Comics and Movies

[DallasEast]

DC’s Watchmen Producer Shares His ‘Cynical’ View on Marvel Movies
By Russ Milheim | The Direct
August 11, 2022

<snip>

In an interview with Variety, Watchmen producer Damon Lindelof, also known for his work on ABC’s LOST and HBO’s The Leftovers, shared what he thinks about the current landscape of superhero projects.

Lindelof said that, from a "more cynical [business] standpoint," it's natural for Marvel's quantity of releases to continue increasing. The producer also noted how if Marvel Studios made less, “It would make each one that came out a little bit more special,” while admitting that he does prefer for things to have an ending:

“From a slightly sort of more cynical standpoint, this is a business… It’s an industry. And if you make a couple of great Marvel movies, the instinct is, ‘We need to make more Marvel movies, and we need to expand this.’ And I have this sort of interior feeling of like, ’Wow, I wish they made less because it would make each one that came out a little bit more special. But I watch all of them…People don’t want things to end. I do.”

<snip>

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[DallasEast]

How ‘The Wolverine’ Laid the Groundwork for ‘Logan’
By Matthew Mosley | Collider
August 11, 2022

2017 was a big year for superhero films. Wonder Woman burst onto the stage with the first female-led superhero film since the genre’s resurgence, with its title heroine teaming up with her fellow DC heroes in the long overdue (albeit very messy) Justice League a few months later, while over at Marvel, James Gunn and Taika Waititi, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok, respectively, had delivered two of the greatest entries in the MCU that managed to retain the personal touch that many of their compatriots lack. However, towering above them all was Logan, Hugh Jackman’s swansong for the claw-wielding mutant whom he had portrayed for seventeen years. The film’s intimate take on the overblown genre made for a refreshing change of pace from such films, with its R-rated tone allowing for a more contemplative pace, while also allowing for an increased use of violence to underline the pain of its title character. Its success earned it an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, the only live-action superhero film to be recognized for its writing. It was a nomination well-earned, and as the years continue on and the glut of comic-book films continues to grow, there is no doubt that Logan will go down as one of its crowning achievements.

In fact, Logan was so good that it’s easy to forget the film that preceded it, 2013’s wildly underrated The Wolverine. While first impressions may give the apprehension of this being just another superhero film in a sea of thousands, closer inspection reveals a film of considerable depth that shares more than just its main character with its sequel. Both films featured James Mangold and Scott Frank in the roles of director and writer, respectively, and in hindsight, The Wolverine feels like the first attempt at many of the concepts they would later perfect with Logan. The emphasis on a smaller-scale story featuring a weakened Wolverine dealing with the consequences of his actions both past and present, alongside a strong focus on the setting that imbues itself into every aspect of the film, is a description that would fit either film. However, it’s clear that the requirement to produce a commercial blockbuster perfect for the summer movie season led to much of The Wolverine’s potential being left on the wayside, most evidently in the film’s infamous final act that feels like it belongs in an entirely different film. The Wolverine is a film suffering from an identity crisis, and while the success of Logan arguably renders it insignificant, it’s interesting to see how it planted the seeds that would grow into something spectacular.

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[DallasEast]

10 Dark Horse Comics Netflix Needs To Adapt As Shows Or Movies
By Jamie Gerber | Slash Film
August 11, 2022

As far as comics are concerned, Marvel and DC aren't the only game in town! Netflix and Dark Horse recently struck a deal giving the streaming platform first dibs on the comic publisher's various titles, so we've potentially got some exciting projects on the way. This new development most certainly stems from Netflix's success with another Dark Horse property: "The Umbrella Academy." The streamer already has other titles from the publisher, including "Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles," which is a loose adaptation of "Usagi Yojimbo."

There are several more projects in the works as well, such as "Mind MGMT" and "Bang!" both of which were written by Matt Kindt, with the former drawn by Kindt, as well, and the latter drawn by Wilfredo Torres. Some other beloved Dark Horse titles are also already headed from page to screen. So, with "Grendel," "The Goon," and "Lady Killer" currently in development, what other comics should Netflix be looking to use as source material for a show or movie? Let's dig in!

Beasts of Burden

First up is my personal favorite. "Beasts of Burden" was created by the amazing team of Evan Dorkin ("Milk and Cheese") and Jill Thompson ("The Sandman," "Scary Godmother"). Many a movie and TV show have been based around a quirky paranormal investigator, but typically these individuals are, you know, human. In the world of "Beasts of Burden," people are blissfully unaware of the supernatural threats that plague them and it's up to a brave group of dogs and one cat to keep them at bay. Whether they are attempting to exorcise the spirit of a dead canine from the dog house it's haunting, teaming up with Hellboy — more on him later — or trying to bring down a rat cabal, these critters will immediately worm their way right into your heart.

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[DallasEast]

Marvel Gives Arcade His Own Comic With Murderworld Avengers Series
By Rich Johnston | Bleeding Cool
August 11, 2022

Jim Zub, Ray Fawkes, and Jethro Morales are creating a new comic book series based around the interactions between supervillain Arcade and the Avengers, kicking off in November. Well, DC Comics has Poison Ivy and The Joker, Marvel Comics might as well join in… and apparently, there is s big truth about what Murderwrld has always been, to be uncovered. It's a CIA operation, right? Gotta be the CIA. Here's the PR.

Let the games begin! This November, Marvel's greatest heroes will confront the full terror of Murderworld in a new saga! Crafted by writers Jim Zub (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER) and Ray Fawkes (ONE SOUL, CONSTANTINE), this five-part series will plunge readers into the darkest depths of Arcade's Murderworld, the classic location that's caused mayhem in the Marvel Universe for decades! Overloaded with gut-wrenching twists, unbelievable deaths, and bloodied and bruised Marvel heroes, this unpredictable story will reveal just how deadly Murderworld truly is and uncover shocking truths behind the countless victims that have found themselves trapped there.

Zub and Fawkes will be joined by a murderer's row of talented artists throughout the series starting with Jethro Morales. The wildly violent ride will kick off in MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS #1 and then continue in one-shots starring Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Moon Knight before exploding in typical Murderworld fashion in a dramatic finale issue!

READY. SET. DIE! Hundreds are killed every year in an elaborate secret tournament run by a sadistic man with nearly limitless resources at his fingertips. It's not an urban legend. It's not a myth – MURDERWORLD is real! It's online, and the gruesome truth has been hidden from everyone except its victims – until NOW. Meet Paul Pastor, the extraordinary young documentarian who's going to expose it all…with some super-powered help, starting with the Avengers! In MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS, the Black Widow has a personal grudge to settle with Murderworld mastermind Arcade – but can she stop this game before it kills again?

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[DallasEast]

@quickccc , you may find this article VERY interesting.

Warner Bros. Discovery Is a Screaming Buy -- if It Can Fix This 1 Monster Issue
By Dani Cook | The Motley Fool
August 11, 2022

The company needs to find a solution to its DC problem.

The merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery that resulted in Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD 4.43%) has caused a shake-up for HBO Max. The company's CEO is currently on a mission to pay down a massive debt, with changes in streaming strategy and content cancellations making headlines almost daily.

For Warner Bros. Discovery's next move, it needs to ditch or overhaul its DC film franchise.

An unsuccessful venture

WarnerMedia was aiming to compete with Disney (DIS 4.68%) in 2013 when it released its DC film Man of Steel. The movie came after Disney had acquired Marvel and its superhero franchise had grown to seven films. WarnerMedia subsequently started developing its DC extended universe (DCEU), which now includes 11 movies, with more on the way. However, the company has suffered substantial losses on its superhero venture, with Warner Bros. Discovery now responsible for paying it down.

On April 8, Warner Bros. Discovery assumed $43 billion of debt from WarnerMedia following the merger with Discovery. CEO David Zaslav has made multiple moves to stop the bleeding, shifting HBO Max's content strategy to focus on titles guaranteed to generate profits. On Aug. 2, Zaslav made the controversial move to cancel the nearly completed film Batgirl, which had been due to release at the end of 2022. The company spent roughly $90 million on the movie that will see no streaming or theatrical release, with Zaslav reasoning the future of DC will "focus on quality."

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[DallasEast]

The Multiversity: Grant Morrison Reveals the Fascinating Secrets Behind Their DC Epic
By Jesse Schedeen | IGN Africa
August 10, 2022

Writer Grant Morrison is among the many comic book creators who have taken to Substack over the past year Morrison's Substack page, Xanaduum, has proven to be a real treasure trove of insights and behind-the-scenes revelations for past DC works like Batman, Final Crisis and Superman and the Authority. With DC releasing The Multiversity as an Absolute Edition hardcover this week, Morrison has now turned their attention to this quirky yet ambitious cosmic epic.

Following up on our previous retrospective on Morrison's hugely influential Batman run, IGN can exclusively debut the first chapter in Morrison's series of annotations on The Multiversity. Read on for a quick primer on what Multiversity is, and then learn some fascinating new details about one of Morrison's most ambitious DC projects to date.

What Is The Multiversity?

The Multiversity is a followup of sorts to Morrison's 2008 crossover Final Crisis, with the character Nix Uotan serving as the main connective tissue. Once a Monitor tasked with observing one of the 52 worlds that make up the DC multiverse, Nix was reborn at the end of Final Crisis as an ordinary mortal who channels his dreams of gods and costumed heroes into his artwork. In The Multiversity, Nix is called back into action as a new evil called The Gentry (beings who exist as the living embodiment of terrible ideas) threaten the entire multiverse.

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[Runwildboys]

Wow, Apparently Joaquin Phoenix And Lady Gaga’s Joker 2 Will Cost A Lot More Than The First Movie
By Adam Holmes | Cinema Blend
August 11, 2022

The Joker will soon be returning to the big screen, and I’m not talking about Jared Leto’s version of The Clown Prince of Crime from the DC Extended Universe. In 2019, Joaquin Phoenix starred as a more grounded take on Batman’s arch-nemesis named Arthur Fleck in Joker, which was met with positive critical reception and became the first R-rated movie to cross $1 billion. Joker 2, a.k.a Joker: Folie à Deux, is now making steady progress forward, and apparently the sequel that will see Phoenix performing opposite Lady Gaga will cost a lot more than its predecessor.

We already knew that Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly getting a bigger payday for Joker 2 to the tune of $20 million, a sharp increase from the $4.5 million he received for Joker. According to a new report from Variety, director and co-writer Todd Phillips, who announced the Joker: Folie à Deux in early June, is also getting paid $20 million, while Lady Gaga is getting $10 million. Those salaries combined with, as the outlet put it, “the cost of producing complicated musical sequences,” will result in Joker 2’s production budget adding up to roughly $150 million. However, it was also mentioned that these musical sequences will be more in the vein of Gaga’s 2018 movie A Star is Born rather than something like 2021’s In the Heights.

When it comes to superhero movies, $150 million is more on the cheap side of things. For comparison, fellow DC movie The Batman had a production budget somewhere in the $185-200 million range, while Thor: Love and Thunder, the latest Marvel movie, reportedly cost $250 million to put together. Still, considering that Joker’s production budget fell somewhere between $55-70 million, the fact that Joker 2 has reportedly obtained double or nearly triple that number is a big deal, particularly since a third of this amount has just been allocated to the two leading actors and the filmmaker.

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I wonder how much it will lose. I don't see even half as many people going to see it, knowing it's a musical.

 

[Stash]

I wonder how much it will lose. I don't see even half as many people going to see it, knowing it's a musical.

 

[John813]

I sort of wish Joker was an one time film. That sequel is going to have a lot of internal and external pressure and while I have zero concerns with Phoenix, I just hope it's not rushed/quantity. A musical to boot??

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

 

[DallasEast]

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. the Army of the Dead | Comic Trailer | DC (74 seconds)

 

[quickccc]

It is to each their own in my opinion. Superman: The Movie was great for its time. Not much thought was put into a guy, appearing out of nowhere, flying and catching news reporters falling from helicopters, and catching and lifting them like paper. Audiences were just awed like deer in headlights. I was one of them. It's the stuff of comic books from that era. Acceptance without question.

Well, comic books matured since then. Much more thought was put into storytelling and from real world perspectives. So for me (and just me) introducing a character, with otherworldly abilities, should be projected with apprehension on screen. What would be my first reaction if I spotted someone who looks like a man floating in mid-air? Acceptance? Awe? Nah. Me? I am saying to myself what the <fill in a word>. Some real life people would run from such a sight. Others might think they are having a religious experience. There are people who would shoot at something so fantastical that their brains cannot compute.

It's Superman. What type of menace should confront Superman? Superman is not Spider-Man. Spidey protects neighborhoods. He's not Batman. Bats protects cities. Superman? Supes protects The World. So what kind of villainy should Superman confront, stop and eliminate? Should the expectation be three people looking like they left a Goth party or an overly dramatic bald guy with a goofy henchman sidekick? What can be so menacing that it threatens all life on the planet? What is TRULY a job for SUPERMAN?????????

And how should people be seen in such a world faced with such a unique dilemma?

In a movie?

It was not Zack Snyder's best work in my opinion. That I give to him for his director's cut of Justice League but Man of Steel checks all my checkboxes for the Man of Tomorrow. The Man of Action. The Last Son of Krypton. I respect differing opinions of the movie. They do not sway mine though. I saw Superman on the screen in a way I would expect to see him in the world we actually live in. That is what I wanted from the film. It delivered for me. It was fun for me. Still is.

-However Spiderman does not have Superman’s flight, vision range, so it’s only a certain radius that he covers.
Plus per comic book, he uses artificial web cartridges (which I love how Sam Raimi decided to
opt and give Spidey “ real” webbing from his hands/wrists ) and as we know Spidey depends very heavily on that webbing for web-slinging around the hood.

- How convenient that its’ Queens, New York that has clutters of buildings and towers to swing closely in range (instead of Dallas, Frisco, Laredo, or McKinney Texas? )

- The Bat has his various options of transportation .. Bat mobile, Bat hummers, Bat copters, Bat- hoover planes, Bat hyper boats, etc.
So we know he won’t be hurting to get around outside the normal Gotham either.

 

[DallasEast]

-However Spiderman does not have Superman’s flight, vision range, so it’s only a certain radius that he covers.
Plus per comic book, he uses artificial web cartridges (which I love how Sam Raimi decided to
opt and give Spidey “ real” webbing from his hands/wrists ) and as we know Spidey depends very heavily on that webbing for web-slinging around the hood.

- How convenient that its’ Queens, New York that has clutters of buildings and towers to swing closely in range (instead of Dallas, Frisco, Laredo, or McKinney Texas? )

- The Bat has his various options of transportation .. Bat mobile, Bat hummers, Bat copters, Bat- hoover planes, Bat hyper boats, etc.
So we know he won’t be hurting to get around outside the normal Gotham either.

Not sure my earlier comment has been substantiated or not. I was not questioning either example of Spider-Man or Batman being unwilling to try defending against world threatening menaces. Of course they would try. They are heroes. In fact, they are the best of the best created by any comics book publisher. That is not what I tried to say or even imply.

Let's take a look at movies for a second. In all the Maguire/Garfield/Holland films, Spider-Man's closest equivalent to a world threatening menace was Thanos, trying to take off his Infinity Gauntlet, with Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange's help in Avengers: Infinity War AND confronting Thanos army with every MCU hero backed by Wakandan forces in Avengers: Endgame.

In all movies that came before, during and after the Christopher Nolan's films, Batman's nearest world-class threat level opponent was Doomsday and Kal-El, the former would have burnt him to a crisp if not for Diana and the latter was being his typical Boy Scout self playing with kid gloves, in Batman v Superman and Steppenwolf/Parademons, who mainly faced off against Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and Supes in Justice League (my preference is the director's cut though).

While Superman does need allies (that's what the Justice League is for), he has the physical capability to fend all of the above, although he would struggle mightily against an intergalactic army.

Spider-Man? Or Batman? Such world class threats are well outside of their weight class. So, to emphasize again, whenever someone utters "This is a job for __________!", one might defer to The Incredible Hulk or squeeze in Thor but the fill in the blank answer is most assuredly Superman.

Forget a combat squad of actual amoral killer Kryptonians and planet terraforming futuristic technology for a moment. Spider-Man and Batman would be mincemeat for the three Goth Kryptonians from Superman II--although both heroes might be able to get them monologuing long enough to extend the struggle more than necessary. Well, not Non of course. All he did was grunt the entire movie.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Not sure my earlier comment has been substantiated or not. I was not questioning either example of Spider-Man or Batman being unwilling to try defending against world threatening menaces. Of course they would try. They are heroes. In fact, they are the best of the best created by any comics book publisher. That is not what I tried to say or even imply.

Let's take a look at movies for a second. In all the Maguire/Garfield/Holland films, Spider-Man's closest equivalent to a world threatening menace was Thanos, trying to take off his Infinity Gauntlet, with Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange's help in Avengers: Infinity War AND confronting Thanos army with every MCU hero backed by Wakandan forces in Avengers: Endgame.

In all movies that came before, during and after the Christopher Nolan's films, Batman's nearest world-class threat level opponent was Doomsday and Kal-El, the former would have burnt him to a crisp if not for Diana and the latter was being his typical Boy Scout self playing with kid gloves, in Batman v Superman and Steppenwolf/Parademons, who mainly faced off against Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and Supes in Justice League (my preference is the director's cut though).

While Superman does need allies (that's what the Justice League is for), he has the physical capability to fend all of the above, although he would struggle mightily against an intergalactic army.

Spider-Man? Or Batman? Such world class threats are well outside of their weight class. So, to emphasize again, whenever someone utters "This is a job for __________!", one might defer to The Incredible Hulk or squeeze in Thor but the fill in the blank answer is most assuredly Superman.

Forget a combat squad of actual amoral killer Kryptonians and planet terraforming futuristic technology for a moment. Spider-Man and Batman would be mincemeat for the three Goth Kryptonians from Superman II--although both heroes might be able to get them monologuing long enough to extend the struggle more than necessary. Well, not Non of course. All he did was grunt the entire movie.

That's why you move to Hell's Kitchen, sure you got Kingpin, Bullseye etc., but at least you don't have to worry about those pesky world level threats

Daredevil's Home Is Immune To Thanos-Level Threats
By Joe Anthony Myrick
Published 5 days ago
Everyone, even major villains, doesn't seem to know or care about Hell's Kitchen. That all changes for Jessica Jones and Daredevil in The Variants.

Spoiler warning for The Variants #2!

The Man Without Fear, Daredevil, isn't the only patron of Hell's Kitchen as Jessica Jones is quickly learning that the New York neighborhood is immune to worldwide threats from the likes of Thanos. Hell's Kitchen has served as the quiet little cornerstone of the Marvel.
Universe ever since the Daredevil character first debuted in 1964. Other locals like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage do their part to protect the streets of Hell's Kitchen, but the threats of Hell's Kitchen are typically street-level, for the most part.

Not to undermine the likes of Kingpin, Bullseye, or The Purple Man who all terrorize Hell's Kitchen on a regular basis. While their crimes are heinous in their own right, they aren't the same kind of worldwide threats that demand The Avengers' attention in the way Thanos would. Villains like Thanos typically affect the entire world in their attacks, yet somehow, Hell's Kitchen either winds up never mentioned or completely safe from what should be such a worldwide attack. Even Tigra notices how Hell's Kitchen always seems to wind up unscathed from worldwide carnage whenever someone like Thanos targets the planet earth.

https://screenrant.com/daredevil-hells-kitchen-immune-thanos-threats-jessica-jones/

 

[Roadtrip635]

They are changing the name of the series from just "Pennyworth" to "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler"
Such a great show, can't wait until October!

https://deadline.com/2022/08/dc-ori...er-fall-premiere-hbo-max-1235089327/#comments