Posted 5/9/13 9:01 am EST by MTV Geek in Comic Books, DC Comics, Interviews
By Matt D. Wilson
Avid DC readers have seen Batman and Superman thrown together in a lot of contexts, but most times, they're quite familiar with each other.
In writer Greg Pak and artist Jae Lee's new series "Batman/Superman," launching June 5, it won't be like that. Readers will see the first-ever meeting between the two heroes and, at least at first, they won't be super friendly.
I took a few minutes to chat with Pak about what's in store for the pair.
Posted 5/8/13 10:21 am EST by MTV Geek in Animation, DC Comics, Interviews, Movies
By Matt D. Wilson
Actor John Noble has spent a good chunk of the past decade or so appearing in projects nerdy fans love. He was Denethor in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, Dr. Walter Bishop on "Fringe," even a Transformer. But he hadn't dipped into the world of superheroes until now.
In the new DC Animated Feature "Superman: Unbound," Noble takes on the role of Brainiac, the evil, alien-AI force that shrank the Kryptonian city of Kandor and put it in a bottle. Now that the movie is available on Blu-ray, DVD, on-demand, and as a digital download, I spent a few minutes on the phone with Noble to ask how he got involved in the movie, how he prepared to play such an evil character, and what science fiction means to him.
Posted 5/7/13 5:44 pm EST by Eddie Wright in Comic Books, Image Comics, Interviews
Kurtis J. Wiebe is one of the most prolific writers working under the Image Comics banner. He first sprang onto the scene with "Green Wake" (one of my favorite series of the past few years) and "The Intrepids" and followed those up with "Debris," "Grim Leaper" and "Peter Panzerfaust." At the recent C2E2 in Chicago, Wiebe showed off his latest (with Meg Dejmal and John “Roc” Upchurch), the fantasy/action/comedy series "Rat Queens." Think of "Rat Queens" as a smash-up of early, punky, profane Peter Jackson and later, epic, "LoTR" lord Peter Jackson.
I chatted with Wiebe through email about who these "Rat Queens" are, the inspiration for the series, working in the fantasy genre, and more.
Posted 5/6/13 5:31 pm EST by MTV Geek in Hobby Gaming, Interviews, TV
By Aaron Sagers
Since leaving his post on "Ghost Hunters," Grant Wilson has developed some serious game. Really. The reality-TV paranormal investigator from Syfy has shifted his focus to tabletop game company Rather Dashing Games. And now, for his newest gaming adventure, he's mining new territory.
Posted 5/3/13 10:09 am EST by MTV Geek in Interviews, Movies, Star Wars
By Jon Waterhouse
Like a gaggle of stormtroopers overtaking a Rebel transport, “Star Wars” fans have highjacked May the 4th as their very own high holiday. Some may be celebrating by baking a batch of Wookiee cookies, while others might be spiking their Yoda soda with a lightspeedy liquor. Actor Anthony Daniels, who played the most famous protocol droid in the universe in the “Star Wars” films, will be commemorating the day in a decidedly low key manner. The human behind C-3PO, who says he gets a call to reprise his role in various “Star Wars”-related projects “every other month” or so, will be having his own brand of “fun” on cuatro de Mayo.
Posted 5/1/13 4:45 pm EST by Charles Webb in Archaia, Comic Books, Interviews
Shotaro Ishinomori's "Cyborg 009" is back with an all-new English-language comic from Archaia, co-written by F.J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp. The 60's manga would later spawn multiple animated series and feature films (most recently last year's "009: Re Cyborg"). But this is your chance to discover the characters of "Cyborg 009" from the very beginning.
Today, the book's publisher is releasing "Cyborg 009: Chapter 000," a one dollar comic introducing you to the nine ordinary humans forced into become cyborg weapons--and we've got a preview featuring commentary from the book's writers, artists, and editor Stephen Christy.
Posted 4/30/13 5:13 pm EST by MTV Geek in Books, Interviews
By Aaron Sagers
Doctors Moreau and Frankenstein should make room for a new member of their league of extraordinarily grotesque gentlemen, for there is a new mad scientist in pop culture. Making his debut in “The Resurrectionist,” a new book from Quirk Books, Dr. Spencer Black has very curious theories about human evolution and mythological beasts. And in an MTV Geek exclusive, you’ll see exactly what we mean.
Posted 4/29/13 10:26 am EST by Charles Webb in C2E2, Comic Books, Interviews, Marvel
This September, "X-Factor" is finished. During C2E2 over the weekend, Marvel announced that issue #262 under writer Peter David would be the last of the long-running title. Of all of the publisher's mutant books in the wake of M-Day (has it been that long?) David's "X-Factor" has survived and thrived under the weight of major events, a rotating stable of artists, and more importantly, the fickleness of a comic market that not be keen to support a series that was essentially an evolving, long-form mystery.
The road to the end begins this summer, and while Mr. David didn't promise that all secrets would be revealed or anything as grand as all that, he does hint that there will be some finality to his run--and as a reader, I can only hope that mutant sometimes detective Jamie Madrox and mystery girl Lyla Miller will arrive at the end of all of their enigmas.
After the jump, Mr. David offered us a few words on his time with the book, and bringing it to this seemingly sudden finale.
Posted 4/26/13 3:45 pm EST by Charles Webb in Interviews, Movies
The secrecy behind director J.J. Abrams' next "Star Trek" movie is incredibly high. We still don't know the names of many of the characters from "Star Trek Into Darkness" or what the connection is between Benedict Cumberbatch's villain and the timeline of the original series. When I speak to actress Nanzeen Contractor about working on the film--her first 800 lb gorilla summer feature--she says that she wasn't even allowed to read the script in its entirety.
"At the end of each day on set, there was a guy who would collect our sides (script pages). We couldn’t take them home, and they were all color-coordinated and had watermarks with our names on them," Contractor tells me. "And then when I asked J.J. some questions, he’d say, 'Oh, but it’s in the script” and I’d say, “but I haven’t read the script.'"
For the young actress, this was a little bit of a challenge given that her character is someone she describes as being pivotal to the film alongside "Doctor Who" actor Noel Clarke who plays her husband. Could they be the parents of the galaxy's most dangerous genetically-engineered child?
Posted 4/26/13 1:30 pm EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, IDW, Interviews
"If you build a product that is exciting and bulletproof," "Wild Blue Yonder" co-creator Zach Howard explains to me during a recent call, "fans will fall in love with it and it’ll be around for, hopefully, a generation or two."
Illustrator Howard and co-creator Austin Harrison hope their high-flying, post-apocalyptic adventure miniseries, which launches in June, resonates with fans across multiple media, beyond the launch of the IDW comic penned by fellow co-creator and writer Mike Raicht. Harrison and Howard have a completed screenplay ready for "Wild Blue Yonder" in the hopes of reaching more than just comics audiences (and you get the impression speaking to them that they'd like to conquer your eyeballs in more than just those ways). They want their tale of sky pirates and adventurers to a new "Indiana Jones," a place where they can hang generation and genre-defining stories.
Posted 4/26/13 10:30 am EST by Charles Webb in Interviews, TV
It's been a while, but the back half of "Warehouse 13" is headed to Syfy channel next week. For series fans, that means everyone dealing with the fallout from Artie's (Saul Rubinek) actions. And one of those characters who's been affected most is Artie's protege and the group's tech expert, Claudia played by Allison Scagliotti.
When we speak, she's not sure what viewers have and have not seen yet given that it's been months since the 20 episodes of season four were shot back-to-back in a 10-month block--so she treads carefully in her responses. Still, Scagliotti is excited to reveal tons of guest stars coming to the back ten episodes of the popular series including James Marsters, Anthony Head, Polly Walker, and Joel Grey. "There are very few people that I will clam up and not be able to talk to, but when I saw Mr. MC from 'Cabaret,' I squeed a little bit," she tells me, adding that she tries not to use that word because she hates it a little.
Posted 4/24/13 11:52 am EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, Interviews
A decade ago, before he wrote a single word for either "Wolverine" or "Deadpool," Daniel Way created the ultra-detached hitman Harvey. And before he would ever draw Batman professionally or get his own time with Wolverine, artist Jon Proctor brought Harvey to life in the pages of "Gun Theory," the prematurely canceled miniseries from Marvel's Epic imprint. Talking to the duo now, it's clear that never getting to finish the story of a hitman who discovers he has a soul (and more precariously, a reason to live), has stuck with them.
That's why last week Way and Proctor resurrected Harvey and "Gun Theory" through a Kickstarter campaign running through May in order to release the story in its complete, uncensored form with an updated script and art.
I spoke with Way and Proctor about the winding road to getting "Gun Theory" made (again), killers with hearts, and the hardcore version of "Gun Theory" Marvel didn't want you to see.
Posted 4/23/13 2:25 pm EST by Charles Webb in Avatar Press, Comic Books, Horror, Interviews
"World War Z" isn't the only major project coming from writer Max Brooks this summer. The man responsible for "The Zombie Survival Guide" has a sprawling, 250-page epic "Extinction Parade" coming from Avatar Press on June 19. Featuring an apocalypse where the zombies have not only taken over but cut into the food source of our vampire overlords, Brooks imagines humanity trapped between a hungry rock and an also hungry hard place.
With the June release of the first issue of "Extinction Parade" just around the corner, we got to ask Brooks five questions--about the eternal struggle between the living and undead, his thoughts on the zombie movie glut, and who would win in a cage match between the Loch Ness Monster and a mummy.
Posted 4/23/13 1:57 pm EST by Charles Webb in Interviews, TV
Last week, the "Zombieland" pilot made its debut via Amazon's pilot program. It's not a secret that "Zombieland" started life as a TV pilot at CBS before the network passed on it back in 2005, ultimately leading to the 2009 film directed by Reuben Fleischer. During the conference call, Reese and Wernick say that the cast departures leading up to "Zombieland 2" were a blessing in disguise, allowing them to pursue their original passion for bringing the "Zombieland" story to TV.
So what are co-creators and series producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick's thoughts about making the transition back to the small screen? And how has changing the cast affected the pilot? And will we see any special guest stars in undead America?
Posted 4/23/13 12:27 pm EST by Eddie Wright in Comic Books, DC Comics, Interviews
JMS shared details with us about the third volume of his best-selling "Superman: Earth One" series for DC.