[PREVIEW] Runaways #27
Whedon & Ryan have taken the Runaways to New York and introduced them to some very important people, such as the Kingpin and the Punisher. Now the team is taking a giant step backwards… to 1907!
Written by JOSS WHEDON
Penciled by MICHAEL RYAN
Cover by JO CHEN
Rated T+ …$2.99
Superstar scribe Joss Whedon and fan favorite penciller Michael Ryan continue their critically acclaimed “run” on Marvel’s hottest teen team in Runaways # 27! Under their tenure, Whedon & Ryan have taken the Runaways to New York and introduced them to some very important people, such as the Kingpin and the Punisher. Now the team is taking a giant step backwards… to 1907! So what’s in 1907? Tons of new characters! Both friendly and unfriendly faces from Runaways issues past! Action! Love! All this and comedy to boot! Also, meet a new character that will become a Runaway!
For more information, click here!
Source: wizarduniverse.com
PREPARE FOR BATTLESTAR
Wizard goes inside the “Battlestar Galactica” all-access event to learn the secrets of the show’s final season
By Savas Abadsidis
Last night the SciFi Channel offered 500 fans, some who waited up to eight hours outside, to spend the evening with the crew of a Battlestar.
The occasion: a very special “Battlestar Galactica” All Access Event at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight Hollywood Theater. For many, it was the first opportunity to learn directly from the producers about why the show was entering into its fourth—and final—season.
 Hosted by Lucy Lawless—the show’s rogue Cylon D’Anna Biers—this awesome evening began with a five-minute clip of the highlights of the show on the big screen. Lawless then brought out creator Ron Moore, executive producer David Eick, Edward James Olmos (Commander William Adama), Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Captain Lee “Apollo” Adama) and Katee Sackhoff (Lieutentant Kara Thrace), and conducted a panel discussion on everything their characters, the show, its origins and what to expect in Season Four. About forty fans took the opportunity to step up to the mike to ask questions on anything they liked, (including who did Sackhoff’s hair.)
An ongoing joke from Eick was that they were ending the series because Moore’s residual checks from “Star Trek” were coming in and he didn't need to work anymore. In all seriousness, though, Eick, Moore and Olmos proposed that the primary reason for the conclusion of the series was that the creators always wanted to end the show. It was, they said, a series with a clear story arc, with a beginning and an end, and they wanted to finish it on their own terms.
One of the big obstacles to the show’s succes” was the way “BSG” was watched by fans. Most recorded it via digital video recorders like TiVo or downloaded it from iTunes, rather than the traditional commercial model that NBC/Universal (of which SciFi is a part) or its parent company GE was used to. “BSG” fans didn’t watch the commercials in the numbers GE understood as equaling a successful series. Olmos made a joke that Nielsen, the namesake of the ratings system that measures television viewership, “has a hole in his head,” and is irrelevant because it doesn't account for many Latino, Black and Asian-American households who he suggested constituted a huge part of the fan base, nor did it recognize the fans who TiVo’d or DVR'd the show. After suggesting that GE couldn't understand a show that didn't sell Cheetos, getting laughs and applause from audience, he then backtracked and noted that the reason he mentioned Cheetos at all was because they were still an important sponsor and a tasty snack. The main thrust of the conversation was that they wanted it to end before it was forcibly canceled.
Olmos came across as the show’s most ardent fan. “We won't see another show like this in our lifetime," he argued, going on to say how “gifted and lucky we were to have a series like this that commented on our society while it was happening.” Olmos declared they “could keep his paycheck and I would do the show,” a program whose significance people would not recognize for 10-20 years. He pointed out that network execs were equally skeptical about “Miami Vice,” another series in which he starred, always threatening to cancel the series until they realized how much it had become part of the cultural zeitgeist. He noted how the show reflected current geo-politics and societal issues in a non-pedantic way, which is what the best of science fiction does. He then added on that the montage we saw in the opening of the program was the way the show ought to have been shown, on the big screen—that it was a true space opera limited by the conventions of television.
Mary McDonnell complained, facetiously about always having to follow Ed’s eloquence, and then added that they were ending the series “right and complete, on its own terms.” “Nothing could rival it,” she stated flatly.
 Sackhoff, looking sexier than she ever does on the series, talked about the secrecy and deception she had to maintain regarding her apparent death toward the end of Season Three: She brought her mom to set the final day, they had a goodbye party with cake and champagne, and she had to lie to fellow cast members. She talked about how bad she felt when the cast and crew saw her return for the season’s final episode. Regarding another mystery, Lawless joked about how Adama is always shaving but never seems to date and wondered aloud about whether he and President Roslin would be getting down and dirty in Season Four.
According to Moore, “BSG” was never meant to be a polemic on current events. He said that this approach was actually encouraged by the network to differentiate “BSG” from other sci-fi series like “Star Trek” and “Stargate,” in an effort to make it more realistic and relevant. After watching the pilot to the original ’70s series in late 2001, he saw the parallels to 9/11 and incorporated them per the network’s request. Also highly influential to the show’s look, Eick added, were realistic military films like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down” which gave them visual cues that they incorporated into the sci-fi milieu.
After the creators said that at the end of the show they unequivocally would arrive at Earth or as Moore teased, “whatever you want to call Earth.” One audience member questioned whether they had painted themselves into a corner, coyly suggesting that it would be probably be Earth about 3-5,000 years ago, to which Moore replied “no comment” and jokingly, “remove this man.” He indicated that the survivors of the colonies may be the founders of simultaneous civilizations around the globe (i.e. our Indo-European civilizations and religions). This explanation would fit nicely into Moore’s “cinema verite” of the series, and dovetail with his obsession with military, politics and world history.
The group discussed the significance of the commonly uttered phrase on the series, “All that has happened, has happened before and will happen again,” as well as the use of lyrics from the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” during the Season Three finale, as indicative of connections between the Twelve Colonies and our own society, implying that there is a repetitive thread throughout all humanity. Olmos and McDonnell added, “to see the future is to see the past”—a reference to one of the tropes of the series, in which characters from Gaius Baltar to President Roslin have had visions, and offered significant clues to where the conclusion is headed.
Moore emphasized that the “super-structure,” the overall mythos of the show, was always intended to be true to that of the original ’70s series, i.e. the rag-tag remnants of humanity on the run trying to survive and find Earth, and with Apollo and Starbuck as best friends (albeit this time Starbuck as a woman that Apollo also has the hots for, which he suggested jokingly could be read into the original male/male friendship/relationship in the original series as played by Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict). This prompted a question from an audience member on whether gay sexuality would be shown in the fourth season. Moore pointed out Baltar’s, Six’s and D’Anna’s threesome on the Cylon Baseship, and said that there was definitely a gay romance in “Razor,” the two-hour movie airing in November as a prequel of sorts to Season Four.
Olmos commented on the debt owed by the series to “Blade Runner,” the sci-fi masterpiece in which he co-starred, particularly the themes of Artificial Intelligence and what constituted the soul and “life,” which were never resolved in the film. He jokingly blamed it on Harrison Ford, whose fans couldn’t accept him in such a cerebral role after “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He suggested that the new “human” Cylons and their quest to redeem themselves and find “God” was a direct descendent of the plight of the replicants in “Blade Runner,” and praised Bob Young, who helped develop the new “BSG” series for the resuscitation of that theme.
The evening was pleasant, instructive and very interactive, with the cast and producers being frank and extraordinarily gracious to the fans. The cast members, as well as Eick and Moore, were very thankful and respectful toward all the questions being asked in an unusually free flowing conversation (by Hollywood standards) that welcomed and revered the fan base of this spectacular series. Lucy Lawless was genial and intimately friendly as the host, and often bawdy in the best possible Aussie sense—for example, commenting on the impressive size of Bamber and Sackhoff’s respective sex organs during all the nude scenes they’d done. She cracked up the crowd many times, but elicited the biggest reaction with the promise that she would be returning for the fourth and final season.
For the grand finale, the group showed clips of “Razor,” the two-hour, two-episode movie that will air in November, chronicling events on the Battlestar Pegasus and containing seeds for the final season. “Razor” will bridge the gaps between Seasons Two and Three, as well snippets of the first human/Cylon war. The big reveal? We will see the Centurions much as they appeared in the 1970s series, to my surprise and delight. This will be all fans will get until the final season begins sometime in early 2008, according to Moore.
To top the evening off, the “BSG” crew offered the coolest swag I’ve seen in ages: Black T-Shirts that said “Frak Off” in a red “BSG” font. Fanboys and fangirls, fire up those FTL drives and get to eBay quick.
For more information, click here!
Source: wizarduniverse.com
THE Powers BEHIND G.I. JOE
Meet the former X-Men editor tapped to rocket the G.I. Joe team into its 25th anniversary
By Kiel Phegley
Mark Powers is the comic industry equivalent of an army brat.
After starting out as a Marvel Comics college intern, the newly minted writer of Devil’s Due’s G.I. Joe: America’s Elite made his way through several editorial gigs, including kick-starting Grant Morrison’s acclaimed run on New X-Men. Although fans may not yet think of Powers’ name when it comes to the industry’s talent pool, they may have to start soon. Over his first four issues on America’s Elite (#24 hit comic shops this week), Powers has spun a revenge tale—centering on Cobra villainess the Baroness tracking Cobra Commander around the world in an attempt to rescue her kidnapped infant child—that has struck a chord with readers, gaining praise from longtime Joe readers and new fans alike.
And now that the opening salvo “Sins of the Mother” has wrapped, the writer and newcomer artist Mike Bear will continue on the book, launching “World War III”—billed as the biggest event in Joe history with a yearlong story arc returning classic characters like Duke, Shipwreck and Snake-Eyes to prominence. Wizard Universe nabbed Powers to talk about what it’s like to make the shift from editorial presence to freelancer, how he made the Baroness interesting and why never having read the original Joe series is good for the new book.
WIZARD: Comics is such a small business; we find people moving around a lot and wearing a lot of different hats as they go along. Today you’re writing G.I. Joe, but before you were editing at Marvel, right?
Powers: I worked for Marvel for a long time, and then I worked on staff at Devil’s Due as an editor. Now I’m writing the book at Devil’s Due that I once edited, which is weird. [Laughs]
I was wondering what your full-time gig is these days aside from writing?
Powers: I’m actually calling from my job right now on my lunch hour. I work as an editor/coordinator at a graphic communications company in Manhattan. And then I do the Comics stuff at night.
Had you planned from the start of your career to write, or did you just want to keep your foot in the business once you left the staff gig?
For the full interview, click here!
Source: wizarduniverse.com
Berlin Speed Racer Press Conference Online
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
The official website for Warner Bros.' Speed Racer has been launched with many clips from the recent Berlin press conference, a Podcast of the entire 40 minute event, as well as the transcript. Directed by the Wachowski brothers ("The Matrix" trilogy), the May 9, 2008 release stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Kick Gurry, Paulie Litt, Roger Allam and Ji Hoon Jung.
Click here to check it out!
For more information, click here!
Source: superherohype.com
THE BOYS #9 AVAILABLE IN AUGUST!
Issue #7 Sold Out and TPB Almost Gone!
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT announced today that The Boys issue #7 sold out within a day of hitting stores, with Diamond Comic Distributor's re-ordering Dynamite's available stock (orders are still being filled by Diamond, and retailers who ordered may still have stock). Not to be outdone, the trade paperback collection of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's controversial smash hit series sold out at many retailers across the country as the orders and re-orders were shipping to Diamond. Additionally, Dynamite has released images and information announcing The Boys #9, which is scheduled for an August release!
Dynamite stated, "A sell out of issue #7 within a day of shipping is a great sign. Diamond over ordered it, and we overprinted, and demand is greater than the supply! And the trade collection has been a monster seller! It's a great way for The Boys to begin their Dynamite launch! Retailers who are sold out should re-order 1st prints soon, as we anticipate this TPB being out of print very soon (and of course, when that happens, we will create a new printing!) As always, we want to express thanks to the fans and retailers for all their support, devotion and confidence. The anticipation and hype for The Boys continues to be outstanding, and now with the upcoming release of issue #8 and today's announcement for #9, it looks like things are becoming bigger and better as the series rolls on. Also, congratulations to Garth and Darick- the guys have really set a new standard of dedication when it comes to The Boys, and now everyone's hard work has paid off. Thanks, guys!"
About the sell out of issue #7 and TPB, as well as the upcoming release of issues #8 in July and #9 in August, Garth Ennis stated: "Oh, yes. Everything's coming together... very nicely..."
And Darick Robertson exclaimed, "Launching the book with dual signings in Manhattan, (thanks to Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics) Garth and I got a first hand view of the very palpable enthusiasm that 'The BOYS' has upon it's return to the shelves. The sell through is just amazing. It's gone further than I ever would have imagined.
"When many folks were speculating our demise upon the cancellation, our numbers actually went up. Thank you to each and every one of you that vocally supported and waited for 'The BOYS' to return and thank you to DC Comics for being so professional and cooperating to create this expedient return to a monthly schedule.
"Of course, without the enthusiastic hard work of Nick Barrucci and the Dynamite staff, none of this would have happened. We're in good hands at Dynamite and the book is well on its way to resuming the momentum we began at Wildstorm last Summer."
Due to the overwhelming demand and strong praise in the form of reviews and comments from fans both new and old, DYNAMITE requests specialty retailers review and review their orders for issue #8 (MAY07 3337) still available for advance re-order and as well as the upcoming issue #9 (JUN073396) available for initial orders.
For any fans who may have perhaps been living, as they say, under a rock for the last several months, The Boys was originally published by DC/Wildstorm until being cancelled with issue #6. After much outcry and speculation, the series was announced as being picked up by DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT -- the new publishers beginning with issue #7, as well as the Trade Paperback collection of the Six DC/Wildstorm Issues. And now you know, the rest of the story…
DYNAMITE PRESENTS The Boys #9 (JUN07 3396) By Garth Ennis (Writer) and Darick Robertson (Artist, Cover Artist)
The most talked about comic of the year continues from DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT, writer/co-creator Garth Ennis and artist/co-creator Darick Robertson!
The game is a foot as Hughie and Butcher's murder investigation runs deeper into the Tek-Knight's background. The deeper they dig, though, the bigger the mystery. And what dark secret does Hughie have about the Tek-Knight and his headquarters?
Recommended for Mature Readers
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