Nerdage

From Activision: Santa Monica CA – July 1, 2008 – The future of New York City will be in gamers’ hands this fall and starting today Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is allowing them to determine the Spider-Man™: Web of Shadows package image.  Members of the Spider-Man consumer VIP...

Warren Ellis kicks off his run on “Astonishing X-Men,” and Mike Kunkel begins his “Shazam!” run.  Full list and commentary after the break.

University of Central Oklahoma GA Ben Smith at will speak at the Southern Oaks Library, 6900 S. Walker, on Monday, July 7, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, about comics transitioning to film.  The session will conclude with the screening of a comic book movie. More info at newsok.

From Dabel Brothers: DABEL BROTHERS TO ADAPT ROBERT JORDAN’S BESTSELLING WHEEL OF TIME SERIES IN COMIC BOOK FORMAT NEW YORK, NY – July 1, 2008 – Dabel Brothers Publishing announced today that they will adapt Robert Jordan’s bestselling Wheel of Time series, which has sold more than...

Newsarama has a nice roundup of comics people sharing their remembrances of Michael Turner.  It’s a little bit heartbreaking, but it’s also nice to see so many people whose lives were touched by the man and his work. Often people get lionized when they pass, but Turner genuinely was...

Some say Spider-Man has a convoluted history, what with the clones and the deals with Mephisto. Others think the Legion of Superheroes, which seems to get rebooted weekly, is confusing. But if you want your mind twisted, try on Hellcat for size. Patsy Walker was a female Archie before she was...

Michael Turner, popular comic-book artist and creator of “Fathom” and “Soulfire,” died last night, June 27, according to Aspen Comics’ Vince Hernandez. Turner, 37, was widely considered one of the nicest people in comics, was always upbeat at convention appearances, even after his...

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: “Wanted,” directed by Timur Bekmambetov of the “Night Watch” films, is a visually arresting, over-the-top, paean to violence. Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar and JG Jones, the film takes a different slant than does the source material — but...

The third season of “The Incredible Hulk,” starring Bill Bixby as David Banner, has fewer two-part episodes than previous seasons, but still manages some solid episodes. While the season’s fifth episode, “My Favorite Magician,” has some flaws, it’s got several interesting ideas...

  From Friday’s The Oklahoman: The strike-shortened 1980 season of “The Incredible Hulk” started off with a bang, with the two-part episode “Prometheus” exploring the more science-fictional aspects of the show. A meteor with unusual properties causes David Banner (Bill Bixby)...

In case you’ve forgotten, the first episode of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” has one of the great pre-credit sequences of all time.   This and other episodes of “Buffy,” “Smallville” and more are now available online (though still in beta...

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:  By Matthew Price Assistant Features Editor WORD BALLOONS James MacAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, a downtrodden loser recruited into a secret cadre of assassins in “Wanted,” out today in movie theaters. The film is based on the comic-book series by...

From Friday’s The Oklahoman: By Matthew Price Assistant Features Editor THE NEXT LEVEL Relive the first three “Indiana Jones” films in LEGO format with “LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures” from Lucas Arts. After the success of the “LEGO Star Wars” games, it seemed...

Just announced at Wizard World Chicago is the new creative team on DC’s “Supergirl” title.   Writer Sterling Gates, who grew up in Tulsa and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, joins artist Jamal Igle as the creative team on “Supergirl,” starting with issue #34.  ...

Collider has a very drama-filled report about how a possible Screen Actor’s Guild strike could “ruin” Comic-Con. “One important thing that most fans probably haven’t thought of — if the actors go on strike,they aren’t going to Comic-Con next month. A strike means the SAG members...

The Associated Press is reporting that the credits to “The Dark Knight” will pay tribute to Heath Ledger, and to special-effects technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed in a stunt accident. Warners has been walking a fine line in promoting the film without being seen to exploit...

Most readers of this blog are probably up on Mike Nelson’s return to riffing on movies at RiffTrax and on DVD with The Film Crew.   But I have been a bit out of the loop, as I just found out that the original occupant of Mystery Science Theater 3000′s Satellite of Love,...

Matt Fraction joins Ed Brubaker as a co-writer on “Uncanny X-Men,” and I may not have been this potentially excited about the X-Men since Grant Morrison left.  (Well, I liked “Astonishing” an awful lot, too.)  Greg Land begins his run as the artist on “Uncanny,” and Marvel...

It’s a hefty comics week as the month comes to a close, with new issues of “Final Crisis,” “Marvel 1985,” ”Captain America” and “Hulk” among the heavy hitters. “Conan” gets a relaunch as “Conan the Cimmerian” #0, Warren Ellis launches a new series with...