Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2324
September 9, 2016
DC Announces THE DEATH OF HAWKMAN Mini-Series
Hello comics fans one and all, and welcome to your weekend edition of Comics Relief! Lots of news to chew on today, starting with the announced going away for awhile death of a DC Comics icon. Read on for all the details.
DC Comics Announces The Death of Hawkman
A few months back, DC Comics announced an Adam Strange/Hawkman crossover mini-series with the subtitle Out of Time. Now DC has re-titled the already announced six-issue miniseries as Death of Hawkman. The name change was announced via Diamond Comics Distributors, and although no reason has been given by DC for the change, it seems that writer Marc Andreyko and artist Aaron Lopresti will remain on the title.
Of course, in the comics Hawkman has died multiple times and always come back, so there’s no reason to think this won’t be another one of those time. Death of Hawkman #1 is scheduled to hit shelves October 5. You can see a new promo image for the series above.
Insight Editions Launches Comics Label
Indie publisher Insight Editions has just announced the launch of Insight Comics, a new imprint dedicated to publishing original and licensed graphic novels.The first books of the new imprint will release in March 2017, and the first offerings from the publisher will contain new original stories, as well as licensed comics based on popular film, television, and gaming properties. Insight plans to produce stories in all genres, for both children as well as adults.
Insight Publisher and CEO Raoul Goff said of the new imprint “Insight Editions is thrilled to launch this new imprint,” he said. “Insight Comics aims to bring our high-quality standards to the graphic novel universe, tell original stories, and invite readers to immerse themselves in powerful new worlds.” For more info on which comics are coming from the publisher next year, be sure to click on the following link: [Comic Book]
Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran re-team for webcomic Finality
Acclaimed writer Warren Ellis and artist Colleen Doran, who ten years ago produced the original graphic novel Orbiter, have announced that they are reuniting for a brand new 26-episode weekly webcomic called Finality. Their new collaboration will debut next year on LINE Webtoon, a digital comic service for smartphones, tablets and browsers.
The new series will be a crime drama centered around “the world’s greatest criminal investigator” Felicity Rockall, and a young agent who’s brought in to control the middle-aged eccentric genius as they tackle a “frightening murder mystery that may prove to be Felicity’s final case.” In a statement, Doran said “It’s been great to be working with Warren again. Drawing digital comics on the vertical format is a new challenge for me that I am excited to be undertaking with him and LINE Webtoon. I think fans are going to be really excited about what we have created with Finality.” The new series debuts in 2017. [Newsarama]
Is this how Cyclops died??
After the end of Marvel’s epic Secret Wars event, the publisher did an eight month time-jump in all their titles. During that time, we were told that the X-Men’s leader Cyclops did something really awful, and then became hated by everyone on Earth, and then died. But how did this all go down, and how did Cyclops kick the bucket? Looks like readers will finally find out in the upcoming Death of X series. Marvel has released the first few pages from the book, that seem to have Cyclops…dying from an aneurysm??
The page shows Scott Summers getting light headed and then passing out on the floor. I’m going to assume he doesn’t go out like that. But it would be kind of funny of Cyke didn’t die in battle, he just keeled over and dropped dead one day, because reasons. Well, it’s funny if you’re me. The first issue of the four part The Death of X by Charles Soule and Aaron Kuder hits in October. [CBR]
Erik Larsen to depart Spawn with issue #266
Two of the founders of Image Comics from way back in 1992 who are still involved with their original characters are Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn, and Erik Larsen, best known for The Savage Dragon. Last year, Larsen actually took over the co-writing and art chores on his buddy McFarlane’s Spawn title, but has announced via Facebook that he is leaving the book with issue #266. He posted the following:
“Okay–finished my script for Spawn #266. Hope at least some of that sees print. I am officially done with Spawn. Now, onward to Savage Dragon #217 and the epic conclusion to this cataclysmic crossover.”
Some other comments made about the collaboration suggested it wasn’t that smooth of a process, and it’s unlikey to be happening again any time soon. In the meantime, Larsen shared some art from the book, which you can see above. [Bleeding Cool]
Alan Moore announces retirement from comics, throws shade at Marvel and DC again
Although he’s been hinting at it for what seems like forever, British comics legend Alan Moore has basically confirmed that he is retiring from writing comics, and the next few hundred pages he produces will be his last comics work, saying that he’s going to venture forth into writing prose novels. He said he only has “about 250 pages of comics left in me.” For more on his retirement, check out our full story on the subject here.
In the same interview with The Guardian where he announced his retirement from comics however, Moore once again took the opportunity to throw shade at Marvel and DC, saying “I am sure there is probably a very good reason for the hundreds of thousands of adults who are flocking to see the latest adventures of Batman, but I for one am a little in the dark for what that reason is.”
He continued “The superhero movies – characters that were invented by Jack Kirby in the 1960s or earlier – I have great love for those characters as they were to me when I was a 13-year-old boy. They were brilliantly designed and created characters. But they were for 50 years ago. I think this century needs, deserves, its own culture. It deserves artists that are actually going to attempt to say things that are relevant to the times we are actually living in. That’s a longwinded way of me saying I am really, really sick of Batman.” Someone should remind Moore that all the characters from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are well over a century old. [The Guardian]
Images: DC Comics / Marvel Comics / Image Comics / Insight Editions / LINEWebtoon / Fimb/Flickr
The Todd Glass Show #264: Graham Elwood!
Graham Elwood returns to tell us about this yera’s LA Podcast Festival!
Use the offer code Todd to get $5 off you ticket for the LA Podcast Festival!
Like The Todd Glass Show on Facebook, follow @ToddGlass, Eric Ohlsen and Lyricist Joe on Twitter, buy his album Thin Pig and buy his book The Todd Glass Situation!
MTV Is Launching a New Live Music Show… Finally!
It’s possible that not every reader will remember this, but “MTV” used to stand for “Music Television.” Before YouTube was around to conjure any music video you’d want to watch on command, we’d wait endlessly in front of the TV, hoping today would be the day they’d finally play Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” again. When the channel expanded to produce full concert shows, we got such gems as Eric Clapton‘s acoustic “Layla,” and the entirety of Nirvana‘s MTV Unplugged special, both fairly indisputable milestones along the great road that is popular music and its influences.
MTV evolved into more of a lifestyle channel over the years, home to shows like the radical documentary series 16 and Pregnant, and the episodic Scream adaptation. But now they’re bringing back music, and we old-school fans couldn’t be happier. As reported first by Mashable, Wonderland will be the network’s first weekly live music series in almost 20 years. The show will feature multiple artists, and the 10-episode debut season will kick off with Tinashe, Ty Dolla $ign, and Broods.
MTV will also host behind-the-scenes content on social media, and we do have to give them credit for almost making a swear word out of their channel icons:
Honestly, the Twitter bird really doesn’t look much like a “C.” But we take your point, MTV.
Wonderland, which thankfully has nothing whatsoever to do with the literary Alice, will be hosted by Melissa Jefferson, Rachael Finley, and Myke Wright. Just don’t call them veejays.
With all the competition online, legal and otherwise, getting back into music may be a riskier step for MTV than it seems. But if you like the sound of it, tune in Sept. 15 and show them there’s an audience.
Do you want your MTV to stay free of tunes, or do you remember the old days and want them back? Strap into your spacesuit and plant your flag in comments to let us know.
Images: MTV
Everything You Missed at the CIVILIZATION VI PAX West Panel
Some people are addicted to chocolate, other people are addicted to playing online poker, and others still are addicted to black tar heroin. While I do confess to have a sweet tooth, my true addiction is the the Civilization game series. The venerable 4X strategy game from the brilliant brain of Sid Meier is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year with the release of Civilization VI. Published by 2K and developed by Firaxis Games, Civilization VI represents the culmination of a quarter-century of gameplay innovation and looks to push the envelope even further — which is saying something considering the ways in which Civilization has loomed large over the 4X landscape.
Recently, I hosted the official Firaxis Games Civilization VI panel at PAX West in Seattle, WA where art director Brian Busatti, designer/gameplay programmer Brian Feldges, and associate producer Sarah Darney joined me on stage to talk about the game’s impressive new mechanics. In addition to discussing unstacking cities and active research, we also touched on returning features like espionage and religion, and a brand new fan-requested civilization. Although our wide-ranging conversation went on for an hour, we have condensed the panel into a handy-dandy highlight reel so you can relive the experience of being there even if you were stuck at home.
Civilization VI comes to PC on October 21, 2016. Coincidentally, I would like to formally request off October 21 for totally unrelated reasons.
Will you be playing Civilization VI? What do you think of the new gameplay mechanics? Let us know in the comments below.
Image: 2K/Firaxis
Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).
FREE FIRE is a Trigger-Happy Thrill Ride (TIFF Review)
Usually Chekhov’s gun is something that doesn’t come into play until the third act, but in writer-director Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, they fire Chekhov’s gun, his pistol, his automatic rifle, his snub-nosed revolver, and his sniper rifle—and they fire it constantly for nearly the entirety of the film’s runtime. It’s a bloody, violent, darkly comedic tale of an arms deal gone awry, anchored by a cast of terrific actors exhibiting a wide variety of facial hair and leisure suits. In other words, it’s no surprise that it’s executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
With Free Fire, Wheatley has created a nearly perfect midnight movie. That “midnight” qualifier is important because the film, at 90 minutes, can sometimes feel repetitive in its action, grating in its eardrum-shattering volume, and frustrating depending on your tolerance for silly accents. Those are all legitimate gripes—and I understand them on a clinical level—but I did not share them as I gleefully cheered on Wheatley’s demented vision alongside the airhorn-toting oddballs and balloon-popping weirdos that packed Toronto’s Ryerson Theatre for last night’s Midnight Madness premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Structured like a bottle episode of your favorite TV show (but not quite as good as Breaking Bad‘s transcendent “Fly”), Free Fire largely takes place within a sprawling, long-abandoned industrial warehouse. The dirt-covered ground is strewn with all manner of detritus, running the gamut from rebar to cinder blocks to used needles. In other words, it’s not a place you’d want to hang out in at night (or during the day for that matter) …unless, of course, you were trying to purchase a slew of automatic rifles from a particularly unscrupulous dealer. And that’s exactly what IRA gun runner Chris (Cillian Murphy) and his men are trying to do with the squirrelly, cantankerous, and exceptionally vain arms dealer Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his cronies. Both sides are exceptionally skittish and weaselly in their own ways, which means that the duo who brokered the deal—the mysterious businesswoman Justine (Brie Larson) and her snarky, hirsute associate Ord (Armie Hammer)—have to tiptoe around fragile egos and keep these lowlifes from blowing each other to smithereens. Of course, that plan goes to hell in a hand basket pretty quickly when a disagreement snowballs into a guns akimbo battle royale where everyone is shooting everything at everyone else all the time always.
What follows is complete and utter chaos, with bullets and pointed verbal barbs ricocheting all over the place, often finding their mark in the various extremities of this gang of low-rent criminals. With both their physical well-being and their pride at stake, each character’s hidden motivations begin bubbling to the forefront, and the results are frequently hilarious. What really sells the film, though, is its ensemble cast—which also includes Noah Taylor, Jack Reynor, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, and Babou Ceesay to name a few—and their sheer commitment to the bit. Accents, wigs, and facial hair aside, this is a delightful showcase for physical comedy tinged with white-knuckle brutality with the bullet-riddled buffoons limping, crawling, and staggering around the warehouse in their attempt to get the drop on their opponents. On occasion, the film’s formula of “gunplay, verbal sparring, physical comedy” can get a bit repetitive, but Wheatley wisely keeps the running time lean and the action moving at a steady clip so as to not wear out his welcome or exhaust the narrative’s premise.
Free Fire has all the makings of a future cult classic—especially if its response on social media following the screening was any indication. People oscillated wildly between loving the film’s audacity and warped sense of humor while others found it to be tedious, childish, and ill-advised. The glorification of wanton violence and hyperbolic gunplay can often times feel icky given the horrific state of gun violence in America, but Free Fire never quite approached the level of gun worship you see in other hyper-adrenalized action films. These are bad men doing bad things to each other, and literally no one emerges unscathed. It’s a grimy, grungy story of thieves, liars, and cheats trying to outwit their witless compatriots. When the dust settled, the blood dried, and the credits finally rolled, I couldn’t help but smile, and if you go into Wheatley’s wonderfully bonkers, ultraviolent comedy of errors, chances are you will too.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 burritos
Image: A24/Rook Films
Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).
For our complete Toronto International Film Festival coverage, click here.
George Takei Says STAR TREK is about Starship Earth
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the debut of the original Star Trek (well, in America at least: sorry to Canada that we didn’t do this two days earlier), so fittingly the tributes and odes were pouring in from fans around the globe. However, it was George Takei who best summed up what the franchise is really all about, and in doing so explained why it is so beloved and has endured for so long.
The O.G. Sulu was a guest of super nerd and Trekkie Stephen Colbert on The Late Show last night, and Takei shared his memories of the “very special” first time he went to work on the series, where franchise creator Gene Roddenberry described to him and the rest of the cast at their first table read what story the space adventure show was really telling.
“Gene explained to us what Star Trek was all about,” said Takei, “He said that the Starship Enterprise was a metaphor for Starship Earth, and the strength of this starship lay in its diversity coming together.” Roddenbery then explained that the possibilities of “infinity diversity in infinite combinations” (IDIC) would force the crew, representing the many people of the planet, to combine their abilities to solve problems as one.
Okay, fellow bright-eyed optimists, you aren’t alone in getting emotional at such a simple and elegant idea. We’re feeling that flicker of beautiful hope too. Because that’s why Star Trek has really lasted. Beyond the fun, beyond the action, beyond the characters, it is a franchise about hope, a hope that things will get better, because we as people will get better.
Like Andy Dufresne said, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” No wonder Star Trek still going strong after 50 years.
Which Star Trek episode do you think best exemplifies the idea of Starship Earth? Tell us in the comments below.
Image: CBS
Ben Affleck Brings THE TOWN Back in Time in LIVE BY NIGHT Trailer
Though Gone Baby Gone and Argo may well be superior films, the first movie you think of when you consider Ben Affleck’s directorial vision is more than likely The Town. That’s because The Town seems to be the quintessential Ben Affleck story. Mix two parts street-tough-with-a-heart-of-gold with a healthy dose of Bostonian flare, and you’ve got the recipe for Affleck à la mode. Season the whole thing with a heavy layer of period piece—a flavor that Affleck apparently picked up a taste for while working on Argo—and you have his next and likewise very Afflecky-looking picture: Live by Night.
As we can see from the first trailer, director and star Affleck again finds himself affixed to the thriving Boston bank robbery subculture, though this time circa the post-World War I era. Indeed, the style of the time seems to be a prime selling point of Live by Night—the two-minute trailer alone shows how eagerly Affleck seems to have engaged with the look and vernacular of the ’20s and ’30s.
The “groove” of ’70s Hollywood is a big component of what made Argo such a successful creative endeavor, so we’ve got to hope that Affleck can handle the time period embraced by Live by Night with the same energy and sophistication. (We already know what he can do with the crime scene, of course.)
For Live by Night, Affleck has amounted an ensemble of established and rising stars, including Zoe Saldana, Brendan Gleeson, Elle Fanning, Sienna Miller, Chris Messina, Scott Eastwood, and—my favorite revelation of the morning—Anthony Michael Hall.
Featured Image: Warner Bros
Nathan Fielder’s New Webseries DAVID Is Dark And Bizarre (and It’s Online Right Now)
Since Nathan Fielder rose to greater comedy prominence with his Comedy Central series Nathan For You—or even before that as a correspondent on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes—he’s been known for putting regular people in uncomfortable situations and really milking the awkwardness out of every moment. Although his latest project, David, is a scripted webseries, there is still plenty of unease, although it’s distinctly different here.
All five episodes of Dean Fleischer-Camp’s series, ranging from four to six minutes in length, were shared Thursday morning by Super Deluxe, and in them, Fielder plays David, a down-on-his-luck guy who finds out he has a black stone growing in his heart, and that he only has five weeks to live. From there, he gets evicted, talks to his ex-wife (played by Jenny Slate, herself the ex-wife of Fleischer-Camp), and contemplates suicide.
We’re used to comedy from Fielder, although it might be more fair to say that he’s really an expert in awkwardness, and that comedy usually provides the most ample opportunity for uncomfortable moments to shine through. But there’s awkwardness in dramatic and tragic moments as well, and while it may feel like comedy at times—with the shots that are just a bit too long, the supporting characters with virtually no personalities, and the awkward exchanges between them and David—it’s really more like awkwardness taking on a different form.
The whole thing falls flat, but in a good way, which may be the first time we’ve written that. David is certainly an interesting watch, so check out the first episode above, and the rest of the series here.
Featured image: Super Deluxe
Send a Classy Rickroll With Postmodern Jukebox’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”
The silly genius of the Rickroll was the very thing that killed it—it was a victim of its own success. Its popularity made it far too ubiquitous, and therefore everyone could see it coming, rendering its element of surprise (and therefore all the fun in sending it to someone/wasting their time) impotent. What a shame, because of the all the the inane internet fads it was truly one of the best.
But hark! What’s that? Did we all, ironically, give up on it too soon? Maybe so, as this new, classier cover of the Rick Astley hit done by Postmodern Jukebox won’t let you down when you hit someone with this “vintage remake” of “Never Gonna Give You Up.” There’s no way they’ll see it coming.
This version of the song features Gunhild Carling making her Postmodern Jukebox debut. And what a debut it is, as she doesn’t just sing lead here, she also plays four instruments: the trumpet, recorder, trombone, and bagpipes. The bagpipes! And she does it all in an evening gown and high heels—not the comfort of a brown trench coat and black turtleneck. Combine that with the rest of the band (playing the sax, piano, banjo, bass, and drums) and you’ve got a great, old-timey version that’s actually far too classy to merely be used as a Rickroll.
I mean, sending this to someone definitely will not waste their time. What do you think of this Postmodern Jukebox cover? Don’t let us down, tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Postmodern Jukebox
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