Category: Comic Books

Comics and Comic Book Characters

Geekville Radio #242: Obi-Wan Is Back!

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Geekville Radio #242: Obi-Wan Is Back, Snake-Eyes Movie, Crisis On Infinite Earths

Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Back (0:00)

After literally YEARS of rumors, Star Wars fans have confirmation that Ewan McGregor will finally be reprising the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for Disney+. Disney will likely make its official announcement at the upcoming D23 Expo.

Other rumors persist that McGregor will not only star in the yet-untitled series, but will also direct a few episodes as well.

An Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off feature film has been rumored ever since the announcement of standalone Star Wars movies was made. However, the less than stellar performance of Solo played a factor in those projects getting put on hold.

The format change to a series could be an improvement, since a multiple episode format could lead to more in-depth adventures than a two-hour movie.

In addition to the Kenobi series, McGregor will be portraying the villain in two upcoming feature films, Doctor Sleep, and Birds Of Prey.

Snake-Eyes Movie (18:20)

Actor Henry Golding is rumored to be portraying Snake-Eyes in a spin-off film. This casting seemingly goes against the history of the popular GI Joe Character. In the franchise lore, Snake-Eyes was the lone American student in the Arashikage Clan and did not have Asian heritage.

That said, like with so many other remakes and rebrandings, the original lore is still there. It won’t get erased from existence if a retelling of Snake-Eyes happens.

Crisis On Infinite Earths Update (34:30)

The Arrowverse crossover Crisis On Infinite Earths continues to get more epic and amazing.

Airdates will be Supergirl 12/8, Batwoman 12/9, Flash 12/10. Then Arrow and Legends Of Tomorrow on 1/14. So that’s five episodes in two parts, meaning it will also double as the mid-season cliffhanger.

Here is the list of guest characters we know

Rumors persist that another Arrowverse show may be added in the 2020/2021 season. While nothing has been confirmed, there are several rumors.

  • Titans has Berlanti’s name on it but takes advantage of DC Universe’s uncensored format and has a TV-MA rating.
  • Booster Gold has been rumored for years.

Catwoman Official Clip From Batman: Hush

Batman: Hush, the animated movie adaption of the fan-favorite story from Batman issues #608-619, is currently available on Digital Download and DVD/Blu-Ray. This official clip showcases Catwoman, voiced by Jennifer Morrison on Once Upon A Time fame.

Batman: Hush is part of the ongoing DC Animated Universe and will start streaming next week on DC Universe.

Morrison joins the regular DCAU cast of Jason O’Mara as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jerry O’Connell as Clark Kent/Superman, and Rebecca Romijn as Lois Lane.

Batman vs. Superman in this clip from Hush

Batman: Hush is the latest story to be adapted into the DC Animated Movie Universe. You can check out a clip below that shows Batman rumbling with a possessed Superman.

Hush was a story by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee that originally appeared in Batman #608-619. It brought a classic Batman villain to the limelight and featured one of the few in-continuity confrontations between Batman and Superman.

Like most movies in the DCAMU, it features Jason O’Mara as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jerry O’Connell as Superman/Clarke Kent, and Rebecca Romijn as Lois Lane. Jennifer Morrison of Once Upon A Time and House joins the cast as Catwoman/Selina Kyle. It is available in stores, and on the DC Universe streaming service.

Kevin Conroy To Play Bruce Wayne In Crisis On Infinite Earths

One of the longest tenured voices in DC animation is at last going to step in front of cameras to reprise the role.

Kevin Conroy, who first began providing the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in 1992 for Batman: The Animated Series, will be portraying Bruce Wayne in CW’s hotly-anticipated Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event. This marks the first time Conroy will play the character in a live-action production.

Conroy is no stranger to onscreen acting, having had roles on various TV shows throughout the years including Tour Of Duty and Murphy Brown.

The five-part series includes an already staggering list of actors who will undoubtedly play variations on their characters from different universes (or Earths as they are called in the series). That list includes Tyler Hoechlin (Superman), Burt Ward (Robin in the 1966 Batman TV series), Brandon Routh (The Atom AND Superman), Jon Cryer (Lex Luthor), Elizabeth Tolluch (Lois Lane), as well as the regular casts from the ongoing “Arrowverse” shows.

While it has only been announced that Conroy will be Bruce Wayne, it’s hard to imagine a Bruce Wayne that doesn’t come with a Batman attached. Could we see Bruce from Batman Beyond? Dark Knight Returns? Or could we see even see a Kingdom Come counterpart to Brandon Routh’s Superman?

The five-part mini-series will begin in December. However, do not be surprised if there is a cliffhanger as the show will take a holiday break and conclude in January.

Batman/TMNT Crossover Review

Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Two franchises that have been around for decades and seen countless variations reach amazing levels of mainstream success. A meeting of the two seems like a natural step doesn’t it?

That’s just what happened in late 2015 when IDW joined forces with DC Comics to present the first official pairing. Two more crossovers followed, as well as an animated movie adaption.

I’ll still give a mild spoiler warning. I won’t give away massive plot points, but if you want to be completely spoiler-free read the comic and watch the video first.

Limited Series/Hardcover Adaption

Hardcover collection of the first series

Originally published as a six-issue crossover, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saw the Turtles brought into the DC Comics world. Ever since DC vs. Marvel, it seems every crossover has to be done with the premise of one side coming from a different world.

Veteran Batman writer James Tyrion IV handles the story, with Freddie Williams II doing the artwork. The pairing absolutely works. Batman looks just as he always has, while the Turtles still manage to have the classic Mirage Studios look without feeling out of place next to The Dark Knight.

The premise is simple. Krang sent The Turtles, along with Shredder and his Foot Clan minions, to another world so he could be evil without their interference. See, in this incarnation, Shredder and Krang aren’t besties so they’re prone to sabotaging each other’s plans.

The rest of the story, for the most part, can easily be figured out. The two groups of heroes do not initially trust each other but learn to respect one another when push comes to shove. The interaction between Batman and Raphael is particularly good, given Raph is the hothead of his family and Bats has a history of dealing with hotheaded teenagers.

Currently, the complete story is available in an awesome hardcover collection that includes artwork from all the variant covers.

And yes, Batman does fight Shredder.

Blu-Ray Home Video

The Blu-ray adapts the first mini-series. However, the subplot of alternate worlds is left out, probably for simplicity’s sake. There are also characters in the comic that do not appear in the comic and vice versa. Plus the ending is completely different as it takes place at an Ace Chemical factory instead of Arkham Asylum like the comic.

The animation almost seems like a hybrid of Cartoon Network’s The Brave And The Bold crossed with the TMNT style of the early 2000s syndicated series. If you were hoping for a return to the 90s DCAU look, you might be a little disappointed*.

As far as the voice acting, none of the past TMNT voice actors reprise any roles. Fortunately, the actors who do appear perform the roles admirably and the voicing is top-notch as always.

That said, it really would have been that extra topping on the pizza to have the known voices like Rob Paulsen, Cam Clarke, or Kevin Michael Richardson in the mix. It’s very possible there are production reasons why it didn’t happen, but it still would have been cool.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Troy Baker taking a shot as Batman. I have said before that I literally hear Kevin Conroy’s voice in my head when I read Batman comics. Baker has previously filled in for Mark Hamill as The Joker and pulled it off so well even Hamill himself was impressed. He manages the same feat here with uncanny accuracy to Conroy’s Batman.

While there is nothing shown explicitly, there is a good deal of violence in the movie. An example of this is when Shredder and Ra’s Al-Ghul infiltrate Arkham Asylum. A security guard is shown trying to stop them and you see a flash of a blade. Moments later, the guard’s severed hand is used to open the security door that leads to The Joker’s cell. Another is when Shredder kills by throwing a shuriken into the back of a head.

There is no word yet, as of this writing, whether there will be additional movies. Based on this first outing we certainly hope there will be. Each franchise still has villains that haven’t been used yet, and with two more comics stories, there are easily two more movies worth of material.

Now, how about that long overdue TMNT/Daredevil crossover?

Comic Grade: A-
Blu-Ray Grade: B+

*A separate comic, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures was produced specifically to use the DCAU Batman.

Geekville Radio #241: San Diego Comic-Con News

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Geekville Radio #241: SDCC News

In our previous episode, we discussed the revelations for Marvel’s Phase Four of The MCU. Here we talk a lot of the other news coming out of The Mecca Of Geekery that is San Diego Comic-Con!

Each trailer is listed below with the appropriate timestamp in the show discussion.

(3:45) Arrowverse and Crisis On Infinite Earths

Barry Allen’s death has been teased since the very first episode of The Flash

(25:15) Marvel’s “What If…?”

  • Animated series will air on Disney+
  • Stories from The Infinity Saga will be used
  • Many of The MCU actors will supply the voices
  • The first episode will depict Peggy Carter as Captain America

(29:30) The Witcher

  • This is the project that prevented Henry Cavill from a cameo in Shazam

(33:15) Watchmen HBO Series

  • It is not another adaption of the movie or classic comic
  • It will be an original story set in the same world

(39:20) Top Gun: Maverick

  • The trailer was a surprise presentation
  • Tom Cruise’s Maverick will be the main character, not a cameo
  • It may be a biography or life story of Maverick

(43:20) Terminator: Dark Fate

  • James Cameron is involved again
  • It looks like it ignores all other movies except the first two
  • It may be right before the rise of Skynet

(47:45) Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance

  • Much of the series will utilize puppetry instead of CGI

(50:30) Jay And Silent Bob Reboot

  • A sequel to Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
  • Looks to lampoon the constant reboots in Hollywood
  • Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and a lot of the other regulars

(55:30) Star Trek: Picard

  • Unlike Discovery, this looks like it is almost universally praised
  • Depicts Picard as he was in the final TNG Episode
  • Also shows Data and Seven Of Nine

We recently got reviewed by Dave Jackson’s Podcast Rodeo Show. Thanks for the kind words!

Geekville Radio #240: Marvel Phase Four Announced

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Geekville Radio #240: Marvel Phase Four Announced

A little later than expected, but Seth and Train are back to talk the Marvel Phase Four announcements from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

We speculated in our last episode on what Marvel might be doing for Phase Four of the Cinematic Universe. After a bunch of reveals at San Diego Comic-Con, we now have the full lineup for the next two years.

It is worth noting that only films slated for 2020 and 2021 were announced. There were no definite indications of theatrical releases for 2022. The possibilities of Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Avengers 5 are still very strong.

For each of the announced movies or series, we’ll give our main speculation points and pair them up with what was confirmed during the Hall H presentation.

4:45 – Black Widow (May 1, 2020)

Speculation: Florence Pugh will play Yelena Belova/Crimson Widow. David Harbour will be Taskmaster. This may introduce a cloned Natasha like in the comics

Confirmed: Pugh will be Yelena Belova, David Harbour will be Alexi Shostakov aka Red Guardian, the Russian equivalent of Captain America.

New Speculation: Yelena Belova may be Taskmaster instead of Crimson Widow

15:45 – The Eternals (November 6th, 2020)

Speculation: Millie Bobby Brown and Angelina Jolie would be the same character. Thanos and Adam Warlock would be involved in some capacity.

Confirmed: Several roles were announced, none of which were Thanos or Warlock. It will take place on Earth, and Kevin Feige described it as “full-on Jack Kirby“.

New Speculation: Nobody will care that Ajak and Makkari have been gender-swapped.

30:45 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (February 12, 2021)

Speculation: Shang-Chi will fill the void Danny Rand/Iron Fist fills in the comics as the martial-arts expert. If this is an attempt to get a Bruce Lee vibe, it will fail to do so

Confirmed: Mandarin is the villain

Further Speculation: Since the Ten Rings were teased way back in the first Iron Man, this may take place over a period of time. There could be an explanation as to why Ben Kingsley played an imposter Mandarin.

39:50 – Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Fall, 2020)

Speculation: The show will be standalone and not directly tied to the rest of the MCU, and Baron Zemo will be the villain

Confirmed: Will not be standalone, and will be part of Phase Four. Baron Zemo is the villain and will have the mask.

42:00 – WandaVision (Spring 2021)

Speculation: Will take place before Vision’s death in Infinity War.

Confirmed: Takes place in current time, so maybe Captain America was able to revive Vision in his post-Endgame quest. Monica Rambeau is in the show, perhaps to become a new Captain Marvel or Miss Marvel.

New Speculation: Will tie in with Dr. Strange 2

45:10 – Loki (Spring 2021)

Speculation: Possible origin story or another story from the past. Loki’s escape during Endgame could play a factor.

Confirmed: Takes place after Loki’s escape in Avengers: Endgame. This will be the classic evil Loki and not the sympathetic character he became in Phase Three.

50:45 – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 7, 2021)

Speculation: Dr. Strange will be one of the focal points of the MCU on par with how Iron Man was for the first three phases.

Confirmed: Scarlet Witch will be in the film, so it may tie in with the WandaVision series.

55:10 – Thor: Love and Thunder (Nov 5th, 2021)

Speculation: Could be directly related to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 given the styles of directors James Gunn and Taiki Watiti. Plus Thor left with the Guardians to close out Endgame.

Confirmed: Natalie Portman will be reprising Jane Foster and will become Thor.

Current Speculation: Thor himself will be a supporting role, and it could still tie into Guardians 3

1:01:05 – Hawkeye (Fall 2021)

Speculation: Clint is back to adventuring now that his family is safe. We may see Kate Bishop.

Confirmed: Kate Bishop will be major part of the show

1:04:00 – Blade (Phase Five?)

Maharshala Ali was a surprise announcement as the MCU Blade. It was not stated whether this will be a feature film or a Disney+ mini-series.

1:13:00 – X-Men and Deadpool (Phase Five?)

Marvel did not outright say any immediate future of the X-Men franchise, including Deadpool. But it seems like X-Men may wait a few years and get rebranded for Phase Five.

Marvel’s “What If…” Series To Explore The Infinity Saga

Longtime Marvel fans were delighted when Kevin Feige announced the animated What If…? series for the Disney+ streaming service. Not only will the show be produced by Marvel Studios, but it will also feature many of the existing MCU actors reprising their big-screen roles.

However, if you were hoping for stories about Wolverine, Spider-Man, or The Fantastic Four, you may be disappointed. Feige clarified while speaking with Screen Rant that only stories from The Infinity Saga (Phases 1-3) will be explored.

“Right now, we’re focusing on for the first season, everything you know about the 23 movies in the Infinity Saga and adding one twist to them and seeing how everything turns out different.”

Marvel President Kevin Feige to Screen Rant

While that excludes classic issues where Wolverine kills The Hulk, or The Punisher becomes Captain America, the good news is that still means over twenty movies worth of material can be explored. Add in that the known actors will still be providing the voices, and it’s still a pretty ambitious concept.

What If…? will debut in Summer 2021 on Disney+. The series premiere will answer the question “What If Peggy Carter Became Captain America?”.

San Diego Comic-Con Trailers

One of the many fun things with San Diego Comic-Con is the plethora of trailers released. While the days of exclusive trailers are mostly gone, it’s still a big marketing day for the entertainment industry.

Here are several of the trailers that premiered over the weekend.

Netflix’s The Witcher starring Henry Cavill
HBO’s Watchmen, inspired by the classic comic book miniseries
A sizzle reel for Arrow gives a glimpse of Season Eight

The Flash Season 6

Flash Season 6 introduces the new villain Bloodwork
Top Gun: Maverick, the long-rumored sequel to the 1986 classic

Terminator: Dark Fate

Terminator: Dark Fate welcomes back Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor

Dark Crystal

Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance still uses puppetry like its predecessor
Jay & Silent Bob Reboot is a sequel to 2003’s Jay & Silen Bob Strike Back
Star Trek: Picard looks to be an absolute treasure to TNG fans

What were your favorite trailers from Sand Diego Comic-Con? Sound off below!

Brandon Routh Returns to Superman For Arrowverse Crossover

Fans have been speculating how the Arrowverse creators will handle Crisis On Infinite Earths since its announcement almost a year ago. At San Diego Comic-Con fans were finally given some answers.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell revealed at the Arrow panel is that Brandon Routh will play two characters. His regular character, Ray Palmer/The Atom, and Superman.

Routh, of course, portrayed The Man Of Steel in 2006’s feature film Superman Returns. Released as a direct sequel to 1980’s Superman II, which is widely considered the best of the Christopher Reeve films, Superman Returns established that Routh’s Superman and Reeve’s Superman were one and the same.

As if that wasn’t enough, Routh came on stage during the panel to reveal his costume.

Brandon Routh reveals a Kingdom Come Superman shirt

Routh will indeed be playing Superman as he appeared in the epic 1996 comics story Kingdom Come, which takes place in the future. In it, Superman is older and more of a grizzled veteran than the current day one.

Superman as he appears in Kingdom Come #1. Art by Alex Ross

This would also seem to imply that this aging badass Superman is that same Reeve/Routh movie version. How he will fit into the Crisis story was not revealed, but it sure whets fans’ appetite for the series when it airs this Fall.

As DC Comics fans know, Crisis On Infinite Earths was an epic universe-wide crossover event that rebooted the DC Universe continuity. All of the “other universes”, or Multi-verse as they might be called now, were streamlined into one congruent universe.

Arrow will be ending its eight-year run this season and will be part of the annual crossover event.