Wizard's Winick/Pérez Interview Online

TITANS TOGETHER: Upcoming Titans writer Judd Winick chats with Titans co-creator George Pérez about which comic creator he modeled a character on and keeping up on bikini styles

GEORGE PÉREZ: Pretty much when Wizard called me to do this interview. [Laughs] But I’m glad you’re doing this book, especially because if it’s popular, Marv [Wolfman] and I get more royalty checks. [Both laugh] After working on [New Teen Titans] for so long, I’ve had my say and it’s nice to see people picking up the characters that Marv and I created so long ago. I remember when I first drew Starfire, Cyborg and Raven hoping one day they would be there when they showed all the other DC characters, have that corporate brand on them. I remember the first time I saw Starfire in some DC montage and thinking, “My God, now I’ve got a legacy.” After a quarter of a century, for you to go back to these characters is incredibly flattering.

WINICK: Well, it’s a testament to what you and Marv created. People always come back to what you guys did as a seminal piece of storytelling. [DC VP-Executive Editor] Dan [DiDio] has been spearheading lately a lot of what fans see as darker, more realistic books with a lot of angst. But Dan said, “I want one team where it’s like a family and they get along, and I keep coming back to those original Titans.” And that’s what so many of us enjoyed about [New Teen Titans]: young people away from home who were in it together.

PÉREZ: Marv and I wanted that sense of family and brought bits from both our experiences. It was who the characters were and how they reacted to the quiet times that really made the book sing for me. I particularly liked issues like “Day in the Life” [New Teen Titans vol. 1 #8] and “Who Is Donna Troy?” [New Teen Titans vol. 1 #38] where there were no fights and just lots of drama, because the biggest challenge for a comic book artist is to make a quiet scene dynamic.

Read the full interview here.

Duela Dent's True Origin

Looks like we'll get it this Wednesday!

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: CRIME SYNDICATE #1
Written by Sean McKeever
Art by Jamal Igle & Rob Hunter
Cover by Tony S. Daniel
Learn the origin of the newest Challenger from Beyond, from the world where the heroes are villains. But what does that make the bad guys? Can even the Challengers make things right?

preview:
http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Oct07/previews/3rd.html

Winick Talks TITANS in Wizard Magazine

Wizard Magazine #193 hit the stands today. It features an article with Judd Winick and George Pérez. "Titans Together": Upcoming TITANS writer Judd Winick chats with Titans co-creator George Pérez about which comic creator he modeled a character on and keeping up on bikini styles. Moderated by Ben Morse.

In the article, Judd confirms the cast (yes to Flash and Red Arrow; no to Jericho and Tempest) and talks about his approach to the new series, as he shares his Titans' memories with George Pérez. The article mentions TITANS is set to launch in December, but it's been rescheduled to early 2008.

"Cut to the present, where Winick, along with artist Ian Churchill, launches the classic Wolfman/Pérez Titans roster out of a aTITANS EAST SPECIAL one-shot in November and into the ongoing series simply titles TITANS beginning in December."

Winick: I've actually tried to stay away from the online message boards since this was announced because I am somebody who has been typecast as somebody who writes dark stories, changse characters and kills them off.

Pérez: Oh you're THAT Judd Winick? I'm hanging up. [laughs]

Winick: That's me. [laughs] There is a way of storytelling that is lighter but not trite. Read back any of the origianl [NEW TEEN TITANS] stories and all the time the stakes are life and death, but at the same time there's a lightness to them because of the cameraderie. We're trying to emulate that sense of them not waiting around in the Tower for the bad guys to show up, but instead that when an individual on the team is going through something the rest of the team would rally around them.

Pérez: Who is drawing the book, by the way?

Winick: Ian Chruchill.

Pérez: Oh good. I know the fans like Ian, and it's always nice to have fans on your side. And all the originals are there?

Winick: Yeah, the line-up is Nightwing, Starfire, Flash, Red Arrow, Cyborg, Raven, Donna and Beast Boy. Am I leaving anyone out?

Pérez: Other than the latecomers, Terra and Jericho, I think that's everybody. And of course having Red Arrow is an addition from [the original Titans] line-up. I'm curious to see how Ian draws Kory's hair.

Check out the whole article in this month's Wizard!

Ale Garza Takes on the Teen Titans

The Pulse reports: Ale Garza said drawing kids come natural to him, which makes the artist a good fit for the Teen Titans. He's working with Sean McKeever on the series and said he's "super crazy fun time into it!" Find out why ....

THE PULSE: What is it about this group of heroes that you find the most entertaining?

GARZA: I love the diversity of the characters. The roster I feel right now is the one I want to draw. I love Supergirl and Blue Beetle, so the chance to draw them now, is just a dream come true! How are they different from the pack? They are a powerhouse team! They are definitely not just a bunch of kids running around fiddlin' with their hair and/or duds. I mean this team is strategically one of the best put together assemblages of characters in comics!

Read the whole article here.

Adam Beechen: A Sidekick's Graduation

A SIDEKICK’S GRADUATION: With his last issue of ‘Robin’ on stands, Adam Beechen looks back at the highs and lows of his two years with the Boy Wonder.

Looking back at your issues of Robin, what was the highlight? What was your personal favorite issue?

BEECHEN: I love the “First Date” issue [Robin #159]. And I tend to like the single issues. I like the “Father’s Day” issue [Robin #163]. But I think my favorite issue was the issue of Robin and the kid on the rooftop, which is a strange thing to say because there’s not a lot of action in the story, and it’s mostly talking heads. But I really felt that issue got to the core of who Tim was as a character and who Tim was as a person. It answered a lot of questions people had about how he’s dealt with all of the problems and tragedies in his own life. I felt like once and for all we got to explain that he gets by by talking to people and talking to his friends. And that’s a big difference that he has between him and Bruce. Bruce doesn’t do that. Bruce internalizes everything, and Tim doesn’t do that, I think in part because he doesn’t want to wind up like Bruce. He doesn’t want to be that closed off. So that issue I felt really got to what Tim was all about. And I did get some positive reaction to that, not just from comic fans but from professionals in the mental health field talking about how we dealt with the issue of teen suicide. I’m really proud of that issue. I’m also really proud of how Freddie drew that issue because it’s, again, not a lot of action with a lot of talking heads, so a lot of it rests on the storytelling ability of the artist with facial expressions and body postures and the angles of the shots. Freddie did a magnificent job on that issue, and Pat Gleason’s cover was extremely eye-catching. In fact, I bought it in San Diego, I liked it so much. [Laughs]

Read the Whole Article Here.

Conversation with Karl Kerschl

from WizardUniverse.com: The mild-mannered Canadian lays out the differences between comic books like ‘Teen Titans: Year One’ and webcomics like his own ‘The Abominable Charles Christopher’

You know, you’re the first Canadian I’ve interviewed for this column since I started. You’re also the only creator I’ve talked to with an established name in paper comics. Do you work on your Teen Titans: Year One stuff there at the studio as well now?

KERSCHL: Yeah, I have to juggle both things. I’m not very good at splitting my headspace when I’m on different projects. I’m doing the Teen Titans project, which is really my only paying gig right now, and what we’re trying to do is on Saturdays we all hook up and have brunch. Then we’ll talk about what we’re doing on the website. Then we’ll meet at the studio and work on our strips. That way we always have a day we’re devoting to the comics. But [during convention season] it’s kind of gotten out of hand, so the Transmission X work has crept into my weekly schedule. It’s slowly taking over, because it’s weekly and I’m not accustomed to doing weekly comics.

It’s definitely an interesting experience. It’s not stressful—yet—but it requires discipline.

Read the whole article here.

Sanford Greene's Amazing Amazon

from The Pulse: "Just what are some of the repercussions for Wonder Girl's involvement in the Amazon's Attack? How is she going to pick up the pieces of her life after all her recent tragedy and move forward? Those are just a few of the things being explored in the Wonder Girl miniseries from J. Torres and Sanford Greene. Greene tells us what it's like getting to work with this heroine for six issues." Read the whole article here!

Preview to Teen Titans #51

Newsarama offer a sneak peek to Teen Titans #51, which hits shelves September 26th! Check it out!

Alé Garza on TEEN TITANS Departure

Alé Garza has confirmed his exit from TEEN TITANS on ComicBloc: "tis true i did get the boot, however...thank you all so much for the support... i did however get to do the covers for issues 50-53, so for that i'm thankful. i'm still pretty excited for 51 to come out, i think you'll all like it! as for comics as a whole, i'm kinda taking a step back... i've been working in comics for almost 12 years now. there's a lot of things i still wanna explore as an artist. so you probably won't see a whole lot of books from me. "

"i've made a lot of great relationships, and i've had some turn pretty bad, live and learn i guess... you'll still see me though here and there... working with aspen on fathom which is a project i have some time to really take my time on... aside from that some other long term ideas in the works... thanks again! sean is an amazing writer and it really doesnt matter who's drawing it it'll be fantastic!!!!"

Eddy Barrows Replaces Garza on TEEN TITANS

Some Titans fans were curious about the round-robin (EVERY pun intended) art on TEEN TITANS... especially after Ale Garza was announced as the ongoing artist on the book. Ale's tenure was supposed to start with #50, but so far:

#50: Randy Green
#51: Ale Garza
#52: Jamal Igle mentioned he was drawing this issue
#53: Jamal Igle mentioned he was drawing this issue (it will actually be Eddy Barrows)
#54: Eddy Barrows is listed on art

From Jamal Igle's blog: "I'm drawing Teen Titans 52-54, following Alé Garza . I'm having a great time. "

So what's going on? Well, Sean McKeever clarified thing on his ComicBloc thread: "Okay, everyone, here's the skinny on the art front: Alé Garza drew #51, Jamal Igle drew #52, and Eddy Barrows is drawing #53. Barrows is jumping over from Countdown to Adventure to be the ongoing Teen Titans artist."

I think Barrows is a pretty good choice. His work has certainly grown in the past year. I hope he can keep a monthly schedule, because the book sure needs some consistent art!

Teen Titans in December

DC Comics has provided CBR News with their solicitation text and cover images for comics and product shipping in December of 2007.

TEEN TITANS #54
Written by Sean McKeever
Art by Eddy Barrows & Rob Hunter
Conner, Bart and the other Titans of Tomorrow have planted the seed that will ensure their totalitarian future comes to pass. All that remains is to eliminate those who would oppose them. Watch out, Ravager! Watch out, Supergirl! And most definitely watch out, Blue Beetle!
On sale December 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

WONDER GIRL #4
Written by J. Torres
Art and cover by Sanford Greene & Nathan Massengill
The mystery of who's hunting Wonder Girl and Hercules is dragged into the light! But Wonder Girl's about to get some unexpected "help" in the form of a face from her past?
On sale December 12 o 4 of 6 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TEEN TITANS GO! #50
Written by J. Torres
Art by Todd Nauck & Lary Stucker
Cover by Nauck
The Titans hit the big 5-0! When Robin's out of commission, it's up to the rest of the team to gather everyone and anyone who's ever been a Titan to help save the day!
On sale December 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

ROBIN #169
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Freddie Williams II
Cover by Andy Kubert
Part 5 of the 7-part "Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul!" Robin goes off the deep end as the temptations of Ra's al Ghul prove too strong to resist! Will Nightwing take his big brother role to heart and try to drag Tim off the ledge? Guest-starring Batman, Damian and Talia al Ghul.
On sale December 5 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

NIGHTWING #139
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Don Kramer & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Adam Kubert
"The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul," Part 6 of 7, guest-starring Damian and Talia al Ghul! Is this the Nightwing vs. Robin battle that we've all been dreading? Meanwhile, Ra's moves one step closer to his goal at Nanda Parbat - but will Batman and crew arrive too late?
On sale December 12 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

THE FLASH #235
Written by Mark Waid and John Rogers
Art by Daniel Acuña and Doug Braithwaite
Cover by Acuña
Even getting a WMD built in five minutes won't stop an alien invasion, so what's the Flash's next trick? Plus, the backup feature "Fast Life" reveals Wally West's first visit to the world known as Planet Flash!
On sale December 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #21-18
Story by Paul Dini
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
21 script by Sean McKeever and art by Jesus Saiz
20 script by Adam Beechen and art by Dennis Calero
19 script by Tony Bedard and art by Carlos Magno
18 script by Sean McKeever and art by Al Barrionuevo
Covers by Karl Kerschl
Karate Kid meets an all-new/old OMAC at the Command D bunker! Jimmy Olsen crosses paths with Mister Miracle! Mary Marvel is taken to Paradise Island! One of the Rogues becomes a real drag! Things are changing for the Monitors! And?at long last?Ray Palmer!
Plus, more DC villains origin backup stories, including Granny Goodness and Sinestro!
The COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS continues!
COUNTDOWN 21 on sale December 5 o COUNTDOWN 20 on sale December 12 COUNTDOWN 19 on sale December 19 o COUNTDOWN 18 on sale December 26 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #5
Written by Adam Beechen and Justin Gray
Art by Allan Goldman & Julio Ferreiro and Fabrizio Fiorentino
Cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Animal Man and Starfire vs. San Diego! Adam Strange vs. Rann! Forerunner vs. herself!
On sale December 26 o 5 of 8 o 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: RED SON #1
Written by Alan Burnett
Art by Travel Foreman
Cover by Killian Plunkett
At the height of the Cold War, the Challengers find themselves teamed with freedom fighter Batman against the Soviet President, Superman! The Challengers must choose between the life of a friend and the survival of the Multiverse.
On sale December 5 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

DOOM PATROL ARCHIVES VOL. 4 HC
Written by Arnold Drake
Art and cover by Bruno Premiani
The World's Strangest Heroes return in this volume collecting THE DOOM PATROL #106-113 (Sep. 1966-Aug. 1967)!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 27 o 228 pg, FC, $49.99 US

NEW TEEN TITANS: SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES
Based on the art of George Perez

One of the most popular Teen Titans storylines of all time appears in 3-D, with female assassin Terra infiltrating the Teen Titans as a spy for Deathstroke (seen here without his mask), thus threatening the lives of Robin, Jericho, and the rest of the team! Each figure features multiple points of articulation and a base.
Advance-solicited; On sale May 21, 2008 Action Figures o PI

DEATHSTROKE 6.75"
TERRA 5.75"
ROBIN 6.125"
JERICHO 6.25"

SMALLVILLE: Series 2 ACTION FIGURES

Over the course of this phenomenal series, fans have witnessed the roots and growth of the world's greatest superhero. Now, DC Direct presents the birth of the world's greatest Superhero team, Smallville style! Grab a moment of the episode entitled "JUSTICE," where some of Earth's greatest heroes come together for the first time!
Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) sends out for reinforcements and Impulse (Bart Allen), Aquaman (Arthur "AC" Curry) and Cyborg (Victor Stone) return to Smallville to help him take down LuthorCorp's secret lab.
During a break-in at the LuthorCorp facility, Bart is captured and tortured by Lex Luthor, and Clark rushes in to rescue him - but is felled by meteor rock. Chloe contacts Oliver for help, and the newly formed team springs into action.
Advance-solicited; on sale May 7, 2008 o Action Figures o PI

IMPULSE 6.625"
GREEN ARROW 6.75"
CLARK KENT 6.75"
AQUAMAN 6.75"
CYBORG 6.625"

Titans Writers Talk About the Fifth Season

It's been over a year since Teen Titans aired its final episode on Cartoon Network. Months ago, I sat down for a lengthy interview with Producer Glen Murakami about the popular animated series. Later, I caught up with all three writers from the show for an in-depth discussion about the fifth and final season.

How did the team pick out all those new Titans to use? Who was that mysterious pony-tailed heroine? Did Disney's "Incredibles" influence the animated Doom Patrol? How do you pronounce Gnarrk? Which Titans character is "Boba Fett" to Rob Hoegee? Was that blond schoolgirl really Terra? What was planned for season six?

Learn all the answers and take a World Tour with Producer David Slack and Story Editors Rob Hoegee and Amy Wolfram. Buckle Your Seatbelt for New Friends, Frightening Foes and Familial Fisticuffs! Click here for the fantastic full interview!

Sinff. I miss this show.

Titans-Related Mini-Series: Updated

Mini-Series Confirmed (scheduled)
1. Countdown to Adventure - w/Starfire - Began in September '07
writer: Adam Beechen - artist: Eddy Barrows
2. Countdown: Search for Ray Palmer - Began in September '07
w/Donna Troy, Jason Todd & Kyle Rayner - rotating creative teams
3. Wonder Girl: Champion - Began in September '07
writer: J Torres - artist: Sanford Greene
4. Teen Titans East Special - November '07
writer: Judd Winick - artist: Ian Churchill
5. Teen Titans: Year One - January '08
writer: Amy Wolfram - artist: Karl Kerschl
6. DC Special: Raven - January '08
writer: Marv Wolfman - artist: Damion Scott
7. Terra - Tentative for March '08 (?)
writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray - artist: Amanda Conner

Ongoing Confirmed (scheduled)
1. New Titans Ongoing Series - December '07 start - a new Titans ongoing with Nightwing, Donna Troy, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven will be spinning out of the Teen Titans East Special

Unconfirmed/Proposed
1. Cyborg - Year One(?)
rumored - creative team unknown - not currently on any schedule
2. Beast Boy - Year One(?)
has been proposed by J Torres - not currently on any schedule

Thanks to DeTroyes for helping keep on top of all this!

Jamal Igle Talks Titans

In this video interview from Wizard World Chicago, artist Jamal Igle discusses the universe-spanning story behind The Search For Ray Palmer: Wildstorm, along with his work on Teen Titans and other upcoming projects.

"The Titans fans are not going to be disappointed at all," Jamal assures us. There's a "massive amount" of characters that are going to be showing up in TEEN TITANS...

Check it out!

Terra Mini-Series Update

From Newsarama's Report on Baltimore ComicCon:

Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti were sharing a table and talking to fans about their work.

Conner is working on various covers, including a few for Painkiller Jane, as well as finishing up the Terra mini-series she started last spring for DC comics. The publisher had her stop working on the Terra series to do other, more timely projects, including the Black Canary Wedding Planner that came out last week. "And now I'm back on Terra trying to finish issues #3 and #4," Conner explained.

And what does Conner like about the new Terra?

"She's different from a lot of characters they have. She's actually kind of like a female Superman," she said, saying Superman is like the Boy Scout while Terra's the Girl Scout. "She's very innocent and has a really strong sense of right and wrong. She's very moral, and Superman is her hero, so she tries to emulate them. So she's kind of the young version of Superman."

Sean Talks About Didio as Editor

Titans scribe Sean McKeever talks about working on TEEN TITANS with new editor, Dan Didio, on ComicBloc: "Dan and I had a nice lunch on Saturday where we briefly touched upon my plans post-54 and then discussed the tone and direction of the title in general. Without getting too specific (because, you know, if I got specific then you'd suspect it wasn't me writing this (heh)) I can assure you that he's not trying to cram a bunch of ideas down my throat.

I was a little freaked out by this news, too, to be honest, not knowing what to expect, but the wonderful news is that Dan and I are very much on the same page. It's so important for Teen Titans to be a book where the story is dictated by character, and where strong, multi-faceted personalities get to share page time and be properly explored. And I'm still not killing any Titans.

Don't worry! Be happy!"

OK, I feel a litlle better now.

"New Titans" Ongoing Announced

from Newsarama's Report on Baltimore's Retailer presentation: "Clarifying the upcoming Titans East special for retailers, Wayne reiterated that the one-shot will lead to a new Titans series which will star Nightwing, Cyborg, Donna Troy, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy."

Add in Jericho, a revived Lilith and a cool writer and I'm sold!

Dan Didio New Editor of Teen Titans

from Newsarama: "Asked if he’ll bring elements similar to Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane into his work on Teen Titans, McKeever said that he won’t be going the full romance route at all, but he will be focusing on the characters, and focusing on the interactions between the characters. McKeever pointed out that DiDio is the oncoming editor for Teen Titans. “Basically he’s babysitting me,” McKeever joked. "

From Comic Book Resources: "A "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane" fan asked Sean McKeever if he would "soap opera it up" in "Teen Titans." "Not going full-on romance angle," McKeever said. "But the important part is the relationships." McKeever said that after the "craziness" of his first four issues he'll be working with his new editor, none other than Dan Didio. McKeever quoted his Myspace and said it'll be "either the greatest collaboration or the worst ever in comics." Didio said he wanted to get back into editing, and that he also considers "Teen Titans" one of their primary franchises."

Is anyone else concerned with this?

I hope Didio isn't a heavy-handed editor, because I trust the book in Sean's hands. I don't want to see:
1. any more death
2. random people adopting the personas of previous Titans (Didio's "new face-old mask" trick)
3. characters doing things out-of-character to move along Countdown/Crisis
4. Crisis/Countdown trampling its muddy feet on the book
5. more membership shake-ups or "forced" characters into the book

As far as I know, Didio has not edited an individual comic, but he has a lot to do with stuff like Identity Crisis, Graduation Day, Infinite Crisis, 52, Countdown and the "big events" of the DCU like the (keeping it Titans related) recent death of Bart Allen and killed Terra2 to introduce Terra3. And he wanted to kill Nightwing in Infinite Crisis.

I wonder why Didio would edit Teen Titans, out of all the books in the DCU? Any thoughts?

Marv Wolfman Launches New Vigilante Series

Newsarama Reports: Just as Wolfman introduced a new Vigilante character into New Teen Titans (which starred Nightwing) back in 1983, he’s recently done the same again in the Nightwing series. And – just as that character spun off into his own series written by Wolfman in ’83, the same is going for the new Vigilante some 25 years later. Or – to break through the attempt at being all flowery with the words: new ongoing Vigilante series, written by Wolfman (artist to be announced), starting in early 2008.

NRAMA: So tease it on out - what gets the ball rolling in the first arc?

MS: The Vigilante comes across a murder that hits just a little too close to home for him, and when he tries to get even with people responsible he learns an even bigger secret: there is a traitor in the DCU. It appears that a well-known hero has been supplying the underworld with information and weaponry, and it’s up to the Vigilante to find the traitor and stop him—or her—by any means necessary.

NRAMA: Will there be any other DC characters showing up?

MS: Absolutely! Practically everyone in the DCU is a suspect! Why did Vigilante really show up in Nightwing? Could Nightwing—or one of the other members of the Bat family—be involved in this conspiracy? And what about the Titans? Or perhaps one of the new members of the Justice Society of America? Or someone from 52? Everyone is a suspect!

Read the whole interview here.

Peter Tomasi On Nightwing

Newsarama Reports: As was announced yesterday at the DC Nation panel at the Baltimore Comic-Con, former Nightwing editor Peter Tomasi will be stepping into the writer’s seat on the series, starting in January.

NRAMA: Well, you know what the last question is from your editor days – we’ve got to end this with the big tease – what’s coming up?

PT: This is gonna sound ambitious and possibly pretentious, but the first thing that occurred to me when Dan gave me the book to write, was that Nightwing doesn't have a Long Halloween or Dark Victory. I'm not saying my story will resemble those or be as popular(but I can dream, can't I?), but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hoping I could pull something like that off, an arc that has reverberations or at least feels classic and timeless and will be considered canonical. But what the hell, may as well hold myself to a high standard and see how far I can climb (or fall for that matter).

Without giving too much away, Richard discovers that some serious stuff is going on throughout the DCU that will have far flung ramifications on a personal and international level. And like I mentioned earlier, Richard's family of Bruce, Tim, and Alfred are key ingredients that I will not shy away from. When you pick up Nightwing there will be no doubt that he is the star of his own book, but you'll also see that the DCU is a helluva supporting cast and I'll be reminding everyone of that whenever possible.

And last but not least, being born and raised in New York, I felt I really wanted to make sure that the city I know and love was a character in its own right like Gotham is to Bats and Opal was to Starman. With New York being Nightwing's home and base of ops, I want it to have some weight and not just be some cardboard backdrop or generic cityscape with just the right landmarks plugged in from time to time.

Read the whole interview here.

Chuck Dixon Returns to Robin

Newsarma Reports: Announced this afternoon at the Baltimore Comic Con long time and in fact original Robin ongoing series writer/creator Chuck Dixon will be making a return to the title beginning in January 2008 with issue #170.

NRAMA: So finally, and more specifically speaking, can you give readers some insight as to what you have planned for Robin upon your return? A little early preview/primer?

CD: The first arc introduces a new female foil to vex Robin in the coming year. Her intro leads to a revelation that I promise will be a shocker for long-time Robin fans. He also runs into more trouble with the Gotham cops. Adam Beechen amped up the tension twixt Robin and the GCPD and I’m going to keep that going. Robin also runs afoul of a major Gotham gang figure and that complicates everything. Tim Drake’s life isn’t any more sedentary as an old friend from the past pops up with a problem that Tim can’t solve. And Tim’s dating life is going to get a lot more interesting. The return of some former foes and a few new baddies come on stage in the opening arcs.

I’m having a lot of fun. I hope everyone else does as well

Read the whole interview here.

Baltimore Comic-Con: DC Nation Panel

Newsarama Reports: DC started their programming portion of the Baltimore Comic-Con on Saturday with the DC Nation panel, covering, well…a little bit of everything. The room was full of fans who at many times, were more than a little contentious with the panelists and DC Sr. VP and DCU Executive Editor Dan DiDio.

Titans Highlights:

-- The “Titans Tomorrow” storyline, McKeever explained when asked, shows the Titans of the future of New Earth, not one of the 52 other earths.

-- Asked to talk about the thought process that led to Bart Allen’s death, DiDio said that they always had the plan to bring Wally West back as the Flash, and that one of the thoughts was to drop the “multiple Flashes” in the DCU that had been running for a while, hence the collapsing of the Speed Force and one true Flash. The storylines in Flash and the JLA/JSA crossover began to converge, and “It’s one of those things that just happened,” DiDio said, saying that, to be true to the story that was being told, Bart had to die.

-- A new artist will be coming on board Flash very soon, replacing Daniel Acuna, DiDio and Jones confirmed.

-- Asked if he’ll bring elements similar to Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane into his work on Teen Titans, McKeever said that he won’t be going the full romance route at all, but he will be focusing on the characters, and focusing on the interactions between the characters. McKeever pointed out that DiDio is the oncoming editor for Teen Titans. “Basically he’s babysitting me,” McKeever joked.

-- Asked about the new writer for Robin – DiDio announced that, following the Ra’s Al Ghul storyline, Chuck Dixon would be returning to write the series. Look for a conversation with Dixon about his return coming later this afternoon.

-- Peter Tomasi will write Nightwing after Marv Wolfman, and Scott McDaneil will not be teaming with Dixon on Robin.

-- Any word on the Marv Wolfman/Gerorge Perez Teen Titans graphic novel? DiDio: It’s up to to when their schedule allows, but Perez is busy on Brave & Bold and has a big project coming up in 2008.

-- Did DiDio know that Bart Allen would die when Flash #1 came out last year? DiDio: I knew that he would be replaced.

-- Where will Deathstroke be seen again? DiDio: The Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special.

Inside Peek: Tiny Titans

Newsarama reports on Tiny Titans: "Last month, we brought you the first word about Tiny Titans, a new Johnny DC title at DC by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani (Patrick the Wolf Boy). The larger conceit of the series – “Tiny Titans” is the cartoon that’s shown in the DC Universe, featuring very young versions of the Teen Titans.

The main conceit though – to make good comics for kids. As series editor Jann Jones told us in August, “When I moved into the role of Coordinating Editor and started doing the sign off on the kids’ books of the Johnny DC line, I saw that they were really good, solid books, but I didn’t feel like I could give them to a four year old or a five year old, or just any kid in general. Despite their connection to the animated projects, they were still dealing with the more serious issues – cases where if the heroes don’t save the day, it’s implied, or shown that people will die. I think that’s kind of heavy to put on a younger audience."

Read the whole interview here.

Titans East: The First Team You See...

From DC Nation: "TEEN TITANS EAST ONE-SHOT SPECIAL by the ever popular Judd Winick and Ian Churchill. (The first team you see is not the last team.)"

In San Diego, A fan asked if DC had any plans for the Wolfman-Perez Titans characters like Cyborg, Raven and Starfire. Didio hinted that another DC Panel at San Diego would make him happy... and TITANS EAST was announced at San Diego....

And then there's the original solicit from Teen Titans #46: "Deathstroke's true motives are revealed as the shocking conclusion of "Titans East" explodes! Who has come to aid in the fight against Slade's boys and girls? And what new team of Titans — East and West — will rise out of the ashes of this epic battle?!"

hmmmmm...

Talking Flash with Mark Waid

From Newsarama: Mark Waid is back on Flash – and for many Flash fans, all’s well with the world. Taking over the reins of the character again after one of the most successful swerves in recent comics history, we took a few minutes to get an idea on what we’ll be seeing in the book, and what happened in between those first two issues we’ve seen so far.

NRAMA: Well you’ve obviously got plans for the kids to be meeting up with a little peril in the future. You got the meeting up with the JLA in a few issues…

MW: Yep, and that’s not necessarily gonna sit well with the JLA. It’s not the Teen Titans days. A bunch of fans have kind of called on the idea, “Gee is it really a good idea for Wally to take an eight and a ten-year-old into the field now?” And the answer is, “Not really”, and we’re on it, and that’s part of the story. And that’s the questions the Justice League has when they show up as well. That’s the agenda there is to answer that question.

NRAMA: Well, you’ve obviously set up a lot of foreshadowing, that last little interaction between Wally and Linda, “We both know why they have to be heroes”. Can you promise one thing; can you promise none of it involves refrigerators or safes?

MW: (Laughs) Absolutely, yes. I can’t speak for what happens if I get hit by a refrigerator or get stuffed in a safe... The Flash book isn’t really about tragedy. That’s never what the book’s really been about.

And the biggest quote of the article, BART FANS TAKE NOTICE: "And that story’s not over yet. Bart’s story, as far as we’re concerned, is not over with yet. The Inertia story is not over yet. There’s thread that we’re gonna pick up on. A lot of more astute fans were a little skeptical that it was a good idea for Wally to leave Inertia in the Flash Museum…and that decision may or may not come back to haunt him. Or he may or may not have changed his mind by now. We will see."

Read the whole she-bang.

Sean Clarifies Crossover

Sean posted this on his site to clarify the details of the Teen Titans #50 and Blue Beetle #18 crossover:

I'm putting this out there because I'm getting kind of tired of reading/hearing about how I took/copied/stole/reused pages from Blue Beetle #18:

I wrote the plot and dialogue myself. I took nothing from the script to Blue Beetle #18. John Rogers' story in BB is a great lot of fun--as always--but I did not copy off of him. Here's how the process went:

- John wrote a one-page synopsis for BB #18.
- From that synopsis, I found a spot where I could focus on the Titans and Blue Beetle working together.
- I wrote the scene, adding it to the rest of my script to TT #50.
- John used parts of that scene, changing dialogue, pacing and POV as he saw fit.
- After Randy Green's art pages came in, I made tweaks to my dialogue, as I always do.

The result is that you have two scenes that don't contradict one another but have enough of their own flavor that they aren't just the same thing done twice. Personally, I think it worked out wonderfully.

Again, I don't mean to take anything from John, who frankly put some better lines in there than I did.

Please pass it on.

Jamal Igle on Teen Titans #52-54

Looks like Jamal Igle (Nightwing, Firestorm) will be completing the entire arc for "Titans Tomorrow: Today!" From Jamal's blog: "I'm drawing Teen Titans 52-54, following Alé Garza . I'm having a great time. "

This makes me worried about Alé keeping a monthly schedule. I mean, don't get me wrong... Jamal's art is just fine! I'm a big fan of his clean, dynamic style. But can we please get a regular artist on this title? Already there's fill-ins? This book needs a better plan for its art! We haven't had consistent art since Mike Mckone's run over 2 years ago!

Alé Garza's Teen Titans Roll Call!

There's a sneak peek of Alé's Teen Titans at his blog. Love that roll call! From Alé's blog: "ale here! hey guys sorry i dissappeared, was in the process of moving and starting a new day job! that's right us silly comic book guys sometimes have day jobs, even ones as fantastically handsome as myself :P but i just wanted to welcome all the aspen guys! beautiful stuff posted!!! watch out gelatometti we're coming for ya! also a little titans 51 action <>

IGN Interview with Sean McKeever

Teen Titans Interview: A new creative team, a new era. We talk with Sean McKeever about his plans for the young heroes. by Dan Phillips

August 31, 2007 - This past Wednesday, the Teen Titans gained a new ally - Sean McKeever. After helming a great anniversary issue, featuring segments by Geoff Johns, Marv Wolfman, Mike McKone and George Perez. From here on out... it's the Titans of Tomorrow. Picking up on story threads that Johns left during his early tenure on this volume of the series, McKeever now has the task of bringing these futuristic characters back to a very different past.

IGN Comics: What do you think makes for a good Teen Titans story? What makes them, as a property, unique to other teams and other teen teams?

McKeever: Well I think it's different from other teen teams just from the standpoint that this is sort of like the Justice League of teen teams. This is the place, and Titans Tower is the place where any teen hero is welcome to come out for the weekend and hang out. And that's something that we're going to be showing in the series. It's just as much social networking as being an actual superhero team.

Read the whole interview!