ComicVine Site Mashup

'The Great Ten' Reviewed!

Babs — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:00:55 -0800

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Babs reviews the first issue!

Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love #1

G-Man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:26:32 -0800

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Secret Agent Cinderella from Fables gets her own mini-series

'The Great Ten' #1 of 10 Reviewed!

Babs — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0800

How does the first issue measure up?

' The Great Ten ' #1 of 10
Written by: Tony Bedard
Art by: Scott McDaniel

You may remember 'The Great Ten's' first appearance in DC's '52' approximately three years ago. They have officially returned and been given their own ten issue series which highlights both their origins as a team, as well as each individual team member's back story. However, it seems that this may have been a part of the problem with this first issue. Only so many aspects of any story can be told at one time, and the primary problem I personally had with this book was the fact that far too much was happening at once. Bedard outlines (very briefly) China's political relationship with Tibet, which seems to be at the core of the conflict that the members of 'The Great Ten' will be forced to confront. It seems somewhat presumptuous to assume that the reader will be versed in China's socio-political history, but this is exactly how it reads in the beginning. While the concept of using real life Chinese socio-political issues to enhance the story is inherently brilliant, the writer could have done a far better job of integrating these issues into the actual plot of the story rather than assuming that we all have a background on the history of Communist China.

There are ten team members, and this happens to be issue one of ten. There is a small focus on the 'Accomplished Perfect Physician's' character, so I must assume that each issue will focus on each individual member and tell his or her back story in addition to telling the story of their journey to becoming a member of 'The Great Ten.' The book seems to jump around a lot as well, going from "12 years ago" to the "present" and back again, with little to no transition; essentially disrupting the natural flow of the story.

Reflecting on the book as a whole, it could have been better organized (I blame editing) and this first issue could have dealt less with the story of the 'Accomplished Perfect Physician,' and more the story of the team as a whole as well as more historical overview since it seems to be such a crucial aspect of the overall plot. The art was okay, I have seen better.

2.5 out of 5

Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love #1 Reviewed

G-Man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

I might have been a little late getting into Fables but once I did, I devoured the first few trades. Fables is simply a great book. Part of it could be that I have a young daughter who was into some of these 'fables' and seeing them in a different light was pretty cool. Let's just be clear, Fables is not a book for children. The books is extremely well written and has always had great art in its arcs. Now we're seeing one of the characters, Cinderella , jumping out of Fables and into her own mini-series.

So this isn't the Cinderella you might remember. That is what is great about Fables. We see these old characters given new life. You won't look at the old stories from your youth the same again. I mentioned my distraught when I discovered that Fables creator Bill Willingham wasn't writing this series. You can see from my rating that writer Chris Roberson does a great job. I didn't have anything to worry about. The art by Shawn McManus simply fits in perfectly with the world of Fables.

If you've ever read Fables, you'll love seeing Cinderella taking the spotlight once again. If you haven't read Fables yet, you can easily jump into this book and follow the events. I really think you'll dig the idea of Fables once you do. So if you're a fan or if you're looking for something different from the superheroes, check out Cinderella's book and see her kick some butt.

Spider-Man Musical Finds It's Peter Parker

G-Man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800

Spider-Man : Turn Off The Dark has had its share of ups and downs lately. There's been talk of the show not opening and being over budget. Variety reported yesterday that things are still in motion. They have found their Peter Parker along with their lead producer.

Michael Cohl will be taking over as lead producer. Cohl has been in the industry since 1989, getting his start as a concert promoter. Cohl has also worked with the band U2, whose members, Bono and the Edge, have written songs for the musical. The role of Peter Parker will be played Reeve Carney, the lead singer of the band Carney .

As you may know, the show will be directed by Julie Taymor, who has worked with Reeve on the upcoming film version of The Tempest . Other cast includes Alan Cumming as the Green Goblin and Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane .

There's no update on the premiere of the show. That's still in question. All that has been said with this announcement is that the show will open in 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theater.

Lobo: Highway To Hell #1

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:32:50 -0800

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G-Man can't get AC/DC out of his head now

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:05:40 -0800

Marvel SIEGE

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:02:58 -0800

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It's been years in the making...

Lobo: Highway To Hell Reviewed

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Lobo's back. Does anyone still care? When I first discovered Lobo I became a huge fan. Lobo's Paramilitary Christmas Special cracked me up. Then it felt like he started getting a little watered down. Let's find out how this two issue series will be.

Lobo is indeed back. It's great getting back to what Lobo is all about, fragging anyone that gets in his way. Scott Ian and Sam Kieth do a great job here. Scott does a great job of capturing the essence of who Lobo really should be. Sam's art takes us into the bizarre world that Lobo lives in. We're on an incredible journey as Lobo makes his way to take on Satan.

While it may not be the best comic ever produced, that's what you'd expect. We're talking about a Lobo comic. He's going after Satan for killing some dolphins. Do we really need any more reason to read this? What it comes down to is if you're a Lobo fan, you need to pick this book up. The writing is dead on with the right amount of violence and humor. The art is just amazing to look at and just fits in nicely. I was worried that this wouldn't live up to my expectations but I feel like Lobo finally is back to where he should be.

Comic Vine Podcast 11/06/09

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

We survived a week of moving from our old office to our new office. This week we talked about Mark Millar directing movies along with the new Kick-Ass movie posters, Smallville and the Wonder Twins, nasty images in comic books, Ryan Reynolds in a towel and Aquaman riding a whale.

There wasn't any pie this week but we do answer the question, "Has a comic book ever made you cry?" We also put the question out to you guys as to whether we should try a week of no superhero comic reviews. Hopefully the weather will clear up today as we prepare for our barbecue as we celebrate our new office.

www.comicvine.com/podcast/

Who Is Norman Osborn's Secret Weapon In Siege?

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Remember when we saw the Cabal meet? There was question as to why they would all listen/follow Norman Osborn's orders. He reminded them of his little friend waiting outside. All we got was a glimpse of a shadow.

The speculation has been that he(?) will have the initials "MM." One of the top runners was Molecule Man (who we just saw in Dark Avengers #10 ). Another name that I've heard thrown around is Miracle Man ( also known as Marvelman, who Marvel recently acquired).

There's also the image to the left that Marvel has posted.

Are you looking forward to SIEGE ?

Black Panther Must Save The Super Hero Squad From MODOK

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0800

The 'guest stars' continue to drop by the Super Hero Squad . On the next episode (airing on the Cartoon Network Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.), M.O.D.O.K. wants to take his rightful place as leader of the villains. As the big-headed baddie and Loki scheme to rule the world, it's up to Black Panther to help the Squad overcome the super powered foes. Can Iron Man convince Doctor Doom to "Hero Up" with the Squad? Also find out what role the Watcher plays in this star studded episode featuring Storm , Tana Nile , The Leader , Sabretooth and more.

Here's some images to see what fun you can expect. ( Click to enlarge ):

For more information and stuff to keep you busy, check out www.superherosquad.com

Marvel's SIEGE Teaser Trailer

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Are you ready for the SIEGE? Something big is coming to the Marvel Universe. Nothing can prepare them for what is about to happen.

SIEGE is coming! It’s all been leading up to this universe shattering four issue limited series from the superstar team of Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel! Following the events of Dark Reign: The List, Norman Osborn sets his sights set on Asgard and nothing will stop him from completing his mission. But what does he want? How do Loki and Thor figure in? And just how does this relate to the inner strife between the Cabal? Marvel’s greatest heroes unite against the deadliest threat they’ve ever faced, but even they have no idea what’s coming next. It’s time for the most jaw dropping comic book event of the decade begins in December with Siege: The Cabal and continues in January’s SIEGE #1!

Dwayne McDuffie To Bring Milestone Universe To DC

Babs — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Former JLA writer to chronicle the end of the 'Milestone Universe'

Dwayne McDuffie will be returning to DC Comics to bring his successful ' Milestone Universe ' to an end in a whole new series. The Milestone editor-in-chief and former Justice League of America writer will bring back many successful Milestone characters with him, including STATIC, ICON , HARDWARE , SHADOW CABINET and BLOOD SYNDICATE . In addition, we will be seeing many of the artists that had formerly worked on Milestone projects return, including John Paul Leon , Mark Bright, Chris Cross and Milestone Founder Denys Cowan . The series will be integrated with the DC Universe and it's characters and will "chronicles the literal end of a universe, and the birth of something new, with major consequences for the future of the DC Universe."

Are you looking forward to seeing the Milestone characters get their closure in the DCU? Do you think you will be picking up the series?

Want To See The Wonder Twins On Smallville?

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

I've reported earlier that the Wonder Twins will be making their way to Smallville this season. The super folks at Kryptonsite have posted some images of the two kids from Exxor (although we'll see if they're really aliens or not). It's great that we're seeing more 'guest stars' on Smallville. I'm still not sure about the fact that Zan and Jayna will be appearing. What do you think about this?

Kick-Ass Movie Posters, Do They Kick Ass?

G-Man — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800

This is pretty sweet. IGN has 'premiered' new movie posters for Kick-Ass. What's sweet about this is it means the movie is that much closer to being released. The movie is coming to theaters on April 16, 2010. I believe there was a rough screening recently and there were positive reactions. The footage seen at San Diego Comic-Con was great.

You can see the posters (above) fit together to spell out "Kick-Ass." We see Red Mist , Kick-Ass , Hit-Girl and Big Daddy . Issue #8 is scheduled to be released on December 9, 2009. If you haven't read the series, you definitely should before the movie comes out. Amazon lists the trade coming out on December 14, 2009. I'm not sure if that's exactly right.

Here's a better look at each individual poster:

Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic: Behind The Scenes

G-Man — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:51 -0800

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See how the motion comic was made

V For Vendetta Trailer

Babs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:07:45 -0800

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Official trailer for the film

The New Comic Vine (And Anime Vice) Office

G-Man — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:54:52 -0800

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We're still setting up but here's a quick tour

'Psylocke' #1 of 4 Reviewed!

Babs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:52:58 -0800

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Oh, heavens to Betsy!

Pinocchio Vampire Hunter

G-Man — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:51:15 -0800

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G-Man loves this book!

"V Is For Vendetta"

Babs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

"Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

I remember it was about five years ago when I drove to the opening midnight showing of the film. My sister and I were both laughing, throwing pop corn at one another, acting a lot like kids waiting for the movie to start. It was still cold, around March of 2005, and the perfect night to go to the theater. It's funny how a film can be so thought provoking and so moving that it alters your mood almost completely, which is exactly what happened to me upon seeing 'V For Vendetta' for the first time. I will admit, before that night if you had asked me who Alan Moore was, I probably could not tell you. I can not lie and say that I was familiar with the graphic novel, I wasn't. Five years ago I was not reading comic books. After watching 'V For Vendetta' I remember crying, a lot. My make-up was smudged and my sister and I were silent on our drive back home. If I had to guess, I would say that my reaction was directly related to the powerful message that was speaking through 'V' to me, or so I thought. The character moved me. Perhaps when you're young, you think that you have the power to influence change in people, which is exactly what 'V' did; and is essentially the definition of what being a superhero is, at least in my opinion. To me, 'V' personifies the ultimate hero. He is a martyr who so desperately wanted to alter the political landscape for future generations, that he sacrificed his own life for the sake of a cause. That in itself, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful concepts for any character or story ever to exist in comic books, and is exactly the reason why 'V For Vendetta' remains, to this day, one of my favorite comic book stories of all time.

The story, inherently, is about a man who wanted to evoke political reform. It is the idea that one person, man or woman, has the capability to influence and make real change; and that to me was a beautiful thing. 'V For Vendetta' took about ten years to complete, and was first started by Moore back in the summer of 1981. The first issue was published almost ten years later in the Spring of 1988. No doubt, Moore drew on the political atmosphere of the time, which in the span of those eight years, altered considerably. As did his own personal understanding of politics in general.

"There is a certain amount of political inexperience upon my part evident in these early episodes. Back in 1981 the term "nuclear winter" had not passed into common currency, and although my guess about climatic upheaval came pretty close to the eventual truth of the situation, the fact remains that the story at hand suggests that a nuclear war, even a limited one, might be survivable. To the best of my knowledge, this is not the case...Naivete can also be detected in my supposition that it would take something as melodramatic as a near-miss nuclear conflict to nudge England towards fascism."
-Moore, Alan. "I began V for Vendetta..." DC Comics, September 1988. Vol I of X

While his opinions and understanding of politics in general changed over the course of the years in which he wrote 'V For Vendetta,' what remains true and solidified is the overall message that 'V' himself represents. Change, faith, hope and heroism are all elements which exist in Moore's story. Nevermind the details which no doubt change from one political administration to the next; the overall message and the idea will forever remain "bulletproof," and will therefore forever remain timeless.

I call on you this November the fifth to celebrate Alan Moore's masterpiece, 'V For Vendetta' by going to your local library and re-reading the graphic novel, or heading to your local bookstore and picking up your own copy. I promise you will not be disappointed. Also, if you have not yet done so, you should definitely watch the film. If my words have not provoked you, then I hope you at least enjoyed the movie trailer!

"How purposeful was your vendetta. How benign, almost like surgery...your foes assumed you sought revenge upon their flesh alone, but you did not stop there... you gored their ideology as well . The people stand within the ruins of society, a jail intended to out-live them all. The choice is theirs , as ever it must be. I will not lead them, but I will help them build, help them create where I'll not help them kill. The age of killers is no more."
- Moore, Alan. "V For Vendetta." DC Comics, 1988. Vol. X of X (p. 26)

"Remember, remember the fifth of November..." and have a happy Guy Fawkes Day!

Love,
B

The New Comic Vine (And Anime Vice) Office Tour

G-Man — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

You may have heard that we moved from our old office. The old office is still there but we sort of out grew it. We are still in the process of setting things up but since we're so excited about our new place, we thought we'd give you a quick little tour.

It almost feels like home already.

'Vengeance of Moon Knight' #3 EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW!

Babs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Marvel gives us an exclusive first look at the upcoming issue!

COVER BY: Leinil Francis Yu
WRITER: Gregg Hurwitz
PENCILS: Jerome Opena
COLORED BY: Paul Mounts
LETTERED BY: VC - Joe Caramagna
PUBLISHER: MARVEL COMICS
PRICE: 2.99

IN STORES: November 11, 2009

Years ago, Moon Knight lost his mind and killed a man, cut off his face and brayed at the moon. That man was his nemesis: Raoul Bushman. Now Bushman is back and looking for payback. He’s laid a trap for Moon Knight, emptying Ravenscar Asylum and the lunatics are running wild down Broadway. For Moon Knight to defeat them – and Bushman – he’ll need the full arsenal of his wits and weaponry. Because nothing can prepare him for the madness of Herman the German and the Great Wall. Parental Advisory.

'Psylocke' #1 of 4

Babs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Oh, heavens to Betsy!

'Psylocke' #1 of 4
Written by: Christopher Yost
Art by: Harvey Tolibao
Cover by: David Finch

The moment that all Psylocke fans have been waiting for has finally arrived with the release of the first part of her four issue mini-series written by Chris Yost with art by the incredibly talented Harvey Tolibao. While I personally felt that the David Finch cover left something to be desired, Tolibao's interiors are an aesthetic pleasure and brilliantly make-up for the sloppiness of the cover's image.

The story opens up seventeen hours into the future where we see Psylocke clearly decapitating her opponent. In the midst of the blood and gore, is an inner monologue that distinctly reflects the soul searching journey she has just endured. This is quite possibly one of the easiest ways that Yost could have structured the book. While it makes for a somewhat better organized outline to the story, it lacks some excitement and enthusiasm and sets up to be somewhat predictable. However, predictable does not mean it is not good! It is refreshing to see so many characters that had formerly heavily influenced the character throughout her continuity, return to make appearances in this issue. This series is being set up to be a clear journey for Psy, and it will be interesting to see what happens to her as the story progresses. Did you read the issue? What did you think?
4 out of 5.

Dark Reign - The List: The Punisher

G-Man — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:33:12 -0800

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There's no question that you need to check this out

The Marvelous Land Of Oz #1

G-Man — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:45:32 -0800

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G-Man takes a trip back to the land of Oz!

Brave & The Bold: "Inside The Outsiders" Teaser Clip

G-Man — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:57:12 -0800

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Batman & Green Arrow face Catwoman

Brave & The Bold: "Inside The Outsiders" Clip 2

G-Man — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:51:02 -0800

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Batman and Katana fight together

Brave & The Bold: "Inside The Outsiders" Clip 3

G-Man — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:47:10 -0800

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Batman & Katana seek out Black Lightning

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

G-Man — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:47:51 -0800

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Clip from "Landing At Point Rain"

G-Man — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:44:55 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:42:56 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:08:18 -0800

G-Man — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:31:14 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:45:22 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:36:26 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:18:15 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:22:37 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:59:07 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:46:34 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:21:23 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:50:57 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:40:45 -0800

G-Man — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:19:09 -0800