• In Marvel casting news, Alice Eve has been tapped to play Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class, which would imply they’re going to follow the continuity laid down by X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I say if you’re going to reboot, then just reboot. According to the comics, the first class of X-Men was Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Ice Man, Beast, and Angel. How great would it be to see just those guys on screen, working as a team?

• In further Marvel casting news, the reliably grizzled Tommy Lee Jones has been cast in Captain America: The First Avenger as Colonel Phillips, who in the comics recruited Steve Rogers into the program that turned him into the star-spangled Cap.

• By now we’ve all seen the trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but here’s a funny take on it.

• A few years ago, I first heard the term “cinematic Marvel universe” and swooned with delight. Well, now the gods of Marvel are conquering the medium of television as well. How awesome would a few live-action series, a la Smallville, be? The possibilities are limitless.

• If your brain doesn’t explode with information (mine did), here’s a fascinating look at whether or not we live in a multiverse. And I’ll own it: I’m only interested in finding a double of myself so we can make out.

• Do to circumstances beyond our control … er, I mean from beyond the grave! Woooooooo … we don’t have one of our “goth recaps” of True Blood this week. But as a consolation prize, I can give you io9’s hilarious (and NSFW) review. And for those who saw the episode … some ending, huh? I’m going to need some serious therapy to erase that image from my mind.

• And while we’re on a NSFW kick, here’s a funny video from the folks at Cracked, which follows Toy Story’s Andy when he goes to college.

Four Torches (Out of Five)

When I saw the first Iron Man, I didn’t have high expectations.

We had come off a string of bad Marvel movies, and pairing up a checkered-past celebrity with a second-tier character just didn’t seem like a genius move.

Let the record state that I never have a problem admitting when I’m wrong.

Yes, the effects were amazing. At this point, CGI technology is at a place that if effects look anything short of amazing, then the movie fails simply on that principle.

But what really made the … I’m trying to think of some metal pun … what really made the iron hot … nah. What really melted down the ores to a state where they can be made into alloys …

Okay, you know, what? I don’t know metal.

What really made the film exceptional was, as everyone now knows, Robert Downey, Jr’s portrayal of Tony Stark, that other superhero millionaire playboy (who’s a lot less grim and brooding than Bruce Wayne). RDJ has a way with snark, and he turned that into a comic masterpiece in this role while also packing on the action-hero gravitas.

Naturally, that means the bar is set high for Iron Man 2, and fortunately for the filmmakers as well as the fans, they deliver.

The CGI, once again, is spectacular, and the artists have clearly upped their game. Watching Iron man swoop through the air and backflip away from explosions will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

But it’s funny — one of the attributes of this cinematic Iron Man that strikes me as odd is just how nimble and agile he is in a suit that’s basically a human-shaped tank. I was a huge fan of the comics as a kid, and in my head, Iron Man always seemed, well, kind of clunky. Here he’s as spry as Catwoman on her best day.

Speaking of agile ladies, the movie also features Scarlett Johansson in the woefully minor role of Natalie Rushman, aka Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow (although her superhero alias is never used in the film.) She doesn’t get a lot of screentime, but she does get one insanely awesome fight scene where she obliterates a roomful of guards. Wile I enjoyed the moment, I was also aware it was essentially just a teaser for the eventual Avengers movie.

Much of the film, in fact, is dedicated to placing it within the greater context of the Marvel cinematic universe, as opposed to the previous film, which focused mainly on Iron Man as his own entity. For those of you who go nuts for this kind of thing, definitely stay past the credits.

Don Cheadle particularly shines in his role as James “Rhodie” Rhodes, taking over for Terrence Howard, who played the role in the first film. Cheadle is one of those actors who can do it all, and here he provides humor, charm, and quite a lot of bad-assery when he straps on the suit and becomes War Machine.

Final verdict: Definitely an awesome entry into Marvel’s movie family. Bring on Thor.

• Could it be true? The internets are all a-flutter, saying it’s quite possible that High Lord and Master of All Geeks, Joss Whedon, will be directing the upcoming Avengers movie. Please, please, please let this happen.

• I’m open about the fact that I’m a newb to the Doctor Who universe, having discovered it after really enjoying Torchwood a few months ago. But in those months, I’ve gotten to know the world of Who quite well, and while I’m going to desperately miss David Tennant, I’m really looking forward to the new season. io9 has an interview with the cast and writer that’s well worth a look.

• Did you guys know there are fantasy-adventure books out with J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as the protagonists? I didn’t, but apparently they will soon be turned into movies, and get this: they’ll be produced by Rick Porras, who will be well-known to owners of the DVDs of Lord of the Rings. This is like concentric rings of geekdom. And I love it!

• I’m not sure how people are reacting to Chris Evans as Captain America on the whole. When I was at PAX East, some dude overheard me talking about it with friends and shouted “Sucks!” So, that’s one guy … with apparently no social skills. What do you guys thing? Anyway, Ain’t It Cool has a little piece about it here.

• Gaaah … this freaks me the eff out, but it might be worth a look if you’re into weird, challenging art. An artist named Jason de Caires Taylor has taken to creating creepy, lifelike sculptures and placing them on the bottom of the sea floor. I don’t know why, but it gives me the serious heebiejeebies.

• I got two items into this list and had to stop, but I know some of you out there live for this kind of stuff, so here is a list of the 7 Most Horrifying Things Ever Found in a Human Body from Cracked. Enjoy the list … freaks.

• Ever wanted to know what the most depressing moments in Marvel history were? Well, look no further!
  

• Number three on the aforementioned list is the entire life of Daredevil. I feel bad for the guy, such a series of unlucky breaks, and then a less-than-stellar movie. Beyond that, he’s also the victim of a pretty hilarious blooper while filming a fight scene … (Warning: Very mildly NSFW language.)

A few months ago, the heirs of Jack Kirby, the iconic Golden Age-era Marvel Comics artist who first drew the likes of Spider-man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, made a big fuss that the rights to all of the artist’s properties would be reverting to them in a very near future, sending notified letters to the company letting them know the deal.

It was recently announce that Marvel is now suing the heirs, professing that their claim to the characters is bogus. In short, Marvel got served by Kirby’s heirs, so then Marvel served them right back, and now, as per the rules, it’s on.

But lest you get worried that this may have an effect on any of the upcoming Marvel films, fear not. Just as we all knew that The Hobbit would eventually get made despite the legal red tape, and none of us believe that crazy lady can really withdraw the rights to Sherlock Holmes if Robert Downey Jr. continues to joke that he’s gay, can anyone really believe that the family of Jack Kirby can take on one of the mightiest entertainment companies in the world (Marvel is owned by Disney, now, remember) and actually win? Unlikely.

Marvel also released a statement explaining that the characters were “made for hire” by Kirby, therefore they belong to Marvel since they were created as part of the job. Sorry, Kirby kids. This looks dead in the water.

Nice try, though.

Looking to buy any of the projects mentioned in this article (or any other media)? Support TheTorchOnline.com by purchasing it through this link.

New York, as they say, is a hell of a town.

Sometimes literally.

I’ve lived in or near New York all my life, and for the past seven months I lived right in the heart of Manhattan, in a neighborhood affectionately known as Hell’s Kitchen. But is there devilry (and devilish cooking) truly afoot?

According to Hollywood and certain comics, you bet.

Unlike DC’s superheroes which exist in New York substitutes like Gotham City and Metropolis, the brain children of Marvel patriarch Stan Lee were living it up in the very real New York City. Spider-man swung from the Empire State Building. The Fantastic Four’s headquarters are found in midtown Manhattan. And Daredevil, the man without fear, has chosen my old neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, as the area he’s going to defend.

When aliens attack the Earth, they’ll often start with New York, but fortunately the Avengers will always be there to make a stand. (The same was true of the X-men until those lousy mutants recently defected to San Francisco. Boo.)

And there’s more than just the Marvel clan. Hellboy, after all, resides in New York and fights off the demon spawn that may attack it. And then there’s the Watchmen, those angsty heroes desperately in need of therapy, who also patrol New York City, although really they’re just defending us from themselves.

But before you think it’s superheroes who have the market on the supernatural goings-on in the city that never sleeps, take a look at the staggering amount of fantasy or fantasy-esque movies that have taken place here.

The occult has a long history with the Big Apple. One of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, Rosemary’s Baby (based on the novel of the same name), has its demonic activity going down in the Dakota, the building in Central Park West where John Lennon was tragically killed.

And for the mother of all ghost stories, who can forget the immortal film Ghostbusters, that standard-bearer of 80’s comedy, along with its less favorable but still admirable sequel? Surely the sight of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man strolling through the streets of Manhattan will go down as one of the most infamous images of cinematic New York of all time.

And deep below the streets, in our very sewers, there dwell a clan of four heroes known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, protectors of the weak and devourers of the pizza. What would they be without New York as their backdrop?

The much-maligned action-fantasy Last Action Hero took the cinematic ideal of Los Angeles and juxtaposed it with the “reality” of New York, much to the dismay of the fictional-turned-real action hero played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Monster and disaster movies thrive in a setting like New York; how many other cities have such a memorable skyline upon which to wreak your havoc? King Kong, Godzilla, and most recently Cloverfield have done their best to wipe clean the buildings of beloved Manhattan with their monstrous paws, and Independence Day and The Day the Earth Stood Still have brought that destruction from above. The Earth herself has turned against New York in The Day After Tomorrow and the upcoming 2012.

Will Smith memorably carted himself around a New York that had succumbed to the rule of zombie creatures in the apocalyptic I Am Legend. (And what a fascinating future New York it was, with its glimpses of skyrocketed fuel prices and an ad for a Batman/Superman film!)

And perhaps the most iconic image of a post-apocalyptic New York comes from The Planet of the Apes, in which Charlton Heston sees the buried Statue of Liberty, leading him to realize that mankind had destroyed themselves, ushering in the rule of sentient apes. (Oh, by the way, spoiler alert! You’ve all seen the movie, right?)

But I’m going to truly geek out here and admit that might my favorite fantasy film of recent years to feature New York is the slightly sappy yet utterly amusing Disney film Enchanted.

Now, hear me out!

Yes, it’s soft fantasy. Yes, it’s Disney. Yes, there are musical numbers and talking animals. But with Enchanted, Disney really gave its own movies a send-up for their occasionally laughable sappiness, and particularly the shallowness of some of their older stories — a princess and a prince fall in love in a single day?

Maybe it’s just that I’m getting older (I’m in my seriously late 20’s now), but the sight of Amy Adams blissfully singing her way through Central Park is a pure joy, considering how most people doing so in real life would have a hat on the ground for you to throw change into.

Yeah, I’d rather watch that than a monster topple skyscrapers. So what?!

New York is the place to be for some of the finest culture, cuisine, and entertainment in all of the United States. It’s also, as it happens, the place to be for your choicest assortments of ghost, demons, and magical spells. Keep that in mind next time you’re searching for vacation hotspots. After all, as the song goes, if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere. Even another plane of existence.

You can’t swing a dead mutant around these days without hitting a movie theater playing a Marvel comic film. An overwhelming amount of films based on the X-Men and Avengers books are on their way, and that’s just the tip of the Bobby Drake-created iceberg.

With the original Blade film, Marvel proved they could take a lesser known character and turn it into a reasonably profitable film, thus opening the doors for the first X-Men and Spider-Man movies, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now all their main heroes either already have or very soon will have movies of their own, and the cinematic Marvel universe is becoming almost as overpopulated as its funny book equivalent. But what about the great characters they haven’t tapped yet?

A few that spring to mind:

The Black Cat — Felicia Hardy’s anti-hero alter ego is the prima donna of the Spider-man series, a morally ambiguous and emotionally complex character, and looks damn good in black leather. But the Spider-man films so far have had an unwritten rule that women are only allowed to pout, look tempting, or be kidnapped, thus sadly the Black Cat has been absent from the silver screen.

She would make a great addition to the series: beyond the fact that she would be a nice foil for Mary Jane, she is practically Spider-man’s physical equal, and could provide some nice rooftop sexual tension the likes of which we haven’t seen since Batman Returns.

Of course, I’m not suggesting hastily adding her to one of the future films just for the sake of having her there - remember what happened to Venom.

Apocalypse – Really? ALL those X-Men films on the horizon and no whispers yet of the biggest baddie of them all? Apocalypse has been making life hell for the X-men, and in fact, much of the world, since the days of Ancient Egypt, and isn’t looking to slow down any time soon.

We only got a small dose of Warren Worthington 111, aka Angel, in X-Men 3, but that character’s storyline with Apocalypse is unforgettable. Born rich, smooth, blond, and handsome (if angel wings are your thing), Warren was a fun-loving playboy until a devastating battle in which he lost his wings. After this, Apocalypse transformed him into an evil follower, turning his skin blue and giving him razor-sharp metal wings. Though he eventually turned good again, Warrne was never the same. And that’s just a taste of the nastiness Apocalypse gets up to.

Northstar – I’m just going to put this out there: it’s time for a gay super-hero on screen. I’m sure studios are iffy about the idea, worrisome that it may be too risky a venture, but the world is ready. While the Marvel universe has a small handful of LGBT characters, none is more well-known than Northstar, the first Marvel superhero to come out of the closet, and in 1992, no less.

Northstar has a very cinematic appeal: handsome, edgy, and the movie-friendly powers of super-speed and flight. Hopefully in one of the estimated 26,985 X-men films coming out in the next few years, Northstar just may pop up. Fingers crossed.

Moonstar – While we’re on the topic of inclusion, a demographic that’s widely overlooked on the big screen is Native Americans (and it currently seems that their only filmic representation is as werewolves in the Twilight series). Marvel has always been ahead of its time in its inclusion of minorities, and one of these examples is the New Mutants’ Danielle Moonstar, who could communicate telepathically with animals as well as project bursts of psionic energy.

There is some chatter about a New Mutants film some day, and let’s hope that Moonstar is part of the action.

These are only a few examples of currently-overlooked characters. We all have characters we’d like to see. Feel free to share some of your own.

Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)

Q: Oh Wise and Wondrous Oracle, what can you tell me about the apparently stalled film adaptation of Mary Doria Russell’s fabulous novel, The Sparrow? Last I heard Brad Pitt and/or Antonio Banderas were attached to it, but it seems to have stalled completely. — Ralph, New Zealand

A: The Oracle can reveal that the movie remains in development at Warner Brothers, with Brad Pitt attached; the option on the project was renewed in February 2009. But as Russell herself says, “Many are optioned, but few are filmed.”

The Sparrow is the story of a priest who is the only survivor of a disastrous “first contact” mission with an alien race. In its review, Library Journal basically said it was too smart and philosophical to be considered “science fiction” — which just goes to show how little Library Journal know about science fiction. It’s totally in keeping with the genre’s greatest traditions.

Anyway, Russell is now cautiously optimistic that the movie might get made. “Mr. Pitt is indeed serious about the movie,” she says.

Q: So … the upcoming remake of V. Does she … eat the rat? — Marcy, Billings, MT

A: Not in the pilot episode, which is the only one the Oracle has seen. But … come on! She has to eventually, right? That’s the most famous scene in the original series!

For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, just ignore us.

Diana “eats the rat” [Spoiler alert!]

Q: Last week, your site alluded to the rivalry between Universal Studios and Disney. But what does it mean for Universal Studios that Disney recently purchased Marvel Comics (and the rights to all their characters)? Marvel characters are featured prominently in Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure amusement park. — Trevor, Los Angeles, CA

A: In the short term, Disney’s purchase of Marvel does not affect Universal; they have long-term leases on the characters that are featured on the park’s Marvel Superhero Island.

But long-term? The Oracle thinks it’s not so good for Universal. Disney can, and will, start adding Marvel characters to their own theme parks. Marvel’s lease with Universal is a “Florida-exclusive” one, which means Disney can’t add those characters to Disney World — but they can still gradually dilute Universal’s cache by adding them elsewhere.

According to the New York Times, this is part of the reason why Universal has invested so heavily in their Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction, opening next spring. It allows them to gradually move away from their reliance on the Marvel characters, and also on the movies of Steven Spielberg (like Jurassic Park), since his association with the park may also soon be renegotiated.

Q: Your webcomic got me thinking: what the hell did happen to the entwives? – Brad, Newark, NJ

A: As you may recall, the Ents and the Entwives had a falling out over … agriculture, of all things (the male Ents felt that everything should take its natural course, but the Entwives were interested in agriculture).

Don’t laugh. We human genders are at each others’ throats over whether the toilet seat gets left up or down.

So what happened to the Entwives? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam tells the story of a cousin who saw something Ent-like in the Shire, and later, Treebeard says to Merry and Pippin that Ents would have liked it there. So is that where the Entwives disappeared to?

Alas, no, the Oracle is sad to reveal. For a time, Tolkien maintained he didn’t know what happened to the Entwives (!!!!), but he later fessed up, writing: “I think that in fact the Entwives have disappeared for good, being destroyed with their gardens in the War of the Last Alliance.”

Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)