Kyle Roberts talks to Matt Price from the ComicsPRO meeting in Dallas. Expected topics of discussion include the Image Comics resurgence, including “Thief of Thieves”; the new Smallville comic book series; and the Marvel Comics Avengers vs. X-Men comics.

Marvel has released a preview of April’s “Avengers vs. X-Men,” written by an all-star cast of Marvel writers with art by John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert and Olivier Copiel.

Here’s how Marvel describes the series, which goes on sale April 3.

This April, prepare for the biggest super hero war in comics history as Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Avengers Vs. X-Men #1! From the powerhouse creative team of Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert and Olivier Copiel comes a groundbreaking event pitting Earth’s Mightiest against the X-Men with the entire Marvel Universe at stake. Cyclops and his team believe the arrival of the Phoenix Force will save mutantkind, but Captain America is convinced it will destroy the world! But who is right? Don’t miss out on all the action in Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app this April!

This 12-issue series will feature many of Marvel’s most popular characters, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and Magneto.

Click past the cut for the full 7-page preview!

- Matt Price

Watchmen prequels, X-Men First Class sequel, and Avengers assemble this week on the comics podcast.

MORE ‘WATCHMEN’
DC Comics is returning to the world of its best-selling graphic novel, “Watchmen.”
The new prequels will fill out story elements occurring before the events of “Watchmen.”

“Before Watchmen” is an event with six mini-series — 35 total issues — that will serve as a prequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ story WATCHMEN.
Creators involved include original series editor Len Wein, as well as writer/artist Darwyn Cooke and writer J. Michael Straczynski.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
What do you think of the idea of the “Watchmen” prequels? Will you buy them? Are you excited?

X-MEN FIRST CLASS 2
Deadline reports that Fox has just closed a deal with Matthew Vaughn to come back and direct the sequel to X-Men: First Class; Bryan Singer will also be back as producer.

Most of the major characters are expected to return, including James MacAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto.

AVENGERS TEASER
Marvel will release a commercial for its “Avengers” film during the Super Bowl.
The film, starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, is set for a May 4 release. It’s directed by Joss Whedon.

REVIEW FILE: Matt and Kyle review Winter Soldier #1, by Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice and Bettie Breitweiser; Fatale #2, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; and Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #4, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman.

Matt and Kyle take a look at the Kindle Fire’s options for comics; the Avengers release new posters; and Roy Thomas talks about Conan the Barbarian in this week’s comics podcast.

FIRE AWAY
The Kindle Fire offers comics via graphic novel sales on Amazon.com and the comiXology app that comes pre-installed on the tablet. The comiXology reader links to any existing comiXology account. Its reader is preferable to the Fire’s native browser for comics, which will feature several DC graphic novels.

NEW AVENGERS POSTER

A brand new banner featuring the core four members of “The Avengers” — Captain America, Bruce Banner, Iron Man and Thor, from left to right — has premiered over at Yahoo Movies.

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/movie-stills/gallery/3403/the-avengers-stills#info

CONAN GIVEAWAY

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is  releasing  Conan the Barbarian on 3D/2D Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2D   Blu-ray Disc, and DVD this November 22nd. Starring Jason Momoa, Rachel   Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman, this 2011  re-make  includes audio commentaries, The Conan Legacy  featurette, a making-of  and more. Longtime “Conan” comics writer appears on the special features for the film.

We have a copy of the  Conan the Phenomenon: The Legacy  of Robert E. Howard Fantasy  Icon hardcover art history book as well as the Conan the Barbarian the Blu-ray Combo Pack to give away.  For a chance to win, answer our question of the day:  Which Conan is your favorite?  The character from the books?  Arnold from the films?  The Barry Windsor-Smith or John Buscema version from the comics?  The more recent version from the Dark Horse Comics?  Or Jason Momoa in the new film?

ROY THOMAS

Speaking of Conan, I talked to Roy Thomas, who brought Conan to Marvel Comics in the 1970s and has been writing “Road of Kings” for Dark Horse.  He talked about the early days of the Conan comic.

He said he was hoping to expand Marvel’s reach beyond superheroes into sword and sorcery, and licensing Conan was a home run. The new “Conan the Barbarian” is out on DVD and Blu-ray today. Look for more of the interview with Thomas in Friday’s Weekend Look.

WINNER WINNER ROBOT CHICKEN DINNER

We’ve chosen our winner for the Robot Chicken season 5 DVD  —  the DVD goes to MovieHunter1888.

REVIEW FILE: Justice League 3, Captain America #4, Fear Itself 7.3, Avengers #19, Batman #3
Comics read in 2011: 1,748. Still to go: 263

Yahoo Movies debuted a banner featuring Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, for the upcoming film “The Avengers,” set for a May 4, 2012 release.  The film is directed by Joss Whedon.

The Avengers who haven’t had their own solo movies as yet, plus one villain, are found on a second banner via Moviefone.  Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow round out the second banner, which can be seen at Moviefone or by clicking past the cut.

- Matt Price

Kyle drops in Logan-style, bub, in this year’s Planet 46 Halloween Special. Also on the show: Superman fan Herbert Chavez undergoes 10 years of surgery to become resemble his hero; Bryan Harley makes an awesome Avengers trailer “Sweded” parody; Halloween comics are recommended; and Sterling Gates is making a stop in Oklahoma. Plus Wolverine, Superman and more make an appearance in the review file.

SUPER DOPPLEGANGER
Parade reports on a Filipino man, Herbert Chavez, who has undergone multiple surgeries to more closely resemble the Man of Steel. Chavez, a huge Superman fan, has undergone a nose job, chin implants and more.

AVENGERS SWEDED TRAILER IS JUST TOO SWEET
Bryan Harley and friends have created an awesome “Avengers” trailer in the “Sweded” style popularized by Michel Gondry in the film “Be Kind Rewind.” Find out more about the art of sweding and the Swedefest at www.swedefest.com, and find out more about the trailer at www.dumbdrum.com.

STERLING GATES IN OK
Check out Sterling Gates, “Hawk and Dove” writer, at Matt’s store Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N Porter Ave in Norman, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

GET YOUR HALLOWEEN READING ON
Matt recommends Batman: The Long Halloween, B.P.R.D., and Vampirella comics by Archie Goodwin and James Robinson for Halloween reading in 2011.

REVIEW FILE: Avengers #18, Incredible Hulk #1, Wolverine and the X-Men #1, Superman #2, Aquaman #2
Comics read in 2011: 1,613. Still to go: 398.

Hayley Atwell in "Captain America."

Hayley Atwell plays British agent Peggy Carter, part of the team who helps to train scrawny Steve Rogers in “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Once Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) receives the super-soldier serum to become America’s athletic, star-spangled hero of World War II, Atwell’s Carter is part of the unit that helps Captain America face off against the villainous Hydra and the Red Skull. “Captain America” is available on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

The half-British, half-American Atwell grew up in London, but spent summers in Kansas City, Mo.

For “Captain America,” she went through extensive training with an ex-Marine to become Agent Peggy Carter.

“It was a matter of making sure that physically she was strong and fit and looked like she could hold a gun and hold her own in quite an action-packed, male-dominated environment,” Atwell said in a phone interview promoting “Captain America.”

“And it felt like it paid off. It gave me tremendous energy and vitality and confidence, not to mention stronger biceps.”

But Peggy Carter isn’t only strong, she’s also sexy.

“We looked at kind of old Hollywood glamour, the Lauren Bacalls, and the pencil skirts of the 40s, and found a way to make the uniform look practical and strong, but also sexy and sophisticated as well.”

Atwell said she felt women of the 1940s made an effort to look their best at all times, which was reflected in Peggy Carter.

So even when Carter is chasing the bad guys, “she still managed to go and powder her nose and put some red lipstick on,” Atwell said.

She said working with star Chris Evans was inspiring.

Chris Evans, left, and Hayley Atwell, cast members in "Captain America: The First Avenger."

“He’s a really smart guy, and I thought he brought so much sensitivity to this role,” she said. “Not just the physical aspect of it, which he obviously was clearly capable of doing, but then you see there’s quite a sensitive side to what Chris can do as an actor.”

Tommy Lee Jones (“The Fugitive”) plays Col. Chester Phillips, a gruff military man who must be convinced of the potential of Steve Rogers. Atwell said her time with Jones on set was always educational.

“As Brits, we really appreciate wit, and he has buckets full of it,” Atwell said. “His conversation is very funny. Very, very dry sense of humor. It’s something that I can imagine being quite intimidating to some people, but I found everything that came out of his mouth either interesting or very, very funny.”

After she was cast as Peggy Carter, Atwell said she researched Captain America comic books to get a feel for the story. Captain America first appeared in 1940, in what would later become Marvel Comics. She said she discovered Captain America was about a man who chose to use his newfound abilities for the greater good.

“And not to get too swayed by the temptation to become famous as he experiences in the film,” she said.

Though the timeline of the various films might not make it obvious how Agent Peggy Carter would return, Atwell’s up for another turn in the superhero world.

“I haven’t had any conversations about that yet,” she said. “Obviously anything’s possible, because being in this sci-fi world, you can bring anything back or do anything, and I would absolutely jump at the opportunity to be involved again.”

In the meantime, she’ll support co-star Chris Evans by watching him return as Captain America in “The Avengers,” though she’s worried about one potential plotline.

“I think if there’s any romantic involvement, I’ll be very jealous,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll want to see that, I’ll feel cheated. But of course I’ll go and support Chris and go and watch the film. I’m a big fan of the other films. I loved ‘Thor,’ and I loved ‘Iron Man,’ so I’ll definitely go and see that for those reasons. It’s going to be a really exciting movie, I think. ‘The Avengers’ will be the icing on the cake of years of great films all coming together in this one action film.”

In the meantime, she’s been performing in a play in London, and this week will begin filming “The Sweeney” in London with Ray Winstone.

She said she’s very proud of her work in “Captain America,” and the overall film, though she finds it hard to judge it completely objectively.

“It’s almost like having this incredible experience, and then having a video of it forever and ever and ever to remind of all the fun that you had and all the friends that you made. So I feel very privileged and honored to be a part of it.”

– By Matthew Price
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman

Marvel Comics’ top-tier team of superheroes stars in “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” which features Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, among others.

With “The Avengers” set to come to theaters in 2012, it’s a nice bit of multimedia synergy — but it’s a well-done animated series, as well, culling bits from both the classic and “Ultimate” lines of Marvel Comics, as well as the cinematic universe, to create a hybrid that takes the best of all worlds.

In the third volume, the Avengers face the Masters of Evil, a group of Avengers foes gathered by Captain America’s enemy, Baron Zemo. Though the Avengers appear to be down for the count after Zemo attacks their mansion, Zemo hasn’t accounted for the bowman Hawkeye or the Wakandan king Black Panther, two Avengers who weren’t there at the time.

The second episode on the set, “459,” brings the Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell into the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” continuity, as an alien sentry comes to Earth as a harbinger of interstellar war.

A three-part storyline features the time-traveling dictator Kang the Conqueror and is reminiscent of the great Kang storylines from the Avengers comics.

And in “Widow’s Sting,” Hawkeye and Mockingbird are on the trail of the apparent double-agent the Black Widow.

Eric Loomis brings a Robert Downey Jr.-esque flair to the brash, sarcastic Iron Man, and veteran voice actor Fred Tatasciore returns as the Hulk after playing the character in direct-to-DVD films and video games. Brian Bloom (“As the World Turns”) voices the heroic Captain America, while Rick Wasserman (“24”) plays the Norse god of thunder, Thor.

There’s some anime influence, but “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” animation style is probably somewhere between Marvel’s more traditional superhero style and a full-on anime production. It’s similar in look to the recent “Wolverine and the X-Men” as far as art style is concerned. Former “X-Force” comics writer Christopher Yost is the series’ head writer and story editor, and wrote the “Masters of Evil” episode included in this collection.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Sorry for the delay in getting this one up! Matt and Kyle discuss the Avengers trailer, DC Comics hitting No. 1 on the sales charts, and the X-Men Destiny video game.

Review File: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3, DuckTales #5, Shade #1.
Comics read in 2011: 1,543. Still to go: 468.

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr in "The Avengers."

Get your first extended look at Marvel’s “The Avengers” with a new trailer released today at Apple.

The film, directed by Joss Whedon, stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

- Matt Price

First look at the Avengers are in Entertainment Weekly; the new Batman cartoon “Beware of the Batman” is set to debut in 2013; and Walking Dead webisodes are online at AMCtv.com this week on the Planet 46 comics show.

REVIEW FILE: Penguin Pain and Prejudice #1, Huntress #1, Action Comics #2, Supernatural #1, X-Men Schism #5
Comics read in 2011: 1,540 Still to go: 471

Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson in "Thor."

Secret agent Phil Coulson, as played by Clark Gregg, has appeared in three Marvel Studios films so far, and his biggest role yet is in the upcoming “The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon.

“There’s no other movie where I have this much to do,” Gregg said in a telephone interview promoting Friday’s release of the “Thor” DVD.

SHIELD is Marvel’s high-tech superspy agency led by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). When Thor’s hammer lands in New Mexico and is giving off strange readings, SHIELD sets up shop to analyze the artifact.

Coulson comes into conflict with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), an Asgardian god cast to Earth by his father, Odin, when Thor tries to retrieve his hammer. Coulson has to become a little more aggressive in “Thor,” as he leads a team of agents protecting the hammer.

Gregg was impressed with Hemsworth’s abilities as the lead character.

“That seems really hard. He’s got to be this ultimate warrior, and at the same time, he’s got to be this Shakespearean prince,” Gregg said.

Coulson helps tie together the Marvel films in a new short, “The Consultant,” which will appear on the “Thor” Blu-ray.

“It was hugely cool,” Gregg said. “I just love that they wanted to go further with SHIELD and Coulson. They’ve been evolving who SHIELD is and who Coulson is.”

Meanwhile, Coulson’s role as something of a point-of-view character in this world of superheroes and thunder gods has made him a fan favorite.

“It’s really fun for me,” Gregg said. “You can feel that the audience will be discovering this or that. (And) he’s not afraid to say something sarcastic,” Gregg said.

The fans have taken to Coulson’s deftness and quick wit, and they share their love of the character with Gregg.

“I’m so kind of flattered and blown away by that,” he said. “People send T-shirts and make really amazing art.”

Coulson was created for the films but has appeared in comic books based on the film’s continuity since, including “Iron Man 2: Agents of SHIELD,” set between “Iron Man” 1 and 2, and “Security Measures,” collected in the “I Am Iron Man” trade paperback.

Whedon recently told MTV that he found places during the filming of “The Avengers” to increase Agent Coulson’s screen time. “There were things that during the writing, I was like, ‘I need something more here … Oh, Coulson!’ and he just, he comes up every time,” Whedon said at MTV’s Splash Page. “Clark is such a wonderful guy but also such a precise actor.”

Gregg laughed off such compliments — “I had to pay a lot for him to say that,” he said — but shared praise on working with Whedon and the all-star “Avengers” cast, which includes Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Hemsworth as Thor and Chris Evans as Captain America.

Gregg also is dipping into Marvel’s animated world, voicing Coulson in the upcoming “Ultimate Spider-Man” cartoon series.

Gregg said it’s exciting to put Coulson into “the whole Peter Parker, Aunt May world,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in any other milieu.”

Gregg, who also writes and directs, will be a triple-threat in the upcoming “Trust Me,” a noirish comedy which he wrote and will star in and direct.

“I definitely wrote this character pretty much for myself,” he said. “I didn’t feel like handing it off to someone else.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The Avengers assembled at a Disney event; Justice League pre-orders are the year’s best, and Ghost Rider lets it flow in his latest movie trailer.

Marvel’s The Avengers

The Avengers assembled at the D23 Expo, alongside producer and president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige. Stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders and Chris Hemsworth made an appearance to present their upcoming film.

Joe Quesada was also on hand to talk about Marvel Comics and the company’s 70-plus year history.

JUSTICE LEAGUE TOPS 200K

The LA Times is reporting that pre-orders for Justice League No. 1, which goes on sale Aug. 31, are over 200,000. That’s the highest-ordered comic since 2009, the Barack Obama issue of “Amazing Spider-Man.”

So far, “Justice League” No. 1 is on track to be the bestselling book of 2011.

GHOST RIDER TRAILER

The “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” trailer came out online, and it’s got more Nick Cage, as well as Ghost Rider… well, there’s no polite way to say it. He’s taking a restroom break, and it’s fiery.

REVIEW FILE: Captain America and Bucky 621, Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost 3, Batman Incorporated 8
Comics read in 2011: 1,275 Still to go: 736

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and the agents of SHIELD were revealed in promotional art from Marvel at Comic-Con International.   Along with Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye and the Black Widow, they’ll be the focus of “The Avengers,” being directed by Joss Whedon for a 2012 release.

Marvel has released concept art for the upcoming “Avengers” movie, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner, as Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye.  The posters are available at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Click past the cut to see the four posters released so far.

- Matt Price

With the July 4 weekend upon us, here are some patriotic comic-books to check out and celebrate the United States of America.

Captain America Comics 1 (1941)
This Joe Simon/Jack Kirby creation shows a ton of energy and excitement, as the origin of Captain America is revealed for the first time.   This issue also has the first appearance of the Red Skull, who in this issue is a traitorous American industrialist.

American Dream 1-5 (2008 Marvel)
American Dream is a young woman who takes on an adapted costume of Captain America in the “MC2″ universe, the Marvel Universe of a few years in the future.    This 5-issue miniseries by Tom DeFalco and Todd Nauck is reminiscent of Silver Age Marvel Comics, as Shannon Carter deals with balancing her personal and superheroic lives.  The five-issue miniseries was collected in the “American Dream: Beyond Courage” trade paperback.

Fighting American 1-7 (Prize); Harvey series 1-2

The new collection from Titan collects all the “Fighting American” stories by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, including the previously unpublished second Harvey issue.  “The Mad Inker” is published here for the first time, missing the splash page that has been lost to time.
The Fighting American started as a Communist-bashing All-American hero in 1954, but as the series went on, he became more of a precursor to Adam West’s Batman, with lots of goofy gags and camp elements.   But the series as a whole, despite the shift in tone, is worth seeking out, especially with Titan’s new collection.

Onslaught Reborn 1-5 (2006)
Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Onslaught” in the Marvel Universe with “Onslaught Reborn,” a jam-packed action movie of a comic-book series.  Revived by the events of “House of M,” Onslaught seeks to destroy the earth’s heroes.  Trying to destroy Franklin Richards, he’s again cast into the Heroes Reborn world, where those heroes come face-to-face with the monster.  It’s intended as rock-em, sock-em comics action, and it succeeds at that, despite a lot of detractors at the time.  It heavily features the Avengers — including Thor, Iron Man and Captain America — and the Fantastic Four, among others.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Nos. 71-80 (Marvel, 1988)
Civil War comes to Cobra Island, as Serpentor and someone claiming to be Cobra Commander each vie for control of the organization.  Destro waits in the wings to make his move, as well.   Serpentor, through Doctor Mindbender, manages to get the Joes ordered to help his cause.  Written by Larry Hama, with artists including Ron Wagner and Marshall Rogers.  IDW has collected these issues as Classic G.I. Joe vol 8.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 911 Still to go:  1100

Robert Downey Jr. (AP)

Robert Downey Jr., currently filming “The Avengers,” where he reprises his role of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, comes in at No. 3 on Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal.

Downey has starred as Stark in two “Iron Man” films, and made a cameo in “The Incredible Hulk.”  After “Avengers,” he’ll star in “Iron Man 3,” set to be directed by Shane Black.

Also of interest to Nerdage fans, Downey is set to play Sherlock Holmes for a second time in the film “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” set for release on Dec. 16.

In 2010, in addition to “Iron Man 2,” Downey starred in the comedy “Due Date,” with Zack Galifianakis.

- Matt Price

Chris Evans at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Chris Evans, who plays star-spangled superhero Captain America in this summer’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” is Nerdage’s #6 actor with geek appeal.

Evans will reprise the role in the Joss Whedon-directed “Avengers,” filming now.

In a recent interview with The Triangle, Evans said he felt like he had a responsibility to Captain America’s fans.

“At the end of the day, you’re making the movie for the fans. These movies wouldn’t get made if there wasn’t a built-in fanbase. They just wouldn’t. So at the end of the day, your loyalty is to the people who are passionate about these comic books, so you want to make sure that they’re happy, first and foremost,” Evans said.

- Matt Price

Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson — who played superspy the Black Widow in “Iron Man 2″ and is set to reprise her role in “The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon — comes in at No. 7 on Nerdage’s actresses with geek appeal.

In December, she’ll co-star with Matt Damon in the Cameron Crowe-directed film “We Bought a Zoo.”

- Matt Price

Chris Hemsworth (AP)

Chris Hemsworth, who stars as the Marvel Comics hero Thor in the film by that name currently in theaters, comes in at No. 10 on Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal.

Hemsworth talked to Nerdage about playing Marvel’s god of thunder.

“He has a great sense of humor. He likes to have fun. Even among all that arrogance and what have you, there’s a real fun side to him, too,” Hemsworth said. “And I tried to bring that part of me out in the character.”

Hemsworth is currently filming “Avengers,” set for 2012 release, which will bring together Thor, Captain America and Iron Man in one film.

He was previously seen in 2009′s “Star Trek” as George Kirk, father to the famous Captain James Tiberius Kirk.    He’s slated to appear in “Snow White and the Huntsman,” also planned for a 2012 release.

- Matt Price

Jeremy Renner (AP)

Nerdage’s #23 actor with geek appeal, Jeremy Renner, has been signed to play Marvel’s battling bowman, Hawkeye, in the 2012 film “The Avengers,” to be directed by Joss Whedon.

Renner is a two-time Oscar nominee who has also set his sights on a Steve McQueen biopic and on starring in the next “Bourne” film, “The Bourne Legacy.”

- Matt Price

Here’s an abbreviated rundown of several comics I’ve read over the past 2 weeks, but haven’t had time to post about.

Herc 1-2 – Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak are writing a street-level Herc in a fish out of water type tale that should appeal to fans of the “Thor” movie.  Artist Neil Edwards has a touch of classic John Byrne to him.   It’s a good mix of action and humor that I hope finds an audience.

Avengers 12, 12.1 – Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. wrap up the Infinity Gauntlet storyline.  In 12.1, Bendis and Bryan Hitch create a standalone adventure with Ultron, tying into Tony Stark’s map of the future.

Incredible Hulks 626-627 – Hulk, in James Bond-style wear, tries to stop the opening of Pandora’s Box.  Tom Grummett is always a capable artist, and Greg Pak has written some great Hulk stories.

Ruse #1 - Reintroducing the detective series from CrossGen written by Mark Waid.  Loved the original series, liked this. Will stick it out through the run.

Mighty Thor #1 - Matt Fraction’s Thor is solid and well-done, but the #1 is more for the movie folks; it’s not dramatically different from what Fraction has been doing.  OK, but not fantastic.

Action Comics #900 - The “citizenship” back-up story overshadowed in the press the main event of the conclusion of Paul Cornell’s Lex Luthor arc.  But Cornell finishes up well here, if you can find a copy. (Second print is coming.)

Avengers Academy 11-12 - The Academy kids are powered up by becoming future versions of themselves to face Korvac.  An underrated Avengers book.  Written by Christos Gage.

Superman #710 – I’ve liked the “Grounded” storyline better since Chris Roberson has been involved.  This team-up with Batman isn’t earth-shaking, but it’s acceptable.

Skaar King of the Savage Land #1 - This first issue of a 5-issue mini manages to be fun and engaging as Rob Williams and Brian Ching follow the son of the Hulk in the Savage Land.   Cool visuals include Skaar fighting dinosaurs, which is totally a selling point for this book.

Starman/Congorilla 1 – James Robinson and Brett Booth create sort of a superhero version of a buddy cop film; one’s a blue alien, the other’s a man in a gorilla’s body.

Older stuff:

John Carter, Warlord of Mars 1-10: Gil Kane and Roy Thomas were the creative team on this adaptation of the Barsoom (aka Mars) stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Dave Cockrum inks the first issue.  If you want a more science-fictional Tarzan-style story, this is it.   The first 10 issues are an ongoing original story by Thomas, rather than an adaptation of an existing story.  “Air Pirates of Mars” features Carter and Dejah Thoris facing off against a splinter group who want to end Carter’s influence on Mars.   After issue 1, Kane’s layouts were finished by Rudy Nebres.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 618. Still to go: 1393.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH STARS IN THOR, READIES FOR THE AVENGERS

“Thor” star Chris Hemsworth talks getting ready for the Avengers and a possible Thor sequel.

Chris Hemsworth (AP)

“I had such an amazing time … can’t wait for Avengers, and the idea of doing more of them is incredibly exciting. I really do love the character, and I’m excited to see what other directions we could take it,” Hemsworth said in a phone interview.”I’ve hung out with Chris Evans a few times, and talked about the film and how excited we are, and the same with Downey, I’ve bumped into him at a couple of events,” he said. “We’ve all seen these characters come to life individually, and now to mesh it all together is going to be a fun ride.”

NEW GREEN LANTERN TRAILER

Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for “Green Lantern,” opening June 17 and starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, chosen to be a Green Lantern, a member of an intergalactic peacekeeping force. Warner Bros. seems to be upping the epic feel for this one, as you get a sense of Hal Jordan as the newest member of this awesome peacekeeping force.

Speaking of Green Lantern, he’ll have a comic book featured in Saturday’s

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

For the 10th year, comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors. This Saturday marks the 10th celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Characters such as Spider-Man, Thor, Green Lantern and the Smurfs star in special comics, sold at low cost to stores, to be given away free on this special day.

Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, ComicsPRO trade organization president and owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.

Field said about 2.7 million comics will be available for giveaway Saturday. Retailers have given away more than 25 million comics since the first giveaway in 2002. More than a dozen stores in the Oklahoma City area are participating.

REVIEW FILE: Axe Cop 3, Fear Itself 2.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 594  Still to go: 1417

Marvel has released a set photo from “The Avengers,” featuring the chairs of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk.   In a news release, Marvel confirmed that Tom Hiddleston would return as Loki in “The Avengers.”   Cobie Smulders also will co-star as Maria Hill in the Joss Whedon-directed film.

Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man; Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) is Thor; Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) is Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) is Hawkeye; Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) is Hulk; Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) is Black Widow; Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) is Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) is Nick Fury.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 4, 2012.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the full release.

Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Marvel’s The Avengers” brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston (“Wallander”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Angels & Demons,” “Mamma Mia!”) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature “Thor.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.

In a letter posted at Whedonesque on April 24, director Joss Whedon confirms that the “Avengers” start date is today, Monday, April 25.

Whedon writes:

Joss Whedon (AP)

Anyhoo, it should be a fun day, followed by the eighty thousand other fun days it will take to finish this. I’ll be checking in from time to time, if there’s news or I crave attention (i.e. am awake) . None of it will be Avengers news — I have some very denty pillows to remind of that — but I may have tidbits.

The Avengers stars Chris Evans as Captain America, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk.  Jeremy Renner will appear in The Avengers as Hawkeye.

- Matt Price

Mila Kunis arrives at the 83rd annual Academy Awards.

Mila Kunis looked fantastic last night at the 83rd annual Academy Awards. While she clearly has her pick  of roles right now, I’d love to see her in a superhero franchise – like the upcoming Avengers, perhaps?   Who better to play Janet Van Dyne, aka the Wasp, who went from airheaded socialite to hard-nosed leader of the Avengers?   Maybe Joss Whedon got the same idea watching the Oscars.   What do you think? Should Mila Kunis play a superhero?

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for more Mila Kunis pictures from the Oscars.

In “Fantastic Four” #588, the final issue of the long-running series, the team deals with the death of one of their own, as their grief affects not only them, but also heroes throughout the Marvel universe.

There’s an excellent scene with Spider-Man and Franklin Richards talking about their experiences with deaths in their family that’s certainly a precursor to the relaunch of “FF” next month by the same writer.

Spidey also deals with grief in his own series, as in “Amazing Spider-Man” #655, Spidey deals with the aftermath of the death of Marla Jameson.  Both this and the “Fantastic Four” issue have long wordless stretches, and it’s interesting to see how well artist Marcos Martin conveyed the story without dialogue.

Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man so far has been fantastic, and this issue continues the trend.

Also read this week:

Secret Avengers #10 – Ed Brubaker is nearing the end of his run, but he’s getting great art out of Mike Deodato; this issue is largely a battle sequence with former Cap ally John Steele.

Avengers #10 – I love Infinity Gauntlet stories, so I’m probably the ideal audience for Brian Michael Bendis’ and John Romita Jr.’s arc in which a villain tries to collect the Infinity Gems.  While this may be a little generic in execution, come on, it’s the Infinity Gems!  I’m enjoying it despite some possible feeling of been-there, done-that.

Captain America #615 – This wraps up the Trial of Captain America and sets up the next story arc.  Writer Ed Brubaker provides more insight into what makes Bucky tick, and Butch Guice nails the artwork, as usual.

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #5 – Best issue of the series thus far, as we begin to get into the origin of Solar in this revamp of the Gold Key characters. If you were a fan in the Valiant days, but the first four issues turned you off, you might give it another shot with this issue.

From the back-issue bins this week:

Sludge 1-6 (Malibu Ultraverse): Steve Gerber and Aaron Lopresti were the creative team for this oily sludge monster that was part Plastic Man, part Man-Thing.   Frank Hoag, a cop accepting money from organized crime, nevertheless refuses to kill a fellow officer. This gets him plugged by the gangsters, but rather than dying, he stumbles into a lab where a set of chemicals turn him into the sewer-dwelling monster Sludge.  With a bit of swiss-cheesed memory and a tendency to malaprop words, Sludge is struggling with his new status quo while fighting against those who did this to him, and trying desperately to end his existence.   This series also introduces Lord Pumpkin, a visually appealing “Ballad of Sleepy Hollow”-reminiscent villain.

Fatale 1-6 (Broadway Comics): Created in1996, this series kind of tagged along on the “Bad Girl” trend that had me pretty sick of comic books in general in the late 1990s.  This one, though, was better written than most.  It was created by Shooter and illustrated by J.G. Jones (“Final Crisis”).

Desirée Hopewell, kind of like Rogue, could take energy and memories from men by kissing them. She’s being hunted by an organization called “The Brotherhood”  and is rarely sure of who she can trust.  Broadway was unfortunately short-lived; the comic-book bust kept any of the storylines except for this one from completing.  Worth grabbing from the bins if you see it.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 311. Still to go: 1700

Chris Hemsworth, who plays “Thor” in the upcoming film, and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, check out the toy versions of the accessories most associated with their characters — Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Captain America’s indestructible shield.

The pair visited Hasbro’s showroom on Tuesday at Toy Fair in New York.   The “Thor” line is set to debut March 1, and the Captain America toys hit the shelves on May 16.   The “Thor” movie releases May 6, and Captain America: First Avenger hits on July 22. Click past the cut for more images, via Hasbro.

Marvel Comics’ “What If” series looks at divergent directions that their universe could have gone if different decisions were made.  In “What If” #20, writer Tom DeFalco and artists Alan Kupperberg and Bruce Patterson look at what might have happened if Avengers’ ally Rick Jones had been killed early in the Avengers’ involvement in the Kree-Skrull War.

This issue requires a pretty good knowledge of what was going on at the time of the “Kree-Skrull War” in the Avengers to follow, though DeFalco and company recap the key happenings.   Two interstellar races are at war, and Earth is caught in the crossfire.   In the original story, the mind of Rick Jones plays a key role in concluding the war.  Here, however, he is killed before that can happen.

In this version, the war draws in more members of Earth’s superhero community – the Fantastic Four and the X-Men – and even draws in Thor’s allies from his mystical homeland of Asgard.

While I’d call this a good issue for the era, I don’t know how much interest it will hold to those not already interested in 1970s Marvel Comics.   But if you enjoyed the “Kree-Skrull War,” you might enjoy this look at an alternate way the storyline could have unfolded.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 231 Still to go: 1780.

Continuing the drive for 2,011 comic books read in 2011, here are some quick looks at some of this week’s comics, read last night.

Batman: The Dark Knight #1 by David Finch
I can see why they called this “The Dark Knight,” because it feels like something to pitch to someone who has enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman, even if they don’t have much familiarity outside that world.   Someone from Batman’s childhood has gone missing, and Bruce Wayne is on the case. Finch re-establishes Batman and Gotham following Bruce being missing from the timestream until recently (though if you didn’t know that, you’d be fine).  Better writing than I had anticipated from Finch, who I knew mainly as an artist, and in fact, liked his art here better than I have on any of his recent Marvel stuff.  Good first issue.

Avengers #6 by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.
Bendis wraps up his first “Avengers” arc featuring Kang, Ultron, and future versions of the Avengers – pretty epic stuff.  I enjoy this “Avengers” relaunch.

Avengers #7-8, by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.
Kicking off the second arc, a billionaire bad boy is after the Infinity Gems, so Iron Man reconvenes the Illuminati.  I’m sort of a sucker for anything with the Infinity Gems, so I’m down with this.

Captain America #612 by Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice.
Bucky Barnes is on trial for his crimes as the brainwashed Winter Soldier.   The best bit is a rougher-edged Steve Rogers playing hardball with Dr. Faustus to secure his co-operation.  The best book Marvel publishes.

Widowmaker #2  by Duane Swierczynski and Manuel Garcia
Hawkeye’s in trouble in Russia, and some retconned backstory is added to the Ronin identity.  Continuing from Swiercynski’s Black Widow, this is OK spy/espionage stuff, though I miss Jim McCann’s take on the Hawkeye and Mockingbird characters.

Deadpool Team-Up #886, by Shane McCarthy and Nick Dragotta.
Deadpool teams up with Iron Fist to take out a bad kung-fu dude.  I’ve wanted to see more Iron Fist since the last series ended, so this at least scratched that itch.   I guess McCarthy is best-known for “All Hail Megatron,” and he does a perfectly fine job in a done-in-one issue here.

Total comics read so far this year: 11, which takes me to 2,000 to go in 2,011!

- Matt Price