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Tag: comic books

  • ‘Age Of Ultron’ Big Disappointment For Black Widow Fans

    ‘Age Of Ultron’ Big Disappointment For Black Widow Fans

    There’s no question that Avengers: Age of Ultron would smash records in the box office. There’s also no question that the latest Avengers movie would be jam packed with the action and funny one-liners that everyone knows and loves.

    But the question that’s on everyone’s minds since Age of Ultron was released was what the hell did they do to the Black Widow?

    The way that Natasha Romanoff’s character regressed from being a kickass heroine who could hold her own in any fight against anyone to a simpering superhero in love who just wants to settle down with the Hulk was awkward, annoying, disappointing and downright unacceptable.

    The resulting backlash was understandably huge and might have even prompted Joss Wheadon to quit Twitter.

    Admittedly, there were a lot of other things disappointing about the movie. There was the complete disregard of Hydra’s powers and might. There was also that weird sequence with Thor looking for that ancient lake.

    But what really got people’s goat was how forced Natasha and Banner’s relationship seemed to be and how it shoehorned a beloved, feisty heroine into an ordinary girlfriend role.

    Marvel had already scored a coup when they cast Scarlett Johansson for the role. The actress perfectly embodied the character and turned her into the “most popular female superhero of the decade.”

    She was great in the Avengers and she shined even more in Captain America: Winter Soldier. People were intrigued with the glimpses given to who she was and what she can do.

    And to suddenly see her as a two-dimensional character in this film was a bitter pill to swallow for all those who were waiting to see Natasha shine and become even more badass.

    Maybe even star in her own superhero movie.

    Luckily for all of us, SNL and Scarlett Johansson have gone ahead and did Marvel’s job for them in their own take of a Black Widow movie.

  • The Word’s Most Expensive Comic Book Was Just Sold On eBay

    The Word’s Most Expensive Comic Book Was Just Sold On eBay

    “History has been made on eBay,” a spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews.

    We reported last month that Action Comics #1 – the comic book that introduced the world to Superman – was to go up for auction on eBay. It’s often considered the “Holy Grail” of comic books. There are believed to be about 50 unrestored original copies in existence. Dealer Darren Adams had one of them, and it was in remarkable condition. Naturally, he decided to see what he could get for it.

    The auction ended Sunday night, closing at 6pm PT, with a winning bid of $3.2 million, shattering the previous record of $2.16 million that was set in 2011. The copy is now officially the most expensive comic book in the world, according to Certified Guaranty Company evaluator Mike Brown.

    “I’m proud to have owned the most valuable comic book in the world,” said Darren Adams. “Working with eBay on this auction allowed me to share this rare treasure with their global community and ensure the next owner is just as passionate about its place in history.”

    “This was a record auction for eBay as it was the most expensive comic book ever sold on our marketplace. The sale of Action Comics #1 is a prime example of how eBay plays a role in popular culture by connecting shoppers to must-have merchandise, including rare and valuable collectibles,” said Gene Cook, General Manager of Emerging Verticals for eBay Marketplaces. “This was an extraordinary opportunity to bring a comic – one that has captured the attention of passionate collectors and casual fans alike. We will continue to bring more of the world’s most unique and compelling merchandise to our passionate and global community of 149 million buyers, at a wide range of accessible price points.”

    Some of the proceeds from the auction are being donated to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

    Image via eBay

  • Action Comics #1 To Hit eBay Auction Next Month

    Action Comics #1 To Hit eBay Auction Next Month

    eBay just announced that Action Comics #1, considered the “Holy Grail” of comic books, is going to be auctioned off on the site next month.

    According to the announcement, there are believed to only be about 50 unrestored original copies of the issue that introduced the world to Superman. Dealer Darren Adams has one of them (apparently the finest known copy), and is about to generate a ton of money from it. He’ll be putting it up for auction on eBay from August 14-24.

    The Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) gave Adams’ copy a 9.0 grade, which is the highest its given to any copy of the issue. One other copy got the same grade, and sold for $2,161,000 in 2011. According to eBay, that one had “cream to off-white pages,” while Adams’ has “white pages and is in pristine condition”.

    It’s pretty amazing that it could even be in such condition, considering that it was released in 1938, when nobody could have possibly anticipated its potential value.

    “The quality and preservation of this Action #1 is astounding,” said Paul Litch, CGC’s Primary Grader. “The book looks and feels like it just came off the newsstand. It is supple, the colors are deep and rich and the quality of the white pages is amazing for a comic that is 76 years old.”

    “This is an extraordinary opportunity to acquire the most valuable comic book in existence and we look forward to sharing a piece of pop culture history with the global eBay community of 149 million buyers,” said eBay’s Gene Cook.

    An undisclosed portion of the proceeds will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

    Image via eBay

  • Netflix’s Daredevil Series To Be Like A ‘Very Large Movie’

    It appears that the creators of the upcoming Daredevil Netflix series are going for something cinematic with the show’s debut season. Marvel CCO Joe Quesada discussed it a little with Comic Book Resources (via The Hollywood Reporter).

    While it will be thirteen episodes, it sounds like they’re approaching it like a film. Just not the Ben Affleck one. Here are a few of Quesada’s comments from the interview:

    One of the advantages is really from the planning stage — obviously it’s much easier to work with a smaller number of episodes than it is with a larger number of episodes. We can sit there and look at 13 episodes and plan it out as a very large movie. It makes seeing the bigger picture a little bit easier.

    You can’t deny that there will be binge-viewing. You know that there are going to be some Marvel fans that when this show premieres, they are going to go on to Netflix, and they are going to sit there for 12 to 13-plus hours, and watch the entire thing all the way through. It’s going to happen. The Netflix model offers us the advantage of being able to construct the show in a manner that is very different than a weekly network TV show. Even the way that you parse out information and reveals within the show can be different than you would on weekly TV. With weekly TV, you sit there and go, “The audience may not want to wait two or three weeks to get this particular bit of information.” Whereas with Netflix, we might be able to hold onto a particular piece of information, because they may just watch it two hours later.

    Netflix announced Daredevil as one of several interconnected Marvel shows it intends to release. Others include shows about the characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. These will combine as one big “epic,” and culminate in a miniseries event, The Defenders. The endeavor will stretch over multiple years, and as the announcement says, take Netflix members “deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York.”

    Daredevil will be the first series, and it will debut next year. The release date has yet to be announced. Late last year, Drew Goddard was named as the showrunner. There have been rumors about interest in Six Feet Under’s Michael C. Hall (I’m sorry, it’s just better than Dexter) to play the superhero, but this has not yet moved beyond the rumor phase. Hall has apparently expressed interest though.

    Image via YouTube

  • Free Comic Book Day: Grab Some Freebies on Saturday

    If you like free stuff and want the chance to start (or add to) a comic book collection, you can do so for zero cost on Free Comic Book Day. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May, which puts us at May 3.

    The first Free Comic Book Day was held back in 2002, when comic book shop owner Joe Field was looking for a way to promote local comic book stores and draw in new readers. Field, the owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, California, proposed the idea to Diamond Comic Distributors in 2001, and the rest is history.

    Millions of comics have been given away on Free Comic Book Day since it first began, and the day seems to grow in popularity each year. If you’re itching to pick up some free comics, find a comic book store that is participating in the special day near you here.

    According to the Free Comic Book Day website, there is something pretty important that you should know if you have never participated in the day before. You can’t just walk into any place that sells comic books on Saturday and pick up whatever you want. That should go without saying, but if you get caught trying to take off with an armful of rare comics without paying, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

    Each comic book store will have a selection of free comic books you can choose from. This selection may include older, worn comics or specially printed editions of comics that were purchased specifically for Free Comic Book Day. Each customer will receive at least one free comic (as long as supplies last), and may be able to get more than one free comic depending on the store’s policy. It’s best to use the store locator linked above and call in advance to get the details (including asking how early you need to get there, as some stores have lines forming well before opening).

    Do you plan to head out to your local comic book store on Saturday? As you can see below, quite a few people are getting excited for Free Comic Book Day.

    Free Comic Book Day is always held on a weekend that coincides with the opening of a movie based on a comic book, which is The Amazing Spider-Man 2 this year. Watch the opening of the new Spidey flick on Friday, and follow that up with a trip to the comic book store on Saturday–what more could a nerd want, right? With X-Men: Days of Future Past opening on May 22, May is shaping up to be a fun month.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier Has Good Early Reviews

    Surprise, surprise! Marvel has made yet another fantastic superhero film in the form of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. Critics have been raving about the latest installment in the Marvel movie-verse after getting a taste of the film in early showings. Disney allowed critics to take to Twitter and share their opinions on the film about three weeks before it is scheduled to release, and the results have been in their favor; the critics are loving this film.

    According to the information and trailers released to the public (one of which is shown below), the new film will feature Captain America (also known by his civilian name, Steve Rogers) as well as Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) as they go on various missions and escapades for S.H.I.E.L.D. Chris Evans, the actor who portrays Steve, has revealed that his character will not just be grappling with old-friends-turned-enemies and baddies like those shown in the action-packed trailers, but with the “moral ambiguities of the modern age.”

    In an interview with Hero Complex, Chris was quoted as saying, “For Steve, it’s about what is right. He’s relatively acclimated to the modern day — it’s not tech shock anymore, he’s not just like, ‘What’s a cellphone?’ It’s more about, given his situation, given the company he works for, what are we doing that’s the right thing? How much privacy, civil liberties are we willing to compromise for security? It’s pretty crazy how relevant it is right now.”

    This take on Steve and the direction it takes the film has, apparently, been a huge hit with the critics who have gotten a sneak peek at the film. As mentioned above, they took to Twitter to express their thoughts, and an overwhelming majority expressed that the film was superb in one way or another.

    Those are just a few of the multitude of awesome snippets that can be found all over Twitter. Here’s to hoping that the film lives up to the hype and is just as successful with general audiences. It definitely sounds like a fantastic film that no one will want to miss! Be sure to mark your calendars for April 4th, when it releases to theaters.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Ordinary Heroes: Comic Creators Go For Their Dream

    The Kentucky arts scene has been bursting at the seams recently; in a state known more for bourbon, basketball, and horses than creativity, it’s refreshing to see artists who have something new to say emerge from the Bluegrass State.

    In recent years, Lexington, Kentucky found the burgeoning medium of street art receiving new focus thanks to PRHBTN. The Secretariat Festival brought artists from all over the state who turned bourbon barrels into a colorful homage to the famous horse. One genre that doesn’t get a lot of attention, however, is comic art, but two best friends from Lexington are aiming to change all that.

    Derrick Miles and Barry Corman have created a different kind of comic and will go live with a Kickstarter campaign on Friday, January 17. The idea was to find a way to get their story across even with a lack of drawing skills, which required a lengthy process akin to filming a movie.

    “What makes this comic truly unique is its special art-style using a not-so-ordinary process. Shot in live-action with all of the usual difficulties facing a movie shoot (actors, locations, costumes, sets, time of day, etc.), those images are then post-processed in Adobe Photoshop giving it the look of a modern, big budget comic book,” the creators said.

    “Ordinary Heroes” is the story of a paraplegic named Ken who, after a tragic event, develops a multiple personality disorder that causes him to believe he is a superhero. According to the synopsis:

    Going by the name of the Stars and Stripes of Justice, he believes himself to be a silver-age, super-powered, costumed superhero. While standing for “truth, justice, and the American way”, his inadvertent and reckless physical actions sometimes show quite the opposite. Due to his delusional views of himself, Ken puts himself and those around him in danger. This danger filled lifestyle leads to Barry and Derrick coming to his aid for his own safety and to protect those around them. Thus, the Ordinary Heroes team is created!

    “When Barry and Derrick told me about their idea for a sleep walking paraplegic who fought crime, I thought it was brilliant and was more than happy to help out any way I could,” says Ken Kirk, a friend of the creators who stars in the comic.

    Check out the Kickstarter preview, which offers several goodies at varying donation levels, and follow the Ordinary Heroes Facebook page for updates.

    Image via Kickstarter /Barry Corman/Derrick Miles

  • ‘Star Wars’ Comics to be Published by Marvel

    ‘Star Wars’ Comics to be Published by Marvel

    In a move that was fairly inevitable, Disney and Lucasfilm today announced that Marvel Entertainment will be publishing Star Wars comics for the foreseeable future. Marvel is a subsidiary of Disney, as it Lucasfilm, which was purchased in 2012 from George Lucas for over $4 billion.

    Starting in 2015 Marvel will have exclusive rights to both create and publish Star Wars comics and graphic novels.

    Marvel will be taking the publishing rights to Star Wars back from Dark Horse Comics, which has created and published Star Wars comics since 1991. Before that, Marvel had published Star Wars comics, including the original Star Wars #1.

    “Dark Horse Comics published exceptional Star Wars comics for over 20 years, and we will always be grateful for their enormous contributions to the mythos, and the terrific partnership that we had,” said Carol Roeder, director of franchise publishing Lucasfilm. “In 2015, the cosmic adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca will make the lightspeed jump back to Marvel, to begin a new age of adventures within the Star Wars universe.”

    Just this past fall Dark Horse was responsible for adapting one of George Lucas’ original Star Wars screenplay drafts into a short 8-issue comic series. Titled The Star Wars, the comics featured an older Luke Skywalker, a green alien Han solo, and a mask-less Darth Vader.

  • Olga Kurylenko Rumored as New Wonder Woman

    Ask any film buff to list some female movie stars who have played Bond Girls, and one would probably be surprised at the list of names people could produce. However, if anyone spouted the name of the Bond Girl in Quantum of Solace, the world would be surprised.

    Despite not being a household name, Olga Kurylenko has starred in several well-known and well-received movies in her brief acting career: Paris, Je’Taime, Hitman, Max Payne, Quantum of Solace, Centurion, To the Wonder, Seven Psychopaths, and Oblivion. Now, the 33 year-old actress is rumored to be testing for the role of Wonder Woman.

    According to SchmoesKnow.com insider, The Phantom, Kurylenko is one of the front-runners to become the next Wonder Woman on the big screen. The rumor mill concerning the involvement of Wonder Woman in Zachary Snyder’s Batman vs. Superman started earlier this month when it was reported that Thor 2: The Dark World’s Lady Sif, Jaimie Alexander, was in talks with Warner Bros.:

    (image)

    Alexander had also recently spoken publicly about her desire to see Wonder Woman return to the big screen, although her endorsement came with certain reservations:

    “You know, let’s talk about this for a second: you’ve got very few female superheroes that are dominating films these days, unless they’re in a skintight outfit and their boobs are pushed up to their chin. And it’s not OK. It’s not. There needs to be a positive role model. If you’re going to make Wonder Woman, make it like The Bourne Supremacy. You know, let’s do something awesome like that. Alias was a fantastic show. Why can’t we do that? Why does she have to be in hot pants and spandex and all this stuff? And yeah, I get it, it’s visually stunning for…half of people. But at least make her grow a pair. All she does is eat ice cream while she’s crying over a boy. I know it never aired but that’s what the script said.”

    Wonder Woman is not the only thing on Olga Kurylenko’s radar, however. The Ukrainian-born actress has been a hot commodity lately. Currently, Kurylenko is working with the Waldorf-Astoria on a commercial campaign in which she portrays a world-traveler’s experiences visiting the Waldorf-Astoria.

    Kurylenko was also recently cast in the lead role of a new supernatural/horror film entitled Mara. The film is being directed and produced by Myles Nestle of The Solution Entertainment Group, Steven Schneider of Room 101 (Paranormal and Insidious), and James Edward Barker and Scott Mann of Mann Made Films. In Mara, Kurylenko plays the role of a criminal psychologist who is attempting to save a victim’s daughter and herself from being killed by a demon which attacks people in their sleep. The film is meant to explore the mythology and legends behind sleep paralysis and Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS).

    With those projects, along with several others on her plate, Kurylenko may not have time to devote toward recreating Wonder Woman. All we know at this point is that regardless of who is cast, Batman vs. Superman is going to be amazing.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Netflix Is Getting Live Action Marvel Shows (Starting With Daredevil)

    Netflix Is Getting Live Action Marvel Shows (Starting With Daredevil)

    Netflix and Disney just announced a new deal that will see the Marvel Universe making its way to the realm of the Netflix original series. There will be at least four different shows and a mini-series.

    Marvel will develop a series focused on Daredevil first, followed by shows about the characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. These will combine as one big “epic,” and culminate in a miniseries event, The Defenders. The endeavor will stretch over multiple years, and as the announcement says, take Netflix members “deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York.”

    The shows will make their way to the streaming service beginning in 2015. They’re being produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios.

    Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos said, “Marvel’s movies, such as ‘Iron Man’ and Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’, are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels. With ‘House of Cards’ and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we’re thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude.”

    “This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty,” said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. “This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what’s sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure.”

    Netflix and Disney made a big movie distribution deal last year, which will see theatrically released feature films from Disney appear on Netflix starting in 2016. Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. subscription TV service for first run movies from the company, and that includes Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature and Lucasfilm.

    Even more recently, Netflix and Disney made a similar deal for content in the Netherlands.

    Image: YouTube

  • Ms. Marvel Revamp Features a Muslim Lead Character

    In a move which proves the relevancy and usefulness of the comic book world, Marvel has revealed that they will be running a new series in which Ms. Marvel will be a teenage Muslim girl growing up in New Jersey.

    The new character, named Kamala Khan, is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. The idea for the new series was originally conceived by Sana Amanat and Steve Wacker, two Marvel editors. Amanat and Wacker were discussing the issues that Amanat faced growing up as a Muslim-American, and the two then thought about the real lack of female superheros with their own series and also the absence of cultural lenses for comic book characters.

    Typically, people have a tendency to try to be “politically correct” and avoid discussing religion or other cultural factors. However, Amanat wants readers to empathize and sympathize with the struggles that Kamala faces on a day to day basis: “Her brother is extremely conservative. Her mom is paranoid that she’s going to touch a boy and get pregnant. Her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor.” Kamala’s Muslim heritage will play a large part in her personal development, and as such is a perfect opportunity to explore the plights that minorities in the United States currently face.

    Amanat and Wacker have brought G. Willow Wilson on board to write the series. Wilson was the 2013 World Fantasy Awards winner for best novel for her Alif the Unseen and has worked extensively on comic books. Wilson is also a converted Muslim and has spent much time in the Middle East as a journalist.

    With two Muslim, female members executing this project, it is hard to imagine something going wrong. Amanat is not naive, though: “I do expect some negativity, not only from people who are anti-Muslim, but people who are Muslim and might want the character portrayed in a particular light.”

    As Wilson sees it, this is her chance to attract unconventional readers, especially younger females, to the comic book world: “I wanted Ms. Marvel to be true-to-life, something real people could relate to, particularly young women. High school was a very vivid time in my life, so I drew heavily on those experiences — impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager.” She adds that “It’s for all the geek girls out there and everybody else who’s ever looked at life from the fringe.”

    (image)

    Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story for avid comic book readers will be how Wilson decides to incorporate the original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. After Kamala realizes that she has obtained special powers, she adopts the name of her childhood hero, Ms. Marvel: “Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She’s strong, beautiful and doesn’t have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and ‘different’.”

    The new “Ms. Marvel” series is part of an ongoing effort of Marvel to rebrand many of their series, a project called Marvel NOW! After the finale of the “Avengers vs. X-Men” storyline, Marvel decided it was time to change the game and make an attempt to appeal to an ever-expanding and diverse audience. While Kamala may be the first ever Muslim character with her own series, she will not be the only female lead in Marvel NOW! – Both Elektra and She-Hulk are receiving new runs.

    Comic books have often been criticized by the community writ-large as championing violence, delusional fantasies, and social ineptitude. However, the relatability and pertinent nature of comic books make them a fantastic medium to get children interested in reading and to comfortably explore topics generally deemed “off-limits”. Children experience a multitude of pressures and stresses on a daily basis. Comic books provide children with an opportunity to read about characters experiencing the same issues and allows them to see said characters rising above their difficulties in order to achieve greatness. Ms. Marvel will be an excellent opportunity for young female and Muslim readers to find that role-model all children need, and could also serve as a great vehicle for young males to understand the challenges of living in a patriarchal society.

    [Images via Marvel and Twitter]

  • X-Men: Days Of Future Past Trailer Out Now [Video]

    The X-Men comics have been very popular for several decades and have already inspired several very big-budget films. X-Men: Days Of Future Past is the next film in the series, and fans of the franchise have more reason to get excited with the highly anticipated trailer being released this morning.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set to present fans a new type of X-Men film, which will combine the outstanding cast of the original trilogy with the cast of the 2011 prequel, X-Men: First Class.

    Bryan Singer, who directed the original trilogy will return to direct this film. It will also see the return of big name stars such as Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian Mckellen, and more.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past will feature a Back To The Future-type plot, where the mutants are forced to go back in time, and as a result they meet their younger selves, played by the actors who appeared in the previous film, including Michael Fassbender as Magneto, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.

    When the mutants are faced with their unfortunate fates in the present-day, Xavier is forced to join forces once again with his enemy Magneto, enlisting Wolverine to help them go back in time, and save the mutant species in the future. The mutant bunch returns to the mid-1960s, following the events that occurred in X-Men: First Class.

    Everyone’s favorite X-Men characters will be returning including Storm, Rogue, and Beast. In addition, they will be joined by Peter Dinklage, who will play a military scientist, creating robots called Sentinels. He will play the villain in the film who is tasked with hunting down and killing the mutants.

    X-Men: Days Of Future Past is set to be released on May 23, 2014.

    A total of four new mutants to the film franchise can be seen in the trailer, which should be exciting for fans of the comic books. Can you spot them all?

    Image via Youtube

  • Telltale’s ‘The Wolf Among Us’ Launch Trailer Released

    The first episode of Telltale Games’ The Wolf Among Us hits Xbox 360 and PC on Friday (October 11) and the publisher today released a revealing launch trailer for the game.

    The game is based on the popular Vertigo Fable comics. Bigby Wolf, the Sheriff of Fabletown, will be the main character in the game. Players will use the Wolf’s powers to try and protect his fellow fairy tale characters, making decisions along the way that will affect outcomes in future episodes.

    The Wolf Among Us is Telltale’s first new adventure game since last year’s surprise hit, The Walking Dead. Returning to the comic world makes sense for the publisher, and the art style seen in the trailer certainly matches the world of Fables well.

    However, the strength of The Walking Dead adventure game was its spectacular writing and characterization. Without those things, The Wolf Among Us could end up being closer to Telltale’s Jurassic Park: The Game than last year’s award-winning offering.

  • Harley Quinn Scandal Rocks The Internet

    Harley Quinn Scandal Rocks The Internet

    Most people are familiar with the Batman universe’s infamous villain, The Joker, if for no other reason than Heath Ledger’s fantastic portrayal of him in the recent “Dark Knight” trilogy. The Clown Prince of Crime is crazy and powerful in his own right, but just like the saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. The femme fatale behind the Joker is Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist-turned-sociopath and the Joker’s number one fan girl. Harley is eccentric, clever, agile, and wacky, making her not only the perfect companion to the Joker, but a phenomenal, formidable villainess in her own right. In that spirit, Harley Quinn has ran the jaunt not only as the Joker’s ally, but as a stand-alone villainess and protagonist in other story lines. For anyone interested in reading up on the delightful villainess, make sure to check out Harley’s Haven, the best resource this writer has found concerning all things Harley Quinn.

    Harley’s beginnings as a wacky, lovable fan-favorite have undergone some rather drastic changes in more recent years, particularly with the introduction in 2011 of the revamped “Suicide Squad” series. DC has been trying for the past few years to revamp itself and its characters as edgier, grittier, and more urban (with the latest “Dark Knight” trilogy being a prime example.) Harley was unable to escape this wave of re-imagining, and has been given a new origin story, character design, and personality that has caused outraged fans to pour their dismay on to the internet’s pages. In general, there’s a lot to be criticized when it comes to DC’s method of rebooting characters in “grittier” contexts, which typically translates into more violence, less plot, and a lot more un-needed sexualization. Harley has, unfortunately, been at the forefront of this attack, and it seems like DC isn’t going to stop any time soon, especially with their newest stunt.

    Harley Quinn is set to receive a new series, with work being done by such big names as Amanda Conner, Paul Pope, and even Bruce Timm, a kind of “father” of Harley Quinn’s character. This new series is serving as a contest to “break in to comics with Harley Quinn,” with DC inviting amateur artists to submit their artwork in a chance to be published in Harley Quinn #0. While this is all well and good, the actual guidelines of the contest become alarming once one reads what panels are being requested. The submission must be a 4-panel comic, with each panel showing her attempting to off herself, whether it be by trying to get eaten by alligators, be swallowed by a whale, or… electrocute herself while being naked in a bath tub…?

    The rage over the contest stems mainly from the last panel’s guidelines, which ask for the artists to draw, “Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “oh well, guess that’s it for me” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.” You read that correctly. DC is looking for artists who will draw Harley Quinn in the midst of a sexualized suicide, all in the hope that they might get to make it with the big shots.

    Sexualization is nothing new to comic books. Hell, the sexualization of violence against women is not new to them. Anyone familiar with the
    genre is aware of these problems, and there are many people who speak out against it. What is so shocking about this particular instance, however, is that it is encouraging new artists to follow old trends, to “break in” to comics with the same violent, misogynistic ideas as its predecessors. Callie Beusman over at Jezebel has written a very interesting and thought-provoking piece relating to the scandal, saying that, “What’s perhaps most disturbing about this contest — other than the way in which it showcases DC’s blatant disregard for women — is that it essentially prohibits comic artists who are opposed to the eroticization of violence against women from applying for the honor of drawing a strong female character,”

    Alyssa Rosenberg at Think Progress went on to comment further on Beusman’s article, saying that, “In a way, DC is weeding out artists who are uncomfortable with the scenarios they’re putting forward, or who have other ideas about what might be interesting about Quinn (or other female characters).”

    According to Scott Fraser over at Geek Exchange, the contest is scandalous because it is taken out of context. The following is a statement by Jimmy Palmiotti, the contest’s creator, that Fraser references:

    “That the tryout Harley Quinn page went out without an overall description of tone and dialogue is all my fault. I should have put it clearly in the description that it was supposed to be a dream sequence with Amanda [Conner] and I talking to Harley and giving her a hard time. I should have also mentioned we were thinking a Mad magazine/Looney Tunes approach was what we were looking for. We thought it was obvious with the whale and chicken suit, and so on, but learned it was not. I am sorry for those who took offense, our intentions were always to make this a fun and silly book that broke the 4th wall, and head into issue 1 with a ongoing story/adventure that is a lot like the past Powergirl series we did. I hope all the people thinking the worst of us can now understand that insulting or making fun of any kind was never our intention…. The idea for the page to find new talent is an amazing one and we hope that can be the positive that comes forward from today on … that we get some new talent working in our field because of this unique opportunity. All I write are strong female characters. Ever. Here is the short list: Painkiller Jane, Powergirl, Tallulah Black, 21 Down, Terra, The Resistance, Ame-Comi girls, Triggergirl 6, Alice in Monolith, The lead in Queen crab, Retrovirus, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, Beautiful Killer, Gatecrasher, and so on …. For those worried about Harley Quinn.”

    Obviously, the whole thing is a complete misunderstanding. It is also, apparently, completely okay to sexualize women in violent, demeaning contexts if it is meant in a wacky, “Looney Tunes” style. Obviously, no one has any right to get upset because, jeez, the guy even said he was sorry, why are you all getting to angry, calm down. Obviously.

    The weight of this blunder has only further distanced many fans from DC and pushed once great characters in a direction that is tasteless, violent, and oppressive. DC certainly needs to think long and hard about its decisions, past, present, and future, because if they continue to spiral down the “edgy,” “gritty,” “dark” toilet, they’re going to find themselves permanently stuck in the gutters. Comic books are a wonderful medium with a lot of potential in them, not just in terms of artistic pursuits, but in the potential they hold when it comes to changing social norms and the way that people think, particularly young people. Wacky, funny, and “Looney Tune” style is all well and good, but might this writer suggest that you not couple it or, worse, use it as an excuse to further sexualize, demean, and hurt women? Just a thought.

    Image courtesy of Harley Quinn’s official page on DC Comic’s official website.

  • Telltale Games’ Fables Adaptation Gets Its First Trailer

    Telltale Games proved they know how to adapt a comic book into a video game last year with The Walking Dead. The series captured the look and feel of the comics while providing gameplay that more or less held up to the standards established by the adventure game genre. Now Telltale Games is trying to work their magic again with one of the most celebrated comic book series of recent memory.

    It was announced back in March that Telltale Games would be adapting Vertigo’s Fables into a video game series. Since the announcement, we haven’t seen much of the game until today when Telltale released the first trailer for The Wolf Among Us.

    What’s most impressive about this trailer is that Telltale really nailed the style of the world as its presented in the comics. Fans of The Walking Dead appreciated the studio’s attention to detail, and fans of Fables will no doubt appreciate it here as well.

    There’s no release date for The Wolf Among Us, but it will launch sometime this year for PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac.

  • New Star Wars Comic to Adapt Lucas’ First Draft

    Many Star Wars fans would argue that the screenplays for the newest Star Wars movies could have used a few more drafts, but almost all of them would consider changes to the original Star Wars movie to be sacrilege. It’s an amazing phenomenon, then, that Star Wars has become so popular that even George Lucas’ early drafts of the movie are of interest to fans.

    Dark Horse Comics has even begun adapting one of Lucas’ original drafts into a new comic book. The first of an 8-issue series titled The Star Wars will be released on September 4. The comics will feature old characters in new forms, as well as new characters in some recognizable forms, but Darth Vader and the Death Star still remain.

    Dark Horse this week released a short teaser trailer for The Star Wars. It shows Luke Skywalker as an older gentleman, an unmasked Darth Vader, and a green alien version of Han Solo. Also spotted is an intense-looking young man named Annikin Starkiller and a familiar-looking Death Star:

  • McAfee’s Most Toxic Superheroes In Relation To Web Surfing

    Do you ever wonder what superhero has the most threatening websites related to a search conducted for their particular name? No, me neither, but the folks at McAfee did, and just because it may not be something you first think of, that doesn’t mean the findings aren’t interesting or useful. In fact, a list like this would probably be useful for parents who are raising active Internet users, and for those who want to avoid getting infected when they are using a common search engine to find infringing files.

    Considering the popularity of comic book characters, McAfee’s findings will probably come with little surprise. No, the only surprise comes from the character leading the way when it comes to being associated with malicious websites, if only because the character has not crossed over to the big screen. As you can probably tell by the lead image, the comic character most associated with malware-ridden websites is, in fact, Aquaman. Like I said, surprising, but not because I belong to the “Aquaman sucks” congregation or anything. Just the opposite, actually. No, again, the reason Aquaman being the most popular character in relation to unsafe websites is surprising is because there are other characters who have a much more solid hold on the public’s eye.

    Characters like Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman, The Avengers. You know? Characters who have successful movies attached to them? The reason for the surprise has to do with how McAfee determined their “Most Toxic Superhero” list:

    The research found that searching for the latest “Aquaman and free torrent download,” “Aquaman and watch,” “Aquaman and online,” and “Aquaman and free trailer” yields a 18.6% chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.

    The thing is, there isn’t much to watch in relation to Aquaman’s character. Sure, he’s made an appearance on Super Friends and the self-titled show from the same era, as well as the new Justice League cartoon, but there hasn’t been a standalone Aquaman TV show or movie in quite a while. With that in mind, what the hell are these people searching for? Is there some kind of underground Aquaman movie, similar to Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four, in circulation?

    As for the rest of the list, it’s full of names you know and love:

    Aquaman 18.60%
    Mr. Fantastic 18.22%
    The Hulk 17.30%
    Wonder Woman 16.77%
    Daredevil 16.70%
    Iron Man 15.63%
    Superman 15.21%
    Thor 15.10%
    Green Lantern 15.00%
    Cyclops 14.40%
    Wolverine 14.27%
    Invisible Woman 12.40%
    Batman 12.30%
    Captain America 11.77%
    Spider-Man 11.15%

    Perhaps I misunderstand the malicious software infection strategy, but it would seem phrases like “Download Dark Knight Rises” and “Avengers 2 free trailer” would yield more victims, as opposed to Aquaman.

  • “First Impressions” Fan Film Proves Making A Quality Wonder Woman Is Possible

    While we are indeed in what appears to be the golden age of converting well-loved comic books into movies and television shows, there’s one iconic character who has happened to miss out on the fun. Yes, there have been rumblings about the CW making a Wonder Woman show for next fall, the fact is, it shouldn’t be this hard. The battleground is littered with failed attempts, most notably, the Adrianne Palicki-driven vehicle that never made it passed the pilot stage. Although the casting choice was a correct one, footage from David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman shows something, well, off.

    Perhaps choosing Kelly to make Wonder Woman was the wrong choice, something that looks quite possible after taking a quick look at his IMDb page. Aside from possibly Lake Placid, Kelly doesn’t have a great deal of experience dealing with geek content. Nevertheless, Kelly’s failure, and the failure to produce a quality Wonder Woman program, is magnified by the fact a fan film has surpassed pretty much everything done for the Wonder Woman character. Outside of the comic book, at least:

    As pointed out by Topless Robot, fans should just making these in hope of shaming DC and Warner Brothers into making something comparable. Or they could just hire the creative team who made this. As the credits indicate, the First Impressions fan film is presented by Intelligent Artists and was directed by Leo Kei Angelos.

    At this point, I can’t help but wonder if the CW’s version will be inferior to what we just watched. Granted, it may not be surprising if their version of Wonder Woman is too tween friendly, but it will certainly add to the disappointment.

  • Archie Comics: Gay Kiss Takes Aim At One Million Moms

    Archie Comics are definitely not what they used to be. In keeping up with the times, comic writers are taking on controversial issues one at a time, and Archie and his pals aren’t immune to the social climate.

    In 1941, when Archie debuted, a same-sex kiss would be as likely on the front cover as a woman in astronaut gear; but even now, seven decades later, there are groups who take issue with homosexuality and condemn it, and that’s exactly what the latest issue of Archie Comics is about.

    The issue deals with Kevin Keller, an openly gay character, kissing his boyfriend Devon at Pop Tate’s Diner in front of everyone. When a woman sees the kiss and gets irate about it, Veronica records the scene and uploads it to a YouTube-like video sharing site, where it quickly goes viral.

    “We certainly pride ourselves on being contemporary, but that’s not the reason why we’re showing ‘The Kiss.’ Just like when Kevin first told Jughead he was gay, it was in the natural course of conversation,” said publisher Jon Goldwater. “We are creating this in the same way. It’s just part of the story.”

    Dan Parent, who wrote and illustrated the issue, said he created it because of a One Million Moms protest in which they urged Toys ‘R Us not to display an issue which showed Keller getting married near the checkout aisles. But Archie Comics got the last laugh; the issue went on to sell out despite being taken down by the toy store.

    The new issue goes on sale August 7.

    (image)

  • Wonder Woman Show Isn’t Dead, After All

    Wonder Woman Show Isn’t Dead, After All

    Wonder Woman is still expected to show up on the CW, network officials say, even though they didn’t order the pilot episode this season.

    Studio execs say they are still very interested in a small-screen adaptation of the popular comic, they just want a new writer to take over.

    “It is being redeveloped, we’re waiting for the script to come in; we haven’t seen it yet,” network president Mark Pedowitz said. “We are preparing to pilot it off-cycle should the script be what we want it to be. We do not want to produce something that doesn’t work for that particular character — it is the trickiest of all the DC characters to get done.”

    With comic book stories sweeping movie theaters and raking in millions, it’s no surprise that television execs want to cash in on America’s love for their favorite characters. The problem is finding a way to do it that remains true to the hero, yet translates to t.v. in a way that isn’t completely, horribly cheesy.

    The character summary for the show reads as such:

    [She comes from] a secluded country where she was raised as a solider in a brutal environment. Now a stranger in a strange modern big city, she’s a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe.

    The writer who has taken over the script is Aron Eli Coleite, whose credits include “Heroes” and “The River”.

  • Nook Comics Comes To Nook For iOS

    Nook Comics Comes To Nook For iOS

    Last week, internal documents revealed that Microsoft had offered to buy Nook Media from Barnes & Noble for $1 billion. Those same documents also revealed that Nook Media would start to focus more on its software app on other platforms instead of its own hardware. The first step to improving its apps may have come today with the latest update for iOS.

    Barnes & Noble announced a newly updated Nook app for iOS that allows customers to purchase and read comics on their iOS device. It’s a nice alternative for iOS device owners who may have found Comixology or the dedicated Marvel app lacking in options. The wide selection of graphic novels is also a nice bonus.

    Alongside the addition of comics, the new Nook for iOS app adds the “Zoom View” feature that allows readers to “focus in on individual panels in graphic novels and comics.” Anybody who has tried to read a comic on a tablet or smartphone before knows how painful it can be sometimes so the addition of this feature is welcome.

    Here are the other new features now available on Nook for iOS:

  • Animated page turns for Nook Books.
  • Ability to enlarge book illustrations for detailed imagery.
  • Improved organization for Nook Newsstand periodicals in customers’ libraries.
  • Updated improvements to PagePerfect/PDF titles for easier viewing.

    • “With our free, updated Nook for iOS application, we’re delivering to customers with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch a great optimized reading experience, now with access to Nook Comics, one of the leading collections of digital comics and graphic novels available,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Nook Media LLC. “Using their iOS device, customers can enjoy Nook’s collection of more than 3 million digital books, magazines and newspapers, as well comics and graphic novels with the stunning Zoom View feature.”

    To celebrate the comic-centric update, Nook will be giving away a free Superman sampler to all those who upgrade their iOS app. The sampler includes excerpts from Superman: Last Son of Krypton, Superman: For Tomorrow, Superman: Earth One, and Justice League Volume 1: Origin. It’s no Free Comic Book Day, but it’s still a nice gesture.

    You can grab the newly updated Nook for iOS app here.