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Celebrating the Anime Series Gin Tama with Just Desserts
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 28, 2011 in Animation, Comic Books
To honor the return of the anime series Gin Tama to the air Bandai created a limited line of desserts to celebrate the occasion. There are 25 desserts in all which will be sold at Namco Namja in Japan. Here are a few of the clever designs: Read more… Shonen Jump Titles to Chew On
Posted by Linda Yau on Feb 28, 2011 in Comic Books
Initially released in 1968 at Japan, Shonen Jump is a still running manga magazine that targets the interests of young Japanese male readers. This is not to be confused with Shonen Sunday, which is another long running rival magazine that targets late teens to early twenties males. Now what does this got to do with the United States? Shonen Sunday and Shonen Jump, while rival publications abroad are both published in English by Viz Media. The premises of a Shonen Jump story has an easy to follow theme of a male protagonist, with a journey, conflict or antagonist to triumph over. This win is the result of morals, perseverance, loyalty, and friendship. Stories created from these concepts sold millions. Read more… Another Superhero TV Show on the Way, Courtesy of FX
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 27, 2011 in Comic Books, Television
2011 is truly the year of superheroes, from the salvo of superhero moves being launched from Hollywood to the several superhero TV shows either being planned or already on TV. And now cable is getting its own shot at the genre — FX has ordered a pilot of Brian Michael Bendis’ comic series Powers. The series, starring an ex-superhero who works as a police officer in a department that investigates superhero-related homicides, is a great fit for a TV-MA channel like FX, so let’s hope that they handle the IP with the respect it deserves. Read more… The Price of Freedom is Worth it
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 24, 2011 in Comic Books, Hobbies and Collections
Ever since the first trailers for Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger hit the net, fans have been gearing up for what could be Marvel’s most anticipated film since 2008’s Iron Man. Given the excitement surrounding the film, many true believers have had to make due with comics and games, but I know there are those of you out there who like to burn holes in your wallets. My suggestion? Take a gander at Sideshow Collectibles’ Captain America premium format figure. This limited edition statue stands over two feet tall and features an incredibly detailed sculpt. Unfortunately that’s not the only thing incredible about it. Seeing as they’re only making 1,000 of them, the price tag stands at a hefty $290 not including tax and shipping, though at that price I can’t imagine they’d charge for it. Still, it’s mighty impressive and, if you’re a big enough fan, worth every penny. Is Superman Already Doomed?
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 23, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
I was already a little iffy about the next Superman film after director Zack Snyder announced his plans to cast English actor Henry Cavill as our beloved Clark Kent, and now we’re hearing that Kevin Costner has been cast as Kent’s adopted father. As much as I’d like to give Costner credit for his storied acting career, many of the major films he’s starred in have tanked at the box office. To be honest, I’m not really sure how much of that is his fault — after all, he’s not a bad actor — but if the naysayers are to be believed, his involvement may as well serve as an omen. I hope both him, and his co-star prove me wrong. Besides, it’s not like he’s the star of the film. Manga Bloggers Worth Bookmarking
Posted by Linda Yau on Feb 21, 2011 in Comic Books
Maintaining a blog and growing with it, has been an personal interest, since I began my own blog. My own blogigng life has been what I believe to be an ever changing one with writing as well as reading other blogs. There is one blogging niche that I have actively been keeping apace with, and the manga blogging community is a close knit group. Certain names are mentioned and appear time and again. Thanks in part to the Twitter networking, Google reader, and continuing blogging projects like an annual Great Manga Gift Guide recommendation list or Manga Movable Feast, it would be good to have these bloggers on your blog reading radar. This list is listed in alphabetical order, by the blogger’s first name; a link to their writing/blogs is also included with additional information about what makes them memorable bloggers. Read more… X-Men Anime Gets a Teaser Trailer
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 20, 2011 in Animation, Comic Books
Seems like we’re seeing lots more anime adaptations of quintessentially American IPs, like Supernatural, coming out of Japan these days, and a lot of them are through the animation studio Madhouse. Their latest offering, an X-Men anime, has all the hallmarks of such an adaptation — achingly beautiful hero (Cyclops), a whole lot of fire, and a Thundercats character. Wait, no, that’s Beast. But you can’t deny that there’s a family resemblance there! I think that X-Men is actually a property that might work well in anime, with its mix of character drama and over-the-top action, so I’ll be interested to see the final product. Read more… Count Your Cameos in Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 19, 2011 in Comic Books, Videogames
Brand-new brawler Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has a pretty robust roster of 38 characters (including announced DLC characters), but just because a character didn’t make it into the game in playable form doesn’t mean they didn’t make it in at all. Each playable character’s ending in Arcade mode has unique art and dialogue, and almost every ending has cameos from both sides of the Marvel-Capcom spectrum. GamesRadar has collected them all and catalogued them for your perusal, and there are cameos from some seriously obscure or second-string characters here. Shanna the She-Devil? Dazzler? Fin Fang Foom? Awesome. And then there are some matchups that just make sense, like Devil May Cry‘s Dante duking it out with Ghost Rider. I’d pay to see that fight. Read more… Iron Man 3 Snags a Downey-Favorite Director
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 19, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
No, not Val Kilmer, the other guy. Shane Black, who directed RDJ in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, is said to be helming the third Iron Man film after Jon Favreau was booted from the director’s spot. Downey ultimately has choice of director in that he is allowed to leave the project if he doesn’t approve of the director, so Paramount and Marvel Studios have reason to keep him happy. Black and Downey have a long history and a good friendship — in fact, much of the original Iron Man‘s dialogue was cribbed from discussions between the two in Downey’s trailer even while filming was ongoing. Black is a great choice for director, and he may even be writing the film as well, so let’s hope that the third film in the series fares better script-wise than the second did. Read more… Matthew Vaughn to Helm “The Expendables with Superheroes”
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 18, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Director Matthew Vaughn isn’t even done with X-Men: First Class yet, but that isn’t stopping him from planning his next venture, which he says a major studio is ready to fund. It’s called The Golden Age, and it’s based on an unreleased comic book written by UK TV personality Jonathan Ross, and Vaughn likens it to “The Expendables with superheroes.” The comic book follows several retired superheroes who have to team up one last time to fix the problems their superhero children have caused in the world. Vaughn says that he’d love to have Jack Nicholson or Warren Beatty in lead roles, or any other former big-time star who’s now relegated to side roles. Sounds like a neat concept, but I’ll have to wait until the comic is released to make a real judgement on the film’s prospects. Read more… New Thor Cinematic Trailer Has the Goods
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 18, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
The last few Thor trailers haven’t really had a lot to say in terms of Thor the character, just how people around him react to him. We haven’t gotten a chance to see the oblivious oaf side of the Odinson, a necessary counterpart to his more stalwart and heroic side. Well, in this latest trailer, we get a little more action and a little more oaf. And Kat Dennings taking out the depowered god of thunder with a taser. This I like. We even get the indication that Loki is the villain of the film, not just a side character! Not that followers of the film didn’t already know that, but at least the trailer is making it obvious to the average viewer. It’s a big summer for comic book movies — let’s hope Thor makes an impact. Read more… Meet the New Wonder Woman
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 17, 2011 in Comic Books, Television
Various outlets are reporting that Friday Night Lights star Adrianne Palicki has been cast as Diana Prince in NBC’s upcoming Wonder Woman television series. The joint venture between writer David E. Kelley and Jeffrey Reiner had a bumpy start, but after being passed on by a number of networks, NBC finally came to the rescue. Unfortunately, like rival network Fox, NBC is often quick to pull the plug if a show doesn’t hit the ground running. We’ll just have to hope that Palicki has the skills to match her striking looks — after all, anyone can dye their hair black, but handling that Lasso of Truth? Well, that remains to be seen. X-Men First Class Dissected
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 16, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Last week, fellow fanboy Mike Sacco posted the X-Men: First Class trailer that premiered on the film’s official facebook. Like most of you, I was pretty excited about the new direction the series will be taking with this prequel of sorts. The trailer itself did a great job of selling us on the premise — the young Charles Xavier befriends Erik Lensherr and forms the original X-Men, amidst what we came to know as the cold war. Recently, IGN broke down the trailer piece by piece to show us all the little easter eggs we missed the first time around, and if you’re big on Marvel lore, or some hints about the plot, you’ll want to give it a watch. Read more… It’s Complicated: Superman and His “Girlfriend” Lois Lane
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 14, 2011 in Comic Books
Above: “Hurry up Green Arrow: It’s our turn to kiss Lois Lane NOW!” Most of us know Superman thanks to his many appearances in movies and television shows — but once upon a time the man of steel was mostly a creature of print. And in that tradition DC Comics had to expand the franchise as much as they could: And one of the results was Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane a comic book series that lasted from 1958 until 1974. The cover art and content of each issue was quite silly by today’s standards — in fact after a while you almost feel sorry for poor Superman: Read more… Idris Elba’s Heimdall Figure is Pants-Optional
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 13, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Idris Elba plays Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming Thor movie, and like any good superhero movie, Thor has its fair share of merchandising. At its Toy Fair yesterday, Hasbro showed off its line of Thor figures, including Elba’s Heimdall, which brings back a feature action figures have really been missing since the 80s — strategically-placed loincloths. That’s not even bringing up the figure’s Captain Morgan pose. It must be strange to have action figures made of you for a film; when Jeff Goldblum was asked about his Jurassic Park action figure, he said “Well, the main difference is the muscles. Mine are much bigger in real life.” Read more… Wait, No, They Want THIS Guy to Star in Akira
We had heard a rumor several months back that the forces behind the American live-action Akira remake wanted Zac Efron, of all people, to star as Kaneda. It’s bad enough that they’re remaking Akira with no Japanese people, but Zac Efron? Let’s get real, people. Apparently the original rumor was or is now false, because the newest rumor says that James Franco is being courted for the role of Tetsuo’s biker pal. Well, it’s better than Zac Efron, and dude looks good in a leather jacket, though, you know, still not an Asian person. Maybe we can hope for a sequel, Akira 2: Tokyo Drift. Read more… X-Men: First Class Trailer is Magnetic
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 11, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Finally, the first trailer for X-Men: First Class has been released. Apparently filming is still ongoing, or was up until recently, even though the film has a release date of just four months from now. You wouldn’t know that from the trailer, though, which actually looks pretty good! We see Magneto and Xavier being pals, Azazel bamfing around, Emma Frost going all diamond on us, and some short shots of other X-Men like Beast and Havok (the latter mysteriously present in the 1960s). The movie’s plot seems to revolve around the Cuban Missile Crisis, which would definitely be a compelling point in history for mutants to reveal themselves. Here’s hoping the movie can be completed in a satisfactory manner before June. Read more… Robert Pratt’s Superman Gives a Nod to the Classics
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 8, 2011 in Animation, Comic Books
Rob Pratt, a veteran animator and storyboard artist who has worked on numerous projects including Disney’s Pocahontas and, more recently, Kim Possible, has put together this amazing tribute to the Superman of old, simply titled Superman Classic. The character designs are very reminiscent a mid-90’s Disney film, but Pratt made sure to include a number of features we’ve come to identify with the Man of Steel, such as his signature hair style and Clark Kent’s mild-mannered demeanor. I don’t expect the upcoming film to retain any of those features, but seeing this hand-drawn short was definitely a welcome change. Now if only Warner Brothers would option this instead. Captain America & Thor’s Superbowl Debut
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Feb 7, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Of all the ads that were broadcast during this year’s Superbowl, only two of them had me drooling with anticipation. Marvel debuted not one, but two trailers for their upcoming blockbusters. First there was the latest trailer for Thor, and while we’ve seen a bit of that footage dating back to San Diego Comic Con, there was some new content mixed in. As for Captain America, I believe this is the first public trailer to be shown any where, and it looks pretty interesting. We even get a glimpse of Red Skull, which gave me goosebumps. Check out the trailers below, though I’m not sure how long they’ll be up. Mind-Boggling Unreleased 80s DC Superhero Action Figures
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 6, 2011 in Comic Books
Well, ComicsAlliance hit the jackpot here — sometimes you just find something so ridiculous it makes Electric Superman look like a good idea. A reader sent them concept art for an unreleased 1985 superhero action figure line from Kenner, only these aren’t just any action figures. These are grim, bizarre “anti-hero” versions of five beloved DC Comics heroes. Well, four beloved heroes and Firestorm, anyway. Each has a “Road Warrior” version, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like; Batman’s Road Warrior outfit, for example, is straight out of Mad Max, with a helmet that looks suspiciously like Humungus’, and knives for ears. The other variations are “futuristic” and “robot” versions, which can get downright bizarre when you’re dealing with someone like Cyborg, who is already half-robot to begin with. Wonder Woman probably gets the worst treatment of the bunch. Read more… Captain America Poster Shows Off His Star-Spangled Barrier
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 5, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Captain America hype is building, folks! Yesterday saw the release of several set photos from the film, and the first trailer will be unveiled on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s only fitting that we see the first official movie poster today! The colors are muted except for the bold red and blue of Cap’s outfit and shield, which is noticeably dinged up. His pose mimics a classic pose from the comics, and the costume certainly looks great with this palette. And, of course, Chris Evans is Steve Rogers. High hopes for Sunday. I hear there’s a football game, too. Read more… Check Out Cap’s Pals in these New Set Photos
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 4, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
We’re so close to Super Bowl Sunday, when the Captain America trailer will premiere and we can all truly make our first informed judgement about the film’s quality. But until then, you can feast your eyes on these all-new Captain America set photos. We see our first glimpses of Cap’s pal Bucky, played by Sebastian Shan and looking like a total sociopath. We see the lovely Hayley Atwell, playing Cap’s main squeeze Peggy, and the also-lovely Natalie Dormer, playing Private Lorraine. Tommy Lee Jones is even in these photos! I didn’t know he was in the movie at all. I’m about at critical hype mass for Captain America, so I hope the trailer leaves me with that patriotic feeling. Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider. Who’s Gonna Be Nick Fury’s Sidekick in The Avengers?
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 4, 2011 in Cinema, Comic Books
Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is sort of the glue that holds the Marvel film universe together, having cameoed in pretty much every Avengers-universe film so far. According to the man himself, he’ll also have post-credits cameos in the Thor and Captain America movies too. But he also confirmed, via the Jimmy Fallon Show, that he’ll have a new “sidekick” in The Avengers, and a female one at that. The Hollywood Reporter, er, reports that a handful of actresses are already in consideration for the role, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cobie Smulders, and Morena Baccarin. If the character is either Maria Hill or Janet Van Dyne (aka Wasp, one of the original Avengers) and Baccarin’s schedule is clear, then it’s almost guaranteed that she’ll get the role, given her long history with Avengers director Joss Whedon (and her resemblance to both of the characters). But anything can happen! One thing’s for sure — it’ll be nice to see a female hero amidst the male-dominated Avengers team, even if the role is small at first. Read more… Borders Begins Bankruptcy?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 2, 2011 in Comic Books
I’ve just finished reading this article at Bloomberg on the possible bankruptcy filing for Borders. The good news is that this may not be the end of the chain, but the bad news is that 150 out of 650 stores may be closed. The company defaulted on payments to publishers last month, which isn’t good news for those of us who love printed manga. Read more… |
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