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his month, the war in DMZ comes to Staten Island. That “forgotten borough” is one of the most frequently requested locations I am askedabout, in interviews or in person, when people want to know their status in the fictional DMZ world (the others are Hell’s Kitchen, Queens,and Roosevelt Island – I’ll try to get to everything, eventually). My own personal experience with Staten Island, aside from listening to

old Wu-Tang cassettes, is limited to visiting twice, once to scout locations for an ex-girlfriend’s film, and going to a college house party inSt. George. It’s obvious which one I chose to draw upon for DMZ.

So in the spirit of the vibe, I asked my collaborators on DMZ to supply me with their ultimate DMZ House Party playlists, or, in the words ofeditor Will Dennis, the “top 5 beer drinking/house party/shout along/get fucked up/DMZ rock out mix tape songs... not the sappy ass love songsthat you put on a mix tape for a girl. I’m talking TAKE ME DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL kinda shit here.” You heard the man. Boys?

RICCARDO BURCHIELLI (cocreator, artist):“Hit the Light” – Metallica (because

I’m a fucking fat thrasher! – the partybegins)

“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead (becauseLemmy is the father of all of us – theparty rocks!)

“Cowboys from Hell” – Pantera (Becausethey are the most powerful metal bandin history – we’re drinking hard)

“Creep” – Stone Temple Pilots (because I’mhalf the man I used to be–I’m becomingto be too much drunk)

“Little Wing” – Jimmy Hendrix (becauseduring the night there is a time for love)

“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” – OtisRedding (because now I want to becalm, baby)

KRISTIAN DONALDSON (guest artist):“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead“Rebel Yell” – Billy Idol“Scenario” – A Tribe Called Quest“Las Cruces Jail” – Two Gallants“Astro Zombies” – The Misfits

(Drink – GUINNESS)

JOHN PAUL LEON (cover artist):“Twice As Hard,” “Seeing Things” – Black

Crowes“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”

–The Band“Brownsville Girl,” “When I Paint My“Masterpiece” – Bob Dylan

JARED K. FLETCHER (letterer):“Boychuker” – Rocket from the Crypt“Protect Ya Neck” – Wu-Tang Clan“Barroom Hero” – Dropkick Murphys“Russian Roulette” – The Spunks“Ain’t No Fun” – Snoop Dogg

(if it’s that kinda party, i’ll be swillin’o.g. coors tallboyz!!!!!)

JEROMY COX (colorist):“Where Is My Mind” – Pixies“I Don’t Want To Hear It” – Minor Threat“The Choice Is Yours” – Black Sheep“Add It Up” – Violent Femmes“Party At Ground Zero” – Fishbone

WILL DENNIS (editor, enabler):“Rocks Off” – Rolling Stones (from the

original get silly drunk record EXILE ONMAIN ST.)

“Streams of Whiskey” – Pogues (pleaseplay this at my funeral)

“Wasted” – Circle Jerks (’nuff said)“Sweet Child O’ Mine” – GnR (’cuz who

doesn’t want to hear this songat some point in the night?)

“If Only You Were Lonely” – TheReplacements (best drunken band ever)

BRIAN WOOD:“What’s It All About” – Reducer SF (kind

of frat-posing-as-punk shit, but greatsing-along material, and since it’s a songabout striking out with women at a bar,it’s a totem of sorts to play at the startof a night)

“Re-Ignition” – Bad Brains (I would findlittle wrong with playing nothing BUTBad Brains all night long at a party, butmaybe that explains why no one evercomes to mine)

“Anything, Anything” – Buckcherry (ok,it’s a cover and Dramarama’s versionwins in all other situations, but thespeed and ferocity of Buckcherry’smakes that beer disappear. Anotherbad-luck-in-love song)*

“Brave Captain” – FIREHOSE (SST – bestrecord label ever?)

“Peace of Mind” – Boston (for those finalmoments stumbling over empty cups atthe end of the night)

* “Wrong” – Archers of Loaf, spiritualsubstitute to be played if/when toomany people make fun of you forBuckcherry.

WhatWouldMatty Play?Who knows. I like tokick the poor guy when he’s down, which isbasically all the time, so I’m going to say hehas crap taste in music and probably hasCandlebox on his iPod. (DMZ trivia moment –the logo on Matty’s baseball cap is that ofRiccardo Burchielli’s heavy metal band).

T

NEXT MONTH IN DMZ #36Bio-weapons, Abu Ghraib, “we don’t torture”... a mini global war on terror playingout over a couple square blocks in Staten Island. Next arc in DMZ: “War Powers”– Parco Delgado’s back, and so is Riccardo, as the DMZ goes sovereign. Now,who needs a beer?

VERTIGO

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VOICESBRIANWOODZ 28 MZ29 DMZ30 DMZ31 DMZ32 DMZ33 DMZ34 DMZ35

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New York City, New York 10018 p: 212.647.9278

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www.brainchildstudiosnyc.com

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DC ComiCs

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dc coMicS

vDC Comics I Comic-Con International I Vertigo Crime I ??????

DC ComiCs BranD: a grapHiC HistorY

dc comics traces its heritage back to new fun coMics in 1935 but did not begin branding itself until its 1940 publications. presented in a simple circle, dc’s initial mark on the comics read “a dc publication.” The “dc” referred to deTecTiVe coMics, one of the oldest and most popular titles published at the time.

with superman’s phenomenal success in the early 1940’s, and to enhance potential sales of the other titles in the line, dc changed its mark to read “a superman dc publication” with late 1941 releases.

by 1949, the various businesses that made up dc comics were formalized into national comics, inc., which was reflected in the logo’s new design that read “superman–national comics”.

by 1970, dc made an attempt to capitalize further on the sales success of character–driven titles. The previous naTional mark was retired, replaced with an image of the host title’s character in a circle and a simple “dc” and title identification.

Then, in 1972, a simple white circle with bold dc initials was introduced. The company then modified the logo again in early 1974 to read “The line of dc super-stars.” from late 1975 through most of 1976, the logo was moved to the center of the cover, anchoring a bar of information above the logo. it then moved back to the left corner.

in early 1976, a redesigned dc logo (referred to as the “bullet”) was created by noted graphic designer Milton glaser. it employed evolving elements of the past, while establishing a fresh interpretation for the times. This “bullet” was used up until 2005, becoming the single longest-running logo in the company’s history.

The current dc logo (referred to as the “spin”), created by Josh beatman of brainchild studios/nYc, continues the evolution of the mark. reflecting dc’s expansion from comics publisher into larger forums for entertainment, the dc logo echoes the company’s new momentum forward, while still acknowledging dc’s rich history and the mark’s visual legacy.

tHe DC “spin” FeatureD in LogoLounge 5Logolounge 5, Rockport Publisher’s best-selling hardcover series, collects 2,000 award-winning logotypes selected by an international panel of judges from a pool of over 33,000 entries.

DC Comics 5

DC Comic’s current brand mark, the DC “Spin”, introduced in the summer of 2005.

DC Comics 7

+ CRIME =

8 DC Comics DC Comics 9

The packaging for the Ame-Comi Heroine Series, initially created for Batgirl and Catwoman, has since been expanded to include a total of 29 different PVC statues through 2011.

10 DC Comics

The final Vertigo Crime brand mark along with “Chuck Chalk”. Additional concept sketches can be seen on the following page.

CRIME

CRIME


The Vertigo Crime line hit stores in August 2009 with the release of Filthy Rich and Dark Entries. Additional titles followed with an extensive line-up planned through 2010.

22 DC Comics

6 THE NEW BARDS: An Introduction by Elliot S. Maggin

10 CHAPTER ONE: Strange Visitor

58 CHAPTER TWO: Truth and Justice

110 CHAPTER THREE: Up in the Sky

158 CHAPTER FOUR: Never-Ending Battle

206 EPILOGUE: One Year Later…

216 MEMORIAL: Keys to Original Covers

218 FROM HERE TO KINGDOM COME: Mysteries Unveiled,

Secrets Revealed by Mark Waid

222 ICONS OF VIRTUE by Alex Ross

223 SKETCHBOOK: Norman McCay

224 The Spectre

225 The League

241 A Silent Cavalry

259 Titans

267 Wild Cards

277 A New Breed

293 GENESIS: Developmental Art by Alex Ross

301 KEYS TO THE KINGDOM: An Annotated Guide

307 GALLERY

326 EVOLUTION: The Development of the Orion Pages

328 TESTAMENTS: A Checklist of Kingdom Come Appearances

334 DC DIRECT GALLERY

336 GENERATIONS: A Kingdom Come Genealogy

338 CURTAIN CALL: The Kingdom Come Cast

339 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & BIOGRAPHIES

340 WITNESS TO THE END by Clark Norman Ross

TABLE OF CONTENTS

the meta-human race.It is the source of conflictthroughoutthe story. Andthe story’ssynthesis isthe realizationthat this distinction is false. Asclearly asanother hero,

Mahatma Gandhi, asserted thathe is a Hindu as well as a Muslim— as well as a Christian, a Jew ora Buddhist if that becomesappropriate — so do we learnhere that the most ordinaryamong us are heroes, and themost colorful and vivid among us are quite ordinary and flawed.It is a conclusion to which ournew bards lead us as elegantlyand precisely as Socrates led us through an argument orPythagoras led us through a geometric proof.

Even super-heroes need togrow. We know that now.

When you read KINGDOM COME,you will too.

If we were to peek in on the lives of the people of the

Earth in generations to come,surely we would think we weregazing upon Olympus. And ofcourse, again, we would be wrong.They are our children, our grand-children and our successors who

will surely stride the Earth astitans in those days, wearing our own features and our ownshortcomings. They are our messengers to that resplendentfuture. And they will bring withthem into their time whatever values and iconography that wehave to offer them today. Here in the pages that follow is anadmirable start. To cite the sentiment of another old friendwhom I miss (And if you travelwest anytime, Alan, come find me, will you?): This is an imaginarystory…aren’t they all?

— Elliot S! Maggin

Where the Wind Hits Heavy New Year’s, 1997

IF WE WERE TO PEEK IN ON THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH

IN GENERATIONS TO COME, SURELY WE WOULD THINK WE WERE

GAZING UPON OLYMPUS.

21A B S O L U T E K I N G D O M C O M E

Each page of KINGDOM COME went through various stages of productionand development. The first stage (not pictured here) was the preliminaryoutline. This summarized an entire sequence from the story. Consultingwith the editors, Dan Raspler and Peter Tomasi, Mark then wrote a detailedscript which paced the story by breaking down the contents of each page. The dialogue and the setup for each and every panel were presented in text forAlex to then visually represent.

Before producing full-size artwork, Alex drewsmall thumbnail roughs which allowed him to work out compositional problems. This provided anopportunity for all involved to check the pacing of the story prior to producing the actual finished art.

Once all notes, modifications, and approvals werereceived, the thumbnail images were transferred ontooversize boards that eventually became the finished

artwork. Copies of the pencilled artwere made in order for Peter Tomasi tomap out the placement of the word balloons. (Note the differences betweenthe script and the art, which necessitateda reorganization of the placement of theword balloons within the various panels.)The balloon placements were then sent to Todd Klein, the letterer, so he could create and letter the word balloons from the script. In most cases, letteringis done directly on the art board. ForKINGDOM COME, as with most paintedbooks, the finished lettering was placedon acetate overlays.

Alex then rendered the images withgouache paints. First, he did a mono-chromatic black & white stage to fullydetail all the forms, and then he transparently layered over the color .

Some opaquepainting and air-brushed lightingeffects were alsoused. The letter-ing and paintedart were thencombined andsent to the separator to produce the finished comicpage.PENCIL ARTWORK

(actual size: 11 1/8” x 17 1/2”)

THUMBNAIL ROUGH

(actual size: 3 1/8” x 4 15/16”) An example of one of the

many photo references used

by the artist.

FINISHED PAINTED ART

(the finished version of this page

can be found on page 105)

DAN DIDIO

Senior VP-Executive Editor

DAN RASPLER

Editor-original miniseries

PETER J. TOMASI

Assistant Editor-original miniseries

ANTON KAWASAKI

Editor-collected edition

ROBBIN BROSTERMAN

Senior Art Director

PAUL LEVITZ

President & Publisher

GEORG BREWER

VP-Design & DC Direct Creative

RICHARD BRUNING

Senior VP-Creative Director

PATRICK CALDON

Executive VP-Finance & Operations

CHRIS CARAMALIS

VP-Finance

JOHN CUNNINGHAM

VP-Marketing

TERRI CUNNINGHAM

VP-Managing Editor

STEPHANIE FIERMAN

Senior VP-Sales & Marketing

ALISON GILL

VP-Manufacturing

RICH JOHNSON

VP-Book Trade Sales

HANK KANALZ

VP-General Manager, WildStorm

LILLIAN LASERSON

Senior VP & General Counsel

JIM LEE

Editorial Director-WildStorm

PAULA LOWITT

Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs

DAVID MCKILLIPS

VP-Advertising & Custom Publishing

JOHN NEE

VP-Business Development

GREGORY NOVECK

Senior VP-Creative Affairs

CHERYL RUBIN

Senior VP-Brand Management

JEFF TROJAN

VP-Business Development, DC Direct

BOB WAYNE

VP-Sales

Published by DC Comics. Cover, introductions and compilation copyright © 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Originally published in single magazine form in KINGDOM COME #1-4. Copyright © 1996 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters, their distinctive likenesses and related elements featured in this publication are trademarks of DC Comics. The stories, characters and incidents featured in this publication are entirely fictional. DC Comics does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork.

DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

A Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

Printed in China. First Printing

ISBN: 1-4012-0768-5.ISBN 13: 978-1-4012-0768-7.

Slipcase and cover art by Alex Ross.KINGDOM COME font created by Alex Ross & Todd Klein. Publication design by Brainchild Studios/NYC.

In Elseworlds, heros are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places —some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist.

8 A B S O L U T E K I N G D O M C O M E

Bard and I had maybe a dozen little germs of ideas packed undermy scalp. I’d try this one on him.I’d toss him that one. I’d pitch himanother one. Some of them heliked; some of them he didn’t.Some of them inspired ideas ofthe Bard’s own; some of themmade him snort or snore. By theend of a couple of hours — they

were a loud,intense cou-ple of hours,as hours Ispent withthe Bard ofBards alwayswould be — I wasemotionallyexhaustedand still hewanted tohear more.So I dredgedup this ideaabout what

might happen if the Guardianscame calling on Superman withthe tiniest little criticism of how he was goingabout his job.Now you’re talkingresh stuff, the oldman let me know.He got excited.He yanked peoplein the from thehall and made me repeat theidea for them.

I called the story“Must There Be a Superman?” andSaint Curt and Murphy drew itand it made me happy and I putthe words in Superman’s mouthpretty much steadily for the nextfifteen years and never went tolaw school. And I swear I did nothave a clue where the idea hadcome from. Who knows whereideas come from anyway? I didn’tremember — still don’t remem-ber, in fact, but I believe Jeph —until Jeph told me about his con-

tribution years later. Like twentyor so years later.

Jeph has never suffered, I don’tbelieve, for myinconsiderableoversight, and infact has alwaysbeen my friend.He’s done well,too. With hisbuddy Matthewhe wrote the firstgreat super-heromovie of themodern period,Commando withArnold Schwarzenegger, and lotsof other great stuff. And one daylater on I was editor of Jeph’s firstcomic-book series of his own,an eight-issue masterpiece withTim Sale called CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN. Now he writesfor Hollywood and he writes forDC and Marvel and he’s happyand he’s still my friend, and now I get to make this right too.

Today thereare new

bards and new stories. Not longago Mark and Alexwent to Gotham tosee Dan Raspler —who, it seems tome, was just asmart, ambitiouskid last time I sawhim and thenbecame a bigmuckamuck likeJeph’s stepdad —

to sell Dan on an idea about whatthe world would be like if all thesuper-heroes were to retire andtheir children, grandchildren and successors generally turn out to be schmucks.

The theme of “Must There Be aSuperman?,” that icon of anotherlife, is the theme the new bards ofKINGDOM COME continue. Maybecomplete. It is about the time

in the lives of Superman, CaptainMarvel, Wonder Woman, Batmanand the others, when they learn

that they are notgods. And it isabout the time intheir lives whenfinally they learnthat despite theirlimitations theymust be potent and responsibleanyway. Now is the time in the lifeof the human racewhen all of us needto learn these samethings. That is why

this story, despite its garish pri-mary-colored clothing,is an important one.

The heroes of fable and fact towhose virtue we all aspire are notonly colorful people leading vividlives; they traditionally understandthe value of human life in all itsplaces and conditions. But real-lifeheroes, unlike many of the iconswe have created, also understandhuman dignity and human immortality, and these are concepts that are lacking in, forexample, Superman’s education.Heroes especially need to under-stand the value of the things of alife: its artifacts, its ideas, its loves.It is the markers you leave alongthat road that define you. It is thetrees a man plants, the children heraises and the stories he tells thatsignify his life. It is the palaces apeople build, the heritage theyinspire, the art they create thatmakes their civilization. I’ve beentrying to tell Superman for yearsthat he mustn’t just save lives, hehas to spit-polish the real estatetoo. He’s never understood that.He never got it until Mark and Alex told him. They got through to him, finally, and for that I’mproud of them.

In KINGDOM COME, Mark andAlex draw a dichotomy betweenthe human race and what we call

SO I WENT TO GOTHAM TO SEE THEBARD AND IHAD MAYBE ADOZEN LITTLEGERMS OF IDEAS PACKEDUNDER MYSCALP.


Make no mistake.This is not, in its strictestsense,“director’s cut”material. These aren’trediscovered “missingpages” that somehowgot lost behind Alex’s filing cabinet onTuesday. They do,however, comprise asequence Alex had envisioned paintingfrom very early on: Orionon Apokolips, havingusurped his fatherDarkseid’s throne.

Alex never lost thedesire to paint thisimage, not even after(striking though it might be) we could find no room for it within the strict page count of the original monthlyseries. The elbow room of an expanded collected edition, however, gave Alex the opportunity to indulgehimself — and you.

But what to make of this after-the-fact sequence? We didn’t even know where to put it within the narrativeuntil using Orion suggested Orion’s brother-of-sorts, Mr. Miracle, Super-Escape Artist. How could we use him? Well...who better to design an inescapable gulag? Would Superman think of that? Not necessarily...but Orion would suggest it if Superman were to come to Apokolips asking to use the planet as a prison,a dumping ground. Still, the Last Son of Krypton would never suggest uprooting natives from their home-world. However, given where we were in the story just before gulag construction began, Superman wouldabsolutely consult with Orion, the ultimate Dog of War. In fact, their conversation would allow us a chance to touch upon something missing from our original series: Superman’s inability to comprehend the darkpotential of his own power...

— Mark Waid

EVOLUTIONTHE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORION PAGES

JIM KRUEGER and ALEX ROSSSTORY

JIM KRUEGERSCRIPT

DOUG BRAITHWAITEand ALEX ROSS

ART

TODD KLEINLETTERING

ALEX ROSSCOVERS

JIM KRUEGER and ALEX ROSSSTORY

JIM KRUEGERSCRIPT

DOUG BRAITHWAITEand ALEX ROSS

ART

TODD KLEINLETTERING

ALEX ROSSCOVERS

lame Bob McKee. I mean, it is his fault.He changed my view of villainy. For

those who don’t know Bob McKee, he’sHollywood’s Master of the Mystic Arts whenit comes to writing all things related to story.

I’ve taken his class more than once. If you’veseen the Charlie Kaufman movie, Adaptation,that’s the class being taught.It’s called Story. And it’sworth every bit of the cost.It’s not just about writing;it’s about humanity and howwe view life and people.

One of the most amazingthings that McKee says isthat when you write an antagonist, you alwayswrite him, in his or her mind, as the protagonist.That means that every villain of a story, to be agood villain, must believe himself to be the hero.Not the villain at all.

According to McKee, a villain’s reasons mustmake sense according to his viewpoint. His pur-poses must be good. In the book The DisneyVillain, the writers and designers talk about thenecessity of creating villains that people canrelate to, that every character in a piece is apotential villain given the right combination oevents and circumstances. Could any of us dothat in that situation? Would we really lie? Couldwe possibly cheat? In so doing, how much ofour audience would agree that that was theright thing to do?

Gone are the days of the over-waxed mustacheand maniacal laugh and human-sized logger’sbuzz-saw. No more does a villain raise his headfrom his sleep in the morning to consider what“evil” he might do that day. No. Even if no oneelse sees it, the villain, in his mind, is the hero.That is where true evil resides—in the belief thathis or her personal good is capable in navigatingand speaking to the universal good.

In Lord of the Rings, it’s Gandalf the Grey notwanting to take the Ring to rule all rings in fearthat he would use it for good. Perhaps that is hisgreatest moment of heroism. If he had used thepower for good, he knew he would become evil.

I blame Bob McKee. I think some fans blamedme. Too many interviews have begun with thewords “How can you make the villains makethat much sense? I mean, Lex Luthor’s right.How are you going to deal with that?”

Well, it’s a twelve-issue series. The book youhold in your hand will, I’m convinced, only

begin to deal with com-plexities of true heroismand true villainy that showthemselves in the storyAlex, myself and Doughave sold ourselvesinto slavery for.

Of important note is this.I am completely in Alex’s debt. No one inthe industry has trusted me more or been abetter friend and advocate. The work he andDoug are doing in these pages is so exciting,so amazing, that I’m a little surprised you’restill reading this and haven’t jumped forwardto get to the good stuff.

o if the villains think they’re the heroes,where does that leave the heroes?

How to they view themselves? The storyyou’re about to read will deal with this issueas well. But I’d like to suggest this distinction.

Perhaps this is the difference between a heroand a villain: A villain will seek to defeat a herofor the villain’s sake; A hero will seek to defeata villain for the villain’s sake. It’s a fight to savethe enemy at the same time that it is a fightto defeat him.

This is my distinction, at least.

It still doesn’t answer how the heroesview themselves, or even each other. Forexample, how does Superman view hisfellow members of the League? Alex wasvery passionate as we began that I shouldfind ways to reinforce the friendship betweenSuperman and Batman. The following wordswere a personal exercise to understandhow Superman would view his teammates.It also kind of serves as an introduction tothe characters.

B

INTRODUCTIONby Jim Krueger

...the villain, in hismind, is the hero.That is wheretrue evil resides.

S

Diana Prince:WONDERWOMAN

Diana is one of theAmazons of myth. Forsome, slavery can breedhatred, but not for her.Diana’s love for freedomis so great that she fightsfor it at all costs, using allmanner of Amazonianweaponry at her disposal.

Diana is perfect. Shedoesn’t know it. Andthat just makes her moreperfect.

J’onn J’onzz:MARTIANMANHUNTER

J’onn J’onzz is a Martian.He is the last of his kind, ashape-changer, and hashad many identities sincefirst coming to Earth. All ofthem, though, have beenas a friend to mankind.

I have no idea how old heis. I sometimes fear thatJ’onn allows me to maketoo many mistakes for thesake of my own wisdom.

Hal Jordan:GREENLANTERN

Hal Jordan was selectedby a dying alien to becomea champion for Earthand the surrounding starsystem. He was given aring that can give shapeand power to the wearer’simagination.

I would not always havemade the same choicesHal has. But that’s why,I suppose, the ring choseHal and not me.

Arthur Curry:AQUAMAN

Arthur Curry’s father wasa lighthouse keeper. Hismother came from a realmfar under the sea. Her deathshortly after Arthur wasborn made Arthur the Kingof the Seven Seas. Hisfather made him a hero.

Sometimes terrible thingshappen. They’ve happenedto each of us. And we havebeen changed by thesetragedies, transformed.

So don’t be afraid whendark clouds gather andmadmen scream and makethreats. It’s not the end ofthe world.

Not if we can help it.

JUSTICE VOLUME ONE

Published by DC Comics. Cover and compilation copyright © 2006 DCComics. All Rights Reserved. Originally published in single magazine formin JUSTICE #1-4. Copyright © 2005, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.All characters, their distinctive likenesses and related elements featured inthis publication are trademarks of DC Comics. The stories, characters andincidents featured in this publication are entirely fictional. DC Comics doesnot read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork.

DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. A Warner Bros.Entertainment Company. Printed in Canada. First Printing.

ISBN:Cover color by Alex Ross • Publication design by Brainchild Studios/NYC

Dan DiDio Senior VP-Executive Editor • Joey Cavalieri Editor-original series • Michael Wright Associate Editor-original seriesRachel Gluckstern Assistant Editor-original series • Anton Kawasaki Editor-collected edition • Robbin Brosterman Senior Art DirectorPaul Levitz President & Publisher • Georg Brewer VP-Design & DC Direct Creative • Richard Bruning Senior VP-Creative DirectorPatrick Caldon Executive VP-Finance & Operations • Chris Caramalis VP-Finance • John Cunningham VP-MarketingTerri Cunningham VP-Managing Editor • Stephanie Fierman Senior VP-Sales & Marketing • Alison Gill VP-ManufacturingRich Johnson VP-Book Trade Sales • Hank Kanalz VP-General Manager, WildStorm • Lillian Laserson Senior VP & General CounselJim Lee Editorial Director-WildStorm • Paula Lowitt Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs • David McKillips VP-Advertising & CustomPublishing • John Nee VP-Business Development • Gregory Noveck Senior VP-Creative Affairs • Cheryl Rubin Senior VP-BrandManagement • Jeff Trojan VP-Business Development, DC Direct • Bob Wayne VP-Sales

IN LEAGUE

Bruce Wayne:BATMAN

I was not there to stop thebullets that claimed thelives of Bruce Wayne’sparents. If I had been,Wayne would never havespent the rest of his child-hood training in a cave fora one-man war on crime.

I never knew my biologicalparents. Never experiencedthe end of the world theway Batman has. I wishthere was a way to con-vince my friend that thisdoes not mean we are notalike. There has to be a wayto show him that I cannotshut out the cries of asuffering mankind, or closemy eyes to the violencedone in shadow.

Barry Allen:FLASH

For police officer BarryAllen, it was a shot from theheavens in the form of alightning bolt that changedhis life. That lightning flashmixed and fused certainchemicals together toempower him to crosscountries and oceans inthe blink of an eye.

Barry and I have racedeach other many times.Sometimes he lets me win.

He warned them what would happen. He was ascientist, a man of imagination and foresight. Hisname was Jor-El.

He even offered them a solution, a prototyperocket he had constructed to transport the entireKryptonian race to another world.

But they laughed and called him a fool.

And Krypton died.

But not before my parents placed me in the rocketin hopes that I would reach Earth.

They sent me to safety faster than a speeding bullet.

I am Clark Kent: SUPERMAN

Earth is different than the world of my birth. Whatwould have been impossible for me to do there, isless than a thought here. I can fly. I never tire. I cansee through almost anything. Even through the worstof circumstance, I can see the tomorrow to come.

As can the other members of the Justice League

I wonder sometimes if

the men that laughed

and disrespected my

father for his belief that

his world was in danger

lived long enough to

realize their mistake....

DC Comics 23

6 THE NEW BARDS: An Introduction by Elliot S. Maggin

10 CHAPTER ONE: Strange Visitor

58 CHAPTER TWO: Truth and Justice

110 CHAPTER THREE: Up in the Sky

158 CHAPTER FOUR: Never-Ending Battle

206 EPILOGUE: One Year Later…

216 MEMORIAL: Keys to Original Covers

218 FROM HERE TO KINGDOM COME: Mysteries Unveiled,

Secrets Revealed by Mark Waid

222 ICONS OF VIRTUE by Alex Ross

223 SKETCHBOOK: Norman McCay

224 The Spectre

225 The League

241 A Silent Cavalry

259 Titans

267 Wild Cards

277 A New Breed

293 GENESIS: Developmental Art by Alex Ross

301 KEYS TO THE KINGDOM: An Annotated Guide

307 GALLERY

326 EVOLUTION: The Development of the Orion Pages

328 TESTAMENTS: A Checklist of Kingdom Come Appearances

334 DC DIRECT GALLERY

336 GENERATIONS: A Kingdom Come Genealogy

338 CURTAIN CALL: The Kingdom Come Cast

339 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & BIOGRAPHIES

340 WITNESS TO THE END by Clark Norman Ross

TABLE OF CONTENTS

the meta-human race.It is the source of conflictthroughoutthe story. Andthe story’ssynthesis isthe realizationthat this distinction is false. Asclearly asanother hero,

Mahatma Gandhi, asserted thathe is a Hindu as well as a Muslim— as well as a Christian, a Jew ora Buddhist if that becomesappropriate — so do we learnhere that the most ordinaryamong us are heroes, and themost colorful and vivid among us are quite ordinary and flawed.It is a conclusion to which ournew bards lead us as elegantlyand precisely as Socrates led us through an argument orPythagoras led us through a geometric proof.

Even super-heroes need togrow. We know that now.

When you read KINGDOM COME,you will too.

If we were to peek in on the lives of the people of the

Earth in generations to come,surely we would think we weregazing upon Olympus. And ofcourse, again, we would be wrong.They are our children, our grand-children and our successors who

will surely stride the Earth astitans in those days, wearing our own features and our ownshortcomings. They are our messengers to that resplendentfuture. And they will bring withthem into their time whatever values and iconography that wehave to offer them today. Here in the pages that follow is anadmirable start. To cite the sentiment of another old friendwhom I miss (And if you travelwest anytime, Alan, come find me, will you?): This is an imaginarystory…aren’t they all?

— Elliot S! Maggin

Where the Wind Hits Heavy New Year’s, 1997

IF WE WERE TO PEEK IN ON THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH

IN GENERATIONS TO COME, SURELY WE WOULD THINK WE WERE

GAZING UPON OLYMPUS.


Each page of KINGDOM COME went through various stages of productionand development. The first stage (not pictured here) was the preliminaryoutline. This summarized an entire sequence from the story. Consultingwith the editors, Dan Raspler and Peter Tomasi, Mark then wrote a detailedscript which paced the story by breaking down the contents of each page. The dialogue and the setup for each and every panel were presented in text forAlex to then visually represent.

Before producing full-size artwork, Alex drewsmall thumbnail roughs which allowed him to work out compositional problems. This provided anopportunity for all involved to check the pacing of the story prior to producing the actual finished art.

Once all notes, modifications, and approvals werereceived, the thumbnail images were transferred ontooversize boards that eventually became the finished

artwork. Copies of the pencilled artwere made in order for Peter Tomasi tomap out the placement of the word balloons. (Note the differences betweenthe script and the art, which necessitateda reorganization of the placement of theword balloons within the various panels.)The balloon placements were then sent to Todd Klein, the letterer, so he could create and letter the word balloons from the script. In most cases, letteringis done directly on the art board. ForKINGDOM COME, as with most paintedbooks, the finished lettering was placedon acetate overlays.

Alex then rendered the images withgouache paints. First, he did a mono-chromatic black & white stage to fullydetail all the forms, and then he transparently layered over the color .

Some opaquepainting and air-brushed lightingeffects were alsoused. The letter-ing and paintedart were thencombined andsent to the separator to produce the finished comicpage.PENCIL ARTWORK

(actual size: 11 1/8” x 17 1/2”)

THUMBNAIL ROUGH

(actual size: 3 1/8” x 4 15/16”) An example of one of the

many photo references used

by the artist.

FINISHED PAINTED ART

(the finished version of this page

can be found on page 105)

KINGDOM COME

Dedicated to

CHRISTOPHER REEVEwho makes us believe that a man can fly.


it I, like Mark and Alex, have tobelieve in heroes. I do. I believe in Superman. For real. I reallybelieve in Wonder Woman, sohelp me. I believe in Santa Claus.I believe that men have walked on the moon. I believe that everyPassover Elijah the prophet comesover for a sip of wine. I believe inmetaphors. Metaphors are real.That is why the Scriptures arecomposed not only of theproverbs and prophecies thatPastor McCay, in the pages thatfollow, spouts in involuntaryreflex; but that is why thoseScriptures surround and embrace those pronouncementsin stories — the allegories andmetaphors — that teach us ourvalues. Here before you is a clash

of good against evil, of course, butmore than that. There are clashesof judgment, clashes among different interpretations of what is good and of what is justice, andclashes over who is to suffer thewages of the evil born of our bestintentions. This is a love story.This is a story of hatred and rage.This is the Iliad. This is a story of how we — we ourselves; youand I — choose to use whatever special powers and abilities wehave, when even those powers andabilities are only a little bit beyondthose of mortalmen. This is a story about truthobscured, justicedeferred and theAmerican way distorted in thehands of pettysemanticists.

Super-hero stories — whethertheir vehicle is through comicbooks or otherwise — are todaythe most coherent manifestationof the popular unconscious.They’re stories not about gods,but about the way humans wishthemselves to be; ought, in fact,to be. They’re the successors tothe stories that once came fromthe hoedown and the campfireand the wandering bard. We —all of us — come up with thesestories all the time around dormsand carpools and along cafeterialines at work and at school.Here’s one:

I have a friend named Jeph.You know Jeph. I was maybenineteen or twenty and he was

maybe twelve or thirteen and Iwas a student at this college andJeph’s stepdad was a big mucka-muck at the college and stepdadand I made friends. I went over tostepdad’s house for dinner oneday and Jeph and I got to talkingthere about our common ground:our mutual love for super-heroesand their stories. We came upwith a nifty story over mom andstepdad’s dinner table. See, I’d

just sold my firstcomic-bookscript, a GreenArrow story called “What Can OneMan Do?” and Ihad a problem.I had a meetingsoon with JuliusSchwartz, theBard of Bards, tosee whether I wasa one-trick ponyor I could do thissort of thing

again. I had to come up with ahit-it-outta-the-park idea for aSuperman story or else spend the next three years in lawschool. I guess I told Jeph a fewof my ideas and I guess Jeph toldme a few of his. And Jeph cameup with this thing he called “WhyMust There Be a Superman?” Itwas about the Guardians of theUniverse planting a new idea inBig Blue’s head. The idea was that maybe, in his zeal to preservelife and ease the path of thehuman race, Superman was keeping ordinary everyday goodhumans from growing on theirown. Maybe he was killing thebutterfly by helping it out of thechrysalis. Not for sure, but justmaybe. That was Jeph’s idea.So I went to Gotham to see the

I BELIEVE IN SUPERMAN. FOR REAL. I REALLY BELIEVE IN WONDER WOMAN, SO HELP ME.

I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS. I BELIEVE THAT MEN HAVE WALKED ON THE MOON. I BELIEVE THAT

EVERY PASSOVER ELIJAH THE PROPHET COMES OVER FOR A SIP OF WINE.


In the waning moments of the twentieth century, the

super-hero is Everyman.

Look at the way we live: travelingover the Earth at astoundingspeeds with unimaginable ease;communicating instantly at will with people in the farthest corners of the globe; engineeringeconomies, driving environ-mental forces, working wonders.If a person from only a hundredyears or so in the past could look in on our lives, that personwould suppose that we were not mortals, but gods. He wouldbe bowled over by what themost ordinary among us coulddo with a car or light switch oran automatic teller machine.This is the way many of us havealways looked upon our super-heroes — as though they were gods. Our person from a lostcentury would be wrong aboutus, of course, but no more wrongthan we are about our heroes.

In the story that you hold in your hands, Mark Waid and Alex Ross tell us that our proper

response to the inexorablemarch of progress that hasbrought us to this place and

time in the history of civilizationis to find a way to confront itresponsibly. Not modestly. Notunself-consciously. Not with faithin a power greater than ours todescend from the sky and setthings right despite our bestefforts to screw up. We have anobligation to know who we areand where we are and what wecan do. We have an obligation tounderstand the ramifications of the things we do, and to choose to do them — or not — with oureyes open.

That is what KINGDOM COMEis about.

As I write this, I am completing a novel — about a hundred thousand words, one strung afterthe other without pictures otherthan the occasional free-standing illustration by Alex Ross — called KINGDOM COME. It is anelaboration in prose of the storythat follows. In order to write

WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO UNDERSTAND

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE THINGS

WE DO, AND TO CHOOSE

TO DO THEM — OR NOT —

WITH OUR EYESOPEN. THAT IS

WHAT KINGDOM COME

IS ABOUT.

THE NEW BARDSAN INTRODUCTION

\bºy Elliot S. Maggin


To get to the personal roots of the character, I wanted to illustrate the farmer’s son, revisited inhis later years, after he had removed himself from the super-hero business for a time. His graytemples extend into his beard and long hair, betraying a sense of his surrendering to his age.While I played up the carpenter role as well for its obvious symbolism, the bare-armed,workman look for Superman is one of his earliest, coming partly from the 1942 George Lowther novel and many pre-costume drawings by Shuster.

In the earliest visual concepts for this project I wasaiming in the Frank Miller/DARK KNIGHT RETURNSdirection, where Superman hadn’t aged in 20 years.As others had pointed out to me, my drawingsalready gave him a time-worn, weathered look. Itoccurred to me that it better suited the character toexperience as many of the humbling aspects of

humanity as he could, and aging naturally would offset his more godlike attributes. My version ofSuperman was the most satisfying visual and emotional accomplishment of KINGDOM COMEto me, as he stands out as the most compelling figure I’ve ever illustrated.

SUPERMAN


Superman’s design was certainly the starting point of the entire series’ look. If I wasn’t as inspired by hisappearance, the rest of the characters would haveheld no interest for me. Fortunately DC allowed me to hark back to the classic Shuster-style broad bodyand bone structure with the wide head, short hair (a big request at the time) and a constant squint.

I was heavily influenced by the Fleischer cartoon features based on Joe Shuster’s designs, with his old-fashioned “S” logo on a black shield. This samelook can be found in a few other places in the earlycomics themselves and always stood out to me as adramatic way to go with the design. The stylisticchange I brought to the letter is meant to show thepassage of time. As it has changed since 1938, it couldfurther transform into the simplest graphic possible.

DOM COMEMark Waid Alex Ross

with Todd Klein

D C C O M I C S , N E W Y O R K , N E W Y O R K

KINGDOM COME

The KINGDOM COME series proved to be so popular that it spawned a novelization (and an audio book of said novel), numerous items of merchandise, and a semi-sequel in 1999 that actually took place in current-dayDC continuity, planting the seeds for KINGDOM COME’s possible future. Not only that, but a number of other creators were so inspired that they introduced, into their own books, characters, concepts and/or designs thatfirst appeared in the KINGDOM COME miniseries.

A partial list of the most notable K.C.-related appearances, references and merchandise follows.(For DC Direct product, see pages 334-335).

TESTAMENTSA CHECKLIST OF KINGDOM COME APPEARANCES


SUMMER

Kingdom Come Extra — A limited-edition

trading card set is released by Fleer/SkyBox.

Kingdom Come T-Shirt I — A T-shirt from

Graphitti Designs featuring an original

illustration by Alex Ross is released (see

pages 324-325).

FALL

JLA ANNUAL #1 — The Brain Trust makes a

current day appearance in a backup story.

JANUARY

TEEN TITANS #15 — Roy Harper, Arsenal,

adopts a “Red Arrow”-inspired costume.

FEBRUARY

NEW YEAR’S EVIL: GOG #1 — The first

appearance and origin of Gog (whom we learn

raises Magog from childhood) is explored in a

one-shot written as part of a “5th-Week” event

in DC Comics’ publishing schedule focusing

on villains.

MARCH

Kingdom Come (Warner/Aspect) — a 352-page

novelization is released written by Elliot S.

Maggin, which is an adaptation of KINGDOM

COME by Mark Waid & Alex Ross.

Kingdom Come: Audio Dramatization (Time

Warner Audio Books) — an audio version of the

above book adapted by John Whitman.

Approximately three hours in length and

featuring a full-cast recording, this audio

dramatization also featured guest voices such

as Mark Waid, KINGDOM COME’s editor and

assistant editor Dan Raspler and Peter Tomasi,

novelization editor Charles Kochman, Batman

editor/writer Dennis O’Neil, Executive Editor

Mike Carlin, and other members of DC’s staff.

OCTOBER

JLA ANNUAL #2 — Magog makes a very

brief cameo appearance.

NOVEMBER

SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #1,000,000

— The Metal Men combine to form Alloy.

DECEMBER

THE FLASH #143 — The Kingdom Come Kid

Flash (Iris West) makes a modern-day

in-continuity appearance.

FEBRUARY

JLA/TITANS #3 — Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg,

adopts his Kingdom Come “Robotman” look

in this story.

THE KINGDOM #1 — The first issue of a

multiple-part “5th-week event” of one-shots,

featuring a storyline set in present-day

continuity. The villainous Gog threatens to

annihilate Superman by killing him over

and over again as he works his way back

through time.

THE KINGDOM: KID FLASH #1

THE KINGDOM: NIGHTSTAR #1

THE KINGDOM: OFFSPRING #1 —

Plastic Man’s son is introduced as the title hero.

THE KINGDOM: PLANET KRYPON #1

THE KINGDOM: SON OF THE BAT #1

THE KINGDOM #2 — The concept of

“Hypertime” is introduced.

MARCH

THE FLASH #146 — The Kingdom Come

Kid Flash returns for the “Chain Lightning”

storyline, and stays until issue #149.

SUPERBOY #60 — Gog makes a cameo appear-

ance in the beginning of a multipart storyline

where Superboy explores Hypertime.

WONDER WOMAN #142 — Wonder Woman’s

Kingdom Come “eagle armor” is shown on

display in her Wonder Dome. She continues

to wear the armor in battle on occasion.

APRIL

THE FLASH 80-PAGE GIANT #2 — The Kingdom

Come Kid Flash is featured in a solo story.

1999

1996

1997

1998

More thumbnails showing an early sequence in the book.

DAN DIDIO

Senior VP-Executive Editor

DAN RASPLER

Editor-original miniseries

PETER J. TOMASI

Assistant Editor-original miniseries

ANTON KAWASAKI

Editor-collected edition

ROBBIN BROSTERMAN

Senior Art Director

PAUL LEVITZ

President & Publisher

GEORG BREWER

VP-Design & DC Direct Creative

RICHARD BRUNING

Senior VP-Creative Director

PATRICK CALDON

Executive VP-Finance & Operations

CHRIS CARAMALIS

VP-Finance

JOHN CUNNINGHAM

VP-Marketing

TERRI CUNNINGHAM

VP-Managing Editor

STEPHANIE FIERMAN

Senior VP-Sales & Marketing

ALISON GILL

VP-Manufacturing

RICH JOHNSON

VP-Book Trade Sales

HANK KANALZ

VP-General Manager, WildStorm

LILLIAN LASERSON

Senior VP & General Counsel

JIM LEE

Editorial Director-WildStorm

PAULA LOWITT

Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs

DAVID MCKILLIPS

VP-Advertising & Custom Publishing

JOHN NEE

VP-Business Development

GREGORY NOVECK

Senior VP-Creative Affairs

CHERYL RUBIN

Senior VP-Brand Management

JEFF TROJAN

VP-Business Development, DC Direct

BOB WAYNE

VP-Sales

Published by DC Comics. Cover, introductions and compilation copyright © 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Originally published in single magazine form in KINGDOM COME #1-4. Copyright © 1996 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters, their distinctive likenesses and related elements featured in this publication are trademarks of DC Comics. The stories, characters and incidents featured in this publication are entirely fictional. DC Comics does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork.

DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

A Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

Printed in China. First Printing

ISBN: 1-4012-0768-5.ISBN 13: 978-1-4012-0768-7.

Slipcase and cover art by Alex Ross.KINGDOM COME font created by Alex Ross & Todd Klein. Publication design by Brainchild Studios/NYC.

In Elseworlds, heros are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places —some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist.


Bard and I had maybe a dozen little germs of ideas packed undermy scalp. I’d try this one on him.I’d toss him that one. I’d pitch himanother one. Some of them heliked; some of them he didn’t.Some of them inspired ideas ofthe Bard’s own; some of themmade him snort or snore. By theend of a couple of hours — they

were a loud,intense cou-ple of hours,as hours Ispent withthe Bard ofBards alwayswould be — I wasemotionallyexhaustedand still hewanted tohear more.So I dredgedup this ideaabout what

might happen if the Guardianscame calling on Superman withthe tiniest little criticism of how he was goingabout his job.Now you’re talkingresh stuff, the oldman let me know.He got excited.He yanked peoplein the from thehall and made me repeat theidea for them.

I called the story“Must There Be a Superman?” andSaint Curt and Murphy drew itand it made me happy and I putthe words in Superman’s mouthpretty much steadily for the nextfifteen years and never went tolaw school. And I swear I did nothave a clue where the idea hadcome from. Who knows whereideas come from anyway? I didn’tremember — still don’t remem-ber, in fact, but I believe Jeph —until Jeph told me about his con-

tribution years later. Like twentyor so years later.

Jeph has never suffered, I don’tbelieve, for myinconsiderableoversight, and infact has alwaysbeen my friend.He’s done well,too. With hisbuddy Matthewhe wrote the firstgreat super-heromovie of themodern period,Commando withArnold Schwarzenegger, and lotsof other great stuff. And one daylater on I was editor of Jeph’s firstcomic-book series of his own,an eight-issue masterpiece withTim Sale called CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN. Now he writesfor Hollywood and he writes forDC and Marvel and he’s happyand he’s still my friend, and now I get to make this right too.

Today thereare new

bards and new stories. Not longago Mark and Alexwent to Gotham tosee Dan Raspler —who, it seems tome, was just asmart, ambitiouskid last time I sawhim and thenbecame a bigmuckamuck likeJeph’s stepdad —

to sell Dan on an idea about whatthe world would be like if all thesuper-heroes were to retire andtheir children, grandchildren and successors generally turn out to be schmucks.

The theme of “Must There Be aSuperman?,” that icon of anotherlife, is the theme the new bards ofKINGDOM COME continue. Maybecomplete. It is about the time

in the lives of Superman, CaptainMarvel, Wonder Woman, Batmanand the others, when they learn

that they are notgods. And it isabout the time intheir lives whenfinally they learnthat despite theirlimitations theymust be potent and responsibleanyway. Now is the time in the lifeof the human racewhen all of us needto learn these samethings. That is why

this story, despite its garish pri-mary-colored clothing,is an important one.

The heroes of fable and fact towhose virtue we all aspire are notonly colorful people leading vividlives; they traditionally understandthe value of human life in all itsplaces and conditions. But real-lifeheroes, unlike many of the iconswe have created, also understandhuman dignity and human immortality, and these are concepts that are lacking in, forexample, Superman’s education.Heroes especially need to under-stand the value of the things of alife: its artifacts, its ideas, its loves.It is the markers you leave alongthat road that define you. It is thetrees a man plants, the children heraises and the stories he tells thatsignify his life. It is the palaces apeople build, the heritage theyinspire, the art they create thatmakes their civilization. I’ve beentrying to tell Superman for yearsthat he mustn’t just save lives, hehas to spit-polish the real estatetoo. He’s never understood that.He never got it until Mark and Alex told him. They got through to him, finally, and for that I’mproud of them.

In KINGDOM COME, Mark andAlex draw a dichotomy betweenthe human race and what we call

SO I WENT TO GOTHAM TO SEE THEBARD AND IHAD MAYBE ADOZEN LITTLEGERMS OF IDEAS PACKEDUNDER MYSCALP.


Make no mistake.This is not, in its strictestsense,“director’s cut”material. These aren’trediscovered “missingpages” that somehowgot lost behind Alex’s filing cabinet onTuesday. They do,however, comprise asequence Alex had envisioned paintingfrom very early on: Orionon Apokolips, havingusurped his fatherDarkseid’s throne.

Alex never lost thedesire to paint thisimage, not even after(striking though it might be) we could find no room for it within the strict page count of the original monthlyseries. The elbow room of an expanded collected edition, however, gave Alex the opportunity to indulgehimself — and you.

But what to make of this after-the-fact sequence? We didn’t even know where to put it within the narrativeuntil using Orion suggested Orion’s brother-of-sorts, Mr. Miracle, Super-Escape Artist. How could we use him? Well...who better to design an inescapable gulag? Would Superman think of that? Not necessarily...but Orion would suggest it if Superman were to come to Apokolips asking to use the planet as a prison,a dumping ground. Still, the Last Son of Krypton would never suggest uprooting natives from their home-world. However, given where we were in the story just before gulag construction began, Superman wouldabsolutely consult with Orion, the ultimate Dog of War. In fact, their conversation would allow us a chance to touch upon something missing from our original series: Superman’s inability to comprehend the darkpotential of his own power...

— Mark Waid

EVOLUTIONTHE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORION PAGES

24 DC Comics

DC Comics 29

HARD WIRED FOR YOUR BRAND30 million readers get into comics every month

PLUGGED IN TO POPULAR CULTUREComics are the driving force behind major trends in film, TV, publishing, music, technology,fashion, gaming and all other forms of popularentertainment

DEEP ENGAGEMENT FOR KIDS, TEENS AND ADULTSThere are 12 million DC Comics readers across 3 key audience segments

COMICS TODA

THIS IS WHERETHE ACTION IS!

CON T I N U E

DC COMICS I KIDS I TEEN/YA I ADULT I DIGITAL I MARKETING/PROMOTION I RATES, DATES & SPECS I CUSTOM PUBLISHING I CONTACT

THIS IS WHERE THE ACTION IS!

D C C O M I C S

DIGITAL



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D C C O M I C S

TEEN/YOUNGADULT GROUP




DC COMICSCUSTOM PUBLISHING

DC Comics is the only significant comic book publisher with in-house editorial, creative and project management staff dedicated to custom crafting solutions designed to connect with your target across a range of media and help achieve your marketing objectives.

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DC COMICSTEEN/YOUNGADULT GROUP(INCLUDING MAD)Connect with5.3 millionteen/youngadults in the pages of theseaction-packedpublicationscreatedespecially forthis elusive audience.Exciting anddiverse DCeditorial content, written and drawn by the most creative talents in comicstoday, captures the imagination ofreaders better than any other mediumand is totally in sync with today’sdemanding audience.

DC COMICS TEEN/YOUNG ADULT GROUP DYNAMICS

Entertainment Enthusiasts

• 35% attend movies opening weekend

• 42% have seen 6 or more movies in the past 90 days

They Got Game

• 90% play video games

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Connected to Community

• 65% own cell phones

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Majorly into Music

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• 49% like to keep up with the latest fashions

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Network Rate Base . . . . . . . . . . . .2,000,000Network Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,386,000Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MonthlyNumber of Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-45DC Composition . . . .78% male, 22% femaleMedian Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Median HHI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42,000Newsstand Sales . . . . . . .98% DC, 48% MADSubscriptions . . . . . . . . . . .2% DC, 52% MAD

SOURCES: Simmons Teen Study Spring 2007;

MRI Prototype, Spring 2007



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D C C O M I C S

CONTACTJASON STROOTNational Sales Director - Advertising & Custom PublishingT: 212.636.5764 F: 212.636.5976E: [email protected]

JOHN DiCOSTANZARegional Sales Manager - Advertising & Custom PublishingT: 212.636.5522 F: 212.636.5976E: [email protected]

KRIS LONGORegional Sales Manager - Advertising & Custom PublishingT: 212.636.5533 F: 212.636.5976E: [email protected]

DC COMICS & MAD MAGAZINEA Warner Bros. Entertainment Company1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019Visit us: http://www.dccomics.com

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THE BERMAN GROUP INC.3717 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 115Westlake Village, CA 91362

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28 DC Comics

Batman Begins 400Concept sketches along with the final paint scheme (above) for the Batman Begins 400 event car. It was later announced that the custom design would be applied to Mark Martin’s Ford Taurus and sponsored by Pfizer.


32 DC Comics

DEAR EDUCATOR,

You strive to make each daya journey of discovery for your students with new subjects, ideas, orinformation. Because you are always looking for new tools to inspirethe sense of wonder, the educational toy experts at Action ProductsInternational, Inc. (APII) have teamed up with the award-winningcurriculum specialists at Young Minds Inspired (YMI) to bring youthis cross-curricular classroom program based on the fascinating lineof I DIGTM educational toys.

The I DIG series of educational toys, winners of the prestigiousFamily Fun Toy of the Year Award, introduces the world ofarcheology and paleontology as students dig for treasures rangingfrom dinosaur bones to pirate loot to ancient Egyptian artifacts.

This program contains three activities in science, with extensionactivities in visual arts, geography, and language arts. Thesesubjects are presented in creative ways that highlight the magicof discovery. Each activity also contains a take-home componentto involve family members. The program also includes a colorfulwall poster for your classroom.

You and your students don’t have to be familiar with I DIG toysin order to use these activities. Make as many photocopies of thesecopyrighted materials as you need to and share with colleagues.These materials will help open students’ eyes to the wonder ofdiscovery, while helping you to achieve your curriculum goals.

Sincerely,

Joel EhrlichPresident and former teacher

WHO SHOULDUSE THIS PROGRAM?This cross-curriculum program can be used withstudents in grades 1-3.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS¥This teacher’s guide

¥Three student reproducibles on science, withextension activities in visual arts, geography, andlanguage arts, each with take-home components

¥A colorful dinosaur wall poster

¥A reply card for your important feedback

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES¥To capitalize on students’ natural interest in

dinosaurs to help them develop a deeperappreciation for the past

¥To improve student skills in science, visual arts,geography, language arts

HOW TO USE THISTEACHER’S GUIDEPhotocopy each of the three activity masters anddistribute a set to each of your students. Also photo-copy the I DIG Dinosaurs fact sheet and distributeit to each student.

HOW TO USE THE WALLPOSTERDisplay the wall poster in a prominent placein your classroom. Review the fivedinosaurs shown by comparing thebones to the way the dinosaurslooked when they lived.Then, use the fun factsto have studentsthink about theirown bodies.

is the only company developing free, creative andinnovative classroom materials that is owned and directed

by award-winning former teachers. All YMI teaching materials arepre-certified and approved by our exclusive Educational AdvisoryBoard. E-mail us at [email protected] or visit ourWeb site at www.ymiteacher.com to send feedback and downloadmore free programs.

How dinosaurs and other treasures of historyteach us about today.

How dinosaurs and other treasures of historyteach us about today.

TM

YounG MindS inSPirEd

WE STANDUP TO ACHALLENGE!

WE STANDUP TO ACHALLENGE!

5’ 0”

4’ 11”

4’ 10”

4’ 9”

4’ 8”

4’ 7”

4’ 6”

4’ 5”

4’ 4”

4’ 3”

4’ 2”

4’ 1”

4’ 0”

3’ 11”

3’ 10”

3’ 9”

3’ 8”

3’ 7”

3’ 6”

3’ 5”

3’ 4”

3’ 3”

3’ 2”

3’ 1”

3’ 0”

2’ 11”

2’ 10”

5’ 0”

4’ 11”

4’ 10”

4’ 9”

4’ 8”

4’ 7”

4’ 6”

4’ 5”

4’ 4”

4’ 3”

4’ 2”

4’ 1”

4’ 0”

3’ 11”

3’ 10”

3’ 9”

3’ 8”

3’ 7”

3’ 6”

3’ 5”

3’ 4”

3’ 3”

3’ 2”

3’ 1”

3’ 0”

2’ 11”

2’ 10”

©2005 YMI, Inc., © 2005 Twentieth Century Fox HomeEntertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved. “Twentieth CenturyFox,” “Fox” and their associated logos are the property ofTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Don’t miss

Available on DVDSeptember 27, 2005

Don’t miss

Available on DVDSeptember 27, 2005

RODNEY THE ROBOTCAN STAND UPTO A CHALLENGE.

OUR CLASS CAN, TOO!

The A-Mazing Rodney!The inventor Bigweld usually says, “Let’s get to

inventin’!” But now he’s in trouble. He’s needs to getaway from the evil Ratchet.

Only you can help Rodney and Fender find—and save—Bigweld. Trace the path they should take to Robot City.

Show your parents how you helped save Bigweld.

Rodney

Fender

ROBOTSROBOTSon DVD is

available everywhere beginningSept. 27, 2005.

Bigweld2 ©2005 YMI, Inc.Ratchet

ROBOTCITY

The A-Mazing Rodney!

Rodney’s friends were in trouble when Ratchet stopped making new ________________.

They were ______________________ apart. So Rodney saved the ____________________.

He helped the ‘bots put themselves back together. He helped one with a missing

_________________________ and another with his spare __________________________.

When all the ‘bots were _______________________________, they saved Robot City.

Bigweld got his _______________________________

back and Rodney was a __________________________!

(plural noun)

(verb with an “ing”) (noun)

(noun) (noun)

(adjective)

(noun)

(noun)

The Nuts and Bolts ofSilly Storytelling

In the film Robots, robots rock! They have exciting adventures and lots of laughs, too.

Let’s add some more. Fill in the blanks with your own wacky words to make this crazymixed-up tale even crazier! Ask your parents for their silly words, too.

The Nuts and Bolts ofSilly Storytelling

ROBOTSROBOTS©2005 YMI, Inc.

3

on DVD isavailable everywhere beginning

Sept. 27, 2005.

A RIVETING RIOT OF FUN AND

GAMES FEATURING

A RIVETING RIOT OF FUN AND

GAMES FEATURING

DEAR PARENT OR CAREGIVER:

Children do better in school when they

have confidence and say, “I can do this!

I can shine!”

Watching the hilarious and heartwarming

animated film Robots is lots of fun for

your whole family. It’s also a great way to

help children learn how much they can

achieve when they believe in themselves.

Aided by a group of misfit mechanical

friends, a small-town robot named Rodney

embarks on the adventure of a lifetime

as he heads for the big city to pursue his

dreams. Rodney ultimately learns, “You can

shine, no matter what you’re made of.”

Featuring an all-star voice cast of Ewan

McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear,

Mel Brooks, Amanda Bynes, Drew Carey,

Jim Broadbent, and Robin Williams,

Robots amazes with groundbreaking

visual style that pushes the boundaries

of animated filmmaking.

Robots is a dazzling,

fun-filled feast for the

eyes and a riveting

good time for all ages!

This special Robots mini-magazine

contains fun games and activities. We

hope that you enjoy them with your child,

and that you plan to watch Robots

together! You can find more great games

online at www.robotsdvd.com. And, you

can find Robots on DVD at stores every-

where beginning September 27, 2005.

Sincerely,

Joel Ehrlich

President and

former teacher

(andkidst

oo!)

(andkidst

oo!)

© 2005 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

tHe Ymi teaCHing kitA typical kit consists of a teacher’s guide, usually in the form of a 9 x 12 folder, reproducible masters for distribution to students and additional supporting materials (mini-magazine and growth chart in this case).34 Young Minds Inspired

At the end of Adventures in Animation, you

learn that Slim doesn’t know he’s a virtual actor.

He thinks he’s real—or at least “as real as it gets.” Imagine

that, for his next appearance, Slim is offered a starring role in a

television series that you create.What would you call your series?

What would it be about?

What would Slim’s role in the series be?

Think about the character you created on the

last activity sheet.What is the name of your character?In the space at right (above), write a few sentences that describe the

character you created. For example: What kind of personality does it

have? Where does it live? What does it eat? What does it like to do?

On the back of this paper, make an outline of a story in which your

character would star if you made your own film.In Adventures in Animation, you learn how

animators create characters like Slim. Now it’s time

to think about the future.What do you think will be next? Do you agree with Phil who, in

the film, says that virtual actors will replace real ones someday?

What would virtual actors be able to do that real ones could not?

Do you think technology could make virtual actors seemingly real?

Why, or why not?

Use the space below to organize your thoughts. Then, on a separate

piece of paper, describe what you think will happen with animation in

the future.

ACTIVITY 4 WHAT’S NEXT?

ACTIVITY 4 WHAT’S NEXT?

Apart

Bpart

Cpart

REPRODUCIBLE MASTER11

Animated characters like Slim in Adventures in

Animation begin as a tiny piece of surface called

a polygon. Thousands of polygons are pulled, pushed,

stretched, and combined to build the models for characters like Slim.

What do you know about polygons? Circle the letter of each shape

below that you think is a polygon.

How many of the polygons are regular polygons? Write an “R” inside

each of those polygons.

Write the letter of each of the remaining shapes below and explain

why those shapes are not polygons.

Now, use polygons to make your own original

animated character (see example below). Use a

separate sheet of paper to build your character. (Don’t worry,

it doesn’t need to be as complicated as Slim. You can make something

as simple as a fish or even “invent” a brand new kind of creature.)

When you’re finished, make some notes about the kinds of details you

would add to make your character even more interesting.You can find polygons allaround you if you look forthem (a stop sign, for example).

Conduct your own search for the hiddenpolygons in your world. In the space below,list what you find.

ACTIVITY 3 PLENTY OF POLYGONSApart

Bpart

Cpart

REPRODUCIBLE MASTER 9

ACTIVITY 3 PLENTY OF POLYGONS

Did you know that to create virtual actors likethe ones you see in Adventures in Animation,it all starts with the human body? To capture themotion of the live actor who helps create the virtual actor, animatorsattach electronic sensors to body joints and points on the actor’s face.When the actor moves, a computer picks up the sensor readings.Then, it stores them as data the animator can use to make theanimated figure—the virtual actor—move.

How much do you know about how you actually move inreal life? Answer True or False to each statement below:_________________ 1. Muscles work in pairs so they can pull indifferent directions.

_________________ 2. An adult doesn’t have as many bones asa baby does.

_________________ 3. The biggest muscle in your body is in your leg._________________ 4. Bones aren’t living things.

_________________ 5. The muscles in your eyes may move as oftenas 100,000 times a day.

_________________ 6. The smallest bone in your body is in yourhand.

_________________ 7. Some muscles only work when you tellthem to.

_________________ 8. The muscles that your brain controls arecalled involuntary muscles.

Muscles and bones can’t do it alone. You wouldn’tbe able to move if you didn’t have joints. Joints are formedwhere two bones come together.

See how many joints you can find on the drawing at right. (Hint: Startat the top of your head and think about all the ways you can move asyou mentally travel down your body to your toes.) Circle each jointyou find.

Now that you know a little more about howyou move, imagine that you are an animatoron the team that created the virtual actors inAdventures in Animation. How would you capture the live actor’smotion if you were in charge of animating Slim? Draw an “x” at eachpoint on the drawing where you would put an electronic sensor.

ACTIVITY 2 MAKING THE MOVESACTIVITY 2 MAKING THE MOVES

Apart

Bpart

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REPRODUCIBLE MASTER7

The film Adventures in Animation is about actors

who seem real—but they’re not! They are “virtual”

actors, created by computer, who seem to pop off the screen.

How do the different parts of the eye work together, and where does

the brain fit in? To find out, label the parts of the eye in the drawing

below, and do some research to find out what each part does.

CORNEA

OPTIC NERVE

IRIS

PUPIL

LENS

RETINA

VITREOUS

It looks like Slim is dancing around in the box-

ing ring in the film. But he isn’t really moving. It’s an

optical illusion. That’s because there’s a difference between

what we think we see and what we really see.

Look at the two lines below. Which one is longer?

Measure each line to see if you are correct.

There are lots of different optical illusions. For example, if you look

down a long, straight road, it looks like the sides of the road are getting

closer together. They aren’t, of course. This is an illusion that is related

to perspective. Perspective gives a feeling of depth to a flat surface.

Filmmakers use still pictures called “frames” to

create the illusion of motion on the screen.

To find out how this works, follow your teacher’s directions.

As you hold the stapled end of your stack of paper in one hand, bend

back the top of the strips with your other hand and let them flip forward.

What do you see happening to your drawing?

Why?

Have you ever stared

at a camera when the

flash went off? Did you

notice a dark spot dancing

in front of your eyes for a

few seconds? That’s called

an afterimage. Follow your

teacher’s instructions to see

an afterimage now!

ACTIVITY 1 IT’S AN EYE THINGACTIVITY 1 IT’S AN EYE THING

Apart

Bpart

Cpart AREPRODUCIBLE MASTER

A B

C D

5

partD

MATERIALS

Onlythe activi

ty sheetis nee

ded.

TEACHING TIPS

Before stude

nts begin, lead

a discussion

about

the virtual world (the world creat

ed by anima-

tors)versu

s the real world.

What are the

differences?

What does Slim

mean atthe en

d of the film

whenhe say

s,

“This is as re

al as it gets

”? That

is, dostude

nts think th

e lines

between the

virtual worl

d and

the real wor

ld willsomeday

become less

distinct—or hav

e we

already reac

hed that poi

nt?

You may wa

nt to have yo

unger

students co

llect and sha

re pictures

of animated f

iguresthat t

hey think

rangefrom the le

ast tothe m

ost lifelike.

Then,stude

nts can find

out about th

e different

techniques

that were us

ed tocreate

them.

Encourage

students to be as

creative as they

can during this

exercise. R

emind them that, b

ecause

they have de

signedtheir o

wn characte

r—and

because this

is a virtual w

orld—they c

an have

the characte

r do anythin

g. Would they b

ase

the way the

ir character

moves on a re

al-life

example like a pe

rson or an a

nimal? Would their

character b

e active and

ambitious like S

lim

—or cool, calm

and collected

? It’s time for

your studen

ts to let the

ir imaginations

run wild!

To set the stage

, leada class

discussion

about

the technologi

cal change

s thathave

occurred in

the world during your

students’ l

ifetimes. Do

they

remember atime befo

re cellphone

s, instant m

essaging, an

d digital

cameras?Have

theminterv

iew a

parent or an

otheradult

to learn

aboutthe ch

angesthat h

ave

occurred in

the adult’s li

fetime—

perhaps col

or television

s,

microwave ov

ens, and air

-

conditioned

automobiles

.

Students ca

n alsodevelo

p a

timeline of all th

e changes

that have ta

ken place or

decidewhich

item they

take for gra

nted today

that would b

e themost

difficult to g

ive up.

RELATED

ACTIVITY

Ask students to think

about the

impactif vir

tual

actors were to repla

ce real

actors in the films they

see. Would t

icket prices b

e

cheaper bec

ause virtual

actors

wouldbe les

s expensive

to hire

than real on

es? Why, or

why

not? Would i

t costmore or

less to

make virtual f

ilms? Lead a cla

ss

discussion in

whichstude

nts can

share—and d

efend—their p

osi-

tions.

OBJECTIVES

TO EXERCISE

IMAGINATIO

N AS STUDENTS

DEVELOP CREA

TIVEWRITIN

G SKILLS.

TO CONSIDER HOW THE USES

OF TECHNOLOGY WILL GROW

ANDCHAN

GE IN THE FUTURE.WHAT’S

NEXT?WHAT’S

NEXT?

ACTIVITY 4ACTIVITY 4

Apart

Bpart

Cpart

TEACHER’S GUID

E

10

MATERIALSWhite paper • Pens or

pencils

TEACHING TIPS

Introduce the relation

ship between the virtual

actors in Adventures in Animation and shapes

known as polygons by reviewing the beginni

ng of

Part A with students. Tell stu

dents that polygo

ns are simple,

closed figures form

ed by three or more line s

egments. “Simple” means

that theline segm

ents do not crosseach oth

er, and “closed” m

eans

that your pencil w

ill end upwhere it

started when you

draw the poly-

gon. Explain that

a polygon can tak

e many different shap

es and can

have anynumber of sid

es. Notethat whi

le some polygons (know

n as

regular polygons)

have sides that ar

e all thesame length

and angles

that areall the sa

me, not allpolygons

do. Then, ask stud

ents to

identify the polyg

ons on the activity

sheet and to explain w

hy the

other figures are

not polygons. Inv

ite volunteers to draw other

examples of polygons.

ANSWERS: Figures B, C

, E, G, and H are polyg

ons. Figure B is a

regular polygon b

ecause all the side

s are thesame length

and all the

angles are the sam

e. Thesefigures a

re not polygons fo

r the reasons

indicated: Figure

A (it is nota closed

figure), Figure D (some of

the line segments cros

s each other), and

Figure F (one sideis not a

line segment).

Beforebeginni

ng this section, review

with your

students how the animators created

Slim in the

film. They used a com

puter program that allo

wed them

to combine polygons of a

ll shapes(about 1

00,000 inSlim’s ca

se) to

prepare adrawing

that is called a wir

eframe because it looks

like

bent wire. Once t

he wireframe was fin

ished, they smoothed it

out,

painted it, and ad

ded all the details

that made Slimlook more real.

The characters yo

ur students create

will be much simpler, of c

ourse.

Finally,challeng

e students to find as many

polygonshapes

as they can in the world around

them. You might evenwant to t

ake the class on a

“polygonwalk.” En

couragestudents

to look for polygon

s in man-made

structures (buildin

g shapes, window

panes, bricks, sect

ions of concrete

sidewalks, etc.) an

d in nature (the pa

tterns intree bark

or in leaves).

RELATED ACTIVITIES

• Encourage student

s to do some research to learn even

more about polygons

. For example, poly

gons with 10 or f

ewer

sides arenamed for th

e number of sides they h

ave. Figures with

three

sides aretriangles

, figureswith fou

r sides are quadril

aterals, etc.

Studentscan crea

te a chart that inc

ludes a drawing o

f each polygon

and its name.

• Have students work in small grou

ps with a ball of yarn

to create polygons as pieces of prog

ressiveart. One

student

should hold the e

nd of theyarn and

pass theball to the next

student

to make the first line s

egment. Thatstudent p

asses theyarn to anoth-

er student, who makes the

next line

segment, andso on. Durin

g this part

of the activity, stu

dents should be

standingwithin an

arm’s length of on

e

anotherso they can

pass theyarn

withoutchanging

the shape of their

polygon.Once the

y have completed

their firstpolygon,

studentsshould

move farther apart

and taketurns

changingthe shap

e of the polygon—

pushing,pulling, a

nd stretching it ju

st like

the animators in A

dventures in Animation

did—until theyare satis

fied

that theyhave cre

ated

their ideaof the

“perfect”polygon.

OBJECTIVES

TO UNDERSTAND

HOW POLYGONS ARE USED IN COMPUTER-GENERA

TED IMAGERY.

TO DISCOVER POLYGONS IN OTHER

CONTEXTS.

TO IMPROVESTUDEN

T OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS

AND UNDERSTANDI

NG OF SPATIAL RELATIO

NSHIPS.

PLENTY OF POLYGONS

ACTIVITY 3PLENTY OF P

OLYGONS

ACTIVITY 3

Apart

Bpart

Cpart

8 TEACHER’SGUIDE

MATERIALSLibrary and Internet resour

ces

TEACHING TIPSReview with students the beginning of Part A

and ask them to think about the bones that enable

them to stand upright and the muscles that allow

them to move. After they attempt their answers

to the quiz, ask

them to do some research to learn more about bonesand muscles.

ANSWER KEY:

1. True. In fact, muscles can’t push

; they can only pull.

2. True. A baby is born withmore than 300 bon

es. Some of them

later fuse together, leaving an adul

t with only 206 bones.

3. False. The biggest muscle is the gluteu

s maximus

(the muscle you sit on).

4. False. Bones are made up of living c

ells, just like everything

else in the body.

5. True. They arethe busiest muscles in the bod

y.

6. False. The smallest bone is thestirrup. It’s in the

ear,

and it can be as small as one-tenth o

f an inch.

7. True. They areknown as volunt

ary muscles, like the ones

you use when you walk.

8. True.Muscles such as your heart work on

their own,

without you consciously doing an

ything.

Talk with your studentsabout the joints that

occur where two bones connect. Explainthat there are

two categories of joints—immovable joints, suc

h as those that

join the bones inthe skull, and movable joints tha

t permit the hands,

legs, arms, neck, spine, and mouth to move. Talk about b

all-and-socket

joints that allowfor a rotating movement of the arms and legs and

hinge joints thatenable the back-a

nd-forth movement of the knees

and elbows. Other kinds of joints in

clude gliding joints (spine) and

pivot joints (neck). Then, ask your

students to circle all the joints they

can find on the diagram.

Talk with students about how animators

sometimes use electronic sensors to capture

the motion of a live actor. They attach the sensors

to selected body joints and key facia

l points. When the actor moves,

a computer picks up the sensor readings

and uses them as data to

make the animated figure—the virtual actor—move. This is an

example of computer-generated imagery (CGI).

RELATED ACTIVITYOne way to think of animators is as puppeteers who

create and manipulate incredibly versatile puppets. Ask your

students to learn about marionettes—the kind of puppets that are

controlled by strings. Older studen

ts might create their own simple

marionettes.

OBJECTIVES

TO LEARN HOW THE SKELETAL AND MUSCULAR SYSTEMS

WORK TOGETHER TO ALLOW US TO STAND AND MOVE.

TO CONSIDER THE TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES THE COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGERY (CGI)

POSSIBLE IN FILMS SUCH AS ADVENTURES IN ANIMATION.

MAKING THE MOVESMAKING THE MOVESACTIVITY 2ACTIVITY 2

Apart

Bpart

Cpart

TEACHER’S GUIDE6

MATERIALSLibrary and Internet resources • Rulers • Staplers

Pens, pencils or markers • Sheets of unlined white paper

Scissors or paper cutter

TEACHING TIPSBefore students begin to research the parts of

the eye, ask them to identify parts of the eye they

already know, and encourage them to explain the function

of each part. Discuss how the various parts of the eye work with the

brain to produce vision. For older students, cover the names of the

parts of the eye before copying the activity sheet.

Ask for a show of hands to determine which of

the two lines, AB or CD, your students think is

longer. After they measure the lines, talk with them about

optical illusions. Explain that the way the end segments of the

line are positioned makes AB appear to be longer, even

though both lines are identical in length.

Provide some other examples of

optical illusions, such as the way the

moon appears larger when it is on

the horizon than when it is high in the

sky. Ask older students to give additional

examples of optical illusions.

Explain how a movie creates an optical illusion when a series of

still pictures (frames) is projected onto a screen. Each frame is

slightly different from the one flashed before. The frames appear

at just the right speed (24 frames per second). The brain interprets

the changing images as continuous motion because our eyes

continue to see each image for a split second after it has

disappeared. This is known as persistence of vision, when

the eye connects the separate frames into continuous motion.

Have students make flip books:

1. Cut sheets of unlined paper into 15 or more strips

about 1 1/2 inches wide by 3 inches long. (You may wish

to provide younger students with packets of pre-cut strips.)

2. Put the strips in a stack and staple them together at one end.

Place the stack on a surface in front of you with the unstapled end

closest to you.

3. Trace or draw the first figure from the activity sheet at the

unstapled end of the first strip of paper. Trace or draw the second

figure from the activity sheet in the same position on the last sheet

of paper. Find the middle strip and draw an image that would

appear halfway between the two images. Fill in the remaining strips

to approximate the transition between the first and final images.

When students have assembled their books, have them

experiment with flipping the pages at different rates of

speed. If the speed is too slow, the motion will be jerky;

if it is too fast, the images will blur.

Ask students to stare at the

letter “A” on the activity

sheet for one minute and then

look at a sheet of plain white

paper. They will see that the colors

of the image and background are

reversed—the “A” appears to be white, and the

background appears to be black. Explain that this

occurs because the eyes become tired staring at

the white part of the paper. Because the letter “A” is

not bright, the part of the eye that sees it (the retina)

is resting. When the eyes shift to the plain white paper,

the light on the part of the retina that has been resting

appears brighter, so the “A” now appears to be white

against a black background—even though the paper is

blank. This is called an afterimage.

OBJECTIVESTO DISCOVER HOW THE EYE AND THE BRAIN WORK TOGETHER.

TO LEARN HOW FILMS CREATE THE ILLUSION OF MOTION BY TRICKINGTHE BRAIN INTO SEEING THINGS THAT AREN’T REALLY THERE.

IT’S AN EYE THINGIT’S AN EYE THINGACTIVITY 1ACTIVITY 1

Apart

Bpart

Cpart

TEACHER’S GUIDE

4

partD

You already know that still pictures

called frames are what make everything

in films—including Adventures in

Animation—appear to move. Twenty-

four frames flicker across the screen each

second. Between the frames, the screen

is black, but you don’t notice it because

your eyes and brain fill in the dark gaps

with something called an afterimage.

Have some family fun by making a motion

toy known as a thaumatrope to see how

your eyes and brain blend afterimages into

one image. (The thaumatrope is nothing

new. It was invented in the 1820s.) You’ll

need two plain white index cards, a straw

and some tape.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

STEP 1. Draw a picture of Slim’s face

(or something else if you prefer) at the

center of the first card. At the center of the

second card, draw a picture of a blank TV

screen. Make sure what you draw on the

first card is slightly smaller than the TV

screen. Tape the back of the first card to

the top part of the straw.

STEP 2. Place the back of the second card

(with the TV screen) on the other side of

the straw, against the back of the first card.

Tape the edges of the cards together.

STEP 3. Hold the straw between the palms

of your hands, then twirl the straw quickly

back and forth. When you twirl it at just

the right speed, the picture you drew will

appear as if it’s on the TV screen.

LET’S MAKE A FILM!LET’S MAKE A FILM!

It’s absolutely amazing how your eyes

and your brain work together to produce

the images you see. Each of your eyes sees

the same object from a slightly different

angle, and your brain combines the two

separate images into one single 3D image.

The science behind the images you see on

the big screen is pretty amazing, too. For

example, did you know that when Slim

is bouncing around the boxing

ring with Killer, he’s not really

moving at all? That’s right—the

people who made this film put

together a whole series of

still pictures of Slim (called

“frames”)—each

of which

is just a

tiny bit

different

from the one before. Then

they project them fast

enough to make you

think you’re watching Slim

move. That’s called an opti-

cal illusion—when your brain

is tricked into seeing some-

thing that isn’t really there.

Check out

these two

optical

illusions:

Which of the two bold lines in the figure

above is longer?* (Make sure you measure

them to find out.)

Where is the dot in the cube above? Is it

at the back of the cube? Or at the front?

Okay, you know this is just a flat drawing,

so what’s up? (That’s right! With this optical

illusion, there are no right or wrong

answers! It’s whatever your eyes tell you

to believe.)

OUR AMAZING EYESOUR AMAZING EYES

*Ifyoumeasuredthetwolinesinthefirstdrawing,youknowthattheyareboththesamelength.

KRYPTO ISSPECIAL, SMART, BRAVE

AND STRONG!

Catch

on Cartoon Network,Monday-Friday

at 2:30 p.m. E/P.

KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters andelements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.

© 2005 YMI, Inc.

TM

coMic-con intErnational

ComiC-Con international

comic-con international began in 1970 at the u.s. grant hotel in

san diego, ca with a total attendance of 145. 40 years later this block-buster, 4 day event that originally showcased comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television has expanded to include a larger range of pop culture elements, such as horror, anime, manga, animation, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels. The convention is the largest in the western hemisphere, and second largest in the world after angoulême international comics festival in france, filling to capacity the san diego convention center with over 125,000 attendees last year.

Comic-Con International’s

brand mark.

36 Young Minds Inspired

HelpersPlaces

Krypto and Kevin need your

help. Choose ahelper and a p

lace.

Reproducible

Master

Watch

on Cartoon Network,

Monday-Fridayat 2:30 p.m.

E/P.

StreakyTM

The Dog StarTM

Patrol

Krypto’s

Rocket Ship

Krypto’s

Doghouse

Activity 3

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics. • © 2005 YMI, Inc.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

In this activity of the I’m Special program, students practiced

the important pre-reading skill of storytelling. Have them tell

you about their story that is on the back of this paper.

Be a special helper at home like Krypto.

ReproducibleMaster

Activity 2

I CAN BE SPECIAL LIKE KRYPTO

Watch

on Cartoon Network,Monday-Friday at 2:30 p.m. E/P.

Krypto uses his special powers to help out. You can help out, too!


ReproducibleMaster

Watch


Here’s how I help!

Activity 1

IF I HAD SUPER POWERS

Dear Parent or Guardian,Your child is participating in a unique I’m Special teaching unit. Activities in the program use characters and

themes from Cartoon Network’s animated series, Krypto, the Superdog, to support your child’s development in

many areas, including reading readiness, mathematics, social-emotional growth, creativity and imagination.

Krypto, the Superdog hails from the planet Krypton and has an amazing array of super powers. Special, smart, brave

and strong, Krypto is just what every child wants to be!In this activity students drew themselves with a super power. Have them tell you about their drawing. Then share

the super power you would like to have!


Helpers

Places

Krypto and Kevin need your help. Choose a helper and a place.

ReproducibleMaster

Watch


StreakyTM

The Dog StarTMPatrol

Krypto’sRocket Ship

Krypto’sDoghouse

Activity 3

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?


Dear Parent or Guardian,In this activity of the I’m Special program, students practiced

the important pre-reading skill of storytelling. Have them tell

you about their story that is on the back of this paper.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Activity 3Additional Materials: Blocks from your blockcenter, popsicle sticks, glue, contact paper (option-

al) and character cut-outs (made by copying two orthree extra pages of this activity master, then coloring

and cutting out the character images)

Read the following paragraph aloud to students:

One day, Krypto and Kevin were playing together in Kevin’s backyard. All at once, aliens from another planet appeared. Then theyshrank Krypto and Kevin to a teeny tiny size so they could place theminside a glass jar and take them back home.

Now distribute the activity sheets. Tell students that it isusually Krypto who helps others. But now, it is Krypto whoneeds help. Tell students they will use their imaginations totell the story of what happens next in their very own specialadventure with Krypto. Remind children of the super powerthey imagined themselves to have in Activity 1. Instruct themto pretend they have that super power as they finish the storyand help Krypto.

First they must use the activity sheet to select a character helperto assist them in the story. (You may read aloud the sectionsfrom this guide about Streaky and the Dog Star Patrol from theMeet Your Special Learning Partners section.) Then have studentsselect a place, or setting, for the story continuation. Childrenwill illustrate (or you may take student dictation) their storieson the back of the activity sheet.

Do a comparison activity with students’ stories. Groupstudents according to “place” and “helper” selections. Countand compare how many students chose the same or differentcharacter helpers and settings. Conclude the activity withKrypto’s Special Adventure Block Building Activity below.

KRYPTO’S SPECIAL ADVENTUREBLOCK BUILDING ACTIVITYFirst, copy two or three extra activity sheets and color and cut outall of the characters. Make puppets by gluing each charactercutout on a popsicle stick. You can cover the pictures withcontact paper for durability. Then have students use the blocksfrom the block area to build Krypto’s rocket and the buildingsand streets of Metropolis. They can use the character puppetstogether with the block buildings to act out their story ideas.

I’M SPECIAL

Activity 4Additional Materials: Art media including

colored glue, yarn, ribbon, string, confetti, sequins,foil strips, stickers, etc.

Distribute the activity masters. Have children color and decoratethe I’m Special badge at school using the materials provided.Explain to children that their parents will help them completethe remainder of the activity at home by filling in the blanksfor the I’m Special section of the badge. After children havecompleted their badge, follow-up with the next activity.

YOU’RE SPECIAL BECAUSE…CIRCLE ACTIVITYExplain that you would like to hear about ways childrenthink of one another as special. Give a few examples by tellingchildren how you think another teacher is special because sheor he always has a smile in the morning, or how the schooldirector is special because she makes sure all the children arewell taken care of.

RESOURCESwww.cartoonnetwork.comwww.ymiteacher.com

KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.© 2005 YMI, Inc.

Kevin

KryptoTM

TM

DEAR EDUCATOR,

Help your students get a great start to the school year with this free I’m Special teaching program. Award-winning curriculumspecialists Young Minds Inspired (YMI) and Warner Bros. have teamed up to bring you this exciting learning guide, full oflessons to nurture students’ self-esteem and encourage imagination and creativity, all while supporting important readinessskills. In addition, each lesson promotes extended learning in a specific area, such as movement, block play,art and circle time.

Leading the way in the I’m Special program is Krypto, the main character in Cartoon Network’sanimated series, Krypto, the Superdog. Krypto hails from the planet Krypton. Along with his best palKevin and a host of other heroic animals, Krypto battles the forces threatening the people and animals ofMetropolis. Special, smart, brave and strong, Krypto is just what every preschooler wants to be!

The activities in the I’m Special program reinforce the message that each student is special in his or herown way. And, you can reward students with their own I’m Special stickers for a job well done.

Viewing the program is not necessary to complete the activities,however, students who have seen the program may want toshare Krypto’s many adventures. Krypto, the Superdog is onMonday-Friday at 2:30 p.m. E/P, on Cartoon Network.

The materials in this kit are copyrighted, however, youmay make additional copies for students and share thematerials with other teachers. You can also downloadcopies at www.ymiteacher.com

Sincerely,

Joel Ehrlich,President and former teacher

YMI is the only company developing FREE, creative and innovative classroom materials that is ownedand directed by award-winning former teachers. All YMI materials are pre-certified and approved by ourexclusive Educational Advisory Board. E-mail us at [email protected] or visit our Web site atwww.ymiteacher.com to send feedback and download more free programs.

CREATIVE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE SELF-ESTEEMWHILE IMPROVING READING READINESS AND MATH SKILLS

Another FREE Program from

KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters andelements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.

®

EniGMa BooKS38 Comic-Con International

ComiC-Con eVent sHirtsDesigned by Brainchild Studios and produced through Graphitti Designs, the event shirt has consistently sold out since 2001, making it the most prized souvenir of the show.

2009 (volunteer)

2009

2008

2006

2005

40 Enigma Books Enigma Books 41

Brainchild StudioS/nYc330 west 38th street, suite 1503, new York, new York, 10018 p: 212.647.9278 e: [email protected] w: brainchildstudiosnyc.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR'S WORKS AND EVERYTHING VERTIGO, HEAD TO VERTIGOCOMICS.COM

his month, the war in DMZ comes to Staten Island. That “forgotten borough” is one of the most frequently requested locations I am askedabout, in interviews or in person, when people want to know their status in the fictional DMZ world (the others are Hell’s Kitchen, Queens,and Roosevelt Island – I’ll try to get to everything, eventually). My own personal experience with Staten Island, aside from listening to

old Wu-Tang cassettes, is limited to visiting twice, once to scout locations for an ex-girlfriend’s film, and going to a college house party inSt. George. It’s obvious which one I chose to draw upon for DMZ.

So in the spirit of the vibe, I asked my collaborators on DMZ to supply me with their ultimate DMZ House Party playlists, or, in the words ofeditor Will Dennis, the “top 5 beer drinking/house party/shout along/get fucked up/DMZ rock out mix tape songs... not the sappy ass love songsthat you put on a mix tape for a girl. I’m talking TAKE ME DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL kinda shit here.” You heard the man. Boys?

RICCARDO BURCHIELLI (cocreator, artist):“Hit the Light” – Metallica (because

I’m a fucking fat thrasher! – the partybegins)

“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead (becauseLemmy is the father of all of us – theparty rocks!)

“Cowboys from Hell” – Pantera (Becausethey are the most powerful metal bandin history – we’re drinking hard)

“Creep” – Stone Temple Pilots (because I’mhalf the man I used to be–I’m becomingto be too much drunk)

“Little Wing” – Jimmy Hendrix (becauseduring the night there is a time for love)

“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” – OtisRedding (because now I want to becalm, baby)

KRISTIAN DONALDSON (guest artist):“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead“Rebel Yell” – Billy Idol“Scenario” – A Tribe Called Quest“Las Cruces Jail” – Two Gallants“Astro Zombies” – The Misfits

(Drink – GUINNESS)

JOHN PAUL LEON (cover artist):“Twice As Hard,” “Seeing Things” – Black

Crowes“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”

–The Band“Brownsville Girl,” “When I Paint My“Masterpiece” – Bob Dylan

JARED K. FLETCHER (letterer):“Boychuker” – Rocket from the Crypt“Protect Ya Neck” – Wu-Tang Clan“Barroom Hero” – Dropkick Murphys“Russian Roulette” – The Spunks“Ain’t No Fun” – Snoop Dogg

(if it’s that kinda party, i’ll be swillin’o.g. coors tallboyz!!!!!)

JEROMY COX (colorist):“Where Is My Mind” – Pixies“I Don’t Want To Hear It” – Minor Threat“The Choice Is Yours” – Black Sheep“Add It Up” – Violent Femmes“Party At Ground Zero” – Fishbone

WILL DENNIS (editor, enabler):“Rocks Off” – Rolling Stones (from the

original get silly drunk record EXILE ONMAIN ST.)

“Streams of Whiskey” – Pogues (pleaseplay this at my funeral)

“Wasted” – Circle Jerks (’nuff said)“Sweet Child O’ Mine” – GnR (’cuz who

doesn’t want to hear this songat some point in the night?)

“If Only You Were Lonely” – TheReplacements (best drunken band ever)

BRIAN WOOD:“What’s It All About” – Reducer SF (kind

of frat-posing-as-punk shit, but greatsing-along material, and since it’s a songabout striking out with women at a bar,it’s a totem of sorts to play at the startof a night)

“Re-Ignition” – Bad Brains (I would findlittle wrong with playing nothing BUTBad Brains all night long at a party, butmaybe that explains why no one evercomes to mine)

“Anything, Anything” – Buckcherry (ok,it’s a cover and Dramarama’s versionwins in all other situations, but thespeed and ferocity of Buckcherry’smakes that beer disappear. Anotherbad-luck-in-love song)*

“Brave Captain” – FIREHOSE (SST – bestrecord label ever?)

“Peace of Mind” – Boston (for those finalmoments stumbling over empty cups atthe end of the night)

* “Wrong” – Archers of Loaf, spiritualsubstitute to be played if/when toomany people make fun of you forBuckcherry.

WhatWouldMatty Play?Who knows. I like tokick the poor guy when he’s down, which isbasically all the time, so I’m going to say hehas crap taste in music and probably hasCandlebox on his iPod. (DMZ trivia moment –the logo on Matty’s baseball cap is that ofRiccardo Burchielli’s heavy metal band).

T

NEXT MONTH IN DMZ #36Bio-weapons, Abu Ghraib, “we don’t torture”... a mini global war on terror playingout over a couple square blocks in Staten Island. Next arc in DMZ: “War Powers”– Parco Delgado’s back, and so is Riccardo, as the DMZ goes sovereign. Now,who needs a beer?

VERTIGO

VOICESVERTIGO

VOICESBRIANWOODZ 28 MZ29 DMZ30 DMZ31 DMZ32 DMZ33 DMZ34 DMZ35

BR

AIN

CHILD

STUD

IOS

/NYC S

um

me

r 20

10

BRAINCHILD STUDIOS/NYC330 West 38th Street, Suite 904

New York City, New York 10018 p: 212.647.9278

e: [email protected]

V i s i t B r a i n c h i l d S t u d i o s a t :

www.brainchildstudiosnyc.com

BRAINCHILD STUDIOS/NYC