Superman Family At NYCC

Hat tip to blog friend Mart Gray for sending me to Bleeding Cool to see this image and learn about the Superman panel being done this weekend at NYCC. Here is a link to the story:

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-reveals-new-superman-family-members-outfits-no-capes/

Now the Bleeding Cool article seems to focus a lot on the lack of capes. But there is more to glean here. 

First off, the art looks like Dan Mora. So no complaints there. 

But lets take a little deeper dive, Let's start out with red and black shoulder s-shields they all are wearing? Nice way of showing immediately that this is a team, a family.

The Breakdown of each costume is pretty interesting too.

NYCC Supergirl News

Last weekend was New York Comiccon, one of those conventions that is seemingly just down the street from me but one I have never been able to attend. It is a massive con which, from afar, feels like mini San Diego convention with a bigger and bigger multimedia presence.

I did my best to try to follow the news from the convention from a distance and so I thought I would try to consolidate the Supergirl news here. I should put the word news in quotes. Not much true news was dropped but what was released was big.

There was a Superman family panel with Peter Tomasi, Phil Jimenez, and Steve Orlando. Here are a couple of link:
http://www.cbr.com/nycc-dcs-superman-family-grows-independent/
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/10/08/superman-family-gathers-nycc16/

The Bleeding Cool coverage is briefer. I picked the Supergirl specific blurbs and will present them here.

From Bleeding Cool: "This Supergirl comic is an opportunity to show what she means and represents to so many. Mr. Orlando himself believes the actual character represents compassion."

We have heard from Orlando before how Supergirl will arrest you but then is going to visit you in jail to make sure you are doing well. That is her compassionate core.

And then we see a page from an upcoming Supergirl book where we see that scene actually played out. She is visiting the data-thief she stopped in the first issue.

And then from Comic Book Resources:
“He’s the brother of Superman’s father, and he fails…what’s interesting about [Cyborg Superman and Supergirl] is that they both thing they’re heroes…that’s where he thinks he’s coming from, but it’s filtered through being a killer robot from outer space. But it’s also relatable. I think you feel for him, and he’s a tragic character.”

And will Cyborg Superman survive this first arc? Orlando wouldn’t say, but he did note that Supergirl is not just interested in saving people in danger but saving the dangerous people as well. “That’s how she is. That’s her true strength. So regardless of what happens with Cyborg Superman, she’s invested in what happens to him and who he is.”

I've never been a fan of Zor-El being the Cyborg Superman. I don't know why Zor has become easy fodder as a quasi-villain (either by Jeph Loeb/Joe Kelly or David Allen Nelson). But if Orlando can somehow redeem him as a character I'll be happy. We see a couple of pages where Kara is tearing into him.

To see all the pages (including some of Kara in school meeting Cat) head here:http://www.newsarama.com/31440-nycc-16-new-dc-superman-family-panel-images.html

None of those things were really 'news'. But Orlando did drop this:
The discussion moved to fan questions where Orlando explained that for the time being, “Supergirl” will not be crossing into the stories of her cousin and his expansive supporting cast.

So for all of those who were hoping that Supergirl will meet the pre-Flashpoint Superman and have them team-up, looks like we'll need to wait.

DC Superhero Girls also continues to soar as a platform for DC heroes and Supergirl. There will be a new graphic novel and a new digital first comic as well. Here is a link:
http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/35715/dc-super-hero-girls-print-line-expands

DC Super Hero Girls: Past Times at Super Hero High digital first comic launched today and will debut new chapters every other Wednesday. Written by Fontana, the digital comic will feature art by Agnes Garbowska, Labat, and more to be announced. A print graphic novel collecting the series is set for 2017.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to read and review all of this. There is a limit to my budget. I hope folks will keep me in the loop about what is happening in the book.

There was even a life size Lego version of the DC Superhero Girls Supergirl at the con. Amazing.

Lastly, on Twitter, I saw a ton of Supergirl commissions. There is some really great pieces that folks nabbed. I decided to post this one from current Jem artist Meredith McClaren which was lovely.

Was anyone at the con? Anything I missed?

2015 NYCC Supergirl Comic News

I'll be covering the NYCC over the next two days looking at comic news today and show news tomorrow.

We'll start out with the obvious.

There was no announcement about any Supergirl book at the convention. No mainstream book. No show tie-in book. Nothing.

I have talked about how inane this is from a business point of view so no need to flog that dead horse.

I did review the transcript of most of the DC panels. Interestingly enough, there was no Superman panel. Despite all the radical changes, the upcoming comic series, DC didn't think Superman deserved his own panel.

In the Heroes panel, Dan Didio had this quote saying that the powers that be "have never forsaken the core qualities of these characters."

I think if you look at Superman alone, you might say that the current Superman is about as far away from the core qualities of the character as you can get. Someone even says later that they are asking 'can he still be Superman without his abilities'? The answer for 75 years has been yes. Because it is the person inside, it's Clark, that defines the character. Not the powers.

I found it laughable that Didio would say such a thing when this two page spread ends Action Comics. On one side we have a bloody Clark arrested. On the other, an angry Superman mutating into a monster.

Does Didio really think this represents the core qualities of Superman?

Insanity!

Otherwise, the only real Supergirl news was on the DC SuperHero Girls front. There seemed to be a lot of news on that front. I recommend people going over to the site as they are starting to post some quick webisodes: http://www.dcsuperherogirls.com/en-us

But here we see the characters adorning steps in the Javits Center.

We got a good luck at the action figures and dolls coming out.

And there was also a ton of merchandise on display for all the characters. Action figures! Shirts! Skateboards! Elbow pads! Phone cases! Just incredible.

I like the look of this Supergirl, especially those Chuck Taylor sneakers.

And while I will have a post tomorrow about the Supergirl panel, I did like how DC was marketing the show by having a display cast onto buildings from (I guess) a moving vehicle.

You can find a gif of this online with the figure of Melissa Benoist/Supergirl streaking on the side of the building as whatever is projecting it moves down the street.

And then a nice spotlight of the symbol and show info in the shadow of the Empire State Building.

Unbelievable!

You'd think there would be a comic out there for this character to capture all this energy surrounding Supergirl!

NYCC Panels Recap

Last weekend was the New York Comic Con.

As I have said before in this forum, one of my dreams is to one day head to the New York Comic Con, a huge convention which is either a long car ride or a short train ride away from me. Unfortunately, October is always an extremely busy month for me with a definite work trip annually and several standing family obligations. I don't know when or if I will ever be able to break away.

As a result, the only NYCC news I can get is from coverage on the web and while fantastic it isn't the same as being there in person. As there was a fair amount of Superman coverage, bear with me. This is a long post!

Of all the things happening at the con, there is the Superman Panel and that is what would interest me the most. This was held Friday and there is fantastic coverage of the panel at the usual places although each brings a different nugget of information. So if you are a big fan of the super-books I advise you go to each of these pages and read about it. Here are links for the coverage on Comic Book Resources, Newsarama, and Bleeding Cool.

The panel guests included Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Greg Pak, Tony Daniel, Aaron Kuder and Scott Lobdell. Shame to see that no one actually involved with the Supergirl or Superboy books were up there. And the beginning part of the panel covered Superman Unchained, Superman/Wonder Woman, and Batman/Superman in depth. It is clear that Snyder, Soule, and Pak have a lot of passion for the characters and their books.

But then Scott Lobdell got to talk about the 'mainstream' Superman books. It is Lobdell's piece of the panel that I feel I need to cover in depth. I have cobbled together quotes from the above coverage, so again, please visit those places.

For the Superman books proper - Action Comics, Superboy, Supergirl and Supergirl - Scott Lobdell said the characters go back in time to save Krypton. Superman meets his mother for the first time... and under the force of a red sun, she beats the tar out of him.

 So I suppose that Superman is going to be looked upon as an intruder in the El home and we have seen how Lara has slowly been morphed into a military superstar. So I suppose seeing her beat up Superman was inevitable. And somehow that fits into the mindset of the New 52. I rolled my eyes a bit when I read that.

But that was just the suburbs of sad things I read from Lobdell. And I was about the head into the big city.

 Lobdell also added that Superboy will die at the end of the event, calling it, “The ultimate sacrifice, giving his life in order to stop the universe from falling apart,” and from issue #26 onwards in “Superboy” the story will be about John Lane Kent, the original son of Clark and Lois.

So Lobdell is talking about 'Krypton Returns' and basically spoils the ending of the arc right here. Now I wasn't expecting much from this story but I would at least like to be 'shocked' by the ending.

To be honest, the Superboy title has been a horror show, a perfect representation of everything that I disliked about the New 52. It was clear that the company had no clear vision of what they wanted this character to be despite the reboot. Was he a living weapon, a brainwashed dupe of NOWHERE? Was he a deeper brainwashed dupe of Harvest, subliminally conditioned to want to kill Superman? Was he a bank robbing slacker, living the fun life of a gangsta? Was he the receptacle of the DNA of an alternate future Lois/Clark son? Was he a funloving teenager infiltrating a high school?

That is 5 origins in 2 years of books!! Ridiculous! And sadly, none of those origins are very good!

With this version of Con so convoluted, I am not surprised DC wanted to wipe the slate clean. A reboot 2 years into a reboot which underwent multiple small reboots.

But, as if they haven't learned from their mistake, the seem to latch onto the wrong ideas. Since a blood soaked living weapon Superboy didn't work, they decided that they will revamp the title with Jon Lane Kent leading the book, the blood soaked living weapon Superboy from the alternate future!

Ummm ... didn't this just fail?

So I think this makes it official. I am dropping the book after 'Krypton Returns'. Expect no reviews of this abomination here.

I want to hear from the Superboy fans about this news. Because this was the most disheartening piece from the panel.

Supergirl meanwhile will team up with clones, as she makes her return to Krypton.

Lobdell also said that Supergirl, “Will be leaving the Superman family forever for another whole set of books in the DC Universe,” asking Soule, “Is there anything to add?” “Now’s not the time!” Soule laughed, Lobdell telling the audience that they should be able to piece together where Supergirl will be showing up next.

Then we get the Supergirl news from the panel.

I actually like the idea of Supergirl teaming up with clones on Krypton. She is awfully prejudiced about them, thinking them to be violent mockeries of Kryptonian people. So this might be a nice life lesson for her.

But that other part!

So Supergirl is officially leaving the Superman family forever for another set of books. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this either. Since the New 52, DC hasn't known what to do with Supergirl either. Instead of making her have a relationship with Superman which enriches but does not define her, they have pushed her farther and farther away. DC like the 'isolated' Supergirl which is always the wrong take on the character.

Does Soule responding mean she will appear in Superman/Wonder Woman? Does the time reference mean anything? Will there be a new Legion book she heads? Will she head to Earth 2? Maybe a cosmic style book instead of Earth based?

Since this was vague, I won't be too pessimistic. But this has the potential to be another serious misstep in their handling of Supergirl.

And lastly, I had to quote this line from Lobdell ... the main architect of Superman books right now ...

The writer explained that he’s not interested in a character that does the right thing every time.

There can be conflict. There can be mistakes. But Superman tried to do the right thing every time.

Why is Lobdell on Superman at all!

Now there is pretty art from all the books on display with the coverage.

And luckily, one writer (Soule) said his Superman would never kill. All the other writers hemmed and hawed about how in the right circumstance ... blah blah blah.

Thank you Charles Soule!!

And so that was my depressing recap of the Superman Panel. If it is always like this, maybe I am better off not being there in person.

Saturday there were two panels which added some information or were worth covering here. The first was the Superman 75th anniversary panel. The guests on stage were Mike Carlin, Paul Levitz, Dan Didio, Bruce Timm, and Molly Quinn, who is very quickly becoming a celebrity ambassador for Supergirl! There is coverage on Newsarama but I was lucky enough to see the panel streaming live while in my living room.

There was a lot of Superman love in this panel. But I loved how Quinn promoted Supergirl during the panel, plugging her new series as a great gateway comic, saying she is headstrong and feisty, and talking about how Superman is an inspiration. I am quickly becoming a big fan of Quinn's.

They also showed a nice Bruce Timm/Zach Snyder animated short where Superman morphs from Action Comics #1 through all his incarnations up to Man of Steel. It is brilliant. It includes a quick shot of Supergirl and all the super-pets! And it includes him boxing someone in a very Neal Adams style (presumably Muhammed Ali but you can't say it). Fantastic.

Lastly, Dan Didio actually praised Lois in this panel, reminding everyone it is her 75th anniversary and that her name would look well as a title on a book. So it sounds like a Lois Lane special or mini-series or monthly is upcoming.

Not bad.

Lastly, there was the DC New 52 panel later on Saturday. This included a bunch of creators and Charles Soule and Paul Levitz. There is coverage on CBR and Newsarama. There was a couple of things which stood out.

The first news was that the Worlds' Finest Annual will be a flashback story to when the heroes were Supergirl and Robin on Earth 2. I loved what I saw of them in those roles in Worlds' Finest #0 and the earliest issues of Earth 2 and Worlds' Finest. So this should be a lot of fun. I would love Jorge Jimenez of Smallville to draw the book. And if not him, Francis Portela.

The other news was a hint that a new teen team book might be around the corner. Maybe that is the 'new Supergirl' title as she leaves the Superman family. Maybe a Young Justice book in the vein of James Peaty's Supergirl arc?

I didn't even mention Steph Brown coming back!

Anyways ... what did you all think of the news??

NYCC 2012 Wrap-Up

Well, the New York Comic Con ended 2 days ago and after scouring all the usual sites and reading all the transcripts, there were some wrap-up items that I thought I would show and discuss here.

First off, Newsarama posted some of the pictures flashed on the big screen of the Superman panel. Here is that link: http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=47696

Most of these are from the upcoming Supergirl issue (a day away!). But one looks like it is from an upcoming Superman issue in the H'El on Eart storyine.

Beautiful stuff here of Supergirl battling Simon Tycho in her underwater Fortress.

The 'Brain' components of him caused Kara some problems in her first fight. But my guess is he used that drop of Kara blood to augment his abilities. It most likely explains how he got into the Fortress and speaks Kryptonian too.

And I can't help but be excited to see more Kenneth Rocafort on Superman. What a gorgeous Supergirl he draws. Now this has to be after the cousins skirmish again. (I am expecting the early parts of H'El to not show Supergirl in a flattering light.) And judging by this page she has just dropped a Corona Wave/solar flare on him.

Great great page.

Some more H'El on Earth news was leaked at the New 52 DC Panel. You can read the whole transcript here: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/nycc-2012-dc-comics-new-52.html



Berganza on H'el on Earth: "Superman's going to be running into some problems, and he's going to be asking for some help from his friends." H'el will kick Superman out of the Fortress of Solitude, meaning Supes will need assistance from Justice League and a character DC isn't naming yet. 

Berganza says they'll be doing something in the Superman comics that Harras didn't want them to do. 

Levitz will be teaming again with Keith Giffen, and introduce the New 52 version of the Fatal Five. "They're going to screw up the whole universe. What do you do when nothing works?" 

Looking at the pages, it looks like one of H'El's initial lines of defense is Supergirl. I anticipate she will see the error in her ways in the second month of this arc. But H'El kicking Superman out of his own Fortress is a fun idea. Superman calling in the JLA for back-up also explains why the Flash would be around to confront Supergirl.

I hope adding Keith Giffen to the Legion book brings some buzz and creative synergy. However the 'nothing works' description sounds a bit too much like the Magic Wars for me.

Lastly, I was hoping that one of the collectibles revealed at the con would be a New 52 Supergirl action figure. Instead the only Supergirl collectible shown was this Supergirl 'bombshell' statue based on WW2 bomber plane art. Here is the link: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/10/10/dc-collectibles-to-unveil-exciting-new-slate-of-collector-items-at-new-york-comic

There is a Wonder Woman one that is a better statue, a sort of Rosie the Riveter 'We Can Do It' power symbol with a fit Wonder Woman breaking chains. This Kara is pure cheesecake. Don't think I'll be getting this one.

Anyone out there make it to the con? Give us some details of what it was like!

NYCC 2012

October is universally a busy month for me with a number of annual family obligations and an 'always in October' work conference that takes me away.

As a result, the New York Comicon is sort of like Shangrila for me. I just don't think I am ever going to get there. Each year I keep wondering if I can go even for a day. But it just never materializes. There are always always an inordinate number of creators I'd like to meet. Add to that the panels and announcements and it sounds like a fantastic time.

The Con starts up tomorrow. While I can't get there, I hope you can get there and seek out these Supergirl events and some of her creators who will be in attendance.

Here are some events:

DC COMICS – THE NEW 52: Superman

Date: Thursday, October 11
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: 1A10
Speakers: Bob Wayne , Grant Morrison , Mahmud Asrar , Matt Idelson , Rags Morales , Scott Lobdell
Description:
Since the launch of the New 52, Superman has been flying higher than ever! Join Group Editor Matt Idelson and SUPER talent Mahmud Asrar (Supergirl), Scott Lodbell (Superman), Rags Morales (Action Comics), Grant Morrison (Action Comics) to take fans new and old up, up and away with a sneak peek at what’s in store for Superman.

I have been told that Mike Johnson will be in attendance and on the panel (even if he isn't listed on the NYCC website).

So the very fact that Morrison is going to be there makes this a can't miss part of the convention. I do find it odd that this panel is happening so early in the con. It is almost as if it isn't important enough to be part of the main days of the NYCC.

Still, I would have lots of questions to ask these guys. And I can't wait to hear wait Matt Idelson has to say this time. The last big con panel I read about he said Superman was a loner who didn't know who he was himself to feel comfortable with taking on mentors.

Also, Johnson and Asrar will be signing at the DC booth on Thursday 5-6 and Friday 10-11. Stop by and let them know what you think of the book!

Mahmud Asrar will have his own table at Booth Y8. I think Asrar's art has been fantastic on the Supergirl book and also hope to get a commission from him as well some day. It would be great to talk to him about the current book and his perspective on the character.

Incredibly, Al Plastino, the artist of Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics #252, is going to be at the con on Saturday. For those looking, he'll be at the HERO Initiative booth (#1575-77) on Saturday only! I have some of those Action 252 reprints - the Silver Age Classic one and the Millenium edition one - that I would love to get signed. But just to meet the guy!

And other more recent creators will be there as well.

Josh Middleton, cover artist for the early part of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle run on the book will be at Booth O10.

Jamal Igle will be at Booth C1. I am hoping to run into Igle soon at one of the more local shows coming up. Jamal is working on his creator owned project Molly Danger and I can't wait to talk to him about it. It sounds like the perfect book for me to get the supergirls at home.

Supergirl cover artist Amy Reeder will be at Booth B1. I loved Reeder's take on Supergirl. She is also working on a creator owned one shot called Halloween Eve.

Bernard Chang, who drew some of Bizarro Girl and all of James Peaty's 'Good Looking Corpse' arc will be at Booth C8. I really love Chang's art and thought he drew a great Supergirl. I keep hoping I will run into him somewhere to get a commission. Chang was just recently named the ongoing artist on Demon Knights. I can't wait to see his take on that team, especially Sir Ystin.

Lastly, Amanda Conner will be at Booth M1. I loved Conner's sweet Supergirl in Wednesday Comics. I dreamed once of getting a commission from her but it sounds like she doesn't do them at cons anymore. Still, her art is so slick that it would be great to chat with her again.

If anyone who visits here goes to the con, please post anything and everything you have seen!

Amy Reeder Commission

As I have said before here, while I cannot go to all the big conventions I want to ... at least a good friend of mine can.

 I will often ask my friend to act as a mouthpiece for me, talking to creators for me and trying to pry some info out of them. An added bonus is that he is an avid collector of commissions and will show me what he gets.

When he was at the recent NYCC, he had the luck of meeting current Supergirl cover artist Amy Reeder and even got a free commission of Supergirl from her. What a delightful quick sketch. I think Reeder has really settled in nicely and picked up right where Josh Middleton left off.

Now maybe I can convince my friend to give me this commission for my collection!

Gates and Igle Off Supergirl; New Creative Team Announced At NYCC

Well, I knew that news was going to be coming out of the NYCC. There always is.

What I wasn't expecting was hearing that both Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle are off of the Supergirl title as of January. In many ways it is disheartening. Here is the link from the DC Source blog and some blurbs from the announcement:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/10/08/nycc-2010-meet-your-new-supergirl-creative-team/

First off, I’d like to give a huge tip of the hat to writer Sterling Gates and artist Jamal Igle. As many fans have said across the web, they’ve done a masterful job with SUPERGIRL and you can be sure their names will be popping up on the credits of many books to come. But more on that later.

I don't know about how everybody here feels, but I think Gates and Igle deserve more than just a tip of the hat. They deserve our thanks.

It isn't easy being a Supergirl fan; it never has been. But they treated her with respect and made it okay to be a Kara fan again. You could say you collected Supergirl and you didn't get looked at as though you were crazy.

Gates and Igle understood that the backbone of Supergirl's stories has to be that she is on a journey, that she isn't an accomplished hero yet but she is striving to get there. There weren't many easy victories but there were victories. And Kara's hard-fought accomplishments led to life lessons which led to her personal growth. She is a very different character than she was in Supergirl #34, their first issue. But she most assuredly is a different character than she was in Supergirl #12 (the dance issue) or Supergirl #19 (the high school massacre cover) or any of that early run.
 

There was no T&A, no porn faces, no knees to the balls ... or smoking and underaged drinking... or rave dancing while monsters attack ... or crushing angst ... or apathy towards heroism ... or compulsions to kill Superman ... or taking down of Air Force One ... or any of the other things that were wrong with this book. There was no pandering to a lowest common denominator. There were only good stories and good art and an apparent appreciation for what a great character Supergirl is.

The sad thing is I wonder if there are a lot more Supergirl stories inside Gates and Igle. The massive story of New Krypton took over this book for a bit. Was there more they wanted to do with Kara that they just didn't get to.

I just want to once again say thanks to Gates and Igle for their run on the book, for treating Supergirl the way I think she should be treated. I have said before that it is great time to be a Supergirl fan and their book was such a huge part of that trend.

But as I hail the current team, we should all look forward to the next team.

Starting in January, writer Nick Spencer (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS and the JIMMY OLSEN co-feature in ACTION COMICS) will hop into the driver’s seat with artist Bernard Chang (SUPERMAN). As some of you faithful Source readers have noticed, Nick’s quickly risen up the ranks and become one of our busiest and most engaging creators. His knack for getting to the heart of the character – whether it’s the newly-introduced Chloe Sullivan (yeah, from “Smallville”!), Jimmy or the myriad heroes and characters that will populate T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS – and well-paced action are a classic recipe for success with a modern twist. Seriously. His stuff’s a treat.

I only know Spencer's work from the one Jimmy Olsen second feature I have read so I don't have much to go on (reminding me of how little I knew of Sterling Gates when he was announced as the writer 2 years ago). I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed that Jimmy story; the dialogue was snappy and the story was fun. Hopefully that energy carries forward into Supergirl. And hopefully, Spencer has the same understanding and respect for the character that Gates does.

I like Bernard Chang's art and think he is a very good choice for the book. We certainly have enough of a portfolio of his work in the Superman book during New Krypton and Last Stand to know that he draws a healthy and strong Kara.

Here is what Wil Moss said in the release:

“How do you follow a character-defining run like Sterling and Jamal had on SUPERGIRL? Beats me – that’s Nick and Bernard’s problem! But if anyone can do it, it’s these two guys. Get ready for a deadly new version of an old threat (one with ties to Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul’s run on ADVENTURE COMICS), and a laundry list of guest stars – the promo piece doesn’t even show half of ‘em! So while Supergirl the character has never been in more trouble, rest assured that SUPERGIRL the title has never been stronger!”

A new version of an old threat ... hmmmm. We did see the green-skinned Brainiac clone Luthor made at the end of Adventure. Could it be some version of Lena Luthor/Brainiac 13 amalgam seen way back in Our Worlds At War? I look forward to seeing the promised promo piece.

So let's all raise our glasses and toast Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle for their phenomenal work here as they wrap up their piece of Kara's story. And at the same time, let's welcome Nick Spencer and Bernard Chang. There is always room for you guys here. 

NYCC Schedules

This weekend is the New York Comic Con and unfortunately I am not going. In some ways I am glad. There are sooooo many guests I would try to run into I would probably be mentally overloaded.

That said, I hope that lots of Supergirl fans are going to the con and can interact with the appropriate creators. Here are the schedules for Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, and James Robinson, the creators who are currently most active with the character.

So if in attendance, let them know what you think of the books they are working on. And try to pry some new information from them if possible. Here are the scheds:

STERLING GATES:

Saturday:
1030-1130:  Midtown Comics Booth
1:00-2:00: DC Comics Booth

Sunday::

2:30-3:30p - DC Comics Booth

JAMAL IGLE:

Friday:

All day: Artist Alley

Saturday:

10:30-11:30: Midtown Comics booth 

12:00- 1:00 pm: Artist Alley

1:00- 2:00 pm: DC Comics booth 

3:00- 7:00pm: Artist Alley

Sunday:

11:00 - 2:00: Artist Alley

2:30- 3:30pm: DC Comics booth

4:00- close :Artist Alley

JAMES ROBINSON:

Friday:

4.30-5.30- DC Comics Booth

Saturday:

12:15-1:15:  DCU Panel Rm 1 A08-12,

3:00-4:00: DC Comics Booth 

Sunday:

1:30-2:30: DC Comics Booth.

 The truth is that there are a lot of other creators at the show that people should try to see as well. Amy Reeder, current cover artist for Supergirl, is going to be there. Fernando Dagnino and Bernard Chang, both of whom have drawn (or will draw) issues and covers on the book will be there as well. And there are countless other comic superstars in attendance.

And for the more Silver Age-y Supergirl fans, Paul Kupperberg, writer of the Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, is going to be there. Here is his signing schedule per the NYCC website: 


PAUL KUPPERBERG:
Friday:
2:00 - 3:00: Booth 2380


Saturday:
1:00-2:00: Booth 2380

I'm a huge fan of Kupperberg. I read his Supergirl, Doom Patrol, and Power Girl back in the day. 

And for the Smallville fans, Laura Vandervoort is going to be there!

If anyone does go, please come back and comment here so we know how it went.

NYCC Aftermath

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I was not going to be able to attend the NYCC this year. Despite multiple attempts to clear out my work schedule and arrange the short travel, it just wasn't meant to be.

Fortunately, a very good friend was going and was going for all 3 days. He graciously offered to bring some of my stuff to the convention for signatures and to try to grab me some commissions.

I gave my friend 2 big missions. The first was to find Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle, chat with them, get some signatures, and get a commission if possible. The second was to find Landry Walker and Eric Jones and do the same.

Mission accomplished!

Let's review the first mission. Above is the Jamal Igle commission from the NYCC. Fabulous! She looks so happy, striking a heroic pose. This looks more like the 16 year old Kara from the book, albeit in my favorite version of the uniform, the Matrix costume.

Just an absolutely great addition to my commission collection.







Compare it to my other Igle Supergirl commission which shows a more mature sterner Kara.



On top of getting the commission, my friend was able to grab some signatures from and talk to both Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle about the book. He says they sounded completely pumped about the book and are glad Supergirl fans are so excited about the book.

In fact, both said they enjoy checking out this blog! Whoa!

So I can't thank my friend enough. And I can't thank Gates and Igle enough for revitalizing the title and caring about what fans think!

More NYCC aftermath coming soon ....

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.

Sean Phillips Commission

The New York Comic Con is a couple of weeks away and unfortunately I will be unable to attend.

At best, I would only have been able to attend for a day. But I was hoping I would have been able to go to shake hands with some of my favorite creators and industry legends. There are sooo many people there I would love to meet - Jamal Igle, Al Plastino, Ted McKeever, Brian Bolland - the list is endless.

As usual, a very good friend of mine is going and will try to procure me a couple of commissions. Mr. Igle will be at the top of my wish list. Since I will be getting some new additions to my collection soon, I thought I'd post one I got last year.

I try to target artists whose work I really love. A Supergirl commission doesn't always mesh with their particular styles, but I have to say that usually makes for an interesting piece.

Take the one above, done by one of my absolute favorites Sean Phillips. Phillips is best known for noirish titles like Sleeper, Criminal, and now Incognito. I love those books. And I love his art in those books. So when he appeared at a New York Comic Con last year, I asked my buddy if he could grab me a commission and I got this great piece.

I really think Phillips does great femme fatales - always very sultry. And this Kara is no different.

I had an idea what his take on her would be. After all, Phillips did this issue in Peter David's run.

Anyways, I will hope to get some new commissions and will scan and post thereafter.