Secret Wars Doctor Doom is full of magic, and he’s ready to come home to wreck Thanos! This newest mini-bust from Diamond Select Toys shows off Doom as he appeared during 2015’s Secret Wars.
This 6″ tall work of art is currently available for pre-order on Previews World. Doom will set you back $99. Pre-orders are open until June 20th, with the mini-bust expected to be arriving on November 30th. Diamond Select ToysDiamond Select Toys
Call him Doom! Wearing his white robes as seen in the hit Marvel crossover Secret Wars, this approximately 6-inch mini-bust of Doom wields translucent blue energy as he prepares to cast a spell, or perhaps unleash a blast from his high-tech gauntlets. This bust of the Fantastic Four foe is limited to only 1000 pieces, and comes packaged with a certificate of authenticity in a full-color box. Designed by Nelson Asencio, sculpted by Juan Pitluk!
Imbued with god-like powers, Doctor Victor Von Doom ruled Battleworld a little more aggressively than he did Latveria. This, of course, caught the eye of Thanos. The Mad Titan thought Doom was no threat, but Thanos made the mistake of informing Doom he no longer possessed the Infinity Gauntlet. Seizing upon this realization of weakness, Doom ripped Thanos’s skeleton from his body.
Doom was pretty brutal during this mini-series. If you’ve not read it yet, I suggest you do. Thanos was not the only big name Doctor Doom killed off. The arc of Secret Wars is something that would make for a great Phase 5 roadmap if the Marvel Cinematic Universe survives the mediocrity that is Phase 4.
Doom is one of those characters that makes for a great villain and draws sympathy. Unlike most MCU baddies, you could somewhat root for Doom if a good screenwriter is on hand who understands the character and doesn’t see him as a basic “deformed villain in an Iron Man-like suit.”
What do you think of Secret Wars Doom? Let us know below.
[Source: Previews World]
‘Call of the Night’ is a supernatural romantic comedy manga created by Kotoyama and published by Shōnen Sunday Comics. The series was picked up by the Japanese animation studio Liden Films for an anime that is scheduled for release in July 2022 for Fuji TV. Ahead of its premier, Sentai Filmworks has announced that they will release it for a North American audience the HiDive streaming service.
Sentai said on their website, “Sentai announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to Call of the Night, the highly anticipated anime adaptation of the popular vampire-themed shounen manga of the same name. The manga, written and illustrated by Kotoyama, is serialized in hit-making publisher Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine and has sold more than 2 million volumes. Sentai will stream the series exclusively on HIDIVE, its direct-to-consumer streaming service, to multiple countries across the globe beginning Summer 2022.”
Tomoyuki Itamura and Tetsuya Miyanishi are co-directing the anime together with screenwriter Michiko Yokote handling the scripts.
You can watch the trailer mentioned above here:
Sentai describes the synopsis as follows,
“Wracked by insomnia and wanderlust, Ko Yamori is driven onto the moonlit streets every night in an aimless search for something he can’t seem to name. His nightly ritual is marked by purposeless introspection — until he meets Nazuna, who might just be a vampire! Ko’s new companion could offer him dark gifts and a vampire’s immortality. But there are conditions that must be met before Ko can sink his teeth into vampirism, and he’ll have to discover just how far he’s willing to go to satisfy his desires before he can heed the Call of the Night!”
The voice cast includes Sora Amamiya, Gen Sato, Yumiri Hanamori, Haruka Tomatsu, Eri Kitamura, Shizuka Itō, Naomi Ōzora, and Azumi Waki.
Viz Media is releasing the manga in the United States.
Ethan Hawke is jumping universes from the Marvel Universe and into the DC Universe with the upcoming kids cartoon series ‘Batwheels,’ where he will voice the Batman. He is joined by Jacob Bertrand who is voicing Bam the Batmobile, the leader of a group of heroic vehicles who battle the bad guys during Cartoon Network’s animation hour for younger audiences.
“Cartoonito is revving up for Batwheels, announcing today the DC Super-Villain voice cast lineup,” HBO Max said in a press release. “Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) as Catwoman, Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai) as Snowy the Snowcrawler, and Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) as Crash, lead the talented cast voicing some of Batman’s most iconic adversaries in the upcoming preschool action-adventure animated comedy.”
They continued, “The villains will go bumper-to-bumper against the heroes of Batwheels voiced by the previously announced cast led by Ethan Hawke (as Batman), Jacob Bertrand (as Bam the Batmobile), and AJ Hudson (as Duke Thomas/Robin). Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the series will race onto Cartoonito on HBO Max and Cartoon Network this fall.”
HBO Max released a trailer for the show:
HBO Max described the synopsis as follows,
“They are a team of incredible crimefighters who have banded together to oppose evil, combat crime and clean up the streets of Gotham City. They are…okay, they’re NOT Batman and Robin. They’re the Batwheels – an awesome group of sentient super-powered crime-fighting vehicles defending Gotham City alongside Batman, Robin, Batgirl and a host of DC Super Heroes. Having just been created by the Batcomputer, our heroes are essentially kids with little to no life experience. Led by Bam (The Batmobile), the Batwheels – Bibi (The Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s Sports Car), The Batwing and Buff (The Bat Truck) – must navigate the growing pains of being a newly formed super team as well as the growing pains that come with just being a kid.”
Sam Register, who previously worked on ‘The Looney Tunes Show’ is serving as executive producer.
Super7is moving onto Wave 3 of their G.I. Joe cartoon-inspired ReAction figures. This new batch of characters includes updated versions of a couple of characters and something for those collectors out there looking to amass an army of Cobras or Joes.
The main core of Wave 3 consists of Flint, Roadblock, Snake Eyes (royal blue outfit), Cobra Commander, Firefly, and the Baroness (black outfit). However, this wave really shines when it comes to army building. If you need generic, non-specific Joes or Cobra troops, then Super7 has quite a selection.
Wave 3 has nine different G.I. Joe female combat engineers and nine variations of the Cobra Snakeling factory workers. Each of the 18 has a different skin tone, hair color, accessory, or hairstyle. Talk about inclusion!
Whether you’re picking up Cobra Commander or the average grunt, each figure is priced at $18. A six-pack of the main characters is also available for $108. Super7Super7Super7Super7Super7Super7Super7Super7
Here’s a breakdown of the Snakeling styles:
Goggles & torch, brown
Mustache & wrench, brown
Beard & blaster, brown
Goggles & torch, tan
Mustache & wrench, tan
Beard & blaster, tan
Goggles & torch, pink
Mustache & wrench, pink
Beard & blaster, pink
And here are all the Joe combat engineer variations:
Short hair, pink blaster accessory
Short hair, tan, satchel accessory
Short hair, brown, weapon accessory
Ponytail hair, pink, weapon accessory
Ponytail hair, tan, blaster accessory
Ponytail hair, brown, satchel accessory
Bun hair, pink, satchel accessory
Bun hair, tan, weapon accessory
Bun hair, brown, blaster accessory
If you’re looking for Navy-based Joes, then check out Wave 2. That collection of ReAction figures also gave us the option to create an army of Cobra Shocktroopers. If a ground assault is more your style, Wave 1’s Joe and Cobra Troopers should fit the bill.
What do you think of Super7’s G.I. Joe figures? Let us know below.
[Soure: Super7]
NECA is going full retro for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The toymaking company has released information regarding its 2022 exclusives. The figures run the gamut from Gremlins, The Thing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and classic Dungeons & Dragons.
We rounded up the news thanks to Figures.com. First, let’s take a look at the Pre-Mutation TMNT box set. Based on the 1987 cartoon designs, this set from NECA features four characters from the show before they were mutated into anthropomorphic animals (and one insect). The collection includes Hamato Yoshi (Splinter), Baxter Stockman, Bebop, and Rocksteady. The figures come in a window box featuring artwork based on the cartoon. In addition, each character comes with various accessories, including multiple hands, and Hamato Yoshi has four baby turtles! The Pre-Mutation boxset is $150. NECANECANECA
Next up is the “beautiful” Greta Gremlin from Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The 1/12th scale creature is all dressed up for her big day. The dress is made from fabric, and she does have brushable hair. Greta will set you back $50. NECANECANECA’s Dungeon & Dragons action figures harken back to the ’80s when the brand attempted to branch out into toys and cartoons. Had the original toyline continued, we could have seen figures like these. The action figures are on a scale close to the 3.75″ lines of the era, with the cyclops being taller than the others. This set of figures includes Pulvereye, Kelek, Valkeer, and Skylla. NECANECA
Now, here’s something different. NECA is producing a figure based not on a character from a movie but from the movie’s poster. The iconic poster from The Thing features an unnamed person with light beaming from where the face should be. It’s mysterious and terrifying. The 7″ tall figure features an LED to recreate the effect found on the poster. The Thing is $50.
It was stated that pre-orders were being taken at the NECA Store, but when I checked, there were no listings for these SDCC exclusives.
[Source: Figures.com]
Yes, Boglins are still in demand. It seems like there’s more of a need for them now than when the toyline first launched in 1987. I’m not complaining, as I think unique toys like these are great. While checking out the Big Bad Toy Store, I saw that a trio of new Boglins was listed for pre-order.
Coming during the third quarter of 2022, there are three new variants of the creepy critters on the way. Bat Boglins Vlad, Boglins King Sponk, and Bat Boglins Drak are priced at $39.99. Drak is the clear must-have out of the three. Each Boglin comes in a crate-like box that’s perfect for display. Typically a Boglin’s eyes are glow-in-the-dark, and sometimes other parts of their bodies also have this feature. The BoglinsThe BoglinsThe Boglins
The price is what puts me off buying more of these guys. I picked up the jack-o-lantern-looking Dark Lord Blobkin at Walmart because he was discounted. Had he been priced at the standard $39.99, he’d probably still be sitting on the shelf.
The other thing I worry about when it comes to toys made of squishy material is decay. My original Boglin was the small, less expensive Squeel. These didn’t have the fancy eyes, essentially making them basic hand puppets. Unfortunately, he didn’t age too well. I remember finding him under my bed when I moved to go to college. He was a bit … gross. Maybe it was the Florida humidity or something else, but I hope these new Boglins can withstand time’s test.
The lack of dedicated toy stores like Toys R Us is hurting the chance for oddities like Boglins to reach a larger audience. That’s where I first encountered the toy line in the 1980s. Having the toys show up on a random endcap in a Walmart does a disservice to a unique item like Boglins.
Let us know what you think of Boglins in the comments section below.
[Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
John Carter, and to a great effect Edgar Rice Burroughs, was done wrong by Disney. The Mars series of books are fun, if not pulpy, works of science fiction and deserve proper translation to the big screen. However, until another studio decides to take a chance on a big-budget sprawling sci-fi epic, we’re going to have to make do with comics, books, and collectibles.
This new PCS statue of Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Mars, will do nicely. I don’t really need to say much. Look at her! The statue stands 33.5″ tall and is estimated to ship out between December and March 2023. She’s ain’t cheap, either. Dejah will set you back $1,250. PCSPCSPCSPCSPCSPCSPCSPCSPCS
The Dejah Thoris 1:3 Scale Statue measures 35.5” tall and 15” wide as she stands chained to a large white tusk in the hostile landscape of Mars. Additional bones and skulls are embedded in the rock at her feet, including the uniquely shaped remains of a green Martian. The statue is fully sculpted apart from the silver link shackles on her wrists and the decorative gold chains on her chest. Dejah Thoris’ portrait features a cascade of black hair and metallic makeup accents complementing her customary gold Martian ensemble, which includes an ornate crown, arm cuffs, a thong bikini, and strapped sandals.
And before some of you get offended by how Dejah is represented here, the inhabitants of Mars in Burroughs’s works preferred to go around sans clothing. So, technically, she’s wearing more in this statue than she did in her first appearance in 1917’s A Princess of Mars:
“And the sight which met my eyes was that of a slender, girlish figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past life. She did not see me at first, but just as she was disappearing through the portal of the building which was to be her prison she turned, and her eyes met mine. Her face was oval and beautiful in the extreme, her every feature was finely chiseled and exquisite, her eyes large and lustrous and her head surmounted by a mass of coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming coiffure. Her skin was of a light reddish copper color, against which the crimson glow of her cheeks and the ruby of her beautifully molded lips shone with a strangely enhancing effect.”
What do you think of Dejah’s statue and Burroughs’s books? Let us know below.
[Source: PCS]
[Source: The Project Gutenburg]
The easiest thing a director or screenwriter can do is to use a characters’ disability as the centerpiece of a story. How can someone who is sadly disabled become happy? How can we help this person live? How can we show them they matter? How can we show them the light? And what can we and those around this character learn from this special person?
There has been a number of examples where movies have done this, animated and live action. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it sort of works. And sometimes it falls flat on its’ face in the most insulting of ways. Recent examples are 2017 anime film A Silent Voice, 2017 film Wonder, 2016 film Me Before You, and 2021 film Penguin Bloom.
Much of this is opinion as to which is the best to worst movie portrayals of a character with a disability, but in my opinion the most egregious portrayal would have to be Me Before You. When the trailers first came out, I admit I was highly interested. It looked like a beautiful movie portraying life with a character in wheelchair. However, once I learned how it ended, and read more about the book the movie was based on, I was instantly disgusted and lost all interest in watching it even once. As someone who was born with a disability that is similar to the one portrayed in Wonder, I abhorred the message that the story was giving off. “A person with a disability is better off dead than fighting to live a life like everyone else does. It is too much of a burden, after all.” It may not have been the intended message, but that is what I came away with. It was a terrible message with a pretty package.
Hollywood tends to be one extreme or the other. You have Me Before You on one side, and Wonder on the other side. Wonder was not a bad movie. It had a really good message. But there were things in it that made me think: “I can tell this was written from someone who does not have personal experiences”. For instance, it bothered me that they portrayed the boy as someone so insanely smart. Even if he was homeschooled and sheltered by his mom, I just don’t believe he would be as adult smart as he was portrayed. I was homeschooled for a short time. I remember being his age. I know I was no where near as smart as he was. I never won super special awards or got bullied as hard as he did. I never wore a helmet to cover my face. As far as I knew it, life as me was just a part of…. life. It was who I was. And I wasn’t any more special than anyone else. His character was treated as extra special. I guess that’s what bothered me about the movie, even if it did have a good message overall.
And so with those examples, how can a story strike a balance with a character that happens to have a disability? Well, I am happy to say that there is a very recent movie that excels at just that.
Josee, the Tiger, and the Fish (Jose to Tora to Sakanatachi) is an anime film that came out in Japan in the second half of 2020. It is based on a short story written in 1984 by Seiko Tanabe. Seiko Tanabe attained the honorific nickname of the “L.M. Montgomery of Japan” after she died in 2019. L.M. Montgomery is best known for “Anne of Green Gables”. In 2003, Japan released a live action adaption of Josee. In 2020, South Korea released their own live action film that was based in part on the screenplay of the 2003 film. The anime movie was just released on Blu-ray/DVD in the U.S. on February 8th, 2022.
Although originally written in 1984, careful consideration was given as to how to adapt the story to modern times. Research was done on what it’s like to travel around in a wheelchair (Tamura traveled around Osaka city in a wheelchair for a day to get a feel for what it’s like, as well as interviewing different people who use wheelchairs). They also used many real life location references around Osaka, Wakayama, and Kobe, Japan.
The summary of the story is about college student Tsuneo working hard towards fulfilling his dreams. One night, he encounters a girl in a wheelchair, and is eventually hired to be her caretaker.
I liked that there were many parts that did not explain in expositions. Show, don’t tell. Right from the opening scene. You’re smart enough to understand what is going on and what the character is like without words. And oftentimes that can be the best kind of way to move a story forward. Even throughout the movie, a character didn’t have to say a word, the way they move as other characters are talking and interacting can tell you what this silent character is feeling.
It is not simply about having a disability. It’s about communication. Being brave and strong enough to stand on your own feet, while also having supportive people around you, and to be supportive of those in return. After all, life isn’t just about you. And to strive towards dreams, whether they actually happen or not. Having people who support you and vice versa is so important. It’s not good to be completely alone. As important as it is to be able to stand on your own, it’s just as important to have each other.
As the director says in the included interview extra: “The movie is the theme of independence. Being independent is not the same as being isolated. What does it mean to grow up? What does it mean to be an adult? What does it mean to be independent? What does it mean to be considerate of others? What does it mean to understand?”
The animation is beautiful to watch and the attention to detail is impressive. Most of the background buildings and scenery are hand painted using watercolor and other art mediums. Because this is not a fantasy movie, thought was given as to how to make visually interesting animation sequences. And I think they excelled in doing that.
I’m not trying to hype up this movie too much. Although it is hard not to! Some people might find fault in how cheesy some scenes are or how some plot points are a little too convenient. Although Director Tamura insists he left some things out to give it more mystery or to leave it up to the viewers imagination.
This movie is a rarity because it strikes the balance of giving us a character with a disability that is not one extreme or the other. It is a story of hope for the future for everyone, disabled or not. If you are looking for a movie that leaves on a hopeful note, I recommend checking this movie out. It’s the kind you could probably watch with those who are not typically fans of anime because of how grounded it feels. It doesn’t play with your emotions or try to manipulate you to feel one way or another. It respects you as a viewer and it respects the main characters.
I honestly had no idea what to expect from this movie. All I knew before watching it was that it was about a boy and a girl in a wheelchair, and the basic storyline of Tsuneo in college and becoming a caretaker. That and the beautiful looking art and hearing such positive reactions overall was enough for me to check it out. Sometimes, the less you know, the better the experience. I don’t even think I watched the trailer first.
If you’d like to see the trailer before watching the movie, see it here. Although there are only subbed trailers, the movie is available to watch in English dub, if you prefer.
If you do watch this movie, you’ll want to stay for the credits, as the story continues during the credits, with an extra scene at the very end. Then you can tell us what you thought about the movie. What did you think? Do you think Hollywood could take a few pointers from the kind of story-telling this movie did?
Amazon Studios announced in a press release that they are ordering two seasons of the upcoming sci-fi animated comedy ‘The Hospital,’ which will stream to Prime Video. The show is created by Cirocco Dunlap (Russian Doll, Man Seeking Woman), who will also serve as showrunner and an executive producer. Animal Pictures is co-producing the series with Amazon.
According to its synopsis, “‘The Hospital’ is a completely original concept that follows Sleech and Klak—aliens, best friends, and intergalactically renowned surgeons—as they tackle anxiety-eating parasites, illegal time loops, and deep-space STIs. Risking their careers to take on a remarkable case, they put existence itself in jeopardy. Although considering their dismal personal lives, oblivion might be an improvement.”
Robin Eisenberg, an artist associated with Adult Swim, is a co-producer who is also working as the production designer in charge of the visual style of the animated series.
Amazon also revealed the primary cast for the show:
Keke Palmer (Alice, Hustlers, Nope) will voice-star as Dr. Klak, a brilliant, multi-eyed surgeon who spends her down time feeding her sentient plants, obsessively reviewing past failures, and watching hit show My Lover, My Clonewith her best friend Dr. Sleech.
Greta Lee (Past Lives, The Morning Show) will voice-star as Dr. Sleech, a reckless, cocky surgeon whose main saving graces are her genius, her well-oiled lizard tail, and her unconditional love for her best friend Dr. Klak.
Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, DC League of Super-Pets) will voice-star as Nurse Tup, a playful nihilist with chameleon flesh who thrives in the chaos of the Hospital. Nurse Tup expertly navigates every accidental apocalypse created by renegade doctors Sleech and Klak, and looks good doing it.
Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Big Mouth) will voice-star as Dr. Vlam, a robot intern who has been alive for at least 20,000 years. She’s had every career you can think of—king, thief, stay-at-home mom of 500—and is a true testament to hard work. All you need to succeed is roughly 850 years of free time.
Kieran Culkin (Succession) will voice-star as Dr. Plowp, a surgeon, an empath, and an adult experiencing puberty. He has a love-hate relationship with Sleech, constantly feels everyone’s feelings, and has four identical brothers with whom he shared an egg.
Sam Smith (Singer/songwriter – Spectre, Pitch Perfect 2) will voice-star as Dr. Azel, a galactically-renowned surgeon with ambiguous morals and six well-manicured feet.
Rudolph and Lyonne also serve as executive producers for the show, which does not have a release date as of yet.
‘Super Cub’ is a slice-of-life drama light novel series written by Tone Kōken and illustrated by Hiro that ran from 2017 to 2022 from Tokyo-based publishing company Kadokawa Shoten. The series was developed into an ongoing manga illustrated by Kanitan and would be picked up by Japanese animation company Studio Kai for an anime in 2021. It is directed by Toshiro Fujii and ran for twelve episodes. Crunchyroll recently announced that they were launching the English dubbed version on their streaming service.
“The English dub of the series stars voice actors Jackie Lastra (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Koguma, Dawn M. Bennett (Dragon Ball Super) as Reiko, Jason Charles Miller (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans) as Shino and Skyler Davenport (Komi Can’t Communicate) as Shii,” Crunchyroll said on their website.
Geoff Bisente is tackling the duties of ADR Director, Recording Engineer, and Editor.
You can watch the trailer below:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“Koguma, a reserved second-year high school student, has nothing—no parents, hobbies, friends, or goals. On her way home one afternoon, she visits a vehicle shop in hopes of acquiring a motor scooter. With only enough money to make ends meet, she is disheartened by the price tags and prepares to turn back. However, as she is about to leave, the shop’s owner offers her a pre-owned Honda Super Cub for ten thousand yen. Believing that the motorcycle will help brighten her monotonous world, she accepts the deal. As Koguma journeys through her town on small adventures with her Super Cub, she begins to build irreplaceable friendships and eagerly advances toward her new life.”
Toshizō Nemoto handles the writing duties for the anime with Tomohisa Ishikawa and ZAQ handling the music.
The manga also features a spin-off titled ‘Super Cub Rei’ written by Sakae Saito for Kadokawa Shoten’s magazine ‘Comic Newtype.’
