By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Image from Celluloid and Cigarette Burns.

Dynamite Comics announced via press release today that they have acquired the licensing rights to Total Recall, a 1990 science fiction film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and will publish comics based on the film later this year.

“I am thrilled to announce that Dynamite has acquired the rights to Total Recall from StudioCanal,” Dynamite President Nick Barrucci said. “We will give this property the same tender care that we have given to so many of our other successful science fiction properties such as Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and Buck Rogers!”

The film starred Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the distant future who takes a “virtual vacation” via a company called Rekall Inc. But when something goes wrong, Quaid discovers that his memory had been erased, and his is actually a freedom fighter from Mars who had relocated to Earth. The film also featured Sharon Stone as Quaid’s wife Lori, and Rachel Ticotin as his new love interest, Melina.

Front page image from FilmForward.com.

TITLE: Justice League: Cry For Justice
AUTHOR: James Robinson,
PENCILLERS: Mauro Cascioli, Scott Clark, Ibraim Roberson
COLLECTS: Justice League: Cry For Justice #1-7
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $24.99
RELEASE DATE: June 2

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Cry For Justice is a story about ethics among superheroes, the right thing to do versus the wrong thing to do. It asks questions about brutality, torture, and of course, the big question every fanboy asks at some point…

Why doesn’t the hero just kill the villain, and end the threat once and for all?

The premise is great. But the execution is kinda weird.

By my estimation, this story begins shortly after Final Crisis, and ends shortly after Blackest Night. So you’ve got to figure this book spans at least a couple of months. Angered after the deaths of Batman and Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) demands the Justice League start living up to its name, and start taking on a more proactive agenda against evil, as opposed to simply putting out fires. When the League disagrees, Hal and Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) strike out on their own. Eventually, their little band of rebels grows to include The Atom (Ray Palmer), Supergirl and Captain Marvel, Starman and Congorilla (He’s a talking gorilla. That’s right, got a problem with that?)

Art from ComicBoxCommentary.com.

The group investigates a plot involving dozens of supervillains, led by Prometheus, a villain who can exploit the weaknesses of the JLA using an advanced computer program that feeds information directly into his brain. Though the heroes take Prometheus lightly at first, the ramifications of what he does in this story will likely be felt for a long time.

The core story in this book, the one dealing with ethics and conduct, has a lot of meat to it and is very interesting. But it feels like there’s a lot of fat that could have been trimmed.

It should be noted that this group of heroes was originally going to be something of a Justice League B-Squad, an internal affairs type group. That idea was approved, but later nixed. I feel like James Robinson may have started writing the book as a smaller-scale story, then abruptly had the rug pulled out from under him, and had to blow it up. I say that because when the book’s climax begins, the core team has been joined by several additional heroes in the fight against Prometheus. It basically becomes a giant free-for-all.

Also, the dialogue during the first half of the book is inexplicably awkward and…wordy. There’s really no other way to put it. Robinson usually doesn’t have a problem with dialogue, but it feels like he came down with Revenge of the Sith syndrome here.

A brief example: There’s a scene where Supergirl comes in and saves Green Lantern from an attack. Hal says: “All right Supergirl, here you are. And you saved my life — much appreciated by the way. But I still have to ask — Are you here now as a hero…or as a villain?”

See? Needlessly wordy, not to mention corny. In any other book, I bet that quote would have been cut in half. But for some reason those kind of lines pop up all over Cry For Justice.

You’re also expected to know who most (if not all) of these heroes are when you open the book. One of the biggest plot twists in the book involves Red Arrow, Green Arrow’s former sidekick, who doesn’t even come into the book until about the halfway point.

Still, it has it’s high points. One thing nobody can take away from the book is the art of Mauro Cascioli. It’s among the best I’ve seen in the modern era. During the latter half of the book, Scott Clark inexplicably takes over for a bit, which I take as yet another indicator that this book didn’t go as planned.

Robinson’s portrayal of Congorilla is charming, and the scenes in which The Atom tortures the villains are very intriguing. Also, despite the book’s flaws, the ending packs a major punch.

Though it certainly helped shape events to come in the DCU (particularly for Green Arrow and Red Arrow) Cry For Justice had a very flimsy execution. It’s a good story, but only if you look hard enough.

RATING: 5.5/10

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder 

Photo from Who-Philes.com.

AMC Entertainment reports that Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures, in association with CJ Entertainment are developing The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman’s best-selling young adult novel, into a live action movie. 

The book is about a boy raised in a graveyard, who is educated by ghosts. 

Neil Jordan is writing the script, and will direct the film.

The Graveyard Book won the Newberry Medal in January 2009. The Medal is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children. It also won the 2009 Hugo Award for best novel.

Over the years, Neil Gaiman has become famous for his work on the graphic novel The Sandman, as well as other novels like Stardust, American Gods and Coraline.

During his career, Chris Columbus has served as the writer of Gremlins, director of Home Alone, producer of the first two Harry Potter films, among numerous other projects.

TITLE: Superman: New Krypton, Volume 4
AUTHORS: James Robinson, Greg Rucka
PENCILLER: Pete Woods. Cover by Bryan Talbot.
COLLECTS: Superman: World of New Krypton #6-12
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $24.99
RELEASE DATE: June 2

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Superman in a political thriller? Talk about a fish out of water…

Nevertheless, that’s where the former last son of Krypton finds himself in New Krypton, Volume 4. As you might have guessed, this book picks up where Superman: New Krypton, Volume 3 leaves off.

Superman is on the shelf for now, as Kal El suddenly finds himself the leader of New Krypton’s armies after an attempt is made on the life of a major Kryptonian official. But it doesn’t end there, as Kal must deal with other worlds who are angered by New Krypton’s actions, as well as a mysterious assassin determined to murder members of the planet’s high council. Who is behind this turmoil, and what does it have to do with General Sam Lane, Superman’s own father-in-law?

I’ll tell ya, it’s those in-laws that’ll get cha every time…

The cool thing about the World of New Krypton miniseries is that it takes Superman completely out of his element. In this book, he’s not a superhero anymore. He’s a general commanding an army. He answers to high council members, and functions amongst tension between Kryptonian social guilds. He’s weaved into the political fabric of society more than he ever was on Earth. He still flies, and moves faster than a speeding bullet, and all that stuff. But the context is completely different now that there are 100,000 other people around him that can do the exact same thing.

From the start, I think one of the purposes of this New Krypton story line has been to emphasize that Superman is not just a walking weapon. He’s a hero, a protector, a peacekeeper. How many times have you heard people say: Superman’s a pussy,” or “Without his powers, Superman is nothing.” I like to think part of the New Krypton story line is aimed at readers like that, because books like this show that underneath all his special abilities, Kal El truly has an iron will, and an unbreakable desire for to see virtue prosper.

Art from ComicArtCommunity.com.

The tough thing about any political thriller is that sometimes it’s very easy to get confused and lost in all the mumbo jumbo. That happened to me a little bit during this book. At the end, I had some trouble discerning exactly who the big bad guy was, and what exactly his motivations were. There’s a little bit of backtracking that’s a little hard to follow.

Also, Pete Woods has never been that high on my list of artists, but for some reason, DC seems to love him on Superman titles. The art in this book does what it needs to, but I think someone like Ramon Bachs or Jamal Igle would have been more satisfying. At least to me personally.

In a way, it’s hard to judge books in the New Krypton series, because a lot of them don’t come to a truly conclusive ending. For instance, at the end of New Krypton, Volume 4, we get a major cliffhanger that leads into the next chapter, Last Stand of New Krypton. It’s kind of like reviewing a chapter in a novel.

But for what it’s worth, I think New Krypton, Volume 4 is a decent accomplishment on the part of DC Comics. It proves a character like Superman doesn’t always have to be punching bad guys in order to be a success. He also works on different levels. And that’s a good thing, to say the least.

RATING: 6.5/10

Front page image from ComicArtCommunity.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

ComicBookMovie.com has unveiled the synopsis for Green Lantern, which hits theaters next year. It is as follows:

Art from SeanPaune.com.

Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Martin Campbell directs GREEN LANTERN from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  The film also stars Blake Lively (upcoming “The Town,” TV’s “Gossip Girl”) as the spirited Carol Ferris, a test pilot and the heir apparent to her father’s aviation company; Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education,” “Flightplan”) as scientist Dr. Hector Hammond; Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes”) as Sinestro, Jordan’s powerful mentor in the Green Lantern Corps; Jay O. Sanders (“Revolutionary Road”) as Carl Ferris, Carol’s aircraft designer dad; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars” Episodes II and III) as Abin Sur, Jordan’s alien predecessor; Taika Waititi (TV’s “The Flight of the Conchords”) as flight navigator Tom Kalmaku, Hal’s good friend and confidante; Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as enigmatic government scientist Amanda Waller; and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) as Hector’s influential father, Senator Robert Hammond.

Interestingly enough, in the comics Parallax eventually enters Hal Jordan’s mind and body, influencing his actions and turning him into a mass murderer.

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Cartoon Network is planning an animated Green Lantern series. It is apparently planned for a Thursday night time slot.

Front page image from Photography-Match.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Dennis Hopper, perhaps most famous for his roles in Easy Rider and Blue Velvet, has died of prostate cancer. He was 74.

<i>People.com</i> reports that Hopper died this morning in his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.

Hopper had been battling  prostate cancer for about 10 years. In September, Hopper told the press he was suffering from “flu-like symptioms” His family would later tell People the cancer had spread to other organs in his system.

The actor is survived by his daughters Marin (47) and Ruthanna (35), and his son Henry (19).

Hopper’s first film role came in 1955, when at 19 years old, he appeared in Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean. In 1976 he starred in Easy Rider with Jack Nicholson and became a household name. More recently, he has worked on Entourage and 24.

TITLE: Captain America: Reborn
AUTHOR: Ed Brubaker
PENCILLER: Bryan Hitch
COLLECTS: Captain America: Reborn #1-6
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
PRICE: $24.99
RELEASE DATE: April 7

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

This book felt…familiar.

And no, it’s not because it centers around the resurrection of Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. Rogers was killed off in 2007 following Marvel’s ginormongous company-wide event, Civil War. Rogers’ old sidekick, James “Bucky” Barns would eventually pick up the shield.

But in this book, we learn that Captain America did NOT die. Long story short, thanks to some nanotechnology invented by Dr. Doom, he’s trapped in the space-time continuum, reliving the major events in his life. This was all orchestrated by Rogers’ arch enemy, Red Skull, who when we open this book is trapped in a robotic body. With Doom’s help, he hopes to transfer his consciousness into Steve Rogers’ body, and become the leader of the Dark Avengers.

To me, this book felt very reminiscent of Geoff Johns’ work on Green Lantern: Rebirth and The Flash: Rebirth. I’m not suggesting Brubaker piggybacked on the Johns wave, because he’s a great storyteller in his own right. And obviously, all three stories have the same central theme: Rebirth, Reborn, you get the idea. Still, I couldn’t help but think: “Hey, I’ve read something like this before…”

Art from Captain America: Reborn #1.

Though the idea of Steve Rogers not actually dying, but being sent back in time seems a little corny (we actually SAW the bullets hit him, didn’t we?), it does provide good fodder for storytelling. The good Captain re-living some of his life’s defining moments, while essentially sitting in the passenger’s seat in his own mind, unable to change anything, allows the audience to get to see where the character’s emotional strengths and vulnerabilities are. I appreciated that, as I opened this book without much exposure to the main Marvel Universe (meaning I usually stick to the Ultimate line).

Red Skull comes out of this book looking great. There’s a really nice battle sequence that takes place in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where Bucky Barns faces off against Skull, whose consciousness is in Rogers’ body. We simultaneously get to see Bucky fighting Skull physically, while Rogers takes him on mentally. It’s a really clever scene.

Fittingly enough, like The Flash: Rebirth, Reborn drags a bit when it comes to explaining what actually happened to our fallen hero, and how he can come back. It gets a bit convoluted at times. Still, I give credit to Marvel for not actually killing Rogers. In a way, I prefer the convoluted technical explanation, as opposed to just saying: “He came back to life.”

I much prefer Brubaker’s more grounded work on gritty crime comics, but he turns in a nice story here. Fans with a decent knowledge of the Marvel Universe should appreciate it. For those of us who aren’t, if you concentrate on the main characters, you can still get a pretty good story out of it.

RATING: 7/10

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Former child star Gary Coleman died today after suffering a brain hemorrhage, reports Yahoo! News. He was 42.

Photo from ScrapeTV.com.

Coleman died at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah. A spokesman for the medical center stated he died around 12:15 p.m. mountain daylight time.

Coleman initially suffered the hemorrhage Wednesday at his home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.

In 1979, a 10-year-old Coleman shot to stardom on the NBC sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. His character’s catchphraise, “Whatchu talkin ’bout?” is a part of American culture to this day.

Coleman suffered from ill kidney health, which stunted his growth his entire life. As an adult, his was 4’8. His financial and legal troubles have been well documented over the years. In 2003, he ran in the California recall election to replace then Governor Gray Davis.

Feature image from 1010wins.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder 

Photo from Collider.com.

Heat Vision reports James McAvoy has been cast as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class.

The movie tells the story of young Xavier and Eric Lensherr (Magneto) as they discover their mutant powers for the first time, and work together with other mutants. 

X-Men: First Class is scheduled for a June 2011 release. 

McAvoy’s previous screen credits include Atonement, Wanted and The Last Station. 

The character was played in previous X-Men films by Patrick Stewart. Interestingly enough, there has been no indication as to whether or not McAvoy will have to shave his head to play Xavier.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Photo from NinjaTurtles.com.

Michael Bay and Platinum Dune Studios will oversea the next live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, reports Deadline New York. 

Platinum Dunes will team with Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon to “re-boot” the franchise in 2012. 

This will mark the first live action Ninja Turtles film since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III came to theaters in 1993. 

In October 2009, Nickelodeon purchased the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The network has plans for a new CGI television show, which will also debut in 2012.