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Manga Friday: The New Number Two

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

I haven’t done a week of jumping-into-the-middle in a while, so I thought it was about time to try that out again. This time, I have three books from Yen Press, all second volumes in series that I haven’t read before. So let’s see if they make any sense to me…

Goong, Vol. 2
By Park SoHee
Yen Press, July 2008, $10.99

Goong is an alternate history series, in which the last Emperor of Korea (Soon-Jong) wasn’t actually the last Emperor, and that Korea got its independence from Japan (as it actually did) and stayed unified (as, of course, it hasn’t). Park has a short comics afterword in this volume to explain the set-up – and something of why she chose to make the royal family in her series Kings rather than Emperors.

That’s the background: Korea is unified, and has a King. That king has a disinterested, self-centered teenage son, Prince Shin. And, in the way of royal families through the ages, Shin had an arranged marriage to a teenage girl, Chae-Kyung (our viewpoint character). Their marriage takes place at the very beginning of this book – we know that Shin and Chae-Kyung don’t love each other, and barely know each other, but we don’t see (in this volume) all of the machinations that led to the wedding. (Presumably, though, it has something to do with the fact that Chae-Kyung’s family is poor.)

Chae-Kyung has somewhat more interior life than the usual run of girls’ manga heroines, and Shin isn’t the standard spoiled brat, but something more nuanced. So Goong has a lot of generic elements, but assembles them into something more substantial and interesting. I’m also finding that Korean comics have less of the over-exaggeration of Japanese comics, which works better for my eye. Goong might not be groundbreaking, but it’s quite good for what it is. (more…)

‘Locke & Key’ Collected in Hardcover

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

IDW has announced an October 1 release for the hardcover collection of Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft. The book is from novelist Joe Hill who created the miniseries for the publisher and was surprised by its enthusiastic reception. It has since been optioned by Dimension Films.

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, written by Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show), will include the first six-issue storyline, cover gallery, conceptual sketches by Rodriguez, and an all-new introduction from best-selling mystery novelist Robert Crais (Chasing Darkness). The 152-page book will carry a $24.99 cover price.

Locke & Key tells of the Locke family, who relocate after an unspeakable tragedy to Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them… and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…

The Locke & Key story continues next year as well. Hill and Rodriguez pick up where this story leaves off with the next story in the ongoing saga, January’s Locke & Key: Head Games #1.
 

ComicMix Six: Super-Heroes on Television

  • Uncategorized
  • September 12, 2008

There have been some sad attempts at live-action super-hero shows over the years. On the other hand, Smallville has done pretty well for itself, going strong for eight seasons now. Heroes on NBC has made many TV fans question what may have been a dismissive attitude towards super-hero stories. And shows such as Buffy, Angel and The Dead Zone have shown that many folks out there enjoy stories about people who have unique abilities and fight evil.

So we at ComicMix pondered “what other super-heroes could work if brought to life on the small screen?” Personally, I think there are tons that could be great. But because none of us have that kind of time, we stuck by our habit of keeping the list down to six.

(more…)

‘Smallville’ Schedules a Break

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

As Smallville prepares to premiere next week, word from the CW is that there will be a long break between episodes ten and eleven. This is being done for two reasons: one, it provides the network somewhere to run the second season of Reaper, and two, it allows them the opportunity to retool for a ninth season if ratings and casting issues indicate that makes sense.

The eleventh episode is currently scheduled to be the Geoff Johns-penned introduction of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Look for a season 7 recap next week before the new season kicks off.
 

Favreau Ponders ‘Iron Man 2’ for IMAX

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

Director Jon Favreau says if Paramount and Marvel Studios pony up the money, he’d love to shoot some or all of Iron Man 2 in 3-D and for IMAX.  At a Paramount Home Video press conference with Stan Lee to promote the September 30 release of the smash hit film on DVD, he described The Dark Knight’s IMAX sequence as a “game changer”.

With Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard all set to return, the question of an opponent came up and he mentioned the Mandarin, set up in the first film, often without committing. Instead, he described the Asian foe as a behind-the-scenes manipulator who will likely be seen more in the second film but not be the main antagonist until the third or fourth film, the first time the length of the franchise has been discussed.

Similarly, “The Demon in a Bottle” storyline about Tony Stark’s alcoholism would be held until at least the third film and not be the core story for the immediate sequel.

Instead, the next film, yet to be scripted by Favreau and Justin Theroux, will likely introduce Rhodey’s War Machine armor and possibly introduce a modified version of the Iron Man suit. Happy Hogan, played by the director, will have more screen time most likely. More links to the other Marvel Studio films will be seen although Favreau admitted to being stumped a bit as to how to reference Thor.

Favreau insisted he wanted a straight forward story next time so he could concentrate on the emotional stakes. He hopes to keep the new film’s tone light and engaging without crossing the line to the dark side.
 

Review: ‘[[[Next Avengers]]]: Heroes of Tomorrow’

Right off the bat, to put to rest an already angry legion of fans who want to know why this movie exists instead of Allan Heinberg’s [[[Young Avengers]]] or even Tom DeFalco’s [[[Avengers]]] Next as a series or movie, know that this animated film is a great self-contained story done in the vein of Marvel’s other animated DVDs, and deserves a close look from anyone who can call themselves a Marvel–or even an animation fan. With that said, this story is not for any fan who cannot take themselves out of the grown-up world of [[[Skrulls]]] and [[[Hulk Wars]]]. In order for an adult to enjoy this, you need strip down to your inner child (metaphorically speaking) and watch the movie with a purely childlike mindset.nextavengers-7133013-4477575

The plot takes place in the future of an alternate reality where five of the original eight Avengers have been killed off by Ultron, but not before most of them produced offspring that Tony Stark whisks to a secluded location, safe from the arms of evil. They are raised by the aging [[[Iron Man]]] and trained to use their powers, as James Rogers, son of [[[Captain America]]] and Black Widow; Pym, son of Giant-Man and Wasp; Azari, the son of Black Panther and Storm; and Torunn, the daughter of [[[Thor]]], who didn’t die, but just left Earth one day. Each of them posess an amalgam of their parents’ powers, and even some of their personality quirks as well. Their hideout becomes compromised, Iron Man gets kidnapped, and the kids must then go for the rescue, running into fellow heroes like an elder Hulk and Clint Barton’s son, Francis, taking the helm of Hawkeye.

The great thing about movie is the way they depict the “age of heroes” in the beginning of the film as a bedtime story to the children. The mythos is described almost biblically by referring to the Avengers with names like the Soldier, the Knight, and the Ghost (Cap, Iron Man, and Vision respectively). There are certainly enough wacky “kid” moments and bright colors to keep anybody under the age of 13 interested, but that stays balanced by the amount of mature themes throughout the film, such as abandonment issues, and a rite of passage subplot. The film touches on the subject of death and heroism that most kids would understand, but is clearly meant for adults.

The animation is the same used for Marvel’s [[[Ultimate Avengers]]] films, like a Japanese/American animation hybrid. The strongest element here is  BBC composer Guy Cichelmore’s (Ultimate Avengers) score. This sold the entire film in its epic interpretation. The voice work is mostly done with Marvel and Lionsgate’s in-house talent. Going in the opposite route that DC Animation had gone, the company uses mostly unknown actors and professional voice actors rather than pull in celebrity names. Much like the other Marvel animated films; this was the weakest element in the film, leaving us with a poor-sounding [[[Hulk]]] and Iron Man.

Overall, the film may borderline puerile at times, but makes for a nice competitor for DC’s leading animated series [[[Teen Titans]]]. There is certainly potential for a franchise here, and will most definitely do as well, if not better than the aforementioned show. It should also be mentioned how “ironic” it is that the only two established heroes that are alive and kicking throughout the film are the only two that had a major motion picture this year.There is certainly plenty of action and violence for us adults, and more than enough geek-fodder for the die-hards. A clear recommendation for any true Marvel fan. RATING: 8/10

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‘Trek’ Convention Co-Founder Joan Winston Passes Away

  • Uncategorized
  • September 12, 2008

winston-trek-book-9437225Joan Winston, one of the founders of the very first Star Trek convention, passed away this week.

Mark Milton, a relative of Winston’s, posted on a Doctor Who mailing list overnight, “I came home today to learn that Joan Winston, co-founder of the Star  Trek conventions, author of Star Trek Lives! and The Making of the  Trek Conventions as well as many other books and short stories, had  passed away. As some of you know, she’s my father-in-law’s first cousin and I enjoyed her greatly. She was quite a gal. Details of how/why are still sketchy but services are Sunday at 9:30 at (as best  as I can tell) the Plaza funeral home in Manhattan. I don’t know if that is what it’s actually called, we’re contacting the rabbi tomorrow.”

Winston was part of what became known as The Committee, the fans who figured out how to run a convention dedicated to a single subject, something previously untried. The very first con, in 1972, expected a few hundred people and wound up hosting 3000 rabid fans eager to hear Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction author Isaac Asmiov chat. By the time the group retired in 1976 with their final show, over 10,000 fans would pack New York City hotels, spawning a new kind of fan-run show that endures around the world today.

Her chapter in Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Sondra Marshak’s Star Trek Lives! provided people with a glimpse into the birth of the conventions along with a take on the Star Trek fan fiction world. She continued to talk about those days, providing information to William Shatner for his Get a Life! memoir and can be seen on camera in Denise Crosby’s documentary Trekkies 2.

After retiring from running cons, she became a professional author and later worked as a literary agent before illness confined her to an assistant living facility earlier this year.
 

Head of BET Entertainment Quits After 3 Years

  • Uncategorized
  • September 12, 2008

BET entertainment chief Reginald Hudlin, who helped guide original programming at the channel that was first known for music videos and reruns, is leaving the company. According to a press release, Hudlin is returning to his “entrepreneurial roots” as an independent producer. Hudlin garnered his fame by producing the House Party movies and his credits range from directing the Everybody Hates Chris pilot, producing Adult Swim’s The Boondocks to writing the Black Panther comic book series, as well as supervising an BET original animated series based on the Marvel superhero.

There is currently no word on how this will affect Hudlin’s run on the comic, but when asked about how this will affect the planned animated program, a source stated that Hudlin’s decision will not effect the animation division. The series (trailer below) is currently slated for a late 2008/early 2009 pilot.

Lipstick Jungle Fever, by Michael Davis

  • News
  • September 12, 2008
 
I’m in Mexico. I hate it here.

Next week I have to be in Japan and I will most likely hate it there also. Why do I hate it here in Mexico? Well, beside the fact that my ability to get on the Internet is hit or miss and I may have to send this column in is by re-writing it from on one of those “Internet café” computers – better known as “suck the money from the American assholes” – there is the massive attack on my very being to buy a damn timeshare.

From the moment I stepped off the plane I was harassed like a freshman pledge during Hell Week. I was offered everything from free meals to cold hard cash just to “come to a short presentation.” Telling these people I was here on business did nothing to stop their assault. I could have been shot in the head and they would have asked me if I wanted to stop to take a look at some timeshare property on the way to the hospital.

Why will I hate it in Japan next week? Because I hate to travel and I hate being in any country where I know they hide some resentment to America. I know that some people in Mexico and Japan have issues with us. From what I see when I look around Mexico the people are friendly and helpful…but every so often I see daggers in their eyes. I was told the average wage here was six dollars a day.

SIX DOLLARS A DAY.

We spend that much on a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

I don’t think that’s why some people here hate us. I think they hate us because of malls.

Yeah, I said malls. I needed to buy some stuff so I went to a mall. I’m thinking that at six bucks a day as a living wage there should be some great bargains at the mall. The mall I went to was no bargain, in fact it was crazy expensive.

Then I realized something. Those malls in Mexico are not for the Mexicans.

No. They are for us, the Ugly Americans.
 
That’s why some here hate us.

So here I sit in a country where most people make six dollars a day and I’m sure they hate me. I’m even surer that they think that Americans are idiots. We live in the richest country in the world and the two candidates are not talking about terrorism, or nuclear weapons or oil prices. No, they are talking about lipstick. (more…)

Reshoots for ‘Day the Earth Stood Still’

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

Late reshoots usually mean a film is in trouble but that’s not necessarily the case for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.  Stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly were summoned back by 20th-Century Fox for “rather extensive” reshoots according to IESB. The reason though may have more to do with readying the December 12 release for its just-announced IMAX debut.

The film has had a troubled production, with principal photography beginning in December 2007, later than anticipated, causing the studio to move the release date from May to December 12.

Production wrapped on March 19 and people got their first glimpse of the film with a teaser trailer over the summer.  The script also received a scathing review at Ain’t it Cool News while controversy over the depiction of the unseen Gort erupted.

Director Scott Derrickson defended the process of designing the giant robot, describing his version as being more organic than mechanical. Regardless of the final appearance, Weta Digital performed the work.

 

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