WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO: VERTIGO PANEL

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- DC Comics announced a return of sorts for Sandman Mystery Theatre during its Vertigo panel on Sunday at Wizard World Chicago.

Sandman Mystery Theatre: Sleep of Reason, a five-issue mini-series, is due next year from writer John Ney Rieber, artist Eric Nguyen and cover artist Tim Bradstreet.

Here's how DC describes the book:

"A new, reluctant hero dons Wesley Dodds' gas mask and cloak. But this 21st century Sandman faces terrors in the war-torn cities of the Middle East that Wesley could never imagine. In this timely story, the new Sandman must confront a conspiracy that could only have been hatched in today's climate of global fear."

Much of the slide show included projects announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego, which you can read by CLICKING HERE.

There were a few new tidbits:

* According to editor Jonthan Vankin, Bill Willingham plans to continue Fables as long as possible.

* Deadman, from writer Bruce Jones and artist John Watkiss, is targeted for next year. Airline pilot Brandon Cayce thought he was having a bad day when his plane went down in a fiery wreck at Heathrow Airport. But it was all downhill from here.

* The throne of God is shattered, the Silver City has fallen, and Lucifer fights on alone in the wreckage in Lucifer #68 in November. In this issue, written by Mike Carey with art by Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly and a cover by Michael Wm. Kalura, the survival of Creation itself depends on half-angel Elaine Belloc, who's been summoned before a higher tribunal than she ever imagined possible.

* 100 Bullets writer Brian Azzarello said that work for the 100 Bullets video game -- scrapped when Acclaim went under -- will never be seen. "It wouldn't fit in with the comic," Azzarello said. "We played kind of fast and loose with the mythology."

* As for the future of Tim Hunter, editor Will Dennis said, "We'll take a little break for a while and see what the next direction is. Tim is a character who should always have a place in Vertigo."