World’s Finest #2 previewed at DC’s Source blog
This Wednesday brings the second issue of the DC Comics miniseries “World’s Finest,” teaming heroes from the Superman and Batman families. Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates writes this miniseries, with a rotating cast of artists. Issue No. 2, drawn by Ramon Bachs and Rodney Ramos, is previewed today on DC Comics’ Source blog. This issue will feature a team-up of The Guardian, and the new Robin, Damian Wayne. They’ll face off against Superman villain Parasite and Batman foe Mr. Freeze.
The first issue of “World’s Finest” has been well-reviewed, and indicates Gates was a good choice for a team-up series. The third issue, by the “Supergirl” creative team of Gates and artist Jamal Igle, is set for Dec. 23 release and features Supergirl teaming up with the new Batgirl.
- Matt Price
Monday movie quote challenge #54
“Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it’s very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.”
Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!
Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 1 to debut Dec. 26
More info from BBC America about the air dates of the final David Tennant Doctor Who episodes. Note, the five-disc set containing all the specials comes out on my birthday, Groundhog Day 2010.
PRESS RELEASE
The finale to the era of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, is one of the most eagerly anticipated adventures in the history of Doctor Who. As previously announced, the next special, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars premieres Saturday December 19, 9:00pm ET/PT on BBC AMERICA. The final two specials, Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One and Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part Two, will premiere over the holiday season starting December 26 on BBC AMERICA. Guest stars John Simm, Timothy Dalton, Catherine Tate, Lindsay Duncan and Bernard Cribbins join Tennant on his final journey. Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One premieres Saturday December 26, 9:00pm ET/PT on BBC AMERICA. The End of Time, Part Two premiere date will be announced very soon.
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Reviews of Supergirl 47, Adventure Comics 4, Flash Rebirth 5 and Amazing Spider-Man 612
Like Pete Sampras in the 1996 U.S. Open against Alex Corretja, I fought off illness and exhaustion to bring you this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast with Kyle Roberts. We talk about the excellent week DC Comics had, with new issues of Supergirl, Adventure Comics and Flash Rebirth, and about Spider-Man’s trip into the Gauntlet with Amazing Spider-Man 612. Check it out.
- Matt Price
DVD review – Anvil: The Story of Anvil
Heavy metal band Anvil, which played at Rocklahoma this year, has undergone something of a revival since appearing in “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” a film that presents the hard-rocking group as a real-life Spinal Tap. Director Rob Reiner’s parody film “This Is Spinal Tap,” about a heavy metal band, is brought to mind several times in “Anvil.” Coincidentally, Anvil’s drummer is named Robb Reiner.
Robb Reiner and high school pal Steve “Lips” Kudlow formed Anvil in the late 1970s and by the early 1980s seemed on the cusp of stardom. The band’s 1982 release “Metal on Metal” influenced bands including Anthrax and Metallica. But Anvil never reached the top of the charts. The film, by Sacha Gervasi, explores the now 50-something founders of Anvil as they still struggle to find fame as rock stars.
Gervasi follows the band on a comedy-of-errors European tour and chronicles the band’s efforts to get a new album together. The passion and humanity shown by Kudlow and Reiner as they struggle to keep this enterprise together makes “Anvil” one of the best rock documentaries of all time.
It’s funny in places but also heartbreaking as it reminds viewers about the tenacity and sacrifices required to go for one’s dreams.
— Matthew Price
New Moon selling 10 tickets per second
Fandango reports that The Twilight Saga: New Moon is on pace to sell 10 tickets per second throughout today on the movie ticket-selling site.
Summit Entertainment has reported that “New Moon” set a new record for opening midnight shows with an estimated gross of $26.270 million playing at 3,514 theaters for a per theater average of $7,476.
Fandango also reports strong sales for “The Blind Side,” which makes up 8 percent of ticket sales on the site. Of course, nothing can stand against the onslaught of “New Moon” sales, which makes up 85 percent.
- Matt Price
Q&A with Neil Kleid of Brownsville, The Big Kahn
Neil Kleid first came to my attention as the writer/artist of the Xeric-winning “Ninety Candles,” an innovative graphic novel in which each panel represented a year. Here’s what I wrote about the book in early 2005, naming Ninety Candles one of the best graphic novels of the year:
Neil Kleid’s experimental “Ninety Candles” follows the life of cartoonist Kevin Hall, with one panel representing each year of Hall’s life. The book was done improvisationally, with no pre-existing script — each day represented in the book was created in a day.
Kleid has since created the Jewish gangster story “Brownsville,” coming to the iPhone via Panelfly, and one of the best graphic novels of 2009, “The Big Kahn.” The following is a Q&A with Kleid about those projects.
Gangster graphic novel makes move to iPhone
Award-winning graphic novelist Neil Kleid is taking his Jewish gangster graphic novel, “Brownsville,” to the iPhone.
“The process is definitely exciting,” Kleid said in a recent interview. “Each and every day another smart phone comes to market — be it iPhone, Pre, Droid or Blackberry — and the comic book industry is matching them stride for stride. The only thing, as a cartoonist or graphic novelist you really need to do is change your point of view, understand that this is the limitless new horizon and get on board.”
“Brownsville,” from publisher NBM, is the story of Murder, Incorporated, the Jewish hit operation of the 1920s and ’30s.
Aquaman shrine promotes Brave and Bold 32
The Aquaman Shrine is going all-out in promoting the Aquaman-Demon team up in “Brave and Bold” No. 32, featuring the classic Aquaman teamed up with Etrigan, the Demon.
The issue, written by J. Michael Straczynski and drawn by Jesus Saiz, is set for February release:
Straczynski says at the Aquaman Shrine:
You can draw a line of comparison between Aquaman and the lead character in the Dune books: both royalty of a sort, both commanding vast creatures that live beneath the surface, and both living in an environment hostile to normal humans (with the reverse approach, extremely dry instead of extremely wet). If you look at what they’ve been able to do with the Dune books, you know there has to be more you can do with Aquaman. It just takes the right approach.
How does the “Brave and Bold” issue tie into Blackest Night, and what are Straczynski’s other plans for the character? Click over to the Aquaman Shrine for answers.
Norman store to celebrate Alan Moore’s birthday
Rob Vollmar passed on the following information about a free celebration of Alan Moore’s birthday on Wednesday in Norman.
- Matt Price
Atomik Pop! is hosting a Mooresday event at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, November 18th to celebrate the 56th birthday of acclaimed comics writer, Alan Moore. An author of hundreds of comic books and dozens of graphic novels like Watchmen and V for Vendetta, Moore fundamentally altered the comics landscape beginning in the 1980s with his literary approach to a medium once considered suitable for only children.
In celebration, Atomik Pop! will be offering a one-hour survey of Moore ’s life and career entitled “Northampton Calling” from local comics author and critic, Rob Vollmar. “Alan Moore is as fundamental to raising both the standard and profile of comics as an artform as was William Shakespeare to English theater,” Vollmar insists “and his contributions to the American cultural landscape of the late 20th century, despite his British citizenship, are nearly without peer.” Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about one of comics’ most important creators in addition to possibly taking home Moore-themed door prizes.
There is no charge for attendance and the event is open to the public. Atomik Pop!’s Norman branch is located at 918 West Main Street. For further information, please call 329-9695.
