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Hey,
gang. We've got some news, and I apologize that much of it
comes straight from the press release's text. But the day
job keeps tugging me away from important things like geeking
out.
Comics:
It's
Tsunami Week At Marvel dotCom…
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"Come
in, Giant Robot..."
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Just to
get fans of this sort of thing salivating, Marvel will be
posting a new 8-page preview of a Tsunami book every day this
week.
It started
on Monday with preview pages from Mystique, then rolled
over to The Human Torch solo series.
Today
they've posted Sentinel, which of all the manga-infused
projects is my favorite just for seeming the most seamless
merging of manga staple with existing Marvel Universe concept.
In addition,
Sentinel writer Ted McKeever has posted even more information
about the project on his own site, where you can get more
art samples, notes on the formation of the project, and a
discussion board.
(You're
free to discuss it here, too, but we're pretty limited to
e-mail correspondence. But what's wrong with that? You never
write. You never call. I could be dead here.)
You can
check
it out here.
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Sorry,
we weren't done with the first wave...
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Two
Tsunamis? Is This Going To Leave Marvel All Wet?
Last
month you saw it coming over the horizon ... this month it
appears without warning.
In MAY,
2003, the 2nd TSUNAMI hits Marvel Comics!
WOLVERINE:
SNIKT!
A 6-issue limited-series by manga super-star Tsutomu Nihei!
In a barren wasteland, Wolverine battles against parasitic
robot organisms, as well as devolving into his savage, berserker
state forever! (like they threatened that time when Magneto
took out his adamantium -- that was cool...yeah...that was
cool...)
INHUMANS
A new Ongoing Series starring the next generation of Inhumans
by Sean (SENTINEL, THE WAITING PLACE) McKeever & Matthew Clark!
(So is this really New Inhumans?)
THE
CREW
The events of TRUTH: RED, WHITE & BLACK rock today's Marvel
Universe in this new Ongoing Series by Priest, Joe Bennett
& Danny Miki! (please don't let it turn out to be the Wrecking
Crew...please don't let it turn out to be the Wrecking Crew...)
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Not even
Rob Liefeld could kill their spirit!
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NEW
MUTANTS
The New Mutants are back! But what happens when they meet ...
the New Mutants?? Find out in this brand new ongoing series
by SKINWALKER's Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir, Keron (NEW
X-MEN) Grant & cover artist Josh Middleton! (If we can just
forget about how the previous series went terribly awry and
accidentally launched Rob Liefeld's career into the stratosphere
-- yeah, we have a lot of explaining to do about the year 1990
-- this could be good.)
These
series all launch in May, and while they aren't exactly floating
my boat (more Wolverine?), putting Priest on a follow-up to
Truth could make for a compelling book, as Black Panther has
made me eat my irritation at him as a writer.
…What
About Website Communities, Teresa?
Stepping
up their continuing commitment to expanding comics' creative
talent pool, Marvel Comics has hired Teresa Focarile as their
newest Associate Editor. Focarile's chief responsibility will
be recruiting new writers from the film, television, and theater
communities to work on Marvel properties alongside new and
established comics professionals.
Focarile
comes to Marvel following years in the literary department
at The Gersh Agency in New York, one of the industry's top
entertainment agencies, where she worked with and represented
up-and-coming writers, composers and lyricists. Focarile has
also worked in the literary offices of Helen Merrill Ltd.
and The Public Theater/NYSF and for The Goodman Theatre's
'Arts in Education' department.
According
to the new editor, the early response to her recruiting efforts
has been tremendous.
"Almost
every person I talk to, whether an agent, manager or writer,
thinks this new focus is a great idea and is really excited
about the opportunity," said Focarile. "It's incredible how
many of them are longtime Marvel Comics fans. I've already
gotten a flood of submissions."
"We're
very pleased that Teresa has joined our growing editorial
ranks," said Marvel President & COO Bill Jemas. "She brings
with her a wealth of experience working with talented writers
from diverse artistic fields. Her hiring is a very important
part in an overall aggressive Marvel initiative to bring new
creative voices into the comic book community."
Meanwhile,
Over At DC…
They
had a bit of an editorial shake-up last week, with editors
Dan Raspler and Andy Helfer politely told they are free to
seek other employment opportunities. In a move widely regarded
as making Mike Carlin happy, The Great Carlini is no longer
in charge of DC, but returning to editing several of the books.
No longer will Bill Jemas be able to make fun of his eye-rolling
ways.
Actually,
that's not true. In a related announcement, Jemas vowed to
redouble his efforts to playfully and utterly humiliate the
competition, all in good fun (for him). To that end, the President
of Marvel further announced that both Carlin and retailers
who have problems with Marvel's policies will henceforth be
known by the lighthearted term "slope-headed inbreeds."
In Carlin's
place at the head of DC, by the way, is Dan DiDio, most likely
working with a mandate to get Marvel to disarm and hopefully
have a regime change.
Meanwhile,
Over at Fanboy Planet…
We, too,
have had a bit of a shake-up, in that we've lost one of our
most recent columnists, Joshua Elder. Our loss is Wizard's
gain, however, as those crafty guys stole Josh away to work
as an Associate Editor. How did they do it? By offering him
real money.
And by
real money, I mean actual money, not those Michael
Goodson lapdance coupons we periodically send out as a thank
you to our writers.
Anyway,
congratulations to Josh; look for him in the pages of Wizard
soon, as well as on their new
website.
Movies:
Oh,
The Superhumanity…
Both
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that Warner
Brothers believes they've found their Superman for the big
screen. The role belongs to actor Josh Hartnett (The Faculty,
Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down) if he wants it.
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Oh, sure,
he's dreamy, but still...
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Apparently
the sticking point comes in director Brett Ratner's plan to
do his take on Superman as a trilogy; Hartnett has not yet
agreed to a three-picture contract. By some accounts, he has
until the end of the week to decide.
While
this choice is not as bad as a Keanu Reeves, it's still one
that screams wrongness. A fine actor, Hartnett has a dark
intensity that fits villainous roles, such as the one he had
in O, to a tee. When he plays heroes, he comes off
as uncomfortable and slightly doofy. Fanboy Planet film writer
Jordan Rosa brands him the modern Tony Perkins.
And if
you're going to have an adult Superman, it might also be a
good idea to have one who at least looks older than Smallville's
Tom Welling.
Then
again, some of us threw up at the thought of Michael Keaton
as Batman, and that worked out okay. Consider my breath officially
not held.
Isn't
He Amazing?
Coming
Attractions has confirmed what Ain't It Cool News claimed
last week: someone has been cast as Doctor Octopus for The
Amazing Spider-Man (a.k.a. Spider-Man 2).
Now planning
to play the vaguely Germanic super-villain: veteran actor
Alfred Molina. Molina most recently appeared in one of the
title roles (you figure which one) of the CBS sitcom Bram
and Alice, and played Diego Rivera in the Oscar-nominated
Frida. But really, to see the kind of cold insanity
he can bring to the role, check out Prick Up Your Ears
or his coked-up cameo in Boogie Nights.
If he
backs out now, there's always Josh Hartnett…
Television:
Will
The Last Person To Leave New Gotham Please Turn Out The Lights?
Tonight
the WB will broadcast the two-hour "season finale" of Birds
of Prey. Really, it's the last two inventory episodes
shown back to back, and don't read anything into their phrasing.
There's no hope of them returning.
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I'll miss
Oracle most of all...
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However,
if you stopped watching the show early on (and it's understandable
for all but the most hardcore fanboys, i.e. "me"), tonight
might be worthwhile because the first episode "Feat of Clay,"
will feature an actual Batman villain, possibly recognizably
so. From the title you can guess that it's Clayface, and the
Birds of Prey take on his son.
So, yeah,
sounds like they messed this one up, too.
Hiyo,
Silver, Like, Away, Dude.
Next
Tuesday, by the way, the WB will further shame their apparent
commitment to comics-related properties by airing a two-hour
backdoor pilot for The Lone Ranger. Youthened up a
bit, this masked man has long flowing blond hair and a different
secret identity than traditionally provided. But he still
has an Indian sidekick.
The Rawhide
Kid could not be reached for comment.
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