This past Thursday, New York Comic Con and Newsarama, in association with Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Home Entertainment, presented a bi-coastal premier screen of the much anticipated Planet Hulk DVD.We were invited to the event and able to bring a brief recap back.
Held at the Paley Center for Media in New York, the evening started off with the premier of Planet Hulk. Now, we are planning a full review and I don't want to give away anything, but it was extremely enjoyable.
After the film, there was a Q&A panel with comic writer Greg Pak, President of Marvel Animation Eric Rollman, and Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. It was followed by a quick trivial contest. The entire panel was moderated by WWE SmackDown Superstar Matt Striker.
Eric assured fans that Marvel Animation is growing, and soon they'll be able to cross-over some properties they weren't able to before. Meaning, we may see Spider-Man in an episode of Wolverine and the X-Men, as an example.
While nothing was leaked during the Q&A, all three panel guests got suspiciously quiet when someone asked if they would consider doing Annihilation as an animated feature. Could Annihilation be in the future? We'll just have to wait and see.
Afterwards, all four of them signed Planet Hulk movie posters.
Thanks go out to New York Comic Con, Newsarama, and Bender/Helper Impact for putting this all together.
Planet Hulk will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 2nd.
WWE SmackDown Superstar Matt Striker
Marvel Comic Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
The panel (left to right): Joe Quesada, Matt Striker, Greg Pak, Eric Rollman
Greg Pak & Matt Striker signing posters
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I should preface this review by saying that I am a moderate fan of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and of several of its tie-in comics. I mention this because it is a very divisive issue within G.I. Joe fandom, and I want anyone reading this to understand I am not merely dismissing the comic because it is tied to the Rise of Cobra universe.G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes #4 is, quite simply, not a good G.I. Joe comic, and not a good comic period.The art is bad. The writing is bad. The plotting is bad. It's bad. It's practically an exemplar of badness. To borrow from P. Opus, "Maybe it wasn't that bad, but Lord, it wasn't good."
And really, it isn't. A Snake-Eyes comic should, probably, prominently feature action, particularly of the ninja variety. This does, only the actual action moments are drawn with the focus so closely on faces, hands, or feet (or the meeting between faces, hands, or feet) that it is very difficult to get a sense of how the fight actually flows. There's no grace in the martial arts here. There also is not much continuity in what happens from panel to panel; one moment, an opponent is wearing an orange robe and is unarmed. The next time Snake-Eyes sees him, a few panels later, with certainly no more than a few seconds passing, he's wearing a black outfit identical to Snake-Eyes', and carrying a sword. That was a quick change. It is even worth mentioning that, in the interim, Snake-Eyes has more or less randomly sprayed bullets around in the area the opponent disappeared to? Is that something a highly trained ninja-commando does?
Later, Snake-Eyes unveils a hand-held EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) device, something which, if he has access to, would be awfully handy against enemy equipment of pretty much any kind. Going to be quite a poser when he and the rest of the Joe team do not just pop those out the next time they are staring down an attack from all that fancy, high-tech Cobra gear, no? It's not that I'm not accepting the sci-fi elements here; they've always been a part of G.I. Joe. I am not accepting that the best use of it is against a single, non-military opponent.
The writing is, as I mentioned, expository, and simplistic. In one panel, the narrative voice actually says that Snake-Eyes' "identity [is] virtually unknown...even to some members of his own team."
That's fan-fiction style. It's not professional. And neither is this comic.
IDW is doing fantastic work with the rest of its Joe titles. G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Origins and, especially G.I. Joe Cobra, are great. They are a breath of reviving, original, and sometimes surprisingly gritty air into an old, proud, and occasionally musty franchise that is my oldest favorite. Save your money for the next issue of any of those, or for the trade collections; don't spend it on this.
Written by Ray Park & Kevin VanHook
Drawn by Lee Ferguson
Dan Ford
Staff Reviewer
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From IDW: Introducing a brand-new series focusing on some of the most famous Captains in Starfleet history! In the debut issue, Captain Hikaru Sulu, still new to the command of the U.S.S. Excelsior, finds himself once again face to face with one of the Federation's most dangerous and mysterious adversaries-the Tholians! From the creative team behind Spock: Reflections! 
Art: Federica Manfredi provides the pencils in this issue, with colors by Andrea Priorini. The art is sufficient for the most part, although there are a few things holding it back. The pencils aren’t always crisp, which can be problematic when dealing with the lines of machinery such as the inside of the Excelsior. This also leads to some “wonky” proportions on the ship’s crewmembers, and Manfredi seems to have had difficulty deciding how old Sulu should look. Some panels have him looking a bit older than he did on Star Trek, and some have him looking like an old woman, so I would say that there’s a bit too much variation. The likeness of George Takei slips back and forth as well. One other problem area with the pencils is that there isn’t much background to speak of in some of the panels, instead just a flat color.
The colors by Priorini are a bit flat. I understand that the interior of the ship is going to be mostly grey and that everyone is going to have the same color uniform, so I don’t expect to see every color of the rainbow, but a smoother, warmer look to the colors would help with the hindered pallet.
As I stated before, the art is sufficient for the most part, and the shortcomings don’t hinder the book from being enjoyable. Besides, I’ve seen much worse from high profile artists who get paid millions of dollars to draw like they are in the 2nd grade. (I’m looking at you Chaykin and Liefeld)
Writing: This is where the issue really thrives. From the very beginning you get the sense that Scott and David Tipton know their Star Trek history. In the opening of the issue, Sulu is practicing his fencing with his first officer. At first this seemed a bit “on the nose” and too obvious since the “fencing incident” from Star Trek seems to be the most often remembered thing about Sulu. However, the principle’s and ideology behind fencing come back later on in the issue, and we realize that Sulu’s love and respect for the sport influence his own philosophy and command style. Lesser writers would have just thrown out the fencing references in a thinly veiled attempt to win over Star Trek fans, yet the Tipton’s show their writing strength by actually tying the reference into the story.
Another plus on the writing side is that this issue deals with the Tholians, rather than the better known Klingons or Romulans. Sulu recounts his own personal experiences with the Tholians to his first officer, and we see this visually through a flashback to the Star Trek episode “The Tholian Web”. Not only does this let Sulu’s first officer know what possible dangers they may be facing, but it lets any reader who isn’t familiar with the Tholians know what Sulu and crew may be up against.
While I don’t have any particular complaint against the writing itself, it is hindered by the one shot format. Since the writers had to come to the table with a “one and done” storyline, it feels a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out. The story is still well written and entertaining, I just feel that giving it two or three issues to play out would have helped it feel more dramatic.
Unfortunately this is a hindrance that will likely affect the follow Captain’s Log issues. If IDW wanted to create a new Star Trek series to highlight the different command style’s of the most decorated Captains in Starfleet history, maybe they could have formatted it differently. Perhaps instead of a series of one shots, they could have simply created a series called Star Trek: Captain’s Log. Issues one and two could have been this story expanded, with issue three starting a new story. I think that would have allowed the stories to breathe a bit more and not feel so rushed. Regardless, this is a pretty good one shot for Star Trek fans.
Written by Scott & David Tipton
Drawn by Federica Manfredi
Terry Barnhill
Staff Reviewer
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I'm coming in a few issues late to IDW's new Transformers series but I have to say that I am quite impressed with what I have seen so far. As a long time G1 fan, I am happy to see that they are using the old continuity as their springboard and Transformers #3 is full of cameos from some classic Transformers characters. 
The story is set on a planet earth which has turned on all Cybertronians, Autobots and Decepticons alike, and what Transformers are left, are hiding from human task forces which hunt them down. This humans vs. Transformers theme is an interesting exploration of themes not adequately explored in previous Transformers stories.
The Autobots have broken off into two different factions, the classic faction now led by Bumblebee and a rebel faction that is teaming up with Decepticon remnants with the goal of freeing the "enslaved" Cybertronians and getting off the planet. This second faction is led by Hot Rod. Optimus Prime has turned himself in to the human officials. Newly arrived is Ultra Magnus, who (much like his Transformers Animated counterpart) is an arrogant, high-ranking official from Cybertron sent to investigate the situation.
I'm very impressed with the art on this series which is a happy middle between the blocky G1 designs as the overly-complicated movie designs. All of the characters are immediately recognizable, yet the designs have been subtly updated to modern standards of realism. IDW's Transformers series is at once a great throwback to classic Transformers and at the same time, draws the series into a new direction.
Written by Mike Costa
Drawn by Don Figueroa
Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer
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Get a behind the scenes look at the chart-topping Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic with this all new video! Based on the acclaimed story by superstars Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and John Cassaday (Captain America), the X-Men are faced with a mysterious new villain and a possible cure for the mutant gene! Now Cyclops, Wolverine and all your favorite mutants must face the greatest threats of their lives and, before it’s all done, experience one of the most jaw-dropping moments in Marvel history!
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I am such a fan of the Muppets and Jim Henson. When I was a kid, the Muppets had the best game in town when it came to entertainment. Why, I even screamed “I DO!” during the wedding scene in “The Muppets Take Manhattan”, which led to a family joke that for years I was married to Kermit the Frog. That being said, I was excited to check out BOOM! Studios ongoing Muppet Show comic. I was hoping for a trip back to the Muppet Show of my youth, with humor that pleases both kids and adults, like when I watch reruns of the Muppet Show on DVD and catch jokes that I didn’t get as a kid. 
First of all, Roger Langridge is a great fit for this book. I’ve kept up with his blog, Hotel Fred, for quite some time now. I love his art, because it’s cartoonish without being juvenile. In the Muppet Show, it’s reminiscent of the drawings in the old Muppet Magazine. He seems to really get the vibe of the original Muppet Show and the way things looked in the Muppets’ heyday.
Langridge does double duty as artist and writer on this book, and he succeeds in both arenas. The story of the Muppets taking their show on the road is much like watching a sequel to the Muppet movies in the 80s, complete with a good message for the kids about friendship and sticking together. It’s a cute story and a fun read, something that would be a fun way to introduce your kids to comic books and/or the wonder of the Muppets. The humor is universal without readers feeling like he’s dumbing it down for the younger crowd, and I think it’s a great way to teach new readers some more difficult words, as the vocabulary is a little above what you’d find in a typical kids’ book.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the old Muppet Show and wants to take a nostalgic trip back to their childhood. While it’s not quite as funny as what Henson and friends did back in the 70s and 80s, this is pretty close. It’s a really fun read, and something that you can share with the next generation of comic book/puppet-based humor fans.
Written & Drawn by Roger Langridge
Stacey Rader
Senior Reviewer
geekyvixen@gmail.com
http://geekyvixen.blogspot.com
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Here is some very cool Smallville art from the episode “Warrior,” which airs January 29. This episode pokes fun at one of sci fi’s most revered events – the comic book convention. And DC character Zatanna returns.
“SMALLVILLE” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Warrior” (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)
METROPOLIS HOSTS A COMIC BOOK CONVENTION — DC COMICS’ CHARACTER ZATANNA RETURNS — Clark (Tom Welling) meets Zatanna (guest star Serinda Swan) at a comic book convention, where she tells him her father charmed a copy of the comic book “Warrior Angel” and it holds magical powers. A young man named Stephen (guest star Carlo Marks) steals the comic book and develops super powers, transforming himself into Warrior Angel and saving Chloe (Allison Mack) from a horrible accident. Meanwhile, Lois (Erica Durance) becomes jealous of Clark’s relationship with Zatanna. Allison Mack directed the episode written by Bryan Q. Miller (#3X5261).
Don’t forget Smallville returns to originals next Friday, January 22 at 8pm EST with “Disciple.”
“SMALLVILLE” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Disciple” (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)
NO LOVERS, NO ALLIES, NO DISCIPLES; INTRODUCING DC COMIC CHARACTER THE DARK ARCHER — Oliver’s (Justin Hartley) past comes back to haunt him in the form of The Dark Archer (guest star Steve Bacic), Oliver’s former teacher, who seeks revenge on his student by taking aim at Lois (Erica Durance) and Chloe (Allison Mack). Oliver faces down The Dark Archer after his former mentor kidnaps Mia AKA “Speedy” (guest star Elise Gatien) but is pushed to his limit and Clark (Tom Welling) races to stop him from making another deadly mistake. Mairzee Almas directed the episode written by Jordan Hawley (#3X5260).
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In anticipation of the January 26th release of SURROGATES on Blu-ray & DVD, Disney presents a first look at the bonus features!
Featurette: Best Version of Yourself (Bonus)
Deleted Scene: Apologies & Theories (Bonus)
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Tessaract: Part 1 of 2Doctor Who #7 revolves around yet another villain who is out to get the Doctor for past events. Thanks to the Doctors previous adventure involving the Shadow Proclamation, someone has managed to tamper with the one device which would allow them to gain possible access to the TARDIS undetected: The Doctors ever trusty Sonic Screwdriver. This act allows the main villain to merge their ship with the TARDIS within Fifth dimensional space, creating a situation where not only is the TARDIS breached and boarded by a hostile force, but it’s control room becomes even more “lost”, and turns both ships into ticking time bombs. 
I liked how even amongst all the chaos, the Doctor manages to give one of the simplest explanations of how the TARDIS and its various rooms are interconnected, and how he is Psychically connected to the TARDIS, which is giving him a hard time keeping everything together. It’s explanations like this which make the series more accessible in my opinion, and bring it down to a level which anyone can enjoy.
Further along we learn the villain’s possible motives behind this attack, and it has to do with two of the doctors most notable companions: Adrid & Vislor Turlough. Both were companions to the Fifth Incarnation of the Doctor. Adrid was the one companion who seemed to die a “pointless death” in the eyes of many, while Turlough was the only companion who ever tried to murder the Doctor. I will not go into details here, but for those who wish to know more about these companions, I would suggest using your favorite online search resource to further investigate.
Overall, I found the first part of this story arc to be very informative, yet puzzling at the same time. But then again, what good Doctor Who story doesn’t start off like that? The opening scene will have fellow Whovian’s in stitches, and wishing they were in the Doctors current companions place. Access to certain Rooms within the TARDIS is usually off limits (and for good reason), so it’s nice to get a tour of its fabled interiors.
While the quality of the stories seems to be improving, I find the art continues in its minimalist vein. I understand that with a character like the Doctor, with the whole universe as your backdrop, less is more. But there does come a point where I feel more detail is needed in order to match the level of the story being told.
I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone who is interested in the continuing adventures of Tenth Doctor. But mostly I would also recommend this to any David Tennant fans out there that are looking for their Tenth Doctor Fix.
Writer: Tony Lee
Artist: Al Davison
Ed Rondo
Senior Critic
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Line of $1 Image Firsts Coincides with Free Comic Book Day 2010
Just in time for the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day, Image Comics is releasing Image Firsts: a line of titles re-presenting ten key first issues as an introduction to Image's most acclaimed titles. Priced at only a dollar, each first issue serves as the perfect primer to their ongoing series and collected editions, including THE WALKING DEAD, SPAWN, CHEW, INVINCIBLE, AGE OF BRONZE and many more.
"As discussions for Free Comic Book Day began, many of our retail partners brought up how helpful it would be to have additional, inexpensive supplements to our featured title, Silverline's FRACTURED FABLES, as a way of bringing in an even wider range of fans," explained Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "We developed the 'Image Firsts' program to showcase the great variety of titles we have to offer. Between the superheroics of SPAWN, INVINCIBLE, WITCHBLADE, SAVAGE DRAGON and YOUNGBLOOD to the science fiction of GIRLS and PROOF to Eric Shanower's historical epic, AGE OF BRONZE, and the horror of THE WALKING DEAD and CHEW, there's something for every reader, old and new."
All the Image Firsts will reprint the first issues of each series in its entirety, acting as the perfect primer to the ongoing series and their corresponding backlists. Available in the weeks leading up to Free Comic Book Day, the 10 Image Firsts titles will give retailers an opportunity to expose their incoming new readers to a broad range of Image material. Two titles will be released every week beginning March 31 and continuing through April 28.
All Image Firsts will be 32-page comic books priced at $1.00 and will be available for order in the February issue of Diamond Previews. The full schedule of Image Firsts follow the press release.
IMAGE FIRSTS SCHEDULE
IMAGE FIRSTS: YOUNGBLOOD #1
story ROB LIEFELD & JOE CASEY
art & cover ROB LIEFELD
MARCH 31
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
The original celebrity superheroes make their debut in this remastered tale by Rob Liefeld and Joe Casey.
IMAGE FIRSTS: THE WALKING DEAD #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover TONY MOORE
MARCH 31
32 PAGES / BW
$1.00
A continuing tale of survival horror in a post-apocalyptic world.
IMAGE FIRSTS: SPAWN #1
story TODD McFARLANE
art & cover TODD McFARLANE
APRIL 7
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Todd McFarlane's arcane superhero discovers the truth behind his unholy resurrection.
IMAGE FIRSTS: CHEW #1
story JOHN LAYMAN
art & cover ROB GUILLORY
APRIL 7
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Bizarre culinary crimes investigated by the FDA's premier psychic detective.
IMAGE FIRSTS: SAVAGE DRAGON #1
story ERIK LARSEN
art & cover ERIK LARSEN
APRIL 14
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
A lone supercop fights against a city of organized supercrime.
IMAGE FIRSTS: AGE OF BRONZE #1
story ERIC SHANOWER
art & cover ERIC SHANOWER
APRIL 14
32 PAGES / BW
$1.00
Eric Shanower's epic retelling of the Trojan War.
IMAGE FIRSTS: WITCHBLADE #1
story DAVID WOHL & CHRISTINA Z
art & cover MICHAEL TURNER
APRIL 21
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
The only weapon powerful enough to keep the forces of Darkness and Light at bay is in the hands of a New York cop.
IMAGE FIRSTS: GIRLS #1
story JOSHUA LUNA
art & cover JONATHAN LUNA
APRIL 21
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
A small town trapped in an invisible dome becomes the epicenter of an alien invasion unlike any other.
IMAGE FIRSTS: INVINCIBLE #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover CORY WALKER
APRIL 28
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
When a teenager inherits his father's superpowers, he learns there's much more to being a superhero than he ever anticipated.
IMAGE FIRSTS: PROOF #1
story ALEX GRECIAN
art & cover RILEY ROSSMO
APRIL 28
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Crypto-zoological horror as investigated by Agent Ginger Brown and her partner, Bigfoot.
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Marvel is proud to announce a bold new beginning for the critically acclaimed Marvel Adventures line with Spider-Man #1 and Super Heroes #1!
Perfect for readers of all ages, these two all-new series are the perfect jumping on point for readers new and old with oversized debut issues, packed with a full length all-new stories and bonus back up stories, just like the comics from when you were a kid! Subsequent issues will be regular sized and priced at $2.99, perfect for everyone’s summer reading!
“The Marvel Adventures line has been a runaway success for over 5 years now,” said Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Sales David Gabriel. “We’re extremely proud of not only the longevity of the line and the strength of the brand, but also of the quality of all the series. These are the perfect starting point for the youngest of readers. You’re going to see all the biggest Marvel heroes—Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and more—appearing in Super Heroes. Along with Spider-Man, these books are a fresh new start for the Marvel Adventures line—but with the same unparalleled all ages storytelling you’ve experienced!”
In Spider-Man #1, join Peter Parker as he balances homework, family and saving New York from the deadliest villains around! Acclaimed scribe Paul Tobin and fan favorite artist Matteo Lolli join forces to bring you Spidey’s newest ongoing series!
Join Iron Man, Marvel’s box office sensation, as he unites a team of super stars in Super Heroes #1! Tobin and dynamic artist Ronan Cliquet send the newly formed Avengers against Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants in a battle you can’t miss!
Fans and critics agree—the Marvel Adventures titles are a hit!
“Marvel Adventures Spider-Man maintains a sense of history while presenting Spider-Man in a thoroughly modern form”—Ray Tate, ComicsBulletin.Com
“For an all ages read, [Marvel Adventures Super Heroes] provides a great deal for younger readers, a few treats for old hands and the promise of stories that are not steeped in darkness”-- Doug Zawisza. ComicBookResources.Com
This April, there’s only one place for the greatest all ages, action packed super hero comics in the world—don’t miss Spider-Man #1 and Super Heroes #1!
Retailers, please check the Marvel Mailer and Marvel Retailer Resource Center (www.marvelretailers.com) for details on ordering incentives!
SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by MATTEO LOLLI
Cover by KARL KERSCHL
MARVEL ADVENTURES All Ages …$3.99
ON SALE IN APRIL!
SUPER HEROES #1
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by RONAN CLIQUET
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by TODD NAUCK
MARVEL ADVENTURES All Ages …$3.99
ON SALE IN APRIL!
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