EXCLUSIVE! DC EXPANDS “EARTH ONE” GRAPHIC NOVEL LINE!

Earlier this year, DC Comics revolutionized comic books with J. Michael Straczynski’s Superman: Earth One. The first in a series of graphic novels broke sales records and launched DC’s innovative Earth One line. Now, DC Comics is expanding on that line just in time for the holiday season with their newest title: Santa: Earth One.

Over the years, Santa Claus has evolved from a 4th century Greek Bishop to one of the most revered figures in popular culture.

“You can’t deny the eternal appeal of a character like Santa Claus, but I think the modern audience has trouble relating to him sometimes. I think its long past time that we boil him down to his essence and get back to what really makes the character work.”

Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Santa: Earth One promises to reexamine Santa Claus and reinterpret him for a modern audience.

“I feel one of my biggest gifts is my ability to analyze and reexamine whatever art form I’m working in.” said Straczynski. “I mean look at my record! I totally reinvented Thor by putting Asgard in Oklahoma, I gave people a Superman they never saw before by making him not smile, and let’s not forget how I redefined the Fantastic Four by having them argue with each other. So with Santa Claus, we need to really take a look at the character and ask what makes him work. We have to ask why. Why does he need to deliver these gifts? That’s what I’m interested in. What makes him tick and what does he look like in a hoodie?”

“This is going to be huge.” Said DC Co Publisher Chief Dan Didio. “No one has ever seen a Santa Claus story like this before. We’re really stripping everything away from him but the core of what makes him work.”

“We’ve taken away his beard, his reindeer, and made him a young man just starting off in life,” Straczynski added. “He has the ability to deliver gifts to every boy and girl, but is that really what he wants to do with his life? What if he wants to be an Olympic sprinter or a race car driver? I think that’s a side of Santa we haven’t seen before. And don’t forget, he knows if you’ve been naughty or nice. I’m interested in seeing what that does to his mind and what kind of sulking Christ imagery I can wring out of it.”

“Joe redefined Superman for a modern audience,” said DC Co Publisher Jim Lee. “And I know he can do the same with Santa Claus. Our readers will really enjoy reading about this new young, hip Santa in a red hoodie, who looks like he could be friends with any of our readers.”

Santa: Earth One will be available in all major bookstores in time for Christmas.

Comics And... Exclusive! A Day in the Life of Dan Didio

Comics and Other Imaginary Tales has obtained an exclusive look in the life of DC Comics co-publisher Dan Didio


7:00 a.m. Wake up, eat breakfast. Pour bowl of cheerios, but decide that you would rather have pancakes. Call Geoff Johns and ask him to stop making his own breakfast and cook you pancakes like your mom used to make.

7: 42 a.m. Talk to wife before you leave about the great romantic evening you have planned for her and how it will redefine their relationship for years to come.

9:15 a.m. Prank call Sean McKeever, pretending to be Joe Quesada offering him the job writing the Amazing Spider-Man.

9:16 a.m. Laugh. Comb Mustache.

10:45 a.m. Read the script for high profile creative team’s innovative reinvention of obscure Silver Age DC character. Talk to editor about the project’s potential to win an Eisner.

11:15 a.m. Talk to Grant Morrison about his latest story arc on Batman, Inc. During his explanation of how Tibetan mysticism is essential to understanding why Batman is fighting glowing space worms, sigh and fondly remember days working on Reboot.

12:31 p.m. Read Scans Daily comments, followed by reassuring call to Greg Land who reminds you that everything's going to be ok and there's nothing wrong with you.

1:20 p.m. Interview with Newsarama about all the great writers working at DC right now, assure them that you’re talking about more writers than just Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns.

1:45 p.m. Conference call with Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns. During call, yell at Peter Tomasi for listening with a cup pressed against the door.

2:00 p.m. Slash Sean McKeever’s Tires.

2:01 p.m. Start writing latest issue of the Outsiders.

2:02 p.m. Finish writing latest issue of the Outsiders.

2:11 p.m. Call high profile creative team doing the innovative reinvention of obscure Silver Age DC character. Ask them to tie the book into latest DC Crossover, Final Crisis 2: Finality.

2:52 p.m. Call Fabian Nicieza, ask if he can take over an innovative reinvention of obscure Silver Age DC character that is suddenly without a creative team.

3:00 p.m. Take car to mechanic, tell him you need your oil changed.

3:03 p.m. Call mechanic. Tell him you have changed your mind and would like your tires rotated instead.

3:06 p.m. Call mechanic. Tell him you have changed your mind and would like a tune up instead.

3:40 p.m. Call mechanic. Tell him he’s fired because you read online that he was complaining about how much you change your mind.

4:00 p.m. Waste time at the office by watching Silence of the Lambs. Suddenly get idea for the next story arc in Teen Titans.

5:00 p.m. Meeting to discuss new takes on DC’s characters. Question: Is there a silver age Black Lightning and can we bring him back? Thought: Can Damage be the new Black Lightning?

6:00 p.m. Go to eat dinner, find out that children have gone over to Mr. Quesada’s house for dinner. Peter Tomasi joins family for dinner instead.

7:00 p.m. Wife asks what happened to the romantic evening they were supposed to have. Explain that you can’t be held responsible for other people’s expectations. Ask Fabian Nicieza to handle this on short notice.

8:00 p.m. Tell wife you want a divorce and how you were reintroduced to your high school girlfriend by Geoff Johns. Tell her how grateful you are to have your “one, true love” back and how you feel reborn. Assure wife that she’ll get a new wardrobe and will still be an important part of your life as your neighbor and we’ll see lots of each other.

10:00 p.m. Totally don’t see her anymore.

* Apologies to Spooky at Dear Mr. Levy

Comics And ... Exclusive! Inside the World of DC Comics

This week, DC announced a sabbatical for J. Michael Straczynski from monthly titles while he works on the sequel to Superman Earth One. This blog has an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the decision making process for this move as Geoff Johns, Editor Eddie Berganza, and VP of Sales Bob Wayne met to discuss the next volume of Superman: Earth One....

(DC Offices)

Eddie Berganza: Guys, have you seen the numbers on Superman: Earth One?

Geoff Johns: They’re amazing. We’ve really hit a home run here.

Bob Wayne: It’s the Superman origin story we’ve been waiting for. It’s got great art, its free of continuity, and it’s got more volumes on the way. We’re going to make a killing in the bookstore market.

Geoff: Speaking of sequels, we need to talk about fast tracking the next volume of this.

Eddie: Well, Joe should be arriving any moment now, so let’s --

(Door Flies Open)

JMS: Calm yourselves, gentlemen. I have arrived.

Geoff: Joe! We were just talking about you! Nice Hoodie!

JMS: I know, Geoff. I was writing an issue of the Brave and the Bold and I realized I had to make myself relevant to today’s comic book reader. Which means hoodies, sulking, and occasional Christ imagery.

Eddie: You said you were working on an issue of the Brave and the Bold?

JMS: I believe … we were to discuss the sequel to my best selling, ground breaking tome, Superman Earth One.

Eddie: Well that’s the thing. Its sales have been massive. We want to get the next volume underway as soon as possible.

JMS: Very well. I believe that can be arranged.

Geoff: Awesome! How soon do you think you can have a script ready?

JMS: Well that all depends.

Bob: On…

JMS: Clearly, the unique alchemy of creative forces that coalesced to create this book have allowed me to redefine the superhero marketplace. I will need to devote my entire attention and considerable resources to its continual revolution and evolution. Then, I will make the next volume of Earth One the highest selling comic book of all time.

Eddie: Like you were going to make the Brave and the Bold a top twenty selling book?

JMS: The Brave and the What?

Bob: Joe, what exactly are you asking for?

JMS: Find someone else to write my monthly shit.

Geoff: Wait, you can’t just abandon them.

JMS: Original graphic novels are the future, Geoff. I don’t have time to talk about the past.

Geoff: But, what about all your big plans for Grounded? And how its going to be a revolutionary new take on how Superman relates to humanity? Or your redefinition of Wonder Woman?

Eddie: Or the Brave and the Bold.

JMS: Guys. I’m not here to discuss outdated things like monthlies, deadlines, or the Twelve. I’m here to talk about my redefinition of the comic book marketplace and my definitive take on the origin of Superman.

Geoff: Well I don’t know about definitive…

JMS: I’m sorry. Did you put Superman in a hoodie?

Geoff: Well no, but –

JMS: I rest my case. Gentlemen, you’ll call it a sabbatical from monthly comics and the importance of my work that you do publish will triple over night. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an idea about Metamorpho in skinny jeans and I want to write down this multi million dollar concept before another comes to me. If you need me, I’ll be at Hot Topic, gathering inspiration.

(JMS leaves mysteriously into the shadows)

Geoff: … Superman didn’t wear a hoodie in the 70’s.