Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: andy lanning, dc comics, endless winter, ron marz

Endless Winter Preview and Checklist in This Week's DC Comics

Published Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:30:53 -0600

This week's DC Comics titles contain a preview for DC Comics' Endless Winter event by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz.

There's a chill wind blowing across the DC Universe in the crossover event Endless Winter, coming in December! An ancient evil has emerged from the Arctic wilderness—and only the combined might of the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and other unexpected superbeings—Black Adam? What's he doing here?—can put a stop to it and save the world from becoming a permafrost nightmare.

Co-written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz and illustrated by an array of top artists, Endless Winter runs for a total of nine chapters, bookended by Justice League: Endless Winter #1 and #2.

JUSTICE LEAGUE… VIKING?
It all starts when an ancient and malevolent being known as the Frost King bursts out of the snowbound former site of the Fortress of Solitude. Bent on revenge and mad with power, the Frost King's thirst for vengeance can be traced back to a bygone era when he was defeated by a proto-Justice League made up of Queen Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, the Viking Prince, and Black Adam!

"We felt like heroes would band together in every era, and we wanted to show off what we eventually came to call the Justice League Viking," says Ron Marz "We had to sort out which characters would logically be around in the 10th century, and then figure out how those relationships work. The short version is…not everybody gets along."

Andy Lanning adds, "Having the JLV in the past to contrast with the League in the present was a great way to show how the heroes of today operate with a different ethos than the warriors of the past. Needless to say, the ancient way of the warrior is more confrontational, and all of their larger-than-life personalities send sparks flying."

PAST SECRETS EQUAL PRESENT DOOM
What happened in the distant past leads directly to battle in today's DC Universe as the Justice League struggles to stop the Frost King, his army of ice monsters, and the coming of an apocalyptic winter storm that threatens to wipe out life on Earth. And while all this is happening, Black Adam and what remains of the JLV team must face the consequences of decisions they made in the past—including some that none of them want revealed. As Lanning explains, "At the root of the secret are actions taken centuries ago, actions some of the characters regret, which created ramifications in the present that they most revisit again." But those secrets will have to remain under wraps for now.

BLACK ADAM vs. FROST KING
At the center of the ILV's internal conflicts is Black Adam. As leader of the modern nation of Kahndaq, he has vowed to protect his people from the Frost King, no matter who gets in his way. , • "Black Adam is a man on a mission, and he will not let anyone or anything stand in his way," says Lanning. "He has his own unique, single-minded approach to achieving results." .;?.: "He's not really a hero, but he's not really a villain. He has his own agenda and he is genuinely driven to protect his nation," adds Marc. "He's very much the hero of his own story, and that makes for a fascinating character." – ,-;•>146,

HEROES UNITE
Along with the Justice League and what remains of the JR Endless Winter also features appearances by the present-day Teen Titans, members of the original New Teen Titans, and Aquaman's own army of fire trolls, direct from the Earth's core.
"The spine of the story is the Justice League, of course, so we keep coming back to them," Marc explains. "There are some interactions as the story unfolds that I really enjoy, including an encounter between the Flash and Black Adam, Superman going to visit his parents, Aquaman and Mera side by side, and even the Teen Titans discovering a new hero." "Getting to play with such a great cast of cool superheroes is like catnip: from the Justice League to the Teen Titans, Aquaman to Black Adam, and—probably my personal favorite—the Justice League Dark," says Lanning. "The story isn't all fantasy and fistfights, though. It also reflects present-day concerns about our environment." "Our story deals with some extreme weather conditions spreading across the globe and having a serious impact on humanity," says Mari. "It's not very different from what we're dealing with in real life, as climate change spawns more extreme conditions, from hurricanes to wildfires."

HOTTEST ARTISTS
To pull off an event this big, DC enlisted a cadre of artists, including Howard Porter (.1lA, The Flash), Phil Hester (Green Arrow), Xermanico (The Green lantern: Blackstars), Jesus Merino (Wonder Woman), Amancay Nahuelpan (Justice League Dark), Brandon Peterson (Green lanterns), Marco Santucci (Shazam!), Carmine Di Giandomenico (The Flash), Clayton Henry, and Miguel Mendonca. "Getting to see how the amazing artists we're working with bring our ideas to life just inspires us more and makes us want to raise our own game," says tanning. "Looking at the pages, we're determined to keep up our end of the bargain
because the artwork is looking bloody lovely!" "The real pleasure is working with so many great artists, and seeing all those pages rolling in day after day," Marc says. That's still the magical part of this job."

Here are the full solicitations.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: ENDLESS WINTER #1
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by HOWARD PORTER
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by MIKEL JANÍN
card stock variant cover by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
ON SALE 12/1/20
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES | 1 OF 2 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK COVER $5.99
"Endless Winter" chapter one! The crossover event of the season begins here! The Justice League encounters an extinction-level global storm brewing at the former site of the Fortress of Solitude. Enter the Frost King, a monster mad with power with an army at his command! What devastating mystery lies in his past? And how does he tied to Queen Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, Viking Prince, and their reluctant ally, Black Adam? Two timelines will reveal further clues and secrets throughout each chapter of this blockbuster tale!

THE FLASH #767
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by CLAYTON HENRY
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by CLAYTON HENRY
variant cover by HICHAM HABCHI
ON SALE 12/8/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter two! As the world's heroes rush to stop the freezing conditions running rampant across the globe, the Fastest Man Alive speeds directly into Black Adam. With the planet losing hope, the Flash and Kahndaq's ruler must find a way to work together, while a story from Black Adam's past reveals his connection to the threat that now returns to end the world with freezing ice and fearsome frost.

SUPERMAN: ENDLESS WINTER SPECIAL #1
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by PHIL HESTER and ANDE PARKS
cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
variant cover by RAFAEL GRASSETTI
ONE SHOT | ON SALE 12/8/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter three! Superman finds himself at the center of an epic battle as the Frost King's hordes of ice monsters come to life. Is this frozen onslaught too much for the Man of Steel, or can he stop it before it rampages across the chilling wasteland the world is becoming and reaches civilization? The answer to this question comes from an unlikely source close to Clark Kent's earthly roots!

AQUAMAN #66
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by MIGUEL MENDONÇA
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by MIKE McKONE
variant cover by DIMA IVANOV
ON SALE 12/15/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter four! The icy tendrils of Frost King's global grip extend all the way to the bottom of the Seven Seas! Can Arthur and Mera convince a ferocious collective of Fire Trolls to emerge from the Earth's very core to save Atlantis from its frozen imprisonment? And in our look to the past, the unlikely team of heroes gets more than they bargained for when they face off against the Frost King for the very first time!

JUSTICE LEAGUE #58
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by XERMANICO
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
variant cover by JEN BARTEL
ON SALE 12/15/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter five! In this turning point issue, the Justice League is scattered across the snow-covered globe, trying to stave off the frozen doom, leaving Green Lantern John Stewart to stand alone. At the Hall of Justice, he begins to piece together clues that could help turn the icy tide that threatens to overwhelm them all. But then an unexpected visitor arrives on cue: the Frost King himself! In the past, however, Queen Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, and Viking Prince witness a terrible decision made by Black Adam—one that will haunt them forever.

TEEN TITANS: ENDLESS WINTER SPECIAL #1
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by JESUS MERINO
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by BERNARD CHANG
variant cover by SIMONE DI MEO
ONE SHOT | ON SALE 12/15/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter six! Crush, Roundhouse, Kid Flash, and Red Arrow embark on a bonding exercise with new partners from the original New Teen Titans: Donna Troy and Beast Boy? Everyone's limits will be tested as they brave the challenges of holiday shopping in Manhattan! And then, the city is buried in snow! When they discover a teen whose powers are triggered by the extreme cold, the team must decide if this new arrival is a future hero or villain. And in the past, Black Adam battles the Frost King with devastating consequences.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #29
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by KYLE HOTZ
variant cover by GLEB MELNIKOV
ON SALE 12/22/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
"Endless Winter" chapter seven! The past holds the key to surviving the Endless Winter, as the Justice League Dark seeks to resurrect both Swamp Thing and the spirit of Viking Prince. Queen Hippolyta reveals a shocking secret to Wonder Woman as the past and present collide. Buried secrets are unearthed as the Justice League and Justice League Dark must come together with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

BLACK ADAM: ENDLESS WINTER SPECIAL #1
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by BRANDON PETERSON
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
card stock variant cover by BOSSLOGIC
ONE SHOT | ON SALE 12/22/20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US FC
"Endless Winter" chapter eight! Seeking to bolster his nation's place in the world, Black Adam arrives in Gotham City demanding action to end the threat causing an endless winter across the globe. But Black Adam isn't telling the world's leaders everything—especially not that he's faced the mysterious Frost King before and won. Find out what Adam's hiding in the penultimate chapter of "Endless Winter."

JUSTICE LEAGUE: ENDLESS WINTER #2
written by ANDY LANNING and RON MARZ
art by HOWARD PORTER and CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
backup story art by MARCO SANTUCCI
cover by MIKEL JANÍN
card stock variant cover by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
ON SALE 12/29/20
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES | 2 OF 2 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $5.99 US FC
"Endless Winter" chapter nine! This is it—the final chapter in the five-week, nine-issue Justice League crossover! With the Frost King's origin revealed, the Justice League must battle the mistakes of the past as well as the global freeze that now threatens the entire population. This issue is snow-packed with characters and action as Superman battles Black Adam while Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Queen Hippolyta, and Swamp Thing face the Frost King and his monstrous army! All of the world is watching, and the Justice League must make a choice.

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