The Fantastic Four return this August, and Marvel Comics has just released Esad Ribic’s titanic cover to issue 1, along with a brand new teaser trailer!
The full Four have been absent from the comics scene since the end of Secret Wars, though The Thing and the Human Torch have been adventuring on their own in Chip Zdarsky’s awesome Marvel Two-in-One. The new series will be written by Dan Slott and drawn by Sara Pichelli
Check out the full cover to issue 1 here:
And watch the teaser trailer here:
Celebrate the Fantastic Four with a view into their past and a look towards the future, from their debut in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s classic 1961 issue to their much-anticipated return in August’s upcoming new series from Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man, Silver Surfer), Sara Pichelli (Spider-Man: Miles Morales), and Esad Ribic (Infamous Iron Man, Marvel Legacy, Secret Wars)!
Are you excited for the Fantastic Four’s return? Sound off in the comments below!
The identities of the actors voicing Thanos’s villainous Black Order in Avengers: Infinity Warhas been a mystery since the characters were announced to appear. That was until Russo Brothers let it slip that Fargo actress Carrie Coon would be voicing Proxima Midnight in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster.
In an interview with Radio Times, the Infinity War directors announced that Coon would be taking on the iconic comic role. They also revealed that Terry Notary and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor would be voicing Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw respectively. Notary is a veteran motion capture artist, while Vaughan-Lawlor is an Irish actor who starred in 2017’s The Cured.
Coon is most well known for her roles in Fargo and The Leftovers, where she became a fan favorite. She also appeared in the 2017 Oscar contender, The Post. After the news broke, the actress took to Twitter to confirm her involvement in Infinity War:
In the comics, Proxima Midnight first appeared in September 2013 in The New Avengers Vol. 3 #8. She is married to fellow Black Order member Corvus Glaive, who’s the only member not to have his voice actor announced. It’s unknown if the characters will have the same relationship in the film.
What are your thoughts on Carrie Coon taking on the role of Proxima Midnight? Let us know in the comments below!
Avengers: Infinity War blasts into theaters April 27th
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
In the poster, Ryan Reynolds’ infamous merc is shown enjoying a bucket of popcorn in a packed theatre, seemingly ready to enjoy his own sequel.
Check out the poster below:
After surviving a near-fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfil his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.
Entertainment Weekly just dropped an excellent new still from Marvel’s Ant-Man And The Wasp, which shows the worlds smallest superheroes racing into action.
In the image, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man is shown flying atop one of his trusty ants, while Evangeline Lilly uses her superior costume to fly alongside her partner in crime.
Check out the image below:
“From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes Ant-Man and The Wasp, a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink. In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.”
Ant-Man And The Waspis directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, Tip “T.I.” Harris and David Dastmalchian. The film will also introduce Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne, along with Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins and Randall Park to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spidey made a deal with the Devil. Norman Osborn merged with the Carnage symbiote, taking him off the board. Peter Parker on the other hand assumes the “man in the chair” role and calls in Spidey’s support to look after his loved ones. The Red Goblin tries to paint the town red in Amazing Spider-Man #799!
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
We’ve only got a couple of issues left in Dan Slott’s ASM run. There’s been a healthy bit of buzz around this book for a while, with Slott announcing his exit, Spencer/Ottley taking over, the #800 milestone, and the introduction of Red Goblin. It’s been a while since there was this much hype around Amazing Spider-Man in a mostly positive light.
Dan Slott has been bringing his A-game at the right time. “Go Down Swinging” has been cashing in on the extra attention. Amazing Spider-Man #799 maintains the velocity from last issue; it’s a fast-paced train racing towards a massive conclusion.
Norman Osborn, in all his glorious insanity, tries to wrangle together a family reunion in the most aggressive way possible. This feels like Spidey is heading towards one of those classic, hero defining moments. Red Goblin is going to force Spider-Man into an “unstoppable force” paradox.
Red Goblin is a fantastic design, with a great balance of Goblin and Carnage bits. My only criticism so far would be the lack of creativity in the murder constructs. Cletus Kasady turns his hands into various blades and projectile weapons. We got those awesome “Carnage Bombs” last issue, but nothing else yet. I want to see Immonen use the symbiote as more than just a great looking costume.
It’s great to see Silk again; she was also in last week’s Spider-Man/Deadpool #31. Even though it lasted all of ten pages, Spidey’s supporting cast of heroes coming in to protect Peter’s loved ones was a nice way for Slott to bring in some of his favorites one more time. It was also an effective way to showcase just how powerful Red Goblin is, being resistant to the usual symbiote weaknesses.
There’s so much action in this issue, it’s easy to miss how big of a twist it was to have Harry’s mom return. She went from being the kidnapping nanny to the subject of a bombshell Norman drops on his son. We’ll probably explore that more once things settle down, assuming the characters make it through the next issue alive.
Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia always do great work on Amazing Spider-Man. At this point, it seems effortless. Not only does Red Goblin look like a perfectly menacing horror villain, but the action sequences are dynamite as well. Immonen, as usual, expresses a wide range of emotion in his character’s faces every time it needs some extra weight.
Next issue is the big conclusion to “Go Down Swinging” with Norman Osborn poised to do some major damage. Amazing Spider-Man #800 should be an explosive milestone, even if making Normie into Red Goblin Jr. was a bit corny.
ODEON has revealed a bunch of new posters for Avengers: Infinity War, which come together to create one, super-sized, super-awesome poster.
Created by artist Matt Ferguson (@Cakes_Comics), the posters will be available to the very best Marvel fans, who plan on seeing Avengers: Infinity War multiple times in the cinema. Those lucky enough to live near an ODEON will have the chance to collect all five posters, which will be released at various points throughout the films first two weeks in theatres.
Check out the posters below:
“An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their superhero allies must willing to sacrifice it all in an attempt to defeat the power of Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.”
Avengers: Infinity War is directed by the Russo Brothers and stars Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Runner (Hawkeye), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Vin Diesel (Groot), Dave Bautista (Drax), Paul Bettany (Vision), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) and Josh Brolin (Josh Brolin).
What do you think of the posters? Let us know in the comments section. Avengers: Infinity Warlands in cinemas on April 26, 2018!
“Remember, George, grab people from their apartments and eat them to regain health.”
As Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson travels the globe promoting The People’s monster-movie Rampage, it’s easy to dismiss the action-packed flick as another King Kong vs. Godzilla ripoff. Of course, fans of the Rampage video game franchise will know better. The 1986 video game of the same name, which the film is based on, provided young Gen X-ers and even younger Millennials with a pastiche of, and in many cases an introduction to, the monster-movie genre.
“They’re frighteningly addictive!”
In fact, it was on a family vacation back in the ’90s during a pizza-flavoured Combos bender that I first played Rampage and understood the cinematic brilliance of showing two or more monsters duking it out while terrorizing a city.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – The Super-Ape Phenomenon of the 1950s
“Hey humanity, can’t we all just get along?”
King Kong tried to take New York way back in ’33, and several sequels and imitations followed. Just nine months after King Kong’s release, Son of Kong premiered. The original Mighty Joe Young took up the torch in 1949, but in the late ’50s, a new kind of super-ape made the scene.
In early ’59, DC introduced Gorilla Grodd. But rather than being a gigantic and instinct-driven simian like King Kong or Superman’s derivative foe Titano the Super Ape, Grodd is a criminal mastermind bent on overthrowing human society. He just happens to be a talking gorilla.
“Wait, maybe I shouldn’t mention that he’s the only one who can stop me…”
This interesting ape has appeared in comics, cartoons, live-action TV shows, and a video game. He is a continual nuisance to the second incarnation of the Flash, Barry Allen, and every subsequent appearance of the villainous gorilla tends to portray him as increasingly intelligent, maniacal, and devious.
The aforementioned Titano first appeared in Superman #127 (cover date, February 1959), and Grodd first appeared in The Flash #106 (cover date, May 1959). It’s tough to say precisely why these two super-apes debuted just three months apart from each other, but it definitely provides ammo for an intriguing bit of headcanon. Before I get into all that, though, let’s take a look at the DC party line on Grodd’s origin.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – Alien Intervention Or Temporal Paradox? You Pick.
After some ret-conning, the DC powers that be decided that Grodd and his fellow Gorilla City-ans developed super-intelligence after an alien spacecraft crashed in their midst. The ship’s pilot developed the gorillas’ unique mental powers and helped them construct their city. Then, Grodd killed the alien and took control.
This origin, though just as good as any other, leaves me with some questions. Chiefly, why did this alien screw with these gorillas’ brains? Having not read the ret-conned origin story, I can’t rightly say, but the whole thing sure seems odd.
Instead, I prefer the explanation that Gorilla City sprang up as an indirect result of some creative problem solving employed by Superman during his first meeting with Titano in Superman #127.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – Temporal Anomalies 101
I’m not usually one to pick on octogenarians, but for all his strength and moral uprightness Superman doesn’t always make the best decisions, at least he didn’t back in the ’50s. He may have had the power of super-hypnosis, but that sure didn’t improve his logical reasoning faculties. This lack of super-judgement is on full display in Superman #127.
While grappling with Titano, Supes decides that the best way to stop the monster-ape from destroying everything around him is to hurl him with such force and speed that he travels back through time to a prehistoric era. Setting aside the fact that this would almost certainly be impossible, Superman doesn’t appear to have considered the, quite probably, negative effects his actions would have on his own timeline.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – “This is ground control to Major Toto…”
For those unfamiliar with Titano the Super-Ape — the pre-Crisis version — he started out as a trained chimpanzee named “Toto.” As part of an ill-conceived publicity stunt, the chimp’s trainer allows the US Army to launch Toto into space. But, during orbit, radiation assaults poor Toto’s craft, and the onlookers, who just happen to include Lois Lane and Superman, fear the worst.
The craft returns to Earth, and when Toto exits the pod he seems alright until he grows to incredible size and starts shooting kryptonite rays out of his eyes — oh, crap.
A typically unhelpful Lois renames the mega-chimp “Titano,” while Superman struggles to install a humongous pair of thick lead goggles over Titano’s eyes. Superman finally succeeds in getting the shades on Titano, and, the huge ape’s kryptonite-vision dealt with, Supes picks Titano up and tosses him back through time.
“Superman, you have such a vivid super-imagination!”
Using his powers of “super-imagination” — ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — Superman ensures Lois that Titano is having a grand ol’ time among similarly sized prehistoric creatures. All’s well that ends well, right? Right?!
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – “Wait, was that Gorilla City there before I chucked that huge ape backwards through time?”
Alright, now it’s time for my bit of headcanon. Like I said earlier, Grodd and his fellow Gorilla City-ans first appeared three months after Titano’s trip back through time, so I’m inclined to believe that Superman’s actions altered the timeline and caused a chain reaction that led to the evolution of super-intelligent apes who eventually founded Gorilla City. After all, wouldn’t a gigantic trained chimp who shoots kryptonite rays out of his eyes be a bit disruptive to the timeline?
So there you have it: no radioactive meteorite, alien crash-landing, or genetic modification required. As we Marvel fans say, ’nuff said.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – “This is Major Gordo to ground control…”
My bit of headcanon addressed, one wonders why DC’s staff had apes on the brain back in 1959. Well, strange as they may seem now, monkey-flights were a well-known occurrence in ’59. In fact, in December of ’58, which was likely the actual publication month for Superman #127 — that or November — a brave squirrel monkey named Gordo took the ride of his life.
“Guys, I’m really not into this…”
The hairy adventurer survived his 600-mile trip up into the atmosphere, but Gordo’s craft’s flotation mechanism failed during splashdown, and the simian astronaut was lost at sea.
Although the little guy’s journey ended up sending him to Davy Jones’s locker, data gathered about Gordo’s trip provided US Navy doctors with proof that a human would likely survive a similar flight, so long as the problems with the flotation device were addressed.
The Great Grandad of Gorilla Grodd – “I got my mind on my monkey, and my monkey on my mind.”
With simian space travel likely in the news quite a bit leading up to poor Gordo’s flight — followed in May of ’59 by the slightly more successful flight of the monkey-nauts Able and Baker — the reasons for people’s fixations on apes gets a bit clearer. As with most pop-culture phenomena, super-apes make a lot more sense after some investigation into the zeitgeist that produced them.
Actually, Gordo was just one in a long line of animal astronauts. Including Gordo, seven monkeys, plus a number of dogs, rabbits, and mice had been launched into space by 1959. Some fared better than others, but none came back with kryptonite vision or super-intelligence…that we know of.
The poster comes from Star Wars UK’s official Twitter account and features the impressive collection of characters that SOLO: A STAR WARS STORYwill bring to the big screen. Joining Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo on the poster is Chewbacca (obviously), Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson’s Beckett, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3-37, Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra and Thandie Newton’s Val.The poster also features Paul Bettany’s gangster villain Dryden Vos and the mysterious space-pirate known as Enfys Nest.
Check out the poster below:
Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.
Like the poster? Let us know in the comments section below. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORYwill land in cinemas on May 24, 2018!
Thursday morning brought the release of the final trailer for Deadpool 2. Laced between Deadpool’s references to both the Marvel and DC cinematic universes were introductions to the various members of X-Force. Among those introduced was Gaveedra Seven aka Shatterstar. Though the trailer only showed a few seconds of the “Prince of Blades,” there is plenty about him that makes him an intriguing character.
Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, Shatterstar made his first appearance in 1991’s New Mutants #99. He is also the son of former X-Men Longshot and Dazzler. Fighting in the arenas of the extradimensional realm known as Mojoworld, Shatterstar honed his abilities as a warrior. When it comes to what makes him really deadly, look no further than his superhuman abilities. He has superhuman speed, dexterity, strength, one of the fastest healing abilities in comics, among other superhuman abilities.
His bones are also hollow, adding to his speed and acrobatic skills. But his two favorite things as shown in Deadpool 2‘s final trailer are his swords. However they’re not like the twin katana’s Deadpool wields. They contain a bio-electric current making it hard for anyone not Shatterstar to use them.
That’s right, Shatterstar also has the ability to channel powerful shock waves through his swords, and he also uses them to teleport. Despite his superhuman abilities, Shatterstar is not the perfect mutant. Sending those power shock waves and being able to teleport exhaust him. One teleport drains him of his energy and per the Marvel Database it takes two to four hours for him to regain it all back.
His armor is also bulletproof so he has added protection in combat. As you can see his armor in Deadpool 2 differs from his comic look a little bit. Gone are the over-sized brown shoulder pad and his vast array of pouches (A Liefeld staple). In is a white and grey suit with a smaller piece of shoulder armor, and his helmet is white as well.
See Shatterstar in all of his bladed glory when Deadpool 2 hits theaters on May 18th. Also if we can get a comic series about X-Force’s mustached member Peter that would be great! Fabian Nicieza also tweeted his want for one.
Black Mask Studios Gravetrancers #3, by M.L. Miller, James Michael Whynot, and Dee Cunniff explodes with disturbing horror, relentless action, and eye-popping gore in the best issue so far in this excellent series.
Gravetrancers #3 Written by: M.L. Miller Art by: James Michael Whynot Colors by: Dee Cunniff Lettered by: Jim Campbell Published by: Black Mask Studios
Maribel and Anthony are siblings on a road trip to visit the grave of their father. And although both brother and sister have strong and mixed feelings when it comes to the man, both feel that maybe some sort of closure will come with the visit. But something far more sinister, frightening and disturbing awaits them at Burwood Cemetery. Maribel and Anthony are about to find out the proprietors of the cemetery, the Malrot family, harbor a different notion of life and death, one that will enter their lives like a hallucinatory nightmare that may never let go. And things get even more complicated as police Officer Veloz gets drawn into the horror.
Writing
As fucked up and disturbing as the first two issues of Gravetrancers were, issue #3 is without a doubt the most extreme one yet. Using a police siege of Burwood Cemetery as his main narrative drive, writer M.L. Miller creates a relentless pace that creates an incredible amount of tension and suspense. The full horror of the Malrot family is laid bare, as is what this fucked up family is truly capable of. There are some really disturbing details and moments here, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre influence is explored even more.
Art
The art here is phenomenal. Influenced by classic horror comics, punk rock flyer art, and psychedelic imagery, Whynot and Cuniff create some breathtaking images that leap of the page and make you feel like the viscera is literally splattering all over you. The design and layouts are also fantastic, adding to the jarring and textured/handcrafted feel of the linework. This comic looks and feels like nothing else on the stands these days.
Conclusion
Gravetrancers is the kind of book that becomes a cult classic of the medium; it’s unique, offers a completely original reading experience, and lingers on behind your eyes and in your mind long after you have turned the last page. With one more issue left to go, now is the time to jump into this title.
And watch the teaser trailer here:
