Friday, September 25, 2009

DVD News: Warner Home Video provides all-new film clip and new still images from Superman/Batman: Public Enemie




Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new film in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download that same day.


Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is based on the popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel. Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Green Lantern) is executive producer. Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New Frontier) is supervising producer. Sam Liu (The Batman) is directing a script written by Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier).

In the film, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his “partner in crime,” Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite – and recruit help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor’s devious plot to take command of far more than North America.

"Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" features a star-studded voice cast filling the roles of super heroes and villains alike, including Kevin Conroy (Batman), Tim Daly (Superman), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), Allison Mack (Power Girl), Xander Berkeley (Captain Atom), Ricardo Chavira (Major Force), John C. McGinley (Metallo), LeVar Burton (Black Lightning), CCH Pounder (Amanda Waller) and a host of others.





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Comic News: Radical collects the critically acclaimed Hotwire



In the near future, the living and the dead share the same space. Known as “Blue Lights,” the non-living are mostly harmless, roaming the streets, hiding from city lights, scuttling in the shadows. But when they begin to appear as ghostly weapons of mass destruction, Metro Police has only one person for the job: Alice Hotwire, Detective Exorcist. Underfunded, undermanned and under investigation, her department is the only thing standing between the city and certain destruction.


Radical Publishing is proud to announce a hardcover edition of Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, available this November. Written and illustrated by Steve Pugh (Preacher: Saint of Killers) and co-created by legendary writer Warren Ellis (Planetary, Transmetropolitan), Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead tells the story of a detective exorcist who must uncover a supernatural mystery and a new form of ghostly terrorism.

Called “an all around phenomenal book,” by Ain’t It Cool News, and “one of the most entertaining bangs for your buck,” by Newsarama, the hardcover edition of Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead collects all four issues of the critically acclaimed series in a special “director’s cut” edition with additional story pages. Also included in this collection are newly remastered tales from Alice Hotwire’s past, featuring never-before-seen pages and amazing newly painted artwork, as well as newly unearthed, previously unreleased pages written by co-creator Warren Ellis; an extensive gallery showcasing the evolution of the character; a spotlight gallery of artwork from celebrated artists Steve Pugh, Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade), Jelena Djurdjevic (The Immortal Iron Fist) and Garry Leach (Judge Dredd, Marvelman); an in-depth interview with co-creator Steve Pugh as well as a dustjacket showcasing an all new cover by Steve Pugh

Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead hardcover trade will be 128 full color pages for $19.95 and is available to order in the September 2009 Diamond Previews catalog (Diamond order code: SEP090956).

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Comic News: Bloom County Original Sunday Raffle



Creator Berkeley Breathed to raffle off Sunday strip original art at Long Beach Comic Con on Saturday, October 3rd

Limited Number of Bloom County Library Volume One will be available for first time


Capping off his inaugural appearance as a convention guest, Bloom County creator Berkeley Breathed will raffle off a piece of original strip art on Saturday, October 3rd at Long Beach Comic Con. Breathed will be a special guest at Long Beach Comic Con, and will give a rare presentation on the much-loved Bloom County comic and the new Bloom County Library, Volume One in Room B beginning at 3:00 PM. All attendees of the presentation will receive one raffle ticket. The panel will close with Breathed selecting a raffle ticket and presenting the original art to the lucky winner.

Beginning at Long Beach Comic Con, IDW Publishing will unveil The Bloom County Library Volume One, the first of five volumes featuring every daily and Sunday strip in chronological order, many reprinted for the first time. In addition to premiere access to this beautiful new hard cover, published under IDW’s imprint, Library of American Comics, edited by Scott Dunbier and designed by Eisner-winner Dean Mullaney, LBCC attendees who join Breathed for his presentation will each be entered to win this valuable strip, featuring a hilarious depiction of the hazards of the art world.

Bloom County is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of modern times. Created by Breathed, the strip premiered on December 8th, 1980 and featured the beloved and quirky denizens of Bloom County including Opus, Steve Dallas, Bill the Cat, Milo Bloom, Michael Binkley, and Cutter John. The strip was published in over 1,200 newspapers.

The Bloom County Library Volume One contains a series of "Context Pages" sprinkled throughout the volumes, providing perspective for the reader and presenting a variety of real-life events and personalities that were contemporary at the time of original publication. Breathed has also added his own commentary at points throughout the book.

The Bloom County Library Volume 1 will be available in stores on October 6th.


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Comic News: Joe Quesada Guest Stars On Howard Stern’s “Geek Time” Tomorrow!



On Saturday, September 26th, from 2:00-4:00pm ET, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada is the special guest on Sirius XM’s Geek Time.


Airing on Howard 101, one of Howard Stern’s two Sirius XM channels, Geek Time is hosted by pop culture addicts Jon Hein and Ralph Cirella, who’ll grill Marvel’s EiC about everything you want to know! There’s some exciting Marvel Motion Comic news—but what is it? What’s next for Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine and all your favorite heroes? And just what does Marvel have in store for 2010? Plus, Geek Time takes YOUR calls at 888-Stern-101 throughout the show—don’t’ miss your chance to interact with Joe Quesada this Saturday exclusively on Howard 101!

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Comic News: Surf(er)'s Up With The Super Hero Squad Show On Saturday Morning!



This Saturday, September 26th, at 8:30 AM, the Silver Surfer takes center stage in the critically acclaimed Super Hero Squad Show on Cartoon Network!


Surfer heads off on his own, but Doctor Doom isn’t about to let our silver sentinel of the skyways enjoy some peace and quiet! As the bad guys make their play for the Surfer’s power, the Thing heads on a mission to save his friend and let Doom know it’s “Clobberin Time!”

“Wherever viewers happen to catch the show, they’ll be rewarded for their time, given Marvel Entertainment’s goal of pleasing every demographic possible. From quick wits and fart jokes to sizzling action and some subtle phantasmagoria, The Super Hero Squad Show works on enough levels to bring families together.”—Scott Thill, Wired.Com

With a bevy of guest stars, including Abomination, M.O.D.O.K. and more, you can’t afford to miss this family friendly Super Hero team up unlike any in history! Tune into the Cartoon Network at 8:30 AM on Saturday to “Hero Up!” with your favorite characters in the Marvel Universe…or any other!

Plus, don’t miss Marvel Super Hero Squad #1, jam-packed with your favorite Marvel heroes and all ages action, in comic shops now!

To learn more about The Super Hero Squad Show, please visit www.superherosquad.com and www.marvel.com!

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Comic Review: The Veil #3 (IDW) by Matt Hill



The Veil is a horror comic about a haunted, young medium named Christine living in Crooksville. Christine is haunted by this mysterious presence behind the veil, the barrier between the souls of the disturbed dead in which this comic is named. The presence is the manifestation of “...all our dark impulses and feelings and anxieties...”, she has named the Slug Man.




The Veil grabs the attention of the reader at the very start with the art work, and keeps a fairly strong grip throughout. The art work is definitely the strong suit of this comic. For a comic with such dark subject matter, there is a great deal of bright color. What's more, the color is appropriate in any given scene. When the supernatural is involved, and this is true for all medium, artists tend to darken things needlessly. Not this book. The characters are well drawn, and the apparitions in this book are grotesque, and fun to look at.

The Premise of our emotional sludge manifesting it self in a small town definitely interesting. While the story is good, I would have preferred that a bit more of it had been show in the art rather than told in expository narrative boxes. In the first part of this issue there are a few too many of these boxes to read. In a visually fascinating scene with Christine behind the veil we are treated to some some stunning artwork, but here to there are too many narrative boxes to be read. Christine is telling us why the dead are assaulting her from beyond the veil, and what the horrifying Slug Man is, but I would rather be shown more of this through the art work. An opportunity partially squandered.

After this scene behind the veil, however, this issue with narrative boxes is cleared up, as the book becomes more plot driven. There are some graphic scenes showing the maddening of the town, some harming themselves, and others turning on the few sane town members. Christine joins her sheriff friend named Frank, and they are saved by a man Frank knows named Gabe. The issue ends with an honest to goodness intriguing, and scary reveal.

While the graphic, and violent scenes of self mutilation are a tad much, they don't slow down the story. The dialogue isn't anything special, the narration begins to get a bit dramatic towards the end(though there is good reason), and the depiction of rural America as psychologically sick is less than subtle, but this is still a good book.

7/10

Matt Hill
Staff Reviewer

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