Comic-Con 2011 Preview: Comics

Justice League
Written By Geoff Johns
Drawn By Jim Lee
During his college days, Jim Lee became a fan of Superman and his fellow super-friends thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 1985 classic that rebooted the entire DC Comics universe. Now, 26 years later, Lee is a key member of a creative team tasked with reintroducing the DC universe to a new generation of readers. In September, DC will renumber an entire line of comics, with each of its 52 titles starting over at issue 1. Leading the way: Justice League, drawn by Lee and written by Geoff Johns. The group includes 15 members, though the core will be composed of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Cyborg. ”We find our heroes before they’ve entered the prime of their careers,” Lee says. ”They’re younger, less seasoned, haven’t saved the world countless times. In many ways, it tells the story of how super-heroes emerged in the DC universe, and how the world reacted to them. For a lot of younger readers, this will be their first DC book. It’s an honor to be part of that.” (DC Comics) Aug. 31, 2011

Blood Red Dragon
Created By Stan Lee and Yoshiki
Written By Jon Goff
Drawn By Carlo Soriano
In Japan, Yoshiki might as well be a superhero. But the drummer, pianist, and songwriter for the heavy metal band X Japan is still relatively unknown in the United States. To help rectify that, Yoshiki turned to a man responsible for creating countless American icons: Stan Lee. Enter Blood Red Dragon, a comic-book series created by Lee that stars Yoshiki as a rock superstar-turned-superhero. ”It’s a fictional story based on a real person who gets a power like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” Lee says. In the four-issue series, for which Spawn creator Todd McFarlane serves as creative director, an army of demonic cyborg creatures is attempting to eradicate the existence of music by targeting one musician after another. But when the baddies encounter Yoshiki — well, Lee sums it up best: ”That’ll knock the stuffing out of their sails.” Talk about a killer drum solo. (Image Comics) Aug. 19, 2011

Written By Mandi Bierly, Anthony Breznican, Clark Collis, James Hibberd, Jeff Jensen, Lynette Rice, Dalton Ross, Josh Rottenberg, Dan Snierson, Tim Stack, Tanner Stransky, Benjamin Svetkey, Sara Vilkomerson, and John Young