2003 Comic Book News Archives
August 10, 2003: Superman Panel at Wizard World Chicago
Superman Homepage reporter Nick Newman filed this report from his time at the Wizard World Chicago comic con Superman Panel conducted by DC Comics...The new project is known as 'Super Storm'. The goal of this project is to expand the Superman family in Metropolis. Three new titles were announced:
1. The Question: It turns out that the faceless reporter and Lois know each other from the past. The first issue's cover features the Question with a familiar blue, yellow, and red streak in the sky behind him.
2. Vigilante: The Vigilante is going to be targeting crime in Metropolis, specifically white-collar crime. This will also deal with how the police department and Superman handle a vigilante killing criminals. Both of these books will be focusing on more human-level crime in Metropolis. Superman and the Vigilante are not going to be on the same terms.
3. Lex Luthor: Man of Steel: This series will focus on Lex Luthor, and how Superman is a bad guy from his perspective. According to Brian Azzarello, all the people have is Superman's word that he won't wake up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and terrorize the world.
These three titles aim to expand the Superman universe and make Metropolis more like Gotham is.
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In regards to the regular Superman titles, here's what fans can expect in 2004...
Superman
Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee
Lee said that they are working on new characters, including a new villain for the book. Azzarello also said he has a real affinity for Luthor. He agrees that the world shouldn't just trust someone with Superman's powers.
Adventures of Superman
Greg Rucka and Mathew Clark
Greg Rucka wants to use Clark as a reporter more. He is going to shift Clark to the crime beat. This change will have Clark working under a different editor, not Perry. He will be working shifts like 10pm to 6am, doing things like chasing police cars. It is going to be a different element for him. Meanwhile Lois will be covering the President. Rucka also wants to explore what the central police station for Metropolis is, so they can establish something like Gotham Central. Rucka also says he really likes Lois. To him, Lois is fearless. He knows that marriage is a lot of work, especially with the difficult jobs they both have. However, deep down they both love each other. He also commented on the fact that he is planning to do a crossover with Wonder Woman. However, he did comment that a romance between the two of them would be like "screwing your sister". They are friends, and he also said that he feels that Diana's standards are too high for Clark. Someone also said that Luthor would be staying out of the core books, but Rucka responded to this by saying 'liar'.
Action Comics
Chuck Austen and Ivan Rice
Austen wants to make Superman more relatable, more street-level and less godly. Overall he wants a less glamorous life for Clark. He also says he is going to play off of the fact that often Lois doesn't have time for Clark, even though she wishes she did, so Clark will be confiding in Lana more, and going over to Lana's place much more often. A picture also showed Superman battling Gog from the Kingdom. Austen also reconfirmed the fact that he really doesn't like Lois, and he will be dealing with the fact that Lois loved Superman before she ever loved Clark. Austen also commented on his like of the original Siegel and Shuster. He said that their Superman was fun and charming, and would kick the crap out of anyone he didn't like.
Superman: Birthright
Birthright is going to continue in Smallville next issue and then be set in Metropolis. Waid said that one of the most important things to him was to introduce Lois in a way that Clark would fall in love with her at first sight, and he believes he has succeeded. Look for that in issue 4 (I believe). There will also be developments with Luthor having been in Smallville, although they claim there will be logical reasons why no one ever knew. This will also tie into the books, including Superman/Batman.
Superman/Batman
No real news as Loeb wasn't at the show (to my disappointment), but an advanced copy of issue 2 did reveal Batman blasting out of the grave and dragging Clark to the Batcave, where Alfred fixes him up. After that the two heroes get into an argument when a figure suddenly teleports into the cave. The Secret Files also had Superman fighting the other super-beings shown in issue one, as well as Captain Atom and Luthor watching as a missile fails to destroy the Kryptonite meteor.
Overall, look for a new or improved rogue's gallery, along with at least the one new villain in Superman. For Krypto, look to Geoff Johns (possibly in Titans?) and Dan Didio said that for Supergirl there were "endless possibilities", although we were assured that Cir-el is definitely going to go away.
Since Grant Morrison has signed exclusively with DC, Didio said the "toy chest is open for him" and they are in talks to arrange what he will be working on eventually.
Finally, Eddie said that this is not just a six-month stint, or even a year-long stint. This is the direction that they want to take the books in.
Look for these changes to begin in January, with everything running by March.
Thanks to Nick Newman for this fantastic report!
2003 Comic News
Listed below are all the Comic News items archived for 2003.- January 14, 2003: Schultz Talks “Superman vs Darkseid”
- January 15, 2003: Jeph Loeb Talks “Superman/Batman” Comic
- January 23, 2003: Berkowitz Discusses “Justice League Adventures” and Season Two
- January 31, 2003: Mark Millar Talks “Superman: Red Son”
- February 4, 2003: Adisakdi Tantimedh Talks “JLA: Age of Wonder”
- February 13, 2003: Editorial Changes at DC Comics
- February 17, 2003: Joe Casey Talks Superman in 2003
- March 1, 2003: Steven Seagle Talks “Superman” Comics
- March 7, 2003: Joe Casey Talks Superman Comics
- March 11, 2003: Wheatley Talks “Last Stand on Krypton”
- March 15, 2003: Jason Hall Talks “Justice League Adventures #20”
- March 25, 2003: Dynamic Forces U.K. Celebrations!
- April 11, 2003: Curt Swan: A Life in Comics
- April 23, 2003: Mark Millar Talks Superman
- May 14, 2003: John Byrne's Justice League
- May 15, 2003: Dynamic Forces Signed Superman Comics for July
- May 20, 2003: Alan Davis Talks “JLA: Another Nail”
- May 21, 2003: DC Comics Launch Revamped Website
- May 24, 2003: Mark Waid Talks “Superman: Birthright”
- May 28, 2003: “JLA: Liberty and Justice” Free Preview
- May 28, 2003: Talking Superman at Wizard World East
- June 24, 2003: “Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity #1” Sold Out
- July 1, 2003: DC Comics at the San Diego Comic Con
- July 11, 2003: Steven Wacker Talks “Justice League Adventures”
- July 11, 2003: “Superman: Birthright #1” Sold Out at DC!
- July 17, 2003: Busiek Joins DF Team for Avengers/JLA Signing!
- July 21, 2003: JLA News from the San Diego Comic Con
- July 22, 2003: Superman News from the San Diego Comic Con
- July 28, 2003: Jim Lee and Brian Azzarello on Superman
- July 29, 2003: DC Confirms Changes to Superman Titles
- July 30, 2003: Greg Rucka Talks “Adventures of Superman”
- July 30, 2003: Chuck Austen Talks “Action Comics”
- July 31, 2003: DC Comics at Wizard World Chicago
- August 2, 2003: More on “Action Comics” from Chuck Austen
- August 3, 2003: Jim Lee Talks Superman
- August 6, 2003: “Superman/Batman” #1 Sells Out
- August 10, 2003: Superman Panel at Wizard World Chicago
- August 12, 2003: Mark Waid Talks “Superman: Birthright” (Part 1)
- August 17, 2003: More “Superman: Birthright” Interviews
- August 18, 2003: Chuck Austen Talks Superman
- August 19, 2003: Variant Edition of “Superman/Batman” #1
- August 24, 2003: Tom Derenick Talks “Smallville”
- August 24, 2003: Paul Dini Talks “JLA: Liberty and Justice”
- August 24, 2003: Greg Rucka on Lois and Clark
- September 3, 2003: Matthew Clark on Drawing “Adventures of Superman”
- September 9, 2003: More on Superman from Greg Rucka
- September 10, 2003: Winick Talks “Superman/Thundercats”
- September 13, 2003: Turner and Kelly's Superman Stint
- September 17, 2003: Ivan Reis Talks “Action Comics”
- September 18, 2003: Superman Comics Revamp/Relaunch in 2004
- September 25, 2003: Smallville/Superman in Wizard #145
- September 28, 2003: “Superman/Batman Secret Files 2003” Sells Out!
- September 30, 2003: Jim Lee Talks Superman
- October 2, 2003: Dynamic Forces Release Signed “Superman #200”
- October 7, 2003: More Contributors on “Superman #200”
- October 7, 2003: Alex Sinclair Talks Coloring Superman
- October 7, 2003: DC Comics at Las Vegas Comic-Con
- October 11, 2003: Ron Garney Signs Exclusive to DC Comics
- October 14, 2003: “Superman: Secret Identity #1” Previewed in November Comics
- October 14, 2003: “JLA: Liberty & Justice” Mini-Site
- October 16, 2003: DC Sends “Superman/Batman #1” Back to Press
- October 20, 2003: Mike Carlin Talks JLA... Justice League of America
- October 30, 2003: DC Comics at Wizard World Texas
- November 2, 2003: $1 Million for “Action Comics #1”
- November 4, 2003: Chris Jones Talks “Justice League Adventures #25”
- November 10, 2003: Karl Kerschl Talks Superman Comics
- November 17, 2003: Kurt Busiek Talks “Superman: Secret Identity”
- November 17, 2003: “Smallville”: Internet, Comic and TV Series Get Tighter
- November 19, 2003: “Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity” Collected in Hardcover
- November 19, 2003: Smallville Comics Collected as Trade Paperback
- November 20, 2003: Sold Out - “Superman/Batman #1” Third Printing!
- November 28, 2003: Steven Seagle Talks “Superman #200”
- November 28, 2003: Jason Hall Talks “Justice League Adventures”
- December 2, 2003: Clint Carpenter Talks “Smallville” TV & Comics
- December 3, 2003: Alex Ross Book Signings
- December 8, 2003: Loeb Talks “Superman/Batman” and “Smallville”
- December 9, 2003: “Avengers/JLA #4” Delayed
- December 11, 2003: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Talk Superman
- December 15, 2003: Byrne and Claremont on JLA
- December 16, 2003: Julie Schwartz in Hospital
- December 17, 2003: New Printing for “Death of Superman” Trade Paperback
- December 19, 2003: Ron Garney Talks JLA & Superman
- December 23, 2003: Jeph Loeb Talks “Superman/Batman”
- December 23, 2003: Pat Lee Talks “Superman/Batman”
- December 23, 2003: Denny O'Neil Talks JLA
- December 24, 2003: The Return of Supergirl!
- December 24, 2003: Superman Related Wizard Fan Awards Nominations
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