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.
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.
Lovers Cyclops and Emma Frost go to war in a new preview of the Avengers vs. X-Men #11 cover by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com.
SPOILER
WARNING
DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T READY AVX #5!
In the finale of AvX Act One in Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik became hosts of the Phoenix Force instead of Hope Summers due to Iron Man’s actions in Avengers vs. X-Men #5.
Captain America takes a cosmic hit on this cover too but what would drive Scott and Emma to attack each other?
I had suspected that an X-Woman might be sacrificed in this storyline. Will Emma revert to her villainous ways? Don’t forget this image of Emma! Has the Phoenix Force inflamed the slow burning attraction between Emma and Namor? Will Emma think that Scott is wrong and must stop him to save the mutant race? I still suspect the sliver of the Void (once trapped in Emma and now buried in Cyclops’ mind) may be a factor in Scott’s zealous actions.
Prometheus still of Noomi Rapace courtesy 20th Century Fox
Director Ridley Scott’s return to the science fiction genre is finally in theaters. While on a sneak preview of the new Icons of Science Fiction exhibit at EMP Museum in Seattle I had to ask the curator his thoughts on Prometheus. As excited as I am for the new movie, what does a guy responsible for creating a science fiction exhibition feel about a return to the world of Alien?
“We were talking about Ridley Scott. He’s more than a storyteller. He’s also a designer. He’s such a visual storyteller. So much of the power of Blade Runner is that world and those vehicles. He did designs or he brought really talented people to do amazing designs. The stories are rock solid too. But the films are so visual and I think it’s a rare combination he does really well so there’s got to be another Ridley Scott sometime? I don’t know of any right now or on the horizon. So I think it’s just incredibly fortunate that he’s still working. he’s been working for decades and he’s still creates incredibly good product…I haven’t seen Prometheus yet! Who knows?
I interject: “What are you expectations?”
“I think it will be beautiful certainly. Prequels make me nervous because you kind of know what’s ultimately going to happen. So you lose some suspense but I’m sure within the film he’ll create all kinds of suspense.
Sometimes…the thing about prequels is 20 years later the special effects technology blows aways what we saw before but also blows away some of the charm. Some of that they had to do more with less they had to be more creative with special effects Now it’s like throw a computer at it. Sometimes… again I don’t know in Prometheus some things we’ve seen it could be like well not quite as charming…but I’ll be there. I’ll be there.”
No head? No problem! The meanest mutant of all is back! Jeph Loeb, Simone Bianchi and Editor Jeanine Schafer are the team behind Sabretooth Returns kicking off in Wolverine #310. The Loeb & Bianchi pick up where they left off in Evolution when Logan beheaded Victor Creed. The trio answered questions on today’s Marvel.com Next Big Thing event.
“We always said Wolverine: Evolution was only half the story. We thought it be great if Sabretooth would be off the table for a while, though none of us thought it would be for five years. Axel Alonso and Jeanine Schaefer really stood on the wall and kept him out until we were ready to come back,” Loeb revealed.
Wolverine #310 courtesy Marvel
“This isn’t a story where we pick the needle up off the record and then drop it back down on the same song. Between Evolution and now, some really talented people have worked on Wolverine. In particular, Daniel Way advanced a lot of the story lines we put together and we wanted to acknowledge what had happened. A lot of this revolves around Romulus, and when we last saw him, he had been sent to the Darkforce Dimension by Cloak. When our story opens, something has happened to bring Cloak to the top of the Empire State Building. Romulus, Sabretooth, Cloak and Dagger are all tied together,” Loeb said.
Wolverine #310 courtesy Marvel
Evolution was the first arc but as Loeb revealed it’s a major theme of his upcoming arc.
“This story is very much about the nature of being a villain. No villain wakes up in the morning and sees himself that way. They have a point of view and it happens to be the antithesis of the hero. How do you embrace that side of Sabretooth? He has an opportunity, being reborn. What has his death taught him?”
Wolverine #312 courtesy Marvel
“There is a brand new character who I hope will join Wolverine’s rich cast of characters. I’m excited to add to that. One of the things I like about working with Simone is his extraordinary ability to design looks that will stand the test of time.”
Creed recently turned up as a “mentor” to Kade Kilgore of the new Hellfire Club in Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men.
“I love Wolverine & The X-Men and what Jason Aaron is doing, but there are times when you want Wolverine to feel more like a singular character. This really is more of a story of Wolverine, Sabretooth, the nature of their relationship and the lies they’ve been told through the years,” Loeb said about guest stars from the Jean Grey School.
“Romulus said some stuff in Evolution that was really bold and outrageous. He’s the villain. If you saw Empire Strikes Back in the theaters, you didn’t automatically believe that Darth Vader was telling the truth about being Luke’s father.”
“I can only tell you that the way Sabretooth returns is through a way that was planted in the first story and comes from a well-known place to do with one of our characters,” Loeb revealed about the new character.
For more quotes and variant covers here’s the Marvel.com link. The 4-part arc kicks off July 4, 2012.
Enterprise command chair used on Star Trek, 1966-1969 Photo: Erik Skaar
As I descended down into a new exhibition underneath Seattle’s EMP Museum I was giddy with geek anticipation. Icons of Science Fiction features some of the most inspiring artifacts of the sci-fi genre. I felt like Neo. I was a “Chosen One” receiving a sneak peek and chance to meld with the mind who created this new exhibition.
You pass the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. I had to find the glass bearing the photo and name of Ray Bradbury to pay homage. Then prepare to be transported. The curator has designed an entry way that reminds you of an iconic experience in a sci-fi adventure. If you’re a Star Wars fans it would be going to light speed…if the hyper-drive is fixed! If you’re a Star Trek fan you’re going to warp. For the 2001: A Space Odyssey fans it’s going on a trip into void with Dave!
Icons of Science Fiction at EMP Museum, photo by ComicsBlend.com
Fans can marvel at artifacts that have never been shown publicly like Lt. Uhura’s uniform from Star Trek, Yoda’s walking cane from Star Wars, the Kryptonian spaceship from Superman starring Christopher Reeve. You can even see the Captain’s chair James T. Kirk sat in while commanding the Enterprise!
What If? This eternal question drives the exploration of ideas behind the genre’s greatest creations. Curator Brooks Peck explains why he built the exhibition based on questions as opposed to by chronological order or sub categories.
“One of the things science fiction does is ask these crazy strange questions. Any science fiction story can be framed as a question. Star Trek is framed as what if we could explore space and the stars. What would happen? What stories would come out of that? Or Men In Black – what if aliens came to this planet? Or Terminator – what if robots took over the world? So the exhibition asks six of these big questions and presents lots of stories, films, tv shows, novels, comics that answers those in different ways. So if you’re not like a hard-core science fiction person…you see the questions and it gets your thinking. Questions like what if we could design our children? It gets you thinking about it and I hope makes it accessible to everybody – science fiction fans and non fans alike.
Neo's coat worn by Keanu Reeves from The Matrix Reloaded, 2003 Photo: Brady Harvey
What If You Were the Chosen One? This section highlights the idea of the savior who inspires change. Paul Muad’Dib was the prophesied messiah of Frank Herbert’s Dune series. You can see the jacket worn by Neo (Keanu Reeves) of The Matrix. I was fascinated and little freaked to see the Anakin Skywalker lifecast from Star Wars: Return of The Jedi. It takes you back to that moment when Luke lifts the Vader mask so Anakin can look on his son with his own eyes. You can see a costume Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) wore on a key Battlestar Galactica episode that reinforced her role as a messiah for the human race.
Krypton spaceship filming miniature used in Superman: The Movie, 1978 Photo: Erik Skaar
What If I Had Superpowers? This section features Alan Moore’s classic Watchmen, Christopher Reeve’s costume from Superman IV and the miniature starship from his first Superman film that carried the young alien from Krypton to Smallville.
Curator Brooks Peck with a weapon from "Men in Black" at Icons of Science Fiction at EMP Museum, photo by ComicsBlend.com
What If We Fought A War With Aliens? From Will Smith’s impossibly huge gun in Men in Black, to the warrior headgear from the original Stargate film to the saucer from Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space – this section is filled with weapons and gear to make you feel “absolute bad asses” like the Colonial Marines in Aliens. In fact you can see the helmet worn by Michael Biehn in the James Cameron sequel!
T-800 skull used in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 1991 Photo: Brady Harvey
What If We Were Enslaved By Our Machines? Who can forget the Terminator skull once the Ar-NULD visage from burned off? A robot skull from T2: Judgement Day is part of this section. What might be THE artifact of the exhibition is the centerpiece of this section: a Dalek from Doctor Who.
“I think the Dalek is fantastic because…it’s a Dalek, right? And since Doctor Who is created in England it’s rare that objects make it make it over to the United States for us to see much less something this big and heavy and crazy like a Dalek. This Dalek in particular is special because it’s an Imperial Dalek which were the first Daleks we actually saw on camera climbing stairs and levitating,” declares Peck.
Imperial Dalek from the Doctor Who episode "Remembrance of the Daleks" in 1998 Photo: Erik Skaar
This rare artifact is from the Remembrance of the Daleks episode from 1988 and Peck adds they call it “the glam-rock Dalek.”
What If We Could Design Our Own Children? The teddy bear from the Steven Spielberg directed AI, Commander Data’s uniform Star Trek: The Next Generation, the work of local author Octavia Butler highlight this section that asks a question that may be answered in a future that’s closer that we may think.
Icons of Science Fiction at EMP Museum, photo by ComicsBlend.com
EMP Museum always deliver more than just inspiring visuals. This exhibition makes you a Ridley Scott, George Lucas or Steven Spielberg! The Create Your Own Special Effects Shot puts your friend on a green screen while you choose the fantasy backdrop and which iconic characters you want to interact with on-screen. You can fly like a superhero in the sky or run from Imperial Stormtroopers on an alien moon.
There is a space age looking control board that gives you an interactive exploration of sci-fi sources and influences on design and modern art. You can touch your way across the genres.
Brooks Peck and his team have collected from across genres and scored some amazing artifacts. I was curious to know what was the hardest artifact in the exhibit to procure?
“There was one on my wish list that I couldn’t secure so that would probably be the hardest. We have on display one of Darth Vader’s light sabres from Episodes Five and Six. We wanted to compliment that with an Anakin Skywalker light sabre from the prequel. They’re very rare to find out and about…but we found a collector in England who had one and we had a plan. One of our curators was going to England anyway and was going to bring it back. Turns out though it was a fighting sabre used to film a combat scenes so it had this long carbon fiber plate so we thought we’d just transport this little handle but actually it was this four-foot long thing that couldn’t come apart so we couldn’t bring it from England. So we wanted to show that. Maybe someday but not now.”
“Maybe someday” is what we often think after seeing a sci-fi film or reading a novel. The search the search for what’s possible, what’s in our future drives science fiction and fantasy fans. Like machine gaining sentience or an alien life form this exhibition is designed to evolve and grow. I am thrilled to be here for the birth of Icons of Science Fiction. Geek Tested…and approved for all.
Stay tuned for more posts: What does a Sci Fi Museum curator think of Prometheus, Doctor Who and why did certain comic books make the cut while others didn’t?
Marvel is teasing the next chapter of the AvX epic with new art and more from Avengers vs. X-Men #6! Avengers vs. X-Men #5 just hit comic shops so in case you haven’t read the finale of Act One….
WARNING
SPOILERS AHEAD
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ AVX #5 STOP READING THIS
SERIOUSLY
HERE IT COMES
OK – I DID WARN YOU!
Introducing the Phoenix Five: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik are the hosts of the Phoenix Force. According to Marvel.com the mission is “to remake the Marvel Universe in their image.”
Avengers vs X-Men #6 courtesy Marvel
Jonathan Hickman and Olivier Coipel give us Pax Utopia through the eyes of the Phoenix Five in Avengers vs. X-Men #6 out in two weeks.
So what does this mean? Here are some burning questions:
Did the Phoenix burn the Cyttorak power out of Colossus?
Does this No More Avengers mean this new world is similar to House of M?
Will the other X-Men side with (if they even exist anymore) Wolverine and the Avengers?
Avengers vs X-Men #6 courtesy Marvel
Given the Phoenix/Jean history with Emma Frost – will the White Queen survive?
What about the Generation Hope kids? Were the Five Lights destined to host the Phoenix or will these kids play a role?
There’s a good reason we saw Professor X and Legion? Time for Charles to get back in the game and possibly reclaim leadership of the mutant race.
Scarlet Witch has been on the sidelines – Will the mutant who can warp reality and command chaos magic take on the Phoenix Force?
Warning – you may not want to read this poist if you haven’t read Earth 2 #1 and #2. You may consider some of my points spoilers.
James Robinson and Nicola Scott destroy and give birth to a new world of heroes in Earth 2. This is part of DC Comics The New 52 Second Wave. I admit – I bought #2 because of the reintroduction of a gay Alan Scott/Green Lantern got my curiosity and now I’m hooked on the future of this parallel world.
The debut issue immediately dropped us on an Earth under siege. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman valiantly struggle against overwhelming odds from Apokolips. These battle scenes are a perfect example of why I believe Warner Brothers should make an epic film about DC’s Holy Trinity against Darkseid instead of full on Justice League movie.
Back to Earth 2 – A world without heroes is rebuilding. Alan Scott is a successful jet setting CEO and Jay Garrick is young guy who just got dumped by his girlfriend reevaluating his life when fate crashes into his pity party.
Earth 2 art courtesy DC Comics
The mainstream media is talking about the introduction of an openly gay Alan Scott in issue 2 this week. Robinson and Scott show us Alan and his boyfriend and their glamorous life but next issue promises to be where the relationship takes back burner and the action kicks in. Is Scott already the Green Lantern or has this happened yet?
You might be buying issue 2 for the curiosity about Scott but I really enjoyed seeing how Jay Garrick becomes this world’s Flash, test runs his new power to save lives, learns a threat scarier than Darkseid is heading for this world and becomes the prey for a character I’m really excited to see – Hawkgirl!
Mister Terrific blasts from his cancelled solo series into Earth 2 this issue and immediately encounters an enemy who is out to cancel Michael forever.
I’m really impressed with Nicola Scott’s art – especially the war ravaged Trinity and world against a legion of parademons in issue one. The revamped world and new soon to be heroes are clean and crisp and I particularly loved how Scott portrays Jay’s Flash effect and the new costume!
Earth 2 #2 courtesy DC Comics
This is a new origin for what I think will be this world’s Justice Society. I praise Robinson and DC Comics for including Alan Scott and the upcoming debut of another GLBT character. Come for the curiosity factor but you’ll stay for the great art and storytelling.
