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It is a bright new day here in DC News & Views world. There are some changes in a-coming and the first of them is”¦.more images! That’s right, we are going the US Today route. We think that you are all too overcome by your flighty and limited attention spans to keep with an all text column so we are dazzling you with bright colors and pie charts.

Nah, I kid. This column has been growing in length lately and images are the best way to make that all seem a little less daunting. Also, to that end, we are introducing a new break line this week. Rather than the simple line you are used to, we are using a character image. In this case, Aztek. And it’ll be Aztek until DC brings him back.

Or, for a few months, whatever comes first.

So, check out our new friend and then cruise right on to lackluster convention news and many OYL previews.

Huxley is Spinning in His Grave

In June, DC thematically wraps up what began almost a year ago in Countdown to Infinite Crisis. Like then, the publisher will be doing it with an 80-page one-shot with multiple creators involved, and carrying a $1 cover price. However, while Countdown took the DCU and focused it towards one major story (Infinite Crisis), June’s Brave New World will take that single point focus and turn it outward, into the DCU, as it introduces six new series: The All-New Atom, Creeper, Martian Manhunter, OMAC, The Trials of Shazam, and Uncle Sam & The Freedom Fighters.

It’s only a dollar at Newsarama

Excellent. Martian Manhunter has a title. Cool.

Oh”¦wait”¦from the team that brought you the end of “Gotham Knights”? Huh”¦suddenly, I don’t feel all that much need to put it on my pull list.

Will the new Atom be the new Jason Rusch (who, of course, is the new Kyle Rayner)? Or has the new Blue Beetle already laid claim to that spot?

Bruce Jones with more work! What is this guy writing, like a dozen titles? (Okay, I know it is only like 4 or 5 now, but still! Why such confidence in him?)

Does the Freedom Fighter title mean that Force of July won’t get its own solo mini coming out of Battle? Because that would be a crying shame. FORCE FOREVER!!!!

Better Than Oreos

One of DC’s favorite green skinned aliens, the Martian Manhunter, is getting his own series this summer from writer Andy Lieberman and artist Al Barrionuevo. As part of the Spanish Inquisition, we’ve got a few details from Barrionuevo on the upcoming series and his career in comics so far.

J’onn comes off the bench at The Pulse

Without preview art, there is not much here to check out. Barrionuevo only really knew that J’onn was a green alien, but he’s not writing so I don’t suppose that that really matters.

Who Wears the Gold Breastplate Now?

Rounding out our conversations with Dan Didio on this week’s slate of DC news, the DCU Executive Editor confirmed for Newsarama that writer Allan Heinberg (Young Avengers) will join the previously announced artist Terry Dodson as the creative team for the relaunched Wonder Woman this summer.

See if you can guess who’s lucky enough to wear a bathing suit to fight crime when you visit Newsarama

If you’ll notice the top of the article, the cover to the first issue of this new Wonder Woman book has been removed. I have the picture. However, it is kind of a moral grey area for me so I’m not putting it up here. I CAN tell you, however, that it is simply a shot of Wonder Woman, bracelets crossed, facing the “camera”. UPDATED: But then I saw Comic Book Resources use the image. So, screw it. Be assured, this cover has no spoilers. So check it out.


She’s a maniac, maniac on the floor, and she’s dancing like she’s never danced before.

Glad to see Heinberg getting a crack at Wonder Woman. I hope he gets to have a decent run on the title, despite his scheduling issues. Who knows? With Young Avengers going on hiatus and being relaunched (or something like that) maybe Wonder Woman will be his sole focus soon. I hope not because I love me some YA, but I guess that would make some sense for him. We shall see.

As far as this “which Wonder Woman is it?” game”¦yawn”¦ I think I’ve reached my capacity of “it might be this hero”¦or it could be someone else!!!!” stories, especially with how heavy DC is hitting that not in reference to Nightwing: OYL.

DC Finally Utilizes the Kuberts

And the brothers finally have homes.

Speaking to Newsarama, DCU Executive Editor Dan Didio confirmed that Andy and Adam Kubert would be drawing Batman and Action Comics, respectively. The first Kubert issue of Batman hits in July, and the first Kubert Action Comics is issue #841, which puts makes it July as well.

Didio said the fits were perfect, indicating that Andy is a Batman fan, and Adam is a lifelong Superman fan. Not to mention, on Batman, Andy is a kindasorta big fan of the writer, the as revealed at Wonder Con, Grant Morrison.

Welcome them to their new digs at Newsarama

Purty”¦kind of an old school feel to the Bat chest symbol and the rest seems Jim Lee Hush-esque.

Good to see the Kuberts finally have a reason to be exclusive at DC. And, apparently, according to Didio, they’ve been working on the art for these books since they signed on the dotted line so lateness should not be a factor.

Shh”¦This is Between You and Me

It’s like one of those things where, if you fix it up, your dad will let you drive the car. Or something”¦

Gail Simone rehabilitated a group of villains in last yea’s Infinite Crisis lead-in miniseries, Villains United, and come May, she gets to play with them all on their own in the (trademark-refreshing by use titled) Secret Six six issue miniseries.

A quick view of it – from DC’s May solicitations: “They’re a mysterious team – with a confidential roster – that walks the line between good and evil…and takes on the dirtiest, craziest missions in the DCU. And their first mission is to rescue one of their own from a North Korean prison before he’s executed!”

We spoke with Simone to learn more about the miniseries, and who’s in it.

You’ll love alliteration at Newsarama

My guess on the sixth member. The “long-established, might secretly be the most *&%ed-up villain in the DCU”? None other than:

Kite-Man.


Laugh now because you won’t have a chance to later. Kite-Man is coming to end all your tomorrows.

The Fire Still Burns

For Firestorm writer Stuart Moore, the One Year Later jump as a little trickier than for most other DC writers.

Alright, alright – spoilers for issues #22 and #23 of Firestorm

Thing is, just prior to the jump, Moore and series artist Jamal Igle were wrapping up their “Building a Better Firestorm” arc, which saw Jason Rusch merge with Professor Martin Stein, the former half of the original Firestorm. Stein, as it was shown in both the series and Infinite Crisis, had been wandering through space for the last few years.

See what kind of fuel burns OYL at Newsarama

I love that this book has almost taken a “poke the bear” approach with Ronnie Raymond Firestorm fans. For a time, it looked like Ronnie was going to be back to stay and then, it didn’t happen. Now, Martin Stein is back, but not with Ronnie and he’s gone by the time OYL rolls around. This book just loves messing with those MOFO peeps, eh?

By the way, how illuminating is MOFO? It stands for “My Original Firestorm Only”. Ahh, a comic fan’s sense of ownership.

As for the content, I’m not sure about the “It’s One Year Later, the book most be more complicated” idea that led to this Firestorm/Firehawk pairing. Wouldn’t Jason and Martin’s now lived-in surrogacy father-son relationship be an interesting enough post-OYL point to launch from? Apparently not.

Given that further complication was deemed necessary, I think this is a fine way of doing it. I don’t care about Firehawk one way or another, but she and Jason do have a prior team-up during the Ronnie Raymond farewell tour (which is a storyline I didn’t much like) so there should be some interesting tension to mine from all of that.

Creeping Closer

Steve Niles is a creator playing in a number of different sand boxes these days. The creator of “30 Days of Night” has been traversing the stars in the galaxy spanning “Bad Planet” with actor Thomas Jane over at Image Comics. Over at Marvel, he helped let the monsters out in “Monsters on the Prowl.” At DC Comics, he’s brought his unique style to Batman in “Batman: Gotham County Line.” This June, Niles will bring that style to one of DC’s and creator Steve Ditko’s most unique creations, “The Creeper,” in a new, six-issue mini-series. Wednesday afternoon we caught up with Niles in his car as he was driving around the often hazardous streets of Los Angeles.

You make that red, yellow, and green look work at Comic Book Resources

Creeper is a costume for me. What I mean is that he has a very cool look but has never much interested me beyond that. I’m glad that he has his fans and, as I said, I think he has a great dynamicism about him. In every other way though, I am very eh on Ryder and his alter ego.

However, I do think that there is a lot here that fans of the Creeper will dig. I’m not as sure about the new continuity thing, but otherwise, I think the people will like it.

War, Huh, What is Good For”¦

This month, Travis Morgan returns as the Warlord, but is he the same man we’ve met before, or is this an all-new version of the sword and sorcery classic? Writer Bruce Jones is cryptic in his comments, but we managed to get some answers.

You know the rest at The Pulse

I don’t really care about Warlord so let me focus instead on Jones’ mention of a new Jack O’Lantern series with Sam Kieth. While I don’t really care for that creative team, the fact that there might be a Jack O’Lantern series (mini or otherwises) is so odd and great to me. I hope it ends up happening and ends up being good.

Father and Son

Friday Newsarama spoke with writer Jeph Loeb about April’s special issue of DC’s Superman/Batman paying tribute to his son Sam Loeb, who passed away last June after a three-year battle with cancer.

This week we spoke with several members of “The 26″, the all-star roster of comic book creators who are contributing their talents, time, and energy to complete the special story Sam wasn’t able, along with any their fees and any royalties Superman/Batman #26 generates to the Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund.

The following are just some of the creators brief thoughts, stories, or memories of the young man and burgeoning writer that touched all their lives…

Read the tributes at Newsarama

Some very nice words about Sam Loeb here. For some reason, Whedon’s resounds with me the most. It’s funny. And then we he gets to the f____ cancer part”¦well, my throat closes just a bit.

CONVENTIONAL GOODNESS

Because of the lack of news at the New York Convention, I’m not doing the multiple link thing this time. Sorry, but I did not want to bore all of your.

It’s Best to Be Better Than Worse

DC Comics held their second panel of the con day, DCU: Better Than Ever in another “standing room only” program, and Newsarama was on hand (where else would we be)?

See DC’s kicking new confident attitude in all its glory at Newsarama

Big plans for Damage? It’s like Geoff Johns has been reading my diary. Which is silly, of course. I’m not a girl so I don’t keep a diary.

And if I did, it certainly wouldn’t be pink with hearts all over it and hid underneath my bed.

Just so you know.

Cool looking Flash image


This is why the Flash doesn’t have nice things.

Still not sold on the series though.

A Connor Hawke miniseries? There is justice in this beautiful beautiful world.

Get off the Couch, Now!

DC held what the announced would be the final convention Crisis Counseling session, with panelists that included Dan DiDio, Bob Wayne, Keith Giffen, Phil Jimenez, and J.G. Jones.

After today DC will focus more on coming projects like 52 and the One Year Later titles.

Your counseling is over at Newsarama

Todd Nauck on 52 is good news. I just hope it is THE Nauck that shows up, not the diluted version from his recent Teen Titans stint. I appreciate that he can sublimate his style, I just don’t think he should.

Huh”¦Is It the Nineties Again, Already

Kinda/sorta buried in the “Todd McFarlane & Friends” panel held Saturday at New York Comic-Con: a new Batman/Spawn crossover special – and more. Though offered the option to make the announcement of the comic from the stage, DC Executive Editor Dan Didio opted to wait until the question and answer portion of the panel, standing in line, and waiting his turn to ask the creator if he’d like to do a crossover with Batman.

Newsarama caught up with Didio after the panel for a little more information on the project.

Ride the nostalgia machine all the way over to Newsarama

Ummm”¦yay?

You Never Forget Your First Case of Vertigo

NYCC: JONATHAN AMES, MAT JOHNSON, JASON AARON BRING NEW PROJECTS TO VERTIGO

Spin, spin, spin your way to Newsarama

I’m just going to say this and I don’t care how crazy it sounds. Vertigo is the most vibrant and interesting group of published titles that any of the Big 2 and their imprints are putting out. I do not read each and every Vertigo title and I do not like all of the ones that I have, but I respect each one. The offerings are eclectic and smart and I think, mainstream wise, no one is doing a better job of consistently illuminating the many great stories comics can be used to tell.

Incognegro, in particular, sounds all sorts of intriguing to me. I’m not sure why (maybe it was that childhood interest in Nat Turner?) but it, of all the three new projects, holds the biggest interest to me.

Okay, I’m done kissing up to Vertigo now.

But Did He Bring Cookies?

Friday’s Jim Lee Spotlight Panel at New York Comic-Con offered fans a chance to learn more, both about Lee’s current work, as well as his past, influences, and his larger, “legacy work” that he’s working on.

Watch Lee dance and swing in the spotlight at Newsarama

Hey, Jim Lee went to Princeton and thus lived in His Royal Badness, NJ. Janelle goes to Princeton and we live in His Royal Badness, NJ. Jim Lee studied Psychology. I study/studied Psychology. Jim Lee can draw well. I can draw”¦wellllllllllllll”¦umm”¦let’s move on.

This Batcave is pretty impressive, huh?




Sorry about dividing it up into three segments, but I couldn’t post it otherwise.

And it takes up six pages of story in the next issue of All-Star Batman. Commence angry wailing”¦now!

Maybe I’m just too old, but that DCU MMO interests me not at all. I am sure Jamie Hatton, in all his “I love D ‘n D” glory cannot wait for it to come out.

And yes, I can bag on Jamie for like Dungeons and Dragons even though I like comics. Why? Because there is a hierarchy of nerd-dom and it goes like this (from top to bottom):

1.) Wrestling nerds
2.) Video Game nerds
3.) Comic nerds
4.) Role playing game nerds
5.) Card game (Magic the Gathering, etc) nerds
6.) Costume nerds (the guys who dress up like storm troopers and wait outside movie theaters and their ilk)

Your nerd rank is equal to your lowest activity. Thus, I like comics, so I come in third. Jamie likes wrestling which puts him ahead of me, initially. However, he also LOVES Dungeon and Dragons and thus he is fourth. See? A glorious system, no?

Oh, and while there does exist individuals who are movie or music nerds, that form of pop culture is infinitely more acceptable and/or easy to conceal (who doesn’t love movies or music, right?) so they are not ranked on our list.

The following has been explained with tongue firmly in cheek. Please do not lose your ever loving mind and tell me about how I’ve set back comicdom for years and years. Thanks.

Is Massively Multi-Player Proper Grammar?

Announced last June, news of the DCU based massively multiplayer online game produced by Warner Bros. Interactive and Sony Online Entertainment got a boost today at the New York City Comic-Con when it was announced that Jim Lee, together with a group of WildStorm artists has been working on the art design of the game for roughly the past seven months.

Bring your second grade English teacher on over to Newsarama

Oh wait. An MMO is a video game, not a tabletop or “live action” thing. Okay, then its kind of cool. Thus, Jamie probably won’t like it. Jamie is opposed to things that are cool.

GAZE INTO YOUR CRYSTAL BALL

Behold! OYL previews a plenty

Group the First

In less than two weeks DC will finally begin unveiling their new look DC Universe when their titles all jump ahead “One Year Later”. But for readers who can’t wait that long, Newsarama and DC have arranged a special preview.

Every day over the next week (with a few days off in-between for this week’s New York Comic-Con), Newsarama and DC have arranged special previews of nearly all of Marc’s OYL titles. Look for a new patch of three previews each afternoon through their March 1st premier.

Today with begin these special previews with looks at three ongoing titles each featuring new lead starring characters, including Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40, Catwoman #53, and Hawkgirl #50. So without further ado…

Newsarama gets this party started!

So the new Aquaman is Arthur Curry, but he’s not the Aquaman we are used to? My head is pounding with confusion.

Catwoman remains on my wait and see list. The opening pages here are pretty good, but it does not tell me anything I didn’t already know (she has a baby and there is another Catwoman).

Finally, Hawkgirl”¦does the tone seem off somehow to anyone else? Especially that, “Carter, that was awfully foolish,” line that Kendra has.

Group the Second

Day 2 of our special six-day, 17 title DC “One Year Later” preview continues with a little bit of something for everyone, including Marc’s Firestorm #23, JSA #83, and Green Arrow #60.

As a reminder, every day over the next week (with a few days off in-between for this week’s New York Comic-Con), Newsarama and DC have arranged special previews of nearly all of Marc’s OYL titles. Look for a new patch of three previews each afternoon through their March 1st premier.

Fire, the eldery, and a man made of brick await you at Newsarama

Yay for McDaniel art! Too bad he does not really get to cut loose at all in these previews. As for the other two, Firestorm looks good (as usual). JSA, on the other hand, is not well served by that opening. The OYL hook just does not seem to have made it into these first few pages.

Group the Third

Day 3 of our special six-day, 17 title DC “One Year Later” preview continues with looks at March’s Birds of Prey #92, Blue Beetle #1, and Manhunter #20.

As a reminder, every day from this past Tuesday to next Tuesday (with a few days off in-between for this week’s New York Comic-Con), Newsarama and DC have arranged special previews of nearly all of Marc’s OYL titles. Look for a new patch of three previews each afternoon [cough, cough] through their March 1st premier.

The group better known as Tim’s favorite at Newsarama

This picture raises an important question:

does Clayface have any sex organs to worry about?

“I don’t have an operative by that name”? Whoa”¦Canary on the outs with Oracle? Who saw that coming?


Go Dylan!

You SO the man!

I like how Kate knows what is up right away, despite Chase’s efforts. That feels “real” to me.

Have I mentioned that I like this book?

COMING ATTRACTIONS

BATMAN ANNUAL #25

We saw how it ended (for now) last week. Now here’s the chance to see how it all began. And Mahnke’s back!

EX MACHINA #18

Damn, I miss this book when it is not around. I miss it like crazy. Very excited to see what Journal’s fate is and how Mr. Mayor handles the first terrorist attack (which I’m convinced is not quite what it seems) on his watch.

OPINIONS ON THE WORK OF PEOPLE FAR MORE TALENTED THAN I

BATMAN #650

This issue was so good that the art makes me doubly sad. Eric Battle’s faces are entirely too rubbery and is it just me or was there something about Jason’s general appearance that made me dislike him a lot more than I had prior to this?

Oh well, like I said, the story was still great. I dug the “I’ve forgive you, Bruce,” exchange that culminates in Batman admitting how much he wanted to torture the Joker in incredibly heinous way under the Clown Prince of Crime was dead. It was very good.

Oh, and no way did either the Joker or Jason die in that explosion. Just in case you were wondering.

GREEN LANTERN #9

First, I’ve got to direct you here, a link that features a blogger discussing the reasons why Geoff Johns might have written this issue. I don’t think they’re accurate, but they made me laugh for some reason. Especially that last line, (which, admittedly, has nothing to do with GL at all).

What did I think of the book though? It was not bad. Probably my favorite issue of this series so far. The new Tattooed Man has a cool design but, sadly, goes down just as quickly as his predecessor. What most people are tuning in for though is the Batman/Hal Jordan meeting and that’s also the best part of the story. It does a much better job of reconciling the two and having Batman grant Hal some degree of forgiveness than previous attempts, most notably the funeral of Hal Jordan. That one was written by Ron Marz and had Batman, almost out of nowhere, declaring that he didn’t understand how Hal could’ve done what he did, but he was okay with it now. That was waaaaaaaaay pat and rushed.

Here, it is still a little pat and no doubt what some will read as another attempt to get Emerald Twilight as far in the rearview mirror as possible. Still, there is something very satisfying about Batman displaying a sense of humor and/or a heart that is willing to forgive. It makes sense, after all, this is the guy who’s never fully given up on Harvey Dent and is doing all he can to pull his formerly dead protégé Jason Todd back from the edge.

Plus, it was all wrapped together with beautiful Van Sciver art.

I’m still only onboard this book for the occasional issue or arc that catches my eye, but this is one worth picking up.

VIGILANTE #6

The Vigilante as the Hulk? Well, the good doc’s alter ego is a bit more intelligent and well-spoken here, but the point amounts to the same. Vigilante hate punny alter ego, will smash him!

Overall, it’s not a bad issue, but this “climax” does little to redeem the obviousness of last issue’s twist. The use of the photographer from issue #1 finally justifies that attention that was paid to him, but there is no satisfaction there. Finally, how abrupt was that ending. Just not a very good miniseries, I’m afraid.

Something good that I will say though is that I think Olive’s art came along nicely during the series. Even if he did take an issue off.

There is it, folks, our first column of the new image conscious era. Did it work for you? I hope so. Either way, let me know at parallax2@juno.com or hit up the message boards. Thanks.

Shh”¦Un Gajje is Hunting Wabbits