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Ivan Reitman Wants a Ghostbusters Crossover Movie

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Ivan Reitman says going forward, he'd like to see a Ghostbusters crossover movie between casts like IDW's Ghostbusters 101.

NewsDavid Crow
Jul 20, 2017

Ghostbusters is one of the most beloved concepts in movie history. How else can you explain people’s giddy anticipation for all new versions of the brand over 30 years after the original film, which only had one official sequel. Ivan Reitman, the director of those first two Ghostbusters movies and producer of the 2016 Ghostbusters remake, is acutely aware of the saga’s appeal—and that despite online echo chambers, there were plenty of new fans who instantly fell in love with the 2016 film, particularly whenever Kate McKinnon’s Jillian Holtzmann got her science on.

Still, while at the Ghostbusters IDW panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, Reitman confided a growing disappointment that the new film rebooted (and ignored) the history of his ‘80s classics. Going forward, he’d love to see a way to crossover the 2016 cast with the remaining 1984 one, and bridge the universes together… kind of like what IDW is currently doing with its latest comic book series Ghostbusters 101.

“It was clear that a lot of people were disappointed that the original Ghostbusters—this world we worked very hard to set-up way back in 1984 didn’t seem to be part of this new movie,” Reitman said. “I really like the new women in the latest film, I think they’re great fun. I thought the film was really quite effective, but there was something of a loss where we didn’t pick up the history that we built up in the two earlier movies. And I thought it was strange, and I thought it was kind of odd that some of the actors from the first film that people had gotten to love so much, Venkman and Spengler, and Stanz and Winston, were not themselves in this film but were actually playing other roles.”

He then said about the appeal of a future crossover movie, “I thought if there was a way, particularly in future films we’re working on, to bring them all together. It would be much more satisfying and much more fun to say. And would be much more part of what Dan Aykroyd and I, and Harold Ramis thought about doing way back in 1984. I thought that would be one of the great places to try it out was through these wonderful comics.”

Indeed, in IDW Publishing’s new Ghostbusters 101 by Eric Burnham and Dan Shoenberg, a cross-dimensional portal allows Ghostbusters past and present to team-up. While that could also be the setup for a great movie, it sounds like an animated film that includes a heroic ghost is more likely to get to the big screen first.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!


Grant Morrison Is Writing Arkham Asylum Sequel

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Grant Morrison will return to Batman with a sequel to his classic graphic novel, Arkham Asylum.

NewsJohn Saavedra
Jul 20, 2017

In one of the biggest surprises of San Diego Comic-Con, Grant Morrison crashed the DC Publishers panel to announce that he's working on a sequel to his seminal graphic novel, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. He's writing the book, with frequent collaborator Chris Burnham (Nameless) on art. 

The first Arkham Asylum came out in 1989. It tells the story of the origins of the infamous asylum for the criminally insane, which houses many members of Batman's rogues gallery, including the Joker. The story takes place over one night and sees Batman venture deeper into the madness of the asylum,as he uncovers the supernatural mystery that haunts the building. The book also featured amazing art from Dave McKean (The Sandman), who draws pretty much the scariest Joker ever put on the page.

The sequel, which will be an 120-page OGN, will take place in the Batman #666 continuity from his run on the character in the 2000s, which is pretty exciting considering #666 is one of Morrison's most bizarre Batman stories. 

Batman #666 imagined what would happen if Damian Wayne, Bruce's son, were to succeed his father as Batman. It was a really cool "what if" story that saw Damian sell his soul to the Devil in order to protect Gotham on the night of Batman's death. A villain known as the Third Batman, who claims to be the Anti-Christ, plans to bring about the city's destruction once and for all, and it's up to Damian to stop him. It's a pretty weird story in which Gotham City is stuck in a hellish limbo -- fitting for the issue's numbering. 

No release date was announced at the panel. More on this as we learn it!

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Grant Morrison Reveals Wonder Woman: Earth One Volume 2

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The legendary writer intends to turn Wonder Woman: Earth One into a trilogy.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 20, 2017

Grant Morrison kicked the doors open at SDCC and brought news of Wonder Woman: Earth One Volume 2 with him. 

Wonder Woman: Earth One Volume 1 was released in 2016 as the fourth entry into DC's Earth One publication line. It tells the story of Wonder Woman's return to Paradise Island and her immediate incarceration for her activities in the world of men. It was praised - and criticized - for its Golden Age themes and focus on the role of Wonder Woman in our world. Nevertheless, the story won over more readers than it pushed away and ended up being a huge hit.  

For Volume 2, Morrison intends to continue pushing many of the alternate themes he established in Volume 1. This time, however, it seems that Morrison also plans to tell a much more action-driven story that focuses on the battle between the Amazons and the Nazis. 

Simply put, Morrison stated that he intends for Volume 2 to show why you absolutely "cannot f*** with this island of women" who have been excelling at war for over 3,000 years. The black and white preview shots show of the second volume largely focuses on the full might of the Amazon army and the forces of evil they will need to overcome. Those evil forces include a reimagined version of Paula Von Gunter who is leading the Nazi's assault on Paradise Island. 

Morrison noted that he sees Volume 2 as the Empire Strikes Back of the Wonder Woman: Earth One series. This seems to be a comment on both the tone of the story as well as Morrison's intent to turn this series into a trilogy. Whether or not DC plans on publishing a third book in the series - or how that book may impact the story of this volume - is not clear at this time. 

There's also been no word regarding when Volume 2 - or Morrison's follow-up to the famous Arkham Asylum story - will be released. In the meantime, check out some of the preview images Morrison brought with him to SDCC below:

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Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Mister Miracle: Tom King on Ambitious Plan for New DC Comic

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DC's Fourth World revival continues with Mister Miracle, and Tom King told reporters at SDCC what to expect.

NewsMike Cecchini
Jul 21, 2017

"On the very first page, it has one of the biggest twists I've ever written," Tom King told reporters at SDCC about his upcoming first issue of Mister Miracle, "and on the second to last page, it has the biggest twist I've ever written."

Calling Mister Miracle "the most ambitious book I've ever tried" is saying something when you're a writer like Tom King, who gave fans the haunting and critically acclaimed Vision at Marvel, and who is currently the writer on a far-reaching, headline grabbing run on Batman. But King and artist Mitch Gerads (who previously worked together on war drama Sheriff of Babylon for Vertigo) conceived the Mister Miracle series with the idea that they wanted to create something that could stand alongside some of DC's greatest ever works. In other words, they want to take one of Jack Kirby's greatest creations, a cornerstone of the Fourth World mythology (which has, in turn, become the cornerstone of so much of DC's cosmic universe), and tell an all-time great comic story with it.

Like Watchmen or Dark Knight Returns, King wants Mister Miracle to be "both a superhero comic and also address the time you're in and reflect that time." 

So yes, perhaps "ambitious" is the right word. But with every piece of Mitch Gerads' art that DC has let fans see, it starts to sound far less impossible than you might think. And anyway, Mister Miracle himself specializes in the impossible. And if King's words here read like grandiose pronouncements, I assure you, they weren't, as he seems remarkably self-deprecating considering he's one of the hottest writers in comics at the moment.

So what are our times about, exactly? "Everyone here wants to talk about Trump, but they don't want to," King jokes. "I don't want to talk about politics and comics, I think that's a waste of time. I want to talk about that bizarre feeling of our current time, where the things that weren't supposed to happen are happening, and the rules...don't make a difference anymore."

Yes, this does sound like something a cosmic escape artist should tackle. And perhaps, more disturbingly, it feels like Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation has somehow started to creep into our own, decidedly not comic book world. "The same way [Alan] Moore wrote about the '80s through Watchmen and those superheroes, I want to write about this bizarre world we're in now, where every day, you wake up and the world has changed under your feet and you still have to go to work."

If that all sounds to heavy, well, "That's what Mister Miracle is! But with punching!" See? I told you King manages to make all of this sound less heavy than it reads here.

Mister Miracle #1 arrives on August 9, only 19 days before the 100th anniversary of Jack Kirby's birth.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Doomsday Clock: Details Revealed for DC Universe Watchmen Event

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A few more details about Doomsday Clock, the massive Justice League and Watchmen DC Comics story coming this fall.

NewsMike Cecchini
Jul 21, 2017

The story that has been building since 2016's DC Universe: Rebirth special is finally going to culminate this November, with the release of the first issue of Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, and Brad Anderson. The 80-page Rebirth special kicked off an effort by DC to return a sense of hope and optimism to their publishing line, and it used the return of Wally West as a metaphor for everything that fans felt had been missing for the last five years or more. 

Rebirth was also notable for its controversial decision to bring Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons famed Watchmen into official DC Comics continuity with its final pages. Lurking in the background of DC Comics over the last year have been hints of this larger mystery, that some outside force interfered with the timeline for unknown purposes. A recent storyline all but revealed that Dr. Manhattan is the one meddling with the DCU, and at a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Rebirth and Doomsday Clock writer Geoff Johns confirmed, once and for all, that Dr. Manhattan is involved.

Doomsday Clock is a 12-issue limited series, but it's not a crossover. Instead, it's entirely self-contained, with a heavy focus on Superman (who "is the story," Johns stresses). To keep it self contained, it's set one year in the future of the current DC Universe. “By the time issue 12 arrives, the rest of the DCU will catch up and be affected,” Johns said.

You know what else was a 12-issue limited series? Watchmen. The Rebirth special alluded to Watchmen in a few pages, utilizing Dave Gibbons' famed nine-panel grid when it wanted to evoke that work. Johns says that Gary Frank is working with the nine-panel grid in Doomsday Clock, as well, and the few images shown at the panel (see below) illustrate a definite John Higgins influence on Brad Anderson's color work on the book.

You can see the mysterious panels from Doomsday Clock (art by Gary Frank, with colors by Brad Anderson) that were revealed at SDCC right hereNot pictured in the gallery was an image of the Justice League, apparently on Mars, with the words "Who Watches The Watchmen" above them.

Doomsday Clock sounds like an almost impossibly ambitious story, although Johns promises that "When you do something as big as Dr. Manhattan, it's not a cameo, it's not a gimmick... I don't want to have Dr. Manhattan show up for the end of Rebirth and then he's in two pages of a book later on and then it's kind of a wink and a nod. That's not what we're doing."

I've often been skeptical about involving Watchmen characters in the main DC Universe, but Johns makes some persuasive arguments. "There's so much great thematic and important stuff about what the DC Universe is, what these heroes mean to us, what the world faces on a daily basis, and why I think these heroes speak to me and why it speaks to you. That's what this book is about. It's a celebration of everything from Action Comics #1 in 1938 all the way to today. It leads the DC Universe into tomorrow with issue 12, literally tomorrow." 

(Note: I can only hope that his emphasis on "literally tomorrow" means that somehow, we're finally going to get a new Legion of Super-Heroes series out of all of this.)

While Doctor Manhattan's involvement has been little secret over the last few months, the latest reveal should stir fans up. Johns promises we'll get to see "the smartest man from one world, talking to the smartest man from another." Johns identifies Lex Luthor as the smartest man on the main DC Universe Earth. You can probably guess who the other one is. 

Doomsday Clock #1 arrives on Wednesday, November 22. Even that date is no accident. Johns revealed that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was always an important one for him as a comic reader, evoking that feeling of going to the comic shop and knowing you have a long weekend ahead of you to enjoy your stories. The series will be monthly, with the exception of two skip months in March and August 2018. We'll bring you all the latest on Doomsday Clock as we get it.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Dr. Doom Movie in Development From Legion's Noah Hawley

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Fargo and Legion creator will bring the Fantastic Four's most powerful villain, Dr. Doom, back to the big screen for Fox.

NewsNick Harley
Jul 21, 2017

After trusting him to help bring the obscure Marvel character Legion to FX, Fox has tapped Noah Hawley to develop a movie based on Fantastic Four main antagonist Dr. Doom.

The premiere villain in the Marvel pantheon, Dr. Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962’s Fantastic Four #5 and has since gone on to serve as a villainous proving ground for almost every major Marvel superhero. With the deadliest mind on Earth, a vicious industrialist streak, a furious and skillful penchant for black magic, and fierce devotion to his people, Dr. Doom is a fearsome, complicated, and towering presence in Marvel comics that has yet to get his proper representation on film.

After widely panned attempts at bringing the villain to life in both of Tim Story’s Fantastic Four films and Josh Trank’s maligned reboot, Fox appears to be cutting Marvel’s first family out of the picture, or just sidelining them for now, to come at the character from a different angle. It’s a smart move. Along with the X-Men characters, Fox still owns the rights to the Fantastic Four and its surrounding intellectual property, but with the last attempt leaving such a stench on the characters, Fox had no concrete plans to reboot the franchise for a second time. Needing to move a FF project into development or risk losing the rights back to Marvel, Fox has found a loophole by greenlighting a project based on the Fantastic Four’s most famous villain.

News of a new Dr. Doom film came from Noah Hawley himself, who at the end of a Comic-Con panel for Legion Thursday, announced that he was developing a new film at Fox, saying “I’ll just say two words. The first one is Doctor and the next one is Doom.”

Hawley is a brilliant choice by the studio to shepherd the project. He’s done phenomenal work adapting both Fargo and the X-Men-adjacent comic book Legion to TV, showing a knack for creating memorable characters, especially menacing villains, like Fargo’s Lorne Malvo and Legion’s Shadow King. Hawley also takes subversive risks with his camera work, which gels perfectly with Fox’s recent distinctive superhero output (Logan, Deadpool).

News of a new FF-based property at Fox seems to confirm comments made last month by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who when asked about regaining the rights to the Fantastic Four, said there were “no conversations [with Fox] and certainly no plans to do that. I think Fox is doing their own thing and doing it quite well.”

Nothing more is known about the project at this time, but so far this is the most surprising and exciting news from Comic-Con! 

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

AMC to Serve Up David Cronenberg Novel Consumed as a Series

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Fear the Walking Dead and Lucifer teams will bring David Cronenberg’s first novel to AMC as a series.

NewsTony Sokol
Jul 21, 2017

AMC is preparing to make a meal of master filmmaker David Cronenberg’s debut novel Consumed. Dave Erickson, the showrunner of Fear The Walking Dead, and Sheri Elwood, the executive producer of Lucifer, will write and develop the novel as an hour-long drama series for AMC. The series will be executive produced by Erickson and Elwood, along with Robert Lantos of Serendipity Point, which produced Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises, and Cronenberg, who may direct.

Published in 2014 by Charles Scribner’s Sons, Consumedis a psychological thriller about two journalists who investigate the cannibalistic killing of a controversial philosopher from France.

 “Stylish and camera-obsessed, Naomi and Nathan thrive on the yellow journalism of the social-media age,” reads the official synopsis of the book on Amazon.

They are lovers and competitors—nomadic freelancers in pursuit of sensation and depravity, encountering each other only in airport hotels and browser windows.

Naomi finds herself drawn to the headlines surrounding Célestine and Aristide Arosteguy, Marxist philosophers and sexual libertines. Célestine has been found dead and mutilated in her Paris apartment. Aristide has disappeared. Police suspect him of killing her and consuming parts of her body. With the help of an eccentric graduate student named Hervé Blomqvist, Naomi sets off in pursuit of Aristide. As she delves deeper into Célestine and Aristide's lives, disturbing details emerge about their sex life—which included trysts with Hervé and others. Can Naomi trust Hervé to help her?

Nathan, meanwhile, is in Budapest photographing the controversial work of an unlicensed surgeon named Zoltán Molnár, once sought by Interpol for organ trafficking. After sleeping with one of Molnár’s patients, Nathan contracts a rare STD called Roiphe’s. Nathan then travels to Toronto, determined to meet the man who discovered the syndrome. Dr. Barry Roiphe, Nathan learns, now studies his own adult daughter, whose bizarre behavior masks a devastating secret.

There is no word yet on when production will begin on Consumed.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Star Trek: A Watching & Reading Guide to the Kelvin Timeline

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What's the best chronological order to watch and read the Star Trek Kelvin timeline stories in? Here's our suggestion...

FeatureRobbert de Koeijer
Jul 21, 2017

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Over the years, Star Trek has presented us with many alternative timelines and parallel dimensions, but none have become so prominent as the Kelvin Timeline. Home to alternative versions of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew of Captain James T. Kirk, science officer Mr. Spock, chief medical officer Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, communications officer Nyota Uhura, chief engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott, Helmsman Hikaru Sulu, and Navigator Pavel Chekov.

You will probably know the Kelvin Timeline from the 2009 movie Star Trek, and its sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. However, there is more to this alternate reality than just those movies.

Here we will give you an unofficial guide to the Kelvin Timeline, consisting of movies, TV series, video games, and comics. “Punch it!”

1. Star Trek: Enterprise

Medium: TV show, seasons 1 to 4 (2001-2005)

The adventures of the Enterprise NX-01 crew, led by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), take place between the years 2151 and 2155. Or rather, those are the adventures we see in seasons 1 to 4, as the show was cancelled before it could cover topics like the Earth-Romulan War, the origin of the Borg Queen, and the formation of the Federation. The creation of the Kelvin Timeline takes place 78 years later, in 2233, and therefore makes Star Trek: Enterprise the only TV series set in both timelines.

In Star Trek Into Darkness, a model of the NX-01 Enterprise can be seen in Admiral Markus’ collection. Video footage in Star Trek Beyond shows us that the crew on the U.S.S. Franklin wore the same uniforms as the NX-01 Enterprise crew. And the Franklin’s Captain, Balthazar M. Edison, is implied to have been part of the MACO attachment of the NX-01 Enterprise during Earth’s conflict with the Xindi.

What one must wonder is how the Borg that crashed in the Arctic after the Prime Timeline’s time travel movie Star Trek: First Contactexactly shows up in the episode "Regeneration." Does that mean the Kelvin Timeline has no further effect on the past of the Prime Timeline, or that The Next Generationera turns out (mostly) the same in the Kelvin Timeline? We can only wait to see how the Kelvin Timeline develops.

The final episode of the show, "These Are the Voyages...,"is only partially canon to the Kelvin Timeline, due to it basically being a holodeck episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation set during its season 7 episode "The Pegasus." The historical parts involving the Enterprise NX-01 crew did happen, but everything involving Star Trek: The Next Generation does not.

2. Star Trek: Countdown

Medium: comic (2009)

This comic from IDW Publishing written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, after a story by movie scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, further connects the Prime Timeline with the Kelvin Timeline and gives more motivation to movie antagonist Nero. The story leads up to the events in Star Trek, but is set in the Prime Timeline eight years after the events of the movie Star Trek: Nemesis in 2387, and it picks up some threads from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s "Unification" two-parter. It furthermore shows where The Next Generation crew ended up since.

Romulus, and the rest of the galaxy, is in danger of a massively destructive supernova. Spock, now ambassador on Romulus, tells the Romulan Senate of the threat and proposes the use of the Vulcan substance called "red matter" as a solution, which causes quite a stir. With a ship called Jellyfish, designed by Geordi La Forge, Spock attempts to use the red matter to create a singularity to absorb the supernova. Unfortunately, this comes too late for Romulus and the planet is destroyed. This leads to the crew of the mining ship Narada and its Captain Nero to seek revenge on Ambassador Spock and follow him through the singularity and into the past.

The destruction of Romulus eventually leads to the Prime Timeline events in the MMORPG videogame Star Trek Online. However, the canon status of that game’s story can be overwritten by potential future post-Star Trek: Nemesis projects if the power that be choose to do so.

Just recently, Eaglemoss reprinted Star Trek: Countdown as the first hardcover paperback volume in their Star Trek graphic novel collection, with a bonus classic --1960s comic story "Planet of No Return."

3. Star Trek

Medium: movie (2009)

Directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the story starts on the U.S.S. Kelvin in 2233. The encounter between the Romulan ship Narada emerging from the singularity and the Kelvin causes a diversion of the Prime Timeline and the creation of the Kelvin Timeline. After this, the story picks up in 2255 when Captain Christopher Pike convinces James T. Kirk to enlist in Starfleet. Three years later, in 2258, the Narada and its Captain Nero show up again to continue their vengeance for the destruction of Romulus, and threaten the Federation.

The Kelvin incident causes a number of diversions from the Prime Timeline. For example, James T. Kirk’s father, George Kirk, dies saving the Kelvin escape shuttles from the Narada, while his wife, Winona, gives birth to James T. Kirk on one of the shuttles. In the Prime Timeline, Kirk was born on Earth in Ohio.

Another difference of note in the Kelvin Timeline is an earlier born Pavel Chekov. In the Prime Timeline, Chekov was born in 2245, while in the Kelvin Timeline he was born in 2241. A change that was probably made because Chekov would otherwise be a 13-year-old during the events of Star Trek. Former Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike also goes through a number of changes that arguably benefit him, as the events of Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Cage" most likely do not occur.

The biggest change might be to the Enterprise herself. The interior of the ship is a lot different from what we saw in The Original Series. Most notably is the engineering section, which is humongous when compared to all others in Star Trekshows or movies - in fact it’s actually the Budweiser Brewery in Los Angeles. The ship’s measurements are also different. The Prime Timeline Constitution-class Enterprise is 288.6 meters in length, while the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D is 641 meters in length, but both are topped by the Kelvin Timeline Constitution-class Enterprise that has a length of 1,200 meters, according to the 2009 reference book Star Trek - The Art of The Film. However, the Enterprise we see in the Kelvin Timeline movies is likely not the counterpart of the Prime Timeline Enterprise. More on that later when we talk about the comic Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness.

IDW also adapted the movie into a six-issue comic, if you'd rather keep on reading.

There is also a tie-in videogame called Star Trek D·A·C, an arcade style top-down shooter. The "D·A·C" in the title stands for the game modes in the game: deathmatch, assault, and conquest.

4. Star Trek: Nero

Medium: comic (2009)

This four-issue comic from IDW written again by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones, after a story by movie scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, takes place during Star Trek. It follows Nero and his Narada crew between the moment they emerge from the singularity and their second appearance in the movie. The comic tells us what they did in those years. Actually, the comic takes a deleted scene of Nero on a Klingon prison planet and expands upon it. It's a shame that scene was cut from the movie.

It might be best to read this comic after seeing Star Trek, as it’s quite spoiler heavy. Repeat viewers might find added motivation to Nero’s actions in the movie.

5. Star Trek, Vol. 1

Medium: comic, issues 1 to 4 (2011)

Overseen by writer/producer Roberto Orci and written by Mike Johnson, the Star Trek comic from IDW gives us Kelvin Timeline versions of Prime Timeline Star Trek: The Original Series stories. In this first volume, we get two stories set after Star Trek. The first is "Where No Man Has Gone Before," which was The Original Series' the second pilot episode after "The Cage." The second story is "The Galileo Seven," which is a season 1 episode.

The comic contradictsStar Trek Into Darkness a bit, as in the movie Kirk says he didn’t lose any crew members during his first year as captain.

6. Star Trek, Vol. 2

Medium: comic, issues 5 to 8 (2011)

The second volume tells a Kelvin version of The Original Series’s "Operation - Annihilate!," the season 1 finale. This version of the story gives us flashbacks to just after young Kirk crashed the Corvette in the movie. The comic makes it clear that, unlike what the credits of Star Trek told us, the owner of the Corvette was not Kirk’s stepfather but his maternal uncle, Frank. Frank has a live-action appearance in a deleted scene of the movie.

The second story, called "Vulcan's Vengeance," is the first story not to adapt an Original Seriesstory. However, according to writer Mike Johnson, the story is to be seen as the Kelvin Timeline’s answer to The Original Series’s "Balance of Terror." In the story, a group of rogue Vulcans want to take revenge on the Romulan Empire after Nero’s deeds in Star Trek. Spock attempts to infiltrate, but gets a nasty surprise.

7. Star Trek, Vol. 3

Medium: comic, issues 9 to 12 (2012)

Volume 3 starts with "The Return of the Archons," an adaptation of the season 1 episode of The Original Series. In it the Enterprise gets a lead on the U.S.S. Archon, a starship that disappeared a century earlier.

The next story had to happen at some point. It’s a Kelvin Timeline version of The Original Series season 2 episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." In the story, called "The Truth About Tribbles," Scotty has found an ideal pet for his cousin Chris, a furry little animal called a Tribble. It’s only after Scotty has teleported the pet Tribble to his cousin on Earth that the Enterprise’s crew discovers the unfortunate side effect of two Tribbles in one room.

The stories of Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3 are also collected in Star Trek: New Adventures, Vol. 1.

8. Star Trek, Vol. 4

Medium: comic, issues 13 to 16 (2012)

IDW’s fourth volume presents us with three stories. The first is "Hendorff" about the life of red shirt security officer Hendorff, which you might better know by his Kirk given nickname "Cupcake." In the story, Hendorff muses about the Kelvin version of events of The Original Series season 2 episode "The Apple."

The second story is called "Keenser's Story" and tells us how he ended up as Scotty’s sidekick.

The third story, "Mirrored," is the Kelvin Timeline version of The Original Series season 2 episode "Mirror, Mirror." In it Bones and Scotty have a discussion about alternate timelines. Following that we are transported to a Mirror Kelvin Timeline where there is no Federation of Planets but a Terran Empire, and where Mirror Spock is captain of the ISS Enterprise. Mirror Kirk, however, plans his revenge on Mirror Spock.

9. Star Trek, Vol. 5

Medium: comic, issues 17 to 20 (2013)

It’s flashback time in this fifth volume of IDW’s comic. In "Bones," written by Mike Johnson and F. Leonard Johnson, we learn how Dr. Leonard McCoy ended up in that shuttle Kirk boards early on in Star Trek. In "The Voice of Falling Star," written by Ryan Parrott, we discover more about Uhura and her first meeting with Spock. Then, in "Scotty," we see how a young Montgomery Scott found his interest in engineering. And finally, in "Red Level Down," it’s revealed that Sulu and Chekov’s lives were intertwined since their time at Starfleet Academy.

10. Star Trek

Medium: video game (2013)

In April 2013, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Namco Bandai published Star Trek, a video game developed by Digital Extremes for PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. The game stars the likenesses and voice talents of the cast of the movies. With a story by Marianne Krawczyk, with input from movie scribes Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, and comic writer Mike Johnson. It’s set between the comic Star Trek, Vol. 5 and the movie Star Trek Into Darkness, about a year after Star Trek in 2259. The Enterprise encounters a group of Vulcan scientists who want to create a new Vulcan home planet. They however open a rip in space, prompting a Gorn invasion.

The story’s canon status is in dispute. While Krawczyk’s story had input from the Star Trek movie scribes, and Senior Vice President of Paramount Pictures and producer on the game Brian Miller said the story was set in the Kelvin Timeline canon, Roberto Orci later said it was not canon. Probably because the game was panned by critics. Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness director J.J. Abrams said he was "emotionally hurt" by the game's poor quality and reviews and that it hurt Star Trek Into Darkness by being released just before it. Nevertheless, in 2013, the 24th issue of IDW’s canon Star Trek comic reveals the story of the video game to be canon.

11. Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness

Medium: comic (2013)

IDW’s four-issue prelude to the movie Star Trek Into Darkness, written by Mike Johnson, after a story by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, isn’t as heavily involved with the plot of the movie as Star Trek: Countdown was with Star Trek’s. The story of the comic chronicles the "Mudd incident" that is mentioned in Star Trek Into Darkness and explains how they got that ship they use to go to Qo'noS. But more importantly, we are introduced to the Kelvin Timeline version of Captain Robert April, who in the Prime Timeline was the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise before Captain Pike and Captain Kirk. In the Kelvin Timeline, this is still true. How is that possible, as the U.S.S. Enterprise was brand new in Star Trek? Well, April was the captain of a U.S.S. Enterprise before the U.S.S. Enterprise Kirk is the captain of. Yes, in the Kelvin timeline there is an Enterprise between the NX-01 Enterprise and the U.S.S. Enterprise Kirk helms.

Interestingly, the way the comic portrays April’s Enterprise is more reminiscent to the Enterprise we saw in The Original Series. The comic also tells us April’s Enterprise was used before the Kelvin Timeline was created. This could mean that April’s Enterprise was the Kelvin Timeline counterpart to the Prime Timeline’s Enterprise and not the one we see in the movies. Why isn’t Kirk’s Enterprise not called the Enterprise-A then? Theorize in the comments section!

12. Star Trek Into Darkness

Medium: movie (2013)

Again directed by J.J. Abrams, and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It’s now 2259, a year after the events in Star Trek, and we meet the Enterprise crew on the primitive planet Niburu. Captain Kirk and his crew violate the Prime Directive when saving the native tribes people from an impending volcanic eruption. Back on Earth this leads to a demotion for Kirk by a disappointed Admiral Pike. However, when rogue Starfleet officer John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks a Starfleet summit, Kirk and his crew is sent to apprehend him. This leads to revelations of the dark side of Starfleet with whichStar Trek: Deep Space Nine fans are familiar with, and a Kelvin Timeline retelling of the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Paramount Pictures and production company Bad Robot went to great lengths to "cloak" the true name of Cumberbatch’s character. They redubbed promotional scenes, and actors had a hard time talking around it in press interviews, often going to answers like “Cumberbatch plays a character who has previously appeared in Star Trek canon.” This isn’t untrue, as Lieutenant Harrison was indeed a character in The Original Series, appearing in season 1 episodes "Charlie X,""The Galileo Seven,""Arena,""The Return of the Archons," and "Operation - Annihilate!"

When Kirk and company visit Klingon home planet Qo'noS, something very interesting happens. Qo'noS’ moon Praxis is already destroyed. This might have enormous repercussions for the Kelvin Timeline, as in the Prime Timeline the Klingons where forced to peace talks after the moon blew up, as seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. In Star Trek Into Darkness, the destruction of Praxis isn’t seen as something that will halt the Klingons, meaning that those peace talks with the Federation might not occur.

Keep an eye out for a Star Wars easter egg around the one hour and seventeen minutes mark, as astromech droid R2-D2 flies by.

The U.S.S. Vengeance is said to be twice the size of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Which is enormous, as according to the 2009 reference book Star Trek - The Art of The Film the Enterprise is 1,200 meters in length, meaning that the Vengeance would be roughly 2,400 metres in length! It has to be said that there have been a number of contradicting measurements given for the Enterprise’s size, but still, that would mean the ship is still a lot bigger than the Prime Timeline’s U.S.S. Enterprise-E which is 685 metres.

To depict the engineering section, the L.A. Budweiser Brewery was revisited, but also the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, which is used as the Enterprise’s warp core.

While this was the first Star Trek movie in 3D, certain scenes where shot in the IMAX format. These scenes have had a bumpy road getting to home media. At firstthe IMAX version of the movie, which removes the black bars on the top and bottom of your screen, was only available on iTunes. Eventually this was fixed with the Blu-ray release of Star Trek: The Compendium, a collection of both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. But this release doesn’t have the 3D version of Star Trek Into Darkness. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Star Trek Into Darkness does include the IMAX scenes, but also lacks a 3D version.

13. Star Trek: Khan

Medium: comic (2013, 2014)

This IDW five-issue series tells the story of the Kelvin Timeline’s Khan Noonien Singh before and after Star Trek Into Darkness. As we see Khan during the Eugenics Wars, this means this part of his story is set in the Prime Timeline. When Khan is awakened, he is the Kelvin Timeline version, and we see how he got on before the events of Star Trek Into Darkness. Most importantly, this comic explains how Khan goes from being a Sikh, as portrayed by Ricardo Montalban in the Prime Timeline, to the very English Benedict Cumberbatch in the Kelvin Timeline. Something that probably would have been better addressed in the movie.

14. Star Trek, Vol. 6: After Darkness

Medium: comic, issues 21 to 24 (2013)

Volume 6 of the Star Trekcomic picks up after Star Trek Into Darkness, which ended in 2260. The U.S.S. Enterprise is in preparation to embark on a five-year mission into unknown space. Doctor Carol Marcus has joined the crew, and Spock has come under the influence of the Vulcan mating condition known as "Pon Farr." This calls for a detour to New Vulcan, where Spock’s girlfriend Uhura finds a nasty surprise waiting. Meanwhile, the Klingons are very much not amused by Kirk’s little visit to Qo'noS, and Section 31 is looking to partner up to get their revenge.

The other story in this volume involves the Gorn, and confirms that the story of the Star Trek video game is to be considered canon.

The stories of Star Trek Volume 6, together with Volume 4 and Volume 5, are also collected in Star Trek: New Adventures, Vol. 2, which does not include Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness or Star Trek: Khan.

15. Star Trek, Vol. 7: The Khitomer Conflict

Medium: comic, issues 25 to 28 (2013)

The Enterprise is about to embark on the five-year mission into unknown space, picking up the last new crew members at a starbase, including, to the surprise of Hikaru Sulu, engineering officer Yuki Sulu, his younger sister.

On the planet Khitomer, a new Klingon colony is being set up. However, the colony is soon destroyed by Romulan warships who have acquired some technology from a third party. The Enterprise gets involved and clashes with Klingon ships that have an eerie resemblance to Nero’s Nerada.

Yuki Sulu is a new character that hasn’t appeared before in the Prime Timeline that we could find. It is unknown if her existence is caused by the creation of the Kelvin Timeline or that she just was never mentioned in the Prime Timeline.

You might remember the planet Khitomer from Prime Timeline movie Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

16. Star Trek, Vol. 8

Medium: comic, issues 29 to 34 (2014)

Volume 8 features three stories. In the first story, "Parallel Lives," we follow a mission on the U.S.S. Enterprise helmed by Captain Jane Tiberius Kirk. Yes, Jane Kirk. This is a parallel universe to the Kelvin Timeline where the same things happened but everyone is gender swapped. This means that most of the main characters are now female. The story also explores whether Kirk’s contact with Khan’s blood will have repercussions in the future. Eventually, this gender-swapped crew encounters another Enterprise - the Enterprise of Captain James Tiberius Kirk.

In Star Trek Into Darkness, you might have spotted the cyborg-looking crew member on the bridge. This is Starfleet’s first and only Humanoid Mainframe Interface, Science Officer 0718. Where did he come from all of a sudden? "I, Enterprise" explains.

In "Lost Apollo," the Enterprise's away team gets stuck on a planet where they find a connection to NASA’s Apollo program.

The stories of Star Trek Volume 7 and Volume 8 are also collected in Star Trek: New Adventures, Vol. 3.

17. Star Trek, Vol. 9: The Q Gambit

Medium: comic, issues 35 to 40 (2014, 2015)

This story has a lot of connections to The Next Generation era. We return to the Prime Timeline post-Star Trek: Countdown. Q visits Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard on the U.S.S. Enterprise-E. Here Q informs Picard that Spock survived and that his actions created the Kelvin Timeline. Before Q leaves, he tells Picard that Spock’s actions may have saved the Prime Timeline but might have doomed the future of the Kelvin Timeline. Then Q departs to visit the Kelvin Timeline U.S.S. Enterprise, where he takes Kirk on a trip to the Kelvin version of The Next Generation era.

18. Star Trek, Vol. 10

Medium: comic, issues 41 to 45 (2015)

In "Behemoth," the Enterprise encounters its first alien lifeform in unknown space in a damaged ship. This unknown alien might be their only hope to stop a big threat coming their way.

In "Eurydice," directly after the events of "Behemoth," the Enterprise crew find themselves in the unknown space of the Delta Quadrant. Decades of travel away from home and with a low energy supply, they seemingly find help back to Federation space from female alien Eurydice.

19. Star Trek, Vol. 11

Medium: comic, issues 46 to 49 (2015)

Having found a way to get back to Federation space, tensions rise among the crew when the Enterprise gets stuck in a pocket of interphase, a state in which time and space cease to exist. Then the Enterprise gets stuck in "The Tholian Webs." This story is a Kelvin reimagining of The Original Series season 3 episode "The Tholian Web."

Seeing the leadership potential in Lieutenant Sulu, Captain Kirk gives him command over an away team in "Deity." On the planet, Sulu’s team encounter the native population during a ritual. When their deity shows up, Sulu’s team and the Enterprise have a clash with the Prime Directive.

The stories of Star Trek Volume 9: The Q Gambit, Volume 10, and Volume 11 are also collected in Star Trek: New Adventures, Vol. 4.

20. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Medium: comic (2015, 2016)

In 2258, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew are cadets at Starfleet Academy. When Cadet Uhura picks up a distress signal from the U.S.S. Slayton, she calls in some help from the other members of the would-be crew. However, when she gets close to the origin of the signal, Uhura gets stonewalled from further investigation, and the trail goes cold.

Three years later, in 2261, Vulcan Cadet T’laan wants to leave Starfleet Academy as she feels out of place. Her professor persuades her to stay to compete in the Starfleet Academy team in the Centennial Competition between academies from throughout the Federation, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Starfleet Academy. She joins a team consisting of the Andorian Shev, the Monchezkin K'bentayr, and the humans Lucia Gonzales and Grace Chen. During the competition this team also comes across the distress signal of the U.S.S. Slayton and start their own investigation.

21. Star Trek, Vol. 12

Medium: comic, issues 50 to 54 (2015, 2016)

"Live Evil" finds its inspiration in The Original Series season 2 episode "Mirror, Mirror." When the Enterprise gets caught in an ion storm everything seems normal afterwards, until the Enterprise encounters a planet that hails them as the Imperial flagship. When Kirk leads an away team to the surface, they encounter no other than Khan Noonien Singh, man of peace.

Remember Uhura’s Orion roommate at Starfleet Academy, Gaila, with whom Kirk had a fling in Star Trek? She is the central character in "Reunion." When the Enterprise rendezvous with the U.S.S. Tereshkova, Gaila visits her red shirt brother Kai on the Enterprise. All seems fine until Gaila and Kai’s past comes knocking.

22. Star Trek, Vol. 13

Medium: comic, issues 55 to 60 (2016)

"Legacy of Spock: celebrates both the 50th anniversary of Star Trek as well as the late Leonard Nimoy. Set after Prime Spock attended the promotion of James T. Kirk to captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, he intends to join the remainder of the Vulcan species. However, Spock’s father, Sarek, warns him that he should prepare for a cold greeting. The Vulcans want to resettle on the planet Ceti Alpha V, which causes Spock to speak up, as he very well knows that this planet soon will be a desolate place, as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan showed us. Meanwhile, Romulan elements see this as the opportune moment to snuff out the Vulcans…

The series finale of the ongoing Star Trek comic is "Connection." In this story, both the Kelvin Timeline Enterprise crew and the Prime Timeline Enterprise crew encounter the same anomaly. This causes the minds of crewmembers to swap bodies. The only solution is for both crews to work together in both timelines.

23. Star Trek: Manifest Destiny

Medium: comic (2016)

This four-issue story, written by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott, is the final one before Star Trek Beyond. The Enterprise encounters a rogue and very aggressive Klingon faction. The Enterprise is on red alert as the Klingons attempt to board the ship. If this situation isn’t defused quickly, war with the Klingon Empire is a high possibility.

24. Star Trek Beyond

Medium: movie (2016)

In 2263, after almost three years into the USS Enterprise’s five-year mission, the Enterprise visits the Federation Starbase Yorktown. When an escape pod is found drifting at a nearby nebula, the Enterprise investigates. The pod’s occupant, Kalara, claims her ship is stranded on the planet Altamid, located past the dangerous and unexplored nebula. When the Enterprise travels to the planet, they are greeted by a powerful, hostile force.

Unlike the previous two movies, Star Trek Beyond is directed by Justin Lin. Writing duties also changed, as Simon Pegg co-wrote the movie with Doug Jung. While Pegg reprises the role of Scotty, Jung also has a role in the movie. He plays Sulu’s husband, Ben, whom we meet on the Starbase Yorktown along with their daughter. While their daughter remains unnamed in the movie, it is possible that she is the Kelvin Timeline version of Demora Sulu, who we saw in the Prime Timeline movie Star Trek: Generations.

There is a black lining to the movie, as two stars from the series died before release. Leonard Nimoy fell into a coma on February 25, 2015, and died February 27, 2015, at the age of 83 of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Star Trek Beyond was dedicated to Nimoy.

Anton Yelchin died in June 2016, at the age of just 27. Star Trek Beyond was the first project of his that was released posthumously, and one of a number of projects dedicated to him. An "in memoriam" was included in Star Trek issue 60.

Released in the year of Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary, there are multiple hints to the past of the franchise. The movie starts on the 966th day of the U.S.S. Enterprise’s five-year mission, a reference to 1966, the year that Star Trek: The Original Series first premiered on television screens. It also means the five-year mission is almost three years underway, which might be a reference to the three live-action seasons the show got. In the movie, Kirk says that the mission has begun to feel “episodic” - a reference to the episodic nature of The Original Series. Throughout the movie, you will see exactly 50 different new alien makeups, which was rewarded with a Oscar nomination for Best Makeup.

The passing of Leonard Nimoy is addressed in the movie, as Spock learns of the news. Among Prime Spock’s possessions is a picture of the Prime Timeline Enterprise crew. The U.S.S. Franklin and its crew are not only a call back to the Star Trek: Enterprise era, but the Franklin’s registry number NX-326 is also a reference to Leonard Nimoy’s birthday of March 26th. When Kirk asks Sulu if he can fly the Franklin, he responds with “Are you kidding me?” The line is delivered with the same expression and tone as George Takei’s Sulu in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The name Franklin is also a reference to director Justin Lin’s father, Frank Lin. On the dedication plaque, there is a little bit of space left between "Frank" and "Lin."

While we are on the subject of Lin’s family, his son, Oqwe Lin, is briefly seen as a green alien child when the Enterprise enters the Starbase Yorktown. The name "Yorktown" is also a reference, as Gene Roddenberry's early script treatments for The Original Series used the name "Yorktown" instead of "Enterprise" for the name of the starship.

When Scotty discusses the theories around the U.S.S. Franklin’s disappearance, one is a “giant green space hand,” a reference to The Original Series season 2 episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" The hand can be briefly seen during the credits.

When the Enterprise crew disembarks on Starbase Yorktown, you can hear the Starbase’s communication system call out the Federation starship NCC-2893. This is the registry number of the U.S.S. Stargazer, the starship Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Jean-Luc Picard once commanded before the Enterprise-D. At one point in the movie, Kirk says, “I ripped my shirt again.” This is a reference to the many times Kirk ripped his shirt in The Original Series. At the end of the movie, the main cast gives the iconic introductory speech used at the beginning of both Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes.

Star Trek Beyond is the fourth movie to be presented in the Barco Escape format, which seems similar to the Cinerama technique introduced in the 1950s. This technology uses three connected cinema screens to "wrap" the picture around the audience. Two screens are placed from the sides of the central screen to the left and right wall, giving a wide, panoramic experience. The Barco Escape Star Trek Beyond trailer on the Barco Escape YouTube channel gives you an idea of what this experience is like.

25. Star Trek: Boldly Go

Medium: comic (2016-)

IDW Publishing and writer Mike Johnson return with this follow-up comic series set after the majority of Star Trek Beyond. The crewmembers have been reassigned or have taken a leave from Starfleet. Kirk, McCoy, and Chekov are reassigned to the U.S.S. Endeavour, and Sulu is reassigned to the U.S.S. Concord, while Spock and Uhura are visiting New Vulcan. Scotty is teaching at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. The cadets we met in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy return and are joined by Star Trek Beyond’s Jaylah.

Things turn bad when the U.S.S. Endeavour picks up the survivors of an attack on the U.S.S. Concord. Sulu survived and has one eerie message from the attackers: Resistance is futile.

The first volume of Star Trek: Boldy Go, consisting of the first six issues, is available on July 25th.

Star Trek/Green Lantern Stories

IDW Publishing is known for their cross company and cross franchise crossovers. IDW and DC Comics teamed up for two of these crossovers, written by Mike Johnson, starring the cast of IDW’s Kelvin Timeline comics and DC Comics’ Green Lantern comics. The first story is called Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War and the second Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds, which is a direct sequel. It features the Green Lantern comic cast coming to the Star TrekKelvin Timeline universe as a follow up of sorts to DC Comics event Blackest Night. Lantern rings choose new bearers amongst Star Trek characters and ignite conflict between the Federation and its enemies.

These Star Trek/Green Lantern stories are set in a diversion of the Kelvin Timeline, which happens between Star Trek, Vol. 13and Star Trek Beyond.

At the moment, IDW’s Star Trek: Boldly Go comic is the torchbearer for the continuation of the Kelvin Timeline. There are talks about a fourth movie, and multiple actors, like Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, have already signed on. Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk might also return for the fourth movie. Producer J.J. Abrams has stated that Chekov would not be recast, but written out of the story, after the untimely death of Anton Yelchin.

But until the fourth movie comes around, we will have Star Trek: Discoveryin the Prime Timeline to take us where no one has gone before...

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IFC Drops Trailer for J.D. Salinger Biopic Rebel in the Rye

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Trailer for Rebel in The Rye respects the J.D. Salinger story. Isn't that grand?

TrailersTony Sokol
Jul 21, 2017

“There is nothing more sacred than story,” Kevin Spacey’s Whit Burnett tells a young J.D. Salinger, played by Nicholas Hoult, in the trailer for Rebel in the Rye.  Fiction may be more truthful than reality, but IFC Films will explore the fantastic facts behind the education Salinger got before he created Holden Caulfield for his novel Catcher in the Rye.

Rebel in the Rye tell the story of the writer as a young man as he is beginning to write his iconic masterpiece The Catcher in the Rye. Starting from his mentorship under professor Whit Burnett (Kevin Spacey) at Columbia University the film moves through his experiences during World War II to his relationship with Oona O’Neill (Zoey Deutch) who dated Salinger before she married Charlie Chaplin in 1943.

“The film sheds light on the events that shaped the young author, and some of the influential people who he meets in his pursuit of success – namely his mentor Whit Burnett,” IFC said in a statement.

“I like it when somebody gets excited about something,” says teen rebel Holden Caulfield in the book Cather in the Rye. “It's nice.”

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Rebel in the Rye is based on the book J. D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in late January. was written and directed by Danny Strong. The film also Sarah Paulson as Salinger’s first literary agent; Victor Garber as Salinger's father, along with Hope Davis, and Brian d'Arcy James.

“I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.”

Rebel in the Rye will hit theates on September 15, 2017


SOURCE: VARIETY

Ben Affleck Might Be Done with Batman After Justice League

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According to sources, Ben Affleck might be hanging up the cowl sooner rather than later.

NewsJohn Saavedra
Jul 21, 2017

According to THR, this year's Justice League movie might be the last time we see Ben Affleck in the Batsuit. Warner Bros. is reportedly working on "gracefully ushering" the actor out of the role in an upcoming DC film.

It's unclear if this means that Matt Reeves' Batman movie will need a new star, but that's probably the case since the director is apparently planning a trilogy. Reeves had previously confirmed that his movie would feature Affleck as Batman. That said, it wouldn't be too hot to recast your main character in the second installment of your trilogy. DC would probably do well to cast a new actor before the new trilogy gets underway. Of course, the trilogy's not been confirmed, either. All we know for sure is that The Batman is happening. 

While The Batman doesn't have a solid release date as of yet, it's safe to say that it's still a way's away since it hasn't entered production yet. Plenty of time to cast a new actor. 

Affleck was originally set to direct The Batman before stepping down and being replaced by Reeves. He also co-wrote a script with DC president Geoff Johns, which was recently scrapped.

The question now is: how will Warner Bros. write Ben Affleck out of the cinematic universe? One option, and by far the simplest, is to not acknowledge the change in actors, although the studio dug itself into a bit of a hole when it cast an older Bruce Wayne in the first place. It would be hard to explain why Bruce had gray hair in one movie and not the next...

Could Ben Affleck pass down the cowl to a younger character? It's happened before in the comics. 

In 1993's comic book story arc Knightfall, Bruce was forced to give the cowl to Jean Paul Valley after Bane broke his back. After the events of 2008's DC comic event Final Crisis, in which it was believed Bruce had been killed in a fight with Darkseid, Dick Grayson took over as the Dark Knight. And then there's Batman Beyond, the animated series which saw a much older Bruce train young Terry McGinnis to become the new Batman. The latter would be the most radical choice for the DCEU. 

It's hard to believe that the DCEU will ditch Bruce Wayne, considering that he's a known entity and not an entirely new character to introduce. After all, it's not like this cinematic universe has really had the time to flesh out its characters. Even now, the DCEU continues to feel a bit rushed. Certainly, it hasn't really earned a team movie as big as Justice League. But here we are. 

Whatever the solution is, expect it to happen sooner rather than later. Might WB even announce a new Batman at this year's San Diego Comic-Con? We'll keep you updated!

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Todd McFarlane's Spawn Movie Reboot Picked Up by Blumhouse

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Todd McFarlane's long-gestating Spawn movie reboot is finally becoming a reality, thanks to Blumhouse.

NewsJohn Saavedra
Jul 21, 2017

Todd McFarlane has been trying to get a new Spawnmovie made for the past few years, and it looks like it's finally going to happen. Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions - you know them from horror movies like Get Out, Split, Paranormal Activity, and many more - will team up with McFarlane to make the new R-Rated movie.

McFarlane made the announcement during a Facebook Live presentation at SDCC, which you can watch below:

SPAWN MOVIE ANNOUNCEMENT IS HERE PEOPLE!!!!! Turn your sound UP!! #spawnmovie

Posted by Todd McFarlane on Friday, July 21, 2017

McFarlane, who created the character back in 1992, will write, direct, and produce the film himself. He previously announced that he'd completed the first draft of a script for the film, which he's described as a smaller affair than some of the current superhero spectacles. 

"I’d put it more into the horror/suspense/supernatural genre," McFarlane told Comicbook.com back in 2016. "If you take the movie The Departed meets Paranormal Activity, something like that… In the background, there’s this thing moving around, this boogeyman. That boogeyman just happens to be something that you and I, intellectually, know is Spawn. Will he look like he did in the first movie? No. Will he have a supervillain he fights? No. He’s going to be the specter, the ghost."

So this will certainly be a different take than the 1997 film, which starred Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo. Evidently, the critical and financial failure of Spawn's big screen debut stung McFarlane so bad that he decided to right the ship himself. 

No news on who might play Spawn in this new take. Definitely no sign of a release date. We'll keep you updated as we learn more!

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Marvel Reveals New Star Wars Comic Series Based on Timothy Zahn's Thrawn

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One of the greatest Star Wars villains of all-time continues his invasion of the Star Wars universe.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jul 21, 2017

At SDCC 2017, Marvel and Lucasfilm Publishing revealed that they are working on a new Star Warscomic book series based on Grand Admiral Thrawn. 

The series will be written by Jody Houser (Faith, Max Ride, Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation), drawn by Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. The series will reportedly adapt Timothy Zahn's critically acclaimed 2017 novel, Thrawn. The series is set to release sometime in 2018. 

It's not entirely clear if this series will serve as a strict adaptation of the novel or take certain creative liberties with the original text. However, given how successfully the Thrawn novel officially rebuilt the Thrawn character for the modern Star Warsuniverse, it's possible that Marvel simply wants to expand the reach of Zahn's excellent story by republishing it via a different medium.

Of course, it was Zahn who introduced Thrawn to the old extended Star Wars universe with the Heir to the Empire trilogy. That trilogy focuses on the post-Return of the Jediadventures of Luke, Leia, Han, and their extended families as they battled the remnants of the Empire led by Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn's tactical nature and was a far cry from the largely force-centric foes of previous Star Wars stories. Fans loved the idea of Star Wars' grand space battles being presented with a little more tactical depth. 

While Thrawn was successfully incorporated into the modern Star Wars universe via the Star Wars Rebelsanimated series, it was Zahn's recent novel that really restored the character's place in the upper echelon of Star Wars villains. The novel served as an origin story for the Grand Admiral and detailed how he was able to rise to such a prominent place of power within the Empire despite the Empire's prejudice against aliens and the fact that they had relatively few forces left following the Battle of Endor. 

We look forward to bringing you more information about this comic series as it becomes available. 

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DC Comics Reveals The Terrifics by Jeff Lemire

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Jeff Lemire returns to DC to eat Marvel's lunch with The Terrifics.

NewsJim Dandy
Jul 21, 2017

DC made quite the splash today at the Dark Matter panel where they revealed that Jeff Lemire, creator of hits like the Eisner-nominated Black Hammer and the criminally underrated Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is returning to the DC Universe to write what promises to be the best Fantastic Four comic on stands.

Ivan Reis joins Lemire on The Terrifics, a book spinning out of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullos Metal crossover, that features a genius (Mr. Terrific), a woman who can become invisible (Phantom Girl), a stretchy dude (Plastic Man), and a rock monster (Metamorpho).

Eel O'Brien, the stretchy reformed ex-con, and Rex Mason, the man who can take the form of any element or molecule he knows of, have only been mentioned in passing since Flashpoint rebooted DC continuity in 2011.

Mr. Terrific led his own New 52 launch title before being shuffled off to Earth 2 to play a significant role in the re-development of the DC Multiverse, and he was one of the characters to discover the Anti-Monitor's multiversal tuning fork in Dark Days: The Forge. Both Metamorpho and Mr. Terrific have received significantly more attention in the live-action Berlantiverse, with Curtis Holt as a regular character on Arrow and Rex Mason dying on The Flash after about 10 times the screen time as it took me to read the one issue of Justice League International he was mentioned in.

Phantom Girl's appearance here is fascinating: she is one of the earliest members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, a team of adventurering heroes in the 31st Century who were inspired by Superman and have played a vague background role since Rebirth. Saturn Girl, one of the founding members, is currently locked in Arkham Asylum and was last seen when Batman was putting his Suicide Squad together for Tom King's "I Am Suicide" arc.

The Dark Nights: Metal crossover will run concurrently with Doomsday Clock, the miniseries reported to integrate Watchmen with the mainstream DCU, and with the hints dropped in the prologue books (The Forge and The Casting), it looks like the structure of the multiverse is going to become more of a story point for the broader DCU than it's been for more than a decade.

Lemire's writing won't be limited to The Terrifics, though. He's also writing the Hawkman Found one-shot, and rumored to be taking on the sisyphean task of a Hawkman ongoing series following the crossover. He'll be joined on Hawkman Found by Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan on art, which is, quite frankly, a ridiculously good art team.

For more news on the rapidly expanding DC Multiverse, Dark NightsDoomsday Clock, or SDCC 2017, or for our staff frantically clinging to any shard of Legion of Super-Heroes news that slips out, stay with Den of Geek.

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New Bone Comics Coming from Jeff Smith

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Bone creator Jeff Smith will return to his greatest character in "Smiley's Dream Book."

NewsJim Dandy
Jul 21, 2017

Jeff Smith, the flamboyant creator of Bone, announced a follow up to the critically acclaimed series via elaborate publicity stunt at SDCC 2017.

Just kidding. The typically understated Smith announced it by wandering the con floor with a handwritten cardboard sign.

Little more than the title (Smiley's Dream Book) is known at this time. The cover and the title imply that the tone will be lighter than the occasionally terrifying Bone, and will follow Fone Bone's doofier cousin. Bone is rightly praised as one of the greatest all-ages comics of all time, a sweeping, epic fantasy with quintessential comic storytelling that is reminiscent of Carl Barks. 

Smiley's Dream Book will be published by Graphix, Scholastic's comic book imprint. For more updates on Bone, SDCC, or other suggestions for fantasy series to gift to precocious nieces, stay with Den of Geek.

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Alan Moore Will Conclude League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with The Tempest

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Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill close out their time with the League in grand fashion.

NewsJim Dandy
Jul 21, 2017

Top Shelf Comics kicked off SDCC 2017 in grand fashion: by announcing Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's swan song on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with The Tempest, a six-issue series that will span from 1964 to 2996 and close out Moore & O'Neill's time with the spectrum of pop culture heroes. The book will arrive in Summer 2018.

The series promises to tie together plot threads from every prior volume, from the first book through The Black Dossier and the Nemo trilogy. The title likely refers to the Shakespeare play by the same name - Prospero, the main character of the play, showed up in an earlier volume of LoEGdressed as Spider Jerusalem and leading the first incarnation of the League. 

Here's more from Top Shelf on the story:

Opening simultaneously in the panic-stricken headquarters of British Military Intelligence, the fabled Ayesha’s lost African city of Kor and the domed citadel of ‘We’ on the devastated Earth of the year 2996, the dense and yet furiously-paced narrative hurtles like an express locomotive across the fictional globe from Lincoln Island to modern America to the Blazing World; from the Jacobean antiquity of Prospero’s Men to the superhero-inundated pastures of the present to the unimaginable reaches of a shimmering science-fiction future. With a cast-list that includes many of the most iconic figures from literature and pop culture, and a tempo that conveys the terrible momentum of inevitable events, this is literally and literarily the story to end all stories.

O'Neill talked to The New York Times about the book, saying, "This is the absolute final one. We’re having a ball with it. I’ve never heard Alan happier."

Moore plans to retire from writing comics, so League may very well be his final comic book.

Here's some promo art for the final issues:


For more on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or speculation on which comic author Moore is likely to cross-cast as Peter Pettigrew, or for more from SDCC 2017, stay with Den of Geek.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!


The Gifted: The X-Men are Gone, Series Exists In its Own Time “Stream”

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The Gifted showrunner confirms for us that "the X-Men are gone" in the series, and that it takes place in its "own universe."

NewsDavid Crow
Jul 21, 2017

There is a trailer for The Gifted that is getting geeks all excited, because it looks pretty damn good. To paraphrase its own showrunner Matt Nix, it’s like the X-Men meets 1988’s Running on Empty (the River Phoenix movie about a family in hiding). However, there is one catch: the X-Men are not around. And we just don’t mean they’re off-screen. As they say in the trailer, “The X-Men, the Brotherhood, we don’t even know if they exist anymore.”

But thanks to The Gifted panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Den of Geek can confirm this is apparently set in its own universe/timeline/world… one that is defined by the absence of Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

“Quite simply, right now, one of the things that comes out in the show is the X-Men are gone,” Nix revealed to thousands of fans in Ballroom 20. He then adds with a cryptic laugh, “Why are the X-Men gone? That is in the show.” Nix also teased it was out of financial obligations since the X-Men are cost prohibitive for a television series, but he also elaborated earlier that it helps when he views The Gifted as taking place in its whole separate timeline from the multiple ones in the current X-movie franchise.

“Generally, I think one of the great favors of Days of Future Past, I think for all of us, is it established there are many streams [of time],” Nix said. “So I think the one answer is we exist in one of those streams. So the idea is that this is its own universe. We’re not in the same exact timeline as any particular movie or comic. With that said, we do share some characters and things with the movies and comics… The idea is we’re just doing our own thing. And as I said, we’re doing our own thing.”

With that said, having watched the first act of The Gifted pilot that was directed by Bryan Singer, what they’re doing is very promising. As previously mentioned, the series has a nice on-the-run edge to it that feels different from every other shiny superhero property currently on network TV.

The pilot opens with Blink (Jamie Chung), having not quite mastered her power over portals, cutting through reality and evading cops. She is quickly recruited by equally hidden (albeit primetime glamorous) mutants, Lorna Dane (Emma Dumont), John Proudstar (Blair Redford), and Eclipse (Sean Teale). Yet, things quickly go sideways for this proto-mutant underground railroad. And that’s when things get really interesting, because the human tormenting them is a prosecutor (Stephen Moyer) who is otherwise depicted as a relatively decent guy and caring father/husband… even though he is pursuing cruel and bigoted policies against minorities.

This hook is deepened when he and his wife (Amy Acker) see their two children (Natalie Alyn Lind and Percy Hynes White) develop mutant abilities. This includes a high school dance sequence that is part Carrie and part of that tactile, lived-in feeling that Bryan Singer brought so well to the first two X-Men movies but has since left the franchise. He directed the pilot, and it is back in the best way here.

X-Men or no X-Men, The Gifted has every opportunity to live up to its title when it premieres on Oct. 2 on Fox.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Dark Nights: Metal - Evil Batman Revealed

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Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo build out a new multiversal architecture in the new crossover.

NewsJim Dandy
Jul 21, 2017

Scott Snyder has been writing Batman for the better part of six years, most of it with artist Greg Capullo giving his distinctive vision to Gotham. Now, with Dark Nights, Snyder and Capullo are picking up strands from their 51-issue run together, as well as story tidbits from Grant Morrison's run on Batman, the various Crises from throughout DC history, and hunks from the fragmented history of the Hawkpeople to build a new DC multiverse, 30 years after it was destroyed and 10 years after it began returning in jerks and starts.

Metal begins with the Dark Multiverse, discovered by Batman and his allies in Dark Days: The Casting, invading the regular DCU. Dark Batman analogs of the members of the Justice League will attack their counterparts, and each Dark Batman analogue but one will have a one-shot origin story told by that Leaguer's regular creative team. Here's the lineup of one-shots:

BATMAN: THE RED DEATH #1 (on sale September 20)
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

BATMAN: THE MURDER MACHINE #1 (on sale September 27)
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by Ricardo Federici

BATMAN: THE DAWNBREAKER #1 (on sale October 4)
Written by Sam Humphries
Art by Ethan Van Sciver

BATMAN: THE DROWNED #1 (on sale October 18)
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Philip Tan

BATMAN: THE MERCILESS #1 (on sale October 25)
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Francis Manapul

All of these characters are crosses of their DCU counterpart with a dark Bruce Wayne - one experimenting with the Speed Force; one with Doomsday and Superman DNA; one with I guess swimming or something - and they are led by The Batman Who Laughs, a dark Batman/Joker cross who is apparently so terrifying that Batman himself has no interest in investigating this mystery.

As with Dark Days: The Forge and The Casting, expect Metal to be jammed with easter eggs from DC continuity's past. In The Casting alone, there were on panel appearances by side characters from I, Vampire and ancient Hawkman comics, and one of the key macguffins was a piece of Hawkman lore that is being made more delightfully convoluted by the injection of a new multiversal aspect. And, if I may be allowed to irresponsibly speculate for a moment, don't be surprised to find out that the Hyper Adapter, the giant bat/history-eating machine that chased Bruce Wayne through time after Final Crisis and was the main god of the Miyagani tribe, turns out to have played a huge role in the creation of the Dark Multiverse. 

Dark Nights: Metal #1 is out in August. Here's the full checklist of books in the crossover event:

Additionally, Snyder announced earlier today that Duke Thomas, the not-Robin partner for Bruce introduced in his Batman, and fleshed out in We Are Robin and All-Star Batman, is getting his own codename and his own book, co-written by Tony Patrick, a graduate of DC and Snyder's Talent Workshop. Duke will be known as The Signal and will patrol Gotham by day using his Nth Metal-related powers to protect the city while Batman sleeps. Duke will also have a role in Metal.

No artist or release date has been announced for Batman: The Signal.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Animated Movie Coming

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Get ready for Batman vs Jack the Ripper in the Gotham by Gaslight animated movie.

NewsMike Cecchini
Jul 22, 2017

The next DC Universe Original Movie is Batman and Harley Quinn, which had is world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. That one will have a one night only theatrical release on August 14th before it hits home video shortly after. But the first one out of the gate after that is going all the way back to Victorian times, for an adaptation of Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola's Batman: Gotham by Gaslight.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was the book that kicked off DC's famed Elseworlds line of stories. Published in February 1989, a few months before Tim Burton's first Batman movie kicked off a new wave of Batmania, Gotham by Gaslight tells the tale of what would happen if Bruce Wayne became Batman in 1889...and had to face off with the greatest mad killer of that era, Jack the Ripper.

With moody art by the brilliant Mike Mignola, Gotham by Gaslight was like nothing comics fans had seen at the time. It's available on Amazon. Since this was just a 48 page story, DC promises that the animated version will expand on it to fill the just under 80 minute runtime.

There's no release date or voice cast yet, but expect Batman: Gotham by Gaslight in early 2018.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

New Suicide Squad Animated Movie Announced

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Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay will be set in the shared continuity of DC's recent animated movies.

NewsMike Cecchini
Jul 22, 2017

The screening of Batman and Harley Quinn at San Diego Comic-Con was an eventful one. Not only did they unveil the latest animated DC Universe Original Movie to a crowd of devoted fans, they announced their next three projects. The first, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, will arrive in early 2018 (we have all the details on that one right here). The third will be a two-part adaptation of the Death of Superman.

But in between we're going to get Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. Unlike the other two announced projects, which are adaptations of existing DC Comics, this one will tell a completely original story. 

There are two different tracks with DC's line of animated films. On the one hand, you have the ones that operate within a shared continuity (Justice League: War, Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis, etc), and those that do not. While some of the ones that share continuity are also adaptations (sometimes loose ones) of existing comic book stories, it's not always the case. Then there are the ones (like The Killing Joke, and the aforementioned Gotham by Gaslight and Death of Superman) that are strictly standalone.

While the Suicide Squad have been the subject of one other DC Universe Original movie (2014's Batman: Assault on Arkham), that one was a standalone film set in the continuity of the immensely popular Arkham video games. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay will be the team's first venture into the animated shared continuity.

Note: the image at the top of this article comes from Assault on Arkham, and isn't an image from the upcoming film.

No voice cast has been announced. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay will arrive in Spring 2018.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

The Death of Superman Animated Movie Coming

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The Death and Return of Superman is finally going to get the animated movie treatment it deserves.

NewsMike Cecchini
Jul 22, 2017

The first in the line of DC's animated movies, which have come to fall under the umbrella of DC Universe Original Movies, was Superman: Doomsday, an extraordinarily loose adaptation of the classic 1992-1993 storyline that told of the death and return of the Man of Steel.

The problem, of course, was that Superman: Doomsday wasn't very good. The animation was mediocre, and the story bore little resemblance to the comic book version, which spanned a full year of comic book continuity. The Death of Superman recently got the live action treatment, as the climax of 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but even that failed to capture the scope of the source material.

Well, it looks like they're finally going to try and get it right. 

The Death of Superman animated movie is coming in late 2018, and this time, DC promises that it will "include many of the fan-favorite moments from the story that were left out of Doomsday." That's only the beginning, though.

Early 2019 will bring us Reign of the Supermen, the all-important "return" half of the equation. DC is playing this one close to the vest, but I expect this time around we'll actually get the requisite imposter Supermen showing up while we wait for the big guy to return for real.

There aren't any other details in the way of exact release dates or voice cast yet, but it would be great if they could use an animation style that recalls Dan Jurgens' art for this. We'll keep you posted on more developments as we get them!

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

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