Joss Whedon Confirmed To Write And Direct "Avengers 2" 

And Also Possibly Develop Marvel TV Series

Today in a Disney investors conference call, it has been confirmed that Joss Whedon has signed on to write and direct the sequel to this summer's highly successful "The Avengers." It was also stated that Whedon is also on board to develop a live action television series featuring Marvel characters set in the same cinematic universe.
While details about "Avengers 2" and the TV series are scarce at the moment, fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the franchise is still in good hands. Stay tuned for more news as it develops.

Grant Morrison Leaving Action Comics And Batman Incorporated To Focus On Other Works

In a recent interview with Comic Book Resources, Grant Morrison revealed that he is going to step away from any superhero work for the forseeable future. Morrison explains,

"I'm coming to the end of long runs and stories I've had planned in my notebooks for years and the stuff I'm developing now is quite different.

The "Action Comics" run concludes with issue #16, "Batman Incorporated" wraps up my take with issue #12, and after that I don't have any plans for monthly superhero books for a while. "Multiversity" is eight issues and I'm 30-odd pages into a Wonder Woman project but those are finite stories.

I'm not saying that I'll never write superheroes again. It's just that my relationship to them has changed especially after finishing the book and I'm not sure if I want to maintain the same kind of relentless level of production."

Morrison will take his time away from superheroes to focus on his upcoming Image series, Happy!, his four-issue series with Darick Robertson.

There has not yet been any announcement from DC Entertainment as to who will be taking over the writing duties from Morrison on either book.

Batman Inc #3 Delayed Due To Aurora, Colo. Shooting

DC Entertainment today had announced that it will be delaying the release of "Batman Inc #3" for one month in light of the recent shooting in Aurora, Colo. The delay is due to fact that some of the content in the new issue may be perceived as insensitive in nature due to recent events.

"Out of respect for the victims and families in Aurora, Colo., DC Entertainment has made the decision to postpone the release of "Batman Inc. #3" for one month because the comic contains content that may be perceived as insensitive in light of recent events," DC Entertainment said in a statement.

Twelve people were killed and 58 were left injured in a shooting that occured last Friday at a midnight screening of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises".

While DC did not give any specifics of the exact nature of the "insensitive" content of the issue, Chris Burnham, the illustrator of the series, posted on Twitter that the delay was "due some grim imagery that would seem wholly inappropriate given the Aurora killings."

The new release date for the issue will be Aug 22.

Visiting local comic shops during Emerald City ComiCon 2012

   While attending Emerald City Comic Con 2012 in Seattle, WA, I took a couple side trips to visit some comic shops. My vacation was the week of the start of Avengers vs. X-men and it is awesome to check out local stores when attending a convention out of your area. On this trip, I was able to visit two shops: Golden Age Collectables and Central City Comics.

PHOENIX COMICON 2011 - DC Comics Talent

Today on Day 2 of Phoenix Comic Con was filled with mingling with DC Comics artists. During the DC Comics and Brightest Day panel, which was hosted by Joel Gomez, Scott Clark, and Dave Beaty,  the artists who worked on Brightest Day got to talk about their experiences working on the series.

left to right: Gomez, Beaty, Clark

DC Comics Announces BRIGHTEST DAY AFTERMATH: THE SEARCH

DC Comics today has announced that after the conclusion of 'Brightest Day,' in which a new protector for earth will be chosen, will come 'Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search.' The series will be a three-issue series that will be written by Jonathan Vankin and drawn by Marco Castiello chronicling the fallout of Brightest Day. Not too many details have been given, but check out the DCU Blog and stay tuned here for updates.

Emerald City ComiCon 2011 - DC Nation Panel

     Like every other major con, DC Comics hosts a DC Nation panel to discuss things that have happened and stuff that will be coming down the pipeline in the DC Universe. Moderating the panel was editor-in-chief Bob Harras. Harras was joined by Matt Idelson (Superman group editor) and Vertigo's Will Dennis. Writers Chris Roberson, Marv Wolfman, and artist Sergio Aragones were also in attendance. Once the panel started and everyone introduced themselves, Harras directed people to the microphone in the middle of the room to start asking questions. People asking questions were then offered a donut if the question they asked was a good one with the real prize for the best question being a DVD of "All Star Superman."

     All of the questions were evenly divided between things going on within the DC Universe and company practices. One of the things that particularly stood out was the continuation of the "Earth-One" series and Harras confirmed that J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis are working on the follow up to the bestselling title. In a surprise revelation, he also let out that a "Batman, Earth-One" is in the works with Geoff Johns writing the story and Gary Frank doing the art. Some of the company practice questions pertained to the $2.99 price change that DC adopted at the beginning of this year. Harras iterated that DC Comics as a company felt that in order to keep current readership and to attract new readers, they felt that the $2.99 price point was the "sweet spot" in order to do the job.

    One of the questions directed to Marv Wolfman was about writing the storyline to "DC Universe Online." He answered by saying that he enjoys writing the story and that some "really good stuff" is coming soon. He also let everyone know that though he may need some practice, he thoroughly enjoys playing the game. He said "you can find me on Killing Joke as Titan 1. If you see me, please don't kill me." He also said that he and writer Tony Bedard will be alternating issues in writing the bi-weekly "DC Universe Online Legends" comic based on the game that is out on PC and PS3.

     The atmosphere was pretty laid back and full of humor with donuts being given away with reckless abandon. Besides the things mentioned above, theses were some of the announcements that Harras made about things coming up on the horizon over at DC:

- Wednesday Comics will be getting a second book in the series.
- "Elseworlds" doesn't have anything new in the pipeline, but something similar is "in the works"
- Lois Lane will have a big role in the upcoming "Flashpoint" storyline.
- Costumes for the new Wonder Woman tv show and the upcoming Superman movie have not been finalized, but they will have a similar look to the comic books.
- "Games," a story started by Wolfman and George Perez almost 30 years ago, will finally be released in the fall.
- Action Comics #900 will be a huge issue for Lex Luthor.
- Groo, though not a DC character, will be featured in a mini crossover series with Conan says Sergio Aragones, when asked about his well known character.
- Though Doom Patrol and Rebel Fighters are now cancelled, DC has some other projects coming down the pipeline, that does not involve adding anymore new Superman and Batman issues, that will hopefully replace those books. (This is the question that won the DVD.)


Jose Soria, 3/5/11




   

Marvel Allows Sale of Fantastic Four #587 A Day Early

In a rather interesting move, Marvel will allow retailers to sell copies of the upcoming Fantastic Four #587 a day earlier on Tuesday rather than Wednesday. For those unfamiliar with the issue, FF #587 is the issue where one of the members of the Fantastic Four will die. To avoid spoiling the surprise, the issue will come sealed in a poly bag reminiscent of the famous Superman #75 issue in which Superman dies.
This is a unique move on Marvel’s part. FF #587 is the only issue being allowed to be sold early. All other issues will go on sale on Wednesday as usual. The early sale will be possible due to Diamond Distributors sending the books to retailers for receipt on Tuesday rather than Wednesday. That allows the comic retailers time to process the inventory and have it on shelves by the time the stores open on Wednesday morning. So with FF #587 lining up to be a landmark issue, will you be making an extra trip to the comic book shop this week?

Jose Soria 1/21/11

Hollywood has gone Fanboy! Stan Lee received a star on the Walk of Fame.

The Generalissimo, as he goes by with his faithful fans, received the 2,428^th star from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce today, in front of the Live Nation Building in Los Angeles. Comic Book celebrity Todd McFarlane and POW! Entertainment President Gill Champion were on hand to honor Smilin’ Stan Lee.

Stan Lee is known for the creation of some of the biggest names in comic book history, Spiderman, Thor, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the X-men and many more. Most recently, he has had a hand in creating three new characters through BOOM! Studios and POW! Entertainment, Soldier Zero, Starborn and The Traveler. Lee is the Founder, Chairman and Creative Director at POW! Entertainment where he is working on several projects, including creating heroes for every team in the National Hockey League (NHL) being released this month.

Photo from Excelsior-Fans of Stan Lee Facebook page

I know I join millions of Fanboys and Fangirls out there when I say, “Congratulations Generalissimo, you make your Brigadiers proud.” According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce web site, Fanboys can pay homage to Stan “The Man” Lee’s star at 7072 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles.

-Martin Bright, 1/4/2011

The Blog formerly known as Brightboy Adventures

A centralized place for all things comic book related. A Base of Operations. A Headquarters, if you will.

A place where all Fanboys and Fangirls are welcomed regardless of their size, status, superpowers, or if they like DC/Marvel/Dark Horse/Image/IDW or any number of the great publishers and independent publications out there.

We will have: News on comic books, movies and television shows, video games. Coverage from Comic Conventions, Shows, and Expos. Retail announcements and much more.

This is a new venture by 2 big comic book fans and we figured what better time to start than the new year. We are still in the progress of constructing the site and will have features added often so bookmark us and come back often. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for quick updates. For those of you that have followed us here from Brightboy Adventures, thank you for your support and we look forward to your continued membership with us.

2011 San Diego Comic Con Passes Go On Sale......... And Then The Servers Crash..

On November 1, 2010 at 9 a.m. PST, 2011 San Diego Comic Con passes went on sale. For the first time in SDCC history, both 4-day and single day passes went on sale at the same time. Anxious fanboys and girls flooded the SDCC website and caused the servers to crash. SDCC officials closed registration and posted an apology on their website saying that registration is postponed until they can find the cause of the registration crash. They will announce a new date for registration to commence on Nov. 8th.

Last Phantom # 2 - Dynamite Comics

After a long delay, Dynamite has released the second issue in the new series, The Last Phantom. "The Ghost who walks" is hitting the jungle of Bengali once again. This time the Phantom is out to find the people who attempted to kill his alter ego and massacred an entire village, including the Phantom's family.
After surviving an explosion and crash of his plane, Kit Walker dons the Phantom crest and guns to hunt down the men responsible for the village massacre and to get some answers to what is going on. The peace that the Prime Minister and Walker have been working so hard to establish and maintain has just been sent a destructive blow. In no time, the Phantom has tracked the men down, but can't see them due to invisible suits - that doesn't stop the hero though. Using his well trained senses, the Phantom sniffs out the men and is able to take them all down. After a brief interrogation, the Phantom gets a name, Krieghund. He leaves one of the men alive and with one right hook to the face sends the survivor back to Krieghund to deliver a message - the Phantom is coming for all responsible parties.

The story was quick and that's a good thing because the artwork was able to shine through for the fight scenes in this issue. The Phantom's anger is well drawn into each box. We were also given scenes with Phantom favorities: Devil (Phantom's pet wolf) and Hero (the Phantom's horse). Dynamite does a great job with the character and keeps the suspense coming for future issues. Now if they could only get the issues out every month! (P.S. if i'm found dead soon, investigate Dynamite)

Keep your eye on Brightboy Adventures for coverage of this ongoing series.

Knight & Squire #1 - DC Comics

DC Comics brings Fanboys a take on a british (and somewhat funny) version of the Dark Knight and his universe. Knight and Squire look like medieval versions of Batman and Robin. This first issue introduces several characters into this storyline - Jarvis Poker, The Double Entendre, the Milkman, and more. Also there is an appearance by a known DC Comics hero, Wildcat.



In this opening story, it seems the reader is introduced to the characters that will make up the adventures of this series. Gathered in a pub, Good and Evil alike talk shop and reminisce about the days of fighting each other, all thanks to the Truce Magic (a spell on the pub that prevents conflict, weapons, bad mouthing, etc.). The Squire gives the history of everyone in the bar to a new costumed man that hasn't figured out if he is good or evil. After we are given the snapshot of what's going on, the spell is suddenly broken and the Knight must regain order.

The artwork is great. The Knight reminds me of a cross between Batman's look and RoboCop's armor. Jarvis Poker, the British Joker, pays homage to his American counterpart's look. There are some fun British culture references, complete with a key to the references at the end of the book. The writing did not build much suspense or curiosity, but I am hoping now that introductions are over, we'll see some action in issue #2.

Check out Brightboy Adventures next month for continued coverage on the Knight & Squire.

Tron: Betrayal #1 (of 2) - Marvel

If you are as big a fan of Tron as I am, then you are probably very excited to see the upcoming sequel, Tron Legacy hitting theaters in December. It has been nearly 30 years since Kevin Flynn first entered the grid and I was wondering how they are going to bridge such a large gap in time between the movies. Wonder no more, Marvel Comics released a two part series this month, Tron: Betrayal. The books will tell the story of what happened after Flynn took over Encom up to where the second film will start off in December.



**********SPOILER ALERT**********






The story takes place shortly after Kevin Flynn gains control of Encom (see the movie, Tron, to catch up). The year is 1983 and Flynn is jumping between the real world and a new Grid he has built to test out his programs and ideas. Flynn brings the program, Tron over to the new grid to help him protect the grid. Flynn begins to lose track of time when he is in the Grid, and all the while his girlfriend is back home carrying their child and Encom is becoming unstable. Flynn must be in two places at once, enter Clu. Made in Kevin Flynn's image and based off his original program inside the Grid, Clu will lead the Grid and maintain stability against gridbugs and the evolution of a new breed of beings - self created citizens known as the Isos. With Clu taking over, Flynn visits less often so he stabilize his life in the real world. Clu does not like the Flynn not entering the Grid as often. It seems Clu wants to take over, after all he was made in the Creator's image and could do it just as well. Among the list of issues in the Grid, it is discovered that the new breed of beings, the Isos, draw out gridbugs and attacks have increased, keeping Tron busy. Back in the real world, Kevin Flynn has been working on a device so that his girlfriend can contact him while he's in the Grid. While testing it out and checking on his programs, Flynn's device works and he is called away for the birth of his son. Clu and Tron are surprised that their creator has found a way to make contact with the real world while in the Grid.








**********SPOILER ALERT**********

The writing and artwork is done well. There is much to cover in the 28 years since the original movie and this means the story doesn't have much down time. There are some elements of the original Tron movie that a fan should know in order to understand some of the references. New fans will enjoy the book too because it will help build a back story of the Grid versus the real world. There are also some new aspects of the Tron mythos (see spoilers above) that I do not remember from the original movie, these are great add-ons and I'm sure have something to do with the plot in the new movie.

Check back next month for the conclusion to the comic book chapters of the world of TRON.

Red Hood: The Lost Days - #5 - DC Comics

Jason Todd is continuing down his path to kill his mentor. Over the course of his training he has worked with men and Talia al Ghul to understand the darker side of combat that Batman never taught him. The former sidekick has outgrown his red and yellow tights, but has not lost his need to do what’s right by innocent people. In this month’s issue, Jason is trying to save London from a series of bombings made to look like a terrorist attack. Facing off with one of his trainers and the Russian mafia, Jason must set aside his ambition in order to save the British, but little does he know it’ll lead him right toward his ultimate goal.

**********SPOILERS*********

 Highlight below for details of this month's issue

Jason races across London to diffuse Shurik’s bombs and ends up facing one of the Russian crews responsible for orchestrating the attack. Surrounded, outnumbered and out-armed Jason doesn’t seem like he’s going to escape London alive. Acting cowardly, Jason pretends to be in on the whole thing, saying he’s one of Shurik’s guys that were secretly hired to help place the bombs and distract the Russians to take control of the situation and escape. Once free, Jason heads over to meet Shurik and find out what the backup plan was in case the original bombing went wrong - in this case, suicide bombers. With a little threatening, Jason learns that three Arab teens have unknowingly been given bombs set to go off at key spots in London. Quick on the chase, Jason tracks down the three bombs. Diffusing the first two easily, he finds the third bomb on the London Bridge but cannot easily disarm it. After warding off a cop, he decides to drop the bomb in the river and bolt before anyone can ask questions. Safely back at his apartment, Jason is eager to “get out of Dodge” since so many people saw his face during the day’s events. Unfortunately, he’s not the only one home, the Russian crew found him, thanks to Shurik. This time around, Jason wasn’t going to act cowardly. He quickly fights the gang in the closed quarters and effortlessly kills them because “no one will miss these kinds of guys.” All but one of the men is killed in the first round of gunfire, but as Jason reloads to finish off the crew the man desperately begs for his life. His pleas go unheard as Jason prepares to kill the man, but then the Russian offers one of the very few things that Jason Todd would accept…the Joker’s whereabouts.

**********SPOILERS*********

The issue kept up the suspense of this story line. Jason Todd seems to be perfectly suited to take on the persona of his Red Hood. With only one issue left, one can wonder what the final steps are before the Red Hood appears in Gotham.  Check back in November for the conclusion to the days leading up to Jason Todd’s battle with Batman.

DC Entertainment To Shut Down WildStorm Comics

After taking the comic book industry by storm nearly 20 years ago, DC Entertainment has announced that it will shut down its WildStorm imprint. This comes at a time when DCE is in the middle of a bi-coastal realignment. The multimedia arm of DCE will move to Burbank, Ca, while the publishing arm of DCE will stay in New York.

The announcement of shutting down WildStorm comes after the July announcement that DCE was shutting down ZUDA Comics, their digital media imprint. The final issues published under the WildStorm name will be in December. After that, anything that was previously printed under the WildStorm imprint, will now be published under the DC Comics banner.

I Am An Avenger #1 - Marvel, September 1, 2010

This 5 book series begins with 4 Avengers short stories. Young Avengers, The Books of Iron Fist, Squirrel Girl, and the Pet Avengers are featured. All are quick reads and give a glimpse of several Marvel characters.

1. The Young Avengers in Homecoming.

·      The Young Avengers are on a path to emulate their famous elders must learn a valuable lesson from Hawkeye before entering the halls of the Avengers Mansion.

2. The Books of The Iron Fist

·      Iron Fist and Misty Knight are separating their belongings, more specifically books, since Iron Fist has decided to move closer to the mansion. This makes things “complicated” in their relationship, are they or aren’t they? All that’s left to pack up are the books and that sends the two down memory lane.

3. Welcome Home, Squirrel Girl

·      The girl who talks to squirrels is back home, in New York City. She is happy to back home in the park with her squirrels where they can see the Avengers like Iron Man flying around.

4. Pet Avengers: Gnu Recruit

·      The little animal Avengers are debating the induction of a new member. He looks like them and smells like them but he’s missing one important animal characteristic to be included in the animal team, a tail – he is Wovlerine. This is good fun involving the Adamantium One.

This was a good quick read for the Marvel fans. I liked the story of the Young Avengers and the trial they face. I look forward to reading that series more. And I am eager to read the next issue of I Am An Avenger featuring Steve Rogers, Firestar & Justice, and even an Avengers Pie-Eating contest!

Wolverine: Road to Hell - Marvel, September 1, 2010

A one shot comic piecing together the stories leading to Wolverine’s soul being sent to purgatory. Wolverine’s body is inhabited on Earth by a demon, Daken and X-23 are hunting a bio-engineer involved with the Weapon X experiments that happens to be in possession of Wolverine’s blood and the start of a new series the Uncanny X-Force. This book also featured previews of Namor, the First Mutant and Generation Hope.

We start with FALLING as Wolverine descends into Hell to face “all those he has killed.” There is even a small cameo by Sabertooth. This leads into the start of the new book Wolverine that is on sale now.

Next we have Daken following Detlef Metzger, a scientist with a specialty in bio-enhancement. Metzger happens to be in possession of journals of the Weapon X Program and a vial containing Wolverine’s blood. X-23 is seeking Metzger too for what seem like the same reasons as  Daken, to keep him safe from those that would harm. Unfortunately, Metzger has another seeker, Malcolm Colcord, who is with the military, and unfortunately gets to Metzger first. Daken and X-23 will likely have to work together to track down their target now. The story continues in Daken: Dark Wolverine and X-23 on sale September 8^th and 15^th, respectively.

Finally, We get the story of an unlikely team, the Uncanny X-force that put Wolverine and Deadpool back on the same team. This X-force is more of a club that sits around waiting for something to happen and it looks like they are about to get their first mission in Uncanny X-force #1  on October 6^th.

For a sneak peek at the new Namor story, check out the preview featured in this issue, showing the Sub-Mariner in an all new adventure. Also check out a new generation of heroes in Generation Hope as they kick off a new series with one hell-of-a monster fight!

And check out Brightboy Adventures’ coverage of Wolverine as we follow our favorite mutant to hell.

Wolverine #1 - Marvel, September 1, 2010

Wolverine: Road to Hell shows the hero falling into Hell’s great hole to face those he has killed. Hell has come for Wolverine and those he cares most about, but why? What will Satan have in store for Wolverine? 

The story starts with Wolverine and Priest Wraith (yes, I said Priest) discussing Hell and whether they’re good deeds will save their souls. The following Sunday, Wraith notices Wolverine is missing from Sunday services. Next thing he knows, Wraith is facing off with Wolverine in the woods outside the church. Cut to an office building where Wolverine’s lady friend, Melita, works as a bunch of evil looking characters bust out of the elevator. With Wolverine MIA, an unlikely person comes to Melita’s rescue, Mystique. The group out to capture Melita has a list of targets to acquire in Wolverine’s absence. Are they behind clawed mutant’s disappearance and how did he end up in Hell? Wolverine has fallen to the end of a dark hole and into the clutches of the Devil. The Devil monologues about how he’s enjoyed his job of torturing souls and that he looks forward to “enjoying myself” with Wolverine.

How will Wolverine get out of this one? Grab a copy and follow this new Marvel series.

Superman/Batman #75 Review

So far this year, DC Comics seems to have many anniversary issues in the pipeline. After Superman #700, Batman #700, and Wonder Woman #600, we are graced with Superman/Batman #75. Anniversary issues seem to generally gather some of the most prolific writers and artists in the company and put together a super-sized issue with many stories and art pages highlighting certain characters. The issues don't seem to follow the
current story arc.

The issue starts off with a story by Paul Levitz featuring the Legion of Superheroes teaming up with Batman. The art is by Jerry Ordway and is some of his best art in quite some time. After that, there are quite a few two page spreads by comic notables such as Azzarello, Finch, Manapul, and Bermejo. One of the many little strips that I found quite entertaining was the work by Azzarello and Bermejo. It features Superman and Batman's greatest foes, Lex Luthor and the Joker. What makes this strip stand out is that it is done in the style of Calvin and Hobbes. Another strip that that is quite interesting is one that features Conner Kent and Damian Wayne. Set in the future, Conner has taken on the role of Superman and Damian is now Batman. They meet in front of a statue dedicated to the Man of Steel and The Dark Knight.

Superman/Batman #75 is a great milestone for the series. Many great artists and writers were called together to assemble an issue that pays homage to all aspects of Superman and Batman. The issue is definitely worth taking a look at.