The Earth One story has been mostly cleared up as J. Michael Straczynski has responded to Robot 6 with a clarification:

This was the actual exchange, as I remember it.

Someone asked me on the panel if Superman Earth One was only coming out as a hardcover or as issues at the same time or afterward. I said, as near as I can remember it, “This is coming out first in hardcover, unlike B&B, which is single issues collected into a hardcover” (which I slipped in to promote the book, which is coming out I think this week or next week). So it went in both directions, which prompted the fan to note, “I’m confused,” and I joked back, “So am I.”

That was the entirety of the exchange. Basically, the two different subjects got conflated in the hurry to transcribe what was being said, so they got lumped into one sentence.


Where the mystery comes in is that you can actually listen to the panel and hear the whole thing about 2 minutes from the end. JMS doesn’t really mention B&tB at all which makes it sound like he’s talking about Earth One.

We’re going to call off the conspiracy hounds here however and just say it was San Diego, people were tired, it was the end of a panel, and…it’s 99.99% nothing at all. Obviously, JMS didn’t know the audio is up on the internet and was just recalling what he thought he said. Which was that he was confused.

So, let’s move on.

BONUS: While we were looking for the audio of the panel, we found this nice page of DC downloads where you can get screensavers (like Seaguy) and listen to podcasts and stuff.
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Seaguy!

More news followup:

§ That video game developer who outraged everyone with his clueless comments on deceiving artists? He’s only 16 years old. Which explains a bit of the cluelessness. So he’s more of a twerp than an asswipe.

§ Mark Millar talks more about NEMESIS the movie and passes long casting ideas:

“With Nemesis, you’ve got two great roles for two A-list stars,” he says. “The thing is, one guy has to be as good as the other. You’ve got Holmes versus Moriarty here or Batman versus The Joker, so each one has got to be a $20 million actor, really. I think you could go for the A+ list and get Johnny Depp as Nemesis and Brad Pitt as Blake Morrow.”

Say what you will about the Scot, but he doesn’t lack ambition. And, if Scott does bag Depp, it’ll bring Millar’s long-term plan to fruition. “When I was writing the comic, I genuinely saw Johnny Depp as Nemesis,” explains Millar. “He’s a thin-faced guy, slightly creepy, a cross between Heath Ledger and Christian Bale, and someone who could pull off both those things at the same time is Depp. He would get it. He goes slightly crazy in his roles!”

§ This is not followup, but you can watch a video of the whole SDCC 10: International Comics and Graphic Novels Panel with Moto Hagio, Milo Manara, the Immonens, Emile Bravo and so on. Sweeeeeet.

22 COMMENTS

  1. “…so each one has got to be a $20 million actor, really.” and “When I was writing the comic, I genuinely saw Johnny Depp as Nemesis.”

    You know, I don’t even care if Millar writes great comics or not. He comes across as such a self-aggrandizing, blowhard douchebag 110% of the time that I can’t bring myself to pick up any of his work, even if I had it on good authority that it was bigger than Jesus.

    (which I’m sure he genuinely saw as being portrayed by Robert Pattinson or Russell Brand or when he was writing the story so amazingly awesome, he’s surprised nobody else thought of it first: Jesus as The Joker!)

  2. Despite Hollywood’s well-documented idiocy, I have to admit I’m still a bit stunned that a movie is in the works for a mini-series that has yet to be completely published. I believe only two of the four issue series are out, so essentially Millar sold them a concept? That’s it?

    As for Millar wanting Johnny Depp to play Nemesis: Dream on, Excitable Boy. You’ll be lucky to get Christian Slater or Crispin Gover (who, come to think of it, might actually be a good choice for “thin-faced and slightly creepy).

  3. “Despite Hollywood’s well-documented idiocy, I have to admit I’m still a bit stunned that a movie is in the works for a mini-series that has yet to be completely published.”

    Why not? The movie deal for League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen was signed before a single issue of the comic was published.

  4. “Despite Hollywood’s well-documented idiocy, I have to admit I’m still a bit stunned that a movie is in the works for a mini-series that has yet to be completely published.”

    The Scott Pilgrim movie must have been in the works before the final volume was published, right? And at least from the early reviews, that seems to have worked out for that flick…

  5. It’s going to be hilarious when the Nemesis movie either doesn’t come out at all, or bombs at the box office with some asswipe no one’s ever heard of playing Nemesis. Meanwhile, a Johnny Depp film opens that same weekend and takes the #1 spot.

  6. It’s a bit different since Scott Pilgrim had hundreds of pages already published, versus about 40 of Nemesis. Plus one is an original story concept, the other is yet another hacked-out pastiche.

  7. The Scott Pilgrim movie must have been in the works before the final volume was published, right? And at least from the early reviews, that seems to have worked out for that flick…

    That’s not a fair comparison, since the first volume of SCOTT PILGRIM came out from Oni in 2004.

    When a movie deal concerning a miniseries is announced before the third issue of the miniseries (NEMESIS #3) is released, it’s reasonable to think that the movie deal is at least as important to the creator as the miniseries is.

    SRS

  8. Um, they started making “Kick-Ass” the film before the mini-series was finished and that seemed to work out fine for Mr. Millar.

    I’ve met Mark at a few comic conventions (being a fan from his early “Swamp Thing” work) and he’s been very nice. Yes, he’s good at publicizing his work, but having really enjoyed “Ultimates,” “Kick-Ass” and “Wanted” as comics, I say good for him. While “Nemesis” may end up with more style than substance, he has a pretty good track record on the whole.

  9. People do realize that pitches that don’t exist as a comic book or prose novel get greenlit and started all the time, right? As much I don’t like Millar’s ridiculous self-promotion, it’s just silly to get all shocked that his stuff has sold to Hollywood in advance.

    Just about as silly to say the Earth One story is dead after non-answers and false statements.

  10. tony scott doesn’t exactly excite me as a director. i don’t think he is capable of pulling in depp or pitt at this point.

  11. People do realize that pitches that don’t exist as a comic book or prose novel get greenlit and started all the time, right?

    Considering how Millar has described the comic book — thinking that a movie pitch consisting of “Hey, let’s do a movie about an evil Batman!” would work is a bit sickening.

    SRS

  12. It would seem that Mr. Stahl does have a weak stomach, based on most of his comments across several boards. Most of the time he tries to take a stance against a particular item by attacking a creator for writing a story that is popular. Hell, Shakespeare wrote stories for money, not always to be art. Mr. Stahl seems to think writing not for art, but for money, is a bad thing. He also sees his views as unadulterated facts, not to be confused with the ramblings of one who has clearly lost the passion for comics. He may be well read, but he has no real opinion beyond a textbook.

  13. Re: International Comics and Graphic Novels Panel

    Thanks for the link! Was otherwise occupied when it was held that Saturday [*cough* Hall H *cough*], so glad I could see just what I missed out on…

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