Valiant Announces NINJAK: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS OVERSIZED HC

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August 14, 2017

If you read comics in the 90s, I’m sure you had some Valiant stuff in your long boxes! Personally, Ninjak was always fun, and seeing the old series in print again is great for fans. Check it out! Comment and discuss below!

Valiant is proud to announce NINJAK: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS OVERSIZED HC – an 800+ page oversized hardcover compendium collecting the groundbreaking debut and complete adventures of the Valiant Universe’s master super-spy in November! From his deadly debut in the pages of BLOODSHOT in 1993, all the way to the final mission of his best-selling solo series, the complete classic adventures of Valiant’s deadly secret agent have finally been collected between two covers for the first time anywhere!

Colin King — sophisticated British playboy by day, elite super-spy by night! Codenamed Ninjak, King is gifted with a brilliant mind and lethal training in the world’s most dangerous fighting techniques. Both will be put to the ultimate test as he is drawn into a globe-spanning mission to bring down a cavalcade of covert agents and criminal cartels, including his greatest nemesis – the Webnet terror network and its villainous mastermind, Dr. Silk! From the British Isles to the land of the Rising Sun, Ninjak is about to leave an indelible imprint on the Valiant Universe — or die trying.

Featuring all-time classic contributions from acclaimed writers Mark Moretti (ETERNAL WARRIOR), Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jorge Gonzalez (X-O MANOWAR), Mike Baron (Nexus), Kevin VanHook (BLOODSHOT) and more alongside legendary artists Joe Quesada (Daredevil), Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates), and Luke Ross (Captain America), this oversized, omnibus hardcover bursts with more than 800 pages of non-stop action and special features, including:

– Over 30 full-color issues, including Ninjak’s landmark first appearances from BLOODSHOT (1993) #6–7, his complete solo series run from NINJAK (1994) #1–26, #0 and #00, NINJAK YEARBOOK 1994 #1, and SECRET WEAPONS (1993) #5 – collected together in one volume for the first time anywhere!

– Over 20 pages of bonus content, including rarely seen artwork and extras!

– A stunning cover by comics legend Joe Quesada, fully remastered by Paul Mounts (The Ultimates)!

– An oversized, deluxe hardcover presentation!

In the proud footsteps of ARCHER & ARMSTRONG: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS, QUANTUM AND WOODY: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS, and X-O MANOWAR: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS VOL. 1, Valiant’s library of oversized classic collections grows with this steel-shattering compendium chronicling the original origin and adventures of Colin King, aka the deadly Ninjak! This November, find out where the legend of one of Valiant’s greatest icons began with a shelf-busting hardcover collection of his most dangerous missions and black ops assignments, only in NINJAK: THE COMPLETE CLASSIC OMNIBUS OVERSIZED HC!

PLUS: Ninjak strikes again this November with a deadly new beginning in NINJA-K #1 – A NEW CAN’T-MISS ONGOING SERIES! Coming this fall from renowned writer Christos Gage (Netflix’s Daredevil) and superstar artist Tomas Giorello (X-O MANOWAR), the United Kingdom’s most dreaded intelligence operative delves into the cold, calculating world of espionage and international intrigue!

For nearly a century, MI-6, the most elite branch of Britain’s clandestine intelligence service, has honed a ruthlessly effective, top-secret division – THE NINJA PROGRAMME – into one of its nation’s most finely wielded weapons. Tasked as the first and last line of defense for queen and country, this small shadow army of agents and assassins has produced a succession of notable assets, including NINJA-A, the Queen’s silent weapon of World War I; NINJA-E, the globe-trotting secret agent that pulled the Cold War back from the brink of Armageddon; and, most recently, NINJA-K, aka Colin King, a brash but fearless instrument of lethality that has saved the world from madmen and terror at every turn.

But now…an unknown enemy is hunting and killing members of THE NINJA PROGRAMME one by one – and NINJAK is next on the list.

Colin King’s next mission begins in NINJA-K #1 – coming this November from razor-sharp creators Christos Gage and Tomas Giorello and featuring covers by Trevor Hairsine (DIVINITY), rising star Lucas Troya, Kenneth Rocafort (The Ultimates), David Mack (Kabuki), and Mico Suayan (BLOODSHOT SALVATION)!

For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and ValiantEntertainment.com.

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com

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Richard Stanley is Back, and He’s Bringing ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’ With Him

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Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 14, 2017

Most people might not know the name Richard Stanley, but those of us who’ve seen Lost Soul, the documentary about the amazingly inept production of the 1996 dud The Island of Dr. Moreau, recognize Stanley as the young filmmaker who was fired and replaced by John Frankenheimer during the troubled production.

It seems Richard Stanley is plotting a comeback, and he wants to try and make his version of The Island of Dr. Moreau once again. In an interview with Michael Gingold at Birth.Movies.Death, Stanley discussed his desire to get his original vision finally on celluloid:

At this stage, I can’t say exactly by who, and how long it will take, but the project does live again, largely thanks to David. We’re currently scripting and designing the thing. It’s going to be an all-new screenplay and an all-new cast of beast-people; the original creatures are copyrighted by Warner Bros. [parent company of New Line, which produced and released the ’96 film]. I wasn’t particularly happy with them anyway. The final designs of the creatures in the Frankenheimer version were disappointing, and I think there’s huge room for improvement.

The “David” he mentions is David Gregory, the director of Lost Soul, which is one of the most fascinating filmmaking documentaries I have ever seen. The Island of Dr. Moreau suffered weather issues, production problems left and right, cast and crew desperately trying to escape the set, and the double whammy of Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer at the height of their troll powers.

Stanley mentions that he might make this into an extended series for television, depending on who wants this to happen.

In fact, once Stanley was replaced, he snuck back on the set disguised as one of the half-breed “manimals.” It’s a bizarre story and definitely worth your time. As for Richard Stanley finally getting a chance to tell his story, I am all for it. It can’t be worse than the 1996 finished product.

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Stunt Person Dies on ‘Deadpool 2’ Set

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Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 14, 2017

Monday morning, a stunt person died after a motorcycle stunt went wrong on the set of Deadpool 2.

Variety just broke the story, which has confirmation from Vancouver police, where the film is being shot. The police delivered a statement, saying “Vancouver Police can confirm that a female stunt driver has died on the set of ‘Deadpool’ during a stunt on a motorcycle.”

Here is more information directly from the Variety report:

According to Ben Miljure, a reporter who was on the ground with local news station CTV Vancouver, the stuntwoman was carried onto an Advanced Life Support ambulance. The vehicle stayed at the scene for about 45 minutes, and then drove off without turning on its lights or sirens.

There haven’t been any reactions from cast or crew of Deadpool 2, but expect that to change some time today.

Condolences to the family and friend of the stunt person.

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Patrick Stewart, John Malcovich Square Off in ‘The Wilde Wedding’ Trailer

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Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 14, 2017

The Wilde Wedding is a familiar story: tension between adults acting like children in the midst of a wedding weekend. Only this story has a bonus feature, and it’s Patrick Stewart facing off against John Malcovich.

Stewart and Malcovich headline a stellar cast, and this sure looks like a blast. Check out the first trailer:

In THE WILDE WEDDING, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship. At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately. As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.

This looks like a lot of fun, and who doesn’t love comedy Malcovich? Also, how about Patrick Stewart’s hair sitch?!

The Wilde Wedding stars Glenn Close, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Minnie Driver, and a whole slew of talent filling out the margins. It will hit theaters September 15, so seek it out if this is your bag.

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Rumor: Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ Deemed “Unwatchable”

By

Aric Sweeny

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August 14, 2017

Justice League is the DC extended universe’s most important movie. Wonder Woman was well received, and has given fans a ray of hope after 2016’s array of bad movies. However, if this rumor is to be believed, fans should not get their expectations too blown out of proportion.

According to Batman on Film, Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut was deemed “unwatchable”.

After reporting on a quote regarding Ray Fisher’s Cyborg character and how the reshoots affected him, here’s what the outlet had to say:

“I can confirm that everything Mr. Morton said is spot-on. The Cyborg character was altered quite a bit during the reshoots. Also, as I’ve been saying since June 2nd of this year, the JL reshoots and the resulting changes being made to the film are significant. These reshoots – which are still taking place – are not standard pick-ups/additional photography. Why? Apparently, an early cut of the film was deemed “unwatchable.” Thus, substantial changes to the film were ordered.”

The most important thing to remember when reading something like this is the likeliness that it isn’t true. While there’s a chance it could be authentic and Justice League might be atrocious, it’s more likely that Batman on Film heard something through the grapevine and decided to hesitantly report it. Take this with a massive grain of salt, Monkeys Fighting Robots readers.

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder and stars; Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Amber Heard (Mera), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor).

Justice League hits theaters on November 17.

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Ranking the 2017 Emmy Nominated Drama Series

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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August 14, 2017

The Emmys announced the 2017 nominees over a month ago. Seven drama series were specifically nominated for Best Drama. There are definitely some great shows the Emmy awards failed to recognize. However, the Emmys did choose some great shows for the Best Drama category. Here’s our ranking of the seven shows in contention for the title.

1Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul, the AMC spin-off of Breaking Bad, is far better than it has any right to be. The series does an unbelievably great job carrying its predecessor’s mantle. Better Call Saul follows the incredible journey of how a good-natured lawyer turns crooked. For three seasons, the show has maintained the quality we came to expect from Walter White’s journey. Out of all the Emmy-nominated dramas, Better Call Saul is the finest.

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David Tennant Will Return As Kilgrave In ‘Jessica Jones’ Season 2

By

Kieran McLean

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August 14, 2017

Entertainment Weekly has revealed that David Tennant will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Jessica Jones season two. Tennant, who is best known for portraying the tenth Doctor, will return as the manipulative mind-controller, Kilgrave. While details of Tennant’s return are scarce, it will certainly be interesting to see how the villain is re-introduced to the series, having been defeated and murdered at the end of season one.

Entertainment Weekly has also revealed the first look at Tennant on the set of season two, alongside Krysten Ritter, who portrays the central hero/anti-hero, Jessica Jones.

Check out the image below:

Before she appears in her second season, Jessica must first defeat an even bigger enemy, but this time she isn’t alone. Marvel’s The Defenders lands on Netflix later this week, and finally brings Marvel’s street level heroes together, including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Jessica Jones season two is expected to premiere on the streaming service in 2018.

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Why The Last Page Of ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ Is So Important

By

Matthew Sardo

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August 14, 2017

‘Dark Nights: Metal’ hits your local comic book store this Wednesday, but the final page reveal hit the internet at 6 a.m. via The Washington Post. While we here at Monkeys Fighting Robots can’t stand when publishers spoil the book before its release, we still have to cover the story because it is news. (Just imagine if studios started to spoil films in the thought of selling more tickets?)

There will be ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ spoilers ahead.

Neil Gaiman’s Dream appears on the final page of Metal #1, alongside Batman. Scott Snyder says the character’s role in the story is “crucial.”

“[Dream] has some very key moments that spin the story in its essential directions. At the same time, this really is a Justice League story focused on their discovery of the Dark Multiverse and the invasion with these evil Batmen [now] here and the desperate attempt to stop them using Nth metal,” said Snyder.

Dream was created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg. The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #1 from January 1989, published DC Comics’ imprint Vertigo. Dream is one of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings older and greater than gods, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality. He has taken many names, including Morpheus and Oneiros, and his appearance can change depending on the person who is seeing him.

What do you think of the ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ plot twist? Will this make you buy issue one? Comment below.

About ‘Dark Nights: Metal’:
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will expand the DCU as we know it. DARK DAYS: THE FORGE and THE CASTING hinted at a mysterious darkness, lurking, but the truth of its devastation has not been seen until now. Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and the heroes of the Justice League will venture further than they ever have before—or risk all of humanity to the Dark Multiverse.

“METAL is a story that touches on some of my favorite DC stories past and present, and connects deeply to the run Greg and I did on Batman. It pushes the characters to their very limits, and takes us into realms that are completely new and unexplored in the DCU. It’s Kirby meets Frazetta with a dash of heavy metal thrown in. It’s METAL, and I hope you love it as much as both Greg and I do. Thank you.” — SCOTT SNYDER

“I’m looking forward to rock’n and roll’n together again. Fans have been loud and clear; they want more from us. We’re primed and ready to blow it up.” — GREG CAPULLO

‘Dark Nights: Metal’ hits your local comic book store on August 16.

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Willem Dafoe is An Actual Normal Person in ‘The Florida Project’ Trailer

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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August 14, 2017

Willem Dafoe rarely gets to play normal people, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see him play a motel manager trying to help a young mother and her child in this trailer for The Florida Project.

The film takes place in the aforementioned motel, an extended stay for disaffected drifters, and Dafoe looks to be the manager with a heart of gold. Check it out:

The story of a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure, while the adults around them struggle with hard times.

Dafoe will certainly get a great deal of ink for his performance – and maybe even an Oscar nomination for an actor who is about three nominations shy of where he should be in his career – but the young actress Brooklynn Prince will be the new star to come out of this whole endeavor.

The Florida Project is directed by Sean Baker, who pulled off the unthinkable a few years back and directed an actual good movie, Tangerine, using only his iPhone. On top of that, the film also has the A24 stamp of approval.

The Florida Project will open in limited release October 6.

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‘Spy Seal’ #1 Is A Solid Mix Of Childlike Whimsy And Thrilling Intrigue

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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You could easily be forgiven for mistaking Rich Tommaso’s Spy Seal #1, out today from Image Comics, as a children’s story. With its simple art style and anthropomorphic animals, it certainly looks like something your mother used to read you before bedtime. But the more you read, the more you realize how “not-for-children” this book is. Beneath its elementary facade is a gripping story of espionage and intrigue. It’s for fans of The Maltese Falcon as much as fans of Babar.

Spy Seal is a concept Tommaso created in 1984 at 13 years old. The cartoonist shared a sketch of the character on Facebook last October, and it was so well-received that it was immediately green-lit for a series. It’s the story of Malcom, a veteran of the British military (and a seal), who is recruited into MI-6 after he helps foil an assassination attempt on a member of Parliament. Russian intelligence, rare artifacts, and a beautiful buxom bunny – Spy Seal has everything a spy noir fan could ask for!

Tommaso proves his strength to be his visual storytelling; the best sequences in Spy Seal #1 are those without any dialogue at all. The chase and action sequences move from panel to panel with a kind of simplicity and energy that’s reminiscent of old comics. They’re pure fun to watch unfold and follow along with. If you like fast-paced action, Tommaso delivers.

But it’s not all fun and games here. There are real stakes and real danger in this story; bullets fly and characters die. While it may look like a children’s book, children cannot appreciate the mix of Sam Spade and James Bond that is at work here. This is a comic for fans of noir and spy thrillers as much as their inner children.

However, while Spy Seal‘s artwork draws you in and keeps you engaged, the dialogue comes off as a bit stilted. Some pages are dominated with large blocks of text heavily infused with exposition. It feels stilted and unnatural, which disrupts the flow of an otherwise fluid comic. But again, if this is indeed meant to be a throwback to classic spy noir, this sin can be forgiven. After all, no one really talked the way they did in those old flicks and pulp comics, right?

If you’re looking for a comic that’s classic fun with just a hint of edge, Spy Seal is the book you need to pick up this week. Ian Fleming meets Raymond Chandler meets a petting zoo in this story straight from the mind of a 13-year-old Rich Tommaso.

What did you think of Spy Seal? What else are you reading this week? Comment below!

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