DC Comics Ongoing Discussion

[theenglish]

Let's be clear though--Bendis does not have the power or creative freedom to randomly change character names--that decision needs to be editorially approved and at this point approved by WB execs who are in charge of movie branding. I could see the film marketing division bringing a name change to the comics as more likely than the reverse.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Let's be clear though--Bendis does not have the power or creative freedom to randomly change character names--that decision needs to be editorially approved and at this point approved by WB execs who are in charge of movie branding. I could see the film marketing division bringing a name change to the comics as more likely than the reverse.

That's how I see it, as well. They wanted to use the comics as a test balloon, and my guess is (as I've stated before) that Bendis and DC's editorial weren't happy with it, either. This might even be why it was leaked to begin with, to stir up enough online ridicule for DC to go back to the film people to show them that it was a dumb idea.

Of course, Bendis can't say that out loud, or it would get back to the film people who might get the idea that Shazadam wasn't such a bad name, after all, and the public reaction was manipulated, and Bendis or whoever leaked the information would be sanctioned. But he also doesn't want people to think the name change was seriously considered by himself or the comics division.

And no, the "Boy Wonder" "Robin" analogy doesn't play either, because the key is that Superman asks if they meant somebody else. I mean, how would it play out if it had been Robin?

Character X: "We were saved by the Boy Wonder."
Superman: "You mean Wonder Woman has a male sidekick now?"

Now, would X just keep calling him Boy Wonder? No, of course not, they would clarify "No, I mean Robin." And that's even with a relatively well-known nickname, as opposed to "Shazadam".

But, of course, if I'm right, we'll most likely never know. The name won't pop up again, now that it's proven to be unpopular. It's all up to interpretation and speculation now.

 

[kirk55555]

I hadn't thought of it being a test of a marketing department idea. Marketing Departments are notoriously stupid, so I could see it, but they probably don't consider the comic audience to be big enough/the right audience for any name test to make sense.

Still, we'll never know. I still think the name change was something that they were trying and not just badly written dialog, but luckily it seems like it won't be used again (outside of some writer joking about it, maybe).

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Some announcements for June:

The previously teased Crush & Lobo title launches as an 8-issue miniseries by writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Amancay Nahuelpan.

The series will see Crush, just recently quitting the Teen Titans and ending a relationship, confront her father who is locked up in an intergalactic prison.

Also coming in June is an 80-page DC Pride anthology oneshot with short stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters from the DC universe, including Batwoman, John Constantine, Harley & Ivy, Midnighter & Apollo, GL Alan Scott & son Obsidian, as well as the first comic appearance of Dreamer from TV's "Supergirl", written by Nicole Maines herself.

Foreword (which I keep seeing misspelled as Forward) by Marc Andreyko.

Also, Batman: The Adventures Continue is getting a second season by the remaining team of Burnett, Dini & Templeton, with the digital version starting in early May and the print edition following in June. This new series will apparently introduce the Court of Owls into the DCAU.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Also coming in June: After Batman went Black & White and Superman went Red & Blue, Wonder Woman goes Black & Gold.

Issue #1 features by John Arcudi & Ryan Sook, Becky Cloonan, Amy Reeder, AJ Mendez Brooks & Ming Doyle, and Nadia Shammas & Morgan Beem.

And Bendis announced his and Alex Maleev's follow-up to Leviathan, now titled "Checkmate", will finally arrive in June.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

And another two announcements for June:

Two industry greats, writer Garth Ennis and artist Liam Sharp, join forces for a six-issue miniseries under the Black Label (so Mature Readers), Batman: Reptilian.

Ennis writing basically R-rated Batman alone would be enough to make this a must-read, but adding the art of the brilliant Liam Sharp puts this into the "possible comics highlight of the year" category.

And also coming in June, Green Arrow gets the 100-page Anniversary oneshot treatment.

To feature stories by Mike Grell, Jeff Lemire, Phil Hester, Otto Schmidt, Ben Percy, Tom Taylor, Devin Grayson, Stephanie Phillips, Mariko Tamaki, Ram V, Vita Ayala, Nicola Scott, Chris Mitten, Laura Braga, Max Fiumara, and Brandon Thomas. Personally miss Kevin Smith on that list, he's the one who resurrected Ollie, after all. A Connor Hawke story by Chuck Dixon would have been nice, but I guess Dixon is considered too toxic for the Big Two these days (not for collections, though). Too bad Denny O'Neil isn't around anymore, would have loved one last Ollie Queen story from the master. Neal Adams doesn't seem to do a story, but he'll provide a 1960s-themed variant cover.

 

[JD]

I was just reading the official DC website's article about Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez's Justice League, and Bendis specifically addresses the whole Shazadam thing.
Bendis also took the opportunity to debunk any rumors about Black Adam changing his name to Shazadam. “Just so we're very clear, at no time ever, in the history of the planning of this book, in any format, in any stage, in any way has the production ever been about Black Adam changing his name, his legacy or anything,” he states. “His name is Black Adam and someone else calls him something in the book.”

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Still don't buy it. But I will buy the book.

Anyway, onto what's going on with the June solicits.


For context, usually DC has released their solicits on the second Friday of the month. Now, the "behind-the-scenes stuff" has caused some speculation, it might be about this year's Free Comic Book Day. FCBD has been organized and distributed by Diamond for a long time now (though it didn't start that way), and now DC isn't with Diamond anymore. But DC also has announced they would participate. They might be figuring out which title to go with.

Just as an aside, is it just me or does the "smart people are working on it" give anybody else Raiders vibes?

 

[TheSeeker]

Long time no post! I finally caught up on Future State and read infinite Frontier a few hours ago so I thought I'd check-in to the new DC thread.

On the whole, I found Future State to be mostly a dud. With very few exceptions, I had really been enjoying the Rebirth phase of DC, and the whole Metal series by Snyder seemed unnecessary. Its one redeeming quality is that it removed that silly limit of 52 multiverses, but everything else about it was not for me, in particular, the Batman Who Laughs. Ugh. I hope we never see him again.

For me, the best part of Future State was Dark Detective. I love Dan Mora's art, and he turned in more great work for this series. The writing by Tamaki was also very good and actually made me intrigued by this future Gotham City controlled by the Magistrate, which is a lot more than I can say for The Next Batman. I would have happily read more Dark Detective provided the same creative team could have stayed with it.

I also enjoyed the Aquaman book, and liked the Wonder Woman book from Joelle Jones enough to pre-order the new ongoing Wonder Girl series. I was disappointed with most of the other books, though one of the highlights was the Mister Miracle story, so I may pick up the new limited series.

Infinite Frontier #0 did not give me a ton of confidence about the direction DC is heading in, although I must admit I was very happy to see Infinity Inc. again. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it goes, but I'm in no rush to sign up for any new DC books just now.

Oh, and can I just say that the idea of the "Linearverse" introduced in "Generations Forged" was super lame? Big thumbs-down on that one. It feels like a real reach to make a botched reboot work.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Still don't buy it. But I will buy the book.

Anyway, onto what's going on with the June solicits.


For context, usually DC has released their solicits on the second Friday of the month. Now, the "behind-the-scenes stuff" has caused some speculation, it might be about this year's Free Comic Book Day. FCBD has been organized and distributed by Diamond for a long time now (though it didn't start that way), and now DC isn't with Diamond anymore. But DC also has announced they would participate. They might be figuring out which title to go with.

Just as an aside, is it just me or does the "smart people are working on it" give anybody else Raiders vibes?

On the FCBD issue, apparently Diamond has trademarked Free Comic Book Day earlier this month. Especially considering the timing, it appears to be an attempt to exclude DC from participating, and the delay may be about DC figuring out how to participate without using the now trademarked phrase.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

The June Solicits are finally out.

So, they also put out several Annuals. The Action Comics one is a continuation of Future State, so I won't bother with that one. The Flash one appears to be part of the monthly's storyline, so guess that's a must for me.
Far Sector reaches its finale. Looking forward to it. Great book, and best GL story DC has had in a long while.
Accompanying the launch of the Infinite Frontier miniseries there will be a Secret Files one-shot, though the material will be digital-first.
Tom King's Supergirl sounds very much like he will once again use it to deal with his own demons again, so I think I'll pass on that.
A lot of books also double-ship in June. Gonna be an expensive month.
Wonder Woman anniversary hardcover set for end of August.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

And just days after the delayed release of the June Solicits, DC adds the first issue of Static as they make the Milestone titles Day-and-Date digital and print releases.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

WonderCon@Home is going on this weekend, and there was a Milestone panel hosted by the great Phil LaMarr, featuring Reggie Hudlin, Denys Cowan, Nikolas Draper-Ivey and ChrisCross:

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[Kai "the spy"]

DC is letting readers choose its next series | Newsarama

Well, they say readers, they really mean subscribers of the DC Universe Infinite service. Which isn't even available outside the US. Also, 'next series' is a bit misleading, but 'a new series' doesn't sound as exciting.

But anyway, the potential series (with synopsis) are:

Green Lanterns: Underworld On Fire

A deadly outfit of space outlaws are razing the intergalactic underworld sector by sector under the command of a disruptive new kingpin, in search of an ancient payday worth becoming the target of every power player in the galaxy—including Sinestro! Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Kilowog are put on the case, but will Kyle be able to do this one by the book when he finds out who’s behind it all?

Etta Candy: Holliday Hero, Inc.

On summer break from Holliday College, an accident grants Etta Candy her very own superpowers! Taking on the new superhero mantle of Candy Stripe, Etta joins forces with Wonder Woman, Amanda Waller, and her Beeta Lambda sorority sisters to create Holliday Hero Inc.—an all-girls agency sworn to protect and assist anyone in need. WOO WOO!

The Brave and the Bug: Crisis on Infinite Ambush

Ambush Bug must team up with some of DC’s greatest heroes to survive an attack by revenge-seeking Ambush Bugs from across the MULTIVERSE who never got to exist thanks to AB’s refusal to be rebooted.

Zatanna and the King of Nightmares

Something is terribly wrong with Zatanna’s powers, but before she can heal herself, she is forced to confront her worst fears in a strange new spiritual realm ruled by the terrifying otherworldly foe known as the King of Nightmares.

Lobo / Animal Man: Scorched Earth

Lobo. The name makes entire alien races collectively wet themselves with fear. The Main Man is proudly hyper-violent, arrogant, loud, stubborn, impatient, and ill-tempered. The best thing about him is that after he completes his contract, he leaves. Until now…

Son of the Creeper

An awkward teenager’s life is turned upside down when he inherits his dad’s chaotic powers. With his family in danger, Kieran Millar must save a father he doesn’t know from the monster he’s become.

Justice League Queer

Eight young queer heroes investigate a series of monstrous manifestations around the world and discover that something much more terrifying is coming.

Robins

In the Blüdhaven apartment of Dick Grayson, a group of young people meets for coffee, doughnuts, and kvetching (between long, awkward silences.) The only thing they have in common? All were once Kid Wonders. Sidekicks to Batman. Robins.

Paws Off the Justice League

When the Justice League disappears, Jimmy Olsen and the Super Pets must save the world from certain doom by posing as the missing League.

Jesse Quick: Control

When Jesse Quick uses her speed to access an alien artifact from a long-dead civilization, she finds herself imbued with the ability to harness and control the elements around her as her former super-speed is drained. But, when the power begins to corrupt Jesse, she must decide to give up these gifts or risk becoming, quite literally, her own worst enemy.

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day

Trapped between heroics and his future, Jaime Reyes is directionless. When the Reach interrupt Jaime’s high school graduation, things only get worse. Starfire becomes a new mentor to Blue Beetle, but is it Jaime or the Scarab that’s really in the driver’s seat? And why hasn’t Jaime applied to any colleges?

Nightrunner: Love in Paris

All of Paris is obsessed with an intoxicating virtual songstress, whose holographic stage shows are lighting up the City of Love. But when the “vocaloid” ingenue’s fans start to disappear, Nightrunner must track down the infamous developer behind the eerily realistic celebrity AI.

Swamp Thing: A House of Secrets

When love will not die, the dead must rise from the grave to kill it.
Louisiana, 1905: Caught in an eternal triangle of love and living death, the monstrous Alex Olsen; his widow, Linda; and his undead rival, Damian, vie for control of the cursed swamp where life, death, the past, and the future spiral into one never-ending nightmare.

Suicide Squad Seven

Harley Quinn leads a team of criminals—a millionaire adventurer, a stage magician, a sugar-obsessed serial killer, a delusional former superhero, a drunk assassin, a mute metahuman, and a child who becomes a monster—to stop the centuries-old Church of Blood from trying to destroy all of humankind.

Asteria: The Last Amazon

An immortal Amazonian champion returns to Man’s World to discover her and the Amazons’ sacrifice now forgotten; a new breed of hero seeking power, glory, and dominance; and the secret family she left behind offering one last chance at redemption.

Superman & Lois: Ignition

Our solar system is a machine—and its purpose is to trap and kill Superman! The sun is darkening, Mars’s orbit is changing, and a mysterious citadel in Jupiter’s Great Red Eye has awoken; it is time for Kal-El to stand against the very end of his world. But he won’t be doing it alone: Lois Lane is suited up and blasting off to get the biggest story in human history…and to watch Clark’s back as he faces his greatest challenge yet. Facing ancient aliens and planet-sized machines, trickster asteroids, and the gigakrakens of Neptune, Superman and Lois will fight across all nine planets to prevent Earth’s dark destiny and save our future!

 

[Kai "the spy"]

The first round of the Round Robin campaign is over:

Kind of pissed that the queer Justice League got beat by something DC oh so desperately needs, another Batman Family book. Otherwise I'm between fine and happy with the results.

So, here is more info and some preview art on the contestants in the second round:

Superman & Lois: Ignition
Writers: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing
Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Our solar system is a machine—and its purpose is to trap and kill Superman! The sun is darkening, Mars's orbit is changing, and a mysterious citadel in Jupiter's Great Red Eye has awoken; it is time for Kal-El to stand against the very end of his world. But he won't be doing it alone: Lois Lane is suited up and blasting off to get the biggest story in human history…and to watch Clark's back as he faces his greatest challenge yet. Facing ancient aliens and planet-sized machines, trickster asteroids and the gigakrakens of Neptune, Superman and Lois will fight across all nine planets to prevent Earth's dark destiny and save our future!

Suicide Squad Seven
Writer: Rex Ogle
Artist: Diogenes Neves

Harley Quinn leads a team of criminals—a millionaire adventurer, a stage magician, a sugar-obsessed serial killer, a delusional former superhero, a drunk assassin, a mute metahuman, and a child who becomes a monster—to stop the centuries-old Church of Blood from trying to destroy all of humankind.

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day
Writer: Josh Trujillo
Artist: Adrian Gutierrez

Trapped between heroics and his future, Jaime Reyes is directionless. When the Reach interrupt Jaime's high school graduation, things only get worse. Starfire becomes a new mentor to Blue Beetle, but is it Jaime or the Scarab that's really in the driver's seat? And why hasn't Jaime applied to any colleges?

Jesse Quick: Control
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: David Lafuente

When Jesse Quick uses her speed to access an alien artifact from a long-dead civilization, she finds herself imbued with the ability to harness and control the elements around her as her former super-speed is drained. But, when the power begins to corrupt Jesse, she must decide to give up these gifts or risk becoming, quite literally, her own worst enemy.

Lobo/Animal Man: Scorched Earth
Writer: Heath Corson
Artist: Scott Hepburn

Lobo. The name makes entire alien races collectively wet themselves with fear. The Main Man is proudly hyper-violent, arrogant, loud, stubborn, impatient, and ill-tempered. The best thing about him is that after he completes his contract, he leaves. Until now…

Robins
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Baldemar Rivas

In the Blüdhaven apartment of Dick Grayson, a group of young people meets for coffee, doughnuts, and kvetching (between long, awkward silences.) The only thing they have in common? All were once Kid Wonders. Sidekicks to Batman. Robins.

Green Lanterns: Underworld on Fire
Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: V. Ken Marion

A deadly outfit of space outlaws are razing the intergalactic underworld sector by sector under the command of a disruptive new kingpin, in search of an ancient payday worth becoming the target of every power player in the galaxy—including Sinestro! Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Kilowog are put on the case, but will Kyle be able to do this one by the book when he finds out who's behind it all?

Zatanna and the King of Nightmares
Writers: The Soska Sisters
Artist: Vanesa Del Rey

Something is terribly wrong with Zatanna's powers, but before she can heal herself, she is forced to confront her worst fears in a strange new spiritual realm ruled by the terrifying otherworldly foe known as the King of Nightmares.

My personal favourite would be the Lobo/Animal Man book, but if released, I'd also pick up Superman & Lois, Green Lanterns and Zatanna. I'd be generally interested in a Jesse Quick story, but this particular one doesn't sound like the kind of story I'd want, and I'm not a fan of her wearing the Flash insignia.

 

[The Realist]

The only thing I care about in this at all is the Superman & Lois book, so fingers crossed for that one. The posted art looks really great. Apparently, DC has made it known that at least some non-winners may still see the light of day.

 

[kirk55555]

The only one of those that sounds potentially good to me is the Suicide Squad book. While I like Zatanna and Jesse Quick a lot, both of their plots sound horrible (and they both involve their powers going haywire, for some reason). As for the rest, DC does not need more Superman or Batman related books, the GL book sounds boring and the Blue beetle book sounds like a retread of previously done Reyes BB stories.

 

[The Realist]

DC does not need more Superman or Batman related books

This is gospel fucking truth re: Batman, but there can never be too many Superman-related books.

 

[kirk55555]

Maybe if it was some superman spinoff type thing, but another book starring superman and Lois is just unneeded. Then again, the main superman books are basically just focused on Jon Kent and not superman right now, so I guess I'd say the Superman/Lois book has more justification to exist then the Batman spinoffs, although I still don't want either of those types of comics to win.

 

[JD]

Why does Earth have 9 Green Lanterns, when each Sector is only supposed to have one?