Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 4, 2011 in Comic Books
Of the 52 initial titles in DC’s enormous brand-wide reboot/relaunch, only Justice League #1 has actually been released yet, but several other titles are already sold out through Diamond, DC’s distributor. Action Comics, Batgirl, Hawk & Dove, Justice League International, and Batman & Robin, along with Justice League #1, have all sold completely out of their first printing, well on their way to second printing each. This is great news for DC, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that these are copies sold to stores, not to individuals. The second is that all 52 titles are fully returnable, making what might otherwise be a sizeable and difficult investment for a small store a little less of a risk. Some stores could be ordering more copies than they normally would to anticipate demand, or there could just be such a massive interest in DC books because of the relaunch. Either way, the next few weeks will see whether DC’s gamble paid off. Just wake me up when Demon Knights #1 ships. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 2, 2011 in Comic Books
You may know George R. R. Martin from his blockbuster fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, and its current television adaptation as A Game of Thrones, but his written work from before that series is actually quite good, I think. In fact, if you look back to his teenage years, you can find what may be his best work — this letter to Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee. In it (click above for a bigger version), he praises Avengers #9 as a masterpiece, recommends some other villains for reappearances in the comics, and has some harsh words about villains like Diablo and the Moleman. It’s pretty adorable. And it doesn’t even have any sex or violence in it. Or page-long descriptions of food, for that matter. Who knew? Read more…
Wow, I don’t even know where to start with this one. Here are some photos from the set of Zack Synder’s upcoming Superman reboot, Man of Steel. I know it must be incredibly difficult to make Superman look good on screen, but come on. Did they mean for it to look like a giant blue wetsuit? Will Clarke Kent double as Aquaman throughout the film? I just can’t imagine what possessed them to think that this looks good. I’m still wrapping my mind around the oddly placed belt buckle — you’ll note, it isn’t attached to an actual belt of any kind. Maybe they just decided to ask Joel Schumacher for his input on the costume design. Who knows, maybe it’ll look better on film than it does in these photos, but right now, I’m just not convinced. Anyone else having second thoughts?
If you’re in the Los Angeles area you may be in luck. Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema has announced that they’ll start hosting a monthly midnight screenings of Edgar Wright’s modern cult-classic, Scott Pilgrim vs the World. It feels so weird calling it a classic, but the film’s cult status can’t be denied. At least some of you might actually get to see it in theaters for the first time. and judging by its ticket sales, that’s probably everyone you know. The first screening will take place on Friday, September 23rd and attendees are encouraged to come dressed in costume. For more info regarding future screenings, check out the New Beverly Cinema’s official site for a full calendar of upcoming events. It’s a shame that its only happening in Los Angeles, but I still hope to attend at least one of those screenings at some point.
Great news for those of of us who love manga pirates and cartoon cats: Sanrio and Toei Animation are planning a merchandising plan for ONE PIECE × HELLO KITTY for a wide range of products which will come out in November. Goodies will include clothing, stationery, cosmetics and even fashion accessories. The branding will feature Kitty dressed up as Chopper, and hopper will sport a kitty hat (which make sense given how much Tony Chopper enjoys all things pink). Read more…
Marvel is just about to wrap up filming for The Avengers, so that means that soon we’ll be in the middle of an advertising blitz that can only accompany the biggest blockbuster in recent memory. Teasers, stills, TV spots. And, of course, tie-ins! In this case, we’re talking about a comic that sheds some more light on the Avengers team members, for which Disney and Marvel released this promotional image of the team (mostly) assembled. Maria Hill and Agent Coulson unfortunately don’t make an appearance here, but we do get a pretty good look at the Hulk, minus the strangely bushy eyebrows that plagued his Comic-Com poster appearance. Is it just me, or does Black Widow look really surprised to be in this shot? Read more…
The CW has the record for longest-running superhero TV show in Smallville, but now that Superman’s formative years are up, they want to bring another DC Comics property to television. This time, it’s Deadman, the body-jumping ghost hero. And who better to bring him to life on TV than former Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke? Nobody, that’s who, and CW execs agree. Details are scarce, but the series is definitely being developed, and may indeed be only one of several DC properties the CW is pursuing for an adaptation. Read more…
I saw and thoroughly enjoyed Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class this summer, with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Xavier and Magneto (respectively) proving highlights of the experience. But, you know, no movie is perfect. There’s always something missing, something just a little bit off. And, thanks to this deleted scene, I finally understand what was missing from First Class: Magneto in drag. Watch the clip; you kind of had to be there. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 24, 2011 in Comic Books
Today everyone is worried about childhood obesity, but let me take you back to a simpler time when parents biggest worry was the violence in junior’s comic book collection. Back during this pre-fast food era the idea of pitching candy and cola to kids didn’t seem that objectionable, and result was an ongoing parade of charming cartoon characters like Bazooka the Atom Bubble Boy, Captain Tootsie and the charming Popsicle Twins. Although from a modern point of view these hooky one pagers are so bad that they’re good — and don’t forget that if you save your wrappers you can trade them in for all sorts of cool prizes: Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Aug 20, 2011 in Comic Books
Mixing superheroes with religious iconography? Well, I’m sure it’s not the first time this has happened, but this may be the first time that someone has made stained-glass versions of comic book covers. These awesome (and slightly bizarre) iterations come from Brandon Michael Barker of Man or Monster Studios, who clarifies that the pieces are actually painted glass, which is different than stained glass, but I don’t think that makes them any less cool, personally. “When there were no sets of footprints, that is when I was carrying you while we swung from a web.”
Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider, part of the Joystiq network.
Every time I stare at one of these Hot Toys figures, I get chills. Everything from the photo realistic faces to the detailed accessories they include with each figure shouts quality. Of course, they also happen to be among the most expensive toys on the market. Hot Toys offered up this special edition Bruce Wayne in Batsuit 12 inch collectible as a toy fair exclusive earlier this year, but will also be making it available via Sideshow Collectibles this October. The figure features the visage of Christian Bale and comes modeled after his appearance in Nolan’s Batman Begins, however the head comes with an interchangeable cowl along with several different mouths to swap out. There’s also a ton of accessories included such as bombs, boots, gauntlets, interchangeable hands, and batarangs among others. Sideshow is asking $225 for pre-orders, and the supply is limited so its only one per customer. Too expensive? Bruce Wayne could afford it.
Rocksteady has revealed their latest trailer for Batman: Arkham City featuring none-other than everyone’s favorite snow-cone enthusiast, Mr.Freeze. Unfortunately, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t lend his voice this time around, though it’s probably for the best. After all, Schumacher’s Batman & Robin certainly killed its fair share of careers. Still, I’ll miss those terribly awesome puns. It’s just not the same without the Austrian accent, right? At least the gameplay is looking solid as ever. Batman: Arkham City hits stores this October.
Marion Cotillard was long ago confirmed as having been cast in The Dark Knight Returns, the third film in Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy, but her character didn’t appear to be anyone particularly special; not with the name “Miranda Tate.” But there were rumors that perhaps her real role in the film was being obfuscated and that she was actually playing Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the main villain from Batman Begins. Well, those rumors may be right, if this set photo from the movie’s Chicago filming session has anything to say about it. I don’t think just anybody walks around in clothes like that, and certainly not with armed guards. At least, you could extrapolate that, anyway. Me, I’m far too busy just enjoying the feeling the merest glance at Miss Cotillard gives me.
Zack Snyder and his team have been hard at work filming the new Superman film The Man of Steel recently, and star Henry Cavill has been spotted on set in his new superhuman physique and trademark Supes hair. But until today, we didn’t know what he’d look like in the suit! To that end, Warner Bros has released this promotional shot of Cavill in full Man of Steel getup, replete with long cape, comic-styled boots, and (apparently) no red undies this time! The colors in the photo seem oddly washed-out, but I suppose you can probably blame Zack Snyder for that; look at 300. I personally love the suit, but if you’re worried, don’t be — don’t forget that Christopher Nolan of Batman Begins and Inception fame helped pre-produce the film. Maybe we’ll finally get the Superman movie we deserve! Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Aug 3, 2011 in Comic Books
This morning in a USA Today exclusive, Marvel revealed the identity of Parker’s replacement for the Ultimate Spider-Man series, Miles Morales. If some of you recall, Marvel decided to kill off Peter Parker in their ‘Ultimate‘ universe with their recent “Death of Spider-man” story arc leaving the role vacant in their alternate universe. Unfortunately not much is known about Morales apart from being of Spanish and African decent. However, the article contained a bit of trivia that caught my eye — the choice was inspired by Donald Glover’s #donald4spiderman twitter campaign. While he didn’t land the role in the upcoming reboot, Donald managed to catch author Brian Bendis’ attention. After seeing Glover wearing the costume during an episode of Community, he immediately thought “I’d like to read that book.” Awesome, right? I’m a huge fan of Glover, so I’m curious as to what he thinks about it all. For those who care, Parker can still be found alive and well in the latest issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Miles will have his official debut in Ultimate Fallout #4 which hits stores tomorrow, August 3rd.
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 31, 2011 in Comic Books
Jack Kirby was responsible for the creation of dozens of characters in the Marvel universe, from the Fantastic Four to Thor to Spider-Man. While his style and creations are as close to immortal as you can get in comic books, the sadly-mortal Kirby died in 1996. His heirs, though, are very much alive, and have been attempting to wrestle the rights to his characters back from Marvel. Marvel claims that any of Kirby’s work was done as “work for hire,” meaning that the company owns whatever he created during his tenure. And a judge agrees — the case was decided in Marvel’s favor. Kirby’s heirs have vowed to fight the ruling, but the judge implied that there was no real evidence in their favor, so their chances of success are pretty dubious at this point.
If you’re a fan of good comic-book cinema, then, well, you probably aren’t a very big fan of Ghost Rider. You may or may not tangentially aware, then, that there’s a new Ghost Rider movie coming from Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, the creators of the ridiculously over-the-top Crank. Titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, it’s said to be a new take on the character, far different from the first film, despite starring the perpetually financially-troubled star of the first film, Nicolas Cage. “We didn’t really consider the first film at all while making this,” Taylor said in an interview with Collider. Let’s hope so! Ghost Rider’s appearance in the upcoming console fighting game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt tied to the resurfacing of the film franchise (if you can call it that), so perhaps that can drum up some good will from the public at large. And at least we know that a film by Taylor and Neveldine will be completely insane, if nothing else. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 29, 2011 in Comic Books
This is a secondhand story to this photo I can’t really verify, but I thought the implications were too adorable not to share. Wandering a comic-book convention, a young boy gets separated from his dad in the crowd. Scared, he goes to the two people who could definitely help him out: the Flash and Wonder Woman. Sure, the photo seems conveniently snapped, but if it’s true, it really does speak to the feeling of good will behind most conventions. As a commenter on the image said, “99% of the people in costume at conventions like this are the nicest, most considerate people you’ll ever meet.” Because, after all, if you can’t trust the Justice League, who can you trust? Read more…
As any fanboy can tell you, it’s always fun to speculate about the future of our favorite franchises. Today, I’ve decided to take a look at Marvel’s — specifically The Avengers. I’m sure some of you are probably wondering why I’d even bother when they haven’t even released the first film. That’s true, they haven’t. On the other hand, Marvel’s shown that they often plan their films well in advance. This is fairly evident when you look at 2008’s Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Obviously we wouldn’t be able to nail down a plot for the film — that much will remain up in the air. Instead I wonder if we’ll be seeing any cameos from the Marvel’s universe. With an estimated budget of $150,000,000, there’s a chance we’ll get one. Here’s a quick list of candidates we’d like to see.
The first trailer for Jim Hensons’ Muppets return ot the big screen— which starts out looking like a romantic comedy before revealing the inclusion of the cloth characters — was pretty cute. But it doesn’t compare in the least to the newest trailer, in which the Muppets take on superheroes in a big way…especially Green Lantern (and a little bit of Batman, if you squint).
But that’s just the above trailer. Hit the jump to see who the Muppets will challenge next…in poster form! Read more…
Posted by Linda Yau on Jul 25, 2011 in Comic Books
In the past one of the problems with ebook readers is that it’s difficult to read small text, and this has made it difficult to read graphic novels from the print world. However today with the iPad and similar devices new worlds have opened up for graphic novels fans. Many established companies like Viz and Dark Horse have jumped onto this bandwagon, but now outsider companies from abroad are joining these ranks. Read more…
Marvel’s film universe is working out pretty well for them, with all of the Avengers setup films released and the team-up flick ready to go for 2012, but Marvel’s not getting complacent. They’re ready to go after another media format: television! Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that four live-action shows are currently in development: The Hulk, AKA Jessica Jones (otherwise known as Alias), Cloak & Dagger, and Mockingbird. Imprint fans will be happy to know that Luke Cage and Carol Danvers will indeed be making appearances in AKA Jessica Jones. But wait! There’s more! There’s also new Marvel animation hitting the small screen, like Ultimate Spider-Man, an animated version of Joss Whedon’s well-received run on Astonishing X-Men, and a Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H series. That last one will have pretty much every Hulk permutation imaginable, from Red Hulk to She-Hulk, all on the same team. Whole lotta smashin’ goin’ on. Read more…
Two intergalactic peacekeeper groups that taste great together! IDW Comics announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they’ll be producing a six-issue limited comic book series in which the crew of the USS Enterprise and the Legion of Superheroes work together to battle a common threat. Honestly, I don’t know that much about the Legion, but it’s no small wonder that this has never happened before. Of all of the planets the Enterprise crew has beamed aboard, you’d think one of them would have been the home base of a bunch of dudes and ladies wearing capes and firing energy blasts, or eating matter, or something. Those eager to see which superhero Kirk seduces (my money’s on the Charlie’s Angels-lookin’ gal) can buy the first issue of the series in November. Read more…
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 isn’t even a year old, but Capcom has already announced its value-priced followup, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Besides gameplay tweaks like new moves for current fighters and a direly-needed spectator system for online matches, Marvel and Capcom have also added a dozen new (and bizarre, in some cases) fighters to the fray. The original announcement showed Hawkeye and Ghost Rider for the Marvel side, with Firebrand and MvC fan-favorite Strider Hiryu repping Capcom. A accidental leak from the Capcom website, however, revealed the entire list of new brawlers, relieving us of the suspense of several months of slow-drip character reveals. Marvel fans can now also look forward to playing as Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Nova, and Rocket Raccoon (?!); Capcom fans get their pick of Dead Rising‘s Frank West, Resident Evil 3‘s Nemesis, Dante’s brother Vergil from Devil May Cry, and Phoenix Wright (?!). See what I mean about bizarre? Mega Man fans reeling from the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 will no doubt be disappointed that the Blue Bomber is skipping this iteration of the fighting game yet again. UMvC3 is slated for release in November of this year, with an MSRP of $39.99. Read more…
