Oh yeah. This film, along with next month’s Kick Ass will again show the world the awesome diversity inherent in my beloved medium of comics. Directed by Brit Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and starring everyone’s favourite downtrodden gent Michael Cera as the titular hero who must defeat 7 evil ex-boyfriends to win the woman of his dreams, the long awaited trailer shows much promise. With slacker humour, video game design and all conquering charm it looks as good as I (and countless other fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series from Oni Press) hoped. Behold the splendour and then wait for the film until August 13.
The Losers and Iron Man 2 Posters
Based on the Andy Diggle and Jock Vertigo series, The Losers opens April 23. Iron Man 2 opens May 7. Below are new posters for both films, and it appears as though Black Widow has a S.H.I.E.L.D logo on her arm, indicating a beefier presence for the shadowy organisation in the sequel. Good news.
Aussie + Boomerang = Superhero
I used to love reading the X-Men titles in the early ’90s, as the team was so international. The different accents (Nightcrawler’s German, Colossus’ Russian, Rogues’ Southern,etc) were all handled superbly and it served to give the book a real global flavour. Image’s new Guardians of the Globe series looks to offer up more ethnicity, as the name suggests. Image sent sneaky teaser images last week, seemingly revealing who the new members of the super team would be, including Barack Obama and Harry Potter. Huh?! Of course, it was all a nice in-joke, referencing Marvel’s earlier teasers revealing their new Avengers team.
Now, the real Guardians are making their presence known. The latest one (after Outrun and Brit) is, a new character I believe, called Kaboomerang. With his”yeah mate,” quote and earthen colour scheme I assume he’s an Australian, and and Aboriginal. Now, as an Aussie myself I can say that yes, I say “mate,” and I have thrown a boomerang in my time, but really? The only other Australian character in mainstream comics I can think of is the (now deceased) member of Flash’s Rogues Gallery. Yep, Captain Boomerang, an overweight stereotype who threw boomerangs and wore a handkerchief around his neck.
Granted, Kaboomerang, by the ridiculously yet somehow cool name alone seems to be a tongue in cheek character created with a sense of humour. Thanks must also go to writer Robert Kirkman for putting an Aboriginal hero in a superhero team, as Gateway, the Aboriginal mutant who sometimes aided the X-Men hasn’t been seen in years.
It’s just a shame that overseas exposure of Australia seems to be limited to spandex wearers throwing curved hunting implements, and kangaroos of the caged or boxing variety.
More Iron Man By Design Variant Covers
To celebrate May 7’s Iron Man 2 Marvel are allowing Tony Stark to get all the attention on a few variant covers of their upcoming titles. Details below.
Marvel Unveils New IRON MAN BY DESIGN Variant Covers
Get a look at Iron Man like you’ve never seen him before! Marvel is proud to unveil even more of the stunning Iron Man By Design variant covers by some of the top artists of today!
Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on these hotly-anticipated variant covers, as Iron Man continues to garner mainstream media buzz! No Marvel fan can miss April’s Iron Man By Design variant covers!
DARK WOLVERINE #85 (FEB100573)
DARK WOLVERINE #85 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100574)
Written by DANIEL WAY & MARJORIE LIU
Pencils & Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10
X-MEN LEGACY #235 (FEB100561)
X-MEN LEGACY #235 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100563)
Written by MIKE CAREY
Penciled by GREG LAND
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by DAVE JOHNSON
Rated A …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #47 (FEB100575)
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #47 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100576)
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by WILL CONRAD
Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by HUMBERTO RAMOS
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—4/1/10/10, On-Sale—4/28/10
Tom Taylor Goodness
The Melbourne based playwright/comics scribe (Star Wars: Invasion from Dark Horse, The Authority from DC/Wildstorm and Rombies from Gestalt) has more goodies coming out in the coming weeks. In the latest Previews catalogue the second issue of the new Invasion series is out, as is a Vader-related one-shot. Check out the info below. You might also want to listen to an interview with Taylor and his Rombies collaborator Skye Ogden as they discuss the genesis of the great concept, undead gazelles and political subtext.
STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #2 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
New and vital knowledge sends Finn Galfridian with Jacen and Jaina Solo on a mission to the planet of Artorias. Though Finn does not know if his father, Caled, lives, if there is any chance, he must be warned of new dangers. It’s a hot and dangerous ride to Artorias, and the occupying Yuuzhan Vong are ready with a toothsome, ravaging welcome . . .
Meanwhile, Kaye and Nina, board their newly acquired Vong ship, embark on their own mission. It’s one they can’t refuse: rescuing captives held on a dead planet. There is no telling what peril will meet the rescue party . . .
STAR WARS ADVENTURES: THE WILL OF DARTH VADER
Tom Taylor (W), Brain Koschak (P), Dan Parsons (I), Michael Wiggam (C), and Sean McNally (Cover)
On sale Aug 11
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
TPB, 5 1/4″ x 7 1/2″
Darth Vader is on a mission for the Emperor!
When the Rebellion’s hit-and-run attacks on Imperial cargo ships become too audacious to be ignored, Darth Vader is sent in to find the Rebel base and destroy it. But the base, hidden in the center of a constantly shifting asteroid field, cannot be attacked directly.
To reach his target, Vader will have to team up with a recently captured smuggler named Zika—and dealing with an unwilling, wisecracking partner may be more of a trial for the Dark Lord than the actual mission!
Oscar Nominated Short Films
Inspired Mag has a post where you can watch 5 of this year’s Oscar nominated short films, including the excellent French experiment, Logorama, which must be seen. Really though, they’re all great looking films, including the latest Wallace & Gromit adventure, A Matter of Loaf and Death. Check them all out right here.
Marvel’s Marvelman
Well, the press release below says it all, but I don’t think anyone’s surprised to see Marvel doing something with this classic character. No news of new Marvelman adventures yet though.
Marvelman Returns In June!
Marvel is proud to announce the return of Marvelman to shelves everywhere with the release of Marvelman Classic Primer #1 in June! Who is the mysterious Marvelman? And just why is he one of the most enduring super heroes of all time? The answers arrives in this commemorative one-shot featuring interviews with creator Mick Anglo, superstar Neil Gaiman and more who contributed to this character’s history over the years! Plus, get all-new pin ups of key Marvelman characters by superstar artists Mike Perkins, Doug Braithwaite, Miguel Angel Sepulveda, Jae Lee, Khoi Pham and Ben Oliver! This landmark issue features two covers—one with the timeless art of Mick Anglo and another with the now-iconic rendition of Marvelman by Marvel Editor-In-Chief—and superstar artist—Joe Quesada!
Then, in July, thrill to the debut of Marvelman Family’s Finest #1, a new ongoing series reprinting Marvelman’s greatest adventures for the first time in the US ! Plus, no comics fan can miss Marvelman Classic Vol.1 Premiere HC, reprinting Marvelman’s earliest adventures in chronological order!
Now’s your chance to learn just why Marvelman is one of the most important characters in comic book history—it all begins in Marvelman Classic Primer #1, this June!
MARVELMAN CLASSIC PRIMER #1
Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS
Cover by JOE QUESADA
Variant by MICK ANGLO
Rated A …$3.99
ON SALE IN JUNE!
McCarthy’s Drift
Yesterday’s storm was all anyone could talk about in the usually dry city of Perth today, it seems. It certainly was spectacular. Beyond the pics of hail damage to windows and cars was a great little article on local writer Shane McCarthy. Here’s the article about the All Hail Megatron writer and his new addition to the Transformers mythos – Drift, a Japanese racing car with a sword. Oh yeah. See pics of the toy and more at McCarthy’s blog.
Smell Like Mark Waid
I love the nonsensical approach of this. It reminds me of the Star Trek fragrances I saw at Comic Con last year. Well, BOOM! Studios (of which Mark Waid is the EIC) is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of their hit title (written by Waid) of hero turned villain, Irredeemable. If you’re near Challenger’s Comics, drop by, drink, sniff and converse with the BOOM! crew and your fellow fans. Details below, and here’s an awesome summary of Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs and the good work they do for nerd nostrils:
About Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com) is a cult perfume house that crafts hand-blended body and household scents. They have over two decades of experience in the field, and specialize in eliciting emotional responses through perfume while creating unique scent environments that capture legends and folklore, poetry, and the stuff of dreams and nightmares Black Phoenix has several literature-based fragrance lines, including Alice in Wonderland, and the works of Neil Gaiman, and H.P. Lovecraft. With the success of scent lines created to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Hero Initiative, they have found themselves in demand as a creator of fragrances based on comic properties.
BOOM! STUDIOS, BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LABS AND CHALLENGER COMICS + CONVERSATION HOST THE IRREDEEMABLE 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY W/MARK WAID
@ C2E2 FRIDAY APRIL 16TH, 2010
BOOM! Studios, Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs and Challenger Comics + Conversation bring you the IRREDEEMABLE 1st Birthday Party happening Friday, April 16th during C2E2.
The IRREDEEMABLE 1ST Birthday party will also see the launch of the IRREDEEMABLE Fragrance line from Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs.
The IRREDEEMABLE Fragrance line features 5ml perfume oil blends based on the people and places of IRREDEEMABLE, including the Plutonian, Bette Noir and Mr. Qubit.
What: THE IRREDEEMABLE 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY W/MARK WAID
Why: IRREDEEMABLE’s record first year and the launch of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s IRREDEEMABLE Fragrance line
Where: Challengers Comics + Conversation located at 1845 N. Western Ave. 2R Chicago, IL 60647 (PH: 773.278.0155 / http://www.challengerscomics.com)
When: April 16th, 2010 8pm
Iron Man By Design Variant Covers
I was going to put these pics in the last This Week In Pictures post, but they really do deserve their own focus. Basically, Iron Man 2 is landing on cinema screens on May 7 and Marvel have given free rein to some very talented folks to create unique covers over a variety of Marvel titles for the month of April. They had a similar approach with their Wolverine Art Appreciation covers from last year, and these samples below look to do even more for Ol’ Shellhead. Mmmm…luscious. Just a reminder that these are variant covers, so you’ll have to ask your friendly neighbourhood comic shop specifically for them, or get there early on new comics day and grab them yourself. Oh, and don’t expect Iron Man to actually be in the comic – he’s just used to the Hollywood treatment now. Below the pics you’ll find more info including release dates on these specific issues.
Happy Birthday Mark Waid!
The legendary writer is now 48. Waid is one of the few writers who cemented my love for comics almost 2 decades ago. His run on Flash and the excellent Kingdom Come mini with artist Alex Ross made me want to follow him anywhere and I pretty much have since discovering him. He’s doing great work as the Editor In Chief of BOOM! Studios, and as the writer behind their flagship series, Irredeemable. Here’s a list I totally agree with of Waid’s Top 10 books for those unfamiliar with the legendary world creator.
Here’s to 48 more Mr. Waid!
AC/DC Iron Man 2 Soundtrack Competition
I actually heard AC/DC during their sound check at my office a few weeks ago. It was…loud. Anyway, the Aussie rockers are hooking up with Ol’ Shellhead’s cinematic adventures once more for May 7’s sequel, Iron Man 2. If you’re a fan of the band or Tony Stark check out the official soundtrack Twitter page or become a friend on Facebook. There’s also a great competition running in which you can get your mits on some sweet goodies. Go here to fill out a quick form and register for the comp, and you may just win some of the goodies shown below!
The first prize in the competition is the full AC/DC back catalogue, a working Backtracks amplifier box set and the Iron Man 2 collector’s edition as well as tickets to an Iron Man 2 screening.
AC/DC Backtracks – The Ultimate AC/DC Box Set
Contents: Five discs of rare AC/DC in one brand new, never-before-released collection:
1CD of Studio rarities
2 CDs of Live rarities
2DVDs: Family Jewels Disc 3 + bonus videos & Live at Circus Krone in Munich,
180g LP of Studio rarities
164 page 12”x12” hard-back scrapbook-style book
Loads of collector’s items
and all contained in a working guitar amp !
AC/DC Iron Man 2: Collector’s Edition
Contents: CD/DVD inc 15 classic AC/DC songs plus over an hour of videos including the brand new video for ‘Shoot to Thrill’. Also includes an exclusive, limited edition Iron Man comic book reprint with a custom, variant cover by Adi Granov, AC/DC stickers, poster and 32 page booklet.
This Week In Pictures-March 21,2010
BOOM! again prove their diversity and desire to bring comics into markets they haven’t been before. July’s 4 ish mini focuses on America’s famed CBGB club and is created by a host of talented individuals. Here’s the official blurb, plus the cover and a preview page, written by Jesse Blaze Snider.
The four issue mini-series hitting store shelves this July, features the finest veteran and rookie talents in comics, portraying the tales of music, discovery, heartbreak, confusion, rebellion and greatness.
The first issue’s cover is by superstar LOVE & ROCKETS cartoonist Jaime Hernandez. Also confirmed for the anthology are Ana Matronic (songstress for Grammy-nominated band SCISSOR SISTERS), Kieron Gillen (PHONOGRAM, THOR), Kim Krizan (Academy Award-nominated writer of BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE SUNRISE) Chuck BB (Eisner wining artist of BLACK METAL), Kelly Sue DeConnick (30 DAYS OF NIGHT: EBEN & STELLA), Rob G. (TEENAGERS FROM MARS, COURIERS), Sam Humphries (the architect behind MySpace Comics) Marc Ellerby (LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE) and many more!
The final and much anticipated volume of the Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley also lands in July. This fun and simply awesome series from Oni Press is one I’ve been getting into purely because it’s been so highly regarded, and I wasn’t disappointed. Scott Pilgrim is one of those rare series with high cross-over potential, and with the film (directed by Shaun of the Dead‘s Edgar Wright) coming up in August (the rather generic poster below has just been released) will surely help that.
Six years, five volumes, and 1,000 pages. Now the long anticipated finale to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s hit Oni Press graphic novel series has finally arrived. On Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 comic shops and bookstores across North America will celebrate the release of SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 6: SCOTT PILGRIM’S FINEST HOUR.
“It’s been quite a ride, and I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of the fans and the retailers,” said O’Malley. “It feels great to be in the home stretch, and I think this is going to be the best Scott Pilgrim book ever!”
Now, a bunch of Batman related news. June sees a 6 ish mini begin, based on the Batman Beyond TV series. It’s written by Adam Beechen with art by Ryan Benjamin. Here’s the cover for the first issue by Dustin Nguyen.
Another 6 ish mini-series out in June is Red Hood: The Lost Days. Writer Judd Winick and artist Pablo Raimondi present the tale that focuses on the second Robin, Jason Todd and the time between his resurrection and transformation into the villain Red Hood. Don’t forget, there’s also a DVD animated film on the way focused on the character too.
June’s Detective Comics #866 is written by Bat-legend Dennis O’Neill with art by Dustin Nguyen. The cover for this standalone story is below, and is described by DC as, “a tale of the Dick Grayson Batman intertwined with those classic days when Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, patrolled the mean streets of Gotham City!”
Predators Trailer
The original Predator film was the first “horror” I saw as a kid and I was rather taken aback by its brutality and machismo. The sequel, and bland AvP films never stacked up to that 1987 beauty. Now Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) is producing Predators, with a diverse cast and brutal action reminiscent of the film that kicked off the franchise. The new trailer is below, and although you don’t see much of the titular ugly aliens, you can see plenty of concept art here. It’s directed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy, Armored) and drops on to cinema screens on July 9.
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