Review: ‘Ghostbusters International’ #5: The Battle of the Louvre

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May 24, 2016

“VIVA LA LOUVRE.” There’s no such thing as a coincidence, and the open ectoplasmic hostility at the Louvre go a long way towards proving that point. Can the Ghostbusters fend off a spectral assault without damaging one of the greatest art depositories in the known world? Um… can we get back to you on that?

As the team works to find out what is happening at the Louvre, Egon is working to figure out what is going on with the weird markings they keep running into. He stumbles on a lead to a much more powerful puppet master at work. Its nice the plot is finally starting to move a bit. Sure it hard to follow up the last storyline where the Ghostbusters ended up losing the firehouse but this new series really seems to be taking its time with doing anything major with any of the characters. It’s was starting to feel like the purpose of the new book was just to be able to fight ghosts at different European landmarks. Writer Erik Burnham does seem to know where he’s going with the story but just seems to be taking a while to get there.

The art is striking at the right times. The ghost they fight at the Louvre looks incredible menacing and seems be a homage to the Colossal Titan from Attack on Titan. The ghost causes all the different exhibits to come to life which is very creepy to see in motion. Dan Schoening’s art and Luis Antonio Delgado on colors really is a winning combination.

Though they are finally starting to make some connections to the mysterious symbols they keep finding, the new series is moving slower than previous ones. Hopefully the team is leading the readers to a bigger destination. Still, the book remains incredible entertaining filled with the humor and action fans have come to expect. Even if this turns out to be a more average Ghostbusters’ story, it will still be a very entertaining one.

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Rumor: Robert Downey Jr. Wants Mel Gibson to Direct ‘Iron Man 4’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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May 24, 2016

There’s something unbelievable going on in Tinseltown: it’s a very quiet, slow-burning, Mel Gibson comeback. After popping up in Cannes this month to promote his revenge flick Blood Father (sounds excruciating), and making a handful of public appearances over the last year at premieres (namely the Mad Max: Fury Road premiere last year), the volatile and probably mentally unstable Gibson’s name is beginning to just sort of creep back into the pop culture news stream. I’m calling it now, the guy will be back on a regular basis before long.

Shane Black has been a busy man too, making the rounds to promote The Nice Guys – which, go see it please – and last week at Uproxx he made a throwaway comment about Robert Downey Jr. himself possibly wanting Mel Gibson to direct Iron Man 4, which RDJ has said he’s on board to make. It was a blip in an extensive interview, but still worth noting:

*Would you do another Iron Man? Downey seems to have changed his position and is open to another.

I think he wants Mel Gibson to direct it.

*Really? Downey has been supportive of Gibson.

And for good reason. Mel was great to him. Mel’s been really nice to a lot of people, including me. I’ll go on record saying I don’t believe anyone should be held accountable in any way for something they say while they are drunk. It’s not who they are. I know this because I’ve said horrible things to people and made them feel bad. And it wasn’t who I was, I was just drunk. Mel’s a great guy and I understand his new directing project is actually quite interesting. So, whatever. If you say something sober it’s one thing. If you’re drunk, you’re going to deliberately be belligerent just to piss people off. You know the effect you’re having and you don’t care. Yeah, one of these days, maybe Downey will do another one. I’d love to work with Robert again.

Again, just a throwaway line, but rumor-worthy and probably never going to happen. Handing a nutcase like Mel Gibson the keys to one of Disney’s biggest franchises in a string of insurmountably dominant franchise films would be totally insane. And yeah, Black says don’t blame the guy because he was drunk and people say bad shit when their drunk, but you can’t convince me those insane rants we’ve heard either first or secondhand from Gibson aren’t his true feelings on some very touchy issues.

Gibson is anti-semitic and definitely not the greatest guy, no matter how his previous transgressions are spun as alcoholism run amok. I’m sure he’s a great guy to his friends, and he and RDJ have probably been close for a while – they did star in Air America ages ago and they probably shared some late nights together before RDJ got his act together. But let’s just tap the brakes on Gibson returning to the director’s chair for an Iron Man movie, of all things.

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Review: ‘Scooby Apocalypse’ #1: Bland Armageddon

By

Anthony Wendel

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May 24, 2016

Those meddling kids—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog, Scooby-Doo—get more ghost-debunking than they bargained for when faced with a fundamental change in their world. The apocalypse has happened. Old rules about logic no longer apply. The creatures of the night are among us, and the crew of the Magical Mystery Machine has to fight to survive—because in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future, the horrors are real!This new monthly series takes Scooby and the gang to a whole new level and features character designs by comics superstar Jim Lee!

The second installment of DC Comics’ attempt to re-imagine Hanna Barbara characters tries to add a darker spin on those meddling kids. Of all three of the series announced this was the one which resonated with the fan base because of the wall concepts and character designs. Now, after all is said and done, a new cry will ring aloud as people read the issue and collectively proclaim: “Meh”.

Let’s ignore the whole hatred people had with the idea of “Shaggy is a hipster using terms like “Sheeple,”” argument and focus on what else this series has to offer. The issue is filled with exposition to explain this new world Scooby and the crew will be exploring. It can be easily summed up as Velma is working in a facility which did wild experiment including engineering Scooby (which is why he can talk) and the world will be full of monsters thanks to nanotechnology they release by the end of the issue. There! The premise is explained in one sentence instead of the eight pages of panels it takes Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (who is actually credited as “Dialog and More Dialog”) to accomplish. They properly could have gone with a little less dialogue and come out alright and simplify it. It’s a series with a talking dog. There really isn’t a need for extensive explanations of how it all came to be. Readers are perfectly okay with notions like “Evil Research Facility” to explain what happened.. There is a small back up story about Shaggy’s first day at the facility and why him and Scooby are so close which is nice. Good to know as much as things change, Shaggy and Scooby will always be the best of friends.

Howard Porter’s art is serviceable but a bit odd. Every character is drawn with shiny lips like they coated them with lip gloss. This wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t in every single panel. There’s a lot of good detail work in the wider shots but the issue is so full of panels with talking heads it’s hard not to notice this odd choice with character designs.

So there it is. The most wild and off the wall attempt to reinvent Scooby Doo in a while and it sadly comes off as bland. Maybe in the following issues with the plot established there will be more intrigue but for now there doesn’t seem to be much substance here.

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ComiXology Announces New Subscription Model

By

Kaitlyn Booth

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May 24, 2016

ComiXology, an Amazon.com subsidiary, announced today that they are joining the ranks of Marvel and unveiled a new subscription plan called comiXology Unlimited. “We’re in a new golden age of storytelling with more incredible comics, graphic novels and manga than ever before,” said comiXology’s CEO and Co-Founder David Steinberger. “ComiXology Unlimited is fantastic portal to tons of great comics at a ridiculously great price. Get in there and start exploring.” They are giving their users the chance to freely read thousands of comics, graphic novels, and manga.

The service features books from Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Kodansha Comics, Oni Press, Valiant Entertainment, Archie Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Humanoids, Action Lab Entertainment, Aspen Comics, Zenescope Entertainment and more. The features include:

Unlimited reading on any device including web, mobile, and tablet
Exceptional Content that includes Eisner Award-Winning Comics
Free one-month trial

“You may have heard of Love and Rockets, Krazy Catand Ignatz, or Lumberjanes – but had no idea where to start reading or what collection to buy. Now you can simply start reading all these great titles today,” said John D. Roberts, comiXology Co-Founder. “ComiXology is changing the game again. First, we ignited digital via our Guided View reading technology. Now, with comiXology Unlimited, everyone can easily explore the expansive world of comics.”

ComiXology Unlimited debuts in the USA today and will open to other regions soon. Start your one-month free trial at https://www.comixology.com/unlimited.

Quotes are taken from a press releases provided by ComiXology.

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New International Poster For ‘Star Trek Beyond’

By

Kaitlyn Booth

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May 24, 2016

The first trailer for Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond was not well received but it looks like the second trailer is much more promising. They have released a new international poster that is very bright. We’re seeing a lot of Sofia Boutella’s (Kingsman: The Secret Service) character Jaylah so perhaps this Trek movie will do better by its female characters than previous installments. If nothing else it’s a good looking poster.

Are you excited for Star Trek Beyond? Let us know in the comments.

Star Trek Beyond is directed by Justin Lin and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, and Simon Pegg. it comes out July 22, 2016.

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Ranking the ‘X-Men’ Films Ahead of ‘Apocalypse’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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May 24, 2016

The X-Men franchise has seen incredible highs and lows over the last 16 years, since it blazed a new trail for superhero movies in 2000. From Bryan Singer’s first two films, to Brett Ratner’s abysmal entry, to spinoffs and new casts, X-Men has always been somewhat of a stepchild when it comes to the genre. Ahead of X-Men: Apocalypse this weekend, let’s look back at the seven entries (including those Wolverine flicks. Not including Deadpool) and see how they stack up:

7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Following the commercial success of the original trilogy, a spinoff of the X-Men’s most compelling character, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, made perfect sense. Unfortunately, the movie itself made little to no sense, and was a mess of misused characters and aimless storytelling. And it’s definitely the worst portrayal of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool we’ve had thus far…

6. X-Men: The Last Stand – Brett Ratner’s failed entry into the original trilogy sure felt like the last stand at the time. With a profound lack of awareness of his characters, Ratner’s film transfers from a weird CGI opening scene into a series of empty-headed action scenes and the very definition of more is less.

5. X-Men – The debut of the franchise still didn’t quite have its legs beneath it. Singer’s first film is morose and dreary, almost to a fault, but it nevertheless introduces us to the franchise’s most interesting characters. It was the breakout role for Hugh Jackman, perhaps the most perfect fit for a comic book character this side of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

4. The Wolverine – After the first Wolverine spinoff, it seemed the branch to the franchise may have died before it could even begin. However, the second installment was superior in just about every way. Taking Logan to Japan, a staple in his 80s comic adventures, and benefiting from lowered expectations, James Mangold’s film succeeded in giving our hero something worth fighting for.

3. X-Men: First Class – Matthew Vaughn’s reset was certainly a breath of fresh air for the characters, taking us back to the tumultuous 60s where the characters began. The Cold War setting was fully realized and richly textured, and casting Michael Fassbender as Magneto was a definite coup.

2. X2: X-Men United – By the time the second Singer film came around, the director was more confident, the budget was bigger, and the actors more comfortable in their roles. The sociological implications of these mutants on earth took center stage, which was a key element in the comics and what made them so indelible for fans, and the inclusion of Nightcrawler was pretty sweet to boot.

1. X-Men: Days of Future Past – Clunky title aside, this most recent entry saw the return of Singer to the franchise, and completely understood the misfit elements of these characters. On top of that, the 70s setting and the time travel all worked in perfect harmony, creating an expansive and complicated morality play amid some terrific action set pieces.

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A Second ‘Finding Dory’ Trailer is Here

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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May 24, 2016

Right when this Finding Dory trailer begins, you hear the sound of Bill Hader’s voice, and you know everything is going to be okay.

Finding Dory, Pixar’s first “long gap” sequel (Nemo came out 13 years ago!) puts the focus squarely on Marlin’s sidekick from the original film, voiced by Ellen Degeneres. This story picks up a mere six months after the original, and after becoming homesick, Dory decides to try and find where she came from.

Here’s the trailer:

I’m game for anything in this world, especially since my two-year old son has recently begun to get into these Pixar films and is currently consuming Finding Nemo like only a two-year old can do: a thousand times in a row.

Aside from Hader and Degeneres, Albert Brooks returns as Marlin, with newcomers Idris Elba, Kate McKinnon, Dominic West, Ed O’Neill, and Diane Keaton headlining a seemingly endless cast of recognizable voices. Andrew Stanton directs, as well as returns to voice Crush the turtle. Far out!

Finding Dory hits theaters June 17.

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John Carpenter & Blumhouse Announce New ‘Halloween’ Film

By

EJ Moreno

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May 24, 2016

‘Halloween’ Gets New Reboot Treatment But With John Carpenter This Time!

The classic 1978 horror film ‘Halloween‘ has already seen many sequels and even a remake; a supposed sequel/reboot has been long rumored. Now, it’s been confirmed that we will be seeing Michael Myers again.

Jason Blum from the Blumhouse production company announced that the beloved horror franchise will possibly hit theaters by next Halloween. Many fans are groaning at another horror remake. It’s understandable but people can breathe easy as John Carpenter, Malek Akkad, and Miramax are all coming back for this project.

The hype is real as the iconic franchise creator has promised big things. John Carpenter said: “38 years after the original ‘Halloween‘ I’m going to help to try to make the 10th sequel the scariest of them all”.

While this announcement brings much joy, there are also many questions to be addressed. Will Carpenter and company try to retell the tale of Laurie Strode or will this be in continuity with the original films? Is it possible we will get a Jamie Lee Curtis cameo? What will Michael’s mask look like?

Let me know how you feel in the comments below about the return of John Carpenter to the ‘Halloween‘ franchise! Are you horror hounds excited to see Michael Myers one more time?

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Netflix And Disney Are Getting Serious

By

Mat Douglas

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May 23, 2016

In a blog post from Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Neflix, the streaming service made a big announcement regarding content and their deal with Disney.

Marvel Studios will be exclusive to Netflix in September

Beginning in September, Netflix will be the exclusive home for all Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Disney, and Pixar films. That is big news and a serious counter to Hulu’s current content deal with EPIX and Amazon Prime’s deal with HBO and new deal with the BBC and cuts those two providers out of a large chunk of cinematic and television content.

Also announced, the acquisition of some popular franchises. Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Jurassic Park 3 will debut in June. Following in July will be Back To The Future 1-3, and Lethal Weapon 1-4.

Back To The Future on Netflix — Back To The Future is making it’s way to Netflix this summer

Netflix has also set the bar when it comes to original content. Original movies from Christopher Guest (Best In Show, A Mighty Wind) and Brad Pitt (Fight Club, Se7en, Fury) will be premiering later this year. On the Marvel side of things, Luke Cage (September), Iron Fist, the second season of Jessica Jones, The Defenders, and The Punisher will be forthcoming in the next 12-16 months.

That is a whole lot of couch time and snacks, so get outside now, look at the sun, because come July, it’s Netflix time

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A Sneak Peek into the DC Rebirth Event

By

Seth Frederiksen

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May 23, 2016

Warning: There will be definitive spoilers for DC Rebirth being discussed in this article.

As the time nears for the release of the first issue of DC Rebirth, a few images from the mini-series have been released from several comic book news sites on two major plot points.

First: A confirmation that Wally West will be making a return after a long absence.

Second: The Watchmen Universe will become a part of the DC Multiverse in some capacity.

Though the details are sparse and theories are rampant, the possibilities on what will come from Geoff John’s last major story line is intriguing to say the least. Given that his history with the DC universe to see the latter development actually has me eager to buy the issue.

There are a few things I’d love to see occur during the story if and when the DC pantheon meet their Watchmen counterparts.

First, I’d want to see Batman standing at where Rorschach was standing where he was killed and take a moment to reflect. Both for someone who was dedicated to hunting criminals like himself and refused to compromise his morals, and as someone who represented what Batman might have become if he had gone too far.

Second, I want to see Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman beat Ozymandias to within an inch of his life. One reason being Ozymandias would be shocked to have his skills be out matched by those still in their prime, and not those taking up the cause after letting their skills rust away. Another reason is to see the DC trinity doing what Owlman, Silk Specter and Dr. Manhattan should have done after Ozymandias’s terrorist actions.

Thirdly, I want Superman to face the three remaining “heroes” of Watchmen and call them out for who they are. He doesn’t shout at them, he doesn’t go into a frenzy, he just says he’s disappointed that they failed the people they were supposed to help.

I do see why the ending of the Watchmen was the way it was. It showed that victories are not without cost. Sometimes letting evil happen will lead to good, as terrible as that sounds. And, in many cases, heroes have to be villains to protect their charges. And the ending to Watchmen did help to ensure its place in making comic books a respected form of literature. I’d just like to see some get their just desert.

With that said, these aren’t required for the story to be enjoyable. And personally I think this will be a story of the ages, but it would be great to see them take place in DC Rebirth.

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