Print thread view Batman YTB - Fansite For Batman Comics, Toys, Figures, News and more! | GOTHAM BOOK CLUB | Other DC Comics & Other Publications Author DC announces 5 Year One titles Nate Posts: 1099 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Joined: 29.07.05 Posted on 17-10-2006 20:07 From newsarama: Next year, DC Comics will turn back the clock on four characters and one team, and tell of beginnings. In 2007, the publisher will launch five Year One miniseries, each one designed to streamline, clarify, or emphasize the start of a character(s) who will be playing major roles in the months to come. The five series are: Green Arrow: Year One by Andy Diggle and Jock Metamorpho: Year One by Dan Jurgens Teen Titans: Year One by Amy Wolfram and Karl Kerschl Black Lightning: Year One by Jen Van Meter and Cully Hamner Huntress: Year One by Ivory Madison (w) and artist tba We spoke with DC Universe Executive Ediutor Dan Didio for some more details about the five minis. Newsarama: First off Dan ? why now for these particular characters? Dan Didio: Basically, it all ties into the concept that we came out of Infinite Crisis with, where we?re looking at some characters that, over the years, given the twists and turns and reboots and shifting continuities, may have had their focus shifted a little. These allow us to refocus the direction for each one of these characters and reestablish their origins are, and also where they might be headed to in the future. NRAMA: So this is a chance to streamline and tweak the official origins and make pieces fit a little easier? DD: Yeah, but also I want to use the Year Ones to reestablish these characters? places in the DCU. These are major players in the DC Universe ? these are characters that have had series, have series, have had followings, but may have also had some twists and turns in regards to continuity and have become a little convoluted over the years. I?m looking to reestablish them, and I think the best way to reestablish any character is with a Year One story, and build out from there. NRAMA: Convoluted how? Take Green Arrow for example ? is his origin really that convoluted, or are you talking about it needing a contemporary coat of paint? DD: Okay, Green Arrow is probably the exception to the rule. We have a lot of big plans for Green Arrow next year, and we also had real interest in the team of Andy Diggle and Jock wanting to do this series, so one of the reasons why we?re doing it is to reestablish Green Arrow?s roots, but also give a chance to showcase what I feel to be an incredibly strong and talented team NRAMA: Let?s just move down the list then ? Metamorpho?it?s been a long time since he?s had any spotlight time, aside from what went on in Outsiders a couple of years back? DD: Exactly ? Metamorpho?s a character who?s had several starts and fits of popularity over the years, with Outsiders always being a showcase for him. We sort of played the fakeout with Outsiders, having Shift be in the lead, rather than Metamorpho, and now, we felt that Metamorpho came out strong from Infinite Crisis, and we wanted to clarify his role in the DCU. But also ? the story is about Simon Stagg too, and Simon is going to be one of the key players in the DCU in regards to his role in ?corporate DC America? so to speak. NRAMA: The Teen Titans ? which incarnation are we talking about? DD: That?s the whole thing. We want to go back and show what the earliest team was, and rebuild that origin, too. I don?t think we?ve ever done a Year One with that team before, and by doing this, it will allow us to look at the relationship between Robin and Wonder Girl and Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad and the rest as the team is built, while showing some of the lesser-known Teen Titans characters along the way. And also, because we?re in the position of creating the Titans East, we thought it would be a good time to go back and establish the roots a little more of the original team. NRAMA: Black Lightning then? DD: Again, he?s another character that has been peripheral for a number of years, supported his own series for a couple of years as well, and between his role with the Justice League and Thunder being so prominent in Outsiders for the past few years, we thought it would be a great time to show his origin as well. Also ? we can also show the origin of Thunder in his story too. NRAMA: Huntress?again, like Green Arrow, she had an origin miniseries ten or so years back? DD: Yeah, she?s a funny one. As we?re trying to reestablish the Bat-Family, so to speak, with the re-introduction of Batwoman, and the ?repositioning? of Batgirl, Huntress is one of those characters that?s been played with a lot in Birds of Prey, and we teased the Earth-2 version in Infinite Crisis, so it was important for us to get back and reestablish our version of Huntress? roots again so everybody was clear about which interpretation of the character we had running around, and what her role was in the DC Universe. NRAMA: Looking at the creative teams, aside from Andy, Dan and Jock, you seem to be pulling in creators who aren?t seen frequently on regular titles ? or if ever in the case of Huntress, as Ivory Madison is a newcomer. DD: That?s the other thing too ? it?s important for us to start to expand our talent pool. We have some extremely talented writers who are established in other areas, whether its in prose novels or animation or just in writing in general, and I wanted to have an opportunity to get some of these voices out there, as well as get some fresh sets of eyes on these characters so that we can see a story that we may have known about form before with a twist or two along the way that gives it a nice fresh take. NRAMA: Running down the concept again, since you brought up the tweaks aspect ? fans who feel they know the stories would read these and find that? DD: The main story that they know will still be there ? but there might be two or three surprises along the way that not only add to the telling of the origin and backstory, but also things that will be expanded on in the upcoming years. So, a lot of this has to do with the fact that we?re not just revisiting the past, but we?re also planting seeds for the future. As far as scheduling, the first set should be coming out in March or April, and then on a regular basis. My goal is not to have any of them overlap at the same point, but allow them to come out at a time that might be key for a character in the coming year. We?ve got a couple more coming down the pipeline too, and I think readers can probably start to figure out who would make good candidates, as we?ve got a few characters who, over the years, have seen their origins twisted and turned to a point that you want some level of clarity put back in there. You don't get it, boy... this isn't a mudhole... it's an operating table. (crack!) And I'm the surgeon. - Batman - The Dark Knight Returns Author RE: DC announces 5 Year One titles bluebeettle22 Posts: 254 Location: florida Joined: 10.08.06 Posted on 17-10-2006 20:31 im definitly gonna get the GA and teen titans one Author RE: DC announces 5 Year One titles gogoedward Posts: 210 Location: san francisco Joined: 04.08.05 Posted on 17-10-2006 23:25 The Teen Titans one is first one my list, but they all sound interesting and all the characters mentioned are ones I like.