SPOILER-FREE REVIEW – Zero By Morgan Dark

Watch the video below as I provide you with a SPOILER FREE review of the book ‘Zero’ by Morgan Dark.

Nicolas Winding Refn Interested in Directing a Batgirl Movie

Nicolas Winding Refn, director of the recently released The Neon Demon, has expressed an eagerness to direct a Batgirl movie.

Refn’s The Neon Demon, which has encountered some very mixed reviews, is his first movie with a female lead. This isn’t for a lack of trying though – Refn also expressed interest in directing a Wonder Woman movie. Obviously, this didn’t pan out (Warner Bros. and DC’s Wonder Woman due out next year has Patty Jenkins directing) – but now Refn has brought up another DC superheroine.

Refn told Business Insider in a recent interview;

“God, I would love to make one [a superhero movie], it would probably be great fun, I just don’t know when it’s going to happen. I very much enjoy my freedom creatively, but I also would love to make one of those big Hollywood films that costs a lot of money and has a lot of people running around with cell phones and all that insanity.”

When asked what hero he’d like to work with, he thought for a moment (“What ones are left?”) before continuing on “You know the one I want to do? I want to make Batgirl. Let’s get Warner working on it.”

Refn has shown with The Neon Demon that he can make a dark, beautifully visual movie with an interesting lead protagonist – it’s the story of a young girl (Elle Fanning –  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Super 8, Malificent) as she succumbs to her career in the fashion world of Los Angeles. It’s described as a gory thriller show – so perhaps not something Warner Bros. would be interested in to keep it’s PG-13 rating with it’s movies. But, at the very least, it would be visually interesting.

Perhaps one day we’ll see Batgirl hit the big screen – she’s already rumoured to be part of the Harley Quinn standalone project, slated to star and be produced by Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, . Robbie would be reprising the role as the anti-heroine after her debut in Suicide Squad, due for release this summer.

But whether Barbara Gordon, or any of the Batgirls will ever have a stand-alone, or if Refn would be crowned director, is something we’ll just have to wait and see about.

June Owl Crate Unboxing

In this video I take you guys through the June Owl Crate! The theme for June was Royalty and I really thought it was a fantastic box.

Check my latest video out down below!

Here is my link to subscribe if you want your very own Owl Crate :

https://owlcrate.com/refer/Alyss-STXICUNG

Happy Reading,

Aly

Britain Needs ‘Captain Britain’ Right Now!

So we’ve voted, the dust has settled and the panic or joy has set in. Either way it’s going to be a rocky few months for the UK as we look to sever our ties with the EU and move solo flying the flag for Britain.

The team at skatronixxx.com have different views on the whole in/out debate and we all respect each others views and opinions. Regardless of our opinions, I think that the UK is in need of a massive boost of morale  currently and that’s why I propose to you, the return of a hero. Captain America, oh I mean Britain.

Captain Britain away!!! I think that those savvy fat cats who are running the television corporations should pounce upon the not only the incredibly hot comic book market that is booming right now but also the state of the UK.

A Captain Britain show/film would be potentially a huge success, we just need to pull the trigger and commit to it.

But Who Is Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)? 

 He was born an raised in the town of Maldon (where one of my team comes from) and educated at Edinburgh. Brian was a shy and hard working child commited to studying and leading a relatively quiet family life. Brian also came from a posh background. All was ok until his parents died in what was a laboratory accident.

He then takes a position at Darkmoor nuclear research centre. Sadly the facility is attacked by the technological criminal Joshua Stragg . Brian heroically tries to find help by escaping on his motorcycle, but he  then crashes his bike where he sees his daughter and Merlin the magician (yes seriously) appear to him in a vision.

They give him the chance to be the superhero Captain Britain. He is offered a choice: the Amulet of Right or the Sword of Might. Considering himself to be no warrior and unsuited for the challenge, he rejects the Sword and chooses the Amulet. This choice transforms him into Captain Britain.

What’s His Powers?

• Superhuman strength
• Speed
• Endurance
• Agility
• Durability
• Reflexes
• Enhanced Senses
• Force fields
• Energy beams
• Flight

Who Could Be Captain Britian?

This is easy, there is only one choice for Captain Britain, long time friend and supporter of skatronixxx.com , up and coming actor Johnny Sachon. Johnny would fit the role perfectly, so television execs, sign up this show and our friend now!

What do you think? Does Britain need a saviour right now? If so is Captain Britain and Johnny Sachon up to the task? I say YES!!!

Come on tv/film execs, you can’t miss this chance (Luke) I’m looking at you!!

 

Totally Awesome Hulk #7 Review

Happy new comic book day!

Totally Awesome Hulk Issue #7 is the first Civil War 2 (Marvels big summer event) tie in of the series. I can say with confidence as someone who has not had a chance to read the previous six issues; this is a great jumping on point. There is an excellent summary at the start of the book that will not leave you confused before reading the first page.

The original Hulk Bruce Banner has been missing for eight months, after the events of last years Secret Wars.  Amadeus Cho (also know as  Mastermind Excello, Prince of Power, Iron Spider) has been the Hulk in Banner’s absence. Right from the very first page we see Bruce looking like he does after he reverts from Hulk back to himself, a complete confused mess. As the story progresses, Bruce learns some shocking information and has quite the time processing it. I don’t want to spoil the issue so I can’t say much more.

Writer Greg Pak does an excellent job putting Bruce through different emotions, and it doesn’t feel forced. Artist Alan Daivs brings out the passion of Greg’s writing with his fantastic art. they both seem to show great range on this issue and complement each other nicely, making this book a pleasure to read and look at. There are no filler or unnecessary panels. Every panel has a purpose. I don’t know why this panel sticks out to me the most but let’s just say there’s one involving a bear and it is awesome! There is not a whole lot of negative to talk about on this issue. It’s only a personal negative. I am not a big Hulk fan. That being said this issue does make me want to continue reading and seeing where this storyline goes. Hopefully, it will make me a bigger Hulk fan.

I know that a lot of the big comic review sites use a score out of five system, but I hate it. I prefer a score out of ten it just makes more sense to me. So I give Totally Awesome Hulk #7 9/10.

I recommend you pick this up at your LCS (local comic book store) or online through Comixolgy for those who don’t have a store nearby or just prefer a digital library.

I would like to thank Greg Pak for providing me with a copy of Totally Awesome HulK #7; I was fortunate enough to catch a tweet of his this morning about giving digital copies to reviewers and bloggers.

I know I said my article output would be dropping for a couple weeks but was an unexpected opportunity and wanted to get it out as soon as possible. Sorry for it being short.

Enjoy new comic book day!

 

Comic Creators You Should Follow On Twitter

Ever wonder what your favourite comic book creators are really like beyond the pages? Do you have questions about their creative processes ? Twitter is the best to find your answers!

These are some of the creators I follow.

The frist creator I believe you should be following is Greg Capullo (@GregCapullo). Greg has just recently finished a five-year run drawing Batman For DC. Greg first and foremost is hilarious. Fair warning if you can’t take a joke or are easily offended this account is not for you to follow. If you think you can troll Greg, you are wrong he is a master troll slayer. Besides the entertainment factor, Greg interacts a lot with his fans and regularly shows art progress for his current projects. I met Greg at the Fanexpo Canada convention fours years ago (plan on meeting him again this Sept at Fanexpo Canada) and I have to say he is one of the nicest and coolest creators in the business.

Todd Nauck (@ToddNauck) is another comic book artist who has worked for Marvel And DC, as well as Image. Todd will do a periscope broadcast of him drawing while interacting with viewers as best he can. He will also usually do a Q&A with the viewers after he is finished drawing. The coolest thing is when Todd goes to a convention he holds a contest on Twitter. Todd will post commissions he does for fans on Twitter and to enter you just retweet one or all of the sketches he posts during the three or four days of the convention. Once Todd is back from the convention, he uses a random number generator to determine the winner. The prize is an original head sketch of a character of your choice personalised to you. For more specific details check the link in his bio.

Ryan Stegman (@RyanStegman) is a Marvel comic book artist who is currently drawing Uncanny Avengers. Ryan a daily sketch warm up usually every morning from Monday to Friday. About an hour, before he broadcasts on periscope, he sends out a tweet asking for character suggestion. Once the broadcast is over, Ryan puts the sketch up for sale on his site and is usually gone in a matter of minutes.

Jim Zub (@JimZub) Is a comic book writer who has worked for Marvel (currently writing Thunderbolts. get it if you can ) and has two creator owned books through Image (Skullkickers available in trade paperback and Wayward available in trade paperback and currently ongoing. Also recommend getting it). Jim interacts quite a lot with fans and has a website full of priceless advice for becoming a professional writer in the comic book industry, as well as some business and networking information.

These are just a few of the creators I follow. The chances are high your favourite comic book creator is on Twitter; it seems to be the preferred social media platform. Give them a Google or Twitter search to find out.

My article output will be slowed down for a little bit in the coming week or so. I will be moving my family to a better living situation, and Canada Day is right around the corner.

I do have some articles and ideas in the works. I plan on reviewing All-Star Batman #1 by Scott Snyder, John Romita Jr,  Jock, Sean Murphy and Kill or be Killed #1 by Ed Brubaker And Sean Philips shortly after their respected releases in August. These two books, in my opinion, are going to be the biggest releases for the mainstream and creator-owned markets this summer.

 

Marvel & DC Vs Everyone Else

With  superhero movies dominating the box office, and their comics now in the forefront of mainstream media are there any alternatives to spandex, super strength and speed?

Many people’s first comic was a superhero comic. Whether it was a Marvel comic like Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, X-force or Avengers, or a DC comic like Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Justice League, Wonder Woman or Green Arrow. Chances are we all started out with one of those titles.

Depending on the time in your life you discovered comics you may or may not feel that the current state of superhero comics in 2016 is a bit stagnate and somewhat frustrating. In the past five years, alone Marvel and DC have rebooted and relaunched their universes numerous times. Countless #1 issues have been appearing on comic shop shelves, which for the most part is to increase sales and to attract new readers.

With superhero movies making big money at the box office this makes sense from a business standpoint. The thing is that rebooting an entire universe messes with some 30-75 years of history depending on the character. This contradicting information can confuse new readers as well as longtime fans, and unfortunately, can anger them to the point of uttering death threats. (Sigh…which is a topic for another article)

The significant events that Marvel and DC have every summer have been criticised as a cash grab. Many Events required you to buy books outside of the main storyline to get the full story. Thankfully recently that has started to change.

That being all said there is a certain predictability to superhero stories. We know when a Character is “killed” off they are never really dead for long. The many crossovers with other books in the universe, with minimal new characters created, makes for a not so bright future for superhero comics.

What I believe we should consider and support are creator-owned comic books. Creator-owned comics are original ideas and intellectual property owned by the creative team. The creators do not answer to a corporate overseer, they have complete control and say in their creation.

Image Comics is a publisher that releases 100% creator-owned comics. In the past four or five years, Image Comics popularity and sales have grown significantly. Thanks to comics like The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman Tony Moore and Charlie Adler, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark and East of West by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. Many of these creators made their name with their work at Marvel and DC, which helped them sell their projects at Image.

Comics publisher IDW has the comic book rights some of the 80’s and 90’s biggest tv shows and movies such as Transformers, G.I Joe, Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and My Little Pony. They have also brought back older ones like Godzilla, Star Trek and the Rocketeer. IDW even had the 10th season of X-Files before its recent return to tv back  in January.

Other smaller publishers like Boom Studios, Comix Tribe, Oni Press, and many others offer original comic properties. While it may seem like a risk to invest in non-superhero comics, it’s worth it for the variety available today. You also have countless free webcomics and Kickstarter campaigns from amateurs and professionals.

Don’t get me wrong I still pick up a few superhero titles; I’m not saying there aren’t any good superhero titles at all, just not nearly as many as there used to be. So if you find yourself like me lacking a choice in mainstream comics take a chance with creator-owned comics. When you support them, the creators get the money directly allowing them to help themselves and continue to create great content. Many creators have had some awful experiences with Marvel and or DC so supporting their dreams, in turn, gives you new, exciting comics to read.

It would be great to see creator-owned comics surpass Marvel and DC in sales. Hopefully, that day is soon the odds are in their favour.

 

The Horror Starts Again: Amityville Horror House For Sale

The house with the demonic eyes

The House in 108 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York is definitely the world’s most famous haunted house ever. It’s a 3,600 square foot big Dutch Colonial Home with a dark and scary past.

Let’s start at the beginning of its reputations as a haunted house.

Back in 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six of his family members – his parents, two younger sisters and two younger brothers that he shot while they’re asleep. After that massacre, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with their children in 1976 and reported evil demon activity. The family fled the home and that story spawned the novel The Amityville Horror: A True Story, but more on it later.

The house is now listed at $850,000 with five bedrooms, including a large boat house on the Amityville River.

The latest owners did a few changes at the outside of the house. They for example changed the demonic eyes looking windows at the front of the house.

The book about the Amityville House

After George and Kathy Lutz published their story about the evil demon activities, American writer Jay Anson’s took this story in 1977 for his book: The Amityville Horror. A film adaption followed later in 1979 from director Stuart Rosenberg (Murder Inc., The April Fools), starring James Brolin (Catch Me If You Can, Beyond Belief) and Margot Kidder (Superman, Halloween II). A few other sequels also followed then but none of them were pretty successful.

Ghost spotted inside the house

Okay, believe it or not, but there are a few pictures going through the world wide web showing a little boy and a little girl walking around inside the house. Most people say they’re fake, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s true or not.

Everybody who wants to know more about the Amityville Horror House should leave a comment, if I should do a book review about The Amityville Horror: A True Story.

Sir Patrick Stewart Confirms Role In Wolverine 3

So it has now been confirmed that Sir Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role as Professor X in Hugh Jackmans final outing as James Logan Hewitt aka Wolverine.

 Stewart announced the news via his Twitter account calling it the ‘worst kept secret’ because over the last year Stewart and the producers have been talking about his involvement.

Producer Hutch Parker confirmed the casting a day earlier to Collider after Jackman has previously given details about the plot.

“I’ll be really honest with you, the actual script in it’s full form we’re up to about Page 60” Hugh explained.

“Obviously there’s a treatment, so it’s not fully done yet, we’re not fully there. Patrick does figure in it that’s for sure. I think it’s a really important relationship but I want to see signs of that quasi-father/son sort of relationship that has not been seen before, and sides of particularly Professor X that have not been seen before. So we have some really, really cool ideas.”

We are still unsure to actually what time frame the movie will be based in as we have been teased with an old man Logan timeline further along in Logan’s life where he has a family and the world is broken into territories run by super villains or the latest one where the title of the film was leaked of Weapon X which may mean the story takes place sooner than we had thought.

This film could also be the last time we see Stewart take up the role as Professor X as he does not appear in X-Men Apocalypse.

As always for all your Adimantium laced movie updates stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

Sharon Stone Confirmed for “Wee” Marvel Movie Role

Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct, Total Recall) has been confirmed for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

According to an interview for AARP Magazine, Sharon Stone has confirmed that she has a “minor role” in an MCU movie. She hasn’t revealed much, simply that it will definitely be a superhero and that they have “heat powers.”

Stone had already spoken about this before, on the chat show The Late Late Show with James Corden (where she also got mighty close to longtime fan Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger, Political Animals, Once Upon a Time);

“I’m just doing a wee part in a Marvel movie, upcoming, and I can’t tell, because you know, you have to sign confidentiality agreements. But I’m going to do a wee part in a Marvel movie now. That’s it.”

Marvel fans are now speculating on who she could possibly be in the realm of female superheros, and plenty are landing on the theory that she will be Janet Van Dyne – former wife to Hank Pym and mother to Hope in the MCU’s installment of Ant-Man.

In the movie, it’s revealed that Janet sacrificed herself by going sub-atomic as The Wasp, presumably fading away as she shrinks forever. However, given that Scott Lang was able to come back from going sub-atomic, it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest Janet could have managed the same thing. We never saw her face in the movie either, so it’s left the MCU a lot of room to play with that.

It also makes sense because whilst Janet doesn’t have “heat powers”, she does use stinger weapons – which could be perceived as a type of heat.

However, there are plenty of other superheroes in the Marvel universe with heat abilities, male and female, and movies are very adaptable. Not to say she’ll shout “FLAME ON” and shoot up into the sky in her part, but there are other options – for example, Gaea, who would be a fitting role in Thor: Ragnarok. She’s an incredibly powerful God with multiple, powerful abilities – and top it off with her very odd connection to Thor, it could make for an interesting character addition.

However, Marvel are keeping a very tight lid on this, and also appear to have Stone under lock and key. So for now, the internet continues to speculate, until the faithful day that they officially release word, or until someone else who knows at Marvel accidentally lets it slip. We’ll keep you updated…