ABC’s ‘Agents of SHIELD’ To Get “Edgier” For Season 4

ABC’s fall line-up revealed that their seminal Marvel-show Agents of SHIELD, will move to a later time slot at in an effort to be in lieu with Netflix‘s darker comic-book offerings.

Speaking with the press, ABC President Channing Dungey explained the move in order “to go a little bit edgier, go a little darker and take some risks.“

Although Agents of SHIELD has found its audience. The show has never been the ratings success that ABC hoped for back in 2013. Debuting with an 8pm time slot, the show was soon moved to 9 before ultimately finding itself at 10pm for season 4, effectively losing the kids market.

The channel is in no doubt seeking a new audience in leaning towards the dark side. But a change in tone would put Agents of SHIELD in step with Netflix’s already mature superhero shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones and their upcoming Luke Cage and Iron Fist ventures.

With regards to future of Marvel television on ABC, Dungey revealed that “We are in extensive conversations with Marvel. I had a really long talk with Dan Buckley from Marvel last week. We’re very excited about a few things we have in development. We think there’s a long future ahead and excited to explore it together.”

Specifics aren’t clear as to what exactly ABC have planned. But even with the throughly popular Agent Carter receiving its marching orders last week, it seems that the network are still committed to producing Marvel centric shows on their programming for the foreseeable future.

For all your TV News & Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx.com

Bryan Singer Pitches Female Wolverine

So it appears that Bryan Singer is already preparing for life without Hugh Jackaman as Wolverine by pitching the idea of a female Wolverine to Fox. So as we know Jackman is hanging his claws after the third installment of the movie, Singer has revealed in an interview with fandango that he pitched a Fox studios with replacing Jackman with the new female Wolverine Laura Kinney previously X-23.

“I have discussed that with the studio” Singer advised fandango “I actually initially pitched the X-Force and the female”

I’m not 100% convinced that a female Wolverine would work I started reading the comics and did not really connect with the character so stopped after issue 4 as I thought I would give it more of a chance.

Singer also revealed that he has started work on the X-Force movie but it is still just at the ideas stage. He told fandango “Simon Kinberg is the earliest script stage, so that’s kind of where it stands and we’ll see how it evolves”

For all your mutant needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

 

Harley Quinn Movie Reportedly in Works

Suicide Squad hasn’t even made it’s theatre debut yet, but rumours have arisen of a Harley Quinn-centric movie in the works at Warner Bros., with Margot Robbie to reprise the role, as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter.

Margot Robbie, who currently holds the role in Suicide Squad, is reported to not only star as the character again, but produce as well. The movie also won’t just be a solo act – it’s rumoured to feature other female DC Comics stars, including Batgirl and Birds of Prey. Warner Bros. certainly isn’t commenting on this. The Hollywood Reporter also let on that a script is being written – it’s not confirmed who, but the writer is reportedly a woman.

With DC’s huge line up of popular and incredible heroines and villainesses, it would be one hell of a movie to present – and with it’s already large female fanbase, coupled with DC’s amazing “DC Superhero Girls” (a project involving a line of comics and products deliberately targeted to a young female fanbase, also rumoured to be partly Margot Robbie’s work) it’s an absolute no-brainer that this movie would be a massive success with Warner Bros., and fans should keep their eyes open for further news. Hopefully this isn’t an instance of too good to be true.

A Look At ‘Me Before You’ By Jojo Moyes

If the book title Me Before You doesn’t ring a bell, well then just wait a month and you’ll be sure to see a few movie trailers air on TV.  Me Before You is a romantic novel first published on January 5th, 2012, written by U.K. author Jojo Moyes. This will be a short review, as the novel itself is short and I don’t want to get into too much detail as to spoil it for you.

Usually I’m not one for the romantic genre, but this novel came highly recommended by my fellow readers. While it is fictional, be warned ―it will pull at your heart-strings. Besides marking the book’s success with a movie, a sequel book entitled After You was released on September 29, 2015. Anyway, back to the beautiful book at hand, here’s the excerpt:

‘Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.’

Me Before You follows two characters, Louisa Clark and Will Traynor as their paths converge after, what I would call, a series of tragic events that have occurred over the years. Louisa and Will are complete opposites: Will is a high achieving, wealthy man, while Louisa is an unambitious, cheerful woman. Like most opposites that attract, their paths merge because of Will’s accident that has left him paralysed and reliant on a caretaker, Louisa. While Will doesn’t warm to Louisa at first, over time he opens up more to her, as she continues to be the ray of sunshine in his grey world.

[Spoiler alert!] What really pulled on my heart-strings wasn’t the idea that, simply put, Louisa fell in love with some guy with a death wish. It was that in the six short months they had together, they fell in love with each other for who they were. Will’s disability wasn’t some great flaw for Louisa —she respected him, she treated him with dignity, and she was inclusive towards him, the same way she would treat someone who had the ability to use their entire body. Most importantly, she respected Will’s final decision to end his life, no matter how painful it would be for her to bear it. Will likewise cared for Louisa, not just her well-being but the life she was leading. It’s really all the little things they do for each other in those six months spent together that add up. It’s truly a beautiful story.

A Brief History of Comic Books

Hi! I’m Cole. I’m a new author on Skatronixxx, and I love comic books. I have my own blog at Comic City and I am so excited to be an other here, in the Comics and books section. Well, enough of me blabbering, let’s get to the history of comic books!

Comic books have been around for 80+ years, and there is a long and confusing, but intriguing history behind them. I will try to break the history down into less confusing chunks.

The first ever comic books were just comic strips collected fro various newspapers put into a book form. The first full story comics were usually eith
er mystery comics such as Detective Comics (1937) and comedy comics such as The Funnies (1936) or Fun Comics (1935). When Action Comics 1 debuted in 1938, it started a whole new genre of comic books: superhero comics. Detective Comics saw the success of Superman in Action Comics, they introduced another world famous comic book hero, Batman. All American comics (1939) also switched to the action genre, introducing famous characters from the Justice Society of America such as the first Green Lantern, Flash and other heroes. Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, the man behind Famous Funnies, Fun Comics and many other popular comic book titles, merged New Comics, All American Comics, Fun Comics, Detective Comics, and almost every other comic book title published and founded DC Comics, one of the most known comic book publishers today.

While all this was going on, other publishers were trying to enter the comic book business, such as Marvel Comics. In 1939, a man named Martin Goodman started the company called Timely Publications, which will later be called Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics 1 was debuted in October, 1939, introducing heroes like the Human Torch and the Submariner. In 1941, Captain America 1 was published and had great success.

Marvel and DC continued their success, and by the mid 1950’s, the silver age of comics began. In 1960, Justice League of America 1 was debuted, and a team of DC’s superheroes unite to fight the terrifying Starro, the giant starfish. In 1962, Amazing Fantasy 15 introduced Spiderman and in 1963, Avengers 4 re-introduced Captain America, after his solo comic was cancelled a few years before.

People are unsure of when the silver age of comics and the bronze age started, but it is some time in the 70s. Comics still thrived, and they still are today. Around 1985, the bronze age of comics ended and the modern age began.

There is so much more to the history of comics. If you would like to look into it so more, check out some of these books:

• The Classic Era of American Comics by Nicky Wright
• Men of Tomorrow by Gerard Jones
• Marvel Comics The Untold Story by Sean Howe

It is amazing to see the progress and history of comic books. If you liked this blog (and even if you didn’t) make sure you follow Skatronixxx.com to get blogs from myself and the other of the amazing authors on Skatronixx. Also, be sure to check out my blog at Comic City and follow me on twitter at @TheNicolasTweet.

Until next time,

-Cole

 

Michael B. Jordan Joins ‘Black Panther’ Cast

It’s been announced that Michael B. Jordan has officially joined the cast of Marvel’s Black Panther.

Jordan, known recently for his roles in Creed and Fantastic 4 (Marvel, once again rescuing the Johnny Storms!) hasn’t revealed his role yet, but a source has mentioned it could very well be a villain character.

Black Panther, due for release in 2018, will focus on the warrior king of Wakanda and his sudden ascension to the throne, and therefore the esteemed Black Panther mantle. Introduced to Marvel audiences in Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman will return as the lead role for the standalone feature, and will also star alongside Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong’o.

Black Panther, being directed by Ryan Coogler, is due for release on February 16th 2018, with production scheduled to begin in 2017.

April Wrap Up & Haul

In the latest video from our resident vlogger Aly ‘The Little Librarian’ she takes us through her April Wrap Up and latest haul! Enjoy!!!

A Look At ‘The Iron Fey’ Series By Julie Kagawa

I remember the first time I opened a book of The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. I was absolutely transfixed. The colourful painting of the world was so picturesque, so unique and beckoning—that I couldn’t help but read the entire book in one sitting. The first book of the series, The Iron King, was published in 2010 and since then four more books (along with three novellas) have been published, with another book currently in the making. So what is The Iron Fey series all about? Up to book four, The Iron Knight, the books and novellas can be summed up with this excerpt:

‘The Iron Fey saga follows half-human, half-faery Meghan Chase as she fights to claim her magical birthright.

Meghan’s journey begins in the mortal world, when her half-brother Ethan is kidnapped. The mission to rescue the innocent child draws Meghan into the Nevernever, the magical world where the never-before-seen Iron fey are raining destruction upon traditional faeries. Meghan’s quest is fraught with unimagined dangers, unpredictable powers and an utterly forbidden love.’

The rest of the books are a spin-off series called The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten. The spin-off series along with the novellas following book four take place in the same world, but we now follow a new protagonist: Meghan’s brother, Ethan. However, in this review I’ll be sticking to the original four books of The Iron Fey.

While the plot of The Iron Fey series can be summed up easily with an excerpt, what is the fantastical world really about? Think Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland meets William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A hint of other works can be glimpsed throughout as well, be it characters such as the Big Bad Wolf, or mythical creatures —who doesn’t like the odd dragon or chimera? The courts play a major role as well, they have long been pitted against each other, Summer fey against Winter fey, but they never thought they would soon have a common enemy. Personally, I found the series unpredictable. At one moment the characters would have room to breathe, but the next, a flurry of daggers and trickery would leave them running through the Wyld wood.

Now on to the forbidden romance. It is not another Twilight love story. Ash and Meghan’s love can only be described with the word ‘epic.’ When a person is willing to go to such extremes, such lengths, that they would even sacrifice their own life to protect another —that is nothing short of epic love. When Ash or Meghan were in grave peril they only thought of the safety of each other, not themselves, building on to the depth of their characters.

All in all, this series will forever be one of my favourites that I hope to reread again. Julie Kagawa does a superb job of building an imaginative world in which characters partake on magical quests, while battling unforeseen forces of love and trickery. Fair warning, for any of you who have experienced a book hangover, this series will definitely give you one. For those of you who don’t know what a book hangover is: it’s when you’ve finished reading such an amazing book, that when you return to the real world it feels incomplete. Yeah that’s a thing.

---

Rating: 7/10

Favourite Quote: “Oh, we’re playing nice now? Shall we have tea first? Brew up a nice pot of kiss-my-ass?”

Russo Brother’s Accidentally Reveal Captain Marvel For ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Right on the tails of the Russo’s revealing their plans for Avengers: Infinity War, they also let another spoiler slip – Captain Marvel will be in the line up for the Infinity War – Part I.

The blonde hero Carol Danvers, who is due to her standalone movie in 2019, was brought up by mistake by the brothers during an event at the Smithsonian Institute. During a discussion about Infinity War the Russo’s mentioned Captain Marvel by name.

A fan immediately pounced with “Did you just confirm Captain Marvel?”

“Um…” Russo replied, “Captain Barvel. Totally different character.”

Right Russo. Totally. We’re so excited for the appearance of Captain Barvel in 2018. Meanwhile, you can see fan reactions to this under the twitter hashtag “#MarvelatSI” to this and more statements from the Russo’s.

Avengers: Infinity War Part I is due for release May 2018, with Part II following up in 2019, and Captain Marvel will make her solo debut in 2019.

Russo Brother’s Announce Plans For’Avengers: Infinity War’ Part I & Part II

With the UK release of Captain America: Civil War right behind them, and the US release pending, people might think the Russo Brother’s would want to wind down a little, have some time on the down low.

People might be wrong.

In the space of 24 hours, Joe and Anthony Russo have announced two of their plans for Avengers: Infinity War, the two-part feature coming in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The first bit of news, is that the Russo brothers are planning on a name change for the two titles. So far, Infinity Wars is just a working title it seems.

“It is misleading,” stated Anthony Russo, when asked about the current two-part title for Infinity War.

“The movies are two very different movies,” said Joe Russo, explaining why the title change has come about. “The intention is we will change it, we just haven’t come up with the titles yet,” he said. “But, yes, we will change it. And, yes, that is a scoop: we will retitle them.”

To top off this title change, the Russo brothers then made a nod to how Captain America: Civil War will affect things for Avengers: Infinity War (don’t worry, no spoilers here folks!)

What we do know about Captain America: Civil War is that it features Marvel’s biggest and bravest facing off against each other, in a heated conflict that’s ripped the team into two sides. Regardless of however the Russo’s choose to tell that story, it’s a story that will have an impact that will carry on through, and set the tone for Phase 3.

According to Joe Russo, that’s exactly what he had planned;

“What we love about [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] as storytellers is that we get to tell a story over the course of movies. We get to take the characters on journeys that, again, can be unique to the cinematic experience. So knowing that we’re doing ‘Infinity War’ really informs ‘Civil War’ because we knew we wanted to leave the characters in as complicated a place as possible to set up Infinity War.”

Scary words, Mr Russo, scary words – and yet also, completely reassuring that the MCU and the fate of the Infinity War movies are in the completely right hands. The whole point of the Cinematic Universe is that it’s a universe, and these movies have got to tie into one another and balance each other, even when it’s completely different directors and writers. It’s much like the link people make between Iron Man 3 and The Avengers; Age of Ultron – IM3 effectively ended in Tony Stark retiring and destroying all his suits, and then Age of Ultron opened on him kicking ass, running the Stark Tower as the Avengers Tower, and still very much working as a superhero, with no reference to the arc reactor he had removed from his chest.

The fact that the Russo’s are treating every project they’re given by Marvel as a careful piece to a bigger story, making sure they’re leaving their ends ready for the next beginning, is a massive reassurance for Marvel fans.

Avengers: Infinity War Part I is due 2018, and Part II is due 2019, pending name changes.