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DC Fandome was this past weekend. This was the second annual online presention featuring highlights of upcoming DC/Warner Brothers projects, mostly for the 2021 and 2022. Since Comic-Con, which is normally held in the summer in San Diego, has been closed because of the Coronavirus outbreak, Warner Media has embraced this virtual convention.

 Now, to start, there was four hours of content announcements. That means I have over eight pages of notes for projects spanning current release to 2023. It’s too much for one post. So, some more information will trickle out over the next few months as more details are related, but these were the top three things I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about. 

The Good:

I was so excited to hear more about Milestone publications and how successful that imprint has been over the past year. Milestone is an imprint of DC, kinda like a smaller company within the company, that focuses on telling stories written, created, and featuring people of color. The comics industry has a massive problem with representation, and Milestone is working on ensuring that changes. They’re also responsible for one of my favorite heroes, Static. My brothers and I loved watching Static Shock on WB Kids every weekend, and to be honest, when I think of animated superhero television shows, Static is always first. So I got a little teary eyed when they officially announced a live-action Static movie, being produced by Micheal B. Jordan, as well as an animated feature film that combines many of the Milestone characters. I’d say it’s safe to guess Static will make an appearance. 

Milestone also announced they’re partnering with ally media to offer a week-long development course for comic creators in under-represented groups. The Milestone Initiative is now accepting applications, and I know several people who should apply. (YES ROB. I’M NOT DROPPING THIS CONVERSATION.) More information about the workshop and Milestone can be found here.

The Bad:

We got our first glimpse of DC League of Super-Pets. This animated feature focuses on the pets of our favorite DC heroes, mainly on Krypto the Superdog and Ace the Bat-hound. I was already a little unhappy about this film going in. I mean, Ace and Krypto are getting a movie before we get a solid Batman and Robin movie. Or Batgirl! Or Supergirl! But I was also fully aware that I was not the target audience. However, after the first trailer? I haven’t changed my mind. Krypto is voiced by Dwayne Johnson, who also overpowered Fandome to promote his Black Adam movie. For me personally, I think Johnson is a fabulous casting choice for Black Adam, a more villainous anti-hero. But casting him as Krypto, Superman’s dog, at the same time? It doesn’t vibe for me. And then to add onto that Kevin Hart will be playing Ace the Bat-hound. While the two actors are known for their chemistry, it was not flowing well in the trailer. It felt too much Johnson-and-Hart and not enough Krypto-and-Ace. However, the animation style is very Secret Life of Pets, and I can already see the dollar signs from the merchandise lines in Warner Brothers’ eyes. If it drops on HBOMax at the same time as theaters, I’ll go, but I think this is gonna be a no from me, dawg.

The Batman:

To end the four hour long presentation, Matt Reeves, Zoë Kravitz, and Robert Pattinson debuted a new trailer for The Batman. After the six second teaser the fans got pre-Fandome, we were all pretty excited. Pattison sounds incredible, mastering the gritty nature of the Batman voice without sounding like he’s trying to impersonate any of the previous iterations of the character. I’ve been a fan of Pattinson’s for a very long time (I’m a Hufflepuff) and think that his real life zany-apathy is going to inform his character choices for Bruce Wayne, and his serious acting skills are going to make his Batman one of the most intense we’ve seen. We also got our first good look at Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman in this trailer, and it’s like she stepped out of Tom King’s Batman: the Wedding. It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen an actor portraying a character that I wouldn’t necessarily cast for them, and going “Oh, I would have been very wrong.” I’m not a huge BatCat shipper, but the chemistry between the two is so intense… I am so ready for it. The Batman opens in theaters March 4th, 2022.

Overall, Fandome was pretty cool again this year. It’s really exciting to see so much of what’s in store for DC fans, but I didn’t love it quite as much as last year’s. I didn’t seem like they’d learned from the stuff that had gone wrong in year one, and it wasn’t quite as organic. But still, I’ll take any excuse to spend a whole day talking about DC.

And Marvel fans, don’t worry. I’ve got some stuff planned for you as we prep for the release of The Eternals! I didn’t forget y’all.