Persons Unknown followed the story of seven people who were abducted and placed in a seemingly abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. They wake up in a hotel with no knowledge of how or why they are there. The hotel, the streets of the town, and the other buildings are all filled with cameras and microphones. During the first few weeks of their captivity, they are subjected to psychological and physical stresses (torture). They also try to escape several times without success since the town is surrounded by some sort of impassable microwave energy wall. Once, they actually make it through the wall only for all of them to pass out, possibly due to an implant, and awaken back in the town.

The secondary plot follows Mark Renbe, a journalist and the ex-husband of one of the abductees, Janet Cooper. Renbe is attempting to find Janet to not only investigate the unusual circumstances of her disappearance but to also reunite her with their daughter, Megan. Another subplot involves Joe Tucker who at first seems to be an abductee like the other six people but is later revealed to be an agent of “The Program,” those responsible for the abductions and what is going on in the town.

Now that I’ve explained the important plot details, let me explain why I think the show failed in the end. Initially, the show was advertised as a mini-series event and that “All will be answered” at the end of the summer. The only thing that the show didn’t do was to provide answers, or at least the answers for which I wanted answers. 1) How did they decide who to abduct? 2) What is the purpose of “The Program? It has to be more than just finding individuals who show great promise. 3) What is The Program? 4) What’s going to happen to Kate Damatto and Ambassador Fairchild? Those are just a few of the questions that I have. These questions wouldn’t be so bad if I knew that there was going to be another season.

I will commend the writers for creating a show with an original premise. The series finally was a well written episode, if they were setting up more seasons. Am I supposed to just assume that The Program continues on? Why not go out with a bang and have the characters that we (the audience) grew to care about escape and somehow expose The Program, or find a way back to their lives, or even make new lives, instead of being stuck in a loop. Usually, when a series or mini-series comes to an end, there is closure. Fans of this show, however few there may be, won’t have any closure. The conspiracy continues and the plight of our characters isn’t changed. It would be like Battlestar Galactica ending after Crossroads Part 2 with the revelation of who the hidden cylons are. Or it would be like Lost ending after the fifth season finale The Incident when Ben kills Jacob, Ilana opens the metal crate to reveal Locke’s body, and Juliet smashes the nuclear core and detonates the bomb. You can’t end a series that you know is coming to an end with a cliff hanger and not expect people to be a little perturbed.

Maybe it was a case of the writers not knowing how to end the show, but that’s ridiculous. You knew going in that it was going to end. There really isn’t any excuse. I might have been happy with just showing Joe and Mark in a new town starting the cycle over again, but you also show me our original abductees (minus Joe) in a hotel built into a ship out at sea in the middle of nowhere (incidentally the ship is named Almas Perdidias which translates into Lost Souls). They are then told “Welcome to Level 2,” by a now sinister looking Night Manager. What the hell is Level 2? Why didn’t they just scrap this group like the normally would do? If The Program is trying something new, what exactly are they trying? The writers seem to have no problem with raising even more questions.

Maybe I’m being too hard and literal. I actually did like the show, and if there were going to be more seasons, I would watch. But the ending bothered me. I dislike false closure on my TV shows. Maybe this’ll spawn comic books or webisodes, or even some decent fan fiction. One can only hope.

Lawrence Hilton- Jacobs September 4th 1953  ( “Alien Nation”)

Beyonce Knowles  -  September 4th 1981  (“Austin Powers in Goldmember“)

Source: USA Weekend

Idris Elba who is most known for his role as Stringer Bell in The Wire is currently starring in Takers, a heist film opening this weekend.  He talked about Takers and Thor in USA Weekend.   Here is an excerpt from that interview:

You just finished your stint filming Thor as the Asgardian warrior Heimdall. How was that?
It was dope. It was an interesting genre of film to make. I had never done comic book stuff, so that was really great.

What was the coolest part?
Just the bigness of the show. It’s so epic, these huge sets were just amazing to look at. And they really pat attention to detail. When you read the comics, you see all the drawings, and to actually see them in real life, it’s like, “Whoa!”

Do you see yourself doing another superhero character or are you good with the crime dramas?
I have a deal with the Marvel Studios team, a four-picture commitment. I’m sure I’ll be back in something cool.

Looks like he’s going to be in more Marvel Entertainment films, but he didn’t spill the beans, or he may not know yet, about what role or roles Marvel has in store for him.  I know that many people like the idea of him playing T’Challa, the Black Panther.  He certainly has the gravitas and the acting chops to pull it off.  Read the rest of the interview here.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – August 22 1967  (“Lost”, The Mummy Returns, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra )

J. August Richards –  August 28th, 1973  (“Angel”)

Sherlock is a modern day version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.  The show is brilliant.  I love the production quality of the show.  So far, each of the first three episodes have been 90 minutes long and that’s great. There is more time to watch Sherlock work through a case and still have time to explain how he comes up with much of his conclusions.  I also love how they display the information that comes through on mobile phones like text messages, caller IDs and web searches on the television screen.

The great thing about this show is how Sherlock (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is really a modern day version of the sleuth.  Of course he chronicles his exploits in a blog and possess an iPhone. from which he deftly sends text messages and does internet searches for information that isn’t readily available in that big brain of his.

To me, the true gem of the show is Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson.  Like many of the Dr. Watsons before him, he is a perfect complement to the self-described “high functioning sociopath”.  He’s a marksman and former soldier, and a medical doctor.  He’s proving himself to be down right dependable, a trait common in all versions of the character.  We also get to meet the devious and manipulative Moriarty.  I haven’t decided if I like this version of Moriarty.  He seems more like the Joker than the Kingpin, not that the Joker isn’t brilliant, but he is crazy.  However, I’m not entirely convinced that the man we saw as Moriarty might be him at all.  Sherlock might or might not be in your local listings, but you should watch it if you can.

UPDATE:  BBC announced that Sherlock would get a second season in the fall of 2011.  Man, that’s a long time to wait for a good show.

Haven

Haven is loosely based on Stephen King’s “The Colorado Kid”.  The first season is trucking right along on SyFy.  I can’t say that I am a fan of the show even though I’ve watched every episode.  The show is like Eureka with a supernatural twist.  Unfortunately, it’s not the only show that fits that description that started this summer (see The Gates).  I don’t think there is any chemistry between the 3 leads and that’s why the show isn’t pulling me in.  I keep watching each week thinking something is going to kick in but it hasn’t.  I can tell where the show is going, and the writers aren’t really giving me anything that would make me want to keep watching.  The long arc has something to do with the main character Audrey Parker trying to find out about a woman in an old newspaper article from Haven that looks just like her, who could be her mother.  However, we haven’t been given a whole lot to go on as far this storyline goes.  If you aren’t watching it you aren’t missing anything.  There are no main characters of color on this show.

Persons Unknown

I like this show.  If you haven’t been watching it don’t start now, you pretty much have to start from the beginning.  It’s much better than AMC’s remake of The Prisoner.  A group of people were kidnapped by a group known simply as The Organization, and dropped into a town that they cannot leave.  The actors in the cast are all believable and they all have good chemistry together.  There aren’t any big names in the cast, so that probably helps.  The secondary arc follows one of the persons uknown’s ex-husband journalist who’s trying to find her for the sake of their daughter.  The show is like a dark version of CBS’s Big Brother (a guilty pleasure of mine) which is probably why I like it.

The producers promise that all questions will be answered at the end of the series.  I like the idea of having a series with a definite ending.  I kinda felt that this is how Lost should have been (no nasty emails please).  It is apparent that this show couldn’t go longer than 13 episodes or even more than one season.  For some reason, this show makes me miss Defying Gravity.

Again, don’t watch Persons Unknown now if you haven’t been watching it all season.  NBC moved the show to Saturday night which means they have given up on it and are just trying to get rid of it, but to tell you the truth, how many episodes of Dateline NBC can one watch in a week?  Hulu and NBC have a few episodes, but not all of them.  I don’t understand why the network did that, but there are probably other ways to find all the episodes online. Chadwick Boseman (Lincoln Heights) and Kandyse McClure (BSG) both star as Persons Unknown.

Souce: Movieweb

Saw some of this footage already during ABC Family’s Harry Potter weekend  several weeks ago.  But its cool to see it again.  There is a 30 second Ad pre-roll before the video starts.

Check out this new trailer from a movie I know nothing about.  I like the image, I like the title, and I like the trailer. The synopsis from the official site:  In the sci-fi thriller Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth.

Due in theaters 11-12-10, the movie stars Eric Balfour (Haven, 24), David Zayas (Dexter), Donald Faison (Scrubs), and Brittany Daniel (The Game).

Maybe, we are waiting on some writer to write the defeinitive Blade story something along the lines of Frank Millers run on Daredevil.   It’s my understanding that Daredevil was on the chopping block before Miller saved it. Maybe that’s what Blade needs that one great story to get things going. While you are waiting on that to happen you probably need to check out Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #1 (of 6) and X-Men #2.

I’m not going to make some smart ass comment about how this looks like a Pelham 1-2-3 Part 2.  But the movie does have three really good reasons to check it out, Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson.  I don’t know what’s up with Denzel and Trains.  I am also excited about seeing Denzel hook up with Tony Scott since they teamed up Crimson Tide, one of my all time favorite movies. (They also teamed up for Man on Fire, but that movie was just okay.)  So I’m hoping that this is more like Crimson Tide than Man on Fire.  The trailer does look pretty intense.  Thanks Flickcast for the heads up.

Make no mistake, Thor is one of my favorite comic book characters and mythological figures.  But once again, Marvel delivers another book that shows the complexity of Thor’s character.  He’s not just a brute powerhouse and this issue highlights that.  It also illustrates the rocky relationship that he has with Odin.  This book isn’t the first one-shot I’ve recommended.  Previously, Thor Ages of Thunder was a pick of the week.  Rage of Thor is actually a better, more emotional book.  Check it out.

At Comic-Con International, LeVar Burton spoke about his Dark Horse release Con-CERNed.

Source: ComingSoon.Net

This was presented at Comic Con before the Marvel panel featuring the stars of the film.

Malik Yoba who starred as Ted Shaw in ABC’s Defying Gravity has signed on to SyFy’s new show titled Alphas.

From SyFy’s announcement: Alphas follows a team of ordinary citizens whose brain anomalies imbue them with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able or willing to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy.

I will probably watch the show even though it reads like several other shows and comics that I’ve seen or read before.  I won’t pass judgment on a show without having seen it, but let’s just say I’m a bit suspect about where the show might be going.  SyFy isn’t known for cancelling underperforming shows without giving them a full season to get an audience, so at least it won’t be cancelled the way ABC cancelled Defying Gravity.  I liked Defying Gravity and thought the show had potential.  I even liked Yoba’s portrayal of Ted Shaw.  SyFy has launched some great shows over the last couple of years, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary, to name a few.  Maybe they’ll keep up the good track record.

In stores today, Batman: Under the Red Hood is one of the darker stories in the DC universe.  As everyone knows (so it’s not a spoiler) that the Joker killed Robin, Jason Todd, because of a telephone poll done by DC in 1988.  Subsequently, Jason Todd was “resurrected” in the DC universe.  This movie is the animated version of that story.

Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike in Star Trek) voices Bruce Wayne/Batman instead of Kevin Conroy, the voice that we all know and love.  Greenwood does a fabulous job.  Neil Patrick Harris voices Dick Grayson/Nightwing and Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) voices the Red Hood/Jason Todd.  Both of them were also very good.  I missed Mark Hamill as the Joker but John DiMaggio did well enough.

The story is not unfamiliar to fans of Batman.  I thought they may have glossed over Jason’s resurrection a little fast in order to put in more action sequences.  I would have thought more interaction between him an Ra’s al Ghul would have made for a great subplot.  I really liked the team up with Batman and Nightwing, and how the writers were able to show how it differed from when Batman and Red Hood teamed up.

The animation to me was not as good as DC’s previous animated films, but the story made up for that.  I say see it and enjoy.  Just a reminder, it has graphic violence even for DC animation; it is rated PG-13. (It really is PG-13 and would probably be an R if it were live action.)

Souce: Hitfix

UPDATE: According to Hitfix, Eva Longoria would love to be a superhero, but she says she won’t be Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, in an Ant-Man or Avengers movie.  She confirmed that she had discussions with Marvel about a movie, but wouldn’t give details.

I still think she’d make a great Wasp or even Scarlett Witch.  She can’t be Black Widow since Scarlett Johansson has taken that role in Iron Man 2.

Previous Post: Eva Longoria Up for Wasp?

Saw this rumor a couple of weeks ago, and was waiting for some confirmation.  It  was reported that Eva was photographed leaving Marvel’s L.A. office clutching what appeared to be some Avenger comic books.  It was later reported that she was in talks to take the role of Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, in an upcoming Marvel Movie (Iron Man 2 or Captain America: The First Avenger or The Avengers).  The thing is that this came out a couple of weeks ago, and then everything went silent.  It was reported as  both fact and rumor.  We’ll I think she would do well in any role that they shoved her in, the Wasp, Black Widow, Scarlett Witch.  I just assume that they are going to go for the hot factor regardless of the role.  Unlike the X-Movies where everyone, except Raven, was completely covered from head to toe.

.  Would she make a good Black Widow?  Possibly.

Would she make a good Scarlet Witch?  Maybe.

She pretty much would be worth the price of admission for anything they want her to be in a superhero movie.

Souce:
ComicsAlliance is pleased to debut the entire eight-page comic short, entitled "Con-CERNed," which follows physicist Simon Barstow as he confronts the mystery of his bizarre new abilities obtained while investigating the Large Hadron Collider.

The show premieres September 20.  Check out the following interview with Blair Underwood who plays President Eli Martinez. (A black man as President brings back memories of President Palmer on 24).  Apparently, the crowd response to “The Event” at the San Diego Comic-Con was rousing.  Check out the entire panel for “The Event” below, courtesy NBC.

Smallville fans always speculate on whether or not Tom Welling would ever don the most iconic costume in the comic book world.  This article over at Blastr has some interesting quotes from Smallville executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Wayne Peterson.  I hope it’s true.  The show has teased fans with glimpses of the cape in several episodes over the years, but have never actually shown Welling in the costume.

Mark Ruffalo To Be The New Hulk In ‘The Avengers’ | The Flickcast.

I think Rufflalo will be a better Bruce Banner than either Eric Bana or Edward Norton.

One of the most beloved characters to come out of the Milestone/DC partnership and a presence in TEEN TITANS (not to mention a star of his own cartoon series), Static will be starring in his own ongoing series, launching in 2011 and written by Felicia Henderson.

We’ll have more details on the series – including the art team – in the coming months, so stay tuned to this very blog. In the meantime, lets check in with Felicia about what her plans are for the series:

“When I met Dan DiDio, the first character we ever discussed was Static. Writing Teen Titans gave me an opportunity to play with this character a little. Now he’s getting his own book and I’m writing it! I’m a big Dwayne McDuffie’s fan, so it’s a privilege to reimagine the coming-of-age of a character he created. If not for the big bang, Static would be a regular, awkward, teenage guy trying to find himself — chasing girls, playing video games, downloading underground mixes of his favorite music. Instead, he has no time to find himself because the call of the superhero has found him. It’s a comic book writing dream for me.”

Sony Online Entertainment announced that Gina Torres will be voice of Wonder Woman in the upcoming DC Universe Online MMO. She is currently starring in the new ABC Family series Huge, Torres’ most notable television credits are her performances as assassin Anna Espinosa on Alias and Zoe Washburn, the shotgun-toting mercenary on Joss Whedon’s Firefly (and the feature film Serenity), in addition to her roles in Xena: Warrior Princess and Cleopatra 2525, which earned her an ALMA award. Her film credits include The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded, I Think I Love My Wife and Hair Show. She has also voiced the characters of Vixen in the Justice League animated series and Superwoman in the DC Universe animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.

‘nuff said.

The Jensen Project is the second movie from Walmart Family Moments. The movie centers around The Jensen Project which is basically an independent think tank of geniuses gathered on a compound researching and developing projects that can save the world.  The movie stars Kellie Martin (E.R., Life Goes On), Patricia Richardson (Malcolm in the Middle), and LeVar Burton (Roots, Star Trek: TNG).  It was also a backdoor pilot for a possible television series for NBC.  It aired this past Friday night.

Let me start by saying that the only way I knew anything about the movie was from LeVar Burton (@levarburton) on Twitter.  I don’t think NBC or Walmart promoted this movie.  I didn’t see any ads online, on NBC or in any magazine or newspaper.  Which is odd, because NBC is notorious for promoting their productions across all NBC/Universal media.  Apparently, NBC wasn’t going to give Walmart and P & G their money’s (or is it monies’) worth.  Mistake 1: Lack of promotion. 

Mistake #2 is dumping it on Friday night.  Friday night and Saturday night are for shows and original movies to go and die in peace, unless you are the SyFy network, which leads me to….

Mistake #3:  Scheduling it against  SyFy Friday.  I will go as far as to say that most of the people who would watch The Jensen Project are also Eureka fans and are probably going to watch Haven (Based on Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid). I will not assume that everyone has a DVR.

That being said, I think the movie was actually not bad.  It was the type of movie that a family could sit down together and enjoy, thus the whole “Walmart Family Moments” theme.  The writing could have been a little tighter and the characters could have been developed some more.  Personally, I would have introduced The Jensen Project first and began the movie with the dramatic departure of Dr. Edwin Jensen stealing all the projects from the compound, instead of a less significant scene that happens more than half-way into the movie.  I don’t like movies or T.V. shows that start out with a scene that is going to occur later and then jump back with a title card that says “5 Days Ago.”  It only ever works when there is some sort of twist involved, like a main character about to die, or a character doing something that is not in their nature.

The effects weren’t bad considering they probably didn’t have a whole lot of “resources” to produce top flight effects.  The product placement for Walmart’s Great Value brand was entertaining as well as the showcasing of Microsoft’s Kinect (the motion sensor add-on for the XBox 360) All the actors delivered and sold me on their roles despite having mediocre dialogue, but they did as good as you can do with bad writing.  I was completely sold on LeVar Burton as a former NSA operative and Kellie Martin as a genius mom who wasn’t sure of herself.

Should you see it?  If you like shows like Eureka, Chuck, Jake 2.0, and a movie like Spy Kids, you might enjoy this with your kids.  I’d give it 2 1/2 raised fists, but I don’t have any 1/2s, so I’ll give it 3.

Superhero Hype posted images from Entertainment Weekly from the set of the upcoming Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Tim Robbins plays Senator Hammond, and Angela Bassett plays Dr. Amanda Waller (incidentally, the character is played by Pam Grier in CW’s Smallville). Check out Superhero Hype for the rest of the images.

Related Posts:

Angela Basset Joins Green Lantern

Pam Grier Joins Smallville

Here is another shot of Jason Momoa as Conan. Is it me, or does the release of all the pictures and promotional material make it seem like they are over-selling the idea of Momoa as Conan? He looks the part and I don’t really think people need any more convincing. If they want to generate interest, they should release a teaser trailer or something like that. Check out Superhero Hype for more pictures by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Times posted an image for the movie Thor from Marvel Studios. The picture is of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and Loki (Tim Hiddleston). The only comment that I really have is how badass does Sir Anthony look?

All the recent controversy over the recent changes to Wonder Woman’s costume got me thinking about the character and her origin. Itbrought up a random thought of a black Wonder Women but I couldn’t think of her name. A few days later it hit me Nubia. The character has two versions a pre and post Crisis on Infinite Earths.  If you don’t know what that is don’t worry about it its not that important, basically DC re-booted everything .    I’m going to give just a brief over view, but if you really want to take a  deep dive you need to go to www.carolastrickland.com.   It’s a goldmine of information.

A few things did stand out to me , the character was scheduled for an apperance on the Wonder Woman televisonshow she was to be played by Teresa Graves of  Get Christie Love , they even made a Nubia Doll for the line of dolls based on the show.   Guess what happened?  CBS canceled the show before the appearance.   At least they didn’t kill her in the first 5 minutes.

The pre-Crisis  Nubia was created by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, she debuted in Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #204, (January 1973).   Formed from clay as a twin to Diana (Wonder Woman), the dark skinned Nubia was kidnapped by Mars, who raised her, controlling her mind so that she would help him bring down the Amazons.^[1] I won’t get into all the details, but Wonder Woman and Nubia met again as adults,  get into the standard hero on hero fight before they team-up to fight the real enemy Mars.   Nubia only had a handful appearances before she and the rest of the DC universe rebooted.

The modern character named Nu’Bia (slight name change)  was created by Doselle Young and Brian Denham, she debuted in Wonder Woman Annual (vol. 2) #8 (1999).    This time around they changed the origin of the character.  Now she  is the original Wonder Woman since she was the first Amazon to win the “Tournament of Grace and Wonder”  that Diana won to become Wonder Woman.  Her assigned mission was to guard “Doom’s Doorway”, which is an entrance to the river Styx and the Tartarus Gate on Themyscira. Entering Doom’s Doorway she was to guard the entryway from the inside, stopping anyone from entering or any creature from escaping. As Diana was never told of Nu’Bia it is assumed that the Themyscirian Amazons assumed she perished during her mission long before Diana’s birth. Sometime during her time in Hell, Nu’bia explains she met the Zoroastrian god of light, Ahura Mazda, and became his lover.^[1] She also explains that on another adventure where she aided Gorgons, she was given the ability called Cold Sight which allows her to transform any living being into stone as a gift of gratitude from the Gorgons. After aiding Wonder Woman with her mission Nu’Bia then returns to the underworld to see Ahura Mazda.

So basically Nu’bia  is  Wonder Woman’s peer and in the Post Crisis version her predecessor.    It’s a shame that DC keeps her on the back burner.

Maybe it’s just me, but I do want to see this movie. Could it be nostalgia? Probably, but I bet it’s going to be fun.
Thanks to Hanako for the heads up.

]]> http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/06/16/free-animated-black-panther-preview-on-i-tunes/feed/ 0 http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/06/16/vote-for-lando/ http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/06/16/vote-for-lando/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:55:14 +0000 Lobo http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/?p=2342

Source: DC Source

When our YOUNG JUSTICE animated series for Cartoon Network was announced a few weeks ago (who ever thought we’d see an animated Miss Martian?! AW YEAH!) a lot of people asked who the new Aqualad was. And a lot of people thought they’d have to wait for the show to start. But you won’t.

Aqualad’s story actually begins in a few short weeks in BRIGHTEST DAY #4. I won’t tell you much yet, but I will tell you – he has no idea he’s about to become Aqualad. In fact, he lives in one of the driest places in America – Silver City, New Mexico.

It was a fun movie. I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a perfect summer popcorn flick.  Prince of Persia doesn’t require any heavy lifting.  Its plot is simple and predictable.  The action sequences are excellent and switching between the actors and their stunt men is flawless.  The special effects are good.The movie is really pretty and as most Jerry Bruckheimer films go there is no shortage of action packed scenes.

Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney brought us Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure franchises.  Unfortunately, this movie for all its fun and action is not anywhere near the same level as those movies.  But if you are looking for a good time and a fun movie, check it out.

I am somewhat underwhelmed and distrurbed by the announcements.  I understand that fanboys have a huge crush on Joss Whedon.  I must not be a fanboy because I don’t get it. Forget the fact that people are excited about him rewriting scripts.  I mean, who gets excited about a screen writer? Yeah, I watched Angel and Buffy, and thought they were pretty good shows.  Buffy: The Vampire Slayer the movie, however,was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Did I watch Firefly? Yes. I watched it on Netflix way after the fact.  Did I like it? Not really. I got the concept, but I thought the execution was poor.  I watched Serenity, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t any better than Aeon Flux or Ultraviolet or Equilibrium.  I watched about 10 minutes of Dr. Horrible and even though I think Neil Patrick Harris is brilliant, I tired very quickly of the show and lost interest.  Dollhouse was a good concept.  I was looking forward to the show.  I watched every episode of Dollhouse, and never thought it delivered.  There were a handful of well written episodes but overall the show was lackluster.

One of my biggest issues with him is that whenever things he writes aren’t successful, he always blames others.  It’s the studio’s fault that Dollhouse failed.  It was Fox’s fault that Firefly didn’t succeed.  But he wants to take credit for things that do well.  Dr. Horrible is some of his best work, according to him, and it’s an internet sensation.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that I just don’t get fanboys’ love of Joss Whedon.  He doesn’t seem to be any more special than any other screen writer.  I am excited about the movies, but the fact that Joss Whedon is screen writing doesn’t have anything to do with it.

Source: Newsarama

Shadowland: Power Man, a four-issue mini-series by Fred Van Lente, starts in August with a teenaged hero in the lead role. This new Power Man has ties to both Iron Fist and Luke Cage, with a slew of newly revived street villains and a power set and origin that links him to Bullseye.

Well, he’s all awesome because it’s great to have a younger character in the Power Man role. He has a power set that I think people will find really interesting. It’s sort of a logical conclusion out of something we were discussing at the summit, where Matt [Fraction] and Brian [Bendis] and Jeff [Parker] and Greg [Pak] and Jonathan Hickman and Dan Slott and all of the rest of us were sitting around the table with Joe Quesada and Dan Buckley, and we start talking about a subject that frequently comes up, and that’s magic, and how to do magic in an interesting way, within the context of superheroes, as opposed to a character kind of waving his arms in the air and having some effect happen.

The first Iron Man movie was an almost perfect example of how to do a superhero origin movie should be done.  It is easily one of the top 3 comic book movies off all time.  Robert Downey, Jr. returns as Tony Stark.  No the whole world knows that he’s Tony Stark, and as he says in the trailer, “He has privatized world peace.”  He has two villains this time around.  Mickey Rourke plays Ivan Vanko, a Russian scientist who’s plotting his revenge, and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, a business rival of Stark’s.  Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff, and Don Cheadle has replaced Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes.  Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury and Gwyneth Paltrow is back as Pepper Potts.

The movie is not as good as the first.  It’s more action packed and has a bit more drama.  But to me it lacked a clear direction in the plot.  The movie does tighten up in towards the end.  I think the problem is that in the first movie, Tony Stark had purpose.  In this movie, there is no real clear purpose in Tony Stark’s actions.  I’m not saying the movie doesn’t have a plot.  It’s just that the movie had scenes that were maybe a little longer than they should have been.

The effects were excellent.  My only problem was that most of the climatic battle was reduced to points of light zig zagging across the screen.

Overall, the acting was good.  Sam Rockwell’s characterization of Justin Hammer was the weakest of the performances.  I know he was going for a little comic relief but he played it over the top in the wrong direction.  He wasn’t smarmy enough and he was way too goofy/silly.  I like Terrance Howard, but he isn’t even in the same acting category as Don Cheadle.  In my opinion Cheadle played Jim Rhodes closer to the comic book than Howard did.  I would have liked to have seen more scenes between Rourke and Downey.  I think not having together a lot more was a waste of talent.  I think one more confrontation between the two of them without suits would have done it for me.

Marvel’s slate of movies to be made included Luke Cage.  We have been hearing about a Luke Cage movie being produced and directed by John Singleton with Tyrese Gibson attached.  I would have liked to see that movie made, but it seems that version of the movie might not happen.  Apparently, there is a top actor currently in talks to star in Marvel’s Luke Cage.

Preferably, I would have liked to have seen a Black Panther movie first, but I’ll take a Cage flick.  The only question is who is Luke Cage?  I still think Tyrese would be a good choice.  I have seen different places on the net and in the comments section in the above sources the actor Terry Crews as a possibility.  I like Crews, but I don’t know about his acting chops.  He definitely has the look.  I don’t want to see Will Smith. There’s Morris Chestnut, LL Cool J, and even Lee Thompson Young (Smallville, Flash Forward).  So, I think casting will be important.

Who do you think should play him?

In protest of the recent immigration law passed in Arizona, Robert Rodriguez released a NSFW trailer for Machete, starring Danny Trejo.  The movie opens September 3.  To be honest, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this movie until I saw the cast list.  Where else can you find, Lindsey Lohan, Steven Seagal, Robert Dinero, Jeff Fahey, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cheech Marin all kicking around in the same movie.  Remember, this trailer is NSFW, R-rated, with some strong language and violence.

Its that time again.  As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.   Who doesn’t love free stuff.

Seriously, after seeing this clip, who wouldn’t want to see the movie?

YOUNG JUSTICE is an all-new series produced by Warner Bros. Animation and based upon the characters from DC Comics. In YOUNG JUSTICE, being a teenager means proving yourself over and over – to peers, parents, teachers, mentors and, ultimately, to yourself. But what if you’re not just a normal teenager? What if you’re a teenage super hero? How much harder will it be to prove yourself in a world of super powers, super villains and super secrets? Are you ready to come of age in such a world? Are you ready for life or death rites of passage? Are you ready to join the ranks of the great heroes and prove you’re worthy of the Justice League? The members of Young Justice—Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis—are about to find out.

 You can read more  about the show at MTV Splash Page,  but I do have one question that needs to be answered,  whats up with the blonde hair on the the black guys.    First it was Spyke in  X-men Evolution and now with Aqualad in Young Justice, if I didn’t know better you would think the streets are full young black guys with blonde hair who secretly want to be Sysko for Dru Hill.

It’s got new footage, and the suitcase armor.  Cool.

“Ty” Johnson (Cloak) and Tandy Bowen (Dagger) met in New York City as runaways. Tyrone was a 17 year old teenage boy from Boston, Massachusetts with a debilitating stutter. He ran away to New York City when his speech impediment prevented him from warning his friend that he was stepping into the path of a vehicle. Tandy was a 16 year old teenage girl from a privileged upbringing (born in Shaker Heights, Ohio) who ran away because she thought her multi-millionaire supermodel mother was too busy for her daughter with her career and social life. Originally when they met, Tyrone considered stealing Tandy’s purse, only to be shamed when she kindly offered him money. A thief stole the purse and Tyrone retrieved it for her. Afterwards, they had dinner and became fast friends. When the naïve Tandy accepted an offer of shelter from some strange men, a wary Tyrone went along to protect her. The two teens were soon forcibly delivered to a criminal chemist named Simon Marshall, who was developing a new synthetic heroin for Silvermane and the Maggia, testing it on runaway teens with fatal results. Johnson and Bowen somehow survived injections of the drug, and they fled. During their escape, the drug turned them into superpowered beings (it was later revealed that they were both actually mutants, and that the drug had simply awakened their latent abilities).[7] Tyrone found himself engulfed in darkness and seized by a strange hunger which eased in the presence of Tandy, who was glowing with a brilliant light. Trying to hide his newly shadowy appearance in a makeshift cloak, Tyrone began absorbing Marshall’s thugs into his darkness while Tandy struck them down with daggers of light. The two teens dubbed themselves Cloak & Dagger and declared war on drug crime in combating drug-dealers and helping runaway children.[volume & issue needed] For all the work that Cloak and Dagger have done to help reform addicts and topple dealers, they realize that drug abuse is an evil greater than they can ever hope to conquer.

Angela Bassett has been cast as Dr. Amanda Waller in Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds.  We last saw Dr. Waller on Smallville being played by Pam Grier.  Dr. Waller is a behind the scenes player in the D.C. universe manipulating the likes of Bruce Wayne, Superman and even Lex Luthor.  She works for the U.S. Government and has been involved in the shadowy governmental agencies like Checkmate and Suicide Squad.  I like both actresses and I like both actresses in the role.  It would have been a nice touch to have Pam do both, but I’m sure there were other considerations involved.  Let’s applaud the fact that a black character from the D.C. universe is being utilized in a major studio film.  I am now 100% behind this movie.  Well, at least until the first trailer comes out.

Also, I just like the fact that I have a reason to post pictures of Angela Bassett.

Source:  Comicbookmovie.com

Just in time for the Movie.  I wish I has the disposable income and the space to buy more stuff like this.   click the image for more photos.   Also check out the Blade action figures on the site as well.

There aren’t really any skinny bitches in the world of comic books…they’ve got muscle. . . . in that comics world they’re all curvaceous. They’re strong. And it’s important to have strong images of women out there, women who aren’t afraid of expressing themselves, women who aren’t afraid of taking chances, women who aren’t afraid of their own power.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/02/gina-torres/#ixzz0h1pLPZxJ

Black Panther  -  Fantastic Four # 52   $550.00

Luke Cage –  Luke Cage Hero for Hire   $70.oo

Black Lighting –  Black Lightning #1  $14.00

Storm –  Giant Size X-men # 1 $22,000.00

Spawn – Spawn #1 $10.00

Blade –  Tomb of Dracula # 10 –  $325.00

Cyborg –  DC Comics Presents #26 – $55.00

]]> http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/03/01/how-much-are-1st-appearances-worth/feed/ 0 http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/02/26/10-reasons-im-going-to-see-conan/ http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/02/26/10-reasons-im-going-to-see-conan/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:29:05 +0000 Bedlam http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2010/02/26/10-reasons-im-going-to-see-conan/

I admit that I can be more than a little negative about upcoming movies that look like bad ideas.  So, in order to do something different, I am going to write positive things about a movie which should be avoided at all cost.  I am going to give you 10 reasons I am going to go see Conan.

1.  Jason Momoa: I liked Jason Momoa’s character in Stargate: Atlantis.  If he plays Conan with the same amount of intensity that he played Ronin, then you can be sure he’s going to throw everything he has into the role.  I want to see him do well.  The Sci-Fi Fantasy genre could use a good young minority lead actor.

2.  Mickey Rourke: Mickey Rourke will most likely be cast as Conan’s dad.  This is  a good choice.  No one in Hollywood is as rugged and haggard looking as Rourke.  He’s been riding his success in the movie The Wrestler and has turned it into numerous upcoming roles, especially as Whiplash in the upcoming Iron Man sequel.  He’s a great actor, and is especially good at playing characters who aren’t necessarily evil, but have a skewed moral compass.

3.  Conan:  I am a fan of the character Conan.  Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer starring Arnold Schwarzenegger are a couple of my favorite movies.  It makes me happy to see a possibility that the franchise could be resurrected.  Conan the Cimmerian is one of the few comics I follow every month.  He’s a great character who often times finds a way to come out on top no matter the odds.  He’s relentless, unforgiving, and fears nothing.

4.  Arnold Schwarzenegger:  Just a whisper of a rumor that he could make an appearance in the movie.  That would be worth seeing it.

5.  I saw Pathfinder (Marcus Nispel director of Conan, also directed Pathfinder) and 10,000 B.C. in the theaters….If I can spend good movie theater money on them, I can do the same for Conan.

6.  Epic Fantasies are the reason I go to the movies.  And I believe that Conan is going to be an epic fantasy.  The interest level is so high for a Conan movie, and the studio has to be hoping for a franchise, so this has to be bigger than Pathfinder and 10,000 B.C.

7.  Bob Sapp. MMA star Bob Sapp is apparently cast as a villain according to /Film.  Sapp  was pretty impressive in the last match I saw him in.  So, the fight scenes will be good.  And it’ll keep him off the streets.

8.  It’ll be in 3-D more than likely, and I haven’t seen any 3-D movie in the theater, ever.  Not even Avatar.  Actually, when I was 11 I saw Starchaser: The Legend of Orin in 3-D, but I don’t count that. (at least I think I saw it in 3-D)

9.  Djimon Hounsou:  This movie will open up the possibility that the Thulsa  Doom movie starring and produced by Djimon Hounsou will become a reality. Thulsa Doom was an immortal sorcerer who was originally played by James Earl Jones in Conan the Barbarian.  He’s a prominent character in the comics and in.  According to Lobo, this movie will give us a chance to see an African culture that isn’t Egyptian in a movie.

Okay. I came up with 9.  It was an ambitious list to begin with.  Oh, and Conan the Cimmerian or Conan the Barbarian is a character created by Robert E. Howard.  There’s a really good movie called The Whole Wide World starring Vincent D’Onofrio as Howard.  Check it out.

You can find more of Andre at blacknerdcomedy.com.  You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

I must admit that I had never heard of Percy Jackson until I saw the teaser trailer last fall.  I am a huge mythology nut, especially Greco-Roman mythology, so this movie looked like it was right up my alley.  After watching the movie, I was more than a little pleased.  I kinda liked how they made Percy similar to Perseus, whose exploits were fictionalized in Clash of the Titans starring Harry Hamlin, and will be reimagined in this years Clash of the Titans starring Sam Worthington. 

Percy is the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) God of the Seas and Earthquakes and one of the Big Three (Zeus and Hades).  Being the son of one of the Big Three gives him a considerable amount of power.  We saw him use his power over water; it will be interesting to see if they work in the earthquake powers if the series continues.

I haven’t read the books and don’t know how closely it tracks to the source material.  I am not sure if they are going to make this a franchise, but considering how popular the book is, I am sure that there were discussions.  The story was decent and the pacing was good.  When it ended, I seemed to want more, and as a movie goer that’s a good sign.  However, it ended in a way that if they don’t ever do another Percy Jackson movie it isn’t as if the story left you hanging.

The effects were good and the CGI was seamless with the live action.  All of the actors were perfect in their roles, though I did have a hard time buying Alexandra Daddario (Kate in White Collar) as a 17 year old.

Oh, and don’t think of this post as just another reason to post a picture of Rosario Dawson.

This week Halo Legends was released on DVD and Blu-Ray.  I must admit that I don’t really play first person shooters.  And everyone tells me that Halo is the best of the best.  I have dabbled in the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty franchises and I even downloaded N.O.V.A. for the iPod Touch.  They are fantastic games, but I can’t play them more than 20 minutes at a time.  However, I do watch the cut scenes for many FPS on YouTube.  So, when I heard about this, I thought that it was just going to be a collection of new Halo cut scenes, until I heard it was going to be similar to how Animatrix was to The Matrix.  That got me interested.

The release is comprised of 7 animated short stories.  Each story delves into part of the Halo canon.  Fleshing out some things, and shedding light onto others.  Each episode was done in a different animation style.  Fans will appreciate that the material in the stories are canon.  Fans will like the episodes The Package and The Babysitter since they add to the mythos of the Spartans.  My favorite episode was The Duel.  I liked the animation and the story was a classic.  The Duel also gave you insight into the workings of the Covenant.  But I believe that most fans already know that the Covenant is not as monolithic as one would think.

Overall, I enjoyed watching it and I think anyone whose a fan of animation will appreciate this collection of stories.  I know most of the fans of the game will already have this, I would still recommend it for everyone else.

Last night I had to watch The Deep End, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice.  Some might say, “hey, that’s a pretty good night of television.”  No it isn’t for a scifi fan.  I can’t remember a time when I watched a whole night of ABC.  Of course I could have put in a movie or two, but I want my sci-fi TV.  Fox is trying to throw us a bone by giving us a new show Past Life.  I watched about 6 minutes and 30 seconds of it before I realized how inferior it was to Medium, besides being a wee bit slow.

Could I have watched the Olympics? Sure.  I tried that the other night, and found myself bored to death by the skating event, and then I was unmoved by the women’s alpine skiing (congratulations to Lindsey Vonn and Shani Davis for their gold medals.)  But after last night, I draw the line.  I want Fringe, V, Bones, The Mentalist, Flash Forward, and all the other “be back in March” shows back on right now.  Don’t make me have to start watching America’s Best Dance Crew, Project Runway, or some other “fun to watch” reality show.

Okay, so I’m late on this review.  Overall, I liked the movie, but I wouldn’t recommend you pay theater prices to go see it.  Wait till it comes out on video or cable.  I really was excited when this movie was announced and that Denzel was attached to the project.  Even the first theatrical trailer had me hyped about it. Book of Eli is about a lone man traveling across a post-apocalyptic world with a sacred book.  When asked where is he taking it, he answers, “where it needs to be.”  Cryptic.

I thought Denzel performed all his stunts exceptionally.  I also think that the Hughes Brothers did an excellent job adapting it for the screen.  The pyrotechnics were great.  I like to see things blow up.   My main problem with the movie is length.  The Hughes Brothers spent a tremendous amount of time showing us how bad ass Eli was.  They also spent time showing people doing a lot of traveling: walking, driving, etc.  I could have easily cut out about 20-30 minutes of the movie.  I have been a fan of the Hughes Brother’s work, From Hell, Menace to Society, Dead Presidents, but all of those movies were tight.  Book of Eli seemed like they tried to make an Epic with less than epic material.

Vulture has learned that Warner Bros. is negotiating to reteam with The Book of Eli‘s Hughes brothers to have them direct a live-action remake of the cult favorite Akira, from a script by Iron Man scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. (Akira is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way, along with Andrew Lazar, who’s also currently producing an adaptation of DC Comics’ Jonah Hex for Warners.)

“It has been really fun playing a goddess, I have to say. She’s wild. It is full-on flirtatiousness.”

This depiction of Hell is sumptuous, decadent and dark, all candlelight and high ceilings full of Gothic detail. In Greek mythology, Persephone is abducted by Hades and tricked into becoming his wife and Queen of the Underworld .

She is also the goddess of springtime and Rosario first thought of wearing robes and flowers. But the actress wanted to go for a modern look with “chipped nail polish and lace” rather than a T-shirt and mini skirt.

Instead, she wears a bustle and corset. She said: “It’s a little darker and grungier, a gothic image that I think is quite fascinating.

“It is fun to reinterpret the myths surrounding her and try to imagine her and place her in this world.

“She’s very bitter and angry. She is violent and aggressive and it’s fascinating because she also has innocence and sweetness and childlike qualities when she’s not being completely bitter.

“She is also very lustful.”

Rihanna is set to play a dominatrix alongside Samuel L Jackson.

The singer has long spoken of her desire to branch out into film, and has even taken acting lessons to help her hone her skill. She has now won a part on new movie The Last Dragon, a remake of the 1985 film about a boy on a quest to become one of the best martial artists in the world.

Samuel will star as the evil Sho’nuff in the movie, and Rihanna is thrilled at the prospect of working with him.

“She has landed an incredibly challenging role alongside Samuel L Jackson. But it’s not a part for the faint-hearted,” a source told British newspaper The Daily Mirror. “She will play a super sexy, super kinky dominatrix in the martial arts flick.”

The 21-year-old has apparently been asked to fully research her role before shooting begins, and is contemplating spending time at a fetish club for inspiration. “She has been told to look into the role – and this could well include a trip to an S&M dungeon.”

Vin Diesel is going back to the future to topline and produce a third chapter in the “Chronicles of Riddick” franchise.

Universal will handle domestic distribution on the sci-fi film, which is titled “Riddick.” Lionsgate is selling international rights at the Berlin Film Festival.

David Twohy — who wrote and directed the first two films in the series, “Pitch Black” and “The Chronicles of Riddick” — will helm from a screenplay he penned.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. But insiders say the third outing will hew closer in tone to the cult hit “Pitch Black” and will focus on the character of Riddick as opposed to the universe he inhabits, which was the case with the critically panned “Chronicles of Riddick.” Still, “Chronicles of Riddick” earned $116 million worldwide and spawned a successful vidgame series.

Dates are being worked out for “Riddick” so as not to overlap with Universal’s fifth installment of “Fast and Furious,” which will shoot sometime this year with Diesel onboard to star and produce.

Diesel and Samantha Vincent are producing “Riddick” through their One Race Films banner. Radar Films’ Ted Fields is also producing.

Twohy most recently wrote and directed “A Perfect Getaway.” 

In a interview with CBR writer Jeff Parker talks about the addition of 3-D man to “Agents of Atlas”.   Here’s a few excerpts

The idea for forging the various characters of “Atlas” into a team first came in 1978′s “What If?” #9, a book that featured 3-D Man. However, when you brought those characters into the current continuity with “Agents of Atlas” #1, you left 3-D Man out because he was a character created in the ’70s and not from books published by Marvel Comics’ predecessor, Atlas. Now it appears as though the current 3-D Man is going to play a large role in May’s “Atlas” #1. What made you want to look at him now, and is this the original 3-D Man or the new one who adopted the identity during “Secret Invasion?”

He kept coming up, and Gabe Hardman and I came up with a neat way to build a story  around him. This is Delroy, the current 3-D Man, formerly Triathlon [from Kurt Busiek's run on "Avengers"]. He has a kind of convoluted personal history, but don’t worry, you won’t need to know it. And you will also be seeing Chuck, the original 3-D Man.

Again, don’t fret over the continuity of the character; it will be told in a way that is very easy to get into, yet work with what has come before. Gorilla-Man will not tolerate having to listen to someone’s wending origin story.

Here’s a few excerpts from the article where they interviwed writer Jeff Parker and editor Bill Rosemann .

Beginning in May’s Thunderbolts #144, the former hero-for-hire Luke Cage becomes leader, coach and counselor for a group of villains who are attempting to shed their vile roots. More than just a halfway house for supervillians, it’s a team looking to redeem itself – whether they like it or not.

Nrama: And the T-Bolts are rising from the ashes in some new digs… but not the kind of place I’d choose to live in. Jeff, what can you tell us about it?

Jeff Parker: First, it’s back to being an above-ground operation, based at The Raft supermax facility. Even former Thunderbolts are coming on as staff to help get the stain of Norman Osborn off the team and push again the idea of reform. All the most powerful criminals are now being contained at The Raft, an Alcatraz for the super community. At the east end of the prison is Thunderbolts tower, which all of the incarcerated can see from the courtyard, projecting up like a beacon, a constant reminder. You’re down there, you could be up here. And up here means closer to the world out of these walls where you’ll be expected to use your abilities to help for a change.

Parker: If you were wondering how Thunderbolts would shift into The Heroic Age, the answer is that they’re going to have a very real hero around supervising- the Power Man himself, Luke Cage. But there’s a lot of pressure on this latest incarnation of the Thunderbolts program to succeed, a lot of people want it dissolved.

Luke is walking, breathing, hitting proof that you can reform and be better than your circumstances shaped you. And he’s tough enough to deal with the worst of these mega-prisoners. If they think they’re going to pull some trick Luke hasn’t seen and trashed a hundred times before, they’re sadly mistaken.

TITANS #22
DC COMICS
(W) J.T. Krul (A) Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher (C) Angel Unzueta
DC fans won’t want to miss this finale of the two-part “Fractured” story! As the remaining three members of the team are evicted from their New York City headquarters by General Lane, they wonder if there’s anywhere on Earth they can still call home. The answer will surprise you! This issue closes this chapter in the life of the classic Titans team and ushers in an exciting new era in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and March’s TITANS ANNUAL that’ll blow your mind! 32 pg FC $2.99 US

WAR MACHINE TP VOL 02 DARK REIGN
MARVEL COMICS
(W) GREG PAK (A) CARLOS MAGNO, LEONARDO MANCO, ALLAN JEFFERSON & WELLINTON ALVES (C) FRANCESCO MATTINA
When Jim Rhodes returns home he comes face-to-face with American Eagle, last seen in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS-as two visions of America clash with earth-shattering results that may irrevocably change War Machine-and the nation he loves! Also: What the heck does Rhodes’ mom have to say about all of this? Find out in the latest pulse-pounding story arc of the series that CBR.com calls “high-octane, higher-caliber adventure…a visual spectacle worthy of the spotlight.” Guest-starring Ronin, Mockingbird, Tigra and Wonder Man! Collecting WAR MACHINE #6-12 168 PGS Rated T+ $15.99

Enjoy the Holiday.

Marvel is publishing a new  four-issue New Avengers: Luke Cage, with pencils by Eric Canete and written by John Arcudi.   Here’s a few excerpts from the interview with John Arcudi.

Nrama: What’s the story you’ll be exploring in New Avengers: Luke Cage?

Arcudi: Luke discovers that an old friend, or rather the son of an old friend, has been following in his own footsteps down in North Philadelphia in a kind of “Hero-for-Hire” business. The young man, Leodis, has set up in the worst part of the city to help out people who couldn’t find help anywhere else. For his trouble, Leodis is beaten to a pulp. So now Luke feels that since this poor broken kid tried to be like him, he’s got to do something about this, which is to say, go kick some ass. But once he gets there, the facts are revealed to be a bit more complicated than what I’ve just told you. Ha haaaa. Psych!

There are some places you just don’t mess with. Wakanda is one of them. And this Saturday at 8:15 PM on ABC3 Australia, “The Black Panther Animated Series” will show you why!

Deep in the heart of Africa lies Wakanda, an advanced and unconquerable civilization. A family of warrior-kings possessing superior speed, strength and agility has governed this mysterious nation as long as time itself. The latest in this famed line is young King T’Challa, the great hero known worldwide as the Black Panther.

Here’s a preview of Episodes 1 and 2 from The Black Panther Animated Series:

Episode 1: Jan 16 at 8.15pm on ABC3 in Australia

In a top-secret Washington meeting, Intelligence Agent Everett Ross briefs the government on the history of the Black Panther, the warrior king of the African nation of Wakanda. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the Black Panther must compete to defend his throne in hand-to-hand combat. Featuring the voices of Djimon Hounsou, Kerry Washington, Alfre Woodard and Jill Scott.

Episode 2: Jan 16 at 8.42pm on ABC3 in Australia
Having been crowned the new Black Panther, T’Challa must contend with jealousy in the royal court while searching for the man who murdered his father. Unbeknownst to him, a deadly assassin named Klaw is assembling a team of super-villains to attack Wakanda.

Marvel Animation and BET Networks team up to create this epic animated mini-series featuring classic Marvel characters like Captain America
and the Juggernaut in a taut politically charged thriller. For over four decades, fans have eagerly awaited a series adaptation of the first black super hero!

When asked how Eli was different from roles he has taken on in the past, Washington replied, “Most of the characters I play, there’s been some kind of evolution – spiritual evolution. Even Malcolm X, who went from hatred to a complete different doctrine.” The personal journey of the character is key to the decisions Washington has made in his choice of characters over his career. “Even something as dark as ‘Training Day,’ the first thing I wrote on my script was, ‘the wages of sin is death.’ So, in the original version of ‘Training Day,’ they had him dying in the smallest way – you heard about it on TV. I said no. In order for me to justify living in the worst way, I had to die in the worst way. So there was still, in my mind, a lesson to be learned or an evolution.” He continued this line of thinking by moving on to discuss “Man on Fire.” “Same thing; a very dark man meets this young angel who awakens him and he gives his life for her.”

From there, Washington made the connection to Eli. “He has this mission, and this mission has turned him into this violent killing machine. There’s coincidence that, at the moment when he’s about to chop whoever with this hatchet, this axe, this young girl says ‘Stop.’ Why was he sent through this town right before he makes it to where he’s supposed to go? He could’ve gone around and it [would have] been a whole different story, but in his spiritual evolution, this was a part of the process. He had to go down through the valley of the shadow of death.

Denzel Washington to star in the “The Book of Eli”, directed by Hughes Brothers

According to writer Rick Remender it’s over with after issue #5.  ”While the series is concluding with issue #5, Jericho is very much a part of the Avengers universe and will continue to be a presence in upcoming events,” promises Remender.

The cancelation of this book and War Machine ( the final issue hit stores last week)  means that the Black Panther is the last man standing  in regards to solo titles .

In regards to Voodoo it never had a chance.   For a number of reasons

• The first issue had a $3.99 price, which is high for a book without a A-list writer or artist.   They should have let Bendis write the first arc before handing it over to Remender.
• Voodoo became Sorcerer  Supreme in a a New Avengers story arc other than that he was scarcely seen.   Marvel should have  have built up some momentum for a a book like this by having a magic based event similar to Annihilation.
• Its tough enough to get a succseful book with a Minotrity lead but the editorial strategy set this book up for failure.