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Wednesday, May 17, 2000
MARVEL COMICS FOR AUGUST
Following are Marvel Comics' solicitations for August, with information provided by the company.
MARVEL HEROES TITLES
CONAN: THE FLAME AND THE FIEND #3
Written by Roy Thomas, art by Geoff Isherwood and Sandu Florea, cover by Isherwood.
It's the sword-swinging conclusion to the mighty Cimmerian's battle with the sinister sorcerer known as Kulan Gath. Only Conan can stop Kulan and Prince Yezdigerd from conquering Turan-but the bronze barbarian is slated to be executed in the Prince's infamous Hanging Gardens.
32 pages, $2.99.
FANTASTIC FOUR #34
Written by John Francis Moore, art and cover by Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert.
When the FF tracked a mysterious saboteur to Revelation, New Mexico, they found a lot more than they bargained for-including a race of hyper-powerful world-ravaging aliens. Scattered throughout space and time, the Fantastic Four must reunite in order to stop the Obliterator Mothership from earning its deadly name.
32 pages, $2.25.
HELLCAT #2
Written by Steve Englehart, art and cover by Norm Breyfogle.
Trapped in those nasty Nether Realms, Hellcat seems helpless in stopping the multiple underworlds from colliding in all-out war. What can one ordinary girl do to halt the all-powerful legions of Hell? Plenty, that is, if she happens to be Patsy Walker and she's been changed by death.
32 pages, $2.99.
IRON MAN 2000
Written by Joe Quesada and Frank Tieri, art by Dan Panosian.
"The Sons Of Yin-Sen" Part 3 (Of 3)
The Armored Avenger and the sons of Yin-Sen are captured by the villainous Wong-Chu. Iron Man and his new allies are determined to escape-but not everyone will survive this climactic battle. Plus: Secrets are revealed about the day Tony Stark first donned his famous suit of armor.
48 pages, $3.50.
POWER PACK: PEER PRESSURE #3
Written by S.C. Bury, art and cover by Colleen Doran and Terry Austin.
Power Pack rockets off to the stars with their ally... a Snark? What could possibly cause the kids to team up with their most hated enemy? And why is the team torn in two over leaving for outer space? Could all of this spell the end of Power Pack as we know it?
32 pages, $2.99.
THOR #28
Written by Dan Jurgens, art and cover by Erik Larsen and Klaus Janson.
The Warriors Three take Manhattan. The dashing Fandral, Hogun the grim and the voluminous Volstagg have journeyed to Midgard for a little R & R-but the Wrecking Crew see it as the perfect opportunity to regain their lost Asgardian powers. Will Thor intervene before a Warrior falls to Hela's icy cold embrace?
32 pages, $2.25.
AVENGERS INFINITY #2
Written by Roger Stern, art and cover Sean Chen and Scott Hanna.
The Avengers confront the Servitors, who are cutting a swath of destruction through whole planetary systems. But Thor, Photon, Tigra, Moondragon, Starfox and Quasar learn that they're only dealing with the tip of an even larger, more cosmic problem. Tempers flare as our heroes disagree on how to best confront this menace. And then... the Walker.
32 pages, $2.99.
AVENGERS UNIVERSE #3
It's three Avengers stories in one book-with helpful character bios and introductions. This issue reprints Avengers (Vol. 3) #8-9 as well as Thor (Vol. 2) #5.
80 pages, $4.99.
BLACK PANTHER #23
Written by Christopher Priest, art and cover by Sal Velluto and Bob Almond.
"Cat Trap," part two of two. Deadpool has stolen Killmonger's leopard-and has nabbed the Avenger named Triathlon as a bonus. Now the new Black Panther and Earth's Mightiest Heroes race to Wakanda for a showdown with the Merc With A Mouth. But with all this going on, where is T'Challa? Find out in the conclusion to the Deadpool/Black Panther crossover.
32 pages, $2.50.
DOOM #1
Written by Chuck Dixon, art and cover by Leonard Manco.
Trapped in the deadly deserts of Counter Earth (a.k.a. Doomworld), an armorless Victor Von Doom battles for his very survival. To suceed, he must conquer the elements and rebuild his empire from nothing-destroying all those who would dare oppose his might. But his quest for power leads him into the hateful hands of Al-Khalad-and hard labor in his slave pits. What will happen when these two unyielding forces collide? One thing is certain: Doom will not be denied. Wrapped in steel and scoured by swirling sands of time, this sweeping saga of exotic locales and explosive action will at last fill in the gap between the events of Fantastic Four #25 and Fantastic Four #30, and fully explore the inner workings of this captivating character.
32 pages, $2.99.
IRON MAN #33
Written by Joe Quesada and Frank Tieri, art by Alitha Martinez and Rob Hunter.
A lead-in to next month's "Maximum Security." A romantic weekend for Tony Stark and Rumiko takes a strange turn when they're invited to the hottest party in town-but all is not what it seems. What is the startling secret behind these exclusive gatherings of the mega-rich? Who is their host, what is his agenda, and most importantly, why does his presence signify the coming of an even greater threat that will affect the entire Marvel Universe?
32 pages, $2.25.
SPACEKNIGHTS #1
Written by Jim Starlin, art and cover by Chris Batista and Chip Wallace.
Rom, Marvel's first Spaceknight, spent years banishing the evil Dire Wraiths from Earth. Finally successful, the gleaming guardian returned home to become the king of his homeworld, Galador. But now that Rom has disappeared, it's up to his two sons-Tristan, the Liberator, and Balin, also known as Terminator-to carry on his legacy. But which one will wield Rom's mighty Neutralizer? Broken into squadrons, the Spacknights are the peacekeeping protectors of their galaxy. But what they don't know, however, is that their greatest threat has returned in a form they never thought possible. Now it's time to meet the new cosmic warriors: Starshine, leader of this new generation, Pulsar with his rays of destruction, Firefall, wielder of the Living Flame, Sentry, a member of the winged Angel Elite, Hammerhand and his fists of steel, Javelin, master of an unbreakable staff of Plandanium steel, Scanner, fastest of them all, and the other new Spaceknights as they face off against the undying threat of the dreaded Dire Wraiths.
32 pages, $2.99.
4: A UNIVERSE X SPECIAL
Written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, art by Brent Anderson, cover by Ross.
Galactus, the Thing, Namor, Him, Alicia, Agatha Harkness, Dr. Strange, Commander Arcturus Rann, the Brothers Grimm, X-51 and a host of heroes and villains lost in the realm of the dead star in this all-new adventure.
48 pages, $3.99.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #34
Written by Dan Jurgens, art and cover by Jurgens and Thibert.
Cache is king. He knows everything about everyone. He's a new super-villain named Cache-and as Captain America is about to discover, knowledge is power. Plus: S.H.I.E.L.D. attempts to resuscitate the U.S.Agent, but after the brutal beating he received last issue, will it be too little, too late?
32 pages, $2.25.
CAPTAIN MARVEL # 10
Written by Peter David, art by Chriscross and Anibal Rodriguez.
His father tried to destroy the first Captain Mar-Vell-and paid for it with his life. Now, the son of Yon-Rogg seeks to settle the score with Genis.
32 pages, $2.50.
INCREDIBLE HULK #19
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Ron Garney and Sal Buscema.
"Dogs of War," part 5. Ryker has triumphed over the Hulk and spirited him away to a top-secret facility, where he's to undergo a psychological dissection. And Doc Samson, Angela and Flux are in no better shape. But will help arrive from an unexpected quarter, or will the beast at the core of Bruce Banner's mindscape break free to annihilate all?
32 pages, $2.25.
THUNDERBOLTS #43
Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Mark Bagley and Greg Adams.
The Avengers/Thunderbolts crossover heats up as the Black Widow swings by. With Atlas abducted by Wonder Man, and another ion-powered menace on the loose, the Thunderbolts head for where it all started: the South American base of Baron Zemo.
32 pages, $2.26.
AVATAARS: COVENANT OF THE SHIELD # 2
Written by Len Kaminski, art and cover by Osca Jimenez and Eduardo Alpuente.
In pursuit of the fearsome forces who have made off with his son, Captain Avalon assembles the past and present Champions of the Realm to take up chase. But before the heroes can confront the dark Dreadlord, they'll have to trek through the malevolent Webwood, take up arms in a battle with the X-Changlings, and endure a visitation by the Four Fates.
32 pages, $2.99.
DEADPOOL # 45
Written by Christopher Priest, art and cover by J. Calafiore and Jon Holdredge.
Why is Constrictor trying to kill Deadpool? Is Titania really who she says she is? And will Loki's curse ever be lifted from the head of Wade Wilson? All of these questions and more are answered here.
32 pages, $2.25.
AVENGERS # 33
Written by Kurt Busiek, art by George Perez and Al Vey, cover by Perez.
Only a stroke of luck allowed the Avengers to defeat him in the past. Now, a fully- powered Count Nefaria has returned. The key to taking him down is locked in the mind of Madame Masque-but can Iron Man convince her to help the team against her own father? Readers will find out as the story barrels into next month's Thunderbolts #44.
32 pages, $2.25.
BEFORE THE FANTASTIC 4: REED RICHARDS # 2
Written by Peter David, art and cover by Duncan Fegredo.
Captured by Victor Von Doom. On a quest to find the legendary Claw of Bast, our globe-traveling scientist hopes to cure the strange disease that's ravaging the body of his mentor... but the man named Victor Von Doom also seeks the Claw-to heal his recently scarred face. What will happen when these two young rivals realize that they're after the same prize?
32 pages, $2.99.
IRON MAN: BAD BLOOD #2
Written by David Michelenie, art and cover by Bob Layton.
Iron Man-out of control. The Armored Avenger goes toe-to-toe with Spymaster in a battle that will level half of Seattle. Twice Spymaster has almost succeeded in taking Tony Stark's life-now it's payback time. Shell-Head's friends look on in horror as he becomes more and more ruthless, but worst of all, when James Rhodes confronts Tony about his erratic behavior, the results could be deadly.
32 pages, $2.99.
MARVEL: THE LOST GENERATION #5
Written by Roger Stern, art by John Byrne and Al Milgrom, cover by Byrne.
Guest-starring Thor. Can the First Line stop the Cult of Rumor from corrupting the youth of America? Why do Thor, the headstrong god of thunder, and Venus, the groovy goddess of love, make the scene? And what will big daddy Odin have to say about all of this?
32 pages, $2.99.
UNIVERSE X # 1
Written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, art by Doug Braithwaite, cover by Ross.
It's time once again to return to the dark yet hopeful alternate future of the Marvel Universe. Captain America and the resurrected Captain Mar-Vell begin their search for the universe's greatest power sources-while Reed Richards discovers that the Earth is on the brink of biological armageddon. The first chapter in this new sprawling epic features appearances by Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, the Brothers Grimm, the Defenders, Immortus, Power Pack, the Inhumans and more. The painted cover by series architect Alex Ross is part two of the 14-piece interconnecting portrait of Universe X.
32 pages, $3.50.
THE ESSENTIAL IRON MAN TRADE PAPERBACK
Written by Stan Lee, art by Don Heck.
Most of the early Marvel heroes gained their amazing powers in freak accidents. Iron Man, however, was a different story. A tribute to the genius of invention, the Armored Avenger was the only true "self-made" hero of the Marvel Age of Comics. Born of necessity, millionaire inventor Tony Stark crafted the walking weapon as his only means of staying alive. Captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, and his heart gravely wounded, Stark built the metal suit and used it to escape his captors and return to the Western world as the invincible Iron Man. The modern marvel of technology blasted off to new heights of popularity as he battled the malicious Mandarin, the equally armored Crimson Dynamo, the beautiful Black Widow and other foreign foes who attempted to sabotage the American economy and undermine the very existence of the United States. All this and more is presented in this huge volume that collects the earliest-and seldom seen-Iron Man adventures from the pages of Tales of Suspense.
528 pages, black and white, $14.95.
MARVEL KNIGHTS TITLES
MARVEL BOY #3
Written by Grant Morrison, art and cover by J.G. Jones.
There's a new player who's branding corporate America-and its name is Hexus the Living Corporation. It's "Brand Hex" appears everywhere as it schemes to take over the world. Only one man can stop Hexus-and his name is Marvel Boy. But with Noh-Varr's distaste for humanity, will he even want to?
32 pages, $2.99.
DAREDEVIL #17
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by David Mack, cover by Joe Quesada and Mack.
Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich is on a quest to uncover little Timmy's shocking secret. But what he finds instead are answers that only produce more questions-questions that can only be answered by Daredevil himself.
32 pages, $2.99.
PUNISHER #7
Written by Garth Ennis, art by Steve Dillion and Jimmy Palmiotti, cover by Tim Bradstreet.
Has someone narked out the Punisher?. For months, Frank Castle has concealed his existence from his fellow tenants. But now-as Frank lies near death due to last issue's events-will his true identity be discovered? Plus: While the Elite continues his "neighborhood clean-up" project, Mr. Payback goes public.
32 pages, $2.99.
SENTRY #2
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Jae Lee.
Continuing Marvel's greatest mystery: Who is the Sentry? What is the Unicorn? As the man named Bob Reynolds slowly begins to grasp who and what he is, how can this object shed light on the secret of the Sentry? And what does it all have to do with Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four?
32 pages, $2.99.
INHUMANS TRADE PAPERBACK
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Jae Lee.
The Inhumans have always been one of Marvel's most enduring oddities. An entire race of genetic freaks, they have lived in peaceful seclusion on their island kingdom of Attilan, preferring not to mix with the outside world. But now their fragile kingdom is under attack from without-and within. Can the Royal Family, led by the mute Black Bolt (who cannot speak, for his voice carries the destructive power of an atom bomb) repel the invaders who blast at their outer defenses-and also defuse the internal threat of his own insane brother, Maximus the Mad? And when Black Bolt is strangely slow to move, will Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Crystal and his own wife Medusa doubt his ability to lead? This acclaimed series takes a classic stable of characters and infuses it with a modern sensibility that includes international politics and an awareness of class systems.
264 pages, $24.95.
MARVEL KNIGHTS #4
Written by Chuck Dixon, art by Eduardo Barreto and Klaus Janson, cover by Joe Quesada.
It's Zaran, the Weapons Master-as you've never seen him before. The assassin has a new look, a new attitude and a new target: one of the Marvel Knights. And speaking of the Knights, while Daredevil and the loosely formed team turn their attention to hunting down the Punisher, a very familiar hero makes a bid for membership.
32 pages, $2.99.
SPIDER-MAN TITLES
SPIDER-MAN: DEATH & DESTINY #3
Written by Lee Weeks, art by Weeks and Richard Case, cover by Weeks.
It's the fiery finale as Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus finally let loose in an emotionally charged, no-holds-barred slugfest. Wracked by guilt over the tragic death of Captain George Stacy, Peter Parker is ready to let his pent-up rage and grief explode. Equally angry is the deadly Doctor Octopus, who's reached his breaking point over being branded a coward. And when these two arch-foes clash it gets very, very personal.
32 pages, $2.99.
SPIDER-WOMAN #16
Written by John Byrne, art by Bart Sears and Randy Elliott, cover by Sears.
In one of Marvel's ickiest stories ever, Mattie winds up stitched inside the villain known as Flesh. And as Spider-Woman's powers drain away, we learn the awful origins of Flesh and Bones. And if that's not gross enough for you, just wait until you find out how they're related to the demented duo named Itch and Scratch.
32 pages, $2.25.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #22
Written by Howard Mackie, art by John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna, cover by Romita.
The beginning of an in-depth exploration of the Senator Ward story-and editor Ralph Macchio promises that this three-part tale will finally solve this mystery. Ward's animosity towards Detective Arthur Stacy grows deeper as he targets both Jill and Paul for death. Why was Arthur willing to go so far as to kill Ward? Hint: It all involves a project of mind-staggering horror. But how does the recently widowed Eddie Brock and his sicko symbiote fit in? And on the domestic front, what's up between Glory Grant, Randy Robertson and Peter Parker? Oh yeah, Spider-Man's in this issue, too.
32 pages, $2.25.
SPIDER-GIRL # 25
Written by Tom DeFalco, art and cover by Pat Olliffe and Al Williamson.
Spider-Girl faces impossible odds when she's attacked by the Savage Six in this double-sized thriller. It really is time for May to yell "Mayday." as Mr. Abnormal, Killerwatt, Dragon King, Sabreclaw, Raptor and the fearsome Funny Face form an unholy alliance. Who is the mysterious figure behind this assemblage of evil? And what happens to Spider-Girl in the surprise cliffhanger ending?
48 pages, $2.99.
SPIDER-MAN UNIVERSE # 7
It's three complete Spider stories in one book (with character bios and story intros). Great for new readers-or veteran fans who just need to catch up-this 80-page issue reprints Amazing Spider-Man #19 and #20 as well as Peter Parker: Spider-Man #20.
80 pages, $4.99.
PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN # 22
Written by Paul Jenkins, art by Mark Buckingham and Dan Green, cover by Buckingham.
Having had a chunk bitten out of him by Venom, the remaining days of Flint Marko's life are literally like sand in an hourglass. And Sandman blames our wall-crawling hero for his pitiful plight. It's their strangest struggle ever as a disintegrating Sandman attempts to bury Spider-Man once and for all.
32 pages, $2.25.
SPIDER-MAN: REVENGE OF THE GREEN GOBLIN # 1
Written by Roger Stern, art by Lee Weeks and Richard Case, cover by Weeks.
It's the return of the one and only Norman Osborn. The classic creative team of writer Roger Stern and penciler Lee Weeks begins an intense exploration of the sick psyche of the most deadly and infamous of all of Spider-Man's villains. During the course of this new three-part tale readers will learn what this fiendish foe has been up to since his escape from the sanitarium-and what his plans are for Peter Parker. And readers will also witness, believe it or not, the romantic side of our evil industrialist. Plus: scenes from Norman's tormented childhood. It's secrets, surprises and screams in this chilling story set in Spidey's current continuity.
32 pages, $2.99.
X-MEN TITLES
MUTANT X #24
Written by Howard Mackie, art by Tom Lyle and Andrew Pepoy, cover by Michael Golden.
Master Planner is stealing children from the streets of New York City, and only The Six can stop the terror. Rebuilding their image as heroes, Havok and his fellow mutants show up in top form-now strengthened by the return of Hank McCoy. Next month is Mutant X''s double-sized, team-altering issue-and the seeds for change sprout here.
32 pages, $2.25.
UNCANNY X-MEN # 385
Written by Chris Claremont, art and cover by Tom Raney.
When temperatures rise, it's X-Men vs. X-Men. The Red Pirates have come to strip-mine the world of its strongest people. Among that number were members of the X-Men-until Gambit cuts a deal. In return for favorable considerations, the Children of the Atom will help the Slavers collect their prey. Can he and his teammates pull off this con long enough to save thousands of innocents and discover the reason behind this mass abduction? And can Remy and Rogue overcome their own heartaches? It's a dangerous game-one which could quickly pit X-Men against X-Men.
32 pages, $2.25.
X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS # 11
Written by John Byrne, art by Byrne and Tom Palmer, cover by Byrne.
Professor X and the Beast investigate a mutant signal, only to find an extraordinary young girl-and her loyal Sentinel. Meanwhile Cyclops and Marvel Girl search for the missing Angel-but instead find a unbelievably powerful villain.
32 pages, $2.50.
CABLE #84
Written by Robert Weinberg, art and cover by Michael Ryan.
Guest-starring Cable's X-Men teammates, Phoenix and the Beast. The Undying are on the brink of triggering a bloodbath on a global scale-even as the Moment of Divergence nears for the warring timelines. Here, all secrets will be revealed: the origins of the immortal Undying, the connection between this ancient race and mankind's future, and why it's all focused on Nathan Summers. In desperation, Cable calls on the X-Men for this final battle-but will it be enough?
32 pages, $2.25.
GENERATION X #68
Written by Warren Ellis and Brian Wood, art by Steve Pugh and Bob Wiacek, cover by Art Adams.
"Come On Die Young," part 2 of 4. Continuing the story that shows readers what happened before the "Revolution". As one member of Generation X finds herself the target of anti-mutant paranoia, two others are drawn romantically together. Plus: Adrienne Frost is back.
32 pages, $2.25.
BISHOP: THE LAST X-MAN #13
Written by Joseph Harris, art and cover by Georges Jeanty and Art Thibert.
"Chronowar," part 2 of 3. Bishop is imprisoned, and the Chronomancer takes center stage. Look through the eyes of a madman as Fitzroy reveals his master plan. Has he grown too powerful for even the Last X-Man to stop?
32 pages, $2.25.
GAMBIT 2000
Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Cam Smith and Tom Derenick, cover by Smith.
The X-Men guest-star in this double-sized story that leaps directly from the pages of Gambit #20. Gambit leads Angel, Shadowcat, Colossus and Nightcrawler into the Crystal Cathedral to confront the mysterious man known as the New Son. What will happen when the ragin' Cajun learns the true identity of the man who has tormented him for months? And what is New Son's real interest in Remy LeBeau? Plus: A bonus tale featuring Gambit's father and a very strange guest star.
48 pages, $3.50.
X-MAN # 68
Written by Warren Ellis and Steven Grant, art and cover by Ariel Olivetti.
"Further Down the Spiral," part 2 of 4. Continuing the story that reveals what happened before the "Revolution". Ripped across realities, Nate Grey awakens on the Earth glimpsed in the opening pages of X-Man #63. Why has he been brought here? Who is the man who he once thought of as a friend? And why is Nate of immeasurable value to this twisted world?
32 pages, $2.25.
X-MEN #105
Written by Chris Claremont, art by Leinil Francis Yu and Mark Morales, cover by Yu.
Someone wants Archangel dead. It's a change of pace for our heroes that brings us to a moment of truth, not merely for Warren Worthington III, our high-flying playboy, but for the woman who loves him: Psylocke.
32 pages, $2.25.
GAMBIT #21
Written by Fabian Nicieza, art and cover by Yanick Paquette and Sean Parsons.
Now that the Thieves and the Assassins Guilds have been unified, Gambit digs into his past to find out more about his future-but does he even have a past? Then, sparks fly in the Pentagon as Remy LeBeau travels to Washington, D.C.-and runs into the sexy and sinister shape-changer known as Mystique.
32 pages, $2.25.
X-MEN: DECLASSIFIED
Written by Karl Bollers, art by Pascual Ferry, cover by J.H. Williams.
Over the past several years, the X-Men's worst enemies-from Sinister to Bastion to Magneto-have done everything in their power to discover all of the mutants' secrets. Here, for the first time, the knowledge on Charles Xavier's extended "class" that makes up the X-Men, Generation X and X-Force has been gathered into one place. But before this info can be deciphered, three X-Men will breach the most guarded sanctum of the U.S. government in a desperate attempt to destroy it. Not only will they discover things they could not have imagined, but they will also be confronted with a more immediate threat-a foe that could bring their world crashing down around them. It's a full-length, action-packed story mixed with in-depth "Handbook" style entries with way-cool pin-up art by Salvador Larroca, Leinil Francis Yu, Michael Ryan, Sean Chen, Ariel Olivetti, Tom Raney and more.
48 pages, $3.50.
X-MEN UNIVERSE # 11
Cover by Paul Smith.
Three X-Men stories in one book, with helpful character bios and introductions. This issue reprints X-Men #101 and #102 as well as X-Men: Hidden Years #9.
80 pages, $4.99.
WOLVERINE # 155
Written, art and cover by Rob Liefeld.
Captured by the mysterious group of zealots known as the Watchtower, can Wolverine free his fellow prisoners before they're martyred? And will Deadpool help him-or stand in the way? All this, and Siryn.
32 pages, $2.25.
X-FORCE #107
Written by Warren Ellis and Ian Edginton, artist to be determined.
"Murder Ballads," part 2 of 4. Continuing the story that reveals what happened before the "Revolution". Zoom back six months and watch Pete Wisdom recruit and reform X-Force. Plus: In modern time, the team must come to terms with a new director as they attempt to protect a powerful mutant and former ally from a deadly assassin.
32 pages, $2.25.
THIS JUST IN: MARVEL TEAMS WITH ARTISAN
Marvel Enterprises and Artisan Entertainment announced today the formation of a joint venture that will bring to life several of Marvel's characters via original productions created for distribution through feature films, television, home video and the Internet.
The agreement marks the most far-reaching deal Marvel has entered into to date with any of the Hollywood studios.
Through the venture, Artisan and Marvel will develop, produce and distribute programming on a worldwide basis based on 15 mutually agreed upon Marvel properties, including Captain America, Thor, Morbius, Deadpool, Black Panther, Iron Fist, Longshot, Mort the Dead Teenager and Ant-Man. Marvel will also develop licensing and merchandising programs for each production.
The announcement was made today by Amir Malin, co-chief executive officer, Artisan Entertainment and Avi Arad, president and CEO, Marvel Studios.
Feature film concepts will be developed for both theatrical distribution as well as direct-to-video release, while the television programming will take the form of either television series or made-for-TV movies. The Internet initiatives will appear as short films and videos. Revenue generated from both the distribution of the productions as well as from licensing and merchandising will be shared equally by both companies and each company will also equally own the programming library.
Said Malin, "As Artisan builds and expands on its core businesses, we continue to break new ground and forge innovative alliances in order to deliver quality programming across multiple outlets. This partnership speaks not only to our corporate strategy but also to my relationship with Avi Arad, one of the most prolific executives in the entertainment industry and one that I respect immensely."
Arad said, "Artisan has proven itself to be one of the biggest innovators and premiere marketers in the entertainment industry, as evidenced by their success with titles such as The Blair Witch Project. Artisan and Marvel service the same community in film, television and the Internet. Our brands are synonymous with cutting edge entertainment - an area in which Artisan has success and expertise - which makes them the perfect partner for us. Amir Malin is my kind of executive, always seeking to break new ground in our fast changing media world. This joint venture with Artisan is further evidence of Marvel's commitment to deliver its incredibly popular character brands to a mass audience while also providing our core comic book and sci-fi fan base with a new way to experience their favorite heroes and villains."
Artisan's senior vice-president, Patrick Gunn, will oversee day-to-day activities for the joint venture on the Artisan side. Gunn will work closely with Arad on all multimedia productions.
SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED'S FATE
It is extremely doubtful that the full first season of the Spider-Man Unlimited animated series will ever air on Fox Kids. Sources told The Continuum that production of the show at Saban Entertainment was halted after nine episodes.
Thirteen episodes of Spider-Man Unlimited were planned for the first season. The show premiered on Oct. 2, 1999, but only three episodes, the two-part "Worlds Apart" and "Where Evil Nests," aired before Fox Kids pulled the series from its lineup.
Fox Kids had released plotlines for all 13 first-season episodes of Spider-Man Unlimited. Plans for the series included Counter-Earth versions of characters such as Vulture, X-51, Deathlok, Electro and Man-Wolf. The season was to end with a cliff-hanger, "Destiny Unleashed, Part 1," in which the High Evolutionary institutes a reign of terror to bring Spider-Man out of hiding and Venom and Carnage make a major strike.
Fox Kids representatives have said that Spider-Man Unlimited "will likely be re-launched," at some point, and a Hollywood trade has mentioned the show being re-titled The New Adventures of Spider-Man.
Will Meugniot, the producer and a writer of Spider-Man Unlimited, now works for Stan Lee Media.
With the Spider-Man live-action movie due next year from Sony, don't be surprised if Spider-Man returns to television. Sources told The Continuum there have been talks about a possible computer-generated Spider-Man animated series.
ONI PRESS' THE COFFIN
Oni Press has announced an agreement with Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston to publish their bi-monthly, four-issue miniseries, The Coffin, beginning in September.
Hester is the creator of The Wretch and has illustrated numerous comics, including Swamp Thing, Clerks: The Lost Scene, and upcoming issues of Detective. Huddleston is one of the founders of 40oz Comics with Jim Mahfood and self-published his own book, Komusu.
The Coffin is their first collaboration, and it tells the story of Ashar Ahmad, a scientist who has created a technologically advanced suit that can keep the soul alive after the body has died. When things take a bad turn, Ashar himself becomes the first guinea pig to test the outift in order to save his life. It works, but Ashar finds himself in a weird quasi state, either dead nor alive, trapped inside the coffin of his own design from that moment forward.
"This is a different kind of book for Oni," Hester said. "We weren't quite sure what they would think of it at first. It combines standard conventions of superhero, sci-fi, horror, and cyberpunk-genres Oni isn't necessarily known for. We thought it had enough of a twist, though, for it to fit neatly on their roster."
"I saw character designs sitting on the desk of our editor in chief, and Mike's drawing immediately grabbed my attention," Oni publisher Joe Nozemack said. "I snatched it from him and sat down and read the proposal. I was delighted that it wasn't just another empty concept with a cool visual. Phil and Mike had come up with an excellent story, one with a lot of character and mind-bending concepts. The Coffin was one of those projects that I knew straight away that we had to do."
The Coffin is written and laid out by Hester, and Huddleston does the final art. Not content with the standard pen-and-ink method of crafting a comic book page, Huddleston scans his inked artwork into his computer and enhances it with gray tones and other effects.
"The book takes place in the future, and I wanted it to look that way," Huddleston said. "I wanted to create a black-and-white style that would set The Coffin apart from the other independent comics on the racks. It's the job of the visuals to suck the reader in and compel them to give the book a read, so I wanted to make sure that once you saw the art, it would be impossible to put the book down."
The Coffin #1 will be 32 black-and-white pages and will ship on Sept. 1. It will cost $2.95.
AL GORE ON FUTURAMA
Vice-President Al Gore provides a guest-voice as himself in the season finale of Futuarama on Fox on Sunday.
Stephen Hawking, Gary Gygax and Nichelle Nichols also guest-star as themselves in the episode, which which is titled, "Anthology of Interest 1."
Here's how Fox describes the episode:
When Professor Farnsworth invents a 'what if' machine, each member of the gang poses a question to this new machine to receive video-simulated answer. What if Bender was 500 feet tall, Leela was more impulsive and Fry never woke up in Y3K? In three separate stories, Bender, Leela and Fry each find out what would happen if their lives were different, and Vice President Al Gore, physicist Stephen Hawking and actress Nichelle Nichols join forces to help Fry.
BRIEFLY
Axel Alonso and Joan Hilty, editors of Flinch, were honored with the 1999 International Horror Guild Award for a Graphic Story. Finalists were Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, Torso #1-4; Roman Dirge, Lenore #5-6; Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Glanzman, Red Range; and David Quinn and Tim Vigil, Faust: The Book of M #1-3.
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