Harley Quinn: DC Reveals Stylish New Digital-First Series

Harley Quinn is getting a new comic book series, but with a twist. DC has revealed Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red, a digital-first anthology series where every story is rendered in only those three colors. Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red will feature a rotating team of creators, with the first story written and drawn by Harleen creator Stjepan Šejić. Dubbed "Harleen: Red," this story is a spinoff from that DC Black Label book and will offer a deeper look at Harleen Quinzel's troubled mind. You can check out a preview of that story in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=harley-quinn-black-white-red-gives-harley-a-stylish-makeover&captions=true"] The series will span 14 chapters in all, with upcoming stories featuring the likes of Harley co-creator Paul Dini, Harley Quinn New 52 team of Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner and Chad Hardin, Miles Morales: Spider-Man writer Saladin Ahmed, Dial H for Hero artist Joe Quinones and History of the Marvel Universe artist Javier Rodriguez. Much like DC's Batman: Black & White series, Harley Quinn: Black + White+ Red is aimed at allowing creators to put a personal artistic spin on the character in a continuity-free setting. “This is such a cool series with killer art,” said DC Executive Editor Mark Doyle in a statement. “Senior Editor Chris Conroy had the idea to riff on the classic Batman: Black & White series but to do it with Harley in that irreverent, fun way that only Harley can do—and DC Digital First seemed like the perfect format to tell these stories.” The series' first chapter is available to purchase now on ReadDC.com, ComiXology and other digital comics retailers, with new chapters releasing every Friday. DC hasn't yet announced whether Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red will be released in print form, but based on past digital-first projects, we'd assume a print series will follow later in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/26/joker-war-why-batmans-worst-enemy-is-finally-ready-to-finish-their-game"] This is just the latest digital-first series DC has added to its lineup in recent months. DCeased: Hope at World's End is a spinoff of the original zombie-centric series, one that fleshes out a lost period of time from the first story. The publisher also expanded its digital-first program to feature daily new releases, spotlighting popular heroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. For more on what's new in the DCU, find out how Dark Nights: Death Metal is tying together 80 years of history and learn more about what's coming in the epic Batman: Joker War crossover. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Rocket League Streamer Shocked By Lightning Strike During Stream

A professional Rocket League player was apparently shocked by a lightning strike while they playing the game live on stream. Twitch streamer Karma's neighbour's house was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm and, as a result, the jolt appears to have travelled into her room and hit the controller she was using to play the game. Karma was not on camera at the time of the strike, but can be heard reacting to it (Content warning: Some viewers may find the footage disturbing). You can hear Karma explaining the situation in a subsequent clip from her stream here, where she talks about how the lightning may have travelled into her house, causing the controller to spark and burn her hands. The streamer sought medical attention after the event and thankfully, she has since told her fans on Twitter that she is fine. The streamer was casting a Rocket League series when the strike occurred, and the controller she was holding is now broken as a result. We hope Karma makes a speedy recovery. In other Rocket League-adjacent news, check out this unlicensed Quidditch-Rocket League hybrid game that was recently pulled from Steam. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Hideo Kojima Tweet Suggests the Director Could Be Working on a New Death Stranding Game

Hideo Kojima has tweeted out part of his process for designing a "new title", with one image suggesting that Kojima Productions' next game could be set within the Death Stranding universe. Kojima has explained that he's working on a new concept with longtime collaborator and Kojima Productions art director Yoji Shinkawa, and keen-eyed fans have spotted that one piece of concept art features a vehicle with a prominent 'BRIDGES' logo emblazoned on the side (BRIDGES being the organization Norman Reedus' Sam works for in Death Stranding): Naturally, people are now wondering whether the legendary director is planning on making an immediate return for a Death Stranding sequel of some kind. Kojima has previously said that he'd be open to returning to the Death Stranding universe, but explained that he'd 'start from zero' if he did, seemingly indicating that a new game wouldn't continue the plot of the first. Kojima recently scrapped a big project and is now in the planning phase of his next game - it's not clear just yet what shape that game will take, but by these concepts, it looks like it may be related to Death Stranding in some fashion. As can be seen in the below tweet, despite the fact that they're both working from home, Kojima is working on a new title with Kojima Productions Art Director Yoji Shinkawa, going back and forth and discussing the project's characters, world and ideas over email and text. The first Death Stranding still has yet to hit PC, but it will arrive on July 14 after a delay - and we now know what it'll take to run the game on your machine. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who wants Kojima to make a full game about pizza delivery based off of that one Death Stranding mission. Follow him on Twitter.

Xbox Downplays Mysterious Fable And Perfect Dark Social Accounts

Microsoft has downplayed the significance of two social media accounts that reference Microsoft properties Fable and Perfect Dark, but fans aren't convinced. Last week, fans picked up on @fable and @PerfectDarkGame accounts, both of which were registered in early 2020. Verge journalist Tom Warren noticed that the Perfect Dark account was followed by a Microsoft employee, which turned out to be Ken Lobb, Creative Director at Microsoft Studios and former Perfect Dark developer. Warren also noted that the Fable account is registered to a Microsoft email address. Xbox Games Marketing's Aaron Greenberg was quick to quash rumours about the accounts, replying to Warren's tweet and stating that "it's standard practice to secure social handles for our IP," noting that the accounts "have been inactive for years." However, it clearly says on the placeholder pages that both accounts joined Twitter in March and June of 2020, so what's really going on? The @PerfectDarkGame account subsequently tweeted to say that it had been acquired by a fan of the series, but was surprised to see Ken Lobb request to follow the page. Adding to the strangeness of the situation is the fact that both accounts were originally spotted with the display name "Placeholder" (which the Fable account still shows). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/19/what-we-want-from-the-new-fable-unlocked-329-teaser"] Rumours around a potential revival for the Fable and Perfect Dark franchise have been swirling for some time. In the case of Fable 4, we've been reporting on that potential project for a few years now - here's what we'd like to see from a new game in the series. Many are hoping to see a reveal for one or both projects at July's showcase of first-party Xbox Series X games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.   

Crash Bandicoot 4 Will Have Over 100 Levels & In-Game Purchases

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time will feature over 100 levels and in-game purchases of some description. According to an email from GameStop received by fans, the forthcoming game will feature "100+ levels of play" as well as "new game modes" when it launches in October. For some perspective, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped had 32 levels including bosses and secrets. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/22/crash-bandicoot-4-first-gameplay-details"]. A Microsoft Store page for the game includes a little plus symbol next to the game's price tag, which suggests that the game "offers in-app purchases" of some kind. It's not clear how these will work, as of yet, but microtransactions were previously added to Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled in August 2019 as part of a post-launch update. In the racing spin-off, players could purchase Wumpa Coins using real-world money, with which they could buy cosmetics to trick out their kart. Given that Crash Bandicoot 4 is already offering pre-order skins for its lead characters, we could see a similar system here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-crash-bandicoot-game-review&captions=true"] If you want to check out the first gameplay for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and dig into further details about what new features are coming to the game, check out our interview with Toys for Bob Design Producer Lou Studdert. If your Bandicoot appetite is still not sated, you can check out all of IGN's Crash Bandicoot game reviews here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who has got to get those apples. Follow him on Twitter.

MCU’s Anthony Mackie Criticizes Marvel Productions for Lack of Diversity

During a recent interview for Variety‘s "Actors on Actors," the MCU's Anthony Mackie talked to Snowpiercer's Daveed Diggs about the need for more diversity in Marvel movies. As the two discussed their recent projects, Mackie said "When The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes out, I’m the lead. When Snowpiercer came out, you’re the lead. We have the power and the ability to ask those questions. It really bothered me that I’ve done seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white." "We’ve had one Black producer. His name was Nate Moore. He produced Black Panther," Mackie continued. "But then when you do Black Panther, you have a Black director, Black producer, you have a Black costume designer, you have a Black stunt choreographer. And I’m like, that’s more racist than anything else. Because if you only can hire the Black people for the Black movie, are you saying they’re not good enough when you have a mostly white cast?" Concluding, Mackie added "My big push with Marvel is hire the best person for the job. Even if it means we’re going to get the best two women, we’re going to get the best two men. Fine. I’m cool with those numbers for the next 10 years. Because it starts to build a new generation of people who can put something on their resume to get them other jobs. If we’ve got to divvy out as a percentage, divvy it out. And that’s something as leading men that we can go in and push for." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=from-iron-man-to-endgame-how-the-avengers-salaries-changed&captions=true"] A few months back, Mackie spoke more in depth about The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, stating that fans will be surprised how evolved the characters are on the upcoming Disney+ series. Aside from Mackie and co-star Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier also features the return of Daniel Bruhl's Zemo and Emily Van Camp's Sharon Carter, as well as Wyatt Russell as John Walker - aka U.S. Agent. Click here for a quick rundown of how Sam Wilson became Captain America in the comics, which seems to be what this series is angling to do given how Avengers: Endgame concluded. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/07/mcu-phase-4-theory-black-widow-is-setting-up-an-avengers-level-villain-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Watch Ryan Reynolds Butt Into an X-Men Cast Reunion Featuring Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart

Key cast members of the long-running X-Men franchise -- Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Famke Janssen -- recently reunited for a brief virtual chat to raise awareness for the Global Citizen: United For Our Future benefit concert to celebrate the heroic acts of healthcare and other essential workers. It wasn't long though before a call rang in, bringing Ryan Reynolds into the session (which made McKellen scram immediately). "I hope it's okay if I join," Reynolds says, noticing the awkwardness. "I figured we were all in X-Men together." Check out the clip here... [youtube clip_id="TvLnAZXznes"] After James McAvoy and Sophie Turner both enter the chat, Reynolds makes a remark about the multiple timelines and then adds "It's just like the X-Men movies. It doesn't matter." Make sure you watch all the way to the end for a hilarious final guest. In Deadpool 3 news, Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld recently said that he thinks, with Disney's acquisition of Fox, that the Deadpool movies have "set sail" and that Marvel Studios had "zero" plans to make a third film. Back in May, Reynolds offered up his own thoughts as to whether Disney and Deadpool were a good fit. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-superhero-movies&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

This Netflix Movie Gave Sherlock Holmes Too Many Emotions So It’s Being Sued

The upcoming Netflix film Enola Holmes, which is based on the book series by Nancy Springer, is being sued by the Conan Doyle Estate for copyright infringement and trademark violations. The movie, which stars Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock Holmes' adventurous sister Enola, is not a part of official Sherlock Holmes canon though it does feature the character of Sherlock Holmes, here played by The Witcher and DCEU's Henry Cavill. The lawsuit targets Netflix, Legendary Pictures, Penguin Random House and others, including author Nancy Springer, according to THR. In 2014, it was ruled that all the Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories written before 1923 were public domain, so the Conan Doyle Estate only has a claim to the last 10 original stories written between 1923 and 1927. Here's where it gets interesting though. The lawsuit "alleges that the difference between the public domain stories and the copyrighted ones is emotions." Meaning, the stories the Estate owns are the later stories where Sherlock Holmes actually shows emotion. After losing both his son and brother, Sherlock Holmes became "warmer" in the final stories. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-july-2020&captions=true"] Does this mean that any project that features a more emotional and warm Sherlock Holmes would violate a copyright? Can an estate lay claim to a character's emotions? This would mean that any Sherlock Holmes that isn't cold and unemotional would be in violation. The complaint states that Henry Cavill's Sherlock, in the film, is based on character traits that are owned by the Estate. In 2015, the Estate sued Miramax over Mr. Holmes and that case was eventually settled, though that lawsuit was regarding the movie dealing with Sherlock Holmes' retirement, which is only part of his final stories. Enola Holmes, which is due on Netflix in September, also stars Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes and Helena Bonham Carter as matriarch Eudoria Holmes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/26/sherlock-holmes-chapter-one-announcement-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Pokemon Sword And Shield – The Isle Of Armor DLC Review

One of the best parts of Pokemon Sword and Shield was exploring the Wild Area, an expanse of rolling hills, sand dunes, and lakes that made collecting the games' 400 Pokemon especially enticing. The first DLC for the games, The Isle of Armor, improves upon the original Wild Area--in fact, the island is all Wild Area, with far more variety and much more interesting locales to explore. While it doesn't alter the game much, The Isle of Armor recaptures the joy of exploration and catching new Pokemon, and it makes me especially eager to see where the next DLC takes us.

In my original Pokemon Sword and Shield review, I said that "the Wild Area is the show-stopping feature of this generation. Pokemon roam the fields and lakes, changing with the day's weather. They pop up as you walk by, and you can even identify Pokemon out of your direct line of vision by their cries. It's all too easy to set out for one destination only to be distracted by a Pokemon you haven't caught yet, an item glittering on the ground in the distance, or even an evolved form of a Pokemon that you didn't realize you could catch in the wild. There's constantly something new to do or discover, and it's there to engage you right out of the gate."

Me and Kubfu enjoying the sights.
Me and Kubfu enjoying the sights.
Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

The Isle of Armor doubles down on this. The island is bigger and better than the regular Wild Area, and its various biomes all feed into each other more naturally. Open fields transition to wetlands, which border a beach and a forest. Rivers flow out to the ocean, and following a river can sometimes lead you to a cave. Changing weather patterns make more sense than they do in the Galar region's main Wild Area, too, where weather shifts seemingly at random as you bike through similar-looking fields. Instead, because most areas on the Isle of Armor are separated by rivers or caves, the transition from rain to sunshine to fog isn't so abrupt. It's overall an even more satisfying place to explore.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon Sword And Shield – The Isle Of Armor DLC Review

One of the best parts of Pokemon Sword and Shield was exploring the Wild Area, an expanse of rolling hills, sand dunes, and lakes that made collecting the games' 400 Pokemon especially enticing. The first DLC for the games, The Isle of Armor, improves upon the original Wild Area--in fact, the island is all Wild Area, with far more variety and much more interesting locales to explore. While it doesn't alter the game much, The Isle of Armor recaptures the joy of exploration and catching new Pokemon, and it makes me especially eager to see where the next DLC takes us.

In my original Pokemon Sword and Shield review, I said that "the Wild Area is the show-stopping feature of this generation. Pokemon roam the fields and lakes, changing with the day's weather. They pop up as you walk by, and you can even identify Pokemon out of your direct line of vision by their cries. It's all too easy to set out for one destination only to be distracted by a Pokemon you haven't caught yet, an item glittering on the ground in the distance, or even an evolved form of a Pokemon that you didn't realize you could catch in the wild. There's constantly something new to do or discover, and it's there to engage you right out of the gate."

Me and Kubfu enjoying the sights.
Me and Kubfu enjoying the sights.
Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3Gallery image 4Gallery image 5Gallery image 6Gallery image 7Gallery image 8Gallery image 9Gallery image 10

The Isle of Armor doubles down on this. The island is bigger and better than the regular Wild Area, and its various biomes all feed into each other more naturally. Open fields transition to wetlands, which border a beach and a forest. Rivers flow out to the ocean, and following a river can sometimes lead you to a cave. Changing weather patterns make more sense than they do in the Galar region's main Wild Area, too, where weather shifts seemingly at random as you bike through similar-looking fields. Instead, because most areas on the Isle of Armor are separated by rivers or caves, the transition from rain to sunshine to fog isn't so abrupt. It's overall an even more satisfying place to explore.

Continue Reading at GameSpot