Everything looks super sized; the cast, the sets and even the explosions, the wide shot 18 seconds in is particularly impressive. Director Joss Whedon is keeping his cards pretty close to his chest, and the trailer shows less than it feels like it does; but he does introduce the main characters and the villain, so it’s enough to get me excited.

Oh, and if your wondering where the hell is the Hulk, just wait to the end. Check out the trailer below and get back to us with your thoughts.

The cast is great; Chris Evans somehow manages to dominate the screen equally as the muscle bound super soldier and as the small, physically weak kid from Brooklyn. Stepping into the role can’t have been an easy task, but to his credit Evans keeps it simple and plays Cap’ just how he should be, his performance is engaging and the CGI used to reduce his body at the beginning is amazing. Hugo Weaving is always a complete pleasure to watch, and here is no different; it’s obvious he is having loads of fun playing Schmidt/The Red Skull. The accent is very ‘German’ and his mere presence on screen creates an ominous mood of tension and dread. Also, Tommy Lee Jones and Toby Jones are great.

The film does slightly loose its way somewhere in the second act, a completely miss-timed montage cuts through what could have been a nice scene of Cap’ and his team working together, and we would have been able to see Cap’ and Bucky together in the battlefield a little bit more. Also, the film’s final scene does really feel like a post credits sequence bumped up to the main feature to make way for The Avengers trailer, which by the way, looks awesome sauce.

Early in his career director Joe Johnston worked at Industrial Light & Magic on features that included Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and he has brought all of that blockbuster flare to Captain America. Johnston also directed the film adaptation of The Rocketeer in the early 1990’s, which Joe Innes loves (YEP – Ed)… Worth a mention! One of the best moments in the film is strangely enough during the credits. In the final few names; Ed Brubaker, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon all get a thank-you, among others. It’s great to see the filmmakers giving the comic writers and creators their dues.

Go and see Captain America: The First Avenger, and that’s an order soldier!

Will Pond.

Marvel says:

KICK ASS 2 Is Back!

Get your first look at Kick Ass 2 #3, right here from the chart topping creative team of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.! This time, the beatings won’t slow down, as Kick Ass 2 resumes a regular printing schedule of every six weeks, right until the final issue! Escalation is the name of the game, as feeble high-school geek Dave Lizewski embraces his role as a real-life, ass-kicking superhero! But wait, it gets crazier as he joins Justice Forever! But what’s the price for having an entourage of costumed nut jobs? Dave’s nemesis The Red Mist has the answers, along with a few other bloody surprises, this August in Kick Ass 2 #3!

“I couldn’t be more excited that the scheduling problems have all been taken care off because this is most I’ve enjoyed working in the medium since I started” said Millar. “I’m thrilled that fans have kept on supporting the book, our sales have been incredible, and everyone has been appreciated. I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to feels to know this is out every six weeks like clockwork now! The ride only gets wilder from here!”

And THAT’S NOT ALL! Reserve your hospital bed because the first two heart-stopping issues of Kick Ass 2 are bludgeoning their way back to comic shop shelves everywhere! With the Kick Ass 2 #1 going to an unprecedented FIFTH printing, and Kick Ass 2 #2 bloodying up the competition with a second printing, this book is unstoppable! Catch up on the action with Kick Ass 2 #1 Fifth Printing Variant & Kick Ass 2 #2 Second Printing Variant, and prepare yourself for the latest and craziest issue of Kick Ass yet!

What gut-wrenching scheme is The Red Mist forming and can Justice Forever put an end to it? And where the heck is Hit-Girl? Find out this August!

KICK ASS 2 #3 (of 7)
Written by MARK MILLAR
Art and Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
ON SALE—24/08/11

Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #6

After one wild ride it seems a shame to end my coverage of the Death of Spider-Man on a low point. But here it is all the same. After much confusion the Ultimate Avengers and New Ultimates finally team up to take on Gregory Stark and save the world but what should be a bombastic climax completely underwhelms.

I can best compare this series to the bus from Speed. While racing along it can deliver all the thrills and laughs the audience want but if the pace slows down for whatever reason, the weaknesses of the writing becomes so obvious that the whole thing blows up. Or in this case just looks stupid. So once again the attempts to pull drama from characters that haven’t been fleshed out enough, such as the new Black Widow, fall limp. What seemed like an amoral satire tries to grow a conscience at the last minute. I understand that it needed to get in line with the other Ultimate titles in time for the reboot but the way it happens here feels too forced. I wish I didn’t have to resort to clichés but I can’t help that ‘too little, too late’ sums up this issue perfectly.

Bring us the next Superior. Bring us the next Kick-Ass 2. We need to be reminded that Mark Millar is a writer who can push boundaries and still take the time to develop his characters and stories. Otherwise I’ll go and pull out my back issues of Superman: Red Son.

Joe Read.

Marvel says:

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Ultimate Comics X-Men #1, from rising stars Nick Spencer & Paco Medina! Iceman, Kitty Pride and the Human Torch discover the true history of the x-gene as the divide between Mankind and Mutantkind grows deeper than ever before! Who are the X-Men and how will they handle the fallout of this universe shattering discovery? Find out in Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 this September, as Ultimate Comics Universe Reborn continues!

ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #1
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by PACO MEDINA
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS (POLYBAGGED)
Variant Cover by PACO MEDINA
ON SALE – 14/09/11

The story so far… first director Darren Aronofsky was all signed on, the script was coming together (Logan was heading to Japan) and shooting was set to begin around spring this year, but then due in part to the environmental crisis in Japan and Aronofsky’s worries about being away from his family for a long period of time, he pulled out and the production was back to square one. Loads of potential names were then thrown around as a replacement, including Duncan Jones (Moon) and Mark Romenak (Never Let Me Go) but now Fox have revealed that neither of them will take the director’s chair, that honour will be taken by James Mangold.

Mangold has worked in a variety of genres including action adventure (Knight and Day), character drama (Walk the Line) and even Stallone action (Copland… it’s a genre!) so I will be interested to see what he brings to the table. Also, Jackman has let slip that production is going to begin this autumn, so the film will most likely be hitting cinema screens late summer 2012.

I wasn’t a massive fan of the first Wolverine spin off so I’m hoping Mangold and Jackman will really up the game for the sequel, keep checking back to GCB for all the latest Wolverine 2 news.

Oh and since I couldn’t find any related photos to go with this news piece, I attached a photo of Jackman looking ripped whilst preparing for the role back in February.

LOOK AT THAT NECK!

Will Pond.

Marvel says:

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Uncanny X-Force #12, from critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender, superstar artists Mark Brooks and Dean White. X-Force must find a Celestial Life Seed before Archangel succumbs to the darkness within him, but when the alternate reality’s twisted versions of Earth’s mightiest stand in their way – will they be too late? Can they halt the coming of a new Apocalypse? Find out in Uncanny X-Force #12!

UNCANNY X-FORCE #12
UNCANNY X-FORCE #12 KUBERT VARIANT
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by MARK BROOKS
Colors by DEAN WHITE
Cover by ESAD RIBIC
Variant Cover by ADAM KUBERT
ON SALE – 27/07/2011

This series has been the definition of hit-and-miss for me. But I’m happy to write that this issue is a fantastic return to form…because it’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s downright ludicrous and that has to mean something when you read comics about men dressed as bats or silver surfers from space on a weekly basis.

I know I can’t judge this as a normal comic book anymore. I can’t relate to any of the characters or sympathize with their problems or feel that strongly about the ‘issues’ that this storyline is dealing with. When it really flies it’s an action packed satirical cartoon, cracking jokes and skulls with equal aplomb. My problem is that Mark Millar’s first two volumes of the Ultimates did this with heart and brains that made the reader care a little more when the fists weren’t flying. Was it Bryan Hitch’s epic artwork? Was it the 13-issue format that took time to develop characters and story? It’s a mystery.

Now that the secret villain of the series has been laid bare the fights come thick and fast and they are loaded with some startling surprises. Hulk pills! Korean Spiderman! Ultimate Ultimate Team-Up! I was grinning from ear to ear reading this wondering how it could any more absurd. I just hope that the conclusion is big and noisy enough to distract me from its shortcomings.

Joe Read.

Marvel says:

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1, from the critically acclaimed creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic! Iron Man, Hawkeye, Nick Fury & Thor are back together after the monumental events of Ultimate Comics Fallout! One of the biggest villains that ever faced the Ultimate Universe has returned. But with a teammate out of action, can the remaining members save the world as they struggle to find their place in the Ultimate Universe?   Ultimate Comics Universe Reborn kicks off this August in Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1!

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by ESAD RIBIC
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant Cover by ESAD RIBIC
ON SALE – 24/08/11

Publicity for Cap’ will be heating up in the run up to August so keep checking back for further developments.