Chris Metzen (Blizzard VP of Creative Design), and Mickey Mielson (Blizzard Senior Writer & Voice Director) met with fans at the San Diego Comic Con 2007 - World of Warcraft Comic Book panel. Jim Lee was busy playing on a raid (chuckles). No serious. Well, maybe he was busy on the other DC panels for his Batman title.
Chris Metzen commented how he always loved comic books and was a comic book fan since age 5. He loved Walter Simonson's work on the Marvel Comic book title: Thor; and
Orion. Jokingly, Metzen said he wanted to have Walt's babies (laughs). And brought him to the World of Warcraft comic book as writer. Metzen had tried to get a Warcraft comic book for Blizzard for many years. They tried a Diablo comic book with Dark Horse, but it never really took off. With the success of World of Warcraft going beyond their expectations, and the hit of Warcraft novels from Pocket Star Books, and the Tokyopop Warcraft Manga success, the idea of a comic book hit the fan once more.
There are some cool surprises coming in the World of Warcraft Comic Book, and the main human character will play a major role in the World of Warcraft universe, even though he doesn't remember his past. The comic book is canon. This character will get to know the Horde from the inside out and learn some of their secrets. This will scare the Horde to find out he has learned this much info.
There will be a new character, a night elf druid gladiator who is consumed by rage. Valeera Sanguinar, a blood elf rogue - young, hot, and bitter, who has gone through a lot of krap and have gotten it rough through her childhood; and she is learning her way through a world that has changed a lot since the destruction of Quel'Thalas by Arthas. Wait ... Valeera Sanguinar? Say, whoa? You got it right. The World of Warcraft Action Figures by DC Direct are characters of the World of Warcraft Comic Book!
The events of the World of Warcraft comic book will unravel a lot of events that will have ramifications in the next couple of years, probably in future expansion packs. The story to be told is the introduction of new heroes and characters since most of the heroes we already know of, and some are either dead, or have become villains. So Blizzard is attempting to throw in a new dynamic, and new lore through new characters that will appear at some point in the MMORPG and/or future Warcraft-related games or novels.
At some point in the Wow Comic panel, Jim Lee appeared on-stage, and apologized for being late. Lee said he was ganking some Alliance on the Twisting Nether (PvP Server) with his lvl 70 Shadow Priest (giggles). Jim Lee has been playing Wow for a long while and he owns and pays for 4 accounts on four computers. His kids play with him online, and considers himself a Wow addict. He has had the opportunity to learn the mythology of Warcraft through the quests and dungeon raids.
Chris Metzen got a special fastball question a la Colossus-Wolverine old-fashion-way directed right to the liver, when someone asked about Garona. I recommend listening to the DC Panel podcast to find out his goofy reaction. Worth a laugh.
Other question from a fan was if the comic book would deal with some of the awesome unfinished questlines that fans have gotten to love in the MMORPG, such as the Missing Diplomat quest-chain where the King of Stormwind has gone missing. There wasn't a direct answer concerning the missing King, but you could hear in the background an innocent whistle. I'm pretty sure who the main character is since I read the brief description of the comic book. We will have to read the comic book to find out, don't we? Pre-order your 12-issues for $23.99.
A fan asked Metzen if he had any updates about the Wow film. He said: "...info will be available in the upcoming week--zz..umm". Did he slip we will get an overall report on what's going on with the Warcraft Film by Legendary Pictures at BlizzCon?
You gotta have to listen to the hilarious effect in the audience when a fan asked Metzen if Murlocs would be a playable race. Find out what happened when a fan asked if "WILL ORC SHOULDERS BE FIXED BACK TO NORMAL?" Metzen also said the novels and their characters, specially the manga, are canon. Leeroy Jenkins might -- unless it was a joke - be in the comic book. He already got a card penciled and painted by Penny Arcade in the Wow TCG. So, why not?
I recommend listening to the hour-long podcast of this World of Warcraft Comic Book panel at San Diego Comic Con. You will have a pretty informative, exciting and funny experience.
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BLIZZARD / DC COMICS PANEL
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