Marvel has given us a very, very purdy first look at Avengers #13, some panels from Chris Bachalo. Bachalo has previously worked with writer Brian Michael Bendis on some of my very favorite comics of the past few years, specifically Dark Avengers and Siege. So, yeah, this is gonna be great.
AVENGERS 13 Cover
I love the Spiderman drinking chocolate milk, don’t you?And Tony Stark is partying, Cap is brooding, Thor looks smarmy, Wolvie looks peeved. All good things.
Ain’t no party like a Tony Stark party, cuz an Iron Man party don’t stop!
Holy splash-page Batman!
Someone big and red this way comes.
So what else is Marvel teasing us with? From their release:
With the entire Marvel Universe gripped in fear and on the brink of outrage, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man struggle to keep the peace. In an effort by Tony Stark, the rebuilding of Asgard begins, but will they be stopped even before they begin? It’s the calm before the storm as the threat of the Red Skull and the other hammer wielding Worthy looms over the Marvel Universe. When the time comes, which of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will rally their teammates to battle – and which will succumb to the Serpent’s influence? Find out this May, only in Avengers #13!
This goes on sale 5/18 and you’ll be picking it up. Right? Right.
Oh, and there’s a really hot looking X-men variant. What can I say? I have a thing for mutant girls. Especially ones with red hair and telekinetic powers.
So, until Wolverine’s adamantium claws lose a chopping contest to one of those Ginsu knives they sell on infomercials- MAKE MINE MARVEL!
By and large, the pop culture community at large has praised the Volkswagon Passat commercial from this year’s Super Bowl to be the best to come out of that conflagration. There were bound to be imitators, but in this new teaser for the upcoming Thor movie, Marvel takes it in a slightly different direction, especially at the end.
I love this video. It rises above being a mere rip-off by adding its own personal touches. Not only does it parody ‘Little Darth Vader’ nearly shot by shot, it has charm all its own! The costume is great How many references to the Thor franchise can you point out, the video is full of them! Using Flight of the Valkyries is also pretty inspired. The Odinson within me is mightily pleased. We can all go see Little Thor’s adult counterpart on May 6th, in theaters everywhere!
Right now the entire Marvel film universe (well, the parts of it that are being run by Marvel Studios) is aiming straight at The Avengers film that’s coming out next year. Everything since the first Iron Man picture has been building to that boiling point. But what comes next?
Marvel’s not going to just walk away from all of these successful film franchises. They’re going to keep going on with the universe.
We already know that Iron Man III is in the works with the cast returning and Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon, and The Long Kiss Goodnight) is directing. It’s set for a 2013 release.
Feige said that following Avengers, “Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. —all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”
But I think the question everyone is asking themselves is this: Are these films going to boil up to another Avengers picture? A Marvel Universe wide event like your Civil War or your Secret Invasion?
Wouldn’t The Siege be a helluva story to tell?
I’m very happy that he name dropped Dr. Strange, though. He’s always been one of my favorites in the Marvel Universe. And I hear Patrick Dempsey is yearning to play him, though I think Clive Owen would be much better.
What do you guys want to see in a post-Avengers Marvel movie world?
It has been said a hero is defined by their villains. I think this is a pretty truthful statement. I like to think of it this way: Spider-Man had a live action TV show in the 70’s, the Flash did in the 90’s. Spidey tanked pretty quick, partly due to the fact that there weren’t any super villains on the show, and had the webhead taking on petty crooks and the like. While the Flash only lasted one season, it is better remembered, especially the episodes with the Trickster. Villains make the hero more entertaining just by being there! An easy way to create a villain is to use the “dark mirror” method of just making the villain the goateed evil opposite of the hero. This works well more often than not, but my favorite example of this is a dark mirror villain who takes that trope and spins it on its ear. This baddie has a similar origin to the hero, but the effects cause a decidedly opposite reaction, as we’ll see in: The Secret Origin of… The Leader!
As our story begins, the Leader is sitting, deep in thought with his newest creation, the Humanoid! That’s something you should know about a genius intellect; You can make amazingly sophisticated electronic apparatus, but you’re gonna suck at naming stuff. Anyway, the leader starts to remove his radiation/beekeeper’s suit and starts to think back to how he got his start…
In the 60's Marvel Universe, one-in-a-million means "Every Tuesday"
And as always in the Marvel Universe, the laborer didn’t develop cancer or instantly die of radiation poisoning. Instead, he wakes up in the hospital pretty much none the worse for the wear. There is one thing though. The laborer (who is not named in this story, but is named Samuel Sterns) has gotten a voracious appetite for reading! Even after he is released from the best care an unskilled laborer’s pay will get you, Sterns finds himself soaking up knowledge and information better than even the leading paper towel brand!
"Must... wave hands in air... then pretend... like I JUST DON'T CARE!"
Seriously though, what really happens is that it’s just taken this long for the Gamma Rays to kick in with full effect. Sterns collapses to the ground and falls into unconsciousness. When he comes to, his first instinct is to look into a mirror, where he find something startling… DC Comics/Hector Hammond are going to sue him for copyright infringement!
Are you sure about that, buddy?
In addition to a visage that puts Master Billy Quizboy to shame, apparently Gamma rays give you a kicky mustache as well. With that, Flashback time is over, and we see The Leader remove his suit’s mask to reveal… well, himself really. He thinks to himself (because when you have a brain the size of Rhode Island of course you’re going to think to yourself), that the Gamma rays have made him the most formidable brains on Earth. He also muses on the vast network of spies he has amassed to take over the government (it was the 60’s after all). Finally, he boasts to himself that his humanoid is all-powerful, bringing us full circle.
"But first, my origin! Wait! Damn, my mind got stuck in a recursive loop again!"
We leave the Leader now, because while the origin is done, the story is not! It seem back at the army base, Dr. Bruce Banner has again invented such a mind-numbingly insane nuclear-powered device that Uncle Sam needs to see it personally. It’s being transported by train, and Banner has to be on board to show them how it works. “Thunderbolt” Ross and Major Glenn Talbot don’t trust Banner, thinking he’s somehow involved with this ongoing Hulk business (very astute, what with him always appearing in rags after a Hulk sighting). They tell him to his face, while one of the Leader’s supposedly ineffective spies overhears and goes to inform his master. Back at the Leader’s hideout, he already knows the situation and tries out his precious Humanoid…
"That's it! Use the power of mental thinking!"
After the Leader is done showing off, he thinks at the Humanoid to fly his helicopter and rendezvous with the government train Banner’s McGuffin, I mean, device. The Humanoid starts his attack, the soldier’s bullets go right through him. They say it’s like a sponge, but if that were the case, wouldn’t the Humanoid absorb the bullets? Anyway, comic book-based semantics aren’t going to get us anywhere. Ross & Talbot are informed of the attack, while Banner is understandably worried about his nuclear device. Instead of being rational, Ross locks Banner in the train car, thinking it is some elaborate scheme of his. Well, if you’ve ever read a comic, I don’t have to tell you what happens when Bruce Banner is locked up and agitated…
General Ross forgot that Kryptonite® locks only work on that other guy.
So of course the Hulk breaks out of the train car. Just as he emerges, the Humanoid is decoupling the rear cars, because that’s what you do during a train heist. The Hulk uses his mighty leg muscles to bride the gap. He one-man dogpiles the Humanoid just as the Leader, looking through its eyes, is about to get a good look at the device in question. The rubber/sponginess of the Humanoid causes the Hulk to bounce off, and the Leader can hardly believe what he sees…
Mmm, It's a possibility, Doc.
The Hulk and the Humanoid tussle for a while, neither getting the upper hand, thanks to the Humanoid’s highly pliable body. As they reach an overpass, the Leader plays his ace in the hole. He commands the Humanoid to electrocute the Hulk, thereby knocking him off the train, and hopefully to his death below. If you think that’s what would happen, then you may be ready for an advanced physics class, but not Comics 101! Seriously though, of all the downright silly things I have seen in a comic (trust me, there are a lot), this has to take the cake as the most inexplicable, and that is due mostly to the explanation…
Only a 6-year-old would believe it!
So after that defiance of natural laws, the two titans grapple again! The Leader tries for the electro-whammy again, but this time, the Hulk is ready for it, and just shakes it off. The struggle continues, stalemated, when the Hulk notices that their tussle is loosening the bolts holding Banner’s device securely to the train car! You might think the Hulk is too brutish for that to be the case, but we’re talking about the pre-Hulk Smash! day, where the green-skinned Goliath could speak and think semi-coherently. Anyway, the Leader switches tactics, ordering the Humanoid to smother the Hulk, guessing he’d be easier to subdue if he’s unable to breathe. The Hulk can of course, hold his breath a long, long time. Finally, in an act of either desperation, or sheer dumb luck, the Hulk flips both he and the Humanoid and manages to take out his adversary.
"Much like a couch potato, or your average comic reader!"
With the Humanoid taken out, the Hulk can focus on the task at hand. Just as the nuclear-powered device is about to hit the train’s tanker car, the Hulk leaps into action, tackling the device off the train. Astoundingly the Hulk’s actions didn’t cause a nuclear disaster, what with radioactive materials being volatile and all. The device itself is completely intact as well! With the adrenaline rush over, the Hulk reverts back into Banner, just as Talbot and Ross arrive on the scene. Since he was supposed to be locked in a train car, Banner is immediately arrested, giving the Leader a bit of a Pyrrhic victory, one which he’ll never know about. As we leave the players in this little vignette, one man discovers a life-long enemy and another is about to make the most fateful decision of his life:
Banner: "Yes, I'll tell them I'm the Hulk! They'd never arrest me then! It's flawless!"
The Leader/Hulk feud would continue in subsequent months, and both characters would go through a series of metamorphoses throughout the years. The underlying message is always the same though, sheer brute strength will defeat pure intellect always. Wait a minute, that can’t be right! Anyway, see you all next week!
I think we have reason to believe that the original story is much more likely now with news coming from IGN that Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, is thinking about the same kinds of things also.
In the upcoming issue of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, Feige speculates about the future of Marvel characters in the park.
“The notion of walking into a theme park and going into Asgard or the X-Mansion—Disney does this better than anyone. That is why I’ve gone to Disney parks multiple times every year for my whole life. It’s that next step in fully immersive storytelling, whether it’s a dark ride, a stunt show, or a thrill ride. The options are endless when it comes to how Imagineers can turn our characters, our adventures, and our films into amazing experiences.”
I’m on the record as being on board with this idea. I can find myself going to Disney Parks a lot more often if they have Marvel attractions. Maybe not if they’re in Florida, but if they’re at Anaheim, that would be awesome. Particularly if they take over as much of The California Adventure as possible.
What say you, faithful readers? Good idea? Bad idea? Best idea ever?
CONTEST: Avengers: The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Vol. 1 & 2
We are giving away two DVD sets of The Avengers: The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Vol. 1 & 2.
For those of you getting more and more excited about the upcoming Marvel films, this series is a must see. Together, these volumes contain the first 13 episodes from the popular TV show. The DVD’s come out on April 26th, 2011.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Volume 1 includes episodes 1-7 plus an exclusive look at the evolving characters and storyline of Season 2, and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Volume 2 includes episodes 8-13 plus another exclusive sneak peek at Season 2 that reveals what makes the Marvel Super Heroes and Villains so unique.
Featuring your favorite animated Super Heroes – Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk – The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! sees planet Earth threatened by Super Villains, time traveling conquerors, alien invaders, mythical beasts and rampaging robots — all bent on the total destruction of humanity. Unfortunately against these impossible odds, no individual hero has the power to save the world and just when all appears to be hopeless, the most skilled champions in the Marvel universe join forces to form the mightiest Super Hero team in history. The Avengers come to the rescue when the fate of the world rests on their shoulder
These sets will be released Tuesday, April 26. For those who don’t want to wait for the contest results, you can preorder them on Amazon here.
The contest will be open until Friday, April 29th. Winners will be announced on Monday, May 2nd.
To enter, all you need to do is shoot us an email at editor (at) bigshinyrobot.com. Make the subject “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!” For an extra chance to win, you can go to our facebook page and invite all of your friends to like us. Or you can ask your followers on twitter to follow us @BigShinyRobot. Just be sure to mention in your email that you’ve done it.
Marvel certainly like to reveal plot details in nationally read news outlets. Today, one such establishment, the New York Post revealed details on what’s going on in Ultimate Spider-Man after the current “Death of Spider-Man” storyline. While it’s unclear is Spider-Man/Peter Parker actually dies, there is apparently a new webhead on the block. Here’s what the Post article has to say about the matter.
Marvel Comics’ most popular character is getting a hip new look – and a new person wearing the webs.
“That’s not Peter Parker,” Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso told The Post. “There’s going to be someone new wearing the costume.”
The new webslinger and the new look – a sleek black and red costume revealed here for the first time – will make their debut at some point this summer, after the conclusion of the ominously titled “Death of Spider-Man” storyline in June’s Ultimate Spider-Man No. 160.
The comic will be polybagged, and will shake the comic book world to the core. “It’s unlike anything you’ve seen before,” Alonso said.
The shakeup marks the first time someone else will be catching thieves just like flies in the “Spider-Man” titles besides Peter (or a clone of Peter – don’t ask) in the character’s almost 50-year history in either the traditional “Marvel Universe” or the more recent “Ultimate Universe.”
Alonso wouldn’t reveal much more about the new wallcrawler – “there’s significance in the color scheme,” he teased – but the image’s release is another bad sign for Peter Parker, who in the ten-year-old Ultimate line of comics is still a Queens high school student.
The perpetually hard luck teen was shot through the gut by anti-hero the Punisher at the close of last week’s issue while trying save Captain America. Comic fans have been burning up the internet speculating whether Peter might survive the storyline, even if his web slinging days are over. Alonso wouldn’t reveal his ultimate fate, but said, “We did call it ‘The Death of Spider-Man’ for a reason.”
An adult Peter Parker will still be manning the role of friendly neighborhood wall-crawler in the regular Marvel Universe “Amazing Spider-Man” title.
And here’s a better look at the new Spider-Person…
Now, I don’t begrudge Marvel wanting to get this news out to a public that may not actually read the comic books, but it still irks me for a few reasons. First, even though it specifies in the article that it’s Ultimate Spider-Man in the story, the man on the street doesn’t know the difference between two versions of the same character. Second, Axel Alonso’s claim that this will “shake the comic world to the core” smack of hyperbole, and not the good Stan Lee kind of hyperbole. Lastly, there is a new Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon debuting soon. In the name of corporate synergy, I can see this lasting anyway.
Apologies for the rant, there are some positives. I really like the costume, for one. The fact that Alonso is being kind of cagey and wording things carefully in my mind, makes me think that only “Spider-Man” dies, not Peter Parker. Time will tell I suppose. What do you all think?
The Hollywood Reporter pointed me out to this new Thor featurette that has me salivating like I can’t believe. In fact, this is my 1138th post and I was going to write a review of the Blu-ray of THX-1138 (because it’s an underrated masterpiece) but I watched this featurette and I’m DYING to see this movie. I can’t believe that there are people out there NOT excited for this movie.
Think about this: Kenneth Branagh is directing this movie and he’s a genius. End of story.
Now I have this subconscious urge to get a Dr. Pepper at 7-Eleven.
Digital Comics are pretty great. It’s nice and convenient to have your reading library in the palm of your hand with the need for digging through longboxes all the time. It’s great that technology has progressed to a point where this is a feasible option. What if it wasn’t though? What if digital comics became a reality in the late 80’s/early 90’s? Of course, the comic companies would want to reach the widest audience possible, so they would create software on the dominate platform of the time, The Nintendo Entertainment System! Unfortunately, the NES had some graphical limitations, and both DC and Marvel would have had to get a bit creative. With that in mind, I’ve created what I think NES-style digital comics would look like! Of course, I’ve included the originals as well, so you can compare. (Click for full size)
DC Comics Digital Archives: Thrill to the astounding exploits of the World’s Finest heroes, available in their own NES Paks! Using DC’s patented “panel-by-panel” view, you can view the earliest adventures of the Metropolis Marvel & the Dynamic Duo in a new and exciting way! Accompanied by the finest digitized soundtracks available, your reading experience will be increased a thousandfold! Witness the adventures of Superman, Batmean & Robin! Sold Separately MSRP: $59.99
Marvel Digital Masterworks: Greetings Merry Marvelites! The Marvel Bullpen is happy to bring you The first in our series of classic Marvel yarns! Thrill to the first exploits of the ever-amazing Spider-Man and the senses-shattering strength of The Incredible Hulk! With the officially licensed Nintendo Game Pak, you can experience the beginning adventures of your favorite superheroes in the boldest way possible. Each story has an intro by the digitized voice of Smilin’ Stan Lee! Face Front, True Believer, these digital comics are the real deal! Excelsior! 1 Issue Per Cartridge MSRP $59.99.
Well, with the limitations of the time, it probably wouldn’t be the greatest reading experience ever, but it’s fun to pretend, right?
I am happy to report that Madhouse really delivers in Episode 2 of their new X-Men anime. We see some great, fast-paced action as the X-Men really come together as a team, and the characters start to interact in more familiar ways. Furthermore, they kick ass together – an essential of any X-Men cartoon! It’s a solid episode that features new plot development around mutant hunting, the appearance of the enemy (The U-Men), and some really awesome robots. At first I expected them to be the Japanese version of Sentinels, but these robots were new…different. These have been made by the U-Men to be smart, drive motorcycles, pilot futuristic jets and be sufficiently armed to the teeth.
Let’s face it; the normal Sentinels we’ve seen in past animated series are, for the most part, pretty average at best (and at worst, some of the most poorly designed robots ever). Classic example: the very first episode of the 1990’s X-Men Cartoon, “Night of the Sentinels Part One”: those sentinels were – although capable of shooting huge laser beams – really, really stupid. “Identification error: non-living objects. Begin tracking…” Ugh, seriously? Why couldn’t you put a higher-end infrared system in those things? Or, how about when the Sentinel marches right through the front end of a mall, destroying a major portion of the building as it says to the terrified people below, “Do not be alarmed. I am here to serve and protect.” Really? Really!? (For the record though, I loved that series.)
Overall, this week’s episode was a great watch and I’m fully recommending it. My outlook on where the series is going has improved tremendously, and I can hardly wait for next week’s episode!
Want the specifics?
—–Detailed review and spoilers below!—–
The episode opens with two insane-looking scientists who are apparently in charge of the U-Men, an organization of rogue scientists who want to capture mutants in order to utilize their powers to destroy all of mutant-kind. They have advanced technology and an army of robots at their disposal. It’s no surprise to me that we find out in this episode that their labs are in an abandoned Japanese hospital…because there is always messed up sh*t going on in abandoned Japanese hospitals!
The X-Men arrive in Japan in an attempt to locate the kidnapped Hisako Ichiki, and they meet with the Ichiki family at their home in the snow-covered Tohoku region. Apparently, Hisako went missing one day when she had to take the bus to school (her parents normally drover her). Other mutant children have been going missing, as well, and that there is a lot of fear from people in the area that believe that mutants have been causing strange, dangerous accidents. “Will there ever be a day when people will understand mutant kind?” – Ichiki-san.
Wolverine, who knows a bit about the U-Men, has heard that they may have been hiding out in Japan and could be behind these mysterious circumstances. While discussing this with the Ichikis the phone rings and we learn that another young mutant has gone missing. Doesn’t this seem like convenient timing to anyone? Oh wait, “IT’S A TRAP!” Wolverine and Cyclops go to investigate, only to find out that they have been tricked by the Ichiki’s. Cyclops and Wolverine are intercepted on their way by U-Men robots – a test by the scientists to determine their power levels and abilities. Storm and Beast are also intercepted, and we see some excellent robot smashing.
The characters have really started to feel like the X-Men. Wolverine claws through any obstacle in his way while making familiarly sarcastic remarks, Storm absolutely obliterates a bunch of robots with ice, Beast’s strength and calculated intelligence are a fantastic asset, and Cyclops is showing more signs of being the leader he should be…though he is going through a lot with the loss of Jean. It seems as though Scott is still struggling somewhere between the need for revenge and the need for peace, and every thought of the innocent mutants who are suffering at the hands of the U-Men tugs at his insides. Repeatedly, Logan yells at him to get it together, because he’s “acting like a rookie,” but he also shows an admirable amount of compassion for the grieving Scott.
After the battle with the robots, the X Men travel to the abandoned hospital that has become a lab for the U-Men. It is immediately apparent that there is some serious mad-scientist, crazy-work going on here. Green lights illuminate a series of doors in a creepy hallway (which, by the way, looks nothing like an abandoned hospital anymore…more like an abandoned insane asylum with technology exploding down its hallways). From the shadows, the missing boy mutant appears and completely loses control. In an Akira-like explosion of flesh and mutation, the boy changes beyond any recognition of his former self, and the X Men are forced to destroy him.
Cliffhanger of the week: Hisako Ichiki and Emma Frost are found alive in the lab. Next week on X Men: “Armor – Awakening!”
Overall verdict: This show is getting to be pretty awesome. I can’t wait for more!
I love the Spiderman drinking chocolate milk, don’t you?And Tony Stark is partying, Cap is brooding, Thor looks smarmy, Wolvie looks peeved. All good things.
Ain’t no party like a Tony Stark party, cuz an Iron Man party don’t stop!
Someone big and red this way comes.
