Katz's new company is described by its creator as a "nerd machine," and perhaps most usefully by the Hollywood Reporter, which calls it "an entertainment company aimed at supplying content across multiple platforms for geek consumers while providing services to creators working within the realm." What this really translates into is a factory for intellectual properties looking to create things for you and I to fall in love with, whether it be comics, television, movies or... well, anything else, really. The company's first focus will be its comic line, which'll co-publish 10 titles a year with Wanted publisher Top Cow Productions through Image Comics, although it's also working with producers like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Superman: The Movie's Richard Donner and Star Trek and Planet of the Apes' Ralph Winters to bring new properties to the screen.

What makes American Original different from other such idea farms as Platinum Studios (Also, weirdly enough, publishing through Top Cow) is that the AO deal offers creators a percentage of the gross profit made by their creations; unusual for comic book deals that aren't owned outright by their creators, and something that Katz is proud of:

Pre-awareness and library are the keys to everything these days, but you also need to remunerate creative talent in creative ways... It's as much a movement to me as a company. The status quo is shifting to favor our positions, and so let's act now. We can be passive or we can drive our futures forward.

No word yet on when the first American Originals creations will appear.

Katz starts multiplatform content company [Hollywood Reporter]

Okay, we won't boast too much that Donner was just saying something that we said a couple of months ago when he suggested that Johns be given the keys to the franchise earlier this week:

I'd like to see Geoff Johns take a crack at Superman...I think he would be startling. Did you read his comics? There it is. It's there on paper... The studio hasn't gone to him and said, 'Give us a screenplay.' That would be the smart thing to do, but that's show biz. Right? Show biz, that's our life.

The reason for our lack of gloating? The fact that Johns is the most obvious choice to try and turn the Superman movies around. As a veteran of the comic industry, television industry and now moving into movies, Johns has also tackled the Man of Steel in comic book, animated (in Justice League Unlimited) and, with an episode of Smallville due to debut soon, television incarnations. He's demonstrated a love for the character, but also an ability to get to the heart of what makes the character - as well as his surroundings and supporting characters - work and translate that into enjoyable storytelling. Ignore Donner's links to Johns; in this case, he's literally just stating the obvious.

As to what Johns would do with the franchise if he were in charge, he's keeping that to himself. Well, apart from letting slip at the San Diego Comic-Con that he'd want to see Brainiac in a future movie if possible... Although, if Kevin Spacey is to be believed, we'd be much more likely to see yet another Superman/Luthor clash in the next go-around.
In fact, Spacey's belief that he'd be involved in any future Superman movie is half of one of the more interesting wrinkles in all the talk about a Superman Movie Reboot coming at some point. Namely, if they're trying to reboot the entire franchise, why are they keeping the cast of Superman Returns around? It's not just Spacey; according to Latino Review's speedy conversation with DC Comics' Paul Levitz, Superman himself, Brandon Routh is still involved in any future Superman movie - A fact surprising to anyone who didn't see how well he managed the role in Bryan Singer's otherwise uneven 2006 movie. Does the presence of Spacey and Routh mean that Singer's supposedly "Wrath of Khan"-esque sequel to Superman Returns is more alive than most people think, or simply that Warners don't want to have to go through the messy casting process again?

Levitz perhaps offered the most honest, and perceptive, take on where the movie's progress really stands:

Everyone is waiting for Nolan to sign on for another Batman, once that happens, the release date for Superman and all other future projects will follow.

Given the success of The Dark Knight, it only makes sense for Warners to try and base their superhero strategy around another installment of the series - but we must admit, we're hoping that they'll come to their senses and see any future Superman movie as brighter, optimistic counterprogramming to Christopher Nolan's increasingly-dark and depressing Batmovies instead of trying to explore the darker recesses of a Kryptonian's soul.

Given the lead time required to prep all of tomorrow's books, Marvel took quite a gamble preparing such a glut of Iron Man comics. Luckily, the movie is a massive success, which will hopefully create more interest for the new ongoing series The Invincible Iron Man (written by Casanova's Matt Fraction, and therefore worth your attention). There's also a new mini-series, Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas (written by Iron Man movie director Jon Favreau). And new collections Iron Man: Enter The Mandarin and Iron Man: War Machine (Those of you who liked Jim Rhodes in the movie may want to check out the latter, by the way; it's what happens when he gets his own armor). And then there are other Tony-Stark-starring books like Avengers/Invaders, Secret Invasion, Invasion tie-in Mighty Avengers and the paperback version of New Avengers: Illuminati (which leads directly into Secret Invasion, for those who didn't know). Just imagine what would've happened if the movie had flopped?

Much safer to take the route that IDW have taken, waiting a year to produce the first issue of Transformers Movie Sequel: The Reign of Starscream, an officially-sanctioned-but-sure-to-be-ignored-by-Michael-Bay follow-up to last year's Shia LeBouf vehicle that was more than met the eye. Wondering what happened to the bad guys that weren't Megatron after the credits rolled? This will be your place to find out, as well as where you'll get to meet some new robots in disguise. If you'd prefer a more nostalgic take on the franchise, IDW also has an old-school reprint, Transformers: Best of The UK: Dinobots, collecting stories from the UK comic of twenty years ago. Excuse me, now I feel old.

In comparison, DC has low movie magic this week, offering just Action Comics Annual #11, the sixth and final part of "Last Son," which is Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner's co-written (with Geoff Johns) resurrection of General Zod and the rest of the Phantom Zone villains from the second movie. Oh, they have other books - I'd point out new monthly House of Mystery and Lost-meets-dinosaurs mini-series The War That Time Forgot in particular as worth your time — but when it comes to movie tie-ins, they can't give you lights or camera... only Action.

As is always the case, you can find all of this week's new releases - movie-related and otherwise- listed over here and find your closest shop filled with four color wonders by clicking through to here. All popcorn is optional, and you have to bring your own.