Green Lantern: First Flight trailer
The first extended look at this summer’s “Green Lantern: First Flight” direct-to-DVD animated movie. Fans will, I think, be glad to see things like the Green Lantern Kilowog and Sinestro’s Sinestro Corps uniform. Those who are less hardcore might be pleased to see that it looks like a pretty good animated action film.
- Matt Price
Geoff Johns on Flash: Rebirth, Blackest Night
DC Comics writer Geoff Johns talks to Matt Price about “Blackest Night” and “Flash: Rebirth” at the ComicsPRO annual meeting in Memphis.
Flash, Green Lantern in spotlight in 2009
WORD BALLOONS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Flash and Green Lantern will be the “cornerstones” of the DC Universe in the coming year, said writer Geoff Johns, speaking at the ComicsPRO annual members’ meeting last week.
ComicsPRO is a nonprofit organization of direct-market comic store retailers.
Johns is the writer of the upcoming “Flash: Rebirth,” slated for release on April 1, and “Blackest Night,” which kicks off with a free No. 0 issue on May 2, Free Comic Book Day. “Blackest Night” No. 0 is the first original story created by DC for a FCBD giveaway. The first half of the book will be by Johns and Ivan Reis.
“It’s a 12-page story that’s a lead-in to the DC Universe through Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Barry Allen (Flash),” Johns said. “I look at Hal and Barry as very different in how they’re coming into the DC Universe.”
The Flash died a hero in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” saving the world from the Anti-Monitor, before returning in “Final Crisis” last year. Hal Jordan was turned evil by the entity Parallax and destroyed the Green Lantern Corps before dying in the “Final Night” series. In the 2004 series “Green Lantern: Rebirth,” Hal Jordan was purged of the entity and returned as a hero.
“There’s a line in (”Blackest Night” No. 0) where Hal says, ‘You died a saint and I died a sinner,’” Johns said, referring to the different situations in which the two close friends now find themselves.
Barry Allen returning from the dead is “the worst thing that ever happened to him,” Johns said.
“I think a lot of people are wondering why we’re bringing Barry Allen back,” Johns said. “But really ‘Flash: Rebirth’ is knee-deep in doing what we do best.”
“Flash: Rebirth” is from the creative team of “Green Lantern: Rebirth,” Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver.
DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio announced that, based on pre-orders, “Flash: Rebirth” No. 1 will be DC Comics’ top book for April.
“Blackest Night” No. 1 will launch July 15, written by Johns and drawn by Reis. It will tie in with “Green Lantern” and “Green Lantern Corps.”
“I’ve been working really hard on Green Lantern for the last few years,” Johns said. “When we did (the) Sinestro Corps (storyline), it was kind of a surprise for a lot of people,” Johns said. “But now that we’re headed toward ‘Blackest Night,’ the fact that readers, retailers, DC, everybody’s really excited about it, that gets me excited, because I’ve been wanting to tell this story for a long time.”
By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
ComicsPRO annual meeting first thoughts
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Discussions were primarily optimistic at the informal meet and greet kicking off the annual ComicsPRO meeting of comic-book retailers. Distributors, publishers and others will discuss their plans for the upcoming year over the next three days with some of the nation’s top comic-book sellers.
While the box office for “Watchmen” might have not been all that Warner Bros. had hoped for, it certainly worked as far as motivating sales of the book. Anecdotal evidence pointed to huge sales of the graphic novel leading up to the movie’s opening.
Anticipation was high for the “Wolverine” movie, with retailers reporting increased interest in Wolverine and Deadpool merchandise as the movie nears.
Free Comic Book Day, coming up on May 2, was also mentioned by retailers, with at least one retailer expecting it to be his most successful Free Comic Book Day ever.
This year’s Free Comic Book Day will feature a Wolverine tie-in comic as well as the launch of DC’s “Blackest Night” event, written by Geoff Johns.
Also on the horizon are opportunities to tie in with the “Jonah Hex” and “Green Lantern” films, slated for 2010.
Not all was rosy, however. The overall economic slump had affected some locations. Furthermore, logistic problems with a large supplier have become more pronounced in recent weeks. And, something on many stores’ minds is the question of how digital content will impact the comic book industry.
Still, the dozens of retailers who met and talked late into the night about trends and ideas for comic-book retail continue to have a passion for their line of work, and optimism about the future.
– Matt Price
“Green Lantern” animated movie site launches
Get the lowdown on the upcoming “Green Lantern: First Flight” animated direct-to-DVD film at the official site or MySpace. The video, embedded here, gives some background on the film, including that it is not based on any particular source material, it will take place primarily in outer space and is a “Training Day” type film featuring the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and Sinestro, a former Green Lantern who becomes Jordan’s greatest foe.
– Matt Price
Green Lantern film date set: Dec. 2010
Newsarama has a rundown of upcoming film dates for Warners and Marvel properties. “Jonah Hex” is now set for an August 2010 release. The much-anticipated (by me, anyway) Green Lantern is green-lit for a release date of Dec. 17, 2010.
– Matt Price
“Green Lantern” film could shoot as early as spring
Lots of movie news and rumors floating around today. First Showing talked to producer Donald De Line, who said the “Green Lantern” film in development, to be directed by Greg Berlanti (”Everwood”) could begin shooting as early as this spring.
The time could be right to make a Green Lantern movie; I’d certainly like to see it if done right. No news on who will fill the boots of Hal Jordan.
– Matt Price
“DC Universe Online” to bring artist’s work to life
SAN DIEGO — Artist Jim Lee’s deft and muscular take on the DC Comics Universe is at the heart of Sony Online Entertainment’s “DC Universe Online.”
Lee topped comic-book sales charts with his interpretations of Batman and Superman. Those interpretations come to 3-D life in “Universe,” as Lee served as the project’s executive creative director.
In “Universe,” which is being developed for the personal computer and the PlayStation 3, gamers will create a character that can then interact with the world of DC comic books online.
“We’re literally opening the door and letting you walk right into the world of the DC Universe,” said Debby Sue Wolfcale, senior brand manager for SOE.
The well-known characters like Superman, Batman and Green Lantern will fight alongside or against characters created by players.
“These characters have an intensity and power all their own,” Wolfcale said. “(’DC Universe Online’ will) bring that same intensity and musculature … to the player characters.”
In addition to characters, location will be a key component of the game. Locations planned include Metropolis, Gotham City and the Bat Cave.
“We want to make location like another character,” Wolfcale said. “You get as excited to be going into the Bat Cave as you get seeing Batman.”
– Matt Price
Oklahoma writer Sterling Gates interviewed at CC2K
CC2K talks to Tulsa-raised writer Sterling Gates about his recent “Green Lantern Corps” arc.
“I did do a lot of research for my story arc in Corps,” Gates tells CC2K. ”Though having already researched the Secret Files, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Boodikka of Bellatrix had a bunch of appearances to reread, and I kind of adjusted things other people had done that I thought made her weak or come off as stereotypical. My take on her as a Bellatrix Bomber is very different from anyone else’s, but I think it’s a more pure take on the character and unifies with how she’s been portrayed the last few years.”
Comics shipping 04-30-08
The DC Universe is shaken up, Dave Sim returns, and Brian Wood’s “Local” releases its penultimate issue. The easy sell of this week should be “DC Universe” Zero, which retails for only 50 cents. It’s written by Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns. Also by Johns this week – ”Green Lantern” No. 30 and “Action Comics” No. 864. “Action” features art by Gary Frank (edit: whoops, this issue is Joe Prado), and the cover, shown here, by Kevin Maguire (”Justice League International”). The Oklahoma adventures of Thor get a hardcover release, written by J. Michael Straczynski. Full list and commentary after the break.
