Details are out for the upcoming Spider-Man: Dead No More. With the full title being Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy, connections are evident to the 90’s Clone Saga.
While many hold differing views on the saga’s story, its legacy is still potent. In short, during the mid-nineties Marvel went with the idea that Peter Parker was not Peter Parker. Instead, the then real Spider-Man was a guy named Ben Reilly. Reilly took over web slinging duties for some time until tests came back saying Peter Parker was the real McCoy and Reilly was the clone.
You can see how this could confuse people easily.
Reilly eventually died off and Parker was the main spider for New York City. At least until Doc Ock decided he wanted a piece of the action, but that’s another story.
From the release we know the Jackal will be the main villain. Fitting as the Jackal gave Peter all the cloning troubles during the 90’s. Personally I think the Jackal may want to find a new hobby, but I doubt any of them will take up knitting presently.
Dan Slott and Nick Lowe allude to the Jackal moving past cloning and try to manipulate the boundaries of life and death.
The stand alone series will launch in October with a total of five issues.
According to their website, Andrew and Val Stimpson set up shop at the abandoned Crystal Springs Brewery in 1997. Operating for the better part of two decades, these award-winning brewmasters have brought their British roots to bear in giving the world Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale from Neustadt Springs Brewery. Two British ex-patriates’ take on an American version of a unique Scottish flavour …
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – First Sip
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale pours nicely into my glass: it’s an almost cloudy orange-brown with a thin layer of head. This beer is malty. It has a sweet-and-sour flavour that fades to a grainy finish. Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale has a smooth but crisp mouthfeel that gives this brew an easy-drinkin’ quality while accentuating its unique sweet-and-sour taste.
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – Last Sip
I’ve never had a Scottish pale ale before so this is all new to me. But, if Scottish pale ales are generally malt-forward and grainy then this is an excellent version of one. Its sweet-and-sour taste make it a great beer to enjoy ice cold or at room temperature. My very limited research into Scottish ale has taught me that it’s essentially a North American take on what’s generally referred to as Scotch ale (Innis & Gunn being a popular brewer of such). Wikipedia also reports that Scottish or Scotch ales are great chasers for Scotch whisky. I decided to put wikipedia’s statement to the test.
Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale – As a chaser for Scotch
I admit my inferior Scotch whisky selection but expect no flack for drinking this unique brew as a chaser for Johnnie Walker Red Label. Here we go (I raise my shot glass to the victims of the Battle of Culloden). Hoots mon! Aside from the obvious, drinking a wee bit o’ whisky is a great way to set off the flavour of this brew. Its sweet-and-sour taste complements well the earthy flavour of the Scotch. Just don’t perform this alcoholic combination too often, Neustadt Scottish Pale Ale’s relatively low alcohol percentage (4.5% ABV versus Innis & Gunn Original‘s 6.6%) notwithstanding. Although, I may try it again with a single malt during Outlander’s Season Two finale, ye ken?
AMC is feeling mighty protective of its zombie drama plot twists. Especially considering how polarizing the finale was. If you aren’t caught up with Walker World, the latest season ended with Negan’s bloody beatdown of… someone. We don’t know who was killed in The Walking Dead’s sixth season finale, and AMC want to keep it that way.
First off, AMC allegedly issued a cease and desist to The Spoiling Dead, a website/Facebook page. In recent years, the page has become very accurate in its projections. On Tuesday, the page posted that “.. After two years, AMC finally reached out to us! But it wasn’t a request not to post any info about the Lucille Victim… it was a cease and desist and a threat of a lawsuit by AMC Holdings, LLC’s attorney, Dennis Wilson. They say we can’t make any type of prediction about the Lucille Victim. Their stance is that making such a prediction would be considered copyright infringement.” You can read the whole statement here, but long story short, The Walking Dead is looking to keep its secrets locked up tight.
Then, it was reported today that more than one ending was filmed. In fact, every possible lead has filmed an execution. That’s 11 gruesome death scenes, where only one will actually be used. Whoever it is that may be getting killed, The Walking Dead doesn’t want you to find out. It’s the same sort of secrecy Game of Thrones pulled with the fate of Jon Snow, albeit taken up a notch or two. If nothing else, all the rumor mills are spinning extra press for the show. The more they try to protect it, the more people will want to know. Until the show comes back on in October, we’ll just have to make our own conjectures. They just better not be too right.
In the meantime, we’re free to make conjectures about what certain death will mean for the show. Read about our thought on what would be good about the deaths of characters like Daryl, Maggie, or Carl.
After realizing how Chili Pepper will be able to kill Joseph Joestar even while he is still arriving by boat, the team split up in an effort to stop him in time. This leads to Josuke fighting against a man who wants to kill his father. Is it possible for Josuke to defeat a being who has insane electrical powers and is able to move in the blink of an eye?
After the dull return of the Chili Pepper, this episode takes the time to make up for it by finally having an all out brawl between his controller and Josuke. Akira Otoishi, Chili Pepper’s Stand user, arrives wielding a guitar which he plays like a pro. If you are asking why a bad guy brought a musical instrument to the fight instead of a weapon, remember this is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, this kind of thing happens every episode. As a matter of fact, his behavior is tamer than a majority of the characters this series has introduced this season. Sure he’s on a mission to assassinate someone but at least he has more ambition than simply killing on his mind unlike the first villain of the season, Angelo.
The episode has a very touching moment near the end where Josuke finally meets up with Joseph, his estranged father. Considering there are so many animes where characters have wayward and absent fathers, it always entertaining to see a moment of bonding like this. It warms the heart and helps to top off a pretty action packed episode. From here thought the show will have to reveal who is really pulling the strings in the background and show who really is possession of the bow and arrow which causes people to manifest Stands.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable is streaming at Crunchyroll.
Lady Gaga is starring in a modern remake of A Star is Born. Makes sense. For several years, however, Warner Bros. has been stuck trying to find the male lead opposite Gaga. It appears now they’ve killed two birds with one stone, as Bradley Cooper will star opposite Lady Gaga as well as make his directorial debut.
The Playlist broke the news earlier today. According to their report the two stars “get along famously, their tests went well, and the studio is super excited.” This is a huge step for Lady Gaga’s blossoming acting career, and she’s set up to be the next Barbara Streisand, Madonna, or any other pop superstar who crossed over successfully into film.
As for Bradley Cooper, well, this seems like a risky first-time directing job for the superstar. Some people think he might direct a smaller project first to get his feet wet. There is no doubt he can handle the male lead, Norman Maine, an alcoholic who helps Vicki Lester become a star. James Mason and Kris Kristofferson nailed the role in the previous two adaptation.
And who knows, he won’t be the first actor to turn director and he could do a marvelous job. Either way, this is turning into a delicious project.
Most superhero fiction endeavors to diversify origin stories so that a variety of character types and superpowers exist within their universe. Just within the MCU, we find: physical/genetic experimentation, alien physiology, random mutation and, with The Hand, what appears to be magic. That’s a lot of origins, and it’s confusing if you have little background in the comic universe. it’s a complicated world. But you have to have multiple unique backgrounds for different characters and superpowers, right? Wrong. It’s not difficult to accomplish character and power variety with simple, unifying world building. Anime does it all the time. Hunter x Hunter and A Certain Magical Index both pull this off with great effect.
Hunter x Hunter portrays superpowers in a much more Eastern, Dragon Ball-ish manner with the concept of Nen, a Chi style life force energy that can be mastered to gain superpowers. However, unlike the simpler Dragon Ball concept, Hunter x Hunter makes Nen the basis for an interesting variety of powers. Different personality types have distinct types of powers that do unique things. Hunter x Hunter categorizes people into six broad types of powers. From there, characters end up with varied powers, within the same universal concept, including super strength, prophecy and shape shifting.
Kurapika using nen to create and manipulate chain weaponry in Hunter x Hunter (2011)
A more recent anime, A Certain Magical Index, tackles super powers in a more complicated manner. Index divides superpowers into two categories: magical and esper (psychic). Esper powers are based upon both created in universe and real scientific principle. The in-universe principle is personal reality in which any person can develop a power unique to him or her trough science. Magic is then explained as invoking a god to recreate what Espers are able to do naturally. This device allows magical power to co-exist in universe. Index is able to portray a variety of powers and powers levels, from god-level characters to normal humans able to make up for lack of powers.
Amata Kihara using a anti-tank rifle against a magic user in A Certain Magical Index Season 2
Both of these Anime are instructive examples of streamlined mythology that still offer considerable room for creativity. Comic book writers could take note for successful world building.
It didn’t take long for Supergirl to cast its Superman. Tyler Hoechlin from Seventh Heaven and Teen Wolf fame will be donning the iconic cape for the series. At first glance, the 28-year-old Hoechlin seems like a surprising choice. Apparently though according to multiple sources the Supergirl / Arrow / Flash team has been looking to work with Hoechlin for a while now. Plus, it appears the Hoechlin was on the radar of the Batman v Superman producers as a possibility to play Bruce Wayne. So while Hoechlin may have not been who the fans were thinking (i.e. Tom Welling) there’s a reason why fans don’t do casting. They’d cast more with their hearts than with their minds. While Welling may have been the sentimental choice it’s nice to see the producers looking for a “fresh face”.
The good
The show certainly needed to add a Superman. The texting, the blurring and the showing of boots wasn’t cutting it. Being six feet tall and athletic, Hoechlin looks the part. It’s imparative for Superman to be likeable and Hoechlin plays likeable well. While superman is an iconic character, this is still a supporting role. His mission is to mentor and backup Supergirl not take the lead. It will be fun seeing how he interacts with Melissa Benoist who is wonderful as Supergirl.
The confusing
Which leads to the question: how much effect will Superman have on the show? Yes, you need Superman in this world, but he shouldn’t be used as a “get out of a jam free card”. Ideally he’s a presence and another confidant but not a constant presence. Maybe he will make up a bit for Cat Grant’s seemingly decreased role next season?
Also, Superman is supposed to be Kara’s older, more mature and experienced cousin. He’s a mentor who’s been on Earth and a superhero much longer than Kara. Trick is Hoechlin doesn’t look much older at all. (In real life he is one year older.) Not to mention that this is probably the first time in TV / Movie history where Jimmy Olsen (Mehcad Brooks who is in his mids 30s) looks older than Superman. Mehcad doesn’t look much older but he certainly doesn’t look like “Superman’s little buddy.” Of course some of this can be fixed with makeup and some can be explained away by noting that Kyrptonian’s age much slower and better than regular humans.
The exciting question is: will Superman be limited to Supergirl or will he also be making stops in Star City and Central City? Right now they are in a different universe but we’ve already been told by the “CW powers that be” that Supergirl is going to cross over into these worlds. Does that hold true for Superman too? Could a Justice League be far away?
The conclusion
An interesting choice for sure. Excited to see where it leads.
The first crossover event of the Rebirth Era begins this September! The six-part story is entitled “Night of the Monster Men” and will span the Batman, Nightwing, and Detective Comics books. Steve Orlando looks to be spearheading the event, working alongside each title’s usual writer.
Check out the descriptions and covers for the first three parts below!
Part One – Batman #7
On sale September 21
Co-Written by Steve Orlando and Tom King
Art by Riley Rossmo
As a huge storm approaches, Batman, Batwoman and Nightwing try and prepare Gotham City for the worst, but nothing can prepare the heroes for the enormous monsters rampaging through the streets! Batman will need all of his allies to unite in order to stop these mad science monsters from tearing Gotham apart!
Part Two – Nightwing #5
On sale September 21
Co-Written by Steve Orlando and Tim Seeley
Art by Roge Antonio
The Monster Men are stomping their way through Gotham City! How can the Bat-team take on both these monsters and the storm of the century? And when Nightwing goes behind the scenes to discover where these monsters originated, what he finds lurking in the shadows might be worse than the monsters themselves!
Part Three – Detective Comics #941
On sale September 28
Co-Written by Steve Orlando and James Tynion IV
Art by Andy MacDonald
Batman and Batwoman take to the streets in a motorcycle death race against a monster that transforms faster than either of them can keep up! And at Blackgate Prison, something truly terrifying is growing in the prison’s darkest depths… and its eggs are hatching!
— Parts Four through Six of “NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN” concludes the storyline in the pages of BATMAN #8, NIGHTWING #6 and DETECTIVE COMICS #942, to be solicited next month.
We are a little more than a month away from the Comic-Con International in San Diego and things are starting to pick up. The exclusives are starting to drop and some companies like Mattel are accepting pre-orders for pickup at the convention. Comic-Con has become more about movies and television than comics in recent years. The studios have started taking advantage of excitable nerd journalists (ahem) who will breathlessly give them a lot of publicity if they announce things. While there is no way to tell exactly what everyone will do, I’m going to make a few predictions based on what we already know and what the studios have done in the past.
1. Doctor Strange Theatrical Trailer
Unless we see a full trailer for Doctor Strange before the convention I would say a full trailer is very likely from Marvel to debut in Hall H. The trailer at the convention will probably have extra content, but Marvel would likely release a high quality version fairly quickly. The director,Scott Dickerson, has already confirmed that they will have a presence at the convention so a full cast panel is also likely.
2. Damage Control For Rogue One (And Maybe A Trailer)
While I think it’s much more likely that the theatrical trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will premiere at Star Wars Celebration in London, a few weeks from now you can be assured that Disney and Lucasfilm will be out in droves trying to negate all of those reshoot rumors. If we already have a trailer it wouldn’t surprise me to see behind the scene footage much like they did last year for The Force Awakens.
3. Suicide Squad Is Going To Be Everywhere
Warner Bros has already said that Suicide Squad is going to have a huge presence at the convention but this is still an interesting perspective. WB is in an interesting place with the original idea being that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was going to be the sure thing while giving Suicide Squad the room to take some chances. Now the pressure is on Suicide Squad to basically justify the entire DC Cinematic Universe. If Warner Bros was smart they would screen the movie for critics and fans at SDCC.
4. Nothing From Fox (Because They Won’t Be There)
20th Century Fox announced a few months ago that they wouldn’t be attending SDCC this year because of the piracy issues in Hall H. So if any X-Men fans were hoping to get a look at the next Wolverine movie, SDCC won’t be place.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 Early Footage Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 just finished filming so it wouldn’t surprise me if James Gunn brought some very rough footage to the convention to show off in Hall H.
6. Wonder Woman Teaser And Possibly Justice League Footage
Along with having a huge presence at SDCC with Suicide Squad WB would be wise to bring some footage from Wonder Woman. If there is a movie that they should be hyping up it’s Wonder Woman, and it’ll be less than a year before release. The movie has wrapped so a first look is likely. Justice League is much less likely, they are still filming, but a short teaser to help hype the movie after the lukewarm reception of Batman v Superman would be the smart move.
7. Captain Marvel Casting
This one is based much more on speculation but there have been rumors around the internet that Marvel is going to announce Captain Marvel casting this summer. It would be a huge boost to Marvel for them to bring out their pick on stage and introduce her to the world. It would make them look good compared to DC, even more so if they come out hard with Wonder Woman news.
8. Luke Cage Trailer Or Pilot
This also seems unlikely since Marvel doesn’t market their Netflix series too far in advance usually, but at New York Comic Con last year Marvel screened the entire pilot for Jessica Jones. A full length trailer is much more likely, but a pilot episode would really get the hype train going for Marvel first black superhero getting his own solo series.
The business in being an anime fan is usually a short one. Most fans hang around for a couple of years and flounder off once the show that brought them in starts to fade off. However if you manage to stick out for longer than that, maybe even ten years like some of us, you’ll find that your fandom tends to evolve from what it starts out as. Part of this may be because you get older, it might also have to do with the amount of shows you watch naturally grow and you tend to get a wider variety of shows that you see. For some, myself included, there is a point where you want to deeply hold onto those early favorites of when you first got into the fandom. This is completely understandable. No one would ever tell you that something doesn’t mean a lot just because it happened a long ago. Newer isn’t always better and reflecting on past favorites plays with this invisible balancing line where you need you figure out when a show is still worth your time or needs to take a back seat to better things.
Basically what spawned this whole article is something that spawns most of my content. I spent way too much time thinking about how Code Geass was my favorite anime since it came out on adult swim in 2007. It stayed my favorite show until 2012 or 2013, I can’t really remember. What I do remember is saying for about a year that it was still my favorite anime when it was in fact not. Also I’m having trouble with that same situation right now and need to evaluate Neon Genesis Evangelion and see if it still means enough to be my favorite show, or if there is something better to take its place. For some reason I have this knee jerk reaction when it comes to taking a show off of my favorites list, and I have a few ideas why this may be and will share how my affections towards these shows hasn’t really diminished, but evolved. This can also tie into the nostalgia factor so I kind of want to address that as well since it sort of ties into this topic.
Okay to start off I’ll bring up what I went through when it came to a show like Code Geass. For me I think it felt like I was admitting that I was wrong for so many years up until that point. I didn’t want to think that I wasted so much time focusing on this one show that now paled in comparison to other shows that I had watched. On a bright side though, it showed how I had grown as a person and a fan. There was a clear difference in a show like Code Geass and others that I used to hold up, and the ones I do now. This was sort of enlightening. Now while not everyone’s fandom has to evolve in such a way. It was ultimately beneficial for someone like me who had decided around that time that writing was a passion to be focused on. I also was deciding that I wanted more out of my entertainment and wanted to feel those deep emotions, sort of like what I did with Code Geass, but I wanted them to be lasting and not as shallow and fleeting. You see the more I got into anime the more greedy I became. I started wanting more of all the things I liked and wanted them to be well made since that is what I expected from myself as a writer. It was sort of jealousy if anything. Whenever I would see a poorly written show I would get mad since I was trying so hard to make my writing good and here is a horribly written story getting published and praised. Sure it sounds like I was a little conceited, but what artist isn’t when it comes to their creations. Anyway I played with calling Code Geass bad, but I quickly thought this to be overkill in trying to cover up my tracks of holding up such a “meh” show. I then had to watch it over again to see what I could get out of it now, and voila. I found myself appreciating it for its sheer density of things it had going on and how it struggled to keep them together. I loved how all the situations are complete nonsense but played with so much heart and care that its compelling. In a way it was all the things I liked about the show to begin with, I just liked them in a different way now. Except for Kallen and CC, my love for them stayed just the same as it did when I was 15.
This is where the whole nostalgia love comes into play. Sometimes you just need to admit that things aren’t as you once saw them. But that’s okay because now there is a chance to appreciate them in a different light. I’m a believer when it comes to art, some things are better off forgotten. There are things that will eventually hold no value for you as a person and you need to let go of them. Pretty deep stuff for anime trash that I love, but still. This is not something that I think anyone else needs to agree on with me. Some may say I don’t really care about things from the past by saying such things. Honestly, yeah I don’t. I used to be super into Digimon when I was a kid and early teenager, but now I look on it and shrug it off as something I once liked. I certainly can watch some Digimon but the feelings I had for it as a kid are long gone, because I don’t need them anymore. Just like with Code Geass, there are some things you don’t need in your life anymore, or at least not in the same way. Sure I haven’t given up on Code Geass, but if that one day does happen, it’s no skin off my back. I feel like I am sounding super pragmatic, but it’s actually quite the opposite. I care so much about these dumb shows that if I don’t feel some kind of connection with it anymore, I throw it away and make room for newer and better things.
However I wouldn’t really think of it as throwing away things either. Just like you eat food to get nourishment. Art is nourishment for the mind and soul. You use it and let it fill you with whatever you need at the time and once you don’t need it anymore, you move onto the next thing that will give your life nourishment. I didn’t really mean for this simple topic to go this far down the rabbit hole. Some of the things I said probably don’t need to be said but its at least a better understanding at how I view the vast amount of anime in the past and the vast amount to come. All I want is to have this deep emotional connection with a show so I can truly call it my favorite, and like I’ve experienced with Code Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion might not be that show anymore.
