February
21 'Boys,' 'Akira' edgy picks for comics pics

You know you live in interesting times when the likes of "The Boys" and "Akira" are optioned on the same day.

"Akira" has long been talked about for a live-action version, though I'm skeptical that any adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga classic will live up to the anime version he himself directed in the late 1980s. Still, the visuals of this story are amazing and the Wachowskis' upcoming "Speed Racer" may point the way for really adapting anime-style visuals and storytelling to the big screen. In comics, this was a big one in manga's entry into America, first published by Marvel's Epic Comics line in the 1980s and most recently reprinted in six volumes by Dark Horse.

As for the "The Boys," well, that's a thornier question. Garth Ennis' irreverently gross and funny take on superheroes as corrupt jerks that need to be taken down was dropped by DC/Wildstorm for content issues despite being a decent seller for them, continuing now at Dynamite Entertainment. I'm not sure what kind of audience Col sees for this property, but I would bet that it's going to have to be toned down a bit much the same way as "Wanted" seems to have been, with the main characters changed from supervillains to "assassins who protect order."