Yearly Archives: 2018
DC Movies and Characters James Gunn Is Perfect For
James Gunn -- and his tweets -- have been in the news a lot recently. After being fired from the third Guardians of the Galaxy film, things are only getting more interesting. The latest reports indicate that he’s in demand by various high-level studio execs, many of whom have chosen to remain anonymous while Gunn muddles through his exit contract with Disney. And even now, rumors are persisting that Marvel is attempting to negotiate with Disney to bring the writer and director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films back on for Vol. 3. This could be a response to the sudden fevered interest other studios have taken in the box office phenomenon, Marvel president Kevin Feige’s loyalty to Gunn, the outpouring of support from the Guardians cast, or some combination of the three.
DC’s Latest Batman Controversy Involves a Familiar Problem
The Batman comic book franchise may be one of DC's top-sellers, but it's been no stranger to controversy and behind-the-scenes creative tensions over the past few years. The past week has been an unfortunate reminder of that fact, as veteran artist Matt Wagner has lashed out against DC editorial over for an abrupt decision they made regarding Batman #54.
This is the latest in a series of incidents involving significant creator/editorial friction at DC. As much as the company has made clear strides in the two years since the start of DC Rebirth, this is an all too familiar problem that simply didn't need to exist in the first place.
Batman #54 cover by Matt & Brennan Wagner. (DC Entertainment)
DC’s Drowned Earth Crossover Pits the Justice League Against New Aquaman Villains
Drowned Earth, a five-part crossover from DC Comics that digs into the origins of Atlantis and features new villains called the Ocean Lords, is coming this fall.
Announced through CBR, this crossover storyline jumps between Aquaman and Justice League issues, beginning with Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1, releasing October 31. In it, the Ocean Lords, a group of ancient sea gods, invade Earth. To take over, they flood the world and utilize an alien army. Batman, Superman and the Flash hurry to attempt to slow the rising tides, which will turn everyone affected into sea monsters.
Update: Black Ops 4 Blackout Beta Start Date Announced for All Platforms
Update: Activision has announced when Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout beta will be coming to PC and Xbox One.
The publisher revealed on Twitter the open beta will arrive on September 14 on Xbox One. Meanwhile, the Blackout beta on PC will go live September 14 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET/6 p.m. UK for those who digitally pre-ordered Black Ops 4.
The PC beta will then be able to everyone with a Battle.net account on September 15 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET/6 p.m. UK.
New Rayquaza Is a Fast and Furious Game Changer
Rayquaza made a huge impact on the world of Pokemon when it first debuted in Pokemon Emerald, and it hasn’t stopped quickly dishing out big damage ever since, no matter which game it has appeared in. That holds true for the new version of the green sky dragon just released in the latest Pokemon Trading Card Game booster set, Celestial Storm. Rayquaza GX is an absolute beast of a card that immediately creates a brand new deck archetype focused around its Dragon Break attack. Although it has the tendency to occasionally crash and burn, it’s still a strong contender that players will need to prepare for, especially at this year’s Pokemon World Championships kicking off on August 24. (Need a primer on the Pokemon Trading Card Game and how to play online for free? Read our Pokemon TCG Primer.)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy Merchandise Revealed
Activision has partnered with Numskull Designs to create an official merchandise line for the upcoming Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The line includes everything from standard merchandise, like clothing and keychains, to items as far-out as an incense burner.
The full list of available merchandise includes a t-shirt, watch, bottle opener, mug, incense burner, hats, keychains, and more. The entire line is now available for preorder and will be released alongside the Spyro Reignited Trilogy on September 21.
The line's most unique item, the Spyro the Dragon Incense Burner Figurine, is fully functional. An incense cone is placed in the figurine's base, which then causes the Spyro figure on top to exhale smoke through its nostrils.
Castle Rock Renewed for Season 2
Hulu's latest psychological-thriller series, Castle Rock, will return for a second season.
Inspired by the writings of iconic American author Stephen King, Castle Rock centers on Henry Deaver (Andre Holland), a defense attorney who recently returned to the small Maine town in order to help a mysterious young boy (Bill Skarsgard), who was found in an abandoned section of Shawshank State prison.
Per Variety, Castle Rock will return with a "wholly original" story, according to an interview with Hulu's VP and Head of Content, Craig Erwich, which confirms that the show will be an anthology series. You can check out some of the Stephen King Easter Eggs in the SPOILER-FILLED slideshow below.
Star Trek Discovery Casts Spock
Star Trek Discovery has cast Ethan Peck as the latest actor to portray Starfleet officer Spock in the upcoming season two of the CBS All-Access series.
Peck will play the iconic role that was made famous by the late Leonard Nimoy in the original series and most recently by Zachary Quinto in the rebooted movies. He has appeared in That '70s Show, Madame Secretary, Gossip Girl, and voiced Gabriel Thorne in Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians.
Peck recently tweeted out his thanks to the Nimoy family with a picture that includes members of Leonard Nimoy's family.
Why Pearl Is No Jessica Jones
Revamping the Superman franchise was just the beginning for the newly DC Comics-exclusive Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis has also brought his long-running imprint Jinxworld to DC, resulting in both reprints of existing comics and a whole new wave of creator-owned titles. The first of these new books is Pearl, a series that reunites Bendis with Jessica Jones co-creator Michael Gaydos and follows the journey of a tattoo artist trying to escape her life in the San Francisco Yakuza.
But don't expect a mere Alias rehash from Bendis and Gaydos. Pearl is a very different sort of comic. And to find out exactly why that is, we chatted with Bendis on the phone to learn more about Pearl and why DC is the ideal home for his new creator-owned projects. He even teased what to expect from the upcoming volume of Scarlet as that series makes the jump to DC.
Bethesda: ‘It’s Absolutely Critical’ Sony Allows Cross-Play for Elder Scrolls: Legends
Bethesda Softworks is pressuring Sony to change its much-maligned ban on cross-play, but not for its tentpole holiday release. Eurogamer reports that The Elder Scrolls: Legends, not Fallout 76, is the game for which Bethesda most wants Sony to change its policy.
While "it would be nice" to have cross-play on Fallout 76, said Bethesda Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Pete Hines, it's "OK" if that's not possible.
"But for Legends it's absolutely critical," Hines continued, "both cross-play, which is how Legends works right now on every device – you're playing against somebody who could be on any device – and, more importantly, cross-platform progression, which means no matter what you do on any platform, you load up the game and so long as you're logged in, here is all your progression, here is everything you had, everything you were doing."