You might have missed it, but Superman II is being re-released, re-cut using footage shot by original director Richard Donner before he got the boot from the project. While there’s a lot more to the story than that, you can read up on that on your own time. The story behind the movie is actually quite interesting, but for the purposes of brevity – and of not re-treading old ground – there’s the front box art image on the left. And while the front image is readily available in a number of places, ComicsContinuum.com has large image of the back of the box, available HERE.

You can see the listed features on the right side:

• Introduction by Director Richard Donner
• Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz
• New Featurette Superman II: Restoring the Vision
• Deleted scenes

As you can see in the small print on the bottom, Richard Donner is listed as director, and the running time will be 116 minutes, rather than the 128 minutes of the original. Since I’m not overly familiar with the original release, I don’t know what that means for us, but if nothing else, when this DVD hits, I’ve got myself an excuse to watch Superman II, which is always nice.

In the grand tradition of Spaceballs: The Movie, Spaceballs: The Book, and Spaceballs: The Documentary; a new animated series has been greenlit for G4, set to debut in the fall of 2007. The series will include a one-hour pilot and 13 half-hour episodes, though oddly, the pilot is set to pretty much retell the story of the movie, with Lone Starr and Barf being hired to save Princess Vespa from Dark Helmet, complete with his scheme to steal the air from Drudia.

I suppose this is less of a surprise with the revelation that the fantastic Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan – two of the movie’s three writers – are writing the pilot. Meehan will also take a story editor role, wherein he will possibly write some individual episodes, but oversee the writing of them all. And to my pleasant surprise, the show even boasts Brooks doing the voices for Yogurt and President Skroob!

All in all, for once, I’m sad I don’t get G4.

Marvel updated their site yesterday with a brand new Civil War trailer. It’s available HERE and it’s the perfect lead in for issue #4, which hits stands today. And while the idea of a video trailer existing for print media seems a bit off, the results remain badass.

Jon Favreau posted this somewhat crazed-looking image of him sitting with Peter Billingsley (Iron Man’s executive producer) at a table loaded with crazy huge guns onto his MySpace page. Obviously, this are at least related to the Iron Man movie, if not actual props. In fact, I kind of hope they are props, because man, who let them have all those giant guns?

Popcultureshock.com is the only place I saw it, so we’re mirroring it here: Preview pages for Civil War #4, pages 1 through 3. Er, and the cover. But I bet you could’ve figured that out without my help. Here’s a link to their previews page, and here’s our mirrored pages:

In related news, Christos Gage – who wrote the fantastic Deadshot mini for DC a couple years ago – will be writing an upcoming Civil War one-shot, Casualties of War: Iron Man/Captain America. As he describes it during his Newsarama interview, “This is the first time since it all started that they’ve met one on one, out of respect for their many years as friends and allies, to talk it out. We’ll reference incidents from Marvel history to show why each man feels as strongly as he does, and each will have to defend his position as he tries to convince the other to rethink his own.” It’s supposed to take place earlier in the series than issue 4. (Obviously.)

Gage’s previous work includes episodes of Law & Order: SVU and tomorrow’s new Union Jack mini, spinning out of his appearance in Captain America. Though the issue arrives in stores tomorrow, but SilverBulletComics got a preview copy and sicced their reviewers on it. Overall it seemed to get pretty good reviews, despite the scathing pair of two-bullet reviews. I’ll have to see for myself tomorrow if the magic he worked on Deadshot will hold up in the world of Marvel.

The Walking Dead #31
Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Charlie Adlard

It’s no mystery why Robert Kirkman’s star has risen so quickly. Just a little while ago, his only two books were this and Invincible, and if you’re new and your name’s only going to be on two things, you better be sure they’re of this kind of quality. Invincible’s a story for another week though, as tomorrow we’re getting a new issue of The Walking Dead.

The quick ‘n dirty setup – Rick is a cop (now, a former cop) who wakes up in a hospital, only to find that just about everyone’s been turned into zombies. He quickly fought his way to his wife and son, and joined up with a whole crew of survivors. Things are constantly going to hell in their little handbasket, and while they’re not losing people left and right any more, the stakes are still just as high.

Currently, Rick’s been captured by a small town of survivors that have set up a Colosseum-type environment where they have people fighting the zombies for sport. It’s really quite grisly, and Adlard’s black and white art is the perfect moodsetter every single time.

I just checked out the 5 page preview at PopCultureShock, and I’m more excited than ever to see what comes next. A 6 page preview would’ve been far less effective, I’m thinking. If you check it out, you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, I mostly checked it out to be sure, and now I can say it with confidence – Kirkman isn’t just writing a fantastic, well-crafted story, he’s also successfully bringing you up to speed within the first pages, and doing it all perfectly organically within the story.

Do yourself a favor – Get your shop to start setting you aside a copy of this book. It’s one of my absolute favorite comic books, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be enjoying it just as much as I am.

Slave Labor Graphics’ deal with Disney is resulting in some strange deals. For example, Comicon.com’s PULSE has an article on the new Tron series, that’s apparently already shipped its first issue. What? Missed that one.

As for Marvel, SuperHeroHype.com reports that the Sub-Mariner movie is going to be directed and REWRITTEN (what x 2?) Johnathon Mostow. His previous work? Most recently, Terminator 3. I hope he’ll have time, around the demands of directing Terminator 4. How can it fail? After all, the listed writers previously wrote the stunners Catwoman and The Net 2.0 (a direct to video sequel).

Captain America #21
written by Ed Brubaker, art by Steve Epting

If you haven’t heard the praises of this book yet, you’ve been living under a freaking rock. Basically, since issue 1 the Winter Soldier’s been running around, making Cap’s life into off-the-walls hell, initially by fighting him, and then later with the revelation that he’s actually Bucky. But now that Bucky’s memories are coming back together, he’s been going after the people that’ve brainwashed him and made him into a killing machine for the last few decades. At the very end of last issue, that trail FINALLY crossed with Cap’s, bringing the two of them to the same place at the same time.

Even though this is supposed to be part 3 of 4 in the storyarc, this should be a big issue, because Cap and Bucky haven’t yet had a chance to speak to one another – at least, not since Bucky’s mind started really healing, and it looks like they’re about to get a chance to at least fight side-by-side, if nothing else.

Basically, the Winter Soldier is badass, Brubaker writes a fantastic Cap, Brubaker also writes intelligent and excellent stories, and Epting sells these guys in the serious situations and makes the costumes work damn well. As much as I dig Ultimate Cap’s outfit, Epting makes normal Marvel U’s Cap look just as believeable.

Last but not least – We’re not being dragged down with Civil War crossovers, keeping the book from being published during the delay months, or taking us away from the wonderful, hard-hitting stories they’re telling month after month. I suppose eventually the registration issues will catch up to us, but for now, the book is keeping on steady course for awesomeness.