Welcome to my weekly Monday column dubbed Demythify that explores pop culture news, rumors and my own theorizing of the states of comics.
For those of you new to this column or our Comics Nexus website, I’m John Babos, a long time reader who remains passionate about all things comic books and pop culture.
I hope you enjoy this week’s piece. If you’re interested in my previous Demythify columns, please check out our e-library. Also, check out the Jim Lee variant cover to the right for writer Justin Jordan and artist Jesus Merino’s Team 7 #1. That was my best buy of the past week. ;)
This week I look back at the New York Comic Con 2012 (a.k.a. NYCC 2012) that ran this past weekend in the Big Apple.
While there wasn’t a motherload of internet breaking news across the industry, there were at least 10 news nuggets that I think you should be aware of… with a bit of my patented Babos analysis below. ;)
10. Superman Family Goes Through H’El & Back (DC Comics)
We know that DC Comics is making the Superman Family books, including Superboy and Supergirl, top priorities going into the Man of Steel’s milestone year. 2013 opens with Superboy Annual #1 written by Tom DeFalco. It would appear that the fallout from H’El on Earth super-books x-over will be a damaged Superboy. It certainly looks like Superman is wearing his old Action Comics t-shirt costume while Superman seemingly has the Superman armor (for healing perhaps?). This dynamic also plays out in Superboy #16 and Superman #16. Hmm. Superboy just became a must-read.
9. Marvel Continues To Play Offence (Marvel)
Secret Avengers joins other titles like Thunderbolts, Uncanny X-Force, and Cable and X-Force as edgier Marvel Now titles. I’m a fan of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad by Adam Glass and characters like Deathstroke and Deadshot, so all of the Marvel books I mentioned would naturally appeal to me.
Secret Avengers is getting Marvel Now’d by writer Nick Spencer who is joined by artist Luke Ross with an intriguing Secret Avengers team. The cast will appear to be rotating, but will likely include Nick Fury Jr. with Agent Coulson as mainstays. The rotating operatives appear to include Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Black Widow, and fan-fave villain Taskmaster. In addition, a new Super-Patriot will be in the fold somehow.
The catch? Well most of the team members don’t know their Secret Avengers. There is some kind of trigger word that snaps them into service and equally releases them with likely no knowledge of their exploits. Cool!
8. Bionic Showdown ;) (Dynamite)
You old timers will get my title for this story. Anyhow, after reviving both the Bionic Man and Bionic Woman in the comics line, what does Dynamite do next? Well on top of their respective ongoing series, we get a Bionic Man vs. Bionic Woman #1 in January 2013.
Let me let Dynamite explain it to with a snippet from their news release:
- “Coming from Dynamite in January 2013, in association with NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products, two classic icons will clash in The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #1! Written by Keith Champagne and featuring covers by Ardian Syaf, Sean Chen, Jonathan Lau, Jack Herbert, and drawn by Jose Luis, this series is not to be missed!
In The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #1, Steve Austin joins forces with the FBI to track down a mysterious, seemingly-bionic, serial killer. But when the Bionic Man disappears, only Jamie Sommers has a chance to find him. But if their paths cross, will it be as friends, lovers…or mortal enemies? Nothing will ever be the same!
The book will come with a few variant covers too. This looks interesting. I’m curious how or if it will complement the existing two series.
7. Cable Gets An X-Force & Bishop Gets Uncanny? (Marvel)
Marvel Now will feature 2 X-Force titles. The first is Cable and X-Force.
The second one is Uncanny X-Force written by Scott Humphries, drawn by Ron Garney, with designs done by Kris Anka.
Comics Alliance had a sit down with the creative team that included teaser art and the revelation that Cable’s X-Force are the hunted and Uncanny X-Force are the Hunters.
Uncanny X-Force will feature Bishop, Psylocke, a mohawked Storm, a female Fantomex, Puck of Alpha Flight infamy and… the villainess Spiral.
Both X-Forces look solid!
6. Bendis Does New Guardians with a new Iron Man? (Marvel)
It is not a surprise that we’re seeing a Guardians of the Galaxy title in Marvel Now considering a movie is in the works. The cast of this “new” Guardians of the Galaxy title include known quantities like Starlord, Drax, Rocket Racoon, Groot and Gamora.
However, new writer Brian Bendis and artist Steve McNiven also bring an Iron Man to this team. Check out the Iron Man armor on the cover. Methinks that isn’t Tony Stark. If War Machine can have Stark armor, why can’t someone else? Someone more cosmic? So, who do you think is the Guardians of the Galaxy’s Iron Man? Stark or someone else?
The team will tackle larger scale, more cosmic threats that no ordinary earth-based super-team can handle. We’re looking at a point-one issue in February with a new #1 in March.
5. DC Gives Out Gifts For Vertigo’s 20th Birthday (DC Comics)
Fans are getting some treats for Vertigo’s milestone year. I can’t believe its 20 years since the 1993 launch of the imprint. As part of the celebration a.k.a. on the internet as the “Vertigo relaunch“, we’re having Neil Gaiman’s return to Sandman in the form a prequel, but also two new titles.
Writer Scott Snyder is joined by artist Sean Murphy for The Wake. The tale is described as a “big, twisted, sprawling science fiction and horror epic, all of which begins with a single, terrifying discovery at the bottom of the ocean.”
Along with that comes a new book written and drawn by Jeff Lemire of Sweet Tooth and Animal Man fame. The title is called Trillium.
The premise is intriguing:
- “Two disparate souls separated by thousands of years and hundreds of millions of miles. Yet they will fall in love and, as a result, bring about the end of the universe. Even though reality is unraveling all around them, nothing can pull them apart. This isn’t just a love story, it’s the last love story ever told.”
Looks like big things are happening with Vertigo in 2013!
4. A Geomancer Debuts with the Eternal Warrior (Valiant)
I am quite enjoying the Valiant relaunch. The Summer of Valiant has brought with it solid efforts on all fronts. Every reader is different, but my faves are Archer and Armstrong as well as Bloodshot as I have enjoyed those characters since Valiant 1.0. :) X-O Manowar has been good too and the upcoming Ninjak arc looks promising.
With Archer and Armstrong, written by Fred Van Lente and pencilled by Clayton Henry, featuring the immortal Armstrong, his brothers Gilad (Eternal Warrior) and Ivar (The Time Walker) were bound to show up sooner than later after their brief cameo in this series’ debut issue.
There is a multi-part arc upcoming with the Eternal Warrior’s modern day Valiant Universe debut. What else is cool? Well at NYCC 2012 we learned that a Geomancer is also debuting. In old continuity, there could only be one Geomancer at a time, they were one with Earth, and guided Gilad on his missions. Will this new female Geomancer do the same?
Well, I can’t wait to find out.
3. DC Gives Out Gifts For Superman’s 75th Birthday (DC Comics)
2013 marks the 75th birthday of Superman. And it looks like fans are the ones recieving presents. (As an aside, I still remember picking up that famous Time Magazine from 1988 that had a John Byrne pencilled Superman on the cover. Good times.)
Not only will Superman be getting a new ongoing title in 2013, but it will be written by Batman scribe Scott Snyder and DC Co-Publisher / Top Artist Jim Lee. The book is believed to be called something like Superman: Man of Steel, similar to the movie title, but all we have now is the teaser pic by Jim Lee. The release date is TBA for the new comic book, while the Superman Man of Steel movie is set to hit the silver screen on June 14, 2013.
We also open 2013 with a new creative team for Action Comics. Andy Diggle of The Losers fame pens the book with Detective Comics’ Tony Daniel on art. It is not clear whether the book will continue to be set in the past like Grant Morrison run is / was, but with the cliffhanger ending to Superman #0 with the black costumed Superman on what seems to be on Krypton before it exploded, it just might be. The new creative team comes aboard with March’s Action Comics #18.
Two Vertigo writers on DC’s iconic super-hero. Hmm. ;) Nice moves DC!
2. A New Spider-Man with a Familiar Love Interest? (Marvel)
Top Marvel scribe Dan Slott is joined by a rotating set of arc-based artists on a new title called Superior Spider-Man.
The book will seemingly replace the Amazing Spider-Man series. What else will it replace? Perhaps its lead character. Marvel isn’t committing one way or the other, but they are implying it might not be Peter Parker under the mask. Also, Mary Jane returns as a love interest for this Spider-Man in its second issue. Hmm.
Looks like big things fallout of Amazing Spider-Man #700.
1. DC Nation Block Chop (Cartoon Network / DC Entertainment)
By far the biggest news this NYCC 2012 weekend was the abrupt cancellation of Young Justice Invasion’s “Before the Dawn” episode (Season 2, episode 10) and the companion “Steam Lantern” episode of Green Lantern the Animated Series (Season 1, episode 16). This story developed quickly over the weekend and culminated with Cartoon Network and DC Comics confirming that there will be no more new DC Nation block content in 2012.
Fans were outraged at this abrupt decision. There was a several month hiatus already this year and we’re only 2 episodes into the second half of Season 2. The Episode 8 “Satisfaction” recap and spoilers can be found here with similar information for Episode 9 “Darkest” here.
In terms of what the status is for the rest of Season 2, here is what you need to know to get caught up on this story:
- Article #1: Cartoon Network Pulls Young Justice Invasion: Before The Dawn (Season 2, Episode 10) & Green Lantern The Animated Series: Steam Lantern (Season 1, Episode 16) Abruptly.
Article #2: No More Young Justice Invasion & DC Nation For 2012 On Cartoon Network! Not Back Until Early 2013!
Article #3: Legal and Illegal Options Surface To Watch Young Justice Invasion Before The Dawn, Season 2, Episode 10, Despite Cartoon Network’s Cancellation or Postponement of DC Nation.
Article #4: DC Nation Petition Surfaces & Young Justice Invasion Before The Dawn Recap With Top 5 Developments (Spoilers & Review).
In addition, here is a teaser video circulating about what the second half of Season 2 of Young Justice Invasion has in store! There is quick glance of someone who looks like Deathstroke, but perhaps it’s the Ravager (see the long white hair at the back of the head)? Hmmm. What do you think?
Till next week, thanks for reading. As always, all feedback welcome.
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