From "Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film" at EMP Museum, photo by ComicsBlend.com
If Prometheus has you longing for the original Alien then set course for the EMP Museum in Seattle. Icons of Science Fiction just opened featured some of the most memorable artifacts of favorite films, television shows, novels and comics. You can see part of Michael Biehn’s uniform from Aliens. Ridley Scott is among the titans on Science Fiction Hall of Fame altar.
The tragedy of Colossus: Let’s start with Joss Whedon bringing him back from the dead. He gets Kitty Pryde back. He finally has sex with Kitt then loses Kitty when she’s trapped in a speeding bullet through space. He loses Nightcrawler. Deals with the never-ending limbo/dead/limbo/back/no soul drama of his sister Magik. He becomes the Juggernaut and Kitty dumps him.
I love Colossus because the mighty mutant of steel is the emo whipping boy of several Marvel writers but he can take it. The poor guy is coping with the emotional abuse of losing Kitty, having a psycho demonic sister and fighting a demon of his own.
In Avengers vs X-Men writers have poured on the physical abuse. Colossus took a beating from the Red Hulk in AvX and AvX Versus plus that fight with Spidey.
In this week’s AvX Vs #3 Peter goes fists to fists with the Rulk then the Thing on the moon! Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness clobber us with a brutal steel vs rock showdown. The art is powerhouse and Peter’s inner dialogue is powerful. The former innocent Russian farm boy is long gone. A cold steel warrior with a devil inside is fighting an inner battle that he’s losing with every physical victory.
SPOILER
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ AVX #5 STOP READING NOW
SERIOUSLY
OK HERE IT COMES
In Avengers vs X-Men #5 the Phoenix Five (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik) were born as the entity seized them as hosts. If there’s one thing I hope from this is the Phoenix burns the Cyttorak out of Peter and Limbo out of Illyana. Since the entity represents death and rebirth, I hope Colossus and Magik can be cleansed and reborn.
Brian Wood took over X-Men #30 with a new mission and mystery for Storm’s team. This issue felt so good because it took me back to the Chris Claremont and Paul Smith era. As much as I love the mutants and creative teams all the X-books can seem too big with too many characters tied to way to many plot threads.
Cyclops has made Storm leader of a security task force to defend mutants. Ororo leads a small team where everyone has a purpose, every mutant’s power fits into making them an effective unit and everyone gets screen time. Wood definitely demonstrates this team is under Storm’s authority.
Blank Generation begins with the discovery of what might be a new mutant race, a murder, two monsters and Storm defiantly keeping secrets from Scott. Wood sets a strong tone and pace. The art reminds me of Paul Smith but more nuanced. David Lopez draws the X-Women feminine yet strong without the typical cheese. This book reminded me of when there was just one book – and it felt nostalgic and exciting but with a dark tone.
Rex Velvet, the self-proclaimed “Super Villain” of Seattle is on the cover of Seattle Weekly.
Rex may be a faux villain but he’s made a real impressesion in the Emerald City and beyond. Lex Luthor might be impressed with your rise to fame and potential fortune.
In his last creation – Velvet “confronted” an alleged real hero of the movement and reissues his challenge to members of the Rain City Super Hero Movement to give up their costumes.
I literally almost ran into Rex the weekend prior in downtown Seattle. I can’t confirm but I think it was just after he filmed his latest creation. As you can see from this video I may have been spared from a cruel fate…
Hugh Laurie (House) is in talks to play the villain the Robocop remake according to Heat Vision. Laurie will play the ruthless head of the company that created Robocop. Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) plays the heroic cop turned cyborg. Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) plays the creator. Samuel L. Jackson plays a media mogul.
In the original I loved the villain Clarence Boddicker played with ruthless glee by Kurtwood Smith. No word if that character will be in th remake.
Marvel and Dark Horse both produced comics based on Robocop.
Rock and Roll legends KISS are back in a brand new ongoing comic book from IDW this week. KISS #1 kicks off with a story called Dressed to Kill by Chris Ryall and Jamal Ingle.
From the publisher:
“Four ordinary humans in 1920s Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will reverberate across time and space in “Dressed to Kill,” part 1!”
This “Demon” variant cover is my Michael Gaydos.
Detective Comics writer/artist Tony Daniel revealed his love of KISS at Fan Expo Vancouver. Daniel may be acclaimed for Batman but he reveals how KISS inspired him and first paid work. I asked if he shared my love for the movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.
“I did and when I was a kid man I loved that show. I like 7-year-old – it was a long time ago. As a kid those guys are like superheroes. They’re more than like rock stars. Every kid in my class loved KISS just because they look crazy and had the makeup on – dragons and space guys and what not. What I remember it was so weird. But back then you didn’t have video recorders, Tivo – you watch it once and when it’s over you’re like, man what did I just see. Today you can rewind and watch it again. It was such a weird – you know maybe that screwed me up or something it was very…I just remember it being very bizarre. I’m sure if I watched it now I might feel disappointed in it (laughs) but it was super cool back then as a child.
(I interject asking about how KISS art was his first paying work so to speak)
Yeah it was my first commission. I drew a giant poster size picture of all of four characters. One kid was gonna buy it from me for like two dollars and another kid was gonna give me a big giant stack of basically the entire collection of KISS trading cards and I went with the trading cards and ended up getting into a brawl afterwords with the guy that lost. So yeah, you know blood, sweat and tears from age 7 on with the art.”
You can see my entire interview with Tony Daniel here.
Black Panther is back in the book that introduced him to the world. In this week’s Fantastic Four #607 by Jonathan Hickman Marvel’s First Family travels to Wakanda when the world runs out of vibranium. Mike Choi created this regal cover showing the former King in his glory.
This week’s comic book return of T’Challa follows the reports that Black Panther is next in line to get the big screen treatment from Marvel Studios. I’ve always pushed for Idris Elba (Heimdall in Thor.) After seeing Elba as the Captain in Prometheus I’m even more convinced. If you’re not then check out Elba in BBC’s Luther. I can see the dynamic between Elba and Robert Downey Jr now in an Avengers sequel. If there’s one bad ass who could silence Tony Stark it’s T’Challa.
Avengers vs. X-Men rages on this week in X-Men Legacy #268 but Marvel promises this issue will dive into the past of Frenzy. Joanna Cargill has been a villain with the Alliance of Evil and the Acolytes but is now trying to redeem herself with the X-Men.
I’m a huge Frenzy fan because of Mike Carey and now Christos Gage’s portrayal of her in X-Men Legacy. She left Utopia and joined Rogue and Wolverine because of falling in love with Cyclops in the Age of X pocket universe. Scott did not return her affection when reality was reset.
Frenzy is a powerful mutant and emotional powder keg. She may have been pushed but Frenzy threw the first punch in the AvX fight in this tie-in book. Joanna’s rage has been because of emotional manipulation and disappointment after giving her all to a cause (the Acolytes, Cyclops in Age of X.) Gage has been slowly showing an attraction between Joanna and Gambit. Frenzy reminds me of Rogue when she first joined the X-Men. I look forward to seeing what Gage does in this issue with such a character that has so much potential.
Click here to see why I think Frenzy would be perfect for an X-Men: First Class sequel.
