Tagged: Universe

ComicMix Radio:  Steven Moffat On Taking Command Of Doctor Who

ComicMix Radio: Steven Moffat On Taking Command Of Doctor Who

Even for an established and award winning television writer like Steven Moffat, taking command of a 45 year old universe is a little daunting. In the first part of our exclusive ComicMix interviews with the top BBC talents, he tells us his outlook for the future, plus:

  • Dave Gibbons shares his reaction to seeing The Watchmen come to life
  • The creator of Scream turns to comics
  • What is was like to camp out under the full moon last night waiting for Breaking Dawn

No spoilers here – really  just Press the Button!


 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via iTunes - ComicMix or RSS!

 

 

Billy Crudup Talks ‘Watchmen’

The Geek Files has a short interview with actor Billy Crudup, in which he talks about playing Dr. Manhattan in the upcoming Watchmen film.

Most of that screen time is in the digitally animated form Manhattan takes after a lab accident leaves him a super-powered god figure. Here are a couple good bits:

"And he was being asked to be a dutiful man at the same time by his government, so he was trying to attend to both of those while trying to carry on a relationship, and I think ultimately he discovered, through his own journey, that he was no longer as interested in people as he was in the … universe. … So I think my experience of doing it was the experience of asking that question each and every day."

Fans got a glimpse of Dr Manhattan in footage screened at Comic-Con. To play him, Crudup wore a motion-capture suit covered in lights, with dots on his face as a reference for computer generated effects to be added in post-production.

"It was a burden for about the first day, until I saw what these guys [his fellow actors] were in, and then they also had to go work out and watch what they were eating, blah di blah, blah, blah," Crudup said. "I was as happy as a clam. Basically came in and put on my pyjamas, stood on my apple box and tried to figure out Dr Manhattan."

The Question Spotted… at Wimbledon?

The Question Spotted… at Wimbledon?

The online edition of the British newspaper The Daily Mail is reporting sightings throughout the country of faceless, well-dressed people at events like Wimbledon.

Comic fans might suspect that DC Comics’ The Question, investigator of social corruption, has crossed over to our universe. Not really, but we really wish that would happen.

Instead it’s creative marketing from car manufacturer Lotus.

That is, unless car manufacturers are up to something evil… Hmm.

Thoughts on the Celibate Superhero

Thoughts on the Celibate Superhero

With Incredible Hulk hitting theaters this weekend, the crazy cats over at io9 recently posted a list of popular comic book characters whose talents might allow them to save the universe — but cause problems when they start to feel a little frisky.

It’s a great read, but it also reveals a plot point from at least one upcoming film, so be warned.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered about the ol’ Green Goliath’s sex life, Charlie Jane has you covered:

Since I’ve read almost every Hulk comic ever published (except I admit Bruce Jones lost me after a while) I should stick in a little dissertation about the Hulk’s sexual history. Can the comics version of the Hulk really never have sex? We know that the Hulk is Incredibly, perhaps Unfeasibly, well-hung, because the Hulk gets naked in Incredible Hulk #400 and his arch-enemy The Leader remarks on how well-endowed he is. But it’s strongly implied, during the "gray Hulk" period, that the gray Hulk — who’s working as a Las Vegas leg-breaker — is getting laid on a fairly regular basis.

Well, that settles it, I guess. Head over to io9 for the full rundown of under-sexed superheroes.

Was ‘Doctor Who’ Right About Time?

Was ‘Doctor Who’ Right About Time?

I’m not going to even pretend to understand 80 percent of the Scientific American article I was recently sent with the title "Does Time Run Backward in Other Universes?" The 20 percent I can make sense of, however, seems to fall right in line with the subject line that accompanied it: "Maybe Doctor Who Was Right"

To the best of my summation, the article describes physicists’ investigation of the potential "timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly" nature of the fourth dimension, and the likelihood that time might not always be a one-way street. Of course, this is all old hat to fans of the relaunched BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, who were told something similar by The Doctor in last season’s award-winning (and terrifying) episode titled "Blink."

According to SciAm:

If the observable universe were all that existed, it would be nearly impossible to account for the arrow of time in a natural way. But if the universe around us is a tiny piece of a much larger picture, new possibilities present themselves. We can conceive of our bit of universe as just one piece of the puzzle, part of the tendency of the larger system to increase its entropy without limit in the very far past and the very far future. To paraphrase physicist Edward Tryon, the big bang is easier to understand if it is not the beginning of everything but just one of those things that happens from time to time.

While I’m always interested in the ways life (or science, in this case) matches up with my favorite television series, I’m not so keen on the idea of stone statues attacking me whenever I turn my back (the other element of "Blink" worth noting). Even if you’re not a fan of Doctor Who, the SciAm article provides science-fiction fans some food for thought… and who knows, it might be just the impetus you need to brush up on your theoretical physics.

‘Hellboy: The Science of Evil’ Gameplay Footage Released

‘Hellboy: The Science of Evil’ Gameplay Footage Released

What, you didn’t get to play the Hellboy: The Science of Evil demo at New York Comic Con? I’m so sorry. Your tears taste so sweet.

*Ahem* Sorry…

Well if you’re curious how the game looks in motion, Konami has released the first official gameplay footage. Hellboy faces off against goblins, werewolves, Japanese demons and weird stuff that could only be imagined by Mike Mignola. As you can see for yourself it takes cues from God of War and Ninja Gaiden type games: crazy, over the top beat ’em ups with big boss battles.

Opening up the videogame console war debate once again, there were slight differences in the game from system to system. The graphics on the PlayStation 3 version were crisper, while the Xbox 360 version played smoother. The PSP version was less detailed, but the difference was barely noticeable on the portable’s smaller screen. All three versions played the same graveyard level where Hellboy fought a host of goblins. The lock-on system was not easy or natural, but I did enjoy ripping a goblin’s head off to use as a grenade.

(more…)

NYCC News: ‘Halo’ Bible In the Works – Movie in the Making?

NYCC News: ‘Halo’ Bible In the Works – Movie in the Making?

Just goes to show you never know where you can expect to get news from. While attending the New York Comic Con panel about the X-O Manowar: Birth hardcover, ex-Valiant Comics editor and current Valiant Entertainment consultant Jeff Gomez revealed that his company, Starlight Runner Entertainment, has been commissioned by Microsoft to create a bible for the Halo videogame universe.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, "bibles" are used by media companies as any reference outline for writers, producers and licensees. Usually in the production of television and movies.

‘Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe’ A Reality?

‘Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe’ A Reality?

There were rumors back in Fall 2007 that the next Mortal Kombat game would pit the Kombatants against superheroes from the DC Universe, but they were quickly scoffed at and ignored.

After all, how could these two universes possibly come together? Would DC really allow Scorpion to rip Batman’s head off? Foolishness!

Well, all those people look like the fools now. Mortal Kombat Online has gotten wind that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a reality.

The Mortal Kombat series is good at violence but poor when it comes to the comic book universe (see Malibu’s Mortal Kombat comics). On the flip side, the DC superheroes are great at comics and poor when it comes to fighting games (see Justice League Task Force on the 16-bit consoles). Can these two great tastes combine and taste great together?

Not many details about the title are known at the moment. Future details (and an official confirmation from Midway) may be forthcoming on developer Ed Boon’s website, Noob.com.

 

(via Joystiq)

‘Legend of Zelda’ Manga Coming to America

‘Legend of Zelda’ Manga Coming to America

Put down your Wiimotes, folks. A variety of online retailers, including Amazon and RightStuf, have started accepting orders for The Legend of Zelda manga.

This is great news for fans of the popular Nintendo character. For several years, the series has only been in Japan and acclaimed for keeping faithful to the games while explaining some of the back story of the fantasy franchise’s universe.

Link, the elf boy from Hyrule, is perhaps Nintendo’s second biggest character, only eclipsed by Mario. There is no indication which storyline the series will start with, but it’s presumed to be published in the same order as Japan, so that means it would chronicle the events from the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game for the Nintendo 64. The Legend of Zelda will be brought to the U.S. by Viz Media, the publisher of bestselling manga such as Naruto and Dragonball Z.

Finally, the good news: Volume One will have 200 pages by Akira Himekawa and retail for just $7.99. And the bad news: It doesn’t come out until October 7th.

Don’t be sad. It could be worse. They could’ve revived the old Zelda comic published by Valiant.

 

Happy Birthday: Mr. Mxyzptlk

Happy Birthday: Mr. Mxyzptlk

An imp from the 5th dimension, Mr. Mxyztplk is an inveterate troublemaker and jester. Because he’s from another dimension, Mxyzptlk is not bound by our universe’s laws and can produce a variety of magical effects with a single thought.

Shortly after arriving on our world, Mxyzptlk encountered Superman, and the the imp has delighted in tormenting the Man of Steel ever since that first meeting. The only way to get rid of Mxyzptlk is to trick him into saying his own name backwards—this sends the imp back to the 5th dimension for at least 90 days.

It never lasts long, though, and soon Mxyztplk is back to tease and confuse Superman yet again.