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Planet Buzz 04-16-02
Comics:
Which Earth Is Which, Again?
On the heels of last week's Superbaby cliffhanger, DC announced this week that 2002 is the year of Earth 3. (Or Earth 1, if you're a newbie and believe everything that Grant Morrison tells you.)
July 10 will see the release of Crisis On Multiple Earths, a trade paperback reprinting the first four cross-overs between the JLA and the JSA from back in the sixties. One of those crises, of course, introduced Earth 3 and the evil versions of our favorite heroes known as The Crime Syndicate. (Not to be confused with the Marvel evil versions, known as The Squadron Sinister.)
Sporting a cover by Alex Ross, the paperback will sell for $14.95 , but that's not all…
On November 13, DC Direct will release finely sculpted action figures of the entire Crime Syndicate. Owlman, Superwoman, Jonny Quick, Power Ring, and Ultraman all come in under 7" of evil. Put them up against the recently released Justice League Gift Set, and you can actually re-enact the battles from the trade paperback. Or you can quietly put them on a shelf so as not to attract the attention of your wife, wondering just what the heck is going on in there.
DC Direct makes it easy to do either, or both, as these figures will also be debuting the company's new resealable blister pack that allows figures to be put back into near pristine condition. The details have been sketchy so far, but it sounds like the packages will be similar to what McFarlane Toys used for the first Spawn releases, back when they were Todd Toys. At the very least, it sounds innovative, and will make my currently tacked up Demon figure very, very jealous.
What's that?
Nothing, honey. Just writing…
Marvel Gives Me An Excuse To Run Another Picture of Black Cat
Kevin Smith will be scoring a first on June 24. On that night he will appear on The Tonight Show with the sole purpose of promoting Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do.
Though Smith has appeared many times, both as guest and as a contributor of filmed bits, this will be the first time that anyone has appeared on the late-night show in the role of comics creator.
"I'm as proud of my work in comics as I am of anything I've done on film, so I thought 'Why not call up the folks at The Tonight Show'and see if I could talk about Spider-Man/Black Cat on the show as a guest?" explained Smith. "Thankfully, Jay (Leno) and co. were really up for it and found me a slot on the show two days before the book hits the stands. What better way to call more attention to comics than by waving one around on late night's most-watched talk show? It's going to be a real kick to run a clip of Terry and Rachel Dodson's awesome artwork for the approximately six million folks who watch Leno each night. And the fact that it's a historical first as well makes it kind of fun."
It's not the first time someone has promoted comics on television, however, as Marvel EIC Joe Quesada showed up on The Today Show a while back promoting Heroes. DC remains sadly untelevised.
Speaking of Quesada…
In an update to a recent Planet Buzz piece on the Peter David/Bill Jemas/Marvel/Captain Marvel fracas, Joe Quesada has weighed in and determined that the two will be wrestling in an "I Quit" match at WizardWorld Chicago.
No, no, no. That would almost make sense. Instead, Quesada has announced that he will be editing and possibly drawing (his press release was somewhat unclear) a series titled The Marvel Knight at the same time as Captain Marvel and The Marvel compete for your bucks.
Pitched and written by Ron Zimmerman (a sometime guest on Howard Stern), The Marvel Knight will also be a six-issue mini-series. If it's as bad as Zimmerman's recent Punisher fill-in, Quesada will be getting pie in the face.
Yes, pie. Because last week Bill Jemas claimed that the losing book would not actually be cancelled. Instead, the losing writer would have to submit to sitting on a dunk tank at WizardWorld Chicago 2003, with proceeds going to ACTOR, the charity that helps retired comic book creators. Quesada upped the bet by promising to allow attendees a shot at throwing pies at either Jemas, David, or himself.
Quesada also announced that he will finish Jemas off with his signature move, The Editor's Elbow.
DC Kills Suicide
Keith Giffen confirmed yesterday what had long been rumored: his version of Suicide Squad would end with issue number twelve. Fans of Giffen need not mourn too long, as he has both a Legends of the Dark Knight arc lined up, and of course, the Formerly Known As Justice League mini-series coming.
Rumored also to be on the chopping block is Deadman. Perhaps DC should stop naming books so fatalistically. Doom Patrol, however, seems to be healthy.
Movies:
The Man Without Fear Comes To Life
We have no reason to run this other than stupid, giddy, fanboy glee. People magazine this week ran the first picture of Ben Affleck and Jon Favreau in character as Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, respectively.
This picture reveals no spoilers, no plot details, not even a tantalizing glimpse of red long underwear. It's just two guys walking. And yet, somehow, we needed the proof that it's really happening. Daredevil is underway.
Last week, in fact, director Mark Steven Johnson brought in a little-known comic book writer to play a cameo role as a lab assistant. Word has it that Kevin Smith did not suck too badly, at least, according to Smith himself.
Ah, Barsoom In The Summertime…
Last week Paramount decided that it would belatedly join the flurry of movies about trips to Mars. Most likely, they did the right thing, because instead of the arid planet with either primitive or no life at all, Paramount's Mars will feature flashing swords, strange and fierce aliens, and the beautiful Princess Dejah Thoris.
They've picked up the rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, with an eye towards turning it into a franchise. No leading man has been sought yet, but already the rumors have begun that Matthew McConaughey would be in the running.
If all this sounds more Greek than Martian to you, here's the rundown: in Burroughs' classic novel A Princess of Mars, Civil War veteran John Carter stumbles across an old Indian cave, where he is overcome by strange vapors. He awakens on the world of Barsoom (what we call Mars), a savage but technologically advanced world filled with enough adventure to last 11 books (and one Big Little Book).
Many studios have flirted with the property over the years, as far back as 1936, when animator Bob Clampett tried to get interest going in it as a feature. Had he succeeded, he would have beaten Disney to the claim of first feature-length animated film. All that remains of that project can be found on the recent Beany & Cecil DVD.
That's One Busy Norrington…
Warner Brothers announced last week that they have bought the rights to the anime classic Akira. To make a westernized, live-action film a reality, the studio has hired Stephen Norrington to write and direct.
No stranger to comic book adaptations, Norrington helmed the first Blade film, and is currently lensing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Sean Connery, from a script by James Robinson.
Before he can get to Akira, however, Norrington is still attached to Ghost Rider, a somewhat troubled project that may star Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze. The only one who seems to be talking about that at this point is Marvel Entertainment President Avi Arad.
So while it looks like Akira could be in safe hands, don't get too excited yet. Not only is it a long way off, but these words should chill fans' blood: Jon Peters is producing. Because this is the guy who wants to make Neil Gaiman's Sandman into a standard superhero flick, you can bet that there will be a lot of behind-the-scenes weirdness going on in this one. To Peters, if it's on a comic book page, it must have a cape.
Reality:
Two Jackals Grappling Signifies The Sacred Smackdown
What could possibly be the oldest known sample of written language has been unearthed in Egypt. If authenticated, this newly discovered tablet would shatter linguists' beliefs that ancient Sumeria had the first written language, and also mean that a united Egypt existed a few hundred years earlier than previously thought.
But why mention it here? Because among the hieroglyphics on the relic found are the symbols of a falcon and a scorpion, long accepted to represent the mythical King Scorpion, or as filmmaker Stephen Sommers prefers to call him, The Scorpion King.
Considered to be strictly the stuff of legend, King Scorpion was to Egypt what King Arthur is to England, and the timing couldn't be better to release the news of this find. It sort of makes you want to give The Rock more respect, doesn't it?
Didn't think so.
