Fanboys Anonymous

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys out there.

MOVIES

Marvel Reveals Movie Release Dates to 2019.

My take: This weekend is going to be owned by Marvel at the San Diego Comic-Con. They have eight slots booked for unknown films through 2019. Kevin Feige says they'll plan to do a new franchise, sequel, new franchise, sequel for this upcoming wave. I would expect Dr. Strange, Avengers 3, Black Widow, Incredible Hulk 2, Iron Man 4(?), and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 or possibly even Nova. It's crazy time for us long-time comic book fans!

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Pushed Back AGAIN.

My take: I'm willing to wait, if they intend on cleaning up the mess they've made of this series. Sinister Six has a 2016 release date, with Spidey pushed until 2018. Ticket sales did drop and critics were harsh, but it doesn't take that long to do some rewrites, does it? I still think it would be win-win-win if Sony let Marvel have Spidey back and just tossed them some cash as hush money every time he got used.

Dwayne Johnson Teases More DC Characters.

My take: There is nothing scarier than hearing how much DC plans to throw at us in the next few years. "The Rock" teased a role in an upcoming Shazam feature soon, which may mean he's in Justice League, which may mean that movie is going to be 15 hours long.

J.J. Abrams Pushes Force for Change with a Big Reveal.

My take: Abrams showed some more practical effects in a big way this week, standing next to a full-sized X-Wing! The short video promoted the Force for Change UNICEF program, which could bag you a set visit, a part in the film, and a prescreening in your hometown for you and 20 friends. Totally worth it in every way. Go to omaze.com/starwars to donate—there's only 2 days left!

Simon Kinberg Doesn't Know How to Make X-Men Crossover with Fantastic Four.

My take: Kinberg said just today that the characters can't exist in the same universe because they've never made reference to each other before. He can only see the franchises crossing each other's paths if there is a dimensional jump introduced somehow. Pardon my French…but what an idiot.

TELEVISION

The Flash and Arrow Set to Crossover Mid-Season.

My take: Now that it's been established that the DCTVU and the DCCU will not coexist, it's time to make some big plans. These two big shows will not only share the same universe but will crossover in a big way in the form of mid-season extravaganzas (and possibly cliffhangers).

Batman 1966 DVD Panel at Comic-Con.

My take: On a more (arguably) lackluster year of panels, hype is huge for a show that went off the air 40 years ago! If DC is smart, they'll use the (likely) large crowd to promote some upcoming shows like Arrow, Constantine, and The Flash.

Star Wars Rebels Trailer 2.

My take: This series is going to depend on A) how annoying that little astro droid "Chopper" is and B) how inept they make the Stormtroopers seem. I love the design of the show, which is closer to the original trilogy for this Star Wars purist.

Lucy Lawless Joins Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

My take: She's been playing plenty of less "Xena" or tough-lady roles through the years, and this might be an opportunity to flex her muscles again. I'm not sure who she's playing quite yet, but the stronger actors and bigger names this show gets, the more likely I am to give it a second chance.

FXX to Air 522 Episodes of The Simpsons in a Row.

The network won syndication rights to the show and they'll celebrate on August 21 by airing all 552 episodes of The Simpsons back-to-back. The 24-hour marathon will go until September 2nd and will be the longest marathon in TV history.

How I Met Your Mother DVD Set in September.

My take: I know I'm in the minority here, but I just couldn't get into this show. I gave it a good chance, but I found it too "sitcom"—and this is coming from someone who watches The Big Bang Theory. In any case, the full series, plus the alternate ending, will be available for you in September so you can watch the mystery all over again.

COMIC BOOKS

Changes to Marvel's "Big Three."

My take: I'll just cover all three in one paragraph here. Sam Wilson will be the new Captain America, Thor will be a new female character, and Iron Man is about to become an antihero in Superior Iron Man. I'm fine with all of these changes and looking forward to how they play out. Superior Spider-Man was a lot of fun and everyone knows these changes will be temporary as well. As soon as Avengers: Age of Ultron is about to release, Marvel can set all the characters back to normal, put all these books back to #1 and have a sales bonanza.

Batman's 75th Birthday!

My take: If you didn't know it was Batman's 75th anniversary, you must not have gone onto Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram today. There are contests all over the place if you wanted to win some stuff.

Hulk to be Smart Again.

My take: If you've been reading comic books as long as I have, you still remember "Smart Hulk." It was a combination of Bruce Banner, Green Hulk, and Grey Hulk having all agreed to occupy one body and stop fighting (yes, seriously).

VIDEO GAMES

Disney Infinity Going Marvel Bonkers.

My take: This game I just found out about is blowing my mind. The little figures that go with this series are absolutely adorable and have me ready to buy a PS4 this Fall to get the full Avengers team.

Good news Warcraft fans! Those who attended San Diego Comic-Con this week were treated to something special at the Legendary booth. The official logo for the Warcraft full-length film was revealed and posted across social media.

Based on the long-running series by Blizzard Entertainment of the same name, Warcraft is currently scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on March 11, 2016.

What does everyone think of the new logo? Is it cool, lame, or should they have just stuck with the original iconic Warcraft logo?

Entertainment Weekly has released an image of Colton Haynes dressed in full costume as Arsenal for season 3 of Arrow, coming this fall.

Supposedly, he will be using the Arsenal name, which is one of the three primary monikers that Roy Harper used in the comics.

The other two were Speedy—seemingly given to Thea Queen instead, considering that is her pet nickname that Ollie calls her on the show—and Red Arrow.

Personally, I was hoping that Red Arrow would be the identity Roy Harper uses on the show. Not only is it more simplistic and fitting in this universe where Oliver Queen himself has been The Hood and The Arrow, but it also opens up the possibility that someone else takes the Arsenal name.

Who would that be?

Easy: John Diggle.

Diggle was an original creation for this series and has no firm rooting in the comics. Since he comes from no foundation, the showrunners are able to do whatever they please with him. Considering how some canonical elements have been changed in the show already (Malcolm Merlyn being more of an adversary than Tommy, who was never a friend of Oliver's in the comics to begin with; the whole crazy trichotomy with the addition of Sara Lance, Laurel Lance, and Dinah Lance; etc), it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to imagine changing who Arsenal is.

Plus, there is an obvious difference in weaponry between the Red Arrow and Arsenal characters. The former relies predominantly on—you guessed it—red arrows. The latter tends to use guns, explosives, and so on. If Roy is using red arrows and Diggle has shown numerous times to be more proficient and comfortable with a pistol than anything else, then why not just give the Arsenal name to him? His military background alone should suffice for a justification.

That still is a possibility, as Entertainment Weekly did not have any sound bites or statements with their picture that confirm the codename Arsenal will be used. There is a chance that it is just speculation on their part and Red Arrow will be the one that the show goes with.

At last! The first part of The Curse of Naxxramas expansion has arrived! I waited patiently for the exact release time (about 2 pm EST yesterday) and fought the lag to review every corner of the first wing: Arachnid Quarter!

So, after the menacing trailer and promises and hopes of a great and difficult adventure, I immediately had a slight letdown: only three bosses. Well, all right, Blizzard had already announced that, and I remembered I would have to wait patiently for the next few weeks to have the whole dungeon available, three bosses per wing. Nuts.

Regardless, it's a nice change of scenery, as the game "table" is now in a darker room and has spooky jazz music attached to a new board. Behold the first boss: Anub'Rekhan!

The Worshipper is quite powerful. Don't let them stack in Heroic!

I decided to enter with my numero uno mage deck, because between spells and minions, it's my most balanced. I disregarded the whole must-live-off-of-silence-minion-cards thing going around the interwebs that mystified the new deathrattle cards. I went in dry; such is the badass that I am, although I had one Ironbeak Owl (I always do).

Kel'Thuzad taunts you as the game goes on. The cards are dealt, and the first thing I see is a Nerubian Egg, which I foolishly destroyed with a Frostbolt only to have a 4/4 minion replace it. Duh. Apart from that mishap, Anub'Rekhan was pretty easy, and even a bit of a letdown. Bang! Deathwing up his arse. The only noteworthy phenomenon to mention was that he drew a class-specific card, the warlock's Mortal Coil, indicating that some strange deck acrobatics was to reveal itself.

Anub'Rekhan's final words.

Pwn, the new fragrance by Deathwing.

The next opponent, Grand Widow Faerlina, I thought would be very difficult, but I was wrong. Well, almost. I won by a close thread, but I guess my deck wasn't tailored to fight Worshipper minions combined with her Hero Power. Once again, this boss pulled a class specific card, although it was a much more random one: the warrior's Rampage, which revealed this boss to be a warrior class. Shouldn't these bosses all be an undead class of sorts? Mortal Coil = makes sense. Rampage = dangerously random. Oh well. Deathwing made sure I wouldn't have to go for a second attempt at her. Begone, witch! On with the final boss.

"Kill Ironbeak Owl, or remove it for another silence?" The brain of a spider...

Maexxna was complicated. His or her (or its) Hero Power is as annoying as it is interesting: remove a random enemy minion back to the opponent's hand. You can see how something like the Mana Wyrm would be useless against it. Or him. Or her. Blah.

Needless to say, I had to fish out another deck. My mage was no good. But what about the warrior, with weapons and charge minions? How about a bit of luck and bad AI to top that? My next attempt at Maexxna was the good one: I had an Ironbeak Owl that I would lay down and silence one of those annoying Haunted Creepers (which spawn two 1/1 Spectral Spiders)… only to have Maexxna use its Hero Power on the Ironbeak Owl for me to silence another minion on the next turn. You can see where this is going. After numerous freebies with the Owl and Arathi Weaponsmiths (and Maexxna's reluctance to simply murder-death-kill those minions), it occurred to me that using Deathwing on Maexxna was useless, and that was my triumph card! It would clear any current minions, sure, but I would also lose the cards I had on hand. But with 6 cards left in my deck and an Arcanite Reaper somewhere in there, it was only a matter of time. I cleared Maexxna's minions until I got the weapon and ended it there. It wasn't easy but definitely not hard.


So, I unlocked the class challenges: druid and rogue. I would concentrate on Heroic mode later on. Ok, not bad: I have a good druid deck. Rogue is not my forte, but I can put together a good deck. This is where it got a little weird; you have no control over the class challenge decks whatsoever. They appear to be preset. My druid began with a Nerubian Egg, Swipe, and Hogger, so legendary cards are available as well. I defeated Grand Widow Faerlina on the first attempt. Gotta craft a Hogger ASAP!

The rogue, however, was difficult because it's versus Maexxna, and damn that Hero Power! I had none of the classic cheap rogue spells we so love and hate (which actually gives you more deck space due to the constant return of your minions to your hand; battlecries and charges are super valuable). That made me have to battle three more times until I beat Maexxna. I don't know if I got lucky or if the AI is really that stupid: Tinkmaster Overspark was returned to me twice, and I turned one of his minions into a Squirrel and one of my lesser minions into a Devilsaur. Yes, Maexxna had minions to off Overspark in those turns. The Hero Power is used almost instantaneously in the beginning of each turn, which makes the boss predictable and strategy free, so I used that to my advantage. Now, Heroic is where the fun begins.

Anub'Rekhan, not so noob now.

The bosses now have 45 health. A significant increase, but that's not all: their Hero Powers are stronger. Anub'Rekhan summons a 4/4 Nerubian rather than a 3/1, Widow Faerlina has 2/5 Worshipper minions rather than 1/4, and Maexxna had a zero-cost Hero Power that return two! random minions back to your hand. So how hard was Heroic?

I defeated Anub'Rekhan in one try. Then, I defeated Grand Widow Faerlina in one try, always with my warrior. Then, shit hit the fan. It took me around 10 entire tries to nail Maexxna to the 8-limbed star cross. I tried a customed mage deck, thinking freeze spells and others would clear out the minions until Archmage Antonidas or Deathwing or something showed up. Naught. I tried my warrior. Charge! Poof. I tried my priest deck, figuring healing would help, but that was as useless as the warrior's Armor Up!

Maexxna's problem is the constant flurry of Haunted Creepers coupled with Shade of Naxxramas. A good amount of minions at all times helps counter the annoying Hero Power, which now returns two units to your hand. How to defeat Maexxna in Heroic mode?

The holy deck

Paladin! Low-cost healing and silencing minions are a plus. If you have a Mind Control Tech, or better yet, two of them, use them! Maexxna will have four minions by turn three and will return your minions to your hand no matter what, so when bigger creatures make an appearance, such as Anub'ar Ambusher and Spectral Knight you can take them away and have them in your hand for your own pleasure. Couple a few spells and charge minions as well, such as Blessing of Might and Blessing of Wisdom (to 'curse' one of Maexxna's minions with, drawing you a card whenever it attacks). Don't disregard one important factor: time! Turns will go by with this cat-and-mouse bonanza, and although I had a good amount of control over the board, I only beat Maexxna with one health left and no cards in my deck. There's a picture to prove it, too! I had to face a Sea Giant, King Krush and others before I laid the octo-legged bastard to sleep.

The reason a Paladin is so handy is that you can summon Silver-Hand Recruits and place them on the board, leaving you with more of a chance to keep stronger units on the board when the Hero Power puts back two random minions. Try to balance destroying Maexxna's units along with dealing damage to the enemy hero, eventually wearing it down. You will never truly dominate the game due to its Hero Power unless you alter between targeting minions and Maexxna as well as an occasional heal. I'm putting a picture of my deck for you guys to see. Good? Or just lucky? You decide!

The near-sexual thrill of seeing this was worth the attempts

I'm sure to find a way to beat the last Heroic boss with a mage, I just have to find the right combos. A rogue can also heavily benefit from the minion returns, such as with the SI:7 Agent and its combo. I never bought any cards apart from in-game gold, so maybe I'm missing a few.

Now that I've walked you through, I'll give you the lowdown:

This is a great addition to an already awesome and addictive game. I'm holding back on the score I'll give to this expansion because it's been partially released. So far, I can say that, despite finishing the Arachnid Quarter with some ease (apart from the final Heroic boss), it was entertaining and interesting to have certain new cards available as I progressed. I just hope there are varied challenges in the next part. The class challenges didn't really do it for me either. The only thing I ask is for a more difficult challenge (I'm not even that good, never made it past Rank 14, two stars). Oh well, see you guys in the Plague Quarter!

Did you guys manage to defeat all bosses in Heroic mode? Comment and share your plights and triumphs for Stormwind!

Hmm, no medals, no awards, no cake?

Readers. As you all know, I am The Fan of Nonsense…If there ever was one. Personally, I feel the world wouldn't be much without it. It is, in my opinion, already mundane and practically eventless. I suspect it's the reason the joke was invented to begin with. Who knows, but I can say that my tastes tend to lean toward sci-fi/fantasy/action books rather than light comedic/light sci-fi. So, it may come as a surprise when I announce that recently I read through the pages of a comedic gem written by Jackie Kingon, an obviously intelligent woman/teacher/artist/author.

From the onset, Chocolate Chocolate Moons becomes a book that you know you will, if not directly, then eventually finish. Ever since I read the Damon Runyon Omnibus, somewhere around 14 years ago, I've always wanted to pick something up that was just as clever. I'm certain this is it. Although the writing styles differ, in that the DRO is more of an adult Catcher in the Rye, it hit me with the same brick of intelligent writing and shenanigans.

Chocolate Chocolate Moons is a book brimming with misguided reasoning, insanely inaccurate historical references, and quirky characters. I must admit, I was not initially sucked in, but the unending wordplays were a treat that I could not help but gorge myself on, which is almost a trait I share with the main character of this book.

Molly is an eater. Everyone else in the galaxy? Not so much. Picture this: It's far into the future; take your pick of what planet you might want to live on. The gravity of these varying planets has changed the physiques of the modern human into something of a stick, and health supplements have become a part of every person's daily life. The short story? She is looked at through disgusted eyes, but she has a platter of other issues considering her favorite candy, "Chocolate Chocolate Moons" has been putting folks into comas. It must be time to go rogue detective.

This book was the most cleverly written nonsense I have ever read, packed to the brim with funny events, silly remarks, and a pretty ridiculous Schrodinger Box joke that made me smile for the better part of the night. While I still prefer to read sci-fi/fantasy of a much more masculine persuasion, it goes, though not without saying, I would definitely read Jackie Kingon's work again, because life is too short not to laugh, and she is an author  lhooves to make me laugh.

Tell me what you think downstairs!

As the release date for Dragon Age: Inquisition was closing in quickly, I wrote an article outlining the good and bad features of each game in the Dragon Age series. To my shock and dismay, Electronic Arts has delayed the release by a month to November 18 in the US and November 21 in Europe. Though game delays this year are far from uncommon, this one came as a shock since BioWare has been releasing game play videos, amassing hype with confidence. Mark Darrah, Executive Producer of Dragon Age: Inquisition, says that the extra time is for polishing and putting the finishing touches on the game in his official announcement.

That's not all, another hugely anticipated title is being delayed—Battlefield Hardline. This game was supposed to come out this holiday season, however it has now been pushed back to early 2015. This was surprising considering this is considered one of EA's flagship games; a Battlefield release is pretty much guaranteed to bring in great revenue. EA may not be too concerned though, due to promising earnings so far this year. In the official announcement, Karl Magnus Troedsson, Vice President and General Manager of the Swedish development company DICE, explains that the delay was based upon the observations at the E3 beta event. They want to give more depth to the multiplayer mode, more development of the story, and enhance stability of gameplay.

2014 has been a hard year for releases with so many delays. Were you looking forward to either of these games and are you shocked by the announcement of the delays? What other games have been delayed that you were looking forward to? Comment below.

The Last of Us was one of the PlayStation 3's most popular games, and with the release of The Last of Us Remastered on PlayStation 4 coming up on July 29, many gamers were disappointed when Sony and Naughty Dog announced there would be no discount for owners of the PS3 version of the game who wished to upgrade. Luckily GameStop has decided to step in and change that.

Between July 27 and August 2, GameStop will cut the price of the game in half for anyone trading in the PS3 version, knocking it down from $50 to $25. That's an awesome deal and since the price was the main reason I didn't want to get the PS4 version before, nothing's really stopping me now. The game looked gorgeous on PS3, yet Naughty Dog somehow made it look so much better on the PS4. With the excellent Left Behind DLC included as well, it's really hard to pass this one up.

Courtesy of Gamespot. I'm blown away by the visual improvements Naughty Dog has made.

What do you guys think? For anyone who owns the PS3 version of The Last of Us, are you more likely to upgrade now? If you've never played the game at all, are you considering diving in with the PS4 version? Let us know in the comments!

On October 7th, 2014 (for North America and October 10th, 2014 for Europe), developer BioWare via publisher Electronic Arts will be releasing Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third full console installment of the Dragon Age series. The previous console releases, Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II (I'm not including any DLC in this article), had a mixed bag of game elements that were found both great and lacking  at times. This begs the question of "How does this new addition stand up?" Let's take a look at the previous releases and their inner workings to reveal what worked and what didn't in the development of the anticipated Inquisition.

The series had a solid start with Dragon Age: Origins. The story for this game revolved around the coming of the fifth blight in which the darkspawn zombies invade. It features many choices that not only impact what ending you see, but also the continuous game play. Some choices will determine who you can have in your party and what events will be available to you in future events and games.

Choices also impact your romantic interests. In Dragon Age, you are able to build relationships with your party members which can ultimately turn into romance. The progression of the relationship is based on an affection system. Once it's high enough, your allies will tell you personal information and you can eventually flirt with them and even bed them (which include some heated, yet sometimes awkward cut scenes). Bethesda included heterosexual and homosexual relationships giving players more freedom over their avatar.

The controversial aspects for the game are in the setting and combat aspects. The settings are lush, detailed, and well designed. However, the environment wasn't large enough to embody the epic story that the game has. Though it wasn't a major strike against the game, such an epic story seemed to need more open movement. In combat, the skill trees were well defined and plotted out, but it wasn't exciting to play as an offline game. Combat was similar to most MMOs where you pick an enemy and auto-attacks begin while you click skills and wait for cool downs. Impact animations and their sound effects didn't add much to create an immersive, visceral feel.

The second release, Dragon Age II, is a direct sequel with a completely different premise. While Origins focused on surviving and triumphing over the blight, this game focuses on the social and political aspects of the world. This is a nice twist and grants a new perspective of the Dragon Age universe. It also incorporates choices that you made in the first game which impacts several aspects of the story. While this game vastly improved the ailing of the first game, Dragon Age II has its own shortcomings as well as making some already negative aspects worse.

Graphically, all aspects were improved. Models are more detailed, textures are more robust, colors are more saturated and there are less anti aliasing issues. Combat also improves greatly. What used to be press and wait system becomes action packed, meaningful button presses. Even mages, which are usually known in games for cast times, have combos to perform. Detailed skill trees are maintained and re-balanced so that there are more viable combinations. Combat becomes fun and intense!

The social interactions of the game remained an integral part of the game. The new cast is a motley crew from different backgrounds which leads to juicy drama, hilariously awkward situations and devastating consequences. Some of your allies distrust each other to the point in which you may have choose between them.

The main shortcoming of this Dragon Age II was the scope of the setting. The majority of the game takes place within a few areas of the town in which you start. This works for some games but feels too small here. Though locations change as years pass in the game, you begin to feel a bit caged as you visit the same locations over and over again. Many of the areas are larger than in Origins, but that doesn't save it from a claustrophobic feeling.

The story is a surprising shortcoming. The premise was grand and sets the stage for the third game where the friction between the mages and the templars, the social status of the Dalish, and the arrival of the Qunari warships finally comes to ahead. However, it gets mixed up in minor quarrels and tasks and is further diminished by awkward pacing. You don't feel the weight of the quickly deteriorating world.. The story sometimes focuses too much on deeds that help you rise in social and political power, personal scenarios, and minor things that are barely tied to the premise. Though it is a good game, at times, it starts to feel like a really long DLC than a stand-alone game.

As Dragon Age: Inquisition draws near, there are things I hope return and others I hope are introduced.  One thing I hope returns is the long lasting sense of urgency, hopelessness, and desperate to survive feeling from Origins. The story is much too epic for that feeling to be missing or even present in the back of your mind. Strong social interactions have been done very well should be tied closer to the story. The setting allows for interactions that can be emotional, funny or fearsome. Dragon Age II had a degree of personal development of the players avatar and there is a lot of room for development of the allies. However, the main character's development feels more like a reference for others rather than a focal point of the game.

The development team at BioWare has already been releasing media on the new addition. From videos released so far, it looks like that action filled combat is back in a big way along with beautiful graphics featuring improved shades and textures. Though it's not open-world, they promote that this world is much more expansive. I'm looking forward to more news and videos on the game to form a better opinion. Here's hoping it'll soar leagues above its predecessors.

How did you feel about the previous releases? What are you looking forward to in Dragon Age: Inquisition? Let me know in the comments below.

The Dace Man has gone off the grid after a strange farewell two weeks ago. After the show has taken a unusual week off, Frank Ward has taken the podcast and is running with a mini-series, The Dace Man Show Presents: Frank's Corner The Podcast! What does Frank have on his mind when he has the airwaves all to himself? What does he have in store for the show in The Dace Man's absence? Will The Dace Man return? Lastly…. where the hell was Gibby? All that and more on week one of Frank's Corner The Podcast!

Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime 

Okay readers, I've set my eyes upon yet another exceptionally odd (in a good way) comic. The feeling in Chuck Amadori's Pale Dark is very eerie but definitely begins in a very similar way to his Tether comic. Rather than young females being held captive for purposes of coliseum-based economics, the Pale Dark comic series begins with a young man incarcerated for reasons beyond his grasp and especially beyond ours. It takes a little more reading to get beyond the interview room.

In the interrogation room, this young man is being less than cooperative, screaming at his captors about his rights and freedom. If you are trying to get a hold on the situation, think of a young smartass from a Dick Wolf Production, a man who thinks he has the upper hand. After a vague interview, he is informed that he, in fact, has no rights any longer and, of course, is the property of his captors. Who are his captors?

Moving on, he is thrown into a cell with a man who has lost most of his marbles and another who seems to know the ropes quite well. He is given a simple piece of advice. There's one rule in this shadowed, godforsaken place, only one thing you can do to survive at least a little bit longer. There will be torture, and when there is, "Don't Scream." Simple, right?

From here, the half-baked plan to escape develops. One can only stand torture for so long, but the problem is that escape might not be so easy. Where is this dark and unsettling place? Perhaps he is in an underground fortress, deep beneath foreign soil. How could he even escape this room?

The great thing about Chuck Amadori's Pale Dark (something I didn't know, but maybe you did): It was a short film at one time, perhaps intended to be something of a series eventually.One does the best one can with what one has. The films just didn't have the backing to carry them. Years later the title was revisited; once again, the financing was too overwhelming, but as a comic perhaps it will have the juice. Chuck Amadori and Isle2 certainly have my backing. The comic drew me in. It definitely piqued my interest enough for a revisit to the title, and I will for sure. Tell me what you think downstairs.

On episode 8 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about San Diego Comic Con 2014.

What has been announced that we're excited about and what are we hoping will surprise us?

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Mike Paden, Orion Petitclerc, and Jenn Siegel.


Some topics we address:

• Hannibal: Embrace the Madness
• Inside The Big Bang Theory Writers' Room
• Greendale Forever: TV Guide Magazine's Tribute to Community
• Person of Interest Special Video Presentation and Q&A
• Arrow season 3
• DC Godhead and DC Band-Aid
• Mattel and WWE: Over-the-Top-Action!
• Your Opinion Sucks: Rotten Tomatoes Critics vs. Fans
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Star Wars: Episode VII
• and more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Anyone who has ever picked up a pencil and set of dice and rolled a character for a tabletop role-playing game knows how hard it is to create a player character that will survive the upcoming quest. It's even rarer for those characters to transcend the genre and pop up in other forms across a variety of platforms. Jim Zubkavich, the writer behind titles as Samurai Jack, Figment, the upcoming Wayward series, and too many Pathfinder issues to count, has been given the opportunity to put his own spin on a couple of characters near and dear to our hearts.

Minsc and Boo. Holy crap.

Zubkavich has been tapped to write an upcoming comic book miniseries for Wizards of the Coast that's set to tie in with the Forgotten Realms Neverwinter comic. It's set in Baldur's Gate and features the beloved Minsc and Boo.

I know. Just breathe with me.

I had an opportunity to ask Zubkavich a couple of questions about the upcoming project. While he couldn't give me any spoilers (really though, would you want them? I don't.), he was able to speak about the process and his excitement about being able to work on such an amazing project.

October Young: You're an avid D&D player, having played for many years. Tell me what went through your mind when you found out that you would be writing the Baldur's Gate miniseries, complete with Minsc and Boo.

Jim Zubkavich: The idea of using Minsc and Boo came up during a larger conference call about the comic, and I think Mike Mearls or Greg Bilsland might have suggested it first, but it really energized the whole conversation. Based on everything I've seen so far, D&D Fifth Edition is balancing the past and the present to be a streamlined modern game that doesn't lose its crucial and beloved legacy. Bringing back fan favorite characters like Minsc and Boo works well with that mission. That said, it was exciting and intimidating to realize I was being entrusted with Baldur's Gate, a vision of D&D that millions of people have played over the years.

Cover Art for Baldur's Gate

OY: There have been many examples of the kind of impact Minsc and Boo have had on the role-playing community, whether it be tabletop, in story form, or in other video games. Have you personally come across any homages to the duo, and what are they? Or just comment on their popularity, because I like them and want to know.

JZ: Before I start any new project, I always dig in and do research, even when I know the subject matter. I want to familiarize myself and get to the core of what makes the whole thing tick, so I can be sure I'm building on the proper foundation that's been set up. Researching Misc and Boo was a bit of a shock. These secondary characters from a 16-year-old video game are still near and dear to the hearts of so many people. Fan art, fan fiction, fan sites, lists of quotes, and articles about the impact they made on players. It kind of blew me away, actually. It really shows the quality that Bioware put into that game series.

OY: One could assume that anyone reading your work would have some familiarity with the genre; you wrote many issues of Pathfinder, also based on an RPG. Is there any concern for first-time readers? How will they find the storyline if they have no experience with the Forgotten Realms?

JZ: That's a totally valid concern, and something I wanted to make sure was clear right from the get-go when we got this started. Having Minsc and Boo in this story is a real treat for fans of Baldur's Gate, but I wanted to make sure our overall comic story was new reader-friendly. Minsc's courageous confusion works well without much backstory explanation, and the new threats he and his friends face are laid out clearly for readers. It's a sword and sorcery story that both longtime fans and new players alike can pick up and enjoy without any prior knowledge of Baldur's Gate, the Forgotten Realms, or even D&D.

OY: Will the Baldur's Gate miniseries rely on established characters and situations from the video game, or have you decided on a new direction that will match up with the next Neverwinter installment to be released in August?

Sketch of Baldur's Gate.

JZ: Our story takes place after the "Murder in Baldur's Gate" community adventure released last year, and in the midst of the "Tyranny of Dragons" events that coincide with the launch of D&D Fifth Edition. But, again, you don't need prior knowledge to dig in to this comic story. Over 100 years have passed since the events of the Baldur's Gate video game, so Minsc is going to be even more confused than usual, but there will be some fun nods to his past adventures. All of it is "in play" in some form or another.

OY: Realizing that she is part of the Neverwinter storyline, any chance we will see TIAMAT anywhere in the series? Please say yes, even if it's only a flick of her tail.

JZ: She keeps showing up in all that game promo art, doesn't she? I can't really say more than that at this early stage, sorry.

OY: Can you give us a hint as to who else might show up during the series?

JZ: There will be a couple long-lived familiar faces from the Baldur's Gate game series, and some of their progeny as well. Character creation is such a crucial part of D&D, and I didn't want to miss out on introducing some new characters that I hope readers will grow attached to as the story progresses. Getting a chance to be a part of Dungeons & Dragon's 40th anniversary and the rollout of a new edition is an absolute honor. I hope readers jump on board the story that artist Max Dunbar and I are putting together.

With the possibility of a Tiamat sighting and the inclusion of two of the most beloved characters ever to come out of a tabletop RPG, I cannot wait for this to be released.

What do you think? Will you pick this book up once it's out?

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.

MOVIES

First Look at Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

My take: I'm not shy to admit that I started reading comics a very, very long time ago. Ultron is one of my all-time favorite super villains, as he plagued The West Coast Avengers of my youth. I'm thankful they never, or rarely, altered his design in the comics (except when he was in the form of Janet Van Dyne, that was messed up). His design here is very close to the books, just as they did with the Iron Man suit. A good move. Hopefully, he's as menacing in live-action as I've always considered him in the books.

Bob Orci NOT Confirmed for Star Trek 3?

My take: So many projects are becoming so up-in-the-air it really makes you worry about the huge movie seasons coming up in 2015 and 2016. Now, Orci, who we thought was signed on for Star Trek 3, is only directing after script approval? Not only that…..

Bob Orci Leaves The Amazing Spider-Man 3?

My take: He has not only left the project to work on other films (see above) but he literally left, what he suggests, might be a sinking ship of ideas. Even he doesn't know where the series is heading and that's a horrible sign for Spidey's on-screen future.

Fantastic Four Will Introduce New Origin?

My take: Apparently the cast of the upcoming reboot is forbidden (okay, it's at least frowned upon) from reading any of the comic books. Apparently the movie will not draw on the book's history in any way, not necessarily keep the same character personality traits. It sounds like not only will they not be Marvel's First Family, but they possibly won't even be adventurers or scientists?

TELEVISION

Gotham Will Constantly Tease The Joker's Origin.

My take: Producers are packing this show full of established villains including The Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, and more. The series will also tease The Joker with multiple red herrings, introducing a variety of characters who the viewer could consider for the Clown Prince of Crime. Personally, I'm curious how the show will be handled. Any murder done with an umbrella, I'll have solved right away, so the detective angle needs to be clever.

Full Doctor Who Series 8 Trailer.

My take: I'm still behind on this show, I'm only just now on Season 4, but I finally get it. The series is campy and cheap-looking but it's a serial that is often one of the most entertaining shows I watch in a given week. I'll be doing my best to rush through Seasons 4-7 to catch up.

Emmy Nomination "Snubs."

My take: The most telling of all of the so-called Emmy "snubs" (there's so much TV out there, people, and only so many categories) is the loss of The Simpsons from "Outstanding Animated Series." This is the first time since 1995 the show has not been nominated and it may signal the right time for the beloved series to consider bowing out. Imagine how well Futurama would do with the Sunday, 8 p.m. time slot?

Star Wars Rebels Details.

My take: The more I see of this series, still in production, the more excited I get. Although I'm sure it will be geared towards kids, the design and style seems to be much more genuine to the original trilogy than any of the Star Wars we've seen since 1999.

COMIC BOOKS

Thor to Become a Lady Thor, I Mean, Just Thor.

My take: Marvel has so many changes going on in its books that I can barely keep track. Is Tony Stark still Iron Man? Steve Rogers is no longer Captain America, and now Thor will no longer be Thor? This isn't the first time the official Son of Odin has been replaced, so I don't see this lasting past the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, same with Rogers returning to uniform.

Batgirl New Direction and Creative Team.

My take: When the changes to Batgirl were announced, at first I was like, "wha-?" but then I was like "…yeah, I get it." If the entire DCU was rebooted and their histories tied down to a five-year timeline, it makes sense that Barbara Gordon would be younger and in grad school. I always loved Tim Drake but hated how he acted like a brooding 30-something while attending high school (back in the glory days when he had his own book and DC continually made sense). The new, younger design for Babs' costume is also cool, in my books. Initially I couldn't imagine her being so lazy as to wear those boots but it helps youth her up a little. Nobody does dark better than Batman, so I'm fine with his related crime-fighters having a lighter book.

Batman "End Game" Teased to April, 2015.

My take: The next big story for the bat-books, "End Game" (or, "EndGame," we'll see what DC finally decides on) will take the series through to the mysterious month of April, 2015. Almost all DC crossovers, including the time-jumping Future's End will culminate that month. This suggests DC has something huge cooking for 2015, possibly another "crisis."

Grayson #1.

My take: Speaking of another crisis for DC, if anything gets unwritten or rebooted (again…), I hope it's this version of Dick's life. His identity was revealed and, as far as most of the DCU knows, he's dead. Although I'm all for shake-ups every now and again, who wants to read Batman comics without a masked Dick Grayson? That being said, I did enjoy #1. I appreciate a book that doesn't waste my money on a slow build-up where this book drops us in the middle of a mission. The story leaves questions unanswered and many more raised.

Oh hi, Internet! Tommy Wiseau made a name for himself with his cult-classic schlock film The Room. It was a movie that's become so popular for its flagrancy that James Franco is in the process of making a biopic about the production of the film. Shortly after, Wiseau announced a new project: a sitcom titled The Neighbors in which he already had a pilot episode filmed and ready for showing. Of course, in true Wiseau fashion, this pilot has never been seen. The only evidence that it even exists is a short 90-second trailer that's been lingering for years.


Fans of his work exploded when today, after years of silence, TheNeighborsSitcom.com was launched along with another preview of the show. Again in true Wiseau fashion, this new preview only seems to make things more confusing and comes off more as an ad for a new underwear line (and they weren't called "me underwears"?? Missed opportunity if you ask me). Yes, you actually can buy the advertised undergarments on Tommy's website.


The show, now renamed Tommy Wiseau's The Neighbors, features our hero wearing a horrible toupee and that's about all you can surmise as far as plot goes. Perhaps the official site can shed some more light on this.

The Neighbors is a sitcom about the relationship between a group of neighbors who live together in an apartment building. The lead character is Charlie, the manager of the building. The tenants are a diverse group of personalities: all of different ages and backgrounds...In the pilot: Mariana is obsessed about bugs in her apartment. Monica catches her boyfriend Den in bed with Patrick. Princess Penelope arrives and Darren serenades her with accompaniment from the other tenants. Richard becomes Princess Penelope's butler and handyman. Ed prepares a birthday party for Bebe. – TheNeighborsSitcom.com

So there you go. We can look forward to more of Tommy's awkward romance stories along with a girl obsessed with bugs. I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait. The website promises the series will be "coming September 2014!" No news as far as where the show will be available. While I'd love to be able to turn on Comedy Central and see Tommy's face every week, it'll presumably be distributed on some Internet avenue.

Will you watch Tommy's new sitcom? Do you think it will be able to hold up to the level of "so bad it's good" that everyone has grown to expect from him? Leave your comments below and check back here for any updates on the show's premiere!

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Another week, another tantalizing bit of potential Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice news! I say "potential" because like most of this stuff, it isn't confirmed, and there's suspicion that some of this information comes from a fake script Warner Bros. purposefully leaked to keep people guessing about the story. Still, some of it sounds like it could really work, so let's get to it.

Several sites, ComicBookMovie among them, report on several characters rumored to be added to the film. The list: Victor Zsasz, Morgan Edge, David Cain, Amanda Waller, Jason Todd, Kyle Rayner, and Carrie Kelley.

Whoof. There's a lot of fan service right there, and there's almost no way they can pack all of those characters meaningfully into one film. The first four were leaked just before the others, and I think they're more likely to be featured. Let's break 'em down.

Zsasz.

Victor Zsasz is a notable but arguably B-list Batman villain. Several writers have used him to good effect since his first appearance in 1992, but seldom as the main villain. He's a serial killer with a creepy habit of cutting a mark into his skin for every one of his victims, criss-crossing himself with scars denoting every life he's taken. He appeared briefly in 2005's Batman Begins, played by Tim Booth, as a Falcone goon that Jonathan Crane treats at Arkham. He's an eerie character and one that I think would make a good side villain for Batman in the film. Batman will have to be doing something besides fight Superman, and a hardcore serial killer whom the Dark Knight can brutalize without a second thought sounds exactly like what Zack Snyder's trying to do with his Batman. It's possible that Scoot McNairy, recently cast into the film in a mystery role, could play this character.

Morgan Edge, current and original.

Morgan Edge is a Superman character, president of the larger media conglomerate that owns The Daily Planet. Eventually he becomes a villain, head of the international crime syndicate Intergang, and in the New 52 is a media mogul and sponsor of a superteam, Challengers of the Unknown. El Mayimbe of Latino Review claims that in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Morgan Edge is basically Lex Luthor's PR guy, a friend Lex grew up with, grew into crime with, and subsequently took with him into the business world. I think it's likely a character like this, if not Edge himself, exists in the film as a sounding board and cohort for Lex. We know Tao Okamoto plays Lex's bodyguard Mercy, but it stands to reason he'd have a professional cohort. This is another role that Scoot McNairy could play—or it could belong to another actor with a mystery role, Callan Mulvey. (Or vice versa, with Zsasz.)

David Cain, contract killer.

David Cain is an assassin in the DC Universe, a hard middle-aged man who once helped train Bruce Wayne before he became Batman. He also helped frame Wayne for murder. They might keep him around for such a plotline later on, because Cain is also notable for fathering Cassandra Cain's Batgirl, who was around for much of the '90s. For this film, my money is on Cain being just another side-quest for the titular heroes. Whether he'll be tasked with assassinating Batman or Superman is an interesting question, especially given the potential fourth character, Amanda Waller.

Waller is a heavyweight in the DCU, the head of the Suicide Squad (where incarcerated villains can take time off their sentence by accepting black-ops missions for the United States), and occasionally an adviser or friend to Lex Luthor. We've seen her before, in 2011's Green Lantern, played by Angela Bassett, and on Arrow, played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson. El Mayimbe again says that in the film, Waller is a hardline senator with no great love for Superman. She's a lynchpin character in the DCU, crossing over numerous different storylines and titles, and it makes sense she would appear sooner rather than later. It's rumored that DC has also been making attempts at getting a Suicide Squad movie into production, so her inclusion would be another step toward that.

Amanda Waller, pre- and post-New 52, respectively. Some cosmetic changes may have occurred.

The other names on the list—Jason Todd, Kyle Rayner, and Carrie Kelly—are exciting but less likely, and here's why: they're all legacy heroes. By that, I mean they inherited or took over the superhero identity of someone before them. Jason Todd is the second Robin, whom Bruce Wayne took in after the original, Dick Grayson, became Nightwing. He's infamous for being killed by the Joker and later revived to become a Batman villain (a good one, too). Kyle Rayner is another link in the ever-lengthening Green Lantern chain, the fourth in more modern GL mythology, and the fifth overall. It just seems unlikely that the filmmakers would include Todd or Rayner, given how much of their backstory relies upon characters of the same name who preceded them. It's possible they're just being mavericks and adapting established characters for their own uses, but to me this sounds like fan service just to stir up some buzz.

Here we have Kyle Rayner, on the left and Jason Todd as Red Hood on the right. Rayner was given the last Green Lantern ring after the original, Hal Jordan, went on a rampage and destroyed the Corps. For a time, Rayner was the only GL in the universe. Jason Todd was a young, homeless thief when Batman took him in to train and steer down a better path. His violence and aggression got the better of him, though, resulting in his death at the hands of the Joker. Years later, after his memory haunted Batman for years, he was resurrected and took the moniker of an early Batman villain, becoming the Red Hood.


Carrie Kelley was Robin in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, which inspired much of this film's take on Batman, so it might actually be the most convincing of the bunch. Thinking about it, it's entirely conceivable and makes a weird sense that WB/DC would shuck the traditional Robins in favor of a female Robin. It would make their version stand out and help rectify the general lack of onscreen superheroines. The studio may still be wary about Robin, given the overall response to 1997's Batman Forever and 1999's Batman and Robin. Dick Grayson, the original Robin, appeared in both, played by Chris O'Donnell. Still, studios these days often stick with the generally established canon, and Dick Grayson is a good enough character that he deserves a second, better chance.

In the reports, there are also some mentions of Kord Industries—a reference to Ted Kord, the hero Blue Beetle—and to the planet Thanagar, where Hawkman and Hawkgirl are from. At a stage in the game where WB/DC seem to be taking the kitchen-sink approach to populating their next film, I suppose anything's possible. All three are, or have been in the past, major characters in the DCU, appearing not only in their own titles but across team books like Justice League as well. Hawkgirl was also featured as a main character in DC's animated Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series. I will say, however, it seems unlikely these characters would appear before a few of the A-list characters WB/DC have yet to debut.

Doomsday, introduced by Wonder Woman villain Dr. Psycho.

Most recently, it was reported that the Superman villain Doomsday would feature in the film, possibly as a last-minute cameo, a la Thanos at the end of Avengers. It would be best to introduce him that way, I think, as there just cannot be any more room for additional villains or characters in this movie anymore. Studios and filmmakers have been trying to put Doomsday onscreen ever since his 1992 debut storyline, "The Death of Superman," in which, well, yeah, he kills Superman (but only for a year). Doomsday, known also as "the Ultimate," was a monster born and genetically engineered on Krypton ages ago who eventually found his way off planet and killed his way across worlds until finally coming to Earth. Lex Luthor has attempted to clone or improve the being numerous times since then, and it's conceivable he'll have something to do with the creature's appearance in Dawn of Justice if, in fact, Doomsday does appear.

There you have it: latest news on the increasingly bloated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Think all of this is bunk, or does some of it ring true? Does it sound likely Warner would try to throw spoiler-sniffers off the scent with a fake script leak, or are all Fanboy dreams about to come true in this movie? Talk about it in the comments below!