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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 …

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american vampire, Batman, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, detective comics, Gawker's IO9, peter milligan, red lanterns, scott snyder, swamp thing, usa today

Clark and Lois Talk about the Future of Print (While Everybody’s Talkin’ About DC COMICS-THE NEW 52)

Have a case of the Mondays? No worries. Loads of exclusive previews ran over the weekend and they just might help distract you from the impending work week. Ready?

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL’s SPEAKEASY BLOG ran an exclusive preview of SUPERMAN #2, which finds Daily Planet co-workers Clark Kent and Lois Lane discussing the future of print journalism.

USA TODAY gave you a first look at ALL-STAR WESTERN #2. "We're uncovering a bigger chunk of the mystery surrounding the Gotham Butcher and what exactly is happening in the fledgling city of Gotham, at its very core of its industrial revolution at that time," said series co-writer Justin Gray. "The gambit being made by a certain criminal underworld to establish their roots in Gotham would have lasting implications throughout, all the way to the timeline with Batman."

Curious what happens when members from the entire color spectrum of the Green Lantern Corps come together? Then look no further than UGO, who has your first look at GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #2.

A new fury is unleashed in THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #2 and KOTAKU has your exclusive first sneak peek at it.

Take a glimpse at Carter Hall vs. the newly awakened Morphicus in THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #2 over at GAWKER’S IO9.

Is Voodoo a hero or a villain? IGN helps you decide with their preview of VOODOO #2.

COMICVINE teases at the secrets Lady Blackhawk is keeping to herself with their preview of BLACKHAWKS #2.

Meanwhile, THE ONION’S A.V. CLUB ran a profile of BATMAN and SWAMP THING writer Scott Snyder. “What if there’s a reason that he was chosen? What if there’s something in his past? What if he’s always known that Swamp Thing was waiting for him and waiting to claim him?” Snyder said of SWAMP THING protagonist Alec Holland. “What if he wasn’t just meant to be Swamp Thing, but the accident that supposedly turned him into Swamp Thing actually prevented him from becoming the Swamp Thing he was supposed to be, because you’re supposed to bond to the Green in your life, and the accident killed him? And this idea that he’s not just supposed to be Swamp Thing, but he’s supposed to be the greatest Swap Thing ever. We’ve never seen that creature that he could be, hypothetically. Once I had that I knew that was it. I was like, ‘This is my story.’ It’s everything I love to write about and I’ve been a fan of the character forever.”

And don’t worry. It may be Monday, but we’ll have all sorts of interesting things happening this week on THE SOURCE.

To be continued …

No trick, all treat: A third printing of ANIMAL MAN # 1 is on its way

(The cover to the third printing of ANIMAL MAN #1)

Some books are so good you want to talk about them with your family, your co-workers, your Twitter followers, your Facebook friends and, well, just about the whole wide world. You want to yell from your rooftop "Read this book!"

ANIMAL MAN, the acclaimed series from writer Jeff Lemire and artist Travel Foreman, is stirring up that kind of passion from critics and fans alike. In fact, there's so much excitement that ANIMAL MAN # 1 is the latest DC COMICS - THE NEW 52 title to go back to press for a new printing.

Here's what writer Jeff Lemire had to say about the third printing and the series' early success:

"I can't express how happy I am with the success of Animal Man, its a book I care deeply about. Travel Foreman, Lovern Kindzierski and I are pouring our hearts into each issue and it's a real thrill to see so many people responding. Scott Snyder and I just got back from New York where we had a series of meetings with editor Joey Cavalieri, Group Editor Matt Idelson as well as Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza. We laid out our ambitious plans for both Animal Man and Swamp Thing, and I think I can safely say that no one will be able to guess what's coming next. We have a huge story planned that's filled with adventure, horror and drama. The Baker family is in for quite a ride, and I hope all the fans and readers will stick around to see what we have planned!"

As you may have seen, ANIMAL MAN has inspired a massive amount of attention:

“Travel Foreman's art is innovative and excellently creepy when it needs to be, and will hopefully get a lot of eyes as Lemire's everyman hero makes his mark in the new DC Universe.” – USA Today

“A profound meditation on consumer culture and the economy of disposability.” – PopMatters

“Animal Man has the sensational Jeff Lemire at the helm.” – Entertainment Weekly

“A strange, dark fantasy book with unpredictable plots and fantastic art.” – Complex Magazine

“Haunting…Travel Foreman provides sleek, meticulous art that grounds the book in reality, and he uses inventive page layouts during the scenes in the Baker home to create visual excitement where the situations are less fantastic…Animal Man is just a cool, odd character, grounded in the real world but still very much a superhero.” – The Onion AV Club

“I don’t want to overhype it, but if you don’t love it from the very first page, you’re not human.” – MTV Geek

“The best thing to come out of the DC relaunch. Absolutely knocked it out of the park…Gold stars for the creative team.” – io9

“Visceral and intriguing.” – SFX

“This book sets the benchmark.” – Comic Book Resources

“A great introduction to Animal Man for new readers, while also giving long-time fans something fresh to be excited about.” – IGN

“Amazing.” – Ain’t It Cool News

“Well-crafted and bold.” – iFanboy, Pick of the Week

“Animal Man is one you can’t pass up.” – Bloody Disgusting, Pick of the Week

With Halloween, just around the corner, we can't imagine a better gift for #AllHallowsRead then ANIMAL MAN. Help spread the word. And for an exclusive preview of issue #3, head on over to USA TODAY's POP CANDY.

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animal man, bob harras, DC Comics-The New 52, eddie berganza, jeff lemire, joey cavalieri, pop candy, scott snyder, swamp thing, third printing, usa today

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

(DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio catches up with his old friend, Solomon Grundy at New York Comic Con)

Everyone from Solomon Grundy to DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio was at New York Comic Con this past weekend. In case you’ve been unplugged from the Internet all day, there are ton of recaps from the convention.

MTV GEEK chatted with the rock star creative team of JUSTICE LEAGUE, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. “It’s really about how you tell the stories,” said Lee of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “It’s interesting – there was a lot of skepticism going into September but then once the books came out, the whole nature of the dialogue changed from ‘I hate what you’re changing’ to ‘I love what you’ve changed. I love the new directions.’”

“I think we’ve turned a lot of the skeptics around,” continued Johns. “I think there’s a lot of people that have turned around and said, ‘wow, this is really exciting,’ and are on board.”

DAILYMOTION spoke with DC Entertainment Co-Publisher writer Dan DiDio on the NYCC floor. “What I love about what we’re doing right now is that it’s not just about superheroes,” DiDio said of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “We’ve got Westerns, we’ve got science fiction, we’ve got horror – so we’ve got such a wide array and I think that shows diversity and the strength of DC and I think this is what makes the company great.”

KOTAKU reported on the statues on display in the DC Entertainment booth at New York Comic Con. Check out their coverage to see your favorite heroes and villains as well as MAD Magazine’s take on some of the most iconic DC characters.

Following New York Comic Con, lots of outlets ran their exclusive previews of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles being released this Wednesday. Here’s a rundown:

USA TODAY ran their exclusive preview of BIRDS OF PREY #2. "Yes, she's been a bad guy, but every villain has a great motivation,” said series writer Duane Swierczynski when asked about Poison Ivy. “They see themselves as the good guy in their own stories, and she's doing what she's doing for a good reason. It may sound strange but you can be there for your friends and still be a not-so-great person."

MAXIM has your first sneak peek at WONDER WOMAN #2. “Already one of the best-reviewed books of the new 52, Azzarello's take on Wonder Woman is doing, er, wonders for the character,” MAXIM wrote in the introduction of their exclusive preview. “Showcasing her bad-ass warrior side as well as a sense of humor … Azzarello is also rebuilding the mythology of Wonder Woman, simplifying it and making it more accessible to new readers while explaining her powers and attitude.”

TV GUIDE MAGAZINE debuted the first five pages of SUPERGIRL #2. "She has the same core basics: flight, strength, invulnerability, heat vision, x-ray vision," series co-writer Mike Johnson told TV GUIDE MAGAZINE of Kara. "And then we're going to reveal a new power in issue 3 that is unique to her and also a result of her new origin story."

BLASTR previewed not just one but two titles with a science fiction flavor coming out this week! Head on over to their site for your first look at BLUE BEETLE #2 and CAPTAIN ATOM #2.

POPMATTERS has your first look at RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #2 and COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has an exclusive preview of CATWOMAN #2.

And be sure to head on over to DC Comics’ official Facebook page to read an exclusive preview of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2--and scroll through our photo galleries from each day of New York Comic Con.

Got more time to surf the web? Check out THE LOS ANGELES EXAMINER's, er, terrific review of MISTER TERRIFIC #2, written by L.A. local Eric Wallace and illustrated by Gianluca Gugliotta. “Wallace keeps the action coming and provides new and inventive ways for the hero to travel and solve the mysteries of Brainstorm,” wrote THE EXAMINER. “Gugliotta’s art also keeps to the tone of the story. This is pulse pounding adventure with a scientific background.”

To be continued …

(DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and JUSTICE LEAGUE artist Jim Lee signing at the DC Entertainment booth at New York Comic Con)

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

Sunday’s NEW YORK POST covered this weekend’s New York Comic Con and teased upcoming convention announcements. “It’s a great thing it’s here in New York,” said DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras. “It’s very exciting for us.” The POST's coverage broke the very first DC Comics news of the Con: Andy Kubert will be illustrating a two part story in ACTION COMICS.

This morning, THE NEW YORK POST followed up with another exclusive announcement sure to get folks talking: Wonder Woman's new origin in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “In this case, making her a god actually makes her more human, more relatable," said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee. Head over to THE NEW YORK POST’s website for their full coverage, including the first look at WONDER WOMAN #2, in stores next week.

Can't wait for more announcements at NYCC? There are plenty of previews to keep you occupied ‘til then. Witness:

USA TODAY has the exclusive preview of SUICIDE SQUAD #2 by Adam Glass, Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan. “They're making decisions and doing things that have real costs to them, and those costs are people's lives: their own or other people's," Glass said of the Suicide Squad. "You're on a team with a group of people and you don't know if someone's gonna stick it in your back."

WIRED’s GEEKDAD has your first look at DEATHSTROKE #2 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert. “It won’t be very long until the heroes and villains alike know just who the scariest dude in the new DC universe truly is,” GEEKDAD wrote of Deathstroke.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES previewed RESURRECTION MAN #2 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino. They also interviewed BATMAN and SWAMP THING writer Scott Snyder as part of their ongoing BAT SIGNAL coverage. “What Gotham does is try to convince you that the things you consider your great strengths as a hero are your weaknesses, your weak spots,” Snyder said about BATMAN. “For Bruce that really is his confidence and his sense of knowledge and wisdom about the city, his confidence as its protector.” Be sure to read the full interview for your exclusive look at the cover to BATMAN #5.

Meanwhile, YAHOO!’s ASSOCIATED CONTENT interviewed writers Geoff Johns about AQUAMAN and Judd Winick about BATWING. “The goal of the first adventure takes place to establish how Aquaman is perceived on land and how he's perceived in the ocean,” Johns said of AQUAMAN’s premiere story arc. “Then we send him off on a journey to find out the biggest mystery of all: who sank Atlantis and why.”

And over at GEEKDAD, writer Corinna Lawson decided to do some research on Duane Swierczynski’s previous work before checking him out as the new writer for BIRDS OF PREY. “There’s no doubt that if non-stop, cool action sequences with fun characters are your thing, you need to read some Swierczynski stories.”

To be continued …

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

On Wednesday, the first set of issue #2s from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 will go on sale. There's a ton of exclusive previews out there to whet your appetite.

USA TODAY has your first look at ACTION COMICS #2. "He has his reasons and they almost kind of make sense," series writer Grant Morrison told USA TODAY of Lex Luthor. "But then you dig a little deeper and you find this very petty, jealous, envious man, and unfortunately that's what drives his brilliance. He's a very strong character and has to be a real balance with Superman."

THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ran an exclusive preview of O.M.A.C. #2. "OMAC is a character I remember when it first came out. I enjoyed it immensely," said series writer Dan DiDio to THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. "The idea that you think you're in control of things and you lose your sense of control and that even when you think you're doing things your own way, someone else may be leading you — it was really a fascinating core theme."

Along with their exclusive preview of GREEN ARROW #2, POPMATTERS wrote a terrific analytic post about the psychology of the series. “For nothing more than a ‘solid superhero story’, Krul and Jurgens evoke a richness that is seldom glimpsed at,” they wrote.

IGN has your exclusive first look at BATWING #2 and NEWSARAMA premiered a 5-page interior sequence from HAWK AND DOVE #2.

Just in time for the haunting month of October, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE ran their list of the 10 Best Horror Graphic Novels for Halloween. DC Entertainment secured 5 of the 10 spots, with titles including BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, SWAMP THING VOL. 1, BOOKS OF MAGIC, ARKHAM ASYLUM and HELLBLAZER.

And continuing the spooky theme this month brings, top ranking horror website BLOODY DISGUSTING talked horror/dark comics with I, VAMPIRE writer Joshua Hale Fialkov. “For me, I wanted to take the best parts of horror and romance fiction, and combine it with what makes DC Comics great,” Fialkov said of his series. “We have a huge canvas to paint on, we will we rub-up against other characters and books, which is a blast to write. I'm really being given the freedom to tell a huge story all on my own with all of these great toys to play with. You'll definitely see some huge DC characters in the book in the not too distant future.”

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 …

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

Today, the final batch of first issues from DC Comics-The New 52 went on sale. Among these books was AQUAMAN #1.

“Everybody around has at least heard of Aquaman, and they've probably heard all the jokes — the same jokes Aquaman's heard — and they have their opinion on Aquaman,” writer Geoff Johns told USA TODAY. “Whether it's good or bad, that's what the book's all about.”

“We tackle what people think Aquaman is already right off the bat,” Johns said to CNN’s GEEK OUT. “He is very much a character that is an underdog in the world of super heroes.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY has the exclusive preview of BATGIRL #2 by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes featured on their homepage.

The second part of THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX interview with BATMAN writer Scott Snyder has gone live. “It really goes after his confidence as a protector and legend of Gotham,” Snyder said of The Dark Knight in his series. “Along with it, there’ll be a lot of revelations about the Wayne family, about the Grayson family too, and it will all tie into NIGHTWING. The epic storyline will be 11 issues long, really about a war for Gotham’s soul between the Bat and this other organization, with some shocking new enemies for him built out of this mythology we’re going to develop.”

With the first day of October being this weekend, Halloween is quickly approaching. To kick off our preparations, FEAR.NET interviewed writers Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire about their horror series, SWAMP THING, ANIMAL MAN and FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. “The Red and the Green are so closely linked,” teased Lemire about an upcoming crossover between ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING. “So in many ways, both of our stories, even though they're kind of separate for the first ten issues or so, are actually kind of part of a bigger story. That will come together at the end of the first year and then spin off into something new with both books linked again. We're super excited about that.”

And speaking of titles in the Dark family? BLOODY DISGUSTING has selected JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 as their “Graphic Content Pick of the Week.”

To be continued …

(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 …

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

Tomorrow marks the release of two major titles from DC Comics-The New 52, BATMAN #1 and WONDER WOMAN #1. And what better way to kick off these series’ releases than with two high profile previews?

USA TODAY’s POP CANDY has the exclusive preview of WONDER WOMAN #1. "The idea is to move forward with Wonder Woman in a way that makes her story bigger,” series artist Cliff Chiang told them.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE’s VULTURE blog has the exclusive first look at the first five pages of BATMAN #1, by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion. And if you haven’t already, be sure to bookmark VULTURE as they’ll be running an exclusive interview with Scott Snyder in the coming days.

To be continued …

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Batman, cliff chiang, DC Comics-The New 52, Greg Capullo, jonathan glapion, New York Magazine, pop candy, scott snyder, usa today, Vulture, wonder woman