Gary Oldman done as Gordon after “Dark Knight Rises”; Marvel movie news
Gary Oldman retires James Gordon’s badge; Fox plans more Marvel films; and reviews of “Action Comics” and more in the Planet 46 Comics Podcast at NewsOK.
GARY OLDMAN DONE AS GORDON
Gary Oldman tells Moviefone that “The Dark Knight Rises” will be the end of his run as Jim Gordon, and talks about using Bane as the villain. 
“It’s great. It’s a terrific conclusion to the trilogy,” Oldman tells Moviefone. “Nolan rounds it off: he brings in a bit of the first one, from ‘Batman Begins,’ and he does some really surprising things with it. I thought his choice of villain was very interesting, to use Bane instead of Riddler or Penguin. He’s not gone with the most obvious choice. The challenge for Chris was always really the story and I think he didn’t want to make a third one for the sake of it. I think there was pressure on him, obviously, because the second was so successful. So there’s always going to be some pressure to keep it going. But he’s too smart and classy, really to just make a third just for the sake of making it, because others are demanding or want it from him and I think he felt that, ‘Let me get the story right.’ So the fans won’t be disappointed.”
Read more: http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/12/06/gary-oldman-dark-knight-rises-steve-buscemi-snl/
FOX STILL PLANS MORE X-MEN, FF, DAREDEVIL
Fox’s Tom Rothman tells MTV that he wants another “X-Men: First Class.”
“We’re trying like hell,” he said. “We’re trying as hard as we can. We really want to do it. We’re planning to do it.”
Rothman also commented two other Marvel properties that Fox plans to revive: “Daredevil” and “Fantastic Four.”
David Slade is attached to “Daredevil,” while “FF” is earlier in the development process.
REVIEW FILE: Valen the Outcast #1, Action Comics #4, Hawk & Dove #4, Raphael #1, Defenders #1
Comics read in 2011: 1902. Still to go: 109.
New “The Dark Knight Rises” poster features Bane
Tom Hardy as Bane is the focus of the newly-released poster for “The Dark Knight Rises,” which will open in the U.S. on July 20.
The new poster features Bane and a torn Batman mask. Bane was introduced in the comics in 1993′s “Vengeance of Bane,” and was the chief villain in the “Knightfall” story arc.
“The Dark Knight Rises” will star Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Also starring are Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Read more at NewsOK.
- Matt Price
Comics holiday gift guide: Comics fans may have a very batty Christmas
Batman: Noel
Comics fans could have a very Batty Christmas with the cool Bat-themed gifts available this year.
Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” the hardcover graphic novel “Batman: Noel” ($22.99) features different interpretations of the Dark Knight from various eras. Different cast members from “Batman” take on roles from “A Christmas Carol,” including Robin, Superman, Catwoman and the Joker.
The story is written and drawn by Lee Bermejo, who drew the hit “Joker” original graphic novel in 2008.
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Astro City: The Dark Age is a modern classic
Astro City: The Dark Age
Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson look at the 1970s and 1980s through the prism of the superhero world of Astro City, in a 16-part storyline. Four four-issue miniseries (“Astro City: The Dark Age” Books 1-4) follow Charles and Royal Williams as they seek the man who murdered their parents. Their lives are intertwined with that of the Silver Agent, who is traveling through time in an attempt to avert a coming disaster.
Busiek and Anderson are taking apart the grittier comics of the 1970s and 1980s and exploring them from the point of view of characters who are living it. It recreates the feel of reading comics as a younger person in the late 70s and early 1980s, but with a story that works on multiple levels. Any superhero fan should take a look at The Dark Age, which probably suffered from its extended shipping schedule as far as sales. But with two collections containing all 16 issues, there’s no reason not to read this modern classic. Alex Ross remains active with the book as a character designer and cover artist.
Also read recently:
Grifter 2-3 (2011) Nathan Edmondson continues his slow burn in revealing who exactly Cole Cash, aka Grifter, is in this new unified DC Comics universe, but it’s an intriguing read with beautiful art by CAFU.
Planet Terry 1-4 (1985)Lennie Herman and Warren Kremer were the creative team for “Planet Terry” (a pun on “Planetary”), which featured young Terry, sort of a Richie Rich of space, on a quest to find his parents, with the help of his robot, Robota, and a gruff alien, Omnus.
- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1,821 Still to go: 190.
Grant Morrison tweaks status quo, refers to history in “Batman” run
Writer Grant Morrison shifts the status quo of the Batman titles from the get-go in his run on “Batman.” The first collection, “Batman and Son,” collects issues #655-#658 and #663-#666 of the DC series “Batman,” written by Morrison and drawn by Andy Kubert. 8
Former “Justice League” artist Kevin Maguire discusses his early days in comics
"Justice League" No. 1, drawn by Kevin Maguire
AUSTIN, Texas — While Wizard World’s Austin Comic Con featured an array of movie and television stars, comics also were a focus at last weekend’s show. In attendance were Nathan Edmondson (“Who Is Jake Ellis?,” “Grifter”), Greg Capullo (“Batman”), Robert Wilson (“Knuckleheads,”) Kevin Maguire (“Justice League”) and Freddie Williams II (“Captain Atom”).
Maguire and Williams entertained fans and would-be creators in a panel aimed at sharing tips on breaking in to comics. Maguire, who’s been professionally drawing since the mid-1980s, cracked up the crowd, saying he wasn’t sure how he got in and couldn’t really explain how he’d stayed in the industry so long.
“I haven’t broken in since 1986; it’s so different now,” he said. “I’m just here to provide color commentary.”
Tanga in "My Greatest Adventure."
Maguire sent in samples in the early 1980s to Marvel. That led to his becoming part of Romita’s Raiders, an internship-type program at Marvel doing corrections and working with art director John Romita. During that time, he also sent samples to editor Andy Helfer at DC, which led to Maguire’s being offered a comic book at DC Comics.
“I did a book for DC called ‘Wild Card’ that was never published,” Maguire said. “On the strength of that, I got offered ‘Silver Surfer’ at Marvel. And to counter that, DC offered me ‘Justice League.’”
“Justice League,” written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, became a best-seller in the late 1980s, featuring more humor than was typical for a superhero book of the time. Maguire’s expressively drawn faces were part of that.
“I do improv and acting on the side, just for fun, so I’m always thinking about, ‘What is the character feeling? How are they reacting to what’s going on?’” Maguire said. “How does that reflect how they stand, how they gesture, what’s going on with their face? To me, it just seems like an essential part of storytelling.”
Maguire currently is writing and drawing a story starring Tanga, a charming superpowered alien, in the anthology series “My Greatest Adventure.”
“I love writing my own stuff,” Maguire said. “It’s so much more satisfying for me to be telling my own stories and having my own sense of humor out there.”
- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
DC Universe Online welcomes the Flash
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today the upcoming launch of its second Downloadable Content (DLC) pack for DC Universe Online. “Lightning Strikes,” set to be released worldwide later this year, will include a new adventure with super-speedster The Flash.
The pack will launch simultaneously on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC, and will also introduce the game’s eighth power set: electricity powers.
“In this DLC pack, fans have the opportunity to immerse themselves in another great character and action-packed story from the DC Universe,” said Jens Andersen, Creative Director for DC Universe Online, in a news release. “With exciting gameplay, a new power set and new locations to share with your friends, we packed a whole new kind of fun into this DLC pack and are eager for our players to dive into another legendary adventure.”
The pack will also feature The Flash-themed characters and content with new maps and features, including, as described by SOE:
Central City – An all-new map that offers players a more open world experience that provides on-going gameplay, with solo and group missions.
The Flash Museum Duo – Players can now experience the Central City of today and tomorrow. In The Flash Museum Duo, players can travel back in time to the very moment when Barry Allen became The Flash and battle foes inside the Central City Police Station!
Electricity Powers – Players now have the opportunity to get the new Electricity Power set for current and new characters. The new Electricity Power set allows players to leverage the lightning power of electricity and use new types of attacks in combat. Electricity Powers include the Tesla Ball, which creates a floating ball of electricity that zaps nearby enemies; the Shockwave, which shoots streams of electric bolts at enemies; and Ionic Drain, which drains energy from the environment to replenish a player’s health while simultaneously damaging surrounding enemies.
New Gear – Players can earn all-new gear sets including the new Zoom-inspired gear set for villains, and the new Black Lightning-inspired gear set for heroes.
New Characters – Lightning Strikes brings players new iconic DC Universe characters including Livewire, Black Lightning, The Top, The Trickster, Static and more. New characters — such as Livewire — will be featured as new “Inspired By” options for players who can choose to create a new character inspired by some of DC Universe’s legendary characters. Additional new characters — such as Black Lighting — serve as a bounty mission that players can fight if they choose to be a villain.
The pack will be free for “Legendary” players, and available for $9.99 for free and premium players through the PlayStation Network Store, through the in-game Marketplace and on PC from the DC Universe Online website.
- Matt Price
James Bond film Skyfall begins filming; Batman trailer could be on the way; Lord of the Rings follows a War in the North
James Bond news, Dark Knight Rises preview coming, and Lord of the Rings gets a new videogame in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast
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DVD review – Young Justice Season One Vol. 2
Young Justice Season One, Vol. 2 DVD
Superheroic proteges get top billing in “Young Justice,” the Cartoon Network animated series featuring Robin, Superboy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Artemis.
DVD review – Batman: Year One (Two-disc Special Edition)
Batman: Year One Two-Disc Special Edition DVD
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s “Batman: Year One” is a comic-book classic, recounting the early adventures of Batman and police Lt. James Gordon in a corrupt, crime-infested Gotham City. The story was originally serialized in issues 404 through 407 of DC Comics’ “Batman” title in 1987.
“Year One” has been influential in nearly all the Batman adaptations in other media since, including “Mask of the Phantasm” and Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” Miller’s darker takes on Batman in “Year One” and the earlier “Dark Knight Returns” were influential on the 1989 “Batman” film as well.
With so much history hanging on this story, there’s a lot for the direct-to-video animated adaptation to hold up. The extremely faithful adaptation, produced by Bruce Timm and co-directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, succeeds as the best direct-to-video DC Comics movie to date.
The cast includes Ben McKenzie as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Bryan Cranston as James Gordon, Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Katee Sackhoff as Sarah Essen. Cranston, whom many know from “Breaking Bad,” is a fantastic Gordon. “Year One” is Gordon’s story as much as it is Batman’s, and Cranston hits every emotion needed to pull off the complex character. Gordon’s a good man and a good cop; but Gotham City will put both of those characterizations to the test, as corruption and double-dealing test his faith and resolve.
Extras include a “Catwoman” short, written by Paul Dini; two Catwoman-centric episodes of previous “Batman” animated series; and a documentary on the importance of Miller and the “Year One” story to the Batman mythos.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
