Over the past few days, we’ve been linking to all of the exclusive previews of the third issues from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 that are going on sale tomorrow.
Below, take a look at all the previews that ran (sorted alphabetically and separated by cover), compiled here in one easy location for your convenience.
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It’s hard to believe that tomorrow already sees the release of the first batch of third issues from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. Over the past few days, previews of these books have been popping up all over the Internet. Missed some? Don’t worry. We’ve got them all assembled for you here.
MAXIM has your exclusive first look at the action packed and science-fiction tinged O.M.A.C. #3.
From fan-favorite creative team Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld comes HAWK AND DOVE #3. Check out LOS ANGELES TIMES' HERO COMPLEX for an exclusive preview of the issue.
It’s Virgil Hawkins vs. The Slate Gang in STATIC SHOCK #3. Can’t wait until tomorrow to check the issue out? Head on over to IFANBOY for an exclusive sneak peek.
Download the CHAMPION! MAGAZINE app to see an exclusive preview of MEN OF WAR #3. The preview also features the layouts and inks of the previewed pages, providing an in-depth look at the creative process that goes into the creation of this series.
DC Comics’ Facebook page posted your first look at tomorrow’s GREEN ARROW #3. In the issue, Oliver Queen must defend himself against the maniacal Rush, who wants to kill him in front of a live audience. Pretty twisted, right?
And just because Halloween is over doesn’t mean it’s time to stop the scares from rolling in. Check out NEWSARAMA’s interview with I, VAMPIRE writer Joshua Hale Fialkov. “Matt Idelson and I talked a lot about good crossover opportunities, ways to show case that the book is set in the current DCU, and that the events around it are 'really happening,’” Fialkov teased of John Constantine’s upcoming appearance in the series. “Constantine serves as such a great gateway for that because he already stands on the side of the macabre, and his attitude is so opposite of Andrew’s. John is an actor, not a brooder. John is willing to do what has to be done, where as Andrew, we've seen, is slightly more hesitant.”
To be continued …
TEEN TITANS #5
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JANUARY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
In their first battle as a team, The Teen Titans square off against N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s most powerful weapon... The Superboy! But can the cunning of Red Robin, the speed of Kid Flash and the psionic might of Bunker stop a threat that has already taken out the powerhouse known as Wonder Girl? The fight rages from a battle cruiser docked in the Hudson River to the Central Park Zoo, but as a world stands up and takes notice, there is a very real possibility the Teen Titans might not survive their high profile debut!
STATIC SHOCK #5
Written by SCOTT MCDANIEL
Art by SCOTT MCDANIEL and ANDY OWENS
Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
On sale JANUARY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Sending Static to a watery grave has earned Joey Piranha and his freakish Bang Baby Army the coveted security role in the secretive Crime Alliance. Shocking connections begin to be revealed between the mysterious Hawkins family tragedy and this brutal criminal enterprise. And how might the unpredictable agenda of the Pale Man and the true price of Dr. Nemo’s Q-Juice send this criminal storm spinning wildly out of control?
HAWK AND DOVE #5
Written by STERLING GATES
Art and cover by ROB LIEFELD
On sale JANUARY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
It’s a race to rescue Deadman from the clutches of Condor and Swan! Hawk and Dove go on the hunt for Dove’s ghostly lover, and it’s a race against the clock to find him before Deadman lives up to his name for good! Traverse time and space as the hunt begins and secrets are uncovered in this action-packed issue!
BLUE BEETLE #5
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by IG GUARA and J.P. MAYER
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and SAL REGLA
On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Jaime Reyes’s entire life changed the moment an alien weapon bonded with him. He’s had to hide his secret from his friends and family, run from insane and powerful villains, and be careful to watch his anger…but how can he cope when the armor acts on its own and mortally wounds someone close to him?
(Previous interior art shown)
LEGION LOST #5
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by PETE WOODS
On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Our team of time-stranded Legionnaires must do battle with Alastor, the hulking bio-terrorist who has unleashed his lethal future virus in the present-day DCU! But before they arrive on the scene, Dawnstar must try to survive the behemoth alone!
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #5
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by WALTER SIMONSON and DAN GREEN
Cover by WALTER SIMONSON
On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Legendary artist Walter Simonson comes on board for an ambitious single-issue story that walks you through a day in the life of the Legion, checking in with every single member along the way! It’s a race against time to find the meaning of Dream Girl’s predawn vision before its secret can catch the team by surprise!
Over the past few days, we’ve been linking to all of the exclusive previews of the second issues from DC Comics-The New 52 that are going on sale tomorrow.
Below, take a look at all the previews that ran (separated by cover), compiled here in one easy location for your convenience.
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In Los Angeles this Friday? COMIC BOOK RESOURCES and Golden Apple Comics will be co-hosting a wrap party for the release of the first issues of DC Comics-The New 52. In attendance will be Brian Buccellato (THE FLASH), Bernard Chang (DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS), Dan DiDio (O.M.A.C.), Joshua Hale Fialkov (I, VAMPIRE), Sterling Gates (HAWK & DOVE), Adam Glass (Suicide Squad), Kyle Higgins (NIGHTWING/DEATHSTROKE) and Scott Lobdell (SUPERBOY/TEEN TITANS/RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS). For full details about the event, head on over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES.
IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. “I'm already growing attached to our first villain (and creation), Mob Rule,” THE FLASH co-writer Brian Buccellato said. “We are NOT making life easy for The Flash…why should we?”
And speaking of THE FLASH, IFANBOY has selected the first issue as their “Pick of the Week.” This marks the fifth consecutive week that they’ve chosen a title from DC Comics-The New 52. Ron Richards wrote a fantastic post about his connection to the character to accompany their selection. “When creating stories about The Flash, it’s all about speed and momentum,” he wrote. “Both in depicting The Flash within the book and the pace of the story itself. It’s clear with THE FLASH #1 that Manpul and Buccellato understand that. The kinetic energy that comes from drawing The Flash clearly is spread to the story itself and as of right now, I’m super excited to be a fan of The Flash once again.”
IGN also caught up with I, VAMPIRE writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and AQUAMAN writer Geoff Johns. “She's a lot more aggressive than most of our heroes in the DC Universe. But she is incredibly strong and she's incredibly loyal,” Johns said of Mera. “The first issue kind of sets the stage for Aquaman and then Mera comes into the book, and – I think it's issue #6 – is actually just going to focus on Mera. So for me, ever since BLACKEST NIGHT, pulling her out of obscurity and putting her into it and building her up, I think it just makes Aquaman stronger and it adds another iconic female superhero to the DC Universe.”
Want previews of some of next week’s second issues?
MTV GEEK has your first look at DETECTIVE COMICS #2, by Tony S. Daniel, Ryan Winn and Sandu Florea.
COMICVINE has the exclusive preview of JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #2, written by Dan Jurgens and featuring art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan.
We don’t know about you, but we’re sure going to miss seeing USA TODAY and THE NEW YORK TIMES’ weekly reviews of all the week’s releases.
And you may have noticed that NEW YORK MAGAZINE featured ANIMAL MAN in the “brilliant” section of their Approval Matrix, saying that issue #1 takes the book’s premise into “great, creepy territory.”
To be continued …
TEEN TITANS #4
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale DECEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Wonder Girl has come to New York City to find Red Robin and fill him in on what she’s learned about N.O.W.H.E.R.E., but it turns out she’s going to have to go through the mysterious Superboy first! As two of DC’s most powerful young metahumans battle over the streets of Times Square on New Year’s Eve, Red Robin assembles his team to help Wonder Girl.
STATIC SHOCK #4
Written by JOHN ROZUM
Art by SCOTT MCDANIEL and ANDY OWENS
Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Static is hot on Piranha’s trail, but will he be able to stop Piranha from building his metahuman army? Plus: The Pale Man’s true allegiance is revealed, and a foe from Static’s past has returned – and he’s brought his latest Q-juice creation: Guillotina!
BLUE BEETLE #4
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by IG GUARA and J.P. MAYER
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and SAL REGLA
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
What is Jaime Reyes going to do? La Dama and the unstoppable, mechanical monster known as Silverback both want the scarab for their own nefarious purposes, and Jaime’s family and friends want to know why he disappeared. Can he keep his secret safe, or will he risk everything to tell his loved ones the truth?
HAWK AND DOVE #4
Written by STERLING GATES
Art and cover by ROB LIEFELD
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Following last issue’s ultra-brawl with Condor and Swan through the halls of the White House, Hawk and Dove have more questions than answers! Luckily for them, they’ve taken a prisoner! But even as they begin to question him, sinister forces align with a new target in mind: Dove’s boyfriend, Deadman! Can Dove protect the man she loves, or will her ghostly lover fall into darkness?
LEGION LOST #4
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by PETE WOODS
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
How far is Timber Wolf willing to go to rescue a teammate? Find out as the Lost search for the bio-terrorist who unleashed a deadly future virus. But how long before the military and the new heroes of the DC Universe decide to get involved?
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #4
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE and KARL STORY
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
With time running out for the Legionnaire in the hands of the Dominators, it’s down to Cosmic Boy to crack the riddle of how the all-powerful Daxamite Renegade made it through an impenetrable blockade… and why would Element Lad leave Chemical Kid alone in a room with that same very, very angry Renegade?
"You've been partners with this guy for a couple of years, and you still haven't told him where you really came from?" – Deadman in HAWK AND DOVE #1
As we prepare for the first full week’s worth of releases of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, national press coverage continues to roll in.
Want exclusive previews?
Head on over to G4 for their interview with Geoff Johns and exclusive first look at GREEN LANTERN #1. Then check out MODERNMAN.COM's exclusive preview of HAWK AND DOVE #1 and interview with Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras about DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.
Want video footage? Tune in to CNN, THE NEW YORK POST and BUZZFEED.
Wish you were at the Midnight Madness event for JUSTICE LEAGUE? Well, THE WASHINGTON POST put up a slideshow of images from Wednesday’s Midnight Madness event in New York with Geoff Johns and Jim Lee at Midtown Comics.
Can't wait for WONDER WOMAN # 1? USA TODAY’S “Pop Candy” blog caught up with WONDER WOMAN artist Cliff Chiang.
Not sure what DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 is all about? THE WALL STREET JOURNAL’s “Speak Easy” blog ran an overview.
To be continued...
This has been such a monumental week for DC Comics. What we launched with (the already sold out!) JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 was absolutely amazing. And what’s more exciting still is that it was just a first taste of what’s to come.
Next week marks the release of a slew of incredible series. With ACTION COMICS, writer Grant Morrison and artist Rags Morales’ new interpretation of Superman will seriously blow people away. It really sets the tone for a contemporary Man of Tomorrow. And the dynamic is totally different.
But that’s not all. Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman’s ANIMAL MAN is a remarkable book that I could not be more excited about.
Gail Simone will be reintroducing Barbara Gordon in the role of BATGIRL with her signature dark, twisted, and brilliant storytelling, accompanied by Ardian Syaf’s breathtaking artwork.
Judd Winick and Ben Oliver's debut collaboration, BATWING, will astound you.
Tony Daniel’s art and story in DETECTIVE COMICS will really surprise people.
GREEN ARROW is a fascinating new take on Oliver Queen and his mission to change the world one arrow at a time.
Rob Liefeld could not be more excited to be returning to HAWK AND DOVE – and his enthusiasm really shows in the final product.
In JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti have created a team of super heroes led by Booster Gold whose adventures will be spanning the globe.
MEN OF WAR is a truly different and fresh take on a war book, especially considering the context of it being set against the backdrop of the DC Universe.
O.M.A.C. is a non-stop action-packed series that I can best describe as big and loud fun.
In STATIC SHOCK, Static comes to Manhattan and his life changes forever in unforeseeable ways.
Paul Cornell’s STORMWATCH is stuffed with surprises and new characters that will take the series into very exciting (and completely unexpected!) places. Not to mention, Miguel Sepulveda’s artwork is beyond stunning.
And in SWAMP THING, the Plant Elemental will finally return to its own series. Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette have created an extraordinary series and have really made Swamp Thing their own. You won’t want to miss it.
And that’s just week one.
Today on THE SOURCE, we’ll be talking to some of the people behind the YOUNG JUSTICE books. Keep checking the site throughout the day for more exclusive insights into the stories and quirks of these writers and artists.
THE SOURCE: How do you write the first line of a new series?
STERLING GATES: The first line of a series can be any number of things: a line that sets up your theme, a non-sequitur, a statement about the characters, or even asking the question that you hope to answer by the end of the story. My favorite first line in comics (favorite right now, mind you. It changes all the time!) is from Geoff Johns’ Superman: Secret Origin. A young Clark Kent looks up at the yellow sun, blinded by its brilliance, and a voice asks “Why are you here?” It’s sets up both Clark’s journey through the story and helps lead us to where Clark is in his life.
I tried to do that with Hawk and Dove, using the first few lines of issue one to introduce the theme of the book as well as what the characters’ potential arcs will be as we go along!
To me, though, first lines are very important. Hamlet starts with “Who’s there?” as two men meet in the darkness of the stage. Your audience is asking the same thing as they walk into any story. “Who’s there?” KRSSH! Surprise! It’s Hawk & Dove!
How do you introduce a new hero?
Usually I try to introduce a hero in my stories with a scene that really sets up who they are and their basic problems. That way any reader will have the basics they need going forward from that initial scene. For example, Hawk and Dove begins with them arguing over how they should handle the problem in front of them, establishing that Hawk is always comparing Dove to his first partner. We’re going to delve more into that conflict as time goes on, but I really think it makes sense to get it in front of the reader right away. I like to give superheroes a nice big action beat when they first enter the story so we know they’re the hero and that they’re always going to try and succeed and save the day!
Now, whether they succeed or not is a different matter altogether…
How do you introduce characters?
One of the rules that I learned early on when introducing characters in any type of story is make sure you give the readers their name (or make it clear you’re purposefully withholding it) and give readers an idea of what characters “do” right up front. Otherwise, you’ll have people wondering who characters are for the rest of the scene!
What was the first comic you ever worked on?
When I was in sixth grade, my English teacher gave us the option of doing another book report or writing and drawing a ten-page comic! Me and two other girls in my class created a team of superheroes that fought against eco-terrorists. Eco-terrorists, mind you, that lived in Oklahoma. And were supervillains. Eco-terrorist supervillains. Yes, we basically ripped off the set-up for Captain Planet.
Each of us created our own characters, and mine was a trenchcoat-wearing, enigmatic vigilante who smoked and wore a kickass Stetson. He could charge up stuff with kinetic energy and throw them. When they hit various surfaces, they’d explode!
…yep. I created the X-Men’s Gambit, but he wore a cowboy hat. The hat made him totally different!
Oh, and he wasn’t from New Orleans, he was from somewhere else. He was from New Mexico.
I drew seven pages of that amazing story before we had to turn it in. Hopefully someday I’ll find the artwork…so that I can burn it and no one will ever see it!
I did a bunch of self-published books through college and did a stint as an editorial cartoonist for my school’s newspaper, but my first pro writing work was at DC Comics. It was a back-up story in Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime called “Fear is a Baby’s Cry!” It fleshed out the Sinestro Corps member named Kryb, who goes around kidnapping the children of the Green Lantern Corps. Fun, spooky stuff! Nary a trenchcoat OR a Stetson to be found, unfortunately.
Who was the first character you followed?
The Flash! Or Batman. Or Marvel’s Longshot.
What was the first series you collected?
WOW. That’s a tough question. Maybe something with Spider-Man or Superman. I was so young, I don’t know that I could actually just say, “This is what I first collected.”
Who was the first writer you followed?
Mark Waid. I fell out of comics some in my teenage years, and when I came back into comics, Mark was writing The Flash. I think Kingdom Come had just hit the market, too. As a result, I sought out everything he ever wrote, including those random issues of Archie he did!
Who was the first artist you followed?
There were three: Jim Lee, Todd MacFarlane, and Rob Liefeld. Those guys produced the most dynamic comic art of the 90’s, and their art galvanized an entire generation of readers and changed the industry. Every kid I knew LOVED their books, and we all bought every book they put out without fail. Their work set the tone for comic art for the next decade, and looking back on that stuff, it’s easy to see why. Brilliant work from three artists who still reign as modern masters in my book.
What was the first convention you attended as a fan?
Wizard World Chicago: 1999! I met Frank Miller outside the convention center and he signed my Dark Knight Returns trade. Frank Miller! I talked about running into him for months afterwards.
What was the first convention you attended as a professional?
Wizard World L.A., March 2008. That was my first convention after my professional work started coming out, at least, and it was the first convention where I signed at the DC booth.
What was the first comic book you read?
The first comic I distinctly remember reading was Fantastic Four #279. I’m sure I read some issues of DC Comics Presents before that, but the cover remains in my memory as the first comic I owned.
What was the first piece of original art you bought?
An Oscar Jimenez page from Flash #100. I loved that issue so, so much, and when I discovered eBay, I started looking for Flash pages all the time. I’ve actually put together a pretty sizable collection of Flash artwork the last fifteen years!
What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?
This is probably lame, but it was one that I wrote! I wanted to see what War of the Supermen #0 looked like on an iPad, so I downloaded it the day it went up. I’m a little ashamed that it was one of my own books, but I assure you it was for completely academic purposes.
