MUTANT X'S THIRD SEASON

John Shea will not be returning as a cast member of Mutant X for its third season, but will be featured as a "special recurring guest star," according to Tribune Entertainment.

Tribune announced that the third season of the show will begin in syndication the week of Sept. 29 and provided The Continuum with an overview for the new season.

The season will also see a cast change, as Karen Cliche will play a new character, Lexa Pierce, and Lauren Lee Smith, who played Emma, will not be returning. Victor Webster (Brennan), Victoria Pratt (Shalimar) and Forbes March (Jesse) will all return.

Here are some of the major points of the overview:

* In the season premiere, "Into the Moonless Night," Lexa Pierce, the new character with a shadowy past, is introduced. Like the members of the Mutant X team, Lexa was also the unwitting subject of genetic experimentation gone awry and as a result, has special powers that allow her to manipulate light in amazing ways.

* Everything the Mutant X team thought they knew about their world and Sanctuary no longer applies. They learn, both through Lexa and their missions, that they are part of a much larger experiment than their leader, Adam Kane, had led them to believe. Just as the team thinks they're starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together, Lexa makes them realize once again how naïve and sheltered they have been.

* Lexa arrives with her own personal and professional agenda, which will remain hidden from the Mutant X team for some time. Parts of her past will gradually unfold, including her association with Adam Kane, but the team won't be immediately aware of her ultimate mission/goal.

* Last season, as the far as the Mutant X team knew, Adam was simply trying to protect the world against the evils of unbridled genetic research. What is learned this season is that he was actually part of a much bigger picture and was responding to pressures the Mutant X team knew nothing about.

THE PUNISHER MOVIE UPDATE

Artisan Pictures has announced an Aug. 2 production start in Tampa, Fla., and complete casting for The Punisher movie.

In addition to Thomas Jane as the title character, John Travolta as Howard Saint, Laura Harring as Livia Saint, and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Joan, the principal cast will include Samantha Mathis as the Punisher's wife, Amanda Castle.

Will Patton will play Leonard Glass, the right-hand man to villain Howard Saint while James Carpinello will play the role of Howard Saint's son, John Saint. Mark Collie will play the evil assassin Harry Heck. Ben Foster has been cast as Spacker Dave and John Pinette as Mr. Bumpo, both friends of Frank Castle. Eddie Jamison (will play Nicky Duka, and Russell Andrews will play the role of FBI Agent Jimmy Weeks.

The Punisher tells the story of FBI undercover agent, Frank Castle, who until now has beat considerable odds. A former Special Forces operative, he is finally moving out of the field and into a desk job - and a normal life with his wife and son. Then Castle's world is shaken to its core by a nightmare he has long feared: his family is executed as a repercussion from his final undercover assignment. With unparalleled intensity, ferocious intelligence and fearless actions, Castle seeks to punish the murderers - and finds the one thing he least expected: redemption.

The film is being directed by screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh and produced by Marvel's Avi Arad and Gale Anne Hurd.

MARVEL COMICS FIRST LOOKS

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

Titles include Fantastic Four #501, Spectacular Spider-Man #2, Silver Surfer #1 and Weapon X #14.

DREAMWAVE PRODUCTIONS FOR OCTOBER

Dreamwave Productions has released its solicitation information for October.

For a complete rundown, with cover images, CLICK HERE.

CSI: MIAMI ONE-SHOT

CSI: Miami-Smoking Gun, a 48-page one-shot, will go on sale in October from IDW Publishing.

In CSI: Miami-Smoking Gun, writer Jeff Mariotte places the CSI team in the middle of a mid-day shooting spree that leaves dozens dead or wounded. The clues are as scattered as the bodies as Lt. Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne and the rest of the CSI team try to piece together the chaos in this complex puzzle.

José Avilés and Ashley Wood provided the art. Avilés brings his talent for realism to full throttle, and Wood adds the forensic scenes that have helped make the original CSI mini-series so popular.

According to Mariotte, "CSI: Miami is as different from the original show as Miami is from Las Vegas. Instead of a nighttime world full of artificial light and hustle, Miami, America's true melting pot, is daylight and humidity. The show follows suit, so I'm trying to do the same with this CSI: Miami one-shot-hot where Vegas is cool, sun-splashed where Vegas is neon lights and dark skies. By remaining true to the vision of the individual shows, we're delivering entertainment that fans of those shows will love, but will also appeal to anyone who likes crime comics with lots of twists and turns."

In related news, Mariotte has signed every copy of the first printing of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Thicker Than Blood, putting in long hours to autograph 15,000 copies in six days.

"IDW believes in always giving the customer a little something extra," Mariotte said. "When Ted (Adams) asked me to sign the whole first printing, I wasn't sure how many that would be; our mini-series had done well, but this was a one-shot, more expensive and not part of an extended story arc. So when I found out how many I would be signing, I was trepidatious. When I finished, I was sore. But everyone who buys the book will get the benefit of that extra effort, so it was worth it."

The one-shot went on sale Wednesday with a retail price of $6.99.

ANGEL GATE PRESS' LINEUP

After months of preparation, Angel Gate Press, publisher of Black Tide with Norm Breyfogle and Debbie Bishop, will roll out a new batch of comics this fall, featuring The 10th Muse, Legend of Isis and Judo Girl in all-new adventures and all-new looks.

For a rundown, CLICK HERE.

DREAMWAVE'S DUEL MASTERS

Visitors at Comic-Con International in San Diego were afforded a first look at Dreamwave Porductions' Duel Masters, an all-new comic series based on the upcoming property from Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast.

Duel Masters is a new, multifaceted entertainment property for boys. In Japan, the Duel Masters comic series boasts an estimated 1.6 million readers along with toys, games and other merchandise.

Dreamwave Productions' Duel Masters #1, hits stores in November. The all-new ongoing series is by writer Brian Augustyn and penciler Jeremy Tiongson.

"Duel Masters has all of the right elements for a fun, compelling comic, from a courageous hero at its center, to a fantastic world of creatures and lands for readers to explore," said Dreamwave president Pat Lee. "We're pleased to be part of the team that will be bringing Duel Masters to the U.S. Audience."

"Dreamwave has done an absolutely fantastic job translating the Transformers saga into a comic book series and they are the ideal choice to help us launch Duel Masters in the U.S.," said Tom Klusaritz, vice president of publishing for Hasbro Consumer Products.

SPIDER-MAN ANIMATED UPDATE

Friday's episodes of MTV's Spider-Man animated series will be "Tight Squeeze" and "Head Over Heels."

Here's how "Tight Squeeze" is described:

"A boardroom meeting is interrupted by Pterodax, a trio of former KGB agents, led by Sergei (James Marsters) who blast through an outside window to gain entry into the building. Pterodax are a well-outfitted organization who use sonic blasters, fluoroscopic vision and are encased in heavy body armor. Additionally, the trio sport jetpacks that enable them to fly. Over at Empire State University, it's a harmless afternoon where Harry Osborn (Ian Zierling), Mary Jane Watson (Lisa Loeb) and Peter Parker (Neil Patrick Harris) take turns peering through a pair of Harry's binoculars. When it's his turn, Peter spots Pterodax invading the meeting and hurries off to the rescue as Spider-Man. Pterodax are moments away from detonating a safe in the room in order to steal its contents - "prototype hyper-diamonds" when Spider-Man shows up. He defeats them, then as Peter it's off to news channel Empire-1 to sell a Spider-Man news video. At the station, Peter is introduced to Indira Daimonji (Angelle Brooks), a beautiful television intern who aids him in getting his footage aired. Unfortunately, it also lands the both of them as one of many hostages when Pterodax commandeers the newsroom. Pterodax's demands are simple, they want Spider-Man or they will start eliminating hostages! As soon as the moment presents itself Peter escapes into the shadows to re-emerge as Spider-Man. However, Pterodax has set a trap for Spider-Man and know one knows that they plan on being the only ones getting out of the station alive.

Here's how "Head Over Heels" is described:

"It's a world of balance for Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego Spider-Man and makes more sacrifices than most. This morning is no different as he juggles his academics, a floundering social life and one heroic rescue after the next. What Peter can't save is his unfortunate pairing with Christina - his new Psychology lab partner - a gifted yet quirky scientific type who is also fanatical in her devotion to Spider-Man. She convinces Peter that she has the perfect invention to help them score a high grade in class, an ESP crown, that she wants to demonstrate by reading Peter's mind. While she's wearing it, the crown malfunctions jolting her brain with electricity. The voltage alters Christina's reality and suddenly Spider-Man - well - a 2-D version of the wall-crawler is advising her on how to get close to the real Spider-Man. Soon, Christina is no longer able to distinguish fantasy from reality and has deadly designs on Mary Jane Watson who she views as her major competition for Spider-Man's affection."

IMAGE COMICS' FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER

Image Comics will release Frankenstein Mobster #0, by Mark Wheatley, on Oct. 1. The book will be an ongoing, bi-monthly series.

Here's how Image describes the book:

"Welcome to Monstros City, a port-of-entry like many others for immigrants from around the world. As elsewhere, these newcomers are searching for a new life in the Land of the Free, and cultures mix to produce a lively, active, exciting place. This town, though, has one class of immigrant not found in other burgs…

"They like to be called 'Exceptionals,' but many people just call them Monsters!

"Mummies, Vampires, Ghouls, Trolls, Giants, Werefolk and Changelings. Like the English, European, Mediterranean, Asian and African 'normals' who came before them, the "Exceptionals" wanted a land to call their own, where they could escape persecution and their children could find a better life. Instead they became second-class citizens, living in the slums known as the Dead End. These so-called Monsters are preyed on by mobsters and suspected by the police. They've waited for someone who would protect them against the criminals, someone who would champion their cause to the Law.

"What they're about to get is the Frankenstein Mobster.

"First Terry Todd was a police detective with a more-than-compelling need to enforce the law. Then he was dead, but that just didn't work out. Now he's been revived in a patchwork body, suddenly confronted with three unscrupulous mobsters sharing his head. His desires to help the people of his city and to forge a stronger relationship with his daughter are constantly challenged by the evil motivations of the mobsters who share his thoughts."

"The teaser ran in Hammer of the Gods #2, and between that and the ashcan I had at the Pittsburgh and San Diego Comicons, the level of fan interest and excitement about this series has really been outstanding." Wheatley said. "I've been looking forward to doing this series for a long time, and it's great to see the enthusiasm for it."

EDITOR'S NOTE: COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Comic-Con International ended on Sunday, but The Continuum's coverage continues throughout this week with more than 30 stories and interviews.

Here are some links to previous stories in case you missed them recently.

* For stories from Preview Night, including an interview with Mike Mignola about the Hellboy movie, CLICK HERE.

* For the CrossGen Comics panel, CLICK HERE.

* For the WildStorm Productions panel, CLICK HERE.

* For a look at the Hellboy movie trading cards, CLICK HERE.

* For a look at the Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman movie, CLICK HERE.

* For DC Comics' Batman panel, CLICK HERE.

* For DC Comics' Vertigo panel, CLICK HERE.

* For the Spider-Man sequel panel, including a first look at Doc Ock, CLICK HERE.

* For comments from Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry about appearing in a third X-Men movie, CLICK HERE.

* For the Smallville panel, CLICK HERE.

* For an interview with Spider-Man 2 producer Avi Arad, CLICK HERE.

* For DC Comics' super teams panel, CLICK HERE.

* For Phil LaMarr talking about the Static Shock/Green Lantern team-up, CLICK HERE.

* For the Hellboy movie panel, CLICK HERE.

BRIEFLY

Coming Saturday: Witchblade news -- and much more!!!

E-mail the Continuum at RobAlls@aol.com

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