Tagged: Justice League

Too good to Biel true?

Too good to Biel true?

  • News
  • September 28, 2007

This is why we’re sometimes reticent to pass along casting call news.  Everyone beleived Variety when they said that Jessica Biel’s talks to play Wonder Woman in the upcoming Justice League movie were solid and the real thing and so on.  We even found you a photo of Biel in a WW t-shirt to seal the deal.

But noooo.  According to Entertainment Weekly‘s Hollywood Insider — and who better to know from things inside Hollywood? I mean, it’s right there in the name — Biel has given the role a pass.

So you know, we state all Obiwan-like, when we reported that she was in talks, it was the truth, from a certain point of view.  It’s like the old joke about prayers being heard: sometimes the answer is no.

But you know, it gives us an excuse to post another photo of Ms. Biel.  This was one of the tamer ones from our Google Image search.  We liked the outfit, reasoning that, if she isn’t interested in Wonder Woman, maybe someone can talk her into Isis?

Casting News Notes

Casting News Notes

  • News
  • September 25, 2007

Comic fans love to play imaginary casting games.  Now that comic book movies have become big business, the folks with real money have the means to make those games come true.  Here’s the latest casting news, both rumored and factual (at least for now):

  • Jessica Biel to play Wonder Woman in the upcoming Justice League movie?  Variety reports talks are in progress.  At least she won’t have to dye the hair this time.  (Oh no, wait, that was Jessica Alba, wasn’t it?  Sometimes all Jessicas look alike to me…)
  • Sarah Paulson of Studio 60 has joined the cast of the Frank Miller-directed The Spirit.  She will probably not be playing Dolphin Girl.
  • English actor Dominic West is slated to play the villain Jigsaw in The Punisher: War Zone flick.
  • The cast of Repo! The Genetic Opera includes Paris Hilton, Sarah Brightman, Paul Sorvino and Alexa Vega.  "Set in the not-so-distant future, the production tells the story of an epidemic of organ failures that devastates the planet, killing tens of millions.  As scientists feverishly make plans for a massive organ harvest program, a multi-billion dollar biotech company called GeneCo begins to manufacture salvation — for a price — offering simple payment plans to those lacking the necessary funds to purchase new body parts outright. But all financed organs are subject to default procedures, including repossession at the hand of the notorious organ repo men." And it’s a musical.  My head hurts just thinking about this one.
  • Lastly, Nichelle Nichols gives some advice to Zoe Saldana on playing Uhura in the upcoming Star Trek prequel movie.

As with any casting news, this could all change tomorrow, so stay tuned!

ANDREW’S LINKS: One Last Ride on the Wall of Death

ANDREW’S LINKS: One Last Ride on the Wall of Death

  • News
  • September 24, 2007

It’s not often that I get to make a simultaneous Richard Thompson/Timothy Truman reference, so I’ll take it this time.

This will be my last set of links for ComicMix. I’ve loved doing it, but it’s just too, too time-consuming. I will continue reviewing various things here, and ComicMix’s philosophy is all about the original content, so a huge bunch of outside links was an odd fit to begin with. Thanks for all the comments, and please stick around for the big ComicMix original-comics launch – I certainly will be!

Comics Links

David Lloyd will be at Orlandocon from Sept 21-23 at the Caribe Royale Convention Centre, and also signing at Coliseum of Comics on Friday the 21st from 2-5.

Mark Evanier has stitched together various YouTube postings to reform the complete Jonathan Ross documentary In Search of Steve Ditko.

The Columbia Tribune visits with artist Frank Stack.

Comic Book Resources interviews Marvel editor John Barber to learn exactly how the Marvel Zombies project came to be…and, just maybe, how Marvel will work it like a rented mule until we’re all sick of it.

CBR also chatted with Jim Shooter about his plans for Legion of Super-Heroes.

Comics Reporter interviews Steven Weissman.

Wizard talks with Mark Evanier.

The Hurting wonders what’s the deal with the X-Men and space opera.

Living Between Wednesdays interviews Scottt Chantler, author of Northwest Passage.

Comics Reviews

Forbidden Planet International reviews Image’s new series Fearless.

The Written Nerd reviews a pile of graphic novels, starting with the first volume of Flight, edited by Kazuo Kibuishi.

The Joplin Independent reviews The Blue Beetle Companion. (I was going to make a joke about obscurity here, but I thought better of it.)

The Los Angeles Times reviews Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings.

Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog reviews the week’s comics, with an extra dose of face-kicking.

Greg Burgas of Comics Should Be Good reviews this week’s comics, starting with 30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow #1.

Living Between Wednesday reviews this week’s comics, and declares them the “sexiest ever.”

From The Savage Critics:

  • Jog reviews the new 30 Days of Night, and others
  • Abhay finishes reviewing a graphic novel called Runoff, and interviewing its creator Tom Manning
  • Diana Kingston-Gabai says two Hail Marys but still can’t take Penance: Relentless
  • Jog checks out Gutsville #2
  • and Graeme McMillan reviews a pile of comics, including the new Captain America. (And now I channel Mr. Middle-America: “Hey, isn’t he dead? How come his comics still coming out?”)

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Mad Max Meets Justice League

Mad Max Meets Justice League

  • News
  • September 20, 2007

Ha! Got you! No, not Mel Gibson. Well, maybe not Mel GIbson.

We’ve all been hearing about Warner Bros.’s forthcoming Justice League of America movie starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Aquaman. More or less’ who knows until the movie gets made. It’s got a script by Kieran and Michele Mulroney. Well now, according to Variety, it’s even got a director.

George Miller, the director of the three Mad Max movies as well as The Witches of Eastwick and Happy Feet (among others) is going to pilot the League to box office heights.

No word on the availability of the current Superman and Batman, Brandon Routh and Christian Bale, respectively. Variety thinks not, but if Warner’s is carrying a hefty wallet, we might just get Ocean 11 with capes. Perhaps WB will sign their new Wonder Woman (if that movie actually gets made) to the JLA deal as a casting condition. 

I’ll bet Mel’s got George on speed dial.

Variety suggests the movie will be released in 2009; IMDB thinks 2010.

Graphics Noir: GrimJack Returns

Graphics Noir: GrimJack Returns

  • News
  • September 17, 2007

John Gaunt is GrimJack, a hard-bitten mercenary and private detective in Cynosure, a city at the nexus of dimensions. Raised in the Pits to fight for the amusement of the public, Gaunt lives by his finely honed wits. He can and does fight demons, sharpshooters, magicians and gangsters.

Since its first appearance as a back-up in Starslayer in 1983, GrimJack has been a fan favorite. The stories blend genres – the hard-boiled detective stories of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet get combined with the sword and sorcery of Robert E, Howard. GrimJack can and has done science fiction, horror, fantasy, and even westerns, with a streak of dark humor and strong, strange characters running all the way through.

In his newest adventure, exclusively on ComixMix.com every Tuesday starting October 2nd, Gaunt goes in search of The Manx Cat, a statuette made of fossilized dreams. Why do so many want to possess it? What happens when it “goes walkabout”? Why is Gaunt seemingly immune to it and how did he become that way? What price did he pay?

The saga of the Manx Cat has been part of the GrimJack legend since the very first story. Here, at last, Ostrander and Truman reveal the legend’s roots – as John Gaunt must attempt to declaw the Cat once and for all!

John Ostrander wrote some of the most important and influential comics of the past 25 years. After studying theology and training under Del Close at Chicago’s legendary Second City, he used this knowledge of story and character to bring a unique voice to the marketplace. Ostrander started his career as a professional writer as a playwright. He co-wrote his best known effort, Bloody Bess, with actor William J. Norris. The production, directed by the noted Stuart Gordon, starred Dennis Franz and Joe Mantegna. Bloody Bess has toured all over North America and Europe, and is frequently revived.

From Warp, his first published comics work in 1983, based on the series of science fiction adventure plays, he went on to create GrimJack with Timothy Truman. He’s since written Batman, The Spectre, Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Suicide Squad, Justice League and more for DC Comics. At Marvel Comics, Ostrander has also worked on X-Men, Bishop, Quicksilver, Heroes for Hire and The Punisher. From the mid-1980s until her death from breast cancer in 1997, Ostrander frequently co-wrote with his wife Kim Yale. It was while working with her that he made what is probably his most lasting contribution to the DC Universe: the recasting of Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, into the information and computer specialist Oracle.

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ANDREW’S LINKS: Tentacoo Wape!

ANDREW’S LINKS: Tentacoo Wape!

  • News
  • September 14, 2007

Hey, guess which loathed-by-the-Internets cover came out this week? Yup…that one.

Comics Links

Forbidden Planet International’s Continental Correspondent visits the Brussels Comics Center, and isn’t terribly impressed.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer talks with Douglas Wolk.

The Beat has some serious thoughts about the professionalism – or lack thereof – of the current crop of comic shop owners and management.

ICv2 interviews Viz’s Senior Vice President Liza Coppola.

Silver Bullet Comic Books interviews Umbrella Academy artist Gabriel Ba.

Panels and Pixels awoke to find itself buried under a giant wave of Naruto books.

At Newsarama, Grumpy Old Fan ponders the recent wave of creators returning to the books of their youth at DC.

The Chicago Reader talks to Anders Nilsen, cartoonist of The End. [via Newsarama]

 

Comics Reviews

Inside Pulse reviews Punisher War Journal #11.

Comic Book Resources’s Hannibal Tabu lists his “buy pile” for this week.

Warren Peace Sings the Blues reviews Good As Lily, the Minx graphic novel by Derek Kirk Kim and Jesse Hamm.

Greg Burgas of Comics Should Be Good reviews this week’s comics, starting with Bad Planet #3.

Living Between Wednesdays also reviews this week’s comics, but she starts with Wonder Girl #1.

At The Savage Critics, Graeme McMillan also looks at Wonder Girl #1.

And Occasional Superheroine reviews the Justice League of America Weding Special.

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CONVENTION REPORT: Gencon 2007

CONVENTION REPORT: Gencon 2007

  • News
  • August 25, 2007

At last weekend’s Gencon 2007 it was clear that almost no one is launching a game without a popular license attached. In a market defined by Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering it can often seem like those are the only two games left that crafted their own setting.

Upper Deck Entertainment is the poster child for the modern game company. Their strongest selling game is Yu-Gi-Oh, a game that they don’t even design on their own; they get most of their cards from the Japanese company that invented it. Their newest hot game is the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, which is, of course, based on the ludicrously popular computer game. I got a chance to demo it and the game mechanics seem to be one part Magic, one part Alderac Entertainment Group’s Warlord.

The marketing for this game is brilliant though; some fantastically rare cards unlock unique items in the computer games to show off to people there. In addition, every con attendee got a starter pack of the game when they checked-in for the weekend giving them access to potentially thousands of new customers. Even after the demo they gave me, my free pack remains unopened.

Also at the Upper Deck booth I got a chance to check out the Vs. card game, a game featuring heroes and villains from DC and Marvel comics. The demo decks were out of their recently released Hellboy set. This may have been a mistake because their booth was decked out in huge Alex Ross paintings of DC and Marvel characters. I was set to see Superman take on the Hulk, not Hellboy versus Rasputin.

The game uses a scaling resource system that is becoming increasingly standard in the industry, one more resource each turn almost regardless of what’s in your hand. So, having a character that cost the maximum amount you could spend in a turn was important. I knew the game was lost when on my sixth turn I had to settle for a second turn and fourth turn characters while my opponent got a massive sixth turn guy capable of dealing massive damage to my guys without any fear of retaliation. This seems to lend itself to a game that is all but over before any iconic characters could hit the field. This was a disappointment because any card game that could dedicate an entire set to the Green Lantern Corps and another to the Legion of Superheroes clearly knows what kind of comic game I want to play.

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MARTHA THOMASES: Hot Fun in the Summertime

MARTHA THOMASES: Hot Fun in the Summertime

  • News
  • August 11, 2007

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.  Fish are jumpin, and the cotton is high.  Or so I’m told.  Living in a major metropolitan area in the twenty-first century, I have to take such things on faith.

This summer, the fun times for someone like me are largely political.  The presidential election is over a year away.  The first primaries are six months away.  Nothing is going to be decided any time soon, so I can pretend it will all turn out for the best. 

I spent the summer I was 15 going “clean for Gene,” campaigning for Eugene McCarthy, who was running against Lyndon Johnson for the Democratic nomination on an anti-war platform.  Four years later, I ran as an alternate delegate for George McGovern. Four years ago, I nearly got arrested outside the Republican convention up the street from here.  Presidential campaigns are fun!

Which is not to say they couldn’t be much more fun.  The problem is that presidential candidates tend to be politicians.  They spend all their time hustling campaign funds, writing policy, and meeting the public.  They go on the Sunday morning news shows and show how serious they are.  They go on Oprah or The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to show they’re regular folks who can take a joke.

They don’t save the world from alien invasions.  They don’t even fight crime.

Presidential campaigns would be a lot more fun if, instead of Republicans versus Democrats, it was Marvel versus DC.   For example debates between:

 

Captain America and Superman on immigration reform.

Luke Cage and John (Green Lantern) Stewart on affirmative action.

Thor and Wonder Woman about the separation of Church and State.

Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne on the inheritance tax.

Storm and Aquaman on global warming.

The Punisher and Batman on prison reform.

Professor X and Green Arrow on family values.

The Avengers and the Justice League on national security.

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Comics! Getcher Comics!

Comics! Getcher Comics!

  • News
  • July 25, 2007

GalleyCat reports that Karin Slaughter, a popular thriller writer from the UK, and Oni Press are teaming up to create Slaughterhouse Graphic Novels, which will adapt prose fiction into comics form. The idea is to emulate Stephen King’s Dark Tower, and not Isaac Asimov’s I-Bots, I think…

(By the way, Slaughter is our covergirl for this installment.)

Chris Roberson looks at two different projects bringing back public domain superheroes.

Comics Fodder wants to see the return of footnotes to superhero comics – you know, the little boxes that said things like “The Fabulous Sheep-Man, last seen in ish #3,141 – Parsimonious Pete.” I think that reviewer needs to look up the phrase “continuity porn,” because he’s soaking in it.

Your cognitive dissonance headline of the day: “Euro Books transforms ‘Agatha Christie’ into graphic novels in India”, which is for an article about, yes, a company making all of Agatha Christie’s books into graphic novels in English for the huge Christie-loving Indian market.

Exclaim!, a Canadian music publication, looks at DC’s new Minx imprint.

Brian Cronin, at Comics Should Be Good, makes fun of every single one of Marvel’s October covers.

First Second announced today (in a press-release e-mail, so I don’t have a link) that they’ll be collecting Paul Pope’s cool THB series in 2009 as a color, four-volume, 1200-page set under the title Total THB. But, before that, they’ll have a new Pope series for young readers, Battling Boy, published in two simultaneous volumes in 2008.

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The Wide World of Comics!

The Wide World of Comics!

  • News
  • July 23, 2007

 

Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog continues its mission of annotating every single “Anita Blake” comic – this time, it’s The First Death #1.

The Oregonian picks on comics commentator Douglas Wolk.

Novelist Lewis Shiner introduces modern graphic novels to the readers of the News & Observer.

The Wichita Eagle looks at the growing field of Christian graphic novels.

Dana has her weekly Marvel Comics reviews at Comics Fodder.

Comic Book Resources has their usual weekly explanation of everything that happened in Countdown – this time, issue #41.

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