Thursday, June 21, 2001

WITCHBLADE TV UPDATE

TNT has called Witchblade a "mini-series," but actors in the show told The Continuum they are optimistic it will go beyond the 11-episode order.

"That's up to the viewers. Hopefully, our numbers will be that good," Yancy Butler, who stars as Sara Pezzini, told The Continuum. "I hope it will be picked up. I plan on it."

Ratings for Witchblade, buoyed by a rebroadcast of the pilot movie on The WB, have been good so far.

"Let's be practical. If it gets the ratings, they're not going to end it," Anthony Cistaro, who plays Kenneth Irons, told The Continuum. "The reason they're calling it a mini-series is they want everybody to know that there is a definite beginning, middle and end. You're watching an 11-hour movie. You've got that two-hour pilot and 11 hours of new material, 13 hours all together. It stands from beginning to middle to end.

"My guess, though, is that the writers are always so expansive that by the time the last episode is done is that there will still be more questions. There are a few open strings I see now, and I don't know how they're going to wrap them up. There's plenty of places for this to go.

"If this show gets even a reasonable amount of numbers that the pilot got, it's definitely coming back, in my opinion."

David Chokachi, who plays Jake, agreed with Cistaro about the show's potential.

"I think once people see this - I don't want to jinx it - but I think people are going to be jacked up on this show," Chokachi told The Continuum. "I think all the elements that we have in place right now are pretty much the top end -- the crew, actors, writers, directors. I would think they will be willing to give us another 11 to see what happens with it. There's just nothing like it on television."

Look for interviews with Cistaro, Chokachi and Will Yun Lee in upcoming Top Cow comic books.

DC PROVIDES FREE OVERSHIP OF 100 BULLETS #26

DC Comics has announced a free 50 percent overship on 100 Bullets #26, which is scheduled to arrive in stores on July 4.

The issue, written by Brian Azzarello, is designed as a jumping-on point for readers.

100 Bullets #26 begins with a framing sequence drawn by regular series artist Eduardo Risso and featuring the ex-patriot/conspiracy nut Mr. Branch (from issues #12-14) as he relates to a Parisian prostitute what he's learned about The Trust and The Minutemen. Each main character in the series then is showcased with pinup-style pages combining text with the art of Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Dave Gibbons, J.G. Jones, Paul Pope and Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, Joe Jusko, Jordi Benet and Mark Chiarello.

The issue features a cover by Dave Johnson.

"This is a great deal for retailers," said Vince Letterio, DC's manager -- Direct Sales. "The series continues to grow in sales every month, and the collected editions are among our best sellers from the backlist. With all those hot guest artists, issue #26 makes an excellent jumping-on point for new readers."

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

This Saturday's episode of X-Men: Evolution on Kids' WB! is a rebroadcast of the "Mutant Crush," featuring Jean Grey and the Blob.

X-Men: Evolution director/designer Steve Gordon told The Continuum that the show's creators wanted Jean to be attractive but not too sexy.

"We knew what type of school character we wanted her to be," Gordon said. "We wanted her to be the popular girl at school. But we didn't want to over-sexualize her but putting her in skimpy clothes all the time, so we played with the floppy pants, the cargo pants and the short belly shirt."

Gordon said the goal was to make the X-Men's civilian clothes contemporary yet somewhat timeless.

"They're all styles that aren't going to disappear in six months," Gordon said. "We wanted to make sure they're all going to be here for some time."

Gordon said Jean's costume is loosely based on the original X-Men look.

"If you were to make that big triangular shape yellow, it would be very similar to some of the earlier costuming," Gordon said. "We wanted to go for a nice sleek, lean look on her."

The first season of X-Men: Evolution only provided the slightest hints of a romance between Jean and Scott Summers. "We intimate some things, but don't go beyond that," producer Boyd Kirkland said.

Look for more on X-Men: Evolution soon here in The Continuum.

ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE COLLECTION ERROR

Writer-publisher Larry Young announced on Thursday that there was an inadvertent binding error on the second edition of Astronauts in Trouble: Live from the Moon.

"The dust hasn't settled yet, but I thought I'd tip off the folks who watch for this sort of thing," Young said. "Sporting redesigned pages on the frankly glowing Warren Ellis introduction, never-before-seen Matt Smith art from the astronaut archives, and the color covers of the original monthly issues, it seems our second edition was accidentally bound with the old Darick Robertson cover, and not with the newly designed Brian Wood cover we had produced for this edition, right."

Shipped this week to the Diamond warehouse, the "transitional version," as dubbed by Young, with updated interiors but with the first-edition cover, leaked out into release, left.

"It's hard to determine," said AiT/Planet Lar business manager Mimi Rosenheim, "but it looks as though somewhere between 100 and 250 of these books went out before we could catch the error. I suppose we'll find out eventually how many there were when they all start showing up on eBay."

The transitional version features the first-edition cover, but has second-edition information on the indicia, as well as all the updated improvements. Corrected, final versions are expected to be available in time for the Comic-Con International in San Diego from July 18-22.

FIRST LOOK: JSA #25

JSA #25 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns, with art by Stephen Sadowski and Michael Bair and a painted cover by Andrew Robinson.

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is the conclusion of "The Return of Hawkman" story arc:

"The JSA has been scattered across Thanagar, leaving Hawkman and Hawkgirl to pick up the pieces. Only by reuniting the team, and their spirits, can the Hawks put a stop to the horror that is Synn. Plus, startling revelations about Jay Garrick's past and the Hawks' future."

JSA #25 will be 48 pages and will cost $3.75.

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FIRST LOOK: GREEN ARROW #5

Green Arrow #5 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Kevin Smith, with art by Phil Hester and Ande Parks and a painted cover by Matt Wagner.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"'Quiver' continues, guest-starring Batman. The Dark Knight is determined to get to the bottom of Ollie's 'resurrection.' But physical tests can only teach him so much, so Batman ultimately must resort to the metaphysical: the realm of Etrigan, the Demon."

Green Arrow #5 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

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FIRST LOOK: FATHOM: KILLIAN'S TIDE #2

Fathom: Killian's Tide #2 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Top Cow Productions and Image Comics. The issue is written by Bill McNeil, with art by Talent Caldwell.

Here's how Image describes the issue:

"Within the Dissident Six (which is rapidly becoming Sixty), Sear's leadership is unquestioned -- or is it? As political tensions rise among the People, the Six learn they have friends in high places while pressure within the group threatens to pull them apart. Who will lead? Who will obey? And who will drop out?"

Fathom: Killian's Tide #2 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

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FIRST LOOK: ACTION COMICS #780

Action Comics #780 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Joe Kelly, with art and cover by Kano and Marlo Alquiza.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"A man who has tried to kill Superman in the past is now out to start a World War as his band of marauders (Ignition, Kancer and Faora) begin to level Berlin. The Man of Steel confronts his new foe in a destructive fight that can only end with even more death."

Action Comics #780 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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