I used to wake up at 4 am on saturdays to watch cartoons. Not because I liked the very early shows (Seriously, SWATCATS was just not that great), but because my mother didn’t want us to spend all day watching TV. As soon as breakfast was on the table the TV was switched off! Of course, this meant that depending on the complexity of breakfast, I may not get to watch what, at the time, was my favorite cartoon. The freakin’ X-Men!
Even though you’ll have to turn off your brain when watching this movie, it looks like a whole lot of fun.
If you were wondering what was going to happen in the upcoming Green Lantern movie from Warner Bros. look no further than the press release the company sent out.
Or – “Is The Man Half-Machine, Or Is The Machine Half-Man?”
There have been literally thousands of heroes created since Jerry and Joe had their brainstorm in the late 30′s, from the ridiculous to the sublime, any and all of which have at least something awesome that makes them unique. Heck, even Shaft from Youngblood is SOMEBODY’S favorite character. (That somebody’s name is Robert Liefeld.) But when you think about the genesis of today’s entrant, there’s a real sense of amazement at his pedigree. Originally written by SF titan Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey was turned into a film by visionary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. When Jack Kirby returned to Marvel in the mid-70′s, he was given writer-editor priveleges on a comic book adaptation of the film, and an ongoing series involving concepts from the movie. Pretty fertile ground for a soopahero in any case, but Kirby added additional wrinkles by creating a character who was (in the Mighty Marvel fashion) left adrift in a world he never made. In the years since, he’s been all around the Marvel Universe, he’s been an Avenger, he’s fought the most powerful creatures alive, and travelled the length and breadth of the universe. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of the android entity designate X-51, whom his adoptive father named Aaron Stack… Machine Man!
If the production information I received moments ago are correct, it looks like Jay Garrick will be featured as The Flash, instead of Wally West or Barry Allen. This is according to information posted in the most recent Production Weekly, that has Geoff Johns and Dan Mazeau writing, with Greg Berianti directing. The trade has Warner Bros. nearing a greenlight for the film.
Considering Johns has a big bulge for Barry Allen, we should probably put the Jay Garrick news in the rumor column, although it wouldn’t surprise me to see a mention of the first speedster somewhere in the film.
What do you think, Spoilerites? Would you be interested in 1940s Flash story, or will Warner Bros. go with Barry Allen?
It was bound to happen sooner or later – Guillermo Del Toro is exiting the director’s chair of The Hobbit for greener pastures. Actually, the big reason for Del Toro for leaving is the continued financial problems MGM is having, which is holding up the entire green light signal for the film. Start dates continue to be pushed back, which forced Del Toro to honor other commitments he’s made to other studios.
“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming “The Hobbit,” I am faced with the hardest decision of my life”, says Guillermo. “After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director”.
With this news, does this mean that Peter Jackson will step up to the plate and direct this two parter, or will that job go to someone else. It’s really sad that MGM is in the financial debacle it is now, as it is totally screwing with so many films and franchises at the moment. Having seen many of Del Toro’s fantasy filled films, I’m not sure I would have liked his look dropped on to the film.
We’ve covered the delays and MGM problems that have delayed this film, and once again I wonder if this film will ever get made.
With Black Mask exposed, what is a comic book series to do? If you are Detective Comics, the answer is simple – draw the story out one more issue, with an origin story of sorts.
Or – “I’m The Doctor, My Dear… Whether You Like It Or Not.”
There’s a very large problem when you’re telling stories about a time traveller. It’s not always easy to tell what ORDER the tales go from the traveller’s perspective. Witness the quandary of Legion of Super-Heroes fans when their stories seem to imply that Braniac 5 joined the Legion before Superboy, which means that Supergirl (who joined at the same time as Brainy) actually joined the team earlier in their personal timeline than her cousin who joined in the team’s first (chronologica)l appearance. Also worth noting are these by necessity retroactive adventures of the Time Lord called the Doctor in his Tenth incarnation, being told only after the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor start to come to light. Still, if you’re not worried about continuity (or willing to crack the head of a patient cat against a concrete bathroom wall, to use a metaphor coined by a wiser man than I) these tales sometimes end up being your favorites…
When creators leave a series, there are two possibilities – the series goes out with a bang with everything wrapped up in a tidy bow, or every plot point and story line leaves the readers hanging as they are never resolved. As Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner prepare to depart Power Girl, they leave the reader with a really good feeling.
This issue: The Major Spoilers Crew discuss what television shows would make a great comic book.
Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com
A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.
This episode: The party wakes up in a strange place, and meet the Resplendent Tiger. Also the crew takes a moment to give advice to a listener whose parents forbid the game.
Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com
A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.
