The Batgirl Makeover

Here I thought Stephanie, after getting a firm tongue-lashing (get your mind out of the gutter) from Oracle, would take up the traditional role and don the thigh high yellow high-heels, the yellow Bat sign, and the yellow gloves. But this promo looks much more hardcore.


The thing with the showing the hair always seems to me to be an identity reveal, but have it your way superheroes. Point of interest: looks like she's beating on those Mutant punks from The Dark Knight Returns. Maybe this is just a future panel? Either way those dudes deserve the punishment. "Slice and dice, man"? Ugh. Gave me chills.

Also recently heard that Geoff Johns and his new good right arm Francis Manapul are leaving Adventure Comics after 6 issues. Pretty pissed off. The whole beauty of Connor returning and reuniting and fighting was centered on the fact that Johns was running the show and you could trust him. Now he's going to be doing more Flash stories instead, and slowly killing the Rogues. Flash Rebirth has quite honestly had more of a Morrison stink to it than Johns' crisp plots, so I say, save it for the big screen movie script Geoff, and stick to Superboy. (Plus 6 issues is nothing.)

If only he called me before he made these decisions. Also Dan Didio needs to be deposed already.

Batman vs. Robin

The next issue of Red Robin apparently features some conflict between Red Robin himself and the new Batman. In the exact words of Chris Yost's twitter, "Man, I hope they don't fight."




(See more at The Source.)

Tim and Dick have actually physically clashed before, in the anticlimactic and looong storyline The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, though it wasn't completely in earnest. Mostly they were having a philosophical debate about life and death, bringing back lost loved ones, and Tim's grief and desperation. Still, it seemed as if Tim held his own, especially earlier in that story when the Batcave was overwhelmed by a tsunami of ninjas. (And even Dick admits he's the better detective.)

Then in Battle for the Cowl, which saw Dick emerge as the new Batman (shocker), Tim donned the Cape an' da Cowl for a brief moment to confront Jason Todd's psychotic gun-totin' 'Punisher'-like Batman. He got stabbed in the chest pretty quickly there though. And he's even been trounced by Damian. But in those instances, I completely blame the writers. (Morrison and Daniel.)And it seems to me that Yost is portraying Tim these days as letting go of the reserves that he has held as sacred during his superhero career. Who knows what his limits could be now.


I'm pretty excited for the issue, and I'll miss Ramon Bachs whose artwork I thought was right on key for the first 4 issues. It's my favorite title currently, along with Adventure Comics, and I'm doubly excited for when Connor and Tim reunite. Speaking of Adventure Comics, here's a newly released cover of AC #5, in which a Black Lantern Alexander Luthor (from Infinite Crisis) holds a dead-looking Superboy Prime in his Anti-monitor suit, a la the Superman holding Supergirl pose circa Crisis on Infinite Earths (phew). I'm a bit doubtful of the return of Superboy Prime, yet again, but he's a good foil for Superboy I suppose, and as long as its Geoff Johns at the helm, there's hope.


Check out the DC blog The Source for more choice previews...for instance they've got a bunch of new Titans pages up there, and it looks like they may have found a solid writer finally.


Long Live Red Robin.

Fall TV Preview

As leaves start falling and real jobs with full hours on Friday begin to slowly crash down upon us, there is a small upside. Those favorite shows that you're generally too tired too watch, and too pissed off with commercials to sit through, so you TiVo them or download them later or just realize you don't care enough, are returning. Whether or not you watch them, it gives the sense of time moving forward; premieres means summer is over, sweeps mean Christmas time is coming on, mid-season finales mean you're half-way back to summer, and a second batch of sweeps means some crazy guest star crap will happen and then boom, the summer movie deluge of 2010 begins.

Here are a couple upcoming all-new shows that look good. There aren't many, since executives seem to think there's still a desire for four different new medical dramas, but there are a few.

Glee: By far the most hyped, with the pilot having been leaked/released months and months ago, then recut into three different "Director's" versions, and aired three weeks in a row. You'd think it would be overkill, but its actually been some pretty good marketing. The music numbers are emotional and exciting--'Rehab' was amazing, clips that show 'Gold Digger' and 'Somebody to Love' are chilling--and worth watching for. Even the background music is fantastic (that bum-bum-bum noir bridge is hauntingly lovely.) But surprisingly the acting is stellar too. The main guy is sweet, earnest, endearing, the kids are all believable despite being equal opportunity stereotypes, and Jane Lynch is...well, Jane Lynch. I'd watch anything with her in it...and I have. Looking forward to seeing if this show can keep up its steam, or if its just an extended TV movie kind of thing.


Community: Looks like it could have a few good laughs, but I'm getting rather tired of the Office-like situational awkward comedies. Parks & Recreation seems like enough...if Community does well, they should just pick one and look for something more original. Joel McHale was pretty funny on The Soup though, and supposedly Danny Glover is in it. Bonus.

Eastwick: I'm at least going to watch the pilot of this. I know the story, I know the ending, I know what happens in the sequels, and I don't like the story, ending, or sequels. But the cast is a bit alluring---I have a soft spot for Rebecca Romijn (probably cause she was a cool Mystique), and while Lindsay Price has something irritating about her, the third woman was in Veronica Mars' second season, and that's enough for me. Also it's about hot women with magic powers and I'm gay, so we're naturally gonna give each other a chance. (Practical Magic is still one of my favorites.)

Bored to Death: Haven't seen a trailer for this, but c'mon. Jonathan Ames as writer? The guys a genius. Jason Schwartzman as the lead? The guy's a genius...well, he's generally pitch perfect and sure knows how to pick a script. Schwartzman plays a fictional (slightly) version of Jonathan Ames (same name), but all of Ames' best work is entirely about himself, with a huge load of humor. (Wake Up, Sir!) Also Zach Galifinakis is in it, and he can be pretty good (especially in the Fiona Apple music video Not About Love.) If you ever meet Zach, be sure to mention his time on Tru Calling with Ms. Dushku. I'm pretty sure he's most proud of that work.


I'm pretty sure those are the only ones I'm at all interested in, except for whatever Lauren Graham vehicle they've got in the works, but that's probably a midseason deal. Still, other than Glee, it seems like yet another tepid uninspiring lineup of new shows. Granted I am a total amateur, but it doesn't seem all that hard to come up with some completely new engrossing ideas. Maybe they should start finding network executives from completely different places...like actual writers, or just someone who has some balls not to do reality, sitcom, medical drama and cop procedural.

As for returning shows there's Fringe (which redeemed a slow season with a cool finale), Dollhouse (which I hate but still have to watch cause it's Whedon and Jamie Bamber will be in the premiere), House (which also had an interesting finale--nuthouse--and a cool promo-see below), HIMYM (which is always good for a laugh), Castle (which is awesome cause Nathan Fillion is uber-Awesome), The Office (mostly just for Pam and Jim's wedding), Dexter (cause I kinda like freaking myself out, and Julie Benz was on Buffy), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (cause it makes me snort), The Simpsons (cause it's the Simpsons) and maybe Family Guy (if the Rush Limbaugh episode is this year.)



Other possibilities include Heroes (if they get completely new, and good, writers, and the rumor of Claire's lesbian kiss gimmick is a fake), Lie to Me (if Riley from Buffy joins the cast), and 30 Rock (if they stop with the shameless guest stars and get back to writing something funny.) Also might tune into Gossip Girl, if it's true that Chuck Bass makes out with a dude.


Yikes. Seems like it's about time to get a TiVo. Or maybe just more discerning taste.

Horror Movie Update(s)

Bloody Disgusting has a review of The Descent Part 2, and it's a pretty good one. Apparently the follow-up is not as intense, as it would probably be impossible to recreate the tone Neil Marshall hit in the first one, but is still very watchable. The return of Juno is confirmed (huzzah!) and a third act twist is promised. I've been waiting for awhile, and, thanks to Bloody Disgusting, I will adjust my expectations before finally viewing it. Release date is December 4th (in the UK at least) but I'm hoping it shows up online before that.

Sweet Cersei Mercy

None other than Lena Headey has been cast in the role of Cersei Lannister in the upcoming HBO adaptation of the novel Game of Thrones.


Headey, known for her role as Sarah Connor in the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, has also starred alongside Jennifer Ehle (who has been cast as Lady Catelyn Stark, Cersei's moral and political opposite) as her lover in Possession.



In Game of Thrones however she will be lover to her brother (urgh) Jamie Lannister, played by the gorgeous, charming, gorgeous, underused, gorgeous Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. And just plain brother to Peter Dinklage's cunning dwarf, Tyrion Lannister.


Headey is the latest bigwig actor addition to the cast of what is a semi-rich fantasy story that goes horribly horribly down hill after the first two installments, not that HBO is much concerned with plot (True Blood.) The execs much prefer a series that has many opportunities for violence and sex and violent sex (True Blood.)

As for her costars from The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Summer Glau is joining Dollhouse, at least temporarily (small favor), Thomas Dekker is fast becoming the male equivalent of a scream queen (respect), and Brian Austin Green is playing villain Metallo in the immortal Smallville series. Kinda seems like the guys are doing better work.

Mostly I'm looking forward to seeing Lena as a blonde. (All Lannister's are blonde...their inbreeding assures this.)

Audience Participation

So I've been sitting on this definitive horror movie guide for several months now, and instead of typing it up and posting it, it just keeps growing with every illegal download perpetrated by my computer (there's a horror-fan-Mac-ghost who does so without my knowledge.) I just can't seem to figure out what to do---sit on it and keep it exclusively for STB? Or knock it into parts, and give it to some bigger site of fanship, like Forces of Geek or something? A couple comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Don't know if my diverse and massive following is as into horror as I can be on occasion. (There's a couple thrillers thrown into the list, and even an occasional romantic comedy that merits a genre change.)


Otherwise, here's a little Captain Elias update:
Reading: Kirith Kirin (for 5th time...better than I remembered)
Writing: List of new comics to get this week (very very short, for once)
Watching: US Open (when it starts airing at 11am...looking forward to Nadal and Clijsters)
Downloading: Warehouse 13 (yeah, I'm definitely a fan. And not the only one, it keeps breaking Syfy rating records)


In the worlds of comics, tv, Whedon, etc. there's plenty of news, but none I'm terribly interested in for the moment. So to make a half-assed post more like a two-thirds-assed post, here's a pic posted on the always entertaining Comic by Comic, related to the the new Disney buyout of Marvel.



Have a good one boys and girls.

Ingergalactic Planetary

A new, extended preview of the upcoming Planetary issue is available on Wildstorm's blog The Bleed. Pretty damn jazzed to see Elijah Snow, Jakita and Drums back in action. Feels like it's been forever since I read them take down The Four. The characters are awesome, it's Warren Ellis doing his best work, and no one does conceptual mind-bending beauty like John Cassady.

Due in October. Pick it up.