Mike Choi Has 'Cloak & Dagger' Covered

I’m always thrilled when a big writer takes on B or C-list characters because they have more room to have fun. They’re not restrained by forty years of continuity that readers don’t want compromised. I think this is why Brian Michael Bendis is going to carry Moon Knight up to where he’s brought Spider-Woman and Luke Cage.

This August Nick Spencer gets his shot at fan-favorites Cloak and Dagger in Spider Island: Cloak and Dagger, the tie-in to Dan Slott’s big Fall Spider-Man event, “Spider Island.” Growing up, Cloak and Dagger were two of my favorite characters because there origin was so tragic and there means of vigilantism was pretty damn extreme. They were a couple of runaways who were experimented on with some highly addictive drug then left for dead. They took out their revenge on New York’s drug-pushers with a finality that even the Punisher would admire.

Cloak and Dagger first appeared in Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (circa 1982, below) and they have received a number of mini-series and unsuccessful ongoings over the years. They may not be a property with long-lasting appeal, but it’s always nice to see them pop up every few years.

I wonder what Spencer could do with Firestar?

Spencer and Rios Take on Cloak and Dagger

The original runaways are back and they’re going to be guided by none other than Nick Spencer, the latest hot writer with a new Marvel exclusive deal.

Spencer announced this weekend at the Kapow Comic Con in England that he would be penning a three-issue Cloak and Dagger mini-series.  The writer is getting his feet wet all over the Marvel Universe, first with Iron Man 2.0 and an upcoming—yet brief—run on Secret Avengers.

Cloak and Dagger made their first appearance in 1982’s Spectacular Spider-Man #64 and have turned up all around the Marvel Universe ever since. The two started out as a pair of runaways whose mutant powers were brought on after they were kidnapped and forced to undergo the testing of a synthetic heroin. When they first appeared they were merciless vigilantes, disposing their own form of justice to drug pushers. Last year, when Marvel announced possible television projects, a Cloak and Dagger series was one of the possible properties being bandied about.

Joining Spencer on the mini is artist Emma Rios (Osborn). A publication date has not yet been announced.

Hulk Smashes His Way Back to the Small Screen

The Hulk
People tend to remember the original Hulk series from the 70’s fondly—the show was customized for television with a Fugitive-esque setting and was a big hit for CBS. Our hero, Dr. David Banner (not Bruce), moved from town to town while being followed by Jack McGee, an investigative reporter who worked for a news agency that must have had a lot of disposable money on their hands.

According to Heat Vision, ABC Television and Marvel Television (the latter led by former Hulk scribe Jeph Loeb) are eager to bring the mean green monster back to the small screen where he once thrived. Loeb’s television credits are none too shabby; he’s worked on Lost, Smallville and Heroes. ABC Family is also interested in bringing a series based on the original comic book runaways: Cloak and Dagger.

Marvel Television execs are currently soliciting ideas for the following possible properties: Heroes for Hire, The Eternals, Moon Knight, Ka-Zar, and the The Punisher among others. It will be interesting to see how Marvel affects to television landscape over the next few seasons.

Superior
Mark Millar appears to already be in talks to bring Superior to the big screen. Gosh it seems like just yesterday that Superior hit the comic shelves—oh wait. Well, Nemesis was greenlit after only three issues so I’m not surprised that Superman meets Big is also a hot property. Stay tuned for more developments!

Batman 3
Tom Hardy is the first fresh face to be added to what is sure to be another epic (and I don’t mean that as slang) Batman adventure. It has not yet been announced who the actor is playing, but there has been a good deal of speculation that he will be cast as one of the Caped Crusader’s rogues. My money says he will probably play a gangster (ala Eric Roberts or Tom Wilkinson). Hardy proved himself a scene stealer in Nolan’s Inception; I’m sure he’ll bring more of the same to the final installment in this series.

Green Lantern
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows soars into theaters next month in glorious 2-D, the opening act will be none other than Green Lantern (in the form of the first trailer for the 2011 summer blockbuster). Cross your fingers that this will be more than a one-minute snippet that’s free of glimpses of Sinestro, members of the Green Lantern Corps, or anything else that might make us wet our pants.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Bruce Timm, DC Animation’s guiding force, is hard at work on Green Lantern: The Animated Series. A one-hour special is set to air in the fall of 2011 on the Cartoon Network, with the regular series premiering in Spring 2012.