SciFind

June 24, 2018

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Silent Option Miniseries

IDW Publishing is proud to launch G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Silent Option, a four-part miniseries that spotlights the breakout character of their “Dawn of the Arashikage” story arc: Dawn Moreno, the all-new Snake Eyes! The first monthly issue is slated for release this coming September.

Each oversized issue of Silent Option features? a full story by the superstar creative team of longtime G.I. Joe scribe Larry Hama and artist Netho Diaz (Aquaman), plus a four-page backup story entitled “Codename: Helix” by Ryan Ferrier (G.I. Joe vs. Six Million Dollar Man) and Kenneth Loh (KISS).

In Silent Option, Dawn Moreno – the G.I. Joe team’s newest member, fulfilling the legacy of the legendary Snake Eyes – embarks on her first (un)official mission. But her debut mission may be her last, as she crosses paths with the deadly covert operations officer, Agent Helix!

While focusing on the recently-introduced Dawn Moreno serves as a great entry point for new readers, longtime fans will be rewarded with the introduction of Agent Helix to ARAH canon – a character whose previous appearances were in non-ARAH continuity.

Editor Tom Waltz says, “Following the huge success of the ‘Dawn of the Arashikage’ story arc, we wanted to keep the fantastic action and drama that Larry and Netho created together rolling forward. A standalone miniseries within canon gives us the chance to resume fan-favorite character Dawn Moreno’s adventures as a new team member, while at the same time introducing enigmatic character Agent Helix to the mix. So, working alongside the great folks at Hasbro, Silent Option was born!”

June 23, 2018June 23, 2018

Star Trek Vs Transformers!

The starship Enterprise finds there’s more to the final frontier when Kirk and his crew come face-to-face with the strangest life forms of all: the shape-changing robots of Cybertron! Prepare to beam up and roll out this September with Star Trek vs. Transformers, a four-issue comic book crossover that is more than meets the eye and is inspired by the continuities of two iconic cartoon shows: Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973) and The Transformers (1984).

Two of the most prolific Transformers and Star Trek comic book writers — John Barber and Mike Johnson — team with artist Philip Murphy and colorist Leonardo Ito to tell the story that fans have demanded for decades. At the edge of Klingon space, the Enterprise? answers a distress call, discovering a dilithium mine under siege by jets and helicopters of vintage 20th Century design. When a red, flat-nosed truck rolls in to save the day, the no-holds barred Saturday morning mash-up truly begins!

Co-writer Mike Johnson, whose vast Star Trek comic book credits include the acclaimed Countdown and Star Trek / Green Lantern storylines, says, “This is a crossover several decades in the making, and we could not be more thrilled to bring it to fans! John and I are having a blast writing the first meeting of Starfleet and Cybertronians, and Phil is the perfect artist to bring these two franchises together on the page.”

“The funny thing is, even though I’m the Transformers guy on this comic (I’ve written a lot of Transformers comics, after all), I’ve always been a huge Star Trek fan, ever since I was a kid,” says John Barber, co-writer and IDW’s newly-minted Editor-in-Chief. “When I was in fifth grade, I remember my teacher joking at the end of the year that maybe someday I’d wind up writing Star Trek… and it’s a thrill to finally get to!”

Philip Murphy, whose IDW credits include The Powerpuff Girls and Star Wars Adventures, says, “This is definitely a dream-come-true project for me. It’s my first time getting to draw Transformers and Star Trek. Not only am I a huge Trek fan, but I was born in the ’80s so I grew up in the golden era of Saturday morning cartoons – and The Transformers was definitely on the top of my list! This comic really means something special to me.”

Chase Marotz, associate editor, says, “Star Trek vs. Transformers is finally giving us the chance to combine two of our most prominent licenses in a style that will delight both fans of the original animated series and new readers. David Mariotte and I are having a great time editing it and we can’t wait until the fans get to see it for themselves.”

May 5, 2018May 10, 2018

Batman Ninja Feature

Prepare to witness the Dark Knight, alongside many of his most famed allies and infamous foes, in an eye-popping anime display like you’ve never seen before.

Batman Ninja takes a journey across the ages as Gorilla Grodd’s time displacement machine transports many of Batman’s worst enemies to feudal Japan – along with the Dark Knight and a few of his allies. The villains take over the forms of the feudal lords that rule the divided land, with the Joker taking the lead among the warring factions. As his traditional high-tech weaponry is exhausted almost immediately, Batman must rely on his intellect and his allies – including Catwoman and the extended Bat-family – to restore order to the land, and return to present-day Gotham City.

The visually stunning Batman Ninja is the creative result of a trio of anime’s finest filmmakers – director Jumpei Mizusaki (Opening Animation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), writer Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann), and character designer Takashi Okazaki (Afro Samurai) produced the original movie with Warner Bros. Japan. The script was then reinterpreted and rewritten for English-language distribution by award-winning screenwriters Leo Chu and Eric Garcia (Supah Ninjas, Afro Samurai). Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan are Executive Producers.

Roger Craig Smith (Batman: Arkham Origins) and Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development) lead an impressive cast as the voices of Batman and the Joker, respectively. Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo franchise) and Tara Strong (Batman: The Killing Joke) supply the voices of the antagonist & protagonist’s closest allies – Catwoman and Harley Quinn, respectively – while Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy) provides the gruff-yet-sophisticated tones of Gorilla Grodd, a villain who must team with Batman to achieve his own personal agenda. Other voice actors include Bat-family members Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10: Omniverse) as Robin, Adam Croasdell (Reign) as Nightwing and Alfred, and Will Friedle (Boy Meets World) as Red Robin, and the Rogue’s gallery also features Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Penguin and Eric Bauza (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Two-Face. Doing double duty is Tatasciore as Deathstroke, Strong as Poison Ivy, and Friedle as Red Hood.

“Batman Ninja is an absolute feast for the senses, a stunning spectacle of anime wrapped around a thrill ride of a Batman story,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Our partners at Warner Bros. Japan have conjured an impressive addition to the Dark Knight’s canon of entertainment, taking Batman and his friends and foes in an altogether new direction. We can’t wait for fans to see this film.”

BATMAN NINJA ENHANCED CONTENT

Blu-ray™ Steelbook, Blu-ray™ and Digital

“East / West Batman” (Featurette) – Batman meets the anime medium, as this documentary looks into some of the Western tropes and archetypes, meshed into the world of feudal Japan. East meets West, swords, samurai and giant robots, all playing into the clash between Batman and his Rogues gallery.

“Batman: Made in Japan” (Featurette) – To make a special film about Batman requires just the right artist to bring the mix of style and energy that is unmistakably anime. The filmmakers discuss the Japanese character models, influences and design create a fusion experience into this hyper real world.

“New York Comic Con Presents Batman Ninja” – Meet the talented filmmakers behind Batman Ninja as they discuss their inspirations and challenges in bringing an anime version of Batman to life during a panel discussion unveiling Batman Ninja during New York Comic Con 2017.

BATMAN NINJA, out now on Digital and available on Blu-ray™ Steelbook, Blu-ray™ and DVD May 14.

May 5, 2018

Roll out the red carpet – the Teen Titans are heading to Hollywood!

When the Teen Titans go to the big screen, they go big! “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” finds our egocentric, wildly satirical Super Heroes in their first feature film extravaganza—a fresh, gleefully clever, kid-appropriately crass and tongue-in-cheek play on the superhero genre, complete with musical numbers.

It seems to the Teens that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies—everyone but the Teen Titans, that is! But de facto leader Robin is determined to remedy the situation, and be seen as a star instead of a sidekick. If only they could get the hottest Hollywood film director to notice them. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their heart, the Teen Titans head to Tinsel Town, certain to pull off their dream. But when the group is radically misdirected by a seriously Super-Villain and his maniacal plan to take over the Earth, things really go awry. The team finds their friendship and their fighting spirit failing, putting the very fate of the Teen Titans themselves on the line!

Will Arnett (“The LEGO® Batman Movie”) and Kristen Bell (“Frozen”) lend their voices to the first-ever big-screen version of DC Entertainment and Cartoon Network’s animated TV show, which also stars Greg Cipes (TV’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) as Beast Boy, Scott Menville (TV’s “Spider-Man”) as Robin, Khary Payton (“The Walking Dead”) as Cyborg, Tara Strong (the “My Little Pony” franchise) as Raven, and Hynden Walch (TV’s “Adventure Time with Finn & Jake”) as Starfire, reprising their roles from the series.

The film is being directed by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail, from a screenplay by Michael Jelenic and Horvath, based on characters from DC. Michail, Will Arnett and Peggy Regan are producing, with Sam Register, Jelenic, and Horvath serving as executive producers. Apart from Arnett, all are “Teen Titans GO!” series contributors.

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

The world’s first true post-apocalyptic immersive combat survival attraction

Zed Events to unleash the 'WASTELAND EXPERIENCE’

Following on from the success of the world famous ‘Zombie Shopping Mall Experience’ which ran for 6 years, comes: the ‘Wasteland Experience’, the world’s first true post-apocalyptic combat scare attraction. This is full-on 2+ hour movie-like interactive show where YOU are a survivor in a post-nuclear apocalypse world. With other survivors, you will battle for your life across an 250,000 Sqft abandoned shopping mall full of combat and horror.

With the cities of the UK obliterated by nuclear explosions, the world as we know it ended. 6 years later, the few survivors either banded together to form tribes in order to survive, or went insane. Conflict and horror are a way of life. You will join a tribe and together fight for survival across our massive abandoned shopping mall, clashing with other tribes and unknown enemies. Part combat game, part horror attraction, all the insanity of the Wasteland!

– FILM QUALITY COSTUMES, PROPS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Wasteland Experience was put together by using their years of running scare attractions and working in film/TV production. The world you will enter was created by the likes of Mark Cordory Creations, Dust Monkey (who are both amongst the world’s premier post apocalypse costume makers) and the Oscar-Winning Coulier Creatures. Everything you will experience will be utterly insane and very real!

– ULTRA REALISTIC WEAPONS

The ‘Wasteland Experience’ is powered by the iCombat tactical training system, the most realistic weapon simulation in the world and is used by Police and Military around the globe. This is a combat system that uses ultra-realistic guns with recoil, noise, muzzle flash and hit detection with no projectiles being fired.

March 19, 2018March 19, 2018

Big fecking Orks Vs. Nuns with Guns?

Sorry I just ripped this title from Danie Ware’s tweet as she is the awesome wordsmith with her first Warhammer 40K novel.

Big fecking Orks Vs. Nuns with Guns? My #BlackLibrary debut has gone live this morning! #womenintabletopgaming #40k https://t.co/vaobFodKvl pic.twitter.com/M5lboXZo5k

— Danie Ware (@Danacea) March 19, 2018

Danie – who you may know from the Ecko series of novels, Ecko Rising, Ecko Burning and Ecko Endgame – has written Mercy for Black Library, the publisher of Games Workshop tie in novels.

Synopsis

Sister Superior Augusta of the Order of the Bloody Rose has been called to a planet in the far reaches of the Imperium, a world where no Imperial foot has stepped in thousands of year, save a missionary sent to bring the Emperor’s light to the natives. On the world is a cathedral, ancient and run down – but with an icon at its heart, a warrior-woman with a bloodied rose on her chest. Is this a symbol that Saint Mina, founder of the Order, once walked on this world? Augusta is determined to find out…

The ebook is available directly through Black Library here.

March 19, 2018

Zombicide Goes Scifi!

Zombicide: Invader will be the next miniature heavy board game in the Zombicide franchise.

If you have been living away from Kickstarter and Boardgames you may not know that Zombicide is one of the biggest series of boardgames that has ever been released via Kickstarter.

Zombicide is a cooperative board game that sees survivors working together to get through zombie hoards to reach various objectives.

The original series of games were set in the modern day and channel Romero esq zombie movies.

Following on from this Zombicide Black Plague saw the series shift to a Sword and Sorcery setting. The latest part of the series was Zombicide Green Hoard which was backed on Kickstarter by over 27 thousand people and raised a massive $5million.

Now CMON will be raiding our bank accounts to raise what will probably be a similar level of interest for ZOMBICIDE: INVADER, their first step into SciFi for the Zombie based series.

Like previous contributions to the games we expect there to be a lot of Movie and Pop culture references and the game play will be kept to the same style of coop survivors on a tiles board.

The Kickstarter campaign is not too far away, it is due to start on April 10th 2018, but as with their previous campaigns you should be prepared to wait around a year to get hold of the plastic and cardboard goodies.

More can be discovers on the CMON blog

March 19, 2018

Hellboy Miniatures Game and Competition.

Anyone who know me or had read this in the past will know I am a fan of the Mantic Games‘ The Walking Dead miniatures game. So it fills me with glee to see Mantic turning their hand to another licence. In this case HELLBOY.

With the reveal of their first miniature, the red handed demon monkey himself Mantic have also started a competition to win a Hellboy Miniature.

From their facebook page.

Today we’re delighted to unveil the first miniature from the upcoming Hellboy game! Also, we’ve got a great community contest for you to get involved in.

Would you like to paint one of the pre-production Hellboy miniatures? Just comment below with a pic of your best painted Mantic miniature (it has to be Mantic so we can share the results) by March 29th and we’ll choose our favourite to receive a resin Hellboy to paint (and keep) ahead of the Kickstarter launch. What are you waiting for? Get painting!

Mantic Games Hellboy Miniature Prototype

The news of Mantic’s Hellboy project reached us on the 5th January this year:

Mantic Games is pleased to announce it has entered into a licensing partnership with Dark Horse Comics for the worldwide rights to produce a game set in Mike Mignola’s inspirational Hellboy comic book universe.

The Hellboy board game will be a co-operative experience in which players face off against some of the comic’s most famous foes. Up to four people take control of iconic BRPD members, such as Hellboy, Abe Sapien and Roger the Homunculus, before exploring gothic locations and uncovering ancient artifacts.

The project is due to hit Kickstarter in April 2018. (and we cannot wait).

The Hellboy board game will be developed at Mantic by Mantic’s own (and formerly Games Workshop’s) James M. Hewitt. James’ previous gaming development credits include DreadBall, Necromunda 2017, Blood Bowl 2016, Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower and Horus Heresy: Betrayal at Calth. So he is no stranger to developing engaging games.

“The thought of sinking my teeth into the BPRD’s adventures and reimagining them for the tabletop… well, that sounds more fun than a monkey with a gun. This is a great chance to make a narrative-led game that mixes big, loud action with a wry sense of humour. I can’t wait!”

— James M. Hewitt January 2018.

March 17, 2018

New Science Fiction TV Channel in UK

Why A New SciFi TV Channel?

With the HUGE amount of choice for our screens a little curated content is still desired. Yes the on demand services (Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and their ilk) are great, but still lack that communal feel of people watching the same program at the same time allowing for a watercooler moment in discussion or a live discussion via social media during. A channel showing a consistent level of content with a specific target in mind that people can either follow all day, or dip into at specific times during the day knowing that they will be entertained or informed about things that are of interest to them.

What Is It About?

Obviously being to afford the likes of Star Trek, Doctor Who et all would be well beyond the first stage of this new UK SciFi Channel. But there are a lot of classic shows that have widely been ignored by the likes of (UK) Netflix and Amazon Prime.

I have a fairly specific timetable of shows in mind

Weekdays

Morning

10am – 12 noon
– well no one is up before 10am are they? then are they? This time of day would see a mix of ‘Daytime TV’ classics. Top, Sci-Fi tie in epoisodes of lifestyle programs like Pawn Stars, Toy Hunter, Auction Hunters etc.

Noon to 1pm
You have got to have your lunch time news. Pulled from the entertainment section and relayed by a mixture of the best Scifi vloggers and news and interviews from the producers themselves.

Afternoons

1pm to 3pm
Classic afternoon drama. Favouring TV programs like The Prisoner, Blakes 7, The Survivors, Randle and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Invisible Man (David McCullum version)

3pm to 5pm
Childrens TV. Starting with classics like He Man, Classic Spider-Man and Hulk, along with 1990s X Men. And a good dose of Gerry Anderson Supermarionation with Captain Scarlet Sting Ray and Joe 90 leading the pack. This would be followed with more drama, a mix of things like Chockey, Kappatoo, Archers Goon, Demon Headmaster, Dark Season and the often excellent Australian childrens SciFi dramas like Girl From Tomorrow.

5pm to 6pm
Tea Time Game Show.
Obviously we are not talking the likes of ‘Tipping Point’ or ‘Pointless’ (though there might be place for Scifi themed celebrity specials). But we are talking about things like Go 8 Bit from DAVE and our first possible original production of a comedy scifi panel show. Possibly a reboot of the 1997 TV Game Show Space Cadets starring Greg Proops, Bill Bailey and Craig Charles.

Evenings

6pm to 9pm

Evening Drama. Ideally would be programs like The Prisoner, Sapphire and Steel, The X Files, Buffy The Vampire Slayer etc. More likely though would be a mix of quality web series like Cops And Monsters.

9pm to Close

Evening Movie – would be a movie with Science Fiction connections, from the 50s, 60s and 70s ( inclusing the likes of Ray Harry Hausen, Hammer and Amacus) a big splash of the 1980s scifi movies and other cult movies up to the present day.

Saturdays

The weekends would have a different feel to the week, though blocks of the same sort of programs may appear.

Possibly starting even later on a Saturday. Firstly – classic Saturday Morning cartoons, Dungeons and Dragons etc.

This would be followed by an omnibus of the weeks news and comment.

After noon game. This would be a table top game coverage. Either of particular Tournaments or events or a full 2 hour battle rep from one on the amazing Table Top gaming youtubers like Ash Barker, The BattleHammer, Beasts Of War or T&G Productions

Following that there would be highlights and results from events all around the country.

In the evening there would be family drama (The A Team anyone?) and a movie.

Ideally there would be another original production in the 7-9pm slot with a family friendly TV show. Hard not to say things like SciFi takes on Saturday Night Takeaway or The Generation Game.

Sundays.

Sports in the morning, though we are not talking the likes of Trans World Sports (from the 90s) or Ski Sunday.

Sundays would be a day of eSports action.

For those not in the know, eSports refers to competitive Video Games. As with the table top aspect there are a huge number of events to be covered and there are tousands of Twitch and Youtube games that pull in thousands of viewers.

A personal preference would be to see Go8Bit’s Steve McNeil host a show that pulled in both his own twitch streams and introduces the best of the rest.

Afternoon would be a similar though incorperate the worlds of Cyber Sports and other geekery events. This would be thinks like Drone Racing. Robo Sports and most importantly Robot Wars (which we have just found out has lost it’s home at the BBC).

Conclusion?

So this is just bunch of random thoughts. Something I would love to see done, but even on relying on Youtubers, repeats and other low cost content provision would be a much more demanding bill that I would hope to raise using Crowd Funding.

Setup costs would obviously include equipment, broadcast licence, legal fees, program acquisition, staffing, etc.

A (very) brief look at the state of independent TV in the UK shows very few real independent TV channels, as often even the niche channels are owned by much bigger companies.

I would be interested to know an ballpark figure on what this would cost – I will update this post if I ever get any further in looking.

I would also be interested in your thoughts on this. You can send them to @scifind on twitter.

Featured Image Credit.

Tina Rataj-Berard

February 7, 2018

Deadpool, Meet Cable – Deadpool 2 Trailer is Here.

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfil his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavour – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

February 7, 2018

Achtung! Cthulhu Video Game

Introducing a narrative Turn-Based Strategy game with strong RPG elements set in the Achtung! Cthulhu universe

7th February, 2018: The allied powers of tabletop star Modiphius, indie publisher extraordinaire Ripstone and veteran strategy game developer Auroch Digital have announced they are marshalling their collective forces to will bring the award-winning Achtung! Cthulhu tabletop series to PC, in their new video game: Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics – The Forest of Fear, later this year.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics – The Forest of Fear is a World War II themed strategic role-playing game in which the Nazis have turned to other-worldly beings to bolster their war effort. In this universe, the Nazi’s well-known obsession with the occult has yielded results, with their discovery that the creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos are real. Thus begins ‘The Secret War’ where covert allied operators fight desperate battles against an unholy alliance of Nazi science and Mythos sorcery. Featuring Shoggoth-powered Panzers, HMG-armed investigators, mutated Nazi super soldiers, secret bunkers filled with mysterious research and alien artifact-powered wonder weapons – Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics – The Forest of Fear has it all!

Achtung! Cthulhu originally debuted five years ago as a Kickstarter project by the then nascent Modiphius. It smashed its original funding goal many times over and has expanded to a wide range of tabletop products including expansions to the RPG, a skirmish miniatures game, novels, audio dramas, and multiple crossovers with other licenses. It has wowed critics as well as players with its sweeping apocalyptic narrative arc and inventive monstrous creations, winning multiple awards since its release.

Tomas Rawlings, Chief Commander at Auroch Digital has released a statement only recently broken by the boffins at Bletchley Park, “It’s a real honor to work alongside Modiphius and Ripstone on what will be a premium Cthulhu-mashup. Having worked with the Ripstone team before back in the PlayStation 3 days, together we made amazing strategy games, and I’m confident history will repeat itself!”

Find it now on Kickstarter

February 6, 2018

Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell – Trailer

Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) and his son Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) find themselves up to their ears in Graboids and Ass-Blasters when they head to Canada to investigate a series of deadly giant worm attacks. Arriving at a remote research facility in the arctic tundra, Burt begins to suspect that Graboids are secretly being weaponized, but before he can prove his theory, he is sidelined by Graboid venom. With just 48 hours to live, the only hope is to create an antidote from fresh venom — but to do that, someone will have to figure out how to milk a Graboid!