Johnny Gigawatt and the Tiger Men from Mars We are Dropping Making Hulks

 Today's music is the song Get Rich Quick by Abandoned by Heroes .

MARCIS NISPEL BRINGING CONAN BACK (OR SO IT'S BEEN SAID)

Wow, they settled all of that copyright stuff? Good. Who is Marcus Nispel? Well, a music video director. And the guy who directed the Friday the 13th remake and Pathfinder. Yeah, I don't know what to think of this myself. I need to watch me some Pathfinder.

CAP 600 HITS, MARVEL NOT IN MANYS' GOOD GRACES

Well, we'll wait to get the direct responses of the retailers we know next week, but until then some interesting initial reactions to the news.

JAMES ROBINSON AND MARK BAGLEY NEW TEAM ON JLA

Taking over for Dwayne McDuffie (after a fill in arc by Len Wein) will be James Robinson and Mark Bagley.  Their run will incorporate elements of both JL: Cry for Justice and Blackest Night. 

MARVEL ANNOUNCES DARK REIGN: THE LIST

You remember that "Iron Patriot Acts" teaser from a couple weeks back?  Well now we know what that is teasing.  Dark Reign - The List, coming in October * November, will be a series of nine semi-connected one-shots showing what happens when Norman Osborne decides to start using his power to change the world.  Specifically he asks why certain heroes are allowed to operate with impunity.  The one-shots will combine a regular writer for the character with an A-List artist.

Avengers - by Brian Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic
Uncanny X-Men - by Matt Fraction and Alan Davis
Secret Warriors - by Jonathan Hickman and Ed McGuniness
Punisher - by Rick Remender and John Romita Jr.
Daredevil - by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan
Wolverine - by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic
Hulk - by Greg Pak and Ben Oliver
Amazing Spider-Man - by Dan Slott and Adam Kubert

That's only eight specials, but the mini-event will have one more secret entry, which Marvel can't talk about yet, even to say who is working on it. 

IT'S CON-TASTIC!

Two major cons this past weekend, Wizard World in Philly, and Heroes Con in Charlotte.  A quick wrapup of some of the announcements.

• A Dark Reign: Ares mini by Kieron Gillen and Cary Nord.

• Rick Remender writing a Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural ongoing series, chronicling the adventures of the new Sorcerer Supreme
• Mark Waid writing a Strange mini, showing how the former Sorcerer Supreme is acclimating to his new role in the universe.
• The Brian Azzarello/Rags Morales 'Doc Savage' book will "bring Savage into the DCU, though it will take place in an alternate universe where he will work and interact alongside such classic characters as Blackhawk and Will Eisner's The Spirit. The world Savage lives in will also be a blend of our modern era and the classic ‘30s pulp era he comes from ("cell phones and tommy guns" as DiDio put it)"
• Remender is also writing a one issue guest stint on Thunderbolts, in which Luke Cage and Iron Fist are pressed into Norman Osborne's service as assassins.

Bleeding Cool also has a wrap-up of some of the info we may have missed from the weekend that was. 

WILLINGHAM GOES TO THE PROSE

In this case, a 400 page novel called Peter and Max, a standalone tale in the universe. Not a bad idea at all, considering the fan base of the series. Hopefully it'll get some comic fans back into novels, at least for a bit. We tend to forget they exist.

DESIGNER CHIP KIDD TO WRITE A BATMAN STORY

Mini? Maxi? Graphic novel? Prose work? We don't really know, and it's not really official, but Kidd is excited, which is all we can ask for of a creator. That, and a kick ass story. You hear that Kidd? It'd better kick ass!!!

WORST NAME FOR A SPIDER-MAN COMIC AND A RETURN

Black Cat is back in a comic titled, wait for it, "Back in Black Cat." I'll leave the perverse thoughts to yourselves.

JEFF KATZ' AMERICAN ORIGINALS ANNOUNCES FIRST COMIC PROJECTS

Jeff Katz' new multimedia company American Originals announced it's first comic projects, published in conjunction with Top Cow. 

Vengeance Is Mine - Writer Jeff Katz, artist Thomas Nachlik. A noir-ish revenge story set in an underworld of monsters

Daybreak - Writers Gary Whitta and Brian Lynch, artist Marco Castiello. A prison break story and an homage to Escape from New York type 80s action flicks

Blastosaurus - Writer/artist Richard Fairgray. An Aussie comic, from a legally blind writer/artist, about a dinosaur who fights crime in the future. 

Comedy Deathray Anthology - Editor Scott Aukerman. An anthology specializing in a genre seen little in comics now: comedy. 

ROBOCOP COMING BACK TO COMICS

Makes sense, really, when you consider the cross media blitz we see in movie marketing. Dynamite has the license and will be going at it strong just as they have with the other properties they have rights to. Right now, all is known about it is that Rob Williams will be writing. Maybe Cassaday will do the covers! (Total rumor, but come on.)

RYAN REYNOLDS TALKS DEADPOOL

Apparently Ryan Reynolds will not only be playing Deadpool in his eponymous upcoming film, he's also writing/producing/costume designing/catering it as well.  He tells MTV that he wants the film to be very 'authentic' to the character.  Meaning the scarred face, the costume, the origin, the whole nine yards.  Which may require them to ignore the Wolverine movie.

LONGBOX DIGITAL COMICS; THE iTUNES OF COMICS WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

It pains me to think about it too much, but I've come to the conclusion that comics as they exist now will be almost extinct in a decade.  There are just too many flaws in the current business model for it to survive.  Then there's the elephant in the room: digital distribution.  A child born today in the US could likely go their entire lives without ever having to hold a hard copy of anything in their hands. 

That's where Longbox comes in.  They want to be the iTunes of comics.  $0.99 a comic is the suggested price.  A dedicated player, as well as plug-ins for the industry standard design platforms like InDesign and Quark to make exporting easy.  They want the Longbox software on everything from the Kindle to the iPhone to Xbox Live.  If successful it would forever change the way we read comics.  But will that change be for the better?  

EVAN RACHEL WOOD IS MARY JANE WATSON...

...in the stage production of Spider-Man.  Fooled ya, didn't I.  And yes, I'd rather see her in the films than Kirsten Dunst anyway.  

ALLAN HEINBERG BACK TO YOUNG AVENGERS

Finally, he's started a new story. Who knows when it's going to be done or released, but by Job they're doing it. Hopefully he just finishes up another arc and leaves it for someone else, because this long of a time for something that could make Marvel money is ridiculous.

GEOFF JOHNS IS PRETTY MUCH STONED 24/7

Seriously after reading the man's Twitter feed, there's no way he doesn't "wake 'n bake."  All he talks about are trips to 7/11, Ghostbusters, Slurpees and snack foods.  

MARVEL SOLICITS GO GOATSE

All credit for this goes to Xerxes on the CoG boards.  This is the cover to Giant-Sized Old Man Logan.