Tag Archives: Joss Whedon

So You Want To Get Into Marvel Comics

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So you want to get into Marvel Comics but don’t know where to start.  Well kids, pull up a chair and listen to your Auntie Bria because there are absolutely some good places to begin reading comic books and you won’t even have to go all the way back to the 1960s!*  Will you likely want to jump on Wikipedia and do some research about some aspects of the history of these books or characters?  Probably.  It’s impossible to jump into a medium with such a long history as comic books without there being at least some sort of background you’d like to know more about.  However, I think that each of these suggested titles can be picked up and read with minimal confusion.  Each of these suggestions also takes place in the main Marvel Universe which is also referred to as the 616 verse.  I also tried to refrain from any company wide arcs for reading ease.** With that, enjoy these suggestions and feel free to ask any clarification questions you might have in the comments.

Astonishing X-men
[Amazon – Comixology]
I have fondly referred to this book as my gateway drug to Marvel Comics.  Not only have I used this book to get tons of my friends into comics but I consider it to be one of my favorite runs of all time.  Written by Joss Whedon and with art by John Cassaday, Astonishing X-men takes the X-men back from the black leather street looks (thanks for that, X-men films) and back to their spandex superhero roots.  Mutants have always been treated with at least some fear and distrust by the public and the X-men want to fix this.

Whedon brings together Cyclops/Scott Summers, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast/Hank McCoy, and Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde, a group of characters who certain have issues with each other but work together as a team because they have to astonish the world.   It’s a story that not only can stand on its own but also one which will introduce you to the characters in a way that will leave you wanting to know more about them.  Although Whedon’s run concluded back in 2007, it’s certainly a book worth reading if you’re interested in the modern X-men.  Plus, as an added bonus, Whedon introduces us to some awesome new characters, namely Hisako Ichiki/Armor and Abigail Brand.  If you have any interest in the X-men at all, this is the book to start with.

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ABC Officially Orders Pilot for Whedon ‘S.H.I.E.L.D’ Series

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Part of Joss Whedon’s new keys-to-the-city deal from Marvel and Disney indicated that he would be helping to create a new TV series in the marvel film universe. Now we’ve gotten confirmation that ABC has placed an order for a pilot centered around S.H.I.E.L.D.

Three weeks after Disney CEO Robert Iger announced Joss Whedon would create a Marvel-related TV series for ABC, the network has made good on his vow.

ABC has given pilot orders to S.H.I.E.L.D, with the Avengers scribe on board to co-write the project based on the Marvel comic, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

From ABC Studios, the project is based on the long-running comic created by Jack Kirby and revolves around the secret military law enforcement agency dubbed S.H.I.E.L.D., which stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate.

So. Cobie Smulders can be lured away from How I Met Your Mother for this series, right? Maria Hill: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D would be fun.

Details of Joss Whedon’s New Marvel Deal

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Earlier this week, news broke that Joss Whedon would continue his role as writer/director of the Avengers 2 as well as contributing to a brand-new Marvel film-universe television series on ABC. Further details have come out since and by the looks of it, Marvel and Disney have handed Joss the keys to the city.

io9 reports that Whedon has signed an exclusive three-year contract with Marvel, locking him into their works during that duration. That’s mildly interesting, but there’s one key portion to the agreement that’s worth noting:

The three year contract, according to Marvel, means that Whedon will “contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.” You can assume that means Whedon will be involved, at some level, in the scriptwriting of the movies between now and Avengers 2 — especially the second Captain America film and Guardians of the Galaxy.

io9 goes on further to break down why Whedon’s involvement in all of the films moving forward is critical:

The main takeaway from Marvel’s announcement, though, is the notion that Whedon is joining a very small group of people who make the big decisions about the direction of the shared universe that includes Marvel’s movies and this new TV show. This comes at a crucial phase, when most of Marvel’s films are going to be sequels rather than origin stories, and at least half those films (Thor 2 and Guardians) are likely to be insanely “cosmic,” with the obvious risk of falling into the Green Lantern trap of excessive CG and flat characters.

So most of all, Marvel’s on-screen universe is going to have to stay grounded, something that Whedon excels at because he understands that the best stories are “about us.”

For long-time Whedon fans, this is all great news. Finally there’s a studio that’s going to stand behind Joss, his fans, and his process. For fans of the Avengers films, this is going to likely mean much tighter narrative control and cohesion from film to film.

Joss Whedon Returning for ‘Avengers 2’ and … A TV Series!?

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Sitting down? Good. Brace yourself. Marc Graser with Variety just dropped this bombshell from Disney:

First off, great news that Avengers 2 will keep on running with Joss at the helm. Second, Joss heading back to TV? Be still my beating fandom heart!

This sounds like it’s the TV show that was rumored to be in the works last week. While it wouldn’t feature any of the current Avengers (because wow that would be an expensive TV series), it looks like it’s going to feature Joss Whedon’s flair for episodic television. Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D the television series? Given that this is Joss, I’m holding out hope for something featuring Carol Danvers.

(via)

Joss wins again

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If you have somehow been living under an Internet rock and haven’t yet seen the wonder that is Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog (featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day), and for some reason have a Joss Whedon firewall on your computer–fear not! Dr. Horrible will air for the first time on television Tuesday, October 9th on the CW.

The good news is that Dr. Horrible is only one episode, so the network can’t come in and prematurely cancel it.

Science to show Firefly Reunion

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Can’t make it to the Firefly Reunion panel at SDCC? That’s okay–the Science channel will be airing a special so we can all enjoy on Sunday, November 11th. It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since we first went into the black, but Browncoats Unite will be the capstone to the Science Channel’s 10-year anniversary celebration of this Joss Whedon classic.

Shiny.

Natasha Romanoff Is Better Than You

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There’s a scene in The Avengers where Black Widow is fighting Hawkeye. He’s being mindcontrolled by Loki and is trying to kill her; she just wants to incapacitate him. A few minutes before this fight scene, she hurt her ankle and was visibly limping when she was fleeing the Hulk. She volunteered to go after Hawkeye, despite being understandably shaken by her encounter, and the fact that she and Hawkeye clearly have an emotional bond.

Oh, and the fight? She won. And she didn’t win because Hawkeye was distracted or something happened that got his attention or he was wounded from a previous scuffle. She won because she’s better. There was no reason for her not to—Hawkeye is an archer, not a hand-to-hand expert. If it had been a contest of marksmanship, he would have won, and rightly so. But it wasn’t, and she won by simply being a better fighter.

The best part, though, was probably when he looked up at her, after being hit in the head, and said “Tasha?” A lot of people would have stopped fighting then—I probably would have done—but Natasha Romanoff is a trained spy, and she just clocks him in the head again. It’s the choice of someone whose job is to be suspicious of other people, regardless of what they might mean to her.

This sums up a huge part of why I love Black Widow—Natasha Romanoff—so much: she is a professional and she acts like one.

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Joss Whedon Sits Down With Fansite, Thanks Fans and Answers Questions

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It’s been a long road for Joss Whedon, but with the Avengers blowing up the box office, it seems like he’s finally achieved the mainstream recognition fans have long thought he’s deserved. To thank his long-time fans, he did a Q&A with fansite Whedonesque and opened it with a letter.

Dear Friends,

Well, it’s been quite a weekend. Someday, long from now, I will even have an emotional reaction to it, like a person would. I can’t wait! But before I become blinded by this “emotion” experience, there’s a few things I’d like to say. Well, type.

People have told me that this matters, that my life is about to change. I am sure that is true. And change is good — change is exciting. I think — not to jinx it — that I may finally be recognized at Comiccon. Imagine! Also, with my percentage of “the Avengers” gross, I can afford to buy… [gets call from agent. Weeps manfully. Resumes typing.] …a fine meal. But REALLY fine, with truffles and s#!+. And I can get a studio to finance my dream project, the reboot of “Air Bud” that we all feel is so long overdue. (He could play Jai Alai! Think of the emotional ramifications of JAI ALAI!!!!)

What doesn’t change is anything that matters. What doesn’t change is that I’ve had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of — I’m not even gonna say fans. I’m going with “peeps” — that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of. When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I’ve had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y’all. A lot of stories have come out about my “dark years”, and how I’m “unrecognized”… I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I’m ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I’ve yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I’ve thought, “maybe I’m over; maybe I’ve said my piece”. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y’all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you’re probably new here. (For the record, and despite my inhuman distance from the joy-joy of it: topping a box office record is super-dope. I’m an alien, not a robot.) So this is me, saying thank you. All of you. You’ve taken as much guff for loving my work as I have for over-writing it, and you deserve, in this our time of streaming into the main, to crow. To glow. To crow and go “I told you so”, to those Joe Blows not in the know. (LAST time I hire Dr. Seuss to punch my posts up. Yeesh!) Point being, you deserve some honor, AND you deserves some FAQs answered. So please welcome my old friend and certainly not-on-my-payroll reporter/flunky, Rutherford D. Actualperson!

For the Q&A, head on over to Whedonesque.

‘Avengers’ Obliterates Box Office Record

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I think we all expected Marvel’s The Avengers to do pretty well on its opening weekend. I don’t think we expected it to do quite this well.

Hulk, smash.

That’s what Captain America tells the Incredible Hulk to do in “The Avengers,” and that’s what the Marvel Comics superhero mash-up did at the box office, smashing the domestic revenue record with a $200.3 million debut.

It’s by far the biggest opening ever, shooting past the previous record of $169.2 million for the debut of last year’s “Harry Potter” finale.

If these numbers hold, it would be the first time in cinema history a film has opened north of $200 million domestically. That’s not even factoring what it made in overseas gross. It’s two-week run beyond the US brings the film to a staggering $641.8 million worldwide.

Kneel before Joss, The Avengers is a winner.

Via CBS