This announcement actually took longer than I imagined. It’s just been announced Marvel’s Thor is getting a sequel, with a scheduled release date of July 26, 2013.

Deadline has the exclusive that confirms actor Chris Hemsworth will return to the title role but that director Kenneth Branagh will not. Deadline says the director “will likely be involved in some producing capacity,” and that his exit was “mutual and amicable.”

Thor’s domestic total to date is $177,441,877. If you add in the foreign markets that number jumps to $437,003,116. While it’s a huge opportunity for another director, it’s also a big weight to carry on your shoulders. I thought Branagh did a great job with the film so I’m a little sad to see him go and I hope it won’t affect the flow of the two films. Marvel’s Iron Man 3 is set for a May 2013 release date so it looks as if we’ll have another comic book summer on our hands like we did this year — not to mention 2012′s The Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises.

What are your thoughts on the news? Would you have preferred Branagh stuck around? Who would you like to see direct Thor 2?

EDIT: Deadline has just reported that Don Payne, one of the credited writers on the first film, will be writing the sequel. “Payne rewrote Lobo for Warner Bros, and was one of the writers on Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. His superhero experience started with My Super Ex-Girlfriend.”

Hey, Michael Bay! You know those Robots In Disguise that you’ve made three movies about, happily increasing your profile and paycheck each time? Turns out, you have Marvel Comics and former editor-in-chief Jim Shooter to thank for them:

Some months later, the Hasbro exec who was Marvel’s main contact, Bob Prupis, came to my office.  He pulled a few toy vehicles out of his bag and proceeded to open and unfold them into ROBOTS.

They were bigger and much more complex than the Mysterions.  Different Japanese technology, same general idea.

Hasbro, he said, had the rights to the technology and toys based upon it.  The problem, he said was story.  He said that the Japanese storyline associated with the toys wasn’t useful.  Japanese kids, apparently, don’t require much justification.  Cars become robots, robots become cars.  Well, of course they do.  What do you mean, “why?”

(P.S.  To this day I’ve never read or seen any of the Japanese storyline.)

American kids, he thought would like to know why.  Did I think we could develop this toy concept for comics, animation and other entertainment the way we developed G.I. JOE?

Sure.

It’s a two-part story (Part one is here, part two here) that lets Shooter offer his side of the events leading up to the creation of Optimus Prime, Megatron, et al, including which Marvel editor did such a bad job coming up with names and backstory that his work was tossed entirely, and the troubles that the properties caused between Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions, the then-existing animation side of the company. Who’d have thought that so much drama could’ve been caused by a toy line? Well, aside from Mr. Bay, of course…

Warren Ellis considers what digital distribution really means to DC Comics:

For as long as I’ve known him, Dan Didio has believed the key to a resurgent DC is reclaiming all the readers the commercial medium lost in the 90s… It’s all about accessing that hypothetical lost fan base. The impression the recent statements have left is Dan saying “comics used to sell loads back then, let’s do that again.” And that can’t happen in print.Comics used to sell loads back then, yes. But a big part of that — and this is the part he isn’t mentioning — is that there were ten thousand comics shops back then. And now there are, optimistically and rounding up, about two thousand. There simply aren’t the number of outlets left to sell the kind of volume comics could shift in the 90s.

The gamble here is this: that hypothetical lost fan base is older, has credit cards and disposable income, and an internet connection that can bring the DC Comics section of a notional comics store right to their desks. That, in fact, digital comics services will do the work of those eight thousand stores that don’t exist anymore.

Much has been made about the potential for digital to be the “new newsstand” – a feeder stream bringing new readers into the direct market, and through the doors of comic stores once they become hooked – but this is the first time that I’ve really considered the possibility that digital could essentially become the new direct market. If that’s the case (and such a change would be some distance off, considering the 630:1 ratio of print to digital sales currently), then what happens to the old direct market – and where, exactly, is the bookstore market left in all of this? Untouched? A failed attempt at outreach that never lived up to the hopes and potential people invested in it? Somewhere in between?

(Ellis is on fire in the above-linked post, by the way, characterizing the previous relationship publishers had with retailers as “DC were the attentive suitor, while Marvel Comics treated retailers mean to keep them keen,” and considering what DC’s new attitude towards the DM might mean. Go and read.)

This is just… completely inspirational, in a really weird but genuine way: Darryl Ayo’s “Press A To Talk: Do You Like Comics,” part mash-up-comics-as-installation, part polemic. His postscript message to creators, both professional and wannabe, is equally wonderful:

Dance and don’t be afraid to look silly. Don’t get terrified that your carefully cultivated “adult” facade of “coolness” will be compromised by people seeing you enjoy something from your heart. Because believe you me: we can all see through you and you look a lot more awkward and uncool pretending that you’re above it all.

Yes! More comics that aren’t afraid to be silly would be a wonderful thing. You can’t get OMAC or New Gods without also getting Devil Dinosaur, after all.

It was bound to happen and I have to say I’m damn excited for it. George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series is being adapted to comics and there’s a very big name attached to the books.

The hugely popular book series was recently adapted to television on HBO and has created a whole new set of fans. Now Bantam Books, an imprint of the Random House, have announced that artists Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller will act as the cover artists for the comic adaptation which was revealed to be in the works earlier this year. Dynamite Entertainment is planning on publishing the monthly title come September and the books will be adapted and scripted for the comic page by writer Daniel Abraham will art by Tommy Patterson.

The issues will be collected in graphic novel format under the Bantam imprint. Senior Editor at Random House Anne Groell had this to say about the project in a press release sent out today, “It has been fifteen years since I first edited A Game of Thrones, and it is a genuine joy to be revisiting and adapting this landmark novel into a format that suits it so perfectly. George’s writing has always been highly visual, painting rich, detailed and striking images in the reader’s minds and hearts. And now seeing such a talented group of artists bringing that so vividly to life is truly exciting. I couldn’t be more pleased with everything I have seen so far–and I can’t wait for what is yet to come!”

“It’s a real privilege and a treat to be involved with reinterpreting Game of Thrones,” says writer Daniel Abraham. “It’s a brilliant piece of work, and watching the strength of that story come into a visual medium is fantastic.”

“George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is the best book series I’ve ever read,” says cover artist Mike Miller. “Not just in the fantasy genre, but in ANY genre. Just as I hear people saying Game of Thrones is the best series on TV, I’m sure they’ll be saying the same about the comic book. You can’t find a better writer anywhere than George, and I was very excited to get the opportunity to draw covers for the comic book adaptation.”

The television show was picked up for a second season after the first episode aired back in April. No word yet on the official air date of season two but you can bet fans of both the book series and television show will be seeking this comic out to help tide them over.

By Manning/Ross/McKinley/Reddington/Shadowline Comics

DC’s big shake-up in September has inspired plenty of reaction across fandom, both positive and negative. Someone squarely in the latter camp has decided to get organized, starting a Facebook event called “Walk to protest against the new awful designs,” thus far inspiring 163 spurned readers to join in on the demonstration.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 23 at next month’s Comic-Con International: San Diego, though the exact location is “TBA.” Here’s what the event description, credited to Laura Hornack, has to say:

Are you utterly baffled, disappointed and just ANGRY to see how DC ruins your favorite character’s design and wipes decades of comic history out of the mainstream universe? Well, you’re not alone! And why not make some noise at the biggest pop-culture event this year, where creators, artists and writers appear in person – show them how fans – the fans of the classic characters, the (nevertheless slightly changing) designs, the character’s history and personality – really feel about it!

The comments on the wall are pretty split on the whole idea (762 are currently marked down as “not attending”). Many of comments are along the line of Joe Kontor’s: “How about you read the first damn issue before you decide you don’t like it?” though some are supportive. If the protest does go indeed go down, we’ll do our best to be there and see who shows up.

Must-listen of the day: the Mindless Ones’ spectacular interview with Grant Morrison, ostensibly about his upcoming Supergods book, but it goes way beyond that and into discussions touching on the nature of superheroes in general, Doctor Who and Final Crisis sharing ideas, and whether or not there really is a Curse of Superman and why. The audio isn’t the best, but a transcript is promised soon for those who don’t want to suffer through or can’t understand Grant’s accent. Highly, highly recommended, though.

Whoever thought to fire up the hype machine for the DC relaunch with a group interview with Scott Snyder, Jeff Lemire, Paul Cornell and Joshua Hale Fialkov (Each one writing a book in DC’s new “dark” line) deserves a raise. There’s a lot to reassure in the whole thing, but my favorite part may be this, from Lemire:

I don’t think that up until very recently when things were going to be announced that Paul’s book or Peter Milligan’s book would be linked in terms of this overall banner. There was never any editorial direction for the line, but for me I approached it as if I was writing for Vertigo, basically… [O]ther than not being able to use swear words and stuff, I pretty much just let loose, and like Josh said, they haven’t made me scale back at all. “Frankenstein” has some pretty over the top violence so far, and “Animal Man” I thought some of the stuff in the first issue they’d want us to pull back on, but they loved it. They’re letting us go further than regular DC titles in that respect.

I can’t be the only one who finds this to be good news, right? It’s not that I’m a massive fan of violence and swearing (Although, in context, it can be quite fun), but I’m very glad that these books aren’t going to be repurposed into some new “They’re superheroes – but with magic instead of superpowers!” direction.

The mention of being allowed to go further than the creators expected makes me wonder whether we’ll see some of DC’s new 52 using that M for Mature rating, come September. Snyder follows Lemire’s comment with an interesting one that may reflect DC’s current thinking about the actual Vertigo line: “I think the thing that makes this different than Vertigo is that Vertigo has more of a creator-owned feel now. There isn’t a shared universe as much as it is a shared sensibility.” I think there’s definitely an argument that that’s been the case for awhile now – Whereas the line started with company owned characters like Sandman, Doom Patrol and Shade The Changing Man, the standout books for the imprint for a long time have been creator-led and not in any shared universe setting: Fables, Y The Last Man, 100 Bullets, and now things like Scalped, American Vampire and iZombie (I think Hellblazer may even be the only company-owned, DCU-related book still at the imprint these days…? ). Will Vertigo switch to an almost all creator-owned/participatory model, leaving the “dark” line to pick up a slightly censored version of the slack with a more mature line of supernatural books set in the DCU?

…from Tom Brevoort’s Formspring page:

Famously “on hold” with four issues of its twelve issue run left to go since 2009, the conclusion of The Twelve has been often-promised by both creators J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston and various Marvel personnel. As of April, Weston was apparently inking the second last issue, so it’s possible that “almost ready” might translate not only into “not just an empty promise” but “potential solicitation before the end of the year.” I wonder if it’ll continue as #9-12 of the original series, or end up as #1-4 of a brand-new series…?

(Also, with The Twelve out the way, what are the odds that we may one day see a continuation of newuniversal? Apparently, not so good, sadly.)

Let’s just get this out of the way. I’m a Voltron girl. All the way. Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers and last time I showcased some Game of Thrones items from the crafting website. Since yet another Transformers movie is being released this week I figured it was only appropriate I find some Autobot and Decepticon crafty bits.

Why not start off with the basics? This Transformer Stainless Steel Pendant is simple and classy. User Youyousupply has this for just $3, not including the chain.

I find this Transformers DIY tube top dress absolutely adorable. Created by user cupcakeninja69 out of two different shirts for $25. Do yourself a favor and take a peek at her other dresses/tops as well. If you’re looking for something more casual, try this Decepticon Halter Top from user FishnetApparel for $24.

For the Transformer pimp in you, I suggest this Transformer Gold Brass Ring (which is actually just brass). It’s a size small/medium, whatever that could mean, from user Vampclothingct for $26.

I bet you never thought you’d see a Autobot Warpath Pendant. Neither did I but here it is and I have to say, I think it’s pretty snazzy. From user hlconrad for just $5. Make sure to check out all their other Transformers necklaces in their shop, including Nightbeat and Hound.

This is kind of a throw away entry into the column because I’m pretty sure none of you could actually buy this for yourselves but how could I not include an actual Transformer? It’s a gigantic Optimus Prime statue from user Kreatworks. And it’s going for $6,990. Optimus is made out of recycled metal, auto and machine parts. Shipping isn’t listed by maybe he can just walk to your house…

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!

Why do publishers spoil the endings of large storylines in mainstream media? Comics Alliance’s Laura Hudson asked Marvel’s Arune Singh, and to the surprise of no-one, the answer is “Because it works”:

We’ve seen huge results [in terms of sales]. We make sure to only attach this kind of promotion to our biggest books and those books invariably carry a much higher readership after the push than before the push. I think we can all agree the industry can use new readers and we’ve found these kinds of mainstream media pushes do just that, based on feedback from retailers– most recently with Fantastic Four #587 and the subsequent FF launch. More fans check out the books, retailers sell more copies and have high orders than before this promotion. That’s a winning situation for not just Marvel, but the whole industry– anything we can do to bring in and retain readers benefits us all. Going to a mainstream outlet is what will get lapsed readers and new potential readers to check out our books– we’re going to non comic fans where they get their news to make them aware of our big stories.

I’m always curious about how the demographics of these things breaks down. I’d love to know how many non-comics readers picked up Fantastic Four #587, and of them, how many went on to stay with the story as the series was relaunched as FF. Orders definitely rose overall with the death and relaunch, but was that from comic readers who weren’t previously reading that particular comic, or from readers new to comics?

There’s something important about the answer to that, I suspect; if Fantastic Four and FF are bringing in non readers and retaining them, can we then look at why that works when other comics haven’t, and then work out how to do it again? Is it merely that people need to be reminded that comics exist, or something more (I suspect Steve Epting)?

(Also, something else I’ve always wondered: Are there ever people who were planning to buy a comic, but didn’t, because the end was spoiled for them?)

Something leapt out at me from this interview with Brian Michael Bendis talking about the Death of Spider-Man. Namely, the part where he talked about retailers’ benefiting from the success of the death issue:

A lot of my friends who own stores are hurting, and being able to help out and give them a good day made me feel good; that was really important to me. Issue #160 wasn’t available digitally, so you had to go buy it. By the time you read this it should be available digitally, but today it wasn’t. So my retailing buddies were emailing me and saying there were some really quick sell-outs and some extra foot traffic in stores. That was great to hear.

Great to hear unless you’re Marvel Comics, of course. Because, you see, Ultimate Spider-Man #160 should have been available digitally. Marvel announced late last year that “every issue of the hotly-anticipated DEATH OF SPIDER-MAN will be available day & date on the Marvel Comics app, available via iTunes for the iPad, iPhone & iPod touch,” after all, and so having the writer of your top-selling book give interviews where he not only points out that that didn’t happen, but tries to paint it as a positive… Well, that’s got to hurt.

I wondered if Marvel had actually rolled back the day-and-date delivery promise at some point quietly because of earlier problems getting digital releases out on time (Read on through that thread; Jonathan Hickman says that the problem with Ultimate Thor‘s late release – #3 was three weeks late – was between ComiXology and Apple, and on Apple’s side), and so checked with Marvel, only to be told that, no, Death of Spider-Man was all day-and-date release digitally. Except, you know, when it isn’t.

Wonder if DC has worked out all of these kinks before their September relaunch…?

As if DC’s retailer meetings haven’t been offering up enough information about the upcoming September relaunch so far, today’s retailer report on Bleeding Cool (from the owner of Warp 9 comics in Chicago, IL) has one particular piece of information that I don’t think has ever been released before:

Print Comics Outsell Digital 630 To One.

For a long, long time now, people have wondered exactly how many digital comics are actually being sold for publishers, and what kind of profit that could bring in for them. Now, with this piece of information, calculations can finally start being made based upon more than just randon guesswork. But still: 630 print sales for every digital sale? No wonder publishers are reticent to do anything further to upset direct market retailers, with that kind of ratio…

(Consider, also, that digital comics don’t contain ads, so that revenue isn’t available for the publishers in that format. Although, to be honest, I fully expect ads to start appearing in digital comics as the industry starts moving towards that model more and more.)

You’ve seen the ads (and if you’re like several of my friends, swooned over them). And now Carly Foulkes, the actress appearing in a string of recent T-Mobile commercials, is playing Retro Girl in the Powers FX pilot. The news was confirmed this past Friday by comic book co-creator/TV show executive producer Brian Michael Bendis during an appearance on Sirius XM’s “Geektime” radio program. This would be Foulkes’ first major non-commercial acting experience; her IMDb page lists only Powers and a short film titled The Blanket.

Retro Girl is the doomed superhero whose murder sets the initial arc of the comic book series in motion (not really a spoiler, since the story is titled “Who Killed Retro Girl?”). Foulke joins a cast including stars Jason Patric (Christian Walker) and Lucy Punch (Deena Pilgrim), plus Charles S. Dutton (Captain Cross) and Bailee Madison (Callista).

You may have already seen the Captain America: The First Avenger food and beverages at Dunkin Donuts across the nation but it turns out the company is going one step farther than the run of the mill movie promotions. Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are teaming with Marvel and Facebook for a contest celebrating the U.S. military.

With all the wacky promotional tie-ins we see these days, this one seems like a breath of fresh air. It’s called “America’s Super Soldiers.” From the press release:

Beginning today through July 15, 2011, fans can visit Dunkin’ Donuts’ or Baskin-Robbins’ official Facebook pages to nominate a veteran or active serviceperson, answering short questions about why their Super-Soldier is making a difference in their hometown and/or the communities in which they serve. The grand prize winning Super-Soldier, as selected by Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and a representative from the USO, will win a cash prize of $5,000, a new high-definition television, a new Blu-Ray DVD player and a selection of DVD movies in which Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins products are featured.  And as a thank you, the nominator of the grand prize winner will also win a $1,000 cash prize and a $100 Dunkin’ Donuts Card.  Please visit the [Facebook app page] for official rules.

“Dunkin’ Brands is thrilled to partner with Marvel Studios to bring the excitement of Captain America: The First Avenger to our guests, and we are particularly proud that our America’s Super-Soldiers contest provides an opportunity to continue our tradition of recognizing both U.S. veterans and active servicemen and women who give selflessly,” said John Costello, Chief Global Marketing and Innovation Officer at Dunkin’ Brands. “We hope everyone will help us recognize these real-life heroes whose commitment to our local communities makes such a difference to so many people,” he said. The chain is also holding an instant win game and sweepstakes to win a trip to a Marvel film premiere in 2012 on their official website.

Besides putting a charitable spin on what is normally a pure promotional tool, I think it’s fantastic they actually have the USO involved in this too. Of course, if you don’t know of anyone to nominate you can still get a huge sugar rush with a Captain America Coollata in a First Avenger Tri-Cup, a Captain America Donut or a Stars & Stripes donut at participating locations.

TALES OF MR. RHEE is by
Dirk Manning
Josh Ross
Austin McKinley
Jim Reddington
and Shadowline & Image Comics

Obviously, DC’s sweeping post-Flashpoint changes — 52 new #1s in September, including relaunches of long-running series like Action Comics and Detective Comics — is about reaching new readers. But that’s much, much easier said than done. Earlier this month at the Hero Complex Film Festival, DC co-publisher Jim Lee said the company is “going to go out there and really promote this on a national level,” and Bleeding Cool reported a couple of weeks back that DC is planning a national TV ad campaign to promote the massive relaunch.

Now it looks like DC themselves are talking in a little more specifics about TV ads, according to Steve Anderson, owner of Third Eye Comics in Maryland. Anderson was quoted in an Examiner.com article following a “DC Comics Roadshow” meeting with retailers, saying, “There’s going to be national campaigns designed to reach the public and make them aware of the DC. TV campaigns- I mean: I don’t know about you but I can’t remember the last time there was a TV Campaign for comics.”

(more…)

Say what you will about the 2009 film, the general concept of adapting ’80s cartoon properties into live action movies or the fact that the sequel’s being directed by the same guy who did Justin Bieber: Never Say Never — there’s something appealing about the idea of The Rock appearing in the new G.I. Joe movie, right? Well, after steady reports discussing the possibility, he’s made it official today, saying, “It’s official: Call the Pentagon, get me my big ass gun – Rocks a JOE!”:

The news has been circulating for about a month, with initial reports saying Johnson will play classic Joe character Roadblock (though he probably won’t speak exclusively in rhymes).  The film, directed by Jon Chu, is titled G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes and slated for summer 2012.

Green Lantern may be stumbling – oh, alright, outright flopping – at the box office, but according to Mark Millar, we shouldn’t be too worried about the death of the superhero movie just yet:

I plan to focus solely on creator-owned for AT LEAST the next couple of years and so these trends are important. It’s essential that nobody comes along and messes up the very successful system we’ve had for the last decade or so. But we have to keep things in perspective. Any Chicken Littles screeching about Green Lantern being a flop and ruining everything must look at the big picture and remember it’s far rosier than any other genre. Our track record in comic book movies has been incredible since Goyer and Norrington changed the game with Blade, Singer carried it through with X-Men and Sam Raimi slam-dunked with Spidey. In the decade that followed we’ve had monster hits from almost unknown characters. Iron Man sells around 40,000 copies a month, but a combination of a fun script and very clever casting turned it into a $500 million grossing beast. Last year’s sequel hit $650 million and these numbers don’t even include DVD. The X-Men franchise has managed over 2 billion dollars in 5 movies and Spidey and Batman are the biggest of the lot. Check out www.boxofficemojo.com and it’s very heartening to note that superhero and comic book adaptations have an incredible consistency for turning vast profits. There’s the occasional dud like Catwoman and Jonah Hex, but these tend to be the exceptions rather than the norm and rare examples of unknown writers and directors being attached to characters traditionally coveted by the Hollywood A-list.

Of course, DC might want to be a little worried that, Batman aside, it’s their characters that are failing at the box office… but Millar has a theory about that, too:

Nobody sets out to make a bad movie, but the non-Batman DC characters just don’t seem to work in modern cinema and TV. I’ve loved these characters as far back as I remember, but whether it’s Wonder Woman or Superman or the Aquaman pilot or Catwoman or Jonah Hex or Birds of Prey or whatever… they just don’t seem to catch on in the modern world. I think it’s hard to compete with the new characters (or even the more recent Marvel characters, created a full generation later). Batman works because he’s more human for the big screen and more empathetic, but I fear The Flash and others would just meet the same fate as Green Lantern. They’re just too outrageous to provide tension in a live action format and I’d love to see them done, Pixar style, as brilliant, theatrical animated movies. Aquaman talking underwater would have us wincing in live action. In a cartoon we wouldn’t even blink. Some stuff just doesn’t suit the format.

It’s an interesting idea, and one that would hold a little more water if it wasn’t for the success of Thor who is, I think, as “unrelatable” as any DC character in terms of being removed from the average man, and has surroundings just as outrageous. That said, Millar’s right that Green Lantern is the only superhero movie to fail at the box office so far this year, and so perhaps concern about the genre is premature… We’ll have to wait and see how Captain America fares at the box office, I guess.