'Twas the Night before Comic Con

San Diego Comic Con.  SDCC.  This is it, the biggest event of the geek calendar starts tomorrow night!

If there's one comic convention I want to attend before I die, this is the one.  I swear one day I'll be there!  This year though I'll be doing what I normally do, staying up late and getting up early to check all the latest online.

Here's just a few of the things I'm hoping for/looking forward to this year;

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Revealing the Legacy Characters
Diminished slightly by the reports that there will be no new trailer at the panel, my enthusiasm for this panel is still sky high!  After all, with so little revealed so far (even after 2 teaser trailers) and a product launch now less than 2 months away they have to show something!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this panel will finally give us our first look at  Luke, Leia and C-3PO.  If it did just that I'm be more than satisfied.  Of course they could also show Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke and Lupita Nyong'o's Maz Kanata in their finished CG forms and maybe we'll finally learn who Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow are actually playing!

Of course The Force Awakens isn't the only thing Lucasfilm could show.  Whilst the deal with Paramount means it won't be shown online yet, they could screen definitely the Rogue One trailer in Hall H and talk more about that film.  And maybe, just maybe, they could start to pull back the curtain a little bit on the second Anthology film as well.

WB Bringing the Justice League
We know WB are bringing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad to their main panel on Saturday and to be honest that's more than enough to get me excited but there's been talk online that they might use their panel to bring the Justice League together for the first time!  That would make my DC dreams come true!  Whatever happens, WB's panel this year is going to be huge!  I don't care what time Sunday morning this will be for me in the UK, I'm totally staying up for this!

DC TV
DC has a long history of great TV series and last year really kicked things into high gear.  Can't wait to see what's coming next for Arrow, The Flash and Gotham and to see some teases at what's to come in Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.

Once Upon a Time Panel
Being a huge Disney geek I just love this show and I'm so happy Netflix UK is now airing the new episodes only a few days behind the US.  Really looking forward to hearing all the season 5 teases in Saturday (and I'm still wishing for them to get Aladdin on this show!)

Marvel TV
Whilst I've tended to enjoy DC's TV offerings more I'm still interested to see where Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter are going next season.  But if there's one series that stood out above all the rest last season it was Marvel/Netflix's Daredevil.  I'm really hoping we learn more about the other Netflix series at SDCC and hopefully some new info on Daredevil season 2 as well!

The Comic Panels
I'm loving the DC You re-launch and DC have hinted at big things to come in October so I'm hoping we get some hints at what's to come over the course of SDCC.  Plus I'm hoping to jump into the Marvel Universe with some trades following their latest All-New All-Different post-Secret Wars re-launch so I'll be following their panels with great interest to see what catches my eye.  On top of the "Big 2" I'm also looking forward to IDW's panel for all the latest on their fantastic TMNT title.  Which leads me nicely to;

Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Ok, the movie may not have been all I wanted it to be (ok, it sucked!) but the Nick series is still a lot of fun!  Hoping there's more good stuff to come from their panel on Friday.

Fox's Panel
I'm not expecting it to compare with WB's offering but after Days of Future Past I'm really looking forward to the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse.  With the addition of Fantastic Four and Deadpool as well it should be a good panel.

The Toys!!
I've never been and my wallet still cringes at the thought of SDCC.  Not because of the exclusives but because of what gets revealed.  We already know Hasbro will be revealing their first The Force Awakens offerings this year and I'm hoping for some surprises from Hot Toys and Sideshow as well (and not just from TFA, a 1/6 scale Padme or Dooku would be a really treat to see).  Being an 80s kid Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics nearly always has a few things to tempt me and I can't wait to see Mondo's display of their upcoming 1/6 comic TMNT.  Then there's DC Collectable too.  I'm trying desperately not to get sucked into their animated Batman line but it's proving very hard to resist!

And that's just off the top of my head! As always SDCC promises to be an amazing (and crazy) few days!

Batman v Superman Plot Leaked?

Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman

Last weekend saw plenty of pre-Comic Con reveals about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, including the above shot of the Trinity together for the first time!  However, it was a piece on the Superman Homepage that really caught my eye as they posted a link to what is possibly a complete summary of the movie (obviously major potential spoiler warnings apply so read at your own risk).  Apparently this summary has been floating around for a while but has gained some credibility this week as the new Entertainment Weekly info certainly seems to back up some of the scenes it describes.  Now normally I try and avoid spoilers like the plague.  I made the mistake once of really spoiling a film and sat watching it for the first time feeling like I'd already seen it.  But after Superman killed Zod in Man of Steel I decided that I'd rather go into this film a little more forewarned.  If there's going to be another moment like that then I'd prefer to know in advance.

So I gave it a read.  And I have to say, if it is legit, I really liked it.  It's not perfect (I'm not sure I like what happens after Superman's first exposure to Kryptonite but I can see how it's important in driving the story forwards) but given all this film has to accomplish the story does a remarkably good job of building off the world created in Man of Steel, addressing many of the criticisms of that movie and setting up the future Justice League.  Yes, there's plenty of action, that's a given in any comic book movie and especially one by Zack Snyder, but the story appears to be deeper than in Man of Steel and it doesn't just move from one action scene to another, the characters all get room to have their own plot points and moments to shine.  It even manages to work in a long rumoured second villain in a way that not only doesn't feel crammed in but also feels like a natural progression to the world they are building.  If this is the direction the film goes in then Batman v Superman has the potential to be not just the biggest film of 2016 but also one of the best as well.

Of course a LOT can change between script and screen.  Even if this summary is legitimate there's no way of knowing if this is from before shooting or during or just how much things will change in the editing room.  All I know is that whilst I was looking forward to Batman v Superman before there was always a part of me that remained hesitant, afraid of being burnt again, now I'm feeling much more optimistic for this film and the future DC Extended Universe and that's a brilliant feeling!

DC You Month 1 Review

So here we are.  After almost 4 years The New 52 brand is over.  Convergence has been and gone, showing us that our old heroes still live somewhere out in the DC multiverse and last month saw DC big rebranding - DC You!  Promising a book for everyone DC certainly delivered a much more diverse line up than they have since, well for as long as I can remember honestly and, judging by the reactions I've been reading online, it seems to have paid off!

Personally, I used it as a chance to cut back a little.  This had nothing to do with the quality of the books on offer, just reading the free "Divergence" previews DC offered in May I could easily have increased my pull list, but before Convergence I was probably 5 months behind in my comic reading and realised I was reading some books just because I'd always read them.  If anything the previews showed me that there were other books I'd rather be reading!  So I decided to cut my monthlies right back to just a few core titles and eventually get the trades of some of the previews I really enjoyed.

My five titles were Justice League, Action Comics, Batman, Detective Comics and Superman.  So for me this month wasn't really so much about new titles as it was new directions.

The first title I picked up continued right where The New 52 left off.  Geoff Johns' Justice League was the flagship book of The New 52 and that looks set to continue as The Darkseid War begins.  Justice League has been a consistently good book from the beginning but after Forever Evil it really began improving every month to become one of the best titles DC was putting out.  With the opening chapter of The Darkseid War that looks set to continue as Johns starts to pull together all of the plots he's been building since the title began.  At $4.99 it's one of the most expensive titles DC put out last month but at 40 story pages it's fantastic value.  The extra page count allows Johns to spend a bit more time laying the foundations for what looks to be an epic story.  His character work in this issue is superb and it's the little touches (like Shazam admitting he's never seen a dead body before and Superman challenging Lex Luthor to save a life) that really show just how well he can get inside the League's heads and understands what makes them tick.  And under Jason Fabok's pen (and Brad Anderson's colouring) the League has never looked better.  From a domestic crime scene to the arrival of the Anti-Monitor Fabok just nails it.  This book is gorgeous.  There's so much detail in the art that I spent a long time reading this book, slowly digesting every panel.  I don't know if Fabok's staying on the book after The Darkseid War but I really hope he does!  I'd love this team to stay on this book for years.  I don't say this a lot, but I would happily keep this book at $4.99 for this page count and this quality of story every month.  This story has been building for years and I can't wait to see it finally come to a head over the next few months!  An amazing start for what will hopefully be the biggest epic in comics this summer.

Next up for me was Action Comics #41 by Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder (with colours by Tomeu Morey and Hi-Fi).  Picking up straight where the Divergence preview left off this issue begins with Clark almost powerless and trying to make his way home after the Fortress took the last pieces of his Kryptonian heritage from him.  With Superman telling the story of how Clark's secret was revealed Action Comics is free to get straight to exploring the new status quo in Hard Truth.  If there's one thing Pak does well it's get in Clark's head and it's a joy to read how he feels about his new power level, about being more human.  The man knows what makes Superman tick and continues to cement his status as one of the best Superman writers in recent memory.  After seeing the sadly realistic scene of the men who wanted to beat Superman up because he's weak now and an alien it was great to see Kentville and people standing with him too.  And it was great to see Superman still leaping into action to save the day despite his recent power loss.  The issue is a fast paced and enjoyable read with just a hint of mystery (like who is Dawn Command and how does it link to the shadow creatures?).  Just as Pak continues to show himself to be a great Superman writer, Kuder's art has gone from strength to strength recently.  I may not be the fondest of Superman's new look (I really miss the cape and don't like the shorter hair) but Kuder makes it look good and I think his style really suits Superman.  Overall a very strong start to Superman's new status quo and I can't wait to read the next issue.

Whilst Action Comics explores Clark's new status quo Superman #41 begins to tell the story of how we got there in Before Truth.  I was a little disappointed when it was announced that Geoff Johns was leaving Superman.  I loved his run on Action Comics way back in 2006-2009 and really hoped that he'd stay for a longer run on the title this time.  That said, if this issue is anything to go by then I'm extremely happy with his replacement.  Gene Luen Yang gets off to a great start as he brings the focus of the book squarely back on to Clark, Lois and Jimmy.  It's a good move as the Daily Planet and Clark's supporting cast have played relatively minor roles since The New 52 reboot.  His characterisation is extremely strong and it was nice to see the reporter side of Clark getting some attention.  The anonymous source blackmailing Clark raises some intriguing story potential.  How far, morally, should Clark go to protect his secret?  We already know that the secret will come out and that Lois is the one to reveal the truth but does she do it to try and protect Clark from his mysterious opponent's bribery or is she herself being blackmailed?  John Romita Jr.'s art (with Klaus Janson's inks and Dean White's colours) may not be my favourite style but there's no denying his story telling ability.  I'm loving the whole Truth crossover so far but I have to admit I'm now extremely excited to see what Yang can do when he's not tied to an event.  A brilliant start to what will hopefully be a long run.

I'm still not totally sold on the idea of James Gordon as Batman but Batman #41 was a solid start from Scott Snyder and Gregg Capullo (with Danny Miki's inks and Fco Plascencia's colors).  And let's be honest, Scott Snyder has earned my trust so I'm more than happy to go along for the ride and see how this plays out.  After the frantic battle against the Joker in Endgame, this issue returned to a slightly slower pace, switching between present day and recent past to explore Gordon's reasons for becoming a new type of Batman.  I loved that Snyder had Gordon echo fan's complaints about the new robotic batsuit and whilst I'm not the fondest of it, it makes sense for the story being told.  James Gordon is not Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson.  Even with his military background he doesn't have the training to be Batman.  He needs the suit if he's to do the job.  The scenes with Bullock were probably my favourite in the issue.  I know that Harvey's busy over in Detective Comics but after this issue I would love to see Snyder write him more.  Capullo's art is simply fantastic.  I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said before, the man has earned his place as one of the best Batman artists of all time and continues to amaze me every month.  Superheavy Part 1 may not be the best issue of Snyder's run (to be fair that does set the bar exceedingly high) but it is a strong start and you can already see seeds being planted for what promises to be another great story arc from one of DC's best creative teams.

Detective Comics has had a few ups and downs since The New 52 re-launch but I've really been enjoying Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's run.  In fact I thought their 8 page preview was one of the best DC put out and I actually preferred it to the Batman preview!  This first issue didn't quite live up to the amazing preview but it was still a great read.  The preview hit the ground running with Harvey Bullock asking Gordon's Batman to help him kill his partner and appearing to actually go through with the act.  This issue takes a step back and begins to lay the ground work for those events.  It's a solid first issue and whilst I miss Manapul's art (I seriously need to check out The Flash run by these guys!) Fernando Blanco does a fine job.  Manapul and Buccellato's work developing Harvey Bullock has been the highlight of their run for me so I was happy to see that continue here and I love the direction they seem to be taking the character in with this arc, the lone cop in the city still searching for the real Batman.  I was saddened by this week's announcement that this is their final arc on Detective Comics but it looks like this will be a great story to go out on.

As for the rest, well based on the previews I will definitely be checking out Batgirl, Grayson and Starfire when the trade paperbacks come out and I'll probably check out Batman Beyond if the reviews are good (I'm still uneasy with it not being Terry but if it's good I'm more than willing to try).  A friend of mine recommended Robin: Son of Batman and the preview was good fun so I'll probably give that a try too.  The Flash looks like it could be good and I've been meaning to try the title since I loved the first season of the TV series but I'll definitely be checking out the Manapul/Buccellato run first.  And finally I really must check out Harley Quinn at some point too!  All things considered it's a good job I've cut back on the monthlies as I think I'll be reading a lot more trades in the future!

Mondo Reveal 1/6 Scale Leonardo!!

Ok, being a TMNT fan and a 1/6 scale collector this is just awesome news for me (if a little scary for my wallet) as Mondo have today revealed their 1/6 scale Leonardo based on the original Eastman and Laird comics!!

According to Mondo's website the figure will be approximately 11" tale and feature 25 points of articulation along with multiple accessories, interchangeable hands and the choice to display him with either his classic red bandana from the comics of the blue bandana made famous in the class cartoon series.

Price is still TBD and pre-orders will be opened up at a later date but all four Turtles will be on display at Mondo's booth at SDCC next week (can't believe it's Comic Con time already!)

I'm really glad I held off buying the ThreeZero movie versions now as this is definitely a must buy for me!  Can't wait to see the full team when the Comic Con pictures come out next week!!

Minions Review

All hail King Bob!!

I've seen my fair share of blockbusters this year and I'm looking forward to re-watching most of them when they come out on blu-ray, but Minions is the first film this year that I'd be happy to pay to see again at the cinema.  Telling the tale of how the villainous but lovable Minions came to work for Gru, Minions is laugh out loud fun from its prehistoric start right through to its despicable end.

 

Sandra Bullock, clearly relishing the opportunity to play delightfully over the top evil, brings the star power as Scarlett Overkill (and there’s a whole host of big names filling out the rest of cast) but it’s the Minions themselves (voiced by co-Director Pierre Coffin) who are the real stars.  They were perfectly cast as loveable little rogues in the Despicable Me films but by focusing its story on the journey of Kevin, Stuart and Bob as they travel the world searching for a new evil master, Minions manages to give each of its three heroes a unique voice and makes you care for them as individuals instead of just as comic relief, no easy task when they speak only a few words of English!  Bob is definitely my favourite Minion.  Right from his over enthusiastic entrance (“Pick me!”) he’s almost too lovable to be a villain yet he ends up unintentionally conquering England!

 

The jokes are great for kids and adults alike and you won’t stop laughing from the moment the Minions sing the Universal theme at the start right through to the crazy dance party at the end of the credits (it’s well worth staying for).  Like all the best family movies it doesn’t play down to the kids, in fact there’s several little touches that are aimed squarely at the adults in the audience (like the poster claiming “Nixon – Finally a President You Can Trust” when they first arrive in New York) but mostly it’s good old fashioned slapstick entertainment that everyone can enjoy.  There’s even a nod to geek culture as the Minions attend Villain Con.  I must have been the only comic geek in the audience as no one else laughed at the reference to Comic Con’s infamous Hall H but I totally loved it!

 

Minions is a film that could very easily have been too much of a good thing but instead it leaves you wanting even more Minions!  I could quite happily have watched a whole film of the Minions seeking a new master a Villain Con alone, and another showing more of the reign of King Bob.  It was simply brilliant family fun and I can’t wait to see it again.

Why it's Time for The Force Awakens to Reveal Some Secrets

Before anyone reads that title and gets worried I just want to say there are no spoilers in this post!  When I say "reveal some secrets" I'm talking about how the characters, specifically the legacy characters, will look in The Force Awakens.

At this point Star Wars: The Force Awakens is only 6 months away (and I get excited just typing that!).  The second teaser trailer at Celebration gave us our first look at Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) as well as extended looks at our new heroes Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and new villains Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie).  And let's not forget everyone's favourite new droid BB-8!  Last month's Vanity Fair gave us an even better look at those characters along with a behind the scenes look at Lupita Nyong'o in the motion capture suit that she's using to help bring the pirate Maz Kanata to life.  And then StarWars.com revealed one final photo - Andy Serkis, in motion capture gear like Lupita, and named him as Supreme Leader Snoke, presumably the leader of The First Order.

Looked at like that it's been an incredibly busy few months with more than enough reveals made to see us through to next month's San Diego Comic Con.  Especially with Rebels returning this month, Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Edition being fully revealed and this week's E3 bringing more news on the highly anticipated Battlefront and a new expansion for The Old Republic!

Sadly that was not the case.  Hasbro's 6 inch First Order Stormtrooper hit E-Bbay ahead of the official announcement that the first The Force Awakens action figure would be available at SDCC.  Then the real leaks started.  First a travel mug was found in Mexico that reportedly showed C-3PO's new look for the film.  Then, just yesterday, a first look at Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia leaked as well.

Hasbro's Stormtrooper hitting E-Bay probably isn't too surprising when you consider that the toys take roughly a year from concept to store and an image of prototypes for Rey, Finn, BB-8, Kylo Ren and Chewbacca already appeared online at the end of last year.  But the travel mug find and especially yesterday's leaked first look at Leia really got me thinking.  How much longer can Disney keep things secret?

Now, I'm not referring to plot details, those should be kept secret until the film's release and I applaud Lucasfilm and Del Rey's decision to limit the novel adaptation's release to digital until early next year.  In fact, I'd be more than happy for them not to release any type of synopsis before the film opens.  But the looks of major characters?  I think it's time for those to be revealed, especially legacy characters such as Luke, Leia and C-3PO who will be all over merchandise in just a few short months.  As long as revealing them doesn't reveal any spoilers for the plot then I can't see any reason to keep them hidden any longer.  I mean, sure Disney/Lucasfilm probably have a well planned publicity schedule for the film, but with leaks coming more frequently now maybe it's time for them to try and get ahead and do some big reveals of their own.

It's already been announced that The Force Awakens is going to SDCC next month with a special panel in Hall H on Friday 10th July and Hasbro set to make "a special product reveal" at their panel that same day.  With Ant-Man in cinemas later that month and Entertainment Weekly confirming that Hasbro will debut the first wave of toys at SDCC it seems extremely likely that Comic Con will be the place where we get the first full trailer for The Force Awakens and with it our first official look at Luke Skywalker and the remaining legacy characters.  At least I hope it is.  I would hate for The Force Awakens panel not to show Luke and Leia and then for Hasbro to reveal their action figures.  Or for both panels to avoid officially revealing them only for them to leak again.

The truth is, I can't see them waiting any longer than Comic Con either.  The merchandising onslaught of #ForceFriday will be less than 2 months away by the time Comic Con hits and you can bet things will start appearing on E-Bay in August or maybe even earlier.  Comic Con really is their last big, high profile, chance to debut the remaining legacy characters before the merchandise reaches stores.

Whenever Disney/Lucasfilm choose to make the reveal I just hope it's sooner rather than later.  Personally, I've avoided the leaked images of C-3PO and Princess Leia but I can completely understand why fans want to see them.  I feel like I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer.  I really don't want my first look at these characters to be a grainy screen shot.  But the closer we get to the film the more likely these leaks are and the less impact the official reveal will have.  I hope we get another moment as memorable as "Chewie, we're home." from SDCC.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Fun in Manchester

I've been neglecting this blog for the last month as things got extremely busy but that ends now!  May might have been crazily busy for me but I still managed to have a fantastic day out in Manchester at the end of the month.

My wife loves cute things.  Like completely LOVES them!  So it's no surprise that she loves the Minions (and to be fair, who doesn't?).  When she learnt that Kevin, Stuart and her new favourite Bob were coming to Manchester as part of Capital FM's #MinionsOnTour ahead of The Minions movie, well there was no question we were going.

So we turned up in Piccadilly Gardens just after lunch and I'll admit I was expecting it to be absolutely heaving but instead there was barely any line next to the Minions tour bus.  A guy from Capital FM came over and told us that the Minions were having a little break and would be back soon.  Then he saw that Jane was wearing a Minions t-shirt and had a Build-A-Bear Minion Bob with her and told her that she'd won a Minions suitcase!!  Just like that!  Turns out that the first two people in line wearing Minions stuff at every time slot won!  And it wasn't just a suitcase!  The case itself was stuffed full of Minions goodies from beach balls to an umbrella!  Considering we'd just come out for a laugh and a quick photo it was a fantastic bonus!

The meet and greet itself was over extremely quickly but we got some good pictures and the Capital FM staff used our phones to take them, there was no trying to sell you a picture for an obscene amount of money so that was nice.  And Jane loved it, for me that was the most important thing.

After leaving the Minions we decided to head for the Manchester Film and Comic Con at Event City.  By this point it was gone two and to be honest I didn't think we'd get in.  I have nightmarish memories of last November's MCM Comic Con in Birmingham where we queued for close to 3 hours just to get in the door and then could hardly move as the hall was that crowded.  It wasn't exactly a fun experience, in fact I'd probably call it one of the worst I can remember and I've been going the Birmingham Comic Con/Memorabilia show since the Star Wars Special Editions came out!  I have fond memories of meeting so many stars there, with Star Wars' Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Ray Park and Smallville's John Schneider being some personal favourites, and of spending way too much on things you just couldn't find in UK stores, but last year's event was just insanely busy.  It'd been steadily getting busier for the last few years but I'd never seen it like that before.  As fans we live in a golden age of comic book movies and TV shows, the things we love are no longer niche, they're main stream.  It's an incredible time to be a geek (and I use that term affectionately), but standing in that queue my friends and I all agreed - we missed being geeks before it was cool.  When you could just walk up, pay on the door and walk in without even thinking about having to queue.

Imagine my surprise then when we turned up at Event City and were able to just walk straight in the door.  No queuing for hours, just walk up, pay and walk in.  Inside was the same.  There were plenty of people in the hall but it wasn't congested.  We were able to walk freely through the aisles.  After my karate grading last month I treated myself to an Ultrasaber and, being the big kid I am, I decided to take it with me to the con.  I didn't have a costume (next time...) but it felt fun just carrying it around.  I even had the space to give it a few spins (something I couldn't have done at the MCM Comic Con without hitting at least half a dozen people).

I ended up not actually buying anything (good job really as Jane borrowed all of my cash for her purchases) but it was great to meet a few fellow ultrasaber owners.  As we smiled at each other and raised our lightsabers in salute across the aisles it felt like being part of a special society.  And seeing some of the amazing Jedi and Sith costumes walking around I definitely want to get a costume in time for The Force Awakens.  But the highlight of my afternoon was when a little kid waved his lightsaber at me, beckoning me for a duel.  I playfully tapped his lightsaber a few times before offering him mind to hold.  I'm not sure who was happier, the boy or his father, as they both hold the saber with pure joy on their faces.

Yeah, May might have been a really busy month for me, but this day was a fantastic way to end it.