Welcome comics fans to your weekend edition of Comics Relief! Tons of news to process through today, as New York Comic Con is in full swing, but lets get started with some fun news that’s a true blast from the past for DC Comics fans. Read on for all the details.
The Adam West/Lynda Carter Crossover We Always Wanted Is Coming
It’s the crossover 50 years in the making: In 2017, the Adam West version of Batman will finally team up with the Lynda Carter version of Wonder Woman in a new mini-series, just announced by DC Comics at NYCC. Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77 will debut as a 12-chapter series which will launch digitally November 23, releasing new chapters every other week, and will feature art from popular artists David Hahn and Karl Kesel and cover art by Alex Ross and Mike Allred. Following the November digital launch, the comic will later be offered as a six-issue print series with the first issue debuting in January 2017.
At New York Comic Con’s “Wonder Woman 75” panel, Wonder Woman ’77 writer Marc Andreyko said that he and Batman ’66 writer Jeff Parker would be working on the series together. According to Andreyko, Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77 will jump through time, starting off in the 1940s with Wonder Woman, then jumping to the 1960s with Batman, and then finally to the 1970s with Wonder Woman again. According to Parker, “it really feels like Lynda Carter and Adam West going into action again, this time together.â If somehow Christopher Reeve as Superman shows up, that would be the most amazing thing ever. You can see the Alex Ross cover in the header image, and Mike Allred’s variant above. [Newsarama]
Deadpool The Duck Is a real thing that’s happening
Straight from the Marvel retailer panel at New York Comic Con, the publisher announced Deadpool the Duck, a new miniseries set to debut next year. The mini-series will be written by Stuart Moore (Cloak and Dagger) and illustrated by Jacopo Camagni (Deadpoolâs Secret Secret Wars), with covers by David Nakayama.
In this story, Wade Wilson will be on a mission from SHIELD to capture an alien who is wreaking havoc on Earth. Deadpool thinks it’s a simple enough job, but things turn sideways. Then Howard the Duck gets involved, and then a freak accident leaves Deadpool and Howard merged and fighting for control of Deadpool the Duck, “the Merc with a Beak.” The series will run for five issues, beginning in January 2017. You can see the first promo image above. [Comic Book]
Artist Jonboy Meyers leaves Teen Titans after 2 issues
Although his artwork was one of the highlights of Teen Titans: Rebirth #1 (at least I thought so) it seems artist Jonboy Meyers is leaving the title after the first regular issue, citing the age old reason of “creative differences.”
On his Facebook page, Meyers wrote âThank You guys for all the Teen Titans Love and Support. TT Issue #1 of the ongoing will be my final issue for the series. Due to creative differences, Iâve decided to move onto other projects. And just to be clear, I left on my own, so thereâs no hard feelings or ill will. Itâs comics not everything is magicalâjust the characters.â DC has not announced a replacement yet, despite Meyers being listed as interior and cover artist through December’s issue #3. Â [CBR]
Marvel Announces Ms. America Chavez ongoing title
Latin-American superheroine Ms. America Chavez is getting her own ongoing title at Marvel, it was announced at NYCC. The upcoming series will be simply titled America, and will feature covers by the character’s former artist on Young Avengers, Jamie McKelvie (with colorist Matt Wilson). You can see the cover for issue #1 above. No details on the rest of the creative team were announced.
Ms. America Chavez was originally created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta based on the Golden Age heroine Miss America for 2011’s Vengeance series at Marvel. Miss America Chavez then went on to be a member of the team books Young Avengers and then later, the new Ultimates. No release date was given for the title outside of early 2017. [Newsarama]
DC Superhero Girls gets a new OGN and digital first series
DC Super Hero Girls has become a huge success, with Super Hero Girls costumes officially outselling Princess costumes for Halloween this year. Continuing their success with the brand, DC has announced a third original graphic novel with the characters, and a digital first comic that is already available to buy.
The new graphic novel by Shea Fontana and Yancey Labat is called Wonder Woman: Summer Olympus, and focuses on Diana going to visit her father Zeus in his home of Olympus. The new digital first series is titled Past Times At Super Hero High, and finds the young ladies of Superhero High making things go crazy when they use a time machine to do research on a report for school, and accidentally change history so that Vandal Savage becomes their new principle. This already sounds better than season one of Legends of Tomorrow.
DC Super Hero Girls: Wonder Woman: Summer Olympus will be released next Summer, and DC Super Hero Girls: Past Times At Super Hero High is available to buy right now on Comixology and from other digital vendors. [Comics Alliance]
Marvel to celebrate 25 years of Squirrel Girl in 2017
While it seems Marvel’s Squirrel Girl is a new-ish character, she’s actually been around for 25 years. And next year, Squirrel Girl is celebrating with a special commemorative issue of her ongoing series. Announced at NYCC, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #16 will feature two Squirrel Girl stories, one from writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson, and another from Squirrel Girl co-creator Will Murray, who will write an all-new story, also drawn by Henderson. This will only be Murray’s second ever story with the character.
Squirrel Girl debuted 25 years ago in Marvel Super-Heroes volume 2 #8 in a story co-written by Murray and legendary artist Steve Ditko. She then didn’t appear in a comic for 13 years, until writer Dan Slott brought her out of limbo for his G.L.A. limited series in 2005. Since then she’s only grown in popularity. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #16 arrives in stores in January 2017. You can see Erica Henderson’s cover for the issue above. [CBR]
Comixology will release first ever original comics
This week, Comixology revealed a new a line of digital comics in partnership with three print publishers, available exclusively on Comixology and Kindle. The will be Comixology’s first original titles ever. The first three Comixology original books, which are available for pre-order, are Adventure Time Marshall Lee Spectacular, from Boom Studios; Valiant High, from Valiant Comics; and Marleyâs Ghost, an unfinished A Christmas Carol adaptation by the legendary creator Harvey Kurtzman. âOur mission is to make everyone on the face of the planet a comic fan,â says Comixology CEO David Steinberger. You can check out the covers for the first three comics in our gallery below.[Comics Alliance]
Images: DC Comics / Marvel Comics / Comixology