Season two of Marvel’s Luke Cage has begun production, according to OnLocationVacations.com.
The first batch of filming is being done at a Broadway stage in Brooklyn, NY.
Luke Cage stars Mike Colter, Simone Messick, Theo Rossi, Frank Whaley, Alfre Woodard, and Rosario Dawson. Season two will launch on Netflix in 2018.
Are you looking forward to the second chapter of Luke Cage‘s journey? Given that this takes place after The Defenders, could we see Iron Fist pop in and deliver some Heroes for Hire action? Sound off in the comments below.
Okay by now if you’re a DC Comics/Batman fan, you might have either already read the issue in question (Batman#24) or have seen the news spoiled all over the internet. But if you haven’t, the big news is our beloved Caped Crusader has asked Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, to marry him.
Image courtesy of USA Today. (Art: David Finch, DC Comics)
You can read some facts and comments from writer Tom King about it here, and check out my review of the excellent issue here. But right now I just want to give you my opinion about the very specific proposal moment at the end. Now, I’m a Batman from way back and I am well aware of his many different alternate Earth incarnations, some of which do have him marrying Selina Kyle (in fact one of The Huntress’ origins is as their daughter!). But THIS event is happening in the main DCU, and that, especially in the Rebirth era, is a first. I for one think it’s a ‘brave and bold’ move. Tom King has shown that he fundamentally understands Batman/Bruce Wayne on many levels. He has shown us the bad-ass, the wise-ass, the word’s greatest detective, and even the father figure. Now he is showing us the lover. And by that, I mean not just in the physical sense, though he has shown us a quite sensuous rooftop encounter between Bruce and Selina before. No, what he is showing us now is a Bruce Wayne who is willing to explore areas of his life previously ignored. Perhaps urged by the advice of his father (the Flashpoint Batman) to find happiness, and not be ‘Batman’, Bruce has taken the first tentative steps in finding a happiness that doesn’t involve the self-destructive behavior of putting on a costume to risk his life on a nightly basis. This only adds depth to an already deep well of a character.
Catwoman has also been a consistent emotional and story point presence since King started on this title, so the moment does not feel out of place or out of character for either Batman or Catwoman. It works as the natural progression of a story. People are going to scream about it being a publicity stunt, but I don’t see it that way. The news wasn’t hyped up like so much “game changing” comic book stories are these days and most of us really only heard about a day before it happened (which is about the best we can ask for in this age of the internet). So I for one can get behind it. At the very least it’s going to take the title into an interesting direction and continues the work that Tom King is doing; exploring one of comics’ most complex characters from as many angles as he can.
So please, comment and discuss. Keep it civil but passionate. After all, talking comics is half the fun of reading them!
Batman and Gotham Girl share a quiet moment as they discuss what step she should take next. But Bruce’s own thoughts and recent experiences weight heavily on him, as he too struggles with where his life and choices have taken him. Can a man who dresses as a bat and prowls the night find happiness. Can he find love? And how does Selina Kyle, Catwoman, figure into it all?
Batman #24
“Every Epilogue Is A Prelude” Written by: Tom King Art: David Finch, Danny Miki, Clay Mann, and Seth Mann Colored by: Jordie Bellaire Publisher: DC Comics
Man does Tom King know how to keep things going on this title. He can craft tense, action-packed narratives like “I Am Bane”, weird, dark, and horror-tinged Vertigo influenced chapters like the Swamp Thing-centric “The Brave and The Mold”, and then he can bring the feels in a quite yet emotionally powerful moment like this week’s issue. Batman #24 is one of the most personal and character developing issues of Batman EVER, and here are 11 reasons not to miss what is destined to be a classic and much talked about issue.
Page from Batman #24
The narrative structure Tom King creates is a thing of elegance. It feels like you’re listening to two people talk (they just happened to be wearing costumes and luring on high rise rooftops).
David Finch’s gorgeous pencils are equally good at emotional close-ups and huge moments.
“Never understood that. He always says that, but I don’t know. Does any good come from flying up, up and away?”
Jordie Bellaire’s colors are vital, and a perfect example of color as comics “cinematography”
The panel layouts in this issue create such a delicate flow. Perfectly paced for the emotional story being told.
Gotham Girl is a great creation, and her relationship with Batman is unique. Glad to see her sticking around.
I think David Finch may draw my favorite depiction of Gotham City in the modern era.
King is a clever writer and I can’t help but think this chapter’s title “Every Epilogue Is A Prelude” will have multiple meanings when we look back at it in the future.
The back and forth between Batman and Catwoman that Tom King excels at. He totally captures that there are two people that really know, care, and yet also ‘push’ each other.
That final, last splash page of Batman, on bended knee, asking Selina to marry him has perfect composition, coloring, and atmosphere.
The fact that the next arc is a flashback arc, and we will have to wait to see what happens with that ending!
No bones about it, this issue is gong to be very decisive amongst fans. But I find that it works when you trace the EMOTIONAL arc King has been taking Batman/Bruce Wayne on since he took over the title. All I know is Batman makes me want to keep reading, and that is the stuff of great comics.
Disney is releasing Star Wars: The Last Jedi a day early in the United Kingdom, according to Heroic Hollywood.
The film will be hitting theaters on December 14, rather than December 15.
North American residents will have to surf the web with caution on that day, or risk having major spoilers from Episode VIII be revealed on sites such as Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran, and Lupita Nyong’o.
It Comes At Night is an average horror film that’s being presented as if it’s some edgy tale of terror.
Summary
The film centers on Paul (Joel Edgerton), his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), and their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Apparently, the apocalypse has happened, and there’s some mysterious disease that is affecting humans. Anyone who contracts this disease ends up getting these festering boils and begin to vomit blood (yep, kinda gross). It’s at this juncture that nearly everyone in the theater is waiting for the zombies to show up but alas, nothing. The disease begins to impact Paul’s family as Sarah’s dad somehow contracts the illness and he begins to spiral out of control. Paul and Travis take him out to a nearby field to end his misery by shooting him in the temple and burning his remains. Just as the family is trying to recover from having to essentially euthanize their grandfather, they now have to deal with a strange man trying to break into their home. They eventually track down Will (Christopher Abbott) and realize he’s less hostile and more desperate to find food and shelter for his family. Paul finally agrees to help his family in exchange for livestock that hasn’t been affected by this apocalyptic plague. Eventually, the families begin to converge and begin to live together. It’s at this point that things go from bad to worse.
What Worked
Director Trey Edward Shults decision to have most of the film unfold inside Paul’s family compound was the right call. It gave the audience a feeling of being both trapped and heightened the paranoia of the narrative.
Loved the dark and monochrome color pallet that Shults choose.
The soundtrack was put together well. The music was both stirring and scary as hell. Brian McOmber deserves much praise.
What Didn’t Work
Shults attempted to create a narrative that was smartly constructed, much in the way Jordan Peele wrote Get Out. Instead of a story that was well crafted, unique, and frightening, what we got was more of the same. There is nothing in the film that separates itself from the rest of the psychologically based horror movies.
With the exception of Paul, the rest of the characters in the film are entirely forgettable. It’s as if Shults was attempting to finish up his mad-libs horror edition when he wrote this script.
Shults is trying to heighten the paranoia of the audience by not exactly revealing what’s causing all these people to get sick. While I can understand the need to keep things somewhat muddled, you can’t just have people straight up getting sick for no reason. The audience needs to be let in on what’s going on, even if it’s just slightly. Is it Zombies? Is it some flesh eating bacteria? Let someone in on what’s happening! Shults avoided explaining much of the exposition of this story, and it just left us asking more questions. Why did they need the gas masks? How did they end up in the middle woods? Why is it they burn the bodies after shooting them in the head?
Why is it that most of the terror was only seen through Paul’s son? Anyone who has watched a fair selection of horror films has seen that horror trope quite a number of times.
Overall
Some critics are rushing to anoint It Comes At Night as this smartly written horror film in the same way critics gushed over Get Out. In fact, as of Tuesday, the A24 release has a rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Before anyone starts throwing a party and allowing the cast to take a victory lap, can we just take a moment and think? How exactly is this film any different than any typical psychologically based horror film? What does this horror film accomplish that others do not? I can answer that question about Get Out but draw a huge blank when it applies to It Comes At Night. The reason is that Joel Edgerton’s latest film is just like most psychologically based horror films. An average narrative with a fairly familiar ending. These days, with the quality of horror films being released, average just isn’t good enough.
You know that sinking feeling you get when you witness the destruction of an entire planet? Rodimus and company are about to feel that. Hardcore.
Writing
Before I begin this review, I’d like to give a shout out to Mairghread Scott and the recent cancellation of Transformers: Til All Are One. It was great book which featured a wonderful look at life on Cybertron. It started slow but had some very memorable issues and set up plot lines which shouldn’t be abandoned but should expanded on. Now onto the review of another intense Transformers comic.
The issue finishes up the recent story of a small team in another dimension where the Functionalists were never taken down. As Brainstorm finds a way to bring everyone home, it becomes a race against time to take down the bad guys but not get trapped in another dimension in the process. Writer James Roberts finds a way to mix the action and tension together with a dash of comedy to lighten the mood at just the right moment. This is employed thanks to Rodimus who finds ways to be humorous despite the carnage going around around him.
The main draw of this issue is a major change for Megatron. There will be no spoilers here, but if you are a fan of the character and have been enjoying the new direction they have been going with him, then you can’t afford to miss this issue. Of course given how tight the story telling can be, skipping an issue of this series is never recommended.
Artwork
The art team of Jack Lawrence on art and Joana Lafuente on colors produces some very memorable pages. One of the most impressive involves the alternate universe Rung, trying a last ditch effort to save the day in an incredible memorable splash page. Also, the detail work showcasing the damage characters take in the course of the battle are particularly impressive.
Conclusion
Transformers: Lost Light #6 serves as a must for Megatron fans and reminds us all of the fun you can have with these characters. When it comes to this series, the perfect mix of action, drama, and comedy with the right art always delivers a phenomenal issue. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go mourn the passing of Transformers: Til All Are One, a comic taking too soon from the fans.
Steve Trevor goes out with a bang in Wonder Woman, but is that the last we’ll see of him?
Warner Brothers is looking at the possibility of Chris Pine coming back, according to reports.
In a Fandango interview, director Patty Jenkins addresses a possible sequel and whether or not Pine will return. She indicates the plan is to set the next one in modern times, but she won’t go into specifics.
“All I can say is it was a dilemma. It’s something I hope we don’t talk about in the public,” she says. “I want people to see, but it’s very hard to know which characters will be in the next movie because of the time period, so it’s a big question.”
Pine is said to be signed to a multi-film deal, so there is a possibility of returning. In the comics, Steve dies a number of times over the years, but DC Comics manages to find ways to revive him. For example, the character got killed off in 1968, but Aphrodite brings him back to life years later. In 1978, Steve dies yet again, but he returns in 1980.
While the DCEU’s Steve was single, it is unlikely we’ll see a son or grandson in future movies. However, it is possible a descendant of Trevor might appear. While it won’t be a grandson, it could be a great-nephew or some other relation.
During an interview, Pine jokingly hints at a potential spin-off. “The movie’s gotta come out, and then we’ll see,” he says. “What about Wonder Man?”
Should Steve Trevor return to the DCEU in some form? Share your thoughts!
Yesterday Chris Hemsworth posted a video to his Instagram account of a “secret Avengers” rehearsal from the set of Avengers: Infinity War. He was less than pleased to be left out of such a momentous occasion.
A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) on
Thor has been left out of too many Avengers fights, and Hemsworth has CLEARLY had enough of the team. Most of the team. Mostly just Cap and Iron Man, actually. Good to know Thor and the Hulk will be back for Infinity War, especially since they’re “chums now”. Apparently Falcon and Bucky had managed to get on the God’s good side, as well.
Thor And Darryl Forever
This video is only the latest in Hemsworth’s hilarious “behind the scenes” series. Shortly after Civil War, he and Marvel worked together on a short video called “Civil War: Team Thor” which revealed what the Asgardian had been up to while Tony and Steve worked out their “relationship problems”.
Maybe now we’ll get a video about how Darryl keeps busy during Ragnarok and Infinity War.
The CW’s Supergirl announced Odette Annable as the newest addition to the season three cast, according to Variety online. Annable signed on as next season’s big bad, the worldkiller “Reign”
Supergirl Gets Bigger and Badder
Since the show moved to the CW at the beginning of season two, Supergirl has proven its staying power in the DC television universe. Over the course of season two, the show had crossover events with all three of CW’s other DC shows: Arrow, Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. As a World Killer, Reign could easily lead to more crossovers for season three. The character was introduced in Supergirl‘s New 52 reboot, and her story ran parallel to Doomsday, the Superman villain who eventually killed the hero.
According to Variety, Annable’s iteration of the character shares a backstory with the comics version, though they will look much different in their costumes. So far, all Supergirl‘s characters were given costume changes that helped them “blend in” on Earth, regardless of their planet of origin. Apparently Reign’s look will follow the pattern.
Annable has been on the radar for Supergirl executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg for some time. “Greg and I have wanted to work with Odette for years. We are beyond excited to have her join our cast in the scary, powerful and heartbreaking role of Reign.”
Based on DC comics, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist (Kara Danvers), Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers), David Harewood (J’onn J’onzz), Katie McGrath (Lena Luthor), Mehcad Brooks (Jimmy Olsen), and Jeremy Jordan Winn Schott). The show premiered on CBS before transferring to the CW. Season three was confirmed in January, though a return date has yet to be announced.
Batman issue 24 hits stores tomorrow, but the issue’s cliffhanger ending has already hit the internet: Bruce Wayne asks Selina Kyle, Catwoman, to marry him.
View the issue’s final page here:
Image courtesy of USA Today. (Art: David Finch, DC Comics)
Writer Tom King had plenty to say on the subject. USA Today got the exclusive:
It’s the culmination of their 75-year relationship “into one unprecedented moment,” says Batman writer Tom King. “I want people to go home and be like, ‘Should she marry him? Should she say yes?’ There’s a whole conversation that could come out of this.”
“Everyone’s done vengeance, everyone’s done ‘The night is so dark,’ ” King says. “Giving Batman more pain doesn’t reveal anything about his character because he’s taken as much pain as he can. But giving him love and joy, that combines with the tragedy of his past into something new and never done before.”
“Catwoman is someone who’s seen his pain and has been through stuff as bad as he has been through,” King says. “She says, ‘Look, both of us are broken, but we can be broken together.’ ”
King’s run on the book has focused heavily on the relationship between Bruce and Selina; issue 24 is just the culmination of that. Fans will have to wait to hear Catwoman’s answer though. Issue 25 starts “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” a flashback tale. USA Today reports, “Batman tells Catwoman that before she marries him, he needs to tell her about his darkest moment.”
What are your thoughts on the news? Should Batman marry? Keep it tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for more coverage of this event when Batman hits shelves tomorrow.
Batman #24
No bones about it, this issue is gong to be very decisive amongst fans. But I find that it works when you trace the EMOTIONAL arc King has been taking Batman/Bruce Wayne on since he took over the title. All I know is Batman makes me want to keep reading, and that is the stuff of great comics.
