'Tiny Titans' series is refreshing

Two things that have largely been absent from comic shelves recently are intercompany crossovers and comics that are humorous and appealing to the kid in all of us.

The former is the result of what many feel was a glut of such crossovers years ago that resulted in some unlikely team-ups. People were clamoring to see Spider-Man and Batman and the Hulk take on Superman. Spider-man and Gen13? The Punisher and Archie? Not so much.

The latter is because every publisher seems to think its target audience is not kids but aging adults, so more sophisticated and violent books dominate shelves at the expense of lighter, more humorous fare targeted at a younger audience.

One huge exception to this rule is, of course, Archie Comics and its long-running, successful stable of titles. Another oasis for kids in an increasingly adult-themed comics desert has been the excellent "Tiny Titans" series by Art Baltazar and Franco.

So in an extremely welcome and entertaining collaboration, the pint-size versions of the Teen Titans and the Riverdale crew unite for the first time in "Tiny Titans/Little Archie." The first issue of the three-issue miniseries just hit shelves and it is a refreshing blast.

The wheels are set in motion when a dry cleaner gets Archie's outfits and the Titans' costumes mixed up, which results in Archie dressed as Robin and Tim Drake looking like a student at Riverdale. Cases of mistaken identity, misunderstandings and mayhem all ensue - and there are some important revelations - like that "tiny" Cyborg has an appetite for burgers that rivals Jughead's!

This is a good, clean, fun, witty and entertaining book that fulfills the potential of its concept. It gets two thumbs up from Comics Guy.

Cloak and Dagger to TV?

While the announcement that a remake of "The Incredible Hulk" TV series dominated comic news this past week, there was another announced TV series based on a Marvel property that got overshadowed. "Cloak and Dagger" seems more out of left field, since at their height they were cult favorites and they have been bit players at best in the Marvel universe recently. In their favor is the fact that they won't be compared to an iconic series from the '70s, their fan following is small but intense and they will be fresh to the general public. Plus the duo's symbolizing the light and darkness of man should translate easily to TV audiences. Their series is targeted for ABC Family.

I want my Marvel TV?

Actually, the number of Marvel properties being considered for TV is so vast that if they all come to fruition, there could possibly be enough fodder for Marvel to start its own TV channel.

Other properties that are reported as possibly going into development soon are "The Eternals," "Heroes For Hire" and "The Punisher." There are also a couple with confusing titles - "Agents of Atlas, Alter Ego" and "Moon Knight, the Red Hood" - that have some scratching their heads.

Major movie roles cast

In other major casting news, "The Wrap" has reported that after an initial period of mystery, it has been confirmed that Rhys Ifans will be playing the Lizard in the new "Spider-Man" film. Meanwhile, Deadline.com has reported that Tom Hardy is definitely cast in the next Batman film, but Christopher Nolan is keeping what role he will play under wraps for now.

DeFalco dishes on Mayday

Speaking of old-fashioned, fun books Comics Guy chatted with Tom DeFalco about the apparent "End" of Mayday Parker's adventures as Spider-Girl, which he chronicled for 13 years and nearly 150 issues.

"I can try to talk about this rapid turn of events, but the truth is that I know about as much as the fans do," DeFalco told Comics Guy. "I have no idea why this decision was made. No one ever told me.

"My editor called me," he continued. "First, he informed me that Spider-Girl was being removed from 'Web of Spider-Man' and being given her own monthly comic again and that we would continue in Marvel Digital. Time passed and he called to tell me that the monthly had suddenly become a 4-issue limited series and we would no longer continue in Marvel Digital. More time passed and he told me that we were going to get a one-shot special that would be called 'Spider-Girl: The End.' Each phone call surprised me."

This was especially true since the character had dodged numerous rumors of cancellation before.

"In the past, the sales department often assumed that 'Spider-Girl' would follow the usual direct market sales trends and the title was often marked for cancellation based on the anticipation that sales would fall," he said. "In some of these cases, sales actually rose - thanks to the heroic efforts of our incredible fan base, the greatest this industry as ever seen."

However, if there had to be a "last story" for Mayday Parker Defalco is glad he got to write it.

"I'm glad the team and I got one more opportunity to explain why the Parker legacy is so important, so enduring and compelling" he said.

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