James Bond shares the new poster for Skyfall with his two leading ladies (Severine, Eve) and the villain (Silva.) Daniel Craig, Berenice Marlohe, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris are featued in the poster for UK theatres. Each character will receive their own poster too. Bardem’s creepy blonde character has been in my head since seeing the trailer. He reminds me so much of Red Grant (played by the brilliant Robert Shaw) in From Russia, With Love. Who is Silva? I suspect he may be one of the deep cover MI6 agents exposed by M’s misteps as seen in the trailer. I have this idea in my head that perhaps Silva has gone blonde to model himself after Bond?
Captain America (under the guidance of writer Brian Michael Bendis) attempts to reconvene the Illuminati in order to stop the Phoenix Force in New Avengers #29. A secret group (Tony Stark, Namor, Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, Professor X and Black Bolt. Black Panther declined) went on covert missions. Bendis revealed the secret history of his this covert team had saved Earth in critical points of Marvel history. The group eventually disbanded.
Cap hopes this Illuminati reunion might lead to the end of Avengers vs. X-Men. What I love about this tie-in issue is how it goes right into the minds and weary hearts of the heroes caught up in this epic battle. Bendis really captures what I expected Professor Xavier to be feeling. This a father figure anguishing over what his children are doing and what he must do to stop them. Bendis creates great moments for Professor X and Reed Richards who questions Cap’s desire to stop the “good work” of the Phoenix Five.
The heart of the story is Cap and his relationship with Namor. Will the Phoenix possessed ally show up and poses a great moment: can a lifelong friendship hope to defeat the cosmic power of the entity?
Artist Mike Deodato paints a somber portraits of beleaguered heroes. His shadowy art is perfect for the covert proceedings and the dark places these characters must go.
This issue takes me back to the first story featuring the secret group of heroes. Here’s a link to New Avengers: The Illuminati if you’d like to check it out.
Update: Representatives for the actor/director have denied reports that Ben Affleck will direct the Justice League movie according to Deadline.
Original Story:
The man who played Marvel’s Daredevil may be directing DC’s Justice League movie. Ben Affleck has been approached by Warner Brothers to helm the big screen film starring DC’s biggest heroes according to Variety.
The writer/director/star of The Town and upcoming Argo is the only director who’s seen the script by Will Beall and is meeting the studio’s top brass this week according to the story.
Is this a smart move? Marvel tapped comedy actor/director Jon Favreau for the first Iron Man and the rest is pop culture history.
Ben Affleck is the lead in all the films he directed so would be play a member of the Justice League? Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash? The man has the build and face of a superhero. Affleck played George Reeves (the first actor to play Superman on television) in Hollywoodland.
Maxwell Lord in The Omac Project courtesy DC Comics
I’d love to see Afflect portray supervillain Maxwell Lord. I don’t know if he’s the foe in the script but that’s the character that jumped to my mind when I saw Affleck’s potential involvement.
Greg Rucka’s OMAC Project, a prelude to the Infinite Crisis event, is a gripping story that demonstrating why Max Lord is a perfect villain. This story dramatically changed the relationships between Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. This epic with just DC’s Big Three would make a powerhouse movie.
Who is Maxwell Lord? A human entrepreneur who created the Justice League that he ran like a company. Later Lord developed mind control abilities and joined the covert espionage agency Checkmate. All that time working as an ally of the JL Lord was gathering information (weaknesses) on the world’s heroes in a plot to wipe them off the planet. Imagine Superman under the control of a warped criminal mind? The Man of Steel actually was compelled to beat Batman to death until…well just read the Omac Project!
Supportive and sensitive ex-boyfriend. Teacher. Gambit?
James Asmus shows us that the Cajun mutant hasn’t been fully domesticated yet in a brand new series out this week. Remy LeBeau ditches the purple tights for a walk on the wrong side of the law in Gambit #1. It’s good to welcome the scoundrel back to his thieving ways.
Remy decides he needs a detour from life at the Jean Grey School and finds a way to steal from the rich and infamous. Our anti-hero suits up (like he’s styled by GQ) for a charity event and shows he still knows how to work a room and case a joint no matter how big and swanky it is. Gambit is the wolf in sheep’s clothing and Sitch is an arms dealer posing as a benevolent socialite. It’s great fun to see Remy charm and scheme his way into Sitch’s secret stash but the prize comes back to bite him…literally.
Writer James Asmus and artist Clay Mann takes us on thrilling ride. The story is cinematic with scenes worthy of a James Bond or Mission Impossible movie. Asmus gives us the old Gambit we’ve been missing and captures the spirit without overdoing the Cajun sayings. Remy may be from New Orleans but he’s a world-class thief and it’s a joy to see him back doing what he does best.
I kept thinking of how Remy looks like a buffer, built Matt Smith (the current Doctor Who.) I enjoyed Clay Mann’s art on X-Men Legacy and he’s evolved to more of a painted style. I like what Mann, (Seth) Mann and (Rachelle)Rosenberg are attempting to create in Gambit’s world away from the X-Men.
A new villain with nasty connections to the entire Marvel underworld, a mystery woman with tattoos (she reminds of girl who used to work at my local comic book shop) and Remy left in a painful cliffhanger make me want to come back for more. This first issue’s heist story may be familiar but it’s a great way to reintroduce the charming thief we love and hopefully thrust him into dangerous new territory and stories.
Becky Cloonan is the guest artist on this week’s Batman#12. This post-Court of Owls issue focuses on Harper Rowe, the girl who saved Batman in issue #7.
“If I could go back in time and tell myself ten years ago that I would be drawing Batman … well I don’t know if I would because I might mess up continuity, so here I am,” Cloonan told THE SOURCE. “I admit that I had some stage fright going in to this book, but Scott Snyder wrote an awesome script about a character that I could instantly identify with, and was on top of that, fun to draw. Harper is my kind of girl- I even had a similar haircut when I was 20, although I was admittedly not as cool.”
“Scott had me drawing her in such cool environments too, from living in her crappy slum apartment to working on The Grid – even stealing cupcakes at Wayne Manor (what did I tell you? She’s my kind of girl!). Every scene had me thinking of how Harper would react in each new environment.”
“A lot of time was spent thinking about her facial expressions and hand gestures, how she does her hair and what her posture is like, building on what Scott had told me about her and using Greg Capullo’s amazing designs to help inform my sense of who this character is. I had a great time drawing this book, and I can’t say how happy I am to have the opportunity to help bring Harper to life. Also, BATMAN!!”
Batman #0 is in September the Greg Capullo returns for Batman #13 – the return of the Joker.
If you’re a fan of Becky Cloonan then support and celebrate other creative women in comics – here’s a preview of GeekGirlCon.
Jason Aaron is taking over Asgard with Thor: God of Thunder #1 this November as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. Rick Remender kicks off the relaunch this October with Uncanny Avengers #1. Thor is a member. Aaron and Remender’s friendship and creative rapport could lead to a possible crossover Aaron tells Marvel.com.
“Yeah, Rick’s probably one of the other writers I talk to the most. He and I have enjoyed sharing ideas over in the X-Men corner of the Marvel U. And I would expect that to continue now. Actually just today we were talking about some THOR: GOD OF THUNDER/UNCANNY AVENGERS business that should pay off way down the road. So yeah, Rick’s all right. For a dude who doesn’t like football.”
Matt Fraction on The Mighty Thor and Kieron Gillen on Journey Into Mystery are wrapping their epic runs on those series with the Everything Burns crossover kicking off this week.
Archer & Armstrong #1The Valiant comeback continues as Obadiah Archer begins a quest to wipe out the ultimate evil. His target: the immortal Armstrong. The new origin of this unlikely heroic duo and their journey to uncover the dark history of the relaunched Valiant universe.
Batgirl #12 courtesy DC Comics
Batgirl #12Batgirl vs Batwoman!
Batman #12 The aftermath of the Court of Owls epic. Guest artist Becky Cloonan joins Scott Snyder for a stand-alone story of the girl who saved the Batman.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2Inside the secret life of the world’s smartest man. Comic legend Len Wein returns to the epic he edited with Jae Lee at the top of his artistic game.
Daredevil Annual #1The Man Without Fear, Doctor Strange and Marvel’s strangest cosmic clan. Legendary Alan Davis brings back the ClanDestine to cross paths with Matt Murdock
Gambit #1The fan favorite X-Man is back to his criminal ways! Marvel’s ultimate thief and smooth talker is after a big score but it may end up biting him.
Kevin Keller #4Romantic hopes and hijinks at the London Olympics. Kevin reconnects with an old friend but will Veronica’s “help” hurt his chances?
The Massive #3 How can peace-loving pacifists hold on to their beliefs in dark new world where pirates rule the oceans and the civilized world is in ruins? The crew is on the run
The Mighty Thor #18 courtesy Marvel
The Mighty Thor #18 Can the God of Thunder and Kid Loki save the Nine Realms from a dark war? Everything Burns is Matt Fraction’s final Thor story with the legendary Alan Davis on art and crossing over into Journey Into Mystery.
New Avengers #29 The Illuminati are back! Some of the most powerful players in the Marvel Universe gathered in secret for years on covert missions – sometimes with dire results. In this Avengers vs X-Men tie-in the group gathers once again to see if they can defeat the Phoenix.
The GEEK will be celebrated and SHE has earned it! GeekGirlCon will recognize the contributions of women to geek culture. What would our culture be without Wonder Woman, Lt. Uhura or Batgirl? But what about the women behind the scenes creating the comics, books, movies, television and games? What about the women at the comic book shops and behind the consoles?
The first celebration of female geek in Seattle was a smash. The women behind GeekGirlCon are dreaming bigger with this year’s event. I asked Susie Rantz about what’s new for their second con.
“We sold out so quickly last year, so we moved into a bigger space that will allow more people can take part in the fun. The reaction to the convention last year was fantastic. People not only had a great time and got to meet their favorite writers and actors, but they made connections that bettered them as people. Companies and websites even launched as a result of GeekGirlCon.
“We want this year’s convention to build from those successes. For the second year, we have expanded our gaming and exhibitor hall. We now have a whole floor for tabletop and console gaming, as well as some really fun workshops. We also heard from convention-goers last year that they wanted more opportunities to network and connect with one another, so we added GeekGirlConnections, a room where people can plan their careers, network with women who work in their desired career fields, and learn about job opportunities that exist.
Finally, one of the things I find most exciting about GeekGirlCon is the fact that our convention truly reflects what our fans want. In the spring, we put out the call for panel submissions. Virtually every panel being offered at GeekGirlCon ’12 is a result of the amazing ideas submitted by fans — ideas like talking about how we discuss disabilities in pop culture and comics. That means every year, our convention could focus on different topics and fandoms.”
Whether on our second or 20th convention, we will remain true to our mission of supporting and celebrating women who love science, comics, technology, video games, and any other geeky topic.”
Batgirl #4 courtesy DC Comics
Returning guest Gail Simone blazed the trail with her runs on Birds of Prey, Secret Six and now Batgirl at DC Comics. 2012 has seen a number of comic book success stories championed by women. Ms. Marvel just got promoted to Captain Marvel with Kelly Sue DeConnick writing and the first issue sold out! Marjorie Liu’s Astonishing X-Men is a critical and commercial success and gained mainstream headlines for the gay wedding of Northstar. Womanthology demonstrated the true meaning of geek girl power. With these recent successes I asked this Susie is she felt this is a “breakthrough year” for women in comics?
Captain Marvel #1 courtesy Marvel.com
“It certain feels like women are making some significant breakthroughs in the comic book industry. Gail Simone is a fantastic leader in this field. Not only is she a great writer, but she stands up for and handles herself with so much grace. I think women are seeing what she’s been able to accomplish and realizing they can make that same future for themselves.
The success of Womanthology certainly shouldn’t go unnoticed, either. For those who don’t know a lot of about the project, Womanthology is a 350-page comic anthology created entirely by women, with all proceeds going to charity. The project was originally posted on Kickstarter, where the creators raised $109,000, making Womanthology the most successful comics project and 25th most successful Kickstarter of all time,” she continues.
Special Guest Renae De Liz is behind woman behind Womanthology. De Liz will be at the Seattle con to share how she did it on her own terms. I asked Rantz if the special guests and programming could inspire the next geek girl success story?
Womanthology courtesy IDW Publishing
“I sure hope so. We are not simply dedicated to celebrating geeky women and girls — but that is certainly one important piece of this convention. Of course, we want people to have fun! However, we also know there are a lot of people out there looking for ways to further dive into what they love and apply it to their careers, or simply explore hobbies in new ways.
The great podcast website Geekquality actually formed as a result of our convention last year. This year, instead of simply coming as attendees, they are presenting during a panel (“Geekquality Presents: Navigating Geekdom as an Outsider,” Saturday from 3:30 – 4:20 p.m.). This is just one example of the fire we hope to ignite among attendees. For others, it might be as simply as taking a class on programming, or volunteering as a mentor at your child’s school.
As I mentioned above, we did hear from a lot of attendees last year that they wanted more ways to learn how to break into various businesses or succeed in their desired career fields. And that is why we are so excited to have panels featuring women from EA and PopCap and BioWare, or others that talk about how to land technology jobs, like “Tech Jobs You Never Knew You Wanted” and A Career as a Lady Coder II: Getting the Job.” That’s also why we added the GeekGirlConnections room, which will be filled with people from NASA, SEOMoz, Dark Horse Comics, and other great companies.”
Power Girl before The New 52 makeover courtesy DC Comics
There have been costume changes to female comic book characters that still make them sexy but not blatant cheesecake. Ms. Marvel is now Captain Marvel and wears a flight suit instead of a one piece bathing suite, Power Girl’s hole in her chest is covered, Psylocke is no longer wearing a thong and heels. What do girl geeks think of these changes? Does how a heroine look matter?
“That’s funny you bring up Power Girl, as someone I follow on Twitter recently shared the cover of DC Comics’ Ame-Comi Power Girl book, where the hole returned! But I do think there are enough people speaking up for a more realistic version of “sexy” when it comes to female comic book characters. These voices have really made a dent and have forced the comic book industry make some corrections.
In fact, Kelly Thompson, a comic book fan and journalist, wrote a great article titled, “She Has No Head! – No, It’s Not Equal.” The article demonstrated how women were put in untenable poses and clothes. The article certainly could have made people defensive, but it was presented with clear examples — and the comments from all genders were positive.
You hear over and over from comic book publishers that they are marketing to men and boys because that is who buys their products. Yet, I read an article that quoted the owners of comic book store Comicopia, who said around “thirty-five to forty percent” of their customers were female. That is probably a shocking stat to a lot of people, because most assumed the figure might be more like 5 percent. I think women and girls are sometimes afraid to speak up and say, “We like these things too.” But they are finding their voices now, and are seeing there actually IS a community behind them, supporting them.”
Along with Gail Simone and Renae De Liz, a powerhouse group of writers, artists and entrepreneurs will meet that community:
Writer/producer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Warehouse 13, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once Upon a Time.)
Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and owner of fangirl gear site Her Universe.
Comic book writer Jen Van Meter (Hopeless Savages, Black Lightning: Year One, Black Cat.)
Comic book writer and novelist Greg Rucka (Gotham Central, Wonder Woman, Queen & Country, Whiteout, Stumptown, Elektra) is acclaimed for his portrayal of female heroes and will be featured in the panel Why Men Write Women Poorly and How to Get a Clue.
Geek culture is not just about iconic female characters. Celebrate the women who create and love it. Guys are welcome. I wouldn’t miss it. GeekGirlCon 2012 August 11 and 12 at the Conference Center in Seattle. Click here to buy passes.
