LONG BEACH COMIC CON: DC NATION

By Ernie Estrella

LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- DC Comics made two announcements -- details on the new Flash series and a new creative team for The Outsiders -- at the DC Nation panel at Long Beach Comic Con on Saturday.

Panelists were Ian Sattler (story editor at DCU), Bob Wayne (DC VP Marketing), Sterling Gates (writer of Supergirl), Pete Tomasi (writer of Blackest Night: Batman and Green Lantern Corps), JT Krul (writer of Blackest Night: Titans), Geoff Johns (Blackest Night) and Philip Tan (Batman and Robin).

Following are highlights:

* The upcoming Flash monthly title written by Johns will feature Barry Allen in the main story, drawn by Francis Manapul, and then a Wally West Flash story in the back feature with art by Scott Kolins. Wally West will also have a new costume by the end of Blackest Night.

Johns revealed that a new speedster will show up in the DCU, and said, "It won't be a man." The book will be 30 pages of content and be priced at $3.99.

Wayne was later asked if there were any plans to collect the Johns/Kolins run that came out in the early 2000's, and he answered that they currently have no plans but they will consider it.

* Dan DiDio will write and Phillip Tan will be the regular artist of The Outsiders, beginning with #26. This creative team has 12 issues planned and will move the book closer to the Superman family of DCU books. Because Tan was working on Batman and Robin, he has only started on character designs; no details could be given on the story.

* Sattler addressed that amidst all the chatter about the management changes at DC Comics, it's business as usual at the publisher.

* In Blackest Night news, Wonder Woman will appear in Blackest Night #4 and then, starting in December, the three-issue tie-in Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, written by Greg Rucka with art by Nicola Scott. The Rainbow Raider has been targeted as a Black Lantern, but he will be called the Black & White Raider.

* Johns told the crowd that Dick Grayson was never close to being dead, "It never got past­" Tomasi then interrupted, "The laughing stage."

* Sattler revealed that "Something really bad happens to Harley Quinn at the hands of Hush, not the Joker, in Gotham City Sirens."

* When asked about the controversial ménage à trois mention in James Robinson's Cry for Justice #2, Johns replied that he took it as Ollie making a fraternity joke and joked, "Three-way does not fit in continuity of the book."

* There are no plans for a new Hitman series because he died at the end of his last series. There are plans to finish the trade paperback collections.

* When asked how much the Superman lawsuit involving Jerry Siegel and Time Warner will affect his origin, Johns formed a "zero" with his fingers and said, "Zip."