Talk about a bromance! Manly director Guy Ritchie is set to direct the LOBO movie…let’s start the campaign to cast defining artist Simon Bisley in a supporting role NOW! There’s gonna be so much bonus testosterone on this project that Megan Fox is gonna turn into a sprint champion.

Warner Bros. has locked Guy Ritchie to direct “Lobo,” the live action adaptation of the DC Comics drama about an alien interstellar bounty hunter.

Don Payne wrote the most recent script draft, and Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona will produce. Pic is a co-production between Silver Pictures and Weed Road.

[snip] WB is aiming for a PG-13 rating. Pic will be strong on visual effects, and Ritchie will bring the irreverent, gruff tone of past films like “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.”

PG13 — boo hiss.

Seems that the WB isn’t taking DisMarneyvel sitting down.

Rich Johnston reports the rumor that has been swirling around for the last few weeks from multiple sources: a new boss for DC, namely Diane Nelson currently president of Warners’ direct-to-DVD branch Warner Premiere. DC honcho Paul Levitz had been reporting to Time-Warner president and COO Alan Horn, after a period several years ago where he reported to Nelson’s boss, Kevin Tsujihara, currently president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group but then at a different, lower level position.

Nelson was responsible for handling relations between J.K. Rowling and Warners during the Harry Potter production process, a tricky task which won her many plaudits. Last year she was behind the WATCHMEN motion comics move, talking it up in this interview at Newsarama, so she’s clearly interested in the characters.

Time Warner typically has a very complicated corporate structure, and like does not necessarily go with like, as DC Comics’ distance from the publishing arm (Time, which Time-Warner is desperately trying to unload) and absorption into the movie studio arm shows. DC has usually come under minimal corporate supervision (Alan Horn seems to have bigger fish to fry) but an exception was Tsujihara, who implemented a number of key hires and initiatives at DC. Speculation is that Nelson, who was hired by Tsujihara, would be much more hands on as well.

The success of DC’s movie characters has put them back on the corporate map, but the studio surely is concerned about bringing those characters into greater play, especially with the tremendous success Marvel has had leveraging their characters, becoming the darlings of Wall Street in the process. Marvel’s revenue of $719 million is less than two percent of Time-Warner’s nearly $46 billion annual sales. Yet Wall Street values Marvel at approximately $3 billion and Time-Warner at $34 billion or nearly nine percent of the home of Batman. With the value of Time-Warner stock lagging for several years, it stands to reason that corporate would be anxious to unlock the value of DC Comics as effectively as the House of Ideas has their own IP.

Developing, as they say.

DC fans are still grieving over the way brutal Australian tax laws put the kibosh on George Miller’s JLA movie, claiming the film did not have enough Australian content to justify the tax breaks needed to make such a costly film.

Now it seems these Aussie scumbags are endangering the Ryan Reynolds starring GREEN LANTERN film, according to Inside Film. This time, the culprit is the rising Australian dollar, which is up 16 percent since the movie plan was announced in April.

Warner Bros is understood to be negotiating with the NSW State Government to receive a higher level of concessions in an effort to claw back between $US15 and $US25 million in value eroded by the currency gains.

[snip] While most offshore productions lock in finance when a project is green-lit, it is understood that ongoing work on the Green Lantern script delayed that move. Pre-production on the film was originally scheduled for July and filming for November.

Something’s got to be done to prevent these down under spoilsports from blocking our God given right to get more DC movies made so we can complain about them on the internet! Have they no decency?

I want one!

For the crafty, details on how to make your own here:

If anyone makes one, let me know. I would like to know what it is like to “wield” something.

ICv2 sits down for its yearly or so confab with DC Publisher and PresidentPaul Levitz and it took all I could muster not to title this post “a wobble feel”, but I resisted. The interview runs in three parts and Levitz seems relaxed and more wide ranging than in some previous editions; and why not? DC has had a good few years with Batman and WATCHMEN driving GN/backlist sales. A few quotes:

Do you feel like the American graphic novels are up then?
They were massively up.  I don’t have the numbers we pulled in front of me, but I think the American graphic novel business was up, certainly more than the book store business.  On a title-by-title basis, we’re seeing individual titles that are the logical after-effects of Watchmen op anywhere from about 25 to 200%.  Two hundred per cent would be for V for Vendetta, which is an obvious sort of next purchase after Watchmen.

Part Two:

You’re transitioning away from, for lack of a better term, the homespun period of the business. When you had a very small section of graphic novels in the comic shop it was very easy for the proprietor to bet on anything that happened to be in the catalog. It doesn’t matter whether I know anything about the writer, or the artist, you got a good little blurb. When you go to a world in which the large publishers are sending you out a galley version of the graphic novel six months in advance, and are announcing on the back cover the five-step marketing program that they’re doing for it, it’s a lot harder for the little guy who’s launching it from home to do it.

and Part Three:

I think there are a couple of important threshold questions you’re looking at. One which doesn’t get nearly enough exploration in these situations where people are considering transmedia, is that different properties have different levels of intrinsic comfort with collaboration. I’m not sure why that is, but if you look at the properties that have succeeded in transmedia, a very high proportion of them are properties that have had a lot of different creative people executing the property early on.

A couple of other interesting bullet points: DC is taking a wait and see attitude on digital distribution: “But it’s not a game changer, or certainly wouldn’t be a game changer for us.  Will that be different any minute now?  Maybe.” We can see a few people shaking their heads over that one.

And the assertion that in the new BookScan environment, creators who don’t come through will stop getting infinite chances.

Via Kurt Busiek’s blog

Although the times on the flyer are wrong, tonight Brian Azzarello will be appearing at Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago. The correct info is:

Its not just a signing; its a PARTY!  To celebrate the release of the brand new Vertigo Crime original graphic novel “FILTHY RICH” we’re throwing a party!  From 6:00pm to 8:00pm BRIAN AZZARELLO will be signing copies of that very book as well as any of his other work. At 8:00pm the pen goes away and the drinks come out.

Co-owner Patrick Brower also writes:

CHALLENGERS Comics + Conversation is a comic book store.  Not a “pop culture” store.  Not a “cards and comics” store.  Not a “collectibles” store.  A comic book store.  And we wouldn’t have it any other way.  Started in March 2008 by Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush, Challengers Comics + Conversation strives to live up to its name by not just providing a solid selection of comics to Chicago, but by providing a little bit of conversation as well.  Whether that’s info on the current Avengers storyline, where you should go after finishing Watchmen, or if Frank Miller’s still got it, we’re here to not only sell comics, but talk comics.  In person or thru our socially interactive website, www.ChallengersComics.com.

After years of development, the Midnight, MASS TV show — based on the Vertigo comic from long ago– is back on again, set to broadcast on NBC, albeit minus the “Mass” part of the name.

Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts are on board to write the project for Warner Bros. TV and studio-based Jinks/Cohen Co.

“Midnight,” which has received a script commitment with penalty from the network, revolves around Adam and Julia Kadmons, a sophisticated, sexy, globe-trotting husband-and-wife team who solve mysteries and crimes of the supernatural.

John Rozum’s “Midnight, Mass.” has been among the most heavily pursued of DC Comics’ properties for a TV series adaptation by sister company WBTV.

According to the piece, over a dozen attempts at developing the show have been made over the years.

A high five to comic creator John Rozum, who developed this idea over a decade ago.

The latest round of the seesaw “one for you, one for me” legal battle between the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and Time Warner has gone to the Siegels, according to ICv2:

The heirs of Jerry Siegel have won another round in the court case over the rights to Superman because of a blog comment on Newsarama by long-time publisher and agent Denis Kitchen. The ruling in federal court determined that the Seigel heirs own the rights to Action Comics #4; Superman #1, pages 3-6; and the first two weeks worth of Superman daily newspaper strips. The court had earlier held that the Siegel heirs owned the rights to ACTION #1 (see “Siegel Heirs Win Superman Case”).

While we expect Jeff Trexler to come along any minute and explain this in depth, the ruling stems from a post by Trexler (not, as far as we can tell, Denis Kitchen) revealing early versions of of Superman — predating their contract with Detective Comics — by Siegel and artist Russell Keaton. The material has been deemed to be owned by the Siegels due to their previous recapture of Action #1.

Wildstorm’s The Bleed blog reminds us that RED HERRING by David Tischman, Philip Bond and David Hahn will be out this weekend. Seriously, it has been a while since a new comics by Philip Bond has passed through our hands and it is a cause for rejoicing. A new Philip Bond comic means there will be cute girls, and they will be wearing boots, and short skirts and smart underwear and remain cute while doing so.

And that’s a good thing.

by Marc-Oliver Frisch

Thanks to strong debut numbers of the revamped Batman line and the perpetually solid Green Lantern franchise, June brought the expected recovery for DC Comics’ periodical sales. Led by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Batman and Robin, which claimed the top spot in the Top 300 chart, the publisher managed to place four titles in the top ten, while average periodical sales remained well within the usual spectrum of the last few years. June also saw the debut of back-up strips and a higher cover price for several DC Universe series, but without any significant impact on sales.

Over at Vertigo and WildStorm, June was business as usual. Despite “The Great Fables Crossover,” average Vertigo sales remained just above 11K. At WildStorm, the six-part horror-property crossover Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash: Nightmare Warriors debuted with surprisingly good numbers, but the imprint’s average figures were still stuck below the 9,000 mark.

See below for the analysis, and please consider the small print at the end of the column. Thanks to Milton Griepp and ICv2.com for the permission to use their figures. An overview of ICv2.com’s estimates can be found here.

—–

1 - BATMAN AND ROBIN
06/2009: Batman and Robin #1  — 168,604

As expected, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s new Batman flagship is the best-selling DC series in June, also outselling everything else on the chart by a wide margin. Marvel’s highly promoted Captain America #600, which came in second, sold an estimated 112,287 units, for instance.

On the surface, 170K looks like a great number, certainly. There have been comics that shifted more units in recent years, but those were all Marvel books and part of special events (such as the “Obama issue” of The Amazing Spider-Man, or Civil War). Looking for either a new ongoing-series launch or a DC book that sold in equal or better numbers, one has to go back almost three years, to the release of Justice League of America #1, which moved an estimated 212,581 copies in August 2006.

In this context, Batman and Robin #1 looks like one of the greatest successes in the periodical comics market in quite some time.

On the other hand, there’s a wildcard involved in its numbers, because the book was promoted with two variant-cover schemes. The first involves a 1-for-25 edition, which, though it’s probably boosted sales quite a bit, has been relatively common for a while. The second, though, is a 1-for-250 edition; this means, in other words, that retailers who wanted to get one of those editions had to buy 250 non-returnable copies of Batman and Robin #1. The prospect was received controversially among retailers, not surprisingly.

Right now, we don’t know how many retailers swallowed the pill and upped their orders to get those particular variant editions. But considering that the scheme only applies to issue #1, I suspect we might get a reasonably good idea of that next month, when the figures for issue #2 are released. If sales are insanely inflated due to the variant, it will show on the chart.

So, for now: a great-looking number, but take it with a pinch of salt.
(more…)

In our mega-con report, we had a brief mention of the great Fables/Venture Brothers rumble at San Diego, and fuller reports and some fallout are to be found on a variety of message boards.

Over at the Fables board, things kick off with an open letter from one of the Venture fans who had camped out in the panel room during the Fables panel (which was scheduled just prior to the Ventures panel in one of the larger hall rooms), leaving little room for the Fables fans — many costumed — who were left waiting outside. The letter criticizes writer Bill Willingham for “insulting” the Venture Bros. fans instead of trying to expose them to the merits of Fables. The letter draws a somewhat testy response from Willingham. There’s also this report on what took place with getting people in and out of the panel:

The problems were compounded when the convention staff mismanaged the line. Apparently an inexperienced individual was tasked with forming the line in the backside hallway and wrapped it back and forth before crossing the second doorway creating the third column to the line which was not wanted. When the subsequent person took over, he formed a new line where it was wanted without making any attempt to accommodate the mismanaged portion of the line which was comprised of people who had arrived an hour before the panel to get in. Soon, these people were told that they were not in line and that they needed to leave. I can’t say how this shock out exactly because I was forced to take my kids to this panel and left one to hold our place while I took the other to use the bathroom and to get them some snacks. When I returned however it did not appear that many had left and the few people I had talked to were still there. At any rate, Bill Willingham somehow became aware of this fiasco and actually came out and personally apologized to this portion of the line. It was pretty clear that he had hoped to be able to address a much larger segment of his fans and it did not look like it was going to work at nearly as well as he had hoped he was clearly disappointed. I stuck it out and was able to get into the room having missed only the first few minutes of the presentation. Although, my children and I had to each sit separate. I will commend the interior staff of this panel for working diligently to accommodate as many people as possible. Unfortunately this was not the case with a certain other room I had had some experience with earlier in the show.

There’s also this heartbreaking eyewitness account:

We gave up on the line around forty minutes into the panel and after a forlorn Snow White in full costume was walking by, we had moved halfway up the line, which had wrapped around the room on three sides.

While the Fables fans who characterize The Venture Bros. as a “show that makes fun of everything” obviously aren’t very familiar with it (it’s really more of a dark, Heller-esque dissection of pop culture tropes….kinda like…Fables). given Fables’ very passionate and loyal following, you can understand their frustration.

And, in a move that seems to be very much is keeping with the thinking following this year’s scrum, Willingham hints that they are looking into moving the Fables panel to a site away from the convention next year.

Finally, the official podcast of the Fables panel is up so listeners can judge for themselves what was said.

UPDATE: CBR has their own report on the incident, with quotes from all sides.

Although I have been leaning towards the laissez faire first come, first served policy, maybe it IS time for room clearing in the bigger rooms…or separate lines that can only start two hours before a panel in the BIGGEST rooms? That would definitely separate the wheat from the chaff but leave room for other stuff.

DC’s Wildstorm blog posted this last week, but it’s good every day of the week. The final issue of PLANETARY has been written and drawn and even colored and lettered. Clock for a larger version.

OHMIGOD! Years more image surfing. YESSSSSSSS. Reynolds is hot off the success of THE PROPOSAL, a romcom opposite Sandra Bullock, and his turn as Deadpool in WOLVERINE, proving both women AND men like him. Four quadrant appeal? Reynolds beat out Justin Timberlake, Bradley Cooper, and Jared Leto for the role, according to recent trade reports.

The Martin Campbell-helmed GREEN LANTERN film is due for release in 2010.

A LOT of publishing news out there we haven’t had a chance to collate due to San DIego Madness™, so let’s get going:

§ Rich Johnston reports that international licensing manager Francine Burke has left DC. Burke is a longtime publishing guru who also worked at Marvel, and some smart company is sure to snap her up.

§ Johanna Draper Carlson attends a recent virtual press conference thrown by Tokyopop and reports on what was said:

After that, there was a short statement about how this is a year of “refocusing and reorganizing” for Tokyopop. They have about half as many titles now as a year ago in order to better focus on “what we think can be successful in a slow market”. They want to regroup and regrow to be in a better position to handle what’s going on in the economy. In terms of causes for this change in strategy, returns had a big impact on them, because “the book market works on consignment”. Most of their audience shops at Barnes & Noble and Borders, and spring 2008 brought “massive waves of returns”. Now, they’re working on controlling inventory and being much more careful about what is printed.

§ Speaking of Tokyopop, Shutterbox by Tavicat, a pioneering work of Ameri-manga is now back in the hands of the creators, according to a post by Rikki Simons, and they are shopping it around; four volumes were printed; a fifth volume is completed and awaiting publication:

In answer to the numerous inquiries from some of the ShutterBox series’ many fans: YES, we are now actively seeking a way to continue the series, both to publish the new volumes, and to republish the now out of print earlier volumes. We are open to and exploring both traditional publishing or through new methods. Interested publishers can e-mail me at rikki@rikkisimons.com and I’ll forward any proposals to Ken, or can contact Ken directly at KenFLevin@gmail.com.

ShutterBox, the first American series published by Tokyopop (2003), is a high fantasy romance about a young lady named Megan Amano, who, when she dreams, is transported to an afterlife world where she attends school as the only living exchange student in a school for muses.

§ NBM is bringing Guido Crepax’s sexy adaptation of The Story of O back into print.
[Link via Adri Cowan]

§ A 128-page JONAH HEX graphic novel is in the works from regular writing team Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray and artist Tony DeZuniga.

§ It turns out the Sam Kieth-drawn Lobo story will be written by Scott Ian, best known as the lead singer of Anthrax, and yet another long time comics fan.

“I have a bit of that going on with the comic book character Lobo. I find it much easier to write comic books than lyrics, actually, because it’s a natural dialogue,” Ian said. “Writing song lyrics is not natural, but over the years, I know what I need to know to get it done. I find it quite easy to capture a character and use my own personality and humor.”

So, I guess the two-issue series WON’T be about Lobo getting in touch with his feminine side after all. Rats.

by Marc-Oliver Frisch

Overall direct-market sales crashed in May, and DC Comics contributed its share. Like Marvel, though, DC has a pretty good excuse. While Batman: Battle for the Cowl and The Flash: Rebirth continued apace, May was basically an in-between month for the publisher. There were no big launches, and everybody kept waiting for June’s revamp of the Batman line and July’s debuts of both Blackest Night and Wednesday Comics, which can all be expected to be sales juggernauts. So, with all that in mind, there’s no reason to panic just yet. If anything, there are some signs that things might actually be looking up for DC in the second half of the year.

At Vertigo, average periodical sales received a much-needed shot in the arm in May and rose to their highest level in more than two years. The two main reasons for the boost were “The Great Fables Crossover” and the debut of Mike Carey and Peter Gross’ new series The Unwritten. At a cover price of one dollar, of course, The Unwritten #1 was two thirds a promotional item and is unlikely to have made Vertigo any money as a single issue. Still, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable idea to market a new comic. It should be interesting to watch the effects.

Diamond’s “Graphic Novel” chart, meanwhile, was topped by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen — Century: 1910, the latest chapter of another best-selling property that DC’s WildStorm imprint no longer publishes. May should have been a good month for WildStorm: With a new StarCraft series, one of their more promising licensed properties debuted; and both of the imprint’s long-running creator-owned titles, Astro City and Ex Machina, came out. In practice, though, WildStorm’s average periodical sales once again failed to escape their limbo significantly below the 10,000-unit mark.

See below for the analysis, and please consider the small print at the end of the column. Thanks to Milton Griepp and ICv2.com for the permission to use their figures. An overview of ICv2.com’s estimates can be found here.

—–

2 - BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL
05/2004: Batman #627 —  76,885
05/2004: Batman #628 —  74,348 [75,832]
05/2005: Batman #640 —  66,640 [71,120]
05/2006: Batman #653 —  77,257 [78,435]
05/2007: Batman #665 —  80,122
——————————-
05/2008: Batman #676 — 105,039 (+47.9%) [122,877]
05/2008: Batman #677 —  96,116 (- 8.5%) [111,065]
06/2008: –
07/2008: Batman #678 — 103,213 (+ 7.4%)
08/2008: Batman #679 — 103,588 (+ 0.4%)
09/2008: –
10/2008: Batman #680 — 103,941 (+ 0.3%)
11/2008: Batman #681 — 103,151 (- 0.8%) [114,657]
12/2008: Batman #682 —  93,469 (- 9.4%)
12/2008: Batman #683 —  90,272 (- 3.4%) [ 91,885]
12/2008: Batman #684 —  79,953 (-11.4%) [ 82,903]
01/2009: Batman #685 —  72,654 (- 9.1%)
02/2009: Batman #686 — 111,353 (+53.3%) [124,542]
03/2009: BfC #1 of 3 —  91,619 (-17.7%) [103,913]
04/2009: BfC #2 of 3 —  89,120 (- 2.7%)
05/2009: BfC #3 of 3 —  89,170 (+ 0.1%)
—————-
6 months: -13.6%
1 year  : -11.3%
2 years : +11.3%
5 years : +17.9%

The book has done very well for DC, obviously, especially so if you consider that Tony Daniel didn’t really have any track record of critical or commercial success as a writer. Evidently, the market didn’t care, and there’s barely been any drop-off at all for The Battle for the Cowl.

Perhaps more significantly, these figures suggest that there’s a great deal of interest in the Batman franchise right now, so maybe “Batman R.I.P.” was on to something, after all. These figures — and those of the various spin-off books — are nothing but good news for June’s relaunch of the Batman line.

There was a 1-for-10 variant-cover edition, as always, while a second printing of issue #1 sold another 8,133 units in May.

(more…)

We’re going to have to leave explaining this one to the lawyers. Short version — while the decision did rule in WB/DC’s favor, it did leave the matter of a Superman film up in the air, as further delays in making a Superman movie could be seen as actionable.

Brian Cronin at CBR:

A major point that you have to understand is that it is not the Court’s responsibility to determine if DC Comics got the best deal possible, but only that the deal was reasonable. In fact, Larson basically seemed to come down on the side of thinking that the licensing fee DC was paid for Superman Returns was on the low side of things, but he did not feel that it was unreasonably low. Larson specifically denied the Siegels’ claim that Superman should be treated like a major novel or a musical, as Larson agreed with the defendants that in the case of comic book licensing, the film company is licensing the characters, not the story (as noted by the many years that Warner Bros. Entertainment spent trying to come up with a workable script for a Superman film). When a film company licenses a novel, however, they’re basically getting a rough screenplay right from the beginning, and as such, popular novels and musicals are much more valuable. So even if Larson felt that the licensing fee was a bit on the low side, it was still a reasonable fee.

Jeff Trexler, who has been following Superman related legal cases for a long time, has a brief analysis here, and a longer piece here including the news that a special master has been assigned to the case:

The judge presiding over the Siegel Superman trials has set December 1, 2009 as the start date for the apportionment phase, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for November 9. But that doesn’t mean the case will be dormant until then. Citing the difficulties evident in determining the fair market value of the Superman properties, the judge has provided for the appointment of a special master/court-appointed expert to issue a report before the trial. The parties have until July 31 to make a joint stipulation as to who this master/expert should be. As the court indicates, the appointment of a special master is appropriate in cases that involve accounting issues and other complex matters that could be difficult for a judge to resolve effectively.

Today, a decision was handed down in one of the lawsuits involving Superman and the Siegel family. The Siegel family — including Joanne Siegel and Laura Sigel Larson — were granted half the copyright to Superman in 1999, and the present case involved their share of the revenue from such Superman appearances as Smallville. The Siegels argued that a “sweetheart deal” from Warner Bros. led to lower than market value licensing fees for the use of Superman.

However, the court did not see it that way, and ruled that the fees were within market value.

DC released a statement, reading:

DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment are very gratified by the court’s thorough and well-reasoned decision in this matter. The decision validates what DC and Warner Bros. have maintained from the beginning, which is that when they do business with each other, they always strive for – and achieve – fair market value in their transactions. We are very pleased that the court found there was no merit to plaintiffs’ position that the Superman deals were unfair to DC Comics and, by extension, the plaintiffs.

The decision can be read here.

CBR has some commentary. Jeff Trexler, who is closely following the case, has brief comments here and here. We’ll have some more commentary after we read the decision.

Today is the debut of WEDNESDAY COMICS, the amazing newspaper-sized comics anthology by some of today’s freshest creators. To celebrate, here’s the final version (with words) of Paul Pope’s ADAM STRANGE strip. Click for a larger version.

Also, USA Today is running 12 weeks of Superman, with today only, a page in the print version. The rest will run online.

The NY Daily News also looks at the series:

It has been a long time since Superman patrolled the broadsheets, but DC Comics is turning back the clock with “Wednesday Comics.” The first issue of the 12-issue weekly anthology series hits comic book stores Wednesday.

“It’s either old-fashioned or it’s cutting edge, or it’s a little bit of both,” said Dan DiDio, executive editor of DC Comics.

BTW, our own review mirrors Chris Mautner’s: It’s a lot of debut and origin, but it’s still a gorgeous thing to behold.

Last week, NPR, of all places, made a big whoop-t over Supergirl finally deciding to stop flashing everyone — apparently the decision came by editorial fiat:

The man in question: DC Comics editor Matt Idelson. The pronouncement he issued was just eight words long, but such is its paradigm-shattering power that it will surely stand one day in the annals of comic book history, alongside “With great power comes great responsibility,” “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” and “Shazam!”

Thus spake Idelson:

“I never want to see Supergirl’s panties again.”

A profile in courage, indeed. The story was drawn from a Newsarama story covering the be-pantsing, which quoted artist Jamal Igle:

Idleson’s suggestions about making Supergirl’s costume a little more presentable was reinforced by a critic that Igle could not ignore. “I showed one of those older issues to my mom, and she said, ‘She looks like a hooker.’ That’s the exact opposite of what you should be doing. In my head, because Kara is Clark’s cousin, she’s a member of the Superman Family. She wears the ‘S’. That’s supposed to stand for something.”

Frankly, we’re all for a bit more modesty on Supergirl’s part, and glad that the biking shorts option was chosen rather than choosing, say, a Skort.

There is a third option, which we’re surprised wasn’t chosen, though. Artists could just stop drawing Supergirl’s panties. Or stop drawing her looking like a hooker. Because, it CAN be done.

Via Vertigo: Graphic Content. Click for a larger version.

DC has released its complete schedule of panels for San Diego, including daily Talent  Search panels, a Wednesday Comics panel, three Vertigo panels, a Webcomics panel, Wildstorm, Zuda, CMX and more more more.

THURSDAY, JULY 23
10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search 1 Room 4
11:45-12:45 Superman: Two Worlds Room 6DE
2:15-3:15 Spotlight on Geoff Johns Room 6DE
5:00-6:00 JSA: The Great Society Room 5AB
6:00-7:00 Vertigo New Ongoing Series/Crime Line Room 5AB

FRIDAY, JULY 24
10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search 2 Room 4
11:00-12:00 Spotlight on Darick Robertson Room 4
12:30-1:30 Batman: New Dynamic Room 6DE
3:00-4:00 DC Nation Room 6DE
4:30-5:30 Wednesday Comics Room 5AB
5:30-6:30 Vertigo: View of the Future Room 5AB

SATURDAY, JULY 25
10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search 3 Room 4
11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Francis Manapul Room 4
12:45-2:00 DCU Editorial Presentation Room 6B
2:15-3:15 Green Lantern: Blackest Night Room 6quad
3:30-4:30 Wildstorm: This is WildStorm! Room 4
4:45-5:45 Vertigo Voices: The Fables Forum Room 6DE

SUNDAY, JULY 26
11:00-12:00 CMX: Bringing Manga to You! Room 4
12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Bill Willingham Room 2
2:00-3:00 Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio Room 2
3:00-4:00 Making Webcomics Room 4

SAN DIEGO 2009 PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
<!–more–>
Thursday, July 23rd

10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search 1
Come learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional! We’ll discuss the different needs of the DC Universe, Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad Magazine and Zuda. This extremely informative orientation session will explain how DC’s Talent Search works and provide numerous tips and tricks on how to improve your work and explore opportunities. In order to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory. (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.) Room 4

11:45-12:45 Superman: Two Worlds
Torn between New Krypton and Earth, The Man of Steel has only just begun his latest adventure. You’ve seen the stories. A new planet of Kryptonians. Scores of super-powered beings. The people behind Superman’s future are here to face the most trying times in his life. Meet the talented folks behind Superman as they give you a glimpse of what is in store for our favorite Super-family. Featuring Superman Group Editor Matt Idelson, Geoff Johns (Adventure Comics, Superman: Secret Origins), Greg Rucka (Action Comics), James Robinson (Superman), Sterling Gates (Supergirl), Renato Guedes (Superman), and more! Room 6DE

2:15-3:15 Spotlight on Geoff Johns
He is the mastermind behind the smash-hit, critically acclaimed Flash: Rebirth and DC’s most anticipated book of the year, Green Lantern: Blackest Night. Wondering what makes Geoff Johns tick? Don’t miss this panel hosted by Eddie Berganza, Group Editor—DCU, interviewing one of the most exciting talents in the DCU. Room 6DE

5:00 -6:00 JSA: The Great Society
DC’s legendary super-team enters a new era with top talent and explosive storylines in the second half of 2009! Get the inside scoop on everything JSA right here including info on the exciting spin-off title Magog and the main series Justice Society of America from the creative minds behind the franchise. Hosted by DC’s Senior Group Editor, Mike Carlin, with top talents Bill Willingham (JSA), Matt Sturges (JSA), Freddie Williams (Final Crisis Aftermath: Run), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Jimmy Palmiotti (Power Girl) and more! Room 5AB

6:00 -7:00 Vertigo New Ongoing Series/Crime Line
It’s a new beginning for Vertigo with the launch of new ongoing titles such as The Unwritten, Greek Street & Sweet Tooth. In addition to these titles we will be launching the highly anticipated Vertigo Crime Line with some of the top talents in the industry. Hosted by Senior VP - Executive Editor, Vertigo, Karen Berger and Senior Editor Will Dennis, this panel is not to be missed, especially considering the talent present: Peter Gross (Unwritten), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody), Jason Starr, Chris Gage, Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon and others! Room 5AB

Friday, July 24th

10:30-11:30 Talent Search 2
Come learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional! We’ll discuss the different needs of the DCUniverse, Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad Magazine and Zuda. This extremely informative orientation session will explain how DC’s Talent Search works and provide numerous tips and tricks on how to improve your work and explore opportunities. In order to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory. (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.) Room 4

11:00-12:00 Spotlight on Darick Robertson
Whether he’s illustrating Leatherface or reigniting super-teams like The Authority or launching videogame adaptations like Prototype, artist Darick Robertson has become synonymous with gritty, exhilarating artwork. Now’s your chance to hear the fan-favorite creator talk about his process and career alongside WildStorm Senior Editor Ben Abernathy. There’s no telling what these two might say! Room 4

12:30-1:30 Batman: New Dynamic
Now that the Battle for the Cowl has ended, what adventures lie ahead for the new Dark Knight? Join Group Editor Michael Marts, Paul Dini (Detective Comics), Dustin Nguyen (Detective Comics), Greg Rucka (Detective Comics), and more as they discuss the legend of Batman and what the future holds for the newest man behind the bat. Room 6DE

3:00-4:00 DC NATION
Calling all NATION recruits! Bring your friends and hear top talent discuss where the DC NATION is heading from 2009 and beyond. Sr. VP - Executive Editor Dan DiDio hosts this exciting discussion with Ian Sattler, James Robinson, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and more! Join them for a VIP look into the most talked about stories and events of the summer! Room 6DE

4:30-5:30 Wednesday Comics
Wednesday Comics gives a fresh twist to a grand comics tradition by reinventing the classic newspaper comics section and filling it to the brim with today’s top talent and characters! Learn all you need to know about DC’s excitingly innovative weekly 12-issue series from the title’s mastermind, DCU Editorial Art Director Mark Chiarello, and an all-star list of panelists! Believe us; you’ve never seen a panel or a project like this! Room 5AB

5:30-6:30 Vertigo: View of the Future
Vertigo, DC’s edgiest and most provocative imprint, returns to San Diego! Come and discover what’s going on at the imprint that birthed The Sandman, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Fables and more? Wait ’til you hear about what new projects the Vertigo team is going to thrill us with next! Hosted by Senior VP - Executive Editor, Vertigo, Karen Berger, Group Editor Shelly Bond, and Senior Editor Will Dennis, with Jason Aaron (Scalped), Mike Allred, Mark Buckingham (Fables), Josh Dysart (Unknown Soldier), Peter Gross (Unwritten), Amy Hadley (Madame Xanadu), Jeff Lemire (The Nobody), Chris Roberson, Matt Sturges (House of Mystery), Matt Wagner (Madame Xanadu), Bill Willingham (Fables, House of Mystery), G. Willow Wilson (Air), Brian Wood (DMZ, Northlanders), and others! Room 5AB

Saturday, July 25th

10:30-11:30 DC Talent Search 3
Come learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional! We’ll discuss the different needs of the DCUniverse, Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad Magazine and Zuda. This extremely informative orientation session will explain how DC’s Talent Search works and provide numerous tips and tricks on how to improve your work and explore opportunities. In order to have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory. (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.) Room 4

11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Francis Manapul
The hot up-and-coming artist Francis Manapul takes the stage to discuss his kinetic art on one of the most anticipated projects of the year: Adventure Comics with Geoff Johns! Hosted by Group Editor Matt Idelson see what’s it like illustrating the return of Superboy. Come find out from one of the freshest artists in the biz! Room 4

12:45-2:00 DCU Editorial Presentation
Dan DiDio, Senior VP / Executive Editor DCU, Ian Sattler, Senior Story Editor—DCU, and countless DCU talent are gathering for a discussion that’s not to be missed. Now that Blackest Night is upon us, what lies ahead for your favorite heroes? Got a question for your favorite DCU creator? Come on by! There’s no greater gathering of top-tier creative talent! Room 6B

2:15-3:15 Green Lantern: Blackest Night
The dead are rising in the DCU – whowill survive when the Blank Lantern Corps attacks? This is your only chance to hear what’s coming up in Blackest Night, the most anticipated comic event of the year! Featuring all the key figures behind the biggest, coolest threat to the DCU in years! Hosted by Group Editor Eddie Berganza with Geoff Johns (Green Lantern), Pat Gleason (Green Lantern Corps) and others! Room 6QUAD

3:30-4:30 Wildstorm: This is WildStorm!
Get the inside scoop on what’s upcoming from DC’s wildest imprint from WS-VP Hank Kanalz, Senior Editor Ben Abernathy, Fiona Staples (North 40, Trick ‘r Treat), Kurt Busiek (Astro City), Adam Beechen (Killapalooza), Christos Gage (Wildcats), Darrick Robertson (Prototype), David Tischman (Red Herring), Liam Sharp (Gears of War), Jason Craig (Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash), Rebecca Isaacs, and more! Find out about what’s new in the WildStorm Universe! There will be tons of info and sneak peaks for Wildcats, The Authority, Gears of War, World of Warcraft, Ex Machina, and much, much more! Room 4

4:45-5:45 Vertigo Voices: The Fables Forum
It’s the Fables Forum – San Diego style! Come armed with your best questions and find out everything you want to know about Fables. Featuring the creators behind Fables, Jack of Fables, and House of Mystery: Vertigo Group Editor Shelly Bond is joined by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Matthew Sturges, Steve Leialoha, Lee Loughridge, Shawn McManus, Andrew Pepoy, Chris Roberson, Chrissie Zullo and Todd Klein. Room 6DE

Sunday, July 26th

11:00-12:00 CMX: Bringing Manga to You!
Manga remains one of the hottest areas in literature and CMX, the manga imprint of DC Comics, is right in the thick of it. Join Director of Manga Asako Suzuki and Editor Jim Chadwick as they discuss the latest releases from one of the most diverse lines on the market today. We are excited to talk about upcoming new series and the ongoing series such books as Crayon Shinchan, Broken Blade, Fire Investigator Nanase, Ballad of a Shinigami, The Lapis Lazuli Crown, Emma, and much, much more! Room 4

12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Bill Willingham
Both a master storyteller and an incredible artist, Bill Willingham has created a huge following for his best-selling books. His credits range from the DCU’s Justice Society of America, Salvation Run and Robin- to the already- classic Vertigo titles Fables and Jack of Fables and the new House of Mystery. Hosted by Vertigo Group Editor, Shelly Bond with Fables co-horts Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha. Room 2

2:00–3:00 Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio
As the con comes to a close, sit back and unwind as Dan DiDio and friends invite you to a relaxed Sunday afternoon comics discussion. Share your opinions and listen to others as some of comics’ biggest names talk about their love of all things comics. All are welcome, no RSVP required. Room 2

3:00-4:00 Making Webcomics
Join Ron Perazza (ZUDA COMICS), Kwanza Johnson (ZUDA COMICS), Kevin Colden (Fishtown, I RULE THE NIGHT), Cameron Stewart (Transmission X, VERTIGO), Molly Crabapple (Act-i-vate, Dr. Sketchys Anti-Art School) and others for an inclusive, roundtable discussion about the advantages, challenges, questions, solutions, costs and benefits of making webcomics for fun and profit. Topics include working with a publisher, self-publishing, promoting yourself, best practices, style and moving from web to print (or vice-versa)! Room 4

Well-reviewed, chart-topping, but irregularly shipping, the J. Michael Straczynski/Olivier Coipel run on THOR was one of the better selling recent character relaunches. However, it had been rumored widely that JMS was leaving the book, and an interview at CBR confirms. The reason given isn’t any big blow-out, but rather that JMS didn’t want to get involved in a big company-wide Thor event:

The one concern at the back of my head was that of being pulled into a Big Event that could affect the forward momentum of the book and alter its direction. I’ve said elsewhere that in many cases — and this isn’t just Marvel, the trend is pandemic — such an event can sometimes result in the individual books serving the event, rather than the other way around, and you have to spend months and issues afterward stitching everything back together. I’m the kind of writer who likes to write in a straight line and know for certain the terrain he’s standing upon. Some writers can handle all that and never break a sweat. For me, it’s just not something I can do competently. That’s a shortcoming on my part and I recognize it as such.

Prior to the reboot, when “Thor” was selling in the mid-50s, a Big Event wouldn’t have been much of a concern, but now it was selling in the top ten month after month, and that increased visibility meant it could precipitate an event. And, again without saying much because this has to come from Marvel, such an event appeared on the horizon.

This is worth noting as perhaps yet another nail in the coffin of the Pamphlet That Sells Well Just Because It’s Good Phenomena. That idea is gone with the wind. In fairness to Marvel, a big THOR movie is coming out next year, so they probably wanted to strike while while the Mjolnir was hot. OTOH, it’s been pretty much proven that movies don’t sell that many random similarly-titled comics, and getting potential new readers hooked with a giant, complicated event seems counter-intuitive. But…so it goes. In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, the future of the Big Two is events, events, events, and Odin help us if it ever stops working.

Speaking of something else, JMS (thank God his name has an acronym so we don’t have to type Straczynski with a mutilated thumb over and over and over) also teases his next DC project:

All four Red Circle scripts are in and drawn, and I’m working on a secret project for DC that I hope we can discuss at San Diego Comic-Con. Suffice to say: anyone who knows me knows that there’s something I’ve wanted to do for my entire creative life, something that I’d give my right arm to write…something I’ve been actively chasing for over ten years. There’s one character, one property, that if George Lucas said “Here’s a million dollars, go write whatever you want and I’ll shoot it, but you’ll have to drop that book,” I would say no and never, ever look back.

Can it be…Streaky!?!

Collider reports that at a presser for the new WATCHMEN Director’s Cut Blu-Ray, director Zack Snyder said the Director’s Cut of WATCHMEN would be screened in four cities in one theater each, the weekend before Comic-Con. The cities are Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis, and New York and you know what?

WE ARE GOING.

We said it.

WE LIKED WATCHMEN.

IGN has a few pages of a BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 preview by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. It’s hard to overstate how brilliant Quitely’s storytelling and characterization are on even this single page. Panel 1 — the “death from above” shot, perfectly executed, but the angle emphasizing Batman and Robin’s viewpoint — they’re not unleashed, not yet, they’re just floating into the scene. In panel two there are two amazing things happening. #1 is the crab-like outline of Dick Grayson/Batman’s cape…it’s engulfing him, obliterating him…he’s just a tiny head. The mantle of Batman is literally swallowing him. And then there’s Damian/Robin’s curious hunched posture…he just landed with a lot of momentum, but the ground has sucked all the energy out of him, leaving him literally skulking in. Damian’s flawed, difficult character is the heart and plot of this book, and Quitely encapsulates it all in this one drawing.

After those two epic panels, a third is almost too much, but once again, the masks and rituals of the Bat-man garb are transforming the two people inside them. Slit-eyed, dangerous…how can they even SEE?

Whew! We’re just gonna explode when we get the whole book, aren’t we?