Based on this leaked in-game footage, it looks like a studio owned by THQ was hip-deep in development on a video game tie-in to next summer’s The Avengers movie. But the game has been seemingly canceled since THQ shuttered the studio last month. Sad news made all the sadder once you watch the awesomeness on display in the video.

The footage, based on a pre-Alpha build of the proposed game, shows some fairly detailed looks at the fighting styles of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk. THQ’s Brisbane, Australia studio was going to put gamers in the first-person shoes of these most powerful of superheroes, but since none of them use guns, the interface was translated with their hands and arms on-screen a la Mirror’s Edge.

It looks like it would work a lot better than I may be making it sound. Cap carries (and throws) his shield, Thor has his trusty hammer, Iron Man shoots blasts from his fists and all sorts of other gadgetry, and Hulk uses those beefy, green arms of his to smash everything in sight. The video also shows off a number of environments, including the streets of New York, the SHIELD Helicarrier, the Avengers’ “Triskelion” homebase, a Skrull mothership (longtime alien enemies of the Avengers who are rumored to be in the film), and more. Everything you can see in the vid looks pretty sweet. I guess we should make that bittersweet if the game’s been canceled, though.

Watch this video quick — it’ll be pulled from YouTube any time now. (When it does disappear, you may be able to find mirrors by searching YouTube for “THQ Avengers.”)

Williams-Sonoma's Marvel Kitchen Collection

Marvel’s Disney-fied empire just keeps on growing. The latest frontier in their quest for global domination? The kitchen, courtesy of high-end cookware maker Williams-Sonoma.

Williams-Sonoma’s new line of Marvel-inspired products include cookie cutters, pancake molds, aprons, spatulas, and iced cookie kits — all themed around classic incarnations of Marvel’s most popular superheroes. The products are primarily based on Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Wolverine, and range in price between $12.95 and $39.95.

You can view the entire cookware catalog online here. Marvel has even produced a special 12-page Spider-Man and the Avengers comic book for kids just for the occasion, written by C.B. Cebulski with art by Todd Nauck. You can view the comic book online here. It stars Avengers butler Jarvis cooking a special meal for the superheroes and a bunch of kids. Seriously. Oh, and the Avengers also fend off an attack by the Frightful Four.

Williams-Sonoma's Marvel Kitchen Collection

Iron Man Tattoos

You will never hear me deny my obsession for this character – and Robert Downey, Jr. Naturally, he is first up on the list.

They say this tatt was spotted by someone somewhere in The Philippines.  Who knows? I just might run into this guy one of these days. Now I love Iron Man and RDJ (sometimes I can’t tell the difference) but I am not so sure about the depiction of IM’s head here.  What do you think? Mask on or mask off for this tatt?

Here’s a hand tattoo, which I think is pretty cool.  I’d be careful not to use this hand for tough jobs if I had this ink, though.

Not everyone wants a huge tattoo on their leg, but if this were the image, I wouldn’t think twice – would you?

Now this tattoo, I had a difficult time deciding whether to include or not.  On the one hand, the concept is cool.  On the other hand, it is very poorly done, don’t you think?

Wonder Woman Tattoos

Artist MeghanBeth says this took them three hours to complete, with the hair giving her the hardest time.  I think the effort was well worth it?  That cascade of black simply looks awesome, don’t you agree?

This Wonder Woman tatt, I like much better.

And, for a more meaningful Wonder Woman tatt (read: woman power and all that), check this out.

X-Men Tattoos

Very very powerful image, don’t you think?  And, the fact that it is purely done in black…I was staring at this for a while.

If the first one was simple (in terms of color), this one is literally fiery HOT.

Gotta love the concept.

Sure looks like this one hurt.  I just can’t get enough of Wolverine, though.  The guys at Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour are the geniuses behind this tatt.

Hulk Tattoos

The best of both worlds – that’s what this guy has with this tattoo.

If I had this “baby” on my back, I wouldn’t be apprehensive going out at night – alone, in a strange place.

This tatt cracks me up. I don’t know why, but it really does. It’s not just Hulk, of course, but it’s still worth including in this group.

Batman Tattoos

I love the colors used for this tatt, and I love the quote used in the site where I found it even more: “My world is all just shades of grey, Batman. That’s why you’ll never really understand me.”

Disturbing is the word that keeps repeating in my head. Definitely wouldn’t get one – wouldn’t even dream of it – but this tattoo does catch one’s eye, doesn’t it?

Pretty sassy Batgirl, this one is.   I also like how the colors blend.  It looks like it has just been done – notice the rawness? Doesn’t matter, though – I still like how it looks.

And, lest you are thinking “Where the heck is a Batman tattoo in this group?” here is an overly muscular version.

Spiderman Tattoos

From what I see, the image of this tattoo has been going around for quite some time now, but it has to be part of this list – no question about that.

Beautiful, isn’t he?

Superman Tattoos

Death of Superman chest tattoo – a good change from the usual emblem that everyone and their mom has, isn’t it?

Here’s another nice deviation from the usual emblem. If you like your steak very rare, the chances are that you’ll appreciate this tatt as well.

And for our last tattoo, here’s one of Superman himself.

Superman himself would be happy with this rendition, I reckon.

So there you have it – 23 of the coolest superhero tattoos I could find (for now).  Watch out for another feature on tatts in the next month or so!

A few weeks ago I reported that Wonder Woman was rumored for a return to TV with a new look and feel, now I’m excited to learn that ABC is taking a serious look at a new Hulk Series and ABC Family is looking at a first launch for a live action version of Cloak and Dagger.

The Hulk was last seen on CBS from 1978-1982 and starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. That 70′s and 80′s version of the show drew decent crowds and formed a cult following from comic fans.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Hulk is one of two projects that are priorities at Marvel Television, Marvel Studio’s TV division, which has been operating under the radar since Jeph Loeb took the reins at the end of June.

The second hot property is “Cloak and Dagger,” which is being developed for ABC Family.

Both are in the early stages of development; Hulk has a “showrunner wanted” placard around its neck. ABC had no comment. Meanwhile, Loeb is meeting with writers to hear ideas for “Cloak and Dagger.”

Perhaps the move is a simple way for studios to recycle content from popular comic books, but more than likely their own failed attempts at original superhero programming (Heroes, Bionic Woman, Jake 2.0 and the list goes on) have led them to realize that using a formula that works from company’s who know how to produce memorable characters is a better way to go.

What do you think about the idea of a new Hulk live action series and the launch of a Cloak And Dagger live action TV show?

Wasn’t the Punisher, when he first appeared, a character that although we may sympathise, we should despise? What does this victory demonstrate really? Is the House of Ideas (and by extension our world) in moral freefall? In a battle between the Punisher and the Marvel Universe, shouldn’t the universe win? So much for feel-good escapism! Heck, I would have accepted Galactus consuming the planet finally, and Frank becoming his herald! Now that does have potential – Frank, Herald of Galactus!

After the chaotic Fall Of The Hulks storyline, that was not the easiest to follow (any shipping issues aside, even with the issues all lined up, it’s not the easiest storyline to follow. However the new status quo (for as long as it lasts) is easy on the eyes (and brain) yet nicely multi-layered with histories both new and old, combining the appearance of sixties kitsch with solid storytelling. Having grown up with the Hulk, I really feel for him here in this new Hulk family, where the word dysfunctional would be a compliment.

X-Men Curse of the Mutants, despite my earlier criticism, is certainly exceeding my expectations. The spin-off issues make sense, the threat appears overwhelming but slow, and even more the whole epic is not taking over every single X-title, leaving us with a choice. The latest? Dracula is now resurrected and that is about as far as the storyline has gone. It’s nice to see the X-Men against a more central Marvel backdrop, and good to see Blade back as well.

Shadowland however does not score so well on my rankings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of fun, I like the characters involved, especially throwing in the Ghost Rider who just had a major plot development yet he is hardly the character one would expect to be in this mix. Yet here the spin-offs have spun maybe a little too far from the central plot, looking more like a marketing ploy rather than essential to the story. I hope the writers will prove me wrong, but a few months in, it doesn’t look hopeful.

Of course, every story is a marketing ploy, that’s the point. But I don’t like my face rubbed in it.

On the other side of the isle, the latest issue of Brightest Day keeps the promise of the series going, and the theories being thrown around about Firestorm are, well, cool, I don’t want to give anything away. Interestingly, there is a slight re-interpretation of previous continuity but in a good way, adding a new layer rather than contradicting the past. I love to see Firestorm in the spotlight, his one hundred issue run was one of my favourites of all time. Since that title was cancelled however, Ronnie Raymond rather had a poor deal in terms of characterisation and was morphed into a whiny selfish self-centred failure.  I pray we will see the old Ronnie return in these pages, because it’s about time.

There’s a new “Hulk movie” coming out in Bangladesh called HALKa, which I assume is the companies way of defeating copyright issues (although the Hulk “replica” doesn’t help), while still letting potential viewers know it’s based on a similar premise  to the original.

One thing that stand out? This movie may truly be the worst interpretation of the series ever told.

When I say it’s bad I mean worse than the 1970′s series, which I know many people enjoyed, but let’s face it, it’s pretty awful when viewed from today’s standards and I would rather still watch the original TV show than have to sit through this movie.

For a good laugh, check out the “pants dropping” scene (quite literally) that leads the HALK to turn all florescent green and start kicking butt.

What’s your first impression? I may have to find a copy of this movie once it’s released, just for a good laugh.

Hulked-Out Heroes #1

Okay, I can’t take anymore. I have come down with a bad case of overexposure, all connection to my capacity for logic seems to have been totally disrupted.

World War Hulks: Hulked-Out Heroes #1 has absolutely nothing to do with the main Fall Of The Hulks storyline, stars the most unlikely cast with the Thing as Blackbeard, Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy, Hawkeye and the Two Gun Kid, in one of the most contrived and cheesey plots I have seen for a long time.

I loved every minute of it.

See what I mean about my capacity for logic?

The transformed Hulkpool bears the same hatred for Deadpool as the Hulk bore for Banner, and comes up with the ingenious plan to travel back in time to kill Deadpool. Thankfully bereft of his internal dialogue and with the inept assistance of Bob, the former Hydra agent who hoped to further his career with a position in AIM (that’ll work – not), Hulkpool becomes a swashbuckling pirate of the seven seas as Dr Doom’s first time machine only wants to offer re-runs.

If only I had shares in that machine, considering how many times it seems to have changed hands.

Other than Brightest Day, it seems a quiet week for DC. So now we know, only twelve people were resurrected, obviously to some indecipherable master plan that it will take a bi-weekly series and possibly a year to explain. Oh, and Krypton has fallen to the forces of Brainiac. But that is it for the big events.

Siege however seems to be dragging now, and I look forward to the beginning of the Heroic Age, and the return of self contained titles.

Funny, it used to be the inter-connectedness of the comics universes that attracted me to the medium. Now I long for a return to the seventies, where crossovers were a treat, something surprising, or at least eagerly anticipated. Now I look forward to the end of Event-fatigue.

Are we there yet?

This might be the greatest news to ever come out of geekdom. Joss Whedon, one of the most celebrated and respected (and geeky) wordsmiths of our time, is going to be directing Marvel Studios’ big-budget superhero mashup, The Avengers. As you probably know, The Avengers is combining the stars of Marvel’s various superhero pics — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Nick Fury — into star-studded blockbuster film. Whedon landing this gig is on the same level as JJ Abrams being handed the keys to the Enterprise, and everybody knows how amazing that turned out.

Whedon is best known as the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and writer of Astonishing X-Men, though he also served as a bigshot Hollywood script doctor before hitting it big with his own properties, doing uncredited rewrites on films like Speed, and helping to give voices to Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the first Toy Story. His singular talent for writing original, clever dialogue has helped give his work its distinct flair, and he’ll be doing a rewrite on the existing Avengers script. As a director, he handled many episodes of his own TV shows, as well as the big screen filmSerenity. Anyone who saw Whedon’s directorial efforts on his TV shows knows that he has a profound talent for using the camera as another communication tool, as well as a strong eye for wicked cool action sequences.

Just imagine hearing Whedon’s dialogue coming out of the mouths of Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury)! Also joining the cast will be Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Edward Norton reprising his role as the Incredible Hulk. It almost seems too good to be true that Marvel would entrust its most important property and biggest stars to someone like Joss Whedon; he has infinite amounts of geek cred, but no established box office bankability.

But you can take this to the bank: Whedon doesn’t know how to tell a bad story, so assuming there’s not too much studio interference or bloated actor egos on the set, The Avengers is going to be something special when it arrives summer 2012.

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?

Hulk #21

Busy week this week. Green Arrow has gone rogue, New Krypton is falling under the assault of Brainiac, Namorita is alive again (sort of) and Spider Man is given a taste of godhood even greater than when he wore the mantle of Captain Universe. Oh, and Namorita is not the only one, Thanos is back.

Let me take this point-by-point. Although the slaying of Prometheus by Green Arrow in the wake of Justice League: Cry For Justice is a logical progression of the story, haven’t we been here before? Green Arrow considered dangerous and on the run from his comrades?

It’s not new to have a hero on the run, pursued by former allies and the forces of the law (although the law has yet to get involved in Oliver’s pursuit, maybe the League want to police themselves). It is a little newer for said hero to actually be guilty of whatever they have been accused of I suppose, but not tremendously so. What a disappointing consequence to what was actually an excellent series. Now we also have Red Arrow/ Speedy I (erm, II if you add in the pre Crisis On Infinite Earths continuity) crippled, and obviously going to receive some form of cyborg arm in the near future. (It would be nice to see Roy gain some form of mystical healing instead, and send him into the weird area of the DCU. After all, with his chequered past, his interaction with Checkmate and other agencies and a new hook for readers, I can see the potential for a hit series with the right writer).

Meanwhile, the second (or third) Speedy is poised to take a moral descent herself, with an arrow pointing at the Electrocutioner’s head.

I still think we have been here before. This is not what I pay my bucks for people!

In contrast, the Last Stand Of New Krypton is wrapping up many of the plotlines hovering in the background of the DCU for the past few years, from the machinations to war by both General Zod and General Sam Lane, to just what the Legion Espionage Squad is doing embedded in the beginning of the twenty-first century, to just what Luthor has been doing since his escape. This is sheer spandex drama at it’s finest.

The most comparable event to this is the Fall Of The Hulks, which we are seeing unfold before our eyes in a most chaotic fashion. I highly recommend that, but don’t expect it to make sense just yet, every reveal just causes more questions, never mind figuring out where this crossover sits in relation to the other big events like Siege.

Ooo, Siege. I’m not saying a word, except I really enjoyed #3, and #4 looks incredibly promising. Not the ending I was expected, but that is good. It’s too early to issue a spoiler on that one. Or on Green Lantern Corps #47, but that also had a nice twist I was not expecting (although in retrospect that was more my bad memory than a dramatic twist).

Now the lead up to Realm Of Kings continued in Nova #35 and Guardians of the Galaxy #24. The conclusion of the Sphinx storyline in Nova was okay I suppose, but then I am often disappointed with Sphinx stories in the last decade or so. Anath Na-Mut is a character that has so much potential, but he is frequently reduced to a two-dimensional villain, as he is eventually here. The resurrection of Namorita we could see a mile off, I only hope that this is some nasty effect of the Fault, and she is actually some soul eating beastie. I used to like Namorita, but this rebirth simply feels cheap.

The Guardians issue is far more promising, as the cocoon on Sacrosanct is opened to reveal Thanos as the newest Avatar of Death. One question here, what is Oblivion doing, selecting the Avatar of Death? Isn’t that Death’s job? Doesn’t Oblivion have avatars of his own?

My final recommendation is Spider-Man and the Secret Wars #4, a fascinating if disjointed tale, set just as Doom claimed the power of the Beyonder. It doesn’t really add a great deal to the continuity, it’s simply a fun romp.

Nemesis The Impostors #1

Nemesis – The Impostors #1 was released this week by DC, and I am pleased to say that it contains the same level of crazy that was found in Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape. There remains the same mechanism of staccato storytelling, jumping from scene to scene, forward and backward in time until you manage to piece together just what is occurring. Maybe.

I personally adore this style, where the writer makes you work to decipher the story. Coupled with the enforced empathy that enables you to share in Nemesis’ disorientation, this is a highly satisfying read. This has to be my pick of the week.

One other series that began this week is Marvel’s Girls #1. Although I have really grown to like the revived format of the 8-page story, especially in the pages of Nation X, this was an abject failure for me. Maybe I didn’t get it, but it seemed more to be an issue of ‘What The…’ than a focus on….. In fact I’m not sure quite what is was to be focussing on, but it didn’t hit the spot.

Realm Of Kings: Son Of Hulk #2 is a slower issue, but it remains an interesting story. Hiro-Kala struggles with a newly discovered precognitive awareness, Princess Mari is struggling with another of Arcturus Rann’s depression, and Axeman Bones’ daughter struggles to understand what exactly is going on.

I know how she feels, I’ve been reading Hiro-Kala since he appeared, and even I find it hard to predict what exactly he will do next, or discern what his motivations are for what he does do. That is part of the appeal of this character, whatever his plans are, I expect they will be big. He has not earned the named World-Breaker for nothing, and I don’t expect the homeworld of Jarella to last very long.

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.

Fall of the Hulks - Alpha

Welcome to the forty-second State Of The Multiverse, and given the auspicious number, I only wish I could give you the secret of the universe.

Still, with the release of Fall Of The Hulks Alpha, at least we know the secret of the Red Hulks creation, if not his identity. It is surprising in a way to see so many massive egos working together – the Leader, the Mad Thinker, the Wizard, Egghead, the Red Ghost and Doom, and similar to the Illuminati, this is a project that has been going for some years, and has been revealed just now.

Or as we are far more familiar with, ‘retroactively inserted’ into continuity. Still, this story works, explains the odd villainous resurrection (such as Klaw or the ever-returning Absorbing Man).

Retroactive continuity seems to be all the rage nowadays, but handled well it can add to the story depth, and get rid of all of those nasty inconsistencies that arise from the use of multiple writers. Case in point being this recent Fall Of The Hulks, the Illuminati, and of course DC’s Identity Crisis. This tends to get the ire up of many fans, but then it also serves to bring attention to past stories that otherwise may fall into obscurity.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing of any great importance revealed in this issue, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and it makes we wish for a return of Super-Villain Team-Up.

One other series that I recommend is Strange (Volume 2). The once-great Stephen Strange is Sorcerer Supreme no longer, yet he seems unable to give up manipulating people into doing his bidding.

OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh, as seen in the first issue he did not have a great deal of choice regarding his latest recruit. Still, he may have bitten off more than he can chew with the spoilt little rich girl who won’t take no for an answer, and has more arcane potential than he realised. You know what they say about a little knowledge.

I’ve followed Doctor Strange for years, another of my favourite characters. Here in the capable hands of Mark Waid, he has chosen quite the juxtaposition of characters. Casey Kinmont, brought up by her very rich, and now unfortunately deceased grandfather, seems to display quite the sense of right and wrong, despite the fact her untrained use of the spell she was taught in the first issue leads to a potential disaster. I think Mark Waid will show just who the spoilt rich brat truly is.

Image United First page - Prophecies of doom

If you haven’t picked up Image United #1 already, today is your second chance. (Although if you go for the Collectors Edition, it has a $10 price tag!) Now when I first heard about this project, with different artists collaborating to draw their own characters, panel to panel, I thought it was interesting, but I also thought it would be a nightmare to co-ordinate, possibly a cacophony on the eye, and in the early tradition of Image comics, unlikely to ship on time.

Well, fortunately I was wrong. The first issue is merely a set up issue, but that not withstanding, it works. Starting with a most apocalyptic introduction sequence, other than villains attacking various cities for no apparent reason, there is no hint of what the protagonists will face. Still, I have high hopes for this series, and I hope it meets the standard set by the vastly under-rated Shattered Image mini from a few years ago. It’s a shame Image have waited this long to create another all-star series.

Todays shipping list has plenty to keep us occupied, the big events keep rolling out. The Zombie Watch will notice the Flash and Wonder Woman Blackest Night minis. Considering the climax of Blackest Night last week, I wonder what we are going to see, will they be wearing the Black Rings as the issue opens?

In the mean time, we also see the beginning of SIEGE in Siege:Cabal, as Norman Osbourne sets his sights on Asgard. There’s not much left of the Cabal now, Namor and Emma Frost have defected (back) to the X-Men, Loki cannot be trusted and Doom no doubt has his own agenda.

Also, Fall Of The Hulks. Now I haven’t been writing about it, but I have really enjoyed the Hulk titles recently, and I like the new additions to the Hulk family, in the shape of the Red Hulk and Red She-Hulk, and especially the new Savage She-Hulk, daughter of Hulk and Thundra. I’m that should be the All-New Savage She-Hulk, but I think that title has been used already. That’s not discounting Skaar and Hiro-Kala, both Sons-Of-Hulk, but they have been around a bit longer. So far every guess I have had as to the Red Hulks identity has been wrong, so much so I’ve given up thinking about it. The only guess I have left is Major Talbot, but he’s died twice already I think.

It may not be the most ideal jumping on point, but the opening pages as previewed on Newsarama have certainly piqued my appetite. I’ve wondered in the past what would occur if the greatest villainous minds were to actually work together, and to see them raid the vaults of the Eternals homeland of Olympia made me smile.

Are we suffering from Big Event overload however? Image United seems to avoid all of the pitfalls, being self-contained. And is it possible DC have taken the hint? They have waited for the first wave of crossover mini-series to conclude before launching this second wave, and I know there are many wallets across the nations that are grateful to this.

Which brings me to another topic, that I will explore further on Friday. Is there a better way to do this? I adore these big crossovers (can you tell?), but my bank manager must dread them. Skimming through the solicitations to see just how much I would have to spend to keep up with the SIEGE storyline made steam erupt from my calculator.

In his monthly interview with Newsarama, Dan Didio asked the regulars to that site what they thought of digital comics. Some people hated the idea of them, others wanted ones they could download, rental models were put forward (baring in mind all the mistakes that Marvel have done already with their online subscription service), and still others wanted to wait for the appropriate technology to come out.

My preference is a downloadable comic, that I can pay a lot less for that the print version, which would enable me to follow all of these events. There are still ones that I would physically buy, and many fans are so wedded to the print version that they would never give them up. Myself, I live in a small place, there are only so many comics I can fit in the house, so digital would be ideal, taking up no space at all. But I would be wedded to my laptop, because as much as I love my new e-reader, comics don’t work on it. The screen is too small, the fact it is black and white does not bother me too much, I grew up with British b&w reprints, but the small screen is a real obstacle. Squinting to read the small print is no better than tired eyes from my laptop’s backlit screen.

So, I open the floor. What would you like to see in a digital model for comics distribution? I don’t want to hear from the naysayers, this is a discussion for those of us that want good digital product. What about DRM? Ensuring the creators get paid so that they keep producing for us?

DC sounds like it still has an open mind on the issue, unlike the other Main Player. So, what do we want to tell them?

For those of you who haven’t followed the information released about the film or seen it yet, you’re no doubt wondering why the film isn’t Hulk 2.  The reason for that is that it is not a sequel.  It is a re-telling of the story of Hulk (the Ang Lee 2003 film), including the ‘origins’ behind the character and featuring one of the Hulk’s greatest villains – Abomination.  It is also the first of the ‘proper’ Hulk franchise.

The film begins with an experiment (as the opening credits roll), in which Bruce Banner is sitting in a lab chair, prior to being hit with the gamma radiation.  When this occurs, the great green Hulk is unleashed, causing him to rampage through the facility, injuring Betty Ross and General Thunderbolt Ross in the process.  Bruce is thus in hiding attempting to find a cure.

The scene is then set for an attempted botched capture, giving Emil Blonsky (played brilliantly by a menacing, slightly crazed looking Tim Roth) a chance to see the Hulk in action.  He is then given the ‘supersoldier serum (a nod to the coming Captain America film) to put him on more even terms with Banner’s alter-ego.

Ultimately, this sets him up to become the abomination at the hands of Samuel Sterns – no doubt all you comicbook stalwarts out there are fully aware he’s the Leader.  For those of you who don’t know, he’s another Hulk villain who could well appear in the sequel.  His power is his intellect and he wishes to have the Hulk’s amazing strength and power to go with it.

There was rumour going around that both Edward Norton and Louis Leterrier wanted to have a longer, more meditative cut exploring the nature of the Hulk.  Studio execs however wanted a more action driven film to appeal to a wider audience.  The tone of the film is somewhere in-between, showing both Bruce’s struggle with his inner rage and some brilliant set pieces against both the army and Hulk’s super powered enemy, Abomination.

Although some did want Eric Bana to return as Banner, there’s no doubt that Norton provides an excellent turn as Bruce.  He shows subtleties in his acting that prove he’s got a wealth of talent.  Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Liv Tyler, who is only average as Betty Ross.  Then again, her scenes with the Hulk show some emotion and given that she’s acting against something that isn’t there then she does that pretty well.

Moving on to the special effects, generally speaking they are all very good.  The Hulk is naturally very well realised – with a range of filters such as using the dark, smoke and even sound waves to disguise his (naturally computer generated) appearance.  The Abomination isn’t perhaps as good – but then he does look less human than the Hulk.

The various explosions and the end fight are true standouts of action cinema featuring CG.  When Hulk and the Abomination get to it there was some palpable tension in the cinema, with one person behind me actually shouting “come on Hulk!” when he started to take a beating.  Audience involvement indeed!  I couldn’t fail to mention the sound after the visuals.  The bellowing of the Hulk is just something else – it is like the angriest elephant/person you’ll ever hear.  It’s really impressive when he lets loose, and top marks go to the guys in the foley studio.

Perhaps one of the best parts of the film (for me at least) was that it clearly took great inspiration from the TV series.  The machinery that started it all looks similar, the music when Banner is on the run was the same and there’s even a reference to the famous purple pants.  As a huge fan of Bill Bixby’s time as Bruce Banner I really enjoyed this element of the film.  I’m certainly glad that Leterrier saw fit to put it in.

There are three main cameos in the film, each serving a different purpose.  The first is Stan Lee – he buys a drink that contains some of Banner’s blood, apparently giving him a nice kick and putting Thunderbolt Ross on the Hulk’s trail.  The second is Lou Ferrigno, formerly the Hulk of the TV show and appearing as a security guard in the movie (he also voices the Hulk).

The last cameo comes right at the end of the film in the form of Robert Downey Jr.  Once again he is Tony Stark, with a hint at the Hulk either joining The Avengers (another Marvel production positioned for a 2011 release) or even being a future adversary.  The film as a whole has a huge amount of fan service and the ending just sums it up perfectly – Marvel is willing to go quite far indeed to give people what they want to see.

Did I enjoy The Incredible Hulk?  Absolutely.  So much so that I actually want to see it again soon.  If you’re in any way a fan of the Big Green then you’ll love this.  It’s a wonderful comicbook adaptation and a great film in its own right.  Go see it.

From what has been revealed, the special effects of Abomination look particularly good, with him appearing menacing, massive and clearly rampaging through the city.  From the relatively quick glimpse we’ve had of the Hulk, I’m not too impressed so far I must say.  He looks almost too CG – a little bit too fake.

The fact that the trailer has a shot of the machine that I remember seeing from the TV series all those years ago however makes me long to see it.  I genuinely enjoyed the Hulk movie directed by Ang Lee and I’m honestly looking forward to this one.  I just hope that the CG on the Hulk doesn’t disappoint.