Spider-Man and Luke Cage are New Avengers…again

Marvel promised that they’d be streamlining the Avengers comic book into just the one Avengers written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by John Romita Jr. Then there was news of the Secret Avengers by Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato.

Most recently is word of another title, New Avengers, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen.

According to these posters Spider-Man and Luke Cage are on the new team. Who will be next?

Source: CBR

SXSW Film Festival Announces Panels & Shorts

MICHEL GONDRY, QUENTIN TARANTINO, ELI ROTH, MATTHEW VAUGHN, MARK MILLAR AND DAVID GORDON GREEN AMONG KEY PANELISTS AT 2010 EVENT
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce over 80 Film Conference panels and 130 short films for the 2010 event, which will take place Friday, March 12 – Saturday, March 20, 2010 in Austin, Texas. The SXSW Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Aaron Johnson, Cholë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Nicolas Cage. The schedule, complete with both screening and panel dates and times, will be available on Monday, February 15th at http://www.sxsw.com/film. Visit often for more information and updates.

The SXSW Film Conference starts on Friday, March 12 and runs through Tuesday, March 16, 2010. New major panelists added to the SXSW Film Conference include Michel Gondry (filmmaker, The Thorn in the Heart, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Quentin Tarantino (filmmaker, Inglorious Basterds), David Gordon Green (filmmaker, Eastbound & Down, Pineapple Express), Peter Becker (President, Criterion Collection), David Wohl (Radical Publishing) and Susan Bradley (Pixar). Other upgrades to the 2010 Conference include more workshop sessions, more mentor sessions, and over 20 Crossover Panels (open to both Film and Interactive registrants).

“We are dedicated to presenting a strong conference that offers unique vaule for our registrants from both the Film and Interactive worlds,” says Film Conference and Producer Janet Pierson, “This year is no different – not only do our panels cover a wide range of crucial and timely topics, but we’ve assembled a dynamic group up of high-level talent to share their experiences and insight. “

Also announced was the complete Short films lineup, which will debut at this year’s Festival from March 12 – 20, 2010. Over the course of nine days, 130 short films will screen at the festival, selected from 2,312 short film submissions. A comprehensive list of the short films lineup is detailed below.

“After months of watching incredible shorts, we’re excited to finally unveil our complete lineup,” said Shorts Co-Programmers Claudette Godfrey and Stephanie Noone, “Every film in our program has a unique voice, embodies the energy of SXSW, and leaves a lasting impression that we are thrilled to share with an audience.”

A sampling of key panels follows below, as well as the complete panel breakdown, by date and title. For full panel descriptions and participants, visit www.sxsw.com/film/talks/panels.

• A Conversation with Michel Gondry
The stratospheric rise of Academy Award-winning visionary Michel Gondry is one of the great success stories of modern film. Working with fellow travelers like Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman and Bjork, Gondry has made his mark on the film landscape with iconic work like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. Come and enjoy what promises to be a fascinating discussion as Gondry discusses his latest, highly personal and emotionally raw documentary A Thorn in the Heart with TCM’s Elvis Mitchell.

• Directing the Dead: Genre Directors Spill Their Guts
How does modern horror take gore beyond the purely grisly to the level of grand guignol art and imagination? How does bone-cracking violence and flesh-rending horror contribute to the hallowed pantheon of art and cinema? Join five of the most striking genre filmmakers in modern movies as they lock horns over the all-important issues of blood, guts and gratuitous gore. Featuring Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), Matt Reeves (Let Me In) Eli Roth (Hostel), Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Ti West (House of the Devil), moderated by Scott Weinberg (Cinematical)

• Filmmakers in TV: A Case Study
Carving a niche in the world of film is tough enough, and achieving the same feat on the small screen is no easier. Successfully mastering both is in yet another league, but somehow the creators of HBO’s Eastbound & Down are pulling it off with style. Find out how Danny McBride (Your Highness), and filmmakers David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and Jody Hill (Observe and Report) made it look easy in this illuminating, entertaining glimpse at the art of combining technical skill, sharp comedy writing and moving from the packed auditorium to the living room couch.

• Creating a Graphic Novel Hollywood Will Buy
Graphic novels are red hot in Hollywood now. With its combination of words and visuals in one attractive package, a comic book can be a great sales tool when pitching your project to studios. Ean Mering (Pomegranate) talks to David Wohl (Radical Publishing), Martin Shapiro (Night Owl Productions), Matt Hawkins (Top Cow) and Ted Adams (IDW Publishing) will explain how to create a graphic novel that will attract the attention of movie producers.

Previously announced participants for the 2010 SXSW Film Conference include Jeffery Tambor’s Acting Workshop, a Kick-Ass Conversation panel with director Matthew Vaughn, actors Aaron Johnson, Cholë Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and comic writers Mark Millar and John S. Romita, Academy Award-winning Argentine composer, solo artist and producer Gustavo Santaolalla in Conversation with BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross, and Cult comics legend Gilbert Shelton in Conversation with Harry Knowles.

Thanks to Rich for passing the info along.

UPDATED: Who will be a Secret Avenger?

Marvel have been sending out teasers for the new Avengers comic book by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr – the team is comprised of Iron Man, Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Captain America and Thor.

That was thought to be the end of it as Marvel kept saying that all the different Avengers titles would be cancelled after the big Siege event and there would just be the Avengers.

Looks like that isn’t the case as a new teaser poster for Secret Avengers came out today. As you can see it is similar in composition to the Avengers posters, but the character is blacked out.

Turns out the new series will be writtern by Ed Brubaker with Mike Deodato on art.

Any idea who it is in the picture? I’m thinking Spider-Man, Black Panther, Beast, Dr Strange or maybe Cloak. Just can’t work it out.

Source: io9
UPDATE: Ed Brubaker sent a Tweet pointing to a new Secret Avenger teaser pic over at CBR.
This one appears to be wearing a cloak and with the caption with it I am thinking it could well be a former bad guy. Maybe The Hood or Taskmaster. Any ideas?

Kick-Ass – UK Quad poster

Another cool poster for Matthew Vaughn’s adaption of the Mark Millar, John Romita Jr comic. Empire debuted it.

Thor is an Avenger

Thor is the next on the teaser posters for the new Avengers Marvel comic by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. He joins Iron Man, Spider-Woman, Hawkeye and Captain America.

Is this the final line up of the team?

Source: CBR

Hawkeye is an Avenger

Hawkeye is the next on the teaser posters for the new Avengers Marvel comic by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. He joins Iron Man, Spider-Woman and Captain America.

Although I am starting to wonder whether this will be the actual team or if it could be showing all the people who were Avengers but have since died or moved on to different things? Case in point is the Captain America pic – it looks like it is the Bucky version has he has a gun, yet Steve Rogers has returned to the Marvel Universe and surely he would be in the Avengers?

Then there was the pic of the Heroic Age which we thought was the Avengers team, yet there’s no Spider-Woman there, plus Hawkeye in that pic looks like it could be Bucky as he seems to have a cybernetic arm. Am I looking into this too much?

Only time will tell.

Source: CBR

Iron Man is in the Avengers comic

Another day another hero who will be part of the Avengers in the new Marvel comic by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. He joins Spider-Woman and Captain America. Who will be next?

Source: CBR

Spider-Woman will be in the new Avengers comic

A couple of days ago I shared the news that John Romita Jr was doing the art for the Brian Michael Bendis Avengers comic due out after Siege.

We know Captain America is in the team (Bucky or Steve Rogers we still don’t know) and now it appears that Spider-Woman is on the team according to CBR. Who will be next?

The Avengers – John Romita Jr is on art

One of my all time favourite comic book artists, John Romita Jr, will be on art duty for the new Avengers comic due out in May. He was worked on so many comic books it would take too long to list them all, but he has done sterling work on Kick-Ass, Thor, Spider-Man and the X-Men to name just a few.

After all the Civil War, Dark Avengers and Siege all of the Avengers comics are being cancelled a single Avengers title will live on written by Brian Michael Bendis. No more Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers etc.

I recently posted a picture that shows what could well be the line-up of the new team. Captain America is in the line-up – in that pic I thought it was the Steve Rogers version in the Bucky Cap outfit as there was no gun. However, the Romita Jr teaser poster for the new Avengers comic shows a Captain America with a gun…I have no idea if it is Bucky or Steve.

It looks as if Bucky is the new Hawkeye as I think the original will die (again). The solicitation for Siege issue 2 does state one Avenger will die:

The blockbuster Marvel event of the year goes full-blown carnage and madness as the biggest and most brutal battle in Marvel’s history brings together heroes from all sides. Lines have been drawn, and an unlikely hero will save one Avenger, but they can’t save them all. The Siege has begun and it claims its first victim as AN AVENGER WILL DIE!!

Looking forward to more of the teaser posters for the new series. How do you feel about Romita Jr working on The Avengers?

Source: THR

Black Panther – Animated series intro

Here is the opening for the new Marvel Animated show, Black Panther and I like the look of it.
It premiered this month on Australian children’s channel ABC3 (no idea why it would premiere there but good on the Aussies for getting it). Djimon Hounsou voices Black Panther, king of the African nation of Wakanda and a cool kick-ass character.

Along with Hounsou as T’Challa, Stan Lee provides the voice of General Wallace, JB Blanc voices The Black Knight and Batroc, Kerry Washington voices Princess Shuri and Jill Scott provides the voice of X-Men member Storm.

I love the John Romita Jr style art work. No idea when it is out in the US or UK but are there any Australians reading this who have seen it? Is it as good as it looks?