Comic and Movie News Upcoming Title to Read Book of the Week and Character of Week 31

NEWS HAPPENING IN THE COMIC BOOK WORLD:
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Amazing Spider-Man. Right now I'm really looking forward to this month, though I'm not looking forward to the money that I will be spending, August promises to be a good month for my favorite wall crawler. One thing I’m looking forward to is issue #692 of the Amazing Spider-Man.
In #692 Spider-Man gets a sidekick in this issue, though I’m a little iffy on that part, what I’m looking forward to the most is the back-up story. Though what I really want are all the variant covers by Martin Decades. The 5 covers will showcase a critical moment in Peter Parkers/Spider-Man’s life during the past 50 years. Right now these covers are one the top of the re-order list so my odds of getting them are slim and even if I do get the chance they will be expensive.

COMICS IN THE MOVIES:
The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 is schedule for a release date of September 25, 2012. It's going to be based off the graphic novel that was written and drawn by Frank Mill. It came out in 1986 where it tells the story of an aged Bruce Wayne that's retired from the superhero scene. As Gotham City becomes a more violent city with wars between gangs going on, Batman decides to put on the cape and cowl once again to bring justice to his near destroyed city.
Though he is trying to do good by stopping the gang known as the Mutants from terrorizing the citizens of Gotham, he finds out that they no longer want his help.
That's a pretty basic description of the story, one that does not give justice to the story because it's one of the top Batman stories to have been written. It's gritty, it's dark, it's what Batman should be and now the animation is coming out in September. I'm really looking forward to getting this animation, especially the Blu Ray with all the bonus features it will be toting along with the digital copy of the movie. What sucks is that part 2 won't come out until 2013. I understand the need to have a time period between the two but lets say it comes out in Feburary, that's still 4-5 months between. I would much rather have it coming out in December, then I wouldn't have to wait so long for what I expect to be one of the better animations. At least it should be considering how the story has already been told and it's good.

Some other comic book movie related news comes from the Marvel front with the sequel to X-Men First Class. I was already looking forward to seeing a second movie of this new X team but when I learned it was going to be based on teh Chris Claremont & John Byrne story "Days of Future Past" from Uncanny X-Men #141-142 I was thrilled. This shows you that if it's a good story it don't have to be 10 issues or more. When the story of "Days of Future Past" came out in 1981 it was only 2 issues but since then it's one of the more popular story lines in the X-Man titles.
This sequel will be given the title of Days of Future Past and will include the story line that happens in the 2 issues, at least from what's been said it will. It will also include some new things that Brian Singer would not give away as too what but that's to be expected since the film hasn't even been wrote yet and even if it was they're not going to give away everything, especially the new stuff that not even the hardcore fanboys would know about.

UPCOMING TITLE THAT LOOKS PROMISING:
Sensational Spider-Man #33.1 Release Date 8-8-12
Cover Price $2.99
Writer Tom DeFalco
Artist Carlo Barberi
This is one the books that is being published during the month of August to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man. The first was Peter Parker Spider-Man 156.1 which told a story about Peter getting asked by Nora to help her in an investigation she was doing on the Acme warehouse. This same warehouse is where the man who killed Uncle Ben was holed up when Peter went after him as Spider-Man.

BOOK TO READ THIS WEEK:
Hawkeye #1
Cover Price $2.99
Written by Matt Fraction
Art work by David Aja
Came out August 1, 2012
This first issue tells the story of what Hawkeye does while he's not fighting with the Avengers. We get to see a more personal side to the character as he deals with a land lord who is not the nicest of guys, hanging out with his neighbors, and trying to save an innocent life. This book is well written, which is no surprise being that it's by Matt Fraction who can weave a pretty good tale. The art work used in this story is drawn with a rough, gritty, and a little dark texture that works beautifully for this character. Clint Barton is not the boyscott like Captain America, he's not the tough guy like Luke Cage, and he's not the super spy with all the right moves as the Black Widow. What Hawkeye is, is the hero who once was a criminal that's turned his life around because he realized he was doing wrong and didn't like it. He has an edge to him that makes him stand apart from the Avengers because he will walk a fine line on what's right and wrong, yet he tries his best to stay on the right side. He's a misunderstood character that I think that Matt Fraction and David Aja can shed some light on and hopefully put this character in some more books and/or stories.

CHARACTER(s) OF THE WEEK 31:
Being that it's August, making it Spider-Man's 50th anniversary I'm going to make this weeks character of the week 2 characters. In honor of the 2 people that forged Peter Parker into the man he is and into the hero he is this weeks characters of the week are Uncle Ben and Aunt May. These two characters have done more for Peter Parker than anyone else in the Marvel Uinverse and continue to do so.
With Uncle Ben it was with this famous phrase, "With great power comes great responsibility". Since then Peter Parker has been living his life to that code. In fact it's spread to other heroes who will use the phrase from time to time like when Quasar tells Nova and Nova thinks it was Captain America who said it but Quasar tells him nope, it was Spider-Man. Even Wolverine has used it, so that tells you how powerful this one saying is and it came from Uncle Ben. But not only is this saying one of the reasons that Peter does what he does, but sadly the death of Uncle Ben is the driving force for Spider-Man. Because he let that one crook go Peter's life was changed when the only father figure he had was taken away from him.

For Aunt May, she's what Peter fights for. In trying to make sure that she comes to no harm Peter would change time itself, and he did, well Mary Jane did but it was Peter who got them to that point. She's been Peter's mother through his life, guiding him through all the troubles he's had in school, with bullies, and with being Spider-Man even though she once again don't know he is Spider-Man. She is the woman that has the power to change Peter Parkers mind about things and make sure that he remains a good person.