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I've moved to a new site. This blog is no longer being updated but all of its contents (and new stuff) can be found at:

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Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD (1998 television film)

**Once, a loooong time ago, the Marvel brand was not the cinematic behemoth that it is now. Yes, youngsters, there was a time before X-Men, Iron Man and Blade. Novelist Brian Baer took a 90-minute look into that dark time recently and came back with this dispatch of what he witnessed.**

The 90's was a weird period for Marvel. Between the chromium covers and bankruptcies, the company had found success in animated series, namely with X-Men and Spider-Man. They attempted to spin that momentum into live-action properties in 1996 with a made-for-TV movie/pilot for a Generation X TV series. That show wasn't picked up, but in 1998, they gave it another try with an adaptation of their long-running super-spy, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD.

PANEL TO PIXELS: The Wolf Among Us (2014 video game)

**Panel to Pixels is a new column that will examine video game adaptation of comic books. I've discussed video game's take on specific characters only a couple of times in the past. And really, I had always figured this blog would focus on film and television. However, after playing this game I felt the need to share it. And once the flood gates are open, you know how it goes...**

Comic books and video games have had a long history together. Sadly, that history has largely been marred with sloppy, second-rate productions that are more about cashing in on a licensed character than they are about making a decent game (Superman 64 immediately springs to mind). That said, there have been some shining examples of how good a comic book video game can be. The Arkham series has created a bankable franchise out of Batman and his ever-expanding rogues' gallery and a game based on X-Men Origins: Wolverine ended up being far, far better than the film of the same name. Again, those are the rarities. Whenever a comic-based game is announced it's always met with a healthy dose of skepticism, even if the company working on it has a proven track-record in designing top-notch licensed content.

COMMENTARYCAST: Blade (1998 DVD)

Blade is the first new CommentaryCasts to be posted in this new format. Starring Wesley Snipes, this 1998 film is the first to kick-off the modern "Golden Age" of comic book films. That's especially interesting since the studio that released it, New Line, didn't promote it as such. It's not too odd considering the cinematic pedigree of movies based on comics at the time (and let's not forget that this was only a year after the Great Bat-Implosion...also called Batman and Robin). But it's cool to see the cinematic juggernaut that comic book movies (and Marvel especially) have become, with much thanks going to the strong foundation that Blade laid. Brian and I discovered that even with dated cgi, it's still an incredibly entertaining action flick.

PILOT LITE: 2014-2015 Season in Review

The 2014/15 television season has become well known as the season of the comic book television series. While we used to be content with the occasional Smallville or Birds of Prey (ok, no one was content with Birds of Prey), it's now possible to watch comic book programming 5 nights a week (or more thanks to DVR). While most of these shows have been ratings successes, I've been looking at them on my own scale of general artistry and adaptation. To me, not all of them have been stellar, but it's certainly been interesting to watch them grow, regardless.

COMMENTARYCAST: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010 Blu-Ray)

For those keeping track, this is the fifth CommentaryCast and also the fifth one to reference THE Matthew Stacey, he of myth and legend. At this point, I fear the inside jokes and shorthand between myself and Mr. Baer threaten to overtake regular discourse and comic-movie-based trivia. But, I don't fear it enough to stop. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is the very definition of "cult classic". It received great reviews but piss-poor box office receipts. And like any good cult classic, it's found a vocal and passionate fanbase on home video. Directed by genre god Edgar Wright, you  may never see a comic book movie that is directed quite so beautifully.

The Spirit (1980 pencil test trailer)

**Brian Baer (who's novel is out now) wrote this look all that survives of one genius's attempt to adapt another genius's work. Ah, what could of been...**

The road to feature film adaptations is long and rocky for many comic book characters, and perhaps none longer or rockier than for Will Eisner's seminal superhero, The Spirit. Also, like many paths to adaptation, that final product (2008's The Spirit) was rather disappointing.

The character had several brushes with live-action film before Frank Miller's directorial debut, though. There was a 1987 TV movie, which failed as a back-door pilot for a series, and an aborted attempt from Harlan Ellison and director William Friedkin nearly a decade previously. Between the two, The Spirit nearly became animated.

COMMENTARYCAST: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003 DVD)

It could be argued (correctly) that this shouldn't count as a DC comics film. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was originally published by ABC Comics in 1997. The first two volumes have recently been acquired by DC's mature imprint Vertigo. So it's not really a DC comic, but we really wanted to watch it next...so there. This movie has some degree of infamy and not just because it's a fairly crappy adaptation of the source material. It had an incredibly troubled production involving natural disasters and cast/crew in-fighting which lead to both the director and star retiring from film-making and citing this film as the reason. Add to it a complicated legal battle involving plagiarism and it's a wonder it even got released. It'd been a while since I had seen this movie and my strong negative sentiment toward it has definitely chilled a bit. For your listening/viewing pleasure, here's our discussion of LXG (don't call it that -Brian)...

COMMENTARYCAST: Daredevil: The Director's Cut (2004 DVD)

The third CommentaryCast ventures into one of Marvel's first pseudo-failures at the box office. While the original theatrical cut of this film is fundamentally flawed, this director's cut does a lot to correct those issues. It still ends up being an odd mish-mash of silly and serious, but it's much easier to watch. That said, it hasn't aged exceptionally well. I was once a staunch defender of this film, now some of its problems are much more evident. It seems odd that Marvel would follow up X-Men and Spider-Man with a relatively little-known hero like Daredevil. And yet, it was a surprisingly faithful adaptation, even down to some visual cues. With that, enjoy Brian and I discussing Daredevil and see if your thoughts on it have changed (for better or worse) over time.

COMMENTARYCAST: Dredd (2012 Blu-Ray)

The second CommentaryCast is the criminally under-seen action-flick, Dredd. Despite decent reviews and a focused story, the film failed to make much of a mark on the box office and as such, the much-promised sequel is all but dead now. Fans have been holding out hope, but at this point deeming it "unlikely" seems schockingly optimistic. Despite failing monetarily, the movie succeeds is spades with it's impressive visuals, effective violence, excellent performances and reverence to its source material. Brian and I are completely unable to hide our admiration for everyone involved in this film. So give this a listen...and then go buy the Dredd Blu-Ray.

COMMENTARYCAST: Constantine (2005 DVD)

This is the first of Comic Book Media's CommentaryCasts. I've been trying to figure out a better way to post the actual casts, rather than just on a page with a link at the top of the screen. I've found that even friends and frequent users of the site have missed updates on them, so I'm hoping an actual blog update will help to rectify this problem. Thus, I'll be keeping the original CommentaryCast page, but I'll also be giving each a place in the blog feed. I'm hoping this will extend the reach a bit. So as not to flood the page with all of the CC's at once, I'll post one a week until I'm caught up. After that, I'll post a brand new edition that Baer and I recorded a few weeks ago (it's Blade. Are you ready to roll with this?). Also, we're looking at getting them placed on iTunes and getting some clips posted on YouTube. I'll be sure to update you all when that happens. So, without further ado...that doesn't look right...(adieu?)...without further bullcrap, here's Constantine. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a listen. And, as always, sorry for all of the bad words.

THE UNADAPTED: Moon Knight

**This edition of The unadapted was written by Brian Baer, frequent collaborator and author of the upcoming Bad Publicity from Portfolio Press. Be sure to check it out. But first, read his thoughts on why Marvel's Batman should be brought to life.**

The problem with Moon Knight has never been that he was unknown. The character has been the star of several comics series, many with high-profile creators and respectable lifespans. He's even been ranked as one of the greatest comics characters by Wizard and IGN.

The problem with Moon Knight is that most people know him, but only as a Batman rip-off.

THE UNADAPTED: Usagi Yojimbo

**This edition of The Unadapted focuses on a character that's actually been adapted before. He's just never been the star of the show. Here's frequent collaborator Andrew Prenger to tell you about a beautiful comic that tells the tale of a badass rabbit.**

I can say with all honesty that Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is one of the two comic books (the other being Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns) which turned me onto comics as an adult. Without it, I don't know if I would have gotten into them as a hobby. It happened one day when I was wandering around the library, looking to kill time. I was in the "comics" section which, at the time, was mostly collections of newspaper strips before graphic novels became a thing. I pulled a book from the shelf and on the cover saw a rabbit samurai. There was instant recognition! I didn't know anything about this book, but I remembered the toy. I had grown up with it as part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line.

PILOT LITE: Daredevil (2015 television series)

Daredevil is a character that I know a lot about. I find him very interesting, but apparently not enough to keep up on his monthly antics. Confession time: I've read very little of his adventures in print. Other than a good chunk of Frank Miller's work on the character in the 80's, I've only read "Guardian Devil", Kevin Smith's late-90's re-invigorization of the titular red-clad hero. And yet, I know insane details about the character's history, backstory and tertiary cast members simply because of how fascinating he is.

PILOT LITE: Powers (2015 television pilot)

Powers has a premise that's almost better than any story that could possibly be spun out of it. Set in a world filled with super-powered beings, it follows two normal detectives who are tasked with solving cases involving superheroes and villains (known as "powers" on the street). From that ingenious and deceptively simple premise has sprung a creator-owned behemoth that has been in near-constant publication since 2000. As such, it has been a popular candidate to transition into other media.

Deadpool (2010 Script)

There's been a lot of news lately about the casting/filming of the Deadpool film that has recently gone into production. Now that it's actually happening, it's funny to look back at just what a rollercoaster ride it was to get this flick greenlit.


CBM Interview: Brian Clevinger

Atomic Robo is a comic series created by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener. If you're unfamiliar with it, please do yourself a favor and get familiar. It's a fun, exciting and hilarious story with an insanely likable cast of heroes and villains. Recently Clevinger, the comic's writer, posted a series of anecdotes on Twitter that explained some dealings he'd had in trying to adapt the character for the big screen, years ago (check him out on Twitter to see his comments). Amongst the notes from the studio was the need for Robo (a loveable, heroic robot) to have a kid sidekick. Eventually, the project fell apart, but not before some interesting meetings with the creators.

Brian Baer (frequent writer for Comic Book Media) was recently able to speak to Mr. Clevinger about his experiences dealing with a major studio and getting that close to seeing an adaptation of his beloved character.

I'd like to thank Brian Clevinger for agreeing to the interview and providing some insight into the difficult and frustrating process of adaptation.

Another thanks goes to Brian Baer for taking the lead with this interview. With that, I'll turn things over to the two Brians. Enjoy!

Fantastic Four (1975 radio show)

**Brian Baer researched one of the earliest adventures of Marvel's First Family in expanded media. More than that, he actually made it through a whole episode of it before questioning his own sanity. Enjoy!**

The Fantastic Four radio show is something of a pop culture anomaly. Debuting in 1975, the show lasted for a full thirteen weeks and was quickly forgotten. Now, it seems to be "discovered" every two or three years, namely due to the involvement of a pre-Saturday Night Live Bill Murray. The novelty passes, and then it waits to dug up once more.

CBM Profile: The Rogues

Superheroes are defined by their villains, be it directly or indirectly. This is a fundamental fact of the conflict that lies at the core of stories featuring masked men and the people who oppose them. For example, many point to the duality of Batman and Joker. It's been said that one cannot exist without the other. When it comes to villains, the Dark Knight's collection of foes is widely regarded as one of the best in the medium. However, there's one other DC hero, The Flash, whose enemies are almost as well regarded.

THE UNADAPTED: Fear Agent

**This edition of The Unadapted was written by Andrew Prenger, former comic-book monger and future best-selling novelist. Here's a look at a unique science-fiction series that needs some big (or small) screen love.**

When I was a retailer in a comic store I often tried to sell this by describing it as "Han Solo the comic book." That does a disservice to the overall story, but was generally a nice elevator description to get customers interested. In reality the story of Fear Agent is much more complex than that. Created by Rick Remender and Tony Moore in 2005 for Image Comics, the book is about Heath Huston who is initially introduced as a space-traveling exterminator. His job is to fly around to planets and get rid of unwanted alien infestations. What starts out as a simple eradication job on a backwater planet spins out to a sprawling space epic.

GUEST COLUMN: Doctor Mordrid (1992 film)





**The following was written by Brian Baer. While technically not a Comic Book Movie...come on, it totally is. Enjoy this look at a forgotten film from a strange time known as "The Early 90's."**

Don’t get me wrong, I know everyone is excited for Benedict “Cheekbones” Cumberbatch to play Marvel's Doctor Strange on the big screen. Dr. Stephen Strange has already appeared in his own 1978 TV movie, along with an animated film and guest spots on various cartoons, all of which I’m sure will be covered on this site soon. But there’s an important also-ran appearance of the character, something which may as well count.

PILOT LITE: Agent Carter (2015 television pilot)

Peggy Carter is a character who has had a long and, honestly, mostly forgotten history in comics. She first appeared as a World War 2 ally of Captain America's, but within modern comics she's better known as a relative to his frequent love interest, Sharon Carter. For decades, Peggy was a footnote in the history of the patriotic Avenger. That is, until Captain America: The First Avenger hit theatres and reintroduced the character to a brand new audience hungry for a strong female lead.

Justice League: Mortal (2007 script) part 2

In part one of this look back at Justice League: Mortal, I addressed the plot without getting into a whole lot of detail. Now that you've had time to track down the script, I'll be looking a bit deeper in regards to the characters and the overall story. Each section will focus on an actor and the part they were to play. Some of the casting seemed spot on while other actors seemed...less suited for their roles. Let's begin!

DJ Cotrona as Superman

At the time, Cotrona had done very little of note. He had a few bit-parts here and there, but this would have definitely been his highest-profile role. Since then, he's gone on to play Flint in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and star in the From Dusk Till Dawn television series. He definitely has the physique of Superman, but his youthful demeanor and look doesn't quite fit the script's older, more established take on the character. Overall, the character is portrayed how he should be: selfless, noble and pretty much untouchably "super". The third act takes a page from Infinite Crisis and pits Superman against the league thanks to some mind-control. I really like this story beat, but feel that the movie screws it up a bit. It hinges on the idea that Supes thinks Lois has been killed. However, she's not a character and has no presence in the film. It relies too much on the public's knowledge of their relationship and history. That's not a bad thing in some cases, but since it's so important for the finale, she really needs to be seen and (more importantly) felt within the context of the story. She doesn't have to be a major character, just the same level as Iris Allen or maybe a little smaller. Since her "death" is so important at the end, we need to SEE her and understand what she means to Big Blue.