[Updated] FOUR WW III ONE SHOTS, SUICIDE SQUAD ANNOUNCED

[MattBrady]

[Updated: Wednesday afternoon DC Comics released preview art from a project first announced by Newsarama two weeks ago – the -52 tie-in, WWIII four-issue event.

Here’s a look at the new images, followed by Newsarama’s original story and chat with Dan Didio about the project]...

War is coming to the DC Universe.

As hinted at – heavily – in the weekly 52 series (and seen briefly in Justice Society #1), sometime before the 52 ends, World War III will shake the world. Actually, the date for the war is pretty specific – it will occur in Week 50 of 52.

But – war is big and messy. As such, it sometimes can’t be contained to one series or one issue. To get the larger picture of the war, DC has confirmed for Newsarama that there will be four one shots shipping during Week 50 as well, all tied to the events of World War III. The four are:

WWIII Part One: Call to Arms
Writer -- Keith Champagne
Penciller -- Pat Olliffe
Inker -- Drew Geraci
Cover -- Ethan Van Sciver

WWIII Part Two: The Valiant
Writer -- Keith Champagne
Penciller -- Andy Smith
Inker -- Ray Snyder
Cover -- Ethan Van Sciver

WWIII Part Three: Hell is for Heroes
Writer -- John Ostrander
Penciller -- Tom Derenick
Inker -- Norm Rapmund
Cover -- Ethan Van Sciver

WWIII Part Four: United We Stand
Writer -- John Ostrander
Penciller -- Jack Judson
Inker -- Rodney Ramos
Cover -- Ethan Van Sciver

Oh, and there's one more project coming up...keep reading.

Along with telling of the war, and how it rages through the DC Universe, the four regular-sized special issues will also answer some nagging questions that have been topics of discussion for DC readers since the start of One Year Later in the books – things like: How did Firestorm get separated from Cyborg and then merge with Firehawk? Why is Cassandra Cain evil? Why did Jason Todd take over the Nightwing mantle? When did the Teen Titans disband? How’d Martian Manhunter transform?

We spoke with DC’s Dan Didio to talk about the four one shots.

“The larger concept of the four issues is twofold, with the first being along the lines of ‘United We Stand’ – it’s the world versus a single threat in World War III, and how the heroes rally and unite around that, and respond to the threat,” Didio said. “Secondly, we’ve always planned on addressing the changes seen in One Year Later, but we needed an event, or a trigger to show how many things occurred simultaneously, and this was the moment. It was clear that all the events and changes we saw at the start of One Year Later did not occur because of the events of Infinite Crisis – but we were never very clear about what did cause them, and now we can explain them.”

Back to that in a moment, but first – the writers. Champagne and Ostrander are kind of coming into a party already in progress by grabbing hold of a part of 52’s threads, Didio explained, but in the cases of both writers, it was worth it.

“Keith did a great job for us, spotting Geoff Johns on JSA a little while back – he found a way to tie his storyline there in so well to what was going on with the lead-up to Crisis and the other events going on, and showed that he really has a great sense of our characters that I still don’t think people realize it wasn’t Geoff writing those issues. So - we decided to turn to him to help us pull this all together. With John Ostrander, we’ve been working him into what’s been going on around the DCU a little more, with the Batman story with Tom Mandrake, but also, two of the key storylines inside these four storylines revolve around Martian Manhunter, and the Suicide Squad, so it only made sense that John would be one of the guys handling it.”

As Didio explained it, the stories being told in the one shots were always on the books as things that needed to be told during 52, but plans for the four one shots didn’t solidify firmly until 52 had been running along for a few months, and once the scope of World War III was fully realized.

“I want to be very clear about this,” Didio said when asked about how the story flows through issue #50 of 52 and the specials, “52 #50, the big battle of World War III is something that fits within 52 and plays within 52, and what has been building in 52. These four specials are things that help expand that story, but are by no means issues ‘#53-#56’ of 52. These are four separate issues that are building on a particular event or a particular moment, and 52 can work fine without these, but if people want to see a larger view of the scope of the war, these issues are available.

“Because of the real-time nature of 52, and the concept of the war is that it’s lightning fast in terms of actual time, we though that to get the full impact of how it hits the DCU so fast, so furious, we wanted to do it all in one week, so that everyone felt the impact of it during that one week time while its taking place in 52 itself.”

So – clarifying and reiterating - 52 is the war. The four specials are the world around the war, plus the One Year Later threads.

“Going back to what we’ve talked about earlier when I was talking about where we are in our larger storytelling, this all really helps bring the closure to Act II, coming out of Crisis, 52, and One Year Later and finds a way to bring things all together.”

So – got the war stuff, but not sure about how the four one shots will touch on the changes as seen in One Year Later? Didio chuckled. “Trust me – it’s all in there.

“The specials deal with the rather strange triangle of Firestorm, Cyborg and Firehawk; they shows what happened with all these members of the Teen Titans, and how they ultimately disbanded; we see the transformation in characters of Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter, as well as what turned Batgirl - and why Jason Todd put on the Nightwing costume One Year Later. They’ll also deal with bits and pieces of Checkmate, and the return of Supergirl from outer space. These are all things that will be touched upon and expanded on. There’s also a lot that has to do with the Suicide Squad, and as I mentioned, the Martian Manhunter. There is a through line going through the four one shots. The real tie that binds is the transformation of Martian Manhunter. It’s a big week for the DCU.”

Four one shots not enough for you? Well, Didio had one last surprise left…

“Spinning out of the events of World War III, we’re going to see a new Suicide Squad book, a miniseries, by John Ostrander,” Didio said. “We felt this was a great springboard for the Squad, and have a lot of story to tell with them over the course of 2007, and they’ll be a key factor of a lot of events that take place in the DC Universe, both in Checkmate, but also in their own book.”

Update: DC has provided Newsarama the full solicitation copy for the four April World War iii specials..

WORLD WAR III PART ONE: A CALL TO ARMS
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Pat Oliffe & Drew Geraci
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
It is a day of infamy. Chaos has broken out across the globe, and Firestorm and Firehawk are among the many mobilizing to stem the flow of blood and thunder.
In stores April 18; 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

WORLD WAR III PART TWO: THE VALIANT
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Andy Smith & Ray Snyder
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
The war rages on, extending from the far reaches of space, where Supergirl encounters a missing hero, to the darkest depths of the ocean, where the fate of Aquaman is revealed.
In stores April 18; 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

WORLD WAR III PART THREE: HELL IS FOR HEROES
Written by John Ostrander
Art by Tom Derenick & Norm Rapmund
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
The horrors of war become grim reality for the Teen Titans, as they suffer the loss of one of their own.
In stores April 18; 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

WORLD WAR III PART FOUR: UNITED WE STAND
Written by John Ostrander
Art by Jack Jadson & Rodney Ramos
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
Through the fog of war, a hero is reborn, and the DC Universe bands together against the wrath of an ancient evil!
In stores April 18; 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

[SpyGuy]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“Spinning out of the events of World War III, we’re going to see a new Suicide Squad book by John Ostrander,” Didio said. “We felt this was a great springboard for the Squad, and have a lot of story to tell with them over the course of 2007, and they’ll be a key factor of a lot of events that take place in the DC Universe, both in Checkmate, but also in their own book.”

SUICIDE SQUAD written by Ostrander? Great googly-moogly, that's awesome! Something tells me, though, that CHECKMATE is about to become history...

[EmeraldGuy32]

wow, ONE n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

edited so people can shut up. I was thinking of someone else.

[JohnNah]

Oh hell, why not?

[jamesbondguy]

Well, good news. I was a little worried about capturing a whole world war in one issue actually, so this is good news. And John ostrander on Suicide Squad- great news!

[kingofcities]

OMG

Ostrander on a new Suicide Squad? I know some heads that are going to spin.

[Randy Hassan]

SUICIDE SQUAD written by Ostrander?

Talk about burying the lead...

[khuxford]

Wow. I find it difficult to believe that the Martian Manhunter changes will be effectively communicated in those titles, though.

[Vydas]

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

I hope you are being sarcastic, referring to John Ostrander as a "noob" to comics.

[Peter Svensson]

Originally Posted by EmeraldGuy32

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

John Ostrander is by no means new to comics. He's been in the business for what, twenty years?

[The Bry]

That's pretty cool, these will be worth the wait

[Punchy]

Didn't Grant Morrison already do World War III back in his JLA?

This should be World War IV

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by Punchy

Didn't Grant Morrison already do World War III back in his JLA?

yeah - there was a thread about that - it wasn't a "declared" war or it was averted - doesn't count.

MattB

[victorderas]

Originally Posted by EmeraldGuy32

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

Ostrander is not a n00b, I'm currently reading his old Suicide Squad, and the news could not be better.

[God-Man]

New Suicide Squad? Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[nietoperz]

New Suicide Squad by Ostrander? ____ yeah!!

[Eric Palicki]

Originally Posted by EmeraldGuy32

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

Um...you do realize that John Ostrander's been writing comics for 20 years, right?

[theodoros2]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“Spinning out of the events of World War III, we’re going to see a new Suicide Squad book, a miniseries, by John Ostrander,” Didio said. “We felt this was a great springboard for the Squad, and have a lot of story to tell with them over the course of 2007, and they’ll be a key factor of a lot of events that take place in the DC Universe, both in Checkmate, but also in their own book.”

The new Suicide Squad by John Ostrander is the best news from the 52 project.
And the artist is...?

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by EmeraldGuy32

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

Ummm.....Ostrander is a lot of things, but n00b isn't one of them...

[MCaputo]

Originally Posted by EmeraldGuy32

wow, two n00b comics writers on some pretty high-profile stuff. I'll be getting all of these.

I think Ostrander's been around for about 20 years, if I'm not mistaken.

[Squashua]

HOO EES SOOPARNOHVAH???!!!???

[SpyGuy]

Hopefully this will lead to the original John Ostrander/Kim Yale SUICIDE SQUAD series finally getting collected in trade paperbacks.

[Livewire2nd]

Nice Can't wait for this. 52 Has been great snd it's nice that the Suicide Squad is getting a ongoing.

[Pack]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

yeah - there was a thread about that - it wasn't a "declared" war or it was averted - doesn't count.

MattB

Superboy! Did you hear what that wall said about your mom? Get it!

POW!

Done.

[chap22]

Originally Posted by kingofcities

OMG

Ostrander on a new Suicide Squad? I know some heads that are going to spin.

you can certainly count mine as one of those spinners.


AWESOME SAUCE!!!!!!!!