Who Is Doctor Who?

courtesy SFX.co.uk and BBC

  An alien who travel through time and space in a blue box that’s bigger on the inside? Who could have imagined that idea would work?

  For his 50th Anniversary Doctor Who is getting a television bio movie according to Deadline. An Adventure in Time and Space will air on the BBC and dive into the creation of the character and television show. Eleven actors have played the Time Lord. The new season starring Matt Smith arrives this fall on the BBC and BBC America.

By Editor

Captain America Brings Back The Illuminati

 

New Avengers #29 courtesy Marvel

  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.

By Editor

 

Ben Affleck Directing Justice League Movie? UPDATED

Justice League #1 DC Comics, Art by Jim Lee

 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!

By Editor

 

The Old Gambit You Love In a New Series

Gambit #1 courtesy Marvel

  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.

By Editor

 

The Girl Who Saved Batman

  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.

By Editor

Joss Whedon, Avengers Sequel and Television Series

Marvel’s The Avengers courtesy Marvel

  Marvel’s The Avengers director Joss Whedon will be back to write and direct the sequel and develop a new Marvel Universe themed, live-action television series for ABC according to Variety.

  No word on which characters will appear in the television series. I’m betting on the agents of SHIELD. Disney/ABC is already developing a Hulk series with Giullermo Del Toro.

  By Editor

 

Marvel NOW! Thor/Uncanny Avengers Crossover?

Thor: God of Thunder #1 courtesy Marvel

  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.

By Editor

Bane Back Story Sequence Cut From The Dark Knight Rises?

Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, courtesy Warner Brothers

  Director Christopher Nolan updated Bane for the big screen but cut a sequence explaining his back story according to a story in Vulture. The Dark Knight Rises offers glimpses of why the villain dresses and acts the way he does but there’s no explicit origin sequence.

  Costume designer Lindy Hemming was discussing other costumes for the final Batman film when she started revealing the flashback sequence to GQ.

  “The thing that you should have seen during that sequence is [Bane] being injured in his youth. So one of the fundamental things about his costume is that he has this scar from the back injury. Even if he hasn’t got the bulletproof vest on, he still has to wear the waist belt and the braces. In that scene in the prison, where he’s learning to fight the same way Batman learned to fight, he’s wearing an early version of his waist belt. It’s showing support, but it’s not the finished one he eventually wears. He’s also wearing an early version of his gas mask, all glued together … If you look at the film, unless they’ve cut it—and I’m sure they haven’t—there’s a whole early section for Tom Hardy where he’s fighting and being taunted by people. He’s got chains on him, and he’s standing on a wooden thing while people are attacking him. And in that scene, he’s wearing a much more ragged, primitive version of the mask.”

The Dark Knight Rises teaser poster courtesy Warner Brothers

  When the interviewer told her that sequence is not in the final film she reportedly responded, “Well that’s an awful shame, but I suppose you have to cut things. I won’t elaborate on it too much, because it isn’t in the film, but there was another section that showed you why he had the mask and where it came from.”

  Watch for this on the Blu-ray? If you want to dive into Bane’s comic book origins here’s a link to Batman vs. Bane and Knightfall by the legendary Chuck Dixon. 

By Editor