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01/16/16 @ 12:25 pm EST
 This is a bittersweet commentary for me to put together, since I'm covering John Carter: Warlord of Mars #14, the final issue of the current series. As I've said before, this is a series, and a set of characters, that I've wanted to write since I first discovered the original Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars series when I was a kid. I'm disappointed that we've come to the end of the run, but I've loved every minute of this job.  PAGE 1It's not unusual for me to open an issue with some kind of cinematic sequence, something to draw the reader into the story. In this case, the story literally comes to the reader as John Carter and Dejah Thoris draw near in their flyer over a series of panels.  PAGES 2-3This is probably not the kind of double-page spread that artists dream about: "Draw a whole city!" But I felt like we needed a shot to convey the scope -- and emptiness -- of Helium, which is deserted in this story. Artist Ariel Medel admirably rose to the challenge of a thankless task and provided the lines, with Nanjan Jamberi adding the color. This spread contains a huge amount of work, created over painstaking hours. I hope readers spend some time poring over and appreciating the artwork here.  PAGE 5The four panels here are intended to give the reader a sense that John and Dejah explore various areas of Helium, finding all of them deserted. In the script I requested four horizontal panels, each the same size, so the visuals have an even, measured rhythm to them. No panel is given more or less importance than another, each is a snapshot of a different place and moment. Ariel did a nice job of varying angles, and using John and Dejah's figures to move to reader's eye around the page. PAGE 6Drawing monthly comics is a brutal grind, especially if you're penciling and then inking yourself. Ariel Medel nailed every deadline since he took over the series with issue #7, eight issues in a row without a fill-in. That's a hell of an accomplishment, especially for someone working on his first U.S. series, especially when each issue is 22 pages, rather than the now-standard 20 pages. Obviously, Ariel has a tremendous work ethic. He's also very smart about utilizing shortcuts where he can. This page is a great example of choosing wisely to save time and stay ahead of deadline doom as it rockets down the tracks. Panel 1 features a long shot and small figures, relatively quick to draw once the perspective is figured out. Dropping the background in panel 2 saves time, and also serves to really pop the figures of John and Dejah. Panel 3 doesn't waste effort on background that was going to be covered by balloons anyway. Panels 4 and 5 crop John and Dejah's figures effectively, both heightening the intensity of the scene, and making for less to draw. All together, it's a visually appealing page, as well as a smart one. PAGE 10You'll often see comic pages that contain figures of relatively the same size in most if not all of the panels. Pull out a comic, flip to random page. Are most of the heads on that page about the size of your thumb print? If so, the artist -- and by extension, the writer -- constructed the page poorly (unless there's a specific cinematic effect at play). Comics are visual documents. A page should be visually enticing to the reader, and one way to do that is varying angles and figure sizes. There's some great acting on this page as John and Dejah come to grips with what's happened to them. The choice of extreme close-ups in panels 3 and 4 really lends variety to the page. And I adore the shot of John and Dejah with their foreheads touching in panel 5. PAGES 12 & 13These two pages cut back and forth between tight shots and long shots, panel for panel. I love the beat-for-beat rhythms that comics offers creators. Here we alternate between scope and human drama, until they come together in a literally explosive moment. PAGE 14The story changes abruptly here, and so does the color palette. Nanjan brings a darker sensibility to this sequence, subtly communicating that the story has taken an drastic turn. We start the page with a close-up of John, inviting the reader to experience the shocking transition as John does, then pulling back in panel 2 to reveal more of the surroundings. PAGE 19When Ian and I kicked around the idea of revealing John and Dejah had been trapped in an evil mastermind's dream world, I wanted to leave open to the reader's interpretation exactly what was real and what wasn't. I like stories that don't provide pat answers, and leave something for the audience to ponder. That's the intent here; you're free to decide how much or how little was "real." PAGE 22We come to the end, with John, Dejah, Tars Tarkas, Kantos Kan, and of course Woola turning to face the future. There are always more stories to tell. I hope I get the chance someday. There's a long list of people who deserve Barsoomian thanks: my co-writer Ian Edginton; artists Abhishek Malsuni, Ariel Medel, Zsolt Garisa, Nanjan Jamberi and Roberto Castro; the many cover artists who have graced the series; my editor, Joe Rybandt; and Dynamite publisher Nick Barrucci. I have been dreaming of Mars since I was a boy, and all of you helped that dream come true. 05/02/24 @ 10:59 pm EST
Jennifer Zhang (Fetish, Charon) is set to direct sci-fi feature length anthology, Trüebadour. Also written by Zhang, the film stars Gina Su (Autopilot, Blue, Transpo), and Daphne Qin Wu (The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, Beacon) serves as cinematographer. Based on the sci-fi short Autopilot, Trüebadour follows an enigmatic engineering prodigy who introduces the bombastic founder of a tech start-up to an innovative “storytelling” device that scans its wearer to generate an original work of fiction. No one at the company is prepared for the unsettling stories their minds inspire, nor the disturbing consequences of using the device. (via Deadline) 05/02/24 @ 10:51 pm EST
Louis Leterrier, director of Fast X and several Transporter action movies, has been tapped to direct and produce the sci-fi horror film 11817, based on a script by Matthew Robinson. The genre pic produced by Leterrier’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment is now casting. Rocket Science will fully finance, handle foreign sales and introduce the film in Cannes, while CAA Media Finance will handle a North American sale. In 11817, inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life-or-death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who – or what – is keeping them trapped. (via THR) 05/02/24 @ 10:39 pm EST
Paul Walter Hauser will be making his Marvel debut with a role in The Fantastic Four, The Hollywood Reporter is confirming. No character details are available, but he joins a cast that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. The feature has a July 25, 2025 release date and hails from WandaVision director Matt Shakman, with Eric Pearson writing the latest draft of the script. It centers on the characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for the comic book that launched the Marvel Comics universe in 1961. 05/02/24 @ 11:25 am EST
Todd McFarlane Productions and Image Comics will bring fan-favorite "Baby-Spawn" character 'Spawny' back to shelves in an action-packed, five-issue miniseries, Spawn Kills Every Spawn launching in July. Written by John Layman (Chew) and illustrated by Rob “Sketchcraft” Duenas, with colors by Robert Nugent, this bold story brings a hilarious-yet-deadly twist to the world of Spawn. In Spawn Kills Every Spawn, the character baby of ‘Spawny’ attends Spawn-Con, a convention filled with various Spawns from across the Spawn Universe. Unfortunately for Spawny, he discovers that he’s not even close to being the most popular Hellspawn. Instead, he’s the least liked among that group. To battle his identity crisis, Spawny decides to take drastic action: KILL THEM ALL! What follows is a darkly comedic, action-packed adventure that explores the insanity of a convention full of Hellspawn, and the lengths one very sensitive Spawn will go to in his quest to gain fame and recognition. “From the very outset of our first miniseries starring our adorable little maniac, fans have been bugging me to bring him back once again for another series of mayhem," said Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn and President at Image Comics. "This time around, the wonderful art by Rob puts so much detail into the pages, I think readers will be going back through each book to find all the visual Easter Eggs he has planted within the story. And Jon Layman has brought his own sense of absurd cuteness to this story so that you are both shocked and smiling at what is unfolding in front of you. The overwhelming support for this tiny, little character has been quite surprising to me.” This new addition to the Spawn Universe is perfect for the life-long SPAWN fan, as well as new readers—make sure to grab your copy and join Spawny as he goes on a killing spree like no other! Spawn Kills Every Spawn #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 24, for the retail price of $2.99. The Final Order Cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, July 1: Cover A by Duenas - Lunar Code 0524IM237 Cover B by McFarlane - Lunar Code 0524IM801 Spawn Kills Every Spawn is also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.    
... 05/02/24 @ 11:26 am EST
The final season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai will be released in three parts with the first premiering on July 18 followed by Part 2 on November 28. The final installment is more of a mystery as the streamer is only teasing it will drop in 2025. The season picks up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley as senseis and students decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate, according to the official description. (via Deadline) Check out the date announcement and teaser: https://youtu.be/WPUGgxf3tx8 05/01/24 @ 9:08 pm EST
The long gestating, live-action Masters of the Universe film is finally getting a release date. Amazon MGM has dated the Mattel film for a June 5, 2026 worldwide theatrical release.The film will follow, according to its synopsis, “10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”Travis Knight is directing from a script by Chris Butler. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner, and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 05/01/24 @ 8:54 pm EST
Chris Stuckmann and Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures have added genre specialists Mike Flanagan, Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka of Intrepid Pictures as executive producers on their record-breaking Kickstarter-backed horror film Shelby Oaks, which is in post-production.The 2022 Kickstarter campaign for the movie raised $1.39M in under a month, more than doubling the previous record for the most-funded horror film on Kickstarter. A combination of documentary, found footage and traditional film styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley (Sarah Durn), who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her investigative series Paranormal Paranoids. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood might have been real. The cast also includes Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett and Keith David. There’s no word yet on a release plan. (via Deadline)
05/01/24 @ 8:54 pm EST
BOOM! Studios, together with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed a first look at MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4, the FINAL issue of the new POWER RANGERS series written by the original Pink Ranger herself, Amy Jo Johnson along with co-writer Matt Hotson and artist Nico Leon (Ms. Marvel), colorist Dono Sanchez-Almara, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. Available in comic shops in May 2024! With the Green Dragon Power Coin in the hands of someone’s identity that will shock the rest of the Power Rangers, a fateful battle on the moon commences! But as climactic events unfold, who will remain to carry on the legacy of the Mighty Morphin Powers Rangers? Will the world still need them? MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4 features a main cover by POWER RANGERS fan favorite artist Goñi Montes (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and variant covers by David Nakayama (Firefly) and Miguel Mercado (Seven Secrets). MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4 will be available now at your local comic shop on May 29, 2024. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 A Main: MAR240066 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 B Variant: MAR240067 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 C 1:10 INCV: MAR240068 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 D 1:25 INCV: MAR240069 Fans and readers can purchase copies of MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN SC, collecting the entire four-issue series, in comic shops on December 4, 2024 and in bookstores everywhere December 10, 2024.        
... 05/01/24 @ 2:47 pm EST
The critically acclaimed Giant Generator series The Sacrificers—by The New York Times bestselling writer Rick Remender (Napalm Lullaby, Deadly Class, LOW) and artist Max Fiumara (Amazing Spider-Man, Four Eyes, Lucifer), Shuster award winning colorist Dave McCaig (The Walking Dead Deluxe), and published by Image Comics—will welcome a guest artist André Lima Araújo (A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance) to the team. Araújo will be on deck for the series interiors of issues #10-12, the first of which will kick off a new story arc in July. Early uncolored, unlettered inks from the upcoming The Sacrificers #10 hint at what's to come when Remender and Araújo join forces to tell the tale of Princess Soluna’s fall from grace. After a reversal of fortune tests her resilience, she's brought face-to-face with unimaginable horrors in a search for refuge in a seemingly godforsaken world. "André is one of the greatest talents in comics today and one of those rare people who is not only an incredibly talented and exciting illustrator, but a wonderful storyteller, and a machine that never misses a schedule," said Remender. "On top of that, he's a sweet guy and a lot of fun to work with. We're really lucky to have him come join us on this and become part of this strange little family we've been building." The Sacrificers #10 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 10: Cover A by McCaig - Lunar Code 0524IM347 Cover B (1:10 copy incentive) by McCaig - Lunar Code 0524IM348 The Sacrificers is available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.        
... 05/01/24 @ 2:48 pm EST
Following her breakout role as Shin Hati in the hit Star Wars series Ahsoka, Ivanna Sakhno has found her next big role. Deadline is reporting that she has landed a major part in M3GAN 2.0, a sequel to the hit film from Atomic Monster and Blumhouse in association with Divide/Conquer. She joins a cast that includes Allison Williams and Violet McGraw. Plot details on M3GAN 2.0 are unknown, but the original film revolves around a life-like AI doll that is programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Williams), M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. That film would go on to make $180 million worldwide on a $12 million budget, with a sequel quickly going into development. |
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