KAPOW 2012: DC All Access Panel

[CBR News]

In the opening panel of Kapow 2012, Dan DiDio and some of DC's finest addressed the future of Vertigo and fielded questions about "Before Watchmen," which sees Jim Steranko providing a cover.


Full article here.

[Desaad]

Good stuff.

Very happy to hear that there is going to be a 'refocusing' on Vertigo, though I suppose that isn't necessarily a good thing if Didio is in charge. Hopefully that just means a lot of funds made available to Karen Berger to do with as she pleases. The current Vertigo lineup is astoundingly lackluster, with many misses, and it largely feels like Image has taken Vertigo's place as the premiere publisher of bold, groundbreaking material.

[FailureByDesign]

Scott Snyder really was loved by all this weekend, as he so deserves to be.

[Outside_85]

So nothing from the main DC-verse?

[Flashpoint]

So nothing from the main DC-verse?

I found these highlights on AICN and am sharing them here because they seemed pretty big to me:

• The diversity of the new 52 is part of a plan to broaden the spectrum of the DC Universe. Question: How long will the new 52 last? Answer: Why not forever?!
• The UK represents 10-15% of DC's business now
• Scott Snyder inevitably talked quite a bit about batman - explaining that they're currently in the middle of Night Owls - and that Greg Cupullo is "having a ball" doing the art. Scott explained that the next two issues involve revelations, and a big finale to the arc.
• One of the biggest moments was when Dan DiDio started speaking about the use of the new 52 storylines in movies and TV shows - basically, it's clearly going to happen, though officially they can't confirm or deny it - Didio kept talking so much that Bob Wayne had to shut him down!
• The panel explained that in general, one of the best things about the new 52 is that they're aiming for a "wider, more expansive DC Universe" that doesn't "lean too much on time travel"
• Scott Snyder says there's a new gay character coming to Batman soon
• Bob Wayne said that there are definitely new plans for the Shazam going forward.
• Constantine will appear in Swamp Thing & Animal Man very soon.

So...

-Shazam will continue after the initial Justice League back-up (hopefully a new ongoing?).

-New gay character in a Batbook. Cool.

-Very little time travel in the DCnU. That coupled with Didio's statement about "New 52 Forever" should at least help a little bit to kill rumors that Pandora would reset the timeline in Trinity War. It looks like the DCnU is here to stay.

-New 52 continuity and costumes to be reflected in movies and TV shows. (I wonder which ones...Hmmm...)

[Just Endless]

Cool. Really excited about whatever's happening in Unwritten. Two spin-offs, eh?

Also, the 'one-third' thing is GODIHOPESO a good sign. Please, please, people: don't buy these. It's not even the legal thing to me, I don't particularly care for Moore at this point.
It's just that the success of Before Watchmen would reinforce DC's confidence in executing stupid, artistically bankrupt ideas.

[vampiric_cannibal]

New gay character in Batman, existing character made gay... I smell conspiracy.

[Desaad]

Cool. Really excited about whatever's happening in Unwritten. Two spin-offs, eh?

I'm hoping one of them is Captain Marvel/Shazam! Hah!

No, but seriously, I love Carey's work, it would be nice to see more comic books out of him, after having dedicated himself more to prose.

[Dr. Hurt]

Thank you Flashpoint!

I was really interested in this:

One of the biggest moments was when Dan DiDio started speaking about the use of the new 52 storylines in movies and TV shows - basically, it's clearly going to happen, though officially they can't confirm or deny it - Didio kept talking so much that Bob Wayne had to shut him down!

When they launched the new 52 they said that this is how they see the characters going into the future, and that they see them as all media characters, not just comic book characters. In other words they cut out a little bit of cheese, they modernised and refined them, and they think that the end result is good enough for all media and audiences. In other words they wont need to nolanize batman so that his movie can sell. They wont need to tone down Superman for his movie, etc.

I think that part i quoted pretty much confirms that mentality and it's good news for me. I appreciate that comics, animated series, and movies are all different mediums, but i never thought that they needed to change too many things to adapt a comic book property into a movie. Proof of this are the Marvel movies. And with their comic book characters getting rid of their underpants and generally growing up a bit for a 2012 audience, i think that the required changes would be even less now.

[FHIZ]

-New gay character in a Batbook. Cool.

Probably Harper Row, who is going to be a big part of issue #12.

[Shinomune]

DC sold already LESS in March and April 2012 than July or August of 2011 before the reboot! At the rate sales are dropping there won't be a DC Comics in a year or so if they don't undo the reboot. And just look how bad everything published post-September(THE RAY, HUNTRESS, NIGHT FORCE etc.) is doing...

But better than March & April 2011! And obviously the minis (except in events) won't sell like an ongoing.

Haters gonna hate.

[Reginleif]

DC sold already LESS in March and April 2012 than July or August of 2011 before the reboot! At the rate sales are dropping there won't be a DC Comics in a year or so if they don't undo the reboot. And just look how bad everything published post-September(THE RAY, HUNTRESS, NIGHT FORCE etc.) is doing...

The Huntress was in the top 100 for I think its entire run. We still dont know how well the 2nd wave is going

Except it was always representing that. DC lies again trying to give people a wrong idea about The New 52 sales...

Pro Tip: Don't do that

[Reginleif]

But better than March & April 2011! And obviously the minis (except in events) won't sell like an ongoing.

Haters gonna hate.

his second comment was far more inflammatory

[Sterling]

DC sold already LESS in March and April 2012 than July or August of 2011 before the reboot! At the rate sales are dropping there won't be a DC Comics in a year or so if they don't undo the reboot. And just look how bad everything published post-September(THE RAY, HUNTRESS, NIGHT FORCE etc.) is doing...


Except it was always representing that. DC lies again trying to give people a wrong idea about The New 52 sales...

If at first you don't succeed, right Deep_Shock?

[Lexrules]

I found these highlights on AICN and am sharing them here because they seemed pretty big to me:



So...

-Shazam will continue after the initial Justice League back-up (hopefully a new ongoing?).

-New gay character in a Batbook. Cool.

-Very little time travel in the DCnU. That coupled with Didio's statement about "New 52 Forever" should at least help a little bit to kill rumors that Pandora would reset the timeline in Trinity War. It looks like the DCnU is here to stay.

-New 52 continuity and costumes to be reflected in movies and TV shows. (I wonder which ones...Hmmm...)

That's all well and good but to say it will be here forever is incorrect. It will last as long as Didio is in charge.