With a new month upon us and ‘Wonder Woman‘ about to make history at the box office, June is set to be the hottest month of the Summer Movie Season. Here are ten other choices that should definitely be on your radar as well.
Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler star as a couple of clueless parents who are trying to raise money for their daughter’s tuition by starting an underground casino. This looks funny but I am concerned with it going up against the new Despicable Me movie.
AfterShock Comics have taken the mantle of Vertigo in producing high-quality comics for maturer audiences from the crude satire of Jimmy’s Bastards to grim re-imagining of Arthurian legend in Unholy Grail. With The Normals, writer: Alan Glass and artist:Dennis Calero, bring us the publisher’s take on the psychological thriller as seen through a contemporary sci-fi lens. At its heart, The Normals is a book about our perception of reality, how it shapes us and how we copes with that reality being undermined by external factors. Does the series have what it takes to get live up to its high concept premise or will it become eclipsed by its own potential.
AfterShock Comics pitches The Normals as a man whose life as he knew it never happened and who now must struggle to determine what his reality truly is. Indeed, without going into spoilers that quest for one’s identity and sense of meaning is central to the story, but the book leaves us with a sense that the revelation that incites these events might have been better borne out over a few issues. From a pacing perspective, taking into account potential revelations in future issues, the mystery behind the series has been revealed too soon for it to have any true impact. The suspense itself is thrilling in the moment, but the book never allows its central question or mystery to linger in our minds. Instant gratification may satiate our desire to know, but at the expense of the story itself. Which is a shame because outside of the clunky expository sections, the characters feel quite substantial and human in their interactions. Their dialogue is natural and flows in a way that many other comics struggle with. Glass has expertly built a family of characters that we care about, but the importance they place on solving the book’s core mystery never translates to the audience. We care for them, if not their plight.
From an art perspective, The Normals impresses smooth visuals that lull the reader into a false sense of security. In refraining from engaging in hyper-stylized visual or overly complicated techniques, Calero channels the mundanity of suburbia into every panel. From the artwork alone its clear that there is some unsettling about this brand of middle-class life even before The Normal’s more fantastical elements. A neighbour’s kind wave or plastic smile has hidden meaning and Calero manages to convey that unspoken artificiality to those interactions. As the series’ more sci-fi element begin to emerge, it will be interesting to see if the art evolves to match the family’s new understanding of reality as their seemingly normal life unravels around them. A tonal and stylistic shift of that nature could resonate well with the book’s thematic goals if executed properly.
The Normals is the kind of story that The Twilight Zone used to invoke an inherent unease about the reality around you and leaves you questioning many of the assumptions we make about the world. A tale in which the world as you know it seems to have changed utterly and yet you are the only one to notice. Suspenseful thrillers of the kind inevitably instill intrigue in their readers, but it is often that the build-up is more satisfying than the revelation itself. Fortunately, The Normals doesn’t fall wholly into that trap. It manages to successfully recall the sinister undertones of the best psychological horror stories, even if it does not radically bring anything new to the table.
This weekend, Wizard World Philadelphia honored comic book legend Rob Liefeld. He became the first inductee to the Wizard World: Hall Of Legends.
Liefeld took the stage Friday afternoon and spoke of his humble beginnings as a young comic fan trading for issues of Fantastic Four at a local liquor store. The controversial creator has come a long way and is responsible for a number of crucial comic creations.
Liefeld became a household name in the 90s. After a dominant stint on The New Mutants, he launched the popular X-Force series. The first issue of the series sold five million copies and is still one of the highest selling comic books to this day.
Rob left Marvel behind in 1992 to form Image Comics with other major comic book talent. Some of his most celebrated creations include Cable, Shatterstar, Youngblood, and of course Deadpool.
After receiving his award, Liefeld was joined on stage by a collection of various Deadpool cosplayers. A warm reception from the crowd met the enthusiastic inductee as he shared more stories of fatherhood, comic books, and what it’s like to have one of your creations on your own wallet.
Rob Liefeld may not have been the most popular person in the industry, but you can’t deny the major role he played in what comics looked like in the 90s.
Stay tuned for more Wizard World Philadelphia coverage as our own Brandon J. Griffin is there all weekend!
With the positive critical and fan reactions to the new Wonder Woman movie and Joss Whedon’s plans to make a Batgirl movie, one wonders if studio execs will have room for Batwoman, the original batty lady from 1956’s Detective Comics #233.
Batwoman has an unlikely origin story. Katherine Kane, an adept stunt motorcyclist and trapeze-artist employed by the circus, idolizes Batman and longs to put her acrobatic and riding skills to use as a vigilante crime-fighter. But, and this is the same reason that I didn’t go into vigilante crime-fighting, she just can’t afford the lifestyle. Luckily, an inheritance from a nameless benefactor comes Kathy’s way, and she resolves to use her wealth to become Batwoman, augmenting Batman’s crusade against crime with a feminine presence.
Batwoman’s first appearance sees her stopping a couple of thugs from stealing fare receipts (for some reason) from an airport. She subdues the crooks before Batman and Robin even make the scene, a true testament to her abilities. Unfortunately, her crime-fighting methods left this the contemporary reader groaning. Using a large powder puff (groan) like a smoke bomb, she subdues both thieves and secures them with her steel handcuffs that are disguised as charm bracelets (groan again).
As Batwoman disappears on her motorbike, Batman (like a true patriarch) reminds her of a Gotham City municipal law that states that nobody can wear a Batman costume except Batman himself. As Batwoman disappears in a cloud of exhaust, she reminds Batman that the law refers only to men, and not women.
The following night, Batwoman succeeds in saving Batman’s life during an attempted diamond robbery at a movie premiere. Using her compact-mirror (GROAN!), she dazzles a gunman who has Batman dead to rights. The split-second distraction offers Batman a chance to take the thief down. Batwoman then saves Batman and Robin’s lives a second time by using her perfume flask (are you kidding me?!) as a smoke bomb, overpowering the remaining jewel thieves who are in the act of trying to run the dynamic duo down with a car.
Quite intuitively considering Katherine Kane doesn’t necessarily know about the Batcave, she uses her newfound wealth to buy a mansion with a system of mining tunnels beneath it. Kane then uses these mines as her own personal Batcave, a life-size portrait of her in full costume adorning the entrance.
But, upstairs in the mansion a party is in full swing. Kathy, throwing a party for Gotham’s elite crowd has invited, among others, playboy Bruce Wayne. The two share a moment together on the dance floor, possibly the inspiration for a similar scene in Batman Returns involving Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, during which they both feel an urge to tell the other of their secret identities. But, the moment is interrupted by the bat signal, and both socialites hastily excuse themselves from the party.
Even though Batwoman again succeeds in saving Batman’s life and then captures three criminals attempting to rob the Gotham City mint, Batman paternally decides that Batwoman is too green for the game. The next night, after determining Batwoman’s identity and crashing her Batcave, Batman threatens to reveal Batwoman as Katherine Kane if she continues her crusade, noting that like himself criminals may also determine her identity.
Batwoman agrees, and then in a slightly confusing wrap-up, she reveals that her giant portrait is actually a body scanner that records the vital statistics of anyone who enters her cave. With this information, she claims, she could determine who Batman and Robin truly are. But, because she has so much respect for the dynamic duo, she tells them she won’t. Batman and Robin thank Kane for her cooperation and leave her alone in her cave, but on their way home Batman tells Robin that he knew about the scanner all along and overexposed Kane’s film, making it worthless, before they confronted her.
As a final commemoration of her short crime-fighting career, Kane gives Batman her life-size portrait. A rather bashful Batman describes it as “an–er–interesting trophy.”
This tale is the work of long-time Batman writer Edmond Hamilton and long-time Batman penciler Sheldon Moldoff. I’ve already mentioned the groan-worthy chauvinism of Batwoman’s utility purse (yes, purse) that this creative team has to answer for. But, aside from the overly “feminine” nature of her bag of tricks and Batman’s macho response to Kane horning in on his racket, Hamilton and Moldoff portray a very resourceful and clever character who comes off in this issue as better at crime-fighting than the dynamic duo themselves.
Finally, much like Hamilton’s story from 1952 in which Superman and Batman learn each other’s identity, there isn’t much of a villain in this one. And, though the lack of a villain gives readers an opportunity to get to know Batwoman, it makes for a kind of boring plot.
DARK DAYS: THE FORGE #1Based in Guelph, Ontario, Royal City Brewing has been open since 2014. And, with a couple of years under their belt, this young brewery has already secured a couple of Ontario Brewing Awards. With a number of brews on offer, it can be difficult to pick which one to try. But, having never tried a Smoked Honey ale before, I picked one up in the interest of science.
Smoked Honey pours a dark cola-brown with a bit of head that dissipates and leaves very little foam behind. I smell burnt caramel as I take my first sip and taste a licorice bitter-sweetness. This brew is surprisingly thin with very little carbonation, providing a watery mouthfeel with just a bit of fizz. Smoked Honey’s honey flavour is more noticeable to me than its smoked flavour, which is very subtle.
Almost chewy with sediment at the bottom of my glass, this is a full-bodied beer. The bottle that advertises this brew’s natural cloudiness tells no lies. The bottle also suggests enjoying this brew with hard or smoked cheeses, barbecue, and soft fruit. But, because of its semi-sweet flavour and heaviness, I suggest enjoying this brew with a mild-tasting soft cheese. That said, in terms of the barbecue, this beer’s sweetness also helps it also pair well with steaks or and roasted vegetables.
In 500-mL bottles at 5.5% ABV, this is a beer that’s best highlighted as part of a beer-drinking menu rather than being the main beer-drinking fare. Although you’ll certainly impress your friends if you serve this at your next barbecue, you’ll probably also get a few odd looks. You’ll want to pour this beer into a glass since its aroma is one thing that makes this beer unique.
After the recent return of fan-favorite character Slade Wilson/Deathstroke in the Arrow season 5 finale, actor Manu Bennett has taken to Twitter to put out there the idea of a solo TV show for the anti-hero.
Bennett even got the support of the character’s creator, Marv Wolfman.
Much appreciated, Manu. I love Deathstroke and I was overjoyed to see your return and would love to see you do more.
— Marv Wolfman (@marvwolfman) June 1, 2017
Deathstroke was the main antagonist of season 2 and has had a rollercoaster relationship with Oliver Queen/Green Arrow; going from enemy to mentor to friend to enemy to…’it’s complicated”.
Personally, I always loved Bennett as Wilson, and think he was probably my favorite ‘Big Bad‘. Even if he doesn’t get his own show, I would love to see Deathstroke return to the Arrowverse in a much more regular role. A solo show for him could work if perhaps he became a ‘black ops’ member of Team Arrow, globe-trotting and handling the kind of dirty wet works the regular members could not. Or he could even join the Legends of Tomorrow!
What do you guys think? Comment and discuss below!
Sam Underwood joins season three of ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ and the actor called the Monkey Fighting Robots hotline to talk about why he joined the show and what viewers can expect in a ‘no one’s safe’ season.
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ has displayed more religious overtones than the original series and Underwood’s character Jake, appear to be playing Abel to Troy’s Cain.
‘Oh sure, I mean there’s so many parallels as Cain and Abel, there are qualities ‘Of Mice and Men,’ there’s also I know that the idea of leadership is coming in as well. The idea of a struggle for power was definitely, there was a Godfather referenced that Dave Erikson and I kind of chatted about in terms of setting up a sense of tension between the brothers, as the idea of leadership plays down the line. There’s definitely these, a lot of really interesting character parallels and I think Cain and Abel is definitely, definitely one of them. Cain and Abel is definitely more of a danger and I suppose Godfather is as well. There’s a danger to that and I think that Troy definitely poses a sense of danger that Jake is definitely not a part of from an ethical standpoint. Whatever attention that’s going to continue to build, (…) we will have to wait and see,” said Underwood.
Listen to the complete Sam Underwood interview below:
About Season Three:
Heading into its third season, “Fear” has solidified itself as the #2 drama in ad-supported cable among adults 25-54. The series is executive produced by showrunner Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert and stars Kim Dickens as Madison, Cliff Curtis as Travis, Frank Dillane as Nick, Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia, Mercedes Mason as Ofelia, Colman Domingo as Strand and Danay Garcia as Luciana. Joining the cast as series regulars for season three are Dayton Callie (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Deadwood”), Daniel Sharman (“The Originals,” “Teen Wolf”) and Sam Underwood (“The Following”), who will play the Otto family, founders of a survivalist organization who prepared for the fall of democracy, but didn’t anticipate the rise of the dead, as well as Lisandra Tena (“Chicago P.D.”) as Lola Guerrero.
As “Fear the Walking Dead” returns for Season 3, our families will be brought together in the vibrant and violent ecotone of the U.S.-Mexico border. International lines done away with following the world’s end, our characters must attempt to rebuild not only society, but family as well. Madison has reconnected with Travis, but Alicia has been fractured by her murder of Andres. Mere miles from his mother, Nick’s first action as a leader saw Luciana ambushed by an American militia group – the couple escaped death but Nick no longer feels immortal. Recovering both emotionally and physically, Strand has his sights set on harnessing the new world’s currency, and Ofelia’s captivity will test her ability to survive and see if she can muster the savagery of her father.
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ returns June 4 with a two-hour premiere on AMC.
Disney has given fans a plan of its layout for this year’s D23. Down below I’ve broken them down by simple categories.
“If you’re a Marvel fan, make sure to add these two panels to your must-do list! On Friday, July 14 at 1:15 p.m., Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer of Marvel, will take the stage in the D23 Expo Arena for Cup o’ Joe, a no-holds-barred panel on everything Marvel. Later that day, Marvel Animation will hold a surprise-filled panel of sneak peeks, special guests, exclusive footage, and big announcements about the future of Marvel Animation on Stage 28 at 6 p.m.”
“Get a closer look at some of the costumes from two highly anticipated Marvel Studios films: Thor: Ragnarok, debuting this November, and Black Panther, in theaters 2018. Plus, explore some of the props from the upcoming Thor film and don’t miss photo opps with exclusive set pieces from the movie. Throughout the weekend, Marvel Studios will host multiple giveaways and events, and even give fans a chance to meet with Marvel Studios’ filmmakers, development team, and talent. Details on talent appearances and special signings will be made available in the D23 Expo App (available soon!).”
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 is an all-new, original adventure and sequel to the smash hit LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes. Bringing together iconic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from different eras and realities, along with signature LEGO humor, the latest epic adventure from TT Games transports players into a cosmic battle across myriad Marvel locations ripped from time and space into the incredible open hub world of Chronopolis.
Adding to the infinitely exciting D23 Expo activities at the Marvel booth, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will offer attendees hands-on opportunities with the next era of the highly revered action-fighting game series. Marvel and Capcom universes collide like never before as iconic characters team up for action-packed player-versus-player combat.
Gazillion will offer a chance to play Marvel Heroes Omega and win fantastic prizes. Marvel Heroes Omega combines the core gameplay style of Action-RPGs (Role-Playing Games) and MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games) with an expansive library of heroes from the Marvel Universe.
Netmarble is bringing all the best to D23 Expo with MARVEL: Future Fight. Featuring 120 Marvel Super Heroes to choose from, players create teams of their favorites to fight for their future. D23 Expo attendees can drop by the Netmarble booth and try their hand at saving the universe.
Marvel Puzzle Quest is where the best in match-3 puzzle gameplay meets Marvel’s biggest Super Heroes and Super Villains in the most epic puzzle adventure game out on your phone, tablet, and PC. Marvel Puzzle Quest combines favorite Marvel characters with deep RPG leveling, player-vs-player tournaments, Alliances, and much more.
For more information on this year’s show, visit the official D23 website.
The Expo is held at the Anaheim Convention Center from July 14-16.
Given Wonder Woman’s longevity and popularity, it’s amazing that it’s taken until June 2017 for the Amazonian Princess to receive her own, solo, live-action film. It’s especially astonishing when you consider the fact that if there were a Mount Rushmore of superheroes, it would include the characters of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Spider-Man. As the lone female of these four icons, Wonder Woman is the only one of the four who has yet to receive a theatrically released film, while the other three have not only starred in multiple movies but have been staples on the silver screen for so long that they’ve constituted reboots. (In the cases of Batman and Spider-Man, multiple reboots.)
I’ve said before in previous articles that a lot was riding on Wonder Woman. Not only because this is her first movie, but also because this is the fist, true, female-led superhero film to be widely released in almost a decade, following on the heels of the critically panned Elektra and Catwoman. Movie studios have been notoriously hesitant to create a film centered around a woman superhero due to these previous failures, and if this movie – starring the most famously iconic woman in comic book lore – were to be negatively received, there was a very real chance that production companies would have become even more hesitant to finance these female-driven pictures. The fate of the DC Films universe was also resting on the shoulders of this movie due to the fact that its previous three entries – Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad – were all critically panned and extremely divisive amongst fans of the superhero genre, despite the fact that all of them were box office successes. (For the record, as I’ve mentioned in other articles, I’ve been a fan of each DCEU installment up until this point, although I can see why people haven’t been.) If this film were to be negatively received, there was a very real possibility that Warner Bros. could have put the brakes on their still fledgling universe and change course, creating an even longer wait for fans of the brand who’ve waited decades to see their favorite heroes brought to the big screen.
Being provided the task of delivering a hero that everyone, especially girls and women, could look up to, in addition to a fulfilling a desire that DCEU fans had to receive a movie that would be accepted critically and by the mainstream audience, Wonder Woman had a lot of pressure on its shoulders. I am ecstatic and extremely relieved, to report that – like its titular character – the film not only carries this pressure with grace and dignity, but delivers an earnest, charismatic, exciting origin story full of hope, heart, and – yes – even wonder.
