An end ... and a beginning!

It's an exciting day for The Great Curve, folks ... as of today, we're leaving our former name and URL behind to launch something new: Blog@Newsarama, which you can find at http://blog.newsarama.com/. Please bear with me as I reflect back a little on where we came from and how this all happened (and how I ended up in the middle of it all!) ...

I owe my friend Craig McKenney a big thank you. Back in high school, college and when we were in Phoenix APA together, we always talked about one day getting into the comics industry. His dream was writing comics. Mine? Well, as a journalism guy, I would have been satisfied just writing about them.

Craig went on to fulfill his dream, moving to Seattle to work for Fantagraphics, then forming his own small press company. Me? I hung out in Dallas, doing corporate communications work. Which was fun; I worked for some good companies, one of which was a very fun place to work, that did promotional tie-ins with the Spider-Man films, NASCAR, Nintendo … yet in the back of my mind, the whole “writing about comic books” thing wouldn’t leave me alone.

So last year Craig goes off and gets himself a Xeric Foundation award for a book he was doing – The Brontes: Infernal Angria. Craig, ever the English major and lit junkie, had wanted to do this book for years. So I asked him what he thought about me interviewing him, and then maybe trying to pitch the interview to a couple of news sites. I figured it would at least give him something he could use as a promo piece, if nothing else. The first one to bite was The Great Curve.

I’d been following the site since it was founded way back in 2004 by Alex Segura, Jr., who you might remember as a contributor to the main Newsarama site. I think he wrote articles or washed Matt’s car or something like that. Basically the concept was to put together a team of bloggers/fans and come up with the best content they could. Since then the site has seen many contributors come and go, offering their unique take on the world of comic books and pop culture.

Anyway, Alex ran the story, and about a week later he followed up with an email, asking me if I’d be willing to start contributing. I certainly didn’t expect him to ask me to join his team. And I was surprised when, a few months later, he asked me to help him with the day-to-day stuff on the blog. It was a lot of fun, getting to write about something fun and that I was passionate about, as well as to interact with Alex, Chris Hunter, Tim O’Shea and the rest of the team.

So late last year, right after Christmas, Alex came to us with an interesting piece of news. Seems Alex had just gotten hired by DC Comics, so he was turning the blog over to me. Holy crap!

It wasn’t long after that I started getting emails from a guy named Matt Brady. Seems that Matt, the head cheese over at Newsarama, wanted for us to become the blogging arm of Newsarama.

Now I’ve been reading Newsarama for almost a decade; I can still remember checking usenet every week to see if Michael Doran had posted “CBI Newsarama” yet. I watched it move to AnotherUniverse.com, then on to Fandom.com, Comicon.com, View Askew … I’ve spent many hours reading not only the comic news, but also the posts of the many fine folks who hang out in the Talk@ section. To hear that The Great Curve might be a part of that was pretty damn exciting.

So here we are, not even a year after I sent that first story to Alex, asking him if he wanted to run it. For me personally, it’s been a fun ride these last few months, chatting with my fellow fans, other bloggers, even some pros. So it’s a little bittersweet that I announce that our journey with The Great Curve has come to an end. Y’see, those conversations with Matt have, after months of hard work on many people’s parts, resulted in the next step for us – Blog@Newsarama. So as of today, Kevin, Shane, Tom, Chris, Michael, Stephanie and I will take our orchestra to a much larger stage … with at least one new addition, but I’ll let you check out the new site to find out who that is.

I’m not even sure where to begin with the thanks. A lot of people have helped us out along the way, whether it was to contribute, pass on content, send us a press release or piece of art, subject themselves to an interview or just send us words of encouragement -- people like Larry Young, Tim Leong, Clifford Meth, ADD, Scipio at the Absorbacon, Bob Sodaro, Lea “DivaLea” Hernandez, Mel Smith, Becky Cloonan, Jason Asala, Brian Wood, James Sime, Sean McKeever, Hisham Zubi, Brian Cronin, Brian Warmoth, Shahed Ahmed, Jason Burns, Dean Trippe, Rick Sullivan, Joe Gordon, Lucas Siegel, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Heidi McDonald, Gina Gagliano, Logan Kaufman, C Hill, Jim Taylor, Michelle Nash, Chris Arrant, Drew Melbourne, Ted Mathot and Jason Brice (and I apologize if I've left anyone out). Extra special thanks to two guys who helped get us where we are today and who I'm really happy to have as friends, Tim O’Shea and our founder, Alex Segura. And yeah, thanks to my friend Craig, too.

And thanks especially to all of our readers, those of you who check us out on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis. We hope you will continue to check us out, as we plan to continue doing what we love to do as we make the move to Blog@Newsarama. We’ll see you there. (I guess this is the part where I should tell you to change your bookmarks ...)

Sometimes the world has a load of questions
Seems like the world knows nothing at all
The world is near but its out of reach
Some people touch it...but they can’t hold on.

She is moving to describe the world
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She has messages for everyone
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She is moving by remote control
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
Hands that move her are invisible
Night must fall now-darker, darker.

The world has a way of looking at people
Sometimes it seems that the world is wrong
She loves the world, and all the people in it
She shakes em up when she start to walk.

She is only party human being
Divine, to define, she is moving to define, so say so, so say so
She defines the possibilities
Divine, to define, she is moving to define, so say so, so say so
Holding on for an eternity
Divine, to define, she is moving to define, so say so, so say so
Gone...ending without finishing
Divine, to define, she is moving to define, so say so, so say so

The world moves on a womans hips
The world moves and it swivels and bops
The world moves on a womans hips
The world moves and it bounces and hops
A world of light...she’s gonna open our eyes up
A world of light...she’s gonna open our eyes up
Shes gonna hold/it move/it hold it/move it hold/it move it hold/
It move it
A world of light...shes gonna open out eyes up

She is moving to describe the world
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She has messages for everyone
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She is moving by remote control
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
Hands that move her are invisible
Night must fall now-darker, darker.

Divine, to define, she is moving to define, so say so
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She...has got to move the world...to move the world...to move
The world

A world of light...she’s gonna open our eyes up
A world of light...she’s gonna open our eyes up
She’s gonna hold/it move/it hold it/move it hold/it move it hold/
It move it
A world of light...she’s gonna open our eyes up

Wanna define...so say so, so say so
Divine to define, she is moving to define, so say so, so say so
Night must fall now-darker, darker.
She...has got to move the world...to move the world...to move
The world

The Great Curve by the Talking Heads

Kryptonite Bites

Emotional Kryptonite
Director Bryan Singer apparently doesn't view Superman Returns as an action flick, but a love story -- one told, at least partly, from Lois Lane's perspective.

"This is a movie about what happens when old boyfriends come back into your life," he told The New York Times:

Making Lois (as played by Kate Bosworth) the linchpin of the Superman franchise may sound radical, but the screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris say that it's a natural next step in the hero's saga. "In the original comic Superman was the hypermasculine guy, but slowly the romantic aspect of the character became more prominent," Mr. Dougherty said in an interview here. "First he was a fighter, and then the lover got introduced. It wasn't one or the other, it was this mixture of both."

Mr. Dougherty said it was in Richard Donner's Superman, released by Warner in 1978, that the character became "not just this alpha male, but he was sexualized, and romance really crystallized there." Later, the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which was broadcast on ABC in the mid-1990's, turned the romance into what Mr. Dougherty described as "full-on soap opera."

"And then they moved the soap opera to high school: Smallville is absolutely the same thing, but younger," added Mr. Harris, referring to the WB series, which followed "Lois & Clark." "It opens with Clark Kent shirtless in a cornfield. Immediately you know they're going for the sexuality of Superman."

Superman's indestructible values
Screenwriters Dougherty and Harris are the subjects on an extensive Q&A in the June issue of In Focus, a publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

There, too, they delve into the Man of Steel's emotional struggles. Here's Harris:

We have this problem, where the guy’s indestructible and stands for “Truth, Justice and the American Way”: very strong moral values that aren’t necessarily outdated, but we’ve seen them before. And you can’t change that about Superman — [those values] are as indestructible as he is.

So making a story about that kind of character didn’t seem totally relevant, or easy, or that interesting to us. But the world has evolved since Superman was last on the big screen — it’s more contemporary, edgier and scarier. It’s in dire need of a hero more than it was in the ’70s.

It was Bryan’s big idea to send him away for a number of years, then bring him back — and have the world kind of move on and change with him gone. Bringing Superman back into a world he doesn’t fit in was the heart of the drama.

Lois Lane has moved on. His mother has moved on in certain ways. He comes back to situations that aren’t cats in trees. So he has to become a hero by kind of riding the middle line and getting at his own “Truth” — and not stepping on people’s toes.

It's a lengthy, interesting interview that also touches on Superman's motivations, the right tone for Luthor, screenwriting, superheroes as "our current gods," and much more.

(Pictured: Harris, Singer and Dougherty on the Fortess of Solitude set)

Trading a phone booth for a closet?
Meanwhile, The Independent of London picks up on the "gay appeal" angle, but finds at least one fan who isn't so sure:

Batman and Wonder Woman are already well established gay icons, but not everyone is convinced Superman should join them. The comic books expert Liam Dineen admits he is surprised at the suggestion. "He doesn't really seem that type of guy," says the 33- year-old, who has been collecting comics since he was 12. "Superheroes in general don't seem to be gay icons to me."

But Neil Geraghty of Gay Times points to some signs that the Last Son of Krypton might not be so straight and narrow. Just look at those trunks: "The real giveaway. How can this man be straight?"

Wizard World Philadelphia: Day Two roundup

Marvel led off Day Two of Wizard World Philadelphia with the announcement that Greg Land will be the artist on October's Ultimate Power miniseries.

The nine-issue series, in which Ultimate and Supreme Power universes meet, is written by Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb and J. Michael Straczynski.

During the "Cup o' Joe" session, Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada reconfirmed Wednesday's announcement that artist Ed McGuinness has signed an exclusive agreement with Marvel. Quesada also said that the Brian K. Vaughan-Marcos Martin Dr. Strange miniseries will launch in October.

At the "DCU: One Year Greater" panel, DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio unveiled the cover to Justice Society of America #1, an homage to the classic All-Star Squadron #1. He also confirmed the rumored Omega Men six-issue miniseries, by Anderson Gabrych and Henry Flint, and mentioned there are plans to expand the All-Star line.

And as if James Robinson's return to comics with Batman and Detective Comics weren't enough to get the hopes up of Jack Knight fans, DiDio mentioned that he's spoken with the writer about the future of Starman, but there's nothing definite.

In other news: Newsarama on DC's Vertigo panel
Newsarama on Marvel's Civil War panel
Wizard on the Aspen panel
Wizard on the Top Cow panel
Wizard on the Kevin Smith Q&A
Newsarama talks to Peter David about 1602: Fantastick Four

Related: Wizard World Philadelphia: Day One roundup

The Best There Is

This week's Entertainment Weekly includes a list of the top ten fictional "Power Players," and coming in at the top is last weekend's box office champ, Wolverine.

Entertainment Weekly said they chose the adamantium-laced mutant based on "a devoted, built in audience and early excitement over his planned solo flick." A $122.9 million take at the box office last weekend didn't hurt, either.

Following Wolverine on the list are Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Shrek, Robert Langdon (Da Vinci Code), Jason Bourne (Bourne Identity), James Bond, Jigsaw (Saw), Bart Simpson and Madea (Madea's Family Reunion).

While Superman and Batman didn't make the top ten, EW listed them both as on the rise. Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter were listed "in flux," while Mission Impossible's Ethan Hunt was listed as "falling," putting him in the basement with Jason from the Friday the 13th movies.

The Associated Press reported on the list as well.

Wish I Had A Pencil-Thin Mustache, So I Could Solve Mysteries Too

October brings a new JSA series, lovingly revamped by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, and Alex Ross. Let's take a good look at the cover of issue #1, shall we? [SPOILERS, I guess, behind that link and after the jump.]

As Dan DiDio pointed out at WW Philly, it is an homage to the cover of All-Star Squadron #1, which has Earth-2's Hawkman, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Atom poring over pictures of various Golden Age colleagues, with more pictures on the wall behind them. Not to make this into a Sgt. Pepper/Abbey Road photoanalysis session, but it may be instructive to see whether comparing the two might help predict the new team.

First, the All-Star Squadron cover. On the wall behind the three JSAers are pictures of Wildcat, the Shining Knight, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, Batman & Robin, and the Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy. On the table are pictures of the Vigilante, Robotman, Doctor Fate, the Sandman, the Tarantula, Superman, Captain Triumph, the Flash, the Crimson Avenger, Johnny Thunder & Thunderbolt, Plastic Man, the Spectre, Liberty Belle, the Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman.

As for the cover of Justice Society #1, Wildcat, Power Girl, and Mister Terrific are looking at photos of Hawkman, Sand, the new Starman, Wonder Woman, Obsidian, the Flash (Jay Garrick), Stargirl, Damage, STRIPE, Superman, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Hourman, a new Liberty Belle, Jakeem Thunder & Thunderbolt, and ... some guy in a cape?

Obviously the first cover has more characters (24 vs. 16), including five Earth-2 counterparts lost to history. However, eleven characters (or their counterparts) appear on both covers: Hawkman, Wildcat, Star-Spangled Kid/Stargirl, Stripesy/STRIPE, Sandman/Sand, Liberty Belle, the Flash, Johnny/Jakeem Thunder, Thunderbolt, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. Obsidian could also be seen as a "legacy" for his father, Green Lantern; and if the new Liberty Belle is Jesse Chambers (a/k/a Jesse Quick), she would likewise be a legacy for her dad, Johnny Quick.

We know already that Wildcat, Power Girl, Mr. Terrific, Damage, Starman, and Hourman will be on the new team. The commonalities between the two covers suggest that Hawkman, Green Lantern, Flash, Jakeem Thunder & Thunderbolt, Sand, and Liberty Belle will join them, which wouldn't be much of a stretch. Superman and Wonder Woman seem like longshots, considering their major roles in the new Justice League, although Wonder Woman would be an interesting "legacy" given her mother's role in the wartime JSA.

That's thirteen characters so far, which would be plenty for a rotating cast but a little unwieldy to handle month-to-month. It's hard to imagine a Justice Society without the Flash and Green Lantern, but events in the new Flash may not be kind to Jay. Similarly, the JSA waited long enough to get Hawkman back, but by this time he might have joined the new Justice League. (Wait a minute -- that would mean he's back -- and that reminds me: where's the picture of Hawkgirl?) What's more, we don't know how much time Checkmate will demand from Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific. The new Justice Society might have over a dozen members, but these four may not be featured a whole lot.

Still, why put Obsidian on the cover unless he's going to be in the book? For that reason I think he's in. And what about that guy in the cape?

Here's a better look at the costume. Look at the collar and the stars on the cape -- it's an updated Mr. America! What's funny (to me, at least) is that this guy was not exactly treated well in James Robinson's The Golden Age, which was the "grandparent" of the just-ending JSA book. Just the circle of life, I guess. However, I can't tell -- is that a pencil-thin mustache...?

Read More

Manhunter: a tale of grass roots and second chances

Early yesterday afternoon on the Manhunter forum at Comic Bloc, writer Marc Andreyko coyly asked, "Wizard World Philly -- so ... any surprises announced?"

Within a few hours, puzzled fans discovered what he was hinting at when Newsarama reported that Manhunter, which was to be canceled with August's Issue 25, was getting a second chance.

In other words, their grass-roots efforts to save the series worked.

"I've cancelled a lot of books in my day, but the thing that struck me the most about Manhunter was that this was the most vocal and organized response that we've gotten to any of our cancellations since I've been here," DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio told Newsarama. "It actually made me pause for a moment, because Manhunter is a favorite of mine, and when I had to cancel it, it was really against my own personal choices. But when I saw the fan response ramp up, it was enough to make me think it might be worth it to go back, and give this book another shot."

As far back as last November, vocal Manhunter fans began organizing to keep the book from cancellation. "The Manhunter 20K Challenge" was launched to boost sagging sales up to 20,000 by #20 (the first "One Year Later" story), with Andreyko even offering incentives to stores that ordered the issue. March's Issue 20 did see a sales spike -- up more than 3,000 over the previous month -- but still short of the goal.

But fans pushed on, with a "Save Manhunter!!" group on Myspace.com, followed by a letter-writing campaign when DC's August solicitations made it clear the series was ending.

Obviously, their pleas didn't fall on deaf ears.

DiDio told Newsarama the series will continue at least through Issue 30: "We're hoping that there will be a groundswell of excitement from the fan base that will help drive the sales and push them up, and help this book keep going from there."

Manhunter fans seem quick to seize the opportunity, with the webmaster of ManhunterComics.com announcing plans for miniposters to hang in comics shops, and others urging readers to buy extra copies to pass along to friends.

At Comic Bloc, writer Christos Gage (Law & Order: SVU, Legends of the Dark Knight) congratulated those behind the grass-roots campaign: "You guys did it! Didn't years of reading comics always tell you that 'one person can make a difference?' Well, here's proof that it's true!"

And back at Newsarama, Andreyko expressed similar sentiments: "Everyone said 'letter-writing campaigns never work' or 'don't waste your time,' but the Manhunter fans didn't listen to the naysayers. And fortunately, DC listened to the fans. Truthfully, I am humbled by the fans' love for the book. I still can't believe it's really happening. I'm sure I will when [editor] Joan Hilty starts calling me for pages though …"

Next week on DVD

Every Friday -- or, in this case, Saturday -- we spotlight the DVD releases for the following week that may be of particular interest to comic book and animation fans.

With Superman Returns opening in less than a month, I was tempted to spotlight Superman: Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection, which features all 17 cartoons from the early 1940s.

But then I saw the listings for Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vols. 1 and 2, and nostalgia got the better of me.

For many of us who spent Saturday mornings in the late '70s and early '80s glued to the TV set, The Godzilla Power Hour ranked just below Challenge of the Superfriends in the animated-entertaiment hierarchy.

Be honest, the theme song is playing in your head as you read this. ("Up from the depths/Thirty stories high/Breathing fire/His head in the sky ...")

Godzilla debuted in 1978 on NBC with Jana of the Jungle as part of Hanna-Barbera's The Godzilla Power Hour. Jana, as you might imagine, was a fairly typical "jungle woman" -- a female Tarzan, essentially -- created by Doug Wildey, of Jonny Quest fame. Her adventures were entertaining for Young Kevin, but nothing compared to Godzilla.

The series followed a team of scientists on the U.S.S. Calico who could call the good-but-cantankerous Godzilla -- voiced by Ted Cassidy -- via a hand-held sonic device. If memory serves, the giant reptile befriended the ship's crew after they rescued his winged "nephew" Godzooky, who was obviously meant to be endearing but was mostly annoying.

So, each week the 300-foot lizard was at the beck and call of Capt. Majors & Co., rescuing them from natural disasters and a menagerie of monsters. For a child of the '70s, it didn't get much better than that.

Details on the first two volumes are pretty sparse, which means they're probably bare-bones releases -- no special features or commentary. But they're 90 minutes each for just $12.98, so you can't expect a lot of frills, I guess.

Other notable releases:

• Beavis and Butt-Head: Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 2
• Diamond Daydreams, Vol. 3: Shoko/Akari
• Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks
• Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks
• Ghost Stories, Vol. 5: Graduation Ghoulies
• Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick, Vol. 5
• Hare Guu, Vol. 3
• He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Season 2, Vol. 1
• InuYasha, Vol. 42: Farewell My Beloved
• Kamichu! Vol. 1: Little Deity and Little Deity with Collector's Box
• Oh My Goddess: Collector's Edition
• Superman: Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection
• Underworld: Evolution Special Edition
• Viewtiful Joe, Vol. 3
• Wandaba Style: Complete Collection
• The X-Files: The Complete Seventh Season
• The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season
• The X-Files: The Complete Ninth Season

On the trail of the Batwoman (Day 6!)

Who'd have thought the unveiling of a lesbian Batwoman would be such a big story for mainstream media?

Some of the interest can be chalked up to mistaken identity and a blurring of the Batman Family cast: It's clear that more than a few journalists and commentators think DC Comics is talking about Batgirl -- who, as portrayed on TV by Yvonne Craig, was the object of so many adolescent crushes in the 1960s.

Similarly, the "Bat" prefix, which looms large in popular culture, bears some of the responsiblity. That Batwoman barely appeared anywhere in the past couple of decades doesn't matter; she has Bat- in front of her name! Had DC announced that, say, a new Black Canary or Huntress is a lesbian, discussion would've barely moved beyond the message boards.

Now take that confusion and passing familiarity with the Bat-brand, add the one-two combination of comics -- superhero comics, at least -- being viewed as children's fare, and the titillation factor of gay and lesbian topics, and you have an entertainment story with legs.

Consider "lesbian Batwoman" as this season's Brokeback Mountain, only on a smaller stage. I'm just surprised we haven't seen any "Brokeback Gotham" headlines yet.

Checking in with the person on the street
CNN picks up on the story, with one report on its website, and another on television.

The TV segment, by the hilarious Jeanne Moos, features an interview with DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio, as well as person-on-the-street opinions.

The link from the website -- "Watch lesbian Batwoman trigger sidewalk argument" -- is pretty accurate: A man who expresses his disapproval of homosexuality is confronted by a woman in a large hat, with Moos caught in the middle.

The website article is more straightforward, getting reaction from Joe Palmer, who operates the Gay League website, and blogger John Schroeder. CNN also points out that Batwoman isn't exactly the first homosexual superhero:

Marvel's Rawhide Kid introduced a gay cowboy in 2002, years before the movie Brokeback Mountain came out. DC's The Authority series features a gay superpower couple.

Palmer said he likes the way Marvel's Young Avengers has handled the relationship between teen spellcaster Wiccan and his shapeshifting boyfriend the Hulkling.

"They've been revealed to be a gay couple as well and it's handled extremely well, just matter of factly, and no big sensation made over the fact that they're gay and a couple as well," he said.

DiDio, too, is interviewed: "This isn't about a lesbian superhero. It's about a superhero, who also happens to be gay."

Reaction, context and an online petition
E! Online takes a similar approach, gauging reaction and providing a little context.

In journalism school, they call this the second-day angle, which means the "lesbian Batwoman" story may have turned a corner. We could start seeing a trickle of broader feature articles about the history or depiction of gays and lesbians in comics. Maybe.

Anyway, back to E! Online, which has quotes from Gay League's Palmer, The Comics Journal's Michael Dean, and Alonso Duralde, who wrote the "How Gay Is Superman?" cover story for The Advocate. ("For the record," E! notes, "Duralde, who wrote the cover story, doesn't think Superman 'has ever been remotely gay-ish -- I think he's a square'.")

The website also checks in on message-board response, and discovers one of those ubiquitous online petitions:

In the case of at least online petition, however, the new Batwoman's dating preferences seem very much the issue: "DC, YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE!!!!! HOW MANY LESBIANS DO YOU REALLY THINK WILL PURCHASE OVER STRAIGHT PEOPLE??? STRAIGHT OUT WAY [sic] LESBIANS!!!"

The appeal, on petitionspot.com, had eight names attached to it as of Friday.

As of this morning, the petition -- or, rather, "PETETITION" -- was up to 19 names.

Author shares Will Eisner stories June 11 in Milwaukee

The Masters of American Comics exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum will welcome Bob Andelman, author of the new biography “Will Eisner: A Spirited Life,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 11 in the Lubar Auditorium. Andelman will share a slide show presentation about Will Eisner, featuring personal anecdotes, rarely seen art and family photos from Eisner's 70-year career.

Andelman’s appearance is part of an afternoon devoted to the theme “Comic Books: A Marketplace of Sequential Art." The marketplace event will be a fun, interactive day of comic book trading, appraisal and buying, including booths of local merchants and artists. The comic book event is free with general admission.

“Comic Books: A Marketplace of Sequential Art”
Sunday, June 11
1-4 p.m.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Windover Hall
700 North Art Museum Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
(414) 224-3200

Masters of American Comics is open through Aug. 13.

Newspaper spotlights Windsor-Smith gallery show

The Middletown, N.Y., Times Herald-Record profiles legendary artist Barry Windsor-Smith, whose Romantic fantasy prints are being displayed through June 30 at the Gallery at Mezzanine Bookstore in Kingston. (He lives in Kingston.)

"Some works are more romantic than fantastic, and vice-versa. I am a narrative artist; after all, I create comic books," Windsor-Smith tells the newspaper. "If there is a unifying theme in these exhibited prints, which span 25 years, it's the romantic art such as the 19th-century Pre-Raphaelites and the classicists like Frederic Leighton."

Pictured: Sibyl, from 1981.

Okay, this summer school wouldn't be so bad

As a kid, I would've thought this was the most awesome thing ever. Oh, heck, as an adult I still think it's pretty awesome:

In its weekend-entertainment roundup, The Houston Chronicle spotlights Space Center Houston's "Superhero Summer," where "Kids can scale a 24-foot wall, lift a two-ton truck and learn to fly." The "Superhero Summer" website doesn't go into much detail, but its Superhero School promises "awesome activities" (see?): "Use your super strength to lift a real truck! Develop incredible night vision! Experience the magic of flight! Develop catlike agility and reflexes! Climb a giant wall like a spider!"

Given that insurance for radioactive spiders, gamma rays and cannisters of chemical waste is probably sky-high, I figure everything is done with cables, harnesses and night-vision goggles. But still ...

"Superhero Summer" also promises occasional appearances by Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, the Fantastic Four (the Human Torch is curiously referred to as "Flame"), the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men. There's even a performance, of sorts:

The newest Marvel Show storms into Space Center Houston some of Marvel's hottest characters -- Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Professor X and the evil Magneto. This show focuses on the pursuit of the evil Magneto who has stolen a machine that turns mutants (like the X-Men) into normal humans. Unfortunately the machine also can turn regular people into mutants. This action packed interactive show runs 45 minutes. The show concludes with all of the kids taking the Super Hero Oath and being sworn in as Junior Super Heroes.

But forty-five minutes? That better be one heck of a show.

Wizard World Philadelphia: Day One roundup

Typically, DC and Marvel save the major announcements for San Diego and Chicago, but already we've seen at least two big news items come out of Wizard World Philadelphia -- and Day One has barely wrapped up.

The first, of course, was this morning's bulletin that writer Andy Diggle and artist Whilce Portacio will tackle the first arc of DC's Batman Confidential, while writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale will helm the opening storyline of Superman Confidential. Both are scheduled to debut in September.

However, the big surprise was that DC's Manhunter series won't end with Issue 25. Instead, Executive Editor Dan DiDio told Newsarama, the book will get at least a five-issue reprieve. Sales will determine whether it continues beyond that.

During the "DC Nation" panel, DiDio also announced that a Mystery in Space eight-issue miniseries will launch in September, by Jim Starlin and Shane Davis. Connor Hawke, too, will get a miniseries this fall, by Chuck Dixon and Damion Scott.

Marvel, meanwhile, revealed an expansion of its MAX line, with Hellstorm: Son of Satan, by Alexander Irvine and Russell Braun, and Zombie, by Mike Raicht and Kyle Hotz. Both are miniseries. But the big announcement coming out of the "Mondo Marvel" panel was a new Blade ongoing series, by Wolverine writer Marc Guggenheim and an artist whose name is being kept under wraps.

September will see 1602: Fantastick Four, a miniseries set in the Elizabethan Marvel Universe created by Neil Gaiman, and X-Men: Phoenix -- Warsong, by Greg Pak and Tyler Kirkham.

The four-issue Union Jack miniseries, by Christos Gage and Mike Perkins, which was reported about last month, was officially announced during the panel. It, too, will debut in September.

In other news: Newsarama on Marvel's X-Men panel
The Pulse talks with Jeff Parker about X-Men: First Class
Wizard on "One on One with Jim Lee"

Manhunter gets a reprieve -- for now

Newsarama has big news for fans of Kate Spencer & Co.: DC's Manhunter is getting a second chance.

"I've cancelled a lot of books in my day, but the thing that struck me the most about Manhunter was that this was the most vocal and organized response that we've gotten to any of our cancellations since I've been here," DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio tells Newsarama. "It actually made me pause for a moment, because Manhunter is a favorite of mine, and when I had to cancel it, it was really against my own personal choices. But when I saw the fan response ramp up, it was enough to make me think it might be worth it to go back, and give this book another shot."

The series will continue past Manhunter #25 -- originally announced as the finale -- for at least a five-issue arc. But beyond that, it's up to the fans.

"We're creating an arc that will run another five issues, and we're hoping that there will be a groundswell of excitement from the fan base that will help drive the sales and push them up, and help this book keep going from there," DiDio said.

Newsarama has more with DiDio, and reaction from Manhunter writer Marc Andreyko.

Kissing John Lustig

Comic Buyer's Guide and Last Kiss creator John Lustig are teaming up to find the next great romance writer -- or humor writer, depending on how you look at it. Last Kiss is a comic strip that appears on the web and in CBG each month using his dialogue with artwork from old romance comics. Now he's giving fans a chance to submit their own dialogue:

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking, "Gosh, I wish I could write Last Kiss comics... and become rich and famous like John Lustig"? Well, here's your chance! In conjunction with Comic Buyer's Guide, I'm holding a Last Kiss comic writing contest. All you have to do is come up with some clever dialog for the above Last Kiss art. You may not end up filthy rich, but there are some great prizes.

Prizes include a color 8.5x11-inch print of the winning entry, lettered with the winner’s script, and a complete set of Last Kiss note cards. The contest closes Aug. 1 and the winner will be determined shortly after that date. Check out CBG's site for more information.

Shooting War team throws a party in NYC

Smith Magazine is throwing a launch party for their new online graphic novel Shooting War, "the first graphic novel about the war in Iraq," and you're invited:

I hope you’ll join SMITH Magazine, writer Anthony Lappé and artist Dan Goldman this coming Tuesday, June 6, at Sutra Lounge, 16 First Ave (btwn 1st & 2nd St.)) for the launch party for Shooting War, the first graphic novel about the war in Iraq, delivered exclusively each week on SMITH. There will a kicking DJ and drink specials between 6 and 10 p.m. No RSVP necessary, just show up.

Artist Dan Goldman, who is also one of the ACT-I-VATE crew, wrote us to let us know they'll have "projected video of my unlettered artwork running as DJ Gringo Star does what DJs do." Drinks, a DJ and comic art on the walls ... sounds like an awesome Tuesday night.

And if you don't live in the New York area, you can still check out Shooting War online. Goldman told us a little about the project: SW is a collaboration between myself and writer (journalist/documentarian/editor of Guerrilla News Network) Anthony Lappé that tells the story of embedded US blogger Jimmy Burns as he shoots HD video in civil war-torn post-Bush Iraq for an exploitative 24-hour terror coverage American news network in the year 2011.

You can read more about it over at Newsarama. The story is being serialized on SMITH magazine's website for eight weeks for free, with week four appearing on Monday. The self-contained story posted on the site serves as a "demo tape" to attract publishers for a full-color print graphic novel; the 40+ page piece will serve as the introduction in the final book.

Go check it out.

How will Superman's 'gay appeal' affect box office?

Using The Advocate's cover story as a springboard, The Los Angeles Times explores the "obvious — and growing — gay appeal" of superheroes, and whether the Man of Steel's supposed "gay vibe" will broaden the audience for Superman Returns:

An informal poll of six veteran Hollywood marketing executives at rival studios revealed sharply divided opinions over how — or even if — Superman's gay attention would affect the film. Two of the executives said the focus could actually expand the film's audience, much as gay moviegoers have responded to the X-Men superhero series, which has been praised for its metaphorical plots about acceptance.

... But four of the movie marketing executives, all of whom declined to speak on the record, said gay Superman Returns interest presented two potential box-office problems. First, teenage moviegoers, especially those in conservative states, might be put off by a movie carrying a gay vibe; among some teens, these executives agreed, saying something "is gay" is still the ultimate put-down. Second, the attention threatens to undermine the film's status as a hard-edged action movie, making it feel softer, more romantic, and thus less interesting to young ticket buyers who crave pyrotechnics.

The article also touches upon Joel Schumacher's notoriously campy Batman & Robin, which barely grossed $100 million in U.S. theaters.

On the trail of the Batwoman (again!)

The media are still abuzz over news that the "new" Batwoman is a lesbian, with newspapers and websites of all sizes reporting the story, and registering opinions.

Much of the coverage comes in the form of The Associated Press wire story, with little variation except for the headlines ("New Batwoman is a lesbian" seems to be the standard).

However, a handful outlets are offering their own takes:

Writing in the Cheboygan, Mich., Daily Tribune, Rich Adams wonders about the appropriateness of a lesbian superhero in "a genre of literature geared toward children." "Granted, older teens and young adults are likely the target audience of the Batman comics," he writes. "But a comic is a comic, and younger children associate them with materials more aimed at their age group."

At Men's News Daily, expectant father Akira Ohiso takes a more tempered stance:

Parents who censor their children from a comic book about a lesbian character because they are protecting their children then have to ban their children from a comic book because of over-sexualized woman with large breast and seductive personas. It’s not the censorship that protects children, but the communication with parents that protects children.

... When my future child, God willing, is old enough to show an interest in Batwoman, I will sit down with my child and discuss their feelings about the comic book. When they ask me what a lesbian is, I will tell them and let them know that they can come to me with any questions they have. When they ask if lesbianism is good or bad, I will tell them what I know about lesbianism, politically and culturally, and let them come up with their own ideas, which we would then discuss further.

"Batwoman is Back, and She's Gayer Than Robin!", shouts the headline at The Celebrity Cafe. (It's only a brief rewrite of the AP story, but that's one of the funnier headlines.)

At After Ellen, a website devoted to lesbians and bisexual women in the media, editor Sarah Warn responds to comments by DC's Dan DiDio that he's been surprised by the amount of interest in the story: "He clearly underestimated how starved lesbians are for any decent representation these days."

WW news: Diggle, Portacio, Cooke and Sale on Confidential

Wizard World Philadelphia is barely an hour old, and already comes the first big announcement: Wizard has word on the initial creative teams for Superman Confidential and Batman Confidential, which debut in September.

Writer Andy Diggle and artist Whilce Portacio will tackle the first arc on the Batman book, while Superman's story will be told by writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale.

“Just from Superman for All Seasons we know that Tim [Sale] can draw the beejeezus out of Superman,” DC's Dan DiDio tells former Great Curve contributor Brian Warmoth. “And Darwyn’s probably one of the best storytellers out there."

Boneyard takes the gold from ForeWard Magazine

ForeWord Magazine announced the winners of its annual Book of the Year Awards. Winners in the Graphic Novel category include:

• Gold award: Boneyard in Color, published by NBM and created by Richard Moore
  
• Silver award: Off Beat, published by Tokyopop and created by Jen Lee Quick
  
• Bronze award: Leap Years, published by Candle Light Press and created by Ian Bennett
  
• Honorable Mention: The Lone and Level Sands, published by Archaia Studios Press and created by A. David Lewis and Marvin Perry Mann

The awards are chosen by panels of librarians and booksellers. Congrats to all the winners!

This weekend, it's Wizard World Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Inquirer previews Wizard World Philadelphia, which kicks off today at the Convention Center in, you guessed it, Philadelphia.

Wizard Entertainment CEO Gareb Shamus says he anticipates more than 60,000 visitors this weekend.

The big attractions likely will be the Q&A with comics writer/filmmaker Kevin Smith, with exclusive footage from Clerks II, a screening of TNT's Nightmares & Dreamscapes, and a sneak peek at Spike TV's Blade: The Series.

That's not to mention the usual annoucements and teases from publishers during convention panels.

Today's programming highlights include: "Visit DC Nation," with DC's Dan DiDio, Geoff Johns and Mark Waid; "Cup o' Joe," with Marvel's Joe Quesada; SLG Publishing's Disney Comics Preview; and "Mondo Marvel," with Quesada and others discussing Annihilation, Planet Hulk and more.

Saturday will see: "DC Crisis Hotline," with Bob Wayne, DiDio, Johns and Waid; "Marvel Battle Plans," focusing on Civil War; the Kevin Smith Q&A ; "Hughes the Man," with artist Adam Hughes; "TV Geeks Who Also Write Comics," with Damon Lindelof, Jeph Loeb and Javier Grillo-Marxuach; "Allan Heinberg: On Writing for TV and Comics"; "Wildstorm/Vertigo: Built to Last With Jim Lee"; and much more.

Sunday will wrap up with the announcement of the Wildstorm Talent Search winner, a panel on Ultimate Marvel and more.

The full convention programming schedule can be found here.

The full guest list can be found here.

X-franchise could include Emma Frost, young mutants

USA Today reveals that, in addition to the planned Wolverine and Magneto spinoffs, the X-Men movie franchise could be further expanding, with studio executives mulling films starring Emma Frost and Xavier's students.

The newspaper says 20th Century Fox is "exploring" a Frost movie with Three Kings director David O. Russell.

"We've also talked about doing something on the kids in (Professor X's) school, focusing on their lives, and less of a global adventure for the team," Hutch Parker, the studio's production president, said.

The Magneto film, which is still in the script phase, will focus on the character's early years, before he became a villain.

So, um, make his Marvel?

In a curious case of venting, Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker throws up his hands in frustration over the lack of review copies from Marvel Comics:

After a couple of months of frustration, I figured, Why not share this with you and get it off my chest? I started this comic-book review spot on the EW.com website in the hope of offering guidance and opinions on every sort of mainstream or small-press comic book in a reasonably timely fashion — i.e., the week the book under scrutiny is published. It's worked out fine with publishers ranging from DC to Drawn & Quarterly, with one exception: Marvel. I've interviewed Charlie Huston for his Moon Knight writing gig, but I've written only one review of a single Marvel comic so far — the debut of Secret War — and that's only because an editor here scored a copy and loaned it to me (thanks, Nisha!). As for everything else Marvel, nada. The behemoth company doesn't seem interested enough in being covered by a general-interest magazine like EW to send out review copies. So, just wanted to tell you, if and when I review a Marvel comic, it'll be one that's either on the stands at the moment, or a back issue you can find at your local comic shop. Don't like that situation and want timely recommendations? Please bombard Marvel Comics. Thank you — and now, back to comics reviewing ...

He then goes on to review Powers #18.

Once rare, Asian superheroes are popping up all over

Just days after The New York Times focused on efforts by DC Comics and Marvel to diversify their superhero universes, the San Francisco Chronicle zeroes in on the rise in the number of Asian characters: Jubilee, Nico Minoru, Katana, strongwoman Grace -- "maybe the most awesome supername ever!", Jeff Yang writes. And that's just for starters:

Old super-types have been Asianized, too: In 1999, the mask of Batgirl was bestowed upon mute hapa assassin Cassandra Cain; Dr. Light, formerly a white male villain, is now a Japanese female hero; the reinvented Marvel "Ultimates" version of tiny titaness Wasp is Asian American; and, in perhaps the biggest milestone yet, this July the blue-and-red tights of DC's microscopic man hunter The Atom will be passed on to Ryan Choi, "hotshot young professor at Ivy University" who, according to editor Mike Carlin, is "oblivious to his obvious charms amongst the clearly smitten female student body." Extra, extra -- the Atom's Asian and, like, he's a stud! (Minor beef: What's with every superhero with size-reducing powers suddenly becoming Asian? Is shrinking the new martial art?)

Adding more Asian characters isn't a trivial concern, Yang insists: "... diversifying the ranks of superheroes isn't just about pop-cultural social justice -- it's about providing minority kids with a narrative around which to shape their identities and build a sense of self-worth, even if they feel excluded, different or disconnected."

Yang speaks at length with creator Larry Hama -- "comics elder statesman" -- about breaking into comics in the 1980s, and how the industry has changed since then: "Hama's days of holding the Asian American comics fort solo are long gone," he writes. "Over the last decade, a huge number of Asian American creators have come into the industry. Many of them, like Wildstorm founder and Batman auteur Jim Lee, artists Jae Lee (Batman: Jekyll and Hyde), Kevin Lau (Vampi), Whilce Portacio (X-Men, Punisher), Sean Chen (Iron Man), Ron Lim (The Silver Surfer) and Gene Ha (The Authority), are among the biggest names in comics."

He also talks to comics writer and filmmaker Greg Park about introducing new Asian-American characters, such as Janie Chin (Warlock) and Mastermind Excello.

"I had this idea of doing a story about an insanely smart kid, but one who wasn't a reject or dork or geek," Pak said. "It was a way of turning that whole Asian brainiac stereotype on its head. One way to do it is to go against type, to create Asian American characters that are jocks or stoners or thugs or whatever. But another way is to not run away from the stereotype -- to embrace it, but present a character like that as having an incredible level of confidence, having just this verve, this lack of self-consciousness."

Related: The Outsiders: Asian/Asian-American Characters in Comics

X-Men: The Last Stand roundtable

Hello, fans!

Several of us from The Great Curve could not wait another week and just had to see X-Men: The Last Stand the very same weekend it opened, adding to the enormous opening box office weekend. With all of the talk of new characters and a different director, we settled down for a few minutes to discuss our likes and dislikes of the film. Grab a drink and put on your fun cap!

THERE ARE SPOILERS!!

1) What were you expecting from X-Men: The Last Stand?

Tom: Really, just a lot of action. My expectations were pretty neutral. I had seen the 7-minute preview and the trailers, and it seemed to have the same tone as X2, so based on those and some early positive reviews I was more inclined to see it.

Michael: I went in with pretty low expectations. The absence of Bryan Singer plus the unimpressive promo shots of Beast and Colossus made me nervous. I knew that it was gonna have Anna Paquin playing Rogue in it though, so it couldn't be ALL bad.

Shane: A good fun filled action romp. I didn't expect it to be that faithful to the comics. I found that movies that are supposed to be based on comic properties are more enjoyable that way.

Chris: Lots of action, great character interaction, and wicked special effects. I was also expecting a good story to be the vehicle for all of the above.

2) Were your expectations met? Were you disappointed?

Tom: I was disappointed by the pacing. It seemed to go by very quickly, almost like the first movie. I did think the main cast did good jobs with what they were given, especially Hugh Jackman. FOX would be crazy not to greenlight a Wolverine movie now. Of course, then they'd want to stick Wolverine in everything...

Michael: I enjoyed Beast a lot more than I thought I would. I enjoyed Storm a lot more than I have in the other two films. Halle is still the wrong actress to play Storm, but at least we finally got to see her be a badass. Other than that, it was about what I expected, so I wasn't disappointed.

Shane: It was exactly what I went in thinking it was. A decent action movie with a few little scenes and nods to the comic, but for the most part the movie was it's own beast.

Chris: A little disappointed, to be honest. The whole plotline of having Warren Worthington (Angel) was a bit forced to me and there was no real payoff for the character to even be in the movie. Same for Hank McCoy, really. He really didn't contribute much to the overall story. Just nice window dressing to me.

3) What was your favorite moment of X-Men: The Last Stand?

Tom: Jean holding back Scott's optic blasts. I thought it captured the spirit of the comics well.

Michael: The last scene before the credits of Magneto in the park. One of my biggest problems with the movie is how desperately the filmmakers seemed to want to leave their mark on the series. Killing off a bunch of people; depowering a bunch of others. Magneto in the park was a comfortable step back from some of that.

Runner up: the scene AFTER the credits, which took a step back from some of the rest of it. A weenie move? Maybe. But I applaud their weenie-ness.

Shane: The whole take on the Phoenix. I found it was the easiest explanation they could come up with considering all the hoo-hah the comic Jean Grey went through.

Chris: I'd have to say it was the second scene at Jean Grey's home when Xavier and Magneto see her again and the discussion and fight that took place there. Very impressive effects and a very sobering scene that captures just how powerful Grey really was. I liked all of the scenes with the Juggernaut as well. Vinnie Jones was great. "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" The chase scene between Shadowcat and Juggernaut was great!

4) What was your least favorite moment of X-Men: The Last Stand?

Tom: Having Rogue sit out the last act.

Michael: The revelation that Jean Grey has a world-threatening multiple personality disorder brought about by Xavier mucking about in her brain. Way to poop on two characters at once. It doesn't change Xavier so much; he's often been portrayed as a manipulative bastard. But changing Jean into an evil, godlike version of Aurora from Alpha Flight isn't doing anyone any good.

Runner up: Mystique's betraying Magneto. I don't care if he did turn his back on her; I don't buy it.

Shane: Hmmmm. Maybe Magneto turning his back on Mystique so easily.

Chris: It'd probably have to be the scene between Wolverine and Xavier, where Xavier tells Wolverine what he's done Grey and tries to explain why he's done it. Also, Rogue accepting the "cure" offscreen? I believe that the director and writers forgot all about her pivotal role in the first X-Men film.

5) What did you think of the overall plot? Did everything make sense to you or were there awkward moments that you just puzzled you?

Tom: It was frustrating learning that Rogue had taken the cure off-screen. I was also not sure that Phoenix had killed Scott until it was explained later. It took a while to get used to her disintegrations.

Michael: It all made sense. I didn't like what the Jean Grey storyline did to her character, but I understood it. I liked the "mutant cure" storyline a lot more. Even though I was saddened to see Rogue take the cure, I totally bought that it was something she'd do. I would've like to have seen the Phoenix-angst storyline dropped so that the cure story could be explored more.

Shane: Nope everything made sense to me. I didn't go into the movie looking for loopholes like a lot of people do. Honestly after I saw the movie I didn't think about it much. I thought the whole point of an "action movie" is that you don't have to think much.

Chris: The plot could have been tighter, definitely. Like I said before, there could have easily been a more coherent foundation for introducing the "cure" than to introduce Angel but have him play no real part in the film. Also, the big fight scene at the end with Magneto sending all of his "pawns" into the battle first? Ok, so they're all mutants and they enter into a battle fist-fighting and not using their mutant powers? Didn't make sense to me. Also, does anyone besides myself realize that Juggernaut is NOT a mutant?

6) In the movie, some characters used their powers in never before seen ways. What are your thoughts about that type of deviation (or addition) to the characters abilities?

Tom: I'm not a big X-Men scholar, so I can't really speak to that. However, why does everyone fly standing up? Doesn't anybody want to be Superman?

Michael: Messing with powers doesn't bother me. If I can get over Superman ripping a giant cellophane "S" off his chest and wrapping bad guys up in it, I can accept the tinkering they did in X3. It's messing around with personalities that I don't like.

Shane: I didn't think they could do everything faithfully, and I didn't really expect them to. Some things work better on paper, the Fast Ball Special for example.

Chris: Personally, I loved it. The scene with Colossus stretching his metal skin over another character to protect her was really cool. Never even thought of that before. I also liked how several characters were able to display their abilities to greater magnitude than before. We really got to see how powerful Magneto was as well as Jean Grey.

7) Overall, thumbs up or down?

Tom: Thumbs-up, but not by much. Phoenix is worth seeing, even if she looks like Dark Stevie Nicks. Wolverine and Storm both have good scenes, and it's fun seeing Days of Future Past in the Danger Room. However, there are few (if any) funny moments, like "You're a dick" from the first movie, or Wolverine in the Drakes' house from X2.

Michael: I have a lot of problems with the movie and it's certainly my least-favorite of the three, but I still give it a thumbs up. I liked Beast, I liked Magneto, I liked Rogue, I liked Storm (finally), I liked Wolverine, I liked Juggernaut, I liked Kitty, I liked Madrox. The action was good, there were some nice, emotional, dramatic moments. And there's even a point to the whole thing. It's flawed, but worthwhile.

Shane: Thumbs up. Good dumb fun.

Chris: Thumbs up. It could have been better in several ways, but I still give it a thumbs up.

Tick animated DVD, minus an episode?

TV Squad reports that the upcoming animated Tick series DVD will be missing an episode from the first season:

Well, the DVD is coming out on August 29, but with only twelve of the original thirteen episodes from the first season. Why the missing episode? Well, as it turns out a band of leprechauns stole the only copy of that episode and sent it through a wormhole in time and space where it ... okay, I have no idea. Actually, no one really knows at this point, at least no one who's talking, though TVShowsOnDVD mentions "legal issues."

Hmmmm ... "legal issues." Let the speculation begin.

UPDATE: Matthew let us know that an update was posted today, and the missing episode is "The Tick vs. the Mole Men." Mole Men, Mole Men, Mole Man ... where have I heard that name before?

Harvey Award nominees announced

Nominees for this year's Harvey Awards, named for comics legend Harvey Kurtzman, have been announced:

BEST WRITER
Brian Michael Bendis | NEW AVENGERS | Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker | CAPTAIN AMERICA | Marvel Comics
Joshua Hale Fialkov | ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
Mike Mignola | BPRD | Dark Horse Comics
Alex Robinson | TRICKED | Top Shelf

Read More

BEST ARTIST
Frank Cho | SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL | Marvel Comics
David Finch | NEW AVENGERS | Marvel Comics
Eduardo Risso | 100 BULLETS | DC/Vertigo
Noel Tuazon | ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
J.H. Williams III | PROMETHEA | ABC/WildStorm/DC Comics

BEST CARTOONIST
Frank Cho | SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL | Marvel Comics
Chris Eliopoulos | FANTASTIC FOUR PRESENTS: FRANKLIN RICHARDS, SON OF A GENIUS | Marvel Comics
John Kovalic | DORK TOWER | Dork Storm Press
Seth | WIMBLEDON GREEN | Drawn and Quarterly
Chris Ware | ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #16 | ACME Novelty Library

BEST LETTERER
Chris Eliopoulos | FANTASTIC FOUR PRESENTS: FRANKLIN RICHARDS, SON OF A GENIUS |Marvel Comics
Jason Hanley | ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
Todd Klein | MARVEL 1602: NEW WORLD | Marvel Comics
Richard Starkings | SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL | Marvel Comics
Chris Ware | ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #16 | ACME Novelty Library

BEST INKER
Charles Burns | BLACK HOLE # 12 | Fantagraphics Books
Scott Hanna | ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN | Marvel Comics
Steve Leialoha | FABLES | DC/Vertigo
Paul Neary | ULTIMATES 2 | Marvel Comics
Tim Townsend | HOUSE OF M | Marvel Comics

BEST COLORIST
Frank D'Armata | NEW AVENGERS | Marvel Comics
Jason Keith | SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL | Marvel Comics
Laura Martin | ASTONISHING X-MEN | Marvel Comics
Patricia Mulvihill | 100 BULLETS | DC/Vertigo
Jennifer Rodgers | THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS | Archaia Studios Press

BEST COVER ARTIST
Frank Cho | SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL | Marvel Comics
Steve Epting | CAPTAIN AMERICA Marvel | Comics
James Jean | FABLES DC/Vertigo
Mike Mignola | HELLBOY: THE ISLAND | Dark Horse
Datsun Tran | ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics

BEST NEW TALENT
Joshua Hale Fialkov | ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
David Hine | DAREDEVIL: REDEMPTION | Marvel Comics
R. Kikuo Johnson | NIGHT FISHER | Fantagraphics Books
A. David Lewis | THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS | Caption Box/Archaia Studios Press
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa | MARVEL KNIGHTS FOUR | Marvel Comics

BEST NEW SERIES
BAOBAB | Fantagraphics Books
DRAMACON | Tokyopop
MARVEL ADVENTURES: FANTASTIC FOUR | Marvel Comics
THE SURROGATES | Top Shelf
YOUNG AVENGERS | Marvel Comics
X-FACTOR | Marvel Comics

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY | ACME Novelty Library
CAPTAIN AMERICA | Marvel Comics
ELK'S RUN | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
RUNAWAYS | Marvel Comics
Y: THE LAST MAN | DC/Vertigo

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL
THE BOONDOCKS | Aaron McGruder | Universal Press Syndicate
THE K CHRONICLES | Keith Knight | Self-syndicated
MAAKIES | Tony Millionaire | Self-syndicated
MUTTS | Patrick McDonnell | King Features Syndicate
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN | Stan Lee and Larry Leiber | King Features Syndicate

BEST ANTHOLOGY
FLIGHT, VOL. 2 | Image Comics
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2005 | Marvel Comics
MARVEL MONSTERS: WHERE MONSTERS DWELL | Marvel Comics
MOME | Fantagraphics Books
PROJECT SUPERIOR | AdHouse
SOLO | DC Comics

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - ORIGINAL
COMBAT ZONE | Marvel Comics
THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS | Caption Box
NIGHT FISHER | Fantagraphics Books
TRICKED | Top Shelf
WIMBLEDON GREEN | Drawn and Quarterly

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
BLACK HOLE | Pantheon Books
DAISY KUTTER | Viper Comics
LATE BLOOMER | Fantagraphics Books
RUNAWAYS, VOLUME 1 HARDCOVER | Marvel Comics
STOKER'S DRACULA | Marvel Comics

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #16 | ACME Novelty Library
CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 | Marvel Comics
ELK'S RUN #3 | Hoarse and Buggy Productions/Speakeasy Comics
HOUSE OF M # 8 | Marvel Comics
LOVE AND ROCKETS, VOLUME 2, # 15 | Fantagraphics Books

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS | Marvel Comics
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE ALL-WINNERS, VOLUME 1 | Marvel Comics
LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND: SO MANY SPLENDID SUNDAYS | Sunday Press Books
COMPLETE PEANUTS | Fantagraphics Books
WALT AND SKEEZIX | Drawn and Quarterly

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL
BAOBAB # 1 | Fantagraphics Books
BLAME! | Tokyopop
BUDDHA | Vertical Books
EPILEPTIC | Pantheon Books
PUSH MAN AND OTHER STORIES | Drawn and Quarterly

BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK
ACHEWOOD | Chris Onstad | www.achewood.com
AMERICAN ELF | James Kochalka | www.americanelf.com
PENNY ARCADE | Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik | www.penny-arcade.com
PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | Nicholas Gurewitch | www.thepbf.com
PVP | Scott Kurtz | www.pvponline.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Kyle Baker | PLASTIC MAN DC Comics
James Kolchalka | SUPER F*CKERS Top Shelf and www.americanelf.com
John Kovalic | DORK TOWER Dork Storm Press
Marc Sumerak | FANTASTIC FOUR PRESENTS: FRANKLIN RICHARDS, SON OF A GENIUS Marvel Comics
Zeb Wells | NEW WARRIORS Marvel Comics

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
WATCHMEN: THE ABSOLUTE EDITION DC Comics
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY Pantheon Books
EARTH X HARDCOVER Marvel Comics
FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS Marvel Comics
LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND: SO MANY SPLENDID SUNDAYS Sunday Press Books

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
ALTER EGO | TwoMorrows
COMIC BOOK ARTIST Top Shelf
COMICS JOURNAL | Fantagraphics Books
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT | Marvel Comics
WIZARD | Wizard Entertainment

Some interesting, mainstream-friendly choices for sure, especially when compared to this year's Eisner Awards.

The Harvey Awards have moved to the Baltimore Comic-Con, which runs Sept. 9-10. Kyle Baker will serve as master of ceremonies.

The brains behind the brawn

While comic-book message boards may be consumed with which characters are stronger -- Superman or The Hulk? Giant Man or Colossal Boy? -- BusinessWeek is more interested in who's smarter.

"For many of the most popular characters, intellect is every bit as important as the ability to fly at the speed of sound or shoot flames from one's eyes," the magazine writes. "Creators of these comic book heroes understand that great power unfettered by intelligence can often have terrible consequences. Many of the most popular heroes have not only learned how to harness their powers intelligently but also to use their super gray cells to help them better fight the forces of evil."

After a brief overview of some of the brainiest heroes in the Marvel and DC universes, BusinessWeek settles in for its list of "The 10 Smartest Comic Book Superheroes Ever" (I don't think they're necessarily in order):

• Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic
• Bruce Wayne, Batman
• Tony Stark, Iron Man
• Henry Pym, Yellowjacket
• Hank McCoy, Beast
• Bruce Banner, Hulk
• Barbara Gordon, Oracle
• Peter Parker, Spider-Man
• Charles Xavier, Professor X
• Ray Palmer, Atom

What, no Mister Terrific, Black Panther, Brainiac 5 or Kitty Pryde?

Was it the fall that killed Gwen, or Spidey's webbing?

I love these kinds of items.

In Utah's Deseret News, brothers Bill and Rich Sones, authors of Can a Guy Get Pregnant? Scientific Answers to Everyday (and Not-So- Everyday) Questions, tackle the question of Gwen Stacy's death:

Question: If ever a physicist were needed to quiet a comic book controversy, it's over what killed Spider-Man's girlfriend Gwen Stacy on her fall off the George Washington Bridge after her abduction by the villainous Green Goblin. Was it the fall that killed her, or Spider-Man's webbing that caught her before she hit the water?

Answer: When Spider-Man reeled Gwen back to the top of the bridge, he was shocked to discover she was dead, says James Kakalios in "The Physics of Superheroes." "She was dead before your webbing reached her!" the Goblin taunted. "A fall from that height would kill anyone — before they struck the ground!"

But if this were true, how do paratroopers and sky divers survive? To determine the web forces acting on Gwen, assume she had fallen about 300 feet, speeding up due to gravity to nearly 95 mph. Once snagged by Spidey's webbing, she quickly goes from 95 to 0 mph. Though the webbing is elastic, the time available to slow her descent is short. If she weighs 110 and her stopping time is 0.5 second, then the webbing applies 970 pounds to break her fall, or nearly 9 times her weight, or 9 g's.

Traveling at that speed and stopping that fast, there is little difference between hitting the webbing and the water, says Kakalios. There have been cases of people surviving 9 g's, but typically suicide victims who jump from bridges die not of drowning but from broken necks, Gwen's likely not-too-comic fate.

May the controversy rest in peace.

James Kakalios, who's quoted in their response, also addressed the physics of Gwen's fall a few years ago.

Disney expands graphic novel line

ICv2.com reports the Disney Book Group is expanding its graphic novel line with a junior line and a vintage collection.

They'll join the W.I.T.C.H. series and the hybrid Abadazad, the first volume of which is due out this month.

The junior series will retell Disney stories in graphic-novel form, beginning in September with Finding Nemo and Lilo & Stitch. The books will retail for $3.99.

The Classics Collection reprints stories that originally appeared in the 1940s and '50s in Four Color Comics, retelling Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Dumbo, Peter Pan and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Packaged in a foil-stamped matte case with acetate jacket, the collection sells for $49.95. It's due in October.

Calendar Man

If you haven't visited Chris J. Miller's Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe, now's a great time to start. He's put together an exhaustive timeline of DC history, from the birth of the Source to multiple versions of the 30th Century and beyond. Now that Infinite Crisis has ended, he's even compiled a day-by-day account of the cataclysmic events.

As might be expected, given the current nature of DC's continuity, the site won't be updated for at least the next year, but there's so much to explore, it may well take you that long to get through it. Of course, by then history may be entirely different....

Kryptonite Bites

Why Warner Bros. turned back the clock
The big news yesterday was that Warner Bros. had decided to open Superman Returns two days early, on June 28 instead of June 30.

But why?

Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch notes that while studio executives claim they'd been thinking about June 28 from the very beginning, the real reason likely has to do with a desire for a "record" box office:

Read all the fine print about X3's "record" haul and you'll start to get an idea what Warner's after. Almost every "record" these days has some sort of asterisk after it -- either it's three-day vs. five-day, Friday vs. Saturday, Memorial Day vs. any old weekend, domestic vs. global, 1,000 screens vs. 3,000, or some combination of factors that casual observers rarely take the time to suss out. The studios trumpet their winnings, and all we hear is "big" and "record." Execs are looking for new hurdles to clear because they want a big headline and two-page ad in Variety to settle some stockholder nerves Back East.

Headline of the day
Defamer wins for its item about the opening-date shuffle: "Superman Flies Around Earth at Speed of Light, Changes Definition of Weekend to Seven Days."

The Man of Steel Merchandise
The Des Moines Register eyes all the T-shirts, toys and cereal boxes featuring the face of Iowa boy Brandon Routh.

The Superman action figure received the thumbs down from Matt Johnson, co-owner of Cup o'Kryptonite comic and coffee shop in Des Moines: "It's not the first (superhero that gets) people to come in and go, 'Oh, sweet! A new action figure. I've got to buy it.' Batman, yes. Superman, no. Superman hasn't changed over the years. There's no variant. It's the same costume since 1938."

On the trail of the Batwoman

Tracking response to this weekend's revelation that the "new" Batwoman will be a lesbian socialite has been a somewhat surreal exercise. And I'm not even talking about the comic-book message boards.

The story broke Sunday in The New York Times as part of a much larger article about efforts by DC Comics and Marvel to diversify their superhero universes. By Monday, news had crossed the Atlantic to the U.K., where it met with mixed reaction from gay and lesbian advocacy groups. (One organization suggested DC was pandering to fanboy fantasies, while another lauded the publisher for promoting diversity.)

From there, news wound its way to France, India, South Africa and Australia before ending up back in the United States, where even DC Comics executive editor Dan DiDio admits to being overwhelmed by media interest in Kathy Kane.

"It's kind of weird," he told The Associated Press. "We had a feeling it would attract some attention, but we're a little surprised it did this much."

Just as weird are the headlines accompanying the coverage. Most are fairly straightforward, but others, well ... aren't:

"New incarnation of Batwoman likes girls" is the headline for The AP story.

"Lady-lovin' Batwoman comic fuels rabid debate," the New York Daily News says.

And because headline-writers can't resist, Ireland's GCN goes with, "Kerpow! Batwoman is back -- and gay." (UK's The Sun pushes the allusion and fumbles the facts with, "Batgirl kerpow-t of closet.")

Related: Newsarama has Batwoman previews from 52 #11

X-Fever: $120 million and counting

After $120 million this weekend, the question now is not "if," but "when" we'll see a fourth X-Men movie. Kelsey Grammer, aka the Beast, is looking forward to it:

X-Men: The Last Stand star Kelsey Grammer wants to make another movie in the comic book franchise.

The actor - who shot to fame as psychiatrist Frasier Crane in 80s sitcom 'Cheers' - says he loved playing mutant politician Beast in the film.

Despite 'The Last Stand' being considered the final film in a trilogy, Grammer says he expects Hollywood bosses to order a fourth movie after it smashed box office records.

The movie has already taken over $120 million in the US alone when it opened over the Memorial Day weekend making it the fourth biggest opening in American box office history.

You'd think Wall Street would be impressed at those kinds of numbers. But Investor's Business Daily looks at the effect the X-Men movie has had on Marvel's stock ... or the lack of an effect, actually:

Marvel's stock actually was sputtering during Tuesday trading after "X-Men" raked in an estimated $120.1 million. Shares ended the day off 15 cents to $19.82.

The reason is that the "X-Men" deal, forged by Marvel with Twentieth-Century Fox in the late 1990s, came as the comic-book company was emerging from bankruptcy. While it gave Marvel some much-needed exposure, it wasn't nearly as lucrative as the agreement cooked up a few years later with Sony Corp. for the "Spider-Man" film series.

"It's an old film deal, so the economics weren't what we were able to generate with later deals," said David Collins, a spokesman for Marvel.

And lastly, SciFiWire talks to Ben Foster, aka X3's Angel, about earning his wings:

"It was really cool," Foster said in an interview . "You stand differently when you have wings on your back. They were not heavy. They were made of really light [material]. It's weird telling secrets, because when I watch [something], I get really excited, and when I hear how they did it, [it] bums me out. 'Oh, yeah, well, that's foam.'"