Monthly Archives: May 2016
Comic Book Reviews for May 11, 2016
DC came another step closer to bidding farewell to the New 52 this week, as they delivered the final issues of Batman, Action Comics and Gotham Academy and also wrapped up the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover. Meanwhile, Marvel introduced the new Wasp to the pages of All-New, All-Different Avengers, kicked off a key new Darth Vader storyline and wrapped up the Deadpool's feud with Sabretooth in Deadpool #11. Elsewhere, Boom delivered a new issue of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Southern Bastards capped off its third story arc and the 4001 AD crossover continued at Valiant.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
Ranking All the Spider-Man Movies
Since Spider-Man made his big-screen debut in 2002, there have been a lot of Spideys!
And a lot of Spidey movies too, including Tom Holland’s MCU version of the wallcrawler. So now that his latest solo film, Far From Home, is hitting, it’s time once again to rank the Spider-Man movies. And yes, that includes all the times he’s hung out with the Avengers… Let’s web this thing up!
(And just a note: We're basing the ranking of the Avengers movies on the Spidey-centric portions of those films and how well they served him as a character, as well as how well he served those films!)
DC Comics Comedy Powerless Coming to NBC
NBC has picked up DC Comics' first half-hour comedy, Powerless, for the 2016-2017 TV season.
Powerless is set in the DC universe, but in an office of average employees at an insurance company. News of the series order comes via according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Powerless was created by Ben Queen (A-Z, Cars 2), and it will star Vanessa Hudgens, Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi, and Christina Kirk.
Sega “Investigating” Shenmue Remasters
Sega would love to release the first two Shenmue games as HD remasters before the series' improbable third sequel, but needs to resolve complications of quality and licensing before it can happen.
Speaking on Sega Europe's YouTube channel, community manager Dan Sheridan said:
"With regards to Shenmue 1 and 2 HD, of course we would love to release these tomorrow. Sadly, it's not as simple as porting the games to the current platforms, as we would need to ensure that any HD remaster lived up to the quality of the original titles."
Sheridan also raised the issue of the original game's real-world licensing, which included Coca-Cola and Timex products in-game (although Western releases had many of those licenses removed).
Footage of Unannounced Star Wars Game Emerges
Footage of an unannounced Star Wars real-time strategy game emerged online overnight.
Originally uploaded to Vimeo by a user claiming to be ex-EA audio director Elise Baldwin (and subsequently spotted by Nerd_Leaks), the footage shows a land-and-air battle across an original trilogy-era Tatooine.
The original clip has now been removed from Vimeo, but copies have appeared elsewhere:
Rank-and-file units include Stormtrooper and Rebel squads, alongside AT-ATs, AT-STs, TIE Fighters, X-Wings. What look like Hero units also appear, including Luke Skywalker and the Millennium Falcon.
Games So Brutal They Were Banned (Kinda)
From gratuitous violence and vehicular carnage to same-sex romance and, uhm, rampant graffiti, a great many games have been censored, refused classification or banned entirely in a variety of countries around the world. The legal wrangling and content changes that follow such decisions have seen games being delayed, heavily modified or, some cases, entirely withdrawn from sale in one region while another barely bats an eyelid.
So, what does it take for a game to be banned and what does that even mean?
Usually, when we talk about a game being banned in the US, UK or Australia, it means that the relevant ratings board in that country has refused to bestow an age rating to the title, effectively making in illegal to sell. This can happen for a great many reasons and it’s not always as black and white as it might seem.
Assassin’s Creed: Watch the 1st Trailer for the Movie
Feast your eyes on the brand new trailer for 20th Century Fox's Assassin's Creed, based on the Ubisoft video game franchise.
The trailer below debuted tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
X-Men's Michael Fassbender stars and produces the film.
The cast also includes Marion Cotillard (The Dark Knight Rises), Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Harry Potter's Brendan Gleeson, The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams, Ariane Labed (Before Midnight), and Callum Turner (Green Room).
Here's the official plot synopsis: "Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day."
Brave Director to Helm Alice and Peter Pan Prequel Movie
Brave co-director Brenda Chapman will helm Come Away, a live-action prequel to Alice and Wonderland and Peter Pan.
According to Deadline, Chapman will direct based on a script penned by Marissa Kate Goodhill. Leesa Kahn, Michelle Manning and Andrea Keir are all on board to produce.
Come Away will be the first live-action film Chapman has ever directed, having previously only helmed animated features, including Pixar's Brave and DreamWorks' The Prince of Egypt.
"I had never really considered directing live-action – animation has always been my genre," Chapman explained. "But when I read Marissa’s fantastical script, I felt that little tingly feeling run up my spine. I thought, 'Wow! I’ve changed my mind. I want to do this'"
Jumanji Reboot: Jack Black in Talks to Star
Another high-profile actor may soon be joining the cast of Sony's upcoming Jumanji reboot, as Jack Black is reportedly in talks to star.
According TheWrap, negotiations are currently underway. If a deal is struck, Black will join co-stars Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
Jack Black as R.L. Stine in Goosebumps
Power Rangers Writer to Script Booster Gold Movie
Warner Bros. is reportedly moving forward with a Booster Gold / Blue Beetle movie, and Zack Stentz is writing the script.
According to Birth. Movies. Death, the writer behind Thor and the forthcoming Power Rangers movie is currently working on script. Additionally, the outlet has heard that Greg Berlanti is on board to produce and possibly direct.
While Warner Bros. has yet to comment on the status of a Booster Gold-centric film adaptation, the project is now rumored to be a solo outing and not the Blue and Gold "superhero buddy cop movie," prior reports claimed the studio was looking to create.