It looks like we will be getting a sequel to the Frank Miller blockbluster, 300. Rise of an Empire is scheduled for release in March of next year.
The events of this movie appear to take place not long after the first film.

Let us know what you think of this first glimpse in the comments!

In true Castlevania fashion, you’ll fight huge bosses. Unfortunately, the graphics are a bit too small and dark on the GBA screen (although this is an issue that was rectified in later portable Castlevania titles). Even with this oversight, the game is still worthy of its console brethren, and it became the first of the portable ‘Metroidvania’ games. If Nintendo adds Game Boy Advance games to the 3DS virtual console, this game should be among the first entries.

When we first started this podcast, we thought the DLC Apocalypse would be a generation or two off, but if Microsoft has its way (and Sony decides to follow suit next week at E3), it’ll be a lot sooner than anyone wanted. Any gamers, anyway. Microsoft seems pretty happy to keep us in the dark (or they did until the day before this podcast was posted). With disc DRM and a persistent internet connection prevalent on everyone’s minds — even leading to Adam Orth leaving the company — you’d think Microsoft’s messaging would be more on-target. Now they won’t even answer press questions before or after their E3 events. What’s going on? In what world does this make sense? Vinnk is back to discuss with Sean the the consequences of having an unclear PR strategy, holding things too closely to the figurative chest, hanging gamers out to try. We also decide to let loose with a few Famicom Dojo announcements of our own, including a Kickstarter for a Season 2 Blu-ray and DVD, a new YouTube channel, and plans for the video series this year in the 30th Anniversary of the Famicom. Plus, the actual pronunciation of “Tengen”!

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/76

“RPG” theme song by the Imari Tones:
http://imaritones.net

Bring home your own copy of the Famicom Dojo Season 1 DVD today:
http://famicomdojo.tv/store/fdojos1.php

A brand new trailer has surfaced again for Man Of Steel. Strangely this one comes from Nokia.

This is by far the best trailer I have seen yet. It is almost entirely action and very quickly paced. It still seems a bit odd, though, that no where in the marketing for this movie has the name “Superman” once been uttered.

Henry Cavill is starring as Clark Kent/Superman.
Man of Steel is set to premiere in the US theaters on June 14, 2013.

Let us know what you think of the trailer in the comments!

Gears of War demonstrates everything that we loved about this generation of consoles. Epics’s trilogy bought us an Original IP that was created from the ground up, innovative gameplay, and visuals that push the console’s abilities to the limit. Gears of War 3 is a great end to a great trilogy of games.

I don’t get stupidly excited about very many games any more, but I sure am stupidly excited about the upcoming sequel to the hit game, Plants vs Zombies. Set for a worldwide release on July 18th, the game will be exclusive to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. I am really hoping that this exclusivity is only a limited time deal, as many fans have none of those devices.

The game has apparently been completely rebuilt “as a live service”. It is not clear if that means you will need a constant internet connection to play. Game levels will feature all new settings from both the past and future. Apparently, where we are going, we don’t need lawns!

Let us know if you are excited in the comments!

[Source]

After only two appearances as a panelist, our very own Justin Severson has already been asked to fill Jim Louderback’s host seat for this week’s episode of downLOADED on Revision3′s The Tech Feed.

Justin is joined by Seth Rosenblatt of CNET and Liz Gannes of AllThingsD to discuss the mixed reception that the fourth, Netflix-only season of Arrested Development has gotten, and what that could mean for Netflix, and also address headier topics such as the government’s habit of serving individuals and companies being served with National Security Letters, and how Google is fighting back.
 

Have you been following Justin’s adventures on downLOADED? Or have you been watching the new season of Arrested Development with rapt attention — possibly all in one sitting? Leave a comment below!

Because it’s not already confusing enough that Nintendo has two barely-different SKUs out there in most territories, Nintendo of Japan will be releasing a white variation of their 32 GB Premium Wii U model on July 13th of this year.

Everything from the original premium set that was black is now white, with the exception of the GamePad stand and charging cradle.

While for now the Premium and Basic sets will both be available at retail, one hopes this would mean the eventual end of the Basic model altogether so that the only choice you would have to make when buying a Wii U is what color it is.

At least we know it doesn’t charge you to play used games.

Hopefully moves like this are forthcoming in Europe and North America.

Source: [Nintendo.co.jp]

Do you want to see a white Deluxe Wii U set in the US, and the end to the Basic set? Do you even want a Wii U? Already go black and wish you could go back? Leave a comment below!

Last week, Microsoft unveiled their next-generation gaming console, controller, and name. While the “XBONE” jokes are already flying, more is being made of what Microsoft didn’t say at this event than what they did say. (Or did. Or showed.) Which is kind of too bad, because even amongst the crazier ideas (e.g. cloud computing), there were some pretty cool concepts. Oh, and that whole pesky “used games” and “always online” messaging fiasco. Sean welcomes guests Zac Shipley (No Topic Required) and Justin Severson (Powet.TV) to talk about these missteps, try to focus at least a little bit on the positive aspects of the presentation, and speculate about Microsoft’s endgame in the console space, and if the Xbox One will really be “the one”, final console that Microsoft will ever make.

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/75

“RPG” theme song by the Imari Tones:
http://imaritones.net

Bring home your own copy of the Famicom Dojo Season 1 DVD today:
http://famicomdojo.tv/store/fdojos1.php

If you missed Justin’s maiden voyage on the good ship downLOADED, you can see it here. Or, if you’re more of a Bob Suicide fan, you can also check out her second appearance on downLOADED below.

Alternatively, if 30 minutes wasn’t enough, you can hear Justin talk some more about Xbox One where he joins Zac Shipley (@ZacShipley) and SeanOrange (@SeanOrange) on this week’s Famicom Dojo Podcast!

 

Basically Dr. Wily for whatever reason decides to replace the soccer players on the field with his robot masters. How this is supposed to aid him in world domination is anyone guess. I suppose he’s trying to make his mark in the sports world, creating a Vince-McMahon style monopoly. Maybe after he got done with soccer, he can launch his own football league, a’la the XFL. Anyway, Mega Man decides to meet him on the field. Thanks to Dr Light’s tech, he is able to replicate himself enough times to form a team which leads me to wonder why Light didn’t do this in the first place when Wily started showing his ass. Think about how much easier the next Mega Man game would be is Mega Man faced Wily with an army of similarly powered robots.

You’ll face the robot masters in a series of matches. After you beat their team, you gain the robot master as a player. Each player has a special shot they can use, and these add variety to the game. There is also tournament and league play available, but I can’t see anyone wanting to stick with this game long enough to enjoy them. The gameplay is horrible, and after a few minutes with it, you’ll long for a real Mega Man game. Look on the bright side, this could have been Street Fighter basketball or Resident Evil boxing.

EA has thrown its stake in the ground, and determined that it does not need or care to support Nintendo on the Wii U. No Frosbite engine, no current development on Wii U, and a senior developer who openly tweeted that Nintendo’s console platform was “crap”. So much for that “unprecedented partnership”! Vinnk and Sean make the obvious comparisons to Dreamcast (which was the last console EA totally shut out), speculate on the future of proprietary, company-branded game console hardware, and try to determine if Nintendo even needs EA in this generation… or any other.

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/74

“RPG” theme song by the Imari Tones:
http://imaritones.net

Bring home your own copy of the Famicom Dojo Season 1 DVD today:
http://famicomdojo.tv/store/fdojos1.php

Announced on April fool’s day, and too awesome to be fake, Blood Dragon is a standalone expansion to Far Cry 3 that’s a homage to 80s sci-fi. Completely and utterly batshit insane, Blood Dragon does not require the base game of Far Cry 3 nor do you have to have played it in order to enjoy this expansion (of course the FC3 base game isn’t a bad either).

Instead of whiny ass Jason Brody, you get to play as the badass Mark IV cyber-commando Sgt Rex Power Colt, who is voiced by Michael Beihn (Aliens, Terminator). Your mission is to stop an evil cybernetic madman and his cyborg army in post-apocalyptic year of 2007. If you’ve played Far Cry 3 already, then most of the mechanics will seem familiar. You’ll retake outposts, shoot weapons (although thankfully you don’t have to hunt down deer to craft a bigger holster), make use of stealth takedowns, and upgrade your skills (although Blood Dragon’s tech tree is a bit simplified compared to FC3). However, everything from the graphics to the audio has received a facelift. The graphical style is dark purple with vivid bright neon lights, a Far Cry (he he) from the bright tropical paradise of FC3. The sound track, performed by electronica duo Power Glove (not to be confused with the equally awesome Powerglove, which performs cover versions of video game and cartoon themes), and available on iTunes is a synth-powered masterpiece that reeks of 80s sci-fi. The cutscenes resemble 16-bit video games. The entire game takes jabs at 80s culture, and other video gaming conventions, even tutorials.

Then there are the titular blood dragons. These huge beasts roam the land and are similar to Bioshock’s Big Daddies. You can lure them towards enemy outposts and let them take out enemies, similar to the wild animals in FC3. Of course you’ll also have to do battle with these big fearsome creatures as well. The game is chock full of homages to everything from 80s arcade games, to movies, and even other UbiSoft games. If you’re a fan of 80s culture, or simply want a game that’s fun, check out Blood Dragon. It’s got a short length, but it’s antics won’t leave a dry eye in the house by the time you’re finished with it.

Watching the Xbox One unveiling, one could be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft doesn’t seem to see itself as a games publisher, or the Xbox One as a gaming console. During the event, Microsoft made a big deal about how the company wanted to change the way gamers related to their TVs, but said nothing about wanting to change their relationship with game retailers as well.

It is passing strange that Microsoft is working so hard to lock down access to their games on the secondary market, when little has been announced to make Xbox One games stand apart from its next-gen competitors — or even the previous generation — to warrant such a paradigm shift.

There was no announced 4k or 8k television support; all three next-generation consoles are locked into the 1080p HD spec.

The Kinect is far more sensitive (and mandatory) than the original Xbox 360 peripheral, but apart from demonstrating how it can recognize your voice to log into your GamerTag, navigate the system menu, and switch between apps, nothing was said regarding how it would change the way people would play actual games.

Call of Duty: Ghosts has realistic dirt-under-fingernails graphics and bruise physics, but is it enough to make a game disc worthless immediately after you’ve opened it?

Wired got the scoop confirming rumors that the Xbox One will make installation of games to the hard drive mandatory. We made an educated guess on the Famicom Dojo podcast that this would be a mechanism by which Microsoft could restrict used games. Wired (and later Kotaku) confirmed this as well: new games will come with a code that needs to be authenticated against the Xbox Live service to authorize play.

Other GamerTags on the same console can access the game, similar to how Xbox Live Arcade games work on the Xbox 360, but (also like XBLA) if you install the game on another console you can only play it while the original GamerTag is present. That is, unless the owner of the other system is willing to pay full retail price for their own authorization key.

Microsoft also revealed to Kotaku after the unveiling that reselling your game license (and perhaps the disc itself) is possible through the Xbox Live, but did not give any details. Presumably this will be the only way to get a discounted price on a “used” game, as the price through Xbox Live seems like it will always be the MSRP.

The immediate effect is that there is no value to the disc itself, so reselling outside of Microsoft’s official channels becomes infeasible. Who would pay even one penny for the disc if they still have to pay full retail price for an installation key? That in turn will completely collapse the secondary market, leaving large resellers like GameStop completely out of the loop. While it’s possible that Microsoft has cut a deal with such companies to participate in this little-explained reseller program, without details this can only remain in the realm of speculation.

(It’s worth noting that in light of the Xbox One announcements today, Sony stock jumped almost 10%, and GameStop stock dropped over 5%.)

What effects will this have on a market where consumers sell their games to fund the purchase of new ones? What about game rentals; will there be a licensing scheme for indefinite rental services such as GameFly?

Over the long term, this leads to the likelihood that the Xbox One will be valueless as a collector’s item unless Microsoft tiers its pricing structures, or phases out particular titles as part of the authorization process over the life of the console. Even then, there will come a time when Microsoft’s servers are shut down. No “new” game can be authorized for play, and the games that are programmed to use Windows Azure services will cease to function at all. Oh yes, and if you saved any of your own game data on the cloud, that will be gone forever too.

Perhaps a way out is that the x86 CPU architecture has been around for a very long time, and future consoles and games could be indefinitely compatible with it. That means your games and authorizations can stay with you from console to console, in which case Microsoft positioning itself as more of a gaming services company rather than a console manufacturer or games publisher might pay off.

Until then, the market should bear out of this is a good business move. After all, they have at least one competitor (and probably two) not doing any such thing with their games.

Should Microsoft have included this news directly as part of the Xbox One reveal? Will you be getting a console anyway? Will you be investing in a PS4 or Wii U instead? Leave your comments below!

Before being outsourced to other developers and turned into a first person shooter, Metroid was one of Nintendo’s most celebrated franchises of both the 8 and 16-bit era. Come to think about it, it’s still one of Nintendo’s most celebrated franchises even after being outsourced to other developers. Its exploration heavy gameplay has made it a hit among gamers, and its heroine Samus Aran is one of the most recognizable female protagonists in gaming. Super Metroid represented the series at its best.

Super Metroid takes place after Metroid 2. After the adventure on the Metroid’s home planet, Samus finds a lone hatch-ling. Taking it back a research colony, the scientists discover that it can be used to benefit humanity. However, the facility is attacked by space pirates who steal the Metroid hatch-ling. After the space station has been blown up, it’s back to Zebes to pursue them. You’ll explore a vast network of underground caverns, derelict spacecraft, and other regions on the planet. In true Metroid fashion, you’ll collect powerups which help you access other sections of the planet. You’ll encounter some huge bosses. Kraid in particular is a mammoth which takes up several screens. The music and atmosphere is dark, moody, and reminiscent of sci-fi films, particularly Alien.

I could tell you more about the game, but there is too much that was awesome about this classic title. It’s 16-bit SNES gaming at it’s finest, and elements of it’s style of gameplay have showed up throughout several other titles such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, La Mulana, and even Batman Arkham Asylum. If you haven’t played this game yet, then you need to do so. It’s only 30 cents on the Wii U Virtual Console for a limited time, so download it, play it, love it.

Anyway, back to the game. Doctor Doom has teamed up with Hydra and a number of other villains to gain control over the cosmic cube. Naturally it’s up to Marvel’s pantheon of heroes to stop it. After signing up for my account and downloading the game’s 10 gigabyte client, I jumped right into the game, choosing Scarlet Witch as my first character. There is a breakout at the raft, so naturally that was the first mission/tutorial. The game is pretty simple to pick up and play. One power is on the left mouse button, a secondary is on the right, and you can assign other powers that your character unlocks on one of the hotkeys. After making may way through the raft, bumped into Green Goblin, which was a randomly spawned event boss. Defeated him gave me a special medal my character could equip for stat boosts. Finally, I encountered the Living Laser. After making quick work of him, I was sent back to Avengers Tower.

At Avengers tower, I could regroup, purchase new items from one of the many SHIELD agents, meet other players, and have Henry Pym and Wonder Man craft materials for me. It was kind of weird seeing two Iron Men, three Captain Americas, and even a few Wolverines wandering around. Even without the other players, Avengers Tower was a pretty active place with the NPCs around. Ben Urich was interviewing Jewell, Jarvis was there, and Valkyrie was handing out on the balcony just to name a few. I opened the in-game store to check things out. Gazillion gave players some credits to spend on items, so I purchased Spider-Man, Captain America, Cyclops, and the Punisher along with some costumes.

After talking with Maria Hill, it was out to Hell’s Kitchen. Apparently Rhino and Shocker were trying to rob a bank, and Shocker was still on the loose. I started out on a rooftop where I could buy items from Misty Knight. If I was KOed during the mission, I could either be transported back here or wait for another player to revive me. When I hit the streets, I seen several players battling Electro, who is an event boss. I had to team up with the other players there to take him down as he was very tough. Also, I would randomly activate a side missions in which I would either have to defend a police barricade, take out a group of gang members, or take out some arsonists. While it was my choice whether or not to fight them, doing so yielded rewards. I also came across a door, which led to the offices of Gazillion Entertainment, which was under siege by the Hand. The ninjas wanted to be portrayed in a more positive light in their games, so they attack the developers. Yeah, that’ll make a good impression. Then again, why the hell would anyone set up shop in Hell’s Kitchen anyway? After taking them out (and dying several times in the process), I earned a bundle of exp, items, and currency. After collecting my spoils, it was off to the subway to fight Shocker.

The subway was full of Maggia goons, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle (all my characters were level 3 by that point). After making my way to Shocker, I defeated him. Phil Coulson informed me that Doc Ock was trying to steal an ancient tablet from the Kingpin, and Gambit was waiting for me in the nightclub district. I decided then and there to back out for the time being, although I’ll be sure to return on launch day, even if I have to start from the beginning.

When players first enter the game, it might remind them of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and it doesn’t seem to move too far away from that game’s design. Of course you’re controlling a single hero instead of a group, but you can team up with other players that you come across. While there are many standard MMORPG features, this game has more in common with Diablo than DC Universe or Champions Online. You’ll find yourself grinding, picking up a lot of loot, and reselling it while building your character’s powers. There are a lot of different characters and a lot of different options for play, whether you want to work on your favorite character or assemble a whole team of them. You can switch between characters at anytime, although it takes a few seconds to switch, and you can’t be attacked during the switch. With more content coming post-launch, this game could be a fun diversion for Marvel fans looking for a new gaming experience. The game launches the first week of June. To learn more about it, check out the official site here.

There’s a pretty crazy fan theory going around about Robb Stark’s wife on Game of Thrones called “The Lannister Honeypot”. Since the HBO series is sufficiently different from the source material, the theory is plausible enough to be enticing.

But after watching an episode from the middle of this season’s How I Met Your Mother, I’m convinced “the Lannister Honeypot” is utterly bunk.

It’s been a pretty busy 2013, so I haven’t been keeping up on my “popcorn” TV. How I Met Your Mother is fun and good for a laugh, but it’s the kind of show I don’t queue up until I’ve blown through all my new episodes of Doctor Who, Community, Once Upon a Time, and — yes — Game of Thrones. With the regular TV season ending, I find I have more time for these other shows. What I saw absolutely appalled me, and gave me some clarity on where Game of Thrones probably isn’t heading.

(WARNING: How I Met Your Mother and Game of Thrones spoilers follow!)

…

…

(Okay, we good?)

…

…

(Good. Spoilers ahead.)

It was revealed last season on HIMYM that Robin is Barney’s bride “…a little ways down the road”, the wedding that is the crux of how this series will end in 2014. So all we need to do is to catch up to that moment, presumably with Barney’s proposal to Robin being a big moment for Season 8. And it was. And it filled me with rage.

It filled Robin with rage, too. Barney had a playbook of cons he would pull on women to get them into bed, decided to made a big production of burning that playbook to impress his “girlfriend” (not Robin), and finally presented his proposal to her as a 16-step “final chapter” in that book called “The Robin”.

It was presented as something sweet and sincere; Barney’s smirking, self-satisfied look rather than feeling cowed at Robin’s rage indicates that the audience was supposed to be on his side. But I was just as mad as Robin. Angrier, even. Her reaction was entirely justified, but when he actually pops the question, all that anger just melted away, and she said yes.

WAT.

I realize this is a sitcom, and these characters are more cartoons than real people. Why else would Patrice agree to pretend to date Barney with the flimsy excuse that “I love Robin! I would do anything to make her happy!”? It’s not even that Patrice, well-established as being a few screwdrivers short of a toolbox, could think that this is a good idea or would even work. It’s not that the writers didn’t think out the implications for viewers who might actually be invested in the Barney/Patrice relationship for personal reasons, only to have Robin’s suspicions justified on the grounds of Patrice’s appearance, attitude, and her overbearing prejudice towards Patrice. It’s not even that one might expect Patrice to be a bit less unflappable when Robin showed up at Barney’s place in lingerie, or when Robin almost fired Patrice from her job in a jealous rage.

It’s that it’s just so ridiculous, and so many things had to go just right that were out of Barney’s control, that these sorts of things could only have worked in a popcorn comedy. (Despite my opinion that it shouldn’t have worked even then.)

Which is why I think the Lannister Honeypot theory about about Talisa’s true motivations and loyalties on Game of Thrones must be absolute bunk, because a pragmatic control freak like Tywin Lannister would never depend on it for success.

Full disclosure: I’ve read all the way up through A Dance With Dragons, the fifth in the Song of Ice and Fire series of novels by George R. R. Martin that serves as the basis for the HBO Game of Thrones TV series. (The current season largely follows the third book.) So I know that the show has decided to change a few details, not the least of which is the name, background, and motivations of Robb Stark’s wife. I also know that coming up this season is some pretty heavy stuff, and that Robb is right at the center of it.

Talisa declaring in the most recent episode (The Bear and the Maiden Fair, written not coincidentally by George R. R. Martin) that she is pregnant is another significant departure from the books that likely limits her story in two ways: she dies, or a fan theory about Jeyne Westerling (Robb’s wife from the books) and her secret pregnancy is true. The fact that George R. R. Martin is the one who wrote the episode could lend credence to the Jeyne theory, as any potential resolution to has not yet seen print.

But there’s also a third, even crazier theory that Talisa is actually a Lannister spy, and not from GuildfordVolantis after all. Supporting this idea are some facts: we know someone from within Robb’s camp is sending notes about his movements to Tywin Lannister, who has been unable to beat Robb on the battlefield. Is the spy Talisa? We have seen her writing letters to recipients unknown — the most recent being supposedly to her mother back in Volantis. Assuming she even has one!

While holed up in Harrenhal back in Season 2, Tywin declared that Robb will not fail “without our help”. What does that mean, exactly? Possibly that Robb’s marriage to Talisa explicitly broke his agreement with Walder Frey (back in Season 1) that Robb shall marry one of the old Lord’s daughters in exchange for crossing his bridge at the Twins to march on King’s Landing and save Eddard Stark from a nasty beheading. (That didn’t go so well.) And now we have an angry-ish Walder Frey demanding that Robb’s uncle be married to a Frey girl instead. Was Talisa sent to the war’s front lines in order to seduce Robb into breaking his vows?

Giving credence to this idea is some scant evidence in the Storm of Swords novel that Jeyne Westerling’s parents (who are Lannister bannermen), specifically her mother, put her up to the marriage with Robb in order to do just that. If true, making her counterpart Talisa an active spy instead of a clueless pawn isn’t much of a stretch.

However, the idea that this could ever possibly work is completely insane, as the Barney/Robin debacle informs us. It means that Tywin Lannister sent Talisa to the front lines hoping she’d catch Robb’s eye, successfully seduce him, and then… what, exactly? She claims she’s pregnant with his child, and an heir to the King in the North is definitely not in Tywin’s best interests — especially with Sansa Stark’s pending marriage to his son Tyrion. Or perhaps at this point, Talisa is no longer of use to him, and this pregnancy (if real) is of no consequence.

The trouble is, I want to believe this theory because it’s a crazy-huge betrayal potentially on par with the crazy-huge events that are about to go down at the end of this season. It’ll also be one that those of us who have read the books won’t see coming (unless we were paying attention), since we’re already convinced that we know everything that’s going to happen. Oh sure, there might be some minor variation here or other, but it’ll end up at the same point… right?

There is definitely a spy in the Stark camp, who will likely be revealed by the end of the season. Talisa might be another, but she’d be redundant. It’s more likely that she’s just a red herring until the real traitor is revealed. Regardless, the existence of such a possibility means I might actually be surprised for what comes next in Game of Thrones. That’s worth something at least.

See the entire Lannister Honeypot theory here:

What do you think? Leave your comments below!

…and cancels Whitney, the sophomore comedy that is partly to blame for Community’s late start, making Community and Parks and Recreation the only veteran comedies on the schedule next fall. The fourth season has proved the show can survive without Dan Harmon, but what will it be like without Chevy Chase?

5/6ths of the way to its tongue-in-cheek “Six Season and a Movie” goal, Community has beaten the odds — and a delayed season premiere — to come back again this fall, this time sans Pierce Hawthorne. Can the group survive? Will it even be mentioned? Maybe in the off-season, Pierce had a heart attack that wasn’t so fake this time?

Some credit to Community and its viewers for the apparent reverse-course by NBC: the finale showed a marked uptick in viewers, as well as tying American Idol for viewer in the 18-34 demographic.

Did you enjoy this season? Are you looking forward to the show returning this fall? Leave a comment below!

After a 10 year court battle between Neil Gaiman and Todd MacFarlane over the ownership of several characters, we are finally seeing the ramifications and fallout. Angela, a character created for the pages of Spawn (an Image comic), will make her debut in Marvel Comics in the final chapter of the Age of Ultron event currently playing out at newsstands and comic shops.

The lawsuit, started in 2002 by Gaiman, ended in a settlement at the start of 2012. It was clear that things were going in Gaiman’s favor as he won motion after motion and came out on top for several important rulings on other characters. In the end, the settlement left both men with 50% ownership of the Angela character. What we are seeing here is that it may have been a bit more specific than that. It could be surmised that Gaiman was awarded 100% ownership over the name and character, whereas MacFarlane got ownership over the look and design. This would explain the high-profile overhaul that Joe Quesada has given Angela.

Say what you will about Quesada as an editor, but the man was and will always be a great artist. I think the new design captures the character pretty well while dispensing with some of the goofier parts of her attire. After Ultron, she will be following Gaiman over to the Guardians of the Galaxy series with Brian Michael Bendis and art by the extremely talented Sara Pichelli.

Press Release after the jump

Marvel Reveals Joe Quesada’s All-New Look For ANGELA!
The Biggest New Heroine In Comics, Redesigned For Her Marvel Universe Debut!

New York, NY (May 9th, 2013)—She’s one of the biggest new characters to debut in the Marvel Universe in over 20 years, and today Marvel is proud to unveil your first look at ANGELA – redesigned by Marvel Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer & superstar artist Joe Quesada! Angela, created by New York Times Best Selling writer Neil Gaiman & industry icon Todd McFarlane, makes her dynamic debut into the Marvel Universe this June, in the star studded conclusion to the critically acclaimed event Age Of Ultron with Age Of Ultron #10!

“Angela is going to make her mark rather quickly. She’s going to hit the ground running and cut a large swath through the Marvel Universe – both literally and metaphorically,” explained Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer, Marvel Entertainment. “ We have huge plans for her, and the mystery of who she is and where she comes from is something I think Marvel fans are going to be blown away by. Actually, I know they will!”

However, Angela isn’t the only one making her way over to the Marvel Universe as Neil Gaiman makes his long awaited return to Marvel in over six years! Starting this July, Gaiman teams with blockbuster writer Brian Michael Bendis and fan favorite artist Sara Pichelli to take the angelic bounty hunter to the outer limits of the Marvel Universe in an all new arc starting in Guardians Of The Galaxy #5! Alongside Star-Lord, Iron Man, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Gamora & Groot – Angela must help the Guardians take down threats putting the galaxy at risk, showing why she’s one of the most feared women in the Marvel Universe!

“It’s no coincidence that Angela’s debut comes around a time when we’re reminding fans that there’s a reason we call the space our stories take place in, the Marvel Universe,” said Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief, Marvel Entertainment. “What Neil and Brian have planned for the character in Guardians of the Galaxy is going to definitely turn some heads, and nobody can miss where it goes from there!”

The arrival of Angela to the Marvel Universe marks one of the most important moments in comics history! With a major player like the fearless warrior making her presence known – no fan can miss how her debut impacts the Marvel Universe and beyond! It all begins in the universe shattering Age Of Ultron #10 in June, and continues in the hottest new book of the year, Guardians Of the Galaxy #5!

For more on Angela, Age of Ultron & Guardians Of The Galaxy, stay tuned to Marvel.com for more info!

Join the conversation on Twitter using #AgeOfUltron, and don’t forget to follow us at @Marvel[www.twitter.com/Marvel]!

AGE OF ULTRON #10 (APR130589)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by BRYAN HITCH, BRANDON PETERSON, CARLOS PACHECO, ALEX MALEEV, BUTCH GUICE, DAVID MARQUEZ & JOE QUESADA!
Cover by BRANDON PETERSON
FOC – 5/27/13, ON-SALE 6/19/13

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5 (MAY130589)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & NEIL GAIMAN
Pencils & Cover by SARA PICHELLI
FOC – 7/1/13, ON SALE – 7/24/13

It’s Star Trek the original series versus the JJ Abram Trek universe as Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto try to outdo each other in this automobile ad that has something for Star Trek fans of any stripe. More after the jump!

Of course, there’s the obvious (frequently painful) banter, styled as if they were both aboard the bridge of the Enterprise. And, while not 3D (wouldn’t that have been a nice touch?), the ad opens with Nimoy besting Quinto in a game of chess.

There are some blatant references to particular Star Trek films: their shared Star Trek (2009) feature, and also Wrath of Khan. But for the nerdier fans familiar with Nimoy outside of Trek, there’s also his Shatner-esque spoken word version of a verse from The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. Warning: it will get into your head!

YEAH.

And of course, this friendly feud ends with… well, I suppose that would be telling.

See more of Zachary Qunito as Spock in Star Trek into Darkness, coming May 17th.

See more of Leonard Nimoy pretty much whenever he feels like it, because being “retired” apparently doesn’t mean he won’t be in front of a camera from time to time.

Maybe you’ll see him at the next Hobbit movie premiere…

While opinions are mixed about the show, playing this game will make even the biggest supporter of Greenpeace put in money for Keystone XL pipeline. The power is your my ass.