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Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 29, 2014 in Comic Books, Star Wars 
So, a little thing happened a while back: this little-known company called Disney bought another unknown property called Star Wars. You may have seen it as a child. All joking aside, this deal also dubbed Marvel the new publisher of Star Wars comic books (surprise surprise). Dark Horse’s license officially runs out on the last day of the year, so if you’ve ever wanted to own any of their Star Wars comics digitally, now’s the time to buy them. Everything is 50% off, and you can buy the entirety of the their collection for a flat $300. You’ll be able to read all these comics digitally after the license expires, so no worries there, but this is your last chance to buy them before they’re gone forever! Read more…
Tags: Dark Horse
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 23, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
While fans may have been asking for Isaiah Mustafa or Terry Crews — both coincidentally Old Spice spokesmen — to play Luke Cage in Marvel’s multiple upcoming Netflix series, Marvel had someone else in mind. Mike Colter (Halo: Nightfall) had chemistry with Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter, so he will co-star as Luke Cage in her series. In the comics, the two characters eventually marry. After that series ends, Cage will later show up in his own self-titled Netflix series, before teaming up with Jones, Daredevil (Charlie Cox), and an uncast Iron Fist for a Defenders mini-series about street-level vigilantes. Naturally, this is all set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it’s always possible some of these characters could appear somehow in the movies, which is certainly what many fans would love to see. Read more…
Tags: Luke Cage, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 20, 2014 in Comic Books 
No really! I promise you won’t be embarrassed! The comic book industry has been making several good steps recently, and when characters have been coming up for costume redesigns, artists have been more conscious about their wider audience. Basically: the new Spider-Woman costume designed by Kris Anka is pretty neat. It looks good and it makes a lot of sense for a costumed crime-fighter. Like a lot of heroes redesigns recently, instead of spandex we’re seeing leather, which can help take a beating in a fight. The costume will show up in Spider-Woman’s second story arc, which will begin in issue #5 and feature art by Javier Rodriguez. Good work, Kris and Marvel! Read more…
Tags: Marvel, Spider-man, Spider-Woman
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 13, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Perhaps you already ran out and picked up Guardians of the Galaxy. If you did, you can already see this brand new blooper footage! But, if you’re like me and are saving money for the holidays, it’s nice to see Marvel sharing the blooper reel with the internet at large. Although, I will say, blooper reels seem to be getting shorter and shorter — or is it just me? Of course, no modern blooper reel is complete without some “real” bloopers featuring the CGI cast members (aka Rocket and Groot) screwing up a scene too! Those are always seem a bit more forced, just due to the fact that the animation is put over a voice actor’s flubs, but hey! It’s all in good fun. Bloopers below! Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 9, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
I love in-jokey meta references in TV series, and The Flash has a cool one coming up. Not content to cast John Wesley Snipp, the star of the 1990 one-season live-action adaptation Flash, as the father to the new show’s Flash, the producers are bringing back Mark Hamill as James Jesse, the Trickster. Hamill played the character in a Joker-like fashion, and ended up voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. But in this series, the Trickster is an “anarchist terrorist con man” in jail for life; he ends up helping the Flash to stop the attacks of a Trickster copycat, a possible reference to the second Trickster from the original comics. I have a feeling Mark Hamill will play this version much straighter, but I’d love if they snuck in a glimpse of that comical clashing costume from the old series. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Flash
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 6, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Yes, that Deadpool movie is really happening now. Ryan Reynolds will definitely return to play the merc with a mouth, the LA Times has confirmed. Not too surprising, since we knew Reynolds wanted to return to the role. In other news, Benedict Cumberbatch has also been officially confirmed as Doctor Strange. Surprise! And also on the plate: Krysten Ritter will play Jessica Jones in an upcoming Marvel Netflix series (essentially, she’s a washed-up superhero who opens up her own detective agency, which is a great concept for a show). Tons of casting, although Reynolds will probably never meet up with the other two. What a shame! Read more…
Tags: Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Jessica Jones
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 3, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Can we admit that despite WB’s questionable direction of their DC Cinematic Universe, the Suicide Squad movie actually sounds good? WB just put out a press release announcing the stars of the film, and it is a very solid cast. We’ve got: Jared Leto as the Joker, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney is Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, and Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg. They haven’t picked their actress for Amanda Waller yet, but rumor says that Oprah Winfrey is their top pick, with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer also being considered. With Fury‘s David Ayer writing and directing, Suicide Squad may survive having Man of Steel‘s Zack Snyder as its producer. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Suicide Squad, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 30, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Everyone wants to ask James Gunn about Guardians of the Galaxy 2. So much so, he went on Facebook and posted about the movie and answered some comments! His post is mainly about his desire to make a good movie first, rather than constantly try to create a shared movie universe. “I know George Lucas, Kevin Feige, John Favreau, etc, had ideas where their films would potentially lead in the face of success. But I don’t think it ever got in the way of making that first movie count as if it was the last, of making it something wonderful that people would love whether it led to other films or not.” He then went on to say, “I don’t want Nova right now because I think Quill being the only earthling is important.” Maybe Nova will get his own movie later! Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 25, 2014 in Comic Books 
One of the reasons many comic fans have been hoping for a female-led superhero movie (at least one in the modern mold) is that it would offer a different perspective and outlook than the many male-led superhero movies that have come before, to give more variety to the stories told. One way to improve the chances of Wonder Woman expressing that is to hire a female director, and Warner Brothers seems to have made a great choice. Michelle MacLaren, known for directing episodes of such great TV series as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead, has signed on to develop and direct the film. (Charles Roven, Zack Snyder, and Deborah Snyder will produce.) I feel that Snyder is one of the weakest links DC keeps using, so hopefully with MacLaren directing, we’ll get something better than Man of Steel. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Wonder Woman
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 25, 2014 in Comic Books, Videogames 
It’s one thing to hear about Batman: Arkham Knight, the final installment (supposedly) of the series from Rocksteady, adding the Batmobile seamlessly into gameplay. It’s another thing to see it in action, but this trailer shows how awesome it could be. Imagine Link’s ability to summon Epona anywhere in Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time, but with the ability to hop on and off the horse at a moment’s notice, even in mid-combat. That’s what the Batmobile looks like, and it seems like a joy to use. This is only half of the ACE Chemicals sequence, with the other half being released next week, so stay tuned! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 17, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Speaking of Captain America, it appears that we have our most likely candidates for directing Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and 2. Joss Whedon is wrapping up Avengers: Age of Ultron, and we’ve known for a while that he’s getting a bit tired of the whole superhero thing. Avengers 2 is his last film he’s signed on for, anyway, so he could very well leave after this. Marvel reportedly wants the Russo brothers, the directors of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. They definitely have the chops to take up Whedon’s flag, and their involvement in multi-hero films will be a big aid. We probably won’t know for sure until Avengers 2 comes out and Whedon confirms! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Infinity War, the Russo Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Here’s an updated version of the previous trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, with added scenes and a few new moments. It still has that haunting rendition of “I’ve Got No Strings” running the whole way through, though! I think James Spader really nailed the voice of Ultron, as he simultaneously sounds smooth and threatening. However, I love the above shot the most of all… because it looks like Ultron is attempting to do stand-up comedy and failing miserably. “What?! His name is Iron Man, and he’s ironing his shirt… oh, come on, you people are a tough crowd!” Trailer below! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Captain America: Civil War is building up quite the impressive cast. Obviously, we have Mr. Tony Stark himself in it, along with Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. Now, the Russo brothers have also cast Daniel Brühl in the film. You probably know Brühl mainly from his role in Inglorious Basterds or in Ron Howard’s Rush. He’s playing an “unnamed villain.” Variety reports that Brühl is not the main villain in Civil War, but it possibly the main villain of Doctor Strange (maybe Baron Mordo?). Got to get that cross-pollination, eh, Marvel? Brühl is a great actor and I can’t wait to see who he ends up playing. Read more…
Tags: Captain America: Civil War, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Warner Bros., despite all their struggles getting a Wonder Woman film made, seem to finally be on track. The biggest news we heard is that they were specifically looking for a female director to tackle the film, to embrace the origins and message of Wonder Woman. I thought that was a great idea, and it looks like Warner may have found their director: Michelle MacLaren. MacLaren is most famous for her work directing episodes of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. I think it’s a great choice and a perfect way for MacLaren to jump into feature film directing. Her TV work has been great, so I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Let’s hope those talks don’t fall through! Read more…
Tags: Michelle MacLaren, Wonder Woman
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
With so much support behind him now, James Gunn has a lot to live up to with Guardians of the Galaxy 2. He recently gave an update on where he is on the film, saying that the story is laid out and finished, and next is to script it. He was pretty happy with his position now: “The cosmic side of the universe is its own thing. And because the movie was so successful, it was more successful than Iron Man was, that changed the way other people looked at it but I still look at it the same way.” He went on to say regarding the story, “we can’t just repeat ourselves.” He also noted that the 2nd film needed to explore “what their flaws are, what their strengths are. They’re a much more flawed group than The Avengers. They have major major issues.” Sounds fun! Read more below. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 12, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
For a character with a name like “Doctor Doom” to work, you have to make sure he owns that name. You might as well make it his real name, Victor von Doom, and have him rule his own country. But in The Fantastic Four, the reboot directed by Chronicle‘s Josh Trank, Doom’s origin is much more “ultra-real” and “lo-fi,” according to his new actor Toby Kebbell. Now the man who becomes Doctor Doom is Victor Domashev, because no one is named “Doom” in real life. And Domashev is an anti-social programmer, who goes by “Doom” online. I’m not saying the original basis for the character isn’t a bit hokey, but this new origin is really hokey. It reminds me of using the same online handle as my D&D character in high school. Maybe the other parts of the film are better? I mean, you can’t go too “ultra-real” in a movie about “fantastic” people, right? Read more…
Tags: Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 11, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The Joker has traditionally worked alone, at least in the Batman movies. But in Batman: The Animated Series, he had a partner in Harley Quinn, who proved so popular that she was added to the comics. Since we’re hearing rumors about the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, why not some rumors for Harley? Supposedly Margot Robbie is going to be cast as the villainess in the 2016 movie, having previously caught a lot of attention in The Wolf of Wall Street. She has previously been rumored to be signed on to Suicide Squad in some capacity, so this casting would fit. I just hope that they show Harley in her classic jester’s outfit, but it might be a bit too out there for what is likely to be gritty and realistic. Read more…
Tags: Suicide Squad, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 5, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
The Batman live-action TV series that ran from 1966-1968 (hence the nickname Batman ’66) may be quite a bit campier than the more popular dark, gritty Batman characterization that’s popular today. But it’s still a classic, and now it’s finally getting released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11. Naturally, there’s a new restoration to make the HD version worth it, but I doubted how much better an old TV series like this could look. Was it worth bragging about the restoration? After watching this split-screen comparison Warner Brothers put out, I’ve had to eat my words. Actors are crisp instead of blurry shapes, and the color isn’t blown out anymore. Of course, not everyone will spring for the limited edition Blu-ray set, as $269.97 is pricey even if you’re getting 120 episodes and a bunch of extras. At least there are some other cheaper options, especially if you settle for DVD. After all, it’s not like the producers expected viewers to be able to watch this in HD back when it was made! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 4, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books, Television 
Alongside a young Howard Stark, Hayley Atwell’s character Peggy Carter is becoming synonymous with the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D., at least in Marvel’s movies and TV series. After first appearing as Captain America’s girlfriend in Cap’s first film, she has appeared as an old woman in the sequel, garnered her own short film Agent Carter, and now has an Agent Carter TV series airing this January based on the prior short. She even cameos in the first episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s second season, as well as a flashback in Avengers: Age of Ultron. So where is she showing up next? Supposedly Ant-Man, which raises a few questions. Read more…
Tags: Agent Carter, ant-man, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 29, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
If you’re a Marvel fan, you have good reason to be very, very excited. Marvel Studios has announced all nine — yes, nine — films that will make up “Phase Three” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, lasting from 2016 to 2019. (Phase Two will end not with Avengers: Age of Ultron, but instead end on July 17, 2015 with Ant-Man.) Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige made a ton of announcements which apparently weren’t fully worked out until recently, or else they’d likely have announced them at Comic-Con. Some of these may have been rumored in the past, but there’s still a lot of new information, including three films in both 2017 and 2018, so let’s jump in! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, captain america, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, Marvel, thor
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 28, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It seemed as though Marvel had locked down Joaquin Phoenix to star in their upcoming comic adaptation Doctor Strange. But when he pulled out at the last second, it was back to the drawing board. But according to Deadline, they may have finally found their Sorcerer Supreme. Sherlock‘s Benedict Cumberbatch is reportedly entering negotiations to star in the film. Jared Leto and Tom Hardy are supposedly in the mix, but it sounds fairly certain that Cumberbatch will end up signed. Then again, many thought the same for Phoenix, so I wouldn’t fully trust the casting until we see something official from Marvel. Read more…
Tags: Doctor Strange, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 26, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
I mean, uh, what? First, an Archie TV series, titled Riverdale, has been put into production by Archie’s Chief Creative Officer and pilot writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. He’s hyping it up big time, as you might expect. He recently say down and was interviewed by Comic Book Resources, and there was a lot of stuff going on. He sells the series by describing it as “Riverdale is Archie Meets ‘Twin Peaks. You know how we’re doing Archie Meets Predator? This is Archie Meets David Lynch.” He then goes on to say, “…if, god willing, this works out the way we all want it to work out, every Halloween we’ll be doing an Afterlife episode of Riverdale.” And this series hasn’t even been picked up yet! Aim for the stars, dude! Read more…
Tags: Archie Comics
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 23, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
There was much rejoicing when Marvel announced that there would be a trailer for The Avengers: Age of Ultron attached to next week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode. But what if you could watch it…now? After some sort of leak (Marvel jokingly blames HYDRA), Marvel has decided to release the official version, and man, does it look exciting. We get to see various forms of Ultron, lots of similar robots, and Iron Man fighting the Hulk with his Hulkbuster armor. Best of all, it’s set to a creepy recording of “I Got No Strings” from Pinocchio, a nice thematic touch that likely wouldn’t have happened if Disney didn’t own Marvel. But enough talk, go watch the trailer over and over again! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Disney, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Well, at least WB and DC are getting serious about competing with Disney and Marvel. WB has confirmed all the upcoming pieces of their shared superhero universe that started with Man of Steel in 2013. 2016 will see two movies: the already-known Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (directed by Zack Snyder), and then a Suicide Squad movie (directed by David Ayer) about a team of villains who do dangerous work for the government. Then, 2017 will see a stand-alone Wonder Woman movie (starring Gal Gadot, who will be introduced in BVS:DoJ) followed by the inevitable Justice League movie (which will see all the heroes team up). But the schedule doesn’t stop there. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Warner Brothers
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