Wednesday, November 30, 2016

'Arrow' Explains Missing Crossover Character, Prometheus Twist

The epic four-way crossover still unfurling on The CW takes up too much space for every supporting character to get their due, though at least one notable Arrow member went missing with nary an explanation. Ahead of next week's winter finale, bosses explain where Artemis was during the crossover, and what we'll learn of her relationship with Prometheus to come.


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Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Experience Left Him 'Heartbroken'

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Experience Left Him 'Heartbroken'

Andrew Garfield and Amy Adams recently opened up about their experiences in corporate superhero franchises as part of Variety's “Actors on Actors” interview series. There, Garfield said that his title role in Sony's “Amazing Spider-Man” films left him “heartbroken.”


“I signed up to serve the story,” said Garfield, “and to serve this incredible character that I've been dressing as since I was three, and then it gets compromised and it breaks your heart. I got heartbroken a little bit to a certain degree.”


RELATED: Andrew Garfield Dons Spider-Man Suit One More Time


Garfield stated that story and character are not always “top of the priority list” for big-budget films. “There's something about being that young in that kind of machinery which I think is really dangerous,” he added. “I was still young enough to struggle with the value system, I suppose, of corporate America really, it's a corporate enterprise mostly.”


Adams had some similar frustrations with her role as Lois Lane in “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” She said, “I love playing her, I love everyone I work with, but sometimes it's tricky because I feel she's in service of the story instead of the story serving the character. That sometimes can be tricky when you show up and you really wanna retain a character and you have to serve the story… in a perfect universe they all work together.”


RELATED: Ex-Spidey Andrew Garfield Is Super Excited About Marvel's Spider-Man


Hopefully, Lois will be better served in 2017's “Justice League,” which finds Adams reprising her role. “Man of Steel 2” is also in development, though there has been no confirmation of its cast or schedule.


The post Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Experience Left Him 'Heartbroken' appeared first on CBR.com.

Marvel Co-President Teases Some Plot Details from 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Avengers: Infinity War has already started filming, at least some preliminary test shots, but that doesn't mean The Meetings have stopped. Bringing a multiple-volume comic arc this nuts to the big screen has got to be complicated, and with characters being added and replaced and showing up in the movie even if they weren't in the comics, it's going to take a lot of planning and redrafting to get the story down to two 2-hour (plus a little bit, probably) screenplays. This afternoon, Marvel co-president Louis D'Esposito posted a photo on Twitter today of one of the Infinity Gauntlet covers, hinting at some plot details for the upcoming movies.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Review: 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Makes 'Deals With Our Devils' for New Ghost Rider

Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' kicks back into Season 4 making some Ghostly “Deals With Our Devils,” but is the Rider's new host a much better choice than Robbie Reyes? And was that some 'Strange' magic we spied Aida conjuring? Find out in our full review of tonight's latest 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'!
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All of Dr. Strange's Magical Items Are Gone! Oh Wait, There They Are.

All of Dr. Strange's Magical Items Are Gone! Oh Wait, There They Are.

In every installment of Abandoned Love we will be examining comic book stories, plots and ideas that were abandoned by a later writer without actively retconnng away the previous story. Feel free to e-mail me at brianc@cbr.com if you have any suggestions for future editions of this feature.


Recently, Doctor Strange has lost a good deal of his magical artifacts during the attack by the Empirikul in Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo's “Doctor Strange” series, so I thought it would be fun to look back at another time he supposedly lost all of his magical artifacts…only he didn't.


In the final story arc of the second “Doctor Strange” series, writer Peter B. Gillis and artists Chria Warner and Randy Emberlin introduce Urthona, an alien sorcerer who came to Earth and captured Doctor Strange's friends as well as almost all of his most powerful magical artifacts with the intent of using them to turn our dimension into a Dark Dimension…


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In the final issue, “Doctor Strange” #81, here he is with the artifacts, which include the Darkhold!


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Doctor Strange had been attacked in a pre-emptive attempt by Urthona to keep him out of the way, so he was physically out of it, forced to take over the body of a friendly alien named Rintrah (Strange still had his most famous artifacts, the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitaiton, since he always carried them on his person). Strange-in-Rintrah's-body traveled to Urthona's planet and defeated Urthona by sacrificing all of his other artifacts by destroying them…


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The problem, of course, is that Strange was now without his most powerful artifacts and destroying them unleashed a bunch of evil energy out there, so he had even more problems to deal with while he was at his weakest, which Gillis, Warner and Emberlin explored in the follow-up “Doctor Strange” feature in the “Strange Tales” anthology series (which Doctor Strange split with Cloak and Dagger). Here is Strange explaining the problem in “Strange Tales” #4…


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So Strange now had to turn to the darkest magics in the world to combat evil, which meant tarnishing his very soul.


Anyhow, “Strange Tales” led to a new “Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme” ongoing series by Gillis, now working with Richard Case and Randy Emberlin. After a few issues, though, a new creative team took over, with Roy and Dann Thomas, Jackson Guice and Jose Marzan Jr. now being the book's creative team.


And Thomas quickly abandoned the whole “dark magic and no magical artifacts” plotline (click here to see how he also abandoned a plotline involving Doctor Strange losing one of his eyes during Gillis' “Strange Tales” stint).


Strange visits the world of the All-Seeing Agamotto, who explained that he had actually saved all of the artifacts, so he gave them back to Strange…


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The Thomases did a fine job returning things to normal.


If anyone has a suggestion for a storyline started by one writer dropped by another one, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!


The post All of Dr. Strange's Magical Items Are Gone! Oh Wait, There They Are. appeared first on CBR.com.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Wolfcop, Smosh & More Dynamite Comics On Sale November 30, 2016

Wolfcop, Smosh & More Dynamite Comics On Sale November 30, 2016

Dynamite Entertainment has provided CBR with advance looks at new comics on sale Wednesday, November 30, 2016. When you're through checking out these exciting previews, stop by CBR's Independents forum to share your thoughts with other fans.


Click any title below to be taken to the preview of your choice.



The post Wolfcop, Smosh & More Dynamite Comics On Sale November 30, 2016 appeared first on CBR.com.

'Gotham' First Look at Proto-Joker Jerome's Return in 2017 Trailer

Now that Gotham has officially signed off for 2016 with midseason finale “Beware the Green-Eyed Monster,” it might take a green-haired one to bring fans back in January. So it is, that the first 2017 trailer for Gotham Season 3 teases Cameron Monaghan's return as the Joker-esque “Jerome.”
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ComicsAlliance Gift Guide: What to Buy A Casual Cosplayer

Cosplay is fun and exciting, but sometimes you want to wear something that shows your nerdy pride and doesn't take weeks to make --- and maybe has some pockets. Casual cosplay is the perfect way to embody your favorite character while still wearing something work appropriate.


This gift guide has a ton of recommendations for the casual cosplayer in your life, from cozy sweaters to screen-accurate jewelry.


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Chimichanga: The Sorrow of the World's Worst Face #3 (EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW)

Chimichanga: The Sorrow of the World's Worst Face #3 (EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW)

Lula, Chimi, and Ronny are in deep doo-doo! The flatulent witch wants her revenge, and with Lula and Chimichanga lost in her forest, there is no way they can escape her stink! Will Lula lose her glorious beard to the witch's mystic potions-or will Ronny's ugly face finally come to their rescue?


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The post Chimichanga: The Sorrow of the World's Worst Face #3 (EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW) appeared first on CBR.com.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Were the Muir Island X-Men Actually X-Men?

Were the Muir Island X-Men Actually X-Men?

Comic Book Questions Answered – where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).


Reader Greg S. wrote in to ask:


Something that has confused me for years (decades?) started with Uncanny X-Men #254. That issue launched a new era of the team, complete with iconic costumes, the same premise as All-New All-Different (actually one better – they really thought the former X-Men were dead). They even had the obligatory big-muscled-guy death in an early adventure, just like Thunderbird. The Muir Island X-Men were featured or depicted in a few issues… and then the focus totally turned back to Wolverine and friends.


Clearly their tenure was short, but… why have the Muir Island X-Men been completely retconned out as not being official? When Marvel does “complete” ensemble images, they never include characters who were only Muir Island X-Men. Why the snub?


Things began in “Uncanny X-Men” #253 by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri and Steve Leialoha, where Sean Cassidy, the former X-Man known as Banshee, rescued former X-Man Polaris, who was going through some weird changes to her powers (she was now super-strong and caused emotional instability in the people around her)…


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At the same time, Amanda Sefton had shown up in England to find Nightcrawler for some help. Instead, Excalibur was out of this dimension, so she instead had to find help with Alysande Stuart, whose brother had been taken with Excalibur….


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The issue ended with Donald Pierce and his cyborg assault team known as the Reavers preparing to attack Muir Island and destroy it and kill both Banshee and his girlfriend, Moira MacTaggert, who is the head of the mutant research facility on the island (the facility held the surviving Morlocks from the Morlock Massacre)…


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In “Uncanny X-Men” #254 (by Claremont, Silvestri and Dan Green), Alysande and Amanda showed up on Muir Island, where Banshee met them. However, in the first barrage of the attack, the Reavers shot Banshee with a sniper rifle. Luckily, Amanda could teleport, so she headed back to the facility with Banshee…


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And so, the siege of the island was on, with the facility being defended by Tom Corsi, Sharon Friedlander, Banshee, Amanda Sefton, Moira MacTaggert and Alysande Stuart (with Sunder and Legion also involved, but Legion was just out of it, so he was alternately saving people and putting them into danger himself).


Luckily, help was called for, so Freedom Force (the United States government sponsored mutant strike force, made up of former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) along with former X-Man ally Forge showed up in an awesome sequence by Marc Silvestri in the next issue…


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So Freedom Force helps stop the Reavers, although Forge has to bail the rest of Freedom Force out at one point, in an also awesome sequence…


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The issue ends with Forge and Banshee agreeing to team-up to find the missing X-Men…


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So, Greg, it doesn't really seem like they actually formed a team. It was just a bunch of people working together to protect the island, with the costumes there just to protect them, not to serve as uniforms as a new team. So I am going to rule that the Muir Island “X-Men” are not actually X-Men.


Thanks, Greg! If anyone else has a question, let me know at brianc@cbr.com!

'


The post Were the Muir Island X-Men Actually X-Men? appeared first on CBR.com.

This New 'Logan' Photo Hints at a Mysterious Medical Experiment

Future advertising executives of the world, take notice: the official Instagram account for 20th Century Fox's upcoming Logan is how you build up to the release of a movie. For the past few months, Logan has released a series of black and white photos that tease fragments of the new mutant-free world inhabited by Wolverine and Charles Xavier. Rather than simply share images found in the final movie, the Instagram account has put together a collection of photos meant to keep their social media audience engaged leading up to the film's release. The photos serve as a kind of art installation for dedicated fans of the X-Men franchise.


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Meet All of Venom's Human Hosts

Meet All of Venom's Human Hosts

Knowledge Waits is a feature where I just share some bit of comic book history that interests me.


Today, in honor of Venom's latest host from this week's “Venom” #1, I figured I'd show all of the Venom symbiote hosts over the years! We'll go in chronological order.


First up is Deadpool from “Deadpool's Secret Secret War” #3 by Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli…


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That, of course, was followed quickly by Peter Parker in “Secret Wars” #8 by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, John Beatty, Jack Abel and Mike Esposito (I don't know who specifically inked these pages, although I sort of presume it was Beatty)…


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The next host was the one who first got the name “Venom” for the symbiote, and that was Eddie Brock, as we saw in “Amazing Spider-Man” #300 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane…


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During “Venom: Sinner Takes All” #3 (by Larry Hama, Greg Luzniak and Scott Hanna), Eddie Brock forced the symbiote to leave him to help save the life of his injured ex-wife, Ann Weying, by bonding with her…


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There was a “Venom” series in 2003 by Daniel Way, Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco where this woman named Patricia Robertson bonded with a CLONE of Venom. I don't think that counts, but I figured I'd mention it…


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Eventually, Eddie Brock becomes sick and decides to auction off the Venom symbiote to criminals and ends up getting paid 200 million dollars for it (he divides the money up between 50 charities). The winner was a mobster named Don Fortunato, who wanted it for his son, Angelo Fortunato. Fortunato debuted as Venom in “Marvel Knights: Spider-Man” #7 by Mark Miller, Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson…


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The symbiote abandoned Angelo the next issue, and kills him. In “Marvel Knights: Spider-Man” #9 (by Millar and the Dodsons), the symbiote then bonds with Mac Gargan, the villain formerly known as the Scorpion…


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It remained connected to Mac for a while, although he lost it at the end of the crossover, “Siege”. During the “Siege: Spider-Man” #1 one-shot by Brian Reed and Marco Santucci, the symbiote briefly bonded with Ms. Marvel…


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The United States military now had control over the symbiote and they decided to militarize it. There were a few failed trials, so those people would totally count for this list, I just can't find them anywhere. Anyone? But whatever, Soldier 1 and Soldier 2, we'll call them, were tests at the idea of having a government agent using the symbiote.


Their first successful subject was Flash Thompson, as we first saw in “Amazing Spider-Man” #654.1 by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos and Carlos Cuevas…


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Early on, the symbiote was separated from Flash when he was back at base, which led to a weird issue of his own series, “Venom” #7 by Rick Remender and Tom Fowler, where the symbiote briefly bonded with a German Shepard (I know that doesn't count as a human host, but hey, it was funny, so I included it)…


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Similarly, in “Carnage U.S.A.” #5 by Zeb Wells and Clayton Crain, the symbiote also bonded with a gorilla temporarily…


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In “Venom” #14 (by Rick Remender and Tony Moore), Venom gave up his symbiote to the Red Hulk, who also was given the Ghost Rider's enchantment, so he was Red Hulk/Ghost Rider/Venom. It was pretty awesome…


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Towards the end of his ongoing series, in “Venom” #39 (by Cullen Bunn and Kim Jacinto), Flash (who was working as a gym teacher) let his symbiote split to help save a student…


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After joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, Flash lost control of the symbiote. Again, these aren't technically HUMAN hosts, but whatever, it's interesting still. So in “Guardians of the Galaxy” #21 (by Brian Michael Bendis and Valerio Schitti), the symbiote bonded with Groot…


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Then the next issue, it bonded with Rocket Raccoon…


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and Drax, as well…


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Recently, Flash let the symbiote intentionally bond with a space pirate in “Venom: Space Knight” #5 by Robbie Williams and Ariel Olivetti. Does that count?


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Finally, in this week's “Venom” #1 by Mike Costa and Gerardo Sandoval, the symbiote has been separated from Flash somehow and it is searching for a new host. It temporarily bonds with a homeless guy…


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before finally finding Lee Price, a mob enforcer (a former soldier who lost a couple of fingers overseas) who becomes a new, fully villainous Venom…


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And that brings us up to the present day!


If anyone else has an idea for something that they'd like me to feature in a future Knowledge Waits, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!


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