Category: News

Angel Returns to Dark Horse in Time for New Season

Angel has been revealed to be the Big Bad in the latter issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight so it makes perfect sense for the comic book adventures of the vampire with a soul to shift from IDW back to Dark Horse.

The story leaked inadvertently yesterday and now Dark Horse has sent out a formal announcement:

August 19, 2010, MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics is thrilled to announce that Joss Whedon’s Angel will return to the Dark Horse stable in 2011. Dark Horse’s Angel will bring the beloved characters from Whedon’s longest-running shows under one roof, allowing for new and exciting explorations of the Buffyverse featuring favorites from the casts of both series.

“I’ve always regretted letting Angel go in the first place,” Dark Horse senior managing editor Scott Allie said. “So we’re really excited about getting him back, as well as all his supporting cast. It’s necessary for how Joss wants to handle season nine, details of which will start spilling out in the months to come. Right now, we’ve got to wrap up season eight, and IDW still has a good long run of books before season nine starts.”

IDW Publishing confirmed today that it will launch the company’s final Angel story arc in November. This closing six-issue arc will serve as a bridge to Dark Horse Comics, which will pick up the series in late 2011. Under the direction of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel creator Joss Whedon, all parties are working together for as seamless a transition as possible. The companies have been coordinating story lines in both Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight and IDW’s Angel, creating a greater sense of cohesion and cooperation to ensure that this transition is true to both ongoing story lines and to the faithful fans of both series.

Principal Photography Begins on ‘Losers Take All’

Losers Take All has begun principal photography under the direction of Alex Steyermark (Prey for Rock & Roll). The small feature film will star Kyle Gallner (A Nightmare On Elm Street), Allison Scagliotti (Warehouse 13) and Tania Raymonde (Lost).  The picture began production earlier this week in and around Memphis, Tennessee.  The cast also includes Alexia Rasmussen (Listen to Your Heart), Aaron Himelstein (Joan of Arcadia), Billy Kay (Yelling to the Sky), Adam Herschman (Soul Men), and newcomer Peter Brensinger.   

The film is set in the world of mid-1980’s American independent rock music, follows a fictional punk/pop band “The Fingers” as they stumble, stagger and strum their way in what everyone thinks is the opposite direction of success–commercial or otherwise.  But they are in the right place at the right time and the public is eager to embrace the D.I.Y. sounds of the underground, whether those in the underground-“The Fingers” included-like it or not. It’s a raucous love letter to an era when for most bands, life meant touring around the country in a cramped van, sleeping on the floors of strangers, selling your records after each show, and where fans were earned through powerful live shows at small clubs, reviews in ‘zines, and do-it-yourself promotions.  

Top-Forty musician Marshall Crenshaw, who co-penned the Golden Globe and Grammy nominated title track to the hit comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, will work with the actors to put together a band whose sound recalls the Indie/Punk/D.I.Y. days of 1980’s college radio.  This past winter, he and Memphis’ own Scott Bomar produced and recorded original songs for the film at Bomar’s Electrophonic Recording with local Memphis musicians.   

Losers Take All was written by Andrew Pope and Winn Coslick, from a story by Roger Rawlings and Ed Bradin. The film will be produced by Mike S. Ryan (Junebug), Andrew Pope and Winn Coslick. The Executive Producers are Andrew Meyer (The Breakfast Club) and Roger Rawlings. 

Complete ‘Batman Beyond’ Box Set Details Announced

We’ve known this was coming for several weeks now, but Warner Home Video has finally announced the details for this product which should be appearing on most of your letters to Santa Claus.Here’s the press release:

BURBANK, CA (August 18, 2010) – Warner Bros. Animation’s breakthrough series Batman Beyond comes to DVD for the first time in its entirety.  Featuring DC Comics’ iconic hero, Batman, Batman Beyond: The Complete Series presents nearly 20 hours of animated action spread over 52 episodes, as well as all-new bonus featurettes and a 24-page, 8”x 12” collectible booklet. Batman Beyond: The Complete Series will be distributed by Warner Home Video on November 23, 2010 as a nine-disc limited edition DVD set for $99.98 (SRP).

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series centers on Terry McGinnis, an ordinary teenager … until his father is mysteriously murdered. Suspecting foul play at his father’s company, Wayne/Powers Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns of a secret identity hidden for decades. Now too old to don the cape and cowl as Batman, Wayne refuses to help – so Terry does what any brash young kid would do: steal the Bat-suit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to avenge his father’s death, Terry dons the high-tech suit tricked out with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage capabilities in search of his father’s assassin. It’s 52 action-packed episodes following the adventures of the partnership between an ex-crimefighter and his apprentice, starring Will Friedle (Boy Meets World) as Terry McGinnis and, reprising his seminal role, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Bruce Wayne.

Casting throughout the series’ 52 episodes featured award winners from feature films, primetime television and the Broadway stage – from Paul Winfield, Stockard Channing and Seth Green to William H. Macy, Wayne Brady and Teri Garr – not to mention George Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), George Takei (Star Trek) and Henry Rollins (the front man for the rock band, Black Flag). (more…)

Ray Bradbury will be turning 90 on Sunday…

…which, I suppose, is why some people made a video saluting him.

(DEAR GOD NO NOT SAFE FOR WORK)

What’s amazing is that I know a bunch of women who have expressed similar sentiments about the man’s writing. Now if only other comic book writers got the same treatment…

Star Wars’ Yoda is now a GPS Celebrity

Just in case your Darth Vader antenna topper, storm trooper air freshener, lightsaber gearshift, and Leia hairbun volume and tone knobs are lonely in your 1989 Plymouth Laser.. you can now download Yoda’s voice onto your Tom Tom GPS. As reported by ABC News, the company that helps you find your way around those terrestrial streets you have to use, now allows you to download the gentle rasp of that backwards talking sock puppet Jedi Master into your GPS Device. Far better than your ‘Burt Reynolds’ voice-prompts, the Yoda voice pack will turn your Tom Tom into that inner voice you wish you heard every time you get lost trying to find that new Italian place uptown.

Barking nearly-understandable prompts like “After 700 hundred yards hmm, keep to the right then take a sharp left. Control, control, if a Jedi you wish to be.”, the Yoda voice pack will no doubt help you find that inner peace, when that jerk in the Cutlass Supreme cuts you off before you attempt to merge onto the highway.

Yoda joins Darth Vader, C-3PO, and Han Solo in the GPS voice game. While Tom Tom assured us that “Users really want the Yoda voice”… we can’t help but ask where Ben Kenobi is in all of this. Frankly, we don’t trust Darth not to choke us if we miss a turn. C-3PO is a language droid, not a map droid. And Han Solo? He’s more likely to tell us to “punch it!” if we’re gonna be late… and that’s not safe driving. We trust Yoda will keep us on the Light Side… we’re just not sure we’ll understand what we means when he says “Fear is the path to your destination. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. And suffering is 300 yards to the left, then stay on your right.”

TomTom was even nice enough to provide video of the recording session:

Star Wars Celebration V: Speed Dating

sw-love-3485417As deftly reported by ABC News, fans in attendance at the Star Wars Celebration V convention had an opportunity to boldly go where they probably haven’t gone before… on a date*.

This year’s Celebration gave way to the Star Wars Speed Dating Service! 34 Jedi Knights and 34 Slave Leias sat opposite each other in a room. 3 space-minutes were added to a clock, and ding… off the date goes. While not allowing the initial sharing of personal information (where you live, how to contact you, and what inter-gender species you represent on the message boards) is barred… with the common ground of 3 amazing and 3 amazingly horrendous movies and a huge universe to discuss, there’s plenty to discuss. Then after a blazing 180 seconds, fire the ion cannons… time to move to the next lad or lass and commence socialization once more! But be mindful… Darth Vader is in attendance too, to ensure you don’t get all dark-sidey with each other.

After the musical chairs ends, those droid and droidettes you found most appealing are given your preferred method of contact (you know, e-mail, cell phone, or mind-force-talking). Then it’s just a matter of whether you’d like to actually talk after that. And if things move faster than the Millennium Falcon ran the Kessel Run… well, come back to Celebration VI, and head on down to the Imperial Chapel, and make things legal before the galactic empire! Makes us wonder… do you step on the glass and say “May the Force Be With You”?

We here at ComicMix hope those kids at the Celebration had a good time… and made themselves a love connection. Lest we forget that when nerds don’t get proper affection, they get intoxicated and molest D-list celebrity models… Face it, we geeks are a minority, and the only way we’ll ever defeat the jocks and cheerleaders is to out-number them with our nerdling daemon spawn. Here’s to love!

* Yes, we know we just mixed Star Wars and Star Trek references… like you don’t love both… And yes, we know some of you have dated, are of decent build and character, and it shouldn’t be insinuated otherwise. But hey, it was funny. 

Warner now lets you upgrade TV DVDs to Blu-Ray editions

Warner just sent out word that their successful program to allow fans to upgrade their existing DVD films to Blu-ray editions has now been expanded to include television series. If you’re like me, this is welcome news. Here’s the official release:

Converting your TV collection on DVD to Blu-ray just got easier with the addition of several TV favorites now eligible for upgrade on DVD2Blu.com.

Starting today, through TV on DVD2BLU, consumers can now experience their favorite television series again for the very first time in stunning 1080p picture quality and crisp, superior sound that only comes from a Blu-ray Disc.  Titles such as “Smallville”, “The Sopranos”, “Fringe”, “Supernatural” and more can be upgraded for as low as $14.95 plus shipping.  Consumers who place orders of over $35 will receive free shipping.    

The process to upgrade is simple.  Consumers select the titles they want to upgrade on DVD2BBLU.com, mail in their standard DVDs with pre-paid postage and a short time later receive copies of the same title and complete season on Blu-ray.  See below for a complete list of TV titles available for upgrade with DVD2Blu.com:
 
$19.95

  • Smallville Season 8
  • Supernatural Season 1
  • Supernatural Season 4
  • Chuck Season 2
  • Fringe S1
  • The Sopranos S1

 $14.95

  • Smallville Season 6
  • Smallville Season 7
  • Supernatural Season 3
  • Chuck Season 1
  • Pushing Daisies S1
  • Pushing Daisies S2
  • Terminator SCC S1
  • Terminator SCC S2
  • Nip/Tuck S4

DC Unveils White Lantern Batman

So, this afternoon, we decided to check in at DC’s blog, the Source, and what would we find? Why a few Brightest Day solicits for November. Given how much we love spoilers, we couldn’t click fast enough. And what were we greeted with? Why a David Finch painting of what appears to White Lantern Batman. We couldn’t help ourselves kids, so… here’s a few fleeting thoughts:

  • Gotham City’s criminal underbelly quivers with fear as Marvel’s Murdering Bat-Wannabe Moon Knight moves to town.
  • Upon returning to the Bat-Cave, Alfred will quip “I’ll go fetch more bleach from the store, Master Bruce.”
  • Well, Bruce has been a Green Lantern (for an Elseworlds tale, and like 3 panels in GL), a Yellow Lantern (for a panel), and a Black Lantern (for several panels!)… why not continue to try on another Lantern costumes for a minute or two?
  • The utility belt will now contain Mint Mentos, Peppermint Tic-Tacs, and another incredibly large gas powered zip line launcher than can’t possibly fit on the belt.
  • We’re pretty sure this is Bruce, cause last time we checked, Dick Grayson’s forearm veins weren’t thick enough to show through kevlar-lined gloves like Bruce’s do. Bruce uses shake weights.
  • After seeing this costume change, all Robins breathe a sigh of relief, because finally they won’t be the easy one to spot in the shadows.
  • In case you were wondering… White Lantern Batman can still beat Superman, if he so chooses.
  • Upon seeing the White Lantern Batman, the Joker will become confused, and cause a real faux-pas by robbing the 2nd National Bank of Gotham in blackface.
  • Given that we’re pretty good at deciphering solicit text now… it’s safe to assume White Lantern Batman will be seen in a single panel, and then we’ll have to move on to the next story in Brightest Day, which is subsequently also 1 panel. Hey, give DC a break, it’s not easy juggling 17 C-listers in a book that prints every other week.
  • Mark Millar is already filing a lawsuit on behalf of “Nemesis”… but don’t worry, no one reads it.
  • White Lantern Batman will have the power to make you forget most of the weird crap Grant Morrison has come up with for the character in the last few years.
  • Subsequently, Grant Morrison will have a really cool way to ret-con the White Lantern Batman story in his 2017 run on Batman, tentatively titled “Batman Sorta Dies Again, because we need to sell more Bat-books this month.”

Monday Mix-Up: Another X-Team? D’oh!

Go ahead, name them all. X-Men. The Uncanny X-Men. The Astonishing X-Men. X-Force. X-Factor. X-Babies. X-Patriots. X-Gets the Square. Did I forget any? Probably. But guess what? Wolverine’s in all of them.

So, wouldn’t you know it, we found yet another Marvel reboot. I guess with all the Iron Man 2: Electric Underoo money they banked over the summer, and all the hype on the upcoming Thor, Captain America, and Avengers flicks… the ‘House of Ideas’ is starting to use ideas found in the crawl space. Enter this lil’ mashup. No Xeric Grant required.

#SDCC: Star Wars: Clone Wars, and the Old Republic

A long time, in a galaxy far far away… Or perhaps on Cartoon Network on the weekends or coming soon to your gaming PC… Star Wars hit the 2010 San Diego Comic Con in full force (get it?!). Those fans who dig on the cloney goodness of the computer animated series got some sneaky peaks of the new season and how the series is evolving the mythos at the Clone Wars panel. More than likely, those SAME fans who also enjoy a good nightly WoW raid party were privy to a sneaky peak as well at BioWare’s upcoming Star Wars themed MMO, ‘The Old Republic”. While the former takes place between some of the films in the series, the later actually predates EVERYTHING we’re familiar with (including BioWare’s genre-influencing RPG “Knights of the Old Republic” from a few years ago).  In case you’re amongst the fans who enjoy the “prequel” universe, but didn’t get a chance to enjoy the panels… we’ve got you covered. We’re like Yoda in your backpack, whisperin’ to you the secrets of the Force. Oh what’s that? Not familiar with Yoda when he was a just a tangible puppet, only when he was shiny and could do flippy flips? Look it up, kiddo. Look it up. But enjoy these videos first!