The Amazing Spider-Man Isn’t Entirely A Reboot....Huh?

"But I thought it was a reboot...."

Okay...I'm confused....

I thought the new Spider Man flick was a reboot.
According to Marvel Executive producer Avi Arad it isn't....

"It's not a comeback. You have to look at it this way: Do you want to know more about The Amazing Spider-Man? This movie is going to tell stories that you didn't see in movies 1, 2, and 3."

THIS Spider Man has mechanical webshooters, a new costume, is dating Gwen Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson and Mary Jane Watson aren't in it....?

But it's not a reboot?

Wait a minute... at the beginning Peter Parker wakes up and Gwen is in the shower.....

New Spider Man Costume

Does it remind anyone else of Spider-Man 2099?

Upcoming Comic Book Movies, Part 1

Since the hype over Wolverine has died down, I wonder how the mediocre performance of it and Watchmen will affect upcoming comic book movies?
Here is the current list of upcoming movies that are coming out.

First up, Marvel.....

Iron Man II (2010)
Expect more of the same as far as ticket sales go. I can't really see the second film flopping with all the hype the first one got.

Spider-Man 4 (2011)
Scares me.
After Spiderman 3, I'm afraid this film will have an uphill battle.

The First Avenger: Captain America (2011)
Can Marvel sustain two comic book movies in one year?
Hey, it IS Cap.

Thor (2011)
Okay, how about 3 movies in one year?
Will the public be "comic booked out"?

The Avengers (2012)
Okay, Marvel waits a year. Depending on how 2011 goes, this could be THE movie, or a big loss.

Deadpool (????)
It looks like the "Merc with a Mouth" is headed for the big screen.
As it stands right now, Ryan Reynolds is attached to the project.

Of course this isnt taking into account the alledged reboots of Daredevil, Fantastic Four and Blade.

Spiderman / Venom Spinoff

Writers confirm a Spider-Man Venom spinoff is in the works

Sony is officially moving forward with its Spider-Man spinoff movie focusing on Venom and has hired Zombieland writing team Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese to pen the script, the writers told a group of reporters.

"We had a really great relationship with Sony on [Zombieland], and so that was a nice in for us there," Reese said in a group interview. "It gave us a leg up."

The duo is already working on the script, but they are sworn to secrecy on the details. "We're under strict orders on Venom," Wernick said. "We can't talk about it. It's just super secret."
http://scifiwire.com/2009/04/writers-confirm-a-spider-.php

Thai 'Spiderman' to the rescue

After I made my comments the other day about people dressing up as heroes, it did my heart good to see this.....

Thai 'Spider-Man' to the rescue

An unusual disguise has helped a Bangkok fireman rescue an eight-year-old boy who had climbed on to a third-floor window ledge, Thai police say.
The firefighter dressed up as the comic book superhero Spider-Man in order to coax the boy, who is autistic, from his dangerous perch.
Police said teachers had alerted the fire station after the boy began crying and climbed out of a classroom window.
It was reportedly his first day at the special needs school.
Efforts by the teachers to persuade the pupil to come back inside had failed.
But a remark by his mother about his passion for comic superheroes prompted fireman Somchai Yoosabai to rush back to the station, where he kept a Spider-Man costume in his locker.
The sight of Mr Somchai dressed as Spider-Man and holding a glass of juice for him, brought a big smile to the boy's face, and he promptly threw himself into the arms of his "superhero", police said.
Mr Somchai normally uses the costume to liven up fire drills in schools.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7961208.stm

I'm really glad they explained that last bit, because I was thinking, "Okay, why does this guy have a Spiderman costume in his locker?".

One Extreme Or The Other.....

It doesn't have to go this far...

As I kinda feared, Watchmen opened well, but the box office dropped suddenly.
Is this the death knell of comic book movies?
Hardly.
You cannot compare Watchmen to say Batman or Iron Man or Spiderman.
I don't think you will see product tie-ins like with the "colorful" superheroes.
Can you imagine a Rorschach Happy Meal?
Or a Comedian dress up set?
Nope, kids aren't supposed to emulate the Watchmen.
It's an adult story.
But Batman, The Hulk, Wolverine, now there are your commercial tie ins.
I think the movie industry had better think twice before "darkening" the more popular heroes.
The Dark Knight was just about as far as Hollywood needs to go and stay profitable.

Actually I keep wondering if we may be looking at a backlash soon.
I watch "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" and I love it.
It's not the dark brooding Batman. It's the 50s and 60s detective with gadgets.
But he's still bad.
They show a lighter Batman, but I don't get it confused with the Dark Knight.
BTW, I absolutely loved Batman: The Animated Series and I think both cartoons work, just on different levels.

Maybe we are making our heroes too dark.
Some of course, it suits.
But a darker, edgier Fantastic Four?
Heck, lets just get Frank Miller to do the Power Puff Girls.
Lets make it all so dark and bloody and gory that you really can't tell the heroes from the bad guys without a scorecard.

We need the dark avengers like Bats and the Punisher.
But we also need the "boy scouts".
I know I seem to keep harping on this, but I feel pretty strongly about it.

Maybe I'm schizophrenic since I liked Watchmen and The Rocketeer.
I like Batman AND Superman.

But there has to be a middle ground.
And no it's not Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin.

President Obama, Spiderman, Marvel Comics and iTunes

The Incredible Alex Ross' Obama-Man

President Obama hasn't had a chance to really help the nations economy yet, but he sure has helped the sales of comic books.
His appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #583 boosted that comic to it's highest sales in almost 15 years.
That issue has gone through an unprecedented(that was almost a pun)5 printings and sold over 300,000 copies.
His appearance in Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon #137 is going into it's fourth printing and the President is scheduled to appear in Youngblood #8 where he re-instates the Youngblood program.
Next up, Obama joins the JLA...no wait, that's a joke.
I think.
(Though what I wouldn't give to see a drawing by Jim Lee of Obama dressed as Captain America and Joe Biden as the Falcon perched on a rooftop)

And in other non-Obama related comic book news, Marvel comics is going to release "motion comic books" on iTunes.
What are "motion comic books"?
Well this is from Marvel's website....

"Ask yourself this, if the pages of Marvel Comics could move, what would they look like? Wonder no more, True Believers!
Remaining true to the heritage of panel-by-panel graphic storytelling, boasting groundbreaking graphics, sensational soundscapes and, of course, the explosiveness of the Mighty Marvel Universe, here comes the all-new, all-awesome Marvel Motion!
Watch and hear your favorite comics, authors and artists come alive. You've never seen Marvel move like this.
Marvel Motion—GET YOUR MOVE ON!"

I don't know if I like the idea but I love the hype!
It reminds me of the 60s Marvel Comics style.
The only thing missing is "Excelsior!" at the end.

For more info you can check out Marvel's website here
http://www.marvel.com/motion_comics

Barack Obama, Savage Dragon and Spiderman

The Barack Obama / Spiderman issue sold like hotcakes.
(Is that even a viable reference anymore?)
But not everyone is overjoyed with Marvel Comics success.
Savage Dragon also had a cross over with The President, and Eric Larson (the creator of Savage Dragon) is a little miffed at Marvel for what he sees as stealing his thunder.
You can see what Eric has to say about the situation here.
And Marvel made a rebuttal here.

I understand the book is a huge seller.
But does it remind anyone else of the Hostess ads they used to run in the old comic books?
If you want an example of what I mean, head over to Seanbaby's page where I think he has ALL of the old Hostess ads reprinted.

But if the Obama / Spiderman issue is such gold....what's next?
Maybe DC comics can revive "Prez" and instead of Prez Rickard they could have.....
Nah, they'd never go for it.

Obama, Spiderman and Batman

With the sales of the Obama/Spiderman book doing so well and "The Dark Knight" raking in awards, 2009 looks like it's off to a good start for the comic book industry.

Amazing Spider-Man #583 with President Obama and Spiderman sold out, so another run is scheduled to hit comic book stores on Wednesday.
The Jan. 21 issue will have a variant cover.

The Dark Knight has already garnered tons of awards and nominations. Now everyone is looking at the Oscars and waiting.
On January 23rd, The Dark Knight will be re-released to stir up even more Oscar buzz.
Could the late Heath Ledger get an Oscar nomination? He's already won a posthumous Golden Globe award for his portrayal of the Joker.
A comic book movie getting an Oscar?
Even if that doesn't pan out, there's Iron Man in the special effects catagory.
Comic book movies (plural this time) getting Oscars?
And let's not forget Wolverine is hosting the show.

I checked out Grant Morrison's website (I like Grant. He is one person I would really LOVE to sit down and talk to) and Grant not only raved about The Dark Knight, but he said he thinks the movie screen is the future of Super Heroes.

I have to agree with him, but I'm biased because I can't actually say there has been a comic book based movie I have hated.
Okay, not counting the Superman movies after 2, and the dread Joel Schumacher Batman Forever.
And the Dolph Lundgren Punisher.
Okay. I've liked MOST of the Comic Book Movies.
What scares me is that if The Dark Knight does well in the Oscars, the movie studios will just start tossing out Super Hero movies left and right.

But here is my question.
Who is going to create the first all original superhero, make a movie and turn that character into an icon?
A non comic book based superhero that captures the imagination and reaches the Spiderman, Batman, Superman level?

Watchmen Update and "Geeks"

Here's another update on the ongoing Fox versus Warner Bros. " Watchmen" case.

LOS ANGELES — Who’s watching the “Watchmen”? Come March 6, it may not be moviegoers.
A federal judge, having ruled last week that 20th Century Fox has distribution rights to “Watchmen,” an eagerly anticipated superhero movie shot by Warner Brothers, said he was inclined to decide after a hearing scheduled for Jan. 20 whether the release of the film should be blocked.
At a morning conference, lawyers for both studios heard the judge, Gary A. Feess, elaborate on his ruling, issued last Wednesday, that Fox owned an interest in “Watchmen,” a film Warner was preparing to release on March 6, in association with Legendary Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/business/media/30watchmen.html

You know I really wish these articles would stop referring to Comic Book Movie fans as "Geeks".
I mean really, did ONLY geeks go to the fourth highest grossing movie of all time "The Dark Knight"?
It grossed $996,826,853.
Or Spider-Man 3? $890,871,626 gross. Or Spider-Man, $850,000,605.
That's just the comic book movies.
Let's not forget that out of the top twenty highest grossing movies of all time, 19 of them were Science Fiction, Fantasy or Animated.
So just a few "Geeks" with tons of money are going to these films, or lots of ::gasp:: "ORDINARY" people are going to them!

Arana, Marvel Comics

Art by Mark Brooks

Araña is a superheroine in the Marvel Universe created by Fiona Avery and Mark Brooks.
Unlike the accidental creation of Spiderman, Anya Corazon was recruited by a mystical clan called the Spider Society to act as their agent, a Hunter.
Arana's abilities include enhanced strength (able to lift 3 tons) , speed, and agility (she can jump over 25 feet) .
Like Spiderman, she has the ability to cling to walls and she had a spider-like exoskelton around her body which enhanced these abilities.
I say "had" because Doomsday Man ripped her exoskeleton out.
Ouch.
To me, Arana's main claim to fame is having one of the most realistic "super hero costumes".
Big goggle-eyed sunglasses, red and blue sneakers, blue track pants, red backpack and red gloves with pockets.

The Superhero as Society’s Mirror, From World War II to Iraq

The Superhero as Society’s Mirror, From World War II to Iraq
By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES
Published: July 14, 2007

MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 11 — Michael E. Uslan is a lifelong comic-book fan, but “crusader” might be more accurate. For years, Mr. Uslan, a film producer (“Batman Begins,” among others), has collected comics and original art, written books about the industry and produced movies about his muscled and macabre childhood heroes.

full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/arts/design/14comi.html?ref=design


technorati tags: spiderman,comic books, marvel comics, infinite crisis, comics, movies, batman, superman, supergirl, daredevil

More Spiderman 3 News

Spiderman-3 Pirates Spanked by MPAA

33 people have been busted trying to tape Spider-Man 3. The MPAA sounded positively jubilant with its Gotcha! announcement detailing a crackdown in which theater employees helped nab camcorder-wielding audience members.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/05/spiderman3_pira.html


Spiderman 3 London Premiere opened Pandora's Box

(openPR) - It was West Midlands based AV production house, Show Support, that assisted in creating the largest media extravaganza ever seen at the movie premiere of Spiderman 3. The stars, including Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco, were out in force on the red carpet in Leicester Square.

http://www.openpr.com/news/20654/Spiderman-3-London-Premiere-opened-Pandora-s-Box.html


Exum's take on Spiderman 3

Director Sam Raimi's hit "Spider-Man" movie franchise returns with new characters and darker themes in "Spider-Man 3."

Although things appear to be going well for Peter Parker, he faces more problems and choices than ever before. Peter has a new competitor, Topher Grace's Eddie Brock, who will do anything to be the Daily Bugle's top freelance photographer. Meanwhile, Mary Jane's failing career causes resentment for Spider-Man's fame and the attention he receives from the police captain's daughter, Gwen Stacy.

http://www.gotriad.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070517/GTCOM01/70516030/1071/GTCOM0224

technorati tags: movies, comics, venom, trailer, marvel, spiderman 3, superman, movie, video,
cine

Spiderman 3 News

Spiderman 3—The video game

If he's swinging back into theaters, that of course means he's also once again crawling back into your gaming console. So what makes Spiderman 3 the game different from all the Spiderman games of the past? Well, for starters, it follows along closely with the movie which means you get to be Spiderman in black suit.

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/?ArID=105249&SecID=83



Movie Review: Spiderman 3

The summer blockbuster season kicks off with the third entry in the Spiderman series. Director Sam Raimi is once again in the director's chair and it looks more than likely that it will be his last time.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/05/14/102402.php



Weekend Box Office Totals – Spiderman 3 Big Winner But 28 Weeks Later Debuts Second

The movie “Spiderman 3” was the big winner at the box office for the second weekend in a row. The saga continues as Spiderman, played by Toby Maguire (“Seabiscuit” and “Ciderhouse Rules”) delves into his dark side. While he is doing well in school and his alter-ego Spiderman is popular, things take a turn for the worse in this third installment.

http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=051307_box_office_totals.htm

technorati tags: spiderman,comic books, marvel comics, infinite crisis, comics, movies, batman, superman, supergirl, daredevil, comic-books

Spiderman 3 film censor classification fiasco

Spiderman 3 film censor classification fiasco
BBFC rules mean that an extra £30million will be taken at the box office
Article by Patricia Harper
Monday 7th May 2007, 22:29

Functionpix is a freelance news and pictures organisation dedicated to raising funds for charity and good causes. We are the only organisation of our kind who donate profits to charity with the sale of every item
The British board of film censors have come under criticism from the British Society Of Cinematographers for the 12A certification it awarded to the latest Spiderman 3 movie which was released in the UK on the 5th May.

The certification of a 12A says that any children under the age of 12 should not see the film unless accompanied by an adult but fans say that this is not fair for younger Spiderman fans and that the film does not warrant a 12A certification.

Speculation that the BBFC has awarded the 12A in an attempt to raise the box office revenue was denied but fans say that by awarding the movie a 12A means that the box office stands to make a further £30million in tickets sales to adults as they are obliged to accompany their 11 year olds and under and that the movie should have been awarded a PG or less as it was in the US.

http://www.functionpix.com/index.php/article/Spiderman_3_film_censor_classification_fiasco/1380/

technorati tags: spider man, spider man 3, spider man comic books, spiderman, marvel comics, marvel comic books, movie,

Spiderman 3 sites

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spiderman3/site/

http://spiderman3.sonypictures.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413300/

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_3/

http://spiderman.sonypictures.com/

http://www.ifilm.com/presents/spiderman3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiderman_3

technorati: spider man, spider man 3, spider man comic books, spiderman,

Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 6

The Six Arms Saga is a story arc written by Stan Lee and drawn by Gil Kane. It spans the issues Amazing Spider-Man #100-102 (1973).

The story arc is mostly remembered for the striking aesthetic of Spider-Man, swinging through the city with four extra arms.

Spider-Man has had enough of being Spider-Man. Peter feels miserable about all the anguish he had to endure. His best friend Harry Osborn has become a junkie, and his close friend Captain George Stacy died in his arms. His daughter Gwen Stacy - Spidey's girlfriend - wrongly blamed Spider-Man for this. Peter has a fatal thought: for Peter Parker to live, Spider-Man must die!

So, Spidey brews up a chemical cocktail which is intended to exterminate his spider powers. Peter takes the cocktail and falls into a troubled sleep, in which he fights all his enemies while enduring excruciating side pains. When he wakes up, he notices a ghastly thing: he has six arms! The potion increased his spider powers rather than to nullify them!

He then visits his only possible confidant, Dr. Curt Connors, alias the Lizard, and fight a vampiric villain called Morbius. Using Morbius' blood, both brew an antidote that turns Spidey back into normal.

technorati tags:spider man, spider man 3, spider man comic books, spiderman, superhero comic books, marvel comic, marvel comic book, marvel comic books, marvel comics,

Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 5

Peter graduates from high school and enrolls at Empire State University, where he meets Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy. His aunt introduces him to Mary Jane Watson, whom he dates for a short time, but Peter soon falls in love with Gwen. Meanwhile, Harry becomes Peter's roommate and best friend, but starts using illegal drugs.

Harry's father, Norman Osborn, is revealed to be the Green Goblin and discovers Spider-Man's secret identity. After her father is killed in a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, Gwen's relationship with Peter is put on hold when she travels to England. It was later revealed in a highly controversial retcon that Gwen had an affair with Norman Osborn, and gave birth to two children while in Europe. Harry suffers a drug overdose shortly after she returns.

technorati tags: spider man, spider man 3, spider man comic books, spiderman, superhero comic books, marvel comic, marvel comic book, marvel comic books, marvel comics,

Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 4

Peter Benjamin Parker is the son of Richard and Mary Parker, who worked as NSA agents, and were killed on a mission involving an impersonator of the Red Skull. The infant Peter Parker is left in the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May Parker, who live in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York. The aging couple love Peter, but he grows to be unpopular among his peers. Between an uncle who is too old to join him in physical activities and an aunt over-protective of the orphaned child, Peter gravitates to more non-physical hobbies such as photography and home chemistry, encouraged in these endevours by his guardians. Over time, he grows to be a lonely, timid but exceptionally bright teenager who shows more interest in his studies (especially science, which he has an affinity for that is nothing short of genius) than in any kind of social life. He is often the target of jokes by more popular students like Flash Thompson, the high school's star athlete.

Spider-Man's origin story is told in the first 12 pages of Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker attends a science exhibition where he is bitten by a radioactive spider. The spider bite gives Peter an array of spider-like powers, including wall-crawling, superhuman strength, speed and agility, and an extra-sensory "spider-sense". Peter initially sets out to find fame and fortune, winning a match in a makeshift disguise against professional wrestler Crusher Hogan. He attempts to interest a television network in the idea of featuring him as a costumed hero (with the advantage that he can actually do the things his character can), and creates the Spider-Man name, costume, and web-shooters. After quickly becoming a minor celebrity, Peter appears on a television special, but afterward allows a thief to escape the TV station, asserting that it isn't his problem. He comes to regret his inaction when he finds out that the same burglar subsequently killed his Uncle Ben.

Peter blames himself for Uncle Ben's death. Art by Steve Ditko.Realizing that he could have prevented his uncle's death, the guilt-ridden Peter commits to a life of crimefighting and lifesaving, driven by his uncle's words, "With great power there must also come great responsibility" (the phrase is often shortened to: "With great power comes great responsibility"). This disarming mix of selfless obligation and self-recrimination brought about by his uncle's death arguably makes up Spider-Man's moral core.

In the earliest Spider-Man stories, Peter Parker attends Midtown High School. After his uncle's death, he and his aunt become desperate for money, so he gets a job as a photographer at the Daily Bugle selling photos to J. Jonah Jameson. Peter dates co-worker Betty Brant and clashes with his high school rival Flash Thompson (whose girlfriend, Liz Allen, he informally tutors). He encounters many of his most famous enemies for the first time during this period.

technorati tags: spiderman,comic books, marvel comics, infinite crisis, comics, movies, batman, superman, supergirl, daredevil, comic-books

Spiderman/Spiderman 3

Well since the Spiderman 3 publicity machine is getting really cranked up now, I thought I'd devote a little time to the character and the movie.
CAUTION!
There may be SPOILERS when I get to the movie, so dont read that part if you dont wanna know.......

Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker) is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Since his incarnation and first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), he has become one of the world's most popular, enduring and commercially successful superheroes.
When Spider-Man first saw print in the 1960s, teenage characters in superhero comic books were usually sidekicks. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring a hero who himself was an adolescent, to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate. Spider-Man has since appeared in various media including several animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films.

Marvel has published several Spider-Man comic book series, the first being The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled college student to a married teacher and a member of the superhero team the Avengers.

By 1962, with the success of the Fantastic Four and other characters, Marvel editor and head writer Stan Lee was casting about for a new superhero idea. He said that the idea for Spider-Man arose from a surge in teenage demand for comic books, and the desire to create a character with which teens could identify. In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman pulp magazine crime fighter The Spider as an influence and both there and in a multitude of print and video interviews said he was inspired by seeing a fly climb up a wall — adding in his autobiography that he has told that story so often he has become unsure of whether or not it is true. Artist Ditko, in a 1990 article by himself, gave a more prosaic origin story for the name:

“ "In a discussion with me about Spider-Man, Stan said he liked the name Hawkman but DC had the name and character. Marvel would add Ant-Man [and the Wasp] so it would have the insect category. (Technically a spider is not an insect). From that I believed Stan had named the character. ”

Lee approached Marvel publisher Martin Goodman to seek approval for the character. In a 1986 interview, he described in detail his arguments to overcome Goodman's objections. Goodman agreed to let Lee try out Spider-Man in the upcoming final issue of the canceled science-fiction/supernatural anthology series Amazing Adult Fantasy, which was renamed Amazing Fantasy for that single issue, #15 (Aug. 1962).

Jack Kirby, in a 1982 interview, claimed Lee had minimal involvement in the character's creation, and that it had originated with Kirby and Joe Simon, who in the 1950s had proposed a character called The Silver Spider for the Crestwood comic Black Magic until the publisher went out of business.

Simon, in his 1990 autobiography, disputes Kirby's account, asserting that the supernatural anthology Black Magic was not a factor, and that he (Simon) devised the name "Spiderman" (later changed to "The Silver Spider"), while Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Simon later elaborated that his and Kirby's character conception became the basis for Simon's Archie Comics superhero The Fly, introduced in early 1959.

technorati tags: spider man,spider man 3,comic book,fantastic four ,marvel comic ,dc comic