– Dan DiDio confirms the end of more DC titles, such as JLA and BATGIRL [Details: Here]
KEVIN “COLDPLAY SUCK” MAHONEY: Geez. The Didio interview sure makes it looklike the Post-IC DCU will be a streamlined and less interesting affair. I can understand paring down truly redundant books (B:GK and S:A) but ending Flash, JLA, WW, Batgirl and GC too? That’s a lot of the lighter fare the DCU has had going for it in the past as well as two icons and the flagship book. I hope they all eventually restart, or return a bit different or what have you. But right now it looks like DC is intent on lopping off its own arm without anesthesia.
“COLDPLAY RULE” COREN: Actually, didn’t the writer on GOTHAM CENTRAL want to end the book, which is the real reason for the cancelation in this case?
IAIN “WHAT THE HELL IS A COLDPLAY?” BURNSIDE: These aren’t really ‘cancellations’ though. There will be at least one new Batman book and one new Superman book launching next year. I’d be amazed if they went for longer than a few months without having some form of Flash, Wonder Woman and Justice League books considering how high-profile those names are. In fact, in a random bit of speculation, they could relaunch the League with issue #500 if they felt so inclined (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1-261 plus JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1-113 plus JLA #1-125 = 499 issues). GOTHAM CENTRAL was, as Coren said, cancelled at Rucka’s request. I really don’t know anything about BATGIRL but, let’s face it, if the book goes altogether and is not replaced or repackaged it won’t be a tremendous loss.
COREN: I doubt Batgirl stays out of the mix, or at least a title featuring a female Bat family member. Sales weren’t that bad to my knowledge, and since War Games, the book was really doing well.
I don’t even want to consider what they’re doing with Flash. Barry Allen coming back? Grrrr..
But the current rumor is that JLA’s cancellation is going to lead to some big fans of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold writing about some team that used to be called JLI, or something like that.
PAUL “COLDPLAY MEANS NO FOREPLAY” SEBERT: Of the cancelations I’m most nervous about the BATGIRL one…
Really if they kill off Cassandra Caine just to let some over-the-hill Silver Age fanboy get his Barbara Gordon fix I’m never going to pick up a Batbook again. Okay, I know I said that just before they offed Steph Brown but I’m serious this time.
Really, I mean it…
*Sobs* Whaaaa, I’m Dan Didio’s bitch aren’t I?
– Details of upcoming AMAZING FANTASY storylines [Details: Here]
KEVIN MAHONEY: I could not care less about Death’s Head 3.0. The characters I would vote to win a Marvel make over never do… I miss the 70’s eco-freak Woodgod! :(
IAIN BURNSIDE: Death’s Head rules, yes?
PAUL SEBERT: Anyway I’m kind of curious to see Death’s Head 3.0, but I’d much rather have an ESSENTIAL DEATH’S HEAD trade paperback.
– Doop lives [Credit: Some bloke]
COREN: Well, I’m excited for what this means for X-STATIX. I just hope Milligan can pick things up by the time he does that Lorna story… the recent run on X-MEN has left a bad taste in my mouth (not as bad as King Captain Britain and the bullshit Claremont wrote, but still, bad).
Does Doop count as a mutant? And what’s the count of our 198 so far, anyway?
PAUL SEBERT: My birthday is this Wednesday…
It looks like Peter Milligan gave me what I wanted.
– Yet more DCU news/speculation from WIZARD…
Who gives birth – Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Catwoman or Orcale?
Who is stripped of their powers – Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl or Hal
Jordan?
Who becomes mayor of a crime-riddled city – Wally West, Dick Grayson, Bruce
Wayne or Oliver Queen?
Who gets amnesia and cannot tell friend from foe – Martian Manhunter,
Aquaman, Atom or Elongated Man?
Who becomes the most powerful hero of the DCU – Booster Gold, Animal Man,
Kyle Rayner or Kal-L?
Who turns heel – Hal Jordan (HA!), Superman, Flash or Captain Marvel?
Who will be the only one around after Infinite Crisis – Wally West, Connor
Kent, Guy Gardner or Nightwing?
Who becomes the military’s secret weapon – Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado
or John Stewart?
Who destroys a country and kills millions – Brainiac, Sinestro, Black Adam
or Vandal Savage? [More: Here]
COREN: Note how they said Dick Grayson could be a mayor, but Nightwing might not be around? (of course, I buy into a different rumor entirely that would explain there being no Nightwing, myself).
My hopes for Wally are fading, what with FLASH cancelled and having a 3/4 chance of being gone after crisis.
IAIN BURNSIDE: Okay….
The “giving birth” thing doesn’t sound like a particularly good idea. Catwoman’s a femme fatale and shouldn’t be changing diapers, nobody could want to read about Wonder Mummy and Oracle can’t be expected to keep tabs on everything while raising a kid. Maybe it’s not meant to be taken literally and it’s Power Girl “giving birth” to the universe by sacrificing herself in INFINITE CRISIS? Maybe I should go do some proper work rather than speculating on this lot? Nah…
Someone losing their powers… well, I doubt they would have brought back Hal and Supergirl purely to neuter them a year later, which leaves Superman and Wonder Woman, which means they’ll just get it all sorted out soon afterwards anyway. Big deal.
I could definitely see Dick Grayson stepping up to become the mayor of Gotham or Bludhaven. He’s tried doing things Batman’s way and it’s not gotten him anywhere, so now he’s trying to clean things up from within. Good on him.
If there’s no more Justice League then Martian Manhunter needs something to do, so he might as well get amnesia and beat up some former allies for a while.
If knowledge is power and Animal Man knows everything that’s been going on since the pre-Crisis days then he can indeed be the most powerful hero in the DCU – especially if Kal-L is no longer around at the end of all this.
The criminal thing probably just means Superman, as in Kal-L, getting a little bit too carried away with his grand plan to alter the universe… although it would be f’n hilarious if Hal Jordan went crazy again. It might even give Batman a shot of joy juice.
The “only one around”… Nightwing can be no more if Dick Grayson is still around as a full-time mayor, and Guy Gardner’s more or less confirmed for the GLC ongoing book according to Dave Gibbons… so what this means for Connor and Wally is anybody’s guess. There will definitely be a Flash of some sorts left, and they could perhaps just shuffle Superboy off into the (largely independent) LSH book…
I have no idea what the “military’s secret weapon” thing could be about, but I’ll guess Red Tornado since the others presumably have plenty of other things to be getting on with.
And some bad guy kills a country. How many fake countries does the DCU have available for destruction anyway? I know Black Adam has one… any others?
And it’s been heavily rumoured for a while now that Alan Heinberg will be the writer for Terry Dodson’s new WONDER WOMAN book…
MANOLIS VAMVOUNIS: Oh, let’s guess!
Who gives birth – Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Catwoman or Orcale?
Well, Catwoman and Power Girl are the only ones currently getting some, and Wonder Woman isn’t likely to ‘see the light’ as Dave Sim would put it anytime in the next century. Jim Balent is unavailable to do a Power Girl series, so I doubt we will see her mammaries grow up 3 sizes post-birth. That leaves Catwoman, and I really hope the baby is Slam’s just to shut Bats up!
Who is stripped of their powers – Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl or Hal
Jordan?
Wonder Woman! As a result of Max Lord backlash? Or maybe Kal-El is depowered and Kal-L becomes the only Superman!
Who becomes mayor of a crime-riddled city – Wally West, Dick Grayson, Bruce
Wayne or Oliver Queen?
Bruce Wayne!
Who gets amnesia and cannot tell friend from foe – Martian Manhunter,
Aquaman, Atom or Elongated Man?
Aquaman! Maybe as a villain he will be interesting again…
Who becomes the most powerful hero of the DCU – Booster Gold, Animal Man,
Kyle Rayner or Kal-L?
Oh, fingers crossed for Booster Gold to kick some ass!
Who turns heel – Hal Jordan (HA!), Superman, Flash or Captain Marvel?
Captain Marvel in black leather again, a la Giffen!
Who will be the only one around after Infinite Crisis – Wally West, Connor
Kent, Guy Gardner or Nightwing?
Does this mean 3 out of 4 die? Seeing how bland connor and nightwing are, I’m hoping for my personal idol: Guy Gardner! Dave Gibbons has already said in the DC panel that Guy is the protagonist of the new Corps series, anyway.
Who becomes the military’s secret weapon – Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado or John Stewart?
Wonder Woman, taking back the military Diana Prince identity?
Who destroys a country and kills millions – Brainiac, Sinestro, Black Adam
or Vandal Savage?
Black Adam!
KEVIN MAHONEY: As far as ION goes, anything that gets Kyle away from the Corps and keeps him away is fine by me. He’s just a bad fit. If DC is going to full court press the GLC, then it’s gotta be Guy, John, and Hal (yucky though I find him) at the center of that. If Kyle is on Earth but not affiliated with the Oans in any way, I’ll be jazzed. If he’s alone in space, it beats being the corp’s lackey.
COREN: I imagine Stewart is about to join the Corps title, because if Kyle’s doing his Ion thing, and what’s rumored for Guy happens..well, they’re not basing a title around a bunch of new guys and Killowog (although if they added G’nort, it’d sell like hotcakes). Don’t count on seeing much Hal there, though. Not after all the fuss they made to get him back and as a hero.
– Vote for Chris Claremont’s NEXT X-Men project (hint, hint) [Vote: NEXT]
COREN: Christ, more Claremont/mutant stuff? Can we at least wait to see how good/bad he’s doing on New (new) Excalibur?
NEXT at least seems interesting, although that’s a strange concept for them to be visiting, I would have figured they’d want to shy away from the whole issue of aging if they could.
IAIN BURNSIDE: Hell, if I was to ever dare read a Claremont story again then it would only be if the premise was as interesting as NEXT. Unfortunately, the DOFP one will probably win out yet again. IT’S BEEN TWENTY YEARS!!! LET IT GO, PEOPLE!!!
KEVIN MAHONEY: The Claremont voting thread went about three responses before a “None of the Above” response? That’s about what I would’ve figured. I like the real time aging option, but I don’t know what that would mean for some of the weirder characters (Wolvie, Bishop, Jubilee) who through plot device or creative choice have sort of been stuck at one age.
MANOLIS VAMVOUNIS: Frankly, I just don’t feel Claremont has it in him to create new interesting characters, and his What If story was plainly disappointing. So I’m wishing for the New Mutants thing to go through, because these are the characters he seems to have more to say with right now. And it will probably mean more Kitty Pryde!
