Blog Archives
Marvel Has Got Space Characters Too!
I posted yesterday about Threshold, the new DC Comics space series. Well not to be outdone – especially with a big movie on the way – Marvel revealed their space-based comics at a panel at NYC Comic-Con. First up we have the new Guardians of the Galaxy, written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Young, attractive, blonde male make the best lead characters
As you can see, the team will feature Starlord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, Drax and someone who appears to be a space-armored Iron Man. This is the exact lineup as the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014. I wonder if these will be their movie costumes. The inclusion of Iron Man clearly has to do with the shared Marvel movieverse, considering Iron Man is probably the most popular character from the movies. So why not garner some fan attention for the Guardians by throwing Iron Man onto the team?
Personally…I’m not impressed. I’m a huge fan of Bendis, don’t get me wrong, but I was never particularly fond of his Avengers comics, and I doubt I’ll pick up his Guardians comic. I tend to buy comics based on my favorite characters, and none of my favorite Guardians are going to be in this series. I’m sure it will be great, I’m sure Bendis has some great ideas lined up. I just doubt it’s for me.
But I really do hope this works out for Marvel, and I can’t wait for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie!
Next up we have the new Nova series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.
Alas, if only he’d been blonde
Sure enough, the new Nova is revealed to be Sam Alexander, a teenager who has taken up the Nova mantle after original Nova, Ritchie Ryder, was lost in space. Sam Alexander is also the same Nova who is appearing in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. He also had that big cameo in the last issue of Avengers vs. X-Men.
Gotta say, I’m also not interested in this one. I loved Ritchie Ryder’s Nova during and after Annihilation, but I have zero interest in reading a new Nova just for Nova’s sake. And Jeph Loeb’s comics haven’t been too great, as of late. I’m just don’t particularly care.
So it looks like both these comics will pass me by. There’s still one more day of the NYCC though, so there may be even more new series announced that I can get behind!
DC Comics is Going to Try Again With Superman
This can’t be good news for the replacement writers on Superman and Action Comics. But DC has announced a brand new Superman comic – called Man of Steel – that will be written by superstar writer Scott Snyder and drawn by superstar artist Jim Lee. It will come out next year, not so coincidentally alongside a new Superman movie that is also titled Man of Steel.
Look at him break stuff like a pro!
Jim Lee, of course, is one of the most popular comic book artists of the modern day, and one of the big wigs at DC Comics corporate. He was also the artist entrusted with starting the New 52’s flagship Justice League series.
Scott Snyder is currently writing the spectacular and incredibly popular Batman series, and is the mastermind behind both the Court of Owls and the current, highly rated Joker storyline.
So clearly DC Comics is banking hard on this new Superman series.
But that makes me wonder how the new creative teams of the current Superman comics – Action Comics and Superman – must now feel. I mean, jeez, why don’t DC just hang big signs around their neck that their comics won’t matter in the wake of Man of Steel? I can’t imagine that the Superman comics are doing so well that Superman could support three ongoing series. Batman is doing it, but just barely. And Superman is not as popular as Batman.
DC has actually had a bit of trouble with Superman in the New 52. Grant Morrison has been writing a pretty popular Action Comics, but he’s leaving in the new year, to be replaced by Andy Diggle. Not to talk down on Mr. Diggle’s work, but he’s no Grant Morrison. Nobody is Grant Morrison. Though personally, I haven’t been a big fan of Morrison’s Action Comics. Considering it was supposed to be the main Superman title in the new reboot, Morrison went really insane really fast, which I thought was disruptive in the context of a reboot.
And then Superman the series has had four different writers in just one year, with Scott Lobdell taking over in September. And readers of my blog will know that I’m no fan of Scott Lobdell’s work on Teen Titans – though I am sort of enjoying his work on Red Hood and the Outlaws. But Scott Lobdell is no Scott Snyder or Grant Morrison or anybody else. Not to be mean, but he’s not an A-list talent in the comic book world. After losing George Perez – who was very vocal about why he left Superman – and Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens, it seems like DC just looked around their office for someone who wasn’t mad at DC Comics and just threw Lobdell into the slot.
So clearly Superman has been floundering in the New 52, whereas characters like Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman have exploded out of the gate. This new Man of Steel comic may turn things around and give us some quality Superman stories…but why not put Snyder and Lee on one of the existing Superman books? Why try to support 3 identical Superman comics?
Though I definitely think I’ll be buying Man of Steel when it comes out. Snyder and Lee are great!
Welp, So Much For My Superior Spider-Man Theory
Oh well. Can’t win them all. Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott appeared at an early morning breakfast on today’s unofficial start to New York City Comic-Con. He told the investors and other big shots about some of the details for Superior Spider-Man, the upcoming relaunch of the wall-crawler.
I’m going to save the spoilers until after the jump, just in case you don’t want to find out. But suffice to say, my theory that Doctor Octopus kills Mary Jane Watson has been debunked – that is, if you believed Bleeding Cool…which I tend to do.
My Brain Just Exploded – Ninja Turtles LEGOs!
Holy crap, you guys. I literally started shaking when I saw this announcement. LEGO has secured the licensing rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they’re going to start producing LEGO sets at the start of the new year.
My inner child is bursting with joy
Granted, they’ll be based on the new Nickelodeon cartoon, and not the classic 1980s Ninja Turtles, but c’mon! Don’t hold that against them! What little they’ve revealed so far look positively amazing. I am an old school LEGO nerd from way back, and I can’t help but get giddy and excited every time LEGO announce a new geeky license. Star Wars, Batman, X-Men, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and more have all gotten the LEGO treatment. And once again I have to ask, why didn’t we have these awesome LEGOs when I was a kid? Why was I forced to use my stupid imagination? Gah!
But the injustices of my childhood aside, this is utterly brilliant. The Turtle mini-figs look adorable, and they each come with accurate weapons.
Leonardo is the best Turtle
The only actual playset they’ve announced so far is one that involves the new version of the Turtle Van (I think), but you can visit this website to see all of the various mini-figs they’ve shown so far at the New York City Comic-Con. I still hate the new version of Splinter, but the Turtles look great, as do the Shredder, Krang and new evil mutant Dogpound. Though personally, I’ll always be a fan of Bebop and Rocksteady.
And unfortunately, Krang appears to be just painted onto the shirt instead of being an actual removable brain. Oh well.
I’m going to start saving my money now and hope that LEGO gets around to making sets of the classic Ninja Turtles from the 1980s.
Henchman-4-Hire 