Radical Comics has released what coming out on Spetember 2nd.
HOTWIRE: REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD #4
Created by STEVE PUGH and WARREN ELLIS
Based on a story by WARREN ELLIS
Written and illustrated by STEVE PUGH
28 pages, FC, $2.99
4 covers, one each by Steve Pugh, Jelena Djurdjevic and Garry Leach along with a wraparound cover by Alan Brooks
Hotwire #4 Cover A: by Steve Pugh Diamond Code: MAR094396
Hotwire #4 Cover B: by Jelena Djurdjevic Diamond Code: MAR094397
Hotwire #4 Cover C: by Garry Leach Diamond Code: MAR094398
Hotwire #4 Wraparound Cover D: by Alan Brooks Diamond Code: MAR094399
From the revolutionary storytelling of Steve Pugh and Warren Ellis comes the electrifying climax! What do you do when your city is under siege from a riot, your personal war against the "blue lights" has spun into all-out chaos, and all the good choices are long gone? If you're Alice Hotwire, you risk everything to face the horror of Amir Malik and uncover a truth that could both save the city—and destroy it at the same time.
HERCULES: THE KNIVES OF KUSH #2 (2 of 5)
Writer STEVE MOORE
Artist CRIS BOLSON
Colorist DOUG SIROIS
Letterer TODD KLEIN
28 pgs, FC, $2.99
Delve into the shadows of a hero as we continue this untold tale from Hercules' dark past. As the son of Zeus and his companions begin their search for the traitors in the Egyptian king’s palace, they long for the excitement of the battlefield. But when military secrets continue to leak from the palace, the Greeks are forced to consider a long shot to gain information. Can even the courage of Hercules withstand a trip to Nakhtkeru the Necromancer?
Featuring covers by Marko Djurdjevic and Clint Langley.
Hercules #2 cover A: by Marko Djurdjevic Diamond Code: JUN091054
Hercules #2 cover B: by Clint Langley Diamond Code: JUN091055
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Enemies from the Past and Future Collide In WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN: BEGINNING OF THE END, The Third Volume of The Hit Animated TV Series
Witness the Launch of a Legendary Series with the Three DVD Set of WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN VOLUMES 1-3
Street Date: 11/3/09
Order Date: 10/7/09
Wolverine and the X-Men: Beginning of the End DVD SRP: $14.98
Wolverine and the X-Men: Volumes 1-3, 3-DVD Set DVD SRP: $29.98
This November, Marvel Animation and Lionsgate will bring fans the ultimate showdown between humans and mutants with the eagerly awaited third volume of the hit animated series Wolverine and the X-Men, as well as a boxed set containing the first three volumes of this fan-favorite show. Wolverine and the X-Men: Beginning of the End follows Wolverine and the X-Men as they face potential demise in five apocalyptic episodes featuring audio commentary from the show’s creators, and a glossed/embossed O-card. With the release of the third volume, new fans can jump on board in time for the holiday season with the release of the new box set Wolverine and the X-Men Volumes 1-3. The set is encased in bookcase sleeve packaging and comes complete with a unique collectible WXM Laser CelTM (while supplies last) sure to appeal to collectors everywhere.
Both titles from the hit series arrive on DVD on November 3, 2009 with Wolverine And The X-Men: Beginning of the End available for the suggested retail price of $14.98, while Wolverine and the X-Men Volumes 1-3 is available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 -- an incredible value vs. buying each DVD individually!
With 45 years of best selling comic books, a massive fan base spanning all ages and three feature films grossing over one billion dollars at the box office, the franchise is a proven phenomenon. Volumes 1 & 2 of the hit TV series have already shipped over 350,000 units to date. Though the animated series is targeted to boys 6-11, it also appeals to comic book fans of all ages!
SYNOPSIS
Wolverine and the X-Men: Beginning of the End: Wolverine and the X-Men fight to stay alive as sinister forces usher in the beginning of the end. In Volume 3, five apocalyptic episodes weave together the tale of the X-Men’s potential demise. In “Future X,” deadly plans are set in motion when Xavier and Cerebro are captured by the malevolent Sentinels. “Greetings from Genosha” welcomes Nightcrawler into a world of killer seduction on Magneto's deceptive island paradise. Time is running out for Logan as he is haunted by the darkness of his past with Weapon X in “Past Discretions.” In "eXcessive Force," Cyclops blasts his way through one old foe after another to find the missing Jean Grey. And the X-Men make what might be their last stand in "Battle Lines", when Rogue uncovers the Brotherhood's seemingly unstoppable plan to trigger the war between mutants and humans.
Wolverine and the X-Men: Volumes 1-3: Includes Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the hit TV series Wolverine and the X-Men.
Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy: In the late 20th century, Professor Charles Xavier created The Institute for Gifted Youngsters, a place where young “mutants” could learn to harness their incredible abilities. But after a mysterious explosion devastated the school, Xavier’s students – the X-Men – disbanded and the man known as Wolverine struck out on his own. One year later, the fiercely independent Wolverine must reunite the X-Men to prevent the world from falling into chaos. Only together can the X-Men steer the course of history away from catastrophe!
Wolverine and the X-Men: Deadly Enemies: Join Wolverine and the X-Men as they continue their fight to prevent an unspeakable future! The action begins as the X-Men strive to free Storm from the Shadow King and Wolverine teams with Gambit to reclaim a collar that inhibits mutant powers. Nightcrawler battles Mojo’s pirates while Wolverine faces off against the Incredible Hulk – and a new enemy. And in a shocking request from Professor Xavier in the future, Wolverine and the X-Men must return a young mutant back to their biggest adversary, the MRD.
Wolverine and the X-Men: Beginning of the End: Wolverine and the X-Men face potential demise in five apocalyptic episodes! Xavier and Cerebro are captured by the malevolent Sentinels. Nightcrawler is lured onto Magneto’s sinister island paradise and Logan is haunted by his dark past with Weapon X. Cyclops takes on old and new foes, and battle lines are drawn when Rogue uncovers the Brotherhood’s terrifying plan to annihilate human and mutant kind alike.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
Wolverine and the X-Men: Beginning of the End
• Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle, Head Writer Greg Johnson and Writer
Chris Yost
• Astonishing X-Men: Gifted – The Motion Comic, Episode 1
Wolverine and the X-Men: Volumes 1-3:
Volume One:
• Character Profiles: Wolverine and the X-Men
• “Making of Wolverine and the X-Men” featurette
• Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle and Head Writer Greg Johnson
• Audio commentary with Lead Director Boyd Kirkland and Director Steven Gordon
• “Nicktoons Network Going InScene” Wolverine and the X-Men
Volume Two:
• Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle, Head Writer Greg Johnson and Writer
Chris Yost
Volume Three:
• Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle, Head Writer Greg Johnson and Writer
Chris Yost
• Astonishing X-Men: Gifted – The Motion Comic, Episode 1
*Special features subject to change
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LUCASFLIM, THQ WIRELESS AND DARK HORSE COMICS PARTNER TO BRING STAR WARS™ TO THE iPHONE
In a partnership that will echo through the cosmos, Lucasfilm, THQ Wireless, and Dark Horse Comics will release Star Wars™ comics to the iPhone mobile platform for the first time ever!
The selection of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Vol. 1 – Shipyards of Doom, Star Wars: Empire Vol. 1 – Betrayal and Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 1 – Broken represents three of the most important time periods in the history of the Star Wars galaxy. The three collections will span the time between the Clone Wars era, the Classic era and the distant future.
Star Wars: Empire Vol. 1 – Betrayal is set just weeks before the events of the original film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and follows a faction of disgruntled Imperial Officers attempting to overthrow Emperor Palpatine. But the plot is complicated by the emergence of the bounty hunter Boba Fett and by the loyalty of Darth Vader to his dark master. Betrayal will be released in four chapters, written by Scott Allie and drawn by Brian Horton.
Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 1 – Broken takes place more than a century after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and focuses on a fifth-generation Skywalker named Cade, a rogue Jedi and bounty hunter who travels the galaxy living by his own code. Broken will be released in two parts, written by John Ostrander and drawn by Jan Duursema.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Vol. 1 – Shipyard of Doom is based on the wildly popular animated series from Lucasfilm Animation and highlights events from the epic time period when Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Ahsoka Tano struggled to maintain order and peace in a war-torn galaxy. Shipyards of Doom will be release in its entirety, written by Henry Gilroy, and drawn by the Fillbach Brothers.
Working together with Lucasfilm and THQ Wireless, Dark Horse Senior Editor Randy Stradley and Senior Web Designer Mike Denning carefully reformatted each panel and page to maximize the visual grandeur while staying true to the original comic books. All parties involved ensured that the material would transition to the new medium in the best format possible, delicately considering every word balloon and background image.
Dark Horse President Mike Richardson is delighted with the new program, stating, “Lucasfilm has been a proud and longstanding partner of ours, and I’m equally excited to be working with the wonderful people at THQ Wireless on this program. The stories of The Clone Wars, Legacy, and Empire embody some of the best comics in the Star Wars universe that Dark Horse has ever released. I think it’s wonderful that these key tales will be available to fans everywhere in a new and accessible way.”
Adam Comiskey, Vice President THQ Wireless commented, “Bringing a selection of some of the finest comic books to the iPhone mobile platform is an exciting chapter in our relationship with Lucasfilm. Our partnership with Dark Horse means that for the first time, Star Wars Fans will be able to use their iPhone to view a fantastic line up of comics.”
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Screenwriter Stan Berkowitz successfully adapts another classic DC Comics graphic novel to film with Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Justice League: The New Frontier writer brings Jeph Loeb comic to life in all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie for distribution Sept. 29
Screenwriter Stan Berkowitz guides another classic DC Comics graphic novel to animated glory with the September 29 Warner Home Video release of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Berkowitz brought Darwyn Cooke’s landmark Justice League: The New Frontier from pages to screen in 2008, and this year he’s converted the words of Jeph Loeb into a summer popcorn-style blockbuster with the crafting of the script for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation will present the all-new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies 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 on Sept. 29.
In Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his “partner in crime,” Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite – and recruit help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the
asteroid, and uncover Luthor’s devious plot to take command of far more than North America.
Berkowitz has been actively writing for 30 years, focusing his efforts on animated properties for the past dozen years. His animated credits range from Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League, The Batman and Legion of Super Heroes, with stops on shows like Static Shock, Batman Beyond and Spider-Man along the way. Prior to moving into the animated realm, Berkowitz garnered
credits writing episodes of T.J. Hooker and the latter-day versions of Dragnet and Adam 12.
Berkowitz pushed the keyboard aside to discuss the differences between his film and Loeb’s initial take on the tale, the importance of great voice actors and a fine director, reaching into the DC vault for his childhood memories, the little things Alan Burnett does to make a big impact, and the ideal writing environment. Read on … Stan Berkowitz is speaking.
QUESTION:
Why was this story right for you?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I love the political aspect of it. In the comic book that Jeph Loeb wrote, it was assumed that everyone knew the backstory to how Luthor got elected President. But we needed the movie to show an audience, who might not be familiar with the comics, exactly what would have to happen for Luthor to be elected. I sort of envisioned Luthor ascending to the Presidency somewhere around 2012. I didn't quite predict the
catastrophe we'd be seeing in 2008. But I figured that something bad would happen, and then Democrats would be elected in 2008, they wouldn’t be able to solve the problem and, in 2012, a tough, Ross Perot-style third party bid would be the one who'd be elected.
It was kind of fun for me to envision the political atmosphere that would have to take place in order for that to happen. And I also had a wonderful time going with Jeph's depiction of Luthor's descent into insanity – always keeping in mind that Clancy Brown would be enacting the dialogue. It was just great to write that.
QUESTION:
Superman/Batman: Pubic Enemies follows Justice League: The New Frontier as your second DC Universe film adaptation of a classic DC Comics graphic novel/com series. Are there specific challenges to adapting a well-known story?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
Each adaptation is different, and presents different challenges. In New Frontier, the challenge was compressing all the material into a coherent 75-minute story. In Public Enemies, the challenge was making the thematic concerns concrete because the comic author had the luxury of a narrator to talk about the themes. And when we did the screenplay, we had to show the themes in action, having things happen to illustrate those themes.
For Public Enemies, there was also the issue of credibility. We were concerned that if a person who vaguely knows Superman and Batman grabs this off the shelf and sees Lex Luthor as President, he might think, “hey, what's going on here?” It might just put them off, or make them think this was an alternate world story. And that’s not how it’s advertised. The other credibility issue is that in the comic, Luthor
believes that the meteor is coming to Earth because of Superman. As a reader, I could not get past the fact that the public buys Luthor's explanation. I didn't believe an audience watching this as an animated production would buy Luthor's explanation. So Alan (Burnett) and Bruce (Timm) and I had to figure out an alternate way for Luthor to frame Superman. I think it worked very well.
QUESTION:
What makes Lex Luthor such a great villain?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I think anytime you do a story, you have to ask yourself, “What does the villain want?” And the more complex the villain, the more unusual a thing it is that he wants – and, thus, the better the story will be. In Luthor's case, he's like Salieri to Superman's Mozart. Salieri would have been the era's greatest composer had it not been for Mozart, and Salieri knows this. In the same vein, Luthor would have been the leading light of our generation except for Superman, and there's nothing that he can do about it. He's cast into the shadows, and that's why he has that pathological hatred of Superman.
QUESTION:
You've written Batman, and you've written Superman. Now you’ve gotten to write them together? What’s that dynamic like to combine them and use that chemistry to bring out the personalities?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
Well, Batman and Superman are opposites. Superman has always been presented as the character from the light, the daytime; Batman from the nighttime. They have decidedly different outlooks. Superman is the ultimate kid from Kansas, who had a real healthy upbringing. Batman is the tormented orphan. In a way, Superman's outlook is too sunny, and Batman’s is too dark. The two of them work against each other, trying to temper each other's attitude.
Superman wants to cheer up Batman to a certain extent, and Batman wants to make Superman aware that there is a darker world under what Superman normally sees. It’s fun to create banter between them. It was also fun to adapt the banter that was in the graphic novel, and we used a lot of it. Jeph’s words were so good, we just pulled dialogue directly from the pages of the novel.
QUESTION:
Are you thinking of the cast’s voices when you're writing and, if so, does that help you write?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I’m definitely thinking of the actors' voices. Not to denigrate Superman and Batman, but this is Luthor's story. Luthor has more dialogue than either Batman or Superman. And frankly, I actually gave him even more dialogue in those long speeches because I was hoping Clancy Brown would get the part, which he did. It’s so pleasurable to
watch – and hear – Clancy do those Luthor lines, to watch Clancy's descent into madness. It just brought me back to the days when I got into this medium in the first place. Suddenly, I was just a 13-year-old with a movie camera having fun with my friends and doing these little movies. It had that same visceral pleasure for me. Tim (Daly) and Kevin (Conroy) are sensational, too – those were also the voices I had in mind while I was writing. But this really is Clancy's vehicle this time.
QUESTION:
Do you remember your first experience with Superman and with Batman?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
Easily. The reason I remember this so well is that when I started working on the show Superboy in Florida, I was flown to New York to meet Mike Carlin and Andy Helfer at DC Comics. And we talked for most of the day about the Superboy show and then they just casually mentioned, “Oh, by the way, we happen to have a library here of all the comics that DC has ever done.” Well, I got to go see it. I went into that library and found the very first two comics I'd ever gotten. One of them was an issue of Batman Detective Comics with a character called Garth, and it involved a crossbow being used to kill someone in an empty room. The strings had been held back by a cake of ice. And when the ice melted, the crossbow let go and killed the guy sitting in this deserted room. And the other one was a Superboy Adventure Comics
from August of '58, where Superboy played all the positions on a baseball team, thanks to his super speed. And I remember I'd been sick in the evening, and my father went out and got the medicine for me, and also picked up those two comic books. So it was kind of cool, almost like reaching into a time capsule, because I hadn't seen the comics in over 30 years.
QUESTION:
What is your strength in this industry?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I think part of my strength is work habits. One of the lessons I learned from my very first job after film school was from Russ Meyer. He said that from the time you wake up 'til the time you go to sleep, when you’re on a show, the show owns you. You don't own the show. There's no going home at 6:00 at night. I have no idea if there's any creativity involved (he laughs), but I'm fairly certain that the conscientiousness might explain some of the longevity.
QUESTION:
Which presents more challenges: writing an original Stan Berkowitz story or adapting someone else's work?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
Doing an original presents more challenges. The adaptations are already there – the studio knows they want to do it. In both the case of New Frontier and Public Enemies, I was approached by the studio and asked if I wanted to adapt them. Getting your own thing off the ground is much, much more difficult because even in our little world of animation, the, pre-selling is an important factor. And in both the
case of New Frontier and Public Enemies, you had best-selling comics that the fans already knew.
QUESTION:
What's the perfect environment for you to write in?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I like an empty room, and that's all I really need because there are absolutely no distractions. No TV, no internet, just a quiet room. It works for me. And it helps me to work faster. From the day they decided to do Public Enemies until the day that the first draft of the script was ready, it was exactly 60 days – which is really, really fast for a feature-length project.
When I started writing in film school, I'd have the TV on. Now I can't even have music on. It just has to be dead quiet with nobody around, nobody coming to bother me. It’s all about concentration. I can go for about two hours before I need a distraction, then I come back and go for another two hours. If you plan your whole day carefully, you can get in eight hours of work and probably six to seven pages of finished screenplay a day. There are other writers who can do 10 or 12, but they're probably burned out after about a week or two.
QUESTION:
Beyond the narrative, are there any other key differences between Jeph Loeb's version and what we'll see in the movie?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
I think the largest one involves what Superman is framed for. We just didn’t find it credible that the American public would believe that Superman was somehow drawing the meteor to Earth. We thought we needed something that made a little bit more sense.
My first instinct was to have Superman accused of an attempted murder on Metallo, and then have this whole thing where ultimately Metallo plays a key role by donating his skeleton to be the nose cone of the rocket. That didn’t work, and then Alan (Burnett) suggested having Metallo murdered and framing Superman for that. Then Alan asked the next question and answered it himself. “Why would anybody believe that
Superman had killed Metallo?” And the answer that Alan gave for why people would believe that Superman would kill was that Superman's mind was already being affected by the kryptonite radiation coming from the approaching meteor. Suddenly, the public is afraid that a crazed Superman could just go off the handle and kill anyone. I felt that that was a very effective way of framing Superman.
QUESTION:
What’s the influence of Alan Burnett on the DC Universe films?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
Alan Burnett has become an uber editor of all of the DCU DVDs, and hopefully that remains his role from now on. I started working for Alan in 1996 and, in my opinion, you could not ask for a better guy in that position. He’s almost always one of the few adults in the room. Inevitably, he'll come up with something that seems really small, but then changes the whole story and makes it work. The radiation effecting Superman’s mind is a perfect example. I never would have thought of that. But then here’s Alan sitting quietly and then saying something that fixes everything. That's what Alan does. His criticisms are always constructive. And you never, never see much ego involved – at least I haven’t in the past 12 years.
QUESTION:
What it's like for you to hear your words take life in a recording session?
STAN BERKOWITZ:
It’s fun, but it makes you appreciate just how good everyone else involved really is. For starters, Andrea (Romano) makes it look very, very simple, but I urge anyone who thinks it's simple to actually try to direct actors. It’s hard. Very hard. They speak a different language. We were working on an episode of Justice League, and I
happened to get to the recording session early and the only other person there already was the lead villain. We started chatting and, of course, the conversation turned to “How did you see this guy?” So I tell him my concept of the character. I swear to God, it took Andrea an hour of recording time to undo the damage I'd done because I spoke to him from the wrong perspective. An actor wants to know the internal emotional aspect of how the character feels, and I was describing the
character from the outside, as how you would see him.
I’ve been blessed in that Andrea is one of the few dialogue directors I’ve worked with since 1996. When you hear an actor – who’s either bad or who’s badly directed – doing your dialogue, you start thinking, “Oh my God, I'm a terrible writer.” And then you hear your words being directed by good director, working with good actors, and you say, “Hey, I'm good. I can write dialogue.” That's the pleasure of being in
a recording session for one of your scripts.
For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s
official website at http://www.supermanbatmandvd.com/.
Stan Berkowitz wrote the script for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the next DC Universe animated original movie, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
U.S. President Lex Luthor claims an oncoming kryptonite meteor has driven Superman mad, leading the Man of Steel to commit murder in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The DC Universe animated original movie will be distributed September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
Bruce Wayne runs calculations in the Batcave, trying to stop an oncoming kryptonite meteor in the next DC Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Warner Home Video will distribute the film on September 29, 2009.
Silver Banshee is one of the dozens of super villains who try to capture the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the next DC Universe animated original movie, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
Superman is forced into one battle after another as both super heroes and super villains alike seek to capture the Man of Steel in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The DC Universe animated original movie will be distributed September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
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Six Action-Packed Animated Features Come Together for the Very First Time
for an Incredible Price!
Street Date: 10/13/09
Order Date: 9/16/09
DVD SRP: $49.98
Marvel Enterprises and Lionsgate unveil the most exciting new gift of the holiday season with the very first compilation of the mightiest super heroes in the Marvel Universe with the DVD release of the Marvel Animation: 6 Film Gift Set. This complete collection is a must-have for comic fans everywhere as it includes all six of the Marvel full-length animated features currently released on DVD: Ultimate Avengers: The Movie, Ultimate Avengers 2, The Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow and Hulk Vs. Each DVD is jam-packed with special features including games, first looks, trivia, concept art, featurettes and more that give fans of all ages intimate behind-the-scenes access to the creation of each film. The Marvel Animation: 6 Film Gift Set is available on DVD on October 13, 2009 for the suggested retail price of $49.98.
With over 4.1 million units sold to date, the compilation is being made available for an incredible price - a 48% savings vs. buying each DVD individually.
SYNOPSIS
Get into the action with The Invincible Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America and more of the mightiest names in the Marvel® universe for this action-packed 6-DVD set of Marvel Animated Features – the first-ever animated full-length movies from Marvel! Bursting with the thrilling stories and animation that stay true to their comic book roots, these six films deliver the ultimate Marvel experience!
* Ultimate Avengers: The Movie: The extraordinary story of six very independent heroes who like it or not, must fight as one to save the world.
* Ultimate Avengers 2: To save humanity, the Earth’s mightiest heroes must join forces with the Black Panther for a rematch of heroic proportions.
* Doctor Strange: After awakening the gift of magic within him, Dr. Stephen Strange – the new Sorcerer Supreme – tests his powers against the most terrifying entity humankind has ever known.
* The Invincible Iron Man: It’s East meets West as a brutal 3,000-year-old dynasty is resurrected. Now Tony Stark must don an armored suit and become Iron Man to stand up against the risen emperor, the Mandarin.
* Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow: The teenage children of the original Avengers join forces with the Incredible Hulk to battle Ultron, the machine that defeated their parents.
* Hulk Vs.: There’s twice the carnage and action as Hulk clashes with two of his greatest adversaries, Wolverine and Thor! Two films included in one epic release: Hulk vs. Wolverine and Hulk vs. Thor.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
Ultimate Avengers: The Movie:
• “Avengers Assemble” featurette
• The Ultimate Voice Talent Search
• What Avenger Are You? DVD-Rom game
• First Look at Ultimate Avengers 2
• Avengers Trivia Track
Ultimate Avengers 2:
• “The Ultimates” featurette
• The Ultimate Gag Reel
• First Look at The Invincible Iron Man
• First Look at Doctor Strange
• What Avenger are You? DVD-Rom game
The Invincible Iron Man:
• Alternate Opening Sequence
• “The Origin of Iron Man” featurette
• The Hall of Iron Man Armor
• Iron Man Concept Art
• A Look at Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange:
• The Best of Marvel Videogame Cinematics
• “Who is Doctor Strange?” featurette
• A First Look at Avengers Reborn
• Doctor Strange Concept Art
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow:
• “Legacy: The Making of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” featurette
• A First Look at “Hulk Vs. Wolverine”
• A First Look at “Hulk Vs. Thor”
• “Kid Power: Next-Gen Marvel” featurette
Hulk Vs.:
• Hulk Vs Wolverine: Audio Commentary with Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
• Hulk Vs Thor: Audio Commentary with Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
• “First Look – Wolverine and the X-Men” featurette
• “First Look – Thor: Tales of Asgard” featurette
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Our look back at Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics line continues with Faker, The Evil Robot of Skeletor. Faker was first available at the 2009 New York Comic Con and then later on mattycollector.com where he sold out in a matter of hours. Thanks to a truly spectacular paint job, Faker is one of the stand out figures from the MOTUC line. As one of the earlier figures in the series, it is likely we will see him reissued at some point in 2010, assuming the sales of the reissued He-Man and Skeletor go well.
Despite his intriguing appearance, as a character, Faker has always been a bit underdeveloped. In his sole appearance in the Filmation series, he was showed as being a virtual duplicate of He-Man, without the weird blue skin and red hair sported by his action figure. Faker was very briefly introduced in the 2002 series as a robot built by Man-At-Arms when Prince Adam was captured by Skeletor. He was to have played a major part in the third season of show before it was canceled. His package bio borrows heavily from what we can suppose is the 2002 series bible and, yet, the mystery of his bizarre appearance is not addressed.
I’ll admit, this was not a character for which I was excited. To me, issuing such a blatant repaint so early in the line was a big disappointment. On top of that, Faker was never a character I liked due to his inexplicably silly appearance (How exactly was he supposed to fool anyone into thinking that he was He-Man?) So it was to my complete surprise that Faker has become one of my favorite figures in the line.
Being a repaint, he shares the same body with the earlier He-Man figure and he has armor that is from Skeletor. He differs from He-Man in the “tape-deck” application stamped on to his chest, much like his earlier figure. Where Faker shines is in his amazing paint job on both the figure and his accessories. While he is blue, he is a different shade from Skeletor. Faker is painted a funky, eye-popping electric blue. His boots are painted a deep purple with black bands. His gauntlets and belt weathered silver that really pops against the blue skin and the purple loincloth. The head sculpt that I disliked so much on He-Man here works a lot better. The angry beady-eyed stare is far better suited to a pissed-off robotic clone of He-Man than to the most powerful man in the universe, himself.
For a repaint, Faker actually comes with less accessories than He-Man. He comes with Skeletor’s armor, an orange power sword and a half-sword that connects with that of He-Man. Fortunately, the excellent painting is not limited to the figure itself. The Skeletor armor is mostly painted orange with a dark wash to give it a nice weathered appearance. My favorite part of this figure is the cross-bones at the front of the armor, which are painted a bronzy shade of orange. The same metallic color is used for the sword blades.
Masters of the Universe Classics Faker is a great example of how a new paint job can take an already good figure to the level of a great figure. Faker is much more than a simple repaint. While he is not going to be fooling anyone into thinking he is the real He-Man, Faker is certainly one of the best figures released in the line so far.
Patrick Garone
Staff Reviewer
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Top Cow has released their solicits for November 2009
NOVEMBER 2009 CHECKLIST
Pilot Season: Murderer #1 Robert Kirkman/Marc Silvestri/TBA $2.99
Tracker #1 Jonathan Lincoln/Francis Tsai/Darick Robertson $2.99
Berserker #5 Rick Loverd/Jeremy Haun/Dale Keown $2.99
Berserker #3 Keown “Rage” Edition Rick Loverd/Jeremy Haun/Dale Keown $10.00
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5 Mark Waid/Kenneth Rocafort/Dave Finch $2.99
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 SDCC Signed Mark Waid/Kenneth Rocafort $14.99
The Darkness #81 Phil Hester/Ande Parks/Michael Broussard $2.99
Witchblade #132 Ron Marz/Stjepan Sejic/Nelson Blake II $2.99
Witchblade #128 SDCC Signed Ron Marz/Stjepan Sejic $14.99
Witchblade Origins Volume 1 TPB (New Printing) Wohl/Z/Turner $12.99
Top Cow Bible SDCC Variant Ed Top Cow’s Finest $29.99
Pilot Season: Murderer #1
(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Nelson Blake II (Cov) Marc Silvestri
From the creative minds of Image partners Robert Kirkman & Marc Silvestri!
Jason Sparks is cursed. His every waking moment is bombarded with the thoughts of those around him. Every dirty little secret, every hidden desire, screamed at him in a cacophony of voices in his head. The only way to silence these voices, the only thing that brings him a moment of piece... is murder. But he's trying to use his powers for good.
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 pilot issue
Expected Ship Date – November 18th, 2009
Tracker #1 (of 5)
(W) Jonathan Lincoln (A) Francis Tsai (Cov) Tsai, Darick Robertson
The first property from Top Cow and Heroes & Villains Entertainment is here!
Alex O’Roark, the FBI’s top tracker, has his perfect life ripped to shreds when a case to capture the world’s most dangerous serial killer leads him straight into the maw of a werewolf. Now, keeping his secret from his gorgeous fiancé and the FBI, he must hunt down the wolf that infected him before the disease turns him into a monster.
Cover A – Francis Tsai
Cover B – Darick Robertson
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – November 11th, 2009
Berserker #5
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown, Jeremy Haun
The bone-crushing new series produced by Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia and DiVide Pictures continues this month!
As Aaron continues his training under the watchful eye of Midgard, Farris sets himself firmly on a collision course as he vows to destroy all of the other Berserkers. When these two inexperienced, powerful Berserkers meet only blood and carnage can follow in their wake.
Featuring variant covers by series artist Jeremy Haun (Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum) and Dale Keown (The Darkness/Pitt).
Cover A – Dale Keown
Cover B – Jeremy Haun
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – November 25th, 2009
Recommended for Mature Readers
Berserker#3 Keown “Rage” Edition
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown
Get this limited edition variant cover previously available only through the Top Cow Store by Dale Keown. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.
Full Color 32 pages $10.00 Top Cow Store Exclusive
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5 (of 5)
(W) Mark Waid (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Rocafort, David Finch
Morningstar and Cyberdata’s ultimate plan is revealed in this earth-shattering conclusion. Will the Cyberforce and Hunter-Killer team members discover his true goal in time to stop it or will Morningstar emerge triumphant?
Featuring a cover by series artist Rocafort as well as a variant cover by Dave Finch (Ultimatum).
Cover A – Kenneth Rocafort
Cover B – David Finch
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – November 25th, 2009
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 Rocafort San Diego Variant Cover Signed Edition
(W) Mark Waid (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Rocafort
Get this limited edition variant cover by signed series writer Mark Waid previously available only at San Diego Comic-Con. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.
Full Color 32 pages $14.99 Convention Exclusive
The Darkness #81
“Bog” Part 2 (of 2)
(W) Phil Hester (A) Phil Hester (Cov) Michael Broussard
Jackie Estacado, in his quest to destroy all of The Sovereign’s remaining vessels, must first overcome an ancient swamp creature known only as “Bog”. And if an unbeatable ancient creature wasn’t enough, Jackie will also have to contend with the unkillable mercenary known only as Scab!
Featuring a brand new cover by regular The Darkness artist Michael Broussard.
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – November 4th, 2009
Witchblade #132
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Sejic, Nelson Blake II
A quiet, romantic weekend in New England turns into a terrifying mystery when Sara and Gleason are pulled into an investigation of missing children. But is this a simple missing persons case or has the Witchblade been drawn to another supernatural crime?
Featuring a cover by regular artist Sejic and a variant cover by Nelson Blake II (The Darkness)!
Cover A – Stjepan Sejic
Cover B – Nelson Blake II
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – November 11th, 2009
Witchblade #128 Sejic San Diego Variant Cover Signed Edition
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Sejic
Get this limited edition variant cover by signed series artist Stjepan Sejic previously available only at San Diego Comic-Con. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.
Full Color 32 pages $14.99 Convention Exclusive
Witchblade Origins Volume 1 Trade Paperback (New Printing)
(W) David Wohl. Christina Z. (A) Michael Turner (Cov) Michael Turner
Return to the classic issues which made Witchblade Top Cow’s flagship title! Writers David Wohl (Executive Assistant Iris) and Christina Z. (Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter) and legendary artist Michael Turner (Soulfire, Fathom) introduce Sara Pezzini, Kenneth Irons, Ian Nottingham, and of course the mystical gauntlet – The Witchblade – to the world!
Collects Witchblade #1-8.
Full Color 226 pages $14.99 trade paperback
Expected Ship Date – November 18th, 2009
Top Cow Bible Trade Paperback San Diego Foil Variant Edition
(A) Top Cow’s Finest (Cov) Top Cow Finest
Get this limited edition foil stamped variant of the comprehensive bible of Top Cow’s properties previously available only at San Diego Comic-Con. Quantities are limited, allocations may occur.
Full Color 176 pages $29.99 Convention Exclusive
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LIBERTY MEADOWS' Frank Cho and THE NAM legend Doug Murray announce talent search with Newsarama!
As announced at this year's San Diego Comic Con, LIBERTY MEADOWS creator Frank Cho and THE 'NAM writer Doug Murray are teaming up with Newsarama to seek out new talent for their upcoming Image Comics project, 50-GIRLS-50!
"When creating 50-GIRLS-50, Doug and I knew we wanted to go with a very different look than we've had on any previous collaboration," Cho said. "Given the immense wealth of talent online, we decided an open call would be the best way to find someone. We're open to seeing all styles for our prospective illustrator and look forward to the results."
50-GIRLS-50 will be a science fiction, action adventure miniseries conceived and written by Cho and Murray with the artist working off Cho's designs. Newsarama and Image Comics will keep contenders updated on their respective sites, with Newsarama giving you an exclusive inside look at the process and Image Comics' brand-new 50-GIRLS-50 message board playing host to the submissions. Artists will also have the opportunity to get one-on-one feedback from Murray at this year's Baltimore Comic Con, October 10th & 11th.
Murray added, "I can't say we have a definitive style in mind, which is what makes this whole process all the more exciting. We're eager to see what the emerging artists of the world have to offer."
For full details and rules on The 50-GIRLS-50 Talent Search please see http://www.newsarama.com/ and http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard.
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