I first saw this book on holiday in Sydney last year when it was released. I’m a big fan of artist Adam Hughes and his gorgeous covers for DC Comics over the years. This 208 page book, entitled Cover Run features his best work of Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Power Girl and co. It was the (obviously fake) quotes of some of these superheroines on the back cover that got my attention however, including the bold one below from Barbara Gordon.
Barbara was the original Batgirl until she retired and was then shot by The Joker in the spine in the classic one-shot The KIlling Joke in 1988. She then became the wheelchair bound Oracle and has been an integral part of the DC Universe for the last 2 decades. You see the quote they made up for her though? Just bad taste really. Now, though, with DC’s September relaunch including Babs returning to her walking, running and jumping phase as Batgirl (complete with a Hughes cover), the questionable quote is proving to be farsighted.
Of course, it is a pretty book, as this video attests.
And here it is, the first (leaked) image of the new JLA come September, or rather August 31 when the series relaunches. We have the usual Big Seven, but with Cyborg replacing Martian Manhunter. There’s 8 other characters in the background, including Deadman, Hawkman, Firestorm and more, meaning the JLA will continue its usual changing roster. I actually like this, even though I think The Flash’s boots still look clunky, but Jim Lee can make anything look good.
Christopher Nolan’s last Batman film in his trilogy opens next year. We know Bane and Catwoman are in it, and maybe the former’s breaking of Batman’s back will be too, from the KnightFall storyline from the comics in the ’90s. This is a subtle, but cool teaser for now though, tying in important elements from the first 2 films.
Usually we here in Australia get things last, but for some reason we got this first, in January 2010 and the DVD release in December, although the series was originally supposed to air on iTunes. Well, it did, but was pulled off after 3 episodes for some reason but has now been released on DVD in America too. Created in conjunction with America’s BET network, it stars Djimon Hounsou as the titular hero, Kerry Washington as his sister (and future Panther) Princess Shuri, Alfre Woodard as U.S government agent Dondi Reece and Jill Scott as Storm from the X-Men (and his future wife).
I’ve never been a huge fan of the classic character, but his comic series lately has been great, as he’s taken over protecting Daredevil’s old haunt of Hell’s Kitchen in New York. Written by novelsit David Liss, it’s the only Marvel title I’m buying regularly.
This DVD is broken down into 6 chapters, for about 2 hours of fluid motion comic animation goodness. Marvel also have motion comics based on Iron Man: Extremis, Astonishing X-Menand Spider-Woman available.
This series is based on the Who Is Black Panther? arc form a few years ago by writer Reginald Hudlin and artist John Romita Jr.
It begins in 5B.C when invaders try, and fail, to get in to Wakanda and we are introduced to their never say die attitude and advanced technology.
Taking things to the present, we see Stan Lee (well, hear) as an arrogant general in the White House and learn that Wakanda has never been invaded, and have a flashback to 1941 as a fresh faced and oddly voiced Captain America tries to do so.
Classic Panther baddie Klaw is the main antagonist here. He soon recruits Batroc the Leaper, here reimagined as a less lame and agile French hitman, and Cannibal, an imprisoned man who becomes a woman (yep) to get revenge. Klaw wants T’Challa, the current Black Panther dead, as Klaw killed T’Challa’s father 15 years earlier, but was left with one less hand. Igor, otherwise known as the Radioactive Man also shows up and causes earthquakes. Klaw also gets help from the Black Knight (who is loaned from the church) and his handy Pegasus who leads the troops with a speech about a “holy crusade.” Hudlin does a great job with these villains, and not having them show up in their whacky costumes (well apart from Juggernaut, who’s stuck in his) and not really using their codenames, keeps it all more grounded than a traditional superhero story would be.
The animation is generally fluid and doesn’t look stilted, like you may imagine for a motion comic. The colours work well, from the dust and dirt of Wakanda’s past to its hi-tech gizmos, and New York streets. At times the faces resemble the work of cover artist Dave Johnson, and that’s good.
Adding to the cameos, Cyclops, Wolverine and Nightcrawler show up as they battle Juggernaut, before Klaw recruits him. If surviving an assassination attempt/invasion from warlord Mbutu wasn’t enough, the Queen Mother keeps pressuring him to get married and provide a royal heir, prodding him to get together with “that nice, mutant girl.” Classic. That’d be Storm by the way, and we also see how they first met as children. An army of Dethloks made from dead U.S soldiers also show up in the midst of the chaos.
Yes, there’s a lot happening, but the story starts small and builds to a great final battle and Hudlin never allows the burgeoning cast to get out of his control. Really, all most people will know about Black Panther is that he rules Wakanda and it’s the only place in the world that has the powerful mineral, vibranium. Hudlin builds the world here though, giving depth to the nation’s culture and politics, but not in a dreary way. If you’re new to the character, or the Marvel Universe at large, this is an entertaining entry, and does well to present some usually goofy villains in a more streamlined, modern way.
It also has a pretty cool theme song and Juggernaut colliding head on with a rhino, and throwing a cow at a jet, to boot.
There are no extras on this Oz DVD release, besides trailers for the Astonishing X-Men, and Iron Man: Extremis motion comics which both look visually dazzling. Below is the opening credits sequence.
13:07 Ramblings including the Green Hornet film and comic, and Batman’s bladder.
16:45 LIAR’S KISSfrom Eric Skillman and Jhomar Soriano. Black and white noir goodness with a scruffy P.I and a tangled web of intrigue.
29:10 THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVEfrom Robert Venditti and Mike Huddleston. A visually dazzling, and complex tale involving a doctor on the run, the rogue government agents who aid her and a vast conspiracy involving politics and medicine.
As part of their massive September relaunch DC will be unleashing day and date releases, meaning you’ll be able to get your comics in print or digital form on the same day. Woo hoo! They also have a relatively new, but impressive array of issues from their back catalogue, and if you’re curious about the Amazon Princess, this weekend is the time to read about her. Official details below.
Beginning this Saturday at 12:01 am The WONDER WOMAN 101 digital comics will be on sale for only $0.99 each. Offering a comprehensive digital collection of all things WONDER WOMAN, the sale event covers her storied beginnings to her reimagination in the 80s to the most recent critically-acclaimed storylines ENDS OF THE EARTH, RISE OF THE OLYMPIAN, WARKILLER and CONTAGION. Don’t miss out on stories from WONDER WOMAN creator Dr. William Moulton Marston and writers and artists including George Pérez, Adam Hughes, Greg Rucka and Roy Thomas – after 48 hours all titles will go back to their regular price.
Opening on July 22 is Captain America: The First Avenger, and here’s the second trailer showing Chris Evans in skinny phase (which doesn’t look so bad now) and bulked up, Nazi fighting phase. This looks better than Thor.
The patriotic, shield slinger also got a new poster.
If you’re going to Supanova Perth this weekend, you might want to pick one of these up. It’s only $10 and all proceeds go to the Premier’s Appeal to aid victims of the recent Queensland flood. Here’s the official info from Supanova and it has contributions from an impressive array of creators, such as Tom Taylor, Colin Wilson, Chris Claremont, Greg Horn, Jason Paulos, Alex Maleev and more.
Inspired by Sydney based comic-book writer Christopher Sequeira, who edited the comic and contributed a story illustrated by hotshot Marvel Comics artist (and visitor to Supanova in Brisbane) Leinil Francis Yu, the comic became reality through his and the combined efforts of Art Director and contributor, Tim McEwen, Publisher and Supanova Event Director, Daniel Zachariou, and all the other amazingly talented individuals who provided their time and art; 47 creators in all!
Sequeira relates that “Seeing true heroism, sacrifice and pathos on my nightly TV screen made me think of the potential of some creative folk reflecting and paying tribute to that in comics-form; so, why not put out the call for help? And our professional colleagues, world-wide, did not shirk that call – they leapt at the chance. They made it a brilliant, moving collection.”
‘Tides of Hope’ is 36 pages with 100% of proceeds from its $10 cover price going to charity while an auction of all the artwork, kindly donated by the illustrators, will ultimately be added to that pool of funds with comic-art collector, dealer and expert Royd Burgoyne also donating his time and expertise to do so.
Cool – a new mini-series from Howard Chaykin revealing a ’50s set team of Avengers with a cast as diverse as Sabretooth, Nick Fury and Kraven. Yep, that could work, and Chaykin’s the right creator for the concept.
Marvel Announces AVENGERS 1959!
Spinning out from the pages of New Avengers, Marvel is pleased to announce Avengers 1959 #1 (of 5), a brand new mini-series from comics legend Howard Chaykin, this fall! An unique team of super powered individuals of the post-World War II era including, Sabretooth, Kraven the Hunter and Namora, must combat threats in New York, Madripoor, and everywhere in between!
“I’m grabbing what feels like a brass ring here, with the opportunity to do an untold story of the lost years of the Marvel Universe,” explained Chaykin. “In a follow up to the sensational stuff laid out by Brian Bendis in NEW AVENGERS, we’ll follow Nick Fury and his Avengers around the world as they track down and take down super powered survivors of the Third Reich–as their ever effort is countermanded by a mysterious agency with a dark agenda of its own.”
Can the team save the day without tearing each other apart and who else will join the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest? Get the full story behind Nick Fury Nick Fury led Avengers Initiative as they trek across the globe saving the entire Marvel Universe from peril, only in the action-packed Avengers 1959 #1 (of 5)!
Yay! Another Marvel text-free preview! This time from Frank Cho! Yay again! Seeing Rogue on the battlefield sure would be distracting wouldn’t it?
Your First Look At X-MEN: SCHISM #2
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at X-Men: Schism #2, from Marvel Architect Jason Aaron and superstar artist Frank Cho. The blockbuster X-Event of the summer continues as Sentinels threaten to wipe out all of Mutantkind! It’s up to Wolverine and Cyclops to band the X-men together and tackle the threat head-on, and with tensions boiling – one of them will go too far. Find out this July the fate of mutantkind remains unclear in X-Men: Schism #2!
X-MEN: SCHISM #2 (MAY110679)
X-MEN: SCHISM #2 CHO VARIANT (MAY110680)
Written by JASON AARON
Art and Cover by FRANK CHO
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC – 07/04/11, ON SALE – 07/27/11
So, after the Schism mini-series finishes, Wolverine and Cyclops go their separate ways with their own teams and each will get their own ongoing title too. Maybe to show your support for either one, you could buy this great new Cyclops statue from Bowen Designs or this Comic-Con exclusive Wolverine bust.
If you want to know how the Ultimate version of Spider-Man AKA Peter Parker dies in this week’s polybagged Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160, then don’t read this.
If you do want to see a sneak peek at the upcoming Green Lantern animated series from the Cartoon Network, look below. It looks like simple CGI, but maybe the finished product will be better.
Now at Broken Frontier is my interview with writer David Ziebart about his new Red 5 series, Foster Broussard: Demons of the Gold Rush, an entertaining supernatural/ action mini-series set in the Californian gold rush.
Opening on July 22 is the Captain America film starring Chris Evans as the titular hero and Aussie actor Hugo Weaving as bad guy Red Skull. Below are some new pics showing the characters, plus Cap with his Howling Commando team mates.
I first saw this book on holiday in Sydney last year when it was released. I’m a big fan of artist Adam Hughes and his gorgeous covers for DC Comics over the years. This 208 page book, entitled Cover Run features his best work of Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Power Girl and co. It was the (obviously fake) quotes of some of these superheroines on the back cover that got my attention however, including the bold one below from Barbara Gordon.
comicbookjesus 