Sci-Fi Storm

The next chapter in Peter Parker’s journey as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, trying to take a vacation…

Thwips into theaters July 5th, 2019

Color me unsurprised, but The CW has ordered up a pilot for a Batwoman series starring Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black)  after the character appeared in the most recent Arrowverse crossover event. David Nutter, who directed the pilot episode of sibling show The Flash, will direct with a script from Caroline Dries (Smallville, The Vampire Diaries).

This would make the first openly gay lead series character in a live-action superhero series. Batwoman/Kate Kane (Rose) appeared in the three part “Elseworlds” crossover event spread across Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, helping Gotham as a highly-trained street fighter but must face her own demons before she’s willing to take on the mantle of hero.

Dries, Nutter, Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns will executive produce.

Legendary comic creator Stan Lee, who created Marvel Comics with Jack Kirby in 1961 and launched Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The Avengers, Black Panther and many many more, passed away early today, according to TMZ. He was 95.

In failing health in recent years he still did his best to meet with the fans, even coming to Boston Comic Con in 2017 not long after the passing of his wife, Joan. Questions surfaced more recently, however, about his managers and allegations of elder abuse, which more recently seemed to be resolved.

It is with great sadness that we mourn the godfather of the current cinematic era. Tears will be shed when we see his final cameo. Excelsior!

Steve Ditko, a comic book artist who co-created with Stan Lee the characters of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, passed away. He was found in his apartment in New York on June 29th. He was 90.

He started out studying under Batman artist Jerry Robinson at the Cartoonists And Illustrators School in New York City, and in 1953 he went to work for Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. He created the character of Captain Atom in 1960 for Charlton Comics. He also drew for Atlas Comics (which became Marvel Comics in 1961), where he worked with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He left Marvel in 1966 and went back to Charlton, later DC Comics, returning to Marvel in 1979, and retired in 1998.

Stan Lee, who was hospitalized on Wednesday for an irregular heartbeat, was released from Cedars Sanai hospital yesterday and reports that he is “feeling great”.

“All I really want to do is tell you that I’m feeling great,” Lee told KABC via Skype. “I’m glad I spent that evening in the hospital. It did me a lot of good, now I’m home and looking for new trouble we get in to. You know, the usual…I figured that a little check up wouldn’t be bad for me. And in fact it turned out to be pretty good, it got me a lot of publicity. I didn’t realize the whole world worried if I was in the hospital of not.”

We do, Generalissimo.

The 95-year-old creator of so many comic book characters that have become central to the biggest blockbusters of recent years, has kept on the go with a seeming non-stop run of convention appearances.

The Flash’s longtime ally Elongated Man – a.k.a. Ralph Dibny – will be joining the team on the CW’s The Flash this season as a recurring character, played by Hartley Sawyer (Glory Daze, Miss 2059).

Elongated Man has the ability to stretch his body to extremes. In the comics he gained this ability by refining a drink that was popular among the contortionists he admired. Presumably in the show it will be related in some way to the accident at Star Labs – in fact, he was named in the first season as one of the people presumed dead from the accident.

Marvel Entertainment released the full trailer for Thor: Ragnarok last night during the Marvel panel, and our friends at Inside The Magic have a nice summary video of the panel…you can see both below!

Remember that lawsuit filed almost two years ago which claimed that Marvel Studios ripped off elements from a comic called Radix for their modern take on Iron Man? Well, it hasn’t gone away just yet – it’s just transformed.

Early last year the court in Massachusetts denied the case based on jurisdiction, but the plaintiffs, brothers Ben and Ray Lai, owners of Horizon Comics Productions, refiled on April 4th, 2016 in New York. On Monday, U.s District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken issued a ruling on Marvel’s motion to dismiss the suit, dismissing portions of the complaint but allowing others to proceed.

In the ruling, Judge Oetken notes that several parts of the complaint revolve around elements that Marvel called “unprotectable” under copyright, and the court agreed. A “highly mechanized suit of armor” was one, as it was too vague, as was the “three point landing” pose that was common between a poster for Iron Man 3 and some Radix promotional artwork. The pose, frankly, is so utterly common it’s now a cliché and is even referred to as “scènes à faire” or an obligatory scene in the ruling, and despite the plaintiffs assertions that Iron Man originally wore spandex and minimal armor, he wore power armor well before Radix existed, and even when he first debuted in 1963. As those elements are unprotectable, they cannot be considered as part of the test for “substantial similarity” for the case.

Some elements, however, may be protectable in comparing the images, notably things like hairstyles, style of the suit, the use of blue lights in the suit, etc. and Judge Oetken will allow the complaint to proceed “in part”. However, with what seems to remain in the complaint to press on, it still looks like an uphill battle that got even steeper for the plaintiffs.

After almost 13 years in Hollywood purgatory, a feature film based on J. Michael Straczynski’s maxi-series comic Rising Stars may finally move forward.

We last heard about a movie based on the comic in 2003, when we learned that everything was on hold due to a dispute between writer JMS and Top Cow Productions, the comic producer, over rewrites that possibly violated WGA rules (and common courtesy) and radically changed the story, and even halted the production of the comic, with the final 3 issues not being released for a couple years.

Now it seems that things are on the movie again with MGM optioning the rights for a feature film, with JMS writing a new script and Atlas Entertainment’s Alex Gartner and Richard Suckle producing, along with JMS under his Studio JMS shingle.

Rising Stars is the story about 113 people born after the appearance of a mysterious comet. These people, dubbed “Specials”, are born with unique abilities. The story explores how society reacts to the Specials, and the Specials to society – and themselves.

LNL Partners, whose proprietary Cinematic Graphic Novels™ was introduced this past summer with William Shatner’s Man O’ War, has launched a special William Shatner imprint entitled Shatner Singularity. In addition to publishing works authored by William Shatner in LNL’s Cinematic Graphic Novel™ format, Shatner Singularity will also offer the latest graphic novel from comic book legend Stan Lee and his company POW! Entertainment.

The specific individual titles from William Shatner and Stan Lee will be revealed during a much-anticipated panel presentation featuring the two pop culture giants to be held at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo on Sunday, November 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“We are thrilled to unveil the Shatner Singularity imprint and its debut releases from William Shatner and Stan Lee at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo. The team at LNL Partners has enjoyed the privilege of working directly with these two legendary industry icons to deliver to fans worldwide Cinematic Graphic Novels, a new and innovative way to enjoy comic book entertainment. Publishing Stan Lee and his newest literary work under the imprint adds yet another level of tremendous excitement to the Shatner Singularity brand,” said Mariano Nicieza, LNL Partners Co-Owner.

“With its Cinematic Graphic Novels™ LNL Partners has created a unique new genre. After proving to be a powerful and compelling platform for Man O’ War, I am delighted to have the format serve to showcase other works under the Shatner Singularity imprint. It is a particular joy and honor for my imprint to host work from my friend Stan Lee. As Stan himself is fond of saying, ‘nuff said’!” said Shatner.

“I’m thrilled to be working with my friend William Shatner’s new imprint. I look forward to sharing details of my new project at Comikaze Expo!” said Lee.

Jointly developed by LNL and Panelfly, the Cinematic Graphic Novel format delivers a groundbreaking form of digital comics that combines moving panels, a new stylistic dimension in animation, in-story sound effects and a music soundtrack to usher in an enhanced reading experience.