DC Shakeups: Ha Draws ‘Justice League’, Talibao Joins ‘Green Arrow’, Brandon Exits ‘Men of War’
Since our last report on the creative team shakeups in DC Comics' New 52 line (which saw Gail Simone leave Firestorm, Tom DeFalco take over Legion Lost and Paul Cornell exit Stormwatch), the publisher has confirmed additional changes to its roster. Top Ten and The Shade artist Gene Ha will fill in for Jim Lee on Justice League #7; Harvey Talibao will be the new regular artist of Green Arrow beginning with issue #7; and Men of War #6 will be Ivan Brandon's final issue, with James Robinson and J.T. Krul contributing stories to issue #7. All these changes will take place in March 2012.According to DC's The Source blog, Justice League #7 marks a number of firsts for the bestselling New 52 series: it's the first issue in which the fully formed team works together in the present day (previous issues took place five years in the past), it's the first appearance of the new Captain Marvel (in a backup story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank in which the Shazam! hero is said to get a new origin), and it's the first issue not drawn by Jim Lee. The superstart artist and DC Comics Co-Publisher is to return with issue #9, beginning the "Villain's Journey" storyline.
Green Arrow #7 sees the arrival of not just new writer Ann Nocenti but also penciler Harvey Talibao. The book has had quite a creative turnaround, with J.T. Krul writing the inaugural issues drawn by Dan Jurgens and George Perez, followed by Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens with art by Jurgens, Perez, Ray McCarthy and Ignacio Calero, and covers by Howard Porter and McCarthy, Jason Fabok and Ryan Winn, Dave Wilkins and Brett Booth and Rob Hunter.
The Source says Green Arrow #7 begins a new storyline "with Oliver Queen finding himself torn between his life as a billionaire business mogul and a free-wheeling vigilante. Something's gotta give, and we can bet that you'll be able to guess which path Ollie chooses."
Ivan Brandon will no longer contribute to Men of War, confirming via Twitter that issue #6 will be his last. The writer's work on the title has been well received by critics and readers -- among them, author and actor John Hodgman, who indicated to Newsarama last month that Men of War was a standout of DC's New 52. DC has not released a statement referencing Brandon, but the writer did provide some context for his departure: "My reason for leaving the book: a paralyzing fear of the number 7."
On sale in March, Men of War #7 will be staffed by writers James Robinson and J.T. Krul, who worked on separate stories. Robinson told The Source that he's "created a new DC war character I hope readers respond to. A British soldier in the S.A.S. in Afghanistan who takes one last mission upon himself before returning to England," while Krul said, "I'm telling a contemporary story about an American soldier serving in Iraq that finds himself fighting for his life along side his fellow soldiers after their helicopter is shot down. But, it's got another component to it that digs deeper into the life of a soldier and the struggle to navigate through obstacles both on and off the battlefield."