Comic News for 4/4/10: Cap film Casts Bucky; Miller & Lee vow to finish All-Star Batman & More!

More ALL STAR BATMAN? Must be chilly in Hades now!

DC NEWS: JIM LEE & FRANK MILLER VOW TO FINISH "ALL STAR BATMAN" RUN (FROM 2005); SHOTS FROM FILMING OF "RED" & MORE "GREEN LANTERN" UPDATES!

- Via DC's official blog, "The Source", writer Frank Miller and artist Jim Lee (the latter of whom has been promoted within DC) have promised to finish their run of ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER (a title that just rolls off the tongue) after Feb. 2011 (dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/04/02/whats-next-for-frank-miller-and-jim-lee/). The series, launched in 2005 alongside Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly's ALL STAR SUPERMAN, shipped ten issues from 2005-2008 and has been on "hiatus" ever since. The ALL-STAR imprint was intended to offer high profile creators a chance to tell "out of continuity" tales featuring well known characters; while the "ELSEWORLDS" or even "VERTIGO" imprints often could serve that purpose, in 2005 DC sought to compete with Marvel's ULTIMATE line, which at that point was still "hot" (although not as "hot" as it had been from 2000-2004). Now in 2010-2011, Marvel's ULTIMATE line is in a state of limbo; it has little buzz left, but some series still sell too well to cancel (heaven forbid a series end with dignity before sales are completely in the toilet), ALL-STAR SUPERMAN took about three years to complete twelve issues but it did at last finish (and won an Eisner Award), and ALL STAR BATMAN has become a geek pop culture icon for Frank Miller's ludicrously outdated manner of telling pulp stories, with his line, "Are you deaf? Are you retarded or something? I'm the god-damned Batman!" being the most that anyone recalls of this series (and a common Internet joke). Still, despite the very sporadic shipping schedules, issues always sold very well for DC whenever they did see release (the first issue sold over 300,000 copies), and a hardcover of the first nine issues was also released. At any rate, ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN was a series that had Miller and Lee "re-imagine" a younger Batman as he recruits his teen sidekick and deals with a vastly corrupt Gotham City, and even runs afoul of other heroes who want to take him down; if this sounds like a rehash of Miller's iconic mid 1980's series THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, that is only because it is. Jim Lee takes "100%" responsibility for the series' extreme lateness and vows to ship the final six issues in 2011 "monthly" and on time. While such a feat is possible, fans should not hold their breath. While Batman remains as popular as ever, it will be interesting if a mere three year gap between issues effects the sales any; they did for Marvel's equally late ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK when that finally was completed years back. Jim Lee also announced that as of issue #11, the series would be re-titled "DARK KNIGHT: BOY WONDER". No word on whether the series would retain the 2005 cover price of $2.99, or instead be priced at $3.99, which has become the new DC/Marvel standard for "mini series".

- DC's "The Source" blog also had promoted top writer and co-executive editor Geoff Johns laying out promotion for BRIGHTEST DAY, the next DC line wide event to follow after BLACKEST NIGHT (both named for snippets from the "Green Lantern Oath"). Intended to be lighter in tone, it will see the launch (or relaunch) of several titles including BIRDS OF PREY (with Gail Simone back writing it) or GREEN ARROW (dropping "AND BLACK CANARY" from the title), as well as the launch of a BRIGHTEST DAY title in which characters resurrected during the event (such as Aquaman and Martian Manhunter; the world simply spun off it's axis without them) deal with things. It also promises tie-in's in titles such as JLA and THE FLASH. Considering DC has claimed in the past to be trying to ease off on "events" like Marvel has, this certainly smells like an event. At any rate, a lighter tone is something comics in general likely need, if they can keep it up (dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/04/01/blackest-night-is-overwhat-is-brightest-day/).

- MTV (splashpage.mtv.com/2010/04/01/green-lantern-characters-aliens-hal-jordan/) spoke with "GREEN LANTERN" character designer Aaron Sims about the film treatment of DC's current second biggest franchise (after Batman) remained mostly mum on specifics about his work on the film, but did offer this: "The one thing I can say is that we designed a lot of aliens." He also expressed regret at not getting the chance to touch the Green Lantern ring prop that Ryan Reynolds uses, and that he's "excited about the project" and that he enjoys working with the director. Sims' design work can currently be seen in the "CLASH OF THE TITANS" remake, which hit theaters this week.

- Comic Book Movie has posted a picture snapped from the set of "RED", which is filming in New Orleans (www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/Poniverse/news/). Based off the Wildstorm mini series of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner (circa 2003-2004), it stars Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovitch, Hellen Mirren and more in a tale of a retired black ops agent being forced to come back into the fore. While DC has been slower to get many of their spandex franchises onto the big screen than Marvel since 2000, they do seem to have a wider library of non-spandex material to transfer to film.

- Kryptonsite (www.kryptonsite.com/news.htm) reports that while plans are afoot for SMALLVILLE's 200th episode, ratings have started to wane on THE CW network (it failed to outdo a rerun of HOUSE). Could the end be in sight? Even KNOTS LANDING ended eventually.

Stan exits the "Hot Tub Time Machine" and enters World War II?

MARVEL NEWS: IT IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY OFFICIAL NOW - CHRIS EVANS IS CAPTAIN AMERICA (REALLY); "GOSSIP GIRL" STAR CAST AS BUCKY BARNES; JOSS WHEDON EYED TO DIRECT "THE AVENGERS"; "IRON MAN 2" PROMOTION HITS OVERDRIVE & MORE "THOR" NEWS!

- The inevitable has happened. Marvel Studios has issued an official press release (to, among other websites, Super Hero Hype) that Chris Evans IS their choice to play Steve Rogers in "FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA", which will begin filming this summer. This news has been all but official for about two weeks, especially since Variety reported on it last week (www.examiner.com/x-19829-Brooklyn-Comic-Books-Examiner~y2010m3d30-Comic-News-for-33010-Chris-Evans-IS-Cap-DCs-Dick-Giordano-Dies-More-Movie-News--More), but this release means that Evans and Marvel Studios have signed contracts and made things legal. This is a multi-picture deal worth a reported $300,000 per film for Evans, who will be in a slew of films in the near future as well. Joe Johnston ("THE ROCKETEER", "THE WOLFMAN") is still directing from a script written by Chris Markus and Stephan McFeely. While Evans would be expected to play Cap in two movies ("FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA" next summer and "THE AVENGERS" in 2012), it is unknown if he would be paid the full picture price even if he appeared in cameos in other films from Marvel Studios (such as the, barring a catastrophe, the inevitable IRON MAN 3). Unlike many other "rumors", this news wasn't debunked and the industry seemed to accept it readily, and Evans outlasted a near dozen actors who tested for the part. In addition "FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA" news, Sebastian Stan ("GOSSIP GIRL"; "HOT TUB TIME MACHINE"), who will be 27 this summer, has been cast as Rogers' 1940's sidekick, James "Bucky" Barnes, according to Variety (www.variety.com/article/VR1118017195.html). At one point in the running for the star role himself, Stan's part is hardly a throwaway role these days; writer Ed Brubaker resurrected Bucky in his CAPTAIN AMERICA run over the last 4-5 years and made him a leading man unto himself, embellishing the character's history and relationship to Cap greatly (from "just another Golden Age sidekick" to a black ops soldier there to perform duties the "public" Cap could not). In the current comic continuity, while Bucky is believed dead in the missile crisis that caused Rogers to be frozen until the modern era, he was actually turned into a cybernetic, brainwashed assassin for the Russian Communists for years as "the Winter Soldier" until being rescued by Rogers. Despite this modern Bucky history to work with, this is a risk for the film; the last superhero film in which the title hero had a "side kick" was 1997's "BATMAN AND ROBIN", which is hardly fondly remembered. In a set-back for the film, Emily Blunt reportedly "was passed over" for the role of Rogers' girlfriend Peggy Carter for the film, according to the L.A. Times (latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/04/emily-blunt-captain-america-keira-knightley-peggy-rogers.html). With the male lead cast, Marvel Studios will seek to fill out the rest of the cast quickly. Other contenders for this part reportedly are Kiera Knightly and Alice Eve. As per prior reports, Hugo Weaving still seems to be in line to play the villainous Red Skull.

- IESB is reporting an exclusive that Marvel Studios is courting Joss Whedon, the talent behind "BUFFY", "ANGEL", "FIRELY/SERENITY", and "DOLLHOUSE" to direct their "AVENGERS" film in 2012 (iesb.net/index.php). Considering Warner Brothers hired Whedon for months to work on a "WONDER WOMAN" film script before getting cold feet, this rumor may not be rubbish. Whedon wrote a 25 issue run of ASTONISHING X-MEN for Marvel, which is now being animated and resold digitally as the X-MEN MOTION COMIC. The script is being written by Zak Penn, and while director Loius Leterrier ("THE INCREDIBLE HULK") has also actively sought the position, it may be out of his hands. While ISEB has heard no confirmation of this rumor, they cite it as the same source that, least year, claimed that "SPIDER-MAN 4" had been indefinitely put on hold, a rumor that turned out to very true.

- On the eve that the Apple iPad hits store shelves for a mere $500 a pop, Marvel has announced their official "ap" for the device - www.newsarama.com/comics/Marvel-iPad-Revealed-100402.html. The application will be free for download and similar to the "ap" that ComiXology has for the iPhone; up to 500 Marvel titles will be available for download at $1.99 a pop - it is as if Marvel realizes they can possibly entice new readers with a low cover price. Imagine that! The last time a printed comic was sold by Marvel for $1.99, it was spring, 2000. At any rate, while fever for the device is at a high pitch and the comic industry awaits how it will effect them (the iPad, like a Kindle, makes reading books easier due to size), it is worth noting that the amount of people who will own an iPad, and even who own an iPhone, remain a minority. Therefore, while downloads will supplement comic sales, they are unlikely to replace the direct market and hard copy retailers. It is worth noting that "SPIDER-WOMAN", a comic book first offered exclusively for download as a motion comic from Brian M. Bendis and Alex Maleev, has seemed to be placed on "indefinite hiatus" as of issue #6-#7. Not even the hottest comic book writer in the industry and a professional voice actress with a British accent can keep Spider-Woman on the comic rack for long.

- The L.A. Times (latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/kenneth-branagh-and-thor-.html) had an interview with "THOR" director Kenneth Branagh on the Santa Fe, New Mexico set to discuss filming for the project as well as "false rumors" of tension on the set as reported by the New York Times, which claimed that the director had clashed with Anthony Hopkins, who plays Odin. The rumor of set tension reportedly made Hopkins as well as producer Kevin Feige "furious". Highlights include Branagh's summary of filming thus far: "Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we've tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world. It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different.... The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film." Branagh dismissed the rumors of any set hostilities, saying, "It's going very, very well. We're in New [Mexico] now where we have a contemporary Earth part of our story. I guess we're two-thirds of the way through the story and at this stage of the game what's surprising and delighting me is the way the cast, the ensemble, has fused together. It's kind of an interesting combination of very young and very experienced people and the double-up of that, it seems to me, is there is a lot of fire in the movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it doesn't try to be too solemn." The film is set for a May 4th, 2011 release and will kick off what will be a very intense year for comic book films, as "FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA" as well as "GREEN LANTERN" will debut the same summer.

- Hype for "IRON MAN 2" has reached a high as the movie is barely a month away from debuting. The official website for the film is up (ironmanmovie.marvel.com/), which is offering new trailers, pictures, posters, and more from the hotly anticipated sequel.

- Activision has announced a new Spider-Man video game for the next generation console, "SPIDER-MAN: SHATTERED DIMENSIONS", which seeks to cover Spider-Man as he appears in more than one reality. The "default" Spider-Man as well as "Spider-Man Noir" are shown, with two more alternate reality Spider-Men to debut. The biggest news is this game has tapped actor Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced Spider-Man in the 1993-1998 cartoon "SPIDER-MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES" on FoxKids (which has long lived on in syndicated cable reruns) to reprise his role (www.superherohype.com/news/spider-mannews.php). The trailer might give the impression that "Noir" exists so the came can remind gamers of "BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM", but the premise is interesting. Writer Dan Slott pens the game's script.

Marvel EIC's sort of monthly quotes.

CUP O' JOE REBUTTAL: ANALYZING JOE'S STRATEGY

Every month or two, Marvel Editor In Chief Joe Quesada is interviewed by an Internet journalist for a column that is called "Cup O' Joe", which is sort of a modern take on "Stan's Soapbox" that Stan Lee used to pen in Marvel Comics from the 70's to the 90's. Formerly with Newsarama, now the column is with Comic Book Resources, and this does not include a MySpace page (back when MySpace was hip). These columns allow Joe to interact more with his fan base and, bravely, open himself up for criticism. A few of these columns have come and gone since this Examiner News Column started, but there was one bit from Joe Quesada that could use stand for some clarification and perspective. The entire interview is here: www.comicbookresources.com/

While offering previews for CAPTAIN AMERICA #605 as well as hints about Joe Quesada's mysterious new comic project called "O.M.I.T.", the subject of SIEGE #1's sales came up. When the issue, the debut of the latest Marvel "crossover event" that Marvel breathlessly claimed was "seven years in the making" (even though seven years prior would have been Jan. 2003, when Marvel was hardly doing Avengers centric, line wide crossovers) reportedly sold at the lowest number for a mini series event in years. Diamond claimed it sold over 108,000 copies; however, as the issue was partially returnable by retailers, Diamond reportedly underestimated sales figures by about 10-20%. Even so, SIEGE #1 selling at 130,000 - 135,000 copies would still be the lowest selling Marvel event in years. For perspective, DC's BLACKEST NIGHT needed seven issues to sell that low. CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN did higher, as did FINAL CRISIS and even SECRET INVASION. Despite that, SIEGE #1 was still the top selling book of Jan. 2010; a month that is typically a low seller for comics, and a month BLACKEST NIGHT skipped. While Joe Quesada has a fair point mentioning how the economy in general has changed since the highs of CIVIL WAR in 2006, some of his other replies to this question are "interesting":

"And, while we don't compare the sales of our books to other companies, you have to look at all the other big ticket books we had coming out at the same time: "Captain America Reborn," "Ultimate Comics X," "Fall of the Hulks," "New Avengers," "Dark Avengers," "Nation X," "X-Necrosha," "Second Coming," not to mention "Thor," "Iron Man," "Spider-Man" and, yes, even "Deadpool." Keep in mind, while you may not see "Secret Invasion" style numbers on "Siege," our overall market share has gone up. That means that we are doing incredibly well across a wider number of books as opposed to just one brand or one event."

One could mention that an EIC who claims that he doesn't compare sales with their top competitor is perhaps missing something, but that is not the biggest point. Nor is it the biggest point that some of the titles that Quesada mentions, such as ULTIMATE COMICS X (basically the replacement for ULTIMATE X-MEN) have under preformed a bit compared to what they are replacing; even Deadpool's comic titles sell in stable, but still mid-card, levels of about 40,000 - 30,000 copies along the Top 35-55 (and Marvel is flooding the market with Deadpool material in similar ways that they flooded the market with Ghost Rider and Punisher material in the 1990's). The point that is worth examining is the "market share" comment. This is completely correct; Marvel has been able to dominate DC despite DC's BLACKEST NIGHT event often kicking Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN or SIEGE events of the past few months across the street because their comics below the Top 20 tend to outsell DC's vastly. But market share is something that can be increased and dominated by sheer numbers of product, and this is an area where Marvel sometimes flirts disaster. In Feb. 2010, Marvel released 92 different comic books. And while that number includes comics that have either been canceled or about to be relaunched in another form (such as DOCTOR VOODOO, S.W.O.R.D., MS. MARVEL and INCREDIBLE HERCULES) as well as mini series, it also only counts X-MEN FOREVER once (it ships two issues a month), and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN once (it ships three issues a month). DC, in comparison, shipped roughly 73 comics that month (again, only counting books once even if they were mini's or shipped two issues that month, such as BATMAN AND ROBIN). Marvel constantly has 35-40% of the market share on average; meaning out of every 10 comic books on shelves, usually at least 4 will be Marvel's. Marvel has a lot of books that sell well, regardless of price. They also have many books that are exceptional cult favorites. But there are also a large volume of titles, often mini series or one shots, that no one who analyzes the market can expect to do well. These include dying franchises, such as NOIR or 1602 or even MARVEL ZOMBIES, or struggling Marvel MAX titles, or perennial stuff like trying to sell a very little known character with a no-name creative team with zero promotion at $4 an issue. This includes selling random one-shots or mini series of Wolverine or Spider-Man when neither character can support spin-off's right now (or since about 2006). Editorial shenanigans have caused both Spider-Man and Wolverine to sell at their lowest numbers in history. This includes stretching franchises to more books that they can support, or relaunching titles while changing nothing but the issue number and hoping retailers are fooled; a strategy Marvel has over-used to the point of ineffectiveness. Many titles within 6-12 months can easily see a loss of over 25% of their readers, and often higher. Readers have become more jaded and cynical in terms of a new launch, or new characters, because so many rise and fall in such succession. And this isn't even taking into account awkward publishing schedules; one week maybe 10-15 Marvel books may come out, and for another 25-45 may come out.

Why go into all of this? Because Quesda's quote seems to confirm that Marvel's strategy of dominating the market, and DC, is not to play endless sales games with DC's top stuff, but to flood the comic book shelves with so many comics that by sheer volume they overwhelm everyone. It is akin to a general's war strategy of having more canon fodder than the other side; a winning strategy if one does not care for losses. Comic book sales trends, especially since the $3.99 price tag became more frequent since the end of 2008, imply that the audience for comics is shrinking. More comics at higher prices are being sold to fewer people, or ordered by fewer retailers, and even top sellers like NEW AVENGERS eventually lose so many readers that Marvel has to "relaunch" it with a fresh #1 issue. Rates of "diminishing returns", those readers who flee every month and never return, increase. While Marvel as a company is in a position where most of their revenue has nothing to do with pure comic book sales, it is possible that Joe Quesada plays a dangerous game with the market, and if something catastrophic happens to it, much like it did in 1993-1994 (when Marvel & DC were printing far more comics than anyone could sell, some of which were at then absurd prices like $2.95, which is why one can easily find dozens of copies of X-MEN #1 at conventions for half cover price), it will be quotations like this which will haunt insiders. Can retailers who are struggling as is be expected to move 73 different DC comics a month AND over 90 of Marvel's atop of Image, IDW, Dark Horse, etc.? While Marvel is trying to turn away from line wide crossovers with "HEROIC AGE", are they still launching far too many books at far too high prices for the market to bare? Time will tell. It seems the method of playing with fire until the house burns employed by Wall Street is sadly one that comic book companies also become tempted to play. Now is not the time for quantity overkill, or outright spam. While it is wise to not rely on only a handful of "blockbuster sellers" per month, perhaps that oppressive $3.99 price tag could come down if there were fewer "go-nowhere" comics being spat out to clog the racks.