Black Man of the Day: Dwayne McDuffie (Comic Book Visionary Milestone) Update: MILESTONE doc on HBO MAX 7/29/22!
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Robert Kirkman on the ‘Really, Really Ugly’ History of the Comic-Book Industry
By Abraham Riesman@abrahamjoseph
Robert Kirkman Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
Nearly ten years ago, Robert Kirkman recorded a manifesto. In a video entitled “Mission Statement by Robert Kirkman,” the writer and creator of Image Comics’ The Walking Dead — at the time just a comic book — spoke about why he would no longer work for the so-called “Big Two” publishers, Marvel and DC.* His plan was to only make comics that would allow him to own the underlying intellectual property, rather than let his destiny be controlled by corporate behemoths. It proved to be a turning point in the recent history of sequential art, inspiring other creators to also take control in an industry that has long sucked up ideas generated through cheap labor.
The historical injustice done to comics writers and artists is one of the main focuses of Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics, a documentary series that debuts Monday night on AMC. It’s a collection of stand-alone docs, overseen by Kirkman, about salient tales from the industry’s past. The first round of episodes tackles stories ranging from writer-artist Jack Kirby’s battle for co-creating much of the Marvel universe, to the rise and fall of diversity-oriented Milestone Media, and the saga of Kirkman’s own beloved Image Comics. We caught up with him to talk about how 9/11 affected superhero fiction, what potential topics didn’t make the cut, and finding out that actor Michelle Rodriguez is a huge geek. (Note: This interview was conducted before the comics industry was rocked by news that DC editor Eddie Berganza had been accused of sexual misconduct, which led to his suspension by the company.)
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What were the origins of this show?
Well, AMC recognized how successful Preacher and The Walking Dead and various comic-book-related things have done on their network. Also, outside of their network, comics are very popular on TV. So, they came to us and they said, “Would you guys be interested in doing some kind of comic-book-focused docuseries? We don’t really know what the subject matter would be, but we really wanna explore this material in a little bit more depth.” So I started thinking about all the stories that comic-book creators tell after-hours about the history of comics, or things that they’ve hear from a friend, or that happened to them, or different creator stories, and it’s all quite fascinating. Some of it not quite appropriate to put on TV, to be completely honest. There’s a wealth of stories out there that are completely untold, and they all intertwine with these characters and stories and events that have kind of taken over pop culture. It was a really great opportunity to peel the curtain back, and show how much hard work and dedication have been put into these stories and the medium for many, many decades, and how that has resulted in this pop-culture goldmine that is driving the entire entertainment industry today.
LEARN MORE »
What was your exact role with the show? Each episode has a different director, so I’m curious about what your influence was.
I worked with the directors and some of our research teams to try and figure out exactly which subjects would be the best to tackle and what angles that we would explore within those stories. I really just kinda oversaw the project. I kinda consider myself, maybe, the comic-book ambassador. I knew that, because my name was gonna be on this, and because I’m a very entrenched member of the comic community, it’s on me to make sure that this is accurate as possible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been watching a History Channel show on comics, and I’m like, “That’s not how that happened.” Or, “That’s not what happened there.” Or, “That’s totally wrong there.” So it would be embarrassing if that were to happen here. With that said, I’m sure that there’s gonna be some aspect of one of these episodes that I slipped up on.
Yeah, I mean, I had my share of nitpicks.
You’re gonna have to me send me a list of the things we got wrong.
I mean, for example, the Jack Kirby and Stan Lee episode had them making up at the end of Jack’s life. I wrote a profile of Stan last year and it seemed pretty clear to me that they still weren’t on great terms back then. But we’ll leave that aside for the moment. Was it hard to get DC and Marvel to play ball, given that a lot of the episodes are pretty critical of them?
A little bit. DC seemed to cooperate a little more than Marvel did. We got access to [DC co-publisher] Jim Lee for the Image episode, which we’re very grateful for. They were very involved in the Milestone episode because they’re doing a Milestone relaunch. But, y’know, I think that a lot of the worst things that Marvel and DC have done in their history, hopefully, are behind them. I think that it’s different people at the helm at this point, and I think they recognize that. So, it wasn’t too terribly difficult. And it’s not like the people that work at DC don’t think that [Superman co-creators Jerry] Siegel and [Joe] Shuster were given the short end of the stick.
Along those lines, why do you think the comics industry has broken the hearts of so many creators?
I don’t know. If you go all the way back to vaudeville, the entertainment industry, as a whole, is absolutely brutal. I’m sure you could find some horrible stories in the world of book publishing. It’s just such a profit-driven endeavor that people tend to get steamrolled until there’s an awareness in the creative community that builds up that can prevent that. I think that things are on a much better footing in modern times, in the history of comic books, you can see that it was a really, really ugly business.
Yeah, I was gonna ask: What do you think the comics industry needs to do better these days?
I think the main problem is that when Marvel and DC Comics first started and everybody was creating all of these characters, there were not set work-for-hire rules, there were a lot of verbal contracts, and there was not a clear understanding as to what these creators were actually doing. So, some creators understood that they were collecting a paycheck, other creators did not quite have that understanding, and that led to some very ugly business. I think that, nowadays, there aren’t creators that work for Marvel and DC and create new characters for them without being fully aware that that’s completely work for hire, and those characters are going to be owned by those companies. That’s why you see so few new characters coming out of Marvel and DC, because people are aware of how it works and it just doesn’t happen. But I think there are companies like Image Comics that offer great alternatives to the larger publishers that retain rights. And so, at the very least, there are options in the industry now that weren’t present before. So I feel like we’re at a pretty good place.
One of the true delights of the series is the fact that Michelle Rodriguez keeps popping up. How’d that happen?
You never know when you bring people in, how they’re going to play, but she had such an enthusiasm, and was very knowledgeable, and was definitely into all of this stuff. We started realizing, “Oh, she’s got a lot to say about a lot of different subject matter.” And so, that’s why she got more and more prevalent in the episodes.
For the Wonder Woman episode, did you guys reach out to Jill Lepore, who wrote the big book about the character? I was surprised to not see her in the piece.
You know, I honestly don’t recall. I’d have to check with the director.
Why did you decide to do an episode about 9/11 and the war on terror? That one came out of left field for me.
We were just trying to think of moments in history where the comic industry had a pivot point. I think that’s something that anyone watching the episode can relate to because we all know where we were during 9/11. It’s a big part of all of our lives, but we also are all pretty familiar with how the world changed as a result of that, and how our perception of the world changed. It’s interesting to explore how that affected the comics world, and how the comics world changed the kind of stories that were being told, and all the different aspects of that. So just to see how something that we’re all so familiar with affected this medium that a lot of people aren’t quite familiar with. It seemed like an interesting episode.
How did the episode on Milestone come together? That was the highlight for me. It’s a story that hasn’t been told nearly as much as the others. Why did you choose to do it?
One, race is such a huge issue and has been for a long time, which I think is one of the themes of the episode. And it’s such an important story. We didn’t want everything to be about the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, or ’60s. We didn’t want it to be all the early days of Marvel and the early days of DC. We already had a Wonder Woman episode, a Superman episode, and the Marvel episode, and so we wanted to try and make sure we were covering a lot of different eras in time. The Milestone story is just an absolutely great story. I mean, the story of those guys getting together and doing this — Denys Cowan and his childhood friend [Derek T. Dingle] — it’s pretty remarkable. So as we sat down to figure out what stories we would tackle, there was a point where we had 15 different episode ideas, and as we were narrowing things down and cutting things out, the Milestone episode just kept rising to the top. It became pretty clear early on that it was an episode we were gonna have to do.
What were some ideas that landed on the cutting room floor?
Well, I would have loved to do an episode about [writer-artist] Frank Miller. I think that his life story, especially his story with comics, is something that is really very important. I’d love to do an episode focusing on [writer] Alan Moore. One of my big ones was [writer-artist and Spider-Man co-creator] Steve Ditko, and we really struggled with Steve Ditko ’cause I wanted to put that in the first batch of episodes, but he’s so press shy, and there’s been so little done with him over the last few decades that it’s hard to do something that isn’t a direct copy of the thing that Jonathan Ross did for the BBC. So that was a difficult one, but I’m hoping that we can figure out a good angle and do it, because I think that Steve Ditko, sadly, is becoming kind of a forgotten architect of the comic-book industry at this point.
I wrote a profile of Ditko last year and managed to get him to open his office door for me. Before I could even finish saying “Mr. Ditko,” he closed it.
At least he opened it.
What did the show teach you about the comics industry? What did you learn that you didn’t know?
Jeez, man, gosh, that’s a tough question. I’m hoping that I knew a lot of things going into this, because if I didn’t, I never should’ve done it, but I don’t know. It is a tough business, and if anything, I think the best lesson for me to take from this is that, no matter how popular The Walking Dead gets, it’s just gonna be a … I could definitely be a forgotten creator at some point, or just be an interesting story some person tells. It’s interesting seeing the cycle of popularity, seeing just how long the time span of these characters actually is. I’m aware that Superman’s been around since the ’30s, but when you really get into it and you start studying the story of Siegel and Shuster, it really kinda shows you … The Walking Dead, as cool as it is being at the center of it as I am, it’s really just a drop in the bucket in the history of comics. And so I’ll be lucky if it ends up being more than a blip. I think it’s a little bit more than a blip. I mean, one of the things that you really come away with is what we were talking about earlier, which is that creator rights are in a different place now than they were, and The Walking Dead was a real turning point for that. You being able to control your own destiny with that.
Would you ever do an episode that’s just about making The Walking Dead?
I mean, I don’t know. I would prefer someone else do that one.
This interview has been edited and condensed. It has also been updated to reflect that Kirkman is the creator, not the co-creator, of The Walking Dead.
By Abraham Riesman@abrahamjoseph
Robert Kirkman Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
Nearly ten years ago, Robert Kirkman recorded a manifesto. In a video entitled “Mission Statement by Robert Kirkman,” the writer and creator of Image Comics’ The Walking Dead — at the time just a comic book — spoke about why he would no longer work for the so-called “Big Two” publishers, Marvel and DC.* His plan was to only make comics that would allow him to own the underlying intellectual property, rather than let his destiny be controlled by corporate behemoths. It proved to be a turning point in the recent history of sequential art, inspiring other creators to also take control in an industry that has long sucked up ideas generated through cheap labor.
The historical injustice done to comics writers and artists is one of the main focuses of Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics, a documentary series that debuts Monday night on AMC. It’s a collection of stand-alone docs, overseen by Kirkman, about salient tales from the industry’s past. The first round of episodes tackles stories ranging from writer-artist Jack Kirby’s battle for co-creating much of the Marvel universe, to the rise and fall of diversity-oriented Milestone Media, and the saga of Kirkman’s own beloved Image Comics. We caught up with him to talk about how 9/11 affected superhero fiction, what potential topics didn’t make the cut, and finding out that actor Michelle Rodriguez is a huge geek. (Note: This interview was conducted before the comics industry was rocked by news that DC editor Eddie Berganza had been accused of sexual misconduct, which led to his suspension by the company.)
ADVERTISEMENT
What were the origins of this show?
Well, AMC recognized how successful Preacher and The Walking Dead and various comic-book-related things have done on their network. Also, outside of their network, comics are very popular on TV. So, they came to us and they said, “Would you guys be interested in doing some kind of comic-book-focused docuseries? We don’t really know what the subject matter would be, but we really wanna explore this material in a little bit more depth.” So I started thinking about all the stories that comic-book creators tell after-hours about the history of comics, or things that they’ve hear from a friend, or that happened to them, or different creator stories, and it’s all quite fascinating. Some of it not quite appropriate to put on TV, to be completely honest. There’s a wealth of stories out there that are completely untold, and they all intertwine with these characters and stories and events that have kind of taken over pop culture. It was a really great opportunity to peel the curtain back, and show how much hard work and dedication have been put into these stories and the medium for many, many decades, and how that has resulted in this pop-culture goldmine that is driving the entire entertainment industry today.
LEARN MORE »
What was your exact role with the show? Each episode has a different director, so I’m curious about what your influence was.
I worked with the directors and some of our research teams to try and figure out exactly which subjects would be the best to tackle and what angles that we would explore within those stories. I really just kinda oversaw the project. I kinda consider myself, maybe, the comic-book ambassador. I knew that, because my name was gonna be on this, and because I’m a very entrenched member of the comic community, it’s on me to make sure that this is accurate as possible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been watching a History Channel show on comics, and I’m like, “That’s not how that happened.” Or, “That’s not what happened there.” Or, “That’s totally wrong there.” So it would be embarrassing if that were to happen here. With that said, I’m sure that there’s gonna be some aspect of one of these episodes that I slipped up on.
Yeah, I mean, I had my share of nitpicks.
You’re gonna have to me send me a list of the things we got wrong.
I mean, for example, the Jack Kirby and Stan Lee episode had them making up at the end of Jack’s life. I wrote a profile of Stan last year and it seemed pretty clear to me that they still weren’t on great terms back then. But we’ll leave that aside for the moment. Was it hard to get DC and Marvel to play ball, given that a lot of the episodes are pretty critical of them?
A little bit. DC seemed to cooperate a little more than Marvel did. We got access to [DC co-publisher] Jim Lee for the Image episode, which we’re very grateful for. They were very involved in the Milestone episode because they’re doing a Milestone relaunch. But, y’know, I think that a lot of the worst things that Marvel and DC have done in their history, hopefully, are behind them. I think that it’s different people at the helm at this point, and I think they recognize that. So, it wasn’t too terribly difficult. And it’s not like the people that work at DC don’t think that [Superman co-creators Jerry] Siegel and [Joe] Shuster were given the short end of the stick.
Along those lines, why do you think the comics industry has broken the hearts of so many creators?
I don’t know. If you go all the way back to vaudeville, the entertainment industry, as a whole, is absolutely brutal. I’m sure you could find some horrible stories in the world of book publishing. It’s just such a profit-driven endeavor that people tend to get steamrolled until there’s an awareness in the creative community that builds up that can prevent that. I think that things are on a much better footing in modern times, in the history of comic books, you can see that it was a really, really ugly business.
Yeah, I was gonna ask: What do you think the comics industry needs to do better these days?
I think the main problem is that when Marvel and DC Comics first started and everybody was creating all of these characters, there were not set work-for-hire rules, there were a lot of verbal contracts, and there was not a clear understanding as to what these creators were actually doing. So, some creators understood that they were collecting a paycheck, other creators did not quite have that understanding, and that led to some very ugly business. I think that, nowadays, there aren’t creators that work for Marvel and DC and create new characters for them without being fully aware that that’s completely work for hire, and those characters are going to be owned by those companies. That’s why you see so few new characters coming out of Marvel and DC, because people are aware of how it works and it just doesn’t happen. But I think there are companies like Image Comics that offer great alternatives to the larger publishers that retain rights. And so, at the very least, there are options in the industry now that weren’t present before. So I feel like we’re at a pretty good place.
One of the true delights of the series is the fact that Michelle Rodriguez keeps popping up. How’d that happen?
You never know when you bring people in, how they’re going to play, but she had such an enthusiasm, and was very knowledgeable, and was definitely into all of this stuff. We started realizing, “Oh, she’s got a lot to say about a lot of different subject matter.” And so, that’s why she got more and more prevalent in the episodes.
For the Wonder Woman episode, did you guys reach out to Jill Lepore, who wrote the big book about the character? I was surprised to not see her in the piece.
You know, I honestly don’t recall. I’d have to check with the director.
Why did you decide to do an episode about 9/11 and the war on terror? That one came out of left field for me.
We were just trying to think of moments in history where the comic industry had a pivot point. I think that’s something that anyone watching the episode can relate to because we all know where we were during 9/11. It’s a big part of all of our lives, but we also are all pretty familiar with how the world changed as a result of that, and how our perception of the world changed. It’s interesting to explore how that affected the comics world, and how the comics world changed the kind of stories that were being told, and all the different aspects of that. So just to see how something that we’re all so familiar with affected this medium that a lot of people aren’t quite familiar with. It seemed like an interesting episode.
How did the episode on Milestone come together? That was the highlight for me. It’s a story that hasn’t been told nearly as much as the others. Why did you choose to do it?
One, race is such a huge issue and has been for a long time, which I think is one of the themes of the episode. And it’s such an important story. We didn’t want everything to be about the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, or ’60s. We didn’t want it to be all the early days of Marvel and the early days of DC. We already had a Wonder Woman episode, a Superman episode, and the Marvel episode, and so we wanted to try and make sure we were covering a lot of different eras in time. The Milestone story is just an absolutely great story. I mean, the story of those guys getting together and doing this — Denys Cowan and his childhood friend [Derek T. Dingle] — it’s pretty remarkable. So as we sat down to figure out what stories we would tackle, there was a point where we had 15 different episode ideas, and as we were narrowing things down and cutting things out, the Milestone episode just kept rising to the top. It became pretty clear early on that it was an episode we were gonna have to do.
What were some ideas that landed on the cutting room floor?
Well, I would have loved to do an episode about [writer-artist] Frank Miller. I think that his life story, especially his story with comics, is something that is really very important. I’d love to do an episode focusing on [writer] Alan Moore. One of my big ones was [writer-artist and Spider-Man co-creator] Steve Ditko, and we really struggled with Steve Ditko ’cause I wanted to put that in the first batch of episodes, but he’s so press shy, and there’s been so little done with him over the last few decades that it’s hard to do something that isn’t a direct copy of the thing that Jonathan Ross did for the BBC. So that was a difficult one, but I’m hoping that we can figure out a good angle and do it, because I think that Steve Ditko, sadly, is becoming kind of a forgotten architect of the comic-book industry at this point.
I wrote a profile of Ditko last year and managed to get him to open his office door for me. Before I could even finish saying “Mr. Ditko,” he closed it.
At least he opened it.
What did the show teach you about the comics industry? What did you learn that you didn’t know?
Jeez, man, gosh, that’s a tough question. I’m hoping that I knew a lot of things going into this, because if I didn’t, I never should’ve done it, but I don’t know. It is a tough business, and if anything, I think the best lesson for me to take from this is that, no matter how popular The Walking Dead gets, it’s just gonna be a … I could definitely be a forgotten creator at some point, or just be an interesting story some person tells. It’s interesting seeing the cycle of popularity, seeing just how long the time span of these characters actually is. I’m aware that Superman’s been around since the ’30s, but when you really get into it and you start studying the story of Siegel and Shuster, it really kinda shows you … The Walking Dead, as cool as it is being at the center of it as I am, it’s really just a drop in the bucket in the history of comics. And so I’ll be lucky if it ends up being more than a blip. I think it’s a little bit more than a blip. I mean, one of the things that you really come away with is what we were talking about earlier, which is that creator rights are in a different place now than they were, and The Walking Dead was a real turning point for that. You being able to control your own destiny with that.
Would you ever do an episode that’s just about making The Walking Dead?
I mean, I don’t know. I would prefer someone else do that one.
This interview has been edited and condensed. It has also been updated to reflect that Kirkman is the creator, not the co-creator, of The Walking Dead.
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DC Comics revival of Milestone Comics is back on track.
https://www.gamesradar.com/dcs-milestone-revival-back-on-track-and-needed-more-than-ever-says-co-founder/
www.bgol.us
DC's Milestone revival back on track and "needed more than ever" says co-founder
By George Marston 2 days ago
Denys Cowan says DC and Milestone are preparing to move forward with plans to revive the line
(Image credit: DC/Milestone)
Milestone Comics co-founder Denys Cowan has opened up about the return of the imprint through DC, a plan that was first announced at the 2015 Comic-Con International: San Diego, and which was delayed by a subsequent lawsuit that Cowan says has now been "resolved to all parties' satisfaction".
"As you know, we were involved in a lawsuit that everyone read about in the papers, if people care to read about that kind of stuff. Not everything that was printed was true, but there was still a situation," Cowan tells CBR. "Well, that situation has been resolved to all parties' satisfaction. So we're all happy and the person that had an issue with us is happy. We're all together; we're all friends; we're all good. And DC and Milestone were going forward with their plans after a very long delay and, just when we were starting to pick up everything again, is when the pandemic hit."
"But that hasn't really stopped work from progressing. I can't say anything really big right now, some of the stuff had already been announced a while ago, and we're still proceeding with a lot of those things," Cowan continues. "There's going to be some new things that are going to be announced. But for all people who are thinking about Milestone, we thank you for your continued patience. There will be stuff to see and there will be stuff to see relatively soon. And hopefully, people will be back on the Milestone bandwagon, and it'll be good because I think that now, it's needed more than ever."
(Image credit: Milestone Media / DC)
The Milestone relaunch at DC in July 2015, then later re-announced in October 2017 for a debut the following year. However, that planned relaunch did not materialize as planned, with the lawsuit (by the estate of the late Milestone co-founder Dwayne McDuffie in August 2017) now being attributed by Cowan as the reason for the delays.
Return Of Milestone Comics Announced (Again) at DC Fandome
When talking to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, DC Comics publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee made an aside that Milestone Comics would be
bleedingcool.com
Return Of Milestone Comics Announced (Again) at DC Fandome
Posted on August 17, 2020 | by Rich Johnston | Comments
When talking to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, DC Comics publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee made an aside that Milestone Comics would be returning. While this has been promised for a long time, Bleeding Cool understands it will be re-announced at the upcoming DC Fandome online event. It hasn't been mentioned on the schedule yet, which means it could be one of the Surprise panels. And if it's one of the surprise panels, that should include the confirmation of actual books, creators and a publishing schedule.
Return Of Milestone Comics Announced (Again) at DC Fandome
Milestone Comics was a comics publisher founded by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle in 1993 that published through DC Comics and specialised in telling a shared superhero universe with far greater diversity of cast and creator than was usual at the time – or even now. It remains a creative high point for DC Comics at that time. A return was announced a few years ago by Jim Lee but a combination of a series of creative delays and court case from Dwayne McDuffie's widow has delayed the return for a number of years,
It is also notable that DC Comics has major blerd-related content for DC Fandome, including a Dwayne McDuffie channel. This includes BAWSE Females of Color Within the DC Universe, A League of One: The Dwayne McDuffie Story, Truth, Justice, and the DC Comics Way, Reintroducing Nubia: The Black Amazonian Queen, Static Shock. Immortal Vigilante: Hooded Justice, Watchmen Unmasked, Unity Of Hero, PHONY PPL – Live Performance, Ziggy Marley – Live Performance, Blerd & Boujee Celebration Featuring An Exclusive DJ Set by D-Nice!, John Ridley and The Other History of the DC Universe, GLSEN Presents: You Brought Me the Ocean with Alex Sánchez and more.
Lots of content specifically focused on Black comic book characters, creators and history – happening just as DC has announced the scheduling for the long-delayed and artist-swapped The Other History Of The DC Universe. Jim Lee also confirmed to THR that this series writer, John Ridley, would also be writing a Batman comic for DC, which we previously reported would see Luke Fox as the Batman. And in the same solicitations, Red Hood would be continuing in November, rather than being cancelled, with an all-Black creative team and new Black characters for the DC Universe. New Milestone Media content would feel a natural fit, especially at a time when media companies are being called out for lacking in Black representation, content and sensitivity. Alongside the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, is also a focus on how this affects the myth of the superhero.
We do hope they remember to mention Michael Davis…
FanDome LIVE: DC's Surprise Comics Panel is All About Milestone
DC FanDome is hosting a surprise DC Comics panel which promises major announcements, including the return of Milestone Comics.
BY TIM ADAMS8 HOURS AGO
With DC FanDome in full swing, DC Comics is hosting a surprise panel that will deliver major surprises to the company's upcoming publishing line. Though the description of the FanDome panel is light on details, the surprise is an update on DC's revival of Milestone Comics.
Moderating the panel is Mark Bernardin, joined by Denys Cowan, Jim Lee, Phil LaMarr and Reginald Hudlin.
Hudlin shared how he initially missed out on joining Milestone when it first launched in 1993. LaMarr, who voiced Static Shock on the hero's titular animated series, spoke on how he became familiar with Milestone.
When asked if there is any news on bringing Milestone to the big screen, Hudlin replied, "We're in serious conversations about developing a Static Shock movie. That will be a theatrical feature film. What we're talking about is unbelievable. We're also talking to all the other divisions of Warner Bros. For example, the animation department makes those amazing animated films for home entertainment. We're talking about doing one of those feature films starring the Milestone characters. We're also looking at new media like podcasts, and doing a series that will be available as podcasts. We will deliver Milestone Media wherever you are and whatever platform you want."
Lee revealed a Feb. 2021 relaunch of Milestone Media. Every month leading up to the relaunch, DC will release the Milestone backlog of comics. Milestone’s return to publishing will be led by an all-new Static Shock digital comic series scheduled for Feb. 2021. Future offerings will include a Static Shock original graphic novel written by Hudlin with art by Kyle Baker, plus the return of Milestone heroes Icon & Rocket, also written by Hudlin with art by Cowan and more to be announced.
DC FanDome is hosting a surprise DC Comics panel which promises major announcements, including the return of Milestone Comics.
BY TIM ADAMS8 HOURS AGO
With DC FanDome in full swing, DC Comics is hosting a surprise panel that will deliver major surprises to the company's upcoming publishing line. Though the description of the FanDome panel is light on details, the surprise is an update on DC's revival of Milestone Comics.
Moderating the panel is Mark Bernardin, joined by Denys Cowan, Jim Lee, Phil LaMarr and Reginald Hudlin.
Hudlin shared how he initially missed out on joining Milestone when it first launched in 1993. LaMarr, who voiced Static Shock on the hero's titular animated series, spoke on how he became familiar with Milestone.
When asked if there is any news on bringing Milestone to the big screen, Hudlin replied, "We're in serious conversations about developing a Static Shock movie. That will be a theatrical feature film. What we're talking about is unbelievable. We're also talking to all the other divisions of Warner Bros. For example, the animation department makes those amazing animated films for home entertainment. We're talking about doing one of those feature films starring the Milestone characters. We're also looking at new media like podcasts, and doing a series that will be available as podcasts. We will deliver Milestone Media wherever you are and whatever platform you want."
Lee revealed a Feb. 2021 relaunch of Milestone Media. Every month leading up to the relaunch, DC will release the Milestone backlog of comics. Milestone’s return to publishing will be led by an all-new Static Shock digital comic series scheduled for Feb. 2021. Future offerings will include a Static Shock original graphic novel written by Hudlin with art by Kyle Baker, plus the return of Milestone heroes Icon & Rocket, also written by Hudlin with art by Cowan and more to be announced.
Reginald Hudlin Says ‘Static Shock’ Movie In Development – DC Fandome
By Anthony D'Alessandro
Anthony D'Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
@AwardsTonyMore Stories By Anthony
August 22, 2020 2:10pm
2COMMENTS
AP
Today during a surprise DC Fandome panel about Milestone Media, Oscar nominated filmmaker Reginald Hudlin revealed that a Static Shock movie was in development as part of DC’s revitalizing the imprint which is devoted to African American voices.
DC
No other specific details or talent attachments were unveiled about the Static Shock movie, but Hudlin is involved with expanding the creative franchise that is Milestone Media, which launched in 1993 known for superheros like Icon, Rocket and Static Shock. Milestone’s return to publishing will be led by an all-new Static Shock digital comic series scheduled for February 2021. Future offerings will include a Static Shock original graphic novel written by Hudlin with art by Kyle Baker, plus the return of Milestone heroes Icon & Rocket, also written by Hudlin with art by Cowan and more to be announced.
RELATED STORY
'The Batman' HBO Max Series To Take Place In 'Year One' Prior To Matt Reeves Movie - DC FanDome
“We’re talking with other divisions at Warner Bros, even those in animated about doing (Milestone Media) feature films, and we’re also involved in extending the Milestone characters into new media, like podcasts with a series of stories on podcast. We want to deliver Milestone Media on whatever platform you want,” said Hudlin.
Static Shock follows a teenage boy, Virgil Hawkins, in the city of Dakota with electricity based powers, who with the help of his inventive friend, fights crime as a superhero. After walking into an area where chemical containers explode, Hawkins is mutated, gaining powers to create, generate, absorb, and control electricity and magnetism.
Static Shock was an early 2000 animated series based on the comic-book that aired the WB Television network’s WB programming block.
Said Phil LaMarr, who voiced Static Shock on the animated series, and was also on today’s panel, “Virgil is what I always wanted as a comic book kid growing up: Black Spider-Man. A good (comic-book) story can make you live it, feel it, and when it does, it resonates on a whole other level. It was so real world, and a textured story removed from the 1930s ‘We are exhibiting the world’. I felt like it was drawn by somebody who lived in a building I could go into. It touched on archetypes as a comic fan that I loved, but also touched on my life as a Black man in the real world.”
Hudlin and LaMarr were also joined by DC Milestone Media co-founder Denys Cowan, DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee and moderator Marc Bernardin on today’s panel.
Beginning in September through February 2021, DC will digitize classic stories from the Milestone library and make them available for purchase at Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple and other participating digital retailers. A list of titles will be announced shortly.
On the second part of DC Fandome on Sept. 12, fans will gain access to Milestone Returns #0, a 17-page sampler, which will be available to read free for 24 hours. Written by Hudlin with Greg Pak and cover by Denys Cowan and Chris Sotomayor, the sampler will introduce and re-introduce fans to Milestone characters such as Static Shock, Icon, Rocket, Duo and others. The sampler features art by an incredible lineup of Talent, including Cowan, Jim Lee, Ryan Benjamin, Khoi Pham, Scott Hanna, Bill Sienkiewicz, Don Ho, Alex Sinclair and Deron Bennett.
By Anthony D'Alessandro
Anthony D'Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
@AwardsTonyMore Stories By Anthony
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August 22, 2020 2:10pm
2COMMENTS
AP
Today during a surprise DC Fandome panel about Milestone Media, Oscar nominated filmmaker Reginald Hudlin revealed that a Static Shock movie was in development as part of DC’s revitalizing the imprint which is devoted to African American voices.
DC
No other specific details or talent attachments were unveiled about the Static Shock movie, but Hudlin is involved with expanding the creative franchise that is Milestone Media, which launched in 1993 known for superheros like Icon, Rocket and Static Shock. Milestone’s return to publishing will be led by an all-new Static Shock digital comic series scheduled for February 2021. Future offerings will include a Static Shock original graphic novel written by Hudlin with art by Kyle Baker, plus the return of Milestone heroes Icon & Rocket, also written by Hudlin with art by Cowan and more to be announced.
RELATED STORY
'The Batman' HBO Max Series To Take Place In 'Year One' Prior To Matt Reeves Movie - DC FanDome
“We’re talking with other divisions at Warner Bros, even those in animated about doing (Milestone Media) feature films, and we’re also involved in extending the Milestone characters into new media, like podcasts with a series of stories on podcast. We want to deliver Milestone Media on whatever platform you want,” said Hudlin.
Static Shock follows a teenage boy, Virgil Hawkins, in the city of Dakota with electricity based powers, who with the help of his inventive friend, fights crime as a superhero. After walking into an area where chemical containers explode, Hawkins is mutated, gaining powers to create, generate, absorb, and control electricity and magnetism.
Static Shock was an early 2000 animated series based on the comic-book that aired the WB Television network’s WB programming block.
Said Phil LaMarr, who voiced Static Shock on the animated series, and was also on today’s panel, “Virgil is what I always wanted as a comic book kid growing up: Black Spider-Man. A good (comic-book) story can make you live it, feel it, and when it does, it resonates on a whole other level. It was so real world, and a textured story removed from the 1930s ‘We are exhibiting the world’. I felt like it was drawn by somebody who lived in a building I could go into. It touched on archetypes as a comic fan that I loved, but also touched on my life as a Black man in the real world.”
Hudlin and LaMarr were also joined by DC Milestone Media co-founder Denys Cowan, DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee and moderator Marc Bernardin on today’s panel.
Beginning in September through February 2021, DC will digitize classic stories from the Milestone library and make them available for purchase at Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple and other participating digital retailers. A list of titles will be announced shortly.
On the second part of DC Fandome on Sept. 12, fans will gain access to Milestone Returns #0, a 17-page sampler, which will be available to read free for 24 hours. Written by Hudlin with Greg Pak and cover by Denys Cowan and Chris Sotomayor, the sampler will introduce and re-introduce fans to Milestone characters such as Static Shock, Icon, Rocket, Duo and others. The sampler features art by an incredible lineup of Talent, including Cowan, Jim Lee, Ryan Benjamin, Khoi Pham, Scott Hanna, Bill Sienkiewicz, Don Ho, Alex Sinclair and Deron Bennett.
DC Comics announces 'Milestone Returns' event, teases Static Shock movie at DC FanDome
After years of dormancy, Milestone Comics will finally return with new stories in 2021.
DC COMICS ANNOUNCES 'MILESTONE RETURNS' EVENT, TEASES STATIC SHOCK MOVIE AT DC FANDOME
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It's been decades since Milestone Comics ended its original run, and while some of those foundational characters from the legendary company have made their way into the DC Universe in recent years, fans have been waiting a long time for a full-fledged return to the Milestone world. Now, at last, we know that it's coming, and it's just months away.
DC Comics announced Saturday during the DC FanDome event that Milestone's classic characters, along with some brand-new creations, will be revived for Milestone Returns, a publishing initiative featuring a new digital series, a new graphic novel, re-releases of classic Milestone comics, and more.
DC Comics
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It all begins on September 12, during the second day of DC FanDome, when fans will be given 24 hours to read a digital comic titled Milestone Returns Zero, meant as an introductory chapter for newer readers and a refresher for longtime Milestone fans. The Milestone resurgence will then continue in February 2021, when a new digital-first series starring beloved Milestone hero Static Shock will debut. The Static Shock digital series will then be followed up by a new Static Shock graphic novel written by Reggie Hudlin and drawn by Kyle Baker, as well as a new Milestone series starring the characters Icon and Rocket, drawn by Milestone co-founder Denys Cowan.
For a larger preview of Milestone Returns Zero, check out the DC Comics blog.
Cowan and Hudlin were on-hand at FanDome Saturday to announce the news alongside moderator Marc Bernardin, DC Publisher Jim Lee, and Static Shock voice actor Phil LaMarr.
"I gotta tell you the stories that I'm writing and Denys Cowan is drawing are unbelievable," Hudlin said.
But what about the classic Milestone stories, the ones from the early years of the publisher that made fans fall in love in the first place? According to Lee, those beloved books will be made available digitally for the first time beginning this year, with new titles popping up through digital venues like ComiXology each month in the lead-up to the February debut of the new Static Shock book.
But comics aren't the only place we can expect to see the return of Milestone. After all, the company was named "Milestone Media," and Hudlin said the creators plan to use every possible entertainment venue they can to get their characters in front of fans, including "serioius" talks about a Static Shock feature film, TV, podcasts, and more.
“One of the things we’re really excited about, we really want to live up to the name of the company, Milestone Media,” said Hudlin. “When we spoke to Jim [Lee] about reviving the Milestone line, we said ‘Look, we all know this has been a hit comic book and hit animated series. It’s time to expand back into all those areas and then some.’ So we’re in serious conversations about, as we’re launching the comic book series, developing the ‘Static Shock’ movie. That will be a theatrical feature film.
“What we’re talking about is unbelievable,” Hudlin continued. “We’re also talking to all the other divisions of Warner, for example, the animation department. They make those amazing animated feature films for home entertainment. And we’re talking about doing one of those feature films involving the Milestone characters. We’re also looking at new media, like podcasts, and doing a serious of stories that will be available on podcasts.
”You know what, we will deliver Milestone Media wherever you are, on whatever platform you want. We'll find appropriate stories and get them wherever you want to consume them."
Milestone Media was founded in 1993 by Cowan, Dwayne McDuffie, Michael Davis, and Derek Dingle, and though its original comics only ran for a few years, its focus on diversity and inclusion for Black creators and characters and beyond made a huge impact the entire industry still feels today. Now, a new generation will get the chance to enjoy Milestone's world, and new creators will get to make their mark.
A Shocker - New Static Shock Digital Series Coming 2021! | DC
A Shocker - New Static Shock Digital Series Coming 2021!
By George TaylorSaturday, August 22nd, 2020
This just in: Fans of DC FanDome received unexpected and welcome news today, courtesy of a surprise panel announcing the return of Milestone to DC publishing!
Moderator Marc Bernardin and DC Publisher/CCO Jim Lee were joined by Milestone principals Reggie Hudlin and Denys Cowan, along with Phil Lamarr, the iconic voice of the Static Shock animated series. Milestone’s return to publishing will be led by an all-new Static Shock digital comic series scheduled for February 2021, followed by an original Static Shock graphic novel and the return of Milestone heroes Icon & Rocket, with art by Cowan.
In addition, beginning this September through February of 2021, select content from the Milestone backlist will be remastered and available for purchase digitally at all participating digital retailers, including Comixology, Amazon Kindle, and others.
yo I CANNOT believe the documentary is NOT already being made!!!!
DC's MILESTONE Heroes Return in Free Comic Preview
DC is celebrating the return of Milestone with bold new comics.
screenrant.com
Appreciate, the link...
I've always say that white people are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to a black man and woman having any type of relationship.
Michael B. Jordan, Outlier Society to Produce DC Movie ‘Static Shock’ (Exclusive)
Michael B. Jordan is boarding Warner Bros. and DC’s Static Shock as a producer.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
The EW reading guide to Milestone's classic Black superhero comics
By Chancellor Agard and Christian Holub
February 18, 2021 at 01:54 PM EST
Meredith has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Meredith may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
After all this time, there still aren't enough Black superheroes. In recent years, major comic publishers like Marvel have experimented with promoting some of their Black characters to bigger roles (making Sam Wilson Captain America, for instance) but those changes often proved temporary and thus can't compare to the power of creating whole new heroes. Milestone Media's four-year run in the '90s remains the benchmark for original Black crimefighters whose identities and backgrounds were central to their power, not coincidental. '90s kids are probably familiar with Static Shock from his animated TV series, but there was also Icon and Rocket, who enhanced the traditional superhero/sidekick dynamic with Booker T. Washington/W.E.B. DuBois style debates about Black culture and responsibility, and Hardware, whose high-tech armor allowed him to actually channel his Black anger at oppressive society. Just as most Marvel heroes operate out of New York City, Milestone's pantheon all fight to protect their city of Dakota.
Unfortunately, due to various legal issues, Milestone's output remained tragically out of print for years despite its status as a subsidiary of DC Comics. But now things are finally turning a corner. At the virtual DC FanDome event last August, the publisher announced that Milestone would resume publishing in 2021 with several digital-first series. They also dropped a primer on the "Dakotaverse" called Milestone Returns #0, which is being re-released digitally on Feb. 26 with brand new content from the creative teams involved in the imprint's relaunch.
At the same time, the classic Milestone runs have finally become available on digital comic services like Comixology and the new DC Universe Infinite. So, we at EW thought this would be the perfect time to put together a little reading guide to the past, present, and future of Milestone's heroes. If you've never visited, allow us to welcome you to the city of Dakota. It has a lot to show you.
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Icon: A Hero's Welcome, written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by M.D. Bright
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: As we all know, Superman is a champion of good old American values because his alien rocketship crash-landed on a Kansas farm. Icon asks the thought-provoking question, what if a similar ship had instead crash-landed on a slave plantation in the South? The first human this alien ever encountered was a Black slave, so he modified his DNA to look like her. Flash forward a century, and that alien has grown into a successful lawyer going by the name Augustus Freeman. Despite his superhuman powers (including flight, strength, and near-invulnerability), Augustus looks down on the destitute Black citizens of Dakota, invoking Booker T. Washington-type slogans about how they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But then a young woman named Raquel Ervin comes into his life, and convinces him to use his powers for the benefit of the people and protect them as a living inspiration, an Icon. In return, Icon gives her a high-tech belt that allows her to fly and project forcefields, and she takes on the name Rocket as his faithful (but never obedient) sidekick.
Why you should read it: Icon was one of Milestone's flagship books not just because it features the strongest character, but because it is the most thoughtful exploration of what a Black superhero comic could look like. Blackness is not a monolith in Icon, and the characters speak to each other across chasms of generation, gender, and life experience. The first few issues find Icon and Rocket racing to rescue Dakota's Black female Mayor from an attacker holding her hostage in her office, but when they get there they learn the attacker has a very serious grievance (he says the mayor ordered an experimental tear gas to be fired at protesters, which turned him and many others into monsters) and Icon swears he will find out the truth. In another issue, Rocket reveals her pregnancy, and she and several other characters spend the issue having smart, empathetic, no-holds-barred discussions about the merits and drawbacks of abortion. Icon was a smart, entertaining book next to which many superhero comics seem pale and ignorant.
CREDIT: DC COMICS
What to look for next: Icon is the luckiest of these Milestone books we're discussing, because it alone has a second volume available digitally right now. Icon Vol. 2 has the subtitle The Mothership Connection, after the 1972 Parliament album of the same name, firmly placing Icon in the proud lineage of Afrofuturist pop culture.
When it comes to other media, Icon and Rocket have both made appearances on DC's Young Justice animated series (with Icon as a member of the Justice League and Rocket as part of the titular sidekick squad), though that show's huge ensemble cast means you don't get a ton of time with them.
Luckily, there are more Icon comics coming soon. A six-issue, digital-first Icon & Rocket series is planned to begin this June, with a thought-provoking story hook worthy of its predecessor: by actually stopping crime, the two heroes end up causing the collapse of the global economy!
Static: Trial by Fire, written by Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III, with art by John Paul Leon
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: Like Icon, the young hero Static is a riff on a well-known superhero archetype, except the latter is more reminiscent of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Static Shock: Trial By Fire introduces Virgil Hawkins, an awkward high schooler dealing with racist bullies, the pressures of gang life, girl problems, and a family's high expectations. However, one night, Virgil gets caught in a chemical explosion called the Big Bang and gains electromagnetic powers, which he uses to defend the neighborhood from other metahumans created by the incident as the wisecracking hero Static.
Why you should read it: First, Static is probably the most recognizable hero from the Milestone universe thanks to the WB Animated series Static Shock, which ran for four seasons and featured both McDuffie and Cowan on the creative team. Beyond that, though, Static is just a really fun character. Issue #1 begins with an energetic action sequence that spotlights Virgil's swagger as a hero, which immediately makes you root for him. Even though some of the slang and references are dated, Static's quips will still make you laugh. That being said, the thing I love most about the book is how it comments on the pressures of masculinity, especially for young Black men. Unlike his peers, Virgil isn't manly in the traditional sense or overtly tough, and many characters in these first four issues try to tell him how a man should behave. Thankfully, the series rejects the stereotypes and allows Virgil to be vulnerable, whether after an encounter with his bully-turned-nemesis or his hurt feelings when the girl he's crushing on doesn't return his feelings.
CREDIT: DC COMICS
CREDIT: DC COMICS
What to look for next: If you're looking for more Static, check out McDuffie and company's return to the character in 2000's Static Shock: Rebirth of Cool and watch Static Shock on HBO Max (The animated version of the character also makes an appearance on Justice League Unlimited). Both of those will hold you over until the boisterous hero makes his long-awaited return in a new six-issue digital-first series arriving in April as part of DC's relaunch of Milestone, which updates the Big Bang so that it occurred during anti-police brutality protests. Following the metahuman-birthing incident, Virgil "finds himself caught between an over-militarized police response to Black kids getting special abilities and some of those kids who are using those powers in dangerous and destructive ways." (Check out Nikolas Draper-Ivey's updated character designs for Static and Hot Streak above). And looking far ahead: Michael B. Jordan is producing a Static Shock movie for Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
Hardware: The Man in the Machine, written by Dwayne McDuffie with art by Denys Cowan
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: Hardware is an angry book, a fact that it wears on its sleeve. In the first issue, which is called "Angry Black Man," we're introduced to Curtis Metcalf, a brilliant and successful inventor whose world comes crashing down when he discovers his wealthy white benefactor-boss Edwin Alva doesn't actually value him as a person, has been exploiting him for years, and is enmeshed in a massive criminal conspiracy. Feeling betrayed, Curtis builds a high-tech armored suit and sets off down a ruthless and vengeful quest to take Alva down.
Why you should read it: With its commentary on the exploitation of Black bodies in a capitalist system, Hardware feels just as timely now as it did when it was released over two decades ago. Part of the reason Curtis feels so betrayed by Silva — who took an interest in Curtis from a young age and made sure he attended the best schools — is because he bought into the capitalist myth that success (read: professional accomplishments and wealth) would guarantee his equality and freedom as a Black master. However, that wasn't enough to protect him from someone who only viewed him as a commodity, and that rude awakening fuels his bloody revenge mission.
Cowan's art does a remarkable job of capturing the brutality of Hardware's mission; however, the series doesn't celebrate the violence. In fact, it interrogates Hardware's methods, beginning with a very clear analog for the Punisher in the second arc in the collection and climaxing with the very meta issue #8, which dives into Curtis' guilt-ridden mind and forces him to figure if he can be a force for good and justice without losing himself. It's truly stunning.
What to look for next: Cowan is teaming up with Bill Sienkiewicz for a six-issue digital-first Hardware series launching Aug. 23. In this updated take on the character, Silva frames Curtis for the aforementioned Big Bang, so Curtis steals his inventions back and becomes Hardware to defend himself.
ew.com
By Chancellor Agard and Christian Holub
February 18, 2021 at 01:54 PM EST
Meredith has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Meredith may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
After all this time, there still aren't enough Black superheroes. In recent years, major comic publishers like Marvel have experimented with promoting some of their Black characters to bigger roles (making Sam Wilson Captain America, for instance) but those changes often proved temporary and thus can't compare to the power of creating whole new heroes. Milestone Media's four-year run in the '90s remains the benchmark for original Black crimefighters whose identities and backgrounds were central to their power, not coincidental. '90s kids are probably familiar with Static Shock from his animated TV series, but there was also Icon and Rocket, who enhanced the traditional superhero/sidekick dynamic with Booker T. Washington/W.E.B. DuBois style debates about Black culture and responsibility, and Hardware, whose high-tech armor allowed him to actually channel his Black anger at oppressive society. Just as most Marvel heroes operate out of New York City, Milestone's pantheon all fight to protect their city of Dakota.
Unfortunately, due to various legal issues, Milestone's output remained tragically out of print for years despite its status as a subsidiary of DC Comics. But now things are finally turning a corner. At the virtual DC FanDome event last August, the publisher announced that Milestone would resume publishing in 2021 with several digital-first series. They also dropped a primer on the "Dakotaverse" called Milestone Returns #0, which is being re-released digitally on Feb. 26 with brand new content from the creative teams involved in the imprint's relaunch.
At the same time, the classic Milestone runs have finally become available on digital comic services like Comixology and the new DC Universe Infinite. So, we at EW thought this would be the perfect time to put together a little reading guide to the past, present, and future of Milestone's heroes. If you've never visited, allow us to welcome you to the city of Dakota. It has a lot to show you.
ADVERTISING
Icon: A Hero's Welcome, written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by M.D. Bright
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: As we all know, Superman is a champion of good old American values because his alien rocketship crash-landed on a Kansas farm. Icon asks the thought-provoking question, what if a similar ship had instead crash-landed on a slave plantation in the South? The first human this alien ever encountered was a Black slave, so he modified his DNA to look like her. Flash forward a century, and that alien has grown into a successful lawyer going by the name Augustus Freeman. Despite his superhuman powers (including flight, strength, and near-invulnerability), Augustus looks down on the destitute Black citizens of Dakota, invoking Booker T. Washington-type slogans about how they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But then a young woman named Raquel Ervin comes into his life, and convinces him to use his powers for the benefit of the people and protect them as a living inspiration, an Icon. In return, Icon gives her a high-tech belt that allows her to fly and project forcefields, and she takes on the name Rocket as his faithful (but never obedient) sidekick.
Why you should read it: Icon was one of Milestone's flagship books not just because it features the strongest character, but because it is the most thoughtful exploration of what a Black superhero comic could look like. Blackness is not a monolith in Icon, and the characters speak to each other across chasms of generation, gender, and life experience. The first few issues find Icon and Rocket racing to rescue Dakota's Black female Mayor from an attacker holding her hostage in her office, but when they get there they learn the attacker has a very serious grievance (he says the mayor ordered an experimental tear gas to be fired at protesters, which turned him and many others into monsters) and Icon swears he will find out the truth. In another issue, Rocket reveals her pregnancy, and she and several other characters spend the issue having smart, empathetic, no-holds-barred discussions about the merits and drawbacks of abortion. Icon was a smart, entertaining book next to which many superhero comics seem pale and ignorant.
CREDIT: DC COMICS
What to look for next: Icon is the luckiest of these Milestone books we're discussing, because it alone has a second volume available digitally right now. Icon Vol. 2 has the subtitle The Mothership Connection, after the 1972 Parliament album of the same name, firmly placing Icon in the proud lineage of Afrofuturist pop culture.
When it comes to other media, Icon and Rocket have both made appearances on DC's Young Justice animated series (with Icon as a member of the Justice League and Rocket as part of the titular sidekick squad), though that show's huge ensemble cast means you don't get a ton of time with them.
Luckily, there are more Icon comics coming soon. A six-issue, digital-first Icon & Rocket series is planned to begin this June, with a thought-provoking story hook worthy of its predecessor: by actually stopping crime, the two heroes end up causing the collapse of the global economy!
Static: Trial by Fire, written by Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III, with art by John Paul Leon
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: Like Icon, the young hero Static is a riff on a well-known superhero archetype, except the latter is more reminiscent of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Static Shock: Trial By Fire introduces Virgil Hawkins, an awkward high schooler dealing with racist bullies, the pressures of gang life, girl problems, and a family's high expectations. However, one night, Virgil gets caught in a chemical explosion called the Big Bang and gains electromagnetic powers, which he uses to defend the neighborhood from other metahumans created by the incident as the wisecracking hero Static.
Why you should read it: First, Static is probably the most recognizable hero from the Milestone universe thanks to the WB Animated series Static Shock, which ran for four seasons and featured both McDuffie and Cowan on the creative team. Beyond that, though, Static is just a really fun character. Issue #1 begins with an energetic action sequence that spotlights Virgil's swagger as a hero, which immediately makes you root for him. Even though some of the slang and references are dated, Static's quips will still make you laugh. That being said, the thing I love most about the book is how it comments on the pressures of masculinity, especially for young Black men. Unlike his peers, Virgil isn't manly in the traditional sense or overtly tough, and many characters in these first four issues try to tell him how a man should behave. Thankfully, the series rejects the stereotypes and allows Virgil to be vulnerable, whether after an encounter with his bully-turned-nemesis or his hurt feelings when the girl he's crushing on doesn't return his feelings.
CREDIT: DC COMICS
CREDIT: DC COMICS
What to look for next: If you're looking for more Static, check out McDuffie and company's return to the character in 2000's Static Shock: Rebirth of Cool and watch Static Shock on HBO Max (The animated version of the character also makes an appearance on Justice League Unlimited). Both of those will hold you over until the boisterous hero makes his long-awaited return in a new six-issue digital-first series arriving in April as part of DC's relaunch of Milestone, which updates the Big Bang so that it occurred during anti-police brutality protests. Following the metahuman-birthing incident, Virgil "finds himself caught between an over-militarized police response to Black kids getting special abilities and some of those kids who are using those powers in dangerous and destructive ways." (Check out Nikolas Draper-Ivey's updated character designs for Static and Hot Streak above). And looking far ahead: Michael B. Jordan is producing a Static Shock movie for Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
Hardware: The Man in the Machine, written by Dwayne McDuffie with art by Denys Cowan
CREDIT: DC COMICS
The concept: Hardware is an angry book, a fact that it wears on its sleeve. In the first issue, which is called "Angry Black Man," we're introduced to Curtis Metcalf, a brilliant and successful inventor whose world comes crashing down when he discovers his wealthy white benefactor-boss Edwin Alva doesn't actually value him as a person, has been exploiting him for years, and is enmeshed in a massive criminal conspiracy. Feeling betrayed, Curtis builds a high-tech armored suit and sets off down a ruthless and vengeful quest to take Alva down.
Why you should read it: With its commentary on the exploitation of Black bodies in a capitalist system, Hardware feels just as timely now as it did when it was released over two decades ago. Part of the reason Curtis feels so betrayed by Silva — who took an interest in Curtis from a young age and made sure he attended the best schools — is because he bought into the capitalist myth that success (read: professional accomplishments and wealth) would guarantee his equality and freedom as a Black master. However, that wasn't enough to protect him from someone who only viewed him as a commodity, and that rude awakening fuels his bloody revenge mission.
Cowan's art does a remarkable job of capturing the brutality of Hardware's mission; however, the series doesn't celebrate the violence. In fact, it interrogates Hardware's methods, beginning with a very clear analog for the Punisher in the second arc in the collection and climaxing with the very meta issue #8, which dives into Curtis' guilt-ridden mind and forces him to figure if he can be a force for good and justice without losing himself. It's truly stunning.
What to look for next: Cowan is teaming up with Bill Sienkiewicz for a six-issue digital-first Hardware series launching Aug. 23. In this updated take on the character, Silva frames Curtis for the aforementioned Big Bang, so Curtis steals his inventions back and becomes Hardware to defend himself.
The EW reading guide to Milestone's classic Black superhero comics
We put together a reading guide to the past, present, and future of Milestone's heroes.
John Paul Leon: 1972-2021 - The Comics Journal
Ian MacEwan presents this obituary and tribute to John Paul Leon, an artist's artist, admired for his work on series like Earth X and The Winter Men, who died this past weekend at the age of 49.
www.tcj.com
DC to honour the late Dwayne McDuffie with two new collections - Soundsphere magazine
Dwayne McDuffie sadly passed away at just 49, back in 2011. The ten year anniversary of his passing crept quietly by last month, with DC Comics promising various tributes in...
www.soundspheremag.com
DC to honour the late Dwayne McDuffie with two new collections
Dwayne McDuffie sadly passed away at just 49, back in 2011. The ten year anniversary of his passing crept quietly by last month, with DC Comics promising various tributes in store throughout the year, as covered by Soundsphere last year here.
With the fresh solicitations out, we can finally discuss two books to be published this year in the comic book and animated television and movie writer’s honour.
‘DC Universe by Dwayne McDuffie’ hardcover
In recent years, DC Comics have published several ‘DC Universe by…’ books, such as 2012’s ‘DC Universe by Alan Moore’ and 2020’s ‘DC Universe by John Byrne’. The latest in the line of standard sized hardcovers is, of course, a Dwayne McDuffie book. These collected editions typically omit major storylines which would normally be reserved for separate books, of which this McDuffie collection is no different. Carefully left out of this books are ‘Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight’ issues 156-158 and
The cover of this collection, featuring Renato Guedes’ artwork from Action Comics #847 from 2007. Copyright DC Comics.
164-167 (2002-2003), which are presumably going to appear in a more Batman-centric book in the future, along with Justice League: Justice League of America issues 13-33 (2007-2009) and DC: New Frontier, which is already available via the Black Label imprint (here).
Included in this hardcover, is the following:
“Timeless tales starring Superman, the Demon, Impulse, Batman, Firestorm, and other amazing DC characters which celebrate the amazing stories that acclaimed writer Dwayne McDuffie contributed to the DC Universe. He is best known for creating Icon and Hardware but these sensational stories should not be missed.” We would beg to differ with DC Comics in this instance, as, particularly on this side of the pond, Dwayne McDuffie is more best known for creating the character Static, and the subsequent animated series Static Shock. Not one to miss! This hardcover can be pre-ordered now from Amazon here, with a release date of the 14th of December 2021.
Milestone compendium
Following in tradition of some of DC’s more mature content, previously published under the Vertigo imprint, a compendium
The cover of this collection, featuring Denys Cowan’s artwork from Hardwire #1 from 1993. Copyright DC Comics/Milestone Media.
edition is due to be published by DC Comics. Sadly DC compendiums are standard sized paperback editions, but pack a weighty punch and are typically over 1200 pages each. Compendiums offer an affordable means to collect large runs, with Fables and Y: The Last Man being among the compendiums currently offered.
Included in this paperback, is the following:
This particular book contains issues from across the Milestone line, featuring both Dwayne McDuffie and Bob Smith , with art by Denys Cowan and M.D. Bright. The material collected in this edition is long out of print and will please many fans of Milestone Media and the characters within. This 1320-page mammoth paperback can be pre-ordered now from Amazon here, with a release date of the 26th of October 2021.
Dwayne McDuffie: The legacy of the man
‘The Falcon & Winter Soldier’ recently introduced Battlestar, a character of which McDuffie is credited as co-creator for Marvel. One of DC’s newest characters, Naomi, is set to make her live action debut for HBO Max in the States in a series of the same name. Naomi’s surname, McDuffie, was selected by superstar writer Brian Michael Bendis as a tribute for the much beloved late writer Dwayne.
Charlotte McDuffie, Dwayne’s widow, founded the Dwayne McDuffie Foundation, in an effort to award academic scholarships to students of a diverse background, as well as fund an annual award in his honour and work closely with the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture (in Washington, DC) to maintain an archive of McDuffie’s work for the public to see. The foundation has a ‘Go Fund Me’, which can be accessed here, for any fans wishing to pay tribute and help however they can.
Kwanza Osajyefo shares how Dwayne McDuffie inspired him
Kwanza Osajyefo shares how Dwayne McDuffie inspired him
DC developing Milestone animated movie based on classic Black superhero comics characters
DC is developing an animated movie based on its classic Milestone Media characters, bringing the city of Dakota back to the screen.
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