Modern Mythology

Next month, if you haven't lost the shack on that Superbowl wager (sorry Colts fans!), you may want to rearrange your pull list and add Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's "Nemesis."

From what I understand the main character is the only costumed presence in a world with no superheroes -- and he's the villain.  I hear this cat is supposed to have Batman's skills and the Joker's twisted sensibilities.  Comic Book Resources has some black and white preview art from the first issue sans dialogue.

Millar could put on a clinic for buzz-building when it comes to getting the word out on a new book.  Sure, it's his Marvel work and he's MARK MILLAR so it gets all the spotlight it needs, but his other creator-owned stuff draws a significant crowd too ("Kick-Ass" anyone?).  This kind of buildup wouldn't work as well for a total unknown, but there are lessons to be learned.

When you think an idea for a super hero (or villain) comic has been pushed to the limit, Millar finds a way to push it a little bit more.  Love it or hate it, I guess that's how his stuff ends up being so unforgetable.  I may take the images from that final battle in his and McNiven's "Old Man Logan" Wolverine run with me to the great hereafter.

In the case of "Nemesis" I couldn't imagine Marvel dropping crazy-violent preview art out there for the comics media to gobble up about ten years ago but today you have to find a way to stand out. Check out the "Joker bloody smile" below.  Was that Millar's idea too?  My man is not shy about self-promotion.

Anyway, I'm digging McNiven's art in the preview and I like his work when he takes his time... as long as the book is on time, that is.

This post is primarily a reminder for myself.  I don't know how great "Nemesis" will be, but I hate missing the chance at a first issue to at least try it out.

"Nemesis" from Marvel Comics is scheduled for release March 3, 2010.

File-- In this Jan. 28, 2010 film director James Cameron poses for photographers prior to the opening of the movie Avatar in Davos, Switzerland. It was announced on Tuesday Feb. 2, 2010, that the science-fiction sensation "Avatar" and the war-on-terror thriller "The Hurt Locker" lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for James Cameron and ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) (Virginia Mayo) By The Associated Press

James Cameron's "Avatar" has sailed past his blockbuster "Titanic" to become No. 1 on the all-time domestic box-office chart.

"Avatar" climbed to $601.1 million domestically on Tuesday, putting it a fraction ahead of the $600.8 million haul for "Titanic."

With more than $2 billion worldwide, Cameron's sci-fi sensation shattered the global box-office record of $1.84 billion held by "Titanic" last week.

"Avatar" still has plenty of box-office life left. It passed $600 million domestically on its 47th day of release. Back in 1998, "Titanic" was at barely half that amount - $311 million - after its 47th day in theaters.

Factoring in today's higher admission prices, "Titanic" still has sold more tickets than "Avatar."

Modern Mythology: With all the new additions to the Hulk family, are you, Loeb, and the team aiming to create a Hulk Team of some sort at the conclusion of Fall of the Hulks?

I know it's short notice -- I apologize -- but you can catch me and the crew from NDBmedia on Blogtalkradio.com tonight at 7 p.m. Pacific to talk all things "Lost" in anticipation of the sixth and final season which premieres tomorrow night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

You can go here and listen or just cut and paste Blogtalkradio.com/NDBmedia into your browser.  If you are a "Lost" fan and want to talk about Lostology you can call in at 914-338-0314.

By the way, have you seen the new trailer above?

Note: The links to NDBmedia are working now.  We had a glitch in the blog platform yesterday.  You should be able to check out the "Lost" show at the links or download it at the NDBmedia Blogtalkradio site.

Fans of the Vertigo comic "The Losers" written by Andy Diggle and illustrated by JOCK have some reason to be nervous about a film adaptation. 

I don't expect the Warner Bros. flick to be a tone-perfect take on the comic but you can't soften the material too much for general audiences or "The Losers" loses its bite. 

My only caveat is that we don't behave like the stereotypical reactionary bunch of angry fans... Let's hear and see more about this one before we totally bash it, OK?

I have to say the trailer looks promising, the tone seems spot-on and if she hasn't accomplished this already, Zoe Saldana looks primed to cement herself into the fanboy pantheon with this picture, "Avatar" and "Star Trek."

Man, Zoe's even got me watching "Center Stage."

"The Losers" is directed by Sylvain White ("Stomp The Yard") and written by Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt ("The Rundown," "Zodiac").  It also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Watchmen"), Idris Elba ("The Wire") and Chris Evans ("Fantastic Four").  "The Losers" will be released April 9, 2010. 

But my big question is: Will "The Losers" be cooler than "The A-Team?"   

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Heroes" TV actor Adrian Pasdar has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk and veering across lanes on a West Los Angeles freeway.

A California Highway Patrol report says Pasdar was pulled over shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday after officers saw his Ford F-150 truck doing 94 mph and straddling two lanes on Interstate 405.

The 44-year-old actor was booked for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says he was taken to county jail and released at about 8:30 a.m. on $15,000 bail.

Pasdar plays Nathan Petrelli on NBC's "Heroes." He's married to Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines.

A message left for his agent wasn't immediately returned.


In this Dec. 3, 2009 file photo, Adrian Pasdar attends the premiere of "Everybody's Fine" in New York.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer, file

Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the new iPad during an event in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle, Paul Chinn)

Yeah, It's a big iPhone.

Check out the video below for some demonstration imagery -- dramatic music aside, the iPad looks pretty cool. Definitely better for some digital comics.  It will be available in a 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. And it's about $500 for the 16GB version with an AT&T plan.

I'll post more pics and background info later today.

MTV Rough Cuts has a video clip I grabbed by way of Comic Book Resources featuring an interview snippet with MTV's Josh Horowitz and Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel's anointed Nick Fury).

Jackson says he was reading the trades and discovered that he was in the cast list.  The famous comic book fan also said he doesn't have any idea when he's shooting any scenes from the project, but he's sure they will let him know.

"Hey, they're shooting it in Sante Fe, it's not like they're shooting it in Norway," he says.

Nick Fury keeps it real.

Jackson also keeps it real with a few observations about the Disney-Marvel deal... awesome.

"Thor" opens May 6, 2011.

You probably already know Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" is going the graphic novel route from the various postings around the web-o-verse.  From what I'm hearing the initial print-run is going to be more than 350,000 copies.

I have to give some credit to the publishers (Hachette under their Yen Press imprint). That kind of confidence in a comic book product is unusual. Considering the potential fan stampede that will likely overrun bookstores everywhere for this, it's probably a good risk.

There is even a reminder in my Borders promotions coupon this week to reserve my copy today (Vol. 1 of the "Twilight: The Graphic Novel" hits the shelves March 16).

If you want a look at the adapted work by artist Young Kim, then check out the cover and some panels at EW.COM.  If you want more than that, then grab a copy of the printed Entertainment Weekly magazine which has 10 pages from the book and an exclusive interview with "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer.

I watched the extended pilot for "Caprica" and found it to be well-crafted and thought-provoking. The cast is terrific -- I can't say anything bad about the work of Esai Morales and Eric Stoltz. And the time spent on Caprica some 58 years before the events in "Battlestar Galactica" are sort of interesting.

However, I'm usually not into the prequel thing -- Knowing where something is going in the end kind of messes it up for me.

So it's going to be a tough sell to me for the regular series "Caprica," which begins 9 p.m. tonight on SyFy.  

That being said, I am curious about how the skin-jobs (Cylons) play a role in this.  I believe that's what the creators were hoping when they left so many pieces to the puzzle of Cylon history out of the original show's conclusion.

It gets some game time for a few weeks but if it slips even a little bit it's going to the bench and I'll have to do a Netflix thing.

Once again, "Caprica" premieres tonight January 22 on SyFy at 9 p.m.

Above: The Eve-like image of Actress Alessandra Torresani who plays Zoe Greystone on "Caprica."