Tagged: Avengers

‘Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” Trailer Debuts

‘Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” Trailer Debuts

  • News
  • March 26, 2008

Marvel has released the trailer for the upcoming Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow animated movie. The film follows the children of the original Avengers, who are forced to take up the mantles of their parents in order to battle Ultron and save the world.

A release date for the direct-to-DVD film has not yet been announced, but it is believed the film will debut in the second half of 2008.

Viewers can see a high-resolution version of the trailer at Marvel’s website.

 

Interview: Brandon Jerwa on ‘Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero’

Interview: Brandon Jerwa on ‘Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero’

  • News
  • March 26, 2008

Writer Brandon Jerwa has had a varied and interesting career since beginning in comics early in 2001. Not letting rejection deter him, he persevered and eventually landed a job as a writer for the G.I. Joe comic book series. Later, Jerwa took on other television tie-in comics such as Highlander from Dynamite Entertainment — which he co-wrote with Michael Oeming.

During that time, he also wrote a backstory series about the Battlestar Galactica television character Tom Zarek. Due in part to his success with Zarek, Jerwa next took on a new comic for Dynamite titled Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero — a prequel of sorts to the Sci-Fi Channel TV series.

Now, with Season Zero rocketing towards a thriling conclusion in issue twelve, ComicMix caught up with Jerwa to talk about how he became the "go-to" guy for Battlestar Galactica at Dynamite, what we can expect from Season Zero as it finishes up and what other plans Jerwa has up his sleeve.

COMICMIX: Brandon, for people who might not know, can you give us a bit of info on your background? Did you read comics as a kid?

BRANDON JERWA: My first comic was an early issue of Star Wars when I was 4 or 5. I had all those early issues and they were definitely a huge thing to me, but I think Spider-Man and Batman made their way into the house pretty quickly after that! I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t have comic books.

My parents were supportive of the habit, so I’d always get at least one new book every time we’d go the grocery store or Kwik-E-Mart (ah, those were the days) and a long road trip was a surefire guarantee of a big pile of comics.

CMix: What were your favorites?

BJ: My favorites as a kid were Star Wars, Avengers, all the Spider-titles, including the most awesome  one, Marvel Team-Up; along with Marvel Two-In One, Detective Comics, Power Man and Iron Fist, Justice League of America and Teen Titans. G.I. Joe obviously made a huge impression on me.

I also have an undying love for Rom: Spaceknight.

CMix: How did you get started writing comics?

BJ: Well, I’m told that I’m the exception to the rule. I was living with my wife and infant son in Portland, Oregon when I started. It was 2001 and I was unemployed, so I thought I’d use my time playing stay-at-home dad to shoot for the Big Dream.

I wrote two scripts – one a G.I. Joe pitch for Devil’s Due and an original superhero piece for Dark Horse. A few months later, Dark Horse had given me my first rejection letter, but Devil’s Due apparently thought I was the man for the job.

My two-part script was extended to four parts and became my G.I. Joe: Frontline arc "History Repeating." Just a few months after those issues hit stands, I was the new regular writer of G.I. Joe.

CMix: How much did you know about Battlestar Galactica before you started writing any of the comics? Are you a fan of the Sci-Fi Channel show or the original ’80s version?

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ComicMix at WWLA: The Mondo Marvel Panel

ComicMix at WWLA: The Mondo Marvel Panel

  • News
  • March 18, 2008

Wrapping up our coverage of this weekend’s Wizard World LA convention, we have this report from Sunday’s Mondo Marvel panel at the Los Angeles Convention center.

Like the X-Men panel, leading the discussion again this time is Marvel Comics marketing guru Jim McCann. Once things settled down a bit and got organized, he introduced the distinguished panel of Marvel creators including Matt Fraction, Chris Gage, Aubrey Sitterson and Charles Knauf.

Knauf, who is currently co-writing Iron Man: Agent of SHIELD, said of the book, "It’s kind of interesting to write the most hated man in the Marvel Universe. I can’t wait till the movie comes out; it’s going to bring a lot of attention to the book."

Among Knauf’s future plans for the book are the introduction of a new "femme fatale" and an attempt to return Iron Man to his "hero status." He will also be trying to make the book "a little more fun."

"The flaws are what make him so great," chimed in Fraction, who’s also writing an Iron Man title: Invincible Iron Man. Said Fraction: "I’m looking forward to sending Iron Man on a big redemptive arc. He is his own arch-rival. I’m looking forward to grinding him to dust and seeing where he ends up," said Fraction.

Next, McCann turned to Chris Gage who is currently working on Avengers: The Initiative with Dan Slott — which has issue #10 at comic’s shops now. According to Gage, Issue #11 will feature the Mighty Avengers and Gage also said fans of the New Warriors may want to check it out, too, "just in case."

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Review: Andi Watson’s ‘Glister’

Review: Andi Watson’s ‘Glister’

Glister, Vols. 1-3

Andi Watson
Image, 2007, $5.99 each

Andi Watson has had a career more typical of a prose writer than a comics creator: he’s worked on a number of projects, pretty much all of them his own original ideas, nearly all of them with defined endings, for different publishers, and kept the copyright. Some of those projects span more than one volume, but, still, his stuff ends up on a shelf as if they were novels, and he’s hasn’t shown any sign of really wanting to be the next great Avengers writer or to re-vamp the Haunted Tank or do anything else horribly fanboyish and all-too-typical for his generation. And yet his work isn’t particularly literary or self-indulgent, either: Watson may have a bit of autobiography hidden around the fringes of his stories, but he’s mostly not talking about himself.

Watson’s recent books have generally been aimed at adults without being restricted to them; a book like Little Star is about parenthood in a way that teenagers probably won’t be interested in, but there’s nothing about it that would keep them out. His earliest works, though – Samurai Jam and Skeleton Key – were much more obviously all-ages books, and he’s returned to a younger audience with Glister.

Actually, if anything, Glister excludes adults: it’s a series about the continuing adventures of a preteen girl (Glister Butterworth), and its central audience is presumably girls of Glister’s age. Each of the three volumes so far are independent stories of about 64 pages each — the first is a bit shorter, but it also has a Skeleton Key back-up to fill out the pages.

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Interview: Fabian Nicieza Talks New ‘Captain Action’ Comic

Interview: Fabian Nicieza Talks New ‘Captain Action’ Comic

  • News
  • March 3, 2008

Writer Fabian Nicieza’s career spans over twenty years with stints at Marvel, DC and Darkhorse Comics. During that time he’s plotted, edited and written some of the most popular comic books around including Thunderbolts, Cable and Deadpool and Uncanny X-Men.

Recently, Nicieza competed against many other accomplished writers for the chance to bring one of the most beloved heroes from the ‘60s, Captain Action, back to the pages of a brand-new comic book series set to hit stores later this year. His pitch was selected and he’s now hard at work bringing Captain Action back to life.

ComicMix caught up with Nicieza to ask him a few questions about the Captain Action comic, his earlier work, his future and if a hero created and deeply-rooted in the ‘60s has a place in today’s comics culture.

COMICMIX: For people who might not know, can you give us a bit of info on your background? How did you get started writing comics? What were your favorites growing up?

FABIAN NICIEZA: I grew up reading comics. Out of college, I interviewed at both Marvel and DC, eventually landing a job at Marvel in 1985. After a couple years of learning the ropes, I started selling some stories to editors. I kept writing and working on staff, eventually, reluctantly, becoming a full-time writer.

I grew up reading Batman and Superman, then gravitated towards Marvel — Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Avengers. Then "offbeat" series like Conan and Captain Marvel. Offbeat for an 11 year old, I guess.

I also got lots of Superman, Justice League, the Engelhart/Rogers Detective run. I bought both Marvel and DC through the early ’80s, until I got the job at Marvel, then I got everything for free for a while.

CMix: Free is nice. How much did you know about Captain Action before you started 
writing the comic? Did you ever read the original?

FN: I read the original DC comic, but only because the toy was my favorite as a kid. I had the figures and lots of the costumes.

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Marvel Releases New Hawkeye Skrull Promo

  • News
  • February 22, 2008

Building up to the summer’s Skrull-a-palooza, Marvel has been sending out a variety of variant covers and promo images featuring heroes depicted as Skrulls. As part of its "Who do you trust?" marketing blitz, Marvel has tried to raise suspicion on most major characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and, most recently, Wolverine.

Today came the image at right, and for once we have a candidate who actually makes sense as a Skrull: Hawkeye.

While most heroes have good alibis for the looming Secret Invasion, the purple-wearing, bow-and-arrow toting Clint Barton was killed off in House of M by Brian Michael Bendis, who also is writing Secret Invasion and has said he’s been laying the groundwork for this event for years. And since Hawkeye’s return from the dead was never fully explained, he’s a prime suspect.

Of course, this could just be more misdirection, which adds a whole metatextual layer to the slogan "Who do you trust?"

Marvel Drops 14 New ‘Iron Man’ Movie Wallpapers

Marvel Drops 14 New ‘Iron Man’ Movie Wallpapers

  • News
  • February 20, 2008

Usually, I don’t get very excited when Marvel, or any other company for that matter, releases a set of wallpapers for an upcoming movie. I don’t really use them on my computer so they aren’t all that important to me.

However, in this case I’ll make an exception. A jet-boot using, intelligent armor wearing, energy ray throwing, ex-alchoholic leader of the Avengers exception. This is Iron Man, after all.

The latest set of Wallpapers feature all your favorite Iron Man cast members, some in new scenes, including Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, Gwynneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stain (aka Iron Monger).

There’s even a couple of Iron Man himself in action and one of director Jon Favreau as well, just to round out your collection. Go get ’em.

Iron Man hits theaters May 2nd, 2008.

Marvel Earnings Report Reveals Upcoming Project Details

Marvel Earnings Report Reveals Upcoming Project Details

  • News
  • February 19, 2008

Marvel has released its quarterly company earnings report and according to Comics2Film, many interesting things were revealed in the report, besides how much money Marvel made or didn’t make. According to the site, the report also gives clues about Marvel’s slate of live-action films as well as several new animated titles including a World War Hulk direct-to-video feature and Super Hero Squad TV series.

The Planet Hulk film, planned for a February 2010 release, is being produced by Marvel’s animation partner Lionsgate and joins a roster of upcoming films which already includes Hulk Vs., Next Avengers and Thor: Son of Asgard. However, according to the report, Marvel isn’t just working on direct-to-video animated films, they are also planing several animated TV projects as well.
 
The company is developing a large roster of animated TV series such as Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes, Spectacular Spider-Man, Wolverine and the X-Men, Iron Man: The Animated Series, Hulk: The Animated Series. They are also working on a show called Super Hero Squad, which is a version of the well-known heroes geared towards a much younger audience. 
 
Finally, the report may also reveal that Matthew Vaughn, who was attached as writer and director of the live-action Thor feature, may have left the project because now its listed as "writer engaged" instead of "writer and director engaged." So, some interesting bits of into there. Who knew you could get so much great stuff from an earnings report? I’ll have to pay attention to those more often I guess.
 
Of course, if the Vaughn info turns out to be true, we’ll bring you all the details right here at ComicMix.

 

The ‘In’ Crowd, by Martha Thomases

The ‘In’ Crowd, by Martha Thomases

  • News
  • February 16, 2008

 

It would be nice if, now that I’m in my mid-50s, I could stop worrying about whether or not I’m popular. Sensible people get over this in junior high, average people stop in high school, and only a few truly insecure carry it through to college. Grown-ups, who have jobs and responsibilities and hobbies, rarely let such thoughts cross their minds.
 
And then there’s me.
 
One of the most exciting things about this political year is the way outsiders have been welcomed, especially by Democrats. The leading contenders for the nomination are a black man and a woman, both of whom are decidedly wonky in their approach to politics. A Latino man ran a great campaign, and is assumed to be on the short list of possible vice-presidential candidates.
 
This is exciting, and for reasons far beyond the political (although, if this trend means the war will be over and people can stop getting blown up so frequently, and maybe in this country we can have health insurance, that would be great). 
 
Mostly, I can spend ignore these insecurities that have lingered for decades. When I can’t, I try to use my experience for good. By relating to outsiders, I find common cause with racial, ethnic and other minorities who are not always invited to society’s metaphorical proms. 
 

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Marvel Comics Greatest Moments in Sports

Marvel Comics Greatest Moments in Sports

  • News
  • February 4, 2008

Never one to miss a promotional tie-in, Marvel.com has posted a rundown of the publisher’s greatest moments in sports.

The "Marvelous Moments in Sports" roundup was clearly written before the big game, because it lacks the sorrowful tone one might expect from a post-game writeup by New England Patriots fan Ben Morse. In fact, it’s a pretty funny trip down memory lane, with bits like this one about a bicoastal game of softball played in the pages of Avengers:

EARTH’S MIGHTIEST SOFTBALL GAME (WEST COAST AVENGERS ANNUAL #2, AVENGERS ANNUAL #16—1987)

Picture the softball game at your annual company picnic between marketing and accounting, but then sub in Thor at cleanup, Captain America at pitcher and Hawkeye on the base paths—that’s what the Avengers and their West Coast branch were going for in the late ’80s during their one and only showdown on the diamond. It’s pretty easy to understand why they never gave it another shot when you consider that the cosmically empowered Grandmaster interrupted the game, killed half of each team and then forced the remainder to compete in battle for his amusement. The GM eventually resurrected the fallen Avengers, and Cap learned a valuable lesson as they resumed the game: Hawkeye cheats.

 

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