More Batman rumors

Seriously. The movie just came out on dvd.

It's going back into theatres in January.

Stop thinking about the next one already.

The new rumor is that Rachel Weisz is coming on board to play Catwoman. Yeah, that sounds good and all but this is following the rumor that Cher was going to play Catwoman, and before that one was the report that Phillip Seymore Hoffman was going to be playing the Penguin with Johnny Depp playing the Riddler.

Nevermind the fact that both writer David S. Goyer and co-writer/director Christopher Nolan have both come out saying they haven't gotten remotely close to starting work on a sequel yet. People have heard rumblings.

No they haven't, it's all speculation. And thats how it's going to be until the unnamed sequel (yes people are already saying who is going to be cast as a villain in an unwritten and unnamed sequel) is officially cast and announced. So in lieu of "casting" actors, who could possibly be the antagonist for the film?

Bane - The superstrong drug fueled behemoth has already appeared in the original Bat-franchise as more of a lackey than anything. Which unfortunately is the only way to have Bane appear unless doing a Knightfall type story where he can really be front and center. But the thing is what made Knightfall a successful comic event was the fact that it focused on Nightwing, Robin and Azrael as the new Batman, something that wouldn't work in the film.

Black Mask - The mob boss Roman Sionis could work as a lesser villain. He'd bridge the gap from the first films Falcone-type mobster to the dark "supervillain" turn Gotham takes as it's criminals need to adapt to Batman's presence.

Catwoman - Ahh, here we are. Could her third bigscreen appearance be the one? Nolan seems to be handling the franchise with the utmost respect, so why not give Catwoman another chance? This time without the scenery-chewing Michelle Pffeifer or franchise crashing Halle Berry. Well Nolan may shy away from it because possibly the Catwoman film is still a little to fresh in peoples minds.

That's not to say Catwoman may not be in the cards though. Consider: Rachel Dawes appears in Batman Begins as a love interest for Bruce Wayne. Then actress Katie Holmes drops out of the sequel in which she was supposed to reprise her role. Nolan recasts the role with Maggie Gyllenhaal filling it (there are way too many 'L's' in that last sentence).

No big deal right? Except for the fact that Rachel Dawes is the only character created for the movie, and the character of Rachel wasn't really necessary in the sequel. In the first film she did humanize Bruce Wayne/Batman, but in Dark Knight she was more the apex of the Bruce Wayne/Harvey Dent love triangle, a role that could have been filled by anybody really.

In the comics Bruce is known for his "girl of the week", proving Rachel almost unneccesary especially since now she's "dead". Tied in with the fact that the previous Catwomen "died" in their movies only to be reborn into the Catwoman role. So could Dawes have been bred for this purpose? It's possible.

Clayface - While the shapeshifting brown glob of a villain may not work so well in Nolan's "Real Universe" setting, the original of a normal actor turned serial killer would work. But again, he'd be a lesser villain, since honestly could a non-shapeshifting Clayface fill theatre seats?

Firefly - While the burning of Gotham would be good visually, it would harken back too much to Batman Begins with the Ra's Al Ghul plot. Firefly is definitely too far down the villains roster to prove too big of a threat to Batman, even if teamed up with Killer Moth. He might make for a good opener though, someone Batman beat's before things really go down.

The Joker - Sure they just made a flick starring him, I mean co-starring him, but there's a reason the Joker has been around just as long as the Batman. Goyer and Nolan could easily whip up another storyline featuring the perennial Bat-villain, but who would honestly sign on to play that role after Heath Ledger? Nevermind the fact that there are dozens of other Rogues in the pool to pick from.

Killer Croc - If they stay away from the mutation aspect and have Croc as a deformed strongman, maybe but again as with most Bat-villains he's just not a big enough threat to have on his own and fill 120 minutes of plot.

Killer Moth - The original could work as the anti-Batman who helped criminals escape, but on his own? Meh, again even with Firefly just no.

Mad Hatter - A fan favorite of sorts, but how do you work mind controlling hats into the plot without jumping the shark? I don't know if you can really.

Man-Bat - Could be awesome visually, but maybe too sci-fi and horror based for the "real world".

Mr. Freeze - Honestly? He would probably work. If Goyer and Nolan can work a hallucinogenic agent into the waterline with Batman Begins Scarecrow, could a freeze-ray be such a hard sell? Science can do a lot, including freeze things. People would buy into that since it's not to fantastical, mix in the fact that Freeze is something of a tragic character and there's the potential for real storytelling there.

The Penguin - A pretty decent chance here, but Nolan would have to steer clear of a Penguin similar to Batman Returns. Which without that you have well, a normal criminal who's more akin to a Dick Tracy villain.

Poison Ivy - Yeah she already appeared in a Batman film, but so did the Joker. I think the character has real depth that was barely touched with the film Batman and Robin. Given a science based origin that could be tied into Wayne Corp. and I think we have a pretty solid villain here.

Ra's Al Ghul - The eternal eco-terrorist was a surprise for the first film, but I can't see Nolan and crew going back to that well for a third installment. Especially since he "died" in the first film. Sure Ra's has died in the books, but always returns via the Lazarus Pits, which may come off as too hard to buy into with Nolan's groundlevel, more human approach for the movies.

The Riddler - I never cared for the Riddler too much, what good is a criminal who leaves clues? Kind of counter productive unless you're something of a masochist I guess. Jim Carrey gave us the Riddler in Batman Forever, but a toned down actual Riddler may be decent character.

The Scarecrow - Again, we just had him in Batman Begins and a cameo in The Dark Knight, I think it's safe to say that Dr. Crane has had his time in the spotlight.

Two-Face - Here we go. He was set up brilliantly in The Dark Knight, and we're told he "died", but honestly that fall? Probably not enough to kill someone. There could easily been a cover up to keep Dent's tragic fate a secret from a City that loved him. Should Dent turn up alive he'd have his reasons for hating Batman and Gotham for what happened to him. Two Face actually was able to steal the spotlight from the Joker with his appearance, think of what he could do with a whole film?

The Ventriloquist - A throwaway villain that people keep bringing back. He's basically a crazy man with a ventriloquist dummy, and the dummy just happens to be a mob boss. Sorry, he worked in Batman: The Animated Series but not in a movie.

So for one of the biggest rogues gallery's in comics there aren't a lot of characters strong enough to carry a villain role in a feature film who already haven't. I guess we'll have to see if and whenever Nolan and crew decide to have another go.

Wolverine trailer

So the Wolverine trailer went internet-live the other day.



I have to say it looks a hell of a lot better than X3 did, and I'm not just saying that because it has Gambit in it. Sure the movie looks like a launching ground for future franchises like more Wolverine flicks, Deadpool and future X-Men installments, but the movie looks like an enjoyable popcorn flick. Hopefully it'll be heavy on the fight scenes, and will make up for the lackluster Wolverine/Sabretooth stuff from the first X-Men.

The List - 12/09/08

BOOSTER GOLD #15 - When it comes down to it, I've always enjoyed Booster Gold
but I've never really loved it. I've toyed with the idea of dropping the title
before but I've never followed through. Everytime I say it's the last that I'm
going to order something in the story keeps me coming back. I think I've finally
reached the point though where I've just gotten tired of it. There's nothing
wrong with the book at all, Dan Jurgens is doing an amazing job solo after the
departure of Geoff Johns, but I think it's just time to cut it.

FINAL CRISIS #5 - The much delayed fifth issue of DC's Summer Blockbuster finally
see's release with Carlos Pacheco stepping in to pick up art duties after J.G.
Jones. I've throughly enjoyed this series from DC, and while I'm not happy with
Jones not helming the pencils, I'm still really excited about this book.

FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS #4 - Another delayed Final Crisis book, this final part
of the Revelations spin-off story looks just as promising as the previous three.
Writer Greg Rucka knows these characters in and out and is the best when it comes
to handling them. Here's hoping that there's still a Question and a Spectre around
after this for him to come back to.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31 - A constant favorite of mine, Green Lantern Corps
really stepped it up with this past years Sinestro Corps War storyline. Since
then GLC has continued firing on all cylinders leading to the upcoming War of
the Light and Darkest Night storylines.

NIGHTWING #151 - The seeds have been planted, and while nothings official yet, it
really looks like Nightwing is going to step up and become Batman in Bruce Wayne's
absence. Over the past couple years the character of Dick Grayson, the original Robin to
Bruce Wayne's Batman, has really floundered. Inconsistent writing by Devin Grayson and
Bruce Jones forced the character into a corner. Thank heavens for the skills of Peter
Tomasi who not only made the character readable again, but enjoyable to boot. Soon
Nightwing will be ending, and the character of Dick Grayson will be appearing elsewhere.
As Batman or Nightwing we don't know, but hopefully Grayson can continue to be an
interesting character and a key member of the DC Universe.

SECRET SIX #4 - Aaaand Gail Simone drags me back. I immensely loved Villains United and
the other Secret Six minis, so when this one launched I toyed with the idea of picking
it up, but ultimately passed due to financial reasons. After grabbing issues 1-3 last
week I've learned to never doubt Gail writing anything with Catman in it.

TITANS #8 - While not the strongest DC series out there, I have to say I do like seeing
the original Titans together. I see this as a series that may not have a long life with
Judd Winick as writer. I really dug his older stuff on The Outsiders and Green Arrow, but
since about 2004 he's been slipping.

TRINITY #28 - I like Kurt Busiek's writing. I like Mark Bagely's art. This should be a no
brainer. While this weekly series is definitely stronger than the whole of Countdown
(I say whole since I did enjoy parts of it), the dragging out of one story for a whole
year is just a little too much. This is meeting the same fate as Booster Gold.

COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND PRINCE OF NOWHERE - The Courtney Crumrin
books have always been a solid bet. Ted Naifeh continues to prove that
all-ages doesn't just mean it's for kids. While I haven't heard much
about this one, I'm still looking forward to it.

Review: Punisher: War Zone

Marvel's quintessential anti-hero (no, not Wolverine, the other one) makes his big screen debut, again, with this weekends Punisher: War Zone.



I enjoyed the last Punisher movie, Thomas Jane did a pretty respectable job as Frank Castle, the man who after watching his family get gunned down by the mob takes the fight to the criminals. But I have to say this, with no slight to Tom Jane: Ray Stevenson IS the Punisher. Right from the get go we're treated to a bloody display of just what the Punisher does best, which is indeed punishing. And what really propels this movie ahead is the fact that unlike Frank's last venture into the theatre, this isn't an origin story. While they do touch on it briefly, what this move does best is just letting the Punisher go on his own. It doesn't need to explain why the Punisher kills people, it just lets him have at it.

Ray Stevenson, as I said before IS the Punisher.

Stevenson pulls off the calculating cold-heartedness well, but unfortunately the Irish born actor can't pull off the american accent all the time. While it's not too big of an issue, at time's its apparent that Frank ain't actual from around here.

The supporting cast does well on it's own too, with Buffy and Angel's Julie Benz making an appearance as a dead FBI Officers widow. She does her best at attempting to bring some humanity to the world of the Punisher, as does Wayne Knight playing the role of Wayne Knight, I mean Punisher ally Micro.

We're treated to a much stronger villain than John Travolta this time around as well with perennial Punisher foe Jigsaw showing up.

Unfortunately much of Jigsaws thunder is stolen by the films other main villain, his brother Looney Bin Jim, and anytime they both appear on screen Jigsaw is reduced to just standing there trying to look menacing. While War Zone is far from the best movie let alone best COMIC book movie ever, it's definitely the best of the Punisher adaptations and a pretty fun movie all around.

Overall: 7/10

Dead Snow

So have you ever been writing a movie and thought, "Man this movie needs Nazis". But then you think, "No wait, it needs Zombies!".

Then you're stuck in the eternal holding pattern: Nazis or Zombies? Zombies or Nazis?

Well my friend, Norway has figured it out for you:



I don't know just what it is, but there's something about watching Nazi Zombies charging through the snow to Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" that makes me want to just sit back and say: Thank you Norway.

That's Moranic...

I've just discovered some unsettling news:

Rick Moranis hasn't had a job since 2006.

Not only was his last appearance in a direct to dvd sequel, it was a sequel to Disney's animated "Brother Bear", cleverly titled "Brother Bear 2".

Yes, the man who brought joy to millions and starred in such films as "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" and "Ghostbusters", hasn't had a major, let alone any role in almost 3 years.

If that doesn't depress you, consider this: Pick a Baldwn. Seriously, anyone of them will do. Alec? Stephen? William? Daniel?

They've all gotten work within the past year, hell all of them have films coming out next year. But the star of "Little Shop Of Horrors" and "Spaceballs"? Nothing slated for the forseeable future.

Starred in The Flintstones 2 as Barney Rubble. Rick Moranis did not.

If that doesn't surprise you howzabout this little nugget? Daniel Stern was in a movie last year. Forgot about him, didn't you?

Seriously. This guy.

Sure, Moranis is probably living off of fantastic royalty checks from "Little Giants" and "Strange Brew", but does the world really need to wait three more years before this relatable nerd makes us chortle again at the inherent awkwardness that lies inside all of us?

I hope not.

Sic Semper Tyrannis

So I've made no attempts to ever hide my love of comic books.

I've also made no attempt to hide my love of music.

So when the two come together, oh man it's a beautiful thing.

Last year, Gerard Way, frontman of the band My Chemical Romance put out a comic book called The Umbrella Academy.

As soon as the miniseries was announced it drew cries of: "he sux" or "that band is for gheys" from every corner of the internet.

Then at the begining of May, publisher Dark Horse Comics, showcased the first story featuring Way's Umbrella Academy in their offering for the 2007 Free Comic Book Day. On this FCBD, comic book stores across the country offer special free issues from each major comic publisher to coax people in to try out the medium, or to simply get scared fanboys out of their comfort zone and try something new.

Shortly after the event the praise started rolling in, and people were no longer calling for Way's head on a stake and actually saying, "hey this was really good". Soon after, the Umbrella Academy #0 became one of the most sought after offerings from that year, and actually goes for $10 online now (keeping in mind that this was a book that was just given out en masse for FREE).

Now the name Gerard Way has new weight behind it, not as someone who sells cds but someone who knows and loves comics. His name is now mentioned alongside Mike Mignola and Grant Morrison in the pantheon of "Weird Stories That Are To Good To Be Passed Up" writers. The Umbrella Academy has even gone as far as winning an Eisner (the comic book equivalent of an Oscar) for Best Limited Series based on fan and retailer voting.

The second Umbrella Academy miniseries debuts this wednesday, a couple months after the announcement that the Umbrella Academy is in development to become a major motion picture. Personally I can't wait, and based on the preview for the new series, it looks to be just as over the top as the first.

For a sneak preview of The Umbrella Academy: Dallas in which the now sentinent Lincoln Memorial is assassinated by a pistol packing statue of John Wilkes Booth, click here: http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/15-604?page=1

II Am Legend?

So rumor has it that there's a sequel in the works for the flick I Am Legend.

Which may be hard considering that, you know, Will Smith's character dies at the end, oh and spoiler alert for people who don't know that Will Smith dies at the end of this movie from last year.

Now don't get me wrong, I really dug this film, in fact I'd go so far as to say I liked it a lot. But this is going to be a straight up sequel, focusing on what I guess would wind up being Will Smith's charred corpse, shuffling around the floor of his basment lab or something.

Originally the plan was to have a prequel (I think I owe George Lucas a dime for using that word), in which we see Smith's character, Dr. Robert Neville trying to fight a losing battle across, as the disease slowly spreads to pockets of survivors across NYC. But I guess this idea was scrapped since the studio would basically be making a pointless prequel since everyone would know Neville's quest was all for naught if they had seen the first film, or second film I guess it would be then.

So instead we MAY (being the operative word here) get a sequel.

Which would make sense had the studio used the original ending they filmed:



and not the second one where, well the Fresh Prince becomes slightly less fresh after blowing up his lab with a grenade.

They could have used the original ending but thought, "nah forget it".

If we're somehow lucky, this sequel will center around Neville's ghost palin' around with his wacky break dancing cousin, and together they solve mysteries and bring down a corrupt toy company. Also, Sinbad guest stars.

But this movie would have to be made in the 80's somehow.

Pulling for it...

So I've always been a pretty huge Disney fan.

When I was little, it was my dream job to work at the Mouse House, and it's always been a little part of me. So as a result I keep a close eye on the stuff going on at Disney, whether it be at the parks or in the movies.



While Disney's newest release might not look like much more than a dog-version of Buzz Lightyear, but to a diehard Disney fan it's a step in a new direction.

Bolt marks (no pun intended) Disney's first animated release after the appointment of John Lasseter as Cheif Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor of Imagineering.

If his name sounds familiar it's probably from some of his other film work, which includes:
Toy Story
A Bug's Life
Toy Story 2
Monsters Inc.
Spirited Away
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Cars
Ratatoullie
WALL-E

Yes, Lasseter is a founding member of Pixar Studios. And thanks to Disney's 2006, $7.4 Billion buyout of Pixar, he's now Disneys heir apparent.

Once brought on board, Lasseter along with other Disney execs. approached Lilo and Stitch director Chris Sanders about the current feature he was working on, American Dog, saying it wasn't quite where it needed to be. After not listening to and resisting any changes Sanders was removed and replaced with Bryon Howard and Chris Willaims, two Disney writers making their directing debut.

Bolt seems like a lot of fun and so far reviews have been over-whelmingly positive. So will Disney see newdirection with Pixar's King Midas at the helm? I'm hoping so.

New Star Trek Trailer!

Seriously.

What a week for movie trailers.

While it's not officially online yet, there's a leaked version of the trailer that is showing before the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.

http://io9.com/5088091/first-glimpse-of-the-star-trek-trailer

Unfortunately it's not embed-able but I'm pretty jazzed about this one too.

Not only can J.J Abrams do no wrong. neither can Simon Pegg. So while I've always been more of a "Wars-nerd" than a "Trek-nerd", I can honestly say I'm really excited about this reboot.

New Watchmen Trailer!

It's seriously a great week for movie trailers.



Sure, die-hard fans of the source material are complaining that the term "watchmen" is never uttered in the book and only appears innocuously as graffiti in the background. But I can see the studio wanting an actual usage of the term in the movie.

I think it is better than the name the teams went by in the book, those being The Minutemen and Crimebusters.

Sure the Crimebusters existed for about 5 minutes, but it still counts.

Whatever though, the more I see about this movie the more excited I get for it. Also, this is just further proof that if you put something to Muse, it gets 10x more awesome.



Although thats a tough call, because Sandshrew alone is pretty awesome in his own right.

New Harry Potter Trailer!

So the waiting seems to be more than worth it.

When it was announced that the movie had been pushed back until summer '09, I couldn't say I was excited about having to wait. But for all the looking forward I WAS doing, I have to say the release of the new trailer has trumped my expectaions.



Seriously. How awesome is that?

And since I probably don't bash it as much as I should let's compare:



Sorry Bella, your sad acting couldn't carry Cedric Diggory's lukewarm body away from graveyard battle with Voldemort.

Because who cares about charisma when you're trying to watch a love story?

I'm having Arrested Development flashbacks.

I usually don't buy into hype too much, but could it be that Twilight found my number and the jig is up?

Up against the odds teen wizards > sadsack teen vampires.

Meh...

So November 21st sees the release of the newest book to film adaptation: Twilight.

And I really have to say I can't see what all the buzz is about.

I love to read, and I'll pretty much demolish whatever is put in front of me. So when I heard that this "Harry Potter for the Goth set" was the next big thing, I genuinely thought it was something worth hitching my wagon to.

A little backstory about yours truly: I've always been a reader. As a child I demolished the complete Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and everything by Madeleine L'Engle (even the obscenely dry Many Waters, and yes that is a pun considering that the book revolves around the great flood of Noah).

I'd blow through R.L. Stines Goosebumps in a sitting. Bruce Coville's fun kid-horror books like "The Monsters Ring" or his sci-fi "My Teacher Is An Alien" series posed no threat. And while we're somewhat on the topic, when it came to vampires in literature I'd go for anything like James Howe's "Bunnicula" and the subsequent "Howliday Inn" and "Celery Stalks At Midnight" to Anne Rice's "Interview With The Vampire. "The Vampire Lestat, and "Memnoch The Devil".

Awesomeness between two covers

So in summation: I was a kid on the cutting edge who knew my shit.

So when given the opportunity to sink my teeth into this already established franchise (horrible pun), I leapt at the chance.

I have to seriously ask why?

I'm more than halfway through the first book in the series which the upcoming feature film is based off of, Twilight, and I can't help but be disappointed.

The dialogue is clunky and the exposition is terrible. I don't care about any of the characters because there is nothing to them. We can buy the mystery about Edward Cullen since he is the vampire whose mystery we're supposed to unravel, but when your main character (here being 17 year old Bella Swan) really doesn't do anything, what is there to relate to or feel for?

She's awkward and shy. She doesn't excel in gym class. She moved from Phoenix where she lived with her mom to a town outside of Seattle to live with her dad. There, I've summed up everything you can learn about the character in the first 234 pages of the book in three lines.

The first person style of narration doesn't help the book much either, as it feels more like slowing down the story instead of having you involved in it, like it should. But more-so than anything, the book is just BORING. We're treated to days of Bella going to school, where she pines for a boy who's a dick one day, and slightly less dick-ish the next. It moved so slow that I took a four week hiatus from reading beyond Chapter 7, because I felt like the book had just become a chore.

Granted I picked it up again today and read an additional four chapters since I was stuck sitting in a parking lot for an hour and a half while waiting for someone, but it was more out of necessity than actually wanting to read it (as I strongly considered taking my copy of Michael Chabon's "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" instead).

You should probably read this

Working at Hot Topic, I'm in the awesomely pendulumic business of peddling pop culture, and I have to say I don't like where Twilight is leading the youth of today. For how much buzz this film is generating, you'd figure the books could cure cancer, world hunger and the economy all at once, while at the same time detailing your car.

While I'm keeping an open mind, and still trying to read the book so I can see the movie when it comes out, the book is a severe letdown. It's hard to understand why this book has done so well for it's self, not just to spawn a full length feature but also print sequels.

A quick internet search reveals that not only was Twilight not too warmly received but the following books all less so. So much so that a leaked version of the manuscript for the fifth garnered such snark from fans that the whole project was shevled.

The Hollywood machine is a hard one to understand though.

J.K Rowling's Harry Potter has been a grand slam on every front since it's release. Both the books as well as their adaptations have done amazingly well and garnered much deserved praise. It's a safe bet that the remaining film relesases will do just as well, both financially and critcally.

A synonym for excitement: Harry Potter

The Lord of the Rings has been a pinnacle of fantasy literature for decades, and after years of lackluster adaptations it finally recieved a worthy mulitmedia heir while in the caring hands of Peter Jackson.

The Chronicles of Narnia, by longtime friend of J.R.R Tolkein and noted author C.S. Lewis are often mentioned in the same breath when it comes to fantastic all-ages reading. But those movies have struggled to find their audience. So much so that Disney is constantly looking at the box office numbers, dvd sales, and licensing to determine whether or not it's worth it to go ahead as planned on the rest of the films in the series.

A scene from Wanted Chronicles of Narnia

A similar story can be told for Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series. While the books have been fantastically received the film it's self didn't perform as well as expected, and as a result the two sequels didn't even get into pre-production.

So what does this mean for Twilight? Well it'll take a few weeks to see where this goes, and I'm not always the best judge of this stuff. I mean, I'm still hoping for a sequel to Lemony Snicket's "A Series Of Unfortunate Events".

Yes. I'm a sucker

Help me Anderson Cooper, you're my only hope.

So yesterday was a night of firsts. Not only was the first African-American elected as President, but the first African-American spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper via Hologram.

+1 to Will.I.Am for making an awesome Star Wars reference
-1 to Anderson Cooper for immediately undercutting it with a Trek one

Yes, I think that makes it official.

Will.I.Am is the third black person to impact the Star Wars universe in some respect. He now resides in the lofty heavens alongside Mace Windu and Lando Calrissian.

Wait, this isn't the "Pump It" video!

Or actually, since Star Wars takes place "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away", would this mean that we've JUST perfected the kind of technology that would allow Leia to coax crazy old Ben Kenobi and his rag tag group of wet behind the ears adventurers to take down the Galactic Empire, and we have the Black Eyed Peas to thank for it? Therefore making the Will the FIRST black man in the Star Wars Universe?

I just got the chills.

Still no reply to what Leia is going to do with all that junk. All that junk inside her trunk.

Repo: The Genetic Opera

So two things I love are horror/sci-fi movies and musicals.

There's no way to dance around it. I really do enjoy musicals.

So when I heard about Repo: The Genetic Opera, I was more than elated.

Yes, that is Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The combination of the two genres just made sense in my mind. This was BEFORE the film adaptation of Sweeney Todd came out, and for what it's worth Repo looks like it does it better.

The film releases this weekend, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Because, it turns out that it's not getting a nationwide release and is only showing in major cities. Thankfully it'll probably be released on DVD within the upcomming year, so I'll be fully able to enjoy it but for now this is the best we can get. Soundtrack clips online:

Flash in the pan?

Today on MTV's comic book website the "Splash Page" (note the article is missing now), writer Grant Morrison may have slipped up and by saying he could say nothing actually in turn said a whole lot.

Since Morrison's currently involved in a few film properties, and the Scottish-born writer just brought the long dead Flash, Barry Allen back to life the interview turned towards his thoughts on the long drawn out process of bringing the Flash movie to life:

“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing I can’t talk about,” Morrison said. “Yes, I have talked to them. I’m deeply involved in those discussions. I know what’s going down with all of that, and it’s actually really exciting. But beyond that, I can’t say anything. I wish I could tell you. I’m sure announcements will probably be made at some point, but I can’t say anything.”

So by saying he's deeply involved in discussions, knows whats going on with the property, and that there will be announcements made at some point, isn't he just kind of letting the cat out of the bag?

A Flash movie by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Blade, Blade II, Blade: Trinity) and supposedly/hopefully starring Ryan Reynolds has long been in the dreaded purgatory that is "pre-production", but if a big name creator like Grant Morrison is involved that means things may be progressing.

The List - 11/03

It's hard to believe that it's already been a week, but once again it's time for the weekly pull list from Diamond Comics New Releases:

Final Crisis Resist #1 - $3.99 - I tried out Checkmate when it began publication and it honestly didn't do anything for me. I've always enjoyed Greg Rucka's writing , but the title just didn't hit me. But based on the strength of not only Final Crisis but the various tie in books as well, I think I definitely need to give this one a shot.

Secret Six #3 - $2.99 - After Villains United, and the subsequent Secret Six minis I'm positive that Gail Simone can do no wrong with these characters. I originally passed on this title with the argument that I was cutting back on my comics, but after reading a friends copy of #1 I realized that there was no way I could pass it up.

Terra #1 - $2.99 - Still unsure about this one. I love Amanda Palmer's artwork, but Jimmy Palmiotti's kind of hit or miss with me. I'm curious about the new Terra character and how she'll play out with what's been going on with Geo-Force (especially after the amazing Last Will and Testament one-shot a couple months ago).

Terror Titans #2 - $2.99 - The first issue was pretty strong, mostly based on McKeever's handling of Ravager. He makes her a genuinely interesting character, and I honestly have to say if it was another Titans character starring in this book, I'd probably pass on it.

Trinity #23 - $2.99 - Almost halfway through DC's third weekly series, and I have to say this one has been a success. For the amount of work the teams involved are putting out, this series is amazingly strong. If this was a monthly series I probably would have stuck with it, but it works very well in the weekly format.

The List - 10/29

Every Monday, Diamond Comics Distibutors releases their list of the upcoming new titles and merchandise for that week.

This is my pull list...

Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1 - $3.99 - I don't know how to classify this one. It's a spin-off from DC's Final Crisis miniseries event, but it's also a continuation of the last Green Lantern story arc "Secret Origin", but at the same time a thematic sequel to the Green Lantern event of the past year "The Sinestro Corps War" while serving as a precursor to the NEXT Green Lantern Event "Blackest Night" in 2009. Suffice to say, it's a Green Lantern book written by Geoff Johns which makes it a must buy title.

Justice League Of America #26 - $2.99 - Helmed by Dwayne Mcduffie, one of the masterminds behind the fanboyish-glee inducing Justice League Unlimited cartoon, JLA has had it's highs and lows. While the formula works characterwise (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all appear in the book but most of the exploits focus on fan favorites like Vixen, Firestorm and Red Tornado), the story seems to slouch along in spots. Still, it's always an entertaining read that gives some of the DCU B-Listers a chance to shine.

Teen Titans #64 - $2.99 - When Teen Titans is fun, it really shines. And while it's constantly one of my favorites, the book seems to be struggling under it's own weight for the past couple arcs. Sean McKeever has been one of the go-to writers for young superheroes for the past couple years now, but his writing as of late has really taken a turn towards the dark side. Here's hoping things can lighten up soon.

Trinity #22 - $2.99 - While not as strong as DC's first foray into weekly comics 52, Trinity proves to be a much stronger offering than last years Countdown. DC has found a winning, and downright scarily fast, team in Kurt Busiek and Mark Buckingham. It looks like DC has realized what they need to do to get their weekly comics back on track.

Spike: After The Fall #4 - $3.99 - I can't say I'm sorry to see this go. This miniseries spin-off of IDW's Angel: After The Fall series has really left me wanting. With the main series, writer Brian Lynch has come close to capturing the spirit of the Angel television show, some issues more than others. When I heard about this spin-off mini starring the (now only) vampire with a sould I was pretty jazzed, but now I'm kind of glad I'll be saving this $4 a month.

Total - $16.95 - Not too bad of a week, with a couple solid titles in Rage of the Red Lanterns and JLA.

Comic Book Era: 1 - The Golden Age

Much like any form of art (or history for that matter), comics have also undergone periods of exposure and development. In my attempt to not only entertain but also to educate I feel it's important that you the reader should know and understand these eras as well.

So where better to start than the very begining?

The Golden Age

By the 1930'2 comics had been around in some form or another, but it was one man who started the super-hero boom. Well it wasn't a man perse, but in fact it was a Superman.

In 1938 in the pages of DC's Action Comics #1, two Jewish immigrants Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, set out to tell the story of a super strong, bulletproof man who could jump over buildings and would fight injustice and tyranny.

The rest is history.

America fell in love with the stranger with superpowers from another planet and a year later, in 1939, DC unleashed their next big hit with Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

A year later Kane and Finger added another character to the roster with Batman's teen sidekick Robin. After the Boy Wonder's debut sales of Detective Comics DOUBLED.

That same year a new hero debuted in autonomous Flash Comics #1 (which also featured the first appearance of Hawkman).

Also in 1940, out of the pages of All-American Comics #16 came the first of DC's Green Lanterns by Batman creator Bill Finger and cartoonist Martin Nodell. 3 months later in the same title came DC's The Atom.

Yet another year later in 1941, lightning struck again in the pages of All Star Comics #8, with the first appearance of Wonder Woman by William Moulton Marston (the inventor of the polygraph test).

Then also in 1941, everyones favorite-least favorite superhero Aquaman made his debut in More Fun Comics #73.

And it must be noted, that while it look like DC was cleaning house at this point, other comic book publishers were far from falling behind this trend. In 1940, Marvel fired their opening shot with the first appearances of Captain America (by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby), Namor the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch.

It also must be noted that none other than The Spirit by Will Eisner also came about in 1940.

But while other companies made their contribution it's easy to see that DC Comics really led the charge at this time, with the creation of the main cornerstones of their publishing division all being created within the span of three years of each other.

But what about "______"?

Yes, there were a slew of other characters created at this point. One of the most popular (if not the most popular) was Captain Marvel published by Fawcett Comics. It's believed that during his heyday, Captain Marvel actually OUTSOLD Superman, and because of this DC sued Fawcett claiming that Marvel infringed upon their copyright of the costumed superhero.

This trend of superheroes continued through the 40's but by the 50's, the publics favor of superheroes began to wane and instead turned more towards Westerns, Sci-Fi and Humor.

At this point DC started buying up smaller competitors and their characters, a practice they would use to aquire Quality Comics in 1956, Fawcett Comics in 1972, and Charlton Comics in 1980.

So what came next? Well that'd be The Silver Age of course, but that's for another time.

(Why so) Seriously...

I know this won't find you in time.

Your mind is already made up.

But I just have to say it:

Don't be the Joker for Halloween.

I know, I know, Dark Knight was really sweet. And yes, Heath Ledger did reach new levels of badass-ery with his portrayal of the Joker. Everyone knows this and everyone agrees with you.

And therin lies the rub: Everybody is going to be the Joker.

This isn't the first time it's happened either. A blockbuster comic book adaptation where one of the young stars passed before his time and inspired a veritable bonanza of Halloween goers?

=

But Chris, you say, I'm going to be different! My costume is going to epic! I'm going as the Joker in the Nurse costume!

Nope. Not gonna do it. Sorry bro, you and every frat guy ever have already had the same thought.

Alright, so hopefully you're starting to see things in perspective. So what should you dress up as? I dunno but here's my picks for the 3 costumes you can pull out that will keep you ahead of the curve:

Two Face

Amidst the sea of Jokers you'll be the one Batman villain to stand out. Don't go all Batman Forever though, the Tommy Lee Jones route was too over the top.

Rorschach

Beat everyone to the punch at what will be one of the biggest costumes of next Halloween. Watchmen is shaping up to be the next big comic movie release and Rorschach will be the breakaway character. Yeah, I'm calling it.

Gambit

The release of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine is still almost a year away, but after years of beggin X-Men fans will finally get a chance to see Gambit in action. So why not bust out this fan favorite before he gets his chance to shine? Besides I've never seen an awesome Gambit costume.


Honorable Mention:

Hong Kong Phooey

No he doesn't have a movie coming out and nobody has cared about this character in decades, but seriously? Why not?

Better Late or Never?

So today issue #4 of DC Comics "summer blockbuster" Final Crisis came out after more than a month of delay featuring an extra name on the cover.

Final Crisis, the brain-child of writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones was met with a thunderous "yay!" when announced and shortly after it was followed by a worried "ehhh".

Both creators are fantastic in the respective artforms. Morrison is easily on his way to becoming one of the greatest writers of our time and Jones' hyper realistic artwork is jaw-droppingly good. So why the worry? Well, comics like all things take time to create, and sometimes good comics take longer.

As soon as the creative team for FC was announced the worries of the title running late started. Dan Didio, Executive Editor at DC Comics, went on record stating that DC was doing everything they could short of chaining Jones to his art table, to make sure this miniseries would come out on time.

Fans still worried. According to interviews Jones knew he was in over his head but was approaching the project with glee and still making his best attempt.

Then in an interview after issue #1 was released Jones noted he had just recieved the script for #3. Now keeping in mind that Jones was pencilling, inking and painting two covers for each book, the fans really began to worry.

But there was a scheduled month break between issues #3 and #4 so hopefully Jones would be able to catch up then? Soon after it was announced that artist Carlos Pacheco would be joining Jones on artwork from issue #4 on.

Fans erupted.

Then on Monday when DC released their Solicitations for January 2009:

FINAL CRISIS #7
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Covers by J.G. Jones and Doug Mahnke
The dramatic finale to the epic, seven-part saga of the DC multiverse concludes with an apocalyptic battle for the soul of humanity that must be seen to be believed! Can the heroes of 52 Earths save the multiverse? And is the only way to save it, to change it forever?

Jones was unable to do the pencils for the final issue. The next day Jones issued a statement over at Comic Book Resources stating:

“Any problems completing the series are my own. I love Doug Mahnke’s art, and he would have probably been a better choice to draw this series in the first place.”

Jones ended his with an apology to his “three or four remaining fans” and thanked them for picking up his work.

But here's the thing, DC realized that they had a problem on their hands and did what they could to correct it, by assigning fill-in artists on the remaining issues to keep it on schedule. Their only other option would have been to leave Jones solo on the project and further delay the release.

Sadly it's a case of "damned if you do..." for DC. Because now fans are clamoring saying they knew this would happen, others complain that they want Jones on the book. How can you please everyone?

DC's trying to do what they can. But unfortunately stuck in the middle of all this is J.G. Jones. It's clear from his statements that he's obviously depressed about the situation, because not only is he letting down fans, but the company he works for.

So what's better, getting the product you want late? Or getting a suitable fill in now?

You never forget your first...

My first comic book was Swamp Thing #105.

My aunt bought it for me since I was going through a Swamp Thing related phase. I don't remember what sparked it at all but I remember being obsessed with the character for some reason (as well as Major Disaster from the Toxic Crusaders cartoon).

It was about 1990, and I was 8 years old.

The issue was a part of the Quest For The Elementals storyarc, and in it Abby had been shot, killed and thrown into a mass grave. She was then resurrected by a then baby Tefe who created a new body for her mother.

I know I had read comic books before that but this was the first one that, but even at the time I knew it was different from anything I had ever read. It wasn't the kind of thing someone would normally hand an 8 year old, and I'm sure nobody could be blamed for buying a Mature Audiences comic for a kid whose favorite character was on the cover, especially with that big ol' DC Comics bullet on it.

Unfortunately I don't know what happened to that issue, or any of my comics from when I was younger really, but I'm doing ok for myself now.

You're being lied to...

As human beings we like to give things names.

Some people believe that to give something a name is to give it power. Personally I think it's how we take power for ourselves. It puts you at a point of authority, and whether it's a cherished pet, a car or even a college dining hall it's nice to leave some sort of mark on something.

But what's in a name? and more importantly; What does this have to do with comics?

Walk into any bookstore and look for the Comic Books section. I'll wait here....

Any luck? Well if you asked an associate for help you were probably directed towards the "Graphic Novel" section. The graphic novel (or as it's commonly called the "trade paperback") is a bound collection of previously published comic book stories, usually the length of one story arc.

Nope, no comic books here

As I mentioned in my last blog "graphic novel" is a term I hate. I find it demeaning to the art form. Why not refer to them as they are? Comic books. There is the argument that the term "comic book" refers to the actual format which comes out in issues that are periodical in nature, but do these collections need a term so proper and well, more marketable?

I'm reminded of something that Robin Williams said in an interview:

"It's interesting now that they're doing, they all kind of realize, with all the adult comic books or graphic novels for those who are trying to upscale themselves... Is that a comic book? No! It's a graphic novel! Is that porn? No! It's adult entertainment!"

The only picture of Robin Williams I could find

Sure, comics have grown up and have taken huge strides towards becoming a more mature medium, that's awesome and I love it, but do we really need to try to dress it up and give it a fancy name?

"Honey, what are you reading?"
"Oh, just this new comic book"
"I hate you. I slept with your brother"

Can't we be accepted as we are or do we really have to throw on our dad's pants to be accepted by the masses?

"Honey, what are you reading?"
"Oh, just this new GRAPHIC NOVEL"
"You're such an intellectual! Take me home to our 8x8 apartment and ravish me!"

Who Watches The Watchmen?

One of the most lauded comic books of all time is ready to make it's film debut this March (03-06-09 to be exact), but much to the chagrin of many a movie fan and comic reader the future is looking bleak for this motion picture.

Based on the 1986 book by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen served as a deconstruction of the current superhero archetypes. Watchmen has often been credited, alongside the grim and street level works of Frank Miller, as being the catalyst that started the current age of comics. And if Director Zack Snyder has his way it will do the same to the current slew of comic book based movies.

Well I'd hate to break it to you, but there's someone out there who doesn't want you to see this movie:

He worships a snake god and wears finger armor

All things considered, Alan Moore is kind of a curmudgeon. Although a skilled writer and one of the most critically and fan acclaimed writers of our time, it seems he hates movies. Especially when the movie just happens to be based on his material.

No seriously. He wears finger armor

Does his name sound familiar? If not his catalogue of work most certainly will: From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and V For Vendetta. All of these films have been based off of his best selling graphic novels (a term I hate for the most part, but we'll discuss that next time).

All of these books are not only by the same man, but they are considered by many to be some of the greatest works ever created for the format. But as for the movies? Ehhhhh...

Moore has seeked to distance himself from anything Hollywood has to do with his works hoping to keep them as two separate beings. Now if this was a smart move considering what the movies became or to be what caused the movies to be somewhat subpar, who knows? Moore has requested that his name not appear on anything based off of his works as well as signing over his option checks to the co-creators of the projects.

While there is a gaggle of fans (Moore included) out there who believe that there's no way a Watchmen movie can be filmed and still contain all the complexity of the source material, members of the media who have seen footage of the film claim it to be awe inspiring.

Luckily for Moore he's not alone in his crusade to keep this movie out of theatres, although his ally is in it for a different reason.

Fox recently filed an injunction against Warner Bros. claiming that they actually own the distribution rights to the film and that they need to be paid in order for the film to come out. The case goes to trial just two months before the films release date, and while it loooks like Fox is fishing for a paycheck, there are those who say Fox is after something else all together.

The rights to the 1960's Batman television show.

Warner Bros. currently holds all the rights to the program and has yet to release the show on dvd. By getting the rights Fox would then hold a piece of one of America's most recognizable television shows, but also be able to pop out some dvd's and make some easy dough.

So who's watching the watchmen?

Well certainly not Alan Moore, but hopefully we'll be able to this March.