Editors Note

Just a heads up readers, this will be my last blog post for at least a week, due to the fact that Sunday, very early in fact, I leave for my Senior Class trip with my other fellow graduates. But I will be back sometime next week, and I will of course continue to bring you all the news on all things comic books and science fiction as it comes along.

The Avengers: Another Major Villain Rumor

Alright, so I do apologize for missing yesterdays post, but it was the last day of school and all that. That's right folks, in exactly one week from Sunday, I and my friends will be graduated! But enough about that, on with the news!

According to the latest rumors, one of the items featured in Odin's vault will play a key role in The Avengers or in one of the many sequels that may spin off from the film. As we all know, during the post-credits scene we see Loki, alive and very villainous. This and the press releases from Marvel, which state that Loki will be back as a villain for the movie. Now for the juicy bit.

You all remember that big Easter Egg posting I did a while back? Well remember how there was Thano's Infinity Gauntlet in Odin's Vault, in addition to other Marvel Universe power goodies? Well all those signs indicate that Thano's will play a role in the Avengers film, or as I said, in one of the sequels. What are your thoughts on this ladies and gentlemen? I'd love to hear them.

Update for the "Three Stooges" movie

At long last, the Farrelly Brothers film of the classic comedy trio The Three Stooges has begun production. The cast consists of Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe Howard, Sean Hayes as Larry Fine and Will Sasso as Curly Howard. But these guys have some very big shoes to fill. Besides nailing down the comedy team's legendary style of slapstick humor and comedic timing, and well as nailing the look of the Stooges (Moe's bowl cut and Larry's curly afro). So the question is, are these guys getting it right? You be the judge of that.

While the cast was filming a car crash scene in Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, a fan snapped a few pictures of the cast and crew between takes. 

Now of course the images are not studio approved, so it is difficult to see whether or not the actors fit their real-life counterparts. Still, from the looks of things, the the closeups show that the Brothers and crew are certainly doing a good job. I'm impressed that Chris Diamantopoulos looks so much like Moe, considering that in real life Moe was not a handsome guy.

The film was languishing in "development hell" before it finally got off the ground, so I am of course both skeptical and delighted at this turn of events. Will three loosely related 30-minute segments (structured like old Stooge episodes) be able to play out well as a feature film?

The Farrelly Brothers haven't made a good comedy since Dumb and Dumber. Could The Three Stooges be a return to form for the guys? Its impossible to say for now until there is a trailer, but that doesn't mean the debate can't start now. What do you guys think? How do you think the actors look in their roles?

Wonder Woman TV Shows Future: Yes or No?

Last week was a real letdown for Warner Bros. Television, with so many pilot pickups and cancellations being largely a windfall. The most notable among these was the cancellation of the potential upcoming Wonder Woman tv series, that would have starred Adrianna Palicki in the lead role as Diana, re-imagined here as a vigilante crime fighter and in her alter ego, a corporate CEO, while trying to balance all the elements of her extraordinary life. NBC was the final major network to turn down the project, despite having a pilot episode prepped. And while this modern take of Wonder Woman was a major turnoff for fans, the other big letdown was the choice of costume for Palicki, who, as seen in here in the now widely known photo, would have worn the new look costume, which of course had Diana trading in her star spangled shorts for pants. Then there was the second costume, which as we can see here, was starting to take more cues from the comics, and finally, in photo taken by a fan who visited the set, we see that Palicki is sporting the classic Wonder Woman costume.

Warner Bros. CEO Peter Roth spoke on the show today. He is quoted as saying "I think Wonder Woman was a very well-crafted pilot. But after seeing the announcement of the NBC schedule, I now understand and agree with Bob [Greenblatt, NBC executive] that it doesn’t necessarily fit particularly well with their schedule. As well-crafted and contemporized as it was, it was a big and radical shift for viewers to embrace this new idea — and that may, to some degree, have had to do with why it didn’t make it. To be determined. I’m just not sure yet; we haven’t given it a lot of thought."

So dear readers, who knows what this means for the series. It could eventually see the light of day, but for now, it is not meant to be. What are your thoughts on the would-be series? I'd love to hear them.

Multiple Movie Updates

Ok, so this weekend there has been a flurry of activity with all of the new superhero movies coming out. To start off, lets take a look at some of the new updates for the upcoming third installment in Chris Nolans Batamn series.

Big news fans, as the first ever image of actor Tom Hardy as Bat villain Bane was leaked onto the Internet! The image here shows that not only has Hardy bulked up for the role (big plus for all Bat fans) but he is wearing a new, stylized version of Bane's mask. Now in the comics, Bane's mask is unique in that it also serves the purpose to pump the Venom (picture a man on super steroids and psychotic) into his body via his brain. Now this mask, if one were to zoom in, is reminiscent of the Shredder's mask from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies from the early 90's. Which begs the question as to what is the function of those little tooth like things on the front? There was a lot of talk as to wether Nolan would include Venom in his grim and gritty version of Bane, and the mask certainly lends creedence to that theory. Many have speculated that those are inhalers of some sort, in which case the Venom would used as a chemical air accelerate, rather than a liquid pumped directly into the body. This is also ties into the possibility that Bane would be allied with the League of Shadows. The League is known for using psychotropic materials in their rituals and practices, as seen in Batman Begins with the blue poppies, from which the hallucinatory vapor used by Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) is derived.  Whatever it means, this certainly follows Nolan's function of taking Batman characters and making them grittier and more realistic. In other Batman news, there are abounding rumors that the first teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises will be shown with the release of the second half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is opening on July 15 of this year.

And finally, to cap things off for the day, early reviews of the upcoming film X-Men: First Class, have been giving good signs that this may be THE summer blockbuster, despite lousy campagin posters and poor reception thus far. Also, Stan Lee will NOT be appearing in cameo in this film, but has dropped that the cameo he has in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot film is "the funniest one yet". These all point to signs that despite the flow of very lousy super-hero films coming out of Hollywood, there is also a lot of great stuff as well. Nuff' said.

New Movie Trailer: Mr. Popper's Penguins

Today the first, full length trailer was released for Jim Carry's upcoming movie, a film adaptation of the classic children's book Mr. Popper's Penguins. The book, published in 1938 and written by Richard and Florence Atwater, tells the tale of house painter Mr. Popper, and what happens to him and family when they are given a penguin by Popper's favorite Arctic explorer, Admiral Drake. Soon, after acquiring a female penguin so that the male penguin (which they name Captain Cook) will no longer be lonely, they find themselves with a family of one dozen penguins.

The film, which is a modern adaption of the book, looks to be very good at first glance, and I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. To view the trailer, just click here http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/mrpopperspenguins/.

Who would be next?

With the upcoming Avengers film, and the knowledge thus far that the villain will be Loki, and possibly the Skrull Empire, my only question is who would be next? Ultron perhaps, and thus allowing Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne to have their own appearances in the Marvel Movie Universe? Or Kang the Conqueror, opening doors up for Immortus or the Scarlet Centurion? Or even better yet, the Masters of Evil?

There are literally so many villains in the Marvel Universe to choose from, the problem is choosing which ones would work in the sequels, and that's if the first movie works out too? Thoughts people? Let them be heard!

'Thor' Film Easter Eggs

Ok so cool news movie and comic book fans, Marvel Comics today released a list of "Easter Eggs", in this case other items contained in Odin's Vault besides the Casket of Ancient Winters, in both the film and the comics it is the source of power for the Frost Giants. Now in addition to that, we have these other lovely items of power that are featured prominently in the Marvel Universe.

Now that tablet on the far left is the unconfirmed Tablet of Life.  The text on the tablet is a chemical formula, the "Lifeline Formula" which augments its user into the ultimate perfect being of their species. It and its counterpart, the Tablet of Death and Entrophy, have played a prominet role in the Spider-Man comics for years.

Now after the tablet, we have the unconfirmed Orb of Agamotto, which is one of the many mystic artifacts used by Marvel's resident master of magics, Dr. Strange. Also we have shown here is the Warlock's Eye , which was an artifact stolen from Thor and the Warriors Three in the original run of the comics.

After the Eye is the Eternal Flame, or the Eternal Flame of Destruction, which was stolen by Thor and his brothers from Surtur, one of the most powerful enemies of Asgard, to prevent him from lighting his sword and starting a war that would bring about the destruction of the Asgardian people. The best way of describing Surtur is to picture a Frost Giant, only on fire. Yeah, bad news all around people.

And finally, following the Flame is the Infinity Gauntlet, one of the more prominent items in the Marvel Universe. It is THE weapon of Thanos, one of the biggest baddies in the Marvel Universe. He is the sworn servant of Death, and also loves her, willing to do anything for her. The Gauntlet, basically gives the wearer god-like power and control over the universe when all six of the Infinity gems are placed in it.

Now seeing all these items in the vault means there could be way more in store for the Marvel Movieverse ladies and gentlemen, what the future is, who can say?

New Update for 'Tin Tin' Film.

Today marks a new chapter in the building excitement for Steven Spielberg's upcoming animated film adaptation of the famous comic strip adventure series Tin Tin, as the first trailer was released today. The character was created in the 1930's by Belgian artist Georges Remi (who wrote the series under the pen name Herge). The twenty-four book series features the adventures of Tin Tin, a young reporter for a Belgian newspaper, his faithful terrier Snowy and Tin Tin's other friends, having many interesting and bizarre adventures around the world. The film, which is slated for release on December 23 of next year, combines the plots of three different Tin Tin books, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure. Spielberg will be using the same 3D animation style used in Avatar to take the characters from Herge's world and bring them to life on the big screen  The film will feature Jaime Bell as the voice of Tin Tin, Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock and a cast of other famous faces bringing voices to the characters from the books.    To view the trailer, simply click this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXwvB4P7ppw&feature=player_embedded. 


Feel free to post comments on the trailer here, and also to start a new discussion on this post, what is your favorite Tin Tin book and why?  

'The Dark Knight Rises' Gets a Sweet Fan Trailer

So I was doing some poking around on youtube yesterday, just for fun, and I found this video. It is a well done, and quite awesome fan trailer for the upcoming Chris Nolan Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises'. Click this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l692LjkGIY&feature=player_embedded. For doing a short fan trailer on almost no budget, it really is quite impressive. Recognize any of the films in this trailer? Well here is a complete list of the films.  Batman Begins, the  Batman Legends fan-film, Bronson, Catwoman, Equilibrium, Inception, Iron man 2, Halloween, Harry Brown, Passengers, Public Enemies, Se7en, Terminator Salvation and Watchmen. Also, there is some sweet fan posters floating out there right, here are some examples of good fan work right now. 

All of this makes me see that there is much potential for this movie. And whatever happens, whatever Chris Nolan produces from his brain, I hope that it will do justice to the characters of the Batman mythos. Comment at your leisure and feel free to post links with other good fan work you find out there. Thanks everyone, and have a great day.

Smallville Ending, Very Excellent.

Ladies and gentlemen of the internet, readers and friends, moments ago, the finale we have all waited ten seasons for came to a close. Smallville has ended, and in a way that this writer can say did justice to Superman. In the two hours that transpired, Clark not only managed to snap Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) free from Darkseid's hold, and defeat Darkseid as well, he also managed to literally tug the planet Apokolips, embrace his Kryptonian and human parts and put on the suit! The finale was epic, beyond anything I could have imagined. And it also featured the return of Lex Luthor, who is now and forever in the Smallvilleverse, on the path of being Superman's greatest enemy.

The last few minutes of the show, after all the chaos had ended were what was the most gripping. We see Lois Lane in the Daily Planet office, talking to Jimmy Olsen and critiquing him on his pictures of Superman. We hear Editor-in-Chief Perry White ranting from his office about Lane getting the latest story on his desk. Clark Kent comes up the stairs and bumps into Lois, and of course when they know that nobody is watching or listening, a brief flirt as Clark shows her the rings for their wedding, which is supposedly for that afternoon. Just then, the word gets out that a bomb is set to go off in a fancier part of Metropolis. Clark takes to the roof, and with the classic Richard Donner Superman theme song playing in the background, he takes off his glasses, loosens his tie, rips open his shirt and we see the famous S shield of the Man of Steel!

It has been ten long seasons ladies and gentlemen, and in all that time, we have seen Tom Welling grow and develop as Clark Kent along the path that lead to this night. He has encountered every character that is synonymous with the Superman mythos, and a score of other DC Comics character, both hero and villain alike.

And so friends, the show has come to an end. But who knows what else will come, now that Smallville has closed its great book? We can only look up to the sky, and wish and hope. With those parting words, I bid you all goodnight

Two New Peter Pan Projects: One good, and one just plain freaky

Peter Pan will soon be soaring back into movie theatres, but not in the way that we would imagine. Two new film projects, both under the working title of Pan are currently in development. One will explore the origins of Peter Pan, possibly expounding on his story of running away as a baby and living with the fairies. The other film will be portraying Pan as a dangerous villain, and Captain Hook as the only man who can stop his regin of terror.

To clarify: the Pan movie in question refashion's Barrie's classic tale as a modern day detective murder mystery where Peter Pan is literally "the boy who never grew up"- that is, a killer with a youthful apperance who prefers to kidnap children.

Aaron Eckhart has been cast as Hook, a former detective who takes on the task of hunting down the diabolic titular character, while Sean Bean will be playing Smee, a member of the police force and Hook's only ally. Soul Surfer star AnnaSophia Robb is set to appear in the film as Pan's sole surviving (former) victim.

A number of the upcoming projects being sold as “re-imaginings” of classic stories don’t read so much like they truly re-envision the source material – instead, they seem to be merely changing certain details about the plot and characters, so as to better resonate with contemporary moviegoers (see next year’s two Snow White films). Pan, by comparison, sounds like it truly re-interprets Barrie’s famous tale in a much more sinister and unnerving light (for better or for worse).

Eckhart rarely turns in a bad performance and he should do well playing a variation on the standard Noirish investigator character archetype; likewise, Bean seems a nice match to star in the film as a decent but street-smart cop version of Smee opposite Eckhart’s Hook – and together, they fight crime!

On a more serious note: while it’s always irritating when Hollywood (in essence) metaphorically tramples all over a story that most everyone has fond memories of, Pan seems different enough from Barrie’s source material and could possibly even stand on its own. It’s also not the most adult-themed reworking of the Peter Pan story (a title that still belongs to Alan Moore’s “Lost Girls”). Take all that as you will.

As more news about the film comes out, I will be sure to report it.

TV News: New superhero show

With all the hype going around about the latest superhero films, I haven't really looked back at whats going on in TV land. So I did some digging and found a juicy new piece of news for you readers. The amazing comic book series Powers, created by the stellar team of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon d. The series, mainly a police series, follows the exploits of detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim in world where superpowers are common but not mundane. Walker himself was once the superhero known as Diamond, until he lost powers.

The series is expected to premier in 2012 with the pilot episode and while there has been no announcements as who will play Walker and Pilgrim, actor Charles S. Dutton has been cast in the role of Captain Cross, head of the homicide department where the two detectives often investigate the sordid underbelly of the superhero world. I've read this series before and I can honestly say that I am excited for what this might bring to the small screen. 2012 is going to be a good year for television and movies, and I cannot wait to be along for the ride. 

More X-Men: First Class News

Today, I honestly don't have much to write about, which is a surprise for me. But to be honest there is not much movie news at the moment, but I did some digging and found this: http://screenrant.com/x-men-first-class-banshee-beast-havok-trailers-rob-113943/ and I found this to be very interesting. To add more hype for the upcoming X-Men film, there was released three mini-trailers that give some more depth to X-Men characters Banshee, Beast and Havok. I am not going to say anything further other that these three mini-trailers really give some more context to the other members of Professor Xaviers fledgling team. So take a look at the link and the trailers and write back here what you think about them. 

Thor Review

I apologize for it taking so long to get today's post out, I had an AP test this morning, believe me folks that can be added to the ever growing list of things that one will not enjoy having to get up early for. I am sorry to say that I was unable, along with the rest of the loyal Marvel fanbase, to attend the midnight premier of Thor. However, I did manage to catch a afternoon showing, and I can honestly say, that I was very impressed.

The film has an amazing cast, Chris Hemsworth does a fantastic job as Thor, portraying him as brash, arrogant, and strong-headed before being exiled to Earth, where he quickly becomes humble and kind. Tom Hiddleston brings the character of Loki alive very well, showing him to appear meek, but when his true villainy is revealed, I was truly scared, because this is a being who is both crafty and powerful. With Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas and Tadanobu Asano as the Warriors Three, the cast is filled out with these stellar performances.

The sets, in particular the sets for Asgard, home to the mythic Norse gods, were spectacular. Picture a shining city, tall and gleaming and teaming with life, and you get Asgard.

My only two little complaints, were that Thor's transformation from a hot-headed warrior to a kinder, wiser man is very quick for a space of several days. That being said, also the scenes with him on Earth were slow at times, and the pace only picked up when he was joined by his friends.

But overall, the film did not disappoint and is an excellent kick-start for the summer movie season. And like all Marvel films, it would not be complete without a cameo by famed comics writer Stan Lee, and a after-credits piece showing something for the movie to come. In this case, that movie to come bit will be of course for the upcoming film Captain America: The First Avenger. This film and that one are both, along with the two Iron Man films and the new rebooted Hulk from a few years back, all precursors to The Avengers film, which is slated to be released on May 4 of next year. For those who are looking forward to the Captain America movie as much as I am, that one comes out on July 22, so get those costumes and tickets ready people, cause after that its time to be an Avenger!

I am giving the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, for its excellent casting and sets and wonderful performances by the cast. Again the acting during the Earth scenes was a bit slow, but it does not detract from the sheer awesomeness of the film itself. If you are not planning on seeing this movie, I hope my review may change your minds and that you are not disappointed dear friends and readers, for the wonderment that awaits you.

New Character Costumes for 'The Avengers'

 The Avengers isn't just another film for Marvel Studios. It is the cornerstone event they’ve been planning carefully for years and the true beginning to their long-term franchising and merchandising plans. I mean, you go into stores and look for the Thor action figures, and see the "Avengers Assemble" tagline on the boxes. Heck, it was even on the Easter chocolate they released!

A good marketing/merchandising technique, as we have seen with Transformers is to either introduce new characters and vehicles, or to introduce new costumes for the characters we have already see.  A lot of the stuff we are seeing with the Marvel Comics films is variations on the Ultimates line of costumes, and we have seen that so far with Thor and Captain America and can expect it with The Avengers.

One of the things that is so great about new superhero films and a topic that brings plenty of criticism and attention is costumes. That being said, here is what we do know so far and can possibly expect with the upcoming movie.

 Captain America will sport a new costume in The Avengers, as confirmed by Chris Evans in a recent interview. Expect a design less padded-looking than his WWII era one, perhaps something more akin to his modern comic designs. 

Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) will likely wear the same S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit from Iron Man 2 but her hairstyle will be different, sporting shorter red locks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier this week (see photo below). 

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) always has a new suit of armor to show off. In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark introduced audiences to the Mark V, Mark VI outfits. That’s his “thing” and each new design means another new toyline! Maybe Whedon will introduce the Hulkbuster armor? 

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) only has one Asgardian superhero costume in his introductory solo film, but come time for The Avengers where he again helps his Earthly friends, he will undoubtedly get a new costume as well. Expect something more modern and techy as an alternative to his red cape. 

Hawkeye’s costume will be closely designed after his outfit in the Ultimates line of comics. No purple spandex for Jeremy Renner. 

Nick Fury’s black shirt-black pants-black trench coat gets an upgrade in The Avengers as well, as Kevin Feige points out that Samuel L. Jackson will sport a “slightly redesigned outfit with the eye patch.” 

Hulk doesn’t need a costume, but he’ll be closely designed after the likeness of Mark Ruffalo, even down to the hair on his chest.

And to round off today's post, here is a piece of concept art I found for the potential Hulkbuster armor and a shot of Scarlett with her new short hairstyle as seen at the White House Correspondent's dinner earlier this week.

With the film only just starting production, and the rush of excitement with Thor opening in America on Friday, the expections for the film are very high.

So now my question is to you dear readers, which costumes would you like to see your heroes wear?

New Green Lantern Trailer!

We have another trailer ladies and gentlemen! Finally, a new trailer for the upcoming Green Lantern film! And the trailer does not disappoint! We hear more dialogue from Sinestro, see the struggle for Hal being the first and only human inducted into the Core, we get some Kilowog action, more from Hector Hammond transforming and we see the Sinestro Core symbol (future movie?) and we see for the first time the Guardians of the Universe or at least a Guardian. You can see the trailer here at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/green-lantern.html?showVideo=1#belowNav. The only thing that still looks off is the mask, but if that is the only thing that comes out wrong in the end, then this movie is going to be excellent. Midnight on June 17, I am so there.

Marvel Movie News: Leaked Avengers Script and first Lizard Look

As of yesterday, and after some deliberation with one of my sources, the rumors that Samuel L. Jackson's copy of the script for the upcoming Disney/Marvel film The Avengers have been confirmed, at least for now. Not only that, but now, if the rumors are true, there is talk that production on the film will be halted so that the script can be revised as to not upset fans. Now to me this would seem crazy for any other studio to do, but this whole thing, the Marvel movie universe is redefining how a franchise is done. It is what legions of fans, both of the comics and movies have been waiting expectedly for, and I one for hope that if there are rewrites, that the movie with its possible revised script will not disappoint.

On to the next topic, here are two photos of upcoming Spider-Man reboot actor Rhys Ifans in makeup as the Lizard. Now for those who have no idea who this villain is, let me give you the quick backstory. Doctor Curtis Conners was a scientist trying to create a formula, using the DNA of lizards in order to regrow lost limbs, the way certain reptiles can with their tails. Testing the formula on himself, Dr. Conners was transformed into the monstrous beast who came to be known as the Lizard. Over the years he has made numerous reappearance's, and one can only hope that someday the good Doctor will be cured of his evil alter ego. The studio has been working very hard to keep what the villains look will be like under wraps, but with the release of these two photos, we can expect a full reveal at the San Diego Comic-Con in July. The films have helped to show, that with the Goblins, Dr. Oc and the Sandman, that the colorful costumes of the comic books can be translated onto the big screen. The Lizards should be even easier, seeing as how all it would need is makeup and prosthetics.

Whatever may happen, and whatever may come of all this, I cannot wait for these two movies, and I am of course extremely excited for all the hero films coming out this summer. Get those tickets ordered and those costumes ready folks, cause this is gonna be spectacular!

Hobbit Movie News

Big movements for the upcoming New Line Cinema adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic book The Hobbit. Good news fans, Hugo Weaving is back as Elrond! As of yesterday, more than six weeks after the principal photography for the movie began, the call went out that Weaving would be returning to play Elrond, the master of Rivendell. Also, New Zealand actor Dean O'Gorman will be playing Fili, one of the thirteen dwarf's that sets out with Thorin, Bilbo and Gandalf to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Lee Pace will be playing the role of the Elven king Thranduil. I will continue to update the blog with new developments as they come to light, so for now, we can just mark our calendars in preparation for the midnight opening.