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Saturday, April 13, 2002

SPIDER-MAN MOVIE UPDATE

TV Guide has provided The Continuum an exclusive first look at all five of its upcoming Spider-Man covers, complete with trade dress.

The final versions of the covers were completed late Friday.

In addition to a photo cover of the character from the Spider-Man movie, the covers include art pieces by John Romita Sr., John Romita Jr., Mark Bagley and Alex Ross.

This is the second time Ross has done comics-related work for TV Guide. He also did four Smallville covers for the magazine.

This is also the second time a Marvel movie has had multiple TV Guide covers. The cast of X-Men was featured in 2000.

The issue of TV Guide with the Spider-Man covers goes on sale on Monday, April 22. Look for more details about the contents of the issue soon here in The Continuum.

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In other Spider-Man movie news:

* Kirsten Dunst, who plays Mary Jane in Spider-Man, appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday and briefly discussed the film.

"It's the biggest thing I've been a part of, for sure," she said of Spider-Man. "I mean, it's like all these tours, and this premiere here… It's really exciting, but it's a lot to deal with at once. It's a lot of pressure."

Dunst said she did a lot of stunts in the movie.

"I was up in harnesses and dropping and falling. They were always throwing me around" she said. "Actually, I saw the movie last night done for the first time, and it's amazing how little, boom, boom, boom, and you're like, 'I spent a month on that scene, and it looks just like I was up there for one shot maybe."

Dunst said there was one stunt she couldn't quite handle.

"They wanted me to fall face forward, like you're lying down basically just looking at your death," Dunst said. "I was like 30-50 feet up, or something like that. And I did it once in the morning when I was tired. I was just like, 'All right, string me up there. Whatever.' I was really tired and I totally didn't even know what I was doing

"Afterwards I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't do that again.' And I tried to do it for the cameras, but that was one I couldn't do."

Dunst also promoted her other new film, The Cat's Meow.

* Cingular Wireless has provided The Continuum with a closer look at the Green Goblin faceplate, part of its promotion with the film.

X-STATIX #1 PREVIEW

Marvel Comics has released a cover image and solicitation information for X-Statix, the relaunch/revamp of X-Force that starts in July.

Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, the creative team of X-Force, continue on X-Statix.

Here's how Marvel describes the first issue:

"They're X-citing! They X-hilirating! They're... X-pendable? Leaping from the blood-drenched pages of X-Force comes the mutant super-team that America hates to love: X-Statix!

"America's #1 supergroup receives their biggest challenge ever when a new team of even more media-savvy, camera-friendly, focus-group mutants leaps into the spotlight! Can the squad formerly known as X-Force rise to the occasion? This special 38-page extra-sized issue features a lead story by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred and a back-up tale by Milligan and Darwyn Cooke (Catwoman) featuring that loveable Doop!"

X-Statix #1 will cost $2.99.

SPACEMAN FROM ONI, AAA POP

Following their first collaboration, It GiRL, Oni Press and AAA Pop are teaming again for Spaceman, the second in Mike Allred's Atomics spin-off collaborations.

Joining Allred on Spaceman is Lawrence Marvit, whose previous comics efforts include his own Sparks series for Slave Labor and a short story in Jingle Belle: Naughty and Nice. Marvit also has a background in animation, and has previously worked for Pixar on Monsters, Inc. and painted backgrounds for Scott Morse's "Ferret & Parrot."

Spaceman is a 24-page one-shot in full color-both painted and digital.

"Spaceman is exactly what it sounds like," said Oni Press editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich. "There's no pretentious concept here, no convoluted continuity. This is the sort of thing that Mike Allred, as a writer, does best-a straight-up adventure about an outer-space hero."

"I wanted this to be a special book," Allred said. "It doesn't take place on Earth, so I didn't want it to look like a regular old Earth comic. I wanted it to have a special, otherworldly zing. I loved Sparks from even before it was published, from when Lawrence showed me the art back in 1998. I knew he was the man for the job."

For Spaceman, the two creators concocted a different approach than most comics. Allred came up with the story. Marvit took the script and tweaked the pages as he painted each one's basic elements, laying down just the panels and backgrounds. He then penciled the characters on an overlay, including aliens he designed, leaving the inking of the characters -and penciling on all of the Spaceman figures--for Allred. To complete the process, the Allred coloring team is scanning the figures into the computer, digitally coloring them, and then marrying them to the scanned background paintings.

"This is one of the truest collaborations I have seen in comics," Rich said. "It's really grown and changed as each member of the team has done his or her part. The final result is going to have a much more animated feel--both in the sense of energy and of animated film. It's going to be a gorgeous book."

"I'd gotten used to playing around in the regular urban landscape of our planet," Marvit said, "since Sparks takes place in an average American city. Working with Mike, I got to sort of root around in his imagination, which in turn let mine loose. The results are definitely something new for both of us."

"Working with Lawrence has been a blast," Allred said. "I had an image of what these things should look like in my head, and that image was pretty out there, but Lawrence did me one better and made it even cooler. Spaceman is a double raygun blast of fun. I can't wait for it to come out so I can read it again myself."

Spaceman will arrive in stores on July 14 and will cost $2.95.

FIRST LOOK: CRUX #13

Crux #13 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Chuck Dixon, penciled by Steve Epting, inked by Rick Magyar and colored by Frank D'Armata.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"The first issue by new Crux scribe Chuck Dixon. The Atlantean heroes are still stalked by the Negation bounty hunter and one will suffer at his hands. Galvan receives a strange communication from his twin with surprising news. In a dream Verityn visits the prehistoric past of Atlantis and his vision sets our heroes on a new trail."

Crux #13 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

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FIRST LOOK: SCION #23

Scion #23 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Ron Marz, penciled by Jim Cheung, inked by Don Hillsman and colored by Justin Ponsor.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"As the Raven and Heron fleets prepare for a winner-take-all battle, Ethan makes a stand that will place him squarely between the warring kingdoms. Is he prepared to sacrifice everything - his loyalty to his family, his love for Ashleigh, even his own life - for his ideals? All of Scion's plot threads begin to come together as issue #25 draws near."

> Scion #23 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

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FIRST LOOK: CROSSGEN CHRONICLES #7

CrossGen Chronicles #7 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Comics. The issue is written by Tony Bedard, with art by Rudy Nebres.

Here's how CrossGen describes the issue:

"At last, the truth is revealed about the mysterious past of Negation's enigmatic hero, Obregon Kaine. Rudy Nebres delivers the goods as we present Kaine's early days in the military, and the moment of ultimate betrayal that changed his life and sealed his fate. Forget whatever you think you know about CrossGen's toughest renegade. This special issue will thrill, shock, and inspire you…and give new meaning to everything that has already happened in CrossGen's most unforgiving series."

CrossGen Chronicles #7 will be 48 pages and will cost $3.95.

48 pages, $6.95.

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BRIEFLY

  • Coming Monday: X-Men news - and much more!!!
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