The Avengers are assembling in a brand new way. Janet Van Dyne, the founding Avenger known as the Wasp, is forming a new team to hunt down criminals and rogues. Al Ewing has been announced as the writer while artist Leonard Kirk will handle the illustrations.
“60 years ago, Janet Van Dyne stood alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they assembled for the very first time and named them the Avengers! Now, during the team’s milestone anniversary year, she’ll lead them into all-new territory in a brand-new AVENGERS title—AVENGERS INC,” Marvel said on their website.
“Together, Ewing and Kirk will introduce readers to a whole new style of Avenging. It kicks off with a deadly conspiracy rooted in the ghosts of the Avengers’ past that only founding Avenger Wasp can solve. But she won’t be alone as she finds a new partner in Victor Shade! This former alias of Vision mysteriously resurfaces just as Janet discovers a score of Super Villain murders. Will he guide Wasp to the truth or is his familiar guise hiding the very clues Janet needs to crack the case,” they continued.
The comic series will tie into the main Avengers title. While the line-up is unknown outside of Wasp, the cover features Vision in his Victor Shade form.
“Her name is Janet Van Dyne. She’s a hero. She’s a celebrity. She’s hunting a killer. His name is Victor Shade. He’s a villain. He’s an enigma. He just got killed. And together, they’re out to solve every mystery in the Marvel Universe…starting with their own,” they added.
Wasp was a founding member of the Avengers along with Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Ant-Man. She would be featured in several incarnations of the team and would have an on-again-off-again relationship with Hank Pym. At one point, she would take on the identity of Giant Woman.
After years of waiting, another company has started to produce storage expansion cards for the XBOX Series X|S. Western Digital is now competing with Seagate, and the company’s initial offerings are far more affordable than the competition. WD’s drives are priced at $79.99 and $149.99.
The downside is that the expansion cards are still relatively small when it comes to capacity. As of right now, Western Digital only offers 500GB and 1TB models. If you want 2TB, Seagate currently offers a card that is $279.99.
Like Seagate’s version, the Western Digital cards allow you to store and play games made specifically for the Series X without having to transfer them to the console’s internal storage:
“The WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox leverages the Xbox Velocity Architecture and delivers similar performance as your Xbox Series X|S internal storage for a seamless experience with your favorite games.”
What’s funny is that I reported on affordable memory back at the tail end of 2021. It took a year and a half from that point for us to finally get drives that were under $100. Meanwhile, affordable SSD expansion options have been available for the PlayStation 5 for some time. However, the process of adding a new drive to the PS5 requires the removal of a side panel rather than XBOX’s plug-and-play route.
At least we’re finally in a period where all versions of the competing consoles are easy to find in stores. Not only did the XBOX Series X|S and PS5 suffer from shortage, but scalpers made the situation much worse. Even the Seagate expansion cards for the XBOX were showing up on Facebook Marketplace at inflated prices: $800+ for the console and $300+ for the memory. Ugh.
Photo Credit: Western Digital
If you’re looking to move from Seagate to Western Digital, check out the new expansion card specs below:
1TB WDBMPH0010BNC
512GB WDBMPH5120ANC
Operating Temperature: 23°F to 131°F [-5°C to 55°C]
Non-Operating Temperature: -4°F to 185°F [-20°C to 85°C]
LENGTH: 55.6 mm | 2.19″
WIDTH: 31.6 mm | 1.24″
HEIGHT: 7.7 mm | 0.30″
WEIGHT (WITH CAP): 25.0g | 0.056 lbs
If you’ve already ordered the Spike VS Vicious statue, you may want to break out the wallet yet again because a brand new Cowboy Bebop statue has been announced! Faye Valentine, in her classic outfit, is set to debut in 2024!
Yes, this is one of those times that First4Figures is making multiple versions of a statue. Faye Valentine comes in a standard and “exclusive” edition. What is the difference between the two? Additional head and arm sculpts. To be fair, these changes do make a big difference depending on how you like to display your Faye.
The exclusive version of Faye ($269.99) comes with swappable heads and a right arm. Instead of holding a “totally not coke bottle,” she can now wield a submachine gun. The alternate head slightly changes her pose and adds shades over her eyes. That’s it. The price difference is a mere $20 for two extra parts.
Photo Credit: First4Figures
The exclusive edition of Faye Valentine includes the following:
Premium painted resin statue
Highly detailed base inspired by Cowboy Bebop’s art style
Limited edition numbering
Authentication card
Extra interchangeable right hand
Extra interchangeable head
Photo Credit: First4Figures
The standard statue has the following in the box:
Premium painted resin statue
Highly detailed base inspired by Cowboy Bebop’s art style
“First 4 Figures is proud to introduce their latest 1/8 scale resin statue collectible, Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop. Faye Valentine is a sultry and mysterious member of the Bebop crew. Her beauty and sharp wit make her an asset to the team, despite her occasional selfishness and trust issues. Faye’s past is a mystery, but her loyalty and tough attitude help her face danger on their intergalactic bounty hunting missions.”
Speaking of Cowboy Bebop, remember when the Netflix live-action adaptation was a thing? Yeah. Hard to believe that the trainwreck really happened. Even the anime’s creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, said it was a chore to sit through. Oh, and the actress playing totally-not-Faye lashed out at fans of the original and her animated counterpart’s outfit. Big oof.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (review) is officially out, but the collectibles so far have been … meh. Hasbro’s offerings right now are lackluster, but thankfully Threezero is making up for this by producing a brand new, highly detailed Bumblebee action figure.
Hasbro Pulse is currently taking pre-orders for the 8″ tall, $169.99 Bumblebee. At first glance, that price tag may be a bit of a turnoff, but I can attest to the quality of these figures. I’ve had the opportunity to inspect a few of Threezero’s Transformers offerings this past year, and they’re certainly worth that chunk of change.
Sadly, these figures do not transform, but lacking that feature means you’re going to get a more screen-accurate robot mode in this Autobot. Along with 60 points of articulation, the fan-favorite Transformer has a die-cast metal frame and multiple LED-lit pieces.
Bumblebee is expected to ship next February. However, if you want Bumblebee sooner, check out Threezero’s G1-inspired action figure.
Photo Credit: Threezero
“DLX Collectible Figures present intricate Transformers designs in a smaller scale with high-fidelity production value. With its unique die-cast metal frame design, DLX not only provides an advanced range of articulation, but also greatly enhances the weight and durability. Together with the detailed and weathered paint application of threezero, a remarkable resemblance is achieved in matching the characters as seen in the original media.”
Officially Licensed by Hasbro and TakaraTomy
Approximately 8 inches (~23.2cm) tall
Approximately 60 points of articulation
Detailed and weathered paint application
Die-cast Metal frame design with an advanced range of articulation
LED illuminated eyes, Ion Blaster, Battle Head Eyes
One (1) pc of interchangeable Battle Head
One (1) pair of Ion Blasters
Four (3) pairs of interchangeable hands: one (1) pair of fists, one (1) pair of relaxed hands, and one (1) pair of action hands
For those who love playing games on their Xbox consoles or through Xbox Game Pass, there was plenty of interesting reveals at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase. Despite E3 being canceled this year, that didn’t mean Xbox gamers wouldn’t be getting a look at the future of Xbox gaming. Whether you’re booting things up on your Xbox Series X or playing Xbox on your PC, the rest of 2023 and 2024 is going to be filled with new games for you to get excited about. A variety of world premieres and looks at highly anticipated games allowed for a solid presentation from Xbox.
The showcase began with a big bang, showing the first look at Playground Games’ upcoming Fable game. It’s been a long time since the announcement of Fable, with little to no details known up till now. Much like the early releases of the series, this Fable continues the goofy humor that many fans love. A little bit of combat and interactions between characters showcased the game’s fantasy setting, with a few getting hit by fire magic. While there was no release date or window given for the game, the trailer did promise that Fable would be available for everyone on Xbox Game Pass on day 1.
The presentation also gave some spotlight to the new Cyberpunk 2077 extra content and Obsidian’s next game, Avowed. Cyberpunk 2077 had actor Keanu Reeves introduce a look at the game’s new DLC, which is featuring Idris Alba in the story expansion. Avowed was revealed to have a 2024 release window, with it being available on Xbox Game Pass and consoles.
A big reveal for the showcase was the reveal trailer for Star Wars: Outlaws from Massive Entertainment. The game is set in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with a story focused on two new characters Kay and Nix. The two of them are part of the underworld, trying to survive in a galaxy in disarray with the Rebellion and Galactic Empire at war. The game is planned for a 2024 release window and is the first open-world Star Wars game that will allow players to explore multiple locations within a galaxy far, far away.
Persona 3 Reload was also officially revealed in the showcase. Despite the game being leaked out by ATLUS through their social media pages, Persona 3 Reload finally got a chance to get the spotlight officially and show players how Persona 3 is getting revitalized. The visuals and gameplay of Persona 3 Reload are similar to that of ATLUS’ most recent game of the series, Persona 5, with a remixed soundtrack that will cater to old fans and definitely bring in some new ones. In addition, Persona 5 Tactica also got a chance to be officially revealed to the public, which is a tactics-style RPG taking place within the setting of Persona 5. Persona 5 Tactica is slated for a November 14th release, while Persona 3 Reload is planned for an early 2024 release. Both will be available for Xbox Game Pass on day 1.
While multiple games smaller games were shown and others were revealed to be getting new content, one big showing was for the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will be coming out for Xbox Series X and PC in 2024. The trailer showed a bit of gameplay that had Senua facing a dark force in a cavern, before being pulled underwater. If you’ve played the original Hellblade, you’ll be familiar with how the visuals and audio cues of the game play a big part in Senua’s story.
Capcom revealed a brand new game called Kunitsu Gami: Path of the Goddess. It’s an action game with horror elements that is reminiscent of games like Onimusha and Okami but with some kaleidoscope imagery. There’s definitely a big influence from mythology for some of the creatures and characters that are shown in the trailer, with action that seems fast-paced and suspenseful. No release date was given in the trailer, but the game is coming to Xbox Series consoles and Xbox Game Pass.
The Xbox Game Showcase then closed off with the reveal of a new game called Clockwork Revolution. For some, the visuals of the game reminded them of titles like Bioshock Infinite with its steam-powered technology being a big part of the environment. The trailer had an ominous narration that talked about time while many hostile robots and firefights were shown. No release date was given in the trailer, other than saying it was coming in due time, followed by confirmation that Clockwork Revolution would be available on day 1 on Xbox Game Pass.
Following the showcase was a presentation of Starfield from Bethesda, which happened to get a quick trailer earlier in the show. But the showcase for the game was much more detailed than what the trailer had shown, allowing players to get a deep look at nearly every important aspect of Starfield. Everything from combat, dialogue with characters, types of weapons, crafting items, space travel, and more were featured. Bethesda emphasized just how much freedom players have with approaching situations and how vast the game would be, especially with the story that will play out. The game can be played in either first-person or third-person, with so many aspects being customizable and deep in many aspects. There’s a lot to the game that players will eventually have to discover themselves when they finally get a chance to play it on September 6th.
What do you think of all the announcements and reveals from the Xbox Games Showcase? Are you excited about all the new games you’ll be able to play on Xbox consoles and PC? Share all of your thoughts down below in the comment section!
During the Xbox Games Showcase hosted in Los Angeles, Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment finally revealed the Star Wars game they’ve been making. Star Wars: Outlaws is the first open-world Star Wars game that will be released for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC. While other Star Wars games have had large environments to explore and partake in a story, Massive Entertainment’s game looks to drop players within a dynamic world set within the Star Wars galaxy. The game is planned for a 2024 release.
Star Wars: Outlaws takes place during the time between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The story of the game follows a scoundrel named Kay Vess and her small companion Nix. The two of them team up with a BX-commando battle droid for a heist that will set the two of them off on a new life away from the underworld. Kay looks to have characteristics reminiscent of Han Solo and many other members of the galactic underworld we’ve come to see in various Star Wars media. Kay’s story plays out as the Rebel Alliance battles the Empire for control of the galaxy, whether she will cross paths with the Rebellion or Imperial forces is yet unknown. Kay also meets a man named Jaylen, who appears on her ship and appears to have a rocky interaction.
One interesting thing in the reveal trailer is the sight of multiple Star Wars planets that Kay and Nix will be going to. Star Wars: Outlaws promises to let players travel to multiple locations, showing Kay’s ship and a collection of places she’ll visit. Some of the shots within the trailer look to have elements of Star Wars planets like Tatooine, Coruscant, Naboo, and possibly Bespin or Kamino. A few frames also show some of the aliens that Kay will come across, including the infamous Rancor that many Star Wars fans will recognize. Could it possibly mean that Kay and Nix will meet up with Jabba the Hutt, since the infamous vile gangster is alive during this timeframe? The trailer doesn’t seem to give any answers.
Julian Gerighty, the creative director at Massive Entertainment, spoke with StarWars.com about the reveal trailer and what fans should be ready to see within their game. “It’s a dream come true to be able to collaborate with the team at Lucasfilm Games to create Star Wars Outlaws, the first open-world Star Wars game… Our team at Massive Entertainment has a great deal of experience in open-world games backed by strong technology, and it’s the perfect time to tell an original scoundrel story that will resonate with fans. With the Galactic Empire on the heels of the Rebel Alliance, and the criminal underworld thriving, an outlaw like Kay Vess has a whole galaxy of opportunity in front of her.”
While the Xbox Games Showcase gave us our first look at Star Wars: Outlaws, many have speculated that we’ll see more during the Ubisoft Forward presentation in the following week. But despite a great reception, Star Wars Outlaws might be in an early stage where gameplay might not be ready to be shown to the public. So we’ll have to be patient for when Massive Entertainment completes its work on making this Star Wars game something exciting for fans.
Are you excited to see more from Star Wars: Outlaws? What do you think will happen in the story of the game with Kay and Nix? Share your thoughts about everything in the comments down below!
Saxophonist, activist, and feminist María Elena Ríos has accused actor Tenoch Huerta of being a sexual predator. Huerta recently joined the MCU as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The accusations were outlined at Reforma, and we spotted them thanks to Cosmic Book News and Twitter.
The accusations came out when Ríos made public she did not want to be associated with the anti-racism group Poder Prieto, claiming she was not paid for a podcast she allegedly took part in.
Ríos’s tweets are in Spanish, so we’ll include links to the original tweets and quote the translations below.
Oye MARCA de @poderprieto_mx NO TIENEN CONSENTIMIENTO en difundir un material que no me quisieron pagar y que así como este, en varios me explotaron para trabajarles gratis.
“THEY DO NOT HAVE CONSENT to disseminate a material that they did not want to pay me and that, like this, in several they exploited me to work for them for free. They don’t learn do they? Apart from being violent for defending the PREDATOR from @TenochHuerta, exploiters.”
Les dejé muy claro a mi salida de su secta que protege al violentador y DEPREDADOR sexual de @TenochHuerta que no publicaran nada de mí. Todavía fueron a buscarme a un concierto bola de hipócritas para evitar escándalos por su película de @MarvelLATAM.
“I made it very clear to them when I left their sect that they protect the violator and sexual PREDATOR of @TenochHuerta that they not publish anything about me. They still went to look for me at a hypocritical ball concert to avoid scandals over their @MarvelLATAM movie.”
“¿Y por qué no denunciaste?”
Dicen los que viven en un país machista, donde la justicia es inalcanzable donde casi te matan y ni aún así te creen ni llega la justicia.
• Y no, no quiero ser famosa. • Y no, no quiero dinero porque sé trabajar.
“It is very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved in the world for playing a character in a movie like @TenochHuerta Charming in appearance, the great hallmark of a narcissist + a good helping of victimization.“
“They say those who live in a macho country, where justice is unattainable where they almost kill you and still they don’t believe you or justice comes.
• And no, I don’t want to be famous.
• And no, I don’t want money because I know how to work.”
The details of Tenoch Huerta’s alleged crimes are nowhere to be found, and Ríos has not commented further on her statements since early this morning. However, according to La Verdad, This isn’t the first time Huerta has been accused. In 2019 the actor was called out during the MeToo movement for allegedly sexually harassing someone on a Skype call.
It should not have to be said, but since we live in an age where a story travels faster than the truth, please wait for more information before making judgments on Tenoch Huerta or anyone involved. That includes Jonathan Majors, who was also accused of abuse.
‘Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs’ is an animated series that ran for fifty-two episodes between 1987 and 1988. Developed by World Events Productions, the cartoon attempted to recreate the success of other space Westerns such as ‘BraveStarr’ or ‘Voltron’ with limited success. The show has developed somewhat of a cult following and they got some good news.
Discotek Media announced that they would release the entire series on standard definition in a Blu-ray. The box set has a planned release date of August 29th, 2023, though it is available for pre-order on the Right Stuf Anime website.
The series starred an ensemble cast of popular Saturday Morning Cartoon voice actors including Pat Musick (Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, The Further Adventures of SuperTed), Rob Paulsen (Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Pat Fraley (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man), Townsend Coleman (Adventures in Odyssey, Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series), and Peter Cullen (Transformers, Winnie the Pooh).
You can take a look at the box set below:
Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,
“The series is set in the distant future. Humans have spread beyond living on Earth and have colonized planets across the universe, creating a New Frontier of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain law and order in the New Frontier, Earth’s Cavalry Command was created. Cavalry Command is a military organization that maintains an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier and the residents of the planets within it known as Settlers. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as Star Sheriffs that function as the organization’s field agents, investigating any crimes and plots that threaten the security of the New Frontier.”
The series is based on the 1984 Japanese anime ‘Star Musketeer Bismarck’ from Studio Pierrot.
As part of reshaping stories from their library of classic hit shows for kids of today, Sony Pictures Television – Kids (SPT – Kids) is reportedly developing adaptions of the classic 60s and 70s sitcom series Bewitched and The Partridge Family. These animated adaptions are currently in development but because of the Writers Strike, a writer has not been named for either projects.
“There’s such a vast history at Sony Pictures Television with properties that we could play around with and reinvent, introducing a whole new generation of kids to them.”
Executive VP and general manager of SPT – Kids Joe D’Ambrosia
In the original live action series of Bewitched (1964-1972), the story was centered around a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) who is married to an ordinary human named Darrin. The sitcom centered around their married life while trying to keep her powers hidden from the world around them. Hanna-Barbera produced the opening and closing animated credits.
The opening credits of the 1960s show:
The new animated Bewitched series will have the main character be of the couples’ 13-year old daughter named Tabitha. She learns to juggle two lives while attending middle school, as well as also secretly enrolled in a magical academy run by her witch grandmother Endora. The series is described as a cross between Hannah Montana and Harry Potter.
In the 1970-1974 live action series The Partridge Family, Shirley Jones starred as a widowed mother who leads a musical group with her five children. One of the actors portraying her children was her real life step-son David Cassidy. It was later turned into an animated series in 1974 as a Hanna-Barbera cartoon titled The Partridge Family 2200 A.D., which lasted for 1 season with 16 episodes.
Opening credits to the 1970s show:
In the newly announced animated series, the Partridge family is getting a completely different setting as a Black family living in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood. In the ’70s series, the family traveled around in the iconic Mondrian-inspired school bus. However that’s been changed to a family operating and traveling around New York’s five boroughs in a food truck, serving up treats and tunes.
Opening credits to the 1974 animated series:
What do you think of these reboot announcements? Are you happy to see old shows get a new treatment “for the modern day kids”? Or are you tired of yet more of Hollywood relying on old shows instead of making new things for kids (and adults) to enjoy? Let us know yours thoughts!
When it comes to the summer season of gaming news, there’s always bound to be leaks. And one big surprise that was being saved for the Xbox Showcase has now been spoiled, despite being discussed and leaked in other places months prior. Fans of the Persona series can start getting excited at the confirmation of a Persona 3 remake coming to consoles and PC. But instead of being revealed during an official presentation, the news of the game comes from a posting on the official Atlus Instagram page that was quickly removed after being noticed. At this point, however, it’s all but officially confirmed now.
The leak about the game was shared online in places like Reddit before it was pulled down by Atlus. According to the leaked trailer, Persona 3 Reload is being developed by P-Studio with Unreal Engine for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. The game is also coming to Xbox Game Pass for Xbox series consoles, which may or may not be a day 1 release for Game Pass. In the leaked trailer, the game has a similar visual quality to that of Persona 5, with a heavily stylized look. Anyone that played the original Persona 3 will take notice of the blues and white in the color scheme that set the tone for the game.
From the trailer, the gameplay of Persona 3 Reload looks similar to the original game with some extra flair. The exploration and combat will be very familiar to long-time fans. The trailer shows many characters from Persona 3, as well as the infamous Velvet Room that you go to, with Igor sitting down with his assistant. The android Aegis opens up the trailer in a clever face reveal, but we get to see Yukari, Junpei, and everyone else in action at various points.
The music in the trailer seems to be a new remix from the game’s original soundtrack, which may indicate we’ll be getting more great music tracks remixed in the final release. At the end of the trailer, a release window of early 2024 is shown, which could mean a first or second-quarter release in the year. The trailer also doesn’t show the game coming to PlayStation 5, which may be from the trailer being set for an Xbox Showcase reveal. Nearly all of the Persona games have been on every platform, as well as both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Network.
Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the original Persona 3 that was for PlayStation 2, along with its expansion Persona 3 FES. The original game had a rerelease on the PlayStation Portable as Persona 3 Portable, which added new content and adjustments to the gameplay. With Persona 4 getting a rerelease not too long ago with Persona 4 Golden, it was only a matter of time before Atlus finally got to Persona 3 and remixed it for fans. The leaks on the ATLUS social media also happened to reveal Persona 5 Tactics, a tactical take on Persona 5 which is aiming for a November 17th release on Xbox consoles.
Are you excited at seeing Persona 3 get a remake with Persona 3 Reload? What do you like about the Persona series? Share your thoughts down below in the comment section!
