X-Men Apocalypse Movie 2016!

That's right! Barely a month after taking a look at the first X-Men Days of Future Past trailer, director and producer, Bryan Singer hints at an X-Men Apocalypse movie.

If his name didn't already give it away, Apocalypse is THE definition of Epic, in X-Men world. He is the very first being in the Marvel universe to carry, what Professor X calls, the X-Gene. He is also, arguably, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe - often compared to DC's Darkseid. By the way, Darkseid's home planet is called Apocalypse, but let's save that discussion for another time...

Apocalypse is immortal, can regenerate, absorb others' powers, can transform even the strongest of heroes, like The Hulk into his own personal henchmen, has an insatiable thirst for power and changing the world in his image, and apparently he's a bit of a tech geek...evil alien tech, that is.

The revelation of this news is in line with Marvel's idea of tying all films together, and further building out the Marvel Universe.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer, Simon Kinberg and his company, Genre Films have signed a three-year first-look deal with FOX, which will include an expansion of the studio's X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. He is already heavily involved in X-Men Days of Future Past, so this is good for FOX, and Marvel fans alike.

"I have a lot of ideas on how to built those brands and do what everybody is thinking of these days: Be like Marvel," Kinberg tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to be able to build stories over multiple movies."

So Marvel fans, get ready, you're in for a wild ride!

The 5 Spookiest Comic Book Characters You've Never Heard Of

1. Morbius

Publisher - Marvel Comics

First Appearance - Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #101 (1971)

Who he is - Morbius (also known as Nobel Prize winning biochemist, Michael Morbius) is technically not a supernatural vampire, but more of a scientific experiment gone wrong. Diagnosed with a rare blood cell deteriorating disease, Morbius secretly works on a cure and to his dismay is transformed into a super-powered being that must survive on plasma found in blood. If you ask me, the guy had it coming. Who told you to experiment using vampire bats!? C'mon, Morb!

What makes him so scary? - First of all, look at him. Secondly, he flies around in the darkest hour of the night looking to drain the plasma out of his next blood-filled victim with...creepy suckers on the palms of his hands. Oh, and he can hypnotize you too. 

2. The Spectre 

Publisher - DC Comics
First Appearance - More Fun Comics #15 (1940)
Who he is - Jim Corrogan is a murdered cop whose soul was refused access into the afterlife. He was granted supernatural powers by an entity known only as "The Voice" and given the responsibility to unleash vengeance on all evil.
What makes him so scary? - Well, for starters, The Spectre is practically a ghost. He lives forever and cannot be killed (since he's already dead). His power is seemingly unlimited, and very creative. For instance, he can transform the ground you are running on into a giant concrete, man-eating snake or turn the glasses on your face into razor sharp scissors. What makes him the scariest is that you never know when he's coming, he has absolutely no remorse and he always kills.

3. The Man-Bat

Publisher - DC Comics
First Appearance - Detective Comics #400 (1970) (Batman)
Who he is - In another experiment gone wrong, Dr. Kirk Langstrom hopes to repair his damaged hearing by acquiring the sonar abilities of a bat. While the experiment works, a slight side-effect is that he is transformed into a giant Man-Bat.
What makes him so scary? - What's scarier than werewolf? A flying Man-Bat of course! This thing can fly, has super-hearing and has super-strength, but the scariest thing is that it can put a hurtin' on the great Batman.

4. DeadMan

Publisher - DC Comics
First Appearance - Strange Adventures #205 (1967)
Who he is - Similar to Spectre, Boston Brand AKA Deadman is a supernatural ghost that was denied access to the afterlife. As an acrobat he was murdered by an assassin and now his spirit haunts the evil-doers.
What makes him so scary? - He's a creepy looking ghost. That should be reason enough, right? Wrong. He also has the ability to posses and take over any living being's body with the host having absolutely no recollection of the act. The good thing is that he does use his power for good.

5. The Black Lantern Corps.

Publisher - DC Comics
First Appearance - Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25
Who they are - This team is similar to the Green Lantern Corps, but oh so different. The black power rings grant power and life to the dead.
What makes him so scary? - They are basically a team of super-powered zombies whose only goal is to eliminate all life. The rings take over former super heroes like the Martian Manhunter and even Batman. On top of that here is their creepy Black Lantern oath that grants powers to their rings, "The Blackest Night falls from the skies. The darkness grows as all light dies. We crave your hearts and your demise. By my black hand, the dead shall rise"!

Tell me which spooky comic book character is your favorite! Let me know if you have any others.

Happy Halloween!        

X-Men Days of Future Past - New Official Trailer Just Released!

We have been waiting for this for quite some time. An ensemble cast with characters ranging from the very first X-Men movie all the way up to X-Men: First Class come together in the soon to be epic X-Men Days of Future Past.

So what is it about?
The X-Men of the future (or present, depending on how you look at it) are faced with an imminent, apocalyptic threat so great, that the only hope of stopping it is by warning and preparing their past bitter selves. The one tasked with doing this, is Wolverine, of course. The most recent Wolverine movie eludes to this in the end credits.

The brand new official trailer!
Judging from the trailer, this seems to be a very dark, powerful and emotional film, which is what set X-Men: First class apart from the others.

Towards the end of the trailer we hear a young Professor Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy speaking face to face with the older Professor Charles Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart. In the exchange the younger, psychically bitter  and enraged Professor X implores to the other, "I don't want your suffering! I don't want your future"! Shortly after the older, calmer version of Professor X whispers, "Please...we need you to hope again".

With that, I will leave you with the brand new official Trailer of X-Men Days of Future Past. Enjoy!

(Link for mobile users - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK2zYHWDZKo#t=14)

Arrow TV Series Review

Before we get started, yes, I know the series is already in its second season, but I just got the chance to take a look at the very first episode. To say the least, I am pleasantly surprised. Especially after being sorely disappointed by the highly anticipated Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

As you can tell from the cover art, this is a much darker series than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The overall tone, acting and attention to detail is extremely refreshing and at times reminiscent of the Batman Trilogy.

Just so you have some background, here is what the show is about: After a shipwreck that should have killed everyone, playboy billionaire, Oliver Queen (aka DC Superhero: The Green Arrow) emerges as the sole survivor and returns to his city...5 years later. (Sound familiar? If you're a Batman fan it should. He is often compared to Batman).

What happened during all this time? Where was he? What or who did he encounter? And what will he do now that he's back?  Obviously, many questions are left unanswered in the first episode, but the way the story is presented gives you just enough information to keep you wanting more.

The Canadian actor, Stephen Amell does a great job at luring the viewer in with his acting and demeanor. Another plus is that it is pretty evident that he does his own stunts and is skilled in parkour. All of which makes him more believable as both Oliver Queen and The Green Arrow.

SPOILER ALERT
One of the things which admittedly got me more excited than any other, was not the acting, nor the fancy bows and arrows or even the great action scenes. It was one brief two second tease of who may have contributed to Oliver Queen's troubled 5 years on that island and perhaps a foreshadowing of who we will see in the upcoming episodes.

That's right! That is none other than the unmistakable mask of Slade Wilson AKA Deathstroke, one of my favorite villains in the DC Universe. Now what does Deathstroke have to do with any of this? Could he be behind the shipwreck, the death of some of the passengers, or does he perhaps have something to do with the possible wrongdoings of Oliver Queen's father? I do know that he is a paid mercenary, so it can actually be anything. 

Final Verdict
If you have not noticed already, I happen to love the first episode of this series. If it is any indication of the coming episodes, I completely recommend watching it. The entire first season is available on Netflix.

Let me know your thoughts on the series and if there is anything superhero related that you would like me to review please feel free to let me know!

Until next time Metta-X'ers!

What You Need To Know About Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

1. Agent Coulson is clearly not dead - at least not anymore.
In the summer blockbuster, The Avengers, in a valiant fight against Loki, Agent Phil Coulson, played by Robert Clark Gregg is stabbed from behind by Loki. His final words to Agent Nick Fury are, "the Avengers need something to avenge." We assume he is dead (mainly because Fury uses this "tragedy" to assemble the team and take down the bad guys with fury-no pun intended), but we never actually see him dead.

Did Coulson actually die and somehow get brought back to life with some super top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. technology? Was his death simply a fabrication of Agent Fury's to give cause to the Avengers? We should find the answer to this question throughout the series.

2. The show will center more around S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents than it will on super-powered characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man and Thor.
This is one of the things I am honestly not too excited about, but with director Joss Whedon behind the project, I am willing to give it a shot.

We will see glimpses of some of these characters in every episode though. For example, one of the previews appears to show Luke Cage aka Power Man rescuing a woman from a burning building. Check the extended preview below.

3. When and where will it air?
Not surprisingly, this show will air on ABC 9/24/13 at 8 pm ET. ABC is owned by Disney which also owns Marvel. A major network would probably (hopefully) mean room for a bigger budget and pretty awesome special effects.

Final Verdict
If you are a Marvel fan or even a recent fan of Marvel movies like Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, X-Men, The Avengers and so on, then it is very hard not to be excited for a Marvel TV show, especially when Clark Gregg is coming back as Agent Coulson.

I have a feeling that the show will focus a little bit too much on the actual agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. than on the superheros/super villains which (let's be real) is what we really care about. I also worry that this will turn into a typical action/drama sitcom to cater to the ABC audience.

One thing I try not to do is judge a movie/show before I even get a chance to see it. So I say watch the show, give it a chance and then pass your judgement. If you are not convinced by the cast and the previews, I'll give you two words that will; Joss Whedon.

Watch out for the show and let me know what you think. Let's just hope it's nothing like 90's David Hasselhoff movie,  Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD.

S.H.I.E.L.D out!

Must Have Comic Book IOS Games

Games:

1. The Walking Dead

Whether or not you are a fan of The Walking Dead comic book series, the AMC television show or just a fan of great story telling, this is definitely the game for you.

This is arguably the best IOS game that I have ever played. It is extremely interactive and it has great graphics. However, it is the story that truly separates itself from the rest of the games out there.

Unlike other games, for IOS that rely heavily on tapping or tilting of the device, this game is all about quick thinking and decision making in tough situations.

It may be a bit on the pricey side when you start downloading the episodes, but you are pretty much playing a video game and watching an extension of The Walking Dead series, so I say buy it!

2. Injustice Gods Among Us

This is definitely one of the more popular IOS games at the moment. While it is nothing like the console version where you can actually maneuver the characters making them jump, side step or even rush forward, this game does still have a few gems that make it so addictive.

First of all, there is great variety in this game. What it lacks in the storyline (which is not present at all), it makes up for in graphics and character selection. There are over 40 super hero characters you can choose from including some lesser known outside of the comic book community like Lobo, Nightwing, Cyborg, Solomon Grundy and even Doomsday.

It is a free game, so you have nothing to lose. Try it out. It may get a bit repetitive, but it is worth just to try out all of the different characters and see their special moves.

3.Batman Arkham City Lockdown

Like Injustice: Gods Among Us, there is simply no comparison to the console version vs. the IOS version, but for those without a console this is one of the best action IOS games out there. You can play with different batman skins from the Batman: Year One suit to the Batman Beyond suit.

While playing this game you have the opportunity of battling villains like The Joker, an extremely juiced up Solomon Grundy and Deathstroke (above) which happens to be one of my favorites. The special moves can be modified to your preference and there is a pretty good selection. This has one of the things that Injustice lacks: a decent story line and direction. For that reason and flexibility in fighting I would say this game is better than Injustice.

4. Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem

This one is an oldie. It was probably the first Super Hero game I downloaded on my IOS device. As you may expect from a Spider-Man game, there is not as much of a serious tone as you would see in a game like Batman. That does not mean that this game is not tons of fun, because it certainly is.

Some of the villains in the game include Doctor Octopus, Venom and Rhino. I like the game because there seems to be an entire world created for Spider-Man. It definitely gives you a lot of variety and makes the game that much more interesting. One of the best perks of this game is having the ability to play as Symbiote Suit Spider-Man. :-)

5. X-Men

This is definitely a throwback, but it in my opinion it is always great to see a classic come to a modern media (even if nothing was actually changed).

If you enjoyed this 8-bit X-Men game back in the day, you will enjoy it now. It is pretty easy maneuver. It has your basic directional pad, punch/kick button, jump button and a special attack which varies from character to character. If you are a big X-Men fan and would like to reminisce, I say buy it. It's just 99 cents!

Top 5 Comic Book Romances

In honor of my recent engagement I have decided to give a list of the best super hero romances. For the record, I think mine is the best, but let's go on to more familiar stories.

1. Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson

Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson

One of the best and most popular comic book relationships (mainly because of past movies) is that of Spider-Man and Mary Jane. These two personalities definitely compliment each other. Peter Parker has his mind all over the place and is always messing up with Mary Jane. Mary Jane is very assertive, knows what she wants and knows how to get it.

She does have a hard time dealing with Peter's lack of commitment, but once she finds out that he is Spider-Man she is extremely supportive and understanding. Every super-hero needs a supporting partner. "Go get 'em, tiger" - Mary Jane Watson.

2. Superman and Lois Lane

Courtesy DC comics

While Spider-Man and MJ may be very popular, the most popular couple is definitely Superman and Lois Lane. Another relationship that is at many times on the brink of destruction because of secret identities and secrets in general.

In the above photo, Superman creates a potion that temporarily gives Lois his superpowers for one day. He even custom designs her own superhero outfit. They fly through the skies and he opens up to Lois in ways he could not before. Now that's love.

3. Batman and Talia al Ghul

courtsey DC Comics

Okay, let's face it, Batman's a bit of a man-whore: Batman and Catwoman, Batman and Wonder Woman, Batman and Vicky Vale, Batman and Poison Ivy... you get the idea.

However, in my opinion these are all flirtatious relationships, not real love. He really seems to fall for Talia al Ghul, Ra's al Ghul's daughter (one of his greatest enemies). There is a love-hate relationship between the two, but deep down they really care about each other immensely. Oh and by the way, they have a son together - Damian Wayne.

4. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl

Courtesy Justice League

John Stewart the Green Lantern and Shiera Sanders - Hawkgirl. This one is a complicated relationship. Despite that, they were pre-destined to be together, literally (in their past lives they were also lovers). They are both stubborn as mules which makes this relationship harder at times, but their love is undeniable.

In the above picture, Hawkgirl greets an injured Green Lantern, her friend at the time. She admits to him how afraid she is of losing him after the most recent scare and consequently John confesses what he feels for her. For the first time, he removes her mask to see the woman beneath the fierce exterior...and they share their first real moment of true love. Like I always tell my lady, even comic books can be romantic.

5. Wolverine and Mariko Yashida

Wolverine and Mariko (http://wolverinediaries.blogspot.com/2013/06/wolverine-and-mariko-pictures.html#.UhplCZK1GSo

Only true love could tame a beast like Wolverine. This has always been one of the most classic yet lesser known love stories in comic books - Wolverine and Mariko Yashida. We see a small glimpse of this romance in the most recent Marvel movie, The Wolverine.

Bound by honor Mariko is forced to marry the Silver Samurai, but truly loves Logan (Wolverine). Wolverine willing to fight to the death for this woman, but is secretly poisoned. He extracts his claws to attack and thus dishonorably loses the battle and Mariko. As luck would have it, Wolverrine is always separated from her no matter how hard he tries to make it work (the above image does a great job at portraying this aspect of the relationship).

So what is your favorite comic book romance? Share it in the comments even if it's not on this list.