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04/16/15 @ 12:44 pm EST
As we get closer to the launch of Dynamite’s all-female written and lead summer event Swords of Sorrow, Byron Brewer caught up with writer Leah Moore to talk about her three-part miniseries Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris / Irene Adler. Cover art by Jay Anacleto.  BYRON BREWER: Leah, how does it feel to be a part of this special event saluting the Women of Dynamite, AND to be hand-picked to write this portion of it by its architect, Gail Simone?LEAH MOORE: It feels fantastic. The line-up of talent is extremely humbling to be included in, and the characters Gail has got for us all to write are just amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crossover like it. Gail is really good at this kind of project, and she makes it look really easy, but writing the main story, and then coordinating all the other stories that are weaving into the main one? That’s so hard to do, keeping all the plates spinning. She’s a badass though. It makes you up your game to be writing alongside her. No slacking! BB: This miniseries features two strong women characters, with Dejah Thoris being one of the most popular at Dynamite. Were you a fan of either heroine before this project?LM: Well I’ve co-written two Sherlock Holmes OGN’s with my husband John Reppion, so I’m well steeped in the whole Holmes mythology. I think when we were writing them ( The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon) we were very self conscious and didn’t want to do a second rate job, we wanted to make sure they could stand up next to the original Holmes mysteries. We have gradually loosened up, as people came and said they enjoyed those books, so when I heard I was writing Irene Adler, I thought okay, this time I can really relax and have some fun.Dejah Thoris, I was aware of from the phenomenal run she has had at Dynamite, but I had never read the novels themselves. I’ve started reading them now though, she is a fantastic character. The costume she wears can distract people I think, because when you first meet her in the novels, it’s really clear that she is in charge, she has the upper hand, it’s John Carter that is trying to work out how things work. I have been having great fun writing her. She is awesome. BB: Irene Adler has been a lot of things in her seemingly young life: fugitive, master of disguise, the quintessential femme fatale. What role does she play here? As writer, give us your perception of who Adler is.LM: Well the thing Adler is known for is that Sherlock Holmes really rates her. The great Detective says she is unparalleled among womankind, that she matches him in her powers of reasoning, and resourcefulness. This and the fact that she’s a Prima Donna opera singer, an Adventuress and can actually beat Holmes at his own game, most notably in Scandal in Bohemia, made me want to write her as a female Holmes but without the social restrictions. Holmes is known for being weird and awkward and obsessive. I wanted Adler to show that it’s possible to be a badass genius with mad fencing skills and super fast reflexes, and still be capable of human interaction and emotion. Having spent so long trying to be as careful and reverential as possible with the canonical Holmes, I love the feeling that I can poke and prod the mythos and see if it stands up to modern eyes and Adler is great for that!Irene Adler is a fixer, a brain-for-hire who will go and sort out any sticky or strange situation with deftness and aplomb. She is not afraid to ask people why they want something doing, and she judges the situation as she goes along. I would say she is not 100% trustworthy and good, she is not 100% nice, but she is a really fascinating character to write! BB: For all her flaunted sexuality, Dejah Thoris of Mars has always been, at least in the modern comics, a strong and quite capable woman. What threat is she facing on Barsoom as our story begins here?LM: Dejah Thoris is only flaunting her sexuality by Earth or Jasoomian standards. On Barsoom she is wearing the equivalent of jeans and a t-shirt.Burroughs took the idea of a white man turning up in some remote village and being utterly amazed to see the women’s breasts out in the fresh air, and transposed it into the fantasy pulp world. It’s a classic trope, where the young dashing man is sent to a planet where the natives only wear cling film and demand lessons in Earth Kissing.The difference with Dejah is that from the start she is not impressed with John Carter. She finds him gauche, bumbling and socially awkward with his total lack of Barsoomian manners. Yes she succumbs to his Jasoomian wiles eventually, but she is not just a good looking girl to drape over his arm. She is written as a smart regal woman who can handle herself in a fight, and I’m so happy to write that character!When we meet her she doesn’t know where her husband is, as he has been missing since the last Dynamite arc finished, she has had a weird black and silver sword delivered, her right hand man Tars Tarkas has vanished, a huge statue of Red Sonja has appeared, and then a mad gunman appears and starts taking pot shots at the people of Helium. Dejah is understandably vexed by all this, and the first time we see her, she is in full on battle mode. No royal manners, no nice conversation, just a chip on her shoulder and a mean right hook BB: Now will this be a “vs” book, a “team-up” book or just two women sharing the same title in separate stories. If they do come together, can you hint at how that comes about?LM: I wanted to fling them together explosively, because they are both women who know their own minds and do not suffer fools gladly. Trouble is, if you fling them together at the start, then they can’t just battle for three whole issues, people would get bored. Also Gail wanted a mystery story from me, and I couldn’t see them both walking about like something from Scooby Doo together, so I had to wrench them apart for a bit. Don’t worry, I keep it all fast and fun. And then presumably they have to find each other again, right? And do they like each other then, or are they still not happy? Too much fun writing this. Too much fun. BB: What does artist Francesco Manna bring to the table here?LM: He is the most incredible draughtsman, his pages flow really well, his lines are so full of life and bounce, there is not a dead panel, or a dead bit of a panel, the guy is amazing. His women are soooo gorgeous, he can do all the facial acting a writer could ask for, he doesn’t mind detail, he handles insanely twiddly architecture like it’s just some easy blobby trees at the back, his costumes are really fun and exciting, and if I write a document in, (and I do that, in these Holmes books) he draws the document and puts in all the pictures and lettering and makes it all look amazing. I am so lucky to have him. I know that whatever I put in there, it’s in safe hands. I can really push things, do big panels, big scenes, epic scale, and he can handle it. To be honest I’ve probably not tried hard enough. Maybe I’ll make #3 a real challenge… 11/15/25 @ 12:49 pm EST
A new Star Trek film is in the works and Paramount is tapping the team of Jonathan Goldstein and John Frances Daley to write, produce and direct. This news comes shortly after David Ellison, founder of Skydance who recently purchased the studio, told investors that the next Star Trek film would not be a sequel to the Chris Pine/ Zachary Quinto lead series of films. While this hasn’t been 100% confirmed, word is that the new film will be focused on new characters and not directly tied to any previous film or television series. Goldstein and Daley have a good track record when it comes to revitalizing franchises having written Spider-Man: Homecoming for Marvel Studios and wrote and directed Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves which was very well received by fans and critics.  11/15/25 @ 12:32 pm EST
With The Fantastic Four: First Steps having moved to Disney+, the Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby lead team is now first in fans minds. But one person still thinks about the First Family of Marvel presented a decade ago and what went wrong. Miles Teller, who played Reed Richards in Josh Trank’s 2015 version of the property, still thinks about the project and how he believes the problems all came down to one person. Teller was on Sirius XM’s Radio Andy show said, “You saw the movie, right? Your eyes were working during that time? I think it’s unfortunate because so many people worked so hard on that movie. And, honestly, maybe there was one really important person who kind of f***ed it all up.” While Teller didn’t say who that was, he was referring to the person who made the final cut on the film, which was not director Trank. Teller said that he wanted a superhero film on his resume to help show him as a serious leading man, but after seeing the final cut recalled, “I remember talking to one of the studio heads, and I was like, ‘I think we’re in trouble.'” The 2015 version made $167 million worldwide compared to this year’s version which made $521 million. He stopped short of calling for a director’s cut of the film.  11/09/25 @ 2:03 pm EST
The Creeper is a unique character from DC Comics, first introduced in "Showcase #73" in 1968. Created by Steve Ditko, The Creeper’s real name is Jack Ryder, a former television talk show host and investigative journalist in Gotham City. After being attacked during an undercover operation at a costume party, Ryder is injected with a serum by Dr. Yatz and gains superhuman abilities, including enhanced strength, agility, rapid healing, and a pain tolerance bordering on the supernatural. The serum, combined with a bizarre costume, transforms him into The Creeper, a vigilante known for his wild laughter, erratic behavior, and flamboyant appearance—a shock of green hair, yellow skin, and a red mane-like cape. The Creeper remains largely untouched by mainstream media, providing an opportunity to introduce audiences to a fresh face and break away from more established archetypes. His blend of horror, humor, and psychological complexity could create a film that stands out from traditional superhero fare. The Creeper’s unsettling persona and visual style lend themselves well to a film that could blend genres—horror, black comedy, and superhero action. His maniacal laugh and unpredictable methods could inject dark humor and psychological thrills, appealing to fans of films like "Joker" and "Deadpool" while carving out a distinctive identity in the DCU. Jack Ryder’s journey from cynical journalist to bizarre vigilante offers rich storytelling potential. Exploring themes of identity, sanity, and the nature of heroism, a Creeper film could delve into Ryder’s internal struggles and the impact of his dual life, making for a character-driven narrative that resonates with audiences seeking depth and complexity. And with being set in Gotham City, The Creeper’s adventures naturally intersect with the city’s gritty underworld, providing opportunities for noir-style detective storytelling. His background in journalism and investigation can be leveraged to create suspenseful plots involving corruption, criminal conspiracies, and moral ambiguity—making him an ideal protagonist for a film that explores the darker aspects of the DC Universe. The Creeper stands as one of DC Comics’ most unconventional and intriguing characters. His untapped potential, distinctive personality, and ability to straddle multiple genres make him a perfect candidate to lead a film in the new DCU.  ... 11/09/25 @ 1:37 pm EST
Predator: Badlands is doing very well, thanks for asking. The latest film in the long-running franchise set a few high franchise marks including domestic opening with $40M, best worldwide opening with $80M and best Cinemascore with an A-. The film also sits a the top of this week’s box office beating out the 2nd place film, Regretting You, by $32.9M… though that film is in its 3rd week. Other new films opening this week, Sarah’s Oil and Nuremberg, opened in 4th and 5th with just over $4M each. Badlands is the third Predator project for director Dan Trachtenberg, the first Prey showed how he could handle the franchise but then he wanted to follow it up with an animated film, Killer of Killers and then for the first time Badlands make the Predator the protagonist. 
11/08/25 @ 4:21 pm EST
Recent reports about problems on the set of Stranger Things may not have been what they seemed. There were stories being published that Millie Bobby Brown had filed a report against co-star David Habour, accusing the older actor of bullying. But the validity of those reports are now in question as both Brown and Harbour joined their Stranger Things cast members at the red=carpet premiere of the show’s fifth and final season. Brown and Harbour were seen joking together and even hugging. Brown has also spoke of Habour to Extra, saying: “It’s been amazing. We’re so lucky to have each other. The show means so much to the both of us, and to everyone here. This has been the last 10 years of our lives.” Brown stars as the psych-powered Eleven and Harbour plays Sherriff Jim Hopper who ends up adopting her. The fifth and final season will release on Netflix in three sets with Volume 1 on November 26 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes), and The Finale on New Year’s Eve.  11/01/25 @ 2:53 pm EST
There is a major movie franchise out there that is not going by its original name and it’s thanks to the star. When screenwriter Derek Kolstad finished what would become is most popular film, he was inspired by revenge-thrillers with one-word titles like Payback and Shooter. He dubbed his film, Scorn. The problem came when the star of the film went out and talked about it, he always referred to it by the lead character’s name rather than the title. After a while, the studio realized that their star, Keanu Reeves, had done millions of dollars worth of brand recognition for the name John Wick… they decided to go with it and renamed the film. Why Reeves did this is unknown, but Kolstad has since admitted that John Wick is a better franchise name, saying, “I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.” Was this an intentional thing on Reeves’ part or just a happy coincidence? We may never know.  11/01/25 @ 2:38 pm EST
If you check the major Hollywood sites like Deadline and Variety, they’ll tell you that October 2025 has been the lowest box office take in almost 30 years. It sits currently at $440 million with a few days left to add. In 1998 the box office did $455 million, which this month should just creep past. By comparison October 2018 did $832 million with just three films: Venom, A Star is Born and Halloween, taking in $481 million. But last year, October only took in $478 million showing the decreasing trend. Adding to the decline is the fact that no major releases were scheduled for this weekend because of the Halloween holiday. And what was put into theaters the whole month really didn’t get people’s attention. Tron: Ares was the highest profile film and that hasn’t even broken $70 million in its four weeks in theaters. When you look at numbers like that, it’s hard not to think about what might have been. There was a big budget film slated for release this month, a film that got delayed and delayed and hasn’t even started filming. A film that finally has a finished script and is set to release in October of 2027… that of course is Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part 2. One of the most anticipated films currently in production, the sequel to the 2022 hit, bolstered also by the fan favorite HBO series The Penguin, would easily match and likely succeed the success of the first film. The Batman opened on March 4, 2022 and ended that month with $338 million domestically. It was originally scheduled to be released October 3rd, looking at that release date, this year there really wasn’t any big film put in its place. The film would’ve done better than the first and that amount would’ve driven 2025 towards the top of the list, maybe even surpassing 2018. Ah, what could’ve been.  ... 10/26/25 @ 12:25 pm EST
DC Studios has potentially taken a significant step by filing for a trademark for a film titled "Salvation Run." A move that isn’t too surprising since the Salvation planet and the idea of using it as a prison for meta humans was introduced in the season finale of Peacemaker season 2. But the filing does indicate just how big this idea could be for the DCU. "Salvation Run" is a storyline from DC Comics that originally ran in the late 2000s. The story centers on the mass exile of some of DC's most notorious villains to a hostile alien world, forcing them to band together for survival. It was a concept originally pitched to DC by Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin. The trademark filing by DC Studios suggests that the company is considering developing "Salvation Run" into a feature film. While trademark filings do not guarantee that a film will be produced, they often indicate serious intent or early-stage development. The filing protects the title and concept, ensuring that DC Studios retains exclusive rights as plans evolve. Should "Salvation Run" move forward, it could introduce a fresh dynamic to DC's film slate. Instead of focusing on heroes, this story would shine a spotlight on villains, possibly expanding character development and offering audiences new perspectives on well-known antagonists. It also opens opportunities for ensemble casting, complex storytelling, and connections to other DC properties.  10/26/25 @ 11:56 am EST
For many MCU fans, there has been concerns about when or even if Jeremy Renner would be returning to the role of Clint Barton aka the Avenger Hawkeye. Renner first portrayed the archer in 2011’s Thor and returned in 2012’s The Avengers. He has been popping up as the character in various films and even his own Disney+ series that had been rumored to be getting a second season. And then came New Year’s Day 2023 and a horrific snowplow accident where the actor sustained over 30 broken bones, including a shattered leg, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a punctured lung. Renner has made a miraculous recovery and has returned to working on projects like Mayor of Kingstown and Wake Up Dead Man… but his future in the MCU is still unclear. Earlier this year Renner gave fans a disappointing update when he revealed that Marvel had talked to him about returning for season two but only offered him half of what he made for season one, which he turned down. None of this was looking good, even with two Avengers movies on the horizon. Shift to now where Renner is out doing various interviews and talking about the character again. He spoke of how Clint Barton has repeatedly tried to retire but keeps coming back and how he believes that it will continue that way until the character is killed off. He also said of the Hawkeye series specifically, "We got to where we’re trying to do the second season. And I think I’ll get strong enough to be able to do it. And we’ll work it out. It’s gonna be great." He was also asked by another Avenger actor, Brie Larson, if he would be returning for Avengers: Doomsday, to which he said “no” and then turned it back on her asking, “Are you?” The whole thing was done very playfully. And even if he doesn’t return for Doomsday, there’s always Secret Wars a year later.  ... 10/25/25 @ 12:37 pm EST
The highly anticipated Marvel series, Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to make its debut on Disney+. Fans of Marvel’s first family have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new adaptation, which promises to bring fresh storytelling and exciting action to the beloved characters of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The film, which was directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, will be available for streaming starting November 5th. The Fantastic Four have long been favorites among comic book readers, and with Marvel Studios now handling the property after the luke-warm reception of the first two Fox films and the universally hated reboot. First Steps is not a retelling of the origin story but rather moves on to the team having been well established after four years and dealing with their greatest threat, the world-devourer Galactus. The new cast includes Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the quartet of heroes along with Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatis and Natasha Lyonne. The film did moderately well in theaters, taking in a worldwide box office total of $521M and an 86% critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes.  |
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