The CW’s ‘The Flash’ continues to expand its roster of heroes with the addition of the Elongated Man for Season Four. The Network announced the casting of Hartley Sawyer as Ralph Dibny Monday afternoon, in the reoccurring role.
Elongated Man has the ability to stretch like Plastic Man and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. It will be interesting to see how the show handles the special effect. What separates Dibny from the other elastic heroes is his detective skills, that according to DC Comics rival Batman’s. This season on ‘The Flash,’ Dibny will use his new abilities to help Team Flash solve one of Central City’s greatest mysteries.
The Elongated Man made his first appearance in THE FLASH #112.
THE FLASH Comic-Con 2017 Sizzle Reel
‘The Flash’ returns to the CW on October 10.
Are you excited to see a live-action version of the Elongated Man? Comment below.
Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit is a relentlessly terrifying film that examines the power hateful ideology can have in justifying the most heinous of acts.
Summary
Detroit takes place during the racially motivated riots that ravaged the city in the summer of 1967. The film doesn’t seek to give audiences a history lesson but does present the events that transpired at the Algiers hotel in an unfiltered manner.
What Worked
Bigelow examines how the lack of consequences profoundly impacted the events that occurred at the Algiers Hotel. While the police officers were justified in investigating where those shots came from, the slaughter that transpired was certainly horrific. Bigelow also did a great job making sure the audience saw this from both sides.
Loved seeing those scenes where officer Krauss (Will Poulter) is huddling up his fellow officers and explaining to them how these acts were justified and how they could get away with it. On the other end, seeing Larry (Algee Smith) and the group of African Americans being terrorized just because of their skin color on top of being told “they were going to die” was both unsettling but necessary to see. While these events did take place 50 years ago, it’s hard not to wonder just how much progress has been made since the events in Detroit.
John Boyega’s portrayal of security guard Mr. Dismukes was critical to understanding the dichotomy of how African Americans were treated and what they were willing to take. Dismukes initially comes off as just any old hard working African American male living in Detroit. He has two jobs, one at a factory and the other being a security guard for a local grocery store. Dismukes spends a majority of the movie trying to keep the peace between races, but it’s his appeasement that exacerbates events.
Instead of doing the right thing and calling them out for their hateful ideas, he seeks to help them by getting to the bottom of who shot at them (while some African Americans are being killed by the cops at the hotel). Boyega’s character tries to buy their loyalty by giving them some goods he turned up while searching the house for a gun. The group from the Algiers views him as a traitor to their race. Some of them refer to him as an “Uncle Tom.” Boyega’s character is torn throughout the film, and it’s only toward the end that he realizes what he should have been doing the whole time.
The most memorable performance in the movie was that of Poulter’s. His portrayal of the racist cop motivated by his beliefs was fascinating. His character showed how corrupt one person can be when given too much power. It’s terrifying how influential this type of hate can be over others. This is the kind of break out performance that critics will be discussing during the Golden Globes and maybe even the Oscars.
Overall
Detroit is a smoldering cauldron of intensity that was impeccably made, and the type of film that will crack most top ten lists at the end of the year and is certainly worth your time this weekend. Not many releases are of this caliber in August, but it appears Detriot is the exception.
Darren Aronofsky fans rejoice, we have a new teaser for Mother!, his upcoming collaboration with Jennifer Lawrence. And, while it’s a mere 30 seconds, any glimpse of a new Aronofsky film is worth your time.
Check this out:
As it says at the end, the full trailer will be here a week from tomorrow. But this… this looks awesome as is. Who knows what’s really happening here, and I have a sneaking suspicion that nobody will know until the film premieres.
There’s no telling what this is about, and what direction Aronofsky will go, but I love seeing him back in horror. Noah was a fascinating take on the bible story, but there’s nothing quite like Black Swan Aronosfky.
Aside from Jennifer Lawrence, Mother! stars Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson and… Kristen Wiig… And the plot, of course, is under wraps until further notice. It will hit theaters
‘Game of Thrones’ is must see television and HBO knows this as the series counts down to the final episode in 2018. Each episode will be anticipated and critically reviewed, but hackers are looking to destroy this experience.
“Hi to all mankind. The greatest leak of cyber space era is happening. What’s its name? Oh I forget to tell. Its HBO and Game of Thrones……!!!!!! You are lucky to be the first pioneers to witness and download the leak. Enjoy it & spread the words. Whoever spreads well, we will have an interview with him. HBO is falling.”
Hackers have reportedly stolen 1.5 terabytes of data from HBO’s servers and will slowly leak out the information which contains episodes, scripts, and story treatments. The script for next week’s episode of ‘Game of Thrones – The Spoils of War’ can be found on the internet, along with episodes of ‘Ballers’ and ‘Room 104.’ More data will be released soon.
“HBO recently experienced a cyber incident, which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information,” the network confirmed in a statement. “We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold.”
If you are a fan of ‘Game of Thrones’ and don’t want the plot to be spoiled, make sure to stay away from Facebook Groups and subreddits. The information is out there, and only you can protect your viewing experience.
Actor and writer Sam Shepard has died at 73, according to reports.
Shepard passed away last Thursday at his Kentucky home. The cause of death is said to be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A native of Illinois, Shepard began his career in Off-Broadway during the 1960s. His stage repertoire includes roles in Icarus’ Mother, La Turista, Red Cross and A Number.
Over time, he would branch out into playwriting, and later he would venture into directing. His most famous play is Buried Child, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1979. Two other productions, Fool for Love and True West, would also earn Pulitzer nominations. He also wrote A Lie of the Mind and Curse of the Starving Class.
Apart from theatre, Shepard would have an extensive movie career. He got his big break with Terrence Malick’s 1978 film Days of Heaven, co-starring with Richard Gere. The role was of a dying landowner. Other prominent movies include Steel Magnolias, Crimes of the Heart, Black Hawk Down, and The Notebook.
However, Shepard’s most famous film role is that of pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. The critics would praise his performance, and he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Later, Shepard would have prominent roles in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and August: Osage County.
In 2015, he would appear on the Netflix show Bloodline as the family patriarch Robert Rayburn.This marks the final acting role of his career.
Shepard is survived by three children. He will be missed.
If you thought the marketing for Deadpool was great, wait ’till you see what Ryan Reynolds is doing for the sequel. In a new Twitter post, Reynolds has hilariously revealed the first look at Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) as Domino in Deadpool 2.
The image (below) perfectly recreates the banner from the first movie, in which Deadpool was shown resting on a very expensive bear-skin rug. This time around, Beetz is in the same position, but instead of a bear, she’s lying atop everyone’s favourite Merc.
Mister Miracle #1 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads hits the local comic book shops on August 9, and to celebrate the new series DC Comics and Monkeys Fighting Robots have teamed up for a NEW GODS Contest.
Vote for your Favorite New God
[totalpoll id=”86058″]
The writers of the Monkeys Fighting Robots comic book staff will try to persuade you to vote for their favorite NEW GOD below.
Prizes
DC Comics has sent us three NEW GODS related omnibus as prizes (Orion Omnibus, The Jack Kirby Omnibus Vol. 1: Starring Green Arrow, Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth Omnibus Vol. 1). To qualify, you need to vote for your favorite NEW GOD in the above poll. 2 random winners will be picked on August 9 at 11 a.m. EST. The writer with the most votes will receive an omnibus as well. Thank you for voting and good luck! (Email matt@popaxiom.com with questions)
Darkseid
With his rocky visage, red eyes, imposing bulk and a literal mathematical equation for ‘Anti-Life’, Jack Kirby creation and Fourth World antagonist Darkseid is not only the New Gods’ best character but also the DCU’s greatest villain. He’s fought and defeated everyone from Superman, to the Justice League (multiple times) and even the Legion of Superheroes. He also rules his own planet, Apokolips, with a stone fist.
He’s also responsible for me really becoming a DCU fan. In the summer of 2002, I was going through a hard time with my father’s sickness. And although comics have always been an escape for me, during that time one particular story really resonated and carried me through. On a whim, I picked up a trade-paperback collection of Grant Morrison’s and Howard Porter’s JLA. I started reading the story arc Rock of Ages. If you haven’t read the story, it’s an excellent piece of comic book storytelling. Filled with cliffhangers, twists, time travel, reality altering and cosmic level threats. But the one thing that really shook me was how imposing and threatening Darkseid is in the story. He doesn’t even really have a huge amount of ‘screen time’ but his presence and dread are felt throughout the entire arc. His really big arrival scene is still one of my favorite splash images of all time.
And that’s really why that character works. He can be felt, alluded to, and not seen but still strike fear. He can drive a story without even really being in it. Plus he has also literally thrown Batman back through time and has also been voiced by ‘Weird Al’ Yanchovich. And as far as I know, no other DCU character has that on their resume. Who is the best you ask? “Darkseid Is!”
Death is the one constant across all forms of existence. It comes for us all in the end and it has many forms. Speedsters strive to outrun the Black Flash, but the New Gods know too well the folly of trying to escape the Black Racer. While he may not seem intimidating with a design more suited to a cross-country skier than the avatar of death, the Black Racer knows he doesn’t need to be. It is not his appearance that the New Gods fear, but rather what he represented: the inevitable. There came a time when the Old Gods died and the Black Racer is a reminder that one day the reign of the New Gods shall end. There is something inherently Jack Kirby about that idea of constant destruction and renewal, a cycle that has repeated itself across the millennia. He is, in many ways, the personification of what the story of the Fourth World was all about. The Black Racer is also quintessential Kirby in his design invoking the King’s past work on the Silver Surfer, another cosmic entity with distinctly non-cosmic features. His skis, like the Herald of Galactus’ surfboard, represented the joy of riding the waves or slopes of the universe. The clincher and what truly makes the Black Racer deserving of the title of our favorite New God is his role in the Grant Morrison’s JLA: Rock of Ages storyline that featured a horrific dystopian future where “Darkseid is”. In a brief, but memorable appearance the Black Racer is called upon the unmake all of creation as the power of the Genesis Box is unleashed, resetting the universe. The result is the most poetic page of a comic that I have ever read. In the end, Death is the only winner of this game.
What is it about Granny Goodness that makes her such a memorable New God? Perhaps it’s the juxtaposition of a sadist in the guise of a sweet grandmother. There’s something hilariously brilliant about the image of a sweet old woman that’s clad in body armor, clenching a whip and laughing maniacally. Jack Kirby knew how to tap into certain emotions with his characters, and Granny Goodness represents children’s fear of old people. There’s a complexity to her imagery that evokes anxiety, humor, and even a sense of dread. She can be funny to laugh at, but we feel terror when we realize what she can do and what she has done. Terrorizing, and controlling her squad of Female Furies, torturing Mister Miracle when he was a child, and even killing her own dog for Darkseid’s amusement. Darkseid might be the terror of Apokolips, but Granny Goodness is the perfect balance in salty and sweet that makes us shake in our sheets. Also, she was voiced by the great Ed Asner in Superman the Animated Series and Justice League. That alone should make her terrifying.
My favorite of the New Gods would have to be Metron. The God Of Knowledge has the greatest job of all-time, and one that every person in the internet age thinks they have. Traveling space and time in order to gather every bit of knowledge, all from the comfy confines of the Mobius Chair.
This guy literally sits in a chair, without getting fat, and quenches his never ending thirst for knowledge. It’s the exact position that every person using Wikipedia on their phone to win a Facebook argument thinks they’re in.
Unfortunately for Metron, the only thing he didn’t do enough homework on was Batman. During ‘Darkseid War’ he found himself out of the chair, with Batman assuming the role of Knowledge God. Right before ‘Rebirth’ started, Metron seemingly met his demise at the hands of the mysterious Watchmen character pulling the universal strings.
I imagine that means the Mobius Chair is just roaming around looking for another God like a Lantern-less power ring. If that’s the case, I’d like to nominate myself to fill the vacant position. I’ve always sympathized with villains who pursue the conquest of knowledge. There really is no stronger weapon, no greater advantage, than ultimate knowledge.
Knowing might be half the battle, but ultimate knowledge is winning without your opponent even becoming aware they’re a threat. Clearly what I’m getting at is stay in school.
Brandon J. Griffin For Mobius Chair 2018.
“I KNOW It’s The Right Choice”
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle has one of the coolest designs of all the New Gods, and he also has maybe the most interesting backstory (being traded to Darkseid as a child and escaping the fire pits of Apokolips). Tom King describes him as the son of God who was raised by the Devil. If that concept doesn’t hook you, you’re dead inside. And he has the best name that a writer could ever give an escape artist – Scott Free. Everything about his character screams cleverness and originality.
Scott’s willpower and his ability to smile in the face of danger makes him an inspiration to readers of all ages. Just the fact that he’s able to smile after all he’s been through is a testament to his character. He’s the kind of superhero that you want your kids to read about; the kind that shows that you can literally walk through the fires of hell and come out stronger for it.
Plus, I myself am in love with a strong, independent woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone, so I relate to Scott’s relationship with Barda. It gives him yet another layer of depth. Scott has humility, and he’s never resorted to pettiness or sexism even though he was created at a time when the male ego still ran unchecked. He’ll fight for Barda, but he knows (and loves) that she can fight her own battles. He unashamedly respects that his wife can kick his ass. Mister Miracle’s marriage has always been a representation of equality and teamwork, unlike so many of history’s superhero relationships.
He also has one of the best Justice League Unlimited episodes of all time. Seriously, if you’re still unsure who the best New God is, take 20 minutes, head to Netflix, and watch “The Ties That Bind”.
The phrase about “Sins of the Father visited upon their children” never was more perfect than for Orion. The son of Darkseid does everything he can to oppose his father and his followers whenever he can. Orion knows he is one of the few individuals in the entire universe who can stand against Darkseid. Despite having immortality and the ability to tap into the Astro Force, Orion is hindered by the intense rage he received on a genetic level from his father. His skills have been of value to not only the New Gods but also the Justice League.
Orion has many accomplishments under his belt through his run in comics. He procured the Anti-Life Equation, the power Darkseid was looking for the majority of his life and once he had it, he met with him face to face. Showcasing just how an intense fighter Orion is, he was able to kill Darkseid (for a short time at least). Unfortunately, his Darkseid would return and would find a way to defeat his son thanks to a highly advanced technological bullet. As he was dying from the injury, Orion, in an effort to showcase just intense he is, simply says “Fight” before passing away. Luckily, it was hard to keep a New God down and Orion was able to return and offer Wonder Woman support at the start of her New 52 run of comics. Hence why Orion is one of the best characters to come out of the New Gods.
From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-nominated writer of Vision comes a unique new take on one of Jack Kirby’s most beloved New Gods.
Scott Free is the greatest escape artist that ever lived. So great that he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, the former female fury known as Big Barda. Using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, he has made a career for himself showing off his acrobatic escape techniques. He even caught the attention of the Justice League, which counted him among its ranks.
You might say Scott Free has everything…so why isn’t it enough? Mister Miracle has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt, pulled off every trick—except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible? Our hero is going to have to kill himself if he wants to find out.
Written by Tom King (BATMAN) and illustrated by Mitch Gerads (The Punisher), this is a MISTER MIRACLE unlike any you’ve read before.
“There are master magicians performing here. Their names are Tom King and Mitch Gerads. And like the best magic trick, with MISTER MIRACLE, you’ll never see it coming.”
—Brad Meltzer (IDENTITY CRISIS, The Tenth Justice)
“MISTER MIRACLE by King and Gerards will stun you so hard it will knock you to the floor. Then tell you to stand.”
—Declan Shalvey (ALL STAR BATMAN, Injection)
“King and Gerads draw upon the magical lunacy of the Fourth World, while delivering a modern opener that feels like fireworks in the brain.”
—Gail Simone (CLEAN ROOM, BIRDS OF PREY)
“I always light up when I see stellar talent play in the Fourth World playground, so it’s a major thrill to see Tom King and Mitch Gerads tackle and strap a strait jacket to one of the key icons, MISTER MIRACLE.”
—Michael Allred (iZOMBIE, BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER)
With just over two months until the release of Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, Vanity Fair has revealed that Hans Zimmer will write additional music for the sci-fi sequel. Zimmer is possibly the most famous composer in the industry, having worked with some of the greatest directors including Christopher Nolan.
Denis Villeneuve initially enlisted the help of his usual composer Jóhann Jóhannsson for the highly-anticipated Blade Runner sequel. Jóhannsson worked on the director’s previous movies Arrival, Prisoners, and Sicario, all of which were highly praised. While Zimmer is now scoring the project, it seems Jóhannsson is still involved. The report claims that instead of replacing Jóhannsson, Zimmer is simply adding “additional music” to the film.
While it’s not unheard of, it is unusual for composers to change this close to the release date. Until the film is in theatres, we won’t truly know how much of the score will be influenced by Hans Zimmer.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
From executive producer Ridley Scott and director Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas, MacKenzie Davis, Sylvia Hoeks, Lennie James, Carla Juri, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.
Are you excited to hear Zimmer’s work on Blade Runner 2049? Let us know in the comments section below!
It looks like everyone’s favorite Eugenics War superhuman psychopath might be getting a TV series all his own. Nicholas Meyer, writer of Star Trek II, IV, and VI, is reportedly developing a new project based around Khan Noonien Singh, or simply, “KHAAAAN!”
Details for the series are scarce thus far. The limited series would take place between the Star Trek original series episode Space Seed and The Wrath of Khan. Khan and his fellow “genetically superior” warriors struggle to survive for years on the planet Ceti Alpha V, where Kirk and the Enterprise crew leave them until the crew of the U.S.S. Reliant finds them years later.
More recently, Meyer has been involved as a writer on Star Trek: Discovery. However, he quickly moved on from the series to work on his own super secret Trek project. Many assumed it would be a fourth installment in the rebooted film franchise, but that does not seem to be the case anymore.
Khan was originally played by Ricardo Montalban in the original series episode “Space Seed” and in The Wrath of Khan, and by Benedict Cumberbatch in the J.J. Abrams-helmed Star Trek Into Darkness.
Are you excited to see a Khan-centric Trek series? Who should be cast as Khan? Let’s discuss in the comments!
The first two episodes of Game of Thrones’ latest season moved at a wonderful pace. However, “The Queen’s Justice” doesn’t quite match up. The episode contains more repetitive dialogue than action or plot advancement. The interesting and exciting elements took too long to get to. Too many characters in “The Queen’s Justice” have monologues, stating the feelings the audience already knows they have. This wasn’t a bad episode of Game of Thrones – but it did seem to go on forever.
The meeting of Daenerys and Jon met expectations – but nothing more. Certainly, seeing two of the show’s protagonists interact is exciting. Their meeting heralds in an exciting conclusion for Game of Thrones. The problem is that they spent too much time on overly long speeches. Jon and Dany simply rehashed their general characteristics, providing nothing new. Tyrion’s manipulation of the two was fun, to be sure. However, the episode felt a bit bland, restating what we already knew, without providing anything new. Other than a prophesy that Varys may die, that is.
Cersei Lannister got the biggest piece of this episode. The convenient rise of Euron Greyjoy has given Cersei a newfound leg up on Daenerys’ forces. Seeing Cersei kill the final Sand Snake certainly gives her vengeance and closure on her daughter’s death. However, Game of Thrones gives Cersei an overly long monologue about the matter. Following that, it focuses on Cersei talking to the Iron Bank for longer than needed. Cersei’s more vindictive actions were diluted with unnecessary chatter.
The death of Lady Olenna Tyrell was also dragged out for too long. Olenna definitely deserved a big death scene, and this mostly delivers. The way she drops Joffrey’s death on Jaime is intensely powerful. However, the scene is bogged down by death tropes. A lot of Olenna’s speech feels cliche, and too on the nose for the situation. The Joffrey dig was the only moment of true ferocity we see. Olenna’s big death scene is well-deserved, but it could’ve been better.
Sansa and Bran’s reunion was profoundly odd. Bran meeting his sister to discuss her awful marriage seems like a huge misstep. It makes sense that Bran would lose some of his social graces once becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. However, if he can see everything, he knows that Sansa’s marriage to Ramsay was hardly wonderful. The callback seems uncharacteristic, and only serves to bring Sansa back down a peg. It’s very strange that Game of Thrones would want fans to remember a scene almost no one liked.
Game of Thrones has never shied away from speeches or dialogue. Often times, it’s just a treat to see our favorite characters outwit each other. However, it doesn’t work in “The Queen’s Justice” because it’s noticeably slower. With so much action packed into earlier episodes this season, we know what we’re missing. Many moments in “The Queen’s Justice” could have been expedited, leaving room for more. An otherwise great episode is oversaturated with speeches.
