Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000

HAYTER TALKS HULK MOVIE

David Hayter, screenwriter of the X-Men live-action movie, told The Continuum on Wednesday night that he's taking a similar approach in writing the Hulk movie at Universal Pictures.

"I'm taking the same mixture of taking it seriously and also having a good time at the movies that X-Men had and am bringing it to the Hulk," Hayter said.

Hayter, who has been working on the Hulk script for about six weeks, was brought in to do a rewrite for producer Gale Anne Hurd on the story by Mike France and Michael Tolkin, but it's turned out to be more extensive that that.

"I'm writing the whole thing up from the ground again," Hayter said. "It's going great. I'm really happy with it and everybody seems happy with it."

Hayter said he's been a bigger fan of the X-Men than the Hulk, but noted the public is more familiar with the Hulk than X-Men.

"The Hulk is a bigger part of the mythology," Hayter said. "Everybody knows the Hulk and knows his big journey. I always felt it was a really cool and tragic story."

The Hulk movie was originally going to be written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh in 1997 before being put into turnaround by Universal because of budgetary concerns. During the first development phase, it was reported several million dollars were spent on computer-generated effects for the Hulk's appearance.

"I haven't seen any of that stuff," Hayter said. "I was given some specs to work with. That (previous effects work) was a few years ago, and technology's come quite a way since then."

Obviously Hayter couldn't talk about the film's story details, but he did say he hopes to finish the Hulk script "as soon as possible."

Look for more from Hayter on the Hulk and X-Men in Rob Allstetter's ShowBiz column at www.marvel.com next week.

BATMAN'S OFFICER DOWN RUNDOWN

DC Comics has released complete solicitation copy on "Batman: Officer Down," a major event running through the Batman titles in January.

Here's how DC describes the "Officer Down" premise:

"James Gordon. He's one of the most respected men on the Gotham City Police Force. He's a trusted aide to Batman in the fight for justice. He's also a loving father and all-around good man. But a sudden attack by a foe from his past will leave Gordon at death's door...

"Three shots in the back. Officer Down.

"Batman: Officer Down is a seven-part storyline running through nearly all of the Batman-related books in the month of January (including a tie-in with Batgirl #12). The books will have a unifying trade dress, with distinctive, beautifully painted covers by astonishing newcomer Durwin Talon. Much like No Man's Land, the reverberations of Officer Down will affect all of the heroes and supporting characters in the Batman titles for many months to come."

"The story came out of last year's Bat-Summit, which I wasn't involved in, but they gave the basic idea to me and Greg Rucka to hammer out into an overall plot for the seven issues," Ed Brubaker, one of the event's main writers, told The Continuum.

"We turned it into a hard-boiled mystery and crime drama, and it deals with a lot of nasty things, like broken loyalties, corruption, and changes a lot of the status quo in Gotham. My actual issue is the second part, which concerns the events directly after the shooting, the investigation of the scene, the introduction of the new acting Commissioner, etc. It was a fun issue to write. This project is going to really blow people away, I think. I just hope we don't piss too many people off."

Following is the solicitation information for the event:

BATMAN #587

Written by Greg Rucka; art by Rick Burchett and Rodney Ramos; painted cover by Durwin Talon.

Part 1 of the "Officer Down" storyline. As James Gordon contemplates his many years on the police force, a sinister threat looms nearby. The unsuspecting Gordon leaves a bar and is shot in the back, with Catwoman watching After a violent attack, things in Gotham never will be the same again.

32 pages, $2.25, ships on Jan. 3.

BATGIRL #12

Written by Chuck Dixon; art by Dale Eaglesham and Andrew Hennessy; cover by Damion Scott and Robert Campanella.

An "Officer Down" tie-in! Batgirl learns that Commissioner Gordon has been shot, and sets out in search of Batman - but the Dark Knight is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, there's a villain who has mistaken Batgirl for Catwoman. Confused? So is Batgirl. Where is everybody? Note: This issue will not feature the "Officer Down" trade dress.

32 pages, $2.50, ships on Jan 3.

ROBIN #86

Written by Ed Brubaker; art by the Pander Bros.; painted cover by Durwin Talon.

"Officer Down," Part 2. James Gordon lies at death's door, and the immediate suspect is Catwoman. And while a citywide manhunt begins for the feline felon, Batman takes the news of Gordon's situation hard. Prepare yourself for Batman like you've never seen him before.

32 pages, $2.25, ships on Jan. 10.

BIRDS OF PREY #27

Written by Chuck Dixon, art by N. Steven Harris and John Nyberg, painted cover by Durwin Talon.

"Officer Down," Part 3. While her father clings to life, Oracle gathers Batman's allies: Nightwing, Robin, Azrael, and Batgirl. Their mission: capture Catwoman before the police find her. But the search for Catwoman leads them into an unexpected trap.

32 pages, $2.50, ships on Jan. 10.

CATWOMAN #90

Written by Bronwyn Carlton, art by Mike Lilly and Wayne Faucher, painted cover by Durwin Talon.

"Officer Down," Part 4. The hunt for Catwoman reaches its climactic conclusion, but finding Catwoman and capturing her are two very different things. And it may be that Catwoman has information that will change everything the heroes know about the case -- and dramatically reduce their options for achieving justice.

32 pages, $2.25, ships on Jan. 17.

NIGHTWING #53

Written by Devin Grayson, art by Joyce Chen and John Lowe, painted cover by Durwin Talon.

"Officer Down," Part 5. Oracle and Nightwing take the investigation into a new direction, but finding the answers may unleash in these heroes a darker aspect of themselves then they've ever faced before. When the truth behind Gordon's assailant is revealed, Oracle ponders taking justice into her own hands. Meanwhile Alfred has a fateful confrontation with Batman which could tear their relationship to shreds.

32 pages, $2.25, ships on Jan. 24.

DETECTIVE COMICS #754

Written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Jordan B. Gorfinkel, art by Michael Collins, Jeff Johnson, Jesse Delperdang, and Dan Panosian, painted cover by Durwin Talon.

"Officer Down," Part 6. The GCPD at last finds the person they're looking for, but time is against them, and not even Batman can bring the would-be killer to justice. As the clock ticks towards zero, several characters make decisions that will change their lives forever. Plus, Chapter 9 of "The Jacobian."

40 pages, $2.50, ships on Jan. 24.

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #13

Written by Greg Rucka and Harlan Ellison, art by Rick Burchett, Gene Ha and Rodney Ramos; painted cover by Durwin Talon.

The not-to-be-missed conclusion to "Officer Down!" James Gordon faces his final destiny and Batman must accept the possibility of the loss of a valued comrade, and a life which never will be quite the same. Plus, a black-and-white backup feature written by Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Gene Ha.

40 pages, $2.50, ships on Jan. 31.

BUFFY TV UPDATE

The Tuesday, Oct. 17 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on WB is called "Out of My Mind."

Here's how the network describes the episode:

"Buffy is in a race against time when the physical aftereffects of Riley's being used as a lab rat for months by The Initiative threatens his very life. When Riley stubbornly refuses help and goes into hiding, Buffy reluctantly turns to Spike for help, but he takes advantage of her situation for his own plot to rid his life of the slayer once and for all."

The Sept. 26 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel produced all-time highs for The WB in the men 18-34 demographic and a second-place only to NBC's Olympics coverage in females 12-34, 18-34 and teens.

BONGO FOR JANUARY

Following are Bongo Comics' solicitations for January, with information coming from the company.

FUTURAMA COMICS #2

By Rogers, King and Morrison.

Planet Express is named "Best Delivery Company on Weekends and Holidays" in the Big Applet's 762nd Best of New New York issue, but, with little time to celebrate or reflect on the fact that they are the only delivery service on weekends and holidays, the crew is on their way to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to deliver a mysterious shipment for two oddly familiar customers. However, this deliver might be their last.

32 pages, $2.50.

SIMPSONS COMICS #54

By Boothby, Ortiz and Morrison.

When Homer drives a tank to work ... how it gets there is part of the story. Anyway, Homer's lousy parking lob stokes the white-hot coals of revenge, hurls Springfield toward the brink of destruction and threatens to unleash Armageddon across the face of the Earth.

32 pages, $2.50.

THE DREAMING ENDS; SANDMAN PRESENTS CONTINUES

DC Comics' The Dreaming ends with the storyline "Bad Dreams," beginning in December. But, according to DC, Vertigo's exploration of the ethereal land of the Dreaming will not end there.

The Sandman Presents line of character-focused titles will become more of a presence than ever as they unify into an ongoing release of mini=series and special projects.

Vertigo executive editor Karen Berger said, "Our exploration of The Sandman mythos expands with this change as we plan to explore even more characters and develop more deeply their stories."

The Dreaming writer Caitlin R. Kiernan said: "For me, finishing The Dreaming is like coming home again from a very long trip to a strange and wonderful place."

The four-part story, arriving in stores in December, begins with issue #57, as Echo makes a play to retain the Corinthian's mantle of "Nightmare." Stirring the forces of Nightmare to revolt within the Dreaming, Echo enlists the aid of nightmares Brute and Glob to capture Abel as bait to snatch members for her Nightmare Army. It's up to Abel's pet gargoyle Goldie to contact the House of Mystery caretaker Cain, last seen in issue #50.

Said The Dreaming editor Shelly Bond, "Many months ago, Neil Gaiman, Karen Berger, Cait and I thought that it would be best to bring The Dreaming to a close at issue #60. The monthly series became more and more confining as a format, and in the spirit of The Sandman, we decided to work toward a satisfying conclusion. This gave Caitlin and regular artists Christian Hojgaard and Ron Randall ample time to orchestrate a compelling finishing point to a series that really deserved solid closure."

The coming Nightmare War will change the landscape of The Dreaming and allow new writers and artists to explore the mythos in a new monthly series of The Sandman Presents mini-series and specials with covers by Dave McKean.

The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives, a mini-series by writer Ed Brubaker and artists Bryan Talbot and Steve Leialoha, will begin the spring. The mini-series features The Sandman characters Mad Hettie and Hob Gadling. The book is described by DC as "a Hardy Boys-meets-Philip-Marlowe detective yarn that combines elements of Harry Potter with a tongue-in-cheek hard-boiled style."

The Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad will be written by Bill Willingham and illustrated by Shawn McManus. Thessaly (from The Sandman: A Game of You) is known for her ruthless yet practical approach to magic. For the first time in history, the most powerful Thessalian witch meets her match.

Some important questions are addressed in the 48-page one-shot The Sandman Presents: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Dreams But Were Afraid to Ask, written by Willingham with artwork by Kevin Nowlan, Mark Buckingham, Jason Little, Duncan Fegredo and others. This book addresses several oft-asked questions regarding the nature of Dreams and The Dreaming in a series of humorous vignettes featuring Nuala, Merv, Lucien, Goldie, Gregory, and other inhabitants of the Dreaming.

Other projects in development feature such characters as The Corinthian and The Furies. DC said further details will be announced as they become available.

COCKRUM'S FUTURIANS IN FRENCH

Dave Cockrum's 1980s independent comic, The Futurians, will be recolored and reprinted for the European market in 2001, in a deal arranged by Grand Design Communications.

The French version will be published by Semic SA, one of Europe's leading publishers of American comics. It will reprint the complete Futurians, including the original graphic novel, the original three issues of the independent series, and the rarely seen fourth issue.

Semic will publish The Futurians in four issues containing 48 pages each.

Cockrum will be creating new story and art to accommodate the 48 page format. Colorist Arthur De La Cruz will be computer coloring the new version, which will also be offered to publishers in other countries.

"I'm really delighted to see the Futurians getting their chance at meeting a new readership," Cockrum said. "I always wanted to do much more with them than I did, and perhaps this will lead to a fresh start and a new series."

"We couldn't be happier to be able to work on a such a fantastic project and creator." said Semic SA editor-in-chief Theirry Mornet. "Most of the Semic gang discovered comic books with Dave's Uncanny X-Men. Now is our chance to pay our tribute to this incredible artist by promoting and releasing what is another classic milestone in the wonderful world of Comics. It's really a honor to be able to work with a great creator and artist like Dave.

"The fact that it will be recolored and that Dave agreed to work on some additional artwork -- new pages, covers, etc. -- will bring a great new fresh take on this series and we cannot wait to present it to the french public. We intend to publish those 48-page books throughout next year as part of what is presently the best comic book catalog any French publisher has to offer."

FIRST LOOK: SCION #6

Scion #6 will ship on Nov. 22 from CrossGen Comics. The issue was written by Ron Marz, penciled by Jim Cheung, inked by Don Hillsman II, colored by Caesar Rodriguez.

YOU GOTTA CLICK'EM!

Here's how CrossGen describes the book:

"The conflict that began with Ethan wounding Bron in the tournament arena finally boils over as East and West go to war. Ethan and his family are caught up in the fury as the Heron and Raven armies clash, and Ethan's sigil might be the only hope his side has for victory. Somewhere on the battlefield, still looking to exact his revenge is Bron, who by battle's end will truly give Ethan a reason to hate him."

Scion #6 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

BRIEFLY

CrossGen Comics has provided additional images of The First #1.

GIVE'EM A CLICK