Rizzoli is here with their licensed art books, as you can see at right– the proofs for The Joker look great (you can see the cover over the gentleman’s shoulder). Andrews McMeel Publishing has [[[The Batman Files]]] ready for an October release. Chronicle Books has a preview copy of Michael E. Uslan’s [[[The Boy Who Loved Batman]]], which will be out in time for San Diego Comic-Con and that I’m very much looking forward to reading.
But DC Comics itself is nowhere to be seen, save for one person passing by the Diamond booth. Random House, their distributor to the trade, isn’t pushing their books at all. Marvel is somewhat better represented at the Disney booth, but not well.
Do they think they’ve saturated the market? Or do they just not care about the bookstore and library markets anymore?
Hey, kids! Guess what? DC is revamping their line again, for what seems like the 1,000th time since Crisis On Infinite Earths. What a shock! How original!
O.K. Here’s the poop. DC honchos Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, both exceptionally talented comics creators, are going to make “bombshell announcements about the future of Superman and the entire DC Universe” on Saturday, June 11th at the Hero Complex Film Festival. Maybe this time they’ll stick to it: if Geoff and Jim are behind it, there’s some cause for hope. If they stick to it.
Even though control of DC Comics has passed through several hands since the first Crisis, perhaps the concept of leaving well enough alone will grab somebody this time. The DC Universe has gone through so many needlessly confusing transformations a roadmap to the place would give M.C.. Escher vertigo. With a small “v.”
Good grief, I’m getting tired of writing this story. I’m going to link to the Los Angeles Times so you can get what’s passing for news here.
Good news, everyone: If you’re reading this, it’s just passed midnight in American Samoa, so it’s no longer May 21st anywhere on the planet– which means that the Rapture didn’t happen (yet), society hasn’t crumbled (yet), and there’s still a readership for comic books (for now).
That said, as far as ends of the world go, the Rapture lacks a certain panache. Comic book readers have been used to the idea of worlds ending in cataclysm for a long time. Over a near-infinite number of crises, comic books have always made sure it ends with all bang, no whimper – even if, sometimes, that bang is more figurative than literal. Here’s a look at six of the best ends-of-the-world that comics has yet come up with.
Krypton
The birth of superhero comics started with the death of a planet. We’re willing to wager it’s the best-known origin story in all of comics: desperate scientist Jor-El and wife Lara shoot their only son Kal-El away from the doomed planet Krypton towards Earth, where he’s adopted by the kindly Kent family. And in most versions of the Superman story, what took out Krypton? A nuclear chain reaction triggered by a loss of stability Krypton’s radioactive core, which also creates the only element that can kill the most powerful man on Earth.
There’s a lot of chatter about an event that may or may not happen tomorrow.
(SPOILER: It won’t happen. See Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.)
For what will become obvious reasons, it reminded me of this story from John Ostrander and David Lloyd from Wasteland #3, February 1988 from DC Comics.
As for me, I plan to spend Friday night going out and leaving strategically placed piles of clothes and shoes.
Here’s the release with all the current information, reminding us of how much we’re looking to seeing how this wraps up:
BURBANK, CA, May 19, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises, the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s [[[Batman]]] trilogy.
Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (The Fighter) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.
Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.
In helming The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on The Dark Knight, which had marked the first time that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX® cameras. The results were so spectacular that the director wanted to expand the use of the large-format cameras for this film.
One moment, he’s the uber-tattooed punk rock front man for [[[Black Flag]]] or [[[The Rollins Band]]]; the next, he’s stealing the spotlight as one of the memorable cast of [[[Sons of Anarchy]]]; and while that’s airing, he’s ranting live for hours to sold out crowds as one of the most popular spoken-word artists of our day, easily translating that mad-as-hell attitude and undying curiosity into his thought-provoking KCRW talk show. His quarter century of globe-trotting has recently added National Geographic to his resume, the latter-day Renaissance man now filming documentaries for the renowned publication.
Intelligent? Beyond your dreams. Intense? Absolutely. Restless? Without a doubt. But does Henry Rollins ever pause long enough to be playful? Animation fans know it all too well.
When he isn’t perusing the Sudan, performing in Prague or recording for public radio, Rollins takes to another of his true passions: voiceovers for animated projects.
Rollins’ latest animated incarnation is in the guise of Kilowog for the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Produced byWarner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video on Blu-Ray™, DVD, On Demand and for Download June 7, 2011.
Rollins voices one of the most beloved characters in the entire universe of Green Lanterns – Kilowog, the hardcore drill sergeant-style trainer of Green Lantern recruits. Written by Peter J. Tomasi (based on “New Blood” by Tomasi & Chris Samnee) and directed by Lauren Montgomery, the “Kilowog” segment of the film depicts the gruff character’s initial days as a young recruit under the abusive tutelage of Deegan, an equally gruff character who shows Kilowog the true “tough love” principles of training. As the segment play out, Kilowog must assume an integral leadership role within the ranks.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is far from Rollins’ first venture down the animated path. For Warner Bros. alone, Rollins has recorded over the years for Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And then there’s his more recent forays into voiceovers for series like Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and the primetime series American Dad!
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights weaves six legendary stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan mentors new recruit Arisia in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Kilowog, Abin Sur, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona.
Rollins is joined in the voicecast of the intergalactic animated film by Nathan Fillion (Castle), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter films), Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), Kelly Hu (The Vampire Diaries), Wade Williams (Prison Break), professional wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper and Radio Hall of Fame commentator/talk show host Michael Jackson.
No stranger to the spoken word, Rollins spent some significant time after his initial recording session chatting about his character, his love of great literature, Too Much Coffee Man, his need to travel the Earth, and much, much more. Read on…
QUESTION: How did you approach the character of Kilowog for this story?
HENRY ROLLINS: For me, Kilowog is a man who’s pure of heart. He’s a warrior. He’s a soldier. And he loves his rookies. Deegan is the guy who broke him in – in boot camp – and kind of brought him into command position. So Kilowog came up through the ranks by being brave and by being a take-charge leader. In the Kilowog segment, you see that he had a grasp of the leadership idea from the get-go. He’s with other recruits and he immediately takes the leadership position. So I think he’s a good guy, but he always knew he was gonna be running things.
From Left-Barry Reese, Ron Fortier, Derrick Ferguson, Tommy Hancock, Bobby Nash
The first panel of the first ever Pulp Ark was hosted and manned by six of the seven men behind the first full blown news site dedicated to Pulp. Six of the Spectacled Seven (You were missed, Sarge Portera!) made up this panel and shared news from various New Pulp publishers, a lot of which they were involved in in some way or another…..Taking one at a time, we’ll start with…
Art Sippo watching (from left) Derrick Ferguson, Tommy Hancock, Bobby Nash, Van Plexico
Barry Reese-
Barry Reese (on right) with Ron Fortier
Has stories in The Green Hornet Casefiles and The Avenger Justice Inc. Files from Moonstone.
Rook Volume Six is coming out in late May- Early June, 2011 from Pro Se Productions
The Family Grace Collection, focusing on the adventuring family that is the backbone of the Rook Universe, is coming out later this year from Pro Se Productions.
Lazarus Gray vol. 1, a collection of Reese’s Sovereign City Project stories, will be out in September, 2011 and his first full length Lazarus Gray novel, DIE GLOCKE, is in progress.
Bobby Nash-
Bobby Nash (on right) with Wayne Reinagel
Bobby has a few anthologies and comic books coming out featuring stories in the next several months. Theose include The Green Hornet Casefiles (Moonstone), Tales From The Zero Hour Vol. 4: Weird Tales (Blinding Force Productions), Lance Star: Sky Ranger Vol. 3 (Airship 27), Secret Agent X Vol. 4 (Airship 27), The Danger People (New Babel Books), Aym Geronimo and the Post Modern Pioneers: Tall Tales, The Ruby Files (Airship 27), Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (Moonstone), The Wraith (Airship 27), The Avenger (Moonstone), Domino Lady Vs. The Mummy (Moonstone), untitled Abyss Walker Universe anthology, Frontier (BEN Books), and more.
Van Plexico-
Van Plexico (on right) with Bobby Nash
Van’s new Sentinels novel, STELLARAX, from White Rocket Books, will be in stores by mid-June. It is the seventh volume in the series overall, and completes the big, cosmic “Rivals” trilogy.
A story (“Thunder Over China”) in LANCE STAR: SKY RANGER, Vol. 3, coming soon from Airship 27.
Van is involved in Bobby Nash’s and Sean Taylor’s upcoming SF action anthology.
Van’s 45,000-word novella is featured in the second MARS McCOY: SPACE RANGER anthology from Airship 27, coming possibly later this year.
Van created and is editing an SF action-adventure anthology for White Rocket Books: BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS. It’s a sort of John Carter – meets – Thundarr deal. Look for that one toward the end of the year.
Derrick Ferguson-
Derrick Ferguson (on right) with Art Sippo
A Fortune McCall collection, part of the Sovereign City Project, later this year (October) from Pro Se Productions
A special project with Joshua Reynolds forAirship 27 Productions.
A collection of Dillon stories later this year from Pulpwork Press.
Ron Fortier-
KALUTABOARDS AIRSHIP 27
Ron Fortier (on left) with Barry Reese
World famous graphic artist, Michael Kaluta has signed on to provide both cover art and interior illustrations for Airship 27 Productions forthcoming title, CHALLENGER STORM, Isle of Blood; the first in a new pulp series by writer Don Gates.
Kaluta’s comics work began in the 1970s working on such titles as “House of Secrets” and “Web of Horror.”It was during this time he created fortune teller Madam Xanadu for Editor Joe Orlando.His work on DC’s Shadow comics is considered the best graphic portrayal of that classic pulp hero ever produced.He also illustrated Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Carson of Venus for that same company.From 1975 to 1979, he was a member of “The Studio” along with Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson and Jeff Jones.He’s an award winning painter and illustrator who had contributed to role playing games and illustrated numerous music album covers.In 2003 he was named a Spectrum Grand Master in recognition of his vast and influential body of work.
“We, at Airship 27 Productions are extremely thrilled and honored to be working with a true living legend of American art,” said Ron Fortier, Managing Editor.Airship 27 Productions is one of the leading producers of new pulp fiction novels and anthologies, their titles being published by Cornerstone Book Publishers of New Orleans.
Challenger Storm is a rollicking, old fashion pulp adventure in the grand tradition of Doc Savage and Captain Hazzard and is Gates’ first book in a planned series.“We hope to have the book out by the end of the year,” Fortier went on to add.“Mr. Kaluta is always much in demand and we are not about to rush such beautiful artwork.”Kaluta’s latest foray into pulp prose will soon be seen on the cover of Moonstone’s Green Hornet Casefiles due out in few weeks.
PHANTOMSCRIBETACKLESS & SNOVEL
Airship 27 Table at PULP ARK!
Airship 27 Productions is pleased to announce that well known Phantom comic writer, Mike Bullock, has agreed to write a new sword & sorcery novel for the company titled THE RUNEMASTER.
Bullock is an award winning fiction writer, poet and former professional musician. Born in WashingtonDC, Bullock grew up reading comic books, comic strips and pulp fiction. He’s translated this love of fast-paced imaginative story-telling into a successful career as a comic book and prose author. Having worked on enduring characters from Black Bat and Captain Future to Sonic the Hedgehog and Zorro, Bullock cemented his place in the annals of speculative fiction by authoring more Phantom stories than any other American author aside from Lee Falk. His original works include Lions, Tigers and Bears, The Gimoles, Death Angel and more. Bullock’s Lions, Tigers and Bears was optioned by Paramount Pictures in 2010 as a feature film.
TheRunemaster marks Bullock’s first foray into novel writing and tells the story ofSkarl Kirwall, a man born during the Last Great War and destined to lead his clan as the next Runemaster. When he is betrayed by a friend, Skarl is banished from his village and later learns of its destruction at the hands of their bitter enemies, the Ysling clan.
While mourning the loss of his family and clan, Skarl discovers the woman he loves has been dragged off to be sacrificed to Ysfang, the World Serpent. Armed with only his mighty sword and cunning, Skarl sets off across the frozen wastes to rescue her and somehow regain his rightful role as the Runemaster.
Forged in the fires of Conan, Beowulf and Braveheart, steeped in Norse legendry and baptized in the blood of those who would oppose him comes the Runemaster.
Tommy Hancock –
From Moonstone Entertainment-
Moonstone at PULP ARK!
RETURN OF THE MONSTERS! Moonstone Announces Halloween Pulps
Coming this October from Moonstone Books – Four pulp horror books sure to frighten and delight you.
In ANGELS AND THE UNDEAD writer Mike Bullock and artist Eric Johns tell a tale of spine-chilling fear as Death Angel and Black Bat team up to face none other than the Lord of Vampires: Dracula in the haunted halls of the historic Phaidor Hotel.
THE WEREWOLF WAR MASSACRES written by Martin Powell and illustrated by Jay Piscopo asks the question “Has the Master of Men finally met his Monstrous Match?”
From the mind of Aaron Shaps comes the third book, PHANTOM DETECTIVE: THE BLOOD OF FRANKENSTEIN the monster enjoys a new lease on life, illustrated by Kalman Andrasofszky and Jim McKern.
The fourth Halloween horror from Moonstone was announced at PULP ARK by author Bobby Nash. Bobby recently completed and submitted to Tombstone a script entitled THE PERFECT MATE pitting The Domino Lady against The Mummy! Art will be handled by Rock Baker and Jeff Austin.
Covers for at least three of these pulp terror tales brought to you by Dan Brereton.
Look for these and more in October, only from Moonstone Books.
Decoder Ring Theater
Tommy Hancock
Tommy is penning a new six episode series for Decoder Ring Theater. Known for its audio drama podcasts starring fan favorites The Red Panda and Black Jack Justice, DRT, headed up by Gregg Taylor, is the home for great modern pulp audio. Hancock’s new series, THE WEIRD WEST ADVENTURES OF HUNT AND PECK, is based on characters created by Taylor for a recent episode of DRT’s RED PANDA where The Panda and his sidekick The Flying Squirrel go back in time to the Old West. Hancock’s six episodes will pick up where THE WILD WEST episode leaves off.
Pro Se Productions
Nancy Hansen and Ken Janssens with Pro Se at PULP ARK
Pro Se is moving into audio!! Tommy Hancock announced that in partnership with Broken Sea Audio, Pro Se would be releasing audio book versions of some of its product this year, including issues of its three magazine titles, Hancock’s own novel, YESTERYEAR, and Barry Reese’s THE ROOK, VOLUME SIX.
Tommy reviewed upcoming publications from Pro Se Productions, including works by Nancy Hansen, Lee Houston, Jr., Ken Janssens and others.
BULLOCK BRINGS TOTEM TO PRO SE!
Pro Se Productions was also proud to reveal that Mike Bullock, noted author of Moonstone’s THE PHANTOM, writer of comics such as SAVAGE BEAUTY, and an upcoming BLACK BAT Original Graphic Novel as well as his own original work, including LIONS, TIGERS, AND BEARS, will be joining the ranks of Pro Se for his first every prose short story collection!
Bullock brings an original character like none other to Pro Se’s stellar cast of characters. Bullock’s TOTEM, VOLUME ONE will feature four stories focused on the title character, one rich in both history and tied to the supernatural! Expect TOTEM VOLUME ONE by Mike Bullock to be out early next year from Pro Se Productions and stay tuned to http://www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com/ for more information on this fantastic creation by one of today’s best New Pulp writers as it becomes available!
We’ve received all the covers for DC Comics August solicitations, and Flashpoint promises that worlds will live, worlds will die, and the DC Universe will never be the sa– oh, sorry, that was the tagline for Crisis On Infinite Earths, back when I worked at Flashpoint. I’m so confused…
My favorite item for the month is pictured above, the Sergio Aragones version of Batman from Batman: Black & White. But there are some absolute art gems here, including Darwyn Cooke’s JSA cover, and Frank Quitely’s redoing of Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson’s cover for [[[Green Lantern]]] #52.
As for the rest of the books, take a look… as usual, spoilers ahead:
I’ve checked with my cadre of DC contributors, staffers and fans current and past. While it’s impossible to decide on an exact number, the consensus is that in the past ten years the teevee series Smallville painstakingly built a cohesive and linear universe of DC characters while, at the same time, DC Comics reinvented itself in whole or in substance approximately 14 thousand times. Guess which was more entertaining.
And now Smallville’s gone. Pushed out of the way for still another Superman movie that, like the comic books, gets to ignore everything that has gone before it. That’s not entirely bad: Superman Returns was so awful I was thinking of getting rid of the memories by electroshock therapy.
Instead, I watched Smallville. At first I was there out of professional and fanboy curiosity. It was good but not great, and I stuck with it because my wife enjoyed the show. In time, Michael Rosenbaum’s performance as Lex Luthor grabbed me, and when they introduced John Glover as his eviler father, the tension between the two was riveting. When they brought Green Arrow in (using the Grell costume) and started really building their version of the DC universe, I got absorbed.
Then they brought in Erica Durance as Lois Lane. I enjoyed her performance and her character so much I felt like I was betraying my own childhood. More DC characters were introduced, heroes and villains alike. As they moved away from the Kryptonite-villain of the week and developed Zod, Darkseid, and the first interesting Toyman ever, Smallville moved towards the top of my TiVo must-record list. After ten seasons the show had more storylines going on than Soap – but by the time that final episode aired last night, they had resolved or at least tied-up just about everything. It was remarkable; the fact that so many of the actors from earlier seasons returned was even more remarkable.
At its best, Smallville has been about the human drama, and its science-fiction environment rarely mitigated this. It is in this spirit that the two-hour finale was produced. Some might find this to be overbearing; respectfully, I think those people have missed the point. If you take this element out of the story, all you have left is a comic book – in the most clichéd and repellant sense of the term.
The production team also avoided the trap of giving each character their moment to shine. Whereas most had sufficient screen time, this last episode was all about Clark Kent, as it was, by and large, from the very beginning of the series.
This is not to say that there isn’t a kick-ass story here. Two of them, in fact, with enough villains to fill the Justice League’s dance card. Darkseid, Granny Goodness, Lionel Luthor, and of course, his son Lex.
The finale was not flawless. For one thing, everybody showed a lack of respect for how gravity works, not to mention security on Air Force One. The big scene between Lex and Clark was pretty much lifted from The Dark Knight; thankfully, both the characters and the performers make it their own. Technically, this show was at least as proficient as teevee gets. If it were a theatrical movie, it would have been in 3-D, and that would have screwed the pooch.
Teevee is teevee. It’s not comics, and shows come and go all the time. Smallville’s decade was a remarkable achievement, and it set the high-water mark for superhero television.
At the end of the ten-year day, you will believe a man should fly.
On Tuesday, Fox announced that it was canceling [[[Human Target]]] (starring Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earl Haley and based on the DC Comics character created by Len Wein, Carmine Infantino, and Dick Giordano) after two seasons, and also declined to pick up Locke & Key, the pilot from Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (the minds behind Fringe and the Star Trek reboot) based on the IDW comic from Joe Hill.
Now word has come from Deadline Hollywood that NBC will not be picking up [[[Wonder Woman]]], the series that would have been produced by David E. Kelley and starred Adrianne Palacki as the amazing Amazon.
Between these developments, and Smallville ending its decade long run tonight, we are suddenly going from a lot of comics adaptations in broadcast prime time to none at all for the first time since 1996– and that was when Sabrina the Teenage Witch first aired.
Right now, all eyes are on whether Disney’s fabled corporate synergy will mean sister companies Marvel and ABC will go ahead with a new version of Hulk with Guillermo del Toro and David Eick, and/or AKA Jessica Jones with Melissa Rosenberg– or whether they’ll be shunted to ABC Family or some such solution.
