WONDERCON '08: THE WILDSTORM PANEL

[MattBrady]

Wildstorm held its panel Sunday at WonderCon, and was hit by the “Sunday effect,” as a light crowd was in attendance to hear the news from the DC imprint. The panel was hosted by DC’s Bob Wayne, who introduced the panelists: Editor Scott Peterson, Kurt Busiek and JJ Kirby, artist of the upcoming New Dynamix.

Wayne turned the panel over to Peterson to discuss the upcoming DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar crossover written by Keith Giffen which begins in April. “The multiverse is not involved,” Peterson said, stressing that Giffen had found a way to tell the story without invoking the 52 worlds of the DC multiverse.

Peterson spoke of other upcoming Wildstorm titles, most of which have been previously announced and/or solicited: Authority Prime, The Midnighter, Gen 13 and The Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor, wherein, “Jack Hawksmoor, the king of cities, finds out that San Francisco is trying to kill him, and has to find out why,” Peterson said.

Kirby then discussed New Dynamix, coming next month, and panel latecomer Jim Lee said that Kirby and writer Allen Warner sold them on the idea due to their passion for a variety of underused Wildstorm characters from the past who the team wanted to dust off and bring back into play.

Batman: Death Mask, though starring Batman, is being packaged by Wildstorm, under Editor Jim Chadwick. The story is an original manga story by Yoshinori Natsume, and is set both in present day and flashbacks to the past, when Bruce Wayne spent time in Japan, learning the martial arts. “Bruce Wayne may have unleashed certain things whose ramifications will reach all the way to present day Gotham City.”

The story will be presented in its original manga format, and will read back to front, and left to right.

June will see the first Deluxe Hardcover of Ex Machina which will collect issues #1-#11 of the series.

The next character special of Astro City will feature Astra of the First Family as a college student. Explaining her age in the special, Busiek said that even though the last time she was seen, she was ten years old, Astra and the First Family move in real time, which accounts for the change in age. July will see the first collection of Astro City: The Dark Age which will cover the first two Dark Age mini-series, as well as the prologue in the Astro City/Arrowsmith flipbook, as well as an introduction by Marc Guggenheim.

In speaking about World of Warcraft, Lee said that Wildstorm is working with Blizzard’s WoW team to make sure the story fits in with both computer and trading card game continuity.

Peterson said that Editor Ben Abernathy is working with Gail Simone on a Wecome to Tranquility project, but no further information was given.

Arrowsmith: Far From the Fields We Know will be the next Arrowsmith novel from Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco, and will in an illustrated novel, similar to Stardust. The story focused on Fletcher Arrowsmith in a Prussian prison on a secret mission for the Allies behind enemy lines, as well as behind the lines of the mystic lands as well.

Asked about Wildcats, Lee said that he has the second script from Grant Morrison, but Wildstorm will not solicit it until there are several issues ready to go. The story should run six issues long. “At this point there’s no way to make amends,” Lee said, “All we can do it make sure than when it does ship, it’s the best story it can be.”

Lee added that the story is now out of continuity, and takes place before the events which are currently happening with the Wildcats in the present-day Wildstorm Universe.

Peterson said that there are major plans for the Authority, Stormwatch and all of the other major Wildstorm characters, and are planned out in detail, but all follow from events in Number of the Beast, and can’t be revealed just yet.

The Highwaymen co-writer/creator Marc Bernardin currently has a proposal in at Wildstorm for something that Peterson hopes to see published in 2009.

Will characters from Sleeper such as Toa show up in Wildstorm? Peterson: “Yes. I can’t go into it specifically, but you will see the characters in the not to distant future.”

Peterson also said that Wildstorm will publish more Desolation Jones when the creative team is able to produce it in a more sustainable fashion. Peterson said that like other publishers, they are happy to publish anything from Warren Ellis when he turns it in.

The next Planetary issue is written, and John Cassady has scheduled time to draw it, and Peterson said that they hope to publish it in the fourth quarter of this year. When Lee told Wayne that the Planetary Absolute Edition is the hardest one to find, Wayne said that he would consider another printing of the Absolute Edition once the series is complete.

Asked about All Star Batman & Robin Lee reiterated his earlier stated claim that the series will run roughly 22 issues.

Peterson said that Gene Ha is working on a new Top Ten series with Zander Cannon, and is nearly done with the first issue. Continuing with Ha, Peterson said that they will wait until they have a number of issues complete on the series before they start shipping it again. “There’s very serious forward progress on the series, and I think it will start shipping again late this year,” Peterson said.

The new Top Ten series is called “Season Three” and picks up “fairly soon” after The Forty Niners according to Peterson.

[ElijahSnowFan]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Asked about Wildcats, Lee said that he has the second script from Grant Morrison, but Wildstorm will not solicit it until there are several issues ready to go. The story should run six issues long. “At this point there’s no way to make amends,” Lee said, “All we can do it make sure than when it does ship, it’s the best story it can be.”

Lee added that the story is now out of continuity, and takes place before the events which are currently happening with the Wildcats in the present-day Wildstorm Universe.

i've ranted and railed about this before, so fine. they started it, they're allegedly going to finish it.

but since you've said it, THEN DO IT. sit down, draw the damn issues, and PUBLISH.

because no matter what, DC/Wildstorm knows what they did: solicited a product relaunch, talked it up, people bought it. and they treated those readers like crap.

so. you don't have to apologize. and he's right: there's no real way to make amends.

BUT JUST FINISH IT.

[Big Dog]

Another Absolute Planetary and more Ha/Cannon Top Ten...where do I sign up?

[C_Striker]

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stori...stormpanel.htm

Peterson said he talked to Morrison two weeks ago about The Authority, and there is "very serious progress" and it should start shipping again toward the end of this year .

More Authority w00t!!!

and morrisons's going finally finish his Authority

[SpaceButler]

I would love a new Absolute Planetary.

[MikeCosta]

I don't know about you guys, but that Hawksmoor series sounds pretty wicked to me. I think I'm going to run out and tell my LCS to order several extra copies, like all the coolest people are doing. This could be something huge, and I want to make sure I have one to keep and one to sell, you know what I mean?

[C_Striker]

From comics continuum

* Peterson said the pages from Fiona Staples on The Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor #3 have been "extremely satisfying."

[Ye Olde Iowa]

Originally Posted by ElijahSnowFan

i've ranted and railed about this before, so fine. they started it, they're allegedly going to finish it.

but since you've said it, THEN DO IT. sit down, draw the damn issues, and PUBLISH.

because no matter what, DC/Wildstorm knows what they did: solicited a product relaunch, talked it up, people bought it. and they treated those readers like crap.

so. you don't have to apologize. and he's right: there's no real way to make amends.

BUT JUST FINISH IT.

Sounds like that is exactly what they are doing. Too bad the first issue was such nonsensical crap.

What I find interesting is that Lee says that he has Morrison's second script...I understand if it is Jim Lee moving slowly, we know that he works at a snail's pace, but what annoys me is that Morrison dropped the ball on both the Authority and WildCATS, but is handed DC's biggest book of 2008 on a silver platter, along with the reigns to one of its most prominent titles with Batman (in which he has wrote some of the worst issues of the last few years). And yet, you never hear anyone rant and rave about how Morrison screwed the pooch, its all about Lee.

I suppose I wouldn't be so crass if Morrison wasn't writing such self-serving, self-absorbed, basking-in-his-own-iconoclasty shite.

[David Vega]

"The next Planetary issue is written, and John Cassady has scheduled time to draw it, and Peterson said that they hope to publish it in the fourth quarter of this year. When Lee told Wayne that the Planetary Absolute Edition is the hardest one to find, Wayne said that he would consider another printing of the Absolute Edition once the series is complete. "

Damn. That's two years between issues. Hopefully, before the Absolute Edition is released, DC/Wildstorm will release the fourth hardcover edition. I've been waiting for years for it.

[Kent Horton]

Wait wait wait wait wait . . .
They're still planning on releasing the Morrison/Lee WildCATS????

Peterson said that Gene Ha is working on a new Top Ten series with Zander Cannon, and is nearly done with the first issue. Continuing with Ha, Peterson said that they will wait until they have a number of issues complete on the series before they start shipping it again. “There’s very serious forward progress on the series, and I think it will start shipping again late this year,” Peterson said.

The new Top Ten series is called “Season Three” and picks up “fairly soon” after The Forty Niners according to Peterson.

[Gepug]

somebody help! I thought Planetary was done.....

[Grievous]

Originally Posted by Gepug

somebody help! I thought Planetary was done.....

I think ellis has wrote the last issue about 77 times, keeps re-writing it because he is not happy with it,

should be interesting to see his final draft

can't wait.

[C_Striker]

Originally Posted by Gepug

somebody help! I thought Planetary was done.....

issue #27 the last issue of the series

[Tony Snark]

Am I the only one who thought the text of this report would be "[crickets chirp]"?

[skl183]

And in other news - Jim Lee number one artist in the Wizard Top Ten, 180 months and counting!

[PeterPopper]

The fact that Morrison and Lee's WildCATS is pretty much an Elseworlds has sealed the deal for me: SOOO not interested.

I JUST bought the first three trades of Planetary, and I never buy the same thing twice, so I won't be able to get Absolute Planetary even though it'll be so, so good. It's good to know that there's an ETA for the last issue though. 4th quarter of 2008 is a lot less vague than "sometime this year".

[matt_haber]

so all star batman is going 22 issues.

how long will that take like 10 more years?

[Albert]

Well I give Lee credit for being honest rather than lying like Quesada does about late books.

Also God Damn Batman is going to be 22 issues? Uh, OK, if you say so.

[Forbush Man]

I WILL buy that Absolute Planetary.

[Robb Welch]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

When Lee told Wayne that the Planetary Absolute Edition is the hardest one to find, Wayne said that he would consider another printing of the Absolute Edition once the series is complete.

And I will ebay my copy as soon as #27 is solicited, and then re-buy it when it is readily available again.

WE WILL MAKE MILLIONS!!!

[nihil_domini]

*Tao's coming back

*I can get an Absolute Planetary


I'm kinda a happy camper.

[BanMan]

Originally Posted by Albert

Well I give Lee credit for being honest rather than lying like Quesada does about late books.

Also God Damn Batman is going to be 22 issues? Uh, OK, if you say so.

Really it took a lot longer than it should have to come forward considering how long ago this Wildstorm relaunch was.

I think Gene Ha put something out there sometime last year, talking about the situation, but that was all I really remember.

[SageShini]

Originally Posted by Ye Olde Iowa

Sounds like that is exactly what they are doing. Too bad the first issue was such nonsensical crap.

What I find interesting is that Lee says that he has Morrison's second script...I understand if it is Jim Lee moving slowly, we know that he works at a snail's pace, but what annoys me is that Morrison dropped the ball on both the Authority and WildCATS, but is handed DC's biggest book of 2008 on a silver platter, along with the reigns to one of its most prominent titles with Batman (in which he has wrote some of the worst issues of the last few years). And yet, you never hear anyone rant and rave about how Morrison screwed the pooch, its all about Lee.

I suppose I wouldn't be so crass if Morrison wasn't writing such self-serving, self-absorbed, basking-in-his-own-iconoclasty shite.

No one ever mentions Lee. And next time just say you don't like Morrison and move on. Save us all some time.

Anyway, if Morrison's WildC.A.T.s and Authority aren't going to be all that long, I'm less interested.

[rwe1138]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Arrowsmith: Far From the Fields We Know will be the next Arrowsmith novel from Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco, and will in an illustrated novel, similar to Stardust. The story focused on Fletcher Arrowsmith in a Prussian prison on a secret mission for the Allies behind enemy lines, as well as behind the lines of the mystic lands as well.

More Arrowsmith! Yes!!!

[C_Striker]

Originally Posted by rwe1138

More Arrowsmith! Yes!!!

amen to that