paul cornell | DC Comics

The New Horror, Part 3: “I love the idea of having a place within the DCU where monsters dwell.”

The bogeyman. The monster in the closet. The things that go bump in the night. They show up, sometimes, in a good spooky story. But what gives us nightmares, what really keeps us up late at night, can't always be named.

With today being Halloween, we sent thirteen questions about horror to some of the smartest writers in the comic book industry to get to the heart of why we love horror. Scott Snyder, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are all currently writing characters traditionally associated with horror. Paul Cornell's writing a dark fantasy book chock full of fear and the supernatural. Brian Azzarello, J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman are injecting horror into superhero epics. They all took time out to share their thoughts on what we're calling the New Horror in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. Their answers will run here on the SOURCE in three parts, but you can keep the conversation going on Twitter with the hashtag #thenewhorror.

On the horrors of the New 52

What sets the Dark titles apart from the other books in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: There's a palpable creepiness in these books. The threats are relatable.

DAN ABNETT: These are supernatural or pseudo-supernatural books that fit very neatly into the new DC Universe. Genre borders are dissolving in other media, and it’s nice to have comics that can blend styles and flavors. RESURRECTION MAN is, basically, a superhero book, but he doesn’t wear a costume and he spends most of his time actively NOT being a superhero... and plenty of time engaging with horror/supernatural/dark science-fiction themes.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: There seems to be this unique blend of heroics and creepy ideas mixing together. My favorite thing to do is cross genres in unexpected ways to produce interesting results. Even though Batwoman isn't really a "DC Dark" title, we do sort of fit that vein. But with a nice twist of her not actually having powers of her own, just a normal human being dealing with things that defy the natural order in the only ways she knows how.

PAUL CORNELL: The qualities of one's peers, for a start. They're lovely chaps to be on a panel with. And I think the line has something of that wonderful moment just before Vertigo launched, when the weird horror characters were still part of the DC universe about it.

SCOTT SNYDER: I think the sensibility. We're allowed to explore the more horrible villains, in monsters and all that, but those things sort of demand a darker emotional material to work, too, you know? Meaning, for the kinds of monsters and gross things we write about in our plots to be scary, they have to be functions of stories that are equally scary and disturbing.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I feel like BATWOMAN has its own unique place in the New 52. While it's sometimes a traditional vigilante comic book and somewhat connected to the Batman books, it has very strong supernatural and metaphysical undercurrents. Batman generally fights psychopaths (some quite horrific), but many of Batwoman's cases and villains will have a much more supernatural flavor.

ANDY LANNING: When we wrote RESURRECTION MAN first time 'round, it was commented that the book was a kind of bridging title between the DC Universe and the Vertigo titles which was something new at the time. The Dark Line as a whole now is well and truly treading the ground between the overt superhero titles of the DC Universe and Vertigo books and it’s very fertile ground that seems to have struck a chord with readers.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: First off, the folks in our group are just the best of the best. I can't believe how amazing each of them are, and how great their books are. Second, this is something that each of us have a genuine heart felt passion for. These aren't just jobs, they aren't just doing a book for the sake of a paycheck. Each of us came to our books from a place of pure passion, and I think that bleeds from every page.

How important is it for horror and magic to have a place in the DC universe?

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think it’s an element that has been sorely lacking in the DCU for a long time, and I'm glad to see it being embraced much more fully. It just adds even more fantastical aspects to an already tantalizing universe of ideas. It’s so important to DC that it really shouldn't ever be put back in the box again.

ANDY LANNING: Comics reflect all the main genres and as such magic and horror have always been a staple, along with westerns, war stories and sci-fi.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: I'd take that question bigger. Horror is such a key literary genre that, for me, it's part of our job to show our existing readers that there's more to genre storytelling than men in tights and science adventures. Horror has such a beautiful tradition in comics, and, I feel like it's my duty to present that to a whole new generation.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I personally think it's hugely important. It provides a great deal of diversity to the universe. And some of my favorite moments in comics have been when characters from different "worlds" or backgrounds try to interact or understand one another. The tension between magic and science is great fodder for story-telling and character development.

DAN ABNETT: Vital. They are two of the fundamental (and contrasting) sources of wonder.

SCOTT SNYDER: To me, incredibly. I grew up on horror comics - my favorite Batman comics when I was a kid were the horror ones - from Arkham Asylum and DKR to Red Rain and Gotham by Gaslight. But mostly things like Swamp Thing, House of Mystery, the reprints of Tales from the Crypt, Creepshow... I love the idea of having a place within the DCU where monsters dwell - a place anyone can visit but only some can endure.

PAUL CORNELL: One of the joys of a super hero universe is that all the genres that shouldn't exist together get thrown in to bounce off each other. Just like in real life.

Each of you writes scary characters. But what frightens these, well, monsters? What phobias might these characters have?

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: In our first arc, the "monster" is consumed by emotion. She's driven by anguish and guilt, and terrified of living out a cursed existence alone. In upcoming issues, we start introducing some other monstrous villains -- one fears being discovered for what he truly is; one fears failure; another fears losing power; yet another fears getting old. And on some level, they all fear Batwoman.

PAUL CORNELL: Etrigan is living his nightmare every day, being trapped inside Jason o'the Blood, and vice versa. Xanadu's life, balancing those two against each other, is also a life of fear. The Shining Knight is afraid of dying without ever finding what she (sorry, he) is looking for. The Horsewoman fears confinement, as will become obvious. Al Jabr and Exoristos' fears we'll discover. And Vandal Savage fears nothing. Actually, that's not true, as we'll see.

DAN ABNETT: Mitch Shelley probably has a thing about coffins that are hard to open from the inside.

ANDY LANNING: Yup, enclosed spaces, oh and rats! He gets to see a lot of rats!

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: That, to me, is the drive behind I, VAMPIRE. The sheer fear that Andrew has that his one mistake will lead to the absolute destruction of mankind. And, y'know, that's the plan. Don't tell my editor, Matt Idelson, yeah? He specifically told me I couldn't wipe out all of mankind.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think on some level that what all human based monstrous characters fear the most is losing their humanity beyond where they may currently find themselves. And if there is some outside force that does scare them, I don't think I want to meet it.

SCOTT SNYDER: Well for Alec, I think the big fear we're dealing with is the creeping suspicion that deep down, he has always known that he was meant to be a monster - Swamp Thing. The fear that this creature is - and always was - his destiny and he knew it, even as a child, and now it's here.

What's the scariest scene you've written so far in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52? you on Halloween? Can you tease at something in an upcoming issue that might frighten readers?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: There's gonna be a birth. Nothing scares me more.

DAN ABNETT: There’s a sequence in Resurrection Man 3 where Mitch’s powers have deserted him, and he finds that the hellish things that have been chasing him are nothing to do with the REAL Hell at all...

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think it’s a toss up between a scene in issue 3 or another in issue 4. The one in issue 3 touches on deep emotional context and the meaning of loss, and how that loss relates to who we are, what are we now that we've lost something important in our lives. While the other in issue 4 is very beastly and grotesque and raises some provoking thoughts about different roles we play in society, all through subtext and symbolic characterization.

SCOTT SNYDER: I think a scene coming up in Batman - involving a dead person, a slowly cracking open mouth and an owl - that's all I can say though!

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I think Issue 3 has some truly terrifying moments for Batwoman as she faces the Weeping Woman and starts to discover the scope of the villain's powers. It all impacts Kate on a very emotional level. And in Arc 2, without giving too much away, we have a villain who literally drools blood, and her first appearance creeps me out.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: There's a moment in issue 4 when Andrew meets another vampire, and he unlocks something in that vampire almost accidentally that creates, well, a monster. It's one of those moments that to me, speaks to the devil inside us all. All it would take is a tiny push and a good many of us would switch sides, no problem.

PAUL CORNELL: I think the cliffhanger to Demon Knights #3 is something that might be rather tough to read. Everyone's going 'oh, it's such a *jolly* title!' I hope by now readers have worked out what I do. My wife calls it 'ha ha bang.'

ANDY LANNING: Issue #4 gives us a glimpse into Mitch’s past and there’s some really gruesome stuff there but that’s nothing to where he finds himself at the end of that issue, it’s a shocker for sure!

So far, who do you think is the scariest character (that you’re not writing) to emerge out of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52?

ANDY LANNING: I really like what Jeff and Scott are doing with the concepts of the Red and the Green, real creepy stuff there that’s only getting creepier!

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: It'd have to be Jeff Lemire's Maxine Baker from Animal Man. That kid scares the crap out of me.

SCOTT SNYDER: I think Strife in Wonder Woman is one of the creepiest characters I've ever encountered. But the Hunters in Animal Man freaked me out, too! Lots of scary characters in the new DCU! It's my kind of place.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: It's scary how good Swamp Thing is...

BRIAN AZZARELLO: Dan DiDio. Makes Darksied look like a piker.

DAN ABNETT: The centaurs in Wonder Woman. Proper horror, at its best.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think John Constantine has the potential to be the most profound. In Vertigo's Hellblazer, he has shown to be a very scary personality when you examine some of things he has done.

PAUL CORNELL: Those skeletal pets in Animal Man freak me out. And Wonder Woman's aptly alien gods.

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american vampire, andy lanning, Batman, batwoman, brian azzarello, dan abnett, DC Comics-The New 52, Demon Knights, I Vampire, J.H. Williams III, Joshua Hale Fialkov, paul cornell, Resurrection Man, scott snyder, swamp thing, w. haden blackman, wonder woman

The New Horror, Part 2: “A threat to flesh"

With Halloween just around the corner, we sent thirteen questions about horror to some of the smartest writers in the comic book industry to get to the heart of why we love horror. Scott Snyder, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are all currently writing characters traditionally associated with horror. Paul Cornell's writing a dark fantasy book chock full of fear and the supernatural. Brian Azzarello, J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman are injecting horror into superhero epics. They all took time out to share their thoughts on what we're calling the New Horror in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. Their answers will run here on the SOURCE in three parts, but you can keep the conversation going on Twitter with the hashtag #thenewhorror.

On Writing

What is the most important ingredient to crafting a horror story?

SCOTT SNYDER: Honesty. You have to write about what frightens you yourself, as a writer. Those fears can take the form of a certain kind of monster or ghoul, but they have to be there on the page. For example, Stephen King's Pet Semetery - it's about a guy who loves his son so much, he can't live with his death and so turns him nto a monster just to have him around. And he writes it when his kids are young. It's so scary to him he can't even finish at first. That's good horror.

PAUL CORNELL: That it brings the reader nose to nose with the worst possible thing that could happen.

(Dan Abnett)

DAN ABNETT: Atmosphere is really important, along with timing and-- what was that noise?

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: A very well-developed and believable protagonist that is at least somewhat competent. The more we can relate to the protagonist, the more terrifying it is to see her threatened by the "monster." But if we can't connect with her, or she does something moronic that alienates us, then we start rooting for the monster.

BRIAN AZZARELLO: A threat to flesh. There's real terror in all of us about having the bag we inhabit split open.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I'd say it’s finding the single piece of the plot that skews every other aspect into something else, the key unexpected element. By doing this, you can present things that throw the reader or viewer off balance, and once they are, you've got them like a fish on a hook.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: Finding the identifying moment, the thing that really taps into a fear that every person on earth has. Whether that's making a mistake that haunts you for eternity (like Andrew) or losing someone you love (like Mary), finding the grounding to your story is what makes it genuinely haunting.

What attracts you to writing the horror genre?

DAN ABNETT: I dunno. Sitting alone here, at night, with only my own thoughts for company, I-- seriously. What was that noise?

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I just like writing what I'd like to read.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: It's way easier than comedy. Seriously, though, every story I tell starts in a place of "What's the worst thing that could happen?" and sort of extrapolates itself from there. So, even my books that aren't horror have a strong root in the genre.

SCOTT SNYDER: I've always loved stories where characters face their worst fears, whether those stories are literary, mysteries, action stories... Horror (good horror) just lends itself easily to this idea though.

PAUL CORNELL: It's a relief for the writer too. You know, this stuff isn't doing you any good if it's kept inside. Mind you, I wouldn't call DEMON KNIGHTS horror – it's more dark sword and sorcery.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: What I find so attractive about it is that you tap into something that is very primal in all of us. And by doing so, you create an atmosphere of doubt in what the world is about. It causes a questioning of what is our reality. And Horror can be a great tool of getting someone to think about themselves or the world differently than they had before. Horror, if done well, is visceral but with intelligence.

What horror cliche do you always aim to avoid?

PAUL CORNELL: There isn't really a cliche that doesn't work, if done right, and we're talking about archetypes and nightmares here, so the recurring stuff can be mined many times. Mind you, in real life, I doubt anyone splits up to search the house. But what was the last movie when anyone did that? I mean, why did they do that the first time?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: Giant ants.

(Andy Lanning)

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think it really is impossible to avoid clichés. Everything has been done before. So it becomes a matter of presentation, by twisting the idea into a new shape.

SCOTT SNYDER: The girl running away from the killer, through the forest, in her nightshirt, tripping over a root.

DAN ABNETT: He’s behind me, isn’t he?

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: I think that they all work and they all suck, simultaneously. Finding ways to transmute these overused tropes into something new and fresh is the challenge.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: None. My preference is to take the clichés and try to reinvent them in some way.

What is your favorite horror based character to write?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: It was, and will always be John Constantine. Because unlike me, he actually likes it.

PAUL CORNELL: I've only ever really written horror with my own characters. I mean, I got to use Dracula, but that was in super hero comics genre trappings.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I like writing strong heroines -- as a kid, I was always a fan of Halloween and the original Nightmare on Elm Street, both of which I feel have resourceful and brave protagonists. I also really like monsters that are a bit tragic, like Frankenstein's Monster.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I like creating powerful female characters. It’s always so much more gratifying seeing a triumphant heroine than a male character for me. They are the more complexly motivated gender, and therefore much more fascinating. I also like classic monster types as well, but I think the strongest for me is trying to create something very nonhuman. Trying to create a horrific idea or creature that is hard to define by human standards. If successful, it can be a most terrifying story experience. Junji Ito, a master of horror manga is amazing at doing that. He quite often presents things that you cannot define, making them so much more scary because it cannot be explained.

SCOTT SNYDER: Pearl Jones.

DAN ABNETT: The one standing behind me.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: I can say that I'm jealous as hell of Lemire getting to have his way with Frankenstein's Monster.

DC Comics

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The New Horror, Part 1: “Horror always reflects the secret fears of the world around us.”

On Horror

For the last decade, our culture is overrun by creatures of the night and the undead. Why is the horror genre currently so popular?

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV (I, VAMPIRE): Horror has been a part of our culture from the dawn of time. But, it especially pops up during times of drastic change... from the Victorian era to the Depression to the Watergate era, and, yes, even the 80s. And horror always reflects the secret fears of the world around us. There's a reason that a society of sex and consumerism is so fascinated with Vampires and Zombies right now.

BRIAN AZZARELLO (WONDER WOMAN): In post-modern times, we like to be distracted from what's really frightening.

(Shining Knight as a vampire in DEMON KNIGHTS #4)

DAN ABNETT (RESURRECTION MAN): There is an inherent strand of dark romance running through horror that is often lacking from, say, science-fiction. Science-fiction generally deals in wonder and scale, but horror is almost always personal. It’s about loss, emotion, melancholy. Plus, if we proved tomorrow that the world of the supernatural existed, nobody would be very surprised. Its appeal lies in the notion that it’s just a step away us in the shadows, and it’s been there all the time.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN (BATWOMAN): I don't think horror has ever stopped being popular. The genre ebbs and flows like anything else, with different types of horror taking center stage at different times, but every decade has its big horror franchises and best sellers. Today, I think horror allows us to test ourselves in a "safe" environment -- we know that we won't ever really encounter a ghost who drowns children or a shape-shifting alien in the arctic, but we can brave the fictional versions and get a small glimpse of what it might be like to meet the real thing. And "surviving" that experience gives us a rush that is difficult to come by in our often protected and ordinary lives.

J.H. WILLIAMS III (BATWOMAN): I feel that horror really hasn't been unpopular, but does move to the mainstream in times of cultural or societal crisis. It's a powerful form of escapism that allows you to experience something beyond the troubles in one's own life, it subconsciously can give perspective to real life, by giving form to real emotions through prompted fears that we suppress otherwise. Through horror genres, we allow ourselves to manifest what is deeply in our subconscious minds. We can face down our darkest thoughts without judgments.

PAUL CORNELL (DEMON KNIGHTS): Because we live in troubled and fearful times. Actually, being human, we always live in troubled and fearful times. That's why there's never been a time, in cinema, where it's a thrill ride and you can scream out loud, when horror wasn't popular. Stephen King apart, though, the genre isn't doing well right now in terms of prose. That's because we live in troubled and fearful times.

ANDY LANNING (RESURRECTION MAN): Horror always seems to be most popular when times are at their bleakest. It’s always reassuring to watch a parade of monsters and ghouls and people doing terrible things to each over on the screen or in a book then return to the relative safety of your own home. It makes the real horror in the world easier to deal with.

SCOTT SNYDER (SWAMP THING, BATMAN, AMERICAN VAMPIRE): I think it's always popular, people just notice it when at different moments, when there happen to be waves of things about one particular monster.

Why do we like to be scared?

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I think it’s a very primal thing. To be scared or startled releases chemicals in our bodies, like a drug. Therefore providing a thrill, or an elevated sense of self. Unless we do something truly dangerous, we don't get to experience these profound chemicals any other way than through our imaginations being triggered by horrific concepts presented to us.

BRIAN AZZARELLO: The fear of death makes us feel alive.

ANDY LANNING: It’s a rush, a thrill ride that’s totally safe.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: For me personally, it provides a rush akin to sky diving or driving really, really fast.

PAUL CORNELL: We like to be scared and for it then to be okay. They say laughter evolved from a hunting call of 'phew, it's all right.' The pleasure for us is in the relief.

SCOTT SNYDER: As to why, I think scary things are a way for us to deal with our real world fears in a way that's manageable. Good horror movies have the heroes facing their worst fears, manifested as monsters or serial killers. And by facing them in the form of Jason or a haunted house, it makes us feel more in control (at least for the couple hours it takes to watch or read something scary).

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: Because it makes the real pains of life so much less upsetting. We need it because it's something we can conquer in the way our real lives just can't be.

DAN ABNETT: It’s a thrill. It allows us to experience some of those primal responses that we don’t feel as much in modern life.

If monsters are commonplace, is horror still scary?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: No -- but it's thrilling. And that feeling shouldn't be discounted.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: The monsters are never the scary part, it's the consequences, so as long as the stakes are kept real, horror will always work.

J.H. WILLIAMS III: Monsters in some way represent distortions or grotesque ideals of humanity. They symbolize inner thoughts or ideas that we all may think about, but rarely voice. This is why they will always remain scary, because we can see our twisted darker sides in them, things that we all feel under the surface from time to time.

ANDY LANNING: There will always be a new bogeyman, even if the world were full of monsters, there would be something out there that would scare people, even the monsters are afraid of something. Probably Tickle Me Elmo.

PAUL CORNELL: Are monsters commonplace? If it's commonplace, it's not a monster.

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: I see "monsters" as only one part of the entire horror landscape, and it's clear that even monsters can still be scary - especially when they are reinvented to feel familiar but new. We have primal fears that these monsters represent -- fear of death, fear of strangers, fear of aging, fear of disease -- and as long as those fears are still hardwired into our brains on some level, the monsters that embody these fears will remain scary.

SCOTT SNYDER: Of course! Monsters are commonplace because they're enduringly scary.

DAN ABNETT: I think horror is still scary, but I think scary is (and always was) better than horrible. The best scares have nothing to do with obvious blood and gore.

Vampires or zombies? What’s your favorite creature?

SCOTT SNYDER: I write AMERICAN VAMPIRE. Do you have to ask?

ANDY LANNING: Vambies or Zompires. I love em both!

J.H. WILLIAMS III: I have to base my choice on what I find scarier. As vile as Vampires can be portrayed, I have to go with Zombies. It boils down to rationality for me. Vampire motivations can be explained with understandable reasons for their behavior, on why we should fear them. But it is very much sort of a food chain construct, they're higher up on it than us. They have emotions and needs relatable to human ones, so they can be rationalized. Where Zombies are a totally insane concept. There is no rational thought to them, just relentless eating, unfeeling things that seem to serve no real intelligent purpose, just overwhelming and futile. They represent total loss of all relatable human ideas, complete grotesque annihilation. There is no explaining them properly, their motivation is completely alien, and there is no wrapping your head around it. The unknown is a powerful thing in creating total panic and fear.

PAUL CORNELL: Vampires. I'm bored with zombies. And as Jane Austen once said, who could ever be tired of vampires?

DAN ABNETT: Uhm, the one that’s gonna save me from the vampires and the zombies?

W. HADEN BLACKMAN: It depends... Are we talking about the tragic, misunderstood vampire who just wants to be good; or the moody, angst-ridden vampire; or the vicious, narcissistic and murderous blood sucker? The shambling Voodoo zombie; or the ravenous flesh eater; or the super-strong, invulnerable zombie? To me, one of the coolest things about these archetypes is that they can be continually reinvented.

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: As a native Pittsburgher (better known as the land of George Romero), my gut tells me Zombies, but, considering the world we live in, and how much fun I'm having writing I, VAMPIRE’s Andrew and Mary, I'm going Vampire.

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

Yesterday you picked up your first batch of #2s from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. And if you’ve already read all of them and can’t wait for next week’s releases, check out some exclusive previews that ran.

EW.COM continued their weekly previews of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 with BATWOMAN #2, which received prominent placement on the site’s homepage.

GAWKER’s IO9 ran their exclusive first look at DEMON KNIGHTS #2 by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert.

To be continued …

Tags:

batwoman, DC Comics-The New 52, Demon Knights, diogenes neves, entertainment weekly, gawker, io9, oclair albert, paul cornell

Miguel Sepulveda exclusive to DC Entertainment

Miguel Sepulveda, artist on STORMWATCH for DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, has signed an exclusive deal with DC Entertainment. Teamed with acclaimed writer Paul Cornell, Sepulveda will continue to illustrate the shadowy exploits of the metahuman super team.

And what’s Sepulveda have to say about becoming an official member of the DC Comics creative roster?

"For every comic book artist, being exclusive to DC Entertainment is a real privilege. I am extra happy to be working with a master like Paul Cornell, and a team of metahumans (don’t call them superheroes!) that is different from any other conventional group you can see in the industry. The fact they've decided to give me an exclusive shows their faith in me and my work – and when you see what happens in the next three issues, you will be absolutely blown away! Thanks to DC and to the readers, you're the absolute BEST!"

Check out Sepulveda’s cover to STORMWATCH #2, which hits comic book stores today!

Tags:

DC Comics-The New 52, miguel sepulveda, paul cornell, Stormwatch

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

The previews for the second issues of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 continue to roll in. Take a look at what people are saying about the books on sale tomorrow:

Following up on their recent preview of his DEMON KNIGHTS #1, the Paul Cornell enthusiasts at WIRED’s UNDERWIRE have an exclusive 4-page glimpse of STORMWATCH #2 by Cornell, Miguel Sepulveda and Al Barrionuevo.

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS interviewed MEN OF WAR writer Ivan Brandon to accompany their exclusive preview of issue #2. “He's of a different era,” Brandon said of the difference between Frank and Jack Rock. “And he's dealing with the weight of that lineage, of being down the line from a great man who was a hero in a war that didn't throw the term around. Frank Rock was a natural. Joe Rock is younger, still learning how to be a hero.”

Meanwhile, YAHOO's ASSOCIATED CONTENT has your first look at STATIC SHOCK #2. “This decision better integrates Static into the wider DCU by placing him in a major city already populated by other DCU heroes (Hawkman, Captain Atom),” said the series’ co-writer and artist Scott McDaniel about relocating Virgil Hawkins and his family to New York City. “This relocation forces the character to take the next step in his development.”

To be continued …

Tags:

ain't it cool news, Al Barrionuevo, DC Comics-The New 52, ivan brandon, Men of War, miguel sepulveda, paul cornell, scott mcdaniel, static shock, Stormwatch, Underwire, Wired, Yahoo! Associated Content

(Everybody's Talkin' about) DC Comics-The New 52: Demon Knights edition, Thursday AM (ET)

Two weeks ago, iFANBOY named the highly anticipated JUSTICE LEAGUE # 1 as their Pick of the Week and followed up last week by selecting ANIMAL MAN # 1 (which has quickly established itself as one of the critic darlings of DC Comics-The New 52). Word broke late last night that iFANBOY picked DEMON KNIGHTS for this week’s Pick of the Week, keeping alive their streak of tabbing titles from DC Comics: The New 52.

Here's what Conor Kilpatrick had to say:

"This is superhero fantasy done with a modern sensibility. And it is tons of fun. Writer Paul Cornell is well matched with artist Diogenes Neves. He has a very detail intensive style that does not skimp on the backgrounds and thus does a wonderful job of setting the scene and establishing that this is indeed not a world that you are used to reading in DC comic books. There are some wonderfully frenetic action scenes in this issue that Neves handles wonderfully, and the final page is really a sight to behold."

iFANBOY wasn’t the only site to pay extra attention to DEMON KNIGHTS. POP MATTERS interviewed Cornell three hours in advance of the release of the first issue.

They declared:

"In a heartbeat, Demon Knights is everything The Demon should always have been. A love story amidst an epic fantasy setting is an example of Cornell’s gift as a storyteller, his ability to find the edge, the new. A love triangle just propels the story beyond expectations.

"DC’s New 52 is very much about a reintroduction of the classic. Sometimes characters have been forgotten, sometimes they’re weighed down by decades of continuity. But the company-wide reboot is about bringing creators and longtime readers alike into viewing these characters afresh, and to engage new readers, infecting them with the same enthusiasm the very first generation of comic book readers felt.”

“'I think the New 52 reaches out to all sorts of genres', Cornell continues, 'and it say to a mainstream audience that we know they don’t just like superhero comics. Demon Knights seeks to satisfy those who like that kind of gritty, no safety net, fantasy epic'."

Meanwhile, Turnstylenews.com talked to Cornell and provided a thought-provoking look at the series:

“The book puts the classic Jack Kirby creation "Etrigan the Demon" -- an ill-tempered fiend with a penchant for rhyming bound by the wizard Merlin to the mortal Jason Blood, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table -- at the center of a motley group of characters in the medieval age. Ten years ago, the idea of a medieval fantasy ensemble book being part of the vanguard of a publishing initiative would have seemed preposterous. Yet, in the wake of the Lord of the Rings films, fantasy has never been stronger as a genre, and dark fantasy is newly ascendant.”

Their coverage has already been picked up by the HUFFINGTON POST and other outlets.

To be continued…

Tags:

Demon Knights, diogenes neves, huffington post, ifanboy, paul cornell, pop matters, Turnstylenews.com

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

The Labor Day weekend didn’t slow down the publicity wave for DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, including high profile exclusive previews:

USA TODAY has the exclusive first look at DETECTIVE COMICS #1 and an interview with writer/artist Tony S. Daniel who told the paper that “fresh, brand-new villains are the ones who will give Batman challenges he's never faced before.”

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS caught up with STORMWATCH writer Paul Cornell and featured a preview of the series’ first issue. Cornell offered a tease of what to expect from the series and hinted at the specific roles of the team’s members. “Sometimes he finds it best to be a hero, working with the Justice League,” he said of Martian Manhunter. “Sometimes he finds it best to be a warrior, working undercover with Stormwatch. There he can indulge his terrifying side.”

The recently launched CHAMPION! has the first look at BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT issue #1. “I thought there’s no better way to bring something grand scale to Batman than having a mass-level breakout at Arkham Asklym, everybody from high-level important villains to low-level guys that nobody has heard of,” said series writer and artist David Finch. “By the end of the issue, they’re swarming over Gotham City, and it hast to be dealt with, not just by Batman but by a lot of characters.”

CBR had the very first look at JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL issue #1.

IO9 previewed O.M.A.C. #1 and spoke with series writer Dan DiDio, who teased an upcoming crossover with O.M.A.C. and FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. “I've always been attracted to the eclectic parts of the DC Universe and so has Frankenstein writer Jeff Lemire, so it feels like a natural fit,” said DiDio. “So much of my story is built on the war of Brother Eye and O.M.A.C. versus Checkmate, and S.H.A.D.E. gets brought into the middle of it.”

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ Hero Complex debuted the first five pages of GREEN ARROW #1, written by L.A. based J.T. Krul. (The piece also included coverage of last week’s midnight event at comic book shop House of Secrets in Burbank for the official launch of DC Comics-The New 52.)

Meanwhile, SALON.COM interviewed DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and JUSTICE LEAGUE artist Jim Lee about DC Comics-The New 52 and JUSTICE LEAGUE #1.

Each week, IGN will be conducting interviews with the DC Comics-The New 52 creative teams. So far, they’ve posted interviews with DETECTIVE COMICS writer/co-artist Tony Daniel and with JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL creative team Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti. “We want to construct fun, entertaining stories that capitalize on bigger-than-life events with a strong mix of characters,” Jurgens said.

To be continued …

(EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’ ABOUT) DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, TUESDAY AFTERNOON (ET) EDITION

This afternoon, we’re going to take a look at what the comic book trade press is saying about JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 and The New 52 – including their interviews with some of the talented people behind the launch.

* ICV2 featured a three-part piece on The New 52 – featuring interviews with DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, conducted in advance of San Diego Comic-Con. Said DiDio: “Our numbers are up in the mass market over-all in conjunction with graphic novel sales.” Check them out here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three.

* COMIC BOOK RESOURCES showcased a Comic-Con video interview with BATWING and CATWOMAN writer Judd Winick, who discusses his extensive research for the BATWING book and the timeless appeal of CATWOMAN. Also featured is an interview with writer Paul Jenkins about redefining Deadman in DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS.

* Newsarama offered a comprehensive primer on The New 52 as whole, and also served up some interviews with the writers behind the various series – including writer J.T. Krul (Captain Atom) and Paul Cornell (DEMON KNIGHTS).

* Over at iFanboy, Ron Richards and Conor Kilpatrick each listed their top five (and bonus five) picks for the most anticipated New 52 titles – with JUSTICE LEAGUE topping both lists.

* Comic Vine offered their own perspectives and interpretations of the new Batgirl pages that debuted in the NY Post, while writer Scott Lobdell (TEEN TITANS, SUPERBOY) provided some insider insights on the launch.

* ComicBook.com listed the five things they love most about The New 52 – including greater ethnic diversity, more women, day-and-date digital releases and DC’s confidence in the launch.

* DreadCentral.com picked up The Source’s preview of The New 52’s ANIMAL MAN, with extensive art. Also included was a full breakdown of New 52 titles that may be of interest to horror fans.

There’s more rolling in by the minute, and we’re expecting even more once JUSTICE LEAGUE hits the shelves. Stay tuned.

“There is no denying the genius of Jack Kirby.” – Dan DiDio

If Jack Kirby were still alive, today would have been his 94th birthday. The King, as he is fondly referred to as, impacted the comic book industry in monumental ways.

To celebrate, we thought we’d catch up with some of the writers who are bringing new life to some of Jack’s classic characters in DC Comics-The New 52. With contemporary representations of characters such as OMAC and Etrigan the Demon, Kirby’s legacy lives on and is as strong as ever.

“There is no denying the genius of Jack Kirby and the effect he has had on comics through history. And to this day, many of his great creations still exist today and stand the test of time,” said O.M.A.C. writer Dan DiDio. “Of all the series Kirby created at DC Comics, OMAC is one of the ones nearest and dearest to my heart. The manic nature of the story telling and the wild futuristic setting are some of his best, and in working with Keith Giffen on the new OMAC series we hope to bring that same level of creative energy and excitement to our book.”

“Jack Kirby's vast creative imagination stretched in all directions,” DEMON KNIGHTS writer Paul Cornell told us. “In The Demon he gave free rein to his gothic inclinations, that wonderful way he has with a gnarled tree branch at night. He made Etrigan angry with the world and his status in it, and let loose his wonderfully different way with words in the Demon's rhymes. We've kept almost everything, to be honest. Well, we've given him some armor, and now he only rhymes sometimes, but this is still Kirby's guy. You don't meddle with that stuff.”

In case you missed it yesterday, check out the two exclusive teases we posted yesterday on THE SOURCE of O.M.A.C. #1 and DEMON KNIGHTS #1.

Happy birthday, Jack!

Tags:

Dan DiDio, DC Comics-The New 52, Demon Knights, jack kirby, OMAC, paul cornell

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