Even if both recent big screen adaptations of Marvel’s Punisher left something to ber desired, that doesn’t mean the comic book version of the classic character has been left in the dust. In fact, Marvel is launching a brand new Punisher series soon and we’ve got a preview for it for you today.

The upcoming comic features writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto and “brings Marvel Universe’s deadliest man back out onto the streets. Frank Castle is locked and loaded for his most violent mission yet as he takes aim on New York City’s newest criminal organization, The Exchange.”

“Can Marvel’s one man war machine mow down the entirety of the Exchange or will they prove to be too much for Frank Castle to take on alone? With every clip the Punisher empties into the guilty he gets further away from being able to find the man he used to be…and he has absolutely no problem with that.”

Look for The Punisher #1 to hit comic store shelves on August 3rd. Check out some preview for the series after the jump.

Continue Reading →

That’s right comic book fans, it’s that time of the week again. New comics are coming out from our friends at Marvel and we’ve got some particular ones we’re interested in.

Among the new ones coming out, we’re looking forward to reading  Cyclops #1, Kick-Ass #2,  Scarlet #5, Wolverine #7, and Secret Avengers #11.

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.

Comics On-Sale:
5 RONIN #5 AJA COVER
5 RONIN #5 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
AGE OF X: UNIVERSE #1
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #657
AVENGERS #11
AVENGERS #11 CAPTAIN AMERICA 70TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT
BLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR #516
BLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR #516 CAPTAIN AMERICA 70TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA #616
CAPTAIN AMERICA #616 EPTING VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE SECRET AVENGERS #1
CYCLOPS #1
DEADPOOL CORPS #12
DEADPOOL CORPS #12 YOUNG VARIANT
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #883
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #883 YOUNG VARIANT
INCOGNITO: BAD INFLUENCES #5
INCREDIBLE HULKS #625
KICK-ASS 2 #2
KICK-ASS 2 #2 YU TRIPLE VARIANT

Continue Reading →

Since the announcement that Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment over a year ago, we the fans have been waiting to see exactly how that would effect us, because really, it’s all about us. We haven’t seen any mega-crossovers like Daredevil the Pooh or Spider-Mouse, but it looks like Disney may just be pulling some weight by bringing a few Marvel titles to your TV screen.

After a presentation on the Disney lot, Marvel has put together a short list of properties that they are looking to bring to TV in the next few years. On the very top of that list is a live action Hulk series, helmed by comic veteran Jeph Loeb, who most know for his work on NBC’s Heroes.

Hulk could go into production over at ABC as early as mid-summer. Next in line, the plan is to work on a series based on the Cloak & Dagger franchise, which would go straight to ABC’s cable network, ABC Family. The story would follow the duo of Tyrone Johnson (aka Cloak, who has the ability to teleport) and Tandy Bowen (aka Dagger, who has the ability to heal and create daggers from light).

Both shows are in very early development, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from poking around a handful of other properties to adapt into the small screen. Heat Vision has the short list.

Executives presented ABC suits with a list of titles they identified as possible series:
• Heroes for Hire (focusing on ex-con Luke Cage offering to take on bad guys for a price);
• The Eternals (a race of superpowered beings live amid humanity in secret, inspiring legends);
• Agents of Atlas, Alter Ego (private investigator Jessica Jones takes on cases involving superhumans);
• Moon Knight, the Red Hood (a low-rent criminal discovers a cloak that gives him superpowers);
• Ka-Zar (a Tarzan-type and his saber-toothed tiger must journey to the concrete jungle to seek justice);
• Daughters of the Dragon (a dynamic female duo, one with a bionic arm and the other a granddaughter of a samurai, open a private-detective agency); and
• The Punisher (one man wages a war on crime; already adapted as two feature films).

Even given Hulk and Cloak & Dagger, this is an incredible list, and could only mean that Warner/DC and Disney/Marvel have decided that the silver screen wasn’t large enough for them to wage war, and they’re now taking over our living rooms. In any outcome, we all win.

When I first saw The Punisher: War Zone I pretty much hated it.  Yet another Punisher reboot that simply didn’t work.  However, upon further reflection over subsequent months I realized War Zone wasn’t bad. Actually, it was Ray Stevenson’s performance as Frank Castle that single-handedly saved the film.

Stevenson continued to flesh out his bad ass resume as Titus Pullo in the mini-series Rome. While Titus was a more benign individual at times it didn’t take much to bring out the Punisher-esque tendencies when he reverted to his soldier role.  In fact, Rome had some of the best action sequences ever and Stevenson again was brilliant in this capacity.

So, what happens when you combine The Punisher and Titus Pullo? How about one of  Thor’s Warriors Three: Volstagg? Of course, the most obvious question was how Stevenson would fill out Volstagg’s large, um…physique:

“…a solution is at hand, in the shape of a fat suit. “It’s fantastic,” said a beaming Stevenson. “I’ve tried the suit on, and what they’ve done is kind of sex him up: he’s sort of slimmer but rounder.”

Continue Reading →