Young Justice is Unfinished Business for Show Writer

By

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June 21, 2016

Unfinished business.

That’s the feeling you get from television writer Greg Weisman when he starts talking about Young Justice, the Cartoon Network show he wrote and produced. Despite critical acclaim, the show about DC Comics’ most famous sidekicks was abruptly canceled after two seasons. Still, he has reason for hope.

“Warner and Netflix are talking about bringing it back for a third season,” Weisman said during an interview at Sacramento’s Wizard World Comic Book Convention.

The cancellation of Young Justice had little to do with the show’s popularity on TV and everything to do with its popularity in toy stores. Mattel helped fund the show, but when Robin, Aqualad, Super Boy and the rest of the YJ team weren’t selling, Mattel canceled the toys and pulled the funding.

“People have said, ‘why don’t you start a petition?’ Petitions are nice, but those are for the fans.” Weisman says the answer to bring Young Justice back is simple: watch it… a lot. “Binge watching is the best way to bring it back.” He even encourages binge watching on twitter with the hashtag #KeepBingingYJ.

Season two of YJ was added to Netflix last year. Weisman says the video streaming giant doesn’t share exact figures but says the show is still popular with fans and Warner Bros. as well.

“Everyone at Warner would love to bring Young Justice back, but they have to find a way to make it profitable.” Weisman points out that working out a deal with Netflix would help the show avoid its past reliance on toy sales.

So what would season 3 of Young Justice look like? Weisman isn’t giving up any secrets, but did say he would bring in some new characters and the timeline would skip forward much like season two did.

Weisman is credited with co-creating of the Disney cartoon Gargoyles and has written, produced and overseen several other successful cartons like Star Wars Rebels and The Spectacular Spider-Man. He is currently a writer for the Nickelodeon show Shimmer and Shine, continues to write comic books and has published two novels as part of his Rain of Ghosts series.

“I’d quit for Young Justice. I wouldn’t just quit for anything, but I’d quit for Young Justice.”

Unfinished business indeed.

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‘The Birth of a Nation’ Trailer: Meet Your Best Picture Frontrunner

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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June 21, 2016

The Birth of a Nation has been a frontrunner for this year’s Best Picture since Sundance. At the winter festival, Nate Parker’s slave-uprising drama sold for record bucks, and took the entire festival by storm.

Here is the first official trailer:

And the synopsis:

Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

The only thing that could hurt The Birth of a Nation‘s chances come Oscar time is its similarity to Steve McQueen’s Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave. This, however, appears to have a much more proactive narrative thread than McQueen’s emotionally charged drama.

The Birth of a Nation hits theaters October 7.

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‘Ghostbusters’ Is Getting A New Animated Series

By

Anthony Wendel

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June 21, 2016

Fans have been heavily critical about the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot. Still there has been some rather enjoyable aspects of the movie coming out they cant argue with such as the return of Ecto Cooler to stores. Now a new announcement will give fans even more to look forward to as new animated series has been announced by Sony.

The new series, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force will be set in the year 2050 and will feature a new team. They will have brand new equipment, travel all over the world to bust ghosts, and get help from other Ghostbusters locations in their travels.

The series will be the third animated Ghostbusters animated series joining The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters. The show set to be released in 2018. Will fan take to the new series or give it the same reception they gave the new movie? Only time will tell.

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Review: ‘Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye’ #54: Casualties

By

Anthony Wendel

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June 21, 2016

MASSACRE! The battle between the DECEPTICON Justice Division and MEGATRON’s AUTOBOTS reaches its nerve-shredding climax. Pray for your favorites — because not everyone makes it out of this issue alive.

Writing

The moment has finally arrived. After they were abandoned in issue #50, the last few issues have only been building tension to the event we all knew was coming. A knockdown, drag out, intense battle erupts between the stranded crew of the Lost Light and the Decepticon Justice Division. Is it worth the wait? You better believe it is. With every page turn, the battle seems to get more nail biting. The fighting which ensues is both satisfying and shocking as actions are taken but at a great cost to many. The blurb wasn’t lying, not everyone gets out of the issue alive.

Just as it seems you can’t take anymore the issue comes to a close on a cliffhanger which will make you wish the issue #55 wasn’t another month away. Writer James Roberts didn’t write a battle scene, he wrote an experience and it is a marvel to engage in.

Artwork

The artwork by Alex Milne is a great contributing factor to this issue. Through his work, the violent explosions and savage combat can be felt as you turn the pages. Some of the best moments in the issue comes from the action pages he drew. There is a particular splash page in this issue which many will probably want to get a print of because of how fantastic the detail work is. It’s the only splash page in the issue so it isn’t hard to find.

Conclusion

The team of Milne and Roberts once again delivers an intense, emotional, and well crafted comic. Now all they need to do is wrap up the battle and see where the warriors will go from here. Frankly, after a battle this draining it won’t be easy to simply get back in their ship and go about their merry way. Especially since the ship is still in someone else’s possession.

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Review – ‘Lucas Stand’ #1 [Spoiler Free]

By

Seth Frederiksen

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June 21, 2016

Creator of Sons of Anarchy Kurt Sutter is producing a new comic book series with BOOM! Studios. Lucas Stand follows an ex-military vet unable to return to society. Coupled with a crippling drug and alcohol addiction, Stand winds up into the service of Hell itself.

His mission is to restore the balance between Heaven and Hell, and to erase the sins of his own soul. Of course this is a mission with many obstacles, including an agent from Heaven looking to thwart Stand’s very efforts.

As a fan of SOA, I love seeing Kurt Sutter utilizing his talents in a new medium. One downside to working on television are limitations of budget and subject matter and BOOM! Studios is letting Sutter go full throttle on the story.

Stand is probably as far from a hero as you can be. And you still feel sorry for the guy for what he’s going through. He doesn’t want to be a bad guy, and he wishes he could be a better guy. But life seems to have it for Lucas.

Sutter’s portrayal of Lucas Stand shows many profound problems within our society, yet the message doesn’t feel gimmicky. Sutter also doesn’t use this element of the story to take away from the overall plot.

Of course there are a few bumps that came up in the issue. The second act of the story arrives out of left field and can throw the reader off if they are not paying attention. And if they do not stay to the end of the issue then they’re really in for a loop.

Furthermore we don’t get to see Stand’s relation to anyone close to him. Which I get, as Sutter wants to reinforce how Stand now keeps his friends and family away. But this might have helped in illuminating the tragic nature of Stand’s character.

Even with these issues, the story is fantastic and I am looking forward to the next installment next month.

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Meet MOSAIC, Marvel Comics’ Newest Character

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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June 21, 2016

Marvel Comics recently announced Marvel NOW!, a new branding initiative spinning out of this summer’s Civil War II. Today, the company has followed up with Mosaic, a new book starring a new character that will be launching as a part of the NOW! initiative.

Mosaic stars Morris Sackett, a basketball player turned Inhuman superhero, and will be written and drawn by Geoffrey Thorne and Khary Randolph, respectively.

“To say that Morris will have a long, hard road to travel to become a hero is an understatement,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “One minute, Mosaic holds the world in the palm of his hand, the next, he has absolutely nothing, except for powers that will transform him into one of the Marvel Universe’s most complex characters — powers that , if not properly harnessed, will feel more like a curse.”

MOSAIC #1
Written by GEOFFREY THORNE
Art by KHARY RANDOLPH
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Variant Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
On Sale in October!

Mosaic centers on Morris Sackett – professional basketball player and celebrity. Loved by millions, hated by his teammates. Only Morris is secretly something else – something Inhuman. Coming into contact with the transformative Terrigen Mists has given Morris spectacular new abilities. Imbued with the ability to jump from person-to-person like a ghost, Morris can control the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. But these fantastic new abilities come at a grave cost. Recognized as an all-star athlete, Morris has worked his whole adult life to raise his body to peak physical form, but after his transformation, his living body is no more, and Morris must now rely on other bodies to survive.

“Morris goes from being one of the most famous people in the world to being no one,” says Executive Editor Nick Lowe. “Now he not only has to do time in the bodies of people he never even would have noticed, but also deep into Marvel Universe events!”

Fans eager to meet Mosaic won’t have to wait long – as the character’s highly anticipated first appearance comes to comic shops next week in UNCANNY INHUMANS #11. Plus, ahead of his ongoing series, fans can experience a 10-page Mosaic origin story from Thorne & Randolph which will be available for free on August 6^th at all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, as part of their Get Pop-Cultured event.

MOSAIC #1 comes to comic shops and digital devices everywhere this October! For more on Mosaic and Marvel NOW!, visit Marvel.com.

Image Gallery

Character designs by Khary Randolph:

Variant Cover by Khary Randolph:

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Horror vs Thriller: Blurring The Line Between Genres

By

EJ Moreno

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June 21, 2016

What Makes Horror Movies Different From Thriller Films?

Horror means to “horrify” audiences where a thriller attempts to “thrill”. Viewers see a difference between the two. I personally think the genres are interchangeable. One keeps you on the edge of your seat while the other makes you jump into the backseat. But no matter where you’re seated, that same rush of adrenaline is found.

Some believe a film’s theme can place it in a genre. It becomes complicated when you look to blur the lines. I can debate that 1978’s ‘Halloween‘ has more “thrills” than it does “horror”. If thrillers are grounded in realism then you’re able to easily label ‘Last House On The Left‘ as a thriller.

“Writing is writing, and stories are stories. Perhaps the only true genres are fiction and nonfiction. And even there, who can be sure?”
—Tanith Lee

As a horror fan, some films I call horror classify as thrillers by the general public. I can’t help but to feel the thriller label is on films like ‘Fatal Attraction‘ or ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin‘ due to dislike for horror films. You can’t tell me that ‘Fatal Attraction‘ didn’t put fear into any cheating man’s heart.

Even ‘The Silence Of The Lambs‘ struggles with where it falls on the genre spectrum. Wikipedia has it labeled a “psychological horror-thriller”. Does the crime element cancel out any inclination to label it purely a horror movie? I suppose the deranged Buffalo Bill or Hannibal Lecter does not “horrify” audiences enough.

Another example is 1995’s ‘Se7en‘. Crime & noir elements in the film have made most viewers look at it as a thriller. But those disgusting 7 deadly sins kills have more gore than an average American horror film. Lacking grotesque violence places a movie as a thriller but ‘Se7en‘ is most comparable to iconic horror film 2004’s ‘Saw‘. Both feature cops investigating a serial killer with a moral compass. Both also feature intense graphic effects, a trademark of a horror film. Once you begin to dissect the genres, it becomes harder to label movies.

So must we separate the two? Why can’t horror just absorb the thriller genre and place so many films back to their home? As a cinephile and horror fan, the division between the genres has to stop. Ending the separation between thriller/horror is how you end stigmas against the horror genre.

Let me know what you think in the comments below! Do you believe that horror and thriller is a useless separation or do you think the line between the two is clear?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XArLbhYuSGs

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‘American Honey’ Trailer Proves Shia LaBeouf is Still an Acting Presence

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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June 21, 2016

Shia LaBeouf is more famous these days for his strange performance art pieces. Whether it’s watching all his movies in reverse chronological order, riding an elevator for a weekend, or traveling across the country through the charity of random people, LaBeouf’s acting career has stalled.

The new trailer for American Honey not only proves Shia LaBeouf is still acting. It proves he is still can be a captivating screen presence. Here’s the trailer:

What begins as a story about those shady magazine subscription vagabonds we’ve all seen, turns into something deeper and much more threatening. The film turned some heads at this year’s Cannes in May. Here is the synopsis:

A teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.

Aside from Shia LaBeouf, American Honey stars newcomer Sasha Lane and a whole slew of rookie actors and actresses. Red Road and Fish Tank filmmaker Andrea Arnold directed. There isn’t a set stateside release date yet, but expect it this fall.

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Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ Plot Details Revealed

By

Matthew Sardo

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June 21, 2016

Production of Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ is under way and the director offered a set visit to the media.

Warner Bros. Released the official logo and synopsis of the film:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Ben Affleck talked to reporters about the evolution of his Batman in ‘Justice League.’

“He’s a little bit more sardonic, a little more irony. He’s a little more of a man on a mission this time. As opposed to, he was so full of anger because of what happened at the Black Zero Event. That sort of rage that possessed him. And now he’s on a mission to get this group together; to constitute this League. But more of that sort of Bruce Wayne, wry, ironic gallows humor comes out. He’s not like a ‘haha’ jokey, but that sort of stuff comes out a little bit. A bit of his darker humor is present,” said Affleck via CBR.

The studio confirmed that Steppenwolf is the main villain of the film and that William Dafoe will play Atlantean ally of the Justice League, Vulko.

Justice League Part 1 is directed by Zack Snyder, from Chris Terrio script. The film stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Ezra Miller as The Flash, and Amber Heard as Mera.

Justice League Part 1 is slated for a November 17, 2017 release.

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‘Fables’ sequel ‘EverAfter’ announced

By

Anthony Wendel

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June 20, 2016

Last year, after 150 issues and several spins offs, the multiple Eisner award winning series Fables drew to a close. Just as fans thought they would never see any of their Fabletown friends again, Vertigo has made an announcement: The series will be getting a sequel.

EverAfter: From the pages of Fables will focus on a new story line and have a more a spy thriller aspect to it. In the events following the original comic regular humans (Mundys as they were called) become aware of existence of magic as enchantments started to break down. Now it will be up to a special team of Fables and Mundys to keep the peace in this new world. In a press release Vertigo comics revealed beloved characters such as Bo Peep, Peter Piper, Hansel, and Connor Wolf would be returning.

The creative team behind it features writers Matthew Stuges (Jack of Fables) and Dave Justus (Public Relations) who previously worked on Fables: Wolf Among Us with artist Travis Moore who will also be providing the artwork for the new book. Tula Lotay (Wicked and the Divine) will be doing the covers. The first issue is set to be released in September. Are you excited at the prospect of more Fables?

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Writing

Artwork

Conclusion

Image Gallery

What Makes Horror Movies Different From Thriller Films?

“Writing is writing, and stories are stories. Perhaps the only true genres are fiction and nonfiction. And even there, who can be sure?” —Tanith Lee

“Writing is writing, and stories are stories. Perhaps the only true genres are fiction and nonfiction. And even there, who can be sure?”
—Tanith Lee