Kelowna, U.S.A. – Marvel mania has reached all the way to Club Penguin Island, the number one virtual world for kids, as penguins assemble for the Marvel Super Hero Takeover, an epic online event starting soon.

A meteor has hit the island of Club Penguin, powering up the dangerous Destructobot. Players can choose to suit up as one of 14 Marvel Super Heroes or Super-Villains, including Avengers characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, as well as the mischievous Super-Villain Loki.

“Everyone wants to feel special and believe that they can do something that no one else can do. That optimism is what drives both Club Penguin and the Marvel story lines and characters,” said Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Interactive Worlds. “Club Penguin and Marvel characters are the perfect match, and I’m sure our players will love it!”

“Bringing our worlds together marks a major milestone for both Marvel and Club Penguin,” said Rob Steffens, Executive Vice President of Marvel Entertainment. “Reactions from the fans are already tremendous, and we’re thrilled that we’re able to bring Marvel and Club Penguin together for such an epic event.”

As part of The Marvel Super Hero Takeover event, players can:

• Choose to dress up as Marvel Super Heroes, Super-Villains or civilians
• Explore the island, which has been transformed to include new destinations such as a bank, jail, and a superhero headquarters
• Join teams to decide whether to defend or defeat the evil Destructobot
• Meet Aunt Arctic, the news reporter and editor-in-chief for the Penguin Times, the Club Penguin Island newspaper. She’ll be keeping a close eye on the battle of Super Heroes and Super-Villains around the island

About Club Penguin

Club Penguin is the number one virtual world for children. Club Penguin works to maintain a fun and safe online entertainment experience by using filtering technology and live moderators. The award-winning virtual world of Club Penguin contains no third-party advertising and is free to use and enjoy, however a subscription membership provides access to additional features that enhance the play experience. Club Penguin, headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is enjoyed by children around the world, and can be played in English, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Image Courtesy of  The Avengers

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Santa Monica, U.S.A. – True Believers, get ready for spectacular news – Activision Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard and Spider-Man Merchandising L.P, a subsidiary of Marvel announced some amazing pre-order exclusives for fans that reserve an early copy of The Amazing Spider-Man video game in North America.  Fans Can Take on the Rhino Challenge and For the First Time Ever – Play Stan Lee as Himself!

Planned to launch June 26, 2012 the game brings Spidey back to the thrill of free-roaming through Manhattan in an original epilogue story to Sony Picture Entertainment’s upcoming feature film.  The pre-order exclusives for The Amazing Spider-Man video game are available and include the Rhino Challenge from GameStop and a special mission featuring a fully playable Stan Lee from Amazon.com.

The Rhino Challenge

Take control of the massive, genetically engineered villain Rhino and rampage around Manhattan in an exclusive game play challenge of pure destruction!  As Rhino, players will be able to unleash his formidable powers to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way in a timed event full of speed, combo streaks, and of course, a ton of things to break!  Unlock able for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation3 system only.

Play as Stan Lee for the First Time Ever

All the rumors can officially be put to rest – for the first time ever, fans will be able to play Stan…Lee as himself in The Amazing Spider-Man.  Players will take on the role of Stan “The Man” Lee in his own special mission across Manhattan, borrowing abilities from his old pal Spider-Man as they help Stan collect pages of his latest script in a spectacular race around Manhattan.

Stan’s mission is punctuated with his witty banter that fans have come to know and love, and a special surprise waits for them at the end of the mission – after all, it is Spider-Man’s 50th anniversary this year!

Go beyond the feature film and find out what happens next in The Amazing Spider-Man video game, which brings Spider-Man’s free-roaming, web-slinging action back to New York City.

Players take on the role of a young Peter Parker discovering his new Spider-Man powers and added Super Hero responsibilities, using the game’s innovative Web Rush mechanic to swing freely around Manhattan, combat a variety of criminal activities and take on classic Marvel Super Villains.

Set against an original story crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and the re-imagined Battle star Galactica) that takes place entirely after the events of the upcoming feature film, The Amazing Spider-Man video game delivers a brand-new, immersive and cinematic adventure allowing players to truly harness the power of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. – IMAX Corporation, Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios have announced that the epic Super Hero adventure Marvel’s The Avengers will be released in the immersive IMAX 3D format in 451 digital theatres worldwide. Domestically, the film will be released in 275 theatres beginning Friday, May 4.

The international debut of Marvel’s The Avengers got off to a record breaking start in IMAX theatres last weekend, significantly outperforming previous IMAX releases of Marvel films. More territories are launching in tandem with the North American release this week, including China. Domestic IMAX pre-sales are also strong and significantly ahead of any previous Marvel releases.

Marvel’s The Avengers, based on the well-known Marvel comic book series, is directed by Joss Whedonand stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Distributed by The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel’s The Avengers: An IMAX 3D Experience marks the third Marvel Studios film presented in IMAX, following the releases of Iron Man 2: The IMAX Experience in 2010 and Thor: An IMAX 3D Experience in 2011.

The IMAX release of Marvel’s The Avengers will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Marvel’s The Avengers
Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers” — the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

http://marvel.com/avengers_movie

Marvel’s The Avengers has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.

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Marvel Studios announced that “Marvel’s The Avengers” will reward its fans on Facebook for their continued support of the film’s campaign with advance screenings in cities around the world on a first-come-first-served basis. In the U.S. fans will be able to experience the film in stunning IMAX 3D.

This unprecedented screening event will enable Facebook fans of “Marvel’s The Avengers” in cities that have assembled the most fans on Facebook to win the first access to screenings of the film, weeks before the May 4th release in theatres. This event will kick off on April 14th at 10 a.m PDT with the top five cities in the U.S. with the most fans on Facebook: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Miami.

The next five cities to garner the most Facebook “Marvel’s The Avengers” fans will be awarded an early screening as well – to be announced shortly on Facebook. Fans can rally for their city to be the chosen location for this special opportunity by going to https://www.facebook.com/avengers for details. International fans should visit their local “Marvel’s The Avengers” Facebook page for more details on how to win a screening in their city.

Participating fans are encouraged to celebrate this movie event by coming to their local screenings dressed in their finest Super Hero costumes inspired by “Marvel’s The Avengers” —  the winners of the Best Costume contest will be awarded reserved seats.

“Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime— is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

In “Marvel’s The Avengers” the world’s greatest Super Heroes assemble when Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) join S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to protect the world from the dangerous and powerful villain, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

An exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is from Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Joss Whedon from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with screenplay by Joss Whedon.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” will be released in the U.S. in 3D and IMAX 3D on May 4, 2012.

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The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, on March 28 announced that Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, will close its 11th edition on Saturday, April 28. Closing night will take place at Tribeca BMCC PAC and is sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin.

Honoring the spirit of the Tribeca Film Festival, the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military.  These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast.

Marvel Studios’ producer Kevin Feige says, “We are proud that Marvel’s The Avengers is the closing film of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and we are excited to welcome local heroes to the screening as special guests. We all know and love our iconic Super Heroes, but when it really counts, it’s our real-life heroes who save the world every day by making it a better place for all of us.”

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is an engaging, character-driven story packed with action, adventure and special effects.

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins to assemble the iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers is an exciting ride that absolutely transports audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It is the perfect way to end our 11th Festival.”

Comments director Joss Whedon, “Showing at Tribeca is both an honor and a double homecoming for me, who grew up in Manhattan, and for the movie, which wrapped production there.  I’m thoroughly psyched to be closing the festival with our intimate little think-piece.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced byAlan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 18-29, 2012.

Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2012 programs and the full line-up of films.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/AvengersUK

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From Friday, February 17 to Sunday the 19, in Orlando, Florida, Mega Con opened its doors once again to Comic, Sci-fi, and Anime fans for one of Florida’s biggest conventions of the year. People flock from all over, to one of the biggest gatherings of fans for the goal of trying to out nerd each other, and with over an estimated 40,000 attendees, this was one of the busiest years for Mega Con.

Despite the crowd, it is easy to get around the convention and check out all the shops that were set up. There were a vast variety of different shops; Comics, anime, collectables, cosplay costumes, and even weapons (blades). But probably the most impressive thing there were the prices.

Naturally you can find collectable comics that range between $100-$600, but they also sell various comics at a high discounted price. You could purchase a $30 comic set for only $5, and if you’re interested in the Essential or Showcase series, which average $17 a volume, can be picked up for around $9. This is usually the reason why many fans and enthusiasts go to the convention, and it is worth it.

If you were to come to Mega Con without friends, you would have made friends fast within the convention. Thousands of people, with similar interests, gathering together, it is real easy to just go up to someone and reference anything in comics or anime, and you’ll fire an instant connection. Here at Mega Con, you really feel like family.

One issue with Mega Con was that they did not prepare for the crowd that showed up. Employees were pointing people one way and others pointing them another. As for the convention floor, at points, it felt like trying to go downstream against migrating salmon. There were so many people that there was no order on where to go or how to get somewhere.

One solution that Mega Con should do for next year is to set up the convention floor like New York City. Setting the floor up in a grid and having certain paths go in one direction would help with the flow of traffic, rather than having everyone going everywhere which just adds more chaos into a very crowded environment.

Despite the few issues with Mega Con’s crowd, the convention itself was a truly amazing site and one of the best experiences of anyone’s life. If you are a fan of comics or just want to experience something unique, you should check out your local conventions.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/digital_ramapge/

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The most-anticipated new show of 2012 is almost here—Ultimate Spider-Man swings into the Marvel Universe block on Disney XD on April 1, giving fans of all ages a whole new look at the world’s greatest Super Hero. But you can get your first look at this all-new animated series in Ultimate Spider-Man Premiere, a screen capture comic book adaptation of the premiere episode, utilizing the same story and art you’ll see on the small screen, but presented like you won’t see anywhere else. This comic is perfect for fans of all ages and a must-have item to have in stock for Free Comic Book Day.

Retailers should check the Marvel Mailer and Diamond Daily for more information on Ultimate Spider-Man Premiere (NOV118181), arriving in stores March 28.

And Spidey is not done yet. The next big Spider-Man epic begins in Amazing Spider-Man #682, part one of Ends Of The Earth, by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. The Sinister Six, led by the vengeful Doctor Octopus, is back and they’re looking for revenge.

“Max Dillon has evolved from a simple super villain to a living force of nature,” explains Slott. “How can anyone stop power incarnate?”

He continues; “What would happen if Mysterio finally pulled off his greatest special effect? What happens to the showman of crime when the show’s over?”

Can Spider-Man & Earth’s Mightiest save the world before Doc Ock’s explosive endgame is revealed? Find in Amazing Spider-Man #682 hitting comic shops and the Marvel Comics app this March.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #SpiderMan.

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Marvel Entertainment and Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) has announced that the first social game based on Marvel’s iconic characters, Marvel: Avengers Alliance, is now live on Facebook.

Developed by Playdom, Marvel: Avengers Alliancefeatures a tactical turn-based combat experience with dozens of familiar Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains, setting a new standard of production value and interactivity in a social game.

“Marvel: Avengers Alliance combines epic Marvel characters with Playdom’s industry-leading game mechanics to deliver a game that is sure to attract casual gamers and Super Hero fans alike,” said John Spinale, Senior Vice President of Social Games, Disney Interactive Media Group. “With this game, Disney is bringing one of the world’s largest entertainment brands to the largest social network, giving millions of fans an entirely new opportunity to engage with the characters they love.”

“We are thrilled to break new ground here, working with Playdom to create the first ever Facebook game to feature Marvel’s Super Heroes,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games Production for Marvel.

“With both a compelling story and Marvel’s premier super team, The Avengers, leading the rest of our heroes in epic turn-based battles, Marvel: Avengers Alliance allows us to engage fans and gamers in a way that we never have before. The future of Marvel games begins now.”

With dozens of the most iconic Marvel characters available at launch, Marvel: Avengers Alliance offers players a tactical turn-based combat experience unlike any other social game. Players will have the opportunity to recruit some of Marvel’s most notable characters, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow and many others. Players can train their heroes to unlock unique abilities, and further customize abilities.

Players can also square off against each other in player-versus-player combat, challenging their social graph to super-powered showdowns.

Marvel: Avengers Alliance takes place in the wake of a galaxy-wide disaster, known as the Pulse, which exposes Manhattan to attacks by Marvel’s most deadly Super Villains.

Players are recruited as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the secret espionage and peace-keeping organization of the Marvel Universe, to assemble and lead teams of Super Heroes with a mission to keep New York City safe from the clutches of such enemies as Loki, Doctor Doom and Magneto, as well as sinister criminal organizations like Hydra and AIM.

In the coming months, Marvel: Avengers Alliance will continue to expand with ongoing content releases.  Players can look forward to new missions and storylines, additional Super Heroes, and upgraded abilities, plus new equipment, weapons, powers and costumes for unlock and purchase.

Social gamers and Marvel fans can join S.H.I.E.L.D and begin the adventure immediately: http://www.facebook.com/avengersalliance.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/avengersalliance

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Marvel announces the Marvel Universe line of comics perfect for fans of all ages, launching in April 2012 with the debuts of Marvel Universe: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 and Marvel Universe: The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #1. Fans of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and all the Avengers should look for the Marvel Universe logo to find the most exciting stories they can imagine.

“The Marvel Universe line of comics not only clearly lets fans know they’re in for great stories, but also lets parents know where to find great stories to share with their kids” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Comics Editor in Chief. “The Marvel Universe line also includes the best all-ages stories we’ve told recently and we’re bringing them to millions of new fans through ambitious new initiatives. So when you see the name Marvel Universe, you’ll know it stands for the best all-ages super hero storytelling in the world—in print and digital media!”

In Marvel Universe: Ultimate Spider-Man #1, from Man Of Action, Dan Slott, Ty Templeton & Nuno Plati, Peter Parker must balance battling Super Villains and the drama of high school! But fear not True Believer, there is no menace too diabolical and no test too challenging for Spider-Man!

Then, in Marvel Universe: The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #1, the creative team of Chris Yost  and Adam Dekraker, present not one, but TWO new action-packed Avengers stories to catch you up on the adventures of Earth’s Mightiest through the eyes of Agent Coulson.

No fan of the Avengers or Spider-Man can miss out on these new action-packed Marvel Universe series, sure to excite fans of all ages! So make sure you’re the first in line this Spring to catch Marvel Universe: The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Adventures #1 and Marvel Universe: Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures #1 as the Marvel Universe line starts here.

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Paramount Pictures announced it ended 2011 in the No. 1 position among all studios, having achieved the highest total combined gross of any studio for the year, earning a record $5.17 billion worldwide. The studio, which released a total of 16 new releases domestically this year, placed first in the North American market share with $1.96 billion, while also amassing record grosses at the international box office with $3.21 billion.

“This achievement reflects the combined efforts of our entire team across the globe and the careful process by which we select the projects and partners we believe in,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey. “We produce pictures that aspire to entertain audiences around the world, while at the same time we have sought to find innovative ways to reach movie-goers in this changing entertainment environment.

“This year our studio reached some key milestones, including the release of three vibrant Paramount franchise pictures and our first original CGI animated film. Our studio had its first ever $1 billion worldwide grossing film in Michael Bay’s hit ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’; we successfully re-launched our ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise with Tom Cruise, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird; our latest installment in the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise had another $100 million dollar success; our first original animated film ‘Rango,’ from director Gore Verbinski, earned rave reviews and more than $100 million at the domestic box office; and  we released global phenomenon ‘Super 8,’ directed by JJ Abrams, who will now direct the newest ‘Star Trek’ for 2013. We also benefited from our distribution partnerships with DreamWorks Animation and Marvel and I want to thank them both.”

“Film President Adam Goodman and his team in production and development, and Vice Chairman Rob Moore and his team in marketing and distribution, did outstanding work and truly delivered. As we prepare to celebrate Paramount’s 100th year in 2012, we are all grateful to be part of this wonderful institution as it continues to prosper,” added Grey.

In 2012, Paramount’s release slate highlights include ‘World War Z,’ a zombie thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ the next installment in the global franchise starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Channing Tatum, a new chapter in the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise, and ‘The Dictator,’ starring Sacha Baron Cohen and directed by Larry Charles, the team behind ‘Borat.’

The 2011 box office results seen from the studio were built on a wide reaching range of titles, including the following (with current domestic grosses): ‘True Grit’ ($85 mil this year, $171.2 million total), Ivan Reitman’s ‘No Strings Attached’ ($70.7 mil), Jon Chu’s ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’ ($73 mil), Gore Verbinski’s ‘Rango’  ($123.5 mil), Marvel Studio’s ‘Thor’ ($181 mil), DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ ($165.2 mil), JJ Abrams ‘Super 8’  ($127 mil), Michael Bay’s ‘Transformers:  Dark of the Moon’ ($352.4 mil), Marvel Studio’s ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’  ($176.7 mil), Craig Brewer’s ‘Footloose’ ($51.7 mil), the third installment in the hit ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise ($104 mil), DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Puss In Boots’ ($145.8 mil), Sundance prize-winner ‘Like Crazy’ ($3.4 mil), Martin Scorsese and GK Films’ ‘Hugo’ ($50.2 mil), Jason Reitman’s ‘Young Adult’ ($12.8 mil), Brad Bird’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol’ ($142.8 mil) and Steven Spielberg’s ‘Tintin’ ($51.4 mil).

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It’s Daredevil vs. the Bruiser: Round One, as Marvel presents a first look at Daredevil #6 From the critically acclaimed creative team of Mark Waid and Marcos Martin, Daredevil must go head to head against a contract fighter who can’t be put down and making Matt’s life a living nightmare.

How Daredevil survives, you’ll have to read to find out — but the result makes him the most dangerous man in the Marvel Universe. Fans can get in on the action this November.

Also coming this winter, prepare for a whole new brand of terror as the critically acclaimed creative team of Zeb Wells and Clayton Crain let Cletus Kasady loose on America’s heartland in Carnage U.S.A. #1.

Leaving a wake of bloodshed, no one is safe from Carnage’s lunacy — not even the Avengers!

Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man and more of Earth’s Mightiest must go on a brutal hunt to capture Cletus Kasady before the American heartland falls under his mass-murdering spell. Buckle in for the most mind-blowing cross country tour fans have ever taken in Carnage U.S.A. #1, this December.

Finally, experience the explosive finale to Jason Aaron & Marc Silvestri’s first arc of Incredible Hulk as Marvel also present the Incredible Hulk #3 for the holidays.

It’s all come down to this — Banner’s genetically altered, gamma irradiated beasts vs. the Jade Giant. Three monsters enter, and only one side can emerge victorious. With a powerhouse army at Banner’s disposal, Hulk must seek out Amanda Von Doom for help.

But in doing so – his destiny will be forever changed. No fan can miss out on the Earth shattering conclusion of Asunder in Incredible Hulk #3.

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Marvel’s newest film, Captain America, released on July 22, joins the list of great movies that Marvel has produced these last two decades.  With action, and a balance of humor, sadness, and romance, director Joe Johnston delivers the goods straight to the door.

Amidst all the fun, the first 30 minutes is most memorable not for Captain America’s feats of strength but rather feats of bravery and physical weakness.  That’s right, Captain America had to start somewhere.  The effects teams came up with a unique and long process of creating “skinny Steve” Rodgers out of the buff and massive Chris Evans.

At first the plan to create a skinnier Chris Evans was to film a body double and digitally paste Evan’s head on the double’s body.  This technique was primarily used in David Fincher’s films, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button when using Brad Pitt’s head on an older man’s body.  The technique was also used in The Social Network when creating one of the Winklevoss twins.

However, when the time came for the double to re-create Evans’ movements, there was a problem.  He could not seem to mimic Evan’s body movement correctly.

“Chris moves in such a unique way; he doesn’t move like anybody else,” Johnston said. “The body double could not move like him. As hard as he tried to watch Chris and duplicate the movements, it just wasn’t the same.”

This led to a conundrum of what the crew should do to create the skinny Steve Rodgers. Apart from some, Evans liked that the body double would not be used.

“The beginning part of the movie is so crucial to get the audience invested in who Steve is, I didn’t want to share that part of the performance with another actor,” Evans said.  “I talked to Joe about it and thankfully, he agreed.”

With this bump in the road the crew had to figure out a different way to “unenhance” Evans’ body.

The final plan was to digitally shrink Evans’ muscles, jaw line and body to look like the 90-pound Rodgers.  This worked but left the digital effects team with a problem.  After shrinking the body, it left empty space in the background that Evan’s body previously covered.

To fix the problem, the crew had to shoot using green screens and superimpose the background into the picture to cover the empty space.  This turned out to work well but became a long and trying process.  Taking up some of the production time and all of post-production, the effects team had to alter about 250 shots to create “skinny Steve.”  However, sometimes the artists would catch a break in scenes when Evans’ was laying or sitting down because the head replacement became possible.

Captain America: The First Avenger pulled in a lot of attention in the time leading up to its release: Joe Johnston did not disappoint.  With a movie pulling off difficult special effects as well as keeping the characters and the story in mind, Captain America blew audiences away.

Many movies get carried away with special effects but Captain America, even with the overwhelming amount of effects, stayed true to what really makes a movie great, the story and the characters.

Image Courtsey of   http://www.facebook.com/CaptainAmericaMovie

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Since 1998, Marvel Productions has been releasing superhero movies after the other- but how could this once bankrupt company, grow to such a colossus?  In 1997, Marvel, a once vast comic book company collapsed. Forced to re-organize, the newly formed Marvel Enterprises started their movie production division. In 1998, they created Blade with Wesley Snipes, and the rest is history. Now, after considerable success at the box office Marvel is releasing one of their biggest projects: The Avengers.

The Avengers is a team assembled by S.H.I.E.L.D leader, Nick Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a law-enforcement/ espionage agency that keeps the peace throughout the world.  With Captain America coming 4 issues later the team of superheroes first consisted of Wasp, Ant Man, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk.

With release scheduled for May 4, 2012, the movie started production on April 25, 2011. Crafting a star studded cast together, Marvel will be bringing most of the actors back that they used in their other movies, such as, Chris Hemworth Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis. Along with these old faces come new ones. Jeremy Renner will play Hawkeye, and Cobie Smulders will perform as Maria Hill.

If you know the Avengers, then you are probably wondering, “where is the Hulk?” Well, after Edward Norton’s falling out with Marvel, they replaced him with Mark Ruffalo. What is exciting about this new Hulk is that it is not all CGI. Mark Ruffalo will put on a motion-tracking suit and, in post-production, artists will draw on the Hulk according to Ruffalo’s movements. Oh, and Lou Ferigno is voicing the Hulk, no big deal.

The original writer of The Avengers is Zak Penn. He has written movies like X2, X-men: Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk but bringing all these characters into one movie proved a challenge to Penn. He told Craveonline.com, “My job is to kind of shuttle between the different movies and make sure that finally we’re mimicking that comic book structure where all of these movies are connected… There’s just a board that tracks ‘Here’s where everything that happens in this movie overlaps with that movie.’” However, though Zak Penn made the original script, the official writer is the director, Joss Whedon.

Joss Whedon, has written many hit movies like Toy Story, as well as underground cult TV classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer—he also directed part of the series. With his reputation, many cult followers believe he will stay true to the comic’s story. Whedon was a fan of the comics as a kid, and has given a hint of what the movie will focus around. Whedon, had said at the 2010 Comic-Con,”these people shouldn’t be in the same room let alone on the same team — and that is the definition of family.”

In an interview for IamRogue.com, Tom Hiddleston, playing Loki, alluded to how each character interacts with each other.  “These are seven big egos, and I’m referring to the characters not the actors. They all want to be the alpha male, or in Black Widow’s case the alpha female. So he has made a virtue of that by having them all compete for the top dog slot,” Hiddleston said.

It seems like Loki will not be the only obstacle the Avengers need to overcome.  They will have to learn how to work together for the salvation of Earth. Its one large dysfunctional family of superheroes that the world relies on, they will need to learn how to rely on one another in order to make their team work.

Considering the fact that The Avengers has been in the works since 2005, it’s safe to say that this hero ensemble is long overdue and maintains its position as one of the most anticipated Marvel pictures yet.  With Joss Wedon behind the wheel and still riding the wave of Marvel Enterprises’ success in comic adaptations, movie fans can look forward to being blown away in summer 2012.

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X-men: First Class is the answer to every X-Men fans prayers. After the 2009 release, and subsequent flop, of X-Men Origins: Wolverine many people wondered how, or if, the franchise would bounce back. Well it did, and it bounced back hard. This is easily the best comic book superhero movie to be released since The Dark Knight.

Director Matthew Vaughn did a great job introducing moviegoers to the two most important mutants of the X-Men universe. He also decided to start the franchise up from scratch. By ignoring the events of the past X-Men films, he gives us a fresh view of who became who and why. Magneto’s anger towards humans is explained as is Professor X’s belief that humans and mutants can co-exist.

The film starts out by introducing us to a young boy named Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto, Michael Fassbender) being separated from his mom at a concentration camp. During this separation he becomes enraged and showcases his talent of being able to manipulate metal. This catches the attention of a crazed Nazi scientist (played by Kevin Bacon) who wants to learn more about the boy’s amazing power.

At the same time, on the other side of the world another boy, Charles Xavier (James Mcavoy), is excited to find out that he is not the only person with super-human abilities. His power is telekinesis and he becomes Professor X. He is awoken by sounds from the kitchen of his mansion, and upon investigating the source of the noise he discovers Raven (you might know her as Mystique), an abandoned child who can shift her shape to assume the form of another human. An immediate friendship is forged because Charles makes Raven feel unashamed of her natural blue, rough skinned form and accepts her for who/what she is.

The main question being asked in the movie is how a group that is feared and shunned by society should go about gaining acceptance. Magneto believes that since mutants are the next step in human evolution, that they are better than mere humans. For that reason all mutants should stick together to protect each other from the wrath of humans. Professor X, however, believes that mutants and humans can and must co-exist. While Magneto and Professor X are not enemies, their strong beliefs force them to go there separate ways.

The balance between showcasing Magneto’s views and Professor X’s is close to perfect, leaving the viewer wondering who is right and who is wrong. Of course, both characters propose great arguments for why they are right, but in the end it is impossible to simply say one or the other is right and the other wrong. Here I think Vaughn did an extraordinary of making viewers feel sympathy for both the hero (later on in X-Men that will be Professor X) and the villain (eventually Magneto).

Right from the start the movie captivates the viewers. The action and special effects are awesome and so is the dialogue. It is witty, funny, smart, and at times even thought provoking.

The film serves as a re-boot of the X-Men franchise. Instead of taking all of the most popular mutants and building a story around them with little background, it starts from scratch. The movie ignores the events of the prior movies in the franchise, while at the same time keeping and advancing one of the main themes of X-Men, acceptance in society. This is a must see not only for fans of X-Men, but also for anyone looking for a fun movie.

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