CBR is reporting LIVE from DC Comics and WEBTOON's panel at New York Comic Con 2022, discussing the vastly popular webcomics born from the companies' partnership.

Since the two joined forces in 2021, they have produced four series revolving around DC's fan-favorite characters: Wayne Family Adventures, Vixen: NYC, Red Hood: Outlaws and Zatanna & the Ripper. The creative minds behind these titles are in attendance at the panel, including WEBTOON's Content VP David Lee, DC Editor-in-Chief Marie Javins, Vixen artist Manou Azumi, Red Hood writer Patrick R. Young and Den of Geek's Rosie Knight.

The panel begins with Knight introducing the attendees as the moderator. While waiting for more attendees to walk in, the question, "Who is your favorite Robin?" was asked by Javins. Knight answered Carrie Kelley, Young and Lee Jason Todd and Azumi Dick Grayson.

Lee discussed his excitement at the partnership coming together to create stories with the characters he grew up with, "characters who have been established for such a long time." Lee noted that bringing these DC characters to WEBTOON allowed for a new way to view them.

Javins explained the barrier to entry for WEBTOON is very low. "We love book stores, we love comic book stores," Javins said, but then gestured to her own phone to show what everyone can read a WEBTOON comic on.

Knight commented on Javins' explanation, labeling the combined efforts of DC and WEBTOON as a two-way street for readers to dive into more stories about their favorite characters they may have learned of in print.

Speaking as an artist, Azumi discussed how drawing for a WEBTOON comic is different from print, explaining how instead of needing to think of page turns and the "traditional comic layout," an artist is dealing with a continuous the scrolling format that comes with a webcomic. She labeled this as the main difference between print and digital.

For Young, he highlighted that Red Hood: Outlaws is his very first comic, and discussed the projects that he gravitates towards and inspired him.

Lee then chimed in to say that in New York Comic Con panels, fans are likely to know that Batman has more than one Robin, but someone in DC's general audience may not know Batman's multiple Robins, saying how WEBTOON allows for these different kinds of stories for creators to "write characters that they really like" and introduce others to these beloved characters.

"With WEBTOON... Wayne Family Adventures can start over," Javins said of the comic's potential, speaking on how the stories can start fresh without connecting to DC continuity and tell new, original stories.

Azumi mentioned how it can be daunting to work on these characters in a new format, saying that she didn't want to "mess them up." Young continued her point, explaining how in Red Hood: Outlaws, the creative team wanted to write a story that fans would want to see and would've wanted to see when they were younger in a "boiled down" format.

Young also said that he cried at the opportunity to write for Jason Todd and live out his dream when work on the series was beginning.

Speaking on Vixen: NYC, Azumi said that she enjoys fashion and likes to work in different fashion choices and options for her characters, sometimes making around eight outfits for each one. For some outfits, she tries to design outfits that can serve as a callback to the character's comic history.

With comic history in mind, Young picked up with answering a question about referring to the comics of old with these characters. Young noted how many great creators have worked with Red Hood, and now his WEBTOON series can tell a new story inspired by those works.

Azumi noted that they still have to stay true to who the characters are at their core, because if they lose that, then they will not feel like the characters they were in comics to readers.

Knight began to speak on her love of manga and similar storytelling, asking of WEBTOON's various DC series, "Why do you think these stories are so meaningful for readers?"

The panel had a consensus that the "Slice of Life" aspect of the books "is the perfect format," in Javins' words, for these series. She acknowledged that DC's comics can get dark, saying, "We killed Robin," but continued to say that even if comics get dark, they can still be "fun" for the reader, adding that it is especially enjoyable to make fun of Batman.

Young brought up Marvel's Spider-Man for "Slice of Life" stories and the web-slinger's high school experiences, saying that these stories are really enjoyed by readers. He used this as a reason to say that he doesn't feel that the desire for series like WEBTOON and DC's are new, and that it has been around for a while.

Getting back to art, Azumi spoke on how she likes to tone the characters down to "make them seem more human" -- with feats like them having crazy expressions and going out for food together -- in addition to action sequences and so on.

As for the future, Young said that Outlaws is going to delve into how the Outlaws will act in place of the Justice League, labeling them as "more erratic." Azumi mentioned that a crossover between Wayne Family Adventures and Vixen is on the way.

Regarding DC and WEBTOON's future, Lee said that there are a few projects in the works, but he isn't sure "if he can share very much" about what they are. Javins added that Wayne Family Adventures has been renewed for a second season, which has begun as of the panel.

When asked about their experiences, Azumi added how special it was to be working on Vixen, saying that she was a cashier about a year ago before on the series. Young took the conversation in a different direction, saying he has learned how "thirsty" fans can be, saying that fans wouldn't believe some direct messages received.

Then, fan questions opened up, the first asking about what has changed between the creators writing/drawing for fun as opposed to now for work. Azumi explained how the experience has changed her art, especially since it gives her a chance to "sit down and draw," and be "happy" with what she is making.

The next fan asked about what kinds of risks and fears went into diving into a DC/WEBTOON project. Javins noted with a laugh that when Wayne Family Adventures was starting, many fans thought that WEBTOON producing the series was illegal by using DC's characters and intellectual property. She then brought up how the format is so different from print comics, going from a full page to 2-inch screen in width.

Another fan asked what fans can do to get their other favorite characters to have WEBTOON comics of their own. Javins again brought up the death of Jason Todd, joking that they could do another survey to see what fans would want. A fan survey asking whether to kill off the Robin is exactly what led to his death in Batman's "Death in the Family" arc.

Knight brought up the success of Wayne Family Adventures, which has now been renewed for a second season, and gave her thought that if fans are vocal about who they want to see on social media, it could be attention-grabbing to show what fans are interested in.

The next fan asked how DC has been so open with WEBTOON using the company's characters. Young talked about how he has had free-range for the most part, and has only been told "No" about using Space Ghost. After Azumi added her answer to the question, Young added how fun these slice of life stories can be, and brought up his own experiences watching Batman: The Animated Series.

Lee said that the partnership between WEBTOON and DC was compelling from the beginning, saying how the series how creators have almost no restrictions to tell the stories they want to. "To be clear, I do have limits," Javins laughed after the free-range discussions.

Another fan asked if there will be a main storyline for Wayne Family Adventures and other series in the future, moving away from the "Slice of Life" format. Lee said that the "heart" of the tone is light, and that is because not many villains who bring "darkness" have been seen in Season 1, but that the future of the title may delve more into them and these storylines.

Knight then asked what she labeled a "fun question," and if anyone on the panel has a dream character they would want to work with. Young said that he has one in mind, and that if Outlaws gets a second season, he would put that character in. As for Azumi, she said that she wants to do something with Black Lightning.

Responding to another fan question, Young mentioned how he learned a good deal from writer Scott Snyder's Substack class on writing comics, adding how it got him thinking about adding sound effects, for example, and elements he never would have thought of or considered before.

For the final fan question, the panel was asked if they read any fan media and fiction. Azumi said she loved watching skits that people would create on TikTok inspired by comic books. As for Young, he said that sees a lot online, but he doesn't really read any fan fiction or let it have impact on the stories he is telling.

And with that, the panel ended.