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Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 31, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The long wait is over, Marvel fans! You now have your voice for Rocket Raccoon: Bradley Cooper. This was the last major part to cast for Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s upcoming sci-fi superhero film. Given that he is such a beloved character, director James Gunn said they wanted to get their “dream guy” for the part. It seems Bradley Cooper is that guy! I wonder how fans will react? Guardians of the Galaxy will arrive about one year from now, on August 1st, 2014. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 30, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Were you expecting this casting? Joss Whedon can certainly make some creative picks for actors! James Spader has been cast as Ultron, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His name, obviously, is not very synonymous with comic books, but he’s got a long and excellent history in film and TV. Is it a bit of a wild choice? Yes. But given that Ultron will probably be CGI, Spader’s voice acting is probably the main draw here. We still don’t know much about the story or how they’ll be introducing him (we’re assuming they’ll change his origin story from the comics), but I’m very excited to see Spader’s take on the rouge AI. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 28, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Iron Man 3 ended with lots of explosions and fire, without getting into too many spoilers. But according to artist Federico D’Alessandro’s animatics, a certain character could have had a small part in the climactic battle. Click through to find out and watch. Read more…
Tags: Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 24, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
I’m sure most of you have heard the news by now: Ben Affleck will play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. Henry Cavill will duke it out with Affleck and then presumably become fast friends who fight evil together. Now, a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth has been happening over this choice, and this is the internet, so we need to make an extra big deal out of it. People are crying foul, and most especially, bring up Affleck’s previous comic book endeavor, Daredevil. Yes, Daredevil sucked. It was also made by a completely different team of people at a completely different point in time. Affleck is an acclaimed director now with two Oscars. I’m not saying I have the utmost faith in Zack Snyder (I don’t), but this silly collection of overbearing complaints and petitions to change actors is getting ridiculous. This is just a movie. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Man of Steel
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 21, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
I’ll admit to being quite nervous about how Batman: Arkham Origins would turn out. It’s not being made by Rocksteady, who made the last two critically-acclaimed games. It’s missing Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (Batman and the Joker). It’s a prequel, not following up on the tantalizing threads left by Arkham City. And it’s adding a multiplayer mode. But the latest trailer is the trailer that made me put down money for a preorder. It looks like a Gotham I want to explore and a story I want to experience. They even took Firefly, one of Batman’s b-list villains, and made him look kind of awesome and menacing! Plus, it helps that not only does Roger Craig Smith sound like a competent young Batman, but Troy Baker is doing an excellent job at emulating Hamill’s Joker, which is no easy task. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 15, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
Telltale Games knocked it out of the park with The Walking Dead: Season One. It garnered tons of “Game of the Year” awards, which is incredible for a modestly-budgeted game with no bleeding-edge graphics from a smaller developer. Season Two is coming in Q4 2013, but before those episodes start releasing, Telltale has another comic book collaboration to start: The Wolf Among Us, a prequel to Bill Willingham’s Fables series. The episodic game will release its first episode in Q3 2013, with the overall series centering on Bigby Wolf, the reformed Big Bad Wolf who can take human form. Bigby works to keep other fairy tale creatures in line in a part of NYC known as Fabletown. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Fables, PS3, The Wolf Among Us, Vertigo, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 13, 2013 in Comic Books, Fandom, Television 
Arrested Development is about a dysfunctional family and the way they bounce off of each other’s mistakes and schemes. So it’s natural to extend that same metaphor to a messed up family of gods — in this case, Marvel’s Asgardians. In this fan video, Thor, Loki, and Odin are mixed with scenes and lines from Arrested Development to create a funny look at this strange royal family. Take a look! Read more…
Tags: arrested development, fan videos, Marvel, thor
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 9, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Thor is back for phase two of the Marvel cinematic universe, and they’ve brought a new trailer to show for it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original Thor movie, but I felt its best moment were when Chris Hemsworth got to really throw himself into the silly Norse side of the character (“Get me a horse!”). At the least, it seems The Dark World takes place in in Asgard mostly, so we get to see more of the fantastical and Norse-inspired side of things. Also, Christopher Eccleston is the villain, but you can barely see him in this trailer. Given that he seems to be the most interesting new actor in this deal, I’m very keen on seeing how his role plays out. Check out the trailer below and play Where’s Waldo, but with Eccleston. Read more…
Tags: thor, Thor: The Dark World
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 1, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
It seems like you can’t get to the third game of a series without multiplayer being thrown in along the way. As rumored, Batman: Arkham Origins will have a multiplayer mode called “Invisible Predator.” It’s an eight-player mode that pits two three-person gangs against Batman and Robin. Basically, Bane’s gang and Joker’s gangs play a game of territories against each other. Along the way, they need to fend off Batman and Robin, who are using stealth tactics to take out the gangs. If certain gang members meet up at the right place, one of them can become Bane or Joker themselves, which grants bonuses and paints a bigger target on their backs. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 31, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s always cool to see a movie early, so here’s something you might be interested in. Kick-Ass 2 has a few early screenings on Wednesday, August 14, as part of a Fan First screening program. Moviegoers in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas can go to Fandango and buy tickets now. Fans will get special bonuses too, such as free snacks, a limited edition poster, and a free download of the song “No Strings” by Chloe Howl. Tickets are $25, and the way these things work, I’d imagine the tickets will go fast. So if you’re going to see Kick-Ass 2 and you live in or near one of those major cities, you might as well see it early and tell your friends! Read more…
Tags: kick-ass 2
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 24, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
Despite selling over three million copies, March’s Tomb Raider prequel-reboot still failed to meet publisher Square Enix’s (apparently astronomical) sales expectations. However, that doesn’t mean the game is a failure, at least if this news is to be believed. Dark Horse is working on a new Tomb Raider comic that serves as a canonical sequel to the recent game’s origin story. Writer Gail Simone noted that the story occurs a few week’s after the game ends, but most interestingly will lead “directly” into a sequel. Read more…
Tags: square enix, Tomb Raider
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 22, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Yes, by now you’ve heard the screaming of the fans – Superman and Batman will star in a film together. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel will include the Dark Knight himself, and will be loosely inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. It’s planned to arrive in summer 2015, Henry Cavill is confirmed to return, and (as expected) Zack Snyder will direct. However, with all this commotion and excitement, people have one question: who will be Batman? Not to be too presumptuous, but I have a few suggestions of my own below. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Man of Steel, Superman
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 22, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Surprise, comic book fans! The Thanos tease at the end of Avengers was nothing more but a clever ruse. While Thanos is clearly being set up for the long haul (and is confirmed to show up in Guardians of the Galaxy), for now, the sequel to Avengers will instead focus on Ultron, the insane, powerful robot with daddy issues. But you already know all about the title now. The real question is: how will this line up with Ant-Man (the creator of Ultron)? Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man film is currently part of Marvel’s “phase 3,” which will take place after Avengers 2, so they way I see it, there are three options. One, they create a brand new origin for him. Two, they don’t give him an origin, and reveal it later in Ant-Man. Or three, they move Ant-Man up into Avengers (or at least Hank Pym). Which will it be? Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Avengers
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 19, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn’t open until May 2nd next year, but that doesn’t stop the marketing machine at San Diego Comic-Con. At their panel they’ll apparently be dropping more news about Jamie Foxx as Electro later. If you’re at SDCC, you’re probably struggling to get to the panel yourself. But the rest of us at home can just enjoy this footage without the crowds. After watching this clip, though, it’s not really doing much to get me excited. Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes, but I haven’t really enjoyed the Mark Webb reboot. Perhaps I’ve become cold and cynical. I do appreciate that Andrew Garfield is a bit more cheeky, though! Check out the video below. Read more…
Tags: San Diego Comic-Con 2013, The Amazing Spider-Man
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 18, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
When looking at the comics that made the medium more respected in the 80s and 90s, one of the most notable titles was Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, a complete reinterpretation of an ancient DC comic book. I’ve only read the first volume, but I loved the dark, dreamy atmosphere. So I think it’s a little strange that Diane Nelson, the current president of DC, says her first choice for a new movie was a Sandman adaptation, saying “it could be as rich as the Harry Potter universe.” Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, sandman, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 17, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes is one of the best newspaper comics ever, up there with the likes of Peanuts. The Kickstarter-funded documentary Dear Mr. Watterson examines the comic with the help of fellow comic creators and notable fans, including Seth Green and Foxtrot‘s Bill Amend. And now, you’ll be able to see it in theaters come November 15! Check out the latest trailer and then look for more updates on the website. Read more…
Tags: Calvin & Hobbes, Kickstarter
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 17, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
[Note: This article vaguely references spoilers if you still haven’t seen Man of Steel.] I’ll admit to enjoying Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, though I still prefer the first two Superman films by Richard Donner. But the climax of the film felt like the still-in-the-works “DC Cinematic Universe” had blown its load before its actual creation; by comparison, the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t trash New York City until the sixth film, keeping its origin-story threats small yet reasonably formidable. The long-running How It Should Have Ended (HISHE) YouTube series took special note of Man of Steel‘s ending, and they’ve crafted a more sensible ending for the film. Sure, it would be anticlimatic, and it doesn’t adequately establish Superman’s desire for peace before violence, but considering how much destruction there was in the finale, this may have been preferable for the inhabitants of Metropolis. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Man of Steel, Superman, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 16, 2013 in Comic Books 
If you’re into webcomics, you may have heard of Kris Straub. The man has been working in webcomics for years, with one of his earliest projects being Checkerboard Nightmare, a meta-commentary on webcomics. Chainsawsuit is a near-daily loose parody of poorly drawn gag-a-day comics, and last year he wrapped up his seven-year sci-fi comic Starslip. But his latest project, in my opinion, is his finest work yet, easily surpassing anything else he’s done. Starting last year, Broodhollow is a story of a neurotic encyclopedia salesman traveling to a quaint town to receive the inheritance of a distant relative. Soon, he is begins to uncover dark secrets after strange events occur around him. As Straub puts it, it’s “Tintin goes to Innsmouth,” referencing both the adventure comic series by Herge and H.P. Lovecraft’s quiet town with sinister secrets in the Cthulhu Mythos. Read more…
Tags: Horror, webcomics
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 16, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
If you were watching EVO 2013 over the weekend — which had a ton of intense, fun-t0-watch matches! — then you’ll have already heard about several fighting game announcements. But if you didn’t (and shame on you), then here’s some news: Super Street Fighter IV will be getting another update, supplanting the current version (Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition – Version 2012). This new version replaces the long name and simply goes by Ultra Street Fighter IV. Along with the usual game rebalancing and other tweaks, five new characters will be added: Hugo, Poison, Elena, Rolento, and a fifth character who is supposedly all-new, having never appeared in a Street Fighter game before. Read more…
Tags: Capcom, DC Comics, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Warner Brothers
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 13, 2013 in Comic Books, Hobbies and Collections, Television 
The groovy vintage ad below from the swinging sixties showcases the Colorforms Batman Cartoon Kit: Read more…
Tags: Batman
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 13, 2013 in Comic Books, Television 
With the new Marvel TV show Agents of SHIELD starting up this fall, I’m sure a lot of fans are wondering how Agent Coulson made his way onto the small screen given his fate in The Avengers. Jed Whedon, the co-creator of the show and (as you’ve probably guessed) brother of Joss Whedon, said that they’ll tell you – just not right away. “We can’t wait to pull the curtain back on that,” he teased. But it won’t happen in the first episode, it’ll be over the course of the whole season: “we’re going to take our time.” Most comic fans know that characters come back to life all the time, so this isn’t really a surprise – but it is the first time a wider audience will be enjoying this trope, so I can see why the Whedons are having fun with it. Read more…
Tags: Agents of SHIELD, Phil Coulson, The Avengers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 11, 2013 in Comic Books, Television 
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will start airing Tuesdays this September on ABC. Clark Gregg’s Marvel Cinematic Universe character Phil Coulson is back as a main character, showing that rumors (or outright depictions) of his death were greatly exaggerated, and I couldn’t be happier. Check out this new featurette to see why. Sure, Grant Ward looks alright, but what’s great is when he shares a scene with Coulson. Here’s hoping the writing remains as good as the pilot written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen seems to be. Read more…
Tags: Agents of SHIELD, Disney, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2013 in Animation, Comic Books 
DC’s latest reboot, “The New 52,” didn’t pop up overnight. Even if they were discarding all that pesky old continuity (sort of), DC had to build up to it and give an in-universe reason why the reboot occurred. Hence, Flashpoint, a storyline where the Flash wakes up in an alternate universe and must fix things, leading to The New 52 universe which made changes and merged the Vertigo and Wildstorm lines into the main DC continuity. There’s an animated adaptation by Warner Brothers coming out July 30 on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital. It’s called Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, and WB has put out this preview! Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Flash, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 3, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
We had already heard that Christian Bale wasn’t returning to the role of Batman after The Dark Knight Rises. He doesn’t want to play Batman again unless it’s under Christopher Nolan’s direction, and Man of Steel screenwriter/Dark Knight trilogy co-story writer David S. Goyer has said that the Batman appearing in the nebulous Justice League film will be a rebooted character. But on the other hand, Man of Steel, co-produced by Christopher Nolan, did pretty well for Warner Brothers, and rumors began to swirl. So what does Bale have to say on the matter?
As you’d expect, he’s made up his mind on the matter. “We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three [Batman films]. That’s enough. Let’s not get greedy,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Chris [Nolan] always said he wanted to make it one film at a time. And we ended up sitting there looking at each other, saying ‘We’re about to make the third.’ We never really knew if we were going to get to be there, but if that was how it was going to be, this was where it should end as well.” Well put!
To dispel rumors even further, Bale stated that he hasn’t even been involved in any talks about a Justice League movie. “I have no information, no knowledge about anything. I’ve literally not had a conversation with a living soul. I understand that they may be making a Justice League movie, that’s it.” Since he’s completely done with Batman, Bale has no issue with anyone else playing the role. “It’s a torch that should be handed from one actor to another. So I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with.”
It was a good run, but I think it’s fine to let Bale retire his cowl. Besides, if he returned, it would tie Nolan’s more realistic Batman to a most likely hyper-realistic Justice League film. For all that was said about making a more realistic Superman, it would be very hard to fit Nolan’s Batman into the world of Man of Steel. Did you see the end of that movie? While Green Lantern or Wonder Woman or even the Flash would work in this world, a Batman film would be rather boring and ordinary compared to what is going on around him. (Disclaimer: I believe Batman works best alone and don’t really like the dynamics of the Justice League due to power disparities. I think what Marvel did with the Avengers, making every team member viable in some way, works far better than a team with nigh-invincible characters like Superman. The only reason Batman is in the Justice League is because he was popular, but he’s basically relegated to “the brains.” In short, I think Marvel’s shared universe and prominent headliners work better together than DC’s.)
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Tags: Batman, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Brothers
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