Batman, 'Twilight', 'Watchmen' stirring up fanboy frenzy
Do you drool over droids? Love blogging about Batman?
Then you probably belong to the group known as fanboys - passionate devotees of genre work in comics, television, film and video games. (Sometimes known by the less charitable term "geeks.")
It's a good time to be a fanboy because, right now, the entertainment industry loves you.
This year, a slew of releases geared toward fanboys hits commercial (and in some cases, critical) gold, from films like "Cloverfield" and "The Dark Knight" to the "Grand Theft Auto IV" video game to the final chapter in the "Twilight" book series (the latter release proving that girls can be a part of the fanboy movement, too).
Just how successful is this stuff? Consider "The Dark Knight," which has earned close to $1 billion worldwide and is the subject of serious Oscar talk. Or "Grand Theft Auto IV," which sold more than 6 million copies in its first week.
It should surprise no one, then, that more fanboy fun lurks on the horizon for the rest of 2008 and into 2009. For all members of fanboy nation out there, here is a partial list of future releases to watch for.
Flicks
"Twilight" - The movie adaptation of the first book in author Stephenie Meyer's wildly popular teen vampire series promises to have tween and teen fangirls everywhere squealing with joy. (Nov. 21)
"Watchmen" - The 1987 graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Gibbons brought still-unsurpassed levels of wit and sophistication to the superhero genre. Zack Snyder (director of "300") tries to do the book justice with his big-screen adaptation, a movie that has already whipped fanboy nation into a frenzy. (March 2009)
"Friday the 13th" - A contemporary reboot of the 1980s slasher film franchise that looks like an attempt to bring Jason back to his hard-core roots. Early footage displayed at the recent Scream Awards was met with, well, screams. (Feb. 2009)
TV
"Batman: Brave and the Bold" - The first episode of this Cartoon Network show aired Nov. 14, and it is scheduled to run on Fridays along with the ongoing "Clone Wars" show, which may be the finest fanboy "twofer" ever! Early reviews of "Brave and the Bold" say it has an upbeat, retro feel without descending into camp, a la the 1960s Adam West "Batman" show.
"Dollhouse" - Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") returns to television with this long-awaited and apparently troubled series starring Eliza Dushku about a mysterious group that can imprint personalities onto its agents. Despite multiple reshoots and disagreements between Whedon and the network, "Dollhouse" is scheduled to appear on Fox next year. (January 2009)
Books and comics
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard," by J.K. Rowling - It may not be another Harry Potter novel, but fans should eat it up anyway. "Tales" is a collection of wizarding stories from within the Harry Potter universe. (Dec. 4)
"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 3," by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill - Don't let that awful Sean Connery movie scare you away. Moore's "Gentlemen" series, about a super team made up of heroes from Victorian fiction, is one of the coolest comics out there. This third story, which will be told in three 80-page installments, is the first one to be published by Top Shelf, Moore's favorite U.S. publisher these days. With beautiful art from O'Neill, who drew the previous "Gentlemen" stories. (April 2009)
Games
"Ghostbusters" - Here's what's cool about this upcoming release. First, it's from Atari, a brand that still brings a smile to old-school gamers like myself, and secondly, the game brings Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and other cast members from the 1984 blockbuster film back together to do dialogue. (2009)
"Resident Evil 5" - The fifth chapter of the survival horror video game series that has spawned three fanboy-centric movies is set to arrive in March. Set your weapons for rampant bloody destruction. (March 2009)