Who is your favorite Robin?
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!
Sgt. Rock film to be set in the future
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
NewsOK Comics Podcast: X-Men vs Agents of Atlas 2, Haunt 2, Black Widow: Deadly Origin 1, Stumptown 1
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review X-Men vs Agents of Atlas 2, Haunt 2, Black Widow: Deadly Origin 1, Stumptown 1.
Marvel Comics reveals Black Widow’s ‘Deadly Origin’
Marvel Comics’ Black Widow began as a Soviet spy, introduced as a foil for Iron Man in 1964’s “Tales of Suspense” No. 52. While her first few appearances saw her as an antagonist to Marvel heroes, she’s since joined with them, even leading the Avengers for a time.
The Black Widow, aka Natalia Romanova or Natasha Romanoff, will be played by Scarlett Johansson in next year’s film “Iron Man 2.” Marvel is doing its best to catch up readers on the character before the film, starting this week with the comic-book series “Black Widow: Deadly Origin.”
Tulsa author S.E. Hinton plans comic-book projects
According to MTV’s Splash Page blog, Tulsa author S.E. Hinton will bring several projects to comic books, from Bluewater Productions.
The first project will adapt Hinton’s young adult novel “Taming of the Star Runner.” That series is planned for early 2010.
According to the Splash Page, Hinton’s children’s book “The Puppy Sister” is set to be adapted, and Hinton
S.E. Hinton
plans to create an entirely new title for Bluewater. Don Smith, CW Cooke, Guilherme Rafid and Yasir Fajardo will collaborate on Hinton’s projects, according to the blog.
“I grew up reading S.E. Hinton’s books, so to bring these to a graphic novel format is a dream come true for me,” said Bluewater publisher Darren G. Davis at MTV Splash Page. “The best part is getting to work with Hinton one on one. We have talked about the new title, which is on the lines of her iconic work ‘The Outsiders.’”
Hinton is one of Oklahoma’s best-known authors. It’ll be interesting to see the local response to comics based on her work.
- Matt Price
In comics, Dracula ranges from spooky to silly
Vampires are as hot as ever in popular fiction, with movies such as “Twilight” and shows such as “The Vampire Diaries.” Vampires have been big in comics, too, and none more so than Dracula.
While the word “vampire” dates from the 1700s, the 1897 novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker popularized the vampire. The book’s main character could have been partly based on former Transylvanian governor Vlad the Impaler.
IDW Publishing has created a new version of Stoker’s book (now in public domain) illustrated by Eisner-winning artist Ben Templesmith. Templesmith, who with Steve Niles created “30 Days of Night,” provides full-color illustrations for all 27 chapters of the novel.
Multiple movies have made Dracula the world’s most famous vampire. The 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi is a horror classic selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Longtime “Dracula” fan Mike Mignola (“Hellboy”) brought his take on Dracula to Topps Comics in the 1990s, with an adaptation of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” the film by Francis Ford Coppola. Mignola also was an illustrator for the film.
The most famous adaptation of Dracula in comics is the long-running “The Tomb of Dracula” series. Gene Colan was the artist for the series’ entire run, beginning in 1972. Marv Wolfman took over as writer with issue No. 7 and stayed on through the series’ conclusion in 1979.
This series introduced Blade the vampire hunter and is one of the longest-running horror series in Marvel Comics’ history. The entire run of “Tomb of Dracula” as well as the stories from “Dracula Lives” and the black-and-white “Tomb of Dracula” magazine have been reprinted by Marvel as “The Essential Tomb of Dracula” Vols. 1-4.
DC Comics also has its version of Dracula, which faced off against Batman in the story “Batman/Dracula: Red Rain,” by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones. “Red Rain” along with the two sequels, “Batman: Bloodstorm” and “Batman: Crimson Mist,” are collected in the “Batman: Vampire” trade paperback.
In “Red Rain,” Dracula comes to Gotham City. When Batman tries to stop him, he himself is bitten, becoming a vampire.
The silliest version of a comic-book Dracula came from Dell Comics in the 1960s. In 1962, Dell adapted the Lugosi feature into a comic book, but four years later, perhaps inspired by the “Batman” TV show, Dell made Dracula into a superhero.
This Dracula was a descendant of the original Dracula, who conducts medical experiments on bats, according to Don Markstein’s “Toonopedia.” When he accidentally ingests his own chemical, he gains the power of turning himself into a bat and vows to fight crime and injustice.
Columnist Chris Sims at comicsalliance.com describes the ridiculousness of the series.
“Once in America, he sets up a ‘Dracula Cave,’ adopts the secret identity of — wait for it — Al U. Card, dedicates himself to battling the rampant scourge of zeppelin crime (which actually does sound awesome, but trust us, it’s not) and even manages to rustle up a sidekick, Fleeta, whose name is short for ‘fleidermaus,’” Sims writes. “Unsurprisingly, it lasted for only three issues before it was given the ax, though his series went for another three issues of reprints that gave the world a second chance at his mind-numbing adventures. They probably shouldn’t have bothered.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
NewsOK Comics Podcast Halloween Special
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss some of the best bets for Halloween, including Tomb of Dracula, Batman: The Long Halloween, and Angel: Frankenstein.
Oklahoma writer Sterling Gates creates World’s Finest team-ups
World’s Finest #1, kicking off a miniseries teaming Superman and Batman family characters, is in stores today, written by Tulsa native Sterling Gates.
At DC Comics’ official “Source” blog, Gates is called a “writer to watch.”
“Gates has made a name for himself for his tight plotting and knack for strong and precise characterization,” blogger Alex Segura writes.
Meanwhile, at Newsarama, Vaneta Rogers has an extended Q&A with Gates about the series.
“The Batman universe is so full of change right now. So is the Superman universe,” Gates tells Newsarama. “Bruce Wayne is dead and Superman has left the planet Earth to be with his own people on New Krypton. The world is suddenly without its two greatest heroes. To me, that makes it a very exciting time for the DC Universe. You’re seeing new and different characters come to the forefront and stepping up to fill the void left with Superman and Batman gone.”
Gates talked to Nerdage back in September about the project:
“Each issue focuses on a different Batman-Universe hero and villain teaming up with a different Superman-Universe hero and villain,” Gates said. “So, you’re getting four great characters coming into conflict, and you just have to sit back and watch the fireworks.”
Gates said ” World’s Finest” also has some of his “all-time favorite villains.”
“Catwoman’s in there, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Kryptonite Man, Toyman,” he said. “It’s gonna take all of these heroes working together to rein these supervillains in!”
- Matt Price
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
With today’s announcement of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being purchased by Nickelodeon, let’s find out who the favorite Turtle of Nerdage readers is.
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Incredible Hulk 602, Supergirl 46, Justice League 38
Matt Price and Kyle Roberts provide comic-book reviews for Incredible Hulk 602, Supergirl 46 and Justice League 38 in this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast. It’s Hulk vs. Wolverine: The Next Generation in “Incredible Hulk” No. 602. The Hunt for Reactron ends in Supergirl 46. And James Robinson (”Starman”) begins his run on “Justice League of America” in issue No. 38.
