Top 10 Tuesdays - 10 Biggest Stories From NYCC

Wow, it's been a while since I last did one of these. I think it was back before Christmas, maybe November or later. I'll see if I can return this column to its weekly Tuesday schedule over the coming months.

As for the topic of this edition of the Top 10 Tuesdays, I'm going with the 10 Biggest Stories From NYCC, which wrapped up a few days ago. As it was a pretty quiet con, at least compared to what we usually see at WW Chicago or SDCC, I managed to pick out the announcements or stories that really shocked or interested me. Feel free to add your own or comment on the ones listed after the jump.

TOP 10 TUESDAYS - 10 Biggest Stories From NYCC

THE MARVELS PROJECT

Just what is The Marvels Project? Well, you can read an interview about it over at Newsarama regarding this project, but the jist of it is that this is Ultimate Origins for the Marvel 616 Universe and it will be an eight issue mini-series this summer.

However, the only thing you really need to know going in is that Ed Brubaker is writing it and Steve Epting is drawing it. If the two names behind the success of the current Captain America series isn't enough to pique your interests in this project, then I can only assume you've been enslaved by Anti-Life.





NEW ALIAS MINISERIES

Tucked away in a one-line announcement in the various transcripts from the Cup 'O Joe panel was the announcement that Brian Bendis and Michael Gaydos would be reuniting for a return to the Jessica Jones-starring Marvel MAX detective series, Alias, in the form a four issue miniseries slated for sometime in the next year.











X-FORCE: SEX & VIOLENCE

Craig Kyle and Chris Yost take on the writing chores for this X-Force mini starring Wolverine and Domino. While that, in itself, doesn't sound incredibly news worthy, despite my love of the two writers' work, the fact the series will feature painted art by one, Gabriele dell'Otto, makes this an absolute Must Read for me. For those interested, you can read more about it over at Comic Book Resources.









DARK REIGN, DARK REIGN, DARK REIGN

Where DC felt content announcing a plethora of new books minus any minor details, like, say, who the creators were, Marvel went ahead and announced a handful of new Dark Reign books along with some very nice creative teams attached.

Those mentioned were Dark Reign: Young Avengers, which shows a lot of promise based on the premise, by Paul Cornell (Captain Britain & MI13) and Mark Brooks (New X-Men), Dark Reign: The Hood, by Jeff Parker (Agents of Atlas) and Kyle Hotz (The Hood), Dark Reign: Hawkeye, with Thunderbolts writer, Andy Diggle, at the helm, and several other books, including specials for Anti-Venom, Mr Negative and the Zodiac, among others.

While I'm a little apprehensive over the sheer number of Dark Reign tie-ins, I can't help but be excited over these additions based on the talent attached to the projects and that turns what could have been a mundane "cash grab" tie-in announcement into big news for me.


VERTIGO HARDCOVER TREATMENTS

While not everyone is a big hardcover or even trade collector, I buy almost all of my Vertigo and indy related books in hardcover format, when available. So, when the Vertigo panel announced several high profile series up for hardcover or Absolute treatment, I was as giddy as a school girl.

For those interested, just a few of those announced were a Preacher deluxe hardcover treatment (I'm hoping that's the same as oversized), an Absolute Death series (boo! to not including Jill Thompson's Lil Vertigo stories), an extra 100 pages to the Absolute V for Vendetta and, while not technically a hardcover or even a comic, the announcement of Vertigo's first ever prose fiction in the form of a Fables novel was more than welcome news to me.


DC - DISAPPOINTING COMICDOM

With so many great stories lined up for this year, why did DC have one of the worst convention appearances ever? Every first hand report I've read consists of people saying most of the panels were made up of DC apologizing to fans or basic run arounds to questions and, as Funny Book Babylon points out, every announcement DC did make left out the creators of the books, such as the artist for the new Doom Patrol or every creator for the Final Crisis follow-ups and Battle for the Cowl books, which, again, as FBB points out in their post, left said creators that are scheduled for those books more than a little pissed at DC's lack of promotion.

In the end, most of these creators involvement on the books came as after the fact type mentions in follow-up interviews or panels and many from the actual creators bemoaning on their blogs or other forums. Announcing the Batman family is going to have 8 new books come a few months time is all fine and dandy, but I don't care if it's written by third strings with D-list artists and not telling me who will be doing most of these books up front just implies to me that they're hiding this fact behind shiny new #1's, even if they have big talent like Rucka and so on behind the books.

While some of DC's books sound interesting, contrast them with Marvel's big announcements of Hickman and Eaglesham on FF or LaFuente on the new Ultimate Spider-Man or Pacheco and Millar back on Ultimates or even small scale artist movements, like Immonen to New Avengers, and so on and I can get behind almost anything Marvel announced if I'm a fan of the creator whereas I have nothing but doubts with what DC has on display.


YEN PRESS ACQUIRES YOTSUBA&! RIGHTS

While Yotsuba&! is a manga and not something I usually cover a comic book blog, the series' future had been in doubt with ADV Publishing, the former rights owner, in financial trouble. The series had been up to its 5th volume in North America and fans had been waiting months for news about the future of the book. Thankfully, Yen Press has picked up the rights and we'll be seeing the remaining volumes making their way across the pond to us.

For those wondering just what the hell a Yotsuba&! is, it's a manga about a quirky little girl and her father and follows Yotsuba's daily life. It's cute and extremely funny and has won several awards, including an Eisner. In short, if you don't like Yotsuba&!, you have no soul and your heart is dead!


JONATHAN HICKMAN & DALE EAGLESHAM ON FANTASTIC FOUR

Jonathan Hickman is a name you should be marking down as the writer to watch out for in 2009. With Secret Warriors already off to a great start and this announced Fantastic Four follow-up to Millar's current run, Hickman is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the business. Add the always excellent Dale Eaglesham on art to the mix and this announcement has me pumped for their upcoming run.









ULTIMATE UNIVERSE ENDS, REBORN AS ULTIMATE COMICS

I hate the new name and think the entire concept is a cheap gimmick to sell a few overpriced number ones, but this is big news any way you cut it and, while I expected most of the titles to get the axe or restart after Ultimatum, the fact they "cancelled" Ultimate Spider-Man is nearly as shocking as the relaunching of the universe.

Another great thing to come out of this was some new Mark Bagley art, along with some from current artist, Stuart Immonen, on the Ultimate Spider-Man Requiem issue. Combine this with the news of Carlos Pacheco teaming up with Mark Millar for the new Ultimate Avengers and David LaFuente on art chores for the new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man series and there's a lot to be excited about here.


WONDER WOMAN ANIMATED MOVIE WOWS CROWDS

Based on Comic Book Resources' review and other first hand reactions from around the blogosphere, it looks like DC's animated Wonder Woman film is poised to be their best one yet, which I find hard to believe based on how good JLA: New Frontier was, but I know there's even a lot of people outside of the regular comic book cliques talking about this movie and now I'm dying to see this one, too.

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