Friday, April 19, 2002

SPIDER-MAN MOVIE UPDATE

Willem Dafoe, who plays the Green Goblin in the Spider-Man movie, became quite adept at riding the Goblin's glider.

"Willem is just unbelievable to work with," stunt coordinator Jeff Habberstad said. "He gets on the glider and he puts a character into it that's just really unique, and amazing to watch."

For a complete feature on Dafoe, including his thoughts on his character, CLICK HERE.

In other Spider-Man news:

* The film will be featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly's summer movie preview issue.

* Dafoe will be a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, May 1.

Kirsten Dunst will be a guest on CBS' Late Show with David Letterman on that night, and Tobey Maguire will be a guest on Letterman on Thursday, May 2.

On NBC's The Today Show, Dunst will appear on May 1, Maguire on May 2 and Dafoe on May 3.

MARVEL COMICS FIRST LOOKS

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

Titles include Captain America #1, Elektra #9, Avengers #53, Wolverine #175, Tigra #2, Spider-Man's Tangled Web #13, Iron Man #54, X-Men Evolution #6, X-Men Unlimited #35, Marvel Knights #2 and Wolverine/Hulk #3.

X-MEN: EVOLUTION'S "THE HEX FACTOR"

"The HeX Factor" episode of X-Men: Evolution will premiere on Kids' WB! on Saturday.

The episode is written by Cydne Clark and Steve Granat and directed by Gary Graham.

In addition to the Scarlet Witch, "The HeX Factor" will also introduce Agatha Harkness to the series.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images from the episode.

JUSTICE LEAGUE'S "LEGENDS"

Part one of the "Legends" episode of the Justice League animated series will premiere on Cartoon Network on Sunday.

"There seems to be a lot of anticipation and excitement about 'Legends.' our tribute to those wonderful Golden Age heroes," producer Rich Fogel told The Continuum. "This story was inspired by Gardner Fox's 'Crisis on Earth II' stories, and writer Andrew Kreisberg perfectly captured the fun and innocence of those tales. In addition to introducing the all-new Justice Guild, this episode features some of our most outlandish and colorful villains ever."

Guest voices for "Legends" include William Katt as the Green Guardsman, Stephen Root as Cat-Man, Ted McGinley as Tom Turbine, David Naughton as The Streak, Jennifer Hale as Black Siren, Udo Kier as Musicmaster, Michael McKean as The Sportsman, Jeffrey Jones as Sir Swami and Corey Burton as Dr. Blizzard.

"Also, watch for Neil Patrick Harris as Ray, the Justice Guild's kid sidekick," Fogel said. Harris is also voicing Spider-Man in the upcoming MTV animated series.

"Wild, weird and more than slightly twisted, 'Legends' was a true labor of love," Fogel said. "This one is for the inner geek in all of us."

WARREN ELLIS' THE BODY ORCHARD

Combat magician and rogue SAS operative William Gravel returns to his roots with Strange Killings: The Body Orchard, a six-issue mini-series by Warren Ellis and Mike Wolfer that begins in July from Avatar Press.

"Body Orchard is the big movie version of Strange Killings, dealing with combat magician William Gravel's shadowy past even as it surges into the present to bite him on the dangly bits," Ellis said.

Here's how Avatar Press describes The Body Orchard:

"Before his disgrace and removal to solo deniable duties, Sergeant Major William Gravel was part of SAS team Alpha One Four. He hasn't seen his teammates since his fall. He knows only that they're still in the job, doing the things he used to do. Which doesn't remotely explain why, while he's moonlighting in New York, the Alpha One Four team should be seen blowing away a newly-elected mayor -- a military man himself - and then vanishing into thin air. This series digs deep into William Gravel's magic past and begs an answer to one of the greatest combat magician secrets, what is the Body Orchard?"

"Adapting my treatment, Mike Wolfer gives us, in cinematic style, William Gravel trapped in a place where he has no friends, no future and no hope: America," Ellis said.

"Warren Ellis is going to tell us things that we won't want to hear," said Wolfer, a frequent Ellis collaborator. "He told us of hideous lizards living within human hosts. He then ushered us into the autopsy of one of them. He told us of surgically altered Hollywood whores with grotesque, non-human orifices. Then he rolled the videotape. He told us of a prison composed of pulsating human organs. Then he walked us through its darkened halls. Warren has told us that the United States has always been a mere experiment; a societal lab rat of the British government. He has told us of combat magicians. And has hinted at The Body Orchard. Prepare to be shocked once again."

BEAUTIFUL KILLER PREVIEW

Jimmy Palmiotti has provided The Continuum with a four-page preview of Beautiful Killer #1.

The Black Bull mini-series is written by Palmiotti, with art by Phil Noto.

Here's an outline that Palmiotti has provided for the series' concept:

"Our story begins in the late 80's when Kingsley, on a top-secret mission for British intelligence, gets wounded in the field and is brought in to become the first agent to undergo the Criterion Project. The Project consisted of a series of injections where the patient would eventually build up muscle mass, replace corrupted cells and boost the drive and libido of its patient. Fresh from the lab, and un-tested, Kingsley unknowingly becomes the lab rat for the first study . At that time, and unknown to the organization, Kingsley has been romancing the top biochemist from the company, Anna DeLuca .

"Anna, not involved in this particular project, gets wind of the testing, tells Kingsley that he is in grave danger of something going askew, and tells him that for such a loyal agent, the company has done him a great wrong, and that he has been mislead to what the results might be. Not knowing what to do, Anna and Kingsley pack up everything they own and need from the company, get married in France then disappear off the face of the earth.

"Twenty years later, on a small secluded island west of Venice, Italy, we join Kingsley, Anna, and their 19-year-old daughter Brigit. When the couple first settled on the island, Kingsley became sick, side effects from the Criterion Project. One year later, Brigit was born, a perfectly healthy daughter, except for her lack of skin pigment, eye color and hair color. By all appearances, she looked albino, without all the side effects that is carries with it. No sensitivity to sun light, no skin conditions ...just white like a ghost.

"Kingsley and Anna bring her daughter up in seclusion, just a mile from Venice. They teach her everything they can and more. Anna works with Brigit teaching biology, computer science, and all she knows about disguise and feature modification. Kingsley teaches her the more physical aspects of the spy game as well as marksmanship and language. Between the two parents, they create the perfect blend of themselves. This is done for a reason. Both parents know the other shoe will eventually drop...and it does.

"One night, a leak in their security causes a red light to come up and three government agencies are alerted to the Coles' existence. Helicopters, boats and agents are dispatched to the island to destroy the coles once and for all. When they left 20 years ago, these two agents took off with enough information to bury hundreds of peoples' lives. They needed to be wiped out.

"Anna gets warning of a perimeter breech and mother and father go to their daughter's side and tell her it is time. This is the time they have been fearing for her whole life. This is the time where the parents must confront the past so their daughter can live on. Brigit escapes the island with all her parents files and gear, while Kingsley and Anna put on a fight that leaves the island in flames and, arm in arm, perish in the battle to protect their daughters existence.

"Brigit travels through Europe on routes and places that her mother and father had laid out to her for years. She has money, accounts and contacts, and for the rest of her life, must use what disguises she can to blend in and disappear into society. There is one problem, on the island, dna is found that alerts the agency that there was a third person on the island and it is figured out that the Coles had a daughter and she is in possession of all the discs that they were after. A manhunt commences."

MARC HEMPEL'S NAKED BRAIN

Insight Studios publisher Mark Wheatley has announced the launch of a new comic book mini-series by his long-time partner, Marc Hempel. The new series, Marc Hempel's Naked Brain, will begin in July and run three issues.

Marc Hempel's Naked Brain is described as "a many-faceted collection of comic strips."

"I believe that comics is a language as distinct as English, French, Chinese or ancient Babylonian," Wheatley said. "And I also believe that there have been only a select handful of creative individuals who have used the language of comics as a native tongue. Just a few from that group are Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Bernard Krigstein, George Herriman, Alex Toth and Marc Hempel.

"Marc is a master of the concise comic strip. Each issue of Naked Brain is full of one page strips and gag cartoons - many that will make you laugh until you hurt. And if you know the language of comics you'll also be amazed at just how much this language is capable of communicating. Marc understands comics better than anyone I know - and here he pushes it way beyond any notion of 'limits'."

Said Hempel: "Everything I create is an honest expression of who I am - hence the title of this series! Fortunately, my own personal take on popular culture, eccentric personalities and other quirky aspects of modern life seems to resonate with my readers."

Marc Hempel's Naked Brain will also include the return of one of Hempel's most popular creations, Tug & Buster.

BRIEFLY