Comic Book Reviews for June 10, 2015
June continued with another huge week of comics. DC debuted the new Batman in the pages of Batman #41, while delivering another wave of new series like Constantine: The Hellblazer #1, Starfire #1 and Section 8 #1. At Marvel, the Secret Wars floodgates continue to flow with the launch of Weirdworld #1, Ghost Racers #1 and Marvel Zombies #1 and new issues of Inferno, Spider-Verse, Ultimate End and others. However, the surprise victor of the week was Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #9.
Alongside all these big releases, Image had a huge week of their own with new issues of Saga, Injection, Descender, Black Science and The Walking Dead.
Scroll down for reviews of these and other new releases, and be sure to let us know what you thought of the week's new comics in the comments below!
Nintendo Has Sold Over 15 Million 3DS Consoles in the US
Nintendo has announced that the 3DS has sold over 15 million units in the United States since launching in March 2011.
Sales of the 3DS have increased by more than 50 percent in 2015, and it has now become the 8th Nintendo system to sell over 15 million. This year's success is attributed to the release of the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
According to Nintendo's internal sales figures, each of Super Mario 3D Land, Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Mario Kart 7, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS have sold more than 2 million units in the US alone.
It was revealed yesterday by a leaked trailer that Hyrule Warriors will be coming to Nintendo 3DS.
Threes! Gets a Free Version on iOS and Google Play
A free version of Threes! – titled Threes! Free – has come to iOS and Google Play.
The developers at Hidden Variable Studios are keen to stress that Threes! Free will feature no in-app purchases or unsolicited pop-up adverts. Instead, the team aim to monetise the free version a little differently to how many mobile games operate.
“We’ve decided to go with an ad-supported arcade system,” says creative producer Nick Ahrens. “Watch ads to stack up credits used to play. You’ll never see an ad unless you explicitly tell one to play outside of gameplay. In fact, that’s the only change to the whole game. We still don’t even bug you to rate the game randomly. If you want to remove ads you can always grab the paid version of Threes! Simple as that.”
Angry Birds Fight! Available Globally Now
Angry Birds Fight! launches globally on iOS and Android devices from today.
The game - developed by Rovio in partnership with Kiteretsu Inc. and described as the franchise's "first cultural mash-up" - is a match-three puzzler with RPG elements, and the first Angry Birds title to "fully integrate real-time vs. player gameplay."
You must race the clock to match as many panels as possible to "power up" birds for their fights against other gamers around the world, equipping yourself with the "ultimate battle tools".
Christopher Lee Has Died at the Age of 93
Legendary star of stage and screen Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93.
The actor, who is best known for his work in the Hammer Horror films as well as villainous turns in the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies, was being treated for respiratory problems when he passed away.
Born in Westminster in 1922, Lee found fame playing Count Dracula in a series of films for Hammer throughout the 1960s, and continued to play bad guys for the rest of his career. He was a terrific Bond villain in The Man With the Golden Gun, while perhaps his greatest performance was as Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man, both of which made it into our list of his 10 greatest movies.
Star Wars: Rogue One to be Partially Filmed in 6K
Director Gareth Edwards' (Godzilla) Star Wars spinoff film, Rogue One, will reportedly film some scenes in 6K – thus distancing itself from the core Star Wars film series, which is to be primarily shot on 35mm.
Rogue One joins upcoming blockbuster Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation as part of the 6K club. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both the Star Wars spinoff film and the fifth Mission: Impossible installment are using Arri Rental's Alexa 65 camera to shoot in the revered format.
Additionally, Captain America: Civil War and the entirety of Avengers: The Infinity War Parts 1 & 2 will be filmed on a version of the Alexa 65, specifically geared towards IMAX presentation.
Plantronics Reveals eSports Headset
Plantronics has announced the RIG 500 Series of PC headsets.
The big selling point is interchangeable components, which allows users to personalise their audio experience.
The RIG 500 Series is also endorsed by the eSports League (ESL).
Personalisation options include small, medium and large ear cup attach points; as well as aesthetic options for team logos, colours, patterns and finishes.
Shadow Warrior 2 is in Development
Shadow Warrior 2 is in the works.
A cheeky post on the Shadow Warrior Facebook page links through to a stylised teaser '2' with the text, "Who wants some more Wang?" Flying Wild Hog, which made the Shadow Warrior reboot, is confirmed to be the developer in the post, too.
Freddy vs. Jason Coming to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights
Two of horror's most iconic villains are returning to Halloween Horror Nights 25 in the recently announced Freddy vs. Jason house at Universal's Orlando.
Like in the film, Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees will find themselves battling it out in this new maze. The first portion of the experience will focus on Friday the 13th, with guests finding themselves at Camp Crystal Lake reliving Jason's various kills. The second part is all Freddy as guests are transported to Elm Street through the dream realm.
Scientists May Have Found 75 Million Year Old Dinosaur Blood Cells
Scientists have examined part of a fossilized dinosaur claw and observed "tiny ovoid structures" resembling red blood cells.
According to the BBC, scientists from Imperial College London have found evidence of preserved dinosaur soft-tissue, including signs of the collagen found in the skin, tendons and ligaments of modern animals.
What separates this from earlier findings that made similar claims is the condition of the specimens studied. Dr. Susannah Maidment told the BBC previous reports of soft tissue found in dinosaur fossils "have tended to be in specimens that are really exceptionally preserved." Maidment called such cases one-offs that "require special pleading," to explain how they ended up in a state of preservation.