Comics

Clint Eastwood Confirms that he almost played SUPERMAN and JAMES BOND!

Published on: 8th September, 2010

Legendary actor Clint Eastwood revealed in a recent interview that he almost ended up playing Superman and James Bond at one point in his career! Could you imagine how awesome it would have been to see Eastwood in either one of these roles! Sure he may not have really fit the parts, but just to see how he would portray these characters would be cool to see! He explains in the interview why he turned down the roles and also lets us know what his favorite comic book character was when he was a kid. When asked about the role of Superman he said, Thank God that I didn’t have to do that. I can remember – and this was many years ago – when Warner Bros. President Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman. So it could have happened. This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but no t me. As you all know the role eventually went to Christopher Reeve who did an incredible job playing the man of steel. He went on to describe what happened with James Bond and why he turned it down. I was also offered pretty good money to do James Bond if I would take on the role. This was after Sean Connery left. My lawyer represented the Broccolis and he came and said, ‘They would love to have you.’ But to me, well, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it. It would have been so weird and fascinating to see Eastwood in these roles, but honestly I think he made the right decision in turning down the offers. These movies ended up pretty pretty awesome without him. Plus, I can’t imagine him doing a English accent or wearing tights at all. As far as who his favorite comic book character as a kid was, here’s what he had to say, The Sub-Mariner, that’s the one I always liked. I had all of those comics when I was a kid. I would have never guessed that one! Who likes The Sub-Mariner?

Clint Eastwood Passed On 1978′s ‘Superman,’ Wanted To Play Namor

Published on: 7th September, 2010

We’ve presented a fair share of “What If?” casting stories over the years here on Splash Page, with many of them involving actors who, at one point or another, came close to playing Superman on the big screen. There was Christian Bale , Brendan Fraser , David Hasselhoff , and… Clint Eastwood? Yes, according to an interview with Hero Complex , the “Dirty Harry” star was considered for the title role in 1978′s “Superman” — a role that eventually went to Christopher Reeve. “I can remember – and this was many years ago – when [Warner Bros. President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman,” said Eastwood. “So it could have happened. This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.” Richard Donner’s big-screen take on the Man of Steel eventually took flight with another actor, but Eastwood said he wasn’t interested in the role then or later, drawn instead toward roles he felt were more “grounded.” “I always liked characters that were more grounded in reality,” he said. “Maybe they do super things or more-than-human things — like Dirty Harry, he has a knack for doing crazy things, or the western guys — but, still, they’re not caped crusaders.” Superhero typecasting was also a concern, according to the veteran actor and filmmaker. “That was part of the consideration, a big part,” he said. “Look at Reeve, he was excellent. That was a big factor. You get a role like that, and it locks you in a bit. True, I had the western genre and the ‘Dirty Harry’ role, but everybody made westerns and did cop movies; they didn’t seem as bad [for typecasting the actors].” And in a bit of a surprise turn, Eastwood name-dropped the one superhero he was a big fan of: Marvel’s sea-dwelling Sub Mariner, Namor . “The Sub-Mariner, that’s the one I always liked,” he said. “I had all of those comics when I was a kid.” Would Clint Eastwood have made a good Superman? What about Namor? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter ! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall , on Twitter!

Boise State Football And Jobs Comic Creators Have Had In Today’s Twitter Report

Published on: 7th September, 2010

If you’re currently working a job outside of comics and want to break into doing creative work, take heart while looking over the #jobsivehad entries that showed up on Twitter over the weekend. Jim Lee used to work in a hospital warehouse, Steve Niles sold donuts, and Fred Van Lente taught summer campers how to play RPG’s, according to their accounts. Elsewhere, college football kicked into gear again, and both Rob Liefeld and B. Clay Moore kept tabs on the Boise State/Virginia Tech game last night. Not everyone has been watching sports, though. Ben Templesmith dissected “The Human Centipede” and Gail Simone took a shot at director M. Night Shyamalan . Find out if you agree after the jump. I’m @brianwarmoth , and this is the Twitter Report for September 7, 2010. @GailSimone If M. Night Shyamalan did Piranha 3D, all the killer fish would be albinos and he’d say it was the ‘most diverse killer fish movie ever.’ -Gail Simone, Writer (“Wonder Woman,” “Birds of Prey”) Jobs pt. 1: @jimlee00 Construction day laborer, lab researcher, 6Flags BBQ cook, hospital warehouse grunt, pizza deliv boy, psychology lab guinea pig #jobsivehad -Jim Lee, Artist (“Batman,” “X-Men”) Jobs pt. 2: @SteveNiles Retail clerk, cook, Game tester, videogame producer, caterer, paperboy, donut sales, bass player (not really a job) writer. #jobsivehad -Steve Niles, Writer (“30 Days of Night,” “Criminal Macabre”) Jobs pt. 3: @reneefrench bean picker, movie cashier, photo retoucher, color printer, medical photographer’s assistant, suit, cartoonist #jobsivehad -Renée French, Writer/Artist (“The Ticking,” “Micrographica”) Jobs pt. 4: @fredvanlente D&D Counsellor: At a theater camp called French Woods on the PA/NY border. My job, literally, was to run RPGs with the campers. -Fred Van Lente, Writer (“Action Philosophers,” “Marvel Zombies”) Jobs pt. 5: @CBCebulski If it hasn’t already been said, “Jobs I’ve Had” sounds like an idea for an anthology or web series for creator’s pre “breaking in” stories. -C.B. Cebulski, Sr. VP, Creator and Content Development (Marvel) @robertliefeld Wow. Boise State. Whatta game. Welcome back football. -Rob Liefeld, Writer/Artist (“X-Force,” “Youngblood”) @bclaymoore Boise State just believes they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the nation, and they prove it every year. Great program. -B. Clay Moore, Writer (“Hawaiian Dick,” “Billy Smoke”) Parting Wisdom for the Day: @Templesmith So far, the Human Centipede is showing me that clearly, Doctors are paid far too much money. -Ben Templesmith, Writer/Artist (“30 Days of Night,” “Welcome to Hoxford”) Be sure to follow @MTVSplashPage on Twitter for up-to-the-minute breaking news in the world of comics and movies.

It’s Superman/Batman Vs. Lady Gaga/Justin Bieber In This Week’s Back-Issue Bin!

Published on: 3rd September, 2010

Another week is in the rearview mirror, and the list of top headlines was all over the charts this time around. We had great video game trailers, legal scuffles, exclusive previews, and info on the next big animated feature from the DC/WB crew — so it’s safe to say that there was something for everyone the last few days on Splash Page. Case in point: the two big team-ups generating buzz on the site were Superman/Batman and Lady Gaga/Justin Bieber. Seriously! Nevertheless, I’ve assembled a list of the week’s Top 10 headlines, counting down to the most popular story of the last seven days here on Splash Page. 10. Mark your calendars, because we posted info on the big-screen premiere of “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.” 9. I pulled images of some of the villains appearing in the cool new “Spider-Man” Shattered Dimensions” trailer . 8. “True Blood” actor Stephen Moyer denied knowing anything about the rumor that he was up for the role of Dr. Doom in the “Fantastic Four” reboot. 7. This week also brought an early peek at Part Two of the Archie/Twilight parody comic ! 6. We brought you an exclusive preview of the next Lady Gaga comic from Bluewater : “Fame: Lady Gaga 2.” 5. 90210 Day had the comics world tweeting about the Beverly Hills gang… which was a little weird, to be honest. 4. If you’re hoping to see “Unbreakable 2″ some day , you could get your chance — but not how you might expect. 3. Mark Millar gave us an exclusive preview of “Kick-Ass 2″ (the comic) and told us when to expect production on the film to begin! 2. The comics world was buzzing (on Twitter, at least) about the Emmy Awards . We posted a roundup of what some creators and publishers were saying about the show. And for the week’s top story… 1. Bluewater Comics spoke with MTV News regarding the cease-and-desist orders on their unauthorized Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber biography comics . Pretty amazing, eh? Wait ’til next week! What was your favorite story this week? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter ! You can also follow me, Splash Page editor Rick Marshall , on Twitter!

Full Description of SMALLVILLE Season 10

Published on: 3rd September, 2010

As you know the Smallville i s finally coming to an end in its tenth season. I’m excited to see how this series is going to end, and I really hope it goes out on top. The CW has recently released an official description of the final season and the approach the creative team has taken to end the Smallville series. Here is the official description: The end of the beginning starts here. Taking flight in its tenth and final season, this modern retelling of a hero’s legendary origins continues to blend realism, action, heart and humor as Clark Kent (Tom Welling) soars toward claiming his birthright. Clark has emerged from his darkest hour, only to find the path to his destiny blocked by ghosts from the past – shadows in the present tempting Clark toward the darkness at every turn. Despite insurmountable odds, is Clark strong enough to step into the light and claim his rightful place as Earth’s mightiest protector? As “Smallville’s” epic ninth season came to a close, General Zod (Callum Blue) and his Kryptonian Army declared war on the people of Earth. Clark prevented the deaths of thousands, if not millions of humans by using the Kryptonian Book of Rao to stop the attack. The spiritual tome opened a gateway to another world, one where Clark’s people could exist in peace. One-by-one, every Kryptonian on Earth was propelled across the universe, but as Clark prepared for his “ascension,” Zod refused to leave. Using a blue Kryptonite dagger to make himself human and avoid being sucked into space, Zod remained behind so that he could rule a world without its guardian, Clark Kent. Having no other option to rid the world of Zod’s tyranny, Clark plunged the dagger into his own abdomen, protecting himself from ascension – and exiling Zod in the process. Though victorious, Clark’s win was bittersweet as he plummeted off the building and into the darkness below. After a fateful kiss, Lois Lane (Erica Durance) realized that the two men she had been torn between all season – Clark Kent and Metropolis’ heroic Blur – were one and the same. Having finally found redemption and a second chance at love, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and Oliver Queen, a.k.a. the Green Arrow (Justin Hartley), were ripped apart. Chloe was forced to painfully listen as the love of her life, Oliver, was abducted by mysterious assailants during his attempt to help Clark defeat Zod’s Army. And Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), heir to the late Lex Luthor empire and double agent for the now-defunct government organization Checkmate, was fatally burned at Zod’s hand in an attempt to right past wrongs. As Tess flatlined in Metropolis General Hospital, she was visited by a shrouded, elderly woman. The granny’s motives…still unknown. Throughout season nine, Clark, bearing the iconic S-shield of his heritage, struggled to find his place between the human world in which he was raised and the Kryptonian world he was born into. Having made peace with his dual heritage, Clark, in season ten, must now find the courage to step out of the shadows and emerge into the light. Never before has there been such a dangerous time for Clark to step into the public eye and take on the mantle of the inspirational icon he is destined to be. As the tide of sentiment in Metropolis turns against heroes, branding them as unchecked vigilantes, our defender of justice will be called upon to re-define what it really means to be a superhero. Given how dangerously close Clark has skirted to crossing the line in the name of “justice” in the past, will he truly earn the right to be the symbol of good for humanity, or will he prove the naysayers right, that no one individual can be judge, jury and enforcer. In the midst of this turmoil, a new danger will emerge as a dark force takes on many faces, threatening Clark at every turn. Hawkman (Michael Shanks), Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort), and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider), Clark’s late, adopted father – forever and always Clark’s moral compass, will stand by Clark’s side as he takes his final steps toward accepting his birthright. He will need all the help he can get to fight the impending evil onslaught…the greatest darkness ever unleashed on Earth. The season ten premiere, “Lazarus,” opens mere seconds after last season’s finale. Clark Kent wakes from his near-death experience, haunted by the ghosts of his past, both friend and foe. Given a new lease on life, Clark must find a way to rid himself of every last temptation, to purge himself of every last shard of doubt in his heart before he can become the beacon of hope the world needs. But a very real threat from Clark’s past has returned to challenge his ascent, causing Clark to question the nature of his crusade. Lois Lane will face her own crisis of meaning, trying to redefine her place in the world now that she knows Clark’s super secret – but Clark won’t discover that she knows, and that’s the way she wants to keep it. Lois will try her best to keep the mild-mannered reporter at arms’ length in the hopes that a life free of romantic complication will make him a better hero. Struggling with her own affairs of the heart, Chloe Sullivan will be faced with an impossible question – how much is she truly willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves? Chloe will take a tumultuous step into danger for the greater good, the hands of Fate, her only guide. When Chloe vanishes, Oliver Queen will be forced to look long and hard at the circumstances behind it. Blaming himself for her disappearance, Oliver will begin exploring accountability for all his past actions, good and bad – what great lengths will Oliver go to in order to bring his lost love back home? Having risked her own life in an attempt to become accountable for her own misguided actions, no one is more surprised than Tess Mercer when she wakes, alive and well, in a seemingly abandoned medical facility. But what secrets lie in wait in the recesses of “Cadmus Labs”? And how much is Tess willing to give up to seize her second chance at redemption? “Smallville” was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters. Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Tom Welling. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Full Description of SMALLVILLE Season 10

Published on: 3rd September, 2010

As you know the Smallville i s finally coming to an end in its tenth season. I’m excited to see how this series is going to end, and I really hope it goes out on top. The CW has recently released an official description of the final season and the approach the creative team has taken to end the Smallville series. Here is the official description: The end of the beginning starts here. Taking flight in its tenth and final season, this modern retelling of a hero’s legendary origins continues to blend realism, action, heart and humor as Clark Kent (Tom Welling) soars toward claiming his birthright. Clark has emerged from his darkest hour, only to find the path to his destiny blocked by ghosts from the past – shadows in the present tempting Clark toward the darkness at every turn. Despite insurmountable odds, is Clark strong enough to step into the light and claim his rightful place as Earth’s mightiest protector? As “Smallville’s” epic ninth season came to a close, General Zod (Callum Blue) and his Kryptonian Army declared war on the people of Earth. Clark prevented the deaths of thousands, if not millions of humans by using the Kryptonian Book of Rao to stop the attack. The spiritual tome opened a gateway to another world, one where Clark’s people could exist in peace. One-by-one, every Kryptonian on Earth was propelled across the universe, but as Clark prepared for his “ascension,” Zod refused to leave. Using a blue Kryptonite dagger to make himself human and avoid being sucked into space, Zod remained behind so that he could rule a world without its guardian, Clark Kent. Having no other option to rid the world of Zod’s tyranny, Clark plunged the dagger into his own abdomen, protecting himself from ascension – and exiling Zod in the process. Though victorious, Clark’s win was bittersweet as he plummeted off the building and into the darkness below. After a fateful kiss, Lois Lane (Erica Durance) realized that the two men she had been torn between all season – Clark Kent and Metropolis’ heroic Blur – were one and the same. Having finally found redemption and a second chance at love, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and Oliver Queen, a.k.a. the Green Arrow (Justin Hartley), were ripped apart. Chloe was forced to painfully listen as the love of her life, Oliver, was abducted by mysterious assailants during his attempt to help Clark defeat Zod’s Army. And Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), heir to the late Lex Luthor empire and double agent for the now-defunct government organization Checkmate, was fatally burned at Zod’s hand in an attempt to right past wrongs. As Tess flatlined in Metropolis General Hospital, she was visited by a shrouded, elderly woman. The granny’s motives…still unknown. Throughout season nine, Clark, bearing the iconic S-shield of his heritage, struggled to find his place between the human world in which he was raised and the Kryptonian world he was born into. Having made peace with his dual heritage, Clark, in season ten, must now find the courage to step out of the shadows and emerge into the light. Never before has there been such a dangerous time for Clark to step into the public eye and take on the mantle of the inspirational icon he is destined to be. As the tide of sentiment in Metropolis turns against heroes, branding them as unchecked vigilantes, our defender of justice will be called upon to re-define what it really means to be a superhero. Given how dangerously close Clark has skirted to crossing the line in the name of “justice” in the past, will he truly earn the right to be the symbol of good for humanity, or will he prove the naysayers right, that no one individual can be judge, jury and enforcer. In the midst of this turmoil, a new danger will emerge as a dark force takes on many faces, threatening Clark at every turn. Hawkman (Michael Shanks), Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort), and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider), Clark’s late, adopted father – forever and always Clark’s moral compass, will stand by Clark’s side as he takes his final steps toward accepting his birthright. He will need all the help he can get to fight the impending evil onslaught…the greatest darkness ever unleashed on Earth. The season ten premiere, “Lazarus,” opens mere seconds after last season’s finale. Clark Kent wakes from his near-death experience, haunted by the ghosts of his past, both friend and foe. Given a new lease on life, Clark must find a way to rid himself of every last temptation, to purge himself of every last shard of doubt in his heart before he can become the beacon of hope the world needs. But a very real threat from Clark’s past has returned to challenge his ascent, causing Clark to question the nature of his crusade. Lois Lane will face her own crisis of meaning, trying to redefine her place in the world now that she knows Clark’s super secret – but Clark won’t discover that she knows, and that’s the way she wants to keep it. Lois will try her best to keep the mild-mannered reporter at arms’ length in the hopes that a life free of romantic complication will make him a better hero. Struggling with her own affairs of the heart, Chloe Sullivan will be faced with an impossible question – how much is she truly willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves? Chloe will take a tumultuous step into danger for the greater good, the hands of Fate, her only guide. When Chloe vanishes, Oliver Queen will be forced to look long and hard at the circumstances behind it. Blaming himself for her disappearance, Oliver will begin exploring accountability for all his past actions, good and bad – what great lengths will Oliver go to in order to bring his lost love back home? Having risked her own life in an attempt to become accountable for her own misguided actions, no one is more surprised than Tess Mercer when she wakes, alive and well, in a seemingly abandoned medical facility. But what secrets lie in wait in the recesses of “Cadmus Labs”? And how much is Tess willing to give up to seize her second chance at redemption? “Smallville” was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters. Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Tom Welling. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

A ‘Sandman’ TV Series… For Real, This Time?

Published on: 2nd September, 2010

We’ve heard the news before, but this time it seems like it might hold up. Neil Gaiman’s seminal “Sandman” is in the “early stages” of being developed into a television series. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Warner Bros.’ TV faction is currently in the process of acquiring the rights to the series through sister company DC Entertainment, and is concurrently in talks with writer-producers about adapting it for the small screen. Most likely to be handed the reigns thus far is Eric Kripke, creator of the CW’s “Supernatural.” Captained by the character Morpheus (“The Lord of the Dreaming”), “Sandman” initially carried readers through nightmarish explorations of the human psyche, expanding into fantasy and its own mythology by visiting Morpheus’ (or Dream’s) realm along with his team of siblings, The Endless — Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium. A “Sandman” movie has been a planned concept since the mid 1990s and even went as far as including “Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avery as a prospective director. (Through this connection, Avery and Gaiman would later collaborate on the script for “Beowulf”.) The project would continually be dropped due to weak scripts (derided by Gaiman and fans alike) from a variety of writers. Then recently, up until at least May, Gaiman and DC appeared to be headed to HBO, where—Gaiman told MTV News—a “Sandman” television series seemed the “most logical” style of adaptation. For one reason or another, the project never solidified. At this point, it seems like a natural milestone. Any beloved, critically acclaimed, and very long series publishers plan to bring to life on the screen experiences similar cycles of production and non-production ( “Preacher,” anyone? ): publisher wants to make said property into movie, realizes they can’t do justice to subject material within a movie, publisher decides on TV and tries HBO, HBO deal falls through, publisher reverts to its home base development teams. Though Gaiman was consulted at points during the HBO attempt, he was never involved in the project in an official capacity, which may have been a result of its components failing to congeal. As of yet, these new developments are in stages too preliminary to involve the author, but if the planned series advances any further, it’s likely he’ll soon be a key figure in its production. To say the task of adapting the series to screen is daunting would be an understatement. As one of the few mainstream publisher comics that transcended its medium’s typical audience to become a hit among female readers, intellectuals and the art-loving crowd, any “Sandman” adaptation would undergo intense scrutiny by a multitude of passionate fans. According to the report, the challenge is a major attraction to Kripke, who’s displayed a fervent dedication to his own creative visions, refusing to return as showrunner on “Supernatural” when the CW renewed the series for a season past Kripke’s planned five-season story arc. Do you think it’s possible to get “Sandman” right on the small screen? Do you trust the WB or wish a deal with HBO hadn’t fallen through? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter !

Bryan J.L. Glass Talks in Depth about THOR: FIRST THUNDER

Published on: 2nd September, 2010

Marvel recently conducted an interview with comic writer Bryan J.L. Glass in which he talked in depth about his new Thor comic Thor: First Thunder and Valkyrie, which gives us a modern day retelling of the origin of Thor! The five-issue limited series retains many elements from Thor’s original origin story found in Journey Into Mystery #83, but it’s updated with current sensibilities. I imagine it will follow the storyline of the upcoming Thor movie a little more. It sounds like it will be a fun comic to read. Here is the Interview from Marvel: Marvel.com: To start things off here, you’re doing two stories that focus on Norse mythological characters. So, my first question is what is your obsession with Norse mythology, sir? Bryan J. Glass: [ Laughs ] I personally do not have an obsession with Norse mythology. The character of Thor through Marvel Comics fascinated me during the Walt Simonson era. His run was my introduction to Thor outside of the Avengers. Then, you can’t be a friend of Mike Oeming without having his love of mythology rub off on you. Mike originally pitched his series concept Hammer of the Gods to me back in the mid 90′s. I spent a couple of months doing research, but I eventually had to drop out of that. But it was during that very short period of time that I was doing research that I developed my love for Norse mythology, which we then applied to Mice Templar, and it was through Mice Templar that I got VALKRYIE and through VALKRYIE [that] I got THOR: FIRST THUNDER. That’s the chronology. [ Laughs ] Marvel.com: What about Norse mythology appeals to you and drew you in? Bryan J. Glass: Norse mythology, to me, is passionate. There are some very intriguing parallels with Judeo-Christian in a way that’s too elaborate to explain right now. But yet, the Norse mythology comes down on this very savage honor that is very intriguing and compelling. Marvel.com: What’s interesting with the THOR series is that you’re going back to the beginning and taking what’s come before in both the super hero sense and Norse sense and basically updating his origin. How did you find the balance between the super hero aspects and Norse aspects? Bryan J. Glass: Well, the very first challenge I faced was stepping into the shoes of Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber, who dialogued most of those early issues, and Jack Kirby, who brought his storytelling expertise through the dynamic art. It was very daunting. While I was thrilled to get the assignment, I was both humbled and intimidated to follow in those footsteps. There’s such a temptation in young creators today to climb on the backs that pioneered the path before them in order to proclaim how much better they are than the pioneers that got them there. That was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do or be accused of doing. I wanted to find a way to honor the assignment, but to do so in a way that honored Stan and Jack. Most of those early JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY issues focused far more on Thor on Earth than they did on [his] Asgardian origins. In this particular instance, to take a year’s worth of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY and condense them into five issues, it essentially is all Thor on Earth. There wasn’t a lot of room to explore Asgard because in the story, Thor has been banished. In this new exploration, we are taking events that were originally revealed later, [specifically] that Odin banished Thor to Earth in the form of Doctor Donald Blake for him to learn humility as a punishment. I introduced that as a form of that punishment, he has been denied Asgard. In FIRST THUNDER, Thor is not coming and going between Earth and Asgard with impunity. He has been barred until the lesson has been learned. Marvel.com: When you look at Thor’s origins in those early issues, it definitely has that Silver Age sensibility to it. He’s being chased by monsters and stumbles into a cave that just happens to have the stick that he taps and becomes Thor. How do you take those beats and shape into a more modern tale? I understand that you really wanted to take events from the original run and give a more logical progression to it all. Bryan J. Glass: When they presented the assignment to me and I accepted, editor Bill Rosemann gave me the first 12 issues of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY with Thor. The instruction was that they wanted one thematic story to tell. And they didn’t tell me what they wanted that story to be. It was almost like I was being tested. They just said, “Read through these and find a theme that you can build a five-issue story arc out of.” I found the theme I was looking for with Thor and Donald Blake and the banishment from Asgard and Thor’s eventual return to glory at the end. Then I started going through the issues. In that first year, Loki appeared three times, but in those three appearances it was “he escaped from Asgard, wreaks havoc on Earth, Thor captures him and sends him back,” then “Loki escapes from Asgard, wreaks havoc on Earth, Thor captures him and sends him back.” [ Laughs ] It made you wonder why Loki was not escaping constantly in all the years that Thor was not in the ether of the universe after he was banished. What has Loki been doing all that time? I took the first two of Loki’s adventures and I took elements of two separate stories and combined them into issue #2, which features Loki’s grand escape from Asgard. Only instead of being apprehended by Thor at the end, Thor captures him, but Loki engineers his escape. So, Loki is in the background of the entire series instead of a constant “capture, escape, capture, escape.” I used Thor’s knowledge of Loki being loose in the world as Thor’s reason to fight evil globally. We use that guilt as a driving motivator for Thor to embark on these various adventures. At one point, we do a montage in the series where I acknowledge every single adventure through an image or two that occurred in that first year of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY. We’re using that impetus of Loki loose in the world to have Thor embark on those adventures. We find a way that across the montage of Thor’s various adventures it’s accompanied with a newspaper editorial and that’s one of the ways that we’re showing how the world is reacting to a god on Earth. When he makes his first real public appearance in issue #2, he is surrounded by camera phones and the whole shebang. As issue #3 rolls around, the world is beginning to react to what does this mean and who is this being? Thor’s appearance captures the imagination of the world. People begin pondering what does it mean, is he a god. Over the montage of his adventures is the newspaper editorial of the world trying to come to grips of who is he and what he means for mankind. Before we close out, I wanted to also hit on VALKYRIE, which does retell her origin, but also reintroduces the character. How are you approaching her and what has come before? Bryan J. Glass: The history of Valkyrie is a very confused one. I’m sure there are fans who can chart every twist and turn, but [while] the heroine we know as Valkyrie has always been the body of the field maiden Brunnhilde, her soul has not always been within that body throughout the history of the Marvel Universe. When Valkyrie first appeared, fighting The Hulk, it was Enchantress inhabiting Brunnhilde’s body. When Valkyrie appeared in DEFENDERS, it was the body of Brunnhilde inhabited by a mortal soul Barbara Norris. In the 90′s, they introduced another human inhabiting her body, Samantha Parrington. So, when they gave me the assignment, I immediately asked which incarnation of Valkyrie Ed Brubaker is using in SECRET AVENGERS. The editor told me that he was going right back to Brunnhilde. When J. Michael Straczynski brought Thor back, he introduced the dilemma Thor faced in that he found that all the Asgardian souls had been reincarnated into mortal bodies. But Thor did the math and realized that there were so many Asgardians that he didn’t have enough time to individually seek out every Asgardian. He invoked the Odin power and did this big, cosmic, global lightning storm to awaken instantly every Asgardian on Earth. Thor’s concern was about what would have happened to these Asgardian souls if their mortal bodies died. Thor awakened them all, but he never showed Valkyrie awakened. And the next thing you knew, there was Valkyrie fighting Red Hulk. So, there was my hook. We never saw the story of her resurrection. How is it different from all the other Asgardians? Well, I took the fear of what happens to those Asgardian souls if the mortal body dies? So our story begins with the murder of Valkyrie’s mortal body. To close everything out, there’s only one question left and I think is the most important when it comes to Valkyrie: What is up with those pigtails? Bryan J. Glass: [ Laughs ] As a 21 st Century American male, I do not consider myself an expert on Norwegian culture and hereditary dress. It is one of the looks that is associated with the region historically. It’s a fashion template of both mid-Western America and the Scandinavian, Swedish, Norway region.

90210 Day, Oil Rig Explosion, And ‘Machete’ Facts In Today’s Twitter Report

Published on: 2nd September, 2010

Your favorite TV show may not be fortunate to contain five or six digits that could one day become a date, but “Beverly Hills 90210″ celebrates its special day today, and while some have embraced this cosmic coincidence, others in the comics world are less impressed. Meanwhile in the Gulf of Mexico, a new oil rig explosion prompted some panic in the feed. This anxiety was accompanied by varies reactions to Apple’s new socialized Ping addition to iTunes, Brian Michael Bendis ‘ testimony that he does not use a ghost writer, and Jimmy Palmiotti on the state of decompressed storytelling in comics. I’m @brianwarmoth , and this is the 9/02/10 Twitter Report. @g_willow God save the gulf coast…ANOTHER oil rig has exploded?! -G. Willow Wilson, Writer (“Air,” “Vixen: Return of the Lion”) @BRIANMBENDIS i see some interwebby douchetools are spreading the rumor that i have ghost writers. i never ever ever have or will. i write every word. -Brian Michael Bendis, Writer (“New Avengers,” “Ultimate Spider-Man”) 90210 Day pt. 1: @neilkleid Apparently today’s 90210 Day? Screw that — tell me when it’s Quantum Leap Day -Neil Kleid, Writer (“Ursa Minors,” “Action, Ohio”) 90210 Day pt. 2: @CBCebulski My 90210 connection? Gabrielle “Andrea” Carteris did the voices of Elektra & the Enchantress in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, which I wrote. -C.B. Cebulski, Sr. VP, Creator and Content Development (Marvel) 90210 Day pt. 3: @ronmarz People are pointing out that today is 90210. I would like to point out that I have never, ever seen an episode of that show. -Ron Marz, Writer (“Green Lantern,” “Witchblade”) @joe_hill Robert De Niro has twice won the Oscar. By coincidence, Danny Trejo cut a guy named Oscar in jail, a couple times. #factsaboutmachete -Joe Hill, Writer (“Locke & Key”) @eliopoulos All signed up on Ping and know that if anyone sees my musical choices, they will decide not to follow. Huey Lewis, really?! -Chris Eliopoulos, Artist/Writer/Letterer (“Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers,” “Misery Loves Sherman”) Parting Wisdom for the Day: @jpalmiotti I really believe that comics have become so decompressed that when certain people have to actually read , they dont want to. -Jimmy Palmiotti, Writer (“Jonah Hex,” “Painkiller Jane”) Be sure to follow @MTVSplashPage on Twitter for up-to-the-minute breaking news in the world of comics and movies.

Mark Millar Drops ‘CLiNT’ Comics Magazine On Doorsteps Today, Previews The First Issue!

Published on: 2nd September, 2010

Brits woke up to something kick-ass on their doorstep today: the first issue of Mark Millar ‘s brand new comics magazine, “ CLiNT .” From Titan Publishing, Millar, and British talents Jonathan Ross and Frankie Boyle , “CLiNT” promises to bring fans something they’ve been missing — a comic book disguised as a magazine. “CLiNT” features four serialized comic strips (including a preview of “Kick-Ass 2” ), as well as interviews and features on video games, movies and television. “It’s really secretly selling people comics,” Millar told MTV News. “My dad’s generation and my generation all read comics as children but my daughters generation, the boys in her class have never picked up a comic book. So I wanted it to be something teenage boys and young guys in their 20s would feel comfortable with, you know? Something that is a hybrid.” Millar says that despite appearances, the magazines varied features are only a small portion of the whole product. In fact, the cover of the first issue actually jokes, “WARNING! Contains Comics!” “What I wanted to do then was to make it something that people who’ve never picked up a comic, and you have to be honest with this, most people in the real world have never picked up a comic before,” he said, “it’s something that wouldn’t look too alien to somebody who’s never read a comic before.” The first issue features an article on the Chinese Tom Cruise, “Hot TV Mums” and a story on Charles Manson, among other things. The comic side of “CLiNT” features the first installments of Ross’ 1920s vampire/gangster story “Turf,” Boyle’s “Rex Royd,” and Millar’s “Nemesis.” (Check out images from each of the series at the end of this article.) With that collection of creators, could you imagine if those three had to work in an office together? “I guarantee nothing would ever get done,” said Millar. “We’d just sit and talk to each other all day. It’s really just a bunch of friends doing a magazine. I made it so those guys could write stories and it’s just great fun.” Although Millar is aiming mainly at the U.K. market, American’s can get ahold of “CLiNT” with a subscription — just don’t expect it to show up on your local grocery store shelves with the other magazines anytime soon. Millar is having enough trouble getting Brits back into the habit. “Most sales are done through specialist comic stores which I love, I absolutely love and I go and support every week. I buy all my comics at specialist stores but when I was a kid you could buy comics anywhere,” he said. “There’s such an incredible network here to distribute your magazine. Every single person in the U.K. pretty much, lives within a ten minutes walk to a place that could potentially sell comic books.” But for Millar, it wasn’t as simple as ten-minute walk to figure out how to actually sneak “CLiNT” into grocery stores. “Comics are the wrong size, at the wrong price point, so what I did was I engineered the magazine to be very, very attractive to these people. I had the size of the pages blown up to magazine size, I had features about things that are very mainstream and at the same time trying to keep the comic strips to something that people who never read ‘Spider-Man’ or ‘X-Men’ would understand and I packaged it in such a way that it is like the other magazines on sale.” So far, at least on the retailer end of things, Millar has succeeded stating that 70-percent of sales would be through supermarket chains. He also hopes that someone in the U.S. will follow his lead. Like any creator, Millar wants the magazine to be a success — but not only for himself. “It’s quite a unique experiment and hopefully it will work because I’m very passionate about British comics scene, which has been very, very depleted now for twenty years while everyone is working in the states,” he said, “Alan Moore and all the British comic writers who’ve been working in the states, I’d love to bring them back here.” “CLiNT” #1 is on sale today, September 2, and Millar and fellow magazine contributor Jonathan Ross will be signing copies at 4:30 PM at WH Smiths in London’s Victoria station in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit the official “CLiNT” website or check them out on Twitter and Facebook . “KICK-ASS 2″ MARK MILLAR’S “NEMESIS” FRANKIE BOYLE’S “REX ROYD” JONATHAN ROSS’ “TURF” “CLiNT” #1 Cover What do you think of the new comic magazine concept? Would you like to see comic books being sold in supermarkets again? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter .

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