WIZARD WORLD BOSTON: CRISIS COUNSELING WITH DAN DIDIO

DC Comics' Dan DiDio held his final Crisis Counseling panel before the first issue of Infinite Crisis Friday at Wizard World Boston. Joined by Bob Wayne and Greg Rucka, DiDio joked, "This is my last chance to be vague, to lie and to beat around the bush."

Following are highlights from the panel:

* DiDio said the four pre-Crisis mini-series were "a big risk for us" that helped highlight some of the quirkier, second-tier characters. There will be individual tie-ins for each of the mini-series that DiDio said "will fill in some of the gaps."

* Asked about anthologies, DiDio said they are a tough sale right now. "People seem to like extended stories," he said.

* Rucka on continuity: "There seems to be a lot of fear we're going to wipe out continuity. We're not. We like continuity."

Added DiDio: "We addresss incongruities in continuity. This is a direct sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. We're taking everything that happened and are moving forward."

* Donna Troy will play a role in Infinite Crisis. "She's going back to Earth to recruit heroes on a mission she feels is imperative toward the survival of the universe," DiDio said.

* DiDio called the Infinite Crisis Secret Files, written by Marv Wolfman, is tentatively scheduled for February. "He shows how the Infinite Crisis is connected to Crisis on Infinite Earths and explains things in the DC Universe that are going on. It's the strongest Secret Files I've seen. He really does show you the secrets that are going on."

* Rucka said he always had plans to have Wonder Woman kill and. "I felt Wonder Woman was a warrior and Wonder Woman should kill," he said.

DiDio said that the view of the iconic charaters is that Superman is a fireman, Batman is a policeman and Wonder Wonman is the social conscience.

"The relationship (among the three) as horrible as it is this week in the DC Universe is probably the most interesting it's been," Rucka said.

* "Corrigan, Part 2" is a three-issue story that begins in Gotham Central #37.

* DiDio on Hal Jordan: "With the amoung of characters that disappear after Infinite Crisis, Hal will play a bigger and bigger role."

* Asked if Bruce Wayne will die, DiDio said, "Bruce Wayne is Batman. That's your answer."

* Will George Perez be the artist of The Brave and The Bold? "God, I would love to see that," DiDio said.

* Bob Wayne said that 52's price point will be announced with the weekly book's solicitation.

* Asked if Dick Grayson will be reestablished in the Batman family, DiDio said, "Yes."