Remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? From the age of 7 to 11 they were my obsession, my reason to live, the thing that I looked forward to the most after school.

However, by the time I had moved on, they had just gotten ridiculous. As I recall there were new ones coming out almost monthly, but when ‘Glam Rock’ Turtles and ‘Troll Doll’ Turtles made their debuts, I knew it was time to move on to other things. Seriously, when I went out and picked up a Raphael that sported a purple shirt and zebra print pants, I knew it was time to find a new obsession.

Like many of you, I would never have even heard of them if not for the cartoon and the toys, but as I would later find out, they were based on a comic book.

This comic book inspired several cartoons, one live action series, concerts staring the ninja turtles that had them saving rock and roll from The Shredder, three live action movies, and one computer animated movie, as well as dozens of toy lines featuring their likeness.

As luck would have it, they’re back in action figure form. This time, sporting a look that closer resembles

their original rendition from the comic books that inspired the unholy machine that would drive parents crazy until Power Rangers came along to become the new obsession of the early - mid 90s.

I like the looks of these new toys. They look more articulated and look like it’s easier to stand them up. I remember it being a real balancing act to get them to stand up without falling over. I also seem to remember having a couple dozen of these that I’d try to set up perfectly on that old sewer play set(that never seemed to fit together properly), and if you didn’t stand one up properly, they’d all come crashing down like dominoes.

I’m also a fan of the way they look like the reference material, and not awkward multicolored chunks of plastic.

I never was too certain as to why they decided to give each turtle his own color. I imagine it was to make it easier for the viewers to tell the turtles apart. I think the show would have been a lot better(at my current age anyway) if they would have just done it exactly like the comic, but that’s the geek in me talking. Back then I loved the show more than anything else. I didn’t care about food, water, education, or sleep. I just wanted my next fix of mutant reptiles. Classifying this as an obsession is to put it mildly, but thankfully I wasn’t the only one.

Now there’s a whole new generation that’s dealing with these four mutated turtles, and their rat master….mostly due to the fact that their parents were ravenous fans of the show when they were the same age…. It just doesn’t seem to be as popular as it once was, and I really don’t think it ever will be again. Still, for the sake of nostalgia, I’m happy to see they’re still around…and I think those figures pictured above look incredibly cool!

You can learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know(and then some) about TMNT, by visiting the official website over at http://www.ninjaturtles.com

Over the years, the Hulk character has been pretty hit and miss for me. Sometimes he is written quite well, other times, not so much. There have been several versions of the Hulk over the years. All of which have been Bruce Banner…well, with the exception of that time Rick Jones became a version of the Hulk….

This new Hulk, is most definitely not Bruce Banner.

Judging by the evidence provided in the first four issues so far, it would appear that this new Hulk is actually Doc Samson!

That’s right, Bruce Banner’s green haired gamma powered psychiatrist. In the past, he has expressed a lot of guilt over the way he handled the Hulk, and because he was unable to cure Bruce, a lot of people got hurt. Gamma radiation seems to unleash the deeper psychological issues that a lot of these characters have, and that seems to lead to an alternate personality taking over, as well as a change in appearance.

This would explain why he seems to be targeting the Banner’s friends and enemies.

Let’s look at the facts:

1. Issue #1 starts off in Russia. The crime scene where Doc Samson is going over the scenario of what he thinks happened to Ironman She-Hulk, General Thunderbolt Ross, and Commander Hill. One thing is certain, someone killed the Abomination, and that someone was just as big, if not bigger, and left size 20 footprints behind. It wouldn’t be that odd if the Abomination was just beaten to death, but he wasn’t. He was then shot repeatedly with a gun big enough for the Hulk to hold, and was from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
2. This new Hulk is incredibly smart, he knows his way around the Helicarrier, and is familiar with the people in Banner’s life. Who would be more familiar with the people in his life, than his former psychiatrist?
3. Doc Samson ditched the ponytail and finally got a shorter, modernized haircut, and ditched the old campy costume for a newer black and brown look. The exact same hair style is currently sported by this new Hulk, along with what looks like the tattered pants of his new superhero outfit.
4. The Red Hulk attacks She-Hulk on the Helicarrier. How does someone that big get aboard without anyone noticing….unless it’s someone who is supposed to be there….
5. After the Helicarrier crashes, it becomes apparent that there were no fatalities. However, there are three people missing. They become the top three suspects. Dr. Leonard Samson, Agent Clay Quartermain, and General Thaddeus Ross. Shortly before they went missing, Ironman located Ross and Quartermain. Apparently Samson throught he heard something while they were walking towards the Armory, and as soon as he disappeared, this new Hulk appeared and attacked.
6. Bruce Banner explains that this Red Hulk seems to get hotter the madder he gets. This causes the sand in the dirt below his feet to turn to glass. It also means that he must have previously been exposed to gamma radiation, and no doubt mutated somewhat. Then somehow got exposed again, causing the Red Hulk to emerge.
7. In issue #4, they found the coat of Doc Samson. It got shredded and saturated in gamma radiation as he grew, which leads the reader to believe that the new Hulk really is, Doc Samson.

They don’t explain how he became the Red Hulk yet, but it’s possibly connected to Rick Jones becoming the new Abomination(A-Bomb), which also needs to be explained.

Whether he really turns out to be Samson or someone else completely, all that is certain so far, is that this new Hulk is NOT Bruce Banner, as he repeatedly mentions. Also, this Hulk is bigger, stronger, meaner, smarter and more ruthless than past incarnations of the character. His intentions seem to be for the greater good, but I’ve got a feeling they’re setting him up to be the greatest Hulk antagonist of all time.

If you ask me, the casting couldn’t be better. The only other two actors that I’d want to see play this part, would be Patrick Warburton, who looks the part, and Jerry O’Connell, who actually did the voice work for the character on Justice League Unlimited a couple years ago.

I was never a big fan of the old Captain Marvel cartoon series as a kid, and I really didn’t see the character as anything more than a Superman rip off, until he joined the JSA back in 2000/2001. It was a good place for an underrated character.

In recent years, the character has gotten a lot more exposure. They’ve pretty much given Billy Baston(Captain Marvel), a promotion to SHAZAM keeper of the Rock of Eternity. This means that his sidekick Captain Marvel JR, has been upgraded to just Captain Marvel, and Billy’s sister Mary, is one of the main characters in the weekly series Countdown, has taken on the powers of Black Adam, which seem to cause insanity…among other things.

It would seem DC is really trying to push the entire Marvel Family into the spotlight.

I wonder how Marvel Comics feels about this….

You can check it out here

I had serious doubts about this movie, until I saw the trailer.

I especially liked how they used the Black Sabbath song ‘Iron Man’ in the trailer….it seems….fitting….

Now I can’t wait for it to come out. This one just might be the one to fix Marvel’s current box-office slump.

May 2nd/08 won’t come soon enough.

-Mark

The Pros

• He looks the part. He’s got the long hair, and the super hero body.
• He’s tends to make most of his WWE appearances holding a sledgehammer.
• He has done some work in Marvel movies before. Anyone remember Blade 3? He wasn’t that bad.
• Thor is pretty much a viking. Not much difference between vikings and pro-wrestlers. Lots of yelling and ass kicking.
• As long as he doesn’t hurt himself, this movie has the potential to have some of the best fight scenes of the decade.

The Cons

• Not many wrestlers can make the leap from the ring, to the big screen successfully.
• He can play bad guys, with no problem, but how well can he play the good guy?
• Will he be able to pull off the Norse lingo and accent?
• How old is he? If the movie is successful, would he be able to do a half a dozen sequels and still look like the Thunder God, about 10 years down the road?
• If he gets involved in a steroid scandal down the road, would that have a negative impact on the character, and would it hurt the possible movie franchise?

To be honest, I don’t think the Thor character can support an entire movie on his own. If this was a movie based on The Avengers, with a larger supporting cast, then I’d have more faith in it. Despite what Marvel thinks, Thor is not a really famous character. When people think comics, they think Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, and The Hulk.

I really do think that Triple H, would be right for the part. Plus, he could bring in the legions of WWE fans, that would no doubt pack the theaters, and give Marvel a financial hit.

Let’s face it, Marvel hasn’t exactly been doing so well with the last few movies it’s released. Here’s hoping Thor and The Incredible Hulk can turn their luck around.

Looks like Warner Bros is going the obscure route, to bring us more comic book based movies. Here’s what the Comics Continuum had to say about it:

“The Metal Men movie that producer Laura Shuler Donner has been developing apparently has taken a step forward. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eric Champnella has been brought on board to write the film for Warner Bros. Geoff Johns has been helping with the development of the film and will be an executive producer. Duncan Rouleau is working on a new Metal Men comics mini-series.”

Up until recent years, I never gave the Metal Men much thought. Much like the Doom Patrol, they are one of those groups that had an almost constantly changing origin. That, and I’ve never really been a big fan of robots and androids in comics, because writers tend to see those characters as being expendable. Seriously, just look at Red Tornado, Vision, Ultron, etc. I also found the older stories to be a little on the boring side. After the events of Infinite Crisis and 52, the stories look like they’re going to be a lot more entertaining. I think it’s this month, that they will be making their debut in the comic Superman/Batman. Since I don’t really go out and buy back issues anymore, I’m just going to wait for thise one to come out in graphic novel format. I’ve actually got high hopes for this movie, because Geoff Johns will be an executive producer, and he’ll be helping out with the development. Which is cool, because I’m a huge fan of his work. I figure if anyone can make a movie about the Metal Men, entertaining, he can. Odds are, most people haven’t even heard of the Metal Men. I know a bit about them, but I’d hardly consider myself an expert on the subject. With that in mind, I’m just going to keep my trap shut, and tell you to “Read This!”
I would also say, “Go out and pick up the back issues!” Unless you’re a huge comic fan, and have a vast knowledge of DC Comics continuity, I’d advice against it. Because of the events in 52, Infinity Crisis and One Year Later, none of those stories hold any relevance in the current continuity. So, I say just cut to the chase and pick up Superman/Batman #34 on April 18th….. or the 19th for those of you in Canada…

Without giving away too much, think of it as a combination of Braveheart and Gladiator. It’s based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, of the same name. I still have yet to read it, but once it drops in price(or comes out in paperback), I think I’ll be picking it up.

To be honest, although it was a good movie and all, I got a bigger kick out of the trailer for Spider-Man 3, that they showed during the previews. One of the reasons I’m glad I came back from England, is the movie prices. For the cost of one movie there, I can see three over here. I guess that’s looking at the glass kind of half full.

This movie was almost likable, once you can get past the following things:

• Cheesy dialog
• An over-reliance on CGI
• Nicholas Cage….acting as himself
• Jelly beans and The Carpenters
• The goth bad guy.
• The script seemed more like poorly written fan fiction.

At times I felt a little embarrassed watching it, because there are some parts that are just too corny. You have to ask yourself, “If they gave this to a real director, we might have a good movie” I wish Marvel would stop letting Mark Steven Johnson(Daredevil) mess with their works.
Just go in and say to yourself “This is just a B-Movie with a budget….”, and it won’t seem as bad.

Back in the late 80s, Frank Miller wrote a tale about a retired Batman. It was very much a story directed at adults, that took us back to the Batman of old. Not campy, or silly. Dark, gritty, and serious. Just the way the Batman was when first debuted more then 60 years ago.
After going 10 years without wearing the cowl, Bruce Wayne finds himself back at it, cleaning up the streets of Gotham. With the exception of Superman, who is now a government tool, he is the only hero left. The others retired or just disappeared when public lost interest in them.
However, the return of Batman also means the return of his old enemies, like Two-Face, and of course, the Joker.
As the story progresses, a new Robin is born, Batman assembles an army, and a knock-down, drag out fight with Superman ensues.
This is by far one of the best stories featuring Batman that you’ll ever read.

The Dark Knight Strikes Again! (DK2)

About 10 years later, Frank Miller wrote DK2, the sequel to The Dark Knight Returns. This story was not as successful as the previous, mostly due to the fact that the fans of the orignal were drawn down the middle. You either loved it or you hated it. There was no inbetween. A lot of people hated it for many reasons, one being the artwork, because Miller did all the colors digitally.
For the exact same reason, people loved it. It showed that he wasn’t stuck in the past, and artistically he was still willing to try other things.
In this story, the President of the United States is a hologram controlled by Lex Luthor, who along with Brainiac have blackmailed Superman, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel into working for him. All the while, Batman has been working underground for years, his army growing as he recruits former heroes who have disappeared/been kidnapped or just given up. Soon he has Green Arrow, The Atom,
The Flash, Elongated Man, Plastic Man, and Catgirl(formerly Robin) working for him as his new Justice League. On Catgirl’s advice, Batman waits for a concert to begin before he reveals to the world that he’s still alive. At this point, there is a superhero fad among the young people at the concert. They’re all dressed up in tights, much like the band. This is when Batman makes his appearance and unmasks. He gives a speech to the kids below, and tells them to ‘Give them Hell!’
So, now he’s got his army from the last story, not to mention an army of kids caught up in a superhero fad. This of course leads to another confrontation between Superman and Batman. While this is all going on, there is a mystery villain killing off heroes, who looks a lot like the Joker.
Both of these stories are worth picking up and reading. Over the past year they’ve been re-released as graphic novels that you can pick up at your local bookstore. Just make sure you read them in the right order.