Justice League Bows Before Darkseid!

Justice League #6 courtesy DC Comics

  Justice League #6 is the final chapter of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee’s first arc. We’ve seen DC’s greatest heroes unite to fight the ultimate evil, Darkseid. Jim Lee talked with The Source about his inspiration for the cover.

“I wanted to create a cover which resonated with what I consider to be the most classic Darkseid story – namely the Great Darkness Saga – so that entailed the Justice League bowing down naturally to the power of Darkseid,” said Lee. “Except of course Batman who, despite not having powers, fights with all his strength in defiance.”

  Geek’s Opinion: I love the positioning of Batman. I can almost hear him saying ‘I will not yield!”

 Justice League #6 is out next week.

Batman Must Save Arkham

 

Batman #5 courtesy DC Comics

  The battle for Gotham City bleeds into Detective Comics #9 as the Night of the Owls crossover spreads across all the Batman titles.   The secret society strikes Arkham Asylum in the issue by written and drawn by Tony Daniel. Sandu Florea co-illustrates the issue.

 Here’s what Batman Series editor Mike Marts told The Source:

 “In Detective #9, Batman finds himself in the unlikeliest of situations—saving Arkham Asylum administrator Jeremiah Arkham from a mysterious Talon assailant,” said Marts. “What is the secret connection between the Court of Owls and Gotham City’s oldest institution for the criminally insane?”

Top 5 Picks for 2/22/12

Batman: Dark Knight #6 courtesy Marvel

 

 

Batman: Dark Knight #6 Bane will challenge Batman in The Dark Knight Rises on the big screen. This week Batman must find the mastermind behind the toxin in Gotham City’s most notorious supercriminals and confront the evil force that once broke his back – Bane.

Star Wars: Jedi: Volume 1: Dark Side  An early adventure of the Jedi Master who trained Obi Wan. Young Qui-Gon Jinn is sent to investigate an assassination and prevent civil war on his homeworld. A mission that will bring Qui-Gon close to the dark side and affect the Jedi Order.

 

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 courtesy Marvel.com

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 It’s Gambling 101 when Logan and Quentin hit an outer space casino hope to win big and save the Jean Grey School. It’s Casino Royale meets Star Wars as the mutant odd couple go ‘all in’ to save Logan’s dream.

I, Vampire #6 The Queen of Blood’s army overruns Gotham City. Batman must ally with Andrew to fight off the vampire infestation.

All Star Western #7 Jonah Hex vs a giant bat! If that’s not enough to suck you in Jonah and Amadeus Arkham (as in the Asylum from the Bat books) team up to escape a deathtrap and save Gotham’s children. These tales of the past uncover some of Gotham City’s darkest legend including Court of Owls. 

 

Michael Fassbender Inspires Doctor Who to Get Naked

 

Matt Smith as The Doctor courtesy BBC America

  Matt Smith faces fear as Doctor Who fighting the most frightening aliens and phenomenon the universe can throw at him. Apparently Smith has no fear of being naked on stage. If so, Michael Fassbender has inspired him to get over it.

  Smith says after seeing Fassbender’s performance in Shame he would be willing to get naked for a role according to Entertainmentwise.

  “I think ‘Shame‘ was brilliant and Michael magnetic in it. One day I would love to do something similar and maybe work with director Steve McQueen.”

  “Of course I would get naked for a role. I’ve got naked on stage so why not on-screen?” he added.

  In researching this story I learned current Doctor Who Matt Smith guest starred on Secret Diary of a Call Girl starring Billie Piper who was Rose Tyler, the beloved companion of Doctors Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

 

 

The Walking Dead: Rick & Shane Clash

  WARNING:  I’ve tried my best not to reveal any major details from the latest episode of The Walking Dead but you still may not want to read this post if you haven’t seen it yet.

WARNING.

 

YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS.

POSSIBLE SPOILER

 

OK HERE IT COMES

 

  In a brilliant and chilling scene Rick transformed from the noble hero trying to protect his family into something cold and inhuman. Lori seemed to be pushing and pleading Rick to ‘do something’ about Shane.

  Show Runner Glen Mazzarra talked with TV Guide about the upcoming Rick and Shane clash.

  “It will be played out in the next episode. The next episode is an episode that really puts Shane and Rick at odds, and Rick is tired of secrets, and a lot will come spilling out.”

  Jon Bernthal is talks for Frank Daramount’s new TNT series pilot L.A. Noir. Does that mean Shane will not survive the showdown with Rick?

  “Let’s say this: You know the Shane character was killed off in the comic book very, very early. We are a show that is going to surprise people. People can speculate. I haven’t read the Frank script, but it is conceivable that Bernthal’s character gets offed in that pilot. I haven’t read it. So I don’t want to say anything about secrets or spoilers or anything like that, but I think fans will be satisfied with our story, and I’m just going to focus on that, not other material.”

  For the entire interview here’s the TV Guide link.

What fate does Shane deserve? Eaten by zombies? Turned into a zombie? Dead, just plain dead. I say Shane is a Walking Dead Man walking. Otis must be avenged.

Avengers Movie: Loki & The Captain

Avengers Prelude Comic image courtesy Marvel.com

  Thor and Loki’s sibling rivalry explodes to threaten the world in Marvel’s The Avengers this May. Tom Hiddleston gave insight into Loki’s interactions with Captain America and the Hulk in a new interview with Total Film.

“I had huge fun with Chris Evans, as Captain America, because super-soldier though he may be, he’s still a man, up against a God who in his own mind is infinitely superior,” Hiddleston said. “Then, in the ring with The Hulk, we’ve got this silver tongued, lightening quick mind up against the embodiment of rage…Loki has this mercurial, transformative ability, not just physically but intellectually, so not all the fights are purely physical. Mind games? Maybe..”

  Thanks to Spinoff Online for the story and I salute their description of the film as “Earth’s Mightiest Movie. The best kept secret of the big screen movie is still a secret – Loki’s army he unleashes on Earth.

 

 

The Black Widow Strikes

The Black Widow Strikes possible cover

  The Black Widow is Marvel’s sexiest and most dangerous super spy. Natasha is starring in the Secret Avengers, The Winter Soldier with her lover Bucky and will have a role in Avengers Vs. X-Men. And then there’s that little movie you might have heard about during the Super Bowl.

  Marvel’s The Avengers features Scarlett Johansson as the super spy on the big screen. Fans can dive into a new Widow limited series set in the cinematic Marvel Universe. The spy goes back to Russia to stop an international crisis and demonstrates how lethal she can be. Marvel’s The Avengers: The Black Widow Strikes is set between Iron Man 2 and the Avengers movies writer Fred Van Lente tells Marvel.com.

  “Black Widow is running down some loose ends from Iron Man 2, namely some bootleg Stark technology that Justin Hammer made. It’s her and Agent Coulson going into Russia, but you’ll also probably see Nick Fury and the other heroes as necessary.”

Secret Avengers #20 courtesy Marvel.com

  “For this series, I’ve given Black Widow a kind of fan/stalker–a freelance espionage operator who has modeled herself on Black Widow,” explains Van Lente. “She’s attempting to usurp the Black Widow title from Natasha, so these two are in competition with one another.”

  “I took my inspiration for this series from Joss Whedon’s script for Marvel’s the Avengers, which I was lucky enough to read,” says Van Lente. “He does a good job making her inclusion on the team perfectly believable.”

  “This is on the same scale as the Marvel movies. We’re working closely with Marvel Studios to have it integrate seamlessly with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once this is over, they’re welcome to use any of my ideas here for a movie,” Van Lente says with a chuckle. “It was fun to talk to the studio and see what they have in mind for Black Widow, but who knows where she’ll be after Marvel’s The Avengers‘; maybe she doesn’t even make it out at the end?”

Black Widow: Deadly Origin cover courtesy Marvel.com

  For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.

  A Geek’s opinion: I’d love to see a Black Widow solo movie (vs. Yelena?) but I’d much rather see Natasha partner with Steve Rogers in Captain America 2 where she meets The Winter Soldier/Bucky.

John Carter: The Gods of Mars

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter

   Disney’s John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) will be swinging his sword on the big screen next month. Fans of the legendary character can enjoy a new comic book adventure. Sam Humphries is an up and coming writer at Marvel on double duty. Humphries will become co-writer of Ultimate Comics: Ultimates with Jonathan Hickman and writer of John Carter: The Gods of Mars. The series is set a decade after events in the movie. Humphries spoke with Marvel.com about the hero’s time away from Mars.

John Carter: The Gods of Mars #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  “Every year sticks in his ribs like a knife that won’t stop turning. At some point during his first trip to Mars, it stopped being the place that trapped him, and started becoming the place he fell in love. The planet that used to be his prison became his home, and vice versa. Now that he’s back on Mars, he’ll do anything to be reunited with his true love, Dejah Thoris.”

  The limited series picks up right after events of the first novel, A Princess of Mars, exploring the world of Barsoom and mythology of the Martians.

 

John Carter: The Gods of Mars #3

 

 

“There’s a lot to contrast between John and all the societies that populate Mars. He’s an earthling, an American, a soldier. His sense of independence and freedom runs deep. John Carter is a great character to throw into the complex layers of interlocking civilizations; just by being in their midst he illuminates so much about them—and so much about himself. How he compares to the Martian gods themselves is integral to the core of the book—a key theme I’ll keep to myself for now.” 

Ramon Perez is the artist while Julian Totino Todescro provides covers for the series. For the entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.