T-minus 25 minutes until DC’s New 2 panel begins! It’s oughtta be something… Keep refreshing that browser for regular updates as I post them!
Here we go! DC VP of Sales Bob Wayne is moderating as always, but no one else is getting introduced. King of DC Fletcher Chu Fong is here, though.
Pete Tomasi is talking about the continuation of Batman & Robin without Robin. The “Batman and…” Arc is modeled after the stages of grief. Heavy stuff… The Batman and Nightwing issue is the acceptance issue.
More Carrie Kelly to come… Will she be the new Robin? Dun dun DUN!
By the way, Matt is live-tweeting his reaction to the panel as it progresses at http://twitter.com/twoheadednerd.
Tomasi is getting ready to end his 12-year association with Green Lantern as both an editor and writer of GLC. Much love from the room.
Superman Unchained is up next. Deftly timed to coincide with Man of Steel. Wayne (joking): “an amazing coincidence.”
Bob Harras: “Scott Snyder and Jim Lee are bringing their A-game.”
Trinity War was mentioned, and nothing of substance was reviewed that you don’t already know. It’s a crossover between Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark. Pandora and the Phantom Stranger (and The Question, presumably) are all up in it.
Kyle Higgins is talking about Nightwing’s move to Chicago, which gets a lot of applause from the crowd, as you can imagine. Lots coming up about what happens to “masks” in Chicago. I like the cut of this Higgins guy’s jib. Writing the character is “an honor and a privilege.”
New Vibe writer Sterling Gates is talking about the book. Vibe is a young kid learning on the job, thrown into a world way over his head. Batman appears in issue #4.
Bob Harras and Bobbie Chase are here, having OMG SO MUCH FUN, I’m sure. (That’s a callback, kids.)
Harras is urging folks to check out Palmiotti and Gray’s Batwing, now starring Lucius Fox’s son Luke.
All-Star Western is next. Looks like Jonah Hex is headed to the present day for a fish-out-of-water adventure. I’d bet Booster Gold is involved.
New Swamp Thing writer Charles Soule is speaking about the title. Constantine will be appearing soon. Soule will be doing mostly two or three issue stories, in direct contradiction to the Rotworld philosophy. Sounds good!
Soule is also taking over Red Lanterns, which will now star Guy Gardner! What the what?!
Geoff Johns’ final issue of Green Lantern will be the 88-page issue #20. It will be the culmination of everything Johns has been doing during his years-long run. Doug Mahnke is outdoing himself on this one, apparently.
Wayne just asked Aaron Kuder about Green Lantern New Guardians despite the fact that he is no longer drawing it. That is not a joke. Tomasi: “Tony Bedard would say that it’s great and you should buy it.” Ouch.
Matt’s ditching me for the IDW panel. So long, sucker!
Q&A Time!
Starro the Conqueror of Bleeding Cool fame is trying to get the panel to talk about Villain’s Month, specifically an as yet unannounced Crime Syndicate book. The panel is pretending they don’t know what he’s talking about.
Q: any Renee Montoya. Also, any plans to bring Batwoman closer to the other Bat-books? A: yes to both!
Q: any plans for the Outsider from Flashpoint? A: no comment, I guess.
Q: plans for Nightwing to team up with Bat-family post Chicago move? A: of course.
Q: plans for Superman characters like Steel or the Eradicator? A: sure.
Q: will Johns ever reveal the Green Lantern oath? A: read GL #20, maybe?
The panel keep jokingly responding to every question they don’t know the answer to with “Wonder Woman #25.”
Falling behind…sorry!
Q: plans for the new Aqualad? A: they’ve talked about it but no firm plans.
Tomasi: you have to have moments of brightness or else the dramatic moments are meaningless.
Q: plans for Nightwing to return to the Justice League. A: Higgins says that’s a question for Geoff Johns (conveniently not present).
Q: Cyborg solo title? A: the panel tried to gauge audience interest and the audience was not prepared to respond. Sorry, Vic!
Q: is Nightwing a Sox fan or a Cubs fan? Higgins: “as long as I’m writing, he’ll NEVER go to a Cubs game.”
A fan is giving DC props for their diversity (racial, gender, sexual, etc.).
A: anything coming to the New 52 other than more Batman, Green Lantern, superhero, etc.? A: keep watching.
Q: plans for The Question or more Batman Beyond? A: Kyle Higgins is the new writer of Batman Beyond Unlimited with Sean Murphy covers! As for The Question, Trinity War is the place.
Q: plans to expand the Teen Titans with Static, Blue Beetle, etc? A: Don’t expect Static, but keep watching otherwise.
Q: with the new Batman and the Wonder Woman-esque characters coming up in Earth 2, any plans for a new Superman? A: keep watching….which I honestly think means they don’t really know at this point.
Q: are cover gimmicks a scheme to help brick and mortar stores in the face of digital. A: Don’t be an idiot. (I may be projecting.)
There’s a young lady that’s REALLY upset that someone didn’t get their head cut off during “Death of the Family.” Tomasi: fracturing the family was always the point, not character death.
Thats it! See you soon for the Superior Spidey panel!
Fffffffuuuuuuuu… Damn it DC! Now I have to cancel all star western, my last DC book. Hex is my favorite comic character and while I haven’t loved ASW since relaunch, i can’t handle this booster gold BS. Just his costume alone fractured the books reality to me. Pure shit.
Fffffffuuuuuuuu… Damn it DC! Now I have to cancel all star western, my last DC book. Hex is my favorite comic character and while I haven’t loved ASW since relaunch, i can’t handle this booster gold BS. Just his costume alone fractured the books reality to me. Pure shit. Glad I read this.