Like many of you, I like superheroes. I don’t think there’s enough good superhero fiction. Sure, we have comics, but sometimes you like to have it in prose. There’s a few great pieces, like Mike Stackpole’s In Hero Years… I’m Dead, and Jim Bernheimer’s Confessions of a D List Supervillain, but sometimes you’d like something a little shorter, and with an illustration.

That’s what’s so great about A Hero By Any Other Name, published by Silence in the Library and edited by Jean Rabe.

Every story has illustrations by Mark Dos Santos (you’d recognize his work with the Gotham Evening Post series), and they’re written by all kinds of heavy hitters. And also me.

Here’s the full list of authors and titles:

• Aaron Allston – Retreads 
• Janine K. Spendlove – Stupendous Sparkle
• Maxwell Alexander Drake – The Kid
• Bryan Young – Changing the Game
• Maggie Allen – A Marvelous New World
• R. T. Kaelin – All-Star
• Ron Garner – Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow
• Jean Rabe – Mortar’s Ovation
• Michael A. Stackpole – Need to Know

Photo by David Moore

22 years after the episode aired someone built a car for the common man, The Homer. Built for the 24 hours of LeMons in California this beauty will race against other clunkers too see how many of them actually last 24 hours. I’d never heard of this race until today but I love the concept. Here’s hoping The Homer lasts the day. Check out the full photo gallery

Source

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the Marvel Family. Unfortunately  in recent years, the fates have not been kind to the characters or the concept. When the new 52 came around, I had a bit of hope, but then we got the new costume, and the new name. When the Shazam backups began in the pages of Justice League, I outright loathed them. Rather than have a series of negative reviews, I decided to bide my time, and review the whole of the backups when it concluded. Now it has, and man I am glad I waited. Justice League #21 brings an end to the Shazam saga, and I find myself wanting more.

When we last left Shazam, he and Black Adam were in a standoff. Adam was demanding Billy give up the power of Shazam to save the lives of his foster family. The story picks up right there, and Shazam does the honorable thing and agrees. The tables are turned when Adam lets it be known they are connected like family. A light goes off in Billy’s thought processes and he does give up the power, but not in the way Adam would want…

This was a great moment. It evokes how the power was shared in the Pre-New 52 Flashpoint series, but more importantly, it makes the concept of the Marvel Family (I guess in this case, it’s the Shazam Family) even more central to the concept. The Shazammers proceed to dogpile on Black Adam, but experience wins as Adam is able to overcome the onslaught. When the seven deadly enemies of man (unleashed by Adam in a previous chapter) show up, Billy asks his newfound family to handle them (manifested in a demon reminiscent of classic Shazam villain Sabbac), while he takes down Adam himself.

The ensuing battles are great, and I’ll tell you why. The Shazam Family are truly heroic, cleaning damage, saving people, and get this, having fun doing it! I like my superhero antics on the bright side, and this is the first time in the new 52 that I’ve felt we’ve gotten this kind of dynamic, and I love it. I don’t want to spoil too much, but the interactions of the Shazam family are worth the cover price alone.

The climax of the battle has a lot of little nods to Marvel Family history. While not a humanoid tiger, Mt. Tawky Tawny gets a bit of screentime, and Black Adam’s defeat is straight out of his very first appearance. As the story winds down, we get two epilogues. One showing that new 52 Billy Batson may not be such an arrogant jerk of a kid after all, and another that sets up future stories with two classic villains. I absolutely cannot wait to see more Shazam stories in this continuity. Kudos to Geoff Johns for turning my expectations around, and major props to Gary Frank. His interpretations of the characters are full of personality, and I hope if there is an upcoming Shazam series, he gets to be the primary artist.

To be fair, I didn’t like everything about this issue. I still think calling the character “Shazam” is  wrong-headed. Even from a copyright standard, Shazam is now much more ubiquitous with the music app than it is with comics. Also, while the ending is intriguing, it’s almost exactly like the ending of the infamous failed post-Crisis re-imaging, Shazam: A New Beginning.

At any rate, I’m more excited about the future of these characters than I have been in years, and I am definitely going to pick this story up again if they decided to give it a dedicated collected edition!

 Last weekend, myself and several other bots here from BSR attended the grand opening of Mod A-Go-Go in downtown Salt Lake City. Champagne flowed, networking was in high gear, and everyone enjoyed the many pieces this new gallery has to offer. It’s very easy for me to say, if you are an “art geek” in Utah, it’s well worth your time to go check out Utah’s newest gallery.

Mod A-Go-Go pairs contemporary art with mid-century modern furniture that creates an experience that isn’t exactly common in Utah. Upon entering the building – which used to be a tuxedo shop back in the day – you are greated with beautiful pieces of furnature. Some pieces from locals who have built them from scratch, others are original pieces from the 1950’s and 1960’s that have been restored and/or modified. As you move around the floor room, the walls are decorated with works by local artists that you can purchase right off the wall; and for all of you liquor and wine afficanados out there, you’ll find a great selection of liquor and wine decantors. Walking upstairs in Mod A-Go-Go, you’re eyes are treated to even more local art.

From graffiti to abstract, from superheroes to portraits, the art gallery located on the second floor of Mod A-Go-Go has something for every taste and budget. Big Shiny Robot! being the “geek news and reviews” site that we are, we were of course most interested in some of the work done by Buddy Eyre and Heather Ackley, which you can check out a sampling of in the gallery at the bottom.

Looking to provide greater opportunity for new and up and coming local artists, owners Marcus and Eric have adopted a consignment model, which in turn also provides better and ever changing selection for their customers. Not just wanting to be successful business owners, Marcus and Eric have a passion for these works that is immediately apparent as they welcome you through the front doors. Both have years of experience working with mid-century furniture, and Marcus is an artist himself – and yes, you can find his amazing abstract pieces on the walls of Mod A-Go-Go.

Utah may not “be the place” for fine art, but a short drive to Down Town Salt Lake City may fool you. The local art community is growing at a steady pace and becoming easier to find, and adding another great gallery like Mod A-Go-Go with owners like Marcus and Eric to the list is only going to help it flourish.

If you want to check out Mod A-Go-Go – and I highly recommend you do, you can find them at:

Mod A-Go-Go
242 E S Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 355-3334
Mon-Fri 10:30am – 6:30pm; Sat 10am – 5pm; Closed Sunday

www.modagogo.com

www.facebook.com/modhomedecor

Walt Simonson (who I interviewed about his work on Thor here), along with Tom DeFalco, are heading back to work on everyone’s favorite Norse Thunder God, but this time it’s for Archie comics.

I’m not the biggest reader of Archie, but this is definitely something I’ll be getting. Between the whole Kevin Keller thing, their tackling of Occupy Wall Street issues, and this, Archie is proving to be not only relevant, but vital to the comics landscape.

The issue in question hits comic shops this fall.

Here’s the official press release:

New York, NY – This October, Archie and friends tackle the legend of Thor with Tom DeFalco and Walter Simonson on board. The all-star creative team each had celebrated runs crafting the tales of the god-turned-superhero and will deftly combine that experience with the world of Riverdale in a story entitled “Clod of Thunder.” DeFalco is writing the story while Simonson will provide the cover art.

Tom DeFalco got his start in comics working at Archie before going on to become editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics. He continues to write for Archie, often collaborating with Archie superstar artist Fernando Ruiz (Life with Archie) who will provide interiors on Archie #648.

Award-winning writer/artist Walter Simonson is undoubtedly one of the most notable comic creators to work on Marvel’s The Mighty Thor, shaping the character’s fate for nearly a decade. This will be Simonson’s first work for Archie Comics.

Also lending her talents is multiple award winning colorist Laura Martin whose work spans multiple publishers including Marvel and DC Comics. One of the most sought-after colorists in comics, Martin is a two time winner of the Eisner Award for Best Colorist, a Harvey Award winner and also received the Comics Buyer’s Guide Favorite Colorist Award four years in a row.

Archie Comics remains at the forefront of humor in comics, continuously spoofing a wide range of genres from sci-fi to spy thriller to fairy tales. With the superhero genre ripe for parody, it’s the perfect target for Archie to set its sights on while showcasing its versatility of subject matter and ever-growing talent pool.

For more information visit archiecomics.com

El Mayimbe, the scourge of Marvel, has produced this report on the secrets he’s learned about the plot to Dr. Strange.

WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE! ‘Doctor Strange’ Plot Details REVEALED! from Mayimbe Media on Vimeo.

Here’s part one of his report on Latino-Review.

If this take pans out, it’s certainly an interesting take on the origin of Dr. Strange. It’s a movie I’m incredibly excited, Dr. Strange is one of my favorites and I want his story on screen to be amazing. And if El Mayimbe’s previous scoops about the villains comes true, this will race to the top of my “most anticipated Marvel movie” list.

As part of our ever expanding circle of interviews on Full of Sith, we had the great pleasure last week to talk to Corey Dee Williams on the show. Corey is the son of Lando Calrissian himself, Billy Dee Williams, and was his stand-in and stunt-double during the Yuma, Arizona shoots on Return of the Jedi. Additionally, he played Klaatu, which was news to him. He didn’t even know the character he played had a name, let alone an action figure, until recently.

You can listen directly here, or head over to the Full of Sith website.

Attached below is the official show notes for the episode.

Episode XXVII: Corey Dee Williams

Mike and Bryan have a chance to chat with Corey Dee Williams, the son of actor Billy Dee Williams, Klaatu from Return of the Jedi and the stunt double for Lando Calrissian in the skiff scenes in Return of the Jedi. They spoke about Star Wars for the Williams family before they were part of the saga, never before heard stories from the set, and about life since Star Wars. It’s an interview not to be missed.

There’s a new Robotech movie and a re-release of the Shadow Chronicles and I couldn’t be more excited. Robotech is one of my most favorite guilty pleasures and more of it is always a good thing. I’ll take that back… It’s not a guilty pleasure. I don’t feel bad about it at all. In fact, it’s one of my professional goals to write Robotech professionally at some point. We’ll see how that works out.

Shadow Chronicles was a wonderful theatrical experience (despite a marked lack of Minmei music) and Love Live Alive looks fantastic.

The Robotech: 2-Movie Collection comes out on DVD July, 23, 2013. You can preorder it now on Amazon.

Marvel announced today that Robert Downey, Jr. has signed on for Avengers 2 and 3, though word was mum on any further Iron Man films.

Either that will come with a second deal, or RDJ is done with the solo films altogether.

Either way, securing the continuity for at least the next two team films is good news for all of us fans.

Here’s Marvel’s official statement:

“I am Iron Man.”
Tony Stark’s famous closing line to the very first Iron Man film takes on new life today as Marvel is pleased to announce the signing of Robert Downey, Jr. to reprise the role of the “billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist.”
Under the two-picture agreement, Downey will star as Tony Stark/Iron Man in “Marvel’s The Avengers 2” and “Marvel’s The Avengers 3.” Downey is represented at CAA by Bryan Lourd, Jim Toth and Matt Leaf and by his attorneys Tom Hansen and Stewart Brookman of the firm Hansen Jacobson.
Downey, Jr.’s last two Marvel films, 2012’s “Marvel’s The Avengers” and this year’s “Iron Man 3,” rank as two of the top five grossing films of all time, collectively earning over $2.7 billion worldwide to date.
“Marvel’s The Avengers 2” is being written and directed by Joss Whedon. Featuring favorites from the first Avengers film and new Marvel characters never before seen on the big screen, “Marvel’s The Avengers 2” is slated to begin production in March 2014 and open in theaters May 1, 2015.
Thrilled by this mega announcement, Marvelites? Well, be sure you stay glued to Marvel.com because in the coming days and weeks and months, Marvel.com will be FIRST in the world to reveal additional casting updates, new characters coming to Marvel movies and so much more — directly from the most secret meetings at Marvel! You wouldn’t want to miss out on that now, would you?!

They mention new characters, and I wonder how soon it will be before there’s a Dr. Strange announcement, especially with El Mayimbe from Latino Review teasing a scoop on that very subject.

We’ll see! Check back for more updates.

Friend and filmmaking colleague Steven Greenstreet (and former robot on the LOST beat ages ago) sent me this first hand report that he wrote up and posted to Reddit.

He’s been doing work on Boardwalk Empire and encountered a sage old man who claimed to be in the know.

So I was working one day here in NYC on a popular HBO show. And the main set designer (older low key gentleman) struck up a conversation with me. He noticed my Star Wars tattoo and changed the subject to Episode VII. He said one of his best friends was currently working on the script (with a few other writers). “But I don’t want to spoil anything for you,” he said.

“Um, uh… Fuck it. Tell me everything you know.”

“Well he’s only told me 2 things actually: 1) The story revolves around Han and Leia’s kids. 2) Darth Vader is back.”

I was confused by that last one. “But, wait, we saw him die and his body get burned.”

“You saw a suit get burned.”

“No, then we saw force-spirit Anakin appear at the end of Jedi.”

“All I’m going to say is: Darth Vader is back. Who’s actually IN THE SUIT is the big deal.”

So, there you have it. Take it with a grain of salt. This guy might have been trolling me. But he seemed sincere.

What do you think about Darth Vader coming back? Too much? Does it even make sense?

Obviously this is all unconfirmed rumor territory, but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea and makes lots of sense for Disney and a storytelling sense. It makes sense for Abrams, too.

What’s the last thing we expect to see? Darth Vader, the most iconic villain of all time. Isn’t it interesting to see how that legacy might haunt the Skywalker family? And WHO could be in the suit is the sort of mystery JJ Abrams would be perfect to set up.

But, this could also be the ravings of a wizard, just a crazy old man.

Either way, the idea intrigues me.

UPDATE: Let me go on record by saying this again: I don’t think they’re going to visit the established Expanded Universe. If there are kids involved, the chances of them being the ones we know are slim to none.

Also, I don’t think this is a spiritual or ghost-like threat. I think, if it pans out, it would be a villain, a very corporeal villain, using the iconography of the suit to haunt the legacy of the Skywalkers and wreak havoc across the galaxy. It could literally be anyone, or anything… Or a robot! But also remember that the prequel trilogy changed the perspective of the entire saga, it was no longer Luke’s story, it was the story of the Skywalker family, and front to back, taken as one story, the Saga from 1-6 is really Vader’s story. It would make a nice tie into the future of Star Wars to incorporate the imagery of Vader and what it represents.