Wizard World Chicago: DCU Panel

The DCU panel began with Dan DiDio recounting the time that he had spent working with Michael Turner on Superman/Batman.  It was a tearful and touching story that brought everyone at the panel to their feet applauding the story and Turner’s life.  It was a very appropriate way to open the panel, especially with it weighing so heavily on the attendees. 

Continuing after the story was a difficult task, but the panel went on.  In the panel there was very little Final Crisis talk, with the exception of the upcoming spin off titles.  Even then very little was revealed about the titles and their plots.  The only real Final Crisis information to be disclosed was that in issue 3 of the titular mini, evil truly will win. 

As for goodies surrounding the other main ongoing titles in the DCU:

-Writer Gail Simone stated that Wonder Woman will soon be getting her Doomsday type character in the form of Genocide, who is a villain formed out of the soil from several locations where genocidal activities have taken place. 

-There will be a new Secret Six ongoing series also written by Simone, which will feature a few of the originals, but will now include one of Batman’s A-list villains and a brand new villain created for the book.

-Action Comics  will see a story exposing the “true Braniac”. 

-Justice Society of America will spawn three Kingdom Come one shots, with Alex Ross, Geoff Johns, and Peter Tomasi. 

-Catwoman will be playing a pivotal role in Detective Comics during the Batman R.I.P. storyline, and it will be made clear where her heart truly lies. 

-Batgirl will be getting a mini, done by creator Adam Beechen.  In the book she will be living at the mansion, being overseen by Batman himself.  DiDio hinted that there will be a disagreement over how to handle certain issues and there will be a giant Bat-family throwdown.   

-The Teen Titans be looking to increase their membership, bringing them to around the eleven mark.  We will also see the return of Wonder Dog, to which DiDio stated, “Please don’t hate us for what we do to Wonder Dog, though.”