We can’t hope to compete with the amount of news coming out of NYCC, so instead, we’re focusing on the one thing we can deliver. Our opinion! Comics-inspired computer games (Iron Man, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC) and movies (30 Days of Night, The Spirit) are the focus of this column, though there’s always time to wonder what Grant Morrison is up to in the pages of Batman as well…

Lots of lovely Grant Morrison stuff this week. CBR have posted a great three-part interview titled All Star Morrison, with lots of interesting tidbits including further hints about the upcoming “Batman RIP” (key quote : “This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman”) and Final Crisis. Newsarama, meanwhile, have followed this up with his Q&A from the New York Comic Con, and although some of the same ground is covered, there’s still some nice stuff. I’ve got to admit, I’m a bit less excited about Final Crisis than I might have been – it doesn’t really sound like it’s going to have the far-reaching ramifications that we’d previously thought it might, and so could end up being a bit anticlimactic. On the other hand, it is Morrison doing a nice big apocalyptic superhero story, so if it can be appreciated on its own merits, then I’m sure there’ll still be plenty to enjoy. But I really am intrigued by his plans for Batman – in the year The Dark Knight comes out, I simply can’t bring myself to believe that we’re going to end up with anyone other than Bruce Wayne under the cowl. But we shall see – knowing Mozza, I think there are still many big twists and turns to come (and I haven’t ruled out my “faking his own death” scenario, either)… (SP)

Den of Geek have this week published an interview with Steve Niles, which raises again the question of the factual inaccuracies (regarding the Alaskan town of Barrow) in 30 Days of Night. I can’t comment on the actual quality of the series, as I’ve never read it, but what’s interesting here is that Niles doesn’t just admit that there are errors and write it off as artistic license (which, you know, is a fairly justifiable stance – it’s hardly without precedent). Instead, he persists, in the face of all available evidence, with putting his various misconceptions forward as fact. When he brushes off a question about planes flying in and out of Barrow with a terse “Because the airport is closed!”, that’s not a writer taking artistic liberties – he’s just outright wrong. Or, worse, lying. What does this achieve? Is he really so arrogant that he can’t admit to mistakes when they’re pointed out to him? Either way, it doesn’t make him come off at all well. (SP)

The demo of the Xbox 360 Iron Man game is available for download on Xbox LIVE, and for those hopeful that it would break the trend of lazy, uninspired movie-licensed releases… bad luck, it’s horrible. We’re not a games blog so there’s little point doing a full review, but let me put it this way – it’s not the kind of game you’d pay for. Or accept as a gift. Poor physics, a lack of character/model detail and outright tedious gameplay are just some of the charges you can level against it. Don’t waste your time, let alone your money.(JH)

In fact, while we’re talking about comics-based computer games, DC finally steps up and delivers… Mortal Kombat Vs. DC. What the christ? Is this what it’s come to? An obvious attempt to replicate the success of the (long-gone) Marvel Vs. Capcom franchise, but seriously? That the Mortal Kombat franchise still exists is largely a testament to the enduring popularity of fatalities which, no surprise, are reportedly going to be absent from this game. Presumably, DC is sensitive to the idea of Batman having his head ripped off. Oh well. Still, at least we’ll get to see some hilarious fights. Johnny Cage Vs. Superman, anyone? (JH)

Oh, dear. Teaser trailer for Sin City 2… er, sorry, The Spirit. THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING. Non-Director’s Guild-accredited hack takes classic, wry, deconstructive masked adventurer series from the pen of comics’ greatest ever writer/artist, rips the soul out of it, and retools it specifically to appeal to fans of his particular brand of machismo bullshit? Yeah, count me out. (SP)

More shameless self promotion – this week, I had the good fortune to attend a talk on Jack Kirby at the London ICA, which I then wrote up for CBR. The talk and article are both entitled Live at Kirby Plaza. It’s not quite up there with the panels at the NYCC, but was still great nonetheless. And, of course, last week’s Alternate Cover column was on “Crossover Fatigue“. A topic we’re all sure to become familiar with, I imagine. (JH)

Tags: Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Iron Man, Jack Kirby, Mortal Kombat, Steve Niles, The Spirit
Publisher: The Sunday Pages