Thursday, April 18, 2002

WITCHBLADE PREMIERE MOVED

The two-hour season premiere of Witchblade has been moved by TNT to Sunday, June 16.

The first two episodes are titled "Emergence" and "Destiny." They were originally scheduled for Monday, June 10.

Ironically, June 16 is Father's Day and Witchblade star Yancy Butler's father, Joe Butler of the Lovin' Spoonful, is a guest-star in the episode.

After the two-hour premiere, Witchblade movies into its regular time period, Mondays at 9 p.m., on June 17.

TNT has also released to The Continuum a second-season image of Will Yun Lee, who plays Sara's partner, Danny Woo.

DC COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For covers and four-page previews of DC Comics titles arriving in stores on Wednesday, CLICK HERE.

Titles include American Century #14, Batman #602, Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire #2, Catwoman #6, Flash #185, JLA #65 and Superboy #99.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION SEASON FINALES

The two-part season finale of X-Men: Evolution, "Day of Reckoning," will air on Kids' WB! on Saturday, May 11.

The "Day of Reckoning" will air from 11 a.m. to noon.

"These will be memorable episodes," X-Men: Evolution story editor Greg Johnson told The Continuum. "A lot of story threads come together, while others will continue into season three. I will say this, 'Day of Reckoning' is best viewed after seeing 'The HeX Factor.'"

"The HeX Factor," introducing the Scarlet Witch, airs this Saturday.

Kids' WB! also announced on Wednesday that the May 4 episodes will be repeats of "Spykecam" at 8 a.m. and "Retreat" at 10:30 a.m.

Look for more X-Men: Evolution news on Friday here in The Continuum.

SPIDER-MAN MOVIE UPDATE

Although a teaser and a poster with the World Trade Center twin towers were withdrawn, the towers will appear in the Spider-Man live-action movie.

The poster, with a reflection of the towers in Spider-Man's eyes, and the teaser, which showed a helicopter being caught in a web between the two towers, were removed right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I think it's like our memories of a loved one," Spider-Man director Sam Raimi told the Associated Press of his decision to include the towers in the film. "Probably right after the death of someone we love, it's sometimes hard to look at their pictures. Then later, there's a need to look at them."

Raimi said it was important for him to leave the skyscrapers in.

"I didn't want to erase the image of the twin towers," Raimi said. "They're seen throughout the course of the movie, because we didn't want the terrorists to win."

Look for more on Spider-Man Friday here in The Continuum.

TEAM RED STAR LEAVES IMAGE

Team Red Star has announced it is leaving Image Comics and will begin self-publishing under Archangel Studios in July.

"We're control freaks," Team Red Star's Christian Gossett told The Continuum. "As much freedom as Image offers a publisher, we've grown to a point where we want even more. This level of control and freedom we're asking for just isn't fair to ask of any other professional entity other than ourselves."

Gossett provided The Continuum a list of upcoming projects:

* The Red Star #9: "Our farewell to image issue that is the triumphant climax to our second story arc," Gossett said.

* The second Red Star trade paperback: "Which will be much like our first one in terms of size," said. "A cool bonus is that this new TPB will be five issues long instead of four."

* The Red Star #10: "'Run Makita Run,' our Issue #10, is a special origin story for one of our most popular characters, Makita," Gossett said. "It's a big ol' 40-pager, which is cool cuz we haven't had a chance to tell so long a story in one sitting yet.

* The Red Star Relaunch: "New Publisher, new launch point," Gossett said. "Also, in our storyline itself, major change is happening after issue 9, so it really is much like a whole new series."

* Buddha Master & Angst Man: "This mad, crazed, profane comedy will be published through our buds at Oni Press," Gossett said. "They'll be making their debut in this summer's Oni Color Special. Last year's Oni Color Special had (Brian Michael) Bendis take some hilarious jabs at us, and as we discussed with him this year at Orlando Megacon, now its our turn!"

KURT BUSIEK TALKS AVENGERS FINALE

Marvel Comics on Wednesday released Luke Ross' cover to Avengers #56. The issue ends Kurt Busiek's five-year run as writer on the title as Geoff Johns takes over.

The Continuum caught up with Busiek on Wednesday to discuss his finale.

"It's a self-contained single-issue story, and Yanick Paquette's doing a gorgeous job drawing it," Busiek said. "After the 15-issue Kang blowout, think of it as a dish of sorbet, to cleanse the palate and get everyone set for what Geoff'll be starting.

"Ironically, this issue is the first Avengers story I ever plotted -- it was originally plotted back in 1989 or 1990, as a fill-in, when John Byrne left as Avengers writer. But it never got drawn. So when we knew my run would be coming to an end, we reworked it, turning it into a story that fits into the present-day Avengers situation, and got rolling on it. I've always wanted to see it in print, so I'm glad it'll be finally appearing. My first Avengers story and my last, at least for now..."

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"Kurt Busiek ends his five-year run as writer, setting the stage for the debut of Geoff Johns next month. And Kurt's going out on a high note as the Avengers assemble to face an accounting of their actions. Guest-starring the Beast, She-Hulk, and USAgent."

Avengers #56 will be in stores on July 31.

LUCIFER WRITER MIKE CAREY EXCLUSIVE WITH DC

British writer Mike Carey, who was nominated for four Eisner Awards in 2001, has signed a two-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

Carey has written Lucifer since its inception as the miniseries The Sandman Presents: Lucifer in 1999 and takes over as writer of Hellblazer with June's issue #175.

"With Lucifer, Mike's proven himself as a first-rate writer, deftly intertwining reality with an expansively-crafted mythology" said Karen Berger, vice president - executive editor, Vertigo. "But what impresses me most about Mike's writing is his versatility. His first few scripts on Hellblazer show Constantine as raw, uncompromising and seductive as he's ever been. Mike's well on his way to establishing a new direction and a new voice for the series."

"This is a great thing for me in a lot of different ways," Carey said. "I love Vertigo, and I've got great relationships with the editors there, so that's a good position to be in. Now that I'm writing Hellblazer as well as Lucifer, this gives me a period to consolidate my efforts and experiment on those two titles. It also opens up the possibility of getting my hands in the DCU toybox. For me super-hero comics, in all their ludicrous glory, are a very big part of what comics are about - and I think always will be about."

A new Lucifer trade paperback, Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned, collecting issues #14 - 20, will be published in August.

Upcoming projects from Carey include the hardcover graphic novel The Sandman: The Furies, with painted art by John Bolton, and My Faith in Frankie, a four-issue romantic fable with art by newcomer Sonny Liew.

NEW SMALLVILLE EPISODE

"Crush," a new episode of Smallville, is scheduled to air on The WB on Tuesday, May 7.

Here's how the episode is described:

"Clark (Tom Welling) faces an unexpected foe when a gifted art student (guest star Adam Brody) returns to school after a hit-and-run accident robbed him of the use of his hands but gave him the gift of telekinesis, and he is seeking revenge against those he holds responsible. Meanwhile, Lana (Kristin Kreuk) becomes jealous after watching Clark with Chloe (Allison Mack) and begins to question her relationship with Whitney (Eric Johnson)."

James Marshall directed the episode, which was written by Philip Levens, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

NEW BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER EPISODE

"Entropy," a new episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is scheduled to air on Tuesday, April 30 on UPN.

Here's how the episode is described the network:

"Xander's remorse is not quite enough to satisfy Anya's rage over their aborted marriage as she seeks supernatural retribution. While Willow and

Tara are able to at least begin to try and renew their romance, Buffy tries to end her relationship with Spike."

James A. Contner directed the episode, which was written by Drew Z. Greenberg.

MORE ART OF ASHLEY WOOD

Dos Fantas: More Art of Ashley Wood is an all-new collection of art from IDW Publishing coming in July.

A companion volume to Uno Fanta: The Art of Ashley Wood, Dos Fantas features 96 pages of full-color illustrations. In addition to many never-before-published pieces, this volume also includes a look at designs for upcoming issues of Wood's Popbot.

Dos Fantas: More Art of Ashley Wood includes an introduction by Sam Kieth and is a must-have for the library of anyone who loves art.

The book will cost $19.99.

BLACK HEART BILLY FROM AIT/PLANET LAR

Publisher Larry Young announced that AiT/Planet Lar's upcoming August book will be Black Heart Billy, by Kieron Dwyer, Rick Remender, and Harper Jaten.

AiT/Planet Lar book designer and cover artist Brian Wood turns in his 10th cover with this project.

"I have lunch with my pal Kieron nearly every Wednesday," Young said, "and a few weeks ago he let slip that he'd always wanted to finish up Black Heart Billy, the three-issue comic book which Slave Labor published two issues of before unceremoniously pulling the plug. He asked me if I wanted to collect it as a trade paperback, if he and Rick Remender and Harper Jaten rounded out the series and offered up the 'lost' third issue.

"I was a little skeptical at first, I have to admit; I didn't immediately see the charm in the book. But I was on the phone with Bri Wood and told him we were thinking about putting out the BHB trade. 'You're mental if you don't,' I remember him saying; then he offered to not just design the cover, but produce new art for it as well, since he was such a big fan of Billy. I re-read the first two issues, and by the time I got to the corpse of Jerry Garcia in a Nazi robot body, I guess I was charmed into it."

"BHB is an extension of the inner evil in my mind," Remender said. "But he's NOT evil. He's just frustrated. He's frustrated by every hypocritical, self-important pea brain he runs into. Unlike the rest of us Billy goes one step beyond thinking about doing something about it."

BRIEFLY