Posted in: Comics, san diego comic con | Tagged: 2016, comic con, comiccon, comicon, Comics, entertainment, july, san diego, san diego comic con, sdcc, sdcc16

Sneak Peeks Of DC Rebirth At San Diego Comic Con – And When Mark Millar Wated To Cast Tom Cruise And Richard Gere As Midnighter And Apollo

Peter S. Svensson writes for Bleeding Cool.

The DC All Access: Beyond Boundaries panel started with host Jason Inman making jokes about how he just learned that the upcoming writer of Cyborg, was properly named John Semper Jr. So then he introduced Supergirl and Apollo/Midnighter writer Steve Orlando Junior. Batgirl writer Hope Larson Junior. Harley Quinn co-writer Amanda Conner, who introduced herself as Amanda Conner The Third. Bernard Chang SENIOR arrived a little late to the panel, wearing a Batman Beyond logo T-Shirt.

They were having fun. And it was a fun panel.

So John Semper Jr began the panel by talking about his upcoming work on Cyborg, how he felt that the character as had been currently presented was a bit of a cipher, and how his approach was to try and figure out the core of who the character was. Using the Rebirth one-shot as a chance to redefine him, Semper Jr plans to flesh him out a bit more, and give him a little bit of a sense of humor.

Paul Pelletier is doing art for the Rebirth one-shot, though DC misspelled his name on the Powerpoint Slide. How rude. Semper Jr explained that Pelletier was at first hesitant to do the book, but after reading the script was won over. "He's doing an amazing job on this book." stated Semper Jr, claiming that the end result looks like it's a 70 million dollar blockbuster movie.

Semper Jr's approach to the series is similar to his approach to the 90s Spider-Man animated series, which he produced and was head writer for. To treat the superheroes as people first, and then layer on the danger and suspense and powers on top of that. "I said it's not the Spider-Man show, it's the Peter Parker show."

Host Jason Inman asked about Cyborg's relationship with his father, but Semper Jr stated that he wanted to go beyond that familiar ground, to looking at how his life was before the accident, the peripheral people in his life outside of STAR Labs. Does he relax? Can he relax? What does a man who doesn't listen to music because he can play every song ever recorded in a nanosecond do to relax?

Will Conrad will be drawing the ongoing series, though he and Semper Jr have only begun to start working together.

Amanda Conner was then asked about Harley Quinn, and how DC Rebirth has changed her. The result?

"We decided not to change anything." stated Conner. "We were having so much fun with her as is. That's our big announcement." The one slight tonal shift in the relaunch of the series will be to focus a bit more on Harley's friends and enemies from the wider DC Universe.

Jason Inman explained that when they write scripts to artist Chad Hardin, that they will occasionally give an elaborate description of what to draw, and then end with "Thank god I don't have to draw this." Conner quipped that as an artist herself, she knows how much easier the writer's job is, as she could just write "And then a thousand horses charge in." She apologizes to Hardin a lot for making his job more difficult.

Harley Quinn #1 is coming out the week before the Suicide Squad movie lands in theaters.

Inman tried making a running gag that he wanted panelists to talk about every character's hobby. It didn't really go over well, and I'm just glossing over all the other instances since I have a deadline to meet, but Amanda explained that Harley's big hobby is trying to be a new kind of superhero, and winding up killing more people than she saves. "She gets a new haircut, a mohawk."

I have no clue if she was being serious. What she was serious about was an upcoming issue where Harley will, just like everyone else nowadays, fight zombies. Though these zombies are "all about the hot dogs." I guess Coney Island dogs gone wrong will bring the dead back to life? Maybe. Possibly.

An upcoming issue of Harley Quinn's Little Black Book will have her teaming up with the original Lobo, as drawn by Simon Bisley. This is going to rock.

"They have a love hate relationship because they are so much alike." stated Conner.

"Does she try to steal his motorcycle?" asked Inman.

"Of course!" concluded Conner.

Okay. Bernard Chang is awesome. He was the next one to get interviewed, and he decided to answer the question of why he decided to wear a Batman Beyond logo t-shirt to the panel rather than previous things he's worn like pajama onesies, by explaining that "I'M BATMAN TODAY."

"IT'S QUITE AMAZING. I TELEPORTED FROM 35 YEARS IN THE FUTURE. I WAS AT COMIC CON 65."

Jason Inman asked if someone could check the math on that. Yeah, that's totally off. Comic Con 65 will only be 19 years in the future. Such a continuity mistake. Tsk. Tsk.

A bit more seriously though, Chang gave his secret origin of being an artist. Growing up as an immigrant, learning to read English through comics. Remembering that some of his first drawings were of Superman, punching through a wall. He'd been wanting to work with Dan Jurgens for years, and finally managed to make it happen. They're working plot-style, where Jurgens is loose with the descriptions, giving him the freedom to decide the pacing of the action. Chang was gushing about how Jurgens, being an artist himself, knows how to think visually. "It's like there's a gerbil inside his brain running around, all of these great things come out."

He then explained that he just started the Batman Beyond Rebirth issue yesterday. On his way driving down from LA. "I was on Cruise Control." he joked.

We hope.

He's been moving more towards graphic centric covers, rather than more story-element based ones. His work with his colorist, Marcelo Maiolo has been fantastic. (Amanda Conner then rushed to agree with that statement. ) Chang feels that comics are all about collaboration. "Writers, artists, colorists, letterers, editors, readers."

Hope Larson began by explaining that her upcoming run on Batgirl isn't reinventing anything, nor is it removing or undoing the work by the previous creative team. While the initial arc will have Barbara Gordon visiting Asia on a Vacation/Backpacking Trip/Finding Herself Expedition, she will return to Burnside and her friends there will still be part of her life. "We're going away for an arc then we'll come back."

There is very little connection between her title and the Batgirl and the Birds of Prey title, because "Their book takes place after mine." There's some chronology already planned apparently.

Artist Rafael Albuquerque is the nicest, fastest artist, according to Larson. He will send her a question about a character design over Facebook messenger, then after a response give a revised sketch in five minutes.

Batgirl is visiting Okinawa, Japan. Singapore. Seoul, South Korea. All places Larson wishes she could visit.

Inman tried the joke about the hobbies, and Amanda Conner responded with "Can we see Barbara playing Cards Against Humanity?"

Can we?

Next up is Steve Orlando, here to talk about Supergirl Rebirth #1. Which the first thing he mentioned was that he brought back a character who hasn't been seen since 1979, Lar-On. A werewolf from Krypton. This came up because he was shown on the page of art being displayed on the screen. It's pretty.

He spoke about why Supergirl is a hero, why she'd be a hero even if her cousin wasn't Kal-El. How the concept of paying forward what she's received is key to the character. How while many heroes would send a villain to jail, she would check up on them later to see how they were doing and hope for their redemption. How he finds it hard to write her having recurring villains because of that, because Supergirl doesn't let things drop. That unlike Superman, who arrived on Earth to a loving family, Kara's tale of heartbreak and loss can make her feel more real to people who have suffered like she has.

Orlando then talked about the fact that while he reached back to really old stories for classic villains, there's some newer villains too, like the modern take on the Cyborg Superman, Zor-El. In the new 52, Kara's father is a villain, but she hasn't figured that out yet. But when she does, there will be drama. Orlando explained that he's rooting the character in a supervillain take on fatherly responsibility. He'll do ANYTHING to keep his children safe.

"He's relatable despite being a killer robot." he said, then making the comparison that while the character is like a mix of Superman and the Terminator, he has an emotional arc based on the fact that he feels responsible for Kara's fate and his failure to save Argo City.

People who have only seen the TV show but want to try the comics out will find them accessible, for while they are different, Orlando feels that the show is about the core of the character in a way that he also seeks to write.

The comic is echoing bits of the show in a way that fits with the established DC Universe. He mentioned that the episode where Supergirl stops a robbery without her powers, talking down the danger without a single punch is the idea of Supergirl to him.

We then switched to talking about Midnighter and Apollo #1.

"They're teaming up in a new title!" said Jason Inman.

"Teaming up. Yes." joked Orlando. Oh my.

He then went on to explain that the series started off in his head as an action romance story, but as he's worked on it these past few months it's become more than just that. Midnighter and Apollo still blow things up in spectacular fashions, but they're more than that to him and to many readers. They're icons about pride, about faith in yourself. About never stopping or yielding. There are characters in this upcoming series that haven't been seen for a while that he's amazed he got editorial to agree to. He feels that Apollo and Midnighter are the perfect lens to showcase a different part of the DC Universe, a wonderful world of asskicking. Issue one will have Midnighter face the subway pirates from Grant Morrison's Manhattan Guardian (part of his Seven Soldiers of Victory megastory.) He gets to impale one of them with a subway rod.

Nightwing may be showing up, as he and Midnighter are "best frenemies." There will be many faces readers wouldn't be expecting, as while Orlando thought that he wouldn't get away with it, he has. "If you, like me, came up in the 80s and 90s in comics, you'll recognize them. If you're not … like me, if you've never heard of them, you will have no question of why they are cool. We will show you pockets and nuances of the DC Universe you didn't know, but will never forget." Then they showed a page of Apollo beating up a golem made of subway trains.

It's question and answer time!

Midnighter's foe, the Multiplex may show up again, but that would require Orlando to come up with a better way to top their last appearance, where they got killed by a meat tenderizer. He'll hopefully find a way.

Hope Larson did her research by talking to friends who lived in the countries she wanted Batgirl to visit. She used Google Street View to get visuals, except for China. "They aren't a fan of Google." There, she had to go elsewhere for reference. But everything is either a real place or based on one.

Cyborg will be facing new villains. Semper JR wants to make the other people in his life important too, not just STAR Labs techs. He wants to make Detroit a character in the story, like how Gotham and Metropolis are.

The panelists were asked who they would cast for a TV show or movie based on their comic.

"I would cast Melissa Benoit!" stated Steve Orlando, before seriously talking about Luke Evans as Midnighter. Not only is he gay, but "he did that Dracula Untold movie. So he's not busy." Yeah. That was some shade there. Apparently Mark Millar's dream casting was Richard Gere and Tom Cruise for Midnighter and Apollo, but that was years ago.

John Semper Jr pointed out that his was already cast, and alluded to having gotten to see him on set already.

Hope Larson said that she'd want someone with a comedy background to play Barbara Gordon, perhaps someone from the Second City comedy improv troupe?

Amanda Conner would want Kaley Cuoco, of Big Bang Theory fame to play Power Girl.

Bernard Chang would want Ludi Lin, who is playing Zack, the Black Ranger in the upcoming movie reboot to be Terry McGinness.

Apollo and Midnighter are not married in the New 52, but as per the ending of Midnighter's ongoing series they are back together again, having fallen into each other's lives again. "It's been a few weeks, months. It's comics time. Time has passed."

The panelists were asked what classic runs inspired them that they would recommend a new reader to check out.

Amanda Conner pointed out a Batman Adventures holiday special, where Harley and Ivy kidnap Bruce Wayne and make him go with them on a shopping trip.

Steve Orlando said that the current digital-first comic by Sterling Gates set in the continuity of the show is fantastic, and also wanted people to check out Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle's run on Supergirl before the New 52 which will be back in print. As for Midnighter, he recommended issues 7 and 8 from the previous Wildstorm run. Issue 7 was written by Brian K. Vaughn, and Issue 8 was by Christos Gage and John Paul Leon and featured Midnighter helping a little girl find her cat, as a response to a complaint that he never helps real people, and it all goes awry.

Bernard Chang recommended reading Batman Year One, as going for Batman's origins before reading his future makes thematic sense.

The next question was whether the TV or Film versions influenced the comics.

John Semper Jr spoke about how the knowledge that soon, Cyborg will be a much more prominent character in at least one blockbuster film, and another projected to be made soon means that he feels a pressure and responsibility to reinvent the comics character for that audience that will soon be looking for more stories.

Amanda Conner noted that while they did change Harley's hair color to match the movie, girls change their hair colors often anyways! More to the point, the movies are less influential to her than strange stories from the news, the real world is more influential than anything else.

Steve Orlando pointed out that he'd love for there to be a Midnighter movie for him to be influenced by.

Bernard Chang includes a diverse range of characters in books he draws, acknowledging that while he can't say change Tim Drake's ethnicity, he can surround him in a colorful world that more closely matches reality. That matching reality rather than a false cinematic truth was more important. Also that he is "35 YEARS IN THE FUTURE." (Batman voice. He said that in a Batman voice. Not bad, though not going to give Kevin Conroy or Will Friedle a run for their money.)

Batgirl's characterization is going to remain consistent with the previous run, though Larson suspects that her run will be darker than theirs, and a little less free-wheeling.

The question of how Harley would respond to the Midnighter or to Bat-Mite was raised. Conner pointed out that Harley tends to have two settings for dealing with new people. Attempting to befriend them, or to kill them.

"I would love to see her try to kill Bat-Mite." said the fan.

"SHE IS NOW!" enthusiastically stated Amanda Conner, who apparently liked the idea enough that it may come up in the future.

A fan dressed like Kylo Ren asked the panelists what their first comic was, or which of their favorite comics they feel is underrated.

Steve Orlando stated "I'm the king of books that only I read. To the extent where I took floppies and had them bound into hard covers because I was desperate for a trade."

Steve. You are not alone. There's a lot of us out there. There is no shame in this.

Anyways.

He continued to list a few seminal runs, such as the Andy Helfer Shadow run from the 80s, and the Howard Chaykin run from before that. The JSA run in the 90s by LenStrazewski with art by Mike Parobeck, who died soon after the series concluded. The John Ostrander Spectre.

Bernard Chang mentioned the classic GI Joe issue by Larry Hama featuring Snake Eyes without any dialogue.

Amanda Conner pointed out her husband Jimmy Palmiotti's run on Jonah Hex, acknowledging the conflict of interest.

Hope Larson's first comics were Tintin albums, and you can see that reflected in her work. Say, like having Batgirl travel to exotic locales.

John Semper Jr pointed out that he had read a Dennis the Menace annual that featured a trip to Hawaii. (Yes, there were Dennis the Menace comics that weren't just the comic strip repackaged!) Upon reading it, he felt as if he had also been on that trip to Hawaii. He loves Mobius for the stream of consciousness narrative that you know is being made up as it goes along but still somehow ends perfectly. He loved Herge and his creation Tintin. He was influenced by Marvel, being of the right age to read the comics at the dawn of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby/Steve Ditko era, a love of comics that was bolstered by getting to help bring Spider-Man to life through the animated series. He did read all of the early DC comics as well.

Jason Inman took the time to mention Mark Millar and Grant Morrison's 90s series, Aztec the Ultimate Man, a book about a hero trying to make it onto the Justice League.

Amanda Conner then was reminded of the 80s comedy/slice of life series 'Mazing Man, which was also great but in totally different ways.

"Will Barbara Gordon find a new love interest in Asia?"
"Yes."

The next question was which character would be best to hang out with at Comic Con.

Amanda Conner pointed out that with Harley Quinn, you would either want to be with her, or just observe the chaos from nearby, as it could get really bad really fast.

John Semper Jr said that Cyborg would be fun to hang out with. He could beat up any threats anyways. Leading Bernard Chang to join in that Cyborg could also help recharge everyone's phones!

Hope Larson pointed out that Supergirl could fly you over the convention floor. Quite useful.

Bernard Chang wouldn't want to hang out with McGuinness, but would just want the Batmobile. "I'd like to cruise around in it."

The final question was whether the Batman Beyond comic would continue the animated series, filling in the gaps. Bernard responded that the Jokerz will be showing up, as Batman Beyond has a fantastic rogues gallery worth exploring, especially as Terry returns to the role, but the series is a comic set in the DC Universe, even if they do try to respect the cartoon and the fans who grew up with it.

And then it ended.

<i>Peter S. Svensson continues to write for Bleeding Cool. He will be competing in the Pro/Fan Comics Trivia Match on Sunday. Please cheer him on. Next month, he'll be organizing the official Power Morphicon, the Power Rangers convention in Pasadena, CA. He's pretty geeky that way.</i>

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!