The Official Blog Of Comicpalooza

Gingered Intensity - Volume 1: The Watchmen

2012-03-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Comicpalooza Blog's newest column, and welcome to our newest blogger, Andrew Williams. What is Gingered Intensity about exactly? Well comics mostly.....but it could also touch on films, industry news, or any other sort of madness that could come from the fiery head of Andrew. Stay tuned for what is sure to be a fun ride and give Andrew a great big welcome to the Comicpalooza Blog. - Mark

     One of the only constants in comics is change, and that’s never been more apparent than now. If you’ll allow me a moment to introduce myself, my name is Andrew Williams and I’ve been reading comics for over 10 years, and have actively following the business for at least half that. Through all of that I’ve seen creators come and go, endless events, endless reboots. When I started reading comics, Geoff Johns was that guy that had just taken over writing The Flash after Mark Waid left. Kurt Busiek was nearing the end of his epic Avengers run, and a mostly unknown guy named Mark Millar launched a book called Ultimate X-Men with the Kubert Brothers. Needless to say, these guys have all reached a point where they are considered mainstays of the comics industry, all in all about 10 years time.
     I have creators I love, creators I like, creators I don’t like, and creators I really don’t like, but comics are a medium that I love dearly and they’ve been with me over half my life. So I’m here to offer my particular spin on some of the goings on in the comic industry whether it is commentary on controversial announcements, new events, Comicpalooza news or something completely different. With that out of the way, I say welcome and hope you stick around.
     In this particular edition, I’m going to look at one of the biggest announcements to shock the industry in recent memory, the announcement of DC Comics ‘Before Watchmen’ event. While the idea of a Watchmen sequel or prequel is not exactly an unheard of idea, this announcement itself being rumored for some time, it’s one of those things that’s just been seen over the years as something you just didn’t do. Watchmen stands on a pedestal as one of the greatest accomplishments in the industry, and it’s seen by many as being untouchable.
     So that asks the question, why? If you look at it objectively, it’s not hard too hard to see that Watchmen and its characters do hold a whole untapped history. Watchmen itself holds specific information and history for each character, but there’s quite a bit of potential to fill in some of the gaps, and it seems that is the goal of the prequels.
     Another big point is that Watchmen is a story with a start and an end, does that information need to be filled in? And more so, should it be filled in? At this point, the argument tends to point back to the issues Alan Moore has had with DC regarding the rights to Watchmen. Alan Moore has made it quite clear that he doesn’t approve of the contract he signed with DC over Watchmen originally; he doesn’t approve of the prequels themselves, and doesn’t hold DC or Marvel in very high regard. My understanding of the original contract holds that the rights to Watchmen would revert to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons once Watchmen had fallen out of print for a year, and then…it never did. Its popularity kept it in print. Though again, my understanding is that this agreement was fairly common for the time, and that Watchmen’s popularity was unforeseen at the time.

     So it becomes a moral crossroads at this point, you’ve got the creator of the book staunchly against it, but the company that owns the characters see’s the potential for more stories, and let’s be honest more money, to come from the Watchmen Universe. Looking around the internet, it’s not hard to see that the reaction is fairly split. With a significant group of those people being at least mildly interested in the creative teams DC has assembled for these books. It’s somewhat of a who’s who of the comic book industry.
     Leading the charge, in a way, is the Rorschach book, which is being written by crime noir expert Brian Azzarello, and drawn by his frequent collaborator, Lee Bermejo. To this particular reader, this seems like a perfect combination. Having read their work together on the Luthor miniseries and the Joker graphic novel, I can’t think of a better team to tackle Rorschach, if it must happen.
Another big highlight for fans is Darwyn Cooke writing and drawing a Minute Men book. This to me is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, book in the whole launch. The Minute Men have their moments in the book, but of all the characters, they’re the ones that probably have the most room for storytelling, and after Justice League: New Frontier, I can’t think of a better man for the job than Mr. Cooke.
Azzarello returns again, this time writing a Comedian mini-series, featuring J.G. Jones on art. Given the nature of the Comedian, Azzarello again seems like a perfect man for the job. J.G. Jones is also no slouch when it comes to art having handled art chores on the Marvel Boy series with Grant Morrison, Wanted with Mark Millar, and parts of Final Crisis, again by Morrison, as well as his extensive cover work on Doc Savage. It’s actually his Doc Savage covers that make me think he matches this best, as he brought a nice pulpy sense to those covers that I think will translate well to a Comedian tale.
Darwyn Cooke returns again to write a Silk Spectre series, drawn by fan favorite Amanda Conner. This is one of the combinations I didn’t see coming, but it makes sense to me upon thinking about it. Darwyn writes strong female characters, and Amanda Conner, known for Powergirl and Supergirl work, draws females in a way that makes them look strong, sexy, but not belittled. I think this series has the most potential to surprise people.
     Stepping in next is J. Michael Stracynski, known for his Spiderman and Thor work, as well as his…interesting runs on Superman and Wonder Woman that saw him leave both books before their conclusion. Either way, his work on Thor and Rising Stars was superb, so his work on these series intrigues me. First up, he has a Nite Owl series, drawn by the father-son team of Andy and Joe Kubert, (Joe will be at Comicpalooza for anyone interested.) Andy and Joe have collaborated briefly in the past, working with Len Wein to handle the Golden Age issues of DC Universe: Legacies and I think the style they bring will fit this series very well. Andy brings his dynamic storytelling, and his father’s inks give the book a nice retro feel.

     Next for JMS is the Dr. Manhattan series, drawn by longtime cover artist Adam Hughes. This was another surprise for me as I can’t really remember the last time Adam Hughes did any real interior work. JMS spoke in depth about the Dr. Manhattan series in an interview with Comic Book Resources, and it seems he has a definite plan for the character, but given his recent output…it has more than a few readers concerned about what he’ll be bringing to the table.
     Last up sees the original editor of Watchmen, and creator of such characters as Wolverine and Swamp Thing, Len Wein, step in to write two series himself. First up, in another big surprise, sees Wein write an Ozymandias series, with longtime Marvel artist Jae Lee providing the art. Lee has mostly been seen at Marvel, doing artwork on the numerous Dark Tower series, as well as some Inhumans and Fantastic Four work, so to see him over at DC is something I look forward to.
     Last up, running in every book will be a 2 page Crimson Corsair backup story, written again by Wein, and drawn by original series colorist John Higgins.
     Needless to say, DC has assembled some of the best people in the industry to work on these books. So while the money to be made is definitely a factor, DC has at least made the effort to get the best people possible working on these books.

     That said, these are still not without concern. A big issue with some of this talent becomes timeliness. J.G. Jones, Adam Hughes, and JMS are all known for delays in their work, so many are unsure of the ability with of the talent to deliver the product in the weekly format DC claims they will. Given that, I haven’t seen Adam Hughes, J.G. Jones or JMS working on much of anything for the last several months, so there’s no telling how long they’ve been working on these books, so I remain cautiously optimistic regarding their ability to deliver.
     Also, should the prequels be successful, will it stop there? Should the prequels prove to be a runaway success…could it go further from there? Would we be seeing Watchmen 2? While Watchmen will always be Watchmen, if the market sees endless Watchmen related products flood the market…will the impact of the original Watchmen be affected? In this reader’s opinion, Watchmen will always be Watchmen, and the quality of that book will never diminish. However, if the market sees endless Watchmen related materials come out, the uniqueness of Watchmen may be forgotten.
     At the end of the day, Before Watchmen isn’t an event that everyone will get behind. Some like the idea on its own merits, some were sold by the creative teams, and others believe Moore should own it, while others think Watchmen said all it needed to and prequels aren’t needed. Will it sell well? Almost assuredly. Is it necessary? Maybe not, but with the teams they’ve assembled…I can’t help but be a bit curious for what they might put together.

Full Trailer For The Avengers

2012-02-29T15:40:00.000-06:00

The poster yesterday for The Avengers was kind of a mixed opinion. This trailer on the other hand, is pretty damn cool. Check it out. Embedded below is the U.K. version of the trailer with the Avengers Assembled title.

Prometheus Viral Campaign Begins

2012-02-28T15:49:00.004-06:00

The highly anticipated Ridley Scott film, Prometheus, is still a few months again, but a new viral campaign has heated up for the film. This viral video shows actor Guy Pearce portraying Peter Weyland from the film.

New Poster For The Avengers; Trailer Tomorrow

2012-02-28T15:47:00.000-06:00

A brand new poster for Marvel's The Avengers has made it's debut today, and earlier we premiered it on our Facebook Page. While the poster is ok, it looks like a fancy photo shop job, which unfortunately so many posters now days are. And why the hell does Iron Man, and Captain America not have their masks on? Better yet, why is Cap in the background?? In Europe the film will be called Avengers Assemble and you can see that poster below as well. The new trailer for the film is expected to debut tomorrow!

First Look At Earth-2 Batman

2012-02-27T17:16:00.002-06:00

In a couple of days, the Comicpalooza Blog will launch our new comic book column. DC Comics continues to make waves across the industry with the new 52, and the second wave begins soon. Artist Jim Lee has given people a sneak peek at what the upcoming "Earth-2" Batman will look like with this amazing sketch.

The Governor Cast In The Walking Dead

2012-02-24T19:15:00.002-06:00

Rumors continue to float around about the introduction of fan favorite characters, Michonne and The Governor, being introduced into the television version of The Walking Dead. All rumors lead to Michonne being introduced in the season 2 finale, but rest assured, we have to wait until season 3 for The Governor. AMC has announced that actor David Morrisey will be playing fan favorite villain, The Governor, in season 3 of The Walking Dead. Fans of the graphic novel know that The Governor is a central part of the series and they have been waiting patiently to see him in the television show. The Walking Dead Season 3 begins production in April and should begin airing in October 2012 with a 16 episode season.

New Comics Column

2012-02-24T15:50:00.001-06:00

A brand new comics column will be debuting next week...stay tuned!!

First Set Photos From Star Trek 2

2012-02-24T15:48:00.001-06:00

MTV News has these first pictures from the set of Star Trek 2. The first photo features actors Zachary Quinto as Spock and Benedict Cumberbach, who's role in the film is still secret! Here is MTV's description of the photo: The two are locked in battle on top of what’s being described as “a Space Barge set”… Spock does his best to stop his foe using his famous Vulcan Death Grip, but the move fails; Cumberbatch’s character is able to overpower the grip and regain the upper hand in his struggle against the Star Fleet officer. The second photo ffeatures Zoe Saldana as Uhura getting ready to take aim! Star Trek 2 hits theaters in 2013.

Green Lantern The Animated Series Promo

2012-02-23T16:43:00.000-06:00

Green Lantern The Animated Series returns on March 3rd, check out the new promo below!

Darth Maul Returns Trailer

2012-02-23T16:40:00.000-06:00

Everyone has heard by now that Darth Maul is returning to the Star Wars universe in The Clone Wars animated series. A new trailer has made it's debut as the finale of season 4 nears, and the return of Darth Maul is closing in.

New Stills From The Avengers

2012-02-22T15:47:00.002-06:00

Two new official stills from Marvel's The Avengers have been released, along with a third still of the Hulk that has shown up on the web. The Avengers hits theaters in May!

John Carter Mondo Poster

2012-02-21T15:52:00.001-06:00

Mondo continues their series of amazing posters, this time for the upcoming Disney sci-fi epic, John Carter. Take a look at this breath taking poster, and if you want one, you have to see the movie at participating IMAX theaters that are handing it out!

First Clip From The Amazing Spider-Man

2012-02-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

It seems a bit early for clips from a film that is almost five months away, but here is a clip from the forthcoming The Amazing Spider-Man, which hits theaters July 3rd.

Updates Return Monday

2012-02-15T15:38:00.001-06:00

Weekend vacation...blog returns Monday!!

The Walking Dead Video Game Screenshots & Video

2012-02-15T15:36:00.001-06:00

Telltale Games has been working on a video game version of The Walking Dead for a while. Finally some news has surfaced about the game. The game is still on schedule for release this Spring and will be based on the comic book series, not the television show. The official synopsis is as follows: Telling the story of a new group of survivors as they struggle to flee the horror of Atlanta and the surrounding communities consumed by the undead, The Walking Dead offers players the chance to experience the very first days of the apocalypse, meeting people and participating in events that intersect with the story seen in the comic books.

Also check below for a video journal from the games creators telling you even more what it is about.

First Look At The New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cartoon

2012-02-15T15:34:00.002-06:00

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have returned to comic books recently, and sometime this Fall they return to television in a new animated series for Nickelodeon. Check out these screen shots below from Toy Fair 2012 for your first look!

A Clip From Justice League: Doom

2012-02-14T15:45:00.001-06:00

Warner Brothers has released this new clip from the upcoming animated feature, Justice League: Doom.

Transformers 4 Is On The Way

2012-02-14T15:30:00.002-06:00

The Transformers films have made a ton of money at the box office, so it's no surprise that Transformers 4 is on the way, with a target release date of June 29, 2014. The bigger news is that Michael Bay will return to direct, even though he had said he was done. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed this, along with saying that the film will not be a direct sequel, but a "reboot" of sorts. Possibly simply a new story arc one would think. There doesn't seem to be much to reboot with Transformers. In the mean time Bay will direct Pain And Gain before beginning work on Transformers 4.

First Trailer For Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

2012-02-13T15:48:00.000-06:00

So after a few posters, the first trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has arrived. Judge for yourself.

The Walking Dead Coming To Apple's iBooks

2012-02-10T15:45:00.001-06:00

Robert Kirkman's critically acclaimed comic series The Walking Dead, is the first Image Comic series to come to Apple's iBooks service. All fifteen trade paperback volumes will be available, priced at $9.99 each, with Volume 1 being priced at $8.99. The collections of The Walking Dead occupied more than half of the top 25 slots in Diamond Comics’ list of top-selling graphic novels of 2011. The debut of Image Comics’ best-selling title on iBooks is part of the publisher’s overall commitment to releasing their creator-owned properties in a variety of media. Besides being sold in retail stores, individual issues of Image comics are available on multiple electronic platforms.

The publisher expects to release more titles on iBooks in the coming weeks, beginning with John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Eisner-winning New York Times bestselling series Chew.

Smallville Season 11 Comes To Comics

2012-02-09T16:17:00.004-06:00

It was reported a few months back that Smallville would continue in novel form with an "11th Season". It appears now that it will actually be done in comics. Bryan Q Miller is still on to write the further adventures of Clark Kent as Superman, based on the television show that ran for 10 seasons, but they will be digital weekly comics, then collected once a month in printed form. Art will be provided by Pere Perez, with digital covers by Cat Staggs. No word on exactly when this will begin, but expect it very soon.

The Amazing Spider-Man Swings In With A New Trailer

2012-02-07T15:17:00.002-06:00

The Amazing Spider-Man has a brand new trailer for the 3D film which hits theaters July 3rd. Swing away!

"We Have A Hulk" - The Avengers Super Bowl Comercial

2012-02-06T15:30:00.002-06:00

Here is the awesome extended Super Bowl spot for The Avengers.

Trailer Park: Total Recall (1990)

2012-02-03T15:58:00.003-06:00

PRESENTS:

TOTAL RECALL (1990)

Trailer Park returns! It's revamped! It's wicked cool! It's the place to see a classic trailer and film posters from the movies that you love! From the movies that make us geeks and Comicpalooza fans! The movies that define the times and make us amazed, astonished, and shed a tear from time to time! It's the Trailer Park!!!! Enter if you dare! Enter if you want to be thrilled! Enter because you know you want to!

This month in Trailer Park we have Total Recall. For some reason they are remaking this film. Why? It's beyond me, but maybe it's because Hollywood is remaking everything lately! But the original film is a modern science fiction classic.

The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and is directed by Paul Verhoeven. Verhoeven had also directed the classic Robocop a few years earlier. Total Recall also starred a then unknown Sharon Stone, and Michael "I'm a bad ass" Ironside. Here is the synopsis from imdb.com: Douglas Quaid is haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. He hopes to find out more about this dream and buys a holiday at Rekall Inc. where they sell implanted memories. But something goes wrong with the memory implantation and he remembers being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator Cohaagen. Now the story really begins and it's a roller coaster ride until the massive end of the movie

And what a roller coaster ride it is. Full of gratuitous violence, women with 3 breasts, and all sorts of other strange and weird characters, Total Recall is science fiction fun! Watch the exciting trailer below and look for the pointless remake later this year!

The Thrilling Teaser Trailer!

The Amazing Theatrical Trailer!

The Crow Remake Has A New Writer & Director

2012-02-03T15:34:00.002-06:00

The off again on again remake of The Crow now has another writer and director. This time writing duties go to Jesse Wigutow and directing duties go to F. Javier Gutierrez. Neither of these guys are known for much. I still stand that I hope this project dies and never sees the light of day. I shall keep you posted.

New Trailer For The Hunger Games

2012-02-03T15:29:00.004-06:00

The highly anticipated film adaption of The Hunger Games has a new trailer thanks to Yahoo, and you can watch it right here

Riddick Officially Begins Production

2012-02-03T15:28:00.002-06:00

Universal has officially announced that principal photography has begun on Riddick. The follow up to The Chronicles Of Riddick, is directed by David Twohy. Twohy directed Chronicles, as well as the original Riddick film, Pitch Black. The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.

The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy. Riddick is due in theaters later this year.

Watchmen Prequel Comics Are Coming

2012-02-01T15:08:00.001-06:00

A month or so ago art leaked out showcasing characters from Watchmen, in what was said to be an upcoming prequel series of comics. Now today, all has been revealed through the Hollywood Reporter.

"It's our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant," said DC Entertainment co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee in a statement. "After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told.
Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the prequels have given the blessing of Gibbons, who says, "The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC's reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire."

Straczynski, who will write the Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan miniseries, sat down for an interview with THR, an excerpt of which follows.

Heat Vision: How did you become involved with Before Watchmen?

J. Michael Straczynski: The short answer is: I was asked. The long answer: Ever since Dan DiDio was handed the reins (along with Jim Lee) over at DC, he's been making bold, innovative moves that might have scared the hell out of anyone else. At a time in the industry when big events tend to be “Okay, we had Team A fight Team B last year, so this year we’re gonna have Team B fight team C!” Dan has chosen to revitalize lines, reinvent worlds and come at Watchmen head-on. It was, I think, about two years ago that he first mentioned that he was considering the idea, and he’s to be commended for fighting to make this happen.

HV: Was there any trepidation on your end to be part of this?

JMS: Anyone who sets foot into the Watchmen universe and isn’t just a little nervous should be given a few days of electroshock therapy. I’ve always considered Watchmen to be one of the best graphic novels ever written, and when it came out back in 1986 I was as blown away as everyone else. Just masterful.

The thing is, though, writers are always being asked to play in amazing universes created by other people, and you can’t let that scare you. If Darren Aronofsky can plan for a Noah’s Ark movie, Steven Spielberg can consider tackling the story of Moses, and Mel Gibson can do another Bible movie, I think it’s safe to say that the Watchmen universe is fair game, provided that you approach the work with clean hands and good intent.

HV: How do you think this will be judged and accepted considering 1) Alan Moore's stance against continuing the Watchmen universe, and 2) the sacred hold Watchmen has on readers?

JMS: The perception that these characters shouldn’t be touched by anyone other than Alan is both absolutely understandable and deeply flawed. As good as these characters are – and they are very good indeed – one could make the argument, based on durability and recognition, that Superman is the greatest comics character ever created. But I don’t hear Alan or anyone else suggesting that no one other than Shuster and Siegel should have been allowed to write Superman. Certainly Alan himself did this when he was brought on to write Swamp Thing, a seminal comics character created by Len Wein.

Leaving aside the fact that the Watchmen characters were variations on pre-existing characters created for the Charleton Comics universe, it should be pointed out that Alan has spent most of the last decade writing very good stories about characters created by other writers, including Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), Dorothy (from Wizard of normal">Oz), Wendy (from Peter Pan), as well as Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Jeyll and Hyde, and Professor Moriarty (used in the successful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). I think one loses a little of the moral high ground to say, “I can write characters created by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle and Frank Baum, but it’s wrong for anyone else to write my characters.”

The whole point of having great characters is the opportunity to explore them more deeply with time, re-interpreting them for each new age. That DC allowed these characters to sit on a shelf for over two decades as a show of respect is salutary, but there comes a time when good characters have to re-enter the world to teach us something about ourselves in the present.

HV: Why do a prequel and not a sequel?

JMS: Alan spends a lot of time in the original Watchmen teasing out details of the history of our characters before the time in which the graphic novel is set. In so doing, he gave us an excellent road map that would let us hew more truly to the characters than by telling a story that takes place after those events. The first time all of us got together in New York to solidify the storyline, we each had copies of Watchmen in hand and whenever a question was raised about what happened to whom and when, we’d flip through looking for the slightest clue. I joked at the time that it looked a lot like Saturday afternoon Bible Study.

UPDATED FROM DC'S THE SOURCE:

BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:

RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.

The Avengers Super Bowl Commercial Preview

2012-01-31T15:57:00.004-06:00

Marvel will be airing a commercial for The Avengers during this Sunday's Super Bowl, and they have released a brief sneak peek at the spot. The Avengers hits theaters in May!

Matthew Vaughn Returns To Direct X-Men: First Class Sequel

2012-01-30T16:51:00.001-06:00

X-Men: First Class was pretty damn good. Not perfect, but a pretty good prequel/reboot of the franchise, and the studio thought so also. Deadline is reporting that director Matthew Vaughn, who directed the film, has officially signed on to direct the sequel as well. It is expected that most of the cast will return also. No word on when the film will see release, but more news expected soon.

The First 3 Minutes OfThe Walking Dead Mid-Season Premiere

2012-01-30T16:48:00.004-06:00

The title says it all....The Walking Dead returns February 12th on AMC.

Get Your Darth Maul 3D Glasses On The Phantom Menace Opening Night!

2012-01-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace opens in 3D on February 10th, and all RealD3D Cinemas showing the movie will be giving away these very cool Darth Maul 3D glasses on opening day, while supplies last. Unlike other 3D glasses, you won't have to return these for recycling or to the trash!

Five New Stills From The Avengers

2012-01-27T15:28:00.002-06:00

Marvel.com has released five new official stills from The Avengers. Nothing spectacularly new here, but worth the look. The Avengers opens in May!

New Prometheus Image

2012-01-26T15:45:00.004-06:00

The buzz behind Prometheus continues to grow, and the studio keeps fueling the fire with new still images like this new one. It tells us so little but keeps us so intrigued. Prometheus hits theaters this summer!

Planet Of The Apes Mondo Posters

2012-01-26T15:43:00.002-06:00

The Mondo company is at it again, this time with some amazing posters from the original Planet Of The Apes saga. Mondo makes these posters for Drafthouse Cinema screenings of classic films, and sells them through their website! Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

New Promo For The Walking Dead's Return

2012-01-25T14:34:00.001-06:00

The Walking Dead returns February 12th and AMC has released this awesome new promo!

Liam Neeson Confirms He Was The Set Of The Dark Knight Rises

2012-01-24T16:59:00.001-06:00

"I can tell you nothing about Dark Knight Rises, seriously … I was on set for maybe an hour-and-a-half and the director didn’t tell me anything of what it’s about … So, I’m being very honest when I say I have no idea what’s going to happen."

This quote comes directly from Liam Neeson himself in a recent interview with Showbiz Spy. He doesn't exactly confirm he is or isn't in The Dark Knight Rises, but rumors had suggested that he was in the movie. Maybe Ra's Al Ghul returns or maybe he doesn't. Maye Neeson is throwing everyone off by adding fuel to the fire. We have until July to find out!

Is Shane Exiting The Walking Dead?

2012-01-24T16:58:00.001-06:00

Rumors hit a month or two ago that one actor on the set of The Walking Dead was unhappy since Frank Darabont had left the show, and that said actor wanted out of his contract. Could that actor be John Bernthal? Bernthal of course plays Shane, and is apparently the front runner to play the lead in Darabont's new television show, L.A. Noir. This certainly doesn't confirm he is the actor who wanted out, but it makes it seem that way. If true, Shane could be exiting the show by the end of season 2!

AMC Hosts Phantom Menace 3D Events In 10 Cities

2012-01-23T15:51:00.002-06:00

AMC Theaters have teamed up with Hasbro and Lucasfilm for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D event nights at 10 of their theaters. The events will take place February 11 at 11 a.m. local time at each location and will feature interactive activities, games, and giveaways at the events. The events will include the following:

--- Exclusive Anakin Skywalker Podracer 3D glasses with ticket purchase, to truly get into the speed and spectacle of 3D Star Wars on the big screen
--- A Hasbro Star Wars Fighter Pods collectible toy with RealD 3D ticket purchase
--- A Lego feature area
--- Darth Maul face-painting; a chance to reveal your inner Sith Lord at long last!
--- Special character appearances for photo opportunities
--- Demonstrations of the upcoming Xbox Kinect Star Wars

The 10 participating theaters are as follows:

Atlanta: AMC Southlake 24
Boston: AMC Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20
Chicago: AMC South Barrington 30
Denver: AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Los Angeles: AMC Tustin 14 at The District, AMC Ontario Mills 30
New York: AMC Empire 25, AMC Garden State 16
Phoenix: AMC Mesa Grand 24
San Francisco: AMC Emeryville Bay Street 16

Resident Evil: Retribution Trailer

2012-01-23T15:49:00.000-06:00

These movies just keep coming, but there must be an audience for them out there. Resident Evil Retribution hits theaters in September.

Empire Covers The Avengers

2012-01-23T15:46:00.002-06:00

The latest issue of Empire Magazine features five different Avengers character covers. Check them out below and find them on news stands this week!

First Look At Riddick

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-06:00

Vin Diesel has given fans another look at the upcoming film currently known simply as Riddick through his Facebook page. However this time it isn't concept art but our first look at his character in full costume. Riddick is the third film in the story began in Pitch Black, then continued in The Chronicles Of Riddick. Riddick is expected to hit theaters in 2012.

Bone Has A Writer & Director

2012-01-19T15:34:00.000-06:00

Jeff Smith's Bone is one of the best fantasy adventure comic books ever done. If you haven't read it, then you are certainly missing out on what is a well crafted and spectacular story. A film version has been rumored for years, going from animation, to live action with CGI, and so forth. Warner Brother's owns the film rights have hired Patrick Sean Smith to write the film. he is best known for the ABC Family show, Greek. Directing the project will be P.J. Hogan is made the critically well received live action Peter Pan film. No word yet on whether the film will be animated or live action, but more news is expected soon.

Yoda Sells "Vodaphone"

2012-01-18T16:10:00.003-06:00

This British television ad features everyone's favorite green Jedi Master, Yoda, selling a new cell phone service called "Vodaphone"!

Green Lantern The Animated Series Returns In March

2012-01-16T15:43:00.000-06:00

Green Lantern The Animated Series had it's debut with a one hour special back in November. The series is returning in March with a full 26 episode run it would appear. New stills for the show have also been released. Watch Green Lantern The Animated Series on Cartoon Network this March!

A Sneak Peek Of The Walking Dead's Return

2012-01-16T15:40:00.001-06:00

The Walking Dead returns on February 12th! Check out this sneak peek from the return episode, "Nebraska". Also of note, AMC has ordered 16 episodes for season 3 of the show. Season 2 consists of 13 episodes.

Movie Of The Week: Army Of Darkness (1992)

2012-01-13T15:54:00.002-06:00

Welcome to a brand new Movie Of The Week, a new weekly feature at the Blog! How does this differ from Trailer Park, well one it is weekly and two I hope to get interaction from YOU, the Comicpalooza fans. I want you to email me a pick for Movie Of The Week, and I will use them and post those picks as the weeks go by! Email me your picks at comicpaloozablog@yahoo.com! Start thinking of your Movie Of The Week and send it to me!

Army Of Darkness (1992)

Synopsis: A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home.

Released February 19, 1993 Premiered In 1992 At A Film FEstival
Director: Sam Raimi
Domestic Box Office Gross: $21.5 Million

Running Time: 1 Hours 21 Minutes
Starring: Bruce Campbell & Dead Guys

Why You Should Watch It: It's about as cult classic as you get. For years everyone was hoping for a sequel, but now we are getting a remake of the original Evil Dead, which will probably suck, so for now watch this piece of cinema gold!

First Still From Skyfall

2012-01-13T15:35:00.002-06:00

Empire Magazine has gotten their hands on the first official still image from James Bond's next adventure, Skyfall. It's one of the ladies as a shirtless Bond sits by the pool. Skyfall hits theaters in November 2012.

New Image From The Amazing Spider-Man

2012-01-13T15:33:00.002-06:00

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly brings us a brand new shot of Andrew Garfield in a classic pose from the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man. The film swings into theaters this summer!

Five New Posters For The Phantom Menace 3D Release

2012-01-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is hitting theaters February 10th in a new 3D presentation, and here are five new posters to promote the film! The Force Will Be with You in 3D in a few weeks!

New Stills from The Dark Knight Rises & More

2012-01-12T15:32:00.000-06:00

he hype machine for The Dark Knight Rises is in full swing, with some IMAX theaters already selling tickets and reporting sell outs! The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly features Christian Bale as Batman on the cover and offers a few tidbits inside. Bale had this to say about the end of the trilogy: "I can tell you the truth because I’m done with it: I felt immense pressure. And I think it’s a good pressure, because you owe it to the films — and the people’s expectations — to make great work."
Nolan also has a few comments in this issue including the following: "I think when people see the film, things will come into focus. Bane is very complex and very interesting and when people see the finished film people will be very entertained by him."
The issue also reveals that people may want to revisit the last film in the saga, as this final chapter has ramifications that spin from the conclusion of The Dark Knight in which Gordon and Batman try to cover-up the sins of the late Harvey Dent in order to protect Gotham's true saviour. There are also several new stills fromt he film as seen below. The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters in July!

Avatar 2 Still Four Years Away

2012-01-11T15:15:00.000-06:00

Producer John Landau was attending a screening of Titanic 3D when he had the chance to speak about the upcoming Avatar sequels, and said that they are "four years away". The plan is still to shoot parts 2 and 3 back to back. So this could mean 2016 or Christmas 2015 for the first sequel. It seems like from comments made by Sam Worthingon and even James Cameron himself recently, that they were getting ready to start filming as early as Fall 2012, for a Christmas 2013 release, but maybe not. Whenever Avatar 2 begins, we will keep you posted!

Star Wars TV Show Has A Working Title

2012-01-10T15:26:00.003-06:00

IGN recently sat down with Star Wars prequel producer Rick McCallum to discuss the live action Star Wars television show. The show has a working title of Star Wars: Underworld, which stays true to rumors that the show features bounty hunters, and the underground world of Star Wars. It seems the show is still on track, they are just waiting for an economical way to make it happen. Watch the video below for more!

New Avengers VS X-Men Teaser Art

2012-01-09T15:33:00.001-06:00

The battle between the X-Men and The Avengers begins in comic book stores in April. Check out this very cool teaser art of Iron Man taking on Magneto.

The Unreleased Animated Version Of The Hobbit

2012-01-09T15:30:00.004-06:00

Back in 1966, animator Gene Deitch collaborated with Czech illustrator Adolf Born to create this 12 minute version of Tolkien's classic tale, The Hobbit. It never saw the light of day,until now

New Still From The Avengers

2012-01-06T15:12:00.001-06:00

It's a slow news week when all we get are new stills from movies. This one is from The Avengers as Captain America and Thor prepare for battle. The Avengers hits theaters in May!

Watch Battlestar Galactica In 4 Minutes in 16-Bit

2012-01-05T17:37:00.003-06:00

The title pretty much says it all about this cool amusing video!

Akira Shuts Down In Pre-Production

2012-01-05T17:36:00.000-06:00

Warner Brothers has shut down the pre-production offices on the live action remake of the popular anime film, Akira. The plan is to rework the existing script and scale down the currently $90 million dollar budget. Warner Brothers insist that Akira is not a dead project and Garret Hedlund is still set to star as Kaneda and Juame Collet-Serra is still on to direct.
I think a live action Akira is a good idea, if done right. If you have ever seen the anime film, then you know $90 million already seems like a low budget for the film, and they want it even less? Sounds like this project could die eventually...

Day Early Launch For Avengers Vs X-Men

2012-01-04T17:53:00.000-06:00

Issue #1 of The Avengers Vs X-Men hits comic book stores on April 4th, but you can get it a day early if you comic shop participates in the April 3rd launch event! Stores that participate will be able to sell it at 8 p.m. the night of the 3rd. Goodies such as lithographs, posters, badges, postcards, free comics, and more will be given away for the event! The twist - which side will your comic shop be pledged to? The stores that participate will have to chose X-Men or Avengers to side with and the goodies will based on their allegiance! Check with you local shop for more details!

More Watchmen Art From The Prequel

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-06:00

Bleeding Cool struck again this time with art of the Silk Spectre II from the apparent upcoming Watchmen project from DC Comics. The art is by Amanda Conner who was recently linked to the series, that is rumored to be a prequel to the original series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

The Avengers International Posters

2012-01-02T15:27:00.000-06:00

Art posters don't get used to often anymore as everything is digitally photo shopped together to create movie posters now days. This poster for The Avengers in international markets uses art, well at least digital art, but it's still refreshing to see this rather than the actors spliced together on a one-sheet.

Unused Footage From The Dark Knight

2011-12-28T19:31:00.000-06:00

Apparently this video has made the rounds in the past but I had never seen it before! It features alternate angles and some unused footage from The Dark Knight

Watchmen Prequel Art

2011-12-27T16:26:00.003-06:00

These two pieces of art leaked out featuring The Comedian and Nite Owl II over at Bleedingcool.com. They have since been asked by DC to have them taken down, but for now check them out in case I'm asked to do the same. They are drawn by J.G. Jones for The Comedian, and Joe and Andy Kubert for Nite Owl II. They are from the long rumored in the works Watchmen prequel comics due sometime in 2012.

Movie Of The Week: Alien (1979)

2011-12-23T15:36:00.001-06:00

Alien (1979)

Synopsis: A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Released May 25, 1979
Director: Ridley Scott
Domestic Box Office Gross: $78.9 Million

Running Time: 1 Hours 57 Minutes
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, & John Hurt

Why You Should Watch It: First off it's a classic. Second, the Prometheus trailer just hit which is a prequel to this movie, so why not revisit where it all began.

Prometheus Trailer

2011-12-22T16:54:00.001-06:00

Along with The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man, this film is also high on a lot of people's lists to see. Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel, Prometheus.

First Trailer For The Hobbit Is Here

2011-12-21T09:40:00.001-06:00

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters a year from now and here is the teaser trailer and poster!

We Have Movie Posters!

2011-12-20T15:54:00.003-06:00

Amongst all the new movie trailers lately, there has been new posters also. Here we have posters for The Phantom Menace 3D, Ghost Rider 2, Prometheus, The Hunger Games, and more!

New Avengers Still

2011-12-20T15:45:00.002-06:00

Everyone is talking about Batman, but The Avengers are still coming in May and Marvel Studios isn't leting you forget by releasing this new still images from the film!

Wrath Of The Titans Trailer

2011-12-20T15:44:00.002-06:00

The sequel to Clash Of The Titans hits this March and here is the first trailer for Wrath Of The Titans!

Theatrical Trailer For The Dark Knight Rises

2011-12-19T16:01:00.001-06:00

July 2012 can't come soon enough...

Marvel & Disney Launch New Toy Story Comic

2011-12-16T16:00:00.002-06:00

This one is for our younger Comicpalooza fans! This March Marvel and Disney are launching a four issue mini series starring the characters of Toy Story! It features writer Tea Orsi and artists Antonello Dalena and Teresa Quezada-Geer.

New Ghost Rider: Spirits Of Vengeance Trailer

2011-12-15T15:54:00.004-06:00

The new trailers keep coming, this time a new trailer for Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance!

New International Avengers Banners

2011-12-15T15:53:00.002-06:00

These banners have been released for the International markets for The Avengers, which hits theaters next May!

Anime Contamine': Blu-Ray Review Evangelion 2.22

2011-12-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

Anime Contamine' is back with a blu-ray review of a popular anime series and it's latest film in that series!

Evangelion 2.22 Blu-ray Review

By LT Tran

Grab your progressive knives, crank up your Eva, and strapon your plug suits because Hideki Anno's cinematic re-telling of the seminalanime tv series continues with this domestic Blu-ray release of Evangelion2.22.

Story

If you remember all that's happened in the original tvseries, prepare yourself for a wild ride! The story of Shinji Ikari continues and revolves around his desire tofind acceptance with his father Gendo. Along the way, a new character appears who's name Mari Illustrious. Also joining the cast is fan favorite AsukaLangley ~~Soryu~~ Shikinami. Thoughthe former has only made a few brief appearances in the movie, they are no lessinteresting and dramatic. There are bighints in stored for Mari's role as the series continues. While Asuka, different from her original TVmotivations, plays a rather alternate role within Eva 2.0. She's still rambunctious and maybe even moreanti-social but her reasons for being so are subtle and unique to this Rebuild.

Shinji is still Shinji with a tad bit more backbone. The poor kid tries so hard to get closer tohis father, Gendo and you can't help but feel for his plight. As far as Gendo is concerned, he just makesyou want to make a voodoo do1l version and stab it without remorse in responseto the man's utter ruthlessness.

Characters aside, the plot of the movie itself starts with abang and the pacing is better balanced as compared to the plodding of the firstRebuild (re-hash) movie. The quieter momentsof the movie are peppered with humor and character drama. However, when the action starts, elementsthat were mentioned during the serene moments are either put to the test,elevates a character's standing, or immerses the viewer into a moment of aweand emotional involvement. Basically,everything that happens in this movie is relevant and moves forward in a waythat benefits the quadrilogy as a whole.

Animation

Epic, that's all I have to say. Epic. Anno is the masterof conveying larger than life images and not because he uses giant toweringEvas but also in capturing the ideas that are often bigger than our lives andof ourselves. With the aid of computeranimation and a sizable budget, you can really see that the animators underAnno were really having a go at uninhibited storytelling.

On top of all this, it's in high definition! The transfer is clear, colorful, impeccable, and there are no signs ofaliasing or jaggy jagged edges. Thelines are clean and the blu-ray format is ideal for the effects heavy and uberdramatic cg battles. Oh, and speakingof CG battles, I have to give special mention that each of the angel designs and battles are a glory to behold! The CG animation is very fluid and thetextures of the characters are detailed. The implementation of motion captureon the Evas are effective and convincing.

Sound

As expected, the Japanese voice cast is top notch and thesound mix is well balanced. Though,personally, I was more curious about the English dub. What's really interesting about this localization is the factthat they brought back the original voice actors of Shinji, Misato, and Asukafrom the original AD Vision release! Mysense of continuity with these actors feels nostalgic and it's almost like areunion with old friends. Spike Spencerhas mastered his role of Shinji and you can really feel the intensity in hisvoice more so compared to his earlier days back in the nineties. The same can be said of Allison Kieth(Misato) and Tiffany Grant ([Asuka]No German spoken, unfortunately).

The English sound mix takes advantage of the surround soundeffects much different from the original Japanese sound mix. Let's just say that with the Japanese mix,its more oriented towards dialogue while the US mix is more suited for a hometheater setting which allows for an immersive experience.

Special acclaim should also be given to the film composer,Shirou Sagisu whose music drove and elevated the drama and action of themovie. Particularly, the scene whereMari goes into battle with the tenth angel and the melding of animated fury anda choir accompanied orchestra comes into cohesion with great effect. His inclusion of two popular Japanese popsongs were memorable due to their juxtaposition against some of the mostviolent and visceral images ever captured on celluloid.

“But Long,” you say. “I see nothing but compliments and praise in this review! Isn't there anything about this release youdidn't like?” Why sure there is! The movie is too short. The disc itself is an off-plum color. Special features are limited (but the audiocommentaries are interesting). There. Those are my complaints.

Overall, I've heard purists complain about the alternatepath of the second rebuild movies being way too different. It is and were are headed into territoriesunknown come the third and fourth movie. However, it really doesn't matter inthe long run (though I will acquiescethat the first movie was a re-hash). They can't argue the fact that this re-envisioning is just asentertaining and substantial as the TV series. In some way, due to a more limited time that they are allotted in thecinematic format, it seems more visceral to me. So there you have it, the score is below and I am now ejectingfrom the entry plug.

Score 9.5

Amazing Spider-Man Teaser Poster

2011-12-12T16:36:00.002-06:00

This new poster for The Amazing Spider-Man has been premiered by Super Hero Hype. The teaser trailer wasn't all that impressive, but this poster is pretty bad ass.

New Dark Knight Rises Teaser Poster

2011-12-12T16:34:00.001-06:00

This is an incredible poster...next summer cannot come soon enough.

Men In Black 3 Trailer

2011-12-12T16:33:00.001-06:00

The men are back next summer!

Movie Of The Week: Planet Of The Apes (1968)

2011-12-09T16:01:00.001-06:00

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Synopsis: An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

Released April 3, 1968
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Domestic Box Office Gross: $32.6 Million
Running Time: 1 Hours 52 Minutes
Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, and Kim Hunter

Why You Should Watch It: The new reboot/prequel hits DVD/Blu-Ray on Tuesday, so why not revisit the original classic film now and see where the phenomenon all began!

Dark Knight Rises Viral Marketing Coniinues

2011-12-09T15:56:00.001-06:00

A new viral website has popped up for The Dark Knight Rises titled Operation Early Bird. It features various coordinates around the country counting down to theaters showing early screenings of the 6 minute prologue on the 13th of the month.The prologue for the movie is showing on IMAX screens in front of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Other rumors suggest a new trailer is coming later today but nothing really to confirm this yet but we shall see!
The movies official website has also launched at thedarkknightrises.com and features a sound bite with a woman repeating several numbers. As I know more so will you!

Transformers #80.5 On Free Comic Book DAy

2011-12-09T15:53:00.001-06:00

The Transformers return on Free Comic Book Day! Not that they ever went any where but they are returning to their original Marvel Comics continuity, when IDW releases issue #80.5 on Free Comic Book Day 2012! The story will take place right where the original Marvel series left off! A lot of grew up reading those classic Marvel stories and now they shall continue! Till all are one!

The Dark Knight Rises Viral Campaign Begins

2011-12-08T15:42:00.001-06:00

Warner Brothers has kicked off the viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight Rises with a "CIA Bulletin" for a missing Russian scientist named Dr. Leonid Pavel. A second document below also refers to the Dr. No word yet on how these tie into the film but some suggest these clues will tie into a "major cultural event". The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters next July!

Coming Soon To The CP Blog

2011-12-07T15:15:00.001-06:00

Updates have been slow lately as news as been slow but look for a brand new Anime Contamine edition soon, as well as a brand new comic book column that is int he works. Plus other small changes to make the Comicpalooza Blog better than ever!

Plus be on the lookout for big announcements from Comicpalooza itself as to what we have in store for 2012!!!

Batman Arkham City Costumes DLC Pack Trailer

2011-12-07T15:14:00.001-06:00

Batman: Arkham City is truly one of the greatest super hero games ever made, and now you can play in Batman costumes through different eras in the game. 1970's Batman, Batman The Animated Series, Batman Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, Earth One Batman, Sinestro Corps Batman, and Batman Beyond. The DLC Pack is avaiable now for about 5 bucks on Playstation 3 and XBox 360 and here is the trailer!

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Batman: Arkham City - Skins Pack Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Avengers Vs X-Men In 2012

2011-12-06T15:57:00.001-06:00

Are you ready to rumble? USA Today has revealed Marvel's big plans for 2012, with further information expected to be announced by the company tomorrow. The throwdown will take palce over 12 bi-weekly issues with Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction all on writing duties, the heroic teams are set to clash over the arrival of the Phoenix Force on Earth and its target of Hope Summers. The art will be provided by superstar trio John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert.
A "zero issue" prologue will kick off the event next March from Bendis, with the premise being that the X-Men want to prepare Hope to be the host of the Phoenix Force while the Avengers want the girl handed over to them in order to keep the world from potentially being destroyed if she fails to control the powerful entity.

Smallville Season 11 Is A Novel?

2011-12-05T16:04:00.001-06:00

Smallville ended last year after 10 seasons with a finale that some loved, and some hated. The show is returning now but not on television, but rather in the form of a novel. The story editor and writer for the series, Bryan Q. Miller, will be writing a novel showing what happen to the characters of Smallville after the finale.No word yet on when we will see this, but Comicpalooza will keep you posted!

Full Trailer For John Carter

2011-12-01T15:33:00.001-06:00

IGN has debuted the full trailer for John Carter. The film hits theaters in March, and this one looks good!

The Lizard Concept Art

2011-11-30T15:29:00.001-06:00

Not sure of the actual source on this but concept art has hit the web of what appears to be the Lizard from next summers The Amazing Spider-Man. Looks pretty cool but the film still doesn't seem to be having any buzz about it.....maybe people are just to pumped for The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers.

Three New Mad Max Films?!

2011-11-29T16:06:00.001-06:00

New Mad Max films have been in the works for a while now with Tom Hardy starring in them as Mad Max. George Miller has apparently written scripts for two films, the first is Fury Road and the second Furiosa. Now it seems that Miller has not two but three films planned and to shoot them all back to back to back! According to the Australlian Financial Review the films are set for production sometime next year after numerous delays due to weather. Here are key elements from the article:

Set for production next year, it seems, is Fury Road. Furiosa has been scripted and storyboarded, and now, Miller has gotten deep into the writing of a third part. Here are the key quotes:
Fury Road was to shoot in Broken Hill in September last year, then April 2011, but heavy rain had turned the desert into a flower garden and the water table stubbornly refused to drop. The film will now shoot in Namibia from April with additional filming and post-production back in Australia.
Miller has, in fact, written a whole new trilogy. “We started with [Fury Road], but we then started to do a second story and a third,” he says. “We’ve written the script for the second and almost finished the third. We never intended to, they were part of the exploration of the characters.”

Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 8 Clip

2011-11-29T16:05:00.001-06:00

The Walking Dead doesn't return until February 12th but for now check out this clip from the next episode titled "Nebraska"!

Dark Horse Announces FBC 2012 Books

2011-11-28T15:57:00.001-06:00

FOUR GREAT STORIES, TWO AMAZING BOOKS, ONE HECK OF A SATURDAY!

Dark Horse rolls out the announcement of all four titles that will be featured in two different comics to be given away to thousands of fans on May 5, 2012.

First comes a special flip book featuring both Felicia Day’s gaming web series turned comic, The Guild, and Dark Horse’s best-selling comics continuation of Joss Whedon’s iconic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Buffy has never needed a vacation as badly as she does now, with the world overrun with zompires and other fallout from Season 8. After an old friend suggests a relaxing getaway from all things that go bump in the night, it turns out to be harder than she could ever expect for a Slayer to get a day off!

Felicia Day, creator of The Guild, continues to bring on the funny with high jinks from her diverse group of gamers when the Guildies struggle to find a meeting place they can all agree on. A little in-game battle becomes the deciding factor, and the circle follows the decree of the winner: the beach?!

Next up is one of the biggest flip books we’ve ever published, when Zack Whedon brings you tales of the coolest guy in the galaxy and the most charming rebel in the ’verse! That’s right; we’ve paired Star Wars with Joss Whedon’s Serenity!

Han Solo and Chewbacca have a falling-out after a deal with their slickest—and shadiest—customer goes bad. But when the client gets designs on the Millennium Falcon, Han and Chewie present a united front that can’t be beat!

Meanwhile, Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is no stranger to jobs gone wrong himself. But when the chips are down, he’s able to rely on the amazing, odd, and diversely talented crew of Serenity.

Dark Horse Free Comic Book Day 2012: Four great stories for the price of, well, none!

Kirkman Talks Walking Dead's Mid-Season Finale & More

2011-11-28T15:56:00.001-06:00

Last night's mid season finale of The Walking Dead was exhilarting, now The Hollywood Reporter talks to creator Robert Kirkman about the show.

Spoilers ahead so be warned!

THR:Sophia (Madison Lintz) was in the barn the whole time! How come Hershel never mentioned it?
Robert Kirkman: I don't think that Hershel was ever doing a cataloging of the zombies. It was painful for him because his wife and son were also in the barn. It's not like he was actually hanging out in there or paying attention to all the walkers that were in there. He knew they were looking for a girl named Sophia but who knows what zombies were are in there and how often they'd been put in there. Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince) was the one who was in charge and corralling them and putting them in there. So for all Hershel knew, Otis had put the Sophia zombie in there months ago.

THR: Was killing one of the comic's original characters an easy one?
Kirkman: When a good idea comes up, you have to go with it. Sophia is a character who is still alive in the comic book series and who has contributed quite a bit to the overall narrative and informed a lot of story lines for a lot of different characters. Having Carol (Melissa McBride) survive her daughter as opposed to the other way around as it is in the comics is going to lead to interesting but different stories.
THR: Will the second half pick up immediately after the shooting or will it jump ahead?
Kirkman: We're not going to be doing any big time jumps. Whether we lose a day, hour or if it picks up the very minute after the scene, I wouldn't want to give away too early but there's not going to be any massive time jump this season.

THR: How will Sophia's death alter Carl's development?
Kirkman: One of the major story lines in the comics is Carl's (Chandler Riggs) dissention into a darker role; he's forced into adulthood to make terrible decisions. His character evolving over the course of the comic book series is really going to be accelerated by the absence of Sophia. That will remain largely in tact and be sped up. There's going to be more darkness creeping in to the series in the second half of the season. Now that the Sophia question has been answered, they're not going to have that hanging over their heads and that's not going to be bogging them down making them have to devote time to that.

THR: Rick told Shane about Lori's (Sarah Wayne Callies) pregnancy, but not that he was aware of their affair. How long will he keep that over him?
Kirkman: I want the show to get a reputation as one that doesn't hang on to things like that for long. We have a lot of story to tell on this series and we're not going to be dwelling too much. I'm very excited that we got around to revealing that Rick knew about the relationship. Stuff like that is going to bubble up to the surface in very interesting ways in the last half of the season.

THR: Any update on when/if we'll see the Governor or Michonne?
Kirkman: I can say only that we will see them eventually. We will see some new characters popping up as early as the [2012] premiere episode.

THR: Still unknown: What Jenner told Rick at the CDC. How much longer can you hold on to that?
Kirkman: It will be happening sooner rather than later.

New Images From Prometheus

2011-11-23T15:54:00.001-06:00

Prometheus is the highly anticipated new science fiction film from Ridley Scott. The film is a prequel to Scott's original Alien film. We will all get to see what he has in store next summer, but in the mean time enjoy these new images scanned from the new issue of Entertainment Weekly

Chuck Norris Endorses World Of Warcraft

2011-11-22T15:59:00.001-06:00

News is slow this week due to the holiday this Thursday so why not a fun video. you may have seen this commercial airing on TV but it's official, Chuck Norris endorses World Of Warcraft. Comicpalooza has a huge gaming fan interest so why not share this with you all. Remember Chuck doesn't play WoW with a keyboard, he stares at the screen and destroys the enemies with his mind!

Nolan Says The Dark Knight Rises Takes Place 8 Years Later

2011-11-21T15:30:00.001-06:00

Empire Magazine has a new feature story on The Dark Knight Rises, as well as multiple covers for the issue. Christopher Nolan speaks for the first time in a while about when The Dark Knight Rises takes place and more! "Our story picks up EIGHT years after The Dark Knight". In terms of finishing our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft an epic. It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state. With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we are testing Batman both physically as well as mentally. Also, in terms of finishing the our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft epic so the physicality of the film became very important. The Prologue is basically the first six, seven minutes of the film. Its the introduction to Bane and a taste of the rest of the film. With Bane we are looking to give Batman a physical challenge that he hasn't had before. He's a great sort of movie monster, but with an incredible brain, and that was a side of him that hand't been taped before. Because the stories from the comics are very epic and very evocative---very much in the way that Bruce Wayne's origin story is epic and evocative. We were looking to really parallel that with our choice of villain. So he's a worthy adversary. I felt that if I could get somebody as talented as Tom to agree to hide himself in the character I would get something very special. What I really feel with a great actor is every movement, every hand gesture, every step, has performance in it. Tom completely got it. It's an incredible challenge to remove motion of the face so that you can't put things across in the usual way, and you just have the eyes and a bit of the scalp and the arms and legs. What I knew is that from Tom I would get something where you get a total character and everything has incredible thought applied to it. And a lot of what he's doing is very counterintuitive. He has this incredible disjunct between the expressiveness of the voice and the stillness of the movement of his body. He's found a way to play a character who is enormous and powerful with a sort of calm to it, but also is able to incredibly fast at times. Unpredictable. He just has a raw threat to him that's extraordinary. It's a very powerful thing when you see it come together, beyond what I have ever imagined. That's what you get from working with great actors. The world of Batman indeed the world of all graphic novels, deals with archetypes, and there's a very real sense in which the Joker is an extreme and an absolute. So when you're looking to continue the story, then you certainly don't want a watered-down version of a character you've already done. You want a different archetype. What Bane represents in the comics is the ultimate physical enemy."

"The world of Batman, indeed the world of all graphic novels, deals with archetypes," he says, "And there's a very real sense in which The Joker is an extreme and an absolute and Batman is an extreme and an absolute. So whe you're looking to continue the story - in this case finish Bruce Wayne and Batman's story, as we see it - then you certainly don't want a watered-down version of a character you've already done. You want a different archetype. What Bane represents in the comics is the ultimate physical villain."
"It's really all about finishing Batman's and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a very precarious place at the end of The Dark Knight. His reputation in tatters, on the run. And I think perhaps surprisingly for some people, out story picks up quite a bit later. He's not in great state. He's frozen in time, he's hit a brick wall. Batman Begins was very much about the explaining the logic of the suit, and how it belonged in the shadows, in a position of stealth where he's able to intimidate people with it as his new entity. And then through The Dark Knight we would him out during the magic hour and we changed the suit accordingly so he withstood that kind of exposure. But also the character himself has the reputation now, so he;s able to expose himself more and still intimidate people. And with the third film we're pushing that further...but plenty of it takes place in the dark too."

The Avengers Banners

2011-11-17T15:14:00.001-06:00

These new Avengers character banners are appearing in theaters now! The Avengers hits theaters May 2012!

Never Before Seen Batman Posters

2011-11-16T15:27:00.001-06:00

The San Diego Reader is currently running a two part article by Jay Sanford called Famous Movie Poster Rejects You've Never Seen. The article features never before seen designs from the original 1989 Batman film, along with Supergirl, Howard The Duck, The Fly and more. Some of the Batman designs, as seen to the left, are very cool, along with other interesting concepts for the other films!

Theatrical Trailer For Pixar's Brave

2011-11-16T15:26:00.001-06:00

We had the amazing teaser trailer earlier this year, now comes the full theatrical trailer for Pixar's next animated film, Brave. Brave hits theaters June 22, 2012.

DC Nation Teaser Trailer

2011-11-15T15:29:00.003-06:00

DC Nation is a new block of DC programming coming to the Cartoon Network in 2012. We now have our first look at it with this teaser trailer!

Toy Story: Small Fry Clip

2011-11-15T15:29:00.001-06:00

Toy Story: Small Fry is the new short that will air in theaters in front of The Muppets. It is the second of three planned Toy Story shorts, the first being "Hawaiian Vacation" which aired with Cars 2. Here is a clip from the new Toy Story: Small Fry short.

Snow White & The Huntsman Trailer

2011-11-14T15:58:00.001-06:00

This is the first I have talked about this film here. It hits theaters in the Spring and stars Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth. The official synopsis is as follows: In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar(r) winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power. The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.