Does anyone remember The Naked Brothers Band, the early 2000’s Nickelodeon show starring Nat and Alex Wolff? Well, both actors went on to their own fame, but have reunited in the new romantic dramedy Stella’s Last Weekend under the helm of their mother, Polly Draper.
The film follows two brothers who have reunited after one of them has gone off to college. Drama ensues when it is discovered that the younger brother is dating a girl on whom the older brother used to have a crush. Meanwhile, the family dog is dying, and their mother is planning a last hoorah for the dog’s final weekend before passing.
Ultimately, the movie is enjoyable, but there’s too much going on for it to be effective. There are three main storylines composed of five character arcs to follow, and after a while, it just begins to feel chaotic. Unfortunately, this also causes some storylines to take precedence over others, as the love triangle dominates the film, with the far more interesting family dynamics and pet storylines being overshadowed.
The movie also had issues with consistency. Some scenes felt incredibly realistic. For example, the interactions between the two brothers were great (it would almost be embarrassing if they weren’t). However, the interactions between the mother and her sons felt a tad artificial. This may have to do with the fact that the film was written by Draper to star her real-life sons. It is as if she was writing those scenes to what she wished the relationship would be, not what it was.
That being said, the film is still highly enjoyable. The reason that the love triangle is such a recurring storyline is that it is tried-and-true. This type of movie is compelling and resonates with audiences. The story doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does a solid job of embracing those tropes and using them to its advantage.
There is also quite a bit of comedy in the film. The humor isn’t really in the dialogue, though— the film instead relies predominantly on situational comedy and the awkwardness created as a result. As such, not all of the comedic elements are going to land as well with everyone.
The execution of the movie isn’t bad, but it isn’t anything spectacular, either. The love triangle storyline doesn’t exactly call for elaborate cinematography. However, the other storylines that were deeper could have used a bit of flair. However, the use of music is good, as the score establishes the tone and pacing of the film well.
The cast is the best part of the film. The chemistry that the actors have together is amazing, as would be expected. Nat Wolff, Alex Wolff, and Polly Draper are all likable and charming in their roles. They can add more emotional depth, although not enough to account for the thin script.
Overall, Stella’s Last Weekend is an enjoyable romantic comedy, but some of its narrative shortcomings hold it back. The performances alone make the film worthwhile, though.
Stella’s Last Weekend opens in select theaters October 12 and hits digital platforms October 23.
Creepy house, ominous supernatural women, and a couple who loses their baby are all packed into this new trailer for Isabelle, a horror film from longtime producer-turned-director Robert Heydon and starring Amanda Crew (Silicon Valley) and Adam Brody (The O.C.). Isabelle hits theaters in 2019.
About Isabelle
Official Description: A young couple’s dream of starting a family shatters as they descend into the depths of paranoia and must struggle to survive an evil presence that wants nothing more than their very own lives.
Following in the footsteps of things like The Conjuring and Annabelle, the trailer forIsabelle plays out like the cousin to that franchise. There are plenty of creepy shots of the young demon woman thing appearing in reflections or gazing from windows. Lots of screaming and psychological terror on the characters. If all goes well, that terror will make this film another horror hit in this golden age of horror at the box office. If nothing else, the trailer for Isabelle has all the boxes checked for what looks to be a fun and scary ride.
Amanda Crew as Larissa Kane
Adam Brody as Matt Kane
Zoë Belkin as Isabelle Pelway
Sheila McCarthy as Ann Pelway
Booth Savage as Clifford Kane
Michael Miranda as Pedro Salazar
Dayo Ade as Father Lopez
David Tompa as Dr. Karl Neidorf
Zoe Doyle as Dr. Phoebe Chan
Shanice Banton as Carol Murphy
On the surface, Isabelle’s trailer wasn’t very inspiring. Seems a little too much by-the-numbers. However, it’s just a trailer, and the first one at that, so we’ll have to wait and see what the final film will deliver. Possession films are hot right now, so it’s definitely riding that wave. Set in a gothic-looking house, it seems to take the Blumhouse route of doing as much as possible with one location.
Did this trailer get you excited for Isabelle? Leave your comments below!
Netflix pulled no punches Monday morning with the release of the trailer for the final season of House of Cards, the series that put the streaming service on the map.
Each one of us has to defend our destiny.
Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee Robin Wright returns as President of the United States in the award-winning, landmark series House of Cards. Wright is joined by Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear as well as Cody Fern this season alongside Michael Kelly, Jayne Atkinson, Patricia Clarkson, Constance Zimmer, Derek Cecil, Campbell Scott and Boris McGiver.
Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese serve as showrunners for season six.
House of Cards returns to Netflix on November 2.
Will you watch the final season? Comment below with your thoughts.
Preemptive opinions of Star Wars Resistance have been flooding the inter-web. Is the series as bad and ugly as “they” say — or does it deliver on what fans have come to expect from Dave Filoni and Star Wars animation?
Created by Filoni, Star Wars Resistance is following the same path Star Wars Rebels did under the Disney and Lucasfilm banner. Filoni, however, isn’t flying the ship this time. Instead, the series is directed by Amy Beth Christenson and includes Athena Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman as Executive Producers.
Like Star WarsRebels, the “Disney” influence is scattered throughout Resistance. Not that it’s a bad thing. The story follows the lead protagonist Kazuda Xiono (Christopher Sean), a pilot with big dreams. Son of a wealthy Senator in the New Republic, Kaz serves in the New Republic military. That is until he stumbles into Poe Dameron. Call it the Force, or classic Star Wars writing, Kaz quickly finds himself working with the Resistance as they try to uncover a spy feeding the First Order information.
Star Wars Resistance follows a story much like Luke’s, without Force abilities. Kaz is young, adventurous, and dare we say — cocky? Don’t get the wrong idea, Kaz isn’t Luke, it’s his path towards being something more than a nobody which is similar. And to be honest, it’s the best part about Star Wars Resistance. Not that the series doesn’t have a few issues.
But it’s Star Wars, and that’s what sucks you in.
Minor Spoilers Ahead! Proceed with caution.
Before diving too deep into Star Wars Resistance, it needs to be clarified that this is a Disney Channel animated show. So, if you’re not a fan of Disney, their humor, and style of art — Resistance likely won’t be a show worth investing time in. However, anyone who is a fan of the parks and Disney’s overall body of work will find this new Star Wars animated series intriguing. Heck, even my 19-year-old son got sucked into the hour opening of “The Recruit.” And he’s more into dark-fantasy anime than watching something on the Disney Channel.
The Good Parts Of Star Wars Resistance
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
The opening of Resistance dives right in without having to explain much. While some might find this jarring, it allows the writers and the plot to move quickly from space to the Colossus. The events taking place draw from information fans already know, thanks to The Force Awakens. It also allowed the series to introduce two already established characters in the new trilogy (Poe and General Organa). The approach proved effective, moving Kaz from the military to Colossus quickly and efficiently.
The art style of Star WarsResistance contains tones and lines which resemble Japanese animation, but the artwork is primarily Western. It is, however, a nice change of pace following Rebels. To put it bluntly, the overall animation look is unique. Neither good nor bad, it has moments of stunning beauty followed by times when it looks like it drawn up for a toddler’s book. The racing on Colossus contains the best moments in “The Recruit”, while the X-Wings and TIE fighters in space looked a tad off.
Colossus, the spaceship-like truck stop in the middle of nowhere, is really a giant racing station. Which might end up being my favorite part of the series. It’s got the classic cantina, albeit “Disney style”, and always has a wide variety of species coming and going. I found the Colossus interesting and am curious to see how the series continues to develop it moving forward.
Character-wise, there isn’t much depth explored in “The Recruit,” except for Kaz. Not that there’s much time in an hour opening. Instead, the episode solely focuses on Kaz while introducing various characters here and there. Some might find this alarming, but after watching how Filoni did the same with Ezra in Rebels, I’m not overly concerned.
The Not-So-Good Parts Of Star Wars Resistance
The story within Star Wars Resistance has A New Hope feel to it. Sadly, it also suffers in the dialog department as the Prequels did. The interactions between characters come off forced and choppy. This stems from too much information being shoved into the first two episodes. Unlike typical anime style shows, Resistance might have come out of the gate swinging a tad too hard.
But now that “The Recruit” is out of the way, the show will likely settle in for a smoother pace, focusing on various characters while continuing to move Kaz’s arc forward. Hopefully, the dialog also improves.
Despite there being an abundance of new and old characters shoved into the “The Recruit,” very little is revealed regarding the First Order. We learn the information Kaz retrieved states the First Order is planning a large-scale attack against the Republic. Or, as most Star Wars fans know, the events of The Force Awakens. The final scene of “The Recruit” does reveal Starkiller base, along with several Star Destroyers circling it. It’s impressive, and dare I say, slightly nostalgic. Hopefully, the series will develop more upon the First Order, instead of making them a typical generic style villain.
Another flaw in “The Recruit” is the lack of attention given to various new characters. Jarek Yeager (Scott Lawrence) and Neeku Vozo (Josh Brener) are the only ones to have more than a handful of lines. Torra Doza (Myrna Velasco) makes an appearance near the end, however, only her abundantly bubbly personality and skills as a pilot are revealed. The other characters failed to leave a lasting impression, likely because they’ll only play minor roles throughout the series.
Overall Rating for The Recruit
Animation gets a 4 out of 5.
Story lands a solid 4.5 out of 5.
Direction, for now, is a 4 out of 5
Voice talent is also a 4 out of 5
Giving “The Recruit” a solid 4 out of 5.
Image via Disney Channel and Lucasfilm
Did you enjoy Star Wars Resistance? Let us know in the comments below!
The next episode of Star Wars Resistance, “The Triple Dark,” airs October 14th. “May the Force be with you, always.”
Carl Grimes envisioned a new world of peace and prosperity. It’s safe to say that with the time jump in tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead, “A New Beginning,” the new world is thriving. Or is it?
Our crew takes a trip to Washington, DC for the first time, scavaging artifacts from our nation’s infancy. The history lessons from our childhood are setting the tone of this season. Perhaps democracy is a lesson that needs to be brushed up on.
The first character death of the season as an irrelevant one, as we never got a chance to get to know any of the new additions to this season. However, the funeral scene and focus on Ken’s parents make it seem like we lost a major player in the game. Perhaps in this time, deaths aren’t as numerous, but in a world like this, death is a risk taken every day.
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead – Season 9, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC
Our favorite vagabond Daryl isn’t happy leading the Sanctuary, but it’s taken him 18 months to realize this? Spending time behind concrete walls isn’t something he’s ever been content with, whether it was before the fall of the world or after. However, with him taking a step aside and Carol wanting to help out her old friend “Pookie,” I believe that we’re foreshadowing their inevitable leadership with the imminent departure of Andrew Lincoln‘s Rick and Lauren Cohan‘s Maggie.
The time jump in this storyline is barely believable. Yeah, there’s the obvious construction, crop growth, general clean up, and (duh!) appearance changes, but when our characters are visiting the other civilizations, it’s like they’re seeing things for the first time.
Callan McAuliffe as Alden, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee – The Walking Dead – Season 9, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC
The character development over the time we missed is only evident in one person, Maggie. While she was actually elected to lead Hilltop (again, when did this happen over our missing time, because it feels recent), her leadership skills have a lot to be desired. Gregory is still the slimeball that he’s always been, which continues to make Maggie’s job difficult. Her feelings on Rick’s choices of the past have only simmered. And if she doesn’t reel it in, she’s doomed to become a female Governor.
New showrunner Angela Kang has given us a fresh start to a new story with the characters we know in The Walking Dead. There are new goals and no real enemies. The communities are bound to implode, though, and only time (plus 18 months) will tell.
Considered to be one of the greats of silent cinema, Buster Keaton is known for directing and starring in films such as Seven Chances, Sherlock Jr., and The General.
The Great Buster is a new documentary directed by Peter Bogdanovich that celebrates the life and career of Keaton. It uses clips, narration, and interviews with modern comedy legends to tell Keaton’s story.
Most of Keaton’s films are undeniably entertaining, and this documentary takes advantage of that fact, basing itself heavily on footage drawn straight from his best and funniest movies. Because of this, the film never loses interest, as the iconic physical and slapstick comedy elicit a large number of laughs. These clips are especially prevalent in the second half of the documentary.
The film can almost be split into two halves, which, although jarring, makes sense. The first half of the movie serves as a biography of Keaton, following his life from his beginnings performing vaudeville as a child with his family through his long and successful career that lasted until his death.
The biographical section of the film functions as a broad survey of Keaton’s life, making it seem destined for educational use. It serves as an excellent introduction to the star if one is not familiar with him. The movie also gives some neat little fun facts about his upbringing that may not be as well known. However, this comes at the expense of deep evaluation of the issues that plagued Keaton’s life, such as his struggle with alcoholism.
The second half of the film is an analysis of the best movies of Keaton’s career, made and released during the 1920’s. This is where a majority of the documentary’s laughs are located, as this section features lengthier clips from Keaton’s filmography in a higher quantity. Additionally, there is some interesting analysis of his work in this part.
The documentary features interviews from multiple significant Hollywood figures. Quite a few of these interviews are very entertaining, and many are rather insightful. Perhaps the best interviews in the film were those of Dick Van Dyke, who knew Keaton personally. These felt the deepest and most sincere. The gaps that the interviews leave in the story are filled by narration from Bogdanovich, which adds a lot of information.
The editing of the movie is rough at times, as the transitions into clips from Keaton’s films aren’t smooth. Particularly frustrating is the documentary’s use of still images. The effects used in an attempt to make the still images less boring are instead distracting. That being said, the framing of the interviews and the use of music are both solid.
Overall, The Great Buster is an exciting documentary about one of the legends of early cinema. Cinephiles won’t want to miss this one for sure, but general audiences will ALSO likely find something to love.
The Great Buster is now playing in select theaters.
One of the worst disasters in all of history, the Great Famine in Ireland is believed to have caused upwards of 100,000 deaths. Black ‘47 is a new revenge film set during the Great Famine, named after the worst year of that period.
The movie follows an Irish Ranger who has been fighting for the British Army abroad. He returns home to reunite with his family, only to find his home in ruins because of the Famine and its impact on Irish society. He then sets out to seek vengeance from the British who caused the situation.
The film’s story was far too thin for it to be effective. Even though the runtime is only an hour and forty minutes, it felt much longer, with short bits of action spread between vast stretches of nothingness. There are a lot of shots of traveling which aren’t necessary. Early on, the movie establishes the consequences of the war and Famine with a particularly brutal scene with some profoundly disturbing imagery. Continuing to push this point was excessive.
The character development was also lackluster. There is the apparent sympathy for the protagonist because of the horrible situation in which he found himself, but that is it. Unlike most other successful revenge films, there was no scene allowing the audience to understand the protagonist’s personality and get to like him as a character. Instead, the audience is forced to form sympathy with him secondhand, through the actions committed against his family.
Barry Keoghan, Hugo Weaving, Freddie Fox, and Stephen Rea in BLACK ’47, an IFC Films release. Photo courtesy of IFC Films.
The execution of the film is slightly rough, too. Although the cinematography is decent as a whole, the shots are very darkly lit, making it almost impossible to see what is happening during scenes which are set at night. The subtitling is also distracting. Part of the movie is in the Irish language, and while that would normally be fine, the subtitles are in a lousy font without capitalization or punctuation. This was particularly frustrating.
That being said, visuals were occasionally strong. In the more well-lit scenes, there are a few images that are truly haunting. Additionally, some of the action scenes are very strong, especially towards the climax of the film. These scenes are shot well enough to keep the movie as a whole from dropping into mundanity.
The actors all do a good job in their roles, too. The protagonist is played by James Frecheville. He delivers a powerful performance with a lot of emotion portrayed through very few words. Freddie Fox is excellent as the antagonist, doing an extraordinary rendition of the dialogue. Barry Keoghan has a small role, too, and while he could have been used more, he has a few beautiful scenes. This film is the Hugo Weaving show, though, as Weaving lights up the screen, stealing almost every scene he is in. It is great to see him doing a significant role again, as he is a tremendously talented actor.
Overall, Black ‘47 is too dark, both visually and thematically. However, it is saved by a solid ensemble and some decent action sequences in the third act. Hardcore fans of historical fiction may enjoy this movie, but otherwise, it isn’t essential viewing.
Are there any fans of symphonic post-apocalyptic reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing extreme war pagan Fennoscandian metal in the house? No? Well, this movie may very well change that.
Heavy Trip is a new Scandinavian film about Turi, a Finnish nursery home worker who is the frontman of a heavy metal band in his spare time. He decides to take his group to the hottest metal festival in Norway. The only problem? They have practiced 12 years without ever playing a single gig, and Turi has a severe case of stage fright.
On the one hand, this is a goofy comedy and a great one at that. There are plenty of slapstick scenes that are hilarious. Some of the dialogue is also quite funny, with solid one-liners sprinkled throughout. However, the film does feel somewhat old-fashioned. There were tinges of homophobia and misogyny at points, both of which make the movie seem dated.
Max Ovaska in HEAVY TRIP. Courtesy of Doppelgänger Releasing.
In another way, the film also has an emotionally-rich, character-driven story. Turi is very likable, and his rags-to-riches story is highly compelling. His arc is solid, giving the movie an overall positive message and a character which the audience can support. He is a mixture of the hero archetype and the lovable fool archetype, which works well.
The supporting characters are also great. The most interesting is probably Pasi/Xytrax, who is one of the primary sources of comedy in the film. He makes the movie crazier and funnier. Other supporting characters, like Jynkky, give the film more emotional grounding. All of the characters, though, complement Turi well, making him even more rounded.
That being said, the film’s pacing is odd. It takes almost an hour for the story to get to the significant conflict teased by the synopsis, and since the movie is only an hour and a half long, that’s a very long buildup. While the whole film is enjoyable, the last half hour ends up feeling very rushed. At this point, the balance of comedy and drama shifts almost entirely to the comedy side as the story begins to go over-the-top.
Samuli Jaskio, Johannes Holopainen, and Max Ovaska in HEAVY TRIP. Courtesy of Doppelgänger Releasing.
The film’s execution is pretty good. There are two or three scenes that are a bit rough because of low-quality practical effects and/or CGI, but most of the rest of the movie looks impressive. The cinematography is excellent, with some interesting shots and camera tricks used throughout. The film’s costumes are unique, too, especially that for Xytrax.
Additionally, the movie’s music is solid. Even though the lyrics are almost unintelligible (that’s metal for you), the rhythms of the music are great. There is only one original song, which, although quite unusual, is very creative and has a very memorable hook.
Apart from a few issues with pacing and CGI, Heavy Trip is a good film. Because of its absurd humor, it seems like something that will be able to achieve a cult following in the future.
Heavy Trip is now playing in select theaters and is available on VOD beginning October 12.
Fans of classic rock are undoubtedly familiar with Joan Jett, the rockstar known for her hit songs such as “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Cherry Bomb,” and the eponymous “Bad Reputation.”
This documentary is about Jett’s career and music, following her from her beginnings in The Runaways through her career with the Blackhearts. It utilizes interviews, concert footage, and archive footage of her previous appearances to tell her story.
For fans of Jett’s music, this documentary has plenty to offer. The film very much focuses on her as a musician rather than as a person. As such, the soundtrack is absolutely pivotal in the movie, dictating both the movement of the story and the flow of the editing.
A scene from BAD REPUTATION, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Since Jett’s music is exceptionally high energy and exciting, the film also exhibits those qualities. The movie is quite kinetic, with a rapid rhythm that makes it hard not to enjoy. Her songs are among the best rock songs of the 1980’s (if not all time), so that alone makes it a fun documentary to watch.
Jett’s charisma also shines through as a reason why the movie is so enjoyable to watch. It is interesting to see how her personality hasn’t changed since her big break. Her rockstar persona commands the screen and steals the spotlight every time it is given a chance. The other interviewees chosen for the film do an excellent job of grabbing attention, too.
The story of how Jett broke onto the scene is a compelling one. Her struggles make her a likable subject and make her a great role model for future generations of musicians. The movie contains some strong positive messaging, promoting both female empowerment and perseverance in pursuing one’s dreams.
Joan Jett in BAD REPUTATION, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
That being said, the documentary is surprisingly shallow. Even though it’s great to hear the excellent music, that doesn’t make the film alone. There are some sequences in which the film begins to explore Jett’s personal life, but these were often cut short in favor of a musical segment. This makes the movie feel more typical, which is slightly disappointing since it is about such a groundbreaking artist.
Additionally, the film has a few weird inconsistencies in its execution, particularly in the cinematography. Some of the modern-day interviews were shot in color, whereas others were shot in black-and-white. These changes are mostly random, without any apparent justification or reasoning behind them.
Overall, Bad Reputation was an enjoyable documentary— but don’t expect it to be particularly insightful. However, the soundtrack makes it worth the price of admission by itself.
Bad Reputation is now in select theaters and on VOD.
Marvel Comics held its Next Big Thing Panel Saturday afternoon at the Javits Center during New York Comic Con with host Editor-in-Chief CB Cebulski and featuring Jason Aaron, Donny Cates, Gerry Duggan, Dan Slott, and Jim Zub.
About the panel: Monumental events are on the horizon for the Marvel Universe, and Editor-in-Chief CB Cebulski can’t wait to tell you all about them along with Associate Editor Sarah Brunstad! Industry luminaries Jason Aaron (Avengers, Conan the Barbarian), Donny Cates (Guardians of the Galaxy), Gerry Duggan (Infinity Wars), Dan Slott (Fantastic Four, Tony Stark: Iron Man), and Jim Zub (Champions) have incredible new stories in store for your favorite characters, and this is the place to hear about them first!
Play By Play of the Panel
Cebulski comes out first.
He says there’s gonna be cool announcements, fun little bits, and lots of cool artwork shared over the next hour.
He introduces everyone one-by-one: Aaron, Cates, Duggan, Slott, Zub, and then Brunstad. Executive Editor Tom Brevoort joined, too.
Cebulski says some of the heroes and villains will appear onscreen to ask the panelists questions, as well.
Avengers 700 is coming up.
Aaron says a lot of action is going on, with everything he’s building toward starting to explode.
There’s a talking Russian bear, Namor, and multiple surprises and returns.
With the debut of the next new Avenger.
Cates says, “Cosmic Ghost Rider.”
Brevoort thanks the fans for Avengers going to 2nd and 3rd and 4th printings.
Cebulski also asks Aaron about Thor.
He’s been on Thor for 6 years now.
The last issue was old King Thor vs. Old Man Phoenix (Wolverine with the power of the Phoenix)
There was also old man Dr. Doom, with all the powers of the prehistoric Avengers.
It’s 3 super old men beating the hell out of each other.
There will be a standalone young Thor story in #7-8.
Angela returns in that arc, as well.
Next, Slott talks about Iron Man.
He mentions Jocasta and Machine Man in the first arc, and says that plays into the year 2020 coming up.
That’s a slow burn, but Tony’s brother Arno Stark will show up in the next upcoming arc.
“We’re doing these very kind of Black Mirror-ish things every now and then.”
It’s “nightmare fuel.” Very creepy.
Slott says “Nick Lowe would never let me do this in Spider-Man.
“If you’re a retailer, order heavy on #6.” The “Stark Realities” is their first big arc.
Dan talks Fantastic Four next.
In No. 3, all four are reunited.
When they return to Earth, someone else is inhabiting the Baxter Building.
They’ll have to deal with that, but they’ll go somewhere very FF-ish.
Fantastic Four #5 will have the VERY REAL wedding of Ben and Alicia.
But Reed is being a very big jerk and is very concerned about other things now that he’s back on Earth.
Allred is also doing a backup story in the Ben/Alicia wedding issue on how Sue is the matchmaker of Ben and Alicia. There will also be a story showing how Johnny steps up to help throw the best bachelor party ever.
In #6, HERALD OF DOOM.
A Doom cosplayer shows up on screen and says that if there’s a Superior Octopus, there needs to be a Superior Doom.
Slott says there can be no superior Doom. Doom is superior.
Next, Cebulski asks Cates about Cosmic Ghost Rider.
Cates: “I thought you were gonna say Jugger-Duck.”
“Cosmic Ghost Rider is a book I’ve somehow been allowed to do.”
He details the backstory about the “Thanos Wins” story where he killed everyone on Earth. Frank Castle makes a deal with the devil to become a Ghost Rider because he wants to punish Thanos, but everyone is dead, leaving no one to punish. Galactus shows up, but has come to Earth for sanctuary because Thanos is now killing everyone in the galaxy. Frank asks Galactus for some herald powers, but Thanos kills Galactus and Frank has to serve him.
This is all literally the first three pages of the comic, Cates says.
This is all getting very complicated and Slott asks, “What happens in issue 2?”
A Venom cosplayer on the screen asks if he has any recipes for Spider-Man’s brains.
Cates is talking about how the first arc deals with the symbiotes’ god, Knull, returning.
While Eddie survived that, something is drastically wrong with the symbiote.
Old school Venom fans will be happy with things coming up that he can’t talk about.
There will be a Venom dog, though.
But he’s not allowed to kill any more dogs. He’s killed 3 in his time at Marvel.
“Two in comics.”
Oy.
Cebulski talks about Duggan’s Infinity Wars, drawn by Deodato.
Duggan talks about the premise of what a tragedy it would be if Gamora hadn’t been able to avoid becoming her father.
She mashes up the entire Marvel Universe into the soul stone, resulting in amalgams like Diamond Patch — Wolverine and Emma Frost mashed up.
Cebulski announces the new Defenders title.
Tom Breevort says it’s a special event coming in December in 5 books that culminate in the new Defenders #1.
The four books leading up to Defenders #1 focus on the original 4 Defenders: Strange, Silver Surfer, Namor, and Hulk.
Defenders will be written by Al Ewing, drawn by Joe Bennett.
A Watcher cosplayer onscreen asks Brevoort what his first appearance was and who inked him.
Fantastic Four #13, and inked by Ditko.
Conan the Barbarian is returning to Marvel to be written by Aaron, drawn by Mahmud Asrar.
Aaron says it’s the book he’s wanted to do since he was 12, “which I guess tells you something about my formative years.”
When he got wind Marvel was getting the rights, he sent C.B. a photo of a shelf with all his “ratty, dog-eared” Conan books on it.
There will be a second Conan book called “The Savage Sword of Conan,” written by Duggan, drawn by Ron Garney, colored by Richard Isanove, with covers by Alex Ross.
Duggan says this is very much Conan on the hunt for treasure, but what he finds won’t be what he expects.
The back of each issue will feature serialized novellas, inspired by Robert E. Howard’s literary work.
Cebulski says that the cosmic craziness of last year’s Avengers: No Surrender will lead to a story called Avengers: No Road Home. A standalone book written by Waid, Zub, and Ewing, with art by Medina and Izaakse.
Zub says “No Surrender” ended as soon as they were figuring out how to make that ball roll.
This story is big and mythic and epic. It’s the “biggest Avengers story we can get our hands on.”
Brevoort says Izaakse has been renewed as a Marvel exclusive artist.
The covers are by Yasmine Putri.
There will be a “big crazy thing” happening in the middle of No Road Home, like Hulk coming back in the middle of No Surrender.
Cebulski asks if everyone saw the Captain Marvel trailer.
Captain Marvel will get a new series with Captain Marvel #1 written by Kelly Thompson with art by Carmen Carnero.
Carnero has resigned as a Marvel exclusive and flew in from Spain to join the panel.
She comes out and, via a translator, tells the crowd that working on the book is a dream come true for her and she hopes the fans are excited and will do her best.
Brunstad tells the crowd that Life of Captain Marvel explored Carol’s history and where she’s from. It sets up a new landmark moment for her where she knows her powers come from within her and not another hero.
Spider-Woman will also be in the first issue, and Carol will be re-establsihing relationships from before she stepped away.
Zub is also doing the relaunched Champions.
Steven Cummings to draw it.
He’s bringing “every damn teen hero I can get my hands on.”
He starts to say they’re bringing a legion of teen heroes to Marvel (obvious Legion of Superheroes joke).
Donny Cates is taking over Guardians of the Galaxy with a huge cast.
Only Cosmic Ghost Rider revealed on the team so far.
Cebulski note that next year is the 80th anniversary of Marvel
January will start a year-long celebration of Marvel’s 80 years.
This will include genre books like Crypt of Shadows, Journey Into Unknown Worlds, War Is Hell, and others with creators like Ewing, Bunn, and Chaykin.
Love Romances, Ziggy Pig Silly Seal, and Gunhawks also announced.
Cebulski says the anniversary will include Marvel legends vehicle packages from Hasbro, with Professor X and his chair and Deadpool and his vespa.
Next year is also the 25th anniversary of Marvels.
Cebulski says Busiek and Ross will be coming back next year to curate and participate in all sorts of projects they can’t talk about just yet.
Brevoort says there will be a celebratory series of Marvels-inspired variant covers, but there will be a whole stack of things done beyond that to celebrate the legacy of Marvels.
Zub asks the crowd to wish his family a happy Canadian Thanksgiving in a cell phone video.
Q&A
Fan asks about more Gwenpool.
Cebulski says Gwenpool is currently in West Coast Avengers. Brevoort says she’ll be a big part of that book, and her gross disturbing relationship with Quentin Quire will continue. There’s some other stuff they can’t talk about yet involving Gwenpool.
Fan asks the panel what books they’d like to work on in the future.
Slott wants Moon Knight, Zub wants Blade, Duggan wants Dr. Strange, Cates wants Thor, and Aaron wants Guardians of the Galaxy.
Fan asks if there are any plans to bring back the Marvel/DC amalgam universe.
“We sent Brian over there. That’s about as amalgam as it gets.”
But Cebulski says there are talks to do crossovers all the time, and maybe someday in the future, we’ll get something like that.
Donny Cates jokes his name is “DC”
A fan asks if Armless Tiger Man will make a comeback.
Brevoort says they were just talking about him a week or a week and a half ago.
Duggan: “If anything bad happens to me, I want Tom to come to my hospital bed and read me golden age comic books.”
Someone suggests Armless Tiger Man should be mentioned to Skottie Young for Deadpool.
Fan asks if they’ve considered giving heroes that can’t necessarily sustain an ongoing series their own original graphic novels.
Cebulski says Marvel has a history of doing many original graphic novels over the years, but the finances of printing and distributing have changed over the years. There’s a third Starling one coming out this year, and Marvel will continue experimenting with new publishing formats as they go forward.
A fan asks about the overall decrease in solo titles led by female characters.
Cebulski says there isn’t necessarily a lack of female centric books. There’s Captain Marvel, Shuri, Marvel Rising, and so on.
There’s also the X-23 relaunch, and a big female character is getting a relaunch in January that they can’t mention yet.
Duggan also points out Gamora being the big villain of Infinity Wars.
A new event titled The War of the Realms is teased at the end of the panel, written by Jason Aaron with Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson on art.
Aaron’s Thor run has been building toward this for 6 years.
Brevoort calls it a “big, huge, sweeping, epic Marvel story.”
“The sword-and-sorcery Marvel story of your dreams — or your nightmares.”
The whole Marvel Universe is in this.
Cebulski thanks everyone for coming.
End of panel.
What did you think of the Next Big Thing Panel, did anything jump out at you? Comment below with your thoughts.
