Scott Lobdell | DC Comics

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

In BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #3 (out tomorrow), Batman must battle both the physical and mental threats that the White Rabbit brings. MAXIM has your exclusive first look at the issue.

Tomorrow also marks the release of AQUAMAN #3. “In this week's issue, you'll actually see a character that was first mentioned in the back matter of JUSTICE LEAGUE #3 that plays a pretty important role,” series writer Geoff Johns revealed to IGN. “It's a new character but it's a character that has to do with Aquaman's past and ties into a bigger story that we're building. So all the clues are there for what we're doing next and the first big tease starts this week.”

Earlier this morning, writer Scott Lobdell told you three things you need to know about Bunker, the newest member of the Teen Titans. COMIC BOOK RESOURCES chatted with Lobdell about the openly gay character. “I'd say that definitely the point of Bunker's embracing things is that he enjoys everything about life,” Lobdell said of the character. “He enjoys being alive, he enjoys his sexuality, and he enjoys that he's been gifted with these super powers. To some degree, I don't think we see a lot of characters enjoying their super powers the same way that you and I would. I think it's great to see the drama of characters burdened by that which separates them from society, but there's also the idea that many people solely enjoy and celebrate every day that which makes them different instead of being fearful or angsty or regretful.”

And while you’re at COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, be sure to also check out their interview with Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti about THE RAY, which we previewed here on THE SOURCE yesterday. “We started thinking about Lucien as represented by light, and with that came the need to do something optimistic and bright, the kind of superhero who is modern and yet still retains some of the old school action hero comics,” Gray disclosed about series protagonist, Lucien Gates. “Much of the series is grounded in Lucien's life outside the costume and how it often serves as an escape. It’s like bungee jumping; people do that for the rush and the excitement. Sometimes, they do it to escape their personal lives.”

To be continued …

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aquaman, batman: the dark knight, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, Geoff Johns, IGN, jimmy palmiotti, justin gray, Maxim, Scott Lobdell, teen titans, The Ray

3 Things To Know About Bunker!

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.

1. For a young kid from a small village in Mexico, he seems to have been pretty well trained in the use of his super powers before coming here to the States, no? Hmmm. We'll discover that he's received private tutelage ... from a very unexpected source!

2. In order to join the Teen Titans, Miguel had to turn his back on the first great love of his life. When that love comes back, he's going to learn that the same passion that fueled their relationship might very well consume him.

3. At first glance it doesn't seem like Bunker has the most awe-inspiring super power in the world (A 3x3 foot pile of psionic bricks that he can manipulate as he pleases). But in issue five, when he squares off against no less a threat than the Superboy, we understand what he lacks in caliber he more than makes up for in moxie!

-- Scott Lobdell (TEEN TITANS)

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Bunker, DC Comics-The New 52, Scott Lobdell, teen titans

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

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY continued their weekly homepage placement of previews from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. This time around? Next week’s SUPERBOY #3 by Scott Lobdell, R.B. Silva and Rob Lean.

Fans who picked up this week’s ANIMAL MAN #3 already know that the issue revealed a new twist to Buddy Baker’s origin story. NEWSARAMA interviewed writer Jeff Lemire about this revelation and what other surprises are coming up in the series. “The book's a horror book. It really is,” Lemire told them. “And the scariest thing — and you know this as a parent — the scariest thing you can possibly think of is something terrible happening to your child. If I can tap into that, I think I've created a really terrifying book and a book with a lot of emotional stakes.”

Yesterday, we told you about IGN’s Holiday Gift Guide. Well, it looks like it really is that time of year because UGO just published their Holiday Gift Guide as well. Head on over to their specific DC-themed gift guide for their recommendations of both new and classic titles like BATMAN: NOEL and SUPERMAN: THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN.

Still looking for more gift ideas? Released last week in comic book stores and this week in bookstores everywhere, FLASHPOINT is a hardcover collection of all five issues of this summer’s bestselling series by Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert and Sandra Hope that paved the way to DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “Flashpoint is a necessary read, one that will have to be devoured and studied by anyone who wants to be in-the-know about anything that follows,” wrote AMAZON’s OMNIVORACIOUS BLOG of the collection.

To be continued …

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Amazon's Omnivoracious, andy kubert, animal man, Batman: Noel, DC Comics-The New 52, entertainment weekly, flashpoint, Geoff Johns, jeff lemire, Newsarama, r.b. silva, Rob Lean, sandra hope, Scott Lobdell, superboy, Superman: The Death of Superman, ugo

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!

Tags:

adam glass, adam schlagman, Ben Abernathy, DC Comics All Access, DC Comics-The New 52, dc direct, eddie berganza, huntress, Justice League Dark, Kevin Kiniry, marcus to, Mike Green, mike johnson, peter milligan, Scott Lobdell, suicide squad, superboy, supergirl, teen titans

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

(Ethan Van Sciver’s variant cover for GREEN LANTERN #3)

It's Tuesday morning. Do you know where your previews are? Here's a rundown of exclusive previews from the 13 new issues from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 on sale tomorrow. Ready?

CNN’s GEEK OUT has your first look at GREEN LANTERN #2 by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy and Keith Champagne.

MAXIM has the exclusive preview of BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s HEAT VISION previewed FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #2.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX debuted pages from MISTER TERRIFIC #2 by Eric Wallace, Gianluca Gugliotta and Wayne Faucher.

IGN gave you your first glimpse at SUPERBOY #2 by Scott Lobdell, R.B. Silva and Rob Lean.

Following yesterday's NEW YORK POST newsbreak, AIN’T IT COOL NEWS caught up with WONDER WOMAN writer Brian Azzarello. “You read some of those stories, those are the most human stories that have ever been written,” Azzarello said of the Greek mythology inspiring his series. “They are as emotionally damaged as a lot of people are. And they’re just as damaging! They’re selfish, capricious, angry, loving, loyal, they betray…they’re like human emotions turned up to 11.”

THE TORONTO STAR chatted with local Canadian artists Jeff Lemire, Francis Manapul and Ken Lashley about their respective series and DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “I think the books are different, which is something I was looking for,” Lemire said of the relaunch. “Animal Man is a very furious, very dark, emotional story, while Frankenstein is a really big, fun action-adventure, kind of over-the-top sort of thing.”

And while everyone's still talking about DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, there's another major announcement for DC Entertainment today. Timed to the start of the Frankfurt Book Festival in Germany, USA TODAY announced Vertigo's acquisition of pop culture phenomenon The Millennium Trilogy on the front page of their Life section this morning. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, which chronicles the stories of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, will get the graphic novel treatment beginning with next year’s THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Each book in the trilogy will be divided into two volumes and will be published under DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint. Look for THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE in 2013 and THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS’ NEST in 2014.

To be continued …

(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 …

(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 …

(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 …

DC Comics All Access: Bob Harras

And so we come to Week Four–marking the end of September, the month that ushered in the debut of DC Comics-The New 52 and the unprecedented transformation of the entire DC Universe. It’s hard to believe we’re finally here because for us September started a long time ago. Let me explain:

It’s been quite a ride since the writers conference that initiated this evolution. It’s been a year of pitch meetings, story conferences and design sessions that often went far into the night. It’s been a year of hard work on everyone’s part and truth be told – it’s been a lot of fun.

One of my favorite aspects of this period was our weekly New 52 editorial meeting. Every Friday, all of us in DC Editorial—me, our Executive Editor Eddie Berganza, VP Art Direction & Design Mark Chiarello, Coordinating Editor Liz Gehrlein, Group Editors Matt Idelson and Mike Marts, Senior Editors Bobbie Chase and Joey Cavalieri, Editors Pat McCallum, Brian Cunningham and Rachel Gluckstern, Associate Editors Janelle Asselin, Harvey Richards, Rex Ogle, Wil Moss, Chris Conroy and Assistant Editors Sean Mackiewicz, Katie Kubert, Kate Stewart, Darren Shan and Rickey Purdin—would assemble in our conference room for a two-hour gathering (complete with pizza—any cholesterol concerns temporarily forgotten) not to discuss schedules, or production concerns (these we saved for other meetings)—but to share. Everyone came to that meeting with whatever new material had excited them: whether it was a new script, new art from one of the titles, new designs or new logo concepts. It allowed everybody to see what was being used to build The New 52. Pages would be passed around, discussions would ensue—but most of all, excitement would build.

As that excitement built I was constantly reminded that comics are unique. Unlike movies, or TV, or even video games, comics have no budgetary restraints. A writer and an artist working together as a team can move you from the banality of an office in a major American metropolis to the heart of a dying planet from one page to the next. They can bring characters you care passionately about to places that cannot possibly exist except in the realm of imagination…or in comics.

It is that blend of story and art—that sense of wonder—that you will see in such titles as AQUAMAN by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, or TEEN TITANS by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth or THE FLASH by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. These are only three examples of the excitement we can finally share with you as part of the New 52.

September may be ending (longest September ever)—but for The New 52 and for DC Comics, trust me, things are only getting started…

See you in October,

Bob Harras – Editor in Chief

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

This Wednesday will bring the final week of first issues from DC Comics-The New 52. The press buzz hasn't quieted down yet!

CBS SUNDAY MORNING profiled DC Comics-The New 52 yesterday. Keep checking back to THE SOURCE, as we will post the video here once it becomes available for viewing online. We don’t want to spoil anything, but if you missed yesterday's segment, be sure to watch the entire video. It has a particularly cool ending.

PARADE MAGAZINE ran a piece on some of the changes to Superman in DC Comics-The New 52. “We take him back to a time when he had to struggle more, when he was more vulnerable,” Jim Lee said to them about the Man of Steel. Want more Superman? Head on over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES to check out their exclusive preview of SUPERMAN #1, which hits stores this week.

YAHOO’s ASSOCIATED CONTENT interviewed DETECTIVE COMICS writer and artist Tony S. Daniel. “I wanted to nail down a more vintage detective/crime story aspect to the storytelling, a film noir style to my stories,” Daniel told them of the series. “The style here is the bleak, pervasive menace to Gotham City in Batman's world.” DETECTIVE COMICS #2 hits stores next week.

GAWKER’S IO9 interviewed BATWOMAN creative team J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman about what to expect from the series. “We're trying to establish that Batwoman operates in more of a supernatural portion of Gotham,” Blackman teased. Her opponents and some of the storylines have a supernatural bent to them, which in my mind makes them feel very different than the other Bat-stories. We're combining horror with romance with vigilante action, but there's also that strong supernatural angle as well.”

And if you’re still not sure what titles to pick up this week, there's a number of high profile exclusive previews to check out. In an interview accompanying their exclusive preview of TEEN TITANS #1, Scott Lobdell tells USA TODAY that the first issue is "designed specifically so that as you're sitting down to read this book, you're learning about Kid Flash, Red Robin and Wonder Girl. Pretty much what you see on the paper is what we know about them and what they know about each other." THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX and IGN channeled their dark sides with their respective exclusive previews of I, VAMPIRE #1 and JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1. UGO has the exclusive first look at THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1, while MTV GEEK premiered their exclusive preview of THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #1.

To be continued …