Friday, July 6, 2001

GEORGE PEREZ TALKS JLA/AVENGERS

George Perez told The Continuum that he's making progress on the first issue of the four-issue JLA/Avengers crossover and that he has plans for a cover featuring "hundreds of characters."

"Seven pages of the book have been pencilled and inked, with pages 8 and 9 -- a double-page spread -- pencilled," Perez told The Continuum. "I'm doing full-pencils on this book as if another artist were inking it so that it makes my inking job a little easier.

"Since I am finishing my final issue of CrossGen Chronicles, my progress has been a little slow, but JLA/Avengers will be my sole workload for the whole following year, so things should really get cooking."

The book is being written by Perez's Avengers collaborator, Kurt Busiek. While Perez can't give away plot details, he did provide a hint about what he's drawn.

"No member of either the Avengers or the JLA appear in the first seven pages, although there are about a dozen established characters and locales from both universes that do make appearances, which gives you an idea as to the huge number of characters that will be drawn for this mini-series," he said.

"The double-pager I mentioned features members of one team battling a villain from the other team's universe."

Perez said he is hoping to have one of the series' covers finished in time to show at either Comic-Con International in San Diego or Wizard World in Chicago. He said the cover should feature "literally hundreds of characters."

"But, considering the amount of traveling I seem to be doing this summer, I can't make guarantees and I know that no one wants me to rush through this," he said.

MARVEL MOVIE/TV UPDATE

Although James Marsden is joining the cast of Fox's Ally McBeal next season, expect him to return as Cyclops for the X-Men sequel.

"Of course Jimmy will be in next Xfilm," Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige said.

In other Marvel TV/movie news:

* The Spider-Man movie trailer is a certainty to appear on the film's official web site, probably next week and possibly before it appears in theaters on Wednesday with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Sony is encouraging members of its ShowBiz Scoop e-mail listing to download Quicktime for "some upcoming very special features."

* Shooting has been completed in Toronto on an episode of the Mutant X television series. The episode won't be the series' premiere, though.

Tribune Entertainment, which is syndicating the series, will have a presence at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, although details have not been finalized as to exactly what that presence will be.

RON GARNEY TALKS UNCANNY X-MEN

Ron Garney, newly named artist of Uncanny X-Men, told The Continuum he hopes to be on the book "til the cows come home."

Garney -- who has had runs on Marvel's Captain America, Silver Surfer and Incredible Hulk in the last several years -- is replacing Ian Churchill on Uncanny X-Men. He told The Continuum his first issue will be either #400 or #401. "Those details aren't cemented yet," he said.

How did X-Men come about?

"I had finished the JLA (Our Worlds at War) project a while back and was waiting to hear approval on a Superman project that Jim Krueger and I were pitching to DC," Garney said. "Unfortunately that sort of fell through, at least for now, and Marvel heard that and I got the call. Timing truly is everything, I suppose."

Garney has experience dealing with X-Men characters, and said he's wanted to do an X-book.

"Well, I had done some work on the books before -- actually (Uncanny X-Men #321) was the first thing I had done with Mark Waid, which led to the Cap gig in the beginning," he said. "But especially after seeing the movie and feeling charged to draw the characters, my enthusiasm is 110 percent."

Garney said he has spoken with Uncanny writer Joe Casey.

"Oh yeah, and we're both more pumped than we originally were before we had talked, I think," Garney said.

Garney said he will try to bring a different approach from his past work for X-Men.

"I try to approach each title with what I think the character(s) need," he said. "It's a less egotistical approach, stylistically speaking. But I know what I'm going to do with them. And I think working on this title will raise the bar for me personally and creatively, in that it'll raise my level up a few notches. I know; it's something I can feel."

Asked who his favorite X-Man is, Garney said Colossus, a character who is now dead. "But Wolverine, and Angel would be two," he said. "All of them really, especially this new female character I'm really looking forward to sinking my fangs into."

TUSK ENTERTAINMENT PRINT

Tusk Entertainment will launch a quarterly art print series based on Tusk properties in September.

The first print to be released in this series will be Kaos Moon: Erdenklang by David Boller.

"Being an artist first, there's nothing I appreciate more than a beautifully illustrated piece of art," said Boller, Kaos Moon creator. "And I can't tell you how many requests I've received over the years to produce a piece of art that is suitable for framing. So, we're going to go ahead and release a series of high quality art prints for the fans to enjoy. Naturally, the first one will be of Kaos Moon, but we might have a few other surprises coming up in the next few months.

"Who knows, if the demand is great enough, maybe we can produce some art prints for other creators as well."

The series will be limited to 888 signed and numbered prints, which will contain a Certificate of Authenticity, measure 11x17 in size, be printed on 80-pound white enamel stock and retail for $19.95.

FIRST LOOK: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #594

Adventures of Superman #594 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Joe Casey, with art by Mike Wieringo and Lary Stucker, Jr. and a cover by Wieringo and Terry Austin.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Lex Luthor has given the order for Doomsday to be released from his prison on the moon. Who's crazy enough to actually do it, and how does this cost Superman an ally? And what happens when Superman finally confronts the true Imperiex?"

Adventures of Superman #594 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: JLA INCARNATIONS #3

JLA Incarnations #3 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by John Ostrander, with art and cover by Val Semeiks and Prentis Rollins.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"The untold tales of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes continue with the story of an early adventure on the JLA's new headquarters - their famous satellite, orbiting the Earth from 22,300 miles up. But when one Leaguer - Green Arrow - feels that living so far away distances the League from the people that most need their help, the others don't agree. And when Lex Luthor and the madman named Kobra enter into a dark alliance to destroy the satellite, the discordant League is hard-pressed to stop them."

JLA Incarnations #3 will be 48 pages and will cost $3.50.

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FIRST LOOK: HUNTER: THE AGE OF MAGIC #1

Hunter: The Age of Magic #1 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Dylan Horrocks, with art by Richard Case and a painted cover by John Bolton.

Here's how DC describes the issue:

"Tim Hunter returns. Older. Wiser. More powerful. But still without all the answers. Hunter begins an all-new ongoing series where Tim's adventures bring him to realms both familiar - Gemworld and Skartaris - and unknown, aided by his owl familiar Yo-Yo."

Hunter: The Age of Magic #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

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FIRST LOOK: THE DOLLZ #2

The Dollz #2 will arrive in stores on July 18 from Image Comics. The issue is written and penciled by Randy Green and inked by Rick Ketcham.

Here's how Image describes the issue:

"Dollz. A deadly mix of beauty and power. For the powerful, pleasure-seeking elite there is no greater symbol of status and wealth than to possess one of the Dollz. Only one man, Doktor Von Dahl can make their fantasies into reality. Upon their greed and lust he has built an empire that spans international borders and shapes global policy. What is his connection to Ms. B and the other Dollz, and what part do they play in his game of world domination? Let the games begin."

The Dollz #2 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

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BRIEFLY