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08/30/16 @ 8:15 pm EST
A Writer’s Commentary: Corinna Bechko talks Miss Fury #5, the grand finale, on sale now from Dynamite. Cover by Tula Lotay and interiors by Jonathan Lau. Page 1:Since this is the fifth and final issue of this miniseries, I wanted to pull back a little and show that these events weren’t happening in a vacuum. I always wanted this story to be grounded in the time period, and that means WWII. So here’s a little reminder of this, as well as something that will be important to the plot later. Page 2:And now we are back in the action with our hero. Things aren’t going so well just now. Page 3:I absolutely loved working with Jonathan Lau. Every time I saw the art for this book I wanted to write my editor and thank him for pairing us up. This was a demanding script (being married to an artist and hearing his perspective gives me a pretty good sense of that) so all respect to Jonathan for making it so much more than what I envisioned. Page 4 & 5:Because this is the finale, there’s a lot of action, and a lot of Miss Fury really mixing it up. I didn’t want to shy away from that, so she gets hit pretty hard sometimes. I think if you take it upon yourself to fight crime (or, you know, interdimensional demons) you’re probably going to end up pretty bruised. Page 6 & 7:And it’s not like Marla can’t hit back. She can, and she does. And Jonathan makes it all feel really visceral, which is fantastic. Page 8:I like to change scenes on a page turn, when possible, and even though this issue is pretty jam-packed, it did happen here. I thought it was important to have a quiet, desperate moment in the middle of all that action. Without pauses action can become a wall that doesn’t admit much thinking, and I try to write in a way that invites participation on the part of the reader. Page 9:Now we’re back with the action. I personally find drowning and giant waves pretty scary, so sometimes that translates into what happens on the page. From the start I knew we’d end up on the sea – that was the whole point of the mystery about the ship building plans, of course – and that, to me, means a scary, angry ocean. Page 10:Jonathan did an absolutely beautiful job with this splash. All my inner ocean demons made manifest! Page 11:Finally, Marla asks the most important question. The cult members are still rapturous, but I love that Jonathan has rendered them so that you can tell that at least a couple are starting to have doubts even though they’re wearing masks. Page 12:I’m really happy with how this page turned out. The action is completely clear, and we get a sense of what Marla’s up against by seeing her against just a small part of the creature. To me, this illustrates the size and weight of what’s going on much better than if we had seen the whole thing with Marla tiny in frame. Page 13:The return of the cat! This is the scene I was leading up to the whole time. From the beginning I liked the notion that Marla was the cat… And yet, maybe she isn’t really. The only important thing is what she believes – and that is left just a little bit open so that the reader can make their own decisions. Page 14:Did Marla make this leap herself? Or did the cat do it? Either way, she’s a woman of action, so she’s going to act instead of worrying about it. To me, that attitude is what makes her a great action hero, and a big part of what made her so much fun to write. Page 15:She’s got to be careful now, so this is a silent page as she creeps back on board, newly emboldened. That last silhouetted panel is one of my favorites. Page 16 & 17:Of course, things can’t be too easy. She’s got one final fight on her hands, and she’s got to win. But even in her Miss Fury guise, she can’t forget that she’s also Marla, a woman with friends and a life outside of fighting evil. Page 18 & 19:Giant action! Everything is coming apart, and it’s a violent mess. The colors really help tell the story here, moving from the cool, spooky pallet we’ve been seeing to some really sharp, warm colors. Nicely done, Vinicius Andrade! Page 20 & 21:The aftermath. Marla won, with some help from her friends, but no one emerged unscathed. So there’s a lot of grief mixed into the victory here. And I should take a moment and point out what a great job Simon Bowland did with the lettering on this whole series. I’ve worked with Simon a lot lately, and he always brings something extra to the feel of a work. It’s easy for lettering to be sterile, or distracting, but here it all works with the mood and tone of the story. Page 22:The end… And a heroic pose from our hero! She’s battered, but not broken, a bit wiser, but no less ready to face whatever’s coming next. In case it wasn’t already clear, I have a great affection for Miss Fury, and I’m thrilled I had the chance to write this story for Dynamite!       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.  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.  |
