SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) is now over and has left plenty of news to discuss. From news coming out of the Big 2 to the much smaller publishers, here are my top 10 comic related news pieces from SDCC in no particular order.
Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand
This is set to create huge consequences for Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. It has even been rumoured that this event will end the ultimate universe as we know, maybe even completely. At the moment Marvel wont say what the status of the universe after conclusion of this mini series so it will be interesting to see what the series will do.
Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand will be written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Mark Bagley.
Wolverine: Origin II
Back in 2001 the mini series that lifted the lid on Wolverine’s origin was released. Now in 2013 we will see the sequel to the critically acclaimed limited series. Return to Wolverine’s early days as we see how he became the character he is today. The series is will be new reader friendly with Kieron Gillen stating…
“I’m writing ORIGIN II as a novel in the Marvel Universe, which builds everything from its opening scenario. I’m writing it so that if you know the Marvel Universe, you’ll see the wider implications—and the wider implications are enormous—and the occasional soft nod, but if you just pick this off the shelves, you’ll have a perfect experience.”
Another reason I am excited is that one of my favourite X-Men villains, Mister Sinister, will be making an appearance. I always enjoyed Kieron Gillen’s handling of the character so it will be interesting how he will interact with the Wolverine of the past.
Wolverine: Origin II will begin in November and will be written Kieron Gillen with art by Adam Kubert.
Vertigo Is Not Dead
Up until recently Vertigo Comics had been a little quiet and due to this it was heavily discussed that maybe the imprint was on the way out. Having read their SDCC panel recap I can tell you that is not the case.
With a new outlook to “defy”, Vertigo is definitely picking up momentum again with some fantastic new series. These include The Suiciders, Trillium, Collider, Coffin Hill, Hinterkind, The Discipline and the return of Sandman. These comics will be the first wave of a new Vertigo that looks to continue to have a bright future.
The Return of Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler is a character that is much loved by many comic book readers so it was sad to see him die a few years back. Luckily he will be returning in the pages of the new upcoming series Amazing X-Men. Speaking about Nightcrawlers resurrection, Brian Michael Bendis had this to say…
We all agree that as fans, we want Nightcrawler back. But we want a good story out of it. There had better be a damned good resurrection. Anything that people online say about a resurrection, the creators say 50 times worse.
Nightcrawler will return in Amazing X-Men in November. The series will be written by Jason Aaron and art by Ed McGuinness.
5 Great New Series From MonkeyBrain
MonkeyBrain is a great little publisher that exclusively works in the digital domain. They also have a habit of releasing comics that are not your traditional stories with a variety of genres covered. On the preview night of SDCC MonkeyBrain announced 5 new series to their publishing slates, all of which are unique in their own right.
These included…
- Avery Fatbottom: Renaissance Fair Detective by Jen Vaughn.
- Captain Ultimate by Benjamin Baily, Joey Esposito and Boykoesh.
- Detectobot by Peter Timony and Bobby Timony.
- Dropout by Phil Hester and Tyler Walpole.
- Heartbreakers by Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan.
Tomb Raider by Gail Simone
While not much is known about the series at the moment we do know that this new Tomb Raider series while be written by Gail Simone. Gail has a knack for writing strong female characters. It will be interesting what direction she takes the character in as Lara Croft has long been associated with misogy. Although, looking at here past work it is certain Lara will be written as a strong character more akin to the recent video game than the “classic” interpretation.
A Harley Quinn Ongoing Series
While this was announced leading up to SDCC more information was revealed during the weekend. The first issue will have a staggering 18 artist and Harley will break the fourth wall to critique them. This all souds rather odd and I wonder where the series will go in the future. I would not be surprised if this DC’s attempt at a book similar to Deadpool, at least n tone.
Harley Quinn will laund later in the year and will be co-written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.
Manifest Destiny
While not much is known about this series at the moment it sure sounds interesting. Set in 1804, Manifest Destiny tells the alternative history of Luis and Clark’s travels through a monster infested by monsters.
Manifest Destiny will be written by Chris Dingess (writer on SyFy’s Being Human) and art by Matthew Roberts. Here is what Chris Dingess had to say about the series…
“There’s a reason we got the Louisiana Purchase so cheap from Napolean, you guys. It’s because it was full of monsters!”
“We’re creating a lot of cool monsters…and then we’re killing them!”
Manifest Destiny will being in November on Robert Kirkman’s Skybound imprint.
Marvel Teases The Return of Marvelman
Marvelman was a critically UK acclaimed series which had legendary creators such as Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman create some fantastic stories. Sadly, due to licencing issues, the series has been out of print for a very long time, raising the price to silly amounts. While no concrete information was given, Marvel did tease that something will be on the horizon.
Whether this will be a reprints of classic material or brand new material it uncertain. Here’s hoping it comes soon.
SDCC Celebrates Celebrates Milestones
This year at SDCC many milestones were celebrated and it is always good to acknowledge these events. Some were small like 10 years of The Walking Dead. Others were slightly larger like the 25th anniversary of The Sandman and The Tick. Some were huge like Marvel’s 50th anniversary of X-Men, The Avengers, Ant-Man and Doctor Strange. While there was one that was massive in the form of 75 years of Superman.
Overall, no matter the age it was good to see panels dedicated to these milestones as it acknowledges the importance of a series, characters or pop-culture phenomena.
Have Your Say
What was your favourite comic related announcement of SDCC? Let me know in the comments below or at the Facebook or on Twitter.
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