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…
You may not recognize the name Chris Meloni, but I guarantee you’ll recognize his face, seeing as for the past 12 years he’s been one of the two primary faces on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (the other being the talented Mariska Hargitay). Word on ComingSoon.net is that Meloni, who is departing SVU for greener pastures (or at least less “blue” ones…get it? Cop uniforms? No? Okay then!), will play “a general” in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman flick, Man of Steel. So no, everyone who thought he’d play Lex Luthor is (sadly) wrong. But… Read more…
Music fans— and horror fans — will doubtless nod knowingly when they hear that Michael Jackson’s trademark red and black leather(-that-looks-like-vinyl) jacket from the music video for “Thriller” has sold for US$1.8 million dollars at auction. That’s nine times the initial estimate of “at least $200,000.” That’s a damn high price, even if you factor in that the jacket is signed. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jun 11, 2011 in Comic Books
DC’s upcoming relaunch announcements started with the Justice League and now have ended with the revelation that Grant Morrison will be writing the new #1 for Action Comics, the series that Superman originally appeared in 70 or so years ago. Morrison has written some damn good comics in the past — his run on New X-Men is one of the series’ best and he’s also responsible for the almost universally well-received All-Star Superman — so it’s pretty reasonable to assume that he’ll give Supes the re-debut he deserves. The issue is also being touted in its solicitation as the “cornerstone of the new DC universe,” so it may mean far more than just a fresh start for the Man of Steel: it could be what gives everybody else a fresh start, too. Good luck, Grant.
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 4, 2011 in Comic Books
Three weeks ago in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland some selfish thieves stole the plaque honoring the home of Superman. However the creed of “Truth, Justice and the American Way” must have gotten the better of the thieves conscience because mysteriously the plaque has been returned in undamaged condition. Although Tracey Kirksey a local official feels that bad publicity may have helped just a bit to give the criminal collectors a change of heart: Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 29, 2011 in Comic Books
Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman film, The Man of Steel, is already featuring one familiar villain by way of Michael Shannon’s General Zod, but it looks like another one is waiting in the wings: Variety reports that German actress Antje Traue will be playing Kryptonian brawler Faora. The man-hating martial artist had a number of appearances in Superman canon, including stints in classic Action Comics (where a stymied Superman was forced to flee their first encounter) and even showed up on Smallville, so it’ll be interesting to see how they tie her into the movie’s web of villainy along with Zod. Read more…
Like many of you, I spent last weekend wondering why I saw Zack Synder’s Sucker Punch and subsequently worrying about his upcoming Superman reboot. I tried to convince myself that the film really wasn’t so bad but I’d just be lying. It really seemed like the film had an attention deficit disorder. The poorly paced, terribly written script mixed with Snyder’s inability to direct had me wanting to lobtimize myself halfway through. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who felt this way. So, what does this mean for The Man of Steel? Read more…
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.
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…
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.
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…
This guy’s going to be Superman? Really? I feel as if asking repeatedly might some how result in a different answer, yet I’m more than aware that I need to just come to terms with the idea. It’s not that Henry Cavill is a bad actor — his work on Showtime’s The Tudors is evidence enough — but I can’t help but feel he simply doesn’t look the part. Perhaps it’s simply that I had been sold on Brandon Routh, whose visage so closely resembled that of a young Christopher Reeve. Reeve, of course, set the standard for what we’ve come to expect from the Man of Steel.
I Am Legend teased it. Fringe teased it. Once upon a time, it seemed like Warner Bros. really wanted to make it. But if you were looking forward to a Batman/Superman team-up movie, you’re in for a disappointment. WB producer Charles Roven stated in an interview recently that there are currently no plans to move forward with a Marvel-style shared film universe for DC Comics properties. With Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy ending with The Dark Knight Rises and the Harry Potter franchise ending this year, though, the money has to come from somewhere, so it’s possible that the possibility will be reexamined at some point. Read more…
Photos of Superman’s nauseatingly bad costume for Superman Lives, Tim Burton’s aborted take on the Man of Steel, surfaced a few months ago. We knew it was bad, but it turns out it’s even worse than we thought. There was video taken of the suit in action, and … it defies words. It’s some kind of Tron-style Electric Superman Laser Floyd light show. If I didn’t know for certain that it was supposed to be a Superman costume, I would never have guessed. What were they thinking? Thank goodness someone had the wherewithal to nip this one in the bud. Read more…
Casting has officially begun for the upcoming Superman reboot (yes, another one), and Warner Bros. is ready to make a star, whether they like it or not. Not only are they looking for relatively unknown actors, they’re also saying that it may be impossible to hire a famous name anyway due to budget constraints. If you think they’re trying to get this film out the door quickly and cheaply, you’re probably right — if the Warners don’t start production by the middle of 2011, they risk losing the Superman license. But hey, whoever ends up being the new Supes will either deal with being Superman forever (Christopher Reeve), remaining in relative obscurity (Brandon Routh), or dating a Playmate (Dean Cain). I guess some of those aren’t too bad. Read more…
Posted by Gia Manry on Aug 27, 2010 in Comic Books
I’m more of a manga girl than an American comics girl- and what U.S. comics I read are rarely superheroes -but the Joker has always been one of my favorite villains. And not only because his presence in the Batman: The Animated Series cartoon usually included the delicious Harley Quinn’s. (Okay, it was mostly that, but still not completely.) And in this comic strip in the style of Calvin & Hobbes, which is credited within the image to Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, who co-created the 2008 The Joker volume, proves why the Joker is so much cooler than Lex Luthor.
And, if you think about it a little more deeply, why Batman is cooler than Superman. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 1, 2009 in Comic Books
Above: A reality TV show isn’t the way to fix Superman…
Sadly the Superman franchise is on hold as Hollywood waits for the legal chaos to clear up. But the larger issue facing our superhero a creative one: The seventy year-old franchise is in desperate need of a makeover.
The first problem that you notice with Superman is that he always performs better on the small screen than in theaters. If you look back at the 50s TV show with George Reeves they had time to have fun with the characters; and if you look at Smallville today the series has been running since 2001 and is well loved. This gives a vital clue: The danger of Superman is that within the limits of a few hours the man-of-steel runs the danger of becoming a flat character devoid of any substance. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 22, 2009 in Comic Books
Superman-Tim Club Pin
For comic book fanboys this is THE Platinum Card! In 1942 Tim Publications created an official Superman fan club for younger boys (older boys got a Gene Autry club) which featured a 6″ x 9″ sized now hard to find monthly comic book. The books were mainly produced to sell the Tim clothing line, but they also had the second benefit of teaching character building lessons while entertaining the kids. Club membership also included a (you guessed it) membership card and a pin. Since the club existed during part the World war II era Tim would also give kids useful tips on war related things like killing your enemy. Sadly the club only lasted for about eight years, so today anything associated with the club is very rare and hard to find. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 4, 2008 in Comic Books
It’s January of 1969 and Superman’s day job is President of the United States of America! This issue of Action Comics #371 not only featured Superman but co-stared Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington, Harry Truman, John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson and oh yes Lois Lane. This all star cast combined with a cover illustration by Neal Adams would make for a pretty interesting read if you’re stuck waiting on line to vote today.
Sadly the Superman franchise is on hold as Hollywood waits for the legal chaos to clear up. 
