First offical cast picture: X-Men: First Class


The movie, out in June, stars Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havoc, Zoe Kravitz as Angel Salvadore, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier.

Anthony Horowitz gets official go-ahead to pen Sherlock Holmes novel

The estate of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle has granted the "Alex Rider" novels permission to write an authorized Holmes book.

I've not read any of Horowitz's other works, but purists online are understandably nervous/upset. Of course, there have been a zillion non-Doyle Holmes books over the years. The character and the concept is quite adaptable. I figure the original is always best, the adaptations range from ok to wretched. So I'm not gonna get worked up about it.

Actually, I think this, presumably unauthorized, one looks fun...



Anyone out there read it? More info on this "Further Adventures" series from Titan Book here.

Marvel Comics solicitations April 2011

Some highlights from Marvel's April offerings.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 11 HC
Written by ROY THOMAS & STEVE ENGLEHART with HARLAN ELLISON & STEVE GERBER Penciled by RICH BUCKLER & DON HECK with GEORGE TUSKA, JOHN BUSCEMA, DAVE COCKRUM, JIM STARLIN & SAM KWESKIN Cover by DON HECK
Avengers Assemble! Back in another beautifully restored MARVEL MASTERWORKS edition, Cap, Iron Man, Thor and the gang present another set of trendsetting adventures! Starting off with an intriguing Harlan Ellison adaptation, there's no time wasted upping the ante when the mutant-hunting Sentinels return from the heart of the sun. Then, the order changeth! After six years as writer of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Roy Thomas passes the torch to the new scribe who would take the super-team to even loftier heights. Enter: Steve Englehart! Without skipping a beat, he descends into the time-lost Savage Land and brings back the Black Panther -- all the while devising the machinations of the Grim Reaper and the Space Phantom that cruelly twist the Vision to their will. The tension peaks when Hawkeye quits, and the mutant menace Magneto takes out not just the Avengers, but the X-Men, too. Toss in Daredevil and the Black Widow, and what we've got here is an epic in the Marvel manner. Collecting THE AVENGERS #101-111 and DAREDEVIL #99.

Marvel Masterworks - The Fantastic Four - Volume 6 (Marvel Masterworks: the Fantastic Four)
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 6 TPB
Written by STAN LEE Penciled by JACK KIRBY Cover by JACK KIRBY
Continuing their greatest-hits streak on the "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine," Stan Lee and Jack Kirby weren't content just to introduce the Inhumans, Galactus and the Silver Surfer. No, a three-peat was thinking far, far smaller than the most amazing team in comics' history imagined. Their followup was a heart-wrenching tale of tragedy and heroism titled "This Man! This Monster!" If this story doesn't make you come to love Benjamin J. Grimm, then yer heart must be made of orange rock, fella! Because the greatest Fantastic Four story wasn't enough, Stan and Jack had yet another unmatched milestone waiting in the wings: the debut of the world's first African super hero, the Black Panther, and his kingdom of Wakanda! And that's just the start! In the pages of this MARVEL MASTERWORKS, you'll also encounter the vile Klaw; see the Silver Surfer go toe-to-toe with the Thing; watch the Human Torch face his namesake, the original 1940s Torch; and wonder in shock and awe at how the Fantastic Four can hope to overcome Dr. Doom when he's wrested the Power Cosmic from the Surfer himself! We can't guarantee you won't wear out the pages of this volume reading stories this great again and again! You may want to order two just in case! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #51-60 and ANNUAL #4.

Thor: The Art of Thor the Movie
THOR: THE ART OF THOR THE MOVIE HC
Written by MATTHEW K. MANNING Continuing their popular ART OF series of movie tie-in books, Marvel presents its latest blockbuster achievement! Featuring exclusive production artwork, behind-the-scenes photography, and in-depth interviews with the cast and crew, THE ART OF THOR provides an insider's look into the making of the highly anticipated film directed by Kenneth Branagh, and starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman.

Essential Thor, Vol. 5 (Marvel Essentials)
ESSENTIAL THOR VOL. 5 TPB
Written by GERRY CONWAY & LEN WEIN Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA, DON PERLIN & JIM MOONEY Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA
Thor, God of Thunder, wields Mjolnir across the nine worlds to save lives and thwart those who would imperil the Earth -- the Absorbing Man, Demon Druid and Mercurio the 4th-Dimensional Man -- and the greatest threats the universe has ever known: Mephisto; Xorr the God-Jewel; Ego the Living Planet; and Surtur, the Fire-Demon! Also featuring Asgardian favorites the Warriors Three, Balder, Heimdall, Odin and Sif! Collecting THOR #196-220.

Johnny Depp talks Tonto

An interesting bit of casting: The actor plans to play the Lone Ranger's faithful Indian companion in the upcoming Disney film.
Depp, who is part Cherokee, feels a special connection to the role of Tonto. “I always felt Native Americans were badly portrayed in Hollywood films over the decades,” he says. “It’s a real opportunity for me to give a salute to them. Tonto was a sidekick in all the Lone Ranger series. [This film] is a very different approach to that partnership. And a funny one I think.”

New Captain America movie pic, in costume

Download new Decemberists for $3.99

Hear the new Wanda Jackson album, produced by Jack White

NPR is streaming the rockabilly queen's new LP here.

Young Tarzan by Roy Thomas and John Buscema

I either forgot or missed this, because I was a reader of Marvel Comics' Pizazz kids magazine as a kid. Along with stories TV, films and music of the time -- all geared to a middle school and under audience -- the mag also featured Star Wars comics and this.

Jack Kerouac writes Marlon Brando

Here's an interest artifact: Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac pens a letter to actor Marlon Brando, urging the actor to adapt Kerouac's famed "On the Road" for the big screen.

I visualize the beautiful shots could be made with the camera on the front seat of the car showing the road (day and night) unwinding into the windshield, as Sal and Dean yak. I wanted you to play the part because Dean (as you know) is no dopey hotrodder but a real intelligent (in fact Jesuit) Irishman.

Music new releases Jan. 18, 2011: CD, vinyl, download

The King Is Dead
The King Is Dead The Decemberists

Hollywood Town Hall (Expanded Edition)
Hollywood Town Hall (Expanded Edition)  The Jayhawks

DVD new releases Jan. 18, 2011

Merlin: The Complete Second Season
Merlin: The Complete Second Season

Dallas: The Complete Fourteenth Season
Dallas: The Complete Fourteenth Season

Roger Corman's Cult Classics Triple Feature (Attack of the Crab Monsters / War of the Satellites / Not of This Earth)
Roger Corman's Cult Classics Triple Feature (Attack of the Crab Monsters / War of the Satellites / Not of This Earth)

Marvel Knights: Black Panther
Marvel Knights: Black Panther

Sean Connery 007 Collection Volume 1
Sean Connery 007 Collection Volume 1

New Hembeck 'toon!

Wow, Fred's Spider-Man/Doctor Strange vs. the Sinister Six illustration here is pretty awesome. It's up for bid now on eBay.

New film photo shows Captain America in action

Here's a new shot of Chris Evans in "Captain America: First Avenger."

Planet of the Apes film delayed

"Rise of the Apes," a prequel to "Planet of the Apes" has been pushed back to a November instead of June 2011 release, Variety reports.

Comic posts of note: Jack Kirby, Alex Toth

See Jack Kirby's comic book account of Jack Ruby's assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald, originally commissioned by Esquire magazine in 1967.


And here's an adventure tale illustrated by the fantastic Alex Toth.


Amen, brother

From columnist Howard Bell:

I sat on the patio last summer as the last heat of the day disappeared in the west. As I relaxed in my chair, I thought about the song that John Lennon never wrote. I was not a big fan of The Beatles or the British invasion. I was a loyal big band fan. But the touch of John Lennon’s music carried me over the ages into harmony with the generations. Here he was, such a good representative of love and peace and he was gunned down with no cause.

That’s what happened in Tucson, Arizona. I do not despise or hate the young man who gunned down all those people; I only feel sorry for him and his parents. The little 9-year-old girl who was killed might have been the first female president of the United States. She may have been the world’s greatest dancer, or the best teacher in a grade school. But she’ll be none of those. I don’t know what went through this man’s mind and I suppose we’ll never really know. He attacked a congresswoman, a part of our U.S. government. It was as though he shot a star in the flag.

Beatles sell 5 million songs in 2 months on iTunes

They've still got it!

Since the four unknown Liverpudlians finally arrived on iTunes last November 16, sales have been (shocker!) swift—two million songs and 450,000 albums (13 are available via the site) in the first week alone. And now, iTunes reps tell EW, they have hit new marks: 5 million and one million, respectively.

The top song, George loyalists will be happy to learn, remains the same: “Here Comes the Sun.” As does the top album, Abbey Road.

But downloading a song here and there is for dilettantes. When it comes to the Beatles, you need it all. What you really need is this:

The Beatles Stereo Box Set

And this:

The Beatles Mono Box Set

Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man costume

Here's a shot of Garfield in Spidey suit for the movie franchise reboot.

TV Green Hornet unhappy with movie version

Van Williams is disappointed in Seth Rogen's take on the..., what's Green Hornet's nickname? Green Avenger? Buzzy Batman? Emerald Something or Other?

Anyway:

“I was pretty upset with the way they did it," Williams said. " They took their own license with it, they didn’t follow the character. I was very insistent, when I was offered that role [for the television series] that I was going to follow the characters as they had done it through all the radio shows…I wasn’t going to do camp, like they did in Batman.”

Williams revealed that he hasn't seen the film but seeing the trailer for it was enough to make him turn down an invitation to the premiere. “After all I’d heard, I was not that interested. I’ve got a lot of friends calling me and
saying, ‘they ruined it.’ I haven’t seen it, but after all this bad comment, I’m not sure I want to see it.”

DC to launch sequel to Wednesday Comics

Details are sketchy, but it looks as if DC is doing a follow-up to it's pretty-darned-good tabloid-size Wednesday Comics anthology series. Cartoonist Steve Rude spilled the beans by mentioning he's doing a New Gods feature for the title.