Flash: Fastest Man... Dead?

With the upcoming Flash cover teaser, many fans are wondering what's in store for Bart Allen. Newsarama asked Dan Didio questions about upcoming Flash developments...

NRAMA: So far in Countdown, we’ve seen the “loyalty tests” that the Rogues have had for the Piper and Trickster, and the claims from the other Rogues that they’re soft because they’re friends of the Flash. Is what we’re seeing here and outcropping of that?

DD: Well, ultimately, the Rogues are re-gathering. They’re planning what I believe to be one of their greatest attacks on the Flash right now as organized by Inertia. Because the Rogues have gone through so many twists and turns throughout their careers, it’s clear – and understandable - that they want to know which side of the fence they’re al standing on at this time. Trickster and Piper were so clearly associated with the heroes when Wally was Flash – with a new Flash running around, the rest of the Rogues want to know where their allegiances lie.

They want to know if they can trust them to have their backs when the fight starts, and realistically, they want to know if their loyalty was based on the individual, or on the suit, which is another part of the question.

NRAMA: And if there’s anything that people should take with them from this image – the one word of the logo that’s completely destroyed?

DD: Which word was that?

NRAMA: “Alive.” As in “Fastest Man…”

DD: You can look at this in several ways, clearly. I think that one thing that comes across easily is that Flash is in jeopardy from the Rogues.

NRAMA: And not just sleepy?

DD: Next question.

Comicbloc: Adam Beechen Interview

Adventures in Interviewing: Adam Beechen
Written by Doug Zawisza (Doug Zawisza)
Tuesday, 29 May 2007

If there’s one name that’s gotten Internet message boards buzzing lately, it’s Adam Beechen. The multimedia writer has put his thoughts to the pages of comics and the frames of cartoons, blogged about hoops and devised ideas for animated series. Not only that, but he has forever altered the fate of more than one teenage hero. Joining Teen Titans amidst the hubbub of Geoff Johns leaving the book he had revived, Adam found his own time there to be one of transition. Leaving Titans before he even fully warms up the seat of the writer’s chair, Adam Beechen is counting down to his new tasks …in more ways than one.

DZ: So, are you actually done writing Teen Titans now, or are you putting the bows on your storylines?

AB: I’m actually done writing Titans. My last script was officially declared good to go last week. Onward and upward!

DZ: Will you be using Robin’s voice in Teen Titans then, or will you be trying to establish the viewpoint through an different character?

AB: Titans is an ensemble book, so it makes sense and is just plain more fun to explore all the different voices. Otherwise, they’d call it Robin and the Other Kids.

DZ: Tease the readers a little, what can we expect from you in both Robin and Teen Titans? Who’s the next big bad Robin’s going to face? What issue gives us the next Titans roster shake-ups?

AB: Well, I’m going to play my cards pretty close to the vest as pertains to Titans, hope you don’t mind … but after the Titans East storyline wraps up, we’ll see the book cross over with Amazons Attack for a few issues, then there’s the matter of a landmark 50th issue to deal with. As far as roster shake-ups … some characters will definitely be moving on around that time, and it’s my hope a new character or two will come in.

Something important to deal with will be the situation Jericho finds himself in at the end of Titans East, and it’s a condition that affects a number of our cast. Over in Robin, Tim’s currently dealing with a street gang that’s been turned murderously metahuman in a story that’ll run three parts. Then there’s a single issue showing us Tim’s first Father’s Day with Bruce … it’s a story I like a lot, as it brings back my favorite villains of the Bill Willingham era. Then there’s another multi-parter that addresses the fate of the teen teleporter, Dodge, who’s been lurking around for my entire run and introduces a couple new villains I hope can become fixtures in Robin’s world.

DZ: Sounds like a busy year for comicdom’s favorite teens. Given your relatively short time on the series, without spoiling anything, what do you view as your contribution to the Teen Titans mythos?

AB: As the guy who served as the bridge between Geoff Johns and Sean McKeever! (laughs) I’m not sure I was there long enough to make a huge contribution to the Titans’ mythos (much to some fans’ relief, I’m sure!), but I think I moved some key subplots along and left things in good order for the next writer to develop.

For the full interview, click here.

Teen Titans to the Big Screen?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter May 31, 2007

DC Comics' superteam Teen Titans is getting the big-screen treatment
courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The live-action adaptation is being produced by Akiva Goldsman and
Kerry Foster through their Weed Road production company, while Mark
Verheiden has been brought on board to write the script.

The Teen Titans, which first appeared in 1964, are comprised of Robin,
Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy, the respective sidekicks
of A-list heroes Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow.

The comic series reached X-Men-style success in the 1980s, when the
team was relaunched in a new comic with the characters no longer kids
but college-age adults and the stories explored more mature themes.
The series also saw the addition of Cyborg, Starfire and Raven,
original characters who weren't sidekicks, while the character of
Robin matured into one called Nightwing.

Most recently, the comic was adapted to the television screen with a
Cartoon Network series that ran from 2003-06 that used many of the
'80s comics' heroes and story lines.

It is not known which heroes will be used, but Nightwing is said to be
in the mix.

Goldsman said the tone will be consistent with such recent Warners'
comic book fare as Batman Begins, Superman Returns and the upcoming
Watchmen.

Verheiden was a writer-producer on "Smallville" and is a
writer-producer on "Battlestar Galactica."

Wolfman on Animated Judas Contract

CATCHING UP WITH MARV WOLFMAN: Daniel Robert Epstein talks with Marv Wolfman about his work on The Condor, the animated Judas Contract, Homeland, and more...

NRAMA: Are you still working on the Teen Titans: The Judas Contract cartoon?

MW: I just finished it.

NRAMA: How many drafts did you do?

MW: Two drafts and a polish. I’m waiting for notes on the current draft and if there are any, we’ll make some last minute notes. I’m not sure who the director is at the moment but I am sure he will have some notes. Animation is a continuing process until the film is actually out. I’m hoping that with The Judas Contract that it maintains itself that way. I’m very pleased with that and I learned an awful lot on The Condor in terms of pacing.

NRAMA: How close is it to the original comics?

MW: The original comics were a year and a half long storyline ending in the five-part Judas Contract story and The Judas Contract movie is 72 minutes. So we had to make a lot of changes in terms of secondary plot. The main thrust of the story is 100% identical. It’s stronger in some places than we were able to do in 1985 because it’s now 2007 so we were able to take certain characters make them stronger than we had before. We made some small changes to simplify the story like we don’t have Jericho in there.

NRAMA: Why?

MW: Jericho comes in, in the next to last storyline issue in the original comics. In the last seven minutes of a cartoon you just can’t have a brand new character coming in and expect to give him the type of development that we could do in an ongoing comic. We didn’t get much development with Jericho in the original comic because he doesn’t speak. But the fact that he continued gave him that ongoing development. We had to eliminate that part of it, but that meant giving more to the actual Titans themselves. So we have more with Starfire, Wonder Girl and Cyborg than we were able to do in the original because we were able to play with them a little bit more. The story was always about Changeling, Nightwing, and Terra.

For the full interview, click here.

Adam Beechen's Summer Preview

SUMMER PREVIEW: HIGH FIVE
We get the summer lowdown on comics' biggest teen hero titles
from wizarduniverse.com
By Kevin Mahadeo - Posted May 22, 2007 3:25 PM

TEEN TITANS
If the Teen Titans have learned anything over the years, it’s to adapt to change.

Straight off the heels of the “East vs. West” storyline where the Titans defeated Deathstroke’s Titans East gang, the teen team ties into the Amazons Attack crossover, where they must choose which side to fight on. And with the Titans having ties to the warrior women through Wonder Girl, you better believe that choice will be more difficult than you think. How big of a part they play is yet to be seen, but writer Adam Beechen (Robin) acknowledges that by the time issue #50 hits stores in August, the team’s lineup will shake up.

“There will be some characters leaving, some characters coming in…and readers might be a little surprised by who leaves and who stays,” notes Beechen. We’ve already seen the most recent Titans graduate, Bart Allen, make an appearance at the end of April’s issue #45, but the question remains as to whether or not the speedster sticks around and for how long.

Hopefully, Bart will stick around long enough to see issue #50, which is set to be a celebration, “as it should be,” says Beechen. The current, tentative plans have the issue taking a look at the young heroes’ past, present and possibly their future. Also, expect seeds of relationships to be sown and reaped.

“These are kids who are spending a lot of time together,” says Beechen. “We’ve already seen some hints of sparks happening between Wonder Girl and Robin, and I think they need to be acknowledged and dealt with. These are kids with hormones—sparks will fly!

ROBIN
It’s been one heck of a “One Year Later” for Batman’s young ward. So far, he’s been accused of murder, had a smackdown with former ally Batgirl and has dealt with gangs like the Lords of the Avenue. And things aren’t going to get any easier in the coming months.

“We’ve got a single-issue story coming up after the Lords of the Avenue arc along the lines of the first date story [in February’s issue #159],” reveals writer Adam Beechen. “We will be bringing back some of the villains from the [former Robin writer] Bill Willingham era who I liked a lot.” Issue #163 in May deals with Tim’s first Father’s Day with Batman since being formally adopted by the billionaire playboy a few months prior. But while Batman makes a few appearances in the upcoming arc later in the year, Robin remains mostly on his own.

“[Batman] does play a role in the storyline that follows,” says Beechen. “Robin does consult with him some, but it’s Robin’s show.”

After that, it’s back to heavy action right after that as Robin deals with villains both old and new. The following arc (which runs from July’s #164 to September’s #166) delves into the disappearance of Dodge—Gotham’s teleporting hero who bamfed off while in a coma—and we will see a new villain named Mr. Baptist vie for a piece of Gotham’s underworld. “And we’re bringing back another villain from the Willingham era named the Tapeworm—a fairly gross bad guy who can pull apart in sections.

“We’re going to be seeing some villainous superpowered faces,” says Beechen. “Which will be a nice change after the gritty down-to-earth storyline of the Lords of the Avenue.”

Rumor: New Titans Coming?

Lying In The Gutters has covered rumours and gossip in the comics industry for thirteen long glorious and quite scary years. Here's the latest:

TITANIC SPLIT: Look for "Teen Titans" to split into two, possibly multi-dimensional, books. One with most of the current series regulars called "Teen Titans," and a new book, "New Titans," modelled on the eighties group.

TEEN TITANS #50 in August

TEEN TITANS #50
Written by Sean McKeever, Geoff Johns, Todd Dezago and Marv Wolfman Art by Randy Green, Mike McKone, George Pérez, Todd Nauck, Sandra Hope, Richard Friend and Andy Lanning Cover by Alé Garza & Scott Williams Variant cover by Mike McKone Don’t miss this very special issue that ushers in the new TEEN TITANS creative team of Sean McKeaver and Randy Green, reunites Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for their first new Titans adventure in years, and also features a story by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone — the creators who launched this title! It all begins when the Titans bury another friend — and ends with a deadly, familiar threat as well as an addition to the team.

Plus, be sure to catch BLUE BEETLE #18, a tie-in to this issue guest-starring the Titans and Lobo! Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers that may be ordered separately. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alé Garza & Scott Williams) ordered, retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Mike McKone). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. On sale August 29 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

BLUE BEETLE #18
Written by John Rogers
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by Cully Hamner
Beetle runs with the Titans! In a crossover with TEEN TITANS #50, it’s boys and girls against The Main Man — Lobo!
On sale August 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Save TEEN TITANS GO!: Round Two

We told you a few weeks ago that TEEN TITANS GO! may be in danger of cancellation! Apparently, they are looking at the whole “Jonny DC” line of comics and possibly adding/deleting/revamping some titles. I’m told TEEN TITANS GO! Is in EXTREME danger of cancellation. Yikes!

We rallied the fans to write in and it looks like DC is taking some notice. DC's Paul Levitz is apparently responding to fan letters re: TTG's "rumoured cancellation." He's said that no official decision has been made but the series is nearing the end. That could be interpreted in many ways. I think people should be encouraged to write Mr. Levitz because he's listening...

Write letters to:
Paul Levitz
c/o DC COMICS
1700 Broadway NYC, NY 10019

Hand-written letters make the biggest impact (and please, be passionate, but nice!) Spread the word and write soon! We just may save the Titans yet! Titans Go!

J Torres on TEEN TITANS GO! Future

TEEN TITANS GO! writer J Torres posted this at comicbloc forums:

"Last week I submitted a script for what should be #46 ([Starfire's brother,] Wildfire).

Right now, #47 should be one of those two-in-one issues (the first story features Starfire/Raven drawn by Christine Norrie; the second is Robin's origin recounted with art by Michael Chang from the cartoon).

I'm told things could change, but that's how the schedule looks as of this typing.

DC is getting people's letters and I hope it's convincing them to let us keep going, at least for a while longer..."

Good, hopeful news! Get writing and let's see if we can make TTG last awhile longer! I hear J and the team have some big plans for #50!

Sean McKeever Alter Ego Podcast

Sean McKeever talks about all his titles at DC, and Titans fans will get a lot of insight into his ideas about the team and its new roster. You really need to check it out -- at www.alteregocomiccast.com or direct download it at:
http://www.digigrfx.com/podcast/alte...EEpisode54.mp3

Sean delves into how Teen Titans seems "custom built" for him, with a "great ensemble cast"; He describes the tone of the series as "high octane action and great teen drama." He also cites the Wolfman/Pérez era as a "blueprint"; action stories that are driven by the characters.

What's coming up for the Titans? Well, Sean describes issue #50 as a transition issue, and not only creatively speaking. "The old guard is moving onto other stuff in the DCU" but promises "We'll be seeing Raven, Cyborg and others." After that, it's a 3-part story arc that serves as sequel to TITANS TOMORROW.

"This is the kind of book I can be on for a good long time." Here's hoping!

Titans Q & A with Sean McKeever

Yes, we're all burning with questions. Any romance between the Teen Titans? Will we be seeing any of the other missing year Titans in the near-future, or will you be mostly focusing on the "starting lineup" to define them? Any plans for Wendy & Marvin? Can you make Cassie stop to be an emo?

My favorites questions and answers...

Q: That's one overpowered team you've got there. You've got some larger than life, over the top, threats in mind?

Sean: They're going up against Dan DiDio and his Killstick of Death.

Q: Sorry to sound mean,and I hope I don't come across as such since I'm sure you got a good reason why you can't say more on it,but I'm still afraid they will drift off into limbo. And recent history has shown that the last place a Titan needs to be right now is in limbo(especially if they're female with an unresolved backstory...luckily none of the current roster is like that,but still...)

Sean: I know there's been a lot of death and mayhem around the Titans lately, so I understand your hesitance, but I'm telling you I wouldn't just say that stuff to placate the New Teen Titans fans. I hope that helps.

Q: What's the focus of the book now? First, Geoff made it a place for teens to hang their and hats and for them to train... Never really saw any of that... then, The titans were suppose to be more family oriented.... But just as the "family" kinda gets together, more members seem to be leaving. So whats the premise now going to be as you go foward?

Sean: Pretty much all of the above. You'll definitely see the hang-out aspect. I once pitched a series to Marvel that was tentatively titled Super Hero Social Club, which wasn't a team book but an ensemble of all the teen/early 20s heroes hanging out on top of Stark Tower and going on adventures, living their lives, etc. So that aspect really appeals to me.

Q: With Miss Martian getting more focus, will we be seeing a meeting between her and J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter???

Sean: Chances are pretty good.

Q: Any chance we could get a real Titans East team made up of former heroic Titans? So many of them have been in Limbo(or close to it for so long). Names like Troia, Tempest, Red Star, and Bumblebee instantly come to mind. While I like the current team, it sure would be great if some of the classic Titans had a home.

Sean: Donna's in Countdown like you wouldn't believe. As for the rest, you never know where they might turn up...

Q: Sean, in one issue Rose tried to seduce Tim in a memorible scene (that even Geoff puts as one of his favorites he did). Any chance you might actually follow up on it and maybe at least hint off to a relationship between them or something?

Sean: I loved that scene! (Wait and see.)

Q: Will the Supergirl you're writing be closest to the Kelly version or the Waid version?

Sean: I'm not gonna answer that one just yet, except to say that I will make the great, big rash of Supergirl haters like her, I think.

Q: Seriously though, AWSOME news on you writing the Titans. Any chance that at some point down the road, we could see a dead Titan return to the fold? Can't wait to see what you have cooked up.

Sean: Anything's possible. Can't wait until you read #50...

Q: Any plans for Bart Allen or Conner Kent?

Sean: Hmm...

If the Titans series is half as entertaining as Sean's answers, good times are ahead! Want more? Here's the Q & A threads:

SeanMcKeever.com Forums

Newsarama forums

Comicbloc Forums

Geoff Welcomes Sean McKeever

Geoff gave a "Good Luck" to Sean on his comicbloc site:

Robin, Wonder Girl, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, Kid Devil and Ravager!

I gotta say, I'm thrilled to see the line-up Sean has in store for the Titans. I mean, that's cool! Kid Devil, Ravager and Miss Martian are getting a chance to continue on. We created Megan as a substitute for the "nice sweet" Supergirl we wanted so it'll be fun to see those two interact.

Sean obviously has enthusiasm for the team and the characters and I'm super excited to be able to put this book on my pull list. He's an incredibly talented writer, a nice guy and he brings a different kind of energy to the book and I think that's a wonderful thing.

And to everyone worried about Raven, Cyborg and the others disappearing to limbo, I wouldn't be. They have become some of the most iconic DC characters to the public at large (thanks to that cartoon!) so they'll never be gone for long. They have way too many fans and I'm sure they won't be forgotten (like, really, really sure ).

I've already ready some of #50 and, although a few feathers will be ruffled when it hits because of events around it (even mine, honestly!), I'm anxious to see it and I'm really looking forward to the next several months.
It's also especially beeen nice to team up with Mckone for one last short story with Conner, Bart, Cassie, Tim, Vic, Kory and Gar. Ah. The Golden Days.

I'm gettin' all misty...but I'm looking forward to what's next for the "new" new new Teen Titans.

So good luck, Sean, you got a reader here!

Geoff

Sean McKeever on Teen Titans in His Future

Newsarama reports: "Known for his work on a handful of comics that concentrate on teens -- from The Waiting Place to Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane -- McKeever accepted a DC exclusive contract earlier this year when he became part of the team that puts together the DC weekly series Countdown. Also announced recently as the upcoming writer on Birds of Prey, McKeever will take over Titans from current series writer and Countdown co-writer Adam Beechen, who DC announced is moving to the space-themed Countdown to Adventure mini-series in August after working on Teen Titans since co-writing Issue #45.

Already raising speculation about the importance of the number "50," McKeever's debut issue will also feature an impressive list of former Titans creators helping out in what Didio called a "jam session," including Geoff Johns, who only earlier this year left the title he brought to prominence in the DCU.

As McKeever gears up for the publication of his first Countdown issue in June as well as his August debut on Teen Titans, Newsarama sat down with the busy writer to talk about the new gig, what this multi-creator "jam session" is all about, and why there are a couple new teenaged faces showing up on the cover to his first issue."

Read the full article here.

McKeever: "I am writing Teen Titans!"

Sean McKeever confirmed his Titans gig on his website: "As announced at Bristol this weekend, and on Newsarama today, I am the new ongoing writer of Teen Titans as of August's double-sized issue #50. That's all I'm prepared to say for now. Watch Newsarama--and this space--for an interview this Tuesday."

McKeever Named Teen Titans Writer

Looks like Beechen is out as Teen Titans writer, and Sean McKeever is in! Newsarama reports:

Sometimes, even if you leave space, space calls you back.

Case in point, DC’s “space heroes” of the recently-concluded 52: Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange. They all made it back to their respective homes by the end of the series, but in August, they’re going back in Countdown to Adventure, an eight issue miniseries.

We spoke with DCU Executive Editor Dan Didio for the details of both the miniseries and some creative ripples it causes.

“Countdown to Adventure is similar to what we did with Mystery in Space. The front half of the book follows the space team from 52 – Animal Man, Starfire, and Adam Strange on their latest adventure, which picks up on some threads left over from 52.

“And the backup will feature a new character named Forerunner which is a brand new character who will be introduced and play an integral role in the early part of Countdown. We’ll see a lot of her background and origin in this miniseries.”

Creatively speaking, the “space heroes” storyline will be written by Adam Beechen, with art by Eddy Barrows; while Forerunner’s story will be handled by Justin Gray and Fabrizio Fiorentino.

[...] Beechen’s move to the new miniseries does come with a cost – he had to give up Teen Titans, where he was recently named as the series’ new writer, stepping in for the departing Geoff Johns. Moving over to that series will be another member of the Countdown team, Sean McKeever.

McKeever will join Johns, Marv Wolfman, Mike McKone, George Perez, Todd Nauck and other creators for August’s Teen Titans #50 “jam issue,” and then head off on his own with September’s #51 with artist Randy Green.

“Sean’s is able to write in that great younger voice that the Teen Titans book really needs and a great sensibility for the characters, and again, like Adam, with his time working on Countdown, he was able to learn a lot about the interaction between them. When Teen Titans came free, Sean just seemed the most logical choice. Sean will be writing two of our team books now, with Titans and Birds of Prey, and he brings a great voice to both those books.”

Mike McKone & Geoff Johns on TEEN TITANS #50

With all the relentless Titans death, at least Titans fans now have something to look forward to: Mike McKone and Geoff Johns are returning to the Teen Titans for a story in issue #50!

The Pulse interviewed writers Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: "We're pretty busy with Nova and Conquest atm but have a Superman/Batman story in the works but that's a way off down the line and have a story in the DC Halloween Special featuring the return of a character very close to our hearts! Individually, Andy [Lanning] is inking Phil Jimenez on his upcoming Amazing Spider-Man issues and Mike McKone on a Teen Titans story for the #50 issue and an upcoming JLA story.

Fantastic news! I consider the three best Titans artists to be George Pérez, Phil Jimenez and Mike McKone. This should be sweet!

UPDATE: According to the DCU panel at Bristol (UK): Geoff Johns and Mike McKone are collaborating on a special story for issue #50.

Back on March 5, 2007, Comics Continuum reported: "Beechen said there will be new members of Teen Titans. Speaking of the 50th issue, he said, "In addition to moving the story forward, it will be a celebration of everything that the Teen Titans have been.""

Supergirl and Blue Beetle: New Teen Titans?

A Newsarama poster who went to the DC Panel at the Bristol Comic Con had this to say:

"Teen Titans cover - For a few months ahead, we were shown a Teen Titans cover not only featuring the current roster. I can remember seeing Robin, Kid Devil, Ravager - I can't remember if anyone else was there, because two additions, one in particular, caught my eye and made me hyperventilate - Supergirl, and BLUE BEETLE (Jaime Reyes). Yay for Blue Beetle."

Didio Dishes on Duela's Demise

Newsarama spoke with DCU Executive Editor Dan Didio about the larger series, the characters who will star, and some specific plot points. Here's what Didio had to say about Duela's demise...

NRAMA: Moving along with the characters – Duela Dent. An odd choice to open with. She’s been seen on New Earth before, right?

DD: Yes she has. She was mostly Pre-Crisis, but she did appear on New Earth, so we’re looking at an explanation of how she got there. You’ll find that there are definite rules to the multiverse and definite roles that the Monitors play in the multiverse as well. A lot of this will be revealed as we move along, but what you’ll see, and what I think a lot of people picked up from issue #51 is that the Monitors have, given the dire nature of the situation, are basically border guards. They’re responsible for the borders of their respective universes, and are there mostly, to make sure that there are no incursions in or out of each of the multiple universes, so that each universe stays as individual and as pure as it can.

If somebody does cross over, there are methods by which the Monitors correct the situation.

NRAMA: Including killing?

DD: In this case, including killing those who have traveled back and forth between universes. The death of Duela Dent in this issue – it’s not as important that Duela died, but what’s more important is why she died, and the implications of one overzealous Monitor stepping out of his own boundaries and goes searching for her, and starts the dominoes falling. His actions create a series of situations that start to unravel a lot of things.

NRAMA: But with Duela, she’s showing some level of self-awareness in that she says that she knows she’s from another earth. So does she just know, or has she traveled within recent memory?

DD: A lot of these memories are starting to come free in the characters, and what we’re starting to see is that if they’re from another universe, they know that. There are very few characters that are self-aware as much as she was, and that self-awareness is what brought the attention to her, and ultimately, her demise.

NRAMA: Just to clarify with Jason Todd – how does Duela know who Red Hood is?

DD: You’ll find out that in the missing year, following his role with Nightwing, he became a lot more prominent among parts of the underworld, and the word spread about him. Ultimately, the facts of who he was got out, and he wasn’t protecting that secret as well as he should have. But conversely, one of the things you’ll find out with the Monitors is that they’re not sure who Jason is – and that will become a part of the story.

Read the full article here.

Filling In The One Year Gap

"You call this the Titans? Since Superboy died, the Titans have gone through over twenty new members. But no one wanted to stay very long. No one got along."
- Wonder Girl (Teen Titans (third series) #36 [2006])

DC's "One Year Later" event occurred March of 2006. In Teen Titans #33, Superboy and Nightwing are in the thick of the Infinite Crisis world-shattering event. With Teen Titans #34, a full year has passed since the Crisis. A comatose Cyborg awakens to discover the only active Titans: Robin, Ravager and Kid Devil. Cyborg is told that the Titans had quite a few membership shake-ups during his "missing year." Readers shared in Cyborg's confusion. Following the limited series, Infinite Crisis, every DC comic series jumped ahead by one year between February 2006 and March 2006. With DC's March books, the characters' histories resumed "one year later." The events of that "missing year" were revealed in various DC books throughout 2006-2007.

I've taken on the titanic task of putting all the "one year gap" events in their proper sequence. It wasn't easy, since some events tended to contradict each other. Looking back, I think DC really dropped the ball on this one. If they weren't going to cover the missing pieces in 52, they should have devoted the annuals to the 'missing year' blanks. As it stands, we know virtually nothing about Molecule, Talon, Young Frankenstein, Little Barda, Mas Y Menos and Riddler's Daughter.

Ah, well. For what it's worth, here's the One Year Gap Timeline. Settle in with a Mochaccino and enjoy. And, here's hoping COUNTDOWN will be kinder to the Titans!

Countdown to... Duela Dent?

Check out a 10-page preview of COUNTDOWN... with everyone's favorite demented diva!

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7139/cd0qp4.jpg
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/838/cd1wd8.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8731/cd2fd4.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8978/cd3su6.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6741/cd4hf2.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3364/cd5zp2.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3756/cd6fc8.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2251/cd7fa9.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1958/cd8pe9.jpg
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/403/cd9kw4.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/9408/cd10sy2.jpg

Adam Beechen & The DCU

Adam Beechen took some time to talk to www.comicbookresources.com about "Countdown" and leaving "Robin"...

RT: How does it feel to be working on DC's major "crossover" for '07, early '08.

AB: Given my preference for ease of work, I would prefer non-crossover stories. These characters come from so many families of books, that you are going to have characters coming in and out of the storylines.

With "Robin," we never really crossed over, but with "Teen Titans," every issue is a crossover and it's been a function of the way that book is. We are dealing with stuff from "Amazons Attack" now. And I want to become better at integrating the regular DCU. I think it's important, but I think fans like it.

Read the whole interview here.