Thursday, February 4, 2010

TV News: Smallville Absolute Justice E-card



One more day to the big two-hour event! Smallville’s “Absolute Justice” airs on Friday, February 5 from 8-10pm EST.

Don’t miss it! You won’t know what everyone is talking about at the watercooler if you do….



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Comic News: BOOM! STUDIOS ANNOUNCES NEVER BEFORE SEEN "MICKEY AND THE WORLD TO COME"!



BOOM! STUDIOS ANNOUNCES
NEVER BEFORE SEEN
"MICKEY AND THE WORLD TO COME"!



10 Page Preview Tomorrow!

WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #703 Ships Next Wednesday


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Comic News: TOP COW PREVIEW: Angelus #2



Top Cow would like to offer you a preview of Angelus #2, which will arrive in stores Wednesday, February 10.


Angelus #2
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic

Guest Appearance by The Darkness!

Danielle Baptiste, the newest bearer of The Angelus, begins to explore what this new role means for her, learning what the Angelus truly is, and how it ties into our notions angels and even Heaven itself. But as she uncovers these truths, Dani begins to realize she might have surrendered any control she has over her own life.





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Comic News: NO ONE IS AS THEY SEEM



Four issues of perception altering horror come from Image Comics/Shadowline this March!



FADE TO BLACK, a new horror miniseries from Image Comics/Shadowline by ZOMBIE COP writer Jeff Mariotte and internationally acclaimed illustrator Danielle Serra, promises to take its readers on a winding, twisted trail in which first impressions are always wrong.

“The characters of FADE TO BLACK are actors, shooting a film on location. They’re young, wealthy, beautiful and spoiled, and everything they know about the wilderness comes from a script until they run into the Children of the Radiant Night, a cannibal cult using the desert for reasons of their own, and the script is out the window,” Mariotte said. “Danielle’s use of shape, line and light took the story down a darker and scarier path than I ever imagined when I wrote it. While there are moments of humor, when the suspense ratchets up, it’s really terrifying and it’s all thanks to Dani’s special vision.”

FADE TO BLACK is an object lesson in not accepting anything at face value. What at first appears to be five young people on a wilderness trek experience turns out to be something very different. On their own, with no specialized training or skills, our five heroes need to figure out how to survive... or not.

FADE TO BLACK #1, a 32-page full color comic with a cover price of $3.50, will be available for order in the January issue of Previews and goes on sale March 17th.

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Comic News: BOOM! TOWN ANNOUNCES SHANNON WHEELER'S I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER!



BOOM! Town announces I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER by Shannon Wheeler



BOOM! Town, a new imprint of BOOM! Studios, announced today I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, a collection of rejected cartoons submitted to The New Yorker by cartoonist Shannon Wheeler.

“This is some of the best work I've ever done,” says Wheeler.

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Toy News: Props to BioShock 2



EVE Hypo replica and Big Baddy Bouncer plush revealed!



Maybe "Props from BioShock 2" would have been a more appropriate headline, but in any case, just in time for the release of the sequel to 2k Games' hit BioShock, NECA is proud to unveil two brand new, game-accurate props born out of the surreal world of BioShock 2!

First up is the EVE Hypo, also known as the syringe full of crazy blue liquid that you can find all over Rapture and fully restore your EVE capacity. Our replica has LED lights that come on when you press the button at the top of the syringe and is over 8" tall. It comes in window box packaging so you can see right away all the detail and weathering, just like in the game.

Next and no less awesome is the Big Daddy Bouncer Plush Doll. It comes with a rotocast plastic head and is an exact replica of the doll Little Sister carries around Rapture in the previews for BioShock 2. There's the baseball head, wire frame cage, corkscrew arm and more. It stands almost 7" tall.

BioShock 2 is out Feb. 9, 2010. The EVE Hypo and Big Daddy Bouncer Plush are available now in stores and also at our Amazon storefront.

Keep it tuned to necaonline.com for more info on BioShock 2 and other lines from your favorite games and movies.

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Comic News: I Am An Avenger



Don’t miss the brand new Avengers #1, from the superstar creative team of Brian Bendis and John Romita Jr, this May!

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Book News: 1st "Heavy Metal Pulp" novel on-sale this week!



THE HEAVY METAL PULP PROJECT PRESENTS…

PLEASURE MODEL
Netherworld Book 1



Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—and Heavy Metal magazine are thrilled to announce the on-sale availability of PLEASURE MODEL (Tor Books; ISBN: 0-7653-2388-5; Publication Date: February 2nd, 2010), the first illustrated novel in the Heavy Metal Pulp project. Heavy Metal Pulp aims to partner the top illustrators and designers from Heavy Metal with today’s most talented science fiction writers to create a new series with a 21st century edge, blending the sensuous artistic style and graphic imagery of the iconic fantasy magazine with classic noir storytelling. PLEASURE MODEL will be followed this year by books 2 and 3 of The Netherworld trilogy: The Bloodstained Man (June 2010) and Money Shot (November 2010).



“I grew up reading comics and pulp novels,” says Kevin Eastman, Publisher of Heavy Metal. “Heavy Metal Pulp is the perfect combination of the two genres, the perfect format for science fiction, detective noir, horror, and fantasy. I’m very excited to work with Tor Books, breaking new ground with this hybrid graphic novel concept.”

PLEASURE MODEL stars down-and-out police detective Rook, who gets jhos break when he's assigned to a bizarre and vicious murder case. The clues are colder than the corpse and the case looks like it'll remain unsolved—until an eyewitness is discovered. But the witness is an illegal gene-grown human with no emotion or empathy—Plesur's only purpose is to provide satisfaction to her owner, in any way. When the murderer targets Plesur in order to eliminate the one witness, Rook takes her into hiding to protect her. Thus begins a descent into the dark world of exotic pleasure bots and their illicit international buyers and manufacturers as Rook frantically looks for clues. But is Rook falling under Plesur's spell . . . ?

PLEASURE MODEL is a spellbinding combination of hardboiled action and fantastic graphic art, and a perfect showcase for this exciting collaborative project from the two leading publishing partners in their respective fields. Heavy Metal Pulp is a joint venture between Heavy Metal, the world’s foremost brand for science fiction and fantasy art, Red Sky Entertainment, a design/production company focused on innovative publishing content, and Tor Books.

Watch the animated video trailer!


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Toy News: STAR WARS™ Maintains Top Spot as the #1 Licensed Toy and #1 Boys Toy Property in the U.S. for Annual 2009*



Driven by the Continued Success of Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Power of the Force Continues To Dominate



It was a competitive year for boys properties, but Star Wars once again grabbed the top slot, demonstrating its enormous staying power even after 33 years. With 2009 year-end figures placing Star Wars 40% ahead of any other toy license, the Power of the Force continues to thrive, according to industry research company The NPD Group. U.S. retail toy sales for the license in 2009 exceeded $480M, supported by all-new episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and a robust collector market engaged in the live-action Saga. Success in the toy arena continues to translate to many other licensed product categories, including publishing, apparel, consumer electronics and housewares.

Still an animation powerhouse in its second season on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars continues to attract new fans in the key demographic of boys 6-11. Bringing an all-new Star Wars adventure to TV each week, the cutting-edge computer-animated series has kept the brand squarely in the public eye and has introduced an ever-expanding array of new characters, creatures and vehicles into the inter-galactic lexicon. The success of The Clone Wars has helped to keep Star Wars relevant for a new generation of boys, and the licensing success is now rivaling the heights experienced during the blockbuster live-action films.

In addition, 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Celebrating the fan-favorite installment of the live-action Saga, the milestone will be commemorated with a year’s worth of intergalactic activities – including massive fan events, charity screenings, exclusive product promotions and much, much more.

“After more than three decades, Star Wars continues to resonate with audiences and consumers, both in the boys demographic and with fans who’ve grown up with the franchise,” said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing. “The continued success of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an indication that once again a whole new generation of young fans have been engaged by the Saga, and we are still able to connect with fans of the original movies with activities such as those surrounding the anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.”

Lucasfilm, Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and related character names, vehicle names and properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners

* Source: The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service
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Toy News: KOTOBUKIYA ANNOUNCES LOST PLANET 2 ACTION FIGURES



Kotobukiya is proud to annouce action figures from one of this year's most anticipated game Lost Planet 2 !


Kotobukiya has announced the release of Lost Planet 2™ PVC Action Figures from Capcom’s upcoming new action game Lost Planet 2 which is scheduled to be released on May 20, 2010 in Japan and May 18, 2010 in North America and Europe. Lost Planet 2 is the next installment in the popular action series Lost Planet®. Lost Planet®: Extreme Condition, the landmark third-person shooter that debuted on Xbox 360, went on to sell over 2.3 million units worldwide after its release.

Kotobukiya Lost Planet 2 Action Figures are developed by the Kotobukiya staff and support of Mr. Jun Takeuchi, who is the producer of Lost Planet 2 and served as the producer for Onimusha® 3 and Lost Planet and chief producer for Resident Evil® 5 in the past, and other CAPCOM’s development team members. The figures perfectly replicate every detail of the armor and weapons as seen in the video game. They are the first and highest quality action figures to be produced for Lost Planet 2 and priced at $39.99.







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Comic News: MASS EFFECT COMIC SELLS OUT!!!



DARK HORSE AND EA ANNOUNCE A SECOND PRINTING OF THE SMASH-HIT COMIC MASS EFFECT: REDEMPTION #1



Just in time for the arrival of the hit series’ second issue, in stores today, Mass Effect: Redemption #1 will be reprinted to fill demand after selling out across the country.

Mass Effect: Redemption tells the exciting backstory that leads up to the events of Mass Effect 2, the recently released video game developed by the award-winning creative team at BioWare. The game’s lead writer, Mac Walters, takes up the pen to give fans exclusive insight into the events that unfolded between the conclusion of the original Mass Effect and the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars: Legacy), this four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies in this rich science-fiction landscape.

The Mass Effect trilogy is an epic science-fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, players will step into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, commanding a crew of the most dangerous operatives from across the galaxy on a mission so challenging that it’s potentially suicidal. Featuring intense shooter action, a rich, futuristic story line, stunning space exploration, and emotionally engaging characters, the game delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience.

“Dark Horse has enjoyed a close and productive working relationship with everyone at BioWare and EA,” said Dark Horse’s senior director of marketing, Micha Hershman. “Thanks to that relationship, our team created an awesome comic that we feel authentically supplements the gaming experience,” he continued. “We’re geeked that comics, gaming, and science-fiction fans appreciate the quality of our work and continue to drive unprecedented demand for both the comic and the iPhone app.”

For those who have yet to read this explosive first issue, it is also currently available for free download on iTunes until Thursday. After that, Mass Effect: Redemption #1 will be available for just ninety-nine cents.

Mass Effect: Redemption is the fifth title to arrive in Dark Horse’s ever-growing stable of comics available on the iPhone platform. Other titles available now include Gerard Way’s smash hit The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, Terminator: Death Valley, and multiple titles from the critically acclaimed line of Star Wars comics. The first issue will hit iTunes February third, just in time for the release in comic shops of the second issue of the series. For more information, please visit www.darkhorse.com/features/mobile.

Mass Effect 2 was released on the Xbox 360 video-game and entertainment system and on PC on January 26, 2010, in North America and January 29, 2010, in Europe. It has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB and 18+ by PEGI (please visit esrb.org and pegi.eu for more information on ratings). For more news from the development team, please follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/masseffect2 or visit the game’s official website at masseffect.bioware.com.
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