In the latest DC New 52 creative shakeup, Paul Jenkins, currently the writer of Batman: The Dark Knight and DCU Presents‘ first six issues, will be taking over Stormwatch in March 2012 – but only for two issues.

Writing issues 7 and 8, as announced on DC’s The Source blog, Jenkins will be telling the story of inter-dimensional raiders coming to steal Earth’s gravity. Sounds like a “heavy” tale (I’m so sorry). On the blog, editor Pat McCallum said of the story:

“The Stormwatch crew can’t ever catch a break — no simple threats like bloodthirsty monsters or world-dominating supervillains to stop, it’s always some mind-cracking knot that Apollo, Midnighter and the rest of the crew have to untie,” says editor Pat McCallum. “This time out, Stormwatch have to solve the puzzle of dimension-stepping gravity miners, creatures so alien they’re not even technically alive. The last stand of humanity or, as Stormwatch calls it, ‘Monday.’”

No word on who will be writing the series with issue #9. Current series writer Paul Cornell announced he is off the book after issue #6 and won’t be returning on his Twitter account. He is staying on his other DC New 52 title, Demon Knights, however.

Marc Bernardin is the new ongoing writer of Static Shock starting with issue #7, currently due March 2012, DC announced this morning on The Source. Scott McDaniel, the current artist on the book, is sticking around with the new scribe.

John Rozum launched the book as part of the DC New 52 initiative, and had the distinction of being the first creative change for the line-up, resigning from the title just one week after the first issue was released.

Bernardin has extensive credits in TV and comics, having previously written The Authority for DC under the now-defunct WildStorm banner. Currently, he writes for SyFy’s Alphas. On the Source, he had this to say about the new gig:

“The thing that excites me, as both a writer and a reader, about STATIC SHOCK is that it features a hero that we don’t really know yet — at least, in comics, anyway. (Fans of the Static Shock TV show will kindly forgive me.) Virgil Hawkins is young, still figuring out the full extent of his powers, and navigating the full range of teenage tragedies: Being the new kid in a new school, asking out the pretty girl, finding time for his homework, etc. And he’s one of the few young heroes without a built-in father figure: He’s not an offshoot of Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, or the Martian Manhunter. He’s his own man, for better or for worse. And all of that offers a lot of grist for the writer-y mill. And I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a humbling sense of responsibility to get this one right. The late Dwayne McDuffie still stands as a titan in this industry – and while I’m not so presumptuous as to think I can write Static as well as he did, I’m hoping I can write a Static he’d get a chuckle out of.”

The “Red Circle” group of heroes has returned to Archie Comics after a brief run with DC Comics, but they are returning with more than one twist.

Archie announced the return of super hero comics in their line via the New York Times last night. In the announcement, they detailed the return, which features the classic heroes living in retirement in a community called, appropriately enough, “Red Circle.” Most of these retired heroes are killed, and replacements, the New Crusaders are brought in to save the day, led by veteran The Shield. The new stories will be 6-page digital exclusives written by Ian Flynn and drawn by Ben Bates, with no release schedule revealed.

In addition to these shorts however, Archie will be offering an extensive digital archive featuring their superheroes. For a low (not yet determined) monthly fee, only $3 or $4, readers will have access to the new stories plus an archive featuring “thousands and thousands of pages” of older stories. More details as they come, but what do you think of this deal so far?

Action Comics, Justice League, and Batgirl previously were announced by DC Comics as going to third printings of their first issue, and now Detective Comics and Swamp Thing join the crew.

Detective is a natural: along with Action and JL, it is absolutely considered a flagship book for the company. Likewise, Batgirl received a lot of attention from the media (us included) due to the miraculous healing of paralyzed Barbara Gordon, placing her back in a walking, running, jumping costume. Swamp Thing is a bigger indication of the diversity of stories being told in the New 52, though, and the fact that they are also selling well.

Justice League #1, so far, is the only one of the titles on its fourth printing. The second issues of the week one titles, including both of these new additions to the third printing club, hit stores tomorrow.

Today’s SWTOR Friday update is a big one, a whole new feature on the website. Through the new Galaxy Map, fans can tour the Galaxy, checking out the location of many of the planets you’ll be adventuring to within the game, from core worlds to Hutta, from wretched hives of scum and villainy to the ancestral home of the Sith.

The real fun, though, comes in exploring the 3D mode with the help of a very quick install plug-in. Here, you can zoom in on planets, watch videos that give you brief fly-by tours of actual places on the planet you’ll be able to see in-game, read detailed descriptions of the planet, what happens there, their allegiance and other facts, and even see the starships that are found commonly in that system, complete with rotating 3D models and text detail there as well.

As a note, if you have the means to hook a computer up to a big screen television for this experience, do it. With the epic Star Wars music playing in the background, it becomes a different experience at full screen in the living room.

With the game recently announced as coming out December 20th in the US, it’s nice for new features like this to be added into the site so that die-hard fans can explore the worlds of Star Wars: The Old Republic early and prepare for their journey into a long (long, long, long – hey, this takes place 3,000 years before the movies, people) time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Click here to jump directly to the new Galaxy Map!

Yesterday was Aquaman’s 70th birthday, a huge achievement for a character that has often lacked definition, and at some times been a laughing stock.

To celebrate the character’s birthday, fansite Aquaman Shrine threw a big old birthday party for Arthur, bringing along some big names and notable friends.

They have writers like Dan Abnett and Tony Bedard. They have the voice of Aquaman from Superfriends. Dan DiDio, Patrick Gleason, and many more contributed to say Happy Birthday to the King of Seas, and show why the character should be celebrated.

Of course, that’s not all for Aquaman this week, as he also gets a brand new #1 issue of an ongoing series, from writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis!

So pop on over to our friends at Aquaman Shrine and add your best wishes!

We’ve talked a lot about Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare’s upcoming MMORPG, including talking about its tie-ins in novel and comic book form.

Today on the official site of the game, senior writer Alexander Freed, who has also written two arcs of the SWTOR comic for Dark Horse, has an extensive post about writing tie-ins, writing licenses, and just writing in general. Some of his writing rules definitely reach outside of just game comics, especially this one:

Assume Nothing

In addition to having connections to the game, a The Old Republic tie-in also needs to stand on its own. Not every reader is going to be intimately familiar with the game’s background and characters (especially before the game has come out!). For that matter, some may only have a broad familiarity with the Star Wars movies–perhaps they’ve only ever seen the original trilogy and don’t know Jar Jar Binks from Mara Jade.

So how do you write for an audience of casual fans along with the hardcore? You assume no foreknowledge on the part of the reader and you introduce everything he or she needs to know–and you make sure that you have characters and situations that resonate regardless of how they interact with the game.

Does a reader of The Lost Suns need to know that Theron Shan’s mother is a Jedi? Absolutely, and seeing Satele Shan in action during her youth (as we do in both the “Return” cinematic and The Lost Suns issue one) helps establish Theron’s identity and the setting as a whole.

Does a reader of Blood of the Empire need to know that Exal Kressh is the latest child of a Sith bloodline going back to Ludo Kressh (a character established in Tales of the Jedi comic series)? Absolutely not! Knowledgeable fans will spot the reference and infer its impact on Exal’s character, but it’s an extra–not an integral part of the plot.

There is one exception to the rule, however, and that is to always assume that your audience is smart. Give readers a strong story with characters they care about, and they’ll figure out what matters. There is no need to spoon-feed people. Simply make sure everything they need is there and they will put it all together.

Tons more from Freed at the link here as part of SWTOR.com’s weekly Friday updates. And just in case you don’t feel like exploring once you click over, here’s the awesome new Smuggler class progression video for you, too, right after the jump.

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The short answer is no, but that’s not how one retailer felt after a tweet Kurtz put out into the internets inquiring about Justice League #1. The webcomic creator told the story on his Google+ account, seeming not to be picking a fight, but just genuinely baffled.

“”So wait, can I just buy Justice League #1 on my iPad now? Do I even need to go to a shop?”

Immediately my followers let me know the facts. Yes. I can purchase it via the comixology app. For the exact cost of the print version (no discount). If you want to skip the store today. Fair enough.

And the truth is, I do. I want to skip the store today. I do not want to drive to Lynnwood to purchase a $3.99 comic out of curiosity. I don’t collect floppies. I don’t polybag. I don’t fill longboxes. I’m fine reading this digitally with the idea that I’m kinda only “renting” the comic anyway.

Then, I got a twitter reply from a retailer who said:

“@pvponline with the disdain you seem to have for us brick and mortars, it makes me wonder why I carry PVP books in my shop”

Which I found unsettling and very telling. He followed up to let me know that “the tone of [my] post made it seem as though comic shops don’t provide any value-add or service.”"

Kurtz goes on to analyze the retailer’s statement, and finds that in some cases, the answer is unfortunately, “no, they don’t.”

He told about how personally he makes more money selling PVP books directly than he does selling them through Diamond. He talked about the simple ease of getting books digitally or from an online store.

So it does beg the question: What do retailers need to do to continue providing “value-add” to customers who have an increasing ability to pick up their wares more easily?

When the shadowy first image showed up from Superman: Man of Steel, we wondered, along with many fans, if the well-placed shadow was hiding the red trunks or not. Turns out, not.

The image, from Superhero Hype (click the name for a couple more), shows clearly that like his DC “New 52″ counterpart, the new movie Superman will not have red trunks as part of his costume. On the right side of the image is the black-clad villainess Faora of Krypton, as well. The guy between them dressed like Metamorpho is likely not, but dang, that’s uncanny isn’t it?

So what do you think now that we can see the full costume clearly, folks?

We may have little, shy of a teaser trailer and some production shots, from The Amazing Spider-Man, due in theaters in 2012, but the sequel is already underway, with a release date announced by Sony Pictures today.

May 2, 2014, less than two years after the July 3, 2012 release date of the first film, is the tentative release for the sequel.

Now that we’ve looked 3 years in the future, let’s all take a step back and let the first Marc Webb directed, Andrew Garfield starring film come out first, shall we?

While we won’t have the video embedded for you here (sorry, but it’s disappearing just as quickly as it shows up), the Amazing Spider-Man teaser that is likely to premiere at the SDCC panel for the movie later this week has leaked online.

The big focal points for the teaser are a slightly darker tone to the story, Peter being a bit more of a loner by choice, and that crazy POV sequence at the end. Whether the movie itself will ever show us what it looks like being inside the Spider-Man mask, the teaser nailed the effect, and has people talking.

The teaser can currently be found on What Would Tyler Durden Do, but no guarantees, folks. When the real-deal gets released later this week, we’ll have it here for you asap.

So now she doesn’t have pants?

With the costume change last year for Wonder Woman, a lot of focus was placed on the fact that she had pants, losing the star spangled bathing suit style bottoms. When the relaunch of the entire line was announced, people wondered what costume Diana would don, and some were disappointed to see the long blue leggings once more.

Now, however, on DC’s seasonal preview magazine cover, Wonder Woman is back in the original bathing suit, and out of the pants that were seen in the solicited cover to Wonder Woman #1. Could she, like her failed TV Pilot counterpart, be switching back and forth between the two? More as soon as we hear it…

UPDATE: When we reached DC for comment, a representative simply had this to say:

“We can confirm that the actual cover to issue 1 has now been revealed.”

Sounds like Wondy’s doing the no-pants dance after all!

The Batgirls. Just two of our top missing heroes over at the main site (click here for the full countdown). As we’ve done before, we thought now would be a good time to reach out through our cosmic treadmill-connected computer here at Newsarama HQ and ask these characters themselves what they think of being excluded. Some of them had a lot to say, some of them were just too shocked to say much at all. See what they think after the break, then tell us what YOU think.

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This is one of those wonderful times that I get to just let the post speak, or as the case may be sing for itself. If you haven’t heard nerdrock group Kirby Krackle’s Green Lantern themed song “Ring Capacity” yet, now it’s easier than ever to take in with their all-new animated video! Check out the video below, then hit the jump for information on the animator and links to more Krackle-y goodness!

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Latino Review, who get things right more often than not when it comes to the world of movies and breaking secrets before anyone else, has been playing their game with Marvel Studios from the start. Of course, at the top of their minds is The Avengers, the big get-the-whole-band-together film coming in May of 2012.

They correctly predicted back in March of this year that Loki would be a villain in the team movie, a point proven in the Joss Whedon-directed after-credits scene of Thor. At that same time, they posited that Loki would be the impetus bringing in the rumored Skrulls to the mix. Now, they have another major villain they assure readers will be in the film. See who after the jump, with the obligatory “potential spoilers ahead.”

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The X-Men: First Class promotion train keeps right on chugging, this time showing a full scene from the movie. In the scene, Charles Xavier and Raven Darkholme have a sit-down meeting with the CIA to reveal their powers. The CIA agents are nonplussed by the demonstration, until, that is, Raven stands up and becomes… well, why not watch the clip and find out?

Is this marketing blitz of new clips making you more excited for the film? Sound off below!

Kenshin fanart by “Tsuyoshi13″

Anime News Network and others are reporting that this week’s issue of Jump Square magazine holds a special announcement for the 15th anniversary of Rurouni Kenshin – a new anime has been greenlit! No word yet whether this will be a new series, OVA, or film, but any new Kenshin will certainly be welcomed by fans.

In addition, if the older material is more your speed, you’ll have a new higher-quality way to watch it soon as well. With Japanese release dates of late August, September, and October (no official word on US release yet), the two Kenshin OVAs and the full length feature will be hitting blu-ray, watchable in high definition glory.

The Kenshin manga spanned 255 chapters, and the original anime series had 95 episodes.

Well, if there was any doubt after the tiny flash of the Red Skull in the Captain America: The First Avenger teaser, this should erase it for everyone. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have the first full shot of Hugo Weaving as the maniacal Nazi villain from the film (Yes, folks, while he’s wearing a Hydra belt/armband, he is also a Nazi, will be seen with Nazis, and called Nazis, as confirmed to Newsarama by official tie-in comic book writer Fred Van Lente), and it is just spectacularly creepy. Hopefully we’ll get something in motion soon in the form of another trailer. The above link also has an interview with Director Joe Johnston, but who needs words with a picture like that?

This is the end, my friends. Smallville is coming to a close, and just as pretty much everyone suspected, it will be ending with a big two-hour finale. Officially announced today by the CW, the big finale hits Friday May 13, 2011.

Hopefully the fight between Clark Kent and Darkseid will be longer than the 2.5 second fight against Doomsday, and maybe will even see Clark don the iconic costume.

Check out the full official press release after the jump!

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I am truly heartbroken at this moment. BBC News has reported that Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall series of novels, has died after a heart attack at age 71.

Jacques is very much the reason I’m even typing this on this website today. My love for fantasy, my fueled imagination, they were born in the halls of Redwall Abbey, the mountain peak of Salamandastron (also the title of my favorite in the series, pictured above), and the trees of Mossflower Woods.

The well-crafted world was just the tip of the iceberg, though, as it was the incredibly relate-able characters that made these stories great. These warrior mice, these foul searats, these noble Badger Lords and their military genius Long Patrol rabbits… they all spoke with a level of humanity untouched by other stories written for children. As I grew older, I continued to read the new books for quite some time, and while I eventually fell out-of-touch with my friends at Redwall Abbey, I never forgot what they meant to me.

I was truly privileged to have met Jacques at a reading and signing once. He was gracious and kind, a man astounded by these people coming to him and telling them how he had touched their lives through his written word. He also taught me how to properly say “Mattimeo” and “Salamandastron.”

I’ll even admit that my confirmation name of “Matthias” came to me first because of these novels. We have lost a true and amazing literary talent today, and I want to express my love and thanks for the stories that will live on forever after.