Erica Durance as Wonder Woman on “Harry’s Law”
Erica Durance dons a Wonder Woman costume — in fact, the costume that was used for the Adrianne Palicki pilot — in an upcoming episode of “Harry’s Law.” Durance played Lois Lane on “Smallville,” and in one episode donned “Amazon Princess” garb.
She’s even closer to Wonder Woman in the “Harry’s Law” episode, where she plays a psychologically damaged woman who retreats into a Wonder Woman persona.
She tells TV Guide it was “a little daunting.”
“I’m really very respectful of the people that love this character,” she said. “I do take it very seriously. As a side note, just to be light about it, any woman wearing tight pants is not super excited the first time she puts them on. [Laughs] I wasn’t exactly, you know, tight pants- or underwear-ready.”
She said, in fact, she was happier to wear the long pants of Wonder Woman than the more traditional short-shorts.
“I’m very grateful for the pants,” she told TV Guide. “I know that people were very excited about the underwear and seeing them. To be quite frank, I don’t know if I could’ve done the underwear justice at this point in time and it might have been more upsetting for people to see me in them than to not, so I think the pants are a safe bet for me.”
Durance’s episode of “Harry’s Law” airs Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. Central on NBC.
- Matt Price
Click past the cut for another photo of Erica Durance in the Wonder Woman outfit from “Harry’s Law,” and her “Amazon Princess” costume from “Smallville.”
Matt Price’s best graphic novels of 2011
Well-regarded graphic novelists Craig Thompson (“Blankets”) and Jaime Hernandez (“Love and Rockets”) released brilliant marriages of words and pictures in 2011, showcasing artists at the top of their creative powers. Despite some market failures, such as the closing of bookstore chain Borders, artistic quality of the graphic novel format remained high.
Here are my selections for the best 10 graphic novels of 2011.
Next week, return for the top 10 periodical comics of 2011.
2,011 in 2011 comic-book reading challenge: Week 51 and 52 recap
Holy cow. It’s done! I sort of can’t believe I finished the entire thing, but I did, in fact, complete my 2,011 comic books in 2011 reading challenge.
David Nelson, who also completed the challenge, asked if I had a compiled list. I don’t — I might work it up in January, but for the moment, the best way to relive the challenge is by going through the category: http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/tag/2011-in-2011.
Thanks to everyone who read along and who worked on the challenge from home! Breakdowns for the last two weeks past the cut; more breakdowns possible in January.
Tennis greats McEnroe, Sharapova to cover EA Sports’ Grand Slam Tennis 2
Tennis stars John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova will grace the global cover of EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis 2, set for North American release on Feb. 10.
McEnroe is a former world No. 1 and a three-time champion at Wimbledon. Djokovic currently holds the ATP Tour No. 1 ranking. And Maria Sharapova is a former world No. 1 who has won three Grand Slam singles titles.
The title will be available for the first time in HD, on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, including support of the PlayStation Move controller. Players can play in all four of the Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Gamers can play with or against more than 20 of the greatest players to ever play professional tennis, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Bjorn Borg, Maria Sharapova, Serena and Venus Williams.
- Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman
Happy 89th birthday, Stan Lee!
Stan Lee, co-creator of characters including Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, turns 89 today. Stan Lee is so intertwined with growing up with comics for me that I can’t really picture the industry without him. Reading “Marvel Tales” reprints of Lee and Steve Ditko’s “Amazing Spider-Man” comics helped turn me into a fan of the whole Marvel Universe.
Back on Lee’s 85th birthday in 2007, I wrote a list of the top 85 Stan Lee comics. You can check it out here.
Last year, I added three more for his 88th birthday. 
This year, let me add one more to the list. It’s an issue I had as a “Marvel Tales” edition. “Amazing Spider-Man” No. 34, featuring the return of Kraven the Hunter, as Kraven stalks Spider-Man on the streets of New York.
I’ve met Stan Lee a few times — and interviewed him back in 2007 for a Hero Initiative project — and have always found him to be a great ambassador for comics. (The article ran on my birthday, coincidentally enough.)
While who deserves credit for what in the early days of the Marvel Bullpen of the Silver Age of Comics will no doubt be debated by historians in the future, Stan Lee’s impact on the comic-book field is nonetheless enormous, and comics fans owe “The Man” a debt of gratitude.
- Matt Price
‘John Carter’ gets another comics adaptation from Marvel
With Disney prepping a “John Carter” film for March release, Marvel Comics continues its collaboration with the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate to adapt the “John Carter” novels into the graphic fiction format.
“John Carter: The Gods Of Mars” No. 1 will be released in comic shops in March, from the creative team of writer Sam Humphries (“Sacrifice”) and artist Ramon Perez (“Jim Henson’s Tale Of Sand”).
“’Gods of Mars’ is going to be a blast — tons of action and intrigue in a fantastic environment,” said Humphries in a news release.
In the novels, John Carter is an American Civil War veteran transported to Mars, called Barsoom by those who live there. Carter debuted in 1912 in All-Story Magazine.
- Matt Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman
Baron and Rude’s Nexus to return in Dark Horse Presents
Good news for “Nexus” fans — the sci-fi epic will return in the pages of the anthology series “Dark Horse Presents,” as announced in Steve Rude’s e-newsletter:
Baron and Rude are re-uniting for a new Nexus story. The story will be published under the Dark Horse banner in their Dark Horse Presents anthology book. After three 10-page installments in DHP, the story will eventually be published as its own stand-alone 30 pg. book. We’re withholding plot specifics at this point, but Baron’s story will focus on the “nature of evil”.
Baron will script, Rude will draw, ink, and letter! More details as they arise. Merry Christmas to all Nexus fans!
Dark Horse has been reprinting “Nexus” in hardcover archive editions. Steve Rude’s “Rude Dude” most recently published new issues of “Nexus,” as well as a black and white softcover compilation of the earliest issues.
Dark Horse sent out a news release announcing that the story will begin in May 2012′s “Dark Horse Presents” No. 12.
“The new stories crush anvils,” Mike Baron said in the release.
- Matt Price
Monday movie quote challenge #161
“When I was young and successful, I was greedy and foolish, and now I’m left with no one. Wrinkled and alone.”
Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!
Merry Christmas 2011!
Have a merry Christmas! For those who celebrate, whether you are spending the day with family, friends or otherwise, I hope your day is wonderful and filled with joy.
Check out GoldenAgeComics.org for some great Christmas covers!
- Matt Price
Christmas Comics Countdown: Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #46
Todd DeZago creates a fun, touching Christmas tale in “Marvel Adventures Spider-Man” No. 46, an issue of the all-ages series first released in 2008.
In “Silent Nights,” drawn by Roberto Castro (behind a cool cover by Francis Tsai) Spidey is battling the cold, and trying to come up with a great present for Aunt May. Last year, she broke a ceramic decoration she had shared with her late husband, Peter’s Uncle Ben. Peter would like to replace it, but it runs $100, and he’s significantly short.
He tries to scare up a photo assignment from Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, but Jameson’s got nothing for him. Then Spider-Man hears there’s a burglar going around dressed as Santa Claus, and figures nabbing him might be good for some Bugle photos. The mishaps and adventures that follow make for an exciting tale with a heartwarming twist. DeZago does a good job capturing the feeling of the young Peter Parker here in a recommended holiday tale.
- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 2011! Still to go: 0!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
