It was recently announced that the adaptation of “Akira” would be handled by Allen and Albert Hughes for Warner Brother’s take on the now legendary manga by Katsuhiro Otomo about a post apocalyptic Tokyo.

The new film will be based in Manhattan in a similar setting, with the leader of a bike gang attempting to save his friend from a medical testing facility. No other set news has been revealed, but rumors abound of Leonardo DeCaprio playing the role of Kanada have yet to be confirmed. This news comes after this movie has been floating around since Legendary Pictures acquired the rights in 2007 from Kodansha Publishing.

The Hughes brothers are attached after finishing work on “The Book of Eli’ and of course, when any other info comes out, we’ll make sure to have it to you. So, what’s your opinion on this? Should we really have a live-action Akira?

Lucasfilm has been kind enough once again to give us a taste of this weeks episode of Clone Wars. From the official press release, the clip follows below:

Duchess Satine Kryze tries to keep the Republic from interfering in Mandalorian affairs after attacks by the Death Watch, the splinter group advocating a return to the old warrior ways. But when Satine herself is attacked and framed, she sets off – against the better judgment of her Jedi protectors – to uncover the full breadth of the conspiracy and the faction’s true origins. No longer content to operate from the fringes, the mysterious Mandalorian Death Watch sets its sights on the “Duchess of Mandalore” in an all-new episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, February 12 on Cartoon Network.

“Satine is struggling with many fires now, and trying to keep them from merging into one large inferno that can’t be put out,” says Anna Graves, the voice of Satine in The Clone Wars. “She wants peace above all else, and will shout it as loud as she can. Historical pacifists are often met with more hatred and violence, but that seems to push someone like Satine to fight for peace even harder. I think with any culture that idolizes war and violence, some people will naturally rebel against that traditional way of thinking and focus their efforts on peace and tranquility. I’m sure a lot of people agree with her views, but I’m sure there are just as many who don’t. Her neutrality in The Clone Wars is such a beautiful cry for love and peace, which throughout history has upset those who idolize power and control.”

Set against the backdrop of a sweeping conflict which threatens to consume the galaxy, Satine’s struggle is all the more personal, however, as she faces upheaval from within her own constituency. Using violence as their language of dissent, the Death Watch threatens to unravel all of Satine’s efforts, and to undermine the peace she has fought so hard to preserve. But the war itself is a battle of ideologies. Despite their extremism – or perhaps because of it – the radical faction represents a popular opinion among the re-emerging culture.

“I see Mandalore as an old world, full of history and tradition. After years of glimpses into Mandalorian lore, it’s exciting to get new facts and faces,” Graves says. “Every fan has their own reasons for loving Mandalore, but Boba Fett opened the door with his intriguing armor and history as a bounty hunter. I know fans will want to hear more about Death Watch – and those who oppose them. To be a small part of that history is so exciting. Add a little Mandalorian-Jedi romance, and that’s good stuff!”

Come back this weekend for my review of the episode!

From the official press release:

Reunited with a former flame while on a mission of vital importance to the war effort, Obi-Wan Kenobi must defend his convictions and fight for his beliefs – even though taking up arms drives him further from the woman he once loved. The Mandalorian saga takes a personal turn in “Voyage of Temptation,” an all-new episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, February 5 on Cartoon Network.

Traveling to Coruscant aboard the palatial royal vessel of the beautiful Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, Obi-Wan and Anakin discover a plot to assassinate the powerful political figure before she reaches her destination. As the Jedi and their clones fight to protect the Duchess from a deadly cargo of assassin droids, Anakin discovers that his former Master has a history with the Mandalorian emissary – and that the elder Jedi is not without personal attachments of his own.

“I always wondered what would happen if Obi-Wan had been put in the same position as Anakin – specifically meeting and falling in love with a woman,” says series writer Henry Gilroy. “Would he be able to maintain his vow to the Jedi at the cost of true love? We know how Anakin dealt with this, but how would Obi-Wan fare against the same temptation? I think a lot of people have had relationships that never really got a chance to flourish, and there’s always that ‘what if…’ sort of feeling. Even people in healthy, happy relationships ponder their old flames and think about what might have been. I think it really broadens Obi-Wan as a character. He’s revealed as a man – someone we relate to because he has romantic feelings like the rest of us, even though he’s a Jedi.”

Of course, the vows of the Jedi Order are not taken lightly, and it takes a truly remarkable woman to turn the head and test the heart of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Resolute in her own pacifist ideologies, Satine provides a counterpoint to Obi-Wan’s notions of peace-keeping and conflict resolution.

“Satine’s a formidable woman in all regards – extremely intelligent, incorruptible, passionate and beautiful, with a great devotion to peace. She might come off as stuffy, but that is because she knows she’s in a den of wolves and must appear powerful and unshakable,” Gilroy says. “Throughout history, some of the most powerful figures – like Gandhi and Dr. King – were pacifists who literally changed the world by refusing to fight. There’s so much fighting in The Clone Wars; when someone is brave enough to speak up to try and stop it, that voice becomes like a light in the darkness, strong and memorable. Satine’s resolved to always use peaceful means to end conflicts. The Jedi are peacekeepers, but they carry swords; if they have to use violence to end conflict, they will. That’s unacceptable to Satine; she believes that if you bring a weapon to negotiations, you don’t want peace. So, she’s upset that the Jedi have allowed themselves to be drawn into the war, because it is everything that they are supposed to be against.”

Together, the two consistently challenge one another, each steadfast in their respective beliefs. It is this mutual respect which draws them together, even as their convictions keep them apart.

This is pretty much the end-all-be-all as far as Invincible is concerned.  The Viltrumite invasion of Earth is going to be epic and we’re all going to read it and we all know we’re all going to read it.

Who will live?  Who will die?  What will happen with Eve’s pregnancy?  Will she lose the baby in the fight?  How might that make Mark feel?

We’ll see it all unfold as soon as issue #71 hits stands.

In the meantime, please to enjoy this excellent piece of artwork from series regular and friend of Big Shiny Robot! Ryan Ottley.

Yeah, I got a little giddy when this came across my email. Mecha, futuristic technology, and zombies? I’m already sold on this title, but I wouldn’t be doing my job without telling all of you about it.

From Viz Media:

Zoichi Kanoe plunges into the depths of 9JO, a sprawling island city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in search of Eon Green, a girl with the power to transmute the N5S virus. The deadly contagion is spreading across the world, turning humans into disfigured, zombie-like “drones.” But he’s not the only one looking for her. Agents of the Public Health Service’s Compulsory Execution Unit are also in hot pursuit, with sinister designs of their own. Zoichi and his trans-human allies have no time to waste; the countdown to the apocalypse has begun!

“Tsutomu Nihei created BIOMEGA with a jaw-dropping, intensely powerful art style that reflects his background in modern architecture,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. “The main characters—the “enhanced” human Zoichi and Fuyu, the AI in his rocket of a motorcycle—navigate this apocalyptic landscape in a story that offers pure speed, action, and suspense. Both manga and American comics fans won’t want to miss this exciting debut!”

Tsutomu Nihei debuted with the acclaimed manga short story BLAME!, which was nominated for North America’s Harvey Award and won the Shiki Award in Japan. The artist also created NOiSE, a manga prequel to BLAME!. His visually striking Wolverine tie-in SNIKT! was published by Marvel Comics along with a commission by Bungie Studios for the HALO graphic novel.

To pre order your copy, you can find it here.

All images are copyright of Viz Media.

Lucasfilm has been kind enough once again to give us a look at two clips from this week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  Episode 12 is about the halfway point in the series and introduces us to the Mandalorians in “Mandalore Plot”.

The head Mandalorian is voiced by Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau. (Video of him talking about it can be found here.)

This three-part arc looks quite good and action packed.

Lucasfilm has been kind enough to give us to give us a look at this Friday’s new episode of Clone Wars, this time called “Lightsaber Lost.”  To me, it looks very much like an homage to one of my favorite Kurosawa films, “Stray Dog”.  In it, a thief picks the gun out of a young detectives pocket and the detective (Toshiro Mifune) is left to retrieve his gun before the thief can commit any more crimes or murders with it.  In order to track down the gun, he must employ the help of a wisened old police officer played by the always amazing Takashi Shimura. It’s very good Japanese noir.  Star Wars has always been rife with Kurosawa homages, but it’s almost exclusively been for Samurai films.  It’s good to see the Noir’s getting their just desserts now.
From the official press release:

When a wily pickpocket steals Ahsoka’s lightsaber during an otherwise routine mission, the desperate Togruta teen must enlist the help of an elderly Jedi Master to track down the slippery thief. The search takes the unlikely pair deep into the seedy underbelly of Coruscant’s seamy underworld…and pits the young Padawan against a new kind of threat, unlike anything she’s seen on the front lines. It’s a race to reclaim both her weapon and her honor in “Lightsaber Lost,” an all-new episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, January 22 on Cartoon Network.

For Giancarlo Volpe – the episode’s director – “Lightsaber Lost” provided a welcome opportunity to draw back from the high intensity action of the front lines, exploring the characters against a different tonal backdrop altogether. While still boasting one of the series’ most memorable action sequences, the episode also focuses on an unlikely juxtaposition – and the quiet humor that results from Ahsoka’s new friendship.

“Comedy belongs in Star Wars as much as anything,” says Volpe. “Filmmaking actually plays a lot off of contrast – such as the contrast between a wicked villain and a benevolent hero, or between slow, emotional scenes and really fast-paced action. The more you emphasize one side, the more extreme the other becomes. They work hand in hand. I think if Clone Warsalways took itself too seriously, it would no longer feel like the movies.”

The very character dynamics of the episode itself are marked by distinct contrast, deliberately pairing the impulsive Ahsoka with Tera Sinube – a wizened old Jedi Master. Modeled after a seasoned, elderly samurai who improves – and mellows – with age, Sinube teaches patience, temperance and deliberation to the impetuous Padawan.

“He’s definitely a caricature of his own philosophy. He keeps telling Ahsoka she’s too frantic and moving too fast. She needs to slow down and really listen to her intuition, and trust her feelings.  We played that up in everything from the way he moves to the way he talks,” says Volpe. “To me, it’s very much like Obi-Wan telling Luke to trust his feelings, and to use the Force during the attack on the Death Star. Ahsoka is so anxious about getting her lightsaber back, her own anxiety interferes with her ability to track it down. When she stops and calms herself, the truth is revealed. That’s great stuff! It’s just one of those classic spiritual aspects ofStar Wars that I can’t get enough of.”

Ultimately, these contrasts are the building blocks for the Star Wars universe – the tools that its creators use in crafting that timeless and intangible feeling of the iconic “galaxy far, far away.” Supervising Director Dave Filoni cites the episode as an essential departure from the frenetic intensity of the front lines, and an integral piece of the larger Saga.

“To a certain extent, audiences are coming to expect the combat storylines from the series, but there’s a lot more to Star Wars than the war itself; I think this episode really resonates because it captures a particularly nostalgic aspect. We got to focus on aspects that don’t get as much screen time when we’re in the middle of a battle,” says Filoni. “It’s also interesting to look at the various influences on Ahsoka from a different perspective. She’s being trained by Anakin, who eventually becomes Darth Vader. It’s an interesting dynamic, because we don’t necessarily know what happens to her – except for the fact that she doesn’t appear in Episode III. Because we see her in these high-intensity situations, it’s easy to forget that she’s still a child and that she’s impressionable. She’s definitely still learning – from Anakin, but also from her own experiences, from her mistakes, from those around her. She’s making her own choices, deciding her own values. How that will affect her ultimate destiny remains to be seen. When we screened this episode for the crew, almost everyone ranked it among their favorites for the season; I think it’s because it stirs up some of those questions, and in a way that has a distinctStar Wars feel.”

Capcom just put the trailer for the Resident Evil 5 expansion.

Based on the trailer I am definitely interested in getting this. It looks like they added a ton of options for co-op play, including making Jill Valentine a playable character. (And let’s face it, no matter how riddled the game is with problems, the co-op is really fun.) The creatures that are introduced in that trailer look cool, and I’m sure there are going to be plenty of additions for the arsenal as well. The only thing that doesn’t interest me is the new costumes, I guess I never really got that. (Except Samus in a bikini. That always made plenty of sense.)

This is unfortunately set to release the same day as Final Fantasy XIII. (March 9th) So suckers like me are going to have to blow an entire paycheck on video games that week. The gold edition is going to be offered by both download and hard copy. If you are anything like me, you’ll want the hard copy, and I would suggest pre-ordering it on Amazon now. You can do that here. I personally prefer the PS3 version, as I find that the controls are awesome.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I was excited to see the full list of Mega Man bosses out today. Seeing what they did with Mega Man 9, I think these are some good picks. The list includes, Strike Man, Pump Man, Sheep Man, Chill Man, Nitro Man, Blade Man, Solar Man, and Commando Man.

Also as an added bonus, here’s a shocking glimpse of easy mode!

On February 23, 2010 DC and Warner Home Video will be releasing their next direct-to-DVD feature, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Included on this DVD you will find the premier of the all-new DC Showcase of animated shorts!

The DC Showcase will feature animated shorts featuring favorite, but lesser-known characters from the DC Universe in their own animated adventures. From what I can gather from the press release I believe they will start including one of these DC Showcase shorts with each of their direct-to-DVD releases going forward – which is usually two or three a year if they keep the pace of years past. The first DC Showcase included with Crisis on Two Earths is “The Spectre”, and according to the press release, the next short will feature Jonah Hex, which will be penned by Joe Landsale

Warner Bros. was kind enough to provide the first official images from the first ever DC Showcase, “The Spectre”. Check out the slide show and press release below!

And of course, you can pre-order Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths over at Amazon now!

From the creative forces behind the DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies, DC Showcase puts the spotlight on favorite characters from throughout the annals of DC Comics in fascinating, short-form
tales sure to entertain longtime and new fans alike.

The Spectre focuses on a detective story with an ethereal twist, featuring the otherworldly character originally introduced by DC Comics in 1940. The short is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (G.I Joe: Resolute). The voice cast is led by Gary Cole (Entourage) as the title character and Alyssa Milano (Charmed) as Aimee Brenner.

The Spectre will be distributed February 23 by Warner Home Video as part of the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray/DVD.

DC Showcase is a co-production from Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video and DC Comics. Bruce Timm is Executive Producer. Future DC Showcase titles include Jonah Hex (written by Joe Lansdale).