STAR WARS. By now you all probably know that Disney bought out Lucasfilms (for $4.05 billion), and will be launching three more Star Wars films—the first to be released in 2015. George Lucas will not be in the scribe or director seat. And that may be a good thing, based on the last three SW films. But the real question for this blog is: What does this mean for the comics. I know at least one faithful reader recommends Dark Horse’s current Star Wars comics, and I’ve read several great reviews of them. (Personally, I haven’t been into the franchise since Return of the Jedi.) After all, Disney also owns its own comic book company, and they may want to keep the projects for themselves after the current license to Dark Horse expires. On the other hand, comic books earn change-under-the-sofa-cushions relative to what Disney makes from movies, toys, and other products, so they may decide that if a small comic company can keep producing quality product to maintain a market presence then it isn’t work muddying Marvel’s bottom line.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER. It seems strange to be reporting on a movie that won’t be released any time soon, but Frank (“Zero Dark Thirty”) Grillo has been cast as the evil Crossbones—the guy who shot Captain America. This means we’ll probably be seeing Sin as well (Red Skull’s daughter). With direction by the dudes who worked on TV’s Community, is there any way this isn’t a fantastic movie?
COMMUNITY CARTOON. Well, not really. But every comic book fan has to also be a fan of the (cancelled?) NBC series Community, so this is news: Cartoon Network has ordered a season of episodes of a show called Rick & Morty for adult swim, created by Community’s fired creator and show runner Dan Harmon. Coming in 2014.
X-MEN FIRST CLASS will be directed by Bryan Singer. Speaking of movies that can in no way possible ever be bad.
LOCKE AND KEY…MOVIE? The pilot for Fox didn’t lead to a pick up, but there may be a movie. No, scratch that: Three movies. That sounds good (Universal is developing it), because I can’t see how the Locke and Key story can even be begun in just one film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4i1CzpztWY
ALPHA. Marvel has solicited a 5-issue “Alpha” miniseries, which means that the terribly lame sidekick to Spider-Man won’t die in #700. The good news is, he won’t be “Superior Spider-Man” either. As I’ve reported before, Amazing Spider-Man is being cancelled with #700, and the Marvel Now book will be “Superior Spider-Man,” but it won’t feature Peter Parker. This is such a stupid move that I plan to boycott Superior Spider-Man on principle. This isn’t the Ultimate Universe, this is the 616, and I want Peter Parker to be my Spider-Man. I also want him to be Amazing, so I can say I’ve read every issue from the very beginning of one of comicdom’s longest running titles. If that makes me boring or lame or close-minded, so be it.
CHOPPER. The Asylum Press horror book about a motorcycling gang member without a head has been optioned for a movie. Because Ghost Rider did so well. Honestly, there are some comic creators who clearly seem to be writing storyboards, not comics. And yes, I’m looking at you, Mark Millar.
