Wolverine Versus Quentin Quire Round 1

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  Quentin Quire isn’t just an annoying, insecure brat that declared war on humanity…he’s downright sadistic in Wolverine and the X-Men Alpha & Omega #1. The battle royale between headmaster and student begins today. And I will love hating Kid Omega even more.

  Brian Wood returns to Marvel with this showdown between Logan and Kid Omega to see who will ‘rule the school’ with Armor caught in Quentin’s first strike against Logan.

  2011 marked the surprise return of Quentin Quire in Jason Aaron’s X-Men Schism series and then Wolverine and the X-Men series. The rebellious teen is now a critical character and I can’t imagine not having him around to tick off Logan. How can Wolverine defeat an omega level telepath? I can’t wait to see what’s next.

 

Generation X #63 courtesy Marvel.com

In the final page of issue one there’s a message from creator Brian Wood saying that Quentin needs his own book and a reflection on his early work in the X-Men family. 2000 was  his “first real work-for-hire writing job, co-writing with Warren Ellis on Generation X.”

  This was when Warren Ellis led the Counter X relaunch of Marvel’s mutant titles. The Generation X lineup included Emma Frost, Jubilee, Husk, Chamber, and Monet with art by Steve Pugh. Ellis and Wood sent the kids away from the mansion on a cross-country adventure tracking down missing kids across America. Welcome back to the X-family and Marvel, Brian.

 

 

Comics Blend Debuts on Seattle Talk Radio!

 

With my copy of "The Fearless" so I would remain fearless in my first talk radio segment! Thank you Fraction, Bunn, Yost, Bagley, Pelletier!

I made my Seattle Talk Radio debut today on Smart Talk KVI 570 on The Buzz with Scott Carty!

With two of my top 5 picks for this week

Comics Blend will provide geek speak to talk radio with the latest from world of comic books, science fiction and more to Scott’s entertainment show.

Yours Truly with Host Scott Carty!

Hopefully you will hear me next Wednesday too!

 

AVX Parties

AvX Party Promo Art courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel revealed the battle plan and this new image to make sure comic fans and stores are ready for the biggest super hero war in history. Avengers VS X-Men Launch Parties are set for Tuesday, April 3 at 8pm (local time), one day before the first issue goes on-sale. In addition to being the first in line to purchase AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1, fans will also be able to receive special items exclusive to these parties, specific to the team—Avengers or X-Men—supported by the store.

  Each participating retailer into this event will receive a free Avengers VS X-Men Party Kit from Marvel, featuring exclusive promotional materials. To receive a party kit,  the retailer must choose a team—Avengers or X-Men—and will receive special bonuses for their allegiance.

  “We’ve never had a bigger story than Avengers VS X-Men and we’re backing retailers with the biggest incentives you’ve ever seen through the Avengers VS X-Men Launch Parties,” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice-President of Sales. “Whether it’s advertising, promotional material or limited edition variant covers, every one of our valued retailer partners will be able to get the word out to both their regular customers and new fans about this comic event and the exciting Avengers VS X-Men Launch Parties. Some stores will choose to side with the Avengers and some will side with the X-Men, but I can guarantee one thing—Marvel will make sure all of them have everything they need to make AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 their top selling comic of the year.”

To learn more and the AVX items in the kit click this Marvel link.

Bradley Cooper is Lex Luthor?

"The Man of Steel" courtesy The Man of Steel Facebook Community

This is a wild, unconfirmed rumor but will People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2011 be playing DC Comic’s most charismatic criminal genius?

Cosmic Book News claims they have a tip that Bradley Cooper will be playing Lex Luthor in the new Superman reboot. Michael Shannon as General Zod is still the main villain in The Man of Steel. Luthor would be only a cameo.

What do you think of Cooper as Luthor? Stay tuned.

Emerald City Comicon Reveals 2012 Monsters and Dames Cover

Monsters and Dames Charity Art Book Cover by Adi Granov courtesy Emerald City Comicon
  It’s a star-packed tradition that shows the compassion and power of comic book creators and fans. Today Emerald City Comicon revealed the cover to this year’s 10th Anniversary Edition of the Monsters and Dames charity art book by illustrator and (ECCC guest) Adi Granov!

The MONSTERS & DAMES art books and auctions have raised well over $20,000.00 for Seattle Children’s Hospital. It has sold out each year at the convention.

“We’ve created not only a unique collectible that spotlights our show’s amazing and diverse roster of artists, animators and illustrators,” said ECCC Convention Director Jim Demonakos, “but it also allows us to give back to our local community by raising thousands of dollars each year for Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s pretty special.”

The full-color, 9″x12”, 80-page MONSTERS & DAMES hardcover is limited to 1150 individually numbered copies. This year’s edition features contributions from some of the top names in comics, animation and illustration – visit this page for the complete list of contributors.

 
Emerald City Comicon is March 30th-April 1st in Seattle.

 

Is Banner More Dangerous Than Hulk?

  With the Hulk/Bruce Banner returning to the big screen in The Avengers and a possible new television series by Guillermo Del Toro and David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) this is a great time read the new Incredible Hulk series by Jason Aaron.

Incredible Hulk #4 preview art courtesy Comic Book Resources

  The Hulk and Bruce Banner are now two separate beings.  The new series began with the Hulk at peace and Banner on the edge of sanity and creating truly horrific experiments. 

  The creative team is raising the idea that Dr. Banner’s brilliant mind may be more dangerous than the rampaging physicality of the green goliath. Aaron talked exclusively with Comic Book Resources about the direction for the series.

  “One question that we’ll continue to explore in this initial set of stories is whether or not Bruce Banner and the Hulk can survive as two separate beings,” Aaron said. “From the Hulk’s perspective he’s always been told that he was Banner’s burden. He was the thing that was holding Banner back. He was never going to find the happiness that he would have found on his own. So this looks at that from the other side of things. Maybe that wasn’t exactly true. Maybe the Hulk was the one that was being held back. At least that’s the way he sees it. That’s a question that’s going to be explored more going forward.”

  For more of Aaron’s interview and preview art from this month’s issue #4 click here. I’m working on a post about the Peter David era when the Hulk joined the Pantheon. I dived into those issues during the holidays stay tuned for that later this week.

Mark Ruffalo Calls Avengers “An Allegory”

 

Courtesy Marvel Films

The Avengers is more than a big budget action spectacle. It’s deep. If you don’t agree – take it up the Hulk!

  Mark Ruffalo who plays Bruce Banner/Hulk likens the assembling of Marvel’s mightiest heroes to an allegory about the American experience.

“You have all these disparate egos, superheroes in this and that, and they refuse to give up some of their positions in order to make a more perfect union and to join the team,” star Mark Ruffalo tells The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog. “That’s really what the whole movie is about: subjugating your own best interest momentarily to further that of the whole.”

As Ruffalo sees it, the film’s message speaks to the times. “I didn’t know it a year ago that it was going to speak to so many of the issues we’re having here in the United States and throughout the world, the same kind of theme,” he says. The actor was active in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

With Joss Whedon at the helm I expect an emotional whallop along with shields, hammers and pulse beams pounding at the big bad. The Avengers opens May 4th.

 Spinoff Online captured Ruffalo’s interview from The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy Blog.

DC’s Mystery Woman

Pandora revealed courtesy DC Comics The Source

  DC starts the new year revealing the name of the hooded mystery woman appearing the New 52 launch issues.

  DC Comics Blog The Source revealed that “her name is Pandora.” The artwork is called The Stranger.

  Will Pandora affect the entire DC Universe or just one specific hero or heroine? The hooded woman certainly has an ominous name connected to what could be a box of trouble for the new DC continuity.

  Who do you think Pandora is?