Generation Hope: The End Begins

Generation Hope #16 courtesy Marvel.com

  Generation Hope #16 arrives today and marks the final story. I wanted to share some of this interview with former and current Generation Hope writers Kieron Gillen and James Asmus. They talk about the how Hope Summers has grown and her role in Avengers Vs X-Men.

  “To state the bloody obvious, she’s had it hard. None of the futures she’s lived through have been in any way pleasant. She’s survived in some genuinely vile worlds, been chased through time and ended up coming back to Earth onto to have her Dad die in front of her. To be honest, she’d have every right to curl up in a ball and having a good old cry for the next 24 issues,” says Gillen.

“I like to think that—though she’d refuse to admit it—Cyclops has become a significant influence for her.  Hope lost her father almost as soon as she made it to the present day Marvel Universe. So even though she had heard a great deal about the world she now lives in, she’s needed her fellow X-Men to actually get integrated and really start to understand her new world,” Asmus said.

“As for the tight-knit young mutants she runs with in Generation Hope, I think each one has brought something different out of our Mutant Messiah. If anyone really gets into Hope’s head and makes her think a little differently, it would have to be Laurie, aka Transonic. Kieron did a great job of setting Laurie up as an intellectual and philosophical person—in stark contrast to Hope’s more gung-ho, rough-and-tumble tendencies,” he continued.

AvX1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  Hope’s role as the mutant messiah will make her the central role of AVX. What do expect to see happen to Hope in the event?

  “I’m never anything but afraid for what could lie ahead for Hope. Even the absolute best that could happen could be pretty horrific. Her life’s an arrow, aimed at a target. Whether she hits it or misses it almost doesn’t matter. Either way, it could be the end of her,” Gillen replied.

  “I am looking forward to [a] definitive and life-changing story for Hope.  I can’t wait to see her completely confront her potential destiny, and to see her transformed by the process. I know that things are absolutely not going to unfold as people may expect and I’m thrilled to read how some of favorite creators are going to unfold it all for us,” Asmus said then had a dire prediction.

“As for my fears? I’m not sure if I’m more afraid that she’ll have her own heart broken by the events—or if she just might be the destroyer others fear her to be…”

Generation Hope #16 arrives today. AVX #0 arrives next month.

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

Meet John Carter! Go Mars,Young Man!

  As I post this I want to break out into the Jetsons theme:  Meet John Carter…..his gal Dejah…ok that’s a far as a got.

  I was mesmerized by covers of the John Carter books by Edgar Rice Burroughs as a kid. The more I see the trailers I see so many sci-fi ideas and concepts were born in those books. Director Andrew Stanton is bringing that wonder to the big screen next month. Taylor Kitsch plays the Earth man who finds new powers, a new purpose, and a Princess (Lynn Collins) on Mars.

  Today Disney’s UK YouTube Channel posted a featurette with the cast and crew and astounding new footage. Thanks to Comic Book Resources Comic Reel for sharing.

 

 

“The Dark Knight Rises” Producer on Bane and Catwoman

The Dark Knight Rises teaser poster courtesy Warner Brothers

  Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy ends with the introduction of new foes in Gotham City. 

 Producer Emma Thomas (AKA Mrs. Christopher Nolan) spoke with Total Film about the addition of Bane and what Tom Hardy brings to The Dark Knight Rises.

  “Tom made a massive physical transformation for the role… It really is an intense performance,” Thomas said, “He finally feels like a match for Batman – both physically and mentally.”

  “Christian Bale and Tom Hardy are both such fiercely committed actors that pitching them as adversaries works incredibly well – they have such a great chemistry on camera.”

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Image Courtesy Screen Rant

  And on Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, Thomas teased. “It’s completely new,” she says, “and it’s a really interesting role. You never quite know where you are with her.”

  Does this mean we will not see the love/hate relationship between Bruce and Selena?

The Dark Knight Rises July 1st.

 

Iron Man No More?

 

Invincible Iron Man #516 courtesy Marvel

  What will make Tony Stark give up being Iron Man? Writer Matt Fraction previews his next arc Long Way Down on Marvel.com. Salvador Larroca’s art sure looks like Tony will no longer be the Armored Avenger.

  “As we’ll see at the end of Demon, General Babbage, [Tony’s] primary antagonist at the Pentagon, and Justine Hammer of Hammer Industries, present Tony with an ultimatum,” says Fraction. “Accepting it is the only way he can remain in control of the Iron Man without losing everything. And Tony very quickly finds that arrangement to be unacceptable. The ramifications of that are what ‘Long Way Down’ is all about.

“So basically…Tony quits.”

  A mole inside Stark Resilient will be exposed. Fraction says expect dire repercussions:

“People start dying. Bethany Cabe starts earning her paycheck.”

Invincible Iron Man #517 courtesy Marvel.com

 “All the pots from the very beginning of Invincible Iron Man are coming to a boil,” he says. “Mandarin and Stane’s alliance, the revamped and upgraded rogues gallery, the Hammer girls, Spymaster’s infiltration—‘Long Way Down’ deals with all of it.”

Fraction says there will be a new Iron Man. Who will wear the armor? For Fraction’s entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.  Long Way Down begins in Invincible Iron Man #516 this May.

  Fraction and Larroca have been on the title four years – sounds like they’re ramping up to a swan song on the title. How cool would it be for this team to take on the Avengers after Bendis wraps up his run on the franchise!

Love Hurts in “I, Vampire”

I, Vampire #6 cover courtesy DC Comics

  What’s not to love about I, Vampire from DC Comics The New 52? The vampire war has arrived in Gotham City. Joshuah Hale Fialkov tells The Source his book is not just a horror comic book.

  “All great stories are love stories,” said Fialkov. “Sometimes they’re about two people in love, or two people falling out of love, or a man in love with vengeance, or, a man in love with Truth, Justice, and the American Way. All of the characters we love are motivated almost entirely by love.”

  “So,” Fialkov continues, “it only made sense to write a book not just about a man and a woman in love, but, about them both being in love with abstract concepts that put them at odds with each other.

  “Mary loves freedom, Andrew loves humanity… Up until now, their love for one another was enough to keep that imbalance in check, but, not anymore.”

  I, Vampire #6 arrives Wednesday. The I, Vampire/Justice League Dark crossover begins in March.

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

Astonishing X-Men #5 courtesy Marvel.com

 On this Valentine’s Day I wanted to share a memory of my favorite comic book couple. Joss Whedon finally united Kitty Pryde and Colossus during his Astonishing X-Men run. This cover to issue 5 by John Cassaday.

  Colossus caught Kitty’s eye in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne era when Professor X brought Peter, Logan and Ororo to the Pryde home in Chicago to recruit the young mutant. Years of drama and even death kept them apart. The lovers are apart again but on this day let’s remember when Kitty and Colossus were together and actually ‘got together’ if you know what I mean – to which Logan said “about time.”

 Happy Valentine’s Day!

DC, Where’s Raven?

New Teen Titans #1 courtesy DC Comics

  One of the big topics at last week’s comic book discussion at my local shop was a love of the Teen Titans and the “growing up” of DC sidekicks.

  Dick Grayson became Nightwing and even Batman for a time. Cyborg is on the new Justice League. Tim Drake (Red Robin) is the new leader of the DC New 52 Teen Titans. Starfire has hooked up – literally – with Jason Todd and Roy Harper in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

  So where is Raven? The beautiful half demon heroine created by the legendary Marv Wolfman and George Perez needs a role in the New 52. As we lovingly reflected on the Titans (then and now) and suddenly I realized no one mentioned the dark lady of the New Teen Titans.  

Justice League Dark #5 courtesy DC Comics

  What popped into my brain and out of my mouth was “she’d be great in Justice League Dark!” Some of my fellow Titans agreed so this is my plea to DC – what a great fit for a beloved Titan who graduate to join John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade and Zatana?

And with our beloved Raven comes her father, Trigon, and maybe a new romantic start with Beast Boy?

By Editor

Top 5 Picks 2/15/12

Batman #6 courtesy DC Comics

Batman #6

Batman is broken and bleeding in the Court of Owls’ psychedelic deathtrap underneath Gotham City. Did their relentless assassin Talon really gut the Dark Knight? After last issue’s Black Swan style mind tripping issue – I believe anything is possible!

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #1

Before Obi-Wan, before Yoda – on a distant planet an order of warrior monks strive to learn the secrets of the Force but a stranger is coming to claim this power for his own. The creative team behind Star Wars Legacy reveals the mythic origin of the Jedi Knights.

The Misadventures of Adam West #1

The actor who played Batman in the camp-tastic tv show has his own outrageous comic. Magic and imagination send Adam West across time, space and alternative dimensions to fight crime.

The Winter Soldier #2 courtesy Marvel

The Winter Soldier #2

Bucky and Black Widow are Marvel’s hottest couple and coolest spies. The former Captain America must stop an army of stone cold super assassins and this may lead to an impossible mission: prevent the killing of Doctor Doom! Who has the balls to try to take out Marvel’s ultimate villain?

Army of Darkness #1

Based on the cult classic Sam Raimi film – A new chapter begins for the Army of Darkness saga. “Ash” played by Bruce Campbell in the movies is joined by a new female ally in his war against the Deadites that takes them to ancient Egypt. Bring your chainsaw and join the fun.

By Editor