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Brandon Auman On Action, Loss And Obsolescence In 'Iron Man: Rise Of Technovore' [Interview]

Josh Wigler — 2013-04-23T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Movies, Interviews, Animation

Tony Stark thrusts off on his third solo live-action adventure in just a few short weeks, when Iron Man 3 bursts into theaters on May 3. But that's not the only place you can see ol' Shellhead in motion this year.

Earlier in April, Marvel released their latest anime effort starring everyone's favorite billionaire playboy philanthropist: Iron Man: Rise of Technovore. With a story from Brandon Auman that features fan-favorite Marvel heroes like Black Widow, Hawkeye and The Punisher (voiced by The Walking Dead's breakout star Norman Reedus), Rise of Technovore brings us a Tony Stark at his lowest, unsure of his place in the future, and fueled by vengeance over the murder of a close friend - at the hands of a brilliant and enigmatic enemy, Ezekiel Stane.

We spoke with Auman for much more on Technovore, and also got a tease of his other Tony Stark movie hitting shelves this year, "Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United.ComicsAlliance: Brandon, let's start out with three words that define what Iron Man: Rise of Technovore is all about to you.

Brandon Auman: Hmm... I would say "action," "loss," and "obsolescence." Strange choices, right? Action of course doesn't need an explanation; there is a lot of it crammed into 90 minutes. There are amazing fight scenes, aerial battles, undersea chases, clashes with a giant monster, you name it. Loss because it's a central theme; Tony loses [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS], Zeke Stane lost his father... both are driving forces, even if Zeke doesn't want to admit it. Another interviewer brought up obsolescence, which was dead-on. Not only that, but the fear of obsolescence, especially when you're an inventor like Tony Stark. You wonder when the next genius - someone younger and smarter than you - is going to emerge and build something better. And that fear manifests in the form of Zeke Stane, this crazy young genius inventor who is very similar to Stark, only with serious issues, largely due to loss and neglect. He wants to lash out at authority figures... he wants to dismantle the system.

CA: In Rise of Technovore, we see a lot of different versions of Tony. We see Tony the loser, a man brought to his knees by personal tragedy. We see Tony the renegade, hellbent on vengeance. We see Tony the thinker, problem-solving his way toward the finish line. And that's not all. Can you talk a bit about the different kinds of Tony we see in this film, and which aspects of the character you were most interested in exploring?

BA: All of them, really! I wanted to see all of Tony Stark's facets, starting with the cocky, fun playful nature we've come to know, to a Tony shattered by the loss of his best friend - to the Stark driven by revenge, and then experiencing empathy with his enemy... something he rarely does, because usually they're straight-up evil. I wanted to see the unabashed superhero... but also the caring side of Tony Stark. Ezekiel is so young; Tony sees a lot of himself in the kid. Both lost their fathers, and Tony was forced to kill Obadiah, so he feels partly responsible, even though he was defending himself.

CA: Flipping that last question, what aspects of Tony do you wish Technovore had more time to spend on?

BA: Well, having written the story but not the script, I wish that Tony's character would have been written a little differently. But considering that Iron Man is a relatively new character in Japan, I thought Kengo Kaji's script was interesting, and Madhouse did a fantastic job bringing Iron Man to the screen. It's a fun ride, filled with action, ideas, philosophy... it feels very Eastern, in execution and structure, which I love. Not your typical Iron Man!

CA: Technovore is a team-up film for Tony in many ways - he's working with Rhodey, S.H.I.E.L.D., even the Punisher at one point. And you've worked on another team-up film featuring Stark: the animated movie Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United, coming out at the end of 2013. Obviously, Hulk and Iron Man are a very popular pair after The Avengers last summer. How much did that film's approach influence your own approach to writing the characters in Heroes United?

BA: Quite a bit. But Henry Gilroy and I were also heavily influenced by the comics. Now that the live-action movies are so huge, some people think that whatever animated film or series comes out is going to be tied directly to it, but that's not the case at all. Heroes United isn't necessarily tied to the MCU, and neither is Technovore, at least not directly - more of an alternate universe. Also keep in mind, Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United is geared for a much younger viewing audience than Technovore. They are very different.

CA: Tony is an interesting case, because he's a lot of fun when he's off on his own, but he's also a lot of fun when he's pinging off of other players, like Hulk or, in the case of Technovore, the Punisher. Were there any Marvel heroes or villains you wish you could have included in either Technovore or Heroes United, characters you hope to pit against Tony at some point down the line?

BA: I'd love for him to confront Ultron, Mandarin or Doctor Doom. And I'd love to send Stark into the future, where he could see how his tech influenced the world, even shaping it into a technological wonder, but not understanding it with his current knowledge, and realizing that his armor is obsolete - everyone in the future has access to super-high tech armor.

CA: Tony Stark is a big deal right now, arguably Marvel's biggest at the moment. And the hype is only growing, with Iron Man 3 hitting theaters this summer. What do you find fascinating about Tony Stark's current place as a popular culture icon? Why do you think Tony and Iron Man are resonating so strongly right now?

BA: I don't think it's because he's a billionaire playboy superhero or any of that, we've seen that type of character a million times. I think it's because his technology seems so feasible. It's on the verge of happening within the next couple of decades. It feels more like grounded sci-fi than standard superhero fare. You watch it thinking, "Yeah, this is what's next. My future grandkids could easily be walking around in these suits!"

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'Morning Glories': Nick Spencer On The Changing Seasons [Interview]

Josh Wigler — 2013-04-01T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Image, Interviews, Culture

The hour of the Morning Glories season finale isn't just near - it's already upon us.

Last week, Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma's ongoing series about boarding school students steeped in sinister secrets wrapped up what the creators have called "season one" with Morning Glories #25. The double-sized issue closed some doors, left several wide open and opened brand-new portals into the great unknown surrounding Morning Glory Academy and the heroes at the heart of its drama. But there's no time to rest, not with so many lives in the balance: with season one under their belt, it's full-steam ahead for the Morning Glories creative team as they launch season two in April with issue #26, described by Image as "a special, full-sized, impossibly priced $1 prelude" to the next chapter of the story. [Potentially massive spoilers after the cut]As season one ends and season two looms on the horizon, ComicsAlliance reached out to Spencer to get his take on crafting a season finale, the nature and frustrations of mystery-driven storytelling, how he sees Morning Glories in relation to TV shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica, and when readers are finally going to get some frakkin' answers.

ComicsAlliance: Morning Glories has drawn comparisons to Lost since before the first issue even arrived. When you're approaching issue #25 - your first season finale - how much was Lost, or any other show for that matter, on your mind as a guidepost for how to wrap up a season?

Nick Spencer: It's a good question. I actually have been doing a lot of TV rewatches recently. A semi-annual Lost rewatch. I rewatched Carnivale and Battlestar Galactica. When you're watching all of these things and you're writing a book like Morning Glories, which is about as TV-inspired as a comic can be, to be fair, you obviously compare your plans and scripts against these finales. Our finale didn't end up being very much like the season one Lost finale. I did think it was a little more like the first BSG finale: Starbuck is stuck down on Caprica with Helo, and it ends with Sharon shooting Adama. There's something about the scattershot nature of that finale that when I saw it... I had already written #25, but I felt it was close. And season two of BSG picks up a little bit like how season two picks up for Morning Glories.

That's probably the closest comparison point. There's a cast that's very much split up over a few locations. There are internal conflicts between the different cast members. They all end in points of either weirdness or chaos, which I worried about a lot with the end of #25. One thing that's been happening ever since I said that the season will run 25 issues, is some people said, "Okay, then I'm going to read through #25, and I'm expecting some answers and a sense of closure on some things." You could see that in the reader community and the audience responses. Now that it's out there, I think people can see that that's not necessarily the nature of #25. There wasn't a scene where somebody sat someone down and gave ten pages worth of explanation...

CA: Well, you almost had that moment, with Jade and Hunter...

NS: Almost! [Laughs] Actually, in this issue, we flirted with that a couple of times. I'd be lying if I said while writing it I didn't stop and think, "Well, you can do this for two pages, or four, you can sneak some more in..." But ultimately, it felt more important that these various story points came to a head. I felt it was more important to leave you desperate to get to #26. I obviously have to keep in mind that this is season one of many. It's easy to confuse a season end with a series end. And that's not necessarily what this issue is.

But at the same time, I really think, personally, that the first half - the first 20 pages or so - are, in a sense, one big answer. We're taking a bunch of disparate plot points in the book and we put them in order and we show you the cause and effect of each one. I felt like that was maybe the most important thing to do at this point. We'd thrown out so much: what were the Truants doing before the Glories got [to the school]? What happened to Abraham that led him to that cell? We'd thrown all these things out, and I think the first half of this issue, a lot of it is stuff that people who are intense and studious readers ... a lot of things in the first half, those readers probably already knew and had pieced together. But for the broader readership especially, it was a good time to sort of say, "Okay, Action A created Instance B, and this is how it all came to a head." I think by the end of those first 20 pages, you hopefully have a sense of that. All of these things were connected and part of the same chain of events. It wasn't helter skelter. That was my big goal.

In my mind, there are two types of Morning Glories issues. There are the ones like you saw in the second arc of the series, that are very much focused on one particular character and their back story and how it impacts the current story. Then you have these more chaotic issues that bounce around the different members of the cast, a series of different events all coming to similar heads. Between issue #24 and #25, I think we did both models. This one is much more checking in with each story-point, with all the players on the board. But by the end of the issue and where we leave it on the last page, you sort of see how all the dominoes are starting to hit each other. What Irina is doing has collided with what Ike is doing. That's impacting what Hunter is doing. That in turn leads to what Casey is doing. Casey was the very distant piece on the board that obviously needed to come back into play soon, so that was our ace in the hole to bring it all together.

CA: Sticking with some of the comparisons we've already made, does the jump between seasons one and two of Morning Glories fall closer in line with seasons one and two of Lost - ending with the hatch opening, and starting back up immediately inside of the hatch - or seasons two and three of BSG - ending with the Cylons invading New Caprica, and picking up well into the occupation?

NS: It's a tricky one, because in much the same way that #24 and #25 were both part of the season finale, that's even more so the case with the start of season two, where #26 - #28 are all connected. They won't read quite right unless they're read together. It's a beast. In total, it's a 105-page story. Don't get me wrong, I think people will enjoy reading it month-to-month, but I think the intended effect of that story won't be apparent until it's all read together. And then there's an epilogue in #29 that comprises the volume five trade - the volume five trade is only four issues - and that one trade is kind of like the season premiere. It's a little bit of both, then. #26 is one of my favorite issues so far. I'm crazy-excited for that one to get out there. I had a blast working on it. It has more answers per page than we've done for quite a while. There's a lot of small things, detail mysteries, that we clear up in very short order, and that was fun. That will launch into #27 and #28, very much a continuation of #25.

CA: Looking at the core cast of the book ... we began with six original Glories, and after Zoe's death, we're down to five. We might even be down to four, depending on what happened to Ike. The credits page of each issue always includes the six of those characters right up top - even Zoe, who has been dead for an entire arc now. As you move into season two, has your outlook about this book's core cast changed? Are you adding new "series regulars" onto the credits page?

NS: That's something we'll be updating with season two, I think. The cast is much larger than it was when the book started. The Truants are a permanent part of the book now. They're not going to disappear. They've become permanent, major cast members. One of the things I'm really excited about, when we get past the season two premiere ... the issues of this series I'm still the most proud of are from the second arc, the individual spotlight issues. I introduced the first of the Truants back in #18 in terms of them actually getting camera time - well, they were in #1 - but their story came into focus beginning with #18. I'm really excited to give them the same treatment we gave the Glories back in arc two. The Truants have had to pick up a lot of story weight before readers got to know them too well. I think the hardest issues for us, the ones that didn't work quite as well, are #22 and #23, which I think are good issues and I'm proud of them, but it was hard to ask people to spend so much time with cast members they don't know very well without Ike or Casey. Getting people up to that level of passion and interest with these characters is one of the big focuses of season two. I'm excited to get to that. They're major parts of the book now.

CA: So, we shouldn't worry about Tailies Syndrome, like on Lost? You're not introducing all of these new characters and killing them all off by the end of season two?

NS: [Laughs] Well, we don't have to deal with contracts for the cast members, so they're as safe as anybody is safe. They certainly weren't introduced to up the body count. They all have their own stories and it's going to take some time to tell them. I'm not saying that all of them are fine - that's certainly not the case - but some of these people are definitely going to be around for a good, long while.

CA: Two of the Truants, Vanessa and Akiko, are, as you mentioned, part of this series from the very first issue. I'm interested in your process here, of building the mysteries of the book. When you got to the point where you were developing the Truants characters, was it a case of, "Oh, I can use these characters from the first issue," or when you were writing that very first issue, did you already know that these two people would play a central role later on in the book? How much was this a matter of rolling with how the story is moving, and how much were these two part of the plan from day one?

NS: I think it's been five years since I wrote the first issue. It's an insane amount of time ago that I wrote it. It's tricky, because I knew even when I wrote it, I didn't have a comics credit to my name ... but back then, the idea of saying, "Oh, I'm going to get to do this for 100+ issues," was a really pretentious thing to think at that point. So I tried to write it so that it could scale, so it could end at #12 or #25, or it could keep going. The Truants were on my mind when I wrote that first scene. And I wanted to do the first scene of Star Wars. It's all intended to be like that. But obviously, when you write a scene like that, you think, "Well, these characters have interesting stories." It was always in my head to try and circle back on those characters.

And then the idea for Irina, especially, came pretty early in the story as well. The idea of having an escaped student hiding out in the woods, picking out guards and terrorizing the academy ... there was something nicely Peter Pan about that idea. Her I seeded very early. The first time we make an inference to her is back in issue #4, I think. It's there, when Daramount is talking to Gribbs, and she mentions that Casey reminds her of someone, and Gribbs cuts the conversation off - they aren't even willing to say Irina's name, for fear they're being listened to. That was the first appearance of Irina within the story. There are a couple of other little moments long before she actually made an appearance. So a lot of these characters were conceived pretty early on, but others came as we went.

CA: In going back to issue #1 recently, I was struck by two scenes: one in which Ike's mother asks, almost as an aside at the time, if he killed his father - which, we learn in the season finale, he did - and another where Ike refers to Jun and Hunter as "Brokeback bunk beds," a possible reference to Jun's sexual orientation, which wasn't revealed until fairly recently. I guess my question is the same as the last one: were these clues for reveals you had in the works, or did you realize later on that you had these early moments you could now start playing with?

NS: I wanted to establish very on in the book that Ike has fantastic gay-dar. I needed that to pay off for a couple of seasons down the road, so that was important. [Laughs] No, on the more serious side of the question, yes and no. Jun's sexual orientation was pretty early. That seemed like part of the character from day one. The Ike and Abraham stuff, and I've said this before, it's a part of the story that grew over time and became more important to the central story over time. It was always there. It was always a part of it. But Abraham is very much a part of the story that, maybe if you had asked me back around issue #1, I would have said, "That's an arc." Instead, that's become one of the overriding storylines of the book for a very long time. Because really, Abraham in that cell, is pretty much the impetus for everything in the book from #11 on. Nearly everything happens because either Abraham has sent the Truants to the academy, or simply because he's in that cell. Almost everything comes back to that. So it's a little bit of both, really. So much of what I'm doing now is moving around the order of things and deciding on things that have already been determined, when to put them forward. Not much changes at this point, but the order in which I show them in might.

CA: Reading issue #25, I was reminded of the last time you and I spoke. We did an interview for MTV about the death of Zoe, and you admitted that you "flirted with the idea" of killing Hunter off in that issue. But clearly, unless Adult Jade is blowing smoke up his ass, Hunter has a crucial role in the long-game mysteries surrounding Morning Glory Academy. So if you contemplated killing Hunter off back in issue #19, even if it was just a brief consideration, how would that have affected your long-term plans? Are there ways to tell that story if Hunter hadn't survived?

NS: I would say if I had made that decision about Hunter - which, again was more of a flirtation than anything - there were story reasons why Hunter was probably not the person to kill there. But it's really funny. Sometimes you'll see online, "Well, he's written himself into a corner! He's making it up as he goes along!" And I'll think, "You understand that everything you've ever read has been made up as it goes along, right?" I'm not arguing that I'm dealing with any kind of objective reality here. I definitely make some things up as I go. [Laughs] But there would have been other ways to tell that story if Hunter was off the table. And just because he would have been off the table, doesn't mean Hunter isn't an integral part of the story going forward. I can say the same thing about Zoe. That doesn't have to necessarily mean, "Oh, there's time travel in the book, so we can bring you Past Zoe." The nature of a story like this, where the timeline skews - without giving away too much - certain characters can have cause-and-effect scenarios without them being living, walking, breathing people anymore. So, would it have changed the trajectory of that arc and what could happen there? Yes. Would it have changed the broader, where-it's-going point? No, I could have pulled that off. But it would have been more work for me, so that's why I killed Zoe. [Laughs]

I think with these questions, you're circling the same thing: are you maybe throwing things in front of yourself, and then going and picking it up when you need it? And sure, that happens sometimes. I can think of those times. I never put anything into the book where I have said, "Well, I have no f*cking clue what that is, but it would be cool!" I have yet to do that. But usually, it comes with how exactly defined the things are. You want to leave yourself enough room so that 30 issues later, coming back to a point isn't just dictation of a memory. "Well, I said I was going to do this, so..." You want to leave yourself room to flesh things out and add things so that it's still interesting to write month-to-month, but you want to have a firm-enough idea so you don't have to figure out what the doughnut is now. You don't want to be stuck like that.

The closest, scariest moment of season one was the end of issue #14, where the sky splits - it goes dark for Zoe and Hunter and Jun, but it's daylight for the teachers. That was the most stressful moment of the book for me. I knew what it was, I knew this was something the Truants had done to separate the kids from the teachers and what their overarching goals were. But I also knew I was entering a very convoluted, multi-tiered story the second I did that. Until I did that, that whole Woodrun arc could have played out much simpler and a lot shorter.

CA: Really, the Woodrun arc isn't even done yet.

NS: Yep, we're still in it. There's a moment in #27 that I'll give away. A couple of characters come out of the woods, and it was really hard not to write for one of them to say, "Thank God we're out of the f*cking woods." [Laughs] You know? Because at that point, I think all of the characters are out of tree territory, and I felt relief for Joe and [colorist Alex Sollazzo]. If they never have to draw or color another tree, they'll be very happy. But it was like, okay, we're locked in now for a very long period of time, and there's a lot of factors to this plan. That's still something I come back to and I think I could have gone down Path A or Path B. That's the closest I've ever felt to, "Oh, sh*t. I just threw something ahead." None of it was made up in the way that term's sort of abused. It was more that we were now set down a certain path. And in a way, I think that's almost a trickier bit. Sometimes you just circle things because you don't want to close that door. Looking at a lot of long-form mysteries, and having written this for as long as I have, I can see that now. I can see that somebody said, "Well, let's do that next year." I think that's one of the trickiest things, knowing when to do that and when to come clean.

CA: Alright, I'm going to ask you about some of the book's biggest mysteries, and when we're finally going to get some frickin' answers. Your responses are limited to "soon," "later," "much later" and "never." Cool?

NS: Okay, but I should put a disclaimer on this: I reserve the right to change my mind. But sure!

CA: Okay. When will we learn what Casey's been up to?

NS: Very soon. That's very soon.

CA: When will we learn a big reveal about David?

NS: Um... what were my options again? [Laughs] Somewhere between later and much later.

CA: The identity of the Headmaster.

NS: [Pauses] Probably closer to much later.

CA: The deal with Zoe.

NS: Later.

CA: Julie Hayes from issue #7. When are we getting back to her?

NS: Soon, with the possibility of later. [Laughs] Probably soon.

CA: And finally, the spinning cylinder.

NS: Much later.

CA: Wrapping up, you now have a full season of Morning Glories under the belt. As you start moving into season two, what are the big lessons and take-aways from your experience on the first 25 issues of the series?

NS: I'm pretty proud of the first season. We accomplished a lot and we covered a lot of ground, and it's a rewarding feeling. And I'm glad we set up these markers to sort of chart the progress. It's been good for everyone to have that feeling of hitting a milestone. But of course there are a lot of things that, if you want to take a critical eye to your work - which you should - that there are little things we could have done better. Like what we just talked about: I think, to some extent, we made the Truants' plan a little more complicated and a little too vague as it went along than it should have been. There's a lot of coulda-shoulda-woulda after we did the second arc: should we have brought just the six of the Glories back together for four or five issues, would that have helped us for when we split them apart some more? There's stuff like that. But I think we've done a very, very good job of establishing our characters and making people care about them. ... Going forward, I have every hope that season two will be better than season one, and I think we can do that. I think we're better storytellers than when we started.

Outside of the book itself, the fandom for this thing, the community around this book, is so amazing to me. That's the most rewarding part of all this: the fantastic annotation at Study Hall, and the Tiny Chats we've started over the past few issues where we're gathering with the fans and talking over there, the Tumblr tag... all of this stuff that's sprung up around the book, it's incredible to me. I don't think that any book has the infrastructure and community and analysis around it that Morning Glories has. That's surpassed anything I ever dreamed of. I look at that and say, "I wouldn't trade my career with anybody's, just because no one else writes this book."

When we started, the first year, and especially the first few months, the book was a bit of a phenomenon. All eyes were on it. That was very nice, but it was doomed to fade. This story was going to get crazier and more complicated and people were going to check out, and sure enough, they did. The most disheartening stuff was when I was in the second arc, writing the stories I was most excited about... that's when we saw heavy attrition, people going, "They're just making this sh*t up as they go, there's mystery after mystery with no closure." You'd see that all the time from the "stack readers," who the book is never built for and is never going to be enjoyed by. You'll post this article, and somebody in the comments will say, "I dropped this book in issue #8!" That follows me everywhere! [Laughs] I think most of the people reading the book now, they don't think that, but there are people who brought the jury in on it early. I think it was after issue #3, I saw somebody on a message board saying, "We better start getting some answers soon!" And I just thought, "Well, here we go. Get ready to hear that for the rest of your life." But this book, it's a dream for me. It's everything I could ask for in a project and a story to tell. Unless the bottom falls out and we go wrong, we're going to get to tell this story the way we want to tell it. To have that luxury now, that we'll be able to do this with some very dedicated readers ... that's amazing. I'm pretty happy.

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Emma Stone Goes Gwen Stacy Blonde For 'Spider-Man' Role

Josh Wigler — 2010-12-06T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Movies

Emma Stone's casting in the Spider-Man reboot has been a curious thing. Initially, we all thought she was Mary Jane Watson, and some side-by-side shots of Stone and Peter Parker's red-haired main squeeze convinced many of us, yours truly included, that it was a solid fit. But that optimism immediately turned into skepticism for some when it was revealed that the famously redheaded Stone would be playing the blonde Gwen Stacy.

Stone's claims that she's actually a natural blonde might not do much to win over the skeptics, but perhaps some pictures of theZombieland actress in her new 'do will do the trick. The future Spider-Man relaunch star showed off her new blonde hair at a Hollywood event over the weekend, and it looks like whoever her stylist is pretty much nailed it.

I'm already onboard the Stone band wagon, but it's an extra comfort seeing what she'll look like as Gwen. What do you think of Stone's Stacy-fied look?

See what you think below:

[Via Superherohype]

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'Assassin's Creed: The Fall' Development Diary Digs Into the Comic's Creation [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-25T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Gaming

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series breaks out of the video game medium and into the world of comic books with the forthcoming Assassin's Creed: The Fall, and co-creators Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl want you to learn everything there is to know about the assassin's code -- and they've made it easy on fans itching for more information, releasing a developer's diary video that details the creation process on the video game adaptation.The video, just over five minutes in length, begins with the comic's origin: the original mission statement of The Fall was to open up the Assassin's Creed universe in new ways, with Stewart and Kerschl initially intending to focus on series mainstay Ezio. But the duo quickly realized that they would be more interested in developing their own character and timeline, and to that end, they created Nikolai Orelov, a disgruntled assassin struggling through the bleak cold that is turn-of-the-century czarist Russia. In addition to the grizzled old warrior, readers will come to know modern day characters such as Daniel Cross, an ancestor of Nikolai's who comes into contact with the Abstergo group.

Beyond plot details, the development diary goes over Stewart and Kerschl's unique collaborative process, their trip to Russia for research purposes and their desire to pen further "Assassin's Creed" stories in the future.

Check out the full video below:

[Link via Joystiq]

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Watch All 20 'Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' Micro-Episodes Here First!

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-12T16:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Television, Animation

"The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" assembles on television screens nationwide next Wednesday, October. 20 at 8:30 / 7:30 p.m. central, but fans can get their hands on the animated adventures of the Avengers much sooner than that. Like, right now after the jump!Marvel has announced that the "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" micro-episodes that started appearing online last month are going to air throughout the week on Disney XD, the same network hosting the proper series. Micro-episodes featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of the show's superhero roster will air every night this week at 8:30 / 7:30 p.m. central, the same time that the show will be airing on Wednesday nights.

Of course, you don't have to wait patiently for the micro-episodes to air on Disney XD -- that's what the interwebs are for! We've got all 20 of the "Avengers" shorts ready for your viewing pleasure right here on Comics Alliance, so when the holiday season rolls around this year, don't say we never did you any favors!

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Activision Announces 'X-Men: Destiny' Video Game

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-07T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Gaming

As if the recently announced "Captain America: Super Soldier" and the drool worthy "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" video games weren't enough to look forward to, it appears that Marvel has another game in the pipeline - a game that's quite honestly destined for X-Men lovers.A short and sweet press release issued by Activision brings word of "X-Men: Destiny," an enigmatic new video game written by "X-Men: Legacy" comic book scribe Mike Carey. Little is known about the game at this time, except that it "casts players as new mutant recruits in a rich, branching storyline that features a deep element of choice and gives players ultimate control of their destiny." From the sound of it, I'm guessing that you'll play as brand new, possibly customizable characters, rather than old staples like Wolverine or Cyclops.

Further details on the game are slated to be revealed at the Marvel Games Panel on Saturday, October 9 at 10:45 AM at this weekend's New York Comic Con. An official website is currently online as is a Facebook page.

Although X-Men characters never go long without a video game appearance, aside from Wolverine's numerous outings the team hasn't had its own standalone title since the 2006 movie adaptation of "X2," "X-Men: The Official Game," which wasn't universally loved to say the least. With any luck "Destiny" will give the team some gaming redemption.

via Robot 6

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Is Fred Figglehorn Playing Chase Stein In 'Runaways,' or Did Somebody Spike the Water Supply?

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-06T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Movies

Lucas Cruikshank isn't exactly a household name, but Internet junkies know him under the alias Fred Figglehorn, his character in a series of videos about an overly active and lonely child who starts posting videos of himself on the interwebs. Soon, you may know him for another reason -- all thanks to Marvel Studios.Cruikshank himself spoke with Movie Web and said that he's auditioned for a role in "Runaways," Marvel's upcoming adaptation of the comic book series launched by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.

"Oh, my gosh," said Cruikshank. "I want to be in [RUNAWAYS!] Yeah. Those comic books are awesome. So that would be sweet. I auditioned for that a couple months ago, but I don't know."

Unless he's tapped for a cameo role, Cruikshank is most likely looking to play Chase Stein, the hot-headed teen who provides plenty of snark and fiery fisticuffs for the group of runaways. Physically, it's not a bad call -- the actor is a little too fresh-faced for Chase, but otherwise looks the part -- but can viewers get over his Fred personality and accept such a drastically different character like Chase?

Let's, uh, try and keep an open mind here.

[Via Comic Vine]

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'DC Universe Online' Release Date Delayed Until Early 2011

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-04T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Gaming

"DC Universe Online" is one of the most anticipated video game releases of the year. Well, it was one of the most anticipated video game releases of the year - it doesn't quite qualify for that status anymore, as the MMORPG has been delayed until early 2011.Sony Online Entertainment made the announcement of the game's delay via press release, citing a need for extra beta testing time. Of course, immediate speculation is going to hone in on the recent goings-on at DC Entertainment - the company is in the process of splitting itself between two coasts, personnel changes have been reported and Jim Lee, the leader of the "DC Universe Online" project, is understandably busy with his role as DCE co-publisher. Given all of that, it's not exactly surprising that the game isn't meeting its intended release date.

But that's just conjecture. For the official reasons, let's turn to SOE President John Smedley, who states:

"DC Universe Online is the first game of its kind, and a truly massive undertaking -- the first action MMO set in the DC Universe, the first MMO on the PlayStation(R) 3, and the first time the entire DC Universe will be accessible to the millions of fans who are eagerly anticipating its release. As the game heads into external beta testing, this extra time will allow us to address community feedback in a meaningful way. When we get deeper into external beta, we'll be able to share more information regarding the new launch date."

The press release contains new information about how to get involved with beta testing, so there's still a chance to play "DC Universe Online" this year - just not in the wide scale manner fans were hoping for.

[Via DCUO]

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'Battlestar Galactica' Star Michael Hogan is Deathstroke in Final 'Smallville' Season

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-04T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Television

When it comes to Hollywood's attempts to bring comic books to life, controversial casting is not an unusual side effect. (See: Ben Affleck as Daredevil). But there are plenty of cases of great casting as well, finding an actor that's so perfect for a role that it's almost embarrassing that we didn't think of it before. Such an occurrence has, uh, occurred for "Smallville," as Michael Hogan has been tapped to play Deathstroke for the series' tenth and final season.Most famous for playing hard-drinking, filthy-mouthed and occasionally one-eyed executive officer Colonel Saul Tigh on "Battlestar Galactica," Hogan will step into another iconic character's shoes as Deathstroke in an upcoming "Smallville" episode titled "Patriot." IGN reports that Deathstroke will only be referred to by Slade, "but DC fans of course are aware that this is the man destined to become Deathstroke, an incredibly skilled and dangerous mercenary."

Needless to say, Hogan as Deathstroke really is a genius stroke of casting. Heck, he already has the eye patch taken care of! The only bit of bad news I can think of is that we won't see enough of Hogan as Deathstroke, since the series is about to leave the airwaves for good. With any luck - and if DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. have any common sense - we'll get an entire series devoted to Hogan playing Deathstroke to fill the "Smallville" gap next season. Really, if the choice is between a "Deathstroke" series starring Saul Tigh or a "Wonder Woman" series by the guy who created "Ally McBeal," I know which one I'm picking.

(Okay, so "Ally McBeal" is kind of a guilty pleasure. Good thing I confessed that in parenthesis, because nobody reads what's in parenthesis.)

[Via Topless Robot]

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Robert Kirkman Gets Psyched in 'The Walking Dead' Featurette [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-10-01T16:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Image, Television, Video

Whether you like it or not (and we all like it), the zombie apocalypse is almost here as "The Walking Dead" is just 30 short days away from its Halloween debut on AMC. Over the past weeks and months, we've seen video clip after video clip promoting the series, which always seem to balance new footage with comic creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman saying something awesome. AMC's latest featurette is definitely no exception.The latest video promoting the Frank Darabont-directed series is called "Inside 'The Walking Dead': From Comic Book to TV," and it's essentially the origin story of how Darabont first came into contact with Robert Kirkman's zombie epic and how both of them decided to partner up on the series. Beyond that story, there's not a ton of new footage to be found in the video, though there's plenty of screen time for that one zombie they keep showing over and over again. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about.

Kirkman, too, gets some extended face time in this video, discussing the similarities between comic books and television, both generally speaking and as they relate to "Walking Dead" specifically. Indeed, the whole video is worth watching if only for Kirkman's final assessment of how the series is going: "I honestly couldn't be happier with the way this has turned out. If Jesus came down and said, 'From now on, you can fly,' I think that's the only thing that would top this year."

Yep, I'll take that endorsement!

Check out the new video below:

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Iron Man and the Hulk are Born in All-New 'Avenger: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' Micro-Episodes [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-23T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Television, Animation

Is the October 20 premiere date for "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" too far away for you? Well, you're in luck, as Marvel and Disney XD's micro-episodes intended to school viewers on the all-star superhero team have begun rolling out at a pretty breakneck pace.Naturally, the first "Avengers" micro-episode focuses on team leader and current Marvel mascot Tony Stark. The episode, titled "Iron Man is Born!," begins with a bit that could be ripped straight from the reels of "Cloverfield," as an amateur documentarian inadvertently films a giant, menacing robot wreaking havoc from the ocean depths. Who comes to save the day? No spoilers, but I'll give you a hint - his name is in the title of the episode! (Okay, that's essentially a spoiler)

The second micro-episode made its debut today, showcasing the easily enraged green menace known as the Hulk. In "The Coming of the Hulk," the Jade Giant squares off against one of his classic foes, the Absorbing Man outside of a diner. To the surprise of no one, Absorbing Man learns that he does not like the Hulk when he's angry, but fans will very likely dig Bruce's retro-inspired transformation sequence.

Check out both episodes below, and stay on the lookout for more micro-episodes building up the premiere of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

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The Cast of 'Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?!' Descend Upon New York Comic-Con [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-22T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Conventions, Video

New York Comic-Con is just around the corner, and it's not just the east coast comic book community that's counting down the days until the show kicks off - many of your favorite Marvel heroes and villains (or at least their action figure counterparts) are getting ready, too! The Manhattan-based convention is at the center of the newest edition of "Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?!," the hilarious stop-motion animated series showcasing a whole host of awesome action figures. In this episode, a trio of villains led by M.O.D.O.K. descends upon New York's Jacob Javits Center just in time for the show. The only thing standing in their way is Captain America, Thor and Iron Man -- but in a surprising twist of fate, both sides find that they have a common goal in mind.Make sure you watch the episode all the way through for one of the most inventive Slave Leia costumes I've ever seen captured on film -- and seeing as the Comics Alliance gang will be at NYCC in full force, we're* buying a chocolate chip cookie for anyone who successfully emulates the Leia costume. For reals!**

* = By "we," I mean Comics Alliance assistant editor Caleb Goellner.
** = By "for reals," I really mean probably not for reals.

Check out the video below:

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Get Your Peanuts Fix With New 60th Anniversary Moleskin Notebooks

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-21T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Off the Rack, Culture

From loving superhero mash ups to significantly more literal translations, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang aren't unaccustomed to receiving tributes from the greater art community - and it looks like there's more on the way, thanks to the arrival of new Peanuts Moleskine notebooks.Moleskine is celebrating the 60th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz's classic comic strip series with a limited edition collection of Peanuts notebooks. According to the official Moleskine website, the black and white notebooks come "in two sizes, both plain and ruled page layout," with an anniversary logo slapped onto every edition. Each notebook contains illustrations and quotes from your favorite Peanuts regulars, including a family tree that tracks down all the possible connections between the strip's many characters.

The Moleskin is undoubtedly a quality investment for any "Peanuts" fan, whether simply as a collector's item or as a new way to kick off a Peanuts-themed sketchbook at an upcoming convention. Seriously, that's not a bad idea - I might kick off a Schroeder-themed sketchbook with one of these Moleskins.

[Via The Daily Cartoonist]

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Summer Glau's Supergirl Streaks in New 'Superman/Batman: Apocalypse' Clip [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-18T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Movies, Animation

For those of you who have endured the horros an innocent "Supergirl" image search can yield online, prepare for a touch of redemption. In "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," your favorite female Kryptonian is only kinda naked.

Comics Continuum has a clip from "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," the next straight to DVD film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Firefly" actress Summer Glau stars in the movie as Kara Zor-El, the estranged Kryptonian who comes to Earth and eventually assumes the identity of Supergirl. Her "Terminator" background is especially handy considering her rampage in the buff.In the clip, Supergirl emerges from the shadows and encounters a pack of scuzzy dock workers. A nude, but shadowed, Kara starts speaking in strange tongues, prompting the lead worker to teach her a lesson in "foreign relations." Before he can do that, however, Supergirl goes all Terminator on her would-be assailant, undoubtedly setting the tone for the next several scenes of the movie. We say undoubtedly because an earlier clip totally showed us what happens next (she flies upside down).

"Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on September 28, 2010. Check out the trailer, below:

[Via Comics Continuum]

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X-23 Joins the 'Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds' Fray [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-16T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Gaming

"Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" is already one of the most buzzed about video game releases of 2011. With dream match-ups like Deadpool versus Viewtiful Joe and Wolverine versus Amaterasu on the horizon, how could the game get any more exciting? Easily - just drop X-23 into the mix.Joystiq has the news that X-23, the mutant clone of Wolverine, is the newest Marvel challenger stepping into the ring to fight against Capcom's greatest heroes and villains. Marvel and Capcom have released a video detailing her fighting technique, which clearly emphasizes speed and stabbing. A whole lot of stabbing.

But X-23 isn't the only new character announced, as the titular hero of "The Misadventures of Tron Bonne" is also joining the battle. If you're not aware of who Tron is, just know that she rides around in a giant green battle suit and tosses boulders at people. Needless to say, it's pretty darn awesome.

Check out the new game footage of X-23 and more below:

[Via Joystiq]

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Comic Book Panels Flooded With Water in 'Fluidity' Puzzle Game [Video]

Josh Wigler — 2010-09-07T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Gaming, News

While plenty of comics have been adapted to the video game medium, it's not often that we see the actual structure of comics -- panels and gutters -- in console games. But that's exactly what happens in "Fluidity," an upcoming WiiWare game that Nintendo showed off last weekend at PAX in Seattle that is set within the confines of a literal comic book, with each scene and level taking place within different panels and pages.
A game that shares some common themes with the brilliantly elemental "Osmos," "Fluidity" tasks gamers with tilting various containers and objects to allow water to flow naturally. Players must manipulate water flow in order to break on through the various panels and continue on with the game.

It's a pretty neat looking game if you're into the puzzle genre, but you don't have to take our word for it. Check out some gameplay footage for yourself in the trailer below.

[Link via Joystiq]

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Link Ink: Western Opportunists, Daredevil Cake, Work-At-Home Dilemmas

Josh Wigler — 2010-08-27T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Link Ink, Culture

Comics: There are two words to describe this one-panel preview of "Pinocchio Vampire Slayer 2" and two words only: vampire pirates. [Pinocchio Vampire Slayer]

Webcomics: If you ever think that myself, assistant editor Caleb Goellner or any of the other work-at-home ComicsAlliance contributors have the best work environment of all time, read this webcomic. There are pro's and con's to every situation, my friends! [The Oatmeal]Digital: "In Maps and Legends," the webcomic created by Mike Jasper and Niki Smith for Zuda Comics, has found new life following Zuda's massive line-wide changes. [Robot 6]

Comics: Mmm. Daredevil cake. Who wants to bet that it's made out of... devil... food? Oh, and there's some news about the recent Marvel editorial summit in New York City, if you're interested in that sort of thing. [The Beat]

Conventions: Power Morphicon launches today, and to celebrate the event, Scott Shaw! crafted an awesome Green Ranger tribute poster. And, yes, it goes without saying that the Green Ranger is the best Power Ranger (and character) of all time. [Robot 6]

Geekery: Geek Girl Diva ponders the question: "Why do female geeks feel the need to judge/compare/denigrate other female geeks 'geekness'?" [Geek Girl Diva]

Geekery: Put your sci-fi knowhow to the test by correctly identifying 36 letters used from the logos of movie, comic and game titles in this geek eye chart. [Blastr]

Characters: Ben Morse pays tribute to the Super Skrull. [The Cool Kidz Table]

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Link Ink: 'Scott Pilgrim' Fights, 'Avengers' Aspirations, Batman's Sense of Realism

Josh Wigler — 2010-08-26T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Link Ink, Culture

Art: Matt Kindt's "The Night of the Hunter" poster for Criterion Collection. [Super Punch]

Television: Robert Kirkman says that working on the "Walking Dead" TV series is like "going home again." [Splash Page]

Hollywood: Go inside the anatomy of a fight scene from "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." [Edgar Wright There]
Superheroes: Go to Hollywood on August 27 to break the world record of the most superheroes gathered in one location. [Robot 6]

Hollywood: Joss Whedon feels that "The Avengers" is the movie he's "waited for [his] whole life" to film. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

Comics: This is what the seven evil exes would look like in real life. [College Humor]

Music: The "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game" soundtrack from Anamanaguchi is available for download. [iTunes]

Webcomics: Supergirl doesn't clean up after Krypto. [Every Day is Like Wednesday]

Hollywood: Check out Bryan Lee O'Malley's behind-the-scenes photos from the set of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." [Flickr]

Animation: Want to see "The Goon" hit theaters? Maybe you should join this Facebook group, then! [Facebook]

Webcomics: Come on, Batman is totally more realistic than Superman! [Diesel Sweeties]

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Link Ink: Hulk's Fashion Sense, Battle Angel Alita Movie, Chris Samnee's 'Thor' Cover Process

Josh Wigler — 2010-08-25T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Link Ink, Culture

Covers: Check out Chris Samnee's cover process for "Thor: The Mighty Avenger Double Rainbow." [iFanboy]

Characters: You wouldn't like Hulk when he's angry, but you'll absolutely love him when he's stylish. [Newsarama]

Hollywood: A little too late, but "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" gets a 3-D motion poster. [Collider]

Motion Comics: Fall Out Boy's "Fall Out Toy Works" comic will be adapted as a motion comic by "Repo Men" director Miguel Sapochnik. [Comic Book Resources]

Hollywood: James Cameron might finally adapt "Battle Angel Alita" as his next big screen project. [Splash Page]

Hollywood: Warren Ellis offers a first look at Brian Cox's role in "Red." [Warren Ellis]

Webcomics: Watch Cameron Stewart's process as he works on "Sin Titulo," his Eisner Award-winning webcomic. [Drawn]

Webcomics: Rick Grimes has no idea what he's in store for in this "Walking Dead" and "Arrested Development" mash-up. [Let's Be Friends Again]

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Link Ink: The Stan Lee Foundation, 'Shi' Relaunch, 'Authority' Rumors

Josh Wigler — 2010-08-24T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Link Ink, Culture

Animation: Chris Yost shares his thoughts on the differences between writing for Disney XD's animated "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" show and Marvel's tie-in comic book series. Unlike the Avengers' earlier animated incarnation, this group won't be Power Rangers, y'all! [Newsarama]

Hollywood: Is an "Authority" movie in the works? [Spinoff Online]

Television: Dean Haspiel won an Emmy award for his introductory sequence on HBO's "Bored to Death." [The Beat]
Gaming: A 'Dragon Age' film may very well be on the way care of director Fumihiko Sori. [Nippon Cinema]

Art: Stan Lee is seeking artists to create the logo for the Stan Lee Foundation. [Splash Page]

Comics: Billy Tucci plans to relaunch "Shi" in 2011. [Bleeding Cool]

Internships: Oni Press is currently looking for an editorial intern for the upcoming fall semester. What are you waiting for qualified candidates? [Oni Press]

Comics: Tom Spurgeon acknowledges 25 emblematic comics of the 1970s. [The Comics Reporter]

Comics: Brendan McCarthy's "FUBAR" is currently seeking a publisher. [Bleeding Cool]

Comics: Talk about superhero origins - the "Superman/Batman" series first came about thanks to a tattoo! [Every Day Is Like Wednesday]

Hollywood: What went wrong with the "Scott Pilgrim" box office performance? A lot of things, apparently. [Cinema Blend]

Hollywood: A scene from "Captain America" was shot in Trafalgar Square in London, England over the weekend. [Superhero Hype]

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