It’s that time of year again folks. San Diego Comic-Con, or SDCC for those in the know. While there are several cons each year, few bring out the insanity like SDCC. Geek mecca? Perhaps. Overhyped machine of the industry? Perhaps. Whatever it is, SDCC is where fans can satiate their need for fetish properties such as comics, toys and information. Panels abound here. Each filled with some new nugget of information about what the next year holds for comics, movies, TV, pretty much anything in pop culture.
Being on the comics’ side of things, I began to think of my fantasy league of announcements via SDCC. What would I love to hear? What comic dream teams could come together? What new books could be announced? What, in the world of comic books, would be incredibly exciting to know will come true? I decided to make a list. None of these are actual announcements, but rather my list of 20 Dream Announcements From SDCC. To give them an extra air of reality, I’ve linked this fantasy list to real panels happening in San Diego.
Announced at the Marvel: Cup O’ Joe panel, where Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada lets us know what’s new with Marvel comics. Black Panther has made a strong return over the last two years. Between his stint taking over for Daredevil, and his run with the New Avengers, BP is due for a new book. Any number of writers could handle the job, but in my fantasy world, Christopher Priest, the man who really fleshed out the character originally, is offered the helm.
Where better place for this to come from, than the Jack Kirby Tribute panel? While lamenting the absence of the awesomeness that is Jack Kirby, it’s dropped that Kamandi is coming back. In my world, Darwyn Cooke’s innate ability to write Golden Age style, combined with John Romita Jr’s iconic art, is the perfect fit for a new Kamandi project.
During the DC Comics Justice League: Trinity War panel, the DC folks go over a few of the results of the Trinity War. One of them is who is the next creative team for Earth 2 once James Robinson tips out. For that book, my fantasy team has to be Matt Wagner and Ivan Reis. Wagner is incredible at writing team books; he’s also solid with layering new characters and giving them weight. Take that skill, add the art work of Ivan Reis, and Earth 2 can continue to be one of the best books on the DC shelves.
IDW The Panel To End All Panels is the perfect place for IDW to apologize for the lion’s share of artists they’ve hired to pencil their books. After the apology, they announce a move to try and get better artists to draw for them. No longer just accepting anybody who can pencil decent likenesses of TV and movie characters, IDW is going to start striving for great art across the board.
DC Entertainment: All Access panel comes with some stirring choices for the culture of DC characters. For me, one of the best announcements would be a crossover book with Dynamite Comics wherein the Lone Ranger is forced to do battle with Jonah Hex. Hex is seeking vengeance against some nasty killers, when he runs afoul of the Lone Ranger’s “no kill” policy. The two duke it out, then join forces to take down a crooked judge.
Yes, I know they are a DC team, but this is a fantasy list where anything is possible. In a move to bring back the bizarre and creepy to Doctor Strange, writer Jeff Lemire and artist Jae Lee unify their abilities with the lush and bizarre. From that team, an on-going Doctor Strange book follows. One that is allowed to go off on any weird tangent it wants to. I see this announced at the Avengers, X-Men, Doctor Strange & Sgt Rock 50th Anniversary panel.
Continuing the hustle to bring back odd Marvel characters, The 70s Panel is the place where Sean Murphy, Punk Rock Jesus mastermind, and current artist for Scott Snyder’s The Wake, announces his plan to write and pencil a new Ghost Rider title. Read Punk Rock Jesus and you’ll understand just how joyous this announcement would be.
Yep. The 70s roll on in my fantasy league!! At the Spotlight On Chris Samnee panel, the artist tells the world that he’ll bring his dark noir meets silver age style to a new book featuring Power Man & Iron Fist. To script the project, the violent writing skills of Greg Rucka are necessary. I’d also have it announced that when Luke Cage returns to active duty, he decides to be Power Man again. Yellow outfit, headband and all!!
I seriously miss this book, and there has been no news on when it will return. In my fantasy SDCC world, during the What’s Next At Image Comics panel, S. Steven Struble tells fans exactly when the record collecting, girl loving misfit comes back to shelves.
Perhaps my biggest fantasy announcement would be when Joe Quesada announces the universal firing of Jason Aaron. To try and save Thor, Quesada has gone to Vaughn and Staples, fresh off their awesome turn with Saga, to bring the fantastical back to the God of Thunder. If you’ve read Saga, you’ll understand why this team on Thor would be a fantasy for me. Announced at the Marvel: Cup O’ Joe panel.
This is a big fantasy of mine because Action Comics has been atrocious since the New 52 reboot. The recent Superman Unchained story is the first light at the end of a dark tunnel for the big blue boy scout. So, at the DC Comics Superman Unchained From Concept To Page panel, Scott Snyder and Jim Lee announce that DC is done fucking around and is putting them in charge of Action Comics from now on.
Another book that sucks to live without (see what I did there) is American Vampire. At the Vertigo: Defy panel, Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque end the suspense and give a firm return date for the series.
Why? Because in my mind, nothing else in 2012 touched Punk Rock Jesus on any level.
In my fantasy, Superman Unchained has become the new Action Comics. This still leaves the Superman title without a decent team. During the DC Comics Superman: The New 52 Era panel, a new creative team is announced for Superman. Greg Pak, currently penning Batman/Superman, will write the book, and master artist Frank Quitely will pencil. With those announcements, 2013 looks brighter for Superman. Well, at least in my world.
As both artist and writer, Sam Kieth brings a level of weird to all he does. It’s that level of weird scripting, and bizarre artwork, that Swamp Thing needs. At the Spotlight On Sam Kieth panel, the reclusive artist announces his take on Swamp Thing. My fantasy brain is swimming with how amazing that would be.
While I’ve been enjoying Superior Spider-Man, I’m getting a little antsy as to when Peter Parker returns. At the Marvel: Superior Spider-Man panel, Dan Slott lets us in on the time frame for Parker’s return. It doesn’t have to be an exact date, just something like Fall or Summer 2014. It would allow the part of my brain still aggravated by how Slott “killed off” Parker once and for all to settle down.
Oh yeah, this is a fantasy of mine that’s been swimming around for a while. At the Spotlight On Jim Lee panel, the iconic artist announces that he’s teaming up with Jonathan Hickman on Silver Surfer. Imagine Hickman’s layered, intellectual writing, and Lee’s gorgeous artwork used to create new adventures for Silver Surfer. My fantasy nerd-head is about to explode.
Right before ending the Marvel: Cup O’ Joe panel, Quesada apologizes for the horrific Rick Remender run on Captain America and lets us know Ed Brubaker is returning to the first Avenger. A rush of joy and relief fills the room.
Perhaps the most exciting announcement, in my fantasy brain, would come from the Walking Dead Tenth Anniversary Panel. Here, Kirkman would explain that he’s had an epiphany. He now understands just how awful Walking Dead has become. So awful that it is starting to taint the genius of the first fifty issues. Not wanting to destroy his legacy, Kirkman says he’s bowing the series out at 150. However, the show will continue.
This will never happen, but in my fantasy world it is the best announcement of the con. During the DC Comics: The New 52 panel, DC admits that the New 52 reboot didn’t really work. Erasing the entire history of DC was a dumb move, plus, the whole retcon only affected some of the characters. Green Lantern’s Universe never changed, and neither did Aquaman’s. The changes to Superman didn’t work, and the timeline has screwed up Batman’s history in a big way (within five years he found and fired Dick Grayson, found Jason Todd and watched him die, found Tim Drake and fired him, and then got Damian who died? Seems doubtful).
DC is taking the changes they like and keeping them, but returning the vast history of DC to the characters. Superman will still be married to Lois Lane, though their relationship is on the rocks. Batman has a lengthy history to draw from, which won’t hurt the Zero Year at all because it still works with Batman Year One. Wonder Woman might lose the last year, but Green Lantern will be fine. Earth 2 is another world so they don’t have to mess with it at all. Really, if DC announced the end of the New 52, it would be win, win.
There you have it, my 20 Dream Announcements From SDCC. I know none of these will happen, but a man has to dream. Even if you don’t agree with any of my choices, at least I’ve given you a list of cool panels to attend.
