July '07 Previews Pop Culture Crossover

It's still July (so I'm ahead of schedule?) and here are some TPBs, one-shots, and #1's listed in July's Previews for September.

TV

• Serenity: Those Left Behind (HC collected mini, Dark Horse)
  Joss Whedon's bridge between Firefly (the show) and Serenity (the movie). This one's supposed to be a "fan favorite". I'll have to read it after I finish watching the entire season of Firefly on DVD. (Note: Target still has it for about $20.)

Movies

• Borderland (One-shot, Viper Comics)
  Based on a film which is, in turn, based on the true story of a US and Mexican police officer investigating a cult just south of the border, hunting for human sacrifices.
  
  
• Buckaroo Banzai vol 1: Return of the Screw (TPB, Moonstone)
  Continuing the adventures from the 80s cult film; includes a ton of extras.
  
  
• Friday the 13th Summer Vacation #1 (mini, Wildstorm)
  Is it a prequel? A sequel? Who knows. Dare I say, who cares?
  
  
• Ghostbusters: Legion (TPB, Eighty Eight MPH Studioes)
  This should hold you off until the next sequel comes out - it collects the 4-part mini, along with a San Diego comic-con exclusive.
  
  
• New Line Cinema's Tales of Horror #1 (new series or mini, Wildstorm)
  Will it never end? Oh, wait; these are sequels to both Nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There's more than one way to milk a cat (or a comic book horror fan).

Books/Stories

• Artemis Fowl vol 1 (Graphic Novel, Hyperion Books)
  Are these any good? I've seen the books in stores, but haven't looked at them.
  


• Dark Hunger (Graphic Novel, Berkley Books)
  Based on the Dark Series of vampire novels by Christine Feehan.
  


• The Escapists (HC collected, Dark Horse)
  Based on the no-longer-fictional comic in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
  


• Gods of Asgard (Graphic Novel, Studio E3)
  Comic adaptation of Norse myths.
  


• King Lear (Graphic Novel, thecomic.com)
  That's the one; based Shakespeare's play.
  


• Looking Glass Wars Hatter M (HC collected mini, Desperado)
  Based on a series of novels (The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy). The web site makes me want to buy the comic.
  


• Pizzeria Kamikaze (TPB, Alternative Comics)
  This comic is based on a short story, but a film based on it (or based on the story; or maybe both) is making the festival rounds as Wristcutters: A Love Story.
  


• Ray Harryhausen Presents Sinbad Rogue of Mars (5-part mini, Bluewater Production)
  Though more properly adapted from a series of stories, than books.

Other

• Ring of the Nibelung (Graphic Novel, ExPress Publishing)
  Adaptation of Wagner's opera.

Picking any of these up? See anything I missed? Take exception to my disparaging comments about endless additions to one-trick horror films?

Mattel's DC Superfriends

Britt over at Kung Fu Rodeo noted that the new DC Superfriends line of action figures were available at his local Target. Due to an odd coincidence, Krista had just bought me a new toy...er...phone for my birthday, and offered to drive so I could play...er...investigate the new features (yeah - that's the ticket). I just so happened to be reading that post just as we were driving by the Florence, Alabama Target.

So I made her take a detour, and we went inside to hunt for treasure.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find the DC Batman for me my son, but I discovered something else, and was able to pick him up these new wooden Spider-Man and Hulk figures designed to be played with the Learning Curve Play Town toys. They've also got a Wolverine/Captain America set.

I'll still be looking for that DC Superfriends Batman, but I'd say it was a successful stop.

I've got all the answers.

Well, the world's most over-rated comics creator has given his advice to all the screenwriters and directors out there on how to make a good comic book movie.

Stan Lee's 10 Rules on How to Make a Good Comics Movie is only one part of movies.com's POW! A Complete Guide to Comics & the Movies (presented, of course, by Who Wants to Be a Superhero). Most of them actually kind of make sense, but after such celebrated hits as Stripperella and Lightspeed, I'm sure everyone's knocking down Lee's door to find out his secrets on adapting comics and superheroes into other media. C'mon Stan - maybe you should follow some of your own advice. 'Nuff said.

While you're there, take the quiz. I got a crappy 10/12 right. Maybe I should relinquish my blog...

Unclaimed Dawn Bust

Happened across this (Joseph Michael Linsner's) Dawn Bust Statue (no pun intended) at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama today. It had a $100 price tag on it, and I tried to get on eBay with Krista's phone to see what it was going for - but I couldn't connect for some reason. I wouldn't have been able to tell, anyway. Currently they're going for nearly $200 in the eBay stores (and it appears that's what they're going for on the web), but I don't know what people are actually spending on them. There's currently one going for $60, but it's got a week left. This must be a fairly rare item; there aren't any recently completed auctions I could find.

Well, if you're interested in one for rock-bottom prices, head on over to Scottsboro!

(Note: I didn't actually see this one...I didn't have the presence of mind to snag a pic with my phone, and I grabbed this pic from one of the current eBay auctions...)

Fantastic Four mini review (2005)

based on a comic
[7/10]

While studying a cosmic storm, Victor Von Doom, Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd - Mr. Miracle on an episode of Justice League), Sue Storm (Jessica Alba - Sin City), Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm (Chris Evans - TMNT) are all exposed to cosmic radiation. In traditional comic book fashion, the radiation gives them super powers. The origin story is done well - and that's not easy in comic book movies - it's not shoe-horned in like we see so often. Reactions to these new abilities run the gamut - friendships are strengthened, others fall apart; people realize that with great power comes great responsibility, want to use their powers for personal gain, or are driven mad. And, we see how Dr. Doom becomes the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four. But director Tim Story does a decent job of pulling it all together. While he doesn't have any background working on comic films, one of the writers (Michael France) had previous experience working on Hulk and The Punisher.

I think this film gets a bad rap. It's not the best piece of cinema ever made, and there are some hokey parts, but as far as comic book movies go, it's an enjoyable film. It's got great action, great special effects, and good pacing - it's not too slow or too fast. The acting's believable, and it's even got a little emotion (or maybe that's just me). You've got to willfully suspend some disbelief, but that's to be expected in a superhero movie.

And the climactic final battle is definitely worth a superhero team movie.



See it if you want some mindless superhero fun.


Don't see it if you expect superhero films to be cinematic masterpieces.

June '07 Previews Pop Culture Crossover

Well, now that June is over, I thought I'd post the June listing of trades, one-shots, and new series that were solicited in Previews.

TV

• Stargate SG-1 2007 Special, "Teal'C" cover (Pulsar Press, One-Shot)
  I'm not sure why they felt the need to add an 8th cover to this one-shot from April, but here it is.
  

Movies

• Aliens vs. Predator: Omnibus Volume 2 (TPB, Dark Horse)
  Dark Horse, continuing their offering of these massive trades - 448 pages, including Deadliest of the Species.
• Army of Darkness: From the Ashes #1 (mini, Dynamite Entertainment)
  Ash once again fights the Deadites.
• Dee Sniders's Strangeland: Seven Sins #1 (4-part mini, Fangoria Comics)
  Are comic book horror movie prequels the cool thing in 2007? Does this movie really need one?
• George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead: Hunger (one-shot, Avatar Press)
  Prequel to the 1968 horror flick, telling the story of one of the undead from the film.
• Splinter of the Mind's Eye (Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 8) (TPB, Dark Horse)
  Fond memories of reading this book when I was kid. I don't think it's canon any more...but, sweet nostalgia!

Books

• Conan and the Midnight God (TPB, Dark Horse)
  Collecting the mini-series.
• Dark Tower Gunslinger's Guidebook (one-shot, Marvel)
  Guide to the world of the Gunslinger; coinciding with the final chapter of the Gunslinger Born series.

Games

• Dark Sector (one-shot, Top Cow)
  Video game prequel (at least it's not a horror movie) to Dark Sector, a creepy-looking new first person shooter due out in 2008.
• Gears of War #0 (series?, Boom! Studios)
  Based on the hit video game.

From the "Enough Already" category...not only is Wildstorm's By Himself #1 another horror film prequel, it's another Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel.

Anything that I skipped that you're looking forward to?