Sitting on the edge of our seats we eagerly awaited next weekend, when Sony Online Entertainment would reveal the comic book talent joining Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, already working on the massively-multiplayer online superhero game. Then the guys at Big Download tapped us on the shoulder and handed us the latest copy of the comic book magazine Wizard, which pretty much ruined everything for us.

Marv Wolfman is a comic writer that has worked on many books both at DC and competitor Marvel over the years, but is perhaps best known for his runs on the former's Teen Titans and the latter's Tomb of Dracula, in which he introduced the vampire-hunter Blade to the world.

While the surprise is ruined, there's still plenty of stuff for DC universe Online fans to do at the New York Comic Con, with a panel featuring Wolfman, Johns, and Lee discussing the game, along with a brand-new playable demo to get their hands on. Just not sure what we're going to do with all the free time we'd originally scheduled for eager anticipation.

Writer Marv Wolfman joins DC Universe Online team [Big Download]

Hey, folks. Big fan of the site. I'm the Editor for ToyFare Magazine, and I wanted to draw your attention to our new fake "Back Page Ad" that we just posted on our blog. Not necessarily because I think it's hysterical, but because the more we thought about such a game, the more we really, really wanted to play it.

Thank you, Justin. Your disembodied head atop an action figure's body is an inspiration to us all.

Back Page: The Ultimate Ultimate Fighting Championship [Wizard Universe]

Personality-wise the wizard is a bit of a rebel. Ambitious, perhaps even power hungry, the wizard is the kind of person who pays no attention at all in class yet still manages to ace her magic exams. Everybody expects her to fail, but she's got the power and desire to come out on top.

What powers? Hit the jump for a few hit the jump for a few of the tricks she's got up her sleeves.

Magic Missiles: Was an important skill choice. Fireballs, ice bolts would have set her up to be an elementailist. The higher the level the more missiles.

Electrocute: Part of the Wizard's weather control discipline. Controlling weather feels epic.

Slow Time: Part of the reality control kit for the wizard. RPG games don't generally manipulate time. It's a slow time bubble, for multiplayer use.

Disintegrate: The real face melter. Nothing like it has been in a Diablo game before, but it feels very Diablo. Hold down the mouse and a beam shoots out. So awesome. IT originally started as a charged swing for the Barbarian class that you'd have to hold down the mouse to charge and the release when finally charged. Teammates would kill the monsters, leaving you alone, and you'd still be waiting for the power to go off. Now you hold down the beam and it comes grows in power as a monster is hit.

So that's what we have on the wizard so far. She's a glass cannon class, basically. Over-powered yet severely under armored. My kinda girl.

What happens when some genius Hollywood exec decides to take the story of 'Rain Man' and apply it to video games? Ah, The Wizard. It's just so bad. And we don't mean that as an 80's style slang term for 'good'.

Up until now, it's only been available on crusty VHS tapes in the damp, smelly backs of Goodwill stores. But come August 22, 2006, it'll be unleashed on DVD. Let's just pray for a Fred Savage commentary track. "Ha, this right here is about the time I first got to third base with Jenny Lewis! Ah! Memories!"

Amazon.com's offering a pre-order for $11.19. It's probably not worth even that, but rounding down for inflation, that's practically free. Florian Eckhardt

The Wizard [Amazon]