NEW YORK COMIC CON: MAKE MINE MARVEL PANEL

NEW YORK -- Marvel Comics' Make Mine Marvel panel on Saturday took a different slant, with more of a talk-show format with four guests.

Hosted by editor Nick Lowe, the panel featured Omega: The Unknown writer Jonathan Lethem, Cable, Punisher and Immortal Iron Fist writer Duane Swierczynski, Fantastic Four artist Bryan Hitch and Ultimate Iron Man writer Orson Scott Card.

Below are live highlights:

* Lethem, writer of Omega: The Unknown, was interviewed first. He noted that he wanted the series to be 10 issues as an homage to Steve Gerber's original series. He said he got "a long, long running start" for the series, and has written all 10 issues.

* Lethem said he could identify with the original series because of its New York setting and the age of the character.

"It was so ahead of its time," he said. "It felt like it was my private comic."

* Lethem said he was a novice comics creater, but a long time fan. "But all my life I had fooled around with fantasy and hard-boiled stories," he said.

He said in transition to comics and bringing back Omega, he didn't want to make it dark. He said he wanted to slow it down.

* Next up was Swierczynski, best known as a crime novelist. He was asked by Axel Alonso to write Cable, and the idea of a tough guy having to nurture a baby.

"The human part was the appealing part ot me," he said.

* Swierczynski said it was challenging following Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction on Iron Fist. "It was a huge fan since issue one and it was kind of daunting. I just wanted to keep it going on," he said.

He said the invitation was out of the blue. "I never thought those guys would leave," he said.

* Cable #6 will return him to the present -- and New Jersey.

Swierczynski said Cable talks to Cyclops in the issue.

* Swierczynski's run begins in the second half of Iron Fist #16. "There's a new wrinkle in Iron Fist history and it's basically going to ruin his day," he said.

* Up next was Hitch, who said his career took off with The Authority. "It was simply a case of me being me," he said of his style.

* Hitch said he hit it off immediately with Mark Millar.

He said on Fantastic Four, they are working at three issues at any given time. "It's kind of a rolling thing," he said.

* Hitch said he is using a different color style and panel borders for Fantastic Four.

* Hitch said everything in Fantastic Four is there for a reason, including the Old West scene and giant Cap robot. He also that Millar's Wolverine will tie into Fantastic Four.

* Hitch said he found drawing FF "fast." "It's surprising how easy it's gotten to be," he said. "It's the most fun I've had drawing comics."

* Next up was Card, who said he has been a professional writer since 1977. Lowe was responsible for bringing Card into comics, contacting him through e-mail.

Card initally told Lowe that Iron Man was the "stupidest hero I've ever seen" but he had good friends who thought Iron Man was the ultimate super-hero.

Card said that the key for him was coming up with the reason Tony Stark needed to wear the suit.

* Card said that comics are plays with "really, really expensive sets." He said his scripts are minimal in visual details, and the artist acts as the actors, the director and the cinematographer.

* Card's next project will be Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow -- parallel series based on his short story, novel and books -- in the fall. Pasqual Ferry will be one of the artists, Chris Yost is a writer and Jake Black is a story consultant.

Marvel will be creating all the franchise look for Ender's Game.

"I am closely involved with them taking more liberties," he said.