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Friday, October 17, 2003

X-MEN: EVOLUTION UPDATE

X-Men: Evolution concludes its fourth season on Kids' WB! the next two Saturdays with "Ascension," a two-part episode that culminates the Apocalypse saga and figures to be among the series' most memorable episodes.

"I think it's safe to say you'll hardly be able to catch your breath in our season finale," producer Greg Johnson told The Continuum. "Out of the nine episodes this season, we introduced Apocalypse's first mysterious dome over the Mayan Pyramid in 'Impact,' then brought the threat back to the forefront in 'Uprising' when a dome appeared in China, and we will conclude it in the two-part 'Ascension' when a third dome appears.

"Between these episodes, the world - and our X-Men - could do little else but wait. But now the waiting is over. Hopefully the suspense has been building... Apocalypse makes his final move as he recruits four known characters to become his horsemen. And now there's only one way to fight a mutant this powerful - with everything, and everyone, you can.

"The scale is larger, the stakes higher, and the enemies more formidable than ever before. Tape them both, because you'll want to see the ending more than once."

X-Men: Evolution producer Boyd Kirkland, who has been with the show since the first season, told The Continuum that the sound mix and picture were just finished on Wednesday.

"And it is amazing!" Kirkland told The Continuum. "Everyone has outdone themselves on these, as the writing, acting, directing, artwork, animation, editing, music and sound are all as good or better than anything we've done. The X-Men face higher stakes than ever before. Things happen that will make your jaw drop. Battles reveal hidden potentials that some characters never knew they had. And by the time part 1 ends, you'll be counting the days until part 2 airs to see how it all turns out!"

The network has not announced yet if there will be a fifth season of the series.

"A fifth season would be great, as I feel this series just keeps getting better," Kirkland said. "These characters are rich with potential. We still have many great stories to tell. Whether that will happen, is in the hands of Kids' WB! and Marvel. Hopefully, we'll know within the next few weeks."

Click on the thumbnails below for teaser images Kids' WB! has been running this week.





PUNISHER MOVIE UPDATE

Gale Anne Hurd, producer of The Punisher movie, said that the character's motivation comes not only from the murder of his family, but a sense of betrayal.

"This is a guy who has always abided by the law and only used those abilities when he was given orders," Hurd said during The Continuum's visit to the set in Tampa, Fla., last weekend. "And to have that whole sense of right and wrong turned on its head when he's powerless to do anything about his own family... And the fact that he's never going to get justice from the system that he upheld for so many years, that he devoted his life to.

"And that's what created The Punisher. It's more than just his family. It has to do with this whole system in which he has been a willing soldier not giving him the justice that he feels is deserved when killers walk free."

Although the movie is an origin story, Hurd said it doesn't have to deal with how Frank Castle acquires his skills.

"(Being) a special forces operative prepared him for this," Hurd said. "It's not like he has to come into his powers. He already has them. Now it's just a question of whom he uses them against."

Look for more Punisher news soon here in The Continuum.



MARVEL'S ULTIMATE STARTS

Marvel Comics on Thursday released details and several new images from its Ultimate Starts stunt in December. During the month, Ultimate Spider-Man #50 and Ultimate X-Men #40 will launch new arcs, and Ultimate Fantastic Four premieres.

For more details, including the first look at Ultimate Angel and Ultimate Black Cat, CLICK HERE.

Spiderman now at Buycostumes.com


MOONSTONE BOOKS FOR FEBRUARY

Moonstone Books has released its solicitation information for February.

For a rundown, with cover images, CLICK HERE.

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NEW JEREMIAH EPISODE

A new episode of Jeremiah, "Letters From the Other Side: Part Two," premieres Friday at 10 p.m. (ET) on Showtime.

Here's how Showtime describes the episode:

"Kurdy meets the mysterious Mister Smith. Reluctantly, they join others from Thunder Mountain in Lee Chen's danger-ridden plan to rescue Jeremiah, Marcus, and Erin from Valhalla Sector."

The episode was written by J. Michael Straczynski an directed by Martin Wood.

"The plot lines built up through the past season all converge in part two of the Jeremiah season premiere," executive producer Scott Rosenberg of Platinum Studios said. "Jeremiah has finally learned the secret of the mysterious Valhalla Sector, the place his father was trying to reach when they were separated 15 years ago in the final days of the Big Death. He's discovered the connection between Valhalla and the 'Burners' who've clashed with the forces of Thunder Mountain and... he's finally learned the fate of his father. Now he, Marcus, and Erin are captives, pawns in Valhalla Sector's plans to assert their control over the remnants of society.

"To free Jeremiah and the others, Thunder Mountain security chief Lee Chen -- whose loyalty has been suspect -- actually releases the Big Death Virus in a desperate attack against Valhalla Sector. Remember, the only other time it was released wiped out 6 billion people in a few months!

"Fighting to save his friends, Kurdy is aided by an unusual ally, the mysterious Mister Smith, who once again comes to Kurdy's rescue, still claiming that everything he does is moved by the word of God. If you haven't seen Jeremiah, this is a great place to start: this episode is the climax of everything that's come before, and its shattering finale changes the world of Jeremiah and the direction of the series forever."

Click on the thumbnails above for larger images from the episode, and look for more Jeremiah news soon here in The Continuum.

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STREET FIGHTER #2 SELLS OUT, GETS NEW PRINTING

Image Comics has announced that Diamond has completely sold out of Street Figher #2 by Ken Siu-Chong, Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang and Andrew Hou. The book arrived in stores on Wednesday.

Image director of marketing Eric Stephenson announced a second printing of Street Fighter #2 The new cover for the second printing is by Arnold Tsang. (Click on the thumbnail to the right for a larger image.)

Street Fighter #2 was originally solicited with four covers, by Tsang, Adam Warren, J. Scott Campbell and Jo Chen. In addition to the variant covers, the issue also includes a bonus prequel story by Warren.

"We are very happy that the book is going strong, but I do believe we haven't seen the full impact of the Street Fighter fans who are not comic book store regulars," said Erik Ko, Chief of Operations for UDON. "As word of mouth continues to grow within the gaming community, more and more fans will flock to comic stores for copies, so I urge retailers to make sure they keep this book in stock. We're doing our part by keeping these issues in print to meet demand."

Street Fighter #3, on sale on Nov. 5, features three covers, by Alvin Lee and Ramil Sunga, by Kevin Lau and a "Power Foil Cover" by Chen. Lau also contributes a backup story pitting Ken against Zangief.

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ONI PRESS' JULIUS

Oni Press will release Julius, a 152 page black-and-white original graphic novel by writer Antony Johnston and artist Brett Weldele. Following in the footsteps of such films as O and 10 Things I Hate About You, Julius takes Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and gives it a modern urban twist.

"Like any fan of theatre, or literature for that matter, there's a special place in my heart for the Bard," said editor James Lucas Jones. "Old Billy's work is truly timeless. The themes he explores and the archetypes he uses to examine them really transcend time and setting. Watching Antony rip the politics and intrigue out of Rome and inject it into a world of British gangsters expertly rendered by Brett has been an absolute treat. I just can't wait until we can share the sweets."

Julius' territory continues to grow, consuming the streets of London. The residents of his 'hoods adore him like a king and his enemies fear him more than they do the devil. The heads of the other organized crime families share this love/terror feeling for Julius. Their feelings are so pronounced that they're considering what should be unthinkable--dissolution of the individual family leaderships and consolidation under Julius' organization. Not everyone is happy with this turn of events though, including some close to the man himself...

"Adaptation is a tricky business," Johnston said. "Changing not only the setting and period but the medium as well presents a wealth of obstacles and challenges.

"There are always limitations when you produce work for the stage, and that was even more true during Shakespeare's time, Much of the epic action had to happen offstage as a result and Shakespeare turned this to his advantage by focusing instead on character and situation. But graphic novels have no such restrictions, so Brett and I have the freedom to depict as much or as little as we want of both the politics and action in this story. Balancing the two is tricky, sure, but I think we've pulled it off, and a large part of that credit has to go to Brett's excellent storytelling and character depiction."

In addition to Julius, Weldele is also hard at work on The Last Straw Man, a four-issue Western from writer Jim Krueger and Image Comics schedule for this winter.

"The moment Antony pitched this project I knew Brett had to be the one to draw it," Jones said. "He's a versatile talent that adapts his style to the project in front of him with careful consideration. I know he's worked on several projects that fit under the crime umbrella, but his work on Julius is a unique take that blends the mood of the play with the gritty realism of the setting to create pages that both tell the story clearly and convey a memorable visual experience to the reader. Antony and I had discussed a very specific approach for this project--one that would relied heavily on the pacing opportunities available in the graphic novel format. Brett grabbed those opportunities by the horns and hogtied all of those ideas into one gorgeous graphic novel."

Julius will cost $14.95.

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FIRST LOOK: ARCHARD'S AGENTS #1

Archard's Agents #1: The Case of the Puzzled Pugilist will arrive in stores on Wednesday from CrossGen Entertaiment. The issue is written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Mike Perkins and colors by Christina Strain.

Here's how CrossGen describes the book:

"Archard's Agents #1: The Case of the Puzzled Pugilist stars former prize fighter Peter Grimes, who -- away from the watchful eye (and brilliant brain) of master sleuth Simon Archard -- attempts to solve a mystery of his own. The question is, can a brawny boxer crack a case without using his fists?"

Archard's Agents #1: The Case of the Puzzled Pugilist will be 32 pages and will cost $2.95.

GIVE'EM A CLICK


Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life on DVD


BRIEFLY

  • The "Green Loontern" episode of Cartoon Network's Duck Dodgers premieres Saturday at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Filmmaker/comics writer Kevin Smith provides the voice of Hal Jordan.

  • DC Comics on Thursday announced new printings for Teen Titans and Superman/Batman. Teen Titans #1 Fourth Printing and Superman/Batman #1 Third Printing both are scheduled to arrive in stores on Nov. 5.

    Teen Titans #1 Fourth Printing features an alternate version of Michael Turner's cover from this issue, presenting Turner's original pencils without inking or coloring. Superman/Batman #1 Third Printing features a never-before-published cover by Ed McGuinness.

  • To the left is a promotional image from Tutenstein, the new animated series based on Jay Stephens' comic book characters. The series launches on NBC's Discovery Kids on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT.

    Here's an updated description of the show:

    "When 10-year-old Pharaoh Tut-ankh-en-set-Amun (meaning 'The Living Image of the Place of Amun,' and nicknamed Tutenstein) awakens from the dead in present- day, he still thinks he rules over all he surveys. Smelly bandages, portals to the underworld and serious entitlement issues abound in Tut's funny, wild, and sometimes scary adventures, which are derived from real Egyptology."

  • Coming Saturday: Smallville news, solicitations -- and much more!!!



    COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES

    In case you missed The Continuum's recent coverage, here are some links:

    * For Friday, Oct. 10, including Dark Horse's solicitations, CLICK HERE.

    * For Thursday, Oct. 9, including Avengers news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Wednesday, Oct. 8, including X-Men: Evolution news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Tuesday, Oct. 7, CLICK HERE.

    * For Monday, Oct. 6, CLICK HERE.

    * For Saturday, Oct. 4, including Star Wars news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Friday, Oct. 3, including Smallville news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Thursday, Oct. 2, including Spider-Man news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Wednesday, Oct. 1, including Jutice League news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Tuesday, Sept. 30, including Jutice League news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Monday, Sept. 29, including Catwoman movie news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Saturday, Sept. 27, including Batman news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Friday, Sept. 26, including Smallville news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Thursday, Sept. 25, including Smallville news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Wednesday, Sept. 24, including X-Men: Evolution news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Tuesday, Sept. 23, including Angel news and images, CLICK HERE.

    * For Monday, Sept. 22, including Marvel's solicitations for December, CLICK HERE.

    * For Saturday, Sept. 20, including Smallville news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Friday, Sept. 19, including details on the Mutant X season premiere, CLICK HERE.

    * For Thursday, Sept. 18, including CrossGen news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Wednesday, Sept. 17, including Image Comics' solicitations for December, CLICK HERE.

    * For Tuesday, Sept. 16, including DC Comics' solicitations for December, CLICK HERE.

    * For Monday, Sept. 15, including an Underworld interview, CLICK HERE.

    * For Saturday, Sept. 13, including Platinum Studios' deal with Disney, CLICK HERE.

    * For Friday, Sept. 12, including Dark Horse's solicitations for December, CLICK HERE.

    * For Thursday, Sept. 11, including Smallville news, CLICK HERE.

    * For Wednesday, Sept. 10, including Marvel news, CLICK HERE.


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