While the epic battle of print comics vs. digital comics wages on, some side action is going on with the uprising of motion comics, in which classic story arcs are getting animated and released as mini “episodes” on iTunes and on DVD.

Both Marvel and DC are doing their thing and trying to out-do each other, each with a pretty impressive release under their belt. DC and Warner Premiere released the Watchmen animated comic which started the trend, and Marvel carried the torch with the popular Astonishing X-Men release.

Now, Marvel is doing it once again with Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers. The series is already up to episode 3 this week, and has blown up, making its way to the #1 spot on both the Playstation Network and Xbox LIVE marketplaces, as well as placing quite high on iTunes animated section.

We wanted to know exactly what it takes to bring these ink and paper creations to a new medium, so that’s what Marvel brought us with a new behind-the-scenes look at Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers. Take a look after the jump, and catch episodes 1-3 in most digital marketplaces right now.

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You must have been living under a rock for the past year if you haven’t gotten a hold of at least one of Marvel’s latest series of motion comics. Between Spider-Woman, Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men and the latest installment of Iron Man: Extremis, it’s hard to pick up an iPhone or iPad and not practically trip over them. Using cutting edge CGI animation techniques, comic artwork is brought to life in ways it never has been before.

From Marvel:

Experience Iron Man in a whole new way – IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Motion Comic.  From the story by Warren Ellis & Adi Granov, this incredible epic blends seamless motion, dynamic voice acting, and stunning special effects, bringing to life the story that redefined Iron Man for the 21st Century.  Now you can get a sneak peek at the FIFTH episode of this breathtaking visual breakthrough in motion comics! IRON MAN EXTREMIS episode 5 goes on-sale Wednesday, June 9th!

After thejump, check out the latest trailer for Iron Man: Extremis. In this episode, readers (or is it viewers?) will get a chance to see the motion comic take on the origins of Tony Stark as Iron Man.

For those who haven’t yet experienced a motion comic, check out the most recent issues of Invincible Iron Man, Avengers Prime or various other Marvel comics which come with a free download code usable with iTunes and any video iPod or iPad.

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As we have in the past we’ve got another look behind the scenes of the Iron Man Extremis motion comic from Marvel. So far, these motion comics have been of very high quality and it looks as if Marvel is sparing no expense on their production.

This one involving Iron Man and the Extremis story is no exception. With superstar writing from Warren Ellis and art from Adi Granov, this take on Tony Stark and his legacy as Iron man is sure to be remembered as an important arc for the character. To support this motion comic we’ve got another behind the scenes video for you today.

And, like always, here’s the description from our friends at Marvel:

Experience Iron Man in a whole new way – IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Motion Comic. From the story by Warren Ellis & Adi Granov, this incredible epic blends seamless motion, dynamic voice acting, and stunning special effects, bringing to life the story that redefined Iron Man for the 21st Century. Now you can get an exclusive look behind the scenes with Magnetic Dreams, who bring Iron Man and Co. to life!

Check out the behind the scenes video after the jump. Iron Man Extremis Episode 3 is available at Apple’s iTunes Store now.

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As we’ve done with the last two episodes we’re pleased to bring you a preview of the next episode of the Iron Man Extremis motion comic. The episode, which will be available at Apple’s iTunes Store today, continues the Warren Ellis written story of a military-sponsored nanotechnology called “Extremis” that Tony Stark must take to save his own life.

It’s an interesting take on Iron Man as we explore Stark’s character and his guilt over creating weapons and being one himself. I’m enjoying it and if you haven’t checked it out, you should — especially if you’re a fan of Iron Man.

And, as we agree to do to bring you these little video treats, here’s the scoop on the video from Marvel’s own virtual lips:

Experience Iron Man in a whole new way – IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Motion Comic. From the story by Warren Ellis & Adi Granov, this incredible epic blends seamless motion, dynamic voice acting, and stunning special effects, bringing to life the story that redefined Iron Man for the 21st Century. Now you can get a sneak peek at the third episode of this breathtaking visual breakthrough in motion comics! IRON MAN EXTREMIS episode 3 goes on-sale Wednesday, May 12th!

Check out the preview of Iron Man: Extremis after the jump.

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Previously on The Flickcast we brought the first preview taking you behind the scenes for Marvel’s latest motion comic Iron Man Extremis. The comic sold well and now they are back with another installment and we’ve got another preview to share with you again this time.

This time around we get more of a traditional trailer approach to the motion comic with exciting visuals, action and lots of blood. After all, it’s not called “Extremis” for nothing. Additionally, as we agree to do when we run video like this, here’s what Marvel has to say on the subject.

Experience Iron Man in a whole new way – IRON MAN: EXTREMIS Motion Comic. From the story by Warren Ellis & Adi Granov, this incredible epic blends seamless motion, dynamic voice acting, and stunning special effects, bringing to life the story that redefined Iron Man for the 21st Century. Now you can get a sneak peek at the second episode of this breathtaking visual breakthrough in motion comics!

The second episode of IRON MAN EXTREMIS goes on-sale Wednesday, April 28th!

Check out the video after the jump.

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Excelsior! Sorry, couldn’t resist. Actually, that word completely applies in this case seeing as how the X-Men were created by the great Stan “The Man” Lee and Jack “King” Kirby. Still, its a pretty good day today and a pretty cool thing we have to share with you right now.

Our pals at Marvel have provided us with a new video showing a bit of behind the scenes with the folks who make the Astonishing X-Men motion comic. Hosted by producer Kristine Stone, you get a tour of the production facility and get to meet many of the people responsible for putting this cool project together. All in all, not a bad way to spend a few minutes.

You get to learn some things and have a little fun too. What could be better than that? Not much, so be sure to check out the video after the jump. The Astonishing X-Men MOCO is available now at iTunes and on Hulu.

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Previously, we were able to bring you the first news of the upcoming event known as MarvelFest and told you that it would, in part, be held to commemorate the launch of Marvel’s new Astonishing X-Men motion comic. Now that you have that info and, I’m sure, planning on attending, we can bring you this new video which gives us a bit more info about the event and also provides some decent comic relief as well.

I won’t spoil the content of the video except to say that if you’re a fan of shows like Robot Chicken, you’ll probably like this video as well. And, because we agreed to do so, here’s the other info we have to share with you about the video:

Marvel is also proud to present MarvelFest NYC 2009, an all-new interactive outdoor experience in New York City to celebrate the iTunes release of the groundbreaking Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic on October 28th. In honor of this unprecedented event, Marvel.Com unveils a very special episode of the critically-acclaimed Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! video series, taking you behind the scenes of what could’ve been! Join celebrities and the biggest names in Marvel history to commemorate the Astonishing X-Men premiere, projected three stories high in Union Square at MarvelFest! For complete details and official costume contest rules regarding MarvelFest NYC 2009 please visit www.marvel.com/fest.

Be sure to check out this very cool (and funny) video after the jump.

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In what could very well be the next step in comic book storytelling, Marvel entered the motion comics arena with Spider-Woman, based off of the recently launched series written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Alex Maleev. Available on iTunes, each episode is $1.99 US each or $8.99 US for the entire series with a total runtime of 53:46. Are we witnessing evolution, or merely a fad? And how is the story itself? Pouring through all five episodes, the answers may surprise you.

Starting with the story, Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, finds herself lost in a world she doesn’t recognize. No, she’s still on Earth, but she was replaced by Veranke the Skrull Queen during the Secret Invasion storyline and has only recently returned to the playing field. Making matters worse, at one point Jessica was an agent of practically anything you can be an agent of in the Marvel Universe – all simultaneously – so it’s no wonder she’s a little out of sorts these days.

When SWORD Agent Abigail Brand tracks her down and offers an outlet for that pent up frustration, Jessica feels that she may find herself and knock a few heads in the process, so she sets off to the island of Madripoor. As the story unfolds, Jessica winds up in a whirlwind of activity as local authorities, Skrulls, the Thunderbolts and the New Avengers try to insert themselves into her booked-solid dance card. Once the dust settles, it’s the decisions going forth that has Jessica’s full attention as she continues to find her rightful place in the world.

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You think motion comics (aka MOCO) are just a fad? Maybe, but tell that to the thousands of people who downloaded Marvel’s first MOCO, Spider-Woman, when it became available this week in iTunes. The story, written by Brian Bendis with art by Alex Maleev, was the number one episode on the Television/Animation chart and the number two episode on the chart of all TV episodes.

Want to know more? Fortunately, Marvel has provided us with a bunch more information, via an official press release, and we’re going to share it with you right now. If you haven’t checked out the MOCO in iTunes, its definitely worth a look.

Marvel is pleased to announce that the first episode of Spider-Woman Motion Comic has conquered iTunes, debuting as the #1 episode on the Television-Animation sales chart and as the #2 episode on the Top Television Episodes sales chart. The New York Times Best-Selling team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev (Halo Uprising) present Marvel’s first ever original motion comic as Spider-Woman embarks on a new mission that’ll change the Marvel Universe forever!

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