Tagged: Captain America

Dr. Evil Returns to Menace Captain Action in July

SOUTH BEND, Indiana – 12/06/2011 – Round 2 and Captain Action Enterprises are pleased to announce the addition of Captain Action’s long-time nemesis Dr. Evil to the 2012 Captain Action toy line.

Captain Action, the popular super hero toy from the 1960s returns to toy shelves with new costume sets, including Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man, Thor and Captain America. new costume sets will debut in March 2012.

Dr. Evil, a menacing alien complete with his traditional creepy exposed brain, served as the original antagonist to Captain Action during the 1960s. Just as Captain Action can assume the identities of popular heroes, the new Dr. Evil will assume the identities of villains such as Thor’s evil brother, Loki, and the Red Skull via costume sets. “Every good hero needs an evil counterpart, and who’s more evil than the original Dr. Evil?“ said Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises.

The new figure will be created from all new sculpts and molds, and even add one creative innovation. “The new Dr. Evil will have interchangeable brains! The figure will come with three different brains: a battle brain, a brilliant brain and a bionic brain” said Mike Murphy, Creative Director at Round 2. “Fans will be able to swap the brains in and out of his head with each one having a specific purpose that will aid Dr. Evil to carry out his diabolical schemes!”

Comic legend Joe Jusko is providing the Dr. Evil illustration for the packaging. Dr. Evil and the Loki costume set will be available in July of 2012.

Review: “Avengers” #19

avengers19_thumb-7406966CR Review: Avengers #19
Creators: Brian Michael Bendis, Daniel Acuna
Publishing Information: Marvel Comics, comic book, 40 pages, November 2011, $3.99

Perhaps the oddest thing about the Avengers property becoming Marvel’s flagship title the last few years is that there’s no underlying concept involved in its execution. It’s Marvel’s biggest superheroes (and some of its stronger supporting characters) teaming up to take on various super-baddie threats… and that’s really about it, as far as I can tell. It’s not a family, it’s not a community, it’s not a certain way of doing things; it’s everybody the fans think are cool put into the same room. In a similar vein, the writer Brian Michael Bendis recently announcing the conclusion of his run with that property surprised only in that there’s little in the way of a dramatic arc — at least not one I can see, from several steps back — that would indicate he was close to wrapping up whatever personal, creative business he might have brought to the series several years ago. In most ways that count, the defining characteristics of this comic book series lies in how it resists past signifiers. For all that it defines the current superhero mainstream, Avengers is one contrary comic book.

Marvel Pulp in February

  • News
  • November 21, 2011

Marvel Comics has released it’s solicitation information for February 2012. Here are some pulpy highlights.

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WINTER SOLDIER #1
Written by Ed Brubaker, art by Butch Guice, cover by Lee Bermejo, variant cover by Gabrielle Dell’Otto, sketch variant by Lee Bermejo, classic artist variant by Joe Kubert.
* Winter Soldier and Black Widow are the super-spies of the Marvel U!
* Ex-Russian Sleeper Agents awaken, but under who’s control?
* Is that Dr. Doom?
32 pages, $2.99.

WINTER SOLDIER #2 
Written by Ed Brubaker, art by Butch Guice, covers by Lee Bermejo..
* Bucky and Black Widow on the hunt for men trained by the Winter Soldier himself!
* Who is trying to kill Dr. Doom?
* Also featuring – talking gorillas!
32 pages, $2.99.

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #627
Written by Ed Brubaker and James Asmus, art by Francesco Francavilla.
* Captain America versus an army of Cap-killer androids!
* Adam II reborn…with new powers and deadlier than ever!
* Cap’s life in the hands of…the elderly former Bucky Fred Davis?!
32 pages, $2.99.

DOROTHY & THE WIZARD IN OZ #5
Written by Eric Shanower, art and cover by Skottie Young.
* The Wooden Gargoyles attack to kill!
* How can Dorothy, the Wizard, and their friends escape when even the Wizard’s bullets prove useless?
* Subterranean thrills and chills continue with hungry dragons that only Eureka the kitten can see.
* And you’ll believe a horse can fly!
32 pages, $3.99.

THE PUNISHER #8
Written by Greg Rucka, art and cover by Marco Checchetto.
* The face to face you’ve all been waiting for as ex-Hydra and AIM agents work together to bring down the Punisher.
* Frank is up against a soldier who is more like him than either of them realize.
32 pages, $2.99.

BLACK PANTHER: THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE #529
Written by David Liss, art by Shawn Martinbrough, cover by Francesco Francavilla.
* Kingpin vs. T’Challa in this status-quo changing series finale!
* Guest-starring: Lady Bullseye! Typhoid Mary! Falcon! Luke Cage!
32 pages, $2.99.

THE TWELVE MUST HAVE #1
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Chris Weston.
* Collecting The Twelve #7-8
40 pages, $3.99.

THE TWELVE #9
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Chris Weston, cover by Paolo Rivera.
* The time-stranded heroes of World War ii are back!
* One member of The Twelve will fall!
* Who’s behind the myterious killings? The answer is electrifying!
32 pages, $2.99.

THE TWELVE #10
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Chris Weston, cover by Paolo Rivera.
* The killer uncovered!
* What does this mean for the future of The Twelve?
32 pages, $2.99.

PUNISHERMAX #22
Written by Jason Aaron, art by Steve Dillon, cover by Dave Johnson.
* Aaron’s and Dillon’s seminal run on PunisherMAX comes to an end!
32 pages, $3.99.

Learn more at http://www.marvel.com/

Captain America’s Pulpy WWII Adventures Continue!

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  • September 22, 2011

New Pulp Artist Francesco Francavilla (Zorro, The Black Coat) joins New Pulp Writer Ed Brubaker (Crimnal, Incognito) on Marvel Comics’ series, Captain America and Bucky starting with issue #625 in December!

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Cover Art: Francesco Francavilla

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625
Written by Ed Brubaker & James Asmus
Pencils & Cover by Francesco Francavilla
• The original Human Torch guest-stars as Captain America teams up with Bucky in the present day… for the first time?!
• Rising stars James Asmus and Francesco Francavilla join Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker for a rollicking adventure into the future of the star-spangled Avenger’s past!
• Brand new arc! Easy jumping on point!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

For more on Ed Brubaker, visit http://www.edbrubaker.com/
For more on Francesco Francavilla, vist http://pulpsunday.blogspot.com/
For more on Marvel Comics and Captain America, visit http://www.marvel.com/

Upcoming Comics To Video Game Releases

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  • September 7, 2011

This year has seen a ton of comics-to-feature-film releases, and the video game market is not different.  However, the trend to games doesn’t always yield positive results, as many are done as quick cash-ins to support the film releases (“[[[Thor]]]”, “[[[Green Lantern: Rise Of The Manhunters]]]”).  However, every so often, a tie-in turns into a gem (the latest “[[[Captain America: Super Solider]]]” game was a pleasant surprise), but when they work best is when they are using original material to tell the story.  There are three titles coming out later this year that gamers and comic fans alike should be looking forward to.  Below, you’ll find the most recent trailers for “[[[Batman: Arkham City]]]”, “[[[Spider-Man: Edge of Time]]]” and “[[[X-Men: Destiny]]]”, all due out in the next coming months.

[[[Batman: Arkham City]]]

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Captain America (the 1990 version)

In the wake of Batman’s success in 1989, it appeared to renew interest in movies based on comic books. One of the first, and one of the worst, was the 1990 version of Captain America. The film had actually been announced in the early 1980s from Cannon Films but in the intervening years, the studio folded and the right shifted a bit before Menahem Golan mounted it under his 21st Century banner.

The movie languished in development until the rights were about to expire so director Albert Pyun urged Golan to let him take a crack at getting the film made for about $6 million. Marvel actually approved the script that was shot and Pyun loved its take on America’s fascination with heroism. If only some of that love found its way onto the screen.

The movie was shot in 1989 but wasn’t released theatrically and was finally dumped on video in 1992, where it was met with derisive laughter from comic book fans. Now, MGM’s Limited Edition collection has released the film as part of its print on demand operation. The print used is pretty crappy and dark and the film is at best a curiosity for collectors and fans alike.

The horrific script from Stephen Tolkin (from a story by Tolkin and Lawrence J. Block) pays lip service to the source material and leaves you scratching your head at the shoddy story construction and utter lack of characterization. Significant changes were made, none of the better starting with giving Steve Rogers polio as an excuse to keep him from enlisting. Then there’s the Red Skull (Scott Paulin) now an Italian fascist, which never made sense. On the other hand, both this film and the current blockbuster made the unnecessary dramatic change in linking Cap and the Skull by having them both be products of the Super Solider formula.

There’s Matt Salinger as Cap/Rogers who is anything but the American ideal and fairly wooden in performance, perhaps because they give him nothing to work with. His first mission leads to the rocket that sent him to an icy sleep in Alaska. He’s found and inexplicably breaks free and rather than ask his rescuers anything, he runs all the way to Canada. There’s little time spent on his cultural isolation and his interactions with others is laughably minimal. (more…)

Marvel Minimalism from Marko Manev of Macedonia

  • News
  • August 30, 2011

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These are some of the neatest superhero posters I’ve come across in a while. Take a look at his posters for the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, Wolverine, and Magneto.

Happy 94th Birthday, Jack Kirby!

  • News
  • August 28, 2011
Jack Kirby Portrait

Image by J Garrattley via Flickr

And for his birthday, the co-creator of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk is trying to blow out Marvel’s corporate headquarters.

Related articles

Marvel Movie Round-Up UPDATED

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  • August 8, 2011

As this summer season winds down, Sony is looking three years ahead. According to Deadline, they have already staked out May 2, 2014 for the sequel to 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man. James Vanderbilt, who penned the first script, has already been tapped for the sequel although it’s way too soon to know anything about the content. The first film continues production although footage shown at Comic-Con International wowed skeptical audiences. Additionally, fans were stunned when star Andrew Garfield took the mike, dressed in a store-bought Spidey suit and read from notes about what the character means to him, apparently truly heartfelt words.

UPDATE:  The Hollywood Reporter says that Marvel has staked out two weekends in 2014 for two unnamed films. Two weeks after the Spider-Man sequel, May will see Marvel To Come #1. The second Marvel movie will open June 27, and since that’s around July 4 we’re willing to bet this will be eventually be called Captain America 2 .

Meanwhile, Naturi Naughton, about to be seen weekly in NBC’s The Playboy Club, has been signed to portray Cecilia Reyes in 20th Century-Fox’s The Wolverine. The sequel, starring Hugh Jackman, is in production for a 2012 release. Directed by James Mangold, the story is largely based on the classic Wolverine miniseries written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Frank Miller and is set in Japan. Reyes was not a character in that story, introduced decades later.

In the Marvel Film Universe proper, 2013’s Thor 2 may see Brian Kirk in the director’s chair. Kirk, who gained acclaim for his work on HBO’s Game of Thrones, would replace Kenneth Branagh, who bowed out recently.

In a decision seeming out of left field, Twitchfilm reports that Marvel Studios has placed the futuristic Guardians of the Galaxy into active development. First introduced in Marvel Super-Heroes #18, released in 1969, the quartet of freedom fighters from the 27th Century. The team has grown and evolved through the years with more than a few ties to the modern day Marvel Universe. Whether those connections would remain on screen is unknown. It joins Black Panther, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and Iron Fist in the second tier of characters being readied.

While an early announcement, Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not the first major property to stake out 2014 dates. Already on the schedule are DreamWorks’ Mr. Peabody & Sherman, due out March 21 and their How to Train Your Dragon 2 is expected June 20. In the same THR report, Pixar has claimed Memorial Day weekend for an untilted film as well.

As for Marvel’s rival, DC Entertainment has announced no super-heroics beyond 2013’s Supeman: Man of Steel although The Flash, Green Lantern 2, and Justice League of America were all recently mentioned by Wanrer Bros. President Jeff Robinov as being developed

LET THERE BE PULP-NEW COLUMN LOOKING AT EARLY CAP FILM ATTEMPT!

  • News
  • August 7, 2011

LET THERE BE PULP- Examining where Pulp Classics Start- by Frank Schildiner

cap-a-serial-3377520Millions, including your humble narrator, await the opening of the new CAPTAIN AMERICA feature film, one that promises to bring the character back to his Simon and Kirby roots. But old Cap has a troubled history with Hollywood that has this writer shuddering at the thought of a return to the bad old days of horrific Captain America films.

Captain America first hit the big screen as a 1944 Republic Pictures serial and has the distinction of being that studio’s last superhero film. But the studio that created such incredible hero serials as THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, a film renown for some of the best stunts in history, and the spectacular cliffhangers of SPY SMASHER, seriously dropped the ball on this film. To call this film a disaster for all Captain America fans is a mild statement, this serial is just painful.

Let’s start with some basics about Captain America, the very basis of the character. Every fan knows Captain America is Steve Rogers, a weakling turned into the perfect man through the legendary super-soldier formula. Throughout World War Two he fought evil Nazis in the frontline of battle, dressed in star spangled chain mail and carrying a red, white and blue shield. Sounds like an easy setup for a film shot during WWII, right?

Not so for Republic Pictures! No, suddenly Captain America is District Attorney Grant Gardner who fights crime with his fists and a pistol. Steve Rogers does not exist in this world and this hero is an unimpressive type who appeared slightly overweight. This was not a mere perception of a disgruntled fan, the actor who played the part, Dick Purcell, died of a heart attack prior to release. The cause of death being the stunts weas too much of a strain on the poor miscast actor’s heart. And yes, Cap’s signature weapon is replaced by a pistol. Oh and his costume was transformed from chain mail to cloth with the signature eagle wings on his mask also removed. Any connection to the Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby appears accidental by the time this film in completed. 

The villain of the piece was legendary Universal Films horror star, Lionel Atwill as a villain called The Scarab. Atwill adds an eerie menace to the role and was considered one of the bright lights in this production.

The reason for these bizarre changes to the character was, in the opinion of writer/film historian Don Glut, this film was originally a script meant as a sequel to THE MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR SATAN. That famed serial had a hero named Copperhead who did use a pistol and fought crime. This appears to be as good an explanation as any about this terrible serial, though it did keep Cap from appearing in any feature films until an unauthorized appearance in a Turkish action film called 3 DEV ADAM. Should you wish a truly bizarre film experience, view this one…one hint, the villain is a potbellied Spider-Man with huge green eyebrows who regenerates himself once being killed…poor Cap…

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