I didn’t go to WonderCon

I’m starting a new trend – not going to conventions yet writing about them anyway. This is a funny way to live. I’d prefer it if I actually attended these conventions but The Nerdy Bird is not The Wealthy Bird. Either way you benefit. This past weekend WonderCon was held at the made-famous-by-The–Net Moscone Center in lovely San Francisco, California. Once again I’ve compiled all the vital DC Comics news to come out of the panel rooms. Enjoy!

During the spotlight panel Rucka explained he’s been writing for only DC for the last three years but has not been under exclusive contract with them. He clearly said he wasn’t moving over to Marvel, he just wants to focus on his other writing. “One of the reasons he has backed away from DC was an encounter with his wife, noted writer Jen van Meter, where he realized that he ‘needs to [tell] the stories he wants to tell again,’ rather than getting complacent at DC,” according to CA. A full transcript of the panel should be posted shortly at CA if you’d like to know more.

At the DC Nation panel, All-Star Batman and Robin was addressed by Jim Lee himself when no one prompted him. Turns out it’s getting rebranded as Dark Knight: Boy Wonder. He explained in further detail on the DC blog, “Frank and I sat down just recently to have a long talk about how best to finish this very ‘deadline challenged’ project and give the loyal fans the second part of this epic storyline they have been patiently waiting for,” he said. “Moreover, we wanted fans to know that this story is part of the overall Batman mythos and Dark Knight Returns universe which Frank [Miller] started back in 1986. Beginning in February, 2011, you will see the remaining six issues ship on time, every month, culminating in the conclusion of the storyline started years ago.”

Also coming out of the DC Nation panel were details on the DC Universe: Legacies series. Written by Len Wein, it will follow five generations of superheroes or more specifically, five periods of time within DC Comics. “The first one up is Andy Kubert inked by Joe Kubert, doing the era of the Mystery Men, the ’40s to the ’50s. Then we have the team of Garcia Lopez and Dave Gibbons doing the dawn of Superman up to the boarders of Crisis on Infinite Earths,” said Dan Didio. “Then we have George Perez doing post-Crisis on Infinite Earths. Then we have Jerry Ordway, jumping the world of Zero Hour. Then the current era by Rags Morales.”

(BLACKEST NIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD) There was some very cool info revealed in the Brightest Day panel that had nothing to do with the Brightest Day book itself. Geoff Johns explained Maxwell Lord is back and “he basically makes the entire world forget that he existed, except these four characters: Booster Gold, Fire, Ice and Captain Atom. They’re on a manhunt, and no one believes them.” He’s referring to the new Justice League: Generation Lost book which Judd Winick is writing. “There will be a Blue Beetle,” said Winick. “Jaime Reyes is going to be around a lot. OK, he’s on the team! There, I said it.”

About Blackest Night the entire crew was pretty quiet, worried about spoiling things for fans who hadn’t read the last issue yet or spoiling plot points of Brightest Day. However Johns did have this to say about Deadman, “He doesn’t like being back. There’s something about him that’s different from everyone else.” He was the only one left wearing a White Lantern ring at the end of the issue. Speaking of Lanterns, James Robinson gave some interesting information on an upcoming JLA/JSA cross-over. “The Justice League and the Justices Society are facing Jade, who will be the Green Lantern element,” the writer explained. “It will re-establish Jade in the DCU and show how the Starheart makes her, Alan Scott, and Obsidian different from the Corps.”

And last but not least, we’re going to be seeing a change in the status quo of Green Lantern come Brightest Day #0, although we could have assumed that after recent events. J.T. Krul who will be taking over Green Arrow wanted to speak but digressed saying he didn’t want to spoil it. “I wanted to call back to the [Mike] Grell stuff,” he said, “It gets back to the iconic roll that [Star City] plays.” At the DC Universe panel, Robinson explained, “There is redemption for this character. People are worried he’s going to become like the Punisher or something, that’s not at all what JT is doing.”

There you have it folks! What do you think of the news? From what I hear, there’s going to be lots more where that came from when C2E2 rolls around in two weeks.