Editor Matt Idelson talks I,VAMPIRE/JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Crossover

When I, VAMPIRE writer Josh Fialkov royally messed up and killed his lead character, we had no choice but to reach out to Peter Milligan, scribe of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK to help bail us out. What resulted was one of the first crossovers of the NEW 52, encapsulating issues #7-8 of both titles.

With Andrew dead, the very first vampire ever has arisen (in Gotham, naturally), and the JLDark need to stop a primordial force. And while the battlefront on Earth is definitely pretty intense, it's the trips to other planes of reality that are going to reveal some things about the late Mr. Bennett and change the game for both books. A member of the Dark team will be a member no longer once this is done. Actually, they won't be around to be a member.

And if I haven't put you to sleep with my blathering yet, take a gander at some of the artwork from the two titles joining to tell one story!

--Matt

Previews of Wednesday’s DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 Releases

Here’s a round up of the exclusive previews from this week’s DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 releases, on sale tomorrow. USA TODAY has your first look at THE FLASH #6 with an interview with series writer and artist Francis Manapul and co-writer and colorist Brian Buccellato. "The Rogues are about the score — they're about getting in, getting paid and getting out. They're not the Joker, they're not Lex Luthor. They have their own way of doing things," Buccellato says. Adds Manapul: "We think the team we're forming together is going to be just as dysfunctional as the first one. That's what made them work so well, this rag-tag group that by all means should not even be together. They're like the Bad News Bears of villains, and somehow they made it work." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY debuted a sequence from BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #6, YAHOO! Voices premiered ALL-STAR WESTERN #6, BUZZFEED revealed pages from AQUAMAN #6, GAWKER’s IO9 ran an exclusive preview of GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #6 and IGN previewed SUPERMAN #6. MTV GEEK has your first look at TEEN TITANS #6, UGO previewed VOODOO #6 while BLOODY DISGUSTING previewed JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6, and CRAVE revealed a look at THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #6. Meanwhile, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has a sneak peek at I,VAMPIRE #6, NEWSARAMA has the first look at THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #6, and IFANBOY previewed BLACKHAWKS #6.

I, VAMPIRE arrives in Gotham City

The War of the Vampires is getting intense as Andrew Bennett and the Queen of Blood arrive in Gotham City in I,VAMPIRE.

Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov gives us the inside scoop on what’s been happening in the series and a hint at what’s to come.

"Up until now, we've been telling a story that's very insular, and the vampires have struck and run. Well, in issue 5 that ends. Now they come face to face with the Batman, and it's not going to end well for anyone. Plus, doesn't Batman have those friends who call themselves the Justice League Dark?"

Pick up I,VAMPIRE #5 this Wednesday! And get ready to get sucked in as the events of this two-part story lead to the I,VAMPIRE/JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK crossover in March!

DC Comics All Access: Eddie Berganza

Bienvenido to Week Dos of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 and the excitement keeps building.

I have to say one of the best perks of being the Executive Editor of the DCU as the New 52 had its genesis was sitting down with Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, Group Editors Mike Marts and Matt Idelson, VP of Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello and Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras in our “War Room” with a photo of George C. Scott from Dr. Strangelove taped on the door. In this tiny, windowless (and almost airless – I know, doesn’t sound like much of a perk) room, we devised who would do what in the New 52. On the wall, we shifted around index cards that had series titles to be matched with separate cards for both a writer and artist (color-coded by Coordinating Editor Elisabeth Gehrlein, who was also in attendance). It was exciting, thrilling and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding as we assembled a creative team for each and ever book. Some were no-brainers: GREEN LANTERN … uh, Geoff Johns with Dough Mahnke. Duh.

Other pairings were inspired, like FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.HA.D.E. The title alone had moxie. We felt the right man to steer Frank’s adventures would be Jeff Lemire, who had already done an amazing job writing the patchwork man’s adventures during FLASHPOINT. Jeff’s take on the character infused him with a lot of heart (albeit someone else’s heart). Jeff also suggested tapping series artist Alberto Ponticelli. And oh man, Alberto’s a master with monsters and wild settings, not to mention an incredible storyteller. I love Father Time (so will you once you read it)!

As we got going, we started to see what other genres we could explore. The sky was not even the limit, nor was time. We headed from the Dark Ages with Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves’ DEMON KNIGHTS to looking to get back to the future with LEGION LOST along with Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods. Demon or Legion fan or not, just know these books will affect the present of the DCU; then (coming in Week 4) get ready to ride into the Wild West in gritty Gotham City with Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Moritat; and walk the modern- day bloody streets of Boston in I, VAMPIRE by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino.

Like kids in a candy store, we were all excited by each new prospect. SUPERNATURAL writer Adam Glass writing SUICIDE SQUAD! DEATHSTROKE and MR. TERRIFIC getting their own books! But one of the real treats for me (aside from JUSTICE LEAGUE) was Dan DiDio’s suggestion to bring back RESURRECTION MAN, a book I had originally edited. Reunited with the undying Mitch Shelley’s original creators Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, now joined with the artistic talent of Fernando Dagnino, we were all ready to kill, killa again!

We’ve had our fun, and now it’s time to share. And with all the new ways to enjoy our comics with platforms on digital tablets and smart phones, in addition to the print versions, this could not be a more exciting time to become a DC Comics reader! So come back again, this is only Week 2! We’ve only begun…

Eddie Berganza,

Executive Editor

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!

DC Embraces Its Dark Side

DC Embraces Its Dark Side

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DC Comics embraces its dark side. On the 40th anniversary of the character’s creation, the New York Times bestselling writer of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, Scott Snyder, teams up with Yannick Paquette (BATMAN, INCORPORATED) to bring horror back to the DC Universe in SWAMP THING #1. For years, one man served against his will as the avatar of nature. And while he may have been freed of the monster, he's about to learn the monster will never truly let go of him.

The World’s Greatest Supernatural Heroes

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John Constantine, Deadman, Shade the Changing Man and Madame Xanadu are Justice League Dark, a band of supernatural heroes united to stop the dark things the rest of the DCU does not see in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1, by Peter Milligan and artist Mikel Janin.

Acclaimed Creators with New Takes on Cult Heroes

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Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? Find out in ANIMAL MAN #1, the start of a dramatic new series by acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire and artists Travel Foreman and Dan Green.

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Set in the Middle Ages, the Demon leads an unlikely team to defend civilization and preserve the last vestiges of Camelot against the tide of history. Critically-acclaimed writer Paul Cornell and artists Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert combine sorcery, swords and superheroes in DEMON KNIGHTS #1.

Tomorrow’s Cult Classics

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Frankenstein and his network of strange beings work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. It’s the breakout hero of Seven Soldiers as you’ve never seen him before in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1, the first issue of a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody) and artist Alberto Ponticelli.

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A cult favorite character returns in a new series written by his classic creative team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Joining them is JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST artist Fernando Dagnino. RESURRECTION MAN #1 is the story of a hero who wakes up with new powers each time he’s killed.

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Vampires threaten to bring ruin to the DC Universe in I, VAMPIRE #1 by rising star Josh Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Tortured by his centuries-old love for the Queen of the Damnned, Andrew Bennett must save humanity from the violent uprising of his fellow vampires, even if it means exterminating his own kind.

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Priscilla Kitaen has just found out she’s a monster. A half-alien hybrid, the woman known as Voodoo must confront the secrets of her past to make sense of the nightmare her life has suddenly become. VOODOO #1 will be written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri.

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