Wizard World Chicago: DC Universe Panel

Posted: Friday, August 5, 2005
Posted By: Shaun Manning

Although DC's afternoon panel was rather light on new announcements, but there were strong hints that much will be revealed at tomorrow's Crisis Counceling session. One announcement that arose a day early due to a fan's question, it appears that the Green Lantern Corps: Recharge miniseries will be followed by an ongoing, written by Dave Gibbons.

In attendence: Mark Waid, Mike Carlin, Bob Wayne (VP Marketing), Dan DiDio (VP Executive Editor), Phil Hester, andDoug Mahnke. Greg Rucka was scheduled to attend, but had fallen ill.

Official news included:

• Wonder Woman #223 will see an attack on Paradise Island. Bob Wayne asked for a show of hands for those who read #219. Most in the auditorium voted yea, and there was some applause.
• Regarding Infinite Crisis, DiDio said that all the events of the four miniseries will come together in the first issue. "At the end of the issue, we blow the doors off the book and show you what's really going on in the DC Universe."
• Teen Titans #30 sees artist Tony Daniels take the reigns on art for the return of Brother Blood and, in the words of Bob Wayne, "the previously unexpected return of Lillith. But now you'll be expecting it."
• The Showcase series of black and white reprints, debuting with editions for Green Lantern and Superman, will now be priced at $9.99, down from the announced retail of $16.99.
• Following the JLA arc "Crisis of Conscience," artist Chris Batista will be doing some work on Hawkman. Specific issues have not been announced.
• DiDio said the concluding chapter of "Crisis of Conscience," JLA #119, "will have the same level of impact on the DC Universe" as Wonder Woman #219.
• The next arc of JSA: Classified is an Injustice Society tale by Jen van Meter.
• Jeph Loeb's exclusive contract with Marvel will still allow him to set the groundwork for the just-launched Supergirl ongoing before handing off to someone else.
• Mark Waid said Legion of Super-heroes has been a blast, though "that death scene upcoming was a bear to write." It's not clear to what degree he was joking.
• Waid also talked a bit about Brave and the Bold, and the concept of "taking brave guys and bold guys, and putting them together." He also soliciting fan suggestions for team-ups, but not right now.
• Batman and the Monster Men is a miniseries debuting in November from Matt Wagner
• There was no mention of the Flash at the panel, prompting a fan to ask about the status of that book after writer Geoff Johns's departure and the announced fill-ins. No one was willing to comment.
• Infinite Crisis is a direct sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths, but "not like Kingdom," Waid joked.
• Following up on that, a fan asked about Zero Hour's status as a Crisis sequel, to which DiDio replied that "it will all make sense."
• Further to this, apparently Infinite Crisis will not address the Hypertime, but may tackle some concepts involved therein.
• The "One Year Later" event in the middle of Crisis will affect Legion of Super-heroes in issues #13-14. There were quips that this will put them 20,001 years in the future.
• There are no plans for a New Frontier hardcover, or any pre-Waid/Kitson Legion trades.
• An Empire sequel, though not currently in the works, is a strong possibility when Waid and Kitson can find the time.

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