A new age begins–officially, at least–today with the release of Savage Dragon #169, Malcolm Dragon’s first full issue as the titular protagonist after last issue’s, ahem, electrifying conclusion. A new era for us here at DragonQuestions, too, as we head back to our original home at Comic Related. Starting next month, the column will be running predictably on Wednesdays at Comic Related, although this month’s interview is going to be handled in a kind of odd way. Gavin’s questions, which nobody’s seen or heard before, will be published here and now, while tomorrow an expanded edition will go live over at Comic Related that will feature not only Gavin’s questions for Erik on the occasion of this momentous issue, but a number of questions transcribed from the podcast interview I did with Larsen last month (which have never appeared in the column, only on The Related Recap.

Speaking of the Comic Related podcasting network, this Monday I launched Panel Discussions, a biweekly podcast that will, after the technological fiasco that was our first episode, feature me with a rotating cast of guest-hosts. This week was just me, however, talking with J.M. DeMatteis about leaving Booster Gold in May to make way for Flashpoint and Troy Brownfield (formerly of Newsarama fame) about the Buck Rogers annual he recently wrote with former ‘Rama honcho Matt Brady.

All that said, let’s make way for Gavin and Erik to talk about a very special episode of Savage Dragon.

Gavin Higginbotham: The opening sequence being a reworking of the opening sequence from the very first issue was perfect. It’s a great way to introduce new readers while also giving a massive nod to old readers who were around at the very start.

Erik Larsen: That was fun to do. There are a few outright swipes there from myself and other panels that were simply reminiscent of what I’d done before. I think they work both as an introduction to something new and as a callback for old readers. (more…)

Earlier this week, BOOM! Studios announced the new name for their all-ages imprint; the payoff to their “BOOM! Kids 2.0″ teaser first released last September: “kaboom!”

Well, some, including Pipeline columnist Augie De Bileck Jr., remembered that there was a comic by Jeph Loeb and Jeff Matsuda in the late’90s called Kaboom (sans exclamation point), published under Rob Liefeld’s Awesome Comics.

Someone else who remembered? Rob Liefeld, who tweeted thusly, in response to Augie:

And yes @augiedb my lawyers are drafting a complaint. Busy week. Shouldn’t be an issue since we released the KABOOM! HC and trade last year.

BOOM! Studios declined comment on the matter at this time.

So in Part 1 of our discussion on the Flash family, we discussed Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West. We also chatted about Jesse Quick and other folks who’ve operated as the Flash for a short time. In a previous piece on the JLA of the 853rd century, we discussed John Fox, a Flash of the future. But we haven’t talked about the other facets of this legacy. Namely, those who represent the future generations of speedsters.

Soon before marrying his fiancee Iris, Barry Allen met the lady’s teenage nephew Wally West, president and sole member of the Flash Fan Club of Blue Valley, Nebraska. As impossible as it seemed, Wally wound up suffering an identical accident to what happened to Barry, gaining his own super-speed. Years later, readers learned that Barry himself had unknowingly caused this, ensuring he would have a trained successor when he died years later. Wally became his protege. Though he wanted to be called “Speedy,” that name was already used by Green Arrow’s sidekick, so Wally was labeled “Kid Flash” by the media. He became a founding member of the original Teen Titans and a formidable hero in his own right, making Barry and Iris Allen both very proud. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry was forced to run beyond the speed of light to save all reality. In doing so, time warped around him and he wound up unintentionally sending some of his power backwards in time towards Wally, thus explaining the coincidence of their origins. Before he died, Barry had ensured that he would have a successor with years worth of training, ready to take on the mantle of the Flash.

Some time after Wally West had become the third Flash, he met his time-traveling cousin Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen. Having been born with super-speed that caused rapid aging, Bart was raised in virtual reality so his brain’s development could keep up with his body. He was then brought to the modern-day where Wally was able to stabilize his powers and his aging. Due to being brought up in a simulated reality where he was never in danger, Bart didn’t understand consequence and tended to act without any thought. A remark made by Batman inspired Wally to call Bart “Impulse.”

After a couple of years, Bart decided to become more serious and became the new Kid Flash. Wally wound up having a couple of kids of his own, whose powers initially manifested as non-speed abilities. Later on, Wally’s daughter Iris “Irey” West got her powers stabilized and became a speedster just like Daddy. Almost immediately afterward, she adopted the Impulse identity for herself.

Got it? Good. Now let’s take a look at these kids!

WALLY WEST – THE ORIGINAL KID FLASH

Wallace “Wally” West was the first Kid Flash. When he was introduced in The Flash #110 (1959), he could be described in one word: unoriginal. Not only was his origin a carbon copy of Barry Allen’s fantastic and seemingly one-of-a-kind accident, but his first costume was just a shrunken version of Barry’s uniform.

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Greetings ‘Rama Readers!  Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with up and coming Marvel Comics writer Scott Reed, author of War of Kings: Son of Hulk, and Enigma Force: Dark Son Rising, as well as the indie hit The Overman.  This week, Marvel is releasing a trade including all of Scott’s work for the company so far.  We spoke about that, along with the possibility of a sequel to The Overman.

Incredible Hulks Dark Son: Enigma Force

George Marston: Hi Scott, today I wanted to talk a little bit with you about the TPB that Marvel’s doing of all your recent work for them. Which material are they planning to include?

Scott Reed: The TPB is INCREDIBLE HULKS DARK SON: ENIGMA FORCE and it collects the two mini-series I wrote last year.  SON OF HULK: Conquest of Jarella’s World and INCREDIBLE HULKS DARK SON: Enigma Force.

GM: Ok, great.  So it’ll include all the work you did with Miguel Munera on the  Hulk storyline.  Any idea when that’ll be released?

SR: It’ll be out on February 23rd.
GM:  I’m looking forward to the trade.  The stuff you did with Enigma Force throughout both mini-series really took me back to those classic Marvel stories from the 70′s that guys like Jim Starlin and Roy Thomas told.  Was this a story concept you’d been sitting on, or did it develop due to Marvel wanting to work with you?

SR: Thanks.  The idea of using the Microverse characters came from editorial, and we built the story around that.  Mark basically gave me the pieces to work with and I pitched several story ideas based on that.  I ended up doing a lot of homework for this, re-reading the entire original series and the second series as well.  So I probably channeled some of that classic vibe into the scripts, just because I was surrounded by so much of it.

GM: Yeah, the familiarity with the characters definitely came through.  One of the hallmarks of the Enigma Force characters has always been their family dynamic, in the grand Marvel tradtion.  I was glad to see your sense of humor come through the scripts.  Plus, it’s gotta be hard not to get excited when you’re following up on concepts like K’ai, and the Psyklop, which were developed with Harlan Ellison.

SR: Absolutely.  We needed new team members, and I wanted to use characters that I felt would organically fit the team, rather than being contrived.  The Psyklop was a mostly untapped character, and I started thinking more deeply about that and came up with what ended up being one of the key story points–having an invasion force of Psyklop attacking K’ai.  And then putting one of them in the team, again, was just an organic thing that happened through the events in the story.  It felt right and he shares that common Microverse history with the others, as well.

GM: Definitely.  Let’s talk for a minute about Miguel Munera, because he absolutely killed it on both of these mini-series.

SR: Yeah, he did.

GM: I’ve noticed that Marvel has been cultivating a lot of ongoing writer/artist teams, and I was very glad that he was able to stick with the characters through both books.  As an accomplished artist yourself, was it easy to work with Miguel?  How much direction was in the scripts?

GM: I’m a huge proponant of the ‘writer/artist teams’, so I was very happy to have Miguel back for the 2nd mini-series.  I had a great experience working with him, because he was always willing to indulge my various concept sketches and ideas, and would typically turn them into something far beyond what I could do. He understood the symbolism that I was going for in the scripts, as well.  He took things to a cinematic view, widening the camera lens and giving the space scenes and the K’ai scenes a big panoramic look, which I love.  Miguel also brings humanity to the characters.  He brought out their emotions visually, because the story deals with crazy action but also with the power of love, hate and redemption.  Some heavy concepts behind all the fighting and explosions, I think, and he was able to convey these things perfectly.

The Psyklop attacks Enigma Force

GM: Yeah, absolutely.  One of my favorite sequences was from the Psyklop fight in issue one of the ENIGMA FORCE: DARK SON mini, when the team is affected by the Psyklop’s mental blast.  The tilted angle, with the panels separated by the energy blasts, and the flashback sequences really captured the power of the Psyklop to harvest the team’s painful emotions.  There was a real chemistry between the pacing of the script, and the storytelling of the pages throughout both series.  Any chance we’ll get to see more of the Reed/Munera team in the near future?

SR: I’d love the chance to work with Miguel again, and I have no doubt we could take it to the next level if given the opportunity.

GM: Another thing I wanted to discuss was the possibility of a sequel to your creator-owned series “Overman,” which you created with artist Shane White.  You’ve been tweeting recently about some broad strokes for part two.  Are there any details you can spare?

SR: Well, it’s very, very early to talk details yet.  But this is what I get for tweeting, right?  Now I have to explain myself.

GM: Haha, definitely.

SR: There are a few things I can talk about, though.  The sequel will be a novel, not a graphic novel or comic book.  It’s planned as a ‘stand-alone’ science fiction story, although it connects with the events in The Overman.

GM: Oh, neat.  So it’ll actually be prose fiction.  That’ll be new ground for you, yes?

SR: I wrote The Overman as a novel, originally, but it went unpublished and I later adapted it into a comic book script.  I’ve been writing prose for years, but I’ve never had the nerve to talk about it I guess until now.  So this will be a new experience for me in many ways, but I’m pretty excited to see where it might lead.

GM: “The Overman” seemed like a pretty well concluded story.  It ended in a pretty bleak place for Nathan Fischer, and well, for everyone, really.  In a way though, it was oddly hopeful.  Are you planning to pick up the same threads thematically, or is there more of that hesitant hope in this story?

SR: You nailed it pretty well there, yes. One thing I’m doing with the sequel is to make sure I’m not answering any lingering questions

The Overman

from The Overman.  My favorite stories are the ones in which some things are left unresolved, some questions are best left unanswered, and we don’t get to know what happens after the hero rides off into the sunset.  These are the things that keep us coming back to a book and re-reading it, because it allows us to wonder. So, keeping that in mind, I’m approaching the sequel as the 2nd Act in The Overman.  But it’s a different animal than the comic, and that’s one of the reasons I want to tell the story in a different format.

GM: I’m definitely excited to read what you’ve got in store.  I realize that it’ll probably be a while before anything solid comes out- any ideas on your timeframe right now?

SR: I’m hoping to have a manuscript finished by spring.  It’s just so early to talk about anything after that.  But there is a plan.

GM: Excellent.  Well, to wrap things up, the big question is, what’s next for Scott Reed?

SR: I’m thinking about growing a beard, moving to the mountains and writing a long, illegible manifesto.

GM: Well, may your shack be heated, and your bucket made of stainless steel.

SR: Perfect.

There you have it, folks!  Look for Scott Reed and Miguel Munera’s Incredible Hulks Dark Son: Enigma Force TPB in stores today!  You can also visit Scott’s website, Web’s Best Comics to find out more information regarding his current and upcoming projects, and even take a look at some of his comic art!

Rest in peace, Dwayne McDuffie: Unfortunately, it seems like there’s really only one story of any real import in comics at the moment, and it’s a sad one. Our sincerest condolences to Dwayne McDuffie’s family, friends and fans. And to the comic book and animation industries in general, both of which are poorer without him still working in them. Remembrances, eulogies, anecdotes and expressions of shock and grief are pouring in form all over the comics Internet. I’d suggest you bookmark Tom Spurgeon’s “Collective Memory” feature on Comics Reporter, a regularly updated clearing house of information about McDuffie.  In the mean time, here are some of the first posts and articles about McDuffie I cam across last night and this morning: The Washington Post, The Weekly Crisis, Peter David, Chris Sims, The Onion‘s AV Club, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Church, Ben Morse, Variety and Heidi MacDonald. Again, please keep an eye on Spurgeon’s “Collective Memory” for more; the above list is hardly exhaustive, and sure to grow with every pasing hour in the next few days. Now let’s look at some more trivial news, shall we?

The Human Torch? But I thought he was dead!?: As a vegetarian and fast food-phobic, I was kind of dismayed to hear that Taco Bell would be carrying some special Marvel comics, as I kinda wanted to see ‘em, but not so much that I’d ever want to eat anything from Taco Bell (or encourage any friends and family to do so in order to get some comics). So I really enjoyed Sean Kleefeld’s reviews of two of the books. It sounds like the comics are actually pretty decent, especially relative to the sort of art you might expect to get from Taco Bell.

New Scott Pilgrim from Bryan Lee O’Malley!: Okay, it’s just a single image, but I’ll take what I can get. On the occasion of his birthday, O’Malley created an image of Scott and most of the girls in his life. In bathing suits. Happy birthday O’Malley, and thanks for the present.

“The Online DC Universe Is Dangerous, Confusing, Pretty”: Topless Robot shares a little video of cut-scenes from DC Universe Online, which apparently consists of Jim Lee-drawn art given motion comic-like treatment. Have you guys tried reading the comic book based on the game at all, DC Universe Online Legends? The artwork in the first two issues was all around rotten, from Ed Benes’ terrible, terrible covers to the Howard Porter-led art staff’s rushed, sloppy interiors. I suppose asking Lee to illustrate a bi-weekly comic on top of all the work he did for the game proper would have been insane (plus, it would only delay more All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, and the world desperately needs all the All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder it can get), but it’s still kind of shocking to see the gap in quality between this work and the work in the comic. At the very least, repurposing Lee art or having him do some covers would have made the books infinitely more attractive…

Stan Sakai interviews Usagi Yojimbo: What are you waiting for, just click already!

What, no Superman: Earth-1?: The Los Angeles Times has announced the finalists for their annual Book Prize, which includes a graphic novel category. Those are some very strong contenders, and it’s refreshing to see work of that caliber, inspiration and individuality being recognized.

Last week the world finally found out who’d be taking over the live-action Wonder Woman mantle from the amazing Lynda Carter. Tough boots to fill for sure but NBC’s new Wonder Woman is Adrianne Palicki. This week, Carter speaks out about the important casting.

Carter spoke with the Baltimore Sun, not only about Palicki but about her own tenure as the famous Amazon. “I think it is an amazing role to play. I know she is going to be really nervous about it, just because you would be.” When asked if she’d give the young actress any advice she replied, “Gosh, I would never offer her any advice. Nor would she probably want any. If she wants to talk to me, that would be a whole different thing. But I would never offer, ‘Now let me tell you how to do this.’”

A lot of Wonder Woman fans are wary of what Kelley’s take on the character might turn out to be. Carter isn’t. “I have a lot of confidence in [writer] David Kelley and what he’s going to come up with. David Kelley’s so talented, and that’s really where it needs to be, is in the writing,” she said. “I spoke with David yesterday, and he’s really, really excited about it.”

“I think the story needs to be retold. It needs to have a fresh look at it. It affected a lot of people. I think it’s time, I think it’s important to have it out there again, she said. “Carter took up the role of Princess Diana in 1975 and swung her lasso for three seasons but is still surprised when she’s recognized, especially by young people. “I’m always floored, absolutely floored. But it’s been going on a long time. I think it’s just a reflection of how people felt about the character, much more than how they felt about me in particular. The character’s so beloved, for a lot of reasons.

A lot of fans, including myself, are hoping Carter will be cast as Diana’s mother Hippolyta in the NBC series. What about the possibility of a cameo or any other role in the new show? “That is something that I … even if I were, I couldn’t tell you.” But as far as her hopes for Palicki go, ”She’s an actress and she’s a good actress and she’s beautiful, and I hope she kicks butt.”

It Came From the NYPL

Chew v. 1: Taster’s Choice
Written & Lettered by John Layman
Illustrated by Rob Guillory
Published by Image Comics

In discussing a previous Fables collection, I talked briefly about one of the many ways in which my preferences fly in the face of common comic fandom’s. Namely, comic fans at large tend to prefer ongoing serials, years of history, long-term commitments. My inclination is toward self-contained books or only-brief serials. Reading Chew v. 1: Taster’s Choice (the pun, I feel, would work better if the series’ hero made more choices) I was, again, reminded of this division between fandom and myself.

I liked Chew. It’s bizarre and strange, and not quite funny, but amusing in its own black-humored way. It’s hero, Tony Chu, is cibopathic, meaning that he gets psychic impressions from any food that he eats – and after being pulled into the FDA (a powerful organization in Chew’s world, where bird flu led to chickens being illegal and food crimes are the norm), his ability is frequently put to use by … how to put this delicately … getting clues to crimes through cannibalism.

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There’s been a fair amount of speculation among fans that the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger feature film would downplay or eliminate altogether the role of Nazis in World War II. Well, according to Fred Van Lente, who’s writing the movie prequel comic Captain America: First Vengeance, that’s simply and unequivocally not the case, as he explained in our interview with him:

Nrama: There is the notion out there among fans that the role of Nazis might be downplayed in the movie.

Van Lente: It isn’t. Captain America: First Vengeance is chockfull of Nazis, particularly once we start getting into Johann Schmidt’s origin in chapters 3 and 4. They’re not downplayed. Schmidt runs an organization called Hydra, which starts as a part of the Third Reich power structure, and so therefore they are Nazis.

I can sort of see why people are like, they’re not seeing a bunch of guys in SS uniforms or Gestapo uniforms running around in the Super Bowl trailer— that’s because many of the Nazis in First Avenger wear Hydra uniforms.

It is not some kind of rewriting of world history. There are Nazis in the movie, I’ve read the script. It is not trying to pretend that the Nazis didn’t exist, or that World War II didn’t happen the way we all know it from history.

So there you have it! Read the rest of the article here.

I was a little late to the Scott Pilgrim party. I started reading the books by Brian Lee O’Malley last year, just finished the sixth one and watched the movie starring Michael Cera this past weekend. And well, I’m a fan. Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last week I found some wicked Dungeons & Dragons items for your raiding parties, this week I’m going to show you some handmade items worthy of a power up.

Well here’s something you don’t see every day. A Scott Pilgrim vs. the Day of the Dead statue. User comradecalacas has created this unique item featuring Scott and his Power of Self-Respect sword and it could be yours for $68. Confused skeleton and all.

You won’t find this in just any campus shop but if you partake not in the meat, nor the breastmilk, nor the ovum, of any creature with a face, well then, you’re in luck. Pick up this Vegan Academy t-shirt for $18 from timeandspaceclothing. Todd Ingram would wear it proudly…and then get arrested in it by the Vegan Police. Wanna be the one to do the arresting? Grab this Vegan Police patch for $3.75 from PaladinAnderson.

Want to wear your awesomeness on your head instead? Try this 1Up headband, it will give you that extra edge. User janinebasil will make you one of your own for $20.

Professions of love can be big or small but in Scott Pilgrim’s world they’re always as big as billboards. If you’re one for such expressions something like this Scott Pilgrim Kissing Ramona Flowers Giant Wall Decal might be the way to go. $47.99 from user FixerUp. If you prefer smaller details, perhaps this Scott Pilgrim Initials decal or the Gideon Triforce Symbol if you’re the evil type. Both $5 each from user GlueJunkie.

Totally awesome. Who wouldn’t want this Knives Chau ne0xel? User ne0xel created this 24×30 inch masterpiece of Knives’ depiction in the Scott Pilgrim game out of 1 centimeter wooden “pixels.” This art cost $320 but you have to admit, it is pretty sweet.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

The latest comic book to (potentially) be made into a future film is IDW’s Zombies vs. Robots, which the publisher announced today as optioned by Sony Pictures.

The series started as a two-issue series by writer/IDW CCO Chris Ryall and artist Ashley Wood  in 2006, inspiring subsequent follow-ups Zombies vs. Robots vs. Amazons and Zombies vs. Robots Adventure. Given the perennial box office appeal of both zombies and robots, the news shouldn’t be seen as too surprising, right? Full press release follows after the jump.

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People always say that Twitter changes the way news spreads, and here’s proof: D.J. Caruso, director of current box office #3 I Am Number Four, has announced himself as the director of Preacher. On his Twitter.

It was hours before any of the usual sources, like Deadline and Hollywood Reporter, posted anything about this, but it appears to be a done deal. Here’s the exact word from Caruso (the edit on the f-word is ours, not his): “My deal just closed on Preacher. Going back to the dark side and pretty f*cking pumped!” Despite this major news, Caruso currently only has 215 followers on Twitter, a number which will surely inflate in the coming days.

Preacher is, of course, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s acclaimed, beloved 66-issue epic that was published from 1995 to 2000 by DC’s mature readers imprint, Vertigo. It tells the story of Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher searching (quite literally) for God. An adaptation has been circling in Hollywood in one form or another for years, including rumors of an HBO miniseries. Sam Mendes was previously attached, and last September, Newsarama reported that Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky was considering the project, but he’s since committed to a 2012 Wolverine movie.

Other Caruso-directed films include Disturbia and Eagle Eye, both starring Shia LaBeouf. Caruso also directed an episode of Smallville, 2002′s “Shimmer.”

When writer Geoff Johns first introduced Orange Lantern Larfleeze to his Green Lantern comics,  Hal Jordan kept comparing the character to a Muppet, eventually settling on Gonzo as the specific Muppet that Larfleeze reminded him of.

I don’t see it visually, but perhaps Larfleeze’s voice sounds like Gonzo’s. This Wednesday provides a good opportunity to compare and contrast yourself, as Gonzo stars in Muppet Sherlock Holmes, which gets a trade collection, and Larfleeze guest-stars in Lex Luthor’s Action Comics #898.

Ayn Rand’s Anthem: The Graphic Novel: Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s Action Philosopher and  the star of Benjamin Frisch’s Ayn Rand’s Adventures in Wonderland returns to comics! Sorta! Writer Charles Santino and artist Joe Staton adapt the controversial thinker’s most student-friendly book into a $15, 145-page graphic novel.

DC Comics Presents: Batman—Conspiracy #1: This edition of DC’s $8, almost-trades reprint program is essentially a showcase of the work of artist J.H. Williams III. Williams illustrated the title story, a three-issue, 1996 arc from Legends of the Dark Knight, written by Doug Moench and inked by Mick Gray. The collection also includes the Williams-illustrated Detective Comics #821, the first issue of Paul Dini’s run on the title.

Deadpool #33, Deadpool Corps #11 and Deadpool Team-Up #884: Great scheduling, guys!

Feeding Ground #4: I don’t really care for this Archaia series about…well, something about werewolves and border crossings and an evil corporation, but there’s definitely an appealing weirdness to the artwork. And there’s no denying that it has the best covers. Check out the cover for the fourth issue, and a preview, here.
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Written and created by Brian Andersen, art, colors and letters by the talented Celina Hernandez. For more So Super Duper go to:www.sosuperduper.com!

Fans of the short-lived space western Firefly have been eager to see more of their favorite characters since the show was canceled back in 2002. They got their wish with Joss Whedon’s feature film Serenity and again with a series of comic books from Dark Horse. But with the recent news that the lone season of Firefly will once again be airing on cable television, the fever has re-ignited. Fans are now petitioning for Firefly’s star Nathan Fillion to purchase the rights to the series so that it may go back into production. And they’re willing to foot the bill.

According to Entertainment Weekly, fans have created a website and a Facebook page dedicated to the cause. “Help Nathan Buy Firefly” may sound like a ridiculous venture but crazier things have happened. I mean, we did see a feature film made out of this extremely short-live television series after all.

When the news of Firefly coming back to cable was announced, Fillion told EW, “If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet.”

Well, that’s all he needed to say. The movement went into immediate action with Fillion’s colleagues even getting in on the fun. From EW:

Jose Molina, a producer on Syfy’s Haven, former Castle producer and author of two Firefly episodes tweeted Friday regarding Fillion’s comment: “For what it’s worth, I’ve told him I’d drop what I was doing and follow.”

Then Jane Espenson, writer of a Firefly episode, a producer on Battlestar Galactica and co-creator of Warehouse 13, replied to Molina: “I’m there, if needed.”

EW also points out, Fillion wouldn’t need nearly the amount of money he mentioned to purchase the rights seeing as how the Terminator franchise recently went for only $30 million and that had a far more successful past.

Now of course, none of this means the people who own the rights currently, 20th Century Fox, have any intention of selling them. And the fans aren’t asking anyone to put up money just yet (so be wary if someone does ask you). But you can’t take the sky from a Firefly fan.

Sweet Tooth v. 2: In Captivity
Written & Illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Colored by Jose Villarrubia
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
Published by DC/Vertigo

Two stories unfold in the second book of Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth. Gus, the antlered nine-year-old boy who is ostensibly the series’ lead, finds himself in captivity, with a scientist who begins uncovering the origins of the plague that has killed much of humanity and mutated the survivors into peaceful crossbreeds. The second piece follows Gus’s betrayer, Jepperd, as his history prior to the plague unfolds via flashback sequences.

Despite the volume’s title, this book is much more about life before the plague than Gus’s status. Jepperd feels lost in the past, with no direction left for his life, and Gus remains a passive protagonist, dumbfounded (but sincere) as the mysteries of the recent past unfold around him. Lemire’s script and art both emphasize the mood, with contemplative sequences, open panels and heavy shadows – yet In Captivity also manages to be more plot-driven then Sweet Tooth’s first volume. Lemire doesn’t hold back (much) the origins of the plague, though he offers several more surprises to keep readers intrigued.

Ultimately, however, Sweet Tooth meanders along somewhat slower than I’d like, with no clear direction for its protagonist. Gus is earnest and likable, but inactive, a victim of fate rather than a willing protagonist. Lemire provides several strong character moments, and the art is laid out to maximize each emotional beat. I can easily see this series as a favorite for many readers, yet I’m not sure I’ll continue with it unless Lemire can pick up the pace and inject some impetus into the proceedings. Considering the cost (and time, which I never seem to have enough of) required for comics these days, I’m very picky about my long-running serials. As a graphic novel or shorter run of books, I’d recommend Sweet Tooth completely. As an open-ended commitment, I’m not quite as confident.

And the latest bit of casting news from the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot: Deadline is reporting that there’s “heightened interest” in casting Kevin Costner in the film. Exactly what role — or what constitutes “heightened interest” — is unknown. Some are speculating Lex Luthor, but there’s no doubt that films like Field of Dreams have established Kevin Costner as firmly in the Jonathan Kent mold.

Feel free to speculate amongst yourselves. The film, scheduled for December 2012, stars Henry Cavill as Superman.

Mary Worth vs. Twitter: Do you follow the ongoing adventures of Mary Worth? Yeah, me neither. I do follow Josh Fruhlinger while he follows them though, and the current story arc is about the title character trying to learn about Twitter and its hold over people. This Short Packed comic strip having fun with the story arc is pretty great. Back to Fruhlinger, yesterday he pointed out that Mary Worth isn’t the only ancient comic strip character flirting with Twitter.

“And you wouldn’t know it from looking at his drawings, but Gorey also loved soap operas, especially All My Children“: NPR’s Weekend Edition featured Alexander Theroux, author of The Strange Case of Edward Gorey, on this Sunday’s show. You can read (or listen to) the story here, as well as check out an excerpt and some images from the book.

Matthew Vaughn’s next superhero film features a…familiar premise: The Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class director has apparently set his sites on a yet-to-be released comic about retired superheroes in a rest home. Blastr collected some tweets from Mark Waid and Gail Simone, the latter of whom wrote a miniseries about a superhero retirement home.

Batman vs. D.H. Lawrence: Noah Berlatsky discusses Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, in the context of a scene from a D.H. Lawrence short story.

This sounds kind of awesome: The Oregonian profiles the efforts of a Portland naturalist and some local comic bookers to create Terra Tempo: Ice Age Cataclysm!, a graphic novel about a prehistoric cataclysm that helped shape the area. Time travel and cool Ice Age beasts are involved.

Cartoonists gotta eat: I’m still working my way through the massive, reader participation comments section, but this Comics Comics article by Frank Santoro about cartoonists and day jobs is well worth a read.

So is the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man movie a reboot, or an Untold Tale…?: Thinkmcflythink.com tries to puzzle out some comments from Avi Arad. If I’m understanding the Arad quote correctly, he seems to be saying that the new movie will take place between (or during?) the other movies. I don’t much like the sound of that. As long as J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson though, I don’t really care. If he’s not, I will shake my fist at the sky for quite a bit, let me tell you.

Whoa.

Recently over at Jill Thompson’s twitter, the famed cartoonist and comic artist posted this painting of Wonder Woman that she had done. But what does it mean? Blog@ had the chance to speak with the acclaimed creator on her thoughts about the design and could this be the beginning of something?

What some people might not realize is that Thompson’s first gig into mainstream comics was actually on Wonder Woman in the early 90′s. “Well, getting to work on an iconic character right off the bat, with a comics legend like George Perez writing the story is a pretty great memory,” Thompson stated. “I remember tackling a page that had something like 19 panels on it. I doubt if I’d be able to do that now!”

I love Thompson put a little Greek homage into her design here. I think it’s a good balance of armor and a bit of the flair from the original design. “I think Wonder Woman is a strong, sexy warrior,” she said. “A hero. But also very regal. I was doing a character design to go along with a pitch I’ve had in for a OGN at DC for a while, so it’s not a redesign because I was trying to say something current costume – it was one of the ways I’d approach it in the story I want to tell.”

In addition to Thompson not deviating from the famous color scheme, she adds a bit of practicality to the costume. “If you’ve ever worn a bustier [author's note: I have not, but I can imagine what it is like] and moved your torso in it, you’re not going to be able to do much practical fighting if there aren’t any straps. I love to design clothing. I’d give her lots of variations on a theme. Nothing drastic, but focus on her as the costume and not just the costume as the costume.”

Another thing I really dig is how she incorporated a bit of might and magic into this design. She then states what and who Wonder Woman is to her. “I think she’s someone who is sure of herself. She’s a warrior who operates on her own set of rules. She’s been raised by warriors, and she’s royalty, so I think that gives her an air of superiority that maybe hasn’t been addressed. She’s commanding. I’d love to do that.” She continues with “I showed her having slain the creature because I love mythos, magic and adventure, and my story has a good deal of that in it.”

I can’t be the only one out there that thinks this would be a great idea. Jill Thompson is hardly a stranger to magic and myth. Add an Amazonian super heroine in the mix, and you’ve got gold. What do you think, readers?

The title of the Flash has been used by a legacy of different heroes whom, through one way or another, have been blessed with powers of incredible speed.

It began on January 25 (my birthday, coincidentally) in 1940 when Jason “Jay” Peter Garrick, a college student in Keystone City, Kansas, suffered exposure to chemicals that granted him incredible speed powers. Able to outrun gravity, catch bullets from mid-air, and vibrate his molecules at a rate that allowed him to phase through solid matter, Jay become the costumed hero known as the Flash, “Sultan of Speed.” A founding member of the Justice Society of America, history’s first superhero team, Jay eventually retired in 1951 due to government pressure against masked vigilantes.

Decades later, Barry Allen was a CSI in Central City, Missouri (Keystone’s “sister city”). One night, a lightning bolt crashed into his lab and caused a mixture of now-electrified chemicals to explode all over him, granting him abilities superior to those of Jay Garrick. Barry was actually faster and could even shift through time and space (though needed special equipment to control these journeys). Having grown up on stories about the original scarlet speedster, Barry became the new Flash and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Even in a world with other speedsters and guys like Superman, it became clear that Barry Allen was “the Fastest Man Alive.”

Barry was later joined by his nephew Wally West, who became Kid Flash. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths (also called the First Crisis), Barry sacrificed himself to save all of reality, running beyond the speed of light, his body shifting from physical matter into pure information. Wally adopted the guise of the Flash and served under the mantle for many years, briefly being replaced by his cousin Bart Allen (Barry’s grandson). Wally discovered that all speedsters drew their power from an energy field that existed outside of space and time, which he called the Speed Force. He also found out that the legacy of the Flash would last far into the future, with many heroes adopting the name over the centuries.

(more…)

It’s been a while since Ted Naifeh has dabbled in the world of his series Courtney Crumrin.

Over at Naifeh’s site, he presents a few preview pages for the upcoming for the upcoming Courtney Tales 2. Newsarama has got the exclusive interview with Naifeh, as well as the first look to the cover, as well as the official name: Courtney Crumrin Tales: The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

Blog@: You’ve written another Aloysius story before, what made you want to write another about Courtney’s mysterious uncle?

Ted Naifeh: The first one was really part one of a two parter. I wanted to resolve that story, and this book does exactly that.

Blog@: Without giving too much away, where does this story take Aloysius?

Naifeh: The story explores the roots of my little magical world, where it came from, why it’s there, and what Aloysius’s role is in it. Aloysius is a pretty mysterious character in the main series, and I wanted to reveal some of his secrets. I’d like to think this story addresses why he’s such a lonely old man.

Blog@: Does this tie into any of Courtney’s adventures?

Naifeh: It will in the next Courtney adventure. I start digging more deeply into the back story of Courtney’s world, the community of witches and warlocks in the town of Hillsborough. Some of what comes up will have direct bearing on Courtney’s life.

Blog@: Who are some of the new characters we’ll get introduced in this tale? Any old favorites coming back this round?

Naifeh: One of the characters I had fun with in the last story was the pulp hero Goose Daniels. But since he was transformed into a goose at the end, I needed a replacement. So he has a confederate that comes looking for him, and ends up getting press-ganged by the Anti-Sorcery Society to take his place. Another character that shows up is Aloysius’s grandmother, who was briefly mentioned in Courtney vol 3 as the first witch in Hillsborough. It’s through her that some of the world’s back-story is revealed.

Blog@: Do you feel your style has evolved since last dabbling with Aloysius?

Naifeh: I tried to make it as similar as possible, but I’ve acquired new influences, and I can’t help it if they shine through a bit. It’s not a jarring difference, at least. Just a bit better.

Blog@: Tell us about some of those new influences.

Naifeh: In my promotional trips to Europe, I had had the honor of being exposed to some truly amazing artists. Sergio Toppi is a real artist’s artist. He’s been around forever, and you can see his influence on Bill Sienkiewicz as well as french artist Phillipe Druillet, who I used to adore back in the early Heavy Metal Magazine days. The new one is named Roger (which sounds much more romantic with a French accent), artist of Jazz Maynard (ditto). His lines are so incredible, so elastic yet under precise control.

Blog@: You took a break for a while doing Good Neighbors with Holly Black, how does it feel coming back to the world of Crumrin?

Naifeh: Like returning home, really. Courtney’s world is as comfortable to me as my own bedroom. I’m looking forward to adding some new flourishes. But I really had a ball working on Good Neighbors, trying out some Toppi-style line work (which was ill-advised, but I eventually got some really nice results out of it), and getting to do real fingers instead of Courtney’s spikes or Polly’s nubs.

Blog@: Do you foresee an end to Courtney and Alyosuis’ tales?

Naifeh: I foresee a stopping point. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with them forever. In this new volume, I added a single story element that completely changes their world, and that makes me want to explore the world a bit more. I have a definite conclusion for the Courtney Crumrin series, which is pretty final. But it’s not like Courtney’s going to die or anything. So we’ll see. As for Uncle Aloysius, this second volume concludes the Anti-Sorcerer Society storyline. I’d love to continue his adventures if I have time. But I want to explore new worlds as well. Princess Ugg is calling to me, demanding that her story be told. And there are others.