Tagged: DC

#SDCC: Warner Bros.: ‘Green Lantern’, ‘Sucker Punch’, and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’

News
July 24, 2010

Complete with some idiot in the audience with a vuvuzela, Warner Bros. showcased three upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation.

Green Lantern— Ryan Reynolds (Hal Jordan/Green Lantern), Blake Lively (Carol
Ferris), Peter Sarsgaard (Dr. Hector Hammond), Mark Strong (Sinestro), director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, The Mask of Zorro) screenwriter Gerg Berlanti, and Geoff Johns (DC Chief Creative Officer and Green Lantern comic writer) all took a break from filming to show up and talk about the film, on a panel moderated by Geoff Boucher of the LA Times. A preview was shown, with Reynolds reciting the oath and the audience going nuts over it.

Reynolds was wearing a ring of his own, which he presented to an audience member. When asked about if it’s tough being married to a Marvel character (have they forgotten about Hannibal King and Deadpool? Maybe he converted…) he replied that “we probably have more comic books lying around then other married couples … although that might not be true for this crowd.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Not much here this time, just Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and some new footage. The audience was screaming for the footage, but left disappointed.

Sucker Punch — Zack Snyder returned to Comic-Con with his first non-adapted project, in a film that seems to be part Inception, part Tank Girl (moderator Boucher prefers “Alice in Wonderland meets One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest“).

He also brought a lot of the kick-ass actresses from the film, Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone,
and Jamie Chung.

Kevin Kelly, liveblogging at G4 said of the shown footage: “Wow,
this movie looks like a fanboy’s wet dream: robots, giant mech suits
(that look very Big Daddy-ish), dragons, biplanes, samurai swords, hot
girls in sexy outfits …. But
it’s still hard to tell what it’s really about. A young girl gets
checked into a mental institute when she’s young … and enters some
sort of fantasy world.”

As soon as video leaks out, we’ll have it for you here on ComicMix.

#SDCC: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards — Almost Live!

News
July 24, 2010

The 22nd annual Eisner Awards, the
“Oscars” of the comics industry, will be given out at a gala
ceremony at the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront. This year’s special
theme is “Comics Fiesta.” The masters of ceremony are Bongo Comics’
Bill Morrison and voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain,
Futurama). Presenters include writer/actor Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911, Balls
of Fury), comedian/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Family Guy, MadTV, and Free Enterprise),
actor/comics creator Thomas Jane, and lots of cast members from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World; nominees C. Tyler, Laurie Sandell, Peter
Bagge, and James Robinson; and Comic-Con special guests Berkeley Breathed,
Chris Claremont, Milo Manara, Jillian Tamaki, and James Sturm. Other
prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising
Newcomer Award, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, the Bill Finger Award
for Achievement in Comic Book Writing, and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics
Retailer Award.

We’re going to try and keep this as close to real time as possible, with commentary where appropriate. We’ll include the list of nominees below and boldface the winners.

11:48 PM (all times Eastern Daylight, even though it is neither Eastern nor Daylight): Annnnnd here we go…

11:49 PM: Morbo has welcomed the puny humans to the ceremony!

11:55 PM: Denis Kitchen, the executor of Will Eisner’s literary estate, has just announced that Will’s master work A Contract With God is going to be adapted into a film.

12:03 PM: …but did they have to announce it on the Sabbath?

12:05 AM: And the first winner of the evening… Best Publication for Kids: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel).

12:08 AM: Best Publication for Teens: Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

12:11: Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O’Malley (Oni) takes Best Humor Publication, with the award presented to O’Malley by the cast of the film.

12:18: A flurry…

Best Cover Artist: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Lettering: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Best Digital Comic: Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com/

12:38: And another fast flurry…

Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella
Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna
Park (Vertigo)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

12:47: Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com) Well done, sir.

12:52: Best Comics-Related Book: The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

12:53: Best Publication Design: Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)

12:57: If Harvey wins an Eisner this year, does that mean Eisner will win a Harvey?

12:59: Best Anthology: Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image). Presented by Thomas Jane and his popgun, so to speak.

1:04: A twofer for Scott Dunbier and IDW:

Best
Archival Collection Project – Comic Strips: Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best Archival Collection/ Project – Comic Books: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

1:12: More rapid fire, international division…

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

1:20: The Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award goes to The Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

1:26: The one and only Sergio Aragonés is up to present the Hall of Fame inductions of Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana. Both are tremendous choices, just for teaching alone.

1:33: More wonderful choices– Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Mort Weisinger, and Mike Kaluta– wait, Mike Kaluta? I didn’t know he’d died…

1:57: Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

2:00: Best Writer/Artist: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

2:04: Best Writer/Artist, Non-Fiction: Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)

2:08: Best Short Story: “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

2:11: To no one’s surprise… Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)

2:13: Best Adaptation from Another Work: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) because dammit, Asterios Polyp shouldn’t win everything.

2:17: The 2010 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award goes to Marian Churchland:

2:24: Playing catch-up because I went looking for Marion’s art…

Best Reality-Based Work: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album-Reprint: Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
Best Graphic Album-New: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)

2:29: And Dave Gibbons is the final presenter of the night, and the final awards are:

Best New Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

2:32: Best Limited Series or Story Arc: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

2:34: Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

(more…)

#SDCC: Oni first look with CBS, ‘Suicide Squad’ video game, ‘Astro City’ film option, and other media roundups

News
July 23, 2010

Collecting a bunch of quick hits between panels:

Nikki Finke reports
that Oni Press and its film-production arm Closed on Mondays
Entertainment have announced a first-look deal with CBS Television
Studios to develop the publisher’s comics for TV. Oni already has a lot of buzz this weekend thanks to that Scott Pilgrim movie. But on the other hand, last year’s big Oni property was Whiteout…
DC’s Geoff Johns mentioned that work has begun on a Suicide Squad video game. Johns said the game, which is being developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will be “hardcore violent.” No word yet if it will tie into the Suicide Squad big-screen adaptation announced in February 2009, or if it will tie in with Amanda Waller’s appearances in Smallville or next summer’s Green Lantern film. John Ostrander, the writer most associated with the Squad, is lost in Pennsylvania this weekend and couldn’t be reached for comment.
There are now official movie sites for both Thor and Captain America, although they’re pretty much placeholders at this point.
Spinoff Online reports that Kurt Busiek’s Astro City has been optioned for a feature film. I’m expecting something like Superman as directed by Robert Altman.

#SDCC Review: ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’

Reviews
July 23, 2010

[[[Batman]]] needs a Robin. It humanizes him, reminds him of the actual people he is sworn to protect. As a result, he welcomed Jason Todd into his life only to see the second Boy Wonder become his greatest failure. The death of Jason, at the hands of both the Joker and the comic book readers, was a major event in the latter 1980s and cemented the notion that comics, as they matured, also grew darker. The glass case with the retired outfit served as a stark reminder of that failure, pushing the [[[Dark Knight]]] to do better.

Then Jason got better. Well, he returned to life anyway. Apparently, Judd Winick was offered the [[[Batman]]] assignment and immediately wanted to revive Jason for no obviously good reason. So, Jason came back from the dead without explanation, and became the Red Hood, a true vigilante willing to take criminal lives unlike his mentor. The Red Hood also seemed to be a villain and was taunting Batman until they inevitably confronted one another and the truth was revealed.

The story arc, for good or ill, has now been adapted into the latest Warner Premiere animated feature. Batman: Under the Red Hood was written by Winick and is premiering tonight at the San Diego Comic-Con, and being released on Tuesday as a Blu-ray, Standard DVD, or digital download. In the comics, Jason was revived via a reality-altering event linked to the Infinite Crisis but here; he wisely simplifies the story and traces the revival to Ra’s al Ghul, who is portrayed with remarkable sympathy here.

Winick also nicely weaves in flashbacks that trace Batman’s adoption of Dick Grayson, and the youth’s evolution into Nightwing; along with Jason’s arrival and subsequent brief career as the new sidekick. In both cases, the young men revel in being a part of the Dynamic Duo and while we see Dick’s growth, we are never shown Jason having a distinct personality (which was a pretty ugly one in the comics). The contrast between them is dramatically missing as is the theme that Batman needs a Robin. The current Robin, Tim Drake, is entirely missing from the feature and bonus features.

This 75 minute story uses the conflict between the Red Hood and the Black Mask from the comic book story, mixing in the Joker and Ra’s with cameos from Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Talia. The action moves quickly enough and the fight sequences are sprinkled in nicely. The only false moment is the early chase between the Red Hood in a car and Batman in the Batwing. Planes fly at many times the speed of an auto and the chase should have ended about a block after it began.

(more…)

#SDCC: Starro enslaves entire convention hall

News
July 23, 2010

This just in! Starro, the hive-minded starfish-shaped ne’er-do-well of DC fame has decided to take over the Earth (again). Unlike previous attempts that alerted the JLA all too quickly, Starro this time methodically hatched his spores all over the 2010 San Diego Comic Con.

Shown here, the first nerdy victim, was obtained for the 50 year old conqueror near the Mattel booth. Mattel, who released the DCU Starro action playset (with Kevin Conroy voice activated narration!) at the con, was asked for comment.

“We here at Mattel wanted to celebrate the glory of Starro the Conqueror. His majestic tentacles enrobe our simple brain matter, and unites us with the singular mind that makes everything seem ok again. And it totally makes us forget about that silly Star Conqueror villain who took thirteen issues to lose to the son of Brainiac in R.E.B.E.L.S.”

It didn’t take long for the 100,000+ fans in attendance to submit their weak minds, and pie filled bodies to the intergalactic leader. The first stop after the con floor? Any panel where Mark Waid is in attendance. That mind has been giving us Starro’s followers many problems these days…. yes….

DC Releases Yet Another ‘Poster d’Indications’

News
July 20, 2010

So Dan “Big Daddy” DiDio and company have once again dropped a cryptic poster on our geeky arses… to pick apart, faun over, and otherwise wax poetic about. So, Comicmixers, I present to you:

Here’s this author’s take on what we’re seeing here:

In the foreground Deadman is carving “Rise” into a tombstone. This is indicative of his desire for Tombstone Pizza to finally deliver a self rising crust pizza in the DCU.
Behind him the new Blacqualad is using his water powers to make a sword, which in turn has destroyed Blue Devil’s Black Manta’s Bi-Dent. Speculation here dictates that Blacqualad is actually the son of Black Manta, and he’s punishing daddy for missing all those birthdays.
Behind him, we see the Martian Manhunter finally getting over his fear of fire. No one told him that “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” though… so, he’s practicing by igniting that weird tree in Star City’s forest. Oh well, no one likes Ollie these days anyways.
In the clouds above we see The Anti-Monitor doing his best impression of Mufasa… gently telling the DCU to avenge his death. His suggestion? Bring back H.U.R.R.I.C.A.N.E.
Front and center, Hal “We knew he was gonna be the White Lantern all along” takes a nap in his new designer day-bed.
Behind Unky Hal flies DC’s newest comedy duo, Guy Gardner and Atrocitus with their pal Ganthet, constructing some crazy structure. Look out, as Guy, Ganthet, and Atrocitus launch their ongoing series, “2 Lanterns, a Monster, and a Pizza Place“, this Fall!
Rounding our way down we see a mystical purple stargate with some Hawkpeople flying out. This of course denotes Tim Truman’s return to the world he started, as DC launches the first great winter crossover: Final Hawkworld Crisis on Infinite Brightest Night!
Hawk and Dove carry a lifeless Jade. Why? Well, it turns out no one cared about her being resurrected. Or killed for that matter. Where’s Kyle Rayner when you need him?
Continuing in our counter-clockwise circle around this happy little poster, we join Ebony and Ivory, err, Jason and Ronnie as they try to bury Black Lantern Firestorm… who they accidentally killed at a frat party the night before. Here’s a tip boys… don’t dare the Black Lantern to do Irish Car Bombs after he’s turned the Baily’s into arsenic.
And finally we end on that lovable married couple, Mera and Dead Aquaman. Get ready for all the love, laughter, and a few hair-brained schemes, as the DC’s first couple of the sea prepare for their upcoming mini-series: “So I Sleep With the Fishes!“. Written by Neil Gaiman, with art by Art Baltazar and Franco.

So kids, got any theories yourselves? Lay em’ on us in the comments below!

Waid, Cebulski Promoted

News
July 20, 2010

Yesterday, BOOM! Studios joined the growing number of companies to add the rank of Chief Creative Officer to their mastheads. Mark Waid, the publisher’s Editor-in-Chief was named CCO with Matt Gagnon promoted to Editor-in-Chief. Marvel also formalized C.B. Cebulski’s talent scout role by naming him Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development of Marvel
Entertainment.

In both cases, the emphasis has been placed on creative and talent issues, which acknowledges the shifting playing field for the top publishers. To fuel the growing number of titles released in America, talent from all corners of the world and the creative community has to be scouted, groomed, and put to work.

Recently, DC Entertainment named Geoff Johns its first CCO followed by Marvel upping Joe Quesada to the same title. IDW most recently named Chris Ryall their own CCO.

At San Diego’s Comic-Con International, opening tomorrow, the expectation is that more talent exclusives will be signed, another acknowledgment of the increased competition.

ComicMix congratulates all three men on their new assignments.

(more…)

Review: ‘Super Friends! Season One Volume Two’

Reviews
July 18, 2010

At least one generation of super-hero fans grew up knowing the DC Comics heroes through their appearances on ABC’s [[[Super Friends]]]. Loosely based on the [[[Justice League of America]]],[[[Superman]]], [[[Batman]]], [[[Robin]]], [[[Wonder Woman]]], and [[[Aquaman]]] teamed up in the Hall of Justice and fought all manner of menace. Accompanying them for no rational explanation were Wendy Harris and Marvin White, along with Wonderdog.

The first iteration debuted in fall 1973 and was an hour-long adventure with 16 episodes comprising thefirst season. The series survived in various incarnations well into the 1980s when it finally faded away, ringing down one era of animated heroics. The biggest problem confronting these early missions was the network demand that there be no violence. Threats yes; actually hitting the bad guy, no.

Additionally, the stories were designed to deliver messages such as ecological awareness so the youngsters watching at home could learn something.

What they also learned was that story logic was not required on weekend mornings. The first half-season was collected earlier this year and now Warner Home Video releases Super Friends! Season One Volume Two on Tuesday. Maybe it’s telling that the packaging uses Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Dick Giordano style guide artwork than imagery from the series. Despite the fabulous Alex Toth doing design work for the series, the limited, budget conscious animation is pretty atrocious.

The wonderful Ted Knight narrates each episode as if he were reading from a Mort Weisinger script. We’re told what we’re seeing, we see it, and then the characters repeat much of the same thing. His voice, though, is pitch perfect to provide each adventure with a serious tone regardless of how ludicrous the stories are.

And they’re pretty terrible. Scientists with idiot henchmen are repeated a lot. Aliens arrive on Earth, telling us it looks pretty clean for settlement then it becomes a story of how humans are polluting the land, air, and sea. Well, which is it?

The heroes apparently hang out in the Hall of Justice, not having a life beyond the heroic personas, and wait for the TroubAlert to selectively tell them of a problem. One episode shows the computer summoning the heroes only after the third identical crime has been committed. Interestingly, Clark Kent is described not as a reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, but is instead a new commentator on television station WGBS, a nod to the then-status quo.
(more…)

2009 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced

News
July 15, 2010

The 2009 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced along with the release of the final ballot. Anyone “professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field” is eligible to vote. All submissions must be sent to the Harvey Awards before Friday, August 7, 2010. The awards will be presented by Scott Kurtz (PVP Online) at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con on August 28.

The Harvey Awards, named in honor of the late cartoonist Harvey
Kurtzman, recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They are the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards, and are the only awards to have nominees selected and chosen by individuals creatively involved in the comics field.

There are over a hundred nominated names and titles, including Geoff Johns (“Blackest Knight”), Klaus Janson (“Amazing Spider-Man”), and
“The Walking Dead” (Image Comics), to choose from twenty-two categories. The categories range from Best Writer to Best New Series to Best Online Comics Work.

There is a lot of talent listed among the nominees, and voting will certainly be no easy task. Jeff Kinney (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) was nominated in four categories, Zuda had creators and comics nominated in seven categories, and “All-Star Superman” creators were nominated in four categories. Hopefully three weeks is enough time for voters to mull over all the fantastic nominees and cast their ballots.

(more…)

Today’s Warner Animators Praise the Past

News
July 13, 2010

Brandon Vietti is just two weeks away from his solo directorial film debut with Warner Home Video’s looming release of Batman: Under the Red Hood, a dark, emotionally wrenching journey as Batman’s past and present collide.

James Tucker is enjoying another successful season producing the Warner Bros. Animation/Cartoon Network hit series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, a much lighter take on the Caped Crusader’s adventures

Ironically, the super hero roots of both contemporary animators can be found in the same content – Super Friends, the one-hour ABC series that began in 1973, inspiring generations of young imaginations and spawning numerous cartoon series sequels.

Warner Home Video and DC Entertainment will release Super Friends! Season 1 Volume 2 on DVD on July 20, 2010. Available for the first time since its debut in 1973, this highly-anticipated deluxe two-disc collector’s set features eight exciting one-hour episodes starring the most recognizable DC Comics super heroes and villains of all time.

Super Friends! Season 1 Volume 2 follows the adventures of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman and Aquaman as they join forces to save the world from unthinkable disasters. This crime-stopping squad, along with heroes in training Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog, combine their special superhuman skills to defeat the evil villains at hand. The collection also features DC Comics favorites Plastic Man, The Flash and Green Arrow. Each hour is packed with timeless adventures of the universe’s greatest heroes as they pave the way for a brighter future.

Both Vietti and Tucker fondly recall the wide-reaching impact Super Friends had on their young lives.

(more…)

Tagged: DC

#SDCC: Warner Bros.: ‘Green Lantern’, ‘Sucker Punch’, and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’

#SDCC: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards — Almost Live!

#SDCC: Oni first look with CBS, ‘Suicide Squad’ video game, ‘Astro City’ film option, and other media roundups

#SDCC Review: ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’

#SDCC: Starro enslaves entire convention hall

DC Releases Yet Another ‘Poster d’Indications’

Waid, Cebulski Promoted

Review: ‘Super Friends! Season One Volume Two’

2009 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced

Today’s Warner Animators Praise the Past

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks