Hugh Jackman, Director James Mangold and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the start of production on The Wolverine in Jackman’s homeland. The upcoming film is based on Logan’s adventure in Japan but it means $12.6 million to Australia’s film industry. Jackman reflects on his role as the fan favorite X-Man.
“I have been working for 12 years on the Wolverine character and while the franchise will go well beyond me, it really has been the backbone of my career,” he said, adding that he will hand in his Wolverine claws “when I stop loving it,” Jackman tells The Hollywood Reporter.
“This one has certainly been the most interesting and complex of the Superhero characters. I do take my career one (step) at a time and I feel like a golfer always looking for that hole in one.’
The Wolverine is based on the story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller and hits theaters July 26, 2013. Logan will face the Silver Samurai, the Viper and the Yakuza crime family and fall for the love of his life, Lady Mariko.
So many good comics this week I’m compelled to double down and make a top 10 week!
Batman Incorporated #3 courtesy DC Comics
Amazing Spider-Man #690 Love the new movie then grab this summer’s thriller in the comic shops. More than one Lizard is on the loose while Spidey tries to save the city from the mad Morbius. Reptiles, a vampire plus Madame Web, the Kingpin and Hobgoblin weave into the storyline as Marvel counts down to the miles 700th issue of Spidey!
Batman Inc #3 The Dark Knight is on the trail of the assassin after his son plus the New 52 return of Matches Malone! Never heard of this Gotham City mobster? He may be the key to solving the case. UPDATE: This book has been postponed due to the events in Colorado.
Manhattan Projects #5 This brilliant alternate history book challenges graphic storytelling and will challenge your mind. The mad scientists behind the think government tank look at the new future they created. Are we a better or worse word because of their breakthroughs?
Secret Avengers #29 courtesy Marvel.com
Secret Avengers #29 Hawkeye’s covert team may be blowing up and falling apart! A traitor, bitter rivalry and hidden romance threaten the squad. Hawkeye better get it together because the new Masters of Evil and an army of evil androids are ready to wipe them out!
Star Wars: Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead #4 The mastermind behind Fett’s murder unleashes mercenaries to wipe out Boba’s child, ex-wife and family. But you can’t keep the galaxy’s most badass bounty hunter down. Revenge is going to be a blast in!
Star Wars: Darth Maul: Death Sentence #1 The red menace is back from dead with a new partner in crime. The horned Sith has a price on his head and he better hope the Jedi find him before the “others” hunting him do!
True Blood #3 Eric and Sookie on the trail of…Godric? An ancient vampire with chilling ties to Eric’s maker is deadly in Dallas. If the HBO series leaves you hungry for more…take a bite of this series!
Winter Soldier #8 Bucky vs. Black Widow! Have Marvel’s hottest couple turned against each other? Sexy, gritty, spy games heat up with old enemies coming out of cold targeting the Winter Soldier.
X-Treme X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel.com
Wolverine and the X-Men #14 Kitty Pryde on a date with Colossus? Are my favorite X-couple finally back together? Mutant romance goes cosmic as the Phoenix fueled Colossus woos Kitty. Plus the aftermath of last issue’s fateful clash between Gladiator and the Phoenix Five – what will this mean for the Shi’ar heir and Warbird?
X-Treme X-Men #1Captain (Wolverine with a stache!) Howlett, Kid Nightcrawler, Emmeline Frost and Dazzler? Greg Pak sends a mutated team of teams across the multiverse but will everyone come back from the mission?
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS OPINION POST
SERIOUSLY
OK
HERE IT COMES
ONE LAST CHANCE
AND MY GEEK THEORY BEGINS…
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was just one of the outstanding performances in The Dark Knight Rises cast. Christopher Nolan left us with an intriguing possibility for the future of Batman…perhaps a Dark Knight Legacy.
Nightwing #1 courtesy DC Comics
Police officer John Blake aka Robin was a hybrid of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake. In the end John appears to be rising to become Gotham City’s new protector. I believe audiences will accept a new hero. Nightwing.
Yes, I’m saying don’t call it a new Batman. Call it Nightwing. It’s a creative risk that I think is worth taking.
Dick Grayson is one of the greatest superheroes ever created. Some argue Dick was a better Batman (Batman & Robin by Grant Morrison) than Bruce Wayne. Dick is the one sidekick that has been allowed to grow up, become his own man and developed his own identity and legend.
Maybe the real ending of Nolan’s final film left fans and Warner Brothers with a new beginning for a talented young actor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and an incredible character (Robin) who can take the Dark Knight legacy forward.
Nightwing #104 courtesy DC Comics
If you’re interested in reading some excellent adventures of Dick Grayson here are some Amazon links to story collections: Nightwing Volume One: Traps and Trapezes collects the current New 52 stories by Kyle Higgins. Nightwing: A Knight in Bludhaven by the legendary Chuck Dixon chronicles Dick’s role as the sole superhero of corrupt the corrupt town. Nightwing: Year One follows how Dick went from being fired as Robin to his new identity by Dixon and Scott Beatty. Batman and Robin: Volume One by Grant Morrison was the series I mentioned earlier when Dick and Bruce’s son Damian were the new Batman and Robin. You just can beat Nightwing leading the Teen Titans by the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
I’m trying to keep this post spoiler free so if seems vague I’m trying to not give away the ending of The Dark Knight Rises or The Court of Owls.
How do you top Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale? I humbly suggest Warner Brothers wait at least 7 or more years and give Mr. Nolan the Court of Owls epic by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for inspiration.
As I read each chapter of this dark epic I often thought how Nolan would translate the conspiracies and mind games of Snyder’s storylines and Capullo’s Owl designs to the big screen.
While the other New 52 Bat books focused on classic rogues Snyder created a dark new enemy and history for Bruce Wayne and Gotham City. The Court of Owls is a secret society that had been manipulating Gotham City for decades. The Owls have a ruthless assassin known as the Talon. The secret society has their talons gripped into the Wayne family and Gotham City history.
Batman #8 courtesy DC Comics
The storyline included Night of the Owls crossover. The Court unleashed an army of Talons on Gotham all at once with specific targets. While Bruce was under siege in the Batcave he called on his Batman family to prevent the Court’s deadly agenda. Only Bruce could ultimately uncover and face the mastermind behind the Court. A revelation that rocked the Wayne family legacy and Bruce’s memory of his parents.
In The Dark Knight Trilogy Bruce learned you must become a symbol and anyone could be Batman. In this potential film Bruce returns to see the young heroes inspired by him and he must confront a symbol of evil and the Bat’s natural enemy – the Owl.
Superman fans may be surprised what was chosen fo the Man of Steel teaser. The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel producer Charles Roven tells Absolute Radio how the Dark Knight Trilogy team is involved.
“Chris [Nolan] came up with the story with David Goyer, so a lot of the same team is in place,” said Roven. “I’m really excited about the picture. There’s an announcement piece that’s on the current ‘Dark Knight Rises’ when it comes out and I think people will be a little bit surprised to what we decided to do with it, but also recognize we’re doing something completely different and creating a Superman that has never been seen before.”
Bond girls comes and go but the Aston Martin always comes back. The classic car born in Goldfinger is back in Skyfall. Director Sam Mendes and Producer Michael G. Wilson reflect on the Aston Martin of past and future in a new videoblog from 007.com.
Mendes says the car is a “thematic” choice and “there’s something about the later part of the movie which is deliberately…very consciously…could have taken place in 1962.”
James Bond and the Aston Martin DB5 return in Skyfall this November!
Chris Hemsworth may wish he had a magic hammer to defeat the enemies in this next film! Steven Spielberg wants the star of Thor and Marvel’s Avengers to play the lead in Robopocalypse according to Deadline.
The script by Drew Goddard is based on the book by Daniel H. Wilson is about humanity’s struggle to survive an apocalyptic uprising by robots and anything with a computer (even the cars turn against us!)
Hemsworth would play Cormac Wallace, the narrator of the story and leader of a battalion of human survivors fighting against Archos, the orchestrator of the robot uprising.
Opinion: I’m reading this book now and it’s like World War Z but with robots. I LOVE this book and think Hemsworth would be perfect as “Bright Boy.” Here’s an Amazon link for the book.
The Thunder God’s next film is now called Thor: The Dark World. Madds Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Clash of the Titans) dropped out due to his commitment to play Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal. A new report reveals the villain he would have played. That means it’s time for….
SPOILER WARNING
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE POSSIBLE VILLAINS STOP READING
SERIOUSLY
HERE IT COMES
An interview on I Review Too with stuntman James Grogan reveals the enemies facing Thor and his fellow Asgardians..
Grogan says “I had a load of stunt guys in and the director came in and he said ‘Look, we want you all to be elves,’ and I was like ‘What the hell is an elf anyway?’ and he said ‘I want you all to walk around like these supernatural animals,’ honestly it was the most ridiculous thing ever but you just have to not be self aware and get on with it.”
Back to comic book lore – those elves could be the Dark Elves of Svartlalfheim. Malekith the Accursed is the leader. This was my guess when it was first announced that Mikkelsen was cast. I’m still hoping Amora the Enchantress will bewitch Thor in the sequel!
