Thursday, February 14, 2002

MUTANT X UPDATE

The final episode of the first season of Mutant X is being filmed in Toronto this week.

The episode will air the week of May 13, and then there will be reruns until the second-season premiere in the fall. The episode will be called "A Breed Apart," and will guest-star Michael Easton, formerly of Port Charles and Total Recall 2070.

"We do have some surprises in the finale," Seth Howard of Tribune Entertainment told The Continuum.

In other Mutant X news:

* A new episode, "Altered Ego," will air this week. For a synopsis, with photos and spoilers, CLICK HERE.

* Upcoming episodes will include "Lazarus Syndrome" the week of Feb. 18, "Interface" the week of Feb. 25 and a repeat of "Lit Fuse" the week of March 4.

* Marvel's first Mutant X one-shot will include features on cast members John Shea and Lauren Lee Smith.

* Comics Continuum #1, due in stores on May 1, will include features on Shea and Victor Webster and a look at the future of the show with executive creative consultant Howard Chaykin.

TOM LYLE TO MAKE THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT MOVIE

Fat Dragon Productions, a film production company headed by comic book artist Tom Lyle and his artist/writer wife Susan Paris Lyle, has announced the procurement of the graphic novel The Tale of One Bad Rat for development as a feature length motion picture.

The Tale of One Bad Rat, written by British comic artist Bryan Talbot, is the story of a talented teenage girl struggling to regain self-worth and freedom from an abusive childhood. Her successful quest is classic, with some interwoven and unexpected fantasy elements. It has been published by Dark Horse Comics in nine countries and has been in continual release since 1995.

The book has won numerous awards including the Eisner Award, the Comic Creator's Guild, two UK Comic awards, and the American Parent's Choice award. In 1998, it made the New York Times' annual list of recommended reading. It is found as a set text for schools, universities, and in several children's counseling centers in Britain, Finland, France, Germany and North America.

Tom Lyle is writing the screenplay adaptation, and Fat Dragon predicts a 2003 production date. His independent film credits include the comedy Bubbas in the Mist and a psychological thriller Dougie's Room.

Bubbas was in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Dougie's Room will be featured at the Silver Sprocket International Film Festival this year. Lyle has been in the comics field for 15 years and is known for his work on Spider-Man and Robin.

Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has already been cast as Sir Noel Tod, one of the featured secondary characters.

Fat Dragon is also in pre-production with Cleansing, a story focusing on religious oppression and how one girl's plight can shake the foundations of a town. Susan Paris Lyle has written the screenplay, based on a short story of the same name by Allison K. Linder.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

X-Men: Evolution won't be pre-empted on March 2, after all. Kids' WB! announced late Wednesday that the show will be part of the "Super-Stuffed" event, including a new episode.

"Walk on the Wild Side," an episode featuring the female characters, will air at 11 a.m. (ET), followed by a repeat of "Mindbender."

"It so rocks," said Marvel Studios' Craig Kyle of "Walk on the Wild Side."

X-Men: Evolution is replacing the two previously announced episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Static Shock will also be part of the event. A repeat of "The Big Leagues," the episode featuring Batman and Robin, will air at 8 a.m., with a new episode, "Sunspots" at 8:30 a.m.

Look for more on X-Men: Evolution and Static Shock on Friday here in The Continuum.

FABIAN NICIEZA TALKS THUNDERBOLTS

Fabian Nicieza is taking Marvel Comics' Thunderbolts on a two-track ride this summer as the title goes bi-weekly.

Nicieza checked in with The Continuum on Wednesday to explain the double-tiered, alternating story arc, how it came about and where it will take the Thunderbolts.

To read the story, CLICK HERE.

MARVEL COMICS UPDATES

Marvel Comics has announced several changes for upcoming titles and trade paperbacks.

Here's a rundown:

* The Avengers/Defenders War Trade Paperback, originally solicited to run 176 pages and cost $17.95, will now be 128 pages and will cost $14.95.

* The Blade: Duel with Dracula Trade Paperback will now be titled Blade 2: Bloodhunt. It will now include the Blade 2 comic book adaptation, plus Tomb of Dracula #45 - #53. In addition, the page count will increase from 176 pages to 208 pages, and the price will rise from $17.95 to $19.95.

* The price of Paradise X #1 and #2 has been reduced from $3.50 to $2.99.

* Three popular trade paperbacks -- Ultimate Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1, Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1, and Ultimate X-Men Vol. 1 -- are now all back in stock and can be ordered immediately.

LIBERTY MEADOWS TO IMAGE

Frank Cho's series, Liberty Meadows, has moved to Image Comics and is set to debut in July with an all-new trade paperback collection. The ongoing series will follow in August with issue #27.

"Image is the perfect home for Liberty Meadows," Cho said. "It's the best place for today's comic artists and writers to be in now. Image has the creative freedom and the big company resources that Liberty Meadows need to grow on."

Image vice-president/publisher Jim Valentino said, "Liberty Meadows is a perfect fit for us here at Image, filling in an enormous gap in our line -- humor. I have long been an admirer of this strip and Frank's work, and I am absolutely delighted he has chosen to come to Image."

Along with the change in publishers, Liberty Meadows will also be undergoing a slight change in format: The Image series will be published in landscape format, ala The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book. The covers, however, will continue to be run in the standard vertical format used by most comics, for ease of display in comics shops. Liberty Meadows will continue to be published in black and white on a bi-monthly basis.

The trade paperback collection, entitled Liberty Meadows, Volume One, will be published in the same format as Cho's recent art book, The Frank Cho Illustrator, and will feature all the daily strips reprinted in Liberty Meadows #1-9. The Sunday strips will be collected in a separate book.

CROSSGEN HIRES ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY

CrossGeneration Comics has contracted Nancy Newhouse Porter, chair of the entertainment and new media group of the law firm of Weston, Benshoof, Rochefort, Rubalcava and MacCuish, to serve as its entertainment attorney.

Newhouse Porter will team with Michael Uslan of Branded Entertainment to represent CrossGen in the areas of film, television and other new media.

CrossGen will be the only comic book company that Newhouse Porter will be working with in this capacity.

Newhouse Porter's experience in the entertainment industry includes six years in business development for The Walt Disney Company, and she is most known in Hollywood for her representation of Academy Award-winner John Lasseter in connection with his Toy Story directing deal. She has devoted a significant amount of her practice to representing the key filmmakers of animated movies such as Antz, A Bug's Life, Prince of Egypt, Tarzan, Rugrats, Shrek, and Monsters, Inc. as well as several upcoming animated films from Disney, DreamWorks, Fox, Universal, Sony, Paramount and others.

Newhouse Porter has experience representing prominent talent, such as writers, directors and other high-level artists and executives in the animation and digital production field, as well as the traditional live-action medium. She also represents clients in all aspects of the growing field of "new media"; in particular, digital production, visual effects, computer-generated animation and traditional animation in feature film, television, interactive media and Internet-based distribution outlets.

Mark Alessi, CEO and publisher of CrossGen, said he was impressed after only his first meeting with Newhouse Porter.

"We are extremely fortunate to have added Nancy to our exclusive entertainment licensing team to work alongside Michael Uslan and Branded Entertainment, our film development partner," Alessi said. "Together, she and Michael are the A-Team of film and television licensing and production. Between them, they have worked on some of the most successful entertainment franchises in the world, and now they are flexing their considerable muscle for CrossGen. You won't believe what we'll be announcing soon, based in large part on Michael and Nancy's efforts."

FIRST LOOK: JSA #33

JSA #33 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns, with art by Leonard Kirk, Keith Giffen, Keith Champagne and Al Milgrom and a cover by Rags Morales.

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is part one of the five-part "Stealing Thunder" arc:

"The Ultra-Humanite is back and the Earth is now under his complete control. Alone in a world gone mad, Sand and Icicle must put aside their differences to defeat an army of DC's greatest heroes. This story introduces a whole new JSA, and features the return of Hourman and the debut of the new Crimson Avenger."

JSA #33 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #26

Batman: Gotham Knights #26 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Devin Grayson, Cyrus Voris and Chris Bachalo, with art by Roger Robinson, Bachalo, and John Floyd and cover by Brian Bolland,

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is part 10 of the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" arc:

"As Bruce Wayne languishes in prison on a brutal murder charge, his closest allies try and come to terms with the horrific reality of the situation. Only, not everyone who loves him thinks he's completely innocent. Plus, a Batman Black & White backup, "Bruce Wayne is Batman!," written by Cyrus Voris and Chris Bachalo, with art by Bachalo."

Batman: Gotham Knights #26 will be 40 pages and will cost $2.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: ROBIN #99

Robin #99 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Pete Woods and Andrew Pepoy and a cover by Todd Nauck and Pepoy

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is part 11 of the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" arc:

"Guest-starring the Birds of Prey. Bruce Wayne stands accused of murder, but Robin's got to rescue a close friend. The secret behind Kip's strange behavior is revealed, while Alfred goes undercover to investigate a suspect in the Bruce Wayne case and Robin and Spoiler join forces once more."

Robin #99 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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FIRST LOOK: BIRDS OF PREY #40

Birds of Prey #40 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Rick Leonardi and Jesse Delperdang and a cover by Phil Noto.

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is part 12 of the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" arc:

"Black Canary picks up an unwanted sidekick in the Spoiler as she investigates the crime for which Bruce Wayne is accused. Meanwhile, Oracle begins to learn the secret that may have led to the murder, and Robin arrives just in time as the case against Bruce Wayne takes a dramatic turn. All that, and some disturbing news for Blue Beetle, too."

Birds of Prey #40 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.50.

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FIRST LOOK: SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #123

Superman: The Man of Steel #123 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from DC Comics. The issue is written by Mark Schultz, with art by Yvel Guichet and Dexter Vines and a cover by John Cassaday.

Here's how DC describes the issue, which is part one of the three-part "Gangs of Metropolis" story arc:

"The various factions in Metropolis unite as the B13 technology runs amok. Superman and Steel are caught in the middle of Metallo, LexCorp, Talia, the Cyber-Moths, and the environmental group Caeloss - as a turf war erupts in the bowels of the City of Tomorrow."

Superman: The Man of Steel #123 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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