Link: http://brokensea.com/betaflight/2010/03/04/betaflight-struck-twice-part-2-conclusion/

It's not often you'll find me pimping somebody else's podcats/audio endeavours, I'm a bit selfish like that, it's all about The Sidekickcast for me. This week however I am going to ask you to take a look at the audio drama Beta Flight, especially Beta Flight: Struck Twice part two - conclusion. And why am I breaking my own rules on this occassion? Quite simple really, I'm in it, as Thomas Raynolds brother to a superhero. If you want to hear some horrendous over-acting from myself (everyone else is spot-on) then please check it out, you have been warned though. Also want to say thanks to New Mutant for giving me a chance, hope you don't regret it Al.

Link: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

This new Iron Man 2 trailer is very similar to the last one but with some interesting and important additions, that new suit being the main one. From what I can tell it seems to be a portal suit that unfolds from your pocket...that's right I said pocket proving once and for all that Tony Stark is the Ultimate Boy-Scout.

Soon to be on Disney Channels across the globe:

We do seem to be literally swimming in comic book cartoons of late. I remember the days when I used to get so excited over my taped off the TV Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, kids these days don't even know their born, god I'm getting old.

Link: http://www.stansback.com

There's been some speculation for a while now as to what the above image meant, well wonder no more, this press release from Boom! Studios clears it all up:

POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios announced a deal has been struck that will see the production of a series of three superhero titles presented by Stan Lee. These series will premiere from BOOM! Studios later this year.

BOOM!'s Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid, creator of BOOM!'s runaway hit series IRREDEEMABLE and its smash sister book INCORRUPTIBLE, will be writing one of the series. Two other series will follow, featuring A-list writers as a part of the creative team. Further announcements will clarify the teams and the timing for the roll-out.

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Link: http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/02/captain-america-contenders-krasinski-cassidy-vogel-fluger-more.html

So everybody's talking Cap again, no I didn't miss out the 'r', I mean with the news that Marvel are this week engaged in screen tests for the Captain America movie everyone has their opinion on who should fill his pretty red booties. Hot favourite or perhaps just best known out of the testees is John Krasinski (above) from the American version of The Office closely followed by Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights), Mike Vogel (Cloverfield) and Michael Cassidy (Smallville).

What do all these fellas have in common? Well apart from the fact they're all strapping young men just like Cap himself, they've also made the biggest names for themselves in TV. I think this bodes well for future Cap/Avengers movies. By choosing guys that aren't already huge movie stars it allows Marvel Studios a bit of leeway both on price and when tying them into a horrendous eight picture deal. Works for me.

So Wossy's got a comic coming out, good on him. I'm normally a hater of the celebrity comic book writer thing but Jonathan Ross appears to be living the dream and you've gotta love that. This man isn't just jumping on the comic book band wangon, he's using his celebrity to allow himself the chance to do what he really loves. If you haven't heard, the book he's doing is called Turf with art by Tommy Lee Edwards (I love this guy since 1985!). It's set during prohibition-era New York Turf seems like on hell of a wild ride with vampires and aliens and God only knows whatever else thrown into the mix.

So if you want a chance to take a look at the book before it's released in April all you need to do is break into Jonathan's house (email me for the address), find the proofs probably sealed away in the Ross family vault, crack said vault and you're away. Or you could just read the upcoming issue of The Walking Dead #70 with a full colour preview of Turf #1 on the flip. Simplez.

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Second or backup features are becoming increasingly more prevelent in comic books, especially when it comes to the big two: Marvel and DC. This change in publishing strategy seemed to coincide with the price hike in the majority of comic books and the cynic inside me has always thought this just a shallow move to justify the increase in cover price. We're maybe a year on since the intial price hike and a lot of second features are still around, not only that they seem to be growing and included in books they weren't before. Could it be that there is more to the second feature than I had previously given credit?

Of course the second feature isn't something new, quite the opposite, the lack of a second feature in comic books is a relatively modern trend in comic book history and in true comic book fashion it seems you can't keep a good idea down. The advantages to the reader at first seem obvious, you get two stories for the price of one but what if you don't like one of the stories or it contains a character you're uninterested in or you get less pages of the story that you are intersted in, sacrificed for a mediocre backup story. Well, I guess that's just tough and at least it gives you something to bitch about whilst surfing the web. I try to look at it like the free toy in your cereal packet, you didn't buy it for the toy and usually it's a bit of tat that's totally useless but every now and then you'll come across something you really want and love especially when some real thought and effort has been put into it.

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Link: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/02/captain-america-will-be-a-uso-performer-in-the-movie-director-says.html

Yesterday I had an appointment very near to the comic book shop so I left a bit early in order to call in on the way, pick up some comics and have some geeky chat. Kristian, the shop's owner was welcoming as ever and talk inevitably got onto news of the latest developments of the new Captain America film. Joe Johnston, the film's director has been waxing lyrical about the upcoming movie whilst promoting his The Wolfman which is out this week. In an interview with the LA Times he says that the villain of the piece will definitely be The Red Skull, excellent and the most obvious choice and that Captain America's outfit will be explained by the fact that he's in a USO show wearing a flag suit, eh? Kristian took some umbridge with this and quite rightly said 'why don't they just say he's wearing the suit as a symbol?', just like they do in the book. I couldn't agree with him more so why is this?

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How did this one pass me by? Well at least this one is more of a teaser than the Bendis and Romita Jr adjectiveless Avengers. Who could this be? And doesn't this team's remit sound very similar to X-Force 'getting the badass shit done that the normal Avengers can't', I'm of course paraphrasing there. Can't quite work out who it is from the silouette, maybe Black Panther? My fiorst thought Spiderman 2099 but surely not?! This'll be kicking off in May with Brubaker writing and Deodato on art duties making it pretty hard to pass up. Damn you Marvel you're winning back my blackened heart.

Link: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/02/03/get-ready-for-watchmen-2/

I'm going to come straight out saying I think this is a bad idea. Bleeding cool have the whole story so please check there for more detail but the short version is now that Paul Levitz is stepping down, Dan DiDio wants to produce prequel, sequel and ongoing comic books using the Watchmen characters, of course opening the door for a sequel/prequel movie.

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