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The 16th Rumour Awards – Rumour Of The Year 2016

Published Mon, 09 Jan 2017 08:00:27 -0600

Last updated Wed, 11 Jan 2017 10:55:01 -0600

It's a long long time since the very first one of these. I was 28 when I decided that an annual look back at the rumours and scoops of the year would be a good thing. 16 years later, that's still to be determined. But here we go again with a self congratulatory pat on the back. Mostly.

But feel free to catch up with previous years by clicking on all these many links.

We've looked at some scoops of the year, and things we got wrong are coming up next, but here are the rumours, the unprovable, the unknowable, the unconfirmed….

We told you that Marguerite Bennett was hired to write Wonder Woman, that issues had been written and greenlit, but that she was dumped when Greg Rucka changed his mind about writing for DC Comics, and said yes. As a result, Bennett started a Patreon funding service, stating,

I recently lost a major project shortly after a rather expensive surgery, and as I struggle to rebuild my 2016, I was hoping to be able to interact directly with you all, without a publisher, and share some art, writing, behind the scenes stories, how-to's, journal entries, nonfiction, analysis, and anything else that isn't exactly in the superheroes-and-insect-lesbians forte of my mainstream publications.

There were more behind the scenes rumours regarding Wonder Woman – first as DC Comics seemed determined to reduce her costume… then as Greg Rucka was hired, direct conflict with variant cover Frank Cho as both claimed agreements with DC Comics over what appeared on the covers in question, leaving Frank to walk off.

Bleeding Cool uncovered behind-the-scenes shenanigans at Double Take, the comics publisher run by Take-Two Intercative, included the denied-by-come confirmed-by-others information that Jemas was looking for $1.2 million to buy the comics imprint – and then getting funding and work from the Chinese investors behind Valiant.

We said that the Justice Society would be revealed as a forgotten superhero team from the forties, brought forward to the present day. NO. Earth 2 is not mentioned on the schedule. And JLA is looking more likely right now.

We had no idea that the Watchmen/DC Universe thing was coming. But once we did, we found how Ozymandias, Rorschach and Dr Manhattan might all fit in.

There's the rumour that Marvel/ABC had filmed some "proof of concept" footage for a new Netflix White Tiger show… but could there be anything behind Nightwatch appearing in Spider-Man Homecoming?

That previous to the Rebirth there was a big event for DC Superheroes laying siege to a city from Dan DiDio that was abandoned,

We looked at some of the history between Marvel Comics and Marvel Films – and where the big split actually started. And in interview with Marvel Comics executives past and present spinning against Kevin Feige was also a highlight.

We told you that retailers had specifically not ordered Motor Crush because it had a black female lead.

We have also reported that there are more Sandman-related titles on the way from DC Comics, and that many creators were asked to pitch for new spinoff books, to be approved by Neil Gaiman.

But the Rumour Of The Year probably concerns 2017 more than it does 2016, the impending mass closure of comic book stores under financial pressures.

As a new charity is being formed to help comic book retailers in trouble, will it be formed and will publishers be able to organise to help before it's too late?

Start watching out for the closing stores…

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