COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: DC NATION PANEL

By Ernie Estrella

SAN DIEGO -- Dan DiDio provided his usual warning that the panelists may not be telling the whole truth the entire time, but plenty of information was processed at the DC Nation panel on Friday at Comic-Con International.

Joining DiDio were Bob Wayne (Vice President of Sales), Jann Jones (Coordinated Editor), writers Paul Dini (Detective), Bill Willingham (Shadowpact), Geoff Johns (Sinestro Corps), and artists Ethan Van Sciver (Sinestro Corps) and J. G. Jones.

Following are highlights:

* Grant Morrison was given a special introduction by DiDio because he was announced as the writer of the next major mini-series to determine the fate of the DCU, Final Crisis. For the first time in nearly two years Jones will be doing the interior art after being the cover artists for both 52 and Countdown. The story will span seven over-sized issues. A teaser of a cover was shown to the audience as DC's big seven Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Hawkgirl. The tagline for Final Crisis read: Heroes Die. Legends Live Forever.

* Willingham is writing Salvation Run, a new monthly featuring Flash's Rogue villains who are being captured and disappearing and are starting to go away. "We're tired of the revolving doors of prison and trying to reform these guys. So we're shipping them on their own planet, and they won't be coming back anytime soon." Sean Chen will be the artist.

More and more villains will be added to that planet including big-name villains. The result of bad guys dividing and conquering a brand new world does not look good for this planet and that's exactly what Willingham is hoping for.

* DiDio said readers will see more death and more adventure, but the deaths mean something towards the "greater good."

* The inevitable question of a Stephanie Brown Memorial in the Batcave was asked to which Willingham discussed an elaborate tie-in to Salvation Run that would have duplicates of Stephanie Browns popping up all over the place. The fan, disgruntled and stoic until she was invited up on stage, right behind Willingham.

* All Star Batgirl is on hold.

* Ra's Al Ghul will make an appearance in Batman.

* Plans are in the works for something special in 2010, DC Comics' 75th Anniversary.

* A rumored lost story by Steve Ditko was questioned to Wayne if it would ever see the light. Wayne responded he would look into it and if it exists and is complete, he knows just the place to use it.

* DiDio responded to a question about Blue Beetle and he pointed to that title as one of the fun comics to read. "There's a lot of fun in Blue Beetle and hopefully by putting him in Teen Titans semi-regularly that more people will find out what a fun character he really is."

* October issue of Detective Comics will explain the soul searching of Harley Quinn.

* Joker will be appearing in Salvation Run.

* Terry Moore has been rumored to express his desire to write a Supergirl comic and that was well-received by the audience.

* The panel ended with the fate of Oliver Queen in doubt when he did not appear on the cover of Green Arrow/Black Canary#1. The panel did not answer the question at all and adjourned.

* Those who attended the panel received a reprinted copy of Flash#13, the death of Barry Allen and was even paraded on stage by a costumed Flash fan. It was given out because it is a key issue to the current direction of the DCU.