Extended 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Trailer Promises Cosmic Marvel Goodness

Tonight 17 minutes of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was screened to eager IMAX audiences, and afterward -- lo and behold -- a new trailer popped up on Fandango. This one has an extended comedy moment used in earlier ads and we get to hear Ronan the Accuser speak for the very first time. Nice use of "Cherry Bomb" as well.

I'm very interested in the film, but that interest is accompanied by my long fanboy sighs of wishing the comic was better. I really liked Abnett and Lanning's relaunch, but I kind of feel like Bendis's revival stalled out quickly. Marvel's working hard to make sure the Guardians in the books match the Guardians on the screen, and I get it -- it's good for business. But I just read a bunch of old Starlord stories this weekend, and those sure are a different beast than what they're serving up here. No matter. I still want to see the damned thing, so it's working.

Quentin Tarantino Comes to Dynamite for 'Django/Zorro' Crossover

Unadorned cover for Django/Zorro #1, art by Massimo Carnival. DC Comics/Dynamite.

Knowing Quentin Tarantino's general fondness for comic books (he ghost-wrote the "Silver Surfer" scene in Crimson Tide and named critical dud Green Lantern as one of his favorite films of 2011), it's a wonder he hasn't been more involved in comics. Perhaps emboldened by the success of DC Comics' Django Unchained mini-series adaptation (from Reginald Hudlin, a filmmaker in his own right, and R.M. Guera), Tarantino is bringing the gunslinging ex-slave back to comics in Django/Zorro.

Hollywood Reporter says that Tarantino will be co-plotting with writer Matt Wagner (Mage, Grendel), whose work on Dynamite's Zorro comic inspired Tarantino to approach the Wagner with the possibility of a cross-over. The comic will be co-published by DC Comics and Dynamite. No artist was announced in Hollywood Reporter's piece, but the book is slated for a late 2014 release.

I'm very interested -- not just because this is Tarantino's first stab at original comics -- but because I can't really picture the world of Zorro and the world of Django Unchained meshing very well at all. If they do, this could be something great. I'm not even sure if Tarantino can do any less.

Podcasts: Traversing the Digital Comics Landscape in 'The Passionate Task'

So, we've got host Moises Chiullan, who wrote a thorough piece on the Comixology/Amazon deal and was linked everywhere because of it. We've got Merlin Mann, tech podcasting celebrity and a digital comics reader. We've got Rich Stevens, comic creator (Diesel Sweeties) and seller of obscene ice scrapers. And we've got me, a dude with a Kindle Fire HD and opinions about things like "guided view" and "prices." Put all of us together, turn on a topic (in this case the shifting digital comics landscape), and glide us gently into your earholes. After we wonder what the future looks like, we talk about what our present looks like -- offering up some must-read comic suggestions.

You can listen here or subscribe to the Giant Size channel via iTunes.

CW Unleashes First Full Trailer for 'The Flash'

Things I appreciate: The fact that Barry Allen smiles easily and often. The immediate introduction of a Rogue (Weather Wizard!). Professor Zoom. That it looks more movie-big than TV-small. The fact that they're openly embracing the character as a superhero (like the 90's TV show did) and not trying to dance around it in the name of realism.

Things I want: All the Rogues! Max Mercury! Jesse Quick! Jay Garrick! Kobra! Grodd! Impulse! Wally! EVERYTHING! ALL OF IT!!!

*ahem*

Check out the trailer above. I don't watch Arrow, but I'd watch this.

Podcasts: 'Internet Comics Database' on ESN.fm's Giant Size

Every year SXSW becomes slightly more comic-centric, which I guess makes sense as comics become more focused on the digital experience. In this episode of Giant Size, host Moises Chiullan and I talk about digital comic success stories and how the relationship between the internet and comics creators is changing how we buy comics. Between our regular chatter, we have interviews with Code Monkey Save World's Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton, and Drew Westphal, as well as conversations with head honchos from Comixology (CEO David Steinberger, John D. Roberts, and Chip Mosher) and one-half of the team that's made Chew a cult success for Image, artist Rob Guillory.

I think the best part of this show (no disrespect to the guests) is when Moises and I start talking about Marvel AR and how digital bells and whistles in comics should really work. It's the part of the show that inspired this episode's title, and I'd like to know what other people think about where our heads are at concerning how to make digital comics an all-together different experience than print.

Thanks to our sponsors...

SPONSORS

• Squarespace: everything you need to get started making a website. Visit the link and use the offer code in the show (part of the show's name) for 10% off
• Drobo: mass storage for the masses. Use offer code MOISES for $50 off any model including the new Drobo 4-bay (normally just $349)

And thank you for listening. You can listen here or subscribe to the Giant Size channel (which includes the full shows as well as "Test Pattern," our always-interesting post-show chatter).

Marvel Teams With Netflix for 'Daredevil,' 'Luke Cage,' and More TV

listen to ‘Here's Everything You Need to Know About Netflix's New Marvel Superhero Shows’ on Audioboo

Editor of Movies.com, Erik Davis and invited me and colleague Sean O'Connell for a brief discussion concerning today's huge Marvel news. Netflix and Marvel are partnering for four exclusive 13-episode original series -- Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones -- culminating in an event mini-series titled The Defenders. The new shows roll out in 2015 as part of Netflix's subscription-based streaming service. You can read Marve;'s press release here. Spoiler: I'm really glad to see DD coming to TV.