Big changes are coming from DC Comics this summer. The publisher announced 24 new books in June including new solo series starring Black Canary and Starfire plus more Harley Quinn each month.
The new books follow the successful relaunch of Batgirl and trend of female heroes taking the lead in their own titles.
A new series spinning out of the Night of Owls crossover in the Batman family of books. In last month’s Talon #0 we learn how Calvin Rose was the only Talon (brainwashed assassin) to escape the grip of the Court of Owls. In this month’s Talon #1 Rose returns to Gotham City.
On The Source co-writers James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder and artist Guillem March will reveal their creative process and share what to expect from this brand new hero.
“We felt that with #0, we could give you a real sense of Calvin’s history and who he was before the inciting event of “Night of the Owls.” That battle with Batman really hurt the Court, and that’s what #1 is about – Calvin, for the first time in years, thinking it might be safe to stop running because of what he sees on the news about this battle in Gotham between the Batman and the Owls. So #0 gave us an opportunity to show you how harrowing it’s been for Calvin these past years, on the run, hunted because he did the right thing. Issue #1 is where it all comes to a head. So excited for what James Tynion IV has planned for you!” Snyder said.
“Launching with a zero was a really interesting proposition from the start, because we knew that the first two issues had to be places you could jump onboard the series, without doubling down on any of the same material. So the way I started thinking about it is that issue #0 introduces our leading man, Calvin Rose, and issue #1 introduces the story in the present day that will drive our series issue-to-issue. So when the next issue comes out, people who have read the zero issue will have a special understanding of Calvin and his history that helps frame the premise of the actual monthly series. It helps to read both, but if you missed the zero issue, you should be able to jump on board with issue #1 and be fine,” Tynion added.
“I love drawing dark and solitary characters, more than groups of colorful superheroes, so I love working in the Bat family. I’m also really excited by the fact this is a new character, so I’m somehow establishing his world, instead of sticking to what a previous artist has done with him. That’s a responsibility I enjoy a lot, March revealed.
Talon #1 courtesy Marvel
Talon is the first book in The New 52 to star a brand new character. The Batman writer and co-writer talk about the challenge of adding a new hero to the DC Universe.
“There’s always pressure. Writing Batman is like a ton of pressure on you all the time. The only way to do it is block it out and just dive into the story – pretend you’re writing it for yourself and no one else is going to read it. Just assume if you love it, and have really invested in it, emotionally, intellectually, they’ll love it too,” said Snyder.
“Absolutely! Rather than reinterpreting and recreating a figure known and loved for decades, we have to hook the readers from the start and show them why Calvin Rose deserves a place in the pantheon of DC heroes. I remember a conversation that Scott and I would have over and over when we were in the early stages of the book, about looking forward with the character. It wasn’t about building him up so we can reach issue #12, because we have a big story that will take us right up through the first year. It was about building a character that could last well beyond what we have planned, and about building a series that still has big stories to tell when it gets to issue #26 and even issue #58. If we were going to create this new character, it had to be someone with the potential and the personality to stick around the DC Universe for years, otherwise it wouldn’t be worth creating him in the first place. If the readers dig the series and support it, I honestly believe that there are years and years of great stories for Calvin, and a real chance that he will be sticking around for quite some time, Tynion adds.
Talon #1 arrives October 24
I love the Court of Owls epic and the concept of the Talons. I highly recommend Talon #0 and can’t wait to learn more of the Calvin Rose story.
Night of the Owls screeches into comic book shops next. The Council of Owls unleash their army of Talons on Gotham City. The event will slash across all the Batman family titles. DC revealed the cover to Detective Comics #9 by Tony Daniel as Batman battles three Talons.
DC Comics earned GLAAD Media Awards Best Comic Book Nominations for Secret Six and Batwoman. Kate Kane is the most high profile lesbian character that defies labels and stars in her own critically acclaimed Batwoman series. Scandal Savage and her girlfriend Knockout are the anti-heroines of Secret Six by superstar writer Gail Simone.
Teen Titans #3 from DC Comics. Art by Brett Booth.
There’s a new out kid in town to watch out for who wears his signature purple and attitude proudly. Miguel Jose Barragan code name Bunker is a Mexican teen wielding purple force field bricks. He debuted in the New 52 Teen Titans.
“If the comic book industry doesn’t create another white, straight male superhero, that will be ok,” Titans writer Scott Lobdell says in the latest Out magazine.
Bunker joins established young heroes Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, a revamped Solstice and Skitter, a new creation. The Titans are currently fighting Superboy.
“It never entered my head that people would object to the color scheme of his outfit based on whether or not he was homosexual,” says Lobdell of Bunker’s signature color and criticism of his flamboyance. Miguel does refer to his own ‘cute butt’ when he first appeared.
When asked about Bunker’s possible love interests? “He has love in his past and in his future,” Lobdell says, “and will have a healthy relationship life as all the other characters in the book.”
Bunker versus Superboy in Teen Titans by Brett Booth courtesy DC Comics The Source
If you’re reading this great title you know that there’s no time for romance as the kids are trying to survive a twisted version of Superboy and the mysterious organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E. that’s hunting down metahuman teens across the DC Universe.
Scott Lobdell has a history of creating compelling adventures with diverse young characters and groundbreaking stories. He had an epic Uncanny X-Men run in the 90’s and created Generation X – including Monet St. Croix who now stars in GLAAD nominated title X-Factor. M is not a lesbian. M is a diva.
Lobdell wrote the breakthrough Alpha Flight issue in 1992 when Northstar came out after years of being in the comic book closet due to editorial policy. The Canadian mutant is rejoining the X-Men later this year.
Will Pandora affect the entire DC Universe or just one specific hero or heroine? The hooded woman certainly has an ominous name connected to what could be a box of trouble for the new DC continuity.
Ann Nocenti is back and taking aim at DC’s Green Arrow. The writer who gave us femme fatales like Typhoid Mary and Spiral is creating a female triple threat for the Emerald Archer.
DC previewed Green Arrow #7 which marks a new creative team: Ann Nocenti and artist Brian Tolibano. The March 2012 issue promised a new threat – 3 deadly women collectively known as Skylark are after Oliver Queen.
Nocenti knows how to write a beautiful, tragic but deadly villainess. Nocenti gave Daredevil one of his greatest adversaries in Typhoid Mary, a mob assassin with multiple personalities and multiple mutant powers.
Nocenti created the world of Mojoverse starring Longshot, a warrior slave from a dimension run by Mojo the alien television producer who keeps the world addicted to his Gladiator style shows. Longshot encountered stuntwoman Richchet Rita in our world but Mojo molded her in to Spiral, a six-armed warrior skilled in sorcery and teleportation. Spiral went to join the Brotherhood and later Sisterhood of Evil Mutants.
This March its Green Arrow’s turn to face the latest creations of female villainy from a truly inventive writer.
Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the greatest Joker stories ever. Barbara Gordon’s life was shattered by the Clown Prince of Crime in Alan Moore’s landmark storyline.
Shot in the spine and paralyzed, Batgirl reinvented herself as Oracle and founded the Birds of Prey. In the DC New 52 reinvention, Barbara Gordon was not paralyzed by the Joker’s ambush and continues her career as Batgirl.
DC says fans will see a new side of that infamous encounter as Barbara faces her demons according to today’s preview for Batgirl #7in March 2012. Batgirl’s confronts the events of that fateful attack by the Joker and a new villain, Grotesque.
Gail Simone has delivered a thrilling return for fans of Barbara and this will be one of my ‘must read’ books.
Captain Cold preview design courtesy The Source, DC Comics
The Flash’s Rogues Gallery is a collection of the most iconic evil in the DC Universe. No one is colder than the Captain!
Artists Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellatto reveal their brand new design for the iconic villain. The new series has only shown brief glimpses of the icy killer but in Flash #7 Captain Cold is back with a vengeance leading the Rogues.
DC Comics Blog The Source provided the design preview. What do you think of the muscled up, showing some skin version of the classic villain?
