The Man of Steel

Co-writer of the upcoming Superman Returns sequel, The Man of Steel, Michael Dougherty, is out to prove me wrong on my earlier report that the film is in development Hell. According to Dougherty, the film is on track for a 2009 release.

His hint that the movie will have two villains is getting movie reporters confused and excited, but from the opening weekend of Superman Returns director Bryan Singer had said he wanted to tackle the evil robotic master-mind from another world Brainiac next.

The two characters have a history of working together, so this would not be too out of the ordinary. They even merged into one being for Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s classic ‘Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?’ story.

So it’s looking like Superman will have his work cut out for him next time he shows his face on the silver screen, hmm?

Suggested reading:

DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore

Wolverine movie news

Actor Hugh Jackman is quoted at Wizard talking about what to expect for the Canucklehead. “[The Japan connection] is still something we really want to do,” said Jackman. “What we need to do is establish who he is and find out how he became Wolverine. And by the end of the movie, I want it to be that you definitely knew who this guy was, like Mad Max and Dirty Harry. He’s a good guy, but he’s not a nice guy. He’s just the guy you want on your side.”

Sounds like the Claremont/Miller mini-series connection I theorized a few weeks ago here is close to the mark!

Suggested reading:

Wolverine by Claremont & Miller (Marvel Premiere Classic)
X-Men: From The Ashes

The Justice League movie

As the sequel to Superman Returns, The Man of Steel, continues to approach development Hell, another film might be taking its place. George Miller, director of The Road Warrior and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and strangely “Babe: Pig in the City” is looking to direct what could be the most ambitious super hero movie to date.

There is a rumor that Christian Bale and Brandon Routh have stipulations in their contracts that they must appear as Batman and Superman in a film together. That might be the only reason that you’ll see this JLA movie happen.

“The Justice League of America has been a perennial favorite for generations of fans, and we believe their appeal to film audiences will be as strong and diverse as the characters themselves,” Warner president of production Jeff Robinov.

Made popular by the recent Cartoon Network animated series, the Justice League of America have been around since 1960. Created by Gardner Fox as another step in establishing the ‘Silver Age’ of comics started by the re-introduction of The Flash, the JLA have had numerous members, but it always comes down to the big three of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. It appears that Warner Bros. sees it that way as well. With the addition of Silver Age greats The Flash and The Green Lantern, this could be a great movie.

Portraying the Justice League in live action has been attempted before… with less than astounding results. Painful as it may be, we must remember the past so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Legends of the Super Heroes-1978

Justice League pilot 1997

While the cartoon is long off the airwaves, sadly, the JLA series in yet another of its rebirths as a comic book series. With new writer Dwayne McDuffie coming on board as of issue 12, the series will surely be shaping up.

It could be one of those odd moments of good timing, seen during the release of X-Men 2 when Grant Morrison was writing the monthly series. Or it could be a painful kick in the pants, as fans of the first really good Catwoman comic book by Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke can tell you when they discovered that a movie was being made.

Brrr…

Suggested reading:

JLA: Liberty and Justice
Justice League of America: The Greatest Stories Ever Told

Dave Gibbons’ The Originals

Released as a graphic novel under the Vertigo banner of DC Comics, The Originals is an alternate history of the Mod age. Part sci-fi gang story, part love letter to the age of the Mods as shown in the film Quadrophenia, The Originals is an aptly titled work with a lot to offer the sophisticated audience of Vertigo work.

For a fan of Sandman, Preacher and Hellblazer, there are few new comics to read that deliver the same emotional punch reminding the reader why he/she got into comics in the first place.

As the ‘adult’ arm of DC Comics acting as a teenager-centric imprint, Vertigo has developed some of the most well-written comic books of the last 15-20 years. It comes as no surprise that an artist traditionally associated with super-hero work would arrive to tell a tale that feels more like an independent film than a comic.

One of the finest sequential artists in the business, Dave Gibbons is a former contributer to 2000 AD. His art on characters such as Rogue Trooper and Doctor Who got the attention of DC Comics in the 80’s as they were looking to the UK for new talent. His initial work was on The Flash and later found a very happy home with Green Lantern (where’s the collection, DC??) and finally The Watchmen with Alan Moore.

His layout, pacing and facial expressions are unmistakable and have created a reputation for Gibbons as one of the masters of the art form.

His later work with Frank Miller on Give Me Liberty (see article) only built on his former strengths, and by combining them with Miller’s writing gave readers one of the best comics ever made.

That brings us to his 2005 work, The Originals. A thinly veiled tale of Mods vs. Rockers, the graphic novel has a quality and mood unlike many modern comics.

The story follows the trouble-filled life of the frustrated Lell who just wants a hover (Vespa) and to be one of the Originals (Mods). He and his best mate Bok spend their nights dreaming of the life they’ll have zooming around on their own hovers with the Kings of Cool, The Originals.

Taking place in a post-war Britain where the state of youth culture is predominantly made up of irresponsible behavior, resentment and boredom,Lell and Bok have little to hope for other than a magical event to land in their laps and deliver them to the sacred land of Mod-dom. And that’s exactly what happens.

One night the duo are in the unusual situation to deliver the location of the rival gang The Dirt (The Rockers) to the Originals, leading to a bloody fist fight where Lell and Bok earn their place beside their heroes.

It all goes downhill for Lell and Bok from there.

The Originals is a book that works on multiple levels. So evocative are Gibbons‘ pages that they play on your musical memory. You can practically hear the music of the Kinks (particularly Waterloo at Sunset), Paul Weller’s soulful wailing and raucous railing with The Jam, and of course Pete Townsend’s ghostly somber lyric ‘Why should I care… why should I care?’ from Cut My Hair off of Quadrohpenia.

A soulful and heartfelt work, it’s surprising that DC Comics would publish it. Nothing against the Batman/Superman publisher, but a comic of this quality and feeling would seem more at home with Fantagraphics or some other independent publishing house. Even more surprising is that the current writer of Green Lantern Corps (which I must add is an incredible action comic) would have an interest in creating a comic like this.

But that’s how comics go. Alan Moore wrote WildCATs and From Hell, Brian Michael Bendis wrote AKA Goldfish and continues to write Ultimate Spider-Man.

It takes all kinds.

Suggested reading/viewing/listening:

The Originals
Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: To Be a Lantern
The Rann-Thanagar War (Countdown to Infinite Crisis)
Dragon’s Claw (Doctor Who)
Rogue Trooper: Future War (2000 AD Presents)
Something Else by the Kinks
Paul Weller-Hit Parade
The Sound of the Jam
Specials
Beat This: The Best of the English Beat
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia (Special Edition)