This Friday the newest Batman
animated series, The Brave and the Bold, premieres its newest episode, "Mayhem of the
Music Meister," a musical starring Neil Patrick Harris. The Music
Meister (a new villain created for this episode) is a enemy who creates chaos
using his voice (much like Ashlee Simpson), and when he hits a certain note he
hypnotizes others into doing his bidding. Like the cast of Rent, he is almost constantly singing, and in this
particular episode he hijacks a communication satellite and casts the world
under his musical spell. With us devoting a post to NPH as Peter Parker, and
his recent starring role as Dr. Horrible, it looks as if The Music Meister is
just another addition to Neil Patrick's geektastic resume, and hopefully it
will not the be the last time we witness the Music Meister's range.
Surprisingly "Mayhem of the Music Meister" is not the first time Batman has dipped his batarang into the world of Broadway. In
the late-nineties, after Disney's success with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Warner Bros began planning a musical version of the
Caped Crusader. Jim Steinman, famous for his Bat Out of Hell series with Meat Loaf and the Bonnie Tyler
ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart," was tapped to write the music and
lyrics, while everyone from Stephen Daldry to Tim Burton was rumored to
direct. Though it never made it past the planning stages, Steinman had already
written and recorded some of the songs in demo form for the show, which he
later released on his website.
Judging from the demos, Dark Knight of the Soul, as it has been dubbed by its cult of fans, is
exactly what one would think a Jim Steinman-Batman musical would sound like -- Bat
Out of Hell, but instead of Meat Loaf, it's
Batman singing while throwing the punches. With Catwoman and Batman singing tender duets and Joker's song "Wonderful Toys" where he rhymes the
title with the line "How did Abercrombie & Fitch come up with
all those boys?" it seems that Dark Knight of the Soul would be far gayer than the upcoming Spider-Man
musical, Turn off the Dark.
Hopefully the Batman musical will hit the stage in some form one day. If only it could include the true musical majesty we've been waiting for, a love
duet between Batman and Robin.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold airs tonight at 7:30 ET on Cartoon Network.
Long before Lady Gaga was dressing as a crime-fighter gone wrong, there were other fashionable pop stars and models making fashion headlines: superheroes. With the release of this month's Models Inc., a new series that brings the first model superhero, Millie Collins, into the 21st century, it's safe to say that models can do more than just make love to the camera. The first issue has everything one would want in a fashion comic book: glamorous photo shoots in Central Park, a lesbian supermodel sidekick, and a gay photographer to dream about long after you've closed the issue.
The best part of Models Inc. is the bonus second story starring no other than Tim Gunn himself entitled "Loaded Gunn." Gunn, a fan of comics since childhood, was honored when asked by Marvel if he would like to star in a stand-alone story in their new fashion comic book. When a museum exhibit of superhero fashion through ages is attacked by a group of terrorists out to steal the various suits and uniforms from comic's most famous heroes, it is up to Gunn (with a little help from Iron Man) to save the day. With his classic phrases such as "Gather 'round, everyone" and the likeness of a Tim Gunn action figure, this is a fun story for Project Runway and comic fans alike.
From X-Men teammate, Dazzler, who had a career as a disco pop princess, to Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy, fashion has always made its way onto the paneled pages of everyone's favorite comics. Even if the title characters' outfits left you wondering if they dressed in the dark (you readin' this, Wolverine?) it was always nice to see the sidekicks and supporting characters sporting a little more fashion sense than the web-slingers in the spotlight. The second installment of Models Inc. hits stands next month, and though the following issues won't include a Tim Gunn story, the central mystery is enough to keep fans coming back for more because when the wrongfully accused Millie tries to be a detective in her Dolce, she gets in way over her head and it's up to her fellow catwalk crime-fighters to save the day.
It's been almost two months since Rictor and Shatterstar sent the comic world ablaze when issue no. 45 of X-Factor ended with the two characters entwined in a gay kiss cliffhanger. The following issue did not touch on the subject of the kiss except a panel showing Rictor and Shatterstar continuing to tongue wrestle as their fellow teammate stood to the side to allow them some "alone time." In this month's issue, Rictor and Shatterstar continue on their quest, and even the first time you see them in the issue Rictor has his arm around Shatterstar, and no one seems to question or think anything of it (but I guess when there are time traveling mutants attacking humanity, there are bigger fish to fry).
Since the kiss there has been outrage from very few people, but Rob Liefeld, the creator of Shatterstar, was quoted as saying: "As the guy that created, designed and wrote his first dozen appearances, Shatterstar is not gay. Sorry. Can’t wait to someday undo this. Seems totally contrived.” Peter David, the current writer of X-Factor says that the editors at Marvel are completely supportive of the Rictor and Shatterstar relationship, and one hopes that this all won't be reversed in the future, and the gay kiss won't be wiped from Marvel memory. Some others voicing their opinions are the readers themselves. In the letters page of the newest issue, three letters are printed pertaining to the kiss. Two of the letters being very supportive, and one from someone who described the kiss as "YUCK!" and goes so far as saying he ripped up the comic and sold all his back issues.
If the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar continues on this path, and it is not re-written as Shatterstar being a Skrull or something along those lines, then what we would have would be the first gay mutants in the X-Universe to have a stable and positive relationship just like any straight characters, and while this may be a stretch, the Rictor and Shatterstar relationship could be looked at as an allegory for the current fight for gay marriage. No one in the X-Universe even does a double take when they see Rictor and Shatterstar together because there are larger problems at hand, and even though there are no Sentinels or time-traveling evil mutants in our world, there are greater things to worry about than what consenting adults are doing in the privacy of their own homes and comic books.
This week the online world has been all abuzz with news of the Disney-Marvel merger, and while I cannot wait to see Belle battling Storm at the Magic Kingdom, the other big comics story of the week is that the Spider-Man musical, Turn Off the Dark -- to be directed by Julie Taymor (Across The Universe, Frida)with music by Bono and The Edge -- is being shelved indefinitely.
Spidey may be one of the least gay superheroes around. The closest the gay readers came was in the mid-90's during "The Clone
Saga" storyline when a new twinky Spider-Man, Ben Reilly, was introduced. He was a blond clone of Peter Parker, and though his sexuality
was never addressed, when he took over the Spider-Man mantle he changed
the costume by adding some accessories and called himself "Scarlet Spider."
'Nuff said. But it looked like the original Spidey was gonna get a little gayer courtesy of the Big White Way. Julie Taymor brought in Alan Cumming to play the Green Goblin, and Evan Rachel Wood (fresh from her performance as a woman-lovin' vampire queen on True Blood) to play Mary-Jane. Though there was no official announcement of who would play Peter
Parker, it looks as if actor/musician and all around hottie Reeve
Carney (who can be seen in Taymor's upcoming film adaptation of The Tempest) was the lead choice to play the web-slinger.
With True Blood racking up higher ratings every week and a copy of Twilight smacking you in the face every time you sit on the subway, it seems that vampires are all the rage this summer. Some have had a love affair for years (I have a Sunnydale High yearbook), and some have been bitten recently by Edward, the smoldering teenage vamp in The Twilight Saga. But for Here! TV viewers, vampires have been on the brain for a couple of years now with the original series The Lair being a Here! hit.
Set in a small island town, The Lair follows Thom, a journalist investigating murders of young men around the town. His investigation leads him to a sex club called The Lair, where a coven of vampires await their next victims after finishing with them sexually.
After two seasons on here!, The Lair has gathered a cult following, and with the third season premiering on September 4, you can head over to The show'swebsite and read, among other things, a Lair comic book. Though it's currently only four pages long (the other four pages will follow in the coming weeks, leading up to the season premiere), the comic does a great job of filling in the events between seasons two and three, and granting the reader a one-page insight into the characters. Without being held back by the budget of the show, the creators are free to show werewolves and demons without breaking the Here! bank. It's always nice to see an idea with a limited budget being able to live out its wildest adventures on the comic page.
If you haven't been following this season of FOX's American Idol meets dance recital competition So You Think You Can Dance, then now's the time to tune in and start your new addiction. We're all about addictions here at Out -- men, cocktails, catchy pop music, men... wait, what was I talking about?
Last night the show opened with an insanely rave-tastic group number: think Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour on ecstasy. As if that's not enough to get you watching, our favorite lesbian, Ellen DeGeneres, served as a guest judge. Check out the dance and her commentary above.
And if you haven't gotten enough dance today, check out the 100th episode of the show tonight at 9\8 central. The episode is going to revisit its past with live performances, including several of its Emmy nominated choreographed numbers and the now infamous "Rama Lama Bang Bang" dance from Season 2. (By the way, if you haven't heard the Roisin Murphy song, welcome to yet another addiction.)
Furthermore, Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise's pet, erhm, wife, will perform a musical routine. This one has disaster written all over it, which means I'll be waiting eagerly with a big bowl of popcorn.
The biggest social event of the year for comic book geeks happens this weekend. The San Diego Comic Con is finally here, and if you are a gay boy in the San Diego area with an attraction to Cylons then this convention is the place to be. Here are a few of the highlights:
Thursday, July 23rd:
This afternoon features Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture, a panel discussion about kick-ass women in pop culture and it's hosted by Sigourney Weaver and Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet from "Lost"). A must -see because I'm sure I wasn't the only gay boy who pretended to be Ellen Ripley while killing aliens in his backyard. There is also a panel about everyone's favorite teenage vampire drama, Twilight Saga: New Moon where the filmmakers and SURPRISE members of the cast will talk about the upcoming installment in the hugely popular vampire movie series. And this may be your one chance to see Taylor Lautner's six-pack in person.
The first public screening of footage from Avatar, James Cameron's first film since Titanic is arguably the biggest event of the day (and perhaps weekend). Cameron once again re-teams with his "Aliens" star Sigourney Weaver for this 3-D film 14 years in the making. You can also come out and support your favorite gay comic characters by attending Tipping Point for LGBT Portrayals in Comics. With DC Comics's two most popular lesbians, Batwoman and The Question, taking over "Detective Comics," this panel asks if the gay glass ceiling has finally been broken in the comics world and if gay characters can lead one of DC's most popular titles. Everyone from Patty Jeres, the co-President of Prism Comics (the only gay comic imprint) to Judd Winick (of "Real World" and "Pedro and Me" fame) discusses the roles of sexual preference in the comic world.
When a shirtless Ryan Reynolds on the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly greeted me in my mailbox yesterday, I wiped the drool and began thinking of the actor starring in this year's X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the assassin, Deadpool. Even more exciting, it was recently announced that Mr. Reynolds would be playing the lead in the Deadpool spin-off film franchise. In the EW article the actor talks about his love for the character and how he wants to do him justice by staying true to the source material in the upcoming film. With shirtless scenes (hopefully) already being storyboarded, I thought it would be wise to brush up on the history of Deadpool while waiting to see Mr. ScarJo in action.
With a name like Deadpool, you might think it'd be hard for the guy to be likable or friendly, but Deadpool is actually almost like X-Men's Spider-Man. Wade Wilson (Deadpool's real name) is a wise-cracking, pop culture junkie who regularly breaks the fourth wall and pokes fun at the absurdity of comic book superheroes in general. Marvel Comics was smart: they could've made the lethal mercenary a cold blooded, run of the mill mutant (a la Cable), but instead they went the lighter route and he became an instant fan favorite. Wade was an early test subject of the Weapon X program, where he met Wolverine, but the genetic process he underwent failed and he was left horribly disfigured (hence the face mask -- hopefully this will not happen with Ryan), but with the same healing factor that Wolverine possesses (in fact he's died three times in the comics) and the ability to absorb others' powers.
Since being introduced in 1991, Deadpool has starred in two of his own titles, both of which ran for a number of years, and a new title, Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth is set to debut in July. Though he is little known to the general public, Deadpool has a large fan base in the comics community, and with Ryan Reynolds playing the mercenary in Wolverine, and also spearheading the Deadpool franchise, it looks like 2009 could finally be the year that Deadpool gets his due.
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