Monday, August 19, 2002

X-MEN 2 UPDATE

Ralph Winter, producer of X-Men 2, told The Continuum the movie remains in a solid production groove.

"We have reached the halfway point in production and are feeling very good about our story and the production values," Winter told The Continuum. "Everyone is in great spirits."

In other X-Men 2 news:

* Look for an update on the film's official site soon, probably within the week.

* At the recent Comic-Con International in San Diego, attendees of the 20th Century Fox (Daredevil, Solaris, X-Men 2) panel received an Xavier Institute examination booklet, along with a pencil that has the film's name and release date.

* Ian McKellen, who is returning as Magneto, last week has an e-post on his website, mckellen.com, in which he answered several questions about the film and posted a photo of himself as Magneto.

FUTURAMA/SIMPSONS CROSSOVER

Bongo Comics' The Simpsons/Futurama Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis, the first meeting of Matt Groening's characters, will reach stores on Wednesday.

The issue is written by Ian Boothby, writer of the Simpsons comic, and drawn by James Lloyd.

Boothby explained how the event came about.

"I pitched Bill Morrison -- my editor at Bongo and also the art director for the Futurama TV show --the idea for a crossover comic with The Simpsons and Futurama," Boothby told The Continuum. "He didn't think Matt Groening would go for it. Matt has always had a firm rule that two shows could never meet because Futurama was the real' world and the Simpsons were just a TV show in the Futurama reality -- the show is still on in the year 3002."

How did Boothby bring the characters together?

"I suggested to Bill that if the TV show was still on the air in the year 3002 the comic book might still be published as well," Boothby said. "There was an episode where giant brains tried to take over and sent Fry and Leela into different books to trap them. Well, comics are books so why not have the Futurama cast trapped in a Simpsons comic book? Matt liked the idea and we got the go ahead.

"The plot involves the brains trying to make the world stupider by sealing all Earth literature in diamond. They start by creating a fake collectors market with comics. The story begins with the Planet Express crew visiting a living planet that is also a bit of comics collecting nerd to pick up a moon full of comics for perma-sealing -- look for heads of Sergio Aragones, Stan Lee and a couple of other comics folks in the planet's collection. The brains attack, trapping the Futurama cast in the Simpsons world and the crossover begins.

"This book covers a lot of territory and fans of both shows or just comics in general will have a lot of fun."

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: THE RESISTANCE #1

The Resistance #1 will arrive in stores on Sept. 25 from DC Comics and WildStorm Productions. The issue is written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Grey, with art by Juan Santacruz and Francis Portela and a cover by Tom Taggart, J.G. Jones, John Cebollero, Santacruz and Portela.

Here's how DC Comics describes the issue:

"A new WildStorm series debuts! The year is 2280 and things are not good. Brian Strum is a kid whose existence has been hidden from the government for his entire life - he and others like him are seen as a threat to the common good of humanity, a parasite on Earth's precious, dwindling resources. Now Brian has been exposed and he finds himself marked for death. His only salvation? A small band of resistance fighters called the Strayz, determined to fight for their right to live - even if it kills them."

The Resistance #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: SHANG-CHI: MASTER OF KUNG FU #1

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu #1 will arrive in stores on Sept. 18 from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Doug Moench, with art by Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"It's bone-breaking kung fu action and sexy spy action in this new MAX series. And who better to bring the martial arts special agent into the present than Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy, the creative team that made him great?"

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.99.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

ATHENA VOLTAIRE ONLINE

Modern Tales announced that Athena Voltaire will join its new AdventureStrips.com subscription-based anthology web comics site, launching in early September.

Set in the 1930's, Athena Voltaire chronicles the globetrotting adventures of its titular heroine. Series co-creator/artist Steve Bryant describes the book as "Indiana Jones starring a James Cameron- style female pilot."

"Obviously, that's an oversimplification, but that's the 'high concept' in a nutshell," Bryant said. "Mix in liberal doses of Hitler's bizarre occult obsessions, throw in homages to classic serials, lots of cliffhangers and you get a good idea of what we're doing."

Athena Voltaire and the Terror in Tibet, the strip's first storyline, follows the aviatrix as she is hired to accompany a climbing expedition to Mt. Everest. "Athena gets caught between two parties of explorers (Nazis and black magicians), each bent on uncovering a secret that lies in a Tibetan Monastery at Everest. She finds herself asking, 'What are these men willing to kill for?' as well as discovering what tore the members of a previous expedition limb-from-limb."

Joining Bryant on Athena Voltaire are co-creator/scripter Paul Daly and colorist Chad Fidler.

Athena Voltaire joins a lineup of features at AdventureStrips.com that also includes: Perils on Planet X by Christopher Mills and Jon Plante, Red Kelso by Gary Chaloner, Jazz Age by Ted Slampyak, Terranauts by Paul Daly and Don Secrease, Mr. Jigsaw by Ron Fortier and Gary Kato, Tabula Rasa by James Chambers and Richard Clark and Gravedigger by Mills and Rick Burchett.

BRIEFLY