Monday, July 9, 2001

SMALLVILLE TV UPDATE

   Warner Bros. Television has released the pilot episode for The WB's Smallville series to The Continuum.

   The show, which features DC Comics' Clark Kent character as a teenager before he becomes Superman, is scheduled to air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (ET) this fall.

   Here's how Warner Bros. describes the pilot, which was directed by David Nutter from a script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar:

   "Clark Kent takes on a whole new dimension in this precursor to the Superman legend. You know how the story ends; now watch the journey begin. The idyllic town of Small, Kansas never seemed the same after the meteor shower than rained down 12 years ago. That was the day Clark Kent arrived on Earth - and the day strange things started happening in Smallville. Now, Clark is a teenager, and his growing pains are amplified by the burden of his emerging superpowers. He longs for Lana Lang, the beautiful girl next door, but the fragment of Kryptonite she wears around her neck complicates his quest for her hear. When the charismatic Lex Luthor arrives in town, he befriends Clark. With no inkling of how their destinies will ultimately collide, Lex becomes the older brother Clark never had."

    Here's a breakdown of the main characters in the pilot:

   Tom Welling as Clark Kent: Clark wants to play football, but his father won't let me because of his growing powers. In the pilot, he learns - at the least begins to learn - his origin. Welling is 6-foot-4.

   Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang: Lana's parents were killed as a result of the Smallville meteor shower, leaving her to live with her aunt. She misses not having her parents, and has a scene at their graves.

    Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor: Clarks saves Lex after Lex's car goes out of control, knocking them both off a bridge and into the water. Lex offers to be Clark's friend. Rosenbaum is also doing the voice of the Flash for Cartoon Network's upcoming Justice League animated series.

   John Schneider as Jonathan Kent: Clark's father, who keeps Clark's origin from him until the pilot episode. Schneider's character is fleshed out in father-and-son talks with Clark thoughout the pilot.

    Cynthia Ettinger as Martha Kent: Longing for a child, Martha gets her wish when Clark arrives on Earth as a 3-year-old. It has been reported that Ettinger will be replaced for the Smallville series, but Warner Bros. has not commented on any possible replacements.

   Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman: Lana Lang's jock boyfriend, he becomes jealous of Clark and chooses Clark for an annual hazing tradition.

   Sam Jones III as Pete Ross: A friend of Clark's, Pete is an African-American in Smallville. He likes to have fun with Clark's foibles. He tries out for the football team to avoid the hazing.

   Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan: Another of Clark's classmates, Chloe is wary of the strange happenings in Smallville, constructing a "Wall of Weird," with clippings since the meteor shower. She's the first to notice the character who serves as the pilot's villain.

   John Glover as Lionel Luthor: The demanding father of Lex, Lionel becomes a business power in Smallville with his pesticide company. Glover appeared in Batman & Robin and did the voice of The Riddler in the Batman animated series.

   Give the images below a click for larger looks.

IMAGE'S LEGEND OF ISIS

   Writer Darren Davis has provided The Continuum with details of The Legend of Isis, which will be part of the recently announced Image Introduces... series from Image Comics.

   "Isis is staying in the lines of what TidalWave Studios brings to Image Comics, modern day mythology," Davis said. "This time we are going after the Egyptian myth as opposed to the Greek Myths. Isis will be part of the superhero group called The Odyssey which will make their first appearance in the 10th Muse #10."

   Davis provided The Continuum with the book's thrust:

   "What if you were a god and you never existed? On the eve of her wedding night, Isis the Egyptian goddess is torn from the ancient world of powerful pharaohs and dark gods. Isis is thrust into a future which worships technology money and power. To her astonishment she has been erased from history. Join Isis as she fights to reclaim her identity, redeem her past and establish a new legacy."

   Davis will be joined on the book by RV Valdez and Jay Lester.

   The Image Introduces series will begin in October. Image has yet to announce in which issue The Legend of Isis will appear.

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ROGER DALTREY ON WITCHBLADE

    Roger Daltrey of The Who guest-stars on this Tuesday's episode of Witchblade on TNT.

   In the episode, "Legion," Daltrey plays a Catholic priest.

   "Roger Daltrey gives a performance that will blow a lot of people away," said Ralph Hemecker, executive producer of the show. "People obviously know him as a rock star, but he's actually an incredibly talented and intense actor.

   "I'd seen a lot of his other acting work and I was really impressed by it. When this role came up it was an easy decision.   We needed somebody with a real intense energy. We needed somebody who was very powerful.   

   Here's how TNT describes the episode:

    "When a respected Catholic priest is brutally murdered by one of his students, Danny Woo appears with the ghost of the dead priest to give Sara direction. The priest reveals that he was murdered to conceal a controversial bargain that suggest the Nazi's and the Vatican were allies during WWII, and that the Witchblade was used to seal the deal."

MOONSTONE COMICS FOR OCTOBER

   Following are Moonstone Comics' solicitations for October, with information provided by the company.

     ROBIN HOOD: ROBIN HOOD AND THE MINSTREL

  Written by Paul Storrie, penciled by Rich Gulick, inked by Steve Bird, colored by Ken Wolak, cover by Joel Naprstek.

    A patrol of Robin's men chance upon a disraught minstrel, Allan-a-Dale, deep within Sherwood Forrest. Back at camp he tells the sad tale of his true love Ellen, whose father has promised her to a man with no kindness in him. Robin quickly hatches a mad plan to reunite the two hearts, but will true love and two-fisted longbow action be enough to prevail against the schemes of a wicked lord and his ally, the infamous Sherrif of Nottingham? Verily!

    48 pages, $5.95.

   VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE:TOREADOR

   Written by Rafael Nieves, art by Vince Locke, colored by Paul Mounts, cover by Ken Meyer Jr.

   Fannie Fang is the darkly exotic hostess of Midnight Theater, a cheaply produced horror movie show. She is also Jane Fordham, a frustrated and disillusioned actress. One night, after receiving another rejection ("The director decided to cast a little younger"), she is approached by a strange man who seeks to seduce her into the role of a lifetime; a role in an Endless Masquerade. Vulnerable, and just a little drunk, she is mesmorized by his tale. What fruit will these two strangers desire's bare, and what veil shall be neatly rent away to expose a true and horrible world that one mortal thought only existed in legend?

   48 pages, $5.95.

   SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CLOWN PRINCE OF LONDON

   Written by Joe Gentile, art by Rich Gulick, cover by Drew Tucker.

   At the point where deductive reasoning ends, Sherlock Holmes' most shocking investigation begins. Urged by a Mr. Lees, a gentleman possessed of second sight, Holmes and Watson dig deep into the case of a comely young woman found burned to death in her bed. What Lestrade mistakes as the open-and-shut misadventure of a sleepy smoker, our heroes perceive correctly as murder. Hidden beneath the facade of genteel Victorian society they discover a criminal so depraved that we may not speak of his horrible desires in this solicitation. Alas, as awful as his sins may be, they may only hint to the full extent of the treachery afoot.

   32 pages, black and white, $2.95.

PLANET OF THE CAPES

   Writer-publisher Larry Young announced Sunday that he has tapped Brandon McKinney as artist for the upcoming 72-page graphic novel Planet of the Capes, to be published this spring by Young's publishing house, AiT/Planet Lar.

   "I was on the phone with X-Men and Superman writer Joe Casey, who was trying, in his good-natured way, to convince me to try my hand at a superhero book," Young said. "About the time I finished saying, 'Joe, man, I don't have anything to say about superheroes,' the whole idea for Planet of the Capes just whooshed into my head."

   Editor Mimi Rosenheim set up McKinney with the project.

     "We've known Brandon for a while, but Larry hadn't been able to come up with the perfect project for him," Rosenheim said. "I think it's because he's used to thinking of Brandon as the guy who did the Chainsaw Bob animated shorts for the Spike and Mike Animation Festival and for the Converse and Foot Locker television spots. I think of him as the artist on the Chronicle Books Star Wars adaptations, so when Larry was trying to think of an artist who might enjoy his take on superheroes, I suggested Brandon right away."

   Said McKinney, who is also providing storyboards for Kids' WB!'s Static Shock, "You can look at Planet of the Capes, on one level, as a 66-page fight scene, sure, but on another level, it's Larry and I commenting on the comic-book industry in general. Each one of the main characters represents one of the familiar superhero archetypes, but they also represent certain factions of the comic book industry, too. It's a layered thing. No matter how you hold it up to the light, it's an enjoyable book."

MAN OF ACTION PRESS RELEASE

   Comics writer Joe Kelly sent the following press release to The Continuum:

   "As a respected member of the media establishment, you have been contacted by a Man of Action operative to participate in a mission of universal import and significance.

   "Man of Action requires the dissemination of carefully engineered 'promotional information' that will ensure a higher standard of living for the general public, continued national security, and generate a curious, but not unpleasant feeling in the reader's nether regions.

   "Upon receipt of our encoded message, you will turn around and release said information in your own natural, professional style. Time is of the essence, as Man of Action will be executing a major covert action under the guise of a 'company launch' at San Diego Comicon, July 19th, 2001.

   "Failure to execute these orders may result in dizziness, high blood pressure, the fall of the stock market, an earthquake in Vietnam, and television satellites to rain down from the sky onto your car and/or dog.

   "You have been warned.

    "Man of Action is on the move.

   "-JC.JK.DR.STS."

    The initials stand for Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle.

FIRST LOOK: NEW X-MEN #115

   New X-Men #115 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Grant Morrison, with art by Frank Quitely and covers by Quitely and Tim Townsend and by Barry Windsor-Smith.

    Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

    "'E is for Extinction' rocks on - with Sentinels in the skies. With racial paranoia at an all-time high, the villain known only as Cassandra unleashes a legion of transfigured Sentinels on the world's mutant population. Their first target? The island nation of Genosha. Caught in the maelstrom are Cyclops and Wolverine - and one of them will have to make a terrible choice."

   New X-Men #115 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: X-TREME X-MEN #3

   X-Treme X-Men #3 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Chris Claremont, art and cover by Salvador Larroca.

   Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

   "In the aftermath of their battle with the mysterious Vargas, one X-Man lies near death, while the surviving teammates hunt their new adversary. But considering the outcome of that first encounter, even if they do find him - what then?"

   X-Treme X-Men #3 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: UNCANNY X-MEN #396

   Uncanny X-Men #396 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Joe Casey, with art by Ian Churchill and Mark Morales and a cover by Churchill.

   Here's how Marvel describes the issue, which is part two of the four-part "Poptopia" story arc:

   "The X-Men's London adventure continues as Chamber, the former Gen-Xer, enjoys the fruits of the celebrity lifestyle - but will they leave a bitter taste? Or will he turn his back on Xavier's dream? Meanwhile, under the city, the Children of the Atom confront the self-styled 'genetic cleanser' known only as Mister Clean."

    Uncanny X-Men #396 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33

   Amazing Spider-Man #33 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by J. Michael Stracyznski, with art by John

Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna and a cover by J. Scott Campbell.

   Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

   "Still reeling from the questions posed by the enigmatic Ezekiel, Peter Parker digs deeper into his roots, searching for a deeper understanding of his powers, and, ultimately, himself. Meanwhile, the morbid Morlun prepares to make his move on Spider-Man."

   Amazing Spider-Man #33 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25. 

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