If you haven't seen it yet, here's the X-Men Origins: Wolverine teaser trailer.

This one looks like the real deal, not a video camera at Comic Con thing. No pudgy guy tooling around like the Star Wars kid.

Get ready for some excitement! Wolverine is one bad mutha!

Ok, maybe I was wrong, on second viewing it might be a fake. » Read the rest of the entry..

What do you get when you take one part The Matrix, one part Fight Club and add a dash of a Marvel style universe? Wanted. Written by Mark Millar, with art by J.G. Jones, Wanted is a six issue miniseries that has been collected into a couple of different trade paper back formats. The series was initially published in 2003/2004.

I picked up the Wanted: Assassins Edition Hard Cover just prior to release of the film adaptation, with the intention of reading the comic, then catching the movie. That never happened. I finally got around to reading Wanted a few weeks ago now, and since then, I've occasionally found myself thinking about the story and wanting more. To me, that's the mark of any good comic, book, movie or TV show.

The story begins with Wesley Gibson, white collar office drone, who looks like Eminem, and share a lot in common with the Narrator (pre-Tyler Durdan) from Fight Club. He works in an office cubicle, at a job he hates, while his girlfriend is off shagging his 'best' friend. When Wesley is approached by a hot looking Halle Berry look a-like called The Fox, he learns that his recently assassinated father was also the super criminal known as The Killer, his life undergoes some significant changes.

Wesley enters the Fraternity and finds out that the world has run by super villains since 1986, when they banded together to eliminate the world's superhero population and rewrite reality. Superheroes are no longer remembered as being real, only fictional characters. Wesley inherits his fathers position in the Fraternity as well as his perfect aim and extraordinary ability with any weapon. Wesley quickly adopts the super villain life style. Leaving his old life behind. » Read the rest of the entry..

Weapon X: Days of Future Now is a five issue miniseries first released in 2005 and then collected into a trade paper back. Most of the story takes place approximately 30 years into an alternate future, and provides a conclusion to Frank Tieri's Weapon X series, which was canceled after 28 issues. I have to say, I haven't read the 28 issues that led up to this, and I purchased the trade paper back for two reasons. Firstly it was $3.99 in a TFAW scratch and dent sale, and secondly, it had "Weapon X" on the cover, and that was good enough for me.

Reading Weapon X: Days of Future Now as a stand-alone title proved to be a little confusing in places, and no doubt I would have benefited from having the background that is probably covered in the original 28 issues. Reading this, I felt like I had missed a lot, and there seems to be a lot of exposition going on that doesn't necessarily make sense to the reader coming in fresh. As a result, I'd suggest this collection is best suited to the die hard fans of the Weapon X series, and as such it does go a long way to providing them with some closure.

I have to admit, reading Weapon X: Days of Future Now was a little hard work. Not having the Weapon X series background, I was at a loss as to how this all fitted in to the X-Men universe. While Wolverine sits at the center of the story, a number of his Weapon X counterparts also play major roles, including Agent Zero, Fantomex, Sublime and Chamber.

The artwork is average. Not terrific, but not total rubbish either. I think the best way to describe it is, "serviceable".

What did I learn?

Don't try and pick up a story 90 per cent into proceedings!

I'd recommend this for fans of Tieri's Weapon X series only. If you don't have the background, like me, you'll find this collection more confusing than it is entertaining. » Read the rest of the entry..

Batman: Year One is a four issue story arc written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, that originally appeared in issues #404 to #407 of DC Comics' Batman series in 1987. Batman: Year One is one of the "must read" Batman comics, and is also one of the first examples of the "limited series" format (or self contained series within a series) that is now common place in most main stream comics. Batman: Year One is also the story arc that inspired a lot of the key plot points for the film Batman Begins, and there is a clear link between the gritty style portrayed in both Year One and the film.

Batman: Year One begins with the return of Bruce Wayne. Having left Gotham city 15 years ago, following the death of his parents, it appears that Bruce Wayne has spent his time away training in martial arts as well as forensic and criminal sciences. Jim Gordon is also moving back to Gotham City, with his pregnant wife Barbara. It doesn't take Gordon long to figure out that law enforcement in Gotham is not everything that it should be. Corruption has spread to the highest levels.

Bruce Wayne, yet to adopt the Batman persona, hits the street for his first mission, creating an alibi and disguising his appearance before entering the Red Light District of Gotham. Following an altercation with a local with a local pimp, and a brief fight with a dominitrix called Seline Kyle (who will go on to become Catwoman), Bruce Wayne is shot by police. Managing to escape and make his way back to Wayne Manor, Bruce sits alone, bleeding, and wondering whether it's worth going on. Searching for a flash of inspiration, and a way to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, a bat crashes through a nearby window and lands on a sculpture of his father. "Yes Father, I will become a bat". Batman is born. » Read the rest of the entry..

Wolverine's first appearance was in the Incredible Hulk #180 in October 1974. Since then the Hulk and Wolverine have faced off a couple of times in the comics, but as far as I'm aware, they have yet to take the battle to the large, or small screen... until now.

I didn't realise that a Wolverine Vs. Hulk animated feature was even in the works, but according to this teaser trailer, it looks set to hit in January 2009.

So here it is in all it's bone cracking glory.
» Read the rest of the entry..

The name George A. Romero is synonymous with the zombie genre. If you haven't yet seen the original film version of Dawn of the Dead, then you are really missing out. It's an absolute classic. In any case, once I learned that Romero had been involved in a comic series, I had to check it out.

"Toe Tags" is a 6 issue mini-series issued by DC Comics, also referred to as "The Death of Death". It was first released in late 2004, no doubt to capitalise on the success of the Dawn of the Dead remake that was also released that year. "Toe Tags" is based on an unused script Romero had written previously as a potential sequel to his "Dead Trilogy".

"Toe Tags" follows Damien Cross, who appears to be one of the few survivors of the zombie plague that has struck down the globe. His girlfriend Judy, has also survived, however the two are holed up in different buildings. Judy is the Lara Croft/Alice character, handy with a pump action shot gun, and hot looking. Fortunately for Judy, Damien has a pet elephant. Apparently a highly trained elephant at that. Mr Tembo, as the elephant is called, is sent on a rescue mission to find Judy and bring her back to Damien. It would seem that Mr Tembo is a kick ass elephant, because before you can shout "Dumbo" three times, Judy is safe and sound, yet slightly shocked. Damien is not the man she'd left behind. He's now a zombie, but he's also undead with a difference. Thanks to his eccentric zoologist friend, Damien was administered an experimental serum, that has allowed him to retain both his free will, and his memories. In other words, besides the rotting flesh, he's basically the same guy. Apparently the serum also stops him from stumbling around muttering "brains... braiiiiiiinnnssss..."

From there, Damien and Judy hit the road on the back of Mr Teembo. The story takes on a survivalist mentality. With Damien and Judy on the run from both the Undead, and the living, who are hell bent on obtaining the secrets to the serum. There are a few twists and turns along the way, but this mini-series is mostly an excuse for the artist to draw as many exploding skulls as possible.

"Toe Tags" is really Damien's story, and follows his struggle to reconcile the 'old' Damien, with the new. He remembers his former life, but struggles with determining who he is, and who's side he should be on. He's sympathetic to both the living and the undead. So essentially he exists as a walking, talking, rotting and conflicted emo guy.

What did I learn?

Never turn your back on an elephant.

"Toe Tags" is worth reading if you're interested in exploring the "Dead" universe further, but as a stand alone story, it's not all that strong.
» Read the rest of the entry..

The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe is a 1995 one-shot comic book written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Doug Braithwaite. It was recommended to me by Lee who looks after the Quit Your Day Job blog. The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe is one of the "What If...?" story lines, which hypothesise what would happen to various Marvel characters had some thing gone differently in their lives, they had taken a different path, were born with different powers, or had no powers at all. The "What If...?" stories are considered to exist separately from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity. With that out of the way, lets get back to The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe...

The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe asks the question, what would happen if Frank Castle blamed the deaths of his family on the Marvel super powered community, and if so, how would he go about "punishing" them. The story begins with young Frank standing up for a young Matt Murdock, protecting him from some local bullies.

Skip forward some 20-30 years, Frank Castle's family are alive and well, and Frank has joined the NYPD SWAT team since leaving the marines. Cut to Central Park where some of Marvel's biggest names, X-Men and Avengers included, are battling some intergalactic bad guys. While the good guys win, the victory is not without consequences as a number of innocent civilians are killed in the cross fire. Among them, Frank Castle's wife and child. When Frank arrives on the scene he is finally met with a half hearted apology from the X-Men's Cyclops, which sets Frank off, shooting Cyclops from point blank range, before turning the gun on some of the other 'heroes'. He is then attacked by Wolverine, before being taken into custody. » Read the rest of the entry..

As a comic geek, I felt that it was my duty to go along and see The Dark Knight a second time. Since I loved it so much the first time, for my second viewing I decided to go big, and it doesn't get much bigger than IMAX. Needless to say, The Dark Knight blew me away for a second time, although this time it was on a much bigger scale!

In my opinion, Christopher Nolan has nailed the essence of Batman, and Heath Ledger's macabre and twisted portrayal of the Joker ensures that The Dark Knight sets a new standard for comic book movies. If you haven't seen the movie yet, stop reading this and get along to your local cinema. You won't be disappointed. » Read the rest of the entry..

'Messiah Complex' was the biggest storyline to hit the X-Men franchise since the 'House of M'. It's one of those "must read" story arcs if you intend to follow the adventures of any of the X-Men teams from 2008 onward. Messiah Complex is told over 13 chapters, beginning with the X-Men: Messiah Complex one-shot, and then continuing in four of the X-Men monthlys, Uncanny X-Men #492-494, X-Factor #25-27, New X-Men #44-46 and X-Men #205-207. Following on from Messiah Complex, all four 'X-Books' underwent a relaunch, based upon the outcome of Messiah Complex.

To follow the events in Messiah Complex I'd recommend reading 'The House of M' arc as well as the X-Men 'Supernovas' and 'Blinded by the Lights' collections.

The Messiah Complex story really began at the conclusion of the House of M, and the event known as 'M-Day', in which a vast majority of the mutant population was de-powered. The X-Gene itself has all but disappeared, and there have been no new mutant births since M-Day. With mutants bordering on extinction, Messiah Complex begins with the explosive birth, literally, of a mutant. This sparks a race between the X-Men, Mr Sinister and the Marauders, the Acolytes, the Reavers, the Purifiers, and Predator X to see who will get to the child first. Clearly each group has it's own motivations, and the line between good and evil begins to blur in some cases. » Read the rest of the entry..

I picked up the hardcover version of the limited series The Hood, which collects the entire 2002 limited series, issues #1-6, on a whim. Actually, I ordered it because I thought the cover looked cool. Yes, I am that shallow. Fortunately this is another case where sometimes it's ok to judge a book by its cover. The Hood marks the first appearance of Parker Robbins, and was released under the Marvel MAX banner, which allows it to cover some decidedly more "adult" themes.

The Hood is very much an origins story, following the transformation of a young Parker Robbins into the costumed villain The Hood. This series is a must read if you are wanting to learn more about the character that looks set to replace the Kingpin as the number one organized crime boss in the Marvel universe, and are following the New Avengers series.

What makes The Hood an interesting read is that the story takes the traditional super hero formula of personal misfortune, power and the responsibility to do good, and turns it on its head. As the blurb says, in the case of Parker Robbins, "with great power... comes great opportunity".

Parker Robbins is a petty criminal. His late father was a soldier in the Kingpin's criminal army, his mother has been committed to an institution, and his girlfriend is pregnant. When Parker and his cousin, John King decide to take a job robbing a warehouse, they don't find the goods they have been promised. Instead they stumbled onto an abandoned mystical ritual, that appears to have resulted in the summoning of a demon (later revealed as the Nisanti). Parker shoots and apparently kills the Nisanti, a demonic, hooded creature, and, not wanting to leave empty handed, proceeds to steal the creatures weird looking hood/cape and boots.

Parker quickly learns that the hood and the boots possess some strange powers. The hood has the power to render its wearer invisible (so long as they are holding their breath), whilst the boots allow the wearer levitate.
» Read the rest of the entry..