if you don't know, now you know- Avengers vs. X-Men

All the comic-heads out there know that Marvel's last big thing-- Fear Itself pretty much sucked ass.  DC has since taken over the industry marketshare for the last 3 months with the New 52 and sadly heads have rolled at Marvel. Well...the House of Ideas just announced their next big thing and Marvel employees and readers can breathe a sigh of relief until it's release in April 2012.

A vs. X brings together Marvel's two most successful product lines (Avengers and X-Men bear their brand across at least 10 comicbooks, not counting standalone titles like Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, etc that have links within each respective continuity) in a time that is desperately needed for a big push by the powerhouse publisher.

Avengers vs. The X-Men will focus on the return of Hope Summers (daughter of Cable and last mutant born) and the Scarlet Witch (who was responsible for the near genocide of Mutants) with the potential of one of these or another character central to A vs. X  to be the new host for the Phoenix Force.  I see this as a mash-up of two of Marvel's past events that were viewed as successful-- House of M and Civil War. 


It has been seven years since The House of M, Marvel's last mega event that also focused primarily on The Avengers (New Avengers) and The X-Men.  Since then the X-Men have become a dying breed and have taken on more of a Magneto-ish mantra of them versus us.  You can see how this wouldn't stand well for the head of security-- Captain America, especially with highly symbolic returns of family members to both teams.  The all-encompassing , Spring event will touch most Marvel titles and you can imagine the struggle that each family faces-- especially those with history, membership and connections to both-- Beast, Wolverine and now Storm.

The creative team of the 12-part bi-weekly will be treated as an collective co-op each issue by some of the industry's best writers and artists, to name a few- Frank Cho, Jonathan Hickman, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Jason Aaron, Olivier Coipel, and john Romita Jr.  I am skeptical on how well over 10+ creators can keep a well-contained story together to us readers, but it also could represent some excitement and freshness by issue.  We will just have to see yeah?!

Fraction says, all that internal conflict and external strife is a home run for Avengers vs. X-Men's creative collective.  You crush these characters again and again through various different crucibles, and you see what's left of them at the end. You see if they can still stand up when it's all said and done. That's drama.

With all that said I pray to Buddha for Marvel to keep Jean Grey out of all of this, but you know that with a connection to the cosmic deity- Phoenix, we can probably expect her return.  See you at the big press conference tomorrow on livestream at noon PST.   For now, peeps we can soundoff here and here. #AvX

 Via CBR / USA Today

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if you don't know, now you know- Halloween Cosplay Edition 2011

Cosplay Day for everyone is coming next month and the question is what the hell will you be going as on Hallow's Eve?  Last year I was pretty spot on with some of the predictions of what costumes will be rocked. Tons of parties through the month and if you don't got a clue on who or what to roll as...here are some ideas that will turn heads and give you some geek cred.

5   Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
The successful book /graphic novel and upcoming movie (now listed on IMDB for 2013) brings together a marriage of two popular themes- Victorian style meets Zombie. This could obviously be a great choice for a group of friends that are dressing up to start the night Jane Austen-ish sharp, clean, pre-zombie then to end the night as wrangled, meat-eating zombies. 

Pro-tip:  Bring extra makeup (grey and black paint, fake blood, ripped clothes) in case you run into friends or others that aren't dressed up and want to join you on your mauling of the party/city.

4    Superhero Gender Benders

Captain America, Green Lantern, Thor-- all the rage from this years blockbuster flicks and sure to find your way onto shelves of racks at a Spirit/Halloween shop near you.  With the right fit and physique I give props to the brothas busting their cosplay likeness but just about everything is always better on a lady. 


Still plenty of time to make your own fit or customize the over-the-counter piece that will give you a more personalized, distinctive look.  

3    The Flaming C
Conan O'Brien came to Comiccon this year with his very own COCO Museum in the Gaslamp and unsure

whether it was planned or not-- he crashed a WB Animation panel to show off his next big new thing-- an animation of his superhero likeness, The Flaming C.  Yeah it was basically a bunch of Young Justice clips with The Flaming C put in but it was still epic.  Besides having to wear pantyhose this is the ultimate, guaranteed-to-get-some action for Hallows Eve.  The ladies love Conan.  Good luck with the male camel-toe fellas!

2    Game of Thrones

 

Where last years most visible TV-inspired theme across different cities and parties on Halloween seemed to be zombies thanks to The Walking Dead, it looks like this year many will dress medievil.  I tend to look at the various cons through the year as a radar for what will be hot and GoT is looking to take over the zombie trend.  One of the more incredible cosplay I have seen was via the nerdybird rocking her version of Daenerys Targaryen who even caught the eye of George RR. Martin! 

I am just hoping to see at least a few doods rocking it as Tyrion Lannister surrounded with a harem of half-clad hotties.  You know you do too!!

1   Star Wars Mashup
What better way to show your love for George Lucas and his redick, non-nonsensical changes to the orginal Star Wars trilogy by creating a mashup of your own on the most recognizable icons from his films.


With the new Muppet-flick coming around the corner its timely to go as a Gonzo (hey look its Rizzo in his E-11 holster), Kermit or as Miss Piggy Trooper (better mashup would be Piggy the Hut with Salacious Kermit).  And the Bat-Vader concept as time-intensive as it probably is, could be worth it for those of you that have the ABS-crafting skills.

What are some other dope Halloween cosplay ideas that you  have seen or heard about??!! 


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If you don't know, now you know- DC New 52 Selling Out

In most circumstances being labeled a sell-out is definitely a bad thing.  This is not the case when it comes to selling out over 200K+ comics of Justice League #1 as reported by the DC Source blog today.  In addition, DC sold out in just a few hours of the second printing and will be issuing a 3rd print of what has become to date the best selling comic of 2011.

According to some retailer friends they say that most stores under-ordered and is the reason for the second print selling out so quickly (should print at 10-20% of the original = approx. 20-40K books) and via ICV2, shops will receive 32% of what they ordered for the first print.  Translation, if your LCBS ordered low they will probably not have more than a few second prints for you to pickup if that.

 

Cover art to Justice League #4 by the dynamic duo of Jim Lee and Scott Williams

· JUSTICE LEAGUE is one of ten titles so far from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 with print runs of more than 100,000 (ACTION COMICS, BATGIRL, BATMAN, BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, DETECTIVE COMICS, FLASH, GREEN LANTERN, SUPERMAN).
· All 13 of the Week 2 titles from DC Comics: The New 52 have sold out from Diamond and are going back to press—ACTION COMICS, ANIMAL MAN, BATGIRL, BATWING, DETECTIVE COMICS, GREEN ARROW, HAWK & DOVE, JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, MEN OF WAR, OMAC, STATIC SHOCK, STORMWATCH and SWAMP THING.
· With its second printing, ACTION COMICS, joins JUSTICE LEAGUE as the second title to date from DC Comics-The New 52 with more than 200,000 copies in print.
· All 13 of the Week 3 titles from DC Comics: The New 52 have sold out from Diamond in advance of publication and are going back to press, including BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATWOMAN, DEATHSTROKE, DEMON KNIGHTS, FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E., GREEN LANTERN, GRIFTER, LEGION LOST, MISTER TERRIFIC, RED LANTERNS, RESURRECTION MAN, SUICIDE SQUAD and SUPERBOY.

If this signals to anything it's that The New 52 is paying off for the initial issues, retailers need to get their ordering right the first time around and the speculator market will be looking to pick most stores clean of the second prints with so many out there that missed out in the first prints.

So far, so good DC!

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Black Dynamite Pilot Pimp'd Out

Adult Swim has released the Black Dynamite pilot today that many lucky SDCC attendees got to peep last month.  The pilot picks up in the same badass-vibe that made the film an instant cult classic. Black Dynamite is at it again in his endless fight against the man, while still making time to uncover the secret 11 herbs &

spices of Massa's "finger sucking good" Fried Chicken.  And in a manner and seduction that only Black Dynamite could do.  Like the film- the dialogue, action, sex (though not fully nekkid) is as good as it gets when it comes to reliving the lost art of 70's blaxploitation.

In a ballsy, yet genius maneuver-- Black Dynamite and his crew are pitted against ghetto-fab, cracked-out versions of Sesame Street--

that use their magical sway over children and make them do their nefarious bidding.  Kurtis the Frog and his other puppet posse be teaching kids vital life lessons like the importance of MUNNAAAY!!! (money).

After being mildly entertained this week by premieres of new animated shows- Thundercats and the Marvel animes of Iron Man and Wolverine on G4-- we are saved by that lameass bullshit with some help from Crenshaw the Slime (ala Oscar the Grouch), the puppet that loves to Hate!  Peep the full unaired pilot here in it's entirety, RIBBIT muthafuka RIBBIT!!:

Creator and Player-at-Large Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite), Kym Whitley (Honey Bee), Tommy Davidson (Cream Corn), and Byron Minns (Bull Horn) --who all starred in the film-- return to voice their classic characters.

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if you don't know, now you know- Star Wars x Adidas Originals 2011 Fall/Winter Collection

Felt a disturbance in the Force this Holiday weekend as I came across this thanks to fellow urban-nerds hypebeast.  YES!  It's the follow-up to one of the dopest collabs in the Galaxy-- Star Wars x Adidas 2011 Fall/Winter Collection-- that appropriately centers the line with Hoth-inspired gear.
So love the everyday-living concepts used in this hilarious photoshoot that highlights the characters and styles popularized in The Empire Strikes Back.

Tops for me in design is  the Han Solo line that shows Han doin laundry-- and with most of the garments being white in the basket-- pokes fun that he is Leia's little beeyoch.  The green/orange flight jacket and shoes were made for eachother and all you really need is the holster and blaster to roundout your Han Solo fit.

The hilarity of Darth Vader as a crossing guard is creative and so damn funny.  Get in touch with your inner-Sith by sporting the hyper-stylized coat that looks to use down in replicatng his piping.  Nice add in having a hoodie attached too.  The sneaks are sick as they give ode to classic Star Wars illustrator- Ralph McQuarrie and have a nice street look to it with the art shining off of the clean white kicks.  Lightsaber not included.

Looks like Luke and the  Wampa have made up with the snow beast goin domestic on the yard-work.  Fly Rogue Squadron jacket in all white and subtle three-stripes going down each arm with a sick Top 10 Hoth-sneak to complete the Skywalker look.  And even Wampa gets some love with what looks to be some furry Stan Smiths.  You know these will all sellout so jump on it near the end of August at a local Adidas shop near you or of course the official site. 

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if you don't know, now you know- DC Reboot Post Flashpoint

So the last few weeks and for others, years (looking at you Rich and Ryan) has been a longtime coming with the official confirmation that DC Comics will be rebooting all 52 books at the end of their big Summer crossover event- Flashpoint.

Everyone and their mama in and outside the world of comics have since been throwing out their thoughts, opinions and so on in forums, feeds and tweets-- for a quickie recap here is what has been said today by DC:

We’ll be renumbering the entire DC Universe line of comic books with 52 first issues. We’re publishing innovative storylines featuring our most iconic characters helmed by some of the most creative minds within the industry.
Not only will this initiative be compelling for existing readers, it’ll give new readers a precise entry point into our titles. And on top of that, all of these titles will be released digital day-and-date across the board.
Yesterday was just the beginning. After all, we don’t want to spoil the many surprises we have up our sleeves. It’s so important to us to make sure you maintain those feelings of excitement and unexpectedness when you pick up a new issue of our books.
We’re energized and looking forward to have you come on this journey with us as we make history this September.
–Jim Lee & Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publishers

Today's round of shoptalk with my homies at Comics Conspiracy was no different--revolving around everything DC be it the fab collision of master-creators Jim Lee and Geoff Johns setting it all off with their new ongoing Justice League title.  On that, we all couldn't help but tinker with the notion of perhaps these aren't the same old classic heroes we think they are, being that the Wonder Woman pictured has quite a bit of silver that signals more to a Donna Troy colorway.  How about Flash and his much longer wingtips on the cowl...sure does have an Impulse kinda feel to it.  And one of the more obvious is Superman who looks straight out of the pages of one of Johns' Teen Titans arc titled Titans of Tomorrow.  A bit more bulkier than Conner is and no black in the S shield but this all has to make yah wonder.

One of our other Wednesday homies knocked this speculation down with how that would probably go against WB exec. Jeff Robinov plans of bringing all of the DC big guns together for the Justice League film slated to release in 2013.  Hmm...sure almost two years away but the films aren't necessarily ever a direct connect to what is happening in the books.

So far the Flashpoint tagline of "Everything You Know Will Change"...is definitely living up to the hype with more and more talks of major events never taking place in the DC mythos like first- Barry Allen not dying in Crisis, Barbara Gordon never experiencing the Killing Joke, Sue Dibny not being raped in Identity Crisis and so on. 

Major domo props to Diane Nelson, Geoff Johns, Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, Bob Wayne and the rest of DCE for being pragmatic and seeing the real opportunity to reclaim imaginations and marketshare in a time where the general public is so fascinated with the world of comics. 

This is by far the biggest, ballsy move we have seen since the purchase of Marvel by Disney.  Now it's your move Marvel. 



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if you don't know, now you know- Tom Hardy as Bane is Badass!

Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. Pictures are at it again with busting some mad, sick viral marketing for the next Bat-flick- Dark Knight Rises. SuperHeroHype was first to unveil the geeky, fab campaign that was figured out by some sleuthing fans that started as a midi code(ala the Verizon Droid R2D2 release) of chanting, which ended up being a graphical indicator to twitter #thefirerises and once you click on ADD ME the pixelated image that makes up all the tweeps that also followed #thefirerises-- you get the final, first look at a suped-up Tom Hardy (even more so than in Bronson) as Bane.

Initially, I am truly impressed with the direction of choice in making Bane's headgear less luchador and more Predator-ish.  Some sinister shit right there!

Though I am still not sold on the casting reveals (via /Film) of Hardy's fellow Inception alumni Levitt and Cotillard as near no-names-- John Blake and Miranda Tate-- but we will see what else the WB has up their sleeve in upcoming teasers as filming continues and more dope campaigns like these are dropped on all of us.

BURBANK, CA, May 19, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

In helming “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on “The Dark Knight,” which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX® cameras. The results were so spectacular that the director wanted to expand the use of the large-format cameras for this film.

The screenplay for “The Dark Knight Rises” is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is being produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. “The Dark Knight” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

Behind the scenes, “The Dark Knight Rises” reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on the “The Dark Knight.” The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who recently won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan’s “Inception”; production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (“Topsy-Turvy”). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in “Inception,” will supervise the visual and special effects, respectively. The music will be composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King”).

The locations for “The Dark Knight Rises” span three continents and include the American cities of Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles, as well as sites in India, England and Scotland.
“The Dark Knight Rises” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures. Slated for release on July 20, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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if you don't know, now you know- DC Nation Goes TV

For Con-goers DC Nation represents the name of the must-see DC panel that is straight up, no holds barred entertainment that provide fans an intimate link to their fave creators to get fed on the latest & greatest of the heroes we read, watch and love.  Well, coming in 2012 DC Nation is taking their colorful roadshow to the Cartoon Network which Deadline Hollywood reports will be on-air and online programming block of DC animation properties "populated with event programming, interstitials, exclusive behind-the-scenes of theatrical production and an insider look into the world of all things DC."

With the success of Young Justice and major excitement for the upcoming WB-backed animated series of Green Lantern and Thundercats-- DCE and Cartoon Network hit a hat-trick in leveraging the power of DC Comics, be it the creators and their respective properties.

For many of us that have been picking up the original DCU animated films and love the creator-focused, tell all story specials (Geoff Johns, Judd Winick, Grant Morrison) and those animated shorts that have been recently dropped (in All-Star Superman and Batman: Year One) as included features in the DVD-- can hold our breath until its release and hope to see that this is continued in regular DC Nation programming.

Hey and how about a fan sound-off session just like in the panels?!  Oh and in costume...now that would be some funny shit!!  See you at Wondercon!



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if you don't know, now you know- FF = Future Foundation

Sure it's a reboot but props to Hickman, Epting and the rest of Marvel to go balls out on it by not only busting a makeover, adding Spidey (was that really a surprise?) but re-amping the concept of FF to the Future Foundation.  For those that haven't been reading on since Hickman's hostile takeover-- FF has been filled with ill moments like- Doom saving the day, Reed killing off Galactus, Sue beeyoch slapping Namor in front of all of Atlantis and most notably the death of Johnny Storm.

Hickman is a lover of symbols, weaves a multitude of complex inner-meanings to his stories-- whether it is with his rich love of using history, bombarding readers with a barrage of scientific methods/facts in juxtaposition to confuse/amaze-- or just use a simple concept like a hexagon as a re-brand for Marvel's first fam.  I like the clean application of white for the FF costumes as this hasn't ever been a team that was in the shadows or covert-ops like just about every other team out there.

Marko Djurdjevic's concept designs do signal to being a stormtrooper and Tron mash-up, but hey I love em both anyways.  Now lets get back to the hexagon-- which has been used as a subtle design aspect in the first page inlay summarizing every ish for awhile now.

The hexagon is the only shape that is seen in nature as it is the most efficient use of space and materials (a  beehive), it has obvious connections to science or the microscopic mapping of DNA.  Now isn't that what the FF has always been about?!  A bunch of dorky, genius imaginauts that are out to save the 

world!!  Yes!  Quit hating on those threads ya'll, you need to jyst sit back and enjoy the wrath of this math.  The Fantastic Four is no longer limited to a few but many, with the immediate inclusion of the original Future Foundation-- Valeria, Franklin and Alex Power, Artee and the other pre-pubescent super-genius’.  

Now having Peter Parker jump on, well he fills the comedic role that the Human Torch was known for-- but also we will get to see Spidey go more into his science-nerd, lab-rat ways to keep Reed company and similar to how Beast is used in Secret Avengers-- more for his brain and less for his brawn.  As more deets roll out we will bring it to you and until March-- maybe you can play catch up with some back issues/trades  ; P  Love where this is going yeah?!



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if you don't know, now you know- Change to Brightest Day Wave 3 Figs

At NYCC 2010, more of DC Direct's new toy line releases were on display-- which included Brightest Day wave 3 that highlighted Jade, Aqualad and two White Lanterns (Batman and Flash).  Things have changed for the better as Hawk & Dove are now included in the line as replacements for the White Lanterns.

It's a damn shame when the toy companies don't get it right the first time with issuing characters that are not really critical to a story, but it is more rare that they catch themselves and give us what we want.  Hey Geoff Johns!!!  Thanks buddy!  Okay, so I am amped about Dove that looks legit but the Hawk fig...I would have preferred Max Lord or even Boomerang (Digger).

Brightest Day wave 1 and 2 will be released in March and April with this 3rd wave planned for early August.  If these figs represent the last of the DC Direct line, they are really going out with a bang.  Fingers crossed the rumors are just rumors though.  Out.




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if you don't know, now you know- Atrocitus Gets His Own Book

DC Source just announced their plans on expanding the Green Lantern family of titles from 4 to 5 books (Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Emerald Warriors and Brightest Day) with Red Lanterns.  The scribe at the helm will be Peter Milligan (Greek Street, The Programme, Hellblazer) who was handpicked by GL guru Geoff Johns.  Milligan says-

But after Geoff Johns asked if I was interested in writing The Red Lantern Corps I started thinking about Atrocitus and his anger. Because it’s not just anger. It is RAGE. A crimson red rage that still consumes him after all this time. And when you think about it, the Manhunter massacre happened an awful long time ago. Eons ago. Okay, you’d never get over something like that. But Atrocitus’ rage hasn’t weakened. It is just as immense and awesome as it was all those centuries ago. I wanted to know why. I wanted to know how.

To me this sounds just like another cog of what was already a part of John's 5 year master plan at cementing GL right in the center of the DCU.  Look back at the beginnings of The Blackest Night-- where John's busted his Secret Origin of GL-- and we learn that not only is Atrocitus the killer of Abin Sur but also the instigator in making William Hand the eventual incubator of death for the Black Lanterns.

It makes perfect sense to have a Red Lantern book that can be unleashed throughout the DCU and further celebrate the many creations of the GL Universe.  Now...lets all hope for a pairing with the sick visuals of Ivan Reis!!!



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if you don't know, now you know- DC Animated's Next

Yes, we all know that All-Star Superman will be hitting our living rooms in the next 2 months which from viewing the teaser back in September and then looking over the back of the recently released cover art-- we will be getting ourselves a very, very Morrison-esque version of his original story-- in full on animated form.

I was hyped to also see that they even got a shot of Lois in full-fledged Super-Woman gear, that was one of those great additions of Quitely/Morrison's tale which was about as heartfelt (yeah throw up now) as it is action-packed.

Like, you I noticed how we are missing a very sad, empty space in the lower-left corner of the Bluray that usually highlights the Second Feature of lesser celebrated heroes (Green Arrow, Jonah Hex, The Spirit).  But, don't get all sad quite yet.

This is connected at the hip to Morrison of all people-- who is for those unaware becoming a comic-god, gone viral in the mainstream media-- holding it down in documentaries, music videos and so on.


So of course the Big Mo takes a good amount of space on the supplemental vids.  Oh, throw in a full digital res of the digital comic to show how faithful DC Animated is in bringing it -- kaboom!


For more on this and Batman Year One to be probably the highest grossing US comic DVD animation ever....peep the cool interview below.




And let's not forget the filler between the two that quite honestly I am just utterly stoked about.  Thanks to good ole Bruce Timm we know that the Emerald Knights will be Sinestro and most likely all of the guys below in each of their own deconstructed stories that blend together, ala Batman:Gotham Knights. 

All right...now back to the DCU Online Beta!!! 


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