Comic Vine Review of Speed Racer
Filed under: Speed Racer, Racer X
I know, I know. You're probably seeing this and saying, "You actually saw this movie?" For some reason, it seems the "cool" thing to do is to say how bad this movie is going to be. I'm not really sure why that is. When I first heard about a live action movie being made, of course I was skeptical. Hollywood is really big on the nostalgia wagon lately. People have a love for Speed Racer so it made sense. I wasn't sure how a live action would be. I was concerned over it turing out to be a mess. I wasn't too crazy when I saw the first images and trailers. But I thought regardless, I was going to see.
The first reason, for the site. There have been a few Speed Racer comics so I felt I owed it to you people to see it and let you know how it is.
The second reason, I had a huge love for the cartoon as a kid.
The cartoon first came out in Japan as Mahha GoGoGo in 1967. That was before my time. Growing up, my older brother and I had this really cool UHF channel in our area that showed the cartoon. We loved it. We didn't get many Japanese cartoons but could see that this was different than the usual Flinstones or Scooby-Doo. The Mach V was what it was all about. It was the ultimate car that every kid wanted to have when they grew up. We could only dream about seeing a real-life version. Even from the opening credits we knew it was different. I mean a car gets knocked off the track and explodes. Sure we had Looney Tunes explosions but this was something else entirely.
A live action movie directed by the Wachowski Brothers. I loved the first Matrix but wasn't overly thrilled with 2 or 3. Then the reports of a rated G movie made my stomache sink further. Turns out it made it to PG so I felt a little better.
I saw the movie with my wife and daughter. I already knew my wife wouldn't dig all the CG in the movie but we knew our girl would go probably go for it. How was it?
First of all, you have to go into the movie with the proper mindset. Forget everyone that's trying to "act cool" and say how bad it is when they haven't even seen it. This is a movie base on a cartoon. You've seen the crazy stuff that the cars do in the trailer. Just accept that. It's not supposed to be real. It also has that Dick Tracy (the movie) feel with all the bright colors. Don't hold that against Speed Racer. Bottom line. I liked it. A lot.
You can take the fact that I loved the cartoon either way. It doesn't mean I'm going to automatically love a movie version. If anything, I'm going to be more critical. The Wachowski Brothers did a great job of capturing the feel of Speed's entire world. Is there a lot of CG? Are there so many colors that your eyes sometimes feel like a kid in a candy store? Yes to both. Do the all car scenes look real? Not always. That's besides the point. It's a movie.
It was very faithful to the original characters. Speed is a kid that simply wants to drive. Fast. He has his family and there's the mysterious (and ultra cool) Racer X in the wings. You even have other characters like Snake Oiler and Inspetor Detector. The cars are accurate along with all the crazy and cool gadgets (with a couple tweaks). The movie got pretty intense at times. My little girl was on the edge of her seat (she's almost five). I could see that maybe all the craziness of the CG and multitude of colors might be a bit much (like for my wife). I enjoyed it all. Also true to the cartoon, we got some pretty cool fight scenes, both in cars and out! Fighting with cars, what a concept.
Is it a family film? Sort of. The sense of family is a strong theme in the movie. It's shown that Speed has a great caring family that supports him and he will do anything for them also. Some of the movie might not have been completely appropriate for my little girl but there were so many other parts that made up for it. She was cracking up non-stop during the credits with all the scenes of Chim-Chim. She was even singing along with the theme song at the end even though she hadn't heard it before (I've been holding back showing her my Speed Racer DVDs). On our way home she asked me if there was going to be another Speed Racer movie. I have to say that I do hope so. If nothing else, I'll even take a Racer X movie. That'd be pretty bad-ass.
So is this movie for you? It just depends. It's not a masterpiece type of film. It's not meant to be. It's pure entertainment. The acting and story were great. I was not disapointed with the movie. I wouldn't mind seeing it again. I will definitely be getting it on Blu-ray when it comes out. That's another thing. If you have the chance, see the movie at a theatre that has digital projectors. My neighborhood theatre has the DLP projectors. It's the only way I can watch movies now. I can't stand the splice marks or break in audio you get from the old-fashioned film projectors. A movie with these visuals should be seen through a digital projector.
It may not be an award-winning film but who cares. It was 135 minutes of pure adrenaline filled action.
Marko Djurdjevic Joins The Eternals #1
Filed under: Daniel Acuña, Charles Knauf, Daniel Knauf, Eternals
I was never a really big Eternals fan. Whenever they appeared, I was a little bored. I guess they seemed too...stuffy. Sorta the same way I felt about the Asgardians now that I think about it. The recent mini-series that re-defined them was pretty good. Yeah it was the fact that Neil Gaiman was the writer that made me buy it in the first place. But I didn't give up on it. I was interested in how the series would end.
This new series could be just as good. There's some top talent on it. I also see that the Eternals are settling down in San Francisco (just as the X-Men are going to). I'm telling you, it's because they're finding out that Comic Vine is located just north of San Fran that everyone is making the move out here. I should work on trying to get an interview with them.
Marvel is proud to unveil rising star Marko Djurdjevic’s (Thor) variant cover to The Eternals #1! Written by the fan favorite writing duo of Charlie & Daniel Knauf (Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and sensational artist Daniel Acuña, this brand new ongoing series finds the Eternals now based in San Francisco and fighting for their very survival against their own kind following Neil Gaimain’s acclaimed series! Once worshipped by humanity, these god-like beings must find a way to unite before an evil force eradicates their kind…and the Earth!
ETERNALS #1 (APR082266)
Written by CHARLES KNAUF & DANIEL KNAUF
Art & 50/50 Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
50/50 Variant cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC—5/15/08, On-Sale—6/4/08
HEROES Season 3 Teaser!!
Filed under: Claire Bennet, Sylar, Peter Petrelli
In every Hero, there could be a villain...
Brian Azzarello discusses writing Batman Gotham Knight
Filed under: Batman, Brian Azzarello
July is getting closer...
One of the most sought-after writers in comics today, Brian Azzarello is one of the six acclaimed scribes to pen a segment within "Batman Gotham Knight," the third in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.
Unlike many of his past works, Azzarello's segment – entitled "Working Though Pain" – takes a decidedly non-violent direction. The segment, which falls chronologically as the fifth of the six segments, explores an early chapter of Bruce Wayne's training as a mysterious and exotic Indian woman named Cassandra introduces Batman to techniques that would help him to conquer the physical and spiritual consequences of what he does.
Azzarello achieved widespread notoriety – and garnered multiple Eisner Awards – for "100 Bullets," a collaboration with artist Eduardo Risso which was published by Vertigo for DC Comics. He has continually broken new ground with offerings like Vertigo's "Jonny Double," "Hellblazer" and "Loveless" series. Azzarello is no stranger to Batman, having written for the character in "Broken City,"
"Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire," within the "Batman Gotham Knights" series and in "Lex Luthor: Man of Steel."
A Chicago resident, Azzarello will travel across town to join fellow "Batman Gotham Knight" writers Alan Burnett and Josh Olson, along with producer Bruce Timm, for the film's world premiere at Wizard World Chicago in late June. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.
Azzarello took time away from his Mac Power Book to discuss "Batman Gotham Knight," the character of Batman, the motivations of a writer, and a little cooking, too.
Question: For starters, what was your overall impression of "Batman Gotham Knight," and were you pleased with your segment?
Brian Azzarello says:
I liked the film – it's a very interesting take on the Batman character. It holds together cohesively, yet each episode is strikingly different. And I loved (my segment) – it's great. I really liked the animation. It was fascinating seeing my words moving around. When I write, I see it in print – I don't see it moving. So it was fun and it was a good experience.
Question: How did you find the translation from your written page to the vision of the Japanese director and artists?
Brian Azzarello says:
I was surprised how seamless the translation was. I definitely got what I wrote. The hospital scene is almost exactly the way I thought
of it, while the fight scenes – that's where the animators really put their "wow" into it. But I expected that. Usually that's where the animators just go crazy.
Question: Were there any particular visuals that struck you within your segment?
Brian Azzarello says:
Seeing wounded Batman – now that struck me. I enjoy wounded Batman. It humanizes him. It showed a true physical struggle, and that's something you can relate to. And the character Cassandra was a bit hotter than I thought she'd be … but that's okay.
Question: When you're writing for comics – and now for animation – do you put fairly detailed direction between the dialogue, or is it more of a collaborative process for you and the artist/animator?
Brian Azzarello says:
I wrote the script and then I handed it off, and that's pretty much the same relationship I have in comics. I really trust my collaborators, and I try to leave them plenty of room so they can bring their strengths to the work. I think that happened in this film, and definitely for my segment – the animation is just amazing. Really amazing.
I have more of an affinity for the stage than I do for the screen, so I'm very conscious of the dialogue. And because I've always worked
with collaborators, I tend to leave the visuals up to them – on purpose. It's my belief that if I get the dialogue right, and the artist understands what motivates the characters and what they're saying, then the visuals will come.
Question: You're fairly particular about the projects you accept. How'd you get involved with this film, and what made you say yes?
Brian Azzarello says:
Gregory Noveck of DC Comics talked to my agent, then I had a conference call to discuss the story. They explained the film to me in
broad strokes, and asked me to come up with an idea. I chose to focus more on Bruce Wayne, and they liked my pitch. As always happens, they needed the script yesterday, and I was I was on my way to Europe at the time. All I can tell you is that the hotel room in Barcelona was pretty nice, but I can't tell you much about the city.
Question: You were quoted in a UGO article as saying "Hollywood is nowhere I aspire to be" … and yet, here you are. What happened?
Brian Azzarello says:
Well, the production may be in Hollywood, but I'm in Chicago – and I'm going to stay here. Is that semantics? I'm not sure. I enjoy doing the work, and I really liked writing for this project – I'd like to do it again. And I know there are people that would kill to work in Hollywood. I'm just not one of those people. I'll do it, I have done it, but the project has to be right. I've been asked to write a lot of things that I've declined mainly because the projects didn't interest me. If I were just writing to pull a paycheck, there's a lot of other things I could be doing.
Question: What's your motivation for writing?
Brian Azzarello says:
If I have a story, if I have something to say, that's my motivation. For this film, I had something to say about Bruce Wayne as a character, what his motivations are. That there's something dark and wrong about what drives him. Batman is a super hero and he does good.
But I think the Bruce Wayne part of the character's motivation is slightly twisted. Bruce's motivations don't come from a good place.
He's angry and, in that revenge is really his goal, he's a dishonest character. That's why he has to wear a mask. He's doing good, but he's not doing all the right things for all the right reasons.
That plays into this story. It should be a story about non-violence, but that's the lesson that Bruce doesn't learn. On the surface, Bruce
is on a spiritual journey, but his spirit was corrupted when his parents were killed. And it's not something that I think he's even interested in fixing.
Question: How much research was involved in scripting a story set in India that focuses on the mind-over-matter theme of conquering your pain from within?
Brian Azzarello says:
I spent a lot of time surfing (the Internet) – it's a wonder how we all have libraries at our fingerprints these days. I needed to do research on India, and I gathered a lot of information on pain management. What I learned is that a lot of pain management practitioners are con men.
Question: You've had some notable experience working on Batman – can you compare the differences in working on this Batman tale vs. "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire" and "Broken City" or the "Batman: Gotham Knights" comics?
Brian Azzarello says:
Every time I approach Batman, I like to come from a different angle. In Deathblow, I saw him as a James Bond-type but on an urban level. For Broken City, he was the bitter private eye. On this project, I guess he's lying to himself. He's not intentionally conning Cassandra, but he does ultimately con her. He wants to learn what she knows, but he doesn't want to know it for the reasons she teaches it. She finally figures out that he's doing it for the wrong reason, but it isn't until the end – and it's not until then that even he understands that he's been lying to himself.
Question: What are you reading these days?
Brian Azzarello says:
I have a stack of books – The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz; one of Jason Starr's novels; and then I've got Mario Batali's Italian Grill
cookbook. I actually read a lot of cookbooks – I grew up around cooking, and cooking really relaxes me. Nine times out of 10, I'm
cooking something Italian, but the weather is turning, so my grill has been fired up a lot lately. I love barbeque – it's great to cook
something for 8-10 hours. That's such an American way of cooking, but I try to bring a lot of Mediterranean influences into that.
Question: So if you could hand-pick your next achievement, what would it be – win another Eisner, write the next Batman, or have your own show on Food Network?
Brian Azzarello says:
Well, having my own cooking show sounds like no work at all. Winning another Eisner would be nice. But I think I'd have to pick writing the next Batman – that would be the biggest challenge for me. As a freelancer, if you're not challenging yourself, nobody is. Every day I
have to paint myself into a corner and then write my way out of it.
Michael Turner Cover Ultimate Origins #1
Filed under: Wolverine, Michael Turner
Always nice to see a Michael Turner cover. But being that it's not one of the 50/50 variants, good luck getting it near cover price.
Marvel is proud to unveil superstar artist Michael Turner’s variant cover to the hotly-anticipated Ultimate Origins #1! It’s the beginning of the end for the Ultimate Universe—but just what are the secrets behind the origin of the Ultimate Universe? The critically-acclaimed, award winning scribe Brian Michael Bendis (Secret Invasion, Ultimate Spider-Man) and fan-favorite artist Butch Guice (Captain America, Iron Man) join forces for the first time to present a jaw-dropping journey that leads into this fall’s ULTIMATUM! And the Ultimate Universe will never, ever, be the same again! Wrapped up in gorgeous covers by superstars Gabrielle Dell’Otto, Simone Bianchi and Michael Turner, no Marvel fan can miss Ultimate Origins #1!
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) (APR082246)
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) TURNER VARIANT (APR082247)
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) TURNER VARIANT SKETCH VARIANT (MAR088241)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by BUTCH GUICE
50/50 Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
50/50 Cover by GABRIELLE DELL’OTTO
Variant Cover by MICHAEL TURNER
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC—5/15/08, On-Sale—6/4/08
Invincible Iron Man #1 Sells Out
Filed under: Iron Man
No big surprise here. I have to say it was a brilliant move on Marvel's part to release both Invinicble Iron Man and Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas the week after the movie opened. As always, I do wonder what the print run on this issue was. You'd think comic shops would be ordering more because of the movie and Marvel would have more printed. So even with six different covers it still sold out.
Please note that Marvel currently has no plans to go back to press on Invincible Iron Man #1
Madman & Gemini Alt. Covers @ Emerald City Con
Filed under: Michael Allred, Madman, Jay Faerber
Ooh, I'd love to get my hands on that Madman issue...
Image Comics' Pacific Northwest bred heroes, MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS and GEMINI, celebrate Emerald City Comic Con with exclusive covers not to ever be made available anywhere else!
"Emerald City Comic Con is my hometown convention," GEMINI co-creator and writer Jay Faerber said. "Debuting my newest creation there, with an exclusive cover nonetheless, was too perfect an opportunity to pass up."
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #8 is also a starting point for the veteran hero, as Frank Einstein's backstory acts as a jumping point for readers old and new. To celebrate, the Emerald City Comic Con variant is a throw back for Frank's very first appearance in Caliber's CREATURES FROM THE ID #1. The GEMINI cover, all-new illustration by series co-creator and artist Jon Sommariva, displays the unique dual nature of Faerber's all-new sleeper super-agent. A select few of each cover will be given away at the IMAGE COMICS SHOW, featuring Faerber, WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman and ELEPHANTMEN's Richard Starkings.
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS creator Mike Allred added, "There's a lot of buzz up here in the Pacific Northwest for the Emerald City Comic Con and since I wasn't able to attend this year, I still wanted to do something very special. I hope folks will get a big kick out this."
The Emerald City Comic Con will take place May 10th and 11th at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. More information on both covers can be found at the Image Comics booth, #602. In addition, THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW will be on Saturday in Panel Room B from 3-4 PM.
Writer Kevin Hopps discusses Spectacular Spidey
Filed under: Spider-Man, Green Goblin
It's always interesting to hear from those actually behind the cartoons. Hopefully you're enjoying reading this stuff too.
Acclaimed animation writer Kevin Hopps offers his third script of the "The Spectacular Spider-Man" season in "The Uncertainty Principle," an all-new episode premiering Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT on Kids' WB!/The CW.
Hopps has worked in the animated realm for nearly two decades, amassing a lengthy list of writing credits that ranges from "Darkwing
Duck," "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" and "Loonatics Unleashed" to the "Justice League," "Hellboy: Blood & Iron" and "Transformers:
Animated." He has drafted four scripts for the first season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" – "Interactions" featuring the debut of
Electro; "Competition," which introduced Sandman; "The Uncertainty Principle," the Green Goblin's second starring role; and the series'
first season finale.
Hopps took time away from his work on several second-season scripts to discuss his work in the first season and, in particular, this
weekend's "The Uncertainty Principle."
Question:
"The Uncertainty Principle" is the third episode you've written this season. Does it get easier as the season progresses, or more complicated as the "web" continues to grow?
Kevin Hopps:
It gets easier now that I've seen some of the episodes animated and heard the characters' voices, but new characters and new plot lines
always bring new challenges. Fortunately, 'The Spectacular Spider-Man' is a spectacularly fun series to write for.
Question:
Thus far this season, you've written for three villains -- Electro, Sandman, and now you get to expand upon Green Goblin. How did you
approach each, and do you have a writing preference among the villains?
Kevin Hopps:
Before I began writing any of the villains, I re-read all the comics I could get my hands on that featured Electro, Sandman and Green Goblin. As to preference – I love all the villains I've been lucky enough to include in my scripts. They each bring something new to the series – their motivations are different and, therefore, they interact with Spider-Man is different in their own special ways.
I like the humanity of Electro – here's a person who didn't ask to be a villain, but found himself thrust into that role. I love the
ordinary-ness of the motivation for Sandman – he's just basically a crook who suddenly finds himself with super powers. Then there's
Goblin – you might consider him crazed, but he's truly brilliant and has thought things out far in advance. He's always several steps ahead of where you think he is. So while I'm writing Goblin, I'm always trying to keep in mind where he's going next.
I'm not allowed to say what I'm writing for second season, but I can say that sometimes it gets a little harder when you write a character
a second time because you have to top what you did the first time. A good example for this season is Spider-Man's battle with the Green
Goblin in the episode coming this weekend. I had to pay special attention to the battles from the episode that aired two weeks ago,
and concentrate on how we could make it different and really up the stakes.
Question:
You have a lengthy history of writing for comics/super hero animation. What's your personal satisfaction working in that realm?
Kevin Hopps:
I just love this genre – both in live-action and in animation. I started out in comedy, writing sitcoms, then animation comedies – but
I realized the movies and TV shows I mostly watched were action adventure. And so, whenever possible, that's what I try to write. Of
course, I like to think I'm able to add a good deal of humor to the action I write.
It's fun to write a variety of characters, too – both in terms of jumping from show to show, and from heroes to villains. Spider-Man and
Hellboy present that kind of variety. The key differences come in their age and their motivation – those factors help give them
distinctly different personalities and attitudes. Even though he has all this teen angst, Spidey still really has fun with being a super
hero, and he lets it show. Hellboy is older and more mature – he keeps his emotions more in check. I don't really have favorites, but I guess if I was creating a character of my own, it would probably be Spidey – between the character's comedy, action and humanity, he all the elements I like to write.
Question:
Is there a super hero you haven't written for yet that you still wish to work on, and why?
Kevin Hopps:
To paraphrase, and lay ruin to, a famous quote: I never met a super hero I wouldn't write. Spider-Man, however, is ideal since he combines super hero heroics with teenage real-life problems (and a healthy dose of humor combined with action). As for super villains, well, after the Green Goblin, I'm writing another classic Spidey villain – but I guess you'll just have to keep watching to find out who that is.
Question:
Is there another genre that you would like to explore?
Kevin Hopps:
I never know what next is in store. I've done a lot of comedy and even a fair amount of pre-school programs. They all flex different writing
muscles. And I love combining the comedy and action when I can. Even while writing one of the Hellboy animated movies, I was able to add a little comedy to the more adult-themed action. Oh, and one more thing:
Hi Mom!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Trailer Thursday 5/8
Filed under: Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Clone Trooper, Yoda
This Thursday we'll get a chance to catch a preview for the CG-movie due in August.
First Theatrical Trailer for Animated STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS to Premiere Exclusively Across Multiple Turner Networks Thursday, May 8
Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, CNN, and Boomerang All to Showcase Newest Star Wars Adventure at 7:58 p.m.
[ The Trailer & Poster for Star Wars: The Clone Wars ] Star Wars fans will get an unprecedented look at the newest intergalactic adventure on Thursday, May 8, when the world-premiere trailer for the upcoming CG-animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars debuts across five Turner networks simultaneously.
At 7:58 p.m. in all U.S. time zones, Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, CNN, and Boomerang will debut an action-packed, two-minute preview of the animated adventure from creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation. It marks the first time a theatrical trailer has received a simultaneous, cross-network airing on Turner Networks. The trailer debuts in theaters on Friday, May 9, along with the first poster for the movie. The poster is available for pre-order exclusively at StarWarsShop.
On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains -- led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous -- are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The theatrical release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars tells an all-new story that leads directly in to this fall's premiere of a weekly, animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT.
Halloween Comes Early For Spectacular Spidey
Filed under: Spider-Man, John Jameson
This will definitely be a treat. The only problem I have with each new episode is that just means we're getting one more episode closer to the end. Let's just hope that they are currently pumping out or at least working on more episodes at the Spidey factory. I hope we won't have to wait until the fall but most likely we will. I don't really see network television producing new material over the summer.
For "The Spectacular Spider-Man," Halloween arrives early this year – in the all-new Saturday, May 10 episode – but it still comes with all
the traditional goodies, including a goblin, lots of spiders, a very large tombstone and even a black cat.
"The Uncertainty Principle," this Saturday's premiering episode at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT on Kids' WB!/The CW, presents a number of perplexing
situations for Peter Parker and Spider-Man as they both try to find clarity amid the masks, mysteries and menace of Halloween. While
Colonel John Jameson struggles to land his damaged space shuttle, Spider-Man continues his ongoing battle with Green Goblin, who also threatens Hammerhead and Tombstone. Still, Peter's greatest challenge will be facing the awful truth when he finally learns the Goblin's "true" identity.
"The Uncertainty Principle" is written by Kevin Hopps and directed by David Bullock. The episode will follow a repeat airing at 9:30 a.m.
ET/PT of the episode "Catalysts," which features villains Green Goblin and Tombstone.
John Jameson's returning from space? Wanna bet he'll be bringing the symbiote back with him (like on that other animated series)? You can see Spidey in black in the opening credits. And they did make a Venom action figure for the toy line.
So who will be the Green Goblin? Are they going to go with Norman or try to throw us and make it Harry? He's been drinking that green goo but I just don't see him being Green Goblin. Can't see a reason he'd be involved in going against the Big Man and all.
What's that? A black cat? Hmmmm....
