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Marvel Comics Announce Muppets One-Shot

Kat
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Marvel Comics Announce Muppets One-Shot

Marvel Comics have revealed an all-new one-shot starring The Muppets. 

MORE FROM NI’S COMICS BULLPEN HERE 

The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 Main Cover By Nick Bradshaw (Credit: Marvel Comics)

This new project is being helmed by an all-star creative team, including:

  • Writers: Chip Zdarsky (Avengers: Armageddon), Mackenzie Cadenhead (Doom Academy), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (The Incredible Hulk), Adam F. Goldberg (Damage Control), Ashley Allen (Magik And Colossus), Kyle Starks (Thanos: Death Notes) & More 
  • Pete Woods (Annihilation 2099), David Baldeon (Fantastic Four), Áthila Fabbio (Marvel Tokon: First Strike), E.J. Su (Ultraman: The Mystery Of Ultraseven), Paco Medina (Spider-Boy) & Mike Henderson (Wolverine)

The featured stories in the book include:

  • Rowlf the Dog is kidnapped by Mojo to help launch his new streaming service! It’s the crossover no one saw coming as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Wolverine, Emma Frost, and many more team up to save the day in this pop culture history-making adventure by Chip Zdarsky and Pete Woods. 
  • Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker welcome Bruce Banner and Hank Pym to Muppet Labs for a daring experiment with Gamma Rays and Pym Particles! What could go wrong? Find out in this explosive story from Kyle Starks and Mike Henderson.
  • When Clea falls ill from a mystical virus and Doctor Strange doesn’t have the cure—help arrives from the unlikeliest of sources: the Swedish Chef, in this appetizing tale from Ashley Allen and Paco Medina.
  • Pigs in Space meet raccoons in space! Cosmic chaos ensues when Captain Link Hogthrob, First Mate Piggy, and Dr. Julius Strangepork crash into Rocket Raccoon and Groot in an intergalactic romp by MacKenzie Cadenhead and David Baldeon.
  • And more, including stories by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Adam F. Goldberg, E.J. Su and Áthila Fabbio.
  • The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 Foil Variant Cover By Humberto Ramos (Credit: Marvel Comics)
  • The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 Variant Cover By Ron Lim (Credit: Marvel Comics)
  • The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 Muppets Treasure Island 30th Anniversary Variant Cover By Matteo Lolli (Credit: Marvel Comics)
  • The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 Logo Mashup Variant Cover (Credit: Marvel Comics)

Chip Zdarsky had this to say about the new one-shot: 

“With the great power of two iconic properties comes great responsibility. I promise to not let down Kermit, Fozzie and Animal the way Spider-Man let down his Uncle Ben. It’s impossible to overstate how excited I write for Miss Piggy, who I consider to be one of the greatest icons of the last hundred years, a character who speaks to every generation. I also got to write Deadpool. And Pete Woods is turning in the most stunning, detailed and joyous pages. Seeing his take on these characters interacting is a real delight.” 

The Vice President Of The Muppets Studio, Leigh Slaughter, added: 

“It has been exciting for The Muppets Studio to collaborate with Marvel Comics in a new and unique way to bring the personality, humor and mayhem of The Muppets into the Marvel Universe and vice versa. To do this during the 50th anniversary year of ‘The Muppet Show’ makes this project even more meaningful.” 

The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe #1 releases September 23rd.

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House Of The Dragon Season 2 Recap: Setting Up For A New Future?

Janelle Holland
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House Of The Dragon Season 2 Recap: Setting Up For A New Future?

Get your dragons out, everyone! It is almost time for the season three premiere of House Of The Dragon. There are many things that happened last season, and I’m here to recap them. Here are some key things that you need to know. 

1. Aegon Is Ready For Change?

During the end of last season, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney)  flees with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and they are on a quest to go somewhere else. Aegon feels really debilitated by his injury incured from a dragon attack by his brother, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). At the end of the season, it seems that Aegon wants to be “his own man” and not be the King, as he thought was so important in the past. It will be interesting to see where exactly Aegon and Larys go and whether they can get to their destination safely.

Credit: Matthew Needham as Larys Strong in House of the Dragon HBO

2. Alicent’s Chess Moves

After the death of her daughter Haelena’s  (Phia Saban) son, it became apparent that Alicent  (Olivia Cooke) needed to move differently. She goes and talks to Rhaenyra, seems like there needs to be a truce. Of course, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy)  is hesitant, but, she wants to give Alicent another chance. Again, there is a shift in how Alicent makes it her business to keep everything in line. Haelena is devastated about her son, and she tries to lean on her mother for her grief. In the end, Alicent doesn’t give any true assistance to Haelena. 

Credit: Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon HBO

3. Daemon Is Stuck In Harrenhal

Daemon(Matt Smith)  goes to Harrenhal, on his dragon Caraxes.  Larys Strong’s great-uncle, Simon,  bends the knee to Daemon and invites him in. Simon discusses Larys’ station at court and how he is not welcomed at Harrenhal anymore and he also supports Rhaenyra. Over the course of the season, Daemon  is haunted by many dreams and hallucinations. I was baffled that Daemon was there the entire season. Daemon was told before that Harrenhal, would be haunted and to be careful. Daemon of course, does what he wants, and is up for the task to fight any ghosts in his way. Daemon is doing all of this for Rhanerya and he has to keep that in mind. 

4. A Fight To The Death

Rhaenys  (Eve Best) and Sir Corlys (Steve Touissant) make attempts to coordinate their attempts to help Rhaneyra. With this in mind, Rhaenys goes on her dragon to fight the side of Aegon and Aemond. It becomes a mess and, unfortunately, Rhaenys loses her life on her dragon, Meleys.  In the end, Aegon crashed with his dragon, Vhagar, as well, Aemond being the one behind his dragon’s attack. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) was horrified watching the dragon fight. Criston ends up going to help Aemond go and get Aegon’s body. 

Credit: Eve Best as Rhaneys Targaryen in House of the Dragon HBO

6. Rhaenyra’s Respect Is Being Abolished

Rhaenyra wants to be heard at the Black Council meeting. Even though she is “queen” she still doesn’t feel it. Jacerys (Harry Collett) ends up trying to leave Dragonstone, so he can go find the whereabouts of Daemon who is stationed in Harrenhal.  Rhaenyra and Jace discuss the best way to beat Vhagar, concluding that it will be best to use the larger dragons. Rhaenyra then goes on a quest to find dragon riders who will be capable of riding them.  Their search doesn’t take along long as they go through books to find those specific people.

5. A New Future Brewing

Aemond is angry about what happened with his brother, Aegon, wondering how Aegon even survived the dragon fight. When it comes down to the throne, Aemond fills in for Aegon because of how bad his injuries are. Aemond makes decisions to move the troops, and Cristan Cole says that there is not enough people in his army. Aemond talks to his mother Alicent, and asks her what role she will play with the small council. At the end of their conversation, Aemond removes Alicent from the small council. Aemond soon realizes the responsibility, and hears about the food shortage. Aemond is being blamed, but he says that it’s not his fault. Meanwhile, Aegon is still recovering from the wounds received from the dragon fight. Many of the people who are taking care of him say that Aegon has been sleeping for many days.

Credit: Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in House of The Dragon HBO

6. The Sea Snake’s Family Drama

Corlys meets Alyn (Abubkar Salim), and Alyn has been diligently working on the Sea Snake boat. Corlys chooses him as his second in command. He wants Alyn to sail out with him since he did such wonderful work on the boat. Addam (Clinton Liberty) hears what is going on and is mad at his brother for hesitating for sailing with his brother. As Addam goes, he is being stalked by the dragon, Sea smoke. He wants Addam to be his new rider. This family relationship continues to be tricky, as the episodes go further.  Rhaenyra meets with Addam and questions his validity on how he is a dragon rider.

7. Rhaneyra Tries Out the Dragon Riders

Rhaenyra goes through a process of gathering a group of potential dragon riders.  One of the dragon attacks all the others that are not suitable for the dragon. One man is identified. Ulf (Tom Bennett) becomes the new of riding Silverwing. Ulf is quite afraid of the dragon, but soon realizes that the dragon is not there to kill him. Aemond sees Silverwing and gets on his dragon to go and make them flee. Aemond was going to attack but sees the other dragons Vermithor and Syrax. Rhaneyra then stands with all of the dragons that are behind her.

Credit: Emma D’arcy as Queen Rhaneyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon HBO

Overall, season two was jam packed with so much action. Going into season three, I am hoping that there is going to be so much more. I am excited to see the Battle of the Gullet and what comes of it. I am sure that this season will bring triumphs and some defeats. I always love the immersiveness of House Of The Dragon. It begs the question, what team are you on. Are you on Team Black or Team Green?

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE STREAMING REVIEWS FROM JANELLE!

THE NERD INITIATIVE BULLPEN’S COMIC PULLS OF THE WEEK!

Matthew Roth
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THE NERD INITIATIVE BULLPEN’S COMIC PULLS OF THE WEEK!

New comic book day makes the weekdays worth living, and of course, much like your children, we don’t pick favorites. However, each week we love to pick what books we think you should be picking up from your local comic shop to add to that never-shrinking read pile! So here are our top picks for the week of June 10th.

  1. Kicking off the list is Matt’s pick of Dark Horse Comics’ Masters of the Universe: Wings of Fate #1 by Tim Sheridan, Will Sliney, Israel Silva, and Andworld Design. “I’m a newer fan of this franchise, and I can tell how much love and passion are behind every word and every panel in this first issue. We’re off on an exciting adventure that invites familiar characters for longtime fans, and for new fans won’t make you feel as though you are doing homework. This is a must-grab issue, and be sure to pre-order the next three at your LCS!”
  2. Megan’s pick is Marvel Comics Bishop #1 by Saladin Ahmed, Mario Santoro, Federico Blee, VC’s Travis Lanham, and Davide Paratore. “Bishop is one of my favorite mutants, and I am so grateful for how his character was handled. The creative team made something powerful, something Lucas Bishop fans will truly love. I can’t wait to see what the next issue holds for us!”
  3. Travis is here with Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #4 from Marvel Comics and Benjamin Percy, Madibek Musabekov, Luis Guerrero, VC’s Joe Caramagna, and Derrick Chew. “Benjamin Percy brings back a blast from the past in this issue! Something fans haven’t seen since Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: POD RACING! Not just any pod racing; this has a mixture of the movie Death Race to it as well! Great storytelling giving clues and connecting dots between the comic and the hit Disney+ show, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord!”
  4. It was a great week at Marvel Comics, as Shawn’s pick is The Sentry #4 by Paul Jenkins, Christian Rosad, Matt Milla, Joe Caramagna, and Alex Maleev. “Paul Jenkins continues to show that he’s one of the best of the business at getting inside the head of a character, and with Bob Reynolds, that’s no easy task. It was a thoughtful and introspective ending to the series that left me wanting more issues.”
  5. Supernatural fans, this one is for you! Dynamite Entertainment is here this week with Supernatural: Castiel #1 by Preeti Chhibber, Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Miracolo, Alessandro Ranaldi, Robby Bevard, J.L. Briere, and Jeff Eckleberry. Here’s what makes this Lauren’s pick this week: “Castiel is such a fun one-shot. Preeti knows these characters inside and out. We get a monster of the week with Sam, Dean, and Cas… mixed with inside jokes, lore, and a ton of fun! Any and all Supernatural fans should jump on this faster than Dean on a pie.”
  6. Taking us home is Derek’s pick, which is D’Orc #5 by Image Comics and Brett Bean, Jean-François Beaulieu, Nate Pieko, and Brett Bean & Jean-François Beaulieu. “I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but this book is consistently my favorite book each month. Crazy action, deep lore, surprising emotional beats, and incredible art make this a once-in-a-generation series!“

What was your favorite comic this week? Let us know below!

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Marvel Comics Announces New Spider-Woman One-Shot

Kat
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Marvel Comics Announces New Spider-Woman One-Shot

Jessica Drew’s 50th anniversary is this year, and Marvel Comics is celebrating with a one-shot. 

MORE FROM NI’S COMICS BULLPEN HERE 

Spider-Woman 50th Anniversary One-Shot #1 Variant Cover By Rose Besch (Credit: Marvel Comics)

This new one-shot’s creative team includes:

  • Writers: Dan Watters (Nightwing & The Twilight Zone) & Ann Nocenti (Tortured Hearts & Elektra) 
  • Artists: Andrea Broccardo (Supernatural & The Avengers) & Stefano Raffaele (Detective Comics & Only The Savage Are Left)

What we do know about the one-shot is that Jessica is getting thrown into 2 different adventures. The first one has Dan & Andrea: 

“Taking Spider-Woman back to the shadows, revealing a status quo that will shock fans more than a bioelectric blast! A terrible twist of fate awaits Spider-Woman in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity, kicking off the latest chapter in her tangled web of lies and mystery. Returning to her roots as a private investigator and teaming up with journalist Ben Urich, Spider-Woman ventures into corners of the Marvel Universe that her fellow heroes fear, but will her embrace of the darkness threaten her heroic legacy—or even her sanity?” 

The second story has Ann & Stefano putting Jessica: 

“In a detective story for the ages! Drawn into a bizarre case in Los Angeles, Spider-Woman finds herself chasing clues throughout the city before coming face-to-face with one of her classic foes, Flying Tiger!” 

Dan Watters had this to say about his love for Jessica Drew: 

“Mysterious and dangerous, Jessica Drew has always been one of my very favorite Marvel heroes. I’m so pleased to be bringing Spider-Woman venom-blasting into a new chapter of her story!” 

Meanwhile, Ann Nocenti had this to say: 

“Everyone has flaws, and it’s heroic to overcome them. When Editor Kaeden McGahey asked me to spin a tale for Spider-Woman’s 50th Anniversary, I thought of how Jessica Drew’s spider pheromone scent can be isolating. It’s a great test of her detective skills to sleuth out clues despite her creepy vibe and also hits a universal chord—we all have occasional ‘everyone hates me’ moments in life. 

In the 1980s editor Mark Gruenwald gave me the assignment to ‘retire’ Spider-Woman, ending the book’s run with issue #50, so returning to write a story about how Jess’s friendships and battles are hard won feels redemptive. Added bonus—with art by the spectacular Stefano Raffaele, the story will be gorgeous!” 

Spider-Woman 50th Anniversary One-Shot #1 releases September 2nd.

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LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

TravisComicHaven
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LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Are you ready to take on the villains of Gotham City like never before? Playing as all of the iconic heroes of the Bat-Family in this new open-world LEGO Batman game is beyond what any fan could possibly dream it to be! Let’s dive into this new game and all the features you can expect to see!

Game Breakdown

Finally, Batman fans get a new LEGO Batman game with Legacy of the Dark Knight! It has been almost ten years since the last LEGO Batman videogame, The LEGO Batman Movie Game in 2017. With this new videogame fans get the opportunity to take the Batman games to an entirely new level. Batman gaming fans will certainly remember the Arkham games which provided an open world dynamic allowing Batman to wander around Gotham City fighting crime and his villains. Take that same amazing concept and make everything LEGO!

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Credit gamespot.com


The Arkham games are entertaining for a more adult age bracket. Dark, gritty and violent. Everything that Batman fans would want in an authentic representation. Keep in mind that this game is made from the LEGO company which tends to draw in a younger more child friendly audience. With that being said it is to be expected that the violence is brought down to a LEGO scale. You still have all of the iconic moves that you are accustomed to seeing within the Arkham games. You expect to see the LEGO style of whit and comedy not only during gameplay but also within the video scenes of the game.

An additional feature of this game is the movements within the game. The fluidness of the fighting within the Arkham games is within this game as well! Fighting one criminal and being able to jump across a distance to another and fight makes this resemble to Arkham games. Along with the gliding across Gotham City while getting to see the city’s rooftops! This game will warm the hearts of Batman fans as well as LEGO Game fans.

Story Mode

While this game is open world there is still a story mode for players. The awesome aspect of this is that the story is broken up into a prologue and six individual chapters. Just like previous LEGO games based off of movies, the chapters focus on a certain movie but with a slight twist. That twist being that some of the details within the specific movie being depicted are altered or even combined with another movie. One example of this is the combination of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin movies. Personally, I did not have an issue with this especially how the game introduces Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon into the game.

Gameplay Screenshot
Gameplay Screenshot


For the most part in regard to the storytelling of the movies within the chapters is spot on. Fans should come to realize that there is so much within every Batman film that it would’ve been too much for just one game. Which is why I respect how LEGO put the stories together for the sake of the game. Below is a list of the chapters within the story mode of the game (I’m just giving the movie title it is based off of, and no other details. You will need to experience the magic of the story when you play!)


Prologue – Training with The League of Shadows

Chapter 1 – The Batman (2022)

Chapter 2 – Batman / Batman Returns (1989 / 1992)

Chapter 3 – Batman Forever / Batman & Robin (1995 / 1997)

Chapter 4 – Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)

Chapter 5 – The Dark Knight (2008)

Chapter 6 – The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Bat-Cave

The bat-cave within this game is phenomenal! It combines aspects from various other bat-caves to bring players a gigantic other world to explore. Most of the cave is already built when you first start playing, but as you continue to play you are able to build on various different platforms and sections gaining more utilization and storage. This is one of my favorite features of this game! I would sometimes get lost building and roaming around in the bat-cave just to see what all is in there. There are platforms for vehicles, suits, gadgets, workbenches, a laboratory, a training area and much more. Take a look at the slide show below of the various bat-cave platforms.

  • Various Desk
  • Bat-Computer
  • Training Area
  • Achivements Board
  • Various Suit Storage
  • Gadget Station
  • Bat-Mobile Storage
  • Bat-Elevator

Bat-Suits

The assortment of suits for this game stretches beyond the scope of the movies the chapters are about. You earn suites after the completion of missions and chapters. That goes without saying that you will have to purchase the Deluxe Edition add-on or game version to get a few extras. But for the most part you are able to earn as you go. The same is said for the bat-mobiles as well. The suits range from the Golden Era to The Batman and everywhere in between! You are not only collecting suits of Batman’s but of the other characters that you are able to play as (Jim Gordon, Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman). Please scroll through the slideshow below for photos of the suits displayed within the bat-cave.

  • Batman Suits
  • Batgirl Suits
  • Robin Suits
  • Nightwing Suits
  • Series Collections
  • Batman Beyond
  • Arkham
  • Dark Knights: Death Metal

Final Thoughts

This game is an absolute masterpiece! I usually enjoy playing LEGO videogames, but this one here takes the top spot. Being able to play through the movies as a Batman fan just hits differently. You have the mixture of LEGO humor with the dark tone of the Batman franchise. Being able to collect multiple variants of suits and cars turns you into Ash Ketchum (Pokémon) because you have to “collect them all!” This game is not just for Batman fans or LEGO fans. This is a game that is friendly enough without losing the Batman lore that everyone can and SHOULD play. Who knows, this game could be the start of some people becoming Batman fans and stepping into the fandom. If this article piques your interest, by all means go out and get this game. I guarantee that you will not be sorry, and you will enjoy every minute that you’re playing!

Overall Grade:

Various Game Photos

  • Bat Logo
  • The Animated Series
  • The Dark Knight: Joker
  • The Dark Knight: “Why So Serious?”
  • Batpod Ejecting
  • Batpod

Links

Comic Book Reviews & Nerdy Entertainment: Nerd Initiative
Videogame Website: LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Travis’ NI Article Portfolio: TravisComicHaven – Nerd Initiative
Travis’ Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

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“Scary Movie (2026)” is a Horrifyingly Good Time

Eda Thomas Bagwell
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“Scary Movie (2026)” is a Horrifyingly Good Time

As we all know, “good” and “bad” are entirely subjective. The discourse surrounding this movie has been interesting to say the least, with some saying it’s great while others find it to be downright bad or see it as something that’s about ten to fifteen years too late. Having seen the movie this last weekend, I can say that while the humor feels outdated at times, that’s one of the reasons I believe it to be one of the better comedies we’ve had in the last few years.

Source: “Scary Movie” from Miramax, Wayans Bros. Entertainment & Paramount Pictures

Director: Michael Tiddes
Writers: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, Rick Alvarez
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Dave Sheridan, Cheri Oteri, Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, Benny Zielke

The Story

If you’ve seen the other movies in the franchise, then you already know exactly how this goes with parodying a ton horror of movies and pop culture. In this movie, we catch up with the original crew of Cindy, Shorty, Brenda and Ray, finding them at new stages in their lives. Cindy is found by her estranged daughter Sara after finding out her sister Tuesday has been attacked by the elusive Ghost Face killer. Meanwhile, we find Brenda trying to reclaim the days of her youth while Shorty’s still in high school and Ray’s trying to work through his queerness. Together, the six of them, along with Tuesday’s friends, work to figure out the identity of the new Ghost Face before it’s too late!

The Writing

You know how some comedy movies and TV shows claim that no one or nothing is off limits? Well, here, I think it’s safe to say that they meant that. Without going into too much detail, there were plenty of jokes to make people gasp and balk which in this day and age, is a very risky thing to do. If people aren’t in on the joke, then it falls flat. That being said, I feel as if they did a good job at riding the line, as some people that were part of the communities being made fun of were cast in the movie, such as Benny Zielke, a transgender non-binary actor.

Source: “Scary Movie” from Miramax, Wayans Bros. Entertainment & Paramount Pictures

When it comes to the story, I feel like they did a decent job overall of making the story flow amidst everything being parodied. That being said, there were a few moments where it felt like something was just there because they wanted to check a box or they thought a joke was funny. When I say that, I mean that it became very clear that there were whole plot lines taken out, something I’ll get to later.

Speaking on the parodies, there was so much here and I loved almost all of it. There were the obvious ones from the trailers and posters, but also a ton of surprises! For the first time in the franchise’s history, they finally got around to parodying the likes of “Final Destination”, “Candyman” and “Nosferatu”. The one thing that truly surprised me though is something I won’t ENTIRELY spoil here. Just know, if you’re a fan of “K-Pop Demon Hunters”, be ready for something truly shocking!

The Directing

The writing now aside, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take some issues with the directing. First though, I’m going to start with the good. Director Michael Tiddes (“Sextuplets”, “Naked”), together with cinematographer Terry Stacey (“The Walking Dead: Dead City”, “The Witcher”) did a great job at capturing a whole new vibe for the franchise. Much like how the other films in the franchise worked to mimic the era of horror they were making fun of, “Scary Movie” actively looks like much of today’s elevated horror and that’s much to its benefit. Beautifully contrasting this is the acting, where I feel Tiddes did a great job at having the actors land their marks and punchlines while perfectly recapturing these characters we know and love.

Source: “Scary Movie” from Miramax, Wayans Bros. Entertainment & Paramount Pictures

However, I regret to inform you that the movie was let down by something I mentioned earlier; its editing and flow. There were several moments throughout that just felt very out of place, like the movie was meant to extend things further but got left on the cutting room floor. Where previous Wayans led movies worked to have the parodies make sense with each other to create a cohesive plot, this just… didn’t entirely. One such moment that stands out to me is the film’s parody of “Longlegs”. Serving as a return of the Shorthand character from “Scary Movie 2”, it was quite literally nothing more than that. It had very little to do with the overall plot and left me very confused on why it was left in. It also was a different scene than the one shown in the trailers, which wasn’t in the movie at all, leading me to believe this was originally meant to be a bigger throughline for the film.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the movie was good but not great. While most of the jokes landed, the acting was great for this type of comedy, and the plot was comprehensible to a degree, the film was let down by its editing. Here’s to hoping that that’s something which can be fixed by a director’s cut.

Read more from me here and check out my socials!

Comments

Have you been able to check out the new “Scary Movie”? If so, what did you think? Are you a fan of the franchise? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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Avengers: Armageddon #1 – The History of Humanity, Is War

ShawnFoles
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Avengers: Armageddon #1 – The History of Humanity, Is War

Steve Rogers may be dead. Doctor Doom is gone. Salvation has been swallowed by a rebellion. In the vacuum, Thunderbolt Ross, the Red Hulk, claims Latveria, the sovereign homeland of Doctor Doom, for himself. This is a threat that requires all hands on deck. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and others must stand together against General Ross, intent on bringing democracy to every country, even if it means doing it by force.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artists: Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Dike Ruan
Cover Color Artist: Moreno DiNisio

Writing

Megan: Avengers: Armageddon #1 is here, and boy oh boy, is there a lot happening. Thunderbolt Ross, AKA Red Hulk, is the main villain, and usually, with the Avengers there to save the day, it would be a quick victory. However, Tony has used his tech to find the dangers of the world and can see what no one else can: that Red Hulk has already won. On top of that, the Avengers were told not to interfere, but can they actually stay out of the fight? Especially when Ross has plans to conquer the entire world? Absolutely not.

Chip Zdarsky starts this series off with a bang, bringing in familiar faces and even unfamiliar faces into the great war that’s about to take off. We get a chance to see who’s worried, who plans on entering the war at full force, and who’s willing to work together as a team. With some incredible heavy hitters working on the same team, there’s no denying that this war will be something for the ages.

Shawn: What an absolutely amazing start to this series. A lot is happening in a short amount of time. Chip Zdarksy deserves an amazing amount of credit for this issue. I would have loved to see this issue be 10 or so more pages long, but it never felt like it needed to be. Zdarksy manages to put a lot of action, characters, and story into the pages in a way that feels natural, easy to read, and understandable. With the hidden power of Ross, it seems as if Zdarksy has truly created a terrifying version of Ross that seems limitless.

Art

Avengers Armageddon #1 cover by Dike Ruan and Moreno DiNisio. Image from Marvel Comics

Megan: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Jesus Aburtov, and Cory Petit bring a lot of depth to the story, mostly playing off the emotions of the characters. The story benefits heavily from that, as the stakes are high and the energy is even higher.

Dias and Alpizar bring excellently detailed panels that leave nothing to the imagination. You can see the emotions of the characters clearly, letting their faces tell the story themselves. Aburtov, who always delivers high quality when he’s on the creative team, continues to do just that. Having a beautiful juxtaposition of vibrancy and muted tones makes each page absolutely stunning and impactful.

Petit, who handles the lettering of the comic, perfectly captures the tones of the story through the dialogue, letting the reader feel every emotion of the characters. All in all, the artists truly knocked this out of the park!

Shawn: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Jesus Aburtov, and Cory Petit take a bow, gentlemen. You absolutely killed it for this debut. Diaz and Alpizar crafted high-stakes and energetic panels at every turn. The art makes each panel feel urgent. As Ross and his attacks escalate, the art makes the panels feel like they tilt or bleed into one another as you’re drawn from panel to panel as the crisis deepens.

Jesus Aburtov and Cory Petit help bring the story home. With the palette, Aburtov crafts a contrast between the heroes’ desperate but hopeful planning and the volatile threat posed by Ross. The greens and crimsons surrounding the world of Red Hulk leap off the page while casting just the right shadow on his jagged look. With a massive cast, Petit executes a flawless dialogue placement. Readers are easily guided through crowded briefing rooms, desolate Doomstadt Democracy City, and various players in this drama.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 9/10. Avengers: Armageddon #1 is such a strong start for this series, and I’m very excited to see where it goes. With a creative team as stacked as this one, it was guaranteed to be a slam dunk!

Shawn: 10/10. With the tone that was set with Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon and Captain America, combined with the amazing art skills of this creative team, it was hard to think this would be anything other than a great issue. This creative team delivered, ensuring a solid launch to this earth shaking series.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

Did you like the opening issue of the series? Let us know in the comments

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“Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword #2” Review – A Swing and a Hit!

Eda Thomas Bagwell
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“Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword #2” Review – A Swing and a Hit!

If you’re just catching up, the last issue of Rory McConville’s ended in a devastating plot twist! Her friend now dead, Red Sonja is left to protect Aretha on her own. Just how much more danger will the She-Devil find herself in as she takes on her deceased friend’s final crusade? And does this issue continue to help create a fun and interesting run? Let’s find out together in this week’s issue!

Source: Stuart Sayger, Dynamite Comics

Writer: Rory McConville
Artist: Pablo De Bonis
Colorist: Salvatore Aiala Neto

The Writing

I feel like it’s safe to say that McConville once again killed it in this issue! In just the first few pages alone, he manages to sum up why Red Sonja has become one of my favorite characters in comics. Here, we first see her in a flashback where she’s set to be hanged for her insane list of crimes. Without going into too much detail, this sets up something for later in the issue.

That’s actually one of the things I wanted to talk about! In doing that with a flashback, McConville makes it clear that not a single thing in this run will be unimportant, no matter how small the detail. He truly surprised me with what he did, as I thought the initial moment in question was meant to just be a side gag. He proved me wrong and I couldn’t be happier about that.

He not only used the flashback as foreshadowing, but also as a juxtaposition to what came immediately after. Going from a more humorous moment to straight up gore and violence truly threw me for a loop in the best way. He does an utterly fantastic job here of leading the reader into a false sense of security before the reminder of how brutal Sonja’s world now is. This isn’t a comic for the faint of heart, and it’s a violent comic with depth.

Source: Lucio Parrillo, Dynamite Comics

The Art

I think my thoughts on the art can be quickly summed up: I need to see Pablo De Bonis on more books. There’s absolutely no other way to describe his work other than “striking”. It stands out in a truly amazing way and is such a perfect fit for the world and character. If you love bloody and brutal, De Bonis brings it when it’s needed, but shows the lush beauty when it’s called for.

His work is paired perfectly with the colors of Salvatore Aiala Neto. The colors throughout the book really work to make the art pop in a fantastic way. There’s one specific panel I love where everyone in the background is sort of greyed out, with Red Sonja being the only one in full color. This was a beautiful way to symbolize how important she is to those people. Give me more of that, please.

Final Thoughts

If you love Red Sonja, then I see no reason as to why you won’t love this! Rory McConville and crew are doing an utterly fantastic job at bringing this world to life in a new and exciting way. Full of suspense, humor, violence and fantastic artwork, “Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword” will keep you coming back for more.

Overall Grade: 10/10

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Are you a fan of Red Sonja? Have you been reading this new run? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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D’Orc #5 – A Look Into The Past!

Derek Hoskins
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D’Orc #5 – A Look Into The Past!
D’Orc #5 – Cover – Brett Bean & Jean-François Beaulieu (Credit Image Comics)

D’Orc #5

Writer – Brett Bean

Artist – Brett Bean

Colorist – Jean-François Beaulieu

Letterer – Nate Piekos

Cover – Brett Bean & Jean-François Beaulieu

Read the review of the last issue in this series HERE!

D’Orc #5 – Cover – Daniel Warren Johnson (Credit Image Comics)

The Story:

D’Orc is naked, wet, and on the run! Now, with the help of a fortune teller, he his determined to find out where he came from. Also, if he’s naked… where is he keeping the coins he’s paying with?

The Writing:

Every time I think that Brett Bean can’t possibly top the last issue, I am proven wrong! On top of the usual fast pacing and quick dialogue, Bean added in a unique framing device by having the fortune teller recall the story and catch the reader up to speed. This issue had me laughing out loud at multiple points and kept me genuinely invested throughout. The “twist” reveal was one that I saw coming but that did not dampen it’s impact and that is a true sign of just how amazing Bean’s writing is in this issue and has been in this series overall.

D’Orc #5 – Cover – Nate Melendez (Credit Image Comics)

The Art:

I really don’t know what else I can say about Brett Bean and Jean-François Beaulieu’s artwork that I haven’t been saying for the past four issues. This team is absolute perfection! The frenetic and cartoonish line work coupled with the vibrant colors create an art style that I cannot get enough of. This team knows how to toe the line between over-the-top violence and slapstick humor and it never feels dull or like they are playing it safe.

Overall Grade: 10/10

I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but this book is consistently my favorite book each month. Crazy action, deep lore, surprising emotional beats, and incredible art make this a once in a generation series!

Check out more from Derek here!

Have you read this issue? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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“Justice League Dream Girls – A DC Pride Event #2” Review – Full Of Pride Indeed

Eda Thomas Bagwell
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“Justice League Dream Girls – A DC Pride Event #2” Review – Full Of Pride Indeed
Source: Ted Brandt, Ro Stein, DC Comics

When we last saw Dreamer and Galaxy, they were onboard the Justice League’s space station, in bed while members of the team debate their eligibility to join the ranks. Picking up this issue, it’s a seamless transition, so if you read the previous issue, you won’t be lost at all. Also like the previous issue, this one is an absolute blast and emotional rollercoaster, so have the tissues ready! With that said, let’s get this review started!

Writers: Jadzia Axelrod, Nicole Maines
Artists: Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Stephen Sadowski, Norm Rapmund, Dan Jurgens, Vincent Cecil, Joe Quinones
Colorists: Vincent Cecil, Joe Quinones, Trish Mulvihill, Dearbhla Kelly, Hi-Fi

“Green Lantern Corps” Writers: Steven Underwood, Morgan Hampton
“Green Lanterns Corps” Artist: Alitha Martinez
“Green Lantern Corps” Colorist: Matt Herms

The Writing

I have to say, I really have no idea where to begin here. I absolutely loved everything about this issue, from Green Arrow’s usage to how hard I was able to connect to Dreamer and her struggle. In regard to Green Arrow, Axelrod and Maines handled him beautifully! In my opinion, the best way to use him is as the moral compass in issues of equality. We see as he actively sticks up for Galaxy and Dreamer and just seeing that brought the biggest smile to my face.

Speaking of having a smile on my face, I was absolutely in love with how our history was represented. Just like in the previous issue, we see as Galaxy and Dreamer enter different realities. The first one we see them in here is set in the 1960’s, which is when the Stonewall Riots happened. For those who don’t know, the Stonewall Riots were a series of protests that started on June 28th, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in response to secret police raids. During that time, being queer was mostly criminalized and police would raid gay bars and clubs, looking for same sex couples and people they deemed were cross-dressing or transgender.

During the raid of the Stonewall Inn, the people decided they had finally had enough, starting the six-day series of riots, fighting the police and sacrificing themselves. It’s thanks to those brave souls that we have, not just Pride Month, but the rights we have today. Axelrod and Maines worked this in expertly, teaching the history in such an empowering way that I don’t want to entirely spoil here.

One thing that made me feel empowered and seen on a personal level however was finding out about Dreamer’s internal struggle. Without going into too much detail, her moment in this book made me cry harder than Galaxy’s moment in the previous book. If you know the character, you know she has a tendency to be seen as a screw-up and having a hard time trusting others, something I can relate to all too well. Following this is a message I think perfectly sums everything up, one we all need to hear; it’s okay not to be okay and that in times of need, its best to lean on each other and our communities.

As for the Green Lantern side of things, I loved learning about the existence of Jo Mullein and as a pansexual girly, I’d love to see so much more of her. Underwood and Hampton did such a good job at getting readers interested in the character based solely on her personality and struggle. Within just a few pages, the made the character feel relatable.

Source: Phil Jiminez, DC Comics
Source: Mateus Manhanini, DC Comics

The Art

When it came to the art, every few pages felt like a breath of fresh air, having their own distinct styles. Just like with the previous issue, everyone brought their own voices and shined through. The different facial expressions were perfect and they completely captured the intricate emotions and changes of emotion.

As for the colors, they were used amazingly well here. Each blend of colors perfectly set the mood and tone for each reality they were in. For example, in the aforementioned ’60s setting, everything looked like the panels were lifted directly from a comic from that era.

When it comes to the art and colors for “Green Lantern Corps”, I absolutely love Jo’s design. She looks so insanely unique with her stylish glasses and cool looking hair. The two also worked together to create this amazing flow that’s absolutely gorgeous to look at.

Final Thoughts

I can’t even begin to describe how much I’m loving this run. It teaches our history while simultaneously adding so much more depth to these characters. The more I read, the more I’m anxious to see where this all leads. I’m consistently left on the edge of my seat, crying as it’s so easily to relate to what these characters are experiencing and going through. If you aren’t picking this up or adding it to your pull-list, I promise you won’t regret it if you do.

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Overall Grade: 10/10

Comments

Are you reading “Justice League Dream Girls”? If so, what do you think so far? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

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