Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer Announce Their Engagement!

The Dresden Dolls singer Amanda Palmer is overjoyed about her wedding engagement with world renowned fantasy and comic book writer Neil Gaiman! They could hardly wait to announce the exciting news to everyone on their blogs and we couldn't be happier for them both! Stay tuned for more from Amanda Palmer in 2010!

A NEW WEBB FOR SPIDER-MAN™

Marc Webb Chosen To Direct Next Chapter of the Acclaimed Series

-Spider-Man to Climb into Theaters in Summer, 2012 -

CULVER CITY, Calif., January 20, 2010 – Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe nominated Best Picture(500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.
Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, “At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker’s life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter’s shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man’s adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.”
Arad and Ziskin added jointly, “Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.”

Webb said, “This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, “I’m excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can’t wait to see what Marc comes up with next.”

Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, “The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world’s most iconic superheros is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.”

REAL LIFE HERO BRINGS CON CULTURE TO JAX

READ MORE HERE:
http://movementfeatures.blogspot.com/2010/01/comic-con-plus.html

Herogasm: 1-4 (of 6)

DynamiteEntertainment.com

From the pages of Dynamite Entertainment's The Boys comes a mini-series about overwhelmingly debauched superheroes written by Garth Ennis (Preacher, FURY, Punisher: MAX) with covers by original Boys artist Darrick Robertson (Transmetropolitan, Wolverine, FURY) and interior art by John McCrea. These issues focus on the Superheroes depicted in The Boys on a trip to HEROGASM, an event all the supes run away to every once in a while in order to relieve the stress brought about by their daily heroics. And how does the legion of powered crimefighters the world over find release? In an incredibly literal, drug fueled orgy kind of way, of course. Panel after panel of comic gold aside, this would not make for much of a story. Luckily for us, Ennis weaves a tale of politics, corporate greed, sex (including giant rock penises), power, control, money, drugs, kidnapping, brutality, and more shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, to great effect. And, of course, we have the Boys, who are on location to carry out a very important mission, the details of which you will have to read to discover, but rest assured the consequences of their actions will be carried over into the main storyline. All of this combined makes for a great little diversion, bristling with hilarity and intrigue that you should not hesitate to pick up.

B-

- Dave Conkey / MOVEMENT North

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century: 1910

topshelfcomix.com

“Mankind Is Kept Alive By Monstrous Deeds” From Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill comes the fourth graphic novel in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series. If your only knowledge of this series is derived from that silly little bit of celluloid starring Sean Connery and Stuart Townsend, first, accept our deepest and most sincere condolences, and second, get out there and buy The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's Century: 1910! While my favorite volume so far has been the last, the so-called Black Dossier, not one has failed to titillate, thrill, shock, and otherwise entertain, and 1910 is no exception. Chock full of references, historical, literary, and otherwise, for those in the know, this latest story of Wilhelmina Murray, Alan Quartermain and their ever-changing roster of cohorts is a rollicking ride of invisibles, apocalypses, serial killers, magicks most sinister, pirates, and, well, we'll leave the rest for you to discover. A warning, though: if you haven't read the rest of the series, the way this one ends may seem somewhat lackluster. So, really your best bet is to just buy them all and start at square one. Anyone who's read one of Moore's comics (V for Vendetta, Watchmen) already knows that not only the story, but also the dialogue are top notch. The reader can also expect to be more than a little pleased by O'Neill's simple, yet beautifully detailed pencils. The entire affair is infused with a sense of intelligence, humor, and good old fashioned adventure of which the comics medium is always in great need. Do yourself a favor and follow Jenny Diver's (Oh, lord, just wait and see) example and dive head first into one of the best stories you are likely to read this year.

A-

- Dave Conkey / MOVEMENT North

Frankenstein's Womb

AvatarPress.com

"You are born of the dead; Just like me." Frankenstein's Womb, the most recent in the Apparat line of graphic novellas by Warren Ellis, tells the story of the birth of the future. Well, the early Nineteenth Century's future, our present. The tale is told throughout time, but both begins and holds its base in 1816 with Mary soon-to-be-Shelly Wollenstonecraft Godwin, Percy Shelly, and her pregnant stepsister Claire Clairmont travelling through Germany. It is here that they find Castle Frankenstein, which Mary enters, and a story of alchemy, electricity, destiny, and the origins of today is conveyed to her by the monster that made her famous, Frankenstein. "The future, seen through an old windowpane." Like so much that he writes, especially within Avatar's Apparat line, Ellis is more concerned here with The Idea than The Story, which makes Frankenstein's Womb something of a disappointment the first time you read it, unlike his previous Crecy, which was a gas from the very first read. Fortunately, The Idea is enough to make the lack of story worthwhile, and upon a second or third reading, it's all a bit clearer and makes for a much more satisfying read. You come to realize that The Idea is The Story and actually worthier for it. While it is certainly not the first thing I would recommend to an Ellis-virgin, it has grown on me and I cannot help but be proud that it lives on my shelves.

B+

- Dave Conkey / MOVEMENT North