Archive for March, 2010

SUPERMAN vs. METALLO – Round 1

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

By Alex Segura

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank put Superman against Metallo – for the first time! Witness the origin of one of Superman’s most-feared foes, as an attack by Lex Luthor goes awry and gives birth to the evil of Metallo. Can an inexperienced Man of Steel handle a foe with a heart of Kryptonite? Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Perry White are close to revealing Luthor as the monster that he is – but are they willing to pay for that truth with their lives? Questions are answered, new ones are raised and the modern re-telling of Superman’s origin continues to rumble to its epic conclusion.

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #5 hits 4/7.

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A few thoughts on BLACKEST NIGHT

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

By Alex Segura

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The dead shall rise.

The concept was simple yet precise. What happens when the fallen - hero, villain, friend, enemy — rose up from the ground to torment those still left standing?

But a concept alone can’t make up the critically acclaimed blockbuster that is BLACKEST NIGHT. It’s all down to execution, and the book was blessed with two spot-on and inventive talents in writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis, and an extended crew of A-list talent that included - but is not limited to - Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Doug Mahnke, J.T. Krul, Tony Bedard, James Robinson and many more.

Starting off with the creaking, nervous tension that was more old school horror movie than superhero epic, BLACKEST NIGHT never catered to expectations, veering from answering “Who’ll come back next?” to posing the arguably more interesting question of “Who will wear the rings?” before steamrolling to the epic, jaw-dropping conclusion you now hold in your hands.

How many stories cover so much ground so capably and so well? From chilling thriller to galaxy-spanning epic, it’s not a stretch to say BLACKEST NIGHT had it all - drama, humor, action and, most importantly, heart.

Because, in many ways, BLACKEST NIGHT is the story of one man’s redemption. Geoff Johns took the character of Hal Jordan and returned him to form, re-energizing him by going back to the two words that made the character so compelling before: No fear. Through REBIRTH, SINESTRO CORPS WAR and now BLACKEST NIGHT, the readers have literally been to hell and back with Hal. They’re invested and excited, and that’s a testament to Geoff Johns’ creativity and ability to weave what’s come before and use it to his benefit.

And it’s contagious. Whether you’re watching Peter Tomasi pit a Red Lantern Guy Gardner against Kyle Rayner or watching across the DCU as heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman face off against their deadliest enemies and most-missed loved ones, BLACKEST NIGHT was more than just a crossover. After you finish reading the final issue you’ll see very clearly - there’s no easy reset button. Things have changed.

It’s been remarkably interesting to not only sit and read - and thoroughly enjoy - the comics tied into BLACKEST NIGHT as they came out, but see the process from behind the scenes. Whether it was sitting in on a meeting and listening to Geoff break down the story’s major beats and just sitting back, psyched about what was coming to walking into the offices of editors Eddie Berganza and Adam Schlagman and cherry-picking awesome pieces of artwork hanging from their walls to tease and tantalize a hungry and eager audience. From day one, I think it’s safe to say that everyone involved in the process - from top to bottom - knew that BLACKEST NIGHT was going to be special. The momentum, the story, the amazing art - it was all there.

Now, if you’re anything like me, and you’ve just finished the final issue, you don’t want it to end. What happens to this character? How does this affect X and Y? The final issue will not answer every question, but it’ll end with a bang so loud your ears will be ringing for a while.

And you know what? This is only the beginning.

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THE ONION AV CLUB talks BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

By Alex Segura

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In a little over a week, you’ll be able to get your hands on the BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN DELUXE EDITION, which collects the first six issues of the magnificent ongoing series from writer Grant Morrison and artists Frank Quitely and Philip Tan and is chock-full of fun extras in addition to the great comics themselves.

The gang at THE ONION AV CLUB seemed keen on the book, calling it a work of “superhero absurdism with a lot of heart.” Not faint praise.

Swing over to them to read the full review, and stay tuned here for more on BATMAN REBORN.

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OPEN THREAD: YOUR FAVORITE BLACKEST NIGHT MOMENTS

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

By Alex Segura

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The end is almost upon us, folks – tomorrow, the final issue of BLACKEST NIGHT hits the stands. But before we start talking about the conclusion, let’s take a moment and look back at the first seven issues.

And, as we do from time to time here on The Source, we want to open up the channels of communication to you, the fans – what were your favorite moments from the series and the books closely tied into it? Sinestro becoming the White Lantern? The death of the Hawks? The return of Parallax? There are too many to list in one blog post, but plenty to talk about. So take a minute and chime in below. What page, sequence or beat made you stop and say “Wow”?

More than one? Post twice. See you in the comments below.

Oh, and curious about the BLACKEST NIGHT creators’ favorite moments? Then make sure to pick up the BLACKEST NIGHT: DIRECTORS CUT, which hits 4/14.

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Take a look at Mark Schultz’s THE SPIRIT #1 variant cover

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

By Alex Segura

Some things you probably know: The Spirit returns in a new ongoing series next month from writer Mark Schultz and artist Moritat. We showed off a page of the first SPIRIT: BLACK AND WHITE co-feature by Dennis O’Neil and Bill Sienkiewicz just last week.

Did you also know that Mark Schultz is not only writing the issue, but also contributing a variant cover? It’s possible. But I know it hasn’t been seen yet, so here it is:

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THE SPIRIT #1 hits 4/21.

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A look at some Chris Sprouse RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE pages

Monday, March 29th, 2010

By Alex Segura

You’ve seen the covers. You’ve seen a few of the variants. You’ve seen the character sketches. Now it’s time for more. Specifically, a few black and white pages from the first issue, put on the page by the highy-talented Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Can you say Caveman Batman? Sure. Well, now you can see him, too.

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UPDATED: Diane Nelson, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio and Geoff Johns on Dick Giordano

Monday, March 29th, 2010

By David Hyde

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“Dick Giordano has left a lasting legacy as a comic book artist and as a DC Comics executive,” said Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment. “I join the industry in recognizing his tremendous contribution to DC Comics and send my sympathy to his family and friends.”

“When I was just trying to break into comics back in 1986, I received a lot of form rejection letters, including a very gracious one from Dick at DC Comics. On the DC letterhead, he took the time to pen an additional personal note which I still cherish today. “Looking good–keep working at it.” Those few words kept this often dejected young artist hanging in there as it took many many more submissions before I finally broke into comics,” said Jim Lee, Co-Publisher, DC Comics

“Thank you, Dick, for your words of encouragement, all the years of amazing art and editorial leadership at DC. And finally, for showing us artists how a great inker gets it done.”

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“Dick Giordano was an inspiration for me when I first joined DC Comics,” said Dan DiDio, Co-Publisher, DC Comics. “He was an innovator and an industry leader as both a creator and a creative executive. He was truly one of the greats in the business.”

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“I didn’t know Dick Giordano personally, but I knew and admired his work and I was lucky enough to have him illustrate one of the first scripts I ever wrote — a one shot titled Silver Age: Showcase #1 back in 2000,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer. “It was an absolute privilege to briefly cross paths with such an immense talent and such an important part of the DC legacy. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fellow fans.”

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The JLA regroups in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #43

Monday, March 29th, 2010

By Alex Segura

Following the decision that occurred in JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE and the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1, the World’s Greatest Heroes must come to terms with who they are and what they represent. Meanwhile, an all-new danger threatens the existence of everything past and present in the exciting finale of “Team History,” from the team of writer James Robinson and artist Mark Bagley.

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A look at some exciting books featuring your favorite DC characters

Friday, March 26th, 2010

By Austin Trunick

In addition to the monthly comics and graphic novels the DCU publishes on a regular basis, there’s a ton of material out there featuring varied and entertaining interpretations of our characters. We thought it’d be neat to take a moment and spotlight a few.

First up we have SUPERMAN: THE STORY OF THE MAN OF STEEL, by New York Times-bestselling writer/artist Ralph Cosentino. Ralph, as some of you may know, wrote and drew BATMAN: THE STORY OF THE DARK KNIGHT, which hit last year. His simple yet dynamic style brings a fun, playful energy to the characters without losing their iconic nature. His books are both fun for adults and kids. Don’t believe me? Well, our friends at Viking were kind enough to allow us to debut a few pages from THE STORY OF THE MAN OF STEEL, hitting next month. Check them out below:

But that’s not all. If you’ve been enjoying TINY TITANS every month — and who hasn’t? Awww, yeah!! — then you should definitely make a point of checking out the two TINY TITANS illustrated storybooks, featuring the work of TINY TITANS co-writer and artist Art Baltazar and published by Grosset & Dunlap. Let’s check in with Art Baltazar to see what he has to say:

“Tiny Titans comics are awesomely fun! Panel after panel of cartoony laughter…BUT…did you ever wonder what it would be like to read the Tiny Titans storybook style? Aw Yeah Traditional! Now is your chance! Tiny Titans GO CAMPING and go to the SCIENCE FAIR in two awesome Chapter Reader Books!  AW YEAH! Now parents get to read Tiny Titans stories to their kids before bedtime and let their imaginations run wild!

“Aw Yeah Man! Working on these books was awesome! I think kids are really going to dig them. They could be read with parents or kids can read them on their own. I think the stories will spark ideas and imagination in those Tiny Titans fans! Aw Yeah New Medium! I can’t wait to hear what the kids think!”

Pretty cool, right?

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ZATANNA #1 unveiled

Friday, March 26th, 2010

By Alex Segura

The Mistress of Magic steps into her own ongoing series from writer Paul Dini and artist Stephane Roux, and none too soon. Zatanna Zatara has long made her home in San Francisco, but right under her nose a sinister threat has developed – a crime boss who dominates the criminal underworld with the dark powers of the magical underworld/ The terrifying Brother Night is making his play for San Fran, and the police force – including hunky detective Dale Colton – turn to Zee for help. But Brother Night is a whole new kind of criminal and if Zatanna thinks she can backwards-talk him down, then she’s in over her head.

The first issue hits in May, but we’ve got a look at some black and white pages – Roux’s first interior work – right here to prep you for the series to come.

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