You Can't Stop Crap!

In a recent interview with Stan Lee, when he was asked about current projects, the Disney superhero films came up, as well as some other stuff that's made the round in the news. (I'm sure you've heard about the Disney deal - I didn't realize the films had names: Tigress, Blaze, and Nick Ratchet - they sound like winners.)

What I didn't know about was the animated TV series he had planned with Paris Hilton. Or maybe I heard it and blocked it out.

He made Pamela Anderson into a supehero stripper. I cringe to think what he could do with Miss Hilton.

Premiers and Releases

I guess I haven't been paying much attention to the news wire...a ton of stuff has been happening. Now I've finally caught up and updated some dates and links to the right.

Batman: Gotham Knight is finally available by pre-order from Amazon.com.

The two short-lived series - WB's Birds of Prey (which I enjoyed) and TNT's Witchblade (which I never actually caught) - are both coming to DVD.

(Huh - apparently, July is a big month for comic adaptations - all three of these DVDs are out that month.)

Punisher: War Zone has been pushed back a few months.

And finally, everyone seems to be all excited about XIII coming to NBC. I realize NBC officially announced it on their winter line-up, but still - I think I heard about this a while back.

Swamp Thing Season 1

Cool - if you want to take a look at the Swamp Thing series, you don't have to buy the whole DVD. You can purchase the episodes one at a time from Amazon. Trailer below.

Missed Another Premier

Well, one of the main reasons I started this blog was so that *I* had a place to keep track of upcoming movies, DVDs, and TV shows. So what do I do? Completely miss the premier of the Witchblade anime series on IFC Friday night. There was an encore an hour later, but that didn't help me since I didn't realize it until I read it on Pop Candy the next day. I've never really been into anime (*gasp* - a comic fan who's not into anime?!?), but I would at least like to have seen the first episode.

Of course, the good folks at IFC assume that if you miss the first one, you won't want to see it before the second one airs, so there's not another encore, and the second episode airs next Friday night at 11:30 (that's Central, I think). And they don't even stream the first episode so you can catch up.

*sigh* Afro Samurai, all over again. Let me know if this was any good.

Spectacular Spider-Man in March

Spectacular Spider-Man finally has a release date - March 1.

It's not new, but here's the trailer if you haven't seen it.

XIII: The Conspiracy

While looking up some other comic book movie connections in A History of Violence, I stumbled across the fact that a XIII mini-series is in the works. If you're not familiar with it, that's the Belgian comic that the Ubisoft game is based on. Don't know why this is so under the radar (unless it's because it's not a done deal - though that never seems to stop anyone), but after a little hunting, and translating of French web pages, I finally came across some information.

The series is called XIII: The Conspiracy (even if you Google that, there are only 20 hits: second-hand news sources, foreign-language web pages, and the text of a book with a 13th chapter that starts out "The conspiracy..."). The mini is slated to be in production right now, starring Stephen Dorff (as XIII) and Val Kilmer (as Mongoose). The best information came from the British production company Power, which seems to be one of the companies involved in making the XIII mini-series. Here's their October 2007 story. Unfortunately, Google must not crawl their sites - I had to translate a French blog to find this (my French isn't that good - I had to use the Google translator).

The series starts out like the game (and I'm assuming the comic). XIII washes up on the beach with amnesia, only to find out he's being hunted for the assassination of the president. Judging from the cult following, it makes for a great comic book; from personal experience, it makes for an amazing game. If you don't know the story, here's a more complete synopsis of the adaptation from Power's page:

XIII: The Conspiracy opens with the assassination of the first female US President Sally Sheridan who is shot dead by a sniper during her Independence Day speech. Her assassin narrowly escapes the scene with his life, national security hot on his heels – or so it seems.

Three months later, an elderly couple discover the body of a wounded man washed up on a beach. The young man (Stephen Dorff) cannot remember the slightest thing about his own identity. The only clue is a tattoo on his neck, “XIII.” Meanwhile, in the Whitehouse, government intelligence is still conducting the search for the President’s killer. With the elections just weeks away, a confirmed suspect could swing the vote for the administration. Hours after XIII’s location is picked up by covert intelligence, elite special ops forces are swarming the couple’s house in Cape Fear. Running on adrenaline and instinct, XIII tactically takes out the soldiers one by one. Is this who he is – a killer?

On the run, clinging to one desperate clue after another, XIII begins to piece back his life, fragments of his memory returning. Finally captured, he learns that he has been given a stolen identity and placed undercover to flush out a group of conspirators threatening to overthrow the government. Ensconced within the highest echelons of power the conspirators run their own security agency alongside the Government’s. Both are out to find him.

The only way for XIII to get his own life back is to play bait. A dangerous game, especially when you don’t know who you really are.

The official IMDB page lists a number of actors attached to the series (including Greg Bryk from History of Violence), but doesn't include Dorff and Kilmer.

If anyone has any more current info, I'd love to hear about it.

Heroes vs. the Shark

For some reason, I haven't been looking forward to watching Heroes as much as I was last season. If I only have time to watch one thing in the evening before I go to bed, and I check the DVR, the latest episode of Reaper or Chuck is likely to beat out Heroes. Being the superhero junkie that I am, this is a bit disconcerting. Especially since it was probably my favorite show last season.

But this past week's episode seemed like it turned a corner (or was at least in the process). I was happy to see that they're going to start giving some answers - just as I'm wondering if this show is going to end up on our cancellation list, it seems they're going to start giving just enough info to keep you watching.

Plus, Krista came across an interview from creator Tim Kring. She was reading the Pop Candy blog when she saw a link to an Entertainment Weekly article. Apparently, even the shows creator realized (with the help of declining ratings) that the show was a tad slow and Hiro was spending too much time in Feudal Japan.


So now I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season. Are you still watching?


You know, in an interesting side note, I probably actually saw that episode of Fonzie jumping the shark, live the first time it aired. Ah, nostalgia...

Heroes and Watchmen Redux

(Very minor spoilers for Heroes and Watchmen, if you haven't seen the season premier or read the comics.)

I was watching the season opener of Heroes on Monday and couldn't resist the even stronger Watchmen feel I was getting. Think the movie will be this good? While I talked before about the parallels between the two, it's beginning to bleed into the plot lines.

In Watchmen, someone is killing the current generation of superheroes; in Heroes, someone has been taking out the older generation. Not a perfect parallel (and not a perfect summary), but enough to get that feeling of deja vu.

Is this something that's completely in my head - or has someone else noticed it?

And BTW, the current month's Previews shows that DC is offering the on-line web comics collected in a Heroes hardcover graphic novel. I think I'll be picking this up.

"This isn't good. Yeah...definitely not good."

Ironically, while Flash Gordon was laying in his torture chair, saying these words, I was watching the pilot of this new Scif Fi series, thinking the same thing.

I don't know - it just seemed a bit hokey. Bad acting, poor dialogue. Kind of like a poorly made 80s scif fi film. But it definitely doesn't have the heart of the 1980 incarnation. They are trying to put that feel into it. The commercials for the show look much better than the pilot - and feature a remake of the Queen Flash Gordon theme song. (But I do love how they advertised the Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) DVD during the show.)

This isn't the only crappy new comic-book-related Sci Fi Channel premier in the last couple of weeks. Stan is once again showing the world how stupid comic books can be. Who Wants to Be a Superhero? season 2 has started, and it looks like it's going to be the same insipid reality show as last time. The thing is, it has a lot of potential. It just seems like whoever is the creative brains behind the show is just going to be stuck writing Stan's corny "comic book" dialogue.

I still can't believe Hygena (Fighting Grime and Crime!) is the name of a superhero that made it onto the show.

Hmmm...right now I'm watching the second episode of the season and Stan just told one of the superheroes, "No one takes a superhero seriously without his pants on." I think no one who sees this show will ever take comic books seriously...

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...

Who Watches the Heroes?

Warning: Major Heroes and Watchmen spoilers ahead...


Recently finished a marathon of the last few episodes of Heroes. If you're not watching it, you're really missing something.

But did anyone else notice - especially toward the end - the amazing parallels between Heroes and Watchmen?

The first thing that hit me was the planning of a major disaster for the greater good.

It's a different idea, with a different background, and different plot. But the concept is still the same - plan a huge disaster that will bring everyone together. It's for the greater good - the end justifies the means. In Watchmen, the point is for everyone on earth - all races and nations - to be unified against a common threat. In Heroes, it's more about how tragedy can bring a nation together.

The second thing that struck me - mainly because the disaster planted the original thought in my mind - was the whole generational sub-plot. The fact that a group of heroes had all been through this before, and all or most had ties to this generation. Of course, this didn't use flashbacks - but maybe they're saving that for the second season.

And I can't believe I've missed the last 30 installments of the on-line comic. Guess I'll have to go back and read them all. They're supposed to go all summer. I'm curious if the parallels will feel stronger reading through them.

It all just made me want to go back and read Watchmen again.

Did anyone else see those parallels?

Painkiller Jane on Sci Fi

Well, I've just finished watching the third of the first three episodes of Painkiller Jane.

The jury's still out.

It's based on a comic book, and I'll keep watching it (yes; my standards are high), but I'm not completely blown away. It's pretty good - I'm just not sure it's that great. Kristanna Loken is decent as Jane, and the supporting cast is passable, though no one really stands out (except maybe the computer hacker, Riley). The writing is ok, but leaves a bit to be desired. It's a little predictable and the foreshadowing is a bit heavy handed (how much a part will be played by her father, or the girl across the hall?). The show tries to be fancy with it's camera work and direction; and succeeds - for the most part. Take a look at it if you're a comic book fan.

I guess the comparisons with Heroes are inevitable. I've heard it called a Heroes ripoff, but that's blatant crap. If it's a Heroes ripoff, then Heroes is an X-Men ripoff - Heroes has more in common with X-Men then this does with Heroes. I can see the similar premises, but the structure of the show is completely different.

What I'd really like to see is a show based on the Painkiller Jane movie Sci Fi aired in 2005. I realize it's even more distanced from the comic book than this series, but I really liked the premise, and was impressed with the way they handled her abilities. But, I'll watch this one for awhile. We'll see how long it lasts...

Miss Buffy #1? Pick Up the 2nd Printing Tomorrow

If you missed Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 a few weeks ago, I happened to notice on the Diamond shipping list (and confirmed it on the Dark Horse web site) that the second printing ships tomorrow (March 28) .

Batman Unmasked (Will Brooker, 2000)

I recently finished Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon, by Will Brooker. The last thing I expected when I picked it up was an academic treatise on Batman's impact on culture.

Brooker starts and ends his book with discussions of readings and authorship - discussing ownership and fandom, interpretation and critique. Who owns Batman? Who determines who Batman is? As much a dialogue on Batman as it is a discourse on interpretation of art and literature, they bookend an interesting cultural chronology. In between, he takes a tour through Batman, beginning with his roots and his participation (or non-participitation) in World War II and on through the censorship of the 50's, the camp of the 60's, and into Batman in the 90's. On the journey, he touches on many things, including the merchandising crazes of the 40's and the 60's, when Batman was not only the best thing since sliced bread, but you could even get Batman sliced bread.

Batman Unmasked is worth looking into for the different spin he gives on Frederic Wertham. While Brooker suggests that he's not an apologist for Wertham, he definitely casts Wertham in a different light, painting him to be less of a villain than he's normally given credit for in comic book circles. He also takes a different tack with Adam West and the ABC television series, attempting to properly put the show in it's cultural setting, along with describing it's debt to pop art and camp.

I won't attempt to summarize these arguments here; if you want to find out about what Brooker has to say, take a look at his book. If you're interested in culture, history, comics, or Batman, this book should provide some interesting reading. After reading this, I've re-evaluated some thoughts about both Wertham and the 60's television show. I've got to do more reading on Wertham, but Brooker sheds some light in some areas I didn't see before.

Painkiller Jane on Tonight on Sci Fi

I just saw on the Sci Fi Channel that their original movie, Painkiller Jane, is on tonight (7/6 C); probably in anticipation of the series starting in April. Catch it if you missed it. It's great!

Who Wants Some Decent Comic Book Television?

That's right. Stan Lee's not letting it die. I mentioned it before, but now it's official. I guess the Sci Fi Channel thought the first season did well enough to bring back another season of Who Wants To Be a Superhero? And they're taking auditions now.

So if you want to be on one of the stupidest reality shows (and that saying a lot), then take a look at the locations on SciFi.com.

And if you want to hear some hilarious talk about Stan Lee and his contribution to comics, go back and listen to The Acme Comics Dollar Bin's very first podcast. What has Stan Lee really contributed to comics? Has he contributed anything since the 60's? And even back then, does he get all the credit for those characters? What about Kirby and Ditko's contributions? Interesting stuff!

The Best Comic Book News of 2006

It's not anything new, having been all over the various news sites for awhile, but now it's really official.

This month's Previews is soliciting Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1, written by Joss Whedon, on sale March 7. This should be interesting, now that there are literally hundreds of slayers around in the world, "kicking some serious undead butt," as the Previews ad copy reads. I don't have time to watch too many DVDs, so I don't spend a lot of money on them, but Buffy is the only TV series I've ever considered buying the complete set.

I'll be camping out at my comics store for this one.

The Real Justice League on TV

Have you seen the old Justice League of America pilot that never aired? I was able to come across it a while back, and it's corny.

This clip of The Flash, Green Lantern, Fire, Ice, The Atom, and Martian Manhunter pieced together from parts of the show and set to the animated Justice League theme actually makes it look cooler than it actually was.



In contrast, I was going to talk about the previews at the end of the last Smallville, but as luck would have it, that was also uploaded to YouTube, so I've posted it here. A different set of heroes: Superman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Green Arrow (though most of them don't go by those names, yet). This episode should air sometime in January. I'm looking forward to this one.

The (Annotated) Guiding Light

If you have any interest in seeing the Marvel crossover episode of the The Guiding Light, stop reading here as this is spoiler-filled.

I've never sat through a complete episode of a soap opera (unless you count Smallville, which my wife is continually comparing to a soap), and it's likely I never will again (unless, maybe, they pull another stunt like this).

Just to give you an idea of the great writing that plagues these shows, here's an exchange between the doctor and husband shortly after a main character gets electrocuted. She's lying unconscious on a gurney.

Doctor: She's got no breath; she's got no pulse. Nothing.
Concerned Husband: Is she going to be okay?
Doctor: She's doing fine.

Maybe I just watch too much House, but with my limited medical experience, I thought no breath and no pulse meant you were dead. Apparently, in Soap Opera Land, it means you're okay. (Well, I'll give you that Comic Book Land has its share of characters that are dead but end up alive and walking around a few issues later.)

The premise of the episode is that Harley Cooper accidentally gets electrocuted by some Halloween decorations, and develops super hearing, super speed, super strength, electrical "shocking" powers, and the ability to "supercharge machinery". I think she even phased through a ceiling at one point. Soon after she discovers she has the abilities, she is talking to her father who says, "People are in the dark, searching for a light to guide them." Suddenly, she is the superhero, Guiding Light.

The episode actually does a decent job of trying to blend a comic book feel with the show. Rather than the normal intro to the show (I taped the next day's show just to check), the opening credits show all the characters drawn comic-book style. There's even updated superhero music for the intro. Rather than the expected fade-to-a-commercial-focused-on-someone's-intense-face, the scene fades to a comic book panel before each commercial, and after each commercial, the show starts back with comic panels introducing the scene. Comic panels are even interspersed with live action to tell the story.

But that's about all it does well. The requisite bad superhero puns abound: "You look like you could use some enlightenment;" or "Don't look so shocked." The acting is just sad. The stunts and special effects are silly. And what's with those eyes? Even the comic book references are forced. Even before she gets super powers, there are a number of references:

• "...battle the forces of evil."
• "This costume won't be ready for fighting crime."
• Husband: You can't save the world. Harley: I can try.
• "Super powers. Ha."
• While chasing off some Halloween pranksters: "You evil-doers!"

But that's just the beginning. There are a number of Marvel-specific references. Superheroes don't actually interact with these characters for the show - that was saved for the backstory contained in the Marvel comics - but there are a ton of references made.

• Title of the episode: She's a Marvel
• One of the (two) kids is wearing a Captain America costume.
• "Do you think Iron Man and Captain America need reading glasses?"
• In the background of one scene, the marquis on a building reads "Marvel Comics Convention".
• When asked if he thinks this superhero thing is for real, a detective responds: "Yeah, why don't I just call Spider-Man. He's on my speed dial. Right above the Incredible Hulk and the Easter Bunny."
• After getting bored with the whole crime-fighting gig (after a day), the main character says to the bartender (who happens to be reading an X-Men comic), "I wonder if the Fantastic Four ever gets tired of putting away the bad guys."

It was an interesting idea, but I don't think I'll be adding the show to my DVR line-up.

For more info, Comic Book Resources has a good article: Behind the Scenes of the Marvel/"Guiding Light" Crossover, and CBS even has a couple short behind-the-scenes videos (Marvel Meets Guiding Light and Marvel Special Effects and Stunts).

Season 8 of Buffy is on!

Well, not on television, but at least in the comics.

It's been rumoured; it's been talked about; but Joss Whedon has recently confirmed with Entertainment Weekly that there will be a Season 8. I'm assuming that's with Dark Horse, who's published Buffy in the past.

I was thinking that Season 8 would have to tie in to the last season of Angel (since some of the characters appeared in the show), but IDW Publishing has the rights to Angel and Spike, and are publishing their comics, so Whedon says that the interaction will be kept to a minimum.

Check out the link to Entertainment Weekly, above, for a few preview panels.

Thanks to Comic Book Resources