Netflix Officially Announces One Piece Live-Action Series
The story of One Piece centers around the Straw Hat Pirates and their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, whose life is changed when he eats the cursed Gum-Gum Devil Fruit, turning him into a rubber man and giving him the power to stretch his body in all sorts of wild ways. The crew's goal is to find the legendary treasure One Piece, as the legends say that the person who does will become the King of the Pirates.
While no official casting or release date has been confirmed, we did learn that Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) will serve as showrunner, with Eiichiro Oda executive producing alongside Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios (Cowboy Bebop, Snowpiercer, Hanna).
For more live-action anime news, find out what actor John Cho had to say about his upcoming role in Netflix's Cowboy Bebop in the video below:
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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.This New Marvel Villain Just Destroyed the Justice League
The Justice League vs. the Black Winter
The new series' first issue introduced a brand new villain in the form of the Black Winter, a cosmic plague that devours entire universes. Even Galactus is powerless against the Black Winter. Thor has now formed a reluctant alliance with the Devourer of Worlds. He's become Galactus' new herald - gaining new powers and a new costume in the process - and is helping guide Galactus to five energy-rich worlds that contain enough power to destroy the Black Winter. Thor #2 opens with a glimpse of another universe being consumed by the Black Winter. We see the heroes of that Earth rising up to battle this foe, including a "sun god" in a red a blue costume, a "god of emerald light," a "dark god" and other members of a "league of gods." This passage is clearly referencing members of the traditional Justice League lineup - Superman, Green Lantern, Batman, Aquaman, Flash and Wonder Woman. [caption id="attachment_2294446" align="aligncenter" width="920"]
Art by Nic Klein. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption]
Even the Justice League aren't strong enough to stop the Black Winter's warpath. Their world, and the entire DC Universe, is quickly destroyed by this merciless foe. Can even a turbo-charged Thor succeed where Superman and his team failed?
Obviously, this story doesn't represent an official collaboration between Marvel and DC. The two publishers haven't given fans a true Marvel/DC crossover since 2003's JLA/Avengers. However, there have been numerous allusions to and outright parodies of the competition's characters in the two publishers' various books. Marvel has introduced several incarnations of the Justice League-inspired Squadron Supreme, including a new version that recently debuted in Avengers #700. Meanwhile, the final issue of Doomsday Clock recently teased a 2030 conflict called Secret Crisis, where Superman battles Thor and Hulk dies defending the Man of Steel.
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Thor Battles Beta Ray Bill
The death of the Justice League (or a Justice League, anyway) isn't the only tragedy unfolding in Thor #2. Thor quickly learns what Silver Surfer long ago realized - that it's nearly impossible to be a Herald of Galactus and retain one's goodness and humanity. Thor clashes with his new master, refusing to let him feed on his meal before they transport the world's inhabitants to safety. Mjolnir, which has been growing steadily heavier in Thor's hand, begins acting with a mind of its own and attacks Galactus. Thor and Galactus seem destined for a battle to the death at this point, but their feud is interrupted by the arrival of another unexpected enemy. Beta Ray Bill has come to end the scourge of Galactus once and for all, even if it means fighting his blood brother Thor.
Bill's return is appropriate, given that he has kind of a thing against cosmic destroyers. In his early appearances in Walt Simonson's run on The Mighty Thor, Bill was revealed to be a cybernetically enhanced alien charged with protecting his people after their home galaxy was destroyed by Surtur. Bill proved to be the first non-Asgardian worthy of carrying Mjolnir. And given Mjolnir's apparent distaste for Thor these days, perhaps it may find a more welcome home in an old friend?
We'll find out how the latest clash between Thor and Beta Ray Bill plays out in February's Thor #3. Until then, let us know what you think of Thor's new status quo and this Justice League cameo in the comments below.
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For more big Marvel Comics developments, find out what to expect from Marvel's upcoming Black Widow series and learn why Moon Knight may be the next great threat to the Avengers. Then see our most anticipated comics of 2020.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.SpaceX Successfully Launches 60 More Starlink Satellites Into Orbit
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Dune Has a Really Interesting New Logo
Images of the logo have not been officially released by Warner Bros., but photographs taken at the convention have made their way onto Reddit and the wider internet.
While not offering a close look at the film, this title treatment does allow an insight into the film’s potential aesthetic. It’s clean and futuristic, which could mean we’re looking at a particularly sleek vision of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic. This would be in direct contrast to David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation, that was rather baroque in its art design, and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s failed version which featured horror-like design work by a pre-Alien H. R. Giger.
Fans of the book have amusingly pointed out that a few more of the U shapes could be dropped in to spell out Duncan, in reference to popular Dune character Duncan Idaho. Duncan will be portrayed by Jason Momoa in this new adaptation.
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Dune releases December 18 this year, and is the first of a two-part adaptation of the original novel. It is also the first release of a larger Dune-based franchise planned by Warner Bros., with reports saying a TV series based on the Bene Gesserit order - Dune: The Sisterhood - has been ordered as a direct-to-series show.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. Arrow Cast Reacts to Series Finale With Memories From Set
Katherine McNamara, who was promoted to a series regular for the DC drama's eighth and final season, reprising her role as Mia Smoak, shared multiple tweets to mark the emotionally-charged ending.Today’s bittersweet. Arrow meant so much to me for so many years. It was a transformative journey... but it was time to let it go. I lace my boots and don the hood one last time tonight. I’ll forever cherish being an ambassador for Oliver Queen. Thank you for the honor. pic.twitter.com/pTxgtCWyqu
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) January 28, 2020
Last shot. Last actor to wrap. Last time standing in the shadow of my father and his legacy. #miasmoak #miaqueen #miasmoakqueen #olicitybaby #ArrowSeriesFinale #arrow #greenarrow @CW_Arrow @TheCW @StephenAmell @JamesBamford #TheFinalBow #ArrowFInale pic.twitter.com/6dsh2DI302
— Katherine McNamara (@Kat_McNamara) January 29, 2020
She shared a few poignant behind-the-scenes photos from her time on set before signing off with a final tribute to her character and the rest of the team, who she thanked for "believing" in her and "entrusting" her with the storyline.The end.#OlicityForever #ArrowSeriesFinale @CW_Arrow @TheCW #arrow pic.twitter.com/N92FkwNagf
— Katherine McNamara (@Kat_McNamara) January 29, 2020
After thanking the fandom for watching Arrow for the past eight years, Black Canary star Katie Cassidy shared a touching message about her time on the show, saying she has "so much love" for the cast and crew.Thank you, Mia Smoak-Queen... Here’s to the #GreenArrow, to #Olicity, and to the future, whatever it may hold. #arrowseriesfinale #greenarrow #olicity #miasmoak #miaqueen #olicitybaby #arrow #thefinalbow #arrowfinale @TheCW @CW_Arrow pic.twitter.com/EGhKa4j5ae
— Katherine McNamara (@Kat_McNamara) January 29, 2020
Meanwhile, David Ramsey, whose on-screen counterpart is John Diggle, interacted with fans throughout the series finale. He revealed his favourite part of playing the character was acting with his castmates and that he felt "super nostalgic" filming in the Season 1 bunker for a final time, before concluding that he felt a mixture of emotions about the last episode.And that's a wrap Thank you to the most amazing cast and crew for the unforgettable moments, late night laughs and constant good energy on set. So much love for each and every one of you! #ArrowSeriesFinale pic.twitter.com/i2FLYeDKUb
— Katie Cassidy (@MzKatieCassidy) January 29, 2020
#Arrow @officialrickg pic.twitter.com/IsSxxDZhxN
— David Ramsey (@david_ramsey) January 29, 2020
Ramsey also shared some favourite moments and memories from the show on his Instagram stories alongside a final snapshot to mark the end of the series. He captioned the image: "It happened..." Emily Bett Rickards, who returned to play Felicity Smoak for one last time in the series finale, shared a photo of the empty seats left behind by Amell and herself, writing, "Until the next one bud!" Elsewhere, Grant Gustin, who appeared in Arrow as Barry Allen aka The Flash, closed the curtain on the final series with a remarkable cast and crew photo, saying, "It takes an army to make a show like Arrow." White Canary star Caity Lotz retweeted a series of posts to honour the final episode. She also responded to a tweet from co-star Katie Cassidy, simply writing, "Sister" alongside a love heart emoji.Sad, yet happy, yet grateful #ArrowSeriesFinale https://t.co/1uMG1eYWoc
— David Ramsey (@david_ramsey) January 29, 2020
Juliana Harkavy, who played Dinah Drake, aka Black Canary on Arrow since 2017, bid her own farewell to the series, though she refused to say "goodbye."Sister https://t.co/AbZEdyvG3y
— Caity Lotz (@caitylotz) January 29, 2020
Paul Blackthorne, who portrayed Quentin Lance in a regular role throughout the early seasons of Arrow, extended a shoutout to series star Stephen Amell, who he called a "legend."No goodbyes just see you laters #Arrow #TheFinalBow pic.twitter.com/Xolnf1MtNP
— Juliana Harkavy (@JulianaHarkavy) January 29, 2020
Arrow's Roy Harper, aka Colton Haynes, shared some cast photos from the set of the final episode, as he teased the exciting "Roy and Thea reunion." Katrina Law, Nyssa al Ghul on The CW series, thanked the fans for coming along for the ride, saying she felt "humbled to be a part of it."If there’s one person that deserves a shit ton of credit for getting a show through eight seasons of production, it’s @stephenamell Well done that man. Bit of a legend really.#Arrow #ArrowSeriesFinale pic.twitter.com/bSQBVcJFIU
— Paul Blackthorne (@PaulBlackthorne) January 28, 2020
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=arrows-best-episodes&captions=true"] In our review of "Fadeout", we recognized the episode to be an "imperfect but ultimately effective conclusion to a long-running superhero saga", which makes "excellent use of the series' two most critical supporting characters" Felicity Smoak and John Diggle. For more on the Arrow-verse, read this breakdown of some of the biggest moments from the finale, find out which episodes Marc Guggenheim identified as the most pivotal, and Stephen Amell's comments on the Crisis on Infinite Earths ending. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.Arrow Series Finale tonight! It’s been an epic journey. Humbled to be a part of it. Thank you for coming along for the ride. @CW_Arrow #nyssa pic.twitter.com/sXvbdvByfe
— ＫＡＴＲＩＮＡ•ＬＡＷ (@katrinalaw) January 28, 2020
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Journey To The Savage Planet Review – A Pulpy Sci-Fi Romp
Journey to the Savage Planet is a fantastic name for a pulpy sci-fi game, but is a bit of a misdirect when taken at face value. A "savage planet" conjures up thoughts of hostility and survival, tapping into the inherent dangers of life on the frontiers of space. Sure, there are things that want to kill you in Journey to the Savage Planet, but they're only a minor inconvenience rather than the main focus. Instead, developer Typhoon Studios places the emphasis on exploration, coupling this with genuine humour and a charming tone to present a lighthearted and singularly focused chunk of sci-fi adventuring.
The entire game takes place on a single planet located deep in uncharted space. You're strapped into the space boots of an employee of Kindred Aerospace--a rinky-dink outfit that's so proud of its standing as the fourth-best interstellar exploration company, it'll make you shudder to think of how bad the fifth-best must be. Once your feet touch the planet's surface, you'll begin to catalog the flora, fauna, and life located across the various biomes of planet AR-Y 26 to determine if it's fit for human habitation, what with the whole climate change thing ruining Earth.
Journey to the Savage Planet excels when it comes to the assortment of tools and equipment you can gradually craft and use to reach every nook and cranny of the planet's surface. You're immediately free to explore as you see fit, but it doesn't take long to discover plenty of inaccessible areas. As such, much of the game is spent scanning the flora and fauna to reveal whether they have gameplay benefits or are just there to contribute to the planet's vibrant and colorful aesthetic. Some plants may contain seeds that restore your health or produce projectile explosives, while most of the planet's hodgepodge glossary of alien critters are filled with resources you can gather if you're heartless enough to put a laser blast between their eyes. Gathering these resources and locating items that can be reverse-engineered using your ship's 3D printer allows you to craft equipment like grappling hooks, double-jump upgrades for your jetpack, and other tools that make traversal and deeper exploration possible.
The whole game latches onto this palpable sense of momentum, as each new upgrade opens up more of the planet for you to probe. Your feet may be firmly planted on the ground in its opening stages, but by the end of the 10-hour adventure you'll be gliding across natural ziplines hundreds of feet in the air, propelling across perilous chasms with a triple jump, and using a powerful ground pound to unearth new passages. Journey to the Savage Planet adopts the classic Metroidvania formula and executes it wonderfully, presenting you with an ever-growing arsenal of tools that are satisfying to use and feed into the game's inherent focus on exploration.
Of course, the other side of this equation is the planet itself, which is well worth turning inside out. AR-Y 26 is split into three distinct biomes. Each one is moderately sized, resulting in the planet's scale feeling manageable and allowing you to explore freely without fear of getting lost. When presented with multiple paths, it's easy to choose one over the other because you know getting back to that initial fork in the road is going to be relatively easy. This encourages you to poke your nose in every crevice, travel to every far-away cave, and check behind every waterfall. You're often rewarded for doing so, with extra resources or important upgrade items hidden throughout the planet--not to mention the visual treats that are on offer in each disparate biome, whether you're navigating through the craggy icy caves and glaciers your ship landed on, walking amongst the overgrown pink and turquoise mushrooms of the Fungi of Si'ned VII, or jumping between the floating islands of The Elevated Realm.
Journey to the Savage Planet isn't a completely leisurely tour, though. Your first order of business is to develop a futuristic blaster pistol, but combat is a means to an end rather than a major part of the game, and it ends up being a drag. While most of the planet's creatures are docile, there are outliers that become hostile as soon as they spot you. Defeating these aggressive predators involves a rinse and repeat pattern whereby you use a nifty sidestep or jump to avoid an attack before following up by shooting one or multiple weak points. There are only slight deviations on this back-and-forth that require you to lob an explosive or poison cloud at the enemy before you can pepper its weak spot. The pistol never feels quite accurate enough for the job, especially because you're usually being asked to hit small targets, and each of the combat's faults comes to a head during the game's closing moments as you're thrown into one fight after another before facing off against the final boss.
You can play the whole game cooperatively with a friend, which does make combat slightly more bearable, but co-op doesn't alter the moment-to-moment gameplay in any significant way. Conflicts are easier with two people, sure, but there's nothing about the co-op experience that's intrinsically built for more than a single player. You can explore the planet together or opt to split up and cover different ground, but that's about it.
Playing with a friend can result in moments of emergent humour, but Journey to the Savage Planet is also genuinely funny due to the abundance of FMVs located on your ship. These short and incredibly eccentric videos mock and parody everything from exploitative corporate practises to the video game industry. There's a commercial for a new game elegantly titled MOBA MOBA MOBA Mobile VR V.17 Golden Fleece; its main selling point is having more microtransactions than any other game, with one of its features being an in-game "Custo-mi$er" for your created character. The humour is somewhat frontloaded, but this does help the game's irreverent charm establish itself early.
Journey to the Savage Planet borrows plenty of familiar elements from other games, yet it does so in a carefree way that sets it apart from other sci-fi exploration games, settling on a relaxing playstyle that's informed by its single, vivid planet and tightly focused design. It only takes a couple of hours to reveal its humdrum combat, but this is the only significant damper on what is an entertaining slice of lighthearted planetary exploration.