Here's what coming out on August 26 from Boom Studios!
28 DAYS LATER #1
Written by Michael Alan Nelson
Drawn by Declan Shalvey
SC, 24 pgs, FC, SRP: $3.99
Diamond Code: MAY090724
COVER A: Tim Bradstreet
COVER B: Sean Phillips
COVER C: Brett Weldele
Alex Garland, screenwriter of 28 DAYS LATER, lays out a story connecting the film 28 DAYS LATER to its sequel 28 WEEKS LATER in a new ongoing series! Focusing on Selena, on of the three survivors of the first film, as she embarks on an epic journey of Selena’s return to Great Britain! Co-written by HEXED and FALL OF CTHULHU’s Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by newcomer sensation Declan Shalvey.
THE INCREDIBLES #0
Written by Mark Waid
Drawn by Marcio Takara
SC, 24 pgs, FC, SRP: $2.99
Diamond Code: MAY090734
THE INCREDIBLES #0 launches an all-new story arc written by legendary scribe Mark Waid with covers by Matt Wagner! We take a quick glimpse at the recent past…and witness the action-packed birth of everyone’s favorite super-powered baby—Jack-Jack! But labor pains were never THIS difficult! The Parrs will have to fight through a phalanx of evil before the new addition to their family can safely arrive! The action-packed prelude to next month’s launch of THE INCREDIBLES ongoing!
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK: THE TREASURE OF PEG-LEG WILSON #2
Written by Roger Langridge
Drawn by Roger Langridge
SC, 24 pgs, FC, (2 of 4), SRP: $2.99
Diamond Code: JUN090788
Roger Langridge’s celebrated run on THE MUPPET SHOW comic continues! Scooter learns that a cache of treasure is hidden somewhere within the theater…and when Rizzo the Rat overhears this, the news spreads like wildfire! Meanwhile, Animal’s acting very strangely—he’s now refined and well-mannered! And why is Kermit acting like he’s too cool for school?
THE UNKNOWN #4
Written by Mark Waid
Drawn by Minck Oosterveer
SC, 24 pgs, FC, (4 of 4), SRP: $3.99
Diamond Code: JUN090776
She has solved every mystery known to man. But there is one mystery that remains… UNKNOWN! Find out the answer in the epic conclusion to the critically acclaimed mini-series from Mark (KINGDOM COME) Waid and EXCALIBUR’s Minck Oosterveer.
JENNIFER’S BODY HC
Written by Rick Spears
Drawn by Jim Mahfood, Ming Doyle, Nikki Cook, Tim Seeley
HC, 112 pgs, FC, SRP: $24.99
ISBN13: 978-1-60886-501-7
Diamond Code: JUN090770
The movie event of the Fall is the comic book event of this Summer! JUNO’s award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody brings you JENNIFER’S BODY starring Megan Fox as a demonically-possessed cheerleader with a taste for killing teenage boys! In this original graphic novel that ties into the movie and expands on its universe, BLACK METAL’s Rick Spears brings you even more hellish Jennifer stories with art by HACK/SLASH’s Tim Seely, KICK DRUM COMIX’ Jim Mahfood, DMZ’s Nikki Cook, and POPGUN’s Ming Doyle.
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK TPB
Written by Roger Langridge
Drawn by Roger Langridge
SC, 128pgs, FC, SRP: $9.99
ISBN: 1-934506-85-0
ISBN13: 978-1-934506-85-1
Diamond Code: MAY090750
This hilarious trade collects the first four issues of THE MUPPET SHOW, written and drawn by the incomparable Roger Langridge! Packed full of madcap skits and gags, The Muppet Show trade is certain to please old and new fans alike! If you have a favorite Muppet, chances are it’s featured in this show-stopping collection!
TOY STORY: THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER TPB
Written by Dan Jolley
Drawn by Chris Moreno
SC, 112 pgs, FC, SRP: $9.99
ISBN: 1-934506-91-5
ISBN13: 978-1-934506-91-2
Diamond Code: JUN090795
This action-packed trade collects all four issues of TOY STORY: THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. Woody, Buzz and the gang encounter a mysterious egg-shaped toy… They crash Andy’s science fair in a heroic attempt to repair his broken exhibit… The toys must make peace with the family’s new dog, Buster… Can Woody stop him before it’s too late?
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Shocker Toys Indie Spotlight Comic Book Heroes: Shadowhawk Shocker toys steps into the 6” super articulated action figure arena with their Indie Spotlight Comic Book Heroes line. As the title suggest, the toy line is indeed based around the premise of comic book heroes. However, unlike Marvel legends or DC Universe Classics, this line focuses on more obscure comic heroes, such as Dick Tracey, The Maxx, The Tick, and of course Shadowhawk, amongst others.
Immediately, when I head about this line, memories of the Toybiz Legendary Comic Heroes sprung to mind, since it was based around a very similar concept. After the Marvel license went to Hasbro, Toybiz continued to produce action figures based on characters from independent comics. While the articulation and sculpts were great and for the most part on par with their fantastic work that had been put into establishing the Marvel Legends brand, the legendary comic book heroes toys seemed to meet a lukewarm reception at retail. And I think that it is in part due to the lack of instantly recognizable characters.
So, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between that line, and what Shocker toys are attempting to do with their indie spotlight comic book heroes line.
The Shadow Hawk figure, in the packaging is reasonably well presented. It consists of the typical bubble and card back. The Shadowhawk figure does not look very dynamic in the packaging, and has a very neutral pose. This may actually be a good thing though, because it prevents the chances of warped joints due to awkward positioning in the packaging. It’s certainly a safe option, even if it is not the most exciting.
The back of the package strangely is a lot more interesting to look at than the actual figure while in its box. It shows a variety of the other figures available in the wave, some of which do look very impressive, such as The Maxx and Kabuki. Also on the back of the box is the bio for the character. I thought this was a very important and welcome inclusion because it allows people who are perhaps not so familiar with the character to gain a solid footing. It is well written and concise, and features a nice illustration of the Shadowhawk himself. The package is also reseal able which is a bonus, for people who like to display the figures, but also put the figure back in the box when not in use.
And onto the figure. By no means is this a bad sculpt. Admittedly it is somewhat rudimentary if directly compared to something such as Marvel legends waves 13 or 14 standards. But if compared to some of earlier figures such as series 1 Iron Man or Captain America, it holds up very well from a sculpting perspective.
But, in saying that, I do feel however that the paint on the figure could have been a bit better, and probably would have helped to significantly enhance Shadowhawk's rather basic sculpt somewhat.
The paint that has been chosen appears to be very matte and dull, which unfortunately does very little to help the figure appear more endearing to those who may not already be aware of the character.
In terms of articulation there is a ball joint neck, which has considerable range of movement, ball joint shoulders, double hinged elbows and cut wrists.
He also has a slight upper torso and waist rotation. As well as ball joint legs, double hinged knees and a ball joint ankle. As I said earlier, looking at this figure it is easily comparable to the articulation level of the early Marvel Legends or Spider-Man classics waves.
The figure does feature some small sculpting detail on his belt. This is interesting because it works well for the character, since the belt is an integral part of his storyline. But the level of the sculpting detail and paint quality on the actual belt itself is mediocre at best.
The figure comes packaged with 2 accessories; there is a little ISZ creature, and a type of grapple gun that attaches to Shadowhawks arm. Personally I thought the ISZ creature was a little disappointing since it lacks any kind of articulation whatsoever, and it does not motivate me to “collect other figures to build an ISZ army” as the back of the packaging suggests. I feel that a display stand may perhaps have been a better accessory to include with Shadowhawk, since he has very tiny holes in his feet.
The figure does look alot more impressive with the grapple arm attachment in place. And it fits on his arm quite securely.
There are a few quality issues with the figure. For a start, the figure has armoured plates to cover his shoulders, however, they are basically placed directly over the circular top of the shoulders, and have no connection points. As a result, one fell off as soon as I removed the figure from the packaging, never to be seen again. This was a bit of a disappointment, but I decided to remove the other shoulder plate as a result, and I actually think that the figure looks and moves a lot better without them.
The head also can be removed quite easily, but that may not be a bad thing.
To sum up, it is a little difficult fully recommend this particular figure to someone who may not already be familiar with the Shadowhawk character. Because to be fair the simple sculpt and paint apps do not really help to bring Shadowhawk to life enough to make him stand out at the forefront of a collection.
However, I would suggest that anyone who is already familiar with the Shadowhawk or any of the other characters in this line, should seriously consider picking him up because scale wise he does fit in perfectly with other 6” comic character figures. And this perhaps may be one of the few opportunities to collect an in scale and articulated version of this tragic character.
He is available directly at Shockertoys.com and at retails for around $18 including postage.
Review and photographs by: Dean René Middleton
Staff Reviewer
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Image Comics and Shadowline introduce a brand new series featuring a concept that’s just crazy enough to work; COWBOY NINJA VIKING!
This October Image Comics’ newest hero shows just one personality may not be enough to save the world in the all new series from AJ Lieberman, writer of BATMAN: HUSH RETURNS, and PROOF artist Riley Rossmo: COWBOY NINJA VIKING!
"COWBOY NINJA VIKING is everything I look for in a series to bring to Image," Image Vice-President Jim Valentino said. "There is absolutely nothing else on the stands that looks or reads remotely like COWBOY NINJA VIKING, especially given its Golden Age dimensions and format. I certainly can’t think of any other titles featuring schizophrenic heroes combating evil with no less than three personalities.”
COWBOY NINJA VIKING is the birth child of Doctor Sebastian Ghislain, a psychotherapist who recruits Multiple Personality Disorder patients to create a unit of counter-intelligence agents called the Triplets. But what happens when those guys become out of control assassins? That’s when the deadliest Triplet of them all, COWBOY NINJA VIKING, is called in to take down his own brethren.
COWBOY NINJA VIKING #1 (AUG090294), a 24-page full color Golden Age-format comic book for $3.50, will be in stores October 7, 2009.
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Hero Initiative Stirs it up at Mini-Mega Con
With Special Guest Jeff Parker
Give always and loads more!
Hurricane Bill may be doing a lot of stirring up in the Atlantic Ocean, but Hero Initiative will be bringing the storm on land at Orlando, Florida’s Mini MegaCon August 22nd and 23rd. Jeff Parker will be in the eye of that storm as he signs, sketches, and more! Jeff will be giving away FREE hardcover copies of Marvel Comics’ Agents of Atlas, his best-known work to date, to select fans! So grab your friends and head over to the Hero booth!
For more information about the Con, check out the website at www.megaconvention.com.
Also check out Hero Initiative’s brand-new Hero Comics on sale at the booth, and our seductive Sachs and Violens perfume oils. You never know who the perfume may attract—namely, unexpected special guests at our booth. So be on the watch! And for more information on Sachs and Violens perfume oils or to order,
check out http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/heroinitiative-sv.html .
Hero Initiative’s Mini MegaCon talent schedule is as follows:
SAT., 22 AUG (HOURS 1000 AM-700 PM)
1030-1230: Jeff Parker
1230-230: Casey Jones
230-430: Jeff Parker
430-530: Jimmy Palmiotti
SUN., 23 AUG (HOURS 1000 AM-500 PM)
1030-1230: Jeff Parker
1230-100: John Beatty
230-430: Jeff Parker
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LeVar Burton is electric as Black Lightning in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Star Trek: The Next Generation star adds sci-fi cache to all-star cast of
sixth DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie
As the voice of Black Lightning, LeVar Burton adds another level of
fanboy cache to a cast thick with legends of the super hero genre in
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the next entry in the popular series
of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies boasts a cast headed by the definitive
voices of its three central characters – Kevin Conroy (Batman), Tim
Daly (Superman) and Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), the original voices
from the landmark Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The
Animated Series.
Burton is forever beloved by the sci-fi crowd for his memorable
performance as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next
Generation and its feature film versions. However, Burton has done far
more than go “where no man has gone before.”
In a career that essentially launched with his breakthrough
performance in the landmark miniseries Roots, Burton has garnered
seven Emmy Awards, three Image Awards, a Peabody as well as a Grammy,
and in 1990 was permanently enshrined as a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame.
Along the way, Burton has been a virtual fixture on television screens
– from his 176 episodes of Next Gen and 150 episodes of Reading
Rainbow, to another 41 episodes of The $10,000 Pyramid and 58 episodes
as Kwame in Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Along the way, he has
also directed several episodes of the last four Star Trek series (The
Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise), appeared in
feature films (most notably as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Ali), and
even spent some time in the recording booth for Batman: The Animated
Series, Gargoyles and Family Guy.
Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to
release the all-new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies on September 29,
2009 in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a
single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed
movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well
as available for download that same day.
Burton’s turn as Black Lightning brought him back to the recording
booth – and while he was there, he took the time to discuss the joys
of playing a super hero, his childhood comic book memories on a
military base in Germany, the importance of reading, and the use of
sci-fi as an inspiration for our future. Here’s LeVar …
QUESTION:
Was it difficult to settle on a voice for Black Lightning?
LEVAR BURTON:
I think everybody has a super hero that lives inside of them, so I
just went to that place, that deep kind of super hero voice.
QUESTION:
What were your comic book habits as a kid?
LEVAR BURTON:
I grew up, part time, in Germany. My father was in the military, so we
used to trade comic books for entertainment. On Saturdays, you took
your box with all your comic books and you went around from apartment
building to apartment building, trading comic books with the other
American kids living on the base. Television was in German
(language), so we didn’t watch TV – we read comics. But this was
before black super heroes came around – they didn’t start appearing
until the '70s. So it's mildly exciting for me to actually have a
chance to play a black super hero today.
QUESTION:
Choose one: Batman or Superman?
LEVAR BURTON:
When I was a kid, it was always Batman over Superman. Batman had all
the cool stuff, and he just had a vibe. Superman was the All-American
guy but, with Batman, there’s a little something going on. Batman’s
history was a little edgier, and there was just something really
attractive to me about the cowl. Superman is all out there, even
though he does the Clark Kent thing, but Batman keeps his identity
hidden. He has this double life that’s very sexy, very attractive for
a kid. Not that I didn’t like Superman – the whole kryptonite thing
is all well and good – but Batman was my guy.
QUESTION:
What makes comic books great literature?
LEVAR BURTON:
People ask me all the time, because I did Reading Rainbow on PBS for
25 years, “How do I get my kids to read?” And I say, “Find something
that they’re passionate about.” If it’s comic books that they want to
read, then buy them comic books, for goodness sakes. Comic books are
good literature and, like science fiction, they have a tendency to
really draw us toward that part of ourselves that imagines that which
we create.
I'm one of those people that believes that there was some kid back in
the 1960s watching Star Trek, and he kept seeing Captain Kirk pull out
this communicator and flip it open – and that kid grew up and became
an engineer, a designer of products, and we now have a device that is
more common than the toaster. How many flip phones do you see on a
daily basis? That which we imagine is what we tend to manifest in
third dimension – that’s what human beings do, we are manifesting
machines. The metaphor of a man who has an external electronic
device, something man-made that serves him and somehow serves
humanity, and that he becomes so aligned with that device, with the
power of that device, that at one point he can discard it – I think
that’s a real metaphor for the human journey. One day we won’t need a
transporter device to get from one place to another. And it begins
with the wheel and then migrates through airplanes to some future
technology that we can’t produce yet but we can imagine. Imagination
is really the key part of the human journey, it’s the key to the
process of manifesting what our heart's desire is.
When I was a kid, it was comic books that pointed me in that direction
and from comic books I went to science fiction literature, which is
still one of my most favorite genres of literature to read. Don’t
underestimate the power of comics and what they represent for us and
how they inform us on the journey of being human – because it’s
powerful. It’s very powerful. They give us permission to contemplate
what’s possible. And in this world, in this universe, there's nothing
that is not possible. If you can dream it, you can do it.
QUESTION:
Can you appreciate the passion of the sci-fi fan?
LEVAR BURTON:
Oh yeah. Because I am one. When I was a kid, I read a lot of science
fiction books and it was rare for me to see heroes of color in the
pages of those novels. Gene Roddenberry had a vision of the future,
and Star Trek was one that said to me, as a kid growing up in
Sacramento, California, “When the future comes, there’s a place for
you.” I’ve said this many times, and Whoopi (Goldberg) feels the same
way – seeing Nichelle Nichols on the bridge of the Enterprise meant
that we are a part of the future. So I was a huge fan of the original
series and to have grown up and become of that mythos, a part of that
family, and to represent people dealing with physical challenges, much
like what Nichelle Nichols represented for people like Whoopi and
myself, I can’t even begin to share with you what that means to me.
It was just beyond the beyond. So I get Star Trek fans, I get science
fiction fans because, again, science fiction literature is that body
of literature that causes us to ask what I feel are two of the most of
the most powerful words – in sequence, in language – “what if?” And
that’s an open door, that’s an open door to use your imagination to
dream and to dream the big dream. As an actor, I dress up for a
living and I get paid for it so, to see a guy come to a convention in
his costume that he’s made – it’s a good thing, you know. This guy
isn’t out there beating his wife or kicking his dog, he’s engaging in
a healthy fantasy role-play. I think too many grown ups forget how
important that part of our lives are, the ability to imagine and to
dream. So it’s all good.
QUESTION:
You’re Black Lightning for this film. If you could play any super hero
role, do you have a role you covet?
LEVAR BURTON:
Well, I’ll start with Black Lightning. That ain’t a bad place to
start. I mean, come on, if you’re going to play a super hero, why not
play the first real black super hero in the pantheon? I'm good with
that.
QUESTION:
Does voiceover work have any special appeal for you?
LEVAR BURTON:
I love voiceovers because, and I’m sure you hear this from actors all
the time, but it’s kind of pure acting. For many years on Next Gen, I
wore this visor over my eyes and one of the things that I discovered
was that it’s really difficult to communicate, or it’s harder to
communicate, when you can’t see someone’s eyes. As a result of playing
Geordi, I really do recognize how important the voice is – and what a
facile tool for communication the voice can be. When I was kid, we
listened to radio a lot for entertainment and I remember how vivid
that was for me. To this day, I listen to NPR and I love doing audio
books – because it’s like it’s pure storytelling. It’s sitting around
the fire and sharing stories, really engaging your imagination. So, as
an actor, sitting in front of a microphone and creating is just so
much fun because it really does break it down to its most pure and
elemental level. It’s just you and the voice and the character
telling a story.
QUESTION:
Does it ever feel odd to be acting all alone?
LEVAR BURTON:
Well, during the physical parts of the voiceover, when you’re doing
all the action scenes, I think if you were an alien and dropped into a
recording studio and were observing a session, you would really wonder
about the sanity of the beings that you are observing. But it’s fun
and it feels a little silly, but that’s what gets it done. When
they’re in that mode, I think actors are just big kids – and we like
playing in the sandbox.
For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s
official website at www.SupermanBatmanDVD.com.
LeVar Burton, the voice of Black Lightning, poses with
casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano and executive producer Bruce
Timm following a recording session for Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies, . The DCU Universe animated original movie is set for
distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
Black Lightning unleashes his electric power on Batman as super heroes
battle super heroes in the next DC Universe animated original movie,
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is set for distribution
September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video. LeVar Burton provides the
voice of Black Lightning.
Black Lightning and Power Girl square for battle during a key scene in
the next DC Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner
Home Video. LeVar Burton provides the voice of Black Lightning, and
Allison Mack voices Power Girl.
A conversation in the Batcave between two super heroes, Superman and
the ever-analytical Batman, during the early stages of the next DC
Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,
which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
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FROM DIRECTOR MICHAEL BAY AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER STEVEN SPIELBERG, THE BIGGEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR WORLDWIDE IS UNLEASHED ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures’ $820+ Million Global Smash Returns to Earth October 20 Armed with Explosive Special Features to Bring the Epic Battle Home in Two-Disc Blu-ray and DVD Sets
With more action and more thrills, TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen captivated audiences to earn over $820 million at the box office and become the #1 movie of the year in North America and throughout the world. The latest spectacular adventure in the wildly popular TRANSFORMERS franchise will make its highly-anticipated DVD and Blu-ray debut on October 20, 2009 in immersive, two-disc Special Editions, as well as on a single disc DVD, from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro; distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment. The eagerly-awaited home entertainment premiere will be accompanied by one of the division’s biggest marketing campaigns ever, generating awareness and excitement of galactic proportions.
>From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen delivers non-stop action and fun in an all-new adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Featuring out-of-this-world heroes in the form of the mighty AUTOBOTS and a malevolent and powerful villain known as THE FALLEN, the film boasts some of the most sensational—and complex—visual effects in film history set against the backdrop of spectacular locations around the world. In addition to audience favorites OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE, the film’s human stars have returned to help save the world including Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Megan Fox (How to Lose Friends & Alienate People), Josh Duhamel (“Las Vegas”), Tyrese Gibson (Four Brothers) and John Turturro (The Good Shepherd).
The TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen two-disc Blu-ray and DVD feature over three hours of in-depth, immersive special features that let viewers further explore the world of the legendary ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. Among the engrossing content is a multi-chapter documentary, including interviews with the cast and crew, that chronicles the entire making of the film from development and design to filming in locations around the globe, working with the U.S. military, creating the groundbreaking visual effects and putting it all together to produce the biggest film of the year. The discs also include an all-access featurette following renowned director Michael Bay through an entire day, a comprehensive exploration of the “confidential files” on a dozen of the TRANSFORMERS characters featured in the film, multi-angle breakdowns of some of the most sensational action sequences and much, much more.
The Blu-ray and two-disc DVD packages also will feature augmented reality technology that will allow owners to interact with a holographic image of OPTIMUS PRIME utilizing their webcams and a special website. Fans will be asked to piece together the Matrix of Leadership to bring OPTIMUS PRIME back to life, help repair his armor and calibrate his weapons by actually controlling his aim during target practice.
As an added bonus, the Blu-ray will include an exclusive interactive feature that gives viewers the ability to customize their own robot characters and get a glimpse at a rogue robot. Out of all the available permutations, one will unlock an exclusive interview with Michael Bay about his plans for the next adventure.
Two-Disc Special Edition DVD & Blu-ray:
The TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen two-disc Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The Blu-ray will be presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. The disc breakdown is as follows:
Disc 1:
• Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Disc 2:
• The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen—This multi-chapter documentary chronicles the entire creation of the film and includes interviews with the cast and crew:
o Seeds of Vengeance - Development and Design - After the overwhelming success of 2007’s Transformers, how do the filmmakers top themselves for the sequel?
o Domestic Destruction – Production: United States - Michael Bay believes in going big: Big action and big explosions. Cast and crew are pushed to the limit as they traverse the U.S. from New Mexico to Pennsylvania.
o Joint Operations – Production: Military - No other filmmaker in the world enjoys the kind of military access and cooperation Michael Bay has. Here we see just how efficient our armed forces are and the awe and respect shown by the cast.
o Wonders of the World – Production: Middle East - You can’t really reproduce Egypt anywhere but Egypt so off we go to Giza and Luxor.
o Start Making Sense - Editing - In order to turn over the massive amount of film as quickly as possible to VFX, four editors work tirelessly in a unique tag-team approach to shape the film.
o Under the Gun – Visual Effects – Revenge of the Fallen features the most complicated VFX in film history. So complicated in fact that the filmmakers were unsure they would make the deadline. The DEVASTATOR VFX alone required 83% of ILM’s total render farm capacity.
o Running the Gauntlet – Post-Production and Release - Working seven days a week, Michael Bay and company usher the film through sound design, Digital Intermediate color-timing and a globe-trotting whirlwind of premieres.
• A Day with Bay: Tokyo—An intimate and fun all-access journey with Michael Bay as he travels to Tokyo, Japan tor the world premiere of the biggest film of the year.
• 25 Years of TRANSFORMERS—Access an all-new featurette celebrating a monumental milestone for one of Hasbro’s most successful and popular franchises.
• NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—Explore conceptual artwork created by the production for 12 of the most popular AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS from the film.
• Deconstructing Visual Bayhem with Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto— A series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences allowing viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created with an introduction by Michael Bay.
• Extended Scenes
• Music Video: Linkin Park’s “New Divide”
BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE:
• The ALLSPARK Experiment—Viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles. Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise.
• NEST: Transformer Data-Hub—A database of some of the TRANSFORMERS characters that appear in the new film, offering users access to each robot’s confidential file including:
o Innovative 3D spin galleries of each robot
o A timeline for each TRANSFORMERS character charting its origins, back story and design evolution from toys to animated series to comics and finally feature films
• Giant Effing Movie – A very personal look at the making of the movie.
• The Matrix of Marketing—An archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.
A Message for All Mankind
The TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray and DVD debut will be supported by one of the largest marketing and promotional campaigns in Paramount Home Entertainment’s history. In addition to a multi-million dollar advertising blitz spanning television, print, radio and online, a stellar array of partners has joined forces with the studio to ensure that the AUTOBOTS’ message is transmitted to all of the Earth’s inhabitants.
Chevrolet returns as a partner with an awesome sweepstakes offering participants the chance to win a dream garage. The winner will select two Chevy vehicles of their choice from the most diverse line-up on the planet, including the coveted Camaro, the all new Equinox, the critically acclaimed Malibu, the legendary Silverado and others. A huge online campaign will drive consumers to TransformYourGarage.com to enter to win. Papa John’s will launch a massive national promotion in over 2,500 locations and featuring a multi-million dollar national television campaign promoting a $3.00 coupon for the DVD and Blu-ray. Papa John’s will also produce over two million limited edition TRANSFORMERS-themed pizza boxes and promote the offer and DVD release on 25 million pieces of direct mail and over 250 million online impressions. Land O’Frost will feature a $3.00 DVD rebate inside five million packages of One Pound Premium® deli pouch lunch meats. The promotion will be executed across nearly 20,000 supermarkets. Perdue will feature a promotion on 2.5 million packages of PERDUE® Refrigerated Breaded Chicken products featuring a $5 DVD rebate that will be promoted through a full-page free-standing insert ad and in-store POP.
Synopsis:
The battle for Earth continues in this action-packed blockbuster from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the TRANSFORMERS robots, he must accept his destiny and join OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE in their epic battle against the DECEPTICONS, who have returned stronger than ever with a plan to destroy our world.
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Make sure to grab a copy The Stand: American Nightmares #5 on-sale now!
There’s no celebrating independence day for the survivors of the Captain Trips virus. While Larry Underwood makes a startling discovery, Nick Andros’ life hangs in the balance. Unravel the shocking conclusion to this horror epic by the acclaimed creative team of writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Mike Perkins. In this adaptation of Stephen King’s seminal novel The Stand, immense consequences await our protagonists as Stewart Redmond crosses paths with Frannie and Harold!
Critics and fans alike have been praising Marvel’s graphic fiction adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand:
“The comic is damn fine-looking and extremely well-written.” -Kyle Posluszny, weeklycomicbookreview.com
“Like Stephen King’s best work, it features an illuminating and authentic study of characters.” – Benjamin Birdie, Comicbookresources.com
“Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has been brilliant in adapting Stephen King’s novel into the comic medium…taking all the emotion and horror from the classic horror novel and capturing it perfectly. A tremendous achievement.” – Paul Stotts, Bloodofthemuse.com
“Marvel's adaptation of The Stand continues to stir intrigue about as well as any book out there.” – Daniel Crown, IGN.com
As hope dwindles, does the world ever see fireworks again? Does the dark man’s evil plan corrupt them all? As this series comes to a close, prepare yourselves for the exciting arrival of volume three: Soul Survivors! But before then, catch the second volume’s horrifying finale in The Stand: American Nightmares #5!
For more on The Stand, please visit www.marvel.com/thestand or www.stephenking.com.
THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #5 (OF 5) (JUN090446)
THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #5 (OF 5) BERMEJO SKETCH VARIANT
THE STAND: AMERICAN NIGHTMARES #5 (OF 5) PERKINS VARIANT
Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Penciled by MIKE PERKINS
Cover by LEE BERMEJO
Variant Cover by MIKE PERKINS
Sketch Variant by LEE BERMEJO
Parental Advisory…$3.99
ON SALE NOW
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS PREMIERE HC (DEC082308)
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS PREMIERE HC LIMITED EDITION VARIANT (DEC082309)
Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Penciled by MIKE PERKINS
Covers by MIKE PERKINS & LEE BERMEJO
Parental Advisory SLC …$24.99
ON SALE NOW!
Published by arrangement with The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. This graphic novel is produced under license from The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group and Stephen King.
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