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05/09/16 @ 11:45 pm EST
A Writers’ Commentary: Ben Acker and Heath Corson talk Kings Quest #1, on sale now from Dynamite. Cover is by Marc Laming and Lara Margarida. Interiors by Dan McDaid and Omi Remalante. PAGE ONE:  BEN ACKER: Let me start by saying that I love this book. I love the story and I love the characters, but the thing I want to talk about here that I love above and beyond all that is I love collaboration. In this book, I get to work with three people with whom I’ve been dying to work for as long as I’ve known them. Page one, you got an artist named Bob Q, who at the time of this writing isn’t credited, but I hope he will be by the time you’re reading this. Bob Q has a unique style that is clean and cool and just dynamic. He’s doing flashbacks that set the scene along the way in this series and, in issue 3, you’ll see way more of him. I’ve always loved the personality of his art. I’m sure you’ll see more of him, but you’re on the ground floor with the great Bob Q, here!Dan McDaid is a genius. Every page, every panel, he knocks me out. We’ll get to him, as we’re talking about Page 1. But Dan is a guy I’ve known a little longer than Bob Q. I think we’ve come very close to working together a few times over the years, and when he was available and down to do this book, I couldn’t have been happer.Omi Remalante is not someone I’ve had to wait to work with. I’ve done a few books with Omi and he is consistently wonderful, as you’ll see. He kills it on colors and always has.Heath Corson has been a great friend of mine for years and years. We’ve never collaborated a lick and it was a little daunting, what with him being a powerhouse writer in his own right. Let me tell you that the process of collaborating with him was a joy. His sense of story and character and action and plotting – everything – he’s just great at the stuff of writing. I could go on and on. Heath is just as good at the stuff of collaboration. Egoless and inspiring. You don’t know how it’s going to be to do work with your friend, but you hope it’s just like this. And now I’ll let him tell about the book. Hit it Heath! HEATH CORSON: First of all, everything Ben just said and then some. We have had just a blast working together and the fact that ON TOP OF THAT we get to work with all these amazing artists, is just cream in our collective coffee. Now… To the book:Since the “Quest” aspect of King’s Quest is returning to space to get Dale Arden, who was left behind, we really needed to start out with a unique, grounded perspective on who Dale is and why she’s special. With that in mind, the most interesting POV was Jen’s. So we start with an intimate recollection between Jen and Dale. Which also serves to ease us into Jen’s VO that narrates this issue and throws us headfirst into the… PAGE TWO & THREE: DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD!  HEATH: Boom. Here’s our entire cast bracing for impact. I was particularly proud of Zarkov’s line here.BEN: When I read Zarkov’s line, I cheered. Good stuff, Heath!HEATH: Thanks buddy. Also, I love Phantom Jen’s design in the purple hoodie. Man, I want that hoodie. BEN: This is a good spread. You get all the characters and their POVs and relationships and roles in the group starting to come out. And this layout is all McDaid. PAGE FOUR: HEATH: Yeah, we hit the ground running… Or crashing as the case might be. But it let’s us dive right into playing with the character dynamics, which is my personal favorite part of writing ensemble stories like this. BEN: You nail it here, Heath. I love this dialogue, of which yours is the lion’s share. PAGE FIVE: HEATH: Here we see how great Flash’s reflexes are… And how itchy his zap gun trigger finger is. The man loves to vaporize space creatures. This monkey is no exception. BEN: I love that Lothar Phantom in panel 1. Make yourself at home, Phantom. This is the first time I noticed Zarkov’s flask. So good. And those monsters in the last panel. This commentary is just gonna be me chanting McDaid! McDaid! Over and over. Like I do in the emails I send him whenever I get new pages. I’d call, but he lives overseas. PAGE SIX & SEVEN: HEATH: Dan McDaid, folks. Drink that in. BEN: McDaid! McDaid! HEATH: I love these pages. These are the pages as a writer you hope you get back when you pass the storytelling off to your artist by saying stuff like: “A bunch of hideous monsters jump out here. Everyone freaks.” Plus, I LOVE Valiant’s expression here and how chuffed he is to chop things in half. BEN: I love Zarkov’s Jack Bennyish take on what’s going on. And how many trunks does that elephant monster have? McDaid! McDaid! Gubba gubba gubba gubba! PAGE EIGHT:  HEATH: How cowboy cool is Mandrake here? Throwing doves at monsters without breaking a sweat. And doing it in formal-wear. Mandrake might be my favorite to write. Lothar, on the other hand, takes no chances and just opens fire. Which is the other side of the badass coin. BEN: These colors are amazing! Remalante! Remalante! Remalante! HEATH: Yes, yes! Let’s tip our collective tops hats to Omi Remalante, our genius colorist. More of him coming in hot. PAGE NINE: BEN: There’s a thing in commentary tracks where the commenters are just relating the experience of watching the movie or reading the book, not because we’re taken with what we’ve created, but because creation like this is a collaboration and we’re so enjoying the work of our collaborators. It makes for solid work, but sometimes a commentary that just feels like narrating what you’re seeing. Sorry, not sorry. HEATH: Hahaha. It’s true. You realize that in comics we’re all fans as well as creators.Uh-oh. Shambling, scream-y mound has a secret, you guys. Wait for it… PAGE TEN: HEATH: Yup. It’s JUNGLE JIM! I found his dialogue really fun but deceptively challenging to write. I think Ben had to confer with actual Brits to get some of the phrasing correct. Right, Ben? BEN: Credit to Humphrey Ker, a decidedly English name for a decidedly English person giving me the Englishisms. Also credit to the “How British Am I?” sketch by the brilliant comedy group Superego. Once Humphrey pitched “dashed,” all I could think of was Superego’s Matt Gourley voicing Jungle Jim. And I love the “Ming’s forces” turn in here, so I hope it was Heath that wrote it, or else I’m just patting myself on the back. You know it’s a good collaboration when you’re not sure who wrote what.HEATH: I always assume if it is funny or clever, it was Ben. You should too. PAGE ELEVEN: HEATH: Ming’s forces, on the other hand, were really fun to write with their terrible corporate-slash-military-slash-Kafkaesque circular reasoning. And, peep those awesome spaceships! McDaid bringing it. Hard. Again, can we also just call out the COLORS here by Remalante? The jungle, the creatures, the spaceships and our heroes. All fantastic vibrant colors reminiscent of the pulp origins of these heroes. Makes it all sing.  BEN: You’re not wrong, Heath. You’re right. And look: “Gordon’s alive!” Remember that line? We’re just fans of this stuff. PAGE TWELVE: HEATH: Yeah, this would scare ME if I was a Ming flunky. It’s also a nice reminder how crazy powerful Jim is. Beast mode, indeed. BEN: More of Humphrey’s help here. I love beast mode that sounds like Downton Abbey. PAGE THIRTEEN: HEATH: It was right around finding the line “Be merciless for Ming” that it really sunk in that I was writing Flash freakin’ Gordon and these HUGE iconic characters that I grew up with. So cool.BEN: And look at those guys. These designs – the monsters and the soldiers – they’re so killer. And they only exist for a few panels. That’s crazy! So fully realized. McDaid! McDaid! PAGE FOURTEEN: HEATH: This Mandrake page is my favorite of the issue. Ben and I talked a lot about playing with his sense of theatricality and performance. Between the astounding art and the dialogue I felt like we all really did justice to Mandrake on this page. PS: THIS is the McDaid page I desperately want in my office… You know, just in case he’s reading this.BEN: Ha! Next issue’s Mandrake page is my favorite of that issue and is the one I want in my office. I told McDaid already. And to the point of the theatricality of Mandrake, I really love that he’s an old school stage magician at his core. It sets him apart from your Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. Mandrake is not a doctor. He’s a smoke and mirrors guy and look – the illusions he’s casting are smoke! PAGE FIFTEEN: HEATH: Flash is a helluva action hero. He’s a real “shoot first, ask questions never” kind of guy. It was important to show that and McDaid really captures his physicality here. BEN: Yeah, usually we make it fun that he’s so gung ho. Like “maybe relax, Flash and ask a question or two before you charge in.” But here, when it’s clear, when it’s as black and white as Flash sees it anyway, you get to spend the bulk of a page having him say a cool thing and kick a bad guy off his rocket. PAGE SIXTEEN:  HEATH: I like this Jen/Lothar beat here. We talked a lot about their mentor/mentee dynamic and how it’s on Lothar to get Jen to step up. I like that Jen is out of her league and really sharply feels that deep into this adventure. But she IS supposed to be the Phantom and that’s a honest struggle for her to take on that mantle… Especially in the face of Lothar being as good a Phantom as there’s ever been. BEN: Yeah, there’s something really interesting to me about the nature of Lothar’s relationship with the mantle of the Phantom. I hope we remember to get into it in one of these issues. PAGE SEVENTEEN: HEATH: This page layout is just such wild fun. BEN: McDaid! McDaid! HEATH: You get this great heightened sense of flow and movement in Valiant. We see that the guy is an unstoppable freight train of violence. BEN: And also Simon Bowland, the letterer, is just as much the boss of how your eye takes in this page. Bowland is a real pro, consistently just great. Bowland! Bowland! HEATH: No kidding! Kudos to Bowland. Especially since in the first lettering pass, I’m pretty sure we accidently reversed all the dialogue from the bottom to the top. Which would have made everyone’s eyes cross. PAGE EIGHTEEN: HEATH: Jim realizing Valiant is still telling off the baddies makes me laugh a lot. That was a Ben joke that showed up in the second lettering pass. It took me by surprise when I read it and I totally laughed out loud. BEN: Thanks, Heath. You wrote Valiant’s pure joy here and I love it. I regret that we didn’t find a moment for Jungle Jim and Zarkov to share a drink. Maybe next issue!PAGE NINETEEN:BEN: I love how McDaid draws Barin. His little mustache! HEATH: Prince Barin. Finally! We’ve only been looking for him this entire issue. But he’s got pretty bad news… BEN: You bet he does. It’s been two years, not the two hours it felt like it took. This is one of the most important details of the book and Mandrake is about to explain it, and Flash gives him “Who cares why!” I love that. That’s so Flash. PAGE TWENTY: HEATH: HOLY CRAP! Dale is… Empress?! Does that mean she’s married to Ming? What the-?! I love this twist. And it only gets worse, you guys. Much MUCH worse. BEN: Stay tuned. 01/03/26 @ 1:19 pm EST
Deadline is reporting that Mike Flanagan is working on a new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Flanagan said his plan is to adapt the beloved franchise into a five-season series that would then be capped off by two stand-alone movies. The acclaimed horror director recently told Empire Magazine, “We’ve got a lot of scripts done for it. It’s the first priority.” He also made it clear that he doesn’t want the 2017 Idris Elba/ Matthew McConaughey film to be the final word on the property. That adaptation has a 16% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Though Flanagan and Intrepid Pictures have a deal with Amazon, the rights to the Dark Tower were specifically carved out of their arrangement and could end up with another studio, but Amazon is also a possibility. Flanagan is known for his work on films like Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and the Life of Chuck as well as series like The Fall of the House of Ushers, The Midnight Club and Midnight Mass. He also came up with the initial story and script for the upcoming Clayface movie that was so strong that James Gunn and Peter Safran has to greenlight a body horror film starring a B-level Batman villain as the third film released in their new DCU.  01/03/26 @ 12:45 pm EST
Now that we’re in 2026, we need to keep an ear out for casting news for the two big DC Studios films shooting this year, Man of Tomorrow and The Batman Part 2. The Superman follow-up is the one going first and we already got the casting announcement for the main villain, Brainiac with the addition of German actor Lars Eidinger to the cast. There have been rumors that there was a female role being cast for a potential hero that many have assumed was going to be this universe’s Wonder Woman, and while that has not been confirmed, John Rocha of the Hot Mic podcast says his sources confirm that James Gunn is looking to cast the Amazon warrior for the film. That would make sense with the idea that DC is pushing Wonder Woman for a new film with Supergirl scribe Ann Nogueira said to be working on the script. This still falls into the rumor category, but Gunn has not debunked the story as of yet. With the film expected to begin production in the spring, more casting news is expected in the next few weeks/months, and we know that if the “scoopers” have it right, DC likes to get the news out their themselves as they did with Eidinger. So I wouldn’t trust any of the rumored castings as of now.  12/20/25 @ 12:26 pm EST
James Gunn took to social media this morning to welcome Lars Eidinger to the DCU and Man of Tomorrow in the role of Brainiac. Eidinger, while not a household name, is best known for his roles in Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper but also appeared in the recent Netflix film Jay Kelly. Gunn talked about a worldwide search for the iconic Superman villain led to Eidinger rising to the top. He will join David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan as the film is expected to begin shooting in the spring of 2026 for a release in July of 2027. There have been multiple attempts to use Brainiac in a Superman film, but each attempt has fallen to the wayside, and his only live-action appearance so far was in the short-lived SciFi series Krypton where he was played by Blake Ritson. 
12/20/25 @ 11:25 am EST
After having begun production in August of this year, director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has wrapped filming as of Friday. The film, which is set to premiere July 31st, 2026, features the return of Tom Holland as Peter Parker and is the first in the MCU franchise to not be directed by Jon Watts. Cretton wrote on Instagram, “I’m so deeply grateful for the people who walked with me through the biggest, most rewarding film I’ve ever been a part of. To our amazing cast, for breathing so much life into these beloved characters and moving us every day. To our unbelievable crew, who worked tirelessly with unmatched creativity and craftsmanship, who made me laugh so hard my stomach never stopped hurting. I love you all so much and can’t wait for the world to see your stunning work on the big screen. And of course, to @tomholland2013, for your kind, generous leadership on and off screen, for your relentless work ethic, your fearless performances, and for your friendship. That’s a wrap on Spider-Man: Brand New Day!” This is Cretton’s second MCU film after having helmed Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He has also produced the Wonder Man series set to debut on Disney+ next month.  12/06/25 @ 2:03 pm EST
Scarlett Johansson is said to be in negotiations to join the cast of the highly anticipated sequel, The Batman Part 2. While Warner Bros. has not officially revealed which character Johansson would portray, speculation is rife across social media and film forums. Many fans are hoping she will take on the role of a major antagonist or perhaps bring a new dimension to an existing character from the Batman lore. Johansson’s acclaimed work in action and drama—especially her iconic run as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—positions her as a compelling choice for a complex role in Gotham’s shadowy streets. The Batman Part 2 is currently in pre-production, with filming scheduled to commence in May of next year. The film is targeted for a theatrical release in 2026, although official dates may be subject to change. Director Matt Reeves returns to helm the sequel, ensuring continuity in the vision and tone that made the first installment a critical and box office success. Johansson’s addition is expected to boost the already stellar lineup led by Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Within hours of the announcement, social media platforms lit up with enthusiastic posts and trending hashtags. Speculation is running rampant with guesses of her role ranging from villains like Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to love interests like Silver St. Cloud and Vickie Vale. One of the more popular suggestions is that Johansson could be playing Andrea Beaumont, a love interest and antagonist from the hit animated film Mask of the Phantasm. The casting has not been confirmed and neither the studio nor Reeves has commented since the story broke. 
12/06/25 @ 1:50 pm EST
In a dramatic shift for the entertainment industry, Netflix has announced its acquisition of Warner Bros, one of Hollywood's most iconic studios. This unprecedented deal marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of media and streaming services. Netflix, already a leader in streaming content, has been searching for ways to expand its library and production capabilities. Warner Bros, with its vast catalog of beloved films and television franchises—including the Harry Potter, DC, and Looney Tunes properties—represents a treasure trove of content and creative resources. The acquisition signals Netflix's commitment to not only dominating streaming but also to strengthening its influence in theatrical releases and television programming. Though Netflix has been against theatrical releases in the past, in a recent statement they said they planned to continue them for Warner Bros films just with a shorter release window. By purchasing Warner Bros, Netflix gains access to a library of classic and highly profitable intellectual properties. This move allows Netflix to offer exclusive streaming rights to blockbuster franchises, while also leveraging Warner Bros’ production infrastructure. The deal also positions Netflix to compete more directly with other major studios and streaming platforms, such as Disney and Amazon. Industry analysts predict that this acquisition will accelerate the consolidation trend within the entertainment sector. Other studios and streaming services may seek mergers or partnerships to remain competitive. Audiences can likely expect a surge in new content, including reboots, spin-offs, and original productions drawing from Warner Bros' legacy. For Netflix subscribers, the platform could soon become the go-to destination for both new releases and classic favorites. While some industry veterans express concern about further consolidation of media power, others see this as an opportunity for innovation and greater investment in high-quality storytelling. Only time will tell how this landmark deal reshapes Hollywood and the global entertainment landscape.  ... 11/29/25 @ 11:47 am EST
If you’re of a certain age, then you realize that Peter Hammond was not the first live-action Spider-Man to appear on television screens. That honor goes to Jim Hensen puppeteer Danny Seagren who was a regular on both Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Seagren was both a puppeteer and puppet maker and was the right hand of Ernie along with putting on the Big Bird suit on several occasions including an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was also the web slinger on the show that started the careers of Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman as both shows fell under the Children’s Television Workshop. He went on to create puppets for other series like Curiosity Shop, Captain Kangaroo and Who’s Afraid of Opera. “Danny will be greatly missed by his family, friends and those throughout the community he loved living in,” his family said in his obituary. Seagren died on November 10th at the age of 81.  11/29/25 @ 11:31 am EST
Director Shawn Levy has officially hired renowned composer Thomas Newman to craft the score for his upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter film. The collaboration marks a significant moment for the celebrated sci-fi franchise, as Newman steps into a universe long defined by the iconic music of John Williams. His distinguished career includes memorable scores for films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, and 1917, brings a fresh perspective to the Star Wars saga. Over the years, Newman has earned an impressive 15 Oscar nominations, a testament to his exceptional talent and enduring impact on the film industry. Levy, celebrated for his work on blockbusters like Free Guy and Deadpool and Wolverine, and the hit series Stranger Things, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. He highlighted Newman's ability to blend sweeping orchestral moments with subtle, character-driven motifs—a style well-suited to the expansive and adventurous spirit of Star Wars. While plot details remain under wraps, Levy and Newman’s collaboration promises a thrilling and emotionally resonant cinematic experience.  11/16/25 @ 12:48 pm EST
While most of the focus over at Marvel Studios is currently on the pair of upcoming Avengers films, Ryan Coogler is ready to return to Wakanda for a third Black Panther film. We’d heard of the possibility of the film originally from Denzel Washington who, while speaking of his potential retirement, mentioned the film as one of his future projects and then when Nate Moore left Marvel last year, he said he would be back producing the third Black Panther film. Now, Coogler himself said while on stage talking about his film Sinners, that Black Panther 3 would be his next movie. The series kicked off with Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, king of the African Nation of Wakanda and while he reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, he sadly passed away shortly after. The sequel dealt with the characters death and passed the mantle on to his sister Shuri played by Letitia Wright who is expected to reprise the role in the upcoming Avenger films, but with talks of a potential soft reboot of the MCU, it’s unclear who will be wearing the mask for the third film.  11/16/25 @ 12:31 pm EST
The most recent news on the DCU has to do with Jimmy Olsen. Variety is reporting that Skyler Gisondo will reprise his role from Superman in a true-crime docuseries style show that focuses on villains in the universe starting with the Flash rogue, Gorilla Grodd. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault are set to write and showrun with James Gunn and Peter Safran joining them as executive producers. The show is planned for HBO Max and will be a mockumentary style similar to Yacenda and Perrault’s previous series like American Vandal and Players. In the original report, Variety claimed the series would be called DC Crime, something Gunn took to social media to debunk, saying there had never been any project in production called DC Crime, he then added that his saying that doesn’t mean that the rest of the report is false. This sounds like a pretty good confirmation to me.  |
