The city of Atlanta will welcome yet another comic book and collectibles convention in 2018 with the first-ever Atlanta Comic Convention, which is slated for this summer.
As of February, 2018, the guest list currently features Matthew Lewis, who garnered fame as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series of films, Linda Larkin, who voiced Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin, Bill Farmer, the voice of both Disney’s Goofy and Pluto, and Paige O’Hara, who voiced Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. There is also quite a few creators on tap, including Joe Jusko (Deadpool) and Ale Garza (Supergirl). Look for more guest announcements over the next few months.
Make sure you are keeping up with ATLCC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, for updates and announcements leading up to the show.
The official social media hashtag for the event is #ACC2018.
Atlanta Comic Con debuts on July 13-15, 2018, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Tickets range from $30-$60, and kids 12 and under are admitted for free. Atlanta Comic Con is produced and promoted by Imaginarium LLC, who produce four other comic conventions around the country. For information regarding hours, guests announced so far, programming, and other details about Atlanta Comic Con, visit:https://atlantacomiccon.com/.
When it comes to quality animation Pixar, Disney, Laika and Studio Ghibli top the list. Aardman Animations can join those studios, and it is often a treat to see one of their films, including their new release Early Man.
Dug (Eddie Redmayne) is a member of a small Stone Age tribe in a lush forest valley. Yet Dug dreams of more than hunting rabbits: he wants to hunt mammoths!
The tribe ends up kicked off their land by a more advanced group of men led by Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and when Dug follows these Bronze Age people back to their city he discovers they play the most beautiful game. To win back their valley, the Early Man tribe have to play against the Bronze Age people in a game of football.
Aardman has a distinctive artistic style and is one of the few studios to continue using stop-motion animation. Their films take a long time to make which explains why their filmography is so thin: they have only been making six feature films since 2000. But that is a part of the charm of their work, the use of stop-motion means there is a lot of detail in the art direction, and their films are often packed with jokes. Aardman are masters of visual jokes, and there is no let-up: my personal favorite involves the giant foam fingers. Because of the stone-age setting, Early Man does share some similarities with The Flintstones – mainly the use of animals as appliances.
Aardman also revels in their Britishness – films like Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit and Curse of the Were-Rabbit and The Pirates! Band of Misfits! (or The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! in the UK). Early Man makes even less effort to cater to American audiences: the whole cast is British and the big names (Redmayne, Hiddleston and Maisie Williams) voices’ are unrecognizable. The use of football (or soccer as it is incorrectly called in some parts of the world) allows for a lot of jokes about the Premier League, how players for a big team are overpaid prima donnas and having a dig against players who dive to get penalty kicks. Kids can easily relate to the scene when the tribe accidentally kick their ball next door. There are jokes and reference which only audiences from the British Isles will get like one of the commentators being dressed like John Motson.
Early Man can be described as Asterix meets Escape to Victory. Like Asterix, the tribe in Early Man is a more primitive society who get dominated by a more advanced civilization, and it’s up to a plucky hero and his pet (in Early Man‘s case a warthog) to save his person, while in Escape to Victory everything depends on a game of football. However, because of the use of football the finale of Early Man is not as thrilling as other Aardman films: the chickens made a flying machine to escape their coop and being turned into pies: Gromit had to prevent Lord Quartermaine killing Wallace as a were-rabbit, and the pirates had to fight Queen Victoria’s steampunk robot. The tribe is playing for their home and freedom, and director Nick Park has a love for sport but considering Early Man has a traditional sports comedy narrative it is easy to predict what’s going to happen, which is even more disappointing because Aardman often throws a curveball.
Aardman films in the past have jokes and references for adults (one of my personal favorites being the nun wrestling magazine), and like Pixar, there are heartfelt moments. However, Early Man‘s is more geared towards younger audiences. There is more reliance on physical humor, and there is much use of toilet humor – more than usual in an Aardman film. Aardman has often been above this type of humor, and their films and TV shows have been able to please all demographics. The most adult jokes revolved around one of the tribe members liking young men
Hiddleston was the highlight of the cast. He is a man who has specialized playing villains, and in Early Man, he spoke with an exaggerated French accent – us Brits like nothing better than making fun of the French. Hiddleston role as Nooth was similar to how he played Loki in Thor: Raganok – Nooth was more a comic foil than a serious threat – his only real concern is making money, and he more often gets humiliated. Hiddleston was hilarious in his role.
Redmayne sounded appropriately wide-eyed, youthful and idealistic as the hero of the piece while Williams was okay as Goona, a young bronze age woman who longs to play in front of thousands of fans. The rest of the cast mostly comprised of British comedians like Johnny Vegas, Rob Brydon, Richard Ayoade and Gina Yashere who were fine in their roles: they were all playing one-note characters.
Early Man does not match the heights of most of Aardman’s previous work, but it better than their previous football-themed film Flushed Away. Early Man is still a funny film and fans of the beautiful game will greatly appreciate it.
We are sadly losing Black Science this year, with the presumed final issue coming at No. 40. Though, with loss, springs new life, as we are also getting three brand-new science fiction ongoing series from Image Comics, including one each from workhorses Jeff Lemire, creator of Descender, and The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman.
About (via Image): War has become a spectator sport. Privately funded armies of superstar soldiers march into battle for fame, profit and the glory of their sponsor nations. When a new generation of soldiers arrive, top gladiator, Satta Flynn, is about to discover how fleeting the limelight can be. VS delivers spectacular action, darkly humorous satire and explores our hunger for fame and our penchant for self-destruction.
About (via Image): The lives of a reclusive young man obsessed with a conspiracy in the city’s trash, and a washed-up Catholic priest arriving in a small town full of dark secrets, become intertwined around the mysterious legend of The Black Barn, an otherworldly building that is alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town, throughout history, bringing death and madness in its wake. Rural mystery and urban horror collide in this character-driven meditation on obsession, mental illness and faith.
About (via Image): A decade ago, 300,000 citizens of Philadelphia were suddenly lost in Oblivion. The government made every attempt to recover them, but after many years, they gave up. Nathan Cole … won’t. He makes daily trips, risking his life to try and rescue those still living in the apocalyptic hellscape of Oblivion. But maybe … Nathan is looking for something else? Why can’t he resist the siren call of the Oblivion Song?
Bonus: The collector’s edition of the debut issue of features an exclusive limited edition variant cover by by De Felici! It comes with an 11-inch statue, based on the cover of Oblivion Song #1, an exclusive print and a collector’s pin. These items will ONLY be available in this collector’s edition set, which are limited to 1,000.
After a four-episode stint in the Mirror Universe that ended with What’s Past Is Prologue, the crew of the U.S.S Discovery is back in their own reality … probably. Due to a slight mycelial piloting error by Stamets, the U.S.S. Discovery returns to their own reality nine months after it left. Though gone longer than they had hoped, a six month absence shouldn’t pose much of a problem to a ship full of intrepid Starfleet explorers, except that during their time spent A.W.O.L. the Klingon Empire appears to have won its war against the Federation — oops. A long-range scan shows that space that was previously under the jurisdiction of the Federation is now under the jurisdiction of the Klingon Empire. Way to go, Stamets.
But, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Before discussing what’s in store for the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery over the course of the final two episodes of Discovery’s maiden season, I should first talk about What’s Past Is Prologue, which rounded out the first season’s exploration of the Mirror Universe. This episode featured a pretty significant change to the show’s format. The loss of Gabriel Lorca, even though he turned out to be Mirror-Lorca, means a big change for Discovery, both the ship and the show.
What’s Past Is Prologue – Captain Saru?
The question on many fans’ minds now is likely, “Who will captain the U.S.S. Discovery now that Lorca is gone?” All signs point to Saru, Discovery’s first officer, but one wonders if a) viewers will be OK with the show featuring an alien whose face is covered in prostheses as captain, and b) if Doug Jones is interested in staying on for the long haul.
One very interesting part about Lorca being revealed as a Mirror Universe interloper is that now that he’s out of the picture, the crew of the Discovery can start their mission in earnest without fear of being manipulated by a power-hungry madman from another dimension. Whether or not this will make Discovery seem more like a Star Trek show than the dark vision of the future it has been so far remains to be seen.
What’s Past Is Prologue – “You Must Kill Zem All!”
Although I found this episode to be one of the better ones to air so far, it did have its problems. I found that the most offensive transgression against the Star Trek franchise’s core philosophy of unity and peacefulness was the Discovery crew’s willingness to vaporize the entire crew of Georgiou’s ship, the I.S.S. Charon, in order to return home. True, the orb that powered the Charon was destroying the mycelial network and subsequently all of reality, but maybe there was a less violent way to solve these problems.
As I said in a previous article, it’s not like everyone in the Terran Empire is a bad person who deserves death. Like anyone from the Prime universe, inhabitants of the Mirror Universe are sentient beings with the agency to do both good and evil. I suppose we should just add the names of Emperor Georgiou’s subjects aboard the Charon to the growing list of Burnham’s collateral victims.
What’s Past Is Prologue – Trading One Dead Captain for Another
Speaking of the displaced emperor, she’s in for a serious period of adjustment. Beyond simply having to get used to all the bright lights, which represents one of the stupidest bits of writing Discovery viewers have had to sit through so far, Georgiou will also have to limit her consumption of cooked Kelpien. I doubt Discovery’s acting captain keeps much in the ship’s galley.
If Georgiou survives long enough to see the Federation’s eventual re-emergence as the prevailing power in the Alpha quadrant, it’ll be interesting to see how Starfleet deals with her unique case. Having to detain a deposed emperor from an alternate reality is a pretty rare assignment. Maybe Starfleet will be forced to call upon the morally questionable Section 31 to get the job done …
What’s Past Is Prologue – Final Thoughts
After five episodes that either involve or take place entirely within the Mirror Universe, Star Trek: Discovery has now tied Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for most episodes involving the Mirror Universe. But now that they’re home, it looks like the crew of the Discovery will have their work cut out for them as the only visible Federation ship deep in newly defined Klingon territory.
Throughout their jaunt in the Mirror Universe, viewers got no indication of what the I.S.S. Discovery was doing in the prime reality. Is it possible that the newly fortified Klingon Empire is a result of actions from that ship? Based on the trailer for the next episode, The War Without, The War Within, viewers can expect to see the return of both Admiral Cornwell and Sarek. Unfortunately, the trailer also features a lot of rhetoric about how Federation methods aren’t working. Luckily for them, Emperor Georgiou is there to guide them in the ways of war mongering.
It will be a shame if, after ridding Discovery of one power-hungry madman, the ship simply becomes home to a power-hungry madwoman in the person of Emperor Georgiou. It’s been … interesting to see this dark side of Star Trek, but now that we have, it would be great if Discovery started to be a show that features the positive effects of fair dealing and altruism, even when dealing with an enemy who shoots before asking questions.
Following the conclusion of the first episode that promised a world-changing event, the follow-up of Hard Sun reverts back to becoming a police procedural that just happens to have a slight sci-fi twist.
After DI Renko (Agyness Deyn) leaked the Hard Sun file, a major newspaper MI5 have been able to dismiss the report as a hoax and prevent mass panic. Yet there are still ramifications: DCI Hicks (Jim Sturgess) goes into hiding to protect his family and MI5 blackmail Renko to frame Hicks for murder. Added to that Hicks and Renko have to continue working as detectives with the leak of the Hard Sun file awaking all the nutters and conspiracy theorists – including one man who wants revenge against his ex-wife. Hard Sun has been heavily marketed as a primetime show on Saturday in the UK, but considering its attempts to mix genres and its violent nature the show would be more fitting on another day. Saturday is traditionally a night for more lighter hearted shows, and another date would have been more suitable, although the series is available online on the iPlayer in the UK and is going to be released on Hulu in the USA, so it does make the point slightly moot.
The biggest crime this episode made was undercutting the ending of the first. There was a lot of intrigue and high stakes because MI5 had captured Hicks’ pregnant wife and threaten to kill her if he didn’t take action while the world is finding out that the Earth is going to suffer an extinction level event. They should have been human sacrifices, cats, and dogs living together, mass hysteria. Of course, a British TV show would have some budgetary constraints so it couldn’t show the international impact, but they could have shown something like news reports and riots in London. They could have been potential showing the impact on the world with society turning violent and nihilistic with a few people trying to keep order or the planet collectively suffering the five stages of grief.
The bulk of the episode was a crime of the week narrative, and it just happens to be more violent then you normally expect from a police procedural. In this episode, a man called Chris (Jamie Sives) snaps because of personal circumstances, and the coming apocalypse so kills his wife’s family and colleagues and kidnaps his own children. They could have been some social commentary about people just doing what they want and unleash all their violent fantasy – knowing there are no consequences. Despite the show’s attempts to link the crime to the world ending event it really could have been any crime story about a man being as sadistic as possible to his ex. Alan Moore’s Watchmen was able to convey this theme better in just one page of comic panels then a 60 minute TV episode.
The episode is at it best when it builds up of tension. This happens in the pre-title sequence when MI5 capture Hicks’ wife and tension to kill her if he doesn’t reveal the location of the Hard Sun file: something he can’t do. The other highlight was when Hicks and Renko find Chris’ hide-out and uses his ex-wife (Christine Bottomley) as a distraction – not standard police procedure but realism was thrown out the window in the first episode. The scenes in the hide-out had an atmosphere because it was set in a missy wood and the characters’ field of vision was limited. Hard Sun‘s second episode may have a thin story considering the show’s premise, but Brain Kirk and his team at least make the show visually appealing.
The second episode squanders the set-up and potential of the first episode’s ending, and as a sci-fi/apocalyptic show it is so far under-whelmed and as a police procedural is a standard affair. So far the show hasn’t been able to mesh its genres successfully.
After revealing that the official title and announcing an official Super Bowl trailer, the first poster for Tom Cruise’s next Mission: Impossiblemovie has been released.
Mission: Impossible – Falloutwill find Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on a mission to stop a terrorist attack while running super-weird and defying death by hanging from a helicopter.
Check out the poster below:
Christopher McQuarrie is directing the film with a cast that includes Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin back alongside villain Sean Harris, the new cast members include Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett and Vanessa Kirby.
DC Comics finally announced Thursday its plans for Brian Michael Bendis and how the writer will change the DC Universe.
Bendis has a six-mini weekly series titled Man of Steel coming out on May 30. According to a report by Forbes, the book will feature art by Ivan Reis, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Ryan Sook, Kevin Maguire, Adam Hughes, and Jason Fabok. Forbes also revealed the cover art for the first four issues.
Bendis will then take over writing duties on Superman and Action Comics. Superman will relaunch with a new issue #1 on July 11, and Action Comics #1001 hits your local comic book store on July 25. According to the Forbes report, Superman will be an adventure book with Action Comics focusing on Clark Kent’s life.
DC Comics plans to shake up the status quo of Superman in Action Comics #1000, with two major events happening in Bendis’ story.
“In that first story, it’s not just some random backup story or flight of fancy. It is a major chapter in what we’re doing, with some really big bombs we’re dropping in Superman’s life — and two of them happen right there in Action Comics #1000. So it’s a huge tease of what we’re doing and what’s coming up in Superman’s life,” said Bendis to Forbes.
In Man of Steel, a new villain will be introduced, with ties to Superman’s origin.
“The Man of Steel story will debut a huge new villain, a blockbuster villain who connects deeply to Superman’s origin story and to his birthright. We’re going to dig in very hard, this is one of my goals, to be a additive to Superman as possible. The characters we debut right away, including this new villain, will send ripples of horror across the entire Superman family and beyond,” said Bendis to Forbes.
Superstar creator Brian Michael Bendis is going to oversee two new lines of comics as part of his new deal with DC Comics.
In an exclusive interview with Forbes, the writer dropped plenty of revealing bits. Including that the publisher is also reviving and re-releasing titles from his popular Jinxworld line and giving Bendis an imprint of his own.
The scribe said:
Two things are happening that are unique to this partnership and to how comics usually work, Number one, DC is going to be hosting Jinxworld as a whole so everything I’ve ever done in the creator-owned world will be coming to DC. And on top of that, we’ll be debuting brand new material, brand new series that I think will be exciting for the marketplace and for fans, stuff I haven’t tried before and stuff people have been begging us for. We’ll be debuting that all this year. and number two, separate from Jinxworld, is that I will be hosting and curating an imprint, a custom imprint not unlike what Gerard Way is doing with [DC imprint] Young Animal. It’s going to be a select series of special comics, and we’ll debut what those are later in the year
It’s a lengthy and detailed interview that definitely deserves to be read in full, so head over to Forbes and read the whole thing!
What do guys think? Are you excited for what Bendis has revealed? With Young Animal only a year old and now Vertigo getting a re-focus for its 25th Anniversary, is a new imprint a good idea?
What kind of comics do you want or expect from the new imprint? Comment and discuss below!
Cowboy Ninja Viking is a potential comic book adaptation that’s been floating around Hollywood for years. Now, it’s landed a director in Michelle MacLaren, and a star in Chris Pratt.
For those unfamiliar with Cowboy Ninja Viking, allow Wikipedia to explain it for you:
The series revolves around a counter-intelligence unit of Multiple Personality Disorder patients, formed by psychotherapist Dr. Sebastian Ghislain, who are transformed into agents known as Triplets (referring to the three different personalities inside their minds). It is hinted that this is possible through experimental psychiatric conditioning and treatment, psychotropic drugs, and past life regression therapy. After the unit falls apart, its various members are turned into hired killers. Duncan, a Triplet who channels the skills of a Cowboy, Ninja, and Viking, is sent to find and stop the rogue Triplets.
Michelle MacLaren, who has directed episodes of The X-Fles, Breaking Bad, and The Deuce, was originally slated to direct Wonder Woman before leaving due to creative differences. She will be working from a screenplay by Craig Mazin, whose credits include The Hangover II and III and The Hunstman: Winter’s War. So…uh… there’s that.
As for Chris Pratt playing the titular Cowboy Ninja Viking, that’s a bit of a shrug. Is there nobody else available in Hollywood to step in and lead a franchise film?
Anyway, Cowboy Ninja Viking will be here June 28, 2019. You gonna check it out or nah?
With the announcement of the fifth season of Voltron: Legendary Defender, it’s time to look at the best moments to come from the the previous season. With the shorter seasons, this list will be a combination of the best moments to come out of both the third and fourth seasons. Which moments were the best? Let’s take a look.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASONS 3 AND 4 OF VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER
10Sven (Hole In The Sky)
Sven was the original fifth member of the Voltron team when the series was brought to America. Most fans assumed since they went with a shorter version of his Japanese name, Shiro was the substitute for Sven. This episode threw everyone for a loop by introducing the concept of another dimension and a proper Sven (complete with accent) being one of the first individuals the Paladins meet. The scenes which play out offered nostalgia for fans of the classic series.
9Stage Show (The Voltron Show!)
As the Paladins start to recruit people to their cause, they find an interesting way to accomplish this goal. As the team put on a stage show to showcase their accomplishments, the episode quickly descends into cringe territory complete with bad acting and even performing Power Ranger (Super Sentai for you purists) poses. The entire spectacle is a train wreck of entertainment which is hard to avert your eyes off.
8This Is Our Cow! (Blacksite)
After Pidge finally reunites with her brother, she gives Matt a lightning speed tour of the castle and all the different wonders found within. As all this information comes rapid the tour makes sure to include the cow they picked up back in the season 2 episode Space Mall, which apparently has become a member of the team. This moment is made even more entertaining as Corran and Allura learn the horrifying fact of where milkshakes come from.
7Unlikely Help (A New Defender)
The season four cliffhanger was broadcasted a mile away thanks to the episode title but it was still shocking to see. Realizing he has no other options but to join forces with his enemies against his father, Lotor arrives at the perfect moment to offer aid to the Paladins and help to save them from an terrible fate. The true ramifications of this decision will play out in Season 5.
6Keith Leaves (Code of Honor)
Keith, feeling his work with the Blade of Mamora allowing him to truly strike hard against Zarkon’s forces, finds himself being pulled away from the Paladins. After Shiro is able to once again pilot the Black Lion, Keith realizes his time is better spent with the Blade of Mamora. As he comes to this decision, the team is sad to see him go and the tearful group hug begins. It’s a moment which causes everyone to gush with emotion.
5Lotor’s Escape (Begin The Blitz)
Deciding they had make a horrible mistake, Lotor’s team turns on the prince and plan to turn him over to the Empire. Not planning on giving up without a fight, Lotor escapes in a way which defies explanation. He finds a way to get away, taking the ship and leaving his team with few options except to hope they can find a place Zarkon won’t find them.
4Return of the Prince (Changing Of The Guard)
Lotor’s introduction helped to reinforce how cunning he is. After impersonating a fighter in the combat ring, he challenges the individual who was plotting an uprising against him, defeats his opponent, and pardons him. This is all before Lotor gives a rousing speech to unite the entire Empire behind him. Afterward, Lotor reassigns the opponent to the middle of nowhere to silently punish him for the attempted revolution. Lesson learned: Don’t get on Lotor’s bad side.
3Survival (The Journey)
Shiro’s path back to the Paladins is not an easy one. After escaping a Galra ship, Shiro has no choice but to brave the elements of an alien planet. As he struggles to stay alive, Shiro is pushed to his limit and barely makes it out alive. This intense fight against weather, alien creatures, and a pair of alien refugees makes it a ride few can take.
2The Graves (Reunion)
The emotions which resonate from this scene were intense. As Pidge finds herself tracking clues, she comes across a massive gravesite of those who challenged the Galra. Overcome by heartache at the idea, Pidge breaks down, letting the elements wash over her. As the rain starts to fall, the water flowing down the Green Lion mirrors the tears which everyone was feeling running down their cheeks.
1The Legend Begins
This episode much like Space Mall is an episode where the entire ride is the best moment. Helping to paint a vivid picture of the first Voltron Paladins and what caused Zarkon to fall from grace. As Zarkon enters into the dimensional rift in an effort to revive his dying Queen, you think the episode has reached its peak. This is all before Zarkon comes back to life and wages war on the entire universe. If this isn’t the best moment of seasons three and four, nothing is.
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What were your favorite moments from Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 3 and 4? Leave a comment below and let us know.
