Some Con Spoilers

I think most of these are already out, and once I found out I didn't feel quite as priveleged as I did when I first heard them. On Monday and Tuesday we participated in the Diamond Retailer Summit, a conference for comic book retailers. They gave us some information on future stuff coming out, and if you haven't already heard the stuff, then you heard it here first.

I believe this was actually out before we left, but I hadn't heard it yet, and got really excited - Joss Wheedon will be the new writer on Runaways.

The Dabbel Brothers publishing has joined forces with Marvel Comics. So, basically the DB stuff will now face some delays as they go under the Marvel imprint, and most of it will be resolicited. But then, it should come out more reliably (well, what's reliable shipping for Marvel??) . We have some sketch book samplers coming for Anita Blake Vampire Hunter that I saw already and the art really looks cool. With this merge, Marvel will be republishing the entire Hedge Knight series in one book.

Warren Ellis is working on another new Marvel series (I'd be more excited if Warren's books shipped on time) called Newuniverse.

Next year there will be a Spider-Man Family out semi-monthly (like the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends that came out last month). I'm not 100% on who's doing these, but I think each issue will be someone different

Just when you got used to the crazy yellow and red Spider-Man suit, Parker decides it's sooo 2005 and will bring out the fashionable retro black costume. Can we say movie driving comics? Also, if you read Newsarama you might have read the Joe Friday where they were teasing a cover of Spider-Man holding a tombstone for Mary Jane Watson Parker - well, that's supposed to be a story set in Spider-Man's futre, called Spider-Man Reign. There was no comment on how far into the future it's set and weather or not the current SM continuity is supposed to catch up to it.

If you've loved the Incredible Hulk stories from Planet Hulk, you'll be excited to know that next summer Marvel brings Hulk back to Earth, where he proceeds to kick some MAJOR Illuminatti butt. The event will be called World War Hulk, and take place summer 2007, without crossovers.

You Steven King fans have been waiting patiently for the Dark Tower comic book. Well, it's still scheduled for Feb 2007, and I saw some of the pages (completed without dialogue) and they really look awesome. Marvel's putting together a free sketchbook sampler to promo the book that will be out before the comic's release, as well as putting together some more promotional stuff to remind everyone who forgot about it that it's coming out.

Wizkids, makers of games like Heroclix, had a few news bits that I thought were cool: They're going to do a Heroclix Darkhorse set. The new HororClix game will have a Aliens Vs. Predator Aliens set coming in Dec. 2006, followed by an AVP Predators set in 2007. In spring they will have a a COMPLETE Alien Queen, with eggs, that can come apart into two pieces (I can't wait to see pictures). And in the next HorrorClix set the Buy it Buy the Brick promo figure will be a cloaking Predator (not cloked, cloaking).

When the new Justice Society of America starts, it will be co-written by Geoff Johns and Alex Ross, with Ross covers.

DC is jumping into the boat with Marvel, announcing a few direct to DVD movies. There will be a DC New Frontier DVD, as well as Superman Doomsday and Teen Titans Judas Contract. Sounds good to me!

For you Batman/Spawn fans (WHO are you, anyway?) there will be a new Batman/Spawn book and statue in summer 2007.

The Brave and the Bold will relaunch, with Perez on the book. The first issue will be Green Lantern/Batman.

Stardust is going to be made into a movie, and DC plans to reprint the book (the 1st new printing since it sold out in 1998).

David Lapham will be working on Silverfish, in Black and White.

in November The Fountain will be seen on the big screen, starring Hugh Jackman and Raechel Wise. DC is also printing the story in soft-cover in honor of it's screen debut.

The cute little Dino, GON, who appeared in black & white, wordless comics, is now moving to DC's manga imprint: CMX. They will reprint the original GON material and then create new stories.

Absolute Wildcats is coming - That's all I'm going to say about it.

52 update - they have already printed issue 20, they've got the art done up to issue 29, and have covers done for up to issue 32. So far it looks like they could just pull this one off. (Thanks to everyone who gave it a try and stuck with it, by the way. I think it's really been good, and I hope that everyone who's been buying it feels the same way).

DC is reprinting Jack Kirby's New Gods in 4 deluxe hard cover volumes in 2007. They would not give us a price.