Comic Book Collection News and Updates

With all the blockbuster Superhero movies that continue to roll out of Hollywood, I haven't seen much about one of the all time favorite characters, Superman. We haven't seen much on the silver screen since Christopher Reeve's amazing performances. Well, Hollywood has been busy. The new "Superman Returns is scheduled for release on May 30th. As pare for what Hollywood has been doing, it sounds like there will be a more somber side to this movie.

Not the touch-in-cheek rendition has before. And it sounds like Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, will project a persona 180 degrees from Margot Kidder's lighthearted efforts.

"Warner Bros. is pleased to announce that Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival has added Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns' Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman. The much anticipated doc will receive its world premiere on the final day of the Festival, Sunday, May 7 at 7:00 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West.

Superman has flown from the pages of comic books to become one of the most recognized pop-culture icons in the world. The star of every entertainment medium, Superman's influence spans more than seven decades. But what's the real story of this strange alien from a doomed planet? Comic art, highlights from classic television shows and blockbuster films, rarely seen screen tests, outtakes and revealing interviews with celebrities, fans and the creative forces behind Superman chronicle seven decades of the world's most beloved super hero. Writers, artists, filmmakers and others have radically reshaped the Superman mythology, culminating in the character's latest 21st century reincarnation in director Bryan Singer's feature film, Superman Returns…" To finish this interesting story, check out "Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman Premiere"

I wonder, after all these years, if the new movie will match up with all our expectations, childhood or otherwise.

Dave

May 3, 2006 08:13 - Can You Relate to this Comic Book Article?

I ran across this informative article the other day in my inbox and thought I would pass it on. I can relate to some of what Gideon is saying. By the way, Gideon is building his comic book site with the same hosting service and business building philosophy I am building my site with. If you are interested in building your own site, check out how Gideon and I built our own comic book sites

Comic Books Can Be For Professionals Too
Copyright 2006 Gideon O

The most recognizable and triumphant periods in the comic books era were: the Golden age, Silver age and the Bronze Age. We've all heard of the saying, "what goes up must come down." This seemed to apply to the comics industry as well because it didn't only come down in the mid 1990s, but it came down with a crash.

Lately the comic book industry has been trying to pick itself up through the aid of comic 2 films. This approach has proved to be helpful for titles like Spiderman, X-men, and Sin City in sales but it may have been hurtful for other titles that flopped in the Box office. That is why this is not enough to bring redemption to the industry. One of the problems that led to the downfall of the comics industry was said to be accessibility due to the removal of comics from stores and shops. This can no longer be true for the reason that comics are getting exposure through animations, movies, and the internet. Then why is this industry still struggling? I'll ask another question, why is anime doing so well? The simple answer is better storyline and the fact that it is made for a broader audience. Japanese comics are usually in the form of graphic novels 60 to 200 pages. As long as comics are seen as a kid thing, or for the unintelligent, it would be hard for major growth in the American industry.

In the past, there were a lot of criticisms about comics making the readers delinquent and depreciating their reading abilities. These criticisms resulted in drafting of the comic codes. Parents believed the claims and criticisms made toward comics and were not elated about their children reading these "picture books." I intentionally wrote "picture books" because picture books are related to little kids learning how to read.

Many of us read comics when we were kids, but when we hit fourteen we are feeling closer to adulthood. We're teenagers, young adults. This meant anything synonymous to children had to go, including our comics. The problem was, we knew we couldn't just stop reading comics or dispose of them, so some of us decided to read our comics in private. We even played the hide the comic book inside another schoolbook trick, going as far as to dis comic books in front of all our friends, to make sure that no one associated us with such "childish things".

Some of you may have experienced looking at comic books at a store ready to purchase, when one of your friends walk into the store. You are walking to the cashier and notice her walking towards you. You're now trying to hide the comic book behind your back and talk to her as calmly as possible, praying that she doesn't see this comic book you're hiding. You greet each other and chat a little. Unfortunately for you she notices the comic book behind you and asks, "What's that you're holding behind your back." You begin to sweat and all that runs through your mind is "Oh no!" You now begin to think of all the possible excuses you could give to explain why you're holding a super friends comic book in 2006. Bingo! You've got an idea, so you confidently begin to explain to her, "Oh this thing, my little brother likes to read this piece of trash." Fortunately for you she believed it and your reputation is safe.

Let's be real, if we saw anyone around the age of seventeen to fifty reading comics we would think to ourselves, "Isn't he to old for that?" This grown man may be a genius or even a great athlete, but if he picks up a comic book, he's just another unintelligent geek. The whole point I'm trying to make is comics and adults don't mix in our society. As I mentioned earlier, it is because of the perception created about comics. Theories like comic-books are picture books for little children or comics make readers delinquent and reduce their reading abilities helped build the perception. And neither has been proven.

If anything, comic books are helpful to readers because it is a form of story telling. The pictures only help one capture the story being told, leading to the creation of a visible scene. Movie makers, coaches, video game designers, Scientists, engineers, etc, all implement this method.

About the Author:

I've always considered comic books a very interesting and intelligent way of storytelling. This has caused me to research what has made some comic books and characters popular and successful. Check out this info at http://www.comic-book-and-strip-service.com .

May 5, 2006 07:54 - It Looks Like Free Comic Book Day is Rolling Around Again

Guess I had better get something up here about Free Comic Book Day, which is tomorrow. Here is an article from the Daily Record, which sums it up quite nicely:

05/5/06 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom

Stock up on superheroes on Free Comic Book Day

Stores across the country are taking part in Free Comic Book Day on May 6, handing out comics that include such favorite superheroes as the X-Men, Superman, Batman and the Justice League.

"It's geared for people who are new to comics," said Steve Conte, owner of Funnybooks Comics and Stuff in Lake Hiawatha. "It's an event for the whole family. You have your superhero stuff, your Archie and 'Star Wars' and this Japanese sampler, which is really popular now."

Funnybooks will have an "X-Men" comic from Marvel Comics (to go along with this month's "X-Men 3" movie on May 26), DC Comics'"Justice League Unlimited #1" (which is done in the style of the popular animated cartoon) and "Superman / Batman #1" (setting the stage for this summer's "Superman Returns" feature film coming June 20).

Also available will be comics from Archie, Disney and Image Comics along with free comics based on "Star Wars,""The Transformers,""G.I. Joe" and "The Simpsons."

Also added to the mix this year will be a special sampler from Tokyopop, which previews the latest manga (Japanese comics) to hit the United States.

"Everyone will leave with a nice selection of comics," Conte said.

Funnybooks will add its own spin to Free Comic Book Day. Conte has written and illustrated his own eight-page comic book entitled "The How to Draw Adventures of Maniken The Human Figure." Through the course of the story, readers will discover two great ways to draw the human figure.

Also, Funnybooks' first customer ever, David "Ziggy" Blumenthal, will be contributing his own free comic book titled, "Operation Pajama Pants." The story, which is both written and illustrated by Blumentahl (a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design), features the origin of Pajama Pants and boasts a full-color cover by well known comic book artist Amanda Conner. End article.

So, if you are just getting into comic books or even if you have been around them for a while, why not cruise down to your local comic shop and see if they participate or not. Good luck and enjoy.

Dave

May 8, 2006 07:07 - Comic Book Collection Reasoning Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

There are many reasons for collecting comic books. Personally I enjoy them and wonder from time to time if I have any that are worth very much. I am also trying to re-establish some of my childhood comics, of which I lost years ago. Or should I say had ripped off, but a couple of supposed friends. I found an interesting summation of the various types of collectors at About.com. Here is their list:

1) The Investor: This type of collector views comic books as one thing - money. They view their comics as stocks and a way to acquire wealth. Very little emotional ties are held to their comic books. They buy, sell, and trade with ease with only one thing in mind - how much money they can make.

2) The Obsessive Collector: The obsessive collector will not rest until they have every issue of their favorite series. The comics are catalogued, indexed, with maybe even an excel file of missing issues and the condition and worth of current issues in their collection. They are protected well in bags and boards and held in the correct type of storage bins. To part with anything in their collection is very difficult and would take a large some of money, or something else they desire more.

3) The Quick Buck: This collector is mostly motivated by quick cash. They buy as many copies of an issue as they can, if they think they can sell it quickly at an inflated price. They are constantly scooping out what is the latest or hottest thing. If the price is right, they will quickly sell things from their collection.

4) The Inheritor: This person acquired their collection from a friend or relative. The collection is more of a hassle than a treasure. They wonder how they can get rid of the collection quickly and for how much.

5) The Curator: The Curator is the person who sees comics as art and to be valued and displayed as such. Their comics are to be seen and read, but treasured. Special steps are taken to protect their comic books, even to the extent of special frames. Comic book art is something that may become part of the collection as well. While they may read them from time to time, bare hands are out of the question. Don't you know how much that is worth?

6) The Average Joe: This collector sees comics as a great, enjoyable, and fun hobby. While steps may be taken to protect their comics, they are often banished to basements, attics, and other undesirable places. The Average Joe collector loves both the story, and the thought that their comics are gaining in value. There is a strong emotional investment in their comics and the thought of parting with them is difficult. Dreams of owning that rare comic or art are aplenty, but the money just isn't there.

7) The Graphic Novelist Collector: The Graphic Novelist Collector is quickly becoming a popular lifestyle for many comic readers. Graphic Novels are generally cheaper than buying comics individually and one can read an entire story arc in one sitting. Although not worth as much as individual comic books, the Graphic Novel collector is more concerned with a great read at a great price.

8) The Ebayer: Ebay has offered up a great source of comic books to many collectors. The Ebayer is thrilled with the rush of the auction, watching the items they are selling or buying go up in price. The Ebayer is ecstatic when they get a good deal or an auction sells well. Reading is generally a part of this collectors life, but it may be unsure whether which is more important, the act of auctioning or reading a great comic book.

9) The Part Timer: This collector comes in and out of collecting, often stopping and starting with different series. They are not attracted to any one series for long and their collection can be rather piecemeal. They hope that what they have is worth something though, and may just have that one rare issue, due to their comic book hopping.

10) The Reader: This type of collector uses their floor as a comic book storage bin. Sometimes they may have a comic rolled up and stashed in their back pocket. Tears, folds, and rips are meaningless. What truly matters is the story, the story man! Comics are read for pleasure and not collected for profit.

Well, this is someone else's list, but in general, it captures why others like to collect comics. Do you fall into any of these categories? There is a couple more interesting articles about comic book investment philosophies is you care to read them. Collect away!

Dave

May 9, 2006 11:31 - Stan Lee/Sci-Fi Channel Superhero Progress

It looks like the superhero contest sponsored by Stan Lee and the Sci Fi channel is progressing nicely. I believe there will be 11 finalists that will actually compete on the 6-episode reality series airing on July 26th.

Apparently though, the 11th slot is to be voted on by us from the last 3 contestants. Here is a description from the scf-fi website:

"HELP STAN LEE DECIDE WHO WILL GET A CHANCE TO BE A SUPERHERO!

One of the semifinalists below will get a chance to become a superhero. Which one? That's up to you!

Vote for the one you most want to see compete on Who Wants to Be a Superhero. The winner will join our other contestants for a chance at comic-book immortality. But choose wisely - you can vote only once! Official Rules"

The 3 contestants are:

• Tonatzin Mondragon: AKA Lemuria
• Jennifer Mae: AKA Diamond Girl
• Amanda Boggs: AKA Artemis

The voting ends on Friday so take a quick run over to the Sci-Fi website, watch the videos on each contest and cast your vote.

Personally, I hope this reality show doesn't degenerate into the typical reality shows available now. I hope I am not stepping on toes, but these shows suck, in my opinion. But they are sure highly popular. I will continue to let others keep the ratings up on these shows and I will stay away. I just hope the Superhero reality show doesn't disappoint me. Go vote now!

Dave

May 11, 2006 11:39 - Free Comic Book Day a Huge Success!

Well, now that the aftermath is over, it looks like the 2006 "Free Comic Book Day" was yet again, another success. Surfing the Net a little I have seen several success stories. Here is a positive report from one area of the country:

"Free comic books draw crowd to JC

By Brian Liberatore
Press & Sun-Bulletin

JOHNSON CITY -- The art is racier, the stories are gritty and the pages are dotted with advertisements for automobiles and pharmaceuticals. Comic books today, said Paige Buchta, appeal to more than children.

"I'm under the impression that at one point comic books were marketed to kids primarily," said Buchta, a self-described comic book fan who works at Fat Cat Books, a Johnson City business that sells books, games and comics. "It's definitely a much wider market now."

Buchta, 24, stood behind a table in the back of Fat Cat Books handing out free comics as part of the national Free Comic Book Day. Comic book stores across the country offered free comic books from participating publishers. Free Comic Book Day, in its fifth year, is an effort to reach out to new fans and give something back to longtime fans, Buchta said.

"You get a good story, you get good artwork," said Gordon Mosher, 36, of Binghamton. "It's entertaining."

Mosher said he has been a fan of comic books since his childhood. The variety of different comic books, publishers and artists has expanded to unprecedented proportions, he said.

"You've got everything out there from comics for little kids to hard-core graphic novels," Mosher said.

Shelves of comics at Fat Cat held macabre gangster dramas in glossy color, fantasy-based serial adventures and the continuing adventures of Donald Duck. The comics on the table in front of Buchta were separated between those for all ages and those labeled PG-13. A steady stream of customers passed through the doors all day, Buchta said - some familiar faces and a few new ones.

"The audience for children is much smaller nowadays," said Roger Simpson, 53, of Binghamton. "There's a lot more attention now with the adult readers."

Simpson was at the store with his two sons, Michael Simpson, 17, and Roger Simpson Jr., 34, of Hallstead, Pa. The family typically comes to the store on Saturdays.

"I've been reading comics since I was 10," Michael Simpson said. "I just enjoy them.""

I do agree with this article in the fact that comic books and related items are geared toward an older crowd today, me being one of them. But the youngsters still need content and excitement geared toward their age group. They are the next generation comic book fans and creators. And most oldsters that still enjoy comic books, got their start when they were young. I know I ate up comics when I was a kid and that is where my passion first originated. Until later.

Dave

May 13, 2006 07:55 - Holy Clark Kent & Lois Lane! The Daily Planet is Real.

Here is an item that somewhat stunned me. Launched on the 10th of May, DC now has the Daily Planet on line. They have launched a site called 52thecomic.com.

Most comic books are traditionally delivered on a monthly or bimonthly basis. 52thecomic will apparently be published on an ambitious schedule of every week. It will be a mini series report on the fate of the world without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Looks like the format will be chronicled as a newspaper called, you guessed it, the Daily Planet. DC's weekly universe will be reported as real world events, with a lot of what is actually happening thrown into the story line.

So, if you want to keep up with your favorite fictional newspaper gone real world, check back every week at the Daily Planet!

May 15, 2006 07:02 - A cool Site for all You X-men Fans!

I was contacted the other day by another website owner, on the possibility of doing a link exchange. After doing a little review of the site, I thought wow, what a cool X-men site! This site has some really great information about all things X-men. Here is what Sam says:

"This X-Men site is for everyone who loves the X-Men. Whether you like Professor X or Magneto, Nightcrawler or Gambit; whether you are into the comic books or the action figures, the movies or the cartoons; whether you want to know more about the guy with the claws (Wolverine), or just want to figure out that codename that's stuck in your head; this site is for you, for us, this site is for all of the X-Fans!"

There are quite a few pages up on this site and it may be very well worth your time to surf around a little. Sam sure appears to be an X-men expert. Want to know about all the character profiles over the years? What about what's happening with the new movies? You can't go wrong by giving this site a check. Sam's X-men site has it all.

Enjoy

Dave

May 17, 2006 07:47 - Comic Book Auction Sites Make the World Go Round (ha ha)!

If you have been into the buying/selling of comic books for very long, you have probably discovered some of the major auction sites out there on the Net. Of course ebay does a booming business. There is a multitude of comic related items there all the time.

And it appears the big boys play over at Heritage Auctions also. This looks like one of the biggest auction houses on the Net. They deal in other collectibles as well as comic books. But if you want another comic book auction site in your arsenal, that for the moment doesn't charge listing fees, you need to check out Marten's site. Here is a little ditty from his "about us" page:

"Hi there this is a new site dedicated to auctions for Comics and related products. The site needs you to start selling your stuff, so we have decided to have no listing fees you only pay for what you sell. Also all new users have a £10.00 start up credit against sales to start you off. We have set the rates at an economical level so go ahead and start listing. With your help and support we can build this site into a force in the comic collecting world."

So run on over to his comic book auction page and book mark his site. And if you have some interesting success with his site, come on back here and leave us some comments. Auctions Away!

Dave

May 19, 2006 07:11 - Comic Con this Weekend Anyone?

Looks like for all you fans around the Chicago area, there is a great gathering starting today and going through the weekend. The Motor City Comic Con starts today. Boy, if you were into the tongue-in-cheek campiness of the 1960s Batman series, you will get to meet all the stars.

The series turns 40 this year. Among the stars will be Adam West, Burt Ward, Yvonne Craig, Lee Meriwether and Julie Newmar. There will also be a few Bat type pieces of hardware i.e. the Batmoble, Batcycle and Batboat. Oh yeah, if you are into it, even the Batcomputer. Looks like K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider will be there also.

The con is today from 1:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., then 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Rock Financial Showplace, 46100 Grand River, Novi. Tickets are $10 per day for fans ages 6 to 10 and $20 for those 11 and up; $5 parking fee. Check out "The Motor City Comic Con" for all the info or call 248-426-8059.

I sure wouldn't mind being there, but it is a long way to travel. So I hope if you make it, you will come back here and let us know what you thought. Holy Comic Con Batman, are we really going to be there?

May 22, 2006 09:13 - X-Men Anyone?

Well, Friday is the big day. The third installment of the X-men franchise arrives in theaters across the nation. Looks like it will have mixed reviews. I for one though, will probably enjoy it no matter others' opinions. Here is a review by the Hollywood Reporter:

"X-Men: The Last Stand

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Bottom line: Super visual effects aside, the trilogy's final chapter is a pale mutation of its predecessors.

Not exactly going out with a whimper, "X-Men: The Last Stand," the closing installment of the commercially and critically successful Marvel movie franchise, still fails to generate the satisfying bang created by the first and, particularly, the second edition.

With creative force Bryan Singer having vacated the X-Men universe for the highly anticipated "Superman Returns," Brett Ratner has taken the reins, and though the picture is not without its wow-inducing, SFX-driven moments, that potent X-factor is considerably diminished in Singer's absence.

Arriving Friday on the heels of tonight's splashy Cannes premiere, the film should still enjoy an X-cellent opening weekend, but less assured is its ability to scale the $214.8 million-grossing heights of 2003's "X2: X-Men United."

The gang's pretty much all here for the purported final go-round, which sees the makings of a virtual mutant civil war ignited by the introduction of a pharmaceutical cure for their afflictions/attributes." You can read the rest of the review at X-men Hollywood Reporter.

What's this? Jean Grey makes a re-appearance? Cool. I was kind of disappointed when she, shall we say, past on in the last movie.

All indications are that this is the last X-men installment. I would doubt that though. If there is a buck to be made (or in this instance, lots of them) in Hollywood, we will see future X-men adventures. I hope so anyway.

Dave

May 24, 2006 12:12 - Mile High Comics Reducing Base Prices!

Well, it looks like Chuck Rozanski over at Mile High is planning on a base price restructuring in light of what he learned at the Detroit comic con last weekend. As far as I have been able to determine, Chuck has one of the biggest and best back issue Internet sites available. I love reading his newsletter every week. Here is an excerpt from his latest:

"As I mentioned earlier, this newsletter is pretty darn important for you to read. Aside from telling you about the wonderful benefits provided by the 40% off codeword sale, I wanted to alert you to the fact that we've just implemented a very aggressive program of slashing our base prices. This huge reduction of our overall prices came about as a direct result of my trip to the Detroit convention over this past weekend. What I saw, quite clearly, in Detroit was that there were far more great back issues that were being offered to me by other dealers than I could ever afford to buy. This has happened in small measure at some other comics shows in the past, but never to the extent that I experienced on this past Thursday and Friday. In point of fact, back six years ago when Will Moulton and I first began buying back issues at conventions, we couldn't even get a great many of our fellow comics dealers to wholesale to us at all. We used to have to beg for discounts, and sometimes didn't even spend half of our allotted buying budget at a given comics show. The tide began to turn in Dallas two years ago, however, and with only a couple of exceptions, we've been on a buying binge ever since. That's how, and why, our overall inventory of back issue comics and magazines has become so incredibly broad during the past two years."

Chuck has always had some pretty good back issue prices. I have purchased around 400 comics from him. You may want to consider checking out his site if you have never been there, Mile High Comics. I would highly recommend you surf around and maybe even sign up for his newsletter. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Dave

May 26, 2006 07:59 - Comic Book Trading Cards

I have just entered into a new comic book realm that, quite frankly, I am unfamiliar with. That of comic book trading cards or as some call it, collectable cards. I happened to run across an ad in the local paper. A fellow was selling approximately 5000 cards for 50 bucks. I figured I couldn't go wrong at a penny apiece. And they are providing an excellent resource tool.

I have cards from Marvel, DC Comics, Ghost Rider, Terminator 2, Wolverine, Jurassic Park and Shadow Hawk to name a few. I am still going through and reorganizing everything. But is sure is fun.

Apparently though, there isn't a big interest in comic book trading cards these days. At least not in our local area of Utah, according to my comic book contact down at the comic shop. A little research on the Net though, showed a mild interest. Enough so that I may get a new page or two of content for my site. I am always looks for more interesting stuff to put up on my site.

Once I have my new cards organized the way I want them, the next major task is determining what estimated value I have with this collection. I have a line on a website or two, which may have non-sports card collecting value estimates. Can't wait to get into a little more research to determine what the world of comic book trading cards is like. If you have any knowledge on the subject or know of some great sites to visit, I would sure appreciate it. You can leave comments here or go to my contact page and leave them there. I thank you ahead of time.

Dave

May 29, 2006 05:59 - A New Auction Site!

A fellow that has started a new auction site contacted me the other day. Amongst other items and categories, he wants to build up his comic books area. It looks like another good site to check out. If you do have comics you would like to auction, then by all means, go see what Rich has to offer. You may find some other items that will tickle you fancy also. Here is an excerpt from his about us page that helps explain what his mission is:

"Bestauction.co.uk is a family firm whose intention is to provide you, our Members, with a good, clean, healthy environment within which to buy, sell, barter goods & services. We hope you will enjoy your experiences with us and that you and yours will benefit in every way from using our services.

We, at bestauction.co.uk believe that all people are born equal and that none should suffer discrimination because of race, creed, religion, culture, age or sex. We believe also in acting ethically and giving not just value for money but as much help and support to you, our Member, as possible.

To those ends, we're always willing to listen to constructive advice (and criticisms) to hopefully improve our services for you.

We are pleased to introduce a new Members' Profit-Sharing Programme. As a thank you for your business and loyalty, we believe that you should have a share in the net profits of our business. Also, you will be given more shares for introducing new members.

More details of will be announced in our Members Announcements column that can be found in your Members Area.

If you are not already a Member, we cordially invite you to join us now so you can enjoy the benefits of using our services as quickly as possible [Registering as a Member is not only Free but we allow you instant Free £10 Credit so you can try our various benefits Free of Charge]

We look forward to Welcoming you as a new Member and hope you will enjoy using our services.

Best wishes,

Rich & Tony"

I would sure run over and at least bookmark this site at their best auction online business. As Rich and Tony build their site with your help, I am sure it will be of great value to store in your neat comic book sites arsenal. Later.

Dave

May 31, 2006 08:02 - X-men, Off and Running!

Well, the latest rendition of Hollywood's X-men theme is off and running. It is apparently breaking box office records. So all the Hollywood promo is paying off. The movie has sure generated mixed reviews though. Here is one person's rendition of his thoughts on the movie as an X-fan:

"Movie Review: X-Men: The Last Stand
May 31, 2006
Vichus Smith

If you do not relate to the term "fanboy" or you have never found yourself foaming at the mouth over changes made to a series you've loved, then you do not know how furious it must have made Marvel Comics fans who went to see X-Men: The Last Stand. Now I see what all the negativity was about.

Now, for a couple-dozen minutes, it's all good: we all know Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) met her end in the last film, X2: X-Men United. We also know that Jean Grey returns; at least you have to know because she has a big role in the film. What happens after those 24 minutes or so is a warping and twisting of the X-Men canon that most fans of the Marvel Comics series would retch at the sight of. It's not to say that these major plot points will anger people who have never picked up an X-Men title. The Last Stand is a solid film on its own, but it really shreds and fiddles with what we X-fans all know about our favorite mutants.

The film begins two decades before the present time, when Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Erick Lensherr (Ian McKellen), the future villain Magneto, go to recruit a young Jean Grey for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. This is an important moment in the history of the X-Men because… " You can read the rest of the review at X-men Movie Review.

I am still more than interested in seeing the movie. And of course, when the DVD is available, I will add it to my collection.

Now Superman should be out soon and it will be interesting to see how that movie fares with the critics and more importantly, the fans.

Dave