paul cornell | DC Comics

Get a first look at KNIGHT AND SQUIRE #1

Gotham’s got the Dynamic Duo – but that’s not the only powerful pair of vigilantes protecting a major metropolis. London has Knight and Squire, the British heroes and frequent allies of Batman and Robin. And in a secret pub within the city where peace is kept magically, heroes and villains alike gather over a pint and talk about their day. But magic, as we all know, is a fickle thing – so what happens when the barriers are dropped and a building packed with heroes and villains confront each other at the same time? Well, it’s up to Knight and Squire to keep the peace, and that’s obviously no small task. But don’t take my word for it. Writer Paul Cornell, what say you?

“I think Knight and Squire is some of my best comics work. I'm getting the chance to wildly invent, and it turns out that whatever I invent, James can draw! It's been huge fun. I think that comes over. I'm hoping The Milkman will get a solo ongoing.”

Thanks, Paul! And now, here’s a first look at a few pages from KNIGHT AND SQUIRE #1, by Cornell and artist Jimmy Broxton.

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Batman, batman and robin, grant morrison, jimmy broxton, knight and squire, paul cornell

When Luthor meets Deathstroke, it can’t be pretty

The fireworks continue as writer Paul Cornell and artist Pete Woods continue to chronicle the mad adventures of super-villain Lex Luthor, as his all-consuming quest for power leads him straight into conflict with Deathstroke, the Terminator. What happens when the DCU's most ingenious mastermind meets its most lethal killer? Well, we’re not going to spoil all the fun. But click below for a sneak peek at the issue.

ACTION COMICS #892 hits 8/25

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action comics, lex luthor, paul cornell, pete woods

PREVIEW: ACTION COMICS #891

Lex's quest for power - specifically, the power wielded by the Black Lantern ring -- continues, as writer Paul Cornell and artist Pete Woods' second issue ups the ante for the villainous star. Buckle in for a greatest hits tour of the DCU's most wanted as Lex Luthor continues his epic hunt, with covers by superstar artist David Finch.

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action comics, david finch, lex luthor, paul cornell, pete woods, Superman

Paul Cornell takes on the KNIGHT & SQUIRE

Hot off the white-hot start to his ACTION COMICS run, writer Paul Cornell turns his sharp pen to the Batman universe, and takes on the Dynamic Duo’s across-the-pond colleagues – Knight and Squire! Teaming with interior artist Jimmy Broxton and cover artist Yanick Paquette, the six-issue mini-series puts the spotlight on the London counterparts to Batman and Robin.

When the barriers preventing an all-out battle in a secret city populated by heroes and villains alike are lifted, all hell breaks loose and only the Knight and Squire can step in to put things write. But can the tandem keep the peace between friends and foe?

What say you, Mr. Cornell?

“I'm delighted to be working in DC Britain! Grant always said that he added something to the Knight and Squire's world with every appearance: we'll be taking that policy, and the amount of over the top weird and wonderful zany surreal Britishness and dialling them up to eleven. If you've wanted to see a milkman fighting a dinosaur in a suit, in a pub, then this is the comic for you.”

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Batman, grant morrison, knight and squire, paul cornell

It really IS the BRIGHTEST DAY

We shared some nice WONDER WOMAN #600 news with you guys yesterday, but why stop there? It seems like the sellout craze is spreading across the DCU, with ACTION COMICS #890, BATMAN BEYOND #1, BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1-2, BIRDS OF PREY #1, THE FLASH #1, GREEN ARROW #1, JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #1, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1, SUPERMAN/BATMAN ANNUAL #4 and ZATANNA #1 flying off the shelves.

And with stellar talent like Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Gail Simone, Ed Benes, Paul Levitz, Yildiray Cinar, J.T. Krul, Diogenes Neves, Judd Winick, Keith Giffen, Aaron Lopresti, Paul Cornell, Pete Woods, David Finch, Paul Dini, Stephane Roux, Renato Guedes, Eddy Barrows, Adam Beechen and Ryan Benjamin, how can you go wrong? The fans have spoken. But fear not – second printings are on the way for these, in case you were late in swinging by the shop.

And this is only the beginning, folks. Stay tuned right here for more.

The cover to ACTION COMICS #894 will surprise you

There are some characters that connect so strongly with readers that they take on a life of their own, becoming more than just ink on a page. Like modern fables and folklore, comics create strange and exciting worlds and landscapes for readers to visit and experience, and they populate these worlds with characters so well-defined, it’s as if we’d known them forever.

Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN is one such work. An epic, 75-issue opus that was both genre-bending and trend-setting during its original release and to this day, it, like WATCHMEN and a number of series, is what many point to when discussing comics as high art. It’s not a stretch to call it a masterpiece.

But why are we talking about SANDMAN on the DCU blog, you ask?

For those unfamiliar with the character at the center of the cover – and shame on you if you don’t know who that is – that’s Death, sister to Dream of the Endless and one of the most enduring characters introduced during Gaiman’s 75-issue SANDMAN series. Beautifully presented by ACTION COMICS cover artist David Finch, the cover begs the question – what is Death doing in ACTION COMICS?

Though the worlds of the Sandman and the DC superheroes have bled into one another from time to time, ACTION COMICS #894 marks a unique moment for not only Death, but the star of ACTION – Lex Luthor. Luthor, as fans of the series know, is in the midst of a storyline that takes him on a winding and dangerous quest for power – a quest that will bring the megalomaniacal villain into close proximity with characters in and beyond the far reaches of the DC Universe.

We touched base with writer Paul Cornell who, along with artist Pete Woods, are the team entrusted with the task of chronicling this special issue. Take it away, Paul:

“Death appearing in Action Comics was my own mad idea, the extreme case of putting Luthor up against characters he's not used to dealing with.

“I'm very pleased that, after I ran the idea by him, Neil Gaiman approved me using Death in this issue. He's been very supportive. It's so interesting to see her back in the DC Universe. Though Vertigo readers can rest assured that the character, and the way she's used, will be true to the spirit of what has gone before.”

ACTION COMICS #894 hits in October.

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action comics, david finch, lex luthor, paul cornell, pete woods

PAUL CORNELL ON ACTION COMICS #890 AND BEYOND

All this week, we’ll not only be checking in with writers and artists about their contributions to SUPERMAN #700 and their thoughts on the character, but we’re also getting sneak peeks into the upcoming events unfolding in the pages of ACTION COMICS, SUPERGIRL, SUPERMAN and SUPERBOY. First up, we have writer Paul Cornell – who, in a bit of news we’re happy to announce here, just signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics – talking about his first arc on ACTION COMICS, which pairs him with artist Pete Woods. The focus? Someone we’re all familiar with – the evil mastermind known as Lex Luthor.

But first, let’s see what Paul has to say about his new exclusive deal. Take it away, Paul:

“I'm delighted to have signed exclusively to DC Comics. The work Pete, Matt, Wil and I are doing as a team on Action Comics has been tremendously satisfying, and I'm enjoying my other creative partnerships here just as much. I feel thoroughly cosseted! And hey, Lex Luthor! Who wouldn't be psyched to get to play with name recognition like that?”

Thanks, Paul. But don’t stop there. What’s coming up in the pages of ACTION COMICS?

“With his experiences in BLACKEST NIGHT, LEX LUTHOR learned what true, unbridled power feels like, and it’s left him focused on regaining that power—and more. He’s an addict now. So Lex has found himself a plan, a way to scratch that itch.

“As Lex proceeds on his quest, we’ll see more of what drives him, what’s inside this man. We’ll also see how he deals with encounters with the greatest villains of the DC Universe, characters from outside his genre and his comfort zone, as he discovers the path to ultimate power leads him to several surprising places on Earth and beyond.

“To name just a few of the villains we’ve got lined up… in the forbidding terrain of Antarctica, Lex will face off against DEATHSTROKE. He’ll match brains and brawn with VANDAL SAVAGE, leading to a crossover with SECRET SIX. He’ll find himself the target of LARFLEEZE, the Orange Lantern, himself still lusting for power. And he’ll match his own savagery against that of GORILLA GRODD. That battle leads to an encounter with a really unexpected character. And we’ve held back a few of the most interesting and surprising names he’ll be going up against.

“All of this leads to issue #900. Which will be a responsibility, and a milestone, and a beast of a book. So no pressure. It brings Lex’s quest to an end, and solves several mysteries introduced along the way. I think it’s a great story, and I’m proud to be working with a great team to bring it to life.”

ACTION COMICS #890, featuring art by PETE WOODS, will be on sale June 30th.

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action comics, paul cornell, pete woods, Superman, superman #700

This week, it’s all about Superman

If you thought we had a blog packed with creators, news and excitement when BATMAN #700 came out, you’re in for a treat. As some of you know, this week marks the 700th issue of SUPERMAN. The anniversary issue not only features a first look at J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows’ “Grounded” storyline, but is full of clues and hints about the other titles in the SUPERMAN family, including ACTION COMICS, SUPERGIRL and the new SUPERBOY series from Jeff Lemire.

Before we dive into all the goodies, here’s a hint of what’s to come:

• Comments from Superman writers and artists, past and present, talking about the charater, his significance.

• A sneak peek at not only SUPERMAN #700, but beyond – including Paul Cornell and Pete Woods’ upcoming run on ACTION COMICS, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle’s SUPERGIRL and the new SUPERBOY series.

• And – well, that’d be telling. Suffice to say, we’ve got a handful of surprises that’ll keep you on your toes and near a computer.

Speaking of, we’ve got a SUPERMAN-centric image that’ll knock your socks off. But more on that later.

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action comics, eddy barrows, grounded, j. michael straczynski, jeff lemire, paul cornell, pete woods, sterling gates, superboy, supergirl, Superman, superman #700

A few links of note for Friday

It’s been a hectic and exciting week here at The Source and beyond, so we thought it’d be a good idea to take a minute to round up some of the more notable posts from the last few days:

• DCE Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns unveiled an exclusive look at a live-action screen test for Blue Beetle.

• Speaking of Blue Beetle, we announced exclusively that Jaime Reyes would be a playable character in the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD video game, with an exclusive still to boot.

• And as you saw earlier today, we also had an exclusive look at Warner Premiere’s BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD DVD.

• We also showed off a first look at the BLACKEST NIGHT HCs, BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #3, Paul Cornell’s first issue on ACTION COMICS and the first part of the JLA/JSA crossover.

• Over on our sister blog GRAPHIC CONTENT, you can find all things Greendale, including a roundup of the impressive press coverage the book has garnered -- including a feature in THE NEW YORK TIMES.

• THE BLEED, your spot for all things WildStorm, has been spotlighting Brian Wood and Rebekah Isaacs’ new DV8 series for most of the week as well.

And there you have it. Should be more than enough to get you through the work week’s final hours, eh?

First look: Paul Cornell steps into ACTION COMICS

The new creative team of writer Paul Cornell and artist Pete Woods – along with amazing covers from a certain Mr.Finch – dive into the world of Metropolis with ACTION COMICS #890, an oversized issue that puts the spotlight squarely on a frighteningly familiar face (how’s that for alliteration?): Lex Luthor. And while the issue’s still a few weeks off, we figured it was high time to get a look at the work of Paul and Pete, so click away.

ACTION COMICS #890 hits 6/30.

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action comics, lex luthor, paul cornell, pete woods, Superman