Tuesday, June 26, 2001

TOM LYLE COMPLETES MOVIE, QUITS COMICS

Former Spider-Man artist Tom Lyle told The Continuum that he has completed his movie, Dougie's Room, and will be sending it off to Sundance and other film festivals with July submission deadlines.

"It's a psychological thriller," Lyle said. "Short film. Got it down to 33 minutes with credits after a first cut of 43 minutes without credits. Not bad, eh? I'm really proud of it."

Lyle said that he has pretty much retired from comics.

"Unless I get offered something great," he said. "And even then, I'd have to think about it.

"I was ready to call it quits anyway and (Joe) Quesada seems to be telling me via his Darwinism comments that it is time even if I didn't want to quit.

"I'm much happier working on film anyway."

Lyle was referring to comments Quesada, Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief, made during the most recent Marvel press conference when he was asked why Marvel is staging summer talent searches when experienced artists are out of work.

"I know that there will come a day for me, and for every creator where people lose interest in your work," Quesada said. "You lose your voice, whatever that may be. It happens to everybody. It will happen to me, it will happen to the best of us. Essentially, it's Darwinism. It happens, and you just have to move on. If the comic-book industry has passed you by, it's passed you by. We need to rely on new, young voices."

Lyle said his three-part Spider-Man/Sub-Mariner story from his days under contract with Marvel will not be published. The 1999 story was never solicited.

"I got confirmation that they are not going to print my Spidey/Namor story ever, so I asked them for the art back and they have returned it to me," Lyle said. "I'm going to try and sell all three issues as a lot -- with (inker) Robert Jones tossing in his one-third cut of the pages, too. Sixty-six pages and one cover with Xeroxes of all of the pencil pages as well."

SPIDER-MAN VIDEO-GAME VOICES

Stan Lee is reprising his role as story narrator in Activision's Spider-Man 2 Enter: Electro, the sequel to last year's Spider-Man video game.

The new title will be available this summer for the PlayStation game console.

Rino Romano, who did the voice of Spider-Man in Fox Kids' Spider-Man Unlimited, is providing Spidey's voice for the game. Rounding out the cast of Spider-Man's friends and foes are Dee Bradley Baker (Electro, Hammerhead and Lizard), Daran Norris (Shocker and Sandman) and Katherine Fiore (Dr. Watts).

Here's how Activision describes the game:

"In Spider-Man 2 Enter: Electro players take on the role of Marvel's legendary super hero, swinging and webbing their way across New York in a whole new episode of evil. The mission? To thwart the plans of the powerful Electro and stop his doomsday device before it's fully created. All-new web attacks, costumes and fighting combos make Spider-Man more versatile than ever. All-new villains and a Parker's Portfolio of battle snapshots make the world of Spider-Man come alive on the PlayStation game console."

FIRST LOOK: LEGION WORLDS #3

Legion Worlds #3 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with art by Paul Rivoche and a cover by John Cassaday.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"On 'Braal,' readers follow Dyrk Magz, the former Legionnaire known as Magno (and the only Braalian without magnetic abilities), as he returns home as a member of the Science Police. But when Dyrk stands in the way of a gang that looks to shake up the United Planets, he's in for a horrible shock: he discovers one of the gang members is a former teammate. In the backup story, tour several planets with U.P. Vice-President Winema Wazzo, whose problems not only stem from being unable to find her missing daughter (former Legionnaire Apparition), but from slowly having to accept the facts that the President gradually is laying waste to the entire United Planets."

Legion Worlds #3 will be 48 pages and will cost $3.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: WONDER WOMAN #171

Wonder Woman #171 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Phil Jimenez, with art by Jimenez and Andy Lanning and a cover by Adam Hughes.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"An 'Our Worlds at War' tie-in. Wonder Woman comes face-to-face with an old adversary as the war begins. But a new person now bears the name of this villainess -- someone near and dear to Diana's heart. Meanwhile, in the background lurks the Cheetah."

Wonder Woman #171 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: BATMAN #592

Batman #592 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Ed Brubaker, with art by Scott McDaniel and Karl Story and a cover by McDaniel.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"It's the conclusion to 'Shot Through the Heart,' but who's to blame? A high-flying showdown between Batman, Zeiss and Deadshot brings everything colliding to a violent finale. Before it's through, someone is going down."

Batman #592 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY