Tad Williams discusses the DCU’s newest magic user and his place in the greater ‘Helmet of Fate’ storyline
 Dr. Fate needs a place to hang his hat… er... helmet, and coming up in early 2007 his search will cross paths with the Golden Age mage, Ibis.
Continuing the travels of Dr. Fate’s helm throughout the DCU, The Helmet of Fate: Ibis the Invincible #1 casts itself into comic shops this January, written by novelist Tad Williams and artist Phil Winslade.
Before making it to the DCU, the original Ibis debuted under the Fawcett Comics banner in Whiz Comics #2. Ibis began his life as Amentep, an Egyptian prince who wielded the Ibis-stick, a magical talisman granted to him by the Egyptian god, Thoth. Empowered by the Ibis-stick, the wizard could do virtually anything, including: creating force-fields, transporting himself and others, even making objects appear out of thin air!
|  In the present, a new incarnation of the wizard made a brief appearance in 52 Week 10, and Williams confirms this Ibis is “the same character [from 52], but it's not going to stay that way for very long.”
“The new Ibis is a new character—a teenager who more or less has Ibis-hood thrust upon him,” explained Williams. “[A successor was needed because] the original Ibis had almost died trying to protect the Helmet of Fate, and must return to his magical sleep to survive.”
But don’t think for a magical minute that the newbie wand-waver will get a break from his mystical duties. His first foe is an Egyptian god.
“The chief villain is the Egyptian dark god, Set, who has designs on the Helmet of Fate,” revealed Williams. “Some unpleasant bullies also play a role.”
|  Williams doesn’t hide his appreciation for Egyptian culture, and rates its relationship to the character as “a definite plus.” Ibis will definitely make his presence known to not only man, but gods as well.
“My favorite scene was almost definitely the new Ibis traveling to the realm of the old gods and meeting Thoth, the god of wisdom,” admitted Williams.
You might think artist Winslade’s pencil may also be enchanted, given Williams’ praise for his artist’s handiwork.
|  “Phil's super-realistic style actually makes a wonderful match,” said the writer. “It doesn't look like what you'd expect for a magic book, and it's so photographic in some ways that it makes the magical stuff seem even more startling.”
Although the new Ibis will have some big boots to fill in order to become one of the top spellcasters this side of Zatanna, don’t be surprised if he makes some major waves in the DCU later on.
“[He ranks] pretty low to begin with, because he's a new Ibis and knows almost nothing,” said the scribe. “But his powers are potentially very great, so it remains to be seen. Ultimately he'll probably be like Zatanna—in theory, able to do almost anything—in practice, [he’s] held back only by his own humanity.”
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--wizarduniverse.com Spawn creator insists he’ll write, direct and self-fund sequel and he even has a secret cameo in mind
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| Spawn creator Todd McFarlane insists that he is already writing the screenplay for “Spawn 2,” and once he completes that, he’ll both direct and self-fund the film.
Wizard tracked down the famed comic book artist/music video director/toy creator, and here’s what he had to say about “Spawn 2.”
“[‘Spawn 2’] will probably be ‘R’ rated,” McFarlane explained. “And here’s how the movie’s going to work: minus Spawn, everything else is real. Like in the first ‘Grudge’ film. Minus something creepy going on in that house, everything else was real in that movie. I’ve always been enamored by the creepy shows where they sort of seem like they could be real except for one element. For me, personally, once you get too much fantasy then I think you lose the element of fear.”
And McFarlane, who played a homeless guy in the original film, has plans for his next cameo.
“I’ll probably be like a sophisticated drug dealer guy that runs a club or something,” McFarlane laughed. “Someone who can spit venom if he gets pissed off. You know, a peckerhead with a goatee who think he’s slicker than he is. And, you know, I’ll probably get whacked.”
To read the complete Todd McFarlane interview, pick up the Wizard 2007 Movie Spectacular on Dec. 6, featuring the full scoop on over 120 movies. The issue contains a 33-page special report on "Spider-Man 3," the first and most comprehensive look at 2007's biggest movie. The special section contains exclusive images, photos and information you won't find anywhere else.
But that's not all. Read interviews with the stars and creators of such incredible projects coming, including "Ghost Rider," "Transformers," "Iron Man," "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "The Dark Knight," "The Incredible Hulk," "300," "Stardust," "Watchmen," "Avengers," "Flash," "Fables," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "Shrek the Third," "Eragon," "Pan's Labryrinth," "30 Days of Night," "Hellboy 2," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," TV's "Heroes," "Smallville" and many more. Check out interviews and profiles with top talent like Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Eva Mendes, Todd McFarlane, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Heath Ledger, Ali Larter, directors Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen"), Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy 2") and David Slade ("30 Days of Night"), producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers," "Stardust") and Michael Uslan ("Batman," "The Spirit") and screenwriter Zak Penn ("The Incredible Hulk," "Watchmen").
That's 144 pages of movie madness that you won't find anywhere else. Pick up the Wizard 2007 Movie Spectacular on Dec. 6.
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--wizarduniverse.com Superman, sarcastic clerks and Thundercats highlight this week’s DVD releases.
Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Do you love Superman? Do you REALLY love Superman? Do you have an infatuation with Superman that borders on psychotic? Do you have an infatuation with Superman that’s even creepier than Superman’s infatuation with Lois Lane in “Superman Returns?” If so, your train has finally arrived with this positively massive DVD collector’s set.
What does the set have to offer? Pretty much everything short of a chunk of kryptonite. It contains all four Superman films and tons of special features, including the long anticipated Richard Donner cut of “Superman II.”
That’s all well and good, but true fans are mostly excited about the newly unearthed deleted scenes from “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace,” including Superman’s battle with a second Nuclear Man! Go ahead and get your Nuclear Man costume out of the closet and glue on those fake nails, it’s time to celebrate!
An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder
|  Kevin Smith is back to delight his fanboys with more hilarious tales of working in Hollywood. Upping the ante over the original, Smith is now a jet-setting globetrotter answering questions in Toronto and London. In “An Evening with Kevin Smith 3,” he’ll travel up to the international space station and answer a Russian cosmonaut’s questions about “Jersey Girl.”
The second disc of this set features the angelic Jason Mewes, who goes around London using his signature pick-up lines to get lucky at love. Feel free to try them out for yourself if you’ve already become immune to the effects of pepper spray.
Clerks 2
After you listen to Kevin Smith answer questions about “Clerks 2,” then you can pick up the DVD and actually watch the movie. Don’t worry; the two-disc edition comes complete with the now infamously funny View Askew commentary tracks. It also contains a 90-minute documentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, video diaries and Spanish subtitles! Learn how to say “crippie-boy” in a new language!
The History Channel Ultimate Collections: World War II
The History Channel has been affectionately dubbed “The Hitler Channel” by many people, but only because their dedication to covering World War II borders on the obsessive.
If you turn to the channel at any time of the day, the chances are good that you’ll be able to catch a World War II documentary, but if you can’t handle even a single minute without your Hitler coverage, the History Channel has designed this massive set just for you. By the time you finish this 892 minute set, you’ll be qualified enough to teach a history class down at the community college.
See No Evil
The very first motion picture from WWE Films didn’t make a big splash at the box office, but it can’t be argued that the casting was at fault. There’s no better person to play a psychotic mass murderer than Kane, the wrestler whose background story is so confusing it could drive any man to murder. Is he still the Undertaker’s brother? Were the burns he covered with the mask purely psychological? The murdering impulse is rising already.
|  Supergirl
The Superman cornucopia of DVD releases continues, this time with two X chromosomes. Helen Slater slips into the heroic miniskirt in this ‘80s “classic” full of action and adventure. The movie may not make a lot of sense, even with all the deleted scenes, but people were doing a lot of yayo back in that decade. Cut them some slack.
Superman Serials: The Complete 1948 and 1950 Collection
Still jonesing for some Superman? Take a gander at these serials featuring the man of steel that your grandfather probably watched down at the nickelodeons. The special effects may consist of Superman jumping into frame from off screen, but they’ve got heart, sonny! Not that you whippersnappers would know anything about that, with your fancy computer-generated graphics and your multi-million dollar budgets.
Thundercats: Season Two, Volume Two
With every moderately popular 1980s cartoon receiving a movie, it’s quite amazing that Thundercats hasn’t made the transition yet. Maybe if “Transformers” does gangbusters at the box office, we’ll all get a chance to see The Rock playing Lion-O, Jessica Alba playing Cheetara and Howie Mandel voicing Snarf. Until then, we’ll have to make do with more DVD releases of the classic cartoon.
Van Wilder: Two Disc Unrated Edition
Here comes an unrated edition of “Van Wilder” just before the sequel hits theaters this Friday. The studios always hype up the “unrated” aspect of these films on the DVD releases, leading you to believe you’re going to see something so extreme it made the MPAA mess itself. Then it just ends up being an extra five seconds of breast. Will “Van Wilder” be the unrated edition that finally shows something messed up happening in a basement with two chicks and a goat? You’ll just have to buy it to find out.
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--wizarduniverse.com Onslaught, crossovers and tie-ins... Oh my! Universe-spanning events are the name of the game this week... Wizard Price Guide editors David Paggi and Rickey Purdin take readers behind the scenes to let them know what comics they should be paying attention to and what books are moving in stores around the world.
TALK ABOUT TALENT
The fourth and final issue of this breakout miniseries ships this week. Seeing as how the first three flew off the shelves, inciting subsequent printings and a Hollywood bidding war to option it, and the fact that sets of issues #1-3 usually go for about $20, picking this issue up might prove beneficial to both the readers and collectors in us all.
AN ONSLAUGHT OF COVERS
|  One of the most talked about books of this week is Onslaught Reborn, by Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld. Besides being a hot issue by itself, both Liefeld and Michael Turner will be providing variant covers to this ‘90s blast from the past. Will the Turner touch that Civil War has been enjoying so well carry over to Onslaught or will the collector feeding frenzy fall short? Will Liefeld’s sketch cover sink or swim? Let the fans decide!
CROSSOVER OF INFINITE TIE-INS
Civil War has produced some pretty lucrative tie-in and ancillary issues, including She-Hulk #8, Amazing Spider-Man #529, and New Avengers: Illuminati #1. Full arcs like Marc Guggenheim’s Wolverine have also grabbed the eye of collectors. This week both Captain America and Black Panther have ties to Marvel’s dividing crossover and it’s anybody’s guess which one might prove to be a favorite since both series have previously had popular tie-in issues.
SHOP TALK
Retailer Buzz and Gossip
Wildstorm ups and downs
The DC imprint is pumping out the hits with their creator-owned line, but the new Worldstorm relaunch isn’t going over as smooth.
|  “The Boys has been picking up consistently." said Matt Klokel, from Fantom Comics in Washington, DC. “I’m selling more of every issue than the previous. Red Menace is also a surprise hit. I have a few left, but I ordered more than I thought I’d need. People really seem to like it. I can tell by how many keep it on their subscription list.”
“People are upset at Wildcats #2 not coming out until February. It’s turned a few people off. Why come out with it and then not come out with another one for four months? There’s been a lot of disappointment.”
BEST BETS
Our picks for this week's surefire moneymakers:
1. Onslaught Reborn #1 (Marvel, $2.99) Fan favorites Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld return to two 90’s Marvel chartbusters, Onslaught and the Heroes Reborn universe! It’s a no brainier that this first issue will at least pique the curiosities of a legion of fan boys.
2. Immortal Iron Fist #1 (Marvel, $2.99) He may be a B-Lister, but when Eisner award winning writer Ed Brubaker gets a hold of him, people are going to be reading. Along with up and comers Matt Fraction and David Aja, this first issue is sure to heat up the sales charts.
3. Batman / The Spirit #1 (DC, $2.99) Superstars Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke are two creators who demand readers attention, so don’t be surprised if this team up of epic proportions (both in and out of the comic) is sold out on Thursday.
(Wizard Price Guide editors David Paggi and Rickey Purdin give their insight into the most collectible and valuable comics every week on wizarduniverse.com).
Special Thanks to the following retailers:
FANTOM COMICS
Matthew Klokel
fantomcomics[at]gmail.com
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--wizarduniverse.com. Harold & Kumar Meet Brandon Routh?
At a recent interview for his new movie National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, actor Kal Penn, best known as the Kumar half of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle let slip that the star of Superman Returns may be making a cameo in the upcoming sequel to that comedy. Having appeared in Bryan Singer's recent relaunch as Lex Luthor's henchman, it makes sense that Penn might try to convince some of that film's cast to join him in a Harold & Kumar follow-up.
"Actually, we are in discussions with Brandon Routh to do a cameo. I don't know if I was supposed to say that..." Penn blurted out when asked about the sequel. "Right now they don't even have a title for the script yet, it's in the very early stages. I know they were asking a couple of people. The first one, I wouldn't say it was cameo-heavy, but the movie really benefited from fantastic actors who did our film for not a huge paycheck, because they liked the script. I know Brandon was a fan of the first film, Mos Def was a fan I heard, I met Kanye West last year and he said he was a fan of the movie so it's basically all the guys we've met over the last two years who we've had the chance to hang out with because of mutual appreciation of the work. We kind of compiled a list together and we're seeing who might want to be in the sequel with us. I'm a huge Li'l Kim fan, I don't know if she knows the movie exists but I would love to work with her."
You can read our entire interview with Penn sometime this week. National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj opens everywhere on Friday, December 1.
--superherohype.com Preacher Series Coming to HBO!
HBO is developing a one-hour series based on the popular 1990s Vertigo comics series, Preacher, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Mark Steven Johnson (upcoming Ghost Rider, Daredevil) is writing the pilot, while Howard Deutch is attached to direct. Johnson and Deutch will executive produce along with Michael De Luca, George Agusto, Chris Bender and JC Spink.
Preacher, which ran from 1995-2000, told the story of a down-and-out Texas preacher possessed by Genesis, a supernatural entity conceived by the unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon. Given immense powers, the preacher teamed with an old girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire and set out on a journey across America to find God -- who apparently had abandoned his duties in heaven -- and hold him accountable for his negligence.
The series was created by Irish-born writer Garth Ennis and British artist Steve Dillon, who will serve as co-executive producers. Ken F. Levin, who represents the duo, also will serve as co-executive producer.
There have been several attempts to bring the comic to the screen, whether big or small, but nothing stuck, says the trade. A movie version, to have been produced by Kevin Smith's View Askew, among others, got to the casting stage, with James Marsden attached.
--superherohype.com
"SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE" AND SEAN MCKEEVER, TOO
 |  | | Pages 1 & 2 from "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane" #16 by new series artist David Hahn. NOTE: These pages contain some spoilers for the series. |
Once upon a time, a radioactive spider bit a nerd named Peter Parker, who became Spider-Man, fell in love with Mary Jane Watson, and went on to live a pretty exciting life. But what if Mary Jane had been Peter's high school classmate? And had fallen in love with Spider-Man during that same time? Would Peter have chosen MJ over Gwen Stacy? Those questions - and more - are answered in "Mary Jane Lover Spider-Man," the critically acclaimed out of continuity Marvel Comics series focusing on a teenage MJ and her life, which includes a certain neighborhood superhero. Writer Sean McKeever and artist Takeshi Miyazawa brought fans two popular "Mary Jane" mini-series, which spawned the current ongoing book, and the sky's been the limit since then. CBR News caught up with McKeever, who spilled the beans on "Mary Jane," "Spider-Man Family" and told us about a new artist for the former. Even with strong sales and a vocal fanbase, "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane" is still a bit of an oddity. In a comic book market full of crossovers, gritty reinterpretations of heroes, and an odd definition of "death," McKeever's insistence on producing a romance comic may seem a bit odd. "I'm all about giving the fans what they don't want, but that they need, even though they don't know it. SMLMJ is like broccoli," McKeever laughed and told CBR News. If the romantic focus of the book wasn't enough to distinguish it from competitors, McKeever's bucking the trend by writing each issue chock full of major events and genuine surprises. Readers have come to expect that big moment from McKeever each month and while that might put pressure on some writers, the mid-west native is cool as a Green Bay winter. "I can come up with character-driven story twists all day long without breaking a sweat, so I don't really find it difficult to keep pushing forward," he explained. "The nice thing about a series like 'SMLMJ,' where it's kind of like a soap opera, is that I get to keep making these fun cliffhangers and building off previous issues. I don't think that works against their being reprinted in five-issue chunks; in fact, I look at every five issues as a block of stories, much in the same way I look at every five or six scenes as an issue." One of those big events that some are anticipating - or dreading if you're a certain fan - is the fate of the recently introduced Gwen Stacy. Her "official" counterpart died in a battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man, which has made her reintroduction in other Spider-Man iterations ("Ultimate Spider-Man" and the upcoming "Spider-Man 3" film) quite interesting to fans, as there's an expectation she'll perish. In a recent issue of "SMLMJ," a character even joked about Gwen being thrown off a bridge, which some fans interpreted as foreshadowing her fate. "Nah, I think Gwen's safe," admitted McKeever. "I always wanted her to be a part of the series. In fact, her introduction was in the plot notes for my initial series pitch for 'Mary Jane' way back when. She's a wonderful character and brings a lot to the table, plus I feel she's vital to the Spider-Man mythos, so she just has to be there, you know?" Another element that "has to be there" is the turn of Mary Jane from regular girl (albeit a popular one) into the diva that fans have come to know and love as Spider-Man's in-continuity wife. Recent issues have shown that the intimacy between Gwen & Peter isn't sitting well with her, prompting a new side of MJ to emerge, as she rebuffs old friends and revels in the spotlight afforded to her by her status in school. Some fans aren't inherently happy with this turn to the "dark side" (don't worry, she hasn't named herself "Darth MJ" yet), and McKeever said that was always the intent. "My honest hope is that anyone who reads the series doesn't agree with all of her choices. It's so easy to play characters safely but it's much more interesting and authentic, I think, to really get inside a character's skin and look for a path that's true to that character."  |  | | "SMLMJ" #16, Page 3 | "SMLMJ" #16, Page 4 |
Finding that "truth" in a character is something McKeever has aspired to do since the days of his indie hit "The Waiting Place," another teen-centric book and one that established his cred as a legitimate scripter of teenage life. He admitted that he doesn't so any special research for the characters, and explained, "A lot of it has to do with an instinctive grasp of character I've always seemed to possess. Whether it was writing fiction or competing for solo acting awards, all through my school years I was able to tap into that innate ability. I also feel Tak has been a huge part of this series' success. He's great with the small, subtle moments and has one of the strongest grasps of character out there." The stars of "SMLMJ" have a slight problem with secret and lies - they're full of both of them it seems! With all the havoc that's already been caused (and by) MJ & Co with the continual inability to be totally honest, will these folks ever learn to talk straight? "Absolutely not," said McKeever. "Just look around you and you'll realize most adults haven't learned that lesson yet!" As mentioned earlier, "Spider-Man 3" is on the horizon, and with the 2007 release inching closer each day, it's no surprise that the black costume featured in the film will once again appear in the comics. As for the chances of it appearing in "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane," McKeever explained, "Last summer, I emailed Nate Cosby and Mark Paniccia with this great idea I had to put Spidey in the black costume for a while in 2007. They replied that Marvel Adventures and the other Spidey books were already doing just that, so the idea was immediately nixed. And I thought I was so clever! "So all you red-and-blue fans out there, SMLMJ will be the only place to get your fix for a few months!" However, fans just might catch a glimpse of some other young superheroes in "SMLMJ" if things go McKeever's way. From Iron Fist to Johnny Storm, Spider-Man's always hung with some young heroes and in this alternate universe, it's not too crazy to think that a hero or two might make their presence known. "It's always a possibility," admitted McKeever. "I have a couple characters showing up who were at one time regulars in the Spider-Man books. In #12, I'm bringing in Joy Mercado as a journalist for the school paper. And a certain old flame of Spidey's will be showing up down the road." Speaking of changes, McKeever told CBR News that there's a new artist joining the "Mary Jane" express, namely David Hahn, who he says was the obvious choice. "We had a really hard time figuring out who could possibly fill Tak's shoes. I mean, months of hemming and hawing, but as soon as David's name was mentioned, he made perfect sense. David's one of those artists who has a great grasp of character and subtle emotion, plus his art is clean and candy-like in its appeal. He's also a very smart storyteller. These are all of the things I loved about working with Tak, so it's a no-brainer to me."  |  | | "SMLMJ" #16, Page 6 | "SMLMJ" #16, Page 11 |
As one of the only romance books published by the Big Two (Marvel Comics and DC Comics), there's been some question as to the strength of "SMLMJ"'s sales, but McKeever happily reported that all is well. "It's been holding pretty steady, and more and more these days I seem to see adult males sort-of 'outing' themselves as fans of the series. But I still hear the occasional story of a retailer making fun of a customer for buying it, which is un-cool beyond words." If you're one of the fans who prefers McKeever's Mary Jane adventures in portable digest form, he's cool with that, though he recommends the monthly issues. "I can understand why people do it, and there are series ('100 Bullets,' 'Lucifer') that I'm more comfortable reading in collected format, but at the same time I think a lot of people are missing out on the thrill that comes from reading a monthly serial. That aspect of comics seems to be forgotten, and it's a real shame. I work really hard to make sure my comics are as addictive and engaging as monthlies as they are when collected." Not one to rest on his laurels, McKeever is tackling the Spider-Man mythos in a new upcoming series entitled "Spider-Man Family." "It's a bi-monthly series in the spirit of the 100-Page Monsters that used to come out, with a full-length lead story, a new backup and some cool reprints," he explained. "When 'Spider-Man Family' was first conceived, it was just as a one-shot. But when I pitched an idea for a comic celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 'Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends' cartoon, they decided to make that another Family. It was so successful for them that they decided to turn it into a regular feature, and here I am. "The stories are able to run the gamut in terms of what version of Spidey is used (2099, Earth X, Original Recipe), which Spidey-related characters are used, where they take place in continuity, the tone. In my first two stories, for example, I'm dealing with Spidey when he had the alien costume in kind of a fun romp in one, and then having him go up against Venom in a personal, noir-ish tale in the other. I liked being able to add to the alien costume saga, and having Peter living in his Chelsea Street apartment. I got to write Mrs. Muggins!" With all the changes in the future of "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane," it's quickly becoming one of the most exciting Spider-Man books on the stand and McKeever hopes that fans will give it a chance. "Anyone who's a fan of Spider-Man or of character-driven drama that's earnest and not overly melodramatic can jump on board. And with the recap page, virtually every issue is a great jumping-on point, so why not start with #12?"
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