A review is out for the first issue of the X-Files / 30 Days of Night comic cross-over. You can check out the details at Fangoria or X-Files News.

Personally I’m really excited about this. Never really got into graphic novels, and didn’t even really read the X-Files ones that much, but I’m really looking forward to some new X-Files material. Perhaps I should watch 30 Days of Night first though…

As far as I know, there aren’t any X-Files people behind it, which could actually be refreshing. I gather the artists/writers involved are well-known in the comic field, but I was particularly interested to read that Adam Jones from the band Tool is involved in the writing. I like Tool, for the most part – although it does make me wonder if every sixth frame of the book will be just static or a picture of machinery spliced with an image of Bill Hicks. But I remain optimistic.

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I recently had the opportunity to read the collected edition of Razorjack by John Higgins. It’s a pretty wild book and I really dug it. I can’t quite describe the vibe I got as I read the first few pages. It sort of felt like I was a kid again and I had stayed up too late and some weird movie was showing on a cable channel. That’s meant to be a compliment in case that wasn’t coming across, ha.

The only criticism I have is that there’s too much going on across too few pages. I’d like to see these characters get a little more space to breathe. On the whole, though, it’s a blast. It feels like its own thing, from its own time. The collected edition from Com.x Comics looks great and has some fun extras in the back of the book.

Synopsis: A sequence of events create a nexus that gives the death-bitch, Razorjack, and her twisted handmaidens the opportunity to finally break through into our world, the most important dimension of them all – the core dimension. Three college kids inadvertently create the opening from the alternate universe of the twist dimension and become a focus for the evil that is Razorjack. Maverick cops, Frame and Ross, are drawn into what could be the final battle between good and evil.

Created by John Higgins (artist on Judge Dredd (2000ad), The Hills Have Eyes (Fox Atomic), colorist on Watchmen and Killing Joke (DC Comics).

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Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog has a great roundup of all the f-bombs in Preacher #1.

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You’re going to need something to do during the day on Saturday, May 2nd while you wait for your chance to teamkill Mat on Left 4 Dead, so head on down to your local comic book shop for Free Comic Book Day.

The free books available will probably vary from place to place, but I know that in years past, I’ve walked out with armloads of cool free stuff.

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…of seeing the new Wolverine movie. One of you suckers go check it out and report back. Should they be hung for their treatment of the Deadpool character, or simply banished to Siberia?

Or, hey, maybe I’m worked up over nothing and the movie’s actually good? I’m open to that possibility, but I’m really hesitant to spend the time/money on it this weekend.

A thoughtful, measured comment from this post at Topless Robot on the Wolvie movie:

I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO PLANET EARTH SINCE 9-11! YES IM COMPARING THIS TO A CHAOTIC TERRORIST ATTACK WHEN YOU RUIN BEAUTIFUL VIDEO GAMES AND AMAZING COMIC BOOKS. THAT IS EVIL. THAT IS TERORISIM

I’ve also read, again from TR, that there’s a (possible/variable) stinger after the credits that actually sets up a potentially more true-to-comic Deadpool. Maybe they put that in after they realized they had f*cked up?

SPOILER WARNING: io9 reports that one involves Stryker getting reprimanded for his evil ways, and an amnesiac Wolverine in a bar in Japan. You’ll like the second one — apparently (and this might not be true, so please don’t shit your pants) involves Wade Wilson, played by Ryan Reynolds, scouring the wreckage of the nuclear plant from the end of the film and finding the severed head of he bald/scarred/mouth-sewn-shut Deadpool/Weapon XI. Looks like the bitching worked! I think all you Deadpool fans will happily take a non-scarred Deadpool over a scarred one with swords coming out of his forearms. Also, I’d bet you anything that had the film not been leaked and Fox wasn’t desperate to get nerds in theaters, they would never have made this save.

Ah, who knows? I hate this sort of thing, where I don’t care and do care at the same time!

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I recently heard one of the podcast dudes mention the Battle Royale manga. Apologies to my podcasting brethren, I don’t remember who it was… Drunken Zombie, maybe? Anyway, I’ve always loved the movie (here’s Mat’s review from ’05, by the way) and I always knew there was a manga version but I just never bothered to take a look. I think maybe it was shrinkwrapped on the store shelves, as some “mature” titles are, so I couldn’t browse it without buying it.

Tonight I’ve read through the first two volumes and I’m really digging it. The manga fleshes out each of the characters in a way that the feature-length movie just can’t. Highly recommended for fans of the movie.

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Topless Robot has some heartbreaking info on the portrayal of Deadpool in the upcoming Wolverine movie. Say it ain’t so! Quoting their site (spoilers)…

• Ryan Reynolds shows up for 10 minutes in the beginning of the film. He’s part of Stryker’s team, and his mutant ability is mostly being a badass with swords, cutting bullets and the like. He is called Wade Wilson during this period.
• Stryker’s big plan (or one of ‘em) is to make Weapon XI, a mutant with a shit-ton of mutant powers.
• Stryker uses Wilson’s body as the mutant power receptacle, and because of the scarring (I’m not sure whether that’s from a previous fight, or as a result of all the mutant powers getting packed into him), Weapon XI is played by Scott Adkins. Weapon XI appears for about ten minutes near the film’s end, and has the claws seen above (a la Wolverine), Cyclops’ optic blast, Wraith’s teleportation ability, and Wolverine’s healing factor, too. Also, his mouth is indeed sewn shut.
• Just like Weapon X is given the name “Wolverine,” Weapon XI is given the name “Deadpool.”

So really, the only inaccuracies with the toys is that Hasbro is calling the Wade Wilson figure Deadpool too, although I can see why they’d rather put “Deadpool” on the packaging rather than “Wade.” So, guys… you can freak out and boycott Fox if you want, but please, stop pretending these are two separate characters. Now, it’s possible my source is inaccurate, but he’s given me ample evidence to believe him.

Mega disappointing. Deadpool is a big personal favorite of mine and it’s just a kick in the balls to see him treated this way. A comic-accurate Deadpool could carry his own feature film, easily. This take on the character, however, sounds like some fucking bullshit.

Topless Robot has some more good news/bad news info on Destro and Cobra Commander in the G.I. Joe movie. It’s a cool site, check it out.

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I’ve expressed that the ending of the Watchmen movie disappointed me, but it could’ve been worse.

Hat-tip, Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog.

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