Peter Milligan Heads to STORMWATCH

It was announced earlier today that Jeff Lemire will be writing JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK. So where is Peter Milligan going you ask? Well, Milligan will be staying on RED LANTERNS and Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER and will be writing STORMWATCH beginning with issue #9.

We asked Milligan about taking on the covert sci-fi superhero team STORMWATCH and here’s what he had to say:

“Stormwatch has the craziness, the paranoia and the occasional bursts of odd humor that really grab me. This is my kind of book. In other words, when I re-read Paul Cornell’s excellent first series with a view to taking over the writing duties I was really excited. And I’m excited too by what I have planned, from Stormwatch facing a ferocious character from the Red Lantern Corps, to hidden secrets being revealed about the origin of Stormwatch, and some shocking revelations about the mysterious Shadow Lords. It’s going to be a very intense ride.

It’s a bit of a wrench leaving JL Dark, of course, and not working with the increasingly outstanding Mikel Janin. But the fact that Jeff Lemire is taking over makes me very sanguine. I think Jeff is great. And I think he’ll be great for this book. It’ll be intriguing to see how he handles the great conman mage, John Constantine, whose twisted life I’m continuing to chronicle over in Vertigo’s Hellblazer.”

You can pick up Milligan’s first issue of STORMWATCH in May.

3 Things You Didn't Know About RED LANTERNS

Some have said that three is the magic number. If that’s the case, November should be a fascinating month. Here at THE SOURCE, we’ll spotlighting key third issues from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 with an ongoing series of posts titled “3 Things You Didn’t Know About DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.” Expect the unexpected–in threes.

There is a place on the dark side of Ysmault — home of the Red Lanterns — where the air is heavy with the smell of death, and the plants are dark and twisted. Long before Bleez, before Zilius Zox and Dex Starr and Skallox, this is where Atrocitus buried his failed experiments. He’d been trying to create his Red Lantern corps--but the first attempts were failures: too insane, too abysmal, to be allowed to live. More lurks here than Atrocitus ever imagined...

Talking of Skallox, few people are aware that Skallox tried to join the equivalent of a dating agency on his home planet, with truly horrific consequences. The terrible story of this unhappy affair will be revealed soon.

And what of Bleez?  She may have undergone the terrible transformation of the Red Lanterns but in issue three a baptism in  Blood Ocean rekindles her intelligence, and her demons.  But will Bleez will  be satisfied at being Atrocitus’ loyal number two? Or will there come a time when the Red Lanterns of Ysmault will have to make a decision? Bleez or Atrocitus. Youth or experience?

Or will an unholy alliance between an Earth-born Red Lantern and a terrible creature from Atrocitus’s past force Atrocitus and Bleez to put aside their differences for good?

-- Peter Milligan (RED LANTERNS)

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DC COMICS ALL ACCESS: Eddie Berganza

52 Thanksgivings!

Really. Here we are into the third month of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, and you have all helped us turn it into a runaway success we can all be thankful for.

I personally am thankful for having been involved in this history-making venture, and we are not about to let up.

On a recent mini-trip out west, one of the days involved getting up at 5 A.M. Pacific Time to make sure it would be in the right time zone to go over JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK with writer Peter Milligan in England. We talked over how to grow the threat of the evil witch Enchantress and what it would mean to Deadman.

Then Group Editor Ben Abernathy and I reviewed what is happening in the HUNTRESS mini (which I had just expressed to artist Marcus To the week before in Canada how he is kicking butt with Helena) and the big surprises there.

Next, I met up with Mike Johnson, one of the Mikes writing SUPERGIRL (the other is Green). We talked about some of the epic adversaries that Kara will soon face as she begins to understand her origins and place here on Earth. Next, Creative Executive Adam Schlagman and I braved L.A. traffic (a challenge not for the week willed--seriously, anybody who drives out there deserves a GREEN LANTERN ring) to go over with Scott Lobdell what the evil organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E., that we so far have seen only in TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY, is up to and what it means to the Young Justice of the DC Universe.

Barely scratching the surface of the threats that could be uniting against our heroes, we had to rush back to West Coast DCE offices so Adam Glass and I could talk about some rather nasty things that he is planning for the SUICIDE SQUAD. Some of it is gut wrenching, if not stomach churning. In a good but "eww" way.

Somewhere in there I fit in time to see Kevin Kiniry, Executive Director of Creative Services, who gave me a walk-through of what DC Direct will be putting out in the coming months. Such cool stuff! Good thing the holidays are around the corner!

So yes, a time to give THANKS to all of YOU for supporting all our efforts. Who needs rest when there's soooo much excitement around here??!!

--Eddie Berganza, Executive Editor

Images: Mahmud Asrar on SUPERGIRL and Mikel Janin on JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK are just 2 of 52 things to be thankful for this year!

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

Before you put on that costume you’ve been waiting to wear all weekend and stuff your belly with candy tonight, check out some highlights of the coverage of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 that’s run over the past few days.

Just in time for Halloween, USA TODAY interviewed BATMAN, SWAMP THING and AMERICAN VAMPIRE writer Scott Snyder. “He has everything he's ever wanted again, and yet it's not just that Swamp Thing comes looking for him — the Green has something it wants him to do,” Snyder said of SWAMP THING protagonist Alec Holland. “All this stuff has been there and shaped who he is in a way that's really spooky to him. He's not just running from the idea of becoming a monster — he's running from himself and the thing is waiting on the other side of death ever since he was a little boy.” Be sure to read the full interview for an exclusive preview of SWAMP THING #3 and keep the conversation going on Twitter with the hashtag, #thenewhorror.

Meanwhile, GAWKER’s IO9 previewed RED LANTERNS #3 and chatted with writer Peter Milligan. “On one hand, RED LANTERNS is lots of fun — with vomiting cats and strange monsters — but it also deals with gripping subjects,” Milligan said of the series. “If you summarily execute someone, does the guilt and shame that you're trying to expunge, is that passed on to you? There are a lot of interesting subjects that these monsters flying around in the far corners of the universe can explore.”

And speaking of scary things, it’s Batman vs. The Dollmaker in DETECTIVE COMICS #3. Can The Dark Knight save both himself and Jim Gordon before they’re turned into prized collectibles? Find out when the issue hits stores this week but in the meantime, head on over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES for an exclusive preview.

To be continued …

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

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. This time around, they caught up with Peter Milligan (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK), Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver (THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN), and Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (ALL-STAR WESTERN). “Our goal with Gotham was to make it less of a backdrop and more of a living, breathing character,” Gray explained of his book’s setting. “Placing Jonah Hex there, a man used to wide open spaces and solitude only helps his character and the mythology of Gotham.”

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES interviewed ACTION COMICS writer Grant Morrison. “Part of this first story arc shows how he goes from being an outlaw to the world's first superhero,” Morrison said of Superman. “It's very much about that and about the pressures that would be placed on you if you had this bright idea that you were going to change the world.”

And speaking of COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, head on over to their site to check out their exclusive preview of RED LANTERNS #2.

To be continued …

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

As we prepare for another 12 titles from DC Comics-The New 52 to be published tomorrow, coverage and buzz continues to roll in. Here are some of the highlights.

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS caught up with Geoff Johns to discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE, AQUAMAN, GREEN LANTERN and DC Comics-The New 52 as a whole. “My big story-line for my first year of AQUAMAN is him on a quest to find out who sank Atlantis,” Johns revealed. “Because it wasn't an accident.”

USA TODAY ran an exclusive preview of SUPERGIRL #1 and interviewed series co-writer Mike Johnson. "We're really excited about the opportunity to hand this book to a female reader who is into things like The Hunger Games. This is a strong character with her own point of view," Johnson told them of Kara.

MTV GEEK spoke with Jeff Lemire about FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. “He is absolutely humorless, which in turn leads to a lot of humor down the line,” Lemire said about the series’ protagonist. “But he is a noble soldier, an unstoppable killing machine with the heart of a poet and the manners of a Victorian gentleman.”

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. Check out what Nathan Edmondson (GRIFTER), Adam Glass (SUICIDE SQUAD), Peter Milligan (RED LANTERNS), Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods (LEGION LOST) and Peter Tomasi (BATMAN AND ROBIN) had to say about their respective series. “Their relationship is a father and son at odds right from the start,” Tomasi said to IGN of Bruce and Damian Wayne in BATMAN AND ROBIN. “Bruce struggles to get a handle on Damian and his past, trying to his best to teach his son what it means to be a just and moral person but making plenty of mistakes along the way. Damian wants to be accepted for who and what he is, but his past and present are locked in a constant battle that threatens to take a terrible toll.”

NEWSARAMA has the exclusive preview of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela. The issue goes on sale tomorrow.

To be continued …

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

Earlier today, we announced that all the books in the first two weeks of release from DC Comics-The New 52. As we ready for the week two books to hit stores, here are some of the press highlights from the past few days.

USA TODAY ran an exclusive preview of FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. and interviewed the series’ writer, Jeff Lemire (who also writes ANIMAL MAN). "I want to get deeper into his origin and see what makes this monster basically want to protect humanity,” Lemire said of Frankenstein.

IFANBOY published their exclusive preview of GRIFTER #1. “It’s Grifter from day one, from square one,” series writer Nathan Edmonson teased to them. “It’s not a Grifter you’ve seen before. It’s not a story you’re familiar with.”

IGN debuted the first six pages of RED LANTERNS #1, by Peter Millian and Ed Benes.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES had the first look at BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray.

COMPLEX interviewed Scott Snyder about the two series he’s writing, BATMAN and SWAMP THING. “It’s a big epic, ambitious story about Bruce Wayne and the way he thinks of Gotham as his friend and this kind of ancient evil under Gotham that exists, or may exist, that he has somehow overlooked as Batman,” Snyder said of BATMAN. “So it has to do with the history of the Wayne family and the Grayson family, and there will be big revelations about this enemy from the past, and this enemy is going to bring all the weight of history against the Bat family and try to crush them.”

IO9 posted quick reviews of each of the first week’s worth of releases from DC Comics-The New 52. They also dubbed ANIMAL MAN as the best book thus far. “One of the reasons Animal Man #1 works so well is that Lemire plops the reader right down into his daily routine...and then drops the horror in the final act,” wrote Cyriaque Lamar. “Gold stars for the creative team.”

To be continued …

“Something’s going very wrong.”

With their identities revealed to the world, the Secret Seven are more vulnerable than ever before. So vulnerable in fact, that they start slaughtering each other from within. But who is to blame for these casualties? Which team members can be trusted? Could the rumors that someone on the team is working for Aquaman or Wonder Woman be true? It’ll be up to Shade The Changing Man to figure it out and put a stop to the traitor who is responsible before any more innocent blood is shed. Even if it means sacrificing himself.

FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #3 is written by Peter Milligan, features art by Fernando Blanco and Scott Koblish, and hits stores on Wednesday.

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Can the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814 save his homeworld?

Can Sinestro, Green Lantern of Sector 2814, free his homeworld from The Sinestro Corps? Do Guy Gardner and John Stewart have what it takes to lead the Green Lantern Corps into battle with a mysterious force that’s destroying multiple space sectors? Why is Kyle Rayner being chosen by the rings of previous bearers who were all brutally slaughtered? And what does Atrocitus have to do with a child suffering on a war-torn world? Find out when the second issues of the Green Lantern group books in DC Comics’ The New 52 are released this October.

GREEN LANTERN #2

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY

Variant cover by DAVID FINCH

1:200 B&W variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE

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

Renegade Green Lantern Sinestro sets a course for Korugar with one purpose: To free his homeworld from the scourge of… The Sinestro Corps?!

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #2

Written by PETER J. TOMASI

Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and SCOTT HANNA

Cover by ALEX GARNER

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Guy Gardner and John Stewart lead a squadron of Green Lanterns to fight a mysterious force that is marching across the space sectors and devouring not only their natural resources but their entire populations. Worst of all, those responsible have a vendetta against the Green Lantern Corps!

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #2

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art by TYLER KIRKHAM, HARVEY TALIBAO and BATT

Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT

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

By their rings betrayed! Who – or what – has the might to tear power rings from each of the seven Lantern Corps, murdering their former bearers in the process? And why have the rings all chosen Kyle Rayner as their new master? As members of each Corps target Kyle for death, we learn more about the shocking fate of Ganthet!

RED LANTERNS #2

Written by PETER MILLIGAN

Art and cover by ED BENES and ROB HUNTER

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

On a war-torn world where invading forces fight insurgent forces, the innocent always suffer the most. When a child screams with red-hot rage at the madness around her, she is answered by her weapon of retribution: Atrocitus.

Questions About The Dark

We’re just one month after the announcement of the books in the “Dark” group of DC Comics--The New 52. There's a lot of mystery surrounding these titles and the solicitations for the second issues offer another round of questions to keep fans guessing: Can the Justice League Dark turn against one of their own? Was Alec Holland wrong about Swamp Thing’s origins? What is the S.O.M.B.I.E. appearing in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.? Will Mitch Shelly, a.k.a. Resurrection Man, find the answers he’s looking for about his past? Find out all of these and more when the below books hit shelves this October.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #2

Written by PETER MILLIGAN

Art by MIKEL JANIN

Cover by RYAN SOOK

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

Madame Xanadu continues guiding the world’s darkest heroes in their struggle against evil. But will John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade the Changing Man and the others be able to join forces in time to defeat the dangerous Enchantress before she destroys the world as we know it?

SWAMP THING #2

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

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

Alec Holland thought he knew the history of the Swamp Thing – but he was wrong. The creature’s roots run deeper than he knows, and the Parliament of Trees intends to make him understand the responsibility he wants so desperately to avoid! With this issue, the mythology of the Swamp Thing branches out in ways you never saw coming – don’t miss it!

ANIMAL MAN #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art and cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN

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

Maxine’s new abilities continue to terrify Ellen and Buddy Baker, and things take a turn for the worse as Buddy begins a startling transformation of his own that will lead him on a journey into the heart of The Red. Meanwhile, The Hunters Three arrive on Earth and set their sights on the Baker family. The Hunt is on as DC’s most surprising new series continues to take ANIMAL MAN in shocking new directions.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI

Cover by J.G. JONES

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

It’s all-out war as Frankenstein and his new field team, The Creature Commandos, uncover an age-old conspiracy at the heart of Bone Lake – one that will see them suit up as the world’s first “Necronauts,” traveling between worlds and through “dead space,” toward the mysterious Monster Planet. Meanwhile, the horrifying origins of the Commandos are revealed – and the S.O.M.B.I.E. makes its first appearance!

RESURRECTION MAN #2

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING

Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

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

Mitch Shelley’s past remains a mystery. So when he goes looking for answers, will he find them? Not likely, when he has to contend with the bounty hunter femme fatales known as The Body Doubles.

I, VAMPIRE #2

Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO

Cover by JENNY FRISON

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

True love becomes divine hatred between the Queen of Blood and Andrew, as her vampires begin their attacks across the country. Their past behind them, they find themselves ready to battle to the death... If those feelings really are all gone. Surrounded by swarms of bloodthirsty vamps, Andrew must confront his immortal beloved in a blood-soaked battle he can’t win.

DEMON KNIGHTS #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL

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

The siege that will reverberate through history to the present-day DCU begins as the Demon Etrigan and his unlikely lover, Madame Xanadu, face the Horde! What five (mostly) noble souls would be crazy enough to join them? The cover gives but a hint, and the point could well be moot by the time this issue’s done. For the Horde is armed with the magic of Mordru – including some decidedly different dragons!

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