Batman: Reborn (and a lot of chix)

I am reading much more of current Batman: Reborn series than expected.

Batman: Detective Comics 854 has me because it stars redhead Batwoman. And the unique and beautiful J.H. Williams art made it a must have. The panels have unique cuts, and I enjoy seeing the dramatic Batwoman costume and also Kate in real life. And Renee as the Question in a backup story.
Elegy part 2, issue 855 On Sale July 29, 2009

And Gotham City Sirens 2, written by Paul Dini. Starring 3 DC badgirls in Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy, I had to give this a go. Yes, the art is cheesecake, but with that title and these characters, what else would I expect to see? Even Talia makes an appearance to help hide Batman's identity.

Harley: " Mr. J always told me there's only one joker and one batman!"
#3 On Sale August 26, 2009


Streets of Gotham 2 - Manhunter backup series (I won't call them second features as Didio wants). Alfred, Comm. Gordon, Dick, Damian Robin- and Firefly setting the place on fire.
#3 On Sale August 19, 2009

Dick: "You believed you were saving a life, Alfred. No one can fault you for that. "

DC Nation notes

Wizard World Philadelphia
4PM DC Nation panel
Dan DiDio, Adam S, Bob Wayne, Shane Davis, Rags Morales, Franco.

Dan Didio proclaimed it was an "interesting year" at DC comics, and told us that they listened to our comments about late books.

No one in the crowd was angry about Dick Grayson becoming Batman in Battle for the Cowl-- although a few people really did not like that series! Ray- who is married to a librarian- got a lot of attention for discussing titles he didn't like. Didio joked about editorial mandate' "so if it sucks, it's me!"

A girl dressed as Robin said that Jason Todd wasn't 'that crazy'.

Bob Wayne and he joked and deflected at least 3 comments about price, the recession, and the comic fans wallets.

Wednesday comics

bring back the Sunday comics. A retailer read it and thought the high level of art and writing would draw people to buy.

Potential for two Flash books in future, one is called Flash, what about the other?

"he is fast enough to be in two books" Shane Davis said

Any plans to accelerate trades for fans to read the stories instead of buying comics? Bob Wayne, no...we are not putting out 40 comics a week like our competitor

What was the point of Trinity?See value of the 3 and effects of them

Multiverse stories? That's for Grant to write- has to be a big and right story

Doc Savage- Rags reimagining with Azzarello. not in DCU-- ultimate universe.

Batman and Robin 12 issue arc Phillip Tan on art 4-6 issues after Quitely

Only 3 books late in the last 3 months (only took them 10 years grumbled the guy in front of me)

Sam Keith working on Lobo series now

Magog #1 series

Other sites opinions:
Tweets about #wwp, some with photo and URL links

Glenn Walker- mentions friend Ray re: Battle for the Cowl comments

WWP DC Nation panel from CBR

Philly and the Wiz

A several part series of the Saturday of 2009's Wizard World Philadelphia comicon.

Phillygirl and I arrived just after 9 to the Philly convention center, on a rainy morning. We got to wait outside the building but protected from rain until the doors opened at 10 AM. New this year: wristbands instead of badges. Thought it was cheapness, but hear it's because of bootleg badges past years.

First entering, I noticed the lack of the big Marvel and DC Booths. No free pins, posters, and signing schedules. I usually spend a lot of time checking the DC booth and meeting artists/writers, so that was a big change for me.

However, we were looking at the World War Z books and there was Max Brooks! I asked about 5 questions and he was chewing...but turned out to be so smart, funny and nice. When I said that as a librarian, I'd be useless after the zombie invasion, he said "we have a military to protect people like you!". He said the Zombie Survival Guide comic should be out this October.


We went to the 5-6 PM "Writing the Undead" panel with Max, Fred Van Lente, and John Russo I'll discuss later.

One other great thing about not having a mass of crowds is you get more facetime with bigger names. We met J.G. Jones (52 cover artist). He said he's writing and drawing a graphic novel...and he signed my two Batwoman 52 covers. He did say he had "moved on" from the canned All Star Batgirl project. boo. But nice guy all around.



PhillyGirl at the Wizard booth:


Much more later...

news I can use

My Tivo list is shrinking fast- no Heroes, Private Practice, Daily Show, Colbert Reports. Watched the last It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Damn studios just give the writers some piece and stopped hoarding the dough. As a patron told me about trying to 'squeeze' out a promotion "always got to squeeze from those suckers! they got the money!". Baby boomer librarians, please retire and make some room for the rest of us! If you can get a pension, and soon Social Security, go use it up because they say the well will be dry for us Gen Xers.

Future Comic news I found interesting--

The Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher are set to be adapted by the Dabel Brothers.

Did you see the CSN that listed many of the 52 DC universes. (post 52 worlds)

Matt Wagner is working on Zorro comics for Dynamite.


Invincible 51 (Robert Kirkman) has a Jim Lee cover with an all new costume, home, partner, and new beginning. I'll admit I have only sporadically read Invincible in the last 20 issues. My first instincts here are too much change, and at first glance I thought Invincible was Nightwing!
Maybe it is the time to jump into the series again as advertised.
Newsarama link here

200 million blogs

A tech analysis firm said currently there are 200 million abandoned blogs, and 2007 will peak with 100 million active blogs. No wonder my bloglines for comic blogs is overflowing!
But, there have been some blog shutdowns of late: Focused Totality. The Brill Building. Absorbascon for 1 month.

It's hard out there for a blogger.

Working hard on the final details for the March 24th MidJersey Comicon.
Midlantic staters come on out! Big guests like Michael Golden, Mike Oeming, Chuck Satterlee, and lots of great indie creators and dealers. The NYCC was fun, but if you want real face time and not to be pushed and prodded and overheated, small comicons are the real deal!

New York Comiccon panels------
It was interesting to see 'big name' comic bloggers, but I didn't get what I wanted out of the panel, which was to contrast the old with the newcomers.

Galleycat - covers publishing, many writers and aspiring writers read
themes- comic numbers attractive to mainstream publishers
fun snark/random bitching
curiosity of fans all along, now it's cool and legitimate to like comics

comics212 some people only know Neil Gaiman from his books, add more context for the rest of the non fandom world
Heidi The Beat- news and views from blogs to larger part of media

RSS feeds- expect them- comics212 finds that annoying not to see whole page of site "it's so pretty"

real people read your blog; Heidi: only say on blog what I would to their face. There was a discussion about that, whether you could be polite and review work and then meet the person.

Knowing a lot of people in the industry can be good, but also a disadvantage
Don't 'play to comments'
As time goes on, it's harder to be the same small community it was

Newsarama- Chris said the site is old looking and badly designed

MARVEL INITIATIVE- only saw the end of the Quesada led panel.
Moon Knight pro-registration comes knocking for MK
Oeming Omega Flight June 2007 has punches but characters you can enjoy, take jerk like US Agent and put him in Canada
SubMariner June 2007 Namor not in great place
Slott Great Lakes Initiative

I booed the dude who got up and said "it would have been sweet to kill off Aunt May" ; some others did; then someone yelled out to "kill Mary Jane too". Marvel boys can be such punks!

VERTIGO-
Came in for Q&A, missed the person who was taken out after yelling at Vaughan; he was sitting back behind the podium.
Not a question of quality with V titles
Sales on Vertigo titles, "long term strategy is for everyone in the room to have more children."Brand is growing a culture
I didn't agree with Azzarello who told all of us if we buy other comics we aren't "the ideal Vertigo customer". I buy for me, the library, and tell patrons- that's pretty ideal.
Diggle talked about Hellblazer
Someone asked if the Vertigo universe is in DC continuity and "Constantine does not live in any world with Superman in it".

DC Nation-
This panel is a total sideshow with Didio as the carnival barker.
Countdown - Paul Dini- $2.99 an issue for 52 issues (!)
Event of the year...starts May 9 after the last 52, on 5/2
Jimmie Olson must die - foolish not to tap Kingdom Come
Seduction of the Innocent - Mary Marvel has mentors, is at a crossroads, takes surprise turn
Ray Palmer- Atom
Villians Defiant- two contentious supervillians together
Crypto issue "put to sleep"
Manhunter saved- changed mind 2x
Captain Carrot
Flash not as directionless as it seems
Dini read All Star Batman? "when I was a kid"
McKeever writing more
Diversity in comics? "White folks hate it" "committed to diversity in DC line to reflect buyers"
Firestorm find a home
Mike Norton exclusive to DC

Stephen King - Dark Tower panel
Let JJ Abrams and Lindelof option the rights to Dark Tower for $19
painter Isanove got Quesada - Q asked about painting over Jae Lee's work instead of Q's- he said "well, when you are working with a better artist". I almost fell out of my seat!

Ennis-ocity

Bad librarianship breaks the bad news to me that Boys is cancelled. They better find a home for the remainder of the series. I was just enjoying it's utter twisted look at the superhero community. As Mark says, Buggeration!

Wildstorm board on the cancellation

70 titles per month from DC

DC Comics month to month sales figures

There are some really interesting tidbits on DC sales to ponder here- see if your DC or Vertigo titles get comments like "harsh drop" or "declining, due to fickleness" It's a different keyhole to peek through as a fan, but most of the numbers synch with our feelings on titles- delays cause lost interest (Wonder Woman), some restarts didn't work (The Flash).

'it can’t gloss over the fact that 52 and Justice League of America appear to be the only major successes in the publisher’s stable right now. Other recent relaunches, such as Wonder Woman and Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, are dropping down the chart at an alarming rate. New high-profile creative teams on Action Comics and Superman are commercial disappointments so far.'

Re: my favorite line Vertigo:
At Vertigo, the monthly direct market sales continue to look bleak. While Fables and Y: The Last Man remain as strong as ever and the spin-off Jack of Fables appears to be successfully establishing itself as a much-needed third flagship, shifting upwards of 20K every month, there’s not much else.

Teasing out some titles I read---
11/2006: 52 Week 30 — 102,576 (- 0.1%)

11/2006: Birds of Prey #100 — 34,607 (+13.9%)

11/2006: The Boys #5 — 26,842 (+ 8.0%)

11/2006: Mystery in Space #3 of 8 — 25,804 (-10.3%)

11/2006: Y: The Last Man #51 — 25,606 (-4.5%)

11/2006: The Creeper #4 of 6 — 18,492 (-12.5%)

11/2006: DMZ #13 — 14,228 (- 2.8%)

Nice to see this about The Exterminators, which I don't read, but friend of my MidJersey Comicon Mike Hawthorne is mentioned..
Holding level as guest artist Mike Hawthorne steps in. Issue #13 begins a four-part storyline, so The Exterminators should be safe until #16 at least.

This is a surprise to me:
11/2006: The All-New Atom #5 — 25,569 (-10.1%)
Another commercial disaster.