Batman #14 cover by Greg Capulo
I am pretty much a n00b when it comes to what is going on issue-to-issue in the New 52, which was why I sort of jumped at the chance to cover this panel. It was a pretty crowded panel (both as far as creators, content AND people in the audience) which is always nice to see. I did my best to keep track of the salient details, but things went by at a break neck pace and I was sans camera to get some cool pics. There is a chance of spoilers behind the cut, so click with caution!
CREATORS THERE:
Greg Capulo (Batman)
Jeff Lemire (JL Dark)
Moritat (All-Star Western)
Paul Levitz
Adam Glass
Josh Fialkov (I, Vampire)
Justin Jordan
Howard Mackie
Bernard Chang
Christie Marx
Aaron Kuder
Bobbie Chase
Bob Harras
Eddie Berganza
Justice League of America
Creative team: Geoff Johns, David Finch
February 2013
- There is a very specific reason why this team is together. Each person involved has an agenda.
- Dynamics between the players have a huge impact. Not everyone is exactly thrilled to be there.
- Was referred to as the most dangerous team in America
- Team Line-up includes: Green Arrow, Katana, Martian Manhunter, the new Green Lantern, Stargirl, Vibe, Hawkman and Catwoman.
Superman
- Next arc: H’el on Earth
- Justice League members will appear in a lot off different places across the ‘verse.
- H’el is a serious baddie who ends up taking over the Fortress and kicking Kal-El out of it.
- Superman has to appeal to the Justice League and his cousin, Kara, to get the Fortress back AND defeat H’el.
- Kara is NOT pleased with Kal
- The close-and-quaint Superfamily is gone, what remains is a family dynamic more closely resembling a tense family Thanksgiving.
- Kara has a reaction akin to “You told me Krypton was gone. What the Hell.” re: the whole H’el mess.
- Something new from Krypton shows up. What it is, the creators were pretty tight-lipped about.
Batman: Death of the Family
- A wild Scott Snyder appears just in time to talk Batman.
- Talk about how the Joker is approaching this arc.
- Joker “picked” Batman. Tells Batman that his worst nightmares keep him strong and that family has made him weak, therefore the Joker will destroy his life.
- A pretty vicious plan that has been cooked up by the Joker since he’s been gone. Done out of a twisted form of love that the Joker has for both Batman and Gotham.
- Joker sees himself as the jester/truthteller to Batman’s king
- Greg Capulo talked about the fun that he had with faceless Joker and a lot off little ways to play with that imagery as things move on.
- They promised to be as gentle as possible with Alfred (even if they are going to kill him off).
Earth 2
- Bobbie Chase (editor) talked about this, but didn’t have a lot to say beyond her enthusiasm for Earth 2 and the creative team.
- Featuring Steppenwolf and the last Amazon of Earth 2 (but wouldn’t say who it was)
- Nicola Scott will be back on the book with issue #9
Animal Man
- Rotworld: Swamp Thing and Animal Man collision
- Did not intend to do a crossover, but it sort of developed organically and no one is opposed to it.
- Not featuring A-List characters, but now these characters have to become champions in this story.
- There WILL be a Green Lantern in it, but it won’t be: John Stewart, Hal Jordan or Guy Gardner.
Justice League Dark
- Annual is coming up next. Both Amethyst and I, Vampire characters will appear
- Ray Fox is joining as co-writer
- Death of Magic on the horizon
- Team change with Timothy Hunter joining.
All-Star Western
- Was referred to as one of the more fun New 52 titles
- Jonah Hexx has his leg broken (and other wild speculation based solely on cover art)
- Starting in Issue 16, Jonah Hexx is back to the future; namely 2016 and a team up with Adam Strange
Legion
- The future is more technically complicated. (Even more now when compared to twenty years ago, so there will be play on that theme.)
- 1000 years in the future people are so dependent on technology the big “what if” is what might happen when it stops working properly.
- Will introduce a new Fatal 5
- Basically will be what you do when nothing works.
Suicide Squad
- Deadshot isn’t dead! And he’s coming back.
- Play in something from Shamsher program and how it plays into the overall plan
- Deadshot is at the center of this plan
- Who is Kingshark comes up. El Diablo’s powers , what they are and how they control him.
- Someone will die and there will be a huge storyline pay off
I, Vampire
- At the end of Issue 12, Andrew Bennett tries to wipe out all vampires, ends up absorbing all of that evil and thus becomes the first (and only) vampire.
- He forms an army to fight all those who defeated him when he was a human (many of whom are now human themselves)
- Vampires are now human.
- Still has elements of a love story going on
- Origins of the Van Helsing of this universe
Team Seven
- Team up against Calypso
- “Every character dies in Issue 5” (or so it was claimed)
- Set 5 years before present day DCU
- A lot of backstory for these characters is going to come up
- How these people became the people that they are right now
- Stakes are not small
Deathstroke
- One of the real eccentric badasses of DCU
- Give him enough time and he can figure out anything which is part of what makes him so dangerous
- Slade Wilson is a smart guy with a lot of experience. More than just power going on
- Kate loses her head, Superboy loses his arm
- Ravaging of the rest of DCU
- The kids are done running
- Have found a safe house with people to train them
- A new team will come together with Superboy acting as the catalyst to spur this on
Demon Knights
- Paul Cornell will be leaving after issue 16, replaced by Robert Venditti (artist will stay the same).
- Trying to get to Avalon
- As are others: Lucifer and his, the Silent Knights, and the Questing Queen
- There will be a total of 4 armies fighting it out over this
- There will be a leap 15 to 30 years into the future…which is still in the past.
Sword of Sorcery
- Amethyst has been very much about character development and world building so far.
- The character does not understand why her life was like the way it was
- Her mother tells her and then takes her back to Gem World at age 17
- Has a lot of dynastic intrigue
- Power held by either one person or shared, but only if done so freely
- A blood-based power (so can only pass through related people)
- Very much aiming for a Game of Thrones feel
- Power-balance has shifted and that will be addressed
- Did not comment on the recent mild controversy that appeared in the book.
Green Lantern: New Guardians Third Army
- Gathering up all the other powers of the rings. This group will be battling Guardians themselves.
- A lot will be happening in the next 4 to 5 issues.
Miscellaneous
- Prompted by an audience question, re: fourth wave of the new 52, it was said that timing is interesting so the only way to know is to wait and see.
Girls Read Comics Too 