ASPEN LAWSUIT'S SETTLED

[Ares]

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Saturday’s Aspen panel followed the DCU panel at WizardWorld, allowing Michael Turner and company to follow-up on the announcement that they will be producing two books for DC. The other important news – “the lawsuit is settled,” Turner said.

 

The creator and founder of Aspen, MLT said that everything is done but the paperwork with the lawsuit, and that the Aspen titles Soulfire, Ekos and Fathom will begin shortly.

 

Turner said that the deal with DC was set up in the time period after Top Cow had filed the suit against them, allowing Aspen to continue working. As announced at the DC panel, Talent Caldwell will illustrate a Superman six issue miniseries which will set up the revamp of the Superman titles in early 2004. While Turner said he couldn’t comment on his project for DC given that it was a story promised to Wizard, there was little secret about it on the convention floor – Turner will draw a six-issue Batman arc, most likely immediately following Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s six-part “Broken City” arc which begins with issue #620, or the next Superman/Batman arc, after the initial one drawn by Ed McGuiness.

 

While no writers were named for the two projects, Geoff Johns and Jeph Loeb were named as frontrunners, as the two are writing Soulfire and Ekos, respectively, for Aspen.

 

In speaking of Aspen, Turner said that the already announced (and in some cases, solicited) Aspen titles are in the production pipeline, with some books completed, and others near completion. As a result, the Aspen titles will ship, in some cases, at the same time as the company’s DC projects.

 

Turner said that he wants to model Aspen after Pixar in that the company will put their whole heart into each project that they do. While each project will be distinctively “Aspen” each will have a different feel. “We’re not going to just throw stuff against a wall and see what sticks,” Turner said.

 

Turner said that he sees Aspen in relationships with other companies, even naming Marvel as a possibility, in the future, suggesting, but not stating, that the relationship with DC is for roughly two years.

 

Soulfire will run between nine and ten issues, according to Turner, although it could be a little longer as he and Loeb keep coming up with new ideas for the series. Following Soulfire, Turner said Aspen’s options are open. He may move right into Ekos, or do another DC project, or even a Marvel project or a project for another company.

 

When asked how he plans to avoid delays, Turner joked, “not have nay more federal lawsuits,” but added that they are working very carefully to make sure everything is on time, and on a realistic schedule. As an example, Turner said that Caldwell has already completed issue #3 of Fathom: Dawn of War, and three issues of Aspen are “ready to go” as well.

 

Turner all but confirmed he will illustrate a Witchblade project for Top Cow, and said that a crossover between Aspen and Top Cow characters isn’t out of the question. “Everything is settled and we’re moving ahead.”