San Diego Swag Bag

I have been running this Supergirl site for over nine years now. I feel blessed to have met and interacted with so many Supergirl fans. And I am humbled by how generous so many people have been to me over the course of the years.

The latest example is from blog friend Firebird.

I met Firebird back in 2015 at the Boston Comic Con. He had traveled to the con and gave me the CW Supergirl swag bag from San Diego Comicon from that year. I also got the opportunity to see all of his incredible Supergirl commissions.

Firebird also went to this year's San Diego Comic Con and was lucky enough to snag an extra Supergirl swag bag which he sent my way.

It is a gorgeous and relatively huge bag and came with a Supergirl pin.

I can't thank Firebird enough for giving me this great gift. I am truly appreciative and grateful. I doubt I'll ever get to San Diego Comic Con so getting some memorabilia from there is just fantastic.

On top of that, inside the bag was a bunch of programs and con TV Guides. This was definitely a great little bonus. Just to thumb through the program and guides was just brilliant, giving me the best sense of the scope of this event. That Kirby-covered guide is about as thick as a local phone book!

So thanks again to Firebird for this wonderful gift. I can't thank you enough!

Supergirl Show SDCC Trailer And News

Last weekend was the San Diego Comic Con and most of the Supergirl news revolved around the upcoming third season of the show. Search YouTube or Twitter and you'll get snippets of the many interviews and panels the cast did.

The big release for me was the sizzle trailer for the third season. That is available on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaI6dcoRRQQ

The trailer makes it seem as if the season starts out in a dark place. We hear in a voice over say:

The decision I made, he couldn’t have made that sacrifice. But me, I couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t. I will always make the decision I made. I am not a human. I tried to be but I’m not. Kara Danvers was a mistake.

It is clear that Kara is grieving over losing Mon-El, a decision she made. And her defense is to suppress her emotions, to deny her humanity, and become perhaps a colder, more calculating 'alien'.

And the scenes we see in the preview do a nice job of echoing that.

Perhaps with too many screencaps I break down the trailer.

SDCC 2016: Supergirl Show News

San Diego Comic Con is in the rear view mirror and boy a lot of fun stuff was released, teased, and previewed. I was wowed by the Wonder Woman movie preview. I was pleasantly surprised by the JL movie preview. And I was very pleased with all the Supergirl comic news that came out.

As I said in the comic news post, I am still amazed at how much Supergirl was front and center at the con. There was a ton of news about the character. And having a hit television show certainly is a big part of that popularity. Gone are the days of people not knowing who Supergirl is.

I was also reminded by friend Martin Gray that just a couple of months ago, we fans were worried about getting a second season. Now the news about the show is just steamrolling forward. There was a lot of great information that was released at the convention and there are a million links, youtube videos, vines, and sites that can get you content. I'm just going to concentrate on the actual Supergirl panel at SDCC to discuss.

On to the coverage!

SDCC 2016: Supergirl Comic News

Okay everyone, please settle in.

I usually try to cover the Supergirl news that comes out of the San Diego Comic Con in one post. But let's face it, Supergirl has become so popular that there is no way I could cover it all in one place. How crazy is it for me to say that! But true ... between the comic, show, and merchandise, Supergirl is everywhere.

This post will only cover the news about the comic that came out of SDCC. And that is still a lot for me to touch on. Between preview pages and hearing Steve Orlando talking about the book, I am even more excited for this new book. Everything looks and sounds like I am going to love this book.

So the outline here will be me grabbing blurbs from a couple of panels that Orlando appeared at and then adding my thoughts. After that I'll showcase some of the panels from the preview pages I liked. Everything I am commenting on is easily found on the internet. For ease, here are links to where it all can be found on Newsarama.

The link for the DC Young Metropolis panel: http://www.newsarama.com/30246-sdcc-2016-dc-rebirth-s-young-gotham-young-metropolis-panel.html

The link for the DC No Boundaries panel: http://www.newsarama.com/30235-sdcc-2016-dc-all-access-no-boundaries-panel.html

The link for the comic pages: http://www.newsarama.com/30251-dc-first-looks-supergirl-rebirth-1-and-supergirl-1.html

But there is a lot to cover here than just that. So please settle in. It is great that so much Supergirl news came out of SDCC.

SDCC Femme Fatale Exclusive Statue

Every so often I get lucky.

Last year I saw the SDCC Exclusive DC Comics Femme Fatales JLU Supergirl statue. And I wanted it.

But SDCC is a pipe dream for me. I'll never get there. So I thought I'd never get my hands on this piece of Supergirl swag.

Somehow, recently, my comic book store got hold of one. They said that when the SDCC exclusives don't sell out that they are solicited to stores. Knowing Supergirl is my favorite character, they gave me first crack at buying the statue and even allowed me to pay off a bit at a time. Pretty cool of them.

The whole package is slick. The black box pops, showcasing the bright statue on the inside.

SDCC Wrap-Up

Another San Diego Comic Con International is in the books and there was a ton of news that erupted from the event. From movie trailers to comic book announcements to merchandise, there was the usual torrent of publicity.

Now I have things to say about the Batman V Superman trailer but that isn't a topic for this site given the amount of Supergirl news which came out of this convention. The upcoming show certainly was a presence and the premiere was shown at the con.

The one piece of Supergirl news that did not come out of San Diego? News of a new comic book. There was no mention of a DCYou book. There was no mention of a digital book tied into the show. There was nothing. This seems to be an odd decision for DC. Interest in Supergirl is at an all time high. The old book sold solidly and consistently. Why not have something?

Anyways, on to the news.

The cast of the show did any number of interviews which can be found on the web if you go looking. But the official panel is available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miy8X-DUcjU

It was great to see everyone on the panel and excited about the show. Melissa Benoist is enchanting. Mehcad Brooks has serious abs.

But the big news was the name of some of the villains that will appear on the show!
Reactron, Livewire, and Maxwell Lord (played by Peter Facinelli) will all appear in the first season.

I am thrilled to hear that Reactron will be on the show as he is a pure Supergirl rogue and therefore belongs there.

Livewire has squared off against Supergirl in the animated shows and it would be great if she came from Winath (if she is one of the aliens on the show).

I hope Maxwell Lord is just a corporate villain, media whore style bastard and not a mind-controlling fool. I would love for him to be a foil to Cat Grant. I don't mind him being shady. But I'd love for him to be a human villain.

DC also revealed the WB logos to be featured on all their shows. They are specific to the shows they will be on and include a great Supergirl one with this shot of her from Supergirl #50, art by Cliff Chiang from a story by Helen Slater and Jake Black.

You can see them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiMqGCFm16Q

The show was an absolute presence. The marquee sign of Benoist as Supergirl was on display.

And as noted, she appeared on one of the DC Swag Bags for the show.

A buddy may have snagged one for me!

Outside the show, there was some other Supergirl stuff to showcase.

A set of figures based on Darwyn Cooke's variant covers from earlier this year is being done.

One of the figures is Supergirl, including Krypto and Streaky!!!

It is just absolutely beautiful and the inclusion of the Super-Pets is just gravy. I absolutely adore this figure and will definitely be grabbing it!

The Sideshow Collectibles premier figure was also revealed. You may recall that this statue is nearly 2 feet tall and costs about $400!

I don't know how I feel about this. I like the smile, the salute, and Streaky. That said, this is sort of a Michael Turner/Ian Churchill throwback with tiny top and mini-mini skirt.

If it was one foot and $150 I might buy it. But I think this is a bit too much skin for me to have in the collection given the size and price point.

Anyone thinking of grabbing this?

While I love the news about the show, I think my take away from the convention is that there is no comic announcement. Just odd.

Sideshow Collectibles Supergirl Premium Format Figure

Supergirl is certainly having a presence at the San Diego Comic Con.

As if the news and merchandise from the show wasn't enough, Sideshow Collectibles has announced that a Supergirl premium format figure will be unveiled in San Diego as well. Here is there brief blurb:
http://www.sideshowtoy.com/whats-new/supergirl-premium-format-figure/

I would love a picture of this figure which will be showing at the Sideshow booth at SDCC. So this will be yet another thing I will be asking anyone going to the con to get to me if possible.

I do think it is interesting that the costume is apparently the Michael Turner version, heading back to the one used in the pre-New 52 continuity. I would love the shirt to be a bit longer than this advance art but we'll have to see.

And these figures are historically around 2 feet tall and cost around $400. So this isn't a frivolous purchase. I am certainly priced out.

That said, the series look beautiful.

Here is the Power Girl premium figure to give you an idea of what these things look like.

Can't wait to see the Supergirl one ... if only to dream of having it in the shrine.

Supergirl Show: Screening And SDCC

Despite still being three months away, the news about the Supergirl television show continues to arrive at a brisk pace. I have been impressed with how the CBS and the producers have been able to keep the publicity smoldering.

And I have to thank places like Supergirl TV , DC Comics, and other entertainment sites for keeping me up to date. Some of the news is so good I feel I need to share here.

My optimism for the show continues to grow.

Warner Brothers had a special screening of the Supergirl premiere last week.

I haven't been able to learn the wheres or the whens. What I can tell you is that Melissa Benoist was on hand to introduce the show and apparently take some questions. (She answered that Supergirl's hero is her mother Alura.)

It seems like Warner Brothers and CBS are sparing no expense, making a giant Supergirl to hang above the marquee sign.

And here is a picture of Melissa Benoist being swamped with young fans looking for an autograph.

Almost too fantastic!

I love that Benoist seems to really be embracing the role.

But more news has come out about Supergirl's presence at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con.

This conventions has always been on my bucket list of shows I would love to go to. But in particular, I wish I was going this year since the Supergirl show seems to have something of a presence there.

Take a look at this link:
http://www.dccollectors.com/2015/06/sdcc-free-supergirl-cape-t-shirt-at-supergirl-preview-cart/

Apparently there will be a Supergirl Preview Cart which will shuttle people from the convention center into the adjacent Gas Lamp district in San Diego where a bunch of hotels and restaurants are located.

The cart will be showing a Supergirl preview. Those who ride it will get a Supergirl t-shirt and cape. And they'll be able to spare their legs some use.

And we learned over at Entertainment Weekly that Warner Brothers will be releasing a Supergirl tote bag for those at the con.  Beautiful.

And Supergirl has even got some love from TV Guide! She will be one of the covers commemorating the SDCC. On sale to all those, like me, not going to SDCC on July 7th.  Just an absolutely beautiful cover! Benoist just exudes Supergirlness!!!

As for the premiere, it will also be shown 'for the first time' at the convention as well. The Superman Home Page has a list of all the Superman related panels and shows at SDCC here:

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=16611

But the big one is the Saturday premiere showing.

Saturday - July 11:
8.00pm - Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment Screening Block
DC fans, get ready for Super Hero Saturday Night! Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment welcome fans into the world of some of DC Comics' greatest characters during a three-hour experience in Hall H. The exclusive evening will feature a pilot screening of the highly anticipated new drama series Supergirl, followed by a Q&A with stars and producers, plus individual special video presentations and Q&A's with stars and producers from Arrow, The Flash, and Gotham. Also, don't miss a special Q&A with cast and producers of DC's Legends of Tomorrow and a peek at the new digital series Vixen.
Concludes 11.00pm. Hall H.

How I wish I was there for that!

If any blog friends end up going to SDCC please send me pics or details about any Supergirl news!

SDCC 2014 Supergirl News So Far (Or Lack Thereof)- Oh Yeah, And Wonder Woman

There has been a lot of news coming out of the San Diego Comic Con this year, a lot of it around Wonder Woman in Dawn of Justice as well as Batman comics and Marvel movies.

But I hdidn't much about about Supergirl. I wonder if I have missed some part of a crucial panel about the super-books. Geoff Johns did talk a little Superman at a general DC panel and there was a generic sounding Superman panel.

So I don't have much to report on Supergirl here outside of two pictures from the con, both of which make me jealous of whoever has them.

Jim Lee did 50 quick sketches and hid them around the convention site for people to find. Lee tweeted out both the sketch and the general area where it could be found. One of them was this New 52 Supergirl. That would be a pretty cool find while wandering around!

Now a couple of weeks ago I wrote how Smallville cover artist Cat Staggs was on my wish list for commissions at the Boston Comic-Con.

Staggs tweeted her first commission of the SDCC, this pre-New 52 Supergirl. It is stunning and shows exactly why I hope she is sketching in a couple of weeks.

Anyways, if anyone caught any Supergirl news from the convention please let me know or include a link!

I am probably burying the lead ... but this is a Supergirl blog.

We finally got a sneak peek at Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman costume for the upcoming Batman v. Superman:Dawn of Justice movie.

So ...

I was absolutely worried that the Wonder Woman costume would be horrible. And so, going in with that fear, I saw this and was pleased. There is definitely a specific Greek feel to this look and Gadot looks strong and fierce.

Yes, I wish there was more color, more red and blue. This muted color thing by Snyder is terrible. Is this whole world brown and gray?

And yes, she is wearing heeled/wedged shoes. Seems foolish to me. But it isn't a deal breaker to me because this could have been much worse.

Now I know that response to this has been dramatic and somewhat heated and negative, especially from hard-core Wonder Woman people whose opinions I respect. But I thought this was fine.

But otherwise there isn't much to report about Superman. Johns' was in the Champions of Justice panel.
Here is what he had to say:

 "We sat down and read every Superman comic from the New 52 and plotted the course of who that character is and what he's been through." Johns said that the human side of Clark Kent had been taken out of the series, but their new take on the Daily Planet staff will help bridge that gap. Coming up is a big change for Jimmy Olsen, which Johns referred to saying, "Dare I say it, it's bigger than Turtle Boy."

So one thing I have complained about is the lack of humanity and empathy in the New 52 Superman. So to actually hear Johns say that he is using the Planet staff to humanize Clark makes me happy.

At the same time, DC All Access came out with a video interview with Johns, John Romita Jr, and Klaus Janson. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGY9l2vIPk#t=365

It is interesting to see the three interact, especially the general lack of involvement by Romita. But it is here that again we hear that the villain I thought was a new Cleric with a second villain in Toyman in the arc is actually a new villain named the Machinist.

And, there was indeed a Superman panel, covered here by CBR here. But there really is nothing major revealed or discussed here. Worth reading for completeness sake I guess.

San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives Include SBFFs!

Heading to the San Diego Comic-Con is sort of a bucket list event for me. I just can't imagine ever having the free time or liquid cash to be able to do such a thing.

If I could ever do it, it would be this year because of this DC exclusive just revealed: a three-pack of Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever. Here is a link of all the exclusives:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/05/20/dc-comics-comic-con-exclusives/2325889/

It is hard to get any sense of the size of these things. I can't tell if they are plastic or more like statues. What we do know is the three-pack costs $49.99. So I would hope they aren't 2 inch plastic things.

Regardless, I want these badly but will have to wait for someone to put them on an internet auction site.

Let's face it, Super Best Friends Forever was a great series of shorts in the DC Nation block and I can only hope that at some point Warner Brother and DC Entertainment will do the right thing and let Lauren Faust make more of these cartoons.

SDCC Wrap-Up - Supergirl Pt 2 - Long Post

The Superman panel at the San Diego Comic Con was held on Friday. The guests included Shane Davis (artist of Superman:Earth One Vol2), writers Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco, Mike Johnson, and editor of the Super-books Matt Idelson. Here is a link to Newsarama's coverage as well as their transcript:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2012-dc-comics-superman.html

I have to say there was a lot of information in the panel. I have grabbed the quotes that grabbed my attention to post here and comment on. I recommend reading it in its entirety. Also, I won't be covering Shane Davis' comments here so if interested in his and JMS' graphic novel, you should head there.

Now there is a lot of stuff here that actually stood out as positives. A lot.

There were a couple of things that glaringly stood out as negatives to me.

At least the positives outweighed the negatives.

So the text in blue is taken directly from the transcript. I rearranged some of the quotes for comprehensive coverage of some themes. And as this is a set-up for the coming year, this is a long post. So settle in.

First up, Scott Lobdell talked about his upcoming run on Superman. Lobdell's answers made me optimistic about the book which I think has suffered a bit from the creative turnover. And his enthusiasm over being given the book is clear, even when reading text off a screen. Here were some of the comments and my analysis.

Next is the cover to Superman #0, Scott Lobdell's first issue. " But we don't see what life was like on Krypton, much about Jor-El, the horror of the night when he first discovered that Krypton was going to die. He's up on the roof trying to figure out how to tell his wife, and she comes up and gives him a hug and says "we're having a baby!" and he's like "greeeeat"

We haven't seen much of Krypton or Jor-El since the New 52 came about. So for someone like me looking to have a foundation on build this new incarnation on. Also, most of the versions of Jor-El's discovery start with him telling the Science Council. So this look, where he tells Lara first (which makes complete sense that he would share it with his wife first) feels new. So

"I want Superman to mix the new characters with completely new versions of existing characters. Treat them like when we first started the New 52, like we're seeing them for the very first time."

I also think this is a very positive statement. I have wondered if the writers of Superman have been handcuffed a bit by Action Comics and it's current 'in the past' story-telling. Can the Superman writer introduce an re-imagined villain knowing that a 5yr gap exists between the stories of Action and the Superman book? So hearing that Lobdell is planning to show us some new versions of existing characters means that maybe he has been given a little more creative freedom.

"I'm also doing a lot of concentrating on Clark. Traditionally in the books, Clark has been seen as kind of bumbling. To me, I think of Clark as... When you're Superman everything you say is examined to the most minute detail - you have to be more guarded with your words and actions. Clark is going to be his id, he'll be his voice when he wants to express how he really feels. It'll be fun. I want to merge them a little closer in terms of personality."

This explanation on Lobdell's take on Clark is also very interesting. It makes me think Clark is going to be a bit more of a pro-active and vocal investigative journalist. The present-day Superman probably can't vocalize his opinions about corrupt politicians or businessmen (like he is doing in Action). But Clark ... well he can uncover and report and rail against corruption loudly. So this take on Clark actually dovetails nicely with what Morrison is doing. I feel Clark is as important as Superman so I am glad he is being paid attention to.

Lois Lane will play a larger role in Lobdell's Superman. "I kind of see them as besties, where she might share a tub of Haagen Daas with Clark after having a fight with her boyfriend. A lot of relationships take a long time to happen, when you're thinking of Clark and Lois you think of them as competitors, but I'm trying to reflect them in a more realistic way. Lois will be very much a part of Clark's life, just not the only aspect of Clark's love life."

And I think Lois is as important a component to the book as Clark. I like this take on Lois as friend, confidante, and potential romantic partner. At least it is possible ... an aspect of Clark's love life. I think Lois has been on the periphery of the current book so I hope she gets more screen time.

So nothing but good news from Lobdell on Superman.

But here is where the panel took a sour note for me, all in one lump.

Next is Superboy #0, the book is being handed off to Tom Defalco.

There were clones in the Kryptonian society, then they started to deteriorate and became homicidal maniacs and warmongers. Kara sees him as something she needs to kill as soon as possible before he snaps. Superman will be much more "let's wait and see how he goes, if we can help prevent that deterioration" and Kara won't like that.

"We'll see lots of conflict between the 3 supers because of that" Johnson "They won't be superpals anytime soon."  Superman will try to mentor both Superboy and Supergirl... and both of them will reject his advice in unique ways.

Q: If he's not mentoring Superboy or girl, will he mentor anyone else?

Idelson: Not right now, he's such a loner and still figuring things out himself, so he doesn't feel like he can mentor anyone yet.

So Supergirl is going to be actively trying to kill Superboy.

Reread that sentence.

Supergirl wants to kill someone.

Okay, maybe she considers him a 'something' not a someone if she considers him more like Replicant. And she doesn't even want to wait to see if Superboy snaps (although he isn't necessarily a Kryptonian clone and Superman advises watchful waiting). Nope, Kara wants to kill him right now and Superman saying don't kill him doesn't sit well with her. And as a result the Super-family is splintered.

Moreover, both Supergirl and Superboy reject Superman as a mentor. I would think that a lonely Kara, mourning Krypton, would want her cousin and the only other surviving Kryptonian as part of her life.

And then the coup de grace of things that irked me. Idelson, the Super-editor, the person in charge of the future of Superman and all his books, thinks Superman is a loner who doesn't want to mentor anyone because he still doesn't know himself.

Reread that sentence!!

Superman is a loner! And uninterested in mentoring his family!

So in the DCnU, Batman is less of a loner and more of a mentor than Superman. It is as if the people in charge of Superman don't know him. At least I have Superman Family Adventures.

Finally, I ask you to imagine if this upcoming storyline would work for any other family. Let's imagine it in the Batman books. Imagine if at the Batman panel, they creators said this:

Batgirl thinks, given the history of the Al Ghul family, that Damien is a time bomb of villainy ready to explode (which is possible). So Batgirl decides she needs to kill Damien before he can do anything evil. Batman advises her to wait but she wants no part of it and will strive to kill Damien despite Batman's protests. Batman offers to mentor both Batgirl and Robin but they reject him. In fact, Batman is a loner who doesn't know himself at all so he really isn't ready to mentor anyone as it is.

Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Would that story arc make it past the bat editors? Would DC let that happen? So why is that part of the Superman family?

Okay, the negative parts of the panel are done. The rant is over I promise. Back to the positives.

Action Comics #0 is up next, we'll "learn things about Jimmy Olsen that you didn't know" says Idelson.

In Action #13 "we'll find out what happened to Krypto. It's our halloween issue. We'll find out in a GOOD way"

After Action #13, Superman, Action, Superboy and Supergirl will have "tighter coordination"

Okay. More Jimmy is good. Krypto is good. And a tighter continuity around the super books is, in theory good.

And now the Supergirl stuff which all sounds very good.

On Supergirl #0:

Johnson: "The whole issue is set on Krypton. It delves into the family dynamic. We have fun and make it a little messier than the traditional superman family. Her relationship with her father and her mother is very different. We see that all come to a head when krypton is dying."

Supergirl #13 will show Kara's "Fort of Solitude" not as grand as Kal's but her own sanctum. This is her opportunity to remember and preserve the world that she left behind.

Well, in the last incarnation, Supergirl had very different relationships with Zor-El and Alura. So it will be interesting to see Johnson's take on this. It does re-open up the suggestion that Alura killed Zor-El. I can't wait to read Supergirl #0 to see that night on Argo and to have some of Kara's origins revealed.

And a 'Fort of Solitude' at least gives a ripple of similarity between Supergirl and Superman. It makes sense that she would want a place to be reverential to Krypton.

So at least the main title sounds like it moving Supergirl in the right direction.

One last comment.

Lobdell said he wanted to bring Supergirl into Teen Titans and Johnson said "yes as long as I can write it with you" but there are no definite plans yet 

I'll say it again. We need a couple of years of Supergirl in her own book and getting defined before she gets put into a team book. I don't want her on the Titans.

SDCC Wrap-Up - Supergirl Part 1

One of these days I am going to get to the San Diego Comic Con so I can hear this news in person.

Like many, I was scouring comic news sources and reading Twitter to get all the news fit to report.

First off, on Thursday, Scott Lobdell was on the All Access DC Now panel. Here is a link to the transcript on Newsarama: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2012-all-access-dc-now.html And here are a couple comments from that discussion worth mulling over.

Lobdell on Superman: Starting in issue #13, readers will see "a lot of Superman and a lot of Clark at the same time. What we're really going to examine is what it means to be the most powerful person on the whole planet, and yet you can't actually ever behave in a way that you are that person. You're hiding out among humanity."

I am still reeling a bit from the Lobdell/DeFalco Superboy #11 issue so I might be looking at these comments with too jaundiced of an eye. I hope that this comment does not mean that Superman is going to be uncomfortable being Clark or acting like a 'normal guy'. Anyways, I hope I don't see nonsense like him accidentally breaking stuff because he 'forgot about his powers'.

Lobdell says that he "couldn't be any more excited" about writing Superman, and that his run will include new takes on previously existing characters. "There's nothing like writing Superman," Lobdell says. "No offense, Scott." "There's nothing like writing Batman," Snyder replies. Snyder says he's read Lobdell's proposal, and there's nothing more inspiring than seeing someone who's been in the business for a while getting so excited about a project.

I doubt that DC would like it if another creator said 'I read his proposal and thought it stunk!' so I take these comments with a grain of salt. Still, Snyder didn't need to say anything so the fact he did comment so positively makes me a bit more optimistic.

Raven is coming up in Teen Titans, Lobdell says. "If I get my way, which I seldom do, we're going to be seeing Supergirl on the team," Lobdell says.

I don't think Supergirl should be put in any team book right now. She needs to establish herself in her own book before she joins a team. 

Also on Thursday, at the DC Collectibles panel, a New 52 Supergirl bust was announced available in November. Here is a link to the DC Source blog and that transcript: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/07/12/sdcc-2012-dc-collectibles

And the announcement:

The DC Comics-The New 52 line of products will continue with Shazam! and Supergirl busts along with more. And the Cover Girls of the DC Universe line is being revisited with DC Comics-The New 52. 

Thanks to all the people who sent me pics of the bust. The Supergirl figure itself looks great, powerful and graceful at the same time. I am sort of bummed that they got away from the similar base style that the three prior Supergirl busts had. I thought it gave them all a sort of unified field. Still, I will definitely be getting this.


I'll wrap up the rest of the SDCC on Monday including the Superman Panel and some of the things which cam out in that forum.

Supergirl Creators At SDCC

The time has once again come upon us ... San Diego Comic Con is happening this week. I look at this convention as sort of a 'bucket list' deal for me. I suppose, one day, I will go. But it isn't going to be any time soon.  I suppose I would be in the minority there and actually devote my time to the comic aspect of things as opposed to all the other media congregated there.

For those interested, here is the link to the Con's website: http://www.comic-con.org/

As for any Supergirl fans heading to the convention, it is a rare opportunity to rub elbows with a lot of the more recent creators who have written and drawn the character over the last several years. In many ways it is one stop shopping!

Mike Johnson will be in attendance and will be at the Superman Panel scheduled for Friday, July 13, 2012 from 11:15-12:15pm. Hopefully the usual sites will have a transcript.

11:15am–12:15pm DC Comics: Superman

DCE Panelist: Matt Idelson

Talent: Shane Davis, Mike Johnson, Scott Lobdell

Moderator: John Cunningham

Since the launch of the New 52, Superman has been flying higher than ever! Join Group Editor Matt Idelson and SUPER talent Shane Davis (Superman: Earth One), Mike Johnson (Supergirl), and Scott Lodbell (Superman) to take fans new and old up, up and away with a sneak peak at what’s in store for Superman.  Room 6DE

Sterling Gates will only be there on Friday and said he'll be roaming the floors. So keep your eyes peeled!

Jamal Igle will be at table CC-18 and will be sketching. Here is a link to his blog discussing his SDCC plans:
http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2012/07/san-diego-comiccon-sketch-list-is-open.html

If you hit his table, you should talk to him about his Molly Danger project. He is even starting a Kickstarter to get the project the project off the ground as seen in the Bleeding Cool article:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/07/09/jamal-igle-to-start-kickstarter-campaign-for-molly-danger-in-august/

 Jamal is one of the nicest creators I have met and I can't wait for Molly Danger!

Supergirl Cosmic Adventures and Danger Club creative team Landry Walker and Eric Jones will have a table at the Image booth and will have prints from Danger Club and Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures available. The Image area is Booth 2729.

Here is a link to Walker's blog where you can see the Club prints: http://xray-studios.livejournal.com/81589.html

Artist Bernard Chang will also be at the Con, at Booth 1223.

Chang drew some of the BizarroGirl story arc (one of my favorite overall Supergirl arcs), did great work on the James Peaty 'Leave a good looking corpse' arc on Supergirl, and has knocked it out of the park on a couple of DCUniverse Presents arcs including the current Vandal Savage one.

I met Chang at the Baltimore Comic Con 3 years ago and I regret not having grabbed a commission from him then.

Lastly, while not having worked on a Supergirl story, Oliver Nome will be at table CC-17 in Artists Alley. This is the Supergirl print he will have on hand. Just a great picture and worth grabbing.

DC posted their signing schedule here: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/07/10/sdcc-signings-schedule 
And here are the pertinents:

Thursday, July 12
11am-12pm
Bernard Chang Jamal Igle





1-2pm
James Robinson - I loved his Kara in his Justice League run

4-5pm
Art Baltazar and Franco - aw yeah Superman Family Adventures Supergirl!

5-6pm
Bryan Q. Miller - loved his Steph/Kara crossovers

Friday, July 13
11am-12pm
James Robinson

Saturday, July 14
10-11am
James Robinson

12-1pm
Art Baltazar
Franco

2-3pm
Bryan Q. Miller

Sunday, July 15
10-11am
Bernard Chang

11am-12pm
Art Baltazar
Franco



Anyways, I don't know if anyone who frequents this blog is going to be at the SDCC but if you are and you hear any juicy Supergirl news, please post it! And if I missed any creators, my apologies!

SDCC Supergirl Fallout (And Some Superman Stuff Too)

I doubt I will ever be able to attend the San Diego Comic Con but it remains a dream of mine.

The comic book world has been exploding with news coming from San Diego Comic Con 2011 and that information is all over the internet. There is almost too much information to cover and so I will leave the indepth analysis of each panel, quote, and picture to the bigger sites and blogs. As usual, Newsarama, CBR, and Bleeding Cool all did a great job. From a blog point of view, DC Women Kicking Ass did a great job of almost real time blogging about the news from panels. Unreal work there.

With that much information out there, I figured I would concentrate on the Supergirl stuff although I will have a couple of comments about Superman news at the end of this post as well. It is funny. If anything, the news from San Diego seemed to help with my waning optimism about the relaunch although it was more of a war of attrition. It seemed like for every three things I read that I liked, I  read two things that were disheartening. Still that is more optimism than pessimism.

So here we go.

Above is a new picture of Jim Lee's redesign of the Supergirl costume. I was shocked to see that Supergirl and Batgirl's redesigns were the showcased costumes in the TV Guide Comi-Con Special. Not Batman and Wonder Woman. Not Superman's new costume. Supergirl and Batgirl. That is some pretty broad exposure for Supergirl so it shows me that DC has some faith in the character, some interest in showcasing her to the general public. This was also seen in the free publicity comic handed out last week in comic stores and shown in the DC Designing the Relaunch panel.

I also have to say that the costume looks pretty good here. Even the boots don't seem as absolutely foolish as they have before. I'd still prefer plain old boots though. Kara looks determined and strong here, never a bad thing.

Some Supergirl preview art by Mahmud Asrar was also showcased at the SDCC Superman panel and boy, does this stuff look good. First off, this splash page is really eye-catching. I like the sort of gray tone/copic marker feel here. Adds so much depth. And Supergirl looks great.

The costume seems cut a bit higher in the thigh area, more than in the Lee pic above, the only thing that seemed a bit off to me.

And here is another page, this time just pencils. I admit I haven't seen too much of Asrar's work but this makes me eager to see the book. This is just fantastic. Might be a bit too much 'side-butt' for my liking, but that is really picking at nits. This stuff is beautiful. I mean achingly beautiful stuff.

There has been a lot of discussion about the relaunch of Superman but I thought the best place to see a lot of information was from the Superman panel at SDCC. Here is that link for the transcript:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2011-dc-superman-110722.html

First the Supergirl relevant blurbs. Mike Johnson, co-writer, was on the panel answering questions.

First off, glad to see that there were cheers for Supergirl. I don't think that means anything more than she has vocal fans. I always hope that there will be excitement around the character.

We have heard the 'mystery' about her arrival. I hope it isn't a lingering mystery. I don't want this to be a 'is she real' or 'is she a dupe of Darkseid' or 'is she really Kara ... or is she Lesla Lar??' or anything like that. Let's just meet Supergirl and see how she goes on this journey.

Does this mean I have bought into this reboot? Not yet ... not when I have just been part of 3 years of superlative Supergirl stories in the current title. But as I keep saying, I am going in with an open mind.

I don't know what to make of these comments anymore. I have seen Johnson/Green say they were writing her as a brand new character. I have seen them say they were reading Showcase and Cosmic to get a sense of the character. I have heard them say this is a 'new' Supergirl. And then I read Johnson say he is not completely divorcing everything that has come before. I guess a reboot is a reboot. But I hope the template of Supergirl .. heroic, hopeful, learning ... is still there.

Lastly, this comment was the one that brought the most optimism. I worried the book might be a dour, angst-laden, mope-fest. The fact that he talks about humor being in the book is worth noting. Of course, Kelly probably thought that Kara joking with Boomer about his staring at her ass was humorous.

Another reveal was that Silver Banshee will return as a villain in the Supergirl book. I guess the Banshee really is a Supergirl rogue now.

As I have said before, it is time to just read the books.

As for the other Superman titles, there are things that caught my eye.

First off, the more I hear Grant Morrison talk about Action Comics, the more I think this will be a winner. At first I was worried that Superman was going to embrace his Kryptonian heritage in the book but Morrison says that Supes knows very little about Krypton at the beginning. I really think this is one book that will probably work for me.

After reading many of the Superman posts, I worry that Lois will end up more as a plot point than a fully realized character. Lois needs to be a strong character in her own right.

I didn't particularly like Superman:Earth One by JMS and his discussion about the second part makes me think I probably won't buy it.

As for Superboy, at first I worried that this might be a 'new' Conner but it sounds more like he has been kidnapped to open his new book. I don't like that he is said the be the villain in the first year of Teen Titans (although maybe it is reverse-engineered clones rather than the 'real' Conner). Scott Lobdell hints at a redhead coming back into Superboy's life. Maybe Knockout?

Lastly, I am glad to read that Steel is still around and will show up in Action.

But enough talk. Let's get to September already.

San Diego Comic Con Wrap-Up

Every year, in the days before the San Diego Comic Con, I bemoan the fact that I don't think I will ever be able to go.

And every year, when San Diego Comic Con ends, I can't believe I ever want to go. It seems so bloated. And it seems like comics are an afterthought. Sure there seems to be a lot of comics news, judging by the panels and news reported everywhere. But my guess is if I was there I would feel claustrophobic and frustrated.

While there was a lot of great stuff reported there, including movie teasers, I figured I would post some pertinent stuff for this blog.

This is from the Superman panel:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27403

In regards to "Supergirl," writer Gates said that "Bizarro Girl has just come to Metropolis and Supergirl and she have a pretty massive fight and then we go to Bizarro World. It's not a nice place. Supergirl will grapple with some of the issues she's having coming out o fthe War of the Supermen." The writer added "It's Supergirl fighting her dark, twisted, mirrored self. It's a different story, especially coming off the New Kryton stuff."

There wasn't much Supergirl coverage in that panel. "Grounded" seemed to dominate the discussion.

From the DC Nation panel:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/SDCC-2010-DC-Nation-Special-100723.html

Of upcoming Brave and the Bold team-ups, JMS said we'll see the Phantom Stranger and Supergirl, plus Jor-El and Pa Kent. (Not joking, it seems.)

A Phantom Stranger/Supergirl Brave and Bold issue certainly has potential. Hopefully, JMS won't go back in time and have the Stranger dealing with a more Kelly-era Supergirl. (Remember the Marv Wolfman Raven/Supergirl issues which used the 'mad Zor-El' just when Gates/Igle were moving things away from that?)

This was a nice little news item from the Eisner Awards coverage:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2010-eisner-awards-100723.html

The 2010 Bill Finger Award goes to the late Otto Binder and Gary Friedrich in recognition for their achievements as writers in the medium. Otto Binder created the Bottled City of Kandor and Supergirl and he told some of the first Bizarro stories. Gary Friedrich was a part of the legendary Marvel Bullpen of the 60s and he created Ghost Rider.

Glad to see Otto Binder, Supergirl's creator, get recognized.

This was news is from the DC Nation panel and sure will thrill the Smallville fans:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27427

Nick Spencer will be writing a Jimmy Olsen co-feature in "Action Comics," and wore a bow tie to commemorate the occasion. "Jimmy Olsen's always been one of my favorite characters," Spencer said. His story will be about "what it's like to be a normal guy in the DCU." Olsen is "determined to live life to its fullest, and that puts him into some crazy situations." Chloe from "Smallville" will appear in the backup feature as an ongoing character.

On the status of low-selling titles "REBELS" and "Jonah Hex," Sattler said, "they're not going anywhere."

I am interested to see the Jimmy Olsen back-up feature. I don't know yet how tightly I want Smallville to be tied to the DC continuity. Chloe has functioned a number of roles on the show - unrequited love interest, sharer of the secret (a la classic Pete Ross), Lois-like investigator (before Lois showed up), and now Oracle-like guru. Which role will she play here?

I had to throw in the R.E.B.E.L.S. news; glad to hear it.

Here is some non-news from the DC Kids panel:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/SDCC-2010-DC-Kids-100725.html

A retailer introduced himself and asked about potential projects with Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Didio indicated that DC was at work researching the potential for those types of books for young girls.

Didio asked the audience about what sorts of books they liked to see besides Tiny Wonder Woman and Supergirl.

So Super Friends, Power of Shazam, and Brave and Bold have all been canceled, so this was more of a Tiny Titans panel. Didio talks about wanting to foster the next generation but has little to say to back that up.

Still, enough people are still talking about Cosmic Adventures, you would think it was a no brainer.

Some nice Smallville news even outside of the Supergirl announcement:
http://www.newsarama.com/tv/SDCC-2010-SMALLVILLE-Final-Season-100725.html

A tease of the costume … and it looks like we have FLIGHT folks!

Lois said “Superman!” it’s all coming to a head.

This is the last season, Darkseid is the big bad, and we probably finally have 'flights and tights'. The Supergirl episode is slated for October 3.

And finally some toy news that I am excited for. Thanks, as always, to blog friend Gene for send me the pics and the info. The Legion will be immortalized as action figures and will be exclusive to Mattycollector.com in a 12 pack.

It looks like Legion figures from a variety of eras. The original three look close to their classic Silver Age. The rest look more like the Cockrum/Grell time period.

My favorite Legionnaire has always been Wildfire, so I am down right giddy that he will be one of the figures.

Here is a close-up of the Saturn Girl figure. Looks sweet.

Anyways, lots more news came out of San Diego. A 'Flash family' book! Batman Inc. by Grant Morrison! Peter David writing Young Justice episodes! Glimpses of the GL movie! Anything I didn't mention get you guys excited?