One of the biggest comic crossover events that was not Universe wide is the Batman: No Man’s Land event that took place during 1999. Preceded by Batman: Cataclysm, the crossover took place in all the Bat-universe books, including the four monthly Batman titles — Detective Comics, Batman, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight — as well as the larger Batman family like Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing.

This may be deemed as a bit of a cheat, attributing to Rucka the success of No Man’s Land, as when you look at the full list of authors behind this massive event, he is just one of many. However, with issues of the two main comics under his belt — Batman and Detective Comics — Rucka definitely had a lot to say in this series. And when you look at the credits on the trade paperbacks, Rucka’s name appears in all of them.

No Man’s Land was epic, nothing short of it. Gotham City is hit by a massive earthquake that sees destruction everywhere. Over the next few days and weeks, it would become evident that Gotham would not be making a quick recovery. Eventually, the United States of America declares Gotham City a No Man’s Land — meaning that it is no longer part of American territory. People are asked to leave, and many hundreds of thousands do [...]

Amazon’s Black Friday Sale was pretty cool, I know I snagged myself a bunch of DVDs. And just so you know, the sale is still going on and will be for the next few days; some of the prices have gone up — still low, but not as low — so best to get your shopping done sooner than later it seems.

Anyhow, at the time of the Friday sale I was in such a DVD-buying frenzy that I didn’t even think to browse around the other sections. Now that I’m looking today, I see a few new Video On Demand titles for 99 cents!!! Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Incredible Hulk, and Get Smart (2008) are available for viewing right now on demand for only 99 cents.

I don’t typically look through the music section, as I already have a 30,000-song music library, so there’s usually nothing too new that I’d be on the lookout for. But, I did notice that Metallica‘s Death Magnetic is available as a $5 MP3 download. I have the album and totally love it, so if you don’t already own it, now is your chance to get it for only five bucks [...]

There are plenty of movies about revenge — Sweeney Todd, Revenge of the Nerds, Mad Max, Death Wish, Kill Bill, every third or fourth movie in an action franchise, and most recently, Universal Pictures’ Wanted, which comes out on DVD this Tuesday, December 2. Then there are other films that contain specific moments of satisfaction-guaranteeing payback in them.

In the action-packed Wanted, James McAvoy stars as Wes, a meek office worker whose frequent anxiety attacks make it difficult for him stand up to his abusive boss, his backstabbing best friend, and cheating girlfriend. But Wes’s life is completely changed one day when he meets the sexy assassin Fox (Angelina Jolie), who takes him under her wing and into the Fraternity, an Order of assassins. The payback begins when Wes whacks a computer keyboard to his best friend’s face, sending the letters F.U.C.K.Y.O.U. flying into the air; it ends when Wes discovers the ultimate betrayal against him and enacts a vengeful plan that, let’s just say, involves explosives and lots of guns on those who wronged him.

To coincide with the release of Wanted and its badass moments of comeuppance, the Geeks of Doom gang got together to pool their favorite payback moments in film [...]

Chuck is the classic Boy meets Girl, Boy falls for Girl, Girl turns out to be a secret agent who is coveting the super government computer stuck in Boy’s head type of story. Interested yet?

Co-created by Josh Schwartz, a former executive producer of the show The OC, the story follows the life of one Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levy), a computer technician for the large electronic retailer Buy More. On Chuck’s birthday, he receives an e-mail from an old college friend, Bryce, that uploaded million seemingly random pictures into his brain. Turns out Bryce is a government agent on the run and the pictures in question are actually encoded with highly classified government secrets. Along with a drop dead gorgeous CIA agent (Yvoone Strahovski) and a NSA killing machine (Adam Baldwin) by his side, Chuck is thrusted into the life of a secret agent,whether he likes it or not.

What I like about Chuck is that is real simple premise. Amidst all the fighting, gunplay, pratfalls, and low/high brow comedy lies a simple story about a geeky boy who falls for the perfect woman. Zachary Levy, who plays Chuck, adds just the right amount of geekiness and sweetness to his character to make him lovable [...]

Yesterday, we wrote about some news images of the USS Kelvin that were discovered at upcoming Star Trek Intel’s cross-promotional Star Trek site at boldlygo.intel.com/newfrontiers.

The site has been updated to include more images of and details about of the Federation starship, as well as details and photos of some of the crew members, including first officer George Kirk, James T. Kirk’s father.

To navigate to the images and stats of the crew members, go to “Explore The Final Frontier” then click on “Join the Enterprise Construction Crew” then chose “USS Kelvin.” Here you’ll see a 3D model of the starship. Click the up arrow until you see the top view of the ship and three blue circles appear [...]

Greg Rucka has an uncanny ability to write a good story. Some people, specifically found within the comics industry, rely on the good work that has come before with the characters they are given. On the other hand are authors like Rucka, who go out and make their own great characters.

Also published by Oni Press, who I must thank for providing me with review copies, is Whiteout. A fantastic crime book situated entirely in Antarctica, Whiteout once again proves the above statement. Focusing on Carrie Stetko, a U.S. Marshal working at McMurdo station in Antarctica, the gritty and realistic story is captivating, and you’ll soon see yourself finished each of the four issue series in no time.

Originally released in four issues during 1998 and a sequel — Whiteout: Melt — in 2000, Rucka manages a trick that many authors fail miserably at. Instead of relying upon a handful of characters to act as the leads, Rucka allows Antarctica itself to be a major lead.

Whether Rucka has ever been to Antarctica, knows someone who has been, or was himself a U.S. Marshal exiled to Antarctica, I don’t know. But regardless, you get the feeling that he knows exactly what he is talking about. And the black and white art that accompanies these issues allow the story to once again remain at the forefront of the readers mind [...]

In conjunction with the release of the action-packed film Wanted on DVD and Blu-ray this Tuesday, December 2, Universal has exclusively bestowed up Geeks of Doom copies of the Wanted Blu-ray Limited Edition Collector’s Gift Set to give away to our readers!

In Wanted, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie are part of The Fraternity, an order of Assassins whose motto is “Kill One, Save a Thousand”. In keeping with this principle [minus the killing and saving, that is], we’re going to select at random one person to win out of every thousand people who enter. So, the more people who enter, the more chances there are to win!

Note, Universal is exclusively sponsoring this contest only here at Geeks of Doom. You won’t find this contest officially anywhere else, so if you want a chance to get your hands on a free copy of the Wanted Blu-ray Limited Edition Collector’s Gift Set, this is the place try and get it. So get entering!

For more info about the Wanted Blu-ray Limited Edition Collector’s Gift Set and the loads of goodies it comes with, see the About section below.

TO ENTER: Fill out the form below and submit. Entry form is here: CLICK TO ENTER.

RULES: One entry per person. All entries must be in by Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 9pm EST. This contest is only open to residents of the United States. No international entries will be accepted. Void where prohibited. Winners will be chosen randomly from valid entries and will be notified by email. NOTE: For every thousand entrants, one person will be selected at random [...]

There is a line of dialogue that is as sharp, lethal, and beautiful as all the extreme violence in Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ comic book to movie adaptation Wanted: “He can conduct a symphony orchestra with a pistol.” Russian-born director Timur Bekmambetov does exactly that in stylish fashion to produce a creation that’s the zestiest and sexiest movie of the summer. It’s the first movie in a while to deal with self-worth in such an inventive way. Let’s just say Wanted is a mix between Fight Club and Matrix. But in severe risk of having his movie lean on the fringe of mindless action banter and pointless shoot ’em up sequences , Bekmambetov weaves a gut-wrenching story where the action scenes double as pristine pieces of adored art work.

We become involved with a miserable office worker named Wesley. As each day passes he becomes more of a drone. He’s played with an emotional vigor that goes through the roof by James McAvoy who, for his first action film, succeeds very well after playing a totally different character in last year’s Atonement. Dealing with a ignorant fat lady as a boss who always tries to evoke his vulnerability, which is his high anxiety that leaves him in a state of panic, to his best friend who also doubles as Wesley’s girlfriend’s sex toy, he needs a revelation to happen to him. By God he gets just that. His revelation also happens to be the movie’s revelation as Angelina Jolie shows up [...]

Intel and Lenovo have partner with JJ Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek and have launched an Exploration Sweepstakes site at boldlygo.intel.com/newfrontiers.

Visitors to the site can test their Trek knowledge, download exclusive Star Trek wallpapers, and enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a Lenovo Y530 laptop with Intel Centrino 2 technology, in addition to other prizes.

I went to the QUIZ: Test Your Knowledge section (in the upper left corner) and somehow answered all four questions correctly (the last question will be know by any diehard Trek fan), one of which was a new fact about the USS Kelvin. Answering correctly unlocked a new wallpaper image from Star Trek of the starship.

At the bottom right, click the “Explore The Final Frontier” button; if you then click on “Join the USS Enterprise Construction Crew,” it brings you to the Starfleet Shipyard where the NCC-1701 is under construction. There’s four areas you can browse: USS Kelvin, a 3-D movable version of the ship (see a screenshot of the image here at right); Starfleet Database, contains images from the film, the trailers, and Intel/Star Trek wallpapers [...]

On a personal level, I consider Charlie Kaufman the most talented working screenwriter in Hollywood. I don’t think I am alone in this thought. His resume is one of impressive and envious of anyone in the past however many years you want to use to quantify it. It is one thing to craft a story with intelligent structure and dialogue. It is another thing altogether to create entire universes that have a distinct taste and smell to them. When you sit down to watch a Kaufman scripted film, there is an expected level of chaos and disorder. Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind — all of these films have a wildly imaginative subject and scope, which is exactly the reasons we love them so much.

Synecdoche, New York marks Kaufman’s directorial debut and to the general movie-going public it will amount to little more than a confusing movie with a confusing title. Fans of his work will draw pretty much the same conclusion. On one hand it is an almost unapproachably pretentious movie with a title that is difficult to pronounce (‘si-NEK-duh-kee’, by the way). On the other hand it is a movie that sort of transcends explanation. That’s not a movie critic cop-out, it just has many, many layers beyond its face value [...]

Amazon has begun their super-mega Black Friday Sale today, with prices drastically slashed!

The sale is on until 11AM (Pacific time) today while quantities last.

Select NEW DVDs likeThe Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Iron Man, are on sale for only $8.99, while Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man are only $1.99!

Blu-ray users rejoice! Transformers(Two-Disc Special Edition + BD Live) is only $9.99. Check out all the Blu-ray deals for under $15.

The sale is more than just DVDs, it extends to books, electronics, videogames, music, and more! Check out the Black Friday Sale and snag your deal before they all disappear [...]

El Paso, TX, native Gene Roddenberry was honored with a Star Trek float yesterday in the city’s 72nd annual Sun Bowl Parade.

The float consisted of a 12-foot USS Enterprise, the popular, easily recognizable starship from the 1960s television show that late Roddenberry created.

The float, dubbed “Star Trek: A Tribute to Gene Roddenberry,” was created by the Downtown Lions Club of El Paso [...]

Imagine leaving your sunny and lively hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, to go live in the cold, rainy and dull Forks, Washington. Imagine leaving your frantic mother, to go live with your relaxed father. These extreme changes are what Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) must endure in Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight.

The movie opens up as Bella is leaving Phoenix, and adjusting to her new surroundings. She soon finds herself at school and is captivated by the presence of a group of stunning schoolmates, who are the “foster children” of Doctor Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and his wife. Bella is most interested in the charming Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who appears to be hiding a secret. At first, Edward avoids Bella at all costs, until he saves her from an almost fatal car accident. This is the start of a new relationship between Edward and Bella, and she soon finds out that Edward, and the rest of his family, are vampires; but, contrary to stereotypical vampires that feed on humans, the Cullens have taken on a “vegetarian” diet, feeding on animals instead of humans. Edward also explains to her that he was avoiding her because he thirsted for her blood [...]

Greg Rucka has a penchant for writing a certain type of character. It shows in Queen and Country, Whiteout, Checkmate, and especially in his choosing to write Rene Montoya as the Question. After the original Question died during 52, the yearlong weekly comic series by DC Comics, Rene Montoya, ex-Gotham Police Department detective, picks up the mantle, i.e., the hat and the mask.

Originally published as a 5-issue 52 Aftermath comic series, Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood was collected into one trade paperback volume under the revised title, The Question: the Five Books of Blood.

I got the good fortune of getting to read them as the individual comics, and they read really well. Split into their five stories, it follows aspects of the Crime Bible; Deceit, Lust, Greed, Murder, and then the finale where Rene must face up against the Dark Faith’s leader [...]

Poor Indian teenager Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is just one question away from winning the grand prize on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. On the eve of show’s taping, a police inspector takes Jamal in on suspicion of cheating. Through a series of flashbacks, the inspector and moviegoers are treated to Jamal’s life story, from growing up in the slums of Mumbai, India, with his brother Salim to meeting and then losing his soulmate Latika (Freida Pinto). As his story unfolds, moviegoers find out why an uneducated 18-year-old with no interest in becoming rich ends up on Millionaire and just how does he know the answers for all those questions.

Written by Simon Beaufroy (The Full Monty) and based on the book Q and A by Vikas Swarup, Slumdog Millionaire is a prime example of a movie with just about everything going for it. A love story with an Oliver Twist sensibility, the movie is sweet and sentimental and not afraid to show it. Even cheesy lines cannot hold this flick down. When asked by his soulmate Latika what they would live on if they would run away, Jamal responds with confidence “Love.” Yes, it is terribly naive (or perhaps we are too jaded?) for anyone to believe such a thing but Jamal makes you believe it. When he delivers the line, it is not the fact that you believe what he says that makes root for him, but the fact that he believes it so strongly that you can’t help but root for him [...]