Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jul 23, 2017 | 1 comment

Making sense of the mania …

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Y’know, San Diego Comic-Con isn’t just four-and-a-half days anymore. It really goes on for two weeks if you count all the announcements that lead into the world’s preeminent pop-culture extravaganza.

So, taking it all in, here are the 13 Coolest Things From SDCC (including the pre-show announcements):

1. Captain America by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. Their run will start with Issue #695 in November. I have no problem with what Nick Spencer did with Captain Hydra and all that, but I’m ready for some classic shield-slinging, as I’m sure are most of you.

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2. The Terrifics. DC’s epic troll of Marvel. The Distinguished Competition is putting together a Fantastic Foursome — Mr. Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho and Phantom Girl — to fill the void left by the House of Ideas’ absent First Family. Jeff Lemire is returning to the DC fold with this one, with interiors by Ivan Reis and designs by Doc Shaner, who will draw the second arc.

Shaner

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3. That said, I really think this whole Dark Matter sorta-imprint that DC is pushing is kind of strange.

4. Congrats to Sonny Liew for his Eisner triple-play — Best Writer/Artist, Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia/Best Publication Design for the exceptional The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. I don’t mind saying we called this waaay back here.

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5. Marvel One-Shots. As part of its Marvel Legacy revamp, the company will be pubbing a series of one-shots that will extend cancelled series for an issue. The one I’m most looking forward to? Not Brand Ecch #14. Oh, and the return of FOOM!

6. Hawkman Found. I’m a late-blooming Hawkman fan and am really looking forward to his full-on return during the Metal event. I’ve been thinking for awhile that the only way to ensure that this star-crossed character gets the love he needs is to put him in the hands of an A-List writer/artist team. Well Jeff Lemire, Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan will be doing this one-shot in December, so that’s extremely promising.

NOT from Hawkman Found. This is older Nowlan art.

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7. I skipped Iron Fist but I’ve dug the rest of the Marvel Netflix output, so I’m really looking forward to The Defenders in August. (Check out the comic by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez, too. It’s excellent.)

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8. Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. on Superman: Year One. Do we really need another Superman origin story? No. Not at all. But I gotta check out whatever insanity this will bring.

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9. Batman won an Eisner! Or at least Tom King and David Finch did for Good Boy, for Best Short Story from Batman Annual #1.

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10. More Jeff Lemire! Lemire’s been one of my fave writers since his Essex County trilogy so I was pleased that he and Dean Ormston won the Eisner for Best New Series for Black Hammer, pubbed by Dark Horse. I’m also excited for the spinoff coming this fall.

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11. OK, I have to mention the whole Ben Affleck’s leaving/not leaving dysfunction. I so desperately want good DC movies that I hope that everyone can get their acts together. Wonder Woman was an obvious step in the right direction but I’m still not sure what to make of Justice League.

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12. The Signal. I actually have no interest in reading a Duke Thomas solo ongoing, even if it’s being co-written by Scott Snyder. But I at least like that I got confirmation of something that I’ve suspected: That Duke will be the Batman of the Daytime, which is cool.

13. The Thor: Ragnarok trailer was worth it just to see my son fall off his chair when Surtur showed up. And he’s gonna be voiced by Clancy Brown — one of my wife’s favorites. I guess the Greenfields will be there opening night.