Comic Book Highs, Lows, Misses and More for 2009!
Get out the champagne, party horns and confetti! The new year is soon upon us, and like most other people who are out there reflecting on the year that was, we’re taking stock of the triumphs, the tragedies, the highs and the lows. Of course there are those “did that just happen” moments as well, just to keep things interesting. Let’s take a trip back over the past twelve months, shall we, to see the highs, lows and wth’s over this year in comics, using our own unique system of categories, labels and examples! Read more
SCREAM 2009 Awards Nominees Announced!
Spike TV’s 4th annual SCREAM Awards are coming up on October 17th at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Before we get to that ceremony however, first come the nominees! Announced late this afternoon, the nominees for the awards, which honor the fan favorites in comic books, sci-fi, horror and and fantasy, certainly comprise a number of blockbusters and fan favorites from the past year. J.J. Abram’s sci-fi masterpiece Star Trek leads the way with a total of seventeen nominations, including Best Science-Fiction Movie, Best Director and Best Ensemble. Read more
Comic Book Releases for July 22nd, 2009
Into the valley of the comic book store rode the 600. The 600th issues of Amazing Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk that is! With Doctor Octopus, Daredevil, a wedding and more, Marvel promises great and thrilling reading for fans of the series and those just interested in this milestone issue! Same goes for the Hulk, except the action involves Red Hulk, Green Hulk AND Spidey! Springing from Immortal Iron Fist comes Immortal Weapons, five issue limited series! Also airing this week is another installment in the Halo franchise with Halo: Helljumper, ushering in a new story and new creative team for this video game franchise. Read more
April Fool’s? 10 “Are You JOKING” Moments in Comic Books
April Fool’s jokes usually consist of innocent, harmless phone calls, fake spiders and the like. Practical jokes take it a little further with maybe alibis, pretend emergencies or other staged incidents. Most people can laugh these off quickly, acknowledge that they were had, and get over their initial “are you kidding me!” exclamations.
So why doesn’t that always work with comic book events?
How many of us have found ourselves turning a page in one of our favorite books, checking the frames for some detail we missed, only to stop and express, loudly “Are you JOKING?!?!” after seeing that the shocking event we just witnessed did, in fact, happen. We feel like we’ve been had, hoodwinked, the plastic snake now a real cobra that’s just eaten our cat! In keeping with the spirit of the day, a look back at 10 moments from recent years that we all thought, at the time, surely were jokes.
Battle for the Cowl: Who Will Be The Next Batman?
Now that Battle for the Cowl #1 has hit the comic book shops and the subsequent tie-ins are certainly on their way, let the speculation as to who will inherit said cowl commence. If the first issue of this intriguing storyline has told us anything, it’s that the future of Gotham City is truly what’s at stake here. With Arkham freshly emptied by an (alive?) Black Mask, a desperate Bat-Family and a pretender to Batman’s name all working overtime, who, at the end, will be left standing to lead Gotham into, hopefully, a time of peace? Below, some odds on who it might be.
Catwoman: 250 to 1: Even though she has emerged as a champion, of sorts, for Gotham City in the recent past, and has become an intimate part of Bruce Wayne’s life, the disconnect in different parts of their moral codes keeps the good Ms. Kyle from ever really being able to inherit the cape and symbol. Will she still be an effective part of the extended Bat-Family after BFTC ends? Probably, but Batman, she’s not. Her interest in the East End mostly also may hinder this.
Endless Love: 10 Great Comic Book Relationships
Valentine’s Day. The day when we all stop, turn to our beloved and whisper sweet nothings over a candlelit dinner while enjoying wine and chocolates. The stuffed bears may make an appearance later in the evening. Comic book heroes and villains rarely get such opportunities to pause and swoon, which makes their relationships and its ups and downs that much more meaningful. Listed below, in celebration of this Hallmark holiday, are some of the greatest, longest-lasting comic book relationships ever.
1. Clark Kent (Superman) and Lois Lane - When these two crazy, 70-year old kids finally tied the knot in 1996, it was the “I Do” heard round the world. Everyone knows these two characters, but comic fans had followed the struggle of once shy and awkward Clark Kent to get Lois to notice him for years. Through kidnappings, Lois’ initial love of only Superman, Lana Lang, explosions, Doomsday, and the recent events of both Identity and Final Crisis, Lois and Clark have weathered the storm to stand forth as not just the signature couple of the DC Comics Universe, but perhaps even for comics as a whole. Their story is timeless and knows the bounds of no universe.
Death of Batman Occurs In Final Crisis!
Bruce Wayne’s mission to avenge the death of his parents came to an end in the latest issue of Final Crisis. Batman’s death has been hinted at for several months. In the issue-spanning story arc entitled Batman: R.I.P, the Dark Knight’s death had been foreshadowed when a helicopter carrying Batman crashed, leaving his fate in doubt. Instead of allowing him to die in one of his own titles, however, DC Comics made Batman’s death official in its epic mini-series, Final Crisis.
Crisis’ sixth issue, released on January 14th, saw the Caped Crusader die at the hands of Darkseid, an evil god-like alien from the planet Apokolips. During an attempt to stop Darkseid from conquering earth, Batman is murdered by the villain’s ability to incinerate his victims with energy beams, called the Omega Effect, which shoot from his eyes. At the end of the issue, Batman’s charred body is shown being carried by his close friend, Superman.
