For those of you who have not seen the newest project from Joel Hodgson and the other geniuses behind the award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000… get bust and see it. I approached The Oozing Skull with some trepidation. Though I watch the program on an almost daily basis, it has been years since I’ve seen anything new comer from them. My expectations were low. Very low.
As such I almost collapsed in tears when the movie proved to be an almost perfect distillation of everything I love about MST3K. The five performers (Trace Beaulie, Mary Joe Pehl, Josh Weinstein, Frank Conniff and Joel himself) took me right back to those late night viewings of Hercules and the Captive Women, or the belly aches I got from laughing at the ‘Tried to Kill Me With a Forklift!’ song from Fugitive Alien.
The only drawback was that it was over too soon. But I’m hoping that there are more on their way… soon.
Now, DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT and Alex Ross unleash PROJECT SUPERPOWERS! This explosive #0 issue features a story crafted by Justice collaborators Alex Ross and Jim Kruger, joined by artists Stephen Sadowksi, Doug Klauba and additional art by Alex Ross.The story of PROJECT SUPERPOWERS begins here, in the present day with the Fighting Yank, coming to terms with the ghosts of his past and present! As our story unfolds, we journey to the heights and depths of the Second World War and come face-to-face with the great forgotten heroes of the ages, and solve the mystery of where these legends disappeared to after the great war.
This is THE event of 2007, and it leads directly into the PROJECT SUPERPOWERS series! Issue #0 is where it all begins and features 28 pages of story and art PLUS a full PROJECT SUPERPOWERS color sketchbook by Ross and original Ross interconnecting covers - all for just a buck!
In the words of The Twelve artist Chris Weston:
“Wow. The return of a team of long lost, nazi-smashing golden age heroes…
why can’t I get to draw something like that? Uh… waitaminnit!“
I doubt Chris meant any ill will in his statement, but as long as both comics are great, I could care less of who ripped off who.
With the upcoming motion picture, Marvel Comics is hoping kids will be Iron Man ca-razy. Putting aside the fact that every re-iteration of the character directed at a new audience depicts the hero as a mustache-wearing businessman, this cartoon is by far the best attempt at attracting a new audience.
Wielding an art style strangely reminiscent of the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game, this short three part animated feature gives us ‘old shell-head’ doing what he does best, fighting robots!
It’s odd to think that given the current climate of the Marvel Universe, the meeting of the three characters in this mini-feature is all but impossible… but never mind.
With Ben Grimm (AKA The Thing) now a major movie star, it’s funny to think that he used to be the subject of many a desperate tie-in to gain that devious dollar. You’d think these projects would be easy wins given the subject matter. With his cursed life and easy going/explosive rampage personality, Ben Grimm has always been one of my favorite Marvel Comics characters. Yet… these projects seemed to miss the mark.
In 1979, toy manufacturer ‘Fun Stuff’ developed the ever loving blue-eyed Thing into an inflatable toy… no it’s all true.
In addition, the character starred in his very own solo cartoon series. Great, right? Not so much. See, this version of the Thing was a teenager named Benji who used a magic ring turn into the Thing and fight crime… or do whatever he wanted, really. Fred and Barney from the Flintstones co-starred.
In 1994 the master of schlock filmmaker Roger Corman made a hasty Fantastic Four film in which the Thing was very similar to his inflatable toy persona from Fun Stuff.
Marvel Comics has created many colorful and charismatic characters over the years and these characters have been used to sell everything from breakfast cereal to toilet paper. They’ve been in children’s TV programs and big budget motion pictures. Some of them have been great, others… not so much.
In the very words of Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew, Ben was robbed.
IGN has some very positive things to say about the forthcoming Star Wars cross-platform video game ‘The Force Unleashed.’
The game takes place between Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope, and follows the adventures of Darth Vader’s evil apprentice who hunts down the remaining Jedi. The game is rumored to be a huge breakthrough for the video game industry, featuring insanely accurate physics and a brand new chapter in the Star Wars mythology.
But it’s release date, August 8, is so very far far away.
Until then, we can salivate over concept art and this review:
What is seemingly the coolest exclusive content [for the PSP] by far is Historic Mode. The game features five classic scenes from the Star Wars films, and you’re able to play them with the enhanced powers from Force Unleashed. For example, you can play as Vader as he takes on Luke in the Cloud City carbonite chamber, and make use of things like Force Lightning or Force Choke. Players will be able to take on Mace Windu on Geonosis as he takes out a number of androids and eventually faces off with Jango Fett, or play through a section on Jabba’s barge.
CBR recently ran a great interview with Mark Millar about his upcoming run on Wolverine. I quite enjoyed the Enemy of the State story that he and John Romita Jr. produced not too long ago and this looks like it will be a nice follow up.
Mark Millar is joined by Marvel Comics Civil War artist Steve McNiven who is fresh off of his Amazing Spider-Man story with Dan Slott.
In Millar and McNiven’s tale, we’ll reportedly see a very old and weary Wolverine 50 years into the future… and the wacky canuck hasn’t popped his claws once in all that time.
From the preview art, it looks like that condition was temporary.
A recent email survey from Marvel/Lionsgate reveals their possible plans for the Hulk Smash! DTV or a future Hulk DTV. These were the synopsis’ provided for the direct-to-video feature, but please note, these projects are in the very early pre-production stages at this time and one, or neither, may actually come to fruition.
Hulk Vs. Wolverine
ALBERTA, Canada. The smoldering wreckage of a town-the latest casualty of a rampage by the monster known as The Incredible Hulk. Over the past week, Hulk has been tearing a line across the Canadian wilderness, leaving a swathe of destruction in his wake. He has to be stopped, and there’s only one man up to the job. He’s Wolverine, and he’s been put on Hulk’s trail with a single objective: stop the green goliath…at all costs. Hulk and Wolverine are about to enter the fiercest battle of their lives.
Hulk Vs. Thor
ASGARD, realm of the gods. For ages, Loki the trickster has sought a way to bring defeat to his accursed stepbrother, Thor. But for all the battles Thor has fought, in all the nine realms, only one creature has ever been able to match his strength-a mortal beast of Midgard known as The Incredible Hulk. Now, with Odin the almighty king of the gods deep in a regenerative sleep, and the forces protecting Asgard at their weakest, Loki is finally ready to spring his trap. In an epic battle that will pit gods against monsters, only The Mighty Thor can hope to prevail. But to do so he must survive a perilous quest that will take him into the very depths of the underworld itself.
NEW YORK — A select group of rich tourists may be blasting into space within a few years in a craft that looks like a cross between a corporate jet and something out of science fiction.
British billionaire Richard Branson and the aerospace designer Burt Rutan unveiled a model Wednesday of SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle they hope will be able to take passengers about 62 miles above Earth for the fun of it, with test flights possibly beginning this year.
“Breathtakingly beautiful” was Branson’s assessment of the ship being built in the Mojave Desert.
At the American Museum of Natural History, the pair also showed off a model of the four-engine jet that will help launch the craft into space.
As for those that are wondering whether The Joker, and therefore Ledger, was supposed to come back for the third ‘Batman’ film?– Yes, the character is in stencil for the third film. If I recall correctly, David Goyer (writer) wrote into the third film that The Joker somehow aids Batman in his search for that film’s villain, Two-Face - whether that’s from a jail cell, or the looney bin Fortunately for the filmmakers, it would only be a cameo by The Joker (either behind bars, or some kind of flashback) so they can work around that - I presume they’ll either cut the character from the eventual script or simply re-cast (and have that person in the shadows). Again, who gives a shit. It’s not really important… but everyone’s emailing me and asking so there’s the answer.
Now, DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT and Alex Ross unleash PROJECT SUPERPOWERS! This explosive #0 issue features a story crafted by Justice collaborators Alex Ross and Jim Kruger, joined by artists Stephen Sadowksi, Doug Klauba and additional art by Alex Ross.The story of PROJECT SUPERPOWERS begins here, in the present day with the Fighting Yank, coming to terms with the ghosts of his past and present! As our story unfolds, we journey to the heights and depths of the Second World War and come face-to-face with the great forgotten heroes of the ages, and solve the mystery of where these legends disappeared to after the great war.
“
CBR recently ran a great interview with Mark Millar about his upcoming run on Wolverine. I quite enjoyed the Enemy of the State story that he and John Romita Jr. produced not too long ago and this looks like it will be a nice follow up.
Virgin Galactic unveils space-plane model
