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08/11/15 @ 6:54 pm EST
Mark Waid, writer of Justice Inc.: The Avenger #3, talks with writer Gail Simone about Swords of Sorrow #4, both on sale August 12th! MARK WAID: You now know more about these legendary comics characters than I do, and that’s saying something. How daunting was the research on this project?GAIL SIMONE: It was incredibly daunting. We've spoken of this a lot, Mark, but I was raised in the boonies on a farm, and access to the source material of many of these characters was just something I never had. My knowledge of comics is pretty deep, but there are huge gaps, and my knowledge of some of the other media these characters appeared in is a lot more spotty. So that was indeed a daunting task.But the research did turn out to be one of the most fun aspects, in the end. I kept finding out all these amazing things--I had no ideaMiss Fury was such a trailblazing character; an anti-hero, by a female creator, that inspired many characters to follow, that started in the Golden Age, not in comics but in comic strips? I had no knowledge of any of that. It was a joy to include her, I felt a real connection to her creator, Tarpe Mills. I mean, here was a kick-ass woman adventurer, created, written and drawn by a woman, in 1941 ... it's kind of astounding that in 2015 we are still having a conversation about women creating comics and comics featuring women. 1941! And then several of these characters, I had sort of misjudged. I looked at Jungle Girl and just thought, "Ah, a cheesecake Sheena rip-off," but then reading the book, you find these interesting themes and ideas, and the character of Jana herself is really charismatic and charming.So all of this was a lot of discovery. I've said it before, but the most exciting thing for me is how we are bringing in ass-kicking women from all forms of adventure media fiction: comic strips, radio drama, black and white horror magazines, adventure literature, pulp fiction, comic books, and more. I even like that the “bad girl” period of comics is represented in the Chaos characters.We put all the toys in the bag and shook them up, and that was a metric HELLton of work, but it was also very much a dream job, just ridiculously fun. Dejah Thoris getting on Red Sonja's nerves whileJennifer Blood shoots at Kato, it was just all too fun.  MW: Have the characters surprised you in any way as you’ve gone along?GS: Yeah, I ended up really enjoying writing all of them. I thought I would have some favorites, like Red Sonja (of course), but what happened is almost every character showed their voice, even with limited panel space. It was as fun to write Black Sparrow and Lady Zorro as it was to write Dejah Thoris and Vampirella, whom I was a lot more familiar with.Great characters want to be known, I think. And someone poured their heart into each of these characters, I am delighted to give them a chance to shine. I've said this a lot, I've had a lot of assignments, this might be the most pure fun I've had. If I want to put a dinosaur in, or a robot, I can do that, it just has to make sense. Also, I have to say, I had a lot of preconceptions about the Chaos characters, but a couple of them have really started to speak to me. MW: Which of them has been your favorite to write? Which one has a voice that’s been hardest to grasp?GS: Any chance I get to write Red Sonja, I am delighted, but what's fun in this book is who she is interacting with. Sonja hates royals, so she has an instant dislike of Dejah Thoris. And she has almost a big sister relationship with Jana, the Jungle Girl. All of that's a blast. It took a bit to find a voice for Masquerade, I was sort of faking it with her for a bit, but I think I came around to her.  One of the nicest things about this crossover is, I got to have a bunch of amazing writers writing fun tie-in books. I went and chose some of my favorite writers who were doing new things with female characters. People likeMarguerite Bennett, Nancy Collins, G.Willow Wilson, Mikki Kendall,Mairghread Scott, Emma Beeby, Erica Schultz, and Leah Moore, just all writers whose stuff I love to read. So some of the characters get a little more panel time in those books, as well. MW: What has artist Sergio Davila brought to the book?GS: Just an inhuman level of dedication and commitment. Here's a guy, and he's being asked to do a book with several main characters and a couple dozen supporting characters, and he just never skimps, he never takes the shortcut. I have asked for pages with all the characters, and he draws it. I asked for him to draw a huge map of the new fantasy world created in the story, and he drew it. I can ask for ninjas or Martians or gorillas, he draws it all, and draws it beautifully. I feel very lucky to have him. Dynamite gave me a long list of potential artists, and for me, it was Sergio, hands down. I adore the guy. He also draws the women with dignity. They're beautiful, but they're fun and flawed and they're not just there to be drooled on. It's lovely. MW: Fill in the blank: “Readers who like ______________ will really dig Swords of Sorrow!”GS: Funnel cakes!Or, gorgeous and dangerous women, 1940's radio dramas, science fiction, swords and sorcery, high adventure, cheap laughs, lightning-fast Martian dogs, gun-toting pulp crime fighters, snarky vampire queens, jungle adventures, it's all in there. We have been called the “best event book of the summer” by a LOT of critics, I'm very proud of that, but above all, we're having a party and we want you to be invited! 04/26/24 @ 8:46 am EST
James Bond alum Pierce Brosnan is returning to his espionage roots. The actor is attached to star in A Spy’s Guide to Survival from director Simon Barry, the creator behind Netflix series Warrior Nun. Uri Singer’s Passage Pictures is producing the project that centers around a reclusive, retired spy who is brought out of hiding by his enigmatic new neighbor, digging up both of their secrets in the process. Barry will also write the film based on a story by him and his father, Derek Barry. The project will mark Simon Barry’s feature directing debut. “As a longtime Pierce Brosnan fan, I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside someone I admire for their craft, character and humanity,” said Simon Barry. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 04/26/24 @ 8:35 am EST
This June, chaos reignites when Steve Orlando’s SCARLET WITCH run returns! Teaming up with X-Men Red’s Jacopo Camagni, Orlando’s SCARLET WITCH will continue to push the limits of what Wanda’s magic is capable of as she becomes the Marvel Universe’s prime defender against deadly mystical threats—new and old! Among them will be LORE, Wanda’s demonic counterpart from 1994’s Scarlet Witch limited series. Complete with a wicked new look from Russell Dauterman, fans can check out Lore on both the cover of August’s SCARLET WITCH #3 and Dauterman’s original design sheet. In addition, Dauterman will join Camagni as an interior artist on SCARLET WITCH #3 to bring Wanda and Lore’s epic battle to life. LORE RETURNS! Scarlet Witch’s fight to reach the land of the living puts her face-to-face with her necromantic multiversal counterpart! Lore won’t stop until her death at Wanda’s hands is avenged – but another one of Wanda’s nemeses may hold the key to her survival! "Redesigning Lore was a huge treat!” Dauterman said. “Lore is an evil Wanda variant, so I wanted to contrast the design I did for our Scarlet Witch, which was meant to be magical, vibrant, and super-heroic, by going dark and sinister, with a goth, undead vibe. I’m incredible excited to also be drawing some interiors in the issue where these two Wandas face off!" Lore, who destroyed her own world before trying to conquer the multiverse, represents Wanda’s worst fear—a version of herself that’s gone mad with power! Will Scarlet Witch need her own inner darkness in order to defeat her? Preorder SCARLET WITCH #1 at your local comic shop today! 
04/25/24 @ 9:48 pm EST
Universal Pictures will release DreamWorks Animation‘s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie on September 26, 2025, the studio said Thursday. Universal already had the release date on hold for an untitled DWA movie.Late September is a prime time to launch family friendly animated pics, going back to Open Season and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, among others, including DreamWorks Animation‘s own Abominable.In the new film, directed by Ryan Crego, Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner, reprising her role from the series) heads out on a road trip with her Grandma Gigi to the urban wonderland of Cat Francisco. But when Gabby’s dollhouse, her most prized possession, ends up in the hands of an eccentric cat lady named Vera, Gabby sets off on an adventure through the real world to get the Gabby Cats back together and save the dollhouse before it’s too late. (via Deadline) 04/25/24 @ 9:38 pm EST
Mutants may no longer have a homeland—but they’ll always have a home! Announced last month and launching in August, celebrated writer Gail Simone and superstar artist David Marquez’s UNCANNY X-MEN will be the second of three flagship X-titles set in the upcoming From the Ashes era. Today, fans can see the reveal of the main cover and discover more about the series! With Professor X gone and his school transformed into a nightmare reflection of itself called Graymalkin Prison, the series sees Rogue step up to be the pillar of Xavier’s dream alongside Wolverine, Gambit, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee. From their new base of operations in New Orleans, the Uncanny X-Men are back to being the outlaw heroes the world hates and fears—and the light in the darkness for mutants everywhere! Mutantkind made a big statement with Krakoa, and now, life is harder for them than ever before, but Rogue’s X-Men will be there to welcome mutants to their new found family. A core group of essential X-Men rise From the Ashes to face a world without a home – and without Professor X! All bonds among the mutant community seem to be slipping away, and Rogue reluctantly finds herself as the hero designated to bring them back together...but a fearless, malignant power is out there hunting mutants, and it has a terrible secret that may destroy what remains of the X-Men. “Most of my time lately has been spent trying to keep my brain from exploding right out of my skull from this book,” Simone shared. “It's either the fun of all my favorite mutants acting in surprising and wonderful ways, the impossibly brilliant work of the art team, or the thrilling collaboration with all the other writers, but somehow every DAY is just filled with some kind of manic joy. Ever since I took the book, I've been scribbling notes and plots and bits of dialogue day and night. I feel like a kid at a carnival. Who DOESN'T want to write Rogue and Jubilee and Gambit all the rest?” "Uncanny X-Men is the book that made me fall in love with comics,” Marquez said. “It's been a dream come true getting to work with Gail, Matt [Wilson], and the whole Marvel editorial crew under Tom to put together this story: a badass, heartfelt, action-packed, character driven X-Men mystery. I hope readers have at least half as much fun reading it as we have had making it." “I absolutely have to take a moment to praise David Marquez,” Simone added. “Not only is this going to be one of the best-looking books on the stands, he's simply an idea MACHINE and he makes every single page better than I wrote it. Anyway, come join us, we're having an X adventure and you're all INVITED!” With three flagship titles and a host of additional satellite series, the upcoming From the Ashes era will present fans with a wide range of different approaches to the X-Men’s mission. Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman’s X-MEN are ready to do whatever it takes to secure mutantkind’s future, even if it means revolution. Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero’s EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN train and prepare mutants to survive the dangers they’ll inevitably face. Meanwhile, Simone and Marquez’s UNCANNY X-MEN are here to save everyone, making the world a brighter place for mutant and human alike! Check out Marquez’s main cover below! 
... 04/25/24 @ 12:24 pm EST
Today Skybound and Image Comics, in partnership with Universal Products & Experiences, revealed an impressive slate of variant covers and a first look at interior pages from Universal Monsters: Creature from The Black Lagoon Lives! #2, the next issue of the new four-issue limited comic book series from acclaimed writers Dan Watters (Home Sick Pilots, Lucifer) and Ram V (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, Batman: Detective Comics), along with artist Matthew Roberts (Manifest Destiny), and colorist Dave Stewart (Ultramega, Hellboy). The next installment of the new Universal Monsters phenomenon hits comic book shops May 22, 2024. In addition to the main cover by Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 boasts a variant cover lineup from top artists including both an open to order cover and “classic horror” black and white 1:25 incentive variant by Francis Manapul, the continuation of a four-part 1:10 incentive connecting cover series by DANI, a 1:50 incentive variant by Stephanie Pepper, and a 1:75 incentive variant by Christian Ward. Kate Marsden has miraculously survived – but just who, or what, is the creature that she saw? As Doctor Thompson and Kate work to discover the truth, they come face to face with an elusive serial killer...who’s also the man that Kate has dedicated her life to destroying. Picking up where the original films left off, this Universal Monsters tale takes readers back to the mysterious Amazonian lagoon where terror lurks beneath its murky waters. This series is perfect for new readers and longtime fans alike. Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! is the second Universal Monsters series launch from Skybound, following James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Dracula, and will be followed by Universal Monsters: Frankenstein by writer/artist Michael Walsh coming in August and more new limited series pairing the biggest names in comics with pop culture’s most iconic monsters. Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 (of 4) (Lunar Codes Below SRP: $4.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The full list of covers is below: Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover A by Matthew Roberts & Dave Stewart (Lunar Code 0324IM295) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover B by Francis Manapul (Lunar Code 0324IM296) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover C (1:10 Connecting Copy Incentive) by DANI (Lunar Code 0324IM297) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover D (1:25 “Classic Horror” B&W Copy Incentive) by Francis Manapul (Lunar Code 0324IM298) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Stephanie Pepper (Lunar Code 0324IM299) Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #2 Cover F (1:75 Copy Incentive) by Christian Ward (Lunar Code 0324IM300) 
     
... 04/25/24 @ 12:16 pm EST
A new Harry Potter audiobook series is coming to Audible. As part of a partnership with Pottermore Publishing and Audible, the two will release seven new English language audiobooks scheduled for late 2025. The audiobooks will feature a full range of character voices, with the Audible CEO citing more than 100 actors, Dolby Atmos sound design and new scoring. Each book will be released sequentially and globally. This is in addition to the original single-voice audiobook recordings by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, which were first released in 1999 and have reached 1.4 billion global listening hours after launching on Audible in 2015.The Harry Potter audiobooks on Audible also include The Tales of Beedle the Bard performed by Jude Law, Harry Potter: A History of Magic performed by Natalie Dormer, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them performed by Eddie Redmayne, and Quidditch Through the Ages performed by Andrew Lincoln. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 04/25/24 @ 12:16 pm EST
The feast-for-the-eyes, bestselling comic book series Seven to Eternity—by fan-favorite and New York Times bestselling team of Rick Remender (Napalm Lullaby, Deadly Class, LOW), Jerome Opeña (The Avengers, The Punisher), James Harren (Ultramega, Rumble), and colorist Matt Hollingsworth (Love Everlasting, Wytches)—will be collected in its entirety into one complete compendium paperback edition this September and join the Giant Generator line at Image Comics. The Seven to Eternity Compendium will include Seven to Eternity issues #1-17 of the series with a brand new cover by Opeña and Hollingsworth. The God of Whispers has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal; his spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires. “I couldn’t be prouder of a project than Seven to Eternity. The sum of my relationship with Jerome, which began 20 years ago at Image on Strange Girl, you’ll find no better comic with our names on it. We’re very excited to put the entire tale in one compendium to allow a whole new audience to enjoy the entire journey,” said Remender. Opeña added: "Seven to Eternity represents seven years of my life and is one of the projects I’ve worked on that I am most proud of. I’m extremely thankful to everyone that has supported the book over the years and hopeful that new readers will be able to enjoy the book with this new Compendium Collection." Seven to Eternity Compendium paperback (ISBN: 9781534363861) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, September 11 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, September 24. Seven to Eternity is also available in trade paperback and hardcover editions: Vol. 1 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534300613 Vol. 2 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534303218 Vol. 3 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534306981 Vol. 4 trade paperback - ISBN: 9781534312425 Book One deluxe hardcover - ISBN: 9781534319318 Seven to Eternity will also remain available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.    
... 04/24/24 @ 5:02 pm EST
Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic rights to Valiant One, a military action thriller starring Chase Stokes (Outer Banks) and Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), slating it for release in theaters nationwide on January 24, 2025. Check out a first-look still above. Marking the feature directorial debut of producer Steve Barnett, the film watches as a routine mission goes awry when a U.S. army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. Now, a team of non-combat tech specialists, led by Captain Edward Brockman (Stokes), must navigate the hostile terrain and fend off North Korean forces as they desperately race to escort a civilian tech specialist across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone. A Monarch Media production written by Barnett and Eric Tipton, with counsel from former members of the U.S. Military, CIA and Department of Defense, Valiant One also stars Desmin Borges (Only Murders in the Building) and Callan Mulvey (The Grey Man). The film is produced by Bernie Goldmann and Alan Powell, and executive produced by Vicky Patel. Stokes served as co-executive producer. (via Deadline) 04/24/24 @ 4:46 pm EST
Marking the milestone 50th issue of Benjamin Percy’s run and hitting stands during Wolverine’s 50th anniversary year, next month’s WOLVERINE #50 will be one of the character’s most pivotal issues ever! In anticipation of this landmark issue, fans can check out never-before-seen artwork from each story now. Packed with bonus material, the giant-size issue presents the explosive final chapter of Percy, Victor LaValle, Geoff Shaw, and Cory Smith’s 10-part epic “Sabretooth War” storyline plus a story co-starring Jubilee from legendary Wolverine scribe Larry Hama and a special sneak peek at Wolverine’s upcoming adventures in the From the Ashes era! Having masterfully guided Logan over the last few years, Benjamin Percy will also bid farewell to the character in WOLVERINE #50. After closing out Wolverine’s Krakoan age adventures in the main story, Percy will team up with artist Javi Fernández in a special send-off that explores Wolverine’s incredible legacy. On closing out his run, Percy shared, “Fifty issues of Wolverine is a hell of a lot to be thankful for. But the math gets hairier when I do some accounting. I've actually been writing Logan -- in the audio drama, in X-Force and Wolverine and all the crossovers and spin-off events -- for seven years, twenty episodes, and a hundred thirty-ish issues. That’s a whole lot of SNIKT. That’s a big part of my life and career, and I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience. I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to serve as the custodian of a character who is so important to me. Thanks, bubs, for joining the mayhem.” The Sabretooth War concludes in the way it began - a violent, bloody battle - but WHO will be left standing? Preorder WOLVERINE #50 at your local comic shop today!       
... 04/24/24 @ 2:50 pm EST
Jeffery Self (Search Party, The Horror of Dolores Roach) and Gabrielle Ryan (Power Book IV: Force, Bonding) have boarded Christopher Landon’s coming fast-paced thriller Drop from Blumhouse, Platinum Dunes and Universal Pictures. The duo join the previously announced cast including Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar. The film’s logline is being kept under wraps at this time. Drop is written by Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach. Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller and Cameron Fuller are producers. Ron Lynch and Sam Lerner are EPs. Drop is a Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse production for Universal. (via Deadline) |
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