Nolan was very cagy in the interview, not even confirming if he would actually be directing the film or just producing it.  The film wouldn’t really see the light of day until 2012 or 2013 at the earliest, but that won’t stop speculation of who will possibly star, who might in fact direct, and who the villain will be.  Nolan did say that he does have a very clear idea about the world he wants to create, saying, “A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us that’s what I know how to do,” in reference to the fact that he wants a world in which Superman is the only hero, much like Batman in Gotham City.

In an additional tidbit, momentum seems to be gaining with a third Batman film.  Nolan confirmed that he didn’t see Mr. Freeze being a villain in this next installment, despite a few rumors to the contrary, and he has tended to stay away from science-fiction or magical villains up to this point.  Look for more news coming soon!

The Punisher.

For the life of me I couldn’t get into this guy.  I totally understand the rage he has going and the sense of vengeance he harbors against criminals for the loss of his family, but the guy just never did anything for me.  He’s been on this Earth longer than I have, and he’s been in just about every Marvel Comics book at some point or other and starred alongside his share of heroes, but for me, he just never clicked.  I’ve tried, believe me!  I’ve read mini-series, and MAX series, and The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe, and still nothing made me warm up to him.  For over twenty years now, ever since discovering his comics, I’ve given chance after chance, but the skull shirt, the attitude, the villains he fought all just couldn’t rouse me, but then I picked up Dark Reign: The List: The Punisher.Here was something I was interested in seeing.  Just what could Norman Osborn do to a guy like the Punisher who seemed unkillable?  ”Ok,” I thought, “Maybe Normie will recruit him or something, or lock him up.”  Nothing that simple!  DAKEN FREAKIN’ HACKED HIM TO PIECES!  I couldn’t believe it.  I was stunned.  I was shocked at the brutality of the issue and the sheer willingness of the writers to go. there. Even after making the man bury his own family in Punisher #10 after The Hood resurrected them, that was HEAVY.  This seemed like the final defeat and end to Frank Castle’s mission.  I could get behind that, as it seemed final and appropriate, a rest for the weary warrior.

And then along came Dr. Michael Morbius, the living vampire.  When I saw the cover to Punisher #11 with “Frankencastle” on the cover, I recoiled, shaking my head.  This cannot be.  What sort of silly stunt was being pulled here?  I know this is comics and all but COME ON??  He was a casserole at the end of The List. I was determined to walk away from the book, having already tried this before and not liking it.  Something in my gut told me to at least humor them.  I’d try it, hate it, write a scathing review on this site and move on.

And yet, I picked up issue twelve, then thirteen, and most recently, number fourteen.  I think I wanted to give the character another fair shake, and I’m glad I did.  After being cobbled together by Morbius, what has emerged, for Frank Castle and the reader, is a new world, a new purpose and a new direction.  Having been reanimated as a “monster” of sorts, Castle is now living with a rag-tag group of Marvel characters such as Man-Thing in a sort of Island of Misfit Toys from Hell.  The group pretty much all live together in a complicated underground network and are in fear of being killed by a strange and determined monster hunter, whose origin I won’t spoil, so pick up The Punisher #14 for more. 

What works about the series is its willingness to be campy, silly and yet still try to retain plenty of gore and violence, which are stock in trade of any Punisher book.  I have to hand it to Rick Remender and company; they’ve managed to, pardon the expression, new life into a character that had seen so many relaunches and aborted attempts at long-standing solo endeavors in the Marvel U.  I’m sure there are others like me who picked up the book out of sheer interest and incredulity, but hopefully they have found a fresh new story that isn’t afraid to make you laugh and cringe all in the span of a few panels.  He has found a new life amongst these monsters, one where moral complexity with the likes of Osborn, Captain America and Iron Man may no longer be needed, but with new challenges and dilemmas all its own.

I will probably pick up issue 15 when it comes out, as now I’m past that point of curiosity and, finally, welcoming Frank Castle, tubes, screws, rotten skin and all, into my stack of long-time friends like Batman and the Avengers.  I don’t think I missed out by not sticking with another Punisher title, but fans of the old Punisher may be missing out with this new world and new direction.

Set to join Luke, not surprisingly, is his wife Jessica Jones.  What might be a bit more surprising is her apparent flagship role in the series, which is sure to continued the increased profile she’s been experiencing of late in New Avengers, the current, and soon to be concluded, series.

One of the founding members of the Fantastic Four, The Thing, is a bit of a surprise addition to this team.  While it appears that he is still a member of the FF, based on the outfit we should say, perhaps a temporary replacement on that team isn’t out of the question.  It’s certainly happened before, and he’s been replaced with noted guests such as She-Hulk at one point or another.  His addition to the team, along with Jones and Cage, certainly ensures that this team will NOT lack for powerhouse forces to be reckoned with!

Rounding out this first wave of team members are two familiar faces, Wolverine and Spider-Man, who both became cornerstones of the original formation of the New Avengers several years ago.  Based on these early reveals, each team appears to have its own unique stamp and flavor for a new era, age and direction in story for the Marvel universe!

Wonder Woman #601, which will ship later this summer, will mark the first issue of JMS’ run on the series, which has promised a very contemporary feel to the classic character while preserving the rich history that follows Wonder Woman.  Superman #701 will serve as his dive into the world of the Man of Steel, and this may be an interesting challenge given the recent changes made in the Superman stories with the rise of Supergirl, the New Krypton stories, the soon-to-be-kicked-off Last Stand of New Krypton and the view of Kryptonians here on Earth!  If any writer is up to these tall orders, it’s J. Michael Strczynski.

Secret Six #19 sees the return of Cheshire, and of course that’s big news for Catman!  Be here for the start of a new storyline!  The bats are in full flight this week too, as Batgirl #8 kicks off a new story arc for the series, and it even has a crossover with this week’s Red Robin #10! They used to be Spoiler and Robin, now they’re heroes for a new age, but how will all that Ra’s al Ghul makes a move on those close to Batman?  There’s more disturbing events in the Cave, as Batman and Robin #10 moves Damian into direct conflict with new Batman Dick Grayson.  Human Target is back with issue two, and don’t forget Doom Patrol #8 and The Web #7.

Marvel’s giving us a Siege-free week (awwwww), but they’re making up for it with some kick-ass X-Men books (yaaaaayyy)!  Cable #24 gets things rolling with a battle in the tunnels of New York, as the conclusion to the Homecoming story line concludes in preparation for Second Coming, a mega X-Men event!  Dark X-Men #5 also sees a face-off between the Dark X-Men and Nate Grey, X-Man!  Who’ll win?  Will Osborn stay sane?  We can’t let the mutants have all the fun!  The gamma-powered set get in on the fun too with Hulk: Let the Battle Begin #1, which sees Hulk take on the super-powered Wrecking Crew.  In Washington DC no less!  While we say hello to these issues, we say good-bye to two series.  SWORD #5 and the all-ages appropriate Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes #21 both wrap up very different series.  New costume, but same old menace in Amazing Spider-Man #624 this week, as the origin of the new Vulture is explored!  Guess what else is back this week?  It’s Powers, and issue three sees Walker’s past cause, oh, just a bit of trouble.  Not much of course, just a bit (right).

The good folks at Image Comics are giving you a grand opportunity this week to jump on the Elephantmen bandwagon with the release of issue 24, which starts the newest story arc, “Questionable Things”.  Need more newness?  The pick up Jersey Gods #11, which also begins a new story line seeing Zoe with fired up powers!  Will Barock go down?  It can’t be easy sleeping well after running for your life all these years, but that’s what we’re seeing in the pages of The Walking Dead #71 this week.  B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #3 leads the way for Dark Horse this week, with Liz and Abe having a little bit more trouble than they perhaps bargained for while exploring Tibetan caves!  And now for a different realm of fantasy, we turn to the upcoming issue of Conan: The Frazetta Cover Series #4.  This issue features an interesting cross-section of talent, with Frazetta’s “The Destroyer” painting, a Robert E. Howard tale finished by Mike Mignola, Cary Nord and Dave Stewart!  Let’s not forget Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders #3 , which will also bow this week!

Boom is back this week with The Anchor #6, as one of the toughest guys out there returns to do his work!  Also with a big sixth issue is Kill Audio.  For the kiddies, it’s The Muppet Show #3 and Walt Disney Comics and Stories # 704. Dynamite Entertainment draws on our youth for their releases this week, with Zorro: Matanzas #2 and The Complete Alice in Wonderland #3 leading the way, with ever-popular Red Sonja: Wrath of the Gods #2 and Army of Darkness #26. That’s all we’ve got time for this week!  Happy reading!

DC has currently not revealed the next writer for the series, but in an open letter to Comic Book Resources, Simone said, “I have to say in complete honestly, I am genuinely thrilled by who is taking over the book. It’s someone who is going to rock this book like there’s no tomorrow, and I could not be happier with this choice.”  Simone’s work with the character will continue at least through June, as she is supposed to be part of  the big renumbering of the Wonder Woman series to issue 600, the renumbering due in large part to fan demand for the series to reflect Wonder Woman’s place in the DCU, and Simone’s run on the series has certainly been historic as well.

Simone’s work doesn’t slow down.  She will continue her work on Secret Six, and will also be a key part of the relaunch of Birds of Prey, the book she helped establish as a DC staple.  Read the rest of Simone’s letter in the link above!

Perhaps following Raimi after his split with Sony over the Spider-Man 4 mess, the movie is currently looking for a director.  One name that has been batted around is that of David Slade, known for his movies such as 30 Days of Night and Hard Candy.  He will also be directing the upcoming Twilight Saga: Eclipse film, so his toes are already firmly planted in the land of fantasy, comic books and heroes.  Raimi is already well-aware of Slade’s work, as Raimi also produced the 30 Days of Night adaptation.  We promise not to keep you in the dark if more news of this comes forward!

Many speculated that moving the show to Friday nights, often known as a “graveyard” for shows, would kill the series, even after stellar storylines and focus during the ninth season.  The opposite seems to have happened, however.  The network reported a 67% jump in viewership of the show among adults during this change to Friday nights.  Part of the formula for success could also be attributed to the inclusion of star comic book writer Geoff Johns to the series, which has upped the super hero factor for this show, especially with stories and episdoes such as “Absolute Justice”.  What new stories and challenges Clark faces as he makes his way in Metropolis, or if this will be the final season, remain unknown.

Bryan Edward Hill and Rob Levin handle the writing duties here, and while they do a nice job of trying to initiate the new reader into the existing universe by offering a brief glance back at the history of Glori Silver, the bearer of the mystic Ember Stone and Michael Finn, the wielder of the Glacier Stone, there’s a definite sense of history present in the first few pages that might ring hollow for new readers; although, those familiar with the series will appreciate the quick transition into the action of the piece, where the issue does find its best glimpses of what we might be able to expect.  Their eternal struggle is depicted richly by Alessandro Vitti’s drawings and Sunny Gho’s colors, which both give the feeling of a rich tapestry.

The battle between these two forces will have to wait, as a threat to the entire world begins to emerge, as the Cult of Adam believes that it must find one of the most powerful items in the world, Pandora’s Box, in order to carry out their destiny.  There’s quick pacing here to get the introductory issue going, but the reader doesn’t get a sense of this cult’s personality, drive or motivation, even as we seem them continue to cross the globe on the trail of artifacts they think will help them find their way to the box.

What follows that is a bit of exploration of Finn’s character, as the power within him causes mistrust and anger with potential teachers, all the while he anticipates a showdown with Glori.  She is also not without her demons, and again it’s the glimpses into the power and the personal burden of that might that makes this first issue work.  Another appearance by the Cult of Adam with Glori’s guide doesn’t feel finished as well, and the two sides realize that they are not the enemy in this case.

The issue begins to find sturdier footing as it concludes, with Finn battling with some intriguing characters as an unlikely presence darkens his door at the end.  The set-up for issue two looks interesting, and the overall issue itself has glimpses of true power, but the potential to not hook new readers is present here, even though the visuals help to carry some holes in character development and our understanding of this fanatical cult.  Glori and Finn make interesting characters, but pieces of the issue feel more like formality than true exploration of new territory.  Here’s hoping that readers get more openings in Pandora’s Box #2.

As of this press release, no other names were given for the remaining two titles, as the mystery that surrounded the “Stan’s Back” campaign seems to still be present!  More details will hopefully follow soon, specifically about the nature of the projects.  One of the biggest surprises could be the direction that the books take.  Will they take a more serious and mature tone in line with some of Waid’s current work, or will they hearken back to days of past with Lee’s personal touch?  Boom and Pow will have more news to come, so the speculation can rage on for now!