X-Ray Vision

By now we have all heard of the cancellation of the Spider-Man 4 movie. This is disappointing mainly because we most likely won’t see Bruce Campbell now. On the other hand I was completely over Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man so I am looking forward to seeing some fresh faces. I am also looking forward to what new director Marc Webb will do with the movie.

There have been rumors circulating that Marc Webb is looking to the Ultimate Spider-Man comics for inspiration. I sincerely hope that he actually reads Ultimate Spider-Man and remembers some of the storylines. That would alleviate all of my fears about this so called “gritty” reboot. The Ultimate Spider-Man comics did a good job of tackling serious issues without getting all dark and moody. Marc Webb, if you’re listening, please base your movie off of Ultimate Spider-Man. I predict good things if that happens. And just for the record I like your plan to cast relative unknowns, just make sure your Mary Jane is hotter than Kirsten Dunst.

The Jonah Hex news has died off somewhat, and even I found myself letting Jonah Hex slip from my thoughts. That is incredibly surprising considering Megan Fox will be in it. Luckily for Hex, there are now more scenes being added to the movie and thus this movie has been thrust into the spotlight once again.

An additional 12 pages of script will be filmed to help flesh out the movie. By that I mean 10 of those pages involve a scantily clad Megan Fox. It is said that these extra pages are being used to help move the story along and also to help Jonah Hex compete with other high budget films that will be coming out. I am still nervous. The concept of Jonah Hex is a difficult one to capture. Josh Brolin, who will be playing Jonah Hex, said that the script was awful but he decided that it would be fun to do. To me, that translates to “This movie will not be any good so I can just have fun.” I love the character but this is not easing my fears of some ridiculously cheesy Jonah Hex movie. I will cross my fingers and hope that this extra material really does make the movie that much more enjoyable, but I assume Green Lantern will be better. Oh well, at least I will get to see a scantily clad Megan Fox.

As you might have been able to tell from my earlier post, I am very excited to see Kick-Ass grace the big screen. My only disappointment is having to wait until April 16th to see the actual movie. The powers that be in the comic world are keeping me satisfied by presenting yet another kick-ass Kick-Ass trailer. There is absolutely no way I won’t see this movie.

The only thing I can ask for now is some more Red Mist footage. McLovin as a superhero is priceless. Especially since Red Mist is also a bit of a pothead. I still think Hit-Girl will be the best character, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

The Batman Villain Project is one of the coolest endeavors I have seen in a long time. An artist who goes by the name of WanderingBert has decided to draw every single Batman villain in his own unique style. He doesn’t just mean to draw the big names like Joker and Catwoman, but also the lesser known villains like Killer Moth and the Atomic Skull. I am particularly fond of his drawing of Bane.

I am a big fan of the style WanderingBert is using in this project. He manages to keep his drawings simplistic while still making the spooky villains spooky and the goofy villains goofy. The sheer amount of characters WanderingBert has drawn is proof that he is a devoted artist, not to mention a huge Batman fan. I leave you with his drawing of Scarecrow and encourage you to check out the rest of his work.

First off I would just like to say something. Anthony Le, you are a god amongst men. Now most of you probably haven’t heard the name Anthony Le before today. I hadn’t either. All shall know his name after this moment, for he is the creator of the greatest War Machine costume ever. See the glory of War Machine for yourself.

Anthony Le has added an insane amount of detail to his War Machine costume. He says it includes “repulsor gauntlets”, “wrist rockets”, and a “mini gun simulated simulated fire and drop lock system with laser”. Anthony Le has a very well equipped War Machin costume apparently. I am going to assume those are all real weapons and be very careful to not cut off Mr. Le in traffic. 2010 has an early candidate for best costume of the year in War Machine. Well played Anthony Le.

I have to be honest, I haven’t heard much of Norm MacDonald’s comedy. I really just knew him as that guy who used to be on SNL and voiced Death in Family Guy before Adam Carolla. Now I have a new respect for Norm MacDonald because I heard this:

Yes that is a whole routine from Norm MacDonald’s album Ridiculous on how the members of the Fantastic Four were named. Norm MacDonald is awesome. I think a movie with this version of the Fantastic Four would be far more entertaining than Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Then again just listening to this skit on repeat would also work to that purpose. Norm MacDonald, do me a favor and keep making skits like this.

Surprisingly, it is Fangoria that has announced a starting date for work on The First Avenger: Captain America. Now I feel bad that a horror blog announced it before all of the comic blogs. I am willing to put all that aside though and let you readers know that the director of Captain America, Joe Johnston, has scheduled a June start for preliminary shooting on Captain America. Only 6 short months until Captain America gets rolling!

Of course I remain fairly skeptical that this date will be met. I remain skeptical about all things related to the Captain America movie until they get around to announcing who will play Captain America. This is one of the most, if not the most iconic role in all of comics. I am sure I am not the only one who anxiously awaits the news. No matter who gets cast as Captain America I’m sure there will be some grumbling from fans. Everybody has their own idea of who should be the Star-Spangled Avenger. I just want to know because I can’t see anything happening in a Captain America movie until they have Captain America. Until that role is announced I am taking this supposed June start date with a grain of salt.

Excelsior! Man, I love saying that, and today I have an excuse. Today is a very special day, for it is the 87th anniversary of a comic genius being introduced to the world. That’s right, Stan Lee is now 87 years old and remains the face of the comic book industry. He introduced us to Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, and the X-Men, just to name a few. It is hard to imagine what the comic industry would look like if Stan Lee had never come around.

Luckily for us Stan Lee is still very active in the comic book industry, and we can look forward to many more of his cameos in all Marvel movies. I am especially looking forward to his portrayal of Larry King in Iron Man 2. Stan Lee might steal the show from Robert Downey Jr. this time around. I suggest to all you comic loving readers that you follow Stan Lee on twitter . He tweets quite often and has some interesting things to say. Once again, happy birthday Stan Lee and excelsior!

Well this is a comic book blog, so before I talk about the new Sherlock Holmes movie I better build up a comic connection. Well first off, Jude Law has a tattoo of Rorschach from Watchmen. He also plays Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes. We have our first connection! The obvious connection is that Robert Downey Jr. is not only Sherlock Holmes, but Iron Man. I believe that is enough reason to talk about the Sherlock Holmes movie right there.

Alright, I’ll admit it. I just wanted to talk about Sherlock Holmes because it was awesome. The back and forth banter between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law is reminiscent of Tony Stark’s speeches in Iron Man. Very witty and dry and completely entertaining. I highly recommend this movie to everyone, you will not be disappointed. The only question I am left with is whether Robert Downey Jr. is smarter as Tony Stark in Iron Man or as Sherlock Holmes.

I just wanted to do a quick post to wish all of you readers a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and kick ass Kwanzaa. The best gift I’ve gotten this year is having you guys keep coming back to read what I’ve written. With that in mind I wish you all the best, and hope you keep coming back to X-Ray Vision for your comic news.

- Gonzo