Tag: Star Trek

Comic Book Movies 2013

As we celebrate the finale of The Dark Knight Trilogy, the success of The Avengers and the return of James Bond in in Skyfall in 2012, it’s time to look at some of the genre films that will thrill us in 2013.

Here are my most anticipated comic book films of 2013.

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

The Wolverine Hugh Jackman plays the X-Man in his second solo movie based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. It’s Logan in Japan fighting Yakuka, Ronin, the Hand and The Silver Samurai! This film introduces three iconic women of Wolverine’s list of romantic conquests: Lady Mariko – daughter of crime lord, Yukio – the wild assassin who inspired Storm to get a mohawk, and Viper – ruthless terrorist leader.  With James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) directing from the classic source material, I think this film will be a showcase of action and great acting Jackman. Jackman and Wolverine are one of the greatest combining of actor and role ever.

Thor: The Dark World Chris Hemsworth as the Thunder God goes home again when a new threat targets Asgard! Malekith (played by former Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston) leads the Dark Elves on a quest for vegeance that threatens the Nine Realms. Adwele Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays another classic comic book enemy: Kurse. I hope to see a bigger role for Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander) and look forward to that bloody Shakespearean drama from Anthony Hopkins, Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Odin, Thor and Loki.

Iron Man 3 Marvel is injecting new creative blood (director Shane Black) and a classic enemy – Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin – in Tony’s third solo movie. The story is based on the classic Extremis story and introduces new armor including the Iron Patriot.

Man of Steel With a team like director Zach Snyder, producer Christopher Nolan and writer David Goyer will this darker, realistic Superman work the way Dark Knight did? Henry Cavill will face Michael Shannon as Zod and possibly more evil Kryptonians.

Star Trek: Into Darkness To boldly go where no franchise has gone before! J.J. Abrams rebooted the sci-fi classic by honoring the original series while moving forward at warp speed. Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise crew track a mystery villain (Benedict Cumberbatch) villain out to destroy the Federation.

What’s on your list to watch for in 2013?

By Editor

 

 

Best of 2012 Image/Dark Horse/Indie

The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics
The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics

Best New Series: Manhattan Projects, Fatale (Image) I can’t decide.

Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead (Image)

Best Artist: Nick Pitarra (Manhattan Projects)

Best Writer: Brian Wood (The Massive, Conan) Ed Brubaker (Fatale) Jonathan Hickman (Manhattan Projects) (Yeah, I know but I couldn’t decide!)

Best Mini-Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimiliation2 (IDW Publishing)

Best Single Issue: The Walking Dead #100 One word. Lucielle.

Best Moment: Josephine unleashed in Fatale #10 Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips bring their second arc to a bloody, awesome ending.

Best Guest Star: Oh My, George Takei beams to Riverdale in Kevin Keller #6

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 courtesy Dark Horse Comics
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #14 courtesy Dark Horse Comics

Best Newcomer in a Continuing Series: Billy the Vampire Slayer in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season Nine

Best New Series That Should Be On Cable TV: The Massive by Brian Wood (Dark Horse)

By Editor

No Capes, No Problem! 5 Non-Superhero Comics

  Think you’re old to read superhero comics? You want something else out of literary escapes besides or instead of costumed heroes? Here are 5 of my favorite non-superhero genre series that gripped me in 2012 and wouldn’t let go.

The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics
The Walking Dead #100 courtesy Image/Skybound Comics

  The Walking Dead This year it was time to stop just surviving and start living. One beloved survivor is on longer living in the larger world. The Walking Dead #100 ended with one of the most gripping, sick and painful moments of the year as “Lucielle” changed the survivors forever. I almost hope the television series doesn’t last long enough for me to have to watch that moment again. 100 issues and this series is just as provacative and powerful as ever.

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing

  Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 The Time Lord (along with Amy and Rory) beamed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at a time when Federation worlds are under attack from Cybermen working with the Borg. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Doctor must find a way to work together to save the Federation. The creative team captures the spirit of each franchise and demonstrates how each character would react, relate, bond and clash with each other.

The Massive #6 courtesy Dark Horse Comics
The Massive #6 courtesy Dark Horse Comics

  The Massive How do you remain a conversationist when you world you hoped to save has gone to hell? How do you remain a pacifist when you must dodge ruthless pirates to get food and supplies you must have to survive. Welcome to  a new world where cities have sank, economies have tanked and civilization is crumbling. The crew of the Kapital sail the oceans in search of their friends on their sister ship, the Massive, and for necessary supplies in order to stay alive. Brian Wood has created a thrilling morality tale while building a dangerous new world that serves a a cautionary tale for humanity.

  Manhattan Projects Jonathan Hickman’s gripping story of twisted history and weird science shocked and challenged me with every new issue. Building the atomic bomb was nothing compared to the staggering creations of this government think tank.

 

Fatale #1 cover courtesy Image Comics
Fatale #1 cover courtesy Image Comics

Fatale Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s mixed crime noir with supernatural horror in two tales of a woman who may be immortal and the men who die for her. The second arc just wrapped. An actor crosses Josephine’s path and all hell runs wild in 1970’s Hollywood with killer cults.

Teen romance, horror, crime, western? Visit your local comic book shop in 2013 and ask for a book to fit your genre tastes!

By Editor

Comic Book Picks for 12/19/12

All-New X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel
All-New X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel

All-New X-Men #4 This is the confrontation we’ve been waiting for since Brian Michael Bendis revealed he was bringing the original X-Men from the past into the Marvel Now! The original Scott, Jean, Bobby, Warren and Hank confront Cyclops, Emma, Magneto and Magik! Will it be Cyclops vs. Cyclops?

Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 Jason Todd may have more reason to hate the Joker than any of his victims. In this Death of the Family tie-in Red Hood and Red Robin team up to take on the Joker! Could this teaming turn into a clash between the Teen Titans and the Outlaws?

Saga #8 Alana is a former warrior turned new mom. She and her husband have dodge alien monsters, armies and assassins. Will she survive meeting her in-laws/

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimiliation2 #8 The final chapter in the epic crossover starring to huge science fiction franchises! The Time Lord and Enterprise crew launch an assault behind enemy lines to stop the threat of the Cyberborgs!

Uncanny X-Force #35 Rick Remender’s final issue! The last chapter of The Final Execution! Wolverine’s covert team (Psylocke, Deadpool, Archangel, Fantomex) has been to hell (The Age of Apocalypse, Otherworld) and back with a bloody, brutal connection to the child who could become Apocalypse. There’s been death, rebirth, betrayals and shocking developments no one could predict. How will Remender end his epic run? This may be the issue of the year!

By Editor

George Takei Goes to Riverdale?

Kevin Keller #6 courtesy Archie Comics

  A Star Trek living legend will boldly go…to Riverdale this week. George Takei will guest star in Kevin Keller #6 from Archie Comics according to BuzzFeed.

  Cartoonist Dan Parent pitched the idea to Takei at a recent comic book convention so Riverdale’s most famous gay resident could meet his hero. Takei came out in 2005, married his long-time partner Brad Altman in 2008 and has been a champion for marraige equality and fighting bullying and homophobia.

  Kevin Keller recruits Jughead to go in search of  the Star Trek star at a convention but “Oh My” Takei has a big surprise for the Riverdale gang this week!

  Before Marvel married an X-Man and DC made a Green Lantern gay, Archie Comics was nominated for a GLAAD media award for creating Kevin Keller. The first openly gay character in Riverdale now has his own series and made mainstream headlines for the gay dream wedding issue.

Thanks to Robot 6 of Comic Book Resources.

  I was very lucky to meet George Takei and his partner at this year’s Emerald City Comicon. I chose the U.S.S. Excelsior photo to be autographed!

By Editor

Top 5 Comic Book Picks for 12/5/12

All-New X-Men #3 courtesy Marvel

All-New X-Men #3 The original five X-Men have been brought from the past into there present day. How will Cyclops react to his younger past self?

Avengers #1 Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are “going large” under new creative team Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four, FF, SHIELD, Manhattan Projects) and Jerome Opena (Uncanny X-Force) Who will answer the call when Captain America expands the team roster to take on threats around the globe and into space.

Hawkeye #5 Caught on tape! A hero’s shocking act. Can the Avenging Archer recover “the tape” before the revelation changes his status with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? Will Kate Bishop’s masquerade among a who’s who of Marvel villains backfire on her?

Hellboy in Hell #1 Hellboy is dead and facing familiar faces in Hell in a brand new story written and drawn by Mike Mignola!

Kevin Keller #1 “Oh My!” Kevin and Jughead go on a quest to find Star Trek legend George Takei for a school assignment but the famous actor has a big surprise planned for the Riverdale High gang!

By Editor

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS Poster Revealed

 

Star Trek: Into Darkness courtesy Paramount Pictures

  The first poster for Star Trek: Into Darkness is out! Paramount Pictures tweeted the teaser!

  No Kirk. No Spock. No Enterprise.

  The poster does show Benedict Cumberbatch (he plays the villain) surveying the ruins of an Earth city or is it Starfleet HQ. Some bloggers have said the city is London given the similarities to specific landmarks in the British capital – good eye IGN. The villain is walking through a blast zone that is in the shape of the Starfleet insignia.

  The villain is sporting a Neo (from The Matrix) style look. Speculation about Cumberbatch’s role has run from Khan to Gary Seven. The teaser does have a look similar to The Dark Knight Rises.

Here’s the official synopsis:

  “When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”

What do you think? I personally think it’s cool that it doesn’t look like a typical Star Trek movie poster. JJ Abrams make Trek cool again with respecting the legacy without being chained to it – warp speed!

The trailer is about to debut in about 2 weeks.

By Editor

New MAN OF STEEL Trailer With THE HOBBIT

 

courtesy Warner Brothers

  The Hobbit will be the gift that keeps on giving to geeks this holiday season! The first 9 minutes of Star Trek: Into Darkness will screen on select IMAX screenings of Peter Jackson’s new film. Now Warner Brothers announced a new Man of Steel trailer will screen with The Hobbit in 2-D and 3-D.

   The director of the new Superman film tells MTV :

  “It’s fun. I can’t wait for ‘The Hobbit,’ so it will be fun to see our crazy ‘Man of Steel’ trailer and then enjoy the Hobbit because that’s going to be great,” Snyder told MTV News. “It just feels like a fun Christmas thing to do, drag the whole family out for that action.”

 The director of the Superman reboot is praising his two leading men: Henry Cavill and Michael Shannon:

 “Shannon is great, he has such great enthusiasm and dedication constantly,” Snyder said the actor playing Zod. “You can imagine that you could get actors who go, ‘Oh right, it’s Zod, it’s not 100 percent serious,’ or [you can play it] slightly with a wink, there is none of that with him. His effort is to make it realized and to understand this character and what he has to go through, so you have that on one side and you have Henry, who basically is Superman, on the other side and that dynamic.”

“I was just incredibly fortunate to play with those guys who really were giving all they had to bring a level of commitment to the scenes they have together so that audiences will get an opportunity to really have their heroes taken seriously,” he said. “As serious as I was taking it, and I don’t mean that from a depressing kind of way but from a, ‘This is important and fun and needs to be given the respect that it deserves,’ from that perspective it was so exciting to watch them drink the Kool-Aid of that concept and go all the way.”

Man of Steel soars June 14, 2013.

By Editor