Comic Years

---

• Pop Culture Free Time May 2021: The Constant Man, Nancy Drew, And BTS, OMG
• The Box Office Numbers for A Quiet Place Part II Give Us Hope for the Film Industry
• Heroes Reborn Week Four Finally Reveals The Villain (And Yes, We Knew It All Along Anyway) Spoilers!
• Marvel Sets New Release Dates For Untitled Films In 2023

Pop Culture Free Time May 2021: The Constant Man, Nancy Drew, And BTS, OMG Posted: 01 Jun 2021 09:34 AM PDT Hey, y’all, it’s time for Pop Culture Free Time, my monthly pop culture discussion.  If you haven’t been here before, then basically, it’s my log of the stuff I consumed when I was vegging out. Or in other words, the TV, movies, books, and music I turned to when I wasn’t writing. And so let’s get on with it, the May 2021 Pop Culture Free Time. May 2021 Free Time Books: Y’all Got Murder In ‘Em? After a bit of a disappointing April (the cruelest month), I had a much better book time this month. Don’t get me wrong, though. There were some stinkers, which I won’t mention. However, I did get to read some good heavy hitters. The first one was Linwood Barclay’s Find You First. It’s about a tech mogul who finds out he’s dying. When he was younger, though, he was quite the, uh, supplier to a sperm bank. Knowing that his days are numbered then, he decides to find his offspring and split his fortune between them. Someone, however, starts killing them off. As I wrote on Goodreads, “I was going to go with a respectable four stars, then Chloe did the thing, and eff it, five stars it is.” image via William Morrow and Custom House In addition, back in February, I whined on Twitter that I hadn’t gotten a copy of Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams. His previous book, No Exit, was my absolute favorite of 2019, so I was eager to read his next one. Thankfully, as it usually does, my complaining paid off. A very nice lady from William Morrow and Custom House reached out to me with a copy–thank you, again! Anyway, while I didn’t love Hairpin Bridge as much as I loved the last one, I still liked it a whole lot. It’s got the same stressful vibes, which is very uncomfortable during the reading, but is ultimately cathartic. (Hairpin Bridge will be available on June 15.) Finally, my other favorite book I read in May was Peter Steiner’s The Constant Man. It’s a thriller that takes place in the very early days of Nazi Germany and it follows former cop Willi Geismeier. He’s trying to find a serial killer in Nazi München–shades of an actual true story–while also trying to stay underground. I must admit that before I read it, I was not looking forward to it, though. The last Reich thriller I read…how do I say this professionally? It sucked, bro. This book, though, did not suck. As I’ve mentioned before, I read a lot–A Lot–of mystery/thrillers. While many writers I read are good storytellers, that doesn’t mean that they’re actually great writers. They’re competent, sure, but they’re not able to turn a phrase. Steiner doesn’t have that issue. Not only is the book a compelling story, but it’s also positively stuffed with fantastic lines. (This book is number two in a series, but you don’t have to have read the first one for it to make sense.) What I Watched This Month Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch a lot of things that I haven’t already written about or am going to write about. There were a few exceptions, though. On the movie front, for instance, I helped contribute to the Quiet Place II box office take. I liked the movie, especially how the story spent so much time on Regan (Millicent Simmonds). That’s a smart move. However, I also thought that the ending was kind of just there. They were clearly setting it up for another movie, the last part of the trilogy. image via The CW And while I do regularly write about Nancy Drew, I haven’t written about it here in a while, so it still counts. Anyway, it started off as a pretty good show. Now, though, it’s an amazing show. It manages to blend the mystery aspect with astute commentary on social issues. Unlike some shows, though, it’s not so obvious when the Drew Crew does it. However, the episode “The Siege of the Unknown Specter” made its subtext text and it was better for it. (I’m being purposely vague, yes, but I’m trying to avoid spoiling the episode, their most powerful yet.) In May I Listened to… In the last month, my music tastes regressed for some reason. Well, actually, I regressed to my teen and tween years. First of all, I couldn’t get enough of Olivia Rodrigo’s album Sour. I am an eldritch swamp monster and I’m in an healthy relationship. Still, though, her album moved me. She wears her influences on her sleeve and guess what? I already love of all them, so unsurprisingly, I love this album. It sounds like a blend of Taylor Swift (Taylor is the blueprint), Paramore, and even Bikini Kill. In other words, she made it for Salomés. (That doesn’t mean that we don’t still feel weird about it, though.) Then there is the other thing, which I’m not even sure how to talk about: my sudden case of BTS fever. I was certainly aware of them–it’s kind of hard not to be. They’re probably the biggest group in the world. I’ve even enjoyed their music, adding “Boy with Luv” and “Dynamite” to my workout playlists. But for some reason, that, again, I’m at a loss to explain, they have taken root in my heart over the last two weeks. I’ve gone from being a casual fan, who wondered things like “Why are there so many of them?” to having google searches I would rather die than show you. I have learned (some of the) lingo. Like, I have a bias. (And nope, I’m not going to say who it is. Okay, it’s V. I knew it was him when he spent their Grammy nominations video absolutely housing Samgak-gimbap. Below: A man of culture.) Anyway, now I can’t stop watching their videos. I mean it–I cannot stop. And it shouldn’t be surprising, because they put so much effort–so much work–into everything they do. Again, though, this should not be happening to me. I’m an adult! featured image a composite of an image from HYBE Pop Culture Free Time May 2021: The Constant Man, Nancy Drew, And BTS, OMG Salomé Gonstad

The Box Office Numbers for A Quiet Place Part II Give Us Hope for the Film Industry Posted: 01 Jun 2021 06:36 AM PDT The box office has been shaky at best since the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. In a world where film productions were paused, movie theaters were closed, and streaming services became the number one source for watching entertainment, it’s a common question to wonder if we can ever go back to the days of shoving hundreds of people in an auditorium to sit in silence for two hours. But there is no better film to prove it than one that is literally built on silence. The box office numbers for A Quiet Place Part II are here, and they give us all the hope that we needed for the film industry. What The Box Office Numbers For A Quiet Place Part II Show Us A Quiet Place Part II released in theaters on May 28th, 2021. This is a long way away from its initial release date of March 2020, which was more than a little unfortunate considering the first wave of the pandemic. In its first weekend, the film pulled in more than $58 million domestic, with $22 million international, amounting to an impressive $80.5 million worldwide. That’s more than a solid weekend for any time, but it’s incredible considering how theaters continue to recover. These numbers mean that the John Krasinski-directed sequel to 2018’s A Quiet Place has already made its $61 million budget back. The debut film in the franchise made $50.2 million domestically on its opening weekend. With film reviews as promising as its predecessor, all signs point to a more-than-adequate box office run. Image via Paramount Pictures. How These Numbers Compare To The Rest Of The Coronavirus Releases Films have tried desperately to reignite the urge to see films in theaters. Christopher Nolan was particularly adamant about bringing bodies back to seats, releasing Tenet last summer despite worldwide theater closures. While the Tenet box office numbers weren’t a complete failure, the film was hardly what Nolan had hoped for. It had an impressive overseas start of about $53 million and then pulled in a modest $20 million domestic in its first weekend. It finished its theatrical run with a little more than $363 million on a massive $200 million budget. Image via Warner Bros. Pictures. So, what do all of these numbers mean for the future? For one, it proves that people are still excited about going back to the theater and are willing to close Netflix down for the night. It also means that large gaps between a film’s initial release date and its post-COVID release date haven’t deterred viewers from wanting to see it. This is promising for other films with massive gaps, like the upcoming Black Widow. Despite all of these promising stats, there is still a long way to go. Theaters may be open around the United States, but things aren’t looking that good everywhere. For example, I live in Toronto, Ontario. Our movie theaters haven’t been open since November of 2020. Yes, the last film I saw in theaters was, unfortunately, Ammonite. It doesn’t look promising for Canadians who want to watch A Quiet Place Part II. Considering how Canadian box office numbers are wrapped up in the domestic U.S. numbers, one can only wonder how many more million we could have brought to the table for A Quiet Place Part II. Finally, if we have learned anything from the ongoing pandemic, it’s that the unexpected can always happen. While vaccine numbers are increasing, our thoughts will always be jumping within a “what’s next” mindset, and more lockdowns may always lurk in the darkness. Readers, did you get a chance to watch A Quiet Place Part II yet and contribute to its box office numbers? Let us know your thoughts on the film, and how you feel about going to the theater now that they’re opening up again. Featured image via Paramount Pictures. The Box Office Numbers for A Quiet Place Part II Give Us Hope for the Film Industry Meghan Hale

Heroes Reborn Week Four Finally Reveals The Villain (And Yes, We Knew It All Along Anyway) Spoilers! Posted: 01 Jun 2021 02:35 AM PDT Each week of Heroes Reborn peeled back a layer of how messed up the Squadron Supreme actually is. So far, the biggest atrocity was revealed in Heroes Reborn week three: the Squadron's massacre against mutants. Or, as they call it, the "Squadron Massacre." That was in Heroes Reborn: Magneto and the Mutant Force. The core series, however, presented us with Blur, the Squadron's speedster. And as far as we can tell, Blur isn't like the rest of the team. However, in Heroes Reborn week four, we meet a member of the Squadron who is by far the most unhinged yet. Hyperion might be a mass-murdering asshole, but Doctor Spectrum? He's all of that and completely insane. So much so that the entire universe wants to kill him. Heroes Reborn Week Four Makes Sinestro Look Like a Saint Missing Thanos Dialogue: "Not that hand! Please not that hand!" (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) I mention Sinestro because Doctor Spectrum's powers make him the Squadron's equivalent of Green Lantern. However, even though the Green Lantern Hal Jordan lost his mind and killed an entire city, plus his friends, Doctor Spectrum is far worse. And sure, Sinestro has committed some horrible acts in his career as a Yellow Lantern, but Spectrum? Well, he might look colorful, be he's the kind of dark Zack Snyder wouldn't even want to touch. Within pages of the core issue of Heroes Reborn week four, we see why that is. The Most Hated Man in the Heavens Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: James Stokoe In Heroes Reborn week one, Jason Aaron promised a massive battle between Doctor Spectrum and Thanos and his Infinity Rings. But what you see above? That's the entire battle. Spectrum makes a high-caliber rifle construct and shoots off Thanos's fingers. Now, this might feel like a "damn, why haven't any of the non-Mephisto-created heroes went this far?" But turn the page, true believers, because you're about to meet the most unhinged character in this reality: In the words of Star-Lord, "There's a little pee coming out of me right now." (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) Holy balls of Galactus, what in the Hell is this? Spectrum goes on to list the people or people he's taken out. Beta Ray Bill, Super-Skrull, the entire race of Inhumans (of, awesome, more the Squadron committed two genocides), and the Ringmaster are either in prison waiting to die or already dead.  So, it's no mystery why the entire universe sets aside their differences to focus on killing one man. Spectrum is like the Joker of space, but with nearly unlimited power, no sense of humor, and no Batman to stop people from killing him. But of course, he's not easy to kill. So the Watcher – who Doctor Spectrum burned his eyes out – hires the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy: Rocket Raccoon. Since Rocket is Alone(ish) in Heroes Reborn Week Four, What Happened to the Rest of the Starjammers? I don't remember these options at Build-a-Bear. (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) We met the Starjammers in Heroes Reborn week two, but in an "old" comic issue. It was a great team…that mostly died somewhere along the way. Most likely, Hyperion killed them. Otherwise, the Rocket we meet in Heroes Reborn week four would have probably mentioned his dead team to Doctor Spectrum. That doesn't mean he isn't holding a grudge. Sure, he's getting paid, but Rocket is also going all-in on this one. His gun – which is what is left of Groot – is upgraded to fire mini-Groots, which start growing around Spectrum and eating him (I think). But when Spectrum escapes and starts beating Rocket, something really unexpected happens. Rocket temporarily becomes the Starbrand: Isn't it great that the Starbrand and Phoenix Force both come with convenient wardrobe changes? (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics)   And yet, this still isn't enough. All it does is make Spectrum even more pissed off. He eventually kills Rocket, sending the Starbrand back to its owner (we'll get to that). But he also says something interesting about the Starbrand, "That shouldn't even be in this reality. First nut to ever wield that claimed to be from some other new universe." So…does Spectrum realize that this reality is skewed or just part of a larger multiverse? Well, it's the next bit, and maybe the biggest, most obvious reveal of all. Yet, it's not as simple as just the man in charge. It's much more twisted than that. He Arrives in Heroes Reborn Week Four…Now With a Capital "H" What's the conversion rate between ten Mephisto dollars and ten God dollars? A hell of a lot…I'm so sorry. (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) In Mephisto We Trust. Wait – What? So, we all assumed that Mephisto was behind this reality. But, unlike WandaVision, we were all right this time! However, the extent of Mephisto's control over this reality is much bigger than "the man behind the curtain." In fact, there is no curtain. He made himself God. And how thoroughly has he replaced God? Well, for one, throughout the Heroes Reborn week four, anytime a character would generally say "God," they say "Mephisto" instead. For instance, "Thank Mephisto." But there's also one minor change to this reality. In this final scene of The Most Hated Man in the Heavens, we go to the National Cathedral in Washington DC, where President Coulson and Doctor Spectrum (out of costume) sit in a pew and talk. All the windows are blood red. Oh, and there's also this: Okay, so James Stokoe is a brilliant artist. (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) This raises a different question: If Blade remembers everything that once was, wouldn't Mephisto replacing God be a little obvious? Unless he doesn't have as much freedom from this reality as he thinks. Has Jason Aaron Stopped Playing Coy in Heroes Reborn Week Four? So, there is definitely some political commentary in Heroes Reborn, even before the big reveal in week four. Hyperion's nationalism in issue #2 seemed like a mockery of the toxic patriotism we've seen in recent years. But this? Doctor Spectrum? A nationalist worshiping Mephisto in what in reality is a Christian church? Mephisto's name on our money instead of "God?" Yeah, we're way past light commentary. This is similar to Secret Empire, the controversial 2017 event that turned Captain America into a Hydra agent, was a commentary on the destructive nationalism we saw in places like Charlottesville, Virginia. However, Aaron's story takes it a step further. As of week four, Heroes Reborn turned into a commentary on nationalist Christians. And we know where Aaron stands on this matter – this perversion of both patriotism and faith? Straight up evil. But now, we have to go to the other big story in Heroes Reborn week four. Remember how Rocket temporarily had the Starbrand? Time to meet the person who gave it to him. Born in the Stars Kid's parents were a cyborg raccoon and sentient tree. Those are going to be some steep therapy bills. (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) Writer: Jason Aaron Penciler: Ed McGuinness Inker: Mark Morales Colorist: Matthew Wilson As one mystery closes, another one begins. Who is this young girl that now possesses the Starbrand? All we know so far is that Rocket and Groot found her as a baby floating in space like the star child at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The two raised the little girl while also keeping her hidden. Rocket succeeds in this mission, even after Doctor Spectrum infects him with the cancer-verse and beats him into a sun. When Rocket dies, the power goes back to the girl, and a prerecorded message from Rocket plays, telling her to stay hidden. Instead, she bursts from the ship, demanding that a very much alive Groot take her to Earth. Groot refuses, but there's one more twist coming. Another Major Player Enters Heroes Reborn Week Four Calm down, kid. Your Uber is about to arrive. (Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) One interesting aspect of this Heroes Reborn week four is we don't see our main heroes, Blade, Captain America, and as of last week, Echo as the Phoenix. Instead, we get Starbrand's story and how she enters into the event. So, if it isn't Blade and the band that picks her up, It's a Wakandan ship with Okoye at the helm! Where's T'Challa? We don't know yet. Yet this development should have been a little more obvious. Earlier in the issue, we see Doctor Spectrum torture Ego the Living Planet into telling him what ships had launched from Earth. When Ego finally answers, Spectrum doesn't believe him, thinking Wakanda a myth, and throws the Elder of the Universe into a black hole. Seriously, this guy has problems. But this is just the core issue of Heroes Reborn week four. The two tie-ins bring a lot more to this Mephisto-altered reality. Heroes Reborn Week Four: Siege Society Our choices: an unhinged, dangerous fascist OR Baron Zemo. Wait… (Image: Heroes Reborn: Siege Society #1, Marvel Comics) Writer: Cody Ziglar Artist: Paco Medina Colorist: Pete Pantazis In a normal Avengers or Justice League comic, xenophobic characters like Baron Zemo (far worse in the comics than in the MCU) are the obvious bad guys. But in the Heroes Reborn week four tie-in Siege Society, we have to ask another question. Which fascist guy in a mask is the more fascisty (that's a word, right?) But it's not Hyperion or Doctor Spectrum that we're talking about. This time, it's Nighthawk and Blur. After the Squadron's own Civil War, Nighthawk and his side of the team fled to Europe. Because of this, Zemo wants to purify the continent, not by eliminating a race or religion, but by getting rid of Americans. Nighthawk, however, wants to take out Zemo. So he lets Zemo break into their London base of operations and kill a bunch of second-stringers of the Squadron Supreme. The Forget the Batman Who Laughs. This nightmare version of the Dark Knight used his friends and allies' deaths as part of a plan to capture one guy. So much for Nighthawk being more reasonable than Hyperion. As of Heroes Reborn Week Four, Blur is the Only Member Showing Any Morality "Mephisto save the Queen. The fascist regime." Hmm. It's got a nice ring to it. Heroes Reborn: Siege Society #1, Marvel Comics) Even though Mephisto created the Squadron, don't assume that every member of the Squadron Supreme of America is a Satan-worshipping sociopath. Some of them are Satan-worshiping heroes doing the best they can. Once again, as we saw in Heroes Reborn week three, Blur is a bit different from his colleagues. He questions Nighthawk's actions. Between Siege Society in week four and Heroes Reborn #3 last week, we definitely see seeds that Blur could actually break away from Mephisto control. Which probably, definitely, means he's going to die, right? Still thinking that's a "yeah, probably." Heroes Reborn Week Four: Young Squadron The kids are not alright. (Image: heroes Reborn: Young Squadron #1, Marvel Comics) Truth at All Costs Writer: Jim Zub Artist: Steven Cummings Colorist: Erick Arciniega What would a fake Justice League be without a fake Young Justice? Of course, in this Marvel reality, they're known as Young Squadron instead. The three teens we know well from the real universe: Mark Morales, Kamala Khan, and Sam Alexander. In a world where the Avengers do exist, they're known as Spider-Man, Ms Marvel, and Nova. But the three teen heroes we meet in Heroes Reborn week four never had those mentors or powers. So instead, we have Miles Morales as the second Flacon. Sam Wilson, the original Falcon and Nighthawk's partner, died at the hands of the Goblin. Nighthawk got his revenge, but left another complication. Kamala is Girl Power. Instead of the Terrigen Mists empowering her, Power Princess gives her enchanted Utopian armor, making her incredibly strong and able to fly. And finally, Sam is Kid Spectrum. After saving Doctor Spectrum in a fight with MODAC (Not our beloved MODOK), he's left with some of Spectrum's powers. Spectrum decides to mentor Sam, which we know from Heroes Reborn #4 is a terrible idea. However, we meet one more character in Heroes Reborn that changes everything for the Young Squadron – even their name. What Would an Event With Meta Storytelling Be Without the Merc With the Mouth? Does Harley know Deadpool stole her hammer? (Image: heroes Reborn: Young Squadron #1, Marvel Comics) As the Young Squadron fights the Wrecking Crew, we finally get to see the Heroes Reborn version of Deadpool – and he isn't much different. However, that actually works well for this story. Because Deadpool can interact with the narration, he realizes that things are off, even if he doesn't know how. But what's more interesting is how he impacts the Young Squadron. At first, to avenge the death of his pal, the Goblin, Deadpool tries to kill Falcon (Miles). But as he reverts to our regular Deadpool for a minute, he makes the teens realize that their heroes are far from heroic. When Deadpool is giving the wisest advice, there is something very wrong happening in the universe. (Image: Heroes Reborn: Young Squadron #1, Marvel Comics) So, Deadpool using the term "Avengers" raises another question. Does he know there is supposed to be a team called the Avengers, or is it a coincidence? Regardless, the three teens know that what he's saying is true, crazy or not. They decide that they would no longer follow in the footsteps of their heroes, and even ditch the name "Young Squadron." It's another ending that cements the atrocities of the Squadron Supreme. Final Thoughts on Heroes Reborn Week Four This was a pivotal week for the event. There's no redemption for these characters, except for Blur – maybe. But the body count is so high now that Heroes Reborn week four should just be called Mephisto's Merry Massacre. Doctor Spectrum, Hyperion, Princess Power, and Nighthawk have all participated in at least one massacre (looking back, Blur wasn't in Magneto and the Mutant Force at all). Hyperion killed the Hulk, Spectrum killed Rocket, and Nighthawk killed, though by someone else's hand, his own team members. Poor Thumb. But we still have two characters left to explore in the main series: Nighthawk, which is next week, and Power Princess, the week after. There's not much Jason Aaron could do to make them redeemable, but that probably isn't the goal. But the more I think about Blur, the more convinced I am that he'll do something that – to put it in computer terms – goes against his programming. What will that mean for the rest of the Squadron and after Heroes Reborn week four? We'll have to find out.   (Featured Image: Heroes Reborn #4, Marvel Comics) Heroes Reborn Week Four Finally Reveals The Villain (And Yes, We Knew It All Along Anyway) Spoilers! Roman Colombo

Marvel Sets New Release Dates For Untitled Films In 2023 Posted: 31 May 2021 04:49 PM PDT After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios kept their future plans close to their chests. It wasn't until Kevin Feige introduced the first part of the next phase of movies at Comic-Con 2019 that we even had an idea what was coming. Yet, eagle-eyed industry insiders have watched the dates that Disney reserves for their features, broken down by their various studios. In November of 2019, Marvel set release dates for untitled movies through 2023. We've since gotten a better idea of what movies are coming down the pike, but as things readjust in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marvel set new release dates for their untitled films in 2023. Originally, Marvel Studios planned for four features in 2023, but these untitled films had release dates and not much else. We now know that the first two films in 2023 will be Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This left two untitled Marvel Studios films with release dates in the late fall. The shifts for these films, however, is not as drastic as the moving target that is the release date for Black Widow. The untitled Marvel movie set for October 6, 2022 has moved forward a year to October 7, 2023. Also, their untitled movie set for November 3, 2023 got pushed back a week to November 10. We still don't what these movies will be. However, given what we know about what's in store at Marvel, these two films will likely be hotly-anticipated projects. Our best guess is that these two films will be the new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali and the new take on the Fantastic Four. Although, one of these could also be the fourth Captain America movie with Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson sporting the shield. Upcoming Marvel Studios Films with Titles and Release Dates Image by Jasin Boland via Marvel Studios Black Widow will debut on Disney+ Premier Access and in theaters on July 9, 2021. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters only (for now) on September 3, 2021. Eternals will hit theaters on November 5, 2021, and we just got a first trailer for the movie. Spider-Man: No Way Home will debut in theaters December 17, 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will debut in theaters on March 25, 2021. Thor: Love and Thunder is set to debut on May 6, 2022. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters on July 8, 2022. The Marvels, a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, is going to premiere on November 11, 2022. Also, another untitled Marvel film is set to release on July 28, 2023. So, whichever of the three upcoming Marvel Studios films didn't land on one of the newly-set release dates, will likely debut here. Which untitled Marvel Studios films do you think will debut on these release dates? Share your theories in the comments below. Featured image via Marvel Studios h/t Rotten Tomatoes Marvel Sets New Release Dates For Untitled Films In 2023 Joshua M. Patton

You are subscribed to email updates from Comic Years. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States