DC Comics unveiled a ton of new and amazing stuff at the DC Publisher’s Panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday. Co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee took to the stage to unveil some new projects, answer some questions and even had time to doodle on a plastic cup or two. Here are the top nine things you need to know from this weekend's panel.
DC Rebirth Was Created To Connect More With Fans- Didio said that at last year’s convention, half of the room just got up and left after the reveals were done, which made him feel DC was losing touch with its fan base. Didio said that “the sense of legacy and relationships were missing from the DCU so the fans lost interest. DC Rebirth was about getting fans interested again.”
Rebirth Was Extremely Successful- 14 million DC Rebirth issues were sold and 21 separate titles had to be reprinted. Jim Lee had no idea that Rebirth was going to be this big for DC and he’s thankful for the fans who believed in this new direction for the giant comics publisher.
Justice League Fights The Suicide Squad And It Gets Messy- On sale Dec. 21 is Justice League vs. Suicide Squad , a no-holds-barred fighting match between two of DC’s most powerful supergroups. Written by Joshua Williamson and with arts and covers by Jason Fabok, the book tries to bring that sense of a shared universe that’s been so hard to achieve with the New 52.
DC Is Honoring Jack Kirby This Year- In honor of Jack Kirby's 100th birthday, DC is spending a whole year tributing the king of comics. Kamandi, the last boy on earth, was always one of Kirby’s more obscure creations for DC and, according to Didio, dozens of artists and writers would ask to cover him. Finally, these creatives have their chance with the new Kamandi Challenge, a 12-part mini series featuring a new creative team on each issue.
The Rules Of The Kamandi Challenge Are Brutal- Each creative team is given a different part of a map and has to come up with a story that has to start from the last issue's cliffhanger. To make sure writers don’t try to screw the next guy over, Didio is making all of the writers submit a one-page synopsis of how they would get out of the jam they created.
Wildstorm Is Coming Back- Warren Ellis is writing a new Wildstorm series, taking the characters to places they have never been for. There will be four books coming out, each covering a different member of the Wildstorm universe. For those fans worried that Ellis’ book might be late, DC held off announcing WS until Ellis had finished the scripts for the first six issues.
Amanda Conner Is Drawing A Jetsons Comic- There isn’t much information besides a teaser image, but Conner has already done amazing things, like Harley Quinn , and I can’t wait to see what she does with Rosie and the gang.
Garth Ennis Is Writing A Dick Dastardly and Muttley Comic- I screamed like a girl when they announced this book. Dick Dastardly was always my favorite part of Wacky Racers and Garth Ennis is my favorite comic book writer of all time. To combine the grittiness of The Boys with the shtick of an early 70s’ cartoon just fills my brain with all sorts of joy. Didio says that the Hannah Barbera books are meant to “diversify their readership” and I hope they keep trying crazy things like this
- Direct Currents - Every few months, DC will release a free comic book available at retail stores. Direct Currents will tease oncoming stories and help new readers acclimate to the craziness that is the DC universe. The first issue comes out in November with JL vs. SS teasers and a brand new look at the Justice League of America.
