Tagged: Batman

Nebula Nominations Announced, Plus A Comment

  • News
  • February 25, 2008

The Science Fiction Writers of America have announced the final ballot for the 2007 Nebula Awards. As a paid-up SFWA member, I’d like to point out two items:

â–º The movie adaptation of V For Vendetta has been nominated as one of best science-fiction scripts of the year.

â–º The original comic book on which it’s based is not considered a sufficient work to qualify the authors for membership in SFWA.

In fact, you could combine all of Alan Moore’s comics work — including Watchmen, one of Time‘s 100 Books of the 20th Century — and it wouldn’t be deemed worthwhile. Yet the movie script adapting the work is considered sufficient work to join SFWA.

Nor is this the first time this has happened. Last year, Batman Begins was up for the same award. X-Men was nominated for 2002. The comics on which they were based? Not worthy as membership credentials.

My written response to this logic would trigger a lot of web-filtering software. My preferred response would be seen as deriviative of the movie.

And folks wonder why SFWA is considered a laughing stock by so many people. Let’s not even get started on the candicacy of Andrew Burt…

(Artwork by John C. Worsley. Take a look at his site, there are some very neat illustrations there.)

Filling The Big Shoes, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • February 25, 2008

 

After much discussion with friends and the unwashed and bewildered, today I have decided to weigh in (again) on one of the many ongoing and irresolvable debates that have haunted the hallowed halls of comics academia since time immemorial. The question: when the instigator of a series retires from his or her creation, should the series be retired as well?
 
It seems a lot of creators and many fans think it should. To this, I say “ka-ka.”
 
I understand that a creator’s vision is important, and I strongly feel that creator should have the word on continuing the feature. For many creators, such choice was denied to them when they signed their publishing contracts. That was exploitative. Today, well, creators should know better. And many do: there are financial advantages to allowing a continuation of the feature, and there’s the idea that, to quote John Ostrander from the Stuart Gordon play Bloody Bess, “My words… my words shall live forever.” It should be the creator’s call, and there’s nothing wrong with deciding either way. Of course, after you drop dead your estate will likely overrule you, but that’s a matter between the dead you and your living family.
 
Aesthetically… well, that’s another matter. Bitch and moan all you want, but the replacements generally work out pretty well. 
 
If DC retired Batman when Bob Kane left the character 40 years ago, we never would have had the masterworks of Dennis O’Neil, Steve Englehart, Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller and a legion of other superlative storytellers. Carl Burgos and Bill Everett were not involved in the Marvel Age resurrections of their Human Torch and Sub-Mariner (respectively), but all those Lee and Kirby stories sure were swell. Spider-Man didn’t truly take off until after Steve Ditko left; John Romita, Gil Kane and many others took Peter Parker to heights previously unimagined by the publisher.
 

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Five Fistfuls of Justice, by Ric Meyers

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  • February 24, 2008
 
justiceleague-3464763I hope you’ve already read Matt Raub’s advance review of Justice League: The New Frontier  — DC Universe’s Animated Original Movie — which was posted days ago. Naturally, since it’s coming out in stores this coming Tuesday, it’s time, keeping with the comic source material, for my variant review. Matt critiqued the film itself. I, of course, am reviewing the Two Disc Special Edition’s extras.
 
This baby more than makes up for what I felt last week’s He-Man Volume One DVDs lacked: right on the first disc they have a near-full-length (nearly 45 minutes) doc called “Super Heroes United!: The Complete Justice League Story.” It tracks the comic from its inception back in the 1940s ‘til today, using images, clips, and just the talking heads of most of the major comic creators of the era. The information from the likes of Roy Thomas, our own Denny O’Neil, and even Stan Lee was so comprehensive that the doc doesn’t even require a narrator or narration. It does benefit mightily, as do all the featurettes, from the soundtrack music of Kevin Manthei.
 
Then the first disc alone more than makes up for what I thought the Resident Evil: Extinction DVD lacked: their doc sneak-peek of the upcoming animated Animatrix-like Batman: Gotham Knights D2 (“direct to”) DVD shows the lame, cheat sneak peek of Resident Evil: Degeneration how it’s done. There’s plenty of making-of stuff, talking heads, and exciting glimpses of the finished product as opposed to Resident Evil’s peek-a-boo tease. The first disc of Justice League wraps with two audio commentaries – the first a gang approach, with six participants from the production and DC Comics (though not a single person from the pic’s impressive voice cast), and the second with the writer/artist of the source graphic novel, Darwyn Cooke.
 
The second disc kicks off with a slightly shorter but just as interesting history of “The Legion of Doom: Pathology of the Super Villain.” While it contains many of the same talking heads as the “Super Heroes United” doc (Michael Uslan, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, etc.), it also benefits from a Malcolm McDowell narration. Then, perhaps as compensation for the film’s inability to recreate the delightful style of the original graphic novel (understandably opting for the previously established designs of DC’s  recent Kids-WB Superman and Batman animated TV series), there’s the “Comic Book Commentary: Homage to The New Frontier” featurette, which goes into detail with and on Darwyn Cooke’s original. 
 

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Eight Comic Books to Read Before You Die

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  • February 22, 2008

Just in time for the opening of WonderCon in San Francisco today, the online arm of the San Francisco Chronicle, SF Gate, has decided to put out its list, a comics "mix tape" as they call it,  of the "Eight Comic Books to Read Before You Die."

Posted by Peter Hartlaub, the list includes many notables in the comics world such as Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman and their works — which are probably considered classic must-reads by most comics fans already.

In addition, the list also features one or two other works traditional comics fans, those who usually confine themselves to one or more Marvel or DC titles featuring spandex-clad heroes, may be less familier with. Books such as Jeff Smith’s Bone and Y:The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan, although successful and well-known to many in the comics community, are perhaps not as well-known to the masses as the X-Men, Spider-Man or Batman.

Here, then, is the list of what the folks at SFGate think you should read, and in the order you should read them, before you die. Hopefully, you’ve already had the pleasure of discovering some of these works. Maybe after reading this list, you can discover a few more.

Y: The Last Man: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore

Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross

Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

I’m pleased to say that, besides Bone, I’ve read all the books on this list and am a particular fan of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: The Last man. Of course, now that I’ve read this list, I can never, ever read Bone. That is, unless I’m ready to die. 

What comics would be on your list?

Darwyn Cooke on ‘Justice League: New Frontier’

  • News
  • February 21, 2008

With the Justice League: The New Frontier DVD hitting shelves next week, a New Frontier Special comic scheduled for March 5 release, and DC re-releasing Darwyn Cooke’s miniseries that inspired the film, the award-winning creator is in the midst of a good kind of perfect storm these days.

In a recent interview with CBR, Cooke explains the genesis of the original New Frontier miniseries, his work with the creators of the animated film, and his plans for a potential sequel to the New Frontier story.

“I have a story in mind. And it would take us up to the year 1972. That’s when [Jack] Kirby comes to DC, basically. And so I would probably say, if there was a sequel, it would span that time period from when Kennedy is elected until then. Right now, at this point, it’s pure vapor and rumor.”

Cooke also hints at what readers can expect from the upcoming Justice League: The New Frontier Special, which will feature three stories from the New Frontier era written and drawn by Cooke.

“In ‘The New Frontier,’ there is an article that appears about superheroes being hunted down and Hourman dying and Batman and Superman having a big duel where Batman actually defeats Superman. It’s the story behind all of that,” revealed Cooke. “What it does is give me a chance to have those two beat the crap out each other, which some people say, ‘Oh no, not again.’ But well, heh, you know, sorry, you only live once and here we go.

”But it’s all 1950s style. The technology for this type of a fight for Batman, he’s got to be incredibly ingenious because technology-wise, it’s different world.

Cooke also shares some thoughts about his critically praised work on DC’s The Spirit series, based on the Will Eisner character, and hints that he’ll be returning to an ongoing title at some point in the near future.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Make sure to check out the ComicMix review of Justice League: The New Frontier animated film.]

 

ComicMix at Toy Fair: DC Showroom Tour

  • News
  • February 20, 2008

Here at ComicMix, we’ve already shown you Mattel’s "Infinite Heroes" and other DC Universe products, but there were even more comics-inspired collectibles on display just a block away at DC’s showroom in New York City’s "Toy District".

From upcoming lines of Minimates, action figures inspired by classic stories and box sets to statues, busts and "trophy room" replicas, there was, well… a lot to absorb. Heck, they even had Superman’s Cape.

After the jump, check out our complete photo tour of DC’s showroom, including several characters receiving their first action-figure treatment in comics history!

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ComicMix at Toy Fair: Mattel’s ‘Infinite Heroes’ and ‘Dark Knight’ Showroom!

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  • February 19, 2008

As promised in our earlier announcement, we have a ton of photos from the ComicMix tour of Mattel’s showroom.

You might have already heard about "Infinite Heroes", Mattel’s new line of 3.75-inch figures based on a wide assortment of characters from the DC Universe, but have you actually heard about it? Check out today’s installment of ComicMix Radio for an interview with Mattel’s "Infinite Heroes" guru, P.J. Lewis.

We’ve also included photos of Mattel’s upcoming line of toys based on The Dark Knight, including figures based on Heath Ledger’s character, Joker, as well as Christian Bale’s Batman. Oh, and for those of you who’ve always wanted a Bat-suit of your own, we’ve got something for you, too.

Finally, we have some photos of Mattel’s line of superhero-incpired toys for their youngest demographic — but we won’t make funof you if you buy a couple for yourself.

So enough with the introduction, check out the full gallery of photos after the jump…

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Nighty Knight Rider, by Dennis O’Neil

  • News
  • February 19, 2008

Once again, the other day, I found myself wishing I’d spent less of my youth with, as folks might have said back then, my nose buried in some silly book and more time in the company of hammers, saws, wrenches. You know. Manly stuff. Tools. The reason was, something in the bathtub wasn’t working and we had to call the plumber, who is one of the nicest guys I know and might be the best plumber in Rockland County New York, and we had a chat while the water was running to accomplish something arcane and, well, plumberish. If I hadn’t wasted my youth, maybe I could tell you what.

 
Anyway: because he knows what I did and sometimes still do to earn money, we discussed movies and television. He’s of the opinion that nobody in the media has any new ideas.
 
I didn’t argue, and I won’t. With a few reservations, and looking at the evidence, I agree, kind of.
 
Of course, one could assert that there are no new ideas, an assertion borne out by the fact that treatise after treatise has demonstrated that there are only seven plots, or five, or eleven – some very finite number, in any case. But even given that near = truism, there doesn’t seem to be a lot that’s genuinely fresh around these days.
 
For instance: As I type this, I’m about two hours away from experiencing the latest incarnation of Knight Rider. Twenty-plus years ago, this saga of a young man and his talking car launched the career of David Hasselhoff, who later became world-famous as the tanned and buff father figure to a lot of equally tanned and buff, but younger, lifeguards. This is the latest of a seemingly endless catalogue of old films and TV shows revamped for the Twenty First Century. Some I’ve liked; the remake of the old Glenn Ford western, 3:10 to Yuma, was, by any reasonable criterion, a good movie. Others…well…
 

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Toy Fair ’08: Mattel Unleashes ‘Infinite Heroes’ Toy Line

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  • February 18, 2008

mattel_logosmaller-5241747

According to Action Figure Insider, toy powerhouse Mattel has "done the impossible" and announced a new line of action figures called Infinite Heroes inspired by some of DC comics most well-known characters. The list of upcoming figures, which will reportetly come in both themed 3-pack and single figure versions, includes Batman, Shazam!, Power Girl, Hawkman, Super Girl, and Black Canary.

Other heroes reporting for duty include Black Adam, Hush, Hal Jordan and Green Arrow and both the Jay Garrick and Wally West Flash characters. The set of figures will also include some Gotham policemen and even a Comissioner Gordon figure, just so you can have the most well-rounded lineup possible.

Check back here later for all of the photos from the ComicMix tour of Mattel’s showroom!

ComicMix at Toy Fair ’08: Tonner Does DC and Spider-Man

  • News
  • February 17, 2008

In the first of a series of reports from Toy Fair 2008 in New York, ComicMix checks out the comics-inspired dolls of the Tonner booth, featuring characters from Spider-Man 3 and a cast of DC superheroes and villains.

 

[Gallery After the Jump]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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