Felicia Day of The Guild; Captain America movie news; reviews of Superman: War of the Supermen #4, X-Force 27, Mystery Society #1
Felicia Day of “The Guild” talks Season Three of the series, and the origin of the Guild in the comic book series. The first issue is now also available on the iPhone. 
In Captain America movie news, Tommy Lee Jones has reportedly signed on to the film, and Dominic Cooper tells Salon.com that he’ll play Howard Stark, father of Tony Stark in the film.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman; find out about the other superhero they created in a new book from Feral House.
In the review file: Superman: War of the Supermen #4, X-Force #27 and Mystery Society #1.
Click past the cut for a preview of “War of the Supermen” #4.
- Matt Price
X-Men Legacy 235, Supergirl 52, X-Men Forever Annual 1, DV8 Gods and Monsters 1 plus Losers and James Bond in Planet46 Comics Podcast
George Lang guest stars on the Planet 46 Comics Podcast to discuss “Losers” and “James Bond.” 
In other comic-book media news, “Young Justice” is coming to the Cartoon Network, according to DC’s Source blog. featuring Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis.
Meanwhile, Free Comic Book Day is just over a week away; scout out your May 1 trip by visiting FreeComicBookDay.com.
In the review file, Matt Price and Kyle Roberts review X-Men Legacy 235, Supergirl 52, X-Men Forever Annual 1 and DV8 Gods and Monsters 1.
Click past the cut for a preview of X-Men Legacy 235.
Helen Slater: Nerdage’s #17 actress
Helen Slater as Supergirl
Helen Slater in "Smallville"
Helen Slater, who played the Supergirl in the 1984 film and Superman’s Kryptonian mother in 2007 episodes of “Smallville” has outstanding geek cred. As such, she lands at No. 17 on Nerdage’s top 25 actresses with geek appeal.
In 2010, she’s co-written a story in the pages of “Supergirl” with Jake Black.
” Helen and I hammered out a story that looks back on 50 years and 50 issues of Supergirl,” Black said in an interview with The Oklahoman.
“Helen had some things that she really wanted to say about the character as a young woman in modern society, but also as a hero.”
Slater wrote the introduction to “Supergirl: Who Is Superwoman?,” collecting the story line by Tulsa writer Sterling Gates and artist Jamal Igle.
“I loved, loved, loved ‘Supergirl’ the movie when I was a kid, and I read that comic book adaptation they did so many times the staples fell out,” Gates said in a 2008 Nerdage interview.
Helen Slater is also scheduled to be in a TeenNick series from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” writer/producer Martie Noxon’s production company called “Gigantic,” about the teen children of Hollywood stars.
- Matt Price
Supergirl heading for Kansas convention
Helen Slater as Lara in "Smallville." (The CW)
WORD BALLOONS
Supergirl comes to the region this weekend as part of Planet Comicon, an annual comic-book convention in the Kansas City area. Helen Slater, who portrayed the character in the 1984 film, will attend the convention on Saturday at the Overland Park International Trade Center at 115th and Metcalf in Overland Park, Kan.
Slater also appeared on the television series “Smallville” as Clark Kent’s Kryptonian mother, Lara.
She’s had experience with the comic-book Supergirl as well. She recently co-wrote the back-up story in “Supergirl” No. 50 with Jake Black.
“Helen and I hammered out a story that looks back on 50 years and 50 issues of Supergirl,” Black said in a recent interview with The Oklahoman. “Helen had some things that she really wanted to say about the character as a young woman in modern society, but also as a hero.”
Slater wrote the introduction to “Supergirl: Who Is Superwoman,” collecting the storyline by Tulsa writer Sterling Gates and artist Jamal Igle.
“I loved, loved, loved ‘Supergirl’ the movie when I was a kid, and I read that comic book adaptation they did so many times the staples fell out,” Gates said in a 2008 interview with The Oklahoman.
Other guests at the convention include “Wolverine: Weapon X” writer Jason Aaron, “Ghost Rider” co-creator Gary Friedrich, cover artist Greg Horn and many more. A full list of guests is available at www.planetcomicon.com.
- Matt Price
Supergirl 53 cover revealed; ‘Who is Supergirl?’ to begin in June
“Who is Supergirl?” will kick off in June’s “Supergirl” No. 53, according to solicitations revealed at Newsarama.
The book, scheduled to be on sale June 23, is by the creative team of artists Jamal Igle and Jon Sibal, and Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates.
Following The War of the Supermen, Kara must decide if she wants to remain Supergirl and stay in Metropolis, or move on. According to the solicit, Cat Grant and a mystery villain are after Kara even more aggressively than ever before.
“We’re going to start doing bigger, longer arcs that are self-contained within the pages of ‘Supergirl,’” Gates said on twitter.
Who do you think the mystery villain could be? And are you looking forward to Gates’ post-”War of the Supermen” run? Sound off in the comments!
- Matt Price
Siege 3, Supergirl 51 reviewed on NewsOK Comics Podcast
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review Siege 3, Supergirl 51 and Green Hornet: Year One 1 on this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast at Planet 46. Also get the latest on Warner Bros. 3-D plans for DC Comics films and Bryan Singer’s return to the X-Men.
Ender Companion author Jake Black has eye for detail
The Authorized Ender Companion
WORD BALLOONS
With a degree in history and an eye for detail, Utah writer Jake Black is often a go-to resource for comics or books requiring a heavy degree of research.
He’s the author of “The Authorized Ender Companion,” which shares the histories of the thousands of
Jake Black
characters in the universe of Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game.” He also writes character biographies for dozens of super-characters in magazines published by Eaglemoss and recently co-wrote a backup story in “Supergirl” No. 50, with Helen Slater, the star of the 1980s “Supergirl” movie.
He got started on the “Ender” companion after working with Card on a Marvel Comics adaptation of one of Card’s novels.
“He was really pleased with the result and asked me if I wanted to write the ‘Ender’s’ encyclopedia,” Black said in a recent interview. “He said that he needed it for his own reference, and he wanted someone with a background in research to handle that project, tackle it for him.”
Black, who has a degree in history from Brigham Young University, pored through the books multiple times to ferret out the information, now cleanly put together in encyclopedia format. It’s a similar process whether writing a major project such as the encyclopedia or an Eaglemoss magazine focusing on one character, he said.
“My degree is in history, so I just treat it all like I’m doing a paper about George Washington, but instead it’s a paper about Dick Grayson (the original Robin) or Ender,” Black said.
Black’s “Supergirl” story got started after Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates, who pens the “Supergirl” series,
Supergirl #50
sought Slater to write an introduction to a collection of stories. Black and Slater previously pitched a “Supergirl” story to DC, and for the 50th issue of the new series, the pair again worked together on a backup story for the anniversary celebration. The Supergirl character originally appeared in 1959.
“Helen and I hammered out a story that looks back on 50 years and 50 issues of ‘Supergirl,’” Black said. “Helen had some things that she really wanted to say about the character as a young woman in modern society but also as a hero.”
It wasn’t Black’s first experience with a Superman family character. Black got his start as an intern for the “Smallville” writers in the show’s first season. He’s since written comics,
Helen Slater as Supergirl
television, books and more. He’s writing an upcoming episode of the animated show “Batman: The Brave and Bold.” He estimates his best-selling work, however, might be something of a surprise.
“A lot of people are really shocked to learn that I wrote the ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Twilight’ movie trading cards,” Black said. “It was fun because teen Jacob, his name’s Jacob Black, and so is mine.”
Black is married with a 2-year-old son, and in 2009, Black beat cancer.
“There were some times in the hospital where … I’m pushing the codeine button because I couldn’t breathe, and my immune system was shot and just, all of these really, literally life-threatening moments,” Black said. “They didn’t change how I lived my life, but they gave me a better understanding for characters that I could write.”
Black said his battles with cancer helped him truly understand suffering and made him even more compassionate toward those who face it.
“I, of course, felt for people that had been diagnosed and won, or died from cancer before,” Black said. “But I have such an intimate understanding of it now. I’m part of this brotherhood because I’ve shared this experience.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
ONLINE: Cancer
Do you have questions about cancer? What do you do? Where do you turn? How do you go on once you learn you have cancer? Read personal accounts or share your experience.
Knowit.newsok.com/cancer-oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Sterling Gates joins James Robinson in War of the Supermen
WORD BALLOONS
Oklahoma-born comic-book writer Sterling Gates will take the reins of a major Superman project this summer, as he and James Robinson (“Starman”) steer the Man of Steel through the “War of the Supermen.” The first issue of “War of the Supermen,” issue 0, is DC Comics’ entry into Free Comic Book Day this spring, and will be available free of charge at comic book stores across the country May 1.
Gates also celebrates an anniversary issue with this week’s “Supergirl,” as the series reached its 50th issue. Gates has written “Supergirl” since issue No. 34.
“Supergirl 50 is a huge milestone issue, not only for the series but also for the character,” Gates said. “It
Supergirl #50
really delves into a lot of different facets of Supergirl’s life, ranging from what she means to the people of the DC Universe to what her relationship with her friends is like. At its core, it’s about Supergirl’s relationship with Lana Lang and what kind of destruction a friendship between a superhero and a regular person can cause.”
Lana Lang, who hails from Smallville and was among Clark Kent’s best friends in high school, has become a mentor to Supergirl in Gates’ run. The artist of “Supergirl” No. 50 is Jamal Igle, and features a backup story co-written by Helen Slater, who played Supergirl in the 1984 film. The milestone issue also features a cover by the late Michael Turner (“Fathom”), who redesigned Supergirl for the modern era.
In “War of the Supermen,” Gates joins with Robinson to chronicle the war between Earth and New Krypton. The planet New Krypton features 100,000 Kryptonians who had been held captive by Brainiac. Tensions are high between Earth and New Krypton, with General Sam Lane, father of Lois Lane, heading up the anti-Kryptonian forces. New Krypton is led by General Zod, who seeks Earth’s destruction.
“To be a part of an event like this is a huge honor, and James and I have done our best to write a Superman story that really fires people’s imaginations and gets them excited about the Man of Steel,” Gates said. “We wanted to tell a dynamic Superman story, something that would lead in to May’s Superman event, ‘War of the Supermen,’ but still be accessible for anyone who picks it up.”
Gates said despite the back story involved, “War of the Supermen” No. 0 is a good jumping-on point.
“I’m very happy with the issue that James and I wrote, and I think if you know who Superman is, you’ll love it,” he said.
Gates, who has been part of signings and even has worked behind the counter on Free Comic Book Day, is looking forward to creating a book for the comic-themed holiday.
“FCBD is great because it’s everyman’s comic day,” Gates said. “Lots of people who don’t get to experience comics regularly start thinking about comics, and it’s great for the art form.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Reviews of Supergirl 47, Adventure Comics 4, Flash Rebirth 5 and Amazing Spider-Man 612
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
Supergirl #50 to feature Michael Turner, Helen Slater
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
