From CAPTAIN AMERICA's Redemption To DARK NIGHTS: METAL: Here's The 10 Biggest Comic Book Reveals From SDCC
The epic Daredevil team of Frank Miller and JRJr are joining forces once again for a Superman: Year One graphic novel. Plus, Marvel reveals that Chris Samnee and Mark Waid will redeem Steve Rogers.
Once upon a time, San Diego Comic-Con was an event where the social pariahs of society gathered to revel in their shared interest with like minded individuals. Mike Towry, one of the Con's founders told Rolling Stone, "In those days, you were an oddball or an outcast if you were into that stuff. Society looked down on science fiction fans, but even science fiction fans looked down on [comics fans]. We were at the bottom – unless you were into outright pornography, we were as low as you could get."
Fast forward to today and SDCC is a mainstream media spectacle where comics have taken a back seat to the TV shows and movies. Even here at CBM, it's all to easy to get wrapped up in the latest announcements from Marvel and WB and forget that SDCC was founded on a love of comic books. To combat that oversight, here's the top 10 news from the world of comics that might have escaped coverage this past week as everyone focused on Skrulls, the DCEU film slate and Doctor Doom.
10. New Dark Horse Titles Announced
Influential Vertigo founder Karen Berger is launching a new line of Dark Horse books which includes Hungry Ghosts by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose; Incognegro: Renaissance by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece; Mata Hari by Emma Beeby and Ariela Kristantina, and The Seeds by Ann Nocenti and David Aja.
The other big title announced at SDCC was a new Jeff Lemire book which teams the former Animal Man writer with artist Dean Ormston on a title called Sherlock Frankenstein & The Legion of Evil. The new miniseries is a spinoff of the pair's Eisner award-winning Black Hammer and will focus on the titular hero's main villains.
Other new books include a Tomb Raider comic subtitled Survivor's Crusade, a trio of new Mignolaverse titles - Rasputin: Voice of the Dragon, Hellboy: Krampusnacht and Koshchei the Deathless and a new tie-in comic for Netflix's Trollhunters from Marc Guggenheim, Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Hamilton and Timothy Green II.
9. Image Announces New Medieval Spawn/Witchblade Crossover
After a 1996 3-part crossover, Medieval Spawn and Witchblade are set to reunite for another miniseries, written by Brian Haberlin and drawn by Brian Holguin. The announcement came from Image co-founder Todd McFarlane who said the new series will arrive in late-2017. You can check out teaser art for the first issue below. Over on Facebook, Haberlin wrote, "Officially announced today via Todd McFarlane! I'm doing a Medieval Spawn/ medieval Witchblade miniseries with my ol' creative buddy Brian Holguin! Coming at the end of this year!"
Of course, Medieval Spawn was one of the characters at the center of the longstanding feud between Neil Gaiman and McFarlane over the rights to Miracleman. As the history of the dispute goes, Gaiman signed over his rights to the characters Angela, Medieval Spawn and Cogliostro in exchange for Miracleman which McFarlane stated that he owned.
However, it was ultimately proven that McFarlane did not own Miracleman which led to Gaiman naturally concluding that their deal was void and that he still owned Angela, Medieval Spawn and Cogliostro and should be paid royalties. With the dispute now settled and Angela and Miracleman now at Marvel, it seems McFarlane was able to keep the rights to Medieval Spawn.
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8. Vertigo Teases A Mysery Project
During DC Comics' Vertigo panel last Friday, a teaser video celebrating the storied history of DC's adult imprint was unveiled which also provided clues for what's coming next. Counted among the new visuals teasing upcoming projects were a Morpheus illustration from Jae Lee, new Death pencils from Jim Lee and Invisibles artwork from Jeff Lemire.
Scott Snyder also popped up at the panel to confirm that he still plans to write more American Vampire, presumably after he finishes up Dark Nights: Metal. Perhaps the most tantalizing development came at the end of the teaser video which revealed a Vertigo 25 logo, hyping up the imprints 25th Anniversary next year. The final image contained the numbers 080818, which presumably teases that something significant and relevant to next year's big anniversary will be released on August 08, 2018.
7. New Thanos Graphic Novel From Jim Starlin Announced
At the Marvel Retailers Lunch at SDCC, plans for a new Thanos graphic novel from Jim Starlin titled Thanos: The Infinite Siblings. Marvel will release it in April, just before Avengers: Infinity War's release in May. Via Bleeding Cool, Starlin will re-team with his Thanos: The Infinity Entity OGN co-conspirator Alan Davis on the project.
Given the graphic novel's release date, will it somehow tie-in to what Marvel Studios is rumored to be doing with Thanos and his Black Order in the MCU? Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight are said to be the "children of Thanos" and will be the brothers and sisters referenced by Gamora and Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
6. New Details On Geoff Johns' Doomsday Clock Revealed
Surprisingly, Johns revealed that Doomsday Clock almost didn't happen as he didn't crack the story until having an epiphany while on the set of Wonder Woman. Said Johns to the press, "We’re not trying to replicate and do what [Moore and Gibbons] did, we’re doing our own thing. The story we’re telling is a very different story, but it’s certainly a very personal story… It is a story about everything: Cynicism and opportunity and corruption, and lies and truth and love, and the lengths people will go for love, and hope. Optimism. Decay. Are our best days behind us, or ahead of us, you know? What is the truth? Do people give up, is it OK to give up, when do you give up, when don’t you give up?"
The story will consist of 12 issues but will be set 1 year in the future so when the final issue is released, all the other DC Comics titles will have caught up. In essence, the other DC titles will almost act as a prequel to what's taking place in the highly-anticipated series and it will be up to readers to spot the clues.
5. Miles Morales Will Get His Own Iron Spider Suit (?) And Fight A New Sinister Six
Miles Morales will be taking on a new incarnation of the Sinister Six, whose members include Sandman, the Spot, a female Electro, Bombshell, Hobgoblin and a black-suit clad Iron Spider. Whether that's just the color of the costume or if the mystery character is sharing biological real estate with a symbiote was not disclosed. Fans are already speculating that Miles will be in possession of the suit by the time the miniseries concludes.
Miles Morales' Spider-Man is shifting numbering to #234 to when the new Iron Spider and Sinister Six make their debut this fall. This is a reflection and acknowledgement of Miles' Ultimate Spider-Man numbering. Brian Michael Bendis will be writing this arc while Nico Leon will handle art duties.
4. Frank Miller And John Romita Jr. Team For Superman: Year One
Not to be confused with Superman: Earth One, the legendary comic book duo of Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. will be teaming up once again, this time for a new Superman title. The story comes 30 years after Miller reinvented the origin of the Caped Crusader in 1987's Batman: Year One.
Speaking to Vulture, Miller stated, "I've got a new Superman project that's getting started, telling his origins … It's telling his beginnings from when Pa Kent discovered him in the cornfield, and the little boy goes to youth, and then to manhood." The announcement was made during the DC Master Class panel where it was disclosed that the graphic novel will be 100 pgs.
3. The Eisner Awards
Another SDCC means it's time to honor and award the brightest and best in comics as another Eisner Awards ceremony was held last Friday. Singapore artist Sonny Liew won several awards for his graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. The original work earned Liew Best Writer-Artist, Best U.S. Edition of International Material and Best Publication Design.
Of course, industry darling Saga, from Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples continued its Eisner dominance, earning Best Continuing Series, Best Writer, est Penciller-Inker and Best Cover Artist. If you're looking for something new to read, Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston took home the Best New Series award for their Dark Horse tile, Black Hammer. As we previously mentioned earlier in the list, that title is getting a spinoff that will focus on Black Hammer's villains. CLICK HERE for a full list of winners.
2. New Dark Knights: Metal Details
If you've been waiting for Greg Capullo and Scott Snyder to reteam on another major DC title, look no further than Dark Nights: Metal. Snyder teased, "In the Dark Multiverse, all your feels about yourself become real. [The Dark Knights] are total nightmare Bruce Wayne Batmen."
In addition to the main series, there will be several spinoff tie-ins under the Dark Matter moniker including Damage from Tony Daniel & Robert Venditti, Immortal Men from Jim Lee & James Tynion IV, Brimstone from Phillip Tan & Justin Jordan and other titles such as Hawkman Found, The Terrifics, Challengers of the Unkown, and Silencer. The minseries event and tie-ins will be sticking to their $2.99 price point and won't have any variant covers.
1. Marvel's Chris Samnee And Mark Waid Re-Team For Captain America
Marvel Legacy wants to take their characters back to basics and that's a tall order for Captain America, who's currently tearing the Marvel Universe apart in Secret Empire. Naturally, Marvel needs an all-star team to restore Cap to good standing and there's none better in their stable than Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.
The book will return to its original numbering this November as Captain America #695 will see Waid and Samnee debut on the title. Speaking to CBR, Waid said, "Steve is kind of tired of being the couch-surfer of the Marvel Universe, he’s never really had a place to call his own other than Avengers Mansion. This is him getting back in touch with Captain America, learning how people perceive Captain America in light of Secret Empire."
Waid and Samnee previously won an Eisner for their redemption of another Marvel character- Daredevil, following the gritty and extreme Shadowland miniseries.
Who did you think of this year's SDCC? For the top TV and Film reveals, click here.