Tonight at the New York Comic Con, VP Dan DiDio did his best to explain the FINAL CRISIS mini series, including how Batman RIP and FC flowed together, or didn't.
Led, as usual, by DC Universe Senior VP/Executive Editor Dan DiDio, the panel also included legendary penciler George Perez (who received claps from the crowd when he arrived first; ”For once, I’m early,” the artist said), VP of Sales Bob Wayne, Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler (“He’s going to explain to you all the minute details not in Final Crisis,” DiDio joked), Final Crisis/Blackest Night editor Eddie Berganza and writers Greg Rucka, James Robinson, Sterling Gates, and Geoff Johns.
Writer Peter Tomasi was also brought in, from the audience.
DiDio began the panel by showing off a Build-A-Bear monkey dressed (kind of) like Darkseid. "This is what you get from fans that hate you," he quipped.
Let's get it out of the way," DiDio said. "Final Crisis?" A decidedly mixed reaction from the audience.
"How many of you understood Final Crisis?" Some raised their hand. "Stand up," he said. "You guys are my idols."
DiDio brought up the somewhat ambiguous status of Batman post-Final Crisis. "'Why didn't you publicize that Batman was going to die in #6,'" DiDio said, voicing complaints. "Because we all knew he'd be back alive one or two weeks later," he answered.
DiDio addressed confusion behind how Final Crisis and Batman R.I.P., both written by Grant Morrison, flow.
"We're going to make sense of this," said DiDio. "Just for you."
DiDio pointed to the projector, saying that story started with the first issues of "R.I.P.," going to Final Crisis #1, and then the last issue of "R.I.P.," Batman #681, then moving to Final Crisis #3.
After that falls the "Last Rites" story (Batman #682-683), and then Final Crisis #6.
The next part after that, somewhat logically, was Final Crisis #7.
DiDio asked the fans what they thought of Final Crisis: Revelations. The response was positive from the handful of fans he polled, with one noting that he liked the use of religion.
DiDio also asked about more FInal Crisis tie-ins: Resist, Submit and Rogue's Revenge.
When asking about Requiem, a fan said he liked that it said goodbye to a "beloved character" that was "shortchanged" in Final Crisis itself (according to this guy, at least).