One of the surprise films of 2010 was Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass. Based on the Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. graphic novel, the movie told the tale of a high school nerd who decides to be a super hero, despite his lack of any super powers.

The movie was a loud, vulgar, and gory explosion of awesome and it left many wanting more. Unfortunately the movie landed director Vaughn a chance at the “big leagues” and he went on to make the best X-Men movie to-date. With the head honcho otherwise occupied, it looked as if Kick-Ass 2 might not see the light of day.

Well that turns out not to be the case. Deadline is reporting that Universal is in talks to make the sequel as early as this year”

Universal Pictures is in talks to make Kick-Ass 2, with Jeff Wadlow directing his script. I’m told the intention is to get the film in production by August. Discussions are just getting underway with such original cast members as Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and they will have to be signed to new deals to reprise their roles.

The Wadlow script was actually written at the request of Vaughn who wanted work on the sequel to happen while he was occupied in the X-Universe. At first the concept of losing Vaughn might seem harsh to the fans of the first film, but knowing that he was involved at some point early on, and gives his blessing now is an encouraging sign.

Writer Mark Millar, best known for the Kick-Ass and Wanted franchises, confirmed to the Daily Record that a slew of comic-to-film projects from his Millarworld production company will be going into production in this coming year.

Currently, Millar has a number of film projects being developed simultaneously, along with the monthly comics hitting the shelves. He stated that the fact his characters are being utilized for films is somewhat surprising, considering that the majority of comics-to-film adaptations that are being greenlit are based on characters that have been around for decades.

“We shoot Kick-Ass 2 and American Jesus this summer. Then Matthew (Vaughn) and I have Secret Service, which is a nerdy James Bond,” Mark said. Kick-Ass 2  is a follow up to the 2010 film which starred Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz.

Millar’s  American Jesus  will follow a kid who finds out he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. “If you are doing a movie about the return of Jesus as the Bible prophesied in the Book of Revelation, you have got to do it straight and treat it with dignity. I’m not taking the piss. It will be treated like a proper film,” said Millar of his post-apocolyptic thriller.

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It may seem like an odd choice for a company famous for its books with all the pictures, but Marvel has announced they will be taking their most famous superhero creations and putting them into a brand new format: prose novels. The first of these novels will tell the story of Civil War, Marvel’s “event” from a few years back.

From the official press release:

“Releasing our most acclaimed graphic novels as prose fiction not only allows us to reach a different audience with these stories, but also gives us a chance to bring those readers back to the comics that started it all,” said David Gabriel, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marvel Entertainment.

“Civil War is easily our best-selling graphic novel of the past decade and certainly one of the most influential in recent memory, so it was the perfect launch title for this new line. Not only will you get all the action that Mark Millar and Steve McNiven delivered in comic form but no fan will want to miss the new wrinkles we’ve added in this novel. ”

Well then, there you go. You really can’t blame Marvel for trying to find a way to make more money off of its comic book properties. After all, the comic book business is not doing that well and they already have these stories just sitting there so, why not?

Anyone got a problem with it? Sound off in the comments.

Just in time for the new year comes new comics straight from our pals at Marvel. With Christmas past there’s still time to get your hands on some great gifts before 2010 comes to a close.

Of the new comics dropping this week we’re most excited about Chaos War: X-Men #1, Nemesis #4, S.H.I.E.L.D. #5, X-23 $4 and Avengers #8. As with most weeks, new comics arrive on Wednesday so hit your nearest comics book store early for best selection.

Don’t know where your nearest comic store is? Use this handy guide to find one. Also, as an added bonus, don’t miss the Marvel 2011 Calendar, free for all fans and only available at your local comics shop this week.

Comics On-Sale:
ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN & WOLVERINE #4
ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #4
AVENGERS #8
BULLSEYE: PERFECT GAME #2
CAPTAIN AMERICA #613
CARNAGE #2
CARNAGE #2 ADAMS VARIANT
CHAOS WAR: X-MEN #1
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #4
DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #4 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT
DEADPOOL CORPS #9
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #886
HALO: FALL OF REACH – BOOT CAMP #3
HEROIC AGE: X-MEN #1
HULK #28
INCOGNITO: BAD INFLUENCES #2

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Has the thrill of San Diego Comic-Con waned (gasp!) in the last few years? Is the scheduling for the San Diego, Chicago or New York Cons not ideal for you? Or, would your love of comics, games and movies inspire you to travel internationally (this writer is definitely in that camp)? If you fit into any or all of these categories, then today’s your lucky day! Mark Millar is about to become your new hero (if he isn’t already)!

Millar (Kick-Ass, Wanted, Civil War) has announced that he is launching a Comic Con-themed event for the UK market next April. The Kapow Comic Con will take over London’s Business Design Centre on April 9 and 10, 2011 and be dedicated to the world of comics, movies, TV, games and more.

Stars from Hollywood and TV-land have yet to be announced, but Dave Gibbons, John Romita Jr, Frank Quitely, Bryan Hitch and Andy Diggle have all been confirmed for attendance.

Kapow will also introduce the Stan Lee Awards, which will pay tribute to the comic book legend by giving recipients gong statues for Best Comic, Best Superhero or Sci-Fi Movie and Best Comic Book Hero among others.

For more information, check out the official Kapow Comic Con site. See you in London!

Mark Millar has definitely taken the comic universe by storm in the past 10 years. He first turned heads of fanboys (and fangirls) everywhere with The Authority in 2000. Then he went a bit darker with his anti-hero epic Wanted. Later, Millar would get his first taste of adaptation, as Warner Bros. optioned Wanted into a highly successful feature film.

The same thing happened with Kick-Ass and Lionsgate last year, and now just about anything Millar puts in a comic is getting picked up as a film right away. His super villain series Nemesis is already being worked on by Tony Scott’s company, and Superior, the story of a crippled teen who turns into a famed superhero is also being looked at by several studios.

Coming up next month, you’ll be able to see all of Millar’s favorite characters crossover in an epic portrait that spans over 3 variant covers by regular cover artist Leinil Francis Yu. When asked about the idea, Millar couldn’t have been more about it.

“It wouldn’t make sense as a story as they all exist in their own distinct universes. But I was talking to Leinil in New York about this a few weeks back and we came up with this idea of spreading the image across three variants, each character touching the front cover of another book and it seemed very exciting. These are my wee babies so to see them all playing together gives me a warm glow. I’m collecting them to form one big image and to have it framed over my desk.”

Check out the full-sized image after the jump, and catch each variant for Kick Ass 2 #2, Superior #4, and Nemesis #4, all on sale in December and January.

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Fans of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr’s first ultra-violent kid-superhero romp, Kick-Ass will have something special in store for them at the comic store today. Kick-Ass 2, the second volume of the popular comic arrives in stores today.

In the new story-arc, Hit-Girl is adopted by a cop following the death of her father and is no longer allowed to engage in hero activity. While Hit-Girl lays low, the story’s main villain, Red Mist hires a bad-ass girl from Russia to help him exact revenge for his family’s death at the hands of Kick-Ass and company. He goes online and influences a new bunch of young villains to take up his fight.

Soon enough, gangs from across New York are filming their atrocities and putting them on the internet in an attempt to out-do each other. All in all, it sounds like more of the same ultra-violent and foul-mouthed comic goodness we’ve come to expect from Millar and Romita Jr. And of course, the question now is what about the second flick?

While IMDB already has an entry for the flick, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall, and is showing a 2012 release, Millar talked with MTV and outlined what would need to happen to make that release on-time.

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This week brings not only a whole slew of new and returining TV shows but also a whole bunch of new comics from opur friends at Marvel. Of the ones dropping this week we’re pretty excited about the latest Secret Avengers, Avengers #5, Black Widow #6, Thor # 615 and the latest issue of Nemesis.

All these, and more, can be found at your local comics store. Don’t know where your nearest comic store is? Use this handy guide to find one.

Check out the comics below and be sure to click through for some great examples of some of the art from this week’s books.

Comics On-Sale:
ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #3
AVENGERS #3 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AVENGERS #5
AVENGERS #5 JRJR CHARACTER VARIANT
AVENGERS #5 SHS VARIANT
AVENGERS ACADEMY #4 (HA)
AVENGERS ACADEMY #4 MCKONE VARIANT (HA)
BLACK WIDOW #6
BLACK WIDOW #6 CAMPBELL VARIANT
CASANOVA #1 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
CASANOVA #2 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER – THE JOURNEY BEGINS #5
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #889
FANTASTIC FOUR #583 (THREE)
FANTASTIC FOUR #583 ADAMS VARIANT (THREE)
FANTASTIC FOUR #583 SHS VARIANT (THREE)
FANTASTIC FOUR #583 THREE LOGO VARIANT (THREE)

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Zombies meet Trekkies in this awesome new trailer for Night of the Living Trekkies.

• Some guy proposed to his girlfriend via a custom Super Mario Bros. World. Good thing he locked that down now…

• We may enjoy Glee, but here are 5 examples of how those musical teens have ruined urban music for the rest of us.

• Anyone who’s been to a comic book convention knows that there’s nothing worse than a fat Spider-Man…except for 30 fat Spider-Men.

• Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is giving you a taste of 5 tracks from his potentially bad ass score for the upcoming biopic The Social Network.

• This leaked footage of a live action Pokemon film raises two questions: Is it fake? and Is this movie 10 years late?

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Coming on the heels of success from his last (and only) two film adaptations, comic writer Mark Millar is eager to bring his latest book, Nemesis, to the big screen. It seems like that plan is already in motion, as Twentieth Century and Tony Scott have acquired the rights and are looking to get Millar’s property into theaters in the near future.

The book tells a classic story with a twist: young Matt Anderson’s parents are killed and he vows to avenge their deaths by training himself and going after the man who did it. The twist? His parents were worldwide villains, and he is too. Anderson makes his way back to the states after killing the greatest cops across the world to focus on Chief Blake Morrow, the man who took down Anderson’s criminal parents.

Tony Scott has expressed interest in this being his next project, at least through his company Scott Free Productions. While the idea of Tony Scott directing a comic book adaptation gives the fanboy community the collective goosebumps, Scott may only remain attached as a producer.

Many know Millar as the mind behind other comic adaptations Wanted starring James McAvoy (now X-Men: First Class’s Professor Xavier) and Lionsgate’s recent Kick-Ass, which is already planning a sequel. Comics fans know Millars work from Superman: Red Son and plenty of issues of Marvel’s Civil War.

After many years of happily reading John Romita Jr.’s work on Wolverine’s “Enemy of the State” Arc, Spider-Man and Kick-Ass, I was thrilled to be able to interview John Romita, Jr. (or JR. Jr.) for Marvel’s return to a bright, new day with the “Heroic Age.”

I caught up with the delightful John while he was working hard on the Avengers.  It seems this is one man who can draw and answer in-depth questions at the same time.

As always he was humorous, insightful, and well…in need of a nap.  Read on, true believers, and enjoy the latest from the desk of the modest legend himself.

The Flickcast: Marvel takes the entire Avengers line of titles into “The Heroic Age.” You’ve been paired up with Brian Michael Bendis on the core “Avengers” title; is your opening run contained to the first arc or two, or do you plan on being involved for the foreseeable future?

John Romita, Jr: In the first year I’m doing it [Avengers] for a minimum of 2 arcs and I’m enjoying myself.  If the book is still doing well, I’ll do it for a second year.  It’s so difficult, though, that I may not survive the first year— it’s intense work.

I have to finish 25 pages in the next 17 days.  So, after doing Avengers, I may want to sleep for a year.  But doing the Avengers with Bendis is an amazing experience.  If I get through the year and I’m still healthy enough, I will do another one.

TF: What are the benefits and challenges of drawing iconic characters like Thor, Spidey, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Captain America vs. drawing characters you create?

JR: Oh, that’s on a strictly selfish scale, it’s much more fun to do a character you create because you create them and there’s a lot of gratification for that, but working on iconic characters is like driving your father’s classic car, it’s spectacular and fantastic, but it’s better off when it’s your own.

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It didn’t come as much of a surprise to many people when Fox announced Matthew Vaughn as director of the upcoming prequel X-Men: First Class. He is a hot commodity right now due to the mild success of Kick-Ass, and they had always had their eye on Vaughn, even back as far as The Last Stand.

With that in mind, it should come as even less of a surprise that Vaughn is bringing on screenwriter Jane Goldman to tweak the First Class script a little bit. Vaughn and Goldman worked together on Stardust and most recently wrote the ending to Kick-Ass (as the ending was unfinished when Mark Millar brought the script to Vaughn).

In a recent tweet from Goldman’s husband and BBC Media Mogul Jonathan Ross, he confirmed the rewrite:

“Also, for those who need to know, my wife IS currently writing X men First Class.”

What could this mean for the X-Men: First Class film is unknown just yet. Last we heard, Chuck and O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, who wrote the original comic, was stepping in to write the script. This could be the same script that’s getting “retooled”, or Goldman and Vaughn could be taking it back to square one.

With a release date of Summer 2011, you can expect more answers to come through soon.  Let’s just hope there isn’t an epic “flying through the city on a jet pack” scene at the end of this comic book adaptation.