titanstower.com monitor room

Monitor Room 2.0

2010-02-03T00:20:00.002-05:00

This blog is shutting down.

But don't worry, Titanic ones.... it's only being replaced by a bigger, badder, more robust Monitor Room 2.0 using WordPress. I've switched from Blogger to WordPress, which offers a lot more features. I've still brought over all the old posts in archive, too. Take advantage of the search feature, the subscribe feature on the right, and the SHARE THIS bugs for each post!

So check out the new Monitor Room and be sure to bookmark it and tell your friends.

Titans Together 2.0!

Young Justice Cartoon in Development [Updated]

2010-01-28T19:57:00.004-05:00

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

2010-01-26T18:25:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-26T09:42:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-26T00:32:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-24T13:29:00.003-05:00

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

2010-01-24T13:28:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-24T13:25:00.001-05:00

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!"

2010-01-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-21T19:17:00.003-05:00

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

2010-01-19T06:38:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-01-18T14:38:00.003-05:00

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

2010-01-18T10:34:00.002-05:00

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"

2010-01-15T10:37:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-12T14:31:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-12T10:51:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-11T12:54:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-09T10:52:00.002-05:00

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.

20 Answers with Dan Didio: Holiday Edition

2009-12-29T11:52:00.002-05:00

20 Answers with Dan Didio: Newsarama's video series in which Dan DiDio answers YOUR questions about recent DC news and more.

In part three, Didio tackles questions like "Why Do You Hate The Titans?" and "What makes the maiming of Red Arrow significantwhen he has friends who are capable of replacing his arm?"

Dan says "I really don't hate the Titans," and he questions whether Titans is really the most maimed and killed group in the DCU. He says that because the characters are young, they are often placed in situations above their means.

He talks about Red Arrow, and says the story isn't about replacing an arm with a cybernetic arm. It's a story where there's a "lot of emotional depth going on." Since Roy is an archer, the loss of his arm is the loss of his ability to do what he does best. He loses a part of him that helped define him as a person.

Check out thee video for all the answers in Dan's own words.

Adventure Comics #6 Features Titans, Briefly

2009-12-29T11:43:00.000-05:00

Geoff Johns teases:

Pick up ADVENTURE COMICS #6. There's a VERY, VERY, VERY brief appearance of the crew reunited.

Geoff

A Flash Update from Geoff Johns

2009-12-29T11:36:00.002-05:00

Superstar writer (an all-around nice guy) Geoff Johns has posted an update concerning the recent changes in Flash on ComicBloc:

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope you all have save travels if you’re heading somewhere for the holidays.

Obviously, there have been some changes (among many) in DC’s approach to co-features and, in particular, the Flash universe that have raised questions and frustrations. Yes, THE FLASH will no longer have the Wally West co-feature. It’ll remain one of DC’s $2.99 books rather than $3.99 and Barry Allen will be the lead character. Yes, the plans for creating a book title KID FLASH have altered. (The creative team lined up never started on the book.) And, yes, it was a mistake to announce our plans before they were set in stone. Everyone was just excited about the Flash. No one wants to disappoint anyone. That’s not only bad business, it’s bad karma. So all that above? That’s the bad news.

But there is good news too. You will see the stories Scott Kolins and I have been working on. You will see Wally and Bart and everyone (Jesse will surprise a lot of people!). You will see the Flash universe grow organically. No one wants the Flash universe to achieve the same heights Green Lantern has more than me and the creative and editorial team working on it (and maybe the bean counters at DC! ). I'm also working hard on the movie. Despite what it looks like, the plans have grown for the Flash universe, although the rollout for things has changed. Imagine something more like how Green Lantern grew. The Flash universe is set for something VERY big in 2011 as well. It’ll take a bit more time to build (not too much), but in the long run I do believe the foundation will be stronger for it. I can’t get into specifics too much and I don’t want to until we literally have covers to show – which I’m sure will frustrate some people – but I don’t want to see anyone disappointed.

I am incredibly excited about the future of the Flash and I think when things are finally rolling in April, you all will be too.

I'll try and answer any questions I can when I can over the next few days.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Geoff

Happy Holidays from titanstower.com

2009-12-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

"Christmas with the Teen Titans"

I did this piece for fun for the holidays.

Here's Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Static, Bombshell, Aquagirl, Blue Beetle, Kid Devil, Miss Martian, Ravager, and Zatara celebrating the season!

Hope everyone has a wonderful safe holiday!

Wally And Bart Sidelined in 2010

2009-12-22T01:30:00.002-05:00

Kelson's excellent Speed Force Blog has posted some unfortunate Flash-related news:

So…DC’s latest 20 Questions with Dan Didio video has some bad news for fans of the extended Flash family. He answered my question about the Flash and Kid Flash books, explaining that they’ve decided to go back to “the original game plan” and focus on a single Flash book starring Barry Allen.

Wally West’s backup stories, by Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins? “On hold.” [Edit: This may be the result of DC restructuring the second features.]

The Kid Flash book by Sterling Gates? “On hold.”

He goes on to say, “Your Flash fix will be Barry Allen, pure and simple, for 2010.”

Kelson goes on to say:

Congratulations, Dan. You’ve just lost yourself a reader.

I’ve been hanging on through Flash: Rebirth hoping I would see something in it that would convince me that I might actually want to read stories with Barry Allen, but I just haven’t seen it. The announcement of backup features starring Wally West gave me something to look forward to. The Kid Flash book starring Bart Allen was something I wanted to read. The lead stories with Barry? I was hoping they’d grow on me.

But you know what? I just don’t care anymore.

Honestly, at this moment, I don’t care about reading the conclusion of Flash: Rebirth. I don’t care about the new series. I don’t care about the Secret Files. It’s even killing my enthusiasm for Blackest Night: The Flash, which I actually liked.

Click here to read the rest of Kelson's (completely legitimate) rant. He pretty much echoes my thoughts. One wonders if DC is interested in keeping readesr these days.

Titans In March

2009-12-20T21:34:00.004-05:00

DC Comics has released solicitation information and images for new comics and products shipping in March 2010.

TEEN TITANS #81
On sale MARCH 31 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by FELICIA D. HENDERSON Co-feature written by SEAN MCKEEVER Art and cover by JOE BENNETT & JACK JADSON Co-feature art by YILDIRAY CINAR & J/LIO FERREIRA
The Teen Titans are reunited with Static, but can they survive the power of Holocaust? And will Static stay with the Titans if he survives? Plus, Ravager’s nemesis forces her to make a decision: Is her life worth the lives of a dozen innocent girls?

TITANS #23
On sale MARCH 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by EDDIE BERGANZA Art and cover by ANGEL UNZUETA
Spotlight on Red Arrow! As Roy Harper lies in critical condition after the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #5, his fever dreams show him the perfect future life he wants for the Titans. Unfortunately for him, it’s a life the Titans will never see.

TINY TITANS #26
On sale MARCH 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by Art Baltazar
It’s the time of year for an all-green, never-mean issue of TINY TITANS! Miss Martian chases after Gizmo! Beast Boy chases after Miss Martian! Kroc eats things! Hmm, that last one doesn’t quite fit… But wait – some of the things he eats are green! That’s better.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #43
On sale MARCH 31 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by JAMES ROBINSON Art by MARK BAGLEY & ROB HUNTER 1:25 Variant cover by MIKE MAYHEW
Following the decision that occurred in JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE and the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1, the World’s Greatest Heroes must come to terms with who they are and what they represent. Meanwhile, an all-new danger threatens the existence of everything past and present in the exciting finale of “Team History.” Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #1
On sale MARCH 24 • 1 of 4 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by J.T. KRUL Art by GERALDO BORGES & MARLO ALQUIZA Cover by GREG HORN 1:25 variant cover by MIKE MAYHEW
In JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, Roy Harper lost everything at the hands of Prometheus, barely surviving the brutal severing of his arm. But when he finally awakens from his coma, Roy will find that his dangerous journey into despair is just beginning. Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

GREEN ARROW #31
On sale MARCH 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by J.T. KRUL Art by DIOGENES NEVES Cover by MAURO CASCIOLI 1:25 variant cover by MIKE MAYHEW
“The Fall of Green Arrow” begins here! Spinning out of the shocking events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE and JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1 comes the destruction of Green Arrow. As Oliver Queen’s inner turmoil and guilt overwhelms him, secrets are revealed that will tear him asunder. What will the Emerald Archer reveal to the world that will change his life and the lives of the people around him forever? And why are Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Barry Allen (The Flash) and the rest of the Justice League hunting him? Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

THE FLASH: SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS 2010 #1
On sale MARCH 24 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS Art by SCOTT KOLINS, FRANCIS MANAPUL & OTHERS Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL Flash Facts! In the aftermath of BLACKEST NIGHT and THE FLASH: REBIRTH comes the beginning of a new era for Barry Allen and the deadly Rogues! As Barry readjusts to life again, strange happenings explode across Central City that will lead to one of the most bizarre murder mysteries Barry will ever face in the upcoming THE FLASH #1! Plus, don’t miss Wally West, Kid Flash, Gorilla Grodd and a cold case that will send The Flash down a path unlike any other. Run – don’t walk – to pick it up!

SUPERGIRL #51
On sale MARCH 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by STERLING GATES
Art by JAMAL IGLE & JON SIBAL
Cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
“Brainiac & The Legion of Super-Heroes” Part 2! Amidst Brainiac’s assault on New Krypton, General Zod has brandished the Legion of Super-Heroes terrorists and imprisoned them! Superboy will do his best to free them, but he’ll have to go through Supergirl first! That’s right, it’s the Super-battle of the sexes you’ve been waiting for! Poor Ma Kent is going to be so disappointed in them…

BLACKEST NIGHT #8
On sale MARCH 31 • 8 of 8 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS, OCLAIR ALBERT & JOE PRADO
1:25 Variant cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI • 1:100 Sketch variant cover by IVAN REIS
The extra-sized conclusion to the most talked-about event in comics is here, and the results will change the course of the DC Universe for years to come. Earth has become the final battleground for life versus death, but how will our heroes fight back against the darkness of sentient space itself? And what does the future hold for Green Lantern, The Flash and the rest of the world’s greatest heroes and villains? Find out here as the stage is set for the next epic era of DC Comics!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

TEEN TITANS: CHILD’S PLAY TP
Advance-solicited • On sale APRIL 7 • 208 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Written by SEAN MCKEEVER, BRYAN Q. MILLER & FELICIA D. HENDERSON Art and cover by JOE BENNETT & JACK JADSON
The team faces the new Fearsome Five in these tales from TEEN TITANS #71-78. Plus, the Calculator seeks vengeance after the teen heroes failed to protect his children.

SUPERBOY: THE BOY OF STEEL
Advance-solicited •On sale MAY 12 • 144 pg, FC $24.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Superboy is back — and can’t wait to jump back into his life in these tales from ADVENTURE COMICS #0-3 and 5-6, plus a tale from SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009. But which life will it be? Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth: Smallville. While Conner reunites with his former girlfriend, Wonder Girl, Lex Luthor and Brainiac form a partnership that will cause havoc throughout the DC Universe.

Look Who's Back With Teen Titans

2009-12-18T16:48:00.002-05:00

The cover to TEEN TITANS #81 sorta says it all...

Are we impressed? Excited? Nonplussed? Fearful?

JT Krul on The Rise Of Arsenal

2009-12-11T11:14:00.002-05:00

IGN reports: " With Cry for Justice wrapping in the coming months, DC has announced three new projects to detail the coming changes for the team and the characters, each written by Blackest Night: Titans scribe J.T. Krul. The first of these three, a special one-shot called Justice League: The Rise and Fall, drawn by Mike Mayhew, will serve as an epilogue of sorts to Cry for Justice while gearing up for Krul's other two projects. Following Rise and Fall will be a four-issue miniseries called, interestingly enough, Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal, drawn by Geraldo Borges, and a six-issue arc in Green Arrow's ongoing, drawn by Diogenes Neves, called "The Fall of Green Arrow."

IGN Comics sat down with Krul to talk about these projects, his take on Ollie and Roy, and why the latter might be going back to his former alias."

IGN Comics: Will the relationship between Ollie and Roy embody that ethical rift between the Justice League members at all?

Krul: What happens with them is definitely a huge part of it. But it is a larger picture, so what happens with Roy definitely impacts the other team members. It's a little bit like what happened with Identity Crisis, where you have the people that were on board for the mind wipe of Dr. Light and the ones that weren't on board.

IGN Comics: The last half-year or so has seen you dive headlong into the DCU with various projects. How did you get involved with these latest projects?

Krul: I was already working with Eddie Berganza, Adam Schlagman and Brian Cunningham on Blackest Night: Titans, and I had done the Red Arrow spotlight issue for Brian on Titans. That's how the Arsenal thing came about - they knew I was a huge Roy fan and have been a fan of his forever. I jumped at the Titans spotlight issue, then when I got wind of what they had in store for Roy and they talked to me about that, I didn't have to think about it at all.

As far as the Green Arrow story goes, that just kind of happened organically. They knew I was doing the Arsenal thing and then decided I'd do a Black Lantern Green Arrow story in February. Doing the Green Arrow arc seemed a natural transition from that.

The Rise Of Arsenal

2009-12-11T11:12:00.002-05:00

DC Universe: The Source reports:

Take a minute to process that amazing piece of Mauro Cascioli art. Ok. Done? Let’s go.
If you’ve been following JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, then you know some major events have been shaking up Green Arrow and his supporting cast’s status. Specifically, Red Arrow finding himself one arm short of a pair.

What happens when a hero has a fateful decision to make? And how can another hero rebuild his world after a life-altering tragedy?

Both ideas are explored in two special books hitting in March, both written by J.T. Krul: JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL #1, which bridges the gap between JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and the upcoming JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL four-issue mini-series. Concurrently, readers of the ongoing GREEN ARROW series will deal with the fallout in a storyline titled “The Fall of Green Arrow,” starting with issue #31.

What happened? Who’s to blame? What does this mean for the Emerald Archer and his former sidekick? We don’t know, but we can shine the spotlight on Mr. Krul for a sec to share a few thoughts. Take it away, J.T.:

“I was super fortunate to be able to play a role in BLACKEST NIGHT, and I have to say I’m even more excited — if that’s possible — about being able to take on Roy Harper and Green Arrow as their stories spill out of Cry For Justice. James has been building to a monster climax in his book, and no two characters will be as changed as much as Roy and Ollie. And, the story isn’t even over yet. The title RISE and FALL says it all in terms of where these characters are headed. It’s going to be a dark and tragic road for both them and I’m hoping readers will be hooked by where Ollie and Roy come out in the end.”

I really like Roy as Arsenal, but this is not how I would have chosen he get there.

Rating Each Titans Era

2009-12-11T01:05:00.007-05:00

Thought you guys might enjoy this.... Your opinions may differ!

Haney/Skeates/Cardy Era
(Teen Titans #1-43)
It's a little hard to look at this era through modern eyes. It was goofy. It tried so hard to be hip, but wasn't. But it was fun and imaginative. And Nick Cardy was just about the perfect artist for the book, since he really knew how to draw young people. The characters "grew up" a bit during their "revelant phase" for a more Marvelized approach, which I think helped deepen and define them. There's still a lot of charm and imagination to be found in these pages.
Grade: B+

Rozakis Era
(Teen Titans #44-53)
This seemed like a desperate attempt to chase Marvel's tail, like many DC books in the late 70s. There was a lot of action and in-fighting, along with some ongoing angst. Although Bumblebee and Joker's Daughter are beloved characters now, they were pretty contrived at their introductions. And the fads! Everything from a disco headquarters to roller-skating villains. These weren't very good stories. The run is partly redeemed by its excellent final issue, where Speedy is ret-conned as an original member and the Teen Titans' origin is told for the first time. And the Titans West arc is actually pretty cool.
Grade: C

Wolfman/Perez Era
(New Teen Titans #1-40, (vol 2) #1-6, Tales of TT #41-58)
What is there to say? This run reignited the Teen Titans and introduced many characters that are still popular today. Bold new stories and Perez's excellent art took the comic world by storm. Almost every issue was wildly entertaining and the overall run has become a comic book classic.
Grade: A

Wolfman/Jose Garcia-Lopez/Eduardo Barreto Era
(New Teen Titans (vol 2) #7-49)
Marv Wolfman admitted that the Teen Titans suffered while he was busy with Crisis. The initital stuff was good, bolstered by the art of Jose Garcia-Lopez. And the Starfire marriage storyline was good, although it dragged on a bit. By the time Danny Chase was added, the book had gotten a little stale and predictable. And although Barreto is a great artist, he suffered by comparison to Perez.
Grade: B

Wolfman/Perez Era II
(New Titans #50-70, Secret Origins Annual #3)
They say "you can't go back again," But George Perez returned to finally solve the mystery of "Who Is Wonder Girl?" New Titans #50-55 were great. And the Raven/Eric Forrester story was a great piece as well. And thankfully, Perez was there to help Wolfman sort out the Titans' Post-Crisis continuity in an origins and flashback story. (I still hate the ret-conned Gnarrk, though). Too bad Perez didn't stay on long enough to fully recapture the magic.
Grade: B+

Titans Hunt Era (Wolfman/Grummett)
(New Titans #71-99, Team Titans #1-12)
The controversial Titans Hunt storyline divided fandom. Some fans loved it, others not so much. But it's undeniable that the storyline re-energized the book completely. It gave it an uneasiness and an edge that had been lacking for some time. It's too bad the storyline was fractured by crossovers. It's also too bad that the Post-Titans Hunt stories seemed to meander a bit. But this era gets major points for its audacity, and its ability to keep me on the edge of my seat month after month.
Grade: B+ for Titans Hunt
Grade: B- for Post-Titans Hunt

The Darkening (Wolfman/Jaaska)
(New Titans #100-113, Team Titans #13-24)
Possibly the worst era in Titans history. Jonathan Peterson, the editor who ushered the Titans Hunt era, abruptly left DC to do his own project, leaving the title completely rudderless. Compounding matters, Billa Jaaska was assigned to the title. Now, Jaaska would probably be fine for something like Night Force, but his style did not suit the Titans at all. The era was filled with bad stories, meandering plotlines and bad art. Just terrible all around.
Grade: F

Post-Zero Hour (Wolfman/Rosado)
(New Titans #114-130)
Thankfully, things picked up a bit after Zero Hour. Wolfman was winding down, and his fatigue showed in some of the stories. But at least we had a working team again. It also gave Arsenal the interesting role as leader while Nightwing was snatched up by the Bat-books. Rosado's art wasn't half bad. And I didn't mind some of the new members, like Terra II, Mirage, Damage, and Rose Wilson. New Titans #126 is a stand-out issue. And the final arc did some damage control.
Grade: B-

Jurgens' Teen Titans
(Teen Titans (vol 2) #1-24)
I was really willing to give this brand-new incarnation a try. Especially with George Perez on inks. But the whole thing never clicked with me. I wasn't crazy about the shared origin. I thought the new team members had about as much depth as the characters from Saved By The Bell. Dan Jurgens writes a good Superman, but he really isn't equipped to write teenagers. Atom's de-aging seemed desperate. And I don't think I can forgive them for turning Lilith into a Raven-clone, which I think ultimately led to her being killed off. Things didnt get any better with "I wanna be my daddy" Roy Harper and (shudder) Fringe. The art was sometimes pretty.
Grade: D

Devin Grayson Titans (w/Jay Faerber)
(JLA/Titans #1-3, Titans #1-25)
I think this run is completely under-rated. The story that brought it all together (JLA/Titans) was one of the best Titans stories ever. The idea of the old guard training the new guard (like Argent and Damage) is perfect. The Tartarus storyline and its aftermath was good. There was a good mix of old and new elements (although Goth was a big fat "miss" for me). Devin Grayson began co-plotting with Jay Faerber with #17, and left the book by #21. And Jay gave us the good "Who Is Troia?" storyline. Some really nice stuff in this Titans run.
Grade: B+

Jay Faerber Titans (w/Kitson and Peyer)
(Titans #26-50)
It's already widely documented that editor Andy Helfer forced Faerber to run with the DEO Kids storyline. Their initial arrival isn't bad, neither is the Cheshire/Roy story in Titans #30. But once the DEO Kids dominated the book, things quickly soured. Add to that, the loathesome story where Jesse Quick sleeps with her mom's fiancee. Peyer's arrival didn't help much, with some weird Morrison-lite stories. Three words, people: tin foil hats.
Grade: C-

Geoff Johns/Mike McKone Teen Titans
(Teen Titans (vol 3) #1-25)
And like a breath of fresh air, the Titans franchise gets a new lease on life courtesy of Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. A blend of new and old, the Titans gets some new blood by graduating the Young Justice kids to Titans status. The first 12 issues are great stuff, with the return of Deatshtroke and Jericho, as well as the rise of the Ravager and a new Brother Blood. The second year is strengthened by the "Titans of Tomorrow" arc and a mega-Titans team-up against Dr. Light. McKone's art gets better as he's on the book, and the man also doesn't get enough credit for his excellent costume designs and updates.
Grade: A-

Geoff Johns/Tony Daniel Teen Titans
(Teen Titans (vol 3) #26-45)
It's funny how history repeats itself. Just as the New Teen Titans suffered when Marv Wolfam was distracted by the Crisis on Inifinite Earths.... Teen Titans suffers as Geoff Johns sorts out the Infinite Crisis. Things got better for the first two "One Year Later" arcs, in which new team members Ravager and Kid Devil really shine and Jericho is redeemed . Unfortunately, Geoff and Tony go out on a low note with the fractured "Titans East" storyline. And the topsy-turvy membership fall-out killed all the momentum of the book.
Grade: B-

Sean McKeever/Eddy Barrows Teen Titans
(Teen Titans (vol 3) #50-71)
I loved a lot of Sean McKeever's stuff at Marvel. And I thought he was the perfect writer to take on the Titans. His run was ultimately uneven, from what seems to be editorial interference at various points. His opening "Titans Tomorrow" storyline wasn't a great sequel to the first. And the death of Marvin was particularly an offensive moment. We still see some of that McKeever magic peeking out... with some great dialogue bits. Sean also continued with some great character work on Ravager and Kid Devil. The Blue Beetle/Kid Devil team was fun. And Sean actually made Bombshell a decent character, and made some inroads to explaining Cassie's annoying behavior. It's such a shame we never got 100% McKeever, because I think it coulda been a great run.
Grade: B

Judd Winick Titans
(Titans (vol 2) #1-10)
It's hard to find things that aren't appalling in this short run. It starts with the massacre of several DCU teenagers. It ret-cons some important elements of the original Trigon stories. Trigon is inexplicably brought back from the grave to bicker and banter with his daughter - while his gangbanger Trigon Boyz wreck havoc. It doesn't get any better when Jericho returns as a raving lunatic. To be objective, I suppose there is a miniscule bit of good. The Dick/Kory scene in Titans #5 is effective, as is Raven's outburst ("I'm... wrong!") . But so much of this run is absolutely distasteful, with the added "benefit" of actually "ruining" past stories. For these reasons, I think this run actually earns the distinction of being the worst Titans run of all time. The mind boggles. What were they thinking?
Grade: F

Titans Sales Watch: November

2009-12-11T01:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks again to DeTroyes! He writes 'em, I post 'em.

ICv2 has released sales estimates for November, and.... WOW!!! Blackest Night CONTINUES to be a huge shot in the arm for each title it touches.

As always, figures courtesy of ICv2.

Raw Data:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16433.html

FORMAT:

TITLE
Issue # / Release Month / Year / # Units Sold / +/- Previous Month

Teen Titans (Ongoing)
#77 November 2009 46,239 +17,073

Titans (Ongoing)
#19 November 2009 27,099 -1,116

Tiny Titans (Ongoing)
#22 November 2009 8,100 -159

Vigilante (Ongoing)
#12 (end) November 2009 6,450 -521

Doom Patrol (Ongoing)
#4 November 2009 53,748 +33,712

Analysis

Teen Titans -- I expected a sales bump due to Blackest Night. 3k-4k was what I thought was a reasonable estimate, with 5k being a possibility. After all, the series hasn't been getting good word-of-mouth for months, and the sales have reflected that. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see a FREAK'IN 17k JUMP IN SALES just because of a connection to Blackest Night. Wow. And even that pales in comparison to the jump Doom Patrol received. For the future, I still think TT's sales slide has for the most part abated -- next issue will probably be lower than this issue but likely in the same realm, and with it being announced that Bart and Conner will be returning to TT I think post-BN the sales level will settle into some average between TT #76 & TT #77, with the levels increasing once Bart and Conner officially rejoin.

Titans -- Still in a holding pattern. I don't expect this book to get much better sales-wise between now and the Titans Annual in March, when the Deathstroke era kicks off.

Tiny Titans -- Still chugging along its merry way.

Vigliante -- *sigh* Rest in peace.

Doom Patrol -- A testament to the power and popularity of Blackest Night. This was the first issue to come out under the "power rings" promotion; it will be interesting to see where sales fall on the next issue without the enticement of plastic promotions. I expect sales will still fall significantly above sales of the first three issues. Hopefully a good percentage of them will stick around once BN is finished.

*******

Overall analysis: Blackest Night continues to be an impressive sales-force in its own right, turning to gold (or at least, copper) anything it touches. While it won't last, it is providing a welcome shot in the arm to several struggling titles. Hopefully the after-effects will be there for a long, long time to come.

Until next month...

Thoughts from EARTH ONE

2009-12-08T15:44:00.002-05:00

Announced on Newsarama: “How to cast aside the continuity-heavy past of their major characters and offer an easily accessible version of Batman, Superman, and others to new readers has been a question that plagues not just DC but other companies with established universes as well. DC's solution comes in the form of Earth One, a series of ongoing graphic novels. “

“These are all-new stories presented as book-size tales, rather than single-issue magazine length stories. They feature a continuity that will be shared amongst the line, and is all-new to DC's comic books as a whole. The first two announced books are the natural starting points, Superman: Earth One and Batman: Earth One. Both books will focus on a revised origin and "early years" story featuring the titular characters, with updates being made for today's time period and audience. Superman: Earth One will be written by J. Michael Straczynski and drawn by artist Shane Davis. Batman: Earth One comes from scribe Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank, the team whom are currently in the midst of re-establishing Superman's origin in the core DC Universe, the one that acknowledges the past 70 years of story to varying degrees.”

I’m of several minds about this. First, the positives. There’s some good talent behind these books. Talent that is capable of telling good stories. And anything that may capture a wider comics-reading audience is a good thing indeed. And I have no doubts that everyone is well-intentioned in bringing forth some excellent Superman and Batman adventures.

This is obviously the next extension of DC’s All-Star line, which was launched with similar intentions (stand-alone “iconic” stories by DC’s top talent, unencumbered by DC’s current comic book continuity). That line produced ALL-STAR SUPERMAN and ALL-STAR BATMAN (which still hasn’t been completed and has been criminally late). ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN and ALL-STAR BATGIRL were both announced months and months ago, only for ALL-STAR BATGIRL to be canceled, while ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN is “being worked on by Adam Hughes” (forgive me if I don’t hold my breath).

The All-Star line seemed like DC’s answer to Marvel’s once-red-hot Ultimate line of comics. That line established modern takes on Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Avengers (among others) with varying degrees of commercial and creative success. Once a flourishing ancillary universe, sales waned over the years. And 10 years later, I think Marvel is wondering what to do with the line, which now has its own accumulated continuity. So, what was the point of this line again? To bring in new readers with fresh jumping-on points? With 10 years of continuity, the books stand with the same accessibility as your average Marvel Comic (which, by the way, have recap pages every issue).

Geoff Johns explains at AICN: “BATMAN: EARTH ONE is more in line with the European idea of releasing chapters of an ongoing series in graphic novel form. We’re planning on doing two novels a year and set in this new universe, we’re getting unlimited creative freedom that we couldn’t have in current continuity.”

So now, DC’s latest venture is another restart. Another new “version.” The difference is that they will be a series of graphic novels. I suppose the logic is to tap into the HARRY POTTER and TWILIGHT audiences, who have followed the serial adventures of its characters through several novels. It’s not a new idea, but something that has caught the world’s attention through the popularity of movies and media. I’d wager that’s DC’s intention here- to create a series of novels that have the same sort of appeal.

DO WE NEED ANOTHER UNIVERSE?

I’m still not sold on why we NEED yet another umpteenth retelling of the origins of Batman and Superman. And not just retellings, but revamped “new continuity” retellings. Everyone knows these heroes and their origins. I’m not sure we need a more “kick-ass” Alfred to make him cool. Alfred already is cool. I’d even wager to guess that such jarring variations would only confuse a new audience, who are familiar with the Alfred of the Batman movies or animated television series, all of which have been fairly consistent. And it seems that other characters will vary quite a bit, going by Geoff Johns’ comment on AICN: “Some of it the characters will more closely resemble the classic interpretations while others will be wildly different. We’re introducing a lot of new characters and elements to this Batman.”

This is where I get a little confused. Why do we need these completely new universes?

Just tell good stories. That’s it. You don't have to reference Knightfall or Death of Superman or what happened in Superman #214 to do that. The “classic” graphic novels were built on this idea. “The Death of Captain Marvel” stood as its own powerful tale of heroism and loss. “The Killing Joke” is a stand-alone tale that gives insight into the Joker’s twisted mind. Even the “New Mutants” and “She-Hulk” and “X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills” graphic novels were stand-alone adventures. They just told good stories that were unencumbered by continuity. I honestly think today’s comic book companies make more out of continuity than is needed. Like all it does is weigh down every story.

Consider, in the 70s and 80s, each comic had little origin blurbs on the splash page that recounted the character origin. And BAM, you’re off and running. You don’t need anything more than that, and you surely don’t need an entirely new continuity/universe.

Geoff Johns mentions that this venture offers “unlimited creative freedom that we couldn’t have in current continuity.” This is another idea I don’t quite understand. It seems like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Julie Schwartz, John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Grant Morrison (among countless, countless others) produced many creative stories within the confines of a shared universe. Heck, Geoff Johns and JMS both have as well. I think it’s a shame that DC feels its own continuity has become such a burden, such an albatross... that it actually limits creative freedom. That it somehow prevents stories from being better.". And it forever will be as long as editorial sees it that way.

DO WE NEED ANOTHER ORIGIN?

Creators often talk about how cool the characters are, and how they cant wait to write their adventures. But the newest trend is to ignore previous stories, and build these ground-up versions of the characters, picking and choosing which continuity bits to use/toss. Whereas Marvel plays fast-and-loose with continuity, DC actually goes through cosmic convolusions to reset, reboot, revamp their characters with time paradoxes and brand-new whole-cloth histories that even editorial can’t keep straight. Some would say that supports the need for these “brand new” continuity stories in graphic novel form... But I don’t agree with that assessment....

Consider, for over 60 years, DC was able to tell stories with its characters without each creator rebooting their entire histories or back-stories. Even in the Post-Crisis world, creators dealt with the cards they were given, and pushed characters in new directions through story. Now, everything is just tossed out (See recent Doom Patrol, Legion of Super-Heroes, Post-Infinite Crisis histories) and restarted. Superman’s revised history was just retold in SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT, only to be negated and now told again in the still-running SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN mini-series by Geoff Johns. Only to be retold again, in a completely new continuity by J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) in the upcoming SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE. At what point do we stop picking at scabs? And trying to each make distinctive marks on the same stories? The origins of Batman and Superman have endured for so long because they are wonderful origin stories. We don’t need to keep telling them ad-nauseum.

DO WE NEED GRAPHIC NOVELS TO MAKE THINGS “MODERN”?

A lot is made of also making these Earth One novels more “modern”... JMS says on AICN, “So to the point of your question, what I'm trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like? As a fledgling writer I used to love going to see productions of Shakespeare because what would often be done would be to take that original play and move it forward in time.”

I support what JMS says about portraying the Daily Planet reporters and photographers. That’s cool. But again, just tell a modern Superman tale. Why all the continuity re-doing? You don't need new continuity to have modern sensibilities. Heck, you don't need a new series of graphic novels to have modern sensibilities.

I mean.... haven’t comic books been doing that all along? The X-Men metaphor of racism and alienation has spoken to the black movement, the gay movement and social evolution in general. The X-Men is currently a story point that includes “Prop X” (and obvious riff on Prop 8), which is trying to ban mutants from pro-creating. And Marvel’s recent “Super-Hero Registration Act” is a thinly veiled take on “The Patriot Act,” is it not? An ongoing plot in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN acknowledges the increasing irrelevance of the Daily Bugle newspaper. Punisher was once a disillusioned Vietnam vet (something that was relevant in the 80s, but has been conveniently forgotten as not to age Frank Castle too much). There are countless other examples....

The other “danger zone” about the “modern take” in graphic novels is how far you push that. Will Gordon put away the Bat Signal and poke Batman on facebook instead? Is Clark Kent going to work for the Daily Tweet instead of the Daily Planet? The problem with things like this (especially if you are courting a young audience) is that they become horribly dated within a year.

One last thought: modern takes on Superman and Batman... Shouldn’t that always be the goal? In their own, y’know, comic books?

WHY “EARTH ONE”?

This is one I have a hard time understanding. Why would DC name this project “Earth One”? At least “All Star” was a trade-dress that spoke to the fact that DC put its top talents on the books. “Earth One” has special meaning to DC fans – it was the original super-hero world before the events of the cosmic-time-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now composed of 52 earths, it seems that DC is announcing to fans that this is ‘Earth One.” So that means the Pre-Crisis Earth One is gone forever, only to be revisited in our long box archives?

JMS says, “At this juncture, the book operates outside DC continuity. At some point way, way down the road, some of that may be folded in, but again that's a long ways away.” So, why call these “Earth One”? It’s a confusing way to launch a brand new line that is screaming about accessibility.

And to the casual/new fans it hopes to attract: “Earth One” not only has zero meaning, it raises strange questions. Is this a different earth? Are there other earths? They may even wonder if it’s a storyline, as it sits next to other collected trade paperbacks like “Civil War” and “Blackest Night.”

I think it’s a huge mistake calling this line “Earth One.” I can’t imagine why DC would do that. It’s an amusing irony that DC’s purported easy-access new venture is saddled with a title that carries continuity baggage! Only DC could manage that one!

WILL IT ATTRACT NEW READERS?

I’m a little unclear on what the overall goal of this project is. Newsarama’s blurb says, the Earth One graphic novels will “cast aside the continuity-heavy past of their major characters and offer an easily accessible version of Batman, Superman, and others to new readers has been a question that plagues not just DC but other companies with established universes as well. “

So, how will this be communicated and marketed to these theoretical new readers? These Earth One graphic novels will be sitting beside the latest trade paperback collections of comic books, correct? What makes them different in the eyes of John Q Public? And once a few novels are underway, it will have its own accumulated continuity, will it not?

For old mainstay readers, it’s an Elseworlds series in graphic novel form. Or, it’s an alternate-earth story in the old DC tradition, but with modern trappings. Or, it’s DC doing an Ultimate line in graphic novel form. In other words, it's nothing new, really.

So I’m not sure if any of these things will re-energize the industry or bring in any new readers.

Because all you have to do for that to happen... is to tell good, accessible stories. Bruce Timm has been doing it for over 15 years now. Take a page from his playbook. And please, DC, stop demonizing continuity and just tell good stories with your wonderful characters that have endured for over 60 years. You shouldn’t have to reinvent the entire universe of your core characters to accomplish that.

Preview: Titans #20

2009-12-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

Newsarama has a preview of Titans #20

Titans #20
Written by Mike Johnson; Art by Sergio Ariño and Wayne Faucher; Cover by Angel Unzueta

Spotlight on Donna Troy! What happens when a young twenty-something woman feels like she grew up too fast and deprived herself of a twenty-something kind of life? As Donna ponders this, the Fearsome Five continue their Titans revenge streak. They picked the wrong time to do it…

Superboy's Future in ADVENTURE COMICS

2009-12-04T14:54:00.002-05:00

DC Universe: The Source blog (which, by the way, if one of the worst blog names ever) has posted some news about the post-Geoff-Johns ADVENTURES COMICS #8:

ADVENTURE COMICS #8 is the start of a four-issue arc connecting ADVENTURE to the next big Superman story - “Brainiac & The Legion of Super-Heroes.” James Robinson & Julian Lopez will provide a 10-page story about the Legion members who are in the 21st Century; Sterling Gates & Clayton Henry will provide a 10-pager about the Legion in the 31st Century; and Eric Trautmann & DC newcomer Pier Gallo (wait till you see this guy’s stuff!) will provide a 10-pager about General Lane’s Human Defense Corps.
The Superman writers have crafted a really fun and epic story in “Brainiac & The Legion of Super-Heroes” (which will run in ADVENTURE, SUPERMAN, SUPERGIRL and a tittle-to-be-named-later in March). Featuring Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Mon-El and the Legion of Super-Heroes, it not only brings to a head all the Legion subplots that DC has been laying down since the JLA/JSA “Lightning Saga” story, but also sets the stage for this summer’s blockbuster Superman event!

the link provides some artwork.

Red Arrow's Gruesome Fate

2009-12-04T14:07:00.002-05:00

Newsarama takes a look at the latest Titans-related maiming: "SPOILERS FOR JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #5 AHOY: You’ve either seen or heard what happened in last week’s issue of Justice League: Cry for Justice #5 by now. In the last few pages, an apparently mind-controlled Freddy “Shazam!” Freeman is revealed to have ripped off Roy “Red Arrow” Harper’s right arm above the elbow. Supergirl cauterizes the wound with her heat vision prior to taking on Freddy (whom it would seem is doing the bidding of Prometheus) on the final page. I have a variety of thoughts on this, so I’ll just separate them out and take them one at a time."

A lot of fans feel betrayed by what they see as the frequent maiming and killing of heroes that they enjoy following. And Roy’s not exactly a new guy; he’s been around in some form for 68 years as of last month. The most obvious manifestation of this discontent where the Justice League is concerned in centered around characters associated with the Justice League International. In recent years, Blue Beetle II, Rocket Red, and more have been killed off. Most recently, Tasmanian Devil, a JLI supporting player and one of the few gay super-heroes in the DCU, was killed and skinned for a rug by the villain of this very series. While it’s a truth of both comics and the real world that terrible things happen to heroes, a number of readers feel disenfranchised when actions have been taken to these extremes.

Also, for a character with a lengthy history and presence in the DCU, the move (which could be very easily overturned, as noted above) feels a lot more like a cheap shock, an easy jolt to punch up a cliffhanger. In recent years, that seems more likely to frustrate and anger fans rather than get them back for the next thing.

Is this sort of thing even surprising in the current DCU? Willl Red Arrow become the "big villain in 2010 who isn't a villain yet," according to Didio? Are Titans fans getting too apathetic to care much anymore?

Rewinding Donna Troy: Michael Johnson on TITANS #20

2009-12-03T23:17:00.002-05:00

from Newsarama: " With next week's Titans #20, Johnson gets the chance to take a closer look at Donna Troy as a character, just before the events of Blackest Night saw the character taking a turn for the worse."

Nrama: So I take it you've always been a Titans fan? And a Donna Troy fan?

Johnson: I've been a Titans fan for as long as I've been reading comics. I started a few issues into the classic Wolfman/Perez run and I was hooked. Anybody reading this who hasn't read those: get off the internet right now and go and find them. Buy them all. Read. Repeat. I could spend hours just talking about the covers alone. "Who Killed Trident?". Terra's earth-ring. The double-whammy of #38 & #39.... And #38, of course, asked "Who Is Donna Troy?" I fell in love with Donna (like a lot of young impressionable fanboys) not only because she was "purty" and powerful, but because she was kind. She was (and is) the moral center of the team, the rock on which the others depend. She is the heart and soul of the Titans.

Nrama: We've seen some changes for Donna during Blackest Night, but assuming this issue takes place before that, can you tell us about how you see Donna – who she is and what she's going through as this story picks up?

Johnson: Yes, this story takes place just before the events of Blackest Night: Titans, so we are seeing Donna react to the events the team has gone through since they reunited, and it hasn't gone as well as anybody hoped. The team dynamic isn't the same, especially since each of them are in a very different place than they were as teenagers. Everyone is spinning off in different directions as their lives inevitably evolve, and Donna has remained in the center, the rock, trying to hold the team together. But that puts enormous pressure on her, and she's reached a point where she wonders if she needs to let go and focus more on her own life. She's just come through another universes-shattering crisis, and jumped right back into the old team, but Donna was always the one who sought to balance super-heroics with a real life. This issue shows her seeking that balance again.

Nrama: How does the story start off?

Johnson: I always loved that Donna was a photographer. It gave her another dimension beyond just a superhero, so the story starts off with Donna being offered a job that requires her to dust off her camera and get back to work. It's an opportunity to get away from super-powered drama and just be herself. Take a bunch of pictures, go to the beach, relax, throw down with the Fearsome Five. The usual.

I love this quote from Johnson: "seeing Donna react to the events the team has gone through since they reunited, and it hasn't gone as well as anybody hoped."

Aint that the truth, Titans fans? lol.

Sounds like he's a real Donna (and Titans) fan tho, so I hope that comes through in the story!

Titans Sales Watch: October

2009-11-30T11:45:00.001-05:00

Thanks once again, DeTroyes....

Ack! The October numbers have been up for a week, and I've just been too busy to post this until now. This ones going to be quick and a little light on the analysis.

*******

ICv2 has released the October sales estimates.

Raw data:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16243.html

FORMAT:

TITLE
Issue # / Release Month / Year / # Units Sold / +/- Previous Month

Blackest Night: Titans (3 Issue Mini Series)
#3 October 2009 63,670 -416

Teen Titans (Ongoing)
#76 October 2009 29,166 -3,642

Titans (Ongoing)
#18 October 2009 28,215 -1,939

Tiny Titans (Ongoing)
#21 October 2009 8,259 -176

Vigilante (Ongoing) (Cancelled)
#11 October 2009 6,971 -885

Doom Patrol (Ongoing)
#3 October 2009 20,036 -1,965

Graphic Novels
No Titans-related releases in October.

Analysis

Blackest Night: Titans -- Can't complain. Most successful Titans related title since Geoff Johns left. With that kind of reception, DC would be fools not to put JT Krul on a Titans title permanently.

Teen Titans -- I expected a drop off from last issue, just not one quite that big (although I will point out that if you treat TT #75 as an anomaly due to it being a milestone issue etc., those sales numbers are exactly in line with the previous trend). Nevertheless, there are several factors coming up which I think signal the end of the slide. The next two issues are going to be a Blackest Night crossover, and that alone will probably be good for a 3k-4k bump in sales. After that, Teen Titans will be doing a major Static arc, and sometime after that will see the return of Conner and Bart to the team. All of these have been hotly anticipated. Therefore, I still expect that TT's sales slide will reverse itself in the coming months. Though the lukewarm reception Henderson is getting might mitigate that.

Titans -- Title is in freefall. No more Blackest Night crossovers are planned, so I doubt it will get any bumps in the next few months. A New Direction is coming, but it remains to be seen if Deathstroke will be enough to save the book.

Tiny Titans -- Aw, yeah! Titans!

Vigilante -- An ignoble end to an otherwise decent title.

Doom Patrol -- Wow. The drop-off has been pretty bad, despite the generally positive reviews. I have a feeling this title is going to become something like REBELS and Jonah Hex are -- well liked, well reviewed, but low selling.

Overall Analysis: Pretty much a holding pattern. Both main titles are awaiting the full reveal of their new directions (though we have some hints in Teen Titans), but unfortunately we're some months away from full implementation, and even further away from finding out if any of it will resonate with the readers. Economic factors are probably also playing a role, and will probably hamper any sales efforts to turn these titles around.

*****

Thanks for reading, and I hope these little exercises are of some use to someone.

Amazon Shopping Reminder

2009-11-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

If you do holiday shopping at amazon, kindly use my blog link, and I get credit for gift certificates!
All you have to do is initially click on the link in the right column that says "find the perfect gift", then shop!

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!

Preview: TEEN TITANS #77

2009-11-24T17:18:00.000-05:00

Check it out here, due in stores Wednesday.

TEEN TITANS #77
Written by J.T. Krul
Co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
Co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira
Cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
It’s a return of the teenage dead in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in issue! There’s certainly no shortage of dead Teen Titans, so when the Black Lanterns come a-calling, old teammates return with a vengeance! It’s a Titan’s worst nightmare come true!
On sale November 25 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

One Year Later Art Project

2009-11-20T00:48:00.007-05:00

"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." During the "missing year" between Teen Titans #33 and #34, over 20 new or returning members joined the team. They would come and go, most only being on the team a few weeks before quitting or getting kicked out or simply disappearing. One team was glimpsed at in Teen Titans #34. Teen Titans #38 revealed all the "One Year Gap Titans" in a double page spread.

--------------------------------------------

OK, so, since I'm mostly bored with the current Titans books, I thought of a fun little project.... drawing the "One Year Gap" Titans... and possibly even some moments that were alluded to, but we never saw. Here's my first entries....

Molecule & Argent: "First Date"

And Mas Y Menos: "First Run"

Talon, Mirage & Flamebird: "Familiar Attractions"

Joker's Daughter & Riddler's Daughter: "Makin' Mischief"

Any other character combo suggestions? I already have some ideas. I'm mostly doing combos of characters, and the rule is they MUST BE MEMBERS during that missing year. You can find the list here.

Didio's 10 Answers 11/16/09

2009-11-18T11:44:00.003-05:00

From Didio's 10 Answers 11/16/09:

2) wearelegion wrote:
Hi Dan -

Thanks for taking time to answer questions every week. It really brings DC closer to the fans as well as create great buzz and anticipation for the upcoming stories.

Understanding that there are probably 5 key character franchises in the DC universe (Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman...to some extent), are there any other key characters or teams that you would like to develop as a franchise moving forward?

DiDi: Well, we're trying right now, and I think we have a nice level of success, with Justice Society of America. By spinning out Power Girl and Magog into their own series, I think we've shown some characters that are part of a larger group that haven't had the chance to be showcased nearly to this level before. And then also by splitting the team into JSA All-Stars, it also shows that we have belief in a large group of characters in that book that people are wanting to see and see in more stories.

One of the things we're trying to do now and in the coming months is to put a fire under the Titans and Teen Titans again, to get those stories back in everybody's mind again. There's a richness of characters in there that could probably support their own stories if given the chance. When I look at characters like Cyborg and how long he's been around, and the fact that he's been featured in animation and on television, and the fact that we've never even given him a shot at an ongoing series, I think it something worth considering in the future.

I look at several of our team books, and in particular Justice Society and Teen Titans, and I think each one of them can have more material coming from them.

3) Alive_Man_Fastest wrote:
Hello Dan DiDio,

My question pertains to Kid Flash. Let me first say how excited I am about the Kid Flash book. Impulse is my favorite comic, and what got me into comics. So seeing Bart get his own title once again is like a dream come true.

I know the book probably isn't going to come out until maybe May, but I was hoping for some kind of announcement about it. I would love to know the artist, but I'll settle for any piece of information that hasn't been previously announced.

Thank you for your time, and thank you for doing these 10 answers and a question things, they are a fun Monday surprise.

DiDio: I can tell you that Sterling Gates is going to be working very closely with Geoff Johns so that the Kid Flash book and the Flash book really feel like it's a tandem team more than two separate series. And more importantly, we'll be seeing Kid Flash back in Teen Titans relatively soon as well. That hope should keep fans like "Alive Fastest Man" running at full speed until the series appears in May of next year.

Nrama: He mentioned the Impulse comic in particular. Can we expect Kid Flash to harken back to that comic? Or is the style of this come more comparable to work we've seen from Sterling Gates in the past?

DiDio: I think Sterling's already doing such a great job on Supergirl, and he'll bring a lot of those same sensibilities to Kid Flash. That's one of the reasons we chose him for that series. Also, you'll still see the dynamic between Kid Flash and Max Mercury, if I'm not mistaken. And I think that's new information, so you did get something out of me. But Max will be featured in this series as well. So if somebody's a fan of Impulse, they'll get that relationship back in the Kid Flash series. Because of the Max/Bart relationship, I think they'll be very pleasantly surprised about what the plans are for the book.

Ummmm... hasn't Didio been talking about "putting a fire under the Titans and Teen Titans again" for the past 2 years or so?

Titans In February

2009-11-16T01:31:00.005-05:00

DC Comics has released solicitation information and images for new comics and products shipping in February 2010.

TEEN TITANS #80
On sale February 24 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by Felicia D. Henderson• Co-feature written by Sean McKeever • Art and cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson • Co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira
The Teen Titans rush to rescue Static from the clutches of the sadistic thug Holocaust. Plus: Slave-girl Ravager — unleashed!

TITANS #22
On sale February 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by J.T. Krul • Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher • Cover by Angel Unzueta
DC fans won’t want to miss this finale of the two-part "Fractured" story! As the remaining three members of the team are evicted from their New York City headquarters by General Lane, they wonder if there’s anywhere on Earth they can still call home. The answer will surprise you! This issue closes this chapter in the life of the classic Titans team and ushers in an exciting new era in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and March’s TITANS ANNUAL that’ll blow your mind!

TINY TITANS #25
On sale February 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
Written by Art Baltazar, Franco & Geoff Johns Art and cover by Art Baltazar
Special guest co-writer Geoff Johns comes to TINY TITANS, and he’s bringing Superboy along with him! And Superboy’s bringing his bizarro brother Match! And Match… well, Match always brings mischief wherever he goes. Join us for an extra-super issue jam-packed with colored rings and awesome things!

BLACKEST NIGHT #7
On sale February 24 - 7 of 8 - 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns - Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert - Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari - Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis
As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain's return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can't miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year's biggest event!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). For every 100 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

ADVENTURE COMICS STARRING BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY #7
On sale February 10 - 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by Tony Bedard - Art by Travis Moore - Covers by Francis Manapul
TOP SECRET!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul and renumbered ADVENTURE COMICS #510). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42
On sale February 17 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by James Robinson • Art and cover by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter • Variant cover by Adrian Melo & Mariah Benes
In the aftermath of the horrific events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, a member is comforted by his friends and fellow Justice Leaguers over his tragic loss. And when Dick Grayson is offered membership, will the new Batman accept? Or would he rather operate outside the realm of the World’s Greatest Heroes?
Meanwhile, Ray Palmer attempts to unlock a device that’s been discovered by the team. Will it spell their doom – or something far worse? They'd better find out soon because Dr. Impossible has chosen now, of all times, to attack! Who exactly is this mysterious villain and who has he brought back with him? The new era for the team marches forward!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Adrian Melo & Mariah Benes). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #7
On sale February 24 • 7 of 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by James Robinson • Art and cover by Mauro Cascioli
This is the big one! After the catastrophes seen in issues #5 and #6, a hero loses control, leading to an unexpected ending that will fundamentally change the lives of the World’s Greatest Heroes forever. This issue launches a major storyline in the DC Universe and is not to be missed!

Didio 10 Answers: Titans

2009-11-16T01:29:00.001-05:00

From this week's "10 Answers and 1 Question" with DiDio

enyggma wrote:
Can you give one sentence hints as to what 2010 holds for the following characters?:

-Grayson Batman?

DiDio: Coming into his own.

- Superboy?

DiDio: Once again a team player.

- Raven?

DiDio: Changed, not for the better.

Lilith & Gnarrk by Tim Fish

2009-11-02T21:11:00.004-05:00

OK, so I first stumbled across Tim Fish's work at a MOCCA. Then, at last year's New York Comic-Con. He does a completely charming "Archie" style, but with contemporary content. Really cool stuff. At the New York show, he had a cool Teen Titans piece, but I was too poor to purchse it. Tim was nice enough to do a quick Wonder Girl sketch, which I posted earlier on this blog.

I later came across his blog, which had some more Titans related stuff. From an April 2008 post, Tim writes, "I've been doing a lot of super-hero sketching lately. A number have been Teen Titans. There was a publication gap from 1973-1976, and these sketches are meant to be from that era. On this page you get Wondergirl, sexy cave-boy Gnaark, Lilith, the original Bat-Girl, Kid Flash, and some zombies for them to fight. Many fans hate this era, but I actually like it. There weren't super-villains, but they were always getting mixed up in strange goings-on. They were a bit more age-appropriate as well... not the 19 year olds going on 45 a la the 1980s incarnation. That was way too serious for my taste."

I tend to agree with MOST of that statement. I liked that weird era, with the jumpsuits, then supernatural stuff. It was sorta like a Hanna-Barbera show from the 70s, with a group of teenagers falling into mysteries and strange goings-on.

After I saw these sketches, well, I HAD to get a Lilith/Gnarrk commission. And I just got it in the mail today.

Can I just say that I LOVE this piece??

And here it is in color!

Also, I REALLY want someone to ret-con that horrible Post-Crisis Gnarrk story from NEW TITANS #56. I prefer the original Gnarrk, or even/and the animated version from the Cartoon Network Teen Titans series.

New Members of Deathstroke's Titans Revealed

2009-10-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

We know the creative team of INK will be taking over the Titans. We know a new team will be forming in TITANS, led by Deathstroke.

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: INK #6 is a bit of a lead in, and the last page is... very telling.

Hmmmm. I'm really not sure if this interests me at all.... Wasn't teh whole point of the TITANS series to reunite the "Sensational Seven"?

Preview: Blackest Night: Titans #3

2009-10-29T10:24:00.001-05:00

IGN has posted a preview of Blackest Night Titans #3

October 26, 2009 -
Blackest Night: Titans #3
Written by: JT Krul
Art by: Ed Benes
Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 28, 2009

With their backs against the walls of a battered Titans Tower, the few remaining Titans face their dead former teammates who have now become Black Lanterns!

Meanwhile, one Titan discovers a secret weapon... but at what price? Don't miss this finale from writer J.T. Krul (JSA CLASSIFIED, Fathom) and superstar artist Ed Benes (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

Preview: Teen Titans #76

2009-10-29T10:23:00.001-05:00

Teen Titans #76
Written by Felicia D. Henderson; co-feature written by Sean McKeever; Art by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar and Júlio Ferreira; Cover by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson

Guest-starring Beast Boy and Raven! With the Teen Titans unraveling at the seams, two former members must return to Titans Tower to help Wonder Girl right the sinking ship! If only it were that easy…And in the Ravager second feature, Rose uncovers a horrific black market. And she deals with it the only way she knows how: with blood.

Preview: http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/13238_x.pdf
NOTE: Additional pages than previous preview

Didio 10 Answers: Superboy Back On Teen Titans

2009-10-29T10:20:00.001-05:00

From this week's 10 Answers & One Question with DC's DAN DIDIO:

5) Mbecks114 wrote:
Dan

You've stated that Superboy will be more involved in the current Superman main story line soon. But when the Legion takes over Adventure Comics where will we be able to follow his adventures in Smallville?

DiDio: There's one very logical place that Superboy will be appearing on a consistent basis. And then from there, as the Superman storyline heats up during the course of the year, you'll start to see him popping up in more and more of the Superman titles.

Nrama: Well, I suspect you kind of answered the next part of his question, but Mbeck continues...
Will he rejoin the Titans or at least be reunited with Tim, Bart, and Cassie?

DiDio: See Answer 1.

Ravager by Nick Derington

2009-10-23T17:34:00.003-05:00

Hmm, I had forgotten I had this one! My friend Marcus got it for my earlier this year at a Dallas con. Ravager by Nick Derington. It's spectacular. Interestingly enough, Nick drew Rose with Asian features without knowing her history. Many people forget Rose is part Cambodian, on her mother's side.

OK, and that's it... for now...

WWBACC: Titans Commissions

2009-10-23T17:27:00.005-05:00

Last week, I went to the Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con. It was a fairly lackluster affair. A sort of soggy sequel to the real New York Comic-Con (which Wizard intends to compete with next year... yeah, good luck with that!) I did get some nice sketches, tho.

Miss Martian by Gregg Schigiel. This one is fun.

Next up is Aquagirl by Jamie Fay. This one looks great in color, Jamie keeps getting better and better each time I see him at these cons.

Next up is Starfire by Khary Randolph. I love Khary's style. He did the character designs for WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, btw. Good stuff, huh?
Next is Raven by Joe Quinones. I have no idea how to say his name, so I called him "Joe Quixiote", while my friend Jeff called him "Joe Quesadilla." I felt better when I asked him how you pronounce it, and he said he thought even HE pronounced it wrong!

Anyway, I like the way this turned out. Thanks for fetching it, Jeff!

Next up is Zatara by Andy MacDonald. Andy does great commissions. And whenever there's an interesting visual power, Andy knocks it out of the park. I love this one!

Titans Sales Watch: September

2009-10-21T10:40:00.001-05:00

Thanks again to Detroyes! He writes 'em. I post 'em.

September Sales estimates are out, so its time to crunch the numbers. And there's actually some good news to offer, all things considered.

As always, raw data courtesy of ICv2.

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16022.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16023.html

FORMAT:

TITLE
Issue # / Release Month / Year / # Units Sold / +/- Previous Month

Blackest Night: Titans (3-Issue Mini Series)
#2 September 2009 64,086 -7,235
(NOTE: See sales note below)

Teen Titans (ongoing)
#75 September 2009 32,808 +2,428

Titans (ongoing)
#17 September 2009 30,154 -1,254

Tiny Titans (ongoing)
#20 September 2009 8,435 +3

Booster Gold (ongoing)
#24 September 2009 21,732 -376 -- NTT Crossover

Doom Patrol (ongoing)
#2 September 2009 22,001 -6,266

Vigilante (ongoing) (cancelled)
#10 September 2009 7,856 -531

Graphic Novels:
Titans: Lockdown
September 2009 1,722

Analysis:
Blackest Night: Titans -- First off, I must mention that Blackest Night: Titans #1 had a significant number of re-orders in September; 6,554 units, to be exact. Thus, Blackest Night: Titans #1 sales figures now look like this:

#1 August 2009 71,321 N/A
(August Numbers - 64,767; September Numbers - 6,554)

So for those of you who are looking at the post for August figures above in comparison, that's the reason behind the discrepancy. It still hasn't passed Titans #1 as the best selling Titans title of the last two years, but its getting close. And Blackest Night: Titans #2 did almost as well as the first issue's initial numbers; clearly, BN:T has been the best thing to happen Teen Titans-wise in a very, very long time. And what's more, author JT Krul has received almost universal praise for the series. With those number and those reviews, I think DC would have a hard time justifying not handing the him a Titans title. Good chance we may yet see more re-orders for both issues in next month's numbers.

Teen Titans -- Actually managed to get a 2.5k increase. Several factors probably contributed to that - landmark issue number, first issue of new writer, indications in solicits that old characters would return. What's more, there's some good indications that - for at least the next few months - those numbers are not likely to go down significantly. Upcoming we have a two issue Blackest Night crossover, and that is being followed by a long-anticipated foray in Milestone Comics territory with Static. Thus, I suspect Teen Titans will stay mostly at an even keel for the foreseeable future. It is now quite possible that the worst is now behind us.

Titans -- Back to its normal sales slide, although this one was smaller than average. Didn't get below the 30k mark like I expected, but it seems unlikely to escape it next month. With this title still doing nothing but one-shot filler stories and its "new improved direction" still months away, I'm expecting the slide to continue for the next few months. Only time will tell if Deathstroke Titans will save the book.

Tiny Titans -- Basically broke even.

Booster Gold -- Another smallish drop, most likely due to NTT nostalgia.

Doom Patrol -- Yikes. Not liking that drop. But the new series is proving to be somewhat controversial for old fans of the DP, so perhaps it was to be expected.

Vigilante -- Sadly, its about to be put out of its misery.

Graphic Novels
Since its rather pointless to do a month-by-month analysis of TPB releases, here instead are what the totals have been like for new Titans TPB/HC released this year. Same format as above, except no issue numbers and no +/- change:

Titans: Old Friends (HC)
January 2009 1,853

Tiny Titans Vol. 1: Welcome to the Treehouse
February 2009 2,603

Teen Titans Spotlight: Cyborg
March 2009 1,144

Tiny Titans Vol. 2: Adventures in Awesomeness
May 2009 2,056

Terror Titans
July 2009 1,862

Teen Titans: Changing of the Guard
August 2009 1,975

Titans: Lockdown
September 2009 1,722

All sales are about average for TPB releases. Keep in mind, however, that these figures are ONLY for those copies sold through the Diamond distribution chain; they DO NOT include sales to, say, bookstories like Barnes & Noble and Borders. Those stores get their copies directly from the publisher (via Random House) in the normal book sales distribution chain.

******

Overall Analysis: Definite signs that the Titans franchise has mostly bottomed out. Titans
remains the stinker, but the flagship title looks on the verge of turning things around - or at the very least, settling itself into a range. We probably won't know for certain until early next year, but I would say that there are reasons to be cautiously (very cautiously) optimistic.

Titans in January

2009-10-19T10:27:00.003-05:00

DC Comics has released solicitation information and images for new comics and products shipping in January 2010.

TEEN TITANS #79
Written by Felicia D. Henderson; co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson; co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira
Cover by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson
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!
On sale January 27 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

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

TINY TITANS #24
Written by Art Baltazar & Franco
Art and cover by Art Baltazar
The Tiny Titans get tinier than they've ever been when a mishap in the Treehouse makes them all Atom-sized! Even the most familiar things become strange and new when you're suddenly very bitty – will the Teeny Weeny Titans ever be just Tiny again? Don't miss the all-small issue!
On sale January 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41
Written by James Robinson
Art and covers by Mark Bagley & Rob Hunter
Be here for the start of a new Justice League era! The JLA have been getting a pounding in the last couple of months, but NO MORE! The team regroups with a new roster that will transcend time and space! 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!
This issue features two covers by Mark Bagley which are seperately orderable. Cover A features Green Lantern and Green Arrow; Cover B features Batman and Mon-El. The cover images will be revealed online before the issue’s Final Order Cutoff date.
On sale January 20 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

ADVENTURE COMICS #6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Francis Manapul
Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul say goodbye (for now) to Superboy with a spectacular 30-page issue! Ever since Superboy returned from the grave, he has been obsessed with Lex Luthor, believing that there must be some good in the master villain somewhere. So for Luthor, it’s time to put up or shut up. With Superman off planet, it’s time to do some good for the planet earth. Superboy is willing to do what it takes to make Lex’s dreams come true, but what Superboy will discover is that one man’s dreams, are another man’s nightmares.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul and renamed and renumbered ADVENTURE COMICS #509). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale January 13 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Comic Book Legends Revealed 10/16/2009: Mal Duncan

2009-10-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

This week's Comic Book Legends Revealed has a discussion on Mal, Teen Titans, & 1970s interracial politics.... complete with some page scans.

COMIC LEGEND: Dick Giordano had a page of Teen Titans colored blue to help sort of "sneak" the first interracial embrace in mainstream comics through.

STATUS: True

and

Mal is offered a spot on the Titans, but he feels unworthy at the moment (I guess because of his lack of powers?), so he takes off on a secret mission, but first, he says goodbye to Lilith (the telepathic Titan, who was also a recent addition to the team at the time).

In the scene, Mal and Lilith embrace, and I guess it is sort of kind of meant to be Lilith kissing Mal on the cheek.

Whatever the case, Giordano was told by editorial to nix the scene, but instead, Giordano had the whole page colored blue...

BCC: DC Nation Redux

2009-10-19T10:13:00.005-05:00

CraveOnline tackles the Baltimore Comic-Con's always entertaining DC Nation panel.

Q: What’s the scoop on the Titans led by Deathstroke, and what about The Joker realizing there’s a new Batman?
A: Tomasi answered quickly, “Joker’s shining up a crowbar for Damian,” with Sattler chiming in that it wasn’t an 800 number to call, but instead a texting poll like voting on American Idol. In seriousness, Sattler said that the Joker issue is “not what you expect”, and that the Deathstroke story is part of something bigger, that will include other DC books besides Titans.

A fan brings Sattler some ketchup flavored potato chips, referencing a DC Nation article that was in the back of the DC books a while back, which prompts Sattler to tell a funny story about DC executive editor Dan Didio texting Sattler from Toronto asking why fans kept bringing him a bunch of oddly flavored potato chips.

and, This was mentioned in the Live Q & A coverage that was on Newsarama's coverage of the Baltimore Comic con

A: Static will be around in Teen Titans for sure, no matter who the creative team (still in flux) will be.

Still in flux? thought that Felicia Henderson was the regular writer on the title and that the creative was pretty stable for now. Is there going to be another creative team shake up on the title?

Geoff Johns Prime: on Superboy & Wally West

2009-10-19T10:08:00.002-05:00

Two conventions, a retailer summit and a possible bout of Kryptonite poisoning may have delayed us, but we're back with GEOFF JOHNS PRIME, CBR's bi-monthly visit with superstar writer Geoff Johns.

First off, I guess the big news since the last time we chatted is that, after only six issues, you and Francis Manapul are leaving "Adventure Comics" and outgoing DC Comics Publisher Paul Levitz is taking over the book. Michael, Eric, Matthew E, Christian and Dennis want to know what this means for Superboy?

I just finished #6, so I've finished the story Francis and I were working on. Superboy is one of my favorite characters. I'm not really the one to tell you what is next for Superboy, but I know he features prominently in the Superman universe from here on out, and the Teen Titans, as well, for starters.

As far as the Legion goes, I'm beyond excited for Paul Levitz to return to "Adventure Comics" and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

and

He also wanted to thank-you for giving Duela Dent more 'screentime' when you were on "Teen Titans" than she had in the last 20 years.

I had plans for Joker's daughter. Since "Teen Titans" #1, [editor] Eddie Berganza and I also talked about Joker's Daughter, but we never really got to play those plans out.

and

Dan wants to know when we'll see Wally's new costume.

"Flash: Rebirth" #5. And it's very much a Flash costume. It's tweaked, but it's certainly not crazy. It's not blue and white. It's Flash. We never wanted to completely change it. We just wanted to accentuate what makes Wally's costume, Wally's costume. It will feel very familiar.

BCC: J.T. Krul

2009-10-19T10:00:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting J. T. Krul at the Baltimore Con. Since Sean McKeever's departure from TEEN TITANS, his Titans-related work has been the bright spot in the Titans-verse. And I told him so.

J. T. thanked me for titanstower.com, citing it as a go-to place when he has to research characters, and dig into back issues for reference. It was nice to hear that J. T. takes such care in researching the characters' histories - and it shows! He really wanted the Tempest-issue of TITANS to put a spotlight on the character. And he did!

J. T. did mention that his two-part Blackest Night TEEN TITANS issues were very focused on Rose and Slade, and the rest of the team doesn't even appear. So despite that dead Titans homage cover to NEW TEEN TITANS #1, don't expect to see those dead characters in that story.

There's also more creepiness in store for BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #3, since J. T. views the whole mini-series as a horror story. And more things with Donna's baby that are "just wrong."

Here's hoping to see more from J. T. in the Titans' future!

BCC: DC Nation Panel

2009-10-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

CBR reports: A packed panel room welcomed the DC Nation panel Saturday afternoon at Baltimore Comic-Con. Hosted by DC Comics Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler, the panel consisted of Vice President of Sales Bob Wayne, J.T. Krul ("Blackest Night: Titans"), Jamal Igle ("Supergirl"), Peter Tomasi ("Blackest Night: Batman"), and "JSA versus Kobra" editor Rachel Gluckstern.

The panel then shifted over to J.T. Krul, who was clearly excited about the upcoming "Blackest Night: Titans" variant cover by Titans legend and BCC guest of honor George Perez. "You couldn't ask for anything better," he said. "The variant covers are great because we wanted to do a horror tone with Ed Benes's main covers." Krul said the Perez variant is "the screensaver now on my desktop. It's reached that special place and it'll probably be there for a while."

"We have stuff coming out from J.T. after Blackest Night that I can't tell you about," said Sattler. "It's really messed up. He's such a nice guy and we're having him write the most messed up book ever."

BCC: George Perez Spotlight Panel

2009-10-13T15:41:00.002-05:00

CBR reports: Among the first events to pull people out from lines in Artist Alley was the Spotlight on George Perez panel, highlighting the legendary artist and Guest of Honor's 35 years in the comics industry.

Perez began with some news for Titans aficionados. Though he said he is turning down more work than he can possibly accept right now, Perez's parter-in-crime Marv Wolfman apparently found the plot to a Titans graphic novel entitled "Games" that was lost long ago. The book will be out by October of 2010 and will run 120 pages.

"It cannot come out later than 2010 if we want the anniversary to mean a damn thing," Perez said, after explaining that the release of "Games" would mark the 30th year since his and Wolfman's "New Teen Titans" began.

The first five pages had already been drawn and inked by Perez, while the next 25 were inked years ago by Al Vey. Perez also related that DC would be resurrecting the comic book dimensions from when the book was initially drawn and plotted to print "Games." As Perez begins to draw the final 90 pages over the next year, Mike Perkins ("Captain America") will ink his pages. Perkins is now Marvel-exclusive but had a waiver in his contract that would allow him to help Perez finish this Titans graphic novel.

"Anyone who saw Mike ink me at CrossGen knows what a good match we make," Perez said.

and

When asked if he'd be interested in writing again, Perez stated simply, "I don't think I ever want to write again." He expounded on that by saying that writing in comics nowadays takes a special kind of intestinal fortitude with the universes being so integrated and crossovers being such popular fare. Perez also explained that he was offered a position as the writer of "Teen Titans," but would have had certain story mandates he needed to follow and that didn't interest him. He explained it was the company's right to ask for these things with their characters, but if that is the case. he'd rather just draw.

"I'd rather leave it to guys with a lot stronger guts and a lot less fragile ego than I have," he said.

BCC: Troia by Barry Kitson

2009-10-12T23:01:00.004-05:00

So this is the last piece I have to share from Baltimore. And, it's also my favorite from the show. As Titans fans may remember,Barry Kitson was the artist on TITANS from #38 to the series final issue, #50. It's too bad, because Kitson had a lot of ideas for the book, including bringing back some great former Titans like Lilith and Bumblebee.

I almost wanted Barry to draw Lilith, since I really appreciated the fact that he got rid of the Omen robes, and made Lilith her cool hippie-chick self. But then I thought Donna would be more visual.

Barry was doing some phenomenal pieces at the show.. penciled, inked and watercolored. If you were patient and waited your turn, Barry would oblige with a full piece (I wish I had links to them all... some amazing stuff). And here's the kicker: He was doing them free of charge.

So I present Troia by Barry Kitson. Really amazing, huh?

BCC: Troia by George Perez

2009-10-12T22:56:00.003-05:00

So me and 3 of my friends (Eric, Jeff and Tom) were all waiting to see if we'd win the Hero Initiative raffle to see who would get the chance at a Perez commission. There was only 10 to be had. As luck would have it, we all won. Fab Four, indeed. :)

I already have so much from George. The fab five. All his Titans. Ravager. Nightwing. What to get? It was a toss-up between Danny Chase (who he drew during his second run on the book) and Donna Troy (since he inked Jose Garcia Lopez in RETURN OF DONNA TROY, plus did the Secret Files page of Donna's current look, as designed by Phil Jimenez). Sorry, Danny. :)

Of course, it looks spectacular!

BCC: Superboy by Karl Kesel

2009-10-12T22:50:00.004-05:00

So, funny story, this. I already have a Superboy Karl Kesel that I love to death. Check it out here. I already have a Hawk & Dove by Kesel as well. So I thought, what to do? Then I remembered when Karl returned to SUPERBOY with #50, the kid of steel later got a new costume with SUPERBOY #75 or so, when he lost his powers or somesuch. It was a black t-shirt with the "S" symbol. And I thought "perfect! that's what I'll get from Karl!"

So I told him, I wanted black t-shirt Superboy, but from your SUPERBOY run. Well, I think he misunderstood. And Karl drew me the "current era" Superboy. It came out great and I love it.... so maybe next time I'll bring reference from his SUPERBOY run! :)

BCC: Lilith and Wonder Girl by Robert Ullman

2009-10-12T22:46:00.004-05:00

I came across a table in artist alley that read: "Atom-Bomb Bikini: The Lurid Art of Robert Ullman." I was stopped in my tracks by Robert's fun and sexy little drawings. It's sort of Bruce Timm meets Dan DeCarlo. And how can that be bad? Robert was a super nice guy, and I wanted him to draw something fun that fit his style. I thought... how about "go-go era" Lilith and Wonder Girl? I love this piece. :) Check out more of Robert's art at http://rkullman.blogspot.com/

BCC: Static by Andy MacDonald

2009-10-12T15:26:00.004-05:00

I've gotten tons of pieces from Andy MacDonald (NYC MECH). Tons of awesome pieces. And once again, Andy does not disappoint... cuz here's another! Love the whole design of this, as well as Andy's strong attention to detail.

BCC: Raven by Rebecca Issacs

2009-10-12T15:23:00.004-05:00

Rebecca Issacs (DV8) was doing these amazing sketches for $5 each. I requested a Raven, and she drew this great piece. I love the expression (or lack thereof) on Raven's face. Surprisingly, Rebecca was unfamiliar with the character. You wouldn't know it by looking at this!

BCC: Buffy Gang by Georges Jeanty

2009-10-12T14:50:00.003-05:00

Non-Titans related, but I had to share. I FINALLY got my Buffy piece from Georges Jeanty (BUFFY SEASON 8). I wanted the three original Scoobies. And wow, did he deliver! Love this one.

BCC: Pantha and Baby Wildebeest by Paul Azaceta

2009-10-12T12:30:00.003-05:00

Paul Azaceta (GROUNDED, DAREDEVIL) drew an amazing Nightwing for me at the New York Comic-Con this past year. His style is moody and dark, so I asked for Pantha and Baby Wildebeest, and I think Paul did a super job capturing these darker Titans characters.

BCC: Beast Boy by Chris Ivy

2009-10-12T12:29:00.003-05:00

I commissioned this piece from Chris Ivy, who inked the BEAST BOY mini series. I like how Chris captured Gar in mid-transformation.

BCC: Beast Boy and Terra by Franco

2009-10-12T12:26:00.003-05:00

Franco from TINY TITANS was doing sketches for a buck per character. You can't beat that! I really wanted a little gag piece from him, so I asked for Beast Boy and Terra - and Franco delivered this awesome sketch. Poor Beast Boy, huh?

BCC: Robin and Superboy by Dean Trippe

2009-10-12T12:22:00.004-05:00

The first sketch of the con was from Dean Trippe. I really liked his style, and he's a big Superboy and Robin fan, so I had him draw a Teen Titans style "World's Finest" pic. Nice stuff! You can see more at his website, http://www.deantrippe.com too.

BCC: George Perez on GAMES

2009-10-12T12:16:00.006-05:00

Just got back from the Baltimore Comic-Con. It was a last minute trip, since a friend of mine had a few friends cancel out on him. I'd always heard good things about this show, and the rumors are true! It's a great show that's very comic book focused - which seems to be a rarity these days.

Got some great sketches. Caught up with George Perez, Mike McKone and Jay Faerber. Met J.T. Krul and Barry Kitson for the first time. And had fun hanging out and drinking with my con buds in downtime Baltimore.

So... I talked to George Perez about the upcoming GAMES Titans Graphic novel. He said it's his next project, but there's no plans to give it a "framing sequence" or anything like that. I also mentioned to George that Sarah Simms had appeared again recently, which renders a plot point in GAMES moot now anyway. George described it as a "time capsule" project - so don't expect to fit it into continuity.

I also got a sketch from George -- which I will post shortly! :)

Blackest Night: Titans #3 by George Perez

2009-10-09T09:44:00.002-05:00

From the DC Comics The Source Blog:

If you’ve been reading BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS (and there’s no reason to miss it, I say), then you know the once dearly-departed Terra plays a big role. So, it makes perfect sense to bring aboard writer/artist George Pérez to put pencil to paper for the cover to the mini’s final issue. Doubly cool? The artistic master plays homage to his own work, namely, the cover to NEW TEEN TITANS #30. But enough bluster. We caught up with BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS editor Brian Cunningham to get more details on the cover, plus the cover itself (and its inspiration) below. Take it away, Brian:

“Who better to homage the cover to NEW TEEN TITANS (vol. 1) #30 than its original artist George Pérez? He even did a baby Black Lantern Wildebeest on the logo! And Hi-Fi Design knocked the coloring out of the park. You might see Pérez and Hi-Fi team up again on another Titans project in 2010. Stay tuned!”

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #3 hits 10/28.

That's pretty cool.

Marv Wolfman Never Saw Deatshtroke as A Villain

2009-10-06T12:47:00.004-05:00

I found a good Marv Wolfman quote from BACK ISSUE MAGAZINE #33 (which is on sale from the excellent TwoMorrows Publishing):

“Actually, I never thought of Deathstroke as a villain or bad guy.” Wolfman says in justification of this decision. “I thought of him as someone who was put into a bad situation and couldn’t find a way out so he kept getting deeper and deeper into the hole he was digging around himself.

"I think one of the best Deathstroke stories was one I did in Titans called ‘Shades of Gray’ where he and Changeling go to a diner and just talk. I think that showed who Deathstroke was. I’m not comfortable with him being a mega-villain. As for how he acted after Terra—well, he was in the early process of redeeming himself.I think of Terra as the manipulator, not Deathstroke. She was his means of getting out of the HIVE quagmire he was in. He was her means at getting revenge against the world.”

Interesting, huh?

I really miss the conflicted, complicated Slade Wilson of the 80s and 90s. Before DC decided to turn him into an uber-villain.

It's a shame a lot of writers cite the Wolfman/Perez NEW TEEN TITANS as a major influence, yet ignore some of the rich characterization of that run.

Teen Titans Hit Dakota

2009-10-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

From 10 Answers and 1 Question with DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio:

On the Milestone characters, you all have to excuse me because I did make an omission at one point when I spoke about the Milestone characters. We do have a two-part Prestige series coming out called Milestone Forever, which wraps up and involves a lot of storylines that existed from the original stories involving those characters. And that's in production right now, and we'll hope to have it out pretty soon.

Also, Static will be front and center in Teen Titans, in a story arc that moves into Dakota. So we're excited about that as well.

Amy Wolfram's Spooktacular Return To Titans

2009-10-06T08:47:00.003-05:00

Amy Wolfram has informed the Tower that there's a couple of Titans-related stories coming up: "The DCU Halloween Special will be in stores October 21st. I wrote two spooktacular one-page trick-or-treating stories, one featuring Beast Boy, and in the other I finally got to use Rose Wilson/Ravager!"

Looking forward to them!

Wally West Gets Co-Feature in FLASH

2009-10-06T08:45:00.002-05:00

CBR reports: "This Saturday at the inaugural Long Beach Comic Con, a crowd of hardcore DC Comics fans packed themselves in a room to ask questions of the company’s best and brightest. Among the panel were Vice President of Sales Bob Wayne, Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee."

"There were few new announcements, though lots of fan interaction. Among those new tidbits revealed by the panel, Geoff Johns announced that Wally West will be getting a new costume, designed by the inimitable Ethan Van Sciver. “The Flash” will also be a 30 page book featuring a Barry Allen lead story by Johns and Francis Manapul, with a co-feature by Johns and Scott Kollins on Wally West."

If I Ran Titans: Deathstroke's Team

2009-09-29T16:33:00.003-05:00

Deathstroke leading the Titans? How will that work?

OK, here's my take, "If I Ran The Titans":

The mysterious Mr. Orr approaches Deathstroke to lead his secret government-sponsored black-ops team on specially picked missions. Slade will be paid hansomly, but the real enticement is that Orr promises Slade that he can restore Jericho - both mind and body - through a combination of therapy and cyber-surgery. His team is a mix of unwanted, lost and morally questionable characters.

Ravager: Rose Wilson joins the team with the sole purpose of bringing back her brother. She doesn't trust her father or Orr, so she's there to keep on eye on them both. And she really hates taking orders from her father. So many time, she rebels against them.

Bombshell: Amy is chosen for her military training. She's Slade's second-in-command - a role that infuriates Rose, who still holds a grudge against Bombshell. Ultimately, Bombshell finds herself in the surprising role of the galvanizing leader - taking the responsibility of making sure everyone's personal agendas don't effect their missions.

Risk: Cody Driscoll signs up with Deathstroke's team for two reasons: First, Orr outfits Risk with cybernetic arms. Second, Risk wants to atone for his crimes and start a road to redemption. It's a tough journey ahead, as Cody is a danger-junkie with some self-loathing going on. But Bombshell becomes an odd source of strength and inspiration for Risk. And he may need it - because - can you really trust a gift from Mr. Orr and expect no strings attached?

Gemini: Captured from the Brotherhood of Evil, Mr. Orr forces Gemini on Deathstroke's team for her stealth skills. Gemini claims to have changed her ways, but the girl has deep-seeded psychological issues. This makes her a target for Deathstroke's manipulations, but also makes her extremely dangerous and untrustworthy.

Molecule: Thought dead after being sliced in half by the Terror Titans, something strange happened... Molecule replicated into two bodies. It was at that moment teen genius Jon Levine learned that in addition to his shrinking abilities, Molecule could create a seemingly endless amount of duplicates. Now, when Molecule needs to brainstorm his newest insane science theories on robotics and tech, he replicates and creates his own mini-science team - all of himself! Molecule was drafted for his genius-level intelligence in the area of cyber-technology, but he finds himself at odds with his morally-compromised members. His real goal is to fnd his long-lost twin sister: Carrie Levine.

Dreadbolt: Once a Terror Titan, Dreadbolt finds himself completely lost. Still reeling from killing his father, he has yet to decide if he's a cold-blooded killer - or if he has a shot at redemption. It's not helping matters than one of his teammates is Molecule - who he tried to murder with his Terror Titans comrades.

Sungirl: A complete and utter opportunist, Sungirl will do whatever she needs to get what she wants. Her plans are never vast world-conquest ideas, but more about whatever selfish needs she desires at any given moment. She often pits her own team member against each other - sometimes for the sheer thrill of watching misery unfold. She takes an interest in both Risk and Dreadbolt - and they should probably be careful not to get too close to her - lest they get burned.

Red X: A complete and utter mystery, no one knows why Red X is member of the team of who lies beneath the mask.

Deatshtroke: Initially taking the Titans leadership role for his own reasons, Slade ends up becoming strangely protective of his lost and lonely brood. He also starts to see the team as a way to bring Rose and Jericho close to him - and perhaps have a chance at family again.

Upcoming Stories:

Deathstroke and his Titans are charged with taking down the Wildebeest Society, who are performing wild experiments based on the old Wildebeest tech. They cross paths with an all-new wild and feral Pantha, the sister of the original who wants revenge on the Wildebeest. Can even Red Star reign her in? And with Mirage hot on the Wildebeest trail as well, could Carrie Levine be one of the Wildebeest's captives?

When Deatshroke's team of Titans needs to rescue the surviving Phantom Limbs from Zandia, will Gemini betray the team to the Brotherhood of Evil? And when Cyborgirl shows up, what role will she play?

Clues indicate that Sweet Lili Worth, Rose's mother, may still be alive. Can Rose believe it? Or is a cruel trick of one of the Titans' adversaries? Or even, one of Rose's own teammates?

Preview: Blackest Night: Titans #2

2009-09-29T14:51:00.002-05:00

IGN has posted a 5-page preview of BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #2:

Blackest Night: Titans #2 Preview
Donna Troy's nightmare is just beginning.

September 28, 2009 -
Blackest Night: Titans #2
Written by: JT Krul
Art by: Ed Benes
Price: $2.99
Release Date: September 30, 2009

Titan-on-Titan violence! Black Lantern Hawk has his talons set for the female Hawk and Dove!

Meanwhile, Red Star faces a frightful family reunion with Black Lanterns Pantha and Wildebeest, and Donna Troy faces her worst possible nightmare! Plus, Black Lantern Terra terrorizes Beast Boy!

Continuing the 3-issue miniseries from writer J.T. Krul (JSA CLASSIFIED, Fathom) and superstar artist Ed Benes (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

Preview: TEEN TITANS #75

2009-09-29T14:48:00.003-05:00

DC Universe: The Source has posted a preview of TEEN TITANS #75:

Things are changing over at Titans Tower, as writer Felicia D. Henderson, also a co-executive producer for the hit TV show ‘Fringe’, teams up with artist Joe Bennett and an all-star cast of Titans past and present to celebrate the 75th issue of the series, and to usher in a new and fresh take on DC’s premier teen team.

TEEN TITANS #75 hits 9/30.

10 Answers with Didio: Titans News

2009-09-29T07:49:00.004-05:00

Some Titans news from Newsarama's 10 Answers with Dan Didio:

1) needcomicmoney wrote:
Is Titans going to be cancelled? With Donna, Kory and Vic going to the League and Beast Boy and Raven seemingly returning to the Teen Titans it looks like there will be no need for this book to continue.

Dan DiDio: We're going to have a new Titans team coming your way very soon. You'll see a lot of familiar faces, and maybe a couple new ones. And more importantly, it's being led by Deathstroke. So I think you'll see a new direction for the series, and hopefully, people will stick on board. I don't want to give away what the story is about, but it's tied very closely to Titans lore, and it's also tied very closely to a lot of events taking place in Justice League. So a lot of your familiar faces of Titans, just because they might be on other teams doesn't mean you won't be seeing them in the book.

Newsarama: But the Titans team that is led by Deathstroke is separate from the Teen Titans comic, correct?

DiDio: Correct. This will also show a clear delineation between the two teams and their goals.

Nrama: Some comics have shown Kid Flash and Superboy as part of the Teen Titans team. Will that be reflected within the Teen Titans series eventually?

DiDio: The two characters, Superboy and Kid Flash/Bart Allen, have both come back from what we deem to be traumatic experiences. So one of the first things we wanted to do with them was to re-establish them back in current time, re-establish them with their supporting cast. And from there, once we think the time is right, see how they fit within the superhero community and which teams they might end up on.

Nrama: I think a lot of the confusion comes from how Superboy was shown in Adventure Comics as being part of Teen Titans, and now he's going to be leaving that title as Paul Levitz takes over. The question is where he'll end up if not within the Teen Titans comic itself?

DiDio: I think one of the logical places to see Superboy is in Teen Titans. But that's not to say he won't be making appearances in other books too.

and

Nrama: So when you say Superboy may show up in other comics, does this indicate Conner's fans will see him in the Superman books?

DiDio: There's a good chance of that.

3) Cyfin wrote:
Can you tell us any more about the upcoming Kid Flash series? When it will be starting, who might be penciling it, anything at all? I've been a huge fan of Bart since the Impulse days, and I'm very excited for his new series.

DiDio: I think we announced that Sterling Gates is writing it. And what you're going to see is it premiering somewhere around April or May of next year. It will launch about a month after the launch of the new Flash book.

Nrama: So there's no artist attached yet?

DiDio: At this particular time, I've got a couple of artists who are under consideration. But right now, we're getting the story worked out in conjunction with the events that are going to be unfolding in both Flash and Blackest Night: Flash.

Not sure what to think of all this. The Deathstroke-led Titans team? I'm not sure how that can work, since DC has turned Deatshtroke from anti-hero to outright super-evil dude. This is probably the make-or-break move for the TITANS series... fan-wise and sales-wise.

Ravager "Fresh Hell" Update

2009-09-25T09:16:00.003-05:00

Sean McKeever has posted an update on comicbloc concerning the TEEN TITANS co-feature he is writing:

Hey, all!

Just wanted you to know that the Ravager serial will be bowing out of TT 77 & 78 to make room for Blackest Night (and Ravager in the main story)! Yildiray and I will be back in 79 for part 6 of "Fresh Hell", which as of a few months ago was reconfigured into a 9-part story.

Really enjoyed Miller's arc on the book and looking forward to Henderson's take.

If you're going to Mid-Ohio-Con next week, or Baltimore Comic-Con the next week, drop by and say hi!

-Sean

I'm really enjoying Sean's "Fresh Hell" and NOMAD! The Ravager co-feature has been one of the bright spots in the Titans franchise these days. I'm a little sad it went from 12-parts to 9-parts, but at least we get a 2-part Deathstroke/Rose story by JT Krul in trade.

Top 20 Iconic Titans Covers

2009-09-23T11:05:00.008-05:00

Comic Book Resources is doing a nice job of selecting the top "iconic" covers of various series and characters. So, I decided to do my own feature on the "Top Twenty Iconic Titans Covers." Basically, anything is eligible from the Titans inception to present day. The covers must be memorable and indelibly capture a moment in Titans history. So let's start the countdown....

20. TEEN TITANS #50 [1977]: East meets West as the Teen Titans collide with Titans West in this cover by Rich Buckler. Typical of the 1970s era covers, this one is chocked full of characters, with the tease that there's a big fight within its pages. This issue fully introduced Titans West, while the cover image contains more Titans than you can shake a stick at. And for fans new and old, there was definitely enough intriguing characters that would make any fanboy want to part with his 35 cents.

19. TEEN TITANS #26 [1970]: The Titans got revel ant, leaving their costumed identities to work for Mr. Jupiter. With the hepcat talk and harmless tomfoolery behind them, this cover marked a dramatic departure from the Titans of old. In a classic cover by Nick Cardy, an air of mystery pr evades. Why have the Titans given up their costumes? Where are they going? It also doesn't hurt that Nick Cardy was fantastic at drawing young characters - in or out of costumes - and gave us one of the sexiest versions of Donna Troy ever.

18. NEW TITANS #71 [1990]: The banner says "Happy Anniversary", but Nightwing looks none too happy in this classic cover by Tom Grummett. That's because this issue marked the beginning of the "Titans Hunt" storyline, where the members were abducted on the eve of their third anniversary as a team. Nightwing's expression - surrounded by the remnants of his friends - was an ominous image. Adding to the mood, is the clever shadow of the Wildebeest looming over Nightwing.

17. NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #1 [1984]: Another iconic team shot by George Perez, launching the team into an all-new series.

16. BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54 [1964]: This is the one that started it all! The teen trio gathers in the first unofficial Teen Titans appearance. Bruno Premiani provides the cover art, a memorable image of three teen heroes held hostage by a nasty old man. The cover said "generation gap with super-heroes", which was a theme of the classic Haney/Cardy run.

15. NEW TEEN TITANS #13 [1981]: As the Marv Wolfman/George Perez run began to hit its stride, George treated us to this chilling cover. Back in the days when covers were designed to make fanboys plunk down their 60 cents for a comic, this one definitely captured attention. So much so, the animators behind Cartoon Network's TEEN TITANS replicated this cover in an episode featuring the Doom Patrol.

14. NEW TEEN TITANS #30 [1983]: No one does group team shots better than George Perez. And this cover proves it! Terra joins the team. And no one suspected the heartache that would follow...

13. TEEN TITANS #1 [2003]: Rescuing the Titans franchise from its doldrums, Geoff John and Mike McKone electrified fans with their new take on the Teen Titans. The very first issue established the new status quo - with the former Young Justice members taking center stage, while the former Titans were to lend support. Mike McKone became a signature Titans artist in a short time - and this cover provided an iconic look at the new teen team. Mike later reversed this image, allowing the former Titans - Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire and Cyborg - to take center in TEEN TITANS #12.

12. TITANS #15 [2000]: The Gargoyle returned to bedevil the Titans in this issue, but the cover by Phil Jimenez lovingly captured the Fab Five in their current incarnations. There's a nice nod to the group's origins with Mr. Twister, and their icons, both old and new. The bold design created the most striking cover of the TITANS 50-issue run.

11. NEW TEEN TITANS #34 [1983]: Everyone looks so happy to welcome Terra into the ranks of the Teen Titans. This was before they discovered she was a dirty skank working with the Terminator. The image of Deathstroke blasting the image away was a perfect portent - as Terra's duplicity would be revealed this issue - sending fanboys reeling. George was on top of his game and inking his own covers at this point - producing a gorgeous image that told a different story once you knew the secret that was contained within its pages.

The countdown continues....

10. TITANS #23-25 [2000]: Donna Troy's history may give some of us a headache, but Phil Jimenez helped ease the pain with this stunning triptych cover for the "Who Is Troia?" story arc. The scans barely capture the painstaking detail poured onto the page, as every Donna Troy factoid is captured loving in this image. Also? No one draws Donna Troy quite like Phil Jimenez.

9. TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE #1: Karl Kerschl perfectly captures the essence of the Teen Titans formative days. In the shadows of their mentors, the exuberant teen heroes burst forth to gather as a team for the first time! Kerschl's expressive style captured the joy of the Cardy-era without resorting to parody. Indeed, Karl created his own indelible stamp of these characters, most notably the awkward and sickly-looking Aqualad.

8. TEEN TITANS #14 [1968]: The Haney/Cardy run of TEEN TITANS is often remembered for its goofball charm. It was the era of Robin-O, Twinkle Toes, Gillhead and Wonder Chick. Perhaps that why this moody cover by Nick Cardy is so memorable. Thrusting Robin into the spotlight, this cover set a chilling tone for what lie inside - as the grotesque Gargoyle attacked the Titans at their very souls. The slanted angle added to the dynamic image - and the ghostly images of the Titans prodding Robin to quit sent chills up readers' spines. The cover was gorgeously replicated by Karl Kerschl in TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE #6.

7. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #44 [1984]: It was the pentultimate chapter of "The Judas Contract." Deathstroke had captured all the Titans except Dick Grayson. Terra had just betrayed them all. And a mysterious mute dude showed up at Titans Tower's doorstep with his chain-smoking mom. So much was packed into this issue - including Deatshtroke's origin and the debuts of both Nightwing and Jericho. Known for his detailed art, George Perez gave each story its proper due, with this three-pronged image, each third telling it's very own story. Classic.

6. JLA/TITANS #1-3 [1998]: Phil Jimenez goes overboard - including everyone who was ever a Titan, plus a good number of Justice Leaguers for good measure. It's a "where's Waldo" of Titans lore, with obscurities like Azrael and Minion. A Titans history lesson all in one massive triptych cover, beautifully rendered by Phil.

5. NEW TEEN TITANS #39 [1983]: In another provocative cover design by George Perez, this issue marks the departure of Robin and Kid Flash. The easy out would have been a bold cover with someone yelling "I quit!" Instead, George borrowed a bit from John Romita's classic image of Peter Parker leaving his Spidey suit in the trash. This time, our two heroes are leaving their costumes behind, cleverly strewn on the logo, while they walk away with their backs to us. A little mysterious and unexpected, this image left an indelible impression, and was homaged years later in TITANS #13.

4. NEW TEEN TITANS #38 [1983]: Who Is Donna Troy? We've been asking that question for over 20 years now, yes. But back then, the question was finally resolved (or so we thought), as Dick Grayson uncovered the secrets of Donna's past. A moody personal interest story, George Perez eschewed the usual overblown cover-bait tactics and instead, gave us a memorable noirish image of Robin, the detective. In an era when fisticuffs ruled the spinner racks, this one stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

3. SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL #3 [1989]: This issue cleaned up the Titans' Post-Crisis history under a stunning cover by George Perez. Never one to shy away from group shots, this awesome image tracked the history of the Titans through the ages, along with the evolution of the fab five. Dick Grayson rightfully takes center stage, while the "T" design creates a nice symmetry. Leave it to George Perez to distill 25 years of history into one image.

2. TEEN TITANS #23 [1969]: Back off, tigers, the new Wonder Girl is here! As Marvel Comics became more and more popular, the Titans started swinging into the 1970s, losing some of their square all-too-safe charm. Nick Cardy designed a new mod-inspired costume for Wonder Girl that made everyone sit up and take notice. This is another cover that has been homaged several times - most notably by George Perez when Donna Troy became Troia in NEW TITANS #55.

1. NEW TEEN TITANS #1 [1980]: Well, duh. The grand-daddy of all Titans covers, this symmetrical image by George Perez featured a bold introduction of the now-classic (then New) Teen Titans. The memorable group shot is enhanced with the inclusion of the alien Gordanian claws in each corner, hinting at the danger the teen team was about to face. Like many George Perez group images, each character is visually introduced, allowing their powers and personality to shine.

The cover itself has been countlessly imitated - even by George himself - in NEW TEEN TITANS #130 , The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #35, TITANS SECRET FILES #1, TEEN TITANS (third series) #1 alternate cover, TEEN TITANS: TERROR OF TRIGON trade paperback, TEEN TITANS (third series) #25, and TEEN TITANS (third series) #41.

Now that's iconic.

Titans in December

2009-09-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

DC Comics has released solicitation information and images for new comics and products shipping in December 2009.

TEEN TITANS #78
Written by J.T. Krul
Art and cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
An unexpected BLACKEST NIGHT team-up! Ravager has sworn to kill her father Deathstroke. But what happens when they re forced to fight side-by-side against their dead friends and relatives? Will they kill each other before the Black Lanterns do?
On sale December 23 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

TITANS #20
Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta
Spotlight on Donna Troy! What happens when a young twenty-something woman feels like she grew up too fast and deprived herself of a twenty-something kind of life? As Donna ponders this, the Fearsome Five continue their Titans revenge streak. They picked the wrong time to do it&
On sale December 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TINY TITANS #23
Written by Art Baltazar & Franco
Art and cover by Art Baltazar
Wayne Manor has been overrun! There are penguins in the tub and bunnies in the bedroom, penguins in the freezer and bunnies in the fridge, penguins and bunnies everywhere they've even driven the bats out of the Batcave! Poor Robin is caught in the middle of the bunny-penguin turf war and has to figure out how everyone can live together peacefully! (PS. Did we mention the penguins and bunnies?)
On sale December 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

DC HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2009 #1
Written by Scott Kolins, Sterling Gates, Amy Wolfram, Fred Van Lente, Jay Faerber, Beau Smith, David Tischman, Jay Torres and others
Art by Scott Kolins, Jeff Lemire, Daniel Liester and others
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
It s that time of year! You t miss your favorite characters bringing good cheer to all. Even Deadman and wana Beast find ways to celebrate the spirit of the season!
ONE-SHOT • On sale December 9 • 80 pg, FC, $5.99 US

ADVENTURE COMICS #5
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Jerry Ordway; co-feature art by Francis Manapul
Cover by Jerry Ordway
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
Concluding the 2-part BLACKEST NIGHT tale of Superboy-Prime! The Black Lanterns have forced Prime to face his deepest and darkest fears, but what - and who - are they? And how will Superboy-Prime strike back after this devastating attack?
Plus, Conner Kent faces off with Superman's greatest enemy in an exciting co-feature by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul. That's right: Superboy confronts Lex Luthor!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Jerry Ordway), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul and renamed and renumbered ADVENTURE COMICS #508). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale December 9 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

THE OUTSIDERS #25
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin & Jay Leisten
Cover by Tom Mandrake
The Outsiders loved ones are returning from the grave in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in, and the stirring turn of events forces the team to make some difficult choices as they struggle to survive the night and stop the Black Lanterns. But the battle will be a dangerous one, and the repercussions of this issue will be felt throughout the next year!
On sale December 16 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

BLACKEST NIGHT #6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis
The secrets of Nekron are revealed as darkness consumes the DC Universe.
Everything else: TOP SECRET.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). For every 100 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

DOOM PATROL #5
Written by Keith Giffen; co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art and cover by Justiniano & Livesay; co-feature art by Kevin Maguire
The Doom Patrol battle to the death with their former teammates in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in! Faced with the imminent deaths of the entire population of Oolong Island and desperate for options, they abandon their roles as the World s Strangest Super Heroes and take up their new roles& as live bait.
Meanwhile, in the Metal Men co-feature, the battle between our robot friends and the living mannequins of The Clique comes to its messy conclusion.
On sale December 9 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
On sale December 23 • 6 of 8 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
The Flashes of Two Cities - Barry Allen and Wally West - battle the undead Rogues. Will the legendary speedsters be able to handle the Black Lantern Rogues' revenge? Plus, witness the resurrection of Barry's greatest enemy, the Reverse Flash in this hyper-speed miniseries event reuniting the fan-favorite FLASH creative team of Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Scott Kolins), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale December 2 • 1 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Donna Troy's New Origin - and a Plea

2009-09-19T10:02:00.007-05:00

Regular readers of titanstower.com know I'm a big fan of Donna Troy. A few months ago, I gave her origin a lot of thought, and discovered a good way to streamline it in post-Infinite Crisis continuity (with Wonder Woman back as a founder of the JLA). This new approach keeps the best of the Pre and Post Crisis stories with the Amazons and Titans of Myth - while removing some more confusing baggage like the cascading multiple lives.

You can read my analysis here.

I'm not waiting for DC to embrace this, although I REALLY believe they should. I updated Donna's profile page to reflect these changes and I've also included a detailed look at her different origins, with some printed proof that my new origin works with what has been published to date. I even updated Dark Angel's page and Magala's entry to show how these changes barely effect these characters.

My Plea to Titans fans: Let's get DC to embrace this origin! It's simple, easy to understand, and gives us the best amalgamation of Donna's history without any ret-cons. It's a soft ret-con, which is the best kind of ret-con.

Let Dan Didio know we want this origin on his myspace: link

Ask Dan Didio to make this origin canon at his 20 Questions.

Spread the word on DC Nation facebook: link

Let's get Donna Troy back on track so we can stop telling stories on her past - and concentrate on her future.

Updated Entries

2009-09-19T09:45:00.002-05:00

I updated entries to Fearsome Five, Red Devil, Kid Eternity and Jericho.

Check 'em out.

Titans Sales Watch: August

2009-09-18T16:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks again to Detroyes! He writes 'em. I post 'em.

August sales numbers are now out, so its time for the monthly tilting at numerical windmills.

As always, all sales estimates are courtesy of ICv2:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/15820.html

FORMAT:

TITLE
Issue # / Release Month / Year / # Units Sold / +/- Previous Month

Blackest Night: Titans (3 Issue Mini Series)
#1 August 2009 64,767 N/A

Titans (Ongoing)
#16 August 2009 31,408 -14,781

Teen Titans (Ongoing)
#74 August 2009 30,380 -610

Tiny Titans (Ongoing)
#19 August 2009 8,432 -144

Vigilante (Ongoing)
#9 August 2009 8,387 -1,555

Doom Patrol (Ongoing)
#1 August 2009 28,267 N/A

Booster Gold (ongoing)
#23 August 2009 22,108 -306 (NTT Crossover)

Analysis:

Blackest Night Titans: Impressive start, all things considered. That's the best any Titans-related title has gotten since Titans #1 in April, 2008 (75,584). But I should also note that, of the three Blackest Night related mini's, it was also the one that sold the least. Still, between those sales numbers and the overwhelmingly positive reviews, this mini has been the biggest shot in the arm for the franchise in years.

Titans: Knew that wasn't going to last; what Blackest Night giveth, Blackest Night taketh away. The previous month's Titans got a +13k boost for having a Blackest Night-related issue; sadly, that boost did not translate to renewed interest in the title with the next issue, as it immediately gave back not only the boost but a little more. While long time fans seem to be enjoying the "Day in the Life" series of one-shots, the format is clearly not bringing in new blood. For the most part, this series is stuck in a holding pattern until the latest New Direction starts up, probably sometime early next year. Until then, the sales slide will probably continue; expect it to break below 30k next month.

Teen Titans: A smaller drop than usual, probably due to it being the last issue of the arc and the curiosity factor of "Another Titan Dies!". Like Titans, this series is basically going into yet another holding pattern, while we await how things shake-out with Blackest Night. The upcoming Blackest Night crossover issues will probably give it a smallish spike, not as big as the one Titans got but probably good for 4k-5k. After that, it will depend in large part on how it all shakes out after the first of the year.

Tiny Titans: While still quite healthy sales-wise for a title of its type, it is worth noting that the sales trend remains on a downward trajectory. If it gets to around 6k, it might be time to start worrying.

Vigilante: Sales continue to dwindle. This time, it actually found itself outsold by Tiny Titans. A pity.

Booster Gold: Included for the NTT crossover. While the title does record a smallish drop, I would like to point out that the drop appears to be much smaller than the title has lately been dropping, almost certainly due to the Titans fanbase crossover.

Doom Patrol: Like Vigilante, this is a title that is at best peripherally related. I'm not sure I'll keep up the coverage, but I thought it was worth noting where it starts.

Overall, slides continue, but we have a clear light in the darkness with Blackest Night: Titans. If only DC could find a way to capture that interest in the main titles...

Why Phil Jimenez Is A Genius

2009-09-18T13:16:00.003-05:00

Just flipping through TITANS COMPANION 2 and came across his interview...

TTC: What did you think of [Donna Troy's] debut as Wonder Woman in “One Year Later”?

PJ: Not the direction I would have gone with that character, because, again, I don't believe any of those original Titans should ever become their mentors for the very basic reason that all that suggests is that you must become your parents. One of the things I loved about the Titans in their adult incarnations... Nightwing, Arsenal, Tempest, Troia... was that they were not that.

They took the best aspects of their older mentors, plus whatever else they learned, and then spun them into new identities that were linked to, but not lesser than, their mentors’ identities. That's the beauty of a character like Nightwing, is that he's not Batman, nor should he ever be Batman. He's something else.

So I think Donna as Wonder Woman doesn't actually make a lot of sense for that character, and I think it sort of backsteps her, because all you're gonna do is beat her up to show the world how amazing Diana Prince is. You know, you could never have a Donna Troy that's a better Wonder Woman than Diana, so you're immediately setting her up for failure.

TTC: What do you think about Arsenal becoming Red Arrow, then?

PJ: Same thing. I'm not a fan of it. I think it's actually a step back for that character, and not a step forward. The beautiful thing about Arsenal, I think, is that he's an incredibly unique character with ties to Green Arrow that is not following in his father's footsteps. I'm not very keen on Red Arrow.

One addendum from me: I do think that the "graduation" premise worked very well for Wally, especially upon Barry's death. Of course, now that's undone as well.

Titans in JLA

2009-09-16T21:56:00.003-05:00

A new ad from DC reveals the new JLA line-up... including Dick (Batman) Grayson, Troia, Starfire and Cyborg. The new team debuts in JUSTCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38. Check out the scan below.

With Beast Boy moving to TEEN TITANS, and Raven also featured in upcoming issues, as well as Wally (Flash) likely leaving.... that leaves only Red Arrow.

Previous TITANS news from San Diego: "Eric Wallace has joined the panel, talking about Titans. "We're going to have a new leader for the Titans, someone that you might be familiar with, by the name of Deathstroke: The Terminator," Wallace informs. Some brief talk about Teen Titans preceded the Titans dicsussion."

With all the members leaving, who does that leave Deathstroke to lead? And are those plans even still in effect?

20 Answers With Didio: Titans News

2009-09-14T16:11:00.001-05:00

Didio's 20 Answers:

Superboy ousted from ADVENTURE?

GAMES in question?

Read on:

The Adventure Comics changeover. How did that happen? Was it planned? Will Legion be the stars? Will Levitz continue with Geoff's plans?

Dan DiDio: The change was in the works already before Paul stepped into the mix. And the change started at the moment we decided Francis was going to be the artist on The Flash.

What we're planning to do with The Flash ongoing series, we needed to get Francis and Geoff off the Adventure Comics series so they could concentrate on The Flash ongoing.

So we knew we had a change there. We just weren't sure exactly where and when. And we were going back and forth on which issue it was because Geoff had a really wonderful Superboy story that he wanted to tell that, unfortunately, will have to be pushed to a later date.

But my goal now is to get those guys going on Flash as soon as possible. And then when all the changes started to occur, Paul was our only choice for the series. And to be quite frank with you, before even knowing everything that was taking place, Paul was the person we were thinking about approaching for the series as well, given his association with the Legion, given his association with Adventure Comics, and his love for the title, and his love for those characters. It only made sense for him to be the one to take this and move it to its next incarnation.

Newsarama: There's no doubt that when you think of Paul, you think of Legion of Super-Heroes. But there are Conner Kent fans out there that are wondering - what's going to happen to the Superboy piece of this comic?

DiDio: We're going to see Conner's, probably, gradual leave from that book. But that's not to say Conner won't be joining a team book soon, or appearing in another series of his own at some point.

Lame. and....

Didio: But for George Perez, there's rumors floating around our building that he and Marv are picking up where they left off 20 years ago on the Teen Titans: Games hardcover, original graphic novel. And it sounds like that's something we'd like to see come to completion for a release in 2010.

Nrama: Oh, last time I talked to George about that he had around 50 pages left to draw but didn't know if he'd ever get back to it. It's been a long time coming.

DiDio: It certainly has. But that's why it's still a rumor. We'll believe it when we actually have it in our hands.

Hmmm.... will we ever see GAMES I wonder?

Sneak Peek: Titans: Blackest Night #2

2009-09-11T10:29:00.002-05:00

Dc Universe: The Source has posted 5 preview pages of TITANS: BLACKEST NIGHT #2. They also had this to say:

J.T. Krul and artist Ed Benes continue to turn up the BLACKEST NIGHT volume on the TITANS, and we’ve got a few pages for you to look over. We’ll have a more formal (i.e. lettered and colored!) preview, but why make you wait until then? Especially when we have some pretty intense Titan-on-Titan violence? Black Lantern Hawk! Red Star! Pantha! Wildabeest! Plus, a very creepy family reunion. OK, I’ll clam up. Check out the pages below for yourself.

The pages look great! Check 'em out here. J.T. Krul and Ed Benes are knocking this one out.

Levitz Releases Letter of Resignation, Announced As "Adventure" Writer

2009-09-10T07:28:00.000-05:00

DC Comics' blog, The Source, has just posted the following public letter of resignation from DC Publisher Paul Levitz. The Source is also reporting that Levitz has been named the new writer for the recently launched "Adventure Comics" series.

You may have heard that Paul Levitz will be once again adding his considerable talent, drive and creativity to our ever expanding universe as a regular DC Comics writer.

So, what’s his first writing assignment?

Paul is returning to the title he made great as both a writer and editor, ADVENTURE COMICS, and with his eyes set to the future, he brings several of his favorite characters with him. ADVENTURE is the first in a number of projects, both ongoing and mini-series that Paul will be taking on as he joins of our list of top notch creators here at DC.

As Executive Editor, and as a fan, I can’t wait for him to get started.

-Dan DiDio

No word yet on how this effects Superboy's feature in ADVENTURE.

Warner Bros. Restructures DC Comics

2009-09-10T07:26:00.000-05:00

Deadline.com’s Nikki Finke reported Wednesday that DC Comics will undergo a restructuring as parent company Warner Bros. takes a more active interest in the traditionally autonomous comic book publisher.

According to Finke, Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov will make DC his top priority. Reporting directly to Robinov will be Diane Nelson, a WB marketer who most famously managed the Harry Potter franchise for the media giant. It seems she is to do the same for DC Comics. Nelson is familiar with DC Comics from her time at Warner Premiere, the company behind the DC-based direct-to-DVD films released since 2006.

Read it here.

Manapul and Johns leave ADVENTURE

2009-09-09T07:46:00.002-05:00

From DC Universe: The Source:

What’s the best way to get over having to come back to work after a long weekend? Well, how about some cool news? I can’t really complain, as I’m sending this while heading south to the Florida Keys. But this news is big enough to interrupt my vacation — and it really should be shared now. Remember how we announced that after the completion of THE FLASH: REBIRTH and BLACKEST NIGHT, writer Geoff Johns would be writing a new ongoing FLASH series? One thing we didn’t mention was the name of his artistic collaborator. Johns will be teaming up with none other than superstar artist Francis Manapul to chronicle the adventures of the Scarlet Speedster next year.

The pair knocked it out of the park with their amazing work on ADVENTURE COMICS, so having Johns and Manapul continue their magic partnership with one of the DCU’s most iconic characters was definitely a no-brainer. They finish up their run on ADVENTURE COMICS with January¹s #6 to get ready for FLASH #1, which kicks off the high-octane and mysterious storyline “The Dastardly Death of the Rogues!” Stay tuned to The Source for news on the new creative team taking the reigns on ADVENTURE and a sneak preview of Francis’s art from FLASH. How’s that for a welcome to the working week?

Wow. I'm a little disappointed. But I guess that's another DC title I can cross off my "buy" list. I'm down to the two Titans titles, and even those are iffy right now.

Francis Manapul's Big Adventure

2009-09-08T23:40:00.001-05:00

Comic Book Resources brings a big piece of news:

NOTE: DC Comics announced today that Francis Manapul and Geoff Johns will conclude their "Adventure Comics" run with issue #6 and move on to a new ongoing Flash title.

Well, wow... that was quick!

And an interview with Francis Manapul:

“Adventure Comics” has a large cast. Is there a character you’ve really gravitated towards as a favorite?

Krypto, definitely. I based him on our family dog. He’s so much fun to draw. After drawing the Legion and drawing so many superheroes, it’s cool to draw non-people like pets.

What do you love about drawing Superboy?

I think what makes him really cool is that it’s the knowledge that one day, he’s supposed to be Superman, but obviously we’re never going to see that because Superman’s not going to stop being Superman. So the knowledge of him eventually becoming Superman makes him such an interesting character, especially with him being half-Superman DNA and half-Lex Luthor DNA. There’s this real struggle about him.

And what’s neat about his character is that I actually like his t-shirt and jeans thing. It’s a little more street level, I don’t know if that’s the right word for it. But it’s a little more grounded, it’s a little less fantastic but it seems so much cooler and suited for Smallville. It doesn’t feel extravagant or like something more suited for Metropolis. If you lived in Metropolis, you’d expect to see glitz and when you are in Smallville, you have this quaint farmland and there’s this guy who’s a superhero who’s just in jeans and a t-shirt. That’s the American way. You’re wearing your Levis and your cowboy boots.

Mal and Karen: Splitsville?

2009-09-08T12:36:00.003-05:00

DC Universe: The Source has posted a preview to Doom Patrol #2:

Ready for another dose of Keith Giffen and Matthew Clark’s DOOM PATROL? Are you sure?

It’s a black hole, but it’s not a black hole. If you’re a Doom Patrol fan, that made perfect sense. And even if not, then you’re in for one hell of a ride as the Doom Patrol face off against the most annoying alien this side of G’nort. Who’s G’nort? Do we have to spell it out for you? Oh, and the Metal Men in space.

Check out page 8, where Bumblebee says, "Marriage is overrated. [..] Things change. That's all. Look Father Rock... Mal 'n me, we made a good run at it. It just got to the point where the good times were being outweighed by the bad times. It happens."

Can't the Titans have fun anymore?

More Titans from J.T. Krul

2009-09-07T11:20:00.002-05:00

Reaction to Krul's two Titans issues (TITANS: BLACKEST NIGHT #1 and TITANS #15) has been positive among us battle-weary Titans fans. He seems to "get" these characters in a way we haven't seen since Titans (the elder team) relaunched. J.T. Krul has joined ComicBloc, and he's revealed some upcoming Titans stuff:

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say that I am glad to see so many of you liked Garth's return to the pages of Titans. It was a great story to work on, and i can't wait for you all to see what's in store for Blackest Night: Titans. It's going to be sick and twisted and a whole lot of fun...except for the Titans that is.

And fans will be happy to know there's more Titans-goodness from J.T.:

I agree. What a great cover! But I have to admit that I'm pretty biased, seeing that I'm writing the story. : )

And, by the way, it's a two-parter. Both #77 and #78 are one story that centers on Ravager and Deathstroke as they get haunted, BN-style. I could share more, but come on - that cover says it all, doesn't it?

and, on upcoming work:

Thanks. A lot of credit goes to Geoff, Eddie, Brian, Adam, Rex and the gang. Not to mention Benes and the rest of the art team. I am REALLY REALLY REALLY happy with how the project is turning out.

As for DC stuff, I'm writing a two-part BN tie-in for TEEN TITANS - featuring RAVAGER and DEATHSTROKE, plus a RED ARROW spotlight issue in TITANS in Nov. More to come after that. : )

I also write a lot for ASPEN COMICS. FATHOM Vol. #3 is just finishing up, as is the SOULFIRE: NEW WORLD ORDER miniseries. SOULFIRE Vol. #2 premieres in Sept. with art by current RED ROBIN artist, MARCUS TO.

And, I have a creator-owned book coming out early 2010 called MINDFIELD about telepathic CIA operatives who function as a kind of thought police to combat domestic terrorism.

Oh, and I just found out yesterday that a BEACH HEAD G.I.JOE story I wrote will also be coming out after the first of the year.

Cool.

Preview: TITANS #17

2009-09-07T11:13:00.001-05:00

DC Universe: The Source has provided a preview for TITANS #17:

By Brian Cunningham

Hiya, folks! As the TITANS editor, I wanted to do something a little different to hype issue #17, in comic stores September 9. My first call for ideas was the issue’s writer.

“My first plot had me making out with Starfire for 22 pages,” he said. “But that got shot down for whatever reason.”

The guest writer? Pat McCallum, fresh off his stint of stalking DC editors looking for work.

So what plot was approved for the issue? “The comic book debut of a villain whose only ever appeared in the animated DC universe, some Golden Age Green Lantern cosplay and the…[dramatic pause]…DARK SECRET behind why Beast Boy can’t go by ‘Changeling’ anymore.”

Pressed for more, McCallum provided the below list, adding, “Everything here happens in the issue—really—except one. A free signed copy of Team Titans #1 to whoever spots it.”*

2 Obscure Easter Eggs that only guys like Kurt Busiek will pick up on.

3 Appearances of Beast Boy’s Pérez-era haircut.

9 Panels with Dr. Double-X

300 Pounds of masked pro wrestler hungry for egg salad

800 How many feet a disembodied head is punted

1 billion Copies sold. Beat THAT, zombie Green Lanterns!

* Offer not valid anywhere. So enjoy pages 1-5 of TITANS #17 instead.

JT Krul Talks Aspen, Titans

2009-09-07T11:10:00.003-05:00

From San Diego Comic-Con, ComicVine talks with TITANS: BLACKEST NIGHT writer J.T. Krul in this video interview. Check it out. The Titans bit is toward the end at about 6:49....

George Perez Confirms GAMES

2009-09-06T00:07:00.002-05:00

George Perez confirms GAMES at WizardWorld Chicago:

What's George's project after LEGION OF 3 WORLDS?

"My next project is [...] is finishing off the Titans graphic novel that we started almost two decades ago. [...] DC asked me to finish it because next year is the 30th anniversary of [the Marv Wolfman/George Perez] NEW TEEN TITANS, so there's a good marketing reason to get [the book finished]. I'm going back and finishing a book that is over 60 pages in. It should be about 120 pages."

"It is the one we started when Jericho was still a member, and Danny Chase was still a member. We're finishing that off. [...] [Unlike JLA/Avengers] This will be using the artwork that was already drawn"

Check out the full interview!

Speedy & Wonder Twins Hit SMALLVILLE

2009-09-02T22:27:00.001-05:00

IGN reports:

September 1, 2009 - Get ready to freaking activate! Two semi-infamous Super Friends alumni are about to make their live action debut, as The Wonder Twins come to Smallville.

TVGuideMagazine.com says Zan and Jayna will show up in the eighth episode of Season 9. And yes, Gleek the blue monkey will be seen as well. We're guessing/hoping there will be a heavy amount of humor involved in the depiction of these much-mocked characters.

Meanwhile, yet another DC Comics character will debut soon, as Speedy is introduced on Smallville. There have been different incarnations of the Green Arrow sidekick in the comics, but the Smallville version will be based on the current incarnation, Mia Dearden. Like in the comics, Mia will be HIV positive. Says Executive Producer Kelly Souders, "She has a sordid past and crosses paths with Oliver Queen in some shady places. But he gives her hope."

Can't wait to see those Wonder Twins!

Yildiray Cinar talks Ravager

2009-09-02T21:38:00.002-05:00

The excellent Torre Tita blog has an EXCLUSIVE interview with Ravager artist, Yildiray Cinar!

You've been making a great job on Ravager's stories. Could you share with us your feelings about her? How did you see her?

It's really great to hear from the fans that they enjoy my renderings on Ravager because I'm just warming up. Like I said, I wasn't very familiar with the character(s) and just getting into it lately. Ravager is a very cool character. Besides, her costume is making her cooler! She's tough! I'm very happy and feeling lucky to be picked to drawing her solo adventures.

Sean McKeever seems to enjoy the character. So, I'd like to know if you were already familiar with her?

I know Ravager a little from JOHNS's run and I thought she always had a potential to become a good character.

Could you share something that the future brings for the Rose?

The story is leading somewhere unexpected so keep reading! That's all I can say...

See the whole interview here.

Really enjoying the back-up so far!

Variety Mentions Teen Titans Movie

2009-09-02T21:32:00.002-05:00

I guess it's still alive. Variety reports:

While Disney lays down a $4 billion bet on the future of Marvel's superheroes, 20th Century Fox has already begun overhauling one of its big Marvel franchises, "Fantastic Four," to take the property beyond the two films already made.

Akiva Goldsman has been hired to oversee the reboot as producer. Michael Green, the co-exec producer of TV's "Heroes" who co-wrote "Green Lantern," will write the script for the new "Fantastic Four."

Fox wouldn't comment on its plans, but the moves are evidence that Marvel franchises do have enduring lifespans.

As "Spider-Man 4" moves toward an early 2010 production start, Columbia Pictures recently hired James Vanderbilt to write a fifth and sixth installment with the understanding that one or both of those films would give the franchise a makeover with a new director and cast (Daily Variety, Aug. 16).

The 2005 "Fantastic Four" and 2007 sequel "Rise of the Silver Surfer" were directed by Tim Story and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. Since the deals for the reboot are just getting made, it is unclear if any of them will return.

Though Marvel Entertainment owns and finances properties like "Iron Man" and "Thor," Fox controls "Fantastic Four" in perpetuity -- as long as it continues making the films. Fox has the same arrangement on Marvel Comics properties "X-Men," "Daredevil" and "Silver Surfer." Marvel is a producer and financial participant through a licensing agreement.

Though the related Silver Surfer character soared in the "Fantastic Four" sequel, that iconic personality has remained a priority project for his own film at the studio.

Fox has so far done one "X-Men" spinoff in "Wolverine." The studio is working on a sequel to that film and has scripts for "X-Men Origins: First Class," and "X-Men Origins: Magneto." Potential spinoffs for the Gambit and Deadpool characters have also been discussed.

As producer, Goldsman is involved with several DC Comics transfers, including "Jonah Hex," "The Losers" and "Teen Titans." He was also producer of the Will Smith-Charlize Theron superhero film "Hancock," for which a sequel is being developed.

Fan Expo: DC Nation Panel

2009-08-31T01:00:00.002-05:00

From Comic Book Resources: Dan Didio holding court at Fan Expo in Toronto Canada on Friday. Two noteworthy quotes that stood out to me...

Regarding the death of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the final pages of the first issues, panelists felt their deaths set a strong precedence for things to come. “We thought that was really interesting, we had a lot of fun with it,” DiDio said “I guess that sounds weird, we’re having fun killing people, but it’s been part of our M.O. for awhile.”

No kidding. Just ask the Titans. And...

On to Wonder Woman, what’s happening? Responding to a fan that was promised a year ago readers would be seeing more of the iconic female. “Well, we cut the top a little lower.” DiDio joked. A lengthy laugh from the crowd ensued.

Way to respect your premiere heroine! Yay, objectification?