Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 31, 2011 in Comic Books
Jack Kirby was responsible for the creation of dozens of characters in the Marvel universe, from the Fantastic Four to Thor to Spider-Man. While his style and creations are as close to immortal as you can get in comic books, the sadly-mortal Kirby died in 1996. His heirs, though, are very much alive, and have been attempting to wrestle the rights to his characters back from Marvel. Marvel claims that any of Kirby’s work was done as “work for hire,” meaning that the company owns whatever he created during his tenure. And a judge agrees — the case was decided in Marvel’s favor. Kirby’s heirs have vowed to fight the ruling, but the judge implied that there was no real evidence in their favor, so their chances of success are pretty dubious at this point.
If you’re a fan of good comic-book cinema, then, well, you probably aren’t a very big fan of Ghost Rider. You may or may not tangentially aware, then, that there’s a new Ghost Rider movie coming from Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, the creators of the ridiculously over-the-top Crank. Titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, it’s said to be a new take on the character, far different from the first film, despite starring the perpetually financially-troubled star of the first film, Nicolas Cage. “We didn’t really consider the first film at all while making this,” Taylor said in an interview with Collider. Let’s hope so! Ghost Rider’s appearance in the upcoming console fighting game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt tied to the resurfacing of the film franchise (if you can call it that), so perhaps that can drum up some good will from the public at large. And at least we know that a film by Taylor and Neveldine will be completely insane, if nothing else. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 29, 2011 in Comic Books
This is a secondhand story to this photo I can’t really verify, but I thought the implications were too adorable not to share. Wandering a comic-book convention, a young boy gets separated from his dad in the crowd. Scared, he goes to the two people who could definitely help him out: the Flash and Wonder Woman. Sure, the photo seems conveniently snapped, but if it’s true, it really does speak to the feeling of good will behind most conventions. As a commenter on the image said, “99% of the people in costume at conventions like this are the nicest, most considerate people you’ll ever meet.” Because, after all, if you can’t trust the Justice League, who can you trust? Read more…
Reports from several sites are indicating that we be seeing Star Trek: The Next Generation in full HD by the end of the year. Not the full series mind you, but a special remastered “Best of” Blu-ray with only four episodes. The report also suggests that the set, serving as a test of sorts, could be followed by the entire series as early as next year. Early speculation led many to believe that remastering the series would be infeasible due to the number of special effects shots necessary to complete the project and attempting to do so would be costly. Also, if any of you remember how terrible the first two seasons were, then you’ll know they have their work cut out for them. Still, if there’s a clear demand, and I’m sure there is, CBS could easily fund it. No word yet on how they plan on distributing the “Best of” set, but we’ll keep you posted on any new developments regarding the project.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 28, 2011 in Videogames
Bioware recently launched it’s first Facebook game, Dragon Age Legends — a game they claim is the first real game to grace the social network. I’m not really sure how accurate that statement is. I suppose they could mean its the first one to fall outside the realm of casual gaming, but I know some people who take their Farmville pretty seriously. Any way, here’s the launch trailer. Personally, I don’t find myself really impressed with the visuals but then again, I shouldn’t complain too much. The game is free, after all. Features include multiplayer with friends, a full RPG leveling system and character customization. If you want to give it a go, head over to the official Facebook page for more info.
It still seems like half a year away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a jump start on your Christmas gifts. Like most of you, I usually don’t bother buying calendars until the holidays, and even then, I’m usually not the one I’m buying it for. This year will be different, however. Pocket Books just released their 2012 Star Trek Ships of the Line calendar. For just $15, the calendar comes packed numerous pieces of art depicting various starships against the lush backdrops of space, nebulae and even in the midst of battle. Each piece is displayed horizontally, and in a panoramic format allowing you to truly appreciate the art for what it is. The only drawback, at least from what I can tell, is that you might have some issues writing down your appointments on there. Then again, isn’t that what your Google Calendar or precious smart phone’s for? If you can’t wait, head over to the official Star Trek online store and pick yours up today.
It’s rare to find myself excited about a new anime series that hasn’t even aired yet. Perhaps I’m just a bit jaded, but so many new shows air each season that it can be hard to stand out. Fortunately, Persona 4 is the exception. Sharing both name and plot with the game its based on, Persona 4: The Animation seems to be shaping up rather nicely. Fans will likely appreciate the attention to detail, while new viewers will likely fall in love with the characters and story that made the game a hit. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Aniplex bring the series stateside sooner rather than later. I still have my hopes up for a simulcast when it airs in Japan later this Fall. Until then, they’ve given us this nifty trailer to sink our teeth into. Any of you as excited as I am?
As any fanboy can tell you, it’s always fun to speculate about the future of our favorite franchises. Today, I’ve decided to take a look at Marvel’s — specifically The Avengers. I’m sure some of you are probably wondering why I’d even bother when they haven’t even released the first film. That’s true, they haven’t. On the other hand, Marvel’s shown that they often plan their films well in advance. This is fairly evident when you look at 2008’s Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Obviously we wouldn’t be able to nail down a plot for the film — that much will remain up in the air. Instead I wonder if we’ll be seeing any cameos from the Marvel’s universe. With an estimated budget of $150,000,000, there’s a chance we’ll get one. Here’s a quick list of candidates we’d like to see.
This summer, Funimation Channel launched a viral campaign encouraging anime fans to contact their local cable providers to request Funimation’s 24-hour cable network. At last month’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, I noticed they were even handing out gifts to con-goers who made the call in front of them. It might seem a bit cheap, but the cause is just. It’s a fact that Cable companies won’t bat an eye unless they see a reasonable demand for a service. I admit I like their approach, but unfortunately I find myself questioning how effective this method could be. According to one spokesperson for the company, several cable providers had reached a point where they were simply hanging up on the callers during the convention. On top of that, how impressive could a weekend of calls really be? If you really want to do your part, I suggest everyone actually take the time to call your local cable providers and make the request at your own leisure. It stands to reason that a steady demand would look far more impressive than a proverbial flash-mob. Don’t you agree?
The first trailer for Jim Hensons’ Muppets return ot the big screen— which starts out looking like a romantic comedy before revealing the inclusion of the cloth characters — was pretty cute. But it doesn’t compare in the least to the newest trailer, in which the Muppets take on superheroes in a big way…especially Green Lantern (and a little bit of Batman, if you squint).
But that’s just the above trailer. Hit the jump to see who the Muppets will challenge next…in poster form! Read more…
