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

Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!

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.

BBCAmerica.com/DoctorWho has exclusive Doctor Who clips including a sneak peek to The Waters of Mars, which The Times says is “a big-budget, knock-yer-socks-off blockbuster” and the Guardian exclaimed “it’s a belter, a watery nightmare – scary, moving, relevant, believable.”

The site also has a new world premiere clip from The End of Time, Part One, with never-before seen footage that will keep fans all over the globe wondering what’s in store for the Doctor.

This slick re-imagination of Doctor Who, created by Russell T Davies (Torchwood, Queer as Folk), puts a fresh spin on the adventures of the iconic Time Lord and his feisty companions – who travel across the universe to protect Earth from dangerous aliens and terrifying monsters. Davies and Tennant are passing the baton to Steven Moffat and actor Matt Smith, who will play the Eleventh Doctor in a new season of the re-imagined series premiering in 2010 on BBC AMERICA.

The BBC will release The Waters of Mars and The End of Time, Part One and Part Two on DVD and Blu-ray, Tuesday, February 2, 2010. A 5-disc set, Doctor Who: Specials Collection, which includes The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars, The End of Time, Part One and Part Two and a 16-page booklet with an introduction written by David Tennant, hits stores the same day.

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

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

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

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.

Matt Price:  Tell me about the process of taking Brownsville to the iPhone. Was reformatting involved? Did you have involvement in the process?

Neil Kleid: Not really — basically, NBM Publishing handed off the files to the boys and girls at Panelfly and they went to town, making the classic mob drama available for your handheld electronical telephonic listening devices. Jake and I? We just watched with awe.

The process is definitely exciting. 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.

MP:  What do you think makes a comic or graphic novel a good candidate for the iPhone?

NK: There are definitely certain comics/GNS more suited to a smart phone viewer than others. For instance, as a creator who has seen his work shrunk from standard 6×9 pages to digest I’ve noticed the benefits of having pages with fewer panels, lighter dialogue, stronger art. Taking a nine-panel Giffen grid down to an iPhone may not work as well as a four-panel manga (that is, unless you display the story panel by panel…!). Brighter art, easy to read panels, clear transitions —these are all elements needed for optimum smart phone reading.

That being said, I’m the dude that packs 6 panels on a page so maybe my book isn’t the optimum candidate, either. Looks pretty in yer hand-phone, though.

MP: Tell me about the series, for those who might be unfamiliar.

NK: BROWNSVILLE is the story of Murder Incorporated, the Jewish hit operation working out of East New York, under the thumb of Jewish gangster Louis Lepke Buchalter in the ‘20s and ‘30s. It’s a true story, following the intertwined lives of Allie “Tick Tock” Tannenbaum and Abe “Kid Twist” Reles as they immerse themselves in the gang-infested streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, work their way to the top and then rat everyone out. If you’re a sucker for a good mob movie, and you’d like to expand your Mafia horizons beyond Michael Corleone, “Goodfellas”, Lucky Luciano and the SOPRANOS, this is the book for you.

MP:  Can you tell me about your artist on Brownsville?

NK: Jake Allen is a prince among men—that is, if those men are all poor, underappreciated inkslingers devoted to the sequential arts and a slave to detail. The man’s work is so refined that he draws every building’s brick, every herringbone in your suit, every shadow, nook, cranny and dramatic detail in a story that asks a great deal from a first time graphic illustrator. And Jake? He delivers.

MP:  Of course, this year, your critically acclaimed The Big Kahn graphic novel hit the shelves.  Could you describe that for me?

NK: THE BIG KAHN is my second book for NBM Publishing, moving my Judeocentric writing arena to present day New Jersey, and in particular to the funeral of Rabi David Kahn, noted scholar, loving husband and father, pulpit Rabbi to a congregation for forty years. The only problem? Rabbi Kahn was never Jewish, rather an Irish con man who fell into a new life after falling in love, according to the “Rabbi’s” long-estranged, newly arrived brother Roy. The book explores the aftermath of the revelation, focusing in on the late Rabbi’s wife and children who are forced to examine their lives in the wake of the bombshell. It asks questions of faith, religion, legacy and lies, shining its light on a family secret so well-hidden even the family didn’t know about it until it was too late.

Inspired by the HBO series SIX FEET UNDER and sources like the novel “Matchstick Men” and THE STING, made relatable by the Bernie Madoff scandal and elements of AMC’s MAD MEN, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in the societal implications of a world where everyone lies. Everyone. Even we.

MP:  And tell me about the artist on The Big Kahn.

NK: The artist on KAHN is my pal Nicolas Cinquegrani, a talented Chilean illustration who came to my attention via the interweb and the pretty pictures he posts there that friends showed to me one night. I was blown away by Nico’s delicate yet grounded imagery, the subtle, stark appeal to his characters and the possibilities of that art applied to my stark tale of human failings. I don’t regret emailing him one bit. Not one bit.

MP: The Big Kahn touches on the themes of identity and reinvention.  What appeals to you about these themes?

NK: Who doesn’t know what it’s like to fight for a second chance? You say things, do things that mark you in a certain way and have to struggle to toss of the invisible brand. Classic journey of self-discovery and renewal for a character to go through, yes? They say better writers drop their character in unfamiliar territories, forcing them to find their way back, fight their way through to retribution. What better road for a Rabbi to walk than one paved with doubts, failings and accusations based on the sins of his father, sins that if never undertaken might have meant an entirely different life for his sons and daughter?

As it happens, during the time I was writing BIG KAHN I was going through a bit of an identity crisis myself. I’d moved to New York from Detroit, having left the isolated womb of my family home and the Jewish community surrounding it. Here I was, outside the ghetto and in the World, where anything could happen and I could be whoever I wanted. Unfortunately, several circumstances and scenarios brought me through trials of my own —professional, creative, financial, romantic — and the only comfort and grounding I could find was back in the ghetto, the protective womb of the Jewish community I was fighting to escape. I wanted to find out who I was — as a Jew, as an artist, as a writer, as a son, friend, brother, boyfriend, son of G-d — and this introspection and the questions that arose found their way into THE BIG KAHN,

MP: What other projects do you have in the works?

NK: Currently I’m in a gestating year, working on projects that won’t see the light of day for a while. Writing this, writing that and hoping it sticks somewhere… but the nice bit of news for 2010 is that I’m devoting myself back to my roots, the pencil, pen and ink I abandoned to script and plot.

This year, I’ll dive back into cartooning as I knock out a 4-page story for an unannounced Big Time anthology and then I’ll hunker down to work on my second drawn graphic novel (the first being 2003’s Xeric-award winning NINETY CANDLES) for a Big Time publisher. In and around those two projects, POP will finally see the light of day —it’s a five issue miniseries about tabloid Hollywood, celebutantes, publicists and the most evil woman in the world. I co-wrote it with Dan Taylor, it’s illustrated by Chris Moreno and it’s coming out from IDW Publishing in some form this year. I’m also toying with prose again, writing my second novel as I prepare to unleash my first, COFFIN, to the masses via print on demand delivery. So here’s hoping THAT doesn’t blow up in my face.

And, as always, working working working. Goonies never say die.

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.

“It’s a true story, following the intertwined lives of Allie “Tick Tock” Tannenbaum and Abe “Kid Twist” Reles as they immerse themselves in the gang-infested streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, work their way to the top and then rat everyone out,” Kleid said. “If you’re a sucker for a good mob movie, and you’d like to expand your Mafia horizons beyond Michael Corleone, ‘Goodfellas,’ Lucky Luciano and ‘The Sopranos,’ this is the book for you.”

Jake Allen is the artist for “Brownsville.” The graphic novel can be downloaded via the iPhone app Panelfly, found online at www.panelfly.com.

Kleid’s second book for NBM is “The Big Kahn,” set in modern-day New Jersey, as, at the funeral of esteemed Rabbi David Kahn, his family discovers he was never Jewish, but an Irish con man.

“The book explores the aftermath of the revelation, focusing in on the late Rabbi’s wife and children who are forced to examine their lives in the wake of the bombshell,” Kleid said. “It asks questions of faith, religion, legacy and lies, shining its light on a family secret so well-hidden even the family didn’t know about it until it was too late.”

The artist of “The Big Kahn” is Nicolas Cinquegrani, a Chilean artist who Kleid found via the Internet.

“I was blown away by Nico’s delicate yet grounded imagery, the subtle, stark appeal to his characters and the possibilities of that art applied to my stark tale of human failings,” Kleid said. “I don’t regret e-mailing him one bit. Not one bit.”

Referencing the Bernie Madoff scandal, Kleid said “The Big Kahn” should be of interest to those interested in the societal implications of a world where everyone lies.

The theme of fighting for a second chance had parallels in Kleid’s own life, as while he was writing the book, he faced his own identity crisis.

“I’d moved to New York from Detroit, having left the isolated womb of my family home and the Jewish community surrounding it,” Kleid said. “Here I was, outside the ghetto and in the World, where anything could happen and I could be whoever I wanted. Unfortunately, several circumstances and scenarios brought me through trials of my own — professional, creative, financial, romantic — and the only comfort and grounding I could find was back in the ghetto, the protective womb of the Jewish community I was fighting to escape.

“I wanted to find out who I was — as a Jew, as an artist, as a writer, as a son, friend, brother, boyfriend, son of G-d — and this introspection and the questions that arose found their way into ‘The Big Kahn.’”

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

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.

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.

J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise comes to DVD and Blu-ray today. If you’ve missed what was one of 2009’s best films, now’s a great time to get caught up on it.

As I wrote in my review of the film:

Director J.J. Abrams reinvents “Star Trek” in his new film that’s a reboot of the classic sci-fi series. For hardcore Trekkies, it doesn’t negate what’s gone before, but for the newbies – which make up most of the potential viewing audience – this “Star Trek” is brand new.

Feel free to click through for my full review.  I look forward to checking out the DVD for extra features in the near future. Special features on the DVD set include a digital copy of the film, deleted scenes, audio commentary and making-of documentaries.

- Matt Price

The Twilight Saga: New Moon is at the top of ticket pre-sales this week, making up 94% of daily sales at Fandango.com and 90% of ticket sales at MovieTickets.com, according to releases from the companies.

According to Fandango, the Thursday night re-release of “Twilight” is the No. 2 seller on the site, representing 2% of today’s sales.

MovieTickets.com reports more than 200 sellouts of the film in New York and Los Angeles, and 2,150 sellouts of the film overall.

A Fandango survey of New Moon ticket buyers indicates the following:

51% will scream as the theater lights go down at the first public showings of New Moon, while 18% of audience members plan to put their fingers in their ears until the screaming stops.

50% pick Breaking Dawn as The Twilight Saga sequel they’re most eager to see on the big screen; 47% would like to see the final story split into two movies.

46% are most excited to see Edward back on the big screen, while a 32% are most excited to see the return of Jacob (among all New Moon characters).

At Newsarama, Dan Didio talked about the upcoming “Kid Flash” series to be written by Sterling Gates.   He revealed Gates will be working closely with Geoff Johns to keep continuity among the “Flash” franchise.
He also revealed (SPOILER WARNING) that Max Mercury would appear in the series.

Didio says at Newsarama:

I think Sterling’s already doing such a great job on Supergirl, and he’ll bring a lot of those same sensibilities to Kid Flash. That’s one of the reasons we chose him for that series. Also, you’ll still see the dynamic between Kid Flash and Max Mercury, if I’m not mistaken. And I think that’s new information, so you did get something out of me. But Max will be featured in this series as well. So if somebody’s a fan of Impulse, they’ll get that relationship back in the Kid Flash series. Because of the Max/Bart relationship, I think they’ll be very pleasantly surprised about what the plans are for the book.

Kid Flash looks to be a great fit for what Gates does well, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for the series!

- Matt Price

TV Guide has a first look at Hawkman from the upcoming “Smallville” two-hour event on Feb. 5.  Online reaction has been mixed, at best, but I’m OK with it.  It looks like the comic-book outfit, pretty much, and I’m ready for Clark to go ahead and get himself into a comic-book outfit.  So maybe this will motivate him.

- Matt Price

Four days prior to release, “New Moon” is the biggest pre-sales title in the 10-year history of ticket-selling site Fandango.   A release for the company indicates New Moon broke the record as of Saturday night.

The new Top 5 Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango (as of November 15, 2009) are as follows:

1. New Moon (2009)

2. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. Twilight (2008)

New Moon currently accounts for 86% of ticket sales at Fandango.com.

“For many fans, it’s clearly the year’s most anticipated film event,” said Fandango Chief Operating Officer Rick Butler in a release. “Ever since tickets went on sale on August 31, it’s been among our top five weekly ticket-sellers, as New Moon has a strong pull on audiences. We’re seeing a higher-than-usual number of tickets per transaction for this film, suggesting that moviegoers will show up en masse at theaters this weekend with their friends and family.”

A survey of Fandango users indicates that 10 percent of ticket buyers intend to show up to the film in costume.

Other information from the survey:

* 98% say the action in New Moon looks better than the action in Twilight.

* 72% plan to see the movie with a group of three friends or more.

* 52% of survey respondents say they dream about vampires.

* 22% are mothers and daughters planning to see New Moon together.

* 10% of fans plan to show up at the theater on Thursday night in costume, dressed as characters from the saga.

- Matt Price

Two big Whedon-related announcements have come out today.

First, according to SciFi Wire, Joss Whedon’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Eight” comics could be coming to the Web as motion comics webisodes.  For anyone who hasn’t yet read the comics, they are quite good. I’m not completely sold on motion comics as yet (I have, so far, always preferred the original comic), but it should be a good way to share “season eight” with those who might prefer it in this format.

In other Whedon family news, Zack Whedon, one of the writers of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” announced via Techland that he will be writing a new Terminator comic-book series for Dark Horse.

“I am not a big-time, famous dude and yet now I am choreographing action sequences set in a post-apocalyptic future overrun by evil cybernetic organisms hell bent on destroying the human race. How is that possible?! I’ll answer your question, Made-Up Person. It’s possible because in comics it doesn’t cost 150 million dollars to tell that story. They can put an idiot like me in charge!” Zack Whedon writes.

While it’s been a rough month for Whedonites with the cancellation of “Dollhouse,” maybe this will ease the sting somewhat.

- Matt Price

Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review Dark X-Men 1, X-Force 21 and the Batman/Doc Savage one-shot on the NewsOK Comics podcast.

Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates is joined by two Supergirl superstars for “Supergirl” No. 50.  Artwork from the late Michael Turner will be the cover of “Supergirl” No. 50.  A back-up story will be written by “Supergirl” actress Helen Slater and Jake Black. 

As revealed in the Superman family solicitations at Newsarama.com, the issue is set for release on Feb. 17 and will run 56 pages for $4.99.   Joshua Middleton, the series’ regular artist, will provide a 1-in-10 variant cover for the issue.

It’s the second “Supergirl” news featuring Slater in recent weeks. The actress also provided the introduction to “Supergirl: Who Is Superwoman?,” the collection of “Supergirl” issues by Gates and artist Jamal Igle released this week.

- Matt Price

Marvel plans to introduce this monkey with guns, apparently drawn by Frank Cho, at Marvel.com on Monday.  In the announcement, Marvel asks, “Who is One of the Most Exciting New Characters of the Century?”  Since this was the art included, I guess they think it’s this guy.  Now, I don’t know if this works like “collector’s item first issue!” where if you have to TELL people it’s a collector’s item, then it’s probably not.  In any case, if you like Frank Cho or monkeys in a suit and tie, you may want to tune to Marvel.com on Monday and find out who this fella is.

Update: The character is named Hitman Monkey.  He’ll debut in a digital title this December and first appear in print in February’s “Deadpool” No. 20.

- Matt Price

There was some controversy over the new Captain America’s choice to carry a gun, back in Captain America #34.   Some retailers at the time expressed concern about it.  Now, Marvel’s released a provocative new promo, one in their series of promos with the title “What Price Victory?” promoting the upcoming Siege storyline.

Norman Osborn is being held at gunpoint by the new Captain America in the image.  Osborn has been responsible for a lot of the bad things that have happened to Marvel’s heroes in the past year, as Osborn himself was lionized following his part in stopping the Skrull invasion.   Siege looks to be a return to the classic Avengers lineup of Thor, Captain America and Iron Man.  But I wonder if New Cap’s use of a gun might play into his stepping aside from the Captain America role, allowing a return of Steve Rogers?

(Of course, in Reborn right now, Steve Rogers isn’t quite ready to take over anything – but we’ll see how that story progresses, as well!)

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

- Matt Price

I completely forgot about it being Friday the 13th today, but as such I can’t let the day pass without a few recommendations of creepy comics to read.

1. Creepy

Might as well go with the comic that has “creepy” right there in the title.   The first Creepy Archive features stories by Archie Goodwin, art by Alex Toth and covers by Frank Frazetta!  That’s an all-star lineup.

2. Eerie

Creepy’s sister publication. The first Eerie Archive  does duplicate some of the stories from the second Creepy Archive, as Dark Horse presents the first five issues of Eerie as they were originally presented.  Covers by Frazetta and Gray Morrow.

3. Blackest Night
Odds are good you may already be reading this best-seller from DC Comics, but I’m enjoying it as the equivalent of a superhero zombie movie.

4. Essential Marvel Horror Vol. 2

This is likely to fall more along the lines of “goofy” than “scary.”  It’s a mix of characters including Brother Voodoo and Gabriel the Devil-Hunter from the 1970s Marvel line.  The mixture of one oddball thing after another makes this a fun one to pick up and read in short bursts.

5. House of Mystery

While the original “Showcase” edition is worth a look, I’ll recommend checking out the recent series by Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges.  Five characters trapped are trapped in a bar that appears to be in an otherworldly realm.  They are trying to find out why they are imprisoned, and along the way they tell their stories.  One of the best current series from Vertigo.

Doc Savage is making his way back to comics. The once wildly popular pulp character co-stars with Batman in the one-shot “Batman/Doc Savage” this week.

Brian Azzarello (“100 Bullets”) is the writer of the “Batman/Doc Savage” Special, illustrated by Phil Noto.

Doc Savage has a long history in comic books, pulp magazines, radio and even movies.

Moore author Mel Odom said Doc Savage was among his favorites as a youngster.

“I grew up on the character — tougher than Tarzan, braver than Batman,” he said. “(I) took my younger brothers to see the 1975 George Pal ‘Doc Savage’ movie.”

And Doc Savage could return to the silver screen as well. Aintitcoolnews.com recently reported Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”) was working on a Doc Savage script.

Through his worldwide jaunts, Doc Savage came at least twice to the Sooner State.

“At least two Doc novels take place in Oklahoma, ‘The Secret in the Sky,’ May 1935, and ‘The Derrick Devil,’ February 1937,” said Larry Latham, pulp fiction expert and creator of the “Lovecraft Is Missing” Web comic.

Doc Savage was an adventurer and scientist who had globe-spanning adventures with his band of assistants.

Lester Dent wrote most of the 181 novels featuring Doc Savage, which were released under the Street & Smith “house name” of Kenneth Robeson. And Dent had even closer ties to Oklahoma than his “Man of Bronze” character.

Though Dent was born in La Plata, Mo., Latham said Dent lived and worked in Oklahoma from 1925 to late 1930, in Bartlesville, Ponca City, Chickasha and Tulsa.

“In Tulsa, he worked for The Associated Press office at the Tulsa World,” Latham said in an e-mail. Latham said articles by Will Murray, Dent’s literary executor and biographer and a personal friend of Dent’s wife, Norma, indicated that during this time Dent was an avid reader of the pulp magazines.

“He worked midnight to 8 a.m. and read a lot of pulps,” Latham said. “One of his co-workers, Lester Foster, sold a story, and so Dent took up writing as a way to make some extra money.”

He wrote 13 stories before selling his first to Street & Smith in 1929, living in Tulsa and working at The Associated Press, and also as a telegrapher at a Tulsa stock brokerage until 1930.

Dell Publishing in New York offered Dent a full-time job writing in late 1930, Latham said, and the Dents moved there. Not too long after, Street & Smith hired him to write Doc Savage.

In addition to Doc Savage, Dent wrote a variety of other pulp genres before his death on March 11, 1959. But there was one genre of which he wasn’t particularly fond.

Murray quotes him as saying: “I was raised on a ranch. Now wouldn’t I be crazy to go writing about something I knew all about?”

by Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman ]]> http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/11/13/character-makes-savage-return-to-comics/feed/ 0 http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/11/13/dvd-review-the-guild-seasons-1-and-2/ http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/11/13/dvd-review-the-guild-seasons-1-and-2/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:35:36 +0000 nerdblog http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/?p=5693

Felicia Day is probably best-known from her roles in the Joss Whedon projects “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” or the “Dollhouse” episode “Epitaph One.” But Day is equally as impressive as a writer, director and producer of the online show “The Guild,” the first two seasons of which are now available on DVD.

“The Guild” is a fictional Web series based on Day’s experiences with online role-playing games and features the interactions of a group of gamers.

Day plays Codex, the online alter ego of Cyd Sherman, in “The Guild.” She and her online friends spend much of their time in a “World of Warcraft”-like game in which they are the Knights of Good — but real life isn’t so simple.

As the series begins, Zaboo, one of the Guild’s most powerful members, has gone missing. But then Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh) shows up on Codex’s doorstep, having misread her winking emoticons as a real relationship. Other Guild members: Clara (Robin Thorsen), who retreats into the game to escape her day-to-day life, to the probable detriment of her kids. Tinkerballa (Amy Okuda), a woman who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, in game or out. Vork, the by-the-book Guild leader, played by Jeff Lewis. And Bladezz (Vincent Caso), the high-school-aged bad boy of the Guild, who talks a good game from his mom’s basement.

Day is both endearing and authentic as Codex, dumped by her therapist and boyfriend, finding meaning only through her online interactions. Over the course of “The Guild,” however, she’s drawn into more and more real-world interactions based on her game affiliations.

The DVD contains seasons one and two of “The Guild,” consisting of 10 episodes each. There are also multiple audio commentaries as well as script files, bloopers and cast and crew interviews.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

According to Entertainment Weekly, Fox will not be ordering additional episodes of “Dollhouse” and will burn off the remainder of the 13-episode order in December.   Fox moving it around on the schedule surely didn’t help anything.   Hopefully fans will still be able see the promised episode directed by John Cassaday.

I’ll admit, I’m part of the problem. While I love Whedon’s work, I didn’t get into “Dollhouse” after watching the first couple of episodes.   I planned to eventually catch up on DVD — and I suppose I still will — but that doesn’t help keep the show on.   Overall, I guess it’s a surprise that a nearly naked Eliza Dushku (as seen in the first season promos) didn’t deliver big enough ratings to keep the show going. Those of you who watched “Dollhouse,” feel free to sound off in the comments.

- Matt Price

I’ve been thinking about the role of Batman’s sidekick lately.  I recently re-read some of the earlier Tim Drake Robin appearances, and was reminded how much I enjoyed that character at the time.   There are also some great Dick Grayson stories as Robin.   Damian Wayne as Robin co-stars in a top-selling book, and of course there’s something to be said for trailblazers Carrie Kelly and Stephanie Brown.  I’m less sure that anyone’s favorite Robin will be Jason Todd, but I guess anything is possible.   Share your vote in the poll below, and if you’d like, tell us why you voted for whom you voted in the comments!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Guy Ritchie left the “Sgt. Rock” project for another DC project, Lobo.  This cleared the way for “I Am Legend” director Francis Lawrence.  Joel Silver and Akiva Goldsman are set to direct.   The film, which has been in development for 20 years and at one time was to star Arnold Schwartzenegger, was to focus on the leader of Easy Company during World War II.

But scuttlebutt in the Reporter article is that WWII films don’t do big box-office, so the film will instead be set in the future.

I really can’t at this moment get excited about it.  I mean, we’ve had some pretty good Sgt. Rock comics lately, like Billy Tucci’s “Sgt. Rock: The Last Battalion” and “Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy” and “Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place.”

So naturally what you want to do with DC’s most realistic war character is take him and send him to the future.   Maybe they’ll come up with a great take, but at the moment my interest has waned.

- Matt Price

The Norman Public Library will host an adult gaming night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 in the Lowry Room.  Those 18 and over can join in the games, which will include Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, Halo 3, Left for Dead, and more.  Systems available will include Xbox 360, Playstation 2, and the Nintendo Wii.

No registration is required for the event. For more information, contact Norman librarian Jamie Hale at 701-2620 or stop by the Norman Information Services Desk.

Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!