Iron Man Movie Trailer
September 11, 2007 | 5 Comments
The Iron Man trailer is out. You need to check it out! Below are my takeaways and highlights from the trailer. May 2nd, 2008 can’t come quick enough!
Iron Man Movie Title
Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr) in Afghanistan, before he is captured
The first Iron Man suit breaking out of prison
Obadiah Stane (played by Jeff Bridges) with his Iron Monger suiit
Iron Monger - the main villain
Jim Rhodes (played by Terrence Howard), best friend to Tony Stark. In conventional Iron Man history, Rhodes eventually dons the Iron Man costume and persona for a time. Later Stark goes back to being Iron Man and Rhodes becomes War Machine.
Virginia “Pepper” Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) is the prime love interest of Tony Stark. Much like Money Penny to James Bond, Potts is Stark’s executive secretary. In comic mythology, she eventually marries Stark’s close friend Happy Hogan.
Tony Stark clearly displaying the device embedded in his chest. They must be using some of the Ultimate story line with this device being something to keep him alive…
Finally, Iron Man in the modern suit in flight
Visually I think they have nailed this. Additionally, Downey Jr seems to be spot on with his Stark portrayal. This is very exciting.
Tags: gywneth paltrow, happy hogan, iron man, iron monger, jeff bridges, jim rhodes, marvel, movie, movie trailer, obadiah stane, pepper potts, robert downey jr, terrence howard, tony stark, war machine
Iron Man Movie Excitement
April 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment
As Spider-Man 3 prepares to hit theaters on Friday night kicking off the summer 2007 movies, I begin to look forward to the Marvel movies of summer 2008. Headlining those charts is the exciting Jon Favreau rendition of Iron Man.
Classically, Iron Man/Tony Stark has not been one of my favorite Marvel characters. However, 2005’s Orson Scott Card written Ultimate Iron Man series piqued my interest. Following this, the deep involvement in Spider-Man continuity. Peter befriends and relies on Tony Stark, moves into Avengers tower with Mary Jane and Aunt May. He then changes to the Iron Spidey costume. Eventually comes out in support of Stark’s Super Hero Registration Act initiative and reveals his identity. His stance changes in the long run as he defies Iron Man, goes underground and joins the resistance as part of the conclusion of Civil War. All this certainly puts Iron Man front and center in all my comic readings.
Of additional note, last winter’s Invincible Iron Man DVD, created by the same animation studio responsible for Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 DVDs, was the best of the three.
With all this in mind, the star studded casting of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Terrence Howard as good friend and coworker Jim Rhodes/War Machine, Gwyneth Paltrow as the love interest Viginia “Pepper” Potts, and Jeff Bridges as the apparent villain Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger is highly exciting.
I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the first teaser trailer…
Tags: "ultimate avengers", avengers, civi war, dvd, gwyneth paltrow, invincible iron man, iron man, iron monger, james rhodes, jeff bridges, jim rhodes, jon favreau, marvel, movie, obadiah stane, orson scott card, pepper potts, poster, robert downey, robert downey jr, spider-man, spiderman, spidey, tony stark, trailer, war machine
Who is Ronin Now?
April 18, 2007 | 1 Comment
Ronin joined the New Avengers last year when she helped them out in Japan. It was later revealed that Ronin was in fact Maya Lopez formerly known as Echo. She was good friends with Matt Murdock, in fact they had a off an on relationship for awhile. Lopez was raised by Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin after he killed her father.
She was born deaf, but with the gift of being able to reproduce anything she saw anyone do. This includes playing the piano, fighting styles, flying planes, etc. It makes her a formidable opponent, especially if she has witnessed someone fight in the past.
After revealing herself to Captain America, Iron Man, and the rest of the New Avengers, she returned to Japan to infiltrate the organized crime group “The Hand”. When Civil War broke out shortly after, her contact with the Avengers was broken.
Following Civil War, she contacted Matt Murdock as she feared being captured or defeated by Elektra (leader of The Hand). He in turn told Iron Fist, who told the New Avengers she needed help.
By the time the new New Avengers arrived in Japan, Maya had been killed and resurrected by Elektra. Clearly Elektra intended to convert her to The Hand’s cause.
The interesting thing about all of this, Ronin arrived with the New Avengers. So the question is, who is Ronin now? Considering the fact that she contacted Murdock to help her, that’d be my initial guess. However… The picture to the right shows Maya and Ronin’s first interaction which seems to indicate this is not Matt…
The only other hints come from author Brian Michael Bendis in a Newsarama interview: “It’s someone with a long history in the Marvel Universe. There are quite a few people it could be, and it’s not necessarily the person you immediately go to, but it’s someone I have an affection for who also has a history of donning a guise that best suits his or her mental tone. And this is his or her mental tone right now. And it just so happens there is a costume that needs filling and a person who can fill it, and so it’s taken.”
If I was to take bets, these are the odds I’d give on who Ronin will turn out to be:
Clint Barton (Hawkeye) - 3:2
James “Bucky” Buchanan Barnes (Winter Soldier) - 3:1
Nick Fury - 5:1
Sharon Carter - 20:1
Jessica Jones - 40:1
Frank Castle (Punisher) - 50:1
Marc Spector (Moon Knight) - 100:1
Matt Murdock (Daredevil) - 250:1
Wade Wilson (Deadpool) - 500:1
Tony Stark (Iron Man) - 10,000:1
Steve Rogers (Captain America) - 1,000,000:1
Tags: avengers, bendis, brian michael bendis, bucky, captain america, civil war, clint barton, daredevil, deadpool, echo, elektra, frank castle, hawkeye, iron man, james buchanan, jessica jones, kingpin, luke cage, marc spector, marvel, matt murdock, maya lopez, moon knight, new avengers, nick fury, punisher, Ronin, sharon carter, suit, the hand, tony stark, wade wilson, wilson fisk, Winter Soldier
A Darker Spider-Man
April 15, 2007 | 2 Comments
I am certain that putting Spider-Man back in the black suit was primarily a marketing ply to bring him inline visually with the new Spider-Man 3 film coming out this summer. It can’t help but sell comics if the book on the newsstand looks just like the character on the big screen.
However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how they are playing out this change in the books. First of all, in the wake of Civil War, Aunt May was shot by a sniper hired by the Kingpin. All evidence indicates this bullet will be lethal, but for now she hangs on, in a coma, sustained by life support. He vows to avenge her by all necessary means. In fact, as you can see in the image on the left, he intends to find who is responsible and he “is going to kill them”.
Additionally, Peter Parker decides not to take the pardon offered by new director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Tony Stark/Iron Man. This leaves him as a criminal fugitive in defiance of the Superhero Registration Act. As part of this he remains a member of the New Avengers who are now made up entirely of heroes in a similar situation. Now led by Luke Cage, the New Avengers are made up of Wolverine (Logan), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Iron Fist (Danny Rand), Ronin (unknown), Echo (Maya Lopez; formerly Ronin), and the surprise addition of Doctor Stephen Strange. This is a group who are known far more for street level crime fighting as opposed to global/galactic/cosmic level events. They start right out fighting Elektra and The Hand, but Spider-Man is here to fight the Kingpin’s crew.
This newly formed team is certainly darker, with a much more aggressive take on crime fighting. The US government considers all of them criminals and this combined with their plans, means they will be taking out their aggressions in potentially lethal ways. I would not want to be a street thug in the Marvel Universe with these guys out for vengeance. The image below shows that they are not implying this, but stating it outright.
Al of this leaves us with a Spider-Man who has turned to much darker tactics. His life has taken a dark turn. So… using the black costume as a symbol of his new stance both to fans reading the book and to criminals he will encounter in the Marvel Universe is a nice and accurate touch. Again, the marketing aspect of this change had me a bit hesitant about their decision to make this change, but I’m loving the story lines that are emerging.
Tags: "black suit", "Spider-Man 3", aunt may, avengers, danny rand, dark, doctor strange, echo, elektra, iron fist, iron man, jessica drew, lethal, logan, luke cage, marvel, marvel universe, maya lopez, new avengers, power man, Ronin, shield, spider-man, spider-woman, stephen strange, the hand, tony stark, vengeance, Wolverine
Marvel Tragedy in Wake of Civil War
March 10, 2007 | 6 Comments
Many people predicted either Iron Man (Tony Stark) or Captain America (Steve Rogers) would die in the final throws of Civil War. When the concluding issue #7 came and went with Cap’ surrendering and becoming imprisoned, I believed these two Marvel icons had both dodged death. Shockingly, it came in an epilogue issue of Civil War, Captain America #25 (volume 5). Captain America was assassinated.
Ed Brubaker delivers this tragic event in an equally stunning and touching manor that remains true to the character of Captain America. As Cap’ is being led into the courthouse to be arraigned for his crimes in violation of the Super-Hero Registration Act, he is shot in the back by a sniper. Amazingly, Cap’ spots the sniper before being shot and turns himself into the shot, seemingly protecting the guards escorting him. However, one bullet would not take down this super soldier.
As the crowd scatters, his friend and recent lover Sharon Carter steps from the crowd. She is there working secretly with Nick Fury and Winter Soldier in hopes of avoiding something like this. As she gets to Cap’ we see him shot three times to the stomach from close range. We are left unsure of the shooter at this point. Later we learn Dr. Faustus has manipulated through some sort of hypnotism, Sharon to have pulled the trigger and killed Captain America. When she learns this, Brubaker makes her pain palpable.
Interesting to note in this, is a brief moment of history relating to Captain America. As far as I know, he is one of the first major super heros who was clearly killed, then revived years later. He died in World War 2, but was found by the Avengers frozen in a block of ice. The modern character of Cap’ has repeatedly used this plot point of a man out of time. Since then, it’s almost become a cliche that you can’t really kill anyone for long. The list of characters who have died and been reborn is extensive: Jean Grey, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Vision, Winter Soldier, Colossus, Elektra, Punisher, Professor X, Angel, Wonder Man, Thor, Human Torch, Captain Marvel, Green Goblin, need I go on? Usually Marvel will wait for a writer change, a major story line, or a big crossover before they come up with some low percentage explanation that allows the revival of a beloved character.
With this death, they haven’t even bothered to wait a week before laying the ground work to bring Steve Rogers back from the dead. In the Civil War: The Initiative one-shot, Brian Michael Bendis delivers a scene where Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) and Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) come into conflict. Spider-Woman is still unregistered and opposing the act. Ms. Marvel tries to convince Spider-Woman to take the pardon and come in. The hurt from Cap’s death is clearly still to near the surface for Jessica and she lays the blame square on the shoulders of Tony Stark. It is at the point that Ms. Marvel states that Steve Rogers is not dead. She says: “He’s tucked away safe on The Raft. No one knows. No one. They’re trying to save his life even as we speak.” When asked how this is possible she retorts: “What am I? A super-soldier serum expert? He’s not dead!” However, Marvel has issued this statement: “Comments from Ms. Marvel in this week’s Civil War: The Initiative, which seemed to indicate that Captain America is still alive, and being held prisoner by the Pro-Registration forces may not have been exactly what they seemed on the surface, and events related to those comments will play out in upcoming issues of New Avengers.” I still think this leaves a nice wide opening to resurrect Steve Rogers whenever it is necessary, my prediction, right before the 2009 Captain America movie hits theaters.
But “Captain America” is not in fact dead, Steve Rogers is. With the clear foreshadowing they did in Civil War #7 by having Frank Castle (The Punisher) take Captain America’s mask, most definitely this will be the guy to wear the red, white, and blues real soon. Throughout Civil War, it was shown repeatedly how much Frank respects and admires Steve Rogers. This is a story line with a lot of potential and is destined to stir interesting controversy in the Marvel Universe.
On a final note, I love when comic book events are large enough to gain attention of traditional media reporting, but it is annoying to find out about events like this before you read them. Sadly I had this story spoiled for me less than a day after it happened and my copy of the book had not yet arrived…
Tags: america, angel, captain america, Captain Marvel, carol danvers, civil war, civil war the initiative, colossus, comics, death of captain america, elektra, frank castle, Green Goblin, hawkeye, human torch, initiative, iron man, Jean Grey, jessica drew, Magneto, marvel, ms marvel, Professor X, punisher, spider-man, spider-woman, steve rogers, thor, tony stark, Vision, Winter Soldier, wonder man
Avengers, New and Mighty
February 22, 2007 | 9 Comments
In the wake of Civil War, the Avengers are left split into two teams. These will be the New Avengers and the Mighty Avengers. Little is known about either, especially considering Civil War has not yet completed. However, the cover for Mighty Avengers has been revealed, and the first issue with the new New Avengers is out!
We do know that Brian Michael Bendis will be writing both books. Leinil Yu will be drawing New Avengers and Frank Cho will be drawing Mighty Avengers.
Here’s what the teams are looking like so far:
Mighty Avengers
based entirely off the cover art
- Ms. Marvel - leading the team
- Iron Man - is this Tony Stark? I have my doubts…
- The Sentry
- Ares
- Wonder Man
- Wasp
- Black Widow
New Avengers
- Luke Cage (returning)
- Spider-Man (returning, now in black suit)
- Wolverine (returning)
- Spider-Woman (returning)
- Maya Lopez/Echo (returning, no longer as Ronin)
- Iron Fist - no longer wearing the Daredevil costume and clearly the new money for this group.
- Doctor Strange
- Ronin - not Maya, so who’s Ronin? They imply it is “not quite” Matt Murdock. Could this be Nick Fury? Captain America? Sue Storm? Some other lesser known disenfranchised character?
I find the Mighty Avengers to be the more surprising of the teams. Lots of old characters being brought back to the main stream.
Early indications say that Mighty Avengers will be the more government acknowledged team addressing the massive universe effecting events.
New Avengers are a darker more street level team with a concentration on fighting crime. The art styles do a great job of immediately indicating that distinction as well.
Tags: ares, art, avengers, bendis, black, black widow, brian michael bendis, captain america, civil war, comics, daredevil, doctor strange, echo, iron fist, iron man, luke cage, marvel, matt murdock, maya lopez, mighty avengers, ms marvel, new avengers, nick fury, Ronin, sentry, spider-man, spider-woman, spiderman, spiderwoman, sue storm, tony stark, wasp, Wolverine, wonder man
Invincible Iron Man DVD
January 22, 2007 | 2 Comments
The animated movie, Invincible Iron Man, will be released on DVD tomorrow, January 23rd. This full length film is by the same Marvel animation studio that made Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2.
Here’s the marketing plot summary:
Past and present collide in this epic adventure that reveals the origin of Iron Man. While raising the ruins of a long buried Chinese kingdom, billionaire inventor Tony Stark digs up far more than he bargained for. He unleashes an age-old prophecy that foretells the resurrection of the Mandarin, the emperor of China’s darkest and most violent dynasty. In order to confront the destructive force, Tony creates an armored suit infused with high-tech weaponry. To stop the evil that he himself has raised from the earth, Tony must become his greatest invention ever—Iron Man! The newly born champion must travel to the four corners of the earth to battle the Mandarin’s henchmen, the Elementals—four magical warriors who harness the power of the elements—earth, water, wind, and fire—with deadly chemistry. But is the Iron Knight, as he his known in the prophecy, strong enough to defy fate and turn back the malevolent forces hell-bent on earth’s destruction?
This movie is not to be confused with the live action Iron Man movie due out May 2008 starring Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.
Tags: "ultimate avengers", animation, dvd, gwyneth paltrow, invincible iron man, iron knight, iron man, jim rhodes, mandarin, marvel, pepper potts, robert downey jr, terrance howard, tony stark