Back in December of 2008, there was a fun little rumor that Tim Robbins would be showing up in Iron Man 2 as Tony Stark’s father, but sadly that was just not to be.

Now comes word that Robbins has actually been cast in another fatherly comic book movie role; the actor will be playing Senator Hammond in The Green Lantern. The Senator is the father of Peter Sarsgaard’s Dr. Hector Hammond character, a pathologist who gains psychic and telepathic abilities from a meteor and eventually becomes a villain in the story. The father and son duo have always had issues seeing eye-to-eye.

Robbins also joins Ryan Reynolds who is of course playing the Green Lantern himself, Hal Jordan, and Blake Lively, who is playing Jordan’s boss and eventual love interest, Carol Ferris.

The Green Lantern is set to begin filming soon, and currently has a June 17, 2011 release date set. If that scheduling remains true, the Summer of 2011 will be a Heaven on Earth for comic book fanatics. [...]

BOOM! Studios has been producing some really interesting mini-series lately and we’ve just learned about another intriguing series coming soon.

Codebreakers, written by Carey Malloy with art by Scott Godlewski, promises “clandestine thrills and excitement that only BOOM! can deliver.” There will also be covers by Unthinkable’s Julian Totino Tedesco and Brett Weldele (The Surrogates).

I’m pretty much on board with anything BOOM! produces so I’ll be picking this one up.

Crack the code with Codebreakers this April, but in the meantime, check out the official press release [...]

Planet Hulk
2-Disc Special Edition DVD
Directed by Sam Liu
Starring Rick D. Wasserman, Lisa Ann Beley, Mark Hildreth, Liam O’Brien, Kevin Michael Richardson, Samuel Vincent, Advah Soudack, Michael Kopsa, Marc Worden
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 2, 2010

Planet Hulk is the latest direct-to-DVD film from Marvel’s Animation Studio and it’s got a lot going for it. Director Sam Liu has previously worked on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and screenwriter Greg Johnson worked on one of my personal favorites, Doctor Strange. The film is also based on one of the best Hulk stories of all time (written by the awesome Greg Pak) in which the Green Goliath is deemed too dangerous for Earth and exiled to another planet free of any intelligent life. Unfortunately something goes wrong and the Hulk’s ship crash lands on a war world where he’s immediately forced into slavery and forced to fight Gladiator-style for his freedom. All of these factors contributed to my Hulk-size anticipation of the film and I can thankfully say I was not disappointed.

Every aspect of Planet Hulk is solid, from the voice acting and animation to the character development and story. The film is a direct adaptation of the previously mentioned Greg Pak epic storyline, which is a different approach in contrast with the recent Marvel animated films which created their own stories and weren’t directly adapted from any one arc [...]

Much like his father before him, Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) is making the transition from printed page to big screen. Our friends at Latino Review are reporting that Hill’s critically acclaimed series Locke & Key will be adapted by the writing/producing dynamic duo, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci through their deal with DreamWorks.

The story centers around Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Keyhouse is also home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all. Locke & Key is illustrated magnificently by Gabriel Rodriguez and published by IDW.

Locke & Key was nominated for Best Limited Series and Joe Hill was nominated for Best Writer at the 2009 Eisner Awards. Check out the trailer for the comic book IDW Publishing put out:

If you’re not familiar with the series, now is the time to get caught up, the series has been fantastic. Welcome to Lovecraft, the first book in the series, is available on trade paperback for around $15; $16.50 if you prefer hardcover) [...]

A big press junket for The Wolfman was recently held in Los Angeles, but the prime objective of anyone who could get to director Joe Johnston was to find out whatever they could about his contribution to the Marvel world, The First Avenger: Captain America.

The movie isn’t set to be released until July 22, 2011, but with no sign of even the first casting announcement, folks are beginning to wonder what’s going on. Two massive Marvel movies are primed for release that summer — the other being Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, which bows May 6 — but Thor has all of its casting well in-hand, hence the question marks. These two movies are the final two pieces before 2012’s The Avengers begins its epic descent toward our eyes.

So what exactly did Johnston have to share about his movie and where things stand? Well — a lot, to be quite honest. Johnston touched on the type of gentleman he wants to cast in the all-important role and when we should meet this man, how he’s handling the tricky-but-iconic costume re-invention, and what other known characters or maybe even villains we could see showing up in the movie. [...]

Muppet King Arthur #1
Issue 1 of 4
Written by Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck
Art by Patrick Storck
Cover Art by David Peterson (Cover A); Dave Alvarez (Cover B)
BOOM! Studios
Price: $2.99; Release date: February 10, 2010

Do you like Arthurian legend? How about The Muppets?

BAM! Here’s a comic for you: Muppet King Arthur #1, the first of four issues in the new BOOM! Studios comic book series from Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck.

This series sees the famous Muppets gang in Great Britain during the Dark Ages where our favorite green guy Kermit is thrust in the role as King Arthur after he pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, ushering in the legendary Arthurian times.

Being released on the publisher’s BOOM! Kids line implies this comic book is for children, but that’s only partially true, as I found that some of the humor was clearly adult, namely the references to modern-day politics. But yes, the kids will love it too, because the Muppets are in action, and Fozzie Bear never fails to … WOCKA WOCKA … slip in a corny joke [...]

Siege #2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Olivier Coipel
Inker: Mark Morales
Colorist: Laura Martin
Cover: Olivier Coipel; Gabriele Dellotto (variant)
Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99; Release date: February 3, 2010

As much as I enjoy Brian Michael Bendis‘ work on a variety of titles, his big event work at Marvel has generally left me cold. There weren’t a lot of things wrong with series like “House of M” or “Secret Invasion” per se, but the stories were never as exciting to me as they should have been. I think a lot of that can be blamed on their length. Fortunately, Bendis and Marvel made the wise decision to make their new event “Siege” only four issues, which I think has forced Bendis to cut all the filler and get straight to the killer. And as it turns out, that killer is the Sentry.

Siege #2 finds Norman Osborn’s attack on Asgard in full swing, but unfortunately, he loses control of one major player, just as the Avengers are planning their counterattack. Ares has been one of Osborn’s big guns, but when the god of war finds out that he’s been played for a fool, he decides to take Norman out. Unfortunately, Norman has another big gun, and calls in the Sentry to take on Ares [...]

Planet Hulk, the latest animated feature from Marvel Studios and Lionsgate Home Entertainment, hit shelves this week and one of the special features on the DVD and Blu-ray was a first look at Thor: Tales Of Asgard, Marvel’s next animated feature.

Take a look at the sneak peek here below and let us know what you think.

The thought of a teenage Thor doesn’t quite stir my loins like previous Marvel films have but I’ll give it a shot next year.

Thor: Tales Of Asgard arrives on shelves in 2011 — just in time to piggy back onto Kenneth Branagh’s live-action Thor when it hits theaters [...]

It’s amazing how Hollywood works these days, especially when it comes to the world of superhero and comic book-related film projects. Sometimes these movies get made and turn into some of the biggest franchises ever seen, while others don’t do so well and are considered failures. Either way — whether it be Spider-Man or The Incredible Hulk — studios don’t seem to have the slightest issue with throwing entire $100-$150 million films in the trash, and starting anew…just like that.

One of the titles that we’ve heard was up for a possible reboot, was Daredevil. Along with Elektra, many fans weren’t pleased with how the franchise was shaping up, so Fox seemed ready and willing to give it another go with new faces. This move is now confirmed, and according to Deadline Hollywood, they have also hired David Scarpa to pen the script for the do-over.

Daredevil tells the story of a blind man who develops incredible abilities using his other senses, and uses those gifts to fight crime and evil. The original movie starred Ben Affleck as the sight-less hero, and it made $179 million in worldwide box office. [...]

Detective Comics #861
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Jock
Co-feature Art by Cully Hamner
Cover by JH Williams III
DC Comics
Price: $3.99; Release date: January 27, 2010

JH Williams III became one of my favorite artists last year when he was brought on board Detective Comics (along with writer Greg Rucka), bringing with him his impressive layouts and a highly photo realistic style.

With Detective Comics #861 Jock takes over for Williams on art detail, bringing a very different dynamic to the art. The two have radically different styles, with Jock having a much more angular style. He doesn’t have the way with the intricate layouts that Williams does, but he adds grit to the issue that Williams doesn’t have. Jock’s has an economy of line, and the coloring adds a very expressionistic angle to the art. If you’re used to his art, and enjoy it as I do, the change will not be as much of a bitter pill to swallow, but if you’re looking for a style similar to Williams III, you may not enjoy the change as much.

A new storyline starts in this issue as Batman and Batwoman are tracking down the same case in two different eras and I’m assuming we will see how they are connected at some point, but as when Williams was drawing it, the star here is Jock’s art. He has a great way of projecting the mood of the scenes [...]

When it was announced that Sony had decided to completely incinerate their plans for a fourth Spider-Man, as well as everyone involved from director Sam Raimi to stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, we could only imagine who might step in and replace them for the proposed overhaul of the franchise.

Not too long after that, it was announced that (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb would be the new man at the wheel, and now we’re beginning to hear the names that could become Spider-Man himself.

In a chat with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush, Logan Lerman was pointed out as a prime candidate for the new Spider-Man, and was then asked if he was in any sort of talks about the role. Lerman excitedly admitted that he has had conversations with Sony and the producers of the film, and that he’s hoping that more talks will follow. He also admitted that it was the producers who sought him out, and not the other way around — surely a good sign for Lerman, whether he lands the role or not. [...]

Superman: Secret Origin #4
Issue 4 of 6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal
Covers by Gary Frank
DC Comics
Price $3.99; Release date: January 27, 2010

If there’s one thing that can be said about last week of comic releases, is that this was a week for the art lover. Case in point: Superman: Secret Origin #4.

The story by Geoff Johns for this issue is not bad, showing the first face to face meeting between Lex Luthor and Superman, as well as a new origin for the villain Parasite, but the main reason to pick up this issue is the fantastic art of Gary Frank. The first thing to note is the way he draws Clark Kent. You may argue that Frank draws him to look a little too much like Christopher Reeve, but I think it adds another layer to the character, since so many of us identify Reeve as the ultimate Superman. It’s something that will appeal to casual fans, and I think once this series is done, this is going to be a great book to give to your non-comic reading friends [...]

Captain America: Reborn #6
Written by Ed Brubaker
Penciled by Bryan Hitch
Inked by Array
Colored by Paul Mounts
Lettered by VC – Joe Caramagna
Cover by Bryan Hitch
Price: $3.99; Marvel Comics
Release date: January 27, 2010

Captain America has been one of my favorite series since Ed Brubaker took over several years ago.

We all knew that when the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, was killed at the end of the Civil War event, that he would be back at some point. Unfortunately, this series that is bringing Steve back to life has been plagued by delays, and had an extra issue added to complete the story.

So, was the wait for Issue #6 worth it? Well, I guess it depends on how much you HAD to have Steve Rogers back behind the shield. If you really wanted him back, than this may have lived up to the expectations, but for me, the whole series has been kind of underwhelming, and I’ll be glad to get back to the regular adventures of Bucky Barnes or Steve Rogers or whoever they want to call Cap [...]

The Last Days of American Crime #1
Issue 1 of 3
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Greg Tocchini
Lettering by Rus Rooton
64 pages, Full Color; $4.99
Radical Publishing

From Rick Remender, the critically acclaimed writer of Punisher and Fear Agent comes the first issue of The Last Days Of American Crime. Featuring covers from Alex Maleev and Greg Tocchini this crime noir thriller captured my attention with its really cool premise. Picture this:

In the not-too-distant future, as a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans in secret to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. To keep this from the public, the government creates a distraction, installing a new currency system using digital charge cards.

Enter Graham Bricke, a career criminal never quite able to hit the big score. In a grand scheme, Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country, and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life [...]

Marvel announced today who will be the new artist on The Avengers when the series relaunches in May with a new first issue.

Personal favorite artist John Romita Jr. will join writer Brian Michael Bendis as they launch what Marvel is calling “The Heroic Age.” [Read Marvel Comics Promises ‘Heroes Will Be Heroes Again’ In ‘Heroic Age’]

Along with the announcement came a new image from Romita, showing the new Captain America, Bucky Barnes. (Check it out here at right; click for larger, full view.)

We know that the new series will feature the return of the Big Three (that’s Captain America, Thor and Iron Man) to the Avengers, although we don’t know the rest of the team yet [...]

On Friday, the trailer was released for The Losers, the film adaptation of the DC/Vertigo comic book series of the same name, which opens in theaters April 9, 2010 [Read: Watch Now: First Trailer For Comic Book Adaptation ‘The Losers’].

In an article interviewing the film’s director Sylvain White, the LA Times Hero Complex blog unveiled a new promo image, which spotlights the film’s main characters. The image is reminiscent of The Losers graphic novel cover [see The Losers Vol. 1 & 2] and features Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Clay, Chris Evans as Jensen, Zoë Saldana as Aisha, Óscar Jaenada as Cougar, Idris Elba as Rogue, and Columbus Short as Pooch.

Check out the image here at right and click for larger, full view.

For those of you not familiar with The Losers comic book, by Andy Diggle and Jock, Issue #1 of the series is available now as a FREE download [link opens up 8.7 MB PDF]: Download Issue #1 [...]

Demonic #1
Top Cow – Pilot Season
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Joe Benitez
Cover Art: Marc Silvestri
Top Cow
Release date: January 27, 2010

It’s time for yet another installment in the 2010 version of Top Cow’s Pilot Season. What is Pilot Season? Well I’m glad you asked. Pilot Season is the annual initiative from Top Cow started way back in the year of 2007 that gives the fans control over which one shot will get turned into a full mini-series. Imagine American Idol for comics and you basically have Pilot Season in a nutshell.

Check out my thoughts on the first issue of Demonic below in my audio review.

Here’s the official synopsis: The demon is in his head. The demon makes him strong. The demon gets angry when he doesn’t kill. Scott Graves is possessed and he will do anything the demon asks as long as it promises not to make him kill his wife and daughter. Scott stalks in the night as Demonic, a vigilante known for savagely slaughtering the wicked. He asks himself, how long can he continue living this way and what if the demon isn’t real?

From the creative minds of Image partners Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri comes Demonic! [...]

The first official trailer for The Losers is now online. Even better, you’ll be happy to know, is that it looks like it could be a hell of a lot of fun.

This is a pleasant surprise and possible proof that resume don’t always make the talent. The movie is directed by Sylvain White, who has previously directed I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer and Stomp the Yard, which naturally lead us all to become worried about this project. We won’t know for sure until the movie comes out, but again, there’s lots of promising stuff going on here.

The Losers is an adaptation of a Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle and Jock that ran from 2003 to 2006. That comic book is also an adaptation in its own right, being based on a WWII-based comic also of the same name that debuted in the good ol’ 70s.

If you’ll be so kind as to proceed to the bottom of this post, you can watch the new trailer and judge for yourself! [...]

Super producer Joel Silver spoke to The LA Times recently, and on the menu of topics discussed were the proposed comic book adaptation of Lobo, as well as Sherlock Holmes 2 — both of which were set to be directed by Guy Ritchie.

Because Holmes has done so well ($389 million to date), a sequel is being thrown onto that popular fast track to try and get it done and ready while all of the stars are willing to return. If you’ll recall: Sherlock himself, Robert Downey Jr., recently walked away from the comic book adaptation of Cowboys & Aliens, which was to reunite him with his Iron Man director, Jon Favreau (Read: Daniel Craig In Negotiations To Replace Robert Downey Jr. In ‘Cowboys & Aliens’).

Here is what Silver had to say about the news:

I don’t think he’s going to do it now. The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ So I think we’re going to be doing that. But we’re seeing what happens with this. Everybody is analyzing everything. It’s all kind of happening right now as we talk. ‘Sherlock’ is sitting at just about $400 million in worldwide gross and showing itself to be pretty effective and pretty strong. [...]

A while back, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was talking about who we would be seeing when The Avengers movie was released in 2012. As expected, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Nick Fury were all included, but one big name that was still up in the air was that incredible big, green Hulk (Read: Marvel Talks Future Projects; Who Will You See In ‘The Avengers’ Movie?).

In a recent interview with SFX Magazine, Feige once again spoke on the project, only this time the Hulk was part of the conversation like he had been there all along. He even confirmed that there was a possibility of Edward Norton returning for a sequel to Lous Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, but that would be after The Avengers. There is no word on if we’ll see Norton in the actual Avengers film.

Here’s what Feige had to say about new characters and how The Avengers is shaping up:

It’s fun now, and we’re introducing some new characters in [Iron Man 2], but it’s not about just cramming in lots of new people; that’s sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel – adding in too many characters. [...]