This season on The Flash, Barry Allen and his team will deal with two separate villains, the first of which is the misguided Dr. Ramsey Rosso, aka Bloodwork, played by Sendhil Ramamurthy. However, in the two-part midseason finale, "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen," there may be a chance for Bloodwork to be saved from the monster he's become thanks to Killer Frost herself, Caitlin Snow.
"We’ll definitely see more of Caitlin and Ramsey," Ramamurthy told TVLine. "That relationship is special to Ramsey, it means something to him, so I think it would be safe to say there will be interactions between them, to try and rectify things. Whether Ramsey is too far gone or not at this point, is what we are waiting to see."
In the Season 6 premiere of The Flash, it was established that Caitlin and Ramsey were old friends, but Caitlin made it clear that she disapproved of Ramsey's plan to use dark matter to try and create a cure for HLH cancer, which ended up turning him into Bloodwork. With their friendship, Caitlin may be able to reach out to Ramsey and make him see what he's become. If not, Bloodwork might become even more dangerous than he already is.
Airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet and Hartley Sawyer.
Funeral services for Christopher Dennis, also known as the "Hollywood Boulevard Superman," have been released, with the funeral taking place Saturday, December 7 at 12 pm, at the Old North Church on Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive. The service will be open to the general public.
An anonymous benefactor has stepped forward to honor Dennis' final wish to be buried in his Superman costume.
“Chris and I spoke of his final wishes, as many friends do. He had expressed it was his wish to be buried, in his costume. His wife, Bonnie Finkenthal Dennis, and I hoped to be able to do so, but the cost was prohibitive for us, even with the crowdfunding campaign but we worked hard to make that happen and kept on hoping for a miracle," director Vlad Kozlov said in a statement.
"I was surprised, shocked, and delighted for Chris when an anonymous benefactor came forward to cover the majority of the funeral costs, and that, combined with the crowdfunding campaign donations, will enable Christopher to get the sendoff he hoped to have, and he will be buried in his Superman costume," Kozlov added.
A fundraiser was launched last week to help cover the cost of Dennis' funeral services, but with those funds now being covered, the GoFundMe campaign goal has been reduced to help cover the cost of things such as flowers, posters and food.
According to Dennis' own Facebook page, he began dressing as Superman on Hollywood Boulevard in 1991 after dying his hair black following years of being told he resembled a blonde Christopher Reeve, who famously played the Man of Steel in the 1978 film and its three sequels.
Dennis has appeared as Superman in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live! among other publications, programs and films.
Outside of appearing as Superman, Dennis was also an actor, although he noted that he dreamed of one day playing Superman on the big screen.
The synopsis for the upcoming Season 2 finale of DC Universe's Titans promises a clash between not only the team and Deathstroke but between the teammates themselves.
The episode, titled "Nightwing," will finally see Dick Grayson evolve into the black-and-blue-clad hero. However, the Titans will also have to contend with a mind-controlled Beast Boy and Superboy, who are under the control of Mercy Graves.
DC Universe's official synopsis for the episode is below:
Title: Nightwing
The Titans reassemble under Dick, who has now fully taken on the mantle of Nightwing, to fight Deathstroke and attempt to save Jericho. But that’s not the only struggle they face – as the team finds themselves up against mind-altered versions of Gar and Conner, who are now supercharged weapons at the “mercy” of Mercy Graves (recurring guest star NATALIE GUMEDE) and her Cadmus final Phase Two plan. It’s Titans vs. Titans in the epic season two finale that’s filled with surprises.
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.
Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame nearly featured a teenaged Thanos at one point in the film's development.
This revelation comes from Marvel Studios Vice President of Development and Creative Director Ryan Meinerding via the newly released book Art of Avengers: Endgame. The tome contains a slew of fun facts and behind-the-scenes information about the record-breaking film, its predecessor Avengers: Infinity War and several other MCU projects.
Included in the book's "Unused Concepts" is information about a scrapped storyline from Infinity War that showed the Mad Titan at various ages. It began with an infant Thanos, progressing through his teenage years, and Meinerdling shared photos of 13-year-old and 17-year-old Thanos on Instagram.
According to Meinderling, the Thanos backstory was going to highlight the character's struggle from his malformed birth through his adolescence. Despite being a pariah, Thanos would travel to planets in a desperate attempt to keep them from overpopulating the universe. When he failed, it would be time to take matters into his own hands (or gauntlet).
Obviously, the visual element of this backstory did not make it into the final cut of the film. Instead, Thanos' motive was described in several lines to characters like Gamora and the group of heroes who met him on Titan. However, while fans were still able to understand his motives, it seems they were robbed of a key opportunity to see Thanos at his most vulnerable.
Attack on Titan is known for its dark, action-packed storylines and diverse personalities, but the true stars of the series are the creatures mentioned in the title. The giant man-eaters are actually humans that have been transformed as "Subjects of Ymir". They have existed for about 2,000 years and are classified according to stature and skills.
Though their size is daunting, the most terrifying aspects regarding the Titans involve their character designs. Nevertheless, this hasn't stopped fans of the series from recreating their appearance. Here are 10 great Titan cosplays that look just like the creatures in the anime.
10 Female Titan by Sulian Miles
Sulian Miles is a French cosplayer that portrays all sorts of anime/manga characters and she nails it every single time. Nonetheless, she highly favors Attack on Titan and has referred to it as "the best manga in the world" in an Instagram caption.
Sulian's rendition of the Female Titan (Annie Leonhart) is excellent on all counts. The wig is great, the bodysuit is flawless, and the makeup is beautifully intimidating. The Female Titan is also the first cosplay that the fan introduced on her Instagram feed.
9 Colossal Titan by TJ
While all of the giants in AoT are frightening, there's something about the Colossal Titan that makes him extra alarming. This could partly be credited to his ridiculous size — he's called "Colossal" for a reason — but some would argue that his face is the biggest nightmare-fuel in the series.
TJ, a cosplayer from Georgia, does his best to offset the Colossal Titan's creepy nature by commanding humorous poses and granting peace signs to any camera aimed in his direction. Of course, most people would still prefer to go their whole lives without seeing the mask that TJ dons in the photos above (taken by @theotakulens).
8 Titan Eren by Shred_Ranger
Shred_Ranger is a Martial Artist who provides impressively fit cosplays and his Eren Yeager impersonation is no exception. Instead of opting for a bodysuit, he painted his actual torso. Then again, Eren's Titan has a relatively "normal" exterior, especially in comparison to creatures like the Cart Titan.
Naturally, Shred_Ranger secured himself a suitable wig and an imposing face of makeup. The elf-like ear prosthetics are the finishing touches since they are the Attack Titan's most unique features. The biggest discrepancy is the fact that the cosplayer is wearing pants.
7 Female Titan by Kimberley Weinz
German cosplayer Kimberley (@anolynia) boasts quite the colorful Instagram feed and has no qualms about bringing her favorite anime/manga characters to life. This includes Annie Leonhart's troublesome Female Titan.
The bodysuit looks great and the makeup and wig combo perfectly suits the cosplay. A fun detail that Kimberley included in the picture above involves the hand placement. In the Attack on Titan series, Annie places her hands on the back of her neck for protection. As viewers/readers know, Titans are killed by inflicting a wound that's at least one meter long and ten centimeters wide along the nape.
6 Titan Eren by Rhys Berresford
The Attack Titan, also known as Eren's Titan form, is part of a special group of nine giants that possess exclusive abilities. Since he's physically the most human-like out of them all, male cosplayers usually forgo costumes or specialized clothing and opt for a shirtless look.
Rhys Berresford got his hands on a proper wig and made sure to include the Titan's pointy ears. The makeup is also on point, but it's his attitude that truly propels the cosplay. With his fists up and muscles on full display, Rhys is seconds away from taking down a pesky Titan or two.
5 Titan Eren by Tina
Tina is a makeup artist based in New Zealand who also loves art and "creepy stuff" as per her Instagram bio. The talented artist also has a handful of tutorials available on her YouTube page. However, she has yet to upload a how-to regarding this incredible Titan Eren cosplay.
While the bright green eyes and the smoky backdrop were edited in, the rest of the look was expertly crafted thanks to Tina's raw talent. The mouth, in particular, is intimidating and seems as if it was pulled straight from the pages of the Attack on Titan manga.
4 Female Titan by Alyson Tabbitha
Alyson Tabbitha is widely known for her mind-blowing cosplay (and for looking almost identical to Gal Gadot). Every single post on her Instagram is praiseworthy, but this Female Titan costume is a standout. As if it wasn't already impressive enough, the Florida-based cosplayer crafted everything herself!
The bodysuit was made with a dance leotard and leggings — padded to add the muscles — and tinted with cheap acrylic paint. The makeup is uncanny and the wig is just as suitable. Alyson is guaranteed to impress no matter what character she's portraying.
3 Colossal Titan by Linn
For the sake of reiteration, the Colossal Titan is utterly terrifying. German cosplayer Linn understands this and proves that some bodypaint and a stoic glare can go a long way. Makeup is her specialty and she has created some phenomenal looks over the years.
Even though Linn has previously given Annie's Female Titan the cosplay treatment, her take on the Colossal Titan is equal parts unnerving and impressive. We would definitely hate to run into this cosplay in a dark room... or any room in general.
2 Colossal Titan by Daniel Smith
Daniel is a professional makeup artist based out of Los Angeles, which is fitting because his work is genuinely Hollywood-worthy. It's worth taking a peek at his Instagram feed but be warned that every costume/cosplay is remarkable and you'll likely end up scrolling for ages.
Daniel admits that he's obsessed with Attack on Titan, though he has tackled several other anime cosplays in the past. The Instagram post above mentions all of the products used to recreate the Colossal Titan's visage, even down to the wig cap and creepy contact lenses.
1 Female Titan by Shigatsu
Annie Leonhart's Female Titan is clearly a fan favorite when it comes to cosplay. Shigatsu claims that cosplay is a hobby for her and goes so far as to call herself a "noob" in her Instagram bio. Nonetheless, her outfits and makeup skills are far too good to be considered amateur.
This Female Titan makeup is particularly crisp and almost superhero-like. Naturally, the proper bodysuit and wig are present to complete the cosplay. After striking a few assertive poses, Shigatsu is just about ready to enter the anime herself and continue Annie's storyline.
Fairy Tail is an anime show that is famous for tugging at the fans' heartstrings. There are so many ups and downs it can sometimes feel like an emotional rollercoaster, but that’s what we love about it. There are so many great relationships on the show.
A lot of some really good relationships are not romantically canon, but the creator, Hirimo Mashima, teases up with the hope that some would make it official on-screen. However, only a few couples are confirmed in the series. But what about the most beloved fan-created relationships? Let’s discuss some of the best “fanon” ships of the show.
10 Bacchus and Cana
This pair barely gets any screen time at all, but they are perfect for each other. It’s no wonder fans pair them together. They are both fun-loving, ale-chugging, spell slingers. Bacchus is a mage from Quatro Cerberus guild, while Cana is a member of Fairy Tail.
When the two meet Bacchus challenges Cana to a drinking contest. Although Cana was favorited to win the competition, Bacchus bests her. The two become buddies and can be seen hitting up local bars to chug ale together.
9 Dan and Lucy
Dan is a knight from the Zentopia Legion Corps. He is originally Lucy's enemy. As soon as Dan lays eyes on Lucy he is taken aback by her beauty. It is love at first sight for him. He immediately starts flirting with her and proposes to her on the spot.
Later, we find out that he has been in love with and asked many ladies' their hands for marriage. All have denied him, but the short time we experience this relationship is a fun moment from the show. His screen time is very brief, but he has a lasting impression. Lucy denies his confessions of love, of course, but he is persistent until he finds another woman he falls in love with.
8 Laxus and Mirajane
Laxus and Mirajane also don’t get much love, but we agree they would be the cutest couple. They don't have much interaction in the series other than a few flashback scenes and the two being supportive friends to one another.
Laxus is always very respectful of Mirajane’s abilities and knows just how powerful she can be. They give each other words of encouragement and cheer each other on in their goals.
7 Happy And Carla
What’s cuter than a pair of cats who love each other? Nothing. Happy is Natsu’s cat and Carla is Wendy’s so the two find themselves spending a lot of time together. Happy admits to thinking Carla is cute a few times, but she mostly brushes him off and gives him the cold shoulder.
He flirts with her a lot, but she tells him to leave her alone. She grows to care for Happy more after the Edolas arc when they visit their homeworld. She has faith in him and pushes him to be the best cat he can be.
6 Gray and Lucy
This pairing has always been a popular one. The show rarely hints that it would ever be canon. We find out in the Oracien Seis arc that Gray thinks Lucy is a capable mage and quite cute as well. Sometimes he flirts with her and makes comments about her body, but he is mostly joking. Juvia often views Lucy as a love rival of her and wants to fight her for Gray's affection.
5 Elfman and Evergreen
This couple is somewhat canon, but we don’t see enough of them for it to be confirmed. We know for a fact that Evergreen has feelings for Elfman but his feelings are not addressed very much in the show other than the one time he calls her a woman instead of a man.
Elfman calls everyone who is not his sisters men, including other females, except Evergreen. He is also the only other person besides the Thunder Legion who calls her Ever.
4 Loke and Lucy
Loke starts as a member of the Fairy Tail Guild, but later it is determined that he is actually a very powerful Celestial Spirit. He entrusts Lucy with his key. The two are very flirty with each other in just about every scene they have together.
The ship is teased a lot, but ultimately they are not a canon match.
3 Gray and Juvia
This couple is very close to canon on the show, but still wasn’t exactly confirmed. The fans of Fairy Tail refer to this couple as Gruvia. Much of their relationship is one-sided. Juvia falls head over heels for Gray as soon as she meets him and does not want to battle him because she has a crush on him.
After Juvia’s old guild suffers defeat, she joins Fairy Tail and relentlessly proclaims her love for Gray every chance she gets. He is shown to be distant and cold to her, but his feelings for her are very deep. He cares about her more than anyone, including himself.
2 Erza and Simon
Erza and Simon might just be the most heartbreaking fanon of all time. The pair spent time together in The Tower of Heaven. They were slaves in the tower for a lot of their childhood together. Simon always protected Erza and grew to love her.
In the Tower of Heaven arc, Simon gets between Erza and takes the brunt of Jellal's spell, killing him. With his dying breaths, he confesses his love for Erza.
1 Laxus and Freed
The show gives us so much good material for this relationship. Laxus and Freed are very close in the show and it is apparent that Freed loves Laxus and he flirts with him a lot. He also yells at females not to touch him. Freed promises that he will follow Laxus anywhere, including the pits of hell. Freed has a way of making Laxus understand things from a different perspective. Laxus is a very stubborn person, so the feat is not an easy one.
Laxus brags about Freed and how talented he is to anyone who will listen. He trusts his abilities and puts his faith in him when situations are critical. Sometimes their relationship is playful, but it is clear they are very important to each other and we wish this pairing would have been confirmed.
When a superhero has a long history like Batman, there are bound to be characters who come and go. Case in point, Aunt Harriet, Ace the Bat Hound, and, Dick Grayson. Sometimes, these people last for decades, disappear, and come back (looking at you, Bat-Mite). Other times, they stay for a bit, make a huge splash when introduced, then fade away faster than George Clooney's version of the Dark Night. Oh, right, that's a nightmare no one can shake.
Even during a ten-year span characters can be introduced and vanish into the ether. As the DC Universe encountered an enormous time-shifting, reality-altering, underwear on the outside-disappearing period in the 2010s, there are some characters that dropped off the Bat-scope due to lack of interest or forgetfulness. Here are 10 characters introduced in the various Batman titles in the 2010s that are already forgotten.
10 Batwing (Luke Fox)
This character was introduced during the first wave of New 52 books. At first, he was David Zavimbe, a police officer from the Republic of Congo who joined the Caped Crusader under Batman Incorporated. When David resigned due to a number of life events, Luke Fox took over.
The Batwing series lasted for 34 issues, and Luke reached a point of popularity that garnered him an animated introduction in Batman: Bad Blood. Since then, not much has been seen of the character. Then again, with Bane running Gotham for a period of time, waltzing down the city streets in his bat armor would have not been the best of ideas.
9 Nightrunner
Another member of Batman Incorporated, the character was introduced in the 2011 Batman and Detective Comics annuals. The goal of his creator, David Hine, was to reflect the ongoing issues inside the Paris projects of Clichy-sous-Bois. Plus, France never had a Batman before. Overall, they found his black-on-blue ensemble somewhat gauche.
In real life (of comics), Nightrunner was Bilal Alsselah, a French-Algerian with superior athletic and parkour abilities. His goal was to help both sides in the ongoing crisis understand each other. After his initial appearance, Nightrunner disappeared. Although, he might have dyed his costume all black and given it to Peter Parker when he was Venice. Hence, Night Monkey was born.
8 Geri Powers
During a period when people thought the original Batman was dead ... again ... Gotham City prayed for his return. Enter Police Commissioner and chain-smoker James Gordon. Buff, bald, and controlling a robotic suit that made Voltron jealous, Gordon became the newest Batman. It wouldn't have been possible if not for Geri Powers.
The matriarch of the wealthy and influential Powers family, she acquired the defunct Wayne Enterprises and firmly encouraged Gordon to wear the suit. She was an important part of the Batman mythos during his tenure. However, once Bruce donned the cape and cowl again, Geri vanished. She's now one of the Shark Tank investors.
7 We Are Robin
At the same time Jim Gordon continually uttered "I. Am. Batman." to himself, a group of Gotham City kids got together to honor the original Bat's partner. They became the Robins and spent several issues battling villains, both street and Rouges Gallery-level. Eventually, Duke Thomas, a teen who had helped Batman in the past, became their leader.
Once Bruce recovered his memories to become the one true Batman, only Duke was given a chance to train with him. First as a Robin, then as The Signal. Meanwhile, the other Robins got together and became The Stoplights. However, it didn't have the same ring to it, so they disbanded.
6 Bluebird (Harper Row)
Harper began her life in a cameo appearance during Batman's New 52 reintroduction. In that issue, her brother Cullen is rescued by the Dark Knight. In turn, she becomes obsessed with the Bat. She even stops using Snapchat, Yes, that was meant to rhyme.
Eventually, her electrical engineering skills and respect from Red Robin (Tim Drake) encouraged her to don a costume and become the hardened and ruthless vigilante known as ... is this right? ... Bluebird. However, after she learned her mother's death was at the hands of a brainwashed Cassandra Cain, Harper decided to give up the world of superheroes and concentrate on her college life. Today, she works as a Tier 2 technical support engineer and starts every call with, "I. Am. Bluebird."
5 Dollmaker
Now here's a cheery character. Barton Mathis became the third Dollmaker in the first Detective Comics issue of the New 52 era. A skilled surgeon, he had the honor (?) of cutting the skin from the Joker's face. In other words, this was the start of buddy comedy.
Eventually, Dollmaker meets up with Batman and hilarity ensues as the Caped Crusader ends up on the auction block. After escaping, the Dollmaker sews the Joker's face onto his "daughter" and joins the Crime Syndicate of America during the "Forever Evil" event. Today, Mathis is creating a new line of skin-masked Barbie dolls. Boy, there was a creepy vibe just writing that joke.
4 Batman: Earth One
After the success of Superman: Earth One, the creative power team of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank released Batman: Earth One in 2012. In this version, a mugger kidnaps the young Bruce and kills his parents. The man who is initially brought in by Thomas Wayne for security purposes, Alfred Pennyworth, becomes the young Wayne's sarcastic mentor with a lack of cooking skills.
There were only two volumes featuring this version of the Caped Crusader. They introduced The Penguin as a corrupt mayor of Gotham City, the Riddler, and a svelter Detective Bullock. After that ... nothing. Since the Barbara Gordon of that world planned to become a "Batgirl," perhaps she took over Bruce's mantle. Meanwhile, he and a good-looking cat burglar he met in Volume Two headed to Europe where they met Michael Caine. Hmm, that would make a good ending to a movie.
3 Talon
Who's Talon? Have you forgotten so soon? Right, this is about the Batman characters you've forgotten. This particular Talon, who goes by the name of Calvin Rose, was the only one ever to escape from the Court of Owls. Instead of becoming a replacement for Harry Potter's pet owl Hedwig, Calvin decided to take a stab at heroics in a series that premiered in 2012.
After 17 issues, three animated series, a live-action movie starring Jean Claude van Damme, and a sitcom, Talon was added to the roster of Batman Incorporated. When that business folded due to tariffs, Rose vanished off the face of comic book pages. Though, there is talk of him being the new leader of the Legion of Super Pets.
2 Merrymaker
Merrymaker can be considered the antithesis of Harley Quinn. At first, both were psychiatrists at Arkham Asylum in charge of knocking the smile off of Joker's face through ink blots and constantly asking, "How does that make you feel?" However, where Harleen went a little nuts and became Joker's partner/sidekick, the man who became Merrymaker, Byron Meredith, opened a practice for those obsessed with the Clown Prince of Crime.
In addition, while Harley got a little less crazy, Bryon went down the rabbit hole. He became the villain Merrymaker, founded the League of Smiles, and started killing those who did him wrong. Eventually, he was captured and returned to Arkham as a patient. Meanwhile, the League of Smiles Dental Center opened in Gotham last year. Merrymaker has filed a copyright infringement suit.
1 The Victim Syndicate
Introduced after Tim Drake allegedly died -- like all of the Bat Family does -- The Victim Syndicate was comprised of people who were harmed one way or another by The Bat. Their leader was The First Victim, the initial person to be harmed once Batman started his crusade against crime. If one considers the hero's long history, The First Victim would logically be around 110-years-old.
In the end, the reason for the Victim Syndicate's being was to highlight the anger and sadness the Bat Family felt about Tim's death, with The First Victim being the impetus they needed. However, since their 2016 introduction, they haven't been seen. Perhaps they'll merge with the Court of Owls in another arc to become the Syndicate of Owl Victims. Then they can blame everything on Hogwarts.
The Rocks Pirates were one of the mightiest crews to ever exist in One Piece. They were led by a legendary figure known as Rocks D. Xebec who aimed to be the King of the World. Just like Rocks' himself, his crew was fearsome, to say the least. Three of the four future Yonko were on his crew, and many other legends, such as Golden Lion Shiki, Silver Axe, Captain John, sailed under his flag as well.
Although this crew was strong, it definitely wasn't unbeatable, since it was utterly destroyed at God Valley. Here are 5 crews that can rival the Rocks Pirates and 5 that can't.
10 Can Rival: Whitebeard Pirates
Known as the mightiest pirate crew in the Great Age of Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates were led by the strongest man in the world of One Piece, Edward Newgate. Other than Newgate, this crew comprises of 16 other division commanders, each of which commanded 100 men in their division. The Whitebeard Pirates also had a total of 43 allied crews, making it an insanely powerful crew.
Undoubtedly, their strongest member was their Captain who had enough power to equal Gol D. Roger in battle. As such, for him to match, or even defeat Rocks D. Xebec in his prime isn't much of a stretch.
9 Can't: Heart Pirates
The Heart Pirates are led by one of the members of the Worst Generation, Trafalgar D. Water Law. This crew's captain is very impressive, but other members appear to be lackluster so far. The Heart Pirates couldn't even manage to take down the empire of Donquixote Doflamingo all by themselves, and therefore, had to rely on help from the Strawhat Pirates.
The task of rivaling a crew as monstrous as the Rocks Pirates is preposterous for them. In the future, the Heart Pirates members may get stronger, but for now, they're nowhere close to being as threatening as the Rocks Pirates.
8 Can: Roger Pirates
The Roger Pirates are the only crew in One Piece history to have sailed the New World completely. Their captain, Gol D. Roger was the man who became the Pirate King. Roger possessed tremendous strength, and he had already fought the likes of Xebec once in the past, along with help from the Marines. Interestingly, Roger wasn't in his prime at that particular time.
When he became the Pirate King, Roger was much stronger, being termed an equal to Whitebeard in terms of strength. Just like Roger, his crew was equally dangerous, and together, they could definitely rival the Rocks Pirates in a battle.
7 Can't: Kid Pirates
Led by one of the strongest members of the Worst Generation, Eustass Kid, the Kid Pirates are a dangerous pirate crew who have made a name for themselves in the New World. Their captain has a bounty of 470 million berries on his head, proving that he's a veteran with extremely high skill. Other than Kid, his right-hand man, Killer, is also one of the Worst Generation members.
Besides these two, little is known about the capabilities of the rest of the crew. Although this crew is likely headed for greatness in the future, the lack of powerful subordinates means that even in their prime, they can't be as powerful as the likes of the Rocks Pirates.
6 Can: Golden Lion Armada
Led by the Golden Lion Shiki, the Golden Lion Armada was the greatest fleet to sail the seas during Roger's era. It compromised hundreds of ships who had a strong leader in Shiki at the helm. Shiki himself was a rival to Gol D. Roger in terms of strength.
The power of this Armada was such that even the Roger Pirates would've lost had a fortunate storm not come their way to assist them. With such a huge force, the Golden Lion Armada could definitely take on the Rocks Pirates and they might even manage to defeat them.
5 Can't: Hawkins Pirates
The Hawkins Pirates are one of the Worst Generation crews, led by 'The Magician' Basil Hawkins. Much like the Heart Pirates, this crew doesn't really have any depth to it. Other than Hawkins, the rest of its members are barely renowned in the world of One Piece. This crew seems to be rather submissive as they joined Kaido's Beasts Pirates upon accepting the fact that they were out of their depth.
With such a weak resolve, there is absolutely no chance that this crew, led by Hawkins, can ever hope to achieve the same heights as the Rocks Pirates, and rival them in terms of strength.
4 Can: Yonko Crews
The current Yonko crews consist of the Big Mom Pirates, Beasts Pirates, Red-Hair Pirates, and the Blackbeard Pirates. All four of these crews are mighty, and their strength is such that even the Marines choose not to interfere in their work in the New World. Two of these crews are currently led by former Rocks Pirates members who have grown drastically stronger over the last 3 decades.
Their subordinates are very powerful as well, and other than that, they have a huge number of crewmates to make the numbers as well. Therefore, every single crew from their ranks can rival the Rocks Pirates.
3 Can't: Buggy Pirates
The Buggy Pirates are led by the former Shichibukai Buggy the Clown. As evident from what we've seen in the story, the Buggy Pirates features some of the weakest people in the entire series. Their Captain, Buggy The Clown, was once an apprentice on the ship of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, along with Shanks.
While Shanks was headed for greatness, Buggy didn't turn out to be half as bright as him. The other members of this crew such as Mohji, Cabaji, will likely be knocked out by a powerful pirate's Conqueror's Haki. As such, there is absolutely no way for them to ever rival the Rocks Pirates.
2 Can: Strawhat Pirates (End of Series)
The Strawhat Pirates are already one of the strongest pirate crews in the world of One Piece, and inevitably, they will be among the elites by the end of the series. Led by Monkey D. Luffy, the Strawhat Pirates pose an incredible threat to the World Government. The other members of this crew are equally as valuable as Luffy, with some of them being nearly as good as him in terms of fighting capabilities.
This crew will only get stronger by the time they reach Raftel, and at the end of the series, they'll definitely be a crew worthy of being compared to the likes of the Rocks Pirates.
1 Can't: Firetank Pirates
The Firetank Pirates are led by Capone 'Gang' Bege who is one of the members of the Worst Generation. With strong members like Gotti and Vito under him, it goes without saying that this crew is going to be one of the strongest in the series in due time.
However, they're certainly not powerful enough to match the likes of the Yonko, nor do they seem to possess enough potential to reach those heights. With what we've seen from them so far, it is safe to assume that they won't be able to rival the Rocks Pirates by the time the series wraps up.
Parenting is hard and changes everything. Things taken for granted during childhood are now constantly at the forefront: what's the school district like? Is this place safe for children? Has the new guy that moved in down the street ever been featured on an episode of Dateline? Now, take those same concerns and fears that come with parenting, rational and irrational alike, then throw them into the absurd insanity of any number of comic book universes...terrifying, isn't it?
Parents raising kids in comic book locales have to worry if the babysitter is prone to being kidnapped, how close the school district is to the Baxter building, IS THE BABYSITTER A SUPER VILLAIN?! Should you decide to take your family and move to someplace a little more fictional, here's a list of some of the best and worst places to raise kids in comics:
10 BEST- Wakanda
Until recently, Wakanda's isolationist policies made it one of the more exclusive communities across several Marvel universes. Now, this small nation in Africa has a galactic empire that reaches into the stars, making it one of the most inclusive and culturally diverse nations on Earth-616.
Unique to Wakanda is the incredible amount of vibranium the country was founded on, which fuels the economic and technology sectors. This means that every citizen has free healthcare, and STEM education is taken incredibly seriously. However, due to its rocky diplomatic relationship with the current ruling regime in Atlantis, Wakanda is prone to the occasional severe flooding.
9 WORST- New York City (Marvel)
Home to some of the bravest heroes and brightest minds in the Marvel multiverse, and that's the problem. In any universe, Marvel's New York is a magnet for constant low-level super-villainy and mafia corruption. Between the frequent collateral damage and lack of industrial regulations, it's safe to say that New York isn't exactly safe for adults, let alone child-friendly. There are several persistent reports of industrial negligence ranging from experimental spiders escaping containment biting a teenager from Midtown during field trips to chemical spills blinding a kid crossing the street in Hell's Kitchen.
In 2004, Latverian ruler Lucia Von Bardas attacked the city from the Hudson River, in 2006 a battle between superheroes at Geffin Meyers Chemicals resulted in the death of Goliath, leaving a giant corpse, and as recently as this year New York was ground zero for an interdimensional invasion from what seemed to be frost giants and dark elves from Norse mythology. Between the collateral damage and lack of industrial regulations, it's safe to say that New York isn't exactly safe for adults, let alone baby-proof.
8 WORST-Keystone City/Central City
This seems like an odd choice for the list of worse places. The twin cities of DC boasts a tremendous number of villains as well as heroes, and that's actually the problem. Keystone and Central cities are home to some the fastest men and women alive. The truth is that traffic incidents happen, but if anyone has ever read or seen The Boys, then they'll understand exactly why speedsters can be negligent and problematic.
Now imagine the same scenario, except there's more speedsters, some of them actually malicious. Jay Garrick, Johnny Quick, Barry Allen, Jesse Quick all wear red. Eobard Thawne, Bart Allen AND Wally West II wear yellow. If some iteration of the Flash ran through your darling child, there's no way that they could be accurately identified to be held accountable. And even if they could be identified, word on the street is that one of them is a cop anyway.
7 BEST-Krakoa
This recently founded island nation boasts the most exclusive gated housing experiences on and off the planet. Conveniently located in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and a short portal hop from such attractions as New York, Jerusalem, and the Moon's blue zone, this lush tropical paradise has an incredibly low crime rate and boasts a completely neutral carbon footprint.
Citizens of Krakoa are given a free residence and a very comprehensive life insurance policy because tragedy can strike at any moment. The only downside to this variable utopia: only folks with the rare x-gene that differentiates homo superior from homo sapien are able to step foot on Krakoa, which could be great for keeping the grandparents at bay.
6 WORST- Sunnydale
Located in southern California, on the surface, Sunnydale looks like a trendy, modern suburb indistinguishable from all the others dotting the landscape. However, at second glance, there's clearly something sinister at work. The local newspaper consistently reports on missing teenagers and bizarre unexplainable events that seem to center on the High School.
This has created a strange rise in local urban myths about various monsters and shadow paramilitary organizations that are behind the disappearances. Another peculiarity is that Sunnydale has only had a handful of mayors. This might not seem odd, but the town was founded in the early 19th century and it appears that the same man, Richard Wilkins, had been its mayor since its founding up until 1999 when he seems to have just vanished. All of these strange tidbits seem to confirm, on at least some level, the most interesting urban myth: Sunnydale was founded on a hell-mouth. Either way, it can't be good for property values.
5 BEST- Riverdale (1944)
Home to America's favorite teenager, Riverdale boasts a quaint but active lifestyle for families. Just a short bus ride away from Midvale and New York City, this suburban safe-haven has wonderful schools, an adorable downtown diner, and the rustic Sweetwater River that borders the city of Greendale.
At first glance this all-American town looks very typical on the surface, but the most truly remarkable thing about Riverdale is the crowning jewel of this bustling hamlet: Riverdale High School, where students are highly engaged with the community, teachers are invested in their students and encourage them to thrive in many disciplines outside of academia, such as music, sports, and of course, competitive eating.
4 WORST- Riverdale (2014)
Wow. Not even Riverdale could avoid the recession. Gritty, realistic reboots can really drive down the property value. What used to be an ideal place to raise kids now seems to suffer from the same issues affecting less fictional communities. Businesses are shuddering, motorcycle gangs have moved in, but just that's the normal kinds of things that can happen in a recession.
There have also been several odd reports of varying degrees: some sort of vigilante in a black hood prowling the streets, another vigilante with a giant skull on his shirt, a werewolf lurking during full moons, some other kind of unidentified predator stalking around the high school, and even satanic witch covens in Greendale. Even without the rumors, gun violence and missing persons cases have been steadily on the rise, and not even the kids are safe. In 2018, there was even a hostage situation at Riverdale High School's prom.
3 BEST- Metropolis
The bustling city of Metropolis has great art-deco skyscrapers that combine with the iconic Daily Planet globe to create one of the most classic skylines in comic history. Though Metropolis is home to a fair amount of super-crime, the city actually remains one of the safest in the DC universe due to its patron saint and protector, Superman.
No matter how much peril the city encounters, Superman has time to not only save the day from all manners of well-educated sociopaths but still manages to save at-risk teens and even occasionally kick it with his pal Jimmy Olsen. And thanks to philanthropist and financial benefactor of Metropolis, Lex Luthor, the public sector, including school systems, have never been so well funded.
2 WORST- Gotham City
Always in decline, but never hitting bottom. Gotham City has been in the grips of organized crime as far back as anyone can recollect. Covered in gargoyles to frighten Gothamites onto the righteous path with thick walls to protect virtue, a city once designed by Cyrus Pinkney to be a literal architectural paragon against the evils that beset men is now a cesspool of crime and corruption.
Socio-economic oppression fueled by crooked politicians and city administrators saps the life out of the school system and creates a class of uneducated individuals in poverty who often turn to crime families and supervillains for financial security. Things in Gotham had become so bad that there even a colloquially designated "Crime Alley" in the cultural arts district across from what used to be the old Gotham Opera House (now a movie theatre) long before supervillains infested the city. As a parent, the sheer amount of orphanages should be a terrifying indicator to stay away from Gotham.
1 BEST- Duckburg
Located in the state of Calisota, Duckburg has a benefactor in business mogul and adventuring philanthropist Scrooge McDuck. Though Duckburg has a surplus of economic investment, crime rates are actually relatively high, with a high frequency of break and enterings, burglary, and kidnappings.
However, this seems to be offset by the ineptitude of the criminals, as most crimes are consistently thwarted by adolescent ducks in groups of three or more. One reason for this might be the pervasiveness of homeschooling in Duckburg, where children are more likely to learn life skills not otherwise taught in schools, such as escaping from rope bindings, freestyle back-stroke in coinage, or micro-spelunking any tiny openings that grown-ups can't fit through.
While the full plot details for The Batman are still under wraps, the film is set to feature appearances from iconic Batman enemies The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman. However, Warner Bros. and DC Films may have larger plans for the Caped Crusader's adversaries.
According to Variety, while there were rumors that the whole film would take place in Arkham Asylum, only a certain number of scenes will feature the infamous institution. Moreover, Warner Bros. and DC Films believe that should The Batman be a hit, some of the Dark Knight's enemies could be the focus of their own spinoff films. Adding to this, select cast members from The Batman and Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) have an option in their contract to appear in both sequels and solo movies.
The idea of a Batman villain gaining their own film is nothing new, as shown by 2004's Catwoman and this year's Joker. However, while Catwoman is widely regarded as one of the worst comic book movies of all time, Joker has proven to be a box office success, even becoming the first R-rated film to reach $1 billion at the global box office.
Directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro and Jayme Lawson. The film arrives June 25, 2021.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Immortal Hulk#27 from Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Marc Deering, Sean Parsons, Paul Mounts and VC's Cory Petit, on sale now.
Al Ewing's The Immortal Hulk keeps shaking up the status quo for the Jade Giant every issue, truly making Bruce Banner one of the most dangerous figures in the Marvel Universe. We recently saw him as the World-Breaker and ultimate destroyer at the end of time, while also linking to the energy of creation through the Green Door and its connection to the One Below All.
The Immortal Hulk #27 disrupts the established order even further with a couple of key changes to the Banner/Hulk mythos. First, the Green Goliath now has a sidekick like DC's Oracle, which basically creates a Destructive Duo unlike anything we've seen before. And second, the Devil Hulk we've come to fear since Ewing took over has now gotten a massive upgrade that puts him on the path to end the world as planned.
This issue focuses on Banner working with Charlene McGowan, the doctor in charge of Shadow Base when he took it over. She willingly handed over funds, personnel and just about every asset, because despite his tyranny, she believes in Banner's crusade to correct the course of the world. Even the public is buying into Banner's philosophy of change. Cult groups form around his ideas despite Roxxon's attempts to make its Fox News-esque smear campaign work for its own political gain.
Banner makes a statement by attacking the Oregon base where Roxxon's main servers, which drive their media initiatives, are stored. He turns into the Devil Hulk, who's been more cooperative lately, and wrecks the compound. But as he surfaces, we witness a very ominous upgrade: the Devil Hulk emerges at sunrise and soaks in the glow. Seeing him basking in these natural rays is very disturbing, because at the start of this run, the Devil Hulk wasn't able to walk in sunlight. He was nocturnal, which allowed Banner to run the show during the day. Now, however, Devil Hulk has free rein.
This means he can create chaos anytime, leaving us to wonder if the gate has been opened even more by the One Below All allowing him to take the next step in his evil evolution. More Devil Hulk and less Banner is one thing, but we also have to wonder if more powers will be unlocked. That said, Devil Hulk has a more arrogant attitude now that he can walk in the daytime, so it looks like Banner's plan to purge the planet just shifted into overdrive.
However, that's not the only upgrade we have to worry about; Banner/Devil Hulk now have their own Oracle. In the DC realm, Barbara Gordon became Oracle, whose job was to run ops for the Bat-family remotely from their lair. McGowan has adopted a similar role for Banner.
As Banner wrecks the wannabe Hulks that Roxxon installed as guards, it becomes clear McGowan's help to improve his assaults and coordinate missions is the missing link he always needed. What's even more sinister is she's also using tech to make Devil Hulk the perfect rebel, utilizing translocators to teleport Hulk anywhere, anytime. Basically, he's sneakier, angrier and now, has the perfect partner to cause destruction.
The relationship has worked so impressively, Devil Hulk lauds their dynamic in the field. As he walks into the daylight, he tells her, "Together... we're the strongest there is. And this is just the start!" -- confirming he loves what she's bringing to Team Green. She's helping him unlock his full potential, and in this sense, McGowan might be even more valuable to him than Rick Jones, Betty Ross or Doc Samson were to him in the past.
Welcome to Comic Book Legends Revealed! This is the seven hundred and fifty-eighth installment where we examine comic book legends and whether they are true or false.
Click here for the first part of this week's installment.
The Inferior Five was inspired by the success of the 1960s Batman TV series.
I'm Going With False
In January 1966, the Batman TV series debuted and it was like an explosion had occurred, as Bat-Mania soured throughout the country...
It dramatically shifted the comic book landscape, as Batman suddenly surged in popularity. It was not until this point, for instance, that Batman was ever DC's most popular title. It had been outsold by Superman for their entire shared existence until now.
However, in retrospect, I think people tend to give the book a bit TOO much credit for its influence at the time. It was a big deal, no doubt about it, but it seems as though we get a bit of a hazy afterglow of history problem here. What I mean is that everyone remembers Batman, since it was SUCH a big deal, and thus they place various other objects that occurred at the same time into the context of the Batman TV series, whether accurate or not.
Similarly, E. Nelson Bridwell's classic camp comic book series, The Inferior Five...
Always gets that label on it, as well. Just do a quick search and you'll find mention of it as coming out in response to the Batman TV series, and that was certainly what people thought back in the day, as well.
However, that really doesn't take into account the lead time of these things. The Inferior Five made their debut in March of 1966. Therefore, it obviously had to have been in development for a good time before then, so the January 1966 debut of Batman simply could not have been an influence.
Plus, in his great spotlight on the characters in Amazing Heroes #35, the late, great Rich Morrissey asked E. Nelson Bridwell about (also sadly late but just as great) and Bridwell explained that no, the Batman TV series had no impact on the creation of the Inferior Five.
Morrissey notes that Bridwell wrote in to DC in response to the Tales of the Bizarro world feature...
and suggested that they do a Bizarro Justice League and some of his ideas in that letter popped up in the Inferior Five.
Bridwell, you see, first made a name for himself as a writer working for Mad Magazine and it was just logical to have a guy like that try a superhero parody series and that was what editor Jack Miller came up with. It had nothing to do with the camp success of the Batman TV series.
Elizabeth Banks, who directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in the recent Charlie's Angels reboot, will direct and star in Universal's Invisible Woman.
Erin Cressida wrote the first draft of the film's script, and in addition to her other duties, Banks will also produce alongside her husband Max Hendelman.
The original 1940 Invisible Woman was the third installment in the Invisible Man franchise. However, unlike its horror-based predecessors, this film was a science fiction comedy that centered on a department store model who uses an invisibility device to get revenge on her former employer. This new incarnation appears to be returning the franchise to its horror roots, though.
Coincidentally, Universal is also rebooting The Invisible Man, which was originally part of the studio's planned Dark Universe franchise.
The Invisible Man is written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 3). The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Harriet Dyer and Storm Reid. No official release date for The Invisible Man has been announced by Universal, but it is expected to arrive in February 2020.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #5 by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Over the course of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor has been seemingly targeting Jimmy Olsen's life. But while Jimmy fakes his death and assumes a false identity in Gotham City, Luthor has been looking further into a previously unknown family connection between the two - that has led him to a potential secret that would be devastating for Lex.
It turns out that Lex Luthor may actually be biologically related to Jimmy Olsen - making them distant cousins.
While researching the history of his family and Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor ends up discovering the long-rivalry that has existed between the two families. In the early days of what would one day become Metropolis, the Olsens and Luthors were dire enemies and financial rivals. Barnaby Willingmont Fontanbleau Olsen and Aloysius Luthais Luthor both attended the cotillion for Aloysius' daughter, Hannah Alexandria Luthor, in 1888. She was the first member of the family born in Metropolis and was treated with the kind of wealthy upbringing that would require a cotillion. At this ball, she first met Jimberly Jimmington Olsen, who was a perfect gentleman to her despite their family's longstanding hatred. While the ball around them stared in shock, the two spent the entire night waltzing together.
By the end of the event, the two were madly in love with one another. However, their fathers -- bitter rivals because of their family lines -- forbade them from being together. The two kept in touch thanks to pidgeon-carried correspondence, and Jimberly eventually tried to sneak into the Luthor estate to see her. Unfortunately, her father saw him and put a bullet in his leg for his trouble. There wasn't a happy ending for the pair, as they ended up separated and marrying others, having families of their own that would eventually lead to the present-day members of the Luthor and Olsen clans.
While conducting his research though, Lex learns that Hannah went on to have three daughters, all of whom shared her sleek black hair. But while she officially only had three children, an old picture Luthor finds of the family includes a fourth child - older than the rest, a gangly boy with red hair and freckles. Luthor immediately spots the boy, and the clues seem to come together in his head. Is there a chance his great-aunt had actually consummated her love with Jimberly, and bore him a secret son? If so, then this boy could have turned out to be the Luthor that was directly related to Lex himself, making Lex and Jimmy Olsen distant cousins.
While it may seem far-fetched at first, it does explain why Jimmy and Lex have certain physical traits in common. Luthor has long been shown having bright green eyes, a trait shared by Jimberly in the past. It would also explain why Luthor, unlike his black-haired ancestors, would eventually end up with red hair (before losing it all). Younger versions of Lex are often shown with freckles, which could further connect him to the freckled young boy in the old family picture.
It would also be hilarious if this was truly the origins of the Luthor line that led to Lex. This means that while he may be Superman's worst enemy, he's also related to one of Superman's best friends. It also means that Luthor's apparent attempts to have Jimmy killed could take on additional levels of drama, as their shared bloodline means they should be willing to work together. But Lex has been shown to despise Jimmy and his antics, making the potential connection even funnier.
For Luthor, this might be one of the worst revelations of his adult life. Considering how well he's been doing for himself during the "Year of the Villain," it's the perfect petty blow that would drive even Apex Lex mad.
One of the many surprises in the lead-up to "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is the inclusion of Audrey Marie Anderson's Lyla Michaels as the DC character Harbinger. According to Arrow star David Ramsey, Diggle and his wife Lyla will soon resolve their issues with her deception.
"[Diggle and Lyla] are going to have it out soon, but it won't be in this episode," Ramsey told TVGuide. "Some of those questions you have for Lyla will be answered in this episode, but they'll be answered between Oliver and Lyla, not between John and Lyla."
The last episode of Arrow, titled “Prochnost," ended with Black Canary revealing Lyla's secret to Oliver and Diggle, only for the trio to be attacked with tranquilizer darts in the episode's final moments. While tonight's "Reset" may not resolve the brewing conflict between Diggle and Lyla, at least we know some questions will be answered.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" begins Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Supergirl, then continues in Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. After the winter hiatus, the crossover will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Arrow's final season stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Rick Gonzalez as Wild Dog, Juliana Harkavy as Black Canary, Katie Cassidy as Black Siren, Katherine McNamara as Mia Smoak, Joseph David-Jones as Connor Hawke and Ben Lewis as William Clayton-Queen.
Creating live-action versions of superhero costumes in the DC Universe can be tricky. If not approached with the right level of craft, they could look ridiculous. Now that Nightwing is finally appearing in live-action for the first time on Titans, the team behind his costume went into detail on the looks of the series.
In a Q&A with the press during the unveiling of the Nightwing costume, members of the show's development team discussed the origins of the suit designs and how they reflect the changes in the characters across two seasons.
Visual Administrator Jenny Davis-Chen expanded on how the team used the history of DC Comics as their initial guide when designing their take on Nightwing. "For Nightwing in particular, as well as all our other characters, our jumping-off point is to look at every previous iteration of the character, because they have such a rich visual history. The priority for us is to really honor the source material and just looking at what these previous writers and artists had to offer with this character.
"So, in particular, we were looking specifically at the Dennis O'Neil run from the late 1990s in terms of the overall color story for him, and for the actual crest on his chest we were actually referencing a lot of post-Flashpoint stuff, the red and black suit, in terms of the symbol looking up at the guy instead of being in profile, like a lot of the more recent Nightwing suits. We also looked at a lot of softer armor... because he's a character who's grown from Robin to Nightwing. He's much more confident in his fighting ability, so the priority for this suit was increased mobility so that he could have that range of motion in terms of comparison to his Robin suit, which was more armored up. So we were looking at a lot of those low-profile armors."
Supersuits Designer Laura Jean Shannon elaborated on Davis-Chen's points about the history of the character and how that informed their decisions with the depiction of Nightwing. "We combined the research on generations of the character," Shannon explained, "and take the DNA of that character and infuse it into our interpretation that works for our storyline, works for our show, works in the overall aesthetic of what we do in Titans specifically, and ground it for the audience for our show. That goes into the concept art area of things with [Concept Artist] Gina De Demonico... then we move into Creative Character Engineering [to mold and build the suit]... and then it goes to paint."
Andrew Clement, who owns the model and molding company Creative Character Engineering said that, for him and his company, "we really wanted to make sure that however we generated the pieces, whether they were 3D printed or sculpted, there was a contour that really lent itself to that character.
"When we were choosing what avenue to go with Nightwing," Lesley Bercerra, head of operations at Creative Character Engineering explained, "it was really interesting because we'd largely moved a lot of our processes into 3D modeling and printing. You can do a bunch of beautiful things. But when we sat down to talk about how to create this character, we decided to take it back and do it a little old school... traditional hand-sculpting, like the original Batman suit. We had a lot of really talented sculptors on hand, and we took some of the 3D modelings and incorporated it into the sculpture. So you have this really old-school feeling."
For Shannon, it's the thrill of getting to bringing superheroes to the real world that appeals to her so much about the costume design in the series. "I really feel like that energy we infuse the suit with... as a sculptor myself and a costume designer, there's something about that tactile aspect of it. You can touch it and feel it and see it and not just have it as a digital thing. There's a soul to that, that you can't really get in a completely mechanical aspect."
The writing staff of the show have to figure out the plans for the suits in time for Shannon's team to construct them, which can come down to the last minute. Series Executive Producer and Showrunner Greg Wiseman brought up how "we're constantly managing the flow of when these will be ready for the episodes. There's a massive amount of work that goes with this. You'd be shocked how many hours this team has to put in. But when you see these suits, that not only work athletically -- they have to, and there's one for the stunt, there are many cases where there are two of the same suit, working at the same time, in different weather conditions... it has to work in the weather, it has to be photographed, it has to be athletic, it has to go into the stunts. But the proof is in the pudding..., for me, as a writer and producer, the most exciting things is that [the characters] come alive in those suits."
Reflecting on the Nightwing suit, Shannon pointed out just how long the suit was in development. "We started this [Nightwing] suit, its evolution is probably a year and a half.... When we're working on the conceptual work, I'll get with Greg and Sarah, my assistant costume designer, and we'll have a pow-wow... Geoff Johns [and others] will be in the room to see the suits as well. We'll start with all the reference material... I wouldn't say we got past just showing referential material in terms of going into the conceptual stuff. It was more of... the direction we took from the books."
For Wiseman, one of the most impressive aspects is how the costumes all work in tandem with one another. "We also want to make sure it's an ensemble so that no one suit is jumping out in front of the others. For all the psychological grounding we have in this show, it's also a show where we have people wearing super suits. There has to be a balance of that. You can only go so far in that relationship before you break with the audience... This is art. People being creative and doing their work. In the writer's room, we just touch computers. But we're surrounded by the best artists and get to work with so many talented people."
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.
As the Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, Andy Park is known for sharing his designs for many of the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, his latest revelation reveals a different look for Karen Gillan's Nebula in Avengers: Endgame, with the Guardians of the Galaxy star sporting a more comics-accurate look with long dark hair.
"Nebula! I designed her original look in the 1st Guardians of the Galaxy in 2013," Park wrote on his Instagram account. "For Avengers: Endgame she almost had hair! The idea was what would her pre-cybernetic look look like? It was fun to explore."
Park revealed four different hairstyle options for Nebula. Of course, she is bald in the MCU, with her Marvel Comics character matching her look in recent years.
Nebula will be the star of her first solo comic in February, by writer Vita Ayala (Prisoner X) and artist Claire Roe (Fearless).
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film is available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.
The saga of the Justice League "Snyder Cut" continues. Director Zack Snyder has released several images over the past few weeks, each one teasing the film that could have been, had Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon remained true to Snyder's vision for the ensemble film.
The most recent images feature Willem Dafoe as the Atlantean warrior, Vulko, as he would have appeared in Justice League. The stills were uploaded to Vero with the simple captions, "A little context" and "This guy is awesome in the movie." Without any other information attached, it's difficult to determine exactly how big of a role Vulko would have played in the film, aside from what was previously reported.
In 2017, it was revealed that Vulko would have helped to establish Aquaman's origin and current status in Atlantis. Actor Jason Momoa explained that that plotline was cut for time. Presumably, a lot of these elements would be included later on in James Wan's highly successful Aquaman.
This is simply one example of a number of scenes that were ultimately cut from the theatrical release of Justice League. Fans have been vocal about their desire for the studio to complete and release Snyder's version of the 2017 box office bomb, which many criticized for its writing and visual effects. In response, Warner Bros. has made it clear that there are no plans to release the currently unfinished version of the film.
While most fans' familiarity with Watchmen begins and ends with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 12-issue limited series, Zack Snyder's 2009 film and the current HBO series, the property was nearly brought to the big screen on several occasions since the film rights were first acquired by 20th Century Fox in 1986. Now, test footage from one of those failed attempts has finally surfaced.
The footage is from the 2003 Watchmen film that was written by David Hayter. In it, we see the encounter between Rorschach (Ray Stevenson) and Dan Dreiberg (Iain Glen) as the former reveals to the latter that Eddie Blake/The Comedian has been murdered.
This scrapped version of Watchmen entered production in 2001 when Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin hired Hayter to write and direct the film for Universal Studios after it was bounced from both Fox and Warner Bros. However, Hayter left the project due to creative differences and his script remained with Gordon and Levin, who took it to Revolution Studios. Then, in 2004, the film set up shop with Paramount Pictures, with Darren Aronofsky tapped to direct Hayter's script. He was later replaced by Paul Greengrass and eventually, Paramount decided to pass on Watchmen, which paved the way for Warner Bros. to get its hands back on the property in the lead-up to the 2009 film.
Developed by Damon Lindelof, HBO's Watchmen stars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, James Wolk, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
In a recent episode of The CW's Batwoman, the titular heroine used a convincing trick to convince Sophie that she isn't the masked hero. To do this, she had her former flame, Julia Pennyworth (Alfred's daughter), put on the cape and cowl herself while in the room with Kate, thus making it seem to everyone else that Kate Kane and Batwoman were two separate people.
The ole switcheroo is a pretty convincing tactic that worked well for Kate, but it's not a very original idea in the scope of the Arrowverse. The universe's progenitor, Arrow, has used this same trick several times for its title character, with one variant of the idea being used as recently as Season 6. Here's a look back at the many times that Arrow has dishonestly changed the head under the hood.
In Damaged, the fifth episode of the first season of Arrow, Oliver Queen was already under suspicion of being the character who was then still referred to as The Vigilante/The Hood. Even though he had passed a polygraph test to prove his supposed innocence for The Hood's crimes, he was placed under house arrest to ensure compliance with the law. Crime in Star(ling) City never sleeps, however, and at the time, German arms dealers were wreaking havoc. Meanwhile, the incapacitated Oliver put on a prison-themed house party to both continue his facade of a foppish playboy, as well as play along with the police.
Oliver had also recently let his drive/bodyguard John Diggle in on his secret life, as part of a desperate attempt to save his life from a gunshot wound. Thus, to stop the arms dealers and create the facade that he isn't The Hood, Oliver enlists Diggle to put on the costume and scare some sense into the criminals. It helps get the heat off of Oliver, but it's definitely not the last time that the ploy would be played.
The next attempt this method would happen in Season 3 of the show, where it would have disastrous ramifications for a certain member of Team Arrow. In Public Enemy, the 18th episode of Season 3, Quentin and the Starling City police have Oliver in custody, having been informed that he is the vigilante now known as The Arrow. To save Oliver from his certain doom, however, his protege Roy Harper/Arsenal makes the ultimate sacrifice for his mentor. Intervening with the transport caravan holding Oliver, Roy gives himself up while in costume as the Arrow, allowing the police to arrest him and claiming to have been Starling City's vigilante all along. This, along with Roy's subsequent faked death, clears Oliver's name but forces Roy to have to desert his old life to complete the ruse.
The next time the trick was used is in Tribute, the second episode of Season 6. It starts when Oliver is placed under an intense microscope by FBI agent Samanda Watson. Convinced that Oliver is the figure now known as the Green Arrow, her actions force the titular hero to put down the mantle temporarily. In his stead, he again asks Diggle to put on the hood. The cracks in the ruse begin to show, however, when it's noted that no arrows were found at the location of the latest Green Arrow sighting. This makes it evident to Watson that the individual under the hood is not the same one as normal.
However, in the 21st episode of this season, Oliver, who at this point is under trial for his supposed actions, uses the trick one last time on a much larger scale. The trial is literally crashed into by a seemingly alive Tommy Merlyn, who claims to have been Green Arrow all along and to have faked his death years before. In actuality, Tommy is really the master of disguise Christopher Chance, a.k.a. Human Target. The plan would have worked, if not for the judge working for Ricardo Diaz, anyways. Eventually, Oliver publicly reveals his identity on national television in the season finale, thus ending any need for a disguise.
Since Batwoman in just in her first season, the secret identity hijinx will probably be dragged on for a while. Hopefully, that doesn't mean having half of the supporting cast dress up as the title hero.
Created by Caroline Dries and developed by Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Batwoman stars Ruby Rose, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson, Dougray Scott, Elizabeth Anweis and Nicole Kang. The series airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
