Info on DC's upcoming Doc Savage, Spirit series and other "First Wave" plans

DC has spilled a few more details on its upcoming First Wave project, which focuses on pulp/noir heroes such as Doc Savage and The Spirit (who owns the comics rights to The Shadow these days? Seems like he'd be a natch for this, too).

I was a big fan of Marvel's Doc Savage comics. Didn't really get into DC's earlier take on the character. But this whole idea of a "pulp world" populated by these characters seems like a cool approach. I may give it a try.

You’re all familiar with FIRST WAVE, right? The pulp-y, neo-noir epic from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Rags Morales hits in March and brings readers into a world where the Batman, Doc Savage, the Spirit and many more hard-boiled heroes stand side by side.
To further flesh out the FIRST WAVE world and give some of these iconic characters some much-needed face time, we’re launching two new ongoing series: THE SPIRIT and DOC SAVAGE.

DOC SAVAGE #1 kicks off the Man of Bronze’s very own ongoing, as Doc Savage finds himself the target of a brazen attack on New York City. And things get worse as tragedy befalls one of Doc’s allies, and it’s starting to look like someone may not survive the opening pages of “The Lord of Lightning” arc. Featuring a story from Paul Malmont, the national bestselling author of THE CHINATOWN DEATH-CLOUD PERIL, with art by Howard Porter, with covers by superstar artists J.G. Jones and John Cassaday.
That’s not all, though. the DOC SAVAGE series will also sport a JUSTICE INC. co-feature, courtesy of crime novelist Jason Starr (Vertigo Crime’s THE CHILL) and artist Scott Hampton. The first installments finds our star, Richard Benson, the Avenger, chasing down the criminals that have abducted one of his own detectives, sending Benson into an heated, unforgiving rage.

THE SPIRIT, written by Mark Schultz (Superman: Man of Steel, Xenozoic Tales) with art by DC newcomer Moritat and a snazzy cover by LADRÖNN, puts the spotlight back on Will Eisner’s fedora-wearing vigilante. What happens when the international crime syndicate known as The Golden Tree decides to help the villainous Octopus consolidate control over Central City’s criminal underworld? Well, it’s safe to say this is the kind of thing the Spirit handles best, even if The Golden Tree has offered up one of their deadliest – and sexiest — assassins to take down the Spirit.
Check out a few pages of Moritat’s lovely work below:

The first issue also features the debut of the eight-page THE SPIRIT; BLACK & WHITE co-feature, showcasing some of the industry’s finest talents interpretation of the classic hero. And what better way to kick things off than a tale of the Spirit by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Bill Sienkiewicz?

Paperback cover parade: The Beats

Music new releases Jan. 19: Spoon, Miles Davis, Len Price 3, Elvis Costell covers, Funky Frauleins, more

DVD new releases Jan. 19: Weeds Season 5, Damages, Dallas, Whiteout

Batman TV show pics: The Riddler!

Vintage comic book ad: Whitman coloring books

Pop links: Jack Kirby, Christopher Eccleston as John Lennon

Grantbridge's blogging hiatus didn't work out (I know how it goes), so here he is back with a cool 1970s Jack Kirby tale. Other good stuff there as well, including a George Perez Batman portfolio.

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One-time Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston is playing John Lennon in a new BBC mini-series.

The 45-year-old has donned glasses and grown his hair to take the role of the musical legend for new BBC4 drama Lennon Naked.

In a newly released publicity shot the former Time Lord wears a replica white suit worn by Lennon in 1968 at an art gallery with wife Yoko Ono.

The one-off 90-minute film, which looks at Beatle’s life from 1967 to 1971, will be part of the BBC’s new spring drama season.

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Disney reveals John Carter of Mars movie details

The long-awaited Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation has started production. Details from the press release:

WALT DISNEY PICTURES’ “JOHN CARTER OF MARS” BEGINS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN LONDON


BURBANK, Calif. (January 15, 2010) – Principal photography is underway in London for Walt Disney Pictures’ “JOHN CARTER OF MARS.” Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings.

Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Barsoom Series,” the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter, who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants.

Produced for Walt Disney Pictures by Jim Morris (“WALL•E,” “Ratatouille”) and Colin Wilson (“Avatar,” “War of the Worlds”), the live action/animation film marks Academy Award®-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton’s (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) first foray into live action. Stanton directed and co-wrote the screenplay for Disney•Pixar’s “WALL•E,” which earned the Academy Award and Golden Globe® for Best Animated Feature (2008); Stanton was nominated for an Oscar® for the screenplay. He made his directorial debut with Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” garnering an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Screenplay and winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (2003). He has worked as a screenwriter and/or executive producer on Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life” (which he also co-directed), “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Ratatouille” and “Up.”

“I have been waiting my whole life to see the characters and worlds of ‘John Carter of Mars’ realized on the big screen,” says Stanton. “It is just a wonderful bonus that I have anything to do with it.”

The stellar ensemble cast is led by Taylor Kitsch (NBC’S “Friday Night Lights”, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, Lynn Collins (“50 First Dates,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) as the warrior princess Dejah Thoris and Oscar® nominee Willem Dafoe (“Spider-Man 3,” “Shadow of a Vampire”) as Martian inhabitant Tars Tarkas. 

The cast also includes Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways,” Spider-Man 3), Polly Walker (upcoming “Clash of the Titans,” “Patriot Games”), Samantha Morton (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” “In America”), Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Body of Lies”), Ciaran Hinds (“Munich,” “There Will Be Blood”), British actor Dominic West (“300,” “Chicago”), James Purefoy (“Vanity Fair,” “Resident Evil”) and Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”). Daryl Sabara (“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” “Spy Kids”) takes the role of John Carter’s teenaged nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The creative team includes Oscar®-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Public Enemies,” “The Dark Knight,” “Batman Begins”), costume designer Mayes Rubeo (“Avatar,” “Apocalypto”), cinematographer Daniel Mindel (“Star Trek,” “Mission Impossible III,” “Spygame”) and video effects supervisor Peter Chiang (“The Reader,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”).

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Criminy! Another great Darwyn Cooke illustration

Awesome Darwyn Cooke Batman and Robin illustration

Give this man an all-ages regular Batman series now please. Or a regular series of any sort, for that matter. This pic is currently up for auction on eBay.

Dick Dale live on KEXP- NPR music show

The king of surf guitar is still smoking:

Iron Man 2 teaser poster

Animated Batman meets the Justice Society

Images for tonight's episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

The Golden Age of Justice
"An aging JSA is faced with the return of their worst enemy, Per Degaton, as he returns from suspended animation to enact a plan for world domination, while Black Canary helps Wildcat face his greatest regrets."

Great images. Looks like Hourman forgot to put in his dentures, though.

Upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer maquette from Sideshow Toys

It's cool:

New Robyn Hitchcock with John Paul Jones, Nick Lowe, Johnny Marr appearances on the horizon

I confess to not having kept up with Hitchcock's works over the past few years, but he's always great to hear. This new one sounds like it could be a good one:

Robyn Hitchcock this spring will release the 3-years-in-the-making Propellor Time, an album recorded with current back-up band The Venus 3 — R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows’ Scott McCaughey and ex-Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin — and featuring guest turns by the likes of The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Nick Lowe and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.

Due out March 22 on Sartorial Records, Propellor Time was recorded in six days during the summer of 2006 with the same Venus 3 lineup featured on that year’s Olé! Tarantula, according to a release announcing the new album. Those sessions, in fact, were featured in John Edginton’s documentary “Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death… and Insects.”

Wolfman - Perez reunite for new Teen Titans graphic novel

The Marv Wolfman-George Perez New Teen Titans series was one of my favorites as a lad. Don't know if this project will stir the same feelings, but it's still kinda cool to hear about:

A few things to ponder while you recover from the headline and that amazing George Perez cover.
120 pages of classic, New Teen Titans action.
George Perez and Marv Wolfman together again.
So, yes. The OGN will hit stores this year. What more is there to say? Let’s check with Marv, shall we?:
“It’s all the regular Titans, obviously because the story was plotted back then it’s Troia, in that costume, Nightwing, Cyborg, Changeling, Danny Chase, Jericho, Starfire, and a number of others but they’re all there. This isn’t a big surprise. What this really is, is the uncovered story that had been done at the height of the Titans. And except for the actual dialoguing, that’s exactly what it is. Because as I said, George drew 80 of the pages back then.”
For more from Wolfman and Perez, check with COMIC BOOK RESOURCES for interviews with both legendary creators about their return to the Titans.

Pop links: Tintin, Jim Mooney, Jack Cole, Steve Ditko

Cool find: An online story specializing in Tintin items.

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Here's a cool-looking new tome by 20th Century Danny Boy blogger Daniel Best.



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Check out a selection of Plastic Man creator Jack Cole's "Windy Breeze" one-pagers.

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A selection of public domain Steve Ditko sci-fi tales.

Vintage DC Comics house ad: All Star Comics

Vintage DC Comics house ad: Golden Age Green Lantern