Comics on sale 12/23/09

I’m fighting a nasty cold, so no editorial for this week’s releases. A nice selection of offerings this week including a few that I have highlighted for special attention including this stunning hardcover collection of anti-war cartoons, a collection of Alec strips from Eddie Campbell and the regular guys in tights.

For the complete list of this week’s comics, click here.

The Great Anti-War Cartoons

For centuries, cartoonists have used their pens to fight a war against war, translating images of violent conflict into symbols of protest. Noted comics historian Craig Yoe brings the greatest of these artists together in one place, presenting the ultimate collection of anti-war cartoons. Together, these cartoons provide a powerful testament to the old adage, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword,’ and remind us that so often in the last couple of centuries, it was the editorial cartoonist who could say the things his fellow newspapermen and women only dreamed of, enlightening and rallying a nation against unjust aggression. Readers of The Great Anti-War Cartoons will find stunning artwork in a variety of media and forms (pen-and-ink, wash, watercolor, woodcut – single images and sequential comic strips) from the hands of Francisco Goya to Art Young, from Robert Minor to Ron Cobb, and from Honoré Daumier to Robert Crumb, as well as page after page of provocative images from such titans as James Montgomery Flagg, C.D. Batchelor, Edmund Sullivan, Boardman Robinson, William Gropper, Maurice Becker, George Grosz, Rick Griffin, and many more. This book is neither ideological nor parochial: The cartoons range across the political spectrum from staunch conservative flag-wavers to radicals and hippies, and span two centuries and the entire globe (Australia, Russia, Poland, France…). But their message remains timeless and universal.

Agents of Atlas Vol. 1 : Dark Reign

Since becoming Khan and head of the Atlas Foundation, James Woo has attempted to use his boundless resources and far-reaching influence for good with the help of his teammates, the Agents of Atlas: Gorilla-Man, Marvel Boy, Namora, M-11 the Human Robot and Venus. Not surprisingly, their goals sit in stark contrast to those of Norman Osborn, head of H.A.M.M.E.R. With each party hoping to use the other to its advantage, Woo makes a deal with Osborn, both men more than a little suspicious of the other’s motives. And when the Agents look to be building a hellish arsenal for the former Green Goblin, they catch the attention of none other than Captain America – leading to the throwdown to end all throwdowns with the New Avengers! Plus: a 1950s flashback to the Agents of Atlas’ first savage encounter with the man known as Wolverine and more!

Collects
AGENTS OF ATLAS #1-5, WOLVERINE: AGENT OF ATLAS, GIANT-SIZE MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS and material from SECRET INVASION: WHO DO YOU TRUST? & DARK REIGN: NEW NATION
Alec: The Years Have Pants by Eddie Campbell

For the first-time ever, the groundbreaking autobiographical comics of master cartoonist Eddie Campbell are collected in a single volume! Brilliantly observed and profoundly expressed, the Alec stories present a version of Eddie’s own life, filtered through the alter ego of ‘Alec MacGarry.’ Witness Alec’s progression ‘from beer to wine’ – wild nights at the pub, existential despair, the hunt for love, the quest for art, becoming a ‘responsible breadwinner,’ feeling lost at his own movie premiere, and much more! At every point, the author’s uncanny eye for irony and wry self-awareness makes even the smallest occasion into an opportunity for wit and wisdom. This edition collects the previous Alec books, as well as a generous helping of rare and never-before-seen material, including an all-new 35-page book, The Years Have Pants.
Battlefields by Garth Ennis

Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present the return of the acclaimed BATTLEFIELDS series by writer Garth Ennis!

Beginning this month, with the debut of HAPPY VALLEY #1 (of 3), featuring art by Paul Jason Holden and series covers by Garry Leach! England, January 1942: young Australian Ken Harding arrives at his first operational squadron, keen to play his part in the aerial attack on Germany as the commander of a bomber crew.

Losses have been high and life expectancy is low, but Ken remains undaunted- until he meets his crew, a foulmouthed, battle-hardened bunch with no time for new boys who can’t stand the pace.

Together, they must take the war to the enemy over the most heavily-defended region of the Third Reich- the industrial heartland of the Ruhr, known to the men who face the flak and nightfighters as Happy Valley.

JSA Blackest Night #1 (of 3)

The mystery men of yesterday are back and they seek the hearts of their new counterparts! It’s Mr. Terrific vs. Mr. Terrific, Dr. Midnite vs. Dr. Midnite, Sand vs Wesley Dodds!

Can the new generation of heroes survive the rise of the Black Lantern JSA? Find out in this all-new miniseries from original JSA co-writer James Robinson and rising star artist Eddy Barrows (Blackest Night: SUPERMAN)!

Classic Marvel Figure Coll Mag Special Destroyer

One of Stan Lee’s earliest comic book creations, Timely Comics’ The Destroyer was one of the most popular comic book characters of the Golden Age of Comics. Kevin ‘Keen’ Marlowe was given the same Super-Soldier serum that created Captain America, and he created the fearsome identity of The Destroyer to battle the Germans in occupied Europe.

This Golden Age paragon is the lastest figure to receive the deluxe treatment in the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection Magazine. This hand-sculpted lead figure comes with a 20-page magazine, an exclusive slipcase, and a double-sided poster.

Complete Dracula #5 (of 5)
By: Leah Moore, John Reppion, Colton Worley, John Cassaday
Dynamite’s Complete Dracula concludes here! With Van Helsing’s group in pursuit of the Lord of the Undead, Dracula returns to Transylvania. Here, see the final showdown between Van Helsing and Dracula…with the soul of Mina at stake (literally).

Dark Reign: Ares #3 (of 3)
By: Kieron Gillen, Manuel Garcia, Ed McGuinness
Ares and his men enter a suicide standoff! The God of War exposed his hand-picked H.A.M.M.E.R. cadets to intensive, real-world training in the field…by going up against a dark and deadly force from his distant past.

But Ares got a deadly heap more than he bargained for, and his trainees are about to get schooled the hard way!

12-GAUGE COMICS
Luke McBain #2 (of 4), $3.99

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Black Coat Or Give Me Death #4 (resolicited), $3.50
Dead Duck GN, $12.95

BOOM! STUDIOS
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep #7 (of 24), $3.99
Irredeemable #9, $3.99
Irredeemable Vol 2 TP, $16.99
Uncle Scrooge #384, $2.99

DARK HORSE
Criminal Macabre Cell Block 666 TP, $12.95
Hellboy The Bride Of Hell One Shot (One Shot Wonders), $3.50
Nexus Archives Volume 10 HC, $49.95
Star Wars The Clone Wars Vol 4 The Colossus Of Destiny TP, $7.99
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic #48 (Demon Part 2 of 4), $2.99
Star Wars Legacy #43 (Monster Part 1 of 4), $2.99
Tim Burton Oyster Boy 8 Inch Vinyl Figure, $24.99
Tim Burton Stain Boy 5.5 Inch Vinyl Figure, $24.99

DC COMICS
Arkham Reborn #3 (of 3), $2.99
Batman The Wrath TP, $17.99
Billy Batson And The Magic Of SHAZAM #11, $2.50
Blackest Night #1 (of 8), $3.99
Blackest Night JSA #1 (of 3), $2.99
Detective Comics #860, $3.99
Gotham City Sirens #7, $2.99
Green Lantern #49, $2.99
Green Lantern Chronicles Vol 2 TP, $14.99
Jack Of Fables #41, $2.99
Justice Society Of America #34, $2.99
Madame Xanadu #18, $2.99
Mighty Vol 1 TP, $17.99
Northlanders #23, $2.99
Superman #695, $2.99
Teen Titans #78 (Blackest Night Tie-In), $3.99
Unknown Soldier #15, $2.99
Wildcats #18, $2.99
Wonder Woman #39, $2.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Black Terror #6, $3.50
Complete Dracula #5 (of 5), $4.99
Garth Ennis Battlefields Happy Valley #1 (of 9)(Garry Leach Virgin Cover), AR
Zorro #18, $3.50

EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD
Classic Marvel Figurine Collection Magazine Special (Destroyer), $20.00
Classic Marvel Figurine Collection Magazine #108 (Manwolf), $12.00
Classic Marvel Figurine Collection Magazine #109 (Ikaris), $12.00
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine #42 (Cyborg Superman), $14.00
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine #43 (Poison Ivy), $14.00
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine #44 (Dr Light), $14.00
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine Special (Gold Superman), $38.00
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine Special (Solomon Grundy), $34.00

EVIL TWIN COMICS
More Than Complete Action Philosophers TP, $24.99

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Conceptual Realism In The Service Of The Hypothetical SC, $24.99
Definitive Prince Valiant Companion SC, $24.99
Gahan Wilson 50 Years Of Playboy Cartoons HC (Signed & Numbered Limited Edition), $175.00
Great Anti War Cartoons SC, $24.99
Sublife Vol 2 GN, $7.99
Unclothed Man In The 35th Century AD HC (release not confirmed by Diamond Distribution), $19.99

IDW PUBLISHING
Classic Transformers Vol 5 TP, $19.99
GI Joe Origins #10, $3.99
Winterworld HC, $19.99

IMAGE COMICS
Fantastic Worlds Of Frank Frazetta Vol 2 HC, $29.99
Image United #1 (of 6), $3.99
Image United #2 (of 6), $3.99
Invincible #69, $2.99

LAST GASP
Art Of Herge Inventor Of Tintin Vol 2 HC (of 3)(1937-1949), $39.95

MARVEL COMICS
Agents Of Atlas Dark Reign TP, $19.99
Amazing Spider-Man #616 (The Gauntlet Tie-In), $2.99
Avengers The Initiative #31 (Siege Tie-In), $2.99
Captain America Reborn Who Will Wield The Shield (One Shot), $3.99
Criminal The Sinners #3, $3.50
Daredevil By Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Omnibus Vol 2 HC, $99.99
Dark Avengers Ares #3 (Of 3), $3.99
Dark Reign The Hood TP, $19.99
Dark Reign The Sinister Spider-Man TP, $16.99
Deadpool #17 (Paco Medina 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Doctor Voodoo The Origin Of Jericho Drumm (One Shot), $4.99
Fall Of The Hulks Gamma (Ed McGuinness Regular Cover), $3.99
Fantastic Four #574 (Alan Davis Regular Cover), $2.99
Guardians Of The Galaxy #21 (Realm Of Kings Tie-In), $2.99
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 War Of Kings Book 2 HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Halo Blood Line #1 (Of 5), $3.99
Incredible Hercules #139, $3.99
Incredible Hercules Dark Reign TP, $14.99
Incredible Hercules The Mighty Thorcules HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
Iron Man Vs Whiplash #2 (Of 4), $3.99
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #58, $2.99
Marvel Masterworks Nick Fury Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Vol 2 HC (Book Market Edition), $54.99
Marvel Masterworks The Uncanny X-Men Vol 2 TP (Book Market Edition), $24.99
Marvel Zombies Return HC, $24.99
Marvels TP (New Printing), $24.99
Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection GN-TP, $19.99
Ms Marvel Vol 8 War Of The Marvels HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
New Avengers #60, $3.99
New Mutants #8 (X Necrosha Tie-In), $2.99
Powers #2, $3.95
Psylocke #1 (of 4)(Harvey Tolibao 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
Punisher #12, $2.99
Scourge Of The Gods The Fall HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Secret Warriors #11, $2.99
Spider-Woman #4, $2.99
Sub-Mariner The Depths TP, $19.99
Thor #605, $2.99
Uncanny X-Men #519, $2.99
What If Astonishing X-Men, $3.99
What If Spider-Man House Of M, $3.99
Wolverine Origins #43, $2.99
Wolverine Weapon X #8, $3.99
X-Force Cable Messiah War TP, $34.99
X-Force Vol 3 Not Forgotten HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
X-Men Forever #14, $3.99
X-Men Legacy #231 (X Necrosha Tie-In), $2.99

REBELLION

2000 AD Pack Nov 2009 (issues 1660 to 1663), $18.00
Judge Anderson Psi Files TP, $24.99

RED 5 COMICS
Atomic Robo Vol 1 TP (New Printing), $18.95
Atomic Robo Vol 3 TP, $18.95

TITAN BOOKS
Charleys War Vol 6 Underground & Over The Top HC, $19.95

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Alec Years Have Pants Life Size Omnibus HC (release not confirmed by Diamond Distribution), $49.95

Games – FANTASY FLIGHT PUBLISHING INC
Descent Sea Of Blood Expansion Set, $59.95
Game Of Thrones LCG Princes Of The Sun Expansion Set, $24.95
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Adventurer’s Toolkit, $29.95
WH40K Rogue Trader RPG GM Kit, $19.95

T-Shirts
Halo 3 ODST Black T-Shirt
Halo 3 ODST Helljumpers Stencil Silver
No Running Zombies Black T-Shirt
Miskatonic University Black T-Shirt

Is a Hawkman movie in production?

Hawkman by Kyle Baker

FirstShowing.net posted a rumor today that a Hawkman feature film is in production at Warner Bros. As the online world twitches in a frenzy over who Hawkman is, the studio is proving to be no help by describing the project as “part Indiana Jones, part Da Vinci Code and part Ghost.”

Admittedly, Hawkman is an obscure comic book character, but he is also a former member of the team seen in the 1970’s Super Friends cartoon, so the visual is burned into the mind of anyone over the age 0f 32. Having an extensive knowledge of Hawkman, I can almost see the threads of Indiana Jones (archaeology), and Ghost (the love story of Shayera and Katar), but am just dumbfounded by the Da Vinci Code reference.

Created in the era of WWII, Hawkman was a gimmick character of a reincarnated Egyptian prince fighting crime with a pair of wings and a mace. In the 60’s, he was transformed into a space cop.  In 1989, DC Comics revitalized Hawkman with a hard-edged 3 part prestige format series called Hawkworld. More recently, Geoff Johns combined all three ideas into one cohesive character.

A Hawkman movie would most likely take the form of the reincarnated Egyptian prince who is seeking out his true love before she is killed by his nemesis, a killer stalking the pair of lost souls through time itself. That would combine several of the most compelling ideas of the comic book series and would ‘read well’ on the screen. The one major hurdle that the film faces is making the character not look laughably absurd. But if you look at any of the beautiful covers featuring Hawkman from the last decade, it certainly can be done.

Of course the possibility of an animated Hawkworld movie makes my knees weak.

Green Lantern and Parallax

Hal Jordan as Parallax

Hal Jordan was once the most powerful hero of the DC Universe after Superman (just check any episode of the Super Friends for proof). A fearless man armed with the most powerful weapon in the universe, there was nothing that Hal Jordan could not accomplish… against anything not colored yellow, that is. As interest in his monthly series waned, writer Gerard Jones came up with a new idea designed to attract new readers by adding a new layer of development to the fearless Jordan.

Headstrong and defiant, Hal Jordan brought a level of humanity to the alien police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. An oddity amongst the stoic and dutiful corps members, Jordan stood out by questioning the wisdom of the ancient Guardians of the Universe who presided over the corps and defended the
great battery on Oa in the center of the universe. Despite the initial success of the Green Lantern comic book, readers had grown bored with the concept and it was up to Jones to jazz it up a bit.

It’s important to note that this is not the classic version of Jordan introduced in 1959. The newly updated Jordan was a cocky older man who had a history of regret and angst built into him by the Emerald Dawn series that rewrote his origin after the continuity-changing Crisis of 1985. Other revisions to the Green Lantern mythos included a deeper relationship between Hal and his arch foe Sinestro. The culmination of these ideas came during a fragile time in DC Comics history after the death of Superman. The galactic tyrant Mongul destroys Jordan’s home turf of Coast City, driving Hal over the edge. Betraying his better judgement, he turns on the Guardians and kills anyone who gets in his way.

Desperate for a solution, the Guardians even enlist the aid of Sinestro, freeing him from prison to defeat Jordan who had grown drunk with power. But even that was not enough. To cut a long story short, Hal Jordan, once a well-respected and honorable hero, had gone kill crazy mental. As if this wasn’t enough to upset fans, a new Green Lantern was created… the ONLY Green Lantern, in fact, as the corps had been destroyed. Kyle Rayner was the subject of much ridicule and animosity as he carved out his place in the DCU as a member of the JLA. Even though all of this may sound outlandish and disrespectful to fans, it sold comics and returned Green Lantern to its place as a hot monthly series due to the controversy and bloodshed, not to mention the regime change that made an impenetrable series finally approachable to new readers.

But nothing ever really lasts, especially in comics.

As it turns out, writer Gerard Jones had not intended his story to turn out this way. After deciding that Hal Jordan needed to become a villain, editorial took the
book away from Jones and gave it to Ron Marz who was left with the unenviable task of vilifying the old guard and selling readers on the new guy.

You think that was difficult, imagine returning not only Hal Jordan but also the Green Lantern Corps itself to comics and dealing with the Emerald Twilight story… and the tale that made Jordan into the wraith of God known as the Spectre (I’m not even going to go into it). Geoff Johns had already proven himself as writer on the Flash and Hawkman, but it has been his work on Green Lantern that has made him such a success with readers.

Part of his talent is in taking what others have written and weaving it into a character’s continuity, no matter how outlandish. The Parallax-thing with Hal proved quite difficult, but devising a reason behind it allowed Johns to liberate Jordan from his crimes, explain away the yellow impurity that never made sense anyway and build a legacy around the title at the same time. In his 6 part series Green Lantern: Rebirth, Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver rewrote the book on what a Green Lantern is all about while making Parallax into something very new.

Parallax from Green Lantern: Rebirth

In Rebirth, Johns explained that Parallax was a living creature entombed by the Guardians in the great battery. Preying on the base fears of those channeling the battery’s power, Parallax looked for an outlet. The result was a yellow impurity in the Green Lantern’s power rings. Guided by a fellow inmate of the great battery, Sinestro, Parallax found a suitable tool in Hal Jordan as its weapon of revenge on the Guardians and their vaunted corpsmen.

Neat, huh?

There are those who despise the Emerald Twilight story and think that Johns’ story is just another bad idea stacked on top of a mistake. However, Johns has shown in subsequent years that his Rebirth story was not just a simple retcon designed to undo past mistakes but instead built up to his current story, Blackest Night. By preying on the Guardians’ distrust and fear of the emotional spectrum, Sinestro has forced the Green Lantern Corps down a path it did not want to explore, making it into something wholly new and hopefully capable of dealing with the new threat facing the universe. Like many well written hero/villain relationships, the characters of Sinestro and Jordan have been shown as perfect foils for each other. Sinestro isn’t simply destructive but is strong-willed and determined, often stating that he believes in the Corps itself as much as any member.

By making Parallax into a force of influence rather than an evil persona of Jordan’s, Johns has crafted a one despised story into an essential part in the Green Lantern mythology.

Marvel Movies: Spider-Man in trouble, X-Men back to basics

X-Men: First Class

The original X-Men-Beast, Angel, Cyclops, Ice Man and MarvelGirl

Director Bryan Singer is heading back to his comic book starlets, the X-Men and the plan is to give the mighty mutant movie machine the prequel treatment. The official description of the film tentatively entitled ‘X-Men: First Class’ is:

The story is still in the early stages of development but will deal with the first meeting of Charles Xavier and Magneto and involve the creation of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, the school masquerading as the headquarters of the X-Men.

As I have pointed out in the past, the story as of now is that this film will have neither Patrick Stewart nor Ian McKellan as Professor X and Magneto. The idea is to show the two characters as they build their relationship and eventually the School for Gifted Youngsters. X-Men: First Class will likely follow the next Wolverine film will adapt the Frank Miller/Chris Claremont mini-series.

No release date has been announced yet for X-Men: First Class.

Spider-Man 4

This Spider-Man is playing for keeps!

While there is movement for the mutants at 20th Century Fox, trouble is brewing for New York’s favorite webhead. Rumor has it that after Sam Raimi had finally made up his mind about using the Vulture as the next villain in Spider-Man 4 (with actor John Malkovich possibly cast as the winged menace), Sony put the kibosh on the idea and the film is now in a holding pattern. Vulture was intended for Spider-Man 3, with the villain making a jailbreak along with Sandman. The idea was mooted after Sony forced Venom on Raimi and… well.. we all know how that went.

The problem here is that while Spider-Man 3 was the least in keeping with Raimi’s artistic vision, it made lots and lots of money at the box office and DVD sales. This is causing Sony to think that they know best and Raimi is being forced into a place that he does not want to be. This could mean that either Spider-Man 4 will be another situation where Raimi is pushed into a corner where he has to do whatever the studio says or that Raimi will step out of the director’s chair and leave someone else to this mess.

Whatever the case, the May 2011 release date stands.

In memory of that gifted architect of modern sci-fi, Dan O’Bannon

Dan O'Bannon & HR Giger

One of the luminaries of the science fiction film world passed away last week from Crohn’s disease. Best remembered as the writer of the film Alien, Dan O’Bannon was a passionate member of that exclusive group of artists who helped shape the landscape of modern sci-fi.

As a USC film student student, he and John Carpenter collaborated on the science fiction comedy Dark Star released in 1974. As the film world had started to embrace the majesty and beauty of science fiction, Dark Star was the prank on that beauty. A movie about a crew of bored shipmates in charge of exploding unstable planets, Dark Star has many memorable moments including the philosophical debate with a bomb set to explode due to several mechanical faults that the crew has failed to address. Dark Star also features an alien hunt sequence that may look very familiar to fans of the later film Alien.

Dark Star 1974 promotional poster

Writer Dan O’Bannon was also an actor in the film as the maniacal Pinback (actually another crew member who adopted Pinback’s identity after the technician committed suicide). O’Bannon’s performance is hilarious as he reviews his video diary entries in this excerpt.

Dan O’Bannon as Pinback in Dark Star

After Dark Star, O’Bannon was recognized as a talented and gifted artist. Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky tapped O’Bannon to join the production crew of the ambitious international production of Dune along with Jean ‘Moebius’ Girard and H.R. Giger. A short documentary in the DVD of Fand Y Lis shows a glimpse of the breathtaking storyboards, but that’s all that really surfaced from the failed project.

O’Bannon and Moebius would collaborate again in comic book form on the short story ‘The Long Tomorrow’ which greatly influenced Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep called Blade Runner. He would also go on to work on the cult hit Heavy Metal feature-length movie of 1981.

Panel from Moebius' The Long Tomorrow

After using up so much time and energy, O’Bannon was almost unheard of in the film world aside from contributing his animation skills to Lucas’ Star Wars in the tie fighter attack sequence on the Millennium Falcon.

tie fighter tactical screen by O'Bannon

Later in his career, O’Bannon worked on Blue Thunder, Life Force and the more successful foray into comedy and zombies Return of the Living Dead. The 90’s features Total Recall and Screamers (bothy adapted from Philip K. Dick material) kept the fires burning for fans of the sci-fi film genre. Although he is no longer with us, O’Bannon’s enthusiasm and ingenuity will continue to influence generations of filmmakers.

Doctor Who – Frontios

Frontios
Story 132 – 1/26 -2/3 1984

The last of the Christopher H. Bidmead stories, Frontios is set in Peter Davison’s final season. The same writer who introduced Doctor No.5, Bidmead had contributed some of the most imaginative and intelligent scripts during his time on Doctor Who including Castrovalva. The 31 year-old lead actor had already made his mind up to leave the Doctor Who during the filming of his second season, the uneven and demanding 20th anniversary of the program that no doubt took its toll on Davison who must have felt overwhelmed. Later he would state that if he had known that the quality was going to pick up as it had in his final year he would have stayed on longer. It’s ironic because Davison’s performance always struck me as starting off strong, waning in his middle year then finally finding his footing in the last. While the stories of series 21 aren’t as intelligent or ambitious as the one before I think that they more closely match what the program is capable of and what the viewers wanted to see.

Gone are the convoluted plots and back are the bug-eyed monsters and classic villains. That’s not to say that it’s perfect. The series opener Warrior of the Deep saw the revival of two obscure monsters, the Sea Devils and Silurians, in one story however it is almost universally derided by fans. Odd that, as Peter Davison gives a bang-on performance. This once again supports my claim that there are no bad stories, just bad Doctors. Even though his last year as the Doctor featured more rubber this side of a Maplethorpe exhibit, the actor gave it his all and it showed. The program may have been awful, but the lead was sparkling.

Fantastic fan-made Frontios trailer

As for Frontios, it’s one of those rare gems that combines a future history of the human race along with developing the companion and introducing a new monster. As the Doctor apparently aimlessly surfs the winds of time and space, the TARDIS has overshot the boundaries of its allowed flight path. As if it’s not bizarre enough that the TARDIS is constantly moving along in time and that time is like a long interstate, there is also a thick yellow line marking construction barring forward moving traffic. But never mind. The reason behind the barrier is briefly explained but the entire story hinges on it. There are some points in time that are too fragile and delicate for the even the Timelords to interfere, this is one of them. For some reason, Turlough takes great satisfaction in teasing Tegan about the doom-filled future of the human race and their mad dash for survival across the stars to establish a new home planet, but the Doctor assures her that everything will work out. Humanity is a hearty stock.

Before the TARDIS can depart, they are drawn in by massive gravitational forces (???) that cause the craft to materialize right next to the last refuge of humanity in the middle of a meteorite shower. Things look suspicious to say the least. It turns out that the humans are at war with an unseen enemy and has been dangling on the point of extinction ever since crash-landing on Frontios. To make matters worse, supplies are sparse, the leader has gone missing leaving his ailing young son Plantagenet to take over and there is a conspiracy to cover up missing persons. Despite himself, the Doctor decides to pitch in as he can and use his medical knowledge in treating the many wounded and sick. The TARDIS is pulled down into the heart of the planet, leaving the Doctor stranded and powerless in a situation that he really would rather not interfere with.

The drama is very well played out and there is plenty going on for all three main actors. Tegan and Turlough fill equally important roles in the story (for once) and the supporting cast is just fantastic. The story only falls apart after Turlough goes mental and the giant slug things show up. Actor Mark Strickson was young at the time, give him a break, but… whoever directed him to drool and stare off spouting the word ‘Tractators!’ every few minutes needs a good talking to. It turns out that the enemy that is attacking the humans actually lives below the surface and is pulling meteors down to attack its foe… and Turlough has a deep race memory about all of this. It’s a neat idea but it doesn’t exactly read well on screen and ends up making a clever story silly. Well… almost as silly as the very monsters prompting Strickson’s eccentric performance, the Tractators.

Peter Davison tries to stay calm

Wow.

What can you say about these odd little critters? They are certainly unusual and the designers of 1982/83 were out to break the mold in monster designs… but still… this is just bizarre. It has flipper arms… it cannot move without waddling… and it has a muppet mouth… and it uses what look like yoga balls as weapons. You cannot make this kind of stuff up. The story comes to a screeching halt as soon as the monsters arrive and you’re in the middle of laughing yourself silly before you’re completely freaked out. The undead Captain that everyone in the story has been talking about up until now shows up grafted into a massive drilling machine. Holy crap. I still get nightmares about that visual and this is when the program was still considered ‘for children.’

The Doctor manages to use his superior intellect in defeating the goofy monsters, even gets them to fix his TARDIS, quells a massive political coup from the workers and leaves as promptly as he arrived. This story really should be considered worthy of classic status. It has a unique ambition, a smart script and also introduces a new monster (even if it’s goofy). At the close of the final part, the TARDIS is pulled into a turbulent ‘time corridor’ (????) and clips of next week’s program are shown, featuring the triumphant return of the Daleks. What a great way to round off a terrific tale.

Still unreleased on DVD, the commentary track for Frontios was recorded some time ago so you can expect to hear an announcement regarding a release date shortly.

The Residents

The most cryptic and outlandish band of the 20th Century is in many ways, not a band at all. A group of Louisiana-based artists, The Residents have maintained relative secrecy over their identity during their long career since 1969. Submitting a cassette without any band name information to Warner Bros. Music resulted in a response addressed to the residents at their return mailing address, hence the band name. Without a record contract, they formed their own label, Ralph Records.

Already exploring the connection between film and music, The Residents started work on the Vileness Fats project. The ambitious film resulted in hours of material shot over several but eventually proved to be impossible to complete. Samples of the film would later be released on the Icky Flix DVD.

After finally breaking through to radio on the West Coast with Meet The Residents, the band released Third Reich ‘N’ Roll, an exploration of the early days of rock music depicting Dick Clarke in SS gear on the cover. The music on the album was achieved by sampling over several famous rock songs then removing the original material resulting in bizarre songs sounding almost like a post-apocalyptic band of cavemen recapturing golden oldies like ‘Night of a Thousand Dances.’

Third Reich ‘N’ Roll

Their 1979 release Eskimo attracted much acclaim for its unusual ideas and ’soundscapes’ finally earning them the reputation that they had been striving to achieve along with ample recognition in the music world. The only lyrics on the Eskimo album are gibberish, yet the overall feel of the album is one of a narrative told through instrumental music. The follow-up album ‘The Commercial Album’ consisting of forty one-minute songs was such a deviation from Eskimo that anyone who picked up one after the other was almost instantly aware of the sheer diversity of the Residents’ music styles, a resilience that would prove invaluable as the band progressed while making them almost impossible to categorize. Keep in mind that this was an era before alternative music when acts such as Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart owned the venue for musical exploration.

Blending film and animation to their already avant garde identity, the Residents released a series of ‘One Minute Movies’ showing off their amazing ability to encapsulate pop song concepts into a small bite-size package… something that advertising execs have become extremely skilled at since.

One Minute Movies

In the 1980’s the Residents had developed a cult following. Known for their signature tuxedos and eyeball masks, the band had a nightmarish quality in sight as well as sound but were also hypnotic in their draw. As technology progressed in the 1990’s, so did the method of the Residents’ madness. Moving their bizarre stage antics into the multimedia realm of CD-ROMs, the band released Freak Show. Utilizing then computer animation and their unique musical sounds, the project attracted attention and also paved the way for what was to come with later projects such as Gingerbread Man.

Gingerbread Man video

Becoming more ambitious with conceptual performance set pieces, the Residents released Cube E chronicling the history of music from early country and western music to the British Invasion and the Biblical album Wormwood.

In 2001, the Residents released a DVD compiling some rare films including the Vileness Fats recordings in addition to several revised versions of previously released music from other CD-ROM projects. They embarked on a worldwide tour to support the Icky Flix DVD, performing on a blacklit stage with the videos presented on a screen above. Many of the tracks differed slightly from those found on the original recordings, introducing many devoted fans to new takes on old tunes. Looking at the footage now I can easily see where bands like Animal Collective get their inspiration.

Icky Flix version

Sadly, a collaboration between director David Lynch and the Residents for a new network station fell through, but several ideas developed into The River of Crime. Released on iTunes, the music from the short films was also later issued by Mute Records.

As the years have passed and rock music grown more operatic and obsessed with performance pieces, some have incorrectly viewed style and talent of the Residents as being highbrow or obtuse. A band that challenged what rock music could accomplish as well as blending absurdist ideas into their projects, it’s not exactly easy to classify their sound or intent.

Though they are hardly at the height of their success anymore, the Residents have retained a certain allure and continue to perform live worldwide. Their influence in the world of music and performance art has been massive. But that said… you either love them or hate them. Speaking for myself, I find their ingenuity infectious.

Rising anime director Toshiyuki Kanno discusses “The Babysitter” episode within Halo Legends

The excitement over the upcoming original animated Halo Legends film continues to build. An anthology film of seven parts, the movie will be adapted one of the most popular videogame franchises of the past ten years. While fans may still be upset over the lack of a live action film from Neil Blomkamp and Peter Jackson (who went on to create the movie District 9), the animated version looks to be an ample substitute and in many ways will probably be more fitting to the material.

Halo Legends ‘The Babysitter’ preview

Official press release below:

Toshiyuki Kanno, one of the rising stars in anime, brings his distinct action style to the world of Halo with an innovative, yet uniquely familiar approach to the episodic film “The Babysitter,” one of the seven stories within the upcoming Halo Legends.

Warner Home Video will distribute Halo Legends on February 16, 2010.

Kanno worked with Studio 4oC (and producer Eiko Tanaka) to create the Halo Legends episode, “The Babysitter,” which focuses on the intense rivalry between the ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) and the Spartans. When given an assignment to assassinate a high-ranking Covenant Prophet, a four-man team of ODSTs must accept a Spartan Sniper to their strike force. Each discipline learns something important about the other as the mission progresses into hostile territory – and old rivalries must be reexamined if the mission is to succeed.

The episode emphasizes the differences in ability and style between the two soldier types, and features a few familiar faces – Dutch from Halo 3: ODST and his teammates Private O’Brien, Master Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Checkman. The Babysitter was first previewed for HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Live”
Xbox Live subscribers on November 7, 2009.

Kanno has rapidly established himself as a force within the anime industry, building a reputation for directing stylish action anime in such productions as Black Lagoon, Fighting Spirit, Aquarian Age and Zone of the Enders. He also worked on special effects for Digimon: The Movie.

Kanno provided some further insight into the production of “The Babysitter” via the following Q&A. Read on …

Question:
How does Halo lend itself to anime/animation?

Kanno:
Halo is a property filled with so many exciting characters and detailed story settings with a very vast/huge background, and I believe that the property has a lot of room to create episodes. Thus, I think that various ways in anime development can suit the property in whatever style the creators employ.

Question:
What was the inspiration for your artistic vision in your episode of Halo Legends?

Kanno:
What inspired me the most are the “ruins of an unconfirmed space alien.” Of course, we had a premise that the ruins are Forerunners, and Microsoft/343 Industries provided us with a good deal of leeway to create new elements. We have tried to incorporate a Japanese taste as much as possible to the buildings, costumes, and other visual things to try to add greater depth and expand the Halo realm.

Question:
Were there any particular images within the Halo realm that helped shape or drive your creative vision?

Kanno:
We found inspiration in all of the art books provided by Microsoft, especially the beauty of the nature shown in the image boards as well as in the game itself. I tried to incorporate a similar beauty in my episode. In addition, the costume and the weapons of various characters such as the Brutes, Elites and Prophet provided me with inspirations in creating the characteristics of this episode.

Question:
Why were you the right person to direct/design/write this episode?

Kanno:
The original script describing a story relating to the relationship between Spartans and ODST was been provided by Mr. Frank O’Connor. I discussed with Ms. Tanaka, the producer of the episode, that we needed to brush up the story to make it more understandable and impressive, and proposed the new script to Microsoft. I believe that the script has become better suited to animation.

We had a very strong design and animation team. I was in charge of character designs and focused on creating designs to easily express emotions of each of them. I employed Mr. Hayashi and Mr. Suzuki to design mechas, such as those involving the Spartan, ODSTs and Covenant. They have been very good in creating mechas that are simple but very cool designs.

Mr. Sasaki was in charge of background designs, and his ideas helped realize a very distinguished world of “The Babysitter” – giving our anime sensibility, but retaining the Halo taste. He has created an original UNSC spaceship and the design seemed to please the Microsoft staff.

Both Ms. Miyuki, who was in charge of coloring, and Mr. Watanabe, who headed the CGI as well as the screen plan, focused on keeping a balance throughout the entire episode. I believe that they contributed a lot in accomplishing a profound screen play.

Question:
What did you set out to accomplish in this episode, and why do you think you achieved or exceeded your goals?

Kanno:
The most distinguished characteristic of this episode is that this is the only episode in Halo Legends where ODST characters appear. During the production of this episode, a new Halo game “Halo 3: ODST,” featuring ODST characters, was released – and our episode has some common characters with the game. Thus, we felt an intense pressure to make the episode very enjoyable to the newcomers to the Halo world and, more over, to ensure that the episode would not betray the trust of the game fans.

I, myself, was a quite a newcomer to Halo at the beginning of this project, and it was a very hard process to understand the vast realm of Halo and to create new things out of it. Consequently, I have found out that the episode has become very exciting and much better than I had originally expected. I believe that this result comes from the efforts of each and every member of our production staffs. This was a very collaborative effort.

Question:
How important was having Halo gaming experience to bringing the world to life in anime?

Kanno:
I am not at all good at playing video games, and I have not played that much. But my staff played a great deal, and both myself and my staff spent a lot of time viewing the long-playing movie many times to ensure we understood the Halo realm as well as the details of its settings.

Question:
Are there any hidden images or behind-the-scenes “Easter eggs” – special little things you included for the devout Halo fans – that appear within your episode?

Kanno:
It was simply tough enough for me to understand the Halo universe during such a short period of time, so I did not have time or room to create such “hidden images” etc. However, I strongly believe that every viewer will feel the enthusiasm of all of our creative staffs in the episode.

For more information please go to
WWW.HALOLEGENDS.COM

William Baldwin voices Batman in “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths”

Several DC Universe animated movies have been released to date, each earning a strong positive response from fans and critics both. Whereas the previous films have been adaptations of previously written stories or retellings of origins, the latest film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an entirely new story by Justice League writer Dwayne McDuffie. Initially planned for the last season of the animated program, the story line was later adapted into a stand-alone tale for the latest cartoon film. Set in the confines of comic book continuity rather than establishing a new JLA history or using the animated version, the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths will closely honor a word familiar to DC Comics fans.

The previews have made this out to appeal to fans of the recent animated slugfest Superman/Batman: Public Enemies on a much larger scale. From the looks of things, this is sure to satisfy fans of the DC animated projects that have drawn in so many viewers.

The cast of voice actors is a combination of veteran vocal actors and celebrities more well-known for their on-screen acting in film and TV. James Woods has been cast as the evil version of Batman named Owlman, Christ Noth as Lex Luthor, Mark Harmon as Superman, Spectacular Spider-Man voice actor Josh Keaton as the Flash and William Baldwin as Batman.

A press release is attached below exploring William Baldwin’s approach to voice acting and related subjects.

WILLIAM BALDWIN ASSUMES THE ROLE OF BATMAN FOR JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

Dirty Sexy Money star William Baldwin slides easily into the famed cowl as the voice of Batman in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, an all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation.

A fan of the super hero genre since his youth when the Baldwin brothers would role play in their backyard, William Baldwin has proudly, enthusiastically undertaken the deep, gravelly vocal tones of the Dark Knight. While Baldwin has crafted a fine career in live-action film and television, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths represents only his second foray into voiceover for animation, having recorded a few episodes on the Nickelodeon series Danny Phantom.

Beyond ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money television series, Baldwin has offered memorable turns in the feature films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Flatliners, Backdraft and The Squid and the Whale, the latter of which earned (ironically) a Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League). Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer, and the film is co-directed by Lauren Montgomery (Green Lantern: First Flight) and Sam Liu (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies). The full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on February 23, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def, as well as single disc DVD, and On Demand and Download.

Baldwin took time after his recording session to chat about visualization techniques in the sound booth, his children’s influence on his choice of roles, the super hero roughhouse role play by the Baldwin brothers (particularly Alec Baldwin) in their youth, and his very nearly being cast in the live-action role of Batman. Now let the man speak …

QUESTION:
What are your thoughts about joining the list of actors from Adam West and Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer and George Clooney to Kevin Conroy and Christina Bale – that have played Batman?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
I almost did join that group – I was one of Joel Schumacher’s top choices when Val Kilmer wound up playing Batman. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton had left, so Joel had the luxury of replacing Michael Keaton and he told me that his four choices – which was an eclectic, diverse array – were Daniel Day Lewis, Ralph Feinnes, Val Kilmer and me. I didn’t even know it at the time – he told me when I had a meeting with him later. The next time, when George Clooney did it, (Schumacher) said, “You were on my original short list with those other three actors, but the studio went with Val and this time I’d like to go with you.” And that Friday afternoon, I thought I was playing Batman – and then Monday morning, the headlines in the trades said that George Clooney had gotten the part. So apparently, I did actually come very close.

I was very excited to do this. I wasn’t really thinking about any past Batmans, but more of letting the material sort of dictate the choices that I make as an actor. What’s happening physically, what’s happening emotionally, what’s happening in the writing. That’s what really drives your performance.

QUESTION:
How did you choose to interpret the character? And was there anything you wanted to do differently than what had preceded you.

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
I was mostly influenced by whom I perceive Batman to be, with the possible exception that I think sometimes I allow a certain sensitivity or an emotional dynamic to give (the character) maybe a likeability or an accessibility. That’s almost an insecurity of mine as an actor – to want to breathe a little bit of those types of emotions into characters. I think I find them more appealing and more likeable and more human. What I didn’t choose to do is to go towards the darkness of the way the original Batman series was intended. Because Batman, in the original comic series, was a lot darker than the character that was brought to life in television.

QUESTION:
Are there any personal attachments to Batman that make voicing this role special for you?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
It’s a number of things – certainly the history of the character. The people that have been lucky enough to portray Batman on screen, or provide his voice, is a short list and it’s pretty cool. I’m in good company. I enjoyed it as a child, and the character still resonates for me. And I’m a father of an 8-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 4-year-old – my boy is sandwiched between his sisters, and he just loves the super heroes. We watch Justice League together. I try not to let him overdo it too much with television, but there’s great, wholesome messages that come out of that series. When I told him that I was playing Batman, his jaw dropped. I almost took him out of school today to have him come down here (for the recording session).

QUESTION:
How many times have you said “I’m Batman” in the past week?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
Probably about a half a dozen, usually just joking with my kids and my wife. I was in the studio about a 9-iron from here, where my wife (Chynna Phillips) was recording, and all the band members were giving me different lines to say as Batman. Or having me improvise some lines. And we were having some wicked, twisted fun with it (he laughs).

QUESTION:
It seemed you were quite focused in the booth, conveying all the physical and emotional traits as Batman. How immersed in the role did you feel?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
I take it seriously. And I enjoy it, especially recreating the sound effects of the fight sequences and stuff like that. One thing that was interesting to me was how clean they need the lines and, thus, how specific I had to keep my relationship to the microphone, and making sure there weren’t any other sort of ancillary sounds. When I’m doing looping for a film, I guess it’s sort of a method approach. I’ll put things inside my mouth and try to recreate the circumstances or the emotions that existed while I was performing. There’s nothing better than when you’re grunting from lifting something to try and create that sensation. I do a lot of visualization, too. So when you’re having the confrontation with Lex Luthor or Superwoman, sometimes I’ll look through the mike into the booth to somebody in the room. I’ll look at them and just sort of imagine it in my mind, to just pick somebody and lock into that, giving off this energy to them. It’s very helpful for me to have that specificity to lock into.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Trailer

QUESTION:
Did the Baldwin brothers play super hero games growing up?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
You’ll have to get my brother Alec in here sometime – he’s got the scars to prove it. Back in the early ‘60s, he tied a bathroom towel around his neck as a cape and was doing his Superman (impression), and he went through a plate glass sliding door. He ran right through it. He has these big V-shaped scars under his bicep and his forearm from all the stitches that he took when he was five or six years old.

So yeah, we did play super hero games. And my family was pretty rough. I mean, when we were playing super heroes, if there was a cartoon where somebody got thrown off the roof and they landed on the ground with a thud, then Stephen or I got thrown off the roof – into a pile of leaves, or into somebody’s swimming pool.

QUESTION:
You rode along with the Chicago Fire Department to prepare for Backdraft. What kind of research went into this performance?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
First of all, some parts lend them self to that type of research and preparation more than others. Secondly, I had a fairly deep understanding of this character because I’ve been watching the shows and films and the character for 40 years. So if I felt like I didn’t have enough of an understanding, I probably would have postponed (the recording session). But when I was looking at the script on a plane a few days ago, I felt it was kind of a piece of cake based on my understanding of the character, and really fueled my attraction to the character and the piece. There’s a lot of two- and three-line exchanges rather than two- and three-paragraph exchanges. There weren’t a lot of monologues that required a lot of line memorization, or anything incredibly challenging emotionally. I just had to get into the rhythm of how the character speaks.
Batman’s spectrum of emotion is fairly narrow – for a number of reasons. He’s always in command, he’s always in control, he’s always holding it together, and he’s pretty tough relative to the rest of us in this room.

QUESTION:
Does the Gotham City/New York connection hold anything special for a lifelong New Yorker?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
There’s always been something cool about (Gotham City) being based on New York – it’s where I’m from, where I grew up, and I’ve spent my whole career there. I remember referring to it as Gotham – not Gotham City, either – more often than I called it Manhattan or New York. I’d be on the West Coast finishing a meeting, and somebody would ask, “Where you going?” And I’d always say “Back to Gotham.”

QUESTION:
Did having children that enjoy the genre influence your desire to give voice to an animated character at this point in your career?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
That definitely motivates a lot of the choices that I make as an actor now. I’m looking to be involved with projects that are family oriented. Not exclusively, but I’d like to do some things that my children can see. My brother Alec has done a series of films over the last couple years – Madagascar and Thomas (the Train) and things like that – and the kids got really, really excited about that. And we’re good friends with Chazz Palminteri, and Chazz does a lot of animated voiceover work. When they hear his voice, they really get excited.

I was doing a television series for two seasons, so we would watch that together as a family. Sometimes I would let the kids stay up, and they really got a kick out of it. I did a film last year with Henry Winkler called A Plumm Summer that won a couple of family film festival audience awards. So yes, I’m definitely looking for some choices. Because the films in my past, like Flatliners and Internal Affairs, Three Of Hearts and Backdraft and Sliver, Fair Game and The Squid And The Whale and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, these are all films that my kids aren’t quite ready to see.

QUESTION:
You’ve tackled this legendary comic character. What other roles would you like to fill?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
I’d like to surprise some people maybe and do the voice of something that’s much more charactery. It could be much more ethnic. Jewish or Irish or a New Yorker. I have a lot of fun with that stuff. I’d even like to sing. I wouldn’t want to sing in the way that you would need Mariah Carey to sing, but just have a character sing and have fun with that, too.

QUESTION::
What were your impressions of this animation experience versus some of your previous experiences?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
I’m getting better at it. I’m very tough on myself, so I’m never quick to say that I felt like it was great when it wasn’t. I usually have my own sort of standards that I set for myself. It felt like I was able to achieve my objectives more quickly. I think that comes with maturity as a performer and, uh, it’s nice to know. Because there’s been times where I’ve done voiceover work where they would normally allot two hours for someone who can bang it out, and they would have to allot three or three and a half or four hours. It’s not that I couldn’t do it quickly, it’s just that I’m such a perfectionist. I tend to be saying “Let me try that again. Let’s do one more … one more … one more.” I think I said, “Let me do one more” about 10 times today, which wasn’t a lot. Sometimes I say it 100 times. I think everybody thought that it felt right, it felt good, it sounded great. It’s always fun, but I want to get it right.

QUESTION:
Is it difficult acting alone in the booth?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
It forces you to hone in and focus on the performance aspects and the emotional aspects of what you’re trying, and visual them in your head. Acting is not acting, it’s reacting. You’re reacting to what somebody’s saying and how they’re saying it. That was great about the television show that I just did (Dirty Sexy Money) because the props department would tie me in when we would do something like a telephone conversation. When I had one with Donald Sutherland, I didn’t have to come into the studio to do it. They would just have me call on my cell phone from my home in Santa Barbara, and I would call in when the camera was rolling and I would literally have the conversation with him. In the old days, sometimes you would have the other actor come in on his off day just to read that telephone conversation off camera. Then that changed and you would wind up reading this telephone conversation with the script supervisor who (A) is not an actor, and (B) does not know what the choices of the actor are going to be when they shoot his side of the telephone conversation in two weeks. That can be very difficult and very stilted when they cut that telephone conversation together – sometimes you can tell by the way someone’s reacting to a line that they weren’t hearing the actor do it on that day. They just interpreted what they thought the actor was going to do on that day, and they were wrong. I’m talking about stuff that’s very subtle, like someone raising their voice a little bit in the reaction to the other person. Little things. But that’s acting. You’re not just reacting to the words, you’re reacting to the way the words were said. Was it threatening? Was it menacing? Was it intimidating? Was it submissive? It’s all based on little layers and subtleties.

QUESTION:
Can you compare acting on camera to acting in the booth, and how Andrea Romano was able to guide you through those differences?

WILLIAM BALDWIN:
It’s sort of a mixed bag. On camera, you’re usually acting to another actor who you’re looking at, who’s in the room with you. Today, I was in the sound room and Andrea was behind the glass. And she’s not an actor. But for a director, from a performance standpoint, she was giving me more than enough. What really helped was the specificity of her notes. When something wasn’t right, she would give me a note that would 180 it, or she would give me a little subtle note. That was great. “You’re forgetting to add in this layer” or “Give me a little bit more urgency.” At one point, I throw a punch and Superwoman catches my fist and starts to squeeze my fist. And I said, “Do you want me to wince and scream in pain when she’s crushing my fist? And am I supposed to fight the temptation of revealing to a woman – because wouldn’t Batman wouldn’t want to give away that power that a woman is causing the pain.” I mean, it would be different if Lex Luthor or Superman were doing this, right? So we sort of hashed that out and found those sort of things as we were going along.

For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s official website at www.JUSTICELEAGUECRISIS.com.

JSA – The Unholy Three

The sequel to the Liberty Files took three entire years to hit stands, causing many to wonder if it was ever going to arrive at all. In that time writer Dan Jolley and artist Tony Harris had refined their crafts in many ways, making The Unholy Three a different beast. In the interim, the pair had worked on Lazarus Five and were still putting the final touches on what would become their critically acclaimed series Obergeist. Whereas the Liberty Files was an exercise in placing time honored heroes into a hard-boiled world, the follow-up was tasked with the opposite endeavor. The Unholy Three is in essence an attempt to inject the superheroic qualities of the DC Universe into the world that Jolley and Harris had created. The quickest way to make this clear is by introducing Superman.

Wayne is pulled from his work bringing order to his city of Gotham, as we see him battling a half-big-half-human Harvey Dent before he is called back into service. The wet-behind-the-ears Clark Kent jars almost immediately with Wayne and Tyler, still sore over losing two of their fellow agents Charles McNider and Terry Sloane. The arrival of Kent does little to smooth these bumps, in fact Wayne takes an immediate dislike to Kent’s charming innocence. Tracking down leads to something called ‘The Trigger’ leads the team into conflict with a strange creature called the Parasite who can leach abilities and strength from its victims. In battle, Kent proves that he is far more than he appears to be and crushes the Parasite under a building in a fit of anger.

Kent and Tyler are almost immediately shocked and somewhat impressed by Kent’s display of power, yet he still has not earned his place at the adult table. After meeting up with legendary agent Sandman, Kent is snubbed in the mission’s next turn that would lead the team into a more subtle approach. As Kent and Tyler plot their next move, Kent shows his true colors and cuts off his fellow agents as he makes moves that are decidedly out of character for what readers would expect.

The two part story concludes impressively with Harris-designed versions of several characters including Hawkman, Red Tornado, the Flash and more. The finale is an all-out blockbuster fight for the future of humanity. It spells the end of one era and the beginning of another. At the time, Harris had openly spoken about not wanting to return to simply being an artists and was much more interested in taking a co-writer role in future projects. He and Jolley were both keen to explore more JSA stand-alone stories beyond The Liberty Files, but I really think that the sequel was sufficient in providing closure on the concept of a wartime pulpy Elseworlds JSA.

In the time since its publication, DC Comics has sworn off Eleworld or What If? stories saying that it diluted the market with over-exposure of key characters. I can’t exactly disagree, but the JSA Liberty Files and Unholy Three are still fondly remembered by readers. If anything, DC should focus their efforts into more standalone stories that serve as the perfect encapsulation of what their properties are capable of.