John Cassaday to headline Wizard World Texas
Press release:
Congers, NY (August 26, 2008) – When it comes to cinematic storytelling and masterfully rendered characters, no other artist comes close to comic icon John Cassaday. Now, the Lone Ranger, Planetary and Astonishing X-Men artist is coming to his first Wizard World convention in over a year, and his first ever as Guest of Honor!
With his current work on Dynamite Entertainments ongoing series, The Lone Ranger, Cassaday is bringing his trademark realistic style to the hero, who celebrates his 75th anniversary this year. His covers and artistic direction have breathed new life into the Lone Ranger and provided the series with a look that grabs readers’ attention every month. Cassaday will also be tackling the equally legendary Buck Rogers on the upcoming series with Dynamite Entertainment.
Prior to his involvement with The Lone Ranger, Cassaday collaborated with hotshot television guru Joss Whedon on Marvel’s critically-acclaimed and award-winning series Astonishing X-Men. During his 24 issues and one giant-size special, Cassaday did everything from resurrect Colossus to pit the X-Men against the combined might of an entire race of aliens bent on putting a bullet through the earth. Because of Cassaday’s epic artwork, Marvel’s mutants looked more compelling than they had in decades.
Through his work with Warren Ellis on WildStorm’s Planetary, Cassaday showed the comic buying population his wide range. Chilling horror, campy sci-fi, thrilling espionage and daring super-heroics were all depicted and conquered by Cassaday’s pencil-clutching hand. His work on Planetary has earned him numerous awards and unparalleled respect from his peers.
During Wizard World Texas, Cassaday will be meeting and greeting his devoted fans and will be involved in various signings and programming events throughout the weekend. Be sure to go to www.wizardworld.com for updates about guests and programming and to save 20 percent off the price of tickets by ordering now. Wizard World, the largest family-friendly comics and pop culture convention in the United States, returns to Texas November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center. More Information and exclusives to be announced!
Comics shipping 8-27-08
Feels like a big week this week! Superman gets the spotlight in “Final Crisis: Superman Beyond,” written by Grant Morrison. Brad Meltzer returns to comics with “DC Universe Last Will and Testament,” drawn by Adam Kubert. Marvel brings some heat as well, as Mark Millar’s “Wolverine” continues, the second part of Amazing Spider-Man’s “New Ways to Die” hits, and Spidey is drawn into Secret Invasion with “Secret Invasion: Spider-Man.” Full list and commentary after the break.
Cher, Depp in next ‘Batman’?
Cher (AP photo)
The Telegraph UK is reporting Cher is in talks to play an aging vamp Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s next “Batman” flick. The site also reports Johnny Depp is on board as The Riddler.
I’d take all this with a grain of salt, since last I heard the movie wasn’t written, yet, but, I suppose we shall see. If it’s what Nolan wants to do, I assume it’ll be good. I think it’s more likely a goofball rumor someone in the studio is throwing out, though.
– Matt Price
Jonah Hex, Lois Lane and more
Thought I’d take a second and point Nerdage readers to Matching Dragoons, a Jonah Hex-themed blog that also takes a look at other wacky and fun moments in comic-book history. Including, for example, Lois Lane’s head in a box.
Click through to find out WHY Lois is wearing a lead-lined box on her head! (It’s even goofier than you probably think.)
The blog, by Dwayne from Oklahoma City, is also working its way through the Jonah Hex issues of the past. The most recent review is of 1981′s “Jonah Hex” #54.
– Matt Price
Police reunion tour DVD coming
The Police are planning a DVD release of reunion tour material. Check out the trailer below. (Sting, as you may know, was the visual basis for the John Constantine character… just to give this post a more Nerdage feel.)
LEGO Batman site upgraded
The LEGO Batman: The Videogame site gets an upgrade, as users can choose “hero” or “villain” and make their way through the virtual rooftops of Gotham City.
Check out recently revealed characters Alfred Pennyworth and Batgirl, who aid the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin.
– Matt Price
Sequel to “Marvels” coming in December
The long-in-the-works sequel to “Marvels,” “Eye of the Camera,” is scheduled for a December release, according to Tom Brevoort at Fan Expo in Canada.
The article on Marvel.com indicates the sequel will be a six-issue miniseries teaming original writer Kurt Busiek with artist Jay Anacleto.
“Once again, our point of view character and the guy we’re with is Phil Sheldon, and we’ll be picking him up sometime after the original ‘Marvels,’” Brevoort said on Marvel.com. “Along with him on this particular story over these six issues, we’ll be walking through the Marvel universe of the ‘70s and of the ‘80s and also revisiting a couple of key moments from the ‘60s that got skipped over in the original ‘Marvels’ series because they weren’t germane to that story. We’re very much of a kind in terms of the story in the original ‘Marvels’ and a direct sequel in that this is all the stuff that happens to Phil after the end of ‘Marvels’ #4.”
– Matt Price
Johns talks “Legion of Three Worlds”
Pop over to Newsarama to see Vaneta Rogers’ interview with writer Geoff Johns about “Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds.” Johns explains more about Superboy-Prime and the structure of the first issue:
Johns: People are fairly familiar with Prime by now, if they’ve been reading comics at all for the last few years, but even he’s addressed in this issue: Who he is and where he comes from. But the Legion is fairly new to a lot of readers. People haven’t read a lot of Legion in the last few years, and especially the original Legion. So the idea was just to make sure we had the basics at the beginning. For the scope of this, I’m very proud of what we were able to do.
I don’t think it’s any secret that I loved this issue; if you’re looking for epic superhero action, get to your store and pick up this comic book.
- Matt Price
“Superman” film franchise will reboot
Possibly unfortunate news for those who, like me, loved “Superman Returns”: The studio plans to reboot the “Superman” franchise, according to the Wall Street Journal (and seen on Newsarama.)
“‘Superman’ didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov told the Wall Street Journal. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned.” “Had ‘Superman’ worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009,” he adds.
“But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.”
Does this mean Brandon Routh is out? Bryan Singer is done? The article doesn’t make that clear, but it’s certainly a possibility.
For those who loved the Richard Donner film (films if you count II as essentially Donner), then “Superman Returns” returned to that world and wrapped those films up admirably.
I’m a huge “Superman” fan, so I’m likely in line for whatever WB tries to do. But you don’t have to go far to find out how much Warner’s didn’t understand the Man of Steel in the not-so-distant past. As I said when I reviewed the excellent book “Hollywood vs. Superman”:
The abortive “Superman Reborn” of the 1990s, to have starred Nicolas Cage and been directed by Tim Burton, has fueled screenwriter Kevin Smith’s college tours for years, but Rossen finds even more dirt on the plagued production. In addition, the dozens of unusual casting ideas for various Superman projects will have even casual fans scratching their heads — Ashton Kutcher and Neil Diamond were considered as possible Men of Steel; Tim Allen came very close to becoming Lex Luthor.
These are not the ideas of people who get why Superman is important. Let’s hope the people making the decision for the next film respect and love the character as much as the creators of “Superman Returns.”
– Matt Price
DVD review: Forbidden Kingdom
Silent Monk (Jet Li), Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), Jason Tripitikas (Michael A. Angarano) and Golden Sparrow (Crystal Liu) in “The Forbidden Kingdom.”
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
A dream team of martial arts stars are on display in “Forbidden Kingdom,” which mixes “The Never-Ending Story” with “The Karate Kid” in a fun film for all ages. The story begins with a scene of the Monkey King (Jet Li), fighting on a mountaintop in the clouds. As the viewers are thinking the scene doesn’t seem quite real, it’s revealed that it’s not — it’s a dream of Jason (Michael Angarano). Jason’s a teenage kung-fu cinephile from Boston. He buys his films from Hop (Jackie Chan), an old man who owns a Chinatown pawn shop. When some young toughs seek to rob Hop, Jason is knocked out — and transported to ancient China.
An ancient staff from the pawnshop seems to be the key to Jason’s situation — he’s thought to be the one prophesied to return the Monkey King’s staff, and end the Jade Warlord’s rule of the kingdom. He’s befriended by a drunken master (Jackie Chan), and later aided by a warrior monk (Jet Li). The master and the monk, of course, first have a misunderstanding, which leads to the Li vs. Chan fight everybody bought their tickets to see. While Chan, 54, doesn’t show the same eye-popping stunts of his younger days, the showdown is still worth the price of admission. A girl bent on revenge, Sparrow (Crystal Liu Yifei) completes the fellowship seeking to dethrone the warlord.
The film is directed by Rob Minkoff (“Stuart Little”), who you might not expect to direct a kung-fu actioner, but he brings in Yuen Woo-Ping (“Kill Bill”) as fight choreographer, which helps add credibility to the production.
Would “Forbidden Kingdom” have been better 10-15 years ago, with Chan and Li at the top of their games? Probably, but as it is, it’s still a fun Valentine to kung-fu cinema.
– Matthew Price
