Tuesday, October 22, 2002

DC COMICS FOR JANUARY

DC Comics has released its solicitation information for January.

For a complete rundown of comics titles, with images, CLICK HERE. For a rundown of DC Direct products, with images, CLICK HERE.

Look for Marvel and Image solicitations for January after midnight.

X-MEN SEQUEL UPDATE

Cyclops, played again by James Marsden, will get a leaner, meaner visor for the X-Men sequel.

"Jimmy Marsden, the actor, was really happy that I greatly reduced the mass around his face," production designer Guy Dyas said during a tour of design drawings for the film at the production offices in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"He said it became incredibly difficult to act with everything from his eyebrows to his lower cheeks were sort of hidden by this visor. We felt it was a justified leap to give his visor a new look."

In a previous interview with The Continuum, Marsden said that the visor become "uncomfortable" during the first film.

"It obscured my peripheral vision," he said. "I had to have people lead me around like a blind man. And the ruby red crystal was had to see through."

Dyas showed a gathering of online press computer drawings of Cyclops' new look. He said that he wanted to eliminate the "Princess Leia look," with the large circular devices over the ears.

"Anytime you're dealing with headphones or headsets, it's important that the comfort level is high," Dyas said.

For the two parts of The Continuum's transcription of las Friday's X² press conference, CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE.

And for a look at the new X-Jet, including comments from Dyas CLICK HERE.

Look for more X-Men movie news on Wednesday and everyday this week here in The Continuum.

KEMCO, DC TEAM ON BATMAN BOOK

Videogame publisher Kemco and DC Comics have announced that they will create a limited edition, two-part comic book that will serve as a prequel to the storyline of Kemco's upcoming action/adventure title, Batman: Dark Tomorrow.

The first of two comic books will be included as a pack-in within top-tier platform-specific enthusiast publications, distributing more than 1.4 million comic books nationwide. The comic pack-in for each of the publications will have a cover created exclusively for that magazine. The second, digest-size comic book will be included in the retail game package and limited to the first production run of the game, and will feature a custom cover for each of the three platforms.

Batman: Dark Tomorrow is the first modern Batman video game to date based not on the movie or animation series, but on the original DC Comics comic book.

"We are incredibly excited to be working on a project of this magnitude with DC Comics," said Glenn Halseth, vice president of sales and marketing of Kemco. "Creating this custom, limited-edition collectible comic book assures core gamers and Batman fans alike that we are developing and publishing a game that will represent Batman as intended by his original creators."

The creative team for the project includes writer Scott Peterson, artist Rick Burchett, colorist David Baran, group editor of creative services Martin Pasko and Michael Siglain, associate producer multimedia publishing.

Here's how Dark Tomorrow is described:

"In Dark Tomorrow, Batman must use all of his skills, both mental and physical, as well as a variety of gadgets, to defeat some of his most infamous adversaries, including Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and many others. In addition, he must infiltrate Arkham Asylum and rescue Police Commissioner James Gordon. During this time, Batman has to piece together clues to discover the mastermind behind these seemingly unrelated events and stop an evil plan that threatens the fate of the entire world!"

DC COLLECTS BROOKLYNS DREAMS

Brooklyn Dreams, the four-part tale written by J.M. DeMatteis with art by Glenn Barr, comes back to print in its entirety this spring as a single-volume graphic novel.

The story, of one man's life and the dreams that surround it, was originally published in 1995 as part of DC's Paradox Press line, as were Road to Perdition and A History of Violence.

"No project I've worked on in my 20-plus years in the business means more to me than Brooklyn Dreams," DeMatteis said. "I am absolutely delighted - and that's a huge understatement - that it's finally being collected together in one volume."

At the time of its publication, Brooklyn Dreams won praise for the variety of drawing styles employed by Barr as well as DeMatteis' poignant tale of Brooklyn-born Carl Santini, who struggles to sort through the pivotal events of his past.

"Brooklyn Dreams is one of Paradox Press's buried treasures," Group Editor Andy Helfer said. "It's great to see that seven years later it's getting a chance to reach more readers. It was ahead of its time before; now I really think the time is right for this book."

Brooklyn Dreams is a 384-page Paradox Press Compact Format collected edition suggested for mature readers.

FIRST LOOK: DAREDEVIL: THE MOVIE

Daredevil: The Movie The Official Comic Book Adaptation will arrive in stores in January from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Bruce Jones, with art by Manuel Garcia and Scott Hanna and a photo cover.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"Director Mark Steven Johnson unites Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell for another smash hit Marvel Movie! You've seen Spider-Man, Blade and X-Men on the big screen -- now it's time for Daredevil, Elektra, Kingpin and Bullseye to strut their stuff. A new legend is born on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen - and only Marvel can deliver the adaptation-nearly a month before the movie."

Daredevil: The Movie The Official Comic Book Adaptation will be 48 pages and will cost $3.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

FIRST LOOK: FREEMIND #2

Freemind #2 will be released the last week of November from Future Comics. The issue is written by David Michelinie, co-plotted by Bob Layton, penciled by Bob McLeod, inked by Dick Giordano and colored by Miguel Insignares, with a cover by Layton.

Here's how Future describes the issue:

"The Origin of Freemind continues as McKinsey Flint confronts Sirocco, a woman who can control the very air he breathes! Can he protect the secrets of the Freemind Project from this super-powered assassin? David Michelinie, creator of Venom, adds a new and exciting character to his Rogues' gallery in part two of this three-part adventure."

Freemind #2 will be 28 pages of story and will cost $3.50.

GIVE'EM A CLICK

BRIEFLY