Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior #3

Newsarama today have posted an article entitled “TRANSFORMERS & Beyond: 5 Best Marvel TOY Comics”, yet I have to take issue with their choices. To my mind, they have missed out one of the very best toy-linked titles of all time.

Although no one can deny the quality of the Micronauts, ‘They come from Inner Space’; or Rom, Spaceknight, the latter of which I have sung praises about previously, there was another toy character that seemed to get lost in the shuffle.

Back in 1983, The Saga Of Crystar, Crystal Warrior only lasted for eleven issues, and like most toys was based on quite a simple concept. Beings of crystal fighting beings of lava. Set in an alternate, fantasy style world of Crystallium, the comic followed the release of the toys the previous autumn, and so like many, I had assumed it was a licensed property, the trademarks resting with the toy company Remco.

So researching this morning for this post, I was surprised to learn that according to the ever-infallible Wikipedia, the entire concept was wholly created and owned by Marvel, who had the express intent to license this to a toy company.

Those eleven issues for a teenager like me (at the time) had great characterisation, and all the requisite dramatic themes. The forces of Chaos versus Order; the poisonous rivalry between brothers, in this case princes of the realm that tear the country apart, numerous love interests; and even more importantly for me at that age, guest appearances from Doctor Strange, Nightcrawler and Alpha Flight.

This was my first exposure to the art of Bret Blevins, which I have to note had a dramatically different style to his later work in New Mutants. Remember that cartoony style during the Bird Boy saga and the Fall of the Mutants era? This was nothing like that. Combined with phenomenal colouring for the time, this had an epic feel to it, sort of like a more shadowed and dirty George Perez, said shadow giving an impression comparable to a lot of the Lord Of The Rings art books that were floating around in that time.

I must say, if Crystar and his fellows remain in Marvel ownership, which they most obviously do, then why is it that we have never seen another appearance of this cast? With such iconic themes, they would easily provide a backdrop for a story of many of the more popular teams. After all, if Marvel can reference the Space Knights or Baron Karza and other members of the Micronauts cast even after those trademarks have long flown the coop, then why not Crystar?

The reason brother versus brother plots keep reappearing is because they last the test of time; we love this stuff. Marvel continually tries to honour its history; even retcons only reinterpret what has gone before rather than ignoring it.

So why not Crystar? Let’s see him again, and soon.

Here is a sampling of what you can see in the Sketchbook.



If those sketches are anything to go by, the finished work should be something worthy of putting on your coffee table and showing off to your visitors. Alternatively, simply going over the sketchbook on your own should be enough to give you satisfaction.

The thing is, this project will not push through unless Tom Hodges receives enough pledges by the end of this month. He is using Kickstarter to receive pledges, with the minimum pledge of $1. If you pledge at least $5, you will have your name on the back cover of “Sketches³“. If you pledge $15 or more, you will receive this print.

Hodges says that this is a very rough sketch. It will definitely have more improvements before its release, and it will definitely be in full color. Still, it seems a very good deal already!

Now if you pledge $50 or more, you get your name on the back cover, the print above, a signed copy of “Sketches³“, and a random sketch by the artist. There are several more values for pledges, each level offering more “freebies”.

To find out more about the project and to make a pledge, visit Sketches³ on Kickstarter.

Yup, that’s the name of this exoskeletal structure, which was conceptualized as an outer mechanical garment that would enhance the power of the human wearing it. Hardiman (which cracks me up for some reason) had an amplification factor of 25 and was funded by the United States military (surprise!).

The diagrams below show the purpose they had in mind for Hardiman – to load bombs onto navy warplanes.

Unfortunately, he didn’t go beyond the prototype stage due to lack of stability, among other issues.

Another interesting “real” Iron Man creation is the XOS 2, which was shown off in September of this year. Created by Raytheon, XOS 2 has been called the “Most Awesomest Invention of 2010.” It makes the man wearing the suit stronger by a factor of 17, but unlike Tony Stark’s suit, it can’t make you fly. It also does not protect the man from bullets and the like. Watch the video below to see the suit in action.

So who is the real Iron Man? Sorry guys, but it will always be RDJ as Tony Stark for me.

Much to his surprise Charles M. Schulz wrote him back with a surprising statement, that Peanuts is drawn for adults from the point of view of a child. According to Mr. Schulz a lot of the dialogue is beyond a child’s comprehension. If you are familiar with Peanuts you know a lot of the dialogue is about life and life lessons.

As for David Desmond it was amazing to receive a reply to his letter, which indeed is amazing. It’s not often you hear from famous creators of cartoons, comics and movies who take the time to decently answer back a letter. Although they do get a lot of fan mail of which I’m sure a few are worth answering back, like this one.

I can still recall the feelings of amazement and excitement that I experienced when I received this letter. Even then I understood that the production of a daily comic strip could be quite demanding, so for Charles M. Schulz to have take the time to reply to my letter made it that much more special.

As for the letter, I totally dig the yellow with Snoopy, his typewrite and the address: Number One Snoopy Place. It makes me as a Calvin and Hobbes fan wonder how Bill Watterson’s letters would be if he wasn’t such a private person and wrote to his fans.

With Dante’s Diving Comedy being highly regarded as it is, it is but inevitable that other people will take it upon themselves to create other works based on the epic poem.  Enter Seymour Chwast, founding partner of Push Pin Studios, who decided to create a graphic novel version of the epic poem. (I wonder how many times he had to read the original work?)

It is important to understand that Chwast did not simply illustrate the work.  In fact, he summarized the whole thing, but instead of putting the summary into words, he used images to tell the tale. Looking through the excerpt from NPR, I couldn’t help but wonder…is it just me or are the illustrations not impressive at all?

Content-wise, purists will probably scoff at the mere idea of a graphic novel adaptation of the classic work.  Indeed, if you check out reader reviews, Chwast didn’t really get high marks.  Maybe just so I can finally find out what Dante’s Divine Comedy really is about, I should get hold of a copy. (I feel like a university student buying a CliffsNotes guide.)

If you’re interested, Amazon’s selling the graphic novel for $13.60.

Getting married anytime soon?  If I can’t change your mind about that, how about just checking out this really cool store on Etsy?   The store is manned by a husband and wife team who actually came up with the idea of using comic book covers as a theme for their own wedding invitations back in 2007.

The idea of having a “unique” theme for one’s wedding is not all that unique anymore these days.  Just earlier this year, I heard about a friend of a friend of a friend whose wedding was Star Wars themed.  Everyone – from bride and groom to guests – had to come donning their best Star Wars costume.  Just do a search on Google, and you’ll find countless other weddings that have gone the “unique” theme route. 

Now I have no idea how the invites look for these kinds of weddings, but this comic book cover idea is something I wouldn’t mind adopting. It doesn’t even have to be for a wedding.  Heck, you can throw a party just to have an excuse to give out these invites!  Then again, you might not want to spend $225 just for “regular” party invites.

The artwork is pretty good, and all you need to do is provide the artist with photos of you and your partner. He’ll then draw unique comic book representations of you.  His guarantee? “I’ll make sure you look as though a cover was drawn by one of the top comic book artists from the 1960s to celebrate your big day. I don’t just trace the photos, but rather come up with a comic style interpretation that should still be easily recognized as you.”  Pretty huge statement, don’t you think? (The sample really does look good, though.)

For the price mentioned above, you’ll get the original artwork (11×17; black and white) plus digital copies (full color).  As for the actual invites, you’ll have to have them printed out yourself – definitely a drawback since the price is already a bit hefty in my opinion.

That doesn’t change the fact that the whole concept is awesome in my book.  I think that, maybe, for my 30th birthday (yeah, my brain gets all fuzzy when it comes to numbers sometimes), I just might splurge and go for this idea.  (Flip a coin to choose between Hit-Girl and Iron Man!) What do you think?

The Sandman, for the uninitiated, was an epic comic penned by Neil Gaiman and published by DC/Vertigo between 1989-1996. It is one of the most highly acclaimed comics of all time, and the only comic to ever win the World Fantasy Award. Even Entertainment Weekly rated it as one of the best reads in recent decades. In print, The Sandman has major staying power.

On screen, things aren’t so sure. There’s undoubtedly potential for the story of the Lord of Dreams, who must repair his kingdom after years of neglect, to translate extremely well to the television medium. Since most of The Sandman takes place independent of the DC comics universe in which it resides, there’s not a whole lot of back story one must be in-the-know to understand. It also has tremendous appeal for its dark horror and fantasy spin, which should make it a shoe-in for more grown up cable programming.

But The Sandman has been subjected to numerous rumors of movie adaptations, and has been the object of desire for many a Hollywood figure. Nevertheless, it’s failed to make the transition. The reasons why are not entirely clear (although Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn, when discussing a desire to bring The Sandman to HBO last spring, pointed out that the 75 issue series is too broad to condense to a traditional film length). Whether or not those reasons would throw up roadblocks to the series’s success on television – or make the television adaptation impossible altogether – remains to be seen.

Warner Brothers TV would be bringing the comic to life as yet without Neil Gaiman’s participation, as it’s been reported that the early stages of the project don’t include him. This is a red flag for many fans. It’s always preferable to have the author involved in an adaptation of his work. In fact it is, for most of us, the reason we are so confident The Walking Dead will be a well-made series, since writer Robert Kirkman has been on board from the start.

The man slated to make it all happen? Supernatural creator Erik Kripke. Or at least he’s the apparent first choice, as Warner Brothers TV is still in negotiations with DC Entertainment for the television rights, so no firm decisions about writers and producers have been made.

So, as ever, the fate of a Sandman adaptation remains in the balance, but this latest development is far more promising than the failed silver screen dreams. Provided, of course, that the comic isn’t totally ruined by a lack of Gaiman’s input, should things develop that way. The best possible outcome is The Sandman made with Neil Gaiman, brought to life faithfully and creatively, on a channel that’s unafraid to think outside the box and be bold. For now, the worst case scenario is that The Sandman negotiations will fall through…which is, in essence, a familiar circumstance for fans. [via io9]

Other Neil Gaiman goodness here at ForeverGeek: Shakespeare and Geeks

When comics convert from print to the screen – be it silver screen, little screen, or computer screen – the results are often disastrous. We’ve become so accustomed to this fact that as comic book lovers, we follow the news of every comic adaptation’s progress as if it was life or death. Universally.

We obsess over every little detail, but in sheer acceptance of our fate, preordained by movie & TV studios, we rarely ask the big question: should a comic be adapted? Is one comic more worthy than another? Is one comic so strong that it’ll survive any and all mishandling it’ll inevitably receive once it hits the studio’s hands? Or is it a comic that should never, ever make the transition?

Let’s examine some comics that haven’t deserved their 15 minutes of Hollywood fame, and a few comics that should be given a chance to demonstrate their full glory on the silver screen.

Kick-Ass: Kick-Ass. What can I say? Mediocre comic, mediocre film. Soon to be a mediocre sequel! Taking up valuable box office space and studio dollars and cents while other movies that deserve to be made languish in the wings. Movies like…

Deadpool: As one of Marvel’s most unforgettable characters, Deadpool has been crying out for a good movie of his own. And fans are crying out alongside him. This is a movie that would be well watched regardless of whether it was made wonderfully or made like crap. Deadpool’s story is an endless supply of amusing source material for a first rate movie plot. And the film is “in the works” – except it has no director and very little in the way of a firm cast. Ryan Reynolds is meant to reprise the role, but back-to-back Green Lantern projects mean that a Deadpool movie is so far on the back burner it’s freezing over.

RED: RED is a three part comic with one main character who’s quite capable of launching a killing spree all by his lonesome. There is no real supporting cast and, in my ever so humble opinion, the comic isn’t terribly good. But the movie looks a whole lot more promising. The cast of supporting characters that are mostly nonexistent in the source material is nothing short of amazing, so what have they done with the comic that the original creative team didn’t? We shall see…

Ant Man: Edgar Wright appears to be doing everything short of enlisting a witch doctor to get an Ant Man movie made. This is a character who’d have legs (there’s a pun just waiting to be made in there, somewhere) on the big screen. There’s plenty of story and plenty of cast surrounding Ant Man, which equals lots of opportunities for good writing to shine. It’s a no-brainer, really, so why isn’t Ant Man getting his time in the spotlight?

Runaways: I’m 100% behind the making of a Runaways film. But I am 100% against the destruction of the Runaways story, as would certainly happen if rumors came true. The current gossip is that Marvel and Disney plan to tweak the Runaways tale to make it more appealing to the “tween” audience that is so grossly enraptured by Twilight that it makes me yearn for the days when Harry Potter was a prepubescent sex symbol. A Runaways made for Twilight fans is not a Runaways I want to see. Period.

Are there any comics you’d like to see make the jump to film or TV? Any that absolutely should never have crossed over? I’d love to hear your thoughts, just drop a comment in the box.

And while you’re at it, check out Unreality Check here at ForeverGeek.

I’m sure everyone who needs internet to do their job or even those who don’t spend at least an hour or two a day mindless clicking through all sites like mentioned above and more. This comic aptly named “Jus’ Checkin’” is something we can all identify with.

Jus’ Checkin’ by Luke Pearson.

I do this everyday, only now I partially get paid for doing it as it is research needed to write online articles. Every web geek worth their cred is doing this daily to keep up their knowledge of the latest cool geek news. It’s like playing the lottery being one of the first to discover something new that just has been posted. But that requires a lot of screen time and at the end of the day just like the comic I’m ready to chuck my computer out of the window.

It’s not all bad though, reading Wikipedia is like going to the library to read, you leave with more knowledge then with which you came in.

Back to the comic itself, it is very nice done, the drawing, the concept, it’s print quality. I love coming across jewels like these, it makes all the time browsing websites worth it.

Deadpool and the Punisher. We’ve seen them at odds, now let’s see them play nice. Unfortunately, as soon as Deadpool opens his mouth, it’s quite likely the Punisher will put a gun in it. Such is the amount of B.S. that flows copiously from the Merc with a Mouth. And such is the Punisher’s lack of patience for same. But for the approximately 1 issue this team-up would last, it’d be a barrel of laughs. Failing this partnership, let’s try…

Deadpool and The Tick. Take the functioning equivalent of a child and place him in an enormous, indestructible body. Then place him in a team with Deadpool, whose serious lack of maturity and poor impulse control could see the pair of them fall into a whole mess of misadventures. So many, in fact, that readers would probably start to doubt their hero status (if they gave The Tick much to begin with…). As amusing as it would be to see Deadpool scream “Spoon!” repeatedly, as he’d yet again fail to find a unique catchphrase of his own, sooner or later the honeymoon period would wear off. So how about…

Rorschach and Deadpool. Sharing a common bond of batcrap insanity, these two could be peas in a pod. Though they’re both crazy in completely different ways, they’re both utterly awesome. And while we’re fairly certain Deadpool would adore Rorschach, Rorschach would probably just tolerate his newfound partner…barely. But as neither is afraid of going out vigilante style, they’d probably work together quite well. And the dialogue would be, well, simply nuts.

X-23 and Wild Thing. The mysterious daughter of Wolverine and Elektra, known as Wild Thing, doesn’t get much play in the Marvel universe. Her psychic claws inflict pain but leave no physical damage. X-23, on the other hand, is a physical claw-slashing killing machine fashioned as the genetic twin of Wild Thing’s dearest daddy. Somehow the idea of these two young women, both with Wolverine’s powers (albeit slightly modified), forming a partnership and, dare I say it, a friendship, is appealing. One of the most fascinating things we comic geeks get to experience as we read a series is the development of a character from a point of relative weakness to, often, a point of insane strength – of personality and of power. Wild Thing hasn’t had her chance to fully shine, but with X-23 by her side, she’d earn her time in the spotlight.

Michonne (The Walking Dead), Ash (Evil Dead), Ben (Night of the Living Dead), Selena (28 Days Later) and Sherlock Holmes (Victorian Undead). They’ve all done it individually: kicked some serious zombie butt. Can you imagine the powerhouse punch they’d pack against the undead if they teamed up? It’d be an absolute blur of katana slicing, machete chopping, shot guns blaring, and more fists and feet flying than you could ever hope to track with one pair of eyes. And at the end of the day, no matter how much gore they’re covered in or what sorts of absolute horrors they’ve witnessed, they could put their heads to pillow at night knowing all’s right with the world with a mere utterance: “Elementary, my dear Watson.”

Black Terror (Project Superpowers), Midnighter (The Authority), Batman and Black Panther. Do you know what lurks in the shadows? It’s these guys, primarily. And if they emerge together as one unit, think of the mass destruction they could wreak upon villainous sorts everywhere. Another group that wouldn’t be afraid to operate above and beyond the law, with their unpredictable methods and moods, we’d cling to each issue’s every word until we’d inevitably see what we came for: the good guys win. And win big. In the end, isn’t that what we really love?

Having already addressed the pressing issue of defunct comics I’d like to bring back earlier this week, I’m now turning my greedy eyes towards the individual characters I’d like to see receive their own titles, for each to enjoy at least 15 minutes of geek fame.

In no special order, I’d grant the following their share of the spotlight.

Nite Owl & Rorschach: The adventures of this potentially dynamic duo were alluded to in The Watchmen, but never materialized in the form of a separate book. And since Alan Moore turned down DC’s offer of the rights to The Watchmen in return for prequel and sequel work, we’re not likely to see their prior lives without divine intervention. Still, there are bound to be tales in their complicated pasts that I’d enjoy reading, and for that reason alone, I’m willing Alan Moore to work it out.

Jeffrey Garrett: AKA the dead kid from Academy X. Although he was present as early as X-Treme X-Men #20, he played his most memorable role in X-Men history as a student killed when Magneto destroyed the school. As a result his ghost haunted the rebuilt academy. Discovered and tamed by the New Mutants, Jeffrey went on to be a spectral student until Scarlet Witch’s reversal of mutant powers basically erased him from print. I feel there’s a lot that can be done with a ghost whose ability to affect reality is still so strong that he could, as we see in David’s dream, destroy an entire continent. And a ghost who remains a child with childlike impulses, as well. Jeffrey’s tale is really one of melancholy, and a limited run series exploring his time at Professor Xavier’s school would be one I’d surely collect.

Edwin Jarvis: AKA the consummate butler, originally in Tony Stark’s employment but now an important member of the supporting cast for the Avengers. The stories of the unsung always interest me, particularly when it comes to those who’ve put up with years of back story we can only imagine (even on top of decades of stories we already know). What kinds of beans does Jarvis have to spill? Inquiring minds want to know. Even if it’s only a one-shot, Jarvis has more than earned the spotlight for his years of faithful service to an often unmanageable cast of characters. (And let’s face it. Doesn’t being torn apart and eaten by your employers [Marvel Zombies] earn you a big break?)

Michonne: This unpredictable heroine of The Walking Dead is at times so twisted I look forward to seeing her part in the tale unfold from month to month just about more than any other character. While she’s not the main protagonist in the series, she’s become a massive force to be reckoned with, and I’d like to see how she got that way. Like, from the very beginning. A Michonne origins title would be exceptionally well received not just by me, but by the countless other geeks who hang on Robert Kirkman’s every word. We get a glimpse of Michonne’s past in the series, but a glimpse simply isn’t enough. This katana-wielding ass-kicking lawyer has far more to tell.

Evey Hammond: Let’s face it. Judging not only from my previous mention of V for Vendetta as a title I’d like to bring back from the dead, but also from the fact that the creators left the door wide open for any such spin-off material, Evey Hammond as V simply had to make this list. She emerged a pretty tough cookie in the end. Would she hold under pressure? Could she get away with the role? Does the world even need a V anymore, with the wheels of anarchy already in motion? There are plenty of questions. It’s high time we discovered the answers.

Stay tuned for part 3, wherein I deftly arrange superheroes into dream teams with more panache than a world-class interior decorator with Donald Trump’s budget!

Are you a bona fide comics geek, like me? You should check out Why I gave up comic books and its rebuttal Why I haven’t given up on comics here on ForeverGeek, too!

Consider me the Veruca Salt of comic book geeks.

First up in the grand scheme of things I’d change in the world of comics is to enact a rule by which all title cancellations would have to meet my approval and all previous cancellations, if met with my displeasure, would be undone. Add to this the option of bringing back any series that’s simply run its natural course. (I like to think this would generally improve the comic experience for fans everywhere, but it’d probably only serve to make it impossible to collect anything for sheer quantity of material.)

My messianic powers of comic book resurrection would touch the following titles, in no particular order of urgency.

Captain Britain and MI: 13: As a chick with a thing for Psylocke, it grieves me to think the name she once borrowed has lost its share of the spotlight. Captain Britain, the UK’s answer to Captain America, debuted in 1976 but his most recent series met the axe in 2009. I’ve always deducted points from Captain Britain for name and concept originality, and this title has never particularly registered as a big fan favorite. I, for one, have never gone ape for tales of Dracula on the moon. But more than the content of the series itself, I appreciate the delicious irony of its Hugo nomination after it got the chop. I may be the only person to read it, but I’ll take it.

Ms. Marvel: This sometimes-feminist has undeniably become one of Marvel’s most remarkable characters, likable both in her personality and her powers. The aforementioned feminism is the root of some controversy surrounding the title, but that hasn’t stopped her creators from confusing fans and activists alike since 1977. For my part, I love unfettered girl power – especially when it’s in thigh highs and a leotard – and I was disappointed to see her title go. At least she’s still around as a member of the New Avengers.

The Watchmen: DC had a good thing going with this dark title, which began and ended as a limited run series in 1986/1987. As a bonus it was adapted to film very well, something many, many…many comics can’t boast. What frustrates me is that when recently offered back the rights to The Watchmen on the condition that he create a prequel and sequel, writer Alan Moore flipped DC the bird. Thus we wallow without additional adventures of unforgettable characters like the inkblot-masked Rorschach.

V for Vendetta: I’ll readily admit I love a superpowered hero as much as the next geek, but some titles are made much more intriguing by a lack of superpowers and a boost of cold, hard realism. Add a heaping spoonful of politics and history with a heavy dose of anarchy, and you have a comic that I personally just about shed a tear to see end. I’ll also readily admit that it probably wouldn’t bear the same weight without the primary incarnation of its hero V, but there’s still a lot of room for growth and a lot left to be said.

Concrete: A seemingly unsung title – apart from its four Eisner Awards – Concrete’s simple black and white artwork may not make it a flashy read, but it’s an enjoyable one. It’s a shame that this solid Dark Horse series has all but faded into obscurity. At least if the rumored film adaptation with Bill Murray had materialized, we’d have a likely cult classic to relive Concrete by. As it stands, the alien-engineered rocky hero’s hearty adventures, which he embarks upon simply because he can, must languish in the past.

Up next in my free reign to complain are characters I’d like to see with their own titles, so stay tuned!

And I really mean reinvent. To do so they got Alan Aldridge in and he went beyond what he ever did so far: remember him from Beatles covers, collaboration with Elton John. Of course that alone could make one worry but things could not have been worse this time. Worse or mroe awesome, depending on what you’re on that would be. And how much you took. I’ll have double, thank you very much. Can you blame me?

We’ve seen some awesome Iron Man stuff here at ForeverGeek over the years but this… Seriously, wait until you see what he did. Seriously. Don’t forget your shades!

At least Genndy Tartakovsky’s variant is less psychedelic and also hits closer home to the aging Iron Man version.

When the whole world and there three nephews were still discussing Disney’s acquisition of Marvel, we brought you Marvel Land in Dubai. That’s how we roll. And how we continue to roll.

Another thing to cool not to report is “Epic Misney” by John T. Campbell.

The ultimate Marvel-Disney cross-over.

Picture stolen without authorization, but THIS, this we consider NEWSWORTHY! And you should go ahead and buy your print from T Campbell!

My level of geekyness is not high enough to be familiar with Wil Wheaton, it is thanks to The Big Bang Theory that I learned about him. And since his last guest stint as Evil Wil Wheaton I found his blog with an entry detailing all behind the scene events when he guest starred on the show.

Best of all he had a photo taken of himself last year sitting on Sheldon’s spot after filming “The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary”.

This photo led to the creation of a comic about Sheldon finding out that Wil Wheaton sat in his spot.

This comic is titled “The Revenge and was created by Dragonsden Comics.

Sheldon is always funny, even when used in a fans comic. I regularly come across Sheldon quotes by friends on my Facebook. In a weird way Sheldon makes being a geek cool. I still haven’t grown tired of The Big Bang Theory, they make me laugh every time. And I feel proud of being a geek when Sheldon say stuff like “…the Internet Explorer to my Firefox” and to know there are probably lots of people who don’t get the joke. A certain level of geek cred is required to get most of the jokes.

Wil Wheaton photo from Wil Wheaton

“The Revenge” comic by Dragonsden Comics

I grew up outside of Boston, Mass, and when I was little, we lived in this two-story house off of Pleasant Street. It wasn’t much, but it did have a cool patio on the second story, which was pretty neat to me at the time. I was pretty young when we lived in that house, and I was a huge fan of comic books. So my mother decided to get me these Underoos with Superman, Batman and Spider-Man on them. I’ve told this story before, but the end result was that I loved superheroes, and I’ve always wanted to become one.

I caught this on Twitter today, and I’ve spent a good portion of my day lost in the website. It’s called the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, and they sell all sorts of products for the average superhero. Need a secret identity? Choose between mild mannered, pilot, a cranky head chef or others, and pick them up for a fair price. Maybe you need a lair for your do-good activities. Buy a matter transformer, fancy clock, or maybe just a bucket of gravity in 1-gallon sizes. This place has it all, and it all looks super cool.

I haven’t bought anything from the site yet, but I get the impression that some of it is actually for sale. If you end up buying anything from the site, let us know in the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to spend some money on an invisible phaser. I’ve got an ex-editor that I’d love to use it on.

One of my staples growing up was Winnie the Pooh. I remember my mother reading me stories about Christopher Robin and his buddy Pooh, and their adventures. It was a theme throughout most of my youth, really, with pooh-themed items running in the house for me, then for my sister. We loved that little guy.

So when I first heard about Aliens Vs Pooh, I was of course, intrigued. It was created by Giant Hamburger, and is a fascinating tale of a honey-obsessed stuffed animal and what happens to him when he discovers a field of alien eggs in the woods, and one of them spawns and latches onto his face. But it’s also all created and colored by Mr Hamburger himself (well, I assume it’s a he), and scanned into the site.

Let me warn you now: This isn’t a good book for kids, so don’t go out there and read it to them. Otherwise they might have nightmares about Eeyore’s new tail or ask questions like, “Why does Tigger operate hydraulic exoskeletons?” These aren’t good questions for a toddler to ask, so you might want to check it out yourself first.

There are a few surprises on the way, but I won’t spoil it for you. I’ll just say that not everything is merry in the Merry Meadows, and there are a few things involved that make the adventure a bit more interesting.

Seriously, go check it out. It’s worth every minute.

Boy there’s a sentence I never figured I’d write.

First, let’s do a little backstory. I’m not a Michael Cera fan really, although I have seen most of his movies. He tends to play the same character in all of them – lovable doofus who falls in love and gets the girl. That’s why originally, I had no interest in this movie. In fact, I had no interest even 30 seconds into the trailer. But wait, there’s more.

I’m also a huge Simon Pegg fan. Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz are steady members of my favorite DVD titles list, and his appearance in Star Trek was excellent as well. Edgar Wright has directed both Shaun and Hot Fuzz, so I was excited when I heard he was directing this movie. So put these two together: Michael Cera who I’m mildly interested in as an actor and Edgar Wright who is an excellent director. What do you get?

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. The premise is simple at first: Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Then there’s a problem. Except this time, the problem is a little different.

See, this girl has 7 ex lovers that Scott has to defeat so that they can be together. Sounds weird, right? Defeating them? As it turns out, that’s exactly what she means. Scott has to fight each one of their characters in a series of amazing fight sequences that are almost indescribable. It’s what would happen if X-Men and Street Fighter met in an alley and it all happened live.

I’ve suggested a few trailers here, but this is the one you should go see. Go check out the site now, then tell me how awesome it is. Seriously, it’s awesome.

The long hunt is finally over. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the next person to play Captain America in Marvel’s latest project is Chris Evans. How do you know him? Well, he’s “that guy” from Not Another Teen Movie, the lead character in Push, and of course, the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four Series. From the article:

Sources tell us the actor has not only accepted Marvel’s offer, first detailed on Friday, but that the dealmaking moved so fast it’s now all about dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.

Marvel would not comment on the development, and CAA, which reps the actor, declined comment.

Evans was offered the role in Marvel Studios’ production last week, but there was some question of whether he would accept. Factoring in to the choice was the fact that Evans played Johnny Storm, the flame-covered superhero known as the Human Torch in Fox’s “Fantastic Four” movies. Was he ready to play another superhero and take on the trappings that come with such a high-profile part?

This is a big casting, because the good ol’ Cap is going to be the lead in Captain America and the Avengers movie, so we’ll be seeing a lot of this guy. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he made a cameo at the end of the credits for Iron Man 2.

So how do they handle the Human Torch/Cap America situation? Personally, I hate when people cross over comic books, a la Ryan Reynolds in Wolverine and the upcoming Green Lantern flick, because it takes us out of the universe. It makes it much less real, when ultimately, that’s what Marvel is trying to do – create a movie universe in parallel with the comic multiverse. On the other end, the Fantastic Four movies sucked pretty hard, and there’s little hope that they’ll be coming back to do a third flick. If they do, they’re going to have to recast Johnny Storm, but I’d be willing to bet that Jessica Alba wasn’t coming back either.

What’re your thoughts? Think this is a good casting or should they have gone with someone else like Ryan Phillippe?

Ever wander down the aisles at Barnes & Noble and wonder who draws the covers for all of those Star Wars books? Turns out Joe Corroney does. I could blather on, but just read the credits from his bio:

Joe Corroney has been providing Lucasfilm with official Star Wars artwork for books, games, trading cards, comic books, posters and magazines since 1997. Other comic books he’s illustrated include GI Joe, Fallen Angel, 24: Nightfall, Doctor WHO, Angel and Spike Vs. Dracula for IDW Publishing, Buckaroo Banzai,Kolchak The Night Stalker and The Phantom for Moonstone Books and Crimson Dynamo for Marvel Comics. Currently, he’s providing cover art for IDW’s new Star Trek series and BOOM! Studios’ new Farscape comic books, developing his creator owned comic book series, Death Avenger and continuing to create new Star Wars artwork for Lucasfilm.

Some of the other licenses and professional publishers he has illustrated for are DC Comics, Hasbro, The Lord of the Rings, Heroes, Wizards of the Coast, XBox, Dragon Magazine, Sony Picture’s Men In Black, Xena: Warrior Princess, ThunderBirds: The Movie, IDG Entertainment, Rittenhouse Archives, Paizo Publishing, White Wolf Publishing, Cinemagraphix, Last Unicorn Games, West End Games, Image Comics, Blue Line Pro, and Microsoft’s Age of Empires collectible card game.

Holy crap.

I was an art major my freshman year in college, mainly so I could become a comic book artist. It didn’t pan out – I wasn’t talented enough or, umm, “different” enough for an art major – but I still appreciate artists doing their craft for comics.

But I came across Joe’s art when I found the Star Wars propaganda poster pictured above somewhere on the intertubes. Like that one? Check these out:

Those are just two of his awesome prints, and guess what – you can buy them too. If you ask me, I think these would be perfect for an office or living room, because they’re different enough to be considered mainstream art, but you still support your cause – Rebel or Sith – at the same time. Interested? Head over to his site and check out his wares, including G.I.Joe, Indiana Jones and more.

A few days ago, I brought you the glory that is the Marvel HD television lineup. That was exciting, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want a television with their favorite character printed on it? Oh wait, you wouldn’t? Well then sir or madam, I do not want to be your friend.

But now there’s more. Urban Collector has just introduced Marvel and Star Trek keyboards and mice for the masses. That’s right, now you can get your very own keyboard and/or mouse with Wolverine, Iron Man or the U.S.S. Enterprise printed right across the face. Excited yet? No? Seriously, you’re being kind of a jerk.

Admittedly, these are a little bit busy, and the Star Trek model looks like it would give me a tumor if I looked at it too often.But, they are full wired USB keyboards with a numeric keypad, low profile keys, a USB port and function keys, so what else do you want? Oh, a price? I get it, now you’re being nice to me. I see how it is. Well, the keyboards go for $45.99, but if you want a matching mouse (and let’s just admit it, you do.) get ready to shell out another $26.99 for the wireless wonder. That’s right, the mice are wireless and have a scroll wheel. What? You want a matching mouse pad? Sorry, I can’t help you with that one. Maybe if you were a little bit nicer I might’ve Googled it or something, but now I’m just bitter.

You know, I’ve been saying to all my friends for years now, “Why don’t they make a hi-def TV with my favorite Marvel comic book characters on it?” Guess what? They’ve finally done it.It’s like the peanut butter and chocolate combination of this century.

That’s right, Marvel Comics has teamed up with RTC23, to release a new line of LED and LCD televisions with your favorite Marvel character emblazoned across the bottom. Like Wolverine? Pick out the 22″ LCD model, perfect for your computer or home television viewing. Maybe you want a big screen? They have a full line of 40″ LED TVs too, including an OG Silver Surfer, or old-school Captain America, as pictured above. LCDs go as big as 55″ as well, plus some models have color-coded bezels and bases, so you can have a green screen for your Hulk monitor or classic black with Ghost Rider.

So what’s the point? I mean, I’m a comic book fan, but even I wonder if this would look alright in my living room. But after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that this is perfect for a few different situations. Got a game room? Toss one of these bad boys in there and it will look perfect next to your life-size cutout of Spider-Man, and the Iron Man helmet you bought at Comic Con last year. Or, you could use one of these for your home computer setup. Pair two monitors with different characters next to each other and have them fight it out while you’re messing around online.

The cherry on top though is the pricing. The smaller monitors aren’t priced that well when compared to a Dell unit, but the bigger LEDs aren’t priced too badly considering. You can even get into a 55″ LED for under $2gs, which isn’t great, but not price gouging either.

It’s not for everybody, but for the ultimate fanboy who’s got to have it all, this is the one thing you could lord over your friends and show off with pride.

It’s funny how things come full circle.

When I was born, my parent’s had a friend of theirs who had a child around the same time named Tara. We’ve kept in touch over the years, off and on, and now we’re Facebook Buddies. Granted, I haven’t seen her since I was an infant, but it’s kinda neat.

When I got a little older, I got into Legos. I loved them so much that I amassed this mammoth collection of bricks that my parents ended up keeping in a large cardboard box in my room. Later, as I got older, I sold all of my Legos so that I could buy my first comic books, mostly because I felt like I had to “grow up.”

Recently, I got back into the bricks. I’ve been slowly building a collection of Lego Star Wars sets, including the Death Star, and I’ve got them displayed around my office. And what about Tara? A few years back she met a guy, got married and moved to Denmark where they both work for Lego. Small world.

Turns out, there’s a whole community of Lego fans, known as the AFOL or Adult Fans of Lego. But as adults, they want different things from their Lego sets than most kids, including decent weapons. Enter Brickarms, a company dedicated to making small plastic weapons that fit in the hands of your favorite Lego characters. They’ve got some pretty cool weapons here, including the multiple grenade launcher pictured above, rapiers, paintball guns and more. They just released an Army Men set full of green plastic guns made to turn your Lego men into Army Men. These parts aren’t expensive, either, with individual weapons running around $1-$2 each.

I’m not sure if I’ll end up getting a set of not, because for the meantime, I’m good with my Star Wars set. But if I do get to that point, Brickarms is my first destination.

Action Comics #882

It’s been a good week this week.

I plugged REBELS in my last column, so I will say little more that pick up #9, where we learn what R.E.B.E.L.S stood for the first time round, Adam Strange, Captain Comet and Kanjar Ro join the fight, and the Omega Men travel to one of Starros home galaxies.

What really caught my attention was Action Comics #882. While the hunt for Supergirl, Chris and Thara heats up after they have been framed by General Sam Lane (always been such a lovable guy) and his agents Reactron and Metallo, it is the back up strip starring Captain Atom that has started to reveal its secrets. Trapped in a world of magic, a former enchanted slave of Mirabai The Forlorn, an ally of Lane’s, and it looks maybe responsible for his time as Monarch during Countdown. I had rather thought there was a lot more to Monarchs tale than had been revealed so far. Just being put in armour did not seem enough to send him so completely over the edge.

Now this is just a guess, but I assume she is tied in with the Lords of Chaos and Order if they still exist, considering Monarchs first incarnation was Hank Hall, carrying the powers of both Order and Chaos within him after the first death of Dawn granger – Dove.

Of course this is before he absorbed the powers of Waverider, became Extant, who was merely a pawn of the yellow fear demon Parallax possessing Hal Jordan. An unwitting agent of Parallax, Extant was also responsible for the creation of the Team Titans timeline, the Time Trappers interference in creating the second Terra, Mirage and Deathwing not withstanding.

Extant met his end in an arc of the JSA in a little universe he had created himself. Then again, Hank Hall has just returned as a Black Lantern, so depending on what the fates of these undead Lanterns will be, there may be more to add there. After all, is Hawkman dead again?

So Mirabai was responsible for Monarch II, erm make that III. In fact it’s IV, considering prior to Infinite Crisis in the pages of Extreme Justice, it was revealed that Monarch was the original Captain Nathaniel Adam (only in Action Comics it’s now Allen), and that Captain Atom was only the alien metal imprinted with Adam’s, erm, Allen’s personality and memories.

That’s what I like about Captain Atom/Monarch. He’s always been such a straightforward, simple character.

Considering this is being written by James Robinson, I am hoping that many of these plot threads will be touched upon, after all it is not like Mr Robinson to ignore the slightest detail, you only have to look at Justice League: Cry For Justice to know that.. And lets face it, there’s a minefield full of them here.

Oh, and if you want to know who the Black Beetle is, pick up Booster Gold #25. I hope this one is a lie. Oh, and for the most hilarious Thor/Hercules fight ever, read the Incredible Hercules #136

REBELS Annual 1, the Warlord Starro

I’ve always liked Starro as a villain.

There’s something about a giant mind controlling starfish that you just can’t hold a candle to. My first exposure to him was during my first exposure to the entire DCU, during the CRISIS On Infinite Earths. What a jumping on point eh?

In my early teenage years, I picked up #9 of CRISIS, as Brainiac gathered his army of villains without number to take over three of the five remaining earths. This was my first exposure to that lovable tyrant. In Brainiacs satellite Starro lumbered in the background, appearing again later in the massive battle on Earth-S. That was all I knew, but my curiosity was piqued.

My second exposure was in a back issue of Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew. In no way could this be described as impressive, but I immediately loved the series and held them close to my heart ever since. The pathetic and endless puns amused me, small things for small minds I suppose. I very relieved in the climax of Final Crisis as the Zoo Crew were returned to humanoid form – can we have another series please?

Anyway, this appearance really didn’t do Starro any justice, but he rose in my estimation when he managed to con Justice League Europe into assisting one of his invasion attempts. That was my first glimpse of how all-encompassing he promised to be.

Where he really rose to prominence however was (of course) in the capable hands of Grant Morrison in the pages of JLA, where even the Sandman Lord Morpheus himself was forced to get involved. Cold, inhuman, hungry, unstoppable, Grant portrayed Starro in a manner that I don’t think anyway using a giant starfish had accomplished before. This made the appetite of Starro as voracious and implacable as the Borg of Star Trek.

So it was with some dismay that I read in recent issues of REBELS that there is a humanoid warlord in control of the Starros. The Dominion has fallen, and the Gil’Dishpan (who when I first saw them were called Dispan. Dishpan? DISHPAN?!? What the hell sort of name is that? Oooh, watch out, the evil Dishpan is coming for you! Sounds more like a nemesis for Betty and Veronica). Then out of the mists comes this warlord guy.

Fortunately, as revealed in last weeks REBELS Annual, it is not as simple as that, and Starros inhumanity has been preserved.. This warlord is like a cross between Marvel’s Overmind and the Spirit Of Vengeance, the final survivor of a telepathic race so filled with the hate of his entire race for the conqueror Starro that he dominated the group mind. Even so, he is driven for Starros hunger to be everything.

If you haven’t been picking up REBELS, here is space drama to rival the War Of Kings. Oh, and Vril Dox is as manipulative as ever, if maybe a little humbled. If you were a fan of the original L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S series, you can’t miss this. Space Opera is doing really well in comics currently, and as readers, we are all the better for it. Keep it coming.