Archive for November, 2011
TFAW Reviews: Archie Meets KISS, Angel And Faith, TMNT
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
via The Blog From Another World
New Reviews of Comics and More!
We're back with our weekly comic book reviews! This week, we review Archie #627 (Archie Meets MISS Part 1), Angel & Faith #4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4, and the Classic Marvel Characters: Iron Man figure.
Full story »Win a chance to get killed in the 2nd story arc of THE STRAIN
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- We're making preparations for the coming infestation, storing food, comics and weapons. The Strain #1 is on its way, infecting comic shops on Dec. 14th. And here's a little contest to get you excited for the comics from Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan, David Lapham and Mike Huddleston.
Dark Horse to issue digital and print comics on same day
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- Dark Horse's digital evolution continues after seeing huge success with digital sales. Dark Horse Comics will now make their comics available digitally the same day they are on sale in comic shops.
Enter the House Of Fun in DARK HORSE PRESENTS #10
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- With Dark Horse Presents continually adding new and awesome stories to the lineup, Evan Dorkin wants to tell you about House of Fun!
Judging panel chosen for 2012 Eisner Awards
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) is proud to announce that the judging panel has been named for the 2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. This blue-ribbon committee will select the nominations to appear on the Eisner Awards ballot. This year's judges are:
Alex Cox named CBLDF Deputy Director
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is pleased to announce that Alex Cox has been named to the position of Deputy Director. In this new capacity, his responsibilities will expand to include full oversight of the CBLDF home office and fundraising program. Cox joined the CBLDF in the fall of 2010 as Development Manager.
MORNING GLORIES DELUXE COLLECTION VOLUME 1 misprint advisory
by ComicList on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Media Release -- Due to a printing error, Image Comics' MORNING GLORIES HC VOLUME 1 (SEP110417D) contains a page with no lettering.
Looking Back at Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers
by on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
By Jim Beard
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| "Marvel Knights Animation Collection" box art |
In honor of the release of the "Marvel Knights Animation Collection," a five-DVD set of animated series adapting Marvel graphic novels, we checked in with Robert Rodi, writer of 2005’s LOKI limited series from which “Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers” sprang.
“I never imagined LOKI as a film, but I did plot it out as a four-act play, and I strove to give it a sense of staging that would lend itself to the theater,” recalls the author. “At its heart it's a series of conversations between Loki and other people, by which he learns to recognize the truth about himself...too late. But of course these aren't just people, they're gods of Asgard, so the scale on which they live is so epic, so expansive; their smallest decisions alter the course of epochs. That, and the amazing Asgardian optics, makes it a slam-dunk for film.”
“Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers” peers deep into the early relationship of the young gods of thunder and mischief, revealing the inner workings of their rocky co-existence. Such tales of warring brothers continue to pique the interest of readers and audiences alike.
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| Screenshot from "Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers" |
“The various gods of antiquity are representative figures; they embody basic human attributes,” notes Rodi. “That's the key to their enduring appeal. We look to them for clarification, for that galvanizing sense of wholeness. There's no ambiguity in them. What I did with LOKI was an experiment: I added in the ambiguity. It made everything that was clear seem suddenly murky, suddenly dissonant. It's a risky and very modern take on these characters, and I'm glad people responded to it as warmly as they have.
“And of course, at the end, everything ends up going back to the way it has to be...but with an element of tragedy. Gods and tragedy, another venerable pairing.”
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| Screenshot from "Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers" |
Rodi’s proud of the end-result of the adaptation of his printed work, including the production values and the incredible voice actors involved.
“I wasn't involved in the production, so when producer Ruwan Jayatilleke showed me the first rough-cut sequences at the Marvel offices, I was suitably floored,” Rodi reports. “The weight and texture and depth they gave Esad [Ribic's] artwork are as impressive as the movement, which in itself is mind-blowing. And as I became more familiar with the project I was equally knocked flat by the acting, which is impeccable, and by the powerful, Carl Orff-like musical score. Everyone involved in this project just knocked it out of the park and over the Rainbow Bridge.
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| Screenshot from "Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers" |
“Honestly, there's nothing I'd add or change. It's everything I would've wanted it to be.”
And as for the future, Rodi finds that seeing “Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers” puts him in mind of creating new works in a similar godly vein.
“Oh, it gave me a lot of ideas--bigger, broader, and more morally oblique,” he says of the entire production. “Here's hoping ‘Blood Brothers’ is sufficiently successful that I get a chance to try them out. I do love these characters and their world, and feel very much at home there. I should really just have a helmet. And a broadsword, or a spear or something. Though that would make it hard to walk the dog.”
Secret Avengers Spotlight: Hawkeye
by on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
By Ben Morse
Through the years, the relationship between Hawkeye and Captain America has evolved from the early days of the young upstart constantly in the face of his stoic leader into one of mutual respect, but in many ways, Clint Barton still lives in the shadow of Steve Rogers. He seeks to live up to the ideals established by his patriotic peer, but also strives to maintain that contrarian aspect that makes him an asset to the Avengers.
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On January 25, a key baton pass occurs in SECRET AVENGERS #21.1 by Rick Remender and Patrick Zircher when Cap hands over the reins of his black ops squad to Hawkeye, a leadership transition that continues into February’s issue #22—wherein Gabriel Hardman assumes regular art chores—and beyond. Almost immediately, Clint Barton will let his team know they’re not dealing with the old boss by any means.
“Where Captain America is an amazing field leader with real combat training, I see Hawkeye a bit more methodical and sneak,” says Remender. “I see him fitting the role of leader of a covert band of Avengers better than Steve in fact. Steve, to me, feels like the guy who should be leading the charge on the battlefield. Clint fits in the shadows skulking around looking for angles.
“However, when it comes to interpersonal relationships and dynamics, Clint is less of a traditional leader, less of a politician. He didn’t take any anger management courses before accepting the position. And in my mind he’s always overcompensating on some level for being viewed as the bottom of the A-list.”
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While Hawkeye will still serve on the primary Avengers team saving the world in broad daylight, his responsibilities leading the Secret Avengers will draw on many skills Remender feels he has picked up over the course of an often challenging lifetime.
“He is methodical, he is a bit of a conniver and his skill set as an adventurer lends itself perfectly to this work,” the writer emphasizes. “Clint grew up in an orphanage after his world had been decimated, both parents killed, he ended up living and training in a circus, he was a super villain, he’s been around and knows how to survive ugly situations. Clint’s time running around with The Black Widow early in his career taught him quite a bit about black ops work, even though he’s never been a true fan of it.
“When I think about and Avenger leading a shadow squad to deal with threats before they bubble up, Hawkeye is just a natural fit for that role.”
Hawkeye founded the West Coast Avengers seeking to expand the mandate of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. As leader of the Thunderbolts, he attempted to guide former villains down the path of redemption and heroism. With the Secret Avengers, what goals does the Battling Bowman have in mind?
“To save the world, to keep the public safe from threats that would cause mass pandemonium, to stop all the killing and to keep everything they do secret,” lists Remender. “Clint and Hank Pym have been working closely to develop a subatomic jail where they can contain enemy combatants whose existence and operations cannot be made public knowledge. This grows out of Clint’s desire to avoid taking life, to be a hero.
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“He and the Avengers have succumbed to fatal methodology in the past, and there will always be a situation that demands someone be taken down hard, but Clint wants to run the show in a fashion that makes him feel like a hero—killing people doesn’t feel heroic to anyone. So with this ‘Antkatraz’ prison he hopes to be able to achieve the same goals without resorting to murder. And believe me I’ll be putting that to the test.”
Hawkeye Digital Comics Spotlight
TALES OF SUSPENSE #57: The first appearance of Hawkeye
AVENGERS (1963) #16: Hawkeye joins the Avengers
AVENGERS #189: Away from the Avengers, Hawkeye pursues solo heroics
THUNDERBOLTS #44: Hawkeye and his new team, the Thunderbolts, team with the Avengers against Count Nefaria
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #1: As Ronin, Clint Barton gets reacquainted with his estranged wife, Mockingbird
Stay tuned for more Secret Avengers Spotlight and be sure to get SECRET AVENGERS #21.1 on January 25!
Watch the Third Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat Cutscene
by on Nov.30, 2011, under Extra
Check out the third full cutscene from the game, now available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii with the uDraw GameTablet, right here on Marvel.com to see the Squaddies in action. And if you missed them, check out the first and second full cutscenes as well!
Pick up your copy of "Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat" today, and stay tuned to Marvel.com for even more videos from the game in the coming weeks!
