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Ultimate Origins teasers

Tue, 13 May 2008 17:24:00 GMT

The Top Ten Reasons To Check out ULTIMATE ORIGINS!

ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) (APR082246)
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) TURNER VARIANT (APR082247)
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5) TURNER VARIANT SKETCH VARIANT (MAR088241)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by BUTCH GUICE
50/50 Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
50/50 Cover by GABRIELLE DELL'OTTO
Variant Cover by MICHAEL TURNER
Rated T+ ... $2.99
FOC — 5/15/08, On-Sale — 6/4/08

What Are The Secrets Of The Ultimate Universe?

The secrets behind the Ultimate Universe are about to be revealed.

But is this the end of the beginning...

... or the beginning of the end?

Brian Michael Bendis and Butch Guice reveal the secret history of the Ultimate Universe in Ultimate Origins!

Top Cow announces Witchblade movie

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:53:00 GMT

ARCLIGHT FILMS, PLATINUM STUDIOS, INC. AND TOP COW PRODUCTIONS PARTNERING TO BRING "WITCHBLADE" TO THE BIG SCREEN

Platinum Studios, Inc. (OTCBB: PDOS), an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 5,600 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, in conjunction with Top Cow Productions, Inc., an entertainment and publishing company specializing in building intellectual properties through comic-book and graphic-novel publication, and Arclight Films, one of the leading international film sales companies, today announced a deal to co-produce a feature film based on the action fantasy thriller Witchblade. The best-selling comic book franchise created by Top Cow has sold over 100 million units worldwide since its #1 debut in 1995.

It is anticipated that the film would be shot on location in Australia. The exact story line and nature of the script is being kept under wraps, but will stay true to the Witchblade mythology, which centers around a deadly ornate gauntlet that gives superpowers to the wearer, a chosen female bearer of each generation, who possesses it.

"Witchblade is one of the premier comic-book titles in the world," said Gary Hamilton, CEO of Arclight. "This property is the cornerstone of our upcoming production and sales slate and we hope to be able to start production in September 2008."

Hamilton, Nigel Odell, head of Arclight's production operations, Platinum Studios' CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Steve Squillante of Havenwood Media are all set to produce. Top Cow's CEO Marc Silvestri and President Matt Hawkins would serve as executive producers as would Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic. Former Universal Pictures senior executive Randy Greenberg of the Greenberg Group, who helped negotiate the deal with Platinum Studios General Counsel, Helene Pretsky, would also executive produce. Hawkins and attorney Harris Miller negotiated on behalf of Top Cow.

"In my opinion, Witchblade is one of the finest comic-book properties yet to be made into a full-length feature film," said Platinum Studios' Rosenberg. "'I believe that Witchblade's fantastic origin, intriguing mystery and wonderful story should satisfy the core audience while giving all moviegoers an amazing ride."

"We have been looking for the right opportunity to bring Witchblade to the big screen," said Marc Silvestri, CEO of Top Cow. "We are fortunate to have production partners who value the story and the characters so much and have a shared vision."

Marvel Knights celebrates 10th anniversary at Wizard World Philly

Mon, 12 May 2008 15:12:00 GMT

MARVEL KNIGHTS CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL WIZARD WORLD PHILLY PANEL!
Founders Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti Will Discuss The Influential Imprint's Past And Future At Wizard World Philly May 30-June 1

It's been a decade since four Marvel icons became Marvel Knights and changed the landscape of the Marvel Universe, allowing uncompromising reality and edgy re-imaginings to have a prominent place in the company. Those four iconic titles, Daredevil, Punisher, Black Panther and The Inhumans, rocked the world of comics and received both fan and critical praise. Now you can join two of the architects of this comic book revolution, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada and writer/artist Jimmy Palmiotti for a candid look at Marvel Knights.

Marvel's long-running Daredevil title was re-launched with superstar film writer/director Kevin Smith working with Marvel Knights founders Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti. The back-to-basics approach reestablished Daredevil as a powerhouse character to be both respected by comic fans and feared by criminals everywhere. Kevin Smith's involvement attracted enormous publicity, leading many high-profile Hollywood names like Joss Whedon to the paneled page. Following the initial run, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev enjoyed a lengthy stint that earned them multiple Eisner Awards.

Under the Marvel Knights imprint, The Punisher was allowed to be as unapologetically gritty as creative teams wanted. The initial miniseries by Christopher Golden successfully removed any of the Punisher's soft edges. The following miniseries and ongoing series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon has returned the Punisher to a previously unheard level of fame and respect, with the creative team producing some of the best Punisher stories of all time.

Few comics have been as critically lauded as Christopher Priest's dramatic Black Panther. Priest's stories sparked an interest in the character that has led to attention from Hollywood and raised the Panther's role in the Marvel Universe itself.

The Inhumans went from being underused supporting characters in Fantastic Four to starring in their own Eisner Award-winning miniseries. Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's Inhumans rounded out the initial line of Marvel Knights series and gave the classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creations the attention they deserved.

Many other blockbuster titles and superstar creators have entered into the Marvel Knights universe since its inception. Artists like J.G. Jones (Black Widow and Marvel Boy), John Cassaday (Captain America) and Steve McNiven (Marvel Knights: 4) added their talents while Jae Lee continued to do work for the Marvel Knights series The Sentry, Captain America and Fantastic Four: 1234. Master storyteller Mark Millar teamed up with Terry Dodson and John Romita Jr. to create suspenseful stories on both Marvel Knights Spider-Man and Wolverine, respectively. The dynamic duo of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale continued their highly successful color-based set of miniseries with Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray and Spider-Man:Blue.

The events in Marvel Knights comics have gone on to have a wider impact in the rest of the Marvel Universe. Peter David's Madrox limited series spawned the current hit series X-Factor and both Grant Morrison's Marvel Boy and Paul Jenkins' Sentry regularly appear in the Avengers line of comics, both promising to play a big role in the mega-event Secret Invasion!

Currently, the Marvel Knights imprint is home to the series Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas written by "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau and illustrated by artistic visionary Adi Granov. The critically acclaimed Logan miniseries by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso is also the result of Marvel Knight's continued contribution of gritty, character-based stories.

Come join Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada and writer/artist Jimmy Palmiotti as they dissect 10 of the grittiest years in Marvel Comics history. You can purchase your tickets for Wizard World Philadelphia at www.wizardworld.com.

Brian Azzarello speaks about Gotham Knight

Fri, 09 May 2008 17:18:00 GMT

EISNER AWARD-WINNING WRITER BRIAN AZZARELLO DISCUSSES WRITING FOR THE UPCOMING DC UNIVERSE ORIGINAL ANIMATED FILM, "BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT"

One of the most sought-after writers in comics today, Brian Azzarello is one of the six acclaimed scribes to pen a segment within "Batman Gotham Knight," the third in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.

Unlike many of his past works, Azzarello's segment — entitled "Working Though Pain" — takes a decidedly non-violent direction. The segment, which falls chronologically as the fifth of the six segments, explores an early chapter of Bruce Wayne's training as a mysterious and exotic Indian woman named Cassandra introduces Batman to techniques that would help him to conquer the physical and spiritual consequences of what he does.

Azzarello achieved widespread notoriety — and garnered multiple Eisner Awards — for "100 Bullets," a collaboration with artist Eduardo Risso which was published by Vertigo for DC Comics. He has continually broken new ground with offerings like Vertigo's "Jonny Double," "Hellblazer" and "Loveless" series. Azzarello is no stranger to Batman, having written for the character in "Broken City," "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire," within the "Batman Gotham Knights" series and in "Lex Luthor: Man of Steel."

A Chicago resident, Azzarello will travel across town to join fellow "Batman Gotham Knight" writers Alan Burnett and Josh Olson, along with producer Bruce Timm, for the film's world premiere at Wizard World Chicago in late June. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.

Azzarello took time away from his Mac Power Book to discuss "Batman Gotham Knight," the character of Batman, the motivations of a writer, and a little cooking, too.

Question: For starters, what was your overall impression of "Batman Gotham Knight," and were you pleased with your segment?

Brian Azzarello says: I liked the film — it's a very interesting take on the Batman character. It holds together cohesively, yet each episode is strikingly different. And I loved (my segment) — it's great. I really liked the animation. It was fascinating seeing my words moving around. When I write, I see it in print — I don't see it moving. So it was fun and it was a good experience.

Question: How did you find the translation from your written page to the vision of the Japanese director and artists?

Brian Azzarello says: I was surprised how seamless the translation was. I definitely got what I wrote. The hospital scene is almost exactly the way I thought of it, while the fight scenes — that's where the animators really put their "wow" into it. But I expected that. Usually that's where the animators just go crazy.

Question: Were there any particular visuals that struck you within your segment?

Brian Azzarello says: Seeing wounded Batman — now that struck me. I enjoy wounded Batman. It humanizes him. It showed a true physical struggle, and that's something you can relate to. And the character Cassandra was a bit hotter than I thought she'd be ... but that's okay.

Question: When you're writing for comics — and now for animation — do you put fairly detailed direction between the dialogue, or is it more of a collaborative process for you and the artist/animator?

Brian Azzarello says: I wrote the script and then I handed it off, and that's pretty much the same relationship I have in comics. I really trust my collaborators, and I try to leave them plenty of room so they can bring their strengths to the work. I think that happened in this film, and definitely for my segment — the animation is just amazing. Really amazing.

I have more of an affinity for the stage than I do for the screen, so I'm very conscious of the dialogue. And because I've always worked with collaborators, I tend to leave the visuals up to them — on purpose. It's my belief that if I get the dialogue right, and the artist understands what motivates the characters and what they're saying, then the visuals will come.

Question: You're fairly particular about the projects you accept. How'd you get involved with this film, and what made you say yes?

Brian Azzarello says: Gregory Noveck of DC Comics talked to my agent, then I had a conference call to discuss the story. They explained the film to me in broad strokes, and asked me to come up with an idea. I chose to focus more on Bruce Wayne, and they liked my pitch. As always happens, they needed the script yesterday, and I was I was on my way to Europe at the time. All I can tell you is that the hotel room in Barcelona was pretty nice, but I can't tell you much about the city.

Question: You were quoted in a UGO article as saying "Hollywood is nowhere I aspire to be" ... and yet, here you are. What happened?

Brian Azzarello says: Well, the production may be in Hollywood, but I'm in Chicago — and I'm going to stay here. Is that semantics? I'm not sure. I enjoy doing the work, and I really liked writing for this project — I'd like to do it again. And I know there are people that would kill to work in Hollywood. I'm just not one of those people. I'll do it, I have done it, but the project has to be right. I've been asked to write a lot of things that I've declined mainly because the projects didn't interest me. If I were just writing to pull a paycheck, there's a lot of other things I could be doing.

Question: What's your motivation for writing?

Brian Azzarello says: If I have a story, if I have something to say, that's my motivation. For this film, I had something to say about Bruce Wayne as a character, what his motivations are. That there's something dark and wrong about what drives him. Batman is a super hero and he does good. But I think the Bruce Wayne part of the character's motivation is slightly twisted. Bruce's motivations don't come from a good place. He's angry and, in that revenge is really his goal, he's a dishonest character. That's why he has to wear a mask. He's doing good, but he's not doing all the right things for all the right reasons.

That plays into this story. It should be a story about non-violence, but that's the lesson that Bruce doesn't learn. On the surface, Bruce is on a spiritual journey, but his spirit was corrupted when his parents were killed. And it's not something that I think he's even interested in fixing.

Question: How much research was involved in scripting a story set in India that focuses on the mind-over-matter theme of conquering your pain from within?

Brian Azzarello says: I spent a lot of time surfing (the Internet) — it's a wonder how we all have libraries at our fingerprints these days. I needed to do research on India, and I gathered a lot of information on pain management. What I learned is that a lot of pain management practitioners are con men.

Question: You've had some notable experience working on Batman — can you compare the differences in working on this Batman tale vs. "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire" and "Broken City" or the "Batman: Gotham Knights" comics?

Brian Azzarello says: Every time I approach Batman, I like to come from a different angle. In Deathblow, I saw him as a James Bond-type but on an urban level. For Broken City, he was the bitter private eye. On this project, I guess he's lying to himself. He's not intentionally conning Cassandra, but he does ultimately con her. He wants to learn what she knows, but he doesn't want to know it for the reasons she teaches it. She finally figures out that he's doing it for the wrong reason, but it isn't until the end — and it's not until then that even he understands that he's been lying to himself.

Question: What are you reading these days?

Brian Azzarello says: I have a stack of books — The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz; one of Jason Starr's novels; and then I've got Mario Batali's Italian Grill cookbook. I actually read a lot of cookbooks — I grew up around cooking, and cooking really relaxes me. Nine times out of 10, I'm cooking something Italian, but the weather is turning, so my grill has been fired up a lot lately. I love barbeque — it's great to cook something for 8-10 hours. That's such an American way of cooking, but I try to bring a lot of Mediterranean influences into that.

Question: So if you could hand-pick your next achievement, what would it be — win another Eisner, write the next Batman, or have your own show on Food Network?

Brian Azzarello says: Well, having my own cooking show sounds like no work at all. Winning another Eisner would be nice. But I think I'd have to pick writing the next Batman — that would be the biggest challenge for me. As a freelancer, if you're not challenging yourself, nobody is. Every day I have to paint myself into a corner and then write my way out of it.

Michael Turner's Ultimate Origins #1 variant revealed

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:38:00 GMT

Michael Turner Cover Ultimate Origins #1!

Marvel is proud to unveil superstar artist Michael Turner's variant cover to the hotly-anticipated Ultimate Origins #1! It's the beginning of the end for the Ultimate Universe — but just what are the secrets behind the origin of the Ultimate Universe? The critically-acclaimed, award winning scribe Brian Michael Bendis (Secret Invasion, Ultimate Spider-Man) and fan-favorite artist Butch Guice (Captain America, Iron Man) join forces for the first time to present a jaw-dropping journey that leads into this fall's ULTIMATUM! And the Ultimate Universe will never, ever, be the same again! Wrapped up in gorgeous covers by superstars Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Simone Bianchi and Michael Turner, no Marvel fan can miss Ultimate Origins #1!

Mike Tyson featured in Fight Night Round 4

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:17:00 GMT

THE CHAMP IS BACK! EA ANNOUNCES EA SPORTS FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4
Mike Tyson Featured in First Boxing Videogame in Nearly a Decade

Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA SPORTS brand. EA SPORTS Fight Night is back with the most realistic "in the ring" experience to date, featuring some of the greatest boxers in history fighting in their prime.

"The EA SPORTS Fight Night franchise has always been synonymous with quality and innovation that raised the bar for the sports videogame genre", said Kevin Wilkinson, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS. "EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 was a platform defining game as the industry transitioned to next generation consoles. EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will change how boxing games are played and measured in the future."

Featuring a re-written gameplay engine, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will add a variety of fighting styles and boxer differentiation to authentically emulate the greatest fighters of all time. Pressure your opponent with the brawling inside style of young Mike Tyson, bobbing and weaving to set up powerful hooks and uppercuts. Capitalize on Muhammad Ali's reach, hand speed and fleetness of foot to bewilder your opponent with lightning fast jabs and straights from the outside. For the first time in history, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 gives you the opportunity to pit these legendary heavyweights against one another and name a true champ.

No fight will be the same with an all-new physics-based animation system that recreates the full spectrum of true-to-life punch impacts, giving boxers a devastating arsenal of punches, blocks and ring movement. The new physics system allows for missed punches, glancing punches, knockout blows and for the first time ever, rough and tumble inside fighting. Fatigue, adrenaline, footwork and timing all come into play as you hammer away at your opponents.

EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will be available for the Xbox 360 system and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and ships to retailers in 2009. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

EW.com debuts five pages from Final Crisis #1

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:02:00 GMT

Earlier today EW.com posted five preview pages from Final Crisis #1, a portion of Grant Morrison's script and sketches by JG Jones. For a look at the pages, which feature a bit of a spoiler, head on over to EW.com.

Catwoman ending at #82

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:43:00 GMT

CATWOMAN SERIES FINALE CLARIFICATION

Please note that CATWOMAN #81 (MAY080176), solicited in the May Previews, is not the final issue of the series.

CATWOMAN will conclude with issue #82, which will be solicited in the June Previews for August instore.