With next year poised to be a banner year for the Birds of Prey, Brian Azzarello and Emanuela Lupacchino's eagerly anticipated take on the DC superteam has gotten a variant cover by fan-favorite artist J. Scott Campbell.
DC Nation shared Campbell's cover to the oversized DC Black Label one-shot shows Harley Quinn in action alongside Black Canary and the Huntress. The mature reader-oriented issue goes on sale this January.
With the announcement last month that Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner would launch a new four-issue miniseries in February titled Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey, solicitations for DC titles slated to go on sale January 2020 revealed that material for Azzarello and Lupacchino's story had been combined into a 96-page one-shot to be published at the end of the month.
Birds of Prey #1 is written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Emanuela Lupacchino and Ray McCarthy. It is scheduled to go on sale January 29 from DC.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Frozen 2, in theaters now.
Frozen 2 initially left fans wondering what or who exactly would be the source of Elsa's powers, especially after it was revealed the movie would revolve around her meeting four Elemental Spirits. As the film rolls on, Elsa encounters Nokk, the Water Spirit; the stone giants representing the Earth Spirits; Gale, the Wind Spirit; and last but not least, a salamander who's the avatar for the Fire Spirit.
But by the time we discover Elsa's actually the fifth spirit, it becomes perfectly clear this sequel is, oddly enough, aping Luc Besson's The Fifth Element.
In Besson's 1997 sci-fi film, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) was a humanoid created from a glove who was linked to four stones. Each stone represented one of the classic elements and Leeloo was the fifth: a bridge between humanity and the Creator who was meant to harness the energy of life. This is why Leeloo was able to emit the white-hot light that destroyed the black mass which threatened to destroy the universe in the movie's final act. She was the human vessel for this godlike power and the person foretold who'd save all reality.
There's significant and surprising overlap in Frozen 2, starting with the totems that symbolize extraordinary elemental power. The Disney sequel also features four stones, just like in Besson's movie, hinting early on these stones may have imprinted on humans in the Frozen realm and are meant to generate an avatar. Leeloo was left as genetic material to be coded out into a person, though, while Elsa's mom, Queen Iduna was connected to Gale through her tribe and is actually why the ability to be this Fifth Spirit passed down to Elsa.
To that point, the ancient mythology in both films runs deep. The Fifth Element leaving behind clues in pyramids in ancient Egypt while Frozen 2 adopts a similar approach but using runes in the Enchanted Forest. Instead of glyphs in Giza, Elsa harnesses memories and messages lost in history from water. In other words, a map has been left behind for the "messiah." And this is where the common thread of a super-savior comes into play. Just like Leeloo was meant to transcend humanity, Elsa's that higher being for mankind.
Elsa's meant to bridge the gap between humans and link to, not a cosmic force, but magic itself. She's the connector to the mystical forces of nature, which in and of itself is an extension of creation so you can see both ladies are basically the avatars of Life. They're meant to combine, channel the four elements and form a being of pure light. While Leeloo disintegrated a giant comet, Elsa's able to harness her ice powers even more and stop a deluge meant to wipe out her kingdom of Arendelle. While it's not a meteor, it's still a tidal wave that would have annihilated life as we know it in the franchise, which makes both women more or less the same in terms of power and purpose.
The weird parallels don't end their, either. Leeloo was ready to lay down her life for the universe and while Elsa's world is a bit smaller, she abides by her duty to the same. Sure, Leeloo might have been a bit more violent and ass-kicking alongside Bruce Willis' Korben Dallas, but Elsa's no slouch either as her sister, Anna, and their crew help her on her mission.
Ultimately, both are statements of feminism and feminine power, acting as emissaries of love. They channel the life-force of everything and everyone in existence, becoming true heroes in the process, bucking the long-held storytelling trend of damsels in distress.
In theaters now, Disney's Frozen 2 reunites directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and producer Del Vecho with voice actors Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. Returning musical talents include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda has proven so popular that plush toys of the actual Yoda have been selling out.
Vanity Fair has a piece on the popularity of Baby Yoda, which details plush Yoda toys from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge are being snatched up by fans due to their resemblance to the adorable member of Yoda's species that has taken the internet by storm. For comparison, WDW News Today posted a picture of the doll in question:
As the plush toy removes the wrinkles from the aged Jedi Master, it's hard not to see why fans are using it as a stand-in for Baby Yoda. Of course, Disney and Lucasfilm are also making Baby Yoda toys just in time for Christmas, capitalizing on the character's breakout success.
As it stands, we don't know much about Baby Yoda. In fact, even that name isn't accurate since "Yoda" isn't the name of the Jedi's species, which has never been revealed. Whether the 50-year-old childlike alien has any connection to the original character also remains to be seen. What is known is that the character's appearance and inclusion as a key part of the hit show The Mandalorian have spawned all manner of memes and fandom online since his debut earlier this month.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. The first three episodes are streaming now on Disney+.
This summer, Diamond Select Toys will release a set of three new action figures based on the core antagonists of Netflix's Castlevania animated series: Carmilla, Godbrand and, of course, Dracula himself. The vampire trio will compliment another set of three other action figures based on Trevor Belmont, Sylpha Belnades and Alucard, Castlevania's three monster-hunting protagonists.
The solicitation promises that each figure will have its own accessories and 16 "points of articulation," meaning joints that let the owner move and pose various body parts on the figure. They will also be "packed in a full-color blister card."
These Diamond Select Toys' action figures are designed by illustrator Eamon O'Donoghue, who has made illustrations for properties as diverse as reprints of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian novels and the DVD sleeve for X-Men: Animated Series, and digital sculptor Richard Force, who designed the previous Castlevania action figures as well as figures for the Avatar franchise.
Helmed by acclaimed writer Warren Ellis, Netflix's Castlevania portrays Dracula as a tragic villain with a vendetta against humanity after the execution of his wife Lisa on false charges of witchcraft. Godbrand and Carmilla are Dracula's two vampiric generals, who ostensibly join his genocidal crusade but have their own agendas. Netflix recently renewed Castlevania for a third season.
The set will retail for $59.97 and is now available for pre-order. An image of the figures appears below.
Two men tied together by fate– a destiny that curses their blood to flow intermixed through the annals of history– JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure wastes no time in building up the eternal feud between the Joestar family and DIO. Long before the latter held The World in his hands, DIO was Dio Brando, and the Joestar legacy was in the hands of Jonathan Joestar.
Part 1, Phantom Blood, chronicles the youth and brief adulthood of the first JoJo, Jonathan. While the anime does a fantastic job in bringing the story to life, the manga shows not only signs of its age, but Hirohiko Araki’s inexperience. This isn’t to say it’s bad (far from it, it’s one of the best plotted Parts in the series,) but JJBA hadn’t quite found its voice yet. All the same, Phantom Blood tries to get creative when it comes to its action, a trait it shares with its successor Parts.
10 Jonathan Joestar Versus Robert E.O. Speedwagon
It’s easy to forget, but Speedwagon is introduced as something of an antagonist. When Jonathan heads into London to find a cure for his father, George, he’s ambushed by Speedwagon and his band of ruffians. It’s a short fight, but an incredibly important one that shines light on Jonathan’s character.
While he fights back, and hard, he keeps everyone he attacks alive. Even in the face of death, Jonathan’s ideals do not waiver. It’s the first time audiences get a chance to see just how much Jonathan has matured since his childhood, and his resolve being enough to win Speedwagon’s complete & undying loyalty is a great note to end the fight on.
9 Will A. Zeppeli Versus Tarkus
This is another short fight, but it’s narratively loaded. In both the manga and the anime, audiences are given Zeppeli’s backstory before the fight with Tarkus. Who Zeppeli is and what his motivation are will be fresh in mind when he goes to confront Tarkus and save JoJo. Tragically, and shockingly, Zeppeli is severed in two before he can do much.
The heart of this fight comes in Zeppeli rushing in to save JoJo only to give his pupil all the Hamon he has left. It’s a bit of a shame Zeppeli doesn’t have one full fight under his belt, but he does showcase genuine talent against Tarkus (albeit briefly) and the raw emotion of Zeppeli passing on his Hamon to Jonathan is powerful.
8 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 1)
Jonathan and Dio go at it a few times over the course of Phantom Blood. Their first little scuffle happens very early on into Part 1 (specifically at the end of the first episode in the anime.) His dog burned alive, his girlfriend kissed, and his life in shambles, Jonathan rushes into the Joestar manor to give Dio the beating of a lifetime.
And he does! Watching Jonathan absolutely pummel Dio is incredibly satisfying. It’s here where JJBA’s flare for action rears its head for the first time. This fight also starts building up the Stone Mask, and its eventual inclusion into the plot. From here on out, Phantom Blood is full Victorian horror.
7 Jonathan Joestar Versus Tarkus
With all of Zeppeli’s Hamon flowing through him, Jonathan Joestar finds the strength to fight back against Tarkus. After all the torture Tarkus put them through, Jonathan is able to avenge Zeppeli with little to no effort. The catharsis of seeing Jonathan eviscerate Tarkus is good enough, but it’s here where Jonathan inherits Zeppeli’s legacy.
The idea of passing on one’s legacy is a concept that is ingrained in JoJo. Jonathan is fueled by the passing of both of his father figures: George Joestar and WIll A. Zeppeli. He’s not only defeating Tarkus in this fight, he’s signaling that he’s prepared to fight Dio once and for all.
6 Dio Brando Versus Drunks
This is quite possibly the most important fight in Phantom Blood, if only because the consequences of this little scuffle end up setting in motion the actual events of the rest of the series. Had Dio never brought the Stone Mask with him, he would have never vampirized a drunk and unlocked the secrets of Vampiric power.
Dio Brando finds the means to evolve during a fight that’s often overlooked as a fight. To be fair, this is more “Dio is attacked by drunks and kills them,” but there’s action involved and the drunkards serve as a nice means of Dio trying out the Stone Mask for the first time. The anime does an especially great job with this sequence.
5 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 4)
The final showdown. Everything in Phantom Blood builds up to this confrontation between Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando. Married and on his way to his honeymoon in America, Jonathan Joestar finds his life tragically cut short as Dio Brando is escorted onto the former’s honeymoon vessel courtesy of Wang Chung.
This isn’t so much a fight as it is a goodbye. Jonathan is gravely wounded almost immediately, but he’s able to take out Wang Chung quick enough for Erina to get out with Lisa Lisa. From there, all that’s left is for Jonathan to embrace his brother one last time as the two sink to the bottom of the sea...
4 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 3)
The actual showdown Phantom Blood builds up to. Jonathan’s death feels more like an epilogue, distinctly disconnected from how the rest of the plot flowed in order to lull audiences into a false sense of security. For all intents and purposes, Part 1 acts like it ends here. The penultimate episode of the anime doesn’t even hint at the idea that Dio is still alive.
The fight itself is on the short side (a habit of Phantom Blood’s), but it’s clever and builds off of Dire’s little showcase against Dio. Jonathan is forced to used Hamon creatively as Dio’s vampiric powers have only strengthened since they last met. Jonathan is triumphantly able to defeat Dio, but his fate was sealed the moment they met.
3 Jonathan Joestar Versus Jack The Ripper
Everyone’s favorite JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure character, actual serial killer Jack the Ripper! Jack’s a weird character and not particularly likable, but his fight against Jonathan is outstanding. After the fight against Dio, Jack the Ripper really helps sell just how overwhelmingly frightening vampires are.
He carves himself into horses, traps the main cast inside of a tunnel, and stalks Jonathan with the intent of tearing him apart. All the while, Jonathan is in the middle of his training and can’t let a single drop of wine spill from his glass. It’s a limitation that leads to an incredibly tense, and incredibly engaging, battle.
2 Jonathan Joestar Versus Bluford
With the power of hair on his side, Bluford ends up offering Jonathan Joestar one of the coolest fights in Phantom Blood, and a fight that really showcases just how useful Hamon is. Before Stands were all the rage, JoJos were expected to rely on the power of Ripple, and does it deliver.
Jonathan’s Sunlight Yellow Overdrive is still one of the best moments in the entire franchise, and Blurford gaining some depth through their fight ends up giving weight to the death of a villain who first appeared just one episode prior. Jonathan swimming deeper into a body of water to find an air pocket is top tier Araki.
1 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 2)
George Joestar is dead, the Joestar ancestral home is burning, and Dio Brando is a vampire. Things don’t look good for Jonathan by the end of his fight with Dio, but that he’s able to fight back, let alone win and survive, is downright incredible. He doesn’t have Hamon at this point and Dio very suddenly became a vampire. He’s at a grave disadvantage.
But he doesn’t falter and he doesn’t lose his cool. Jonathan uses the house to his advantage, fighting back against Dio with literally everything the Joestars have. As far as the Phantom Blood anime goes, this is the best adapted fight without a doubt. It’s a JoJo fighting back exclusively with his brains– JJBA at its best.
For a brooding loner who prefers to work alone, Batman sure does team-up with other superheroes a lot. Aside from cultivating an extensive network of heroes in his Bat-Family, the Dark Knight is a member of the Justice League and the Outsiders and has teamed up with multiple heroes from other universes on many occasions.
Although team-ups between heroes is commonplace in comics, a hero/villain team-up is somewhat rare, especially when the rogues' gallery is as dastardly as Batman’s. But it has happened, so here are 10 Times Batman Teamed Up With His Greatest Villains.
Though not a primary antagonist for Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor and Batman have come into direct conflict before, usually through Justice League business and extensively during No Man’s Land, when Luthor tried to buy most of an earthquake-ravaged Gotham City. However, politics makes strange bedfellows, and in Kingdom Come, the Dark Knight and Luthor form an uneasy alliance to stem the influence of meta-humans on world affairs.
Although reveling in the newfound partnership, even remarking that “had I known that a common enemy could bring us together, I’d have invented one years ago,” Luthor was eventually betrayed by Batman, who in typical fashion, only agreed to a partnership to discern Luthor’s plans.
9 Poison Ivy
Before her recent death, Poison Ivy was one of Batman’s more prominent enemies, obsessed with saving all plant life from destruction at the hands of man. To that end, her use of plant-based chemical pheromones to control men and twist them to her whims has put Batman under her thrall many times in the past.
A notable exception to this occurred in Batman: Arkham Knight. Teaming up out of necessity rather than mind-control, Poison Ivy and Batman joined forces to defeat the Scarecrow, following the detonation of his fear gas over Gotham City by the Cloudburst device. Achieving a mutual respect, the video game team-up ended for Ivy in much the same way as it did her comic book counterpart: death.
8 The Penguin
Although an easily recognizable member of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery, the Penguin has never been a physically or psychologically imposing figure. In the run-up to Tom King’s City of Bane, it is revealed that a woman by the name of Penny Cobblepot (presumably the Penguin’s wife) has been brutally murdered by Bane’s forces.
This prompted Cobblepot to reveal to Batman Bane’s coercion of Arkham Asylum, which he has used as a staging ground to take over Gotham from within. Hoping for vengeance by proxy, the Penguin’s team-up with Batman was short-lived, as his hide-out in the Batcave was compromised by Thomas Wayne, the Flashpoint Batman.
7 Mr. Freeze
Perhaps the most tragic of all Batman’s villains is Victor Fries, whose sub-zero condition was caused by an accident in cryogenics while searching for a cure for his terminally ill wife. Most modern iterations of the character see the motivations for his crimes as funding his research into reanimating his beloved Nora.
He recently got his wish fulfilled in Detective Comics #1015. Also suffering from the same cryogenic condition that Victor is, Nora joins her husband in a crime spree to fund their retirement. However, Nora soon tires of Victor’s overbearing nature and leaves him. In a desperate attempt to win back his wife, Victor approaches Batman for help, which the Dark Knight accepts in order to stop Nora’s crime spree. With so much animosity between these two adversaries, this team-up is bound to remain on thin ice.
6 Ra's and Talia Al Ghul
One team-up with a villain happened in Batman’s first encounter with him! Having deduced Batman’s identity as Bruce Wayne, Ra’s Al Ghul approached him in the Batcave to enlist his help in finding his kidnapped daughter, Talia. As Robin has similarly been captured, Batman agreed to the partnership, but later revealed Ra’s culpability in the abductions all along.
The whole episode was a test of Batman’s worthiness to succeed Ra’s as his heir, by marrying Talia. In truth, it’s Talia and Bruce’s partnership here that bore more fruit, as through their mutual affection, Damian Wayne, the current Robin, was born.
5 Bane
The last thing anyone would want to do with someone who broke their spine would be team-up with them, but Bruce Wayne has done so with Bane on at least two occasions. In Batman: Vengeance of Bane II, he and Bane briefly collaborated to take down a cadre of Venom pushers and users, with the Dark Knight promising to take down Bane when they were done.
Further, in No Man’s Land, Batman convinces Bane to break his deal with Lex Luthor, as he had been acting as his enforcer in an earthquake-ravaged Gotham. However, despite their occasional partnerships, Bane and Batman remain mortal enemies, of which the recent City of Bane arc can attest.
4 Two-Face
Another of Batman’s villains who began his relationship with the Caped Crusader as an ally was Gotham’s District Attorney, Harvey Dent. But Dent’s pre-Two-Face partnership with the Batman was not the only one they enjoyed. In Hush, the facially reconstructed Dent saved Batman from the titular villain by shooting him off a bridge and into a river.
Further, in Face the Face, the Dark Knight actually trains a reformed Harvey Dent to take his place in the year absence he took following the events of Infinite Crisis. Despite their antagonism, Batman and Two-Face seem to be able to work together at times, harkening back to the early beginnings of their relationship.
3 Catwoman
Batman and Catwoman have a long and storied history, a good half of which is spent either being at odds or romantically linked. Their most notable modern-age team-ups have been the widely popular early 2000s tale Hush, wherein exploring their budding romantic relationship, Catwoman aided Batman in his struggles with his rogues' gallery and a Poison Ivy-controlled Superman.
During the more recent Tom King run on Batman, Bruce and Selina very nearly tied the knot, and although Selina backed out to allow Batman to keep his crime-fighting edge, it’s only a matter of time before these two team-up again, romantically or not.
2 The Joker
With a history of violent antagonism as virulent as that between Batman and the Joker, a team-up is the last thing any fan would expect. However, these bitter arch-rivals have managed to bury the hatchet on a few occasions.
The most recent was during the Dark Knights: Metal crossover, which prominently featured a Dark Multiverse version of Bruce Wayne who had succumbed to the Joker’s toxin. Named The Batman Who Laughs, Batman was so desperate to defeat this deadly new adversary, he enlisted The Joker to help him. The team-up proved successful, as they were able to defeat The Batman Who Laughs and keep him from destroying reality.
1 Joe Chill
Batman: Year Two chronicled the Dark Knight’s struggle with Gotham’s first vigilante, The Reaper, whose bloody rampage set Batman, the GCPD and Gotham’s underworld against him. In order to put an end to The Reaper’s rampage, Batman agrees to an uneasy alliance with the mob, who assigns him a partner.
That man happens to be Joe Chill, the man who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents. The personal struggle Bruce feels here is palpable: on the one hand, he wishes to murder Chill to avenge his parents and on the other hand, he wants to honor his vow to them to rid Gotham of crime without stooping to the same level as criminals (or The Reaper, for that matter). With a surprising conclusion to the dilemma, this team-up is definitely the most difficult the Batman ever had to participate in.
The What If? stories have defined Marvel Comics for some time. They have allowed readers to take a look at an alternative timeline where things could have worked out very differently. There have been some truly bizarre stories from this line over the years.
With the MCU Disney + series based on this comic run currently in production, it seems poignant that we take a look at some of these crazy stories. Here's 10 What If? stories that we wish were actually true and part of the canon, even if they are super weird!
10 WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE HAD BECOME THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN?
Peter Parker has had some incredible stories over the last few decades and has been defined by his role as the Amazing Spider-Man. He is one of Marvel's most popular heroes and inspires hope within those that can see a little bit of themselves in the web-head.
In this story, it's Flash Thompson that actually gets bitten by a radioactive spider. In the 1978 tale, Peter Parker starts to investigate these events while Flash fights crime. He tragically dies in combat because he never developed web fluid though and is pretty useless as Spider-Man. We could see this fleshing out Parker's world, or being treated as a dark comedy in the MCU.
9 WHAT IF THANOS JOINED THE AVENGERS?
The notion that Thanos would join the Avengers is laughable at best. The last Marvel films very clearly showed why Thanos and the Earth's mightiest heroes are polar opposites in their world outlook and the way in which they carry out their missions.
The mass murderer Thanos did actually join the team in the What If: Infinitycomic. The mad titan claims that he will protect Earth and partner with the Avengers. It's a strange image but of course, there's something larger at play here. This is a fascinating tale of heroes and villains.
8 WHAT IF IRON MAN LOST THE CIVIL WAR?
The Civil War was a major turning point in both the MCU and the comics world. The two sides of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark fought over versions of the superhero registration act, which sought to reveal the identity of every costumed crime-fighter.
The ideological battle ended with Iron Man winning and becoming the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the comics. What if he'd lost though? The story shows Cap leading a new generation of heroes that are overseen by the Avengers with a number of checks and balances.
7 WHAT IF THE VISION HAD CONQUERED THE WORLD?
The Vision is a creation of Ultron in the MCU and in the comics, his origin is far more complex. However, in both versions, he is an android with an extreme level of intelligence and a wide amount of powers. He could, if reprogrammed in some way, be very dangerous.
In this tale, Vision decides he will right all of the injustices in the world. By doing so he takes complete control of Earth and forms some kind of fascist state. There is peace and no poverty, and the Earth is protected from alien threats. But where are the freedoms for the people?
6 WHAT IF SGT FURY HAD FOUGHT WWII IN OUTER SPACE?
Nick Fury has been a mainstay in the Marvel Comics universe since the 1940s, where he led the heroic group of the Howling Commandos. The comic version of the character is well known for fighting the Nazis during the war, but that's firmly on Earth.
During this story, Nick Fury actually takes his Howling Commandos into outer space to continue to fight the axis of evil. With strange space suits and futuristic weapons, they beat down this terrible group of... Nazi lizard people! This is a really strange alternate reality.
5 WHAT IF THE FANTASTIC FOUR HAD DIFFERENT SUPERPOWERS?
The Fantastic Four are Marvel's first family and one of their blockbuster teams. Although it's been underserved in recent years, the group is firmly established in the mainstream world as a symbol of the super-heroes of the Marvel universe.
They are especially characterised by the powers they possess. But what if their powers were completely different? Well, the results are completely mad and we really wish that it was part of the canon. A floating brain and a dragonfly are the least of the bizarre changes.
4 WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN HAD NEVER BECOME A CRIME FIGHTER?
We've already seen Spider-Man if he had never actually been bitten by a radioactive spider. But, what if he had used his powers completely differently instead? In the comics, originally, he tries being a wrestler for some time. What if his ambition never develops further than that?
The comic run manages to answer that question by showing what Peter would really do. He becomes a celebrity of sorts and certainly isn't struggling financially anymore. He isn't fighting crime, after protecting his Uncle Ben, but eventually unearths a villainous plot from J. Jonah Jameson.
3 WHAT IF THE AVENGERS DEFEATED EVERYBODY?
The Avengers have often had the philosophical debate about their great powers causing larger conflicts. So what if they completely changed the landscape? What if they removed every threat possible and defeated all their enemies and even some potential allies?
The result is that the Avengers can carry on with a normal life, without any of the super-heroics. The Scarlet Centurion tries to take advantage of this, but a quick reformation of the team stops the threat and then they all retire again! This is a great Avengers story that deserves more attention.
2 WHAT IF IRON MAN WAS TRAPPED IN THE TIME OF KING ARTHUR?
The What If? stories that will be making their way to Disney Plus are more about fun spin-off worlds, much like this next story. We're going to see an Iron Man in armor from WWII in the series, but what about one in the time of King Arthur?
When Doctor Doom betrays him and sends him back in time, Tony decides to stick around to start defending Camelot. He joins the knights of the round table and is even named as Arthur's successor, becoming a knight in iron armor.
1 WHAT IF THE AVENGERS HAD FOUGHT EVIL DURING THE 1950s?
The 1950s was an era that didn't really feature a proper crime-fighting team. The Avengers were not part of this era, but there really should have been a group that stood up to the masked villains that terrorized the country.
Enter the Avengers from the What If story. The leader, 3D man was the least of the team's problems, as it was made up of misfits and strange heroes from the '50s. It wasn't a very effective team but became beloved by fans and we wish it was part of the MCU.
This season of My Hero Academiatakes a darker turn than the previous ones, a development that's likely the result of All Might's retirement after his fight with All For One. Not only is the public now wary of both heroes and villains, but with no Symbol of Peace to fear, villains are getting bolder — something fans see clearly with the emergence of Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai.
In addition to that overarching storyline, many of the characters are going through their own struggles. All Might and Midoriya are coping with their own futures and the future of One for All. All Might's former sidekick is trying to understand his decision in choosing Midoriya, and Bakugo and Todoroki are working on themselves in order to get their provisional hero licenses. The new opening for the season alludes to many of these storylines, even if it's in a subtle manner.
Here are 10 things you may not have noticed from the new season's opening.
10 The Opening Nod To MHA's First Theme Song
The new My Hero Academia theme song opens with animation similar to the first season's — and the resemblance between the two openings is no coincidence. During the first season, we see Midoriya reaching out for All Might. The fourth season's theme is intended to show us how much Midoriya has grown since then.
Not only do we get shots of his hand as a child, as a teenager, and finally as an adult, but All Might is no longer waiting for him as he reaches out. More than that, Midoriya making a fist at the end of the shot emphasizes that he’s taking his first steps toward taking All Might's place. He's more ready to become the Symbol of Peace than he was at the anime's start.
9 Bakugo's Separation From The Rest Of The Class
Bakugo and Todoroki both failed their provisional license exams at the end of season three, and so, despite being among the top students in Class 1-A, the two of them have been absent from much of the work-study action this season. During the theme song's first shot of Class 1-A, we see Bakugo standing separately from the group. And while the guy certainly does like being on his own, this might also hint at his need to figure out some things on his own.
It's true that Todoroki is in the same boat as Bakugo, but fans know that being left behind in training is affecting Bakugo far more than it is his peer. That's evident in his reactions to Todoroki's blunt assertions that they need to train harder — and we also know that Bakugo's still working through everything that happened in Kamino.
8 The Cherry Blossom Trees Behind Class 1-A
The fourth season theme seems determined to call back to the first one. During the shot of Class 1-A, cherry blossom trees line the background — the same cherry blossom trees that appeared throughout the first season opening and the first few episodes.
Given that these trees allude to spring, this inclusion could be there to emphasize all the changes that are happening this season. Spring marks new beginnings, and although All Might's time as Number One has come to an end, Midoriya's journey to becoming the Symbol of Peace is just starting.
7 The Big Three
It's hard to miss U.A. High's Big Three during the new introduction, and it's obvious that their inclusion highlights their bigger roles in the third season. What is interesting, though, is how they all seem to be surrounded by the heroes they're closest to. From the beginning, this opening seems to be hinting at what's to come.
And fans now know that Midoriya, Kirishima, Uraraka, and Asui are doing work studies under the very heroes the Big Three associate themselves with. We get a first look at Sir Nighteye, Fat Gum, and Ryuku during the opening, solidifying each of their roles in season four.
6 Overhaul Looming Over Eri
Now that the season's main storylines have begun, the image of Overhaul looming over Eri makes more sense, though it might have puzzled fans watching the opening before the new villain was introduced. Still, this image has more meaning behind it than initially meets the eye.
Overhaul's presence in Eri's life hangs over her, just as his image does in the opening — something that's already evident in the way she listens to him, knowing what will happen if she doesn't. But such trauma isn't likely to disappear, even if the heroes do manage to save her, and this clip could be alluding to that as well.
5 The Nods To All Might's Past
All Might's retirement is a major theme of My Hero Academia's third season as well, and fans get a glimpse or two into All Might's past because of it. The opening also showcases how important All Might's history is to the plot, showing him walking in his non-muscular form, while the characters who have impacted him most appear in the background.
Among the characters who appear behind him are his predecessor, Nana Shimura, and her grandson Tomura Shigiraki. All For One also makes an appearance, as does Sir Nighteye. It's interesting that Midoriya isn't in there, but perhaps the intro wanted to keep the focus on All Might's history prior to the anime.
4 The Meaning Behind The Clocks
The theme song also gives us a shot of Sir Nighteye running on top of a bunch of clocks, an image that goes well with his quirk, Foresight. And now that we know Nighteye once saw All Might's death, it seems like this shot might have been leading up to that reveal.
Of course, manga readers know there's another plot point that Nighteye could also be running from. Finding a way to change the future is a theme of this story arc, and this image highlights that nicely.
3 The Twice And Toga Cameo
Toward the end of the opening, viewers get to see the heroes most involved in this story arc — the heroes we now know will be heavily involved in the fight against Overhaul. Each of them appears to be helping the next one fight, but there is a surprise in this part of the theme: Twice and Toga appear midway through.
It's an interesting choice to have the two of them pop up, but it's possible they'll be involved in the big confrontation somehow. Overhaul has managed to get himself tangled up with the League of Villains, and the last time we saw him, he was negotiating with Shigiraki. Could Toga and Twice have something to do with those negotiations?
2 Eri's Bandages Falling Off As She Falls
Eri's arms are bandaged when we meet her, something viewers now know is because Overhaul is using her body to turn her quirk into bullets. It's disturbing to see the girl this way, but the opening suggests she'll be out of harm's way by the end of the new season.
Toward the end of the new opening, when Midoriya is reaching out for her, Eri's bandages begin to unravel and fall off. Not only does this imply that she may not need them anymore, but it also highlights the fact that Eri trusts Midoriya. Although she seems guarded most of the time, she's willing to open up to Midoriya and let him save her.
1 Midoriya's Posture During The Final Shot Of Class 1-A
The final moments of the new intro show the major members of Class 1-A once more, and most of them are standing normally or assuming their hero poses. Midoriya, however, is slumping at first. Could this be emphasizing how much weight is on his shoulders this season?
We know that Midoriya is carrying around guilt from not rescuing Eri, and he's also struggling with the potential loss of a mentor he respects and idolizes. His posture here indicates how much he's going through, even if he manages to stand tall almost immediately afterward.
Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, the showrunners of DC Universe's animated series Harley Quinn, recently shared their opinions on why the character of Harley Quinn has resonated with so many people.
"She has no impulse control, which none of us can go through life like that, but it's fun to watch somebody else behave like that," Halpern told CBR. "And I also think she lives by a certain moral code that is her own and that she refuses to break in any way for anyone."
Schumacker added that Harley Quinn has a "heart of gold," despite being a villain. He went into further detail about the series and how their version of Quinn is similar to the character of Mary Tyler Moore from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. "I think she's a character who has a lot of contradictions, interesting contradictions, and that makes her complex and interesting and she's fallible, and I think people really appreciate that," he said.
Harley Quinn premiered on DC Universe on November 29, 2019. The first season will feature 13 episodes and stars Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Diedrich Bader, Alan Tudyk, Rahul Kohli, Christopher Meloni, Tony Hale, Ron Funches, Wanda Sykes, Natalie Morales, Jim Rash, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander and J.B. Smoove.
Fans who want to see Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy become an item in the new animated series Harley Quinn may have to wait past Season 1.
In an interview with CBR, show co-creators Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern (Powerless, iZombie) laid out their vision for the series and its iconic anti-hero. Halpern admitted that a romantic relationship between Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn is "something we wanted to explore."
However, Halpern continued to say that the first season will focus on Harley's "self-discovery" rather than her finding love with someone other than the Joker. "It was important for us in Season 1 to not get her out of relationship and then suddenly get her into another one," Halpern explained. "In the first season, we sort of stay away from too much of her being romantically involved in anything."
The two Batman villains first became close in the 1993 Batman: The Animated Series episode "Harley & Ivy." The friendship became a recurring part of the show's canon for the rest of the animated series' run and was soon adapted into comics continuity. While a romantic and sexual relationship between the two was long implied in various stories, it was finally confirmed in 2015 by then Harley Quinn ongoing series writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti on DC Comics' official Twitter account. Harley Quinn's creator, Paul Dini, also made Harley and Poison Ivy being involved "official" in Batgirl Adventures #1.
Harley Quinn is set to premiere on DC Universe on November 29.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Gwenpool Strikes Back #4, by Leah Williams, Christopher Hastings, David Baldeon, Jesus Aburtov, VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
The Devil Hulk, the version of the character at the center of Immortal Hulk, has proven himself to be one of the most destructive and terrifying versions of the character ever introduced. He's seemingly unstoppable, more so than even previous versions of the character. But now, one of the most unexpected Marvel heroes of all has proven capable of taking him on: Gwenpool. But how does she defeat someone who easily gave Thor a concussion?
After setting up a giant set of battles between the various heroes of the Marvel Universe, Gwenpool has found herself in a very tough position: she's been assigned to fight the Immortal Hulk after shooting Bruce Banner in the head to jumpstart his transformation. This means Gwen, who nominally has no powers, is going up against someone who recently proved too unstoppable for the Avengers to handle. Even her ability to warp reality by leaping out and around comic panels isn't enough to keep her safe from the Hulk - at one point he even grabs her leg from another panel and pulls her down hard into the ground.
Left with a concussion and not much else she can think to throw at him, Gwen scrambles and comes up with the best plan she can think of: using her powers to go back across Marvel continuity and find reinforcements in the form of the past versions of herself. This includes almost every version of the character who has appeared in recent years, including the manic initial version, the clingy version that appeared in Champions, the sweet-natured version that appeared in Unbelievable Gwenpool, the snarky West Coast Avengers member and the most mature version of her that appeared in the Superior Spider-Man tie-in to "War of the Realms". However, she does fail to recruit Gwen-Prime, which might come back around at some point.
Leaving the collection of Gwens to keep up a distraction against the Hulk, the core Gwen uses her powers to move back through continuity. The Gwens actually are able to keep this going thanks to their reality-altering abilities, although Champions Gwen ends up seemingly killed in the battle. Meanwhile, the core Gwen is able to find Malekith after he'd cut off Thor's arm and takes it for herself. Using it as a giant glove, she's able to summon Mjolnir from Thor in the present day. Using the hammer, Gwenpool is able to throw it directly at the Hulk - and hit him square in the groin. The blow is enough to send him flying and technically knocking him out of the fight. This also creates an opening for Ms. Marvel to knock out Thor from behind, leaving the final duel to come down between the two girls.
Using her powers and her dirty tricks, Gwenpool just became one of the only people in the Marvel Universe to go up against the Immortal Hulk and not end up in serious medical conditions for her trouble. She even technically beat him! While she got a concussion for her troubles, that's not nearly the worst thing that could have happened to her. But it also means that it's unlikely that this vengeful version of the Hulk will forget his defeat at the hands of the snarky teenager. Even if Gwenpool does get to get a new title down the line that allows her to remain in the Marvel Universe, she might have the worst possible version of the Hulk after her -- which isn't exactly the place anyone wants to find themselves.
While Terminator: Dark Fate may not have been a financial hit at the box office, it can take credit for being arguably the most feminist film in the franchise, with three female leads centered around the return of Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor. However, according to director Tim Miller, the creative core should have had more women on the writing team.
When asked by The Business Podcast about whether he should have hired more women for the script, Miller said, "Yes. You're right. You're probably right. Although I will say that, at the time we had the scripts, it wasn't three female leads. It was a blank slate."
Dark Fate credits six male writers, including James Cameron, David Goyer, Justin Rhodes, Charles H. Eglee, Josh Friedman and Billy Ray. "We hadn't even when we picked the writers, even Linda hadn't decided to come back. So we didn't know what it was. I wish that, in hindsight, yeah, we should have had a woman there, or two," he added.
This confirms there was a massive overhaul as the story. It's very much focused on Mackenzie Davis's Grace (a human-Terminator hybrid) working with Sarah to protect humanity's new messiah, Daniella (Natalia Reyes), after John Connor's death, hinting the creative team was locked by the time this new direction got rolling.
Directed by Tim Miller and produced by James Cameron, Terminator: Dark Fatestars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, Gabriel Luna, Natalia Reyes and Diego Boneta. The film is in theaters now.
Tony Hawk has some issues with the skateboarding scene in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man.
Tony Hawk has been a master skateboarder for years and has witnessed and performed many stunts over the years. Recently, Hawk sat with GQ Sports and critiqued skateboard scenes from movies, including 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man.
For the scene in question, Hawk gave commentary about how the film's main protagonist, Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, was performing on his skateboard. For this particular scene, Peter was in a dockyard performing skateboard tricks whilst utilizing his newly acquired spider powers. And Hawk had a lot to say.
Hawk's main gripe with the film was that the main character utilized his superhuman abilities to perform unnatural skateboarding stunts. Aside from Spider-Man's acrobatics, Hawk also took note of how the film's editing and stunt doubles may have contributed to the movie's odd skateboard antics.
"And right there [at that moment], he was goofy-footed, so he's definitely switching the stance up, which means we know there is more than one person stunt doubling him," said Hawk during his commentary on the scene. "That's a weird edit right there, with the 360 [spin] on the ground, but he tried to ollie, but kept his foot on the board. You can see his foot is attached to his board, in an unnatural way, so definitely his backfoot right there [in this scene] is stuck to the board somehow, with something other than gravity."
Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel tried changing up the web-slinger's world in subtle ways. Skateboarding was one of those them, along with taking creative liberties with the larger Spider-Man mythos.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Knives Out, coming to theaters Nov. 27.
Knives Out introduces audiences to the "last gentleman detective," Benoit Blanc, who is trying to solve the murder of famed author, Harlan Thrombey, and his entire family are suspects to the crime -- which isn't all that surprising given how terrible they all are. But while some of them have at least a thin layer of kindness or depth underneath their outer, nastier ones, others turn out to be shallow and pointlessly cruel with little or no redeeming qualities.
Even after the true murderer of Harlan is revealed (along with some other crimes perpetrated by other members of the family), it's still worth looking at the entire clan to figure out which one is actually the worst, which is exactly what we've done below; from least to most terrible.
The only member of the family not considered for this? Nana -- Harlan's ancient mother who is still somehow alive -- and receives some of the most subtle and heartbreaking character moments in the film as a poor woman who just had to bury her son. The rest of them, however, are fair game.
First up is the patriarch of the Thrombey family, the mysterious death of whom the film revolves around. Along the way, it's revealed that Harlan, despite his insistence that people build themselves from the ground up, had been financially supporting (and, as he admits himself) somewhat stunting his family's ability to grow. But while his attempts to shock them into self-reliance directly led to his death, it all seemed to come from a genuine place of wanting to see his family actually come into their own and out of his shadow.
It's part of the reason he left everything to caretaker Marta, who'd become his nurse and confidant in his final days, but made it clear that it was partly as a reward for diligence. It also allows her and her family (including her undocumented mother) the chance to actually transition fully into the American experience, an actual moment of kindness.
He even kills himself in an attempt to keep Marta and her family unconnected to his death. He also did seem to love his entire family, even if he didn't seem to fully respect them.
Meg is the second youngest member of the family and a college student. She's shown throughout the film being the most overtly friendly with Marta, speaking to her as a peer more than an employee. They do seem to be closer in age, but Meg also seems to get along with other house workers like Fran. She even convinces her family to make sure Marta is "taken care of" financially, as a thank you for helping Harlan in his final years. She's also the most consistent in trying to tell the family that if Harlan's fortune was left to Marta, then she deserves to get it.
The family are eventually able to pressure Meg into telling them that Marta's mother is in the country illegally, which means Meg did betray Marta's trust. But Meg also actually apologizes to Marta for this act (making her the only member of the family to honestly do so) and explains that she's scared because her mother revealed that her college tuition could end up being cut off. It's worth noting that Meg is the only member of the family that Marta actually says she'll help watch over, and it's likely that if she did help anyone in the family, it would be Meg.
While not perfect, she at least seems to have a conscience -- something the rest of the family lacks.
Linda is one of Harlan's children and the only daughter. Unlike her brother (who went into the publishing business alongside his father) Linda ended up founding her own company -- thanks in part to a large family loan from her father. But the truth is that the company eventually did become successful in its own right, allowing Linda and her family to live a good life even compared to the rest of the family. She's frequently stand-offish and stern and is maybe the one who lashes out the most at Marta when the updated will is announced. But she's also shown being the only member of the family to actually show real grief at the loss of her father.
During a quiet moment, Linda and Walt end up alone, and she breaks down in tears because she doesn't understand why he'd do it. The film ends with Linda having lost her entire family -- her husband Don's affair revealed and her son Ransom has been arrested -- but still giving Marta the same hard look she always has. While she may not be the most pleasant, she doesn't do anything necessarily wrong or threatening over the course of the film, which -- given this family -- is saying something.
Walt is the youngest son of Harlan. He's spent his entire adult life working in publishing, managing the company that helped spread his father's books around the world. He's done a decent enough job of it, too, as the company has become a major global success. However, his attempts to get his father to license the stories out to a streaming giant like Netflix have been largely failures, as Harlan has no interest in seeing his work adapted. In fact, Walt ends up being let go by his father the night before he died, a fact he keeps secret throughout the film.
Although he can be domineering and vindictive, there does seem to be at least some level of him that recognizes the line and tries to keep from crossing it. When he confronts Marta, he can be seen shaking with anger and frustration but is at least still trying to restrain himself -- even while threatening to expose her mother's legal status. He's also, at other points in the film, shown to be at least somewhat kind with her. He was even the one who seemed to agree with Meg about making sure Marta received some kind of financial backing from the Thrombey family and claims he tried to allow her to come to Harlan's funeral.
He's not the best, but he does seem to have some awareness of humanity, at least.
Jacob and Donna are Walt's son and wife, respectively. They are both very clearly trying to look "high class," with Donna always in a smart outfit with pearls while her son is never seen out of his prep school uniform. Neither of them are portrayed in a positive light. Donna almost gets no material to play with, although her few real moments show her as being judgmental and insistent about her politics. Her son seems to be maybe the most disliked member of the family, with even his relatives calling him a little creep.
He's apparently an "alt-right" kid, something his father doesn't understand but disgusts the far more liberal Meg. His uncles and aunts seem to agree, with even his father at one point despairingly referring to him watching conspiracy news in the restroom as a weird and creepy thing to do. Although neither of them commits a crime, they are never shown in anything resembling a positive light and they come across as wholly unpleasant -- especially Jacob.
Richard is Linda's husband and the father of Ransom. Although he doesn't come from money, he's thrown himself into a rich lifestyle with relish. He's frequently shown as a buffoon, talking when his family is staying quiet or stirring the pot by trying to draw Blanc's attention. He's also secretly having an affair with an unnamed woman while living a flashy life by using things he got using his wife's wealth. It's clearly a side of him Linda knows to exist at least a little, as she forced him to sign a prenuptial agreement when they got married.
He's also portrayed as positively scummy, complaining about immigrants and ordering around others as if they were employees, even during supposedly quiet moments between them. His attempts to keep Harlan from revealing the truth behind his adultery makes him another suspect in Harlan's death, although he's revealed eventually to have no part in his death. The film ends with Richard casually committing a crime -- trying to bribe the officers arresting Ransom -- before getting punched in the face by Linda. The final letter left to her from her father revealed Richard's affair, somewhat implying that he will, at least, face comeuppance for his actions.
Joni is Meg's mother and Harlan's daughter-in-law. Joni was married to Harlan's eldest son, but he died sometime before the events of the film. Joni has since become an Instagram Influencer, constantly living her life online. She's basically a parody of someone like Gweneth Paltrow and her Goop line of merchandise; the super-rich coming up with "New World" remedies.
Joni is the token "loud liberal" of the family. She's also got almost no money of her own -- paying for Meg's college and her own expenses with Harlan's money, instead. In fact, she'd even been double-dipping in Meg's college fund; effectively stealing a massive amount of money from Harlan. He told her that both her and Meg had been cut off from the fortune as a result.
This actually makes Joni one of the chief suspects in Harlan's murder, as she had a perfect reason to kill him in revenge. Although she initially believes Marta deserves the money she's been left in the will, she eventually comes down with the rest of the family to try and force Meg to blackmail Marta for the return of the fortune.
While she has flashes of humanity, she also genuinely committed a crime against a member of her family. In another film, she could have been arrested for it.
Ransom is the true villain of the film -- and a consistently unrepentant jerk, too. Many of Knives Out's cast has nothing but contempt for him; considering him a lazy good-for-nothing who leeches off the family fortune even worse than the others. He at some point had a surprisingly good relationship with his grandfather, however. The two even worked together when Ransom did an internship with him and supposedly developed a bond. But their relationship eventually soured, which led to Harlan eventually cutting him (and the rest of the family) out of his will.
He's short and rude with the staff, and even at his most likable is still trying to blackmail Marta into giving him half of the fortune. He's also revealed to have been the one to have killed his Grandfather, switching the labels on his medication so that Marta would accidentally overdose him with morphine. When he's finally caught out, he even tries to kill Marta, too. However, the knife he grabbed ended up being nothing but a prop.
The film ends with him arrested and in police custody, seemingly unrepentant for his actions -- because he's the worst.
Written, produced and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Frank Oz, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, and Riki Lindhome.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 3 of Netflix's The Dragon Prince, streaming now.
The first season of Netflix's The Dragon Prince deliberately left ambiguous the fate of the Dragon King. We knew he died, but the specifics remained hidden and left to the viewer to imagine how the behemoth fell, leaving behind his son, Zym, who hatched in Katolis. However, at long last, Season 3 fills in this major plot hole by showing us it wasn't actually Viren's legion as initially assumed. The killer was, shockingly, King Harrow, Ezran's dad, and his vindictive behavior resulted in Zym coming to Katolis and the start of a new magical war between bloodthirsty humans and the realm of Xadia.
With Viren freed thanks to Aaravos corrupting the human alliance, Ezran is put in prison in his place. Viren then takes the alliance to destroy the magical Xadia under Aaravos' watch, so they can kill off all the remaining elves and dragons. While on the journey, Aaravos asks about the king, Thunder, and how he fell. The evil elf hated the king just as much as Viren, as it's hinted Thunder helped seal Aaravos away in his magic mirror in Season 1.
Viren regales his colleague with the story, revealing after Thunder killed Harrow's wife in battle, he tricked the king into revenge. In a flashback, we discover Harrow did let his hatred die down, but Viren used a dead unicorn and harnessed its magic to create a dragon-killing spear. All he needed was Harrow's rage and the weapon would be complete. Once this was done, Harrow actually became angry again and wanted Thunder dead.
The duo rode out to Xadia, but Thunder made it clear he didn't have time for bloodshed on that day, clearly trying to get back to the Storm Spire mountain to protect something valuable. Nonetheless, Harrow provoked him into a fight and when Viren used his dark magic to restrain the beast, the king tossed the spear into the heart of the Dragon King.
It was a painful death, as Thunder turned to stone, crying out in pain as he looked to the Spire. The manipulated Harrow wanted to leave, feeling guilty, knowing this isn't what his queen would have wanted, but Viren, with his permission, headed to the mountaintop to see what was being stored. There, he discovered the egg containing Zym and enraged by the prospect of more dragons being born, Viren set out to destroy it.
With the Dragon Queen out on a foraging mission, the only hurdles in Viren's path are two elves, Rayla's parents, who seemingly deserted Xadia in Season 1. It turns out they didn't flee with the deserters, they decided to stay to protect the egg in the queen's absence, even though Thunder had fallen. The other elves feared the killers, but Rayla's parents didn't and felt it was their duty to ensure the egg's safety.
However, Viren used his magic to freeze them before he approached the egg to crush it. Rayla's mother, in a last resort, urged him not to kill the baby, but to wait until it hatched to harness the magic the beast held within. This would make Viren a stronger dark mage and while it seemed a cruel sell-out, it was the only way to keep an unborn Zym alive. Rayla's parents hoped someone would someday free the creature, as Ezran did years later, but with the secret now unveiled, Viren killed the elves. He then made off in secret with the egg, thus kickstarting the events of Season 1, not knowing Ezran and Callum would discover and save the young dragon prince.
Netflix's The Dragon Prince Season 3 stars the voices of Jack DeSena as Callum, Sasha Rojen as Ezran, Paula Burrows as Rayla, Jesse Inocalla as Soren, Racquel Belmonte as Claudia, Luc Roderique as King Harrow of Katolis and Jason Simpson as Viren.
Marvel Studios' Senior Visual Development Artist Jackson Sze has shared key artwork from Avengers: Endgame featuring a potential team-up of two MCU hero.
Sze shared the artwork on his Instagram page, which features Danai Gurira's Okoye and Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie fighting together during the movie's final battle. The two are side-by-side while surrounded by members of Thanos' army, with each other's weapon in the other's hands.
"Okoye and Valkyrie kicking ass side by side as weapon masters and leaders of their armies," wrote Sze in his post. "One of the funnest task [sic] we were asked to help with during Avengers: Endgame was to come up with 'gags' or team-up ideas for the final battle of the movie."
While Okoye wielding Valkyrie's sword as Valkyrie wields her spear ultimately did not make it into the final film, the team-up bears a strong resemblance to Captain America and Thor's exchange of Mjolnir and Stormbreaker during the battle.
"I thought it'd be great to see these two fight side by side, even juggling their weapons as they are such adept fighters," Sze added.
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.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League #36, by Scott Snyder, Howard Porter, Francis Manapul, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano, on sale now.
With the Justice League making a final stand on Earth against the Apex Predator, Lex Luthor, and his army, it seems Perpetua's one step away from winning. She's already begun reshaping the Multiverse and is sewing up loose ends, starting with the death of Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl.
For some reason, she strangely allowed Hawkgirl to live after the League tried to attack her and Lex, but now, Perpetua's intent on finishing the job. As Issue #36 illustrates, the assassination falls on the shoulders of one of DC's most destructive and powerful cosmic killers: the Anti-Monitor.
The League's set to take on Lex's legion, which is why Perpetua didn't send him after Hawkgirl -- she has prioritized things for her protege and didn't think Hawkgirl's death warranted his attention. The Leaguer was sent careening through space after Perpetua damaged her getaway vessel, but, as expected, the time has come to make sure she doesn't pose a threat anymore. Hawkgirl's wings do have Source Wall energy in them, and this was used to seal Perpetua away in the past by her three sons, so Perpetua is ensuring there's no chance she can be stopped.
After combining to form the ultimate weapon known as the Ultra-Monitor, the sons were split, with the Monitor and World Forger tossed into space and the Anti-Monitor being corrupted. It's no surprise he's now being used as Perpetua's hired gun, however, as he has so much evil in his heart, as seen in Crisis on Infinite Earths and during his tenure with the Yellow Lanterns. The Anti-Monitor's always been about devouring worlds and life in general, which is why Perpetua's found the perfect pawn for this kill-mission.
What makes the hunt even better is he'll get to kill Shayne, Kendra's son with the Martian Manhunter from the Sixth Dimension. The boy also has enormous power and he could throw a wrench in Perpetua's plans to alter reality, so who better than the behemoth from the Anti-Matter Universe to consume the kid as well? Perpetua's confident because not only is her son back under her spell, he's furious over how Hawkgirl went after Lex and his mom. He wants to murder them all for their attempted hit and he actually feels like his brothers used him when they imprisoned Perpetua eons before.
Sensing the end's approaching, Kendra tries to tell Shayne she's sorry for botching the attack on Perpetua but he tells her there's still hope. It's at this point the Anti-Monitor comes smashing down on their ship, reminding them love is a weakness. Hawkgirl's stunned as she didn't believe he'd betray his brothers, but now, he's officially back as a villain, ticked off his brothers and the League "tricked" him. It could well be Perpetua's poisoning of his mind speaking, but even without mind-control, we all know the Anti-Monitor isn't someone you want hunting you down.
Nevertheless, his brothers aren't dead, so chances are they could rally to Hawkgirl's cause. After all, the League's pretty much busy with Batman turning the Hall of Justice into a battleship. Still, this could be a blessing in disguise, allowing Kendra to use the full potential of her wings, as well as inspiring Shayne to unleash his true power.
Either way, the mother-son duo might well need backup because the Anti-Monitor's as thirsty for blood as ever. We haven't seen him this aggressive or mindless since Blackest Night, so whatever she has in mind, Hawkgirl better act quickly. This wayward son's one of Perpetua's biggest weapons and she might need to kill him if she's to have any say when it comes to saving her allies from the wrath of the cosmic goddess.
Arrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim has offered another little glimpse at the series finale.
On Twitter, he revealed that he and showrunner Beth Schwartz have seen director James Bamford's cut of the episode. In his Tweet, he tacked two additional words onto the previously revealed final words of the series: "...tell it to you."
Guggenheim announced the series ends on the words "to you" earlier this month, when the episode wrapped shooting. He did not reveal who will speak the words nor the context. Some theorize that they could come from a conversation between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and his daughter Mia (Katherine McNamara), as he passes the Green Arrow mantle to her. Others believe the words are being spoken to Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards). The answer will undoubtedly be revealed during the drama's two-hour series finale.
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.
When Fallon asked the actor who was cuter, porgs, the puffin-like creatures native to the planet of Ahch-To that co-starred with Ridley in The Last Jedi, or Baby Yoda, the indisputable star of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, Ridley didn't hesitate. "Baby Yoda," she said immediately, almost cutting off Fallon. "I'm not a big fan of the porgs."
The audience cheered, but Fallon asked for clarification, which Ridley was glad to offer. "We worked for six months on The Last Jedi, and in every interview, 'What about the porgs?' I was like, the porgs were there for a day! I was there every day for six months!"
This is not the first time Ridley has expressed her preference for Yoda over every other Star Wars character. In December 2017, she completed a Buzzfeed test to find out which character of Star Wars she truly was. One of the questions asked the actors to pick an Original Trilogy character to be her partner in crime. The options were Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lando Calrissian, Han Solo, R2-D2 and Darth Vader. "Yoda," said Ridley right away. "Because he's tiny, and he can get in places, you know, if we're going to like, rob something."
Both porgs and Baby Yoda were animatronic puppets developed for Star Wars, just like Old Yoda was in 1979's The Empire Strikes Back. The international poster for The Rise of Skywalker included a small porg at the bottom left corner, so they will probably reappear in Episode IX. Fans of Baby Yoda can tune into The Mandalorian on Disney +.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.
In "Reason to be Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.
Today, we look at how well Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru captured the complex nature of a family dealing with a new world in Superman Smashes the Klan.
This book, in general, is an adaptation of/tribute to the famous 1946 Superman radio show storyline where Superman takes on the Ku Klux Klan (or a reasonable facsimile for the radio series) in defense of a Chinese-American family. Yang, naturally, was intrigued at the idea of a 1940s radio series actually having a Chinese-American family be involved so prominently in the plot and so he had the story be in great part from their perspective this time around. The basic set-up for the story is that Superman, still at the "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" power level (as opposed to the "Up! Up! And Away!" flying power level), he gets exposed to Kryptonite for the first time and he isn't prepared for the reaction he has (which is far beyond simply pain, but rather elaborate hallucinations of green-skinned aliens). It highlights to Superman that despite his appearance, he is very much an "other" in this world.
However, the best part about the book is how Yang and Gurihiru handle the different ways that the Lees struggle with moving out of Chinatown into the center of Metropolis when the the father gets a fancy new job.
The mother did not want to leave Chinatown in the first place and she tries to get through things by clinging to as much of her life there as she can, including speaking in Cantonese when she's uncomfortable. The father, on the other hand, is embracing their new world to an absurd degree, one of those sort of "We do not want to make a fuss, please do not look at us as different." Such an approach, while charming to a certain extent, obviously ignores the obvious problems that a Chinese-American family would have moving into the suburbs in the 1940s.
The girl, who's the other lead of the story (along with Superman), Roberta, is an awkward kid who also does not like change very much (as you can see by the whole "throwing up in the car" deal from before) and she is not loving her father throwing away her old jacket to replace it with a newer one that will make her "fit in" better. Meanwhile, her brother, Tommmy, is an excellent baseball player and that is his way "in"...
There's a great scene where the team's previous pitcher for the team objects to Tommy's presence and there's almost a brawl before Roberta steps in and basically threatens the other kid to hit her. She explains to an angry Tommy that he doesn't understand that if he were to get into a fight, that would have been it for Tommy. that would have been it for Tommy on the team. Tommy and their father like to pretend that they're "just one of the guys," and obviously they SHOULD be, but Roberta knows better.
This is where the Klan comes in (or The Clan of the Fiery Cross) as one of the high-ranking members is a scientist who feels like Dr. Lee has taken a job that was rightfully his and his nephew was supplanted by Tommy as the pitcher on the local youth baseball team, and so he compels his young nephew to join him in setting fire to a torch on the Lee's frontyard.
It's heartbreaking seeing Dr. Lee's first instinct be that this can't be serious, that there must be a mistake. They're now "just part of the neighborhood," after all. They arrived. This MUST be a mistake and yet his wife knows otherwise...
Roberta wants to belong just as much as her father and brother, but she also has the longing for the past like her mother, but she is also a lot bolder than she thinks she is, as seen when she makes the decision that no, her family isn't running due to this cowardly attack.
Later, though, there's a brilliant bit where Roberta sees how one of the ways that Tommy fits in is by mocking himself and his people with racial stereotypes...
Not cool, Tommy. It's understandable why he thinks he needs to do this, but it's just as wrongheaded as his father acting like everything is totally fine and there's just a simple confusion over the giant burning cross on their lawn.
It's striking just how well developed Yang and Gurihiru make the Lees by the end of just the first issue. They have problems that have no simple solutions but are compelling characters that you want to see have a happy ending.
Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!
