Loeb revealed that Marvel has 15 projects in the animated world in various stages of development and production. Some of the 15 are smaller projects like the Marvel  Mash-Ups that appear at the end of the Disney XD shows, but Loeb didn’t say how many were full-length features. He did say that after the forthcoming direct to DVD anime release Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore, that Marvel and Sony would work on a Punisher/Black Widow DVD film. No word if that will also be an anime feature, but I would say that it is. Speaking of Rise of the Technovore, it was recently reported that Norman Reedus will be voicing Frank Castle in the film. Maybe he’ll also be popping up for the Punisher/Black Widow flick, who knows?

Marvel’s top TV man also revealed that there are a few Marvel Knight Animation projects in the works. Those would be the animated comics Marvel release on DVD, like the recent Joss Whedon X-Men story. Loeb said that the motion comic will be a Wolverine and Weapon X story called “Tomorrow Dies Today.” It is an adaptation of a story by Jason Aaron that features Wolverine and Deathlok. Loeb said that the story is one of the comics picked to be part of the group, so expect more news soon.

One of the other interesting bits from the podcast was Loeb talking about the cancellation of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the new series set to take its place- Avengers Assemble. Loeb said that Assemble is made to speak to and have a closer feel to the live-action movie released last summer. It will be fun and have the same epic scope as the Whedon film. Loeb also puts a lot of fans at ease when he states that Earth’s Mightiest transitions into Assembles and that everything that happened in EMH has happened in Assemble. The writer says that EMH relied on “comic book lore and mythos” but Assemble will push into the movie genre style of storytelling. It will be one and done stories that keep the show moving forward.

Loeb stated that research showed people are more committed to the so-called “one and done” stories compared to the long seralized stories that rely on season long arcs and multi-part episodes. He said that any story that starts with “Previously On” already alienates a large portion of your audience. Besides the research, the network said that shorter self-contained stories work better.

You can listen to the full podcast where Loeb covers a variety of topics by clicking here. In the course of an hour and a half talk Loeb covered an impressive amount of ground. We have several new direct to DVD releases to look forward to as well as some new motion comics. What do you think about the new movies? How about Loeb’s Avengers show comments?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Jeph Loeb Reveals Upcoming Marvel Animated Projects

ADHD is Fox’s 90 minute block of animation that is an attempt to make an Adult Swim style format for Saturday nights. Axe Cop follows the adventure of the main character of the same name who, along with his partner Flute Cop, deal old justice. The show features the voices of Nick Offerman  as Axe Cop along with Megan Mullaly, Patton Oswalt, Ken Marino, and Peter Serafinowicz.

Fox’s ADHD will also contain a show called High School USA! from writer Dino Stamatopoulos (Morel Orel/Frankenhole).

ADHD kicks off Saturday, July 27 at 11 PM ET/PT on Fox.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Axe Cop Series Set For July 27th Premiere On Fox

Tim Burton’s full length movie based on his original short Frankenweenie had its moment to shine at Comic Con. The filmmaker brought some footage along with a new trailer. A full exhibit displaying some of the sets and characters models were showcased as well.

The film is about a boy who brings his dog back to live after it dies in an accident. It is a children’s spin of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. The move is entirely black and white and uses stop-motion animation, which means each of the puppets are shot one frame at a time.  Burton said “It’s nice to be able to shoot it this way. It’s like little sets, and you shoot it like a live-action film. The puppets are so tactile. They’re amazing to feel and to touch.

The voice talent consists of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, and Martin Landau, and The Middle’s Atticus Shaffer as Edgar. Here are a few highlights of the display showing off the sets and puppets as well as the new trailer with a very retro vibe. You can see Atticus Shaffer in attendance as well. The movie opens October 5th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf72iRci9d0

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, SDCC ’12: Highlights From The Frankenweenie Exhibit

Disney and Marvel are expected to announce The Guardians as its next new tentpole project. It is scheduled for May 16, 2014. Nicole Perlman is penning the script. Perlman, a relative unknown, came out of Disney’s screenwriting program and has penned a version of the script Marvel is very excited about. Perlman entered the Marvel/Disney writing program and gained attention with her ability to write action sequences. She had reportedly written a Black Widow script that really impressed the execs. The script is said to be in line with The Avenger’s tone and humor. There are plenty of comedic elements. I would say that comes from Rocket Racoon, but it’s only my guess. Marvel is searching for a director.

ANT-MAN

Edgar Wright has shot a little Ant-Man as well. Don’t get too excited, it’s just a test reel for the film. The Hollywood Reporter states that in mid-June Wright spent about a week shooting some footage for a reel that will show how the film will look and decide if Ant-Man’s powers look good onscreen. Now even if it turns out well, Wright has to shoot the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost film, The World’s End first. If a test reel has been shot, it means Marvel is seriously trying to move it forward. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but there is a tiny, tiny chance there could be a peek of it at Comic-Con.

Comic-Con is fast approaching, and Marvel is poised to make big announcements. While their panel is mainly about Iron Man 3, the company will spend some time talking about how it plans to introduce new characters.

Disney Animation Studios

Disney is working on a Marvel animated film. While not the Pixar/Marvel film many fans had been hoping for, Disney is working on a Big Hero 6 film. It’s not one of the big titles or popular teams, but it is a Marvel film. After Wreck-It-Ralph and two other films get completed, Don Hall (Winnie The Pooh) will direct the film and release it in 2014. If you don’t know a lot about Big Hero 6, that’s OK. You may know the Silver Samurai, he’s the team leader. To read up on Big Hero 6 click here to see the Wikipedia page.

Well that was a lot of news. It’s going to be an exciting few weeks as we wait for Comic-Con. What else will be revealed before Marvel has their chance to talk at Comic-Con? Stay tuned.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Marvel Movie Rundown: Guardians Of The Galaxy Confirmed, Disney/Marvel Animated Film, And Edgar Wright Shoots Some Ant-Man

Bleeding Cool has uncovered the plot that fooled many websites and posters, myself included. Apparently one Nabil Elmijati who tweeted Joe Quesada every Sunday about how much he hated Ultimate Spider-Man started a one man war after Quesada took that bait and told him if he didn’t like it to stop watching it. Nabil created the website Marvel TV News and started posting stories about Marvel Animation, specifically how awful Ultimate Spider-Man was.

After some digging, Bleeding Cool found that the site is even registered to a Nabil Mjati.

He posted the news that the Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would be cancelled and replaces with the cartoon Avengers Assemble. He also quoted from a press release, purported to be “print only,” saying “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes won’t be renewed for the 3rd Season. Marvel Animation will present their newly developed series Marvel’s Avengers Assemble in 2013.”

He made the quote up entirely. Even without him there is speculation that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has indeed been cancelled in favor of the new Avengers cartoon, but Marvel still hasn’t commented on it. Whether EMH will continue on when the Avengers Assemble starts remains to be seen. With this revelation, it throws much of what we’ve heard about Marvel’s future projects out the window. I fell for this person’s vendetta hook, line, and sinker. He fooled many sites and showed all the news sites that we need to do a little more investigating before reporting. Fool me once! Lesson learned Nabil.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, One Man’s Hate For Ultimate Spider-Man Fooled The Web

In the trailer there’s explosions, action and emotion (but i am sure no one is paying attention to that!) , all accompanied by the song “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. You can see the explosive trailer below!
The plot of “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is still relatively unknown, what we do know is that the “Joes” will be charged with treason, and they are going to have to prove their innocence while protecting the world.

Take it way Dwayne!

So the reason Channing Tatum only shot on “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” for 2 weeks was because Duke APPARENTLY bites it in the First Act?! And how come Roadblock becomes the main focus of G.I. Joe? NO LIPS ON Snake Eyes? THANK YOU!!! Lovely Scarlett were are you?!?!?! And was that Cobra Commander with Firefly? WAS THAT COBRA COMMANDER Redesign!!!!????!!! If so, that is just awesome…. So 80′s G.I. Joe Tv Show!

So many questions, but one thing is for sure, not enough Bruce Willis in this trailer!!

Well, it looks amazing! Not for Tatum, but because of The Rock and Bruce Willis!!

What do you guys think? Let us know in the usual place!

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is directed by Jon Chu (the one from “Justin Bieber – Never Say Never”), screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (the team from “Zombieland”). The film includes stars Channing Tatum, Ray Park, Dwayne Johnson, Elodie Yung, RZA, DJ Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, Joseph Mazzello, Walton Goggin and Bruce Willis.

 GI Joe: Retaliation opens on 29 June 2012 in the US.

wolverinept, First Trailer For G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Officially Released!

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”

Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Tim Daly (Private Practice), the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join a group of eight actors reprising their famed Justice League cartoon roles. Fillion made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and took his initial DC Universe movie bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman. Daly originated his role as Superman’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DC Universe films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

The grand reunion of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, includes Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.

The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.

David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.

The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final DC Universe film script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths), who passed away in February 2011. Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, Justice League).

“Justice League: Doom has all the classic ingredients of a great super hero film – a cavalcade of dynamic villains, internal strife amongst our heroes, treacherous twists and turns, and a cast that brings together some of today’s popular primetime television actors with many of the fans’ favorite voices from the original series,”

said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Director, Family & Animation.

“I think fans will embrace Dwayne’s McDuffie’s final DCU script, particularly as it has been nuanced by Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team. Warner Home Video is proud to distribute Justice League: Doom as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”

Justice League: Doom Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack has 3 hours of exciting content, including:
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy,
• Sneak Peak at Superman vs. The Elite, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette – “A Legion of One: The Dwayne McDuffie Story” – The skilled writer penned some of the best stories which consistently entertained fans. From his early writing career to adapting the popular work of All-Star Superman, this is the story of Dwayne McDuffie, as told by his family and friends.
• Featurette – “Guarding the Balance: Batman and the JLA” – Everyone has a weakness and so do superheroes, yet when they go rogue, their power can topple more than a few egos, they can shatter worlds. The Justice League is the most powerful organization of superheroes on the planet, but what if the Justice League went rogue, and decided to use their power for harm?
• Mini-featurette – “Their Time Has Come: Cyborg and the DC Universe’s New Diversity” – 2011 will go down in DC Comics storied history as a year when a rich diversity of characters were re-introduced into the spotlight alongside Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. One of the most celebrated of the re-imagined characters is Cyborg, who became the new Man of Steel in Geoff Johns’ altered universe storyline, Flashpoint.
• Creative team commentary
• Two bonus episodes from the Justice League animated series handpicked by Bruce Timm: Wild Cards, Part 1 and 2, written by Stan Berkowitz and Dwayne McDuffie
• Digital Comic

wolverinept, “Justice League: Doom” Officially Announced; Blu-Ray Combo Pack Details Released!

“I’m really excited about working with ShortsHD”

triumphs Austin Osueke, eigoMANGA‘s Publisher.

“It’s a great opportunity for emerging animators to showcase their work on television and beyond to a worldwide audience.”

eigoMANGA’s animation content will become part of ShortsHD televison programming such as their animation block, ‘SHORTS Animate!’

The deal kicks off with the broadcast of the animation short, ‘Christmas In Taxi’. This is a Christmas story based about a taxi driver who reluctantly spends his Christmas Eve with a passenger who is down on her luck. ‘Christmas In Taxi’ is produced by Jongmin Shin and directed by Young-Kwang Jo.

ABOUT ShortsHD

ShortsHD is represented in the U.S. by HotHouse Media, a business development and sales representation firm dedicated to supporting the licensing of products and services owned by independent media companies.

More information about ShortsHD can be found at www.shorts.tv

About eigoMANGA

eigoMANGA is a comic book publishing company that specializes in creating original, comic books, animation, and digital media productions.

More information about eigoMANGA can be found at www.eigoMANGA.com

Agent Burgos, eigoMANGA and ShortsHD Reach Television Deal

Director Jon Chu’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation hits theaters June 22nd, 2012 starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Roadblock, Channing Tatum as Duke, Bruce Willis as General Joseph Colton, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, RZA as Blind Master, Arnold Vosloo as Zartan, D.J. Cotrona as Flint, Elodie Yung as Jinx, Stephen Martines as Cross-Country, Eddie Hargitay as Tunnel Rat, and Joseph Mazzello as Mouse.

wolverinept, G.I. Joe: Retaliation Official Trailer (2012) HD

Excited much?

wolverinept, DC Nation Teaser Commercial For 2012

I must confess, I have a sort of man-crush on Miller. So intense, in fact, I’ve actually forgiven him for making “The Spirit”. The man pulled Daredevil from the grave back in the 80s (an awesome feat in itself, since DD basically sucked a flaming minotaur nutsack back then), gave us Sin City and 300, and proceeded to shape the chiropteran silhouette we all have carved into our cortexes to an extent so deep, “Year One” has survived all of DC’s reboots and retcons, giving the Goddamn Batman the gravitas it rightfully deserves.

It’s been stated that Miller’s graphic novel was so cinematic from the start, it needed no adaptation. Indeed, the animated movie follows the novel frame by frame, panel by panel, bringing life to one of the most captivating caped stories ever written in a way that must be experienced and not heard.
The character designs are amazing, and pay tribute to pretty much every Batman animation of the past, blending faces and body types into very familiar individuals, all the while incorporating a certain je ne sais quoi that’s not quite anime, but not completely western animation either. I’m not sure of Korean animation has a name by now, but this film will definitely build a strong case for it. In my opinion, this is the studios’ finest contribution to an already wonderful piece of art.

The action sequences are abundant and wonderfully executed, with a very fluid style and even -dare I say it? – plausible fight moves, backed by a seamless score of fighting music and violent sound effects that rival most live-action flicks we’ve seen lately (“Way of the Warrior”? SUCKS!).
As for the voices, you’ll find some pleasant surprises. Bryan Cranston (yep, Hal, from Malcolm in the Middle) plays Lt. Gordon brilliantly. Benjamin McKenzie (I always hated The OC, sorry) marginally pulls it off as Batman and the great sexy Eliza Dushku brings Catwoman to life with remarkable style. What I loved the most about the whole film, though, is that the voice work is done in a very professional, cinematic manner. There are no “twisted-mustache-top-hat-tie-the damsel-to-the-railroad-tracks” tones or inflections in any of the characters. This reinforces the grim tone imposed by the script and really binds the movie into a very enjoyable experience.
The one thing that didn’t completely fulfill my expectations was the CGI. Although they didn’t abuse it like “Superman: Doomsday”, it did look a little off at times, especially on the opening sequence while Wayne flies over Gotham. I understand this is a direct-to-video film, and it’s really not such a big deal, but I would have loved just a little more effort on their part to honor Miller’s novel.

In the end, it’s an outstanding piece of animation, regardless of your stance towards superheroes. This is the one film you should show the skeptics in your life. This is the one cartoon that will debunk the cartoon myth. This one, you need to buy.

AlbinoDarBeast, OUT!

AlbinoDarkBeast, Advance Review: AlbinoDarkBeast Reviews “Batman: Year One”!

At Magfest, I sat down with JesuOtaku to talk about the past, present, and future of Anime. What did she have to say? Watch and find out.

ZenithWillRule, Zenith Interviews JesuOtaku

ZenithWillRule, Zenith Interviews Marzgurl