Or - “Hmmmmmm…”

I don’t think I’ve been in any way coy about my feelings for this series so far.  There have been some well-done issues of JLA since the relaunch (most of them under Dwayne McDuffie) but overall, I’ve been sorely disappointed in the quality of the book overall.  I’m not a fan of the pencillers they’ve been giving us, and a lot of good plots have really gone nowhere.  One of the longest back-burner arcs to date has been the story of Vixen’s powerset change, but it’s about to come to a rapid boil, and <insert hot joke here!>

(more…)

Or - “I Think We Can Be Certain It’s Not Really Final…”

I started to try and write a big clever open, but y’know what? 

RACCOON WITH A HEAVY MACHINE GUN!!!!!

How am I s’pose to top that?

(more…)

Or - “Haven’t We Seen This Before?”

When Brad Meltzer relaunched the Justice League just a couple of years ago, he was brimming with ideas, from returning an all-star multi-era Justice League, to the return of Despero, to the Red Arrow (ugh) and Hawkgirl relationship, to Red Tornado ending up in a human body, there were a ton of fascinating story hooks to that first dozen issues of JLA.  Sadly, Brad didn’t end up hanging very much ON those hooks, but the basics were there.  After a long and drawn out crossover with Salvation Run that didn’t make a whole lot of narrative sense, we’ve returned to Earth, and the plight of John Smith, the “man” called Red Tornado.  But is this just Red Tornado II: Electric Boogaloo? (more…)

In this episode: repeated reviews, spoilers supreme, heavy metal heroes )along with fan feedback), a little white witch, Rodrigo gets Hyper, Stephen pours a Foundation, we go to the tote board for the final tally on the Major Spoilers Hero Drive, Aquaman is dead, and much more!

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(more…)

Or, “Whatever Happened To That Flash Kid?”

How many people think that “Wonder Woman Dipped In Honey” is going to bring us the hits like “Russian Ballerina In Leather Panties” did so long ago?  I’m sure, somewhere, there’s an entire newsgroup dedicated to things like that.  Maybe “rec.arts.comics.superheroines.food.fetish?”  Either way, several months ago, at the end of the Lightning Saga, Wally West returned from the dead and and to League membership, but then took a spontaneous leave of absence.  If you read ‘Flash,’ you may know where he’s been, but it may be a surprise as to why he has yet to return…

(more…)

Or - “Bait?  Meet Switch!”

It’s no secret that I’ve been consistently underwhelmed by most of the current volume of Justice League.  It seems that the creative teams have misunderstood hyperbole to mean action, and vague throwaway moments to mean character development.  I had high hopes when Dwayne McDuffie was chosen to helm the title, given his brilliance on the animated Justice League series, but a scant three issues into his run, we’re already seeing the story hijacked by Alan Burnett for a story that promises to cross-over into “Salvation Run.”  Can a big “Event Story” rekindle my faith in DC’s premier superhero team?

(more…)

The writer’s strike may be over, but the effects are still be felt through the industry. While Warner Bros. is pushing ahead with the Justice League movie, other features could be delayed as the industry scrambles to regroup following the settlement, and await the next big walk out.

The next walk out? The Screen Actor’s Guild is next up to the table to negotiate contracts, and even the slightest hint of a strike is causing the studios to hold off on any new productions that can’t wrap shooting by June 30.

“Transformers 2″ director Michael Bay said the labor cloud has made the process harder, but not impossible as he tries to keep the film on track for its June 26, 2009 release.

“If there is a strike, we shut down, but shutting down isn’t that big a deal,” Bay said. “You make accommodations, you make a deal with vending houses on equipment and on the stages where you are shooting. You hope for the best, but you can’t be incapacitated by the possibility that there will be a strike. We’ve got to get this town back to work. I can’t imagine anyone wants another strike, we’re all tired. Hopefully clearer heads will prevail.”

Bay said that the sequel is still recovering from the writer’s strike, and that he’s playing catch-up after getting back his trio of writers, Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

If Miller can’t get his JLA movie done in time, we could hear word in the next couple of months that the film has been delayed again. The new Terminator movie begins shooting May 5, while Transformers begins shooting in early June. If the actors strike, look for all sort of shuffling as the studios scramble to fill the summer 2009 schedule.

Paramount may have anticipated the delay when the studio announced it was moving the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie from a December 2008 release to the now scheduled May 2009 date.

via Variety

Remember comic deaths are never long lasting.  Variety is reporting the Justice League movie is back on, with Warner Bros. targeting a 2009 release date.  The script is being polished while George Miller continues preproduction in Australia.

Adam Brody, cast as the Flash, is the biggest star in the superhero lineup. Rapper Common nabbed the Green Lantern role; other roles went to lesser-known thesps such as Armie Hammer Jr. (Batman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman).

If Miller can make a hit out of Justice League O.C. I’ll be very surprised, especially since the film is now going to be rushed to meet the original screen date.

via Variety

Or - “Tangled Timelines and Tortured Antecedents…”

The JLA.  The Big Seven.  The most recognizable icons in the industry (with the possible exception of Spider-Man, The Shadow, and maybe Dick Tracy.)  This current incarnation of the League is in the running for most powerful lineup ever, and is carefully balanced to include at least some nod to all previous Leagues, balanced in race and gender like no JLA before it, and giving some much needed airtime to neglected stalwarts of the DC Universe (Black Lightning and Red Tornado.)  So, why does it feel like NOTHING happens in this book?

(more…)

The Gotham by Gaslight Batman has had a pretty good run since his original appearance by Mike Mignola and Brian Augustyn - it’s just too bad about getting turned into a creature of the night in the Countdown Arena. And while we’ve already seen the Steampunk Blue Beetle, what would the rest of the JLA look like?

The guy that runs Sillof’s Workshop has the answer with Gaslight Justice League. Stunningly beautiful mods borrowing parts from other figures along with custom molds the Gaslight Justice League is one that DC Direct or Mattel might want to pick up and make a full production run. I know I’d buy the complete set - especially if it included a build a figure Steampunk Metallo or Braniac.

Take the jump for the rest of the pics!

(more…)

Glad to have you back.

According to Moviehole, Teresa Palmer has been offered the role of Wonder Woman in the George Miller Justice League film. This follows the rumor that Rupert Evans will be playing Superman.

Reports have this movie being all action, but with a much younger team of heroes in the early points of their careers. This has made many people wonder why not do a Teen Titans flick, but if you consider more people know Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Batman and Superman, than cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Robin, then you can kind of see the direction Warner Bros. is going.

Rumors also point to Maxwell Lord, OMACs, and the death of Barry Allen as key points in the story.

via Moviehole

Or - “Superman And Black Lightning Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Me…”

Ed Benes’ art is what Opus T. Penguin might refer to as a “full-blown bull-moose gonzo whopper of a mixed blessing.” On the one hand, he has a slick line and the kids really seem to dig his work. On the other hand, just look at Wonder Woman’s pectoral region in that shot. The Amazing Amazon shouldn’t be a quarter-millimeter from a Janet Jackson moment, in my opinion, and compounding the issue is the presence of Vixen’s protruding sompin-sompin and Black Canary’s fishnetted how’s-your-uncle clearly in view on either side of the Princess, and I’m reminded of the hubbub over the Heroes for Hire cover. Aside from gratuitous bazongas, you say, how was the issue? Well, thereupon hangs a tale…

(more…)

According to a myriad of rumor sites, Rupert Evans has been offered the part of Superman in the Justice League film. Evans had previously tried out for the role for Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. You may remember Evans as the assistant to Hellboy in the Hellboy movie.

Awaiting confirmation.

UPDATE: Debunked

In an excellent interview with DC’s Main Man in Hollywood Gregory Novek, Voices from Krypton ask why Welling won’t be Superman in the JLA movie.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: And then there are all of those Internet rumors about Tom Welling being cast as Superman�
GREGORY NOVECK: Not happening, if for no other reason than it would just confuse the issue.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: And if that�s the case, I wonder why they wouldn�t just use Brandon Routh again.
GREGORY NOVECK: I think part of it is that the character is larger than the actor. If you look at Batman, Superman and Justice League as separate franchises, if all of a sudden you have Brandon in it but you don�t have Christian, then what movie is it? I think you have to have it stand on its own. I�m just speculating, but if I�m the director of this movie, I don�t want to have to be too careful of another director�s iteration of a character. If I use his actor, then I�m kind of beholden to it. What if George Miller hired Brandon and Christian, but he wanted Brandon to really play Superman tougher and wanted Christian to show more humanity, then all of a sudden you�re entering very strange creative territory. The same is true of using Tom Welling. I think ultimately it�s a better movie if you have different actors to keep the iterations of the characters distinct. The example I�ve been using is, is it the Mike Mignolia Batman versus the Frank Miller Batman? It�s still Batman, they�re just different versions of it. I think when we start to open up the films with that kind of lens, where you can say, �These are all Superman, but they�re different versions� � even from Tom Welling to Brandon Routh, right? � that�s pretty cool.

Head over to the website for more on why it’s a good idea for Tom Welling to move on, and what role Novek has in what gets put into the movies, and what doesn’t.

via Voices From Krypton