Tag: marvel comics

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Books & Graphic Novels

Cover-AGE: Marvel Avengers Ultron Comics

age of ultron. marvel comics, variant covers
This incredible battle panorama is a highlight of the Marvel Avengers: Age of Ultron rollout

Some Assembly Required…
If you’re considering camping out to see the first screening of Marvels’ Avengers 2: the Age of Ultron, you might also have to factor in a stint in front of your local comic book shop. Coming from Marvel Comics in April, just weeks before the May 1, 2015 premiere of the film, will be the release of the first issues of the Ultron Forever series, encompassing Avengers, New Avengers and Ultimate Avengers titles.

To match the epic scope of the film, Marvel has spun up a collector’s treat with two sets of 4 variant covers that when placed together form a panoramic battle-scape. Based on the cinematic poster art by Ryan Meinerding, Charlie Wen & Andy Park, the images were first revealed at San Diego Comic Con last year. Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel comments, “We’re glad that fans who attended the convention were able to get their hands on them but we’re even more excited to bring them to thousands of fans who may have missed this stunning image.”

The image above represents the juxtaposition of the following books’ covers.
· Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· New Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· New Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· Avengers #44
· Uncanny Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· Uncanny Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· New Avengers #33

SkeletonPete Says…
It’s quite tantalizing to see The Vision hovering in the distance on the Variant A Uncanny Avengers: Ultron Forever cover.
UncannyAvengersUltron1

Categories
Books & Graphic Novels Film & Television Series

Great Balls of F.Y.R.E: Marvel’s Operation S.I.N. #1

Operation SIN, Peggy Carter, Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics’ Operation S.I.N. #1, Gabriel Hardman’s Variant Cover.
Boogie-Woogie Battle Call…
Those looking forward to the January 6, 2015 two hour ABC Television premiere of Marvel’s Agent Carter, the Agents of SHIELD mini-series spin off, should also be aware of the concurrently launching Marvel Comics series Operation S.I.N..

Shake, Rattle and Damage Control…
While the television series tells the story of Carter’s immediate post World War II exploits in the S.S.R.(Strategic Scientific Reserve), Operation S.I.N. #1 will feature a 1950’s cold war scenario that pits Peggy Carter and Howard Hughs analog Howard Stark (Iron Man’s Dad for the uninitiated) against burgeoning H.Y.D.R.A. forces. They’re all on a collision course to recover powerful alien tech that is planted far behind the Iron Curtain.

We Were Promised Jet-Packs…
S.H.I.E.L.D. fans will be happy to know that “The Man on the Wall”, alien fighting hero Woodrow McCord Jr. will also feature prominently in the new book. His origins were revealed last October in Marvel’s Original S.I.N. Annual and now we’ll presumably learn how he first became connected with Howard Stark.

Marvel Comics' Operation S.I.N. #1. Interior art by Rich Ellis.
Marvel Comics’ Operation S.I.N. #1. Interior art by Rich Ellis.

Written by Kathryn Immonen, with interior art by Rich Ellis, Marvel’s Operation S.I.N. teaser panels promise some butt kicking action and Bondian espionage. Find it in your local comic shoppe on January 7, 2015.

SkeletonPete Says…
I, for one, am really enjoying how Marvel Entertainment is handling their cross-media plotline on the road to Avengers: The Age of Ultron, with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. show expanding the Kree technology story, while Agent Carter will fill in the historical backstory of the pre-Nick Fury agency.

I’m thinking we’ll need Disney Infinity 2.0 Carter and Stark figures to do some video game stealth work.

Thanks to Ken Pierce of the PiercingMetal website for the heads up on this one.

Marvel's Operation S.I.N. #1. Standard Cover art by Michael Komark.
Marvel’s Operation S.I.N. #1. Standard Cover art by Michael Komark.

Categories
Books & Graphic Novels Toys & Collectibles

‘Nuff Said: Guardians Team-Up #1 Announced

Marvel's "Guardians Team-Up" #1. Bound to have universal appeal.
Marvel’s “Guardians Team-Up” #1. Bound to have universal appeal.
OMG – Oh My Guardians…
OK, I admit it. From the first “ooga chaka” in the teaser trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy I was hooked. It just seemed like the film would deliver a fun romp with the totally left of center – even for Marvel – ragtag group of deep space adventurers. As we now know it delivered and then some, making the unlikely duo of a snarky raccoon and a monosyllable arborial giant big screen stars.

Hot on the heals of that latest franchise film the Marvel comic book gang has announced a new title pulling together the company’s two biggest movie franchises, The Avengers and The Guardians and beyond.

Guardians Team-Up #1 pairs two Eisner Award winners. Brian Michael Bendis (New Avengers, Ultimate Spiderman, Secret Invasion) will write the series with interior and cover illustration handled by Art Adams. In addition to work for DC and Marvel, Adams brought the much loved series Monkey Man and O’Brien to fruition via the Dark Horse Comics creator-owned imprint Legend.

Guardians Team-Up Editor Katie Kubert says, “By taking the most fun toys in the sandbox and pairing them together, be prepared to see something completely different, told by some of the best and brightest writers and artists in the business. And, like the nature of the team-ups themselves, both old and new creative faces to Marvel.”

Guardians Rocket and Groot in their beautiful Disney Infinity 2.0 toy incarnations.
Guardians Rocket and Groot in their beautiful Disney Infinity 2.0 toy incarnations.
SkeletonPete Says…
Issue #1 is due to hit comic shops and newsstands in February 2015. Want to get a jump on the team-up? Grab yourself one of Toy Insider’s 2014 “Hot Top 20 Toys” Disney Infinity’s 2.0 Marvel Superheroes toy-based video game, and put those heroes into action with adventures of your own making using the Toy Box 2.0 software.

Thanks to Ken, Editor of the PiercingMetal website, for passing along the original Marvel press release.

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Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Tail Shakin’, Lip Smackin’ Action: Hasbro’s Rocket Raccoon

Hasbro's Big Blastin' Rocket Raccoon Points the Cannon at You
Hasbro’s Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon Points the Cannon at You
With Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy poised for release just a few days from now this summer’s biggest star may turnout to be a 3 foot something CGI critter, voiced by Bradley Cooper, and armed to the teeth with tech weapons and one liners. Rocket Raccoon.

The GotG trailers suggest a tongue in cheek approach to galaxy guarding, with the scrappy Rocket the cheekiest among the rag tag band. If your youngster is raring to battle with Thanos’ henchman then Hasbro Toys has your back with two Rocket Raccoon goodies, already on sale.

Hasbro's Rocket Raccoon Action Mask Includes User Activated Motion.
Hasbro’s Rocket Raccoon Action Mask Includes User Activated Motion.

Face Time…
Encountered at Hasbro’s Sweet Suite 2014 booth, The Rocket Raccoon Action Mask takes role-playing up a notch. It sports an interior mechanism that allows the wearer to move the mouth, eyebrows and ears. All the better to emote while foiling bad guys and singing “Hooked On A Feeling” (Ooga Chocka) or “Cherry Bomb” from the 70’s-centric movie soundtrack.

I predict many a moppet clad in Rocket Raccoon garb on Halloween 2014, this would be a superb choice to highlight that costume.

Rocket's Action is Activated from his Gun Scope or Leg Mounted Button.
Rocket’s Action is Activated from his Gun Scope or Leg Mounted Button.
Equipped with a Gun…
The Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon should make action figure collectors happy. The 8’ character is “locked and loaded” for battle, and he says so as part of his electronic repertoire of sounds and phrases. There’s a multi colored light array on the spinning turret and ear twitching, jaw flapping motion. Single action is activated from the gun scope, while continuous action can be effected from a button on his leg. Rocket’s backpack conceals the battery compartment for 3 AA cells, and has an on/off plus demo switch.

Both toys are rated for children 4 and up.

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Out on a Limb: Kotobukiya’s Sci-Fi Sidekicks @ Toy Fair 2014

Kotobukiya's Marvelous Depiction of Galaxy Guardians Rocket Raccoon and Groot @ NY Toy Fair 2014
Kotobukiya’s Marvelous Depiction of Galaxy Guardians Rocket Raccoon and Groot @ NY Toy Fair 2014
Ya Gotta Have Friends…
Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy trailer premiered on February 18th, which seems to have lifted the embargo on companies at The 111th Annual American International Toy Fair in New York City showing advances of their film related product. So it was a nice surprise to return to the Kotobukiya company’s booth on the final day at NY Toy Fair to see them previewing this wonderful Rocket Raccoon and Groot figurine prototype.
Guardian Groot in his early Marvel Comics Days.
Guardian Groot in his early Marvel Comics Days.


Rocket is clearly equipped “to shoot off the legs of his rival” as was his near namesake from The Beatles’ White Album. Limb limbed Groot goes all the way back to the Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck monster stories of Marvel’s Tales To Astonish, and as the trailer notes has been “traveling as the raccoon’s personal houseplant/muscle.”

Oowee Little Chewy, Don’t Know What You’re Doing to Me…
Kotobukiya also displayed the unpainted prototype for their Han Solo and Chewbaca statue as part of their ArtFX Star Wars line. This representation of the iconic partners is slated for November 2014 release.

Kotobukiya's Han Solo and Chewbacca ArtFX statue @ New York Toy Fair 2014.
Kotobukiya’s Han Solo and Chewbacca ArtFX statue @ New York Toy Fair 2014.

SkeletonPete Says…
I’ll be posting many more photos of Kotobukiya’s beautiful product line in the coming weeks.

The company’s roots in the international Toy Industry reach back to its first retail store in Japan in 1947. They moved into manufacturing original model kits in 1983 and produced their first licensed kit, King Godzilla, in 1985. Since then the company has expanded to include collector quality figures for Star Wars, Marvel and DC comics, as well as many anime and game themed kits and statues.