Month: May 2012

Origins of Spider-Men

 

Spider-Men #1 interior art courtesy Marvel.com

  Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker clashes with the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man on the big screen this summer but worlds collide in the comic books. Spider-Men unites Marvel’s Peter Parker and the Ultimate line’s Miles Morales in a new adventure by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. Senior Editor Mark Paniccia reveals the story behind the team-up and new art on Marvel.com.

  “We were at a Publishing meeting going over the upcoming anniversaries and plans for 2012. Joe Quesada suggested having Peter and Miles meet. Usually we’re all very conservative when it comes to the idea of crossing over between the two universes, but the 50th anniversary of our favorite wall-crawler seemed like a pretty good time to do something like this. We had lots of interest and momentum built up with Miles Morales and we in the Ultimate Office loved the idea of giving more readers the opportunity to discover this new Spider-Man.”

  The Editor says Bendis is up to the challenge of comparing and contrasting the personalities of the different Spider-Men.

Spider-Men #4 courtesy Marvel.com

  “The similarities are brilliantly choreographed and designed by Brian. Every Peter Parker paradigm has a cool twist. Peter can look at Miles and see so much of himself inside. He can see, has felt and can understand so many of the things that Miles is going through. It’s gut-wrenching stuff. And fun. There are plenty of times you’ll find yourself smiling as you read. But at the end of the day they are very different characters and part of the journey is discovering how.”

  Paniccia confirmed Mysterio will be the villain and Peter Parker will learn his Ultimate counterpart is dead.

  “A great skill Brian has is getting his readers to connect with the characters. In a lot of cases, you think, “wow, that’s just what I would do” or “that’s how I would feel.” So all you have to do is think about how you would react to something as shocking as this. That you’re feeling that impact along with Peter is a testament to Brian’s talents.

  For more of the interview and preview art here’s the Marvel.com link.

  I’m excited for this crossover and I’m sure this Miles Morales fan is too. I met him at Fan Expo Vancouver – it’s cool so see an Ultimate character get the fan costume treatment!

Fan Expo Vancouver, photo by ComicsBlend.com

By Editor

“Avengers: Battle for Earth” Game Announced

courtesy Marvel and Ubisoft

  Avengers: Battle for Earth game has been declared by Marvel and Ubisoft. The game for Kinect for Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U is based on the popular series Secret Invasion. That epic storyline featured the shapeshifting Skrulls. The aliens had infiltrated nearly every super hero team, government agency and even criminal organizations for years setting up their takeover of Earth.

  The game will feature 20 different characters. For more information you can visit AvengersBattleforEarth.com.

True Blood First Look at Chris Meloni in Vampire Mode

  Christopher Meloni joins True Blood this season. HBO reveals a first look at Meloni as an ancient member of the Vampire Authority. Take a look!

I talked with Kristin Bauer (Pam) at Fan Expo Vancouver. She revealed this season will focus on vampire politics, the return of Russell and reveal Pam’s back story with Eric (Alexander Scarsgard.)
By Editor

The Avengers Mystery Villain – SPOILER ALERT

WARNING!

 

SPOILER AHEAD!

 

IF HAVE NOT SEEN MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS MOVIE OR READ THE COMIC BOOK AVENGER ASSEMBLE #3 YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ ANY FURTHER!

 

SERIOUSLY!

 

FOR REAL!

 

OK HERE IT COMES!

  The clues were there – even in Thor – but Marvel’s The Avengers delivered a cosmic shock finale revealing that Thanos was the master of the Chitauri in the movie. But the Mad God of Titan was the mystery villain behind the new Zodiac as revealed in Avengers Assemble #3.

Thanos returns in Avengers Assemble #3 courtesy Marvel

 It’s a one, two punch and major comeback for the big purple bad ass that once wiped out half the universe.  Today Avengers Editor Tom Brevoort said these appearances are just the beginning for the Death-worshipping alien.

“Since we designed AVENGERS ASSEMBLE to be a nice, easy entry point for people coming out of the film, for all that it still exists within our current Marvel Universe, it was a bit of a no-brainer to have Thanos be the villains behind our first storyline,” shares Marvel Senior VP – Executive Editor Tom Brevoort on Marvel.com. “More than simply bringing him back, this storyline will be setting him up for bigger things that are just off on the horizon—it’s the first step towards something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a while now.”

“He’s a villain of such power and stature that he can give the Avengers a fight all by himself,” he notes. “There’s no such thing as a small Thanos story—he operates on an intergalactic scale. And he’s a fascinating, nuanced character, with passions and neuroses all his own that make him stand apart as an individual, and not just a cookie-cutter moustache-twirler.”

In case you missed it here’s my take on the return of Thanos and what it means for the future of Marvel movies including Avengers 2.

Avengers Assemble #4 is out June 13th.

By Editor

Comics, Cosmetics and SpyGal

Spygal #1 courtesy Marvel.com

 Get ready for a new action heroine! Marvel and Benefit Cosmetic intoduce the first ever beauty inspired hero, SpyGal.

 “The superpowers of our bestselling pore minimizer, the POREfessional, created such an international sensation, we knew it was destined for greatness!,” said Julie Bell, EVP Global Marketing at Benefit Cosmetics. “Marvel, the world’s top storytellers, helped us bring our action hero SpyGal to life in the first ever beauty-inspired comic book.”

  Writer James Asmus (Captain America & Bucky, Generation Hope, Gambit) and artist Phil Noto will chronicle SpyGal’s adventures to inspire women.

“Marvel and Benefit both know that humor and intelligence can be a heroes’ greatest strength, especially when faced with life’s modern problems,” said Marvel Custom Solutions Editor Bill Rosemann. “SpyGal dispenses justice, beauty tips and witty life advice with an effortless grace, while also grappling with work and dating worries. Can SpyGal ever find Mr. Right…or must she sacrifice romance to the demands of her job helping powerful women spread their influence around the world? Writer James Asmus and artist Phil Noto reveal all in SPYGAL #1!”

For the entire story here’s the Marvel.com link.

This is definitely a unique merging of comics, marketing and makeup and will maybe lead more females into the comic shops. Asmus and Noto are a dynamite team for this character.

By Editor

No More Avengers?

Courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel’s The Avengers may be dominating the global box-office but will they vanish from the comic book universe? Avengers vs X-Men pits the two super teams against each other. The Phoenix is coming to Earth for a young girl hailed as the mutant messiah. The Avengers wanted to take custody of Hope to save the planet. The X-Men said no believing the Phoenix could mean a new beginning for the dying mutant race. War erupted.

  The X-Men’s fight to save their people began when a possessed Scarlet Witch said “No More Mutants” and the race was decimated. Now Cyclops has declared “No More Avengers.”

  Today Marvel.com revealed this ominous image for Avengers vs X-Men #5 and this description:

  “Following the world-changing effects of AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #5, the Marvel Universe will face a dramatic change unlike any ever seen before bringing the action packed first act to a close. Then, the comic book event of the summer kicks into overdrive as Act Two begins in AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #6! Think you know everything about the Phoenix Force and what it’s capable of? Think again!”

 AvX #5 by Matt Fraction is on sale 6/6/12. AvX #6 by Jonathan Hickman is out 6/20/12. What does this mean? Who would have the power to remake the Marvel Universe? Hope? Scarlet Witch? Mister Sinister? The Void (which is locked inside Scott’s mind) or maybe the Celestials? The God-like beings have been a key part of Kieron Gillen’s Uncanny X-Men run but the Dreaming Celestial has been a part since the X-Men moved to San Francisco.

What do you think?

  By Editor

Iron Man’s New Leading Lady?

Iron Man from Marvel.com

  Jessica Chastain was in then out due to scheduling. Now Rebecca Hall is in talks to play a scientist in Iron Man 3 according to Variety. What does this mean for Gwynneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts? I was surprised how much Pepper screen time was in Marvel’s The Avengers. Tony and Pepper seemed happy in Stark Tower but could this new brainy beauty catch the playboy’s eye?

  The character is part of a team (including Guy Pearce) of scientists that create nanotechnology that gets in the hands of terrorists. The next Tony Stark adventure is based on Iron Man Extremis. Ben Kingsley is on board as the villain.

  I liked Rebecca Hall in Ben Affleck’s The Town. Below is a YouTube video of her promoting that excellent film.

By Editor

The Alien Landscape of “Prometheus” in Scotland

Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox

  You don’t have to board Prometheus to visit the alien landscape in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic. The director filmed on the Isle of Sky in Scotland. I’m a travel buff along with being a geek. Lord of the Rings was part of my inspiration to visit New Zealand. 

 VisitScotland is hoping the film will inspire movie fans to experience the Isle of Sky according to the Daily Mail. Chairman Mike Cantlay said:  ‘As thousands of holidaymakers discover every year, Skye possesses an ethereal, out-of-this-world quality, so it is no surprise that Ridley Scott chose the island to shoot scenes for Prometheus.

  Here’s the trailer that shows the rocky landscape of the Isle of Sky seen in Prometheus.

  The new James Bond film Skyfall is filming in Scotland at Duntrune Castle. The 007 film title refers to Skyfall Lodge.