Well, I don’t know what it is, exactly, but Marvel reveals the new “Anti-Venom” to Entertainment Weekly, featured in an upcoming storyline starting with issue #568. Also, this summer in “Amazing Spider-Man,” apparently we see what MJ’s been up to since that whole deal-with-the-devil thing.
– Matt Price
Written by Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns, “DC Universe Zero” is more a collection of trailers than a typical comic book — but what a bunch of trailers they are.
The story recaps what’s happened in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and “Infinite Crisis,” both of which lead into this summer’s big event, “Final Crisis.” Then, the major characters of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are shown facing events that will be at the core of their conflicts over the summer.
Johns and artist George Perez will be the creative team on “Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds,” which features Superman and the Legion against the villainy of Superman Prime. Perez drawing the Legion makes absolute sense, and this book looks like a must-read for fans of the big and cosmic.
In the next preview, Morrison writes Batman and the Joker having a conversation about the future that will lead into “Batman RIP.” The three pages are quite a tease, with the Joker dealing out cards and telling Batman what his future holds. Creepy and ominous. Based on these three pages, Tony Daniel is doing the best art of his career.
Wonder Woman’s three pages lead into “Whom the Gods Forsake,” an upcoming Gail Simone-Aaron Lopresti storyline that looks to face Wonder Woman against the cast of “300,” or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Mysterious figures maintain the Amazons haven’t been able to change the world and make plans to apparently move against them.
Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart are featured in the briefest of teases for “Green Lantern: Blackest Night Prelude,” which seems as if it will further explore the powers and emotional connections throughout the color spectrum as relating to the Guardians and the Green Lanterns.
The Spectre will be featured in Greg Rucka and Philip Tan’s “Final Crisis: Revelations.” The preview shows the current Spectre using his powers only for vindication and judgment; the mysterious voice-over suggests that in times of crisis, the Spectre is capable of much more.
And the final five pages lead up to the big reveal that hit news sites today — that former Flash Barry Allen would return from the grave. This leads into “Final Crisis” by Morrison and J.G. Jones, and is perhaps the most compelling teaser of the entire set.
DC Unverse Zero will whet comic-book fans’ appetites for more of DC’s products this summer and into the coming year.
– Matt Price
Comic book fans have been crashing comic-book sites worldwide, including Newsarama, with the news that Barry Allen returns in the pages of DC Universe Zero. Barry Allen, who was the Flash in the 1950s-1980s (and was arguably the first Silver Age hero), died in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” series in the mid-1980s.
The New York Daily News kicked off the intense fan interest this morning with an interview with Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns, who confirmed the return of Allen.
”When the greatest evil comes back to the DC Universe, the greatest hero needed to return,” Johns said.
– Matt Price
Getting hyped for Iron Man? He’s coming to video games, too, and here’s a trailer featuring Stan Lee, Jon Favreau and more about the creation of the suit for the video game.
For the upcoming direct-to-DVD animated feature.
In the “War Room” segment, the gamers of Arcade (and a puppet) discuss “Grand Theft Auto IV.”
According to the Lancashire Evening Post, a teen had his jaw broken and his copy of “Grand Theft Auto IV” stolen in Leyland, in the U.K.
According to the report:
Two thugs shattered a teenager’s jaw and nose before snatching the year’s must-have computer game - Grand Theft Auto IV.
The 18-year-old and his friend were approached at the junction of Northbrook Road and Golden Hill Lane in Leyland just 30 minutes after buying the £40 video game, which was released at midnight.
The two offenders, white men aged between 18 and 20, overtook the man and his friend as they walked home and emerged from behind a hedge in front of them.
As Nerdage covered last week, there continues to be talk on “GTA IV” having an impact on the box office for “Iron Man.”
GamePro is still sticking with the idea that it will negatively impact “Iron Man” ticket sales. I saw “Iron Man” this weekend, and while I can’t provide any kind of review until Friday, I do believe that people will want to see this movie, even if it takes two hours away from their “Grand Theft Auto” quest.
As Libe Goad of Game Daily said in her interview with The Oklahoman, taking two hours out to go see a movie isn’t that much of a hardship:
“I did hear some stories where analysts predicting that it will affect (the movie) ‘Iron Man,’” Goad said. “The funny thing about ‘Iron Man’ is, ‘Grand Theft Auto’ and ‘Iron Man’ appeal to very similar audiences, so maybe they’ll buy ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ play that, take a break to go see ‘Iron Man,’ then go back and play ‘Grand Theft Auto.’”
Either way — Free Comic Book Day, Iron Man, Grand Theft Auto IV — isn’t about the best week ever to be part of the comics/video games culture?
– Matt Price
