NYCC: The 'Real' Terra by Amanda Conner

I was lucky enough to get a commission from the very talented and incredibly perky Amanda Conner! I love Amanda's stuff and I DO look forward to her upcoming work. Amanda's next project is the TERRA mini series. Unfortunately, it's not "our" mouthy geomorph with identity issues... it's an all-new Terra.

Yeah, I don't understand it either. And Amanda herself seemed unsure what Terra2's fate may be. I asked Amanda if any of the Titans were set to appear in the mini - and she wan't sure if they were set to appear or not.

Since Terra2's days may be numbered, I had to ask Amanda to do a piece on our beloved rock slinger. It's another great piece of art from Amanda!

NYCC: Arsenal by Clayton Henry

I've enjoyed Clayton Henry's work since his stint ALPHA FLIGHT. Henry is currently on UNCANNY X-MEN as a "regular fill-in", or whatever you would call it. I thought Clayton would do Arsenal justice. And he sure did!

NYCC: Kid Devil by Andy MacDonald

You can always count on Andy [NYC Mech] MacDonald for an awesome commission. I thought Andy would do a 'hot damn' version of Kid Devil - and it looks like I was right! Andy said he particularly enjoys putting a special spin on some of those 'B' and 'C' list characters. Another great commission from Andy - no surprise!

NYCC: Wonder Girl by Pete Woods

I caught Pete Woods signing at the DC Booth. Since Pete is currently working on the AMAZONS ATTACK mini, I asked him to draw either Cassie or Donna. He chose Cassie - who will indeed be appearing in the mini. As always, nice stuff from Mr. Woods.

NYCC: Superboy by Jon Bogdonave

Jon Bogdonave was one of the premier Superman artist of the 1990s. Since he was drawing MAN OF STEEL during the whole "Return of Superman" storyline, I had Jon draw a black leather jacket clad Superboy... complete with his 'fade' haircut. Oh so 90210!

NYCC: Superboy by Jerry Ordway

Jerry Ordway is one of the biggest Superman artists of the 1990s! He was only signing at the DC Booth for a short time, and was kind enough to do a very quick sketch of Superboy! Newer readers will know Ordway from his nice work on INFINITE CRISIS.

NYCC: Archie Comics' Dan Parent

Dan Parent - artist of Archie Comics - was doing plenty of sketching this weekend! It was pretty cool to see Dan's versions of some of the super-hero characters in his style. Here's his rendition of Starfire!

And of course, I had to get a Betty & Veronica from him as well. See? It's not all about Titans with me. And for the curious, I'd choose Veronica over Betty. But yet, I'd choose Mary Ann over Ginger. I'm a very complex individual.

NYCC: Al Barrinuevo, Teen Titans Artist

Dan Didio announced the new artist for TEEN TITANS at a DCU panel:

"The next artist of Teen Titans? Al Barrinuevo" (Martian Manhunter)

Barrinuevo is the current artist on MARTIAN MANHUNTER. He's a good artist, but a curious choice for Titans. His style seems more in line with CHECKMATE or OUTSIDERS. Heck, put Barrinuevo on OUTSIDERS and put the Matthew Clark/Art Thibert art team on Titans!

NYCC: Chris Batista and the Titans

Chris Batista was a guest at this year's NYCC. Based on his great LEGION work, I told him he should be the next artist on Titans. Unfortunately, Chris is slated to work on an upcoming Superman story featuring the New Gods characters. Chris was very excited to work on the Kirby-created DC characters.

Me? I still want him on Titans. He had the very start of his upcoming TEEN TITANS issue. And it looked fan-tas-tic. His Nightwing and Troia looked great. I did catch him at the DC booth later, where he drew me a nifty Beast Boy sketch.

New York Comic-Con 2007

Yup, I went. Got lots of sketches and neat stuff and talked to some cool folks! I will be blogging about it all week so be sure to check back for all the Titanic developments!

The Countdown is Out of the Bag

Mere moments after I posted my COUNTDOWN missive, the series was officially confirmed!

DC unleashes its next weekly comic event, and head writer Paul Dini gives Wizard the exclusive scoop!

"Beginning May 9, the week after the final issue of 52 hits shelves, DC unleashes Countdown, a massive, yearlong weekly series with writer Paul Dini sitting at the steering wheel. The series literally counts down as it starts with issue #51 and screeches to a deafening halt with issue #0. Along for the rip-roaring ride will be a slew of backup writers, the entire DCU and enough action to melt your face. "

Look for Donna Troy to play a role in the dramatic series:

And we’ve heard that Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner and Jason Todd all play a role?

DINI: Right, and in the back of all this there are big secrets brewing, secret armies and ultimate disasters and betrayals in the works. I think the way it starts off is not going to be exactly how it finishes up, but once all the pieces are together, like a huge puzzle, the people will go “Oh, of course. It couldn’t have ended any other way.”

Read the full article.

Countdown to COUNTDOWN

It's been rumored for awhile.... what WILL DC do after 52? Some stealthy internet fans have found this:

COUNTDOWN 51-48
Written by Paul Dini and others
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
51 written by Paul Dini; art by Jesus Saiz
50 written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray; art by Jim Calafiore
49 written by Tony Bedard; art by Carlos Magno
48 written by Adam Beechen; art by David Lopez Covers by Andy Kubert & Tim Townshend
The event of the year is here! This brand-new, year-long weekly series features a cast of hundreds where anything goes! With head writer Paul Dini and a rotating team of some of the industry’s best writers and artists, COUNTDOWN will serve as the backbone of the DCU in 2007. When a character dies in COUNTDOWN 51, it sets off an unexpected ripple that will touch virtually every character in the DC Universe. The COUNTDOWN is on…so begins the end!
COUNTDOWN 51 on sale May 9
COUNTDOWN 50 on sale May 16
COUNTDOWN 49 on sale May 23
COUNTDOWN 48 on sale May 30
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Win a TEEN TITANS: TOKYO DVD

We at TitansTower.com are a selfless bunch of folks, and we decided that it would be fun to reward you, the faithful and good-looking readers and members of Animation Insider and Titans Tower, for being just so goshdarn awesome.

So, I'm pleased to announce that TitansTower.com will be holding a relatively simple and straightforward giveaway contest. The prize: A brand-new copy of the recently-released DTV movie "Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo" (I'll buy a separate copy for myself with my own cash). And maybe some other stuff too-- we still have a perfectly-preserved bunch of those wicked awesome character cards from the San Diego ComicCon we're dying to hand out. Maybe we'll throw some of those into the prize pool too. I dunno.

The point is: You enter contest, you win, you get free stuff from us. Pretty simple. And so is the way you enter: Send us your Teen Titans-related artwork. Drawings, paintings, short comic strips, granite etchings, whatever. Just e-mail a scan or photograph (no originals, please!) of a piece of fan-art you yourself have created to robin@titanstower.com. Or, if you don't have a scanner or camera, e-mail us and we'll work out a way you can send us your entry, perhaps by horse and buggy or teleportation.

The deadline as of now is February 28, so you have the rest of the month to work up a creative masterpiece. Best of luck to all entrants-- we'll display all the submissions in addition to the winner. We'll be judging not only based on talent, but also on creativity, so don't be afraid of entering even if you're someone like me whose artistic talent would make Rob Liefeld look like Vincent van Gogh.

And even if you don't win, buy the DVD anyway.

A Titan Dies! in May

Newsarama has posted a sneak peek of May's comics, including Adam Beechen's first full issue as writer. Another dead Titan? WHO could it be? I dunno, but that Randy Green cover is gorgeous.... and Chris Batista on interior art is a good call. I'd be happy with either of those guys on the book on a regular basis.

TEEN TITANS #47
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Chris Batista & Edwin Rosewell
Cover by Randy Green
A Titan dies! Are Nightwing and Donna Troy the next targets?
On sale May 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Also, see what Flash, Red Arrow [Do I have to call him that?] and Damage are up to in May's solicits.... just click here.

Go TOKYO Today

America's coolest heroes head to Japan in their first animated movie, Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo. When a high-tech ninja attacks Titans Tower, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy spring into action. Robin finds out that the ninja was sent by a mysterious and menacing Japanese criminal known as Brushogun, and the Teen Titans travel to Tokyo to track the villain down.

For all those fans of the cartoon that want MORE TITANS and fought to SAVE THE SHOW, you need to buy this release. If sales are good, Warner Bros. will make more original Teen Titans Direct-To-DVD features. If sales are bad, say goodbye to Glen Murakami's Titans forever. So spread the word, and TITANS TOGETHER!

Adam Beechen: A New Titan In Town

Earlier this week, Geoff Johns unveiled that he’s leaving DC’s Teen Titans after Titans East storyline has ended. Robin writer Adam Beechen will be taking over the series with May’s issue #47. Broken Frontier spoke to the new Titans scribe to find out what he’s got planned...

Adam reveals: "I gravitate to the character stuff. I love the crash-bang as much as the next comics fan, but when I get a peek behind the mask to see how a character really thinks and feels, it makes the action that much more immediate and personal to me. So I think of #7, “Wednesday,” where we spend time with a few of our characters individually — the stuff with Superboy and Krypto really made an impression on me.

The “Titans Tomorrow” issues where the kids met their possible future selves also was a great window into the team. And “Titans Around the World” I loved because suddenly there were all these new characters that the Titans had experience with but I didn’t, and I had to work to put the pieces together, and I had a sense I was being taken for a ride by creators who knew what they were doing, and that’s the best feeling to have, as a reader."

For the full article, click here.

Beechen Talks Titans

Geoff Johns will be leaving DC’s Teen Titans at the conclusion of the current “Titans East” arc. Current Robin and Justice League Unlimited writer Adam Beechen will be filling Johns’ chair, co-writing the second half of the arc, and then, taking it all over, starting with issue #47 in May.

Beechen reveals: "Geoff’s left a lot of great possibilities open to us...I’ve thrown some of my ideas out to him, and he’s responded with, “Awesome,” and “that’s so cool,” enough that I feel I’m on the right track. We’re going to be building on his concepts and exploring some of the newer characters he’s brought to the team in greater detail. After that, it’s too soon to say until I feel like I’ve really nailed the stories, but yes, I definitely have some big plans in terms of villains that I’m excited to get to, not to mention story points for our characters. I sat down the other day and put down in one place all the basic ideas I have, some in great detail, others just sketches, and if nothing were to change at all, I’d have enough stories to reach issue #75! So my enthusiasm level is pretty high!"

For the full article, click here.

Graduation Day for Geoff Johns

Wizard's Ben Morse reports: "As he prepares to depart Teen Titans, Geoff Johns explains why he’s leaving as he remembers favorite moments and characters, discusses the stories that never were, and talks about how if Superboy hadn’t died things might have ended differently."

Geoff Johns: "With “One Year Later,” we had just lost Superboy and Kid Flash, so that was something [artist] Tony [Daniel] and I talked about a lot at the time. Superboy was my favorite character in the Titans; I spent the majority of those first two years focusing on him and his relationships with Robin and Wonder Girl. I asked myself if I could work on the book without Superboy, if it was possible, and the only reason I could is because I was working with Tony. We sat down and asked ourselves if without Superboy and Kid Flash, two of the most popular characters on the team, was there a way to do this book and have fun on it? It was a big decision. I didn’t want to stay on the book if it wasn’t going to be fun. What happened is we started to talk about other characters and that’s where Ravager first came about, and Kid Devil, and Miss Martian, and Zatara and all these new characters. As we got more and more into detail on Kid Devil and Ravager, we started to realize those would be really fun characters to write. I wanted a ton of mysteries introduced in #34, our first “One Year Later” issue, so that’s what we were shooting for. It was a great energizer for us as it led us to all these different stories, like seeing the Doom Patrol and thinking they’re a great team and realizing maybe they’re not, realizing maybe it’s okay not to be perfect and that it will take time to rebuild this team. I really felt like we were doing the next step of Teen Titans and that’s why I stayed—I stayed because I felt like we had stories to tell. "

"I'm leaving now because I feel like “Titans East” is going to be a good story arc, a good place to leave, and because Tony is leaving. I could stay until issue #50, but would it be the absolute best book I could write? I don’t know, maybe it would be, but it’s like when I left Flash: They told me they were only doing five more issues of [the series] and asked if I wanted to stay, but I said no because I’d just be staying to stay. If Tony was staying until #50 and I felt it was good for the book and for the characters, I would have stayed, but I just felt like it was the right time to go. There’s no reason to stay just to hit a number. I left Hawkman after “Black Reign” because it was a really good storyline and because [artist] Rags [Morales] was leaving and he’s the best Hawkman artist there is. I couldn’t make the book any better. Ultimately, that’s what motivates me when I leave books. I like to stay on books for a long time, but this is it."

Read the full interview here.

Geoff Johns: A Titan Looks Back

Newsarama reports: Geoff Johns announced he was leaving the Teen Titans title after Issue #46, handing over a team to writer Adam Beechen that has been re-invigorated by a slew of fresh, new characters Johns created for DC's One Year Later event. As he reflects on what he's done with the series, Newsarama sat down with Johns to talk about his favorite stories, what it felt like to watch these kids grow up in front of his eyes, and how he came up with all those endearing new characters that will now add to the legacy of one of DC's most iconic teams.

Geoff Johns: "You know, in Teen Titans, I think all of the characters in that book have to change and grow because they're kids. The cool thing about writing a book like that is they can change and grow -- and they should. And that was part of the fun of Teen Titans. You look at a character like Kid Devil, and he's growing up. You watch these characters grow up in front of your eyes. I always said Young Justice was junior high and Teen Titans was high school. We had these characters who were kids coming in, and then you can see the progressive change. I think that's why you see more growth and change in characters like Superboy and Wonder Girl and Kid Flash than you would Cyborg, because Cyborg has already reached adulthood."

"I still really like the first arc. I like the kids eating together and just hanging out together. I like the quieter moments in those issues. I also really like the One Year Later arc. You know, Mike McKone and Tony Daniel were the two main guys I worked with on this book, and I thought Tony really came into his own on the One Year Later arc of Teen Titans. And I really loved the idea of bringing in all these new characters and shaping the book up. I hated the idea of losing Superboy, and especially Kid Flash. I hated losing both of them. But it was a chance to kind of shake the book up and do something completely new."

Read the full article here.