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The DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS Return in Second Wave Of Funko Pop! Figures

The ladies known as the DC Comics Bombshells have quickly become one of the most popular iterations of the DC Comics heroines of all time, eclipsing the original versions in the eyes of many fans. What the DC Superhero Girls line is for young girls, the Bombshells have become to older fans, who love to see characters like Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, and Supergirl with a little bit of retro pin-up sexiness and sass.

Recently, the fine folks at Funko released an initial wave of DC Comics Bombshells Pop! Vinyls, and due to their great success with fans, have already announced a second wave, which is scheduled to hit stores this winter. The newest wave includes Gotham City’s vigilante baseball star Batwoman, the plant-lovin’ Poison Ivy, the winged wonder Hawkgirl, jewel thief supreme Catwoman, and the Kryptonian powerhouse Supergirl. Fans should look for the Catwoman chase, featured in her classic purple colors, a rarity of 1-in-6.

As with most Funko Pop! vinyls, there will be several variants. For the Bombshells, whose story is set in the 1940s, there will be sepia toned versions of Supergirl (at Barnes & Noble), Catwoman (Books-A-Million), and Hawkgirl, (Hot Topic). As a special bonus, Wave 1 figure Wonder Woman will have a special Christmas colored variant, available exclusively at Michael’s stores. The wave 2 Bombshells figures are scheduled to arrive in stores sometime in November

You can check out images of each of these badass ladies down below in our gallery.

Are you excited about the latest additions to the DC Comics Bombshells line? And who would you like to see next? Let us know down below in the comments!

Need More Bombshell Business?

We spoke to Marguerite Bennett about the Bombshell’s comics run.
We’ve got a look at some of the other Bombshell toys.
And finally, check out the Dorbz versions of the gals!

Images: Funko / DC Comics

 

KINGSMAN’s Adorable Pug Showed Up at THE GOLDEN CIRCLE Premiere in an Orange Suit!

It may seem an impossible task to pick a highlight among Kingsman: The Secret Service‘s varied and flavorful cast. After all, Matthew Vaughn’s special agent flick treated us to engaging performances from enchanting newcomers Taron Egerton and Sofia Boutella, ditto to the sort of wily fun we’ve come to expect from reliable veterans like Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine. But as forewarned by the great W.C. Fields, no bipedal thespian can contend with the onscreen charisma of a mugging pooch. Thus, if we’re really picking a winner among the Kingsman cast, it’d no doubt be Jack “J.B.” Bauer, the unfathomably adorable puppy pug that cold-hearted super spy-in-training Eggsy couldn’t bring himself to axe (thank goodness).

Those of you who share my affection for the diminutive Dutch mastiff will be pleased to hear that he’s getting due credit for his brilliant performance in the 2014 action comedy. As it turns out, J.B. accompanied the rest of Kingsman cast to the London premiere of the forthcoming sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and what’s more decked himself to the nines for the occasion.

There’s a baby pug wearing an orange dinner jacket at the #Kingsman premiere… because of course there is.

He’s not too impressed. #pug pic.twitter.com/6RN01xAvDi

— Ali Plumb (@AliPlumb) September 18, 2017

As if the presence of a chipper young pug trotting along a top dollar red carpet gala wouldn’t have been enough of a delight, the orange suit and tiny bowtie escalates this endeavor to pure snub-nosed bliss.

THE PUG FROM THE FIRST KINGSMAN MOVIE ATTENDED PREMIERE FOR KINGSMAN THE GOLDEN CIRCLE IN LONDON AND HES WEARING A SUIT. pic.twitter.com/JMXjPyA3oy

— sara (@thisbemesara) September 19, 2017

In the name of diplomacy, I respect the decision of anyone who hasn’t yet seen The Golden Circle from committing to naming J.B.’s turn in The Secret Service as the very best fit of acting the Kingsman franchise will ever display. What with power players like Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, and Michael Gambon joining in on the fun, there’s sure to be some healthy competition for that superlative.

But let’s be honest, here…

…there ain’t no beatin’ that.

Images: 20th Century Fox

Need More Kingsman? We’ve Got You Covered:

Read our review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Meet Channing Tatum’s Kingsman character.
Kingsman meets Archer! is the mash-up we had no idea we needed.

Neil Gaiman Brings CORALINE to THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR

Neil Gaiman knows a little something about the macabre, so it only makes sense that The Simpsons would tap him again to voice a character on the show, this time as a part of their annual Halloween Treehouse of Horror. While he won’t be playing himself this go round, it will still be a very personal performance for him. That’s because he’ll be voicing a character in a parody of his very own novel-turned-movie, Coraline.

The cat was let out of the bag on Twitter early this morning.

we kept this secret since last Oct but now it's out- @neilhimself will be on Treehouse of Horror 2017! what's your #Simpsons horror name? pic.twitter.com/RciYEkdniT

— Cat Mihos (@neverwear) September 21, 2017

When Gaiman chimed in he wasn’t very specific about what he would be doing on the show, though he did give enough of a hint for people to figure it out.

I am on the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror this year. I do not play myself this time. Instead I voice a character who has not spoken before.

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 21, 2017

Obviously that led to people trying to figure out who that could be, and he confirmed which character he’ll be playing after a fan guessed correctly.

I decided that if someone guessed I would put up a picture. And you guessed. https://t.co/kR4igXI4St

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 21, 2017

The photo he shared was enough for us to figure it all out. He will be specifically voicing a cat, because The Simpsons will parody his 2002 horror-fantasy children’s novella Coraline, which was adapted into a stop-motion movie in 2009, Laika’s first feature film.

The eagle-eyed among you may also be able to work out what film or story will be receiving the Simpsons Halloween treatment this year. pic.twitter.com/PX7gergwuo

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 21, 2017

We can see a secret door behind Lisa leading to what will surely be a less than idealized parallel world, the kind of adventure you’d want Neil Gaiman taking you on, even as a cat.

Considering The Simpsons has been on television since before the medium was even invented, we can’t believe it took this long for them to use Gaiman for a Treehouse of Horror episode. But better late than never, and considering they’ll still be making these for 500 more years, maybe this can be the first of many Gaiman parodies?

That would be….wait for it…..waaaaait for it……purrfect.

What other Neil Gaiman stories should get a Simpsons parody? Travel into our comments section below to let us know.

Featured Image: Fox/Matt Groening

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Why Linda Hamilton and Jamie Lee Curtis Will Save TERMINATOR and HALLOWEEN

With the unbelievably exciting announcement that Linda Hamilton will be appearing in the new installment of the Terminator franchise, along with Jamie Lee Curtis’ recent tweet confirming her unexpected return to Haddonfield, we’re very much on cloud nine about two of cinema’s all-time badasses returning to the big screen roles that brought them to prominence.

This recent turn of events is an interesting one, as both the Halloween and Terminator franchises have become practically irrelevant of late, despite a recent reboot for the Schwarzenegger-starring sci-fi featuring Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor. As for Haddonfield’s most infamous son, Michael Myers has been missing in action since Rob Zombie‘s ’00s remakes which, while fun diversions, added nothing to the Halloween lore.

There is something wholly satisfying about seeing the Hollywood studio system turning to these older women to helm their floundering franchises, especially since the reaction to both announcements has been so positive. Whereas many fans are tired of constant reboots and sequels, there is something universally exciting about seeing the women who held these films together triumphantly returning to the screen.

For fans of the seminal movies that spawned these franchises, Hamilton and Curtis are intrinsically connected to our memories and enjoyment of them. They spark a nostalgia and excitement for a time when these films were fresh and unique, not tied into extensive convoluted timelines and focused on huge set pieces filled with generic CG rather than story and character. Though Curtis herself has starred in a number of Halloween sequels that are no way near as good as John Carpenter’s classic, her inclusion always makes them far more watchable. Not just because she’s a great actor but because to fans she’s still Laurie Strode, Haddonfield’s first final girl. After over 25 years, seeing Hamilton return to the role of Sarah Connor following a number of other actress who tried to fill her shoes brings us that same excitement.

So why have the studios suddenly seen sense and realized that Curtis and Hamilton are the kind of stars fans want to see in their movies? Well, that’s probably to do with the financial and critical performances of their last entries. Though Rob Zombie‘s Halloween movies were made on a relatively small $15 million budget each and took in over $100 million combined, medium profit and middling reviews weren’t enough to make a third movie stick. As for the much-maligned and misspelled Terminator: Genisys, though the movie made over $400 million worldwide, only $86 million of that came from the vital domestic market. And when it comes to the critical response, the movie currently has 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.

After the critical and commercial success of Wonder Woman, this year in cinema’s biggest talking point thus far, it’s no surprise that studios are looking toward women to help their failing franchises. But the choice to bring these older women back is in its own way a radical one. (Even though, in the case of Jamie Lee Curtis, it makes so much sense, you just wonder why it hasn’t happened already!) Lately, Curtis has been reveling in her horror history in Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s Scream Queens. Although her character Laurie Strode canonically died in 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection, when the reboot was announced many fans were already dreaming of Curtis’ return.

Hamilton’s return to big screen action is long overdue and has been rumored for years in company with the would-be Expendabelles (*eye roll*) movie–a female centric offshoot of the old-men-blowing-stuff-up Expendables franchise that came to prominence a few years ago. But Terminator could be the comeback that Hamilton so desperately deserves, and vice versa; without her Sarah Connor, would we really ever have had Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman?

Then again, the movie is still being brought to you by Hamilton’s ex-husband, James “Wonder Woman sucked” Cameron, who’s already talking about introducing a new younger female lead to whom Hamilton may pass the torch. Maybe after the positive fan reaction, he’ll come to his senses.

Whatever happens with these movies, we’re stoked to see the return of these strong women to our screens. Have these announcements reignited your passion for some old faves? Or do you wish Hollywood would leave well enough alone? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Fox, Orion, MGM, Tri-Star Compass International, Dimension

For more badass women, look no further!

7 essential Sabrina the Teenage Witch comics to check out!
Does the new Tomb Raider trailer get the tone right?
Emma Stone is in Oscar contention again: our review of Battle of the Sexes !

NYCC Exclusive Millennium Falcon Model is the Starship of Our Dreams

Within the Star Wars universe, we’re constantly told just how ugly the Millennium Falcon is compared to the other ships in the galaxy. Well we don’t see it that way! Han Solo’s iconic starship is absolutely one of the all-time prettiest. Unfortunately, it’s just not practical to own a life-sized Millennium Falcon replica, but Bandai Hobby may have the next best thing waiting for fans at New York Comic Con.

Bandai has unveiled its NYCC-exclusive Perfect Grade 1/72 Scale Millennium Falcon. We were very impressed by the recent LEGO Millennium Falcon, but this is on a much higher level. It looks like it could have escaped from the very first Star Wars movie, and it has a level of detail that is just breathtaking.

This Millennium Falcon model is made up of 700 parts, and it’s got a $400 asking price. But fans will also get a few passenger figures who can easily sit in the model, just to give everyone another reason to love it.

If you can’t make it out to NYCC, the good news is that Bandai Hobby will release the new Millennium Falcon model to the general public at a later date. That’s also the case for Bandai Shogukan’s new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Megazord and Dragonzord Super Mini-Pla Kits. They’re fully articulated recreations of the Rangers’ zords from the first TV series.

At this rate, we’re gonna have to rent a plane just to get all of our toys and models home from NYCC! Gundam fans are also going to have a lot of reasons to head to NYCC. Bandai will be selling a small number of the newly released Hi Resolution Model Wing Gundam Zero (EW), as well as a lot of Gundam kits that were previously only available at special events in Asia.

New York Comic Con will begin on October 5.

Which NYCC exclusives are you most excited about? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Bandai Hobby/Bluefin

Collect these stories, all about toys!

Arnold, Rocko, and more announced in 2nd wave of Nicktoons Funko POPs !
Alec and Ewan mix in Sideshow’s new Obi-Wan deluxe figure !
You can have your very own copy of Harry Potter‘s Hogwarts letter !

George R.R. Martin Working with GAME OF THRONES Writer Bryan Cogman on Spin-Off

We’ve long known that five Game of Thrones spin-offs were coming, we’ve speculated on what they could be and already knew what they were not, but with the fifth script getting its writer named, we’re fairly certain we’re in for something just as epic as its predecessor series—because it’s not his first time writing for the world of ice and fire.

Bryan Cogman, the only other writer on Game of Thrones besides showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (and those few scripts Martin penned himself in early days), has been officially confirmed via Entertainment Weekly as the writer of the fifth potential spin-off, and is working quite intensely with Martin to bring this “very exciting period of Westerosi history” to life.

And truly, no one is more qualified to pass the baton to as far as Westeros is concerned. It’s as Martin stated, “If [Benioff and Weiss] have been the kings of Westeros for these past seven seasons, Bryan Cogman has surely been the Prince of Dragonstone.”

Per Martin’s LiveJournal (which is still such a lovely thing to be able to say in 2017), he seems to be very happy with Cogman’s work, and the other spin-off scripts to come:

“I can say that, like the other pilots, it will be a prequel rather than sequel, a successor rather than a spinoff. Bryan’s series will be an adaptation, and one that will thrill most fans of the books, I think, set during a very exciting period of Westerosi history. And I’ll be working with him every step of the way; we’re going to be co-creating the show.

Meanwhile, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, Max Borenstein, and Carly Wray are all at work on the other four successor shows. I’ve been working with them as well (some more closely than others), and I’m excited by some of the ideas they’re coming up with. HBO should have a wealth of material to choose from. (And that’s not even counting the four weird-ass series concepts I’ve come up on my own, just for the hell of it. There are eight million stories in the naked city, and maybe ten times as many in Westeros and the lands beyond the narrow seas).”

Now, what could the story be about? We know all the prequel projects are set before the events of Thrones and will not include any members of the current principle cast. We also know they do not involve Robert’s Rebellion (the events that took place immediately before the series began) or the Dunk and Egg tales from Martin’s novella.

Our money is on the Doom of Valyria, the events that created the Night King (a.k.a. the War between The Children and The First Men), or—if HBO wants to put serious money behind this—The Dance of Dragons. After all, writer of one of the other scripts, Jane Goldman, has already stated that, “as a book reader or as someone who watched the series, you would say, ‘Oh, that! OK.’ Yeah, it would be recognizable as a past event.'”

What portion of Westerosi history are you interested in checking out? Let us know in the comments below!

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor, creator/co-host of Fangirling, and resident Khaleesi of House Nerdist. Find her on Twitter!

Want to Brush Up on Your Westerosi History?

Here’s 9 spin-off series we’d totally watch.
Want a history of the Isle of Faces (which may mean big things for the series finale)?
And here’s one more potential spin-off—the legend of Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros!

Images: HBO

Does The New TOMB RAIDER Trailer Get The Tone Right?

To paraphrase The Simpsons: “So you like trailers, eh? Well, have all the trailers in the world!” But giving us trailers is like giving Homer donuts, so we broke all of them down on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back. From Tomb Raider, to The Punisher, to Jumanji, welcome to the trailer jungle.

Jessica Chobot was joined today for Trailerpocalypse (Trailergeddon?) by Nerdist editors Alicia Lutes and Kyle Anderson, as well as her Bizarre States co-host Andrew Bowser. Leading off Trailercopia (Trailerbowl 2017?) was our first look at the new Tomb Raider. Did it get us hyped for the franchise reboot, or, since it’s been over 20 years since the first game came out, have other franchises like Uncharted taken its place in the action-adventure field? And did the filmmakers make the right call going with a video game look, or would a more grounded, Indian Jones approach have been better?

Next up was the latest trailer from Netflix (and their unlimited budget for songs rights) for The Punisher. Where is everyone’s interest level for this compared to other Marvel series from Netflix? And how closely do we think it will tie in with those shows, as well as the rest of the MCU. (Make sure to check out today’s Nerdist News for a lot more coverage about The Punisher.)

Finally they broke down the latest trailer for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which showed us how the new video game version of the board game will be incorporated into the film. Does the update have us pumped to hit play on the film? And if we were sucked into a video game, what would our weakness be?

We want you to talk back to us in the comments below, but Nerdist News Talks Back was live today at 1:00 p.m. PST live on our YouTube and Alpha channels, just like it is every single weekday. So tune in with us tomorrow to get in on the conversation.

Because when a Trailersplosion happens (Trailerbomb?), you want to be there to experience it in the moment.

Want More Trailer Talk?

Did Mark Hamill let the date for the The Last Jedi trailer slip?
We made a radical ’80s-style trailer for Thor: Ragnarok
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Featured Image: MGM/Eidos

Jordan Peele’s Next Project is a 1970s Nazi-Killing TV Show

When you become a fan of Jordan Peele, you take on a debit. The Get Out writer/director is aiming his sights on the real-life story of private agents who tracked down Nazis in the 1970s who had folded themselves into regular society, most typically in South America. That’s right. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peele is making a TV show about killin’ Nazis.

Though there’s currently no network attached to the project, I will sign up for whatever streaming service of mobile app or time-telling website decides to air The Hunt. Not only has Peele proven himself as a deft dramatist with a keen ear for relevant social satire, hunting down Nazis falls sadly into that “relevant” category once again, and this project is practically bursting with opportunities for great drama that hits tearfully close to home. For even more social currency and biographical cache, Peele is also a producer on Spike Lee’s KKK infiltration movie Black Klansman.

The Hunt is inspired by real events, which makes it unlikely to feature the real figures behind the movement, of which Simon Wiesenthal is probably the most famous. Wiesenthal and others helped track down the whereabouts of former Nazis as well as information and records that could be used in lawsuits and criminal trials. Peele’s TV drama positions itself as featuring a diverse crew hunting down the swastika-wearing mass murderers, and if it sticks to history, that crew’s diversity could be defined by Jewish Holocaust survivors, Polish concentration camp escapees, French resistance journalists, Israeli police detectives, and American historians.

Of course, there’s no reason Peele and writer David Weil are bound strictly to the real people who were most active in the Nazi hunting movement. If Quentin Tarantino can fill Hitler’s face with a thousand machine gun rounds in a burning theater, Peele can go a little crazy, too. I imagine a lot of us will be right there with him. Jordan Peele wants his scalps.

Want More Jordan Peele? Of Course You Do…

Here he is on Talking with Chris Hardwick !
And here’s that OTHER time he was on The Nerdist Podcast.
Want to hear what the cast/Jordan have to say about Get Out? Click here!

Image/GIF Credit: Comedy Central

Artist Perfectly Re-Imagines GAME OF THRONES Characters as Film Noir Personas

Betrayal, intrigue, questionable motives, shady characters, power struggles, and cold-blooded murder. Are we talking about life in Westeros, or the plot of a classic Hollywood film noir? We might never have noticed just how much the two have in common if not for the stunning work of one artist who re-imagined some of Game of Thrones most important characters as players in the age of Prohibition.

These gorgeous portraits are the work of concept artist Ricean Vlad, who transported some of the biggest figures from the Seven Kingdoms to a time and place where they look like they might tangle with Lord Al of House Capone. In addition to how great these look, they are full of details only a real Game of Thrones fan can appreciate. Like how in the Joffrey piece above he is carrying a weapon equivalent in size to his beloved crossbow, and there are two lovely ladies waiting for him (run!).

And while dragons never came to America, his Dame Daenerys still has three reptile children with her, and a retinue of men eager to serve her.

Of course, if there was anyone from Westeros who definitely would have been a wealthy major mob boss in Chicago during the roaring ’20s, it was Tywin “Goldie” Lannister.But not everyone would have lived so large, like the quiet kid known as “The White Wolf.”

And he would have surely tangled with the man they called The Flayer, Ramsay Bolton, always accompanied by his dogs and sidekick, the kid they call Reek.Ramsay would have made for an amazing film noir killer. He definitely would have pumped some bellies full of Valyrian lead.

You can see the rest of the collection in our gallery below, including portraits of Cersei, Tyrion, and The Hound. But make sure you check out Ricean Vlad’s website to see more of his great work.

(Although, we don’t recommend drinking any moonshine you bought from the Frey Twins.)

Images: Used with permission from Ricean Vlad

  Need More Game of Thrones To Tide You Over?

It’s just as delightful to watch Arya and Brienne practice for their big fight.
Arya and Sansa can’t help cracking up during intense scenes.
How the “loot train attack” looked so incredibly fiery.

Will Gal Gadot Bring Wonder Woman Into FLASHPOINT?

Last season on The Flash, the show took on a very limited version of the Flashpoint storyline because many of the major DC heroes were not available for the TV show. And though that’s not the case in the DC Extended Universe, the big screen heroes will have a Flashpoint movie of their own. Making such a premise intriguing to us? A new report that suggests Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman may be joining Ezra Miller‘s Flash in that dark alternate world adventure.

According to Deadline, “[Gadot] will reprise in the Patty Jenkins-directed sequel and DC spin-offs including the Justice League films and the spin-off for The Flash.” That entire sentence was just an afterthought in a write-up about Gadot’s new movie, Deeper, but it could mean so much more for Flashpoint. Because if Gadot really is on board for that movie then audiences may see a much darker Wonder Woman than they’ve ever seen in live-action before.

Keep in mind that the Deadline report hasn’t been confirmed yet. (Editor’s Note:We’ve reached out to Warner Bros. for comment, but had not heard back at the time of publication.) In the Flashpoint comic book series, the Flash suffered a moment of selfishness and changed the past by saving his mother from the Reverse-Flash. That single change set off a number of differences in the timeline, including Thomas Wayne as the Batman and a devastating war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

Within that twisted timeline, Wonder Woman and Aquaman were actually engaged to be married as a way to create a lasting peace between Themyscira and Atlantis. However in that iteration, Wonder Woman killed Aquaman’s lover, Mera, in self-defense. In turn, Aquaman and Wonder Woman set out to wipe their respective kingdoms off the face of the Earth. Along the way, Wonder Woman and Aquaman murdered millions of people in their quest to destroy each other.

It would make a lot of sense for Gadot to appear in the movie, even if only as a secondary antagonist—it’s too good of an opportunity to show Wonder Woman at her darkest moments (and as we’ve already seen: Wonder Woman makes everything better). Of course, Jason Momoa would also have to appear as Aquaman to make it work. But it is definitely an idea that has merit.

How do you feel about Gadot’s potential dark turn in Flashpoint? Share your thoughts below!

Want More Flashpoint?

Here’s how they handled it on The CW series.
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And here’s when every other DCEU movie is coming out.

Images: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics