by Todd Matthy In 1984 Marvel Comics released The Transformers comic book and it was a success. However, Marvel was initially weary of the new concept and decided to give the series a shot in the arm by having Marvel characters guest star in an issue. This practice was not new; such licensed books as Micronauts and Shogun Warriors often had guest stars or made guest appearances with Marvel characters. Transformers number three is one such comic and it guest stars none other than the Amazing, Spectacular, and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.  

Kevin Conroy returns to seminal role as the definitive voice of Batman in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Batman: The Animated Series star reunites with Tim Daly and Clancy Brown brings in all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie for distribution Sept. 29 While the debate rages among fans over who might be the best live-action actor to play Batman, there is no such controversy when it comes to the voice of The Dark Knight – Kevin Conroy stands unchallenged for that title.  

Reports are coming from several places that the upcoming Broadway musical Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark is in financial trouble. The musical, slated to open March 2010 at The Hilton Theater in New York City and costing 45 million dollars, has suspended production this month due to money running out. Producer David Garfinkle has been scrambling to get a new dose of financing to get the ball rolling again. With the news that Disney has just purchased Marvel, some would think that the mouse house would save the day…wrong! Disney is said to not want nothing to do with the production, which many feel is over budgeted and bloated. Disney has had its own troubles in the past with large productions on Broadway (Tarzan,... 

Welcome…all ye who enter the metalmachine.net blog. We have a new segment in the comic book section of the blog, it’s called “Monday Morning Quarterback”, in honor of the upcoming football season and the flashbacking we will be doing covering some of comic books all time great stories. These will be stories that are a bit off the mainstream radar. We will expose these books and series every week, but we won’t divulge the whole story. We believe in fans reading a review or an opinion and also going out to your local comic shop or Con and picking up these treasure troves.  

Beware My Power… Hal Jordan turns T.V. screens green. By: Andrew Sanford The demand and production of comic book figures taking the jump from page to screen has risen steadily over the past several years. With the success of films such as the Bryan Singer directed X-Men films, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man and Christopher Nolan’s Batman films are just a few examples of comic book films that have been successful with comic fans, movie goers and critics a-like. With film success mounting companies such as Marvel and DC have been very active in new films, with DC being just a little more animated. Handing the reigns over to Cartoon Captain Bruce Timm, producer on most of DC’s animated outings over the better... 

Review: Spider-Woman Motion Comic # 1 by Todd Matthy Everyone’s been talking about Motion Comics lately but unfortunately most of them are dramatizations of previous released material, until Marvel came along with “Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.” by the Daredevil team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. The first issue was a typical Bendis opening chapter. Jessica Drew is having trouble dealing with the Skrull Queen assuming her form to lead the “Secret Invasion.” Contemplating suicide, she receives a mysterious envelope from Abigail Brand, leader of the Sentient World Observation and Response Department, otherwise known as S.W.O.R.D. Meeting on a bus, Abigail makes Jessica an offer she can’t... 

Who Watches the…Comics? Dave Gibbons on the Motion Comics Experience. By Todd Matthy The world is changing. Thanks to the Internet, what was once breaking news in a newspaper, is outdated within a couple of hours. The same thing is happening with comics. Well drawn but printed static images no longer excites the youth of the digital-age. Can comics survive? Of course they can, and one of the ways they will is through Motion Comics. Motion Comics takes the actual images from a comic and animates them, while voice actors narrate the words creating a hybrid of an animated cartoon with a classic comic book.  

   With casting on Marvel’s first live-action Norse God solo film Thor rolling in slowly but surely, the movies direction is pushing it’s way into the spotlight. With the hiring of Shakespearean regular Kenneth Brannagh to helm the picture, an Old-English speaking Thor was almost assured and later confirmed by a Marvel Big Wig or two. From the point of view of most page flipping fanboys, this would seem a natural move as the character is often represented on the page in a very Old-English, Shakespearean, mythic mentality.  

   It’s been an exciting two weeks for Bat-Fans. Yeah I said it. With new men behind the masks of Robin, Red Robin and the Dark Knight himself. Things are certainly changing in Gotham. Who is changing the best though? Dick is obviously a little hesitant about jumping into the classic Cape and Cowl. This unwillingness to embrace the role could lead to some early hardships, but it is certain that once he gets a hang of it that Dick Grayson will fill the role well. Wearing the yellow and red, Damian Wayne is Dick Grayson’s sidekick in his fight against crime and a vicious one at that. He has shown little contempt for criminal life and has shown willingness to even become Batman himself if Grayson fails to... 

So, I just saw a preview of the up coming JLA – Cry For Justice #1 and I have to say…enough with the ragging on Superman! It’s played out! I have been reading comic books for over 20 years and I have to say that the whole Superman put downs are so played out. For all those not familiar with Cry For Justice, Hal Jordan is branching out with his own version of The JLA to hunt down villians that have run amok and killed and maimed heroes and such. The opening scenes of the book have Jordan (Green Lantern) castigating Superman and the league for not doing more and seeking revenge for the deaths of Batman and Martian Manhunter. This scene has played out over and over and it gets kind of runned down after... 

So, the event of the summer is upon us, Green Lantern, Blackest Night, this one by all accounts looks like it might get DC back “event” in the game. Their big superstar, Jeff Johns is on the case and in the free comic day edition preview to the mini coming this summer, he promised this would be unlike any other “event” book. DC has been in a flux this year with the whole “Batman Death” crap, the mess that was Final Crisis and the Titan books in disarray, the one bright spot seems to be geared to be a hit.