Friday, May 11, 2001

IRON MAN UPDATE

Frank Tieri told The Continuum that his stint as writer of Iron Man will last one issue longer than originally planned.

"I originally was leaving after #48, but Tom (Brevoort, Iron Man editor) has asked me to say on through #49, to do the silent issue," Tieri said. "So I will be staying on through #49. Tom asked, so what the hell, I did it."

Iron Man #43 will continue the "Big Bang Theory" as Iron Man struggles with a bomb in his armor.

"The whole issue will occur in the span of 15 minutes. We figure out that it pretty much takes 15 minutes to read a comic book, so the book's pretty much in real time," Tieri said. "Basically, he has 15 minutes to get rid of that bomb that's in his armor. It's not going to be an easy 15 minutes. There's a lot of action involved, with a lot of obstacles involved to get that thing out of him. It's kind of like a Speed-type scenario."

Iron Man #44 will conclude that arc and introduce Iron Man's new armor. Following that will be a story arc that Tieri said will provide "a definitive answer" on why the Iron Man armor became sentient.

"Believe me, we're going to surprise a lot of people with this one," he said.

Iron Man #49 will see the return of a classic Iron Man villain for the silent issue. Tieri is also writing the Iron Man annual, which will follow up on the Ty Stone story arc.

BATMAN BEYOND'S FUTURE?

Batman Beyond's future - both in animation and live-action - remains viable yet uncertain.

One episode of the animated series, "Unmasked," has yet to air on Kids' WB!, and the network has yet to schedule the episode. Beginning next Monday, the series will go from two episodes to one starting in the 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday time period.

Although Batman Beyond will return to Kids' WB! next season, no new episodes have been ordered beyond 52, and many members of the Batman Beyond crew are currently working on Cartoon Network's Justice League.

Shaun McLaughlin, an associate producer at Warner Bros. Animation, told The Continuum that it looks like the 52nd episode of Batman Beyond might be the last, but isn't shutting the door on the show.

"They haven't ordered any. They haven't given any word right now, but it's never say never," he said. "Everybody here thought we were done with Batman and we wound up doing more of them. They haven't said the show is cancelled or anything like that."

A live-action Batman Beyond movie is also in the early stages, with animated series producers Paul Dini and Alan Burnett working with director Boaz Yakin on a script. Checking in with Dini on Thursday for an update on the film's status, he said that "there is nothing new to report."

TICK, BALL AND CHAIN, SMALLVILLE TV SHOWS

Three new comic book-based television series for the 2001-2002 network television season - or perhaps sooner -- are expected to be announced next week.

Two of them - The Tick and Ball and Chain - could be part of the Fox lineup that will be announced on Thursday. Smallville, which features a teenage Clark Kent, will likely be announced as part of WB's lineup on Tuesday.

The Tick, based on Ben Edlund's comic book and animated series, was originally scheduled to air this spring, and Fox even had aired promotional spots. However, the network held on to the show for this fall as a safeguard against potential strikes. It's possible with the writers' situation resolved that Fox will air the show this summer.

The cast of The Tick includes Patrick Warburton in the title role, David Burke as Arthur, Nestor Carbonell as Batmanuel and Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty.

Ball and Chain, based on Scott Lobdell's comics mini-series that was published by WildStorm Productions, will also be a live-action series. Dan Cortese and Sasha Alexander are in the lead roles.

Here's how the show's pilot - which was shot in Los Angeles -- was 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."

Ball and Chain will be a co-production of 20th Century Fox Television and Regency Television. The pilot was 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.

Smallville is expected to be part of WB's lineup, perhaps replacing Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Tuesday nights. The pilot was shot in Vancouver this spring and has received strong feedback.

The cast of Smallville includes Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, Kristin Kreuk and Lana Lang, Sam Jones at Pete Ross, John Schneider as Jonathan Kent, Cynthia Ettinger as Martha Kent and Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan.

David Nutter directed the pilot from a script by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, who are also executive producing with Brian Robbins and Michael Tollin.

A spinoff of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Witchright Hall, is also a possible WB show.

BRANDON MCKINNEY TALKS STATIC SHOCK, ELFQUEST

Brandon McKinney, who is drawing an Elfquest graphic novel, is also working on his second season as a storyboard artist for Kids' WB!'s Static Shock.

"They're doing 13 more episodes and I'm involved in four of them," McKinney said. "I'm working on the third of four right now. They're bringing a lot of characters back and developing their stories even more. They've also added new elements to some of the favorite characters.

"It's an exciting show, and it's doing pretty well. The executives seem pretty happy about it."

McKinney, who contributed to "Tantrum," this season's finale of Static Shock airing Saturday, also worked on eight episodes of Batman Beyond for Warner Bros. Animation.

"I worked with (director) Butch Lukic and I learned a lot," McKinney said. "It was my first real animation job."

McKinney, whose comics credits include Image's Journeyman and Godzilla for Dark Horse, is drawing an entirely new graphic novel, Wildhunt, for Warp Graphics. It is written by Wendy Pini and Joellyn Auklandus.

"It's about 160 pages and it's a lot of work," McKinney said. "I'm about half way through it. Hopefully, it will be out the very beginning of next year."

FIRST LOOK: X-MEN: EVOLUTION SEASON FINALE

"The Cauldron, Part 2," the first-season finale of X-Men: Evolution, will air Saturday on Kids' WB!.

The episode is written by Greg Johnson and directed by Steve Gordon.

Here's how the network describes "The Cauldron" two-parter:

"Mega-mutant Magneto sets into motion his plan to gather the strongest mutants to take over the world. A trial of fire begins which pits mutant against mutant, X-Men against X-Men, and brother against brother. When X-Men Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, discovers that his long-lost younger brother Alex is alive - and a mutant - he rushes to find him. However, Magneto steals Alex away before Scott and Professor X can recruit him. In a battle that tests the X-Men team's wits and strengths against Magneto and his villainous mutants, will the X-Men unite together or be lured by Magneto's vision for the future?"

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: ORION #14

Orion #14 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Walter Simonson, with art by John Byrne, Simonson and Terry Austin and a cover by Simonson.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Concluding the 2-part story guest-illustrated by John Byrne and Terry Austin, guest-starring the JLA and Captain Marvel. Orion travels to Earth while the New Gods are hot on his heels...to see Orion dead. Meanwhile, the armed troops of New Genesis thunder through the Himalayas to confront the most powerful man in the universe -- the man with the anti-life equation. Plus, a backup written and illustrated by Simonson."

Orion #14 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: TOM STRONG #13

Tom Strong #13 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from America's Best Comics and DC Comics. The issue is written by Alan Moore, with art by Chris Sprouse, Kyle Baker, Russ Heath, Peter Poplaski and Al Gordon and a cover by Sprouse and Gordon.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Tom Strong and family star in a riveting new adventure told in four parts. Joining the Strongs is none other than that Heroic Hare, Warren Strong."

Tom Strong #13 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY