Marvel Movies And Their Release Dates

Every geek I know is enjoying the current comic book movie Industrial Revolution.  And it isn't over.

What makes these movies great (except for Spider-Man) is that they're made with the comic fan in mind (except for Zombie Hawkeye in The Avengers).  The Avengers was the perfect blend of that. People that weren't even into comics loved it because it was a good damn movie. And geeks loved it because it packed full of stuff aimed right at us (except for Zombie Hawkeye).

 I left out the Spider-Man franchise and the Fantastic Four franchise because I think those movies are horrible.

With that said, take a look at what we've been able to enjoy over the course of the last few years and the years to come:




 And that's just what's been released, and not even every title!

 Here's what we've got to look forward to:

Iron Man 3 2013
The Wolverine 2013
Thor: The Dark World 2013
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2014

Yeah, that's ALL good stuff!

Click on something and buy it...I get a little sumpin' sumpin.

Avengers Blu-Ray Release - Gotta Pull The Trigger

I've waited long enough.

I have to buy Marvel's The Avengers Four-Disc Combo

You should too.

Blasphemy? Perhaps. But the best thing about what may be the most rousing and well-crafted superhero movie since The Dark Knight is not the boffo action scenes that culminate in a New York City-destroying finale that rivals Michael Bay's obliteration of the Chicago skyline in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. No, the real appeal of The Avengers comes from the quiet moments among a group of decidedly unquiet humans, extra-humans, mutants, and demigods...

Read more of the Ted Fry review over at Amazon...

@RobertKirkman of #TheWalkingDead Fame Needs To #PayTonyMoore

That's right.  #PayTonyMoore

Glenn Hauman over at comicmix.com does a great job breaking down the fundamentals of what people need to be paying attention to concerning The Walking Dead.  Here is his article in its entirety...and the final two points sum it up perfectly.

All this does it make me think of Gary Friedrich and how Marvel screwed the living shit out of him over Ghost Rider.  And that was "just business".  Tony Moore and Robert Kirkman supposed to be lifelong friends from the schoolyard.

I guess the fat kid is getting his revenge.

With The Walking Dead returning to AMC tonight, there could be an even bigger threat to the series as we know it: Original artist Tony Moore, co-creator with Robert Kirkman on the first six issues of the series, has filed suit against his onetime partner accusing him of promissory fraud, breach of written contract and other charges.

Moore claims that Kirkman persuaded him to assign his rights on Walking Dead and other properties to a limited liability corporation controlled by Kirkman, who allegedly hasn’t shared any royalty or other payments for Walking Dead or any of the other works.

Moore asserts that in September 2005 he and Kirkman entered into the agreement which assigned Moore 60% of comic publishing net proceeds for The Walking Dead and another title Brit, 20% of all motion picture net proceeds for Walking Dead and Brit and 50% of all motion picture net proceeds in connection with another title Battle Pope. Moore says in the suit he was reluctant to enter into the agreement. But he claims Kirkman informed him that if he didn’t assign his rights as specified it would kill the “large television deal on the table” and no one would receive any money. Kirkman allegedly promised to pay Moore royalties and provide regular, accurate accountings. Moore claims that Kirkman has never paid any royalties or provided an accounting of profit or loss.

Moore seeks damages in association with his purported share of any money Kirkman has already received plus his any share of any money outstanding. He’s asking for a court order for Kirkman to provide complete and timely accounting as well as payment of accrued interest and court costs. You can read the lawsuit here.

Let’s unpack this a bit:

1. If, as a comic creator, you ever felt screwed over by an Image Comics deal before, you now have yet another reason to feel so. If you ever considered bringing your comic to Image, you now have to wonder if you can trust the partners to give you a fair accounting.

2. If Moore is correct that no monies have been paid under the contract, then the entire contract can be declared null and void, which means that Moore would then have a claim on both the comic series and, more crucially, the television series– and since the TV series would then have been made without his permission, he can extract a tremendous amount of money from the production company.

And remember– just like zombies, it takes a lot to kill a lawsuit.

What have you got as a man in this world if you don't have your word? What have you got as a man in this world if to a lifelong friend your word mean shit? Nothing but a bunch of paper you can't take with ya.

Let's just say...I'll be treating Kirkman's intellectual property with the same kind of respect he's treating his supposed friend's intellectual property.

Pirate.

Robert Kirkman Appears To Be An Asshole

#PayTonyMoore

Firstly, Robert Kirkman, along with artist Tony Moore, created The Walking Dead. A wildly successful comic book that is approaching it's 100th issue...a milestone in comics - especially a "creator owned" comic published by Image Comics as opposed to a Marvel or DC title.  Image used to have a bit of a reputation for not getting books on shelves in a timely manner...but I think they've improved and I love their books.

I digress...

For someone that has many times espoused his support for the Occupy Wall Street camping trips, Robert Kirkman sure doesn't walk the walk.

Secondly, the comic became so popular you've probably seen:

• The Walking Dead TV Show
• The Walking Dead T-Shirts
• The Walking Dead Halloween Costume
• The Walking Dead Deluxe Step-by-Step Make Up Kit
• The Walking Dead Official Companion Book
• The Walking Dead Pint Glass Set
• The Walking Dead Posters
• The Walking Dead Etched Glass Stein
• The Walking Dead Action Figures
• The Walking Dead Bookmark
• The WalkingDeadBusts
• The Walking Dead Book
• The Walking Dead Special Edition Book
• The Walking Dead Kindle Book
• The Walking Dead Trading Cards
• The Walking Dead Buttons
• The Walking Dead Zombie Cubee
• The Walking Dead Cast Signed Photos
• The Walking Dead Sticker
• The Walking Dead Postcard
• The Walking Dead MP3s
• The Walking Dead Calendar
• The Walking Dead Board Game
• Another Walking Dead Board Game
• The Walking Dead Lunchbox
• More Action Figures
• The Walking Dead Lighter 

The first item on that list, the television show, is what's upsetting me.  It's extremely popular - and rightly so.  It's fast paced and the characters from the comic book are very nicely represented by fine actors.

When the comic book initially started, an artist named Tony Moore was drawing for the book.  Moore is Kirkman's childhood friend with whom he went to grade school and just so happens to be an incredible artist:

Tony Moore drew the first 6 issues of The Walking Dead.  That may not seem like much, but considering a large majority of new comics get canceled somewhere between issues 5 and 10, he basically laid the foundation and created these characters.

After Moore, came along Charlie Adlard:

 

Personally, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler.  I can't even trace something from one piece of paper to the next.  So this is all just my opinion.

The Walking Dead is absolutely rolling in the dough right now, and good for them. Make that buck in this world and go do you.  But don't do it while your friends are underneath your steam-roller.

However, Tony Moore is suing Kirkman over royalties he claims were never paid to him.  According to The Hollywood Reporter Moore believes he is due 60% of The Walking Dead's "comic publishing net proceeds" along with 20% of the "motion picture net proceeds".  Sounds 'bout right to me.

Kirkman's now infamous quote about how the tactics he uses to reel artists in for his work: "Trickery and deceit" may come back to bite him.  It is my opinion Moore created these characters.  Proverbially the writer tosses a ball in the air and the artist hits it with his pencil.

Kirkman ain't starving.

Given that we know comics hardly make it to ten issues, never mind 100 (The Walking Dead is currently at issue #93 and shows no signs of slowing down...(well, other than what some people [myself included] perceive to be major decompression at play because the book now sells better at the Trade Paperback level than it does at the single issue level).

Is it fair to think that Kirkman used a kickass artist like Moore to get people hooked on the comic?  Knowing full well most fans don't pick up black and white books, he'd obviously want someone that could make fans look past that, and look at the awesome, gory details of each scene and character and then swap them out so he can start cranking out the fluff?

By the way, the first issue of The Walking Dead sold out instantly...the first 20 issues or so are impossible to find and issue 1 could put your kid through college.

So, Kirkman establishes this great book, "Hey look how amazing the art is! Look how well written the story is!"...people buy it up and he makes a fortune.  Then, to speed things up a bit, Kirkman could go ahead and hire someone like Adlard who, in my opinion, is not nearly as good as Moore in this title.  The detail is lacking, there are two colors: black and white (where Moore used shades of black, grey, white and was wonderful with lighting and shadowing).

Look at the backgrounds of the Moore pictures above...the environment is rich with background settings and extra details.  Adlard seems to draw everything in a white room.  Please goggle the two artists for more comparisons.

Moore's "Rick" on the left, Adlard's on the right.

Another that people began to notice as soon as Adlard took over...Kirkman started having characters address each other by name because, some folks think, they all look, well, indistinguishable.

Again, this is no knock on Adlard...though I'm sure it's coming out that way.

This is more of a fuck you to Kirkman, who is going to be counter-suing Moore for $17,000 is lawyer fees.  Says Kirkman's lawyer:

...Mr. Moore’s contract has an attorneys’ fees clause in it so we will be going after him to collect attorneys’ fees.

Are you kidding me?  Like I said at the onset, it seems Mr. Occupy Wall Street  doesn't like it in his backyard.  He's also the first to preach about intellectual property, how stealing comic books is wrong (he's right by the way)...but it goes both ways Kirkman...those character designs are Mr. Moore's intellectual property.

So, with all that being said: If Robert Kirkman counter-sues Tony Moore for anything, specifically his lawyer fees (nevermind actually paying Mr. Moore for what he's owed),  The Walking Dead (and any other Kirkman book) will not see my money.  Another telling bit of info about all of this, maybe it's just me overanalyzing but: you know the old saying about a how the guilty prisoner falls asleep in the jail cell, while the innocent guy is climbing up the walls in panic?  Well, listen to all the noise and vitriol coming from the Kirkman camp...and compare that to what's coming from Moore and his lawyers: calm silence.  Kirkman and his lawyers have called Mr. Moore and this lawsuit every name in the book..."frivolous", "ridiculous", "absurd" etc.  Gee, Robby, trying to sway public opinion much?

I believe in certain principles and I live by them, I don't simply preach them.

Apparently, Mr. Kirkman just preaches them.

In the meantime, go read the new Batman title drawn by Tony Moore, it's incredible.

Christos Gage, Avengers Academy And More

In Trouble

In my opinion the Avengers franchise is in trouble.  Brian Michael Bendis took it upon himself to extend his artistic license into the realm of a complete retcon or reboot.  That "Oral History Of The Avengers" running through some of the Avengers titles was absolutely rife with errors, mistakes, oversights and complete flubs.

One camp is arguing that he's simply trying to leave his mark on the title. Fair enough, however I counter that with Frank Miller's run on Daredevil.  Did he completely re-write Murdock's history?  No.  He wrote good stories...and that's all Bendis had to do. Come on Bendis...I've read Torso, Goldfish and Jinx. You're better than this.

It feels like 75% of Marvel readers don't read anything other than Marvel or DC so when I bring up these titles most people don't even know what I'm talking about...and those books are his best, most amazing amd imaginative stuff out there.  This Avengers crap, which seems to be flying off the shelves, is fluff...and lining the pockets of people insulting your intelligence. And The Hood with the Gemstones?  Seriously? Instead, he twisted everything around to make it fit what he had in mind, and Romita Jr. has been mailing in all that horrible art.  I hear someone else is coming on board but to quote a famous prince, "The play's the thing".  It's Bendis' storytelling that I need to be good enough to drop close to a fin on the table to buy and read.  And right now, they're 50 cent bin books.

Enough bashing...there's so much good stuff out there right it's a great time to be reading comics.  From Skullkickers to Walking Dead, from the brand new Hickman title Red Wing to Gladstone's, from Venom, Punisher & Thunderbolts to Morning Glories, The Mission, Haunt and Chew.  Not to mention the astounding Moon Knight (even though it's Bendis), Batman: The Dark Knight and PunisherMAX, Uncanny X-Force to the upcoming new DC titles.

Prominently pictured Moon Knight and Nova

But there's one single title out there right now that has quickly risen to the top.  When I was drowning in a sea of crappy JRJR art in 1,499 different Avengers titles I tried to pick one with the coolest lineup.  I read them all but Secret Avengers seemed like it was going to be the best.  Promsing Moon Knight & Nova (just look at the cover) yet left completely disrespected and sparsely used.  I'm an Avengers guy before anything else (in the MU at least).  Not X-books.  Avengers.  So I was quite saddened by the current quality yet excessive quantity of Avengers titles.

One day I happened upon issue number 1 of Avengers Academy.  Man, oh man was I happy to see that.

Obviously this book stuck out from the rest just because it didn't have some boring, retread cover by JRJR.  But the most important factor that made the book pop off the shelves to me was the writer, Christos Gage.  You may know Christos Gage from his Avengers Initiative run. Christos Gage picked up Initiative after Dan Slott, yes THAT Dan Slott who is currently writing one of the most epic ASM storylines of all time.

Anyway, I picked up Academy knowing I'd be reading the origins of some future heroes (and villains) of the MU.  And I knew those origins would be complex, written with heart and realism like no other writer right now - and I've been hooked since.  Collecting variant covers, seeking out signatures and basically decorating my office with Academy books.  Yes, it's that good, imo.

Nicole Sixx from Womanthology & comicbooked.com with Christos Gage.

Christos Gage is incredible.  From his work on video games, to Law & Order to independent works like Absolution which was friggin amazing the guy simply doesn't dissappoint.

He doesn't know how. It's not in his make up and it's not even in his vocabulary.  His Home Front tie-ins to Fear Itself are outstanding...if you've followed Robbie Baldwin, aka Speedball aka Pennance then Home Front is for you as well.

Even if you haven't, Gage's writing stands on it's own, he could be writing about anyone and he just nails it. Pick up stuff with his name on it. It's impossible to be let down.

And that's a promise from me...Comics Nut.  Everyone knows my word is gospel.