Everyone’s Talkin’ About DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, Monday Evening (PT) Edition

Ever since we launched DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, we’ve been trying to find the perfect outlet to post each exclusive preview. What better match, then, is there for BATMAN AND ROBIN than WIRED’s GEEKDAD? Head on over to their website to see an amazing 6-page sequence from issue #3, which is all about the tension between Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian.

USA TODAY previewed RESURRECTION MAN #3 and spoke with series writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. "His mortal soul is in jeopardy in a much greater way. The stakes are much higher than simply life or death," Abnett told them. “There are serious repercussions about heaven and hell and what these supernatural powers are interested in. That's really going to play out the next few issues where you've got forces both mortal and immortal fighting over him because he is so important."

LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX spoke with the acclaimed creative team behind WONDER WOMAN, Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. “We’re striving for something that speaks to a certain timelessness but at the same time doesn’t get bogged down with older notions of the Greek gods,” Chiang said of the series. “We’ve done away with togas and sandals and stuff like that in order to make you look at them with new eyes. We want the characters to look and sound different, we want them to act different than you would expect … The fact that all of the Greek myths are really rooted in human behavior is great.”

IGN spoke with NIGHTWING writer Kyle Higgins about the Gotham hero. “He grew up a sidekick, studying under the best, then left to spread his proverbial ‘wings’ but ultimately came back to take his mentor's place,” Higgins said. “In a medium where change is hard to facilitate, Dick is a character that has grown and developed -- he's a character who is built on the very idea of change.” While you’re at IGN, be sure to check out their exclusive preview of SUICIDE SQUAD #3.

Curious what else is coming out this week? POPMATTERS previewed DEMON KNIGHTS #3, COMPLEX MAGAZINE previewed MISTER TERRIFIC #3 and DC Comics’ official Facebook page has your first sneak peek at this week’s GRIFTER #3.

To be continued …

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andy lanning, batman and robin, brian azzarello, cliff chiang, Complex Magazine, dan abnett, DC Comics-The New 52, Demon Knights, facebook, Grifter, IGN, kyle higgins, Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex, Mister Terrific, nightwing, PopMatters, Resurrection Man, suicide squad, usa today, Wired's Geekdad, wonder woman

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

MCCLATCHEY revealed that beginning with issue#7, fan-favorite Ann Nocenti would be taking over as the writer for GREEN ARROW. The news has since been reported on by various other outlets including IGN, THE SACRAMENTO BEE, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES and IFANBOY.

Over at MTV GEEK, there's an exclusive first look at NIGHTWING #2 by Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows, J.P. Mayer and Paulo Siqueira.

Meanwhile, DC Entertainment has announced an exclusive partnership with General Mills cereals. In specially marked boxes of various Big G cereals such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Trix, custom JUSTICE LEAGUE comic books will be made available. For more information, check out THE NEW YORK TIMES, ICV2 and ROBOT 6’s coverage of the announcement.

To be continued …

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ann nocenti, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, eddy barrows, General Mills, green arrow, ICV2, ifanboy, IGN, j.p. mayer, justice league, kyle higgins, MTV Geek, new york times, nightwing, Paulo Siqueira, robot 6, The Sacramento Bee

(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 …

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adam glass, Andrei Bressan, andy lanning, aquaman, art thibert, Batman, batwing, birds of prey, bob harras, comic book resources, Corinna Lawson, dan abnett, DC Comics-The New 52, deathstroke, Duane Swier, Federico Dallocchio, fernando dagnino, Geekdad, Geoff Johns, jim lee, joe bennett, judd winick, kyle higgins, new york comic-con, new york post, Resurrection Man, scott snyder, suicide squad, swamp thing, usa today, Wired, wonder woman, Yahoo! Associated Content

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

For the sixth consecutive week, IFANBOY has selected a title from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 as their “Pick of the Week.” This time around? O.M.A.C. #2 by Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish. Check out their complete coverage to see why they “love this book” and why they’re calling O.M.A.C. “ridiculously fun.”

If you haven’t been to the DC Comics Facebook page today, head on over there to check out an exclusive preview of LEGION LOST #2. After all, what better way is there to connect to another world than through social media, right?

In anticipation of J.H. Williams III’s signing in Los Banos, California tomorrow, local paper THE MODESTO BEE profiled the BATWOMAN artist and co-writer. And be sure not to miss J.H. when he comes to San Francisco as part of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 Art Tour this December.

And speaking of events, it was just last Friday that COMIC BOOK RESOURCES and Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles hosted a wrap party for the first month of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. The writers and artists in attendance included Brian Buccellato, Bernard Chang, Mike Costa, Dan DiDio, Josh Fialkov, Sterling Gates, Adam Glass, Kyle Higgins and Scott Lobdell. You’ve already heard them talk about which titles from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 were their favorites. Today, check out this latest video interview as they all tease what to look forward to in the upcoming issues of their respective series. “The best reason you should come back for issue two and the rest of the series is basically because issue one is a pilot – it sets up the status-quo, inverts it and then tells you what the direction of the series is going to be going forward,” said NIGHTWING and DEATHSTROKE writer Kyle Higgins. “Issue two and from then on out is exploring what that direction is. So all the character development, motivations, twists and turns, the stories of these characters and the explorations of their lives (and what it means to be in Nightwing’s case, a hero in Gotham city making a life for himself or in Deathstroke’s case, the best mercenary in the DC Universe trying to reestablish his reputation and credibility) are only going to come out through long-form storytelling.”

To be continued …

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adam glass, batwoman, bernard chang, brian buccellato, comic book resources, Dan DiDio, DC Comics-The New 52, deathstroke, facebook, Golden Apple Comics, ifanboy, J.H. Williams III, Joshua Hale Fialkov, kyle higgins, Legion Lost, Mike Costa, nightwing, OMAC, Scott Lobdell, sterling gates, The Modesto Bee

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

Last Friday, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES and Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles hosted a wrap party for the first month of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. The writers and artists in attendance included Brian Buccellato, Bernard Chang, Mike Costa, Dan DiDio, Josh Fialkov, Sterling Gates, Adam Glass, Kyle Higgins and Scott Lobdell. Head on over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES to hear all of these creators talk about what titles from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 were their favorites. “It was really exciting to work with Francis on the book because he saw this book visually first,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and O.M.A.C. writer Dan DiDio about THE FLASH. “He was talking about images and speed and how he was going to be able to interpret the fastest man in the world. And when you saw the art come in, you couldn’t help but get super excited because you saw this visual interpretation that feels incredibly fresh.”

Sara Lima at COMICVINE published a piece on how DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 has made iconic leading lady Lois Lane into a powerful, self-sufficient, successful and integral female character. “This Lois finally gets to be the boss. She's smart, sassy, and has no problem standing up to the man who promoted her to Vice President,” wrote Lima. “She's certainly stronger, more interesting and has a lot more depth.”

Finally, as gamers everywhere already know, BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, the long-awaited sequel to the blockbuster game, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM, hits stores in less than two weeks. G4 ran the first two of three segments showcasing the villains that The Dark Knight will be facing this time around. Watch the videos to catch a glimpse at how characters like Two-Face, Penguin, Solomon Grundy, Talla al Ghul, Riddler, Catwoman, and of course, Joker, will look in the new game. And remember to pick up BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, available for PS3, XBOX 360 and PC, on October 18th.

To be continued …

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adam glass, batman: arkham city, bernard chang, brian buccellato, catwoman, comic book resources, Comicvine, Dan DiDio, DC Comics-The New 52, g4, Golden Apple Comics, joker, Josh Fialkov, kyle higgins, lois lane, Mike Costa, penguin, riddler, Sara Lima, Scott Lobdell, solomon grundy, sterling gates, Talla al Ghul, the flash, two-face

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

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 …

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aaron lopresti, adam glass, animal man, bernard chang, brian buccellato, comic book resources, Comicvine, Dan DiDio, dan jurgens, DC Universe Presents, deathstroke, detective comics, francis manapul, Golden Apple Comics, hawk and dove, I Vampire, ifanboy, IGN, Joshua Hale Fialkov, justice league international, kyle higgins, Matt Ryan, MTV Geek, New York Magazine, new york times, nightwing, OMAC, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Ron Richards, ryan winn, Sandu Florea, Scott Lobdell, sterling gates, suicide squad, superboy, teen titans, the flash, Tony S. Daniel, usa today

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

As we get ready for the third week of full releases from DC Comics-The New 52, the previews keep rolling in. Want to know what’s coming up? Check out some of the press highlights from the past few days.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX shed a spotlight on local Los Angeles writers Kyle Higgins and J.T. Krul with their exclusive previews of NIGHTWING #1 and CAPTAIN ATOM #1.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has the first look at GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1, by Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna.

WIRED’s GEEKDAD and UNDERWIRE teamed up to post the exclusive preview of BLUE BEETLE #1 (and in case you missed it last week, click here to read GEEKDAD’s interview with series writer Tony Bedard).

IGN debuted the first sneak peek into Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort’s RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1.

To be continued …

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blue beetle, captain atom, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, fernando pasarin, Geekdad, green lantern corps, hero complex, IGN, j.t. krul, kenneth rocafort, kyle higgins, Los Angeles Times, nightwing, peter j. tomasi, Red Hood and the Outlaws, scott hanna, Scott Lobdell, tony bedard, Underwire, Wired

(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 …

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action comics, adam glass, art thibert, batwoman, birds of prey, comic book resources, comics alliance, deathstroke, detective comics, Duane Swierczynski, green arrow, green lantern, IGN, J.H. Williams III, j.t. krul, jesus saiz, joe bennett, kyle higgins, Newsarama, suicide squad, TV Guide Magazine, Word Balloon

The Final Issue of BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM

Last we saw The Architect, he had planted a bomb that if set off, would drown half of Gotham City. As Damian Wayne and Cassandra Cain swim deep underneath the Kane Bridge to try to locate the bomb and diffuse it, Batman comes face to face with The Architect and delivers him a startling revelation about his past. But will The Architect believe him and put a stop to his plan and save the city? Or is he too blinded by his need for vengeance to hear the truth about the Gates of Gotham?

In an issue filled with action and surprising twists, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM #5 is the climactic conclusion to this acclaimed miniseries. From the creative team of Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott and Trevor McCarthy, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM #5 goes on sale tomorrow.

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Batman, batman: gates of gotham, Cassandra Cain, damian wayne, kyle higgins, Ryan Parrott, scott snyder, The Architect, trevor mccarthy

Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Kyle Higgins

THE SOURCE: How do you write the first line of a new series?

KYLE HIGGINS: With confidence. By the time I'm in the scripting phase, I know what the series is about—I know, thematically, what I want to explore and put my characters through. So, as far as opening lines (or even opening pages for that matter), I usually try to lay out what the point of the book is going to be... without hitting readers over the head with it.

How do you introduce a new hero?

If I can, with a massive double page spread! From Nightwing 1:

PAGE 2-3

Nightwing, falling/swinging right at us-- it's a big hero shot. As the first image of Nightwing in the new DCU, think of this as the poster shot-- it needs to redefine him for everyone.

Buildings rise to sickening heights behind him, giving us a sense of vertigo as we look up. Let’s get some water towers in here, too. Also, this section of Gotham should be rather affluent-- it should NOT be decrepit or worn down. Even if the architecture is “classic” Gotham, the neighborhood is well-to-do.

How do you introduce characters?

I know it's “Writing 101” for characters to have memorable introductions, but it's the truth. Snappy lines, an unexpected action, or an inversion on a plot stereotype are some of my favorites.

How do you introduce a new villain?

You have to show why they're terrifying and why they're going to be worth reading about—why they're worth our hero's time.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

Captain America Theater of War: Prisoners of Duty (2009)

Who was the first character you followed?

It's a toss up between Spider-Man and Batman.

What was the first series you collected?

I tried collecting Spider-Man during the clone saga (and beyond), but with how much the story bounced around from title to title, it was tough. It wasn't until Nightwing that I followed a book every month.

Who was the first writer you followed?

Chuck Dixon.

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

I've had a few years where it was gray area—I was technically attending Comic Con and C2E2 in 2010 as a “Pro” because I'd written two comics for Marvel (one of which hadn't even come out yet) but it wasn't until C2E2 this year (2011) that I had work being announced and I was speaking on a few panels.

What was the first comic book you read?

The first I can remember is The Flash 80 ... by Waid and 'Ringo.

What was the first piece of original art you bought?

Still haven't bought one! I'm gunning for some Eddy Barrows and Joe Bennet originals though...

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DC Comics-The New 52, kyle higgins, nightwing

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