Category: News

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” comes home in April

It’s time to go where no brick has gone before when The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part arrives on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD Special Edition and Digital. The much-anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, global box office phenomenon that started it all, The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part reunites the heroes of Bricksburg in an all-new action-packed adventure to save their beloved city.

Reprising their starring roles from the first film are Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Jurassic World”) as Emmet; Elizabeth Banks (“The Hunger Games” movies, “Love & Mercy”) as Lucy, aka Wyldstyle; Will Arnett (“The LEGO® Batman Movies,” TV’s “Arrested Development”) as LEGO Batman; Alison Brie (TV’s “GLOW,” TV’s “Community”) as Unikitty; Nick Offerman (“Fargo,” TV’s “Parks and Recreation”) as MetalBeard; and Charlie Day (the “Horrible Bosses” movies, TV’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia”) as Benny. They are joined by Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip,” “Keanu”) and Stephanie Beatriz (“Short Term 12,” TV’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) as new characters Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi and General Mayhem, respectively, and Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids,” TV’s “Big Mouth”), as Mom.

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Senator Patrick Leahy writes a tribute for his longtime friend, Batman

Senator Patrick Leahy writes a tribute for his longtime friend, Batman

Senator Patrick Leahy, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, talks about his introduction for Detective Comics #1000, his longtime relationship with fellow crimefighter Batman, how he’s appeared in more Batman movies than any mere actor, and more in his local paper.

Decades after meeting him in Montpelier’s Kellogg-Hubbard Library, the longest-serving U.S. senator, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is wishing a happy 80th anniversary to his best-known associate and Gotham City’s Dark Knight, the Batman.

Originally at www.rutlandherald.com

Man, 39, Arrested In Modesto Comic Book Store Break-Ins

There’s been an arrest in Modesto comic book store burglaries

Detectives have made an arrest in the case of thousands of dollars worth of rare merchandise stolen from a Modesto comic book store.

Modesto police say 39-year-old David Garcia has been arrested in connection to the break-ins at Invincible Comics back in February. About $5,000 worth or rare comic books and other merchandise was taken.

Originally at sacramento.cbslocal.com

It’s official: Fox’s Marvel heroes go to Disney, along with everything else

Here we go, kids. The acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney is official today.

Ryan Reynolds is getting into the spirit of the thing:

And some happy soul has helpfully embedded Deadpool into Avengers: Endgame…

The Hollywood Reporter, umm, reports:

Reynolds’ Deadpool is expected to be the only iteration of the X-Men to make the jump to Disney, with Disney CEO Bob Iger having confirmed multiple times that popular, R-rated version of the character could exist at the studio. […] Marvel Studios has not publicly revealed any plans for integrating members of the X-Men and Fantastic Four into its cinematic universe, though Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is said to have met with several members of the X-Men old guard in recent months. Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley, who was hired to write a Doctor Doom movie in 2017, earlier this month confirmed he’s spoken to Feige about the script centering on the Fantastic Four villain, though Hawley downplayed how serious those discussions were.

Here’s hoping the, ah, crisis passes smoothly.

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Mike Raub

Mike Raub: 1951-2019

Mike Raub, long-time comic fan, retailer, broadcaster and podcaster, passed away tonight after a long illness. He was 68.

Mike was the original podcaster here at ComicMix from 2006 to 2008, later creating Get The Point Radio, all while moonlighting from his day job as the director of AM programming for Cox Communication. If you listened to radio in the 2000s, you probably heard Mike on the dial on one station or another.

I first met Mike at the age of 15, at a meeting of the fledgling East Coast Comic Book Retailers Association, when he and his first wife Lori ran The Dream Factory in Connecticut, which he owned and operated from 1985 to 1994. He impressed me with his energy and passion in a field not exactly lacking in extroverts.

He was born in Marion, Ohio and turned into a hardcore comics fan at a very early age, writing letters and creating fanzines. He later studied radio broadcasting at Ohio State University.

We were very lucky that he combined his love of comics, pop culture, and broadcasting for us for so many years.

Our deepest condolences to his wife Kai, his children Matt, Max, Mark, Mickey, Mike, and Sammy, and to his hundreds of friends and thousands of listeners.

Gaze Inside The Studio Sanctorum of Steve Ditko!

Russ Maheras writes an incredibly detailed essay over at Pop Culture Squad about visiting Steve Ditko at his studio in the Times Square district, right around the corner from DC’s offices:

Steve was a fairly-thin, gray-haired older man. His thinning hair was combed back, and he wore narrow-frame glasses. He was wearing a short-sleeved soft-plaid shirt (with pocket) that buttoned up in front, a white t-shirt, and slacks. He stood nearly erect and appeared in excellent health. He was alert, moved deliberately, and had no signs of any age-related issues. His hearing was fine, and his mind was very quick and very sharp.

Read the entire thing– it’s as good a description as we’re going to get.

Originally at popculturesquad.com

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

There is little doubt that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a fun movie, exceeding everyone’s expectations. It deserves its Oscar, its box office success, and its pioneering an animated path for Marvel to explore.

The film, out now on disc from Sony Home Entertainment, celebrates what it means to wear the suit. Everyone knows Peter Parker and his story so here, the masses are introduced to Mile Morales (Shameik Moore), who has been a part of the comics since 2011 and his world has been merged into the core Marvel Universe, making him a permanent addition.

We also meet other iterations of Spider-Man, each from a separate parallel universe, and these days the general public is fine with the concept of a multiverse. Writers Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman play with it, by having each of the main Spiders do a narration that emphasizes their variance from the well-known origin. In a nod to the film, Marvel had the messy and pointlessly bloated Spider-Geddon event that shows too much is never better.

Wisely, the film starts on Miles’ world, which is clearly not the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he gains his powers just in time for the Green Goblin to kill his world’s Peter Parker (Chris Pine). All of the hullabaloo is sparked because the Kingpin (Liev Shreiber) is using dangerous technology to access the multiverse to find a replacement Vanessa and Richard, having lost his wife and son in a car crash.

Miles, unsure of how to use his newfound abilities, is visited at Parker’s grave by the Peter B. Parker Jake Johnson) from a different world. Together, they agree Fisk has to be stopped, using the data on a damaged flash drive. As the story unfolds, we meet that world’s Doc Ock, Olivia Octavius (Kathryn Hahn), the Prowler (Mahershala Ali), and Aunt May (Lily Tomlin), the latter far more with it and supportive of her Peter’s heroic life.

The unlikely duo of young teen and overweight and far older adult is joined by Spider-Woman, a heroic Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage), Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), who controls the robotic SP//dr:. Here’s where the brilliantly colorful movie excels by rendering each of these characters in a unique style. Noir is merely in black and white, Ham is two-dimensional animation, and Peni is pure anime.  

There’s running, jumping, and fighting along with way too many things blowing up. The final third is pretty much pure action and if there’s any fault, the multiverse exploding threat is too over-the-top for these heroes, who deserve threats better scaled to who they are.

That said, the 117 minutes zip by with a strong score from Daniel Pemberton, and leaves us with a brand-new hero in Miles, who embraces the mantle he has inherited. By all means, stick through the credits for a hysterical nod to two more Spider-Men.

The film is available in numerous formats with retail exclusive editions at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. The standard Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD combo pack is the most common and offers up a superior high definition transfer. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is up to the noise made by characters bickering and things going boom. Word is the 4K Ultra HD version is even better, naturally. The 3D Blu-ray will be released separately on April 10.

There are some fine special features here, starting with a short feature, “Spider-Ham Caught in a Ham” (4:11), which is amusing enough but should have been funnier.

There’s an Audio Commentary — featuring directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman with producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller — which details the four-year process of going from concept to finished film and the 800 technicians, artists, actors, and crew to make this CGI film a reality.

The most interesting option is to play the film in its Alternate Universe edition, which integrates deleted scenes, pencil tests, and more. You can see the creative process at work, which is a treat, and adds about 5 minutes to the run time.

Additionally, there are the usual behind the scenes features: We Are Spider-Man (7:51), Spider-Verse A New Dimension (5:09), The Ultimate Comic Cast (15:02), Designing Cinematic Comic Book Characters “Heroes and Hams” (7:45), Designing Cinematic Comic Book Characters “Scoundrels & Scorpions” (5:11), Spider-Verse Super Fan Easter Egg Challenge (5:02), and Sunflower music video by Post Malone & Swae Lee (3:00)

Fittingly, there is also a Tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (8:34), both of whom we lost in 2018.

Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara ousted after sexual misconduct allegations

Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara ousted after sexual misconduct allegations

As we continue to add to the chaos at the top of DC Comics…

Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara has been ousted after an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations….

Tsuijhara, 54, had been with Warner Bros. for more than 24 years. He became CEO in early 2013 and became chairman position later that year. Tsuijhara, the first executive of Asian decent to head a major Hollywood studio, led Warner Bros. to have its most profitable year ever in 2017.

However, also under Tsuijhara’s tenure, Warner Bros. struggled to produce DC superhero films at the same caliber of its counterparts at Disney and Marvel Studios. It wasn’t until 2017’s “Wonder Woman” that the studio found true success, taking in $821 million in ticket sales worldwide. A year later, “Aquaman” became the first DC film to cross the $1 billion mark.

Originally at www.cnbc.com

No word yet on how this will impact DC. A successor has yet to be named.

Holy crossover! Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arrives in June

BURBANK, CA (March 14, 2019) – It’ll take the unlikely unification of the Dark Knight and the Heroes in a Half-shell to overcome combined villainous forces afoot in Gotham City in the all-new, feature-length animated thriller, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon and DC, the film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting May 14, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack on June 4, 2019.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP), as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD). The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finds Gotham City reaching new levels of danger when Shredder joins forces with Ra’s al Ghul to enact a nefarious plan – leading to the team-up of the Dark Knight and the Turtles to combat the combined might of the Foot Clan and League of Assassins!

The Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all-star cast is led by Troy Baker (Batman: Arkham Origins, The Last of Us) as the voice of both Batman and the Joker – making Baker the first actor to ever play both roles in the same film. Opposite Baker are the Ninja Turtles themselves – Emmy Award/Golden Globe Award/SAG Award winner Darren Criss (American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Glee) as Raphael, Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live) as Michelangelo, Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie) as Donatello, and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, The Woody Woodpecker Show) as Leonardo.

Other key members of the voice cast include Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Batgirl, John DiMaggio (Adventure Time, Futurama) as Mr. Freeze, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Penguin, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911!) as Bane, Cas Anvar (The Expanse) as Ra’s al Ghul, Keith Ferguson (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) as Baxter Stockman & Two-Face, Brian George (Seinfeld) as Alfred, Ben Giroux (Hart of Dixie) as Robin, Andrew Kishino (The Lion Guard) as Shredder, and Jim Meskimen (Parks and Recreation) as Commissioner Gordon & Scarecrow.

Jake Castorena (The Death of Superman) directs Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a script by Marly Halpern-Graser (Mad, Batman Unlimited, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo). The film is inspired by the comic book series “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II (published by DC Comics and IDW Publishing) and is based on characters from DC and Nickelodeon. Ben Jones (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) is producer. Executive producers are Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan. Sam Register and Chris Viscardi are executive producers.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Enhanced Content

Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital

Cowabunga, Batman! When Comic Worlds Collide (Featurette)– Super hero crossovers have inspired some of the most unique comics of all time. Explore the concept of the crossover, and see the creativity that ensues when the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet.

Fight Night in Gotham (Featurette) – DC animated movies have continued to push the realism of hand-to-hand combat on-screen. Take an exciting look at both Batman’s and the Ninja Turtles’ fighting styles, and how the creators make it feel like you’re in the fight!

A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

Fans can also own Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via purchase from digital retailers beginning May 14, 2019.

BASICS

PRODUCT                                                                  SRP

4K UHD Combo Pack                                                $39.99

Blu-ray Combo Pack                                                  $24.98

4K and Blu-ray Street Date: May 14, 2019

EST Street Date: June 4, 2019

Blu-ray Languages: English, French, Spanish, German

Blu-ray Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian

Running Time: 90 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for fantasy violence.

Disney Reinstates Director James Gunn For ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy 3’

James Gunn returning to direct “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3”

The good guys win one. Deadline.com reports:

Disney has reinstated James Gunn as the writer-director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and I’ve confirmed it with Marvel and Gunn’s camp.

Gunn was fired last July by Disney after alt-right journalists hyped a bunch of decade old social media missives that made light of pedophilia and rape. Persuaded by Gunn’s public apology and his handling of the situation after, Horn decided to reverse course and reinstate Gunn.

Gunn took to Twitter to express his thanks:

Gunn is also slated to do Suicide Squad 2, which is scheduled to be done before Guardians 3.