BUFFY SERIES FINALE

UPN has released six images from "Chosen," the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer set to air on Tuesday, May 20 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

The episode is written and directed by series creator/executive producer Joss Whedon.

Here's how the network describes the episode:

"Buffy, her friends and the Potentials are the world's last, best hope to beat back the ultimate forces of evil, on the series' volatile finale. David Boreanaz returns as Angel, Eliza Dushku guest stars as Faith and Nathan Fillion guest stars as Caleb.

"Hatching an ingenious and daring plan to destroy 'The First' and his minions, Buffy turns to those closest to her to help save mankind."

Click on the thumbnails for larger and fuller images.

AVI ARAD TALKS MARVEL MOVIES

Avi Arad, president of Marvel Studios, said that he hopes to have Fox's Fantastic Four movie in theaters on Nov. 4, 2004.

"November 4, 2004, the Fantastic Four, it sounds good, so why not?" Arad said on Tuesday during a conference call detailing Marvel's first quarter earnings.

In detailing Marvel's upcoming films, Arad also listed Spider-Man 2, Blade 3, The Punisher, Sub-Mariner and Iron Man.

Concerning The Punisher, Arad said, "We have an actor, we have a director and there will be a couple of announcements, probably this week, that will be exciting for all of us."

Arad said Marvel is "advance scripting" on six "major" projects.

"Three of which are extremely toy-driving projects," Arad said, "such as Fantastic Four; Sub-Mariner, which can be explained as Star Wars underwater; and Iron Man at New Line, which is sort of American James Bond."

Arad expressed pleasure with the opening on X2.

"It's been a great weekend. Our numbers on X-Men are terrific," he said. "Internationally so far the trackings are just about double the previous movie, things are looking really exciting. Just as bragging rights, this is the sixth consecutive Marvel movie to open No. 1 at the box office. I'm pretty comfortable Hulk will continue this string.

"We've now got exit interviews from X-Men where the Hulk trailer is being shown and the reaction is terrific.

"As a side point on X-Men, we are realizing something that we started to see with Spider-Man, that the Marvel brand actually gets its own reaction in the movie house. People clap their hands, and exit polls from Fox on X-Men see over 40 percent female. So we now reach and make movies for everybody, and that's a great victory for us."

NEW MUTANT X EPISODE

"Reawakening," a new episode of Mutant X, airs in syndication this week.

The episode was written by Mark Amato and Elizabeth Keyishian and directed by T.W. Peacocke.

For a complete synopsis, with spoilers, CLICK HERE.

THE MAXX COLLECTED

Sam Kieth's The Maxx returns this August in The Maxx Book One TP, the first in a series of collected editions from Cliffhanger Productions.

"I've been looking at these old issues, and the truth is, I don't see what the big deal is," Kieth said. "Seriously though, Scott Dunbier and WildStorm have committed to a first-class reprinting of the full run - all 35 issues - and since it has been ten years, it'll be nice for people who grew up on the stuff and for new readers to put on their bookshelves."

"The Maxx was the first quintessentially Sam Kieth book," said Dunber, WildStorm group editor Scott Dunbier. "All those wonderful idiosyncrasies and quirks - not to mention bell-bottoms - that we all loved in Zero Girl have their roots in The Maxx. Sam's stories, with nifty dialogue at the start by William Messner-Loebs, were endearing journeys that threw super-hero comics a big-league knuckleball, and I mean that in the best possible way."

The Maxx Book One TP collects the first six issues of The Maxx, originally published by Image Comics, which spawned The Maxx animated series on MTV. The Maxx trade paperbacks will go on to collect the entire run of the original series as well as several related projects from the same period.

The Maxx Book One TP is a 144-page Cliffhanger trade paperback suggested for mature readers. It is scheduled to be in stores on Aug. 6 with a cover price of $17.95.

BRIEFLY

Coming Thursday: DC news -- and much more!!!

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