Tony Daniel exits Batman and and takes on the entire Justice League. The outgoing Detective Comics writer/artist will team with Geoff Johns to reintroduce an infamous villain to DC Comics The New 52. The Cheetah roars in Justice League #13. DC Comics revealed Daniel’s preview art and talked with both creators.
“I’m thrilled and honored to again work with Geoff Johns on this JUSTICE LEAGUE arc,” Daniel told THE SOURCE. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to work on my favorite characters. JUSTICE LEAGUE is the first book I pull because of the big stories and the great Jim Lee art inside. I’m very happy that I get a chance to focus all my energy on making my best artwork for Geoff and the fans of JUSTICE LEAGUE.”
Tony and I will be re-introducing one of DC’s iconic villains – the Cheetah – and uncovering her mysterious connection to Wonder Woman and the Justice League,” added Johns. “For me, the Cheetah is up there with Black Manta, Sinestro and Captain Cold as one of the most iconic villains in the DC Universe, and she’ll become a major villainous force in 2012 and beyond. The fallout from JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 starts here as we head towards next year’s TRINITY WAR.”
Disclaimer:This is just the raving speculation of an excited geek!
Astonishing X-Men #18 courtesy Marvel
I love Jean Grey in every carnation (original, copy, post cocoon, dead, resurrected, etc) but Emma Frost was the best thing to happen to Scott Summers and the X-Men. Grant Morrison wedged Cyclops and Jean apart during his New X-Men run. Joss Whedon brought them together in Astonishing X-Men. Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen developed Emma into a ruthless heroine capable of throwing one-liners as sharp as her diamond hard skin. Emma has kept secrets within secrets that come back to haunt her (Sebastian Shaw.) Now the Phoenix is ripping her away from Cyclops.
The former White Queen’s road to redemption is one of my favorite character arcs in comic book history. Emma switched her allegiance to the X-Men and pledged her love to Scott but it was always too easy for her to fall back into her ruthless ways (Dark X-Men) to accomplish her goals. Kieron Gillen has ramped up the sexual tension between Emma and Namor. The Phoenix Force is attracted to, feeding off of and fueling the sparks between the former lovers. That passion is about to explode future chapters of Avengers vs. X-Men. It was only a matter of time but I think the Emma/Scott era is about to be over.
Avengers vs X-Men #11 courtesy Marvel
This week’s Marvel NOW! announcement of an Uncanny Avengers title featuring Children of the Atom and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will include Cyclops. The original Jean Grey is arriving from the past to star in an All-New X-Men. I can see Emma not fitting in with this new world order and thus the Avenging X-Men will be born.
Emma Frost – mutant leader who isn’t quick to mend fences with the Avengers and still believes only mutants will truly be dedicated to protecting fellow mutants.
Magneto – the Red Skull is reborn with an anti-mutant agenda. The legacy of the holocaust and the Nazi symbolism surrounding the Red Skull will ignite Erik’s painful past and make him pledge his allegiance with Frost.
Storm – rival queens may find a reason to unite in the post AvX world? Ororo and T’Challa’s marriage may be over and she distrusts Cyclops and Wolverine.
Frenzy – it will be easy for Magneto’s former Acolyte to rejoin him plus Joanna and Emma may be sharing bitter heartbreak caused by Cyclops.
Again, this is just speculation. Only Marvel knows the post AvX fate of Emma Frost I just know the Marvel Universe is sexier and edgier with her in it.
DC Comics revealed writer John Layman (Chew) and artist Jason Fabok (Batman Annual #1) as the new team on Detective Comics and shared Fabok’s cover featuring the Penguin.
“Obviously, this is a happily surreal and exciting turn-of-events for my career,” Layman tells THE SOURCE. “Not only is this my first work within the DC Universe, but I get to work on one of DC’s undisputedly coolest and highest-profile characters. I’m going to take a look at the role of criminal organizations within Gotham City, hopefully from a perspective that does not get considered very often (if at all). From the symbiotic relationship a master criminal must have with Gotham in order to survive, to the lowly, often faceless criminal underling hoping to rise up the ranks. All that, plus Batman’s gonna play with a bunch of crazy new toys and kick all kinds of butt.”
Fabok impressed with this Batman/Mr. Freeze/Court of Owls story in Batman Annual #1.
“First, I want to express how thankful I am to have this opportunity. I am humbled that DC Comics would entrust me with one of their greatest titles,” continues Fabok. “To work on a Batman title has been the number one goal that I set for my career and I am honored to have this opportunity to make my dream become a reality. I’m really hoping to deliver a dark, epic Batman with hints of the art deco stylings of the old animated series and the more modern take seen in recent incarnations. I am hoping to let my influences gush out onto the page and create something that is familiar, classic and yet my own. As for working with John Layman, I couldn’t be more excited. John is a great visual storyteller and he packs every page with meaningful panels that bring the story forward and add incredible depth. Together we hope to deliver a quality Batman tale, filled with mystery, twists, turns, shockers and most of all, fun!”
Detective Comics #13 with Layman and Fabok arrives October 3rd.
Marvel NOW! means big changes, new titles and new creative teams. Fans may be frothing with excitment, fuming or just puzzled at the new direction. From October 2012 to February 2013 Marvel is launching a new title including Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender, All-New X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Avengers by Jonathan Hickman with more to be announced.
Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort reveal what to expect on Marvel.com today. I’ve picked answers to the big questions I think are on the minds of fans like myself.
What about continuity and Marvel past?
“A lot of characters and a lot of their stories are starting story arcs and different status quos right around this time. I know there are a lot of people out there who are lapsed readers, or future readers who don’t necessarily know exactly how to jump into comics because the idea of decades and decades of continuity is daunting to them. Now mind you, they should never have that fear regardless, but for us we’re putting a flag in the sand and saying “Listen, if you’ve had that problem before, just take a flier on us. Try Marvel NOW!, because we are not wiping the slate clean—we’re just trying to tell these stories from a clean point of view and allowing a good jumping-off point for new readers,” said Quesada.
Is this a reboot?
“It is not a reboot. We don’t travel back in time, into the future, or to an alternate universe. Marvel NOW! respects the investment—emotional and financial—that long-term fans have made in the Marvel Universe, and this story takes place in a Marvel Universe they can recognize, one that grows out of Avengers Vs. X-Men. That said, these stories will be accessible to lapsed readers—the guy who likes, say, Captain America, but doesn’t know where to start—and anyone who saw a Marvel movie or heard the buzz about Marvel NOW!” replied Alonso
The role of digital technology in Marvel NOW!
There [are] really two answers to this, and I think both of them are right. It’s going to play a tremendously huge role, and I don’t know. And the reason I don’t know is because technology is changing every single—oh wait, it just changed again. It changes every second. There’s so much new stuff coming out that I can’t tell you what’s going to be the rage 12 months from now with technology. What I can tell you is that if it’s something that is applicable to things that we do for a living, we’re going to try it. And we’re going to see if it works for us. So it is the great unknown, it is really exciting, but it’s also something that we’re not going to be left behind wondering why we didn’t get involved in the world of digital much earlier. You know, we‘ve been involved in the digital world for a long, long time—longer than most publishers—so we are already ahead of the curve and we’re already getting a sense of what the readership is really thinking, what they’re not thinking, because ultimately it’s about the readers. It’s about making their experience a better one, a more convenient one, and really much more entertaining,” revealed Quesada.
Marvel NOW! image by Joe Quesada courtesy Marvel and EW
What does Quesada’s preview image say about the characters of Marvel NOW!
“Well I think you can certainly glom several things from that piece. Number one, costume changes. Number two, you’ll see characters there that you wouldn’t necessarily think would be in a piece like that. I think readers can assume that we’re going to make a big push with certain books and create certain books that involve a lot of these new characters. And also just changes to certain status quos based upon costume design and what happened. Even Cyclops. He’s very prominent in that piece, He looks very different, but definitely prominent. And who knows if that’s even Scott in that costume? But the goal was to sort of give a quick, encapsulating view of a piece that says “Well, it’s going to be different.” Quesada answered.
For their entire interviews here’s the Marvel.com link. Stay tuned for more from Marvel’s big three when it comes to new creative teams in an upcoming post.
Red, black and blue! The Amazing Spider-Man is swinging high over this extended 4th of July holiday week. The new film is the first of a trilogy as revealed on the film’s official Facebook page.
“It’s finally here! The Amazing Spider-Man is the first installment in a movie trilogy that will explore how our fave hero’s journey was shaped by the disappearance of his parents.”
Who will Spidey face in the sequel?
“I think you have to be pretty protective of the canon when it comes to villains,” he observes. “And Spider-Man has a great rogues gallery, so there’s a lot to choose from,” Director Marc Webb tells the Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision.
“Movies like this tend to have sequels, [though] ultimately the audience will tell us if they want one. But I kind of thought it was an interesting thing to anticipate those storylines and think about the backstories and how we can parlay those into an ongoing story,” he adds.
The truth about Peter’s parents and top-secret genetic research inside Oscorp could drive the storylines of future films.
The Chameleon was the first supervillain Spidey faced. This master of diguise and spy who executed a cruel hoax involving Peter’s parents. He was also the half-brother of…
Marvel.com. Art by Mike Zeck
Kraven the Hunter was a big game hunter who became obsessed with killing the most elusive prey – Spidey-Man. Kraven’s Last Huntis a masterpiece and one of my favorite Spidey epics.
Amazing Spider-Man #689 courtesy Marvel
Michael Morbius was a scientist with a rare blood disease who used vampire bats in his experimental treatments that turned him into…a living vampire. Morbius and the Lizard are both featured in the current Amazing Spider-Man comic book storyline out now.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 cover by Phil Jiminez courtesy DC Comics
Before Watchmen Ozymandias #1 is a beautifully written and drawn work of art. Adrian Veidt reveals his life story from a child isolated due to his superior intellect to a journey in the steps of his namesake Alexander the Great to methodically forging a modern-day empire.
Len Wein (editor of the original Watchmen series) creates an interesting portrait of the man who will save the world. Wein made me feel for a man that’s more machine as he acts with precision to create himself as humanity’s savior. What motivates Adrian to become a vigilante “hero” is the result of the one rare personal relationship he allows himself to have. Wein nails the tone and voice.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 cover by Jae Lee courtesy DC Comics
Jae Lee’s art is stunning as the story of Veidt’s journey of what led him to save the world. Squid images are cleverly placed in the timeline. Lee beautifully displays the flawed imagery of Alexander the Great. This issue is the work of an artist at the top of their game.
Adrian is a man on higher plane above the rest of humanity. Wein and Lee create a portrait of a God-like man driving towards his endgame. Again, just a beautifully crafted book.
It feels appropriate that Earth 2 #3 comes out the same week Anderson Cooper officially came out. Alan Scott is gay. Let’s move on. The creative moves on in a big way with this third chapter.
James Robinson picks up right after last issue’s cliffhanger with Alan Scott becoming the Green Lantern and learning that an evil greater that Darkseid is coming. This Green Lantern is Earth’s champion but not in a cosmic way like Hal Jordan. Alan’s mission is directed from the planet itself.
Gay and organic? This hero would be perfect for my progressive and earth conscious home of Seattle.
Jay Garrick is still not called the Flash yet. Garrick is confronted and tested by Hawkgirl who says fate led her to him. The two soon witness how the planet is under attack.
WARNING
SPOILERS
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW KEY EVENTS OF THIS ISSUE STOP READING
SERIOUSLY
HERE IT COMES
Earth is under attack from The Grey of Swamp Thing. Alan Scott is Nature’s champion. The Grey unleashes it’s champion in the final pages.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the death of Sam. We just met him last issue so how could a reader get that invested? I felt Alan didn’t grieve enough for the loss of the man he just proposed to but was that to prove why he was chosen as champion? Sam will always be part of the story as the engagement ring becomes the symbol of Alan’s power.
I loved Nicola Scott’s art. I was surprised that Alan Scott’s costume didn’t play at least little homage to his Silver Age counterpart. I still really love Jay Garrick’s uniform and she draws him using his power. There are two scenes of death of rebirth. Early in the book Scott becomes an Emerald Warrior among the ashes of the disaster. In the final pages the Grey’s champion claws out of the ground. Scott captures both brilliantly.
Judgement is coming. Will fans of the 2000AD series finally see justice served with Judge Dredd starring Karl Urban. Lionsgate revealed this motion poster for a screening at San Diego Comic Con hosted by Urban.
