U.S. Mint disapproves of 'Surfer' coin

In retrospect, this should have been obvious: The United States Mint issued a statement that Fox and the Franklin Mint may have broken the law by putting a color image of the Silver Surfer on 40,000 quarters as a promotional stunt for the upcoming film, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."

From the AP:

   The U.S. Mint said in a statement Friday that it learned of the promotional quarter this week and advised the studio and The Franklin Mint they were breaking the law. It is illegal to turn a coin into an advertising vehicle, and violators can face a fine.

   "The promotion is in no way approved, authorized, endorsed, or sponsored by the United States Mint, nor is it in any way associated or affiliated with the United States Mint," the statement said. It did not say whether the studio or the private Franklin Mint would face a penalty.

'Pirates' topples 'X3' record, but not "Spidey 3'

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" surprised no one by topping the Memorial Day weekend box office. Its $126 million take edges out the $122 million record for the same weekend set last year by "X-Men: The Last Stand." "Spider-Man 3," which set the opening weekend record of $151 million a mere three weeks ago, raked in $14 million more, to pass the $300 million domestic mark.

Most impressive is the international performance on "Pirates 3" and "Spidey 3." The former took in $205 million since its release on 17,500 playdates in 102 markets. The latter is within spitting distance of a $500 million worldwide gross.

While reviews on "Pirates 3" were even more "meh" than they were for "Spidey 3," it's hard to argue that this kind of movie isn't exactly what the world wants to see when the piles of cash add up this quickly.

Has it really been 30 years?

There's not much in the world that can make you feel old like celebrating the 30th anniversary of something you loved dearly as a child (and still have tremendous fondness for as an adult). But that's the case with "Star Wars," which was released 30 years ago today on a handful of screens across the nation.

While I rarely write on this blog about myself, this is one of those instances that is way too personal to talk about without going into some details. I was 7 when Star Wars came out, though I didn't see it until it had been in theaters for almost two months. It was no surprise that I instantly fell in love with this film, given that I loved superheroes (though wasn't yet a huge comicbook reader) and outer space both real through books about the planets and imagined through the likes of "Star Trek" and "Space: 1999."

But "Star Wars'" was different. Before we knew the family connections between Luke, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, the film's story of a youth who dreams big and saves the galaxy was a perfect encapsulation of the dreams that flitted through the minds of every child that got lost in the adventures of a book, movie, comic or TV show.

And when the film first hit, there was almost nothing to feed the intense hunger for the show, save a few T-shirts ... and this Marvel comicbook. I remember spotting a copy of issue #1 on a newsstand while I was out with a friend's family and, having no money of my own at the time, had to later beg my father to go back and get it for me (which he did). And even though I had loved superheroes and comicbooks before then, it was "Star Wars" that introduced me to the full breadth of the world of comics. It was the first comic I scoured the spinner rack for the next issue of each time I visited the corner store, and soon I was writing letters to the editor about the art of Carmine Infantino, which I thought was too stylized at the time but have since come to love. Years later, it was a renewed interest in Star Wars that lead me back to the Marvel series and reignited my interest in comics.

So "Star Wars" has been a pretty important factor in my life, even though my active interest in "Star Wars" is pretty minimal these days. Every so often, I'll get the urge to watch a bit. And I had a great time pulling out the original toys I had as a kid, most of which are pretty much complete but well-worn with play and missing lots of those little plastic weapons. I don't really understand the depth of some people's anger with aspects of the sequels and prequels; each film has its good and not-so-good moments, but in the end I find it very difficult to muster much in the way of outrage, and instead look for the things I like the most about them.

Comicbooks also owe a pretty big debt to "Star Wars." Yes, the movie borrowed a lot of its look from the drawing board of Jack Kirby, but the comicbook sold so well for Marvel that it almost single-handedly put the company in the black in the late 1970s. You also can't deny the impact "Star Wars" had on the origins of the direct market; it's unlikely as many people would have been interested in checking out "X-Men," or Frank Miller's "Daredevil" if "Star Wars" hadn't ignited a huge hunger for fantasy that the comics of the time were lucky enough to benefit from.

So there is a lot to celebrate and enjoy about "Star Wars." I hope to see some of the excitement the original film evoked amid the action figure dealers at the Star Wars Celebration IV, which is being held as I type this at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Because despite all "the stuff" that comes with Star Wars fandom, the tale of a boy, a girl and a galaxy is a classic that will in all likelihood live on forever as the greatest space fantasy of all time.

Movie notes: "Barbarella," "An Unlikely Prophet"

Robert Rodriguez has signed on to direct a remake of "Barbarella" for Universal, due out next year. The original pic, a longtime cult favorite starring Jane Fonda, was based on a French comicbook by Jean-Claude Forest.  Producer Dino De Laurentiis secured the rights to the pic from Forest's son.

Meanwhile, Betsy Chasse, maker of the indie doc "What the Bleep Do We Know?" has optioned the rights to the metaphysical biography of former Superman and Batman writer Alvin Schwarz. A writer for DC in the 1940s and 1950s, Schwarz wrote about his life in two memoirs, "An Unlikely Prophet" and "A Gathering of Selves." One of the more unusual aspects of the tale involves a tulpa, a being created by the thoughts of a Tibetan mystic.

"Watchmen" casting rumors: Wilson, Reeves, Law

Ain't It Cool has some casting rumors surrounding "Watchmen," which will be "300" director Zack Snyder's next project. Site names Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, Keanu Reeves as Dr. Manhattan and Jude Law as Adrian Veidt. Law is a no-brainer for Veidt, while Reeves will surely spark debate over whether he's right to play the spacey, blue and often naked Dr. Manhattan.

Promos, Part 2: The Dark Knight

Work continues on "The Dark Knight," with Anthony Michael Hall joining the cast but contractually bound to not even reveal which character he'll be playing. Meanwhile, the teaser site has been up for a bit, as is a site called I Believe in Harvey Dent, featuring Aaron Eckhart as the crusading D.A. who eventually becomes  Two-Face. Another site, I Believe in Harvey Dent Too also sprung up, with a defaced version of hte Eckhart image that gave way to a frightening and grotesque image of Heath Ledger as the Joker (click on it for a closer look). The image is currently gone from the page, though if you visit it now all you'll see is an error message ... until you highlight the hidden text on the page.

Update: The guerilla marketing campaign for this film also extends to people tossing around defaced decks of cards made up of, naturally, jokers only, in comics shops. (Thank to Tim L. for the tip.)

"Shrek" on top at home, but "Spidey" rules the world

"Spider-Man 3" dropped to No. 2 at the box office this past weekend, taking in $29 million, behind "Shrek the Third's" $122 million opening haul. That brought the domestic gross to $282 million, a pretty solid number as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" prepares to storm theaters for Memorial Day. Overseas, "Spidey" is still king. Pic took in $49.6 million at 15,850 playdates in 105 markets this past weekend, bringing its foreign cume to $465 million. Those number show the pic making nearly two-thirds of its worldwide gross in international markets.

Promos, Part 1: Fantastic Four 2

As Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is up next in the comicbook movie derby. Comics2Film has an interview with screenwriter Don Payne. Fox, meanwhile, has launched a promotional campaign campaign involving quarters emblazoned with the Silver Surfer. Those who find the quarters can head to the movie's site and register for a shot at a trip to the film's London premiere.

Friday notes: Jane out on Punisher 2

* Actor Thomas Jane announced in a missive to Ain’t It Cool News.com that he’s pulled out of Punisher 2, the long planned sequel to the 2004 film based on the Marvel character. Meanwhile, Freeze Dried Movies reports that John Dahl may be close to coming on board the film as director.

* “300” hits on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray on July 31. The DVD edition will come in both single-disc and double-disc editions. Look for a big push for the disc at Comic-Con Intl. a week before it hits.

* Check out my profile of Platinum Studios at Variety sister publication Publisher’s Weekly’s Comics Week newsletter.

* ILM and Skywalker Sound sign on to Marvel’s “Iron Man.”

* The remaining original sketch cover editions of Ultimate Spider-Man #100 done to benefit The Hero Initiative go up for auction on eBay starting Monday. If you’ll remember, more than 80 artists sketched 100 custom covers for the org, which assists older comics creators in financial need. After trips to MegaCon and New York Comic-Con, the remaining copies are ready to go up for bidding. More details at The Hero Initiative. The org also has an auction going on right now and ending May 25 for the right to put a short message on the cover of an upcoming issue of About Comics’ Licensable Bear, due to be released this summer.

* MTV Networks Music Group and Gain Ltd. Have stuck a deal to develop new media versions of comic books, graphic novels and children’s books for computers, portable video players, game consoles and mobile phones. From the PR:

“Some of the best characters and stories come from comics and graphic novels, but until now distribution channels have been very limited,” said David Gale, Executive Vice President, New Media for MTV Networks.  “Gain combines the original format of comic books, graphic novels and children’s books with the emotional excitement of a great movie that fans can see on-the-go or on-demand, but always in high-quality.”

Update on Frank Miller's "Will Eisner's The Spirit"

The Frank Miller-directed adaptation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit is making progress, with Lionsgate signing on to distribute the pic in the U.K. and U.S.

Fellow Variety blogger Anne Thompson reports on a celebratory party from Cannes with the following info on the film straight from Miller:

I flitted through Odd Lot Entertainment and Lionsgate's Carlton Cote party to celebrate Frank Miller's directing debut on his film adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit. I had chatted with Miller Wednesday night at the Grand after I finished my Michael Moore column. He's in good fettle (what's not to like?) post-300 and was eager to get to work on The Spirit. He's going to find a happy medium between the style of 300 and Sin City, he said, black and white with color for emotion. There will be Red. He's designing a very 40s world. And he has some great casting ideas for the women of the piece, and is hoping to convince Bob Hoskins to get on board. The Spirit will be an unknown. Like the comic book artist he is, Miller plans to storyboard and plan very carefully--and will call his Sin City co-director Bob Rodriguez for answers if need be.

Meanwhile, IESB reports that Samuel L. Jackson is talks to play the villain in the film, which would be The Octopus.

The Plain Janes

Creators: Cecil Castellucci, writer; Jim Rugg, artist
Minx, 176 pages, black and white, $9.99
So? DC jumps into a new arena with the first in a line of graphic novels aimed at girls that are also not manga. The Plain Janes inaugurates the line in high style. Story begins with teenage Jane, who is nearly killed by a terrorist attack in the big city, prompting her parents to move to the boring suburbs. Struggling to fit in, she finds a group of girls all named Jane who for varying reasons also find themselves on the outskirts of the high school pecking order. They form a secret club called People Loving Art in Neighborhoods and stage artistic stunts. They find friendship with each other, but incur the wrath of the paranoid authorities. Castellucci, who's written novels for teen girls, impresses with a story that is clear, stylish and emotional without being melodramatic. These characters are smart, perhaps slightly nerdy, girls and they and their dilemmas come across as convincing and true. Rugg, who drew the wonderful "Street Angel" series, delivers artwork that is clean, stylish and grounded. It also makes excellent use of gray tones, something that few comics have pulled off well. The book is a charming counterpoint to the freneticism or melodramatic girlishness of manga, and is an auspicious debut for the Minx line. Grade: A-

Support Comics Foundry

Today brought an email from Tim Leong, with news that Diamond Comics Distributors has decided not to accept a magazine version of his Comic Foundry for distribution to comics shops.

Leong writes:

Now, this was pretty disturbing news to me, seeing that I wanted to create something fresh, something original — something that's never been seen in comics magazines before. I want to show the lifestyle and culture of comics, while giving content and coverage the readers actually deserve. And with all the titles on the shelves right now there isn't room for one with new ideas? Nope, says Diamond.

You can read in the jump Leong's full email, in which he asks for support in the form of an email to Tim Huckelbery at Diamond. You can email Huckelbery at htim@diamondcomics.com. While Diamond certainly has a right to distribute or not anything it likes, Leong has done some really nice stuff at Comic Foundry.com and as the official video podcaster of the New York Comic-Con, and it would be great to have a magazine about comics that fills the wide gap between Wizard and The Comics Journal.

Hello Comic Friends,

Tim Leong from Comic Foundry Magazine here. I write to you today with the disappointing and shocking news that Diamond Comics has declined to carry the launch issue of Comic Foundry Magazine in their Previews catalog.

Now, this was pretty disturbing news to me, seeing that I wanted to create something fresh, something original — something that's never been seen in comics magazines before. I want to show the lifestyle and culture of comics, while giving content and coverage the readers actually deserve. And with all the titles on the shelves right now there isn't room for one with new ideas? Nope, says Diamond.

"A B&W title at the price you're using just won't work well in the current market we believe," says Tim Huckelbery, Purchasing Brand Manager, Comics/Magazines at Diamond Comics Distributors. For the record, our asking cover price is $6.25. So an 80-page black and white magazine for $6.25 wouldn't sell? If that's what they think, than sure. Okay. But...I guess the summer issue of Draw!, a black and white 80-page book for $6.95 would? Or an issue of Write Now! that's also $6.95 and 80 pages? That's 70 cents more than us, by the by. Hmm...

I called Diamond to inquire further, and again Tim Huckelbery was happy to take my call: "When I was looking though it and reading a magazine of that type, which is about comics, which has lots of images of comics characters, that is looking to be timely and topical, I was expecting color. That, just for me, is how my brain is wired."

So...to do a magazine that's timely and topical and feature lifestyle content, it must be in color? So says Diamond. Beyond ridiculous, says I.

Being declined by Diamond is no new thing — it's a business and I most certainly understand that. Others in the past who've expressed their rejections online have been very understanding and were not creating a call-to-arms. Well, I'm just not that patient. If you want to see Comic Foundry in stores, I'm asking you to write Diamond to tell them just that. And if you have a blog, a messageboard or any other means to reach out to the masses — ask them to do the same. Right now we have a rare opportunity to tell the Diamond conglomerate how we feel and what we think. Just like there are checks and balances within Diamond to see what will pass and what won't — we, as a comics community have the same opportunity. This is our balance. This is the time to speak your mind. We have a chance to not only be heard, but to make a difference.

If you support Comic Foundry and want to see a new approach to comic magazines, please write in to tell Diamond. Send emails to: Diamond's Tim Huckelbery at htim@diamondcomics.com

Your support is appreciated,
Tim

And just like in an election, if you don't vote, you can't complain.

Eagle Award Winners

The Eagle Awards were handed out over the weekend at the Bristol Comics Expo in England. Writer Warren Ellis and his Marvel series Nextwave did especially well, winning five awards. The list, borrowed from Rich Johnston at CBR, follows:

Favourite Comics Writer
Warren Ellis

Favourite Comics Writer/Artist
Mike Mignola

Favourite Comics Artist: Pencils
John Cassaday

Favourite Comics Artist: Inks
Paul Neary

Favourite Artist: Fully-Painted Artwork
Alex Ross

Favourite Colourist
Laura Martin

Favourite Letterer
Chris Eliopoulos

Favourite Editor
Matt Smith

Favourite Publisher
Marvel

Favourite Colour Comicbook - American
"All Star Superman"

Favourite Colour Comicbook - British
"2000 AD"

Favourite Black and White Comicbook - American
"The Walking Dead"

Favourite Black and White Comicbook - British
"Hero Killers"

Favourite New Comicbook
"Nextwave"

Favourite Manga
"Blade of the Immortal"

Favourite European Comics
"Asterix and the Vikings"

Favourite Comics Story published during 2006
"Nextwave"

Favourite Comics Cover published during 2006
"Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall"

Favourite Original Graphic Novel
"Pride of Baghdad"

Favourite Reprint Compilation
"Absolute Sandman" Volume 1

Favourite Comics Character
Batman

Favourite Comics Villain
Dirk Anger

Favourite Magazine About Comics
Wizard

Favourite Comics-Related Book
"Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comcis, Manga and Graphic Novels"

Favourite Comics-Based Movie Or TV
"Heroes"

Favourite Comics Related Website
Newsarama

Favourite Web-Based Comic
"Penny Arcade"

Roll of Honour
Warren Ellis

Hyde Park to produce slate with Dark Horse

From Variety's own Dave McNary:

Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment and Mike Richardson's Dark Horse Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics are partnering on a slate of independent films.

The alliance will launch with "The Blackburne Covenant," based on the Dark Horse graphic novel by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Stefano Raffaele. Story deals with the publication of a bestselling novel in which the author's fictional plot turns out to have a supernatural basis in reality.

Under the partnership, the companies plan to produce a series of medium-budget films based on Dark Horse properties. Dark Horse Entertainment's production credits include "The Mask," "Hellboy" and the upcoming "30 Days of Night."

Jackson, Spielberg to direct CGI 'Tintin'

Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg have teamed up to make three back-to-back CGI features based on Herge's classic comicbook, Tintin.

Each director will helm one pic, with no director announced for the third. Pic will use motion capture and the latest  3-D CGI technology to create a unique look for the pic. The duo have chosen three Tintin stories to adapt for the films.

Spidey: The Poor Little Rich Movie

"Spider-Man 3" continues to rake in the dough, bringing in $60 million at the domestic b.o. its second weekend. That's a sum that would be considered a smash opening weekend for just about any other film, but the focus for this shadenfreude-cursed film is on the big 60 percent drop from last weekend's stunning $150 million opening. The film's doing equally well in the international market, where it brought in $85 million, bringing its worldwide cume to $622 million.

The film's been good for Marvel, which reported its first-quarter earnings last week with a boost in overall revenues of 68 percent, thanks in large part to licensing from the film.

Still, there's a lot of complaining still going on. Marvel stock actually dropped the day its earnings were announced, and from the way people are talking and writing about "Spider-Man 3" you'd think it was a  flop. A lot of that has to do with the heightened expectations for the film, but part of it  is that the success of the franchise makes it a target. And there are things to complain about, both creatively and from the business standpoint of how wise it is to spend so much money on a single film.

The backlash has spilled over to comicbook movies as a whole, leading to some interesting discussions of what kind of future the genre faces. There appears to be no shortage of folks who'd like nothing more than to see the comicbook superhero movie go away, but all the signs show that the genre is holding up pretty well and comicbook movies have their defenders. Take The Comics Reporter's Tom Spurgeon, who  wrote an op-ed in Saturday's L.A. Times cannily outlining the difficulties Marvel faces in turning its remaining list of heroes into blockbusters now that A-listers "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" have run their course:

The contrasts between the big names and the others can be stark. "Spider-Man" was a youth-oriented comic book bestseller featuring an appealing teenage hero and an important life lesson: "With great power comes great responsibility." "Iron Man" has been a mostly second-tier comic starring a 40-something munitions dealer and featuring an alcoholism subplot that suggests a less teen-friendly message: "Our lives have become unmanageable."

Yet while it seems ridiculous to suggest that potential headliners like Sub-Mariner, Cloak and Dagger and Luke Cage will enjoy as much success as established Marvel characters like Spider-Man or the Incredible Hulk, Marvel has a better chance of success than its critics suggest.

The "Spider-Man" franchise may be the flagbearer for the superhero genre, but it's also an exception toa  lot of rules. As Spurgeon notes, "Spider-Man" has an elusive universal appeal that elevates it into the upper level of franchisedom, next to the likes of "Harry Potter," "Star Wars" and "The Lord of the Rings" in terms of financial success. What's encouraging about Marvel is the company understands that the rest of its characters will not be able to live up to "Spidey's" lofty standards. Even "X-Men," which for years trounced everything else in the comics market sales wise was unable to hit the heights of "Spidey" even with good, even excellent adaptations. 

The "Fantastic Four" franchise is an excellent counterpoint. The original film was a limited adaptation that had a few charming moments and was reasonably enjoyable but came nowhere near the grandeur and excitement of the classic stories by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The budget was limited, but so were the expectations, and when it hit a sweet spot with family auds became an unexpected hit. The upcoming sequel will likely do little to change that (though those trailers offer some hope), but it matters little in the long haul that "FF: RotSS" earns only a fraction of what "Spider-Man 3" pulls in as long as it makes enough to satisfy Marvel.

So far, it seems Marvel is investing more in "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" than Fox has in "FF2," and it seems to be paying off with good buzz, especially for "Iron Man." Since comicbook sales bear no relation to the success of a film, the only thing that Marvel really should be worrying about is the quality of their films and making sure they're getting a good deal for their money.

"Heroes" spins off

Fans  of "Heroes" got good news this morning with the announcement of a spinoff six-seg series called "Heroes: Origins." "Heroes" creator Tim Kring will oversee a second crew on the new show, which will explore the origins of various characters, some of whom could be added to the main show's cast. The new series will air in the original's Monday timeslot, most likely after the current season ends or during another hiatus as part of NBC's efforts to reduce the number of repeats, for which viewership has steadily dropped off in recent years. "Heroes" itself was picked up for a full 24-episode second season.

A scan of the credits on the most recent episodes shows comicbook artist Alex Maleev, who most recently worked on "Daredevil" with Brian Michael Bendis, has been creating the prescient artwork for Peter Petrelli, played by Milo Ventimiglia.

On another "Heroes" note, I visited to the set a few weeks back during the filming of the season finale for an upcoming V Plus article. You'll have to wait till that story's published to read all about it, but fans should pay attention to the location of the final showdown between the heroes and Sylar, for which the crew redressed Arco Plaza in downtown L.A. as "Kirby Plaza." Also, signs were erected around the square referring to the Kirby Gallery. According to co-exec producer (and comicbook writer) Jeph Loeb, the tribute to the great Jack Kirby was suggested by co-producer Aron Eli Coleite.

Comicbook movie notes

* Intrepid Pictures has picked up the rights to "The Expendable One," a graphic novel by Jason Burns and Bryan Baugh published last year by Viper Comics. The graphic novel is about a young man who acquires immortality, or at least the ability to recover from any kind of damage to his body, and is recruited by a sexy, pink-stockings clad FBI agent to hunt down a serial killer. Intrepid has tapped Shane Kuhn and Brendan Cowles for screenplay duty, with Marc Evans and Trevor Macy producing.

* "The Incredible Hulk" is starting to take shape, with the casting of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, a.k.a. the Abomination.

* Mark Verheiden's "The Ark," which was serialized in the late 1990s in the anthology title "Dark Horse Presents," has been optioned by Columbia and Original Films. Verheiden, currently a co-exec producer on Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica," is set to write the script, with Original's Neal Moritz and Dark Horse Comics' Mike Richardson producing.

52: Week 52

Creators: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, writers; Keith Giffen, breakdowns; Mike McKone, Justiniano, Eddy Barrows, Chris Bastista, Pat Olliffe, Darick Robertson, Andy Lanning, Walden Wong, Rodney Ramos, and Drew Geraci, artists.

DC Comics, 48 pages, color, $2.50

So? Has it been a year already? Well, this issue wraps up 52 and brings the story back to the point at which last year’s One Year Later titles pick up. There’s some fairly interesting (though at this point hardly surprising) reveals about the new nature of the DC Universe as Booster Gold, Rip Hunter and Supernova spend most of this issue wrapping up the technical bits. The stories I liked the most have already wrapped up in the last few issues, but completing the series is less about this specific issue and more about the huge impact of the overall series, which has been dramatic, but in many ways is a throwback to the days when comics were more periodicals than serialized novels. It’s impressive that this title was never once late, though it took four writers and dozens of artists to make that so. Keith Giffen, one of comics’ last true workhorses, deserves tremendous credit for keeping this series looking and reading consistently throughout its run. There’s other places to delve into the minutiae of this series (such as Douglas Wolk’s excellent 52 Pickup blog) but the main thing was this series really brought back the once-common joy of comics as a dependable form of serialized fiction that dependably delivered entertaining stories. It’s kind of a throwback to the days when the creators may have been juggled around a bit, but the books were always there. That’s been a fun thing to enjoy every week, and it makes me wish that DC had decided not to collect the series for a while because there is just something fun to having it all in single issues.

The dark side of all that is how 52’s success so sharply defines the ways in which others books miss the mark, with the likes of "All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder," "Wonder Woman" and, most recently, Richard Donner’s run on "Action Comics" going MIA mid-story. It’s also an interesting question as to what degree the success of 52 took away from sales on other books, with most of the One Year Later titles seeing a drastic drop off in interest and sales. But with its massive success, it looks like the weekly comic book is here to stay for the near future, and with that we can give 52: Week 52 a grade of B- and the overall series a B+, and move on to a discussion of ….

Countdown #51

Creators: Paul Dini, writer; Jesus Saiz, pencils; Jimmy Palmiotti, inks

DC Comics, 32 pages, color, $2.99

So? Same basic idea, only different (and a little bit more expensive). This time, the series will coundown from #52 to issue #0 and the stories will be tied into the current continuity of the DCU as opposed to being a self-contained story the way 52 was. The creators also will work differently, with Daytime Emmy-winning writer Paul Dini of "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Lost' showrunning this series. Subsequent issues will, like a TV show, be written by different writers, including Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Tony Bedard and Adam Beechen. Art teams will alternate as well, likely making this series one that’s more self-contained than serialized. (Why this structure has never been put into place before eludes me, as it seems to make perfect sense for comics’ biggest franchises.) This premiere issue reads quite differently; it jumps around a lot less and reads more smoothly. It also has some bigger names in the DCU showing up and, at least so far, promises to have a much wider scope. Saiz does a great job on the artwork and series is off to a decent start, even as it lacks the novelty and intensity of the first issue of "52." Having to constantly compare itself to "52" may be a problem for this series if fans for whatever reason feel like the differences are too radical or "Countdown" doesn’t deliver the intense doses of story its predecessor did. Still, it looks like the weekly comicbook series is here to stay for a while, though let’s hope at some point somebody decides each series doesn’t have to run for an entire year. Grade: B+

"Spidey's" $148 million conquers B.O.

To no one's surprise, "Spider-Man 3" rocked the domestic box office this weekend and set a stunning new record by grossing $148 million its opening weekend. (Expect that  domestic record to hold for at least a year as the rest of this summer's blockbusters are opening in conjunction with holidays — "Pirates" on Memorial Day and "Transformers" on Independence Day.)

Even more impressive is the global take, showing just how beloved Spidey is the world over, with an astounding $227 international take over six days in 105 countries.

After a few weeks of very bad timing when it came to catching screenings, I finally got to see the film over the weekend and was very impressed by the film. A lot of negative energy is being generated online about how this film is not as good as "Spider-Man 2" and creating, perhaps unintentionally, a amplified sense of disappointment with the film.

I agree with the common basic complaints:  The film had too many villains, it drags just a tad in the middle and runs about 20 minutes too long. But I'd be a very happy camper if all films that had those flaws were half as entertaining as this one. Regardless of how big the drop off is next weekend (and it can't help be anything but huge), this film and the franchise are an unrivaled success on every front in the comics-to-film genre.

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday

Free Comic Book Day is almost upon us once again, with the sixth annual promotional event slated for Saturday at participating comicbook shops. This year, there are 10 gold sponsor comics and 33 silver sponsor comics to pick up. Hollywood tie-ins have a strong presence yet again, with publishers spotlighing tie-in titles such as IDW's "Transformers" movie prequel and Devil's Due's "Family Guy-Hack/Slash" flip book. Naturally, Marvel has a "Spider-Man" book to tie into the new movie and DC offers up "Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century," tying in with the cartoon show.

As with most years, many shops will host signings to augment the event. A list of local events can be found at the Free Comic Book Day website. Los Angeles, which is blessed to have a lot of very good comics shops, will see some very cool signings, including an appearance by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola at Golden Apple's Melrose store.

• Amazing Comics & Cards (5555 Stearns St., Suite 103, Long Beach, 562-493-4427): Top Cow Comics artists Eric and Rick Basaldua (“The Darkness,” “Magdalena”)
  Comic Odyssey (319 S. Arroyo Parkway, #3, Pasadena, 626-577-6696): Artists Philip Tan (“Spawn,” “The Uncanny X-Men”) and David Nakayama (“City of Heroes,” “Witchblade”), from noon to 4 p.m.
• Dark Delicacies (4213 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, 818-556-6660): Writer Steve Niles (“28 Days Later: The Aftermath”) and Dan Wickline (“Unusual Suspects”).
• Earth-2 Comics, (15017 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 818- 386-9590): Todd Harris (Disney concept artist and videogame designer) from noon to 3 p.m.; Scott Tipton (“Star Trek: Klingons Blood,” “Spike”) 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Golden Apple Comics (7018 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 888-235-2400): “Hellboy” creator Mike Mignola from noon-2 p.m.; “Clockwork Girl” writer Kevin Hanna, noon-2 p.m.; and “Mac” writer Bobby Crosby and artist Kevin McDermott from 4-6 p.m.
• Meltdown Comics (7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-851-7223): An appearance by TOKYOPOP creators Tricia Riley Hale (“Grand Theft Galaxy”), Anthony Andora (“Rhysmyth”), Felipe Smith (“MBQ”), Ben Roman (“I Luv Halloween”), Armand Villavert Jr. (“ZAPT!”), Rikki Simons and Tavisha (“Shutterbox”) and Jim Pascoe (“Undertown”). Also: minicomics artist J-Fish.

Also, Golden Apple will host a signing with "The Walking Dead" and "Ultimate X-Men" writer Robert Kirkman on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of Kirkman's five-city, 72-hour tour promoting "The Astounding Wolf-Man," featured in Image Comics' FCBD offering.

Spidey sets more records

"Spider-Man 3" is already breaking in advance of its official domesic release Friday.

The pic opened in several Asian markets yesterday, setting records in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Taiwan, bringing in around $8 million.

Then, there's Europe, where the pic took in about $10 million its first day in Italy, France and Germany.

"Spidey 3" is set for a mammoth debut in the U.S. on Friday, setting a record by debuting on 4,253 screens.

While "Spider-Man 3" is sure to pull in amazing b.o. this weekend, the film on creative fronts continues to evoke reviews that evoke a sense that it's good, but not as good as the previous films.

New hope for "FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer"?

Word on the net about "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" has been brutally harsh, especially on the topic of Galactus.

But ...

... the new trailer going out on prints of "Spider-Man 3" and already available online looks absolutely terrific and raises at least the hope that this will be more than an improvement on the first but a film worthy of the great, epic stories Stan Lee and Jack Kirby told that made the FF such an great comic. The film may still disappoint, but at the very least has yielded a truly cool trailer, complete with Fantasti-car, a power swap and a cool Surfer-Doom showdown. (And while I'm on the topic of this film, I'll say I'm not really thrilled that the studio's chosen abbreviation for the group is "Fan 4," when Stan himself dubbed it the FF.)

A few screencaps to pique your interest:

WB picks up Miller's "Ronin"

Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to "Ronin," Frank Miller's sci-fi/samurai epic publshed by DC Comics in the early 1980s. Variety's Michael Fleming reports that the studio has Sylvain White, helmer of "Stomp the Yard," set to direct.

The comic was a hot item at the time it came out, being Miller's first major project after his seminal run on Daredevil. It also was one of DC Comics' first forays into creator-owned publishing, which today has blossomed into the likes of Vertigo. The six-issue series was heavily influenced by then artwork of "Lone Wolf & Cub" co-creator Goseki Kojima, whose work was at the time little-known in America. Fan reaction was split between admirers of Miller's attempt tp do something different and those who simply wanted the sort of hard-hitting stories Miller did in Daredevil. The cover design and art style of Ronin was directly incorporated into the early issues of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which began as a parody of X-Men and Miller before becoming a major kidvid hit on TV.

Pic has a long history in Hollywood and was being developed in the 1990s with a script by Miller and Darren Aronofsky a possibility to direct. That script illustrated the problem of big-budget pictures at the time: The movie would have cost far more to produce than its unusual story and tone would have brought in. This was not popcorn fare that was going to bring in viewers in volume.

That nut appears to have been cracked howevery by another Frank Miller adaptation, "300," which points the way to making visual-effects heavy comics pics for less money and making it easier to take greater creative risks with the material.  Of course, it doesn't hurt in this case that Miller — whose hanging out in Hollywood appears to be paying off — has become a hot property on his own with a growing number of his comics migrating successfully to the big screen.

I'm a Marvel, and I'm a DC

There's a lot of parodies out there of Apple's Mac vs. PC ads, but these comicbook movie clip starring Spider-Man and Superman action figures on YouTube is pretty funny. Like the Apple ads, these are pretty one sided in Marvel's favor as Spidey pokes fun at DC's recent movie efforts. There's four clips in all, available here, and this is the first one.