NYCC: Wrap Up and Highlights

While we sadly couldn’t make the New York Comic Con this year, being all the way on the other side of the world, it certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying the amazing amount of news that came out of the event. NYCC distinguished itself from its big brother San Diego Comic Con by actually focusing on news about comic book releases, the west coast festival having become notorious distracted by film events, gaming and spectacle. There were a few TV announcements and film reels played, but here is some of the stuff that caught our attention over the last few days. Who said there were no surprises left to be had in the comics world?

Joss Whedon confirmed that his S.H.I.E.L.D TV series, spinning out of the events of The Avengers and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will see the return of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Via video, Whedon and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige addressed the crowd.  “There was never going to be a ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ show without Agent Phil Coulson!” said Feige, who apparently appeared behind Whedon in the video, wearing a “COULSON LIVES” shirt. “He’s headlining the S.H.I.E.L.D. show and always was.” said Whedon.

Marvel thrilled fans of their cosmic universe series of comics by announcing that a Guardians of the Galaxy book will re-launch in February 2013 from Brian Michael Bendis and Civil War artist Steve McNiven, alongside a Nova series by Marvel Head of Television Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. Not sold yet? Iron Man also joins the Guardians. ‘Nuff said. Full details here.

Another massive title with writers from the world of film and television seems to be David S. Goyer‘s (Batman Begins) return to comics, collaborating with Geoff Johns. Goyer commented to CBR: “I have plans to do something with Geoff Johns that’s been on the drawing books for a while. Basically, [we’re] just looking for the time to plot it out. DC is holding the space for it, it’s an event that we’re going to do, it’s a 13-issue thing. Hopefully, we’ll start plotting it out this fall.”

Andy Diggle (Green Arrow: Year One, Rat Catcher) and artist Tony Daniel (Detective Comics) will take over from Grant Morrison and Rags Morales from Action Comics #18. This will please fans who have been worried about Morrison’s inconsistencies, timeline jumping and insane amount of alien storylines that have graced the flagship book’s pages.

Speaking of Superman, the powerhouse team of writer Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire) and artist Jim Lee will launch a new Supes book in 2013. Given that Snyder has given us one of the greatest arc in comic book history in the Court of Owls this year, we’re excited to see what he can do with another iconic character. It’s rumoured to be called Superman: Man of Steel, which makes sense given a film of the same name is due out next year.

Still on Snyder, he won’t be giving up his awesome Vertigo stylings either with The Wake alongside Punk Rock Jesus maestro Sean Murphy. Snyder told CBR that it’s “a blend of science fiction and horror on an epic scale. It has a post-apocalyptic element too, which I’m also really excited about”. It’s also underwater.

Another Vertigo title due out is the intriguing Trillium. It’s a new 10-issue limited series that’s partially set 1,784 years in the future in 3797, and also set 92 years in the past in 1921. This one will be written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire, who is currently doing epic things on Animal Man.

Justice League of America is coming to DC. Another Justice League book, you say? It’s the powerhouse and incredibly busy teams of Geoff Johns and David Finch. The team will consist of Green Arrow, Katana, Martian Manhunter, Baz the Green Lantern, Stargirl, Vibe, Hawkman and Catwoman. This all comes to a head from the decline of Justice League International, with the above team presumably being a more government focused group. Unlike the previous efforts, we have a few heavy-hitters on this team, no least of which is Martian Manhunter and the new Green Lantern. Plus, Green Arrow is on the team, instantly making this the great group ever. We will fight anybody who questions this.

Image will continue its amazing run in 2012 with a new series called Snapshot by the all-star team of Andy Diggle and Jock, where a comic book fan accidentally picks up a hitman’s phone. There’s stack more sci-fi, a genre Image has owned in the last year, with Lost Vegas by Jim McCann and Janet K. Lee, and the one we love the sound of the most, East of West, by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta, western where the four horsemen of the Apocalypse decide to hunt down and kill the President of the United States. Could this possibly sound more brilliant? Hickman has also promised an original graphic novel called Feel Better Now, about some psychiatrists who start messing with their patients for fun. There’s also Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. Believe.

Finally, Kevin Smith promises a return to the old-school DCU with all but two issues of Batman: The Widening Gyre Part 2 penned. Promised for late 2013, the cliffhanger at the end of the first six issues is too much for us to bear the weight. Can we get a hint now?