"WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME -- GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!"

Stan Lee, "Spider-Man!" Amazing Fantasy No. 15 (Sept. 1962)

Monday, August 25, 2014

Golden Age Superboy!

As part of my ongoing quest for Superboys, I was pleased to discover the original Superboy in DC's recent collection The Adventures of Superboy (2010). With story by Jerry Siegel and art by Joe Shuster, the character first appears in More Fun Comics No. 101 (Jan./Feb. 1945) in the opening splash to the story:


We are then presented with 2 1/2 pages of action set on Krypton, where Jor-El (as usual) fails to convince his fellow scientists of the danger threatening their world. Finally, as expected, Jor-El and wife Lara have no other choice but to send their infant son, Kal-El, to Earth. The boy's superhuman abilities are noticeable at an very early age, as Siegel and Shuster introduce the prototype for the Silver Age Superbaby:


Young Kal-El is eventually adopted by the Kents, and he continues to develop his powers in scenes reminiscent of his Silver Age youth. Showing first his increased super strength:


Then his developing ability to fly (seen more fully next issue):


And, finally, his super speed:


Also of interest, the story offers Kal-El's first musings on his place in the world and need for a secret identity:



Later adventures suggest that Clark is about 10 years old at this point (whereas the Silver Age Superboy is a teen), and most of these early stories show him aiding other children both at home and (sometimes) abroad.  He is an interesting character, and, fully embracing both tights and flights, clearly delights in the novelty of his dual identity as first illustrated in the following issue, More Fun Comics 102 (Mar./Apr. 1945):



Check out The Adventures of Superboy for more:




Thursday, August 21, 2014

Batman: Assault on Arkham on Home Video (and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis preview)

Warner Home Video recently released Batman: Assault on Arkham to home video. The film draws upon the Batman: Arkham electronic game franchise (taking place after Batman: Arkham Origins) and highlights an adventure of the Suicide Squad. The trailer from DC Entertainment follows:




Details of the extras for the Blu-Ray edition have been conveniently listed on the Blu-ray.com site (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Batman-Assault-on-Arkham-Blu-ray/102001/#Review) and include:

Audio Commentary: DC Comics Animation creative director Mike Carlin, Assault on Arkham writer Heath Corson and executive producer James Tucker cover every major aspect of the film's development, adaptation, voice casting, animation and music. Director Jay Oliva is nowhere to be found, though.

The Joker's Queen: Harley Quinn (HD, 14 minutes): A look at the animated origin of Harley Quinn, her move to the printed page and the evolution of her character through various media, with Carlin, Quinn co-creator Paul Dini, "Suicide Squad" and Supernatural writer Adam Glass, and Entertainment Weekly writer Geoff Boucher.

Arkham Analyzed: The Secrets Behind the Asylum (HD, 27 minutes): "All things are possible here and I am what madness made me." The not so hallowed institution of Arkham Asylum, its inspiration, and its place in Batman comic books, television shows, videogames and films, with another lineup of interviews with key industry professionals.

From the DC Comics Vault (SD, 91 minutes): "Task Force X" from Justice League Unlimited, "Infiltrator" from Young Justice, "Emperor Joker" from The Brave and the Bold and "Two of a Kind" from The Batman.[The extra cartoons are common to all releases of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, though one wonders (again) of their value, since real fans will already have these in their collections.]

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis Sneak Peek (HD, 9 minutes): An extended behind-the-scenes promo detailing the production of the next DCU Animated Original Movie, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, the sequel to Justice League: War.

The clip has also surfaced online separate from the Batman film:




X-Men: Days of Future Past Home Video News

The recent film X-Men: Days of Future Past comes to home video this October (10/14/14) with Blu-Ray/Digital HD combo packs (with optional 3D disc), a DVD only version, and Digital Video only versions.




Full details on the Blu-Ray extras has been posted on the Blu-Ray.com site (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14558) and includes the following:

Special Features:
Disc 1: Theatrical Feature (Blu-ray 3D)
Disc 2:Theatrical Feature (Blu-ray 2D)
Deleted Scenes [with Optional Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer]
Kitchen Sequence
Gag Reel
Double Take: Xavier & Magneto
X-Men: Reunited
Classification: M
Sentinels: For a Secure Future
Gallery: Trask Industries
Theatrical Trailers
Second Screen App
Digital HD

There are also rumors of an extended edition to be release in 2015.

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Now on Home Video

Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is now available on home video on Blu-Ray/DVD/Ultraviolet, DVD/Ultraviolet, and Digital Video. A full review of the Blu-Ray set can be found on Blu-Ray.com at http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-2-Blu-ray/63965/#Review.




Here are the complete details about Blu-Ray and DVD extras as  posted on EW.com in June (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/06/16/amazing-spider-man-2-blu-ray/):

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:
4 All-New Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Marc Webb
Filmmaker Commentary
Alicia Keys “It’s On Again” music video

Exclusively Available on Blu-ray:
9 Additional Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Marc Webb, including “Peter Meets His Father”
“The Wages of Heroism: Making The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” featuring revealing, in-depth segments including:
“Lessons Learned: Development and Direction” — Filmmakers and cast discuss their approach to the sequel and their efforts to make it the best Spider-Man yet.
“Heart of the City: Shooting in New York” — A behind-the-scenes look at the film’s unprecedented access to 
New York City during production.
“Triple Threat: Attack of the Villains” — An inside look at the development of Spider-Man’s fearsome foes, Electro, 
the Green Goblin and Rhino.
“A More Dangerous World: Transforming Electro and the Green Goblin” — From make-up to costuming, see what it took to transform Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan into their fearsome alter-egos.
“A Bolt From the Blue: Visual Effects” — Sony Pictures Imageworks artists and animators show how they created the gravity defying, web-slinging and pumped-up action in the new film.
“Spidey Gets His Groove Back: Music and Editing” — Learn how the film’s soundtrack and score came together in this behind-the-scenes look at jam sessions with Composer Hans Zimmer and the team of master musicians he assembled, including Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Michael Einziger and more.

Exclusive to the DVD:
New Public Service Announcement for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), featuring Andrew Garfield & WWO CEO Dr. Jane Aronson


Friday, August 1, 2014

Song of Spider-Man

An interesting read offering insight into the creation of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: 

Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History
By Glen Berger

Simon & Schuster
384 pages
Hardcover (ISBN 9781451684568) $25.00
eBook (ISBN 9781451684582) $12.99
November 2013

Trade Paperback (ISBN 9781451684575) $17.00
November 2014

As one can imagine, writing a Broadway musical has its challenges. But it turns out there are challenges one can’t imagine when collaborating with two rock legends and a superstar director to stage the biggest, most expensive production in theater history.

Song of Spider-Man is playwright Glen Berger’s story of a theatrical dream—or nightmare—come true. Renowned director Julie Taymor picked Berger to cowrite the book for a $25 million Spider-Man musical. Together—along with U2’s Bono and Edge— they would shape a work that was technically daring and emotionally profound, with a story fueled by the hero’s quest for love—and the villains’ quest for revenge. Or at least, that’s what they’d hoped for.

But when charismatic producer Tony Adams died suddenly, the show began to lose its footing. Soon the budget was ballooning, financing was evaporating, and producers were jumping ship or getting demoted. And then came the injuries. And then came word-of- mouth about the show itself. What followed was a pageant of foul-ups, falling-outs, ever-more-harrowing mishaps, and a whole lot of malfunctioning spider legs. This “circus-rock-and-roll-drama,” with its $65 million price tag, had become more of a spectacle than its creators ever wished for. During the show’s unprecedented seven months of previews, the company’s struggles to reach opening night inspired breathless tabloid coverage and garnered international notoriety.

Through it all, Berger observed the chaos with his signature mix of big ambition and self-deprecating humor. Song of Spider-Man records the journey of this cast and crew as a hilarious memoir about friendship, collaboration, the foibles of hubris, and the power of art to remind us that we’re alive.