Monday, October 21, 2002

X-MEN 2 UPDATE

X-Men 2 director Bryan Singer said that writers Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty have done "an amazing job" in working on the sequel.

"They're really terrific and have completely comprehended, embraced and executed the history, depth and some of the politics - the tricky politics - of these characters, this universe," Singer said.

Singer made the comment on Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia, during a news conference for the online press.

For part two of The Continuum's transcription of the press conference, CLICK HERE.

(And if you missed part one, CLICK HERE.)

Also, The Continuum continues its coverage of the sequel with a look at the X-Jet, including comments from production designer Guy Dyas. For that story, CLICK HERE.

Look for more X-Men movie news on Tuesday here in The Continuum.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER EPISODES

The Continuum has obtained titles and loglines for three of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes for the November sweeps.

Following are the episodes, with descriptions from UPN:

The Nov. 5 episode is "Him." Dawn develops an unhealthy obsession on a popular high school jock. Buffy tries to intervene with comically disastrous results. Thad Luckinbill guest-stars as R.J.

The Nov. 12 episode is "Conversations With Dead People." Joyce visits Dawn from the beyond, Buffy has a reveling chat with a vampire, and Willow receives a ghostly visitor of her own who she believes to be Tara. Jonathan and Andrew return to Sunnydale.

The Nov. 19 episode is "Sleeper." Buffy discovers that Spike is up to his old vampirey ways. Aimee Mann guest stars.

SMALLVILLE UPDATE

Former Home Improvement star Jonathan Taylor Thomas is guest-starring in an upcoming episode of Smallville.

Thomas, 21, is appearing in the second season's eighth episode, "Dichotic," which filmed last week in Vancouver, British Columbia. The episode's air date has not been announced by The WB yet, but it will likely be in the middle of November.

Thomas plays a character named Ian, a student at Smallville High who has "the uncanny ability to be in two places at once." Serge Houde plays Mr. Frankel, a shop class teacher who runs afoul of Ian with severe consequences.

"Dichotic" is directed by Craig Zisk.

The Continuum was allowed access to the set for "Dichotic" on Friday night, and look for more stories here soon.

CROSSGEN FIRST LOOKS

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

Titles include Crux #19, Scion #29, Route 666 #5.

DARKNESS PRELUDE

Top Cow and Dynamic Forces are teaming for The Darkness Prelude, a November-relasing comic that sets the way for Darkness #1.

"When Dynamic Forces president Nick Barrucci approached us about creating an exclusive lead-in story to the new Darkness #1, it seemed like a good idea," Top Cow president Matt Hawkins said. "When he told me he had Jae Lee already signed up to do the art and Paul Jenkins on board to write, how could I refuse? Jae and Paul are gods in their respective craft and putting them together as a precursor to one of our biggest books of the year works out perfectly for us."

The Darkness Prelude begins the process of reintroducing mobster Jackie Estacado.

"The Darkness is about atmosphere: there is a character in every shadow, and this is what I have tried to portray in this script," Jenkins said. "I need say nothing more about Jae and Jose than that they drew every single character I asked for."

"This is a great chance to work with Paul on a totally different type of character," Lee said. "I feel like I'm creating some of my best work between this and the Captain America story I'm working on right now, so I am really happy to be doing this!"

Dynamic Forces also announced it is teaming up with Top Cow for projects with stories by Mark Millar, Bill Sienkiewicz, John Cassaday, Peter Milligan, Geoff Johns and Mark Texeira.

The Darkness Prelude have two covers, with each limited to 5,000 copies.

THIRD BLUE MONDAY ONE-SHOT

Oni Press has announced the details in the final installment of the recent run of holiday-themed Blue Monday one-shots.

Series creator Chynna Clugston-Major will team with the publisher to release Nobody's Fool in February. The regular-sized comic will be broken into two stories, one for Saint Patrick's Day and one for April Fool's Day.

"We went round and round on what to do for the final special," Oni editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich said. "There was talk of Easter, to see what Chynna would do to the Easter bunny and the holiest of holidays, but our two favorite choices were St. Patty's and April Fool's. Finally, we decided to just do both."

"Holiday stories are fun, because for some reason, we make these days where everyone acts their goofiest," Clugston-Major said. "I don't know why we do it. It's some inherent flaw in the species, I think, where we like to behave like idiots and need to have something to blame it on. Hence your funny uncle getting too drunk at Christmas and puking on the plants. With these holidays, I figured we had the opportunity to see some morons get really, really drunk.and well, we all know how the Blue Monday kids act when they decide to mess with each other."

In the St. Patrick's story, Clover attempts to celebrate her favorite day while avoiding the drunken louts of her small North California town.

The second story sees Victor looking to relive his shameful past as a goth as part of the day's pranks-only to have everyone in the gang fall for it a little too hard.

"Victor used to be a boo-hoo boy because he thought it would get him chicks," Clugston-Major said. "But once he learned better, he quickly broke out of that lifestyle. If he has to give up his cool clothes and porkpie hats, this time he'll really be depressed!"

Rich noted that the specials will be the end of Blue Monday comics for 2003.

"So we wanted it to be a real bang," Rich said. "It was a challenge to see how much fun we could pack into one comic. It's straight into Scooter Girl for Chynna after this, but don't worry. After those six comics, it's back to Jefferson High for another full-length Blue Monday adventure. It's gonna be swell."

Blue Monday: Nobody's Fool will be 32 pages, arriving in stores on Feb. 29.

FIRST LOOK: ULTIMATE WAR #1

Ultimate War #1 will arrive in stores on Dec. 4 from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Mark Millar, with art and cover by Chris Bachaolo.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"The Ultimates vs. The Ultimate X-Men: the battle begins! When the X-Men do the worst thing they could to humanity, Nick Fury orders The Ultimates to bring them down! But Xavier hasn't been training his soldiers for nothing, and the mutants just might take out The Ultimates first."

Ultimate War #1 will be 32 pages and will cost $2.25.

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