Midway has released more screenshots and the box art for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the big crossover fighting game due out next month.

Kotaku has more images, but you can see Captain Marvel taking on Raiden after the break.

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You’ll recall that last week Bluewater Productions tore a page — or a cover, in any case — from IDW’s book by announcing the release of a biography of former presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The news landed with a resounding thud as several people, myself included, took jabs at the obvious mimickry of IDW’s Presidential Material comics, an error-riddled press release, and a cover that, among its other shortfalls, included an American flag with 14 stripes and a Sen. Clinton who didn’t much resemble Sen. Clinton.

After apologizing last week for sending out the wrong press release and for giving the United States an extra original colony, Bluewater President Darren G. Davis now has issued a second release apologizing again for “the incorrect portrayal of our most cherished American symbol” — the flag, not Clinton — and changing some of the cover art.

Oh, Female Force still looks like Presidential Material, but now Old Glory has the appropriate number of stripes, and Clinton’s depiction has been altered drastically.

I stared at the figure for quite a while, trying to figure out just who it resembles; it’s not the senator from New York, that’s for sure. It’s, unsettlingly enough, a certain former senator from Kansas in a wig and ill-fitting pantsuit.

Good luck getting that image out of your head.

The first issue of what’s planned as a quarterly series on female politicians will hit stands in January.

Just in time for tonight’s debut of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network, Lucasfilm has launched a webcomic series that will lead into each weekly episode. This week’s installment is written by Pablo Hidalgo and illustrated by Tom Hodges.

In a post on Digital Webbing, Hodges says the comics will be drawn by a rotating stable of artists: Katie Cook, Jeff Carlisle, Grant Gould and himself.

• Invincible Iron Man writer Matt Fraction contrasts the love lives of Tony Stark and … Captain America? “… I would love to write a story about Tony Stark’s complicated love life. It’s an aspect of his character, that’s for sure. [It's like] in the movie, when he goes to bed with the angry reporter from Berkeley; you can imagine that same reporter with a similar line of questioning with Captain America, but you can’t imagine Captain America seducing her later. But with Tony, you can, so we should absolutely take advantage of it.” [The Washington Post]

• Cartoonist Bill Griffith discusses Zippy the Pinhead as a cottage industry, and the financial impact of his website: “Over the years, income from the Zippy website has gone from about a third of my annual income to about a half — in other words, the website has doubled my income. Most of my Web income is from sales of Zippy originals — the original artwork of the daily strips — as well as signed prints of strips and original art from my underground days.” [The Hartford Courant]

• Ignatz nominee MK Reed talks about the collaboration process: “It’s been very different from working on my own, and there was definitely a learning curve figuring out how Jonathan [Hill] was most likely to work out different parts. I’ve been working with him for over a year now, so we’ve kind of gotten things together by this point, and there’s a lot less arguing about how certain things should look or what needs to be corrected. Jonathan is insanely talented and I know he car handle pretty much anything I throw at him. Because he’s a more talented artist than I am, I can actually make up completely crazy detailed things like crowd scenes in a supermarket, and know they’ll look awesome.” [New York Daily News]

• Alex Irvine, author of The Vertigo Encyclopedia, considers the influence of the DC Comics imprint: “… I think it’s probably safe to say that the success of Vertigo had a lot to do with DC and Marvel being willing to take their regular universe books in more mature directions. Also, the Sandman phenomenon brought so much attention to comics in general that it created a huge new appetite for comics with a certain kind of attitude. This in turn meant that people who had worked primarily in indie and underground comics — David Lapham comes to mind, or Paul Pope — had a chance to put their work in front of new audiences.” [Omnivoracious]

Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie offer a glimpse at the first five pages of Phonogram: The Singles Club #1, plus samples of the “B-Sides” — back-up stories featuring work by creators such as Marc Ellerby, PJ Holden and Emma Vieceli.

The Singles Club, a follow-up to the 2006-2007 miniseries Rue Britannia, debuts in December from Image Comics.

The full teaser trailer for 20th Century Fox’s Dragonball has made its way online. Directed by James Wong, the movie stars Justin Chatwin as Goku, James Marsters as Piccolo, Emmy Rossum as Bulma, Chow Yun-Fat as Master Roshi, Jamie Chung as Chi Chi, and Park Joon as Yamcha.

Dragonball, based on the hit manga series by Akira Toriyama and the anime it inspired, is set for release on April 3, 2009.

(via Dragonball - The Movie)

Director Zack Snyder finally has provided some details of the long-rumored, and previously reported, sequel to 300. Yes, the movie where they all die in the end.

At last night’s Watchmen media event, IESB sidled up to Snyder, who confirmed he’s waiting for Frank Miller to finish the graphic novel on which the movie will be based.

Snyder said the sequel will take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea, the final major conflict in the Greco-Persian Wars. (Spoiler alert: The Greeks won.) There’s about a one-year gap between the two battles.

Warner Bros. screened nearly 30 minutes of previously unreleased Watchmen footage for journalists last night in West Hollywood and, perhaps not surprisingly, it received a largely positive response.

Alex Billington of FirstShowing said it looked “absolutely phenomenal.” Patrick Lee of Sci Fi Wire dubbed the opening-title montage as “impressive.” And Michael Cieply of The New York Times said the three clips “spared nothing when it comes to the messy side of the super life.”

Similar screenings are planned in London and New York City.

Expectant fans may be pleased to learn that Watchmen will have a run time of 2 hours and 43 minutes, which director Zack Snyder felt was necessary to tell the story and showcase the action sequences.

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In a mercurial election year, we’ve already seen the worlds of politics and comic books collide on a handful of occasions: biographies of the presidential candidates, an oh-so-similar profile of a presidential hopeful, Savage Dragon’s endorsement of Barack Obama, and a social-networking site for creators and fans who support the Illinois senator.

At the risk of having the comments thread descend into Lord of the Flies-style mayhem, I’ll point out one more intersection.

Later this month Papercutz will release Tales from the Crypt #8, which features on the cover a hockey stick-wielding Gov. Sarah Palin chasing off the three narrators of EC’s horror comics, The Crypt-Keeper, The Old Witch and The Vault-Keeper.

The caricature of the Republican vice-presidental candidate asks, “Didn’t we get rid of you guys in the 50’s?” — a reference to suggestions that, as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin sought to ban books from the town library. (It’s contended that her inquiries were “rhetorical”; no books were actually banned during Palin’s tenure as mayor.) Of course, it’s also an obvious nod to the 1954 Senate investigation into juvenile delinquency, and the atmosphere that spawned the Comics Code Authority and effectively brought about the end of horror and crime comics.

The issue includes a “special editorial” by Cathy Gaines Mifsud, daughter of original Tales of the Crypt publisher William Gaines, who insists the comic “is not endorsing any political candidates, nor are we attacking any candidates.”

However, it’s difficult to view the cover illustration as anything less than that.

“What usually seems to be behind banning books is an attempt to repress ideas that may offer alternative political views,” Gaines Mifsud writes. “This is not only un-American — blatantly violating the very concept of free speech — but it is assuming that people are unable to come to their own informed conclusions.”

• At UGO.com, Vito Delsante counts down the “Top 50 WTF Moments in Comics,” from the story of Bill Finger to the marriage of Aunt May and Dr. Octopus to the Batman back-breaking stunt. Don’t worry, there are some good WTF moments, too.

• The recently launched all-ages blog Good Comics for Kids has found a new home on the School Library Journal’s website. I’ll miss Dan Hess’ banner, but I love his chibi renditions of the blog’s contributors.

• Cartoonist Sergio Aragones talks about becoming one of Mad’s legendary Usual Gang of Idiots: “I had just arrived [in New York] from Mexico in 1962. And every magazine I went to, everybody rejected me because I had been doing pantomime cartoons. Everybody said, “These things are crazy, you should go to Mad.” So I went to Mad. And they were right.”

• Examiner.com spotlights the best comic shops in Los Angeles, but somehow overlooks Secret Headquarters.

• Hellboy creator Mike Mignola explains to Williamette Week why he left Portland, Ore., for New York City: “My wife hated it! She hated almost every second of living there. I loved it. It is a little rainy and dreary.”

Sharp-eyed viewers of HBO’s True Blood may have noticed a famous — or is that infamous? — Alex Ross illustration lurking in the background of one scene in this week’s episode.

On a wall at Fangtasia, the vampire bar in Shreveport, La., hangs Ross’ depiction of President Bush draining blood from the neck of the Statue of Liberty. The image caused a bit of a stir when it first appeared as the cover of The Village Voice on Oct. 26, 2004.

I’d meant to post something about this yesterday, but I have a mind like a sieve. Luckily, The New York Observer jogged my memory.

True Blood, Alan Ball’s follow-up to Six Feet Under, is based on Charlaine Harris’ popular series of “Southern Vampire” novels. You can read the show’s online comic, The Great Revelation, at the HBO website.

Kirsten Dunst tells MTV’s Splash Page that she’s “in” for the next Spider-Man movie, but stopped short of making an official announcement.

That may finally put to rest long-running speculation as to whether Dunst would return as Mary Jane Watson. Or, y’know, it may just start a new round of rumors.

Director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire reportedly signed on earlier this month for the fourth and fifth installments of the Sony Pictures franchise, which will be shot back to back over six months next year. Maguire’s deal is said to be a record $50 million in salary and profit sharing.

Spider-Man 4 is scheduled for release in May 2011, putting it at odds with Marvel’s The First Avenger: Captain America.

The second episode of Warner Bros.’ Watchmen motion comic will debut next Tuesday on iTunes, followed by the third chapter on Oct. 20. The first installment launched in July.

Future episodes will debut every two weeks.

Announced during Comic-Con International, the motion comic is part of a larger initiative by Warner Bros. to deliver DC Comics properties via the Internet, mobile phones and video on demand. Of course releasing Watchmen, chapter by chapter, in hybrid comic-animation form also helps to create buzz for Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation, which is set to open in March.

As we skid into October, I find myself having a bit of an off week, at least comics-wise. I just don’t see much that catches my eye.

Chris Mautner, on the other hand, has spied a veritable treasure trove, from a Baby Huey collection to Batman #680 a Complete Peanuts box set.

So, maybe it’s just me.

Wednesday also sees the Dark Tower: The Long Road Home hardcover, the debut of Steve Niles’ future-noir City of Dust, and a one-shot dedicated Bruce Campbell’s My Name Is Bruce movie.

To see what other titles Chris and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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For fans of DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes, 2008 started out promising.

It was the 50th anniversary of those teenagers from the future — they first appeared in April 1958’s Adventure Comics #247 — and classic writer Jim Shooter had returned to the title. On television, a Legion Saturday-morning cartoon was in its second season, and the all-ages comic adaptation seemed to be well-received.

What’s more, Legionnaires played prominent roles in the popular “Lightning Saga” crossover in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America, and in the “Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes” story arc in Action Comics. And then there was the promise of the Final Crisis tie-in, Legion of 3 Worlds (it kicked off just last month).

It all combined for one shiny anniversary present, topped with a futuristic-looking bow.

But then Warner Bros. Animation announced the end of the Legion TV series. DC followed that with the cancellation, in November, of the cartoon’s Johnny DC counterpart.

Finally, over the weekend, the publisher confirmed an earlier report that it will cancel the remaining Legion title — referred to as the “Threeboot” by fans — with January’s Issue 50.

“What fun! Sure makes me look forward to my 50th wedding anniversary,” said Matthew Elmslie, who operates the Legion Abstract blog.

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Starting today, you’ll be able to order a Dell computer with Iron Man already loaded.

Variety reports the PC manufacturer has made a deal with Paramount Pictures to offer the movie as an option for customers as part of Dell’s personalized purchasing process. The move is Dell’s first step toward creating a broader digital-content storefront.

For now the $20 Iron Man preload, which comes with exclusive bonus footage, is only available to consumers in the United States.

Someone with an incredibly high threshhold of pain has whittled 1997’s Batman & Robin down to 10 minutes of its absolutely worst moments. How they decided which was the wheat and which was the chaff, I’ll never know.

(Filmdrunk, via Topless Robot)

Paramount Pictures has signed a deal to distribute the next five Marvel Studios films: the two Iron Man sequels, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.

Paramount distributed Iron Man, Marvel’s first independent production, which earned $574 million worldwide.

News of the agreement was broken early this afternoon by Hollywood gossip columnist Nikke Finke, who has since updated with official confirmation from Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore and Marvel Studios Chairman David Maisel.

“Paramount is an excellent partner and an outstanding global distributor,” Maisel said in a press release. “Through our experience on Iron Man, Paramount has demonstrated a passion and ability to release Marvel properties theatrically, allowing us to focus on making great movies for the largest audience possible.”

Presumably, the distribution deal will carry the partners through 2012; although the third Iron Man film isn’t yet scheduled, Marvel’s prime release spots for 2011 are filled by Captain America and The Avengers.

Update: Variety notes that the new deal helps to fill holes in Paramount’s distribution schedule left by DreamWorks’ departure from the studio.