This summer there are four—count ‘em: X-Men First Class, Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America—major comic book movies coming out (not to mention the “minor” ones like Priest), and three of them involve characters created by Stan Lee.  So, I say to you: Stan Lee is the most important author of the 20th Century.  I mean, who had a greater impact on any written medium?  (Other than Al Gore, who created the internet, naturally.)  So before you hit the break to read about the upcoming(?) Dr. Strange movie, and how Pushing Daisies has returned as a comic book, take a moment of silence to give mad props to Stan the Man.

…
Okay.  Now hit the break!

While I’m writing about comics, I’m going to throw in a plug for The Underfold. It’s a little (and weird) webcomic that recently bound their materials into a book.  Some interesting, funny ideas here–more a collection of connected strips than a proper comic book, and strips aren’t really my thing, but I did enjoy it more than most.  If you like your Calvin and Hobbes edgy, it’s worth a peek.

Now, the news.

COMIC BOOK NEWS

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS AND ALEX MALEEV’S MOON KNIGHT. I had a hard time picking a lead story for this week, so I’ll just plow right in: The reviews are in on Moon Knight #1, and they are….Mediocre.  Still, the more I read about the fresh new take on the old, rarely-well-used character, the more intrigued I am.  Moon Knight’s multiple personality disorder will be in the forefront as he develops personalities to mirror each of his Secret Avengers associates, while, at the same time, Marc Spector has become a TV producer making a fiction adventure show based on his Moon Knight experiences (that’s how Bendis will offer the character’s origin and backstory, for the uninitiated).  MK was one of my favorite books when I was a kid—during the Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz run, and I can’t think of a better artist to take it over than Maleev.  It’s going to be hard for me to wait for the trade version, but I definitely want this bound for keepers.  I mean, just look at that art!  (Plus, if it does in fact suck, I’ll know by the time they bind up the first arc, and I can avoid buying it all together.)

PUSHING DAISIES. I dunno how many of you watched the quirky show about a pie maker/detective who could revive the dead for just a couple minutes, but it was actually a damn good show.  Almost as good as Wonder Falls—another oddball show that never got the shot it should have on network TV, but which would probably have been a big hit on AMC.  Bryan Fuller is bringing it back as a comic book now, and the advance art is terrific.

SEARCH FOR SWAMP THING. In the wake of Brightest Day bringing Swamp Thing back to the main DCU, John Constantine is coming over from Vertigo as well in a series called, “Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing.”  It will be written by Vertigo editor Jonathan Vankin with art by Marco Castiello.  DC has confirmed that its long-running Constantine-focused title, “Hellblazer,” will continue to run.  For the uninitiated, Constantine is sort of a horror version of Nick Fury: He knows all, tells little, and manipulates even the most powerful super beings.  The book will run for just three issues, and will focus on Swampy’s new role in the DC Universe, featuring appearances by, among others, Batman and Superman.

FLASHPOINT. Came out this week.  Haven’t read it yet, but I have to say I’m intrigued.  Barry Allen wakes up one morning to find Batman running a casino, Aquaman married to Wonder Woman, and a bunch of very other odd things…Clearly, someone has mucked about in the time stream, and it’s time for Flash to save the day!  There’s going to be a bunch of cross-overs, but in all they look manageable, and DC promises that the Flashpoint series itself will be self-contained so the other books are all optional.  It’s written by Geoff Johns, someone I used to really love but lately have fallen out-of-like with, but the art is by one of the best guys around: Andy Kubert.

SPIDER-ISLAND IS COMING! The other Marvel summer event actually looks like it will be a lot more fun than Fear Itself.  Spider-Man: Infestation will primarily take place in the Amazing Spider-Man book, but will spill over into a Cloak and Dagger miniseries by Nick Spencer and Emma Rios (don’t see how that can be bad); the new Venom ongoing by Rick Remender (in issue #6)—in which he will probably meet Anti-Venom for the first time; And there will be a three-issue Amazing Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon) mini, in which she teams up with Kingpin and Hobgoblin.  Hmm.  Don’t see myself springing for that last one, but Amazing and Venom are already on my pull list….

DEADLANDS. A new indie comic that promises a horror/steampunk take on Westerns, with a murderers row of writers and artists—the likes of: Steve Ellis (co-creator of The Silencers; artist for Iron Man and Green Lantern); David Gallaher (Harvey award winner for “High Moon”); Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (the team supreme behind Power Girl and Jonah Hex, among others); Lee Moder (X-Factor); Bart Sears (Legends of the Dark Knight); Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), and Francesco Francavilla (who is just plain amazing).  Industry vet Ron Marz serves as the editor of the series.  I’m not much for Westerns, but with this kind of talent behind it, I may just have to break down and buy it.

INCREDIBLE HULKS. Is ending in August.  About time.  I loved World War Hulk, and even got into the first few issues of Rulk, but then the entire Hulkverse went way, way, waaaaaaay off the rails.  Thanks primarily to Jeph Loeb.  Of course, nobody really believes that a series that’s gone up to issue #635 will really end.  They’ll add up all the spin-off series and get as close as they can to #700, launch a #1 and run it to fill the difference, and then relaunch the title under #700.  Sigh.

FLICKS AND TUBE

THOR. I know you’ve all been waiting for me to tell you what to think of the movie.  I pronounce it: Very, very good.  My only real criticism: Volstagg the Voluminous wasn’t nearly fat or funny enough and Hawkeye should have at least fired that damn arrow.

POWERS. Yes, the FX series is in casting—and Charles S. “The Roc” Dutton will play Captain Cross.  Excellent.  Dutton is great.  Throw in that the director is Michael “Justified” Dinner (one of the best shows on TV), and the screenwriter (Chic Eglee) has worked on Hill Street Blues, The Walking Dead, Shield, and Dexter, and you’ve got all the makings of a slam dunk here.  It is tentatively set to air in 2012.  If you don’t know, Powers is a comic under Marvel’s creator-owned Icon brand, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, about a pair of cops who look into super-powered murders.  It’s an award-winning, fan favorite comic, but I have to admit it didn’t resonate with me.

THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME.  Rick Remender’s futuristic heist story is one of the author’s best comics—extremely well written and with a concept so original that I won’t spoil it here.  Make sure you go out and get the trade paperback—well worth a read.  So why shouldn’t it be turned into a movie starring Sam Worthington and directed by F. Gary “The Italian Job” Gray?  No reason I can think of.  Filming starts in the fall.

G.I. JOE 2. In news that will overjoy my youngest son, the sequel will begin shooting this summer.  The working title is: G.I. Joe 2: When Cobra Strikes.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt will not return as Cobra Commander.  My hope is that they bring in Rutger Hauer.  I’m hoping for a Rutger revival post-Hobo With A Shotgun.

THE AVENGERS. Is anyone really buying that that was the script that appeared on line?  Samuel L. Jackson has said it was stolen, but this all sounds like stunt-hype to me.  Meanwhile, we’ve gotten official confirmation that there won’t be an Ant-Man or Wasp in the movie, Loki is the main villain, Cap and Fury will have new outfits, and the story will stand alone—you won’t need to have seen any of the solo films to “get” the picture.

DOCTOR STRANGE AND ANT MAN. Marvel Studio’s Kevin Feige is saying the next (unannounced) Marvel film will feature the Master of the Mystic Arts.  Patrick Dempsey has been lobbying for the role.  Feige also indicates that the long-rumored movie scripted by Edgar “Scott Pilgrim” Wright is approaching the traffic light, and the color is still green.  Also being kicked around as possibilities: Hawkeye, Black Widow, and/or SHEILD movies.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Pix from the on-location set in India revealed a Lazarus Pit.  Guess we’ll be seeing Ra’s Al Ghul in the movie.  (Especially since Christian Bale wasn’t even there—so it’s not a Batman sequence.)  Not my favorite Bat-villain, but the previous two films have been extraordinary, so I’ll be trusting.

LOCKE & KEY.  The Fox network had been looking to turn this comic into a series next season, but now it looks like they’re backing off.
MEN IN BLACK III.  Snaps from the set show an Andy Warhol character.  Oh, God, is this going to suck.  And yet, I know I’ll see it….
DINOSAURS VS. ALIENS.  Speaking of MIBIII’s director Barry Sonnenfeld, he’s agreed to direct a movie version of a Grant Morrison original graphic novel for Liquid Comics…That isn’t even written yet!  It will be about how dinosaurs repelled the first alien invasion of Earth.  What a great idea!  I can’t believe nobody ever thought of it before…No, I’m not being sarcastic.  I actually think this sounds cool.  I can’t wait to hear the dialogue!