MTV has partnered with comic legend Stan Lee to produce The Seekers, an original property with the twist that its writer and illustrator will be chosen be The Man himself.

The basic outline is that, “the Seekers is the story of an ancient people who have been planted on earth and little by little start to arise” to destroy the planet, says Lee. Defending the planet are a group of heroes, whose look and background, presumably, will be fleshed out by the winning pair.

The contest itself begins August 1, when artists and authors alike will have the opportunity to submit their work through a nomination page on MTV.com. At the end of the month, “MTV Geek’s editorial team will narrow the pool down to 20 and feature their work on the site.” From there, visitors to the site will vote for their favorites, winnowing the selections down to five stories and five artists for Lee and MTV Geek to decide on. The winners will be announced at New York Comic Con in October.

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Over the last couple days an unofficial bootleg of the new The Amazing Spider-Man teaser trailer has been making its way around the Interwebs. We waited to bring you the official, real one so that we could put it up and not have to take it right down again.

Anyway, it’s here and for the first time we get to see Andrew Garfield in sort of action as Peter Parker and his alter ego, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Reaction to the teaser has been mixed around The Flickcast offices (especially where Garfield is concerned) but still, the teaser is pretty good and does help convey some of what it must be like to have Spider-Man’s powers.

It also delves more into the character moments of the upcoming film, which is probably due to director Marc Webb’s background and his stated desire to make a “smaller” film. Sadly, it is still an origin story even though it seems to be told in a different, yet very familiar to almost anyone alive, way.

Obviously, we’ll have much more time to judge the film as its release gets closer. Meantime, check out the new teaser after the break.

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With the Fantastic Four, and the rest of the Marvel U, in chaos it was only a matter of time before things came to a head with an epic battle. Now, that time has come with Marvel’s Fear Itself: FF.

Written by Cullen Bunn with art by Tom Grummett, FI: FF tells the story of Ben Grimm (aka The Thing) who has been deemed “worthy” by the villainous Serpent and now it’s up to the FF to put an end to his rampage.

But do the FF have a prayer at prying their friend from the God of Fear’s grasp? I’m going to guess it end up being a lot harder than they think. Plus, there will probably be a lot of damage, both physical and emotional, before its all done. Whatever happens, it looks to be epic.

We’ve got preview pages for this comic for you today. Naturally, you can check them out right after the break.

Fear Itself: FF #1 hits comic book stores on August 3rd. We’ll be reading.

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Like many good things sometimes they have to come to an end. Even though we might not want them to it is often the case that a story and characters have run their course.

So it is with Marvel’s Fantastic Four who, after the recent tragic death of Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch) are nearing the end of their comic book run. Of course, Marvel isn’t going to let them go out with a whimper. From the Marvel release:

Huge choices that dramatically impact the Marvel Universe are made this February in Fantastic Four #588, from the superstar creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta and Mark Brooks! Following up on the sold-out hit Fantastic Four #587, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at the FINAL issue of the long-standing series, guest starring all your favorite Marvel heroes!

But the story isn’t over yet because where one door closes, another opens. It’s now up to Reed, Sue, and Ben to make life-changing decisions of their own volition that set them on a course destined to change the Marvel Universe in Johnny’s honor!

“The reaction from fans and retailers to Fantastic Four #587 was overwhelming and we’re excited to show fans, who have been chomping at the bit, to see what’s next!” exclaims SVP of Sales, David Gabriel. “It may be the end of the series, but it’s the beginning of something much bigger.”

Look for this comic to hit store shelves on February 31st. In the meantime, check out some preview pages after the jump.

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Hockey Fan? Feel like your favorite team needs the perfect boots-and-cape wearing hero to represent everything that city stands for? Well, Stan “The Man” Lee feels the same way, and is currently working on The Guardian Project for the NHL which will bring a create a brand new superhero for every team in the league. Here’s a press release you have to read to believe.

Stan Lee’s vision for his latest superhero franchise, The Guardian Project, which will encompass the creation of 30 Guardians (one to represent each NHL team) as a new series of superheroes, with a creative concept that organically and authentically incorporates various NHL elements but is not set in the world of hockey. “I’ve always believed that every great plan starts with a great story,” says Mr. Lee. “In the creation of GME and its unique and unprecedented relationship with the NHL, I truly believe we have the perfect combination from which to launch 30 new superheroes and excite young fans around the globe.”

Created and developed by Stan Lee and Tony Chargin, EVP of GME Creative Affairs, and Jake Shapiro, each Guardian has been derived from its corresponding hockey team, complete with special powers representative of each team and city. These 30 Guardians will be unveiled together in a special presentation during the 2011 NHL All-Star Game on January 30 in Raleigh, NC.

While this was just mentioned today, there will already be a teaser package for the project revealed this weekend at New York Comic Con. This plan comes from the idea of bringing a whole new audience to the NHL, and dramatize the interteam rivalry with symbolic heroes and villains battling it out in many forms of media.

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As comic book legends go, Stan ‘The Man” Lee is probably the most famous. His amazing creations and co-creations like The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk and Iron Man have captivated audiences worldwide for decades and given rise to an entertainment empire that endures to this day.

So, when Stan Lee decides to create another comic book, we pay attention, This new one, known as The Traveler, teams Lee with writer Mark Waid and tells the story of a mysterious new superhero with time-traveling powers who battles the Split-Second Men, super-powered assassins from the future.

To commemorate this event we’ve got a bunch of pages from the comic to share with you today. Plus, a few covers as well. So, click through to check them out.

The Traveler issue #1, published by Boom Studios, hits comic store shelves in November.

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As you have noticed, Activision’s new Spider-Man game has caught the attention of the Flickcast. Make sure to keep checking back over the coming week for our hands on impressions and a developer interview as well where we got the chance in San Diego to play both as the Noir and Ultimate (Black suit) Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Activision has just released a new trailer for the game featuring none other than the game’s narrator, Stan “The Man” Lee. The ever humble Stan talks about how it feels being a part of the creation of Spider-Man, the concept of playing four different versions of Spider-Man and even mentions one of his favorite super villains that Spider-Man has encountered. In addition to some great gameplay footage, Stan gives the reason he feels Spider-Man is one of the most enduring heroes.

Check out the full trailer after the jump and make sure to stick to the Flickcast for all things Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

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POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios announced at a press conference today at San Diego Comic-Con that they will be introducing three new characters from Stan Lee who will all be getting their very own comic book series.

Beginning this fall, look forward to the following titles:

October
Soldier Zero, written by Paul Cornell (Doctor Who) and illustrated by Javier Pina (Superman). The story will revolve around an astronomy teacher in a wheelchair who bonds with an alien weapon of war via a freak accident.

November
The Traveler written by Mark Waid with art by Chad Hardin (The Amazing Spider Man). This story will have a hero with time-traveling powers.

December
Starborn, written by Chris Roberson with art by Khary Randoph (The X-Men). A regular man finds out he is inheriting an intergalactic empire, forcing him to be front and center in a war between alien races.

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Over the past few decades, the concept of the “comic convention” has gone from the dank basements without air conditioning where sweaty fanboys gather to pick through old comics back issues that they can’t find anywhere else, to multi-million dollar franchise and major media show which has become the San Diego Comic-Con.

Documentarian John P. McGarr has taken that evolution down on film, and brought to us The Con. The synopsis at least explains it better.

THE CON is a documentary about conventions over six years in the making, covering over twenty shows. Horror, comic, sci-fi, adult conventions and more! From OJ Simpson’s infamous appearance at the NecroComicon horror convention to San Diego Comic Con, fans, celebrities, promoters and vendors (even the bootleggers!) share their experiences and explain why they’re part of THE CON!

Stan Lee may be apart of this film as a talking head, but this isn’t actually the Morgan Spurlock/Stan Lee comic convention documentary that’s also in production. Check out the full trailer after the jump, keep your eyes peeled for copies of The Con surfacing around local convention DVD booths, ironically enough.

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To be honest, I was a fan of Dr. Strange comics growing up. But now that I’m a bit older and, perhaps, a bit wiser I have to wonder if a Dr. Strange movie is really what’s needed — especially given the mostly unfortunate treatment of comic book movies these days. Still, regardless of my feelings about the idea, it seems an adaptation of the Marvel comic is moving forward with Conan writers Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Openheimer now on board to pen the script.

Dr. Strange, which has a long development history and various writers and directors involved including Wes Craven, Dovid Goyer, Steven Norrington and Guillermo del Toro, will reportedly be one of the first projects to be developed now that Disney owns Marvel. At least with Disney now involved, Marvel should have the financial backing to do the film justice on a production value basis and hopefully carry on the high quality of films like Iron Man.

Created by Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko in 1963, Dr. Strange was a brilliant yet shallow surgeon who lost his skills after a car accident damages his hands. Seeking ways to heal his injuries he instead discovers the ability to harness his psychic and magical powers and use them to battle evil.

It’s hard and probably unwise to judge a project with only this much info to go on. So, instead of thinking its probably not going to be good or wonder if it should be made at all, I will instead try to give it the benefit of the doubt. Let’s hope, in the end, it turns out more like Iron Man and The Dark Knight and less like Daredevil or Jonah Hex.

Here’s a list of things that made a blip on The Flickcast’s radar this week from around the Internets, Twitter and beyond. Let us know if we missed anything cool so we can include it in the next installment of On the Radar.

• Planning a LOST finale party? Well, no party is complete without LOST BINGO!

• Morgan Spurlock, Harry Knowles, Stan Lee and Joss Whedon teaming up to fight crime. . . er make a documentary about San Diego Comic-Con.

• Apparently, nobody in the US gives a crap about Manga. We could have told you that.

• James Cameron’s Avatar has sold a metric butt load of DVDs and Blu-rays. Color us blue for surprised.

• Larry David and friends head to NYC to do the last season of Curb. That show is still on?

• Are you a fan of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? How about Lord of The Rings? Well, what if Gandalf sang the opening theme? Mind = Blown!

• Did you get a chance to check out Maggie Q in the new show Nikita? If not, what are you waiting for?

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Though it was rumored months ago, Marvel Studios has officially announced that actor Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix, among others) has been cast as the main antagonist, the Red Skull, in Joe Johnston’s upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger.

The news doesn’t come as much of a shock, even without the rumors. Weaving has made himself known as one of the top character actors to play a marketable villain since his work in The Matrix, and has even reprrised his badassery in Michael Bay’s Transformers films as Megatron. Also, director Johnston just finished and released The Wolfman for Universal, which cast Weaving as one of the main characters.

In the film, the character is said to be an updated version of the villain we know from the comics. In this incarnation, Johann Schmidt is drafted into the Third Reich and given the codename “The Red Skull.” In the comics, Schmidt is given the name due to an accident that caused his head to be…a red skull. Whether or not they will actually put Weaving in tons of makeup has yet to be announced.

The film also stars Sebastian Stan (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Bucky Barnes, Hayley Atwell (The Prisoner) as Peggy Carter, and Chris Evans as the titular Captain America. Captain America: The First Avenger is currently set to hit theaters on July 22, 2011.