Growler on Superhero Fiction!

Superhero fiction is one of the hottest storytelling genres out there. Here's where I comment on everything you need to know!

See also, Essential Comic Book Links and Growler on Superhero Comic Books.

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Fantastic Four 2 trailer. The Silver Surfer has arrived.

Believe me, this guy is cool. When I saw this trailer I was gobsmacked! Literally. If the whole film is this good then, ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a classic. The Silver Surfer or Norrin Radd from the planet Zenn La is basically here to prepare the planet for a main course for his master, the one and only Galactus. The Planet Eater.

The trailer shows a mid air chase sequence between the the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer.

Damn cool it is too.

In one fell swoop, the Fantastic Four is poised to enter the stratosphere of superhero movie quality.

I eagerly await this film.

Check out this extensive history on the Fantastic Four!

The Ghost Rider movie. I was impressed. I have to rate it higher than Daredevil as this was a more complete story, centring around a love story.

It had all of the classic Marvel sensibilties of emotional conflict and action and the special effects were out of this world.

Nick Cage was awesome as Johnny Blaze, giving him a depth of character that made me care about what happened to him and where his journey would take him.

His transformation to Ghost Rider and the CGI used for him was fantastic. I couldn't spot any flaws in the charatcter at all.

Peter Fonda was great as Mephisto, giving off a certain menace that was quite spooky. The decision not to make him a CGI character was a wise one.

Eva Mendes. This was actually the first film I've seen her in and boy, was she good. Playing Blaze's girlfriend, Roxanne Simpson, she absolutely captivated me in every scene she was in.

There was actually one scene in the film that made me jump. Now, don't get me wrong, I never jump in movies and the last time was at a scene in the film Candyman.

So, just for that, and the overall quality, I was impressed by this movie.

I give it 7 out of 10.

Go see it.

Read an extensive history of Ghost Rider, here!

My sister lent me the DVD so I finally had a chance to check it out. I'd heard it had got universally panned but it's always good to see it for yourself and make up your own mind.

And you know what? It's not that bad. It's a competent superhero movie. It's not a Blade or a Spiderman by any means but it's equal to Elektra, in my opinion.

Halle Berry's performance was very good and I don't think she deserved the slating she got.

I think the supporting cast are what let it down a little. They didn't have enough to do. And after all, a hero is only as good as their villain.

So, all in all, I give the film a 5 out of 10.

I loved the extra's on the DVD though. There was a meaty documentary of the history of the Catwoman character, hosted by Eartha Kitt (a previous Catwoman) which took in its comic book roots and previous TV and film incarnations.

It also talked with notable comic book creators from DC Comics which is always great to see, including Dan Didio and Jeph Loeb.

Virgin Comics have been making waves recently. Firstly, they've entered into a partnership with the Sci-Fi Channel to co-produce new shows and comic book material.

With the huge popularity of shows like Heroes, LOST and 24 which use fast paced comic book storytelling expect some great programming in the future.

Also, veteran comic book writer Ron Marz has joined Virgin Comics in an editorial capacity. He'll be editing the titles Devi, Ramayan 3392 A.D., and The Sadhu.

This will tighten up the line as his vast experience will come into play and help to build new audiences.

Find out more about Virgin Comics here;

http://www.virgincomics.com/

Found this great link which shows you how Marvel Comics recent superhero movies have fared at the box office.

Ranked in order of the most successful you'll see Spiderman is at the top of the pack and Elektra rounds off the bottom.

As long as the quality is kept paramount there should be more films at the top end of the list in the future.

Have a look;

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=marvelcomics.htm

Marvel Comics is set for a bumper year at the cinema, this year with no less than three movies coming out.

Showcasing Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and Ghost Rider.

These are all great characters with cool background concepts and I'm looking forward to them all.

The march of superhero fiction continues!

Check out their official film sites for more details.

http://spiderman3.sonypictures.com/

http://www.fantasticfourmovie.com/

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/ghostrider/

A little known interesting fact.

Marvel Comics and DC Comics both jointly own the trademark and copyright to the word 'superhero'.

This means that other publishing houses (or anyone else for that matter) wanting to produce superhero concepts have to find other titles to name their characters.

Such as 'megahero' or 'ultrahero'.

With the market effectively cornered, that was a real smart move on Marvel and DC's part and highlights the importance of protecting your ideas and concepts legally at an early stage.

Of course, Marvel and DC are now the market leaders in this industry.

Food for thought.

Ok. So the New Avengers have a brand new line up.

Brought to us in comic book form courtesy of Brian Bendis and Leinil Yu.

Marvel Comics premier superhero team have been re-invigourated.

So step forward, Dr Strange, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Echo, Spider-Woman, Wolverine and Ronin.

The Avengers have always had line up changes in its history and this one is one of its most radical to date.

Several long standing Marvel characters who have never been members before have joined up.

Namely Dr Strange and Iron Fist.

It'll make for interesting stories for sure as these characters both have their own histories which will now form part of the Avengers legacy.

Echo is a more recent character so I'm looking forward to see how she's developed over time. And Ronin is a complete mystery. No one knows who's behind the armour. Only time will tell.

Brian Bendis is a renowned storyteller and coupled with artist Leinil Yu this will be worth getting your teeth into.

The Avengers have always been my favourite Marvel franchise so this new direction is a welcome one.

Bring it on!

Read more about this new team in Brian Bendis' recent Newsarama interview.

And check out some of Leinil Yu's artwork for the series.

Learn about the history of The Avengers.

Joss Whedon is off Wonder Woman. What?!

The upcoming movie featuring the most iconic female superhero has lost its director.

Not just any director, the guy who gave us Buffy and Angel. The guy who gave us Firefly and Serenity. The guy who is writing Astonishing X-Men and soon to be writing Runaways for Marvel Comics.

Basically, one of the most qualified and creative people around.

There's no doubt its a big loss but it doesnt have to spell disaster.

This is an opportunity to re-introduce the character to millions. Wonder Woman hasn't been popular since her TV series in the late 70s starring Lynda Carter.

The property of DC Comics, she ranks alongside Batman and Superman in stature but has never attained the heights of those two characters.

So here's a chance to do just that.

I really hope whoever ends up directing this movie helps to make it a quality action piece with the chance of future sequels.

Read Joss Whedon's full explanation on his site.

Just read the wedding of the century in the trade; Black Panther: The Bride. It's written by Reginald Hudlin and drawn by Scott Eaton.

Absolutely fantastic! Hudlin's writing has captured the entire Marvel Universe with a skill that will firmly entrench T'Challa (The Black Panther) as a major player in the Marvel Universe.

He's now married to Storm of the X-Men in what was a delicate, respectful, enjoyable take on both characters.

Both have been fleshed out with long overdue backstories and it's all a testament to the Marvel Comics revolution led by Joe Quesada.

After reading this I can firmly recommend it to all.

This union will indeed make for some interesting storylines and with both characters set to join the Fantastic Four post Civil War, it's a great time for cool stories.

I loved Priest's earlier run on the title but the boldness of Hudlin's run is set to build on Black Panther's popularity.

Here's hoping Hudlin will stay on the title for as long as possible.

Learn more about Reginald Hudlin from his site.

Events have officially taken over the superhero fiction universes of Marvel and DC.

Marvel Comics have had Avengers Disassembled which lead into House of M which in turn led into Decimation and Marvel Civil War. We also been given Spider-Man: The Other, Annihilation and can expect World War Hulk in 2007.

DC Comics have given us Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, One Year Later and 52.

So what are events? These are storylines that affect almost every title in their respective universes. It promotes the idea of a cohesive universe and, of course, helps the sales of lower selling titles.

While there was a glut of this in the early and mid 1990s there is one crucial difference between then and now. Quality.

Quality writing and quality artwork.

So while this trend continues and excellent stories are being produced I say, "Bring it on!"

Marvel Comic's Alpha Flight, or to be exact the John Byrne run, is to be collected in trades!

At last! This is a great story and now it will be available for all to enjoy. So what's it all about anyway? Well, Alpha Flight is the Marvel Universe's premier Canadian superhero team. They first appeared in the X-Men when John Byrne was drawing it and Chris Claremont was writing it. Believe me it's good superhero fiction! Guardian! Snowbird! Shaman! Puck! Northstar! Aurora! Sasquatch! Marrina! What a team!

From Byrne's fantastically designed costumes to his well crafted stories, his 24 issue run has never been beaten in my opinion. Only Bill Mantlo and Steve Lieahola on art in the following run came close.

Currently, a new title, Omega Flight will be starting early 2007 and this will be Marvel's latest version of Alpha Flight set after the Marvel Universe Civil War.

Written by Michael Oeming and drawn by Scott Kolins this limited series looks to bring back this concept to its former glory.

I'll be checking it out and will give you a review when the trade is released.

Read this extensive history of Alpha Flight!

Heard recently that Dez Skinn, the creator of Comics International Magazine has sold the publication.

Dez was a stalwart of the UK comic book scene and perhaps its biggest cheerleader. He co-created the V for Vendetta graphic novel which became a major film.

Comics International is a great read and I avidly followed it in its infancy through the 1990s. Comics books were huge and the boom had just arrived.

Wizard Magazine started in the same year if I recall and it was a great time, the beginning of comic book greatness.

Before the internet revolution.

With the online world now having a head of steam, all print publications will have to up their game to compete.

With the foundations laid by Dez Skinn and his team, Comics International will have a bright future.

Wishing him the best for the future.

Been playing with this new format on the site.

It's great for adding new content and writing as I found the previous style a little unwieldy and cumbersome. Keep coming back for my opinions on superhero fiction past, present and future.

I'll be focusing on comic books but expect films, TV and other mediums to get a mention too. There'll be reviews and comment on the latest developments in the comic book industry.

Enjoy!

Format: Graphic Novel

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Reprinting New Avengers issues 1 to 6

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Penciller: David Finch, Inker: Danny Miki

Colourist: Frank D'Armata, Letterers: Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Albert Deschesne

The old order changeth.

I can't think of a better way to be introduced to the Marvel Universe of characters than through one of my favourite titles. This series features many of Marvel Comics brightest stars. Spiderman, Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spiderwoman and The Sentry. Heroes all, and now written under one of the best writers to ever grace the hallowed halls of Marvel Comics. I'm talking about Brian Michael Bendis. The man's dialogue is second to none and would not be out of place in a movie or TV show. This is the life blood of Marvel, the realistic settings and intelligent stories.

It's what has kept me coming back for the last 21 years. And believe it or not, this is my first ever comic book review.

So, onto the story. At The Raft. Several prominent characters are investigating a curious inmate housed in a maximum security prison with some of humanities worst nightmares.

The visitors are Luke Cage, Matt (Daredevil) Murdock and Jessica (Spiderwoman) Drew.

The banter and casual conversations between these characters is a joy to read. Natural, unforced and damn entertaining.

You just get pulled into the story and before you know it the speed picks up and you're feeling the wind on your face as the rollercoaster ride gets in full stride.

Lights out! The power system is ingeniusly shorted out to enable a massive break out by the prison population. Remember, this place houses some of the world's worst nightmares. Supervillains, to put it at it's most crudest. The breakout alerts some of the local superhero talent to urgently get to the location to see the extent of the damage. Spiderman arrives at the devastated scene, to be met by Captain America. And the game is on. This whole piece is stunnily illustrated by David Finch who really conveys the emotional expressions of the characters and the landscapes of the whole story.

Like the Director of Photography or Cinematographer in a movie the Finch really sets the mood of the story and no more so than here. It's a feast for the eyes and I am constantly in awe at the detail and mastery of his craft.

As the story flows from panel to panel and then from page to page, I feel like I'm actually catapulted into the story and am intensely focused on the approaching outcome.

This is actually an origin story, detailing the formation of the team. Trust the genius of writer Bendis, as he has created a multi layered, personal, action packed and dramatic tale of intrigue that is the equivalent of a movie with a 15 rating. A story with mass appeal.

This is well worth your time and the section of story I have described here is not even a sixth of the total feature. I just don't want to spoil it for you. I want you to discover and enjoy this masterpiece the same way I did.

Page by page, panel by panel.

Behold the beauty of comic books.

New Avengers: Breakout, I rate it 8 out of 10.

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