Astonishing X-Men #19
written by Joss Whedon, art by John Cassaday

Hey you! New comics come out on Thursday this week! I realize that this could be considered late notice… but maybe it’s just early notice for next week?

Um, so while this is allegedly the kickstart to Whedon and Cassaday’s final arc on the book, it’s really the mid-point of their final 12-issue arc. Regardless, with its strangely delayed release schedule, now’s as good a time as any to remind you that it happens to be coming out, specifically today.

I suppose I could try and sell the concept to you, but if you’re not reading it already, I somehow doubt you’re going to pull your head from your rump and give it a fresh shot now. And if you are reading it… Man, how horrible was that “Dangerous” arc? I hated that. Crippled Professor X driving a truck? Was this really the same guy who’s written the other 12 issues we’ve gotten? Anyway, if the last 6 issues are any measure, these final 6 should be awesome. And according to the image, it arrives in November! So, you know, you should keep an eye out for it. In November.

(Or today.)

Due to the holiday (and becuase I’m feeling lazy), I’m gonna skip this week’s $20 Game of the week and lost classics columns. Don’t worry though, I’ll have twice as much content for next week. Until then, check out this review.

In 1983, director Brian DePalma created a film starring Al Pacino that would forever change the way we would think about drug dealers, cocaine, Cubans, immigration, and pelicans. This film would be known as the story of a man named Tony Montana. It was the chronicle of his journey from yet another Cuban refugee looking for the American dream to the biggest drug dealer in all of Miami, all the way to his violent end as a desperate man consumed by a coccaine-fueled blind rage. This film would be the stuff of legends, serving as inspiration to entire generations of rappers, actors, gangsters, and other entertainers. This film is called Scarface. Nearly 2 decades later, Tony Montana’s story would continue on as a video game courtesy of Vivendi Universal.

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IDW, the publisher currently bringing Transformers comics to the stands, has released info about a Movie Prequel Comic that will be starting in February 2007. It’s a four-part mini, with the books being 32 pages each, and it’s being written by Chris Ryall (Zombies VS. Robots) and Simon Furman (more Transformers books than can possibly be listed), with Don Figueroa (not as many as Furman, but plenty nonetheless) on art. Interestingly, Ryall also happens to be IDW’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief.

Here’s what he had to say about the book:

This is no peripheral movie tie-in. Rather, it’s a fully realized, generations-spanning tale that also sets up and explains much of the backstory in the coming movie. With Paramount and Hasbro’s assistance, we’re able to show you the characters and explain some situations that are integral parts of the movie. It should also assuage any early fan trepidation and show that this prequel and the movie together are going to comprise quite an epic TRASNFORMERS story.

Ultimately, while I’m unfamiliar with Ryall’s previous work – and I’m a little curious how the writing chores are being split up – with big guns Furman and Figueroa attached to this project, this books is sizing up to be a pretty safe bet for my money. And what’s more, if that blacked out image is any indication, this book should provide a clear look at what some of the characters – if not all – will look like, at least with Cybertronian alt-modes.

UPDATE: Wizard has a short blurb on the book with the full version of the blacked-out image colored.

A free trial of the Wii Internet Channel is now available for download from the Wii Wares section of the Wii Shop Channel.

It is surprisingly easy to use. So much so that I easily posted this news update with it.

And don’t worry! Powet and it’s YouTube videos work fine with it.

Marvel released their first glimpse of what the Silver Surfer will look like in the Fantastic Four sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, and this image is it. To be honest, this image really tells me nothing, as with nothing around for comparison or reference, this might as well simply be a drawing. That said, we’ll get our first look at the character in motion once the trailer releases today with Night At The Museum.

More details from the article at USA Today:

With computer-generated imagery techniques similar to those used to create Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, the slippery Surfer, voiced by Doug Jones, “will look somewhere between gun metal and fluid metallics so you can see the body motion, the breathing, the muscle tone, the mood,” says Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad.

The Surfer’s mood is key to the story. After striking a deal with the evil Galactus to save his planet, the once-human Surfer wreaks havoc throughout the cosmos. “He is a highly emotional being, trapped inside fluid metal,” Arad says.

Marvel is putting out a new bust. This bust features Rachel Grey as she appeared on the cover of Uncanny X-Men 468 where she is sporting a new tattoo forced upon her as marker by the Shi’ar identifying her as a carrier of the phoenix force.

 

Action Figure X-Press has gotten themselves an exclusive version of the bust where Rachel is using some of her phoenix abilities.

 

The hotly anticipated trailer for the 2007 Transformers movie from director Michael Bay is now online at Yahoo UK.

At 1 PM EST, this trailer will be available in multiple formats on the US Yahoo Movies site.

Joseph Barbera now joins his partner William Hannah in history. They formed the production duo Hannah-Barbera, responsible for the most recognizable and loved cartoons outside of the old Disney and Warner Bros vaults.

In 1940, their first short for MGM “Puss Gets the Boot” had the dual distinction of being the nominated for an Academy Award and the first in many, many Tom And Jerry cartoons. In the 60s, they went solo and created The Flintstones, Jetsons, Jonny Quest, and Scooby Doo. And even into the 90s working under Turner Broadcasting, they produced Cartoon Network’s earliest breakout hits.

William Hannah passed in 2001, but just last year Joe Barbera wrote and produced a new Tom and Jerry short. It is a testament to his talent and longevity that he return and finish his career with the characters that made him famous 65 years prior.

read more: Wikipedia, AP Obituary

thanks to Sindra and Matt