Extra Sequential Podcast Episode Two

Just to prove that we’re not a one hit, or one podcast, wonder, myself and my good friend Mladen are back for round two of our comic book/pop culture podcast! Now with improved audio and funnier jokes! Chapter times below.

Listen to the episode below, or download it here.

1:23 NEWS

The much delayed Spider-Man Broadway musical, how Star Wars could’ve ended, Neil Gaiman vs Todd McFarlane about Spawn characters, record breaking One Piece sales and the Reel Anime festival in Australia.

13:15

Manga sales compared to comic sales in the West

15:55 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING/WATCHING

Inception, KING! #1, Batman: Under The Red Hood, Battlestar Galactica, Hellblazer: Hooked and Black Hole and detours into the multitude of Robins, Batman Beyond, dead superheroines and the unfunny Bubba Ho-tep film.

39:22 Trade Swap

Asterix! The hugely popular French series is new to myself, but is very familiar to my cohort Mladen. We discuss its origins, success and the animated and live action films. Also – suede pants, theme parks, French puns and dogs in catapults.

50:43 Theme – Vanity Projects

Sometimes creators get so successful that their name alone can be a selling point, regardless of the quality of the content. Not all such projects are bad though. We yak about the recent work of Alan Moore, Dave Sim, Frank Miller, Neal Adams and a few more.

77:25 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Comic Twart – a different character each week, drawn by a variety of artists. Check it out here. We also meander to Antarctic Press’ Time Lincoln: Fists of Fuhrer, Sandman, different types of triangles and next week’s topics, which will be the Scott Pilgrim comics and film, Eisner Award winners and Harvey nominees including our looks at Darwyn Cooke’s Hunter and Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli.

August 16, 2010
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Movies, New To Comics?, News, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Scott Pilgrim vs The World Movie Review

Man, oh man, what a great film. I’ve been a fan of the great series of graphic novels by creator Bryan Lee O’Malley since I picked up Volume 1 last year. Since 2004 there have been 6 of the enchanting black and white digests, with the final volume, entitled, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, having just been released.

The books, from publisher Oni Press, centre on slacker Scott Pilgrim, who in his own words remarks,”I don’t need fun to have a good time.” Basically the story is like a manic soap opera that wears its much loved influences boldly on its sleeve. Those influences include pop culture, from comics to video games and classic TV series, and O’Malley manages to weave all that and more in his seemingly rambling, but not really, tale of Scott and his numerous friends as he must defeat the 7 evil exes of the new love of his life, Romana Flowers. Perhaps the trailer can explain it better than I can.

There couldn’t be a better director for the film version than Edgar Wright. The British director has proved his love of pop culture is as evident as O’Malley’s in his TV series Spaced, and showed that he knows how to combine heartfelt drama, comedy and wild action with his first two films, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

This was always going to be a hard film to make, not merely because there’s over 1000 pages of source material, but also because it’s not a straight forward tale, with its ever growing cast of characters and a concept that may be hard to grasp for some. As a loyal reader, I can honestly say that the movie exceeded my expectations. Michael Cera (TV’s Arrested Development, Juno) was the only logical choice for the confused, yet dedicated man-boy that is Scott Pilgrim, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Die Hard 4) lays on quiet charm and beauty as the object of his affection and relative newcomer Ellen Wong is great as Knives Chau, the immature teenager that Scott is dating at the film’s beginning, and who is also a huge fan of Scott’s average band Sex Bob-Omb.

The evil exes don’t appear for long, as there are seven to get through after all, but thankfully they are played very well and the battles that are sprinkled throughout the film are unique and visually remarkable. Comic book fans have more reason to see this film, as Chris Evans, who has played The Human Torch in Fantastic Four and is currently acting as Captain America in next year’s film shows up as ex-skateboarder/current hammy action star Lucas Lee, while Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh is a mindreading Vegan and Jason Schwatrzman arrives at the climax as mastermind Gideon Graves, the man behind the League of Evil Exes. Thomas Jane (The Punisher) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Star Trek) also show up as Vegan cops.

With its cast of sometimes selfish friends and a world charmingly placed in fantasy land, in which fights resemble something from a frantic video game, it won’t be for everybody, and the first half is more concerned with hilarious jokes and visual gags, while issues of love and maturity are the focus of the second half.

You’ll get more out of it if you’ve read the comics, and don’t mind going with the rich and hypnotic world in which Pilgrim is set. This is not a film for those who like cinema to reflect reality. However, it does have a surprisingly emotional centre (more so than even the comics) and an unashamed sense of child-like, and often childish, fun. Filled with a hectic pace, yet never seeming rushed, it explodes onto the screen like a multicoloured volcano and entices you to pay attention lest you miss a joke. There are plenty of those here, whether it be a running gag about Pilgrim’s haircut or a scene complete with the Seinfeld theme and a laugh track. Yep, charming nonsense has a new name and it is Scott Pilgrim.

Oh, and this is what I’d look like in Scott Pilgrim’s world. See yourself right here.

August 15, 2010
Categories: Movies, Reviews . Tags: , , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

New Oni Press Website

Publisher Oni Press have wisely made the most out of the attention they’ve been getting with the Scott Pilgrim film and Bryan Lee O’Malley’s last volume in the excellent series, both of which I’m hoping to enjoy tomorrow.

I just noticed that they’ve also relaunched their site, with a bunch of features, including a Twitter feed from its talented creators and a host of classy previews. Check it out here and an interview with Oni publisher Joe Nozemack about translating their comics for the cinema screen here.

As a bonus, here’s a short trailer for the nostalgic side-scrolling Scott Pilgrim game, now with a code for zombie fun!

August 14, 2010
Categories: Games, New To Comics?, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

She-Hulks #1 Preview

The Hulk family continues to grow with this new series. Details and text-free preview below.

Marvel Announces She-Hulks #1!

Prepare to see green as She-Hulks #1 hits comic shops everywhere this November! Spinning out of World War Hulks, rising-stars Harrison Wilcox and Ryan Stegman bring fans the incredible alliance of the Sensational She-Hulk Jen Walters and Lyra the Savage She-Hulk! When the fugitive members of the Intelligencia escape, this gamma-fueled duo are hot on their tails to make them pay for their crimes against humanity! Klaw, Mad Thinker, Red Ghost, Trapster, and Wizard tried to take over the world but now they must answer to the She-Hulks. Filled to the brim with non-stop action and covers by superstar artist Ed McGuiness, fans can’t miss this exciting new series that will send shockwaves throughout the entire Hulk landscape!

SHE-HULKS #1

Written by HARRISON WILCOX

Penciled by RYAN STEGMAN

Cover by ED McGUINNESS

Rated A …$3.99

On-Sale This NOVEMBER!

August 14, 2010
Categories: Comic Art . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Invaders Now! #1 Preview

Thanks to Marvel, here’s a text-free preview, under a gorgeous Alex Ross cover, showing Marvel’s first superhero team from WWII reunited. Perty pics and details below.

Your First Look At INVADERS NOW!

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Invaders Now #1, from superstar creator Alex Ross, writer Christos Gage, and artist Caio Reiss, with packaging by Dynamite Entertainment!! For the first time in decades, the original Invaders are alive and active at the same time. When a mysterious force from the past brings the Invaders together, they must do battle like never before! Featuring Captain America , Namor, the original Human Torch, Steve Rogers and more, Invaders Now #1 brings back this incomparable team for an all-new adventure!

INVADERS NOW #1 (JUL100588)

INVADERS NOW #1 BUSCEMA VARIANT (JUL100590)

INVADERS NOW #1 GRANOV VARIANT (JUL100589)

INVADERS NOW #1 ROSS SKETCH VARIANT (JUL100591)

Story by ALEX ROSS & CHRISTOS GAGE

Written by CHRISTOS GAGE

Penciled by CAIO REISS

Cover by ALEX ROSS

Variant Cover by SAL BUSCEMA

Variant Cover by ADI GRANOV

Sketch Variant by ALEX ROSS

Rated T+ …$3.99

FOC – 8/19/10, On-Sale – 9/9/10

August 13, 2010
Categories: Comic Art . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

The Frontiersman #9 Now Out

The 9th issue of the free, digital mag from Broken Frontier has now been released. In its pages you’ll find a review of Scott Pilgrim’s cinematic adventure, a look at Ex Machina, a history of the Young Avengers and much more, including my interview with Chandra Free, creator of October’s OGN The God Machine from Archaia.

August 12, 2010
Categories: Interviews, New To Comics?, News, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics

I’ve been waiting for Warner Bros./DC to do something like this for a while. They’ve had plenty of practice with all the bonus features they’ve been putting on their animated film DVDs. Now comes this Ryan Reynolds-nararted doco about the history of the publisher, with plenty of nods to adaptations in to other media by the looks of it. Details, trailer and great cover below.

SECRET ORIGIN: THE STORY OF DC COMICS

RIVETING DOCUMENTARY NARRATED BY RYAN REYNOLDS CELEBRATES THE CREATIVE
TALENT BEHIND THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER HEROES

WARNER HOME VIDEO TO DISTRIBUTE DVD NOV. 9

Warner Bros. Pictures presents an enthralling examination of the creative forces behind the World’s Greatest Super Heroes in Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, an all-new documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of the iconic company with unprecedented access to the Warner Bros. and DC Comics archives. Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will be distributed by Warner Home Video on November 9, 2010 on DVD for $24.98 (SRP). Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will also
be available On Demand and for Download.

Behind the amazing tales of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a host of other well-known characters is the equally impressive story of the challenges, creativity and triumphs of the company that brought those
characters to life. Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is both a celebration of the best writers and artists in comics and a thoughtful exploration of 75 years of DC Comics history.

Produced by the Academy Award ® -nominated team behind Spellbound (Feature Documentary), Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics combines excerpts from comics, films and television series with the insight of
some of history’s most influential comic book creators and editors, among them Neal Adams, Karen Berger, Mike Carlin, Dan DiDio, Neil Gaiman, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Paul Levitz, Dwayne McDuffie, Grant
Morrison, Dennis O’Neil, Paul Pope, Louise Simonson, Mark Waid, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman.

Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is written and directed by Mac Carter. Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound, The Office) served as executive producer. Producer is Gregory Noveck and co-producer is Ivan Cohen.
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is produced by Sean Welch and Janet Eckholm.

“From the bans to the breakthroughs, from humble pulp beginnings to the literary rise of the graphic novel, the story of DC Comics holds a mirror to an ever-evolving enterprise and the society reflected in its comic book pages,” said Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment. “It’s a true American story – Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is a riveting, exciting, surprising revelation of that fascinating history and the men and women who forged it.”

August 12, 2010
Categories: New To Comics?, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Return Of The Dapper Men Cover Revealed

This looks like another great book from Archaia. Press release below about this unique OGN, that will be in shops in November.

ARCHAIA UNVEILS FINAL COVER TO ‘RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN’ ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL FAIRY TALE BY JIM MCCANN AND JANET LEE FEATURES COVER DESIGN BY EISNER AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER TODD KLEIN

Turning to one of the most well-respected designers in the comics industry to create an elaborate cover for one of 2010’s most anxiously awaited titles, Archaia revealed the final cover to RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN, designed by the award-winning Todd Klein (America’s Best Comics). RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (with pre-order sales nearing 5,000 units even before official solicitation) is the highly anticipated all-ages title coming from writer Jim McCann (Hawkeye & Mockingbird) and critically acclaimed and award-winning visual artist Janet Lee.

“Having a master designer like Todd Klein on board Team Dapper is a great honor,” said Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy. “I’ve been talking for months about how special this book is, and how much fun it is as an editor to be working on a fairy tale entirely unlike anything seen in comics before. With Todd joining creators Jim McCann and Janet Lee as we bring Dapper down the homestretch to publication, I can promise readers that this is one of those instances where the quality and artistry of this book lives up to the hype!”

The cover draws in many influences both within literature and without. “We wanted to go for a timeless feel, given both the importance that time plays in the story and the fact that this is a sort of classic fairy tale of old with some modern twists,” explained McCann. Janet Lee’s stunning découpage art is featured prominently in the cover design. “I love the look of books from the turn-of-the-century and classic children’s fiction. I love how they incorporate filigree and natural elements with illustrations that are now iconic,” said an excited Lee. “Todd was able to reference that feel and yet make it very today.”

RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (hardcover, full color, 128 pages, 9.5” x 11”, $24.95) is a visually stunning fairy tale that combines steampunk with fantasy and science fiction with Renaissance style. Together, McCann and Lee have created a world where J. M. Barrie, Lewis Carroll and Maurice Sendak meet Jim Henson and Tim Burton—all sharply dressed in a pin-stripe suit and a dapper bowler hat!

“Seeing this whole package come together with this level of production and talent involved, along with more surprises to be announced in the coming weeks, is a dream come true,” beamed McCann. “Knowing that Archaia is behind us and recognizing their established high quality production values in their hardcovers makes RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN even more exciting as it gets closer to hitting shelves!”

A limited amount of advance copies of the RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN hardcover will be available at New York Comic Con (Oct. 8-10 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, NY) and will go on sale in comic shops and wherever books are sold in November. To pre-order a copy, use ISBN code 978-1932386905.

August 11, 2010
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Top Cow’s Pilot Season 2010

Publisher Top Cow produced a grand idea when they launched the Pilot Season initiative a few years ago. Basically, they unleash a few one-shots and the discerning public vote on which story deserves a series. Below are the official details from this year’s offerings, complete with all the snazzy covers. There’s something for everyone!

TOP COW DEBUTS NEW ‘PILOT SEASON’ CONCEPTS AND FORMAT

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Pilot Season 2010 will debut next month with six new concepts and six different creative teams, and will adopt a 6-week event format.  The 32-page preview book, Pilot Season 2010: Declassified, first made available at this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego, will be available in stores later this month.

Since 2007, Top Cow has given fans the power to choose the next two Top Cow series based on a selection of one-shot Pilot Season “pilot” issues through online voting.  The inaugural Pilot Season initiative garnered more than four million votes from fans across the globe.

”Pilot Season started as an experiment, but has evolved into a highly anticipated yearly event,” commented Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, “This year we’re amping up the intensity based on fan and retailer feedback by releasing all 6 projects in a weekly format. With a wide variety of creators, genres, and styles represented, I’m confident there’s something for everyone in this 2010’s contestants!”

The six new concepts include:

Pilot Season: Forever #1 – Created by Matt Hawkins and written by screenwriter Brad Ingelsby with art by Thomas Nachlik with a cover by Bagus Hutomo of IFS, Pilot Season: Forever #1 focuses on a pharmaceutical company, Longevity™, and their development of a drug that extends human life and counters the debilitating effects of aging almost indefinitely.

Pilot Season: 39 Minutes #1 – Created and written by William Harms and debuting art from Jerry Lando with a cover by Rafael Albuquerque, Pilot Season: 39 Minutes #1 turns a heist story on its head when a bank robber’s only solution to getaway from a surrounded bank full of customers and employees is to kill everyone in their way.

Pilot Season: Crosshair #1 – Created and co-written by Marc Silvestri and co-writer Jeff Katz with art by Allan Jefferson, Pilot Season: Crosshair #1 centers on former assassin for the CIA, Justin Weller, who just settled into the life of a loving husband and devoted father in the suburbs, coping with the discovery that he has been brainwashed to kill the President of the United States.

Pilot Season: The Asset #1 – Created and written by Filip Sablk and debuting art from David Marquez with a cover by Jenny Frison, Pilot Season: The Asset #1 redefines the femme fatale for the digital age. Madeline is the woman of Doug’s dreams; the same woman who’s trying to get Doug killed.

Pilot Season: 7 Days from Hell #1 – Created and co-written by the team behind Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box,Bryan Edward Hill and Rob Levin, with jaw dropping art from industry legend Brian Stelfreeze, Pilot Season: 7 Days from Hell #1 finds ex-pat turned mercenary John Bishop mortally wounded, but spared from Hell by a renegade demon seeking redemption.

Pilot Season: Midway Earth #1 – Created and co-written by Marc Silvestri and Rick Loverd with art from Stjepan Sejic, Pilot Season: Midway Earth #1 sees our home planet as the strategic prize in a brutal war between two alien races.

August 10, 2010
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Thor: For Asgard #1 Preview

Man, that Simone Bianchi really can draw hey? I met the Italian artist at last year’s Comic Con and a pic of his X-Men has been stuck up on my wall ever since. Below are a few text-free pages from his upcoming work on a new Thor mini-series.

Your New Look At Thor: For Asgard!

Marvel is pleased to bring fans a new look at Thor: For Asgard #1 (of 6), the hotly anticipated series by the masterful writer behind Loki, Robert Rodi, and astonishing artist Simone Bianchi. Starting this September, Thor: For Asgard #1 (of 6) begins an epic adventure beyond the Rainbow Bridge , showcasing the mighty Avenger as you’ve never seen him before! With Balder dead, and Odin missing – it will be up to Thor to handle the vassal uprising in Asgard. But when his trusty Mjolnir is being denied him, how can the mighty son of Odin put his empire back together? With the first two issues hitting in the same month, fans can’t miss this epic adventure full of action, suspense and intrigue!

THOR: FOR ASGARD #1 (of 6) (JUL100615)
Written by ROBERT RODI
Pencils & Covers by SIMONE BIANCHI
Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC – 8/12/10, On Sale – 9/1/10

THOR: FOR ASGARD #2 (of 6) (JUL100616)
Written by ROBERT RODI
Pencils & Covers by SIMONE BIANCHI
Parental Advisory …$3.99

FOC – 8/26/10, On Sale – 9/15/10

August 10, 2010
Categories: Comic Art . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Torchwood Comic Trailer

Now I’ve not seen an entire episode of the relaunched Doctor Who, not its spin-off Torchwood. However, I know a lot of people will be buying this tie-in comic from Titan Publishing, which goes on sale tomorrow. It’s written by lead actor from the series John Barrowman with art by Tommy Lee Edwards, who’s currently working on Turf from Image Comics with Englsih TV personality and life-long fanboy, Jonathan Ross. Trailer and press release for the new series below.

Tommy Lee Edwards and John Barrowman team up for Titan’s new Torchwood comic!

Titan Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of Torchwood comic, based on the hit BBC America show.

Acclaimed artist Tommy Lee Edwards, currently working with outspoken TV personality Jonathan Ross on the hit comic series ‘Turf’, has teamed up with John Barrowman (Torchwood’s Captain Jack) and his sister and frequent coworker Carole E. Barrowman, to produce ‘Captain Jack and the Selkie’.

‘Captain Jack and the Selkie’ is one of two original Torchwood stories in issue #1 and sees Jack facing a deadly threat on a remote Scottish island, where people are disappearing one by one. To his horror, Jack starts to suspect he may know who, or rather what, is responsible.

Barrowman is overjoyed to have worked with Edwards, who he describes as one of his favorite artists. The pair began their collaboration when Barrowman and his sister Carole came across a poster of Captain Jack at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con.

“Tommy and Trevor had drawn a brilliant poster of my face super-imposed over the Face of Boe, which I think is the best piece of Captain Jack art I’ve seen,” said Barrowman. “The four of us hit it off immediately and I asked if they’d ever be interested in working with us on a Captain Jack project. They thought about it for, oh, about 30 seconds, and so ‘Captain Jack and the Selkie’ was born!”

The second story is part one of a special five-part story written by Torchwood TV script editor Gary Russell. Entitled ‘Broken’, the story sees Captain Jack, Gwen and Ian to get trapped in a cosmic hotel, while an old villain from the TV series returns.

Artwork for ‘Broken’ is provided by Adrian Salmon, whose work includes The Cybermen for Doctor Who Magazine and Judge Karyn for the Judge Dredd Megazine.

August 9, 2010
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Extra Sequential Podcast Episode One

On the wonderfully sunny Saturday morning just gone, my mate Mladen and I launched our very first podcast! It’s something we’d been talking about for a while now, and sure, we know there’s quite a few comic book/pop culture podcasts out there already, but hardly any in Australia, and especially in Perth, Western Australia. In fact, I think we are the only one. Most of the American podcasts are superhero centric, but Mladen and I have quite different tastes and rarely agreee on matters of the spandex brigade, so we thought we’d give it a shot. I must say, it went rather well. Both of us have had stints on community radio in the past few years so it was quite an easy experience, but tell us what you think dear listeners/readers!

We’ll be chatting it up weekly, and like the Extra Sequential magazine our aim is to make diehard fanboys and girls, and comic book newbies feel at home, so fear not if you’re not a regular comics reader!

You can listen to it our first episode through the player above or download it right here . It goes for just over 70 minutes and is broken down in to segments, if you want to skip through to the parts that may interest you more. So what did we talk about exactly? Well, here goes…

2:55 NEWS

Will Eisner’s A Contract With God film adaptation

Broken Frontier’s free, fortnightly digital mag now on iTunes

The death of Superman: The Movie and Superman II writer Tom Mankiewicz

The Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon

Also…Arkham City, the sequel to the excellent Arkham Asylum game

17:40 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING

(Mladen) 20th Century Boys, Vagabond, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant, Bouncer

(Kris) Brightest Day, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Franken-castle

Also…impressive vocalisation of the names of foreign creators, Kill Bill, how DC is like Twilight, Alien vs Predator and more.

32:30 SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES

We talk about the animated film, the comic that inspired it, the upcoming sequel and what we liked and didn’t like about it and somehow manage to discuss orphans, Superman’s exercise regime, baldness and craving for power.

52:48 TABLOID SIZED COMICS

We discuss oversized comics in the large newspaper style format, focusing on DC’s Wednesday Comics experiment and the indie anthology Pood #1 and also bring up 3 new TPBs from Top Cow, Rocky Balboa, Hawkman’s business card and cadmium.

1:05 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Project Rooftop We also chat about Wonder Woman’s new costume.

1:08:34 NEXT WEEK’S TOPICS

For episode two we’ll discuss vanity projects, Eisner Award winners and Asterix. Oh and for some reason we mention Vegemite.

August 9, 2010
Categories: Cartoons, Comic Art, Comics, Movies, New To Comics?, News, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Lucas Lee Film Posters

It’s good to see these props up close. From the film adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comic (which opens next week!) comes this little treasure trove; 5 fake posters from the movies of pro skateboarder turned film star Lucas Lee, the 2nd evil ex-boyfriend that Pilgrim must fight. Chris Evans has played The Human Torch and is currently wearing Captain America’s suit for next year’s The First Avenger film, so it’s good to see he still has a sense of humour about being an action man. After having read the excellent, Showgirls, Teen Wolves and Astro Zombies about bad movies, I kinda want to see these made. They look like real straight to DVD films from 1996. You gotta love Evan’s best Zoolander impression and great slogans. Go Action Doctor!

Under the posters (all of which unsurprisingly have the same credits BTW) is a clip showing Pilgrim vs Lee.

August 8, 2010
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Superman/Shazam! Film

A bunch of DC heroes team up on DC’s next animated film, kind of. Details below.

SUPERMAN/SHAZAM! THE RETURN OF BLACK ADAM ANCHORS DC SHOWCASE ORIGINAL SHORTS COLLECTION

THE SPECTRE, JONAH HEX, GREEN ARROW INCLUDED ON COMPILATION DUE NOV. 9 FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO

Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video have expanded the realm of superhero storytelling beyond the popular DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies with the introduction of the DC Showcase, a series of animated shorts featuring characters from the celebrated DC Comics vault. On November 9, 2010, Warner Home Video will distribute the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection, the first quartet of animated adventures featuring the never-before-seen Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, as a Special Edition Blu-Ray™ for $29.99 (SRP) and single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP).

DC Showcase animated shorts initially appeared as special bonus content on the 2010 slate of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The 10- to 12-minute films include The Spectre, Jonah Hex and Green Arrow. All three titles will be presented in extended formats along with the first-ever release of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam.

In Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, Clark Kent’s latest interview subject is street kid Billy Batson. What Clark doesn’t know is that Billy is more than a feisty kid with a lot of heart – he has been chosen by an ancient wizard to represent the good of man as the World’s Mightiest Mortal just by invoking the name of the wizard, “Shazam!” Billy’s powers come none-too-soon, as he also discovers he’s being pursued by a centuries’ old, murderous villain, Black Adam – a foe so powerful, even Superman can’t stop him alone. The all-star cast of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam is led by Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) as Captain Marvel, George Newbern reprising his Justice League role as Superman, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Black Adam and two-time Emmy Award® winner James Garner (8 Simple Rules) as The Wizard.

Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer and Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League, Avatar: The Last Airbender) is director of the first series of DC Showcase titles. Michael Jelenic (Wonder Woman) wrote the 22-minute script.

Other shorts included on the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection:

The Spectre – A detective story with an ethereal twist featuring an otherworldly character. The short is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), and the voice cast includes Gary Cole (Entourage) and Alyssa Milano (Charmed).

Jonah Hex – The tough-as-nails bounty hunter always gets his man – until someone else gets to him first – in this case a murderous madam who wants to steal more than just his bounty from Jonah Hex. Based on a story from the award-winning Jonah Hex comic series, and scripted by world-renowned author Joe Lansdale. The voice cast is led by Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder).

Green Arrow – At the Star City International Airport to pick up his girlfriend, Oliver Queen is forced into action as Green Arrow to protect the 10-year-old Princess of Vlatava from his old nemesis Merlyn the Magnificent and the League of Assassins. Greg Weisman (Young Justice) pens this action-packed tale, which features the voices of Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives) as the title character and Malcolm McDowell (Entourage) as his foe.

“The DC Showcase once again combines the respective creative talents of DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video to provide fans with vivid, new experiences alongside characters from within the vast resources of DC Comics,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.

“The DC Showcase allows us to expand the DC Universe with short stories based on intriguing characters – from a 1940s comics sensation like The Spectre to a creation of the 1970s like Jonah Hex – just begging to be presented to a very worthy fan base,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment.

“Whereas DC Universe films have given fans the broad strokes of superhero entertainment, we know devout comics fans will enjoy seeing the characters in the DC Showcase come to animated life – some for the very first time – and we believe this presentation will open a window for new viewers to experience these unique, textured heroes and villains,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Sports Marketing.

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection 1-Disc Special Edition DVD features more than 1 hour of exciting extra content, including:

• Four animation shorts (est. 62 min)

• Four additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection Blu-Ray™ features more than 2 1/2 hours of exciting extra content, including:

• Four animation shorts (est. 62 min)

• Commentaries by renowned writers Steve Niles, Joe Lansdale, Greg Weisman and Michael Jelenic

• Four additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm

• Digital copy online of the shorts

August 6, 2010
Categories: Cartoons, Movies . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

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