Dial H - I'm excited

[Cowtools]

Check this art from The Source!
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/files/2012/01/Dial-H_asjhd7688219.jpg

And Mieville is one of the most distinctive, creative witers of modern fantasy. We could be in for a real treat!

[Uxas]

Yeah, never heard of Mieville before, checked his wiki page and I'm feeling pretty optimistic. This has the potential to be one of the more creative, imaginative books on the stands.

[Yttrium]

I have a soft spot for Dial H, but if they take a dark and angsty approach I might not like it. I'll give it a try.

[WhitOro]

The concept is very neat and the author is british, that must mean he's good :tongue:. I will definitly check it.

[Uxas]

Anyone have a pic of Mateus Santoluoco art? I tried a few sites, but can't seem to find anything.

[sethysquare]

Anyone realised none of the dark books are getting cancelled? Seemed like its going to be a popular genre for DC to produce their books.

[Uxas]

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/028/3/6/36488d5ff9c448ed0801b7ed14a77879-d387yxe.jpg

Found him, heh.

http://matattack.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24

[sethysquare]

Here is some info on China

He is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" (after early twentieth century pulp and horror writers such as H. P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He has stood for the House of Commons for the Socialist Alliance, and published his PhD thesis as a book on Marxism and international law. He teaches creative writing at Warwick University.

and check out the numbers of AWARDS

His first novel, King Rat, was nominated for both an International Horror Guild and a Bram Stoker award.
His second novel, Perdido Street Station, won the 2001 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 2001 British Fantasy Award, and was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus and British Science Fiction awards.
His third novel, The Scar, won the 2003 British Fantasy Award and the 2003 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, was nominated for the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, World Fantasy, Locus, Philip K. Dick, and British Science Fiction awards, and received a Philip K. Dick Award special citation.
His fourth novel, Iron Council, won the 2005 Arthur C. Clarke Award[11] and the 2005 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was nominated for the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.
His short story "Reports of Certain Events in London" (featured in the anthology McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories) was nominated for a 2005 World Fantasy Award and tied for the 2005 Locus Award for Best Novelette.
His fifth novel, Un Lun Dun, won the 2008 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.
He has been a Guest of Honour at multiple science fiction conventions, including Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) in London in March 2008 and Readercon 2006.
The City & the City won the 2010 Arthur C. Clarke Award, 2010 Hugo Award, and 2010 World Fantasy Award, as well as being a Nebula Award nominee in the Best Novel category.

[Guicho]

A phone booth? And with a rotary dial? Will kids today even understand what that is?:wink:

[Cowtools]

A phone booth? And with a rotary dial? Will kids today even understand what that is?:wink:

They kept them around in the DCnU for Superman to change in.

[Cowtools]

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/028/3/6/36488d5ff9c448ed0801b7ed14a77879-d387yxe.jpg

Found him, heh.

http://matattack.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24

That looks awesome!

[sethysquare]

They kept them around in the DCnU for Superman to change in.

Are there still phone booths in DCnU? Haha.

[Stopu]

Here is some info on China

He is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" (after early twentieth century pulp and horror writers such as H. P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He has stood for the House of Commons for the Socialist Alliance, and published his PhD thesis as a book on Marxism and international law. He teaches creative writing at Warwick University.

and check out the numbers of AWARDS

His first novel, King Rat, was nominated for both an International Horror Guild and a Bram Stoker award.
His second novel, Perdido Street Station, won the 2001 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 2001 British Fantasy Award, and was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus and British Science Fiction awards.
His third novel, The Scar, won the 2003 British Fantasy Award and the 2003 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, was nominated for the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, World Fantasy, Locus, Philip K. Dick, and British Science Fiction awards, and received a Philip K. Dick Award special citation.
His fourth novel, Iron Council, won the 2005 Arthur C. Clarke Award[11] and the 2005 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was nominated for the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.
His short story "Reports of Certain Events in London" (featured in the anthology McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories) was nominated for a 2005 World Fantasy Award and tied for the 2005 Locus Award for Best Novelette.
His fifth novel, Un Lun Dun, won the 2008 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.
He has been a Guest of Honour at multiple science fiction conventions, including Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) in London in March 2008 and Readercon 2006.
The City & the City won the 2010 Arthur C. Clarke Award, 2010 Hugo Award, and 2010 World Fantasy Award, as well as being a Nebula Award nominee in the Best Novel category.

WOoo... You had me at "Lovecraft" :smile:

So this title is something entirely new or based on something from Vertigo or DC?

[sethysquare]

WOoo... You had me at "Lovecraft" :smile:

So this title is something entirely new or based on something from Vertigo or DC?

Think it was from this old series called "Dial H for Hero"

[new_onslaught]

Found some more pieces of Mateus Santoluoco's artwork:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/22/mateus-santolouco-art-gallery/

[sethysquare]

Found some more pieces of Mateus Santoluoco's artwork:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/22/mateus-santolouco-art-gallery/

I LOVE THISSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.blogcdn.com/www.comicsalliance.com/media/2010/10/santolouco4.jpg

[Cowtools]

Found some more pieces of Mateus Santoluoco's artwork:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/22/mateus-santolouco-art-gallery/

I didn't realize he co-drew some of American Vampire. This book keeps looking better and better.

[WhitOro]

We have a new masterpiece in the making boys and girls. I can feel it.


WOoo... You had me at "Lovecraft" :smile:

So this title is something entirely new or based on something from Vertigo or DC?
It's an idea from 1966, who got a series in the 1980 (Dial H for Hero), relaunched in 2003 under the name H.E.R.O.

[Stopu]

Oh, ok , thanks guys. I should've know, I mean ... DIAL, duh. Doesn't sound exactly NEW. :tongue:

That monster is really creepy. I'm feeling a little bad about celebrating this news since other titles were cancelled.
Hey--- no Nicieza in the new titles. :frown:

[SlightlyMad]

A couple of guys in my graphic novel book group were raving about China Mieville novels the other month, so they should be interested.

I'm intruiged, mainly because I absolutely loved the Will Pfeifer H.E.R.O. series that ran from 2003-2005. I think it was an overlooked masterpiece and hope that this series will generate enough interest to get it republished in trades.

P.S. Maybe the new version should be Text H..?

[sethysquare]

Oh, ok , thanks guys. I should've know, I mean ... DIAL, duh. Doesn't sound exactly NEW. :tongue:

That monster is really creepy. I'm feeling a little bad about celebrating this news since other titles were cancelled.
Hey--- no Nicieza in the new titles. :frown:

I doubt Nicieza will be on any titles for a while since he dropped outta LL due to work load. He didn't get fired. Oh well, lets hope he gets less busy.

[new_onslaught]

So this will be part of the Dark Line?

[sethysquare]

So this will be part of the Dark Line?

Looks like it. But no confirmation yet.

[liopleurodon]

The Power Girl news made me cheer, and then I read this ... I was not expecting it, but wow ... China Mieville is one of the best writers of the past decade. I have extremely high expectations.

[coconutphone]

Yeah this looks awesome. I'll definitely check it out.

[coconutphone]

Looks like it. But no confirmation yet.

Harris said as much. Said it was part of the same corner as JLD, AM, ST etc.

[NinjaMic]

I'll give it a shot

[gwangung]

Aw, man....one of the TOWERING figures in written fantasy today....:eek:

Doesn't mean that he'll make great comics, but I'd still say that you have a way better than even chance that it'll interesting.

[Paladin King]

Only one of my favourite novelists around!

I love all of his books (well, I wasn't high on Iron Council....but the rest of them anyway) and The City & the City was the best novel I've read in the past 3 years.

[Stopu]

I'm seeing in the wiki that Lovecraft may be one of his influences. Did you guys know if there is any story with a lovecraftian atmosphere writen by him? If so, tell me please, I'd love to read that.

[MrStytch]

Mieville on Dial H? Sold. Love everything the man has written. Endless imagination coupled with a big writing ability and that artwork means that Dial H could well be this decade's Sandman.... maybe. Seriously, if his prose work is anything to judge by, Dial H could be the wildest ride in the DCU. EXCITED!

[Xarcon]

I'm definitely picking this up. I know nothing about the series or the writer at this point, but everything looks great so far. I'm psyched.

[BlueLily]

Another amazing Dark book.

[Paladin King]

I'm seeing in the wiki that Lovecraft may be one of his influences. Did you guys know if there is any story with a lovecraftian atmosphere writen by him? If so, tell me please, I'd love to read that.

It's really just one influence of many. It's hard to really point at a specific novel of his and say that it's Lovecraftian, but there are elements, sure. A certain character or a certain plot element may give off a Lovecraftian vibe, but it doesn't get much greater than that.

[iduckles]

The thing I like most about Mieville is that his writing is stuffed to bursting with ideas. When I read his novels i am amazed by descriptions that look like pitches for an entire fantasy series which Mieville deals with in just a few paragraphs. I think the Dial H concept is a perfect vehicle for him as it will allow his imagination to run wild and he can just go with any idea he comes up with. Very excited for this book!

Also, there was a very nice Dial H team-up with Batman by Straczynski in his too brief run on Brave and the Bold.

Lastly, here is Santolouco's blog http://santolouco.wordpress.com/ with tons of art samples.

[blackphoenix]

In all of the "what do you want to see next in the new 52?" threads that kept cropping up over the past few months, two of my choices were Power Girl and a Dial H for H.E.R.O. series. Someone at DC must've been listening!:biggrin: I seriously hope the book will follow the format of the early 2000's series, where the H-Dial passed through the hands of various individuals--kids, criminals, teens, supervillain wannabes, etc.--instead of being attached to one guy.

Now if only DC would launch a new Metal Men series...

[HellsRider]

Super excited about this! Big fan of Mieville's work and this honestly has the potential to be one of the most imaginative series out there. Sad that it came at the expense of something like OMAC, though.

[Desaad]

Well, this was the biggest pleasant surprise of the day for sure.

I mean, we knew Batman Leviathan was coming. And we know it's going to be spectacular with a creative team like that. There is no doubt. But it's an expected spectacular.

This...this comes out of nowhere, but it feels like very 90s Vertigo. It's like I'm here for the announcement of Milligan's "Shade the Changing Man" or that Morrison would be launching "Doom Patrol" and "Animal Man".

This is an amazing coup. AMAZING.

I've read a few of Meville's pitches, and the man is brilliant. He had this spectacular pitch for an Iron Man related project that was just genius in so many ways, really just perfect and human and clever, and whats more it's a book and concept that could only really work in that context, in the world of Tony Stark and Iron Man. It's not 'oh this is a great concept that is actually kind of generic", it's 'oh he created this in a way that only works for this character in this setting'. I think those tend to be the best.

Anyway, hugely excited for this. Guaranteed to be awesome, I think.

And the artist, whose work was on American Vampire, is brilliant too. I loved his work on that title. I hope they get the same colorist - was it Stewart? - on this title.

And Bolland covers! Insane!!!

The high concept is, at this point, really thin so I don't know. But I hope this is the start of a long career at DC, as Harras seemed to stress that Melville is a HUGE DC fan over and over again.

[Karl O'Neill]

China Mieville is a huge catch for DC. I didn't see that coming.

Oh Darwin, imagine him and Morrison on a project together?

[Ari Gold]

Wow, this is bloody exciting.

[gwangung]

The high concept is, at this point, really thin so I don't know. But I hope this is the start of a long career at DC, as Harras seemed to stress that Melville is a HUGE DC fan over and over again.

Oh. That's even MORE exciting.

Not just a hired gun. A HUGE gun who loves the universe.

Wow.

[Lil Kis]

WHat will this title be about? Is it a dark title? Also when does it come out? Thanks

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Here's the "Scrap Iron Man" pitch that Desaad mentioned, if anyone's interested:

http://chinamieville.net/post/4406165249/rejected-pitch

[Desaad]

Thanks, Beast.

Here is the Bleeding Cool article in which I saw it.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/04/07/china-mieville%E2%80%99s-rejected-iron-man-spinoff-comic/

I only post it because there were a lot of negative comics about the pitch, especially in the way that it worked for Marvel, and I sort of countered by saying what I thought was so brilliant about the whole thing...






I don't know -- the face of the corporate world in this story WOULD be one of Marvel's longest, most preeminent heroes.

And that's really the whole point, right? You'll come to sympathize for Dan, you'll identify with his plight. He's the every man downtrodden blue collar worker, the kind of guy this country was founded on. And you'll have to hate the guy he's going after, no? Some rich billionaire playboy who crushes people beneath him without noticing?

But then there's the reveal, and it's f*cking IRON MAN, one of the pillars upon which the entire Marvel Universe was BUILT.

And suddenly nothing is as clear cut. Because if you were reading a book from Iron Man's perspective, this is just another villain come a'callin'. There is no real difference between this guy and the Crimson Dynamo or Radiation Man or the Presence or Magneto, or any of the other dozen villains in the MU who fight for an ideal.

Who do you root for? Who do you believe in?

It's a pitch that can only work in the context of the MU, of having years and years and years of stories with Tony Stark as the hero, saving the world.

Any other 'creator owned thing' and you run the risk of pulling an Ennis "The Boys" where your 'heroes' are really slimey greedy dirt bags with very little redeeming qualities.

[Desaad]

Oh. That's even MORE exciting.

Not just a hired gun. A HUGE gun who loves the universe.

Wow.

Yes, indeed.

One hopes it translates into something akin to Morrison's output.

[Mandrakk]

Oh man this title is just epic greatness in the making it has one of the best novelist of the last decade on the wfriting and a extremely capable artist this could potentially be as good as Animal Man and Swampthing and Mieville has the potential for a tremendous output;so much that I could see him become one of dc's top writers.

[iduckles]

Here's the "Scrap Iron Man" pitch that Desaad mentioned, if anyone's interested:

http://chinamieville.net/post/4406165249/rejected-pitch

That is a really cool pitch! This raises an interesting questions concerning the degree of editorial freedom Mieville will be allowed. Would DC allow him to write a story critical of large media conglomerates given that DC is part of a large media conglomerate?

[Awesome!]

I am insanely excited for this. Mieville is one of my absolute favorite authors and I've wanted him to write comics forever. Mateus is a great artist. He did a short arc on American Vampire that people may want to check out. Dial H is a cool title itself so this seriously had the potential to be amazing.

[AdamYJ]

Um, I'm a big fan of the original Dial H for Hero, but this really doesn't seem like my kind of thing. The thing is that Dial H for Hero always seemed like such a wonderful, light, kid-friendly concept (heck, it was Ben 10 before there was a Ben 10). However, this seems a little too much on the darker side for my tastes regarding the concept.

[Cowtools]

Um, I'm a big fan of the original Dial H for Hero, but this really doesn't seem like my kind of thing. The thing is that Dial H for Hero always seemed like such a wonderful, light, kid-friendly concept (heck, it was Ben 10 before there was a Ben 10). However, this seems a little too much on the darker side for my tastes regarding the concept.

I hadn't thought of this before, but you are right.
Maybe that's why they're taking a different tack, to avoid comparisons?

[Awesome!]

Should I feel weird if I have no idea what a Ben 10 is?

[WhitOro]

Should I feel weird if I have no idea what a Ben 10 is?

It's a disney cartoon series where an annoying kid obtain the power to transform in different aliens.

[FanboyStranger]

Aw, man....one of the TOWERING figures in written fantasy today....:eek:

Doesn't mean that he'll make great comics, but I'd still say that you have a way better than even chance that it'll interesting.

He did write a short story for Hellblazer 250 (can't remember the artist), and if his Dial H is as good as that, it will be a very good book.

[BeastieRunner]

Maybe it's Dial H...

for HORROR!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Yeah, Dial H and Earth 2 are probably the only ones that I'm interested in from the new six titles that are being released. I wonder - will they continually do this? Whenever one, or two titles get cancelled they'll replace them with the same amount, or something like that?

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Um, I'm a big fan of the original Dial H for Hero, but this really doesn't seem like my kind of thing. The thing is that Dial H for Hero always seemed like such a wonderful, light, kid-friendly concept (heck, it was Ben 10 before there was a Ben 10). However, this seems a little too much on the darker side for my tastes regarding the concept.


I hadn't thought of this before, but you are right.
Maybe that's why they're taking a different tack, to avoid comparisons?

That's actually one of the reasons I'm very intrigued as to how this might go. As far as reinterpretations go, this is a really big change and I like it.

[Awesome!]

I wonder - will they continually do this? Whenever one, or two titles get cancelled they'll replace them with the same amount, or something like that?

I would like this I think. Takes some of the sting out of losing a title if there is a new one that looks good following it.

[Jody Garland]

This isn't really that far from the 2003 series, especially with the emphasis on psychology. Case in point: There was an arc in HERO that involved a construction worker who was turned into a woman by the dial... then lost the dial. The poor schlub had to live with being a woman after that. Another was on the first weilder of the H Dial, a caveman. He ended up extremely isolated because of his powers.

[Desaad]

He did write a short story for Hellblazer 250 (can't remember the artist), and if his Dial H is as good as that, it will be a very good book.

Yeah, that was a fun one.

Looking back, 3/5 people who wrote for that are doing work for the DCnU...Azz, Meiville and Milligan.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

I would like this I think. Takes some of the sting out of losing a title if there is a new one that looks good following it.

Yeah, I think so as well. It won't be like Marvel cancellations because "Oh no, six titles being cancelled!!" It'll be more like you said, taking the sting away because they still end up with six new titles that might still appeal to the audience that had the books cancelled. And maybe they'll do the same as with this one and wait until a larger number (6) are going to be cancelled as opposed to something like cancelling one or two.

[FanboyStranger]

Yeah, that was a fun one.

Looking back, 3/5 people who wrote for that are doing work for the DCnU...Azz, Meiville and Milligan.

And Dave Gibbons is supposedly involved in those rumored Watchmen prequels, but I'd rather not think about that.

Jamie Delano seems to be out of the industry, which is a shame. I think he could do something cool with The Question, especially if he reteamed with David Lloyd.

I'd love to see DC approach Eddie Campbell about writing and drawing something, but since he's working on a new OGN, I doubt that would happen.

[Uxas]

That pitch sold me on Mieville. That's the kind of new perspective that makes great comics. I hope he'll be able to do something similar with Dial H. While great authors don't always make great comic writers, I have a pretty good feeling about this.

[MartinNL]

Oh my, this looks like it could become a great title. This'll be the third one of the new6 I'll get.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Yeah, the concept sounds amazing. I can't wait to see some preview art - is it the same interior artist as the artist who drew that cover/promo?

[Awesome!]

Yeah, the concept sounds amazing. I can't wait to see some preview art - is it the same interior artist as the artist who drew that cover/promo?

That looks like Mateus but it's kind of hard for me to tell since I'm not super familiar with his work. If you read American Vampire, he did a few issues around #10 or so.

[Desaad]

Yeah, the concept sounds amazing. I can't wait to see some preview art - is it the same interior artist as the artist who drew that cover/promo?

No

Brian Bolland drew that image.

I don't know how familiar you are with comics, but the guy who is doing the interior is Mateus Santoluoco

http://santolouco.com/

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/22/mateus-santolouco-art-gallery/

If you're interested in seeing how his finished sequential work looks, you could pick up the issue of American Vampire he did...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=7330

[Awesome!]

No
Brian Bolland drew that image.


Ugh, I should have known that style looked way too familiar.

[El Sombrero]

Wow, this looks fantastic. My most anticipated of the "second wave." Great to see not only moar Dark, but moar Dark-level quality. The writer looks like a great coup for DC and the artist is excellent. With Bolland covers. Big thumbs up here.

[KRAKABOOM!]

imagettinit!

[Let's Kill Hitler]

This comic sounds amazing. The concept, the art, the general weird/horrorishness, this looks like my kind of thing. And to hear so many people raving about the writer has me even more excited. I now feel like I really need to seek out this writers stuff, I've never even heard of him before.

I do worry how well this books going to do though. Hell, I worry about how any of these new books are going to do now that the hype for the new52 has died down. Look at Shade. I just worry that niche stuff like this isn't going to make it long.

[AdamYJ]

I hadn't thought of this before, but you are right.
Maybe that's why they're taking a different tack, to avoid comparisons?

Maybe, but it still doesn't seem like my kind of thing. I don't really like dark superhero stuff much anymore. I'm okay with dark comics, but I tend to prefer the darkness stay in more horror type stuff (Frankenstein, Swamp Thing, I Vampire, etc).

Besides, I'm going to need something big, flashy and over-the-top to replace OMAC.


It's a disney cartoon series where an annoying kid obtain the power to transform in different aliens.

Warner Brothers/Cartoon Network, actually.

[gwydion]

Anyone realised none of the dark books are getting cancelled? Seemed like its going to be a popular genre for DC to produce their books.

Yet. At least one seems up for the next round. Edge is getting decimated though, and the League's lesser solo titles are up for it too.

A have a dial question maybe you guys can answer. What happens if a superpowered being, hero or villain uses the dial? Do they lose their powers and gain the new ones? Or add on the new ones? Or will nothing happen at all?

What happens if a supernatural cosmic being like a God or a Guardian uses it?

[blackphoenix]

Should I feel weird if I have no idea what a Ben 10 is?


It's a disney cartoon series where an annoying kid obtain the power to transform in different aliens.

Awesome!--this is what Google and Wikipedia are for. And Ben 10 airs on Cartoon Network.

[Desaad]

I hope Mieville can write this in such a way that it caters to the more action oriented crowd that reads mainstream DC books, rather than making it 'too vertigo', so to speak.

Obviously Lemire and Snyder have sort of struck a good balance in that regard, but I think Peter Milligan is doing some of the most nuanced, smartest work in the DCnU and you can see from all the complaints about Justice League Dark and the way those sales numbers are tumbling that it hasn't necessarily struck that same chord.

[SilverZeal]

Hmmm....reminds us of HERO CRUZ from Superboy & d Ravers series.

Hero Cruz
http://www.comicvine.com/hero-cruz/29-46854/



Hero Cruz is a hero that was raised as a normal human in Metropolis. Formerteamate of Superboy in the Ravers, this young hero has the item known as H-Dial which grants him the powers of several heroes

Origin

Hero Cruz was born and raised in the city of Metropolis. Almost all of his life was oridinary, and it continued that way until the day that he was caught in trouble.

That day would be a turning point since he found a complet arsenal of weapons from the villain known as the Scavenger. Between those weapons was the Achilles Vest, Hero Cruz decided to take it and left the rest of the weapons there.

It appears that the Achilles Vest was a magical item that granted it's wearer a great ammount of invulnerability. Using that power he became the newest and possibly the most powerfull member of the "Event Horizon". The Even Horizon was known to be one of the most important and powerfull intergalactic raves in the universe.

The rave was very similar to one from earth, however it also had their diferences and rulez. In that rave were people from diferent places around the world, the galaxy and even diferent dimmensions.

The only request that the intergalactic rave had for new members was that they must had at least one power. After Hero Cruz joined the rave he quickly made new friends with the other members.

Hero Cruz was part of a team with members of the Event Horizon, his teamates were Sparx, Half-Life, Kaliber, Aura and Superboy (Kon-El). Along with Superboy and the rest of the team they traveled to various planets and had dozens of adventures.

H-Dial

It was christmas season, and Hero Cruz decided to invite all his teamates (The Ravers) to his home so that they could all spend christmas together.

It was at this time that Scavenger discovered that someone has taken the Achilles Vest. Trying to find it he used his powers to teleport to where the Achilles Vest was, he appeared inside of Hero Cruz's house and thought that it had been Sparx who had taken the Achilles Vest. He decided to kidnap her and also took the Achilles Vest. After this the rest of the ravers went to save her.

Hero Cruz (Depowered), Superboy and Aura decided to go and free Sparx. It was during this attempt that Scavenger captured Superboy and Aura. When it looked like nothing would save them, Hero Cruz took a dial with his name written on it. He put it and he inmediately was transformed into different heroes one after the other.

One of them was the hero known as Human Justice, he outsmarted Scavenger making him to free both Superboy and Aura. After that Scavenger decided to escape, this let Hero Cruz to keep the dial for himself, he later named the dial as the "H-dial"

Soon after that, Hero Cruz would leave the vest, he started to use his new powers granted by the H-dial to fight crime. The H-dial's ability was to make Hero Cruz become one of several heroes. Every hero was totally diferent to the other ones with also diferent powers.

Hidden secrets

Some time later, Hero Cruz's partner in the ravers Sparx would start to fall in love with Hero Cruz. Hero started a relationship with her using one of his hero transformations. However every time that Hero changed back to his real form he wouldn't feel any atraction to Sparx, in fact he would start to feel unconfortable to be around her.

Hero Cruz decided to break his relationship with Sparx and reveal to her the reason of that. He revealed to Sparx that the reason he didn't feel atracted to her was because he was "gay". This took Sparx by surprise and she needed a long time to accept it.

It was also discovered that the reason that one of his tranformation was in love with Sparx was because the transformations are apparently manifestation of what he desired. Having a close friendship with Sparx was what made one of his tranformations fell in love with Sparx.

While this was happening the predesessor of Hero Cruz as the owner of the H-dial, Vicki Grant had just moved to San Fransico when she joined a band known as "The evil children of the sun". That band were able to make Vicki Grant become evil. That was what lead to her rush and salvage attack against Hero Cruz when they first met, however thanks to the H-Dial who remembered it's last master, she was purified and was freed from any bad influence she had thanks to the H-Dial. She decided to stay with Sparx's family until she was fully recovered.

Powers and Abilities

By dialing H-E-R-O on the mythical H-dial, Hero Cruz can transform into a different super-powered hero. Hero Cruz has learned to concentrate on a specific power when dialing, and manifesting that power in his new superhuman guise.

Hero has also surmised that the transformations are something of a psychological manifestation of the dialer. Thus, his friendly platonic affection for Sparx manifested as romantic feelings in one of his guises. Likewise, Vicki Grant's horrific transformations were linked to her poor self image at the time.

[Jackson Brody]

Very excited. I like that they're letting Vertigo books live in a part of the DCU. This lessens the sting of losing OMAC a little. But that sting will never go away completely.

[Sean Walsh]

That cover might've been more era-appropriate if it was a cellphone on the cover ("What's dat, dad?" "It's a phone booth, son. They used to be everywhere.") - I think Bolland would made that work - but great image nonetheless. :tongue:

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Tweet Hashtag for Hero! :tongue:

[Flash's Lightning]

I was going to post this in a new thread, but found this one. Awesome!

Someone explained to be that Dial H For Hero isn't like Heroes for Hire where you dial up a hero for times of need, but a dial that gives you random powers when you press it.

Who is the main person in the old series? Which issues/runs should I read, or are any of them worth it?

How would you rate the old Dial H For Hero books?

[Yttrium]

I was going to post this in a new thread, but found this one. Awesome!

Someone explained to be that Dial H For Hero isn't like Heroes for Hire where you dial up a hero for times of need, but a dial that gives you random powers when you press it.

Who is the main person in the old series? Which issues/runs should I read, or are any of them worth it?

How would you rate the old Dial H For Hero books?

You can read up on Dial H for Hero here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial_H_for_Hero).

The original series back in the '60s featured teenage geek Robby Reed, who used the dial to change into a variety of colorful superheroes and fight crime.

My ratings of the three series:
Original - Inexplicably cool, but badly dated.
1980s version - Forgettable but still fun.
2003 series - A much darker series. Had some interesting moments, but completely lacked the light-hearted nature of the previous stuff.

It certainly doesn't look like the new series is going to have the light-hearted crime fighting aspect. It will probably be more like the 2003 series, focusing on the psychological downsides of becoming a random superhero. It's going to be in the Dark line, after all.

[Roland Gunner]

The Source has a new interview with China here:

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2012/01/18/china-mieville-talks-dial-h-and-his-superheroic-alter-ego/

The more I read about Dial H the better it sounds. How can you not read a book from Doctor Crisis?

[blackphoenix]

Damn that was a short interview! LoL. I wish they'd bring back the idea from the '80's run where readers could suggest their own heroes in the letters column! I def wanna see Chicken-Fist (the man with chickens for fists!:evilsmile:) tearing some **** up!!!! :wink: