NYCC Live Blog – Marvel Legacy: The Amazing Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

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October 6, 2017

Marvel Comics held its annual Spider-Man panel at New York Comic-Con Friday afternoon. Peter Parker is in a post-Legacy world and that means he’s about to lose his company, wealth, and go back to being our loveable loser.

Live Blog

Nick Lowe starts off panel asking everyone to sing the Spider-Man song.

Assistant Editor Allison Stock, Associate Editor Devon Lewis, Falcon writer Rodney Barnes, Will Sliney of Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider, and Dan Slott are on the panel.

Chip Zdarsky, the writer of Spectacular Spider-Man, is also here.

Lowe asks if he can tell us about the “Most Wanted” arc.

It’s about Peter having to escape his apartment without SHIELD and SWAT guys discovering he’s Spider-Man.

Issue 6 also has a really tense dinner with Spider-Man and JJJ.

Black Panther is appearing in the book as of issue 298.

This all spins out of the initial story arc where Theresa is in trouble with the feds over leaked SHIELD data on tech-based superheroes.

Zdarksy is also doing Marvel Two-In-One with Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm.

He gets to use all the FF villains and supporting cast.

Falcon has a new book coming out October 11.

Rodney Barnes says Nick Spencer left almost nothing to do with Falcon after his Captain America and Secret Empire run, but Falcon is going to be fighting Blackheart, son of Mephisto.

Slott talks “Fall of Parker” arc in Amazing

Slott: “We did something with Peter Parker you should never, ever do. We gave him tons of money and lots of toys and isn’t life great?” But now they’re taking them all away because Peter can’t have nice things.

Pete is going to find a way back to the Daily Bugle in a new way

“Stuff” will also happen because Peter promised Johnny Storm he’d watch after the Baxter Building, but he lost it, too.

Peter is also going to have a romance going on with Mockingbird.

They talk Venom next.

The book is “kicking ass and taking names” Lowe says, before correcting to “butt”

Lewis talks about Venom’s Legacy arc, “Lethal Protector,” in which he’ll fight Kraven the Hunter

Kraven goes after the underground community of dinosaur people Stegron created, and Venom has to protect them. Shriek will also be involved.

Next, “Venom Inc”: A crossover between Amazing and Venom

Slott says the story will please people who like both Eddie and Flash, and there will also be extra Venom-y characters we haven’t seen in a while.

Slott and Costa are co-writing the bookend issues, as well as their individual issues of Amazing and Venom.

Venom will also be appearing in an X-Men Blue story arc.

It will involve young Cyclops getting Venom involved in a dispute involving Corsair on the Klyntar symbiote homeworld.

Switches over to Spider-Gwen, with Jason LaTour talking about “Gwenom” arc.

Says the difference with Gwen is she’s constantly trying to live up to and validate herself in the shadow of her dad’s legacy.

Next arc will have Gwen vs Matt Murdock, who they’ve been working on making her arch-nemesis for the past 3 years.

In Spider-Man (Miles Morales’ title), a new Sinister Six will be debuting.

It will feature a new Iron Spider, but the person in the costume isn’t revealed yet.
(I’m kinda willing to bet it’s maybe the 616 version of Miles)

Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider will feature an arc titled “The Slingers Return”

Allison Stock talks about that.

Discusses how Ben’s efforts in Clone Conspiracy didn’t work out well and he’s been trying to come to terms with his identity and whether he’s good or bad.

Will Sliney talks about his approach on this book following his stint on Spidey 2099 with Peter David.

Also coming soon is a new Black Panther digital comic called “Long Live the King”

Spider-Man/Deadpool is getting a new creative team with Robbie Thompson and Chris Bachalo.

The book is picking up after the events of Secret Empire, with Deadpool being a wanted man for killing Coulson and Spider-Man deciding it’s time for Wade to go to jail.

Deadpool is an arms dealer in a post-SHIELD world.

The Chameleon’s return is briefly teased by Lowe.

He flashed a cover on the screen too quick to snap a photo of.

Fan questions start.

Fan asks about writing Spider-Man jokes

Zdarsky says you can’t think about them too much. Slott says it’s also important for all the characters around him to comment how not funny they are.

Slott adds that the jokes aren’t for the people around him, though, they’re for Peter himself

Slott says he thinks of Peter’s humor as a Swiss Army Knife, differing based on whether he’s fighting a villain, trying to psych himself up, etc.

Fan asks Slott if he’d like to apologize for saying last year that Ben Reilly coming back was impossible. Slott apologizes that the person fell for his lies!

Fan asks about MJ being placed in an Iron Man book and wants to know when she’ll be back.

Lowe says fans who want Peter and MJ should check out Renew Your Vows

Renew Your Vows is jumping 8 years into the future.

All new stories!

Fan wants to know if the street vendor from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ would be included in the comics….because the fan asking was the guy who played him!

Slott says the street vendor is MJ’s new love interest, Lowe says Bendis already has plans for him in Iron Man, and Slott says “I believe you’re half-owned by Sony!”

Another fan asks about spinning off characters into their own series, and Lowe says you have to get your friends really into it and spread the word because they like making money.

Fan asks if there will be more between Miles and Spider-Gwen.

LaTour says there’s a whole potential alternate reality in the future where they have a family and are like the Fantastic Four in that timeline, and the door has been left open purposely for future writers.

Fan asks if we get a Scarlet Spider/Venom rematch.

He’s told to keep waiting because there’s a lot of “tricks up their sleeves” with Legacy.

Fan asks about the Toxin symbiote.

He’s told Toxin’s story came to a close at the end of the Carnage solo series by Gerry Conway, but you never know with symbiotes.

Fan asks if we’ll see more of Peter Porker: Spider-Ham.

Yes. Yes, we will.

Fan asks what’s up with Norman Osborn right now.

Norman can’t be affected by the Goblin formula anymore because of what Spider-Man and Doc Ock did to him at the end of Superior. But his quest to become the Goblin again will continue.

Fan also asks about Black Cat. She’ll be part of Venom Inc and will be interacting with the Defenders.

Fan asks about 2099.

Spidey 2099 is back in the future and was told he can’t go back without screwing up the timeline. But there’s a possibility we’ll see him again.

Panel’s over

Did any Spider-Man news surprise you? Comment below.

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NYCC: Power Rangers #20 To Introduce 1969 Team

By

Nick Battaglia

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October 6, 2017

Issue #20 of BOOM! Studios Power Rangers will break ground like never seen before. Writer Kyle Higgins and Artist Daniele Di Nicuolo are not only introducing a new team but for the first time in Rangers history, the team will include a male Pink Ranger and a female Black Ranger. Speaking with IGN, Higgins said the issue will answer the questions “Who were the Power Rangers of 1969? What happened to them? And how do they fit into our current story?”. As pictured below this throwback group of Rangers is led by Grace Sterling who was revealed as the original Red Ranger in issue #19.

According to the synopsis, Zordon recruits this team to “Battle a foe who is downright…psycho”. Seeing as how this issue takes place during the Cold War era which includes the space race and judging by the book’s cover, could Higgins be setting up the possible return of the Psycho Rangers? Issue #20 of Power Rangers will be released on October 25th.

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Five Favorite Movies From The Year I Was Born: 1988

By

Nick Battaglia

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October 6, 2017

John Carpenter once said, “Evil hiding among us is an ancient theme.” It is also a theme that resonates within nearly every one of the movies from 1988 I deem my favorite. When it comes to making a list of them, my mindset transforms into an arena. A battle royale of characters and moments vying for the forefront of my brain. Here are the five combatants who came out on top.

CHILD’S PLAY

What makes Chucky a horror icon to me is not his physical attributes. It is his ability to adapt to his surroundings. The best scripts are the ones where even though I know the outcome, the writer puts events in there that not only makes me think the opposite way but makes the possibility of the antagonist winning intriguing. Also, the movie made living with my mom’s four-feet-tall porcelain dolls a literal nightmare as a child.

SCROOGED

Sometimes the evil hiding among us is invisible to us because we have not looked in a mirror lately. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a character who is not just the modern version of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. He is a man whose journey is something we can all look at as an application to ourselves. What makes this movie a must watch for me no matter the season is Frank’s message at the end. “For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be”.

BEETLEJUICE

If there is one thing society teaches us it is that a hidden evil is conforming to what is perceived to be normal, and not being our true selves. Something Tim Burton does wonderfully in all of his films is showcase how important it is to be different and how labels should not define us as people. Beetlejuice is a movie that pulls it off excellently and shows the people who have the most fun in life are the ones who live outside of society’s norms.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?

Good movies are remembered by the risks they take and the boundaries they push. The willingness by Director Robert Zemeckis and Writers Gary K. Wolf and Jeffrey Price to show the more mature side of cartoons by using famed characters like Porky Pig, Donald Duck, etc. is something that stands out. Whenever a crew is not afraid to “go there” with the material, you have to tip your cap. Especially when it comes to the twist involving Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) at the end.

DIE HARD

Ambition can be something that fuels the achievements of so many great people. It is also something that can make a strong and memorable antagonist. In an interview, he did for the movie, the now late Alan Rickman said “As far as I’m concerned I’m not playing the villain. I’m just playing somebody who wants certain things in life, who has made certain choices, and goes after them”. It is that ambition that causes John McLane to say and do what he does in the movie.

Are there any films from 1988 that are your absolute favorites that I left off? Let me know!

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Review: Venom #155 “Lethal Protector” Part One

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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October 6, 2017

Eddie Brock and his trusty symbiote are back together again. Venom got the early lead on legacy numbering but this is the first official Marvel Legacy release.

Venom gets back to their anti-hero ways, hitting the streets to put an end to crime and corrupt cops in a misguided effort to be a hero. Brock also finds himself with an underground tribe of dinosaur people in his debt and seeks their help in feeding his symbiote.

I can’t think of a compelling reason for this book to exist outside of 90s nostalgia.

This book does absolutely nothing for the character, it’s a story comic fans have read hundreds of times. Even with the legion of dinosaur people at their disposal, every turn of the page was an expected and boring sense of deja vu.

At least Venom returns to their former handsome 90s look, there are some satisfying panels that aren’t polluted by ridiculous dinosaur people.

Both Eddie Brock and his symbiote were on intriguing paths a few short years ago. This reunion is much less exciting than Anti-Venom and Agent Venom were.

I know there are plenty of people that will buy this series. Personally, I don’t think I want to read Venom outside of a Spider-Man book again.

Now that Marvel Legacy has begun, enjoy our extensive weekly coverage! We’ll let you know which comics aren’t worth your time and which are worthy of that Legacy banner. Comment below with your favorite Legacy book from this week.

That’s one week of Marvel Legacy in the books! Let me know what you thought about this first wave of comics and I’ll see ya next week!

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Review: Jessica Jones #13 “Return Of The Purple Man” Part One

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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October 6, 2017

Marvel Legacy for Jessica means revisiting her most prominent arc and villain. Bendis and Gaydos don’t have to alter much to earn that Legacy banner, they’ve pretty much already been trying to continue where the original Alias series left off in both script and art.

Killgrave is back and Jessica takes her daughter into hiding with Carol Danvers. Luke is on the outside, everyone is preparing for the worst as Jessica’s most feared enemy, The Purple Man, has returned.

Brian Michael Bendis is one of the big dogs at Marvel, that means he’ll most likely be staying the course he was already on with his titles. It remains to be seen whether or not that’ll help or hurt his books if he’s part of the problem or solution for Marvel’s comics.

One thing it does for sure is allowed Bendis to keep doing these obnoxiously wordy monologues at the beginning of his issues. Once you get through that the issue starts rolling and Bendis’ stronger traits appear. His dialogue makes or breaks every scene he writes, Jessica Jones #13 has some fantastic conversations and some that linger too long.

Jessica is one of the rare comic book characters that has found tv success that hasn’t forced a creator to alter their comic book version to better fit their “new audience.” Despite how much I love Kristen Ritter, I still don’t read Jessica Jones’ dialogue in her voice.

This first installment was pretty unfulfilling. After reading the issue, there isn’t a real sense of stakes or impending doom. The danger of Purple Man is implied but drowned out by dull conversation scenes that go nowhere.

This is a comic in which the art is so drenched in photorealism that it relies heavily on the script to make it pop. Unfortunately, this script was dull and the art never really gets a chance to go anywhere.

Jessica Jones #13 is the first Marvel Legacy book to fall flat for me.

Now that Marvel Legacy has begun, enjoy our extensive weekly coverage! We’ll let you know which comics aren’t worth your time and which are worthy of that Legacy banner. Comment below with your favorite Legacy book from this week.

That’s one week of Marvel Legacy in the books! Let me know what you thought about this first wave of comics and I’ll see ya next week!

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Official ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ Trailer Blows Shit Up!

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 6, 2017

It wouldn’t be New York Comic-Con if we didn’t giant robots and monsters destroying everything, and that is exactly what you get with the first trailer for ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising.’

Universal Pictures also released the first poster as well (at the bottom of the article).

About the film:
The globe-spanning conflict between otherworldly monsters of mass destruction and the human-piloted super-machines built to vanquish them was only a prelude to the all-out assault on humanity in Pacific Rim Uprising.

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.

Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ is directed by Steven S. DeKnight from a screenplay by Emily Carmichael, Steven S. DeKnight, T.S. Nowlin, and Kira Snyder. The film stars Scott Eastwood, Tian Jing, Adria Arjona, John Boyega, Burn Gorman, Charlie Day, and Rinko Kikuchi.

‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ hits theaters February 23, 2019.

What do you think of the sequel, could it be better than the original? Comment below.

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NYCC: DC Comics Is Relaunching Vertigo Next Year, What Do You Hope To See?

By

Manuel Gomez

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October 6, 2017

Although details are scarce and still developing, Newsarama, in covering the DC’s Meet The Publisher Panel at NYCC, revealed that Vertigo is being relaunched next year to coincide with the imprints 25th Anniversary.

DC/Vertigo was the revolutionary imprint that not only brought us Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, Garth Ennis’ and Steve Dillion’s Preacher, Allan Moore’s Swamp Thing, Hellblazer and many more industry changing titles. Vertigo also brought in a different kind of reader with it’s more literary and mature take on comics and graphic novels.

Many folks (myself included) feel that Vertigo lost a bit of its identity over the years, with less high profile titles being released. But a line-wide relaunch could really revitalize this hugely important name in comics and maybe bring back some readers that might have left.

What kind of books do you want to see from a new DC/Vertigo? And is there a place in today’s market for another imprint from DC (considering Young Animal has sort of filled the Vertigo hole for a year now). Comment and discuss below.

As always stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for more on this and other developing NYCC news!

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Is ‘Bojack Horseman’ The Most Emotional Show On TV Right Now?

By

Don Draper

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October 6, 2017

The golden age of television has given us a lot of gems. Some, like the consistently genius Rick And Morty, provide intellectual conundrums, Easter eggs, and philosophical musings. Others, like Game Of Thrones, offer big spectacles, along with plenty of material ripe for fans to pick apart.

But my favorite series are those that are emotionally resonant. Mad Men never failed to make me feel, just as its spinoff Better Call Saul continues to do. You’re The Worst is one of a new breed of comedies that have emotional moments that are not cloying or contrived.

If you’re struggling to access your favorite shows due to regional restrictions, find the right VPN at https://securethoughts.com/vpn-review/.

And into that mix comes Bojack Horseman, an animated series that never stops making me laugh with animal puns and visual gags, while continually punching me in the gut.

When the fourth season was released on September 8, I binge watched its 12 episodes. And although I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, my fears were unfounded. It’s the best season yet of a show that continues to surprise.

What’s most surprising is not that it keeps the jokes coming, including season-long setups that play out in the most satisfying way. Nor is it the fact that it remains emotionally resonant. Rather, it’s that its depth of feeling surpasses most – if not all – dramas. This Is Us, Big Little Lies, and The Handmaid’s Tale all impressed and were rewarded for it at the Emmys.

But for me, Bojack Horseman is second to none, and here’s why.

There’s no destination

Life has no destinations. We don’t live until we reach our goals and then calmly move on to the next world. But that’s how most TV portrays it. Everyone is working towards some sort of resolution. Whether it’s the destruction of a particular evil, a happy ever after ending, or the success or failure of a rebellion against an oppressive system. They all have a destination, even if sometimes the characters fail or the “bad guys” win.

One of the reasons Mad Men was so compelling is because you never knew where it was going. You could not know that because it was ultimately going nowhere. In that way, it was as true a portrayal of human life as we’d ever seen.

Bojack Horseman takes it even further. What goals its characters have changed along the way, often due to them realizing there’s nothing at the end of their respective rainbows. No one is going anywhere. They’re just trying to be happy.

Bojack epitomises this, with the character constantly aware that his fame means nothing, and that even when he gets what he wants, he either screws it up or finds that it doesn’t make his life better.

The other characters around him follow similar paths, never getting where they think they’re going, and only sometimes finding happiness along the way.

This is the only way art can truly reflect life. A story needs a plot – but that plot does not have to follow a pre-ordained route. That plot can simply be the things that happen to a character, sometimes interesting, sometimes shocking, but always painfully real.

For this reason, Bojack Horseman is more emotionally resonant than anything else on TV. As long as this does not change, it will never fail to connect us to the feelings at the foundation of a real life.

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NYCC Exclusive: Todd McFarlane Gives ‘Spawn’ Release Date Information

By

Matthew Sardo

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October 6, 2017

Image Comics Founder, Todd McFarlane is at New York Comic-Con teasing production details on his ‘Spawn’ film.

Back at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer, it was announced that Jason Blum of Blumhouse had partnered with McFarlane on the movie.

Now at NYCC, McFarlane went through every production detail with Monkeys Fighting Robots and gave a timetable for a release date and casting announcements.

“You know movies sort of move at a slow pace but the scripts in, and we just began budgeting it. From there will then go into Hollywood and make our predistribution deal. A release date will come with that deal probably. So that will be the next big sort of important piece of news that the Internet will care about. Gathering the money and doing some of the other stuff behind the scenes isn’t sexy and then once we make that predistribution deal, then we’ll hire the actors and then start going fast. We’ll hire the actors. We’ll jump into pre-production and then we’ll get into production probably five-six weeks after we start pre-production. So we’re hoping to be into pre-production which means everything’s lined up. We’ll have all of our actors in place by the beginning of the New Year. Which means will be shooting hopefully late to middle of February,” said McFarlane to Monkeys Fighting Robots Reporter Roger Riddell.

‘Spawn’ film timeline:
• Release date announcement in the next month
• Casting news the first of the year.
• Filming to start end of February.

With that schedule, look for ‘Spawn’ to hit theaters in January or February of 2019.

Are you excited for a ‘Spawn’ film? Comment below.

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Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning Go Punk in ‘How To Talk To Girls At Parties’ Trailer

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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October 6, 2017

How To Talk To Girls At Parties was somewhat of a smash hit at this year’s Cannes film festival. Since then, the Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning drama has taken a back seat while Nicole Kidman is busy showing up in what seems like a dozen other awesome projects.

John Cameron Mitchell’s film is getting a U.K. release date, but still not one state side. Either way, here’s a trailer, and it looks like a blast:

Punk. It's a way of life. Watch the trailer for John Cameron Mitchell's film adaptation of @neilhimself's How To Talk To Girls At Parties. pic.twitter.com/jadvGZWLMG

— Film4 (@Film4) October 5, 2017

John Cameron Mitchell, director of the acclaimed films Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus takes us to an exotic and unusual world: suburban London in the late 70s. Under the spell of the Sex Pistols, every teenager in the country wants to be a punk, including our hopeless hero Enn (Alex Sharp). Crashing local punk queen Boadicea’s party, Enn discovers every boy’s dream – gorgeous foreign exchange students. When he meets the enigmatic Zan (Elle Fanning), it’s love at first sight.

But these teens are, in fact, aliens from outer space, sent to Earth to prepare for a mysterious rite of passage. When their dark secret is revealed, the love-struck Enn must turn to Boadicea (Nicole Kidman) and her followers for help in order to save the girl he loves from certain death. When the punks take on the aliens, neither Enn’s nor Zan’s universe will ever be the same again.

Stay tuned for updates on a US release date.

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