MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2009
WONDER CON: IDW PUBLISHING'S MOVIE TITLES
SAN FRANCISCO -- IDW Publishing has the comics rights for three of 2009's largest movie franchises -- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and Star Trek -- and Sunday at Wonder Con held a panel to discuss plans for their movie titles.
Panelists include Denton Tipton, Christopher Mowry, Andrew Griffith, Mike Johnson and Tim Jones.
Following are highlights:
* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will have two four-issue prequel mini-series before the film arrives in theaters on June 26.
The first, Alliance, written by Mowry, with art by Alex Milne and covers by John Nizzi wraps up in March. Mowry explained that Alliance is mostly about the relationships between humans and Autobots.
"It'll take you right into the next movie," Mowry said. "It's not spoiling anything. It just adds into it."
The second mini-series, Defiance, will continue with the third issue in two weeks and the fourth issue in April. Defiance is written by Mowry, with art by Griffith and Dan Khanna and covers by Nizzi.
Mowry explains this mini-series provides background and history on the Autobots and Decepticons and readers will see why members are on one side or the other..
The adaptation of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will ship weekly starting on May 20. It is written by Simon Furman, with art by Jon Davis-Hunt and Alex Milne and covers by Nizzi.
* IDW will publish an incentive book of Nizzi's covers and concept art. He is also an artist on the movie.
* In non-movie Transformers news, Tansformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper is slated for June. Shannon McCarthy and Tipton are writing, with Robby Musso providing art and cover and Don Figueroa an alternate cover art. It will deal with loose ends from the All Hail Megatron story.
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* In anticipation of G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra reaching theaters on August 7, IDW will release a four-issue prequel series, written by Chuck Dixon with SL Gallant on art and Joe Corroney on cover.
Duke will be featured in March, followed by Destro in April, Baroness in May and Snakeyes in June. All of the stories will take place before the movie.
* IDW will release its adaptation of the movie in July, written by Tipton, with art by Casey Maloney, who was the artist of Gene Simmons' Zipper comic published by IDW.
"His art is very cinematic," Tipton said. "We'll be coloring straight from this pencils."
A movie follow-up featuring Snake-Eyes is slated for the fall. It is written by Ray Park, who plays the character in the movie and Kevin Van Hook, with art by Gallant.
* Star Trek: Countdown wraps up in May before the May 8 release of the film. The first two issues have sold out.
Countdown writers Johnson and Jones work for Star Trek screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
"We found a way to connect the Next Generation cast to the movie," Johnson said. "You'll see how that happens in #4 and the begining of the movie. The final issue a cliffhanger and it's going to continue into the first few minuates of the movie."
"Part of the movie will take place in the Next Generation universe, so that's how we got to tie it in," Jones added.
Johnson noted that it's not a "so long, everybody" appearance by the Next Generation cast and that they are very active participants in the story.
Copyright © 2009, The Comics Continuum