Dave Farabee here, back with another edition of Shoot the Messenger news briefs on what’s to be our new official posting day: Fridays. Read the news, get your ass hyped up, then hit your local comic shop over the weekend!
Not that there’s anything too wallet-grabingly exciting in the news this week. Me, I’m mostly waiting to see whether Wizard does the right thing and sets a new date over the WizardWorld: Atlanta debacle, but as always I salute the news sites from which this column is derived: Newsarama, The Pulse, Comic Book Resources, and Silver Bullet Comics.
*Following the conclusion of DC’s INFINITE CRISIS, all DC titles will jump to “one year later”, showcasing a variety of shake-ups and changes. Filling in that one year gap will be a DC series tentatively titled “52” with a new issue for each of the 52 weeks in a year. Says DC Executive Editor Dan Didio: “It answers most of the outstanding questions from the missing year, but more importantly it sets the tone for our world and the direction of the DC Universe for the years to come.” It’s intended to run in “real time”, such that winter in the real world will be winter in that week’s issue of 52. Details.
*Artist and inker Klaus “DARK KNIGHT RETURNS” Janson has signed an exclusive with Marvel Comics. Details.
*Artist Norm “BATMAN” Breyfogle has been absent from the monthly comics scene for many a year, but returns in August with OF BITTER SOULS through Speakeasy Comics. Description: “A mysterious New Orleans Pastor named Secord chooses four individuals and adorns them with powers that, to their delight or disgust, are directly related to their worst character flaws.” Details.
*WOLVERINE #32 will be Mark Millar’s last issue as writer on the title. The story will be a standalone horror-themed story set in a concentration camp during World War II, drawn by Kaare “DR. OCTOPUS: YEAR ONE” Andrews and based on ideas Millar developed during a conversation with the late Will Eisner. September release date. Details
*Warren Ellis’s new team book for Marvel will be called NEXTWAVE. The premise: “Nextwave is an elite superman task force organized by the government agency known as H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort). Their mission was to stop superhuman terrorists, but when they find out their own organization is the one behind a conspiracy aiding villains in taking out small towns in rural states where heroes never venture, they have to stop it.” Members include Monica Rambeau (aka Captain Marvel, aka Photon), Boom Boom, Machine Man, and Ellie Bloodstone. Stuart Immonen draws, release date is January 2006. Details
*Greg Rucka recently apologized to readers of OMAC PROJECT for not informing them in advance that a crossover between WONDER WOMAN and several Superman titles would be a key component of the story.
*Marvel has released their second quarter numbers for 2005, highlighted by an 11% drop in profits. Details.
*Amerimanga publisher Antarctic Press turns 20.
*Kevin Smith has completed the script for his MIA project of 2001, SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT: EVIL THAT MEN DO. Details.
*The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) will begin compiling an annual list of appropriate graphic novels for teens. Details
*BUFFY’s Amber Benson will write a four issue, vampire-themed miniseries for IDW titled SHADOWPLAY. Each issue will feature two ongoing stories – one by Benson and artist Ben “30 DAYS OF NIGHT” Templesmith, the other written by Christina “WITCHBLADE” Z with art by Ashley “METAL GEAR SOLID” Wood. Due in September. Details.
*Hollywood screenwriter Peter “COLLATERAL” Berg is looking at possibly adapting Vertigo’s THE LOSERS.
