Do you think that comic book companies and their employees have gotten too tight-lipped and secretive about the business and their plans? Then you need to read Steve Sunu's refreshing interview with Keith Giffen.

CBR News: I want to discuss the slowly increasing connection between "Justice League 3000" and "Justice League International." Was it the plan from the very beginning to bring in these elements from your original "Justice League" run?

Keith Giffen: No, not at all. The original idea was just to get a "Justice League 3000" book out there. Our initial fight was to get our characters through with their personalities the way they are -- Superman's a douchebag, the Flash was our Kenny -- that was the initial fight. Once we got through that, as the stories progressed, I just kept thinking, "What would no one expect? What would be the weirdest thing I could do in this book? ... Beetle and Booster in a refrigerator."

We're bringing Beetle and Booster back, and yes, I'll say it again: It's really them, it's not a trick. In a year from now, I'm not going to be going, "Ha ha! I gotcha!" No, this is the same characters from "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League" book that ends with "They all lived bwa-ha-happily ever after." This is a direct sequel to that.

Elsewhere in the interview, Giffen is critical of editorial positions, past and present, at the companies that employ him. That he's been a star for decades is probably how he can get away with speaking in a direct way that younger talent might be chastised for.

You can find the rest of the article at ComicBookResources.com. NSFW Warning: there's some blue language in there, if you're offended by such things. Thanks to Morgenstern for the link.

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Boosterphile Chris Aguinaldo was the first to tell me that All-Star Western writer Jimmy Palmiotti spilled the big news about his planned guest star in "Palmiotti Brings Superman to 'All-Star Western'."

CBR News: Although Superman's the character featured alongside Jonah on the cover, perhaps the bigger event was Gina bringing Jonah to the museum exhibiting his body. What was your process for designing the exhibit? The faux comic book covers were an especially nice touch.

Palmiotti: We thought it would be cool for Jonah to see the impact he made in his life -- good or bad, real or not, and have him process [the information]. The items in the exhibit are specific, and the actual stuffed Jonah is from a story originally told in the classic "Jonah Hex Spectacular," where we theoretically witness the end of Jonah's life. We have scrutinized that issue and plan on coming back to it later once the story moves from the current location. And, yes, Booster Gold will be in Issue 28 for those that love the character. Things will be moving quickly.

So, to recap: BOOSTER GOLD WILL BE IN ALL-STAR WESTERN #28!

The book will be released on February 26. You can read more about what to expect in the issue in Steve Sunu's full interview at ComicBookResources.com.

Thanks to Chris for spreading the good word.

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It is convention season, and as usual some interesting news pops up from time to time at convention panels. Take for example Steve Sunu's coverage of DC's Batman panel at HeroesCon 2013 for Newsarama.com:

[Jimmy] Palmiotti revealed bringing Booster Gold into "All Star Western" actually came from Dan DiDio. "We just started laughing," Palmiotti recalled of his reaction to the idea. "Dan's suggestion was also to bring Jonah into Gotham. He's the biggest Jonah fan I know. When he gets his chance to put in his two cents, we let him.... There was a Jonah Hex series in the future that was silly way back when and I said I'd rather write him now. Jonah's seeing people on cellphones, thinking girls who aren't wearing much are all hookers. The great thing is -- the thing that people don't know about Dan -- I don't know someone who has a bigger comic collection than Dan DiDio. We all have long boxes, but with Dan, you can actually make a hallway and furniture out of it. He's been really good for us -- at a time when Jonah wasn't selling much, he's always come up with an idea to get us just a little bit more. We even deal with that with 'All Star Western' now."

So there you have it, the reason why Jonah Hex got to keep a low-selling series after Flashpoint is because DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio is a big fan.

If we want Booster back in his own title, we need to get a Booster Gold mega-fan into a corporate office. Hey, wait a second! What have you done for Booster Gold lately, DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns?

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