Planet Comicon | Stan Lee
Stan Lee, the guy who created and co-created hundreds of iconic superheroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, and Thor, is coming to Planet Comicon Kansas City at Bartle Hall May 20, 21 and 22. The legendary former publisher of Marvel Comics is scheduled to sign autographs, pose with fans for photo opportunities, and appear on stage for a Q&A session.
“Every year the show gets better,” said Planet Comicon Kansas City founder and CEO Christopher Jackson. “We are incredibly excited and truly honored to have Stan Lee coming to Kansas City. He is a visionary who has brought a whole pantheon of modern mythology to life. The incredible imagination of Stan Lee fills our theaters, toy stores, and television screens.”
Planet Comicon Kansas City has exploded in popularity and attendance since moving to the monster space at Bartle Hall in 2012. The annual show draws legions of fans of superheroes, science fiction, animation, television, movies, fantasy, and gaming, with acres of interactive exhibits, live art, costumes, performances and collectibles.
Other celebrity guests already announced for Planet Comicon in 2016 include Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica, Miami Vice), Eve Myles (Doctor Who, Torchwood), Sean Maher (Firefly), Jason Mewes(Clerks, Mallrats) and Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).
Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Review
It begins in the year 2420, the new incarnation of Ultron has destroyed the Earth's mightiest heroes. He reigns supreme over not just Earth, but the entire Universe. Doctor Doom has brought together several members of The Avengers from the past to assemble and battle the threat of Ultron. In the future ruled by Ultron, the remaining humans have been turned into drones captured by Ultron himself. The ones that remain are on the run from the menace. Doctor Doom brings together The Avengers to take Ultron out in a series of multiple front attacks.
The story here is pretty straightforward. Ultron has taken over the world and it's time for The Avengers to defeat the terror known as Ultron. These facts don't take away from the story at all, though of course The Avengers are quite suspicious when Doctor Doom assembles them. Vision is the voice of reason here as he knows that this Doom is not the original Doom.
The story progresses quickly and we are shown a future Captain America with a present day Vision and Black Widow being pulled from their time. The inevitable confrontation between The Avengers and Doom is a quite enjoyable read, particularly for the fans of The Avengers. The opening moments of the battles between The Avengers and Ultron's army are certainly entertaining.
The artwork is pretty standard fare in this issue. Ultron is portrayed as menacing and the flooded, future version of New York City is well done. The flooding of New York City is due to the effects of Global Warming. Facial emotions are portrayed in a way that you can easily determine the desired emotion. The action sequences are done well and you don't have to guess what is happening. In one panel, you see Ultron standing over fallen heroes and you may notice that RoboCop has been vanquished as well. The Bio-Slaves are absolutely terrifying looking and Ultron's Avengers look impressive. I was particularly impressed by the Bio-Slaves in this issue.
With the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel is doing everything they can to get the general public ready and psyched for the movie. And of course, they are getting us fans even more excited for the release. With Ultron Forever and Rage of Ultron both out this week, and a little less than a month before the movie, they are going to milk this for all it's worth. Can you blame them? I mean I would.
If you're looking for something to pick up for a quick read, this will be it. The action is fun and the artwork is good. It's not going to make anyone's top issue of the year list, but it's well worth the price and time just for the fun of it.
pick up your avengers ultron forever now!
Comic Book Day!
Uncanny Inhumans #0
Another Wednesday is here and that means its another day to get this weeks comics at your local store!
Whats on your to get list this week?
Thanks to PreviewsWorld.com for the list of books and merchandise out today!
Here are some of our "Books To Get" This Week!
JACKMAN TURNS ON WOLVERINE STATUS; DECLARES "ONE LAST TIME"
From ComicBookResources.com
The past year has brought very strange days for fans of Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine. Depending on what project he's working on, what new developments arrive in Marvel movies or what way the wind is blowing, the star of seven X-Men films has been somewhat unpredictable as to where he stands with his future in the franchise.
Most recently, Jackman professed that he would play the character "until he dies" despite earlier claims that he was considering retirement. Then he went out and spoke highly of both the potential for Wolvie to crossover with the Avengers or to make a cameo in Ryan Reynolds' upcoming "Deadpool."
But this weekend on his Instagram account, the actor seemingly took a step back from that recent run of optimism, sharing the following image and message:
What exactly "One last time" means is unclear. It seems to indicate a fare thee well to the character, although the confirmed third "Wolverine" solo film isn't set to start filming until 2016. Could this mean he will appear in the currently underway "Deadpool"? Or "X-Men: Apocalypse"? Or is it all just a viral tease for some other movie news?
Regardless, it doesn't seem that fans will know with 100% certainty when Jackman's Wolverine run will end until it happens.
FIRST LOOK AT RYAN REYNOLDS AS 'DEADPOOL'
From empireonline.com
Clearly more than a little enthusiastic about getting to portray what he hopes we’ll all embrace as a proper version of snark-tastic Marvel antihero Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds has been the new movie’s biggest champion, sharing insights into pre-production via social media. Today he brings a first look at the Merc with a Mouth in full gear and in action… Sorry… inaction… posing on a bearskin in front of a roaring fire. Por qué? Because he’s Deadpool, that’s por qué.
Deadpool, as you may already know, features former Special Forces warrior-turned-mercenary Wade Wilson, who undergoes a rogue experiment as part of the Weapon X plan that leaves him brutally scarred but also boasting Wolverine-like healing powers. Armed with his new abilities and his pitch-dark sense of humour, he hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life, while taking on other bad guys as he does so.
Effects man/second unit director-turned-big-chair-occupier Tim Miller is calling the shots for this one, working from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. He convinced 20th Century Fox and the world at large he was the man for the job via a test footage short (viewable below) that featured Reynolds providing the voice and some motion capture for Deadpool.
Production is now underway in Vancouver, with Ed Skrein T.J. Miller, Gina Carano and Morena Baccarin among the cast. Deadpool will wisecrack his way into cinemas on February 12 next year. Assuming you haven’t keeled over from all the sexy in that first image.
Comic Book Day: March 25th
Jem and the Holograms #1
Thanks to PreviewsWorld.com here is list of comics out today! What will you be bringing home?
Here are our top picks for the week! pick up your copies below!
 Batman Eternal #51 - $2.69 This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end! |
 Walking Dead #139 - $2.69 A new arc begins as our world gets even bigger. |
 Inhuman #13 - $3.59 Great jumping on point as all the threads in INHUMAN year one are woven together! The NuHumans are a valuable currency in the new world order and someone is working hard to control their destiny. |
 Tomb Raider #14 - $3.59 " Tomb Raider is the quintessential example of a reboot done right."-Gaming Trend The second issue in a new arc from the writer of the Tomb Raider 2013 video game-Rhianna Pratchett! Lara and her friends must leave London in order to save a friend's life from a mysterious organization! However, there is danger lurking in the shadows that threatens to destroy them all! |
 Deadpool #44 - $3.59 First: Deadpool let loose in an oil field! Then: Deadpool & Shiklah enter the Tomb of Scariness! Guest-starring Omega Red and damned dirty bamfers! Parental Advisory |
 Samurai Jack #17 - $3.59 Jack and the Thief team-up to discover the mysteries of the secretive man known only as the 'Master of Time.' Is this finally the way home for our solemn samurai? |
 Marvel Comics Now Deadpool Artfx+ Statue - $47.99 A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Now that the Avengers lineup is complete, Kotobukiya is expanding its Marvel Now! ARTFX+ line to include other mainstream Marvel Comics characters. First up is one of the most popular comic book superheroes in the business, Wade Wilson aka DEADPOOL! Formerly a member of the Weapon X program, the 'Merc with a Mouth' is a longtime assassin for hire and independent agent who's worked alongside just about every superhero and villain from the Avengers to X-Force and everything in between. Now the fourth wall-breaker invades your house with a fantastic new ARTFX+ statue! Created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Deadpool has never looked back and continues to appear in more and more books with his unique style and nonstop witty repartee, not to mention his trademark costume and extensive armory! Wilson makes a stunning debut in the ARTFX+ series as he crouches in preparation for an attack, drawing one of his swords from the sheaths on his back. Deadpool naturally...... |
New Fantastic Four Poster!
Here is the new Fantastic Four poster! Ooo... Aaa...
The Differences That Will Set the DC Cinematic Universe Apart From Marvel
By Jesse Merkel
We’re still a year away from seeing the second official installment in the DC Cinematic Universe, but that hasn’t stopped Marvel fans on the internet from ripping it a new one every chance they get. While there are those who are fans of both, it’s the negative voices that are the loudest of all.
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a huge jump on the competition. Next month, Marvel will have released 11 movies in a cohesive universe, with several more on the way. Next year, DC will have rolled out it’s second and third. While DC has sat on the sidelines for years, they were watching, and learning.
Contrary to the loud opinions that are constantly being tossed about on movie commentary sites around the web, there are several things that the DC Cinematic Universe could use to its advantage.
Real Feelings and Consequences
After the first picture of Ben Affleck in costume came out, people took joy in producing ‘Sad Batman’ memes as a way of pointing out that once again DC had chosen the depressing path. It may be a fun way for hipsters to get more attention, but it really misses the point that the DC and Warner Bros. are going for.
If someone calls Man of Steel hopeless, they’re probably the type of individual that need things explained to themslowly. Man of Steel showed us an alien who was alone in a world. We saw him move from job to job, using his gifts to help people, all the while trying to heed the cautionary words of Jonathon Kent.
When he finally gets to meet others of his race, he is forced to defend his adopted home world from them. Like he did several times in the comics, Superman is left no choice but to kill the one man who could tell him what his home and family were like. That is why instead of making a wisecrack after snapping Zod’s neck, he cried out in anguish.
The characters in this new DC movie universe are going to face many more real world issues and emotions than their jocular Marvel counterparts. It may not mean as many laughs, but it will lay the groundwork for some interesting character development along the way. Remember the rumors of a shrine to Robin in the Batcave? Yeah. That.
Stronger Villains
If there is one thing that has been the dark spot on Marvel’s record, besides Howard the Duck, it’s their record with villains. Extremely talented actors like Christopher Eccleston and Hugo Weaving were reduced to boring, bland bad guys. And while Loki, the favorite bad guy of that world is beloved by the fans, ‘scary’ isn’t one of the words that people use when they describe him.
One advantage that DC has is a litany of marquee villains that are just as famous as their hero counterparts. Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, and the Joker could each carry a film on reputation alone. When you add the phenomenal casting of Jesse Eisenberg, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto, base it on fan-favorite source material, and throw in a dash of real word grittiness, the table is set for some absolutely frightening villains. Just imagine how well a method actor like Leto will do when he dives headfirst into the role!
The majority of those villains wil either be rolled out or featured in next years Suicide Squad. Joker, Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg, Enchantress, Boomerang, Deadshot, and Amanda Waller are all scheduled to show up, with Lex Luther and Deathstroke both rumored to appear.
Linear Storytelling
Marvel’s strategy has been to release several independent movies, tease the audience with post-credit sequences, and provide a payoff in the form of a team up movie like The Avengers.
A change in tone isn’t enough to truly distinguish oneself from the competition. You need to change the way you tell a story. Rather than laying out a series of loosely connected solo stories, it appears that the DCCU is going to be relying on a more linear form of storytelling.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to be directly influenced by Man of Steel, and it’s a good bet thatSuicide Squad will continue the story. And while Batman v Superman will feature a number of cameos by other Justice League team members, Suicide Squad may arguably be more important to the DCCU.
Enchantress is a common Wonder Woman foe, while Boomerang regularly challenges the Flash. Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and Amanda Waller have all made Batman’s life a living hell, while Lex Luthor is one of Superman’s greatest adversaries. After that movie comes screaming into theaters next year, there will be a host of well-defined baddies to help continue to story for future solo movies in the universe.
Yin to the Yang
DC taking a different tone and path than Marvel isn’t just gutsy. It’s smart. Anyone remember Green Lantern? Remember the lighter, more comedic tone? Remember the post-credits scene? It bombed for a reason. The Marvel tone doesn’t work for the older, more demigod-like characters found in DC Comics.
First of all, if they just copied everything that Marvel did, they’d be called rip off artists, and I, a huge fan of DC, would agree. Do we want to see a bright orange Aquamanriding a purple seahorse? Would Wonder Woman be at all believable with the invisible jet? No, it’d look ridiculous.
Unless you’re going to focus on escapism like Marvel, things need a real world explanation. That’s the reason for Jason Momoa‘s Aquaman looking like a Polynesian warrior, focusing on the alien nature of Superman, and a Lois Lane that’s not fooled when Clark Kent puts on a pair of glasses.
There is no wrong way to build a cohesive movie universe,and it’s fantastic that there are two great companies putting their products out there. For any fan of super hero movies, it’s nice that there will be so many more flicks to go see at the theater. With the two giants of the comic industry doing something different, it’s a good bet that we won’t get bored any time soon!
Ant-Man Issue 2 Review
Scott Lang, alias Ant-Man, is the star of the new Ant-Man series. This certainly makes sense as Marvel is releasing an Ant-Man movie this summer. When we last left Ant-Man, he had turned down an offer of a new career from Tony Stark in order to be a better father. In this issue, he's busy trying to convince a bank to give him a loan so that he can start his own security company. However, his attempts seem to be in vain with the bank executives refusing to even listen to Scott's proposal. It is at this point that things get a little hairy for our hero. He's disabled the security systems and the vaults in the bank in an attempt to show them just how easy it is break into their bank. Doing so creates a major problem when a huge MidasBot is activated and starts wreak havoc in the bank.
The first two issues of the newest Ant-Man series have been light-hearted and full of humor that is somewhat silly and incredibly sarcastic. The humor, and the sarcasm, are part of why I am really enjoying this series so far. The humor allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy the issue without having to think about existential issues or good versus evil; in fact you don't need to have any real thought at all. It's really refreshing to read a series that is frivolous and isn't all doom and gloom. The fact that Scott Lang keeps the Ant-Man costume on at ALL times is an added bonus. He's seen outside walking with his daughter in the costume or having a sit down with Bear-Man, clearly this is a series that doesn't take it's self too seriously.
A major theme with this issue is Ant-Man's role as a father. I hope that some of us comic book fans who are fathers, can relate to his concerns. He is written as a sympathetic father who obviously cares deeply for his daughter. As a father, it is awesome to read a series with a super hero that strives to be a genuinely good father with everything he does being for the benefit of his daughter.
If you're on the fence about the new Ant-Man series, I think you might want to check this out. This is a really great series for those who are looking for something light as opposed to serious and has a focus on family, which is cool for us comic book fan parents.
What do you think? Have you added this new Ant-Man series to your weekly pickups?
Posted by: Jeff @jeff201
Captain America vs. Star-Lord
If you didn't know it already or have been sleeping under a rock for the past 2 weeks tomorrow, February 1st, is Super Bowl XLIX. What you may not know is that our beloved Comic Book Heroes, Captain America and Star-Lord are avid fans of the opposing teams. Team Captain America is New England Patriots & Team Star-Lord is Seattle Seahawks. Another thing you might not know is that they placed a friendly wager via Twitter and whatever the outcome of the game I know both will not back out of their bet. Check the images below to see how it all shook out.
Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd
Magneto
The “Master of Magnetism” is back on Genosha for Magneto issue 14. After the events of AXIS, Magneto's fears have been given significant attention. He has returned to the place where he's experienced both his greatest triumphs and tragedies. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D has Magneto surrounded, but Magneto is always a step ahead.
S.H.I.E.L.D is coming into Genosha's airspace with Magneto standing around the ruins of Genosha. Magneto tells a young mutant to run and hide while he prepares for S.H.I.E.L.D. This action leads to a flashback of the Sentinel assault, that killed 150 million mutants, on Genosha. Once the flashback concludes, we see Agent Hines preparing her team to capture Magneto. At this point, Magneto starts to wield his power and inflicts some serious damage to S.H.I.E.L.D forces. From here, we are taken into another flashback, this time it is of the aftermath of the Sentinel attack.
This issue is short on text, but heavy in emotion. Cullen Bunn has done an excellent job not only writing this issue, but also writing Magneto period. Magneto is a character who has been a villain and a hero, with most recognizing him in the villain role. In this complex issue, he is walking a VERY fine line between the two spectrums. He defends Genosha and he does it for his people; he's clearly on the offensive during this issue. And as readers that have prior knowledge of what happened to Genosha and of Magneto's past, his reasoning is completely defensible. It is this empathy for Magneto that Cullen Bunn evokes impeccably with the character of Magneto. As a reader you not only understand and have an appreciation of Magneto's view of the world and Mutantkind, but you also feel compassion for him.
Even though the text is a bit on the short side, the story progresses without any issues. Magneto's inner dialogue drives the story into and through the action panels. Magneto is written without any thrills and straight to the point, which works well for his character. I will say that the ending was great. I won't post any spoilers, but I certainly didn't see it coming and I'm already looking forward to next month's edition. It is this anticipation and excitement that a good writer hopes to accomplish: tell a great story and leave them hungry for more.
If you have been on the sidelines with picking up Magneto, I suggest grabbing this issue and possibly even going back and reading the previous issues. I'm pretty certain that you'll be glad you picked this one up.
What are you currently reading? Did you pull this week's Magneto too?
Posted by: Jeff @jeff201