Unlike this year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which successfully introduced a new live-action Spidey, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse will trade Peter Parker for Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teen who is gifted with incredible powers similar to those of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker.
What’s most exciting about this first trailer is the unique visual style. Looking at some of this footage, it’s fair to say that the directors and producers have worked hard to create something that looks completely different to other animated movies, giving this animated Spider-Man a unique identity.
Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians) and Bob Persichetti direct Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse from a script by The LEGO Movie writer/director team Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street). Miles is voiced by Shameik Moore (Dope, The Get Down) with Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage) and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) voicing the heroes uncles, Aaron and Jefferson Davis. Liev Schreiber voices the film’s villain in an unconfirmed role.
In December of 2015, DC Comics and IDW Publishing teamed up to create a crossover between Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. After a battle with Krang, the Turtles and their enemy Shredder are sent to an alternate universe; the DC Universe. This leads to a team-up between the Heroes in a Halfshell and the Dark Knight of epic proportions.
I was legitimately surprised how fun the first series was. I didn’t expect something as dark as Batman and as lighthearted as the Ninja Turtles to mesh so well. Not only did it come together, but it was also a fantastic story that had the characters compliment each other’s styles of heroism. When I heard there was going to be a sequel, I began to count down the days, but I was also a little worried. It’s only been a year since the end of the last series, meaning either this was planned way ahead of time or this was rushed. After reading this first chapter, I’m happy to say it feels like the former.
**SOME SPOILERS AHEAD**
Story:
Set soon after the events of the first miniseries, there has been unrest on both worlds. Batman has been investigating reports of a villain looking for the Lazarus Pit, left unguarded by Ras’ Al Ghul. This villain’s reveal is amazing and a perfect fit for this crossover. While I will not reveal who it is, I will say that it promises plenty of action in the coming issues.
Meanwhile, on the Turtles’ world, the defeat of the Shredder started a power struggle in the Foot Clan between his daughter, Karai, and a group called the Foot Ninja Elite. When the Turtles catch up, the Elite get the jump on Donatello.
While Raphael and Leonardo save their brother, Donatello is shaken by the event. He begins to see himself as the weak link of the team. Thinking Batman might have some advice for him, he uses the teleporter from the previous series to try and talk to him. Unfortunately for him, he is being tailed by the Foot.
This issue is damn near perfect in terms of storytelling. It is able to open up to new readers AND returning readers by recapping what happened previously through dialogue. Someone could pick this up not having read the previous run and still be up to speed.
Art:
The art team from the previous series has returned and continue to impress. The pencil work is an even ground that compliments the style of Batman and of the Turtles. The color work, in particular, stands out the most. The attention to detail with the shades and lighting makes the book feel alive while looking beautiful. One example has Donatello speaking to master splinter in a meditation room full of candles. The lighting effect from these candles makes the scene illuminate beautifully casting light and shadow across the characters. I stayed on this page for a while, just because of how nicely executed it is.
Conclusion:
This issue sets up the story perfectly. It promises character development, fantastic action, and overall a very good story. The art is among the best, to say the least, making the book feel alive. It’s just a fantastic issue overall with nothing to actually critique. I highly recommend this to any fan of Batman OR Ninja Turtles.
After months of talk and speculation it’s now official! The HBO series Big Little Lies is getting a second season.
According to HBO, season two will explore “malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode … the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom,”
With the renewal comes major changes. The show which was initially a limited series is getting a new director. Andrea Arnold is replacing Jean-Marc Vallée . Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have also signed on to executive produce as well as star in the show.
In a statement Witherspoon said,
“I’m thrilled to be bringing back this talented team of artist. It gives us the opportunity to delve deeper into the lives of these intriguing and intricate Monterey families and bring more of their stories back to the audience who embraced and championed them. I’m beyond excited to be working with talented and acclaimed director Andrea Arnold who will be at the helm. Andrea’s unique storytelling style will be a welcome addition to the filmmaking team.”
Kidman added, “This is inspired by the overwhelming response by audiences around the world, conceived once again by Liane Moriarty, realized by David Kelley and now in the hands of visionary filmmaker Andrea Arnold. What a journey this has been. I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to keep exploring these female characters and make this series with my friends.”
Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, and Adam Scott are expected to return.
While the news is exciting, not everyone is happy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, competitors are fuming that HBO waited until after the Critics’ Choice and Golden Globes nomination voting periods had ended to share the news that it wasn’t, in fact, a limited series. The Producers Guild Of America responded by moving the show into the episodic drama category and restarting the voting.
On Friday, PGA released this letter
Dear PGA member:
New information has come to light today that compels us to re-set the voting for the television nomination ballot.
At the time of the release of the ballots, HBO’s series Big Little Lies qualified for the Guild’s Long-Form Programs category. However, with today’s announcement that HBO has ordered a second season of the series with the main characters continuing into the second season, the series no longer qualifies within that category. In accordance with our rules, we have determined that the most equitable course of action is to adjust the ballots – placing Big Little Liesin the Episodic Drama category for which it now is qualified – and re-start the voting afresh.
We apologize for the inconvenience for those of you who have already cast your ballots. Please take a moment to re-cast your votes as all ballots submitted to date for television for the 2018 Producers Guild Awards have been voided.
The original voting information and your new ballot link are listed below.
Sincerely,
PGA Awards Administrator
No word on when season 2 will premiere, but it’ll consist of 7 episodes.
For 15 years, James Cameron has tried to bring Alita: Battle Angel to the big screen. But with his dedication to the long-promised sequels to Avatar, the project took a back seat. Until 2015, when he hired Robert Rodriguez as director. “Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years, so I was pumped when he wanted to do Battle Angel,” said Cameron when he announced the film in 2015.
Cameron’s original screenplay consisted of 186-pages and had 600 pages of notes attached to it. Which Rodriguez helped clean up. With Laeta Kalogridis also assisting in the writing of the screenplay, filming commenced at Rodriguez’s studio lot in Austin, Texas.
“This project is near and dear to me, and there’s nobody I trust more than Robert,” Cameron added. Based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga series Gunnm which ran from 1990 to 1995, the film’s story centers on a rebuilt cyborg named Alita. Though she has no recollection of her past life, her only memory is her training in the martial arts form of Panzer Kunst. Which leads to her hunting cyborg criminals in the 26th century dystopian city of Scrapyard.
All while trying to discover who she was in her past life. But can this film break through the uncanny valley? As shown in the trailer, Alita is a fully digital character and looks like she does in the manga. But her interactions with her human counterparts look a bit odd and don’t look too convincing.
With movies like Ex Machina and War For The Planet Of The Apes, the level and amount of graphics shown in this trailer only raise concern. Though the film was shot on practical sets, and Cameron wanted to shoot it digitally like Avatar, a lot of the CGI is very noticeable. Giving certain scenes a concept art look.
Things are coming to a head in eps3.8_stage3.torrent as Elliot pushes forward with Stage 3. Don’t let Mr. Robot’s numbering scheme (episode 1 was 3.0, not 3.1) fool you, this is the penultimate episode of season 3, which means the finale is next week. This recap/review contains spoilers.
Sleeping With The Enemy?
Alexa, can you tell me if I’m about to make a huge mistake?
Elliot and Darlene are working on a heretofore unknown Stage 3, which is an attempt to undo what they have done by retrieving E-Corp’s files. In order to do this, they need access to the FBI’s vault, known as Sentinel. Darlene goes undercover by trying to seduce FBI Agent Dom DiPierro so she can copy her badge. The seduction part works, but Dom catches Darlene when she breaks into the safe. Back to the interrogation room for Darlene, who now tries to convince Dom and Santiago (whom we know is in league with the Dark Army) to allow her to access the data so that she can undo things.
Can’t a Murderous Corporate Ladder-Climber Get a Break?
Accu-Punch: the only surgical gloves with padding in the knuckles.
Life is full of ups and downs for Tyrell Wellick. He’s released from FBI custody (woohoo!), but comes home to find reminders that his wife has been slain and he can’t visit his child (boohoo!). Phillip Price appoints him CTO of E-Corp (Yay! Lifelong Dream!), but it’s explained to him in no uncertain terms that he is a figurehead only (Nay!).
Things are looking bad for Angela (when your paranoid schizophrenic friend is concerned about your mental state, that’s not a great omen). Whatever White Rose told her has her convinced that she and Elliot can get their deceased parents back. Elliot tries to talk to her, but when they get inside his apartment, they find Leon there, smoking trees on his couch. She goes back to her place, which is decorated in a style that can only be described as Mental Breakdown chic: complete with about 30 locks on the door, a ‘Hang in There’ cat poster, and walls plastered with photographs with the faces covered up. She packs up emergency supplies (water and a bunch of copies of Lolita, just like FEMA recommends) and tells someone who doesn’t seem to be there that they need to get out. Wandering the streets, she sees a bizarro Cisco and is once again taken into custody by people in a van, though it is unclear if they are Dark Army, FBI, or some sinister third party (Uber?).
A Rendevous in the Park
Goons R Us? Yes, I’d like to order two goons. I need them to wear dragon masks and leather jackets. No, it’s not a fetish thing.
Tyrell isn’t the only one with a good news/bad news situation. This episode features an appearance by my favorite character, Leon, but he doesn’t discuss any TV shows or kill any Neo-Nazis. I guess you can’t win ’em all. Leon takes Elliot to meet White Rose’s assistant Grant. Elliot tells Grant about Phase 3. Grant doesn’t seem interested, but Elliot got what he wanted: when one of Grant’s goons scans his computer, Elliot plants malware that will give him access to the Dark Army’s systems.
The typically stoic White Rose shows she’s not wholly emotionless when delays in moving her project to the Congo have her throwing glasses against the wall. Grant tells White Rose about Elliot’s plan (or what he thinks Elliot’s plan is), and convinces her that their best course of action is to kill Elliot, before moving in to kiss her, in what I can only imagine is a violation of the Dark Army’s employee handbook.
Unanswered Questions
What the hell is in the Red Wheelbarrow bag? I imagine we’ll find out next week in the season finale.
What is White Rose’s big project? It may be revealed next week, or it may be a bigger tease, setting up the series finale (whenever that may be).
What is the connection between Phillip Price and Angela? White Rose mentioned this to Price before and at the beginning of the episode we see him give Angela a meaningful look and decide to give her employer, All-Safe, the security contract for E-Corp, despite protests from Tyrell. Is he, as some have suggested, her father? Or maybe he’s in love with her? Could it be that he feels guilty about her mother’s death? It’s hard to imagine him feeling anything other than greed and pride, so the father theory seems most likely to me.
It seems that Archie Comics is continuing to reinvent their properties in new ways with another addition to their ever-growing Archie Horror line. The publisher has now announced a new title, Vampironica.
This brand new title by brother and sister Greg (co-writer/artist) and Megan Smallwood (co-writer), along with veteran letterer Jack Morelli, brings a new terror to the streets of Riverdale as Veronica Lodge is bitten by a centuries-old vampire! Riverdale is set to turn red in the latest twisted take on classic Archie Comics characters.
Greg Smallwood had this to say:
Fans can rest assured that we’ll be staying faithful to the core of these characters. It was very important to Megan and I that Vampironica be the same Veronica that we all know and love, only now with fangs.
Megan Smallwood added:
Greg and I were both very interested in exploring the concept of a vampire Veronica without getting rid of what makes Veronica such a special character. Ironically, Vampironica humanizes Veronica in a way that only horror can. Becoming a vampire is a humbling experience for her and she’s forced to open up and expose a little vulnerability.
The creators also revealed the influence of some classic 80s horror movies on the title. Greg had this to say:
I’d say that our biggest influences are American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. Both films can be quite horrific but there’s also a lot of strong characterization and humor to them.
It certainly sounds like Archie has another horror hit to add to Afterlife With Archie, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina and the recent Jughead: The Hunger. What do you guys think? Check out the cover and solicit below and comment and discuss!
VAMPIRONICA #1
NEW ONGOING SERIES! When Veronica is bitten by a centuries-old vampire, her thirst for blood threatens to turn Riverdale into a haven for the undead. Will she put an end to the vampire threat or give in to her bloodlust?
Script: Greg and Megan Smallwood
Art: Greg Smallwood, Jack Morelli
Vampironica #1 launches in comic shops and on digital platforms March 14, 2018, and features variant covers by Francesco Francavilla, Audrey Mok, Djibril Morrissette-Phan and Marguerite Sauvage.
The stellar 2017 that Nintendo has turned in looks as if it will continue into 2018. The gaming giant is set to rerelease the first two Bayonetta titles on the Switch and made an announcement that the third installment will be an exclusive title on the console as well.
Bayonetta first dropped by Platinum Games back in 2009 on both the Xbox360 and Playstation3, but has since been released on the Wii U and Windows PC. The game is revered for its gameplay, both fast-paced with beautiful graphics, but also handles well.
If you have never played the games, Bayonetta is an ‘Umbra Witch’ who possesses magical abilities and expertise in both weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. She is out to uncover the truth about her own past, while summoning infernal demons and punishing angels along the way. It’s a destructive game and equally as epic.
Bayonetta 1 and 2 will both come to the Switch on February 16, 2018, in the No. 2 box, with a code to port the Wii U version of Bayonetta. The second title will also include: local wireless co-op play, amiibo support and video capturing capabilities. The third installment will presumably drop later in 2018.
With the additions of titles like Doom, Resident Evil: Revelations and, now with Bayonetta, Nintendo is proving to be fully invested in gamers of all ages, especially fans of M-rated hardcore games. See the trailer for Bayonetta 3, which launched on December 7, 2017, at The Game Awards, below.
Outlander fans only have one more episode in the show’s third season to sustain them until next September. The most recent episode, “The Bakra,” reintroduced viewers to a familiar face last seen in Season 2’s finale “Dragonfly in Amber,” that of the time-traveling Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek). And what a reintroduction! As witch-y and seductive as ever, Geillis has obviously sharpened her image as the mysterious succubus to a fine point. I don’t know if goat blood is actually good for the skin, but I suppose it’s better than nothing if you can’t get a hold of 20th-century cosmetics.
Young Ian certainly doesn’t seem to have any problems with Gaillis’s preferred bathing method when he awakes in her chambers, but he gets nervous when he’s unable to hide the truth from her. A drugged tea that Gaillis has procured from a witch doctor makes it impossible for Young Ian to tell any lies. He blurts out that his uncle is Jamie Fraser and admits that he took a box of treasure, which Gaillis claims is hers, on Jamie’s instruction.
Outlander Season 3 – “Who Fraser?”
The mention of Jamie’s name piques Gaillis’s interest who wonders how Jamie came into possession of a single sapphire missing from the box.
The Jamaican Governor’s Ball, to which the Frasers procure an invitation, proves to be an interesting social engagement for our favourite couple. On top of meeting Gaillis there, whom both Frasers assumed dead, they also run into Lord Grey who turns out to be the Governor hosting the ball, and, not to be left out, the fortune-telling Campbells also make an appearance.
Outlander Season 3 – “That’s the Oldest Baby I’ve Ever Heard Of”
In fact, Margaret Campbell quickly becomes the big hit of the party when telling Lord John’s fortune. Apparently as a result of contact with the missing sapphire, which Lord Grey has kept with him since Jamie gave him the gem in “All Debts Paid,” Margaret delivers a genuine prophecy concerning the installation of a Scottish king.
When twice twelve hundred moons have coursed, ‘tween man’s attack and woman’s curse, and when the issue is cut down, then will a Scotsman wear the crown
Archibald Campbell translates the prophecy for his employer Gaillis and tells her it concerns a two hundred year-old baby who must die in order for a Scottish king to take the throne. The idea of a 200 year-old baby probably sounds like nonsense to Mr. Campbell, but the idea probably makes sense to Gaillis, familiar as she is with the stones that allow interested parties to travel 200 years into the future.
Fan speculation about what this prophecy means for the show’s future has already started, but based on the preview for the season finale on December 10th it seems like a good bet that Gaillis is planning on using a set of stones in Jamaica similar to the ones she traveled through at Craigh na Dun to travel back to the ‘60s. The identity of the 200 year-old baby mentioned in the prophecy is uncertain, but one imagines that it’ll be up to Claire, Jamie, Ian, and Fergus to stop the obsessed Gaillis from sacrificing it in favour of a Scottish posterior on the throne.
First, though, they’ll have to get Jamie out of prison. Claire’s unintended slaying of her attacker back in “A. Malcolm” finally caught up with Jamie in the form of Captain Leonard’s warrant for Jamie’s arrest.
Outlander Season 3 – “The Bakra” Final Thoughts
Having never read Gabaldon’s books that provide the Outlander’s source material, I can’t provide any insight into how closely the show follow has been following the books. Based on reactions that I’ve come across from fans of the book series, though, the plot seems to mostly follow the books. The main differences generally manifesting in how those plot points develop. For instance, in the books Lord Grey tells Claire about Jamie’s son rather than Jamie telling her himself.
These kinds of changes seem to be mainly superficial ones but the creative team would do well to limit the amount of changes they make since their current practice of leaving things well enough alone has been paying off so well.
Ryan Ferrier (Regular Show) and Ian McGinty (Adventure Time) continue BOOM! Studios’ partnership with Nickelodeon with all-new stories about everyone’s favorite wallaby! When Rocko faces unemployment, a terrible living situation, and increasingly slim job prospects, he is forced to find out just how far he is willing to go to get a job. Includes a bonus short story by KC Green where Ed Bighead finds himself in the dentist chair of Dr. Hutchison!
Writing
In their effort to bank on nostalgia, Boom! Studios has released another comic based on a cartoon from the 90s. This time around its Rocko’s Modern Life, a series which is set to have a revival in 2018 thanks to a new special. So is this the ideal way to keep the love for Rocko, Heffer, and the other residents of O-town alive? Seems like a pretty good place to start.
Writer Ryan Ferrier perfectly captures the voices of the originally characters. This is especially true in the case of Rocko, who still can’t catch a break with anything he does. The poor guy just wants to keep job but finds it’s a nightmare to accomplish. An ideal which everyone can relate too. The issue really is trying to make it more the “modern life” aspect of the title but still finds a way to weave in the zaniness which the original cartoon was known for.
Artwork
The illustrations by Ian McGinty really helps to capture the style of the original cartoon. Every character is immediately recognized and none of their manerious seem outside of what the characters would do.
With Fred C. Stresing on the colors the book offers an insane reincarnation of the animated series. It’s so on point, panels could easily be compared to the original cartoon and it would be hard to determine which is which.
Finally the lettering by Jim Campbell also helps the story capture the feel of the show. The different business fonts are exactly as they appeared in the show.
Conclusion
This series is an entertaining romp into a cartoon which helps to tell more stories from a show which was canceled too soon. Between this comic and Rugrats, Boom! Studios really has a great thing going. Now if they can only give us more Danny Phantom. Maybe then the fans can get the future adventures the series creator was hinting about.
The trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom just debuted on Thursday Night Football on NBC, and it looks about how you would expect. They are going all in on that blue sheen aren’t they?
There are a few cool shots here, which seem to be all this new version of the franchise care about. Don’t worry about the story surrounding it, because it is pretty sketchy to say the least. We just need cool shots and the T-Rex roaring at some point. Anywho… take a look at this.
The synopsis is pretty stupid. Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard go try and save genetically engineered dinosaurs from a dangerous volcano. The plot holes are already painfully obvious, and we are several months away from the release.
The only saving grace here is Jeff Goldblum’s appearance as Dr. Ian Malcolm. But he looks to be just in a courtroom, so I have a sneaking suspicion he is nothing more than an extended cameo. Hopefully I am wrong. Also, talent void Colin Trevorrow isn’t behind the camera anymore, so that’s a bonus. Although J.A. Bayona is hit or miss too.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (generic title) will hit theaters June 22. And it certainly will make a billion dollars a day
