Announced at Comic-Con was this great piece of news for Star Wars fans. Apparently there’s some price issues with the site and the iPad app, but they’re being worked on now to get the 99c price mentioned in the press release below.
STAR WARS™ COMES TO THE DARK HORSE DIGITAL STORE!
ENTER THE GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY ON YOUR iPHONE, iPAD OR LAPTOP!
The wait is finally over, as Dark Horse and LucasFfilm announce the arrival of Star Wars comics in the Dark Horse digital store! At the start of the Dark Horse Star Wars Comics 20TH Anniversary panel today, news of digital Star Wars comics was delivered to a packed house of fans, media and industry professionals.
Now, fans are encouraged to head over to Digital.DarkHorse.com to download their favorite Star Wars titles today, with over 50 comics available for purchase! Fans can now download, the original Star Wars: Crimson Empire series, Marvel’s adaptation of Episode IV: A New Hope, The Clone Wars, Knights of the Old Republic, Legacy: War, Knight Errant, The Old Republic, Jedi: The Dark Side, and the top-selling Darth Vader and the Lost Command. Most single issues will be priced at the standard $1.99, with KOTOR #1 and Clone Wars #1 available for free download! Additionally, Crimson Empire #1, Knight Errant #1, and The Old Republic #1 will be just $.99!
Going forward, Dark Horse will release a mix of new and backlist titles weekly. Stay in the know on all of your favorite titles, and sign up for the Dark Horse Digital newsletter at Digital.DarkHorse.com today!
As the pop culture madness of San Diego Comic-Con starts winding down for another year, there’s far too much to talk about, but here’s a few interesting tidbits.
Apart from Captain America’s snazzy costume (the one he’ll wear in next year’s The Avengers film) 4 posters were on display, spotlight Cap, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye, all sporting slightly tweaked versions inspired by their comic counterparts as seen in The Ultimates.
Oni Press’ popular Western/ supernatural series from Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt is getting a 6 episode TV mini-series.
Solomon Grundy is The Penguin’s secret weapon,a nd Talia al Ghul appears in the Batman: Arkham City game.
Red Hulk gets up to mischief in the curiously titled Hulk of Arabia.
DC’s relaunch in September is not far away and they’ve released a whole bunch of new images, including 8 text-free pages from Justice League #1, pics from the Superman books and more (including The Flash’s fancy new costume and Mr. Terrific).
Comic Book Resources has an interview with Andrew Constant, writer of Torn, an upcoming horror/ werewolf OGN from Perth publisher Gestalt. Check out some impressive preview pages from Nicola Scott (Secret Six) and Joh James there. Go Gestalt!
Movie studios are learning that if you can’t beat them, join them. Just one day after The Amazing Spider-Man trailer leaked online, Columbia have released the official version. The film stars Anderw Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker and opens in July 2012. Time will tell if it’s too early for a reboot, but so far, and including the released pics, this looks pretty enjoyable. The film is the first to feature Peter’s parents, and has some rooftop acrobatics reminiscent of the parkour game Mirror’s Edge.
The same story applies to the teaser for next year’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, and it is a teaser, with not much new footage. Equally as impressive are these two fan made posters which mash up the posters from the entire trilogy.
Lastly, the new version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 is out in November, which features 12 new characters (below) and more.
Capcom:
Strider
Firebrand
Vergil
Frank West
Phoenix Wright
Nemesis
Marvel:
Ghost Rider
Dr Strange
Nova
Rocket Raccoon
Hawkeye
Iron Fist
As featured on Abduzeedo, comes designer Jim LePage’s frankly awesome Word posters designed to highlight individual books of the Bible. As LaPages states:
Basically, Word is a series where I create original designs for each book of the Bible. Before each design, I spend time researching the book, finding out the themes, historical context, weirdest stories, etc. I also scan through parts of the book looking for a passage or story that could translate into a cool design. Each design isn’t meant to completely represent the book, rather it is merely based on a passage from the book.
Some of my faves are below, and you can find heaps more at LePage’s site. Apart from his keen eye, his writing is just as good, with his explanations behind each design offering honest, and sometimes funny, approaches.
This just in from Marvel. At least they’re making the most of being owned by Disney, though hopefully this comic will be more successful than their Tron tie-in. If you like the classic heroism of Jon Carter and his worlds, you may also want to check out Dynamite’s prequel series.
Marvel & Disney Publishing Worldwide Announce JOHN CARTER: WORLD OF MARS
Official Comic Prequel to Upcoming Disney Film Arrives in October
Marvel Entertainment and Disney Publishing Worldwide are proud to announce John Carter: World of Mars, an all-new comic prequel to the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures feature film, John Carter, which will hit theatres on March 9, 2012. This October, John Carter: World of Mars #1 reveals the shocking events that transpire before the motion-picture story begins by showing fans just how John Carter, Princess Dejah Thoris and Tars Tarkas are set on the path that would bring them all together. Amidst this brutal thousand-year war, find out what decisions were made that let events escalate this far—and why. This blockbuster, four-issue, limited series comes straight from New York Times best-sellers Peter David (Dark Tower,X-Factor) and Luke Ross (Dark Tower, Captain America: First Vengeance), two of the most acclaimed talents in comics.
“We’re thrilled to bring fans their first look at the world of John Carter before the blockbuster film wows audiences next year,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Editor In Chief. “It’s been a pleasure working with Disney, Peter and Luke to craft a powerful story that will appeal to both the legions of John Carter fans and those who are new to this exciting world.”
Director Andrew Stanton adds, “I am really thrilled to be collaborating with Disney & Marvel on this project and look forward to audiences exploring the world of John Carter via this exciting comic offering. I have wanted to see this property on the big screen since I was a young boy and hope that John Carter: World of Mars will excite and inspire fans of the series much like I was inspired many years ago.”
Before John Carter’s arrival on Mars, what events shaped the conflict that would change his destiny—and that of the universe—irrevocably? Find out this October as war, love and inescapable destiny collide in John Carter: World of Mars #1.
About the Movie:
From Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton and a screenplay by Stanton & Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon comes “John Carter”—a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.
I support Australian comics as much as I can, not only because comics can be a hard industry to crack, but because I admire anyone who takes a plunge for their creative dreams, especially if it’s my fellow countrymen. Publisher Black House Comics, and their distribution arm, Black Boox, have a few new goodies out, incorporating different genres. Check them out below and here.
Stumbling across this photo in a series of similar sky scraping images, I immediately recognised that upon the subject’s legs sat an issue of Marvel’s all-ages superpowered siblings team, Power Pack. Yes, you should be impressed that I know that.
Debuting at San Diego Comic-Con in a few days is DC’s latest animated film. They certainly have got a lot of mileage out of Batman. He’s been in most of their releases, but it just proves what a popular, and adaptable, character he is. The film looks like it’s done a great job of sticking to David Mazzuchelli’s original art style. If you have the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated anthology film, you’ll also be able to see a behind the scenes feature on Batman: Year One. It’s also great to see the 15 minute Catwoman short film included, although this may be the last time DC do this unfortunately. Details, (including the usual impressive array of bonus features) and trailer below.
LEGENDARY TALE COMES TO ANIMATED LIFE
FRANK MILLER’S ORIGIN STORY OF THE DARK KNIGHT IS
AN ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE
BATMAN: YEAR ONE Coming OCTOBER 18, 2011 FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO
Three-time Emmy Award Winner Bryan Cranston and Southland Star
Ben McKenzie Joined by Fanboy Faves Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff in
Stellar Voice Cast; Available as Blu-rayTM Combo Pack & DVD
RELEASE ALSO INCLUDES DC SHOWCASE SHORT, CATWOMAN
Comics legend Frank Miller’s classic retelling of Batman’s gritty, formative days makes its full-length animated debut in Batman: Year One, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives October 18, 2011 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On Demand and for Download. Order due date is September 13, 2011.
Batman: Year One is based on the landmark 1987 DC Comics titles from 12-time Eisner Award winner Frank Miller and illustrator David Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante. The playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked political system that infests Gotham.
Primetime television stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) provide the core voices for Batman: Year One. Three-time Emmy® Award winner Cranston gives voice to young Jim Gordon, while McKenzie makes his animated voiceover debut as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Fanboy favorites Dushku and Sackhoff fill the roles of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Detective Sarah Essen, respectively. Alex Rocco (The Godfather) is the voice of crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Animation master Bruce Timm is executive producer of Batman: Year One. Directors are Lauren Montgomery (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu (All-Star Superman) from a script penned by Academy Award® nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse).
“Batman: Year One offers fans and newcomers alike an animated perspective on one of the true benchmark works in Batman comics history,” said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Manager, Family &, Animation.. “Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team have gone to great lengths to realize Frank Miller’s ground-breaking, influential vision. Batman: Year One stands tall as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”
Batman: Year One Blu-ray™ Combo Pack has almost 3 hours of exciting content, including:
Feature film
Sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
DC Showcase Animated Original Short – “Catwoman”: This all-new entry to the growing canon of DC Universe animated shorts features the first first solo tale centered around Catwoman. The felonious feline’s adventure takes her through the seedy streets of Gotham City. Catwoman is voiced by Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Tru Calling).
Featurette –“Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots”: “The Dark Knight Returns” provided the denouement of Batman’s life. Frank Miller’s next seminal work would provide his near-mythic origin in “Batman: Year One.” This documentary uncovers the contemporary genius of Miller and the audience that was poised to appreciate the depths of his work.
Featurette –“Conversations with DC Comics”: The Batman creative team at DC Entertainment discusses the personal influence of “Batman: Year One” on their careers. Batman producer Michael Uslan leads the chat amongst well-known writers, editors and artists of the Batman lore, focusing their dialogue on the darker, realistic interpretation of Batman’s origins by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
Audio Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano
“Batman: Year One, Chapter 1” Digital Comic Book
Two bonus episodes from “Batman: The Animated Series,” handpicked by Bruce Timm
Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
Digital copy on disc of the feature film compatible with iTunes and Windows
59 mins. We’re joined by Dave Jackson and Pierre of Melbourne comic book Modern Gentlemen to discuss how comics have become the last bastion of Bad Taste in popular art.
We also look at objectionable content in comics, censorship, sex and violence, how far is too far, the indie sub-genre of hardcore sleaze comics as well as the mainstream, and dig into some key creators of the genre.
Comic-Con is only days away. I’ve been twice and it is awesome (but also expensive) and as the news on panels, exclusives and celebrities ramps up, so do the freebies, including the Souvenir Book, which features the second piece of art by Jim Lee of the new Justice League. Oddly enough, or maybe not actually, Wonder Woman has her pants back on, after originally having them, and then not. It seems even DC doesn’t know what her costume should look like. Poor woman.
If you are going to Comic-Con, these exclusives (of many available) may be of interest.
Next year’s Spider-Man reboot has had a bunch of cool pics released in the pages of the new issue of Entertainment Weekly. 15 in total in fact. See more here including mechanical web shooters (as it should be), Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spidey and Emma Stone as his first love (again, as it should be) Gwen Stacy.
Finally, there’s more pretty pictures at an Abduzeedo post on artist DC Miller and his excellent cartoon-ish designs on some classic characters seen in films like Star Wars, Watchmen, 300, The Dark Knight and more.
Well, the headline says its all, but Marvel have released the first details, although I’m sure more specific ones will be released closer to the shelf date. Here goes…
From Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures comes a unique and compelling twist on the Super Hero genre with the out-of-this-world warrior “Thor,” debuting on high definition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD September 13, 2011. Called “spectacular” (USA Today), “thrilling, entertaining and cool” (Ain’t It Cool News) the phenomenal screen debut of the legendary God of Thunder took audiences by storm, earning more than $440 million at the global box office. When the arrogant god is banished to Earth from his home world, Asgard, and then pursued by the darkest forces of Asgard, he must learn what it takes to become a true hero in this exhilarating story that “delivers epic fireworks” (Rolling Stone). Featuring an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, stunning visual effects and explosive action sequences, “Thor” wields outstanding entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.
The “Thor” three-disc set includes the film on Blu-ray in high-definition 3D and on high definition 2D, as well as on standard definition DVD with a digital copy. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes a high definition presentation of the film, plus a standard definition presentation with a digital copy. Both sets come fully loaded with 80 minutes of immersive bonus materials including an exclusive special feature that goes deeper into the Marvel Universe, a sneak peek into “Marvel’s The Avengers,” an unprecedented look inside the world of director Kenneth Branagh and much more.
“Thor” Blu-ray and DVD specs
The “Thor”Blu-ray Discs are presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The digital copy is presented with an English Audio track. “Thor” will also be available as a single-disc DVD.
About “Thor”
Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of Super Hero: Thor. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe, from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Kevin Feige, with Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, Patricia Whitcher and Louis D’Esposito serving as executive producers from a screenplay by Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz and Don Payne and a story by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich, this fantasy epic stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as the god of thunder, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, a young woman who befriends Thor on Earth, Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s evil brother Loki, with Rene Russo as Frigga, the wife of Odin, mother to Thor and Loki, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor’s father and king of Asgard. Expect to see agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., previously seen in the Iron Man movies, foreshadowing the coming of “Marvel’s The Avengers”! Thor was released by Paramount Pictures on May 6, 2011.
It’s a good time to be a POTA fan, and next month will be even better. BOOM! Studios’ new Planet of the Apes comic has recently started, and next month sees the release of the first TPB collecting the series’ first four issues for only $10, which ties into the mythology of (and is set before) the original films. The same month, the fifth issue is released, for only $1 and is the start of a new story arc.
If you can’t wait until then, you might want to check out the just launched Apes webcomic, which updates every Wednesday and is written by the man behind BOOM!’s series, Daryl Gregory.
A new free five page RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES digital comic book story debuts on http://www.apescomics.com July 13th and each Wednesday afterwards until the final 10 page epic conclusion on August 3rd, two days before the film’s release!
It’s set before the newest film, which opens on August 5 and stars James Franco and Andy Serkis in another motion capture role.
Speaking of the film, here’s the latest trailer.
Finally, Archaia are publishing their first illustrated novel on July 25. It’s called Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes and is described thusly:
After his spacecraft smashes into the dead sea of an alien planet, a man is separated from his fellow astronauts when a raiding party of intelligent apes attacks them. Captured, he finds himself a prisoner in a world turned upside down, with apes as the rulers and man in its zoos. His only hope is to communicate with a couple of chimpanzee scientists who just might be open-minded and compassionate enough to be sympathetic to his cause. But the man named John Landon will discover that intelligent minds, be they ape or man, all fear the unknown, and his destiny is not to become part of this new world, but instead to find himself under the knife of a simian brain surgeon on the PLANET OF THE APES.
Written by Andrew E.C. Gaska and featuring 30 full colour paintings and 19 illustrations by some great artists and a cover by Jim Steranko, it’s set within the events of the original 1968 film.
The film, the final one on Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, is still a year away, but we have the first official poster. We know Bane and Catwoman are in it, and that’s about it really. Like the posters for the first two films, it doesn’t reveal much. Upon seeing it though, it did vaguely remind me of two comic covers, which also use the cityscape as a Batman design element. Below is the poster, which doesn’t even feature the title as a main element, but rather as the official site.
That’s Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #150 from 2002, with a John Cassady cover, and the third issue of the still unreleased Batman: Europa mini-series with a cover from Diego Latorre.
comicbookjesus 