SAN DIEGO — DC’s executive editor Dan DiDio may have undersold what could be a sweeping change for a major DC character in his introductions for the DC Nation panel on Thursday at Comic-Con International.
As he introduced writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver, DiDio almost casually mentioned the pair would collaborate on a miniseries starring Barry Allen: “Flash: Rebirth.”
Barry Allen was a police scientist who was DC Comics’ fastest man alive from 1956 until his death in the pages of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” in 1985. The period in the late 1950s and 1960s in comics is often called “The Silver Age.”
Johns and Van Sciver previously revived Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern, in a series titled “Green Lantern: Rebirth.”
“If you liked what we did on ‘Green Lantern: Rebirth,’ hopefully you’ll check out ‘Flash: Rebirth,’ out in January,” Johns said.
The next-biggest surprise of the panel was an unnanounced appearance by writer/director Kevin Smith (”Clerks”). Smith, who previously wrote “Green Arrow” for DC Comics, announced he’d be writing a three-issue “Batman” miniseries.
Smith, who is a popular writer, but known for his chronic lateness, said the series would start in November.
“Batman: Cacophony” brings back the villain Onomonopoea from Smith’s “Green Arrow,” and will also feature villains the Joker and Mr. Zsasz.
“It’s fun to be back at DC playing in the sandbox again,” Smith said.
– Matt Price
