March 1 highlights and news

Life goes on...

Nextwave #2
4-page preview (plus cover)

Photon's merry band of anti-terrorist butt-kickers continue on their path.

Also this week:
Ant #4
Daughters of the Dragon #2 (of 6)
Gold Digger Color Remix #3 (of 4). Story and art by Fred Perry.

News items from the New York Comic-Con:

The big story: Todd McFarlane and DC will reunite for a second Spawn/Batman crossover. You can read all about it here, but I want to point out this quote from the Toddster himself, on the subject of diversity in comics: "I think it's a shame that it's now 2006 and we still don't have a little more diversity in our heroes. Having said that, it was definitely a conscious choice on my part to make Spawn/Al Simmons a character of color. We don't play up the issue of race a whole lot in the series, but it's certainly in there."

Mat Johnson will follow up Hellblazer: Papa Midnite with a new Vertigo mini-series with the coolest title ever: Incognegro. It's described in the press release as "a noir mystery based on true tales of undercover race spying in the Jim Crow South." Editor Jonathan Vankin goes on to say, "This tale, about forgotten heroes of the battle for racial justice, is not only a vital work of social commentary, it’s a blistering thriller that will leave you both exhilarated and outraged."

Brian Michael Bendis' upcoming New Avengers story arc "New Avengers: Disassembled" will be five issues, drawn by five different artists, that focus on individual team members while connecting to a larger arc. Luke Cage's story will be the second issue, and will deal with his new family and how he'll need to protect them in the upcoming "Civil War" event. When asked at a panel about Cage and his family, Bendis said, "He has a very young family he has to keep safe, too. What are you going to do? It’s all going to be answered." Also, Olivier Coipel - who, as it turns out, is black himself (which I did not know), will draw the Spider-Woman story.

As was previously announced, this summer's Uncanny X-Men Annual will focus on Storm. Chris Claremont is writing; Clayton Henry was announced as the artist.

Marvel EIC Joe Quesada on the Black Panther/Storm wedding: "What I love about weddings are bachelor parties, and T'Challa will be having bachelor party, and if I'm not mistaken it's being thrown by Luke Cage and Wolverine. I can only tell you, if I was having a bachelor party, I would want Wolverine to throw it. He knows people."

Quesada on whether Patriot will get any super powers: "I can’t answer that right now. We thought about leaving him a drug addict because I like the message it sends out to kids. I don’t like smoking in our books, but shooting up is COOL!" Oh, that wacky Joe!

Back over on the DC side: Brad Meltzer had no comment on whether John Stewart would play any role in the new Justice League, but Geoff Johns said he had big plans for him in the pages of Green Lantern... Johns and editor Joan Hilty also said that the Suicide Squad would return and would overlap with Checkmate, specifically because of Amanda Waller's presence in the latter... Executive editor Dan Didio said Firestorm will appear in 52 and will also have big stuff happening in his own book. Lorraine Riley will become a more important character in the book as well... And the door is apparently open for John Ridley to do more stuff with Wildstorm.

Some non-NYCC-related news:
Rosario Dawson's comic book is moving to Image.

The first cartoon out of Zimbabwe is getting picked up by Cartoon Network Latin America.

Vin Diesel is taking part in a video game-film property.

Here's a new Eric Jerome Dickey interview.

Here's a new Reginald Hudlin interview.

Finally, I'm told that Karibu Books, the country's largest black bookstore chain, will pick up Storm and Black Panther, as well as the TPB of Truth: Red White and Black. Caravan Books in Oxen Hill, MD is also planning to carry Storm. Thanks to Zeraze for the info.