Comic Book News

A Comics Odyssey – Issue #19

By Wayne Hall Jul 16, 2011, 5:38 GMT

Batman star Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon - 83rd Annual Academy Awards - Press Room - Kodak Theatre - Hollywood, CA, USA © Andrew Evans / PR Photos

Two classics might be coming back, which take up this week’s headlines from the scifipulse.net website: 

Allegory And Speed Racer Enterprises Partner To Release New Series Of Products Based On The Iconic Brand

Allegory, LLC is pleased to announce it has joined forces with Speed Racer Enterprises to produce a new line of highly anticipated comics, graphic novels, games, and digital products based on the Speed Racer animated series.

Allegory has assembled an all-star cast of writers and artists to work on the first series of books, including Tommy Yune (Speed Racer, Robotech), Robby Musso (Transformers), and Lee Kohse (Star Wars, Kindergoth).

Tommy Yune stated, “I’m very honored that Allegory has put together such a talented team so that the fans can again experience the joy of Speed Racer’s adventures.”

Michael Cisneros, Licensing Director for Speed Racer Enterprises stated, “I can’t even begin to express how amped up we are for this new series. What impresses us most about the Allegory team is their passion and determination to honor Speed Racer and bring something fresh and new while remaining completely faithful to the classic series.

It’s great to be immersed in the creative process so that we can deliver some phenomenal stories to fans and new readers alike that will turn their knuckles whiter with every page.”

Speed Racer cover artist and Creative Director Lee Kohse continued, “The stories we are working on are new, but we tell them around the events of the original manga by Tatsuo Yoshida and the animation based off of it.  In essence, we are expanding the story while honoring the spirit of the original series.  I think Racer fans will really get into it.”

Adam West To Cameo In ‘Batman: Dark Knight Rises?”

There have been several rumors recently concerning casting for Christopher Nolan’s third ‘Batman’ film. One rumor was that George Clooney maybe up for a role in the movie, but perhaps the most interesting one concerns Adam West, who played Batman in the iconic 1960s series.

According to Movie Web, various insider sources are claiming that West could be up for a cameo role in the new movie.

“Hollywood bigwigs confirmed actor Adam West will make a cameo on ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’” the report stated.

Details as to what kind or role West would play in the movie were not forthcoming, although the actor once expressed an interest in playing Batman’s father, despite the character being killed off in a flashback in ‘Batman Begins’ as well as all other Batman movies and the comics.

“I like Christian Bale. I’ve heard he’s a big fan of mine, but I certainly reciprocate,” he told Den of Geek back in 2008. “I think he’s really very good. I’d love to play his father. The older Batman comes out of the woodwork, when times get really tough… maybe a few tips here and there.”

West provided the voice of Thomas Wayne in an episode of the animated show ‘Batman: The Brave And The Bold.’ Former Catwoman actress Julie Newmar voiced his wife Martha.

Review: The Red Wing #1 of 4.

I’m always fascinated when a comic focuses on science fiction, and this book does just that with a vengeance!

Here’s the synopsis of the first issue: “‘LEARNING TO FLY’ To stay alive in the future, the best fighter pilots in the world not only have to perfect their skills and master their aircraft, they also have to know how to travel through time.”
Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra with Rachelle Rosenberg combine their talents in the issue, and I have to say, I’m impressed.

Time travel has been a staple from before ‘Star Trek’ graced the small screen, and this comic takes a look at what would happen if a war was being waged over the years.

The story is told through the eyes of two new cadets to the fight, Valin Redd and Dominic Dorne, who belong to families who have been involved with the conflict for quite some time.

They look back on all that has happened and hope to finally resolve the conflict, but it’s much more complicated than they believe.

The pacing is reminiscent of Hickman’s ‘FF’ for Marvel, and I love a good sci-fi comic. As always, it’s tough to judge a mini-series based on the first issue, but I’m going to follow it through until it concludes.

Wayne Hall contributes to the Smallscreen, Film and Graphic Novels/Comic Book sections of the Monsters And Critics.com website. He writes recaps for Fox’s ‘Bones,’ Syfy’s ‘Warehouse 13’ and the BBC’s ‘Doctor Who.’ He is co-editor and a news writer for SciFiPulse.Net. He also serves as a host for the ‘SFP-Now’ weekly podcast and produces and stars in the ‘Wayne’s Comics’ weekly podcast.

You can check both of them out at http://www.sfp-now.com.