[images & words is the comic book pick-of-the-week at OL. equal parts review and diatribe, the post highlights the most memorable/infuriating/entertaining book released that wednesday]

At this point, it’s old news: Johnny Storm bit the dust. All that remains of the Human Torch are embers, flickering reminders of a hero that lit up the Marvel Universe for the better part of fifty years. Dedicated readers of OL know that both my brother and I have been wholly enamored of Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four epic. In addition to covering nearly every Hickman-penned issue, I sang praises for The Last Stand of Johnny Storm and then Caffeine Powered offered his own pontification.

So at this point, one has to wonder: can anything else be said?

In reading what is being billed as the final issue of Fantastic Four, it’s clear that Hickman has nothing else to say.

But he’s got plenty to show.

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A lot of people are diggin’ the trailer for X-Men: First Class, myself included. Despite the fact that they’re quite literally still shooting and editing bullshit for the rushed movie, the tonal shift to the wayback days has me intrigued. Oh, and January Jones may not be able to act, and she’s clearly going to bastardizing Emma Frost, but her heaving cleavage always gets me going. Today across the webs there’s a quote going around where James McAvoy explains how the flick is a love story between two dudes.

Awesome.

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I totally missed out on this when it was available on Monday. Fucking frak. Marvel released a free comic celebrating the 200th birthday of old Honest Abe, the story titled “Gettysburg Distress”. Outstanding. The storyline was by a favorite of mine, Matt Fraction, with the artwork provided by Andy MacDonald. The cover ain’t nothing to sneeze at either, done by Paola Rivera.

Ole Honest Abe, whuppin’ some ass. Why the fuck isn’t this a monthly?

Not to be outdone by the cadre of new Thor pictures, Captain America got himself some new photos as well tonight. Dude straight up told Marvel Entertainment, “Listen, it’s obvious as a blue eyed, blond haired dude I am clearly not the America dream, but the Nazi posterchild. I will make this shit public if you don’t give me some pub” and thus they did. I really don’t know what I’m taking about.

Hit the jump for the pictures.

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Marvel has released a couple of new official images from the Thor movie, and goodness me am I gooey over this flick. I can’t tell who I find sexier, Natalie Portman or Chris Hemsworth. My girlfriend and I release simultaneous sighs of appreciation whenever we catch a Thor trailer, and she said during the Super Bowl debut that she would be okay if I left her for him.

I’m in the clear!

Also in here are a bunch of hilariously awful character photos. Completely out of context bullshit shots with awful photoshop in the background. These photos are destined to adorn shitty posters in Hot Topic and school folders.

Hit the jump for the full load.

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It was rumored, now it’s confirmed. D.J. Caruso is going to direct Preacher. The magical blathering mind behind Disturbia and Eagle Eye is now going to handle one of my top ten favorite comic book series of all time. Well fuck. First Baz Luhrmann does the inexplicable in announcing that he’s taking Gatsby to the world of Goofy Glasses and Gimmicky Bullshit. Now this.

Caruso announced it in a tweet today.

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When it was announced that Tom Hardy was going to be in The Dark Knight Rises, I was fucking pumped. Dude has crazy acting chops, and he’s studly like woah. When it was announced that he was playing Bane, I was like, okay cool. There’s no consternation emanating from me regarding any choice that Nolan has for his final Batman. No sir. He’s earned the pass. Others wondered how he’d incorporate a muscle-bound 1990’s reject character into his mythos. They worried. They fretted.

I didn’t, I knew it would be his own unique spin on it. Tom Hardy confirmed such a sentiment today during an interview.

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UPDATE: Slashfilm posted the following:

Latino Review reports that Kevin Costner would play Jonathan ‘Pa’ Kent. That was one of the few roles for which Kevin Costner seemed like a logical choice. Seeing him play a villain could have been a lot of fun, but Pa Kent will play solidly to his strengths and image.

Well, guess we know who he’ll play.

Original article follows.

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Faster than a speeding douchebag, I’ve become a bit intrigued in Frat Boy Rock’s Superman. Word out of the Hollywood Hype Machine is that Kevin Costner of all people is up for a role in Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot. If Snyder is just going to go bananas with this movie, then I can get behind it. He wanted Lohan in the flick, and now he wants Costner.

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The final arc of Fantastic Four had some serious fans around OL. Serious. Fans. Rendar threw inter-splooge all over the final issue in I&W, and I dedicated a good five-hundred words to fawning all over it. That ultimate arc paved the way for the forthcoming FF #1, where Reed and the rest of the family along with Spider-Man set up to solve tomorrow.

The Gods at Marvel, or perhaps more specifically the Marketing Gurus, have seen fit to drop the first six pages on our gaping asses. They’re fantastic, and I can’t help but be slightly aroused when Sue Storm calls Peter Parker “young man.”

Hit the jump for the preview if you’re so inclined.

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Shit’s gone gold, Shane Black 3 is going to be the director of Iron Man 3. There isn’t anymore ruminating, you can bite this news without worry of Fool’s Gold. According to Deadline, the Obviously Hooded Cabal at Marvel is in final negotiations with Black to direct the final flick in the trilogy, though it isn’t certain if he is going to write it or not.

RDJ teaming up with the dude who essentially relaunched his career, the same dude who wrote The Last Boyscout makes me a bit more excited about this movie. Hopefully it’s more memorable than the cute but ultimately forgettable second installment.