ComicVine News

Take a look at Andy Kubert's awesome images from the upcoming series!

 



 It's no question that DC has been getting us all ready for the return of Bruce Wayne. They definitely know what they are doing, and it's obvious! DC has been gradually releasing Andy Kubert's awesome teaser images to promote the upcoming Return of Bruce Wayne series which will be penned by Grant Morrison.  I know you are all looking forward to it-- at least you should be! It was only a matter of time until his return, and so far it looks like it will be pretty exciting. We already k new that Bruce Wayne would be time traveling in the upcoming series, but now we have a clearer idea of the various settings we can expect to see him in.

We got our first look back in December of Bruce in a giant bat suit as well as some awesome concept art. Now we get to check out images of Bruce as a pirate, and possibly even a cowboy! Based on the images that were released by The Source, what do you guys think? Do you think they look pretty cool? Do you like the idea that Bruce will be traveling through time?  Which image is your favorite? 
 

Well... I'm not that flexible. Good news Spider-Lady-Fans! According to Bleeding Cool, The off-and-on love affair with Marvel and Spider-Girl is back on! What do I mean by that? Well, she has a book again! Hurrah M2 Universe fans! 
 

Spider-Girl, is returning in her own monthly title again. Expect an official announcement any day now.

So, watch for the official announcement for the new series! Hopefully, this won't get prematurely canceled like the other two volumes. In other mildly related news, there may be another Spider-Man book coming out!

 it looks like that might not be the only Spider book back. Steve Wacker has hinted a Kurt Busiek/Steve Oliffe title in the offing. Busiek/Oliffe are best known for the Untold Tales Of Spider-Man series set around the early apparances of Spider-Man, and sold at a price busting 99 cents.

Maybe Untold Tales will make a come back?  Maybe something else just as awesome?
 
How does Spider-Girl  relaunch make you feel? Tingly? How about more Spider-Man action? Also tingly? Is your arm asleep?
 

 
    ~ Mat Elfring (InferiorEgo) is a comedian, teacher, comic store employee, comic book writer, and J2, son of Juggernaut. ~    

Steve Rogers.  Bucky Barnes.  Sam Worthington.  Matt Damon.  There’s more than a little speculation as to who will wield Captain America’s shield, both on the page and on the screen. There’s been considerably less speculation, however, on who won’t wield it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHO WON'T WIELD THE SHIELD
Writers: Matt Fraction; Brian Miguel Bendis, Jason Aaron, Stuart Moore
Art: Brendan McCarthy and others
Cover: Gerald Parel
$3.99 (coming out April 7, 2010)

Looks like a WHAT THE…?-style self-spoof in the merry Marvel marching tradition (unless you seriously expect Irvin Forbush or Wade Wilson to be throwing the star-spangled discus).  Sounds like it's going to be a fun jam one-shot with a good collection artists. Smells like... smells like...
 
Smells a bit like that old MAD Magazine board game I used to play at summer camp. Funny what a preview image will make pop in your head, but that's the first thing I thought of when I saw this. Mainly because the opposite-day approach to speculation (You wanna know who'll wield the shield? Yeah, how about how won't wield it, huh?) reminds me of how the object of that game was to lose money. Anybody else ever play it?
 
So let's pour out the gossipy grain and get the rumor mill turning, Comic Vine community. We know it isn't Deadpool.  We know it isn't Forbush.  Who else won't get the shield?

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com. 

 
Comics books are the jam. Can you dig it? Caaaannn youuuuu diiig it! (Sorry, I watched the Warriors for the umpteenth time this weekend) They are in fact so much of the jam that the New York Times devoted best seller lists to them, which your hardworking comicvine reporters found at the Mania site. These are separated into three categories: Hardcover, Softcover, and Manga. Yes, I will be covering Manga......Prepare.
 

Hardcover:

1.  THE BOOK OF GENESIS: ILLUSTRATED, by R. Crumb. (W.W. Norton & Co., $24.95.) 
I had to look this one up to realize I've at least flipped through it before. I've seen quite a bit of Crumb's work previously: American Splendor... and Fritz the Cat... Yes, I admitted it. This is one of those books that deserves a hardbound book Robert Crumb's work is timeless, classic, and I, from what I've heard, this telling of the Book of Genesis (not the band, the bible) is pretty awesome. Again, I never read it, only flipped through it.
Should you buy it: Yes.... even though I probably won't... I'm poor, give me a break.

2. THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. (Marvel Entertainment, $24.95.) 
I've read the original book. I saw the made-for-tv movie... and own it. I read the first few issues of this book. Why did I drop it? Well, I didn't feel like rereading the story, but don't let that get you down! The artwork is very strong and fits Stephan King's original story perfectly. Again, this is another book that deserves to be in hardcover.
Should you buy it: Maybe? If you like to double dip, go ahead. Let's be honest, I can't force you to do anything.
 
3. BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL, by Tony Daniel. (DC Comics, $19.99.)  
Really? That many people bought this? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it's that high-selling? If you really want to read it, do one of two things: Buy it in softcover or just buy all three of the single issues, they're not hard to find. Pass this one up.
Should you buy it: No.
 
4. THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. (Marvel Entertainment, $24.99.)  

Twice? Man, people love this. Well because I've already said my piece. So... Let's look at a comparison between the Man in Black on the TV mini-series and in the comic. Mullet and Canadian Tuxedo vs Mysterious Devious Stranger. One looks like he's going to a wedding in Kempville and the other wants your soul. Yep.
Should you buy this: Do so or the Ottawa Senators will forever lose. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
5. WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN, by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. (Marvel Entertainment, $34.99.) 
$35? Wow! I own this wonderous hardcover book and it's the first time I double-dipped on something. (I own the single issues and the trade, hence double-dipped) This looks really good in your bookshelf. People will think you're classy. Also, this and Origin (mini-series) are the two best Wolverine stories, hands down. Why not own greatness?
Should you buy this: Break open the piggy bank.
 
 

Softcover:

1.  THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 11, by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. (Image Comics, $14.99.) 
By the time things get to Softcover, you should know about them, except for Walking Dead, which always comes out first in softcover. This is one of two books I currently only read in trade. (The other being Chew) This book moves quickly and is incredibly engaging. There is no reason you shouldn't be reading this book. It is brilliant. If you complain you don't like it because it is in black and white... we are no longer friends.
Should you buy this: I think I was clear enough, don't you?
 
 2.  WATCHMEN, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. (DC Comics, $19.99.) 
Not only is this an amazing comic, Watchmen is an amazing book when held to the supposed higher standards of fictional writing. This is a MUST OWN for any comic book fan. If you don't own it, buy it now.
Should you buy this: ......yes
 
3.  MAUS: A SURVIVOR’S TALE, VOL. 1, by Art Spiegelman. (Pantheon, $14.95.) 
Start dropping your jaws now because I don't own this nor have I ever read it. It's on my list though, I promise. This is another one of those books, next to Watchmen that I've been told is required reading. I've never heard anything negative about this book.
Should you buy this: Yes... and that includes me too I guess.
 
4. WALKING DEAD, VOL. 1, by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. (Image Comics, $14.99.) 
I love this series... So much so that I have a retailer exclusive copy, hardcover, of the first volume. I couldn't find a picture of it online, so I took a clipping from a video I did for CV way before my staff days... Again, I have nothing but positive things to say about this book. Yes, it's a zombie book, but it's more about human survival, and how we function as a group unit in times of crisis. Maybe I'm just reading into it too much. Forget what I just wrote. Zombies chase humans, humans kill zombies, this book is awesome. Again, if you complain it's in black and white, we are no longer friends.
Should you buy this: Yes. Please.... But buy the regular version, the exclusive was $50 when it came out, which was a few years ago.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.  THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS, by Max Brooks. (Three Rivers Press, $17.00.) 
I love Max Brooks. I love his two previous books. They are wonderful reads. This, however, isn't worth the price of admission. You'll finish this $17 book in about 10 minutes, with nothing to talk to your friends about. There's nothing that excites you like World War Z or the Survival Handbook did originally. It felt like a lack-luster issue of Walking Dead. 
Should you buy this: Pass it up, read Walking Dead.
 

Manga:

I read Berserk once because I really liked the anime, but I don't read Manga nor watch anime anymore, so I really can't recommend or not recommend these books. Therefor, I am going to guess what these books are about based on the titles.
 
1. BLACK BUTLER, VOL. 1, by Yana Toboso. (Yen Press, $10.99.)
 Black Alfred or Black Jeeves? Or maybe it's a butler with a dark soul? Or he's a black piece on the chess board, lower in rank than a pawn, but it was removed from the game because the butler piece can only move between the king and queen because the kind and queen are no longer on speaking terms? DIVORCE!
 
2.  TSUBASA: RESERVOIR CHRONICLE, VOL. 25, by Clamp. (Del Rey, $10.99.) 
Volume 25? Clamp? From Futurama? What's a Tsubasa? Dinner? Mexican food? My brain hurts from these questions. How do you chronicle a reservoir? Luckily, I hope, that volume 25 covers all of this.... 
 
3. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, VOL. 22, by Hiromu Arakawa. (VIZ Media, $9.99.)
 I think I know what this one is about. There's a kid in a red coat, and there's a giant robot thing, and the kid, being an alchemist, turns things into gold? They've probably completely changed what alchemy means though. It probably means magic or something. I'm sure a few of you will be angry about my ignorance to this book.
 
4. THE YU-GI-OH! GX 4, VOL. 4, by Naoyuki Kageyama and Kazuki Takahashi. (VIZ Media, $9.99.)
 Isn't that a card game? Like a weak version of pokemon? I prefer Battle Beasts, but hey, I'm old school. I assume since "GX 4" was added to the title, it "Got Xtreme mutliplied by 4." That sounds pretty rad. Maybe I should give this manga stuff another shot?  I like extreme.
 
5. SHUGO CHARA!, VOL. 8, by Peach-Pit. (Del Rey, $10.99.) 
An exclamation point in the title? WHAAAAAAAAAAT? This has to be exciting. Why else would punctuation in the main title? EXCITEMENT! I have no idea what these words mean. What's a Shugo? Let alone a Chara? (Chara!?) The person who did this volume's name is "Peach-Pit?" That sounds delicious.
 
Manga confuses me. Where's Gia to slap some sense into me? 
 

   ~ Mat Elfring (InferiorEgo) is a comedian, teacher, comic store employee, comic book writer, and ignorant to Manga. ~   

Bring on the doom and gloom.  You know we can't have an X-Men event without the hardship and struggle.  X-Men: Second Coming #1 is on sale March 31.  We know there's going to be a struggle over leadership.  We know there's going to be a death.  We also know that "one will rise."  Marvel has released another teaser promo: 

Start placing your bets.  Who do you think is most likely to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of mutantkind?  Smart money would be on Cable.  He's devoted his whole life to fighting the good fight.  But is he too obvious?  Wolverine?  Nah.  X-23?  She has a one-shot coming in a couple months.  It's a little suspicious that Angel is in the background but I can't see him being wiped out.  He still has some stories left in him.  I don't see Domino saying "buh bye" either.  From this picture, that leaves one person... 
 
What do you think?  Maybe it will be someone not even shown here.

Forget the Saints. Forget the Colts. Forget the Who’s halftime show. Forget even the expensive (and memorable?) commercials.   What the Super-Bowl is really all about… is the teasers.

Now, there were trailers for ROBIN HOOD and ALICE IN WONDERLAND and SHUTTER ISLAND, but I’d wager that these are the two most relevant to you, the Comic Vine Community.

First is THE PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME…

You can watch it in Quicktime or Windows Media

This thing's got a comics connection with that PRINCE OF PERSIA OGN that came out a year or two ago. I’m ambivalent about the movie. I played and thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy of games that Ubisoft made for the XBOX (and the surrounding generation of consoles) with their inventive free-running puzzles and progressively-better acrobatic combat.  They actually had rich fantasy stories, to boot.  Particularly the second two, WARRIOR WITHIN and THE TWO THRONES with the prince evading the personification of fate and then being half-consumed by the sands of time.  The problem is, it looks like this flick’s based on SANDS OF TIME, which was pretty plain in itself and the least interesting of the three. 

 And, now,  THE LAST AIRBENDER…    

 

Wow… maybe it's just the bass, but this thing just moved up by more than a few notches on my anticipation list for the summer!
 
That kid (I believe the character's name is Aang) is a kung-fu wrecking ball!  I haven’t been this pumped about adolescent martial arts since 3 NINJAS made me believe any kid could defeat any adult with a roundhouse kick to the groin. I never watched the AVATAR cartoon or read the Tokyopop Manga tie-ins, but this has got me seriously interested. I almost want to shave off my mane and paint an arrow on my forehead.    
 
Can any of you out there on the Comic Vine community vouch the cartoon's quality for me?

Recently we've seen a bunch of promos from Marvel with characters telling us that they're going to be Avengers.  We've seen Bucky, Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Thor confirmed as Avengers in the upcoming May relaunch by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.  Today Marvel takes a slightly different direction. 

Say it with me, "Whaaaaaat?!?"  Yes, we will have more than just one Avengers title (along with Avengers Academy).  This opens up a new can of worms.  What is this "Secret Avengers" team all about?  Last time we saw a team sort of go by this name, it was Cap's team during Civil War.  That team pretty much evolved into the New Avengers.  If the Heroic Age is coming and the good guys are back in the spotlight, why would there be a need for a team of "Secret" Avengers?   
 
Maybe this will be more of a black ops team like the Ultimate Avengers.  I doubt it'd be any remaining Dark Avengers trying to do either good or bad without the public knowing it.  Maybe this team will have to hunt down any remaining characters that are still loyal to Norman Osborn.   
 
Actually the big question should be, who the heck is this shadowy person?  We know Marvel likes to play the shadow game, as seen in the recent Ultimate X teasers.  The pose looks a little like something Spider-Man would do but the arm in the back looks a little too thick.  Also the back looks a little weird in the shadow.  Is that a cape maybe?  Who do you think it could be?  Secret Avengers will be out in May and brought to us courtesy of Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato.  

Spoilers… they ain’t just stylish decals for your car.  

Read no further if you don’t want Bill Murray-centric, plot-and gag-ruining spoilers for both ZOMBIELAND and GHOSTBUSTERS 3.

OK? Was that enough space for you? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

So I suppose Bill Murray’s going to have to play a vampire or werewolf sometime before 2015.   He already was a “zombie” in ZOMBIELAND and now, accordingly, he’ll be a ghost in GHOSTBUSTERS 3 (bolstering what Sigourney Weaver has said).   In fact, he’s adamant about the later, as he recently shared with the Daily Mail in the UK…

It sounds like an awesome gimmick for the third outing -- a lot more interesting than the old GB’s training a new generation of GB’s (yeah yeah, say it’s for the kids all you want.   I wasn’t feeling it on EXTREME GHOSTBUSTERS, even when I was a kid).  In fact, in terms of sequel twists, it’s almost up there with Arnold coming back as a good Terminator for me.

I’m tickled by the prospect of what ol’ Dr. Venkman'll look like as a ghost.   It’s probably not just going to be the garden variety “translucent you” people are thinking of, but GHOSTBUSTERS' brand of appealingly-twisted, colorfully-grotesque ghosts like Slimer.   And I do appreciate the irony of it, since Akyroid and Ramis intended the happy-go-lucky Slimer to be the ghost of party-animal John Belushi, making this something of another tradition for SNL alums.

G-Man and I were debating how relevant this bit of news was to the Comic Vine community and I figured it was natural.  Forgoing 88MPH's LEGION book from a couple years back and the new IDW comics, I challenge anybody to go to a comics convention these days and say GHOSTBUSTERS isn't relevant to comics audiences after you count how many jumpsuited-dudes with proton packs are walking around.

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com. 

Double-ship, but single-dip? 

Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart are putting BATMAN AND ROBIN out twice this month, continuing the "BLACKEST KNIGHT" storyline wherein Bruce Wayne has seemingly returned after some time in the Lazarus Pit.
 
Behold...

 

Here’s the breakdown from DC’s Alex Segura…

Observations, observations…

Morrison and Stewart continue to have a great creative synergy.   Liked how they worked together on SEAGUY… really liked how they worked together on MANHATTAN GUARDIAN.  Who else can pull off something so gleefully-ludicrous as the Caped Crusader fighting against evil chimney sweeps with narcotic soot?

And you know, with the nearing prospect of Bruce taking the Batman mantle back from Dick after years of the Boy Wonder waiting for it, am I the only seeing some parallels to the whole Conan/Tonight Show Indian giving fiasco from last month. Anyone? Anyone?

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com. 

Some people doubt how there “could” be a sequel to THE DARK KNIGHT.   It’s a hard act to follow, no doubt… but let’s put it this way. The thing’s the second-highest grossing movie of all time (or was, until AVATAR pumped it back down to #3).   Even if the WB doesn’t get Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, or anybody else back, make no mistake, there is going to be another Batman movie.

Now, it’s just a question of the steps to that end.   Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer are on board - - for now, at least.   While making a statement about departing from his creation, the ABC show FLASHFORWARD, Goyer confirmed that he and Nolan currently are working on a script for a third movie.   In a statement issued to Deadline Hollywood, he said…

As my feature projects have started ramping up again, I felt I was being pulled in too many directions.   I'm proud of [FLASHFORWARD] and excited about the relaunch. It's in great hands.

So maybe this isn’t the biggest news, and probably not the super-secret announcement DC Entertainment’s teased about, but it shows that the tracks are, indeed, being laid down for this bullet train.

I’ll put my fantasy producer’s hat on now…

After such a singularly-memorable performance from Heath Ledger, I think the only rabbit left to pull out of the hat is something that no other super-hero movie’s done.   And that’s blow out the entire rest of the rogue’s gallery in one go.  It’s the logical conclusion of the whole “escalation” theme so far running throughout the movies. 

The mob begets Batman.   Batman begets the Joker.   The Joker begets a city full of super-criminals, et cetera.

“But you can’t have more than one villain per sequel!” you exclaim.

  The trick would be to use only lesser-known villains - - Firefly, the Ventriloquist, Killer Kroc, the KGBeast, the Mad Hatter.    Keep them down to earth and don’t get into their origins (you don’t need to know where Deadshot grew up to get what his deal is).   Have Gotham consumed by their gang’s turf war (cribbing a bit from NO MAN’S LAND), have just one main villain you get into detail with and BLAM! You got a card trick worthy as a follow-up.

Alright, producer’s hat off now…   why don't you all take turns putting it on, now?

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics.   Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.