News and Rumour 21/03/2012

Doctor Who meets Emmerdale

Jenna-Louise Colman has been announced as the new companion for the Doctor, the former Emmerdale actress will join the show during the Christmas special. Jenna is 25 years old and comes from Blackpool, she played Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale and also stared in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road. She can also be seen in the upcoming drama Titanic playing a character called Annie Desmond, and had a small role in the resent Captain America film. Other news on the series has also been released

• This years we will get six episodes which will include the Christmas special.
• Eight more will be aired in 2013, making a total of 14 episodes filmed this year.
• Amy & Rory will leave after episode 5, which will feature the Weeping Angels.
• After the 8 episodes  in 2013 there will be more later in the year, how many Moffat is not saying.
• Matt Smith is contracted for all the episodes in 2013, no news after that.
• Jenna will begin filming in May.

Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who so you can bet something big is been planned, as the I don't believe the BBC will not let this anniversary pass without producing something.
One rumour that seems to be hanging around is that Benedict Cumberbatch could be playing the latest incarnation of The Master, given his ties to Moffet via Sherlock its not too much of a stretch. But give the fact he would be most Who fans first choice if Matt Smith were to leave , I don't think it will happen but I have been wrong before (but don't tell the wife that).


Dark Shadows Trailer Released
A few posts ago I reported on photos released from the Tim Burton Dark Shadows film, this week the first trailer was released. There has been some surprise shown as the trailer seems to indicate that the film may be a comedy, now I am glad I I have seen the trailer as I went to see Sweeney Todd and without knowing it was a musical. I vowed never to be caught out again, click the link and make up your own mind on what type of film you think
Dark Shadows will be.
 

Once Upon a TimeThe cult TV show Once Upon a Time is set to hit the UK on the 1st April on Chanel 5, the synopsis of the show is that the town of Storybrooke, Maine is populated by characters from fairy story's. They have all been exiled there to live in the real world by the Wicked Queen, none of the inhabitant's know their true identity's and happily go about their daily life's. However, this all changes when a girl called Emma who is the daughter of Snow White and Price Charming, returns to Storybrooke.
I know it doesn't sound too good but the reviews have been excellent, so its must be worth giving it a go I know that I will.
 

Leeds Comic Convention (Thought Bubble)News for the Leeds comic convention is begin to filter out, the comic convention will run for two days on November 17th & 18th. The whole comic art festival known as Thought Bubble will run from November 11th culminating in the two day comic con, details on what is happening throughout the week can be found on the Thought Bubble web site along with guests confirmed for the convention.

 

Earth Station Who is Launched

And finally I reported on the Earth Station One podcaste turning 100 a few blogs ago, well they have now branched out and launched Earth Station Who. Which you can guess by the name will report, review and generally talk about all things Doctor Who. You can access it via the ESO website episode one is the very first episode An Unearthly Child, I haven't listened to it myself yet but if its half as good as the ESO podcast we are in for a treat.

Blue Beetle #6

As first story arc of this book draws to a close we get a showdown to the death between Blue Beetle and Blue Beetle, to be honest its more of a playground scuffle between Blue Beetle and Red and Blue Beetle.


In a previous issue Jamie had infected his friend Paco with his scarabs Transbiotic Antitrauma (me neither), but what ever it is it healed him from certain death. Now as it was Jamie while in costume but under the control of the scarab, that stabbed Paco through the heart it was only fair that he tried to save him.

However, the problem this sets up is that Paco doesn't have the same control of his suite that Jamie does, something that Paco's suite recognises. And it decided that the he must deactivate Jamie's scarab, as it believes it is damaged and must be replaced. As the scarab is always in control of the host, and not the other way round.

I know this sound confusing but if you have read the book from the beginning it makes sense, which is one of the problems I have with the issue as it is no way new reader friendly.

But back to the plot and Jamie has to find a way of stopping his friends suit from killing him, without harming his best friend in any way.

The final solution on how he does this is a bit of a cop out and a slightly disappointing end to the fist story arc, I also find the way that Brenda (Jamie's one-sided love interest) doesn't connect the dots when he disappears and Blue Beetle turns up a little annoying.
It's very reminiscent of the old Superman and Lois story's, which may have worked 20 years ago but doesn't work in today comic world.


That aside writer Tony Bedard has continued to keep Blue Beetle interesting, although I am still not sure we needed a reboot of the character when the book relaunched. I would have much preferred to have carried on with the Blue Beetle I read in Justice League Lost, in that book he was more self assured of himself and his ability's.
However, having said that I would be very disappointed if the comic was cancelled as I have enjoyed it overall, the art by Ig Guara (pencils), J.P Mayer / Mark Irwin (Inkers) and Pete Pantaziz (colourist) are top draw and help make up for the annoyances I may have with the issue.

The book finished with the Blue Beetle heading off to New York, which will hopefully see Jamie evolve more into the Beetle we used to have.
I will be sticking around to find out

News & Rumors 12th March

Johhny Depp as Tonto:
Photos of Johny Depp as Tonto from the new Lone Ranger film have been released, along with Arnie Hammer who plays the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger was always the main focus of the TV series (only fair its his name in the title), however I suspect that Tonto will be given a bigger roll in this film due to the fact that Johhny Depp is playing him. We will have to wait until 2013 to see, and to get the chance to shout ''who is that masked man''.

The Lone Ranger ran on TV from 1949 to 1957 and stared Layton Moore as the Lone Ranger, Jay Silverheels as Tonto and lets not forget Silver the horse.

Dark Shadows:

Continuing with Mr Depp more Dark Shadow photos have been released showing him as the vampire Barnabus Collins, Dark Shadows was originally a TV series that ran from 1966 to 1971. As well as Mr Depp the cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonny Lee Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Eva Green, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote, Gulliver McGrath and Ray Shirley. The film is directed by Tim Burton, which is a bit of a surprise for a film staring Johhny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

Earth Station One is 100:
The Earth Station One podcast recently reached 100 episodes, the ESO podcast covers just about everything that's Si-fi and fantasy along with other topics as well. UK shows are regularly featured on the podcast with shows such as Doctor Who, Torchwood, Red Dwarf and Sherlock all been discussed. The show has a revolving line up but regulars include Mike Faber, Mike Gordon and Bobby Nash, with other contributors regularly appearing on the show. If you haven't listened to the show I urge you to give it a go, you wont be disappointed.


Watchmen:
DC has released artwork showing the Watchmen all together as the comics near their release dates, the artwork is by Lee Bermejo who will be on the Rorchach book. Expect more information in the coming weeks, you can also visit the Watchman page to get up to date info.

RORSCHACH (4 issues) Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
MINUTEMEN (6 issues) Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
COMEDIAN (6 issues)Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
NITE OWL (4 issues) Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

Doctor Who:

Filming of the new series of Doctor Who has moved to Spain, for what is rumoured to be the 3rd episode of the 7th series. The Spanish setting is been used as the back drop for the old west, as the Doctor gets involved with gunslingers and cyborg type creature who is terrorising a local town. The sets been used to film in were originally used for such films as A Fistful of Dollars & The Magnificent Seven, the episode will also star Adrian Scarborough, who is current appearing in the new Upstairs Downstairs, along with Ben Browder who played Colonel Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.

Batman Beyond Unlimited #1

 A few weeks back I was bemoaning the loss of a fun titles in the new line of DC books, well I can moan no more after reading Batman Beyond Unlimited.The book is broken in to two stories 10,000 Clowns concerns the influx of Jokerz into Gotham, for those who are unfamiliar with this version of Batman Jokerz are gangs of followers of the original Joker. Bruce (grumpy as ever) is concerned there is more at work than just random gangs turning up, a concern shared by Barbara Gordon now Commissioner Gordon of Gotham.

In between fighting Jokerz and trying to figure out what’s going, on new Batman Terry McGinnis is also trying to sort out his failing love life. In a continuation from the last series Terry is still single due to his unreliability, apparently he keeps disappearing or not turning up for dates for no apparent reason. He should take tips from Superman he was doing the same thing to Louis for years, and getting away with it.

There is a nice tip to continuity during a conversation between Bruce and Barbara, where Bruce asks Barbara if her legs are bothering her when she stands up rather shakily as if she is in pain. Where this actually sits in continuity is anyone’s guess, but it is one of those little references that keep the geek in us happy.

As the story progresses its clear that the Jokerz are a distraction to test Batman, and the shadowy villain is revelled at the end of the story a reveal that's quite a nice twist.

 

The second story Konstruction involves the Justice League still lead by Superman along with War Hawk, Kai-Ro Green Lantern of sector 2814 , Barda exiled god from New Genesis, and Aqua Girl.

Batman is joined by 3 of his JLA team mates who help him clear up a fight between a gang of Splicers and a Jokerz gang, once that is cleared up they are about to head off to fight Golems at Hamilton High. Unfortunately for Bats he is called back to JLA headquarters on more urgent matters, and as Bruce reminds him the league supersedes everything.

The League have big problems Kobra are are preparing for something big and the leagues man on the inside Micron is missing, again there is a nice twist towards the end as the team watch a network recording of a robbery.

We leave the team as they prepare to head off to Camus, the last know place Micron was seen.

At 48 pages the book is excellent value for money, with two good solid stories’s that set up their respective arch’s nicely.

There is however distinctive artwork differences in each story Norm Breyfogle on 10,000 Clowns is of a standard comic artwork for want of a better description, where as Dustin Nguyen had more of a cartoon feel to it that fits in with the animated show.

Personally I have no problem with either style as both fit the tone of the story been told, the writers Adam Beechen 10,000 Clowns and Derek Fridolfs / Dustin Nguyen Konstruction both did excellent jobs in capturing what made the animated series so good.

The nods to the animated show in the second story were particularly pleasing, as references were made to the Splicer’s, the drug know as Slappers and the appearance of Harely Quinn's twin Granddaughters last seen (by me anyhow) in The Return of the Joker story.

The book actually made me want to revisit my DVD’s (I haven’t moved to Blu-ray yet) of the animated series, so as I said at the start a good and fun book that’s well worth a try.

News & a major spoiler (if you want it)

Batman & Robin Earth 2

Over the last few days DC have been reviling images of the heroes of the upcoming Earth 2 comic book by writer James Robinson, the images have been revieled on the DC Source Blog and clearly show that Earth 2 is a vastly different universe to the one we have been reading for the last 6 months. I am a big fan of James Robinson's work and thought his Justice League run was vastly underrated, and was cut short just as it was starting to pick up momentum.

Images shown are Batman and his daughter a female Robin, more images of other heroes and detail for each character is on the DC Source blog just click on the link.

 http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/

                                                       

Avengers Assemble

Cannot wait for the Avengers film in April, need an Avengers fix well wait no more there is a new trailer on line called Avengers Assemble. Now most of the clips you will have already seen but there are a few new ones the one with the Hulk catching Iron Man been a particular favourite of mine.

Click the link and enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPoHPNeU9fc

Major Walking Dead Spoiler

Do not go further if you don't want to know:

but you know you do.

It is been reported all over the Internet that there has been a major spoiler in the advertisement for the AMC blu-ray limited edition of The Walking Dead, which has a bonus feature which says Shane's last episode. Fans of the comic will be very aware that Shane died very early on in the books run, however he has proved to be a popular character in the TV series. Now speculation is now rife on how he will leave the show as the spoiler doesn't say he dies, only that it's his last episode.



Hellblazer Annual 2011- Suicide Bridge

John Constantine is called back to his home town of Liverpool by the family of a dying old woman, the woman’s son a friend of Constantine’s disappeared in 1968 and has never been heard of since. Her dying wish is for him to find out what happened to her son a task he reluctantly agrees to, he begins by serching his untouched room were he comes across an old photo of a bridge.

Now this sets up the story very nicely but doesn’t quite fit with the John Constanine I have been reading these last 20 odd years. John is not a complex character he cares only about himself, and will do all he can to make sure number 1 again himself is safe, sound and happy. So a trip to Liverpool to meet the mother of a friend he hasn’t seen since 1968, a mother who admits to never liking him just seems out of character to me.

However after taking on the task he goes about finding his friend in the only way he knows how, which include talking with the dead in Highgate cematry over a cig or two, pulling in a favour from a bent copper to gain acces to the room of another missing child, and threatening a young boy so that he hands over his missing brothers Facebook password.

All in a days work for John Constantine.

As his investigations dig deeper Constantine aided by his 23 year old wife Epiphany (where dose he find the energy), discover that over the years there has been several kids who have simply vanished. All have a conection to the same bridge shown in the photo that Constantine found , with a little more digging they find the bridge was known as Suicide Bridge.  The bridge had been pulled down years ago but it still has a taste for death, and targets unhappy youngsters by connecting with them via a photo of its self. In the old days it connected by post, today’s kids get a text or are poked through facebook, the dangers of technology subplot there I think.

The final confrontation with the ghostly bridge sees our anti hero come face to face with his missing friend Tim, who blames John for the fate that has befallen him. Rejecting any help from his one time best friend, Tim tells Constantine to go to hell as the bridge crumbles around them Tim falls back to limbo Constantine barley escapes with his life.

John returns to the old woman who thinks he is her son Tim, again showing a softer side as he doesn’t correct her and plays the role of her missing boy. His more manipulative side is shown when he helps her over to the other side, a trick he was shown by a Aborigine.

Now this wouldn’t be a Hellblazer story if there wasn’t a twist and its a twist I didnt see coming, we are taken back to 1968 and shown an unhappy John Constantine who has been sent a photo of a bridge through the post. His friend Tim has taken a liking to it so John says he he can have it, three days later Tim disapears never to be seen again.

Did Constantine know what this photo could do, and did he sacrifice his friend to save himself either deliberately or subconsciously, we are not given a definitive answer its left for us to decide as we are told ''even back then it wasnt safe to be a friend of John Constantine''.

 Peter Milligans story captures some of the better elements of a John Constantine story, and I do like his slightly battle weary interpretation of the character. Also having the bridge as the main villain is a unnerving twist on your normal ghost story, giving you a feeling that nothing is safe safe not even a bridge.

Simon Bisley art is not always to everyone’s taste, but coupled with Brian Cipriano's inks it fits the mood and tone of this book perfectly.

The story is a self contained and one I enjoyed immensely, the only down side was the £3.50 price tag a £1 less would have been a fairer price. 

 If you have been reading John Constantine in the Justice Dark books then do yourself a favor and pick up this one or his regular monthly book, you will get an all new perspective into the world he inhabits.

News & Sci-Fi Rumours - Late Feb

The Walking Dead to introduce the Governor

British actor David Morrissey is to play The Governor in series 3 of The Walking Dead, Morrissey has played major roles on UK TV for a number of years. He will be best remembered by Si-fi fans as the man who thought he was the Doctor, in the doctor who Christmas special The Next Doctor.
The Governor is a major villain in The Walking Dead comics and proved so popular that a novel Rise of the Governor was brought out in October of last year.


Star Trek 2 set shots:
Photos for the new Star trek film have been released and although they don't give anything away they have me excited already for the film.

 

Phantom Menace bringing in the money.

The Phantom Menace which is widely thought to be the worst of the Star wars films has become the first film of the franchise to break the $1 billion box office barrier, it has taken $73 million world wide due to its 3D release. Many questioned the reasoning behind releasing the film in 3d, well you cant argue with the figures. We can now expect to see the rest of the films in 3D at some point, making even more money for Mr. Lucas.





Doctor Who is back

Shooting of the new series of Doctor Who began on the 20th September, it will be Matt Smiths 3rd series and the one where we say good buy to the Ponds Rory & Amy. Guest stars confirmed so far are David Bradley, Rupert Graves and Mark Williams, according to the BBC website we are promised thrills, adventure and surprises as the show moves towards next years 50th anniversary. There will be a new companion, new monsters and the return of some familiar foes as we've never seen them before, all sounds good.



Star Trek - Doctor Who cross-over

Linking into the last 2 segments the biggest Si fi shows to come out of the USA and UK respectably are to meet head on in IDW's Assimilation 2 comic (what Manimal & Super Gran I hear you cry), Star Trek the Next Generation will be meeting up with the present Matt Smith Doctor in a 8 issue run. The story will be see the Doctor join forces with Captain Picard and his crew, to combat a deadly alliance  between The Borg and the Cybermen. Given that the BBC can be very protective about their products' it is astounding that this comic has been given the green light. However BBC executive Soumya Sriraman had this to say about the project, "We are excited about this new adventure for The Doctor and the fact that he will be travelling with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his iconic crew. This is a perfect partnership for not only Doctor Who's incredible fans, but also for the brand."

I have tended to have given these type of cross-over books a wide birth due to cost and quality, but I  will give the first issue a go to see what it is like hopefully I will be surprised.


 Space 1999 to return with a new name

ITV is linking up with HD Films to produce a re-imagining of Gerry Anderson's Space 1999, and as that year is long past the new series will be imaginatively called Space 2099.
The original story followed a group of survivors who were stranded on the moon, after a nuclear explosion had blown it out of earths orbit. The series was broadcast on ITV in the 70's and had a cult following, HDFilms were responsible for the resent remake of V lets hope they have leaned from their mistakes.