Biggest Comic News and Reviews Roundup
A note from IGN's Senior Comics Editor Joshua Yehl: Hello friends! In an effort to give the IGN community easier access to all of our comics coverage, we've ended our Top Comics to Buy This Week list and created a new place you can check out not only all the most exciting comics coming out each week but the week's biggest comics news stories, reviews, and happenings. The idea is to provide you with a more comprehensive, all-in-one-stop article that has everything you need to stay informed on the comics industry while also getting a heads up on which books you ought to pick up each week. It's also a place where you can weigh in with your own thoughts and discuss what's going on in your favorite books. As with any new format, we're completely open to feedback and want to hear your thoughts on it in the comments. We've put a lot of love into this new idea, so we hope you enjoy it and appreciate you giving it a shot!
Disney-Fox Merger Results in Massive Layoffs
Disney's $71.3 billion acquisition of News Corp.’s 21st Century Fox film assets will make it the most powerful movie studio ever, but it's also causing a lot of people to lose their jobs.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, "analysts say that by the time the dust settles, 4,000 of the jobs the conglomerate provides could be lost. Disney-skeptic analyst Rich Greenfield of BTIG even put the number at 5,000 to 10,000 over a longer time frame."
Why Titans Season 1 Was ‘Deliberately Dark’
If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
If you haven't watched Season 1 of Titans through DC Universe in the US or on Netflix internationally (although if you're a comic book fan, here's why we think a DC Universe subscription is worth it following the company's most recent update), you now have a new way to catch up with the flagship show from DC's streaming service - Titans Season 1 is now available for digital purchase through online retailers for $24.99.
Avengers: Endgame Plot Synopsis Might Reveal More Than You Thought
Marvel Studios has revealed the plot synopsis for Avengers: Endgame, and while it may seem to tell us information we already knew, certain word choices actually allude to some key plot points concerning big deaths and a rematch with a certain purple titan.
Warning: we’re about to read way too much into this plot synopsis!
The plot synopsis reads, “The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to twenty-two films, Avengers: Endgame."
Emilia Clarke Survived Two Brain Aneurysms During Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, best known for portraying Daenerys Targaryen, survived two rounds of brain surgeries while filming the early seasons of Game of Thrones.
Clarke revealed this information in a personal essay published by The New Yorker, where she described the events that could have ended her life. After filming of the first season of Game of Thrones, Clarke was exercising at a gym when she suddenly became ill.
"I reached the toilet, sank to my knees, and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill,” said Clarke. "Meanwhile, the pain—shooting, stabbing, constricting pain—was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged... To keep my memory alive, I tried to recall, among other things, some lines from Game of Thrones."
Valve Reveals Steam Library Update, New Events Feature
Valve's next big updates to Steam are a new events feature and a formal landing page for user's game libraries with an overall redesign, Valve announced at GDC 2019.
“A lot of the emphasis of the things we’re working on right now in terms of features for both developers and customers are really for the way games are being built and played today,” Valve UI designer Alden Kroll said. “So, more live service games that need better communication channels with their players, for example.”
That communication channel comes in the form of Steam’s new events page, which you can see in the slideshow below. Events are categorized by major and minor events and show things like broadcasts, big game updates, tournaments, and even things like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s weekly challenges. Event information can show up on things like game wishlist notifications. Kroll said this will help give context to why recommended games are relevant.
Reports Suggest Walmart Is Exploring a Game Streaming Service
The retail giant Walmart has reportedly been in talks with developers and publishers for a few months with a view allegedly to launch its own video game streaming platform.
Anonymous sources familiar with Walmart's plans have spoken to USG about the endeavour, saying the idea allegedly has been in the works since earlier this year, with Walmart supposedly continuing the conversation with various contacts at GDC.
The news follows in the footsteps of Google's game streaming platform, Stadia, unveiled at the company's GDC 2019 keynote.
The X-Men Movies That Probably Won’t Happen Now (and a Few That Will)
For even more on the Disney Fox Deal, be sure to check out all the movie and TV show properties Disney is getting from Fox. Or catch up on how Disney is now the most powerful studio due to the merger, and what Disney taking over Fox could mean for the TV landscape.
Some $71.3 billion later, Disney now owns most of Fox. And yes, fans, that includes the X-Men! Of course, the question now is what does this Disney/Fox merger mean for the merry band of mutants. Will they be rebooted in the MCU and meet the Avengers? Will they continue to exist as their own universe of characters? Will Deadpool show up and mess everything up?!
PlayStation Now: Discover What to Play With Our Handy Tool
With a sprawling library of over 750 titles to choose from, PS Now is basically every PlayStation fan's dream. However, navigating the sea of available titles in search of what to play can be a bit daunting. Well... that's where we come in!
Check out our handy PlayStation Now tool, which allows you to sort the service's lineup of available titles by genre, review score, and platform.
Google Stadia’s Controller Is Surprising Because of How Normal It Is
During my time speaking to Google's Phil Harrison about the Google Stadia reveal, I got to actually see and hold the Stadia controller. And the biggest surprise about it was that, for a controller paired with a streaming platform aiming to spark a revolution, it feels so familiar.
I didn't get to play anything with the Stadia controller but holding it felt immediately comfortable and recognizable. It had the rough shape and grip of a Nintendo Switch Pro controller with the symmetrical analog stick layout of a PS4 DualShock 4 controller. There's a nice heft to the controller, getting close to that indescribable dream controller weight midway between a hollow piece of plastic and a smooth rock.