A new image from Entertainment Weekly finally brings all the Defenders together. The picture was taken during a photo shoot for the cover of next week’s issue of EW.
The scene where the characters meet was also described in some detail:
Each Defender has arrived separately at the offices of Midland Circle (a name that should sound familiar to Daredevil fans as the shady operation behind a giant, literal plot hole in season 2), and none of them expected to cross paths. But before they can properly meet and greet, the four have wound up trapped in the middle of a corridor and must brawl their way past a group of enemies. (Hey, Marvel loves hallway fight scenes ever since Daredevil pulled one off.) “Every one of them is following their own trail of bread crumbs, trying to unpack a mystery in New York,” explains showrunner Marco Ramirez, who produced Daredevil‘s first season before co-showrunning the second. “We wanted them all caught off guard. Once they’re in that room together, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, s—, who are you?’”
You can check out the cover below and then head on to EW to get the full scoop!
The Defenders from Marvel Studios and Netflix will tie in previous shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and the upcoming Iron-Fist.
The show stars Finn Jones, Mike Colter, Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Jessica Henwick, Rosario Dawson and Sigourney Weaver. It is set to premier in 2017.
Attitude Era Saw A Rise In Popularity But A Decrease In Everything Else
Yeah, I’m saying it…I’d rather watch WWF/WCW/ECW Invasion era matches more than anything from the Attitude Era.
Being alive in the late 90’s meant you had to deal with a few inescapable pop culture moments. One of them would be South Park and the other one would be Monday Night Raw. WWE, then WWF, was finally becoming a household name again. Their shows were drawing in big crowds and even bigger ratings.
All this was because of the raunchy and controversial Attitude Era!
So with high numbers across the board, why do I say the Attitude Era is the worst in wrestling history? Below, I will dive into the reasons on why I think this beloved time in WWE isn’t that great.
History Lesson:
A little history about the Attitude Era will better step up this article for anyone new or needing a refresher. Following the major 80’s rise in popularity for wrestling and then a lackluster cartoony early 90’s, WWE was in desperate need for something new. This is when Vince McMahon and his team took a step back and looked at their competition. WCW was dominating in the ratings with the insane NWO storyline while ECW didn’t draw much but had a rabid fanbase.
WWE needed both of those things.
When was the moment that WWE kicked off “The Attitude Era”?
Many believe it’s when Mike Tyson was introduced for Wrestlemania XIV and teamed with DX. Others think it’s the birth of Stone Cold Steve Austin at King Of The Ring 1996. But for me, it’s Survivor Series 1997! The night of the infamous Montreal Screwjob is the exact moment WWE found a niche and ran with it. Slowly, Vince McMahon changed his brand from the once cartoony wrestling program to a Jerry Springer-esque TV show. From there, the business was never the same.
Cheap Imitation:
It’s come out now that Vince McMahon was paying Paul Heyman to use ECW talent during this time but McMahon should have also paid him for gimmick infringement. Not even just stealing the general tone but lazily doing it. Everything the Attitude Era wanted to be was actually happening in ECW. The wild matches with insane gimmicks, controversial stories, overt sexuality, and a youth-driven culture were things that made ECW special. WWE wanted it so badly that they began to mimic the “hardcore” style.
ECW wasn’t the only company that WWE was borrowing from. The Attitude Era was known for the breaking of “kayfabe” and introducing more real elements. This is what WCW started as early as 1995 when Madusa dumped the WWF Women’s Title in the trash on live WCW TV. Then came the formation of the NWO in 1996 and that pushed the line even harder. WWE needed to play catchup so they began the “wrestler vs authority figure” storyline with Steve Austin and Vince McMahon.
The stolen concepts of WWE go on. One of the most notable has to be the fact WWE decided to go live in 1999, years after WCW took Monday Nitro live. WWE also introduced a second show named Smackdown after WCW introduced their second show Thunder.
Can’t forget the inclusion of the Light Heavyweights after WCW launched a successful Cruiserweight division.
WWE took many things from other companies and rarely improved on them. Just lazily stealing so the bigger brand can take credit for the ideas.
Lackluster Matches:
For many “wrestling purist”, the Attitude Era isn’t really the best for them. Mat technicians weren’t the focus and more gimmicky matches were put on. You can name Mick Foley being thrown off a cage or Stone Cold stunning McMahon as iconic moments but those “highlight reel” moments were far and few between.
Basically from late 1997 to 2001 has some of the most forgettable matches of all time. There’s so many standout “moments” but the wrestling in-between the spots wasn’t up to par. How many X-Pac or Terri Runnels matches can you actually sit through?
There was also a complete disregard for any sensible booking. People complain about Sasha Banks and Charlotte tossing the Women’s Championship back and forth but imagine their reaction to the Hardcore Championship changing 10 times in a night!
Nothing mattered during this era. There was swerves during every match, wrestlers turning on each other randomly, and just no thoughtful booking. Storylines seemed to only last a month at most with rarely any longtime plans. This led to so many unfinished angles and less-than-stellar feuds.
The Better Era:
The era in WWE history that stands out to me as better than 90’s Attitude was the early 00’s Ruthless Aggression. Still more adult than modern WWE but with less juvenile humor, this era had superior wrestling and the ratings to back it up. During this period, a lot of technical wrestling was being showcased. There was no lack of insane gimmicks but some focus was brought onto wrestlers like Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, Rey Mysterio, and Edge.
After getting an influx of talent from different companies WWE bought out during The Attitude Era, they didn’t know what to do with them at first. It wasn’t until the infamous WWE Draft in 2002 that things started to make sense. Smackdown got a roster of amazing stars needing a place to shine while Raw was the land of Triple H.
Also, this is the perfect end of the story of WWE vs Everyone Else. After the Invasion Angle of 2001 happened, we had so many wrestlers from all over the place as well as the men who ran the companies. It’s amazing to think there was a time where Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, and Paul Heyman all worked in the same place.
The Positives:
I’m not saying it was all doom and gloom. This era created quite a few icons in the business like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Undertaker. Those were the faces of this time in WWF/WWF and perfectly encapsulate the Attitude Era.
Merchandise is probably the biggest highlight from this time. So many Austin 3:16 shirts were sold. Kids all over the world were doing the DX crotch chop. And you can’t forget The Rock and his millions of catchphrases. Everything said and done during this time was thrown on a T-shirt. But merch and memories doesn’t make an Era amazing.
Final Thoughts:
I do respect that this time in WWE brought wrestling to the forefront and did create some stars. Besides that, there’s not much else to enjoy. Now that it’s been all said and done, I think the Attitude Era was far more harmful than helpful to the future of wrestling.
Warner Bros. has tapped David Goyer and Justin Rhodes to write the script to Green Lantern Corps, reports Deadline Hollywood.
The new version is described as Lethal Weapon in space, and it’s based on a comic book origin story. The focus will be on two characters: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The latter is an African American Marine sniper before he joined the Lantern Corps and the story very much focuses on his relationship with Jordan and the Corps. The story was conceived by Goyer and Johns.
Goyer is no stranger to comic adaptations. In addition to writing the Blade movies, he also wrote The Dark Knight series and most recently Batman V Superman.
Rhodes recent script work reportedly includes the upcoming Guillermo del Toro-directed Fantastic Voyage remake.
January 12, 2017- Los Angeles, CA – Since its official debut in April 2015, AfterShock Comics has launched 16 titles from some of the world’s most celebrated creators. With hits including Animosity from Marguerite Bennett, Alters from Paul Jenkins, Rough Riders from Adam Glass and Shipwreck from Warren Ellis, AfterShock will debut its second series from award-winning creator Garth Ennis, called Jimmy’s Bastards, later this year.
More details including art, release date and order info to be announced soon!
AfterShock closed out 2016 with several award nominations and an incredible year of noteworthy projects from industry heavyweights including Brian Azzarello, Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, Mark Waid, and several others, including the above-referenced best sellers.
“During our first year as a publisher, AfterShock worked with over 100 talented creators to help bring to life incredible stories from some of the best in the business,” said AfterShock’s Editor-in-Chief, Mike Marts. “Thanks to overwhelmingly positive support from fans and retailers, AfterShock will continue to expand its content in 2017 through partnerships with both industry favorites and up and comers.”
Jimmy’s Bastards, the second AfterShock title from Ennis following last year’s release, Dreaming Eagles, will debut early summer. The official solicit text follows:
Jimmy Regent is Britain’s number one super spy, a devastatingly handsome secret agent with a license to kill and style to match. Sailing effortlessly through mission after mission with wit and panache, defying danger again and again, Jimmy always triumphs and always gets the girl- gets rather a lot of girls, actually. But now a new and particularly dangerous secret organization has arisen, their sights fixed firmly on Jimmy’s head. Two hundred young men and women in ultimate physical condition, trained in all the arts of deception and death, each bearing a curious facial resemblance to… Jimmy? Every one united with one terrible aim: Get Daddy.
“AfterShock made working on Dreaming Eagles a great experience,” said Garth Ennis. “I can’t think of a better home for Jimmy’s Bastards. I’m sure Jimmy would agree – as indeed would his bastards.”
With several new series debuting in 2017, comic enthusiasts can expect new releases from leading creators that include John Layman with Sam Keith, Frank Tieri, Jeff Loveness and more. There will also be new titles announced from AfterShock’s current family of creators including Adam Glass and Justin Jordan.
Launched in April 2015, AfterShock Comics is a comic book company that combines the creative edge of an independent comic book publisher with the strengths and experience of a traditional powerhouse. In addition to Editor-in-Chief Mike Marts, AfterShock’s executive team includes: Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Joe Pruett; President Lee Kramer, a film/TV production and development executive; CEO Jon Kramer, an entertainment entrepreneur with extensive worldwide production and distribution experience, Senior VP Digital-Creative, Mike Zagari, oversees the AfterShock innovative and immersive story-driven digital experiences, and Senior VP of Investor Relations Jawad Qureshi an experienced Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor.
Technically speaking, a stout is a dark beer with complex flavors, roundness, and a type of roastiness, similar to coffee. Most people think that since the beer is dark, the ABV is going to be high. With stouts, the alcohol content is usually pretty low, ranging from 4.0-6.0 There are several types of stouts, all with different styles and tastes.
Dry Stout: (Guinness Extra Stout) Also knows as the Irish stout, the dry is usually dark brown to black in color. Malt with a dry coffee finish. Flavored occasionally with chocolates and carmels. ABV: 4-6% IBU: 30-45.
Imperial Stout: (Lagunitas Imperial Stout) Also known Russian Imperial Stout. Dark brown to jet black in color. Filled with roasted chocolate, cocoa, and coffee. Rich and complex flavors. American versions tend to be more hoppy. ABV:8-13% IBU: 50-100
Oatmeal Stout: (Sam Adams Oatmeal Stout) A stout that has a sweetness element more so than a dry stout. Brown to black in color. High flavors of oatmeal, coffee and milk chocolate. ABV: 4-6% IBU: 25-40
Sweet Stout: (Milk Stout Nitro) also known as the milk or cream stout. Named from the milk sugar or lactose to sweeten up the beer. Dark brown to black in color, and has more sweetness than any other stout. Can also have coffee and chocolate notes. ABV: 4.5-5.5% IBU:25-40
Also, there is a difference between Porters and Stouts. People think that they are the same, but they are actually quite different. For example, they are more bitter, and the taste of hops is really low.
Stouts are raising in popularity, especially those on nitro. It is great for the beer business as a whole, but not so great for Guinness. According to allaboutbeer.com, since the rise of the stout, Gunniess’ sales have declined 50 million dollars, and they are considered to no longer be the stout.
Even with that decline, stouts aren’t going anywhere. Prepare to see them keep rising in the beer world, and see them on draft/cans/bottles everywhere.
We’re just a few weeks away from the tenth anniversary of Martin Scorsese winning his first Best Director Oscar (and, amazingly, his first Best Picture Oscar) for The Departed. The 2006 film is, technically, a gangster movie. But it’s also a crime drama, more in common with something like Heat than The Godfather, or even Scorsese’s finest hour, Goodfellas.
Jack Nicholson was a gangster in Boston, sure, but this was more about false identity and double crosses between cops and crooks. And yet, it’s the closest we’ve come to a successful gangster picture in almost fifteen years. The western has often been accused of being a dying genre, but these days the gangster movie seems to be sleeping with the fishes (I’m sorry). Ben Affleck is trying to reinvigorate the genre of fedoras and Tommy Guns with Live By Night, opening in wide release this weekend. But by all indications and the mounting pile of scathing reviews, this appears to be Affleck’s first true misfire as a director. As far as the gangster movie getting a less-than-stellar reception, well, he’s not alone these days.
In the years before The Departed, there were a handful of solid entries in the traditional gangster genre, namely Sam Mendes’ sophomore directing effort, Road to Perdition. The hyper-stylized story about a gangster father and his son was a tremendous entry into the genre, showing us a different side to Tom Hanks with a fresh, compelling take full of wonderful supporting performances from none other than Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and a young Daniel Craig. Who could have known it would be one of the last gasps of the genre?
Since 2006, the attempts at the gangster movie have been fewer and farther between, and the returns have been increasingly diminished. Ridley Scott’s American Gangster was decent, but minor. Michael Mann told the John Dillinger story in 2009 with Public Enemies, but even the great Mann couldn’t quite stick the landing. Public Enemies has its moments, but as a whole it’s a little too lifeless, a little muddled, and the wonderful period aesthetics overwhelmed an uninteresting narrative.
That same year, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet managed to inject some life into the genre with a fresh perspective on the rise and fall of a career criminal. But it existed in the margins of the traditional genre. Fast forward to 2013, and the abysmal Gangster Squad, a fedora-laden speakeasy genre entry that felt at times like a parody of the genre. There have been some smaller, impressive works in recent years, films like Michael Shannon’s The Iceman, but most gangster movies have either fallen flat on their face or never happened at all.
Everyone who loves the genre has been clamoring for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, a traditional gangster film with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and (maybe) Joe Pesci. Hopefully is stays on schedule and begins shooting in February. John Travolta is set to play John Gotti in an upcoming biopic, but putting your faith in a successful Travolta film is a fool’s errand. Gangster movies are no longer hot commodities the way they once were. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson defined the genre. The 70s saw Coppola and Scorsese put a new face on it. Imitators came and went following the success of Goodfellas and Casino. But these days nothing seems to be working.
What is it about the gangster movie that isn’t connecting with audiences and critics these days? It could be a number of things, starting with the dreaded and feared problem of cliche. Gangster Squad, Live By Night and, to a lesser extent, Public Enemies work with a checklist of tropes rather than try and tell a new story with a fresh perspective. Tommy Guns, check. Speakeasies, check. Dangerous moll, check. Fedoras and tough-talking hoods, check… Those are elements that define the genre, sure, but they don’t need to all exist int he same story, regardless of the story being told, without any weight or consequence. Familiarity can easily create boredom.
It’s a tough thing to balance cliches and create a compelling film, and for the gangster genre the cliches we all recognize create a world of excess that can overwhelm story. Take a look at the western, another genre consistently on death’s door, and how it’s managed to revive itself. It many cases it’s gone smaller (the Magnificent Seven remake notwithstanding. That’s its own star-fueled spectacle), and it’s mixed things up a little. Identifiers are still prevalent, but the stories have been stripped down – as in the case with Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence – the genre itself has been combined with another genre, like horror in the tremendous Bone Tomahawk, or the setting has been shifted in time – see: Hell or High Water. The gangster movie might need a minimalist approach to its standard story, or maybe it could even work within another setting or alongside another genre. Creativity is key to revival. Don’t tell the same stories in the same manner.
Perhaps modern audiences aren’t as excited to glorify killers and thieves as they rise to ultimate power these days. It might hit a little too close to home. But that’s not as clear cut, and it’s typically ignoring the final act of most gangster movies. Critics took issue with Goodfellas and Casino for their glorification of the lifestyle, but did they not see the final twenty minutes of either of those? With the rise to power there is almost always a fall, but maybe those first two acts are a turn off for moviegoers these days.
As we sit now, the gangster movie genre appears to be dying on the vine, with attempts to revive these stories continually falling short. But it’s never too late to bring these stories back, there just needs to be more creativity, the right story, and the right filmmaker behind the camera. That day will come again – maybe with Tom Hardy’s new Al Capone movie, whenever that gets here, or The Irishman – but it doesn’t seem that Affleck’s Live By Night is going to be that savior.
Learn the secrets and hidden tales from the summer before the eternal love triangle begins in this special issue. Featuring two short stories focusing on the major players and events in the Riverdale series: Spend some time at Archie’s summer construction job and learn how it leads him to a fateful encounter with the alluring music teacher, Ms. Grundy. Find out more about Veronica’s mysterious life in New York, before the shocking event that would send her family scrambling. You dare not miss this special FCBD version of the commemorative one-shot issue that serves as a prelude to the CW Riverdale TV series!
Script: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Brian E. Paterson, James DeWille
Art: Elliot Fernandez, Thomas Pitilli, Thomas Chu, Janice Chiang Cover: Francesco Francavilla
FBCD RIVERDALE
FCBD RIVERDALE, a special version of the tie-in one-shot issue that serves as a prequel to the new CW RIVERDALE TV series, will arrive in comic book shops in North America on May 6th for Free Comic Book Day.
This very special edition will feature two stories set in the world of the new TV series. The tales are written by showrunner and Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and several members of the show’s writing staff.
Writer Brian E. Paterson and artist Elliot Fernandez will unveil secrets from Archie’s summer working at his dad’s construction company and how things change during an encounter with his high school music teacher, Ms. Grundy.
In the second story, writer James DeWille and artist Thomas Pitilli explore the mystery surrounding Veronica’s move from New York to Riverdale.
“It made perfect sense to give retailers the opportunity to offer a RIVERDALE book on Free Comic Book Day to fans. RIVERDALE is a major moment for Archie Comics and we want to let readers experience that world on what’s become a worldwide comic book holiday, Free Comic Book Day,” said Archie Comics President, Mike Pellerito.
“The book will be immediately accessible to fans interested stepping into the world of the show, or to viewers who’ve added RIVERDALE to their must-watch list and want more exciting content, curated by showrunner and Archie CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and the show’s team of amazing writers. Don’t miss it!”
The CW’s Riverdale debuts Jan. 26th at 9/8c on The CW and internationally on Netflix beginning Jan. 27th. Visit a participating comic book store for Free Comic Book Day on May 6th.
Nicolas Winding Refn is probably one of the more polarizing filmmakers out there these days. His films have gotten increasingly more violent, more disturbing, more interesting to some, more annoyingly on the nose and misogynistic for others. Now, Refn is dipping his toes into the spy thriller genre with The Avenging Silence.
He’s released a detailed synopsis, and it sounds appropriately wacky:
The spy was one of the leading spies in Europe. An injury inflicted to his vocal cords during a failed mission six years ago left him mute, forcing him to leave his profession. Now, six years later, he is sought out and put on confidential assignment by a former Yakuza, now a retired Japanese businessman in exile in France, to track down and kill the head of the most dangerous Yakuza family in Japan.
Afraid of flying, our spy anonymously boards a cargo ship headed for Tokyo. An onboard explosion sinks the ship and our spy finds himself washed ashore on a life raft in southern Japan. As a mute, our spy must silently journey through Japan seeking 4 clues – symbolizing conquest, war, famine, and death – which will guide him to the unknown location of the Yakuza boss. Meanwhile, the Yakuza boss, known for his 2004 mass slaughter of Yakuza members who had turned against him, is believed to be plotting to re- enter the Japanese underworld after living in his own surreptitious world in the mountains, void of all technology. This way of life becomes an obsession for the Yakuza boss. Rumors spread that he had committed suicide years ago but escaped prisoners from his hidden camp told stories of his plan for a comeback. Now rival Yakuza families suspect he is forming a master plan to return, a plan that unburies the most infamous story of Yakuza betrayal.
Our spy finds himself on an existential journey through Japan in search of pieces to the puzzle that will lead him to a confrontation with the ultimate Yakuza boss in a terrifying conclusion.
No matter how extensive this synopsis looks, expect plenty of shocks and surprises from Refn along the way. He’s working with veteran James Bond scribes Robert Wade and Neal Purvis to work on the screenplay, but I seriously doubt this will look like any James Bond film we’ve ever seen coming from Nicolas Winding Refn.
Stay tuned for filming schedules, casting, and release date information.
CHiPs was a (somewhat) popular show back in the late 70s and early 80s, focusing on the adventures of California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers. And now, over three decades since it last aired on television, CHiPs is a feature film.
Here’s the trailer:
There isn’t an official synopsis yet for the film, but really how different can it be from the TV show?
This is an odd movie for a number of reasons. Odd because the source material predates half of the moviegoing public; odd because I don’t even think reruns of the original CHiPs series are anywhere on TV; odd because this movie, about a show from the 70s, feels incredibly 90s.
Back in the 90s, remaking old TV shows into feature films was all the rage. There was the good (The Addams Family), the average (The Brady Bunch), and the terrible (The Beverly Hillbillies). That nostalgic grab leaked over into the early 2000s with dreck like Starsky and Hutch, but it seemed as if Hollywood figured out their audience was getting a little too far away from the source material to care about a remake.
But that didn’t stop Dax Shepard apparently. CHiPs stars Shepard, who also directed, and Michael Peñaas Ponch. CHiPs will hit theaters March 24, so if you need to catch up on the original series you’d better get to it.
Coming in February, Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm are bringing you STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL #1 – the next new Star Wars limited series. Blockbuster writer Cullen Bunn (Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, Monsters Unleashed) and artist Luke Ross (Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation) are going to take readers inside the mind of prequel fan-favorite Darth Maul as he goes on a personal quest with deadly consequences!
Bred on hate, fear, and anger. Steeped in the ways of darkness…trained to kill. Darth Maul’s time as an apprentice to Darth Sidious has long been cloaked in shadows, but at last we will reveal his tale of revenge. His master tells him to embrace his anger, but to stay hidden and bide his time. Maul has waited long enough – his patience growing ever thinner. His moment to step into the light has finally come. Prepare for a tale of unbridled rage as Darth Maul readies one of his first encounters with his mortal enemy…with the Jedi.
On Darth Maul, writer Cullen Bunn had this to say,
Maul is one of the coolest characters in the Star Wars galaxy. Star Wars is blessed with a wealth of characters that you want to know more about. I mean, every background character in every cantina in every hive of scum and villainy is ripe for further exploration. But Maul ranks right at the top. We’ve seen a few different sides of Maul: obedient killing machine, madman, crime lord, cunning strategist. I was excited to write a story that might show off all of those aspects of the character. I also find it fascinating that the Sith are taught to embrace their anger, but Maul—because of his master’s planning—has to keep his in check.
FBCD RIVERDALE 
STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL #1 will be available February 1st!