Star Trek and Doctor Who Make It So!

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing

  It’s a stellar week to be a geek! Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Two sci-fi great franchises that will taste great together in a brand new 8 part comic book series.

  The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) makes it so with Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise when the their most feared enemies form an unholy alliance.  Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 beams into comic book shops this week courtesy IDW Publishing

  Fan-favorite villains the Borg and the Cybermen team up so Doctor Who, Amy Pond and Rory join forces with Jean-Luc Picard and crew to save humanity. Scot and David Tipton (Star Trek: Infestation) and Doctor Who writer Tony Lee collaborate to bring these two universes together.

  Are you excited? If you’re like me you might be already dreaming up sequels: The Master and renegade Klingons, Davros and the Gorn, The Silence and Sela the Romulan or how about the time traveling Devidians from the Time’s Arrow two-parter? I’d suggest The Weeping Angels but those stone cold aliens ain’t teaming up with anyone!

Brian Wood Takes Over Two X-Men Books

X-Men preview art by David Lopez courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive

  Brian Wood is taking over two X-Men titles in June. Wood kicked off 2012 with his Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha and Omega limited series. If that series is an indicator of what he has planned for X-Men and Ultimate Comics: X-Men then prepare your mind to be mutated.

  My big question for Wood when I met him at Emerald City Comicon was is his plan was to keep Storm as team of X-Men. He responded with a cool “yes, you kind of have to keep her.”

  Fans asked Wood plenty of questions on X-Position on Comic Book Resources, which featured new art from his two X series.

 When asked about Storm’s team’s mission:

“The mission statement is to really play up the fact they are a “security team” — really take that to an elevated level they aren’t really at now.  I made them mobile, global, and with a mission mandate that will see them doing less of what Victor was doing and more along the lines of something like “The Authority” or “Planetary” — investigating weird stuff that has a tendency to go epic and cause a lot of property damage.  And it involves a lot of gray area morality, Storm and the rest of them out in the field having to make decisions on the spot without the benefit of consulting with Scott first.  Well, perhaps it’s a blessing to not have to consult with Scott?”

Wood went to confirm Warpath is out, Pixie is in, and he’s created new bad guys.

Ultimate Comics: X-Men preview art by Paco Medina courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive

 Over to the Ultimate-verse:

  Personally, I love Kitty Pryde/The Shroud in Ultimate Comics X-Men and Wood promised the addition the Ultimate Jean Grey aka Karen Grant.

  “Absolutely, and in a major, major way.  But not for a while.  This trajectory I’ve put Kitty and her team on needs to play out a bit, and once we’re past the “Divided We Fall” event and are into the next phase of the story, Jean’ll be back.  And she’ll be coming back to a very different America and a very different Kitty Pryde.”

For the entire Q & A plus more images here’s the link.

By Editor

Sasquatch Music Festival

Sasquatch Music Festival 2012 courtesy KOMONEWS.COM photo by Joshua Lewis

 

  This is not exactly related to comic books or sci-fi but I wanted to share the amazing photos from the Sasquatch Music Festival in a spectacular venue called The Gorge.  Thousands of fans came to eastern Washington for a Memorial Day Weekend of modern rock featuring some of the biggest and up and coming acts in music.

  Yet even in the deep remote Gorge we see comic book, anime and video game influences among the rock and roll fans! Every music fan must experience a concert at The Gorge (I’ve seen Coldplay and Kings of Leon there.)

Sasquatch Music Festival 2012 courtesy KOMONEWS.COM, photo by Joshua Lewis

  Joshua Lewis (my frequent collaborator from KOMONews.com, Seattle Pulp – we survived Emerald City Comicon and The Hunger Games Tour Seattle together) and Kai Hayashi of KATUNews.com captured the rock and roll excitement.

Here’s the KOMONEWS.COM link to the gallery of day two and day three. Enjoy the rock and roll craziness.

By Editor

THOR 2 Major Villain

Tom Hiddleston as Loki & Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Thor courtesy Marvel

  Expect a heavy hitter to hammer down on Chris Hemsworth in THOR 2 but it will not be the big purple bad at the end of The Avengers. I won’t reveal the ending just in case you’re not among the billions that have seen Earth’s Mightiest Movie.

  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige tells Empire “But there will be a major new villain. A major, major new antagonist.”

  Who will it be? Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale)is (rumored, in talks, final negotiations – all depending on which site you read) up for a role in Thor 2. Here are my thoughts on which villain he might play.

By Editor

Top 5 Picks for 5/30/12

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing

America’s Got Powers #2 Super teens compete in the world’s biggest reality game show. A kid who thought he’d only be comic relief has the chance to be the ultimate hero. This is an action packed cautionary tale that skewers our obsession with youth, reality television and media manipulation.

Batman Annual #1 Forget Ar-NULD – this Mr. Freeze is not joke. The ice-cold criminal makes his New 52 debut. How it he connected to the of Court of Owls? Is Freeze an ally or a target for assassination.

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who Assimilation #1 Two of the biggest science fiction franchises together! The Captain Picard and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Doctor Who join forces when Borg and Cybermen form an unholy alliance threatening the galaxy.

Wolverine and the X-Men #11 Will the Red Hulk turn Iceman into crushed ice? Kid Gladiator takes on the Avengers! Which side will Logan’s students choose in the war between Avengers and X-Men? They better choose quick. Gladiator and the Shiar Death Commandos are headed for Earth.

X-Men Legacy #267 Rogue vs She-Hulk was just a warm up! When Avengers showed up at the Jean Grey School to put the students under house arrest it didn’t sit well with the X-Men. I love Rogue but can she defeat Iron Man?

Michael Fassbender On Inspirations for Prometheus Role

Michael Fassbender in Prometheus courtesy 20th Century Fox

  Michael Fassbender is creepy brilliant in the trailers for Prometheus. The actor is revealing the inspirations for this performance as “David” to GQ. He cites David Bowie, Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott suggested he watch The Servant with Dirk Bogarde.

Fassbender reveals his favorite Ridley Scott films including Blade Runner -wouldn’t he make an amazing new version of Roy Batty for a remake? Here’s a link to the video interview. If you haven’t seen Fassbender as David in the faux commercial for the android here it is:

  Prometheus is out June 8th

 Back to David Bowie…I wonder which of Bowie’s ‘alien’ characters he refers to as his inspiration? Ziggy Stardust? I’m sure it’s Nicholas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell To Earth. This was Bowie’s first film role as an alien who comes to earth to bring back water to his drought stricked planet. The alien creates many inventions and forms a huge financial empire before…well I don’t want to give it away.

By Editor

X-Men Gay Wedding Story Hits News Talk Radio

 

Astonishing X-Men #51

  Northstar’s upcoming wedding to his boyfriend Kyle has generated praise, controversy and protests. Marvel’s decision to have openly gay X-Man get married has made mainsteam media. Ken Schram of KOMO NewsRadio reached out to Howard Boyd, manager of Zanadu Comics (my Seattle comic shop!) to get his insight on the gay Marvel wedding and which DC Comics hero will be coming out.

X-Men Interview

Schram is hilarious and it’s kind of fun to hear him try to comprehend the idea of the multiverse!

By Editor

 

Batman Incorporated – Back in Business and Business is Awesome

Batman Incorporated #1 by Chris Burnham courtesy DC Comics

  Batman Incorporated #1 Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham’s imagination scares the hell out of me. I think this issue could make me become a vegetarian. I had to get that out of my system first.

  Bruce Wayne is under arrest at a funeral. Then we go back one month on a twisted bloody journey to see how Bruce got to this point. Along the way we meet Goatboy, Bat Cow, Mutants and horrific agents of Leviathan.

Morrison makes this issue move fast, feel packed with story, punch with wit and shocking moments. Burnham’s art is dynamic and innovative feeling. What Burnham delivers in facial expressions from Damian’s frustration to an amateur killer’s fear makes you feel, laugh and fear for them.

This is a MUST read. I may have to go to Morrisoncon just to bow to Morrison and Burnham for creating this book. Although I don’t think I could eat steak or burgers at all during that weekend. I’m afraid it would be Bat Cow.

By Editor