Mature
With the major media push going on for Iron Man right now and with things just starting to heat up on the new Hulk film, it's easy to forget that Marvel has a third movie coming out this year.
Due in September, Punisher: War Zone is a semi-sequel to 2004's Punisher film starring Tom Jane. The less said of 1989's Dolph Lundgren version the better (oh, Louis Gossett Jr., how could you?!) The movie isn't going to be a strict sequel, but more of another story. With the origin out of the way, director Lexi Alexander (writer and director of the amazing Green Street Hooligans) decided to forego Jonathan Hensleigh's route of moving Frank to Florida and has brought the Punisher to the mean streets of New York.
Facing off against perennial baddie Jigsaw (Dominic West), Frank (Ray Stevenson) will have help from Microchip (Wayne Knight) and Det. Soap (Dash Mihok) from Garth Ennis's Marvel Knights series.
Though it's pretty bare bones at the moment, the official website for The Punisher: War Zone has launched. It's got all of two photos so far, but you can sign up to be e-mailed of any updates.
Joseph Michael Linsner is one of those artists whose books I read solely because of how pretty they look. I've never been particularly wowed by any of the Dawn comics' writing, but I keep on buying the damn things because Linsner's paintings make for such lovely images.
Over at Comic Book Resources, Eva Hopkins sat down and explained how she and Joseph worked out the cover art for their upcoming Dark Ivory, due to be published by Image Comics. It's a quick little read, but one I'd recommend for anyone who does comic-style artwork.
ANATOMY OF A JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER COVER [CBR]
I'm actually a pretty big fan of the Dark Horse Comics omnibus books, mainly because they ease my commuter pain when I have to sit in airports. So far, I've worked my way through both the first Aliens vs. Predator and Predator collections.
I've always been a huge fan of the Terminator comics which Dark Horse has published (the Robocop crossover is still a favorite of mine), and now I'll get to catch up on a number of the miniseries I missed reading when I was growing up because they're going to released in the first two volumes of the Terminator Omnibus. Volume 1 is coming out on February 20, with the second volume arriving in March.
Hit the jump for the full press release.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Canada, director Lexi Alexander took time off from her busy schedule to give an update to fans on the progression of The Punisher: War Zone (due to his theaters in September). I've been following the development of this film with some interest, as the director's cut of the 2004 version of The Punisher is a guilty pleasure of mine. However, based on Ms. Alexander's blog, it sounds like things are heading in the right direction and that this film with be much more true to its comic origins:
Tim Bradstreet was especially helpful to us during prep and we were lucky enough to get him on the phone a couple of times to pick his brain. So you can imagine how stoked I am to get Tim’s first reaction to what he had seen of the film so far. Here is an excerpt from his email: “I had an opportunity to see a ton of stills from the film and it looks sensational. The Jigsaw makeup is top. LOVED seeing Doug Hutchinson look like such a hard assed nut, and of course, Ray Stevenson looks AWESOME. They lit a lot of it like I light and [they] did a great job.”
Having looked at the pictures Alexander posted, I have to agree: Ray Stevenson (even though he no longer is wearing a toga and slaughtering Romans) does look fantastic as Frank Castle.
Déjà Vu [Lexi Alexander]
I can honestly say that I've never read a bondage comic. Ever. It's not that I have a problem with bondage, it's just that comics that revolve around any kind of sex hold very little interest for me. You know, kind of like how Archie comics don't interest me, either... just totally on the other end of the spectrum.
Anyway, iO9 has come upon a rather surprising discovery: a lot of bondage comics are actually set in a sci-fi environment, usually a post-apocalyptic one. And, of course, everyone's outfit is that black vinyl-and-leather getup. Some of the comics they make a note of sound kind of entertaining, actually... hell, I might even read one or two of them if I can somehow manage to ignore all the welts being doled out.
The Naughtiest Dystopian Fetish Comics (NSFW) [io9]
Joe Hill, the author of the very good (and very scary) Heart-Shaped Box and 20th Century Ghosts is teaming up with IDW comics to put forth a new horror/fantasy comic book titled Locke & Key.
The comic will tell the story about a group of children who find themselves in a New England mansion which possesses a number of fantastical powers and gateways which can change the fundamental essence of a person. Of course, there's also an evil monster lurking in the shadows trying to mess things up for our intrepid heroes as the story goes along.
I've read Heart-Shaped Box, and found Hill's very visual literary style to be refreshing and great at delivering the scares all at once. That, combined with the art of Gabriel Rodriguez (who did all the art for The Great and Secret Show), should make for an interesting comic experience.
Read the press release after the jump.
Grendel is one of those characters who I've been absolutely in love with ever since I discovered it back in the late 1980s. Funny as it sounds, the Batman-Grendel crossovers still hold a favorite spot in my comic collection.
Dark Horse Comics has a contest going on to coincide with the release of Grendel: Behold the Devil, so readers have until January 27 to register to win a couple of insane prize packages featuring Hunter Rose in all his glory.
If you're a fan of Grendel at all, I'd highly recommend entering.
Grendel Contest [Dark Horse Comics]
Zenescope, the publisher known for its... uh... unique take on Grimm's Fairy Tales, is apparently going to adapt the extremely hard-boiled crime thriller The Straw Men into a graphic novel format.
The adaptation of Michael Marshall Smith's book will be drawn by Brett Weldele, who's style works well for crime/noir genre comics. Personally, I tried to read The Straw Men a while ago and couldn't really get past the graphic scenes involving bad things being done to little girls, but I'm sure fans of book will love the adaptation.
Hit the jump to read the official announcement.
The Straw Men Are Coming... to Comics! [Michael Marshall Smith]
Seriously effed up. That's really all there is to say about Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. A creation of Jhonen Vasquez of Invader Zim fame, JTHM centers on the titular Johnny C. who is a serial killer and mass murder, but all around good guy. Through Johnny, Vasquez explores various elements of our urban-blighted, post-consumerist hell (I think he has just lived in LA too long) that we call the US. Major themes are evil, urban life, Heaven and Hell, tenuousness of personal relationships.
As I recently noted, the door to the post-apocalyptic world of Y: The Last Man is due to be closed and locked soon. As I've said before, the scheduled ending of a good series is always a little bittersweet (just look at how beautifully Vertigo wrapped up Lucifer and you'll see what I mean), but this time the ending is occurring with a bang. You see, MySpace, in a rare moment of doing something that doesn't make my skin crawl, is hosting a party to celebrate the comic's end, and Joss Whedon is due to make an appearance, as well. Not only that, but all proceeds from the party will be donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
February's event celebrates the final issue of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's post-male-apocalyptic fantasy Y: The Last Man, due to appear in stores at the end of this month. It takes place in popular LA comic store Meltdown, and Whedon - a collaborator on the Buffy Season 8 comic - will give a "keynote address," cementing his position as the Steve Jobs of geekdom.
The first 70 tickets have already sold out, but another 70 are going to go on sale the day of the party for $25 each. The party itself will take place on February 8 at Meltdown in Los Angeles. More information can be found here.
[via io9]
One of the great advantages of having Teh Interwebz at our command is the fact that comic publishers are starting to embrace digital distribution. DC Comics, it turns out, is taking this idea one step further and allowing readers access to free back-issues of a number of Vertigo titles, including Y: The Last Man, Swamp Thing, and Doom Patrol. For those of you who’re unfamiliar with Vertigo’s excellence, this is a great opportunity to get to know the “mature” line of DC Comics, as well as some of the literary styles of the industry’s most famous/infamous writers.
Seven Addictive Scifi Comic Books Free Online [io9]
The Circleis an action/espionage comic created by Brian Reed and Ian Hosfield, which has quickly wormed its way into my black little heart. Well, it's not hard: I'm a sucker for anything involving Soviets, missiles, and gunplay.
Issue #3 of The Circle is due to hit store shelves soon, and Brian Reed has posted a kind of director's commentary regarding the first issue, which is now completely available for your viewing pleasure over at Newsarama. If you're curious about the comic creative process, or if you just happen to be a cheap bastard looking for a way to read the comic without paying for it, I'd highly recommend checking it out.
THE CIRCLE #1 - THE FULL ISSUE (WITH COMMENTARY) [Newsarama]
"Oh Lois, you SO don't want to know!"
Comic of the Week
Frater Mine by Sean McGrath and Juan Romera
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