The Big Bang by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins

The Big Bang: The Lost Mike Hammer Sixties Novel.

If you’re a Spillane fan, then we probably thought the same thing as we read the line above:  I want it now.  Although we’re going to have to wait a bit longer, at least we know the broad strokes:

Drawing on an unpublished partial Spillane manuscript dating from the ’60s, [Max Allan] Collins resurrects Spillane’s randy, two-fisted New York City PI, Mike Hammer…

From Max Allan Collins’ website:

In midtown Manhattan, Mike Hammer, recovering from a near-fatal mix-up with the Mob, runs into drug dealers assaulting a young hospital messenger. He saves the kid, but the muggers are not so lucky. Hammer considers the rescue a one-off, but someone has different ideas, as indicated by a street-corner knife attack.

With himself for a client, Hammer — and his beautiful, deadly partner Velda — take on the narcotics racket in New York just as the streets have dried up and rumors run rampant of a massive heroin shipment due any day. In a New York of flashy discotheques, swanky bachelor pads, and the occasional dark alley, Hammer deals with doctors and drug addicts, hippie chicks and hit men, meeting changing times with his timeless brand of violent vengeance.

The Big Bang is available for pre-order now.

American Vampire #1

The Pitch: Cowboys and Vampires, oh and did I mention Stephen King wrote one of the stories?

The Overview: Two stories [one written by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, both with amazingly good art by Rafael Albuqerque] combine to tell the tale of Skinner Sweet.  In 1880, Sweet was an outlaw in the wild west.  That was also the year that he became a vampire.  Jump forward 45 years.  A young woman named Pearl comes to Hollywood to make her fortune in the movies.  Things are rough, but she has no idea how bad things can get until vampires are thrown in the mix, and I’m not just talking about Summer Sweet.

The Good: Both stories are excellent.  The concept works.  Rafael Albuquerque’s art is a joy.  Love the characters, especially PearlSummer Sweet’s appearances in Pearl’s story is well done.  I am looking forward to more about the vampires in HollywoodAlburquerque draws a great western!  Love the foreshadowing with the big, bald guy.

The Bad: Going to a Hollywood party hosted by vampires.  Shooting a vampire and it only ticks him off.

The Ugly: What happens to guests at parties hosted by vampires.  What happens when you tick off a vampire.

The Summary: I loved the first issue. Everyone involved did a bang-up job and I look forward to the second issue. American Vampire #1 is available now.

Iron Man 2: Black Widow

After busting on the last Iron Man 2 poster, I am happy to report that I really like THIS new Black Widow character poster.  It has a dramatically cropped photo of the very curvaceous Black Widow.  The big “2” created in the “Iron Man” colors and style clues us in to the fact that it’s an Iron Man 2 poster… and for anyone who doesn’t pick up on it, there’s IronManMovie.com listed below it.

Yeah, this poster is a winner!

New “Expendables” Trailer & Screenshots

A new trailer for The Expendables hit today, but first let’s take a look at some of the screenshots…

… like this one of Sly and Arnold Schwarzenegger

… or this one with Bruce Willis and Sly

… Here’s Dolph Lundgren and Jet Li [who may be about to get the point]…

… But since this is The StalloneZone, here’s a shot of Sly

… and another…

… Here’s Sly calling out Steve Austin

Parting is such sweet sorrow…

I would say something about Sly hitting the mark with The Expendables but that would be too corny…

And now Sylvester Stallone

and the greatest action cast ever assembled in a new trailer for The Expendables.

UFC Fight Night Predictions

Tonight the UFC presents Fight Night free on SPIKE as a lead in to the new season of The Ultimate Fighter with coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.  Here are my predictions for Fight Night:

  • Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson vs Dennis SiverPearson is bigger, has the better record and a nickname.

Prediction: Pearson gets the win.

  • Nate “The Rock” Quarry vs Jorge “El Conquistador” Riveria.

Prediction: Quarry will win and the fight may not go the distance.

  • Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve.

Prediction: At 6’11”, Skyscraper is going to fall a long way before hitting the mat.  Nelson by TKO or KO.

  • Kenny “KenFlo” Florian vs Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi.  What kind of nicknames are these?  Are nicknames supposed to be intimidating or at least cool?  “KenFlo” sounds like a floor shine product and “The Fireball Kid” sounds like a member of “Our Gang”.   Yeesh.

Prediction: “KenFlo” mops the mat with “The Fireball Kid”Florian wins via stoppage.

Elmore Leonard Feels Justified

TVGuide.com just posted a piece titled Elmore Leonard: Justified Gets It Just Right.  I’m happy that Elmore Leonard, who wrote the novella that the series is based on, is as happy with the show as the rest of us [on the night it premiered it ranked No. 1 on cable in overall viewers and in its time slot beat the broadcast networks among men 18-to-49].  I was was even happier to learn that…

…Leonard has begun work on a new Raylan Givens story which he hopes might inspire plots for the show’s second season, if FX renews the series… And if they don’t, Leonard says he will pen a couple more Raylan stories and publish a collection.

Darwyn Cooke & The Man with the Getaway Face

Richard Stark fan?   Check.

Darwyn Cooke fan?   Check.

Crime stories fan?   Check.

Comic Book fan?   Check.

Loved Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s Hunter?  Check.

Okay.  If that’s the case, and you have two bucks and are going to attend WonderCon next week, then you may be one of the lucky folks who can pick up an…

…exclusive prelude to The Outfit, the second of Richard Stark’s Parker novels that Cooke is adapting… This 8″x12″ preview book offers one entire chapter of The Outfit and will be included in the finished graphic novel, coming in October.

What’s that?  You won’t be able to attend WonderCon?  Well, don’t fret because…

…the preview will be available in comic stores everywhere in July at the same low price and large size.

Be sure and let your local comic shop manager know that you’re going to want a copy.   Check.