Last year, Batman artist Greg Capullo announced he’d be leaving the series to work on a new project with Kick-Ass co-creator Mark Millar. Yesterday, the star duo revealed the fruits of their labor. Reborn is a six-issue limited series that will begin this October. It follows 80-year old Bonnie Black, who ends up in a fantasy world after […]
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Blog: PW -The Beat (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Announcements, Batman, Kick-Ass, Mark Millar, Top News, Reborn, Greg Capullo, Millarworld, Add a tag
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Blog: PW -The Beat (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Breaking News, Fox, Showbiz, Kick-Ass, 20th Century Fox, Hit Girl, Matthew Vaughn, Top News, Gareth Evans, Movies, Marvel, Add a tag
While on the press circuit for this weekend’s release of Kingsman: The Secret Service (review), Matthew Vaughn discussed with JoBlo the possibility of returning to another Mark Millar property: the Kick-Ass series, of which he directed the first entry:
Do you know what’s going to be next if I do it… we’ve finished plotting it. What we have to do is, we’ve got to do the First Class to the Kick-Ass world. We lost a few fans on Kick-Ass 2. It wasn’t as loved as one would’ve hoped. So we have this idea for a Hit Girl prequel. It’s a really strong, really simple prequel where I think we can regain the love and the passion. If that happens, I’m pretty sure I can persuade Aaron and Chloe to come back and finish the story of Kick-Ass with Kick-Ass 3.
Saying Kick-Ass 2 wasn’t as loved as he would have hoped is a bit of an understatement, though to be fair, the second entry was directed by Jeff Wadlow, whereas Vaughn stepped back to produce. For those who really loved the initial Kick-Ass, perhaps Vaughn’s enthusiasm is a welcome turn?
Additionally, Vaughn mentions that The Raid helmer Gareth Evans had been in discussions for the Hit Girl film, which is certainly a choice that makes some amount of sense given the hyper-violent world those films present.
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Blog: PW -The Beat (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Amazing Spider-Man, Man of Steel, dc movies, Movies, Iron Man, Movie Comics, Wolverine, Marvel Studios, Kick-Ass, Top News, Add a tag
The biggest success for comics over the past five years hasn’t actually been comics at all: it’s been the movie industry. Superhero films are gigantically big business now, with The Avengers pulling in over a billion dollars worldwide, and the industry paying top-dollar for any new comic rights they can get their hands on. At the same time, superhero films are in a very good critical position as well - Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy won Oscars! Top directors are almost literally battling for the chance to get their hands on characters like Daredevil or Luke Cage.
While movies have taken the characters and distilled them into their most winning core – the comic book version of Iron Man was essentially revitalised by Robert Downey Jr’s energetic portrayal of Tony Stark – the comics themselves have struggled to keep up that mindset. Whilst the Iron Man of the movies was flying about, smashing racecars and saving the world, his comic book counterpart was busy being a fugitive, living a miserable life as he attempted to clear his name. The X-Men in X-Men First Class may have been enjoying themselves, but the X-Men in the comics were hounded, segregated on an island and blocked from society. In terms of tone? Mainstream superhero comics have been downbeat rather than optimistic.
Take any comic book version of a character and compare them to the film version. Hal Jordan is nominally dead right now in the DC Universe, but in the films he was Ryan Reynolds! Even Professor X, who is lovely Patrick Stewart and James MacAvoy in the films, has spent the last decade at Marvel being a terrible bastard. And, y’know, dead. For all that the movies may offer superheroes as a safety net for people wanting to be inspired, comics have been offering superheroes as corrupted, agonised people. Now, this isn’t bad storytelling – it’s always been the way. Drama requires a little tragedy from time to time, and comics have had a long time to dwell on their characters. Eventually you run out of ways to move a character, so things have to take a turn for the darker.
And that’s why it’s going to be so fascinating, two years from now, to sit in a cinema. Because two years from now, Gwen Stacy will die.
Whoa! Spoiler. True, though. The relaunched Amazing Spider-Man trilogy are setting us up for some major tragedy just around the corner. They’ve hired an actor to play Green Goblin, they’re bringing in a Mary Jane, and thematically the first film made it blatant that Gwen has to die for the narrative to be complete. The first film hammered the point that Peter Parker is dangerous for Gwen Stacy, and his decision not to end their relationship (which seemed sweet at the time) is going to look very ominous in two years time.
The other films coming up aren’t going to be much different. If Kick-Ass 2 remains true to the original comic, then fans are going to line up for a horrible rape sequence midway through their movie, followed by a lot of murder and horror. The Man of Steel has been marketed as a brooding, mournful take on the most iconic superhero of all time, while the Wolverine franchise is soon going to introduce doomed love interest Mariko Yashida. And if this wasn’t enough, the next X-Men movie will take us into the Days of Future Past dystopia.
In essence, the movies are going to hit unsuspecting audiences with a wall of ‘darker and edgier’ storytelling all at the same time. Comic book fans have been experiencing this for a while now, with formerly silly characters getting brought back, made miserable, killed off, tortured, or turned evil. The only notable upbeat characters of the last few years have been, perhaps, Stephanie Brown, Pixie, and Squirrel Girl. For the most part, comics have moved their attention towards an older audience, with more mature stories – well told stories, but stories which focus on human drama and horror rather than fantasy and idealism.
Film fans have no idea what they’re going to get into. While comic fans are aware that Gwen Stacy is doomed, the majority of film fans have no idea what’s coming up. It’s going to be MASSIVELY shocking for to see her die. People were prepared to see Uncle Ben die, because it’s what he always does – but adorable Emma Stone? Killed off halfway through a blockbuster trilogy? Film audiences expect superhero films – with a few exceptions – to be comforting, safe, and for all-ages. That’s a big twist for them.
What they’re going to get over the next few years are an unexpectedly brutal series of events, which could completely sour the idea of superheroes as comfort food. Comic fans accepted the move away from all-ages stories – how will film fans react? And Spider-Man is barely going to scratch the surface - are we eventually going to have to deal with Iron Man’s alcoholism? To what extent might that Ant Man film deal with Hank Pym’s history of domestic abuse? Is Channing Tatum still going to die in GI Joe 2?
The reaction of film fans to these next two years of superhero films will determine the future of comic book stories, I think. The reaction people have to this upcoming ‘darker and edgier’ period of films could have massive implications for comic companies. There’s a perception in general that comic books are fun entertainment for kids – but if movies now subject audiences to an onslaught of rape, murder, abuse and horror, what will that do for the next generation of comic fans? If the films are rejected by the public, will that mean the superhero genre of cinema will fall out of favour?
Films tentatively suggested for future release include a Lobo movie, Ant Man, and several Mark Millar projects such as Nemesis and Wanted 2. It’s interesting, isn’t it? There’s little hope for a Wonder Woman or Black Panther film, and yet film companies think audiences can support super-violent, misogynistic works. Films aimed not at all fans, but a smaller, older demographic. Just like happened in mainstream superhero comics! Rather than films suggesting a brighter future for comics, could their turn towards darker and edgier stories actually be the thing which helps to bury the medium entirely?
Steve Morris writes, tweets, and comics. Follow his epic journey!
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Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: How Fantasy Becomes Reality, media psychology, dill, Literature and the Brain, Melanie Green, Norman Holland, Film, Current Events, A-Featured, Media, Science, superhero, Psychology, Kick-Ass, Karen Dill, Add a tag
Michelle Rafferty, Publicity Assistant
Thanks to early screenings and leaked footage, the much-anticipated movie Kick-Ass gained massive buzz among fanboys, bloggers (and pretty much everyone else under the age of 30) months before it hit movie theaters, poising itself to possibly be the best superhero move ever made. But when the feature finally released last month–replete with glorified violence and a young girl with the dirtiest mouth since Bob Saget–it was met with formidable resistance from parents and critics alike. Although Roger Ebert called the film “morally reprehensible”, publications such as New York Magazine and the Los Angeles Times recognized Kick-Ass as a guilty pleasure. Yes, it’s shockingly violent and raises the question of child abuse—but gosh it’s fun, and that 11-year-old really kills with some gumption, don’t she?
The strong reactions this film elicited recalled for me a recent book by media psychologist Karen Dill, titled How Fantasy Becomes Reality. Dill is well known for her research on the effects of media violence, which actually earned her a “character” in Grand Theft Auto IV, the car “Karin Dilettante.” Dill was at a conference the majority of last week, but enthusiastically agreed to take a break in between panels for a quick phone interview on the film. Here Dill continues her discussion of media’s influence on our realities. For Part 1 click here.
Michelle Rafferty: Have you only found that it’s mainly imagery that influences people and their behaviors, or have you also looked at the way text influences people? Or what do you find to be the most influential when it comes to media?
Karen Dill: I’m very interested in studying the image in media, and I believe that imagery is really powerful, because in part it evokes an immediate emotional response. It’s not really that we think through something, it’s just that we’re moved by it. For instance, I was just at a conference where someone was talking about the political power of showing a photo of a polar bear on a melting ice cap versus showing data about climate change. So when we see this polar bear our heart goes out to it, we feel so bad, it’s one polar bear, versus all this scientific data that explains this same type of thing, but not with the picture. So I do think pictures move us emotionally, maybe unconsciously in a way that we don’t have to process cognitively. On the other hand, another thing that I would focus on as moving people is simply story. It could be a movie, a narrative, it could be a book, or a textual narrative. But there’s some really fascinating research coming out of Florida by a man named Norman Holland who is a psychologist and he has a book called Literature and the Brain, and wh
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Michelle Rafferty, Publicity Assistant
Thanks to early screenings and leaked footage, the much-anticipated movie Kick-Ass gained massive buzz among fanboys, bloggers (and pretty much everyone else under the age of 30) months before it hit movie theaters, poising itself to possibly be the best superhero move ever made. But when the feature finally released last month–replete with glorified violence and a young girl with the dirtiest mouth since Bob Saget–it was met with formidable resistance from parents and critics alike. Although Roger Ebert called the film “morally reprehensible”, publications such as New York Magazine and the Los Angeles Times recognized Kick-Ass as a guilty pleasure. Yes, it’s shockingly violent and raises the question of child abuse—but gosh it’s fun, and that 11-year-old really kills with some gumption, don’t she?
The strong reactions this film elicited recalled for me a recent book by media psychologist Karen Dill, titled How Fantasy Becomes Reality. Dill is well known for her research on the effects of media violence, which actually earned her a “character” in Grand Theft Auto IV, the car “Karin Dilettante.” Dill was at a conference the majority of last week, but enthusiastically agreed to take a break in between panels for a quick phone interview on the film.
Michelle Rafferty: You’re renowned for your work on how media—like video games, film, and television—affects us. I’m wondering if you give us your take on why people have been so vehemently offended by the character Hit-Girl in the film Kick-Ass.
Karen Dill: Well, the first time I heard of the film, it was a mother at a university talking to me about her nine year old daughter, and saying she just found it very offensive, I think, from a parenting perspective. When you see a child using really crass language, vulgar language, like the “c word,” or the “f word,” and doing some really brutal violence, that parents especially probably find that offensive. And I think that’s part of the appeal of the character Hit-Girl too, that she breaks the boundaries. People like edgy media, things that we haven’t seen a lot of before, and it’s that whole juxtaposition of the sweet, beautiful, innocent little girl and this coarse language and violence. It’s a twisted story, so I think it gets a lot of attention for that reason.
Rafferty: A lot of your work encompasses how media normalizes violence and misogynistic behavior towards women. Do you see the film Kick-Ass as doing this? Or do you think the character Hit-Girl could be seen as empowering figure for young girls and women? Is she subversive in a good way?
Dill: Well I think that she could be seen as subversive in a good way. The thin
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JacketFlap tags: breaking dawn, chacha, miley cyrus, glee, mia, Ypulse Essentials, kin, Kick-Ass, judy moody, microsoft kin, diaspora, microsoft, google, Add a tag
Chanel, BMW (are the top brands among Gen Y "high-earners" according to the first annual L2 Gen Y Prestige Brand Rankings. Also Ypulse sponsor Mr. Youth's Matt Britton shares 7 ways brands can connect with the Class of 2014, aka the 5-million-plus... Read the rest of this post
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Did young viewers take a 'spring break' from TV? (Nielsen reports a recent drop among 18-49 year-olds. Also MTV says accept no 'Shore' substitutes disassociating from imitation "Jersey Shore" series in the works. And Bravo and "I Love the '80s"... Read the rest of this post
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Today's Ypulse Youth Advisory Board review comes from Michael Hayball who made it out to theaters for the opening weekend of comic book flick "Kick-Ass." I had fully intended to do the same but… somehow it just didn't work out. Unfortunately... Read the rest of this post
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Reminder! Applications for the inaugural GennY Award are due tomorrow. Winner gets to present their case study on the main stage at this year's Youth Marketing Mashup. Also, "early adopter rates" end this Friday so register and save today!
2010... Read the rest of this post
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FDA cracks down (on tobacco marketing to kids and teens, including magazine ads like the Camel No. 9 that recently came under fire. Also teen girls decide to diet based on their peers.) (CNN) (Reuters)
- Kotex controversy (in a case of life... Read the rest of this post
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Kotex looks to 'Break the Cycle' (of embarrassment associated with feminine care products by skewering traditional ads in a campaign for its new "bold:" line "U by Kotex." Watch the first spot here. Also Sears and Macy's drive prom sales with... Read the rest of this post
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'Kick-Ass' bows at SXSW (looking forward to the buzz. Also Ypulse Mashup attendee Fourth Story Media hosts an interactive storytelling exquisite corpse-esque competition at this year's festival. And check out Superglued a live music app to help... Read the rest of this post
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Kids upfront season kicks off (with Disney presenting advertisers its 2010-11 slate of programming for Disney Channel and Disney XD including new original Disney Channel movies "Avalon High," based on the Meg Cabot book, and that Harriet the Spy... Read the rest of this post
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JacketFlap tags: toe to toe, facebook, MTV, Comic Con, FCC, Family Guy, Ypulse Essentials, billmyparents, Kick-Ass, Add a tag
FCC gets an earful for 'Family Guy' (as the most frequent offender for broadcast indecency. Surprised? Also has MTV become more lax towards violent behavior in the "The Real World' cast?) (Los Angeles Times) (Best Week Ever)
- Recession Kids (super... Read the rest of this post
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Miley moves on (from "Hannah Montana." Unsurprisingly, Disney announces the upcoming fourth season will be the last. Plus Disney XD releases a massive study of European tweens. Western Europe is where this study predicts the most advanced adoption... Read the rest of this post
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Did Summit botch Bandslam's marketing (according to this memo, audiences thought it was more "High School Musical" than "School of Rock." Plus Lionsgate buys ComicCon film fave "Kick-Ass" about "a high school dweeb who attempts to reinvent himself... Read the rest of this post
What an original Eye of Sauron you’ve got there, Millar.
So it’s Machine Gun What Dreams May Come to Lord of the Rings. Got it. Still not buying it since it’s just a movie pitch.