Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 2, Issue 40

And here we are. The final Waiting for before 2010's New York Comic Con. Hopefully, I get out of the show alive and well, and I'll have an Official Exfanding Con Report coming your way next week.

In the meantime, though, let's talk about new comics and a big announcement on the always interesting Superman movie front.

As was reported by many outlets on Monday and confirmed yesterday, Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead remake) will be directing the Superman film reboot.

And how does everyone feel about that?

Personally, I like the choice. Superman needs a big-name director, and certainly Snyder falls under that category. Sure, he's flashy and likes his fancy slow motion, but those effects look pretty cool on film, and at least we know for sure that Superman will throw a punch in this one.

Um, unlike in Superman Returns, the mostly disappointing film from a few years ago, where Brandon Routh's Man of Steel didn't do much more than mope around, spy on loved ones, and avoid violence at all costs.

Snyder has said that Routh, who, despite a wonky script, did a good job with Superman in Returns, will most likely not be back in the reboot. Which is pretty rough and entirely unfair, but probably necessary.

Superman needs to start over, and that means a new actor is key.

Snyder has street cred with genre films, obviously, and he knows how to amp up the action. Short of someone epic, like James Cameron or Spielberg, I think Snyder is the perfect choice for this flick.
Say what you will about his Watchmen--and plenty of people had plenty to say about it--but it was a true-to-the-book adaptation of the seminal graphic novel. As we wrote way back when that film was released, Snyder somehow managed to pull off the "un-filmable" and make something good and entertaining and lasting.

The biggest criticism the film received was that it was too close to the source material, too much of a shot-for-shot "remake" of the comic.

Snyder is a reverent fan of Watchmen, and it showed onscreen--possibly to a fault. In the same respect, Superman Returns director Bryan Singer adored the source material, and couldn't separate himself from that adoration. As a result, he made what can be seen as a love letter to the character, but ultimately a film that fell flat and failed to utilize the many special effects that lend themselves to such a project.

Snyder, though surely a Superman fan, has some distance between himself and the property--certainly more so than with Watchmen--and that's what Superman needs the most right now.

Something that pays homage to the source material, but something that's new and different. Plus, with Snyder, you know the effects are going to be amazing and we'll see something we've never seen before.

As it currently stands, Batman has gotten the royal treatment in theaters, and fans have responded in kind.

Now it's time for the Man of Steel to have his day again.

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Speaking of clumsy transitions, let's dive into this week's pile of new comics that I want to buy. It's a big week, which kind of stinks because of the looming NYCC and all its money-sucking super powers, but we'll do what we can.

I'm actually going to buy a couple of books with super heroes in them this week, which, if you've been reading the past several WfWs, might surprise you. I've been on a major indie kick lately, and I've enjoyed the heck out of a wide range of smaller press books.

But today there are two major releases from the Big Two that I'm really looking forward to.

First up, from DC, is the interestingly titled, Batman: Hidden Treasures, issue one, featuring a story by writer Ron Marz (Top Cow books, Witchblade, Artifacts, and a slew of DC work in the past) and legendary artist Bernie Wrightson.
I don't know much about this book, other than that it contains a prose story by Marz with gorgeous, full-page illustrations by Wrightson, and it centers around Batman, Solomon Grundy, and a murder mystery.

Here's the page I saw in Previews a few months back that convinced me I needed to pre-order this book.
And here's the solicitation information from DC:

At long last, the legendary "lost" Bernie Wrightson story starring The Dark Knight comes to life! Written by Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN) and inked by Kevin Nowlan (SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS, Doctor Strange), this astonishing Batman/Solomon Grundy story features full-page illustrations on every page!

Also included in this can't-miss issue is the newly colored, classic Bernie Wrightson/Len Wein Batman story "Night of the Bat," which originally appeared in SWAMP THING #7! Both stories feature colors by acclaimed artist Alex Sinclair (BATMAN: HUSH, 52) and both present particularly startling looks at The Caped Crusader as only Wrightson could present!

That second story--from Swamp Thing, issue 7--is an absolute classic, and one I'll be happy to see reprinted. For me this book is a no-brainer, despite the fact that many prose-style comics turn out to be pretty poorly executed.

But just look at the creative team--Batman and Bernie Wrightson go together like (fill in something witty and relevant here), and Ron Marz is a fantastic storyteller. With a $4.99 price point, however, look for this book to be under-ordered by retailers and mostly ignored by consumers.

But I suggest you check it out in the store, see if it's your thing, and buy a copy if it is.

Next up, we have the big Marvel release of the week--Uncanny X-Force, issue one, by Rick Remeneder (the excellent Fear Agent series from Dark Horse, the off-beat Franken-Castle from Marvel) and artists Jerome Opena and Esad Ribic.
Yes, yes, I know it's yet another relaunch from Marvel, but the previous X-Force series by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost was excellent, and in my opinion at least, the best X-book on the market. So, while I'm sad to see that title morph into something else, it's at least nice to see the characters still kicking.

Here's the blurb from the House of Ideas:

THE STORY: AGES, PART 1 Wolverine promised Cyclops that X-Force would disband--he lied. A secret society has resurrected En Sabah Nur, putting into motion events that will turn this age of heroes into an Age of Apocalypse!

To hold them back, Wolverine and Archangel bring together Fantomex, Deadpool, and Psylocke to form The Uncanny X-Force! Stained by their history, they are the only ones capable of making the hard resolutions necessary. A band of likeminded friends and mercenaries set to one purpose, one big ugly task--kill Apocalypse by any means.

More Deadpool. Yay. Deadpool 2010 is the new Wolverine 2001-2009, and now they're both in the same book...again. Still, I have high expectations for this series, as Remender always delivers quality stories with over-the-top (and sometimes hilarious) violence, which seems the perfect fit for X-Force.

Plus, the art looks great. Check it out.

And that's all from me today. Before I head on out, what are you Waiting for?