Episode Four-Marvel Film News,The Darkness And More
63 mins. We talk about The Darkness: Four Horsemen, Superman/Batman #75, French action films, Catwoman, James Bond and Monkey Island 2. We also get to Nathan Schreiber’s indie drama Power Out original graphic novel and the life and works of legendary creator Winsor McCay including his Little Nemo in Slumberland. Of course, our usual pop culture ramblings pop up too!
My buddy Mladen and I have now released our fantastic fourth episode focused on comic books and pop culture. Listen to it below or download it right here.
1:35 NEWS
We yak about the possible closure of famed Japanese anime production company Studio Ghibli and the latest updates for a few Marvel films including Iron Fist and X-Men: First Class. Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Vin Diesel and bland rom-coms are also mentioned for some reason.
20:15 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING/WATCHING
The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1, Gaston Lagaffe, the American Splendor film, Superman/Batman 75th Anniversary issue, cartoon series King of the Hill, action film From Paris With Love, District B13, James Bond new and old, and the Monkey Island 2 Special Edition and Killzone 2 games. As an added bonus the term “lazy doofus” is mentioned twice and the Fantastic Four are compared to a ’70s rock band.
42:40 TRADE SWAP
Indie black and white OGN Power Out, and Winsor McCay’s groundbreaking Little Nemo in Slumberland from early last century.
57:50 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.io9.com
Extra Sequential Podcast Episode Three
90 mins. New magazines from writers Alan Moore and Mark Millar, novel Eifelheim and Image series The Light, The Phantom and lots of Scott Pilgrim goodness as well as our rundown of best political moments in comics which includes Ex Machina, Cerebus, Lex Luthor as President and voting for the life of Robin.
While people were escaping their suburban existence and voting for the future of our country (Australia), my mate Mladen and I were recording the latest episode of our Extra Sequential podcast. In episode three, we talk about The Phantom (both old and new), everything Scott Pilgrim, our Top Ten political moments in comics, recent Eisner Award winners and more outlandish geeky indulgences.
Listen to it below, or download it right here.
2:17 NEWS
Batman Beyond DVD boxset, Mark Millar’s new magazine.
5:30 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING/WATCHING
Cop Out, ”Aquaman’s” appearance in Clash of the Titans, Alan Moore’s underground mag Dodgem Logic, Lucky Luke: The Dashing White, sci-fi novel Eifelheim, Image’s The Light. Also – a Nicolas Cage impersonation.
20:11 The Phantom
Reminiscing about Lee Falk’s classic character during our youth and its brand new series from Dynamite Entertainment. Billy Zane, the origin of The Ghost Who Walks, Larry Walker: The Almost Phantom, Seth Rogen and more.
28:23 SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
The film, the Oni Press series, the game and even the soundtrack. Full of Pilgrim-y goodness. The great TV series Spaced, including slow-mo gun fights, Princess Peach from the Mario games, Seinfeld, and yes, lots of Canadian hero Scott Pilgrim.
46:48 THEME OF THE WEEK – POLITICS
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jack Black, voting and our Top Ten Comics/Politics X-Overs.
10. Lex Luthor as U.S President
9. Cerebus: Church and State
8. Transmetropolitan: Year of the Bastard
7. Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers
6. J. Jonah Jameson as New York Mayor
5. Everyman: Be The People
4. Asterix and the Caesar’s Gift
3. Ex Machina
2. DMZ: Blood in the Game
1. Voting for the death of Robin!
69:30 EISNER AWARDS AND HARVEY NOMINEES
See the full list of Eisner winners here and Harvey nods here.The comic book equivalent of the Oscars. We talk about David Mazzuchelli’s Asterios Polyp, the black, white and blue of Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter (based on the crime novel by Donald Westlake aka Richard Stark), and David Small’s Stitches.
84:45 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
www.thecurfewgame.com an on-line game set in a future London.
Extra Sequential Podcast Episode Two
82 mins. We review Elvis the zombie killer in KING, the return of a dead Robin in the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film, Hellblazer, Black Hole and Asterix. Plus in our vanity projects theme we bring up Frank Miller, Neal Adams, Alan Moore, Mark Millar and more.
Just to prove that we’re not a one hit, or one podcast, wonder, myself and my good friend Mladen are back for round two of our comic book/pop culture podcast! Now with improved audio and funnier jokes! Chapter times below.
Listen to the episode below, or download it here.
1:23 NEWS
The much delayed Spider-Man Broadway musical, how Star Wars could’ve ended, Neil Gaiman vs Todd McFarlane about Spawn characters, record breaking One Piece sales and the Reel Anime festival in Australia.
13:15
Manga sales compared to comic sales in the West
15:55 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING/WATCHING
Inception, KING! #1, Batman: Under The Red Hood, Battlestar Galactica, Hellblazer: Hooked and Black Hole and detours into the multitude of Robins, Batman Beyond, dead superheroines and the unfunny Bubba Ho-tep film.
39:22 Trade Swap
Asterix! The hugely popular French series is new to myself, but is very familiar to my cohort Mladen. We discuss its origins, success and the animated and live action films. Also – suede pants, theme parks, French puns and dogs in catapults.
50:43 Theme – Vanity Projects
Sometimes creators get so successful that their name alone can be a selling point, regardless of the quality of the content. Not all such projects are bad though. We yak about the recent work of Alan Moore, Dave Sim, Frank Miller, Neal Adams and a few more.
77:25 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Comic Twart – a different character each week, drawn by a variety of artists. Check it out here. We also meander to Antarctic Press’ Time Lincoln: Fists of Fuhrer, Sandman, different types of triangles and next week’s topics, which will be the Scott Pilgrim comics and film, Eisner Award winners and Harvey nominees including our looks at Darwyn Cooke’s Hunter and Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World Review
Man, oh man, what a great film. I’ve been a fan of the great series of graphic novels by creator Bryan Lee O’Malley since I picked up Volume 1 last year. Since 2004 there have been 6 of the enchanting black and white digests, with the final volume, entitled, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, having just been released.
The books, from publisher Oni Press, centre on slacker Scott Pilgrim, who in his own words remarks,”I don’t need fun to have a good time.” Basically the story is like a manic soap opera that wears its much loved influences boldly on its sleeve. Those influences include pop culture, from comics to video games and classic TV series, and O’Malley manages to weave all that and more in his seemingly rambling, but not really, tale of Scott and his numerous friends as he must defeat the 7 evil exes of the new love of his life, Romana Flowers. Perhaps the trailer can explain it better than I can.
There couldn’t be a better director for the film version than Edgar Wright. The British director has proved his love of pop culture is as evident as O’Malley’s in his TV series Spaced, and showed that he knows how to combine heartfelt drama, comedy and wild action with his first two films, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
This was always going to be a hard film to make, not merely because there’s over 1000 pages of source material, but also because it’s not a straight forward tale, with its ever growing cast of characters and a concept that may be hard to grasp for some. As a loyal reader, I can honestly say that the movie exceeded my expectations. Michael Cera (TV’s Arrested Development, Juno) was the only logical choice for the confused, yet dedicated man-boy that is Scott Pilgrim, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead lays on quiet charm and beauty as the object of his affection and relative newcomer Ellen Wong is great as Knives Chau, the immature teenager that Scott is dating at the film’s beginning, and who is also a huge fan of Scott’s average band Sex Bob-Omb.
The evil exes don’t appear for long, as there are seven to get through after all, but thankfully they are played very well and the battles that are sprinkled throughout the film are unique and visually remarkable. Comic book fans have more reason to see this film, as Chris Evans, who has played The Human Torch in Fantastic Four and is currently acting as Captain America in next year’s film shows up as ex-skateboarder/current hammy action star Lucas Lee, while Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh is a mindreading Vegan and Jason Schwatrzman arrives at the climax as mastermind Gideon Graves, the man behind the League of Evil Exes. Thomas Jane (The Punisher) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Star Trek) also show up as Vegan cops.
With its cast of sometimes selfish friends and a world charmingly placed in fantasy land, in which fights resemble something from a frantic video game, it won’t be for everybody, and the first half is more concerned with hilarious jokes and visual gags, while issues of love and maturity are the focus of the second half.
You’ll get more out of it if you’ve read the comics, and don’t mind going with the rich and hypnotic world in which Pilgrim is set. This is not a film for those who like cinema to reflect reality. However, it does have a surprisingly emotional centre (more so than even the comics) and an unashamed sense of child-like, and often childish, fun. Filled with a hectic pace, yet never seeming rushed, it explodes onto the screen like a multicoloured volcano and entices you to pay attention lest you miss a joke. There are plenty of those here, whether it be a running gag about Pilgrim’s haircut or a scene complete with the Seinfeld theme and a laugh track. Yep, charming nonsense has a new name and it is Scott Pilgrim.
Oh, and this is what I’d look like in Scott Pilgrim’s world. See yourself right here.
New Marvel Comics App Goodies
Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, hitting the Marvel Comics app on August 11, 2010. Now fans can experience their favorite Marvel heroes bursting into action on your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch! With a wide array of titles already available there is something for everyone! Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!
To download the Marvel Comics app, visit:
http://www.marvel.com/marvelcomicsapp
Digital Comics On-Sale Today:
CAPTAIN AMERICA : THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA : BURDEN OF DREAMS
(Captain America #43-48)
HIT-MONKEY #2
MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #8
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #8
MARVELS
(Marvels #0-4)
NEW X-MEN BY GRANT MORRISON: IMPERIAL
(New X-Men #117-121)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR: DOOM
(Ultimate Fantastic Four #7-12)
VENOM: DARK ORIGIN
(Venom: Dark Origin #1-5)
FREE This Week On The App:
ATLAS #1
If you enjoyed this issue, pick up the current series in comic shops now!
To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com
CAPTAIN AMERICA #43
HULK: PLANET HULK #1
MARVELS #0
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #7
VENOM: DARK ORIGIN #1
Wolverine’s Family Affair In September
Previews below of the new series in which Wolvie goes to hell, and the new series of his daughter/clone X-23 and bad boy son Daken.
Your New Look at WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL
Marvel is proud to unveil your new look at Wolverine’s journey to hell in Wolverine #1, X-23 #1 and Daken: Dark Wolverine #1.
Beginning in September, these three all-new series set Wolverine and his family on their deadliest journey yet, as the Avenger and X-Man finds his soul banished to hell…and his body used to terrorize those closest to him! Wolverine must claw his way up from hell before his son and protégé find themselves the victims of a berserker barrage unlike any other! Can X-23 step up and fill Wolverine’s shoes with the X-Men? And will Daken choose to save Wolverine…or damn him?
Marvel’s hottest writers and rising star artists team up for the event of the fall, as Wolverine Goes To Hell! You can’t miss Wolverine #1, X-23 #1 and Daken: Dark Wolverine #1!
WOLVERINE #1 (JUL100629)
WOLVERINE #1 MCNIVEN VARIANT (JUL100630)
WOLVERINE #1 SMITH VARIANT (JUL100631)
WOLVERINE #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT (JUL100632)
WOLVERINE #1 LEE SKETCH VARIANT (JUL100633)
WOLVERINE #1 BLANK VARIANT (JUL100634)
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by RENATO GUEDES
Cover by JAE LEE
Variant Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by PAUL SMITH
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Sketch Variant Cover by JAE LEE
Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC—8/12/10, On-Sale—9/1/10
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 (JUL100638)
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT (JUL100639)
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 DELL’OTTO VARIANT (JUL100610)
Written by DANIEL WAY & MARJORIE LIU
Art & Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC—8/19/10, On-Sale—9/8/10
X-23 #1 (JUL100635)
X-23 #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT (JUL100636)
X-23 #1 DELL’OTTO VARIANT (JUL100637)
X-23 #1 WOMEN OF MARVEL VARIANT (JUL100509)
Written by MARJORIE LIU
Penciled by WILL CONRAD
Cover by DANNI SHINYA LUO
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Women of Marvel Variant by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC – 8/26/10, On-Sale – 9/15/10
Episode One-Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Oversized Comics And More
72 mins. We review the animated Superman/Batman film and oversized comics including the classic Prince Valiant and newer Wednesday Comics and Pood. Top Cow’s violent Berserker series, Wonder Woman’s new costume and more are also discussed.
On the wonderfully sunny Saturday morning just gone, my mate Mladen and I launched our very first podcast! It’s something we’d been talking about for a while now, and sure, we know there’s quite a few comic book/pop culture podcasts out there already, but hardly any in Australia, and especially in Perth, Western Australia. In fact, I think we are the only one. Most of the American podcasts are superhero centric, but Mladen and I have quite different tastes and rarely agreee on matters of the spandex brigade, so we thought we’d give it a shot. I must say, it went rather well. Both of us have had stints on community radio in the past few years so it was quite an easy experience, but tell us what you think dear listeners/readers!
We’ll be chatting it up weekly, and like the Extra Sequential magazine our aim is to make diehard fanboys and girls, and comic book newbies feel at home, so fear not if you’re not a regular comics reader!
You can listen to it our first episode through the player above or download it right here . It goes for just over 70 minutes and is broken down in to segments, if you want to skip through to the parts that may interest you more. So what did we talk about exactly? Well, here goes…
2:55 NEWS
Will Eisner’s A Contract With God film adaptation
Broken Frontier’s free, fortnightly digital mag now on iTunes
The death of Superman: The Movie and Superman II writer Tom Mankiewicz
The Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon
Also…Arkham City, the sequel to the excellent Arkham Asylum game
17:40 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING
(Mladen) 20th Century Boys, Vagabond, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant, Bouncer
(Kris) Brightest Day, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Franken-castle
Also…impressive vocalisation of the names of foreign creators, Kill Bill, how DC is like Twilight, Alien vs Predator and more.
32:30 SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
We talk about the animated film, the comic that inspired it, the upcoming sequel and what we liked and didn’t like about it and somehow manage to discuss orphans, Superman’s exercise regime, baldness and craving for power.
52:48 TABLOID SIZED COMICS
We discuss oversized comics in the large newspaper style format, focusing on DC’s Wednesday Comics experiment and the indie anthology Pood #1 and also bring up 3 new TPBs from Top Cow, Rocky Balboa, Hawkman’s business card and cadmium.
1:05 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Project Rooftop We also chat about Wonder Woman’s new costume.
1:08:34 NEXT WEEK’S TOPICS
For episode two we’ll discuss vanity projects, Eisner Award winners and Asterisk. Oh and for some reason we mention Vegemite.
