Author Archives: Brett

Sneak Peek – Marvel Universe Skrull Soldier

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Official Press Release

Marvel® Universe Skrull Soldier™

MVL Skrull SoldierMVL Skrull Soldier Packaging

Though the Skrull Empire had vast resources and powerful technology, the backbone of its all-conquering armies was made of these humble soldiers. Each one was trained to use his shape-shifting abilities to create confusion among their enemies, making them vulnerable to the surprise attacks and sabotage that were the Skrull Empire’s signature. For a thousand years, these soldiers were what allowed the empire to bring an entire galaxy to its knees.

Intricately detailed down to the last muscle, this articulated Skrull Solider action figure is ready to fight! Send him into combat with his weapon accessories to fight for the fate of the world or leave him posed for action on his stand as a warning against evil-doers everywhere. The battle is just beginning and the power is in your palm of your hands!

Figure comes with weapon accessories and a classified file with a secret code.

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

SUMMARY:
Articulated action figure comes with weapon accessories and a stand for display after you’re done enacting all of your fiercest good-versus-evil battles! Figure comes with a classified file with a secret code. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. Ages 4 and up.

MARVEL, all related characters: TM & © 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. All rights reserved.
®* and/or ™* & © 2009 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Sneak Peek – Iron Man 2 Iron Assault Truck

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Iron Man 2™ Iron Assault Truck

MVL Iron Assault TruckMVL Iron Assault Truck PackagingWhen Iron Man needs secure, powerful ground transport, this is the vehicle he turns to. Equipped with the latest in electronic countermeasures, it is all but invisible to enemy radar. Protected by high-tech defenses, this truck slips into enemy territory unnoticed, and uses its devastating missile attack to destroy the bad guys’ base!

When your Iron Man figure has the need for speed and power, this Iron Assault Truck vehicle is the perfect choice! Flip open the cockpit to set your Iron Man figure at “the wheel”. No matter what enemies he has to take on, your “metal-clad” warrior’s vehicle is sure to chase them down in no time. And when it does, slide the switch to fire the four missile accessories. For ground battle, this tough truck can’t be beat!

Vehicle comes with Iron Man figure and 4 launching missile accessories.

SUMMARY:
Battle-ready vehicle with a cockpit that flips open has four firing missile accessories for even the toughest conflicts! Vehicle comes with Iron Man figure and 4 launching missile accessories. Ages 4 and up.

Iron Man 2, the Movie © 2010 MVL Film finance LLC. Marvel, Iron Man, all related character names and their distinctive likenesses: TM & © 2010 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.
®* and/or ™* & © 2009 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Review – Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

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We knew this would happen the second he was presented as “dead.”  Sooner or later, Bruce Wayne would return.  Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 by DC is the beginning of the journey as Wayne begins his journey through time.  Written by Grant Morrison there’s a lot I liked about the series, and a lot I hated.

The problem as a whole for DC, to me, is the history is very dense.  If you don’t know it, there’s a lot you don’t get.  This knowledge of continuity often makes or breaks issues, and in this case it comes close to breaking it.

The issue picks up on the heals of Final Crisis.  The series picks up as Bruce is paying his respects to Anthro as Anthro’s tribe investigates who the mysterious man in the cave is.  It’s another Morrison take on the superhero mythology and man vs. god.  The problem is, if you didn’t read Final Crisis, this would go over your head.

There’s other references to earlier Morrison work that he’s been building upon, and if you know those, you’ll really dig this.  If you don’t, or know some, you might not enjoy it as much.

It’s the perfect example of “DC dense.”  Here’s hoping for a more open and accessible Batman post his return.

Read more

Sneak Peek: Marvel Super Hero Squad – Iron Fist and Black Costume Spider-Man

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Official Press Release

Marvel® Super Hero Squad – Iron Fist™ and Black Costume Spider-Man®

MVL SHS Iron Fist and Black S-MMVL SHS Iron Fist and Black S-M PackagingSpring into action with this exciting two-pack of super-powered characters! Set these little Green Goblin and Spider-Man figures up for a big showdown with the bad guys and decide whose mighty abilities are going to win today’s fight! Even when they’re not taking on evil villains, these chunky collectibles’ battle-ready poses prove they’re always ready for a super hero rumble.

Figures come with poster.

SUMMARY:
Collectible, fun two-pack of stylized Marvel characters includes Iron Fist and Black Costume Spider-Man figures! Figures come with poster. Ages 3 and up.

MARVEL, Super Hero Squad, Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Iron Fist, Wolverine, Bishop, Deathlok, Iron Man and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and are used with permission. Copyright © 2008 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. All rights reserved. Super Hero(es) is a co-owned registered trademark.
®* and/or ™* & © 2008 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Sneak Peek: Spider-Man Triple Battle Truck

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Spider-Man™ Triple Battle Truck

MVL S-M Triple Battle Truck 1MVL S-M Triple Battle Truck Packaging

You and your Spider-Man figure are ready to track down your toughest foes — no matter where they run! This cool vehicle starts out in battle truck mode, but you can easily convert it to a fighter jet vehicle or even an attack boat vehicle! From thrilling jet engine sounds to ferocious speeding boat sounds and cannon blasting sounds, each vehicle activates new sounds to really intimidate your opponents. As the engine light glows, you can activate the 11 heroic phrases to get yourself and your figure ready for action and let your enemies know that you’re ready and raring to chase them down. When you reach them, launch your web missile accessory and the battle is as good as won!

Vehicle includes a Spider-Man® figure and firing web missile accessory.

SUMMARY:
Awesome electronic vehicle with lights and vehicle sounds is really three vehicles in one: a battle truck vehicle, a fighter jet vehicle and even an attack boat vehicle! Different vehicles activate new sounds! Vehicle includes a Spider-Man® figure and firing web missile accessory. Requires 3 “AAA” batteries (not included). Ages 4 and up.

MARVEL, all related characters: TM & © 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters, B.V. All rights reserved. http://www.marvel.com
®* and/or ™* & © 2009 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Open Digital Standard

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This is an article I’ve wanted to write for a while.  GeekWeek has an excerpt from Graphic.ly CEO Micah Baldwin about setting a standard for digital comics.

Since I started this business, something that’s been bouncing around my brain is the fact that if somebody were to buy a comic book on comiXology and then want to read that comic, for whatever reason, on Longbox, they’d have to buy it again. Fundamentally, that’s the reality. If I get a book on Panelfly, and then I get into comiXology and it’s also in their library, I have to rebuy it. What’s interesting is that if you look at it, that’s primarily driven by the technology and not necessarily by the publishers. I think that’s lame. It’s lame that somebody can’t take a book they bought on my system, decide they don’t like Graphic.ly and would rather go read it in comiXology and then actually go do that.

Digital comics is in it’s infancy with numerous different applications coming to market, some already in the market and many more to come.

Questions we as consumers need to ask are:

  1. Who owns the comics I purchase?  Do I?  Is it licensed?
  2. Can I take the comics I purchase to another service?  Another computer?
  3. What happens if a service closes?

There are technical issues to consider.  Each of these applications have different features and I’m sure the back ends are very different from each other.  But let’s go beyond the technical issues.

What I think you’ll see, is one app dominate.  This will become the defacto application.  That race is wide open.  One will become the iTunes.  Now, how long did it take for iTunes to open up the music you purchased so you can play items purchased on different services or devices?  How much more did you have to pay for that?  How much of a headache was it for the consumer leading up to this.

Here’s where it should be easier, there is no “iPod” for digital comic books.  There is no device driving digital sales and digital sales driving the sale of a device.  We can and should be able to read our comics on our PC, Mac, iPad, iPod, PSP, PS3 and whatever else may come.

Until there’s an open standard.  And my rights as a consumer have been made clear, I’ll be sticking to the physical medium.  I own that comic book I purchased at the store.  I can take it where I’d like.  I can read it when I want.  And there’s no worries about it becoming outdated and upgraded out of existence.

Until this is settled, call me skeptical.

The Super Hero Squad Show: Quest For The Infinity Sword! Volume 1 Arrives On DVD July 13, 2010 From Shout! Factory

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Official Press Release

HERO UP!

When the greatest heroes on the planet unite to face the world’s most dastardly villains, you get the biggest, most family-friendly Super Hero alliance in TV History… The Super Hero Squad!


THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW:

QUEST FOR THE INFINITY SWORD! VOLUME 1

ARRIVES ON DVD JULY 13, 2010 FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

“Best of the Bunch” – People Magazine

“Great fun…equally enjoyable by kids and adult comic fans alike” – MTV.com

It’s no small job protecting Super Hero City from the wild, weird (& even wacky) villainy of Villainville’s infamous baddies… but Iron Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Thor and the Falcon are always up for the job. Shouting “Hero Up!” as they rush into battle, the Squad must keep Dr. Doom’s minions from gathering pieces of the Infinity Sword. Otherwise, Doom will use the Sword to rule the universe! Luckily, the City is filled with Marvel Super Hero guest-stars to help out in a pinch. These brave heroes totally deliver the action – but with plenty of humor on the side.

On July 13, 2010, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Marvel Animation, will release The Super Hero Squad Show: Quest For The Infinity Sword! Volume 1 DVD, featuring the first six episodes from the first season of this popular action-packed animated series and special bonus features including a new interview with Stan Lee, Hero & Villain character profiles and a sneak peek at Quest For The Infinity Sword! Volume 2 DVD.  A must-have for heroes of all ages, this DVD is priced to own at $14.93 SRP.

Boasting a stellar ensemble of well-known celebrity voice talent, The Super Hero Squad Show animated series features super-stylized versions of Marvel’s popular characters (including Captain America, Silver Surfer, Thor, Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man) with a comedic twist.  Marvel has attracted some top voice talent to play the roles of Marvel’s iconic heroes and villains, including Tom Kenny (aka Spongebob) as Iron Man, Captain America and M.O.D.O.K., Grey DeLisle (Fairly Oddparents) as Ms. Marvel and the Enchantress, Alimi Ballard (NUMB3RS) as the Falcon, and Charlie Adler (Cow & Chicken, Transformers 1 & 2) as Dr. Doom. In addition, superstar guests have lent their voices to breathe life into a wide array of other Marvel characters, including Shawn Ashmore (X-Men films) as Iceman, LeVar Burton (Ali, Roots) as Rhodey, Taye Diggs (Private Practice) as the Black Panther, Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Dormammu, Greg Grunberg (Heroes) as Ant-Man, Mark Hamill (Star Wars) as the Red Skull, Lena Headey (Sarah Connor Chronicles) as the Black Widow, Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Sif, Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Ugly Truth) as Stardust, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld) as Egghead, James Marsters (Smallville, Buffy The Vampire Slayer) as Mr. Fantastic, Jennifer Morrison (Star Trek, House) as the Wasp, Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) as Hawkeye, Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, Meet The Spartans) as Ka-Zar, George Takei (Heroes, Star Trek) as Galactus and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl) as the Valkyrie. The cast is also joined by comics legend Stan Lee (co-creator of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and many other Marvel characters) in a recurring role as the Mayor of Super Hero City.

The Super Hero Squad Show: Quest For The Infinity Sword! Volume 1 DVD contains six exciting episodes including:

  • “And Lo…A Pilot Shall Come!”
  • “This Silver, This Surfer!”
  • “Hulk Talk Smack!”
  • “To Err Is Superhuman!”
  • “Enter: Dormammu!”
  • “A Brat Walks Among Us!”

BONUS FEATURES:

  • A new interview with Stan “The Man” Lee
  • Hero & Villain Character Profiles

Technical Information

Street Date: July 13, 2010

Rating: TV Y7

Suggested Retail Price: $14.93

Running Time: approximate 130 minutes

Discs: 1

Aspect Ratio: 4:3

Technical Info: English, Stereo., Closed Captioning

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics).  Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online.  For more information visit www.marvel.com.

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over.  Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.  With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit ShoutFactory.com

Holy Cow

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This is one we’d put on the periphery of comics, but the strip does run in the comics sections of newspapers.  Cartoonist Jok Church learned the hard way to not piss off the American Farm Bureau Federation.  An entry in Beakman & Jax rubbed the AFBF and President Bob Stallman the wrong way.

Though the strip (below) was mainly focused on why such young cows can produce milk it then went into the factory farming that occurs.  Stallman went on the attack penning a letter to Church.  Calling the cartoon full of “errors, inaccuracies and outright lies” the letter went on to describe what a disservice the cartoon was to “hard-working farm families and consumers.”

I believe a great modern philosopher once said “Don’t have a cow man” and I think that might be good advice for all.

Namor Must Save The X-Men From The Curse Of The Mutants

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Official Press Release

Namor Must Save The X-Men From The Curse Of The Mutants

Vampires are hunting mutants and the only hope for the X-Men may be the Sub-Mariner, as he boldly launches into a new ongoing series with the extra-sized Namor #1! In this “Curse of The Mutants” tie-in spinning out of the hotly-anticipated X-Men #1, fan favorite creators Stuart Moore and Ariel Olivetti set the world’s first mutant on his most dangerous mission ever! Namor may be able to end the vampire threat, but is he willing to sacrifice Atlantis? And what can stop the threat of…the Atlantean vampires? With covers by superstars Jae Lee and Joe Quesada, Namor #1 marks the beginning on a new chapter in Namor’s life…or his death.

This August, dive into an all new ongoing series with Namor—and the X-Men will never be the same!

NAMOR: THE FIRST MUTANT #1

Written by STUART MOORE

Penciled by ARIEL OLIVETTI

Cover by JAE LEE

Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA

Rated T+ …$3.99

ON SALE AUGUST

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