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Sunday, August 10, 2003

WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO: DC PANEL

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Michael Turner and his Aspen Entertainment crew will be involved in two projects at DC Comics, it was announced Saturday at the DC Universe panel at Wizard World Chicago.

Aspen's Talent Caldwell will be drawing a six-issue Superman project - the writer was not named - that will lead into the new approach to Superman that DC announced on Friday.

The second project will likely be announced in about two weeks, but sources indicated it will likely involve Batman.

"It's going to be a big book and I'm very, very stoked," Turner said. He later added that the project is with "characters I've known since I was a kid."

(For more Aspen news, including settlement of its lawsuits with Top Cow, CLICK HERE, for a report on the Aspen panel.)

Other highlights from the DC Universe panel included the announcement of a new line of "realistic" books called DC Focus and a new horror book.

While a portion of the panel was a rehash of a presentation at Comic-Con International, following is a rundown of new items:

BATMAN

A new hardcover, collecting the second half of "Hush" by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, is scheduled for December.

The "Broken City" arc by 100 Bullets creators Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso begins in October's Batman #620. Said editor Matt Idelson: "If you're not reading 100 Bullets, you will want to after this issue."

BATMAN: HARLEY & IVY

This three-issue mini-series, by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, was eight years in the making. "I can't promise it will be good and I can't promise it will be funny, but I just can promise a shower scene in every issue," Dini said.

JLA

The bi-weekly "Trial by Fire" will be, according to editor Mike Carlin, "a defining story clarifying J'onn J'onzz's problems with fire."

The story by Dennis O'Neil and Tan Eng Huat will be three issues, and the story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne will be six issues. Carlin said the Claremont/Byrne story will lead into a new series by Byrne.

Carlin said he is trying "to mix up the pitch" with future stories by Howard Chaykin, Dan Slott and Gail Simone.

JLA: LIBERTY & JUSTICE

The last of oversized books by Paul Dini and Alex Ross, a 96-pager, is scheduled for November. "It explains to new readers who they are, what they do and they are important to mankind," Dini said.

THE FLASH

The Flash #201 starts "a whole new beginning," as the world - and Wally West - doesn't know he is the Flash.

"It's about Wally redefining who he is and why he does what he does, with Keystone City and the Rogue's Gallery," writer Geoff Johns said. "It's really cool, really different and I'm really proud of it."

WONDER WOMAN

Phil Noto will be doing the covers to Wonder Woman #198-199, and then J.G. Jones becomes the regular cover artist.

Writer Greg Rucka said that Wonder Woman #200, the final issue in the "Down to Earth" story arc, will be 64 pages.

TOE TAGS

Bob Schreck is editing what DiDio called "us getting back into horror - in a big way."

The first story by rotating teams will be by horror filmmaker George Romero, with art by Richard Corben.

CAPER

Judd Winick delves into the world of organized crime in the 12-issue maxi-series, which is broken into three four-part stories and begins in October.

"Market Street" is set at turn-of-the-century San Francisco and is drawn by Farel Dalrymple. It involves two Jewish brothers.

"Hollywood Treatment" is drawn by John Severin. "It's 1970s Hollywood Babylon with shades of L.A. Confidential," Winick said.

The third story is "On Ice" and is drawn by Tom Fowler. "It's about two guys making a delivery on a pair of eyeballs and they discover there is a severed hand," Winick said. "And then everybody tries to kill them."

ON THE ROAD TO PERDITION BOOK TWO: SANCTUARY

Crime novelist and comics writer Max Allan Collins continues the adventures of Michael O'Sullivan this fall in the new graphic novel illustrated by Steve Lieber.

DC FOCUS

DC announced four new titles in this new imprint.

"The concept is real powers with real people," said Matt Idelson, who will edit the line with Joan Hilty. "I'll be the first to say that this has been done by other publishers to no end, but this is going to be gritty."

"It's an examination of what it means to have powers," said editor-in-chief Dan DiDio. "It's the difficult choices that people have to make."

Here are the books:

* Hard Time by Steve Gerber and Brian Hurtt starts the line in February. Sentenced to 50 years in prison at the age of 15, Ethan Chiles discovers his only route to survival: the ability to separate his mind from his body and leave his cell behind.

* Kenetic by Kelley Puckett and Warren Pleece launches in March. It is the story of the ultimate junior-high loser, whose dream of becoming a hero could be realized - if he could just conquer himself. Idelson described it as "My So-Called Life meets Spider-Man."

* Fraction, by David Tischman and Timothy Green, followed Hard Time and Kenetic. In this series, by David Tischman and Star Wars artist Timothy Green, a gang of young thieves finds a powerful, government-created exo-skeleton…and each has his own idea of what to do with it.

"It's like Lord of the Flies," Idelson said. "You have people who are very unsavory and can the learn to share?"

* Touch is John Francis Moore and Wesley Craig. "It's about a crass of a book as you can find," Idelson said. "It's about media manipulation."

In Touch, two-bit promoter Cooper Santiago discovers Rory Goodman, a good-hearted, super-strong young man. But more than anyone expects, Touch is Cooper's show.

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN

A six-issue mini-series, written and drawn by Howard Chaykin, begins next year.

Three strangers miraculously survive a terrorist attack, but lost their memories along the way. Now, as the Challengers of The Unknown, they are driven to battle their way toward the ultimate truth of their reality.

The mini-series is edited by WildStorm's Scott Dunbier, an example, DiDio said, of "getting a different set of eyes" on the DC Universe.

THE MONOLITH

The premiere issue of the new series by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Phil Winslade will be double-sized in December. Enormously powerful and created from the very streets he protects, The Monolith is the living embodiment of New York City.

"At its core, it's about a girl from Brooklyn, New York and the monster that lives with her," Palmiotti said, adding that Winslade's art has been outstanding.

OUTSIDERS

Writer Judd Winick said the second story arc will begin a month after the first. The team members feel like "repo-men for super nerds" until Brother Blood shows up.

"That sets the tone for the series," Winick said. "This is a super-hero book and they'll be going after guys in costumes."

Chris Cross is drawing the second arc, and Tom Raney will return with Outsiders #7. Winick said that he will be "diving into a very obscure Captain Marvel villain" and that Black Lightning will appear in Outsiders #9-10.

TEEN TITANS

Writer Geoff Johns said that Brother Blood will appear here, too. Also: Raven will return and there will be a crossover with another super-group.

OTHER NOTES

* DiDio, when asked if Frank Miller will be doing another Batman book: "If Frank brought us a Batman book, we'd take it."

* DiDio on Steel's possible return: "We're actually talking about his daughter taking on the mantle."

* Mike Carlin said that John Byrne wants to do a fourth Generations series. "I think it's good to put a little space between them," Carlin said.

* When asked if there will be more Superman work for him after the Superman: Birthright series, Mark Waid said, "There damn well better be."


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