X-Men Vs. Vampires Rematch!

X-Men #25 preview art courtesy Marvel

   Storm leads a team after one of their own in X-Men #25. Victor Gischler picks up story threads he began way back in X-Men #1. The X-Men Vs. Vampires rivalry heats up again. Jubilee vanished during an European mission and fled with a clan of vampires known as The Forgiven.

  I really wanted to share this spectacular and horrific image by Jorge Molina as the X-Men discover a nest of bloodsuckers. This is one of many X-Men title preview images on Comics Newsarama.

X-Men #24 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  I have to commend Gischler for his heartbreaking transformation of Jubilee. The once rollerblading, wise cracking mall rat Jubilation Lee had been on the back burner. I remember when she was Wolverine’s sidekick back when the X-Men were still based in the Australian Outback. The young mutant eventually became a student of Generation X.  Jubilee lost her powers in the Decimation, was part of the mutant movement to San Francisco but wouldn’t join the X-Men on Utopia.

  The girl with sparks and ability to generate fireworks has become a creature of darkness. Her search for answers and to find her identity is compelling and a metaphor for why we love comics.

 

John Carter Pics and Poster

Disney's John Carter

Andrew Stanton has captured the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom (aka Mars) in Disney’s John Carter. A huge gallery of photos and posters is up at Ace Showbiz. I love the look of the Tharks.

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter

Taylor Kitsch plays the Earthman transported to Mars to fall in love with a Princess of Mars (Lynn Collins of True Blood Season One and X-Men: Origins: Wolverine.)

Poster for Disney's John Carter

I really love this retro look – that 70’s sci-fi movie poster feel.

Thanks to Dark Horizons for the scoop.

AVX Hope Jets in Avengers Vs X-Men Zero

AvX #0 courtesy Marvel.com

  Hope Summers jets into action on Marvel.com in a first look at interior art from AvX #0 by Frank Cho. Brian Michael Bendis and Jason Aaron are writing the issue out March 28th.

  Jason Aaron talked about how the mutant messiah’s experiences have made her ready for her role in Avengers Vs. X-Men:

 “That’s a big question at the opening of the series. Is she prepared? Does she even really know what she’s getting herself into? She was raised by Cable in a time-traveling Lone Wolf and Cub style adventure. She’s been told all her life she’s destined to do something great. But when the Phoenix is involved, a force that can be used for good or that can destroy entire planets, people are always going to be a bit uneasy. In Hope’s mind, she’s ready for whatever’s coming—or at least that what she says. Regardless, her resolve and readiness will be severely tested, all throughout AvX.

A great question from Ben Morse: Does Hope believe she’s the mutant messiah?

  “I think at this point there’s no question she’s the mutant messiah. When Hope came back, new mutants came back with her. Just a few, but still, where once there were no new blips on Cerebro, now there are blips. I think people’s faith in her—especially that of Cyclops—has been resoundingly rewarded. But everything that came so far was just the warm-up. Her true destiny still awaits. As for Hope’s feelings, I think she’s still trying to figure out what her role is. She most definitely doesn’t want to just stand around and let herself be defined by other people. She’s going to get out there and figure things out for herself.

AvX #0 courtesy Marvel.com

How does AVX #0 set up Hope for the event:

 “I think it establishes her mind-set and relationship with Cyclops. Longtime X-Men fans will see Hope anxious to embrace the destiny that has for so long been teased for her, a destiny of which she seems to have a little bit better understanding. And for fans new to the X-Men who’ve never read a story with Hope in it, hopefully this issue will show them why they should care about her in the first place, why she’s an interesting character, and why she’s totally badass.

You can ready Jason Aaron’s entire interview and more preview art here.

X-Men: First Class Sequel Will Be Magneto Focused

 

Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy from X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com

  I’m thrilled Fox is moving forward with a sequel to X-Men: First Class. Matthew Vaughn is directing. Michael Fassbender and the entire cast are locked in. 

  I’ve been posting how much I hope we might see Magneto’s fractured family (Polaris, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver) in the next film. No word on if those characters will appear but Magneto will be the focus of the sequel according to the screenwriter.  Simon Kinberg spoke with MTV News about his love of the X-Men and how he will continue exploring Magneto’s evolution.

 “That’s what was so cool about the first one and what we want to continue,” Kinberg said of exploring the villain’s tortured origin. “Magneto becomes the villain ultimately of the franchise but he’s a much more complicated character as a young man. He’s someone you sympathize with, you care about you root for even though might not necessarily agree with his methods, you understand his philosophy.” 

 Fans may be wondering if Magneto will be a total villain or still in between good guy and bad guy roles.

 “We’re still figuring that out. I think the truth is ultimately that because Michael is such an interesting actor, he’ll never be full-on anything. He’ll have a villainous side and he’ll have a sympathetic human side you’ll be able to relate but you’ll also be afraid of him. He becomes Magneto, he says ‘Call me Magneto’ at the end of the first movie.”

 You can watch the entire interview here.

 

Magneto: Not a Hero #2 courtesy Marvel

  I would love to see Michael Fassbender play Erik when he was married to Magda and the tragic events surrounding their children. That could be a flashback leading to a present day (as in the 60’s or 70’s since it’s set in the past) reunion with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

Astra is good possibility for due to her love/hate relationship with Magneto. The legendary Alan Davis created this mutant teleporter when he on Uncanny X-Men. Astra was Erik’s first recruit to the Brotherhood. You can read more about Astra in the current Magneto: Not a Hero limited series out now.

Idris Elba on Prometheus

Idris Elba courtesy IMDB

  Perhaps the coolest man on the planet is Idris Elba. The British star has appeared in Thor and now Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. I’m still hoping Elba will play King T’Challa in a Black Panther movie.

  Elba is part of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. While promoting Ghost Rider with Dread Central he talked about his experience on Prometheus.

THOR DVD Cover courtesy Marvel Films

“It’s incredibly visually stunning. Ridley Scott is a genius,” Elba said. “We’re really mindful of the audience knowing too much before they get there because it’ll spoil it, but it’s a very exciting film. Fans of Ridley and his legacy will be very proud of it.”

Elba plays Captain Janek in Prometheus and will hopefully reprise his role as Heimdall in Thor 2.

Batman Artist Designing Evil

The Talon sketch by Greg Capullo courtesy DC Comics

   The Batman family of titles will invaded by the Court of Owls and their ruthless assassins, The Talons in May’s crossover Night of the Owls. The Court has been a secret manipulator of Gotham City for years. The Talons will sport different looks from the past. Batman artist Greg Capullo is revealing his designs for the Talon on The Source.

  “Same approach as the 1660s owl, basically,” said Batman artist Greg Capullo of the 1770s Talon, who will be resurrected to menace Batman and Robin. “I looked at that period’s military. I was happy to find less frilly stuff. Overall, the period looks more bad-ass, despite the stockings.”

Ultimates New Writing Team

 

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #10 courtesy Marvel.com

  Ultimate Comics Ultimates writer Jonathan Hickman and incoming co-writer Sam Humphries. The mighty Marvel tradition of passing the baton continues with issue 10 this May.

 “I wanted to work with somebody who has a fresh voice and who is clearly talented. I’m ecstatic to be working with Sam, he’s got some real game,” Hickman said on Marvel.com. 

 “When Hickman hits a book, he comes in with big plans. He’s a big picture thinker. At the end of issue #9, everything gets thrown off a cliff–figuratively. Something happens that nobody in the Ultimate Universe can walk away from. Everything changes for all the characters and how they relate to each other. S.H.I.E.L.D., the City of Tomorrow and other major institutions get shaken up,” Humphries said. 

  “I never planned on leaving Ultimates. I took the Ultimate Thor gig with the understanding I’d be getting Ultimates. When I came to Marvel, Ultimates was the book I wanted more than any other. But…I got a job offer I couldn’t refuse, so I’m taking it,” Hickman said. 

 Artist Luke Ross will join Hickman and Humphries on the arc. For today’s entire session here’s the Next Big Thing link on Marvel.com.

  If you haven’t checked out Hickman’s SHIELD you should definitely get the trades – excellent storytelling.

FX Artists Praises Marvel’s Avengers

 

Thor and Captain America in Marvel's The Avengers image courtesy USA Today

  Praise for The Avengers that should get fans excited! The FX artist with a resume full of Marvel superhero films says The Avengers is the best he’s worked on to date. Chris Wells is a supervisor at visual effects house Hydraulx and seen a rough cut of the film. His company is working on the prologue.

  “I went to a screening with all the temporary visual effects and it was pretty fleshed out. It’s a long movie but it doesn’t feel like it. Out of all the comic book movies and franchises I’ve worked on, this is the best one I’ve seen so far,” Wells tells Starburst Magazine. 

   “This thing has gone so big that Marvel are dwarfing their other franchises. For people who enjoy the comics and haven’t really liked the way some of the characters were treated in other movies, I think they’re going to be a little more appeased by this one. Especially the Hulk. They let the Hulk be Hulk and that’s great. He acts more like the comic book Hulk”.

Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner on sete in The Avengers courtesy Marvel.com

  “I think he [Joss Whedon, director] did a very good job of setting up the characters based on what we know from the Marvel franchise, integrating them together with all their differences and similarities and then getting on with business. And just when you think the movie is a character piece it just goes nuts.”

  Thanks to Dark Horizons for the story. I’m thrilled by his comments – especially the Hulk! The Avengers Assemble this May.