Friday, Oct. 27, 2000

X-MEN: EVOLUTION'S WOLVERINE

Producer Boyd Kirkland (right) and his staff watch the X-Men: Evolution main title sequence at Film Roman.

Wolverine will be one of the X-Men characters who will not be a teenager in the upcoming X-Men: Evolution animated series on Kids' WB!

"It was almost like there were certain characters that you really didn't want to try and screw around with," said Rick Ungar, president of Marvel Characters. "I think it's one thing to present established characters as teenagers to the Marvel audience with certain characters. I think it would have been a bad idea to start doing with that Wolverine. I think Wolverine needed to be Wolverine. I think we all felt that way."

Although clearly recognizable, Wolverine will have a slighted altered appearance on the show.

"We had a lot of back and forth on the hair. That took a long time," said director Steve Gordon. "That seemed to be of most interest to Marvel. We went all different directions and wound up with this modified look where we didn't use the extreme wings that most people are used to. This is a little

more natural and a little more in line with what the feature had. He doesn't have the mutton chops that make him look like a 60s refugee."

Wolverine's costume goes back to his costume from the early 1990s:

"Color-wise, that went through changes. This was a costume we were going all over the place with him, and I just kind of put together something and it seemed to stick," Gordon said. "We wanted to make him bare-armed, to give him a more primitive look, a brutal look.

"It's in that (brown) range, that's kind of where we originally wanted to go with it. Marvel didn't like that, so we kind of pulled back from that, but this was something we all felt comfortable with. All of the characters, to some degree or another, have buckles and kneepads to try to make it somewhat realistic as to what someone might actually need."

Wolverine's claws took on a look suited for animation.

"We came up with a shape we felt good with," Gordon said. "It's kind of a long blade that's angled at the end. It tapers, comes out and widens, and goes blunt at the end. It's an actual shape, as opposed to these long needles, which can be trouble because it's not a real shape that people can follow. We wanted to make sure the animators had a definitely model they can follow."

As Logan, the character often wears a cowboy hat and blue jeans. But Gordon noted that he goes through several outfits in the show, including a ninja suit and an attack suit.

SCOTT LOBDELL'S BALL AND CHAIN TO FOX TV

Fox has ordered a pilot for a live-action television version of Scott Lobdell's Ball and Chain comic book from WildStorm Productions. Production of the movie is expected to begin in January.

The pilot is to be co-written and executive produced by Howard Gordon (The X-Files) and Molly Newman (Maximum Bob). Lobdell is also an executive producer on the show.

Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) is set to direct.

"Imagine getting to work with three of the most talented people in the business?!" Lobdell told The Continuum. "Todd just this year won an Emmy, and Molly picked up one for Tracy Takes On. And Howard? As one of the writers of Beauty and The Beast, he's responsible for making me sob on more than one occasion!

"I'm way excited because I think fans of the series are going to recognize the characters from the printed page right there on their television screen every week!"

"And I have to say a big thank you to Jim Lee and John Nee who took a chance on a romantic comedy super-hero book -- as well as thanking Jennette Kahn for all her help in getting it so far!"

The show will be a co-production of 20th Century Fox Television and Regency Television.

Here's how the show is described:

"Ball and Chain is set in San Francisco at a time when the city is overrun by intergalactic bad guys masquerading as humans. A lone human crusader who knows where the aliens are hiding is about to be zapped with special crime-fighting powers by a benevolent alien sheriff when an earthquake hits and deflects the beam onto a battling couple passing by. As it turns out, the couple's powers only work when they're together, so the lone crusader must become a marriage counselor while helping the couple fight the good fight to save humanity."

KIDS' WB!'S THE ZETA PROJECT

The Kids' WB! has released details about The Zeta Project, the Batman Beyond spin-off which doesn't have a premiere date yet.

Here's how the network describes the series:

"The Zeta Project chronicles the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot, and Ro, his 15-year-old street-wise companion - who are fugitives on the run from a government that doesn't understand them. Zeta was originally designed as a high-tech weapon for the government, but after deciding to deny his 'destruction' program, he is now searching for his creator while trying to stay a step ahead of Agent Bennet and the other government agents intent on his capture. Ro is a savvy runaway from a state-supervised girls' home searching for her long-lost family. With his awesome gadgetry and moral conviction, coupled with her street smarts and humor, Zeta and Ro are on the road and on the run in 2040, helping each other and those they meet along the way. The series will follow these unlikely allies on an adventure and heartfelt escapade."

Creative personnel on the show include executive producer Jean MacCurdy, supervising producer Alan Burnett, producers Robert Goodman and Liz Holman, associate producer Kathy Page, story editors Rich Fogel and Kevin Hopps, writer Hilary J. Bader, directors Bob Doucette, Curt Geda and Tim Malby and voice director Andrea Romano.

Following are character descriptions:

ZETA/ZEE

His full name is Infiltration Unit Zeta and he's a synthoid that was built by the government to destroy. Zeta had a high-endurance metal frame that was built to carry an array of weapons and tools, which have since been discarded. Zeta can project a hologram around himself and alter his voice, allowing him to become anyone - enabling him to infiltrate enemy ranks. But something happened that the government never expected ... Zeta learned the value to human life. Ordered to harm a man that he discovered was innocent, Zeta refused, threw away his weapons and ran from his programmed destiny. A fugitive on the run from the government agents who believe that he has been reprogrammed by terrorists and who are determined to recapture him, Zeta begins the search for the scientist who created him, hoping that, as his creator, he will believe that his change of heart is real and convince the agents to drop their pursuit. Programmed to mimic people with uncanny accuracy, Zeta is now on his own and has a lot to learn about being human. A child in a grown-up's body, Zeta is learning about human behavior, and, with Ro's help, he develops his default human guise of Zee, a tall, handsome male in his early 20s who can pose as Ro's older brother or friend - becoming a family of sorts themselves.

RO

A 15-year-old runaway, Ro grew up in foster care and was then assigned to a state-run girls' home - described by her as "not exactly the Waldorf." She ran away from the state system and joined a gang just to have a roof over her head. But when she refused to go through with a hold-up to prove herself to the leader, she burned the last bridge she had. Enter Zeta - he saves her from the angry group of street kids and in gratitude, when the tables turn a moment later, Ro helps Zeta escape from the agents hot on his trail. Ro has a quick wit, street-smart senses and, thanks to a life of fending for herself, she's somewhat of an expert on the less honorable sides of human nature. Her past holds unanswered questions: Who are her parents? Why did they abandon her? What has become of the older brother that she has a vague memory of? As she and Zeta embark on their quest for their creators, she will search to find the answers of her past and future.

AGENT BENNET

Heading the team of agents in search of Zeta is Special Agent James Bennet of the National Security Agency. His orders are to bring Zeta in for reprogramming and put him back to work as the infiltration unit he was built to be. Believing that Zeta has been reprogrammed by a group of dangerous terrorists, he sees Zeta's every move as part of an unfolding terrorist part. Bennet strongly views Zeta as a threat to national security, and by hunting the synthoid down, he is serving his country. Ordered to bring Zeta in "alive," as he's a sophisticated, expensive of equipment, Bennet and his team have to creatively rely on non-lethal tools and techniques - especially as Zeta is being assisted in his run the street-wise Ro, who has the ability to spot the agents and stay one stop ahead of them. With Bennet always out there, scanning police boards, screening satellite pictures, sweeping the net for suspicious stories, Zeta and Ro will always have to avoid attention, hide their identifies and keep moving.

FOOTSOLDIERS, SKY APE TRADE PAPERBACKS

AiT/Planet Lar publisher Larry Young announced on Thursday that his publishing house will be releasing FootSoldiers and Sky Ape trade paperbacks in February.

"February is traditionally a slow month for comics," AiT/Planet Lar co-publisher Mimi Rosenheim said, "so we figured we'd continue redefining what 'tradition' means for AiT/Planet Lar. Instead of slowing down production, or ignoring the month completely, as other publishers do, we opt instead to publish more."

Jim Krueger's FootSoldiers was originally published by Dark Horse and the first story arc is being collected in one volume for the first time. The story features art by Michael Avon Oeming.

Alex Ross is providing a cover to the 152-page book.

"His piece for FootSoldiers is grittier than his usual stuff, more along the lines of his work on Kingdom Come and Batman: War on Crime," Young said.

The collection features an introduction by Jeph Loeb, brand-new appendices for each chapter written by Krueger and extra never-before-seen Oeming art and stories.

Sky Ape was originally published by Slave Labor Graphics.

Said Sky Ape co-writer Tim McCarney: "Kirk Madge isn't just another six-foot gorilla with a taste for Michelob, Armani suits and authentic Texas barbecue--he's Sky Ape, the jetpack-propelled millionaire crimebuster who doles out ass-whuppings like the President hands out free cheese."

Sky Ape is co-written by McCarney, Dark Horse editor Phil Amara, Mike Russo, with art by Richard Jenkins.

FIRST LOOK: STATIC SHOCK: REBIRTH OF THE COOL #1

Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool #1 will ship on Wednesday from DC Comics and Milestone Comics. The issue is written by Dwayne McDuffie, with art and cover by John Paul Leon.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"When 15-year-old comic-book fan Virgil Hawkins was accidentally gifted with incredible electromagnetic powers, he knew he had to become a super-hero. And as the high-flying Static, he did it better than anybody --protecting the city of Dakota with wit and style. But six months ago, something changed and Virgil hung up his Static costume, swearing never to don it again -- but that's a promise he may not be able to keep. Someone is hunting the most powerful beings in the world. The Blood Syndicate has been utterly defeated, Hardware is crippled, Icon a hundred light-years away. Like it or not, Static may be the only hero standing between the Milestone Universe and total destruction."

The issue also features an interview with Phil LaMarr, the voice of Static in the Kids' WB! animated series, by Rob Allstetter.

Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

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FIRST LOOK: BATMAN: TURNING POINTS #1

Batman: Turning Points #1 will ship on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Greg Rucka, with art by Steve Lieber and a cover by Javier Pulido.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Set just after the events of Batman: Year One, Captain James Gordon endures a traumatic loss in his life which will forever alter his future. No stranger to loss himself, Batman, still fairly new to the crime-fighting scene, endeavors to stop a hostage-taking madman at a wedding. But to do so, he's going to need to earn Gordon's trust, and vice versa."

Batman: Turning Points #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

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FIRST LOOK: SUPERMAN #164

Superman #164 will ship on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue was written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Ed McGuinness, Carlo Barberi, Cam Smith and Juan Vlasco and a cover by McGuinness.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"On the eve of the 2000 Presidential race, Bizarro #1 am back. Will the new Supergirl be able to save Jimmy Olsen from becoming the monster's 'worst enemy?' Meanwhile, Superman must deal with Luthor's prominence in the Presidential polls, while an even greater threat awaits in the shadows."

Superman #164 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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BRIEFLY

The next two figures in Toy Biz's Famous Covers series, Carnage and the Red Skull, will be Previews Exclusives in December.

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