Black Panther Returns in Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four #606 courtesy Marvel.com

  I love the Black Panther! I want Idris Elba to play T’Challa on the big screen. The Panther’s solo series (actually he had taken over for Daredevil) is over but the African monarch will appear in the famous book in which he was born. Black Panther debuted in Fantastic Four #52. Since then T’Challa has been an Avenger, a member of the FF, become King of Wakanda, married Storm of the X-Men, lost his throne and now returns to Fantastic Four #606 on May 23rd.

Jonathan Hickman tells Marvel.com about the reunion.

“In the recent past the Panther’s lost his throne and the country has seemingly lost its priceless resource [of Vibranium],” notes writer Jonathan Hickman. “Which is one of the reasons Reed Richards thinks he’s there [in Wakanda].
“Reed and the rest of the FF will get the appropriate reception that a life-long friend, intellectual peer and habitual heroes would receive.”

Mike Choi – one of my favorite artists – provided this regal cover.

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

By Editor

Batman “Night of the Owls” is Here!

 

Batman #8 courtesy DC Comics

  Attack on Wayne Manor. Night of the Owls begins in Batman #8. First one, then another, then waves of relentless Talons invade Bruce Wayne’s refuge. Like a creepy hybrid of Aliens and (fast) Zombies from the Dawn of the Dead remake, the assassins keep attacking.

  Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo create a tension filled masterpiece with this issue as those owl eyes appear and Bruce must fight his way through a relentless series of attacks by the ruthless killers Alfred’s brief moment of glory against the invaders is short-lived as he discovers the horrible truth of what’s in store for Gotham City.

 

NIghtwing #8 courtesy DC Comics

  Nightwing #8 picks up the action as more Talons target Gotham City and Batman’s allies try to stop assassinations. Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows take the ball (or maybe the blade would be a better choice for this story) and run with two stories. One in Gotham’s past and one in the present as Dick Grayson endures brutal, bloody showdown with a Talon tied to Dick’s haunted family history.

 Night of the Owls is off to a thrilling start. This crossover may be the cure of event fagitue!

 By Editor

New “Prometheus” Viral Video with Michael Fassbender’s Android

Michael Fassbender in Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox

A truly chilling performance by Michael Fassbender as the android David in a new faux commercial from Weyland Industries, the sinister company in Prometheus and the Alien films. Take a look – even if you think you’ve seen this, keep watching – especially the Rorschach looking symbols peppered in the spot.

 

Thanks to Digital Spy. Prometheus opens June 8. As I watch this I can’t help but think of Ian Holm telling the crew of the Nostromo the company’s orders in Alien.

 As I watch this – I can’t help but also think of how perfect Michael Fassbender would be at the Vision in The Avengers.

Ridley Scott on Prometheus Cut and Rating

 

image courtesy 20th Century Fox

  No rating yet but Director Ridley Scott says he shot Prometheus with an R rating in mind. At a Paris press conference the director says the film that ends up in theaters will be his cut.

“The cut that you’re gonna see in cinemas…it’s always the director’s cut, really… In this instance, you got a pretty good version here, pretty good cut. We’re running at about — I think without the end titles, which normally run about four to five minutes — we’re running one hour, fifty-nine minutes and change. It’s very tight, it’s what it should be” he told the media.

Thanks to Dark Horizons for the story.

Chris Evans on Captain America’s Role & Suit in “The Avengers”

Chris Evans as Captain America in Marvel's The Avengers courtesy Marvel Films

  Captain America: The First Avenger left off with World War II era super soldier waking up in modern-day New York. Marvel’s The Avengers picks up Steve’s story as a man out of time. Chris Evans reprises his role as the wholesome hero who lives by a moral code.

  “Cap is struggling to find his footing in a modern-day,” Evans tells Marvel.com. “He’s a fish out of water [and] kind of stuck in his old mentality and his old ways. The jet and all the technology of S.H.I.E.L.D. and [Iron Man’s] suit–that does blow his mind, but the thing that he’s really at odds with is…the changes in society. Morals and values, and the way people interact.” With the modern age comes a new suit for the Star Spangled Avenger. Evans appears to be happy with the SHIELD made version of his iconic uniform.

  “The last [suit] was…very difficult to move in,” he confesses. “This one actually looks much more like the comic book. A little toastier, but it all looks great. Doing ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ was strange because you look around and you’re the only super hero walking around. [Then] the first day on this set, Hemsworth’s in his cape and Downey’s got the armor. Just on a personal career level, the stuff I’ve been able to do in this movie…has been the most geeked out I’ve ever felt on a movie set.”

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

Marvel’s The Avengers opens May 4th and the Captain America sequel is slated for April 4, 2014.

All 5 Star Trek TV Captains Together

  Starfleet HQ calls San Francisco home but London will become the center of the Trek universe this Fall! All 5 Star Trek television Captains will appear on stage together for the first time at the official convention Destination Star Trek London.

  William Shatner, Sir Patrick Stewart, Avery Books, Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula will unite on stage for the event October 19th-21st at the Excel Exhibition Center, London.

  Beam me to London!

  I was lucky to meet and have a photo op with the amazing Kate Mulgrew in Seattle. The former Captain Kathryn Janeway was in the Emerald City performing her one woman play, Tea at Five in which she played Katherine Hepburn.

By Editor

 

Thanks to TrekMovie.com for the story.

Wolverine’s Choice in AvX

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #10 courtesy Marvel

  Many of our favorite X-Men and Avengers stories are going into tie-in mode for AvX. At Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men panel at C2E2 Jason Aaron talked about the arc in Wolverine & The X-Men” saying he’s focusing on “Logan’s long, dark night of the soul” where he battles with himself over what side to choose.

“Logan makes his choice, but just because he goes that way, it doesn’t mean that everyone else at his school will make the same choice.”

Aaron notes that Iceman and Rogue will play a major role as well. The book will also feature Gladiator who will cross with his son Kid Gladiator in issue #13.

 I love Kid Gladiator and his bodyguard Warbird (she’s appearing in Marjorie Liu’s Astonishing X-Men arc.) I’ve always been a huge fan of Gladiator and didn’t know his new Shiar status.

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

Hawkeye Series by Fraction & Aja

Hawkeye #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  Matt Fraction reunites with David Aja for a brand new Hawkeye series debuting this August. The duo (along with Ed Brubaker) last worked together on The Immortal Iron Fist. The announcement was made at C2E2 in Chicago.

  Aja told Marvel.com his lifelonglove for the Avenging Archer is what led to the reunion.

 “Hawkeye was one my favorite characters when a kid,” he recalls. “One of first Marvel comics I read was Avengers #25, and I [fell] in love with [the] guy; he acted as real person, was a complete jerk, so I suppose I identified with him.”

 For Fraction Hawkeye represents a challenge after taking on the X-Men, Iron Man, and Thor.

 “Never had the chance to write a character like him, or to do a book like this before,” the writer reveals. “And I wanted to chronicle him in an ongoing series because it’d keep me from getting bored. Repetition bores me to death. I had this idea for how to do a book that wasn’t like anything else we’d seen him in before, wasn’t like anything I’d done before, and couldn’t stop thinking about.”

Hawkeye #2 courtesy Marvel.com

 Fraction went on the describe this series as Clint’s life outside of team and what drives him after the events of AvX. I was excited that Kate Bishop (you could call her Lady Hawkeye of the Young Avengers) will be in the series.

  “She’s his junior partner, his apprentice,” says Fraction. “It’s a very Avengers relationship—meaning Steed and Peel—and she’s as adrift as he is. What the hell are these two doing with their lives? Turns out, helping people is what they have to do to get through the night. In costume, in life, doesn’t matter. Good guys don’t punch a time card at 5:00.”

For the more quotes from Fraction and Aja here’s the Marvel.com link.

Fraction is one of the luckiest writers at Marvel. Iron Man and Thor movies were released during Fraction’s early runs on the those series. I don’t remember his clever quote exactly (at an Emerald City Comicon panel) but I think it went something like “nice of Marvel to do a million dollar promo for my comic book.”

  Hawkeye awareness will be at at all time high with Marvel’s The Avengers out May 3rd and then Jeremy Renner (who plays Clint Barton) is on the big screen again in August for The Bourne Legacy. Good timing for a Hawkeye launch.

  Hawkeye is currently leader of Secret Avengers under Rick Remender but that book is changing direction to tie-in with AvX. I hope after the event Hawkeye and his covert team return to their secret missions and Remender can continue The Descendants plotline he started.

By Editor