Taut, tense 'Neverland' offers readers a heckuva ride

"An infant can have food, shelter, all the comforts. But if it does not bond with another human being it will die. Doctors call it failure to thrive."

So thinks a character in Zenescope's latest offering, "Neverland" - and that theme of isolation and despair permeates the entire book.

In its first issue, "Neverland" focuses on Nathan, a handicapped vagrant and thief suffering from extreme loneliness and feelings of irrelevance; and Wendy, who is caring for her orphaned nephews, John and Michael - who are doing their best to move on but are still railing about the seeming injustice of the world and God.

This is a tense book that builds to a slow burn, with a first issue that ends with Nathan having to make a critical choice in prison - and John and Michael being taken away by strange creatures.

"Neverland" is taut, tense and unsettling. While Comics Guy wouldn't rank it with Zenescope's best just yet, after one issue it already looks like readers are going to be treated to a heckuva entertaining ride.

The success of the "Clash of the Titans" remake has Legendary Pictures ready to reboot perhaps the most popular movie monster of all time.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the studio will be doing an American "Godzilla" movie, based on Toho Company's, uh, legendary monster.

Legendary Pictures has made it clear that the new film won't be a sequel to the 1998 film by Roland Emmerich, which was brutalized by both critics and fans - and still grossed close to $400 million worldwide.

Instead, it will be a re-imagining of the original Godzilla movies. A director is set to be announced soon and the stated goal is for a 2012 release.

With an appetite for seeing giant robots on-screen confirmed by the incredible audience response to the two "Transformers" films, AICN has reported that Jules Urbach has been tapped to write, and Matthew Gratzner has been chosen to direct, a "Shogun Warriors" movie.

Gratzner says that, with today's technology, "we will blow your minds."

"Gaiking" will be the name of the first film - which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2012. Gratzner and Urbach are so confident that the first film will be a success, they are saying that a second film - which they've already plotted out - will be titled "Shogun Warriors."

assemble Avengers?

Numerous sources are saying that the fanboy dream of Joss Whedon directing "The Avengers" will be a reality.

The rumors have swirled for weeks and only intensified after "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau stated that he would be working on the film only in a production capacity.

The movie would mark Whedon's second big-screen feature, after "Serenity" - the follow-up to his TV series - tanked at the box office.

But two things need to be considered. One, Whedon has written a bunch of best-selling comics the last few years - which would indicate that he knows how to write superheroes and has credibility with hard-core comics fans.

Second - and most importantly - with a cast bursting with star power, including Chris Evans ("Captain America"); Chris Hemsworth ("Thor"); Robert Downey, Jr. ("Iron Man 2") and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Whedon would have to try real hard to produce a flop with that lineup.

"The Avengers" is scheduled to premiere May, 2012.

With Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan set to take the roles of the icon and his sidekick, Bucky, in the upcoming "Captain America" film, rumors keep swirling about who will land other key roles.

Hugo Weaving was reported by some to have the role of Cap's arch-villain, Red Skull, wrapped up weeks ago, but nothing has yet been confirmed on that score.

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly says that Emily Blunt has turned down an offer to play Captain America's girlfriend.

Comics Guy feels that finding the right guy to portray Steve Rogers' No. 1 foe is the more important choice of the two. After all, Cap is one of the comic icons least associated with having a love interest through the years.

Since the Apple iPad went on sale it has had a huge impact on comics.

"It's been great," said David Steinberger, CEO of ComiXology, which produced both the Marvel Comics By ComiXology apps for the iPad, in an interview with Newsarama.com. "We've been one of the best-selling apps on the iTunes store forever. So right now, we're part of the two best-selling comic apps on iTunes store. So, yeah - it's pretty exciting."

Some feel this development will eventually put brick and mortar stores out of business, while others feel that it will actually help retailers by exposing more people to comics.

Comics Guy's take? Those shops that are run-well, value their customers and learn to adapt will succeed while those that do none of those things but make excuses won't - like in any business.