Many folks knew G.I. Joe from the toys and the cartoon. The cartoon series was fun, but let's face it — it was also pretty cheesy. After all, how do you take a series about counter-terrorists seriously when no one ever gets hurt and the guns only shoot little beams of light that always seem to miss?
The "G.I. Joe" comics, on the other hand, have always been a horse of a different color, delving into darker themes and with a more serious tone of military life and espionage. And they’ve been around longer than you may think.
So, with "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" hitting theaters this weekend, let’s take a look at the history of G.I. Joe in comics. Read more...
From 1982 to 1994, Marvel Comics’ “G.I. Joe” series chronicled the adventures of an elite group of American soldiers and combatants as they fought against terrorist organizations such as the sinister Cobra organization. With nearly every issue written by Larry Hama (longtime writer of “Wolverine”), the comic hosted an ensemble cast of heroes and villains with stories that ran from political allegory to high-stakes sci-fi adventure.
In honor of today's premiere of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," here are some of our favorite stories from the original "G.I. Joe" comic book series.
"G.I. JOE" #4: “Operation: Wingfield!” — G.I. Joe soldiers Snake-Eyes, Hawk and Grunt are sent to infiltrate Cobra’s new First Strike task force. To their shock, they learn that Cobra has gotten ahold of two nuclear bombs and First Strike intends to use them to start a war between Russia and the USA. What follows is tense and desperate action as the Joes try to prevent World War III.
This story is also significant due to a scene in which the mute Snake Eyes writes down his thoughts, giving us a rare glimpse into his mind. Read more...
With the recent announcement that the "Spider-Man 4" script is headed back for a rewrite, it looks like we'll have even longer to wait for news on which villains Peter Parker will be battling in the new film. Rumors regarding the potential baddies have everyone's spider-sense tingling lately, with much of the buzz focusing on a potential debut for the vampire Morbius or Dr. Curt Connors' reptilian alter ego, The Lizard. Heck, we've heard suggestions regarding everyone from "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson (as Morbius) to "Fantastic Four" actress Jessica Alba (as Black Cat).
So, here are some of the Spider-Man villains we'd most like to see in the film, culled from the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler's impressive rogues gallery. Read more...
It’s the Fourth of July weekend in the U.S., and that means parties, barbeques and general celebrations of national pride. With that in mind, it seems fitting to think of those heroes who not only serve their country but also use patriotic outfits and monikers. So, here’s a list of some great U.S.-themed super-heroes.
UNCLE SAM: In the DC Comics Universe, a spiritual avatar of the United States was brought into being through an occult ritual. As the years passed, this spirit would alter its form and identity based on the era. During the Revolutionary War, he called himself the Minute-Man. During the Civil War, he split into twin entities known as Johnny Reb and Billy Yank. In 1870, he was reborn as Uncle Sam, his most powerful form.
Since his mystical abilities ebb and flow based on how much faith Americans have in their country and themselves, Uncle Sam learned the value of having allies and so, during WW II, he formed a team of superheroes called the Freedom Fighters and led them in battle against several Nazi menaces. In the modern-day, he was forced to fight a dark twin who was concerned with money rather than people and later became leader of a new version of the Freedom Fighters. Read more...
Yes, it’s Canada Day, faithful readers! And that means it’s time to celebrate her super-heroes. Some of you might not realize this, but our neighbors to the North have delivered quite a few interesting heroes over the years. So, for your enjoyment, here's a list of five of our favorites.
CAPTAIN CANUCK: Though many American readers might not be familiar with the character, Captain Canuck has a strong fan-base behind him. Introduced in 1975, Tom Evans was an agent of the Canadian International Security Organization who was later given enhanced strength and speed by aliens. The C.I.S.O. funded Evans to become the anti-terrorist superhero Captain Canuck and his adventures were published sporadically over the next several years. He was even featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times in 1980. Read more...
FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: She may be best know as Tara Meers on the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but Amber Benson (left, with Sarah Michelle Gellar) has since become an accomplished writer. She has written and produced her own films, written several comics and she and co-writer Christopher Golden created the popular BBC series “Albion.” Now, she’s taking her first solo-flight as a novelist with “Death’s Daughter,” which is book one of a trilogy.
During a book signing at Midtown Comics in Times Square, we had the chance to about her new book and its interesting protagonist, a sarcastic young woman named Calliope Reaper-Jones. Amber told Hollywood Crush, “Basically, it’s about a girl who’s father is Death. [Death as a force] is run like a corporation. He’s the president and CEO. And he gets kidnapped and [Calliope] has to come and run the company and find out what happened to her dad. But she’s like a normal girl and she doesn’t want any part of the supernatural world.”
Continue reading about Amber Benson, ""Death's Daughter" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" at HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
FROM MOVIES BLOG: Over the years, the Transformers have occasionally crossed over with other fun franchises. There have been Transformers/"Star Wars" toys. The Autobots teamed up with Marvel’s New Avengers team. There have been several comics in which the Transformers worked against or alongside the G.I. Joe team. In one of the early comic issues, the Autobot called Cliffjumper even teamed up with the amazing Spider-Man.
In the movie world, plenty have enjoyed similar team-ups. Look at "Freddy Vs. Jason" or "Aliens Vs. Predator." With "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" freshly released in theaters, why not push the envelope a bit further? Here's a list of some crossovers that I think would be a lot fun to watch, each supplied with my own idea of how the story could bring the characters together. Enjoy!
Check out the full list of "Transformers Crossovers We'd Like To See" over at MoviesBlog.MTV.com.
With "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" hitting theaters today, it's easy to forget that, along with blockbuster movies of the live-action and animated variety, long-running cartoon series and hundreds of toys, Hasbro's shape-changing robots have a long history in the comics world, too.
Earlier this week, we gave you our list of the five most important "Transformers" comics you should check out, and now we thought it might be worth taking a trip down memory lane with Optimus Prime, Megatron and the rest of the "Robots in Disguise" and examine the twists and turns of their long journey on the printed page. Read more...
With "Transformers: revenge of the Fallen" hitting theaters this week, it’s time once again for a list of recommended readings. Here are some very cool comics you might want to pick up to help you appreciate the upcoming film on another level.
"MEGATRON ORIGIN" (IDW) -- How did the leader of the Decepticons rise to power? How did he gather his army and ensure their loyalty in his quest to dominate the universe? The story is told here as fans finally witness the origin of the villainous Megatron. Read more...
When DC Comics rebooted much of its continuity in 1986, it became a priority to re-establish the origins and early days of several characters. Various story arcs and miniseries came out these revised, older takes on character histories, making them fresh for a new audience and surprising for older fans. The most successful of these revised origins was a story called “Batman: Year One” by "Sin City" creator Frank Miller.
Since then, the term “Year One” has been used for many other DC characters and the phrase is now synonymous with the term “secret origin.” With Jack Black and Michael Cera having their own "Year One" adventure in theaters this weekend, here’s a list of several “year one”-type comic book stories that we recommend for your reading pleasure. Read more...
