Justice League - New Frontier website launched

The official site for the direct to DVD animated DC movie based on the incredible series  by Darwyn Cooke, New Frontier, is finally live.

A stunning and ground-breaking piece of sequential art, New Frontier is a tale about the birth of what is known as the Silver Age of comics. This involved the re-creation of The Flash, Green Lantern and several other super heroes as America entered a vibrant and optimistic era of expansion into the stars and expansion of social awareness. The book is just terrific and since it was created by an acclaimed animator such as Darwyn Cooke, the feature film should be just as good.

The DVD goes on sale 2/28/08.

Justice League: New Frontier trailer

Finally available online, the trailer for the upcoming direct to DVD DC Comics animated film by Darwyn Cooke, Justice League The New Frontier.

An alternate history of sorts (for you continuity buffs), New Frontier takes place in the declining period of the Justice Society of America’s reign as the premiere super hero team. As the McCarthy era witch hunt for Communists takes away the dignity of the Golden Age heroes, a new group of characters emerges to take their place. As the story moves through a dark and tumultuous series of acts involving the Korean War, race riots and an attack from beyond the stars, the Justice League of America slowly forms as defenders of the planet, taking the place of their predecessors, the JSA. The finale of the comic book series sees John F. Kennedy step into office as America looks at the dawn of a new era, a New Frontier.

Expert animators Bruce Timm and creator of the comic book Darwyn Cooke have teamed up to work on what could very well be the best super hero cartoon project ever made.

Check out Lucy Lawless duking it out in the sound studio in this trailer!

The DVD has a posted release date of 1/28/08

DC The New Frontier frame

At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, a preview of the upcoming DC: The New Frontier animated DVD due out in February ‘08 was shown. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the animated film is based on the mini-series by Darwyn Cooke and looks at the DC Universe before the Justice League was formed.

The world in which New Frontier is set is quite different from what comic book readers are used to seeing and is therefore ‘out of continuity’ so anyone can read it without worrying which Aquaman they are looking at. A moving tale about comic book super heroes and a more hopeful time for the United States (the early 60’s under President John F Kennedy), I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone I can (which is why I keep bringing it up).

In the book, Wonder Woman liberates a slave labor camp in Korea, despite orders from the President of the United States to stay out of it.

Here’s how that shakes down in the DVD version.

… Awesome.

Darwyn Cooke leaves The Spirit

I just read online that creator Darwyn Cooke will be leaving Will Eisner’s The Spirit with issues #12.

Apparently collaborator J. Bone has become unavailable making the comic an impossibility for Cooke to do on his own.

This is the longest comic book series that Cooke has worked on and a roaring success, so I can only hope that greater things lie in wait for him as a writer and for his fans as well. The series will continue under a new creative team that as of this writing unannounced.

Cooke went on to comment on Frank Miller’s work on the rumored Spirit movie with both excitement and disappointment.

“I think it will be a really fantastic crime movie and it’s probably going to be visually stunning,” Cooke said. “But I think his interpretation seems just a little one-sided to me. He seems to be concentrating on the sex and violence, from what his interviews indicate. I always thought the strip had so much more depth to it than that. Those were elements that helped drive many of the stories but I don’t think they were what the strip was about. And I think at the end of the day, as nasty as the business was that [the Spirit] gets involved in, it’s a hopeful strip. It’s got optimism at its heart, and humanity. I don’t know that the movie is going to reflect that, but I think it’s probably going to be damn exciting.”

At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con he also had the following to say on new ideas in the comics field:

“… there is no room in the direct market for new ideas. You can go in to DC and pitch new ideas all day long, but they don’t want ‘em. If you want to capture a new audience or take your work out into a broader area that’s something you have to do outside because they’re not built to do that type of work anymore.”

This is something I heard directly from Grant Morrison when I ‘pitched’ my anthology comic book Zebra Magazine to him at a Forbidden Planet signing in New York. To my surprise, he was more than eager to hear all about the stories collected in the book, but his shoulders sank when I finished.

He sighed, saying that comics need the new ideas that I was spewing forth but that DC Comics was ‘locked up solid’ to hearing them and ‘dusty’ with legacies such as the JLA and the big three of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Cooke went on to talk more specifically about the future of the comic book direct market (or monthlies as I like to call them):

“To be quite honest, I think that the direct market comics that we’re all here talking about are on their way to extinction. I don’t see any way around it. It doesn’t matter how much money the Spider-Man movies make, if it doesn’t bring anybody in to buy the comics. This theory’s been floating for twenty years now that these movies will bring people back to comics - it doesn’t work that way. Ask a twelve-year-old kid on the street, he probably thinks Spider-Man was created for the movie, or for the cartoon. He doesn’t know it’s a comic book. Ultimately, the characters will endure in film and animation and other media but I really don’t see how they’re going to survive [in comic-form] past a certain point the way things are going.

“The monthly comic book is becoming less and less important. The collection is the key now. Thirty years ago, before they started collecting this material when books just came out once a month, it would be unthinkable that a book would ship late. It never happened. In the real world if you work at a magazine and that magazine ships an hour late, you’re all fired. That’s just the way the world works. It’s no longer important in this industry whether books ship on time and that should tell you all you need to know about the emphasis being placed on the monthlies. Ultimately, I think we’re going to see graphic novels, manga, superhero books, and everything else in album form in book chains and they’ll have to fight it out with all the other product available, which is I think, the way it should be.”

Words that have hovered like hungry crows over the comic book industry for the past 7-8 years.

With most readers ‘waiting for the collection’ rather than making the trip to the local comic shop and more comic companies catering to that desire with more beautifully produced collections (Absolute Watchmen, Sandman, New Frontier, Batman: Long Halloween… etc), it could be an inevitable reality.

This is probably why, after firming up his reputation by working on super heroes, Cooke is probably looking to the graphic novel for his next two rumored projects; a fairy tale for children and another that will have “sex, and violence and swearing,” and “involves a lot of paranoia and craziness. I think it’ll be a fun read for the adults out there.”

Suggested reading:

Absolute DC: The New Frontier
DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 1
DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 2
Catwoman Vol. 1: The Dark End of the Street (Batman)

New Frontier Batman announced

After a special preview showing of the Superman/Doomsday film at the San Diego Comic Con (new drinking game, everybody) Jeremey Sisto of Six Feet Under was announced as the voice actor of the Dark Knight himself, the Batman in the upcoming direct to DVD animated film version of DC The New Frontier.

Batman the Animated Series creator Bruce Timm noticed the awkward murmur at the announcement and immediately stood up to bat for Jeremy… if you’ll pardon the saying.

Bruce Timm commented, “I see you guys are a little unsure about Jeremy Sisto as Batman. Everybody else got a big clap and as soon as Jeremy’s name came on you went, ‘Huh?’. I’m going to make a prediction right this minute… when you guys see this movie and hear what he sounds like as Batman, you guys are going to lose your sh*t.”

From the lips of the man who has worked with Kevin Conroy as THE voice actor for the animated Batman in all of his cartoon incarnations since 1990, this carries a lot of weight.

But I still ain’t buyin’ it.

New Frontier Cast Announced

The cast of the upcoming Direct-to-DVD DC Animated film based on Darwyn Cooke’s series New Frontier has just been announced… well, most of it.

New Frontier is a six part limited series (recently collected in two softcover and one oversized deluxe hardcover edition) that looked at the ’space age’ of America through the lens of the Silver Age of Super Heroes.

Featuring the classic DC Comic book characters in new situations, the series is masterfully written and drawn. Creator Darwyn Cooke is no stranger to animation and assisted on the Batman Beyond animated series.

As soon as the animated adaptation was announced Darwyn’s fans have been aflutter with anticipation. It’s still months away, but details are filtering through, such as the casting of key characters listed below…

Kyle Maclachlan as Superman, Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman, Brooke Shields as Carol Farris (Green Lantern’s love interest), Phil Morris as King Faraday, David Boreanaz as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Neil Patrick Harris (yes, that Neil Patrick Harris) as the Flash.

No word on Batman, Martian Manhunter, John Henry Steel or any of the other main characters but so far it’s shaping up to be quite a major animated film cast.

I hope the star-power doesn’t hinder the amazing storytelling of Darwyn Cooke and the DC Animated team.

I’m still trying to figure out of they’ll stick with the ‘War That Time Forgot’ opening from the comicbook series. Seeing the soldiers tackling that T-Rex would be a real thrill!

Suggested Reading:

Absolute DC: The New Frontier
DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 1
DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 2
Batman: Ego and Other Tales
Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score
Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot, Vol. 1

Tim Sale Profile

Comic book artist extraordinaire, Tim Sale, began his career drawing the comic book adaptation of Robert Aspirin’s Thieves’ World way back in 1983.

A stylish and thick line, perhaps more cartoony than Frank Miller or less detailed than George Perez (both giants of comic art at the time), Sale’s art might have looked a little odd to readers at the time. This is difficult to imagine today since his artwork has become so familiar that you can be sure of the quality of the story that his artwork accompanies.

An SVA Graduate (I keep meeting amazing artists from SVA), Sale also studied under the late John Buscema in his comics workshop. It was after meeting Matt Wagner that he got the golden opportunity that made many a fantastic artist shine in the comic book spotlight, Grendel.

Working on the outrageously complicated and ambitious final chapter of the Comico Grendel series (issues 34-40 in 1989-90), Tim Sale refined many of the stylish brush strokes that he is known for today.

The storyline consisted of numerous narratives, strange landscapes, futuristic technology and clothing design and more characters than you could find in a Shakespeare play.

Chronicling the rise of power of Orion Assante into the Grendel Khan, I have to think that Sale must have felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. I hope so because he certainly deserved it.

Eight years later he worked with Jeph Loeb on what was to become the first of many collaborative projects, Superman for All Seasons. This book has the unusual reputation of establishing both writer and artist in the comic community.

A tale of Superman’s early years told through four point of view narrations (including Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor), the book is as touching and dynamic as a motion picture (far moreso than than the recent cinematic effort).

It is the delicate yet firm line work seen in Superman for All Seasons that conveys the awe and majesty of the character. Broad explosive splash pages throughout the book take the reader’s breath away with their power.

Almost poetically, his next work was the polar opposite to the bright and sunny innocence of Superman.

Loeb and Sale began work on what would be their most ambitious (and to date most famous) work, Batman: The Long Halloween, with a shorter story, the three part Batman: Haunted Knight. In both stories, Loeb and Sale spread the world of Batman before themselves like a rich canvas of sweets for their readers.Long Halloween told story set early on in the Batman’s career. A string of brutal murders takes place throughout an entire year, always set on a holiday. Batman battles each and every one of his villains searching for clues but in the end is baffled by the answers he finds.

The artwork is almost entirely the antithesis of his work on the Superman book which was set in the wide fields of Smallville and expansive skies over Metropolis. Here the reader is cramped into dark corners and alleys as the caped crusader darts across the page like an ebony angel.

The book was so successful that work began almost immediately on a sequel, Batman: Dark Victory, which continued to develop the Batman’s early years and introduced the characters of Robin and Two-Face.

The team of Loeb and Sale moved to Marvel Comics to work on their ‘color trilogy’ consisting of Daredevil: Yellow , Spider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Gray. Each series developed the characters in key moments in the beginning of their super heroic lives.

A love letter to the creators of the Marvel Universe (Bill Everett, Jack Kirby and John Romita to be specific), the color trilogy was a set of continuity tales as well as emotional stories.

Each story deals with loss, grief and hardship in the period setting of the late sixties. Using the narrative techniques of flashbacks, the stories develop the characters in the past and present. It’s a neat trick that works very well and plays to the benefit of the Marvel Universe, character.

Whereas the DC characters are defined by set pieces, Marvel characters have always been about character interplay. Spider-Man is defined by his love life (with Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane), friends (Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn) and his ailing Aunt May for instance. Daredevil is defined by his friendship with Foggy Nelson or unrequited love for Karen Page. The Hulk by the hatred of General Ross and unending love of his daughter Betty.

Delving into the depths of these characters, Yellow, Gray and Blue remain highly recommended primers on the characters themselves and high water marks for Sale and Loeb’s story telling abilities.

In 2005, Jeph Loeb lost his 17 year old son Sam to cancer.

In their most touching and poignant collaboration, Loeb and Sale created ‘Sam’s Story’ for Superman/Batman #26 (which also saw Sam Loeb’s own story ‘The Boys are Back in Town‘ in print). Full of life-affirming defiance and laughter, Sam’s Story tells the tale of Jeph’s son by putting him into the world of Clark Kent’s childhood. In the comic story, Clark struggles with feelings of helplessness while Sam deals with his affliction with courage and dignity.

If you haven’t read it, I cannot recommend it enough.

Last year, Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale began work on the new series Superman Confidential which develops the background cast of the Superman world. Mainly concerned with the Daily Planet staff, the series contains many of the strengths of Sale’s work that readers have come to expect.

Currently, Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb are still working together, but in an all new medium, television. Sale has been providing artwork for the TV series Heroes for the precognitive artist Isaac Mendez 9th Wonders! comic book.

This time around, Jeph Loeb is both writer and producer.

An innovator and modern master of the comic art form, Tim Sale embraces the innocence and ambition of the medium.

Personally, I look at what he has accomplished so far and cannot wait to see what he does next.

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funny book news

Animated New Frontier/Spirit?

Artist/writer of the new Will Eisner’s The Spirit series, Darwyn Cooke, recently reported that work has wrapped on the “New Frontier” animated direct-to-DVD movie. This leaves him completely committed to the Spirit series.

Following the adventures of a police detective that comes back from the dead only to continue his work wearing only a small domino mask, blue business suit, fedora hat and gloves for a costume. Billed as the first middle-class crime-fighter, the Spirit comic strip by Eisner was famous for establishing some of the most loved aesthetics and sequential art styles used today (as seen in Frank Miller’s Sin City).

Cooke’s series was announced as an attempt to re-launch the character. This is not the first shot at the idea, as Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and Paul Pope among many others worked on an anthology series a few years back published by Kitchen Sink Press from 1997-98.

Coming up on its 6th issue, the new Spirit series has been a hit for DC and brought a new group of readers to the character. As anyone who has read his work (Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, Batman: Ego, and The New Frontier) Cooke is obviously a fan of the character and definitely of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality.

Those nervous that the animated film version of DC: The New Frontier will disappoint should rest easy, as Cooke assure the film will be “… a winner.”

“For its budget and category, not to mention its running time, it still captured the epic feel of the book and managed to tell a clear and exciting story.” The animated New Frontier film was created with many familiar names to the DC Animated Universe of Batman - The Animated Series, Superman - The Animated Series, Justice League and Batman Beyond. With the rewrite and polishing credits of the Stan Berkowitz script done by Cooke along with character designs, the film is sure to retain the feel and look that made the original so enjoyable.

Of course, this leads to the obvious project to follow, an animated Spirit film. “I heard they’re planning a Spirit animated project. I hope they get in touch with me to be involved. That would be a fantastic opportunity,” said Cooke.

 

SHAZAM

Remember that Shazam project I mentioned a while back? Well, the rumor is that the ‘Rock’ wants to play the title character. Looking at the picture comparison, I can see why.

The Rock brings with him a strong and devoted fan following that will surely add to the projects success if he’s placed in the lead. Also, he’s a former compatriot of the film’s director, Peter Segal.

The excitable wrestler recently said “John August is writing the script and he’s a tremendous writer… I’ll just wait for the script to come in. But I’d love to work with Pete again, and certainly would want to work with John August. So there’s a strong possibility.” Apparently the former wrestler has spoken to Segal already, lobbying for the role.

From Monkey Boy to Green Monster

Veteran character actor of such fantastic heights as Alan Clarke’s Made in Britain and lows such as the forgettable ‘Dark Water’ and I-will-never-forget Tim Burton’s ‘Planet of the Apes,’ Tim Roth, has just been announced as the actor behind the guttural sounds of the villainous Abomination in the Marvel Studios and Universal Studios’ film ‘Incredible Hulk.’

The film is directed by Louis Leterrier ( “The Transporter,” “The Transporter 2,” “Unleashed”) and written by Zak Penn (“X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Elektra”)

Roth’s character Emil Blonsky is a KGB agent who deliberately exposes himself to the same gamma radiation that transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Unlike Banner, Blonsky is unable to return to human form due to the greater quantity of gamma radiation to which he was exposed. Definitely one of the ‘heavy hitters’ of the Hulk’s rogue’s gallery, the character was recently seen as the main villain of the Incredible Hulk 2: Ultimate Destruction video game as well as playing a key role on several issues of the comic book series, including the incredible run by John Romita Jr.

Roth joins Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/the Hulk and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross in next summer’s blockbuster. Not a bad cast, I must admit.

Spider-Man 4, 5, 6, 4,000…

There are already rumor abound-ing about the continuation of the hot money-making franchise that is Spider-Man. Apparently Kirsten Dunst is out of the project and Mandy Moore is stepping in. Ordinarily I’d be upset about this kind of news, but seeing how inferior the third film was to the other two, anything goes… except for the musical numbers. No more musical numbers, I beg of you.

Tobey Maguire is also in talks to re-negotiate his contract, ensuring that more money than can be believed for portraying a comic book character would be his if he’s to continue his portrayal of Peter Parker.

The jury is still out on Raimi directing as he is in the running to work on the Lord of the Rings ‘prequel,’ ‘The Hobbit.’

The villains are said to be The Lizard (seen up until now as the humble background character, Peter’s teacher Dr. Curt Connors) and Venom-like Carnage, but I also heard a rumor of the more recent villain created by Babylon 5’s J.Michael Straczynski, Morlun, which could be interesting.

Seen in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Revelations, Morlun is a centuries-old supernatural character set on destroying Spider-Man by devouring his essence. This character would set the movie down a mystical and fantasy-oriented path, something the fans of the comics are still upset about.

But would it make a good movie?

May-be… may-be…

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Let’s try this again…

In 1993, DC Editorial decided to kill off Superman.

This was on the nightly news. Every time a make believe character like Superman or Batman or more recently, Captain America ‘dies,’ the press world goes nuts. As if this event is on the same par as a Global Crisis, everyone and his brother was aware that the Man of Tomorrow was the Corpse of Yesterday (sorry about that one).

Speaking of Cap, isn’t it weird that he’s dead after surviving THIS battle?

Sales saw a record high and the comic spawned several die-cut covers launching new ‘imposter’ Supermen into the comics world. This lead to another cross-over… and another. DC saw lots of money from this but I’m pretty sure you can find former comic book store owners using copies of the ‘white polybagged issue’ for insulation because they have no money for heat.

Not satisfied with this record-breaking sales, DC is at it again. Building on the success of Superman Returns and the popular Justice League cartoons, DC Comics has decided to release a series of animated films based on their most popular comic book story lines, straight to DVD.

While Marvel Comics has done this with their Ultimate Avengers - The Movie and The Invincible Iron Man cartoons, DC is starting their projects from successful comics that the fans already love. So far Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier (the most amazing comic published last year) and The Teen Titans Judas Contract (viewed by many as the best Teen Titans story) have been announced.

But first, DC is pulling out the big guns.

In September, Superman - Doomsday will be transformed into a fully animated film. I’m more than a bit surprised at the voice actors chosen for the project. Adam Baldwin (of Firefly and My Bodyguard) as Superman and Anne Heche as Lois Lane. Oooookay.

Here’s the trailer.

Below is the official Warner Home Video press release (if you like, play a ‘drinking game’ with the words Superman and Doomsday (… hopefully at home).

Warner Home Video, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release an all-new original movie Superman Doomsday on September 18, 2007.

Utilizing the vast history and tradition of DC Comic’s classic comic book stories along with a more provocative and action-packed story line for avid comic fans as well as kids and their parents, Superman Doomsday features the voices of Adam Baldwin (“Independence Day”) as Superman, Anne Heche (“Men in Trees”) as Lois Lane and James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) as Lex Luthor, and will be available for $19.98. Order due date is August 14, 2007.

Produced by Bruce Timm (Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series) and written by Duane Capizzi (The Batman, The Batman vs. Dracula), Superman Doomsday is inspired by the best-selling graphic novel of all time, DC Comics’ The Death of Superman. When the intergalactic serial killer Doomsday is unearthed, Superman meets the creature head on in the battle to end all battles. Going punch for punch, Superman finally ends the threat of Doomsday as he throws one last punch and collapses forever – making the ultimate sacrifice to save Metropolis and all those he once loved.

Superman Doomsday will be available exclusively on DVD with collectible packaging as well as over 70 minutes of incredible DVD extras including:

• “The Clash of the Juggernauts” – A retrospective look at the craze which caught the world by storm. What happens when millions of fans are suddenly subjected to the death of their favorite character? Total mayhem! Going on record about the “Death of Superman” will be Paul Levitz and other DC staff as well as comic book artists throughout the industry. News clippings, reports and first-hand archival testimony from fans will be pieced together in a retrospective way. The featurette will also include a closer look at the dark Superman appearing in “The Return of Superman” graphic novel.
• The Artists Playground…From Art to Sound Design in Superman Doomsday – Producer Bruce Timm and his creative team of writers, animators and designers will take us on an exciting journey of character evolution. This documentary will focus on early character concept drawings, final character art, various stages of modeling, storyboards, animatics, layering of colors, voice talent and ultimately final animation.
• Justice League: The New Frontier - Sneak peak of the next DC Universe Original Movie
• Defeat Doomsday: Battle Challenge - Battle as Superman to defeat Doomsday in this fast-action, dexterity challenge which lets the users relive the epic battle with unique gameplay inter-cut with footage from the movie.
• Widescreen (1.78:1)
• 5.1 Dolby Digital

“We are thrilled to be releasing the first of the DC Universe movies that feature extraordinary talent including Adam Baldwin and Anne Heche, as well as the lauded producer/writer team of Bruce Timm and Duane Capizzi,” said Dorinda Marticorena, WHV Vice President, Kids and Sports Marketing. “With an authentic animation look and feel and a more emotional as well as action-packed storyline, Superman Doomsday will certainly appeal to adult comic book fans and older kids.”

Superman Doomsday will be supported by a massive media campaign delivering millions of impressions. Marketing support will also include strong promotion support as well as explosive online promotion stunts. Finally, the DVD release of Superman Doomsday will be supported by a network television premier.