Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2000

SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED RETURNS TO FOX KIDS

After more than a year's absence, Spider-Man Unlimited is returning to Fox Kids on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Spider-Man Unlimited will air Saturdays at 11 a.m. (ET), with plans for all 13 episodes to air in order beginning with the series premiere, "Worlds Apart, Part 1."

"Fox Kids is pleased to announce the return of everyone's favorite web-slinging superhero with all 13 action-packed episodes of Spider-Man Unlimited," said Brian Casentini, vice-president, current programming, Fox Family Channel and Fox Kids Network.

Here's how Fox Kids describes the series' set-up:

"Spider-Man Unlimited follows the adventures of reporter Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, as he covers the launch of Solaris I, a one-man exploratory spaceship. Solaris I's mission is to investigate a newly discovered Counter-Earth. Trouble ensues when Peter's Spider-Sense warns him that two others, Venom and Carnage, are on board Solaris I and plan to hijack the spaceship for their own vile purposes. Spider-Man is unable to stay onboard when Solaris I takes off, creating a very tangled and dangerous situation. Luckily, Spider-Man weaves a new plan and sneaks on board Solaris II in an effort to save the day."

The series premiered on Fox Kids on Oct. 2, 1999, but only three of the 13 episodes were shown. Rino Romano stars as the voice of Spider-Man and also does the voice of the Goblin.

Here's a complete rundown on all 13 episodes:

WORLDS APART, PART 1

When he sees Venom and Carnage stow away on John Jameson's space shuttle to Counter-Earth, Peter Parker designs a Nano-Tech costume with new features and hijacks a shuttle to go after them. Landing on Counter-Earth, an Earth-like world ruled by the High Evolutionary, he's captured by the Knights of Wundagore, who prepare to take genetic samples of him.

WORLDS APART, PART 2

Spider-Man escapes from the Knights with the help of the Human Revolutionaries, freedom fighters led by John Jameson. He learns that Counter-Earth is ruled by Beastials, human-animal hybrids created by the High Evolutionary, who use Machine Men to enforce their laws. When Carnage and Venom, pursuing their own mysterious agenda, attack the revolutionaries' HQ, Spidey helps drive them off. Jameson invites Spidey to join his cause, but Spidey only wants to convince him to return to Earth.

WHERE EVIL NESTS

Settling in on Counter-Earth, Peter gets to know his new landlady, Naoko Yamada-Jones, and her son, Shayne. When Shayne is captured by the Bio-Mass, an amoeba-like creature under the control of Venom and Carnage, Spidey and a mysterious vigilante called the Goblin must rescue him. Afterwards, Peter gets a job as a news photographer at the Daily Byte.

DEADLY CHOICES

Git Hoskins, a Human Revolutionary who has unusual powers due to being experimented on by the High Evolutionary, steals a canister of deadly mutagen from Sir Ram's laboratory. Spidey and the Knights must reluctantly join forces to find Git, because the canister has a failsafe that will detonate a nuclear charge to prevent the mutagen from infecting Counter-Earth.

STEEL COLD HEART

Spidey and Shayne befriend X-51, a Machine Man who has become sentient and no longer wants to serve the High Evolutionary. X-51 is hunted by the Knights of Wundagore and the Human Revolutionaries, who want to exchange him for one of their own held prisoners. Spidey learns that the exchange is a double-cross and prevents it, and X-51 joins the revolutionary forces.

ENTER THE HUNTER!

Sir Ram hires the Hunter, a human mercenary, to hunt down Spider-Man. As bait, the Hunter kidnaps Karen O'Malley, and during the course of this he learns Spidey's secret identity. Spider-Man must face the Hunter in his high-tech lair, rescue Karen, and somehow convince him that he's not really Peter Parker.

CRY VULTURE

A friend of Naoko's is kidnapped, and Spider-Man sets out to save him. When Spidey learns that the victim is going to be used as a human lab rat, getting to him becomes a race against time-which is complicated by the appearance of two new Beastial foes, Firedrake and Counter-Earth's very own version of the Vulture!

ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT

The rebels want to put a lethal power plant out of business, and Spider-Man agrees to help. Little does he know that not only will he have to face off against Counter-Earth's Beastial Electro, but also against John Jameson's alter ego, Manwolf, as well!

SUSTENANCE

Aided by the Goblin, Spider-Man searches for the spaceship that can take him back to Earth. Together, they find the ship and a horrifying secret-the dark fate of the High Evolutionary's genetic failures, the Rejects.

FAMILY MATTERS

The deepest consequences of the Beastials' subjugation of the human race are faced by Bromley, one of the most dedicated Counter-Earth rebels, when, in an attempt to free his brother from the High Evolutionary, he agrees to betray Spider-Man.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

Spider-Man faces one of the gravest challenges of his life when he discovers that Eddie Brock and his Symbiote have been separated. Instead of celebrating the end of Venom, Spidey must face off against Carnage and re-create his toughest foe...or Brock will die.

THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS

When Karen O'Malley is captured by the High Evolutionary, Spider-Man and the rebels come to her rescue, storming Wundagore Castle and going head to head with the Knights of Wundagore. But all is not as it seems, because the High Evolutionary's interest in Karen is more than an attempt to defeat the rebels' cause -- it's personal.

DESTINY UNLEASHED, PART 1

The High Evolutionary's patience is at an end. He wants Spider-Man and the rebels and he wants them now, so he institutes a reign of terror designed to make them give themselves up. But the sacrifice made by Spidey and the others proves even more dangerous than anticipated when Venom and Carnage strike-and the destruction of Counter-Earth seems assured.

X-MEN SEQUEL UPDATE

The chances of Bryan Singer returning to direct the X-Men sequel are "looking good," a Marvel representative told The Continuum.

Singer was quoted by Entertainment Weekly as saying "everyone seems to be on the same page" in his discussions with Fox concerning the budget for the sequel. Singer and Tom DeSanto - X-Men's executive producer and Singer's creative partner who developed X-Men's story with him - are reportedly working on a treatment.

Singer has said all along that X-Men would make an excellent movie franchise.

"There's definitely the potential for that in the structure and in the establishment of characters in the universe," Singer told The Continuum.

There originally were plans for other characters to appear in X-Men - one of the Easter Eggs in the X-Men DVD released today shows designs for Beast and Blob - and Singer is a fan of many of the X-characters.

"Gambit and Beast are two characters I miss terribly," Singer said. "Beast was in the script for a while, but then when you've got Mystique with nine hours of makeup and these challenges, you have to choose your battles.

"But there are many characters we'd like to have, from Nightcrawler to Proteus to Gambit. Some interesting characters. Some which might translate well to film, and some which might not as easily and some that won't translate until technology advances another 20 years."

DeSanto said he has envisioned an X-Men trilogy.

"When I started to structure the story in my head, by some natural accident, the other two just fit into place," DeSanto said. "I have two other ideas in my head which we plant the seeds for in this (first) film. If, God willing, Fox will have us back and the fans respond well."

DeSanto said there's an important aspect tied to Singer's return.

"It has to be a good story," DeSanto said. "That's the one thing for Bryan, it has to be a good story."

All of the major cast members of X-Men are signed for the sequel, which, under the right circumstances, could conceivably begin production next year.

BATTLE CHASERS GOES TO IMAGE

Image Comics and Joe Madureira on Monday announced that Battle Chasers will be moving from WildStorm's Cliffhanger imprint to Image next year.

Battle Chasers will continue its current numbering, beginning its Image Central run with Battle Chasers #9, which is scheduled to ship in April.

"I feel like this is a new beginning for Battle Chasers," Madureira said. "My time with Cliffhanger and WildStorm has proven an invaluable experience for me as an artist, and moreso as a creator. I've worked with some great people, and made many long-lasting friendships. Now I feel it's time to put all the lessons I've learned to the test, and there's no place on Earth that let's you do that better than Image Comics. Period! The amount of encouragement and support I've already received from Image has been overwhelming.

"I feel like the series is growing into something larger than even I anticipated, and I know in my heart that Image is the only place creator-driven enough, flexible enough, to allow me to make Battle Chasers all it was meant to be. Namely, the most blisteringly kick-ass comic on the market."

Said Image publisher Jim Valentino: "We are very excited to be making this announcement. Battle Chasers is one of the best, most imitated books on the market. We are confident in Joe's recommitment to his book and to this industry and believe this title adds more prestige and more momentum to the new Image."

Anthony Bozzi, Image's director of marketing, said: "I'm just beaming. Joe Mad brings a wonderfully positive and contagious creative energy to every company he works at. Joe and 'Chasers offers inspiration to our other great Image talents and titles."

CROSSGEN COMICS FOR MARCH

Following are CrossGen Comics' solicitations from March, with information coming from the company.

THE FIRST #5

Written by Barbara Kesel, penciled by Bart Sears, inked by Andy Smith, colored by Mike Atiyeh.

For centuries, the First have thought that their original leader, Altwaal, perished during the creation of the Eidolon rift. Now things are happening that may tie his disappearance into the Eidolon to murder...

32 pages, $2.95, arrives in stores on March 7.

MYSTIC #10

Written by Ron Marz, penciled by Brandon Peterson, inked by John Dell, colored by Andrew Crossley.

The Guild Masters have unleashed the most dire force to have ever threatened the magical world of Ciress. But they could well have gone too far with this final attempt to destroy Giselle. Who is this demon queen, and what secrets does she hold? And most importantly, can she be controlled? Meanwhile, one of the Masters has broken with his fellows and attempts to warn Giselle of the doom descending upon her.

32 pages, $2.95, arrives in stores on March 7.

SIGIL #10

Written by Barbara Kesel, penciled by Scot Eaton, inked by Andrew Hennessy, colored by Wil Quintana.

A war is brewing. Zanni contacts the Planetary Union with information that changes the way they view Sultan Ronolo and the Saurians. When this information gets leaked to the Saurians, it may mean the end of Zanni's world. Meanwhile, Sam and JeMerik have come to a misunderstanding...

32 pages, $2.95, arrives in stores on March 14.

SCION #10

Written by Ron Marz, penciled by Jim Cheung, inked by Don Hillsman, colored by Caesar Rodriguez.

Ethan receives a less-than-hospitable welcome at the Underground's hidden sanctuary as he falls under suspicion for his royal heritage. Ethan's stay is short-lived, and he continues his journey northward, toward an encounter beyond his wildest imagining. The young prince is confronted by the spirit of his dead brother Artor, who imparts to Ethan secrets concerning not only his destiny, but the very nature of the sigil he bears.

32 pages, $2.95, arrives in stores on March 21.

MERIDIAN #10

Written by Barbara Kesel, penciled by Steve McNiven, onked by Jordi Ensign, colored by Morry Hollowell.

The people of Meridian build ships made from the buoyant wood of the surface forests, but Sephie's never seen the forest for those trees... The cowboy loggers who wrestle the wild wood have never seen anything like Sephie, either. She's out to build an army to take on Ilahn, and she may have just won over her first recruits...

32 pages, $2.95, arrives in stores on March 28.

SCION POSTER #1

Art by Jim Cheung, Don Hillsman II and Caesar Rodriguez.

The heart-wrenching two-page spread featuring Ethan cradling his dying brother after the battle that was featured in Scion #6 is now a full-color poster.

36 inches by 24 inches, $6.95.

MERIDIAN POSTER #1

Art by Joshua Middleton, Dexter Vines and Michael Atiyeh.

This image of Sephie, the Minister of Meridian, from page 1 of Meridian #3 is now available as a full-color poster.

36 inches by 24 inches, $6.95.

THE FIRST POSTER #1

Art by Bart Sears, Andy Smith and Michael Atiyeh.

The very first look at the world of the First, this full-color poster features the Wizard advertisement that gave everyone their initial view of what Bart Sears, Andy Smith and Michael Atiyeh had planned for the title.

36 inches by 24 inches, $6.95.

SPIDER-MAN VIDEO GAME UPDATE

Activision's Spider-Man game for the Nintendo 64 will arrive in stores this week.

Here's how Activision describes the game:

"Based on one of the most recognized super-heroes of all time, Spider-Man challenges players to employ all of their Spidey skills including web-slinging, wall-crawling and agility as they gather information and battle against seven notorious bosses. Gamers must utilize Spider-Man's super strength and superior wit to protect the innocent as they solve a variety of puzzles and defeat old and new super villains."

"This is the first video game that lets N64 players live the fantasy of being Spider-Man as they wall-crawl and web-sling anywhere in a free-roaming 3D New York City," said Dave Stohl, executive producer, Activision Studios. "The game's unique action system allows players to experience ultra fluid movements as they fight villains and infiltrate laboratories attempting to uncover a sinister plot that threatens to overtake Manhattan."

Developed by Edge of Reality, Spider-Man for the Nintendo 64 features an original storyline that gamers can experience through 34 levels. From hair-raising police chases and all-out brawls with lizard men to stealth missions, gamers battle through familiar Spider-Man comic book locales including the Daily Bugle, Times Square and a New York bank. Players will utilize all of the classic Spider-Man web defenses from trapping and yanking to impact webbing, as well as new weapons including web doming and web spikes to battle enemies. In addition, players can swing from place-to-place, ambush enemies from above or below, crawl on buildings, ceilings, or walls, and use Spider-Sense to detect danger from afar.

The game has been rated "E" ("Everyone" -- content suitable for persons ages six and older -- with Animated Violence) by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99.

FIRST LOOK: DARKDEVIL #3

Darkdevil #3 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Tom DeFalco, with art by Ron Frenz and Al Milgrom and a cover by Frenz.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"It's the most unexpected team-up of all as Darkdevil is forced to join forces with Kaine against the Kingpin and the Brotherhood of Scriers, Plus: the final revelations about Darkdevil's mysterious origin."

Darkdevil #3 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.99.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: X-MAN #71

X-Man #71 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Steven Grant, with art and cover by Ariel Olivetti.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue, which is part one of the four-part "Fearful Symmetries" story arc:

"For the last eight issues, Nate Grey, the mutant shaman of the 21st Century, has walked across worlds on a quest for justice. Now another is traversing the boundaries between realities -- and leaving a wake of destruction in his wake. The mysterious and powerful Qabiri (first seen in X-Man #67) is determined to 'cleanse' the 'lower' realities -- by riding them of all life. Now Nate sets out to end his mad mission, but what will happen when he faces an entity whose power rivals his own?"

X-Man #71 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: OUTLAW NATION #3

Outlaw Nation #3 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Jamie Delano, with art and by Goran Sudzuka and painted cover by Glenn Fabry.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

Heading north from Miami, trying to sort fact from fiction in his amnesiac mind, Story Johnson meets up with "Devil Kid," on the run from the law for scaring his school's faculty with a hard-boiled creative-writing assignment. Meanwhile, in Arizona, Ruth is saved from fatal trouble with militiamen by the legendary Sheriff John Law, and Sonny has a psychotic episode while looking for "The Place" in a Colorado ghost town.

Outlaw Nation #3 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY