Covering the San Diego Comic Con Coverage

I can't be at SD, too expensive for me, but I've enjoyed following the coverage from the various websites and so wanted to list the things that interest me most along with commentary.

From the DCU Panel, as reported by Newsarama

Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti(with Alex Ross Covers) are doing a serious take on Space Ghost, with a 6 issue miniseries that tells his origin. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, I was a big fan of the original cartoon as a kid, but like the rather bufoonish take on the character in Coast to Coast as well.

The most interesting news of the piece though was this from Bob Wayne:

Starting in 2005, DC will begin its own ambitious reprint project, Batman Chronicles, a trade paperback collection which will reprint every Batman story ever printed in chronological order, starting with Detective Comics #27, and including stories from Batman, World's Finest Comics and everywhere else that Batman appeared. During he question and answer period, Wayne said that the idea behind the Chronicles is to keep them as a line of relatively inexpensive softcovers.

To say this is ambitious is a HUGE understatement, given that Batman is the one DC character who has appeared every month since his inception. What does this mean for the Archives though? For years fans have been saying how they wish DC would release trades of this material rather than the rather expensive HCs.

Is this a test of the waters, or just a special deal for the popular characters such as Batman?

In other news, Devil's Due is launching a new line of superhero books. Which at first I rolled my eyes at because "gee just what comics need, more comics with people in tights."

Yet this pic and info has me curious:

Blade of Kumori: (Written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Dub of Grafiksismik Studio) In the mid 19th century, the samurai disappeared forever from the face of the world. Or did they? This book focuses on Kumori, a young woman carrying on the traditions of her family's samurai clan in the modern world, while discovering some incredible things about herself. Think Kurosawa meets Bond.

Sounds very interesting to me, the lead is sexy looking but not in the "huge breasts and no clothing" way that too often happens in comics with female leads.

I was also glad to hear this bit of info from the publisher about their approach to storytelling:
There's no decompressed storytelling here - it's a new universe, and we need people to know what these characters are about with the first issue, because we might not get a second chance. You'll wait ten issues for a new Fantastic Four origin, because you already know the old one, and you already love those characters, but with an Aftermath book, you want to know who this badass looking guy on the cover is by the time you're done reading that single issue.

That's a very key point because at most you only get the one issue from most fans. There are so many comic publishers and different kinds of comics to read, that if you can't grab that reader the first time then you've probably lost them forever.

This isn't writer Ron Marz's only dealings with samurais in the upcoming year though. According to The Pulse he has a new series called Samurai: Heaven and Hell from Dark Horse Comics due in December. With his current Green Lantern artist Luke Ross doing the art chores.

I've heard from sources that this series will have a preview in the MORE FUND COMICS book that will be available at Baltimore Con.

Apparently Alan Moore's daughter Leah, is launching a comic writing career as well. With a new series from Wildstorm called Wild Girl. I wonder if this is the first time a comic creator's daughter or kid in general has followed their parents footsteps?

ICV2 Announces Electric Girl going to Cartoon Network - I've seen other similar announcements that didn't pan out, but I hope this awesome comic property can become an animated hit show. If you want further info on this series, please check out Johanna's page dedicated to it.

Sounds like a great time was had by all. I hope to make it to the show at some point in my life, but it is fun to read the coverage from those who are there.