An 'Incredible' 40 Years! Hulk-mania Part 1

In the spirit of complete anticipation for this Friday’s premier of The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Leterrier and featuring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, I have decided to produce a series of posts on everyone’s favorite savage beast. Today I’m gonna take the time and go over some features of The Hulk’s origins, as well as give a brief overview of how the character has progressed in the Marvel Universe over the decades.

The Incredible Hulk #1 hit shelves in May of 1962, with its title star making his very first historical appearance, and was created by Marvel masterminds Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It told the tale of how Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a scientist working on a project to create a gamma bomb, would save the life of a young boy and, in the process, become transformed into a rampaging giant green monster when the bomb exploded accidentally. Reverting to savage impulse, the misunderstood Hulk would wreak destruction wherever he went, causing him to become the target of police and military efforts, often lead by General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, in order to halt his destructive impulses. The only people able to calm the savage beast within the Hulk was Betty Ross (General Ross’ daughter) and Bruce Banner’s friend (and the boy whom he saved from the original gamma blast) Rick Jones. Rick Jones could be said to be The Hulks true sidekick.

The initial run of The Hulk was cancelled after a mere six issues. However, within a year The Hulk was re-instituted into the Marvel Universe, as a founding member of The Avengers. His run with The Avengers lasted their first two issues, where he then returned in issues 3 and 5 as an antagonist. You cannot truly ever control the savage beast. The Hulk’s run of comics began in earnest, introducing such villains as Abomination (who will be the primary focus for the villain in this Friday’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’ movie) and the Leader. By March 1966, issue #77, The Incredible Hulk became one of Marvel’s first heroes to have their alter ego publicly known in the Marvel Universe.

Over the years, primarily in the 1980’s and 1990’s, writers and artists of The Hulk began toying with reasons for The Hulk’s aggressive tendencies. In October 1984, during the series “His Crossroads of Eternity” (which ran from issues #300 - #313), the current writer in charge of the Hulk, Bill Mantlo, explored the idea that Banner had suffered child abuse when he was younger. This became a fully recognized element to help explain the motive behind the transformation of Dr. Banner into The Hulk. It was soon decided that Banner suffered dissociative identity disorder (DID), possibly stemming during his years of abuse when he was younger, which is very similar to a multiple personality disorder. This explains the different personalities of the Hulk over the years.

From a savage beast full of anger, to a ‘puny human’ doctor, to the Vegas enforcer Joe Fixit (or ‘Grey Hulk’), Bruce Banner held within him conflicting personalities. Finally, in January of 1991, issue #377, writer Peter David revamped the Hulk once again. This time, using hypnosis and the aid of one Dr. Samson, the pieces of Banner’s identities were able to become fused. A new Hulk with the vast power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of Joe Fixit, and the intelligence of Bruce Banner; a vastly more dangerous Hulk.

The Hulk continued on, until finally, in 2006, a secret group of Marvel’s topmost heroes calling themselves the Illuminati and consisting of Dr. Strange, Professor Xavier, Sub Mariner, Black Bolt, Reed Richards and Iron Man, decided finally that the Hulk was an impending threat to humanity. With his new (and unknown to him) status as a potential risk to Earth, Hulk was sent on a mission into space where his spaceship malfunctioned, sending him crash-landing onto what was supposed to be an abandoned planet. However, due to a slight trajectory malfunction, Hulk instead landed on the planet of Sakaar. Here, with the help of a bit of muscle power, he usurps the throne of Sakaar from it’s tyrannical leader and reigns supreme over this world. However this was not to be, as the vessel he landed on explodes, destroying Sakaar’s capital as well as his wife and unborn child. With vengeance in his heart, Hulk returned to Earth to take his revenge on the Illuminati.

Once back on Earth, after causing panic amongst Earth’s people and amongst the heroes there, The Hulk was eventually subdued, and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, much of his former anger abated. Only very recently has he escaped from imprisonment in order to fight new menaces.

The Hulk has taken on many changes since his original creation in the 60’s. He has gone through multiple style changes, personality changes and has even fought on both sides of the field. There are few other heroes on the Marvel Stage that have made as large of impacts onto regular continuity as The Hulk has. He has also had a very impressive list of film and television appearance. A TV series from 1978 – 1982, a movie entitled ‘The Incredible Hulk Returns’ (TV film) in 1988, ‘The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (TV film) in 1989, ‘The Death of the Incredible Hulk’ (TV Film) in 1990, a segment in ‘The Marvel Superheroes’ (an animated series) in 1966, a full animated series in 1982, and an updated animated series in 1996, a movie entitled ‘Hulk’ in 2003 (directed by Ang Lee) and now, on Friday, ‘The Incredible Hulk’.

Quite an impressive resume - we’ll see how this pans out!

The Dirt on Tokyopop

On June 2, a week ago today, Tokyopop announced a sort of splitting of their company. Tokyopop is literally THE Manga company, and are responsible for most (if not all) the translated material we get here in North America. They have decided that they will spin off their comics-to-film and digital operations into a new company, called Tokyopop Media LLC.

Publishing, which will still remain with Tokyopop Inc., will be reduced by around 50%, reducing output to only 200-250 titles per year. Tokyopop had over 500 titles. This move has required the ‘reducing of their workforce’ by 39 employees, however the executive level will also see some changes.

ICv2 reports that “Group President and COO John Parker will take over as Publisher at Tokyopop, Inc. Marco Pavia, previously Director of Marketing, has been promoted to Associate Publisher. Mike Kiley, who has been serving as Publisher at Tokyopop Inc., will take over as the key senior executive in Tokyopop Media.

If you think about all this, however, it seems to make sense. Out of 500 titles per year, dropping it to 200-250 means only halting the translation of the ones who don’t nearly do as well anyways. Guaranteed the top 200 are the breadwinners with Tokyopop, where the last few are lucky to sell a few hundred copies. The market is simply diluted with far too much material out there to absorb! By separating resources into this new venture, Tokyopop will be able to fully focus on success in the two departments that mean something currently.

50% of the company can now focus solely on producing these excellent titles, while the other 50% can fully focus on their job of bringing these materials to the big or small screen, and onto the internet in unique ways. As we can all see, when Marvel made their big push into entertainment, it was pure gold for them. With Tokyopop now able to focus on comics-to-film, we can expect to see big things coming from them through different forms of media.

ICv2 has a new article up just today of a particularly insightful interview they had with Mike Kiley, the former Tokyopop Publisher who will be taking a ‘yet-to-be-named’ position at Tokyopop Media. I urge you to read it!

‘C’ is for Comic Books - An Encyclopedia Blitz!

I think it started sometime in 2006. Yes, that’s when the Marvel Encyclopedia was published by DK Publishing. I have a handy copy of it right here, and as I flip through I can tell you that this is a pretty in-depth look at the Marvel universe and her characters. More than a thousand articles in here.

I’ll agree with a friend of mine and allow that Deadpool doesn’t get nearly the page space he deserves... still a very comprehensive look, however.

The Marvel Vault, published by Running Press, followed suit in 2007. The ‘Museum-In-A-Book’ did extremely well during the holiday season, and traced the history of Marvel from the Golden Age all the way to present day. Nearly 70 years of history and over 30 pieces of removable memorabilia – such as old trading cards, reprints, artwork, etc. – all in a book. Makes you feel like a kid again just by opening it and exploring the treasures inside.

This is why Running Press will be releasing ‘The DC Vault: A Museum-In-A-Book’ this October! Following the success of its predecessor, The Marvel Vault, Running Press has ordered a huge first printing of 100,000 copies of this new Vault collection. There will be tones of extras to be found in this vault, such as exact reproductions of early sketches, memos and even a working model of a 1942 Junior Justice Society of America Decoder!

How cool is that?!

Look for that one in stores in October for roughly $50.00!

DK Publishing won’t be missing the boat this holiday season
either, as they will be releasing a thoroughly informative collaboration to follow up on the Marvel Encyclopedia! DK’s The Vertigo Encyclopedia ($30.00) will be a 240-Page, full color hardcover edition will be out for the holidays and will most definitely be a top seller. In here you will find all of the primary Vertigo labels such as Hellblazer, The Sandman, Preacher, Swamp Thing, Fables, and Y: The Last Man. That’s not all, there will be tones of other articles on other Vertigo properties. Look to the shelves this holiday for this one to add to your collection!

But DK’s not done yet! With the success yet again of its Marvel Encyclopedia, DK is coming back with Marvel Chronicle (roughly $50.00)! It’s a 352-page, year-by-year accounting of the history of the Marvel Universe! From its early days all the way up to the recent events of Civil War and Secret Invasion! Along the way it will also note the key events of our time to coincide with what comic books were being published in those years. This book will be a great idea for those who wish to find out just how Marvel found themselves in the position they are today – how they and their characters built up so much steam to become the true marvels they are today.

So a bunch of encyclopedic knowledge about comic books will be out for the holidays this year. So throw away your Encyclopedia Britannica – there wasn’t much in those anyways – and make some shelf space for a whole new set of books containing all you need to know about the comic book titans of history!

Marvel Wants More ‘King’

It’s simple fact that Stephen King’s novels are sheer gold when it comes to comic book adaptations. Each issue of the series has sold no less than 100,000 copies and has remained in the top 3 sellers since the initial release. With this incredible success, Marvel has taken it as a signal and has announced a licensing agreement with Doubleday in order to continue their work with Stephen King.

What’s next on the list?

The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition. The adaptation is based off of Stephen King’s novel, which is a post-apocalyptic tale set in America after a virus has wiped out 99.4% of all humanity. It tells of two separate bands of survivors, struggling against each other to survive.

The book which the series will base itself off of has sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide, and it is expected that with the previous success of The Dark Tower series as a comic adaptation, this will do equally well if not better. Robert Aquirre-Sacasa (Fantastic Four) is set to adapt the novel and Harvey Award-winning artist Mike Perkings (who was the artist for Captain America) will illustrate the series.

You can expect the first issue of this new series to hit stores in September!

Wake The Dead

Mary Shelly once warned of the “over-reaching” of man. In her story, Frankenstein, she told the tale of a scientist creating and bringing to life a new being – similar to a man but larger and physically better – from dead body parts. The story unfolded with the monster being shunned and feared by the local populace. However, in the end, the monster is merely misunderstood. He is truly suffering from immense solitude, hatred and remorse. When his master dies, he too ends his suffering.

This is the feel that Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) took with his graphic novel: Wake The Dead. The graphic novel is a re-imagining of the classic Frankenstein tale, where life is created from what was dead.

And now it is to become a movie! From the looks of it, the production crew is STACKED with talent.

Holding Pictures has acquired the rights to do the film, which has already hired names such as James V. Hart (August Rush, Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) to pen the screenplay and Jay Russell (The Water Horse, Ladder 49, Tuck Everlasting) to direct. WETA studios, which have done previous work on The Water Horse and, of course, on the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films, will be handling the visual effects for Wake The Dead.

Charlie Lyons (The Water Horse, Firewall) has been set to produce the film, and can be quoted saying, “The idea is to make a classic horror film, and what I liked was the combination of Jay, in a genre he's wanted to experiment in for some time, with Jim, who is particularly skilled at this kind of voice, and with a world created by Steve, who has become a classic in the graphic novel world."

Charlie Lyons will personally fund and finance the film through the end of principal photography, giving this creation a big chance at coming to life.

Disney Creates Graphic Novel Medium

Walt Disney Studios is now launching Kingdom Comics, through which they will begin to adapt graphic novels for the big screen. Also, it will be Kingdom's job to handle work on rejuvenating Disney's live action film properties. ICv2 reports that 'Disney Publishing will have the first option to publish the material, although Kingdom will be able to take its packages elsewhere if Disney declines to publish.'

This means that Kingdom Comics will be creating new graphic novels and characters and optioning their creations for film adaptations. Also they will be taking movies from the Disney Vault and re-imagining them as graphic novels.

Who knows what we will find turning up in graphic novel form in the future? Perhaps a Davey Crockett graphic novel series? I think that would be pretty awesome. Loved that film when I was but a boy. Ooooh. Old Yeller would be awesome.

Kingdom Comics will be headed by Ahmet Zappa (Check IMDB to see what he's been in. He's also written 'The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless' which is also being considered for a film. Ahmet is also currently executive producer of a Fraggle Rock feature), Harris Katlemen (His key to fame is when, from 1980 - 1992, he ran 20th Century TV which developed The Simpsons during that time), and Christian Beranek (who founded Silent Devil).

So far no writers or artists have been signed on, but that will likely change soon.

The Deal with D&D

As some of you may know, the definitive table-top RPG (Role Playing Game) of our time - and inspiration for countless works of fiction, cinema and video games - is releasing its highly anticipated 4th Edition on Friday, June 6. Dungeons and Dragons, created by Mr. E. Gary Gygax and Mr. Dave Arneson, was originally released in 1974 and has grown in every way since then.

For those who have no clue what this game is all about, I will give a quick rundown of what the game entails.

Players create their own character along a provided guideline, allowing for a large amount of creativity. The leader of the game session, named the 'Dungeon Master' (DM), controls the games progression. His/her job is to tell a story, through which the players' created characters quest in order to achieve glory and riches by defeating various monsters that the DM throws at them. Actions are controlled through the use of various die rolls, especially the all-important d20 - the 20-sided-dice.

This game is all done verbally, and use of the imagination is called on frequently and is of key importance to the success of the game. Many visual components have been produced over the 34 years of this game's existence to aid adventurers in completing their campaigns to the utmost satisfaction.

And now, 34 years later, Dungeons and Dragons has created a 4th edition of rules, updating and fixing the many issues that have built up over previous editions. With such new additions as an online component, this release is expected to be HUGE.

With D&D Insider, which I believe comes out to 9.95/month for a subscription (if purchasing a year) grants the user access to a veritable plethora of online material - the best part being the online game table. The game table will allow a DM to host a session of Dungeons and Dragons online with (from what I hear) up to 15 people. With the online aid, rules and procedures will be literally at your fingertips for easy access. A voice chat system will allow for the game's demand for verbal interaction, although instant messaging will no doubt be available. The game table itself will represent an actual dungeon which may be fully customized; every monster, every spike trap, every treasure chest and even the dungeon layout.

Players will be able to create their own characters, controlling everything from facial features, armor, how they stand, etc. The game will then place this newly created character as a playable figurine on the virtual game table. No more worries for the artistic impaired. The use of this character designer means you'll never again have to ask your friends to draw your character!

Unfortunately everyone must wait for June 6th for this release. However, on May 23 it was reported that Buy.com was shipping out copies of the new core rulebooks - 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Wizards of the Coast - the company handling the release of this new edition - released a statement that they take these matter seriously and that they were looking into the matter.

In the mean time, the books have wound up on various Bit Torrent sites. Regardless of this fact it is expected that paper copies of the product will still do exceptionally well, if not even better because of the additional hype over this early leak.

3 days ago now, however, ICv2 reported that the 4th Edition has gone back to the printers in order to handle the demand of the release this Friday. They report that the sell-in of this new edition has been 50% higher than Edition 3.5, and now Wizards of the Coast must compensate for this flux in sales.

You can currently pre-order your own copy of the core rulebooks either separately or in this convenient gift set. Amazon.ca currently has the set listed at $76.23 Canadian before shipping, and each book separately listed at approximately $25 Canadian apiece.

On another note, the guys over at Penny Arcade and PVP got together with Wizards of the Coast in order to do some online advertising, etc. They were able to sit down and play a session of the new edition, and went through a few of the new changes in play. This session will be released in a series of podcasts, of which the first you can see here. Accompanying this escapade is some official D&D artwork drawn by Scott Kurtz (PVP) and Mike Krahulik (Penny Arcade). Go check it out! It's both informative AND funny!

Movie on tap for Witchblade

It looks like another comic is on the slate for movie production. Witchblade - a comic that's been around since 1995 and has become wildly successful around the world (it is now printed in over 20 languages), has been dished out for production via a partnership of Top Cow Productions, Arclight Films and Platinum Studios.

The Witchblade is a jewel encrusted gauntlet that, when wielded by someone worthy, forms a symbiotic relationship with it's host. Those unworthy, however, lose their arm.

The gauntlet itself is alien in origin, and is the offspring of the universes two opposing aspects: Light and Dark. The gauntlet is male, and in order to balance, it must have a female host. When wearing the Witchblade, it has a tendancy of ripping one's clothes off and surrounding it's host by expanding in size to protect her in a sort of armor - the amount of armor depending on the threat level of a foe.

So... to summarize... a very scantily clad woman kicking a lot of ass, wearing anywhere from huge amounts of armor to barely anything at all. Just wanted to make sure I got that...

The gauntlet itself has many many unique properties as well, including forming into different forms of weaponry. It also has the ability to heal wounds, even those that would certainly kill a person.

A two-year TNT cable network television program ran shortly after the release of a made-for-TV movie in 2000. This, however, will be the first silver screen appearance of the Witchblade.

It should be noted that the poster you see posted is merely a teaser poster released by the production companies. Casting has not yet been completed, so the woman you see there is simply a stand-in.

Batman: The Dark Knight

Hands down one of my most anticipated movies this year. After how incredible of a job they did on Batman Begins, I can’t help but think that this movie will be even better – if only for the addition of (the late) Heath Ledger as the Joker. I’m not sure if you have seen the Batman trailer, however I’m assuming if you’re reading this blog you must have by now. Watch it in QuickTime format here.

The thing I’m most impressed about in regards to this movie is the impressive (possible overload) of viral marketing. The campaign they have gone through to promote this movie has been nothing short of breath-taking. Let me see…

There’s Why So Serious, where currently you can take a personality test to see if you qualify to be one of the Joker’s thugs. There’s the Gotham Times, where you can go and read the Gotham newspaper to catch up on current events in Gotham. Ha Ha Ha Times goes hand in hand with this, where you can view a doctored, vandalized version of the same newspaper articles.

And then there’s a number of obscure and professional looking websites such as The Gotham National Bank website, The Gotham City Rail website and The Gotham City Police Department website. With that last one, there is also We Are The Answer – a website devoted to citizens of Gotham reporting claims of dirty cops and corruption.

Then there’s "I Believe in Harvey Dent" - the Harvey Dent campaign website! Harvey Dent, we all know, is the man destined to become Two Face, and is played by Aaron Eckhart.

Lastly there’s a very… realistic website devoted to a student reportedly killed by Gotham gang violence, called Remembering Gina.

How can you not look on all of these websites (all of which have offered so many different hints over the past few months) and not admire this massive marketing campaign? I mean sure, a lot of people don’t like to go on scavenger hunts in order to discover a little piece of information, but just the fact that there are so many ways to accidentally stumble onto a piece of their marketing is incredible.

Anyways.

If even the acting and script quality of the first film can remain intact for this second installment, then Batman: The Dark Knight will win the superhero opening weekend fight over Hulk or Iron Man. With the addition of Mr. Ledger as the Joker (and from what we’ve seen from the trailers – the best damned Joker EVER) and Mr. Eckhart as Harvey Dent, this movie promises to have a far more complex, and far darker plotline than any other Batman movie before. If they put even half the effort into the movie that they put into marketing... this one will be money.

See you at the theatre!

Iron Man vs. Batman

I know many others out there have already caught the eerie similarities between Iron Man and Batman. Alright, maybe not so eerie, however it is oddly coincidental for the top two grossing superhero movies this summer. Let me assure you, Batman: The Dark Knight WILL be a top grossing film this year. Sadly Hulk will have nothing on these two.

I mean let’s go over the facts, here.

Iron Man is a billionaire. Batman is a billionaire.

Iron Man is a playboy socialite. So is Batman.

Iron Man has Jarvis, his butler (though in the film they basically gave Pepper his role and made Jarvis into the AI in his suit and lab). Batman has Alfred, his butler.

Both don’t actually have superpowers. They merely… use their money and go traipsing around flaunting the fact they could become heroes because they were rich and had some time on their hands.

Iron Man lost his parents. Batman lost his parents.

Iron Man has his sidekick, War Machine. Batman has his sidekick, Robin. War Machine > Robin.

Iron Man has the Avengers. Batman has the Justice League.

The only thing Batman has that Iron Man does not is an extra 30 years and 4 more movies.

In total, Iron Man did 100.8 million dollars not including international sales. Indiana Jones nabbed 126.1 million dollars. How will the Batman sequel do in the box office? You can bet it will land somewhere in between. I doubt it will beat out the almost 3 decade’s worth of hype and anticipation of Indiana Jones, however it does have a lot of free advertising surrounding the death of Heath Ledger. My money down on 119 million, give or take 2 or 3 +/-.

A friend of mine showed this little clip to me a little while back. It’s basically everything I just talked about in the form of a PC vs. Mac commercial. Enjoy!

The Golden Avenger

What can I say about that movie? I know it’s been out for quite some time now, but I was in Mexico so now is the time to post my personal review. Marvel bet the bank on this production, and it marked the first Marvel superhero movie to be completely controlled and produced by them. Literally they put their own intellectual property on the line if the movie went south.

They needed to make this movie all that it could be. They certainly succeeded.

The script was nothing less than phenomenal. It was quick, it was witty, it was funny yet not childish and it was serious when it needed to be. I’ve realized, though, that any script given to Mr. Downey Junior automatically becomes excellent merely through how he reads his lines. To say that Robert Downey Jr. was destined for this role as Mr. Tony Stark… would be quite accurate. The cosmos MEANT for him to play this role, and he did it justice.

Then we had quite a few supporting actors/actresses who also did their part to make this movie great. I was very skeptical about Gwyneth Paltrow playing Stark’s secretary, Pepper Potts. Although I am sure I am right when I say that she was chosen simply to drag in Paltrow fans who would not normally see a superhero movie (above many other more qualified actresses who would have fit the role, I digress), I found I actually enjoyed her in the role. She did good, though a few of my friends would say different.

Is it just me, guys out there, or did she look smoking hot for a good chunk of that movie? I’ve never thought that way of her before…

Terrence Howard held the role of Rhodes, and I found his voice a bit too… soft. I looked past it. He’s going to be awesome in the next film anyways as War Machine. Jeff Bridges did very well as Tony Stark’s corporate partner-turned-bad guy. I like that dude’s voice. Very intimidating.

I didn’t go into Iron Man with extremely high expectations, because my heart might have shattered if one of my favorite superheroes was destroyed much as Spider-Man was. I came out of that theatre brimming with new hope for ALL of the upcoming Marvel-made superhero movies.

And now for a couple of ***SPOILERS***, to round this off.

I’m sure many others caught the allusions toward the Mandarin’s rings? Because that terrorist group was one of (I’m assuming) 10 groups calling themselves ‘The Ten Rings’. Raza (the leader of the group that captured Tony) would always be casually stroking the ring on his right hand ring finger – a massive red stone.

Alright folks, time to geek it up a notch. Bonus points if anyone can remember what that ring was supposed to be able to do…

It was a ‘Disintegration Beam’ ring. It has the power to literally destroy the links between atoms of anything it hits, at a recharge time of 20 minutes. Powerful stuff! Perhaps we’ll be seeing more of the 10 rings terrorist groups in the upcoming Iron Man 2, as well as The Mandarin, who in the comics gathered all 10 rings to control ultimate power and summon the dreaded dragon, Fin Fang Foom!

And that scene after the credits? Marvel Entertainment is definitely pushing their comic book genius. Tying together movies as they would comics… You can bet that Mr. Samuel L. Jackson will most likely make an appearance in the Incredible Hulk movie later this summer, recruiting yet one more member to the Avenger Initiative.

Did you HAVE to go there, George?

Where to begin? That would be the first question one would ask oneself, perhaps, after viewing the newest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. I suppose I WILL begin by stating that this post will include some spoilers, so here we go:

***SPOILER ALERT***

So what makes Indiana Jones… Indy? The first thing that comes to mind when asked that particular question is his mischievous smirk that comes right before doing something so mind-bogglingly risky that it leaves you with a lingering “wow” escaping your lips. That and a bunch of witty one-liners to ease any situation.

What else defines Indiana Jones? Well… Nazis. I know most people would say, “Well Temple of Doom didn’t have Nazis…” and to that I say ‘touché’. Temple of Doom certainly did NOT have Nazis. This, however, is why Temple of Doom still stands as my least favorite of the original three movies, though I definitely respect it and cherish it as if it were my child… though my third favorite child.

That would mean this newest film was the unexpected mistake of a child… but I digress.

Alright so what’s my beef with the newest Indiana Jones film? For one I thought the script to be nothing less than trash. It all seemed a bit… not Indy. Where were the witty one-liners throughout? That was a small part, I suppose. What really bothered me was the general plotline. Here is where the primary spoiler comes.

Aliens?

Really?

As soon as I came to realize this, which didn’t take long (You discover this fact not long into the movie), I knew that Mr. Lucas had left his greasy fingerprints all over this. Was Star Wars not enough that you would have to put your damned extra-terrestrials into everything you do now? We get it! You made Star Wars! Want a cookie?

I honestly don’t know why Steven and Harrison agreed to do this story… I mean there are tonnes of other artifacts and ancient stories that could have been more… archaeological. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the past Indiana Jones films had a certain feeling of awe surrounding ancient artifacts and the power flowing from them. An alien skull seems a bit… I don’t know… I guess it would have made a better X-Files film.

Another thing that bugged me about the newest installment was the unbelievable factor. Some would say “What, and triggering an elusive trap and running away from a boulder wasn’t unbelievable?” or maybe even “What, just because Short Round claims there are “No more parachutes!” you are able to survive a 20+ story fall from a plane with only an inflatable dingy?”. Again - touché. But to survive not once, not twice, but thrice over waterfalls of ascending magnitudes… there seems to be a problem. I mean sure a couple could have survived. Perhaps the younger folk. But for crying out loud, one was an invalid! He probably couldn’t even wipe his own ass in that state let alone be able to swim and get back into that car-turned-white-water-raft. Again I digress.

The whole Alien thing really turned me off of what, in my opinion, Indiana Jones should be. Harrison Ford did a great job once again as Indy. He can still fill those shoes. It’s just the script didn’t allow Ford to do it justice. It wasn’t the same Indy.

By the end of the film I was half expecting a light-saber battle and Han Solo jumping out of nowhere proclaiming he was Indy’s great, great, great, etc. grandfather. Maybe even a bit of Jar Jar Binks in there somewhere.

It just wasn’t… epic enough. Raiders and Last Crusade had the whole “If we don’t find this thing first, the world is going to end.” This one merely had a “If we don’t find this thing first, some chick is gonna be super smart, but she’ll die anyways cause she can’t handle it.” Although it always happens. They got that right, at least. Bad guy still gets there, tries to utilize whatever object, and meets their untimely end.

Oh and one last thing. A refrigerator? I don’t care if it’s lead lined. That was just… was it really necessary?

Sigh. Some things, I think, are best left alone – preserved in their glory.

Showtime

And... back.

It's been a wild month what with Mexico and hospitals, etc. Long story short, the hiatus ends now.

I've got a line-up of movies to review, some old, some new and some forthcoming. Got some book reviews rattling around here somewhere. Got some news coming out of every orifice around here that's been stacking up for a month now.

All will be revealed! Stay tuned!

Whew!

Wow, sorry for the crazy hiatus we've been on. Been a busy month what with me graduating here this weekend, so many video games, so many movies, and a Mexico trip starting Sunday.

The hiatus will ensue for just a bit longer, but as soon as I get back into Canada in a couple weeks, I've got a good number of posts cooked up. We'll do some catching up then.

Look for a few movie reviews, a few book reviews, and other stuff like that!

Ok, time to go pack!

Daniel

ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction

The guys over at Red 5 Comics have done it again!

What have they done?

They've perfectly catered to our undying thirst for Zombie-related material!

Kevin Grevioux (the creator of Underworld) and Red 5 Comics are teaming up to create a 6 bi-monthly release of this new horror-action series. I think that SuperHeroHype's article say's it best:

"Air-dropped into the deadliest hot zones, the walking dead of "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction" indiscriminately infect every last warring insurgent -- on either side of the conflict. Specifically engineered to be photosensitive, once enemy infection becomes complete by dawn the originals and newly created zombies dissolve as a means to control widespread and accidental zombification. This allowed live soldiers to enter and safely occupy the now-combatant-free territory. However, this plan takes a deadly turn when one of the U.S. zombies, dubbed -- Zombie Zero -- fails to dissolve at the expected time, and begins to wreak havoc in the Middle East by creating others like him. This leads the U.S. military brass to send in a special operative to quietly take out Zombie Zero and his minions before their existence becomes known to the rest of the world."

Look for these to hit shelves in July sometime! For more information, you should probably check out either SuperHeroHype's article, or browse for more information on other Red 5 stuff at their site!

Who here plays Hero Clix?

I'm a personal fan of the Marvel series of HeroClix, though WizKids produces three separate 'Clix' lines: DC, Marvel and Indy. I've been playing for a few years now, and when a new series comes out a friend of mine and myself find our ways back to the old comic shop to purchase a brick - to later sort through them meticulously and select our new team members draft-style. Marvel Comics and WizKids have announced a new collaboration for the upcoming release of the newest Marvel series of HeroClix: Secret Invasion.

The Secret Invasion themed release will, of course, primarily focus on the recent events occurring in the Marvel Universe, where not long ago we discovered that Skrulls may have been infiltrating our world for a long time now. Skrulls, of course, have the technology and ability to assume the shape of other beings, and have used this ability to wreak havoc amongst earth's heroes. No one can trust each other as the struggle to protect Earth's inhabitants is waged amongst the heroes of our planet.

In a push to expose customers in game stores to the comic book world, Marvel and WizKids have teamed up to produce cross-promotional material and packaging for this new set. The displays for the sale of HeroClix boosters will also sell pamphlet comics to coincide with this new release.

The thing I'm wondering about is what the exclusive figure will be with purchases of a brick, because I already know that most of the figures in this series will be crazy strong as it is!

The Triumphant Return of Earthworm Jim

You may have already heard this, but the magnificent Earthworm Jim looks to be suiting up once again. Interplay Entertainment Corporation has announced a partnership with MR. Doug TenAppel. Doug TenAppel created the popular character for a video game in 1994, and it went on to become a massive success with 3 video games and a fun-filled animated series with 23 episodes in 1995 and 1996.

The story revolves around an earthworm who, unexpectedly, has a super suit fall on him one day. The suit enabled him to become the inter-galactical crime-fighter (kinda) feared by villains everywhere. With such memorable baddies as Evil the Cat and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head, Jim had his work cut out for him.

I personally remember drawing Earthworm Jim portraits on half the papers in my binder in elementary school. You can bet I'm pretty excited for what's to come from Jim's galaxy. Look to the future to bring a new animated television series, a new video game and even a feature film!

Stan Lee and Virgin Comics Ultimate Team-Up!

Mr. Stan 'The Man' Lee has opted to form a partnership with the guys over at Virgin Comics! Their mission? To create a new universe of superheroes, unlinked to anything out there in the market. Stan has, in his time, created or had a hand in creating some of, if not THE most, memorable characters in comics history. Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man... all of these and many many more fall under Stan's imagination.

"What a dream assignment!" enthused the always-ebullient Lee. "I can't wait to start pitting my newest, most exciting superheroes against comicdom's most powerful, diabolical super villains and then have the fun of tossing them into far-out, thrill-a-minute adventures to challenge the readers' imagination! And who better to share in the fun, creating wondrous new worlds without limit, than the incredibly talented and dedicated guys at Virgin Comics!"

Hold onto your hats, everyone, this is gonna be one hell of a thrill ride.

The comic series is due out sometime in 2009, so look forward to seeing more and more news about the project in the months to come! Our friends at Comixology has more to say on the matter, so head on over at this link here!

'The fate of superheroes'

Thane Burnett (who writes for the Toronto Sun and from whom my local paper occasionally posts articles) wrote a particularly intriguing article this last Saturday. The article was called 'The fate of superheroes', with the sub-text reading: 'A boy grows up and his childhood champions are banished to the basement'.

The article unfolds, telling about Thane's experience recently with - under the request of his son - repainting and refinishing his child's room. The room had at one point been a homage to the comic book era his child grew up on. "A swinging Spider-man and a flying Superman, whose red cape wrapped around the walls and ended where (his son's) head would hit the pillow each night." All of this on a background of white fluffy clouds on sky blue. And on the roof, Thane tells of how he even wrote a storyline to read in big bold letters. The story told of how a villain stole all the humor in the world, and how his son would have the last laugh.

Firstly I just want to say that this man, Thane, is a father who should receive an award of some kind. A man who put honest thought and care into the decor of his son's room in order to entice imagination. To encourage a strong and healthy childhood by providing for his son what every child needs - a hero.

However it was not to last. Thane tells how his son, at age 10, tells his father he's embarrassed to have his friends over from school. When asked why, Thane discovers that his son does not want to show his friends who he shares his room with.

Alright so here I am going to just pause and speak my mind. If Mr. Burnett should read this I mean absolutely no harm, just my own personal thoughts.

What kind of 10 year old wants something like that covered up. Who are his friends that would come over and see those walls and NOT be impressed with how 'cool' those heroes are. They are 10 year-olds. And how do you grow out of that kind of phase that young? Alright, I will admit that my youth was filled with comic books and fiction of almost every kind (Name it - sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery, what have you). My imagination was cultured through my parents' insistence of summer-reading programs. By the time I was 10, I was neck-deep in comic books to read and so were my friends at school.

Even the 'cool kids' in my grade hung out with each other at recess playing 'Power Rangers' - (I was Jason for the record. Every time) - and Animorphs (Totally got to be Tobias). There was nothing to be ashamed about our imaginations, which were almost at their peak of strength. Superheroes are the one thing I don't understand. They are nearly timeless. Perhaps you may throw out your old comic books, but once you've read the origin of Batman, you will carry that knowledge with you the rest of your days.

I walked past a junior high school a couple weeks back during lunch hour. As almost anyone will tell you, Junior High is the hell of grade school. Where the young have decided that segmentation of groups is quite alright, and the stereotypes come out to play. Where the 'cool' kids hang out in the park, while the 'nerds' chill in the library or computer lab. You'll never guess what I heard.

You see, there were these four kids 'chillin' by the fences, experimenting with swear words I deemed still too out of their league. But you know what they were saying?

"Man, that new Batman movie is gonna be the f***in sh*t man. Like f**k. I'm gonna go see that on the first f***in day."

Dollars to donuts (yeah I said it) that the kids hanging out in the library are saying the exact same thing and that the kids in the computer lab are probably even looking up movie set photos and reading up on Batman lore. Perhaps they will run across each other in line for the movie. Perhaps a nod of acceptance will be in order from both parties as they realize that a common interest provides common ground and equality.

The fact of the matter is that no child should be embarrassed for their love of super heroes and comic books and the strong use of their imagination. What type of friends are they who curb your enthusiasm when it comes to using your mind for your enjoyment?

I digress.

To sum up this post I just want to tip my hat to Mr. Burnett for a truly insightful article this past Saturday, and wish to say that I admire your strength and resolve to please your child as you unwillingly painted over your work. But I also encourage you to continue calling your son 'Superman', because he always will be to you and guaranteed he will always remember that kryptonite = bad. An imagination is healthy, and one should hang on to it as long as possible.

Death Note Live Action Movie

Not many people nowadays can say they have never heard of Death Note. The popular manga title has stirred up controversy almost all over the world, with incidences popping up once in a while about a child carrying a notebook with severe death threats and some even acting on them. The story itself, however, is fantastic. A cunning cat-and-mouse detective vs. misunderstood serial murdering (and self proclaimed) hero.

The catch?

How about writing a name inside a death god's notebook, including form of death, and the person who's namesake was written suffers the death along with it. To the 'T'. This manga title has reached ICv2's top 50 Manga Properties List, and also has an anime television show currently aired during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block.

The live action version of this film will debut in over 300 theaters in America, with a two-night special event beginning on May 20th. A theater list is available over at the FathomEvents Website. Unfortunately the film is only available in the United States and not Canada, however I have faith that we will be able to view it soon enough.

I honestly can't wait to see how well it translates to the silver screen in live action.

Eisner Nominees now Online!

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards nominees have been officially listed for 2008!

For those who don't know, the Eisner Awards are dished out to deserving winners every year at the San Diego Comic Convention (Tommy and I have our tickets purchased and as of tonight will have the hotel and flight officially booked - a word to the wise, next year do not procrastinate as we have. Hotels are... tough... to find). The Eisner Awards have been kicking around for roughly 2 decades now but honestly, this one seems to have a fair turnout from all producers, with nobody really having a majority seating among nominees.

I'll draw your attention to Red 5 Comics (who I am, as you may have noticed, a big - nay - large fan) who hauled 2 nominations this year for Atomic Robo! Best Limited Series and Best Coloring - two noteworthy categories.

For the full article on nominees and the event, feel free to visit CBR News. You'll find anything else of note there!

Create Your Very Own Hero!

Allow me to introduce you to Captain Awesome! He's really awesome! What are his powers you ask? His powers are AWESOME! However I have not yet decided what his powers are!

He does, however, have swords and brass knuckles. And a utility belt.

You are now completely baffled I see, yet - by reading the title - by now you no doubt surmise the topic of this post. Yes, I did create this fancy little hero. All the detail you see here, all the stunning equipment features, the colors, everything was done in a completely painless and extremely addictive process.

This fine character was brought to you by the good people of Under Ground Online. Besides many other cool time-busters on their site, they have a hero creator. Whether you play Dungeons and Dragons or just wish to create a visual guide of some of your favorite characters from books, etc., the Hero Machine V2.5 is the way to go! In relatively no time at all I have created over 10 characters. And I still want to make more.

The program is flash driven and requires no downloading for the program (It's all online), short of the latest version of flash! It also features an easy print feature so you can show off your creation to your friends, and be the envy of all your questing buddies when the DM gives you bonus experience for that really swanky character portrait!

So get out there and create for yourself the superhero you've always wanted to be! Be imaginative! Goliath!? commands it!

Comic Book Movie Adaptation #___

Hack/Slash, the growing-in-popularity comic by Todd Seeley and Stefano Caselli is one of the newest announcements for a movie adaptation.

According to Variety, Rogue Pictures acquired the rights to the series in 2006, and recently have tagged on a screenwriter and director. Justin Marks (who is also working on a Street Fighter film), is set to pen the adaptation, while Todd Lincoln will make his directing debut with the film.

The comic itself tells the story of one Cassie Hack, an orphaned child of a 'slasher', who has grown up to become a tough-as-nails (and attractive) young woman who travels across America in search of slasher murderers in order to do away with them with vigilante justice. And a baseball bat.

Female heroics on the scale of Buffy, minus the vampires.

Still, at one point there was a rumor going around that actress Megan Fox was to be approached for the role, which is A-OK in my books! Look for production on this film to begin later this year!

Atomic Robo Volume 1

If you were to enter a comic book store at this very moment, you'd be pretty hard pressed to actually find the first few issues of Atomic Robo. They're sold out.

But never fear! The Atomic Robo Trade Paper Back (Volume 1) is hear! Compiled together and coming out in June this year are the first 6 issues of Red 5's incredibly successful series. But what is Atomic Robo you ask (for those who do not know...)?

Well in these issues you will see Atomic Robo (a robot), do battle with Nazis, giant ants, clockwork mummies, walking pyramids, Mars, cyborgs and his nemesis, Baron von Helsingard. Yes you heard me right... Nazis. This guy is like a robot version of Indiana Jones.

Red 5 Comics is fast becoming one of my favorite producers of comics, with Atomic Robo being a favorite on that list if only for the artwork - which is fantastic. Look for the first volume of the TPB to come out in June, complete with new stories, concept art, pin-ups and more. If you're looking for me, I'll be at the local comic store picking myself up a copy!

For other works by Red 5 comics, you might want to check out our previous article, Afterburn.

Kevin Colden: Fishtown

"It disturbs me no more to find men base, unjust, or selfish than to see apes mischievous, wolves savage, or the vulture ravenous." - Jean-Paul Sartre

Kevin Colden is a New York based web comic artist who has spent the last 3 years working on a gritty tale known simply as Fishtown (NSFW). Part of the Act-I-Vate online anthology, Colden has been working on this project since early 2005.

The story unfolds slowly as four teenage misfits are interviewed about their involvement in the disappearance and murder of their friend Jesse. A frightening, graphic account of the events is compounded by the calm, non-caring demeanor of the teens. Drugs, sex, self-mutilation; all part of the daily lives of these teens.

The fact that it is fiction does not help as you realize how real these events can be. Close to home, it resembles the murder of Edmonton's Nina Courtepatte, 13, on a local golf course by five low-life mallrats.

Fishtown will be released in book-form late this year by IDW Publishing.

UPDATED: 04/10/2008 - A correction on the post: There were five officially charged in the Courtepatte case, not the previously stated four.  Thanks anonymous for the keen eye!

Blatant Production

At first I assumed, based on the general nature of Blatant Comics and their previous productions, that the news I am to share today was - in fact - one steaming mass of april fool's goodness. Far too often I am strung along on an idea that is just too good to be true, and this story definitely seemed one of those moments.

'Last Blood', the most recent publication from Blatant (and currently in it's fourth issue - the first issue of which actually debuted on Free Comic Book Day in 2007), has been optioned to Benderspink. This production company has numerous comic book based projects on the go, including the much anticipated Y: The Last Man.

The story itself has everything a healthy, growing and imaginative guy needs: a tale of zombies facing off against vampires who are trying to protect the remnants of the human race as they struggle to survive following the zombie apocalypse. Can it GET any better!?

I know! Too good to be true, right!?

Well unless Variety is into April Fools jokes as well in their publications, then this is no joke! Be prepared to see a Last Blood movie in theaters in the future!

Last Blood is written by Bobby and Chris Crosby, and is illustrated by Owen Gieni.

To find out how you (yes, YOU) could actually survive a zombie apocalypse, check out one of our earlier posts, 'Z is for Zombie', and you can even prepare yourself further by purchasing the must have reference guide!

Bookoff to Payoff

The Anime News Network has reported that popular used-bookstore chain, "Bookoff Corporation" has opted to pay numerous creators' associations 100 million yen (approximately 1 million dollars US) in order to address mounting complaints. The growing used-book industry has begun to take a certain toll in new book sales, to the discomfort of creators.

Bookoff currently has hundred of stores in Japan and numerous others overseas, and clocked roughly 460 million dollars this last fiscal year. Their primary specialization are manga, books, CDs, DVDs and video games.

This marks the first specific offer of payment to any of these organizations from bookstores.

If you wish to read the rest of this article, just follow this link!

Gonzo to take a cue from Radiohead

Fans of Radiohead's new album may recall the unique 'pay-what-you-think-it's-worth' strategy the band took back in October. For those who missed it, essentially it was an open-pricing model where a person was prompted to input whatever dollar amount (British pounds, actually) that they felt the album was worth.

The release prompted over 1.2 million downloads, and while Radiohead refused to release sales numbers, analysts estimated they earned approximately $5 per download.

Since this time, other artists including Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and poetic rapper Saul Williams have used this method to some degree of success.

Gonzo Animation Studio's parent company GDH has announced today that they will be releasing two anime series using the same open-pricing method as the bands. The Tower of Druaga and Blassreiter will have episodes available to download in full on the Crunchyroll website on the same day as they air on Japanese TV. The price you pay will be up to you!

While GDH is just testing the waters at this time, the company should be applauded for it's foresight into the future of digital media. Many companies are beginning to realize that the old pricing methods are quickly becoming obsolete. Rather than fight it, many are striving to find new and creative ways to get the content to the fans while still maintaining a healthy profit.

While the open-pricing model may not be the final solution, it is certainly a step in the right direction and I'm glad to see companies willing to try it out.

One company, Two Characters, Three Cool Announcements!

California-Based Sideshow Collectibles, Inc. has recently announced three new projects based on two of your favorite Star Wars characters!

Sideshow was formed in 1993 as a designer toy and collectible studio under the name Sideshow Productions. At that time, it was a motion picture prop and special effect firm. In 1994, the company shifted it's focus exclusively to the collectibles market. The company typically produces licensed products from movies, television, animation, and comics.

In collaboration with Medicom Toys, Sideshow has recently released a stylized C-3PO vinyl toy. Approximately 8" in height, the toy has 11 points of articulation. While it was designed to fit in with some of Medicom's previous Star Wars releases. Here's the rub, to get the toy to have C-3PO's distinguishable golden shine the company had to made this 'vinyl toy' out of...plastic!

Now, 8" is certainly nice...but how about 66"!? Sideshow announced today they would also be accepting pre-orders for two other special releases: A life size C-3PO and R2-D2!

Made of fiberglass and other quality materials, these robots feature both light and sound functionality for that extra level of robot realism!

Unfortunately, the robot celebrities do not walk around. But here's hoping that they give you some relationship advice after your wife leaves you for dropping over $5,000 each on two robot statues to decorate your living room.