Young Justice Cartoon in Development [Updated]

Please pay attention to the question mark. This is an unconfirmed rumor from a post found here. The poster writes:

WB has 3 NEW series on their slate, Mystery INC- the new Scooby show, Young Justice, and Bruce Timms CG Green Lantern for 4Q 2011. ALL for Cartoon Network, who originally passed on the new Thundercats. Both Mattel and Hasbro got the series pitch and passed on the toys for couple different reasons. "Lack of cool tech" the big one. But Ban Dai did a hard core play for the rights. They weren't interested in a "Classic" adult line, and thought that the new take on the series was something very different for the toy aisles. Which is what Mattel and Hasbro were afraid of.

I could go on and on about this... as I DO know A LOT about it

and

It's Sorta THE Young Justice. They will be going out with this BIG TIME at Comic Con. From what I saw, it's Martian Girl, Aqualad, Nightwing, Impulse, Arrowette, and Connor Kent. The poster gives me the tone that it's a cross between JLU and TT. I liked the look a lot. It's not quite Timm-style, but it's not All Murikami'd out like Teen Titans.

The kids were the focus of the poster, in the center, but The JL was behind them.

A hate to be skeptical, but this sounded dubious at first. Why pair Nightwing with Young Justice, instead of Robin? Why include Aqualad, instead of the more modern Aquagirl? And wouldn't it make more sense to do another version of TEEN TITANS, which now has name recognition?

A few new bits popped up, however. This looks like it may actually be happening....

Actress Stephanie Lemelin posted on her WordPress blog that she was "beyond thrilled to announce" that she was cast in the "new animated series, YOUNG JUSTICE LEAGUE." She added that she will be "voicing the character of Arrowette (see ridiculously hot avatar below!!! um, could I love her anymore?)". The post has since been deleted, but you can see the "hot avatar" below:


Also, this popped up on twitter:



Aqualad anyone?

Preview: Teen Titans #79

CBR has posted a preview of TEEN TITANS #79.

Teen Titans #79: Now that he's had time to acclimate to normal life since the TERROR TITANS miniseries, Static makes the choice to go home and tell his family that he's alive. And he's bringing his Teen Titans teammates with him. Let's hope they can survive the rough streets of Dakota! Plus: Ravager…slave girl!

Wallace Takes "Titans" Down A Dark Path

CBR sat down with Eric Wallace to discuss the TITANS future:

Kicking off with the recently announced "Titans: Villains For Hire" one-shot and then ricocheting into the ongoing series with issue #24, Wallace and artist Fabrizio Fiorentino will be bringing a series of hard edged twists to the Titans franchise with an all-villain cast led by Deathstroke and featuring the Tatooed Man, Chesire and a few other mysterious surprises. "Call it the supervillain version of 'Inglourious Basterds' in a certain sense.

It's people with a very specific mission, and that mission becomes ridiculously clear in the special. Right out of the gate, you know what's going on. The big questions are how they accomplish it and what the consequences are once they have. Deathstroke leading the Titans is shocking, so you've got to ask yourself, 'Why would they follow him?' There is a reason. And there are hints even in the title of that first special."

and

But beyond that early tease, Wallace remained quiet on the ins and outs of Slade Wilson's cast of miscreants, instead promising that what readers would get, regardless of the player, is a look into the deeper history that makes them who they are. "As much as I'd love to tell everybody the lineup, which has been finalized, I can't!

I will say, though, that in contrast to the big action, we're trying to create a very intense pace for this book. You'll see that from the team's first appearance – the intense nature of their mission. Juxtaposed in my first issue with the high action are going to be these incredibly personal stories. That's what we really learned of what worked in the Perez/Wolfman stories of the '80s and why they're so eternal. It's how much we got to know people on a personal level. That will remain true in a deep level for this new team."

Read the full interview here.

That one shot will probably decide the fate of the book; It's either going to hook readers, or turn off the remaining ones!

I think they've done themselves a disservice by calling it "TITANS." Done as a DEATHSTROKE mini-series, I think it'd be an easier sell. I just can't see any reason Slade would adopt the Titans name.

Perez on GAMES' plot twists

From George's facebook page, today: "Just finished speaking with Marv Wolfman for over an hour and we've come up with a lot of neat plot twists for THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES Graphic Novel. We've added some spins to the pages I drew 20 years ago and came up with great new bits and what we both feel is a better ending. Man, it felt good co-plotting again with the creative partner I've always held up as the gold standard among collaborators. Thanks, Marv!"

Knowing the original plot of GAMES... I'm a little excited right now!

Preview: Justice League of America #41

DC Comics: The Source Blog posted a sneak peek at JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41, which hits stores Wednesday, January 27th:

A new era starts for the League right here, as the team regroups with a new roster. Make way for the World’s Greatest Heroes – Batman, Green Lantern, the Atom, Green Arrow, Donna Troy, the Guardian, Cyborg, Mon-El, Starfire, Dr. Light and, yes, Congorilla.

The pages show some hints as to what tragedy befalls the Arrow Family. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

A Look At Adventure Comics #7

DC Comics: The Source Blog posted a look at Adventure Comics #7:

The title is pretty ominous on its own: ADVENTURE COMICS STARRING BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY. But what more can we reveal about the issue, which is written by Tony Bedard, with art by Travis Moore? Well, we’re not saying a ton, but ADVENTURE COMICS editor Brian Cunningham has a few choice words to share. Take it away, Brian:

“The title is ‘What Would Black Lantern Superboy Do?’ and, frankly, he says some pretty outrageous stuff, plumbed from Conner’s subconscious. In fact, we learn an awful secret about Conner that I kinda wish I didn’t know. And there is a HUGE moment in this issue that no one will want to miss. ADVENTURE #7 tangibly pushes the character forward in a way you won’t expect.”

To catch the covers, click here.

Friday Flashback: Teen Titans #53

Newsarama's Friday Flashback: TEEN TITANS #53 (1978 Origins)

Teen Titans #53: So, in honor of tonight’s “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”, which unites Robin, Speedy and Aqualad, we pay homage to the teen super-team by recalling their origin and second cancellation. What’s that? Well, the “Teen Titans” originally started in 1966, and ran until 1973 (issue 43). It picked up again when DC was expanding its titles later in the decade (#44 in 1976), but was canned again with #53 in 1978. The final issue was a flashback detailing how the fivesome of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl came together.

Check it out here.

Brave And The Bold: "Sidekicks Assemble!"

The loglines have been revealed for the upcoming episodes of Batman: The Brave and The Bold ... and one will be of particular note to Teen Titans fans:

"Sidekicks Assemble!"Aqualad, Robin and Speedy have had it with being bossed around and demand a piece of the action, but they get more than they bargained for when they find themselves facing off against Ra's Al-Ghul and his flying island!

"Sidekicks Assemble" premieres Friday January 22nd on Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network provided CBR with clips and pics from this week's new episode of "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," featuring the Aquaman, Green Arrow and the Teen Titans. Watch the video clips by clicking on the image here.

A recent episode of the Word Balloon podcast featured a conversation with producers of the Cartoon Network animated series Batman: The Brave And Bold: James Tucker and Michael Jelenic. There, they shared: "Among the storylines and characters coming up in either teaser scenes or full B&B stories include a multi part continuation of the Starro story which began in this season's Challengers Of The Unknown teaser, The Batman of Zur-en-arrh, a sidekicks vs.mentors storyline, Firestorm, The Haunted Tank, The Metal Men, The Spectre, The Phantom Stranger. "

New Writer Talks DEATHSTROKE & the 'Dark' TITANS

Titans actually gets a lot darker this spring as a team of villains led by Deathstroke take over the title with the brand new creative team of Eric Wallace and Fabrizio Fiorentino. Beginning with the Titans: Villains for Hire Special then spilling into the Titans, the storyline sees characters like Cheshire and Tattooed Man join Deathstroke to form a new team that will be the focus of the title during DC's Brightest Day event.

Newsarama spoke to Wallace about his take on Deathstroke and what brings these characters together for his upcoming run on Titans.

Nrama: What's the motivation for this new Titans team, and how do they start coming together? Is it all Deathstroke's doing, or is there more involved?

Wallace: This team is all Deathstroke’s doing. He’s the mastermind behind it and he, alone, directs their movements. As for their motivations, the title of the book says it all:Titans: Villains for Hire. I mean, they’re villains. And, well... they’re for hire. Having said that, this book is going to be about much more than just the action-oriented missions with which they become involved. It’s also going to be very much about their personal lives and (gasp!) loves. That was something that DC was very keen on, and I totally agreed with that direction.

Nrama: You say they're villains. Will the whole team be villains?

Wallace: Uh... that’s a question I can’t really answer at this time. Sorry!

Nrama: Then let's talk about Deathstroke. What's your take on who this character is?

Wallace: I love Deathstroke because he’s such a huge mass of contradictions. He’s a supreme DCU villain. A total bad guy who, as we’ve seen in the past and will continue to see in this series, is capable of some truly horrific things. He’s also very proud and a bit pompous, as well as being one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

But then there’s the other side to Deathstroke. He’s a parent who loves his children. Yes, he has a funny way of showing it sometimes. But he truly cares about Joseph and Rose. Also, he has a real code of honor that crops up at the strangest of times. So in Deathstroke you have a guy who is both bad and good. The question is, which trait is going to surface in a given situation? It’s this complex combination of good and evil inside Deathstroke that makes him an enjoyable character to write, because he’s all about the “grays,” not the black and whites.

I have to say, I'm not sold on this new direction, although I do applaud a more complex "grey" Deathstroke. But then, I'm also wondering why the heck the team would be called "Titans."

Also, why, exactly was TITANS even relaunched? The book has been directionless since the start!

Titans in April

Previews Are Up!

Looks like there's no issue of TITANS for April!

TEEN TITANS #82 On sale APRIL 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US Written by FELICIA D. HENDERSON • Co-feature written by SEAN MCKEEVER • Art by JOE BENNETT & JACK JADSON Co-feature art and cover by YILDIRAY CINAR & J/LIO FERREIRA Now that Superboy is reunited with the Teen Titans, Wonder Girl’s discovering what having her boyfriend around all the time means — and it’s not all good.

TINY TITANS #27
On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
Think of the worst kid you’ve ever had to babysit. Got it? Now think again, because it doesn’t get much worse than Kid Devil! When Raven has to watch Kid Devil for the weekend, Trigon insists on treating him like a cute little baby – let’s hope Trigon learns his lesson fast!

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #2 On sale APRIL 28 • 2 of 4 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US Written by J.T. KRUL Art by GERALDO BORGES & MARLO ALQUIZA Cover by GREG HORN Spinning out of CRY FOR JUSTICE, “The Rise and Fall” continues here as Roy Harper discovers that getting a prosthetic arm doesn’t make him whole again, he’s also forced to deal with Green Arrow’s shocking revelation from JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1. And sparks fly when Roy’s old flame Cheshire shows up...to kill him!

GREEN ARROW #32 On sale APRIL 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US Written by J.T. KRUL Art by DIOGENES NEVES Cover by FEDERICO DALLOCCHIO Spinning out of CRY FOR JUSTICE, “The Rise and Fall” continues in “The Fall of Green Arrow” continues with Oliver Queen as a fugitive from justice. But what happens when the Justice League of America learn of his crime? The Emerald Archer's relationship with the World's Greatest Heroes will never be the same.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #44
On sale APRIL 21 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by JAMES ROBINSON • Art and cover by MARK BAGLEY & ROB HUNTER
1:25 Variant cover by David Mack
A BRIGHTEST DAY tie-in! Following the events of BLACKEST NIGHT, the brand new Justice League of America enters into BRIGHTEST DAY with an arc featuring the Justice Society of America. The epic team-up begins with a character from the end of BLACKEST NIGHT joining the JLA. But when the storyline’s over, what mysterious villain will be revealed – and which hero will switch teams?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

ADVENTURE COMICS #10
On sale APRIL 14 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by JAMES ROBINSON & STERLING GATES
Co-Feature written by ERIC TRAUTMANN
Art by JULI¡N L”PEZ & CLAYTON HENRY
Co-feature art by PIER GALLO
Cover by Joe Quinones
1:10 variant cover by Bernard Chang
Continued from LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #2! It’s Superman, Supergirl and Brainiac 5 against Brainiac as Superboy and Mon-El fight Zod, Ursa and Non!
And in the co-feature, the Human Defense Corps manages to sneak aboard Brainiac’s ship amid all the chaos – but what exactly are they up to? Continued in SUPERGIRL #52!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #15
On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by TONY BEDARD • Art by CLAUDE ST. AUBIN
& SCOTT HANNA • Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY
Straight from the pages of TITANS, Starfire joins our merry band just in time for super-genius Vril Dox to pick up the pieces from last issue’s climactic battle with Starro the Conqueror. First on his agenda: rebuild his interplanetary police squad, L.E.G.I.O.N.

The Fate of Lian Harper?

A fellow fan pointed something out in TITANS #21. DCUBoyMW posts on ComicBloc: "Why has no one else commented on the most important revelation of this issue! I could be mistaken but I think it's pretty clear that Donna implies that Lian Harper was killed during cry for justice and Roy will find that out when he wakes from the coma. Read what she is saying to Roy while looking at Lians picture; she is not talking about the loss of an arm guys."

I've posted the pages here, and it certainly could be read in that context. Plus, Lian is mysteriously missing from Roy's bedside. Donna even makes a comparison to the loss of her own son. Also, April's solicits show Cheshire lunging at Roy on the cover to JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #2; If Lian was killed, it would certainly explain Cheshire's fury.

I hope we're wrong.

What do you guys think?

Return of a Titan: George Pérez

CBR reports: For more on "Teen Titans: Games," here's George Pérez. George says:

I remember when we were trying to rekindle this project a few years ago, an editor had asked about the possibility of removing the mullet from Changeling - he just found it personally offensive, which I don't blame him. It's just, to go back and redo pages would be counter-productive price-wise. Those pages that are inked, it's better to just let them go as they are, and hey, this is a stand-alone story that deals with a timeline that technically the Titans shouldn't be experiencing, because technically they should be 20 years older. But it is what it is.

My feeling for handling these characters is, this is an untold tale of the Teen Titans done as they were 20 years ago in the 1980s. The plot was started in 1988 or ‘89, so it will be 21 years or so before it actually sees print. But it started in the very late 1980s and carried into the 1990s, and the world was very different then. There are things that I can't, in my newer pages, address. The idea that they can't contact each other on cell phones because cell phone technology didn't exist very much at that time. Even the computers still look like this big, blocky thing because I don't want to draw a modern computer. And of course, cars and fashion - and the World Trade Center was still standing and plays a small part in the story.

So there are little things that we could go back and change, but it would probably be creating a morass of continuity gaps right off the bat, anyway. There are certain characters that went through quite a number of changes or had things that are happening in this story that are not reflected in current Titans' timeline. And that's why it is just a stand-alone and an untold Wolfman/Perez "Titans" story to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our starting that title.

I spoke with George at the Baltimore con, and he mentioned they are no longer planning on some sort of present-day framing sequence. He was also unaware that the return of a certain character negated a rather large plot point in GAMES. So, this project is very much an out-of-continuity "time capsule."

But who cares, right? Marv and George on Titans, peeps!

Wolfman Plays "Teen Titans: Games"

OMG, I think it's really happening this time.

Originally conceived in the mid-eighties, the 120-page project, GAMES, has been announced and delayed several times over the past 25 years, but it appears that the superstars (and Starfire) have aligned and Wolfman and Pérez will be returning to the Teen Titans and revisiting the team at a time where their popularity was paramount. At CBR, Wolfman talks about the long-delayed TITANS graphic novel, GAMES:

Continuity-wise, where does this story fit in?

It was plotted in '87, so it fits into the 1987 look of the Titans. Nightwing is in that costume, Danny Chase is in it. The costumes and the look of characters certainly fit there. Because I didn't dialogue it back then, I just plotted it, I'm not writing it in that very purple style that was prevalent back in the eighties. It's a lot more sparse copy, though there is a lot of it because you do have a book with so many characters and they're all talking, but I've certainly learned how to tell a story with fewer words that say more. But in terms of the material, the story is not changing all that much, but there will be some big surprises if people managed over the past 22 years to find a copy of the original plot, which was circulating online for a little bit.

It's all the regular Titans, obviously because the story was plotted back then. It's Troia, in that costume, Nightwing, Cyborg, Changeling, Danny Chase, Jericho, Starfire, and a number of others, but they're all there. This isn't a big surprise. What this really is, is the uncovered story that had been done at the height of the Titans. And except for the actual dialoguing, that's exactly what it is. Because, as I said, George drew 80 of the pages back then. One of the interesting things about the graphic novel itself is, in the old days – old days, I'm sorry – back in 1985 or ‘86 or '87, as in today where original artwork was 10x15. George drew this double-sized up. So when you look at it, I'm looking at a page right now on my computer, and the backgrounds are so incredible because he wasn't drawing them to the very tiny size that original art was much later. So George is really having a field day with his artwork. I always felt while he was drawing it that this was going to be very special for him. He was going to take his time and do it right. And when you see it, you'll understand what I mean, but the pages are probably the best looking "Titans" pages that ever happened between us.

Below is the promotional artwork from George Pérez. Gorgeous. And I love that he included Aqualad, Speedy and Flash in the Gamesmaster's playing cards....

Preview: Titans #21

Newsarama has posted a preview of TITANS #21, On sale January 13:

TITANS #21
Written by J.T. Krul
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta
In part 1 of the 2-part "Fractured," with Dick back in Gotham City and Gar and Raven returning to the West Coast, the Titans find themselves in crisis. As the team continues to fall apart, the remaining members struggle to put the pieces back together. But the future of the Titans might be out of their control altogether.
On sale January 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The Rise, The Fall, and Beyond

DC Universe: The Source Blog reports....

Well, maybe not inside. More like the cover. But we have four — and they merge together to form a striking image. As you probably recall, the one-shot was first announced last month in this very space. This four-piece images makes up the covers to the JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL one-shot and its three tie-in issues: GREEN ARROW #31, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #1 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #43.

Now you’ve got some lovely art to look at, courtesy of cover artist Mike Mayhew.

But that’s not all, folks. We’ve got some major JUSTICE LEAGUE news coming your way around noon-ish. Keep hitting refresh…

Can someone buy Roy Harper a few bandages? Or will his festering wound grace every cover?

Brightest Day: Titans

DC Universe: The Source blog has posted some information on TITANS:

AS: One of the titles that a lot of people have been asking about of late is TITANS. I know that we have a new creative team hitting soon. What can you tell us about that?

DD: TITANS is another series that will fall directly under BRIGHTEST DAY, with Eric Wallace and Fabrizio Fiorentino coming on board, starting with the TITANS: VILLAINS FOR HIRE SPECIAL and then the regular series. We loved the work the two of them did on INK, so we’re excited to see them build a new team of Titans, under the leadership of none other than Deathstroke, the Terminator.

Who the members are and how they affect the original Titans is a major part of the DCU’s story for 2010.

AS: Come on, Dan. You woke me up at 6 a.m. for this. Can you drop a few clues as to the roster?

DD: Don’t see why not. Seeing as how the creative team is coming off a great mini-series like INK, it’s not a surprise that the Tattooed Man will be a member of Deathstroke’s Titans team.

AS: One more?

DD: Well, it wouldn’t be much of a Deathstroke team if there wasn’t a femme fatale in the mix, and we’ve definitely got one – with ties to the original Titans, to boot – in Cheshire. We’ll save the full roster for a later date.

AS: Fair enough. Readers, I’m starving, so I’m going to grab a quick lunch, but come back to The Source in about an hour for another bit of BRIGHTEST DAY news.

Huh. Sounds like a Villain-for-hire team. I had hoped that the recent BLACKEST NIGHT arc was moving Deathstroke toward some "road to redemption." I much prefer the "code of ethics" anti-hero Slade, to the current uber-villain Slade. I dunno. I'm fairly underwhelmed by this....

Also, a little weird this is going under the BRIGHTEST DAY banner..... turning the Titans team into villains for hire?

Teen Titans on Brave and the Bold

In Newsarama's interview with Mike Jelenic, he reveals that some Teen Titans will be appearing on BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD:

It should also be noticed that future episodes of B&B are going to introduce the likes of such teams as the JSA, Metal Men, Doom Patrol...and what possibly could be a prototype of the Teen Titans.

and

As for the future, the month is chock full of new characters, including the JSA, the Metal Men, and an episode devoted to the Sidekicks, including Robin, Aqualad and Speedy. You’ll have to wait for the next installment for more on those.

How appropriate, since the Teen Titans first appeared in the BRAVE AND THE BOLD comic book, starting with a Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash team up. I just hope licensing headaches don't prevent the use of Wonder Girl, like in the 2003 TEEN TITANS toon.