By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/8/2016
I was chatting with someone in PR prior to going to see a screening of Warcraft yesterday and he said in a comforting tone “It isn’t as bad as they say.” Considering it’s at 18% n Rotten Tomatoes, it would have to be pretty bad indeed. Maybe it was my lowered expectations, but I […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/7/2016
With the Warcraft film opening this weekend, it is getting a comics prequel, namely Warcraft: Bonds of Brotherhood that takes place about 30 years before the events of the movie. In it we meet young Llane, Lothar and Medivh and their first alliance is chronicled.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/21/2015
“Dogs and cats, living together!” – that’s what immediately popped into my mind yesterday when I read Tony Isabella praising DC on Facebook for how it was treating him in regard to Black Lightning.I’ve never seen the original contract between DC and Isabella in regard to Black Lightning so I have nothing to say of substance in regard to the property’s legal status, but as anyone who has followed Tony’s online writing over the years can tell you, Isabella’s statements about DC’s treatment of him and his landmark creation have not exactly been complimentary. That changed, however, yesterday, when Isabella called attention to an Amazon listing of the April 2016 release of Black Lightning, volume 1, the first of what could be a series of collections featuring DC’s first African-American superhero to star in an an eponymous book.
According to Isabella, the rapprochement is the result of outreach by Dan Didio and Geoff Johns, and Isabella is confident that DC will treat him fairly in regard to the payment of royalties. He also raised the possibility of doing more work for DC given sufficient reader demand; the prospect of Isabella working with, say, the creators of the revived Milestone line on a multi-generational crossover is particularly intriguing, given certain thematic resonances with Milestone’s nuanced reflections on creative identity.
To say that Isabella’s announcement is the most unexpected Facebook post of the year is an understatement — it’s one of the most dramatic turnarounds I’ve seen in decades of reading about comics-related disputes, and kudos to all involved for bringing about what I hope will be a truly lasting peace in our time.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/25/2015
Gypsy Danger! If there was ever a no brainer in this transmedia world where comics are a nice placeholder and more between filmed entertainment outing, it’s tat the world needs Pacific Rim comic book. The controversial film wasn’t considered a box office hit but has rapidly become a cult movie with a strong fanbase. And now Legendary, which procued the movie, is putting out a comic from its publishing arm.
The new series will be presented by Guilermo del Toro and plotted by Pacific Rim creator Travis Beacham, with writer Joshua Fialkov (The Bunker, I, Vampire, Elk’s Run) and artist Marcos Marz (Batman Confidential, Blackest Night: JSA) produced the comics. Release details are to come, but Pacific Rim: Tales From the Drift picks up where the Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero graphic novel left off, with new kaiju, new Jaegers, and more giant monsters battling giant robots.
AND also a contest to win a page of original artwork; enter here.
The book comes out in November and runs as a four issue mini series.
Legendary is also ramping up its original content with two new titles. And They Are:
• With Black Bag, Legendary jumps on the popular female protagonist bandwagon. Chris Roberson and artist JB Bastos portray the adventures of a suburban wife-turned-covert government assassin.
A suburban housewife with a criminal past and a thirst for adrenaline is about to get a top-secret side job: carrying out the government’s most dangerous missions.
Renear is tired of playing by the rules. A valedictorian and top athlete in her younger years, she’s sacrificed a promising career to tie the knot and play house… isn’t there more to life than this? Of course there is – if you’re willing to take the shot.
It’s time the world found out what she is truly capable of.
The 6-issue espionage thriller written by Chris Roberson (Superman Grounded, Fables, iZombie), featuring artwork by JB Bastos (Night Trap).
Release Date: Fall 2015
Writer: Chris Roberson
Artist: J.B. Bastos
Colorist: Jamie Grant
Length of Series: 6 issue monthly series
Price: $3.99 single-issue cover price
• Cops for Criminals is by Steven Grant and Pete Woods, a crime-thriller about a federal agent forced to find true justice in the criminal underworld.
When a federal agent becomes a victim of the system he has sworn to uphold, he finds true justice in the criminal underworld.
Agent Woods was one of the best – but everything changed when he was wrongfully convicted and labeled a traitor. After serving his time, this ex-convict is cut loose onto the lawless streets to fight corruption on both sides of the law. Even criminals need a code – and every code needs an enforcer.
The 5-issue crime-thriller series is written by Steven Grant (Punisher War Journal, Avengers, Hulk, X) with art from Pete Woods (Deadpool, Robin, Catwoman).
Release Date: Fall 2015
Writer: Steven Grant
Artist: Pete Woods
Format: 5 issue monthly series
Price: $3.99 single-issue cover price
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/17/2014
After revealing the first wave of Free Comic Book Day titles, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them started to pop up. This next batch is very exciting, and full of fun offerings from all your favorite publishers with the big guns like Marvel and DC, along with Valiant, Comix Tribe, IDW, Image, Oni and the mysterious new Legendary Comics imprint that kicked off with Grant Morrison’s Annihilator. DC still has their titles blocked out with the letters ‘TOP SECRET’ sitting on the front page, it’s likely whatever these comics are will be revealed closer towards Convergence. Of course, Marvel is launching Avengers material close to their upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron film. Included in this silver collection of titles is a lot of material from other media, meant to turn you non-comics reading friends completely addicted to this medium. See if Attack on Titan, Avatar, or Sonic can hook your non-reading friends. Free Comic Book Day is on the first Saturday of May. CBR broke the news this morning with covers, and quick description information. All these titles are considered silver comics, with the gold titles being the first wave of books.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/12/2014
Writer: Grant Morrison
Illustrator: Frazer Irving
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Book & Logo Designer: John J. Hill
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
“Get this black mass on the floor.”
Annihilator begins with a black hole, but the thrust of its story concerns Ray Spass (pronounced space, as in outer), a screenwriter whose big hits are a few years behind him. He still gets “paid to be weird,” but nearly everyone he meets — his new landlord, his agent, the FBI — is gently prodding him to produce something now, something new.
But like a ray of light trapped by a black hole’s gravity well, Ray’s creative process is slow and stuck. He keeps turning in rough act ones to his agent, unable to get any closer to what his story is really about.
So Ray does what anyone would do. He moves into a haunted house.
Well, maybe. Ray’s not the most reliable point of view character, so those voices, those fleeting glimpses of figures and boots and hands reaching out from the dark? They might be real, they might be ghosts, or they might be his own imagination running away with him.
Hey, I like it when Morrison writes about the Justice League. But I’d much rather spend time in a world like this, where the personal meets the weird. That’s what Morrison does best.
Ray’s screenplay-in-progress, also called “Annihilator,” is about Max Nomax, a prisoner on the edge of a black hole seeking “the cure for death.” Ray’s girlfriend has left him (or died, or disappeared), and Ray writes his own emotional wasteland into the screenplay. When Max meets Baby Bug-Eyes, a walking, talking teddy bear and “artificial emotional companion,” he kicks him across the room.
Ray is writing a story about being trapped at the edge of a black hole from a house with a growing sinkhole in the yard. Ray thinks of himself as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, writing his own unfinished Kubla Khan. Ray’s work is interrupted by a party of prostitutes he’s invited over himself, creating his own obstacles to prevent his self-perceived work of genius from being completed. Because it can still potentially be a great work of art if it’s never properly finished, right?
The meta-masterstroke for this six-issue series would be to release everything but the final issue, freezing it in time. We’ve all heard about Dickens’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Gilliam’s Don Quixote, Moore and Sienkiewicz’s Big Numbers — unfinished projects with so much potential for greatness they have their own gravity. But part of their mythology is that they remain undone. They don’t have to stand up to the same kind of critique as finished projects, because their endings live in our imaginations.
Frazer Irving’s art is reminiscent of 90s Vertigo comics, but without the muddy rushwork that could populate some of those monthly books. Ray is drawn as moody and darkly attractive, with a tuft of black curls erupting from one quarter of his otherwise shaved head. The art loops and curves, drawing the eye, possessing a gravity of its own. Sometimes it’s like looking through a distorted peephole or an iPhone panorama picture. Sometimes it’s like being on a rail or a rollercoaster that pulls you along. Sometimes it’s like a shifting floor, using your own sense of balance to push you in the direction you should go.
Irving’s style is a nice mashup of some of Bernie Wrightson, ghost-bear-style Bill Sienkiewicz, and Jim Starlin at his cosmically most alluring, especially when Max Nomax flashes his spooky smile. Even without Morrison’s big ideas, that’s a visual space opera I would sign up for. With Morrison, I’m trusting that Annihilator is going to get even weirder, and I’m excited to see what Irving can do.
Sinkholes. Black holes. A black mass. This is Morrison’s best, most confident book in years.
Maybe the “cure for death” sought by Max Nomax is actually an eternal pause button, becoming frozen in space and time, at least to the perspective of an outside observer. We see the light slowing down, but to the light itself? It crosses over that point of no return. Do you want to be frozen, or do you want to see what’s on the other side?
The light knows things we do not.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/27/2014
Just a few hours after Legendary Pictures’ CEO Thomas Tull announced that Mothra, King Ghidorah and Rodan will appear in the Godzilla sequel, attendees at the 40th annual Comic-Con Masquerade saw the four monsters destroy a city live on stage –
and win the competition’s Best in Show.
Cosplay plays several different roles at Comic Con, from bonding the community together to connecting individuals to creative power within the entertainment they enjoy. In fact, the intrepid Masquerade Coordinator Martin Jaquish opened the event by noting that the Masquerade helps to fulfill San Diego Comic-Con’s nonprofit mission by promoting creative enterprise among the Con’s attendees.
That spirit of creativity is ultimately what appears to have secured the victory for the four women who created the winning costumes in “Giant Monsters All Out Attack” — Lisa Truong, Lynleigh Sato, Wendy Colon, and Cindy Purchase. As should be evident in the admittedly fuzzy picture above, the costumes were not literal recreations of the four monsters’ film design, and their mode of wreaking havoc was more akin to a chaste burlesque than wanton carnage. However, it is precisely this blend of playfulness and novelty that made their designs stand out.
There were a number of other winners and honorable mentions, both as determined by the judges and as selected by the Masquerade’s sponsors. For example, DC’s winning selection had a Scarecrow-venomed Batman fighting Ray Harryhausen skeletons, and other winners included lifesize (more or less) Game of Thrones dragons, a paean to the transformational power of fandom sung to the tune of “Be a Man,” and, of course, MODOK. Technique mixed with surprise were the core values of the night, and an extra splash of fun seemed only to help.
For those who would like to know more about the Masquerade or see video of the entries, Martin Jaquish along with John Ruff will be hosting the Comic-Con Masquerade Replay starting at 2:30pm today (Sunday) in Room 8.
We’ll be talking more about the Masquerade from various perspectives in days to come, but the jury’s still out on whether I’ll follow the recommendation of several people on line to show up next year as The Governor.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/2/2014
Legendary Comics, the comics division of Legendary Entertainment, the movie studio owned by comics-loving Thomas Tull, has had an up and down history since it’s launch. Several of its books—Holy Terror, Godzilla, Pacific Rim—have been bestsellers, but other books have been long delayed. But things are moving forward with new books and new business.They’ve just signed a new deal with Random House Penguin for book store distro—Diamond will continue to work with them for comics shops. According to pr, Penguin Random House will provide sales, production, and publishing services—I think Marvel formerly did some of these for Legendary, but they are not really set up for outside imprints so this is also a step forward.
In statements, everyone was darn excited.
“We want to deliver great comics, and this new agreement with Penguin Random House enables us to be much more effective in bringing our stories to readers. We are very excited by this new venture,” said David Sadove of Legendary’s Publishing Operations.
Jeff Abraham, President of Penguin Random House Publisher Services, added “Legendary is known for creating some of the most popular films of the past decade. We’re excited to partner with Legendary Comics and to help grow their publishing unit into a thriving participant in the graphic novel market.”
“Penguin Random House Publisher Services’ expertise will enable us to broaden our reach as we expand our ever-growing catalogue. Working with a mix of seasoned comic book pros and some bright newcomers, we are committed to delivering the best new stories, characters and worlds in the industry. The three new titles we are announcing today are just the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come from Legendary Comics,” said Bob Schreck, Legendary Comics’ Editor-In-Chief.
AND they announced three new titles, to boot.
A TOWN CALLED DRAGON
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Modern-day America and ancient mythology collide when the last dragon egg finally hatches, and an ordinary group of citizens must unite to defeat it.
Coming in September 2014.
EPOCHALYPSE
Writer: Jonathan Hennessey
Artist: Shane Davis
When a mysterious space-time phenomenon causes 600 years of human history to collapse into a single era, an elite team of Resynchronization officers must wage a war against the very laws of time.
Coming in Fall 2014.
THE HARVESTER
Writer: Brandon Seifert
Artist: Eric Battle
A supernatural suspense story unfolds when two rebellious investigators discover that the nightmarish urban legend of “The Harvester” is more real – and more dangerous – than they ever imagined.
Coming in 2015.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/20/2014
(Some minor spoiler ahead)
Located in the Arena of this year’s Anaheim Wondercon, Warner Bros. treated us to a sneak peak of three upcoming movies that will be hitting the big screen in the next few months. On June 6th, the 70th anniversary of “D-Day,” Edge of Tomorrow will hit theatres nationwide. Starring Tom Cruise and Bill Paxton, this futuristic world on the edge of ruin has Tom Cruise’s character waking up in handcuffs on what appears to be an army training base. He is then approached by Bill Paxton’s character, an army official. It is explained that Tom Cruises character was charged with impersonating an army officer, and is told he is going to have to join the fray for his punishment. As a surprise guest, Bill Paxton himself emerges on stage of the Anaheim Convention Center’s Arena to outcries of cheers. “My character decides that [Tom Cruise] will be reborn again through battle,” says a grinning Paxton. “It’s his nuts and his life on the line.”
Through the trailer, we are led to believe that Earth has come under an attack from a mechanical alien threat, and that this army base is one of the units brought together to fight them back. “I head a unit called J unit, a rag tag collection of men and women,” says Paxton. Along with some heavy duty weapons, J unit comes complete with exoskeleton like armor suits that the characters run around in for what I imagine is for increased strength. “I had just arrived on set, my first day, and Tom was running around in a prototype of the suit. He yells at me, ‘Hey Bill! Have you been working out? Cause these things are heavy.’” Paxton said that the suits needed to be aided by chains because of how heavy they were for the actors. “It was Brutal.”
But what is the ringer for this movie is that Tom Cruise’s character dies in this movie. A lot. Every time he does, he wakes back up in the past, finding himself again in handcuffs. This Groundhog’s Dayish loop adds an interesting twist to this Sci-Fi flick.
Next up for Warner Bros. they have Into the Storm. Directed by Steven Quale, this New Line Cinema collaboration puts the audience in the middle of a fictitious small town as it is relentlessly hit by what seems like wave after wave of tornados. The film style switches between the use of traditional filming and handheld cameras, creating a more authentic like experience. Some of the actors which were present here at Wondercon were Max Deacon, Jeremy Sumpter, Arlen Escarpeta, and (brace yourselves) Richard Armitage. Yes, Thorin Oakenshield of The Hobbit movies.
After the crowd recovered from their near fainting spells, the director and cast discussed how it was to be on set. “We were in the middle of one hundred-a-mile fans, not to mention strewn debris and falling water,” says Richard. “The water was freezing,” added fellow cast member Max Deacon. Into the Storm will be out this August 8th.
And lastly for this presentation Warner Bros. showed what is undoubtedly one of this year’s most anticipated movies. Ever since the teaser at last year’s San Diego Comic-con, fans of Godzilla have been waiting patiently for its release. As it was announced to the audience, the name elicited cheers from everybody, including this reporter. Director Gareth Edwards was also greeted by equal praise. After showing us about five minutes from the movie where Godzilla meets with an almost equally tall but winged creature, Gareth talked about the overall experience of working on the film.
“I thought that out of everything, designing Godzilla was going to be the easiest part. Cause everyone has an idea of what Godzilla looks like. But it actually was the hardest part, because everyone has an idea of what Godzilla looks like. It took almost a year for his design.” Gareth had the idea to do the designing from silhouette. “Silhouettes are all easily recognizable for what they are supposed to be. I thought we should start with that. We started with a Rubik’s Cube like shape, black on white background. We prodded and pulled each piece, rotating as we went, till we felt we got it.”
Though all three movies do look quite promising, by sheer gauging of the crowd’s reaction I would have to say Godzilla is the most anticipated. The Warner Bros. and Legendary collaboration will be out May 16th of this year. I have faith that director Gareth Edwards with his love of monsters will do it justice, and wash from our collective mouths the bad taste left by its predecessor.
~Nicholas Eskey
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/1/2013
It’s been a while since we heard from Legendary Comics, but they made a reappearance at WonderCon as Guillermo del Toro unveiled the Alex Ross cover for PACIFIC RIM: TALES FROM YEAR ZERO, a graphic novel prequel to the kaiju vs mecha movie. The GN is by screenwriter Travis Beacham with art by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet, and Pericles Junior with inks by Steve Bird and Mark McKenna. Let it be said that Alex Ross has captured the spirit of the clash quite well.
Speaking of Legendary, as anyone digging around Previews of late may have noticed, they are being distributed by Marvel Comics. Future projects include a mini-series by Grant Morrison and a collection of THE TOWER CHRONICLES which will be distributed by Marvel.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/12/2012
You may recall Legendary Entertainment (best known for their film wing which does tiny films like The Hangover and Dark Knight) has a comics wing (Legendary Comics). Legendary’s first comic was Frank Miller’s Holy Terror. Their next announced book was by Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley. Then they announced a couple titles with Paul Pope. So you get the impression Legendary likes to deal with “name creators.” That seems to be continuing.
Legendary has just announced a graphic novel in the general area of horror meets military adventure with a line-up of Mark Waid, Max Brooks and Shane Davis.
Waid has really been getting around lately. You should be reading his Daredevil over at Marvel. He’s supposed to be announcing something with Top Cow on Saturday. He’s got his own webcomics imprint.
Max Brooks is still best known for his World War Z novel. He’s also been doing some work on the G.I. Joe franchise for IDW.
Shane Davis is best known for drawing the Superman: Earth One, which sold very, very well.
So add another project with “name creators” and it sounds like an additional one will be announced later today at their panel.
LEGENDARY COMICS PARTNERS WITH MARK WAID, SHANE DAVIS, AND
MAX BROOKS FOR 2013 GRAPHIC NOVEL
SHADOW WALK
Trio Joins The Tower Chronicles Creative Team of Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley As Legendary Continues To Expand Its Talent Lineup
Additional Project Announcements From Top Tier Talent Will Be Unveiled At Legendary’s Comics Panel Thursday Afternoon
Burbank, CA – July 12, 2012 – Legendary Comics, the comic division of Legendary Entertainment, is using Comic-Con International 2012 as the venue to unveil the new creators who will be working on projects for the company in 2013. Legendary announced today that Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, Daredevil), Shane Davis (Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns, Superman: Earth One), and Max Brooks (The Zombie Survival Guide,G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds) will join forces on Shadow Walk, an all-new graphic novel that is set to launch in 2013. At its panel on Thursday afternoon, Legendary will be making another project announcement featuring one of the biggest names in comics.
Also appearing at Comic-Con for Legendary are Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage) and Simon Bisley (2000 AD & Lobo) – who are currently working on the division’s first-original IP release of The Tower Chronicles, which hits stores September 28. With a story co-created by Legendary Entertainment’s Chairman and CEO Thomas Tull, Executive Producer of
0 Comments on Legendary Adds a Mark Waid / Max Brooks / Shane Davis Graphic Novel to the Roster as of 1/1/1900Add a Comment
By: Laurel Gaylord,
on 3/16/2009
By: Valerie Walsh,
on 3/14/2009
A *mere* five million paid per month players means at least a bililion per year in revenues. And I believe there’s other ways to spend real eorld money within it as well. Not bad ‘tall.
I think this is a film made by a fan for fans. Therefor the reviews by anyone who’s not a fan are pretty much useless. It’s a very devoted fandom as we saw in Jamie Lee Curtis showing up at a premiere as an Orc (IIRC) even though she wasn’t in the film.
I’m guessing it’ll do very well in DVD sales too
Iain,
If you’re making a 150+ million dollar movie, it can’t just be for fans. And films needs to be their own satisfying experience, whether you’re among the most devoted or not.
Duncan Jones begged to make this movie? Danny Cannon begged to make ‘Judge Dredd’ back in 1995, and its failure derailed his career for years.
@Iain
WoW moved off paid subscription, so those 5 million aren’t necessarily paying customers. It’s not small fry, and I’m sure they make a mint, but they left the paid subscription model like everyone else.
It’s not a fan only movie.I had no idea about it and I got immersed in. I really can’t understand the criticism on this and I’ve seen it three times the third one to nitpick.
Only thing I got was:I Want it longer.
@Iain:
“Therefor the reviews by anyone who’s not a fan are pretty much useless”
Not for people who aren’t fans who are curious about the film. Actually, Heidi’s review is the first thing I’ve read that’s made me think about seeing this.
World of Warcraft is not the only Warcraft property. The earlier RTS games that came before are clearly what the games are based off and where more similarities are found. Easy to forget when zero research is done I suppose.
I agree that the cgi character were more compelling than he human actors. Lots of great detail on chi but the props and costumes looked fake and cheesy. Was hoping for better writing and dialogs. It would help to explain to casual fans and newbies why some orcs are brown or green. ,
“having women casually involved in the story would shrivel the genitals of the boys who want to see the film”
There’s a reason Gamergate originated from nerds and not “jocks” or successful men. Nerds hate women more than any other group.