Jennifer Lawrence on Hunger Games Co-Star Chemistry

  X-Fans like me rejoiced this week with news that Director Matthew Vaughn and the principal cast of X-Men: First Class are signed on for a sequel to the prequel.

  Before Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as the shapeshifting Mystique she will fight for her life in The Hunger Games based on the best-selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Lawrence plays Katniss a girl in a dystopian world in a tournament fighting to the death against other desperate teens. The books are riveting. The movie trailer captures the dangerous atmosphere of the series. I’m surprised a publisher hasn’t started work on a graphic novel adaptation of the trilogy.

  Josh Hutcherson (would made a great young Scott Summers) plays Peeta, one of the combatants in the death tournament who falls in love with Katniss. The two young stars talked with MTV News about their chemistry.

  “We did a chemistry read and kind of hit it off right away, I felt, for the second time, third time,” he joked, playing up the memories of their first meeting. “So that’s the first time we got to play the characters together.”

  “We had tons of chemistry,” Lawrence insisted with a laugh. “He was Peeta,” she added of her first impressions of Hutcherson as “the boy with the bread.” “I had heard the director, I had heard Gary [Ross] say, ‘He is the only one who is actually Peeta,’ and then [Josh] came in, and he was. He’s charming and nice and sweet, like a dog licking your face.”

  “A dog licking on your face?” Hutcherson asked, wondering if Lawrence was giving him a compliment or not.

  “It is! That’s what it’s like hanging out with you, it’s like, ‘Eeeeee!’ ” Lawrence said of her excitement being around the 19-year-old.

  For the entire interview here’s the MTV News link.

What’s Next for Daredevil

 

Daredevil #10.1 courtesy Marvel.com

  Dark and gritty comics are great but once in while you just need to ease up and enjoy great superheroics. Daredevil is known for tragic tales, street level crime fighting, ninjas and the Kingpin. Marvel enlisted Mark Waid to reinvigorate Matt Murdock/Daredevil with stellar results.

  Daredevil by Mark Waid/Marcos Martin and Pablo Rivera was one of 2011’s critical and commercial successes for Marvel. After several tragedies and demonic possession in Shadowland, Matt Murdock came back with a more upbeat attitude and focus on straight up superheroics. Comics Newsarama asked the veteran writer if the successful relauch was in part to fans ready for more positive heroics.

  “I think that’s a huge part of it. That doesn’t mean that there are no consequences for Daredevil, no repercussions to his actions, no hurt in his future — but he wins. That’s what people seem to be responding to as far as the storylines go.”

  Waid has been throwing surprising enemies at Daredevil including Klaw and now the Mole Man. Why would Mole Man turn up in a book like this.

  “One, they’re both blind. Two, they both have a form of radar-sense. Three, I wanted to see the Devil on a Dante-esque journey through the dark and monstrous underworld, and boy, did Paolo deliver on the visuals. Those covers alone are so evocative of Doré’s classic depictions of Hades that I find them stunning.”

Daredevil #11 courtesy Marvel.com

  And don’t forget The Omega Effect is coming in April. Waid and Greg Rucka spin a crossover between Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Punisher.

Mark Waid’s first volume of Daredevil with issues #1-#6 is out now.

For the entire interview here’s the Comics Newsarama link.

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New Writer for Batman: The Dark Knight

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice #5 courtesy DC Comics

  Novelist Gregg Hurwitz takes over writing Batman: The Dark Knight with June’s issue #10. The acclaimed novelist is currently writing Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, a mini-series about Batman’s iconic foe. The final issue arrives next week.

  “Okay. So this is the job I’ve been waiting to get since I was eight years old. I’m thrilled to be tackling one of the world’s greatest characters with one of the industry’s greatest artists,” Hurwitz told The Source. “Finch and I are very fired up to take the Batman into dark and dangerous new terrain, presenting a story that’ll be epic and sweeping and just a little bit twisted. We’re gonna see a cornerstone villain from a whole new angle, too. I’ve always been fascinated by Jonathan Crane—not just what makes him tick, but what could have happened in his past to make him obsessed with fear at the expense of all else. And perhaps that particular obsession isn’t so different from the demons that drive the Dark Knight. As I discovered when writing Penguin: Pain and Prejudice—Batman fits uniquely with the villains in his rogue’s gallery. They are two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, ego and shadow. But in some cases, maybe the match is even closer. Maybe instead of ego and shadow, it’s shadow and shadow. Maybe when Batman looks in the mirror, the Scarecrow’s face is looking out. We’re used to Batman teaching his villains a lesson, but this time the Scarecrow might have something to teach Batman, too. Right now, I’m knee deep in straw and burlap, trying to stitch together a tale I hope you’ll find familiar yet new, a twist on a classic. It’s gonna get bumpy and scary and bit unhinged, so buckle up for the ride.”

New Prometheus Photo

    When I look at this new photo from Prometheus – I can’t help but think those pillars are what the alien eggs were on in Alien before poor John Hurt got face hugged. I had a flashback to the first AVP movie when the ancient pyramid had a sacrificial chamber with pillars for the eggs.

  So are the Aliens created by the Space Jockeys but the masters lost control over their pets? This definitely appears to be the ship the crew of the Nostromo explored in Alien. I can’t wait!

Latino Review posted this haunting photo from the Prometheus Forum. Want to chat about our Prometheus theories? Follow me on Facebook – I’d love to hear from you.

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, AVX and Scarlet Witch’s Fate

Avengers The Children's Crusade #9 preview art by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel, Comic Book Resources

  When the GLAAD Best Comic Book Series Nominee Avengers: The Children’s Crusade began it marked the return of the excellent Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung on the team they created. Wiccan and Speed hoped to find, save and redeem their mother, Scarlet Witch. Their devoted teammates joined them on an adventure into Latveria through time. The heroes faces the Avengers, X-Men, X-Factor and Doctor Doom. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade is one of the most perfectly written and drawn series Marvel is publishing.

  I had no idea how pivotal this story would be to the entire fate and future of the Marvel Universe. When the series ends the Scarlet Witch will be set up for her role in Avengers Versus X-Men, the return of the Phoenix Force and her possible connection to the mutant messiah, Hope Summers will be revealed.

  X-Editor Nick Lowe answered fan questions on Comic Book Resources. The question I found interesting was if the Avengers Editors or X-Editors determined Wanda’s fate after Avengers: The Children’s Crusade?

  “It was Allan Heinberg (with input from Tom Brevoort) mapping out Wanda’s trajectory. Allan had some great ideas on the subject and somehow Tom B. didn’t ruin them all,” Lowe responded. Brevoort is the Avengers Editor.

  Will Wanda be redeemed for Avengers Disassembled and M-Day/The Decimation? Wiccan and Speed may save their mother only to see her fall in AVX. Time will tell but Heinberg and Cheung have created a real Marvel classic with Avengers: The Children’s Crusade.

 

New Creators Announced for Emerald City Comicon

Emerald City Comicon announced 5 new creators coming to this year’s big event March 30th-April 1st.

Jason Howard is the artist known for Astounding Wolf-Man, Invincible, Little White Mouse and Super Dinosaur.

Ryan Ottley artist on the popular Image series Invincible  and Hack/Slash, Haunt, Witchblade.

Jeff Krell is the creator of the LGBT comic strip Jayson.

Jim Woodring is an awarding winner creator known for work in his magazine Jim.  He also worked on Aliens and Star Wars titles for Dark Horse Comics.

Gregg Schigiel works on the Spongebob Squarepants series and recent X-Babies. He’s the host of Stuff Said podcast.

Find Geek Love at Emerald City Comicon!

 Emerald City Comicon is giving fans a stellar cast of movie stars, television stars, comic book creators and even Jay and Silent Bob.

 Now your chances of finding the geek love of your life may skyrocket at the Seattle spectacular March 30th-April 1st.

  The Sci-Fi Speed Dating crew and stars of TLC’s Geek Love are coming to ECCC on Saturday only.
 To sign up just go to the  Sci-Fi Speed Dating link and complete the form.

Good luck, “May the Force be with you” so you can find “The One” then “Engage!”

Kitty Pryde Pregnant – Is Colossus the Daddy?

Wolverine and the X-Men preview art courtesy Marvel.com/Comic Book Resources

Kitty Pryde is pregnant.

I assume and hope Colossus is the daddy but in the X-Men world never assume.

When the cover Wolverine and the X-Men #6 revealed a pregnant Kitty surrounded by nasty Brood it sent chills through me and sent X-fans into a frenzy. In last month’s issue #4 Kitty started experiencing sudden symptoms and was soon ballooned out and ready to pop.

Today Marvel gave Comic Book Resources this exclusive preview art from Wolverine and the X-Men #5.

Did our beloved Kitty just deliver the news to Peter? If this were the real world – I’d be thrilled that Kitty and Peter were having a baby and settling down in family bliss. Continue reading Kitty Pryde Pregnant – Is Colossus the Daddy?