'Iron Man' week news update for 4/29/08

Variety's top critic Todd McCarthy gives the film good marks. So does Anne Thompson and the AP. ... More behind-the-scenes footage on MySpace with director Jon Favreau. ... Project Rooftop artists redesign Iron Man. ... Speculation appears to be moving into guessing the opening weekend gross. My guess is in the $60 million to $70 million range, but some are going as high as $100 million. That seems like a lot, but past Marvel movies such as "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" have a record of defying even high expectations.

BATMAN'S ON DECK: A new trailer for "The Dark Knight" is coming to reward the patient among us. ... A new round of very cool looking posters for "The Dark Knight" also are making the rounds. While reaction has generally been positive, a lot of folks are noticing how similar the new posters are to the ones made for "Batman Returns" in 1992, and College Humor.com pretty successfully fools folks into thinking that the trailer to the new film is eerily similar to that for the first Tim Burton "Batman" in 1989. The real Burton trailer is here. ... Speaking of "Batman Returns," the film looked absolutely fantastic when I caught it the other night on HBO in HD ...

MORE COMICS AND MOVIE STUFF: Heritage Auctions has a rather extensive group of Golden Age and Silver Age comics, including Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #1, Detective Comics #27 and Marvel Comics #1, up for grabs in its next auction, set for May 22-23. ... A comics fan and student journalist wonders if it might be a good idea for Hollywood to rein in its comic book obsession just a little bit. ... Comics artist John Cassaday tells Portfolio.com that he plans to start making films in the next couple of years. ... Actor Mekhi Phifer's Facilitator Films shingle has optioned the comic book series "Hunter's Moon" from its author, novelist James L. White, and publisher Boom! Studios. ... Universal has picked up "Resurrection," a comics series by "Eli Stone" creator Marc Guggenheim and published by Oni Press. ... Michigan comics shop owner David Pirkola was critically injured last week during a robbery of his store in Grand Rapids. ... Fishbowl LA reports on the graphic novel panel held Sunday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

AWARDS STUFF: Nominations are being taken for the Friends of Lulu Awards. ... And the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award also is looking for nominees.