Tagged: The Flash

July 13, 2013

New Toys: Beaten to the Robo-punch

Whelp! I was going to talk about all the new “Pacific Rim” swag we currently have in at FPNYC, but it seems that Jeff beat me to the punch. In his defense, I probably shouldn’t been focused on the current Steam sale as hard as I’ve been. In my defense, Steam sale. Regardless, go see Pacific Rim, it’s awesome, and worth the 3-D IMAX prices, and then come by the shop and pick up some goodies. Unless you don’t like giant robots, then I don’t want to know you. You should still buy stuff from us though.

But by bringing up NECA and Steam, I CAN discuss some other stuff related to those topics. Since the initial releases sold so well, both the Team Fortress 2 and Claptrap (Borderlands) figures have been re-released, with a nice new blue paint jobs. How do they stack up you ask? Well they all look great, no doubt about that, posing both great sculpts and great paint jobs. And the TF 2 figures (Demoman and Pyro) are loaded with accessories (Claptrap not so much :/ ), and codes for in-game content for said free-to-pay shooter (again the TF 2 figures only). But articulation for all 3 is limited, a little weird depending on the figure, with locked joints (a NECA staple), and there will be some SERIOUS paint wear if you switch up the poses at lot, at least with the TF2 guys. Still, it’s unlikely Square-Enix will be making figures based on these guys anytime soon, and they sold well enough to warrant repaints, so you probably want to grab them sooner than later, especially how hard it is to find the Portal 2 and Half-Life figures. They retail for a little over $20 each.

Keeping the unofficial video game theme alive, the 2nd wave of Injustice 2-packs is out from DC Comics. The terribly redesigned Juggaglo Harley Quinn joins the probably slimiest version of Cyborg to date, and a rather well redesign Raven joins the Flash. Each of these lil buggers clock in at 20 points of articulation, but their quality in terms of sculpt and paint vary, so you may want to compare sets. Something that irks me is that NONE of these 4 come with any accessories, which is kind of beat as series 1 did. They retail for about $30 bucks a pop, about the same price point as 2 Marvel Universe figures. Again, I dig the Flash/Raven set, but you can avoid the other 2 unless you’re a big fan of the characters or a completionist.

But for $10 more, you can pick up a Flash/Vibe 2 pace from the New 52 Justice League line. A smart move, because I can’t see too many people wanting to pick up Vibe by themselves, and it gives any late comers a 2nd chance to pick up the Flash figure. And these suckers go for about $25 single card, so you’re definitely saving some cash. They look MUCH better than their Injustice counterparts, but they’re also not as articulate. It’s kind of an even trade given the fact that you’re getting more for your money in terms of scale….I guess? Martian Manhunter also makes his new 52 figure debut, with a solid sculpt, good paint and mediocre articulation. Again great for fans/completitionists, hard to recommend for anyone else.

November 26, 2012

Of Avengers and Multiple Warheads and Magic Whistles

Unkiedev’s Amazing Stuff

By Unkiedev

You need Secret Avengers #34 this week. I don’t read this book, I don’t usually think about this book, but it features Captain Britain, an alternate universe Avengers team of all-monster Avengers and a whole lot of robot punching…hopefully by the monsters. SECRET AVENGERS If you do not own Captain Britain by Alan Moore and Alan Davis you need to go get it. NOW. It is, no joke, the best superhero book of all time. The Captain is a stiff upper-lipped British gentleman who likes his drink and gives his can-do cheerio best while fighting against impossible odds. As Psylocke’s brother, The Captain is marginally associated with those Extraordinary X-Gentlemen across the pond. By the bequest of Merlin, he is currently the protector of the Omniverse, which is a pretty big deal. It is in this capacity that he has traveled to Multiverse 4680 and teamed up with the Avengers of the Undead. The Avengers of the Undead are the best attempt to date for Marvel to have an amazing horror team. They are made up of several “What If” and poor story line alternative versions of Marvel heroes, including Mummy Thor (from, of all places, aMarvel Adventures Hulk issue), The Frankencastle Punisher, the werewolf Captain America from the 90’s, the bizarre mutated Spider-Man as well as vampire Wolverine and Brother Voodoo. THIS is why comic books are awesome.

WALL OF VOODOO

Not only that, America, but you get TWO issues featuring Brother Voodoo this week, as he’ll also be appearing in New Avengers #34, Bendis’s farewell issue to his long run on the Avengers. On top of that we’ll have The Goon #44, Adventure Time #10, Angel and Faith #16, and the Astro City Family Album HC. No one talks about Astro City these days, but it was (once) one of the best street level view books looking up at the capes as they fly. Similar to Secret Avengers, The Flash #14 is going to have a guy running really fast and punching a gorilla, and so it will get my money. It ain’t all Eisners and Ignatz, people. Sometimes you just wanna’ see a guy in tights beat up a monkey. If you do wish to get sophistimicated, three super art books hit the shelves this week. The first collection of Rick Geary’s Collected Omnibus of Victorian Murder, The Slipcase edition of Ashley Wood’s Sparrow and Multiple Warheads Alphabet to Infinity #2 from KING CITY creator Brandon Graham. All that AND Batman Dark Knight #14, A+X #2, All New X-Men #2, and She-Hulk teaming up with a girl in a Thing suit in the pages of the FF Now#1?! Is this a great week for comics or what?!

IF YOU BUY ONLY ONE BOOK

Not to be too redundant…punching monkeys and cross-dressing as The Thing are all fun and healthy pursuits, but if you were to only purchase ONE COMIC BOOK this week, won’t you, in all seriousness, please make it Sam Henderson’s The Magic Whistle #12? Sam Henderson is the type of creative genius that shines, ne’ flourishes in the shadowy backwaters of Comic Books, America’s Secret Pop-Culture Closet. Sam creates squiggly doodles instantly recognizable as equal parts inane and brilliant. The Magic Whistle is like Krazy Kat, but for stupid people. No amount of praise can be heaped upon Henderson. He is one of the most original voices in contemporary American comics. I SAY ALL THIS with complete honesty, though anyone who looks at a Henderson comic for the first time will assume I’m huffing bath grouting. Describing The Magic Whistle is like going to the Zoo to see an earthworm. It takes too damn long and wastes everybody’s time. Just go get Sam Henderson’s Magic Whistle #12. You will see the highest vintage of dick and fart jokes humanity ever produced.

September 29, 2009

ART: Francis Manapul’s The Flash.

I’m a huge Flash fan, and the fact that after leaving Adventure Comics Geoff Johns and his insanely talented counterpart, Francis Manapul will be moving onto a Flash ongoing has me doing a little dance in my $9 buttfugly chair right now.

Alex Segura, the man behind DC’s The Source blog gives us a preview of some of Manapul’s sketches of my favorite superhero.

And here is Manapul talking about how he came to be on the title.

“These were done a while back near the end of my Legion run. I tried to make a go at the Flash and these were the sketches I did as a pitch to try and get the book. It was nixed as Geoff and I decided to do Adventure Comics (which I love and will miss very much). However the opportunity to get on the scarlett speedster arose and so here we are. I’ll actually be doing my own inks and watercolor on the new ongoing (much like Adventure Comics) so this is just a tease of sorts. Enjoy.”

There is more art at the Source.

July 20, 2009

DC Comics Writers Consulting on Warner Films.

Cover by Ethan Van Sciver to The Flash Rebirth #1.

An interesting piece from the Hollywood Reporter creeped up yesterday, and it seems like no one has written a thing about it. Apparently, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Marv Wolfman have been hired by Warner studios to consult on the film properties of DC characters they’ve written.

Levitz and DC’s Los Angeles-based film exec Gregory Noveck have overseen a reorganization of the development slate. While Warners execs still drive the creative side, DC now has more input, making it an actual participant in the shaping of material.

“The creative process is by and large a true partnership,” Noveck said. “They’ll ask us a ton of questions, and we’ll give a ton of answers. We will talk back and forth. We’ll discuss writers and talent, but ultimately it’s their decision.”

This past fall, Warners quietly hired three of DC’s biggest writers — Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman — to act as consultants and writers for its superhero line of movies. The move involved taking back the reins on projects being handled by such producers as Charles Roven (“The Flash”) and Akiva Goldsman (“Teen Titans”).

Hollywood insider types have grumbled about working with Johns, Morrison and Wolfman, according to the THR story. Even though all have film experience. Though, apparently, the situation has already paid off, because Johns wrote a treatment for “The Flash” movie with screenwriter Dan Mazeau and will be a producer.

This is most certainly welcome news to this “Flash” fanboy, and also fills my heart that Warners is taking this approach. By hiring these writers, you almost certainly have the trust of the fans who love these writers. It also gives fans a security blanket knowing that people like Johns, Morrison and Wolfman care about what we like, and want to bring that to the big-screen version of characters they love just as much as we do.

The studio is taking pitches on sci-fi hero Adam Strange and the underwater-breathing hero “Aquaman,” to be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way shingle.

Also in the pipeline: “Bizarro Superman” being written by “Galaxy Quest” scribes David Howard and Robert Gordon; a sequel to “Constantine,” with Goldsman and Erwin Stoff producing; two concurrent Green Arrow projects, an origin story and a prison-set one titled “Super Max”; and “Shazam,” which was set up at New Line but has moved to Warners, with Pete Segal attached to direct.

The projects Morrison and Wolfman are working on are currently in-development, which is Hollywood-speak for “still writing” and “none of your business.”