Fanboys Anonymous

To those valiant enough to stick with Moon Knight after Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey's departure, I thank and welcome you to season 2! Issue #7 begins the next chapter in the saga with newcomers Brian Wood on the script and Greg Smallwood on the line art, if you didn't already know this from my last review. Jordie Bellaire remains the unifying factor between seasons 1 and 2 as the book's colorist to help ease the transition in creative teams, and although Shalvey is no longer working his moody magic on the interiors, he still hangs around and continues to provide his iconic, artsy covers.

Issue #6 left some big shoes to fill, but both Wood and Smallwood have stepped up to bat against all odds and made a convincing play with their first issue. The tradition of done-in-one short stories for each issue continues while revisiting another plot thread that has remained untouched since the first issue and won't be touched again until issue #9 in November.

In this issue, Moon Knight pursues a high-tech, stealthy assassin across Manhattan in a city-wide blackout. Again, Moon Knight's stark white suit plays a significant role for the character as he becomes the unfaltering and unforgiving beacon of light and vengeance during his night travels. There is more to the assassin than meets the eye, however, as his agenda transcends politics and hits home with Marc Spector's own origin story.


What I really loved about Ellis' run on the book was his attentiveness to the character's mythos; in every issue, there were key references to past Moon Knight stories, specifically during Doug Moench's excellent series in the '80s. Wood continues to appease Moon Knight fans with this issue, as it references both the character's iconic origin of rebirth in Sudan (or Egypt, for the modern rendition) and the morally challenging "Trial of Marc Spector" story from Marc Spector: Moon Knight, in which Marc's past comes back to haunt him as he's put on trial for aiding a despot's rise to power in the South American Republic of Bosqueverde.


Smallwood does a bang-up job in the art department; style is both reminiscent of Shalvey's own heavy inks and unique to his own credit. I really only had three issues with the art (lines and colors, to be fair), one of which the blame could partly be placed on Wood: first, the assassin's active digital camouflage was not at all convincing. He's running through the busy New York streets with large, pixelated color splotches covering his entire body except for his hands, head, and sniper rifle, and though the digital camo is supposed to be mimicking the background colors, it should've been easy enough for even the colorblind to spot a covert-ops type running past with a gun.


Second, there is a panel transition that is overall jarring if you're not an attentive reader that makes it look like Moon Knight just suddenly materializes out of nowhere to stop the bad guy. If you weren't paying close attention, you'd miss Moon Knight's obscured entrance in the "BANG"-shaped panel. Finally, I had an issue with Smallwood's Mr. Knight (now called Mr. Night, apparently; Nick Lowe and Ellie Pyle, you missed a spot) design, specifically the eyebrows. I know they're supposed to be representative of his browline, but they look like eyebrows to me, which is very awkward when superimposed over a relatively featureless white mask.

Moon Knight #7 did fairly well in the shadows of its predecessors—to dispel all ye naysayers who dropped the book as soon as Ellis and Shalvey left (shame on you!). It gets 4.5 stars out of 5 for the writing (that end twist!) and 4 out of 5 stars for the art. The new creative team suffers its first-time flaws, but I'm still confident as ever in the success of the series all around, regardless of creative switch-ups.

How do you think the new creative team did? What did you like about this issue, or what problems did you have? What are you looking forward to? Tell us below in the comments section, and continue to follow Fanboys Anonymous for more Moon Knight reviews by yours truly!

In a very surprising and gutsy move, streaming service Netflix has picked up the rights to air upcoming DC-based Gotham for its inaugural season.This is right after the company picked up The Blacklist from NBC for a cool $2 million an episode, and it's looking as though Gotham will go for around the same cost.

Variety is reporting that this deal is happening and that Netflix has "proved its willing to take risks for what it perceives to be top-shelf content." The deal for Blacklist is only for domestic rights, but this new bit about Gotham will be global and thus far more lucrative if the show proves to be a success.

The problem is, I don't see the show being successful. Sorry to pee in the punch bowl, but hear me out.

Gotham is set up as prequel of sorts to the saga of Batman in the city from which he spawns. Well, who cares? Batman isn't Batman yet on the show, he's just some snot-nosed brat, Bruce Wayne. Who will these young super villains fight? Does anyone really care about a Jim Gordon origin story? I don't. Commissioner Gordon only matters when he teams up with Batman to fight the evil crimelords residing in the city of Gotham. To me, this show has a limited shelf life. It seems as though the point is to show us how bad things are getting in the city—how crime-riddled the streets are before Batman shows up to clean house—but what does this accomplish? 

"Oh, things are soooo bad in Gotham, we need Batman!" Sorry, folks, he ain't coming for decades, you'll just have to suffer and watch bad guys do bad things, helpless and ineffectual. Much like Jim Gordon will be. For real, I don't get the appeal of a Batman show without Batman. They plan on introducing early versions of Bats' enemies, but again, who wants to see these characters not fighting with Batman? Part of what makes him so great is the level of power his enemies have. That won't happen here. Instead, we get a young Catwoman who looks like a cat; her head is literally shaped like a cat's. Remember that teacher in The Monster Squad? Like that, but worse.

Will this die a fast death like Birds of Prey, or does it (and Netflix's gamble) have a future? Sound off below.

More comic book film news from yours truly! I've got another bit for you all about DC and its moves toward getting some big box-office draws for their upcoming films. They need some names that will get people excited and butts in the seats come release time. The latest rumor involves BBC master thespian Benedict Cumberbatch and a yet to be determined role/film.

Cumberbatch is reportedly being considered for two films. One is the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the other is the Justice League film. His role would supposedly be that of Justice League member Martian Manhunter, but hold on a second here. For the Justice League movie, I understand the consideration. It hasn't been set up yet. But Martian Manhunter might appear in Batman v. Superman? What the hell, DC? That movie is already filming; it's been filming for weeks!

This makes no sense. First, there are too many characters jammed into the film as it is, and adding Maritan Manhunter adds more convolution to a crowded canvas. Second, how on Earth do they not already have this film cast? It's filming right now. I'm not Martin Scorsese or anything, but don't you cast a film first, then shoot?

In addition, BBC Newsbeat is reporting the role for this first film might be that of a villain. This must be bogus. Cumberbatch recently stated it was news to him that he was being considered for a role in Batman v. Superman [god, that's a pain in the neck to keep typing], so this may not be true at all. Of course, the actor might not tell even if it is true, but he doesn't seem to be the sort who tries to be evasive; he doesn't seem coy to me. 

Either way, is this a good idea? Would he fit the DC world well enough? Sound off below.

LET THERE BE LIPS! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, MAC cosmetics' upcoming fall line will include a wild and untamed collaboration with 20th Century Fox, featuring specially designed products to channel your inner Transylvanian and help you Time Warp in style!

Announced on the official Rocky Horror Fan Club page, the 21-piece collection gives righteous homage to Richard O'Brien's 1975 cult classic, and of course wouldn't be complete without the red lipstick. The line includes a 6-pan shadow palette, liquid eye liners, blush and bronzer, nail lacquers, gold and multicolored glitter, and faux eyelashes to achieve the iconic looks of Frank-n-Furter, Riff-Raff, and Magenta.

Every item in the collection dons the signature bitten red lips, and prices range from $17.50 for lipsticks up to $44.00 for the Riff-Raff eyeshadow palette.

Rocky Horror's bold and avant-garde style is perfect for Halloween—and this set is released just in time—but for true Rocky Horror fans, the collection is perfect for midnight shadow cast showings. If you're any good at makeup, you might be able to hide your Rocky Horror virgin status…but what fun would that be, to opt out of one of the most fun initiation experiences into the RHPS community? (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you find the closest shadow cast and give yourself over to absolute pleasure!)


In the nearly 40 years since the release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the film has been regularly screened at midnight showings around the country and has inspired hundreds of shadow casts to act out the entire film clad in full costume before the screen. Starting as a theatrical production, The Rocky Horror Show gave a humorous and cheeky tribute to science fiction and B-horror movies and quickly developed a cult following, making the film adaptation the longest-running release in film history.

Lou Adler, executive producer of the film, said, "It is hard to believe it has been almost 40 years since we released The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but as we approach this milestone anniversary, the film is as outrageously entertaining and relevant as it ever was. It has certainly taken on a life of its own, and continues to transcend generations and hold a solid spot in pop culture year after year."

MAC Cosmetics has previously released fandom-inspired lines, more recently The Simpsons collection to mark the cartoon's 25th anniversary.

So, come up to the lab and see what's on the slab…the Rocky Horror MAC collection will be available online September 29 and in store at MAC locations October 2.


Are you a die-hard creature of the night who will be running to MAC stores to pick up this collection? (I know I will!) Let us know what you think in the comments below.

I remember being really young and asking my mom why the Joker and the Penguin were bad. "Because they are crazy, honey" was her answer, which satisfied my developing mind back then, but has been generating many thoughts in my adult [debatable] mind lately. Crazy is a very loaded word. For many years it has been used—not only by my mother, but by pretty much all of us—to describe fictional and non-fictional characters whose actions are considered wrong, odd, or even evil. This trend is especially evident in the Batman comics and films; many of its super villains have been taken to the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane instead of a good old regular maximum-security prison. However, many real-life psychiatrists and psychologists argue that most Dark Knight rogues would not really qualify as criminally insane. In fact deeming an evil character such as the Joker as psychotic or simply mentally ill only contributes to an ever-growing trend in today's society: the demonization of both mental illness and mental health treatment.

First, let's get one thing straight: I love Batman. The rogues in its comics and films are possibly my favorite characters ever. They are interesting, bizarre, alluring, sinister, and in many ways represent the Dark Knight's own inner struggles and traumas. With that said, it is also imperative to understand that mental illness is a vague term that encompasses an array of disorders.
The most common types of conditions are anxiety, mood, psychotic, eating, impulse-control, personality, obsessive-compulsive, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Within each of these categories lies an extremely long list of ailments that can impact anyone's life deeply but will not necessarily turn someone into a dangerous fiend or make him/her criminally insane. In fact, most patients tend to be more dangerous to themselves than to anyone else.

So what makes someone fit a criminally insane defense? The legal definition of criminally insane generally states that one, suffering from a mental defect or disease, committed a crime but was not aware he or she was doing something wrong. Those deemed criminally insane cannot be convicted of a crime or wrongdoing, because criminal conduct involves the conscious intent to do something wrong, which is a choice that the criminally insane cannot evocatively make. This disassociation with reality and how society works can be seen in those with psychosis, for example. Psychotics tend to hear, see, and even taste things that are not there. Real-life serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a Son of Sam, killed his victims because his neighbor's dog, whom he believed was possessed by a demon, commanded him to do so; Ed Gein dug up female bodies and killed a woman so that he could make a woman-suit and "become his mother—to literally crawl into her skin." They would fit in at Arkham nicely.

Harley Quinn could be in the right place. She went from working with the medical team at Arkham to being obsessed with the Joker, creating the illusions in her mind that he is in love with her and Batman is evil. These beliefs could indicate she has psychosis, because they are certainly far removed from reality. However, the same cannot be said about the Joker and the Penguin.

The Joker does not believe he is cleansing the planet from wrongdoers nor does he hear voices telling him what to do. He does what he does because he thinks it's amusing. He could easily fit the profile of a psychopath.

Psychopathy, a personality disorder, is marked by one's inability to feel empathy toward others, but it does not inhibit one's ability to perceive reality. In fact, there are disagreements among mental health professionals as to whether such disorders even qualify as mental illnesses. The Joker knows what he does is wrong by society's standards, but he does it anyway. Oswald Cobblepot is also aware of his actions.

The Penguin is rational and does whatever he needs to get what he wants. In other words, both rogues are criminally responsible. Just like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, if trialed, the Joker and Cobblepot would be considered guilty for their crimes; instead of Arkham, they would be sent to a maximum-security prison. Hello Blackgate!

In addition to the confusion generated by all these different disorders and the legal jargon, Arkham's image and morbid history furthermore intensify the stigma surrounding mental health. Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, located on the outskirts of Gotham, had its debut in October 1974's Batman #258, but the public only found out more about its history during the '80s. Throughout the years the institution has become more and more sinister, getting closer to one's vision of hell than to a place made to care for the mentally sick. Luckily, real-life mental health facilities are not that nightmarish. Although there is still a great need for improvement in the area, doctors in the real world tend to have a much better grasp on their patients than do the ones in Gotham.

The patients at Arkham Asylum are not the poster children for the criminally insane. Their antics do not help demystify current views on mental illness and its relation to violence and crimes. We need to remind ourselves that mental illnesses are not that different from physical ones. We are all products of a combination between biology and environment, so it is unfair to blame one of the two for crimes and/or other unfortunate situations in our society. Although I don't think Batman will change the way the criminally insane are portrayed in its films and comics, it wouldn't hurt to see a broader conversation on the topic of "faulty" human minds. After all mental illness patients need support, sympathy, and kindness, just like any other human being.

The Umbra Witch, Bayonetta, returns soon in Bayonetta 2. In an only 30-minute direct, Nintendo has released an immense amount of bewitching information.

For those who never played the original Bayonetta, the game stars a curvaceous, long-legged vixen whose tongue is as sharp as the blades that dismember her foes. By default she wields the Scarborough Fair, four guns (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), one in each hand and on each heel. As you play you unlock a multitude of other weapons in which she uses her magic-infused martial art, Bullet Arts, to viciously take down anything in her wake, leaving destruction and hilarious one-liners in her wake. I won't say too much though, since the first game comes with the purchase of Bayonetta 2.

The first thing the direct drew notice to was the main characters. Alongside Bayonetta, Jeanne—her best friend, Rodin—a powerful arms dealer, Luka—a journalist, and Enzo—a gangster with connections also return. In addition, they introduce two characters who are new and heavily involved in the plot: a masked Lumen sage who is often seen battling Bayonetta and a mysterious boy named Loki.

The story of the game revolves around Jeanne being captured while trying to save Bayonetta from a fatal attack. In the process, Jeanne's soul is dragged to Inferno. Bayonetta goes on a journey to literally go through heaven and hell to rescue her. Throughout the game, you will have to fight adversaries from Paradiso—angels—and for the first time, enemies from Inferno—demons.

The story, settings, and looks are very similar to the Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri. In this epic poem, Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven (named Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso respectively in the poem) to rescue his love, Beatrice, having to conquer many trials and tribulations along the way.



The game will have the same quick, climactic combat as its predecessor, with some upgrades. First there will be new weapons such as the Kafka, a bow that causes poison damage; Rakshasa, which are powerful dual swords; and Alruna, a whip. These weapons can be equipped not only in the hands, but attached to her heels as well. You can preset two weapon sets before heading into a stage and switch them on the fly. This leaves great potential to combine weapons to create devastating combos. With the use of halos, the game's currency, you can buy duplicates of these weapons and attach them to your hands and heels simultaneously.

To unlock new weapons, you need to find Angelic Hymns. In the game they appear to be records; however, when brought to Rodin, they can be transformed into powerful weapons of mass destruction.

In addition to weapons, you will have powerful magic in your arsenal. One such ability is witch time. By dodging at the last second, this ability automatically activates and slows time around Bayonetta for a short period. This will present openings to unleash combos and position you to dodge attacks and deal more damage once it wears off.

Bayo doing what she does best - Image from Bayonetta 1

As a part of her combos, Bayonetta will use the power stored in her hair to summon powerful beings from Inferno to deliver powerful finishers. The demonic being will change form depending on what weapons you are using.

There's also the magic gauge, which is filled as you battle enemies. The first uses of the gauge, which is also present in the original game, are torture attacks. The witch will summon a torture device once used to prosecute witches and sadistically destroy the enemy. The device used will be different dependent on the enemy.

The second use for the gauge is brand new. It's called Umbran Climax. When used, Bayonetta's power is unleashed. Her attacks gain more power and range for a limited time. This allows her to clear weaves of enemies with relative ease; however, she will be attacked more violently by enemies when they sense the threat.

Aside from being used to purchase new weapons, halos can be used to purchase trinkets. These can do anything from enhancing damage to helping to avoid damage. If you've played The Wonderful 101, these would be similar to custom blocks.

Costumes can also be purchased. Costumes fully change Bayonetta's attire. Who doesn't want to unleash a torrent of decimation while looking stylish? In addition to these purely cosmetic costumes, Bayonetta 2 introduces Nintendo Costumes. These costumes are crossovers and not only change your appearance but some also alter animations, add moves, and even change drops. In the direct, one such costume was Link's green tunic. When adorned, the halo currency drops were turned to rubies and when a chest was found, you heard the iconic 4-note discovery melody heard in Zelda games. Another costume featured was Samus' power suit. During the live stream, Bayonetta curled in the a small ball and rolled around Metroid style. Other costumes shown were Princess Peach, Daisy, and Fox McCloud.

The game modes discussed were really exciting. Of course you have your story mode where the heart of the game lies. There are epic battles, both hilarious and epic cut scenes, challenging boss battles, and sick visuals. Alongside that you, true to Platinum Games, have a rating system for each section in each chapter. The rating is based on the time it took you to complete the stage, the combo points you gained, and the damage you took. If you're really good, you can get pure platinum on a stage.

The game will feature different difficulty modes. There's even a mode where there's Auto Battle where you partly direct the battle.  With this, the game pad can be used to play. As with many other Wii U games, you can also use the game pad as a screen instead of the television.

Aside from the story missions there are hidden missions named "Muspellheim." When discovered, these bring you to special battle fields where you must defeat your enemies under specific conditions. Conditions can include anything from time limits to only being able to use certain kinds of attacks.



During the direct, a new mode was introduced that will add hours of fun and gameplay, Tag Climax. This mode is a 2-player co-op mode where players can pick characters and complete VS Card campaigns. There are characters other than Bayonetta; those confirmed are Jeanne and Rodin. Each will have their own skill set. For example, during the direct, Rodin lacked witch time and used slower but very powerful attacks. Also, if one player dies, the other can revive them to continue the battle.

Each campaign includes 6 stages where you can earn halos to use in your story mode. The halos you receive are based on the points you get on each stage. You can increase the amount of halos you receive at the end by betting them initially. However, this will increase difficulty and if you lose, there are no refunds. To add some competitiveness, whichever player receives the most points is declared the winner.

The direct ended with a new trailer that showcased the hectic and truly awesome game play, including mounted battles! I think this game will be a perfect addition to the first. What do you think? Will you be getting the game?

Death of Wolverine - Cover by McNiven, Leisten and Ponsor

The End.

It is the beginning of the end.

One of the greatest X-Men ever has only limited time left. Wolverine is going to be killed.

But this is just the start.

Reading the Death of Wolverine made me feel like a kid again. It's not just one aspect of the finished book, but the collaboration behind it that will absorb you into its covers and leave you wanting more at the end.

So how does it do this?

It may sound gimmicky, but let's start with the cover. The foil inset sets this apart, making it stand out as a special comic, which it is, ultimately.

The interior has been well laid out with a lot of thought apparent in the design for the finished product. Advertising is kept to a minimum, only one noted in the actual story itself. The internal covers boast uncolored art by Steve McNiven (pencils) and Jay Leisten (inks).

Death of Wolverine - interior by McNiven, Leisten and Ponsor

The internal material for the Death of Wolverine #1 is split in half. The first portion is the story proper. The second is bonus material, which includes commentary by McNiven on his art in various parts of the process, an interview with Wolverine co-creator Len Wein, and a Directors Cut take on the first 10 pages of issue #1. The Directors Cut shows the script by Charles Soule accompanied by the pencils by McNiven, inking by Leisten, and then final coloring by Justin Ponsor. This provides readers a good insight into how this, and by extension, other Marvel Comics are made.

It is this entire package taken together that is a major stroke of marketing work, providing us with an ultimate Marvel comic event that is meant to be remembered for a while. It just goes to show that it doesn't have to be an Avengers vs. X-Men or Original Sin to be done so very well.

However, none of the above would be worth much if the story for Death of Wolverine wasn't any good. So how does it read?

The beauty of gore - it hurts to be the best.

The narrative is well balanced. Soule has honed his storytelling techniques to deliver maximum impact for enjoyment. The story is well paced, the average number of panels per page being roughly 4 or 5. Despite this, the story speeds up for action with quick grids and more panels or slows down to 3-panel arrangement. This variance helps the reader linger on the art and be pulled in with gravitas.

Death of Wolverine is not a dialogue-heavy book. Logan has always been more of an "actions speak louder than words" type of character and Soule uses this to drive the story from the outset. A brilliant technique of using Wolverine's sense to guide narration is a clever ploy. Soule guides the artists to color hearing, smelling, and feeling in different colors to indicate what Wolverine is feeling as the story progresses.

The bonus material at the end of the book is a great tool to compare the original intention of the writer to the artists. Much of what was sought for the feel for the book has been translated well onto the finished pages.

This is evident from McNiven's pencilling, much of which is displayed around the story proper in extra material provided. However, it is when Pomsor and Leisten add their skills that we are given moving images to visually immerse ourselves in.

There are great full- and half-page splashes that showcase the artistic quality brought together for this event. The opening 4 pages do just what is needed to hook the reader straight away.

Ponsor's colors are spot on for defining the feel of the art. I am always struck by how a badly colored page can seem to pull so much away from the art, but these pages turn smoothly in your hands. What this means is that the artists have collaborated well enough to make you forget that you're reading about the imminent death of a make-believe character. You are lost in the story until it finishes.

Finishing it is a must; we know this much to be so. The last couple of years have been tumultuous for the Marvel mutant community. Always a staple for this maligned group, the death of a major character such as Wolverine will have profound ramifications for the future. Marvel is not missing a beat; the following series, The Logan Legacy, explores some of this in more detail.

However, before that all hits shelves, we have another three issues in this limited series to conclude. I am looking forward to the weekly installments. It's more than an excuse to visit my local comic book shop more often (they even had an event last night complete with a fake wake to "celebrate" the Death of Wolverine). As always, how did you find this book, did you like how this put together? Is it living up to the hype built up so far? Let me know you thoughts and leave a comment below. Be sure to come back next week for part two of the review for the Death of Wolverine.

Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 63 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, and Frank Ward.

::SPORTS NEWS::

• Current MLB standings
• NFL preseason week 4 is in the books!
• Plus more

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY:: 

• What's weird this week?

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Frank's Street?

::CELEB NEWS::

• Celeb birthdays from August 28th to September 3rd!
• #TheFappening
• Joan Rivers' health status
• And much, much more!

Plus Fantasy Celeb. Warfare, The DoucheBag Of the Week is back, and Gibby Sings! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.





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Well, I called it. Right here on these pages, I wrote about DC offering The Rock whichever role he wished between Shazam or his evil counterpart, Black Adam. I stated he would most likely choose the evil Black Adam, not only because he fits the look more, but also because it's more fun to play the villain. It helps that Johnson looks like he could kick serious butt all over the place.

Johnson has decided to play the part and stated on his Twitter account: "Kneel at his feet or get crushed by his boot. My honor to become. #BlackAdam #TheAntiHero #DCComics." I think he went a little crazy with the hashtags, and he forgot another dot at the end of the ellipses. I won't delve too deeply into typos. We all make them. Johnson has said the character is one of his favorites and that he is intrigued about playing an anti-hero. There is currently no release date for the film, but we know DC has snatched some future dates already, year by year. Which slot is slated for this Shazam movie, we don't know yet.

This is a good move by DC, one of their few so far. This means they are serious about getting big action stars for their blockbusters. Getting Johnson, a solid actor with good box office clout, they have made it clear they want to bring the power and get people excited about their films. Even if you don't know a thing about the character, you can get pumped about seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a super villain on the big screen. I know he's gonna be great.

Are we excited? Did he make the right choice or would you rather see him in the role of Shazam and be the hero? Sound off below.

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

Guardians of the Galaxy Outpaces Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

My take: At the time of this writing, Guardians of the Galaxy has grossed $282,592,043 which beats Captain America: The Winter Soldier's $259,766,572 and that is nothing but amazing news for Marvel. The floodgates are open and they shouldn't be afraid to test the waters with a Captain Marvel or Black Widow movie immediately.

DC Movie Plans Deduced.

My take: It looks like the next four films in DC's film canon are slated to be Justice League, Shazam, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. How DC is expecting to make Shazam work when they've never really known how to handle Superman movies is beyond me. Tossing Dwayne Johnson into a movie franchise is supposed to re-invigorate a series, not kick one off. They have also commissioned two, separate Aquaman scripts in order to mix & match the best parts of each to make the best movie possible. Is that how it works?? All I know is, they need to boldly copy Marvel's film formats, not try to be unique. Be open about it, everyone knows you want to do what they're doing. So, just do it!

Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary.

My take: I went and saw Ghostbusters last weekend and enjoyed it more than I ever had. I'm older now and, though I've seen the movie and least a couple dozen times, I really understood more of what made the film a hit. It stands up way more than I realized with unique characters, a simple and fast-paced story and a simple climax that feels like they really save the world. If this is running at your local theatre, definitely go and check it out!

TELEVISION

The Greatest American Hero Rebooted?

My take: Hellz yes, a reboot by Lord and Miller would be amazing. This was one of my top shows when I was a kid. A comedy superhero action TV series is exactly what we need right now and this property is absolutely perfect.

The Tick Also Making a Return?

My take: It should come as no surprise that with many superhero movies, there will come many superhero parodies. The timing for The Tick waaaaaaay back in 2001 was completely wrong and now the show may be a big hit. It's exciting to see networks scrambling to keep up while providers like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and HBO move forward on trying things out. In the new world of binge-watching, what harm can it do to have a series that's only six episodes long that someone, somewhere and some point will definitely try out?

24 Movie May Happen Now.

My take: After solid ratings from the recent 12-episode arc, the 24 movie might soon be a reality. I think the series lost most of it's fan base to the repetitive and outlandish plot lines season after season. The movie will only be a real success if it does something truly different. The obvious choice would be to have a 2 hour film that takes place in real time (it can't be any worse than 88 minutes). This format would restrict the overlooking of, oh, a nuclear bomb going off and everyone forgetting about it 2 hours later. If the movie is a hit and they get to make a dozen 2 hour movies…..? That's 24 hours of entertainment and the loop will be complete.

COMIC BOOKS

The Death of Wolverine is Coming.

My take: I'll be skipping this series. As predictable as many stories are, it's not hard to figure out when he'll be back. When Marvel says Logan will be dead "for a long time", you only need to know X-Men: Apocalypse comes out May 27th, 2016 to figure out when he'll be coming back.

DC's "Future's End" is New Reader Repellant.

My take: I can't take it anymore. DC can only save itself with another crisis, at this point. With their recent reboot set to attract and interest new readers, how can they expect that when even veteran readers are having trouble following everything? Throw Grant Morrison into the mix and you've got a time bomb that is actually already set to go off this spring. I don't care what happens in the books until then but I hope they're planning something big enough to retcon the last three years (again….again).

Original Sin…is it Over Yet?.

My take: Original Sin's body isn't even cold and everyone is already excited for Marvel's next crossover, AXIS. The industry is at a point where news of the next storyline is bigger than how it plays out or what's happening that week. Personally, I'm starting to get more and more attracted to unique content from Image, which is rare for me to try out.

In the latest in a long line of missteps and stupidity, Justin Bieber has had another run-in with the law. This kid can't seem to keep it together. Over the last several years, Bieber has had a number of problems with authorities, including DUI, vandalism, assault, and multiple occasions, of all of these. The list continues to grow as time goes on and, I hope he straightens up before he kills someone.

Just a couple days ago on September 1st, Bieber was arrested again, this time for assault and dangerous driving. This happened near his hometown in Stratford, Ontario after a collision occurred between Justin's ATV monster and a minivan on August 29th. What a bummer.

When the two vehicles ran into each other, Bieber then got out of his car and attacked the other person, who remains unnamed. Bieber's reps state the singer was being hounded by paparazzi and the incident was their fault and their fault alone. This is a typical attempt by his people to make it appear like the 20-year-old crooner is not to blame for his actions. They have been singing the same song for a long time; in fact, every single time this young man gets into trouble they spout off this nonsense.

Listen, I have nothing against this kid personally, I've never met him, but it's time to call a spade a spade and time for Bieber to man up and take responsibility for his actions. This kind of thing has happened far too often and, it's only a matter a time before he or someone else gets seriously injured. Or maybe dead.

So should Bieber grow up or was this "accident" the fault of the paparazzi that hound him? Sound off below.

Greetings, Fanboys and Fangirls alike! This is Sam Lascio, bringing you some news from the DC/WB world! Word has gotten out that DC and Warner Bros. have registered four (4) new domain names for future DC films. Here's the rundown:

• JusticeLeagueFilm.com
• ShazamMovie.com
• WonderWomanTheMovie.com
• AquamanMovie.com

When each of these URLs are searched, you're redirected to the Warner Bros. website, or told that the page isn't available, which basically confirms that WB and DC want these sites secured for future use. So, this is exciting, right guys?? Well, kind of…maybe…I guess so? This isn't all that big of a news story to me for a few reasons:

1. We already know a Justice League film is coming, so that's no shocker.
2. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been teasing his involvement in a Shazam film for awhile now, so this more-or-less just gives us more proof that the studio is serious about moving ahead with it.
3. A Wonder Woman movie is a no-brainer, since we know they've cast Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. They would be stupid not to franchise the hell out of her character, since both DC and Marvel have had cold feet about giving us a female-led superhero movie—not to mention the fact that Wonder Woman is the most iconic female superhero of all time. A great Black Widow film, a great Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) film, a great She-Hulk film? They'll STILL pale in comparison to a good Wonder Woman film. Name recognition is everything. But, I digress. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that they're moving forward with it, since Gadot is signed on for a multi-picture deal.
4. We already know that Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad are named as writing two completely separate scripts for Aquaman so that DC and WB can have their pick at which one they like better. That news broke around mid-August, so is the fact that they cemented the domain name cool? Yeah, a little, but none of the four domain names jump out at me.

It's not like news broke that Warner Bros. is buying up a domain name for a new Green Lantern reboot, or a Martian Manhunter film. Each of the films mentioned have previous history, so it's cool that we have something semi-tangible and something that makes it that much more real to us that these films are coming, but overall? I'd call this more of a "Oh, that's cool" news story instead of an "OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS, DID YOU HEAR??" type of news story.

What do YOU think? Am I right in this regard, and there isn't a whole lot to get pumped over? Am I wrong, and this is stellar news that should get the blood pumping? Let us know in the comments section! Thanks for reading, everyone! My name is Sam Lascio, and I am a Fanboy!

Get some! 24, the best hardcore, butt kicking, spy thriller in television history may in fact get the film fans have been waiting for since the end of the 8th season. During the four years between that season and this year's 24: Live Another Day, there were rumors aplenty floating around about 24 getting a film. These plans fell through and we got this last mini-series.

Now Imagine Entertainment, liking what they saw from the impressive ratings of Live Another Day, are interested in the possibility of a feature film at long last. They see that the show is still viable. Plus, Fox is high on getting another mini-series from Jack Bauer and company before it's too late. And by too late I mean before Kiefer Sutherland is too old or too drunk to keep playing the part. Still love him.

I hope we get to see both the film and more of the series from this wonderful show; it's one of my favorites of all time. This last one, Live Another Day, demonstrated that there is still life in this old dog yet. I thought for sure they would make a film, but was happy and excited they did another series, mini though it was. To jump back and forth between film and show could be complex, but it could work. They did it before the 7th season with 24: Redemption, a two hour TV film.

So does this sound like a good idea? Will it be too confusing for people to follow both TV series and feature film or can Jack handle it? Sound off below.

Upon hearing the announcement that smarmy Jesse Eisenberg was to play super villain Lex Luthor, I'll admit I had my reservations. It doesn't seem like the right fit, he's too young, etc. He is a good actor, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now as the movie moves forward in its production. As time goes by, we seem to be getting all kinds of tweets from the celebrities involved in a steady stream of pictures.

The latest such pictures come from Superman himself, Henry Cavill. He recently posted a collage of pictures from the set featuring the first bits of Lex Luthor, with Jesse covering his head with a towel. The details are sketchy, but it seems like to me they wouldn't be posting them with his head covered if there wasn't something going on there with his hair.

Even if Lex has hair on his head, that doesn't mean he really has hair. Examine Gene Hackman in the first Superman film, Superman: The Movie from 1978. He wore a hairpiece in the first few scenes before revealing his bald pate to the world. Perhaps he was insecure about it, I don't know, but I thought it was a nice little bit about his character. Either he is indeed insecure or it's a subtle nod to the fact Luthor is a devious, conniving, and fake person. There's more going on to him than it appears on the surface. Really, how he tricks Superman in that film is brilliant, as is his overall plan. Director Richard Donner was able to demonstrate how each of these characters work and what they are all about through their actions.

Whether or not Snyder is able to tap into those characters' interactions properly will be determined when we see the film in 2 years. I'm not sure if he is capable of such things; Snyder comes off as a bit too straightforward for these types of storytelling beats, but I hope I'm wrong. How the plot details emerge going forward will be interesting, and I'm looking forward to them.

Thoughts? Is Eisenberg hiding a bald head under that towel? Will there be surprises down the line? Sound off below.

This news makes my nerdar go off the rails so hardcore I can barely sit still. A tiny Canadian town is attempting to build a real life, full-sized Star Trek Starship Enterprise! This story is so intriguing I had to write up a little bit and spread it along to all my Trekker peeps. I also need to vent a bit of frustration.

Named Vulcan, this little town is the so-called "Star Trek Capital of Canada" and has embraced its name by hosting an annual Spock Day for many years. Many Star Trek actors, including Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, have shown up for the celebrations. Not satisfied with this, Vulcan has launched a campaign to build a life-sized, working version of the USS Enterprise. Located in the Badlands region of Alberta, Vulcan unfortunately has no real chance of making this happen.

It's true. To be honest, they never had the intention of building a working starship; the total cost of the project would run in the trillions of dollars, and the campaign goal of $2 billion will never happen. Thus although they stated they wanted a real-life, working Enterprise with actual warp drive technology and real teleporters, in truth this was nothing more than a marketing ploy to get people interested in that area of the Badlands. So screw them for getting my hopes up of at least building a replica! I could see that, something with decks and fun bits we fans know and love from the shows.

False advertising or a clever marketing ploy? Annoyed by the announcement? Sound off below.

Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Victoria Justice, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are just a few of the many names that suffered a breach in privacy with their iCloud accounts as their contents were hacked (reportedly by more than just one party) as early as last week and plenty of raunchy and sexual photos and rumored videos were posted all over the Internet. Some were proven legitimate, whereas others were denied as fake or unproved.

Last night, the wave of leaked photos became the talk of all forums, feeds, and #hashtags. The event was dubbed "the fappening," an allusion to the geeky Internet term meaning "forever alone party."

Some of the actresses replied via social media or even their attorneys, stating the parties in question will be prosecuted for hacking/attaining the private files or simply stated in irony that iCloud could suck it (Kirsten Dunst). Apple will have to answer this for sure.

4Chan.org was the first source of the leaks when someone self-dubbed as "The Collector" was trying to sell the pictures and videos for staggering amounts, a reported $40,000 or more. Since then, 4Chan.org has removed any posts relating to this event, which soon spread onto Reddit and Imgur, although posts were progressively deleted by moderators.

Traffic on this matter became so severe in the past 12 hours that Reddit was actually down for a bit. Searching for information became possible through the immediate reports on newspapers and of course, celebrity gossip columns that sensationalized the subject (guilty).

An Apple spokesperson has already stated that the privacy of uploaded files is top priority for the company, and they would investigate the matter further. Someone's head is bound to roll as their promise for a safe virtual storage space has been compromised.

One aspect of this whole scenario is that not only celebrities, but also average people's accounts have been compromised. Ordinary men and women may have had their photos, videos, or documents leaked in this very same series of activities. This brings a warning to all those who have been digitalizing and virtualizing their sexual activities or, even more serious, posting their documents or any information that can be used in identity theft or worse.

I won't digress, however. Let me close this article with a side note:

It's nothing new that, since the dawn of media stars, the adoration over celebrities has been a reality in most cultures. As a part of (but not limited to) the male instinct, the desire to see our favorite silver-screen or touch-screen beauties in sexual situations is quite common. Any leak from a celebrity brings society to a halt. Pure hysteria over nothing.

It's a strange fascination. There are, after all, an unscientifically estimated (off the top of my head) 100 million women worldwide with body types similar to those of your favorite celebrities; doppelgangers galore. Still, we insist on fantasizing over the lewd and crude scenarios (did I write "we"?) that would place our stars in scenes limited to the libido's imagination.


The Internet reacts to the fappening :D

If anything, this brings celebrities down to Earth, where they are just like us and are no less a part of the iGeneration than you and I. Selfies and tweets are a big part of their image, and as social network becomes a huge percentage of our lives, perhaps some of the myths surrounding celebrities will fade and allow them a less fantastically-inclined lifestyle of glam. Our perception of status, fortune, and even sexuality is changing day-by-day over the digital world as selfies and trading pictures becomes absolutely normal; although paparazzis will always be a nightmare for the famous, hopefully this will end the reign of surprise beach photos—celebrities now have to worry about hacks and leaks instead.

It's a pity what had to happen, but hey, let's have this be a lesson to all. Take care of your pics, because they who have not sinned may cast the first stone. Is there anyone who hasn't dabbed a bit in homemade erotica? In all honesty, Jennifer Lawrence, Selena Gomez, Kate Upton, and crew— fake photos or not, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Bravo! As far as the fappers ogling over the leaked photos, wake up—you could be elsewhere, hitting on a girl next to you in Starbucks, leveling up on life. Cheers.

On episode 5 of the 4 Reel Movie Club podcast, Fanboys Anonymous members give their thoughts on the recent passing of Robin Williams, honoring five of his classic films.

Host: Chris Dace

Panelists: Tony Mango and Eddie Siqueira

Who's the Tick, right? Some of you non-freakaziods out there may be clueless about the character and while I don't blame you all that much, you should get out more. The Tick, the live action version of the comic book character, was played to perfection by the lovable lug Patrick Warburton, better known as Puddy from Seinfeld.

What was so great about David Puddy was his lasting impact. I've seen every episode of Seinfeld multiple times, and what's shocking is that Warburton's character appeared in a mere ten episodes, yet his presence was astounding. The same is true of The Tick live action series. It lasted less than a season, a paltry nine episodes, yet Amazon is set to revive the series as one of their new original TV shows that will be streaming soon.

Taking a page from Netflix and Hulu, Amazon is going full throttle here by adding titles to their upcoming original programming. It's a good time to be a fan of cult classics and it will be fun to see Warburton don the blue suit again. The Tick was a silly but fun show and he's the perfect guy to play this superhero lunkhead. I hope they keep the same vibe and feel for the show going forward. Maybe this will convince Comedy Central to get going with some more Krod Mandoon episodes.

What say you? Are there fans of The Tick out there salivating over the prospect of more? Sound off below.

Here comes another news flash from the lovable juggernaut of entertainment that is Marvel. With their cinematic films series blowing away both critics and audiences and making records fall at the box office, they continue to make waves in the TV world. With Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. about to kick off season 2, they've announced two additions to another one of their (upcoming) shows, Marvel's Agent Carter.

Set to star the delicious Hayley Atwell in the titular role, Marvel's Agent Carter gets two more cast members signing on. These two fellas are Chad Michael Murray in the role of SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve) gent Jack Thompson and Enver Gjokai as Agent Daniel Sousa.

Both of these studs will be joining Peggy while she takes on a new role at the SSR headquarters in New York City. Details thus far are not too in-depth, but we do know a few little tidbits about the main thrust of the storyline.

Premiering in 2015, Marvel's Agent Carter will see Atwell's character from Captain America beginning in 1946 shortly after World War II. She finds herself pushed off to the side once peace reigns and the male soldiers return from fighting on the front lines. We also get to see Tony Stark's father, Howard, in a key role managing Carter at SSR. Marvel likes those acronyms, don't they?

It seems like they will throw in some romance as Peggy picks up the pieces of her broken heart after losing Steve Rogers (Captain America, for those that are comic book challenged) when the hero took a nose dive into an icy grave. On the Blu-ray for Iron Man 3, Marvel did a little "One Shot" and showed what Marvel's Agent Carter might be capable of, and I think the idea has a lot of potential.

What say you? Will this be a solid addition to the Marvel television line-up? Sound off below.

Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 62 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, and Frank Ward. This week they are joined by very special guests from the game Galactose: Pastries in Space!

::SPORTS NEWS::

• Current MLB standings
• NFL preseason week 1 is in the books!
• Plus more

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY:: 

• What's weird around the world?
  

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Two-pher

::CELEB NEWS::

• Celeb birthdays from August 21st to August 27th
• Emmy results
• Full House revival?
• And much, much more!

Plus Fantasy Celeb. Warfare and Gibby Sings! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.




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