This. Is. Awesome!
And what’s really cool about it? You can’t see it, but he’s also wearing web-shooters and a Legion Flight Ring.
Hat tip: Retcon Punch.
Monthly Archive: March 2010
Stan’s Back! (Really!)
Savvy interweb surfer types may have noticed the viral campaign that hit the web last week; The stark white text on black background declaring that ‘Stan’s Back!”. Clicking it brought them no more information, rather, just a quick detour to a larger version of the ad. But, we here at ComicMix are glad to inform you just what’s going on.
Stan “The Man” Lee is returning to the industry he helped shape! That’s right. The creator of a few lesser known characters you may have heard of (The Incredible Hulk
ring a bell? No? The Fantastic Four? Still nothing? How about Spider-Man? The X-Men…?) is coming back to comics with a bang! Or more appropriatley… a BOOM! Stan Lee’s POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, Inc. has teamed up with Boom! Studios to announce the release of three superhero titles slated to hit stands later this year.
Word around the campfire is that the Incorruptable and Irredeemable Mark Waid will helm one book, with a promise of 2 more “A-Listers” to be brought on under Stan’s forthcoming imprint. Shortly after hearing that news, we had to catch our breath. When we got back to the campsite, the fire was already extinguished, and the supplies were gone. While this assured us that yes, Mark Waid is Evil… they were nice enough to leave a note on the ground that declared “More Information To Come Soon…”
Consider yourselves now in-the-know. Stay tuned for more edification.
DC Hauls Out Its Big (Legal) Gun Over Superman
In the never-ending battle with the Jerry Siegel estate over the rights and ownership of Superman, DC has fired its old law firm and replaced him with a big, scary guy.
Well, Warner Bros. did the hiring. DC no longer has any distance from their parent company and therefore no longer steers the ship.
The new guy is Daniel Petrocelli. With respect to the current Superman situation, this is the guy who hammered the estate of literary
agent Stephen Slesinger on behalf of the Disney empire. Slesinger was the man who initially propelled Winnie the Pooh into the hearts and souls of Americans. Petrocelli got the suit tossed not on its merits but because the Slesingers’ lawyers illegally obtained documents by
trespassing on Disney property. Hey, a win’s a win.
Petrocelli is defending Jeffrey Skilling, the Enron CEO who was convicted of the massive swindle that cost so many Americans their life savings, their jobs, and/or their retirement. And by “convicted,” I mean the case is presently before the Supreme Court in an attempt to free the convict instead of letting him roast in a well-deserved living hell. But that’s just my opinion, and I like the guy’s brother.
This is not to say the Siegel estate doesn’t have its own heavy-hitter. Marc Toberoff, who already won some major innings in this particular dispute, is well-known in media circles and is also representing the Jack Kirby estate in a similar action against Marvel and their parent company, Marvel Comics. Toberoff’s involvement mitigates against the philosophy that Petrocelli was hired simply to intimidate the Siegel estate.
The people out of a job are the firm of Weissmann Wolff Bergman, who successfully defended DC Comics and our pals Timothy Truman and Joe R. Lansdale when the faded rock stars Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter gracelessly sued the bunch over a tribute in a Jonah Hex miniseries.
Who Watches The X-Men?
On the right, the well-known Watchmen icon. Trademarked and in use since 1986.
On the left, Marvel Comics’ ad for their new X-Men summer event, “We Are The X-Men.”
Coincidence? Really?
Worse still, if there are any walruses in the storyline, Marvel could have Yoko Ono up their ass.
Sidney the Great Meets Iron Mike
About seven minutes after Canada beat the United States for the Winter Olympics gold medal, I got a call from ComicMix‘s own utility infielder, Glenn Hauman.
“So are you going to write it up?” Glenn asks.
“Write WHAT up?” Mike responds.
“The Grell thing, Glenn responds.
“Damn. WHAT did Mike do NOW,” Mike queries, oblivious to the obvious while deep in the throws of mourning the
American’s having to settle for a mere silver medal.
“You know, that hockey thing.” Like most Americans, Glenn’s not much of a hockey fan. He didn’t even know that his local team, the New Jersey Devils, was beating the poo out of nearly every other NHL team this year except for my Chicago Blackhawks.
“WHAT hockey… oh, I get it.” The cold light of reality started seeping into my blackened brainpan; the first sign of recovery for a hockey fan. Or maybe it’s the first sign of soberness; I wouldn’t know.
It turns out a couple years ago I assisted Iron Mike in a special licensing project for the NHL turning a bunch of rookies and newbies into super-heroes. It was a lot of fun for me, but mostly because this time Mike was the one playing point with the licensee and I was simply “advising,” which is a euphemism for “consulting,” which is another word for “money for nothing and your chicks for free.” Mike did some great work on this series, and among the players so empowered was an astonishingly young phenom called Sidney Crosby.
Sidney, of course, went on to become one of the hottest players in the NHL and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also received the ultimate honor: I wear a Penguins t-shirt with his name and number on the back.
Sidney Crosby also scored the sudden death overtime goal last night that gave his homeland another gold medal for hockey. Quite aside from my genuinely patriotic fervor in my support of Team USA, it was an amazing goal and a well-earned victory.
And it teaches a lesson. See what happens when Mike Grell turns you into a super-hero?
The Point Radio: Uncle Andy Comes Out Of WEEDS
If you’re a fan of the Showtime series, WEEDS, did you know that good old “Uncle Andy” has all new webisodes running right now before Season Six gets underway? Justin Kirk joins us with all the scoop, plus who could EVER play Jim Rockford, or direct a FLASH movie or be Carly Simon’s secret 70s lover? We’ve got it all right here!
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Review: ‘The Neverending Story’ on Blu-ray
Many ComicMix readers no doubt have struggled form time to time telling fantasy from reality. We want to let our minds wander, explore strange new worlds, and avoid the harsh and unpleasant realities that await us in the mundane world. The clash between fantasy and reality fuels the 1983 Michael Ende novel The Neverending Story
The movie was released in 1984 and despite glowing reviews, failed to perform at the box office and its sequels and related adaptations have all gone wanting. The film has been dusted off for Blu-ray, being released tomorrow by Warner Home Video. This appears to be the same version as was released on DVD in 2001 complete with the utter lack of extras. The print looks terrific and sharp while the upgraded 5.1 audio is the only compelling reason to buy this version.
The movie adapts just half the novel and made enough alterations to annoy Ende. Bastian is a terrific reader with a strong imagination, a place he retreats after his mother’s death and constant bullying from classmates. His father tries to convince him to live in the real world and begin adjusting to their new reality. A chance encounter at a used bookstore leaves the boy with a copy of [[[The Neverending Story]]] which he reads in one sitting, hidden in an unused attic at his school. By the end of the book, he is shocked to discover he has become a pivotal character in the tale and holds the key for the realm of Fantasia’s survival.
Much of the film, though, takes place in the fantasy realm and the creature designs and characterizations are imaginatively done. The production designers have done a nice job in creating a wondrous place with magical creatures, talismans, castles, and races that all get along. Yes, they look like puppets but done right, it can work—look at the recent Where the Wild Things Are. If anything disappoints its some of the rear projection and blue screen work which is glaringly obvious on Blu-ray.
The movie fails, though, to make us care. These are fantastic creatures but none have personality nor do our twin heroes – Bastian or Atreyu. In fact, Bastian is conflicted throughout reading the book because he just talked with his dad about living in the world yet his imagination can save a different world. It can be a strong them but is barely handled. At film’s end, when Bastian emerges from the school, there’s no resolution, no bookend to complement the opening. In fact, Bastian’s absence is ignored by teachers and father and there are no consequences for his actions.
The book, which remains a beloved volume, has many more imaginative characters and settings than is seen here. Yes, not everything could be replicated and such a large book needed modifying for the screen. No question. But the lingering shots of Atreyu on his journey could easily have been set against more interesting visuals.
While the film has endured as a bit of a holiday time cable staple, it’s really a tedious adventure failing to come close to the magic contained within the source material.
Celebrate Women’s History Month at Munden’s Bar!
March is National Women’s History Month, and it’s coming in like a lioness this year as we bring you a Munden’s Bar story called “Good For The Goose”, written by Martha Thomases and
Valerie D’Orazio,
drawn by Norm Breyfogle, lettered by
Bob Pinaha,
colored by Matt Webb, and pulled together by ladies’ man
Mike Gold.
Read “Good for the Goose” now! Tell your friends! And don’t forget to leave comments!
