June 27th Release Reviews

A little late this week, for a couple reasons. First I was dumb and did not have Sinestro Corps held for me, so by the time I got to my LCS it was sold out and I had to wait an extra day. Second, a lot of good reading this week and a couple 64 page issues. And finally (I said a couple, but you'll take three and like it), I taught my daughter how to play soccer this morning, and some things are more important than comics. On to the comics!

I am going to start out with the two biggies. X-Men #200 and GL: Sinestro Corps. Spoilers blah blah blah, you know the deal by now. It's Friday, and if you haven't read these by now, you shouldn't be online, you should be sitting in your favorite chair reading two of the best issues released so far this year.

X-Men #200

This is the X-Men issue that many others will be compared to for some time. If this doesn't excite you as an X-Fan you need to take that 1/8th scale Blackbird model you just bought back to the store. The highlights of what happened:

• Gambit and Sunfire mess up the Askani-son pretty bad. They are working for someone that isn't being revealed yet, and are after all of Cable's data, but he obviously isn' going to let that happen and blows all his shit up to prevent it. Pretty good story here, and if you want to see a little bit more of it from a different angle, check out Cable and Deadpool #42 this week. The art here is better, but C&D #42 shows the before and after of it all.
  



• Rogue has 8 billion twisted minds stuck inside her from defeating the Hecatomb, and her true personality is hidden deep in there. Emma likens it to "sifting a desert for a single grain of sand, except that sand doesn't scream". Spooky. Fortunately, Rogue won't have to deal with that much longer...


• ...because Omega Sentinel and Lady Mastermind attack the rest of the X-Men and when they go after an enraged Rogue, Mystique steps in and shoots Rogue right through the heart. She then reveals herself to be the new leader of the Marauders. Bad days for the X-Men are ahead

I don't do this story justice, it is pretty well written and the art looks great. And then on top of that, there is the first Endangered Species backup story. I am not going to go into detail right now about it, mostly because I have something bigger planned in the near future, but mainly the story tells the beginning of the end for mutants when Wanda Maximoff whispered "No... More... Mutants..." Bitch. And it shows the efforts Hank McCoy has been going through to try to solve the problem, how he has enlisted the help of all the heroes and come up short. The final frame sets up what I would imagine the other 16 parts to this are going to involve:


Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special

Another very good book here, with what appears to be some very long lasting changes to the GLCorps and more specifically Kyle Rayner. Geoff Johns continues as one of my favorite writers out there right now, and actually creates a Sinestro that you hate a little less than you usually do.

• I thought one of the really cool things added in was Sinestro's oath. I love how he has mirrored the GLC in almost every way, this is what adds depth to a character.

  In blackest day,
  In brightest night,
  Beware your fears made into light,
  Let those who try to stop what's right,
  Burn like my power
  Sinestro's Might!



• We get a cool little sidestory where Batman reveals one of the yellow power rings sought him out because he "has the ability to instill great fear". Damn, can you imagine Batman of all people with a power ring? He would be using Hal Jordan's dead body as a broom to sweep up the path of destruction he left behind him. I hope we get to see an Elseworlds exploring this someday, good or bad.


• A lot of other stuff going on in this issue before the big shocker. We see the yellow power rings searching out bearers, a whole bunch of Green Lanterns trying to stop them and failing, and the Guardians discussing Hank Henshaw and his knowledge of the 52. All worth reading, but there is a reason it is 64 pags long, and I am not even thinking about getting into all that.


• And finally we get to the meat of the story. Hal, John, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner are sitting around waiting to tell the Guardians about the yellow ring coming o earth to find Batman when the one they captured gets loose and takes Kyle! Bad news. A shit-ton of Sinestro Corps show up outside Oa, and a pretty typical melee proceeds. Not to say it's boring, but we have seen the hundreds vs. hundreds type fight many many times in GLC. It works well to show off a lot of different characters without having to showcase them, so I am not really complaining.
  
  One very interesting GL I think I saw in there was C'hp and Marisa, who were on the very edge of a panel. They show C'hp as he shoots an acorn at one of the bad guys. I am sure they will say he is not C'hp but rather a relative or someone who is just the same race, or maybe nothing at all, but it was good to see them pay a little homage to GLC's of the past.


• Back to Kyle. Where does he go when he is abducted? To the anti-matter universe of course. And to make a long story short, he does his best to kick as much ass as he can, but in the end, he is stopped by the Sinestro Corps. Sinestro himself shows up and after Kyle talks some smack, Sinestro tells him

  "Where the living embodiment of fear controls, the living embodiment of willpower simply supports."

  
  And then he promptly rips Ion right out of his chest, leaving Kyle as merely a man.
  
  This all leads up to Kyle being introduced as the new Parallax, which means bad, bad times for the GLC, yet again. To make things even worse, during their attack on Oa, the rest of the Sinestro Corps have rescued two of the more powerful being imprisoned there and brought them back to the anti-matter universe. The final shot sees Sinestro standing there with Parallax (Kyle), the Anti-Monitor, Hank Henshaw and Superboy Prime! Holy shit!

WWH: X-Men #1

The new X-Men are more less all alone when the Hulk comes-a-knocking at their door. The younguns actually put up a good fight, but obviously they aren't going to stop him. So we get to see a pretty good fight showing off their different skills for those who aren't familiar, but in the end, the Hulk wins out. Showing more of his current frame of mind, the Hulk tells Hank to call off the kiddies or they are going to get hurt. An intelligent, cunning and strategic Hulk has always been the most dangerous, and it seems this one is all of those attributes and more.

Not an especially deep book this month as they are setting up the story for them to have 5 more of these, but at the end Charles Xavier comes walking out and the big question of the day is dropped. He tells the Hulk that he was not there when the decision was made, but the HUlk is smarter than that, and he asks Chuck "How would you have voted?"

This will set the tone of the series, and with Endangered Species gaining steam, I don't see Charles purposely pissing him off and dragging his X-Men into it. So what will likely happen is he will tell Hulk he wouldn't have shot him into space and offer the services of the nubile New X-Men to he Hulk's cause. Looks like the Marvel Universe will be pretty X-centric this summer and fall if this plays out like that.


WWH: Frontline #1

Short and sweet. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was pretty harsh on this title earlier. And I stand by all that still, however, this issue is what Heroes For Hire should have been this month, but they blew it. In Frontline #1, we get to finally see what is going on with the Warbound as they take over NYC under the Hulk's orders. There were actually some funny moments in this issue, and if they focus on the Costume Division cop more than the two reporters they could save this and make it worth reading.

Other than that storyline though, it is spotty as they explain how they got from quitting the Bugle and the Alternative to running their own rag. Again, Ben Urich is nothing more than a supporting character trying to be a lead in a monthly book, and this part of the story doesn't hold it's own water. As I have said, I am buying anything and everything WWH, so I really hope they make this better, or it is going to be (a slightly less) painful 3 dollars each month.


Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #31

I am going to do something I haven't done before. I am going to defer to a fellow blogger for this review, because I agree with everything he says, and don't think I stand a chance of doing any better or adding anything new or different.


Matthew at Legion Abstract is the guru of all things Legion in my eyes. I am going to highlight a couple things he has to say, then head over to his Legion blog for the full review.

On Tony Bedard's writing:

Tony Bedard delivers us a nice straightforward storyline. It's a perfectly conventional way to kick off an arc of several issues. But... it's called a 'prologue'. I'm a fairly patient reader, but when I open a comic book and I see that it's a prologue, the message I get from that is, "thanks for buying this comic book, but the one you really want is the next one."

On Supergirl being named the new LSH leader:

I was hoping Theena would become the leader, but Supergirl is a sensible choice. I don't mean she's going to be a good leader... I think she'd be terrible at it. Anyway, it could be fun with her in charge; a bad leader can make for a good story.

His final thoughts on the issue:

I wanted this comic book to be better than this. Bringing Calero aboard for the art might help. Bedard may acquire enough of a rapport with the characters that he can cut loose more than he did here. And this was, after all, only a prologue. This issue wasn't bad. But I'm tired of the Legion being 'not bad'.

There is a lot more information at the Legion Abstract blog, make sure you read through his archives too for a fair and indepth look at not only this Legion, but pretty much every incarnation they have thrown at us.


Countdown #44

I keep saying it every week. I want to see more out of Countdown, and I still am not sure I have seen enough. So far the piecemeal format is starting to wear on me. I want more than 3 pages of each story, and I don't know why they can't just tell two stories a week or something and give us some more meat. The snippets they gave us this week:

• Mary Marvel meets up with Billy at the Rock of Eternity and they catch up on old times. Not really. Billy tells her he is now not only Captain Marvel, but also Shazam, and maybe more. He says "I am the Rock of Eternity, and the Rock is me." He lets her know that Freddy is off on a series of trials (in Trials of Shazam! no less) and that he is destined to be the new Cap.
  
  In the second part of their story, the only one with any depth this week, Billy voices his disapproval with Mary acquiring Black Adam's powers and gets understandably concerned. Instead of consoling and reassuring Billy that she is aas wholesome as ever, she gets a wicked look in her eye, tells Billy where he can put it, and takes off through the Rock. Only two things can happen with this new Mary Marvel. Either a huge showdown with Billy and Freddy as the new Cap around Countdown 30 or so, or... a super-powered threesome, as not only is Mary's judgment lowered, but so are her inhibitions. I am crossing my fingers for the second option.



• Forerunner learns a tiny bit more of her story as some dude named Monarch shows up. I wish I could tell you more, especially since the guy is on the cover, but he doesn't really reveal much about himself. They walk off down the alley together and I guess we are supposed to care where the story goes from here. This is the kind of story snippet that is pissing me off about Countdown. I liked what I saw, but was left wholly unfulfilled by it.


• Jimmy frickin Olsen is in Suicide Slum trying to pick a fight to test out his powers, because he feels they only show up when he is in danger. So he talks some smack to a set of thugs that it looks like DC ordered out of Thuggery Weekly magazine. I know they are dealing with hundreds of characters, but does the dialogue have to be the same for every thug ever shown in comics? Yes, I am officially nitpicking now. Oh yeah, and Jimmy displays yet another Golden Age power manifestation, this time with porcupine quills shooting out of him. An explanation anytime now would be nice. Moving on...
  


• I have nothing to say about Holly Robinson. We don't know her, and at 2 pages an issue, we won't for a long time. Besides the only Holly Robinson I ever cared about was the one on "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper", she was hot.
  


• Then we move on to the Rogues. By this point in he book, I just don't care anymore. They killed Bart Allen, they are worried that they are going to get their asses kicked by the JLA, and vow to stick together. Blah, blah, blah. There's another wasted 3 pages. Take those and the 2 they wasted on what's her name, and they could have given us more Forerunne, or hell, even more Jimmy frickin Olsen would have been better.

I'm a sucker, I'll be reading this again next week, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! Actually I like half of it, and that is still worth my money to bank on them really pulling something good off with this series. A fanboy can hope, can't he?


The rest of the stuff

I didn't end up buying anything involving Amazon Attacks. Between Marvel and DC, I am in series overload an this one I care the least about. If I get a chance to read it I will, but I just didn't have an extra 9 dollars this week to spend on a story I just can't get into.

I flipped through X-Men First Class Vol. 2 #1 off the rack, but again, I had to make a choice. I thought I would buy this one, but it was a last minute decision not to, and from other reviews I have read, I didn't miss much.


Tell me what you want to see

Interactivity is what makes the internet great. Let me know what you want to see here each week. Tell me about an independent title you think is good. Tell me about an offbeat mainstream title you think I am missing out on. Either way, tell me, and I'll make it happen one way or another.

Sorry for the lack of good pictures this week, a little technical difficulty, it'll be back to normal in the next couple days.

CG

Scorn from Septagon Studios

I have yet to actually read this comic (it is not available at my LCS... yet), but if it is as good as the production of their website, their ComicSpace page, their comic trailer and pretty much everything else I have seen from them, it is going to be very good. Speaking of their trailer:

They could do nothing or the rest of their existence, and that alone would always make me respect them. Lucky for us, they didn't stop there.

SCORN #1 (of 4)
Written by Kevin Moyers, with artwork and cover by Philipp Neundorf.
On a quiet July night in Chicago, 19-year-old Michael Riggs witnesses the murder of his best friend at the hand of notorious gang leader Robert Torres. Michael becomes obsessed with revenge, and nothing can stop him on his vicious and bloody rampage of vigilante justice.
28 pgs., rated mature. $3.50. On Sale June 8, 2007

Here is a little preview of what you can expect:

ABOUT SEPTAGON STUDIOS. INC.:
Imagination. Creativity. Unleashed. For Readers. For Creators. For Everyone.

Septagon Studios, Inc. is a publishing company founded in early 2003 by company President and C.E.O Nicola Defina with his two cousins, Philip Defina (Vice President and Art Director) and Domenic Defina (Art Consultant). Septagon Studios has carefully positioned itself to occupy a historic place in the industry, and combining comic book publishing with creator services is just the start.

Visit Septagon Studios, Inc. online at http://www.septagonstudios.com.

Admittedly I am a little late on this, but better late than never. As many of you may know, I am not big into independent titles, but once I caught wind of this, I thought this looked awesome. And the more I found out about the title and the company, the more I was impressed. If independents did work like this all the time, and marketed all their books like this, we would not have just a Big 2.

CG

Off the Rack - 6/29/07

Time for another post that transcends the boundaries of comicbookdom. A little backstory here: I live in Colorado, but I recently moved here from the Detroit metro area because I felt it was an unsafe place to raise a family. During my lovely stay, I was mugged, and after that, spent years looking over my shoulder, and generally distrusting everyone.

OK, enough gloom, this is a celebration. A celebration of a 72 year old man beating the living shit out of some punk who thought he would pickpocket the guy in a convenience store in Grand Rapids, MI. Anyone familiar with Michigan will tell you Grand Rapids in across the state, but it still makes me giddy to see this.

The 72 year old man in question was able to fend off the human stain for many reasons. He was an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer when he was younger. If that wasn't enough to administer a whooping, he was also a Marine. Still not enough? He also spent over 20 years as an iron worker. No wusses in that line of work, I don't think. The dumbass couldn't have picked a worse target.

From ClickOnDetroit.com:

He immediately grabbed the person's wrist with his left hand and started throwing punches with his right, landing six or seven blows before a store manager intervened.

"I guess he thought I was an easy mark," Bill Barnes, 72, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story Tuesday.

He remembers noticing a patron acting suspiciously, asking the price of different brands of cigarettes and other items. While turned away, Barnes felt the hand in his pocket, so he took action.

"I guess I acted on instinct," he said.

"There was blood everywhere," said manager on duty, Abby Ostrom, 25.

Good stuff. We need more like this.

CG

One Month Old!

Today was the one-month anniversary of The Comic Rack, and I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who has come by and keeps coming by. I have been blessed with over 4,000 visitors since then, which makes the time I spend here each day worth every second.

And since you keep coming back, I will keep doing my best to add new, relevant content on a daily basis. In the near future, I will hopefully be cross-posting on at least 2 other sites I have spoken with, which will bring more readers, and with that will come better, fresher content. I am also looking for opportunities to provide unique looks into different comics, mostly of the independent variety, with first looks, sneak previews and stuff like that.

If any of you know of a small publisher (or god willing a large one) that would like to have their work showcased and/or previewed, have them send me an email. I think nothing would be cooler than to have a series of 4 or 5 page previews of many different independent publishers work on the Monday or Tuesday before the issue is released.

I promise I won't do this every month, but for me this is exciting. I have poured myself into this and to see some kind of return on it (in readers not money) makes me about as happy as I can be. However, not to keep pounding this point home, but I cannot do it with out all of you. Drop me a line and let me know how the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 100th months can be even better than this first one has been.

Thank you,

Adam Silfven
The Comic Geek

New Iron Man movie site?

A new website at http://www.starkironworks.com has popped up. However, there is nothing on the site yet except for this nifty little graphic:



We'll keep an eye on it and let you know when anything pops up there.

CG

Wizard Sinestro Corps interview

Wizard Magazine just posted an online interview with Geoff Johns, the writer on the recently released "Green Lantern Special: Sinestro Corps". They asked him 5 Questions and got him to spill his beans about all kinds of stuff. Of course that means spoilers, which kinda sucked for me since I haven't read it yet... Anyhow, after the picture of our pink-skinned friend are the 5 questions and the spoilers. You have been warned.

1. What is Sinestro’s end goal?

The pink-skinned tyrant and his band of sociopaths seem content with simply instilling fear across the cosmos, but Johns insists they’ve only scratched the surface: “Right now, [their goal] appears to be terrorizing the universe and destroying the Green Lantern Corps, but there’s more to it than that.”

2. Can Kyle Rayner be redeemed?

The former Ion has gone the way of Hal Jordan and been infected by Parallax, but can the “Torchbearer” follow in his predecessor’s footsteps and be reborn as a hero?

“That depends on who in the Green Lantern Corps you ask,” Johns teased cryptically.

3. How is the Anti-Monitor still alive?
Seriously, the Sinestro Corps’ twisted take on a Guardian died like a dozen times in the classic 1985 maxiseries Crisis on Infinite Earths—what gives?

“When the multiverse was reborn at the end of 52, so were some other things that were connected to it,” explained Johns.

4. What roles do Cyborg Superman and Superboy-Prime play?

We’re almost afraid to ask…

“Cyborg Superman has a very clear-cut and selfish goal that will be explored more in a one-shot by [writer] Alan Burnett,” said Johns. “Superboy-Prime is out and he’s happy and he’s got a big ol’ smile on his face—it should be a lot of fun.”

5. Will there be casualties?

“There will be casualties because it’s a war,” Johns noted. “But it’s not about the casualties.”

I'll have more to say about this sometime tomorrow when I post my June 27th Release Reviews, but until then check out the Written World blog with her original guesses as to the fate of Kyle Rayner and then her reaction yesterday. Between this and World War Hulk, I am ging to be in green overload by Christmas time.

CG

Hulk vs. Bizarro #5: I Can't Believe It

Issue #5 of the 50 Foot Robot Studios webcomic Hulk vs. Bizarro. Enjoy!

Are comic books losing their sense of humor? Pt. 1

When I was a little boy, and throughout the time when I was growing up reading comics all the time, I vividly remember laughing out loud all the time. But lately, I have struggled just to find a couple frames each week that make me really laugh. I had every intention of having a weekly feature called "Friday Funny" and figured "What could be easier than finding something funny in the 'funnybooks'?" It's not to say there is no humor at all in comics, but that most of the time, it will make me smile at it's best.

Is it my sense of humor that has gone down hill? I highly doubt that since I laugh until my stomach hurts most nights watching Reno 911, Robot Chicken and the Simpsons. Is it the writers, have they gone soft? Not sure about that either. Kevin Smith has written more than a few comics that have fallen flat, but I find his movies hilarious.

Or is it the comic book genre itself? I think this may be where the problem is. The tone of comic books has darkened so much that funny titles like Deadpool (the Joe Kelly Deadpool, not this current drivel) don't stand a chance for long. Whether it is because they think people won't like taking killing lightly, or think that there isn't room for lighter fare, the comic book publishers have comics at the point where it is all doom and gloom and very little comedy.

What can we do about this? To be honest not much, except let the publishers know of our disapproval. That's the hard part, because the only way they will pay attention is for us to stop buying their comics, and I am not about to do that.

I am just hashing out my thoughts on this to be honest, but wanted to say something right away. I am going to dive deeper into this soon and write up a full article on the subject, complete with scans of panels from yesterday and today in the comic world.

So what I am hoping for now is a little help. If you know of a truly funny title, most likely from an independent publisher, please let me know, so we can start to acknowledge those who are trying to keep funnybooks funny. As I have noted before, there are many ways to contact me, if you need to find one, click on the Contact Me tab at the top of the page.

Transformers Orgasma

Wednesday mornings suck generally, waiting for your comic store to open, hoping the UPS guy shows up on time this week, then the generally great employees decide this is the one day of the week they don't feel like moving too fast. So for everyone sitting at home, work or wherever, with nothing better to do while they wait, here is a whole bunch of Transformers stuff, most of all of it courtesy of Comingsoon.net.


"I want to introduce you to my friend, Optimus Prime"

Megan Fox can act!

Scorpinoc

MTV Transformer Exclusive

Transformers Mountain Dew commercial

Not Transformers, but still funny

The reviews are starting to roll in

Variety.com

If it's true that there's an 8-year-old boy inside every man, "Transformers" is just the ticket to bring the kid out. Big, loud and full of testosterone-fueled car fantasies, Michael Bay's actioner hits a new peak for CGI work, showcasing spectacular chases and animated transformation sequences seamlessly blended into live-action surroundings. There's no longer any question whether special effects can be made more realistic:

Dark Horizons

It's funny that in a Summer filled with overstuffed sequels containing unnecessarily convoluted plots and an increasingly dark tone, the one truly original big action movie staunchly goes the other way - keeping the story as simple as a nursery rhyme and light as a feather... It does all go on too long at times, most notably that last act, yet the scenes that need to be exciting are. ILM's truly jaw-dropping effects not only look practically photo real throughout, but also take into consideration the one thing that far too many films of this type ignore - the laws of physics...

Side Show Toys

Is the new Transformers film more than meets the eye? Well, not exactly - it's a pretty straightforward, balls-out, big explosion, cheesy dialogue, effects-laden summer blockbuster. But what does meet the eye is much more than satisfactory, and blockbuster it most definitely will be. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it comes as close to reaching a level of perfection that films of this genre can ever hope to achieve. Simply put, Transformers is what all summer movies aspire to be.

And Ain't It Cool News has a lot of comments by readers who have seen the movie already:

The movie works. The movie works because the characters work...no wait, forget that, the movie works because the fucking robots work! After 2 1/2 hours, I would still feel really excited every time I saw a transformation.

Words cannot describe how great I think this movie is. I went in with absolutetly no expectations, and was blown away by the sheer fun of the whole experience.

You already know the plot (there is none) so I will cut to the chase. The Transformers can be summed up in one word: THE ROBOTS PUNCHING EACH OTHER IS AWESOME!!!!!

Transformers Sites

Transformersmovie.com
Transformers IMDB
Hasbro's Transformer toys
Burger King toys
ComingSoon.net's list of just about every Transformer clip released





What would a Transformers post be without a little Megan Fox?







CG

Waiting on Wednesday - 6/26/07

As I mentioned last week, lots of big issues hitting the stores this week. Both the Marvel and DC Universes will look considerably different after tomorrow. Let's get this party started.

• X-Men #200 is finally here and big, big things are in store. Rogue, the current leader of the X-Men, has absorbed millions of souls when she used her mutant powers to defeat the Hecatomb. She is going to have to deal with the consequences of that, as her team begins to have serious problems. Marvel promises "a plethora of mutant guest stars, the return of several fan-favorites, and a devastating face-off against the deadliest villain team in the X-Men's forty-four year history!" Man, a lot of things can be read into that, and so far they have been fairly tight lipped about it.
  
  This is a double sized issue featuring writing by Mike Carey, art by Humberto Ramos and Chris Bachalo and three different covers. From left to right, the covers are by David Finch, a wraparound by Ramos and a wraparound by Bachalo. There also has the first 8 page Endangered Species story in the back of this issue (on that note, X-Factor #20, also releasing this week does not have an ES story in it).
  

• World War Hulk: X-Men #1 sees the Hulk coming to the X-mansion to exact his revenge on Xavier for his part in shooting him into space. The only problem is that it is only the Prof., Beast and the New X-Men in Westchester, and things don't look good for them after the Hulk had his way with Iron Man.
  
  As the world's foremost telepath, the Professor is one of the few people who have ever exerted control over the Hulk, but the odds are against him being able to do it again since the Green Goliath is stronger than ever before.



• World War Hulk: Frontline #1... what can I say? These sucked horribly during Civil War, and they look exactly the same during WWH. I could see this as a backup storyline that ran throughout all the other books, essentially tying them altogether, but it's own series every time something happens in the Marvel Universe? Ben Urich just isn't interesting enough and whatever the girl's name is, she just doesn't have large enough breasts. I'm kidding, but where is the value in this title?
  
  I hate just bitching about something, it makes me seem whiny, so I usually like to offer a solution. Here's mine, and you can even keep the title Frontline:
  
  At the end of Incredible Hulk #107 last week, there were 2 or 3 dozen normal people standing there willing to help out the Hulk. Who are these people? What is their motivation? Why would they be willing to help someone who doesn't like "puny humans", has said he is going to rampage through their city and is responsible for many, many deaths? Now that would make a good series.


• X-Men: First Class Vol. 2 #1 guest stars Sue Richards as a mentor for a young Jean Grey as she learns her new powers. If you are not familiar with the first First Class series, it is an in-continuity look at the very earliest days of the X-men long before there were hundreds of one-time members. So the boys are full of hormones, and the wonderfully funny writing of Jeff Parker should make this the beginning of a great series.
  
  The panel on the right is a sample of what you can expect. Jean is upset because she is having trouble flying and good ol' Chuck, despite being the foremost telepath in the world, didn't realize until now what the trouble was. Enjoy!


• Wolverine: Origins #15 wraps up a remarkable storyline involving Logan, his son Daken and Cyber in an adamantium-laced showdown (I know Daken doesn't have adamantium, but it sounded good.) Anyhow, Cyber's heart is bad, Logan wants his help, and Daken wants to kill them both.
  
  As the fifth and final part of this storyarc, we can expect all the fighting we have seen so far to finally come to a head. Can Logan come to terms with his son? Is Cyber going to live, or will his story go to the grave with him? Dunno, but I bet the answer involves lots of blood and claws.

Of course this is not all the Marvel books coming out this week, but it is all of them I am talking about. A few of the others you can look forward to are: Fantastic Four #547, Black Panther #28, Daredevil #98, Immortal Iron Fist #6 and Spider-Man: Fairy Tales #2.

I don't know what is going on with DC right now, but every week when I look at their lineup, it just rarely excites me. This is disappointing as I enjoy their characters much more, but lately, there is just a lack of depth. One or two good titles each week and Countdown (which is wearing on my nerves) and that is it. DC's only saving grace this week is the Amazonians attack on America. There are three titles intersecting with the attack this week.

• Amazons Attack #3 (of 6) hits the stands this week, and continues the main storyline with thousands of beautiful women attacking America and taking over Washington D.C. Wonder Girl and Supergirl decide to take matters into their hands, but will it help or hurt the effort to stop this invasion?
  
  I can't say I am blown away by Pete Woods artwork here so far. While acceptable, there are times when the characters look out of proportion. Other times though, I really like what he does. I don't know where to stand on him yet. Will Pfeifer however, I think has done a great job, especially since he is having to handle all the different personalities, not only of the JLA, but also the lesser known Amazons, and is doing it well.


• Teen Titans #48 continues the story involved with Cassie and Kara going wild in D.C. doing their own thing, and also deals with the Titans intervening in the attack on the Air Force base in Southern California. There is already enough distrust on this team, and the actions that the girls take will not help matters at all. With issue #50 right around the corner, do not be surprised if changes are made sooner rather than later.
  


• Wonder Woman #10 ties in with Amazons Attack as someone goes after Paradise Island while the girlies are away. Diana's imprisonment for the death of Maxwell Lord may have set this all off in the first place, and now DC is hinting that she may have to kill again. One would have to imagine that an eventual showdown with Hippolyta is in the cards for Wonder Woman, and if she thinks she is a doppelganger, she may not hesitate to take her down to stop the attack on her adopted home.


• For whatever reason, I cannot find the cover of Countdown #44 anywhere on the Internet. In fact, it seems the plot synopsis is also being closely guarded. But is that going to stop me from bringing you a preview of this issue? Well, to be honest, it usually would, but I did find one frame that can only be from an issue of Countdown we haven't seen yet. So, I am warning you, this may be from further into the series, but it would seem to fit right now.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mary Marvel and Billy Batson finally reunite, and we can probably assume that he is not going to be too happy about her possessing his nemesis' powers... and possibly more. In interviews with the writers of Countdown, they have never denied that Mary may be affected in more sinister ways than we have seen yet. It's the whole "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" thing, but judging by that frame, maybe it is Billy who is feeling his oats right now instead.
  
  He is now the Wizard, and appropriately wearing the all white Marvel Family uniform, and the Seven Deadly Sins are now the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. Maybe Countdown is finally going to pick up and get interesting now. I know, I say that every week, but I really had high hopes, and so far they have not been fulfilled.

I tend to leave some really good stuff for the end of these articles, and I think that the next title will be the best of this week.

• Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special promises big changes for keepers of the green flame. The double-sized issue from Geoff Johns, Ethan van Sciver and Dave Gibbons brings us the story of Sinestro and his band of merry men. Merry Men?? No, these are going to be some of the most hardcore killers known to the universe. Sinestro had the weaponers of Qward assemble a yellow power battery and has equipped his Corps with power rings to fight the Green Lanterns with.
  
  Cyborg Superman is joining with these heathens along with an alien named Arkillo who is responsible for keeping everyone in line, much like Kilowog. There have been a few more members introduced to us, and many more are sure to join, whether they like it or not! By the end of this storyline, which will run through GL and GLC through the fall, many Green lanterns will be dead (they tend to be so expendable), and many more will question their place in the universe. Get ready for what is said to be the next essential Green Lantern story.

The rest of books from DC this week worthy of a mention: Blue Beetle #16, Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #31 (I meant to feature this one, but didn't get a chance, if it is good, I'll do a little review) and Superman/Batman #37.

Also of note this week, from Vertigo, is a 232 pg. hardcover edition of Neil Gaiman's "Stardust" series. Though $39.99, if you are a fan of Gaiman, or see the movie August 10th and want the story in paper form, this is for you. Other releases from Vertigo that probably deserve more space, but just aren't geting it, are Jack of Fables #12 and Deadman #11.

CG



This is being written Monday evening because I may not have time to post on Tuesday, so if anything changes, tough shit. Have a good day!

Movie News: Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and more

Keeping my ear to the ground always ends up in finding lots of comic book related movie news. It's not usually enough for one post, so if any of this is a couple days old, that's why. Here we go...

The Incredible Hulk


ComicBookMovie.com has released an exclusive first look at a poster for the Incredible Hulk movie. The follow-up to the less-than-stellar Hulk movie from 2003 is set to star Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, and will be released on June 13, 2008.



This was supposedly received from a friend who went to a licensing expo where it was revealed. Not to say that's not true, but it would not be the first fake movie poster I have ever seen, so take it with a grain of salt. If it is real though, it will be exciting to start hearing about more Green Goliath movie news in the near future.


Iron Man




Shooting news all over the place for the Jon Favreau-helmed movie set to show up in theaters May 2, 2008. The cast includes:

• Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
• Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes

Rumored to have shot a scene this weekend was Samuel L. Jackson as none other than... Nick Fury! For readers of The Ultimates series this won't be a huge shock as Fury was drawn as a black man who looked suspiciously like Jackson and when asked who would play him in a movie gave the obvious answer.

According to SuperHeroHype.com:

What is also interesting, is that Nick Fury was one of the films Marvel Studios announced as one of the projects for its new independent film slate. The movie, based on the superhero with military roots, has screenwriter Andrew Marlowe attached. Will Jackson's role be expanded into a full movie? We'll have to wait and see.

In other Iron Man news, the cast and crew will be filming at Ceasar's Palace starting today. While I would normally consider this to be non-newsworthy, it is possible that they are using it as a set for the lavish Stark Tower. We'll have to wait and see.


Jessica Alba

Yes she is worthy of her own header in a "Movie News" article, simply for the reason that she has been voted the "Sexiest Movie Superhero" of all time by Pearl and Dean magazine. Via Popoholic, Alba won out for her role as Susan Storm. The field:

• Jessica Alba - Susan Storm in "Fantastic Four"
• Jennifer Garner - Elektra in "Daredevil" and "Elektra"
• Halle Berry - Storm in "X-Men"
• Helen Slater - Supergirl in "Supergirl"
• Alicia Silverstone - Batgirl in "Batman and Robin"

Pretty solid, I looked around and couldn't really find anyone who was left off that warranted inclusion. Popoholic suggested Lynda Carter from Wonder Woman, but while hot both then and now (see Sky High for proof), she just doesn't hold up anymore with the new class of superheroines.

In response, I have compiled my own list. We'll call it "Ugliest Comic Movie Women Ever" and it will cover not only those that played superheroes, but also the ones who played their butt ugly girlfriends. My list:

• Margo Kidder - Lois Lane in "Superman"
• Kirsten Dunst - Mary Jane Watson in "Spider-Man"
• Anna Paquin - Rogue in "X-Men"
• Kim Basinger - Vicki Vale in "Batman"
• John Travolta - Howard Saint in "Punisher"
  

And the winner is....


Kirsten Dunst! Hands down, Dunst is not only he Ugliest Comic Movie Woman Ever, but she ranks at or near the top for the Ugliest Movie "Star" Ever. How does she get jobs in an industry that values beauty? Is it acting skill? Hahahahahaha! Watching any of the three Spider-Man movies disproves that. I guess this is one of those mysteries we will never solve.


Stardust

It has been awhile since I have had anything to say about the Neil Gaiman movie Stardust. The fantasy movie stars Robert DeNiro, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sienna Miller, and it is due to come out August 10th. It has been in final production for some time now, but now Comic Book Resources has 26 stills from the movie and an interview with Gaiman. The picture on the right is not one of them, however. That is just Sienna Miller looking hot as usual.

It's funny the progression through my childhood that this movie follows. One of my first big crushes was on Michelle Pfeiffer when I saw her in Batman Returns. Then I was absolutely in love with Claire Danes for many years after that crazy Romeo and Juliet movie. And now Sienna Miller. While she is not at the top of my list (if you read this site, you know who is) she is among the hottest women out there today, and this is not the first time I have talked about her. I will surely enjoy this movie for those reasons alone.



CG

HvB #4: Hip Hop Ya Don't Stop

I hope you are all enjoying Hulk vs. Bizarro as much as I do, which is a lot. If you do, drop a line to the artist Mike Nelsen in the comment section, and I will forward them all to him. Come back every Monday and Thursday for more issues every week. Without further ado... Hulk vs. Bizarro #4: Hip Hop Ya Don't Stop:

Courtesy of 50 Foot Robot Studios and artist Mike Nelsen. All copyrights held by owner. Enjoy!

Another Monday, Another Megan Fox post

There is nothing better than waking up on a Monday morning and finding the Megan Fox Maxim spread in your inbox. And since there is only a little time left before the release of Transformers and when Megan Fox picture posts get tired, here is another! (Really, if she would just stop posing for every photographer in the known world and looking so hot while doing so, I would stop posting these.)



I can't promise after the movie is released that I will stop with these, she is easily the best thing to look at right now. And after Transformers blows up, it is only a matter of time until she is offered a major comic book role, which would only make me post these more and more. My prediction, as I have said before, is that she will be the next Wonder Woman.

Of course, there are always the premiere pictures for me to post for the next few months, so we may as well get started with those, too. The black dress photos are from London, while the amazingly mini miniskirt is from a Cosmopolitan Transformers party or some shit like that.



CG