MARVEL CIVIL WAR Then and Now

Civil War #1 courtesy Marvel
Civil War #1 courtesy Marvel

Your heart aches seeing Captain America and Iron Man beat each other up. I just reread the original Civil War epic after Marvel announced a new Civil War book tie-in to the big Secret Wars event.

Leinil Francis Yu (a veteran of the epic Secret Invasion) joins Charles Soule for the new story set in a brutal Warzone of Battleworld.

“It takes the premise of the original [Civil War]—a super hero-focused internal battle—and expands it out to deliver on the promise of the title,” he explains. “In this new story, the Civil War has been going on for a long time, and it involves all of us—the entire country—not just the super heroes. There’s a twist to the early part of the story that I don’t want to spoil yet, but I will say that Captain America and Tony Stark are still very much at odds in this book,” Soule told Marvel.com. Continue reading MARVEL CIVIL WAR Then and Now

VALIANT Launches 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR At EMERALD CITY COMICON

Ninjak #1 ECCC Variant courtesy Valiant
Ninjak #1 ECCC Variant courtesy Valiant

Valiant is back at Emerald City Comicon in a big way. The publisher is kicking off a 25th Anniversary Convention Tour in Seattle to celebrate history and what’s next with major announcements expected.

From This Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th, Valiant welcomes fans and new readers at the Washington State Convention Center for a weekend packed with programming, special guests, and ECCC 2015 exclusives that can’t be found anywhere else.

Valiant will be at Booth #1803 all weekend long to revisit 25 years of Valiant history with a complete collection of trade paperbacks and hardcovers featuring the indelible heroes, volatile villains, and world-class creators that shaped Valiant into one of the most celebrated publishers in comics history. Continue reading VALIANT Launches 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR At EMERALD CITY COMICON

GRANT MORRISON’S THE MULTIVERSITY Collection Coming

The Multiversity #1 courtesy DC Comics
The Multiversity #1 courtesy DC Comics

Grant Morrison’s epic adventure across the DC Comics Multiverse is speeding to an end with the penultimate chapter this week but the publisher will release a massive collection of the stories by Morrison with his all-star team of collaborators.

“There’s something always appealing about a Russian Superman and a vampire Batman,” Morrison told Heat Vision when the project was announced. “It’s a different way of looking at the archetypes that we’re familiar with. And I wanted to a really massive story that would be my Lord of the Rings and it would be the best thing I’ve ever done. Whether it is, I don’t know. But I’ve certainly spent a long time on it.” Continue reading GRANT MORRISON’S THE MULTIVERSITY Collection Coming

SURPRISE HEROES In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

courtesy Marvel
courtesy Marvel

Avengers: Age of Ultron is packed with new and returning favorites but director Joss Whedon says expect even more Marvel icons in Earth’s Mightiest Sequel.

In a Marvel.com interview, the director was asked if there are more characters in the film we haven’t see in the trailers and promos.

He said a simple, “yes.”

Let the speculation begin!

Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye,  Hulk, Nick Fury and Maria Hill are back. The new film introduces Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Vision.

The most recent poster revealed Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Anthony Mackie as Falcon and Idris Elba as Heimdall will appear in the film.

Who else will assemble? Continue reading SURPRISE HEROES In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

AGE OF APOCALYPSE In SECRET WARS

Age of Apocalypse #1 courtesy Marvel
Age of Apocalypse #1 courtesy Marvel

The Age of Apocalypse comes thundering back in Marvel’s Secret Wars this summer. One of the masterminds of that dark X-Men reality returns for a new story set in the Age he helped create.

In this day and age, publishers cancel entire lines and reboot often but back in 1995 the entire X-Men line was cancelled and these heroic mutants as we knew them vanished. It was a shock. It was a creative gamble. It was an epic alternate universe story that still has impact on the Children of the Atom now.

Professor X’s son rewrote history with just one horrible choice and the Age of Apocalypse was born. Continue reading AGE OF APOCALYPSE In SECRET WARS

CIVIL WAR In SECRET WARS

courtesy Marvel
courtesy Marvel

Marvel returns to the bitter hero vs. hero fight that inspired the next Captain America movie.

In Secret Wars the Marvel Universe is destroyed and a new Battleworld emerges made of Warzones inspired by the publisher’s greatest epics.

Marvel announced a new Civil War by Charles Soule (Death of Wolverine, Inhuman) and Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion) via CNN.

In the original story by Mark Millar the U.S. government passes the Superhero Registration Act after a group of rookie heroes took on overpowering villains and thousands of innocent people died. Iron Man and Captain America took different sides leading to a war of heroes.

Soule will take the story from a decade ago in a new direction and prep film fans for the upcoming sequel. Continue reading CIVIL WAR In SECRET WARS

BATMAN ETERNAL MYSTERY VILLAIN REVEALED

Batman Eternal #50 courtesy DC Comics
Batman Eternal #50 courtesy DC Comics

I did not see that coming. Did you?

Batman Eternal #50 arrived this week with a huge payoff that will either have you exclaiming “say what!?” or “brilliant!”

We knew the ending of their massive weekly series in this first issue: Bruce defeated, tied to the Bat signal while Gotham City burned around him.

Who could so completely, methodically and cruelly defeat the Dark Knight like this?

The mastermind was in the early issues all along.

Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV are the masterminds/show runners of this epic story with a team of writers. Continue reading BATMAN ETERNAL MYSTERY VILLAIN REVEALED

EMERALD CITY COMICON For VIRGINS 2015

Emerald City Comicon photo by ComicsBlend
Catwoman Cosplayer Purrfection at Emerald City Comicon photo by ComicsBlend

Emerald City Comicon 2015 is just one week away. The Seattle celebration of comics and pop culture is completely sold out.

Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) and Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) are making their first official convention appearances.

Clark Gregg of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Anthony Mackie of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, John Barrowman of Arrow, and Steve Yuen of The Walking Dead are among the major celebrity guests on the roster. Sci-fi legends Anthony Daniels, Marina Sirtis and Amanda Tapping will be here for photos, panels and autographs, too. Plus, the one and only Stan Lee returns to Seattle. Continue reading EMERALD CITY COMICON For VIRGINS 2015