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EA Sports, who has correctly predicted the Super Bowl winner for each of the past five years using its “Madden” football video game to simulate the contest, today predicted the Patriots as the winners of the big game. 

From EA:  

January 31, 2008—Today, EA SPORTS revealed their prediction for the outcome of the highly anticipated Super Bowl XLII game.  Based on simulations using the award winning Madden NFL 08 video game, the New England Patriots were victorious over the New York Giants by a narrow margin of eight points with a final score of 38-30.  Over the past five years, EA SPORTS has a perfect record predicting the winner of the Super Bowl.The Madden NFL 08 engine simulated the game based on each team’s roster and their players’ statistics.  Using the most current information available, the Patriots and the Giants went head-to-head in a computer-generated match up.  The New England Patriots came out on top, making them the first team in NFL history to record a perfect 19-0 season. 

The simulated game got off to a very close start with two touchdowns by Patriots running back Laurence Maroney and three field goals by Giant’s kicker Lawrence Tynes.  Late in the third quarter, the Patriots led by only one, 24-23.  They were able to add to their lead with a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Randy Moss.  Entering the fourth quarter, the Giants trailed 31-23 with an opportunity to tie-up the game with a big drive.  But instead, a tipped pass by quarterback Eli Manning was picked off by Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel.  The Patriots scored with their possession from the turnover, increasing their lead to 38-23.  The Giants scored one last time and the game ended 38-30.Super Bowl XLII kicks off Sunday, February 3^rd at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.  We will then know whether EA SPORTS has extended their own winning streak using the Madden NFL engine to predict Super Bowl champions. 

From Marvel:

Beginning January 30th, MySpace Comic Books will feature a special promotion for Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips series CRIMINAL for an entire week, providing a unique new showcase for the acclaimed crime comic that won Best New Series in the Eisner Awards.

During each day of this event, at http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks, readers will be treated to excerpts from the first two Criminal trade paperbacks and previews of the new Criminal Vol.2 #1 (arriving in stores this February. But that’s not all—look for behind the scenes extras that include a Criminal noir art talk interview between Eisner-winners Sean Phillips and fan-favorite Daredevil artist Michael Lark, a “Week in the Life” writer’s diary by Ed Brubaker; and a special Artist-to-Artist video featuring Ed Brubaker and Bill Hader (Superbad, Saturday Night Live). 

“The chance to reach the vast network of MySpace Comic Books readers presented us with such a great opportunity, to not just promote Criminal, but to peel back the curtain a bit in a sort of DVD extras kind of way, which is something I think a lot of people will enjoy,” said Brubaker. “The fact that Bill Hader was willing to help us do this was completely overwhelming, too, and is something that I think will make an even more memorable event.”

Don’t miss a single day of this event at http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks

The Eisner-award winning “Y: The Last Man” finishes its 60-issue run today.  Writer Brian K. Vaughan, who became a writer for television’s “Lost” in part due to the success of “Y,” says it’s been difficult to say good-bye to his characters.

“It’s been weird because it’s a gradual [form of] saying good-bye,” he tells CNN. “First, you finish the script, but then it still has to be penciled and inked, and there’s so many stages in comics that it’s sort of been like the stages of death.” 

“Y: The Last Man” follows escape artist Yorick Brown, the last man left on earth after a plague wipes out all the males of the species.  Along with his newfound bodyguard, Agent 355, and medical researcher Alison Mann, Yorick searches for answers, as well as his missing girlfriend.

The series has been one of the strongest sellers in DC’s Vertigo imprint as well as a critical favorite.

The fourth season of “Lost,” for which Vaughan is a writer, premieres Thursday night, but the writer’s strike has shut down production on both “Lost” and the planned “Y: The Last Man” feature. 

In the meantime, you can still pick up the finale to one of the most entertaining and thought-provoking comic books of recent years as “Y” draws to a close today.

– Matt Price

Marvel editor Tom Brevoort was nice enough to respond to a few of my questions about the new Captain America. Look for extended coverage of the New Cap in Friday’s Weekend Look.

Matt Price: When Captain America has been at his most relevant, he’s often reflected the United States of that era. Does the new Captain America reflect the current state of the union, and how?

Tom Brevoort: I could always just default to, “Because he carries a firearm now”, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that. For Steve Rogers, patriotism and idealism came naturally. He had this unshakable belief in the principles upon which our nation was founded, and tried to embody those principles as best he could. Bucky, though, is more conflicted. He’s been through some hard times, done some bad things, and isn’t entirely certain how he feels about the nation. For him, patriotism and idealism are a quest, which I think is very reflective of where we are as a nation at this moment. He’s not certain what he’s supposed to be doing, or how to go about it—he’s not sure how to stand for something larger than himself, and he’s a bti uneasy being placed in that situation. He just realizes that there’s this expectation, and this burden, in being Captain America. Whereas Steve’s inspiration was the country, Bucky’s inspiration is Steve.

MP: What was your reaction to finding out the plan for the former Bucky to take the mantle of Captain America?

MP: Generally speaking, what can fans look forward to in the coming issues of Captain America?

Over at Newsarama, a conversation with Dan Didio yielded this tidbit about my favorite Starman.

“2008 will see the return of James Robinson to the DCU in a very strong and positive way, and with James coming back, I can only hope that Jack comes back with him.”

Not to get all fanboy crazy, but….

HELLS YEAH! WOOOOOO!

Also included — Ethan VanSciver is insanely interested in doing Plastic Man work (possibly even in continuity?) and Smallville’s Chloe Sullivan, recently said to be appearing in the DC Universe proper, will not be appearing in the DC Universe proper.

 – Greg Elwell

<SPOILERS AHEAD!> 

Captain
America is back — and this time he’s brandishing a firearm.

The famous red-white-and-blue patriot was killed in “Captain
America” No. 25 last March.  In Wednesday’s issue, “Captain America” No. 34, Captain
America’s former teen sidekick, Bucky, now carries the star-spangled shield.

Bucky, who spent decades under hypnosis as a Soviet agent, carries a firearm as well as the shield.

“It’s a little jarring for some people to see that,” said the book’s writer, Ed Brubaker, in an interview with the New York Daily News. “[But] people forget that Captain America carried a gun a lot in World War II. Every three covers there was a shot of Captain
America with a machine gun or a flamethrower - or an atom bomb.”

Jim Lane, owner of Dragonfyre Comics, 1501 N Meridian, said he’d heard some customers complain about the new Captain
America carrying a gun in preview images released by Marvel, but he thinks it works with the character. “He doesn’t have the power that (original Captain
America) Steve Rogers had, so he’s had to pick himself up an equalizer,” Lane said.

Brubaker told Vaneta Rogers at Newsarama.com that Bucky’s ongoing redemption dovetailed nicely with the death of Captain
America, even if it wasn’t planned in advance.

“I had no clue until I wrote issue No. 26 or No. 27 that Bucky was actually going to end up taking the mantle,” Brubaker said. “It didn’t occur to me that it was the next evolution of where Bucky was going. I knew all along that we would also have a redemption of Bucky storyline. So once I realized how big this story was getting, I realized I needed someone back in the costume with the shield eventually. And Bucky fit so perfectly into that. It all came together.”

Lane said he thinks fans will accept the new character.

“They’ll see it as the evolution of the character,” Lane said. “It seems like a natural step.” 

Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada will appear on the “Colbert Report” tonight to discuss the state of Marvel Comics, including the new Captain
America.

“It’s an experiment,” Marvel Entertainment editor in chief Joe Quesada told the New York Daily News. “Every day, every story, I’m ready for backlash.”

“Captain
America” No. 25 was the best-selling comic book of 2007 in comic-book shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

Captain
America was created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. Steve Rogers was a scrawny teen who volunteered for a secret experiment. The results of the experiment turned him into a super-soldier, ready to fight the Axis powers of World War II. At the war’s conclusion, Captain
America went missing — he was frozen in a block of ice, until being revived by the Avengers in 1963’s “Avengers” No. 4.

Lane praised the storyline of “Captain
America” No. 34, which he called “relevant to today’s times,” even though Lane doesn’t agree with all the decisions made by Quesada.  And, Lane says, he thinks just because there’s a new Captain
America, it doesn’t mean fans will never see Steve Rogers again.

“In the back of my mind, I keep saying they’ll find a way to bring him back,” Lane said. “It may be five years down the road, but I think we’ll see Steve Rogers again.”

– Matt Price

I received an e-mail this morning reminding me of the Oklahoma City-based Bat Blog, which has been doing a good job covering the reaction to Heath Ledger’s death, as well as more lighthearted topics like Batman toys and merchandise.  The blog also points out an upcoming at least partially Batman-inspired art show at the AKA Gallery in the Paseo.

GameDaily has a report in which EA asks Fox News to correct its recent misleading story about the game “Mass Effect.”

The vastly misinformed FOX report claimed that “Mass Effect” contains full digital nudity (it doesn’t) and graphic sex (it doesn’t) and that it’s for the Xbox (it’s the Xbox 360).   On top of all this, the game is rated M for mature… can you imagine anyone complaining about an R-rated movie containing about 30 seconds of the side of a breast out of a 30-plus hour game?

– Matt Price

Having looked at the web site, “North World” seems to me to be a “Scott Pilgrim” type for the fantasy set, and should be pretty funny! 

From Oni:

This spring Oni Press is picking up the sword and shield and heading out for adventure with NORTH WORLD, BOOK 1: THE EPIC OF CONRAD, a new original graphic novel series from cartoonist and webcomicker Lars Brown! Part LORD OF THE RINGS and part GROSS POINTE BLANK, NORTH WORLD is a fantasy epic that has already enjoyed critical success as a webcomic (www.north-world.com) and now joins such Internet stalwarts as MEGATOKYO, PVP, PENNY ARCADE, and PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP in moving to print with an already established audience in tow.

“NORTH WORLD is one of those books that just felt right for us,” said editor James Lucas Jones. “Lars’ sensibilities, both in terms of artistic style and storytelling, fit in line wonderfully with our own and while he’s tackling a genre that people don’t immediately associate with Oni Press, he’s exploring it in a way that is right up our alley.” 

North World really isn’t that different from our own… the biggest difference is the presence of mythical monsters, talking bears, arcane arts, and, of course, the heroes who stand ready to defend the innocent and helpless from these extraordinary threats! Conrad is one such hero and he’s about to experience something scarier than any of the mighty beasts he’s faced down — his ex-girlfriend’s wedding!

NORTH WORLD adds to the impressive catalog of OniGNs—original graphic novels from veteran comic publisher Oni Press that explore a variety of themes and genres. It joins books from critically acclaimed creators like Bryan Lee O’Malley, Vasilis Lolos, Ande Parks, and Rick Spears & Chuck BB. 

“With an already-established fan-base from his NORTH WORLD webcomic and a unique take on the ’swords & sorcery’ genre,” added Jones, “We’re confident that NORTH WORLD will appeal to both mainstream comic fans as well as the more casual sequential art readers looking for something both fun and different.”

NORTH WORLD, BOOK 1: THE EPIC OF CONRAD is a 152 page black-and-white graphic novel for $11.95. The digest-sized volume that’s rated “T for Teen”. It ships to comic book stores this March.

“Torchwood” Season 2 kicks off on BBC America Sunday night, with James Marsters (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) appearing as Jack Hart.

Eve Myles, who plays police constable-turned-special Torchwood agent Gwen Cooper,  talked about Marsters, and about Season 2.

MATT: What does James Marsters bring to the show?
EVE MYLES: James Marsters is an absolute complete professional. He’s fantastic.  What (Jack Hart) brings to Torchwood is … he brings danger and fear. He brings a lot of Jack’s past with him.  So it’s very interesting.
And to work with James was wonderful, because he’s a player, a mad player.  And what that means is you don’t have to stick to doing the same thing in every take. You can play with one another.  And what that does is, it makes you listen to the person you’re talking to, or the person who’s talking to you, more.  Because you react in a very natural way to that person, so nothing feels staged.  I adored working opposite James Marsters.  You’re only as good as the person you work opposite, and he makes you feel like a million dollars to work opposite him.
MATT: How is Season 2 different from Season 1?
EVE MYLES: It’s not majorly different. It’s still Torchwood, we’re not going to change the program, or the premise of the program. It’s still Torchwood.  But you’ll have 13 episodes of 13 different stories.  One week it’ll make you cry, the next week you’ll fall off your chair laughing. The other week is very sinister and dark, then you’ll get beautiful love stories. You’ve got fabulous new special effects and wonderful monsters.   You can expect to see the Weevils back in full force.  You’re going to see the characters develop much much more, you’ll find out a lot more about Jack’s past. You’ve got so much to look forward to.

– Matt Price