WIZARD WORLD PHILADELPHIA: DC COMICS VERTIGO PANEL

PHILADELPHIA -- DC Comics announced a November release for the original graphic novel Cairo at its Vertigo panel at Wizard World Philadelphia on Saturday.

"It may be the best first graphic novel from anyone I've ever seen," said DC's Bob Wayne.

The book is written by G. Willow Wilson, a Cairo-based journalist, and drawn by M.K. Perker.

The magical-realism thriller interweaves the fates of a drug runner, a down-on-his luck journalist, an American expatriate, a young activist, and an Israeli soldier as they race through bustling present-day Cairo to find an artifact of unimaginable power, one protected by a dignified jinn and sought by a wrathful gangster-magician. But the vastness of Africa's legendary City of Victory extends into a spiritual realm -- the Undernile -- and even darker powers lurk there.

In other news from the panel, which also included editor Bob Schreck and Un-Men artist Mike Hawthorne:

* Hawthorne called Un-Men, a Swamp Thing spin-off written by John Whalen and debuting in August, "the best thing I've ever worked on."

"Iım in love with this thing, and I can see myself drawing it for a long time," he said.

* Northlanders, Brian Wood's Viking series, will launch in December.

* Wayne said an Absolute V for Vendetta is a possiblity, but there are no current plans.

* Brian Azzarello has an upcoming project that will be announced.

* Asked about Vertigo action figures from DC Direct, Wayne said there are none planned through the first part of 2008.

* Asked about collecting older Hellblazer runs, Wayne said DC's current plan is to collect more current stories. He asked the audience if they would be interested in chronological Hellblazer collectings from the beginning and received a majority in the positive.

* Schreck said that Frank Quitely will remain off Vertigo covers so he can focus on All Star Superman.

* Asked about new Fables projects, Wayne said, "Bill (Willingham) has a lot of ideas for things involving Fabes, but we haven't announced anything yet."