All Star Comic Shop

By Hayi Mansoor

Universal Pictures’ new film Wanted is based on the acclaimed six-issue comic book mini-series by writer Mark Millar and artist J.G. Jones, released by Image/Top Cow from 2003 to 2004. In a Summer dominated by Silver-Age comic book retreads, Wanted offers a breath of the modern. And like Road To Perdition (Tom Hanks, Paul Newman), most folks don’t know that Wanted is based on a comic book (Wanted)!

The premise of the comic book, which is retained in the movie, is that super-villains, sick of being defeated piecemeal by the heroes in a way that one can spot in any monthly comic, may eventually team up and wage an all-out war on the superheroes. Slinging magic, mad science, and a dollop of mind control, the villains have long since achieved the “Crime Syndicate dream”: a world without superheroes.

In such a world villains reign supreme, villains such as the super-intelligent megalomaniac Professor Solomon Seltzer, whose character represents something of a blend of Lex Luthor and Dr. Sivana; Mr. Rictus, a sadistic murderer; the Future, a time-traveling Nazi somewhat in the vein of Kang the Conqueror; the Emperor, a nod to “yellow peril” villains such as Fu Manchu and the Mandarin; and a primeval immortal aptly named Adam-One. And in such a world lives Wesley Gibson, a regular guy who’s inherited an uncanny skill with any weapon and perfect aim from his murdered father.

Wesley has spent most of his life in a cubicle, bludgeoned into a stupor by the meaninglessness of his existence. His ennui is shattered one day by the appearance of a sexy gun moll named Fox, sent by his father’s old partner Sloan and a secret society called the Fraternity. Fox offers him the opportunity to develop his latent powers as well as to avenge the murder of his father.

The film, set for a June 2008 release, features a star-studded cast with Angelina Jolie as Fox and Morgan Freeman as Sloan, while future Bilbo Baggins himself, James McAvoy, is protagonist Wesley Gibson. How closely the film will hew to the comic is something of a matter of debate, but we can expect it to highlight Gibson’s transformation from an apathetic nobody to a fighter of class, style, and unparalleled heroism.

Many have sought to draw parallels between the Wesley of Wanted and the Neo of the Matrix movies: two office drones who find redemption from their humdrum lives in a mission sparked by the arrival of a strange woman - not to mention new bullet-swerving powers. The Trinity/Fox and Morpheus/Sloan connection is almost unavoidable, and Wesley is even named for cyberpunk grandmaster William Gibson, to whose dark futuristic visions The Matrix owed so much.

But director Timur Bekmambetov is clearly hoping that he can overcome such concerns with a blend of non-stop action, sultry Jolie-posing, and memories of a comic mini-series whose lush art and intelligent scripting, as well as its bleakness and ambition, have been recognized by no less than the Sunday Times with the oft-quoted sobriquet “Watchmen for super-villains”.

For further information, please visit Midtown Comics- the Best Comic Shop.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hayi_Mansoor

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Paperback) - £5.99 (at time of writing, check link for current price):

Amazon.co.uk Review
If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller - known recently for his excellent Sin City series and, previously, for his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil - is probably the supreme contender.

Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children’s cartoon character into a hero for our times. In his introduction the great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argues that only someone of Miller’s stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.

Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic - detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it’s a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, streetgangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome.

–Mark Thwaite

Synopsis
This ground-breaking synthesis of comic-book icons and modern cinematic sensibilities redefined an American myth and reshaped the face of modern graphic novels. And now, a decade later, it’s back…to inspire a new generation! This edition contains 28 pages of never-before-seen sketches, art and text, with a new cover, designed by Chip Kidd. This is the tale of a tortured hero’s twilight and his efforts to save the city he had once sworn to protect from spiralling relentlessly into chaos. Batman’s struggles with a new breed of criminal, the training of a new Robin, and his fateful final encounters with Superman, Two-Face and The Joker, are all woven together seamlessly to mark a warrior’s mythic rite of passage.

Register and post your review in the ‘Comments’ section below.

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By Alan LaMont

It’s obvious. Comic book buyers, sellers and collectors have caught Iron Man fever.

All of this has been launched by the tremendous buzz that has been generated by the Iron Man movie. It has received 3 star and 4 star reviews even from the harshest critics. And this buzz and publicity has driven demand for all Iron Man back issue comic books - especially the Silver age Iron Man comics - through the roof.

In particular, Iron Man comics from between 1956 and 1969 are smoking hot on eBay. The Tales of Suspense issues as well as the Iron Man comics have seen a resurgence. A high number of bids have been placed and some record prices have been gotten.

The fact that the movie showcases outstanding acting talent, special effects, and lots of action is a key factor in the price rise and demand also. It’s a great movie!

Comic book buyers seem to be most attracted to Iron Man #1 from 1968 and issues #1 through #6 of the Volume 4 comics by Warren Ellis. Because of the movie’s success, these comics are poised to take off in value.

However, this is the time to be cautious. Hype or buying frenzy just about always occur when comic super hero movies come out. To tell a poor joke: “I’ve seen this movie before.” The same thing happened with Superman, Batman, SpiderMan, Xmen and all the rest. Comic buyers jump on the bandwagon and bump up copies of these comics so as not to miss out on a “potentially valuable investment”….only to be disappointed later when prices level off or decline in value.

Yes, it’s ok to start buying up Iron Man comics for your personal enjoyment. If you’re buying them as an investment, make sure you have a way to cash in on them later should they begin tank in value.

Alan LaMont has twenty years experience selling comics for profit and is author of “47 Ways To Sell Your Comic Books and Get Paid… Starting Today!” To get your FREE copy go to: http://www.ComicsToCash.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_LaMont

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By Jay Villaverde

The Silver Age of comic books was a period that lasted roughly a decade and a half from 1956-1970. This period was notable for the drastic increase in popularity of comic books during that time. That increase in popularity came from several sources and the Silver Age of comics paved the way for comics for decades, still influencing comic books from today.

The Silver Age of comics stands out for its dramatically improved artwork. Finer detail was used and brighter colors were also used to make the characters and the action stand out better. The comics were action filled and the action jumped off the page. Even the format and story telling of the comics themselves were evolving to better portray emotion, story lines and action or dialogue scenes.

The biggest change from its preceding era, the Golden Age, was that in the Silver Age of comic books the focus was firmly on superheroes. Superheroes and the villains they battled were essentially the sole focus of comic books during this time period. Additionally, these superheroes were being made more human. The tales of how they became superheroes typically involved science fiction story lines, dramatic emotional and personal problems or both. This change in the plots, stories and characters of comics was spurred on by the Comics Code.

The Comics Code Authority was formed in 1954 in an effort to standardize and improve comic books for younger generations, after receiving national attention and criticism from politicians. The decree was to make comics less violent, less gory and less sexual. Therefore there had to be a change in the direction comics were moving, and that change focused all efforts onto the superhero genre.

By making the superheroes have dramatic events shaping their personalities or science fiction mishaps giving them extra abilities and powers, they made the characters more human. This gave the comic book characters more life, personality and background, and made it easier for people to become invested in them.

Some of the most popular comic book superheroes in the Silver Age were rehashed characters from decades past. They were revamped via the new Comics Code and the new artistic, creative and design capabilities of artists and writers. Characters such as Batman and Superman were remade in this method and would go on of course to extreme new heights of popularity and reach. Other superheroes and characters from the Silver Age are also still overwhelmingly popular. These include Spiderman, the Hulk, the Flash, Iron Man and the X-Men, among many other notables.

The exact time period engulfing the Silver Age is debated. It is largely conceded that the 1956 re-introduction of the Flash started the beginning of the period. The end of the period is demarked over several years, including the retirements and departures of several prominent producers and editors in 1970, the changing of rules by the Comics Code Authority in 1971 and the departure of Stan Lee from Marvel Comics in 1972.

As with all good things that must come to an end, the Silver Age of Comic Books did, but not until it reshaped how we view comics today. That time period alone is responsible for the superheroes young boys and girls look up to today.

Jay Villaverde is the owner of Silver Age Comic Books. A site dedicated to kids of all ages, as well as collectors. Carrying everything from rare Marvel comic books to classic Superhero comics, Silver Age Comic Books has something for everyone.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Villaverde

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STAR TREK comic franchise holder IDW Publishing have promised to push their engines to Warp nine with the latest release line-up titled “Star Trek: Second Stage“.

Building on its first year of Star Trek storytelling - breaking the warp barrier with titles like Star Trek: Year Four, the hit mini-series Klingons: Blood Will Tell and the fan-favourite Alien Spotlight one-shot series - IDW will be showcasing some of the top Star Trek storytellers in comics through four new opening series.

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