Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000

ENNIS TO WRITE SPIDER-MAN

Garth Ennis will write the first arc of the new Spider-Man series, it was revealed Wednesday during a Marvel news conference.

John McCrea will pencil the three-issue story arc, and Glenn Fabry will provide covers.

In other news:

Sam Kieth will be drawing a Spider-Man/Daredevil story for Ultimate Marvel: Spider-Man and... series; Terry Moore will be drawing a Spider-Man/Black Widow story; and Humberto Ramos will be the new cover artist on Peter Parker: Spider-Man.

Look for more from the news conference soon here in The Continuum.

BRODY TALKS SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED

Larry Brody, story editor of the Spider-Man Unlimited animated series, told The Continuum he is "very excited" that the show is returning to Fox Kids this Saturday.

Spider-Man Unlimited debuted in October 1999 but was pulled by Fox Kids after just three episodes. The network has announced plans to run all 13 episodes in order beginning this Saturday at 11 a.m. (ET).

"There's nothing less satisfying than working your butt off for six months and having your work never shown to its intended audience," Brody said. "One of the reasons I left primetime to concentrate on animation was that I was a 'pilot writer,' which meant that I wrote and wrote -- for very good money -- but nothing ever got shot. Very frustrating."

Brody joined Spider-Man at Saban Entertainment as story editor midway through the season.

"I've seen all 13 episodes and like the last three or so the best," Brody said. "I didn't come on until episode 7, and it took awhile to get into the rhythm of the show, with its strange premise."

Brody said he was at least co-writer on most of his episodes. He also noted that former Spider-Man comics writer Gerry Conway - perhaps best known for the issue in which Gwen Stacy died - is one of the contributing writers. Conway has enjoyed a successful television career and is currently executive producer of The Huntress.

Spider-Man Unlimited is the second Marvel series Brody has worked on. He was also story editor/writer for the Silver Surfer show, which lasted one season on Fox Kids. Like Silver Surfer - which ended with the universe destroyed, a story that was never resolved - Spider-Man Unlimited's first season ends with a cataclysmic cliffhanger.

With production of the show long since finished and word of a new Spider-Man series at Sony to tie in with the live-action movie, it remains to be seen if Spider-Man Unlimited will return for a second season.

"I don't know if the show will be renewed and everyone saved, but I certainly hope so," Brody said. "We wrote another six episodes for the next season, and I'm eager to do seven more. Saban, are you listening?"

Look for more on Spider-Man Unlimited this week in The Continuum.

WHITEOUT MOVIE UPDATE

Although he couldn't provide specifics, screenwriter Erich Hoeber told The Continuum "some good stuff is definitely happening" with the Whiteout movie.

Hoeber wrote Whiteout - based on the Oni Press comic book by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber - with his brother and writing partner Jon. The movie is set up at Columbia Pictures, with Wolfgang Petersen and Gail Katz producing.

"I wish I had some specific news to throw your way, but there's nothing I feel comfortable saying yet," Hoeber said, adding he hopes to have concrete news in the next two months.

Lieber, the artist of the comics, praised the Hoeber brothers' work.

"The script is really solid," he said. "They made changes for the movie, but they were the right things to do for a movie. As a proud papa, I think it will make a great movie."

Lieber said one of the keys for Whiteout making it to the big screen is to find the right actress to play U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko.

"They want to make it a $60 million movie, and they have to find an actress who can support a $60 million movie," Lieber said. "So they're going to go to the big names."

Lieber said he has talked with associate producer Sam Dickerman and hopes to be involved in the visual elements of the movie, whether it be production sketches or storyboards.

In related news, contrary to previous reports, Erich Hoeber said he and his brother are not currently involved with an Inhumans movie.

"Jon and I have a great relationship with Marvel, and we've done some talking with them about a couple Marvel properties we really like, including the Inhumans, but we haven't made any sort of deal," Hoeber said.

X-MEN MOVIE GENERATES $60 MILLION

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced updated numbers on Tuesday for the home video release of X-Men. The company said that consumers spent approximately $60 million purchasing and renting VHS and DVD copies.

Surpassing the initial revenue estimate of $50 million by 20 percent, the home entertainment debut of X-Men stormed past its opening weekend box-office gross of $54.5 million four months ago.

As of Sunday, consumers purchased a combined 3 million copies of the VHS and DVD since its debut on Nov. 21. There were the nearly 3 million rentals of the VHS and DVD.

Fox's initial DVD shipment required an immediate replenishment of store inventories with more than 39 percent of available copies purchased by consumers on its first day in stores. During the same single-day period, nearly 25 percent of the studio's initial shipments of VHS copies were sold.

UPCOMING X-MEN ANIMATED EPISODES

Fox Kids has provided The Continuum with a rundown on next week's episodes of the X-Men animated series, which will include Master Mold, Mr. Sinister, the Shadow King and Omega Red as villains.

Here's a list:

Monday: "The Final Decision." Recovering from their initial battle with the X-Men, Gyrich and Trask have resumed Project Wideawake by creating the ultimate Sentinel: the Master Mold, a walking factory capable of creating Sentinel robots at an assembly-line pace. The X-Men must join with their oldest nemesis, Magneto, to destroy the Master Mold and prevent the extermination of all mutantkind.

Tuesday: "Til Death Do Us Part, Part I." As Jean and Cyclops attempt to tie the knot, Mr. Sinister lays traps to destroy the X-Men one by one. Sinister's agent of destruction is none other than poor, tormented Morph who has his own bone to pick with the X-Men.

Wednesday: "Til Death Do Us Part, Part II." Mr. Sinister's efforts to destroy the X- Men appear to be working as he and Morph turn the superheroes against each other. Even Professor X and Magneto foolishly fall into a Sinister trap.

Thursday: "Whatever It Takes." The Shadow King lures Storm home to Mt. Kilimanjaro by "possessing" her young spiritual son Mjnari. Meanwhile Wolverine appeals to a schizophrenic Morph to rejoin the X-Team.

Friday: "Red Dawn." Omega Red, the ultimate living weapon, is resuscitated by three corrupt generals who want to reclaim and rule the crumbling old Soviet empire. Colossus, with the help of the X-Men, fights to save his country and its fragile freedom from these forces of tyranny.

VAMPI #4 PAGES UP FOR AUCTION

Harris Comics has teamed up with eBay to auction every page from Kevin Lau's Vampi #4 online.

"As the web's largest online marketplace, eBay.com is the premier place to hold this Vampi event," Harris Comics associate publisher Yoshi Aino said. "We wanted to make this easily accessible to every Vampi fan, no matter where they lived. eBay is so easy to use, every fan with a computer can get in on the action."

Lau embraced the idea.

"In the past, I've rarely sold my comic artwork -- it's just too difficult to reach the fans directly," he said. "With eBay, I can reach thousands of Vampi fans."

The Vampi / eBay sale begins Friday. Kevin Lau's 21 Vampi pages (20 regular pages plus a cover) will be listed individually, with bidding lasting 10 days for each item.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

METABARONS COLLECTED

Humanoids Publishing is collecting the first five issues of Metabarons into a trade paperback in March. The softcover compilation, by writer Alexandro Jodorowsky and artist Juan Gimenez, will be titled: Metabarons: Path of the Warrior.

According to Humanoids Publishing, the decision to print the book is based on accelerating new orders for the comic series as well as the increasing re-orders which has nearly eliminated the company's inventory of back issues. Along with heavy continuing re-orders, orders for first time solicited Metabarons comics increased more than 100 percent between #3 and #10.

"We need to ship this collection as quickly as possible, so that we can meet the increasing demand from retailers and readers," said Dave Olbrich, Humanoids U.S. director of publishing. "The company was very aggressive in its overprinting of the standard-sized comics, but in recent months, re-order activity for every issue of Metabarons has been very brisk. As the sales of new issues went up, re-orders for back issues increased dramatically as well. This trade paperback will fill a definite need."

The book will have a suggested retail price of $14.95.

FIRST LOOK: MYSTIC #7

Mystic #7 will arrive in stores on Dec. 7 from CrossGen Comics. Thie issue is written by Ron Marz, penciled by Steve McNiven, inked by Batt and colored by J.D. Smith.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"As Giselle and Genevieve recover from last issue's magical battle with the Guild Masters, Darrow meets with a group of shadowy figures who intimidate even him. At their urging, he redoubles his efforts to get closer to Giselle and learn the nature of the mysterious sigil imprinted on her palm. But does Darrow's interest mean good or ill for Giselle?"

Mystic #7 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

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FIRST LOOK: BEFORE THE FANTASTIC FOUR: THE STORMS #2

Before The Fantastic Four: The Storms #2 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Terry Kavanagh, with art and cover by Charles Adlard.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"Sue and Johnny Storm are on the run from the minions of St. Germaine, and to make matters worse, someone-or something-far more evil is searching for the amulet that Johnny is stuck with."

The Storms #2 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.99.

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FIRST LOOK: MARVEL: THE LOST GENERATION #2

Marvel: The Lost Generation #2 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue was written by Roger Stern with art by John Byrne and Al Milgrom and a cover by Byrne.

Here's how Marvel describes the penultimate issue of the maxi-series:

"Namora of Atlantis and the mighty Monster Hunters meet the Yankee Clipper and his new team, the First Line, in a fateful face-off with a monstrous menace."

Marvel: The Lost Generation #2 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.99.

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