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THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2007COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: IRON MAN MOVIEAlthough his film will be featured at the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego Saturday, director Jon Favreau gave fans their first look at Iron Man on Thursday at the Paramount Pictures' panel.
The clip, frequently backed by the "Iron Man" song, showcased the playboy/businessman image of Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr.
On a business trip with soldiers, Stark's envoy is attacked. It greviously injures Stark, and when he awakens he discovers a magnetic device on his chest to keep shrapel from key parts of his heart.
Stark then builds his original gray armor and breaks out from his imprisonment, which was shown in extensive action. At one point, he is fired at, with the bullet bouncing off his armor and striking the gunman.
Iron Man was also shown in his tradition red-and-gold gear, flying in formation with jets. Favreau noted that of all the footage shown, all but five images were practical, with special effects work just getting underway.
Briefly glimpes of Gwyenth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard as Rhodey and Favreau himself were also shown.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: DC COMICS COUNTDOWN PANEL DC Comics kicked off its panels at Comic-Con International on Thursday with a panel featuring Countdown.
Dan DiDio moderated the panel. Panelists included Mike Marts, Mike Carlin, Dan Jurgens, Jim Calafiore, Sean McKeever, Tony Bedard, Adam Beechen, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Paul Dini.
For running highlights, CLICK HERE.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: DARWYN COOKE LEAVES THE SPIRITBy Ernie Estrella
Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone announced at Cooke's Comic-Con International panel that they will end their run on DC Comics' The Spirit with #12.
They initially signed up for two years, but Bone had other committments and Cooke felt
that no one could measure up to the title's current art team.
Cooke also announced once he is done with The Spirit he will begin work on two original graphic novels. Both are unattached to a publisher and he is leaving it open until
the right one is found.
One Cooke described as an "All-ages fairy tale with a big sprawling story with giant robots with observations on society." He hopes to explore a story with lots of imagination along the lines of Peter Pan and Wizard of Oz.
The second graphic novel, Cooke explained, will be an adult story complete with "sex, violence, and
swearing." The protagonist will be a 30 year-old man dealing with the modern world with lots of paranoia.
"The rollout of this story will be more complex and
will release in multiple languages. It's an ambitious project, so we'll see how it goes," Cooke said.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: LEGION OF SUPER HEROESPhil Morris is pulling double duty in the DC Universe on television this fall.
In additional to returning as Martian Manhunter in The CW's Smallville, Morris is providing the voice of Imperiex, the big villain, for the second season of Kids' WB!'s Legion of Super Heroes. Morris has also been reported as the voice of King Faraday in the Justice League: New Frontier direct-to-video movie.
A promotional card given away at the Warner Bros. booth at Comic-Com International provided cast details for Season 2 of Legion of Super Heroes, as well as a first look at two versions of Superman fighting Imperiex.
Yuri Lowenthal is providing voices for both versions Superman, described as Superman and Kal-El. One is a cloned version of the original from the 41st Century.
Kari Wahlgren is returning as Saturn Girl, and she is also voicing Duo Damsel instead of Triplicate Girl. Somthing happens to the character early in Season 2.
Alex Polinsky is providing the voice of Chameleon Boy.
Morris, Polinsky and Lowenthal are scheduled to attend The Batman/Legion panel on Friday at Comic-Con, where footage from Season 2 will be shown.
Morris is also scheduled to attend the Smallville panel on Saturday, where he will be joined by executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar and cast members Erica Durance, Justin Hartley and Laura Vandervoort.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: HEROESDC Comics has obtained the rights to publish a hardcover collection based on the Heroes television series.
The book will collect the 43 webisodes that that appeared on the Heroes website last season and will feature art from Tim Sale (who also provides art for the television series), Michael Turner, Marcus To, Mitch Gunnell and Phil Jimenez and covers by Alex Ross and Jim Lee.
The book will be published through DC's WildStorm imprint.
"We are very excited to be releasing the compilation of Heroes comics through DC Comics," said series creator-executive producer Tim Kring. "Until now, most of these stories have only been available on NBC.com. To have this first printing coming from DC, the premier publisher of comic books, is a dream come true."
In other Heroes news:
* NBC has released the first image of two new cast members from "Four Months Later," the second-season premiere scheduled for Monday, Sept 24.
Shown are Dania Ramirez as Maya and Shalim Ortiz as Alejandro. Ramirez played Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
* Universal Studios Consumer Products Group has announced several other licensing parters for Heroes, including Topps for trading cards, WizKids for Clix Collectible Miniatures Games, MeadWestvaco for a calender and Scorpio Posters fror wall posters.
COMIC-CON: THE INCREDIBLE HULK'S LEADERTim Blake Nelson will played The Leader in The Incredible Hulk movie, sources have confirmed for The Continuum.
Nelson joins a cast that includes Edward Norton (Bruce Banner), Liv Tyler (Betty Ross), Tim Roth (Emil Blonsky/Abomination) and William Hurt (General Thunderbolt Ross).
Here's how The Hollywood Reporter describes the film version of the character:
"Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader, is one of the Hulk's major antagonists, a menial worker in a chemical research plant who is bombarded with gamma radiation. He emerges from his accident not only green-skinned but also superintelligent, with an oversized brain."
The Incredible Hulk is directed by Louis Leterrier from a script by Zak Penn and is scheduled for a June 13 release.
The film will be featured in a panel at Comic-Con on Saturday.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: BOOM! STUDIOS LANDS THE GODFATHERBoom! Studios on Thursday announced a licensIng agreement with Paramount Pictures for the rights to publish comic books and graphic novels based on The Godfather.
Boom! Studios is planning to publish a graphic novel and a series of mini-series based on the iconic Mario Puzo-penned novel and films beginning this winter. The series will be written by an as-yet-unannounced writer and the first arc will be illustrated by Boom! veteran Greg Scott, whose previous Boom! titles include X Isle and Enigma Cipher.
"Marvel Comics has recently set the bar really high with their Stephen King Dark Tower comics series," said Boom! co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie. "Which brings a lot of new readers into the medium -- a sort of 'gateway comic book.' But I think there's terrific potential with the Godfather to read a mass audience that's never read comics."
Richie said Boom! is allowed to use Marlon Brando's likeness.
Which means we
can tell Young Vito stories, Old Vito stories," he said. "we're really going to
flesh out and expand on the world of The Godfather in a new and
dynamic way that really hasn't been done before, exploiting the visual
storytelling that comics can do in ways that TV, film, and novels
can't."
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: DARK HORSE ROUNDUPDark Horse Comics has announced it will be publishing comic books in 2008 based on the Indiana Jones film franchise.
The fourth Indiana Jones film, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, is scheduled for next May.
In February, Dark Horse Comics will publish the first of two Indiana Jones Omnibuses collecting Dark Horse's previous entries in the saga. April sees the release of volume one of Indiana Jones Adventures -- a digest-sized graphic novel designed for the enjoyment of young readers as well as adults. The Indiana Jones Adventures volumes and the Omnibuses will continue on a quarterly basis -- including Omnibuses for the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and the original Marvel run of Indiana Jones comics.
A comics adaptation of the film will be released simultaneously with the motion picture, followed immediately by an all-new Indiana Jones comics series.
In other Dark Horse news, the publisher has entered into an agreement with New Comic Company to create archive editions of Creepy and Eerie classic material, as well as launch new Creepy and Eerie comics. The licensing deal will encompass publishing, select film and TV development, and merchandising.
Contributors to the new material will include Bernie Wrightson and Steve Niles.
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SCI FI/VIRGIN'S THE STRANDEDSci Fi Channel and Virgin Comics on Thursday announced the first original title under the Sci Fi/Virgin Comics banner. The Stranded, created and written by Mike Carey, is an epic adventure spanning two worlds as seen through the eyes of five ordinary people and whose extraordinary abilities may ultimately spell doom or salvation for the entire universe.
The comic book is expected to be released later this year.
"As Sci Fi evolves and expands its business beyond the television screen, we're thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Comics to create compelling characters and stories that are designed to live across multiple media platforms," said Dave Howe, executive vice president and general manager of Sci Fi. "The Stranded is the first original concept to be born out of this new joint venture. Mike Carey has created an incredibly rich and mysterious world and a unique cast of characters with the power and potential to come to life everywhere their story is told.²
"This partnership with Sci Fi creates an opportunity for comic writers to develop stories that move far beyond the printed page," said Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Virgin Comics. "From the concept stage, Mike Carey has been able to craft his story with some of the top creative and marketing minds in television today."
Greg Horn and Marc Silverstri will be providing covers.
OCTOBER SOLICITATIONS ROUNDUPFor previously published solicitations for October, click on the publishers' names below:
* Archie Comics.
* Aspen Comics.
* Avatar Press.
* BlueWater Productions.
* Dark Horse Comics.
* DC Comics.
* Devil's Due Publishing.
* Digital Webbing.
* Dynamite Entertainment.
* Fangoria Comics.
* Heroic Publishing.
* IDW Publishing.
* Image Comics.
* Markosia Publishing.
* Marvel Comics.
* Moonstone Books.
* Oni Press.
BRIEFLY* According to The Hollywood Reporter, the following have been cast in Warner Bros.' Watchmen movie: Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, Malin Akerman as the Silk Sprectre, Matthew Goode as Ozymandias, Patrick Wilson as Nite-Owl and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian.
* According to Variety, Guy Ritchie will direct a film version of his Virgin Comics series The Gamekeeper at Warner Bros., with Joel Silver producing.
* According to Variety, DreamWorks has acquired the film rights to the Oni Press' The Damned and Courtney Crumrin, with Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald producing.
* Fox Atomic Comics has announced a Sept. 4 release for The Nightmare Factory, a compilation of short stories based on the work of horror writer Thomas Ligotti.
* Sources have told The Continuum that Bob Gale is involved in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man plans. Also look for a Moon Knight project drawn by Tomm Coker.
COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES In case you missed The Continuum's coverage over the past month, here are some links. Click on the date to get the day's full report.
* Saturday, July 21: Legion of Super Heroes and Devil's Due Publishing for October.
* Friday, July 20: Smallville's Supergirl, Marvel First Looks and Image First Looks.
* Thursday, July 19: Aspen Comics for October, Emmy Award nominations, Kids' WB! for August, Bluewater Productions' Jason and the Argonauts, Garth Ennis' Streets of Glory, Captain Action and Marvel First Looks.
* Wednesday, July 18: The Simpsons Movie, Flash Gordon, Bluewater Productions First Looks and Dynamite's Superpowers.
* Tuesday, July 17: Marvel Comics for October, Image Comics for October and Dynamite Entertainment First Looks.
* Monday, July 16: DC Comics for October, IDW Publishing for October, Archie Comics for October, Marvel First Looks and Watchmen movie.
* Sunday, July 15: The Spectacular Spider-Man and First Looks.
* Saturday, July 14: Image Comics' Lazarus and First Looks.
* Friday, July 13: Marvel First Looks and Image First Looks.
* Thursday, July 12: Activision's Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Digital Webbing for October and First Looks.
* Wednesday, July 11: Smallville, Fantastic Four, First Looks, The Simpsons and Family Guy.
* Tuesday, July 10: Dark Horse Comics for October and First Looks.
* Monday, July 9: Painkiller Jane and Smallvlle.
* Sunday, July 8: Transformers and Who Wants To Be A Super Hero?.
* Saturday, July 7: TwoMorrows Publishing for October, First Looks and Transformers.
* Friday, July 6: Marvel First Looks, Image First Looks and DC First Looks.
* Thursday, July 5: Teen Choice nominations, Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, Dark Horse First Looks and Marvel's MAX.
* Wednesday, July 4: Markosia Publishing for October, Marvel First Looks, Archie First Looks and Painkiller Jane.
* Tuesday, July 3: First Looks, Teen Titans for July and Image Comics' Brawl.
* Monday, July 2: Transformers' Shia LeBeouf, First Looks, Second Printings and Moonstone Books for October.
* Sunday, July 1: Transformers' Megan Fox and First Looks.
* Saturday, June 30: The Darkness video game, Heroic Publishing for October, Jeph Loeb talks Wolverine #55 and First Looks.
* Friday, June 29: Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps, Image First Looks, Archie First Looks, Marvel First Looks, Superman animation, Mattel/DC Universe, Ultimate Spider-Man #100 Project and Painkiller Jane.
* Thursday, June 28: Cartoon Network's Fantastic Four, BlueWater Productions for October and First Looks.
* Wednesday, June 27: Superman animation, Marvel First Looks and Virgin Comics.
* Tuesday, June 26: Devil's Due Publishing for September, Mirage Studios for September and First Looks.
* Monday, June 25: Transformers animated, Dynamite Entertainment for September, IDW Publishing for September, Oni Press for September, Dynamite First Looks, Dark Horse First Looks, Marvel First Looks, Archie First Looks and Red 5's Atomic Robo.
* Sunday, June 24: Avatar Press for September and Fangoria Comics for September.
* Saturday, June 23: Aspen Comics for September and Marvel First Looks.
* Friday, June 22: Painkiller Jane, Fantastic Four and Kids' WB! for July.
* Thursday, June 21: Spectacular Spider-Man, Who Wants To Be A Super Hero?, Marvel First Looks and Image First Looks.
E-mail the Continuum at RobAlls@aol.com
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