WONDERCON: DC NATION PANEL

SAN FRANCISCO --DC Comics launched is 2008 convention season with its first panel of the year at WonderCon on Friday.

Panelists include Dan DiDio, Bob Wayne, Sergio Aragones, Jann Jones, Mike Carlin and James Robinson.

Following are highights:

* DiDio described Robinson as writer of Superman and "a book to be named later." Five minutes later DiDio asked Robinson, "Do you like writing Green Arrow?"

Robinson replied, "You mean, in that book we can't talk about?"

* DiDio talked about the recently departed Steve Gerber, noting that he was working Adam Beechen from his hospital bed on House of Mystery #7. DiDio and there will be special treatment for #8, with Beechen, Mark Evanier, Gail Simone and Mark Waid each doing a four-page segment on how they envisioned Gerber would have ended the story.

"It's a shame that he's gone," DiDio said.

* DiDio asked Robinson what he thought about Green Lantern?

"You mean, in that book we can't talk about," Robinson said.

"Sounds like we should get Neal Adams to draw it," Carlin said.

* Asked about crossing over with Marvel, DiDio turned to Carlin, who had edited previous Marvel/DC projects.

"We've done them," he said. "Anything you do in them, it's only fun for five minutes because nothing sticks."

DiDio reiterated his desire to focus on DC characters.

"It's not bad blood, it's just business," he said.

* DiDio said Gary Frank wants to draw Superman "as long as we'll let him."

* Jones said that DC is stockpiling Marc Andreyko scripts for the return of Manhunter.

* Carlin said Birds of Prey will be set up in a new fictional city, with new villains and new members. Tony Bedard is now the regular writer.

"It's been a long time coming, but we're going to have Barbara run across the Joker," Carlin said, drawing "ooohs" from the audience.

* DiDio said Jim Shooter has clicked with Francis Manapul on Legion of Super-Heroes.

* Robinson said he has finished his first script on Superman. Renato Guedes is the artist.

* Bruce Jones is writing an arc of Checkmate following Greg Rucka's departure. DiDio said upcoming stories will focus on smaller groups.

* Asked if the Legion that is appearing in Action will be seen in its own book, DiDio told the audience member to ask again next year.

* DiDio talked about the roots of DC Universe: Zero. As Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns began working on it, it became more of a book that launches into more titles than just Final Crisis.

The art presented featured Perez and what he might be working on next.

DiDio said the 50-cent price is a thank you to readers of the two weekly series, and the book will serve as a launching pad "to everything great DC is coming out with."

* Asked about the age range for Tiny Titans, Jones reiterated that it's a book for all ages.

* Robinson said "probably not for the moment" about an Opal City. He did say he would be writing a Shade mini-series, at least a year away, and the book-to-be-named might include Opal.

* Jones said Keith Giffen is "on fire and having the time of his life" on Ambush Bug.

* Alex Sinclair will be coloring Final Crisis.

* Robinson said he will be using Jimmy Olsen. "One of things Geoff (Johns) and I talked about is giving Jimmy a real identity in Meteropolis," Robinson said, adding they want to make the concept of him being Superman's best friend contemporary.

* Robinson said Johns is the reason he is writing Superman. He said Superman and Action will work in tandem again.

Robinson said there will be return of the Jim Harper Guardian. "We've come up with a cool way to bring him back, a reason why," Robinson said.

* DiDio said DC has more coming from Gail Simone, but did not elaborate.

* Ambush Bug will launch in July.

* Wayne said DiDio's attempts to bring Swamp Thing back to the DC Universe have been unsuccessful. "And we would never force him into another book, even if it was a comedic book, without their knowledge," DiDio said.