WONDERCON: DC CRISIS COUNSELING PANEL

SAN FRANCISCO -- Some of comics' current competitive spirit was on display Sunday during DC Comics' Crisis Counseling panel at WonderCon on Sunday.

An audience member told the panelists that he has friends who are Marvel readers and wondered if DC is trying to make its books more like Marvel's.

The question was met with a resounding "no."

"I've worked with DC Comics for more than 20 years and the worst mistakes have been we try to be like other companies we're not, like Image or Marvel," Mark Waid said. "You innovate, not imitate."

"I'm not sure Marvel knows what Marvel is any more," Grant Morrison said.

"I want to be the underdog," Geoff Johns said. "And I want to kick their ass this year."

In other notes from the panel:

* The full cover to Infinite Crisis #5 featuring two Wonder Women was shown, as well as interior pages.

* When Crisis concludes, there are no plans for any more major crossovers. "We have the DC Universe to discover," Dan DiDio said. "We want the entire Universe to be exciting, as opposed to building event on top of event on top of event. We've spent a lot of time building this universe, and we don't want to cross over again."

* There are plans for Nemesis in Checkmate.

* The DC and WildStorm universes can interact, but will not merge, DiDio said. "Those are two different sensibilities," he said.

* The upcoming Green Lantern Corps will be an ongoing series.

* Captain Marvel will be back. "Black Adam is a major character in 52 and the Marvel Family is in Infinite Crisis," Johns said. "There's talk of a Shazam series."

"Some of them are ... different," DiDio said of plans for the character.

* Alan Scott, Jay Garrick and Ted Grant are the only active characters from the Golden Age, it was determined.

* DiDio said that the DCU will not cross paths with Vertigo characters.

* Dick Grayson will be featured in Infinite Crisis #6.

* Morrison said Krypto, the Superdog will be featured in All Star Superman #6. The issue features a fight with Superboy, Krypto and Supermen from the future.