Announcing the Emerald City Comic Con Exclusive Covers for BATMAN #17, GREEN ARROW #17 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1

With less than a week until Emerald City Comic Con, it’s time to announce the con exclusive covers for some of DC Comics’ most popular series!

Available for $10 each at the DC Collectibles Boutique at the Graphitti Designs booth #1910, the ECCC exclusive variant covers for BATMAN #17, GREEN ARROW #17 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 are all must have collector’s items.

Illustrated by fan favorite artist Greg Capullo, the ECCC cover for BATMAN #17 takes the popular die-cut covers from “Death of the Family” and brings them back one last time for the epic final issue. The cover depicts The Joker’s face folded over Bruce Wayne’s to create a lasting image representing the ground breaking crossover which featured the Clown Prince of Crime’s triumphant return to DC COMICS—THE NEW 52.

The ECCC exclusive cover for GREEN ARROW #17 takes the cover for the first issue of the Emerald Archer’s bold new direction illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino and sets it against a grayscale rooftop.

 

And last but certainly not least, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 will make its comic con debut with a new variant to complete your collection of now over 52 covers for the issue. Like the other covers drawn by series artist David Finch, the ECCC exclusive cover shows key members of the JLA raising the U.S. flag in color, while the other members of the team stand watch in a black and white background. 

Visit the DC Entertainment booth #1908 and below, take a look at all three of the Emerald City Comic Con exclusive covers. Emerald City Comic Con will take place March 1-3 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington.

 

See you there!

 

 

 

 

This Just Happened: Introducing Komodo and Magus

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read GREEN ARROW #17 and do not wish to know what happens, stop reading this post now (major spoilers ahead!)

 

Last month, Jeff Lemire told you a little bit about GREEN ARROW #17 and teased his plans for Oliver Queen once he took over as the new ongoing writer of the monthly series. You also got your first look at Andrea Sorrentino’s stunning interior artwork for the duo’s bold and gritty new interpretation of the character. But what surprises does this new creative team have in store for the Emerald Archer? Well, it all begins in “The Kill Machine: Part 1.”

 

After discovering that he has lost his fortune, his heritage and his father’s firm, Oliver Queen (a.k.a Green Arrow) confronts the man responsible: Emerson. Enraged, Ollie accuses Emerson of ruining his deceased father’s legacy and losing his company. As Emerson attempts to explain himself, he tells Ollie that nothing that has happened to him has been an accident. It is finally time for Ollie to know the truth about his real legacy … but Emerson is lethally shot before he can reveal any more secrets!

 

But this is not your typical assassination attempt. Emerson was not shot with a gun – he was a shot with an arrow! Someone was clearly trying to gain Ollie’s attention. The only questions are: Who? And why?

 

When the time comes for Ollie to switch gears into Green Arrow mode and get some answers, his usual allies, Jax and Naomi, are not there to help him. And with his main supply of arrows and costumes destroyed, Ollie retreats to one of his safe houses to suit up and devise a retaliation plan.

 

However, someone has been watching him this entire time. A mystery archer who is just as powerful as Green Arrow: Komodo. And he has come to Seattle to kill Oliver Queen!

 

As Oliver lies helpless and the target for Komodo’s arrow, someone bursts onto the scene and surprises them all – an elusive man with scarred eyes named Magus. Magus reveals that Ollie should not be in Seattle, and that, in fact, he was never supposed to leave the island in the first place!

 

But what could Magus mean by this? Is this shocking reveal that Emerson was hinting at before his death? And who really is Komodo? Place your bets in the comments section and find out what happens when “The Kill Machine” continues in GREEN ARROW #18.  

 

Below, take a look at the final page from “The Kill Machine: Part 1” as Magus rescues Ollie from Komodo. And don’t forget to pick up your copy of GREEN ARROW #17, in stores now!

 

Jeff Lemire Talks GREEN ARROW #17

Back in October, you got a taste of writer Jeff Lemire’s interpretation of Oliver Queen when he co-wrote the back-up story in JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 with Geoff Johns. And starting next month, Lemire’s new writing duties on GREEN ARROW kick off with issue #17, further expanding his gritty and noir take on the Justice League of America member.

 

“The challenge for me, when taking over the title at issue #17, was really to try to approach it as if it's a first issue, so that it's completely accessible to new readers,” explained Lemire to NEWSARAMA. “Everything you need to know about the character and his world is established in a simple way in that first issue. So you can jump on really easily.”

 

As for Komodo, the new villain Ollie will be facing off against?

 

“He's another archer whose skill level is clearly better than Oliver's,” Lemire teased to COMIC VINE. “He's Oliver's physical better in every way when we open the series. He's someone who seems very specifically hell-bent on destroying Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. The reason for this started to come up … and it has something to do with Oliver's father … ”

 

For more from Lemire about taking over GREEN ARROW and for sneak peaks at Andrea Sorrentino’s interior art for issue #17, check out the full interviews and coverage that ran this morning on MTV GEEK, IGN, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, NEWSARAMA, COMIC VINE, AOL’s COMICS ALLIANCE, and IFANBOY.

 

GREEN ARROW #17 shoots into stores on February 6.

 

MTV Announces New Justice League of America Books for February

Back in August, we told you that in 2013, we’d be launching JUSTICE OF LEAGUE AMERICA from the superstar creative team of Geoff Johns and artist David Finch. Today, we’re pleased to tell you that the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA news only starts there.
 
Earlier this morning, MTV announced that in addition to the release of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1, February will also mark the launch of two new series: KATANA and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA’S VIBE.
 
Spinning out of BIRDS OF PREY, KATANA will be written by Ann Nocenti (CATWOMAN) and illustrated by Alex Sanchez (JSA CLASSIFIED). And with a premiere issue being co-plotted by Geoff Johns, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA’S VIBE will come to you from the creative team of writer Andrew Kreisberg (ARROW) and artist Pete Woods (LEGION LOST).
 
As for JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1? MTV let you know that there will be 52 variant covers of the issue available when it arrives in stores. These variant covers will each feature the flags of all fifty U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
 
But there’s more! MTV also announced that starting in February, GREEN ARROW will be getting a new creative team! Kicking off with issue #17, GREEN ARROW will be written by Jeff Lemire (ANIMAL MAN; JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK) and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino (I, VAMPIRE).
 
Stay tuned to MTV GEEK throughout the day for more about each of these series from their creators. 

Preview Monday: I, VAMPIRE #0 and AMERICAN VAMPIRE #31

For this week’s installment of Preview Monday, we’re giving you first bites out of I, VAMPIRE #0 and AMERICAN VAMPIRE #31.

 

Don’t miss the exciting and heartbreaking tale of how Andrew Bennett became a vampire! While fleeing the house of his father to start a new life with his forbidden lover from a lower class, Bennett’s horse carriage is overturned in the midst of a rainstorm. Stranded, he’s attacked by a vampire — but this isn’t your run-of-the mill blood-sucker! I, VAMPIRE #0 comes to you from writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

 

Meanwhile, the tension is building in the pages of AMERICAN VAMPIRE as “The Blacklist” screeches towards its shocking conclusion. Pearl visits Henry as he recovers in the hospital but will she tell him the truth about her relationship with Skinner Sweet? And as their hit list grows shorter, can Pearl and Skinner continue to hunt the Los Angeles coven together or will their partnership dissolve? Plus, don’t miss the shocking ending when someone from Pearl’s past makes an appearance! From the acclaimed creative team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque, AMERICAN VAMPIRE #31 goes on sale this Wednesday. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.
 

Editor Matt Idelson talks I,VAMPIRE/JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Crossover

When I, VAMPIRE writer Josh Fialkov royally messed up and killed his lead character, we had no choice but to reach out to Peter Milligan, scribe of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK to help bail us out. What resulted was one of the first crossovers of the NEW 52, encapsulating issues #7-8 of both titles.

With Andrew dead, the very first vampire ever has arisen (in Gotham, naturally), and the JLDark need to stop a primordial force. And while the battlefront on Earth is definitely pretty intense, it's the trips to other planes of reality that are going to reveal some things about the late Mr. Bennett and change the game for both books. A member of the Dark team will be a member no longer once this is done. Actually, they won't be around to be a member.

And if I haven't put you to sleep with my blathering yet, take a gander at some of the artwork from the two titles joining to tell one story!

--Matt

I,VAMPIRE: A Love Story

You may think I,VAMPIRE is a horror story about blood thirsty vampires, but writer Joshua Hale Fialkov would argue that at it’s heart, the series is a love story.

"All great stories are love stories,” says Fialkov. “Sometimes they're about two people in love, or two people falling out of love, or a man in love with vengeance, or, a man in love with Truth, Justice, and the American Way. All of the characters we love are motivated almost entirely by love.”

“So,” Fialkov continues, “it only made sense to write a book not just about a man and a woman in love, but, about them both being in love with abstract concepts that put them at odds with each other.

Fialkov explains, “Mary loves freedom, Andrew loves humanity... Up until now, their love for one another was enough to keep that imbalance in check, but, not anymore."

Read more about Mary, the Queen of Blood and Andrew Bennett in I,VAMPIRE issue #6 next Wednesday.

I, VAMPIRE arrives in Gotham City

The War of the Vampires is getting intense as Andrew Bennett and the Queen of Blood arrive in Gotham City in I,VAMPIRE.

Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov gives us the inside scoop on what’s been happening in the series and a hint at what’s to come.

"Up until now, we've been telling a story that's very insular, and the vampires have struck and run. Well, in issue 5 that ends. Now they come face to face with the Batman, and it's not going to end well for anyone. Plus, doesn't Batman have those friends who call themselves the Justice League Dark?"

Pick up I,VAMPIRE #5 this Wednesday! And get ready to get sucked in as the events of this two-part story lead to the I,VAMPIRE/JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK crossover in March!

From The Editor’s Desk: Matt Idelson on I, VAMPIRE

Love. Redemption. Those don’t exactly sound like the high adventure comics are built on, but they’re two of the main components of I, VAMPIRE. And before you start thinking this is our take on the current vampire craze, let me set you straight on a couple things.

First, I, VAMPIRE debuted in the DC Universe back in 1980s, some twenty years ago. Second, this is part of the DC Comics-The New 52, so you know we’re not going for mushy romance, teen angst or asking you to pick a team.

Andrew Bennett may be hundreds of years old, but he and his true love, Mary, walk, talk and even dress like you and me. Problem is, Mary is pretty much the embodiment of evil, and she’d love nothing more than to eat all of humanity! Good thing Andrew’s on the side of good (not to mention a vegetarian). Yet the threat of war between the vampires and humanity is inevitable – meaning Andrew’s going to have to do some pretty horrible stuff against his own kind while trying to stave off war.

And there’s a mythology here, one that goes back to the earliest times of the DC Universe, when Camelot was but a recent memory and everyone ate with their hands. Can you guess which book I’m hinting at?

Like Andrew himself, the cold war which humanity doesn’t even know about will start in the shadows – but sooner or later everyone’s going to know about it, so you definitely want to jump on board now while we’re just getting started.

And just to whet your appetite, sharpen your fangs on these great shots by series artist Andrea Sorrentino.

Questions About The Dark

We’re just one month after the announcement of the books in the “Dark” group of DC Comics--The New 52. There's a lot of mystery surrounding these titles and the solicitations for the second issues offer another round of questions to keep fans guessing: Can the Justice League Dark turn against one of their own? Was Alec Holland wrong about Swamp Thing’s origins? What is the S.O.M.B.I.E. appearing in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.? Will Mitch Shelly, a.k.a. Resurrection Man, find the answers he’s looking for about his past? Find out all of these and more when the below books hit shelves this October.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #2

Written by PETER MILLIGAN

Art by MIKEL JANIN

Cover by RYAN SOOK

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Madame Xanadu continues guiding the world’s darkest heroes in their struggle against evil. But will John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade the Changing Man and the others be able to join forces in time to defeat the dangerous Enchantress before she destroys the world as we know it?

SWAMP THING #2

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Alec Holland thought he knew the history of the Swamp Thing – but he was wrong. The creature’s roots run deeper than he knows, and the Parliament of Trees intends to make him understand the responsibility he wants so desperately to avoid! With this issue, the mythology of the Swamp Thing branches out in ways you never saw coming – don’t miss it!

ANIMAL MAN #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art and cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Maxine’s new abilities continue to terrify Ellen and Buddy Baker, and things take a turn for the worse as Buddy begins a startling transformation of his own that will lead him on a journey into the heart of The Red. Meanwhile, The Hunters Three arrive on Earth and set their sights on the Baker family. The Hunt is on as DC’s most surprising new series continues to take ANIMAL MAN in shocking new directions.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

It’s all-out war as Frankenstein and his new field team, The Creature Commandos, uncover an age-old conspiracy at the heart of Bone Lake – one that will see them suit up as the world’s first “Necronauts,” traveling between worlds and through “dead space,” toward the mysterious Monster Planet. Meanwhile, the horrifying origins of the Commandos are revealed – and the S.O.M.B.I.E. makes its first appearance!

RESURRECTION MAN #2

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING

Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Mitch Shelley’s past remains a mystery. So when he goes looking for answers, will he find them? Not likely, when he has to contend with the bounty hunter femme fatales known as The Body Doubles.

I, VAMPIRE #2

Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO

Cover by JENNY FRISON

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

True love becomes divine hatred between the Queen of Blood and Andrew, as her vampires begin their attacks across the country. Their past behind them, they find themselves ready to battle to the death... If those feelings really are all gone. Surrounded by swarms of bloodthirsty vamps, Andrew must confront his immortal beloved in a blood-soaked battle he can’t win.

DEMON KNIGHTS #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The siege that will reverberate through history to the present-day DCU begins as the Demon Etrigan and his unlikely lover, Madame Xanadu, face the Horde! What five (mostly) noble souls would be crazy enough to join them? The cover gives but a hint, and the point could well be moot by the time this issue’s done. For the Horde is armed with the magic of Mordru – including some decidedly different dragons!

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