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It was no less than a shocker for Marvel fans when Marvel Studios released X-Men ’97. A continuation of the beloved original series, X-Men: The Animated Series, no fan had expected that the show would have such meticulous storytelling and be faithful to its core mythos.

X-Men ’97 | Marvel Animation

However, with X-Men ’97’s season 2 announcement, Marvel Studios might have already committed a mistake similar to Fox’s ill-fated Dark Phoenix saga.

Marvel Studios Might Have Made a Blunder With X-Men ’97 S2

A still from Dark Phoenix | 20th Century Studios

While season one of X-Men ’97 ended with a bang and more, quickly becoming one of the top Marvel series of all time, fans have been eagerly waiting for its second season. And as per the recently held Marvel Studios’ D23 2024 presentation, the season might be closer than we think.

Revealing some brilliant and exciting details about the upcoming show,...

One of Disney+'s greatest successes thus far has been "X-Men '97," a revival of the first series-length "X-Men" cartoon that aired in the '90s. The premise screamed "cheap nostalgia" louder than even Banshee or Siryn could, but instead, it was made by people who cared about the material and had something to say with it, so "X-Men '97" turned out to be easily one of the best screen adaptations of these comic book heroes. There's a reason the first season is one of Marvel Studios' most acclaimed projects.

We already knew "X-Men '97" has been renewed for a second and third season. Previously on "X-Men '97," the first season ended on a cliffhanger with the team scattered across time. Professor X, Magneto, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast were sent back to ancient Egypt and met a young Apocalypse, then just going by the name En Sabah Nur. Cyclops and...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps came to Disney’s D23 movie and TV preview at Anaheim’s cavernous Honda Center with just a little bit more than they showed at San Diego Comic-Con two weeks earlier. With the movie now two weeks into filming and the cast working in London, Marvel’s First Family—Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm)—delivered a video greeting to the 12,000 fans in the arena.

The four were seated around what could have been the gang’s kitchen table, but what drew the most attention, of course, was that Quinn was also wearing what looked very much like our first look at a Fantastic Four costume from the movie. But it’s not the classic 1960s suit you might have expected from this superhero period piece.

The costume appeared to be all blue from the shoulders down,...

After announcing the official title of The Fantastic Four: First Steps at the Sdcc, Pedro Pascal’s film has provided an update on the team’s costume at D23. Fans earlier got a glimpse of what appeared to be a ’60s-inspired costume in the official concept art. However, the new costume appears to be quite different from the concept art design.

The concept art for The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Marvel Studios

While it closely resembled one of the comic-accurate suits of Marvel’s First Family, fans were not all in favor of the suit. Only Joseph Quinn wore the costume at D23, while other cast members appeared in their casual clothing. Earlier, it was confirmed that the upcoming Marvel film was going to be a period piece.

Pedro Pascal’s The Fantastic Four Reveals Comic-Accurate Suits That Leave Fans With Mixed Feelings The cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Pedro Pascal,...

As Deadpool & Wolverine gears up for its third weekend in theaters, more new content from the movie has been revealed today courtesy of MCU concept artists Ryan Meinerding and Andy Park.

The latter has revealed the John Byrne-inspired brown and tan suit in its entirety; we got to see that when the Merc with the Mouth was on the hunt for a Wolverine Variant; the difference here, though, is that we see the addition of Logan's iconic mask!

Like many of you, we're hoping and praying that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine will don this suit again for a clash with The Hulk.

As for Meinerding, he's taken to Instagram to post the final version of the clawed mutant's blue and yellow suit. It's a gorgeous piece of artwork and a mere sneak peek at what will be contained within the upcoming "Art of" book.

io9 recently caught up...

They’re one of the most beloved Marvel teams, containing some of the most iconic superheroes in history. Yes, we’re talking about the X-Men – that ragtag band of Marvel mutants usually found fighting against humans (or each other) to gain acceptance in a world afraid of their abilities.

Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops and co. have been stalwarts of the superhero genre ever since they first got the live-action treatment back in 2000 – setting the modern benchmark for what comic-book movie adaptations could be, and putting us on the path towards the age of super-powered cinematic universes we’re in the midst of right now.

There have been several iterations of the X-Men over the years – the original bunch, led by Patrick Stewart and menaced by Ian McKellen; their younger counterparts, including James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender; and offshoots into the fourth wall-breaking world of Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool – but...

Paul D’Amato, best known for playing Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in hockey comedy “Slap Shot,” died after a four-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease, on Monday in East Brookfield, Mass. He was 76.

“Slap Shot” co-star Steve Carlson confirmed the news in a post on X. “Rip Paul D’Amato,” he wrote. “Sending heart felt condolences to Family and fellow friends, actors.”

D’Amato’s other notable credits include best picture winner “The Deer Hunter,”, “Heaven’s Gate,” “Suspect” with Cher and Dennis Quaid, “F/X” and “Six Ways to Sunday.” Additionally, John Lindley Byrne, writer and artist of Marvel Comics’s “X-Men,” was said to have based the look of Wolverine on D’Amato in “Slap Shot.”

D’Amato was born in Worcester and later raised in Spencer, Mass. He began working as a stage hand when he was about 14, inspiring him to become an actor. Both an athlete and actor,...

Gavin Jasper Jun 13, 2019

X-Men: Dark Phoenix isn't even the first time they've tried to do this story in the movies, so imagine how many other versions there are!

There are a lot of beloved and classic X-Men stories throughout the years and I’d say that the three biggest are Days of Future Past, Age of Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix Saga. And while Giant-Sized X-Men #1 is arguably the most important tale, it’s not the one that everyone keeps going back to the well for as much as these three giants.

The last three major X-Men movies have been trying to fit around that in a way. X-Men: Days of Future Past allowed them to retell the classic story while mixing the casts of both eras. Age of Apocalypse wasn’t going to be viable so soon after doing a time-travel/reality-altering movie, but they were at least able to finally introduce said villain.

David Crow Jun 10, 2019

The writer behind X-Men’s golden era, including The Dark Phoenix Saga, compares the new movie favorably to Avengers: Endgame.

In the modern day and age, it can be difficult to have a dissenting opinion. When fans tend to evaluate reviews by the “consensus” of a Rotten Tomatoes aggregate score—as opposed to the hundreds of words each individual critic used to study a film—and social media flattens conversations to 280-character cram sessions, it’s hard for a contrarian voice to even be heard. But it sure helps when it’s an authority, such as Chris Claremont, longtime X-Men writer and co-creator of “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” which inspired this past weekend’s Dark Phoenix movie.

While the conversation has already turned for most to how the movie was a box office and critical failure for the fading 20th Century Fox—which on Monday morning already...

[This story contains spoilers for Dark Phoenix]

Dark Phoenix, the underwhelming conclusion to the X-Men movie franchise, is the latest take on a story that writer Chris Claremont, penciler John Byrne, and inker Terry Austin originally related in issues #129-138 of The X-Men (first published from late 1979 through 1980). In the X-Men comics, Jean Grey, one of the mutant superhero team's founding members, has reached a turning point: After a brief run-in with the evil socialites (and one cyborg) at the Hellfire Club, Jean finds she can no longer control the God-like Phoenix, a symbiotic alien that has inhabited her ...

[This story contains spoilers for Dark Phoenix]

Dark Phoenix, the underwhelming conclusion to the X-Men movie franchise, is the latest take on a story that writer Chris Claremont, penciler John Byrne, and inker Terry Austin originally related in issues #129-138 of The X-Men (first published from late 1979 through 1980). In the X-Men comics, Jean Grey, one of the mutant superhero team's founding members, has reached a turning point: After a brief run-in with the evil socialites (and one cyborg) at the Hellfire Club, Jean finds she can no longer control the God-like Phoenix, a symbiotic alien that has inhabited her ...

Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by John Byrne, the "Dark Phoenix" saga is one of the most enduring storylines in the history of Marvel Comics. First published in Uncanny X-Men #129-138 (1980), the iconic story follows Jean Grey's transformation from gifted mutant into a god-like cosmic entity known as the "Phoenix". In 2006, screenwriters Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn adapted elements of the story for Brett Ratner's sequel X-Men: The Last Stand with mixed results. Now thirteen years later, Kinberg is taking another stab at adapting the classic tale with Dark Phoenix, the twelfth installment in Fox's seemingly-never-ending X-Men film series. A direct sequel to Bryan Singer's X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), the film is the final installment of the main X-Men saga after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. It's 1992 – the same year that X-Men: The Animated Series debuted on Fox Kids – and the X-Men are...

Ah yes, a superhero story you can sink your teeth into. When Venom claws its way into theaters this weekend, it’ll mark the biggest moment yet for one of the most infamous villains that Marvel’s Spider-Man has ever faced. Tom Hardy is Eddie Brock, a down-on-his-luck journalist who fuses with a symbiotic alien entity to become the long-tongued, sharp-toothed, shape-shifting title character. Directed by Zombieland‘s Ruben Fleischer, the movie is set outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe of which Spidey himself is now a part, giving the character...

We recently learned that Emmett J. Scanlan had been cast in the role of the DC’s ruthless intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo in Krypton. Now today, thanks to EW, we have our first photo of the character showing us what he will look like when he makes his big debut in Season 2.

It’s really strange seeing this character brought to life. He’s such a crazy and interesting looking character. While they completely nailed the look of the character here, it still a little weird seeing him in live-action form. Make sure to let us know what you think of the character design:

The character is described as possessing super-human strength, a genius level intellect in matters of warfare, and immortality. It’s explained that Lobo “will keep coming until the job is finished. His word is the only thing that Lobo holds sacred; although, he’ll never violate the letter of an agreement,...

A couple of months ago, it was reported that DC’s intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo would be coming to the second season of the Syfy series Krypton. We’ve now learned that Emmett J. Scanlan has been cast to take on the iconic role of the DC character. This will be a recurring role for him.

Lobo was created in 1984 by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen. He is a blue-skinned, 7-foot-tall, heavily muscled anti-hero alien who works as an interstellar mercenary and bounty hunter and drives a space-faring motorcycle across the universe. I should probably also mention that he murdered his entire species. He has superhuman strength and is virtually immortal.

I’m not really familiar with Scanlan’s work, but he appeared in Netflix's Safe, opposite Michael C. Hall, and The Fall, with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. He was last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy.

DC Entertainment...

According to reports, Marvel Comics' "X-Men" mutant 'Emma Frost', played by January Jones in "X-Men: First Class" (2011) and Finola Hughes in "Generation X" (1996) will return to the "X-Men" movie franchise: 

'Emma Grace Frost' aka the 'White Queen', evolved from a foe of the "X-Men", to becoming a superhero and one of the X-Men's most central members and leaders...

...debuting in Marvel Comics' "Uncanny X-Men" #129 (January 1980) created by writer Chris Claremont and illustrator/co-scripter John Byrne...

...as a 'mutant' with telepathic abilities, including mind control, memory alteration and astral projection.

She is also capable of shape-shifting into a solid diamond with superhuman strength, durability and psychic immunity belonging to a subspecies of humanity born with superhuman abilities.

The character appears in many adaptations of "X-Men" properties....

...including video games, animated programs and live-action films.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Emma Frost'...

  As many longtime comics fans can likely attest, Lex Luthor has been one of the most fascinating supervillains for the majority of the last thirty years. Originally conceived as a mad scientist out to destroy the original superhero, a reinvention in 1986 by writer/artist John Byrne in the pages of The Man of Steel repositoned Luthor as a villain of our time: a man scrambling to accumulate power in as many ways as possible, in order to directly challenge a man who doesn't accumulate power, but has it: Superman.   The mere fact that Luthor, a non-powered (albeit brilliant) human being stands as the arch-nemesis of one of fiction's most raw powerful icons should say a lot about him: even with all of his physical limitations in the context...

Read More...

Jim Dandy Oct 16, 2017

So far, The Gifted is a solid entry into overall X-Men canon. Here's our spoiler-filled review of episode 2...

This review contains spoilers.

See related  The Snowman review

1.2 rX

It's still really early to say this, but watching rX, the second episode of The Gifted, the thing that struck me the most about it is how this show conveys how utterly shitty it must be to be a mutant better than anything live action since the first movie. 

For such a new show, one of its biggest strengths is how completely thought-out the world is. At one point early in the episode, Jace (the bad dude from Sentinel Services) mentions that "damaging property with mutant powers is a serious federal crime." That's a more robust legal framework than we are used to in the comics, where the law usually doesn't go past "Mutants/Heroes must register," and occasionally...

Marvel Comics' "Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of (Adult) Jean Grey" #1, available December 2017, in support of the upcoming "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" feature film, is written by Matthew Rosenberg and illustrated by Leinil Yu, with covers by Artgerm, John Tyler, Francesco Mattina, John Byrne and Skottie Young:

"...in 'The return of Jean Grey, Part 1, she will return, like a 'Phoenix' from the ashes. Years ago, 'Jean Grey' died and the 'X-Men' mourned her. Since then, the world has changed, her teammates have lived without her and died without her. And now, when strange events start happening all over the world, those teammates can only come to one conclusion. The one and only Jean Grey is back..."

In movie news, 20th Century Fox has confirmed a release date for the live-action feature film adaptation "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", showcasing the character 'Jean Grey', opening November 2, 2018:

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline.

It’s that time of the month again to go through all comics laced with more than a hint of adamantium.

Generations: All New Wolverine/Wolverine

Writer: Tom Taylor | Artist: Ramon Rosanas | Colourist: Nolan Woodward | Letters: Cory Petit

When the ‘Generations’ one shots were announced in conjunction with the upcoming Legacy initiative by Marvel it was assumed a few currently dead heroes would be returning to the fold and this would be the jump on point. I don’t know if the premise for these one shots was set up elsewhere as picking up just one like I did is a little confusing to start with. Right away I can say without it feeling like a spoiler this has nothing to do with 616 Wolverine returning. It has to do with Laura going back in time to visit Wolverine in his prime and that’s where its confusing. But that doesn...

James Hunt Sep 6, 2017

If Netflix continues to mine the Marvel seam, which characters might come in for the Defenders treatment next?

The Marvel-Netflix deal might have met its initial goal with the broadcast of crossover series The Defenders, but there’s no stopping that particular gravy train - future seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are already on their way.

See related Here's your first look at Murder On The Orient Express

Marvel has already shows its willingness to add new characters to their roster of heroes with a Punisher series due to drop this year, and deals like New Warriors and Cloak & Dagger show that they’re not afraid of pushing D-listers into the spotlight to see what takes. So with the obvious choices already taken care of, we couldn’t help wondering: which characters should make up a second wave of Defenders shows?

Here...

Okay, so I haven’t written musings on my feelings on fandom in quite a bit, so here goes nothing!

Marvel’s Secret Empire event has received a lot of flack for continuing the storyline of Captain America as a secret Hydra agent. Much of that flack has revolved around the notion that Cap being associated with Hydra is an affront to co-creator Jack Kirby, a Jewish man and a World War II veteran. By having Cap be associated with Hydra, it goes against the creator’s intent.

But – how much so we actually care about a creator’s intent?

From my experiences, it seems we don’t really care that much about a creator’s original intent if the story is considered good. A prominent example is how Gene Roddenberry was opposed to the idea of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (or at least some reported it as such...

"Before you tap that shoulder, sugar – identify yourself."

"The name's Daredevil – horn-head for short. And you?"

"Depends. If you're spendin' money, it's Power Man – Hero for Hire. Otherwise, Cage'll do – Luke Cage."

Thus began the not entirely auspicious teaming of Luke Cage and Daredevil in the pages of the 24th issue of The Defenders, from 1975. It was, in fact, the only story in that comic's 15-year existence in which any of the characters on Netflix's identically titled series would meet. The 2017 incarnation – Daredevil and Luke Cage, plus Jessica Jones and...

Sneak Peek new images of actress Jessica Chastain aka 'Lilandra' in the upcoming Marvel/Fox feature "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", supporting a new campaign for luxury jeweler "Piaget":

The character 'Lilandra' first appeared in Marvel Comics' "Uncanny X-Men" #97 (February 1976), created by writer Chris Claremont

and illustrator Dave Cockrum.

'Lilandra' and 'Professor Charles Xavier' were once married.

But eventually the marriage was annulled.

She was born on the 'Aerie', but after much palace intrigue, was branded a traitor...

...fleeing to Earth, hoping to find allies among its large population of superheroes...

...and found them in Charles Xavier and his 'X-Men', sending visions of herself to Xavier as she traveled to Earth.

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline...

...focuses on mutant 'Jean Grey' and the 'Phoenix Force'...

...created for Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont, with illustrations by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Dark Phoenix'.

Next year we will get the opportunity to explore the world of Krypton via it's new television show on SyFy. With the show taking place on the planet well before their demise, we will get to see a lot of aspects of their culture. This would include the role of religion and politics according to their show runner Cameron Welsh. We have only seen flashes of their culture since we mostly see them as flashbacks and memories.

Comicbook.com has talked with Welsh about the impact of Kryptonian religion on the show:

”The world of Kandor in our show is a theocracy, and the religious guild is very powerful,” Welsh said. “The political landscape is turbulent; there’s a very rigid class divide, and there’s the rankles district, and there’s the guided area -- that’s the science guild, the religious guild, the House of Zod or the House of El.

Actress Jessica Chastain ("Interstellar") has confirmed she will play Marvel Comics' 'Lilandra Neramani', 'Majestrix' of the 'Shi'ar Empire' and soul mate lover of 'Charles Xavier' in  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", opening November 2, 2018:

Lilandra and 'Xavier' were once married. 

But eventually the marriage was annulled. 

She was born on the 'Aerie', but after much palace intrigue, was branded a traitor...

...fleeing to Earth, hoping to find allies among its large population of superheroes...

...and found them in Charles Xavier and his 'X-Men', sending visions of herself to Xavier as she traveled to Earth.

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline...

...focuses on mutant 'Jean Grey' and the 'Phoenix Force'...

...created for Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont, with illustrations by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Dark Phoenix'...

James Hunt Aug 11, 2017

Ahead of Marvel's The Defenders arriving on Netflix, here are some comics you may want to check out...

This August, Marvel will finally deliver the team-up its TV fans have been waiting for when Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist come together to battle The Hand in the Marvel/Netflix co-production The Defenders.

See related The Flash season 4 needs to make Barry a hero again Arrow season 6: The Huntress could be back Supergirl season 3: 24's Carlos Bernard signs up Legends Of Tomorrow season 3 casting news and new trailer Black Lightning won't have 'freak of the week' villains

But what if you can’t wait that long? Well, good news: these characters have been teaming up in the comics for years. And whether you want to get a fix ahead of watching the Netflix show or familiarise yourself with who these characters are and what they do,...

Marvel Comics' "Jean Grey" #4, available July 12, 2017, is written by Dennis Hopeless and illustrated by Harvey Tolibao, with covers by David Yardin, June Brigman and Jim Lee, in support of the upcoming Fox feature "X-Men: Dark Phoenix":

"...after an adventure with 'Namor, the Sub-Mariner', 'Jean Grey' is more determined than ever to escape her predecessor's fate. 

"Then when the 'Phoenix' comes for her, she will beat that bird down. And to learn how to go toe-to-toe with an alien god...

"...she'll seek out training from an alien god. Namely the 'Odinson!..."

Actress Jessica Chastain ("Interstellar") will play Marvel Comics' 'Lilandra Neramani','Majestrix' of the 'Shi'ar Empire' and love of 'Charles Xavier' in  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", opening November 2, 2018:

Lilandra and 'Xavier' were once married.

But eventually the marriage was annulled. 

She was born on the 'Aerie', but after much palace intrigue, was branded a traitor...

...fleeing to Earth,...

According to reports actress Jessica Chastain ("Interstellar") will play Marvel Comics' 'Lilandra Neramani', the 'Majestrix' (Empress) of the 'Shi'ar Empire' and cherished love of 'Charles Xavier' in  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", opening November 2, 2018:

Lilandra and 'Xavier' were once married. 

But eventually the marriage was annulled. 

She was born on the 'Aerie', but after much palace intrigue, was branded a traitor...

...fleeing to Earth, hoping to find allies among its large population of superheroes...

...and found them in Charles Xavier and his 'X-Men', sending visions of herself to Xavier as she traveled to Earth.

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline...

...focuses on mutant 'Jean Grey' and the 'Phoenix Force'...

...created for Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont, with illustrations by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Dark Phoenix'...

20th Century Fox has confirmed a release date for the Marvel Comics' live-action feature film adaptation "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", showcasing the character 'Jean Grey', opening November 2, 2018:

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline...

...focuses on mutant 'Jean Grey' and the 'Phoenix Force'...

...originally created for Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont, with illustrations by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Dark Phoenix'...

20th Century Fox has confirmed release dates for more Marvel Comics' live-action feature film adaptations, including director Josh Boone's "New Mutants", opening April 13, 2018, David Leitch's "Deadpool 2" June 1, 2018 and "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", November 2, 2018:

Marvel Comics' "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline...

...focuses on mutant 'Jean Grey' and the 'Phoenix Force'...

...originally created for Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont, with illustrations by Dave Cockrum and John Byrne.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek 'Dark Phoenix'...

Join us this week as Jace and Manny go through the Diamond Preview’s book for comics coming out in February. Also in our Top 5 segment we take a moment to give our top 5 books or story arcs that we would recommend for new readers. Take some time to listen in and give us some feedback on books your excited about and maybe some of your recommendations!

Previews #339

Upcoming Books for 12-21

Top 5 books or runs for a beginning comic reader

Jace

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

Ultimate Spider-Man 1-50/Amazing Spider-Man 1-75

Uncanny X-Men 94-150

John Byrne Superman Man of Steel #1-6, Superman #1-33, Adventures of Superman #424-444, Action Comics #585-600, 643

Manny

1. Blackest Night

2. New 52 Justice League

3. Valiant’s Bloodshot Trilogy

4. Think Tank (Top Cow Productions Inc.)

5. Archer & Armstrong or Harley Quinn Emmanuel Gomez Previews #339 9 Panel Grid Podcast: Episode 5 https://t.co/Mzv0tSd8AR...

Marvel will expand its ever-growing universe further into the realm of television, prepping two new X-Men-based projects: the tentatively titled Hellfire for Fox, and Legion for FX.

Frequent X-Men film director Bryan Singer will serve as an executive producer for both shows, while Fargo creator Noah Hawley will write and executive produce Legion, which FX has already given a pilot order. Hellfire is still in development, with an initial script set to be co-written by Patrick McKay and Jd Payne.

Legion will tell of the story of David Haller,...

Marvel Graphic Novel #8: Super Boxers (1983)

Plot and Pencils by Ron Wilson

Script by John Byrne

Inks by Armando Gil

Colors by Bob Sharen, Steve Oliff, John Tartaglione, Joe D’Esposito & Mark Bright

Published by Marvel Comics

Among some comic reviewers, there’s an understanding that you don’t talk about the cover of the comic that you’re writing about. It’s tied into that old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” and it would be a bit like critiquing a movie based on the movie poster in the theater lobby. One is completely separate from the other.

All of that said, the best thing about Ron Wilson’s 1983 graphic novel Super Boxers is Bill Sienkiewicz’s awesome cover.

The official title of the publication is Marvel® Graphic Novel No. 8: Super Boxers. Marvel’s then still young graphic novel line had already produced a number...

It’s been two weeks since “X-Men: Days Of Future Past – The Rogue Cut” hit home video and while fans continue to parse through the changes of the new alternate version of the 2014 blockbuster film, the fine folks at CineFix are digging even deeper to find the differences between Bryan Singer’s superhero film and its source material. In its latest installment of “What’s the Difference?” Cinefix spends nearly fifteen minutes comparing the 1981 two-issue “Days of Future Past” storyline written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne for “The Uncanny X-Men” with the script by Simon Kinberg. Cinefix’s video gets very in depth with its subject matter, even explaining the significance of Kitty Pryde being the time traveller in the comic while also defending the choice of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine going in her place in the Singer film. Overall, the video is a great look at the changes...

It took 20th Century Fox 14 years, but with last year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, they finally delivered the movie that X-Men fans had been impatiently waiting for since 2000. Now, in 2015, Fox hopes to revive their other, more desperate, superhero franchise with this summer’s Fantastic Four. Using the same apocalyptic tones and brooding masochism made famous by Bryan Singer’s X-Men, Fox is hoping that their third go-around with the oft-troubled franchise will prove to be the charm. But, based on the failures of previous Fantastic Four films, the barrage of trailers and press releases for the new flick, and the entire history of the comic book series, Fantastic Four may inevitably be doomed from the start.

As a series, The Fantastic Four has proven to be one of Marvel’s more inconsequential title to readers, as well as one of its most inaccessible to writers. Ever since...

Quicksilver

Real Name

Pietro Django Maximoff

First Appearance

X-Men #4, March 1964

Nicknames & Aliases

Pietro Frank, Matheo Maximoff,

Powers & Abilities

Quicksilver possess the mutant ability to move and think exceedingly fast. He can run at speeds up to Mach 5, and his body is designed to survive the rigors of moving at such speeds.

For a time following the Scarlet Witch’s depowering of 98% of the world’s mutants, Quicksilver was powerless before artificially gaining the ability to briefly move forwards and backwards in time. His original abilities have since been restored.

Weaknesses & Achilles’ Heels

Impatience, arrogance, and a certain proclivity for bouts of insanity.

Friends & Allies

Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff, his sister), Crystal (his ex-wife), Luna Maximoff (his daughter), Polaris (Lorna Dane, his sometimes-sister), Bova (his surrogate mother), the Avengers, the X-Men, X-Factor, the Inhumans, the Knights of Wundagore.

Foes & Antagonists

Magneto (his sometimes-father), Maximus the Mad (his ex brother-in-law), Kang, Ultron,...

The 1980s were an important period for comics as they transitioned from the Bronze Age to the Modern or Dark Age of Comics with books like Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. It was also an incredibly creative time for Marvel Comics with Chris Claremont and John Byrne beginning the decade with their “Dark Phoenix Saga” epic in Uncanny X-Men, Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil as well as the first event crossover Secret Wars and ending with the rise of artists, like Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee, who would later found Image Comics.

At East Coast Comicon, comics historian and researcher of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe Peter Sanderson, former Uncanny X-Men editor and Daredevil writer Ann Nocenti, and former Amazing Spider-Man editor Jim Salicrup chatted and swapped stories about what Marvel was really like in the 1980s.

After saying comics were his drug of choice then, Jim Salicrup...

X-Men: Days of Future Past is available now to Buy & Keep on Sky Store.

Digital Spy has partnered with Sky Store to test your knowledge on the most successful X-Men movie to-date. Take part in our quiz below to see if you know your Logans from your Jennifer Lawrences.

Q: In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan is sent back in time to save the present - in what year does he arrive?

A) 1973

Correct! Wolverine wakes up on a water bed and peers out at Times Square before facing off against gangsters.

B) 1964

Wrong!

C) 1955

Wrong!

Q: In comic book lore Quicksilver Peter Maximoff is the son of which X-Men character?

A) Charles Xavier

Wrong!

B) Wolverine

Wrong!

C) Magneto

Correct! This is hinted at in the jailbreak scene when Quicksilver tells Eric: "They say you can manipulate metal. My mum used to know a guy who could do that.

Departure Day: When it comes to TV, is closure important?

If you happen to follow a decent number of TV critics on Twitter, you may have noticed a minor eruption of late. A schism has emerged, prompted by accounts like The Cancellation Bear, which concerns itself solely with the topic of whether or not series are likely to survive based on current ratings patterns. That may sound perfectly innocent on its own, but quite a few admirers have expressed the notion that they refuse to dive into a series if they get the sense that it will come to a premature end, thereby robbing them of closure. This idea has, naturally, left many critics incensed: isn’t TV a medium founded on chaos, on the thrill of working within limitations and at the whims of fickle audiences? Moreover, isn’t it silly to always want tidy resolution in the context...

Death of Wolverine #4

Written by Charles Soule

Pencilled by Steve McNiven

Inked by Jay Leisten

Colors by Justin Ponsor

Published by Marvel Comics

In Death of Wolverine, Charles Soule, Steve McNiven, Jay Leisten, and Justin Ponsor had the tough job of killing off one Marvel’s most popular characters in a way consistent with his legacy of his character. Death of Wolverine #4 contains the actual “death”, and Soule, McNiven, and company stick the landing. Except for Doctor Cornelius’ supervillainous monologues, Soule’s script is terse and minimalist. Wolverine doesn’t say much, but he does a lot in keeping with his early characterization in Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s Uncanny X-Men where he would be the one still scrapping and fighting even after the Hellfire Club had taken out the other X-Men. In this last story, Soule examines all the different sides of Wolverine from lab experiment and animal to soldier,...

Increasingly, studios want you to stream or buy your own digital copy of feature films and to entice you, that edition is being made weeks prior to the physical disc being available for purchase. In an effort to direct viewer buying and viewing habits, studios are also shifting review copies from disc to high definition download. My first encounter with this brave new world, ironically enough, comes with 20th Century Home Entertainment’s current release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the sprawling, epic film from May. The biggest drawback is making certain you have enough hard disc storage for the mammoth file and a set-up that allows you to watch on a huge screen. Lacking that, I watched the film on my 24” external monitor and while the image was crisp and the audio clear enough (although maybe I need to upgrade my speakers); it needs a bigger screen to properly appreciate.

DC Comics

Comic books are an extremely collaborative medium, with each and every story published featuring the coming together of the disparate talents of writers, pencillers, colourists, inkers, letterers and editors, to name but a few. The comics that we read each and every month would not have been possible without this process of co-operation and teamwork. Over the years, as comics have evolved to the complex and literary tales we read today, the focus has increasingly been placed on the creative talents behind the scenes.

Every fan nowadays is likely to have a favourite group of creators. Some will focus on the writers, feeling that they will gladly read a story even if the artwork isn’t to their taste as long as it was written by one of their top scribes. Similarly, a different group of fans will be drawn to certain artists and will happily put down...

With "summer" blockbuster season becoming increasingly a thing of the past (this year's began in March with Captain America: The Winter Soldier), narrowing down the Best Of shortlist for even half a year's worth of cinema has never been tougher.

Since we're going by UK release dates for this list, we had both the cream of the awards season crop to consider alongside the tentpoles, not to mention a handful of exceptional indie offerings from spring.

Below are Digital Spy's top ten movies of the year so far. Be sure to vote for your favourite in our poll, and leave your own list in the comments!

10. 12 Years a Slave

"Despite the overall lack of McQueen's stamp, the film's physically unflinching treatment of its subject matter is where he does make himself felt. This is a tremendously powerful drama that simultaneously highlights the human capacity for cruelty and for resilience, bolstered by an extraordinary,...

John Byrne: is a British-born American comic-book artist and writer, who in the mid-1970s worked on Marvel Comics like X-Men and Fantastic Four, but also relaunched DC Comics’ Superman franchise in 1986, scripted Dark Horse's Hellboy series and produced Star Trek comics for Idw Publishing. During the recent debates on his public forum, John Byrne weighed in on discussions surrounding Michael B. Jordan being unanimously chosen for 20th Century Fox's total reimagining of Johnny Storm/Human Torch under the direction of newcomer Josh Trank. BleedingCool was quick to relay all of his comments from the message board, but they also dug up an ancient gem from this same internet forum containing Byrne's insensitive remarks towards the casting of half-Mexican actress Jessica Alba as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman back in 2005: Personal prejudice: Hispanic and Latino women with blonde hair look like hookers to me, no matter how clean or “cute” they are.

The San Diego Comic-Con is quickly approaching and numerous companies will be offering items you can only buy at the show. This year, Diamond Select Toys has announced that you’ll be able to pick up eight exclusive collectibles from them at Booth 2607, including a Godzilla bust and The Walking Dead minimates:

Godzilla Burning Godzilla Sdcc Exclusive Vinyl Bust Bank

“A Diamond Select Toys Release! Godzilla is more than just a giant lizard . he’s also a walking nuclear reactor! This new, limited-edition vinyl bank of the King of All Monsters depicts him as he appeared in 1995′s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, when his atomic heart began to overheat. With an all-new black-and-orange color scheme, this 8-inch bust bank features collectible-quailty paint applications, as well as a coin slot on his back and an access door in the base. Limited to 1000 pieces. Packaged in a clear polybag. Sculpted by Gentle Giant!

(Cbr) "X-Men: Days of Future Past" has ushered Marvel's mutants back into the spotlight in a big way. The film has won over critics and fans alike, proving that there's still plenty of life left in the fourteen year old franchise. And in addition to bidding a fond farewell to some of the actors who built the franchise up over the years, the overall series feels young and fresh, thanks in part to the new blood that appears in the timeline-jumping reboot, with fan favorite comic book characters like Bishop, Quicksilver, Warpath, Sunspot and Blink all made their debut in the latest installment. All five of those new movie X-Men have been around in the comics for a long time; the newest -- Blink -- debuted in 1994, while the oldest -- Quicksilver -- got up and running fifty years ago. And yet, even with these new entrants into the X-Men's movie-verse,...

I'm a huge fan of the first two X-Men films, and was disappointed to see this franchise crumble under the weight of X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Going into this, my main concern was how can Bryan Singer flesh out a large group of characters, and bring a time traveling story together, without it feeling convoluted? Thankfully, the two mesh together very well, in which I found myself being hooked the entire time.  The story is loosely based on the 1981 story arc, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Although I've only read bits and pieces of it, the films title alone gave me an idea of what this was about. In a very brooding post apocalyptic future, the X-Men have come together to send Logan back in time to the year 1973, to stop the Sentinels from wreaking havoc amongst the mutants. Logan, Charles and Hank share a...

When it came to preparing for 2000's X-Men, the first in what has stretched out into a now seven-movie series, director Bryan Singer avoided drowning himself in 40 years of comic-book history by binge-watching all 76 episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series. It was a logical move: The show, which premiered in the fall of 1992, did everything Singer's film franchise would go on to do, spinning original stories out of the comic's vast, established mythology and occasionally adapting the book's legendary arcs as keystones for the series. After 14 years of grappling with Stan Lee's crime-fighting mutants, the X-Men movie franchise finally takes the same approach by lifting directly from time-honored source material: Chris Claremont and John Byrne's “Days of Future Past.” This past weekend's blockbuster movie version is a story of apocalyptic visions and mass death that X-Men: The Animated Series managed to pull off in its first...

It was mid-1963, and Stan Lee was on a roll. In a mad burst of invention, he and star artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko had just birthed the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor and Iron Man – all in 12-cent comic books whose brash, four-color vibrancy were their medium's equivalent of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," another product of 1963. Lee was 40 years old, doing double duty as Marvel Comics' editor in chief and head writer, fresh from 20 years of writing Western, romance and, most recently, monster comics...