GRRM Releasing New Game of Thrones Short Story
"The Book of Swords," an upcoming anthology featuring stories from an array of different authors, will include a new Game of Thrones short story from George R. R. Martin.
As reported by Winter Is Coming, Martin's story, titled "The Sons of the Dragon," chronicles the history of the second and third Targaryen kings who ruled from the Iron Throne. Aenys I Targaryen and Maegor the Cruel were entirely different rulers, with the former being both wise and thoughtful, while the latter was incredibly cruel.
"The Book of Swords" cover art, via Penguin Random House
Clearing Up The Real Best-Selling Comic of April 2017
While the monthly comic book unit sales chart usually comes and goes without much incident, April’s recently released stats from Diamond Comic Distributors have caused some confusion over which comic book was actually the top seller. Marvel Comics’ Secret Empire #0 sits atop the chart, which writer Nick Spencer took as reason to celebrate on Twitter, but after taking a closer look, that book was actually outsold by two others from DC Comics.
April saw the start of “The Button” crossover between Batman and The Flash solo books, picking up on the juicy Watchmen plot seeded in last year’s best-selling DC Universe: Rebirth #1. Special lenticular (a term for those 3D images that change when you tilt them) variant covers were made for Batman #21 and The Flash #21, bumping the price up from $2.99 to $3.99.
Fox Options Rights to Andy Weir’s Next Novel Artemis
Artemis, the upcoming novel from The Martian author Andy Weir, is getting a film adaptation.
IGN can confirm Fox has optioned the rights to the book, which, as reported by Nerdist, will release on November 14 in the US and Canada in both print and digital formats.
Andy Weir's Artemis novel is now available for pre-order on Amazon
Bob Ross Comes to Smite
Smite is getting a happy little Bob Ross Sylvanus bundle.
The add-on content comes with a Bob Ross skin for Sylvanus, the playable god who fittingly already has a tree companion. The bundle also includes a paint splatter jump stamp and loading frame.
"We’ve partnered with Twitch for special Smite content in the past and this latest collaboration is something our dev team was really excited to work on," said Todd Harris, who's a co-founder and COO of Hi-Rez Studios, in a statement. “The Joy of Painting inspired artists across the game industry and the Twitch livestreams introduced Bob to gamers worldwide."
The Bob Ross bundle in Smite will cost 700 gems or $10 on Twitch Commerce. It's available now on PC and releases May 16 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Is the Arrow-verse Setting Up Its Own Justice League?
One of the biggest mysteries in the Arrow-verse over the years has been the question of whether Batman exists in the same world as The Flash and Green Arrow.
We've seen some of his iconic villains show up (Ra's al Ghul and Harley Quinn, sort of), and even heard Vandal Savage make a reference to "Dark Knights" falling, but there's never been direct confirmation that the Arrow-verse has a Batman. But now we seem to have our answer. There may not be a Batman on Barry Allen and Oliver Queen's world, but there is one in the Supergirl universe.
That confirmation came in last night's episode, "City of Lost Children," as Winn and James made a joking reference to "Clark's friend," a dark vigilante with a habit of frightening the very people he's trying to protect. The name "Batman" was never actually uttered, but it's clear from the context of that scene (and Winn miming a pair of bat ears) that they were referring to the Caped Crusader. This is more than a simple, fun cameo. This twist could have major ramifications for the Arrow-verse as a whole.
iZombie: Liv’s a Hot Mess and Even Corpses Are in Trouble
In each episode of iZombie, part of the fun is seeing what new brain Liv (Rose McIver) consumes, and what traits she takes on as a result. This week, Liv finds herself on "hot mess brain" and the results aren't pretty. A clubbing, self-obsessed, disorganized, scatter-brained wannabe DJ, the victim here is not exactly an upgrade for Liv.
Check out IGN's exclusive clip from "Some Like it Hot Mess," as Ravi (Rahul Kohl) learns just how much Liv's new persona is interfering with her job - and the corpses it involves.
Previewing this episode with IGN, iZombie co-creator/executive producer Rob Thomas said, "Rose, as she often does -- but this one I particularly enjoyed -- has so many winning, unscripted moments. Just looks that she gives that are so great. We kinda knew she would be good on this one."
Avatar Sequels to Star Fear the Walking Dead Actor
Fear the Walking Dead actor Cliff Curtis has joined the cast of all four of James Cameron's upcoming Avatar sequels.
IGN can confirm that Curtis will have a lead role in Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5. He will play Tonowari, the leader of the reef clan Metkayina.
Cliff Curtis as Travis Manawa in Fear the Walking Dead
In addition to his role as Travis Manawa in AMC's aforementioned post-apocalyptic zombie series, Curtis also starred as Fire Lord Ozai in M. Night Shyamalan's film The Last Airbender, as well as Yeshua in director Kevin Reynolds' 2016 biblical drama Risen.
Deadly Premonition Board Game Announced
Rising Star Games has unveiled Deadly Premonition: The Board Game.
Looking for $50,000 on Kickstarter, the publisher has come up with a card-based board game — for two to four people — that's based around the characters and events of Deadly Premonition. In fact, it's even set in Greenvale after Anna Graham's murder.
Here's the breakdown for Deadly Premonition: The Board Game, provided by Rising Star:
In Deadly Premonition: The Board Game you and your fellow detectives must take on the task of protecting the innocent, incriminating the guilty and work out who might not be who they say they are. With a hidden killer amongst the detectives, the race is on to identify a suspect as an accomplice in order track down the true killer.
American Idol Officially Revived at ABC
This... is American Idol, now at ABC.
ABC has officially announced that it is reviving the long-running Fox reality singing competition and will bring it back for the 2017-2018 TV season. For more on what won't be coming back next season, check out IGN's 2017 list of cancelled and endangered shows. No hosts or judges have been announced as of this time. Former Idol host Ryan Seacrest is now currently co-hosting ABC's morning show Live! With Kelly and Ryan.
"American Idol is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon," ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "ABC is the right home to reignite the fan base. We are thrilled viewers will once again share in these inspiring stories of people realizing their dreams."
Amazon’s Latest Echo Device Includes a Touchscreen
Echo Show, the latest device in Amazon's line of Echo devices, has been revealed.
According to Amazon's product page, Echo Show features all of the hands-free voice-activated features of Alexa, as well as a 7-inch touchscreen that displays photos, YouTube videos, weather forecasts, music lyrics and more.
Echo Show, via Amazon.com