New York Comic Con 2011 is over and done with, but there were plenty of interesting announcements to help tide fans over until the next convention rolls around. From surprising character comebacks to new original series, there’s lots to look forward to and even more to speculate about. Here are the 10 announcements that I thought were the coolest.
10. Saucer Country
Doctor Who writer and comic creator extraordinaire Paul Cornell announced Saucer Country, a new Vertigo series he’s doing with artist Ryan Kelly. Described by Cornell as “The West Wing does The X-Files”, Saucer Country will follow a female politician who is abducted by aliens the night before she announces her run for the presidency. “Saucer Country is a trip through UFO mythology, a subject I’ve always been fascinated with,” said Cornell. In between story arcs, the comic will do one off issues that look at real-life UFO and alien abduction stories. Both Cornell and Kelly are great talents, and I can’t wait to see what they do with this. Saucer Country will debut in February of 2012.
9. The DC Writer’s Workshop
During DC’s Meet The Publishers panel, co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee announced a new talent scouting initiative called the DC Workshop. “We’re developing a program internally, where we look at people who have self-published,” Didio told the audience, “and we bring them into the short stories in the 80 page specials”. At the moment, DC does not accept unsolicited submissions from writers, and this program may be the best bet for writers looking to break into mainstream comics. As a reader, I’m always excited to see new talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this program develops.
8. Sabretooth is Coming Back
He may have been decapitated, but hey, it’s comics! Writer Jeph Loeb confirmed that Wolverine’s nemesis would be making a return. ”Those of you who have been clamoring for Sabretooth to make Wolverine’s life miserable, he is coming back,” said Loeb, promising the audience that there would be no time travel tricks. ”If you go back and actually look at ‘Evolution,’ and particularly the last issue of that story, it is there,” he explained, “we did leave bread crumbs along the way.” Sabretooth has been dead for more than four years, an eternity in comic book time, and it’ll be interesting to see how Loeb justifies his return.
7. Jeff Lindsay Writing Original Dexter Comics
In one of the more unexpected announcements of NYCC, Marvel proclaimed they’d be publishing all-new Dexter comic books, written by the creator of Dexter himself, Jeff Lindsay. The comics will be set in the same universe as the Dexter novels, and will feature brand new stories. An artist for the series has yet to be announced, but a 2012 release date has been confirmed.
6. The Curse of Shazam
DC promised Captain Marvel stories would appear in “wave 2″ of the relaunch, but it looks like fans won’t have to wait that long to see more of Billy Batson. On Saturday, DC told fans that a back-up story titled The Curse of Shazam would soon be appearing in the pages of Justice League. The story will be written by Geoff Johns and will feature art from Gary Frank. ”Ours is a very modern Shazam,” Gary Frank said, “anyone will be able to pick this up even if they have never heard of Shazam, Captain Marvel or Billy Batson.” We don’t know much about The Curse of Shazam yet, but I’m hoping this means we’ll be seeing Black Adam soon.
5. Justice League: Doom Trailer Debuts
While Justice League: Doom was announced earlier this year, it was at NYCC that fans got their first look at the trailer. Justice League: Doom is a loose adaptation of the JLA: Tower of Babel storyline, in which villains exploit Batman’s secret plans to take down various members of the Justice League. Not only will this straight to dvd movie feature fan-favorite Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy, it’ll also feature Nathan Fillion, Tim Daly, and Michael Rosenbaum. Justice League: Doom is the final project from late writer Dwayne McDuffie. You can check out the trailer for yourself here.
4. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips Announce Fatale
Ed Brubaker, a comic book writer known for his noir and crime stories, announced a brand new creator owned series, Fatale, with artist Sean Phillips. The series will have a horror vibe, and will focus on a woman who may or may not be the physical manifestation of a femme fatale. “Fatale is a different kind of book for us,” Brubaker said, “it’s an epic crime and horror story spanning from modern times back to the 30′s.” Brubaker is a terrific writer, and I’m already intrigued by what I’ve heard about the comic. Fatale will be published by Image Comics, and its first issue will be released on January 4th.
3. The Return of the Scarlet Spider
Marvel had teased at the Scarlet Spider’s return in recent promo pieces, but almost no one was expecting a full-on Scarlet Spider ongoing. The series, which will be written by fan-favorite creator Chris Yost, is confirmed to star the Scarlet Spider, but Marvel was less than forthcoming when it came to who would be wearing the suit. Will it be the original Scarlet Spider, Ben Reilly? Anti-hero Kaine, who has played a significant role in the recent Spider-Island event? For now, fans can only speculate, but all will be known when the series is released next year.
2. It’s Coming…
This was less an announcement and more of a teaser, but it’s certainly intriguing enough to make make it on this list. During Marvel’s Cup O’Joe panel, an image was briefly flashed on the screen that showed a Phoenix force projection, the words “It’s Coming…” and the names of several of Marvel’s top creators. This could mean the return of Jean Grey, or may have something to do with young mutant Hope Summers. Whatever the case, it looks like it’s a big part of Marvel’s plans for 2012.
1. DC/Robot Chicken Crossover Special
I’m a big fan of Robot Chicken, and the show’s comic book inspired sketches are among my very favorites. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Seth Green and Geoff Johns announced an upcoming special that would focus exclusively on DC characters. Green referenced the success of Robot Chicken‘s Star Wars specials, and hoped that they would be able to replicate that success with the DC Universe. The special will be written by Johns and Kevin Shinick, and will begin production in the next few weeks. Fans can look forward to seeing the special sometime in 2012.