiman & various (Vertigo/DC)
Best Coloring: Patricia Mulvihill; Batman, Wonder Woman (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)
Best Lettering: Todd Klein; Detective Comics (DC), Fables, The Sandman: Endless Nights (Vertigo/DC), Tom Strong, Promethea (ABC), 1602 (Marvel)
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Derek Kirk Kim; writer/artist of Same Difference and Other Stories
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material: Buddha, vols. 1 & 2, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Best Publication Design: Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, designed by Chip Kidd (Pantheon)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: John Cassady; Planetary, Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth (Wildstorm/DC), Hellboy Weird Tales (Dark Horse) (major upset over Jim Lee/Scott Williams)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Jill Thompson; “Stray,†in the Dark Horse Book of Hauntings (Dark Horse)
Best Cover Artist: James Jean; Fables (Vertigo/DC), Batgirl (DC)
Best Comics-Related Periodical: Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)
Best Archival Collection Project: Krazy and Ignatz, 1929-1930, by George Herriman, edited by Bill Blackbeard (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Batman Adventures: Dangerous Dames and Demons, by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and others (DC)
Best Graphic Album: Blankets, by Craig Thompson (Top Shelf)
Best Writer: Alan Moore; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Smax, Tom Strong, Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (ABC) (old man Moore coming out of nowhere to totally shut down young bucks Azzarello, Bendis, Brubaker, Ellis & Rucka)
Best Writer/Artist: Craig Thompson; Blankets (Top Shelf)
Best Writer/Artist—Humor: Kyle Baker; Plastic Man (DC), The New Baker (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Best Short Story: “Death,†by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell, from The Sandman: Endless Nights (Vertigo/DC)
Best Serialized Story: Gotham Central #6-10, “Half a Life,†by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (DC)
Best Single Issue or One-Shot: TIE-Conan The Legend #0, by Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord (Dark Horse) AND The Goon #1, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Best New Series: Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker (DC)
Best Limited Series: Unstable Molecules, by James Sturm and Guy Davis (Marvel) (big time upset over the likes of Arrowsmith, Empire and Superman: Red Son)
Best Continuing Series: 100 Bullets, by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (Vertigo/DC)
Hall of Fame Inductees
Otto Binder
John Stanley
Kasuo Koike & Goseki Kojima
Al Capp
Jules Feiffer
Don Martin
Jerry Robinson
Presenters for the event included Walt & Louise Simonson, Bill Willingham, Eric Powell, Marc Bernandin, Bruce Jones & April Campbell, Bill Plympton, Eric Shanower, Dave Gibbons and Sergio Aragones (who concluded the evening with a delightful song).
On the publisher’s end, DC imprints took home ten awards, Dark Horse earned four, and Marvel scored only one.
Neil Gaiman, Kyle Baker and Craig Thompson were all double award winners.
A great and well-organized event that made you feel good about being a comics fan.
The buzz is gone, it is so time for bed.
Tomorrow: WILDSTORM! IDENTITY CRISIS! WIZARD! X-MEN! DC! JOE QUESADA! MORE JOHNS (kidding…or am I?)! SOME MORE FANS TURN PRO PANEL HIGHLIGHTS (if I stop being so lazy)! THE CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD! THE MYSTERY OF CREATION: SOLVED! MORE!!!
Good morning.
