Marvel.com has posted a screencap from this weekend’s much-hyped "Iron Man" trailer scheduled to air during the Superbowl. The screencap shows Tony stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) testing a new suit.
They also promise to post the full trailer on Marvel.com immediately after it goes on the air, just in case you were in the kitchen getting more chips when the promo appeared.
You can see a full-size version of the image on Marvel.com.
Now here’s a story you don’t see every day: ComicBookResources looks at who the highest-profile comic publishers are on MySpace and compares the strategies each publisher is using to climb the mountain of online social networking environments.
According to CBR, Top Cow has been generating a lot of buzz lately due to its "Pilot Season" promotion that asks MySpace users to vote on several recent miniseries and pick which one will ge its own ongoing series. However, it’s Marvel and Dark Horse Comics that reign supreme in the MySpace world, thanks to a variety of clever marketing strategies and online tie-ins to their titles.
As for DC Comics, well, it appears as if a "divide and conquer" approach is only good for a "divided we fall" result in the world of MySpace.
DC Comics, who welcomed 835 friends to its profile, slipped by its sister DC Nation page and now sits fifth with 16,227. With the two profiles combined, the total leaps to 32,231, which would place the publisher third behind Dark Horse and Marvel (42,513). But with DC split between two profiles, manga heavyweight TOKYOPOP takes third with 18,956 friends.
For those readers who enjoyed Marvel’s first foray into Stephen King’s Dark Tower mythos, Marvel.com has posted a peek at the upcoming sequel to Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, titled Dark Tower: The Long Road Home.
Plot-wise, The Long Road Home appears to pick up where The Gunslinger Born left off, and writers Robin Furth and Peter David continue to script the miniseries along with artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada will once again provide the occasional cover.
The plot, according to Marvel.com:
With the Big Coffin Hunters on the trail of Roland and his ka-tet Cuthbert and Alain, plus visions of Susan’s death dancing in Roland’s head, what else could go wrong? Well…Roland’s in a coma and the people who burned Susan are determined to make him their next victim!
The first series, Gunslinger Born, remains one of the few projects I would recommmend picking up for the art alone, as it includes some gorgeous work by Lee and Isanove. The fact that it also contains an interesting, compelling story by David and Furth is just a bonus.
According to Marvel PR, The Long Road Home hits shelves at "12:01 AM, March 5" – so expect a midnight release event on March 4, much like the one that occurred when the first series was launched.
As you might have already heard, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was a guest on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report this week.
Just as many readers predicted, the topic of discussion was the ascension of former Captain America sidekick Bucky Barnes to official superhero status – and the new wielder of Cap’s red, white and blue shield. Apparently, Stephen Colbert was under the impression he was next in line to be Captain America.
Holy awkward situation, Bat-… Wait, wrong publisher…
Anyways, here’s a video of the segment, just in case you missed it:
Criminal, the award-winning series by Captain America writer Ed Brubaker and Sleeper artist Sean Phillips, will be the focus of a weeklong promotion on MySpace, according to a recent Marvel Comics press release.
Here are the details:
During each day of this event, at http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks, readers will be treated to excerpts from the first two Criminal trade paperbacks and previews of the new Criminal Vol.2 #1 (arriving in stores this February. But that’s not all—look for behind the scenes extras that include a Criminal noir art talk interview between Eisner-winners Sean Phillips and fan-favorite Daredevil artist Michael Lark, a “Week in the Life” writer’s diary by Ed Brubaker; and a special Artist-to-Artist video featuring Ed Brubaker and Bill Hader (Superbad, Saturday Night Live).
And, of course, the obligatory statement by Brubaker:
“The chance to reach the vast network of MySpace Comic Books readers presented us with such a great opportunity, to not just promote Criminal, but to peel back the curtain a bit in a sort of DVD extras kind of way, which is something I think a lot of people will enjoy,” said Brubaker. “The fact that Bill Hader was willing to help us do this was completely overwhelming, too, and is something that I think will make an even more memorable event.”
Issue #1 of the second volume of Criminal hits shelves at the end of February.
Sure, there have been a lot of recent announcements regarding the live-action G.I. Joe feature film, but they all pale in comparison to this one, folks: Larry Hama, the architect of much of the G.I. Joe mythology for several decades now, will be joining the G.I. Joe film in some capacity!
According to The Latino Review, an announcement is expected later today, but it’s believed that Hama will be a creative consultant for the film.
Hama is well-known for writing the Marvel Comics’ G.I. Joe series that ran for 155 issues (1984-1992). He also wrote the "file cards" on the G.I. Joe action figures produced during that period, and many of the characters are named after Hama’s friends, family and favorite historical figures.
In other G.I. Joe news of note, Devils Due Publishing will not have their contract renewed with Hasbro, owners of the G.I. Joe license.
First reported over at IESB, it’s speculated that Marvel or IDW will receive the license, with IDW the more likely recipient due to their current contract with Hasbro for the Transformers license.
Devils Due was widely regarded as a savior of the G.I. Joe property when they acquired the license in 2001, publishing numerous critically praised stories under the G.I. Joe banner, including the 2006 Snake Eyes: Declassified miniseries.
With the G.I. Joe feature film scheduled for a 2009 release, it appears as if Hasbro is looking to consolidate its film properties with a single publisher, much to the disappointment of G.I. Joe comics fans.
Marvel Comics and videogame developer Electronic Arts have agreed to disagree, it seems, and parted ways after only one game collaboration.
According to a report on GameTap, EA has doscontinued production of the second game it planned to develop with Marvel properties. The two entities had partnered in 2004 to produce games based on Marvel’s stable of characters, but the only game to result from this partnership, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, was largely considered a bust.
"EA and Marvel have jointly agreed to discontinue development of the Marvel titles under the EA Games Label. This was a business decision based on EA’s portfolio strategy," an EA representative told GameTap.
Marvel also issued a statement, claiming that the dissolution of the partnership "will not affect Marvel’s ongoing plans to release fighting games based on the Marvel properties in the future."
Well, given the writer’s strike and the fact that people have to cross picket lines in order to get in the building, The Colbert Report doesn’t announce their guests in advance. But Marvel Comics does.
Marvel Comics today announced that Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief, will be a guest on The Colbert Reporton Tuesday, January 29. In order to do so, he must cross the Writers Guild picket line outside the program’s mid-town Manhattan studio.
The WGA has been on strike since early November, seeking (among other things) a share of Internet revenue and a larger portion of DVD profits. Ironically, the Marvel film studio just signed an interim agreement with the WGA last week.
The last time Quesada appeared on the show, the gave Colbert Captain America’s shield. Since his appearance is the very night before the release of the return of Captain America (Bucky gets promoted), perhaps Joey needs it back.
Then again, perhaps it won’t be Joe Quesada. Maybe it’ll be a Skrull. Skrulls would cross picket lines.
The Colbert Report airs on Comedy Central 11:30 PM Eastern and Pacific.
Martha Thomases co-wrote this here article.
The new season of Lost begins January 31, but leave it to the creators behind one of the most successfully marketed shows on television to find yet another way to cross-pollinate its addictive mysteries.
Beginning with issues shipping yesterday, January 23, references to the hit TV series will be popping up in the pages of Marvel comics such as Uncanny X-Men, Incredible Hercules, Thunderbolts and Wolverine: Origins. The references will continue with issues shipping January 30.
Among the things to look out for, Marvel has indicated that a Lost poster and the phrase "Find yourself" will pop up here and there throughout the issues.
We’re just hoping that Nikki and Paolo don’t start making cameos in Marvel comics, too. *shudder*
(Don’t get the joke? Watch the show, dangit!)
The crew at Marvel.com have announced the return of Guardians of the Galaxy to the lineup of ’08 titles, with the first issue of the cosmic superteam’s series hitting shelves in June.
Co-writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will continue to play puppeteers to the adventures of space-savvy characters such as Nova and the roster of names from their Annihilation: Conquest series. Paul Pelletier will provide art for the series.
"For reasons we’ll reveal later, [the] stories will be off-beat, quirky and strange," teases Lanning. "One of our first stories will deal with somebody taking advantage of the aftermath of CONQUEST to expand their power base. [And] apart from the new threats and menaces, we’re planning on the return of at lest one old, old foe and an even older hero."
Marvel’s keeping mum about the actual roster for the cosmic team, hinting that some of the cast from Conquest won’t survive long enough to join up with the Guardians. However, they have provided a list of potential members from the ranks of Marvel’s cosmic character pool and the odds of each character making the cut.
We’re pulling for Howard the Duck, of course.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
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