ABC Unveils S.H.I.E.L.D’s Newest Character Deathlok

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  20 March  2014.

Way back when Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered we met a troubled, frustrated guy named Mike Petersen. Sixteen episodes later, Mike has made quite a transformation. Into Deathlok.

The new images released by ABC show Petersen’s (J. August Richards) Deathlok costume in full.

Petersen was first introduced as a part of the Centipede super solider program. He later switched sides and effectively joined up with Agent Coulson’s team before being blackmailed into handing Coulson over to the baddies. In a last act of heroism, Petersen tried to save the agent but was caught in an explosion, kidnapped by The Clairvoyant and converted into Deathlok via a robotic leg and an eye implant.

Personally, I’m thrilled that S.H.I.E.L.D. has kept Richards coming back as Petersen. I was disappointed to see him exit at the end of the pilot and this is a great role for the actor who is best known for his other Whedonverse character, Charles Gunn on Angel.

As for the state of the Deathlok costume, comic book fans may be dismayed to see a distinct lay of tech with IO9 saying, “He looks like an evil bounty hunter from a cheap sci-fi show from the ’70s.” Comics Alliance adds, “his costume looks a little bit like some leftover wardrobe from the Dune movie or a really fancied up seatbelt buckle,” but also points out, and I agree, that the costume is a step closer to the comics’ undead cyborg. Let’s remember that Petersen still has three of his four original limbs at this point. There’s plenty of time for the evolution to full cyborg, complete with a menacing red eye, later.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Deathlok episode will air April 1 on ABC. In addition to Richards’ return, the episode brings back Agents John Garrett (Bill Paxton), Antoine Triplett (B.J. Britt), Victoria Hand (Safron Burrows), Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández) and Felix Blake (Titus Welliver).

Adrian Pasdar To Bring Major Glenn Talbot To Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  14 March  2014.

Adrian Pasdar is bringing Major Glenn Talbot and his glorious moustache to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The studio recently announced the addition of Pasdar as a new thorn in the side of Agent Coulson and his team.

The famously mustachioed Talbot is Hulk-hater General Ross’ right hand man. Talbot frequently appears in the Hulk comics hunting the green rage monster and his Bruce Banner alter ego. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he won’t be engaging in his favorite pastime but he will remain, as Pasdar says, a “sanctimonious jerk.” The character is slated for one episode on the ABC show and Pasdar hinted there might be more.

“As willing as I am to jump when Jeph (Loeb, Marvel TV president) calls, there had to be a little bit more in it than just an episode for me,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t say much more but the mustache is in a locker and it’s being taken out and prepped as we speak for next week.”

Pasdar certainly knows a little something about supernatural powers. He played Nathan Petrelli on NBC’s Heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D. will hardly be Pasdar’s first outing with Marvel. He’s voiced Iron Man in several of the studio’s animated features.

His turn as Talbot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air in April on ABC.

IDW Launches ‘Kill Shakespeare’ Board Game on Kickstarter

Originally published on The Flickcast.  19 February 2014.

Friends, Shakespeareans, gamers, lend me your ears! IDW Games has launched aKickstarter campaign for a Kill Shakespeare board game, based on the graphic novel series.

With a goal of $25,000, Kill Shakespeare is the first joint venture between IDW Games and Pandasaurus Games. The campaign includes perks such as lithographs, posters, custom dice and of course the game itself, at a deeply discounted rate. Stretch goals are also in place to expand game content to include additional characters and quests.

The game itself is a semi-cooperative board game where players are one of Shakespeare’s heroes battling against his villains while completing quests from the Bard himself.



“We’re excited to give fans – both old and new – this early-bird opportunity to check out the board game,” Anthony Del Col, co-creator of the Kill Shakespeare comic series, said. “This is the first game from IDW Games, and we’re blown away by how amazing it’s shaping up to be – they’ve done a fantastic job of adding to our already-expansive world. We’re glad that this Kickstarter campaign will allow audiences to get copies before anyone else, and we look forward to hearing back from everyone throughout the campaign.”

Chief among the backer perks is the option for the first 250 people to get the game itself for $40, a $20 discount from the suggested retail price. Beyond that, backers can still get the game for at least $10 off SRP as well as additional content such as the full Kill Shakespeare comic series on digital download and a 22-page booklet, “The Art of Shakespeare.” A Deluxe version of the board game, packaged to look like a antique Shakespeare book with a leatherette case and gold foil, is also available.

“Kickstarter offers us a platform to truly connect with the fans,” IDW Games Director, Jerry Bennington, said. “We invite backers to take an in-depth look at the game we’re delivering and to comment on what we can do to deliver the best possible tabletop gaming experiences.”

Visit the Kill Shakespeare Kickstarter campaign to check out additional perks and details about the game.

Stan Lee Rules Day 2 Of Comikaze Expo 2013

Originally published on PopWrapped.  3 November 2013.

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2013 at the LA Convention Center is a menagerie of geeky interests. Now in its third year, the convention has plenty of room for comics and games alongside toys, animated features, films, and everything else under the nerd sun.

The man of the hour himself, Stan Lee, was on hand for quite a bit of programming on Comikaze’s second day, Saturday November 2. One of the new projects the legend has been involved in is Stan Lee’s Mighty 7, a combination of an animated series and movie trilogy as well as a monthly comic. Those lined up to lend their voices to the project were Armie Hammer, Christian Slater, Mayim Bialik, Teri Hatcher, Darren Criss, Sean Astin, Jim Belushi and Michael Ironside.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Also announced was Stan Lee’s Superhero Ball Wars, a series of iPhone and iPad game apps. Set on the planet Ballo, the action revolves around capturing or deflecting heroes and villains from Ballo as they fly towards your screen. An augmented reality version of the game has the player hold up their device to the sky to locate Ballo before beginning game play (you can also lock the screen to start without needing to find the planet). The apps will start being released next year.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Comic and film lovers were able to enjoy panels like “The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened.” The documentary’s maker, John Schepp, gave fans a taste of what to expect when the finished film comes out next summer. In a special Comikaze clip package, snippets of interviews with Superman Lives concept artists and other members of the production team show and speak about plans for the film. These included a version of legendary Superman adversary, Doomsday, as a dinosaur-alien created by Brainiac.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

Schepp also said he is in talks with two of the primary individuals involved with the cancelled 1998 film, such as Nicolas Cage, Kevin Smith or Tim Burton, but would not specifically reveal whom. Schepp hopes to premiere the film either at the Tribecca Film Festival, where he has been offered a spot, or at San Diego Comic-Con 2014.

Earlier in the day, Schepp showed the full Kickstarter-funded pilot of his animated show, Grimm Fairy Tales. An adaptation of the comic series, the 20-minute pilot was definitely R-rated with plenty of rough language, gore, and nudity. The creative team behind the episode is currently working on raising money and interest to continue making the show as a TV series or a standalone movie.

Photo by Stephanie Coats

No convention is complete without star power and cosplay and Comikaze had both. Topping the list of celebrities were Alyssa Milano, Edward James Olmos, Bruce Campbell and LeVar Burton. The stars of the Emmy award-winning web series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, were also on hand. Ashley Clements (Lizzie), Mary Katie Wiles (Lydia) and Daniel Vincent Gordh (Darcy) were joined by some of the series’ creative team for a packed panel Saturday afternoon.

Comikaze 2013 concludes its run Sunday, November 3.

Aspen Comics Announces 2013 Line-up: Lady Mechanika, Soulfire, and '10 for 10'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  7 Nov. 2012.

Fans of Aspen Comics will be excited to hear what the publisher has in store for 2013. At Long Beach Comic & Horror Con, Aspen announced new volumes for its popular titles Lady Mechanika and Soulfire are set to come out in the New Year. However, the biggest news is that in celebration of their 10th anniversary, Aspen will release a new comic every month starting in February and each comic will only cost a dollar. Yes, a single dollar.

First up in what Aspen is calling “10 for 10” is a new title, Legend of the Shadow Clan, which is a modern ninja tale. Other titles to follow include Shrugged Vol. 2, a new issue of Awaken Skies, Overtaken, and more. New volumes of Aspen’s series Executive Assistant: Assassins, Idolized, Homecoming, Broken Pieces, Fathom Kiani, Dead Man’s Run, and Zooniverse are also in the works. Last but not least, the company’s first novel, The Lost Spark by J.T. Krull (the creator of Soulfire), will be in stores this January.

Check out the cover for two of the “10 for 10” comics, Legend of the Shadow Clan and Shrugged Vol. 2 below and see what Aspen Comics already has available at http://aspencomics.com/books.html.