C2E2 2012: DC Collectibles (Formerly DC Direct)

It's been a huge week for the team formerly known as DC Direct. On Wednesday they revealed their new name - DC Collectibles - along with plans to expand their online store. They also announced two new online exclusive products and a new line of custom prints that will only be available through their website. For action figure fans, the DC Collectibles panel is likely to be one of the highlights of C2E2, and we're covering every moment of it as part of our CON AWAY FROM CON coverage. No matter what they've been called, DC Collectibles has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest producers of high quality collectibles in the direct market. It's a reputation that will only grow as the year rolls on with new products highlighting The New 52, Before Watchmen and much, much more. Onstage in room S402ab and ready to talk shop are DCE Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and Creative Services Director Jim Fletcher. What new busts, statues and action figures will be lining your cubicle walls this year? Find out live below:

 

Tags: 
c2e2, Con Away From Con

Exclusive Preview of YOUNG JUSTICE #15

In last month’s YOUNG JUSTICE #14, Aqualad, Superboy and Miss Martian dove deep into the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.

 

In issue #15, Ocean-Master has kidnapped Mera. Together with Prince Orm, the Young Justice team members must figure out how to retrieve the Atlantean queen before Ocean-Master is successful in his plan of draining her of her powers and taking over the seven seas. Could this be the end of Atlantis as we know it?

 

YOUNG JUSTICE #15 comes to you from the creative team of Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman and Christopher Jones. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue, in stores on Wednesday.

Tags: 
young justice, Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman, Christopher Jones

Welcome to Your C2E2 Con Away From Con

Chicago, Illinois. Home to the Cubs, the Sears Tower and some of the country’s best hot dogs. And for the weekend of April 13-15, it’ll also be home to over 35,000 of the nation’s most enthusiastic comic book fans as the 2012 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo unfolds.

 

Whether you’ll be experiencing the excitement of C2E2 at the convention hall or on your laptop or tablet, you’re going to want to keep an eye on this page. It’s your place on DCComics.com for exclusive videos, photos, panel recaps and all of our CON AWAY FROM CON coverage. In addition, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for even more up-to-the-minute updates:

 

DC Twitter | DC Facebook | Vertigo Twitter | Vertigo Facebook | DC Collectibles Facebook

 

Here's the latest from C2E2:

 

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: DC Collectibles (Formerly DC Direct) Panel

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: DC All Access Panel

  • Watch an exclusive Before Watchmen interview with Len Wein and Will Dennis

  • Watch a DC Collectibles interview with Geoff Johns and Jim Fletcher

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: DC Comics - The New 52 Panel

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: DC All Access - Special Edition: Before Watchmen Panel

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: Vertigo - New Blood Panel

  • Watch a very unique marriage proposal in this On The Floor clip

  • Watch a Con Away From Con clip with Geoff Johns

  • Watch a 5.2 Questions interview with Gail Simone

  • Watch an exclusive interview on Gotham City's Past with Jimmy Palmiotti and Scott Snyder

  • Live Coverage from the C2E2 2012: DC Comics for Kids! Panel

  • Watch Part 1 of a Batman interview with Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel

  • Watch Part 2 of a Batman interview with Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel

  • Watch a Con Away From Con clip with Bill Willingham

  • Watch Part 1 of an exclusive Before Watchmen interview with Mark Chiarello and Amanda Conner

  • Watch Part 2 of an exclusive Before Watchmen interview with Mark Chiarello and Amanda Conner

  • Watch an exclusive Before Watchmen interview with Mark Chiarello, J. Michael Straczynski and Adam Hughes

  • Watch an exclusive Before Watchmen interview with Lee Bermejo and Brian Azzarello

  • Watch a Wonder Woman interview with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

 

 

 

 

DC is at C2E2!

Tags: 
c2e2, Con Away From Con

DC Comics Announces Two New Digital First Comic Series, Will Offer New Digital Content Five-Days-A-Week

On the heels of today’s SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #1 release, DC Comics announced the addition of two new digital first weekly titles, BATMAN digital and AME-COMI GIRLS.  The addition of the two new digital titles brings the total of digital series that update weekly to five, meaning DC Comics will offer a new digital chapter every single day, Monday through Friday.


BATMAN digital, launching in June, will take place outside of DC Comics – The New 52 continuity and feature a series of stand-alone stories by various creators that chronicle different cases handled by The Dark Knight.  Confirmed creative teams include Damon Lindelof and Jeff Lemire;  Jonathan Larsen and JG Jones; Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott; Ales Kot and Ryan Sook; B. Clay Moore and Ben Templesmith; Steve Niles and Trevor Hairsine; Joe Harris and Jason Masters; TJ Fixman and Christopher Mitten; Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman; Joshua Hale Fialkov and Phil Hester; David Tischman and Chris Sprouse; and many more!


AME-COMI GIRLS, launching in May, is based on the best-selling product line from DC Collectibles that brings the distinct Japanese influence of anime and manga to DC Comics’ female heroines and their foes. In the new series, the heroines must unite to stop an invasion by the female Braniac, who is aided by a group of “bad girl” super villains. Initially, there will be five individual character arcs with multiple chapters, leading up to united, Ame-Comi girl series. All stories are written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray with Wonder Woman art by Amanda Conner and Tony Akins, Batgirl art by Sanford Greene, Duela Dent art by Ted Naifeh, Power Girl art by Mike Bowden and Supergirl art by Santi Casas.


Starting in June, DC Comics’ weekly digital comic book line-up will be:

Mondays: AME-COMI GIRLS
Tuesdays: BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED
Wednesdays: BEYOND series (alternating digital titles JUSTICE LEAGUE BEYOND, BATMAN BEYOND, SUPERMAN BEYOND)
Thursdays: BATMAN digital
Fridays: SMALLVILLE SEASON 11


“The addition of these new titles and the five-day-a-week digital first line-up reinforce DC Comics’ role as a digital leader,” stated Hank Kanalz, senior vice president of digital, DC Entertainment.  “We’re producing high-quality, digital first content at affordable price-points attractive to readers new and existing. We’ve seen from our top-selling digital titles like BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED and the BEYOND series that these books remain very popular when collected in print form, too. In fact, both print issues of BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED have gone back to press within the week of their release.”



Batman Digital Templesmith Cover

A cover for one of the upcoming BATMAN Digital comics by Ben Templesmith.

 AME-COMI GIRLS Wonder Woman

AME-COMI GIRLS Wonder Woman by Amanda Conner.

Tags: 
Digital Comics, smallville season 11, Batman digital, Ame-Comi Girls, Beyond Comics, Batman: Arkham Unhinged

DC Week-In-Review: April 13

It’s been a week of conventions, collectibles and this thing called The Culling here on DCComics.com. And while you should keep an eye on the website all weekend long for exclusive C2E2 CON AWAY FROM CON coverage, there was plenty of news to break before we even left for Chicago. Let’s take a look at some of it, shall we?

 

Here’s what happened on the DC Comics website this week…

 

HE HAS THE POWER! And a new comic book. We started things off by announcing a new HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE® series that will be kicking off in July.

 

After that we unveiled this week’s solicits for all of the various DC groups: Justice League, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, The Dark, The Edge, Young Justice, Before Watchmen and Beyond The New 52.

 

The just-announced NATIONAL COMICS promises to shine the proverbial spotlight on some of the more unique characters from deep within the DC pantheon. It’s coming in July.

 

What is The Culling? It’s a mysterious, game-changing storyline taking place in the pages of SUPERBOY, TEEN TITANS and THE RAVAGERS, and it’s got everyone talking. See what Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco, Brian Cunningham, Chris Conroy, Howard Mackie and Ian Church had to say about it.

 

On Wednesday we broke the news that DC Direct is now DC Collectibles. (Though maybe “break” isn’t the right word to use when talking about collectibles.)

 

And finally, we ended our week on the cool, crisp streets of Chicago for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. We counted down the days leading up to it with three survival tips before posting our panel schedule on Thursday. But those were mere appetizers for the main course that we’ll be serving up all weekend long: DC’s exclusive C2E2 CON AWAY FROM CON coverage.

 

From Eternia to Chicago… Not a bad week! That’s it for now, but we hope to see some of you at C2E2, and every one of you back here in seven days for another Week-In-Review.

Tags: 
Week-In-Review

The Zero Hour Sale

 

 

The Zero Hour Digital Sale

 

 

The countdown to the end of the world begins!

 

All of reality comes under attack when a mysterious force of entropy begins slowly erasing time itself—making its way from both the past and future toward the present! As history itself unravels around them, the heroes of the world scramble to fix the broken timestream. But even if they stop the true source of the chaos, the world they save will never be the same!

 

ZERO HOUR marked one of the biggest events in DC Comics history—reshaping the very universe itself and rebuilding comic continuity on a scale unseen since the critically acclaimed CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS!

 

With the ZERO HOUR SALE, you can experience the epic event with over 70 comic book issues—including the ZERO HOUR limited series and special #0 issues of ACTION COMICS, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, and more—all for only 99 cents each!

 

The 3-Day sale begins on 4/14/12, so act while you can before the countdown ends and the zero hour strikes!

Tags: 
Digital Comics, zero hour

ARTIST IAN CHURCHILL ON "THE CULLING" CROSSOVER

“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? What are Ravagers? What is N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and how will it threaten the heroes and would-be heroes of DC COMICS_THE NEW 52? You’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime THE RAVAGERS artist Ian Churchill discusses what to expect from the new series born of the events of “The Culling.”

 

“RAVAGERS spills out of the 'Culling' event and hits the ground running – quite literally! These characters aren't quite superheroes and they're not quite supervillians either. In fact, they're very difficult to pigeonhole. If you crossed LOGAN’S RUN with THE TERMINATOR, you may have an idea of the tone and vibe of the book. [Writer] Howard Mackie has lots of twists and turns planned for the fugitives that'll keep everyone guessing, and might well take your breath away! Norm Rapmund has altered his inking style somewhat too, so the look of the book is different to what you've seen from us before. If you want high octane, non-stop action then THE RAVAGERS #1 is where it's at!”

(Art by Ian Churchill for THE RAVAGERS #1)

 

Tags: 
the culling, The Ravagers, ian churchill

WRITER HOWARD MACKIE ON "THE CULLING" CROSSOVER

 

“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? What are Ravagers? What is N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and how will it threaten the heroes and would-be heroes of DC COMICS_THE NEW 52? You’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime THE RAVAGERS writer Howard Mackie discusses how the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 “Second Wave” series was born from the game-changing events of the crossover.


Nine o’clock on a Monday morning. The phone rings. I answer.

A voice on the other end of the line says,“Hey, Howard, how would feel about a group of teens that are snatched from their real lives, tortured and experimented on, forced to fight every day for food, water, and shelter—“

“Er…I…who IS this?” I ask, while pouring myself a second cup of coffee.

“Wait! It gets better! Periodically the kids are all thrown into this huge pit, and have to use their Metahuman powers to fight to the death… to thin the heard… it’s called THE CULLING.”

“You know… I just woke up… and yeah my refrigerator is running, and I will let Prince Albert out of the can. I’m going to get back to my cereal, so…”, I said while assuming that someone was trying to punk me.

“It’ll be part of the SECOND WAVE of the NEW 52. You’ll have to coordinate things with Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco. We’re thinking Ian Churchill is going to be the artist, and—“

“I’ll do it!” I screamed into the phone, and hung up.

Which turned out to a small mistake, because I was never sure who called me—maybe I was punked, but I am getting the last word, because I got to work with two of the top creative minds in comic books today-- well, actually Scott Lobdell has two of the top creative minds in comic books today, but Tom DeFalco was involved too—in fine tuning the CULLING from which THE RAVAGERS springs.
 
Ian Churchill was the icing on the cake.  The energy, and excitement his artwork(and story insight) bring to this book is extremely motivating to me as a writer. We, and the kids in the group, hit the ground running… and THEY are going to have keep running N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is on their tails, and they have NOWHERE to turn.  

The nightmare scenarios that sprung out of the creative back and forth between Scott, Tom and myself is the foundation of all that Ian and Churchill and I will be exploring in the pages of THE RAVAGERS. Things done to the kids to prepare them to survive the Culling will have long term ramifications in the pages of our book and far beyond. That’s right, Beast Boy, I am looking at YOU!

Tags: 
the culling, howard mackie, The Ravagers

DC Entertainment’s BEFORE WATCHMEN at C2E2

This summer, DC Entertainment will publish BEFORE WATCHMEN, seven all-new prequel mini-series building on the foundation of the bestselling graphic novel of all time – and at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) this weekend, fans will have access to creator panels, signings and the NEW FRONTIERSMAN promotional newspaper – available for the very first time at the event.

 

This week marks the launch of the NEW FRONTIERSMAN online experience at www.newfrontiersman.net, chronicling the cultural shift that saw vigilantism outlawed in the world of WATCHMEN. Simulating the tabloid featured in the stories themselves, the online newspaper will feature interactive components, exclusive BEFORE WATCHMEN asset reveals and clues to the story elements that won’t be seen until the miniseries begin their roll-out in June. C2E2 attendees will have the opportunity to pick up a copy of the NEW FRONTIERSMAN newspaper at the DCE Entertainment booth.

 

Among the iconoclastic BEFORE WATCHMEN creators attending C2E2 will be Brian Azzarello (writer – RORSCHACH, COMEDIAN), Lee Bermejo (artist – RORSCHACH), Amanda Conner (artist – SILK SPECTRE), Adam Hughes (artist – DR. MANHATTAN), J. Michael Straczynski (writer – DR. MANHATTAN, NITE OWL) and Len Wein (original series editor, writer – OZYMANDIAS, CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR). DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio and BEFORE WATCHMEN editors Will Dennis and Mark Chiarello will also be on-hand to discuss their respective roles in putting together the highly anticipated mini-series.

 

C2E2 will take place from April 13-15 in the North Building at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Tags: 
Before Watchmen, new frontiersman

C2E2 Survival Tip #3: Watch the Weather

It’s the day before C2E2. Surely, you’ve checked the weather by now. The news isn’t great, but hey, it’s not like you’re going to Chicago to work on your suntan, right?

 

Yes, we can expect some rain this weekend. And wind. And maybe a little thunder. But you’re going to be inside at the convention. The weather shouldn’t affect you, right? Well, yes and no. It’s true that you’ll be largely out of the rain, but you’re not going to be inside all day. Even if your hotel is only two blocks away from McCormick Place, two blocks can be a really long distance in a thunderstorm. Pack an umbrella and a good, waterproof jacket that won’t weigh you down on the convention floor. Also, remember that nothing is less comfortable than a pair of soaked sneakers. If you anticipate walking much in the rain, consider bringing an extra pair of shoes and socks to change into afterward.

 

Staying dry equals staying happy at a convention, so try your best to do both. After all, we want you to enjoy all of the great stuff we have in store for you!

 

Of course, you can also enjoy it from the comfort of your home (or C2E2 hotel). Starting tomorrow, we’ll be using our website, Twitter and Facebook pages to hook you up with exclusive content and give you an unprecedented level of coverage…


DC is at C2E2!

Tags: 
c2e2

C2E2 Panel Schedule

Attending C2E2 in Chicago this weekend? Don’t miss DCE’s panels throughout the course of the convention. Check out the schedule below:

 

Friday, April 13th

 

1-2pm DC Entertainment: Talent Search Orientation
DCE Panelist and Moderator: Mark Chiarello

Join DCE’s VP – Art Direction and Design, Mark Chiarello, for an informative orientation session that will explain how DCE’s Talent Search works and discuss the different needs of the DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD Magazine brands. If you want to learn what DCE looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional, then this is the panel for you! In order to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory. (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.)  Room N426c

 

2:30-3:30pm DC Collectibles

DCE Panelist and Moderator: Geoff Johns, Jim Fletcher

DC Direct is one of the most creative companies that produce the highest quality collectibles for the direct market. Come join Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and Creative Services Director Jim Fletcher and the amazing talent behind the figures as they discuss their line of current projects, and the future plans involving the DC Comics – The New 52!  Room S402ab

 

5-6pm DC All Access

DCE Panelists: Bobbie Chase, Bob Harras

Moderator: John Cunningham

Talent: Shane Davis, David Finch, Geoff Johns, Kevin Maguire, Scott Snyder

A lot can happen in a year!  Come by for unfiltered access to DC Comic’s top Editors as they talk all things DC!  Find out what’s going on behind the scenes at DC Comics! Joining the All-Access party will be some of the industry’s top talent including Shane Davis (Superman: Earth One), David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), Geoff Johns (Justice League, Green Lantern), Kevin Maguire (Worlds’ Finest), J. Michael Straczynski (Superman: Earth One), and Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing), so don’t miss out!  Room S402ab

 

Saturday, April 14th

 

10-11am DC Entertainment: Talent Search Orientation
DCE Panelist and Moderator: Mark Chiarello

Join DCE’s VP – Art Direction and Design, Mark Chiarello, for an informative orientation session that will explain how DCE’s Talent Search works and discuss the different needs of the DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD Magazine brands. If you want to learn what DCE looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional, then this is the panel for you! In order to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory. (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.)  Room N426b

 

12:45-1:45pm DC Comics – The New 52

DCE Panelists:  Bobbie Chase, Bob Harras

Moderator: Bob Wayne

Talent: Brian Azzarello, Chris Burnham, Cliff Chiang, Tony Daniel, Patrick Gleason, Kyle Higgins, Geoff Johns, Jimmy Palmiotti, Gail Simone, Scott Snyder

DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 is the most talked about event of the last year, and we’re not done making news! Come by and be a part of history as DCE Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras and Senior Editor Bobbie Chase are joined by your favorite top-notch talent such as Brian Azzarello (Wonder Woman), Chris Burnham (Batman, Incorporated), Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman), Tony Daniel (Detective Comics), Patrick Gleason (Batman and Robin), Kyle Higgins (Nightwing), Geoff Johns (Justice League, Green Lantern), Jimmy Palmiotti (All-Star Western), Gail Simone (Batgirl), and Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing) to discuss the books that are shaping this new era!  Room S401abc

 

2-3pm DC All Access – Special Edition: Before Watchmen

DCE Panelist: Dan DiDio, Mark Chiarello, Will Dennis

Moderator: John Cunningham

Talent: Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo, Amanda Conner, Adam Hughes, J. Michael Straczynski, Len Wein

It’s not the end of the world. It’s the beginning! Don’t miss this panel about the most talked about comic book series of 2012! Join DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, VP – Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello, Senior Editor Will Dennis, Brian Azzarello (Before Watchmen: Rorschach), Lee Bermejo (Before Watchmen: Rorschach), Amanda Conner (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre), Adam Hughes (Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan), Joe Kubert (Before Watchmen: Nite Owl), J. Michael Straczynski (Before Watchmen: Nite Owl), Len Wein (Before Watchmen: Ozymandias, Curse of the Crimson Corsair) and others as they talk about this game-changing event! Hurm!  Room S401abc

 

4:30-5:30 Vertigo: New Blood

DCE Panelist: Will Dennis

Moderator: John Cunningham

Talent: Brian Azzarello, Sean Murphy, Scott Snyder, Bill Willingham

They come from the cutting edge of comics … and Vertigo has never been edgier, with thought-provoking titles from some of comics’ most acclaimed creators. Join Senior Editor Will Dennis and all-star talent Brian Azzarello (Spaceman), Sean Murphy (American Vampire), Scott Snyder (American Vampire), and Bill Willingham (Fables, Fairest) on this must-see panel featuring the latest news on all your favorite Vertigo series plus details about the new, upcoming wave of Vertigo titles! Room S401abc

 

Sunday, April 15th

 

12-1pm DC Comics for Kids!

DCE Panelist and Moderator: Ian Sattler

Talent: Art Baltazar, Franco, Christopher Jones

They may be young – but they’re still heroes! Come join the Eisner Award winning team of Art Baltazar and Franco (Tiny Titans) as they bring their one-of-kind energy and humor to discuss the upcoming, action-packed, awesomeness that is Superman Family Adventures as well as artist Christopher Jones to talk about the action packed Young Justice! Don’t miss this all-ages panel!  Room S402ab

 

2:30-3:30pm Art Masters – Drawing DC

DCE Panelist and Moderator: Mark Chiarello

Talent: Patrick Gleason, David Finch, Kevin Maguire

What does it take to remake a universe? Immensely talented artists! Join VP – Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello and DC Comics top artists David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), Patrick Gleason (Batman and Robin), and Kevin Maguire (Worlds’ Finest) for a unique peek into their visual approach in shaping DC Comics!  Room S402ab

Tags: 
c2e2

EDITOR CHRIS CONROY ON "THE CULLING" CROSSOVER

“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? What is N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and how will it threaten the heroes and would-be heroes of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52? You’ll find out in next month’s crossover, but in the meantime – stay tuned to THE SOURCE all this week for Culling insights from the creators.

 

SUPERBOY editor Chris Conroy discusses what’s in store for the character, and how this week’s prelude kicks off the crossover:

 

“If you read this week’s SUPERBOY #8, the first official prelude to ‘The Culling,’ you’ve seen that Harvest, the driving force behind N.O.W.H.E.R.E., always intended for his home-grown Kryptonian clone to be a savage, unstoppable force of nature — and that it took a serious beating from one of the nastiest psychos Superboy’s met yet to bring that out of him. Well, in ‘The Culling,’ he’s put Superboy, the Titans, and the Legion Lost up against a veritable army of bloodthirsty killers — and there aren’t many more frightening than SUPERBOY #9 cover star Warblade. The man’s basically made of knives! And Superboy’s got to square off with him in a pit of molten lava. Suddenly, my job sounds cushy by comparison, paper cuts or no.

And speaking of guys with tough jobs... Allow me a moment to sing the praises of our amazing SUPERBOY artist, R.B. Silva. There are a lot of spectacular sights to see in ‘The Culling,’ but R.B.’s never been one to get lost in the shuffle. With over thirty unique characters to reckon with, a variety of awe-inspiring settings, and twenty pages of wall-to-wall action to visualize, R.B.’s stepped up and done some of his best-ever work. I get all dreamy-eyed just thinking about it. You will, too!”

(Cover and interior art by R.B. Silva for SUPERBOY #9)


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