A full trailer for Syfy’s Happy! has been released at NYCC. Based on the Image Comics title by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson, it stars Christopher Meloni and Patton Oswalt. Check out the trailer below!
What do you guys think? If you have ever read anything by Morrison or Robertson you know they certainly bring in the twisted. And this looks like they absolutely didn’t hold back. It looks vulgar, original, hysterical and violent…in other words GREAT! Meloni and Oswalt are also fantastic actors and it seems like they are delivering the goods here.
As always, comment and discuss below. And stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for all your NYCC news!
As we enter a new era of Marvel Comics, I’ll be providing a weekly report on all Legacy titles. Your one-stop guide to what’s going on in the 616 universe from MFR’s resident Marvel fan. Above you’ll see Marvel’s report card for the week, then below we’ll dive into each book. Let’s get right to it!
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
X-Men: Gold #13 “Mojo Worldwide” Part One
Having already re-established their mission statement and focus with ResurreXion, the X-Men books have the smoothest transition into Legacy. X-Men: Gold has been getting better with each issue, this crossover has a ton of potential.
Even with the inevitable political commentary looming in a Mojo story during Trump’s presidency, this gets off to a great start. The massive roster of mutants is juggled flawlessly and there’s a lot of fun to be had with the X-Men facing their “Greatest Hits.”
I imagine, and hope, this crossover addresses some of the duplicate heroes (Jimmy Hudson, Bloodstorm) and finds them a new home. I did a full review of this issue here.
Avengers #672 “Worlds Collide” Part One
This lineup of Avengers is far from traditional. The Champions have struggled to grow on a lot of readers. This crossover between them sets the two teams on a path to find an audience.
Avengers mentoring Champions as they face an incoming meteor. Creative power collaborations are a true delight. There are a lot of interesting dynamics between these characters and their counterparts.
With Mark Waid having written both Avengers and Champions leading up to Legacy, he has a really great handle on both squads. This is the best they’ve been written. It’s as if this was the end game and the previous Marvel NOW! titles were kicking tires as a warm-up for this story.
Some of the issues readers had with both Avengers and Champions prior to Legacy had to do with the art. Personally, I enjoyed the different approach in Avengers but I see why people could be turned off.
The art in this issue is a nice middle ground for them both. A more traditional look without just looking like the superhero standard. Jesus Saiz does a wonderful job blending these two teams together in a new style that suits them both for new readers.
This may not feel exactly like the Avengers of old, but the enjoyment does. This certainly feels more like a classic Avengers title than the most recent handful of various Avengers titles.
Spirits Of Vengeance #1 “War At The Gates Of Hell” Part One
One of the biggest wild cards of Marvel’s Legacy lineup, this could potentially be their Justice League Dark. Combining the supernatural appeal of Johnny Blaze, Blade, and the Hellstrom siblings, this was a blast.
There’s a mysterious and demonic threat that drops itself into Johnny and Daimon’s lap. The two begin investigating the supernatural world before starting to assemble their team of occult-based characters.
I really dig the atmosphere of this book. Being geared towards the weird, dark corners of the 616 without taking itself too seriously, this may scratch an itch Marvel fans didn’t know they had.
The cartoon-style art has pros and cons, it doesn’t do Ghost Rider any favors but Blade sure as hell looked badass. While I would prefer a darker look, it helps maintain the looser tone of the book.
Spirits Of Vengeance #1 provides a spectacular jumping-on point for a book sporting some underused fan favorite characters. It even provides quick profile pages for the four members in the back of the issue.
Royals #9 “Fire From Heaven” Part One
Cosmic Marvel has been quietly coming back in a big way. Black Bolt, Royals, All-New Guardians, and Mighty Thor have all been pulling their weight across the galaxy. Royals puts the Inhuman royal family back into orbit, and for the better.
Led by Maximus, the former Attilan residents trek across the galaxy following a Kree prophecy concerning their precious Terrigen. The Inhumans are are getting more fleshed out than ever before. The biggest difference now is that they’re back to being off Earth and not being forced into replacing the X-Men.
Aside from Gorgon and Medusa’s uncomfortable relationship, there’s a lot of growth throughout the cast. The Inhumans are sporting a much different look, starting with the king and queen not being together.
Al Ewing is one of the best cosmic storytellers right now, he’s been consistently delivering top-notch sci-fi comics for Marvel. His trajectory for this cast is one full of mystery on a grand scale.
Royals has had a distinctly fresh visual appeal. It’s not what you expect coming into an Inhumans book, but it works superbly. The art is cold and dark with some strikingly sharp moments and a vibrant neon glow.
It’s almost Kirby-esque in how colorful and complex these cosmic layouts are. That alone makes it worthy of the Legacy banner.
Iron Fist #73 “Sabretooth: Round Two” Part One
Writer Ed Brisson comes into Marvel Legacy on an Iron Fist series that has been everything we all wanted from the Netflix series. It’s one of the books that have quietly been great, merely getting a Legacy facelift.
Danny Rand seeks out Victor Creed’s help finding another classic Marvel character after discovering they’ve robbed him. The two work out their differences before joining forces while a dark force approaches New York to destroy Danny.
As much as I enjoy this series, Danny housing Shou Lao in a New York City apartment is absurd. So is feeding it like the T. Rex from Jurassic Park, also in his apartment.
Brisson writes Sabretooth well, it’s a refreshing palette cleanser after only having him and his “sub-tweets” in Weapon X recently. His relationship with Danny provides a satisfying chemistry built on good old-fashioned hate between a hero and a villain.
This story is a testament to Marvel leaving behind the “hero vs hero” obsession that had been plaguing their comics for years. We’re getting back to the days of heroes fighting villains, and reluctant team-ups with anti-hero murderers.
Gritty and dark with explosive action and detailed sequences, Mike Perkins draws a very convincing Kung-Fu comic.
Jessica Jones #13 “Return Of The Purple Man” Part One
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.
Iceman #6 “Champions Reunited” Part One
One of the quieter ResurreXion titles goes through the Legacy filter. Bobby Drake reunited with his former Champions comrades to mourn the death of Black Widow.
I’m invested in Bobby’s search for happiness and understanding. However, this book quite often reads like a depressed teenager’s attention seeking Facebook timeline. There’s not a clear sense of direction or anything of real interest in six issues.
Iceman is kind of a downer and over-shares every detail of his life. None of the supporting cast seems to find his struggles interesting or important and readers share the sentiment. It’s a book that thinks it’s as cute and charming as Hawkeye but hasn’t come close.
The movie prop designer activating a bunch of sentinels to get footage of them fighting Iceman is a monumentally lame conflict.
Bobby coming out and learning how to act on his true feelings should be the emotional core of this book. Instead, it’s a chore to get through. Instead of Bobby discovering the real him, the series can be summed up so far as “Iceman is gay, and that’s weird, right?”
Venom #155 “Lethal Protector” Part One
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.
At the end of each issue, there’s a primer written by Robbie Thompson and illustrated by Mark Bagley. They are absolutely crucial, and perfect for any new reader jumping in with Legacy. Even the origins you don’t need catching up on are fun refreshers drawn in classic Marvel style.
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!
As New York Comic-Con kicks off, the founding father of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee has a message to deliver about diversity and bigotry in the comic book industry.
Does this make the 94-year-old Lee a social justice warrior? I certainly hope so.
“Hi, heroes, this is Stan Lee coming at you. I just want you to know Marvel has always been and always will be a reflection of the world right outside our window. That world may change and evolve but the one thing that will never change is the way we tell our stories of heroism. Those stories have room for everyone, regardless of their race gender, religion, or color of their skin. The only things we don’t have room for are; hatred, intolerance, and bigotry. That man next to you is your brother. That woman over there. She’s your sister. And that kid walking by. Hey, who knows he may have the proportionate strength of a spider. We’re all part of one big family, the human family and we all come together in the body of Marvel. You’re part of the Marvel Universe that moves ever upward and onward to greater glory. In other words: Excelsior!” said Stan Lee.
It’s funny that 74 people on Youtube don’t like this video. I wonder if those 74 people are going to burn their comics now? Sad little snowflakes. Marvel was also very smart to disable the comments on the video as well. You can still comment on the Facebook version of the video.
What do you think of Stan Lee’s statement? Comment below?
The first trailer for the sci-fi thriller ‘Replicas’ hit the web after its premiere at New York Comic-Con Thursday.
It appears Keanu Reeves’ character is headed to a dark place, as this film looks to challenge morals. Hopefully, the script and execution match expectations.
“It’s been a process I really love, developing an idea, a character, and a world. I love science fiction, I love the Trojan horse of it …all other genres can fit inside science fiction,” said Reeves at NYCC.
About the film: In this sci-fi thriller, neuroscientist William Foster (Keanu Reeves) is on the verge of successfully transferring human consciousness into a computer when his family is tragically killed in a car crash. Desperate to resurrect them, William recruits fellow scientist Ed Whittle (Thomas Middleditch) to help him secretly clone their bodies and create replicas. But he soon faces a “Sophie’s choice” when it turns out that they can only bring three of the four family members back to life.
‘Replicas’ is directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, from Stephen Hamel’s story and Chad St. John’s screenplay. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Alice Eve, and Thomas Middleditch.
This film does not have a release date.
What do you think of scientist Keanu Reeves, are you putting ‘Replicas’ on your must-see list? Comment below.
Fun will be had on Episode 2 of Wednesday Comics as Ivan and Matt search for answers in week 2 of Marvel Legacy. Chuck breaks out some G1 Dinobots and explains variations in the Transformer toy universe.
Watch episode 2 below:
Picks of the week:
Batman: The Red Death #1
Artist: Mikel Janin
Cover: Mikel Janin
Variant Cover: Olivier Coipel
Writer: Tom King
“THE WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES” finale! This is the finale everyone will be talking about for years to come! In BATMAN #24, we gave you the question; in BATMAN #32, you get the answer. As the Riddler and The Joker desperately fight for supremacy in Gotham City, Batman reveals how far he had to go to end the war. Now, knowing Batman’s greatest sin, Catwoman must make her decision: Will she marry Batman?
SLOTS #1
Story / Art / Cover / Variant Cover: Dan Panosian
You can say this about the life of Stanley Dance: he did it his way. Unfortunately, his way never took getting old into account. Now, the former boxer is on his last legs, looking for redemption…but he’ll settle for going down swinging. Roll the dice with superstar artist DAN PANOSIAN as he creates a bold and breathtaking vision of Las Vegas, where everything old can become new, and superstition influences how the chips fall.
About the show:
Monkeys Fighting Robots has teamed up with Uncanny Heroes in Tampa for a new show – Wednesday Comics. The characters of Wednesday Comics; Ivan Plaza the owner of Uncanny Heroes, Chuck Fenech of Big Red Vintage Toys, and Matthew Sardo the founder of Monkeys Fighting Robots.
Netflix is raising its prices, according to Mashable.
Customers who pay for the standard service of $9.99 will now be charged $10.99. If you’re a premium tier customer, the price hike will cost you an extra $2: $13.99, compared to the previous $11.99.
However, there is one buyer left out of this increase in price. If you’re paying for the $7.99 basic version, it won’t cost you anything more.
Netflix released a statement on the matter, which can be read below.
“From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we add more exclusive TV shows and movies, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster.”
How do you feel about Netflix raising prices? Does this have any impact on your subscription? Start a conversation in the comments below.
Nash Huang is a social media pseudo-star in the not-so-far-future. She’s got it pretty good, but things begin to unravel when contact lenses that can record video and augment reality hit the market. After a sex tape leaks, Nash has to scramble to keep her life together as everyone, including strangers and internet trolls, sticks their noses in her business. Then the bodies begin piling up. This is the world of Jacob Semahn and Jorge Corona’s No. 1 With A Bullet, out November 1st from Image.
No. 1 With A Bullet is not only a terrifying look at how dangerous technology can be, but also a sobering look at how dangerous it already is. Social media “celebrities,” hacks and leaks…these words are becoming part of our every day vernacular. And although AR contact lenses don’t exist (yet), we do have eye-wear that’s pretty close.
Dystopian sci-fi is scary because it shows us a warped world that may be if we continue down a certain path. Semahn’s script flips that notion on its head and asks, “Are we too late? Is this us?” It forces us to look inward and judge our own actions. Do we concern ourselves too much with other people’s business, people we’ve never even met, and judge them unjustly? Is privacy a thing of the past?
Nash herself is caught “victim blaming” when a celebrity’s email gets hacked and her response is, “It’s the internet. Don’t want your shit out there? Then don’t make it easy for people to take advantage.” It’s the argument we hear every time a sex tape or nude photo leaks. Nash is representing the book’s audience, and Semahn is showing how easy it is for people to judge from the outside. But then Nash is the victim, and in turn, so is the reader.
Again, we’re forced to ask ourselves the hard questions. Is it really the victim’s fault? Should we expect people to live in fear, and not allow them to enjoy themselves out of paranoia? By establishing Nash as the book’s POV, Semahn puts the audience in the hot seat and makes us to see firsthand that these situations aren’t as black and white as we make them seem in comment sections. This is sci-fi storytelling at its finest.
No. 1 With A Bullet is a trippy look at the world, and the art reflects that. The work by Jorge Corona is raw and edgy, and it often distorts the audience’s view of the world – like looking through a fisheye lens. The panel layouts emphasize this feeling as well, often looking jumbled and haphazardly thrown together.
Then, color artist Jen Hickman steps in and knocks the ball not only out of the park, but out of the county. Hickman said in a recent interview with Image+ that she’s playing with colors that “indicate an emotional state, rather than a physical one, to try and readers more immersed in the action.” It works 150%. Her work is vibrant and bizarre, adding to the disorientation set up by Corona. It not only immerses the reader, but it also stirs up a fervent reaction within them.
No. 1 With A Bullet is a special kind of comic. It’s a comic that has something important to say and a lesson to teach, but it does so with a captivating story and without preaching. Add on top of that artwork that will grab you without having to read a single word, and Image has another best-seller on their hands.
No. 1 With A Bullet hits shelves November 1st. Final order cutoff is Monday, October 9th, so call your local comic shop now!
Universal’s Dark Universe got off to the worst possible start back in June with the Tom Cruise debacle The Mummy. It may have made hella cash globally (around $400 million), but the dismal reviews and general disinterest in the IP overall has made the studio postpone their upcoming second entry, Bride of Frankenstein.
Here is a statement from the studio, per Deadline:
After thoughtful consideration, Universal Pictures and director Bill Condon have decided to postpone Bride of Frankenstein. None of us want to move too quickly to meet a release date when we know this special movie needs more time to come together. Bill is a director whose enormous talent has been proven time and again, and we all look forward to continuing to work on this film together.
It’s almost like starting this whole thing off with another Mummy movie was a terrible idea. But what do I know?
Bride of Frankenstein sounded like the most promising of the bunch. Bill Condon, who directed the James Whale story Gods and Monsters, was on board to direct. And Javier Bardem had already been cast as Frankenstein’s Monster. Alas, an ill-conceived launchpad film directed by a Fast and Furious dude and featuring a bored Tom Cruise AND the worse iteration of Dr. Henry Jekyll ever put to film proved to be too much to look past.
Maybe they can start all over, and take us to a place we haven’t seen for the past two decades. Like the Black Lagoon, perhaps? Whatever the case, the Dark Universe already feels dead in the water, and that is a damn shame.
On Wednesday it was announced The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman and artist Lorenzo De Felici are working on a new ongoing series, OBLIVION SONG.
“No matter how horrific something is that happens to us as a people, it doesn’t take too many years for us to just go back to normal and forget about it,” said Kirkman to reporters at the Oblivion Song press conference.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“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 lost, alone and afraid, 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?”
Check out the 5-page preview below:
Oblivion Song hits your local comic book store on March 7, 2018.
Are you excited for this Kirkman series? Comment below.
The creator of The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman revealed the next arch for the series along with the cover to #175 at New York Comic-Con Thursday afternoon during the “Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Beyond.” panel.
Image Comics stated the new storyline will feature all new friends, all new enemies, all new threats, and will appropriately be called, New World Order.
The Walking Dead #175 hits your local comic book store on January 3, 2018.
On Wednesday it was announced Kirkman and artist Lorenzo De Felici are working on a new ongoing series, OBLIVION SONG.
“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 lost, alone and afraid, 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?”
Check out the 5-page preview below:
Oblivion Song hits your local comic book store on March 7, 2018.
