Random Ramblings: More On 2012 Superman... British Actors... Lex Luthor.... Wrestling Re-Runs.... Work... etc

So there's a new Superman in town and his name is Henry Cavill. A little bit disappointed about Brandon Routh not getting the role again because he was a pretty good Big Blue, but we just have to wait and see about this new hairy-chested, heavily bearded guy has to offer.

Here's a recent Facebook post from my friend regarding Cavill being cast as Supes:

"A Brit actor playing an American hero? pfft."

and a comment from one ComicVine forumer:

"Truth, justice and the British way". 

I understand the sarcasm, but don't forget folks that Christian "Batman" Bale is also British. And you gotta admit, UK has produced some of the finest actors and actresses in recent memory.

By the way a little bit of factoid: Andrew "The New Spiderman" Garfield is also part Brit. You gotta love this little "British invasion" that we got here - if we can call it like that.

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Still on Superman 2012. I just realized that Bryan Singer's 2006 Superman Returns didn't have a single scene where the Man of Steel actually punches something. Don't believe me? Watch the whole movie again. I have seen it multiple times already and there is definitely none.  Probably one of the biggest reasons why the movie wasn't that big of a deal. Hopefully Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder would change that and give us the chance to finally see our hero beat the hell out of something/someone with rapid-fast punching. That would be AWESOME.

The New Superman: Henry Cavill

The search is finally over. And sorry for me and Routh fans out there,, Brandon Routh is NOT reprising the role of Superman in the upcoming 2012 film reboot  (reported to be titled Superman: Man of Steel) to be directed by Zack Snyder. 

The lucky guy chosen is Henry Cavill, who has apparently auditioned before multiple times for the same role only to be rejected. He was once called the "unluckiest man in Hollywood" because of that, but I think that's all going to change now as he finally got the opportunity to play the role of the most iconic character in comic book history and the chance to revive the whole Superman film franchise. I certainly haven't watched this guy on TV, but from the looks of this photoshopped pic, he sure looks ok for the role:

The Cars That Were The Original Autobots (Transformers)

Since a new Transformer movie is going to come out, let's take a look at a cool presentation courtesy of our guys from carinsurance.org that lists virtually every Autobot from the  1984-1987 Transformers cartoon show and their respective cars they were when they're not on robot mode. Although  Michael Bay's  versions are cool in their own right, nothing can beat the awesome vintage feel of the original that just made a generation of kids stick to their TV sets and hum that familiar Transformer's music.

Now I finally know what Optimus Prime was as a big wheeler. Sweet. Check out the well researched infographic for more car-robot geekness after the jump:

Superman and Batman Both Get Porn Parody Treatments [Trailers]

Two of DC's most iconic characters must be happy now that they are getting their own porn parodies. Written and directed by porn director extraordinaire Axel Braun and produced by one of the largest adult companies Vivid Entertainment, Superman XXX (a parody of Superman Returns) and Batman XXX (a parody of the classic 1960's Batman TV series featuring Adam West) is sure to knock the socks of any comic book fan (and porn fan for that matter)... at least based on the trailers.

They certainly look cool, with a high-grade of production for a  XXX film and features the best adult stars today such as Lexi Belle and Tori Black (I'm a fan of those two haha). I'm sure going to grab one of these DVDs. I just hope that my video guy has them or I'll be damned.

Watch Superman XXX: A Porn Parody trailer below and Batman XXX after the jump. [SAFE FOR WORK]

Comic Book Review : Kick-Ass Book #1

Kick-Ass
Issues: 8
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: John Romita Jr
Published by Marvel Comics under their Icon Imprint

My girlfriend and a co-worker of mine has been telling me that I should watch Kick-Ass - you know the movie starring Nic Cage. Well, I figured that I should read the source material first before watching the flick, so after 2 hours of reading eight comic book issues with about 30 pages in each, I am finally going to review it for ya'.

Written by Mark Millar and one of my favorite comic book artists in John Romita Jr, Kick -Ass  is a simple story of what could have been if a guy like me decides to go on vigilante/superhero mode just because I'm bored as hell and because I wanted to satisfy my inner fanboy. Admit it, we all have dreamed of becoming a superhero at one point in our lives (I still want to become one actually. No kidding), and thought of doing all these crazy stuff that comic book characters do. This book manifests that.

Is being a superhero cool? Yes maybe, but definitely not easy.

A 16-year old high school student named Dave Lizewski decides to become a superhero without any formal training in martial arts or whatever. He's just your ordinary guy. A nobody who just wants to live life to the fullest while satisfying his comic book nerdasm. After his first attempt at crime-fighting fell completely out of place, he continues his saga and for the 2nd time he succeeds. He becomes a Youtube and national sensation, inspiring a legion of wannabe-superheroes wearing masks and spandex costumes, all the while being christened as.... you guessed it: Kick-Ass. The new guy in town ready to uphold his own brand of justice.

Super Talk: My Take On The 2012 Superman Film, Wishing For A Supes' Costume Tweak and More....

Image courtesy of DC Direct

Alright, let's go down to some Superman shall we? Haven't created a single Superman entry since my comic book review about All-Star Superman and its direct to DVD animation (which is going to come out in February) so I think this article is just in time (and my friend Marj is asking me a lot of questions so I attempt to answer all of them here).

So, it has been announced way back last month that Zack Snyder (director of Watchmen, 300 and the upcoming Sucker Punch) will direct the new 2012 Superman film under the production and writing of Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, Inception, The Dark Knight) and David Goyer respectively.  according to an interview with Hero Complex, Nolan stated that they've got brilliant ideas for the new flick which will be a complete reboot of the whole franchise - after Brian Singer's 2006 Superman Returns failed to meet expectations.

I've got no problem with Nolan and Snyder teaming up to do this for I think that Nolan is a great director, and the same can be said for the latter. I have watched all of their films and I loved them all. David Goyer's script writing is also a thing of beauty and it worked obviously on both of Nolan's Batman films so I can't complain anything at all with this team that WB put up. I really think it was the most logical thing to do. and makes me wish nothing but the best for the revival of the greatest superhero with these men on the forefront.

Wonder Woman Update: How About Beyonce?

Beyonce as Wonder Woman - 'Yay' or 'Nay'?

I just read something on Hero Complex about Beyonce eyeing the role of Wonder Woman for the planned TV series by NBC. She says that "a black Wonder Woman would be a powerful thing" and that it is time for something like that.

Oh noes. I don't want her shaking her booty in that suit and singing and dancing to  "Single Ladies" like she's wearing leotards. It would be a disaster. I just hope the producers won't pull the trigger on her. I would go with any other actress  like Megan Fox, Kaley Cuoco, or even Elisha Cuthbert. Hell, I would go with anybody but Beyonce. Cmon. And oh, forget Halle Berry. She's definitely out of the picture.

Let's do a photoshop preview. One friend of mine thinks that Megan Fox might be a good choice for the role. Hmmm.. let us see...

Ame-Comi Figures Featuring DC Babes

Never thought that toy companies are crossing over anime and DC heroines in their figurines, and to be honest it doesn't look too good. Ame-Comi can be called a disappointment for me. It just doesn't work out. Tomopop reviews this toy line and they've got some cool and not-so cool photos of DC heroines - including a Japanese version Wonder Woman holding the head of Medusa, a Batman/Spawn incarnate, and a awfully looking Power-Girl that has robotic arms like she was from Mortal Kombat.  (Check the complete article here.)

But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have any cool looking anime-comic mashups. Check out more pictures after the jump for some of my favorites from their gallery:

I'm kind of biased on this. I like Supergirl and this sort of Magic Knight Rayearth thing they've got on her.

Wonder Woman TV Show In The Works

So after years of speculation, Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman will hit our TV screens after all. NBC has just confirmed that they will produce the show starring our beloved Amazon superheroine. That's good news for all those who have been waiting to see her in live-action TV ala-Smallville.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the show would be come Smallville-ish, but there is a possibility. After all, its a superhero themed show. But what if I tell you that NBC is planning on a different and "modern" take on this classic DC heroine? According to Deadline Hollywood, they are going to do a "reinvention" of the character and that means making her a vigilante crime fighter in LA all while being a successful corporate executive who's trying to balance her crazy dual-identity life.

 Hmmm... So Diana is no longer an Amazon, but a Punisher-like character who kicks punk-asses in Los Angeles? Kind of skeptical about that, but I like the planned twist on the story.  Let us see how that fares. What do you think folks? Does that sound a 'yay' to you?

[Special thanks to Comic Vine for the news]

Watch 12 Minutes of Coolness With The Lazy Teenage Superheroes [Video]

Would you believe me if I told you that a 12 minute-$300-film is waaayy more entertaining than the premiere episode of The Cape or one of those crappy 45 minute episodes from Smallville? 

Enter LST - as in Lazy Teenage Superheroes. A short film directed by Michael Ashton that chronicles the story of 5 teen metahumans (well four actually..)  who are more interested in porn, getting drunk and stoned than to save the world. See them battle a big giant ant robot,  and two more metahumans with all the profanity and cool special effects that even tops a big-budgeted superhero TV episode. No kidding, its that good.

This is probably the best way to spend your twelve minutes, so click away and watch after the jump:

Comic Book Review: V For Vendetta

 V For Vendetta

Issues:  10

Writer: Alan Moore

Artist: David Lloyd

Published by Quality Comics (UK) and Vertigo Comics (DC)

Alan Moore strikes again. No doubt why he is hailed as "arguably the greatest comic book writer in history". Nobody paints a better story with great characterization like Moore, and it certainly shines once more in his cult-classic V For Vendetta.

Haven't watched the movie so I didn't have an idea as to what the premise was all about before reading the novel. I heard or saw it on TV before I dunno, but anyway...let's go on.

Set in a futuristic-dystopian England from the 1980s to the 1990s after the world was almost destroyed by a nuclear war, a Guy Fawkes masked anarchist/revolutionary named "V" aims to eliminate the totalitarian  and fascist government  and its leaders one-by-one. He then goes on to do vile acts of terrorism and violence in order to convince people to bring down the government and accept the idea of anarchism or  "ruling themselves". And as he goes on his own personal rampage, the lives of the people he encounters are changed in the process, leaving in each one of them his own mark.

X-Men: First Class Stills and Teaser Poster Released!

Alright, more X-Men: First Class folks. Forget about those photoshopped pictures, because SPINOFF has the official teaser poster and stills for the long-awaited X-Men movie that would feature how the world-famous mutant team began and focus on the relationship Charles Xavier and Magneto before they became the leaders of their own respective mutant groups.

We got shots of James McAvoy (Xavier) who looks like he's using telepathy, the first still of the whole gang, and two great mind masters playing chess with the cool 1960's feel.

Click here to see more the pictures.

X-Men: First Class is scheduled for release on June 3, 2011.

Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy To Star As "Catwoman" and "Bane" in The Dark Knight Rises

This just in for ComicBookResources' Facebook update.

Multi-talented actress Anne Hathaway was selected to play as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman alongside Christian Bale's Batman in Christopher Nolan's final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises as confirmed by Warner Bros.  She will serve as the love interest and nemesis of billionaire-playboy Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Here is the announcement from WB's press release:

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."

 

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies." Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. The Dark Knight Rises is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

Hmm... I'm trying to imagine her in that sexy catsuit...

Damn, can't we just have pictures already? Oh I got an idea: try to imagine her in that catsuit while striking a pose like the one she did in the rated-R movie Havoc (where she appeared nude... yes, I'm probably going to hunt down a torrent of that movie):

Random Ramblings: Golden Globes...The Walking Dead.., Car Dealers... Vigilantes... Allergies.. and Strange Weather

Its the 2nd week of the "allergic hell" that I'm into but I'm feeling better now, less itches, and the rashes are no longer bothering me that much. All it took was avoiding dairy products, egg, fish, chicken and foods of that nature because it triggers my body's allergic reaction. And thank goodness for Celestamine.  It really helped. But I wished that it had more than just 2mg.

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The Golden Globes 2011. Crap, that High School Musical-copycat Glee stole the show. And I don't need to tell you that I don't like that freaking TV show, do I?

How about The Walking Dead walking away with nothing? Come on, this is one of the best zombie-drama flick we have ever seen since George Romero launched The Night of the Living Dead years ago and it doesn't get trophies? Ugh.

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Killers posing as car buyers Car dealers getting butchered one by one. 3 incidents have already been recorded, same type of death - shot in the head, then burned until the lifeless body is unrecognizable. The cars? Not even touched.  It makes me sick to my stomach. How could these guys take lives like that - like they were killing some animal.

I just texted one of my buddies who happens to be in the car dealing business to keep safe. Its better to spread the word.

Maybe we need vigilantes more than ever now. Yeah, like Batman and The Punisher. The world is becoming practically unsafe by the day.

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There are floods all over the world - from the Philippine provinces, up to our neighbors in Australia, and even up to the most deserted lands in Saudi Arabia. It seems like there is just so much water right now. Isn't it strange? Is this a clear evidence of "global warming" taking shape?

Mother Nature strikes and its like Noah's Ark all over again. 

Learn The Alphabet With Sean Gordon Murphy's Wolverine ABCs

Wanna learn the alphabet comic book style? Look no further because comic book artist extraordinaire Sean Gordon Murphy has just made sure that toddlers would learn how to speak ABCs in the most entertaining and kick-ass of ways with his cool Wolverine Alphabet illustrations, which also features several other comic book characters from the X-Men, Punisher, and Daredevil.

I wish these were used as visual aids when I was in grade school. Damn.

Check out some of my favorites from his deviantArt page right after the jump:

Latest Action Comics #900 Cover!

Superman will be back next April on the issue of Action Comics #900 and will finally replace Lex Luthor as its main protagonist. Yep, Lex has been in the pages of Action Comics for over a year now and truth be told, it was an amazing run for The Man Of Steel's greatest adversary. Got to thank Pete Woods and Paul Cornell for that.

And of course, a much anticipated return needs a spectacular cover. Here is the amazing variant cover art for AC #900 courtesy of superstar painter Alex Ross:

Now how sweet is that?

For those of you who don't know why this cover is such a big deal for Superman fans (including me), it is because of the fact that this variant is a throwback to the classic Action Comics # 1 cover by Superman co-creator Joe Shuster (the other was writer Jerry Siegel) - which a by the way costs between $1 - $1.5 million USD, depending on the quality - making it the most desired comic book for collectors.

First Photo Of Andrew Garfield As The New SpiderMan

Move over Tobey Maguire, a new-kid is in town and he looks like just about ready to prove all doubters wrong. Well at least for now, with this first official photo of Andrew Garfield as our beloved friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

In case you don't know yet, Sony has decided to reboot the whole SpiderMan franchise so no more Tobey and Kirsten Dunst this time around. The movie would feature a new story, a new villain, and for sure a new costume for our web-slinging hero. And I gotta admit, this new Spidey sports his new costume pretty well - he looks skinnier and younger (perfect for a teenage Peter Parker), he's all wet, battered and dirty, and his costume reeks of awesomeness. Check it out after the jump.

Chris Evans In Full Captain America Costume!!!

Many thanks again to our friends at ComicBookMovie and a user named CBM for bringing us this exclusive picture showing actor Chris Evans in his full star-spangled Captain America garb!

[Click the image for full size]

Now, this is what I call COSTUME. It looks so awesome, bad-ass, great, cool, amazing... whatever you wanna say. This is just absolutely fantastic!  Whoever designed and made the costume should be nominated for an Oscar. I mean it.

Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans in the lead role and is scheduled to be released on July 22, 2011 in 3D.

Random Ramblings: Rashes, Ants, and More...

I wish I could by the Ant-Man so I could talk to the ants in our house and tell them not to bite me when I'm sleeping. My rashes were caused by ant-bites that I meticulously scratched like a dog which led to... more rashes and more rashes.. - you get the point. Anyway, I'm a little bit fine now and the patches are no longer that itchy, though I only slept for just 3 hours today because of another "itch-attack". I feel like I'm on  weed or something. Damn, I need to contact Hank Pym right now and maybe find a way to befriend these little guys to make them stop treating me like chocolate. 

On the other hand...

New Anime Wolverine Gets A Mullet [Video]

Wolverine finally got his shot at being a Japanese animated character as Animax aired Marvel's newest anime series featuring our beer-drinking, adamantium-laced Weapon X. After Iron Man had his debut a couple of months ago as an anime (which I thought was pretty good), it was time for one of the X-Men's most popular characters to show that he can bring to the scene.

And as you can see folks, he's got a... mullet. Yes, a damn mullet. He's kind of skinny too and clean-shaved, but I kinda forgave that already because I liked the first episode of his new show. I won't delve in to the details of the story but what I can tell you is that the creators are trying to brew up something interesting for Wolverine in this anime: he is not going to have a "walk in the park" despite the complete absence of other super powered mutants as his enemies and that he's got to learn how to use other weapons asides from his adamantium claws like uhm... a wooden sword.

Watch it right now because for sure somebody's gonna take the video off pretty soon. Part 1 of  the first episode is right after the jump:

Sucker Punch Trailer

An action-fantasy movie ala Alice In Wonderland only with guns, swords and big robots? That's what Zack Snyder (director of Watchmen and 300) is bringing in to the table this 2011 with an ensemble cast of gorgeous ladies -  Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens - that looks to have more of those familiar "slow-mo" scenes. I liked Snyder's aforementioned films , and I'm looking forward to see if this new flick would have anything new to offer.  Check out the trailer and see it for yourself.

Comic Book Review: The Walking Dead # 80

 

The Walking Dead Issue # 80

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Charlie Adlard

Published by Image Comics

"Whatever keeps you OUT... Keeps you IN."

It's been a long time since issue #79 ended and I have been waiting for so long on what's gonna happen next on this incredible zombie-saga by two of the best teams in the business today - Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Now with the season 1 of the  hit AMC TV series of the same name already finished, it was about time for the creators to get back to their desks and continue what they started.

The new chapter picks up where the previous issue left off, with the gang living inside a seemingly peaceful township in Washington, DC, where our main guy Rick Grimes serves as the Constable. He tries to keep  peace and order in town, but he eventually kills a man who is physically abusing his wife (Jessie) and child. After that, the group fights off a surprise attack from bandits, but a big horde of zombies we're attracted in the process and are now attempting to breach the walls of their new found "home". They are able to close the gates and keep the walkers from ultimately invading them, but not without a casualty and a lot of fear coming back to haunt the community.

Gerry Alanguilan's Wasted

Gerry Alanguilan is one of the Philippine's great comic book contributors, having worked on books such as Superman: Birthright with another Filipino artist, Leinil Francis Yu; X-Men and many more. He also created and published his own comic books like Elmer and Timawa under his Komikero Publication. But probably his greatest and most underrated achievement thus far is the creation of one of his early works - Wasted.

Originally published in 1998 by Alamat Comics, Gerry decided to share his marvelous work to everybody by posting it on his online comic site, and how priveleged we all are to have a chance to read such a marvelous work of art and literature. Best part of it is - it is FREE! (Read the whole 8-issue Wasted saga here. )

The story revolves around the mishaps of a musician named Eric who finds himself  a victim of random unjustice: first when his dad died, and then when his long-time girlfriend broke up with him and went to move on with another man. His personal life is crumbling, and is slowly becoming deranged because of such great emotional stress. Now searching for his own kind of twisted justice, Eric goes on a rampage, like a walking time-bomb ready to explode on anybody who unfortunately crosses his path.

Hoy Pinoy Webcomic: 'How To Kill A Flying Ipis' (How To Kill A Flying Cockroach)

I am a Filipino and it is a shame for to me to just cover Western Comics here on my blog so I thought, "Why don't I show some love for Filipino comics or webcomics?". Typed a couple of letters and told Mr. Google to search for a good Pinoy (slang for Filipino) webcomic out there.

Tada! Found hoypinoy.net and he's got a nice looking site with ramblings and some nice webcomics. I particularly liked his scientific take on how to kill a flying cockroach while using the laws of physics, like it was solving a worded math problem. Genius. The webcomic is in my native Tagalog language, but I will try to translate for you.

******

Rough Tagalog translation: papaano patayin ang isang lumilipad na ipis? eto na ang kasagutan para sa inyong mga takot sa nakakarimarim na insektong ito. siguradong makakatipid kayo sa Baygon. At huwag kalimutang bisitahin ang nabanggit na websayt.

Pindutin ang dyamp link para sa mga litrato. (Click on the jump to see more)

Off To A Lazy Start

The Christmas season is over and so the budgets are back to square one. And when I mention square one, that means - zero. Folks have abruptly stopped buying all kinds of stuff right after January 01, 2011 and that was always the trend every year since the worldwide economic struggles began.

Good thing I made most out of the opportunity last month to gain slightly more revenue than I usually generate, because this month is just plain lazy. Almost no calls at all, I ain't selling stuff that much after the first week -and I know it is early, but still, it doesn't look like very good to me.

But I'm not talking it too seriously, I will just tread water for right now, take it easy, enjoy the fruits of my labor, go to work everyday and give it my 100%, all of that while reading a lot of Fables. Bill Willingham just got me hooked.

Hello Kitty Crossovers To Comic Books and Movies With Joseph Senior's Outrageously Cool Designs

I was never a fan of Hello Kitty, but I have to admit that the character is cute. And it just got to over-the-top level cute after I stumbled to Joseph Senior's (aka yodaflicker) flickr page filled with incredible creative designs, telling us that Hello Kitty could be customized to become the baddest and coolest toy that even the biggest Kitty hater out there would like. He's got a vast collection of these featuring Batman, Iron Man, Hit Girl, Star Wars and many more which I thought were real life custom made toys.

Unfortunately, these are not true customized toys and are merely photoshopped designs, but still, they make for some great ideas in the future.  Maybe Sanrio will do it someday (come on guys, you know you want these). And I have to say, I'm kind of digging Hello Kitty right now as much as I don't want to.

Make sure that you show some love for his work by visiting his flickr account through the links above but for the meantime, check out my favorites after the jump:

Comic Book Review: Fables # 1

Fables # 1

Created and Written by Bill Willingham

Published by Vertigo

Remember Snow White, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Jack and The Beanstalk, and all those children stories? I know you do, but have you wondered if they really "lived happily ever after"? I have asked that question a couple of times and to my great surprise, I have found the answer... well, not exactly the answer but more of like somebody's own personal twisted concept of what came after to these characters.

Welcome to the Fabletown - a secret place in modern day New York City where our beloved folklore and fairytale characters (who call themselves "Fables") dwell and blend with the human society after an evil entity known as "The Adversary" took over their Homelands and drove them out in the process. So there you go, it was not "happily ever after" after all. 

Some of our main characters are introduced in this fabulous first issue like Jack Horner - the guy in the Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack O Lantern and other Jack stories; Bigby Wolf - yes folks, its the Big Bad Wolf from the Three Little Pigs who in the comic, is the sheriff/police in Fabletown; Rose Red - the party-going sister of Snow White and the girlfriend of Jack; Prince Charming - ex-husband of Snow White (and a bunch of other fairytale ladies), now a full time womanizer and all around liar; and last but not the least: Snow White - the boss who runs just about anything at Fabletown.

Jack and Bigby Wolf

There's A New Superhero In Town: Get Ready For "The Cape"

Superhero fans, there is a new guy that looks like to kick some ass on your TV screens every week.  "The Cape" is airing its 2-hour premiere this January 9th on NBC that will star David Lyons as the new hero in black.

From Wikipedia:

  

"The series, set in the fictional metropolis of Palm City, follows an innocent cop who has been framed for a crime he did not commit and then left for dead after he is caught. He is eventually saved by a circus ringleader who prepares him with special abilities to defend himself against his foes. Separated from his wife and son, he tries to clear his name while protecting them from being killed in the event that he should be reported alive. He takes the law into his own hands by taking the guise of his son's favorite comic book hero, The Cape, after he is given a special suit that has unique capabilities. Vowing to get rid of the corruption that has taken over both the city and the police force, he goes after the person responsible for setting him up and causing his "demise".

Ordinary guy gets mystical powers and becomes the man who saves the day? Sounds good to me. That formula worked 70 years ago and for sure will work again in this new generation. I'm excited to see how this would fare. And because I only watch Smallville during weekends, adding this to my weekly TV schedule is a plus.

Don't forget to visit the official site and as usual you gotta watch the spectacular (yeah, I mean it) trailer after the jump:

Art of Francis Manapul - Wolverine [Video]

Watching artists draw is a pretty sight to watch. Today, we have Filipino-Canadian artist Francis Manapul, who is one of the most exciting comic book artists today and is known for his work on Witchblade, DC's Adventure Comics, and currently The Flash with Geoff Johns. He was ranked #48 on ComicBookResources Top 100 Artists List. 

Here he shows us how to draw Wolverine using his patented Ink and Wash technique with inks and paintbrushes. Makes me want to draw like him too, haha.

Thanks to cartoonblock for the vid! Lucky basterd.

Facts About The Third Batman Film

Been keeping an eye on the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise and I was able to get some pretty nice facts about the upcoming film, which is slated to hit the cinemas on July 20, 2012. Thanks to Hero Complex for scoring a good interview with Nolan himself who verified a couple of things about the film.

First, the movie title is The Dark Knight Rises. Not a bad choice and a catchy one at that. There's some mystique to it as to what the story and ending would be for our Caped Crusader's adventures.

Another thing that Nolan confirmed is that the villain is NOT - again folks, not - The Riddler. Rumors have spread all over the internet that the ever puzzling enigma is the next big villain to get a shot at the movies, with some reports saying that rapper Eminem is being cast to the role.  Though Riddler has been a great villain to the Bat over the years and thought I like Slim Shady's raps - I don't think its going to work mainly because the character doesn't have that "it factor". Just look at Batman Forever with Jim Carrey in it and tell me I'm wrong.

Comic Preview: The Walking Dead #80

Hah, I thought that Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" was over by issue # 79. How foolish of me, because our beloved zombie saga comes back this week with issue # 80 titled "No Way Out".

The gang is now living in some sort of township in Washington, DC together with other survivors, and are trying to live a normal life. Rick Grimes doesn't trust the leader of the town though, who is a  former US. Congressman. Rick is now the Constable of the town and tries his very best to keep the peace within, but he finds out that its not that easy. And before the last issue ended, a group of bandits attacked their town attracting a horde of carcass-hungry zombies. All hell has broken loose.

There goes my short recap for the last issue, so if want to get a sense of what I'm talking about here, start catching up because this Eisner-winning saga isn't gonna end soon.

Check out the preview images and make sure to click after the jump for more.

[images courtesy of Comic Vine]

 

New Smallville Season 10 Poster Shows The Red and Blue

Smallville has been airing for almost 10 years now chronicling the life of a young Clark Kent before he became Superman. Love it or hate it, this show has contributed much to the Superman legacy and has withstood the test of time - budget cuts, changing networks, cast members leaving, and other things that we don't see on camera.

The show entered its 10th and final season and as much as they want to adhere with their famous "no-tights-no-flights" rule right from the beginning, it seems to me that it won't hold up for too long. Season 10 offered us glimpses of The Man of Tomorrow catching bullets and saving the day and even showed the costume at the end of this season's episode one. 

Now the show just got more exciting as a new teaser poster showed up courtesy of our friends from the Source:

Noticed anything? Oh hell yeah.

Smallville returns on CW on January 29th. 

P.S - Does anybody think that Brandon Routh is in the poster somewhere because of crappy photoshopping?

5 Things To Watch Out For This 2011

We have all been excited last year because of all the teaser trailers of the various comic book movies adaptations, video games, toys, and direct-to-dvd animated movies. So as we enter the first few days of the Year of the Rabbit 2011, I have listed the stuff we have to watch out for in the upcoming months.

5. All-Star Superman DVD 

Fans of this Eisner-award winning graphic novel by mastermind Grant Morisson have been teased long enough as arguably the greatest story of the the greatest superhero of all-time  is finally scheduled to be released on DVD come February 2011. Oh boy, its just a month away and we cannot wait for it and see if it will deliver.


4. DC Universe Online

Yes folks, after almost 3 years of conceptualization, testing, and numerous teasing, DC and Sony Entertainment will finally release their massively-multiplayer-online-roleplaying game (MMORPG) in the first quarter of this year with the monthly subscription costing $14.99. Players will have the chance to create their own hero with their own unique set of  skills and abilities, train them (level up), complete quests, and do battles with other online players in places like Gotham City and Metropolis. Numerous gameplay trailers have surfaced on Youtube so every bit of info you need to know about the biggest superhero based online game is just one click away

3. Batman: Arkham City Video Game

 

The sequel to the award winning Batman: Arkham Asylum video game apparently has a kick-ass trailer that shows Batman trashing a couple of SWAT guys. Its the Dark Knight vs Counter-Strike featuring Batman's newest and most dangerous foe yet - Hugo Strange. Game freaks have been screaming for months now and I guess they got to have a little more patience until late 2011 comes.

2. Thor / Captain America Films

Marvel has been into a hot streak right now with the success of their Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Spider-Man movies, and are now about to show two of their other popular characters in the big screen: Thor is scheduled to be released on April 27, 2011 to be followed up by Cap on July 22. Then after that, I guess we are about to see the team up of all those heroes in a star-studded film titled The Avengers sometime in 2012. Nice.

1. Green Lantern Movie

 

It seems that DC has been left behind by their rival comic company, Marvel, in terms of successful superhero movies (at least for now). And after the success of The Dark Knight, questions arose as to which comic book hero are they going to produce for a movie. Superman is still in the reboot stage, Wonder Woman  seems far fetched right now, and to be honest, The Flash isn't going to cut it. Fortunately, there's one beloved DC character that might just do it for them - Green Lantern which light up on June 17, 2011. And with Ryan Reynolds looking good on the trailer, this film has already become one of the most anticipated films of the year.

So there are my 5 things to look out for this year, so make sure that you mark those calendars as to not miss all of the comic goodness coming our way. 

Jay Tablante's Uber-Realistic Comic Cosplay Portraits

You may never have heard Jay Tablante's name before, but if you look at his deviantArt page, you are sure to remember his name as soon as you see his fabulous work. He's got a gallery filled with 5-star rated cosplay photo portraits featuring some Filipino actors/actresses in iconic comic book character costumes that reeks of Hollywood-awesomeness. 

But the best thing about it is they are 100% Filipino made. Way to go Jay!

Anyway, here are my favorites from his gallery, featuring your favorite comic book  characters! Oh you gonna love 'em.

[Click on the jump for more images]

The White Queen: X-Men's Emma Frost

Straczynski Drops Writing Duties On Superman Monthly

Yes yes yes! It's finally over. J. Michael Straczynski finally gave up writing the monthly Superman comic book series and with that, ends one of the most boring Superman storylines (hopefully) that I have ever read my entire life.

The whole New Krypton Saga was kind of boring tooafter I finished it I should say , then JMS follows it up with his 'Grounded' story where he puts The Man of Steel literally on the ground by making him walk - that's right people - walk across the United States in order to make connections again to the people he swore to protect after being out of action for a long time because of he whole fiasco on New Krypton (If you haven't read that whole thing right from Superman: Last Son, then start reading it if you want to get updated on the latest happenings).

Superman walking on the streets meeting everyday people sounded like a good thing to me the first time, but it didn't really work out. Big Blue was once again delving into his patented self-pity routine, he's sad all the time and that really kills the magic of reading. Who wants to see Superman walking anyway? He's not made for that. He's made to fly, catch bullets, destroy villains to a pulp and fight some intergalactic monster for cripes sakes. 

Superman is at his best when he is action - whether its saving Lois Lane again and again, battling big bald Lex Luthor, or simply saving the world from every threat possible like it was his last day on Earth - but definitely not walking around like some depressed old man who questions his abilities. It's never going to work, and to be honest I stopped reading at Superman # 706 because of that.

Glad that JMS walked away from the monthly comic book series to concentrate on the sequel of Superman: Earth One and hopefully the new creative team would give a new fresh take on JMS' unfinished work and make Superman "super" once more. 

Opening up 2011 with The Walking Dead

After a couple of days of celebrating the new year and eating non-stop, its finally time to get back to business.

First thing I did was to watch AMC's The Walking Dead tv series and was able to get a dvd for the first season (or so I thought). 

Well, it was good as it was advertised, they stuck with the comic book storyline mostly but the thing that really made it better was the addition of some scenes and plot lines that we're never in the graphic novel. I think it was good move by the producers because you don't want to just religiously stick the source material all the time and just copy it (Watchmen, anyone?).  I felt like I was into a different story even though I had finished reading the book and to me that's a good thing. Gives off a feel of surprise and unpredictability even for the hardcore fans of the comic.

The zombies are just plain great. I mean, I said "eewww" and "yuck!" a couple of times seeing all those grotesque and gruesome images - zombie eating rats, a zombie being butchered, and one that is scavenging a body of a big deer with all  the blood, spleens, kidneys and stuff that you would only see in a slaughter house. Wow. Its cinematic genius.

And who would have thought that we would never see such an A-grade, over-the-top drama series with zombies? But here we are finsihed with the first season and are already waiting for the 2nd with 13 freaking episodes. It doesn't get any better than that. 

Now if I can only be one of those zombie extras.