Comic Book Reviews for May 25, 2016
This was one of the biggest comic book weeks of the year. DC effectively closed out the New 52 with the release of Superman #52 and Justice League #50, while also offering a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come with DC Universe Rebirth #1. As if that weren't enough, they also kicked off the bizarre Scooby-Doo reboot, Scooby Apocalypse. Marvel, meanwhile, delivered the controversial Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 and new issues of popular books like The Mighty Thor, Deadpool, Star Wars and Extraordinary X-Men. And for fans of the long-running indie series Rachel Rising, it was a bittersweet week as Terry Moore brought the book to a close.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite comics of the week in the comments below.
New Minecraft Mode Officially Revealed
Microsoft is adding new game modes to Minecraft: Console Editions, based on popular activities the Minecraft community are already orchestrating themselves. The first of these ‘mini games’ is ‘Battle’, a Hunger Games-inspired game mode that focuses on fast-paced multiplayer, with up to eight players per battle.
You're spawned in a rotation of three different maps, facing towards a little mountain of chests, with a countdown timer letting you know when to run straight for them. Charge ahead as soon as that timer hits zero and open the chests before the other players do, and you’ll be greeted with a bunch of randomized loot that will either help you take out other players, or defend yourself against them.
27th Battleborn hero is a sneaker-wearing snake called Pendles
Gearbox has whipped the cloak off a second post-launch hero for its first-person shooter Battleborn, and it's a two legged snake called Pendles.
A description on Gearbox's Battleborn blog reads: "Hailing from the water world of Akopos, and pals with Alani, Pendles is a cold-blooded killer. No, literally. This anthropomorphized reptile will ssssneak up on you, poison you, perforate you with dual kamas then – poof – disappear without leaving a trace."
Official Dishonored Comic and Novel Series Coming Soon
Dishonored is getting the comic book treatment in the form of a four-issue miniseries, plus a new prose novel series by Titan Comics.
According to Newsarama, the miniseries will continue the story of Corvo in a "throwback industrial setting," taking place between the first Dishonored and this year's upcoming sequel. Gordon Rennie is writing the series, with illustrations by Andrea Olimpieri and Marcelo Maiolo.
Dishonored comic book miniseries. Photo credit: Titan Comics.
Twitter Mashed Up Game of Thrones and Hamilton and It’s Perfect
Have you heard of Hamilton? It's this little Broadway musical that's slowly taking over the world, having won a Pulitzer, been invited to the White House, won a Grammy and been nominated for 16 Tony Awards. Now it's gotten an even better treat: the Twittersphere decided to mash it up with Game of Thrones.
Turns out the hit musical about the life of one of America's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, mashes up perfectly with Game of Thrones. Using the hashtag #HamOfThrones, brilliant minds around the Internet came together to give us the gift of matching Hamilton lyrics to surprisingly perfect Game of Thrones situations.
"What Comes Next?" is really all about Daenerys Targaryen (and really, what does come next for her?):
No Man’s Sky Reportedly Delayed
The ambitious space exploration game No Man's Sky has reportedly been pushed back from its expected June release date.
Sources close to Kotaku have reported that No Man's Sky has been pushed to "at least" July or August. It was originally expected to launch on the PlayStation 4 and Steam on June 21.
Kotaku had an initial "reliable" source who reported the delay, while a second source working at retailer GameStop said their store was instructed to cover up any mention of June 21 on No Man's Sky marketing materials with a "Coming Soon" label. Photographic proof was provided.
We've reached out to Sony for comment.
7 Crazy Expensive X-Men Figures
X-Men Apocalypse will hit cinemas later this week, with the highest budget of any X-Men film to date.
To coincide with the release, we compiled a list of some of the most expensive X-Men figures/statues currently available online, with prices morbidly inflated thanks to resellers getting their hands on limited edition pieces.
Here they are, from least (still coming in at over $1,000) to most expensive. Click right to see them all:
You can still find some of these pieces for cheaper than they're listed above, particularly on collector forums, but due to their limited quantities, they're likely to get even more expensive - and even more limited - as time goes on.
Road to E3 2016: Battlefield 1
Brace yourselves: E3 2016 is nearly upon us. From June 12-16, the entire gaming industry will converge on Los Angeles to showcase the biggest games that we’ll be playing for 2016 and beyond. We’ve been updating our Games of E3 List whenever news drops, but now we’re going to go even deeper. Every day leading up to the show, we’re going to highlight one of the biggest games that we hope to see more of at E3. Up today: Battlefield 1!
New Xbox Reportedly 4x as Powerful as Xbox One
Following this morning's report, more information is streaming in regarding Microsoft's two new Xbox One models the company will reportedly release over the next two years.
One of Microsoft's new consoles—codenamed project Scorpio—will be four times as powerful as the current Xbox One model, a source told Polygon. The second console, which is reportedly a "slimmed down version of the current hardware," will also receive a controller redesign.
In Kotaku's earlier Xbox One report, it was said the smaller, cheaper Xbox One console would release this year, and contain a 2TB hard drive. This console is expected to be revealed at this year's E3. Polygon's source reported the announcement was prompted, "among other things," by Sony's speedy timeline for its upgraded PlayStation 4.
Mirror’s Edge Being Adapted for Television
Mirror's Edge is the latest in a long line of video game series to receive a television adaptation.
As reported by Deadline, Endemol Shine Studios has acquired the rights to adapt EA DICE's first-person series onto the small screen. This news comes shortly prior to the release of Mirror's Edge Catalyst, which releases June 7 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
“We clearly see Mirror’s Edge as a franchise for the global TV audience,” said Sharon Hall, President of Endemol Shine Studios. “It has a strong female protagonist, a wildly rabid fan base and a worldwide brand that Electronic Arts and EA DICE have done an amazing job establishing.”