joe bennett | DC Comics

Paperback Spotlight – DEATHSTROKE VOL. 1: LEGACY

It’s hard to believe that we’re already almost one full year into DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. To celebrate this monumental anniversary, each day this week on THE SOURCE we’ll be spotlighting a different paperback collected edition being released this month. With the launch storylines of these critically acclaimed series collected for the first time in their entirety, it’s a great way for new readers to join the growing DC Universe. Today, we shed a spotlight on DEATHSTROKE VOL. 1: LEGACY.

“’We want you to write Deathstroke. Are you interested?'”

“These were the words that started everything for me, back in February of 2011,” writer Kyle Higgins told THE SOURCE. “I was in the midst of writing the first issue of BATMAN: GATES of GOTHAM (along with the first issue of a miniseries somewhere else) and holding down a 9-5 job as a sound editor/graphic designer. Still, there was no way I was going to pass this up. I mean, not only was I being offered my first ongoing series ... but it was also one that featured SLADE WILSON. How awesome is that?! Let me tell you-- it's awesome. Incredibly awesome.”

“What followed that phone call was a year I'll never forget, working with six of the most amazing creative partners imaginable: Joe Bennett, Art Thibert, Jason Wright, Eduardo Pansica, Rachel Gluckstern, and Brian Smith (we'll do another book together someday, guys!). The eight issues in this trade represent a run I'm immensely proud of and one I can't wait to share with the bookshelves of the world. After all, in the words of Slade Wilson, 'friends die, family disappoints, but a legacy... a legacy is forever.’”

“I've always liked the character and when I was invited to do the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 relaunch of him, I didn't hesitate,” added artist Joe Bennett. “Reading Kyle's script made me feel very comfortable in a territory that I like a lot: ALL-OUT ACTION. Also, Kyle gave me a lot of freedom to make this happen, making this a real partnership. And add to all that Art Thibert’s amazing inks and Jason Wright’s color pallete, and you have an explosion of action, violence and ... well, FUN!”

DEATHSTROKE VOL. 1: LEGACY is available in bookstores everywhere now.

Tags:

deathstroke, kyle higgins, joe bennett

Editor Rachel Gluckstern on THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN

Exploding in May! Hawkman's new creative team soars high with absolute mayhem! Thanks to the dynamic storytelling of Rob Liefeld and the art team of Joe Bennett and Art Thibert, THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN is ready to take flight and deliver the finest in globetrotting, gladiatorial action! What is the mystery behind the Nth Metal embedded in Hawkman's body, and who is tracking it down? It all begins in THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #9 and it won't stop. It can't stop. This is the era of Hawkman the Warrior - unleashed! - Rachel Gluckstern, THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN Editor [gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

Tags:

art thibert, joe bennett, rachel gluckstern, Rob Liefeld, The Savage Hawkman

THE LIEFELD LINE-UP: CREATIVE TEAMS FOR DEATHSTROKE, GRIFTER and THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN

We recently announced that writer/artist Rob Liefeld will be bringing his distinctive sensibilities to DEATHSTROKE, GRIFTER and THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 - and here's a look at the full creative teams for those series.

On GRIFTER, Liefeld's stories will be scripted by Frank Tieri, whose previous DC Comics work includes JSA CLASSIFIED, GOTHAM UNDERGROUND and BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS. Scott Clark will remain the ongoing series artist. Scripter Mark Poulton will support Liefeld's vision on THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN. Poulton's notable recent work includes a reboot of Liefeld's AVENGELYNE for Image Comics. HAWKMAN will be illustrated by Joe Bennett, whose prior DC Comics work includes TEEN TITANS, HAWKMAN and JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST.

And on DEATHSTROKE, Liefeld will shoulder both writing and illustration duties, kicking off a new storyline with a battle royale between the mercenary against intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.

Liefeld and the new creative teams join these three series beginning with their ninth issues in May. Check out the covers for all three series here at The Source.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC"]

Tags:

DC Comics-The New 52, deathstroke, Frank Tieri, Grifter, joe bennett, Mark Poulton, Rob Liefeld, scott clark, The Savage Hawkman

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, Monday Afternoon (ET) Edition

Sunday’s NEW YORK POST covered this weekend’s New York Comic Con and teased upcoming convention announcements. “It’s a great thing it’s here in New York,” said DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras. “It’s very exciting for us.” The POST's coverage broke the very first DC Comics news of the Con: Andy Kubert will be illustrating a two part story in ACTION COMICS.

This morning, THE NEW YORK POST followed up with another exclusive announcement sure to get folks talking: Wonder Woman's new origin in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “In this case, making her a god actually makes her more human, more relatable," said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee. Head over to THE NEW YORK POST’s website for their full coverage, including the first look at WONDER WOMAN #2, in stores next week.

Can't wait for more announcements at NYCC? There are plenty of previews to keep you occupied ‘til then. Witness:

USA TODAY has the exclusive preview of SUICIDE SQUAD #2 by Adam Glass, Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan. “They're making decisions and doing things that have real costs to them, and those costs are people's lives: their own or other people's," Glass said of the Suicide Squad. "You're on a team with a group of people and you don't know if someone's gonna stick it in your back."

WIRED’s GEEKDAD has your first look at DEATHSTROKE #2 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert. “It won’t be very long until the heroes and villains alike know just who the scariest dude in the new DC universe truly is,” GEEKDAD wrote of Deathstroke.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES previewed RESURRECTION MAN #2 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino. They also interviewed BATMAN and SWAMP THING writer Scott Snyder as part of their ongoing BAT SIGNAL coverage. “What Gotham does is try to convince you that the things you consider your great strengths as a hero are your weaknesses, your weak spots,” Snyder said about BATMAN. “For Bruce that really is his confidence and his sense of knowledge and wisdom about the city, his confidence as its protector.” Be sure to read the full interview for your exclusive look at the cover to BATMAN #5.

Meanwhile, YAHOO!’s ASSOCIATED CONTENT interviewed writers Geoff Johns about AQUAMAN and Judd Winick about BATWING. “The goal of the first adventure takes place to establish how Aquaman is perceived on land and how he's perceived in the ocean,” Johns said of AQUAMAN’s premiere story arc. “Then we send him off on a journey to find out the biggest mystery of all: who sank Atlantis and why.”

And over at GEEKDAD, writer Corinna Lawson decided to do some research on Duane Swierczynski’s previous work before checking him out as the new writer for BIRDS OF PREY. “There’s no doubt that if non-stop, cool action sequences with fun characters are your thing, you need to read some Swierczynski stories.”

To be continued …

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC Comics-The New 52, Tuesday Afternoon (ET) Edition

With the second full week of releases of DC Comics-The New 52 coming out tomorrow, more and more previews continue to roll out.

TV GUIDE MAGAZINE has the first exclusive look at SUICIDE SQUAD #1. “Espionage is not pretty, it's not martinis and tuxedos, it's usually down and dirty,” series writer Adam Glass (Supernatural) told them.

COMICS ALLIANCE debuted a 5-page sequence from BIRDS OF PREY #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz (and in case you missed it last week, be sure to read Editor Janelle Asselin’s blog post on what to expect from the series).

NEWSARAMA has the exclusive preview of DEATHSTROKE #1 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert.

IGN continued their series of interviews with the writers and artists of all the books in DC Comics-The New 52. “Slade is a strategist—he's two, sometimes three steps ahead in a fight,” Kyle Higgins said when asked about DEATHSTROKE.

“The first thing we do is show that Batwoman just wants to be the good soldier of Gotham,” described BATWOMAN writer/artist J.H. Williams III told IGN. “She’s going after crimes and villains that really don't connect to her personal story, but they quickly become personal for her mission.”

“One of the primary aspects of his character that makes him so appealing and compelling is that he makes mistakes - big, huge messes in his life, and yet he keeps going on,” GREEN ARROW writer J.T. Krul said about the series’ protagonist to IGN. “He doesn't make excuses for himself; he doesn't pass the buck - Oliver Queen freely and wholeheartedly puts the blame on his shoulders and carries the weight day in and day out.”

NEWSARAMA also debuted the cover to DETECTIVE COMICS #4. Meanwhile, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has the first look at the cover for ACTION COMICS #4 and WORD BALLOON premiered the cover to GREEN LANTERN #4.

To be continued …

The Stakes Raise For The Edge

In the second issues of the “Edge” group books, the odds are not in our protagonists’ favor. In DEATHSTROKE, MEN OF WAR and ALL-STAR WESTERN, new villains will be revealed. Grifter and Voodoo are on the run while Stormwatch, the Blackhawks, O.M.A.C. and the Suicide Squad must fight battles that’ll have grave consequences.

STORMWATCH #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA and AL BARRIONUEVO

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

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

The moon is alive! Following the events of SUPERMAN #1 where [TEXT REDACTED], the covert team of sci-fi Super Heroes known as Stormwatch must not only battle the Earth’s moon, but find a way to hide its monstrous metamorphosis from the rest of the Earth! How? Uh, they’re working on it. Meanwhile, the recruitment of Midnighter goes poorly, and we learn why the Martian Manhunter is a member of the team. Written by Paul Cornell (Doctor Who)!

DEATHSTROKE #2

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

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

Deathstroke’s tactical prowess is put to the test when the man who hired him attempts to renege on the contract. Pitted against a salvo of new assassins, including the vicious Road Rage, Slade must take his giant sword to the 405 freeway and proclaim himself the most vicious killer in the city of Angels!

GRIFTER #2

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art and cover by CAFU and JASON GORDER

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

The police are looking for him. Government operatives are hunting him down. And Cole Cash can hear the voices of an alien race in his head. Escaping New Orleans will require quick thinking and a violent streak straight out of Cole’s Special Operations background – and just like that, his life will be turned upside down, figuratively as well as literally.

SUICIDE SQUAD #2

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by FEDERICO DELLOCCHIO and RANSOM GETTY

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

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

80,000 ordinary people vs. the Squad! Well, they’re not really “people.” Not anymore. With an entire sports stadium on lockdown following the outbreak of an unknown virus, Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the rest of the Squad must sneak past a military perimeter and fight their way through the infected to retrieve... “it.” What is “it”…? Brace yourself for a stomach-churning reveal as the most brutal version of the Suicide Squad soldiers on! Plus: Bring a body bag – it’s the team’s first Squad fatality!

VOODOO #2

Written by RON MARZ

Art and cover by SAMI BASRI

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

Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Voodoo is on the run in the new DC Universe, trying to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, using all of her considerable skills to complete a mission that will put the entire Earth in danger. DC’s sexy, edgy new series goes into overdrive with one of the most unexpected opening scenes ever!

O.M.A.C. #2

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

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

Brother Eye gives Kevin Kho the ground rules to their new “arrangement.” New players are introduced to the game as Sarge Steel and Checkmate begin their hunt for the One Machine Army Corp, but O.M.A.C.’s appearance may be short-lived when he faces the incredible threat of Rocker Bonn, the Amazing Man!

MEN OF WAR #2

Written by IVAN BRANDON and JONATHAN VANKIN

Art by TOM DERENICK and PHIL WINSLADE

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

In the split second after a heavy-weapons blast the air goes silent and still, just as it does in the ghostly realm of Circe. How will Rock and his team of men – battle-hardened, but still human – survive a villainess who can walk on the very wind?

Plus, Navy Seals Ice and Tracker go where no boots are on the ground, but when their mission is compromised, how will they tell friend from foe?

BLACKHAWKS #2

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art and GRAHAM NOLAN and NORM RAPMUND

Cover by KEN LASHLEY

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

While the Blackhawks deal with a potential public exposure, Lady Blackhawk is keeping dangerous secrets of her own! And the first clues of a vast conspiracy throughout the DC Universe begin to take shape. The action ratchets up for DC’s newest team of high-tech military operatives.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #2

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by MORITAT and JORDI BERNET

Cover by MORITAT

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

What happens when a psychologist and a sociopath have to work together to track down Gotham City’s first serial killer? They’ll soon find that crime in the big city runs deeper than its foundations, and it’s all mapped out in the mysterious Crime Bible – that is, if they don’t kill each other first.

Plus: No zombie is safe in the Wild West when Lazarus Lane summons the demon known as El Diablo!

FLASHPOINT FRIDAY: “We have to move from here as soon as we dignify our dead.”

While en route to an undisclosed location in Norway, The Ravager is attacked by Aquaman and his army. As his crew is brutally massacred before his eyes, Deathstroke must struggle to fight for his own life before continuing the hunt for his treasure. And with the influx of enemies continuing to roll in, Deathstroke might require a little help to get his mission back on track. But who will be the one providing it?

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and featuring art by Joe Bennett, Tony Shasteen and The Hories, FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #2 sails into stores next week.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

Tags:

aquaman, deathstroke, flashpoint, flashpoint: deathstroke and the curse of the ravager, jimmy palmiotti, joe bennett, The Hories, Tony Shasteen

September's THE EDGE Solicits

STORMWATCH #1

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

They are Stormwatch, a dangerous super human police force whose existence is kept secret from the world Directly following the ominous events of SUPERMAN #1, Adam One leads half the Stormwatch team to recover the [INFORMATION REDACTED] from deep in the Himalayas. Meanwhile, Jack Hawksmoor and the rest of the Stormwatch crew look to recruit two of the deadliest super humans on the planet: Midnighter and Apollo! And if they say no? Perhaps the Martian Manhunter can change their minds...

GRIFTER #1

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art by CAFU

Cover by CAFU and BIT

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The DCU’s most wanted man stars in his own series!

Cole Cash is a charming grifter few can resist. And yet he’s about to be branded a serial killer when he begins hunting and exterminating inhuman creatures hidden in human form – creatures only he can see!

Can the biggest sweet talker of all time talk his way out of this one when even his brother thinks he’s gone over the edge?

DEATHSTROKE #1

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

“Friends die, family disappoints, but a legacy... That lives forever.”

Slade Wilson is the best mercenary in the DCU, and he’s been doing this a long time. Some might say too long. But they’ll learn: Never turn your back on Deathstroke the Terminator. He won’t quit, no matter how high the stakes. Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and Joe Bennett (TEEN TITANS) team up to bring you the finest in mayhem and gore.

SUICIDE SQUAD #1

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by MARCO RUDY

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

They’re a team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous – they’re sheer suicide!

Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark! Defeated and imprisoned, they’re being interrogated about their mission – and about who’s pulling the strings behind this illegal operation. Who will be the first to crack under the pressure?

O.M.A.C. #1

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The all-seeing Brother Eye satellite has unleashed a new beast upon the DC Universe in this smashing new series! Kevin Kho has become an unwilling participant in a war between Checkmate and Brother Eye as he is transformed into the One Machine Army Corp known only as O.M.A.C.!

BLACKHAWKS #1

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art and cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Welcome to a world waging a new kind of war that’s faster and more brutal than ever before. It’s fought by those who would make the innocent their targets, using computers, smart weapons and laser-guided missiles. The new enemy is hard to find – and closer to home than we think.

Between us and them stand the Blackhawks, an elite force of military specialists equipped with the latest in cutting-edge hardware and vehicles. Their mission: Kill the bad guys before they kill us.

MEN OF WAR #1

Written by IVAN BRANDON

Art by TOM DERENICK

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

On the ground and on the front lines, a young, headstrong soldier known as Joe Rock assumes command of Easy Company – a team of ex-military men turned contractors. Will they survive the battle-scarred landscape carved by the DCU’s Super-Villains? Find out in this explosive new series from Ivan Brandon (Viking, DOC SAVAGE) and Tom Derenick (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

ALL-STAR WESTERN #1

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art and cover by MORITAT

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Find out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)!

Welcome To The Edge

Stormwatch is a dangerous super human strike force whose existence is kept secret from the world. Jack Hawksmoor and the rest of the crew look to recruit two of the deadliest super humans on the planet: Midnighter and Apollo. And if they say no? Perhaps the Martian Manhunter can change their minds. Featuring a surprising new roster, STORMWATCH #1 will be written by the critically-acclaimed Paul Cornell (Superman: The Black Ring, “Dr. Who”) and illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda.

Warfare: Past and Present

Blackhawk is an elite group of mercenaries made up of brave men from around the world equipped with the latest in cutting-edge hardware and vehicles. Their mission: Kill the bad guys before they kill us. A set of contemporary tales that battle the world's gravest threats, BLACKHAWKS #1 will be written by Mike Costa and illustrated by Ken Lashley.

The grandson of the original Sgt. Rock assumes the command of Easy Company, a team of crack ex-military men financed by a covert military contractor, as they brave the battle-scarred landscape carved by the DC Universe’s super-villains. MEN OF WAR #1 is contemporary military story fighting under modern conditions, and will be written by Ivan Brandon and illustrated by Tom Derenick.

Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Featuring back-up stories starring DC’s other western heroes, ALL-STAR WESTERN #1 will be written by the fan-favorite Jonah Hex team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and illustrated by Moritat.

The DC Universe’s Loose Cannons

A metahuman mercenary who made a living taking out the toughest targets, Deathstroke will reclaim his fearsome legacy by any means necessary in DEATHSTROKE #1, a new series from rising star Kyle Higgins (Batman: Gates of Gotham) and artists Joe Bennett and Art Thibert.

Ex-black ops agent Cole Cash is a charming grifter that few can resist. And yet he’s about to be branded a serial killer when he begins hunting and exterminating inhuman creatures hidden in human form – creatures only he can see. Can the biggest sweet talker of all time talk his way out of this one when even his brother thinks he’s gone over the edge? Find out in GRIFTER #1, written by Nathan Edmondson with art by CAFU and BIT (the team behind T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS).

A man loses control of his life as the omnipresent Brother Eye transforms him against his will into a powerful killing machine OMAC #1, written by DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio and co-written and illustrated by Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish.