Teaser for Cartoon Network's up-coming: YOUNG JUSTICE

Comic-con is really cranking out some fun crap... look at what I found while browsing the inter-web. It looks like it has the best of the Teen Titans cartoon mixed with the action and adult feel that the Justiced League cartoon had. I can't wait for this one. Enjoy!

Five Comic Book related movies I’d like to see made:

1. Preacher: Super Violent, Crazy religious overtones, and a “literal” hunt to find God. Make it a trilogy, with a dark, dirty feel. Or better yet, a cable television series like they are doing for “walking Dead”. I think you’d have a sure fire hit.

2. Robin & the Teen Titans: Imagine a fun, semi serious, “Karate Kid-esque” film. A wholesome action film where comic fans and children alike could enjoy the ride. I’d treat it like the Teen Titans cartoon and make rare references to Batman, and the focus should be on Robin as a leader and his inability to have fun compared to other “hero” teens. Imagine the merchandise!

3. Secret Six: Get Gail Simone to write and blast away the “good guy” hero persona in movies. Break some rules and have the villains team up under a secret benefactor and have them fight heroes and other villains alike. If this movie has half the character care the book does, it’d be a great movie!

4. Irredeemable: Mark Waid’s, psycho Superman would really be a great action thriller. The feel that the movie, Hancock started, but taken to the Nth degree. Over the top violence and a handful of heroes terrified and powerless to stop him. A unique Hollywood Superhero movie!

5. Luke Cage: This one I think could really be awesome. I really like how Luke is such a street level, urban icon. Imagine a Dark Knight, for Marvel’s New York City? This lesser known hero could be the next Iron Man. Do it Marvel!

New Concept Posters for Marvel Movies... Summer 2011

I was surfing my regular comic sites and found some treasure! Bring on next summer's blockbusters!!

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/21/marvel-paramount-release-images-of-sdcc-exclusive-cap-and-thor/

2 voices from Comicbook Crossfire make the Paper

Thanks to Josefina Loza for the interview and letting us vent a little about Wonder Woman's new fashion.

Check out the story in today's Omaha World Herald, or at: http://www.omaha.com/article/20100719/ENTERTAINMENT/707199949#fans-wonder-about-makeover

Issue 20: The Crossfire Strikes Again!

http://podcast.com/episode/63207305/112186/

In Brightest Day, In Entertainment Weekly

Well, now that we've (maybe) gotten Wonder Woman's costume out of our system, what do we think of this first official image of Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern from Entertainment Weekly?

UPDATE: Newsarama has a hi-res version of the cover.

Our Own Tracie is a Little Older Today!!

The CBXF gang, wants to wish Tracie a Happy Birthday, and best of Luck at SDCC!!

Ok, just a few more Metropolis pictures...

I had to up load the last set with my phone, I thought I'd post a few more. Enjoy!

Superman walks... I took a Rental Car

I first learned about Metropolis, Illinois around my Freshmen year of college. Ever since then, it had been a dream of mine to visit the self appointed hometown of a true American Pop Culture Icon.

About a year ago, my wife suggested, lets make the road trip. We will drive to St. Louis, see the town, catch a game, then hit Metropolis, Illinois. Located about 3 hours South East of St. Louis, Metropolis is a true slice of roadside americana. So last week, we rented a car and made the journey.

When you first enter the town, you are greeted by 25 foot sign with a flying Man of Steel. The town then seems like any normal small midwest ville, except it has a wonderful secret.

The Americana/Movie Museum and shop in the center of town is true monument to collecting. Not only Superman stuff, but Horror Film collectables, Western Movies and TV, A crazy Pamela Anderson Tribute, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Old Fashion Casinos, A cool Finding Nemo display, and many other movies. But the thing that really impressed me was the Justice League/DC/Superman toy collection room. You name it, it was there. Mego dolls and beautiful statues. It was at this collectable museum, I ran into Jim Hambrick unloading his car.

I asked if he was the collector? He smiled and said "Yes, you see the stuff downtown yet?"

"There's more????" I said in surprise.

"Yup since you paid to get in here, show your reciept and you'll get in there too."

I talked with him a little bit more, hoping to show off my Superman skills, but found myself falling short as he went into meeting the original Superman creators, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster. His 5 million dollar Superman movie and memorabilia collection and claiming to have every comic Superman had appeared in. (To learn more: http://supermuseum.com/)

I shook his hand and headed to the downtown shop, where you'll find the 15 foot Superman statue, made famous recently when our President posed in front of it on his campaign trail. My wife and I went into the Superman shop/museum and let me tell you, as a Superman fan... it was incredible. A collection to rival any Smithsonian display.

This was an incredible trip for me, but what I found even more amazing was all the random families and travelers making the trek to get to this roadside mecca. I saw bikers and businessmen posing in front of the statue. For me, this was a once and a life time trip.

The Last Air Bender: Movie Vs. Cartoon

Its my vacation, its a weekday, and my wife and I just walked out of an empty theatre after watching "The Last Air Bender" in 3D. A movie my wife and I have been waiting for, for at least a year. And if I could summarize in one word: disappointing.

I know the anticipation and hype put this movie into out of reach standards, and Avatar is my all time favorite cartoon. How could it compare. It doesn't. It doesn't compare to most movies. All in all "AirBender" is pretty lousy. Dialog, Acting, and surprisingly... special effects were pretty poor too! I'm not going into everything that was broke or wrong... cause there is a lot. But if I could complain about one thing, its the characters...

The thing that makes the cartoon, Avatar, the last Air Bender special is character. Above all else, I have never watched a cartoon that cared more about character interaction and relationships than Avatar. If not for such rich characters, there wouldn't have been the following that lead to the movie. There is absolutely NO development of Sakka, or Katara. None! These 2 characters are used as a vessel to tell Aang's story, nothing more. And worse, M. Night still treats Sakka and Katara, like they are important, but have NO reason to be there. There is no friendship shown in the gang. No family development... not even cool moments that are fun. Aang is supposed to be a FUN person. the ONLY fun we saw was in flashback. I wanted more... I know things get cut up for movies... But cant we even see Aang smile? Just once! Or some interaction with Appa. I read that M. Night loved the characters while watching with his children... then why did he kill them?


Ok, the one shining thing about "Air Bender" was Uncle Iroh. Ok, so its not shining, its a little glossy. I would have made Uncle a little more asian... and short and fat. But they got the spirit of Uncle right. Which is more than I can say for Sakka or Katara. He was by far the best actor in the movie and he felt like he truly cared for Prince Zuko. Shaun Toub steals the movie!

I'm just sad... I was really hoping this was the new big thing. I was hoping it would catch on and maybe, just maybe it'd lead to more Avatar cartoons. (side note, the cartoon series ended beautifully, but left its self with a couple of loose strings to tie.) But, I have no idea how we are going to get 2 more "Air Bender" movies in the next couple of years.

Sorry folks, (sigh) Skip this movie.

Shameless Self-Promotion by Tracie Mauk

You may or may not know that when I'm not criticizing the way other (much better) people depict Wonder Woman, I sometimes draw comics of my own. Starting next week (knock on wood), I'll be publishing a webcomic with writer Kevin Church at Agreeable Comics. FIGHT! is a webcomic with the simple aim of encompassing everything we love about superheroes and none of the stuff we hate.

Pretty much just by having fun.

Please to enjoy.

FIGHT-COMIC.COM

Thanks to my CBXF pals for allowing me this brief commercial break. I return you now to your regularly-scheduled complaints about DC's new directions...

Meet Your New Spider-Man

Capping off a very intersting week for comics fans, after Wonder Woman scored herself some pants and a new origin (while potentially distracting folks from the fact that DC shut down their Zuda imprint, leaving a lot of fresh-faced comics creators devastated), Sony & Columbia Pictures have found their new Spider-Man for 2012's movie revamp directed by the aptly-named Mark Webb.

His name is Andrew Garfield.

He's British.

But, y'know, he's white.

So... Thank the Spider-Totem for THAT, right?

*sigh*

#donald4spiderman

Why has DC tinkering with Wonder Woman angered so many?

I have to ask one simple question. How many of you were reading Wonder Woman? In the last 5-10 years, comic fans, How many of you picked up Wonder Woman regularly? Really? I know a few people who were loyal readers. But, lets face it, In DC sales she is on the bottom of the list. She's not even the number one female character in the DC Universe anymore. I'd say Powergirl, Supergirl, Birds of Prey, Secret Six, and Teen Titans have much more popular female characters in their books than Wonder Woman in recent history.

So I ask, "Why do people care so much that they are messing with her?" You weren't buying her books. You weren't watching the JLA cartoon to see what Wonder Woman would do next. Yes, the DC Universe Animated Wonder Woman movie rocked! But despite all this, Diana the Amazon has had little respect among the comic reading community. (Yes, I know there are a few exceptional people out there. I, myself have read Wonder Woman for many years. I've enjoyed Gail Simone's, Alan Heinberg, Jodi Picoult, and Greg Rucka's run on the title, but it never stays consistent. Every 6 months I find I wanted to drop it, then a new team would come in, and I'd give it another try. If money was tight, her book was the first one I would drop.)

But why are people so passionate that Wonder Woman is changing? Is it because she's a 68 plus year Icon? We'll I can tell you, her costume changed and evolved many times in her years. Some were met with a lot of distaste, too. The white 70's dance outfit, for example. Also, her costume changed in the mid-90's to black jump shorts and a little jacket then too. Her costume will keep changing. Its part of what has kept her around for so many years. Characters have to evolve. And I for one, really like the new look. I think its more practical and will lend itself to be more friendly when "movie" translation time roles around. Visually I really like it. But lets face people, When they changed Superman, to Electric Superman, or Long Hair Superman, Black Costume Spidey, or pointy Metal Daredevil, or Vulgarian Guy Gardner, Dead Captain America, or Gray Hulk, or Az bats, or maskless Wolverine, Bearded Thor, or All the Dark Avengers, or Artemis or Hippolita as Wonder Woman… they eventually come back to the look that inspired them in the first place. The classic Wonder Woman isn't gone…

Ok, I will concede that Joseph Michael Straczynski, (JMS) that isn't on my best writer list. The premise he is currently establishing in Superman is very frustrating. (See earlier posts to view my rants) I'm not sure why DC turned the reigns of so many projects over to JMS at this time. Was it that the current creative teams we're burned out? I don't know. But I really enjoyed his run on Thor and Supreme Powers was an incredible read. I'm willing to give the man a chance. (2 - 3 issues, max)

Last, I'm hearing comparisons to Spider-man's Brand New Day. Oh… that would be terrible, wouldn't it? The Best Spider-man story ever told? The best sales that Spider-man ever saw? The deepest character evolution and story building Peter has ever under gone. I loved "Brand New Day" and even got into a yelling match at a comic store over the validity of changing Peter's Marriage. And once again… I point out, He's slowly evolving back to Pre-"Brand New Day" continuity. Wonder Woman needed attention. Over the years, she has had flashes of great creators on her book. And they will boost readers and sales for a while. But, eventually those creators jump or are moved to a bigger name and leave Wonder Woman. Where she slumps back to mediocrity and the bottom of most pull lists.

These are comic book characters and I'm incredibly passionate about their treatment too. I've grown up loving both DC and Marvel and love to have these events befall my heroes. But do you really think DC would just throw away an Icon if they didn't have a plan? And even if the plan fails. Wonder Woman will be back. Writers are challenged all the time to come in a fix their icons. Geoff Johns has made a career at DC doing it.

People this is the most we've talked about her since she was on TV in the late 70's. How can this not be anything but good. Wonder Woman deserved some public attention. Lets give her a chance for a bit, ok? Even if you hate the story and the look. If you're not complaining or reading her title, she'll go away. Once people realize how rich a character she really is, then maybe the drastic changes won't NEED to be done in order to get you to read.

Wonder Woman Rants! A friend of CBXF weighs in

The Following Post is an email I recieved earlier today. Shawn weighs-in on the Wonder Woman changes.

Subject: Wonder Woman's New Costume
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/comic-riffs/2010/07/wonder_woman_the_power_of_the.html

STREET RAT! (in a derogatory Danny DeVito voice) Stupid DC.... What kind of lame crap is this? Are they trying to make her modern and relatable? Talk about missing the mark completely. She's an individualistic AMAZONIAN. This isn't even close to suiting the characters attitude at all. You can go leather jacket with the Punisher, Ghost Rider, even Wolverine (although I prefer the yellow costume) because it's their ATTITUDE! Is this supposed to make her more accessable? If they are going for that, why not give Bat-Man a Louisville Slugger and call it good (just about EVERYBODY can relate to playing baseball, and just THINK of all the new sports fans that would love this! He could get even grittier and just BASH criminals heads in and say "Home Run" or "Pop Fly" when he's done with them. Wonderful!).... pff.... SOOO stylish..... If they want a style comic they should drop the "super" and make it an indie titlecalled "Diana in the City" or something. Just don't call it Wonder Woman.

And people wonder how I can say I love superheroes but stopped buying their books. Blackest Night (Green Lantern) was lame. Smallville should have had costumes, Heroes should have had costumes, and the X-Men, etc. movies shouldn't be afraid of some flashy-ness in their bright, beautiful colored costumes.

DC needs to get it together. They were always my favorite Super Hero company, but right now they should just be embarrassed.... (sorry for all the spelling errors. i just crapped this out on break)

Shawn Drapal 07/01/2010