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12/06/15 @ 8:14 pm EST
Corinna Bechko, writer of Aliens/Vampirella #4, talks with plotter/co-creator Ian Parker about Cage Hero #2, both from Dynamite Entertainment and in stores now. Cover art by Renato Rei.  CORINNA BECHKO: Most of the new characters we are introduced to in issue #2 are young, just on the cusp of adulthood. Do you feel this is an important aspect of a story about discovering hidden potential inside oneself? IAN PARKER: I do. The high school age can be extremely tricky. Emotional and physical changes take place, and there are tons of distractions that can take you away from your goals and achieving one’s true potential. CB: As a follow-on to the last question, is the age of the “new recruits” also important to their status as fighters? I know that many athletes are at their peak very early in life, but it seems that in a fight the older, more heavily muscled and experienced combatant might have the edge. For those of us who don’t know much about cage matches, does this ring true? IP: The age of the new recruits is extremely important to their status as fighters. As accomplished as these young fighters are, they are simply that: young. What this truly means is that they have started their training at a young age and have a ton of room to grow. The sky is the limit for these young characters. They have so much to learn, not only in their own discipline but also from each other.A fighter who is older, more heavily muscled and experienced could have an edge. But that is not always the case. For those who are not familiar with the world of Mixed Martial Arts, fighters compete in weight classes. This is to minimize a size advantage and to let the fight be determined by who was more prepared for the fight. Fights also really come down to styles. Certain styles favor over others. For example: A fighter who is heavily muscled can have flaws in his or her game. Let’s just say their weakness is being taken down by wrestlers. No matter how muscular that fighter is, if paired up against a very successful/decorated wrestler, the size no longer matters. It now comes down to how the fighters prepared for one another. CB: I often get asked about my “influences” on various projects, but I find that to be a hard question to answer in some cases since many of them are often subconscious. So I’m going to ask you an easier one: what inspires you when crafting an idea like this?IP: I will do my best to give the easiest answer. I have multiple inspirations. 1: To put the sport of Mixed Martial Arts in a good light. 2: To provide my son’s generation with a new group of heroes they can grow up with. 3: When I originally had these characters created, they were made to put on t-shirts and have professional fighters wear the shirts out to the cage when they were fighting on Pay Per View. When I saw these characters come to life, I thought to myself, what if I put all of these characters together and they protected the world. The idea then hit me, and I ran with it. CB: There seems to be a certain rebelliousness at the heart of several of the characters, and yet the disciplines they are learning require a great deal of respect for authority, or at least for their teachers. Do you see that as a dichotomy to be overcome or as fuel for further drama?IP: I think a happy medium of both. Like I mentioned earlier, these Cage Heroes are high school kids. As disciplined as they are, as superbly athletic as they are, they are still kids. CB: Finally, I’m curious if the flashbacks were always part of the concept, or if those grew out of the scripting phase? IP: The flashbacks were always part of the concept. But they 100 percent grew out more during the scripting phase. For more on Cage Hero #2, click here.
05/06/25 @ 1:23 pm EST
 HBO's long-awaited Green Lantern series is currently in production, and it seems filming is moving forward smoothly without any major hiccups. Lanterns, which stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler, is the first live-action series set in James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe, which debuts on the big screen this summer with Superman. The True Detective-inspired show follows two Green Lanterns investigating a murder mystery in America's heartland, which could have major repercussions for the rest of the DCU.During an interview with Forbes, Jason Ritter, who plays Billy Macon in Lanterns, revealed the current production status for the upcoming HBO series. He confirmed that Lanterns was halfway through filming its first season, with four episodes completed thus far. Additionally, he reveals that it is a "really well-written, really fun show," the latter of which is in contrast to how the grounded sci-fi drama has been described thus far. Ritter joins a star-studded cast in Lanterns that also includes Pierre as John Stewart, Chandler as Hal Jordan, Ulrich Thomsen ( The Blacklist) as Sinestro, Kelly Macdonald ( Trainspotting) as Kerry, Garret Dillahunt ( Raising Hope) as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan ( The Night Of). (via MovieWeb) 05/06/25 @ 1:15 pm EST
This August, BLACK CAT is back in an all-new solo ongoing series written by superstar writer G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel) and drawn by rising star Gleb Melnikov (Amazing Spider-Man). Spinning directly out of Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz and John Romita Jr.’s Amazing Spider-Man, BLACK CAT kicks off with Felicia Hardy testing her luck at being a full-fledged super hero. The series will be a radical shift for the character’s solo adventures as Black Cat finds herself battling supervillains, including many of Spider-Man’s most fearsome foes, amidst her usual high-stakes capers. But is her most recent change of heart for purely altruistic reasons or simply a way to pull off her greatest heist yet? SUPER-THIEF, SUPER…HERO?! Felicia Hardy is the BLACK CAT, the world’s slyest and most skilled super-thief! She loves a good score. The longer the odds – the better! But her entire world turned upside down after SPIDER-MAN’s brutal battle with HELLGATE in Amazing Spider-Man #8-9, so Felicia is turning over a new leaf as New York City’s newest…super hero?! The first super villain on her list – THE LIZARD! But will the Black Cat risk it all after her do-gooding moral high ground attracts dangerous attention from the lowest of the city’s underworld? Easy, KINGPIN OF CRIME, she’s still skimming off the top – honest! Don’t miss the winding road of twists and turns, laughs and mind-bending action of BLACK CAT’s next exciting chapter! The series marks Wilson’s first ongoing Marvel series since her groundbreaking run of Ms. Marvel ended. Wilson wrote a short tale starring Black Cat last year in Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #4. “As soon as Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood dropped and people saw the Black Cat story, readers began to ask me ‘When are you going to write more Felicia?’ Well, the answer is: right now,” Wilson shared. “Black Cat is so much fun to work with. She's a supporting character with main character energy. And she has such a rich history that there are tons of tantalizing story threads to pull on.” “I was itching to draw more of Felicia after finishing my first Spider-Man issue, so when [Editor] Tom Groneman asked if I was interested in working on the BLACK CAT series, I typed ‘YES!’ faster than a lightning bolt,” Melnikov said. “Black leather, street-level fights, and the chance to draw our favorite usual suspects from Spidey's rogues gallery? Sign me up! Not to mention I'm very excited to work with Willow and color artist Brian Valenza.” Check out superstar artist Adam Hughes’ main cover along with variant covers by acclaimed artists Jeehyung Lee, Peach Momoko and Simone Di Meo and preorder BLACK CAT #1 at your local comic shop today!    
... 05/06/25 @ 4:45 am EST
Netflix‘s Squid Game is gearing up to release its final season on June 27, and a new trailer reveals that the games continue, and nobody is safe, not even lead character Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). In a shockingly morbid moment, Gi-hun is brought out in a giant black gift box, which the guards use as coffins for fallen players. Curious and scared, the players approach and open the box, revealing Gi-hun inside. As he awakens, viewers are transported to the beginnings of a new game. A massive gumball machine dispenses red and blue balls, representing the fates that will determine the next challenge. Netflix teases, “Picking up from Season 2’s devastating cliffhanger, Season 3 thrusts Gi-hun (Player 456) back into the brutal heart of the games, determined to dismantle them once and for all. Still haunted by the betrayal and loss of his closest ally, Jung-bae (Player 390), Gi-hun faces new perils — including the Front Man, who shockingly infiltrated their rebellion disguised as Player 001.” (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/Lb6v6AUFWrM 05/06/25 @ 4:32 am EST
BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at HELLO DARKNESS #11, the terrifying continuation to the ongoing anthology series highlights a truly unique story, “ShitCan” by Evan Skrederstu with Gavin Lawson, with the published art painted directly on an underground tunnel wall, hidden from light and existing only within the darkness… The story is a bold combination of graffiti, photography, and comic art in a way never before seen in a mainstream title. Also included in this horrifying issue, “Gas Station Snacks” by Dan Watters and DANI, “Hell Horse” by Kalen Egan and Gavin Smith, “The Void That Lived in the Manor” by Shannon Hochman, plus more madcap mayhem from Robert Hack’s “I Can’t Take You Anywhere”! HELLO DARKNESS #11 features a main cover by Miguel Mercado (The Amazing Spider-Man), and variant covers by Jenny Frison (Something is Killing the Children), Mirka Andolfo (Mercy), Jae Lee & June Chung (Wolverine), and a limited BOOM! Studios Direct Reserve exclusive variant by Jenny Frison! HELLO DARKNESS #11 is the latest entry in the ongoing anthology series featuring what BOOM! Studios is known for–the best in modern Horror, Fantasy, and Mystery, not to mention the darkest stories yet from a murderer’s row of world class creators including R.L. Stine, Francesco Francavilla, Garth Ennis, Becky Cloonan, James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, John Arcudi, Ryan Sook, Cullen Bunn, Daniel Bayliss, Sas Milledge, Sarah Gailey, Liana Kangas, Marguerite Bennett, Luana Vecchio, Michael W. Conrad, Martín Morazzo, Andy Lanning, Trevor Hairsine, Steve Orlando, A.L. Kaplan, Genevieve Valentine, Ming Doyle, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Letizia Cadonici, Sarah Andersen, Chuck Tingle, Robert Hack, and more! Everything from primal fears to modern political horrors will be explored, in the classic style of Creepy and Eerie and the contemporary chills of Black Mirror. HELLO DARKNESS is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; bestselling horror anthology Hello Darkness; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross; Minor Arcana by Jeff Lemire; Vicarious by Ryan Parrott and Eleonora Carlini; The Creeping Below by Brian Azzarello and Vanesa Del Rey; Bronze Faces by Shobo, Shof, and Alexandre Tefenkgi; In Bloom by Michael W. Conrad and John J. Pearson; and When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee by Gus Moreno and Jakub Rebelka. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzoni; Power Rangers Prime by Melissa Flores and Michael YG; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle, Rubine, and Francesco Pisa. HELLO DARKNESS #11 will be available in comic shops June 11, 2025. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.              
... 05/05/25 @ 12:02 pm EST
A secret hero that fans have speculated about in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* may have been finally confirmed. Thunderbolts*, which made its way to theaters last week, stars a ragtag team of heroes from across the MCU, but fans believe the movie features another hero that Marvel has kept hidden — Geraldine Viswanathan’s Mel, an assistant to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). In the comics, Mel is the Thunderbolt named Songbird. While Viswanathan never displays powers in Thunderbolts*, one of the movie’s executive producers teases that it could happen at some point in the MCU future. Thunderbolts* executive producer Brian Chapek spoke to IMDb, where he elaborated on a character, possibly Mel, and how a necklace she wears foreshadows her becoming Songbird. “There is a character that fans are trying to figure out whether — is she or is she not — I would say, what emblem does she wear that may or may not hint at this character’s larger identity moving forward? Potentially. That’s what I would say,” Chapek said. (via ComicBook.com) Thunderbolts* is in theaters now. 05/05/25 @ 11:23 am EST
Akira is coming back for more John Wick ass-kicking.Rina Sawayama, who became a fan-favorite as the fearless daughter of Hiroyuki Sanada’s Shimazu Koji in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” will reprise her role opposite Donnie Yen in the franchise’s upcoming spinoff “Caine” for Lionsgate. First officially unveiled at CinemaCon, “Caine” is also being directed by Yen, and produced by franchise producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee (“John Wick” chapters 1 through 4, “Ballerina,” “Monkey Man”) through their Thunder Road shingle and by Chad Stahelski (“John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum,” “Day Shift,” “John Wick: Chapter 4”), who produces through his 87Eleven Entertainment production banner. Yen will also serve as an executive producer on the project. Lionsgate is set to launch sales on the project — which goes into production later this year — in Cannes. While the logline is being kept under wraps, the new film will continue the story arcs following the events of “John Wick: Chapter 4,” as Caine has been freed from his obligations to the High Table. (via Variety) 05/05/25 @ 11:10 am EST
Spike Lee has released the first trailer for his A24 and Apple-backed crime thriller “Highest 2 Lowest” starring Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky and more. The movie will be released in theaters August 22 and stream on Apple TV+ starting Sept. 5 after world premiering later this month at the Cannes Film Festival. Written by William Alan Fox, “Highest 2 Lowest” is loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low,” which follows a businessman deciding whether or not to use his wealth to further his career or save a child’s life. Both “Highest 2 Lowest” and “High and Low” are reinterpretations of Ed McBain’s mystery novel “The King’s Ransom.” The film marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington. “I’m just glad we got five in,” Lee said of working with Washington. “Highest 2 Lowest” also stars Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson and rapper Ice Spice. (via Variety) Trailer: https://youtu.be/MZ2V8znYMSk 05/04/25 @ 11:04 am EST
This article has spoilers for the Thunderbolts* movie, so be warned… When the original cast of the Thunderbolts were announced, fans were surprised to see the main characters were Bucky Barnes, US Agent, Yelena Belova, Ghost, Red Guardian and Taskmaster. Most of these characters we in supporting roles in other people’s movies and now they were getting the spotlight. The one that stood out to a lot of people was Taskmaster played by Olga Kurylenko, who had been introduced in the Black Widow movie and was the payoff to something Loki had said all the way back to the first Avengers film. Fans had a mixed reaction to the gender-swapped villain, taking it very far away from the popular comic version. When teasers and trailers started coming out for the film, people noticed that Taskmaster didn’t seem to appear that much in the footage, giving the idea that maybe she was long for the film. Then Marvel spoiled the twist when they announced the cast of Avengers: Doomsday and it included every member of the Thunderbolts except for Kurylenko. And while director Jack Schreier has said the idea of killing off a character early on was to make the audience believe anything might happen… the majority of them went in waiting for it to happen and knowing the rest of the cast will survive. This doesn’t seem to have hurt ticket sales or fan reaction to the film, and now Marvel could take the technology that created the first Taskmaster and use it to create a new one that is closer to what the fans of the comics wanted.  05/04/25 @ 10:31 am EST
With the recent passing of Pope Francis, the Vatican will begin the election of a new pope starting on May 7th. This is process is a little more known now by the general public because of films like the Oscar-nominated film Conclave that starred Ralph Fiennes. The actual conclave is a process where 135 Cardinals from around the globe are all locked into Sistine Chapel to deliberate and vote on who will become the next head of the Catholic Church. Writer Robert Harris who penned the novel that the recent film was based on talked about the process that will take place behind doors, liking it to the popular TV series The Traitors. On the series hosted by Alan Cummings, a group is secretly split into ‘faithfuls’ and ‘traitors’ with the everyone voting during a round table to eliminate a player who they hope is a traitor. Harris explained to the BBC: “[It’s] the nearest analogy I can come to. Suddenly everyone swings to one person – you can’t see why, particularly, but it happens. And in a funny way, a similar dynamic does operate in a conclave, which is why often it produces a surprise.” The idea of conclave started after it took the College of Cardinals nearly three years (1268-1271) to elect Pope Gregory X. He decreed the “locked in” policy for choosing a new pope. Harris said of his research into the process, “To lock the door and say you’re not going to come out until you’ve come up with a result concentrates the mind – and if you look back, the popes have been pretty good. I didn’t come away from researching the novel thinking this is a terrible idea [and that] I must write a novel to expose how awful it is. In a way, the novel shows a conclave working.”  ... 05/04/25 @ 9:57 am EST
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, believes that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become too overwhelming for audiences. All of the interconnected movies and TV shows have made it difficult for casual viewers to keep up. He reportedly told colleagues that watching all the new content was starting to feel more like “homework” than entertainment. Part of this is from a previous push for more content to boost streaming subscriptions back when Bob Chapek was in charge of Disney. Feige is now leading an overhaul to simplify the MCU, focusing on fewer TV shows and more stand-alone stories that don’t require extensive knowledge of past films. Starting in 2026, Marvel plans to release only about three movies and two TV shows per year, scaling back its output to improve quality and accessibility.  |
