The trailer for the latest pop culture beat-em-up has just been released. It will be released next year on the PS3 and XBOX 360 and features an assortment of superheroes as well characters from Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Darkstalkers and more.
Iron Man Extremis Motion Comic
First it was Spider-Woman’s turn, then the Astonishing X-Men. Now, it’s the cinematic golden boy Tony Stark who gets the motion comic treatment, and I must say, this could be the best one yet. The trailer is below, as is the official synopsis.
IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Motion Comic On Sale NOW!
Marvel Knights Animation is proud to announce their newest motion comic epic: Iron Man: Extremis, is on-sale now! Now you can experience the groundbreaking motion comic, adapting the critically-acclaimed storyline by superstars Warren Ellis and Adi Granov, on iTunes, Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Zune and PlayStation®Network with an extra-sized, nearly 20 minute long debut episode! Tony Stark redefines Iron Man’s mission for the 21st century, setting the Armored Avenger on a new direction that’ll alter his life forever…if he can find a way to defeat an unstoppable force fueled by the powerful bio-engineered Extremis super-soldier serum! Each of the six episodes is only $1.99 for Standard Definition or $2.99 for HD and will be released every two weeks through June.
“Iron Man Extremis is an incredible piece of storytelling by Warren Ellis and Adi Granov. The Extremis motion comic takes their creative brilliance and seamlessly shapes it into a unique new experience within the digital animation realm,” says Ruwan Jayatilleke, lead creative and producer for Marvel motion comics. “Having the opportunity to work on Warren and Adi’s story while extending Marvel’s commitment to this new entertainment space has been hands-down phenomenal!”
The worldwide leader in bringing super heroes to life, Marvel redefined the motion comic medium with their first two releases—Spider-Woman (from Brian Bendis & Alex Maleev) and Astonishing X-Men (from Joss Whedon & John Cassaday). Staying true to their source material, Marvel Motion Comics utilize each story’s original art and scripts while adding seamless motion, dynamic voice acting, and stunning special effects to deliver a whole new way to experience some of the greatest storylines in Marvel Comics’ history.
Don’t miss the first episode of Iron Man: Extremis, on-sale now through iTunes, Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Zune and PlayStation®Network! For more information, and a first look at the groundbreaking motion comic, head over to http://www.marvel.com/extremis
Please note that Iron Man: Extremis is intended for mature audiences only.
Spider-Man and Shield
The Marvel teaser onslaught continues, with this new image showing Psylocke and Spider-Man as members of the X-Men. I doubt Peter Parker would stamp on “X” on his costume, as he’s not a mutant, so maybe its a curve ball. However, no-one thought he’d be an Avenger too.
On a somewhat related not, last week’s Shield #1 is unsurprisingly sold out, so here’s the cover for its second printing. It features an interior image from the comic by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver, revealing a battle in ancient Egypt with the alien Brood species. The second printing with this variant cover goes on sale on May 5.
Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1 Preview
Next month is a good one for the comic-curious. Marvel unleash a new series for newbies, starring two of their most well-known heroes. Written by Jason Aaron (Scalped, Ghost Rider) and bringing Adam Kubert’s gorgeous art back into interior pages, this will be one to watch. Official info below.
Get Your First Look At Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1!
Marvel is proud to unveil your first look at the hotly-anticipated Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1, from two of today’s most acclaimed talents—Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert ! Spider-Man and Wolverine come together in their first major series ever, as they journey to the edges of a Marvel Universe in a new series that will dramatically affect both characters! Perfect for fans old and new alike, no one can afford to miss the senses-shattering Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1!
ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1 (MAR100471)
ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1 FOILOGRAM VARIANT (MAR100472)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by ADAM KUBERT
Foilogram Variant Cover by ADAM KUBERT
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—4/15/10, ON-SALE—5/5/10
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
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.
Let’s Hear It For The Girls!
Marvel’s Girl Comics is a 3 issue mini-series created by a team of talented ladies. It’s also a good idea. Now I know every now and then a comic company will scratch their head over just how to get girls to buy comics, and from what I understand, the number is growing, particularly in manga. DC tried a noble attempt a few years ago with their Minx line, which unfortunately never took off the ground. However, there are a lot more female characters in the spotlight in the pages of both companies superhero books. In May alone Spider-Girl returns again, Dazzler gets a one-shot, as do the many loves of the Amazing Spider-Man in a book of the same name, Galacta: Daughter of Galactus hits, Black Widow’s new series continues, Emma Frost gets an origin spotlight special, and Marvel Her-oes continues with its focus on teen female Avengers. Plus let’s not forget all the female spandex wearers in the various X-Men and Avengers titles. Of course, giving more female characters series doesn’t mean more female readers, as I’m sure there’s a fair amount of appeal to both sexes with superhero stuff, but it’s a good step in the right direction.
Now, about Girl Comics. I’m a sucker for anthology books, and this appealed. Not all of the 7 short tales contained within are good, but they represent a great diversity. Most don’t feature females as leads, but are just slices of superheroes from different perspectives. Willow G. Wilson (Vertigo’s excellent Air) and Ming Doyle present a simple tale of Nightcrawler saving a perfromer in what looks like a WWII cabaret bar, Valerie D’Orazio and Nicki Cook show Punisher in a subtle, yet creepy tale of child protection and by far my favouritre – Head Space by Devin Grayson and Emma Rios (whose art I’ve loved since BOOM!’s Hexed). The other tales fall kinda flat for me, but that’s the lottery of an anthology. I’ll certainly pick up the remaining two issues, just to see what talent lies on offer. The creator biographies and and spotlights on Marvel employees Flo Steinberg and Marie Severin are a superb touch too.
Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki from Udon Comics is another new series with a female focus, though a different endeavour from the book above. Like any Gen Xer I paved my way through high school via button mashing on Capcom’s classic game, but I haven’t followed the franchise in the years since. Udon produce lovely, kinetic comics though, so this was a purchase on a whim. Written by Jim Zubkavich with art by Omar Dogan, who worked on the Chun-Li Legends series, this premiere ish mixes light high school drama with face kicking action. I’m unexposed to the newer Street Fighter characters, but this explains Ibuki in a very likeable fashion.
She’s a Japanese teen in a ninja school who also goes to a regular school and uses a mobile phone and has too many clothes for a stealthy fighter and this issue balances both of her lives well. There’s also a new arrogant girl at school who challenges Ibuki to a fight, a secret cabal of ninjas called Geki and a conclusion that reveals next issue’s addition of another SF character. The whole tale bounces along well, with a great touch in pacing from Zubkavich and suitably light yet frantic action scenes from Dogan.
Since we’re talking about girls – Whiteout. I saw the Kate Becksinale starring film recently and it wasn’t as bad as the critics led me to believe. Based on the 1998 Oni Press OGN from Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, it tells of a U.S Marshall trying to solve the first murder in Antarctica before a deadly storm crashes on their doorstep. It’s a bit long and not full of surprises, and there a few changes from the book, but it was entertaining enough. Kinda like 30 Days of Night without the bloodsuckers.
Ultimate Comics X #2 Preview
The premiere ish of this new Ultimate Universe-set series was great. Now, here’s a preview of the second issue, below the official synopsis. Ultimate Comics X #2 hits stands on April 7.
Marvel is proud to unveil your first look inside Ultimate Comics X #2, the series that’s redefining the Ultimate Comics Universe! Superstars Jeph Loeb and Arthur Adams continue their gripping story, answering the question everyone’s asking—who, or what, is Ultimate X?
Ultimate Comics X has critics raving:
“This is the archetypical comic story that some readers will one day point back to and say, ‘That was the single greatest issue I ever read.’…Adams turns in phenomenally detailed yet buoyantly composed art as only Arthur Adams can deliver it”- Doug Zawisza, ComicBookResources.Com
“The book lives up to its opening promise of a more hopeful and optimistic story, providing a very human character portrait of a new Ultimate character”—Dave Wallace, ComicsBulletin.Com
“This is Loeb at the top of his game”—Lee Newman, BrokenFrontier.Com
“I enjoyed it…It’s cool to see an alternate universe in which anything can happen and now it finally does.”– Chad Derdowski, Mania.Com
What’s the mystery behind Ultimate X? More answers arrive in Ultimate Comics X #2!
Hulk: Let The Battle Begin #1 Review
As faithfully and thoroughly documented by Rich Johnston over at Bleeding Cool, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for comics fans hoping for a few very cheap Marvel TPBs from Amazon. As many of us discovered – yep, it was too good to be true. However, the beauty of being a loyal fanboy or girl is that every week holds the promise of some outstanding new comics, and this little puppy is one of them.
Jesse Blaze Snider continues to prove his skill as a scribe with his pulse on the core of the characters he writes. Dark romance with Vertigo’s Dead Romeo series, the playful cast in BOOM!’s Toy Story and now his great tale in this Hulk one-shot. The guy knows what he’s doing and obviously spends quality time thinking about the specific traits of the characters he’s writing. As anyone who’s enjoyed Toy Story (his 2nd issue is also out this week) already knows, Snider has quite the knack for bringing out the authentic personalities of each of the toys, even if they only utter a few sentences. Likewise, this standalone adventure starring the Green Goliath feels like a purpose built Hulk story, rather than just a bland tale featuring a brute who smashes tanks. Snider brings to play the humanity of Bruce Banner and the rampaging might of his emerald alter ego with equal aplomb.
In the first two pages of Let The Battle Begin, we are given one familiar Hulk element with his “stupid purple pants,” and a new element that makes perfect sense for a rational scientist (a small survival kit in those same pants) as Banner wakes up post-Hulk in the middle of a desert. I should point out that this tale is set sometime in the past, as Hulk’s simplistic threats, and Thor in his old duds reveals. As Banner hitchhikes to the nearest town as part of the post-Hulk routine he’s done many times before, we are given flashbacks to unveil just what went down the previous day. Basically – a massive brawl with The Wrecking Crew in the battleground of Mt. Rushmore. Snider paces it very well, and throws in some surprising humour so that it makes the kind of Hulk fight we’ve seen so many times before appear refreshing and wholeheartedly enjoyable. With hitting with sticks, jokes about haircuts and groin grabbing it’s a great sequence that never comes across as silly or irreverent. In fact Snider boils down the essence of Banner wonderfully, as the captions of his inner thoughts show, as Banner has conversations with the townspeople and just tries to live a normal life. He applies the same focused analysis of Banner’s other side (y’know, the green one) that makes this a superb entry level adventure for the Hulk curious. Within just a few pages Snider sums up the complexities of Banner/Hulk in a way I haven’t seen since Peter David wrestled with Ol’ Greenskin.
Snider isn’t alone on this tale though, and artist Steve Kurth matches the plot with some great images. A slightly sketchy style similar to Bryan Hitch’s, Kurth’s grasp of facial expressions is bordering on masterful. There are a few misshapen missteps, but generally he tackles the pages with ferocity and humanity. Banner’s messy hair, the enthusiasm of a Hulk fan/hotel clerk and the confidence that drips away from Thor’s bloodied face are all great touches in this hectic day-in-the-life-of Hulk tale. There are a few close ups that appear like snapshots, brimming with honest emotion.
Also included is a short story written by Mark Parsons and Tom Cohen that originally appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #9. With art by Ed McGuiness it of course looks brilliant, even if Kelsey Shannon’s colours take a while to get used to seeing over the monstrous McGuiness style. Excellently titled Gamaragnarok it focuses on the harsh world of the future Hulk, Maestro. It’s very different from the preceding pages, with its serious story of war, but it sure looks pretty.
The Week In Pictures-March 7 2010
Peter Parker’s joining the ranks of the unemployed and something called Heralds launches in June. You can also check out a preview of the 3 ish mini Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton, which hits next week. Also, Stan Lee’s POW Entertainment is working with BOOM! Studios, there’s a bunch of great previews (25 in fact) from May 1’s Free Comic Book Day titles and below is a look at Alan Moore as a teenage girl (he also teams up with Neil Gaiman!). See it to believe it.
100 Very Cheap Marvel TPBs
Thanks to Rich Johnston’s Bleeding Cool for this awesome cost saving heads up. It seems now at Amazon you can get your hands on 100 Marvel TPBs for around $15 and some great art books, such as Joe Quesada’s and Marko Djurdjevic’s for the same price. Wow. Perhaps Marvel are doing a stocktake or something. Whatever, the reason – strike now! There’s Old Man Logan, War of Kings, a bunch of Omniboo (love that word) such as The Death of Captain America, The Ultimates, The Invincible Iron Man, and more. There’s also a stack of classic runs like Secret Wars, Punisher Max, and unique collections including Criminal, Halo, Dark Tower, and Powers. Go now!
This Week’s Marvel Art
The latest round of teaser images began this week, with hints relating to X-Men, and the post-Siege Avengers team, which Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen will unleash in June. Also, here’s a few covers from this week’s Marvel releases. See the full list, (including the first entry in March’s $1 issues, The Invincible Iron Man #1) here.
Marvel On Sale This Week
Under the cover images you’ll find the complete list of Marvel releases this week, and what awesome covers they are! A hairy assassin with opposable thumbs, superhero laundry and Darkness (of the X-Men and Tower variety). That’s what I call variety!
Captain America is an Avenger
Marvel is reuniting the original Avengers trio of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor! This is a teaser image of the current Cap (ie, the man once known as Bucky) rather than the recently resurrected original Cap, Steve Rogers with the declaration of his Avengers status. This pic reveals a glimpse of May’s Brian Michael Bendis/John Romita Jr Avengers #1.
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