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12/03/15 @ 1:04 pm EST
Written by Cliff Biggers
Has Dejah Thoris really been around for more than a century now? Yes indeed—she made her first appearance in All-Story Magazine way back in 1912. For a centenarian, she’s looking quite good indeed—but after a hundred years, it’s apparently time for a new look!
When Dynamite’s new Dejah Thoris series debuts in February, readers will meet a Dejah Thoris whose world has been changed, leading her to go into a self-imposed exile, where she assumes a new identity and new duties as a rookie soldier in the Barsoomian outlands.
The saga begins with the disappearance of Dejah Thoris’s father. “Without giving too much away, I can say that things escalate quickly and Dejah does not end up taking the throne,” writer Frank J. Barbiere said. “The mystery of what happened to her father and the machinations behind his disappearance are a big hook of our story. While we’re primarily interested in Dejah’s quest and growth, the plot as a whole all revolves around what happened to her father and the bigger, more insidious plan behind it.
“Dejah has a memory shaken loose—something that she had buried deep in her subconscious—and it cuts to the core of who she is. This series is really about her getting back in touch with her identity, not just the roles she’s given. It all ties together nicely and relates to themes about destiny, lineage, and identity—I’m very proud of how the book is shaping up and think readers will be intrigued.
While many of Dynamite’s Dejah Thoris tales have been set in Barsoom’s pre-John Carter past, Barbiere is focusing on the John Carter era in his series. “John Carter is married to Dejah Thoris in this story and has been established as a main player,” Barbiere said. “It’s not really a new origin or anything like that, as much as a new story within the already established canon. It’s a great experience to play with that canon and have such a wealth of mythology at my disposal. It is truly humbling to add to something that is already so massive and great.”
In addition to John Carter, other familiar characters are slated to appear in the new series. “There will definitely be some familiar faces popping up! There will also be a lot of the elements of the world fans love worked in. I really enjoy taking advantage of the fantastic canon and mythology established in the world of Barsoom. It really adds a nice dimension to the book!”
The much-publicized “new look” for Dejah Thoris is actually a logical component of the story. “It’s featured very prominently into the plot and has a necessity,” Barbiere said. “We still get to see a fair bit of ‘classic’ Dejah, but her new outfit is actually a military uniform. Dejah leaves Helium and is trying to hide her affiliation with the kingdom, so it really works quite well within the story. The idea with the redesign isn’t to change the canon—it’s to add to it in an exciting, organic way.
“It’s really quite liberating to have such a fleshed out character. I feel when you create your own characters you spend so much time trying to convince readers they have substance, that they are worthwhile. With Dejah, I can lean on her past and the great stories that have come before, and really focus on doing something new and saying what I want to say with the story. It’s part of the reason I really do enjoy work for hire projects, as well as my own creations.”
The new look was designed by acclaimed artist Nicola Scott. “”Dejah Thoris was about playing with themes and the Barsoom aesthetic,” Scott said. “Plaited leathers, swooping, organic shaped armour, and gossamer fabrics seemed the right place to start. It was just a matter of playing around with shapes and proportions until it came together.”
Dedicated Burroughs fans don’t need to worry that Barbiere is trying to reinvent ERB’s vision of Barsoom. “There is a fair bit of the mythology at play, but largely it’s the visual aesthetic that will be a touchstone for fans. We know this world looks and acts a certain way, so we’ll be playing into that as much as possible. This is very much a story set in the established story world, so we won’t be taking many liberties with the aesthetics and mythology of the universe—just expanding them and enhancing the story we want to tell!”
Barbiere explained how his role in the Dejah Thoris relaunch came about. “I’ve had a fantastic working relationship with Dynamite Entertainment since Solar: Man of the Atom. I’ve stayed in touch and expressed an interest in doing more, and thankfully my name came up as someone who would be a good candidate for Dejah Thoris! I’m very excited to be collaborating with new editor Rachel Pinnelas as well as senior editor Joe Rybandt, both of whom have brought a really fresh new direction to all three of the books launching—Dejah, Sonja, and Vampirella, respectively.”
In spite of his comprehensive knowledge of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom and its inhabitants, Barbiere isn’t a lifelong ERB reader. “I had always caught references to Burroughs growing up, but it actually wasn’t until I read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2—which features an opening issue featuring Barsoom/some of the John Carter mythology—that I became aware of it,” Barbiere explained. “The vividness of the desert imagery was really striking to me, something that Moore and O’Neil really caught in their interpretation. I researched it a bit after that and really thought it was a cool mythology—then of course, the film brought it back into the limelight—at least for a short moment.”
Barbiere’s first storyline “is planned as a six-issue arc,” he said, “but hopefully there will be more to come, as I really do enjoy the character and the world of Barsoom, and I am truly honored to be writing Dejah Thoris, a character with such a robust history and celebrated pulp pedigree. This is a new start for Dejah Thoris, and I think our story is going to reignite the spark of what makes her great. It’s a bold new take that really captures the spirit of Dejah as a dynamic, interesting, and capable character ,while exploring her past in a way that fans new and old won’t expect.”
Dejah Thoris #1, by Frank J. Barbiere & Francesco Manna, is scheduled for February 3rd release. The book is offered with cover art by Jay Anacleto, NEN, Tula Lotay, and Tony Fleecs; in addition, Dynamite will offer a 1-for-10 variant cover by Ming Doyle and a 1-for-25 variant cover by Nicola Scott.
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.  |
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