NYCC 2017: DC’s Milestone Panel in Their Own Words

Today, at New York Comic Con, DC Publisher Jim Lee, writer/producer/director Reginald Hudlin and Milestone co-founder and artist Denys Cowan announced the return of popular characters of the Dakota Universe in a new pop-up imprint called Earth M in spring 2018.

Cowan, Hudlin and Lee were joined by Milestone co-founder Derek Dingle and Earth M collaborators Alice Randall, Kyle Baker, Ken Lashley and Greg Pak to share details of the re-emergence of classic Milestone characters.

Below, you can find some of the most notable quotes from the panel.

Hudlin, who was invited to join the original Milestone was too busy working on the film House Party, said that his film Marshall, out next week, is “a superhero origin story in its own way.”

“I’m excited to bring some of these feminine and feminist perspective to this universe they’re building,” said The Wind Done Gone author Randall.

“Reggie called me up, it was actually about two years ago almost now, and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and two years later, here we are.” – Greg Pak

“This is like a dream come true for any black artist, to be part of this, so I’ll make sure that whatever I do here, I will represent everybody equally.” – Ken Lashley

“We are really really pleased that we are able to bring back the Dakota universe, albeit in a little different fashion,” Jim Lee said.

“I’ve known Reggie for a long, long time. When we started Image Comics in 1992, I think the second call I got was from someone who was interested in turning one of our characters into a motion picture, and that was Deathblow,” Lee said.

He said Hudlin ripped open his shirt to reveal a Deathblow t-shirt, and while that movie didn’t happen, his relationship with Jim Lee has kept up.

“When Derek approached Denys and I about re-forming Milestone, we sat down to talk about it. We couldn’t just do the same thing; Milestone was always about doing new things…so for us to simply repeat and rehash what was done before was not that exciting from us collectively,” Hudlin said.

“[Jim Lee] really wanted originality, like ‘Come on, new stuff,’” said Hudlin, who credited the naming of the Dakotaverse as Earth-M was inspired by Geoff Johns.

“We thought the Milestone characters worked best separate from the heroes of the mainstream DCU, so let’s go back to the original Milestone being a world on its own.” – Hudlin

The line will launch in Spring 2018 with 3 or 4 titles. The first title will be Milestone #1 featuring Icon & Rocket. It willbe written by Hudlin & Cowan, with art by Lashley.

“This is a reset, so no previous knowledge required; at the same time, we will be reissuing the classic lines over time,” Hudlin said.

“Usually in a black neighborhood, there’s a white family who can’t afford to move out.” – Reggie Hudlin

Hudlin and Cowan will plot Static Shock, which will be drawn by Kyle Baker.

“The most I’ll say about the first Static Shock arc is I’m from St. Louis, and you know what’s in St. Louis? Ferguson.” – Hudlin

“I just love books about kick-ass women,” Hudlin said. “Every time I’m at Comic Con I’m trying to find cool t-shirts for my daughter, so I thought ‘Well, if I create cool-ass heroes for my daughter, then she’ll wear a shirt.”

“They are all over the world and they are super-strong and they kick ass. They’re a secret organization,” he said of Love Army.

“We’re so excited that starting next year, you will get to see what we have been working on diligently for the last few years,” Cowan said.

Hudlin said they are already working on a second wave of books and characters, and talking about what other media characters might find their way into as well.