The Seattle stop of the DC Nation started off with the energetic as ever Dan Didio welcoming everyone and introducing the many panelists. In attendance were Gail Simone, Aaron Lopresti, Kurt Busiek, Bill Willingham, Ethan Van Sciver, Stephane Roux, J. Michael Straczynski, Philip Tan, Greg Rucka and Ian Sattler. The mood was very jovial and light-hearted and Didio started off by asking for a show of hands of everyone who’d read DC Universe #0. He then went on to ask why everyone’s hands weren’t up and single out some of those who had not read it, asking them to give up their seats to those who had. Didio then went through the upcoming storylines from that issue one by one, asking who was excited about them. By far, Blackest Night received the most positive and loudest response. From there, Didio turned things over to the audience to ask questions.
Things started off strangely for the first few questions as Didio was asked, in order, when there would be more Green Lantern Archive Editions (answer: that’s a question for Bob Wayne), why the paper quality of recent DC trades was so crappy (snap answer: the trades try to mimic the paper quality of when the original was first printed) and why did Chuck Dixon not read his own previous run on Robin before returning to the book (a less than elegant way of the questioner saying they didn’t like Dixon’s direction on the book).
The next person to the mic wanted to know if the image of the Joker in the comics was going to eventually resemble the one in the upcoming film, The Dark Knight. Didio answered with a no. Asked if there were any plans for Monarch to appear again, the answer was again no.
When asked if he had come up with the idea for DCU: Decisions in a bar, Bill Willingham deadpanned how much Dan Didio was a notorious drunk and that all the big DC ideas were formulated in a bar.
The next person in line asked whether or not DCU: Decisions was a good idea and Didio said he felt that it was as the US Presidential Election is this year and they wanted a book that reflected the mood of the country in the DC Universe. He also stipulated that the book would have ramifications beyond the end of the mini-series.
The next person stumbled through trying to clarify a rumor that Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman were going to be revealed as a Skrull, resulting in Didio jumping down off the podium and taking the fan aside to coach him on his next question. While this was going on Kurt Busiek quipped that Iron Man would be revealed to be a Durlan.
How much of the DCU would crossover with the Blackest Night storyline was asked next with Sadler replying that he couldn’t say. The fan that Didio coached came back with the question would we see DC characters reacting to multiverse counterparts of dead characters with everyone agreeing that would be good story material.
A female fan who said she couldn’t follow the stories in DC Universe #0 wondered if, amongst the grand storylines currently playing out, there would be any smaller, character driven story that would be accessible to the casual reader. Books like Straczynski’s upcoming Brave and the Bold were pointed out as fulfilling that purpose. Then, despite Sadler’s attempts to jokingly end the panel, Straczynski went down the list of some of his planned team-ups for the book such as Batman and Spectre, Lex Luthor and Swamp Thing, Deadman and Wonder Woman, Flash (Barry Allen) and the Blackhawks, Constantine and Eclipso, Doom Patrol and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Two-Face and Hawk and Dove, Challengers of the Unknown and the Metal Men and, the audience’s favorite, the Legion of Substitute Heroes and the Inferior Five.
Gail Simone went on to point out that while Wonder Woman would involve a grand storyline about the retformed Secret Society collecting soil from areas of genocide in order to eliminate the Amazon, she still planned for the stories to be self-contained to the one book and be accessible by anyone. It was also pointer out that Busiek’s Trinity would be similarly self-contained.
When asked if the Two-Face issue of Brave and the Bold would be political, Straczynski shot back that it would be now. The same person asked if it would be vital to have read the Seven Soldiers books in order to understand Final Crisis with no being the response.
Asked is Bruce Timm would be contributing to any DC books soon Didio answered that Timm was very busy, although he had an open invitation. The same fan asked if Didio had previously revealed that Bart Allen was in the lightning rod that Braniac 5 now had and the question was ignored. A question about Plastic Man came up and the fan was reminded that he’s currently appearing in Green Arrow. The next fan wanted to know about any upcoming appearances by the Doom Patrol and Freedom Fighters. While the Freedom Fighters were just ending a mini, Robotman of the Doom Patrol will be appearing in DCU: Decision.
Things tuned more serious for a moment as the next person in line criticized the long delay in Action Comics Annual #11. Didio emphasized that no one ever intends for books to ship late and went in to a little bit of why the Last Son storyline ending was delayed so much. He then asked for a show of hands of audience members who wanted their books every month, on time and regardless of creative team. A few hands went up. Then he asked who wanted the superstar creative team to finish their storyline no matter how long it took, asking the many hands that went up to stay up. Then he asked hands to go down if the delay was a month and so on until twelve months. Noting that some hands were still up he said people would wait. Didio did emphasize that they have addressed the lateness issue and are doing much, much better about shipping on time.
Asked when he would return to Shadowpact, Willingham read a made-up memo from Didio telling him to focus more on Fables. It really was funny, but would make little sense unless you were there.
There was an awkward moment when someone asked what happened with Amazons Attack with a long story from Rucka about the history of the book. Basically, everyone agreed it didn’t go as well as it was planned to.
How many Black Lanterns will be established dead characters? Many, many, many. How many of those will be former Heroes? Again, many, many, many. This got a huge response from the audience.
An Astro City question came up to which Busiek replied there would be no solicits until Brent Anderson finished the fourth issue of the next storyline. A fan was assured that Bouncing Boy would be in the upcoming Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds book, possibly in more than one version. When asked if Final Crisis was indeed final Didio joked that the next Black Adam series would be called “Cry Isis” and that “Isis on Infinite Earths” would be next. After Van Sciver said he didn’t know the status of Arrowette, he was praised for his Green Lantern work and was said to be deserving of a raise, to which Willingham responded by giving him money on the spot.
No comment was given to the outcome of the Terror Titans storyline as well as to whether or not Kon-El would return. No plans for Rucka and Ed Brubaker on a Batman book as Bru is exclusive to the competition. In response to a Jonah Hex and Ambush Bug team up in Brave and the Bold, Busiek said that it would have to involve the Bug from a century ago, Bushwhack Bug.
After boos from the crowd that an announcement about Batwoman would not be made until San Diego, Rucka finally said, yes there is a book featuring the character forthcoming. Batwoman will also be appearing in Final Crisis: Revelation issues 2,3 and possibly four. Philip Tan then talked about how much fun it was drawing the book, especially a dirty fight between Batwoman and Killer Croc.
There will be more Who’s Who in the future, according to Didio. Then the subject of downloadable comics came up to which Didio replied that, comics being a collectible commodity, digital downloads were not seen as that important right now. However, he did say the DC was staying aware of that area so that should the demand shift they would be ready.
In case anyone was wondering, Captain Carrot now resides in Zatanna’s top hat.
Willingham revealed that he finally has been given permision to use the Peter Pan characters in Fables and that would be coming up sometime after issue #75.
Lastly, and to much applause, a fan asked if Billy Batson would be returning to the being the original Captain Marvel, with Didio saying he hasn’t really stopped being that.
With that, the panel ended with those leaving being given DC Nation buttons on the way out. Please check back tomorrow as we will sit down with Dan Didio around midday to follow up on the panel as well asking him some further questions.
Click HERE for more pictures from the DC Nation panel at this year’s Emerald City Comic Con!
