Earlier this week it was announced that friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were about to close a first-look deal with Warner Brothers that could see the duo working together a lot more, just like the good ol’ days when they were winning Oscars for movies like Good Will Hunting.

According to Deadline Hollywood, a project at WB entitled The Trade — that has already had the attention for Affleck and Damon for a long while now — is beginning to move forward with Affleck already set to direct the film and both actors considering starring in it as well.

The Trade tells the story of the 1973 sex scandal involving the New York Yankees, where two players — Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich — fell in love with each other’s wives and decided to simply trade. If they decided to star in the movie, Affleck would play Peterson, and Damon would of course play Kekich. [...]

If Sony’s main intention is to give the Spider-Man movie franchise a “younger” refreshed take rather than another sequel, they should consult someone who’s successfully done so in the past like Marvel scribe Brian Michael Bendis. This is the relative consensus among fans familiar with Bendis’ work on the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series, which modernized the web head for a new generation of fans.

Both the studio and new Spider-Man director Mark Webb apparently agree with this sentiment as anyone following Bendis on Twitter found out after he told the world he “just spent a very interesting morning at Sony with the entire spidey movie team!! Very very cool stuff!!” [...]

NOTE: For structural reasons and to ensure that this list is super-duper pretty at all times, we’ll be posting this same intro for all sections of The Decade List. If you’ve already read all of this, you can just head down to the continuation of our list!

Let’s just get it out of the way right off the ol’ bat: yes, we know it’s been a few months since we left the decade. Most folks undertook this heavy task pre-2010, but we decided that it would be a little bit better to let the new year settle in a bit before hitting you with something of this magnitude.

So here we are, geeks: we’ve officially arrived in FUTURE *cue retro ’50s sci-fi music* and still we have no freakin’ flying cars yet. What’s the deal with that? While it is pretty exciting to be inside of the year 2010 — a year that always seemed unreachable to us mere mortals — we are also exiting another entire decade that leaves us staring at one majorly epic task. That task? To search, dig, locate, retrieve, organize, polish, and present the very best films of the past ten years! [...]

There’s a pretty big business hiding behind the release of popular movie releases. This is the business of novelization, where authors write entire books adapted from movies in much the same way that some of our favorite movies were adapted from classic literature. The only problem is: very few people actually have any desire to read an entire book based on a movie that they’ve seen.

While it is not known whether an actual novelization will be written for the new biggest movie ever to be made, Avatar, but James Cameron has other plans for a book. The director has decided that an entire prequel story novel will be written, and instead of leaving it in the hands of others, Cameron is going to take care of it himself.

Avatar producer Jon Landau talked about the plan to have Cameron write the whole thing:

Jim is going to write a novel himself.

Not a novelization — and there is a distinction. A novelization basically retells the story of the movie. Jim wants to write a novel that is a big, epic story that fills in a lot of things. [...]

Blood Creek
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Starring Dominic Purcell, Henry Cavill, Michael Fassbender, Emma Booth
Lionsgate and Gold Circle Films
Release Date: January 19, 2010

Those Nazis were into some weird stuff, and despite being defeated 65 years ago, filmmakers are still finding ways to make them the villains. In the case of Blood Creek, the villain is a single Nazi, Professor Richard Wirth (Michael Fassbender), who travels to America prior to WWII in search of mysterious runestones. His search brings him to the farm of a German family in Town Creek, West Viriginia. Wirth, a student of the occult, finds what he’s looking for — an ancient runestone he believes holds the secret to immortality — but not before war breaks out.

Seventy years later, Victor Marshall (Dominic Purcell) disappears for nearly two years in the same town. When he reemerges in the middle of the night looking like a tortured caveman, he refuses to explain his absence to his brother Evan (Henry Cavill) and demands his help. Evan does as he is asked without getting the details. Personally, if my feared-dead brother suddenly reappeared after two years looking like he had been through hell and demanded I grab as much ammo as possible and follow him, I would probably ask a question or two [...]

Cars #1
Written by Alan Porter and Mark Cooper
Art by Fabricio Grellet
Colors by Digikore Studios
Letters by Deron Bennett
Covers by Allen Gladfelter
BOOM! Studios
Release date: February 17, 2010

Cars #1 takes us to a post-apocalyptic future, where the cars have gained sentience and wiped out the human race. They now rule over a desert-like wasteland, participating in terrible cross country races and demolition derbies in order to crown King Engine.

Okay, so that’s not completely true.

The comic book adaptation of the multi-million dollars Pixar blockbuster, Cars #1 continues the story of Lightning McQueen, a race car in a cartoon world where there are only cars, no people. Of course, there’s no explanation as to why this world is the way it is, but that’s fine. In fact, the biggest weakness of the Cars comic book series, which actually begins with Issue #0, is that it assumes you are already familiar with the Cars film. If you’ve never seen the movie, it will take you some time to get familiar with the characters.

But as a weakness goes, it’s a pretty minor one. The story of the comic is very strong [...]

It’s been about five months since Warner Bros. announced it would reorganize DC Comics into DC Entertainment in an effort to “to maximize the potential of the DC brand.”
 [Read DC Comics Restructured As DC Entertainment; Paul Levitz Steps Down]

Long time publisher Paul Levitz stepped down in September of 2009 and today through DC’s Source Blog they announced that the search for a new publisher was over.

Jim Lee and Dan Didio have been named Co-Publishers, and current DC Universe architect Geoff Johns will serve as Chief Creative Officer.

The full details from a press release posted on DC’s The Source blog are here [...]

Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming will begin an hour earlier (from 10 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST) starting in 2011, according to Turner Animation.

The additional hour of prime time is in response to Adult Swim’s high ratings that have dominated the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic consistently since 2007.

So what can we expect to fill that additional hour? No freaking clue at this point, but higher-ups at Turner all agree the Adult Swim brand certainly has room to grow. And that could mean several different things.

The network will probably pick up more syndication rights to pre-existing properties. The Cleveland Show seems like a shoo-in as does more Anime that could easily transition from most of the kid friendly programming on Cartoon Network’s 8 p.m. slot. Also, if you factor in all the “Brit Block” programs they’ve recently introduced, it’s clear that Adult Swim could squeak by without having to drastically alter its lineup come 2011 [...]

Now begins the media onslaught for The Crazies franchise and no matter what format your heart desires, it seems you will be satiated. Originally a 1973 film by George Romero, The Crazies now has a new theatrical remake from Overture Films, a comic book series, Facebook “tower defense” game, motion comic, an interactive game, and an iPhone app.

The Top Cow printed comic book consists of four chapters: Hopman Bog, Dwyer Creek, Black Pond, and Ogden Marsh (first two issues were released yesterday with the second two following on February 24, 2010). The comic series traces an outbreak that takes over the minds and bodies of the citizens in Ogden Marsh, Iowa, and each chapter focuses on a different aspect of this epidemic. Jeff Katz of American Original produced the comic book on behalf of Overture Films and Participant Media. The writers for the miniseries are Ivan Brandon, Josh Fialkov, Brian Reed, and Marc Andreyko. You can download the comic book covers at www.thecrazies-movie.com/comicbooks [...]

Usually when a popular name is cast in a movie that has a solid buzz behind it, there’s a nice official announcement in the trades or via press release. In an interesting turn of events, it appears that this particular announcement was made in subtle passing.

In an article by The New York Times about how big of a boost it is to directors, writers, and actors after they grab themselves an Academy Award nomination, The Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner became the focus. While talking about how great his nod for Best Actor has been, and how it will allow him to get comfortable and pick the roles that he wants, it was revealed that Renner will be appearing in James McTeigue‘s The Raven.

We’ve heard about the V for Vendetta and Ninja Assassin director’s Raven project a couple of times, but not since November of last year. Information up to that point was that it would be about the last days of author Edgar Allan Poe, and that a fictional element of him having to help solve a string of mysterious murders based on his own stories. [...]

E! Online has received some interesting news. Apparently Joss Whedon — creator of popular titles like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, and Dollhouse — is getting ready to tag team with documentary film maker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?) to make a documentary about the super geeks that attend Comic Con every year.

Reports are that Whedon and Spurlock will find a bunch of different people who take their geekdom very seriously. They want those of you who not only own, but often dress up in your favorite movie or TV show character’s costumes — and none of that Halloween costume crap, the real-deal outfits — to follow around for a few months.

Click on over to see a video of the folks I imagine these gentlemen are seeking!

They want to follow people for about three months leading up to this year’s Comic-Con, and then they want to film them there. They’re looking at all types of people. [...]

NOTE: For structural reasons and to ensure that this list is super-duper pretty at all times, we’ll be posting this same intro for all sections of The Decade List. If you’ve already read all of this, you can just head down to the continuation of our list!

Let’s just get it out of the way right off the ol’ bat: yes, we know it’s been a few months since we left the decade. Most folks undertook this heavy task pre-2010, but we decided that it would be a little bit better to let the new year settle in a bit before hitting you with something of this magnitude.

So here we are, geeks: we’ve officially arrived in FUTURE *cue retro ’50s sci-fi music* and still we have no freakin’ flying cars yet. What’s the deal with that? While it is pretty exciting to be inside of the year 2010 — a year that always seemed unreachable to us mere mortals — we are also exiting another entire decade that leaves us staring at one majorly epic task. That task? To search, dig, locate, retrieve, organize, polish, and present the very best films of the past ten years! [...]

If you want to see Jonathan Ross‘ and Tommy Lee Edwards’ Turf, you’re going to have to pick up The Walking Dead #70.

Next week Robert Kirkman’s zombie masterpiece-in-the-making will feature a full-color preview of radio personality Jonathan Ross’ and Marvel 1985‘s Tommy Lee Edwards’ all-new, four-issue miniseries, Turf.

Set in Prohibition-era New York, Turf offers a twist on the hard boiled crime thriller, adds vampires and aliens to the traditional mix of booze, broads, and bullets as it chronicles the eruption of a vengeful gang war between booze-smuggling mobsters and the blood thirsty Dragonmir family. As an ancient prophecy unfolds amidst the maelstrom of violence, the entire city is engulfed by the brutal conflict and the only glimmer of hope is an unlikely alliance between tough guy Eddie Falco and a stranger from another world [...]

A possible new TV series from 20th Century Fox is gaining some major buzz. The show is called Terra Nova, and the network is currently in negotiations with Peter Chernin and Steven Spielberg to join them as executive producers of the proposed series.

Not a lot is known about Terra Nova yet, but it is described a show that revolves around a family from 100 years in the future who somehow are transported back 150 Million years to prehistoric times.

The description obviously sounds immediately like a premise for a Land of the Lost reboot, but sources indicate that the show will actually be of massive scale, and that epic sets and top-tier special effects would make it an exceptionally expensive show to produce. Because of the price tag and what would be required to produce even one show, Fox is actually considering just greenlighting an entire season right off the bat instead of spending the money for one pilot episode simply on hopes that it will test highly. [...]

Intrepid #1-2
Written by Jose Loeri
Interior Art and Cover by Montos
Cover Colors by Diogo Nascimento
Lettering and Embellishments by Oval
Graphic Illusions Comics
Cover price: $2.95; Issue #1 Available Now; Issue 2 Release date: February 17, 2010

Loyal Geeks of Doom readers will remember our initial review of Intrepid #1-2 not going so well. We liked the writing and storyline, but found major flaws in the art and production values. Well, creator Jose Loeri is back with a new art team to give Intrepid another shot. Did the change of art pay off?

In a manner of speaking, “Hell yeah!”

All of the production problems found in our first review of Intrepid have thankfully been solved and now we can focus on the story that Loeri is creating here. For those uninitiated, Intrepid is set in a world where superheroes have existed for years but soon find themselves outdated. The “Heroic Age” has come and gone and people just don’t want heroes anymore. The main narrative follows Joseph Paxton, the subject of what appears to be some super-human enhancements by an evil company. Paxton seems intent on finding his lady love, Nadia [...]

DC Comics‘ Blackest Night Ring promotion went so well last year, they’ve introduced two new rings that tie into their Brightest Day event.

Special Editions of The Flash and Green Lantern rings have been released, and you can get them FREE when you purchase The Flash #1 and Green Lantern #53 over at Things From Another World.

Head on over to TFAW’s Brightest Day Rings page, and you’ll see two options: individual issues without the rings, or choose the comics-with-rings options. The rings are free, but you will pay a little extra for shipping and handling (most U.S. customers will see a $. 50 to $1.00 increase), because the rings can’t ship in a flat package [...]

Incorruptible #3
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Jean Diaz
Cover Art by Dennis Calero (Cover A); Rafael Albuquerque (Cover B); Jeffrey Spokes (Cover C)
BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99; Release date: February 17, 2010

Previously in Incorruptible…

Until recently, Max Damage headed the FBI’s most wanted list. Then mankind’s premier defender, the Plutonian, went berserk and blew up the FBI.

After weeks of disappearance, Max has resurfaced, apparently having rededicated his life to superheroism. Max’s sidekick, the severely underage Jailbait, is — to put it mildly — unhappy with this bizarre decision. Max’s former enemy, police lieutenant Louis Armadale, is skeptical of Max’s new path. Together, the three have followed a trail of violence to the hidden lab of David Orjean (mockingly known as “Dr. Origin”), where ordinary people (terrified of Plutonian) are paying huge money in hopes of being granted superpowers…

Incorruptible is quickly becoming one of my favorite comics and the majority of the credit goes to Mark Waid. He has consistently been one of the best writers in the medium for over a decade and he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Issue 3 really showcases Waid’s ability to have fun with the characters without being over the top or campy in his dialogue [...]

Cthulhu Tales #11
Written by Chris Sequeira, Christine Boylan, Michael Alan Nelson, Shane Oakley
Art by Milton Sobreiro, Roger Langridge
BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99; Release date: February 4, 2009

BOOM! Studios brings us another four wonderful tentacle-filled tales from the universe of H.P. Lovecraft, exploring everything from corporate climbers to brain surgery patients to trays full of tasty, terror-filled bite-sized morsels.

Incorporation follows Glenda, an up-and-coming accountant in a multinational firm Wilcox-Gamme. We get an inkling of what’s to come right on the first page as Glenda finds the now ubiquitous Cthulhu statue in her new desk, and that’s precisely the weakness in the story of Incorporation. The story and dialogue are formulaic, the characters two-dimensional. Glenda is your typical ball-busting corporate climber, while her co-workers are portrayed as weak-willed sycophants who could never keep up with her. She begins to have visions of evil in her spreadsheets and while I won’t intentionally ruin the surprise ending for you, I think it’s obvious that there’s little surprise in here at all. Even the art of W. Chewie Chan is stilted and uninspiring. The concept of the multi-national corporation as evil cult is simply played out, and doesn’t bring anything new to the Cthulhu table [...]

The Gold Box spotlight deal of the day over at Amazon today is X-Men Trilogy + X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-ray editions for only $50.99 (that’s 58% off the list price of $119.98).

For this deal you get the original X-Men trilogy in a Blu-ray box set — X-Men, X2: X-Men United, and X-Men: The Last Stand — along with the Blu-ray edition of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Math time: $50.99 divided by 4 movies = $12.75 per movie for Blu-ray editions. End result: Bargain.

This sale is only for today (February 17) until midnight PST while supplies last [...]

NOTE: For structural reasons and to ensure that this list is super-duper pretty at all times, we’ll be posting this same intro for all sections of The Decade List. If you’ve already read all of this, you can just head down to the continuation of our list!

Let’s just get it out of the way right off the ol’ bat: yes, we know it’s been month since we left the decade. Most folks undertook this heavy task pre-2010, but we decided that it would be a little bit better to let the new year settle in a bit before hitting you with something of this magnitude.

So here we are, geeks: we’ve officially arrived in FUTURE *cue retro ’50s sci-fi music* and still we have no freakin’ flying cars yet. What’s the deal with that? While it is pretty exciting to be inside of the year 2010 — a year that always seemed unreachable to us mere mortals — we are also exiting another entire decade that leaves us staring at one majorly epic task. That task? To search, dig, locate, retrieve, organize, polish, and present the very best films of the past ten years! [...]