Andrew Garfield as The Amazing Spider-Man courtesy Columbia Pictures
Amazing Spider-Man is out on dvd/blu ray but fans are buzzing about the sequel! Director Marc Webb, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will return.
The biggest casting rumor is that Jamie Foxx may play Electro according to Variety. Electro’s real name is Max Dillon. The villain gains control of electricity after being struck by lightning.
I still think Dr. Michael Morbius (The Living Vampire) would make an excellent villain in the darker, edgier Spideyverse Webb has created but Morbius’s story may be too similar to Curt Connors/The Lizard.
What do you think of having Jamie Foxx as Electro?
Max Brooks is a storytelling genius. I absolutely love World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. A United Nations worker chronicles the outbreak, spread of the zombie apocalypse and how survivors fought back. The film is said to be different from the book with a more narrative story.
Brad Pitt stars in movie based on the book. Here’s a the trailer for World War Z:
This trailer looks like it does not follow the book but as a zombie fanatic I’m thrilled to see a high-profile star like Brad Pitt wanting to work (he’s a producer too) with the genre and see that’s it more than just horror. Zombie fiction always reflects on humanity and sometimes the living are more dangerous than the undead.
James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and Mireille Enos co-star in the Paramount film directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus) worked on the script. World War Z opens in June 2013.
In the category of “….and now for something completely different…” here comes X-Men #38! It did not feel like an X-book but rather a Marvel Team-Up or A+X. New creative team Seth Peck and Paul Azaceta deliver an X-Woman’s detour into a gritty crime caper with an unlikely guest star.
After the intense missions of Brian Wood’s arc involving the Proto-Mutants, Domino takes a break from Storm’s team and heads for New York City. What are the odds The Man Without Fear would run into mutant mercenary? Domino and Daredevil find themselves in an underground casino populated by a who’s who of Marvel’s criminal underworld.
Brian Wood and David Lopez’s amazing arc was a huge act to follow. This creative team has made a smart move by going in a completely new direction. Of course Domino’s idea of a vacation is going undercover in a super villain casino! Peck nails Neena’s personality and the Matt Murdock of Mark Waid’s acclaimed run. The action and wit keep building and set the stage for big mystery. I’m in.
Azaceta and Rico Renzi create a perfect palette of gritty realism for this crime time story. The art reminds me of Frank Miller’s Batman Year One and Sean Phillips but with more eye-popping color. David Lopez crafts an iconic pop art cover. This a visual feast from cover to final panel.
I admit I considered dropping this book but I’m happy I took a shot. It’s definitely a very different book now but I’m betting you’ll enjoy it. Peck, Azaceta and Renzi are an impressive team to watch!
Skyfall may be the best 007 movie ever. Sam Mendes has crafted a passionate homage to 50 years of Bond films while creating his own epic that propels the super spy into the future. This adventure is thrilling and emotionally gripping.
A list of deep cover agents is lost. M and MI6 are humiliated then attacked. Bond is left for dead. The spy resurrects himself when the mission gets personal.
Daniel Craig completely owns Bond now. His 007 is a cool, confident, clever killer with a ruthlessness in the field and in the bedroom. The creators let Craig take Bond into his past to see what made him the perfect recruit for MI6 and explore a part of Ian Fleming’s creation we’ve never seen on-screen.
Let’s just crown Javier Bardem as the new ultimate Bond villain! Silva brushes aside Auric Goldfinger, Doctor No and Rosa Klebb. The cyberterrorist has an M obsession and a fatal attraction to Bond. You can see shades of Red Grant, Hannibal Lecter, Anton Chigurh and the Joker madly swirling into Bardem’s performance. Just when you think you know Silva’s next move he violently switches stalking like a predator towards his endgame.
Let’s move on to the Bond girls.
Judi Dench is the silvery queen of steel as Bond’s boss. The villain’s plot is not grounded in destroying the world or money. It’s personal. M is under fire from an obsessed terrorist, an arrogant superior (superbly played by Ralph Fiennes) and an onslaught of bureaucrats who want her to hang. Dench is perfection whether giving orders to leave an agent for dead, staring down government investigators or dodging bullets from the unhinged villain.
courtesy 007.com
Naomie Harris and Daniel Craig share some of the best on-screen chemistry since Sean Connery and Honor Blackman in Goldfinger. Eve is a gorgeous, resourceful field agent who is not just 007’s eye candy. She is crucial to his survival and future.
When 007’s adventure takes him to Shanghai and exotic Macao he encounters the exquisite Berenice Marlohe as Severine. The stunning French actress portrays the mysterious bad girl perfectly. Bond peels away the gorgeous layers of this haunted women tied to the villain.
Skyfall marks the welcome return of Q to the Bond series. This is not your father’s Quartermaster with an arsenal of impossible gadgets. Ben Whishaw portrays a young, snarky, brilliant computer genius with echoes of the Mark Zuckerberg seen in The Social Network and the biting wit of the classic Q (the late Desmond LLewelyn.)
James Bond jets from Istanbul to Shanghai to Macao to the London Underground to an island of the dead with thrilling chases, fights, seductions, and revelations. 007 changes the game and the action hits home when he lures the villain to the Scottish Highlands for a brutal version of The Most Dangerous Game. The climax is action and emotion packed with pitch perfect performances by Craig, Dench, Bardem and a scene stealing Albert Finney.
Let’s bow to Sam Mendes now. You can sense the director’s love and knowledge of the franchise. Mendes and writers John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade fill Skyfall with clever winks with classic lines, moments and icons of the series. You can enjoy the film as a 007 virgin but if you’re an obsessive like me you will absolutely delight in all the references to the Bond legacy. Mendes celebrates the past while creating a modern thriller that moves Bond into the future.
I can’t help but think but compare Daniel’s first and latest Bond films to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. Casino Royale was Bond Begins. Mendes has given us James Bond Rises in Skyfall. But this is not the end. James Bond will return.
A huge congratulations to the cast and crew of Skyfall. Ian Fleming, Albert Broccoli, Bernard Lee, Desmond LLewelyn and Lois Maxwell are raising their martinis to you.
“Launches are tough as there’s a lot of ground to cover to get things rolling,” Bachalo said. “Characters are re-imagined, writing styles adjusted to, locations established. It’s a tough learning curve that typically takes a few issues to figure out and grow comfortable with. We’re still very early into the creative part so hard for me to comment on exactly what to expect. The daring part is that the tone of the book — feels like, its early — will be a little darker. Characters powers have been ‘adjusted’ as a result of the Phoenix Five fallout and I was asked to redesign costumes for the entire cast. Everyone. Plus, as of today, there are two “new” mutants. It’s a big jump that I’m sure will turn a few off but, we’re betting on, that most will welcome and enjoy. One thing that you can count on is that Brian will always give you something worth reading. He never fails to be interesting. Launch is two issues in February.”
The preview art showing Cyke’s new costume does match the one on earlier the Marvel Now! teaser art by Joe Quesada. The shot shows a new helmet on Magneto and the lovely Miss Emma Frost.
I have loved Chris Bachalo’s work since his co-creation of Generation X and Age of Apocalypse. Bachalo has rejoined the X-Men family so many times but each time he brings exciting new takes to Marvel’s mutants. Bachalo is near the top of my wish list of “I MUST MEET” at a con!
I am THRILLED to share this news! Two of Marvel’s Finest, Fiercest Females will star in a brand new Marvel Now series! Comics Newsarama reports that Fearless Defenders will star Valkyrie and Misty Knight in a follow-up to Fear Itself: The Fearless.
I have been sharing my hope that Valkyrie of The Fearlessand The Defenderswould live on in the Marvel Now. Now I guess we’ll see if they are two great concepts that taste great together?
Cullen Bunn (Venom, Wolverine) will write the new series with Will Sliney on art. Bunn scripted the excellent Fear Itself: The Fearless 12-part series that I may have posted over and over that I LOVE. I think Misty Knight kicks ass but I absolutely love Valkyrie so you can imagine my excitement!
Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel
According to the CN story – Dani Moonstar of the recently endedNew Mutantshas found a home in the Marvel Now – YES! Dani was once a Valkyrie and recently made a deal with Hela during the SIEGE saga. More female characters will joining the team too.
“The basic idea of the book is that Valkyrie is choosing a new team of Valkyrior, and she’s been asked to choose all these women from the heroes of Midgard, instead of from Asgard. She has completely failed in this task. [Laughs.] Valkyrie has been unable to choose anyone that she feels is worthy to be one of the hosts of the shield maidens. So she just hasn’t done it. She’s dropped the ball,” Bunn tells CN.
“Because she’s not done what she said she would do, nature — or supernature, as it is — abhors a vacuum. The absence of the Valkyrior has opened the door to something terrible. Something awful is waking, and Valkyrie finds that it’s really her fault that she’s put everything at risk.”
Fear Itself The Fearless #2 courtesy Marvel
Bunn had heroes and villains after Valkyrie in the earlier limited series but he’s plotting new enemies for her and Misty in the new series.
“Yeah, in the first issue I’m introducing a couple of new villains. One of them is, in my mind, the nastiest villain to ever come into the Marvel Universe. She is absolutely ghastly. At her very core, she is a horrible, horrible person, and she is capable of some really deplorable things that we’ll be seeing.
We’re creating a new team, and I felt like it would be important to create this mastermind-type character who’s coming in to be the main antagonist for the foreseeable future for the team. She’s not the only villain you’re going to see, and you’ll some other Marvel Universe villains, but she is new, and I wanted people to believe she is a challenge for Valkyrie. Look at Valkyrie — she’s a very powerful character. This woman is definitely going to be a challenge for Valkyrie, and she’s going to be that challenge without having any powers whatsoever.”
Fearless Defenders arrives in February 2013. I’m loving the Mighty Mark Brooks cover art up top!
In 2013 Robert Downey Jr. will encounter a brilliant scientist named Maya Hansen and Extremis – nano-technology that falls into the wrong hands. If you can’t wait for Iron Man 3 then lock and load with this week’s Iron Man #1. Kieron Gillen and Greg Land reload Tony Stark for the Marvel Now with a brand new series.
A ghost from the past alerts the Armored Avenger to a deadly new threat to the future of the world. Tony infiltrates an auction packed with AIM operatives and high rollers to recover the Extemis technology. Gillen and Land treat us to Tony’s brand new suit of armor as Iron Man fights to get the truth only to learn the danger from Extremis has ecalated.
Iron Man #1 cover by Greg Land, courtesy Marvel
Iron Man is the first hero to debut his own solo series in the Marvel Now relaunch but this doesn’t feel dramatically different. Gillen knows how to deliver snappy dialogue. Gillen masterfully crafted sharp and severely funny dialogue for Emma Frost, Dr. Nemesis and Namor on his Uncanny X-Men run so he’s perfect to take on the snarky, arrogant genius (with a heroic heart) that is Tony Stark.
Iron Man is off to a solid start and I’m eager to see where Gillen takes Tony!
