Writer Cullen Bunn and artist Matteo Lolli put together an exciting adventure with Asgardians of the Galaxy #1, out this week.
Bunn writes about 90%* of the comics that come out each month, which means he’s a machine unlike no other (*I have no clue, but I know it’s a lot!). Historians are going to look back at this time in comic book history, and call it the Bunn Era.
That fact of the matter is, if you give this man (machine) a giant playground like the Asgardian mythos, he’s going to come up with some crazy shit. Which is precisely what Bunn does with the first issue of Asgardians of the Galaxy. He introduces all the characters, drops them in the middle of an insane battle, establishes the problem (Nebula), and then finishes off the issue with deceit and a plot twist.
This is a book that will tire you out because you get so excited about the different characters involved. After you read Bunn’s letter to fans at the end of the first issue, you will realize Bunn has a personal connection with every character he put in this book. Plus, the scale of the book is nothing less than epic. It is as if Bunn himself has two M16s and is defending the Gjallerbru bridge.
The art of Lolli and the colors of Federico Blee are straight out the Marvel heyday of the late aughts. Asgardians of the Galaxy has very crisp art with vibrant colors. This style works exceptionally well in team books because Lolli and Blee can create epic action sequences that involve the whole team while highlighting individuals personalities. Asgardians of the Galaxy is a book you reread to appreciate all the detail involved in each panel.
The panel layout is adventurous as well. The panels are stacked, creating depth and a feeling of the action coming directly at you, which adds to the drama and the excitement. It almost acts like a volume control getting louder or softer depending on the scene.
Cory Petit’s lettering had to move fast and furious while conveying emotion and weight. He handled the job exceptionally, as the book flowed well because of the layout of word balloons.
Overall, Asgardians of the Galaxy #1 creates a hype around the series that is unexplainable; it feels like I’m reading Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time. If you are a fan of Walt Simonson’s Thor run or Abnett and Lanning, this is a must-read.
Do you Asgardians of the Galaxy #1 on your pull list? Come back with your thoughts after you read it.
Neatly tucked away in the fall lineup of 2018 lies Star Wars Resistance. Created and produced by Dave Filoni, the series is an animated show targeting a younger audience. Everything we know so far about Star Wars Resistance is it’s similar to Rebels. And yet, unique in its own way.
Filoni is best known for his work with on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he mentored under George Lucas. He now serves as the head of all Lucasfilm animation projects under Disney. Star Wars Resistance is Filoni’s creation, making him the mentor. Sitting at the directors’ helm is longtime Lucasfilm design and concept artist, Amy Beth Christenson. Having worked with Filoni on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Resistance will be her first directing gig. Star Wars Resistance airs on October 7 via the Disney Channel, and Disney XD.
Team Fireball And Cast
Taking place just months before the events of The Force Awakens, Star Wars Resistance contains a host of new characters and a few returning favorites. Oscar Isaac and will voice Poe Dameron and Gwendoline Christie, Captain Phasma. BB-8 will also be present, coupled with happy beeps.
Christopher Sean voices the lead role of Kaz, a clumsy newbie recruit in the resistance. Kaz works on the Colossus serving under Scott Lawrence’s character Yeager, a veteran pilot of the Rebellion and friend of Poe. In addition, Myrna Velasco (Tam) and Josh Brener (Neeku) fill out the Team Fireball roster.
Princess Leia will return to play a major role in the story, voiced by Rachel Butera. Even Kylo Ren will make a guest appearance. It’s still unknown whether Adam Driver will be voicing his character.
Colossus is a unique new addition to the Star Wars Canon. Functioning as a giant aircraft station, located in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. The planet’s name is still a mystery; however, we do know it’s a water based, and Colossus is in the middle of a sea.
Filoni and crew break down Colossus and Team Fireball with this new video, courtesy of Lucasfilm and Disney.
The First Order
Those who felt Captain Phasma received the shaft in The Last Jedi will be happy to know her character will get more screen time in Star Wars Resistance. A quick glimpse of a red stormtrooper is seen in the Team Fireball trailer, meaning Captain Cardinal could be making his animated debut.
Image Via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
First mentioned in the book Phasma, Captain Cardinal (Archex, or CD-0922) headed up the training of First Order stormtroopers. Cardinal’s character is unique to the Star Wars franchise because of his red stormtrooper armor.
A Funko Pop! titled the Red Classic Stormtrooper, released in 2017. Whether it’s connected to Captain Cardinal won’t be revealed until Star Wars Resistance airs.
Resistance Art Style And Direction
Image via Disney Wiki – Fandom
Executive producer Athena Portillo states in the Team Fireball trailer, Star Wars Resistance is “unique in tone and look.” Much of this comes from the mind of Filoni and the art direction of Amy Beth Christenson.
“The idea for Star Wars Resistance came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots,” states Filoni on StarWars.com. “My grandfather was a pilot and my uncle flew and restored planes, so that’s been a big influence on me. There’s a long history of high-speed racing in Star Wars, and I think we’ve captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time.”
The high-speed racing Filoni refers to is most likely Han Solo’s racing circuit called the Five Sabers. Mentioned in the book Star Wars: Bloodline, Solo spent most of his time with his racing team. There’s even a clip in the trailer where a ship appears to have Solo’s team insignia on the side.
While the artwork might be anime inspired, it’s not anime. Filoni directed Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon on Nickelodeon. Inspired by Japanese animation, it’s a healthy mashup of East and West animation. Being a fan of the style, the bright colors and rough lines in Star WarsResistance pay tribute towards Japanese animation. While still being uniquely Western based.
Star Wars Resistance Is Kid Based
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
Star Wars is for kids. Lucas set the record straight on this debate a long time ago, in a galaxy far away. Disney, for the most part, continues to create content towards a young adult audience. The exception to this being Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (also created by Filoni).
Attempting to reach a wider audience, Star Wars Resistance is for kids in the age range of Forces of Destiny and Rebels. This doesn’t mean adults won’t be able to enjoy it, but it’s important to note the series is not aimed towards the usual young adult audience. For now, anyway. Star Wars Rebels started out much the same way. As its popularity grew, so did the depth of the series. It’s likely Filoni will follow the same blueprint for Resistance.
No matter one’s age, Star Wars Resistance will tap into unexplored territory leading up to the events of The Force Awakens. Much like Star Wars Rebels did with A New Hope. All the content will be Canon while fleshing out additional characters the movies couldn’t.
Bringing a cast of new heroes into the mix, Star Wars Resistance will air at 10 pm EST on October 7, 2018. The new animated series airs on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and other Disney platforms.
Let us know in the comments whether you’re excited for Star Wars Resistance, or giving it a pass.
It’s been a while since we heard from the upcoming Spawn reboot.
Todd McFarlane is spilling the beans on the character’s new threads.
According to Cinemablend, the director took time to discuss Spawn’s costume in the new film. Fans will be happy to hear the reboot is heading in the right direction. One such factor will be the title character’s look.
“Does Spawn have a dark mask and his body dark and then does he have a cape in the comic books? Yes, yes, yes,” says McFarlane. “Will he have all of that in the movie? Yes, yes, yes.”
The 1997 film did get a lot of criticism for its depiction of Spawn. For example, the character having wings instead of a cape is not a great idea. In addition, the character would often remove his mask.
McFarlane hints there will be some changes in the movie. However, he makes it clear fans are in for a surprise.
“So it’s not like I’m going to give him wings instead of a cape and I’m not going to give him no mask instead of a mask,” he says. “There’s no going to be any of that. It just won’t be exactly what a hardcore fan is used to.”
Special effects artist Greg Nicotero will be working on Spawn. His company, KNB, specializes in makeup and visual effects. Look no further than their work on The Walking Dead.
The new film will star Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as Al Simmons/Spawn. Jeremy Renner will appear as Twitch Williams.
Thanos Legacy #1 hits your local comic book store this week to bridge the gap between Thanos Wins and Infinity Wars. The book is written by Donny Cates, with art by Brian Level, colors by Jordan Boyd, and letters by Clayton Cowles.
Nothing is ever simple with Cates’ writing, as Thanos Legacy provides more questions than answers. This review will contain no spoilers, as the last page of the story will have people talking. We will analyze the tone and texture of the book, not the plot points.
Cates has a way with his writing where it is intense and also whimsical. He’s the Quentin Tarantino of comic book writers. Cates builds up his creations, just to publicly mock them a few panels later. He enjoys writing comic books, but also understands what comic books are, so the guy who invented Cosmic Ghost Rider doesn’t take himself too seriously. This style Cates has crafted is perfect for working on superhero comics, and Thanos Legacy is no exception. The story has power, weight, and drama, but it is also entertaining. Cates is an entertainer.
Level was tasked with following up Geoff Shaw’s work on Thanos Wins, and that is no easy task to ask any artist. Especially since Level had to recreate panels from Thanos Wins and Infinity War Prime; but he holds his ground. The cliffhanger mentioned above is powerful because Cates, Level, and Boyd are working together to deliver a powerful message.
Boyd’s colors are a drastic textural difference from Thanos Wins and Infinity War, to where it helps focus the story and keeps the narration self-contained. Since the book is heavily narrated, Cowles’ letter design needed to be spot on. Several pages are loaded with slim panels and Cowles keep the story flowing without taking away from the artwork.
Overall, Thanos Legacy #1 connects the dots and smacks you in the face with more questions. What more could you ask for in a book?
After you read Thanos Legacy #1, come back here and give us your thoughts.
Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw are reuniting to relaunch Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy with a whole new team in 2019.
Marvel made the announcement in advance press copies of Thanos Legacy #1, out this Wednesday. The following image accompanied the announcement:
“Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw will soon reveal…”
Marvel built the announcement around the #WhoAreTheGuardians hashtag, inferring that Cates and Shaw are putting together a whole new team, and any of the characters displayed are fair game to join.
The image features the most current Guardians of the Galaxy members, as well as members of the original 1969 Guardians team, and other fan favorites like Cosmo, Nova, Howard the Duck, and Beta Ray Bill. Cosmic Ghost Rider, created by Cates and Shaw, is also on display.
Cates and Shaw previously worked together on Thanos Wins for Marvel.
Guardians of the Galaxy by Cates and Shaw will debut in January 2019. Thanos Legacy #1 by Cates and Brian Level, among others, is out this Wednesday, September 5th.
Who do YOU want to see on the new Guardians team? Sound off in the comments!
Picture this setting, a 1940s church converted into a classic movie theater for horror fans. That is what you can expect if you attend the Popcorn Frights Film Festival, which you should.
Popcorn quietly serves as Florida’s largest horror films festival. The event has been running since 2015 as this year’s slate was the fourth installment. The co-founding, enthusiastic, genre-loving duo behind the film festival is Marc Ferman and Igor Shteyrenberg.
“The film community in South Florida was still developing and one of the problems that we noticed was the lack of independent genre films being represented here,” said Ferman. “The film festivals in this region were either not selecting genre films or they couldn’t figure out how to find the audience for them. We knew we could celebrate these films and connect them to the audience they were made for.”
The duo, including all volunteers for the event, do not profit from sales. All money raised, goes back into the event to make it the best it can be, each-and-every year. That’s dedication and it radiates while you’re in the seats at the Savor Cinema.
“We love film, it is our passion,” Ferman proclaimed. “Every dollar we earn, we reinvest into the Festival. We’re all volunteers and our only ambition concerning the Festival is continuing to care for it, protecting it and making sure it always has a roof over its head.”
There is a reason why this event was named ‘One of the Best Film Festivals in Florida’ by the Sun Sentinel. It has not only screened films from more than 20 countries, but has generated over 100 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. Each night, roughly 3-4, full-length films run, while in between each, you can expect awesome short films, live-action skits and interviews with celebrity guests, directors and producers in attendance.
“We are constantly evolving and looking at new ways to expand our program and excite our community,” Ferman said. The most important thing is to consistently listen to our audience as to what they like and dislike and make sure each voice is heard. That is how we progress. We just want to have fun and make sure we include as many different sub-genres as possible in each year’s lineup. That way, there is something for every horror fan.”
This year’s lineup featured some pure cinematic campy gems as the week was filled with gore, shock, laughter and, of course, scares! Our own Ruben Diaz also covered the films announcements, with Wave 1 and Wave 2. On Friday, Aug. 10, the event launched with the first-ever English-speaking film shot entirely in Cuba with, Havana Darkness, as well as an awesome zombie musical, that was equally as gory as it was heartfelt, with Anna and the Apocalypse, and concluded with the 11th installment in the Puppet Master series with, The Littlest Reich. The week also saw some films emerge as instant fan favorites, including Anna and the Apocalypse, but also Summer of ‘84, What Keeps You Alive and Tigers Are Not Afraid, among others. For the complete list of films viewed by fans, click HERE.
“We created the Festival out of a desperate need to serve our community,” Ferman stated. “We share it with all our friends, film lovers and the international industry, a family tree we’re proud to see continue to grow every year. We’re also proud of the friendships that we’ve made along the way, in developing the Festival and in which the platform has served in bringing the industry and our local filmmakers together.”
For all of you John Carpenter fans out there, Popcorn Frights is doing a four-night tribute dubbed, ‘Wicked Weekend’, to commemorate the horror legend in early October! The event kicks off with Halloween on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 9 pm (ET), followed by, Christine on Oct. 5, The Thing (Oct. 6) and, on Oct. 7, They Live, all at 10 pm (ET). The series will run, again, at the Savor Cinema, at 503 SE 6th St., in Ft. Lauderdale.
For more information, including tickets and event passes, visit popcornfrights.com.
The Greatest Threat to Television Since the Internet
There’s so much outrage in the news these days that it can be overwhelming. When it comes to TV and movies, a lot of the uproar is overblown and manufactured to increase viewership or ticket sales. However, there is one outrage that hasn’t been getting enough attention: People are remaking Magnum P.I. and Magnum has no mustache!
When I first heard about the reboot, I saw a press photo of the new Magnum. Hawaiian shirt – check. Detroit Tigers cap – double check. Only, something was off. Something was missing. Something was so wrong – so horrifyingly, world-shakingly wrong – that I felt sick looking at it before I even comphrended what the problem was. So audacious was this omission that it took my traumatized brain a few moments to realize what it was: the new Magnum doesn’t have a mustache!
More like Magnum, P.U.
As you no doubt remember the original Magnum P.I. (CBS, 1980-1988) was a show about a detective named Thomas Magnum living in Hawaii. It starred John Hillerman, Roger Mosley, Larry Manetti, and – most importantly – Tom Selleck’s mustache. I mean, just look at this majestic soup strainer:
If this can’t solve your Hawaiian mystery, it ain’t gettin’ solved.
Now, I tried to give CBS the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was an explanation I was missing. Maybe Jay Hernandez (the actor playing Magnum in the reboot) can’t grow a proper ‘stache. We can’t hold that against him, some people got it and some don’t. This explanation didn’t hold up, though. Refer again to the top photo: on closer inspection, the stubble on his upper lip appears to be capable of growing a serviceable, if not legendary, push broom. Maybe even a handlebar if given enough time. The thing is, even if he can’t (and again – we can’t punish the man for something beyond his control), surely CBS has the production facilities for a great upper lip hairpiece? I mean, this isn’t like the Mission Impossible and Henry Cavill situation, they’re not shooting this thing for IMAX. They can get away with a fake and viewers may not even notice. Hell, Groucho did it for years.
This baby was painted on the whole time, suckers.
There Are Always Options
Another thing: Tom Selleck works for CBS (on Blue Bloods) – surely he’d be a willing mustache donor. As majestic as his mustache is, I assume he can shave in the morning and the ‘stache will be back in fighting form by noon. Starting with the trimmings, the makeup and special effects crews should be able to fashion a prosthetic that Hernandez can wear for the first season. Reshoots can be costly, but ask yourself, what is the cost of destroying a legacy? The show doesn’t debut until September 24. That leaves you about three weeks. All the Money in the World swapped in Christopher Plummer in nine days.
If that’s not an option, it may be time to turn to CGI, here’s a quick mock-up:
Now you’ll have a lock on the coveted “uncle” and “hipster” demographics
Boom. It took me 10 seconds and I don’t have any graphic design background.
Together, We Can Make the World a Better Place – for Mustaches
If this heinous oversight isn’t corrected immediately, my only choice will be to organize a full-scale protest against CBS, utilizing some of the most famous mustachioed folks from history. I’ll call on Burt Reynolds, Jason Lee, and the ghosts of Charlie Chaplin and Salvador Dalí to unite and help rectify this great injustice. All funds raised will be used to provide mustaches – free of charge – to children all over the world that suffer from a debilitating lack of lack of facial hair. Together, we can make the world a hairier place.
Rollie Fingers, Fu Manchu, Dr. Strange – who’s got your (second) favorite celebrity ‘stache? Let us know in the comments.
Stranger Things is coming to Dark Horse for a four-issue mini-series that explains what happened to Will during his time in The Upside Down.
The series is written by Jody Houser, with pencils by Stefano Martino, inks by Keith Champagne, colors by Lauren Affe, letters by Nate Piekos, and a cover by Tomm Coker. It is a tough task to ask Houser or any writer to adapt a TV series, especially Stranger Things. The voices of the characters are already in your head, the look, the feel, the texture of the show are well established. Houser does three things exceptionally well to set herself up for a successful series.
The plot of the story is perfect, as it coincides with the first season of Stranger Things. Will is trapped in the Upside Down, and the story is told from his perspective. The story is familiar to the reader, yet is different enough where you don’t feel like it’s rehashing old material. Plus, even after season two of the show, the Upside Down is still vague and holds mystery and intrigue.
Since the narration is from an omniscient third-person POV, the characters feel like the kids from the show. There is not a change in voice from show to comic book. The narration also pulls the reader to a unique perspective of an observer. This point of view will lead to me yelling at the book in a future issue, “RUN WILL! RUN WILL!”
Dungeons & Dragons is the final element that Houser uses to elevate the book to an enjoyable read. The comic book medium provides a unique way to tell a story, which you can’t replicate on television. The cutaways to the animated D&D game offer an excellent opportunity to establish rules, character relationships, and explain the severity of the situation. All while giving the book the Goonies feel that the Netflix series has.
Martino’s art is also put in a tough spot when adapting the series. Photorealism is too stiff, and if you go too cartoonish you lose the characters from the show and they become something else. Martino does find a balance, and by the end of the first issue, you will see no difference between the show and the comic book because the story takes over.
Critiquing the color work on the book is more of a point of taste, but I would like to see Affe push the envelope more with the colors. The Upside Down is a dark, wet, scary place, and I did not get that from the colors. The muted colors work well when there are tiny hints of vibrant, bold colors. Also, it would have helped to have a greater contrast between the colors of the real world and the Upside Down.
The final page of issue one is where the art team pulls it all together. Champagne’s inks really stand out along with Piekos’ letters; the page is so well done it gave me chills.
Overall, Houser and her creative team put together a fast-paced issue that gets you excited for the series. Stranger Things #1 hits your local comic book store on September 26.
Are you adding Stranger Things to your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
Ed Piskor’s X-Men Grand Design has been a critical darling for Marvel Comics, and there are already hints that the company is looking to give other characters similar books of their own.
Piskor’s Grand Design is consolidating the X-Men’s history (up to a certain point) and retelling their story in a clear, linear fashion. The comic has an edgy, underground vibe that’s unique to superhero books, and it’s resonated with fans in a big way. It makes sense that Marvel Comics would want to extend this success to their other books. But with the company’s long, rich history, where do they begin? Let’s break down five properties that deserve the X-Men Grand Design treatment.
Fantastic Four
Remember when we said there were hints that Marvel’s already planning more Grand Design comics? Well this is what we meant. Last month, Tom Scioli hinted on Twitter that Fantastic Four Grand Design is “maybe” in the works.
Earlier this year @Marvel asked me to pitch a #FantasticFour story along the lines of @EdPiskor’s X-Men, telling the story of the FF and their extended cast. It started with the origin of Galactus which is eerily similar to the FF’s origin. pic.twitter.com/2NybzVJXuz
What’s most interesting here is that Scioli claims Marvel ASKED him to pitch the story, which infers that this is in their plans.
The FF is Marvel’s first family – the book that started it all. They also have some of the biggest and baddest villains of the whole universe (literally, in the case of Galactus). Much like X-Men, Fantastic Four Grand Design could be an awesome mix of Earth-based superhero action and grand cosmic adventures.
The Avengers
Like the X-Men, the Avengers are a team with a long history of rotating members. A Grand Design book could go through all the various incarnations and play with almost all of Marvel’s superheroes and villains.
This might seem like it would just be an action comic, but the Avengers have faced their share of emotional trauma. There have been deaths, disbandments, and catastrophic events like Avengers Disassembled. This could balance out the action and give the book more poignant character moments like X-Men Grand Design has.
The Avengers have also been at the center of most Marvel events, so this would be a great way to include landmark moments.
Cosmic Marvel
Some of Marvel’s best stories have been told in space, without the likes of Captain America, Spider-Man, and the rest of the usual faces. The problem is that cosmic Marvel can be a bit daunting to new readers. But that just makes it the perfect candidate to have its history consolidated in a single book.
Piskor is only retelling X-history up to a certain point, and a cosmic Marvel book could do the same thing. Imagine a Grand Design story focused only on Jim Starlin’s work. Doesn’t that sound incredible? It could hit all the major beats concerning Adam Warlock, Thanos, Captain Marvel, the Infinity Gauntlet saga, and more.
Of course, if it were to extend to the Abnett and Lanning era including Annihilation, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova, that’d be pretty incredible too.
Spider-Man
Ol’ web-head might seem like an odd choice for this list, but the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler actually has a pretty confusing history that could use a cleanup.
Aside from the obvious (“Clone Saga”, anyone?), Spidey’s been rebooted and retconned more than a few times. He’s been mutated and killed. He’s been to space and to the suburbs. Who can keep track of all that? He also has an incredible supporting cast of both allies and villains, and a Grand Design book would allow them all to shine.
And there’s the obvious financial benefit that Spider-Man is Marvel’s most famous character, and any book with his face on it will sell like Aunt May’s wheatcakes.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Grand Design could be an intense spy thriller focusing on Nick Fury (both of them) and beyond. That whole side of the Marvel universe is criminally underappreciated, but it’s a cult favorite.
Just like Piskor went back to before the X-Men were created in his book, S.H.I.E.L.D. could go back to the days of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. It would give a more comprehensive look at the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Whereas the other books on this list are all superhero/sci-fi books, S.H.I.E.L.D. would provide something different. It would explore a specific corner of the Marvel Universe, and a corner that could benefit from an edgy, underground style.
Are you reading X-Men Grand Design? What Marvel Comics do YOU want to see get the same treatment? Sound off in the comments!
By now you have heard that the live-action adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is coming to the silver screen, but now we know the cast that will live out the horror!
The film has a stout duo of visionaries, behind both producer Guillermo del Toro and director André Øvredal, both of whom will guide the cast of six teens into Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The film’s story will follow the six teens as they struggle to uncover the cause of a series of horrifying deaths. With that, let’s meet the gang!
She has had roles in TV shows like, Past Life and Rubicon and was Tessie in the reboot of Annie and the TV movie, Nerd Herd. She has two projects in post-production, including Skin.
Øvredal was quoted as saying the cast will, “Help realize the most-terrifying adaptation that we could conceive!”. Production begins soon, though no official release date has been set. Look for more casting announcements and film tidbits to come down the pipeline.
What do you think, are you excited to see the books come alive? What stories do you hope they include in the film? Let us know in the comments section below.
