If you’ve been holding out for the ultimate edition of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” it’s available in a four-disc set that includes a 3-D Blu-ray.

This edition contains more than three hours of bonus content.

“Dark of the Moon” may be the most technically adept of the robot-fighting series, and director Michael Bay has proved himself with this film as one of the directors who has a handle on how to use 3-D filmmaking. If you’re looking for a film to show off your new 3-D television with, this could be a good choice, as the movie starts off with a strong 3-D element. Unfortunately, the plot is labyrinthine, and the film’s ending drags on for too long, overshadowing the strong beginning.

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” for the third time, features the conflict between two factions of an alien race of robots, the Transformers, based on the action figure line from Hasbro.

The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), believe in working with humanity after leaving their home planet of Cybertron; the Decepticons, led by Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving), wish to conquer Earth and destroy the Autobots. Bay should be given credit for casting Cullen, who created the voice of Optimus Prime for the 1980s cartoon, and sticking with him for all three blockbuster films.

The beginning of “Dark of the Moon” is entertaining, as a secret weapon attempts an escape from the war on Cybertron. After the crash of the weapon, both the U.S. and Soviet space programs of the 1960s were, according to the film, in a secret race to retrieve the item from the moon.

In the present, the Decepticons appear to be out of the way, but Sam (Shia LaBeouf) discovers their plot to manipulate the humans.

Sam works with Lt. Col. William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and the Autobots to help them rediscover their previous leader, Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy).

As the Decepticons’ plot continues to unfurl, Sam finds there are multiple layers of deception at play.

Extras include a five-part documentary on the development, filming, stunts, postproduction and release of the film; a featurette on NASA; and previsualization and visual effects commentaries. There are also galleries of production art, trailers, additional featurettes and a marketing gallery. The set includes a Blu-ray 3-D edition, a Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy.

— Matthew Price
From the Jan. 27 edition of The Oklahoman

The five-part miniseries that preceded the “Transformers Prime” computer-animated series is edited together and collected on the DVD “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising.” Less clanky than the feature films but more mature than the original 1980s cartoons, “Darkness Rising” is a hybrid that should appeal to both younger and older, nostalgic fans.

The “Transformers Prime” series features two voices well-known for their association with the characters. Frank Welker, who voices Decepticon leader Megatron, and Peter Cullen, who voices the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime, reprise their roles in this series. They first voiced the characters in the 1980s cartoon series, and Cullen also worked on the Michael Bay films as the voice of Optimus Prime.

Megatron leads the Decepticons, a cadre of sentient, evil alien robots who can transform into forms resembling Earth vehicles. They’re opposed by the Autobots, robots from the same planet who want to protect Earth’s inhabitants. Optimus Prime leads this group. Based on the toy line from Hasbro, the Transformers first appeared on television in a 1980s animated series and have since appeared in multiple animated incarnations and three live-action feature films.

In “Darkness Rising,” Megatron has discovered the energy source “Dark Energon,” which he uses to create robotic zombies.

Steve Blum, known for voicing Wolverine in multiple Marvel Comics projects, takes Megatron’s Lt. Starscream to a darker level than viewers have seen before from the character.

“Darkness Rising” is also more female-friendly, with Autobot Arcee and the female rocker Miko. Miko is one of the human cast members, along with computer geek Raf and the hardworking Jack Darby, who is something of this series’ Sam Witwicky stand-in.

Great battle scenes and a top-notch voice cast (including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a small role) make “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising” a good bet for fans of action-packed animation.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

IDW and ComiXology have teamed up to bring the IDW library to the comiXology app.  Titles including Transformers, Star Trek, and Locke & Key will be available.   Click past the cut for the full release.

- Matt Price
From comiXology:

ComiXology and IDW Publishing today announced a new partnership to bring the complete IDW library to comiXology customers. Through this strategic undertaking, comics fans everywhere will now be able to experience every IDW digital comic across all comiXology’s platforms — iOS, Android and the Web!

“It’s personally very exciting to have IDW join the comiXology platform whole-heartedly,” said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “As one of the largest and most esteemed comic publishers in the industry, IDW has an incredible range of content. From G.I. JOE to TRANSFORMERS to THE HUNTER and LOCKE & KEY, their content looks great on comiXology.”

Starting today, the entire TRANSFORMERS comic line will be available immediately on all comiXology platforms and will range in price from $.99 to $1.99. All TRANSFORMERS comics previously sold only through comiXology’s Android or online store will sync across all devices and platforms supported by comiXology. Additionally, several new titles will also be available starting today, including the first issue from IDW’s new STAR TREK ongoing series, and issues from the company’s G.I. JOE, LOCKE & KEY and TRUE BLOOD series.

“ComiXology customers have asked for IDW to be part of the Comics by comiXology lineup for some time, and we’re thrilled to bring our catalog to those readers,” stated Jeff Webber, IDW’s Director of ePublishing. “We’ve always been impressed with comiXology’s strength in offering comics across multiple platforms, including Apple iOS, Android and the Web. David and his team have put together an awesome offering. ComiXology has established a huge audience — I know we’re going to make a lot of IDW fans happy this week.”

All comiXology platforms feature the company’s Guided View™ Technology, enabling the reader to transition smoothly between different comic panels, mimicking the reading experience of a traditional print comic book. All purchases of IDW comics through the Comics by comiXology App whether on Apple® iOS devices or Android sync to all devices and the web at comics.comixology.com.

The complete list of comics coming to the Comics by comiXology app are below:

TRANSFORMERS – over 200 issues

STAR TREK Ongoing 1

G.I. JOE Ongoing 1-6

ROCKETEER Adventures 1-2

LOCKE & KEY Clockworks 1-2

PARKER: The Hunter

PARKER: The Outfit

TRUE BLOOD Vol 1 1-6

JERICHO Season 3 4-6

News on “Man of Steel,” secrets of Captain America and a “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” report are on this week’s Planet 46/NewsOK comics podcast.

TRANSFORMERS 3 IS OUT
With the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the Planet 46 comics crew asks: Who is your favorite Transformer?
GENERAL STEEL
“Man Of Steel,” Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman movies, adds Christopher Meloni to the film.
Deadline first reported that “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” actor Christopher Meloni would have a role in the film; Meloni later told Vulture he would play a military general.

CAPTAIN AMERICA CO-CREATOR HAS NEW BIOGRAPHY
The 97-year-old co-creator of Captain America tells his life story in “Joe Simon: My Life in Comics” by Titan Books.
In his book, Simon writes about how the Captain America first came to life in 1940. Simon wrote that he was outraged by the Nazis, and wanted to cast Adolf Hitler as a villain.
“We thought it was a good time for a patriotic hero,” Simon writes in “My Life in Comics.” “I did a sketch of him with a chain mail tunic, and wings on the side of his mask like Mercury, the god from Roman mythology. I gave him a shield, like the ones the knights had carried.”

REVIEW FILE: Iron Age #1, Rocketeer #2, Marvel Universe vs Wolverine #1, Flashpoint: Project Superman #1
Comics read in 2011: 881 Still to go: 1130

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" actor Don Jeanes. Photo by Dana Patrick

Texas-born actor Don Jeanes takes on the role of American hero Neil Armstrong in Michael Bay’s “Transformers: The Dark of the Moon,” releasing this week in theaters.

“When I first found out that that’s who I’m playing, I just wanted to do him justice,” Jeanes said in a telephone interview with The Oklahoman. “It’s an honor just to even be mentioned in the same breath as the first man who walked on the moon.”

Jeanes said he studied film of Armstrong to attempt to get down the general cadence and character of the astronaut. But he said he aimed to play the experience and emotion of the part more than an impression of the famous figure.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get his voice perfect, so I just went as much like it as I could,” Jeanes said. “I didn’t want people to go, ‘What is he doing with his accent?’ So I wanted to make sure that suspension of disbelief stayed intact, and just got as near to that as possible.”

In “Dark of the Moon,” the film supposes there was a secret reason for the moon landing — an artifact that will prove of importance to both the Autobots and Decepticons, two opposing factions of alien robot warriors known as “Transformers.”

“We were told what we were seeing, but what I did is, I immediately found something in my own life that I had been through that related as closely to what we were supposed to be imagining as possible, and I tried to envision that on top of it,” Jeanes said. “I just tried to imagine that fear of being so far away from home and really not knowing … because once they landed on the moon, that was just half of it. They had to get off the moon, and then they had to meet up with the orbiter, and then that orbiter had to make it all the way to Earth, not to mention they had to crash-land through our atmosphere to get there.”

Jeanes has a heavy dose of sci-fi among his current projects, with the Web series “Alpha Planet” and the Corbin Bernsen film “The Ascension.” He thinks some of his casting could be because of his military manner: Two of his uncles were military men, and Jeanes considered joining the military before his acting career took off. He plays weapons expert Luke Brodie in “Alpha Planet,” a Web series set 250 years in the future in which humanity is living on a refugee ship. He’s one of four explorers sent back to Earth to determine whether the once-ruined planet is again inhabitable.

“We filmed ‘Alpha Planet’ over the course of a year, and we would shoot once a month, and the episodes would come out once a month. It’s a real independent production.”

Jeanes was born in Lufkin, Texas, and grew up in Texas towns Moscow and Humble. He has some Oklahoma in his pedigree, as well, as his grandmother Sally Burnett was raised in Oklahoma City. While he wanted to be an actor from a young age, Jeanes promised his mother he’d first give business a try. Attending college on a theater scholarship, after earning his degree, he did business-to-business sales for a staffing agency starting in 2003. He went door-to-door helping to place administrative assistants.

“I’ve actually been in every floor of every building in downtown Houston,” he said. “I wore holes in my shoes.”

By 2004, he wanted to give acting a full-fledged try, so he followed his college roommate to New York.

After a couple of years, they moved to Los Angeles, where Jeanes has appeared in commercials and TV series including “CSI: New York.”

“Transformers 3,” directed by Bay, is his biggest-budget film to date.

“By any standards, it’s one of the biggest movies you can be on, so I really have nothing to compare it with,” he said.

Jeanes said he worked primarily with Cory Tucker, who played Buzz Aldrin, along with Bay and the film’s crew and cinematographers.

“Michael Bay was actually really great to work with,” Jeanes said. “I was surprised at how hands-on he was, and personable.”

Jeanes’ role as Armstrong is prominently featured in the trailer for the film. Jeanes said he had some indications that might happen, based on things Bay said on the set.

“We were there on the first day of shooting, so I think everybody was fresh and eager and ready to go,” he said. “And just that air, that you can just feel, ‘OK, we’re shooting ‘Transformers,’ and this is No. 3, and we’re going to rock it.”

- By Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” will likely be seen as a return to form for the franchise, though Michael Bay’s robot-battling epic does still go on too long and has some serious problems with making sense. But there are some great technical moments interspersed, and there is some fun to be had along the way.

Bay is a fine technician, and the 3-D in this film seems less like a money grab and more like an actual piece of the filmmaking. If all 3-D was like this, it would be worth the extra couple of bucks. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” for the third time, features the conflict between two factions of an alien race of robots, the Transformers, based on the action figure line from Hasbro.

The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), believe in working with humanity after leaving their home planet of Cybertron; the Decepticons, led by Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving), wish to conquer Earth and destroy the Autobots.

The film starts well. There’s a scene set during the war on Cybertron, as a ship with a secret weapon tries to escape but is shot down, eventually crash-landing on Earth’s moon. There’s an unbelievable yet entertaining introduction as the U.S. and Russian space programs of the 1960s are shown to be a race to secretly explore this moon artifact.

In the present, the Autobots have become a semi-deputized arm of the U.S. government, helping root out corruption as robots in disguise. The Decepticons are largely in disarray, licking their wounds and preparing for a return.

Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), our hero, has graduated from college and found a new girlfriend, Carly (Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), but despite saving the world twice, he can’t seem to land a job. (Sam’s ability to land ridiculously beautiful women is discussed in a funny scene with Sam and his parents, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White, a pair the film could have used more.)

When Sam learns of a plot in which the Decepticons are manipulating humans, he’s thrown back into the mix, working with Lt. Colonel William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and the Autobots, despite some protests that he’s just a “messenger.” The Autobots rediscover their previous leader, Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) and attempt to unravel the latest Decepticon plot, which, true to their name, features layers and layers of deception.

The film cooks along pretty well until we’re reintroduced to John Turturro’s former agent Simmons, at which point the human acting becomes even more cartoonlike than the robots.

A parade of talented performers cascade through the film, including Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey and Ken Jeong, although it’s frequently not certain what they are doing there.

The third act goes on way too long, and seems to be computer-generated disaster imagery for its own sake. The spectacle becomes numbing at a certain point, and may induce motion sickness.

Fans at the screening cheered at the right moments, so this may be a win for the target audience. Despite the clarity of the 3-D filmmaking, both the plot and moral message (if any) have too much fuzziness to make this a complete success.

— Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman

MOVIE REVIEW

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

 

PG-13
2:34
2 stars

 

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey

(Intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo)

Josh Duhamel in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

While the “Transformers” films feature epic, explosive action involving robotic aliens from beyond our solar system, actor Josh Duhamel, who plays Lt. Colonel William Lennox, aims to keep his part as grounded as possible, given the circumstances.

“I think in a movie like this, when you’re dealing with something as far out as alien robots from outer space that turn into vehicles and cars, it’s such a far-fetched idea that you have to, especially in my case, playing the leader of this military team, to play it as real as we can,” Duhamel said in a phone interview promoting the film. “And as accurate and tactical as the military would.”

Duhamel said he works with former Navy SEALs and Army Rangers on the “Transformers” films, and he doesn’t want to let them down with his portrayal.

“My personal goal in this movie was to make the guys around me proud,” Duhamel said. “I held a gun right, I shot it right, I changed magazines right and led the team the way it’s supposed to be led — because I’ve become good friends with these guys over the years. So … it is important that I portray the military in the best light possible.”

The third “Transformers” film, “Dark of the Moon,” is set for release this week. Like the first two films in the franchise, it is directed by Michael Bay and stars Shia LaBeouf. It’s based on the toy line from Hasbro. That pre-existing audience helped the “Transformers” films gain traction, Duhamel said.

“There was already a built-in sort of following for the Transformers,” he said. “I was part of the generation that watched these cartoons growing up and played with the toys … but it was also the vision that Michael Bay and his team had to reinvent the genre.”

Despite being familiar with the cartoon and toys, Duhamel wasn’t initially sure that the “Transformers” concept would make for a successful big-budget film.

“I remember when I first met with him on it, I was meeting his producing partners on another movie, and he came in and told me about this movie he was doing called ‘Transformers.’ I was like ‘Wait, Transformers? Like the cartoon from the ’80s? That sounds like the worst idea ever.’ I didn’t tell him that, but I remember I was thinking it,” Duhamel said. “And a few months later he had me come in to look at some of the artwork that they were doing, and I was like, ‘Oh, OK, now I get it. They’ve completely reinvented it and made it better.’”

He said those elements, combined with a solid group of actors and special-effects animators, led to the success of “Transformers.”

“The combination of having a following already, reinventing it in a way that makes it better, and then you have guys like Shia, and you have the direction of Michael Bay, and those guys at ILM that make these robots feel real, is the reason these movies work,” he said.

- By Matthew Price
From Sunday’s The Oklahoman

The alien robots the Autobots and Decepticons will again battle on movie screens next week when “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is released.

Fans can dive deeper into the world, based on the Hasbro action figures, with comics from IDW Publishing and an event at the Toy & Action Figure Museum this weekend.

“Transformers Weekend” at the Toy & Action Figure Museum, 111 S Chickasaw St. in Pauls Valley, will feature movie memorabilia, scavenger hunts and a chance to see classic “Transformers” toys from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information about “Transformers Weekend,” call the museum at (405) 238-6300 or go to www.actionfiguremuseum.com.

In the film, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon and race against the Decepticons to reach it first, according to imdb.com. The Transformer Shockwave will appear for the first time in the movies in “Transformers 3.”

Shockwave first appeared in comics in 1985′s “Transformers” No. 5. The Transformers had been introduced into comics in a four-issue limited series from Marvel; it was expanded to an ongoing series with No. 5. Shockwave for a time usurps Megatron’s leadership of the Decepticons. Shockwave transforms into a laser cannon and is a highly logical, cunning robot. The Shockwave toy was introduced in the second year of the “Transformers” action figures, 1985. Shockwave was recently introduced in the IDW comic books set in the movie universe.

Dirk Wood, IDW’s retail marketing director, talked about “Transformers” at the recent ComicsPRO annual membership meeting in Dallas.

Two “Transformers 3” film prequels, “Foundation” and “Rising Storm,” have been released by IDW. “Rising Storm” introduces Shockwave into the movie continuity, and “Foundation” explores the past of Megatron and Optimus Prime.

“We want to take the perennial licenses that obviously do great for us, but we want to give people a fair chance of getting in and getting excited about it,” he said. He noted that “Transformers” comics sold well during each of the previous two summers that featured a “Transformers” movie.

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

Peter Cullen (AP)

The longtime voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, comes in at No. 16 on Nerdage’s top 25 actors with geek appeal.

Cullen will reprise the role of Optimus Prime in the third “Transformers” film, “Dark of the Moon,” set for release on June 29.   Cullen can also be heard in the animated series “Transformers Prime” on the Hub network.

Cullen originated the role of the heroic Autobot in the 1980s TV series.

I talked to Cullen in 2006 about voicing the character.

“The character breakdown for Optimus Prime was pretty straightforward,” Cullen said. “The writers were … excellent. I got a sense of Optimus Prime having integrity and honor and courage and conviction.”

That courage and conviction, as evidenced in Cullen’s vocal portrayal, was inspired by Cullen’s brother Larry, a former Marine captain who served in Vietnam.

“I think I got a lot of Optimus Prime from my brother. Certainly, the control and the honor and definitely the spirit of command. Soft-spoken, sensitive but willing to kick a- – like a Marine can do.” Cullen said. “I tried to keep him cool under all conditions, and authoritative and convincingly powerful.”

- Matt Price

Via THR, here’s the latest trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
The movie releases June 29 – so recent of a change that it’s still July 1 in the trailer – and stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Wiley, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel.

- Matt Price

Paramount Pictures has announced that “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” the Michael Bay-directed third film in the “Transformers” saga, has changed its release date.  The film’s release date has moved up.  Previously scheduled for release on Friday, July 1, 2011, the film will now open on Wednesday, June 29, 2011.

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Wiley, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel.

- Matt Price

Optimus Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

From Friday’s Summer Movie Preview at NewsOK:

Michael Bay’s third big-screen, big-robots adventure “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” will bring more bangs than a hundred fireworks displays to the Fourth of July holiday. But the three-quel also comes with promises from Bay and the cast to bring more humanity to the franchise than did 2009′s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which did boffo box office despite a story critics felt was less than meets the eye.

Bay “was very mindful in this third one to make sure that it was really clear and concise and more human,” star Josh

Josh Duhamel (AP)

Duhamel said in a recent phone interview.

Duhamel returns for the third time as Lt. Col. William Lennox in “Dark of the Moon.”

“There’s real drama going on,” Duhamel said. “It’s not just a mishmash of robots fighting each other. This one actually has, there’s reasons for everything that happens. And I think it makes for a much more compelling story.”

Read the entire 2011 summer movie preview at BAM’s Blog.

- Matt Price

A scene from "Transformers Prime."

Voice actor Steve Blum has voiced villains from Captain Cold to Fin Fang Foom, but he’s really gotten a chance to dig into his dark side for his current role as the scheming robot Starscream in “Transformers Prime.”

“It was really fun to make him darker,” Blum said in a recent phone interview. “He still has that megalomaniacal delusional thing about

Steve Blum

him, but he seems equally capable of causing a lot of havoc. So it was fun to dig a little bit deeper into that, into the emotional side of his psyche, too.”

Starscream is one of the Decepticons, a cadre of sentient, evil alien robots who can transform into forms resembling earth vehicles. They’re opposed by the Autobots, robots from the same planet who want to protect earth’s inhabitants. Based on the toy line from Hasbro, the Transformers first appeared on television in a 1980s animated series, and have since appeared in multiple animated incarnations and two live-action feature films, with a third set for this summer.

Blum got his start as a voice-actor doing English dubs of anime programs, and is perhaps best-known for voicing the Marvel Comics hero Wolverine in multiple animated incarnations. He said when working on a vocal performance, he goes first with instinct.

“I always go with the gut first, and then I let the directors and producers dial me in to what their vision of it is,” he said.

In the case of Starscream, his instinct was to take the deadly Decepticon to some dark places.

“And as he’s developing throughout the season, we get to go a little bit farther and farther with him each time,” Blum said. “They’re very open to suggestions, and they’re very open to what I’ve been thinking about him, but they also have a very clear idea of where the arc is going to be going, and how they want him to develop. It’s definitely a team effort.”

The new “Transformers Prime” series, which airs on the Hub network, features two voices well-known for their association with the characters. Frank Welker, who voices Decepticon leader Megatron, and Peter Cullen, who voices the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime, reprise their roles in this series. They first voiced the characters in the 1980s cartoon series, and Cullen also worked on the Michael Bay films as the voice of Optimus Prime.

The vocal performances of “Transformers Prime” are done in a “cast record,” so that Blum and the other voice actors are recording together at the same time.

“That is probably the greatest joy of the whole project for me, is seeing Frank and Peter working together,” Blum said. “Even just being a fly on the wall in that room is like a fanboy’s dream come true. These guys are so incredibly talented, and they have such a rich history together. … And when the two of them get together, they’re like little kids, or Abbott and Costello, depending on their mood.”

Blum said at times the pair can “take over the room and fill it up with greatness,” which impresses him and the rest of the cast.

“I think we’re all fans of the Transformers franchise, so for all of us it’s a great thrill just to be there, just to be a part of it,” he said.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

G.I. Joe Civil War #0

The world of the Transformers, robotic aliens who can shape-shift into cars and planes, will expand this summer with a third Michael Bay-directed film. IDW Publishing plans to give fans additional tie-ins in comics to further explore the characters and storylines based on the Hasbro toys.

IDW also holds the rights to the G.I. Joe license from Hasbro, and the anti-terrorist team of military specialists will receive a revamp this year as Cobra Commander, the leader of the Cobra terrorist organization, has been killed.

The most lethal Cobra operatives must now compete to become the next leader of the organization. The battle begins in April with “G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War” No. 0.

The issue will be written by Chuck Dixon and Mike Costa, with three separate 10-page stories. Artists Javier Saltares, Antonio Fuso and Agustin Padilla each illustrate one story.

In May, three new ongoing series begin: “Cobra,” “G.I. Joe” and “Snake Eyes.”

“With ‘G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War’ No. 0, we’re giving readers a taste of what each of the three series will be,” IDW’s “G.I. Joe” editor Andy Schmidt said. “Each series will be self-contained enough to enjoy on its own, but I don’t think any reader or fan will be content with just one series. The books are getting more tightly interwoven because an event like this must impact all corners of the universe in a profound way.”

In April, the “Cobra Commander Tribute” ships, reprinting the death of Cobra Commander in “G.I. Joe: Cobra” No. 12, plus offering special features and additional stories.

The Transformers and the Joes are currently fighting off an infestation of zombies in IDW’s “Transformers: Infestation” series, but there will be no time to rest after.

The third “Transformers” film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” is set for release this July. In the film, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon and race against the Decepticons to reach it first, according to imdb.com.

Two “Transformers 3” film prequels, “Foundation” and “Rising Storm,” are set to begin this month in comics, with the first issues of each released this week. “Rising Storm” introduces Shockwave into the movie continuity, and “Foundation” explores the past of Megatron and Optimus Prime.

Dirk Wood, IDW’s retail marketing director, talked about “Transformers” at the recent ComicsPRO annual membership meeting in Dallas. He said IDW would be announcing a “Transform Your Store” promotion for comic book retailers who wanted to promote “Transformers” comics.

“One thing we’re going to do is something called ‘Transformers Day,’” Wood said. “(On) May 25, a couple of weeks before the movie comes out, is when our adaptation comes out.”

Wood said direct-market comic-book stores had done well selling “Transformers” tie-in comics during each of the two previous movie release windows, and similar results are expected this year.

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

Megan Fox (AP)

Deadline Hollywood reports that Megan Fox has been dumped from the Transformers sequel.   A spokesman for Megan Fox tells Deadline it was Fox’s decision not to return, and she wishes the franchise the best.

Fox famously sparred in the press with director Michael Bay, particularly after “Transformers 2,” so both of them may be happier being professionally paired with someone else.  Fox is in this summer’s “Jonah Hex,” and is involved with developing “Fathom,” based on the Michael Turner comic book series.

What are your thoughts?  And who comes out better from this, Fox or Bay?

- Matt Price

Megan Fox (AP)

Megan Fox takes the #2 position in Nerdage’s list of actresses with geek appeal.   She’s starred in two “Transformers” films and is set for a third.  She’ll appear in the DC Comics property “Jonah Hex” this summer.  She’s producing, along with Brian Austin Green, a film based on “Fathom,” the comic-book series by the late Michael Turner.

Fox may star as lead character Aspen Matthews, or possibly not, she told Celebrity Mania last year.  But either way, she wants someone who loves the character to play that starring role.

“I want someone who loves her and loves the comic to play her. It doesn’t have to be me, but I just didn’t know of any actresses at the time who loved the comic or even knew about it,” Fox said. “So I was sort of fiercely protective of it, because I didn’t want it played by someone who doesn’t give a s— about it.”

Rumors have circulated of Fox taking on other comic book roles, from Catwoman to Wonder Woman to Red Sonja, but those have all been dismissed as untrue.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for more Megan Fox photos.

Two new playable characters – Ironhide and Skywarp – were revealed today by Activision for Transformers: War for Cybertron on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Info about the characters:

IRONHIDE
Autobot
Class: Soldier
Chassis: Truck
Primary Weapon: EMP Shotgun
Abilities: Whirlwind, Dash
Description: Ironhide is the oldest Autobot on the team. He is the slowest Autobot on the team. He is also the meanest, toughest, orneriest Autobot on the team. He is most definitely yesterday’s model, but he was built to last – seemingly forever. He is a soldier, first and foremost, but his tough exterior hides a deep compassion for life. He is one of Optimus’ most trusted advisors on all matters.

SKYWARP
Decepticon
Class: Scout
Chassis: Jet
Primary Weapon: Thermo Rocket Launcher
Abilities: Cloak, Dash
Description: Skywarp possesses cloaking technology which he uses to sow destruction upon his enemies. Skywarp isn’t the most intelligent Transformers character in the Decepticon force, so he needs to be continually guided and told what to do. Regardless, once set upon a path, Skywarp will achieve his goal with quiet, ruthless efficiency.

For more information about the game, check out www.TransformersGame.com.

The game is set for a June 22 release.

- Matt Price

Click past the cut for art of the robot and vehicle forms of Ironhide and Skywarp.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Michael Bay officially signed on to Transformers 3 today, and confirmed the film’s release date of July 1, 2011.

Michael Bay even got in a small dig at one of his stars, Megan Fox, in his announcement on his site about the film.

“Megan Fox, welcome back,” Bay wrote. “I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture.”

Click past the cut for some recent pictures of Megan Fox promoting her recent film, “Jennifer’s Body.”

- Matt Price

According to the AP, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will crack $200 million in ticket sales in just 5 days.  Paramount reports Transformers 2 with an estimated $112 million weekend, and $201.2 million since the Wednesday opening.

The film shows itself to be virtually critic-proof, as the huge opening is despite a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Transformers 3 is already set for a July 1, 2011 opening, according to Variety, though it’s not yet clear whether director Michael Bay will return.

- Matt Price

According to Variety, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen pulled in $16 million in midnight screenings, making it the best-ever Wednesday a.m. opening, and second-best midnight ever behind Dark Knight’s $18.5 million.  It passed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’s $12 million from 2007.

However, the bright light of day hasn’t helped the critical response any, as the film sits now at 21 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes.   Will Transformers 2 continue to break records? Or will word-of-mouth stall the film’s momentum?  We’ll see in the coming days.

- Matt Price

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters today, and while tickets continue to be hot items, reviews aren’t quite as positive.
NewsOK’s own BAM shares her opinion on the film:

Unfortunately, the slogan “more than meets the eye” does not apply to the slam-bang action sequel “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

Instead, director Michael Bay staunchly adheres to the credo “more is better,” making the follow-up to his 2007 blockbuster bigger, dumber and louder.

See the full review here.  BAM also brought in local comedy duo Twinprov to provide another summer blockbuster rap, this time, the Transformers rap. Check it out below:

However, tickets continue to sell heavily for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, even as critical response is at best mixed. Fandango reported selling 8 Transformers tickets per second during peak periods.   More than 2,000 midnight and late night/early morning showings sold out, also according to Fandango.   As of 6 a.m., Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen represented 94 percent of ticket sales on Fandango.

Movietickets.com reported similar information, with more than 94 percent of ticket sales at the site tracking to “Transformers 2.”

The film passed “Pirates of the Caribbean 2,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” on MovieTickets.com’s all-time pre-sellers last night.

- Matt Price

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has moved to No. 20 on MovieTickets.com‘s list of Top 25 pre-sellers of all time, passing “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” among others.

MovieTickets.com reports more than 1,000 sellouts as of 6 p.m. Eastern, including 600 midnight screenings.  The movie currently accounts for 93 percent of tickets sold at MovieTickets.com.

On the other hand, a few reviews have started coming in, including from Roger Ebert, who, to put it mildly, didn’t like the movie.   The film is tracking at 28 percent at Rotten Tomatoes. Most print reviews are embargoed until tomorrow, so that will affect the number. The question is, in what direction?  Check out NewsOK.com and The Oklahoman tomorrow for our own review of the film.

- Matt Price

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the biggest pre-sales title of the year, according to Fandango.com. The film represents 93 percent of Fandango.com’s daily ticket sales as of noon Pacific time today.

More than 500 shows have sold out from coast to coast, according to the site.   In addition, Transformers 2 is selling twice as many tickets as Iron Man sold on Fandango at the same point in that film’s sales cycle.

Look for NewsOK.com’s review of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” tomorrow.

- Matt Price

“So much for being robots in disguise,” said Joel Cohen, executive vice president and general manager for MovieTickets.com in a release. “‘Transformers 2′ is sure to be one of our highest grossing and most visible openers in 2009.”

See below for Movietickets.com’s Top 25.  Given the number of “Harry Potter” films on that list, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the top 25 shaken up again in the coming weeks, as “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” nears.

MovieTickets.com’s Top 25 Pre-Sellers of All-Time (includes IMAX)

1. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4. The Dark Knight
5. Twilight
6. Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Disney Digital 3-D
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
8. The Matrix Reloaded
9. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
10. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
12. Sex and the City
13. Spider-Man 3
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
15. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
16. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
17. The Passion of the Christ
18. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
19. High School Musical 3: Senior Year
20. Dreamgirls
21. Quantum of Solace
22. The Departed
23. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
24. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
25. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Hundreds of tomorrow night’s midnight show times for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen have sold out, and the film makes up 76 percent today’s ticket sales at Fandango.com, according to information from the company.

Tulsa is among cities with sellouts; also included are New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Denver, Houston, Nashville, Orlando, Colorado Springs,  Fresno and Buford, Georgia.  Some theaters are adding 4 a.m. screenings to handle demand.

The film is selling twice as many tickets at Fandango as the first “Transformers” at this point in the sales cycle.

And Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf, while popular, don’t appear to be the only draws. A poll at Fandango of more than 2,000 moviegoers planning to see “Transformers 2″ indicates a majority  of them would see “Transformers 3″ without LaBeouf or Fox.

· 92% of respondents said that Megan Fox’s political statements do not affect their interest in the movie.

· 84% of respondents said they would still be in interested in seeing Transformers 3, even if Megan Fox did not appear in the third movie.

· 69% said they would still be interested in seeing Transformers 3, even if Shia LaBeouf did not appear in the third movie.

At this point in the sales cycle, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is outpacing “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “Up,” “Star Trek,” “Night at the Museum 2″ and “Angels and Demons” in pre-sales at MovieTickets.com.

As of 12 p.m. ET today, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” accounts for 83 percent of ticket sales at MovieTickets.com.

Most of the fans aching to see “Transformers 2″ were influenced by the first film, according to a Movietickets.com poll, reproduced below.

WEEKLY MOVIETICKETS.COM POLL

What has most influenced your desire to see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”?

72% – Transformers (2007)

16% – The original television series

12% – The trailer

Total Votes on MovieTickets.com: 4,242

After graduating from Edmond Memorial High School in 1993, Thomas attended the Art Institute of Dallas, focusing on computer graphics. Upon graduation, he found work in the video game industry, eventually working on the “Medal of Honor” and “Call of Duty” World War II franchises.

“I’ve been doing World War II games for longer than the U.S. was involved in the war, so I’ve got quite a bit of World War II knowledge rolling around up there,” Thomas said. “It was an absolutely incredible time. Some really great and heroic stories.”

Now living in Los Angeles, Thomas is the art director of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” based on the Michael Bay movie set for Friday release. The “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” video game will be released Tuesday. Thomas said several people working on the game were fans of the property and wanted to do it justice.

“The first and foremost thing that we concentrated on was getting the transformations right; really getting the feel of being one of those bots, one of those Transformers, this giant robot just kind of rumbling through the city,” he said. “The transformations are very fluid. … There’s lots of really quick activity. It’s almost like a parkour with these giant robots.”

Thomas visited the set of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” and pitched ideas to Hasbro for updating classic characters for the game.

“Who knows how much money my parents sunk into buying toys from them when I was a kid,” he said. “So, it’s kind of amazing. It feels like everything’s come full circle.”

By Matthew Price
From Monday’s The Oklahoman

As of 1 p.m. ET today, MovieTickets.com is reporting over 350 sold out performances for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Of those sellouts, 115 are midnight performances.  “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” accounts for 41 percent of tickets sold at MovieTickets.com this week.  “Transfomers: Revenge of the Fallen” is directed by Michael Bay, and stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.  It opens June 24.

- Matt Price

Despite opening being several days away, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is already bringing in healthy ticket sales.  As of today, the film already represents 45 percent of ticket sales on Fandango.com.  According to Fandango, the film is currently outpacing this year’s “Star Trek” movie and 2007′s “Transformers” in advance ticket sales on Fandango at the same point in the sales cycle.

“For nearly two years – since the last Transformers opened – this new movie has been one of the most highly-anticipated films among fans on our site,” said Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer of Fandango, in a release.

What’s motivating the sales? Perhaps Megan Fox, picked by Fandango users as the sexiest star of the summer.  She received 36 percent of the vote.  Visit http://summermovies.fandango.com/2009/toplists for the full list, which also includes Jennifer Garner and Rachel McAdams. (McAdams will star in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” this summer and the hotly anticipated “Sherlock Holmes” later this year.)

More “Transformers” findings from Fandango, from a survey of nearly 2,000 filmgoers planning to see “Revenge of the Fallen.”

· 88% of respondents said they are fans of director Michael Bay; 66% of them picked Transformers as their favorite Bay film.

· 77% of respondents say they were fans of Transformers when they were kids; 68% of those fans watched the cartoon series, while 61% played with the toys.

· 45% picked Optimus Prime as their favorite Transformer; 21% picked Bumblebee; 4% picked Megatron.

· 62% of respondents are 18-34 years old; 63% are male.

Will the sequel to “Transformers” outpace the original? According to MovieTickets.com, U.S. ticket sales for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” are outpacing ticket sales for “Transformers” by almost 3-to-1 at the same point in the sales cycle, eight days prior to release.

Perhaps showing the growing interest in IMAX viewing, IMAX ticket sales at MovieTickets.com for “Revenge of the Fallen” account for nearly half of all ticket sales for the film.

- Matt Price