Caius the Bigger

Many wonderful wonderful things from DC's San Diego ComicCon Panel!

Highlights, from my perspective:

As the creators ran down the lists of their current work, Paul Dini announced that he is working on a Black Canary/Zatanna hardcover graphic novel, with art by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.

The FISHNETS teamup! With Dini and Connor, who can do cheesecake WELL!

Paul Levitz stood to make an announcement, and spoke about a new strategy for DC to move into direct-to-video animation. [...] The first title will be the previously-leaked animated film version of Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier. Cooke will work with Stan (JLU) Berkowitz on the film, with Cooke providing key art direction.

No further comment needed. WOOHOO!

Getting back to comics, given that Geoff Johns is from Detroit, and Brad Meltzer and Winick went to University of Michigan, a fan asked if there was a chance of the Detroit JLA coming back, Johns said that was his favorite League growing up, but didn't get Vibe. Meltzer noted that he did make sure to include Vibe in JLofA #0.

Geoff, you are ADORABLE sometimes. Questionable, but adorable.

DiDio asked everyone on the panel to reveal one secret thing from all of their books.

Morrison: The secret origin of Bat-Mite.

*awaits the scary crack!*

In speaking about his Batman run and reasons why a reader should pick it up, Morrison said that he's going to be looking reasons why the characters like Batman.

"And Bruce Wayne naked."

Thumbs up to Morrison for male fanservice!

Again, polling the panelists, DiDio asked which character each creator would want to die or come back to life?

Winick: G'nort. I want him dead.

Johns: G'nort, I'll bring him back.

Dini: I'll kill him again.

Busiek: G’nort's puppies.

FANBOYS, I love you so.

So thelana allerted me to the existence of psych_30, which is along the lines of fanfic100 and suchlike, but with 30 psychological-issue prompts.

Clearly someone in the Bat-corners of DC fandom should get on this. Or something like this, anyway.

Via evadne_, Waid is going to write a new Brave and Bold series! In the classic[1] "Anyone and anyone else" format! YAY!

In other news, I requested Green Lanterns in swimsuits over on illustrate_me and Houie is drawing them! Yay! You should all go look if you haven't seen already.

Also, the first issue of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatthies's Defenders mini is coming out this coming Wednesday! JLI fans take note!

As for stuff from this past week. ( Nothing terribly spoilery, but just in case, comments on Green Arrow 52, Action Comics 829, the Manhattan Guardian 3, Rann-Thanagar War 3, and JLA 116 )

I also had a couple of trades come in for me today.

Cosmic Odyssey: Finally I found the story where John Stewart destroys Xanshi! Unfortunately, that plot thread is pretty badly done; basically John is being ridiculously overconfident of his ring power and then is overcome by a yellow-painted Doomsday device. Trying to figure out *when* this happens only makes it worse; as far as I can determine, this took place right after the lantern battery went kablooie, depowering most of the corps (including, although I *may* remember this wrong, John, who shows no sign of being ringless in this series); not the time I'd expect John to play his Cocky Young Green Lantern card.

Aside from that, however, it's a pretty good mini. It brings together a lot of people from around the DCU without most of the tie-in chaos you get in Big Events, so it's pretty self-contained. It also gets points for featuring Darkseid on the side of the angels (if, ultimately, with his own agenda), which is how I prefer him.

The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 2: Created, written, and illustrated by Mike Grell, and therefore PRETTY. Which is mostly why I read it, but it has plenty of well-done mystery and action stuff, too. It's really a lot like Grell's GA run--Grell is Grell, after all--only with OCs that Grell can do what he wants with. And guns rather than arrows. Also, Jon Sable, freelance adventurer/mercenary/what have you, has a Sekrit Identity of B.B. Flemm who writes childrens books. Which is just plain cool.

[1] Not the original anthology format, as may disappoint any fans of the Silent Knight that still exist. But not the "Batman and someone else" format, either. Or, indeed, the more recent meaning of "Flash and Green Lantern"...

Newsarama has preview pages of the first issue of Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire's upcoming Defenders mini!