NYCC Rundown

New York Comicon ended yesterday and where was I? At work.

Nevertheless, while I was unable to attend the convention, most of the big comics websites had near constant coverage. Thanks to Newsarama, Comic Book Resources, The Beat, and other sites, I felt like I was there.

And, of course, my buddy actually *was* there. Based on voice mails he left on my cell, I will have some cool stuff to post later this week.

The biggest glut of Supergirl news from the NYCC came on the first day at the Superman Panel. Here is the link for full coverage http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19893 .



First off, check out the cover for Supergirl #41, another winner by Josh Middleton. Looks like it'll be a brawl. Supergirl looks so intense!

Next, I pulled out some quotes to comment on here.


Idelson reminded the crowd that "World of New Krypton" is the only book Superman will be appearing in this year, "more or less."

"This book is the driving engine of all the Superman books," Robinson agreed. "You will see life in Metropolis, Supergirl, Nightwing and Flamebird, all of this is driven by events in 'World of New Krypton.'"

Hard to believe that we will have a whole year without Superman appearing in Action Comics or Superman. I still think this is a huge risk by DC, especially given the buzz the super-titles have recieved recently. Honestly, I don't know if I am going to like reading a year's worth of The Guardian. Of course, I am going in with an open mind. I like Rucka and Robinson's body of work so I should trust they will keep me entertained.

Supergirl was next on the agenda.

"We're going to do some interesting stuff with New Kyrpton and with Supergirl's mother and with people in Metropolis," Gates said. "The secret identity of Linda Lang is not going away, it's going to be big and we're going to do some good stuff with it. And Jamal is kicking all holy ass on it."

I am glad to hear that Linda Lang was not an afterthought and will be explored more soon. Sounds like Kara's decision to stay on New Krypton might be a short one. I can only wonder what will drive her away from Alura and back to Earth.

Geoff Johns added, "I think Sterling's doing a phenomenal job on Supergirl. It's one of my favorite books at DC Comics right now."

"We really wanted 'Supergirl' to be a really important book," Robinson said. "We hope it will be embraced for everybody."

This is the sort of stuff I like to read ... other creators talking up Supergirl. I am glad it is still being promoted so heavily. I don't think I have hidden the fact that I have loved the Gates/Igle issues.

Johns next talked about 'Adventure Comics,' the Legion book that will launch in June with Francis Manupal on art. "It's a book that spins out of 'Legion of 3 Worlds,' and obviously Starman's there. If anyone's reading 'JSA,' he's taking a central lead in the book. Francis taking his work in a whole direction, it's just stunning." The book will feature painted artwork.

Hmmm ... now this book sounds so intriguing. It was called sort of a 'Superman Family' style book by Johns. But starring Bizarro, Luthor, Brainiac, Starman, and 2 folks hidden in shadows?

Any guesses on the unknown stars?

I thought Adventure was just going to be the new Legion book. Guess I was wrong.

And then my favorite parts of panels, the Q&A session.

The panel then turned the floor over to the audience for questions.

- Are we going to see more of Supergirl interacting with characters her own age? Yes.

I am pretty excited to hear this. One thing that I think has been missing from the book since its inception was a solid supporting cast. And with Kara being written as a 16/17 year old girl, I do think that giving her true peers to interact with is important and realistic.

- Are there going to be repercussions for the death of Supergirl's father? "Do you like Black Lanterns?" Gates said.

If 'Blackest Night' is going to cross over into Supergirl, Zor-El is the obvious choice. But I feel bad for the man. He is portrayed as a lunatic. Then re-invented as a ranger. Then remade more in the Silver Age mode as loving father and brilliant scientist only to be killed shortly thereafter. I think he deserves a little peace.

But it sounds more like he will be back as heartless zombie. Poor guy ...

- Is Superman going to have to pick one world over the other? "That would be great drama," Rucka said. "But it's a false choice. He's Superman. But I think it's a very good question for Supergirl."

The whole crux of issue #34 was Kara's decision to rehabilitate her image and make Earth her home. The next month New Krypton started. All along the question in my mind has been 'why would Kara choose Earth over Kandor/New Krypton?' And while Alura's insanity could be a big part of Kara's decision, I don't think it would be all of it. I think we need to see more of Supergirl's stay on Krypton and events there that would lead her to want to go back to Metropolis and Earth.

- A fan asked about Richard Donner's Superman film's influence on the comics. "It's cool!" Johns said. "General Zod, Ursa and Non are more well-known than Brainiac. It doesn't make any sense that we haven't brought them in before now. People wear General Zod tee-shirts. Nobody wears Brainiac tee-shirts."Igle said the films' designs are timeless, referring specifically to the Kryptonian crystal technology.

- Who are your Superman influences? Barrows: José Louis Garcia-López. Johns: Curt Swan. Richard Donner's films. Rucka: "The most profound influence is Donner."Robinson: Curt Swan. "More specifically, Curt Swan inked by George Klein."Gates: The Richard Donner films.

I continue to be amazed at how the Donner films had such a huge impact on comic creators. I find that so interesting.