Category: Books

Avengers vs. X-Men: Black Widow or Magik

 

AvX Vs #3 courtesy Marvel

  AvX: Vs. #3 gives you more of the battle you didn’t see in Avengers vs. X-Men. Two Russian femme fatales face off! Black Widow is Marvel’s deadliest super spy. Magik is a mutant sorceress who can access the power of a dimension of demons. Christopher Yost, Terry and Rachel Dodson give you more of the battle of the Russian born heroines.

  Let me say first that I loved Marvel’s The Avengers. I commend Joss Whedon for making the Black Widow work. Natasha is known for her Widow’s Bite. We kind of saw in the movie but it was never blatantly referenced. Black Widow is armed with bracelets that fire energy blasts – her bite. She kind of blasted one of the Chitauri in the big battle. In this AvX Vs. #3 preview art we see Natasha use her blasters.

AvX Vs #4 interior art courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive

  I was reminded of that my by friend and fan Mitch and when I saw this awesome interior preview art (courtesy of Comic Book Resources in a recent Axel-In-Charge column) of AvX Vs #3 by Terry Dodson. In this issue of the ‘all fights’ series the Russian superspy takes on the Russian mutant sorceress.

AvX Vs #4 interior art courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive

  Natasha vs Illyana doesn’t seem like a fair fight. Magik is the queen of a demon dimension. These preview pages don’t look good for Natasha but never underestimate the fighting and survival skills of the Widow.Ultimately I want the X-Men to win but I’m picking Natasha to win this one.

  This issue also features Magik’s big brother, Colossus, against Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four in a tale by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness.

By Editor

Top 5 Comic Book Picks for 6/13/12

Batman #10 courtesy DC Comics

Batman #10 The Court of Owls have manipulated Gotham City and Bruce Wayne. The sinister society’s assassins  have invaded the Batcave and threatened innocent lives. Batman takes the fight to them! DC promises that we’ll discover the mastermind behind the Court.

Avengers #27 Earth’s Mightiest Heroes betrayed by one of their own. Why this hero may have to kill his teammates to execute his own secret agenda. How the return of the Phoenix Force is tied to one of the most powerful alien empires in the Marvel Universe.

Deathstroke #10 Three words: Deathstroke, Liefeld, Lobo! Need more? Earth’s most ruthless mercenary/assassin written/drawn by Rob Liefeld out to hunt the most bad ass bounty hunter in the universe.

Uncanny X-Force #26 A clan of killers grown from one of Wolverine’s deadliest enemies. A brand new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Logan’s covert team has their hands full and Psylocke reunites with the ex-lover she killed.

Spider-Men by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com

Spider-Men #1 Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales meets Friendly Neighborhood Peter Parker. Two Spideys. One historic story.

By Editor

Arabic Green Lantern?

 

Green Lantern #0 courtesy DC Comics

  A new Green Lantern from the Middle East? DC Comics revealed the cover to Green Lantern #0 by Geoff Johns and Doug Manke scheduled for September. After seeing the writing on the hero’s arm on the cover I did some searching and I think this Comic Book Resources post does a good job wrapping up the potential for this character.

  What does this mean for Hal Jordan and Sinestro? For the one year anniversary of The New 52 DC is numbering all titles zero and will be stand-alone stories.

 This moves follows the reintroduction of Alan Scott as a gay man and Green Lantern of Earth 2 and continues DC’s commitment to add more diversity. Given this is a stand-alone story it may be a test to see if this character could receive his own title or be part of the Green Lantern Corps.

 I think this may be the first time a Muslim character has been introduced since Dust in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men era.

By Editor

 

New Team on Superman Zero

Superman #0 courtesy DC Comics

  DC Comics The New 52 marks the one year anniversary of the relaunch with a new creative team on the publisher’s most iconic hero. DC Comics revealed that Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort (Red Hood & The Outlaws) take over Superman with issue zero this September. Lobdell shared this excitement for his upcoming run.

 “Like every other writer in the world who has ever heard of SUPERMAN, I’ve spent a good part of my life wishing for the opportunity to write the ongoing adventures of the Man of Steel!

 “Grant Morrison has left me a lot of new bright and shiny new toys on the table through ACTION COMICS — and you better believe I’m going to take every one of the around the block for a ride! Thank you, Grant, for the this brave new world, and thank you DC for trusting me with the super hero who started it all.

 “I wrote a proposal for the series and I remember more than once thinking ‘No way they’ll let me do this — not in a million years!’ But then I’d look up at the Post-It® over my computer that says ‘Scott, Go Bold Or Go Home!’ and I just kept writing! For weeks after I turned it in I kept waiting for the phone call that said ‘Uh, yeah. Interesting. But never in a million years, Lobdell!’ Instead I got a text that said simply said  ‘Congratulations.’

 “So strap yourselves in, people, because we’re going up up upper and awayer than we’ve ever gone before!

 “Yes, I am acutely aware that I have some very big shoes to fill. From Jerry and Joe right on through George and Dan and Kieth and all the other writers and artists over the run of the series.  Not too nerve-wracking, right?!

“And, of course, I probably would not have made the leap to the world’s most recognizable hero if I didn’t do it with Kenneth Rocafort at my side.  Anyone who has been following his artwork on RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS knows he has an imagination unlike many others!  He can handle the heavy lifting that comes with world building on one page, and pull a tear out of you through an intense emotional moment on the next.”

 After seeing how Rocafort portrayed Starfire I look forward to seeing how he draws Lois Lane!

By Editor

 

Spider-Man Movie Crossovers with Venom and The Avengers?

Spider-Man courtesy theamazingspiderman.com

While talking up The Amazing Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach called their upcoming Venom film a “cousin to Spider-Man” according to CraveOnline.

“As you know, Venom is defender of the innocent,” Arad said. “The only guy he really, really hates is Peter Parker, Spider-Man. The reason you didn’t see more development on Venom in the comics is because this power that he was given, he knew who Peter was, he knew who Spider-Man was, so go kill him already. We always struggle with storylines and you see the new Venom books. It’s Flash in Iraq. We know that if we put him in a certain position and concentrate on the human, not on the creature, which I thought was a really good beginning in 3.”

Venom courtesy Marvel.com

 Topher Grace played Eddie Brock/Venom in the Spider-Man 3. In the comic books former high school bully Flash Thompson is now Venom and part of Secret Avengers.

 Sony controls cinematic Spidey. Disney controls cinematic Avengers and owns Marvel Comics. Spider-Man has become a popular member of the comic book Avengers. Could the studios work it out so the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?

“Everything is possible,” Arad said. “If something like that happens, it’s great for Disney, it’s great for Sony. If the right story comes in, we are now working on Venom first. It’s our first out. So our thinking is in the right direction. Avengers to me was an expected success so I never looked at it because Avengers was successful.”

By Editor

“Prometheus” End Credits Viral Video

Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox

  My mind is still torn and reeling from Prometheus. Several viral videos heralded Ridley Scott’s return to sci fi and helped set up the prologue for the events of the film. There’s a new viral video. The film’s end credits reveal a website with a new video starring Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland.

 

  Thus Spoke Zarathrusta: A Book for All and None is a novel of philosophy by Friedrich Nietzche. This appears to be Weyland to come on stage for his TED 2023 talk.

  Planet Zarathrusta, anyone?

Thanks to Dark Horizons.

Congrats Liam Hemsworth

Photo by Josh Lewis, Seattle Pulp

  A big congratulations to Liam Hemsworth on getting engaged to Miley Cyrus. If you’re a Hunger Games fan you’re excited to see more of him as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

  In honor of his engagement here’s a flashback to my brief interview with him at The Hunger Games Tour Seattle in which we talked about working with Woody Harrelson:

 

Congrats. Shouldn’t this guy play Green Arrow if the ever make a Justice League movie?

By Editor