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Post by goldenfist on Dec 17, 2008 10:52:14 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 17, 2008 10:45:01 GMT -5
If Captain Marvel is no more, how is he here? With War of Kings about to explode across the galaxy, two of the Guardians face death itself! Drax and Quasar journey beyond the veil of life in a desperate quest to find Moondragon. But what is waiting for them on the other side, and will it ever let them return? It's a double shot of cosmic horror – that plants the seeds for where GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is heading next! media.comics.ign.com/articles/938/938691/img_6280011.html
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 16, 2008 10:37:46 GMT -5
It’s a new day for Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man.
While he may be the star of a multi-hundred million dollar movie with a sequel in the works, in comics, he’s become the world’s most wanted criminal and traitor.
A quick bit of history on how the mighty fell: after a horrible accident involving super-heroes, the government required that all heroes register their secret identities with S.H.I.E.L.D., the country’s all-knowing police force. Stark headed up the Registration initiative, which turned him into an enemy in the eyes of many (Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, etc) who felt that registration was an invasion of their privacy by a system that could not be trusted. That was Civil War.
And then the aliens invaded. Shape-shifting Skrull, to be precise. Long story short, after positioning himself to be the world’s top cop, Stark a) didn’t see the invasion coming, and b) could barely do anything to stop it once it got started. As a result, he was kicked out of his job as head of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.H.I.E.L.D.was summarily dissolved, and Stark was replaced by Norman Osborn (the Green Goblin). That was Secret Invasion.
That covers the basics.
This week, writer Matt Fraction kicks off the “World’s Most Wanted” arc in Invincible Iron Man #8, which tells the story of Stark’s high speed fall from hero to criminal. As Fraction told Newsarama, Stark’s fall was already in the cards when he came on to the series, so he’s known since the beginning that he’d soon be writing about a hunted Tony Stark.
“The broad strokes were in place,” Fraction said. “The Skrull virus damaging all the Stark tech, and Tony's fall from grace at S.H.I.E.L.D., Norman's ascent. If anything, I started trying to throw gasoline on the fire. I pitched the first and second arc all at once to get the book, with the second being informed by the fallout from Secret Invasion. The timing all worked out.”
As the coming arc will show, Stark’s fall isn’t something that’s limited to just the power brokers and the upper eschelons of superhero-dom in the Marvel Universe. Much like the crisis we’re in today, the problems of Tony Stark...well, the problems Tony Stark caused are something that everyone has an opinion on.
“Some people still hold him responsible for Cap's assassination,” Fraction said. “His company was attacked globally by radicalized, highly mobile and horribly inventive superterror assault waves that crippled his management and manufacturing capabilities, to say nothing of the lost lives and attendant shock and horror. He couldn't marshal the forces needed to ultimately defeat the Skrulls-- that was Norman Osborn who fired the shot heard 'round the world, as it were. During the invasion, his armor failed, and the Extremis enhancile-- the technogoo that interwove his suit with his nervous system-- failed, along with all the other commercial grade Stark tech that was on at the time. Every computer, every cell phone, every satellite, every toaster oven-- all failed. So Tony - at one time the top cop of the Marvel Universe - blew it when the Marvel Universe, or at least the Earth corner of it, needed him most.”
And that; the writer continued, is where the story starts this week – with a macro look at the world: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s death knell, H.A.M.M.E.R.'s ascent, Stark abdicating his position as CEO of Stark Enterprises and Stark handing the keys over to Norman Osborn. “It happens very fast; it's very brutal,” Fraction said. “And it moves micro from there. Tony, [Maria] Hill, and Pepper [Potts], and what happens to them after the devil takes the wheel. Tony has very specific missions for the three of them; to prevent Osborn from inflicting the maximum damage possible on the world, the three of them have to throw everything away.”
And on the personal level, the defeat is a gut punch of gut punches to Stark – first and foremost, he let the world down, both in being unable to stop the invasion, as well as allowing his technology to be vulnerable to the Skrull virus.
As for that tech? As Fraction explained, “If it was on, during the invasion, it's toast. A Skrull virus rendered it useless. Some of it still exists, some of it still works, but the Stark name doesn't engender Brand Confidence in the consumer sector anymore. I mean, imagine if 90% of the tech running Windows around the world bluescreened all at once and stayed bluescreened.”
Secondly in that gut punch category Fraction explained, is the psychological factor. “He's a genius that got beaten at the genius-game. I think he's shaken up badly, in deep trouble, and up against the wall. I don't want to give away what exactly happens, how, or why, but Tony becoming the most wanted man in the world also makes him the most dangerous man in the world. At least to Osborn.”
That said though, he may be shaken up, but he’s still Tony f’n Stark.
“Tony'll never lose his swagger,” Fraction answered when asked if Tony was beaten. “He'll lose the attendant billions that go with it, but Tony will go to his grave with a smirk on his face. So taking that personality-- that larger than life arrogance and confidence, and shattering it against a fascist regime that wants him dead is a lot of fun.”
Fans are already speculating on just what Tony has (and refuses to hand over) that Osborn wants. As for his goal and a possible way out in this game that he’s now found himself in?
“He... needs to stay alive and out of Osborn's hands for a set period of time,” Fraction said. “That's the only way out. That's maybe not his larger goal, so much as his immediate goal. His larger goal is known to him and me. Not even Pepper, not even Hill, know what his master plan is. They have less to hide if they get caught that way.”
Big picture-wise, as Fraction said, this arc was in his plans from the start of his work on Invincible, and fits perfectly into his larger vision for what he wants to do with Tony Stark and Iron Man.
“I’ve said from the get-go that I wanted a reckoning to come for Tony-- not just for whatever sins real or imagined he committed during Civil War, but all his sins, for all his life-- who he is, how he came to be... the sins of his entire legacy will be answered for. What started with Zeke Stane, and Tony's history as a weapons designer and manufacturer, continues on... If Zeke hated Stark the weaponeer, Osborn hates Stark the Supercop...”
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 16, 2008 10:33:53 GMT -5
The film has been the subject of speculation for some time, but Kenneth Branagh has broken his silence about directing a film version of Marvel’s Thor for Marvel Studios.
In speaking with MTV during the junket for Valkyrie, the acclaimed actor/director said:
“I am directing ‘Thor’ or “The Mighty Thor’ as you might like to call it.”
“I think it will be ‘Thor,’” Branagh then added, clarifying what he feels the title will be.
Branagh said that the appeal of the project for him is all about the science fiction and fantasy that is woven together in Marvel’s God of Thunder, and added that the casting rumors to date – with Kevin McKidd leading the pack - are just that: rumors.
“There’s been lots of talk,” Branagh said. “I sound like a politician — but we are too early at this stage. We’re getting the story and the visual effects together and all of that is very exciting. Someone sensational is going to play the part but it is early days.”
The director assured fans that the human story of Thor will take center stage in the “big epic scenario” that surrounds him.
Thor will be the third part in the Avengers “trilogy” of component movies which also include Iron Man and Captain America. According to Marvel, Thor is due to open in theaters July 16, 2010, and the character will join with Iron Man and Captain America in The Avengers on July 15, 2011.
Iron Man 2 is due in theaters on May 7th, 2010, and Captain America is due in theaters on May 6th, 2011.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 16, 2008 10:30:06 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 16, 2008 10:28:03 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 16, 2008 10:26:26 GMT -5
Picking up from the jaw-dropping events of Avengers/Invaders #8, our heroes find themselves back in time, with the fate of the very world on their shoulders. Disguised as the heroes of the golden past, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel and Luke Cage now face Nazis, the power of the Cosmic Cube and the Red Skull... Avengers Assemble! www.newsarama.com/preview_images/marvelnew/march2009/avninv009_cov-cv.jpg
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 1:15:36 GMT -5
It's the last issue that Bendis is doing shouldn't everyone be jumping up and down right now.
Why doesn't anyone try to e-mail Bendis and ask for their money back.
Joe Q is the Editor I guess he didn't care about what happens in the issue.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 1:12:18 GMT -5
Guess everyone's view on the Sentry will never change.
Why kill Ronin Clint is Ronin right now.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 1:05:09 GMT -5
December 12, 2008 - Iron Man 2 screenwriter Justin Theroux says reports of the curtailing of Rhodey's role in the sequel are not accurate.
Entertainment Weekly previously claimed that the part of Jim Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, had been scaled back for Iron Man 2, which was part of the reason why Terrence Howard had been replaced by Don Cheadle in the role.
"I can't really speak to the plot stuff and all the rest of it but Rhodes is completely present in a very strong and big way," Theroux told MTV. "He's COMPLETELY present."
Theroux added that he and director Jon Favreau haven't done anything different in how they've approached the character's role in the sequel. "It's not like we were sitting there going, we need less of this or that," he said. "We just approached the characters and the story on their own terms."
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 1:01:09 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 0:58:52 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 0:57:27 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 0:55:47 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 15, 2008 0:52:27 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 12, 2008 15:47:21 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 12, 2008 15:41:21 GMT -5
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 11, 2008 13:23:43 GMT -5
Read what Ign.com had to say about Secret Invasion:Dark Reign
Secret Invasion was a significant disappointment to me as a reader. It was a disjointed event where the visceral action and the emotional core seemed to be perpetually divorced from one another. Looking back at issue #8, the most that can be said for Invasion is that the ending offers plenty of potential for quality storytelling from the Marvel crew. The trick is capitalizing on that potential. I had every hope that Brian Michael Bendis would be able to do just that with Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1. After all, he's always seemed most at home with quieter, dialogue-centric stories. This issue has plenty of that going on. Even better is the fact that Bendis is reunited with Alex Maleev. Together, the duo capped off Civil War beautifully with Civil War: The Confession. Why would anyone assume Secret Invasion: Dark Reign would be any different?
Taking all assumptions out of the picture, this issue was something of a disappointment. It's not slow so much as it is laid back and uninterested in presenting more than the bare minimum of what constitutes a story. It also demonstrates that, as much as Bendis has directed the flow of the Marvel U. in the past decade, he doesn't have the greatest handle on all of its characters. However this issue does offer much of what I'd come to love about Bendis. Most of his talky issues are slow and bare bones, but that doesn't make them uninteresting. And while he may stumble in his depictions of some characters, others practically jump off the page. Dark Reign #1 is a whopper of a mixed bag in a way I never expected from Bendis.
This issue essentially picks up right where Invasion #8 left off, though it begins by showing how the various members of Osborn's new cabal arrived at their meeting place. From there, Osborn lays out his vision for the new world and how he sees the likes of Doctor Doom, Namor, Emma Frost, Loki, and The Hood fitting into it. Bendis has assembled an interesting cast to serve as his anti-Illuminati. It's worth noting that no mention is made of the other group, and only one person in the room is even aware of their existence. Bendis doesn't fall into the trap of trying to draw a direct parallel between the two.
One of the first questions that popped into my mind was how Bendis would justify bringing these six figures together. Why would Doom or Loki even deign to be summoned by Osborn? What does Emma Frost have in common with these villains? She's a pregnant dog, but it's been some 15 or 20 years since anyone would label her as a villain. Bendis does a reasonable job answering these questions. Arguments can certainly be made that Character X belongs in the group more than Character Y, but none of these six stick out like a sore thumb.
It's in his depictions of these characters that Bendis finds both rousing success and some pretty resounding failure. I've never entirely approved of his portrayal of The Hood, but he never annoyed me in the way he does here. Parker Robbins makes an annoying entrance, and he never actually proves he has the inner fortitude to sit with the likes of Doom. His position in the Marvel U. justifies his inclusion more than his character. Emma is a problematic character in that no two writers can seem to agree on just how cold and wicked she should be. Bendis writes her as a troubled and sympathetic teacher... perhaps a little too sympathetic. He also draws on certain elements of her character that I felt had no real place in the issue. They certainly have no effect on Dark Reign. Bendis seems to step on the toes of several books, as a matter of fact. As a Thunderbolts fan, I was flat out annoyed with one the issue's later scenes.
But other characters shine more brightly. Bendis writes a spectacular Doom and Namor. They work particularly well as a team. Those who bothered to read Cristopher Priest's Black Panther will remember the two once had a separate cabal going along with Panther and Magneto. Readers get a sense of that long, shared history. The two aren't friends by any stretch of the imagination, but it's amusing to see them depicted as kindred spirits. Bendis is no slouch with Osborn, either. Osborn is really the crux of the issue, and it would have fallen hard without a decent portrayal of Marvel's new top dog.
Unfortunately, I'm forced to admit that the real weak point of the issue is Alex Maleev. I had my worries after seeing the cover a few weeks ago, and it's clear they were justified. While Maleev's style is drastically different inside, many of the same glaring inaccuracies persist. I'm convinced that Marvel is going to have to hire a full-time editor to monitor how Osborn's hair is depicted. It was a problem in "New Ways to Die," and it's a problem here. Worse by far - by far - is Namor. I assume Maleev used a model as a photo reference, and I sincerely hope he never relies on this person again. Namor looks like nothing if not a balding, overweight cosplayer at a fantasy convention. Imagine the Lord of the Rings movies if Hugo Weaving's Elrond swallowed a hobbit and decided to become an '80s porn star. Maleev also managed to make The Hood look like a bum dressed for the harsh cold of winter.
Nothing else about the art is quite so offensive to the eyes, but this is easily the worst work I've ever seen from Maleev. That signature mood he always injects into his work isn't quite there. I know he has a tendency to alter his style on almost every project, so I'd urge Maleev to stick with what works. Daredevil worked. Civil War: the Confession worked. This most assuredly doesn't. With as many missteps as both writer and artist make, Secret Invasion: Dark Reign is nearly as disappointing as the event that spawned it. It's not a good start for Dark Reign, and I sincerely hope it's not an indication of things to come. Fortunately, the numerous previews at the end suggest it won't be.
Review Score: 6.9 Passable
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 10, 2008 13:55:48 GMT -5
I am looking forward to reading what Dan Slott has in store for the new roster of the Mighty Avengers.
There's are two people who aren't excited as everyone else is.
One person said that Slott should've learded to shut his mouth before bashing a character Gligamish(whatever his name is) and that Dan Slott doesn't know how to define heavyhitters.
Another person I know call's the new roster....Looks like a rehash version of Force Works.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 9, 2008 17:26:54 GMT -5
The President has put Norman Osborn in charge of the Initiative so that means Tony no longer has the power.
Osborn is also getting rid of the Thunderbolts so that the Dark Avengers can use the Thunderbolts mountain.
And since Osborn killed the Skrull emperoress who disguised her self as SpiderWoman the people think that Osborn is a hero.
I'm suprised he didn't use his Green Goblin suit in Secret Invasion.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 9, 2008 17:21:48 GMT -5
Steve Rogers may be dead for regular readers of Marvel’s Captain America monthly title—but his spirit lives on in one-shot installments. With two Captain America: Theater or War projects already on shelves, Marvel has plans for more—including writer Paul Jenkins—and we’re not just talking single one-shot...he’s got three...maybe four, hitting shelves in early 2009. The Theater of War books provide fans with a look back at untold stories of Captain America across the character’s nearly 70 year existence.
Newsarama contacted Paul Jenkins to discuss his future Theater of War projects as well as his thoughts on Captain America’s role as an American Icon and how he fits into the fictional realm of realistic issues worldwide.
Newsarama: First off, you're not just doing one Captain America Theater of War project—you're doing three! What can you tell us about your upcoming projects?
Paul Jenkins: As a matter of fact, we’re talking about me doing four projects. I’ve already written the first two and I’m on the third right now. I think Tom Brevoort put it best: he described giving me these stories to work on as lining me up for a five yard field goal. That’s because I love stories about wartime and the military. When I proposed the first story to Tom over the phone — and when I told him the payoff to the issue — he made a little choking sound and tried to pretend he was chuckling. But I know his dirty little secret: he was trying to choke back the tears. Tom is a big, soft teddy bear and don’t ever let anyone persuade you otherwise.
What I can say is that I truly love this character. I recently wrote a Mythos version, which was so beautifully painted by Paolo Rivera. It dealt mostly with the core concept that Cap loved his country and respected both its flag and traditions because of the sacrifices of his Army buddies. It talked a lot about him feeling helpless as he watched young men go to die on foreign soil for the benefit of others. And it also talked about Cap remembering his mother and father as he went to war.
Issue #1 is called ‘America the Beautiful’, and it helps to tell the tale of a very special person in Cap’s life who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The core theme, I suppose, is that true heroes go into battle scared out of their minds and thinking of their loved ones at home. I have a little boy and I cannot imagine the idea of heading towards Omaha Beach on D-Day knowing that I might never see him or my wife again.
Issue #2 is called ‘Rules of Engagement’ and it shows how all soldiers from all nations share a common bond. Sometimes, your enemy is your brother and your brother is your enemy.
Issue #3 is called ‘Sweet Land of Liberty’, and is based in great part on a very good friend of mine named Bryan Anderson. Bryan is a veteran of the Iraq conflict who was badly injured by a roadside bomb. Yet he is an amazingly inspiring person who tells a surprising story about that particular conflict. You can check out Bryan’s story at andersonactive.com. Trust me, it is very much worth checking out. He is an amazing dude, and my wife and little son love him. Little dude calls him “Mister Bryan” and had fun racing him down the slopes at the Atlanta Aquarium.
Issue #4 (if it is confirmed) is called ‘Ghosts of My Country’. It would be about the entire history of the United States Army, where Captain America exists in the heart of every American serviceman and woman.
NRAMA: Who are the artists working with you on these projects?
PJ: Gary Erskine is doing ‘America the Beautiful’. He is great; he has an amazing attention to detail and is extremely conscientious about getting pages to work right. I am having a great time seeing his pages come in. He really gets it, and cares about his work.
John McCrae will be doing the ‘Rules of Engagement’ story. I have wanted to work with him for some time and he recently contacted me about that. This is a great fit for us. He gets to draw a lot of World War II tanks and planes and stuff. He moaned at me about all the reference work, though.
NRAMA: Do all of your Theater of War stories involve World War II Captain America or will you be exploring various eras of Cap like Howard Chaykin is doing with the Cap of the 50's--the Grand Master?
PJ: The first two are set in World War Two. That seems like the most natural era for me to write about, being a British kid and having stories of the Blitz and evacuation told to me at a very early age. My Mum was evacuated to the country and even though she was quite young in the war she does remember the air raid sirens and the Anderson shelters.
The third is set in modern day America and Iraq. The last one will be set across the entire history of the United States.
NRAMA: Do you think Captain America, as a symbol, is a figure of transformation for comics and our country? If so, how do you think he's developed over the years?
PJ: Well, I think Cap can be all things which can be true of any character. Personally, I choose to present him as a man who represents true patriotism and not the lazy, jingoistic bullshit that is forced upon us by television sound bytes. Given that he has seen his fellow soldiers — his brothers in wartime — die on foreign soil, he would naturally respect the greatness of his country. Look, America sent its young men to fight a war three thousand miles away. Young American men died in great numbers to free Europe from tyranny. So I see him as a very patient and understanding guy who must straddle the odd line between being a soldier and being and icon. He is all aspects of the American military; he’s a politician, a general, and a common soldier. But at his heart, I think, he is a common man thrust into extraordinary positions.
NRAMA: In your mind, with a number of men having worn the Captain America garb, what seems to be the defining quality that unites all these characters?
PJ: Readers of my Mythos book will have seen a reference to a character named Doug Huggins. Doug will be shown again in my first issue, along with a guy named Bobby Shaw. Now Doug just happens to be a neighbor of mine and is a veteran of World War II. He was aboard the USS Arizona when it was attacked in Pearl Harbor, and Bobby, his best friend, perished in the attack. Doug is one of the most interesting, genuine, inspiring and warmhearted people I have ever met. If I were to try to define a quality of all the various people in the Cap costume, it would be that they are a mixture of Doug and Bobby and any man or woman that has fought for his or her country. The feeling I want to inspire is the same feeling we British people have at the very sight of a Spitfire, or a picture of Winston Churchill: we feel tremendous pride at having stood up to impossible pressures and held them at bay. The British “wartime spirit” is kind of ingrained into us. People of all nationalities feel that kind of pride in one way or another and at its best that feeling can create a tremendous sense of national identity.
NRAMA: How have the threats that Cap faces changed over the years? Is the opposition of an entire race or country a bigger struggle than a super-powered lunatic?
PJ: Jean Paul Sartre wrote that “Hell is other people.” I have let that inform a lot of my work about villains. You do not oppose a race — that is utterly simplistic and as far from the ideals of Captain America as it gets. Read ‘Rules of Engagement’ to see what I mean; we often look at villains as one dimensional, but I feel that they should never be written that way. A few years ago I somehow found myself writing some GI Joe books, and I had an opportunity to do an origin for Cobra Commander. All I can say is that I recently reread his big speech to his assembly of soldiers and I almost agreed with his position. What makes villains dangerous is when we can admit we’d be like them if we were lazier or greedier. Cap’s most dangerous adversary is himself, as it is for any of us. But like a true hero he would always — without exception — resist any temptation to do the wrong thing.
NRAMA: I'll ask you the same question I asked Howard Chaykin during his Captain America interview: Do you think the real United States of the 21st Century needs a symbol like Captain America in light of current events at home and abroad?
PJ: Yeah, Probably. Maybe they have one in Obama, I don’t know. He seems to come across as an important symbol for change, no matter a person’s political viewpoint.
NRAMA: Do any other popular Marvel characters show up in your Cap projects?
PJ: No. If anything they are about ordinary soldiers who are seen juxtaposed against a super soldier.
NRAMA: Would you want to write a Cap monthly? How hard would it be to top what Ed Brubaker has done to the Captain America mythos?
PJ: That is always an odd question with virtually no answer. Ed does amazing work, always. But he would probably agree that no writer sets out to recreate, compare, or certainly top another writer. When I started as a comic writer my first gig was Hellblazer. I was compared to Garth Ennis all the time since I followed him. People would ask me constantly if that scared me and I genuinely wondered what on Earth could be scary about writing comics? I simply wrote stories that I liked and that I thought others would like.
I would love to write a Cap monthly in much the same way as I would love to write the X-Men or any character. I think all of these characters have merit. Hell, when I was on Spidey I threatened for years to do issues about the Hypno Hustler and the Big Wheel. I think my approach on Cap would be to write a lot of single issue stories about common soldiering, though. People would probably hate it.
NRAMA: Can you think of another popular Marvel character who deserves this type of historical analysis and celebration? If you could pull one out of the ether and give him a series of one-shots--who would it be? Why?
PJ: I am about to embark on a series of one shots. Watch this space.
NRAMA: What else do you have coming out from Marvel in the near future?
PJ: Again, watch this space. Working on the film a lot right now but I’m getting in a few more comics lately. And as has been mentioned, I have a fairly big project in the works.
NRAMA: In light of our changing global struggles--do you see Cap taking a more active role against the resurgence of Russia or the Chinese? Should Cap fight terror in the Middle East or do you think the character better serves the medium without dragging too much of the real world into the picture?
PJ: Okay, consider yourself admonished and we’ll proceed, ugly American. China is not the enemy. Neither is Russia. What’s the problem here? In ten years, China’s economy will be inextricably linked to America’s, with China being the USA’s largest creditor. Russia is experiencing growing pains as they try to get past the standard problems of a burgeoning democracy such as corruption and nationalism. But guess what? America is guilty of those crimes also, as is France, Britain and, I dunno, Iceland. Why on Earth would Cap have to fight China’s “resurgence?” Because they showed the world the greatest Olympic games ever or because they’re a threat to American economic might? Hell, let’s invade India because they now have the world’s largest population, right?
Look, I do think Cap could always be about real world conflict, so terrorism is a natural backdrop. But how about looking at ethnic and tribal differences in Sudan, or the difficulty of fighting a war in Afghanistan (and, I suppose, Pakistan)? Cap’s relevance as a soldier representing not America’s self-interest but America’s proud tradition of helping police the world seems more relevant than seeing “Reds under the Beds.” I think we’re past that.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 9, 2008 17:18:34 GMT -5
As Secret Invasion readers know, Marvel’s Mockingbird is back. For real.
And her husband – Hawkeye? He’s been back for a little while himself.
In March, Marvel kicks off the four issue New Avengers: The Reunion #1 (cover at right to #1 by Jo Chen).
See where we’re going with this?
The four issue miniseries is written by Jim McCann and illustrated by David Lopez, and will feature the couple trying to sort out their lives and their relationship amid plenty of arrow-shooting and battle stave throwing. But just how does one get back together with your significant other after he was killed by the actions of a former ally and you were kidnapped by Skrulls a few years back, and you both were presumed dead? Does Marvel’s superhero community have a therapist who specializes in super-hero marriages?
Prior to The Reunion, McCann and Lopez will preview the Hawkeye/Mocking bird relationship in this month’s Secret Invasion: Dark Reign. Marvel has provided Newsarama with two exclusive pages from the story, and as it hints, things aren’t all flowers and romance between the two.
We spoke with McCann to get a handle on why these two are back, what he had to do with it, and what’s going on between them.
Newsarama: Jim, you've been mentioned a couple of times by Brian Bendis as being the point person on making sure Mockingbird came back as a result of Secret Invasion. How were you in a position to exert that kind of influence, and...why for Mockingbird?
Jim McCann: Well, we were at a creative retreat finalizing the end of Secret Invasion and who would be coming out of that ship at the end. We knew who had been replaced and who would have been replaced by that point, but we wanted a surprise. We wanted to "get back" someone, either from the dead or who had become...less than recognizable. As we made the list, we decided that we shouldn't use the Skrulls to retcon any characters who have had some dubious plots thrown their way over the past few years. So we focused on who we could bring back. And I was actually not the first person to mention Mockingbird's name as someone to get back-- I didn't think she would be on the table at all. Mike Pasciullo actually said her name. As soon as I saw her name actually written on the list, that's when I fought like hell to make sure SHE was the one we got back!
I fought for Mockingbird. It was when I said that she & Clint were the Mr. & Mrs. Smith of the Marvel Universe, Brian and the room agreed that it would be cool to bring her back. That was the easy part. (by the way, Clint & Bobbi came first, so I am going to say that Mr. & Mrs. Smith are the film-world's Hawkeye & Mockingbird! Also, Clint & Bobbi have more than a dash of Nick & Nora Charles of the Thin Man in them as well...)
Once Mocky was decided I had to provide a plausible explanation. When was she replaced? Why her? What happened all those years ago? I started re-reading West Coast Avengers and I found the moment when she was taken. It's between two issues and it made total sense. I also found some reasoning in the pages of West Coast Avengers #100 (her "death"), which I tell people to re-read very closely and track the time and where the characters are. I will answer these plot points in the main mini, as well as the "Hell" and Legion of the Undead appearances, but it is by no means the focus of the mini-series.
The focus is the second part of the challenge to bringing her back - answering what does a returned Mockingbird get us? We didn't want her to walk off the ship and be like, "Hey look! It's the same Mockingbird as my 1988 Marvel Handbook entry. Cool!" She needed to have changed, and have a purpose and place in the Marvel U. What has happened to her all this time has affected her deeply and changed her. She has a new way of operating, but not so new if you look at the character's history. I am taking her back to her roots, including her past as a biologist and SHIELD Agent 19, while adding a layer of what it was like spending years on an alien world while everyone else thought you were dead.
Once those things were reviewed and agreed to, it was final- Bobbi Morse was back...and I now get to let you guys in on what's been rattling around in my head for about a year and a half! And thank you to Brian for agreeing to bringing her back and Tom Brevoort and my editor Jeanine Schaefer for helping me make this make sense.
NRAMA: We should probably address something before we get too far into this - your best known for being a part of Marvel's marketing and sales staff. You've worked on a variety of projects here and there, and they're now coming with a bit more frequency. Is writing more of what you do these days, and if so, how do you split your time?
JMc: I have actually shifted a bit in my duties at Marvel. Before I came to Marvel, I was in the ABC Writer Development Program, where I learned how to write for Daytime Dramas. I had written for One Life to Live just before starting at Marvel. So, they have known that I have a writing background and would one day like to go back to that. But I can't imagine ever leaving Marvel. So, Marvel has been wonderfully generous and are letting me do both. I am a consultant, in the office part time, and still doing PR, Publicity, Marketing, and conventions, so I am still Jim @ Marvel. But I am also able to do more writing now working from home, writing for Marvel, putting together creator-owned work, pitching for other properties and writing for other mediums as well, like TV. It's a delicate balance that I am still learning, but having the time of my life!
NRAMA: Back on topic with Mockingbird and Hawkeye – with what you said about the “when” of Bobbi being kidnapped...how much detail do you go into in your head? Do you have the entire timeline plotted out in your head of how and what all happened to her in regards to when she was switched, and why she's been spotted in Hell from time to time?
JMc: he answer is a resounding yes. They probably won't sit down with a timeline and say Ok, this is where this happened and that is where that, and oh, you saw me in Hell?! The information will come out organically in conversation, fights and at the worst possible time. By the end of the series, you should have all of the answers. If you didn't get them all, or feel I didn't answer completely, come by my board on Jinxworld or catch me at a con & I'll tell it to you in a linear fashion.
NRAMA: Something else that's a relative unknown is what happened to the characters who were taken by the Skrull. There was a mention that they were asleep, but is that the case with Mockingbird?
JMc: She was asleep for some of the time, yes, but what happened to her is rather unique, especially given that she was one of the first, if not the first person abducted. There's a reason why, and that reason plays directly into what happened to her while with the Skrulls. It was not pleasant. As you will see, she's got some serious issues going on, playing out in Post-Traumatic-Stress-induced visions. These visions are also clues to what happened to her while she was gone.
NRAMA: With a wink and nod to comic book "time" how long has Bobbi been gone?
JMc: I place it at about 3 years.
NRAMA: You're going to be delving into the relationship between Bobbi and Clint. From all we've seen in Secret Invasion #8 so far, there's a lot of kissing. For heroes famous for their amorous ways (to date the only male-female hero pair to end a miniseries naked in a heart-shaped tub...) one could assume that their true love might conquer all...or does it?
JMc: They are known as much for their amorous ways as they are their confrontational ways. They are impulsive and hot-headed and stubborn. They also have a lot to work out, not just the issues between them from before she was taken, but from the events that happened to them both over the years she's been gone. I can't promise anything beyond the fact that "Reunion" can mean many different things. There will be action, romance, fighting, and above all emotion thru all of this.
NRAMA: So where are Clint and Bobbi when we catch up with them in the in Dark Reign: New Nation, and what does that story do in the bigger picture?
JMc: They are around the current events of New Avengers, if not a slight bit after issue #50. The prologue focuses solely on the two of them, as does most of the mini, setting up their place in the bigger picture of the Marvel U. As for what Dark Reign does for this story, it adds a whole new level of danger. With evil on a longer- if any - leash, the stakes are raised. She has a mission, something she has to do now that she is back, and with Norman in charge, that makes it harder to do and imperative that she do it quickly.
Speaking of that new mission, it comes complete with a new updated look, designed by series artist David Lopez. (before traditionalists come at me with pitchforks, please remember that we all share a love and respect for the character and thought and reasons have gone into every decision made in this, including her new look. It is necessary for her mission and new status quo. It will maintain elements of past looks, but updated for a modern Mockingbird). David I have to say draws the most beautiful Bobbi Morse I have ever seen. His action and expressions are spot on and perfectly suited for this book. I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have him as the artist on this.
NRAMA: You’re suggesting that Bobbi has trouble getting back to normal. Yeah, but Clint was dead, and he seems okay...what gives on the difference in their adaptation to being back among the living on earth?
JMc: Yes, Clint seems ok, but is he, really? Clint is Clint regardless of what he is wearing. It's who he is on the inside and the choices he makes that makes him such a compelling character, not the purple tights. He seems to change costumes when he has a crisis of faith or feeling powerless and lost. He was Goliath to make up for a lack of power. He is Ronin to find a sense of balance and to center himself. The fact that he has stayed in that identity suggests he has not found that. And now that his is-she-or-isn't-she-his-ex-wife is back from what he thought was the grave, how much will that tip him off his delicate balance he's been trying to achieve? Plus, he didn't go through what she did. Scarlet Witch erased him then brought him back. It was like the blink of an eye for him and everything changed. Bobbi can't bring herself to close her eyes, because of what she might see and remember from the time she was gone.
NRAMA: Where are things going with Hawkeye and Mockingbird in the larger picture? Brian has said that they'll be joining a team, but how much will you be involved in their continuing adventures?
JMc: Brian is using them in the New Avengers, yes, and that is where they will be a part of a team. She's sort of the new set of eyes, pointing out how different the world is. Brian has read my outline and scripts and I keep up with his. He's been so amazing with this, really letting me tackle the punches, physical and emotional, that go down with these two. The Reunion is where you find out about them as a pair, duo, or couple. This is where the emotional agita is, and the high-octane action these two are known for, be it fighting a common threat or each other.
As for continuing adventures, The Reunion is a 4-part limited series, but if fans like it and miss them enough, David is having fun drawing them incredibly well, Jeanine is supportive and excited, and I have plenty of stories to tell with these two. West Coast Avengers started as a 4 issue mini with these two, so here's hoping lightening (or a battlestave and an arrow in this case) strikes twice!
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 7, 2008 14:00:52 GMT -5
That Superboy Prime is just so d**n powerful it's almost imposs ible to defeat him.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 7, 2008 13:58:21 GMT -5
I took down the original scan of the picture and posted the picture from ign.com so everyone can see a better picture.
To answer your question about Venom Shiryu Eddie Brock has not been Venom for sometime.
Mac Gargan(aka The Scorpion)is still Venom, Eddie Brock is now the Anti-Venom and I don't know how he became the Anti-Venom
Norman Osborn want's to get rid of the Thunderbolts so that's why he wanted to create the Dark Avengers.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 7, 2008 13:38:27 GMT -5
Everyone get ready to say their famous battle cry.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 7, 2008 13:35:44 GMT -5
Don't forget that Sentry, Ares, and Noh-Varr will be part of the Dark Avengers.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 7, 2008 13:32:49 GMT -5
DC has annouced that there will be another Justice League series coming out it is not a replacement for the current JLA Team. Green Lantern(Hal Jordan) Green Arrow(Oliver Queen) SuperGirl Captain Marvel.Jr The BatWoman Starman(Mikaal Tomas) Atom (Ray Palmer) Congorilla This team will have their own book so the Big Three of the JLA(I.E. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman)do not have to worry about being replaced. So what does everyone think about this new Justice League. Post your opinions.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 6, 2008 11:20:09 GMT -5
With the release of Secret Invasion #8, readers finally have a better idea of what Dark Reign holds in store for the Marvel Universe. Norman Osborn has replaced Tony Stark as the premier defender of the world. The bad guys are running the show now, and that leaves less and less room for the heroes to do their thing.
This shift in the Marvel landscape impacts just about every book, and we're hard at work trying to uncover just what those changes will be. Today we focus on Mighty Avengers. This series has focused on the publicly operating, media-friendly team of heroes that served as the elite fighting force of the 50-State Initiative. That's all poised to change when Dan Slott comes on board as regular writer with next month's issue #21 (we've also included the cover to Mighty #20 in this article, which is Brian Bendis's last).
We already talked with Slott last week, but back then he was only able to reveal basic details about the series. This time around, the writer was able to go into further depth, particularly in terms of the characters involved. While Marvel is still keeping the official roster under wraps for now (though seriously... look at the covers), you can expect to see plenty of familiar faces, along with a few unexpected surprises.
IGN Comics: Is this new team still serving as part of the Initiative, in whatever form it exists now?
Dan Slott: No. No, this is an independent body – the Mighty Avengers.
IGN Comics: So they don't have to answer to Norman Osborn or his bureaucracy?
Slott: They... are not going to operate out of America, per se.
IGN Comics: I see.
Slott: At the end of Secret Invasion #8, you'll see that the president is backing Norman. Well, if the president backs Norman, that's America. These are the Avengers for planet Earth. And Earth isn't just America. This also means we're going to see Avengers adventures anywhere – time, space, microverse. The Marvel Universe is a pretty big place.
IGN Comics: Before now, the distinction was pretty much that the New Avengers were the underground group of heroes, while the Mighty team was the official, public squad. Now it almost sounds like they're both resisting Osborn in their own ways.
Slott: The way I see New Avengers is this. Once you had "Avengers Disassembled," it was kind of the end of a certain era of the Avengers. It paved the way for New Avengers, which was a bold new book with big gun characters who hadn't really had an Avengers presence before, like Spider-Man and Wolverine. Big players.
When Bendis and Cho launched Mighty Avengers, it was a kind of counter-programming. It was kind of like "Avengers Re-assembled," where we saw these characters that had a strong tie to the classic Avengers legacy become a powerful team again. Iron Man, Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Wasp – these were Avenger-y Avengers. What's going on now and what I hope to do in Mighty Avengers is to carry on that feel that Bendis and Cho set up. You're going to have Avenger-y Avengers doing Avenger-y things and fighting Avenger-y bad guys.
IGN Comics: It all sounds very Avenger-y.
Slott: Yes, that is the operative adjective – Avenger-y. Or better yet – Avenger-iest. I want to make this the Avenger-iest Avengers book I can.
IGN Comics: I guess here's where we get into the specifics of which characters you're going to use, or at least which ones you can talk about...
Slott: The kind of characters we're going to use in Mighty Avengers are, when you think of your classic Avengers characters and lineups, a lot of times you end up with the big three – Cap, Thor and Iron Man. Then you have these strong, Avengers-only characters like Hawkeye, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver – those kind of characters. When I was a kid reading Avengers, you knew that those were the characters that things could happen to. Cap, Thor, and Iron man had to go back to their own books. They weren't going to fall in love and marry or lose a limb or turn into traitors. It was going to be one of those other guys. One of the other guys in the core Avengers team. And it's that level of character that's going to populate the book.
IGN Comics: I was going to say, you can't get much more Avengery than having so many of the original Avengers on the team.
Dan Slott: The guys I can confirm – since we've already let some things out of the bag – are Hank Pym, founding Avenger member, Jocasta, and Scarlet Witch, because she appears on our first cover. But we're also going to have some other characters show up. By the time this is released people will have seen the first two solicits, and they'll know that this big group of heroes in the first adventure is going to include Iron Man, Hercules, and Amadeus Cho. You can't have Hercules without Amadeus Cho. He's kind of like our Rick Jones. Also, Vision and Cassie from Young Avengers, Hulk, and US Agent. By the time that first adventure is over we'll see who's going to stay on the team and who's not. And there may be a surprise or two that doesn't appear on the cover.
IGN Comics: Let's go down the list of these characters a bit. I wanted to ask you about Yellowjacket, first of all, since he appears to be positioned as the team leader.
Slott: There will be a few different people who are vying for team leadership in the first adventure. One of them will be Hank Pym. Not Yellowjacket, but Hank Pym. Hank Pym is going to gain a new identity and a new visual that he has never had before.
IGN Comics: Hmm.
Slott: Hmmm!
IGN Comics: What makes him the ideal candidate to try and lead this team, especially since he's been out of commission for so long?
Slott: Being out of commission for that amount of time makes him the perfect candidate for being the guy in charge. Look what happened while he was gone, when Hank didn't have his eye on the ball, when it was other guys leading the charge. We had a Civil War, a House of M, a World War Hulk. Big disaster-y things happened without Hank being in the room. Maybe it's time for Hank to take a shot.
IGN Comics: Would you say he's trying to atone for some of the things the Skrulls did in his name?
Slott: I could see why, especially since during the Invasion Hank's face was the face of the Secret Invasion. But Hank had no control over what that Skrull did. If anything, Hank's made a lot of mistakes all on his own that he needs to atone for and make amends for, beyond what the impostor did in his name. He's got a truckload of problems all his own that he did with his own hands, so to speak.
IGN Comics: I saw in the first solicit that he's hiding some sort of dark secret from way back in the early days of the team.
Slott: Yes. There is some big secret from the earliest days of the Avengers, some secret that Hank has kept to himself that will play a big part in his motivations.
IGN Comics: How much of a role are characters like Iron Man and Hulk actually going to play? Are they supporting players, since, as you say, they have their own books and their own problems to deal with?
Slott: We'll have to see. I don't want to give away any of the final lineup. Oh, and it's Green Hulk, not Red Hulk, who's going to be in the book.
IGN Comics: I figured. Red Hulk doesn't really play nice with anybody.
Slott: Noooo. No.
IGN Comics: What made you decide to put Vision and Stature in the book? Do you feel that, out of all the Young Avengers, they're the most likely to join a team like this?
Slott: They were the two that had the strongest ties to the Avengers legacy. Cassie lived in Avengers mansion for some time. Cassie looks up to Hank as an uncle. Jarvis is in the book - we have Jarvis. He's someone who looked after Cassie as a small child. She's second generation Avengers.
Meanwhile, Vision, though he's based on the 30th-Century technology of Kang and the Iron Lad armor, he still has the original Vision programming in him. So he has this direct tie to the Avenger of old. When he first started gaining sentience it was Jarvis who would hang around and play chess with him. He's got this nice tie.
Also, with the Scarlet Witch back, you have this nice dynamic where, from Cassie's point of view, Scarlet Witch is responsible for her father's death. From Vision's point of view, there's part of his programming, whether or not it's in his emotional core, that ties him to this incredibly powerful Avengers character who used to be his wife. That's a good love triangle right there.
IGN Comics: When we talked last week you mentioned one of the villains you wanted to play with was Kang. Assuming you do a Kang story at some point, would Vision be the catalyst that brings Kang into the series?
Slott: Could be... if Vision's part of the team... maybe. He says as he dodges the question a little. One of the things we do want to do in this book is use hardcore Avengers villains. Your Ultrons and your Kangs and Count Nefarias. All the classic, really big Avengers villains.
IGN Comics: You've already said there's going to be some conflict with Scarlet Witch and Stature both being on the team. Is Wanda going to be part of a larger conflict where you have all these characters who blame her for what happened in House of M?
Slott: [laughs] I really don't want to give too much away. You're going to have to read the issues to see how Scarlet Witch plays out as part of this team and how she interacts with them.
IGN Comics: You've confirmed Jocasta is on this team. She's less of a big name in the Marvel U. than the rest, so what was it about her that called out to you and made her seem like a good fit?
Slott: In the wake of what's happened in Secret Invasion #8, Jocasta isn't just a robot, she's a robot that's been built off of Janet Van Dyne's brain patterns.
IGN Comics: Interesting...
Slott: Yeah. It's almost like a weird way of having Janet still on the team.
IGN Comics: I was going to ask if there was any chance you could throw Machine Man in there too, but maybe this new Jocasta doesn't have quite the same connection to him...
Slott: She's still Jocasta and acting the way Jocasta acts and being the way Jocasta is. But I think we're going to explore more of the concept of her being based on Janet's brain patterns. But she's still the same drama-filled robot that we've seen over the years. But who knows? Maybe Machine Man will pop on by to cause some more strife. She's this lovelorn robot girl with such great Avengers ties and history behind her.
There are certain things that make you an Avenger. Jarvis waits on you. Captain America trains you. George Perez draws you. Starfox sleeps with you. [laughs] There are just certain things that make you an Avenger. She meets a lot of that criteria. Not the Starfox part, but everything else.
IGN Comics: Well, now's your chance.
Slott: [laughs]
IGN Comics: The last character I'll touch on here is US Agent.
Slott: Yay!
IGN Comics: He's been hanging out in Canada lately.
Slott: Which is the perfect place for US Agent, isn't it? [laughs]
IGN Comics: Exactly. Does that mean the team is headed for Canada in the early issues?
Slott: I think it's a safer bet to assume that US Agent is coming to them. This book shouldn't be Alpha Flight or Omega Flight. There's already an Omega Flight. But you'll have to see. It's going to be fun. The team needs a shield-slinger in the book. You've just gotta have it. We're going to have a lot of characters, as you can see from the first few covers. You're going to see a lot of characters in the first big adventure. Whether he'll make the cut is another story.
IGN Comics: One of the things that sold me on Dark Reign was hearing that Bendis described it as a situation where all the Marvel heroes suffer from "Peter Parker luck" now. They try to do good, but with the world the way it is now it has a tendency to blow up in their faces. Do you see that being an element of your book, even though these are the Avengers and they're meant to be the best and the brightest.
Slott: The minute you have Hank Pym in there it's not hard to call them the best an the brightest. I don't think there's a mind on Earth like Hank Pym's. But thee characters are going to have baggage too, which will make for good drama and tension. My take is that, in the world of Dark Reign, the Mighty Avengers are the ray of light. With all this stuff coming down, this is a book about heroes stepping up to be heroes again, to do the heroic things that need to be done.
IGN Comics: And with that, I think we'll leave off from there. Thanks for talking with me, Dan. I'm looking forward to your issues.
Slott: Thanks, Jesse
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 5, 2008 16:24:18 GMT -5
How are they getting the Hulk on the team since Hulk has a grudg e with Iron Man for blasting him off into space.
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Post by goldenfist on Dec 5, 2008 15:56:12 GMT -5
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