DC’s Dark Matter Features Superstar Creators
Dark Nights: Metal is shaping up to be one of the most important books in DC's lineup this year. Not only will this event comic reunite Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo on an epic Batman adventure, the series will also serve as a foundation for DC's next wave of Rebirth titles.
Today at C2E2, DC revealed "Dark Matter," a new publishing initiative that begins with Dark Nights: Metal and includes five new series making their debuts in Fall 2017. Each of these new books will feature characters and concepts introduced in Dark Nights: Metal. According to DC, the focus of the Dark Matter line will be on "epic graphic storytelling." As such, the Dark Matter line will be supervised by superstar artists Greg Capullo, Andy Kubert, Jim Lee and John Romita, Jr.
Alien: Covenant – Get a Closer Look at the Neomorph
In anticipation of Alien: Covenant's release next month, several new images from Ridley Scott’s upcoming film have been revealed.
Among the new images, which come by way of Empire, is one that provides a closer look at the Neomorph, a new addition to the strange, grotesque gallery of creatures in the Alien universe.
Alien: Covenant Neomorph image, courtesy of Empire
Whedon Talks Finding the Right Batgirl
Comic book movie fans have been abuzz since hearing that Joss Whedon would be writing and directing a Batgirl movie for DC and Warner Bros. Recently, Whedon spoke about the process of finding the right woman to play Batgirl, and based on what he had to say you shouldn’t expect a big name to step into the (traditionally) purple cowl of Batgirl.
While talking to Variety, Whedon -- who rose to fame thanks to his TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and eventually helmed the first two Avengers films for Marvel -- was asked about the casting of Batgirl. Many a big actor has found themselves taking on superhero roles in recent years, but that doesn’t seem like it will be the case here.
Amazon’s The Wheel of Time: Everything You Need to Know
It’s official: Wheel of Time is finally being adapted. Almost 30 years after the debut of the series’ first book, The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan’s sprawling fantasy novels have a production studio and a showrunner and will be distributed by Amazon.
And now Amazon has rounded out the main cast as well, casting the five young heroes who will travel with Rosamund Pike's Moiraine on a "dangerous, world-spanning journey." Madeleine Madden will play Egwene Al’Vere, Marcus Rutherford has been cast as Perrin Aybara, Barney Harris will portray Mat Cauthon, Zoë Robins is Nynaeve, and Josha Stradowski plays Rand Al’Thor.
Star Wars: Who Are the Gray Jedi?
The new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi didn't reveal much about this hotly anticipated sequel, but it did strongly suggest that the Jedi are on the way out in the Star Wars universe. Luke Skywalker himself claims that the Jedi "need to end." After countless centuries of Jedi and Sith waging war on one another, perhaps the time has finally come for something new.
It sounds like the new movies will begin delving into the concept of the "Gray Jedi." In both the classic Legends continuity and the new Disney-approved Star Wars universe, there are a handful of Force-sensitive characters who don't quite fit into either the Jedi or Sith categories. Check out our guide to the more significant Gray Jedi and what it means to be a Gray Jedi in a galaxy defined by the struggle between the Light Side and the Dark:
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Preview
For those who were lucky enough to find a way to play Fire Emblem Gaiden, it soon became apparent what set it apart as the black sheep of the Fire Emblem family. Many new and odd mechanics were added to Gaiden that would either never be seen again, or slowly return as the series finally expanded for release overseas. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia faithfully brings many of these interesting mechanics back - but also tweaks them with new features that seems to avoid some of the pitfalls that Gaiden faced back on the Famicom.
Check out our pictures of the new Alm and Celica amiibo:
In the short demo I experienced, we were able to try out one regular battle map and part of a dungeon. While the battles and maps didn’t offer much variety in terms of topography or objectives, both experiences highlighted some of the more interesting tactical choices Shadows of Valentia has to offer compared to other titles on the 3DS. Like Fire Emblem Awakening, you’re able to traverse a world map between points of interest - enemies on the map will launch you into battles, while certain towns and other places will let you freely explore them from a different perspective.
Comic Book Reviews for April 19, 2017
It was another big week of comics. DC kicked off "The Button" in Batman #21 and wrapped up a major storyline in All-Star Batman #9. marvel delivered several critical Secret Empire prologues and finally gave Nick Fury Jr. his own series. Elsewhere, Dark Horse published another terrific chapter of Black Hammer and Boom's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers saga continues to unfold.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
DC COMICS
Fahrenheit 451: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon to Star
Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon have joined the cast of HBO's film adaption of Fahrenheit 451.
According to TheWrap, Jordan (Creed, Fantastic Four) will star as the lead character, a "fireman" named Montag, while Shannon (Man of Steel, Boardwalk Empire) will play his mentor Captain Beatty.
Left: Michael B. Jordan in Creed; Right: Michael Shannon in Man of Steel
The film, based on Ray Bradbury's 1953 sci-fi novel of the same name, takes place in a dystopian reality set in a future America where books have been outlawed, and it's the job of "firemen" to burn any books they discover. After meeting a girl and seeing what books have to offer, Montag opposes Captain Beatty.
Assassin’s Creed Creator’s New Game No Longer Episodic
The new indie project from Assassin's Creed Creator Patrice Désilets, Ancestors, will no longer be an episodic game.
At the Reboot Develop 2017 conference (as reported by Eurogamer), Désilets revealed new information about his upcoming title, Ancestors, which includes the expansion of the project to something more akin to an open world than originally expected.
"Exclusive: the episodic nature is gone," Désilets declared, adding "I'm not sure I was supposed to say that."
The creative director of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2 went on to confirm that his new game will still be "a third-person action game set between 10 to two million years ago" as was first revealed two years ago, only "now I'm letting players tell their own stories."
Wheel of Time TV Series Sets Showrunner, Production Studio
The long-in-development Wheel of Time TV series adaptation has set its showrunner and production studio, IGN has learned.
Rafe Judkins has been tapped to serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer on the Wheel of Time TV show. A longtime fan of Robert Jordan's epic 14-book fantasy series, Judkins previously wrote and produced on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. He also wrote episodes of Chuck and wrote and produced episodes of Netflix's Hemlock Grove.
Sony Pictures Television will serve as the producing studio for the Wheel of Time adaptation. Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures will produce. Red Eagle's Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will act as executive producers, with Radar's Ted Field and Mike Weber and Goosebumps' Darren Lemke also serving as executive producers. Jordan's widow and longtime Wheel of Time editor Harriet McDougal will serve as consulting producer.