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Thursday, November 21, 2002
SMALLVILLE UPDATE
The new, ongoing Smallville comic book - based on The WB show -- will start in March with a new #1 issue.
The bi-monthly comic book follows a one-shot that was released by DC Comics last month.
Editor Tom Palmer told The Continuum the lead comics story for the first issue will be written by Mark Verheiden and Clint Carpenter, with Kilian Plunkett on art. It will focus on Pete and Clark on a camping trip after Pete learns of Clark's super-powers.
Like the one-shot, the ongoing series will include features on the TV show. Smallville #1 will have a set visit and interview with series star Tom Welling - both by Rob Allstetter - and an episode guide for the first season.
The first issue doesn't have an announced release date yet, although it's being targeted for early in the month.
DC has provided The Continuum with a preview of the first issue's cover. Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
In other Smallville news:
* "Dichotic," Tuesday's episode featuring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, set several series record. The episode achieved new all-time series records in women 12-34 (5.9 rating/16 share) and female teens (6.5/20) and equaled its second-highest rating ever in persons 12-34 (5.2/14), women 18-34 (5.7/14) and women 18-49 (4.5/10).
Smallville ranked No. 1 in its time period in five key demos - persons 12-34 (5.2/14), women 12-34 (5.9/16), teens (5.6/18), female teens (6.5/20) and male teens (4.7/15). The series was No. 2 in women 18-34 (5.7/14), men 18-34 (4.3/12), men 12-34 (4.4/13) and women 18-49 (4.5/10) and No. 3 in adults 18-34 (5.0/13), adults 18-49 (4.1/10) and male teens (4.7/15).
* Michael Rosenbaum, who plays Lex Luthor, is narrating The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, Return to Middle-Earth on The WB. The special, previewing the upcoming movie, will air on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.
DC COMICS FIRST LOOKS
For covers and four-page previews of DC Comics titles arriving in stores on Wednesday, CLICK HERE.
Titles include Batman #609, Action Comics #797, The Flash #192, Global Frequency #2, Hellblazer #178, Resistance #3, Superman: Day of Doom #3, Thundercats #4 and Wildcats Version 3.0 #4.
IMAGE COMICS FIRST LOOKS
For covers and four- or five-page previews of Image Comics titles arriving in stores on Wednesday, CLICK HERE.
Titles include G.I. Joe #12, Age of Bronze #15, Leave it to Chance #13, Kabuki: The Ghost Play, Kabuki TP Vol. II: Dreams and Savage Dragon: This Savage World Hardcover.
BIRDS OF PREY'S "LADY SHIVA"
The WB has released six images from the "Lady Shiva" episode of Birds of Prey, set to air on Wednesday.
Here's how the network describes the episode:
"Helena (Ashley Scott) is thrilled when her best friend from high school, Sandra (guest star Sung Hi Lee) returns to New Gotham, but the Birds are troubled by a series of murders with the unmistakable mark of Batgirl's (Dina Meyer) nemesis, Lady Shiva. Determined to fight Lady Shiva as an equal, Barbara dusts off her Batgirl costume and experiments with technology that allows her to leave the wheelchair."
John Kretchmer directed the episode, with story by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and teleplay by Adam Armus and Kay Foster.
Click on the images for larger and fuller images from "Lady Shiva." The episode will be preceded on Wednesday at 8 p.m. by the "Pilot" episode of Birds of Prey.
The WB also announced that the Dec. 4 episode will now be a repeat of "Prey For The Hunter."
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IMAGE COMICS' SHADOWS
Image Comics is launching Shadows, a series from comics newcomers Jade Dodge and Matt Camp, in February.
Written by Dodge and drawn by Camp, with colors by Guy Major, Shadows is the story of four paranormal investigators who have set out to explore the hidden secrets of our world and shed light on those things that lurk in the dark. Along the way, they discover that some of the creatures who've made their homes in the shadows will do anything to keep from being disturbed...and that they possess a number of dark secrets themselves.
Dodge explained that there are five main characters in Shadows: Jacob Stevenson, Peter Shelley, Morgan Wells, Tyler King and Jillian Adams. Stevenson is both the team's co-founder and benefactor, fascinated by the paranormal, but unwilling to leave his home due to progressively intensifying delusional anxiety. The second co-founder, Shelley, is also the team's field leader and a long-time friend of Stevenson's with a shared fascination in the unknown. The rest of the field team is comprised of Wells (a child genius struggling to find her place in adulthood without the help of her upper class family), King (a freelance paranormal investigator forced to join the team out of financial necessity) and Adams (a street kid who crosses paths with King while working on a case in San Francisco and is taken under the team's care as part of King's agreement to work with Stevenson and Shelley).
"In many ways, the cases are almost secondary to the personal journeys and transformations of the characters," Dodge said. "Through attempting to learn more about the strange world of the paranormal, each of them is forced to confront the secrets that lie hidden within themselves."
Shadows is one of a number of recent Image projects developed by new talent and will debut alongside another series by a comics newcomer, Sammy: Tourist Trap by writer/artist Azad.
"2003 is really going to be a banner year for Image in terms of showcasing new talent," said Image VP/Publisher Jim Valentino. "We've got a whole slate of great projects by some incredibly talented newcomers on the way."
Image director of marketing Eric Stephenson added: "Marquee names
obviously demand the most attention in any entertainment medium, but
it's always important to seek out new voices in hope that today's
rookies will eventually develop into tomorrow's heavy hitters."
BRIEFLY
Copyright © 2002, The Comics Continuum