With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania just weeks away, let’s dive into who exactly Kang is in the Marvel Universe.
The Master of Time, his connections to the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, and so much more are covered in detail in this video from some of the best at Nerd Initiative!
Death is a part of life, there’s no denying that. But when celebrities either pass or get greatly hurt, where is the line between paying homage to your favorite actor and being an opportunist?
Tony and Mike break it down and think about when you may want to resist the urge to post after a celebrity dies.
It’s a conversation that is very sensitive, but one that needs to be had!
Apple TV+ has a new offering in “Super League: The War for Football.“
Nerd Initiative sat down with award-winning director and producer Jeffrey Zimbalist to talk about how this series came together.
The War for Football follows the 2021 drama around a plan for a breakaway soccer league in Europe.
Through revealing interviews with the sport’s top stakeholders, Zimbalist is able to educate and entertain even non-soccer fans about the world’s game.
check out the full interview below and check out the show out now on Apple TV+.
It’s a new month and as always there’s a whole lot of new comic book runs starting this month! Here are my Top 3 new comic book runs coming to comic shops in the month of February.
Toni Brooks just moved to the small town of Sweetwater with her family. While all seems normal at first, she quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. The mystery she stumbles on must be big, because she has drawn the attention of the Silver Surfer himself! And who…or what is Ghost Light? Find out and discover a brand new Marvel superhero over 50 years in the making!
Silver Surfer: Ghost Light #1 is riding into comic shops on Feb. 1st.
There is a sociopath running rampant in New York. This butcher known as the Angel Killer has very specific targets. His victims are the innocent family members of others convicted of murder. He says his goal is to “purify” society. The only thing that could stop him, are two obsessive NYPD detectives, who have decided to make hunting down this killer their new favorite hobby.
Blood Tree #1 is set to hit store shelves on Feb.1st.
Tynion is back at it with another ambitious comic book project. Blue Book is being called his “True Weird” stories by Tynion himself, stating each issue will cover ordinary people having extraordinary, and downright otherworldly encounters. These are all retellings of real world accounts by real people, starting with the original abduction story of Betty and Barney Hill.
Blue Book #1 is scheduled to for a landing in comic shops on Feb. 22nd.
You can find all of these and countless others at PREVIEWSworld.com
I do feel that most fans will focus too much on the aspect of Seth Rogen’s previous work and his style of mature comedy, but his talent for storytelling is undeniable.
-Mickey Smith
In a year where we are being blessed with anticipated animated films such as Super Mario Bros. and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, there stands one film that is staying under the radar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has quietly been in production since 2020 and as small bits of information now make their way from out of the sewers, fans are starting to get curious.
Back in 2020 Nickelodeon Animation Studios announced that a new TMNT film was in production in association with Paramount Pictures. The surprising aspect of this announcement was that Point Grey Pictures would be producing. Point Grey is the production company is under the leadership of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, not particularly known for family friendly types of films.
In the directors chair is Jeff Rowe, best known for his writing on the Netflix Original Disenchantment and co-directing The Mitchells Vs. The Machines. Writing the script is Brendan O’Brien, who has has previously written comedies for Point Grey Pictures such as Neighbors, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and The House.
There are rumors and unconfirmed cast lists on various sites. Even a Google search turns up the likes of Dylan O’Brien, James Marsden, and Shamon Brown Jr. The problem is that none of those have been confirmed.
The only information we have is that the production, Seth Rogen in particular, is looking to have all 4 turtles voiced by actual teenagers (or at least very authentic teenager voices). Since there only rumors swirling at this moment, can we collectively manifest a role for Keno?!
First off, Seth Rogen has been adamant about his focus on the “teenage” aspect of the turtles franchise. It’s something he feels is rarely focused on and happens to be one of his specialties (think Freaks and Geeks, Superbad, and Drillbit Taylor). Secondly, a lot of comparisons of this films animation style has been to that of Into The Spider-Verse.
That would make a lot of sense coming from director Jeff Rowe as well considering the same style was used in his film The Mitchells Vs. The Machines. Lastly, the films name seems like a slight hint at the plot. “Mutant Mayhem” would indicate that there will be a large number of mutants causing a ton of trouble all over the city. If that does end up being the case, I think it’s only logical that we can expect an appearance from the Krang.
With everything I’ve found I can’t help but think that the movie will be a big success. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are big fans of the franchise. I do feel that most fans will focus too much on the aspect of Seth Rogen’s previous work and his style of mature comedy, but his talent for storytelling is undeniable.
I believe that he will be able to adapt in a way that will be fun and engaging for kids and adults alike. Nickelodeon wouldn’t have trusted him otherwise. Director Jeff Rowe’s involvement with The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is also a bright spot in my high hopes for this film. That movie ended up being Netflix’s most viewed animated work. It was also lauded by critics and was even nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category. In my opinion, there is reason to believe that this could end up being a surprise box office and critical hit much like Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse did in 2018.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in scheduled to open in theaters August 4th, 2023. The website for the film is live https://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com/ but there is nothing more than a logo available to interact with at the time of this post.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW) is the most recent installment in the Star Trek franchise. It is the 12th show to be released since the franchise’s inception in 1966, but only the eighth fully live action series. The show picks up where the second season of Star Trek: Discovery (DISCO) leaves off. The primary cast of the series features a few of Star Trek’s inaugural characters, Captain Christopher Pike played by Anson Mount, Science officer Spock played by Ethan Peck, First Officer Una Chin-Riley played by Rebecca Romijn as well as a handful of new characters such as Chief Engineer Hemmer played by Bruce Horak and Helmsman Erica Ortegas played by Melissa Navia. The series show-runners have also chosen to include beloved character Nyota Uhura, who in this iteration is played by Tony and Grammy Award winning actor Celia Rose Gooding. Uhura is much younger than when we meet her in Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) as she holds the rank of Cadet.
The first season of the Series has taken on the large task of reintroducing beloved characters, who are closer to the beginning of each of their journeys as Starfleet officers on the USS-Enterprise, Registration number NCC-1701, to both veteran fans of the franchise as well as garnering new support from a new generation. SNW has bridged a large gap, as the fandom consists now of trekkies that range in age from Baby Boomer to Gen Z. For many fans, this show is a refreshing change of pace as it has chosen to implement the episodic format of storytelling, in line with the previous shows we have come to love, such as TOS, The Next Generation (TNG), Deep Space Nine (DS9), Voyager (VOY) and Enterprise (ENT). Most of the Modern Trek shows starting with DISCO have chosen a serialized story arc. SNW is a real return to form in the campy style of TOS while also flawlessly conveying more dramatic tones in some of the heavier episodes.
As a legacy trekkie, having bonded with my mother (who fell in love with TOS) when I was young, over the humanity of the TNG cast and stories, I am truly loving the performances in this show. While I am extremely engaged with the continued growth of all of the characters, my personal favorites are no surprise, Captain Pike and Spock. I am particularly excited for all of the female characters as well as cast members of color.
Season 2 is expected to start streaming in the Spring this year (2023). If you have any interest in getting into Star Trek, Season 1 is a great place to start. SNW carries all of the heart and essence of Star Trek at its roots while also bringing a modern feel with cinematic flair. It is currently available to stream on Paramount+, along with the other 11 shows in the franchise. If you don’t have Paramount +, it is also available to stream with premium packages on the Roku channel and Amazon Prime video.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is the latest in music biopics that depicts the rise, trials, and tribulations of the beloved pop star, Whitney Houston. The film dives into the technicalities of her career and the relationships of those closely associated with her, while also exploring the darker and more troubling side of her life, all while attempting to honor legacy.
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As someone who went in with very little knowledge about Whitney Houston or her life, I honestly had a blast watching it. Naomi Ackie’s performance was a joy to watch and won me over with her charm. And while it was the original tracks of the songs and not Ackie singing herself, she managed to exude an exciting amount of charisma through the stage performance scenes. Meanwhile, Stanley Tucci as the caring and protective manager steals our hearts with his genuine performance, and the energy and tone of the film remains well-supported by the likes of Tamara Tunie, Clarke Peters, Nafessa Williams, and Ashton Sanders.
Much of the film is visually impressive and was a ton of fun to watch as we watch the life of Whitney Houston pass on by. From early beginnings to music videos, to Whitney standing up for herself, up until the very difficult moments of her life, it was quite the ride. As far as biopics go, this one is straightforward and linear, but I think that’s where my issues begin to rise.
There’s definitely a need to be as delicate as possible when handling the darker moments of any iconic person’s life, but that doesn’t always mean it’s going to land well. In the case of I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the film absolutely addresses Houston’s image on all fronts and the effects of her actions with regards to all of her relationships.
But it’s an odd feeling to see so much glitz and glam attached to parts of her life when the harsh reality is that these moments were ugly and damaging. It’s as if there’s a veil draped over them where you can see how bad it was but you can’t see how far it got.
It’s movies like this that make me feel as if I’d rather have a music documentary that might provide a much more authentic look into the life of these beloved artists. As the fad of music biopics continues, I simply wonder how long it’ll last before we collectively grow tired of them. But if I Wanna Dance With Somebody were to be the last of the fad, then I’d be content. While it’s not perfect, I do think it does an honest attempt to depict Houston’s life. It still remains an enjoyable and entertaining film that’ll get you dancing in your seat and belting out a Whitney Houston classic on the car ride home.
Samosa Rating:
White Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody receives 3 out of 5 Samosas.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is now playing in theaters.
Runtime: 2h 26m
The latest horror film from Blumhouse Productions focuses on the development of an AI doll called M3GAN which is intended to be the ultimate best friend for children. However, when the doll is gifted to its creator’s grieving and traumatized niece, all hell breaks loose when the AI becomes a little too self-aware, as it learns and adapts faster than expected.
Read Also: “The Menu”: Unexpected and Unpredictable, But In The Best Way Possible
Something that I have always hated about horror movies and slashers is how logical or predictable it can be. If I can find a logical solution to all of our characters’ problems from the get go, it gets boring. If I see the monster or the thing that’s supposed to scare me too early in the movie, the suspense is gone. But M3GAN? Now, that movie was something different. Was it my intense fear of AI and the prospect of an AI world? Was it the legitimately frightening jump scares? Or was it just the addition of another really creepy doll in the round-up of dolls from horror movies? It’s all three, if I’m honest.
Frankly, I loved the way the movie built up its premise and gave enough background for our main characters that didn’t feel excessive or unnecessary and instead, gave us a worthwhile payoff in the end. It’s a bit of a goofy movie on purpose while also quietly making fun of the way we as society are so reliant on AI and technology, that we’re always trying to find the next “thing” that’s bigger and better. Too often are we sucked into our AI home systems, our phones and iPads, and our computers. Too often do we become emotionally attached to these items, whether we realize it or not.
M3GAN, both the movie and the doll, ultimately taps into our worst fears and terrifies us in the most modern and futuristic way. With its over-the-top depiction of technological progression, the movie is essentially talking directly to us, practically warning us about going too far with technology. But it remains an entertaining experience as it mixes in humorous moments that feel ridiculous but are laced with a creepy and unsettling feeling. If you remember the Furby craze, you know what I’m talking about.
If jump scares and slasher-style horror films aren’t for you, then I can understand skipping on this. But look, I’m not fond of them either and yet I was pleasantly surprised as well as happily terrified. I can’t promise this won’t give you nightmares or make you fear AI tech more than you did before, but I can say 2023 came out the gates swinging with this M3GAN.
Samosa Rating:
M3GAN receives 4 out of 5 Samosas.
M3GAN is now playing in theaters.
Runtime: 1h 42m
On January 3rd, 2023, DC Comics released issue 4 of The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, created by Matthew Rosenberg (writer), Francesco Francavilla (artist), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Nick Filardi (colorist), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colorist), and Tom Napolitano (letterer).
Whether you picked up this issue or not, you definitely heard about it in the news. This issue contains the story where Joker becomes “pregnant”.
A lot of people have expressed their disdain for this story, calling it “woke” by trying to “pander to the LGBTQIA+ community”. But this is a prime example of how some people can make judgments about a comic book without reading it.
I’ve had the pleasure of reading the whole series since issue 1, and even wrote a review about it. I’m not a Joker fan by any means, but when I read the first issue for my review for Comic Watch, I was absolutely hooked and had been reading every issue since then.
I created a TikTok video doing a complete breakdown of this scene and why the situation is being overblown (video below). But here are a few key points to keep in mind about this story:
Jack Kirby was an icon in the world of comics and a large part of what made Marvel what it is today.
He was often referred to as the “King of Comics.”
He is best known for his work with Marvel Comics, where he co-created many of the company’s most iconic characters and franchises, including the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four.
But even with all that under his belt, Kirby was often overlooked, especially when compared to Stan Lee.
Here’s part 1 of 4 in 60 Second Comic Facts’ look at the important life of Jack “King” Kirby!
