Comic Years |
- C.L. Polk’s Fantasy Series “The Kingston Cycle” Is Getting A TV Adaptation
- Marvel Tentpole Titles Revealed For December Through February
- The Batman Second Trailer Will Finally Debut…In A Month And A Half
- The Best Movies of 2004 Were Auteur-Driven Indies And Sequels That Outshone Their Predecessors
- Mini Review: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Next-Gen FPS Boost
| C.L. Polk’s Fantasy Series “The Kingston Cycle” Is Getting A TV Adaptation Posted: 01 Sep 2021 10:28 AM PDT The latest fantasy series to be greenlit for a television adaptation is The Kingston Cycle by C.L. Polk. The trilogy consists of the books Witchmark, Stormsong, and Soulstar. The first book in the series – Witchmark – also won the World Fantasy award for best novel back in 2019. It was Polk’s debut novel, and now it will be brought to life on the small screen. 1212 Entertainment has acquired the rights to the series. Alyssa Clark (The 100) is also onboard to write the script. The Kingston Cycle Will Become A Television Series Image via Tor/Forge Polk’s Kingston Cycle is set in a fantasy world that bears some striking resemblance to our own. The main location of Aeland is very similar to England, except there is magic at play. Of course magic is only allowed to be practiced by the upper echelons of society, and forbidden to anyone else. The story follows a young doctor named Miles Singer. He is a military surgeon, treating patients who are recovering from the recent war. But Miles has a few secrets: his ability to heal comes from the magic he is not allowed to touch. And on top of that, he is on the run from his own family who want to use his magical abilities for their own benefit. When his secret is exposed, Miles must get to the bottom of a murder mystery. While also dealing with romantic feelings for the one man who wants to help him. Along the way, the two of them will discover deadly secrets that could change the world. The Kingston Cycle stands apart from the rest of the upcoming fantasy adaptations because it is one of the few that features a gay male protagonist. We recently included it on our list of some of the best LGBTQ fantasy books to read for Pride (or any other time of year). 1212 Entertainment Will Adapt The Kingston Cycle Image via the Author’s Website Author C.L. Polk says that this adaptation of The Kingston Cycle is like a dream come true: “I am delighted by the prospect of watching the story of Kingston unfold one episode at a time. I'm excited by this team's vision and I'm looking forward to every minute of it." Roberto Grande of 1212 Entertainment says he was drawn to the series because Polk "does an amazing job of exploring social and family dynamics. And in the context of the Kingston Cycle, there's the almost tyrannical control built on dynasties, not merit. And then on the character level, just from book to book, tracking these love stories that evolve through huge obstacles… I love Miles and Tristan's relationship, and how Miles and his sister's relationship evolves." Additionally, Grande says that this is the perfect time for an adaptation of the fantasy trilogy because of its "exploration of social stratification and division; and the perpetuation of narratives that falsely divide us." No casting has been announced as of yet, but you know we’ll be keeping a close eye on this project as it develops. To stay up to date on all of the latest genre news, be sure to follow Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today! C.L. Polk’s Fantasy Series “The Kingston Cycle” Is Getting A TV Adaptation  |
| Marvel Tentpole Titles Revealed For December Through February Posted: 01 Sep 2021 07:48 AM PDT Throughout 2020 and 2021, Marvel had a long string of events, from major ones like Empyre, King in Black, X of Sword, and Hellfire Gala to smaller ones such as Extreme Carnage, The Last Annihilation, and Sinister War. It felt like they were announcing a new event every other week. But, of course, Marvel Comics isn't slowing down at all. However, this time they had the courtesy of announcing several events, or tentpole titles, debuting this winter. Some of them we've seen coming for a while, and some are truly surprising. But the next wave of Marvel tentpole titles starts with the king. The Kingpin that is. All Hail the Devil in the First of Marvel Comics’ Tentpole Titles: Devil's Reign (Image: Marvel Comics) Chip Zdarsky's Eisner-nominated Daredevil series ends with issue #36, but Zdarksy's far from finished with Matt Murdock and Elektra. Way back, during Charles Soule's run, Wilson Fisk became the Mayor of New York City and started to go after superheroes and supervillains. Following the events of Daredevil #36 (assume something bad will happen), Fisk is upping the ante. As Marvel describes:
The First of the New Ongoing Tentpole Titles From Marvel Features Their Cinematic Tentpole Team (Image: Marvel Comics) With the movies careening towards the multiverse, it's no shocker that we're a few titles following suit. In fact, several of the tentpole titles Marvel announced coincide with the MCU. The first is a new ongoing series from current Avengers writer Jason Aaron, called Avengers Forever. A bit familiar, right? Kind of like a certain Black Panther movie coming out? This series brings in Avengers from all over the multiverse, Exiles-style, to fight a major threat. As per the announcement:
Of Course, Kang Is Getting A Marvel Tentpole Title (Image: Marvel Comics) Though he went by a different name, Kang the Conqueror officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Loki finale. Or at least a version of him. Currently, Kang is starring in a mini-series, but he has a new series…or one-shot starting in December. It's not quite clear. But what is fascinating about the villain-centric Marvel series, compared to the other tentpole titles, is that Kang, instead of trying to conquer the 616, is trying to save it:
The First Wolverine-Centered Event of the Krakoan Age Lives and Dies and Lives Again in January (Image: Marvel Comics) While Jonathan Hickman leaving the X-Men, fans were worried that his departure marked the end of the Krakoan Age. However, we can all breathe easy now with the announcement of X Lives of Wolverine/X Deaths of Wolverine. The similarity to the title that started it all, House of X/Powers of X is intentional too. Wolverine played a major role in future events of HoX/PoX, and with Inferno supposedly revealing many of Moira MacTaggart's secrets, the mutant community might turn to him for leadership once again. Even more telling is that the announcement itself confirms that we're entering the second age of Krakoa:
A Future Disney+ Tentpole Gets a Marvel Title: She-Hulk (Image: Marvel Comics) Jennifer Walters has had a rough few years. During Civil War II, she suffered a defeat from Thanos that left her barely able to control her rage. And by the time Empyre started, she had lost her intelligence too, reverting to a "dumb" Hulk, like Banner generally does. But right now, she's really going through it. The Red Room is using her as a weapon of mass destruction, and the Avengers are struggling to stop her. After that storyline wraps up, she'll presumably be in control of herself once again. But, of course, sometimes you just need a big, green, angry woman:
A Tentpole Title One Marvel Writer Started Teasing Fifteen Years Ago (Image: Marvel Comics) Speaking of She-Hulk, When Dan Slott started writing her title in 2005, he began dropping little hints and clues about something called The Reckoning War. However, at the end of Empyre, that event started to pick up steam, and even more with King in Black. The event revolves around the watchers and might break the universe, especially as it ties into the original Secret Wars event:
The Last Marvel Tentpole Title Announcement Features a Character Who Can't Fit In Most Tents. (Image: Marvel Comics) Two big surprise hits came out of Infinity and Inhumanity: Ma Marvel and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. In fact, both titles proved to be so popular that they both ended up getting a Disney series. Ms Marvel is coming out (hopefully) on Disney+ later this year, while Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur will be an animated Disney Channel series. We can assume that the show will finally debut in 2022, after being announced in 2019 for 2020. But fans of the character should also be delighted when they see her back in her own series:
This is Probably Just the Beginning of Several More AnnouncementsSeven (well, technically eight with the Wolverine event) titles over three months? Obviously, that's a bit on the light side. Hickman already teased a few more X-Men titles he set up before his departure. As well, in all likelihood, The Last Annihilation, Trial of Magneto, and Sinister War could spin off into new ongoing series or mini-events. But that's part of the genre. Editors need to play some cards close to the vest while announcing others six months in advance. It's how to get people excited for these characters year after year. And yes, we fully intend to review at least the debut issue of each book. Which new Marvel tentpole title are you looking forward to the most? (Featured Image: Marvel Comics) Marvel Tentpole Titles Revealed For December Through February  |
| The Batman Second Trailer Will Finally Debut…In A Month And A Half Posted: 01 Sep 2021 04:47 AM PDT It feels weird that The Batman trailer debuted over a year ago, during the first DC FanDome event. But quite a lot has happened since then. Like all movies, production came to a screeching halt with the Coronavirus outbreak. At the time, the cast and crew took it as a "blessing in disguise" since they were all on the edge of burnout. But that "blessing" came right for them. Just over a year ago, our Movie editor, Meghan Hale, questioned if they could safely start filming again. Two weeks later, she was reporting that The Batman himself, Robert Pattinson, got COVID-19. Production halted again. However, they eventually finished filming in March of 2021. But we still haven't seen new footage. Well, we just have to wait a little longer because we're getting a second trailer for The Batman during the DC FanDome again! What Should We Expect From the Second The Batman Trailer? Image via Warner Bros. That's hard to say. When they debuted the first trailer, they weren't even halfway through filming. Yet we got some already iconic moments. With production wrapped, they have a lot more footage to choose from. But things we will most likely see? More Catwoman. The first trailer barely featured Zoe Kravitz's The Batman role, so she's due for more screen time in the second trailer. On that note, we'll probably get more of Paul Dano's Riddler. Though his character's presence dominates The Batman trailer, we only see him once and hear his voice at the end. Another character we might see more of is Collin Farrell's Penguin. He got a couple of good moments in the first trailer, but since this is the most surprising casting for The Batman, we'll hopefully see more Penguin in the second one. Will the Release Date Stick This Time? It depends On how America Deal With COVID-19 Delta…and Gamma…and so on… Image via Warner Bros. There are already rumors that some films will see another release date shuffle. While it looked like Sony was about to push Venom: Let There Be Carnage into March 2022 and Morbius back even further, those rumors turned out to be false. But that was far from the only rumor. One theory has it that Marvel might push back Eternals depending on how well Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings performs this coming weekend. However, with so many variables in play, take that as a 50/50. In fact, take all release dates at 50/50 until we can all safely return to the cinema. The one release date that had everyone worried was Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie debuts in four months, but we hadn't seen a single image or trailer until just last week. Of course, we all breathed a sigh of relief knowing December 17th didn't change…and then held our breath again when we heard Alfred Molina saying, "Hello, Peter." It looks like Warner Bros and DC want to avoid making people that nervous. We'll see the second The Batman trailer on October 16th, while the release date is still planned for March 22nd, 2022. But again…America doesn't seem to want to get the virus under control the way literally every other country has. So, if it is delayed again because of COVID-19 Omicron (or whatever Greek letter we happen to be on), blame the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers. They might ruin Batman for you. Are you still excited for The Batman, or even just seeing a second trailer? Or has the film lost momentum over the last two years? The Batman Second Trailer Will Finally Debut…In A Month And A Half  |
| The Best Movies of 2004 Were Auteur-Driven Indies And Sequels That Outshone Their Predecessors Posted: 31 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT The early 2000’s were a great time for cinema. After the success of Lord of the Rings, genre films got a boost at the box office where they aired alongside indie movies that were widely acclaimed. As we look back at some of the best films of every year, we examine the notable genre and non-genre films that made an impact. Today we are looking back at the year 2004. This was a year of notable sequels that outshone their predecessors. And some of our generation’s best auteurs were experimenting with form. Let’s take a look at the best movies of 2004. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Image via Focus Features One of my favorite movies of all time, and a film that firmly straddles the line between big-budget science fiction and artsy independent cinema. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was written by famously eccentric filmmaker Charlie Kaufman and his equally quirky counterpart Michel Gondry. On their own, these two have delivered some extremely weird and obscure films over the years. However, their pairing somehow managed to strike a perfect balance and deliver a commercial success. The film centers around a man who undergoes an experimental procedure to erase his ex-girlfriend from his memory. This comes after he learns that she has already erased him. What follows is a surreal trip down memory lane, as he watches his memories disappear around him. Soon he discovers that he doesn’t want to forget, and starts running and hiding in older memories in attempt to salvage what is left. Eternal Sunshine stars Jim Carrey in his finest dramatic turn since The Truman Show. Uncharacteristically serious and sober, the filmmakers intentionally flipped the script to make his love interest – played exquisitely by Kate Winslet – the comedic foil. It also co-stars some notable genre actors like Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, and Kirsten Dunst. Beautifully directed and acted, with jaw-dropping cinematography and practical special effects that still hold up. There is no question that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the best movies of 2004. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Image via Touchstone Pictures Another auteur who saw great success in 2004 was Wes Anderson. While The Royal Tenenbaums may have skyrocketed Anderson to success in 2001, it was The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou that made him a household name. (At least it did in my house.) Here Anderson gets together his reliable crew of misfits led by Bill Murray (as the titular Steve Zissou) in a quest to seek revenge on a shark who killed his partner. The film is both an homage to, and a parody of the famous French diver Jacques Cousteau. Screenwriter Noah Baumbach also worked with Anderson on this film, in one of his first credits on a feature film. However, the movie is quintessential Wes Anderson complete with zany adventures, neurotic characters, found family, and a dude singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese. Although it may not have been a success at the box office, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou quickly became a cult favorite. And so it makes it onto our list of the best movies of 2004. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban Image via Warner Bros. The first two Harry Potter movies were pretty straightforward adaptations of the books, and while they serve their purpose admirably enough they were definitely lacking some of the imagination that the series is known for. But that changed when director Alfonso Cuarón entered the picture to direct the third installment. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban is much darker and more mature than the previous entries in the series. It also brought in Gary Oldman as the titular prisoner – Sirius Black. And Oldman easily steals the show, imbuing Sirius with all of the complexity and nuance that he deserves onscreen. This was also the film where the young actors of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint really started to come into their own. Radcliffe has spoken about how working with Cuarón and Oldman during the making of this film taught him a masterclass in acting and informed his performance for the rest of the series. It is still hailed as one of the best Harry Potter films, and so of course it makes our list of the best movies of 2004. Howl's Moving Castle Image via Studio Ghibli There is no anime filmmaker more beloved than Hayao Miyazaki. His Studio Ghibli is still one of the most renowned animation studios in Japan. And in 2004 Miyazaki released what would be one of his final animated films geared towards adults with Howl’s Moving Castle. The film is loosely based on a fantasy novel of the same name by author Diana Wynne Jones. It follows a young woman who is cursed to appear as an old crone. She seeks out the wizard who lives in the titular moving castle for assistance, and is swept up into a rebellion against a corrupt king. Howl’s Moving Castle is a visual feast, much like all of Miyazaki’s work. It also contains strong anti-war themes, along with messages on aging and compassion. It was one of Miyazaki’s personal favorites of the films he made during his lifetime. And it is also my favorite. So there was never a doubt that Howl’s Moving Castle was one of the best movies of 2004. Garden State Image via Searchlight Pictures Okay, hear me out. In recent years it has become popular to make fun of both Garden State and its director Zach Braff. But it seems like people forget how beloved this movie was when it first came out. Garden State was the directorial debut of Zach Braff, who was previously best known for his starring role in the sitcom Scrubs. It is loosely based on some of Braff’s own real-life experiences, primarily centered around his youth living in New Jersey. Garden State follows Braff’s character as he returns home for his mother’s funeral and reunites with his high-school friends. Along the way he meets a young woman – played by Natalie Portman. And hears a song by the Shins that changes his life. Some have criticized Garden State for being self-indulgent and also for the extreme manic-pixie dream girl role that Portman plays. However, the movie is still genuinely funny. It also deals with the topics of depression and grief in a thoughtful way. And let me tell you, I lived in New Jersey close to where Braff grew up when this film came out. And it really nailed the culture and atmosphere of the time and place. Plus the movie was a commercial and critical success. So no matter what your feelings about it are, it is still one of the best movies of 2004. Spider-Man 2 Image via Sony Pictures Kicking off a series of sequels that outshone their predecessors is one of the best superhero movies of the 2000’s. Spider-Man 2 found Tobey Maguire’s character of Peter Parker still living a double life while pining for Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst). It also dealt with Peter’s psychological issues as he struggles to be both hero and man. This gave the story a new layer of nuance and depth. Spider-Man 2 also gave us one of the best villains in Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, a role that he will reprise for the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man 2 definitely leaned into some of the creepier horror vibes with Doc Ock. But a script co-written by author Michael Chabon helped cement the story in the human elements. One of the best superhero sequels of all time, Spider-Man 2 was undoubtedly one of the best movies of 2004. Kill Bill Vol. 2 Image via Miramax Kill Bill was originally supposed to be one movie, but due to the lengthy runtime director Quentin Tarantino split it into two volumes. Although the first volume is beloved, I have heard many people say that the second is their favorite. This is the film that gives more backstory on the Bride (Uma Thurman). Along with the cast of characters she has been hunting down. It also gives flashbacks to her training, and finally sees her reuniting with Bill in order to exact her vengeance. The first volume was bloody and action-packed. However, the second volume slows down for thoughtful character study and a dramatic arc. The legacy of the Kill Bill movies have been marred in recent years by actress Uma Thurman’s revelations about the pain and abuse she suffered because of Tarantino during the filming of the movie. But that doesn’t stop Kill Bill Vol. 2 from being one of the best movies of 2004. Before Sunset Image via Warner Independent Pictures Another sequel that rose above its predecessor is Before Sunset, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It is the sequel to the 1994 romantic film Before Sunrise where the two characters spent an entire night wandering the streets of Paris talking and falling in love, before departing with the risk of never seeing one another again. Before Sunset picks up almost a decade later for the characters as they run into another once more and spend the day wandering Paris. While Before Sunrise was a dreamy idealistic film, Before Sunset is far more grounded in reality. It addresses the big questions of life, love, and philosophy from two characters who have grown and matured beyond the starry-eyed lovers of the first film. Sideways Image via Searchlight Pictures The movie that gave Merlot a bad name and spawned a generation of wine aficionados who will only drink Pinot Noir. Sideways is an adaptation of the Rex Pickett novel of the same name. This is a buddy film at its heart, with Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) drinking their way through wine country a week before Jack is due to be married. The film explores not only wine country, but also toxic masculinity as Jack is on a quest to have one more sexual exploit before getting hitched. This single-minded pursuit has negative ramifications not only on his future, but also on his relationship with Miles. An understated character study of men in mid-life with stellar performances from Giamatti and co-star Sandra Oh. Napoleon Dynamite Image via Searchlight Pictures If there is one movie that exemplified the weirdness of the early 2000’s, it has got to be Napoleon Dynamite. This unassuming indie movie became a cultural phenomenon that is still endlessly quoted by an entire generation. A coming-of-age movie about a nerdy high-school student and his friends, Napoleon Dynamite might be thin on plot, but it is surprisingly heavy on the character study. It is an extremely funny and awkward movie that draws its humor from the everyday absurdity of life. The film feels real despite how ridiculous it is. And that may be because much of it was based on director Jared Hess’s own teenage years. Napoleon Dynamite launched an entirely new generation of quirky indie movies with larger-than-life characters living in small towns. For its cultural impact, we had to include Napoleon Dynamite on our list of best movies of 2004. This is far from a comprehensive list of all the great movies that came out in 2004. And it is obviously biased to our genre preferences here on Comic Years. So let us know what your favorite movie of 2004 is in the comments, or by joining the conversation with Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today. The Best Movies of 2004 Were Auteur-Driven Indies And Sequels That Outshone Their Predecessors  |
| Mini Review: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Next-Gen FPS Boost Posted: 31 Aug 2021 12:53 PM PDT Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was already a great game. Thanks to next-gen hardware, the game recently received a FPS (frames per second) boost. The update gives the game 60 FPS on top of the crisp 4K visuals capable on the Xbox Series X and PS5. I checked it out on the former, and really loved what I saw. This isn’t necessarily a review, but here’s my experience trying out the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey next-gen FPS boost on Xbox Series X. How Does Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Play and Look After a Next-Gen Boost? Image Credit: Ubisoft If you missed out on the initial run of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, then now is the perfect time to hop back in. With the recent Ubisoft announcement of the FPS boost, I was instantly pleased to find another excuse to play this game. While the recent release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla definitely felt fun to play, something about ancient Greece hits differently for me. The areas and environments, as well as the open-world style adopted in 2017’s Origins, are just the combo I waited for in this series. Overall, the experience of Odyssey is my favorite in recent memory. I hope that Ubisoft draws from this game’s design heavily as they start work on Assassin's Creed Infinity. Let’s say you haven’t played this game yet. Now is the perfect time to give it a try. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game now performs at 60 FPS. This visual boost makes it feel like a next-gen game. In reality, it’s the way Valhalla feels but with a better in-game world. The Assassin’s Creed Odyssey next-gen FPS boost is a real improvement over the past version of the game. This is a great excuse to try it again or play for the first time.  Image Credit: Ubisoft In Odyssey, you get to live out the ancient Greece turf wars in a really cool way. From sailing the seas to hunting Greek military leaders, there’s so much to love about this game. Its DLC, and 2019’s “The Fate of Atlantis” in particular, shine in the franchise’s deep catalog. There’s so much to love about this series and I believe Odyssey is Assassin’s Creed at its best. In short, take time to check out the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey next-gen FPS boost if you have the game. If not, then consider picking it up soon. The game regularly goes on sale on both the Sony PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. Just this past week, the game was $15 on Xbox One, which unlocks the FPS boost if played on a Series X or Series S. For $15, you can’t spend your money much better when it comes to a AAA game. Featured Image Credit: Ubisoft Mini Review: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Next-Gen FPS Boost  |
| 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 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment