DC PRESENTS: A JULIE SCHWARTZ INSPIRED COLLECTION OF SPECIALS

[MattBrady]

Celebrating the work and spirit of Julie Schwartz, starting in July, DC will release eight new tribute specials dedicated to Julie, and one of his best-known editorial trademarks, the cover-driven story.

The specials will each contain two 11-page stories, all inspired by the respective classic Silver Age covers the books will carry. Artists and writers who either worked with Julie or were inspired by his work. Each issue will also contain Harlan Ellison’s tribute to Julie, along with the original covers the tribute covers were patterned after.

“Now that Julie can no longer keep us from embarrassing him, it seems appropriate to celebrate his extraordinary career by challenging a core of writers and artists with one of his favorite tricks,” Paul Levitz, DC Comics President & Publisher, and writer of one of the stories said. “I’m daunted by the company that I’m being placed in, but we’re all even more frightened that he’ll show back up and fix what we’ve done.”

Originally, and poignantly, the project had been in the works for some time, although, as originally conceived, it was to pay tribute to Julie on the occasion of his 60th anniversary of working with DC.

“We actually were developing this project in celebration of Julie’s 60th anniversary with DC,” says Dan DiDio, DC’s VP — Editorial. “It’s an opportunity to show our appreciation for his many accomplishments, working with some of the greatest talents in comics,” Dan DiDio, DC’s VP — Editorial said. “This project is truly a labor of love for all involved in DC editorial.”

According to DC, the titles ship one per week in July. In order, the projects are:

DC Comics Presents: Batman
The cover to Batman #183, lovingly re-created by Adam Hughes, features a seeming "couch potato" Dark Knight. The stories are by Geoff Johns with art by Carmine Infantino, with inks by Joe Giella; and by Len Wein with art by Andy Kuhn.

Geoff Johns with Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella inking
story 2, Len Wein & Andy Kuhn pencilling/inking

DC Comics Presents: Mystery In Space
Alex Ross pays tribute to the cover of Mystery in Space #82, featuring Adam Strange’s dilemma of having to decide the fate of two worlds. By Grant Morrison with art by Jerry Ordway and Elliot S. Maggin with art by J.H. Williams III.

DC Comics Presents: Green Lantern
Brian Bolland reinterprets the cover of Green Lantern #31, where the Emerald Gladiator offers "Power Rings For Sale." By Brian Azzarello with art by Norm Breyfogle & Sal Buscema and Martin Pasko with art by Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens.

DC Comics Presents: Hawkman
José Luis García-López illustrates Hawkman’s battle with a winged gorilla from the cover of Hawkman #6. By Kurt Busiek with art by Walter Simonson and Cary Bates with art by John Byrne.

Four more specials will ship weekly in August, featuring Superman, the Flash, the Atom, and the Justice League of America. Creators contributing to the August-shipping specials include: Stan Lee, Darwyn Cooke, Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen, Dennis O'Neil, Doug Mahnke, Jeph Loeb, Dave Gibbons, Mark Waid, Peter David, Harlan Ellison, and others.

[Slangword]

What a fun idea!

I'm glad to hear that the idea was in the works prior to Julie's passing. We need to honor our pioneers while they are still alive whenever we can.

Edited to add: Oh my gosh! Cary Bates is writing a story again! Yes!

[Chris1]

I didn't realize that Schwartz was behind the "cover-driven story." It is good to see DC doing projects that remember their heritage.

[Jason Fliegel]

I don't know what to think about this. On the one hand, it seems almost disrespectful to take the cover concepts and redraw them and rewrite the stories that go with them. If oyu want to pay tribute to Julie, why not reprint some of the actual covers and stories he oversaw? On the other hand, it seems like a fun project and could lead to some good stories, so I'll probably check it out. I'm just not sure it works as a tribute to Julie.

[JAG]

What a great idea. Nice to see it happen, too bad Julie's not around to see it Great job DC.

[mrhelm]

This is a great idea and it looks like the project will have some great talent behind it. I'll definitely pick up Mystery in Space and may just pick up all of these.

A wonderful idea.

[PeregrineReviews]

Of course, what would be even cooler than that would be to release them with the original pricing of 12 or 20 cents or whatever...

[SpyGuy]

Okay, there's just all kinds of coolness radiating from this project...

1) The return of DC COMICS PRESENTS, even if it is as a series of one-shot specials

2) The return of Cary Bates!

3) Grant Morrison on MYSTERY IN SPACE

4) The teaming of Geoff Johns and Carmine Infantino, albeit on BATMAN instead of THE FLASH

5) Stan Lee on a DC character that isn't a JUST IMAGINE... version

Can't wait to see who the team is on DC COMICS PRESENTS: THE FLASH...Hopefully, Mark Waid and Salvador Larocca!

[Barry]

Cool. I'll have to check some of these out.

[bluedevil2002]

I like how the older writers are paired with the younger artists, and vice versa.

I think I'll get all of these, even those characters I've never really followed.

[Rodrigo Baeza]

Originally posted by Slangword
Edited to add: Oh my gosh! Cary Bates is writing a story again! Yes!

I was surprised to see that too. My understanding was that he didn't want to have anything to do with comics again (he declined an interview for ALTER EGO some time ago for this reason), but it seems being part of a tribute to Schwartz was the incentive he needed. I look forward to reading his story.

Rodrigo Baeza
http://rodrigobaeza.blog-city.com (recently updated)

[gwangung]

And Stan Lee, Peter David, Harlan Ellison, too? Whoaaaa.....

[swol]

I'm there.

Classic Silver Age stories.
Some great talent involved.

What's not to love? (Except the fact that this is a posthumous tribute of course... )

I think Julie would have appreciated this being done in this way.

[Trevah]

"I don't know what to think about this. On the one hand, it seems almost disrespectful to take the cover concepts and redraw them and rewrite the stories that go with them."

That's pretty close to the way they used to do comics at DC. The cover came first, and was given to the writer to make a story around.

This is gonna be great. I wish more comics were like this.

[cactusmaac]

Originally posted by Jason Fliegel
I don't know what to think about this. On the one hand, it seems almost disrespectful to take the cover concepts and redraw them and rewrite the stories that go with them. If oyu want to pay tribute to Julie, why not reprint some of the actual covers and stories he oversaw?

It's a way for the creators of today to pay their respects.

[Sean Walsh]

I love this. What better way to pay tribute to Julie than a conglomeration of talents, past and present, telling stories using some of the great DC characters Julie brought to prominence.

Count me in!

[bignappi]

normally i wouldnt care for this idea, but the creative teams on these projects are great.

i had no idea the shwartz had anything to do with these covers, they should release a coffee table book of high quality reprints of shwartz inspired covers.

[MicroZone]

awesome idea. i can't wait.

[OM]

...Then there'd better be purple backgrounds & go-go checks too :-)

[RDuarte]

I'll admit it. I never really saw a difference between the old "cover blurb/action shot from inside the book covers" and the relatively new "ready made poster" covers. A cover's just something on the outside.

But after looking at that FLASH cover, I HAVE to know what the story was about. I HAVE TO! I'd buy that book if it was on the stands today without hesitation. So I guess a cover is just as important as what's on the inside.

Thanks for the lesson, Julie.

[RDFozz]

Originally posted by Jason Fliegel
If you want to pay tribute to Julie, why not reprint some of the actual covers and stories he oversaw?

Hmm, perhaps DC could print trades featuring well-known stories Julie edited:

Like the recent Zatanna's Search, or some of the "Greatest (Flash|Team-Up|other?) Stories Ever Told" stuff. Of course, that last wasn't just Julie, and I admit I'm guessing on his editing most or all of the Zatanna's Quest stuff.

Of course, TPBs don't really seem like as much of a tribute as a nice, solid, hardcover.

(See FLASH ARCHIVES 1-3, GREEN LANTERN ARCHIVES 1-4, ATOM ARCHIVES 1-2, ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES 1, and probably most of the JUSTICE LEAGUE ARCHIVES 1-8, HAWKMAN ARCHIVES 1, and BATMAN: DYNAMIC DUO ARCHIVES 1)

Will that do for now?

[Dave Elliott]

Personally I think they should have gone with a flip-book approach. Julie's cover and stories on one side and those inspired by the cover on a new take on the other. Either that or release two books a week. A reprint of the original issue (including letters pages) and the new version (with the letters pages filled with messages from people who worked with Julie and friends that were not able to do something for the new editions).

All in all a great project.

- Dave

[RDFozz]

Originally posted by RDuarte
I'll admit it. I never really saw a difference between the old "cover blurb/action shot from inside the book covers" and the relatively new "ready made poster" covers. A cover's just something on the outside.

But after looking at that FLASH cover, I HAVE to know what the story was about. I HAVE TO! I'd buy that book if it was on the stands today without hesitation. So I guess a cover is just as important as what's on the inside.

Thanks for the lesson, Julie.

What convinces us to buy a particular comic book?

40 years ago, it wasn't the info gleaned out of Diamond' PREVIEWS, or creator interviews. For true fans, it might have been starting to be who wrote/drew it; crediting such work wasn't standard for many years. It wasn't the advice of the guy running the comic shop - those didn't exist, yet (at least not in numbers worth considering).

It could be the character - but then, the character had to be someone you knew. It could be a friend's recommendation - but then, what made the friend buy it? The name - well, that was certainly a starting point.

But what was probably the biggest factor making you pick up a comic then was the cover.

Kids like dinosaurs? Put dinosaurs on the covers. Giant gorillas? Put them there too.

A cover image of the Flash waving to a race driver as he whips by him is neat.

But, a cover that has the main character giving away stuff that ordinary people fly? Why would he do that? Don't even have to know he's Green Lantern, that he has a power ring, that the ring is making people fly - I'm just working off memory of a glance at the small version of the GL cover in this story.

And you'd remember that cover. So, when the next issue showed up (or you saw an earlier one that was still around), if you liked the first one, you'd
be interested in the next.

As opposed to saying, hey, Spider-man swinging around town? don't I already have that one?

Of course, if you're selling to the direct market, you're selling to people with, in general, a plethora of data about comics, someone to save them a copy of each one (so who needs to remeber which ones you have already?), and retail staff that knows the product (in general, at least, to a greater extent than old man Harkins at the local pharmacy).

[Zadillo]

Very cool, I love this idea. Awesome lineup of creators, and a really cool way to pay tribute to Julie. This project would make one hell of a super-deluxe hardcover collecting all the "tribute" stories with the originals.

And btw...... Brian Azzarello writing a Green Lantern story? Sign me up!

-Zadillo

[Bytor-Snowdog]

Great idea. Kudos to DC for doing this!