October 30, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Welcome to The All-New Tuesday Night Movies!

Welcome to the All-New Tuesday Night Movies! Sit down, make yourself at home. I hope you like what we’ve done with the place. After a few years hosting the site at Blogger, the opportunity arose to give the site a major face lift. Sadly, that meant leaving the familiar confines of Blogger behind.

But I think you’ll agree that this new site is a lot nicer! The new design is thanks to TNM contributor Dave Tomko, who graciously offered to give Tuesday Night Movies this major makeover. Posts will now be categorized and labeled with what they deal with, for example movies, television or comic books. Besides looking cooler and being friendlier to navigate, you can access the Tuesday Night Movies Facebook and Twitter pages straight from the homepage.

Also, you might have noticed The Store on the homepage. The Store takes you over to a curated showcase of some of our favorite things on amazon.com. If you plan on making any purchases at Amazon, please click over to Amazon through our Store link. You’ll find the same experience and prices as if you had go to Amazon yourself, and you’ll be helping keep Tuesday Night Movies around to provide you with movies and television reviews, convention reports and other fun stuff.

In the top navigation bar is a link to The Billy and Bryan Show podcast. I co-host a podcast! What? You didn’t know? It’s true! On the podcast, my co-host Bryan and I talk about a different topic each week, often with guests. We do a Top-5 list related to that episode’s theme every episode. You can download the podcast free on iTunes, or stream it from The Billy and Bryan Show page.

I’m hoping you enjoy the All-New Tuesday Night Movies!

Billy Henehan – Editor-in-Chief

October 30, 2013 by Dave Tomko

Arrow S2E1: “City of Heroes” – REVIEW

The last season of Arrow finished with a bang or more like a quake. Part of a devious plan, “The Undertaking” put into place by Malcolm Merlyn/The Dark Archer and a group of businessmen to level the Glades section of Starling City. The plan was partially successful despite Oliver Queen/The Hood/Arrow, Felicity Smoak, Detective Quentin Lance, and John Diggle’s efforts. It left Moira Queen incarcerated, the Glades in shambles, and Malcolm and his son Tommy dead along with over 500 civilians.

Within the first couple minutes we find out that Oliver Queen has blamed himself for not saving his best friend Tommy or the 500 other some odd dead people in the glades. And so like any emo 14 year-old who just broke up with his girlfriend or full grown super-hero, he exiles himself to his room to listen to Morrissey. Or in this case the island where he originally found himself spiritually and emotionally, Lian-Yu. And like any best friend or sidekick would, Felicity and Diggle venture to the island to shake him out of his funk. They’re all like dude everything sux now without you around. And they’re right. But Ollie is all like, hey I’m coming back but only as Oliver Queen guys not the Hood!

So non-Hood-Ollie returns to Starling City to find the Glades a mess. A new player, Isabel Rochev has purchased 40% of Queen Consolidated and is looking to purchase the last 10% to gain control of the company. A group called the Hoods co-opted Oliver’s look and are running around killing rich people. His mother, Moira is locked up in Iron Heights. Laurel Lance has taken a job at the DAs office and she has a new . Her father Quentin Lance has been demoted to a beat cop. Oliver’s sister Thea has been running his nightclub with Roy Harper which is above his “Arrow Cave” unbeknownst to them. Also, Roy is running around playing Hood Jr. in the Glades, which doesn’t make Thea very happy.

So Ollie comes back and takes care of all this stuff and by becoming the Hood again. The one difference is he won’t kill anymore. The show highlights this theme nicely with the fashbacks to the island that lead up to the first time he takes a life. The Hoods aptly illustrate how his mission can be skewed and taken off course. He decides he needs a new identiy and he stares at the Arrow.

It’s an okay jumping on point for new viewers. Definitely a strong start to the new season.

SPOILERS/NOTES/EASTER EGGS/COMIC CONNECTIONS

Below are notes and Easter eggs that will provide insight and connections to the comics that may spoil some future twists if you are not a comic book reader.

The news story on the TV screen when Ollie returns to Starling City gives us a hint of the character who will be coming to Arrow. The line, “In Central City, S.T.A.R. Labs’s particle accelerator will be finished by Christmas, ” is a nice way to set the stage for The Flash. S.T.A.R. Labs is a research facility that first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 (December 1971). It stands for Scientific and Technological Advanced Research. Barry Allen (The Flash) is a forensic scientist from Central City that gets struck by lighting while being dowsed in chemicals. This accident gives him the the power of super-speed. It think changing the chemicals to a particle accelerator is a good way to update the origin of Barry Allen. Barry first appeared in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956),

It’s also funny that Channel 52 where the news stories are being played is the name of the two page teaser comic in the back of DC Comics teasing what is to come in their new books.

Isabel Rochev played by the sexy Summer Glau comes straight from Green Arrow comic books. She was created by J.T. Krul and Diogenes Neves and first appears in Green Arrow vol. 4 #1 (August 2010). She is an adversary to Ollie’s that goes by the name of Queen. Born in Siberia, she lived a life of servitude in a diamond mine. When Oliver Queen’s father came to her village, she was inspired by the man, who she saw as a symbol of one’s inner power. She found him a great source of inspiration and vowed to make something of herself and rise from her humble status as a slave girl. She achieved this goal years later by purchasing stocks of Queen Industries and taking control of the company. This should be interesting.

In the last scene of the episode, Roy is fighting some street thugs in the Glades. He says he just ate a Big Belly Burger. This is a fast food restaurant in DC Comics that first Adventures of Superman#441 (June, 1988). He is helped out by a surprise vigilante. She is supposed to be the Black Canary. This is a big twist. The only Black Canary characters in the comic are Laurel and her mother. This must be a new take on the character. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.

Written by Dave Tomko. Check out Dave’s site, newearth2.com.

October 28, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Agents of SHIELD S1E5 – The Girl in the Flower Dress

Big things happen in the fifth episode of Agents of SHIELD. Centipede returns! Skye’s loyalty is seriously questioned!

Centipede has returned! You knew it was only a matter of time. Centipede not only returns, it also makes substantial progress in its Extremis-based super serum. Debbie, the Centipede scientist from the pilot episode is here in this episode. She definitely comes across as being lower in rank in Centipede than I originally thought, and I don’t think we’ll be seeing her character again in the future. Being engulfed in flames with do that to you.

“Okay, fine! You don’t have to call me Scorch!”

We’re introduced to two new important Centipede members this episode. Ruth Negga plays Raina, the episode’s titular character, the girl in the flower dress. Seriously, that’s all she ever wears. She seems to have gotten a bulk discount on the same dress in different colors. Raina definitely exhibits sociopathic tendencies in her emotionless handling of Scorch and Debbie. In the scene after the credits, Raina meets with a jailed Centipede member. At first it seemed like he was a higher up, but by the way Raina was talking to him, I get the feeling is mid-level at best. I don’t expect him to be in jail for long.

Someone likes floral prints.

Skye’s loyalty is called into question this episode, and for good reason. She lets a fellow Rising Tide hacker friend know that SHIELD is coming for him. She’s then caught in a compromising position by SHIELD in his apartment. Her betrayal hits both Coulson and Ward very hard. It’s hard to tell who it hits harder. Coulson gave her a fresh start by inviting her into SHIELD, despite Ward and May telling him it was a bad idea. And while Ward didn’t originally like or trust Skye, that’s definitely changed over the course of the season, with the two of them spending their downtime together playing Battleship at the beginning of this episode.

Battleship? Really, Coulson? Such a high tech plane and you couldn’t get some Catan or Ticket to Ride up in there?

There was no cameo by Nick Fury, Maria Hill or any of the Avengers this week, but viewers were presented with a just under a full two minutes of Skye in her bra and panties. I was surprised by how long she was shirtless in this scene. But if your goal is get people to keep their eyes on the screen and get returning views on Hulu and abc.com, this is one way to do it. Showing a bit of gender equality, Miles, Skye’s hacker friend/fuck buddy is shirtless for this entire scene as well. Random thought: Bearded Austin Nichols looks a lot like bearded Henry Cavill.

The special effects in this episode were top notch. I think the production values here were the highest they’ve been so far this season. With ABC now signed on for a full season, maybe the budget will be increased. If so, I expect the show’s effects will continue to improve.

What I really liked about this episode is that we’re shown that there are people out there with powers who SHIELD is keeping track of. It’s not all just weird artifacts and the Avengers.

The SHIELD agents are getting a week off next week. There’s no new episode until November 5^th. Looks like I’m watching Brooklyn 99 live this coming week.

October 25, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Brazilian Breakfast Club

This past summer, Bleeding Cool ran a story with the headline Get a Brazilian Breakfast With Ivan Reis and Joe Prado at NYCC. The article talked about an art book called Ícones dos Quadrinhos (Comic Book Icons) being crowdfunded on Catarse. Catarse is like a Brailian Kickstarter. The book sounded cool. It had illustrations by 100 different artists. Each of the artists drew one of their favorite characters from their childhood. One of the support levels included a “Brazilian breakfast” with Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, a hardcover copy of Ícones dos Quadrinhos and sketches from Ivan and Joe in the book. Needless to say, I was intrigued. Not only are Ivan and Joe two of my favorite artists in the comics industry, but at NYCC 2012 I helped thwart a big art theft at their tables. Also, for years I’ve wanted a Hal Jordan sketch by Ivan, but have never been able to get one. Here was my chance!

I jumped to support the project. The Brazilian Breakfast option was limited to 6 people, and I figured that with Bleeding Cool running this story, it would sell out quickly. The price looked steep initially at R$500, but thanks to the magic of exchange rates, R$500 at the time turned out to be only about US$210. I was the first person go for the breakfast option.

When Bleeding Cool posted about the project, it was in its final day of crowdfunding. I figured the breakfast (and sketches!) at NYCC would be too hard to pass up and the other five spots would sell out quickly. Because of this, I was very surprised when I checked back on Catarse throughout the day and saw that no one else had gotten in on what to me was a tremendous deal. Later that day, the crowdsourcing period ended, and I was the only one who had signed for the Brazilian Breakfast.

WHAT?!?

Seriously, how did not one other single person decide to get in on this? I cannot put into words how excited I was. Getting breakfast with Ivan, Joe and 5 other fans would have been cool. But just me? AWESOME.

When I told a friend my news, he asked “What’s a Brazilian breakfast entail?” I said I wasn’t sure. “It sounds like a weird sex act,” he said. “I think you just signed up for a 4-way with these guys,” he added.

Shortly before NYCC , Ivan Freitas Da Costa, the man behind Ícones dos Quadrinhos, got in touch with me to coordinate when and where we’d meet up for the Brazilian breakfast. As it turned out, the Brazilian in Brazilian breakfast referred to the company I’d be in, not the food (also, thankfully, not the sex act). We we agreed to meet at the Market Diner near the Javits Center at 8 AM on Thursday morning, the first day of NYCC. Because they were all operating on a tight schedule, Ivan Freitas Da Costa told me to get to the restaurant by 8 AM sharp. I arrived at 7:45.

Since I was the first one there, I grabbed a table for four. Shortly thereafter, Joe and the two Ivans walked in, along with two other guys. Looking at my four-man booth, I immediately thought we’re going to need a bigger boat. The two other guys turned out to be Daniel HDR and the Brazilain giant from the art theft story from last year, whose real name it is Breno Tamura. I’m glad Breno came to the breakfast, as he had become such a mythical figure in mind from the way he apprehended the thieves last year.

After we moved to a larger booth, sat down and introduced ourselves, I mentioned that I had met Ivan, Joe and Breno last year when I helped stop the theft at their table. The table erupted. Joe Prado exclaimed “I knew I recognized you when I walked in!” Joe, Ivan, Breno and I related the art theft story from our different points of view to the other guys at the table.

Ivan Freitas Da Costa presented me with my copy of Ícones. If I could only use two words to describe this book, they would be gorgeous and huge. The art is printed on thick, high quality paper and really pops off the page. Opposite the art is a text piece by each artist, presented in both Portuguese and English. The book really is big. It’s about the size of a DC Absolute Edition, which definitely helps show off the artwork inside. You can tell just by looking at it that it was a passion project. This book is very limited. If you can get your hands on one, I definitely recommend doing so.

The cover and slipcase to Ícones dos Quadrinhos. This book is gorgeous!

It was cool getting to hang out with all of these artists in such a casual environment. They’re a tight knit group, some of them having known each other for 20 years. Ivan Reis, Joe and Daniel told me the stories about how they each broke into the industry. I didn’t realize that Ivan Reis’s first pairing with Geoff Johns wasn’t at DC, but was at Marvel, during Geoff’s Vison limited series from 2002. It’s amazing to think this iconic pair has been working together for over 10 years now.

During breakfast, Ivan Reis drew a Green Lantern logo on a bottle of Tabasco and signed it. He then reached for the mustard and began doodling on that. Pretty soon, all the artists at the table were drawing comic book character faces on all of the creamers.

After everyone had drawn on something, Ivan Reis handed me a pen and said, “You do one.” I’m no artist, but I managed to draw a half-decent Spider-Man face on a creamer. Ivan Freitas Da Costa took a picture. He posted to Facebook that Ivan Reis was doodling on condiments at the Market Diner. No joke, less than 5 minutes later, two very fan boy looking dudes walked into the diner all wild eyed, spotted our booth and immediately sat in a booth near ours. I leaned over and said, “I think those guys are here for the condiments.”

The Legion of Super Condiments

Ivan, Joe, Ivan, Daniel and Breno are all super cool dudes. There was a lot of laughter at our table during our breakfast on the first morning of New York Comic Con. If you get a chance to meet these guys at a convention, do it. Each of them are awesome.

Ivan Reis signing his Astro Boy illustration in Ícones dos Quadrinhos.

After we finished a very good breakfast (thumbs up to the Market Diner’s Leo Omelette), and got back to chatting, Ivan and Joe each drew sketch for me in my copy of Ícones dos Quadrinhos. I asked Ivan for a Hal Jordan Green Lantern and Joe for a Hal Jordan Black Lantern.

As he was finishing up his sketch, Ivan pulled out a silver pen and began crosshatching in the background. Ivan then said, “3D cover!” We laughed. The two sketches by Ivan and Joe look amazing. They are on opposite pages and mirror each other. Ivan gave his Hal a word balloon that said “Thanks for saving my covers!” and Joe gave his Hal a word balloon that said “Thanks for the save, brother!”

As we left the diner, one of the guys in our group turned back and yelled “Those guys just grabbed the condiments!” Apparently, they didn’t even wait until we were all completely out the door before pouncing. Ivan Freitas Da Costa joked that we’re going to see “Ivan Reis Tabasco” on eBay. With a wry smile, I said, “They didn’t get the Tabasco.” I opened my sport coat to reveal the Tabasco bottle that has the ability to overcome great fear. There were howls of laughter. I’m glad I grabbed the Tabasco bottle on my way out of the diner, but I did feel weird about it. These were the guys whose artwork I stopped from getting stolen last year. Now I was showing off a purloined bottle of Tabasco in front of them.

If you’re the guy who took the Spider-Man creamer thinking it was drawn by Ivan Reis, sorry.

I walked the guys back to their hotel before heading back to Brooklyn to get ready myself. We were still hours away from NYCC officially opening to the public (though there were people lined up at that Javits that drizzly morning at 9 AM waiting for the doors to open at 3 PM). When we made our goodbyes, Joe asked if they’d see me at their tables. I said, “Of course!” I don’t know if you saw it, but the Brazilian artists basically took over the F aisle in Artist’s Alley this year. During the show, I started calling their row Brazil.

It’s funny how fate has linked me to Joe Prado and Ivan Reis over the past twelve months. From the art theft last year to breakfast this year, it feels like things have come full circle. Thank you Joe, Ivan, Ivan, Daniel and Breno. This breakfast really was the perfect start to my NYCC 2013.

Left to right: Ivan Freitas Da Costa, Daniel HDR, Joe Prado, Billy Henehan, Ivan Reis, Breno Tamura

October 18, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Agents of SHIELD S1E4 – Eye Spy

The episode begins with a group of men all wearing matching suits and red masks and all carrying steel briefcases boarding a train. A woman observes them and follows. This was a nice set-up. I feel like we, as an audience, are more likely to be suspicious of the men in the red masks. They definitely set off my inner “If you see something, say something.” But as it turns out, it was the lone, silent woman who we should have been on the look out for. Well played, SHIELD screenwriters.

I do question the sanity of the passengers who boarded the train with those masked men. Is there anything more suspicious than a group of men in asks carrying steel briefcases? I would definitely wait for the next train. Actually, I think I would go upstairs and hail a cab.

For the love of God, if you see something, say something!

Once SHIELD is assigned to the case, Agent Melinda May is given another compliment that further increases her bad ass quotient (She seems to average about one of these per episode). Coulson says he knew it had to be Akela behind these robberies. When May asks how he knew, he says he can think of only two people who can pull this off, and other one is on the plane with him. I’m really hoping we get to see May in full-on ass-kicking mode soon. I’m talking Wolverine in Uncanny X-Men #133.

I want Agent May to recreate the final panel of Uncanny X-Men #132 on an upcoming episode.

It’s interesting how adamant almost everyone on the SHIELD team is that telepathy and ESP don’t exist. I know Marvel’s merry mutant movies aren’t handled by Marvel Studios, but you would think even in a world where the X-Men don’t exist, the existence of beings like Thor and Loki would cause people to have an open mind about what powers are possible.

Pascale Armand has mastered “The Michonne Stare Down” for her portrayal of Akela Amador on Agents of SHIELD.

We get more in the “How did they resurrect Coulson?” mystery. Akela asks Agent May, “What did they do to him?” and going by her tone of voice, she’s not talking about Coulson’s personality. Akela’s surgically replaced eye has a back scatter function that basically allows it to function as an x-ray camera. Did she something not quite human in Coulson’s insides? My guess is yes.

Skye and Ward look like they’re developing feelings for each other that extend beyond being coworkers. There’s a lot of subtext and subtle flirting in their dialogue. Whatever. Give me more FitzSimmons!

The list of the SHIELD team’s enemies continues to grow. Whoever the mysterious bad guys are behind this series of break-ins, could they be part of the same group supplying the power brokers in the first episode? If so, I think we’re going to see the emergence of Hydra or AIM by the end of this season.

Agents of SHIELD continues to be a solid show. I think this might be my favorite episode since the season opener.

October 18, 2013 by Billy Henehan

NYCC 2013 Cosplay!

Wow, we saw A LOT of awesome cosplay at New York Comic Con this year! We took a bunch of photos of our favorites. Check it out!

Photos by David Henehan and Graig Kreindler.

October 16, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Agents of SHIELD S1E3: The Asset – Review

There are six members on Coulson’s Agents of SHIELD team, but with each passing episode, it seems like there are three distinct teams of two. Yes, they all worked together in episode two after the Bus had been commandeered, but with this episode we are back to smaller group dynamics. I think this works well, as the characters in each pairing play well off each other.

Skye and Agent Ward are once again paired up in this episode. Ward trains Skye, a hacker with no military experience, tricks that she’ll need to learn to stay alive in the field. Following the maxim that if a gun is shown in Act I, it must be fired by Act III, the means Skye learns to disarm a gunman in the opening of the episode is employed at the end of the episode. Though if I were Skye, I think I think I’d have less issue with pulling a trigger than I would sprinting off a balcony hoping that I land in the pool.

There’s nothing suspicious about playing with your compact as the villain reveals his master plan.

During Ward’s training of Skye, we find out that Ward’s brothers used to beat him up when he was a kid. We later find out he’s from Massachusetts. Of course he is. In movies and television, if you had brothers who liked to beat on you growing up, you’re either from Boston or Brooklyn. No one ever says “My brothers constantly beat me up when we were growing up…in Rhode Island.”

FitzSimmons continue to be my favorite characters on the show. I was hoping for more FitzSimmons in this episode, as they have a connection to Dr. Hall, the titular asset. Finally, Agent Coulson and Agent May round out the teams of two. Coulson and May, the two most experienced members of the group, often come across as the parent figures of the team. They’re in charge and the other characters definitely defer to them. Taking this analogy further, Skye and Ward are the surly teens of the family and FitzSimmons are the whiz-kid younger siblings.

Mr. Tim, of the Our Valued Customers webcomic, had a great one-panel comic that summed up exactly how I felt by the end of this episode:

Courtesy of Our Valued Customers

Well played, Joss.

I love that the creators are baiting us with Coulson’s mysterious resurrection. We gettwo really good lines of dialog here. Early on, Coulson tells May, “I saw plenty of action with the Avengers,” to which she replies when he’s out of earshot, “And you died.” Later, someone tells Coulson he’s “a little rusty.” Rusty? Maybe because he’s a robot? At New York Comic Con this weekend, the most popular theory among the fans I talked to is that Agent Coulson is an LMD and doesn’t know it. I’m guessing we won’t find out the answer until the last scene of the season finale.

The final scene at the very end of this episode is huge. No Nick Fury or Maria Hill cameo, but this episode’s ending should have a big effect on the series going forward. It looks like we’ll definitely see the return of Dr. Hall. Many are saying, myself included, that we just saw the birth of the classic Marvel villain Graviton in that swirling ball of liquid metal that looked like a cast-off from The Abyss. I like that the show is setting itself up for returning issues to be dealt with (Graviton, The Power Broker). I’m really hoping that with Thor: The Dark World being released soon, we’ll get a Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston or at least a Stellan Skarsgard cameo at the end of an episode soon.

October 9, 2013 by Billy Henehan

NYCC 2013 Exclusives

Once again, Hasbro has decided to snub NYCC (Hey Hasbro, maybe if your exclusives weren’t so lame in 2011, people would have bought them). There will be no NYCC exclusive Minimates. Those two pieces of news would be bigger downers if there weren’t so many awesome exclusives at New York Comic Con this year. We combed through the very large list of NYCC exclusives to bring you this list of what we think are the coolest ones.

Agent Coulson SHIELD Badge and ID and Personalized ID Card – eFX Collectibles – Booth #1869
You got in on the pre-sale for this, right? If not, hit this booth up early. I think this will be the most popular souvenir of NYCC 2013.

Marvel Toon Tumblers – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $15.99, Limited to 200 for each design
A few years ago, when Toon Tumblers was first starting out, they partnered with Marvel to release an exclusive Ghost Rider Toon Tumbler at NYCC. This year, Marvel and Toon Tumblers have partnered again for an astounding eight different Toon Tumblers. They are: Angela by Sara Pichelli, Deadpool by Skottie Young, Hawkeye by David Aja, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD cast photo, Scarlet Witch by Adi Granov, Superior Spider-Man by Ryan Stegman, Spider-Man by Skottie Young, and Thor and Jane Foster from Thor: The Dark World.
I’m very, very, very tempted to come home with the Skottie Young Deadpool and Spider-Man pint glasses. Maybe that Agents of SHIELD one too. I need something to drink out of when I’m writing my Agents of SHIELD episode reviews.

Rocket Raccoon Plush & Lithograph – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $34.99, Limited to 1000
Rocket Racoon isn’t exactly a household name. He’s a character in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. If you’re not familiar with Rocket Raccon, don’t fear buying this. He’s definitely not the Jar Jar Binks of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Zombie Magneto Bust – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $99.99, Limited to 300
Designed by Gentle Giant, this Zombie Magneto bust is exquisitely designed…in an entirely gut wrenching way. Check with your significant other before putting this on your shelf.

Phase 1 Marvel Cinematic Universe Blu-Ray Collector’s Set – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $150
I’m recommending this one with a caveat. If it doesn’t come with a Tesseract, skip it and buy this version from Amazon.

Thor: The Dark World Cast and Crew Tee Loki Fan Variant – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $34.99, Limited to 399 across various men’s and women’s sizes.
This shirt looks so cool. The only thing making me second guess getting it is the the $35 price tag.

Agents of SHIELD Coulson Lives T-Shirt – Marvel – Booth #1354.
Price: 19.99, Limited to 550 across various men’s and women’s sizes
Show your support to the agents of Marvel’s new hit TV show with this shirt. Coulson lives! But exactly happened in Tahiti?

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD “Bus” Blueprint – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $12.99, Limited to 300
This is the same blueprint hanging behind Coulson’s desk on “The Bus” aka SHIELD-616, the Agents of SHIELD team’s mobile headquarters.

Captain America Hooded Scarf – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $24.99, Limited to 100
Super cute or silly? You decide!

Chew Smorgasbord Edition – Limited Red Slipcased Variant – Image Comics – Booth # 1444
Price: $100, Limited to 150
According to the NYCC website, this will only be on sale during John Layman and Rob Guillory’s signings at the Image booth and at their Artist’s Alley table. It collects the first 20 issues of Chew. There is also a non-slipcased, non-limited, black cover version of this book as well.

East of West Volume 1 Limited Edition Hardover – Image Comics – Booth #1444
Price: $40, Limited to ??
This hardcover was designed by series creator Jonathan Hickman, so it’s bound to be gorgeous.

Lazarus Volume 1 Paperback with Limited Edition Bookplate – Image Comics – Booth #1444
Price: $9.99, Limited to 200
A similar paperback with book plate was released for Saga last year at NYCC and it was sold out less than an hour into the day on Thursday. This one may not sell out as fast, but I’d be surprised if this was still available two hours into Thursday.

Star Wars R2-Q5 ARTFX+ Statue – Kotobukiya – Booth #1654
Price: $29.95, Limited to 1000
R2-Q5 has become the unofficial droid of NYCC. It was an exclusive Star Wars Christmas ornament last year, and is an exclusive ARTFX+ statue this year. I might be wrong, but I think the only thing that separates this limited edition from a similar unlimited edition is that it includes a metallic coin.

Mind MGMT Custom Dust Cover – Matt Kindt – Artist Alley H5
Price: $??, Limited to 5
Custom drawn, brown paper bag dust cover for your copy of Mind MGMT. This is one of the coolest exclusive ideas I’ve ever come across.

Takara Transformers Asian Exclusive MP-08 Masterpiece Grimlock – Lunar Toy Store – Booth #1581
Price: $??, Limited to ??
The Masterpiece Grimlock Transformer is very hard to find and when one does find it, it usually has a high price tag attached to it. From what I understand, Lunar Toy Store will have a limited supply of these on hand at a reasonable price. If you’re in the market for this figure, hit the Lunar Toy Store Booth early.

Cheetara 14″ and Snarf 5″ Deluxe 2-Pack – Mezco Toys – Booth #1855
Price: ??
Thundercats, ho! At 5″ tall, is this the biggest Snarf action figure ever?

Batman Arkham Origins Flip Up Knit Hat – Midtown Comics – Booth #1736
Price: ??
The perfect thing to wear next time you’re standing on a long line outside Midtown Comics on a cold day during a Scott Snyder signing.

NYCC 2013 Brooklyn Defender T-Shirt – NYCC Official Store – Booth #1132
Price: ??
With art by Cliff Chiang, this is easily the coolest of the NYCC 2013 t-shirts being sold directly by NYCC.

Polarity Hardcover – Boom! Studios – Booth #1344
Price: $??, Limited to 40
Boom! is selling 20 at each of the two signings they are hosting for it.

Disco Nightwing Mini-Print – Christopher Jones – Artist Alley D9
Price: FREE
All you have to do is show Christopher Jones that you follow him on Twitter or are a fan of him on Facebook and he’ll give you one of these signed Disco Nightwing mini-prints free of charge. Sweet deal!

Metallic Batman Beyond Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Fugitive Toys – Booth #410
Metallic Nightwing Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Fugitive Toys – Booth #410
Metallic Harley Quinn Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Conquest Comics – Booth #3004
Black and White Harley Quinn Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
Glow in the Dark Deadpool Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
Glow in the Dark Ghost Rider Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
The Walking Dead Bloody Rick Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
The Walking Dead Bloody Daryl Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
The Walking Dead Bloody Michonne Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Harrison’s – Booth #2254
White and Gold Phoenix Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Conquest Comics – Booth #3004
White and Black Deadpool Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Matt’s Cavalcade – Booth #3027
Stan Lee NYCC Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Conventionexclusive.com – Booth #1274 or Crazy Cat Collectibles – Booth # 1555
Unmasked Wolverine Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Toytastik.com – Booth #2544
Glow in the Dark Unmasked Wolverine Funko Pop Vinyl Figure – Toytastik.com – Booth #2544
Price: $??, Stan Lee is limited to 1000, White and Black Deadpool limited to 1500, Unmasked Wolvering limited to 1500, Glow in the Dark Unmasked Wolverine limited to 500.
If you collect Funko Pop figures, you are going to love NYCC 2013. You’ll have to travel to a few booths to catch them all. Personally, I think the Stan Lee one is the coolest.

FUNKO Batmobile – Toy Tokyo – Booth #101
Adam West-style Batman Pop Vinyl driving a 1970s tin-style Batmobile. This is all kinds of yes.

Power Rangers Tokyo Vinyl Metallic Red Ranger – Bandai – Booth #1628
Price: $??
The metallic paint job sets this figure apart from the regular version.

Hal Jordan and Saint Walker 3 3/4″ Action Figure 2-Pack – DC Comics/Graphitti Designs – Booth #755
Price: $29.95, Limited to 3000
Hal comes with a big green fist. It kind of looks like Green Lantern is wearing Hulk Hands.

Super Best Friends Forever Poison Ivy PVC Figure – DC Comics/Graphitti Designs – Booth #755
Price: $24.95, Limited to 2500
A nice companion to SDCC’s Super Best Friends Forever 3-pack.

Man of Steel Christmas Ornament – Hallmark – Booth #1554
Price: $??, Limited to 150 per day
Superman in his black costume from when he saw Zod’s nightmarish vision of the future.

Star Trek: USS Kelvin Battle Scarred Variant Christmas Ornament – Hallmark – Booth #1554
Price:??, Limited to 175 per day
From the 2009 JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. This ornament features light and sound.

Star Wars: Wrath of the Rancor Christmas Ornament – Hallmark – Booth #1554
Price: ??, Limited to 200 per day
Ever since I saw this would be a SDCC/NYCC exclusive this summer, I knew that I would be buying it at NYCC this fall.

The Ewoking Dead by Peter Goral – Tenacious Toys – Booth #208
Price: $80, Limited to 50
More than any other exclusive this year, this one made me say “WTF?!” Peter Goral has designed a Zombie Ewok action figure out of resin. The figure comes carded on a card that evokes the old Star Wars Kenner cards if they crossed with the art of The Walking Dead. The $80 price tag makes me balk, but I really want to see this in person.

Doctor Who Titans: 10th Doctor Tuxedo Variant – Titan Entertainment – Booth #2142
Price: $15, Limited to 500, Limit of 2 per customer
The Titan booth is a must stop at booth for Doctor Who fans. This variant features the 10th Doctor in his tuxedo from the 2007 Christmas special, The Voyage of the Damned. Interestingly, Titan is charging $5 for me this figure than they did at SDCC.

Doctor Who Titans: 10th Doctor Parting of the Ways Variant – Titan Entertainment – Booth #2142
Price: $15, Limited to 1000, Limit of 2 per customer
This variant has the 10th Doctor in the 9th Doctors signature outfit, right after his regeneration in The Parting of the Ways.

Doctor Who Titans: Glow in the Dark 8″ Statue of Liberty Weeping Angel – Titan Entertainment – Booth #2142
Price: $30, Limited to 700, Limit of 2 per customer
What a perfect exclusive for New York Comic Con. It’s NYC’s iconic Statue of Liberty, revealed to be a Weeping Angel, from the 2012 episode The Angels Take Manhattan. And it glows in the dark!

Breaking Bad Walter While in Green Hazmat Suit Action Figure – Mezco – Booth #1885
Price: ???
If you’re looking for a toy to flip on eBay, this might be the one. NYCC isn’t even here yet, and it’s already going
for over $90 in active auctions.

Variant Covers:
I’m not a a big fan of con-exclusive variant covers. They’re for the most part exactly the same as the standard cover, but with the con’s logo added to it. Why pay extra for that? But there are some NYCC exclusive variant covers this year that I’m digging…and one that I’m shaking my head at.

Adventure Time #20 Get a Sketch Variant – Boom! Studios – Booth #1344
$??
I’m a sucker for blank variants. I have far more than I’ll probably ever sketches on, but I can’t stop buying them.

Afterlife With Archie #1 NYCC Variant – Archie Comics – Booth #1936
$10, Limited to 350
Limit of 2 copies per person per day

Lady Death: Dragon Wars #1 Metal Edition
Price: $??, Limited to 69
Really? Limited to 69 copies? Really? Excuse me while I facepalm. SMH.

Superman/Wonder Woman #1 NYCC Variant – DC Entertainment/Graphitti Designs – Booth #755
Price: $10
The Official 2013 NYCC poster is also the cover of this variant. Is it me or does Superman look a lot like artist Paolo Rivera here?

Lazarus #1 Splash Page Comic Art Variant – Splash Page Comic Art – Booth #2405
Price: $??
This variant features a sweet wraparound cover from series artist Michael Lark.

Mars Attacks Sketch Cover – Topps – Booth #1561
Price: $??
If the listing on the NYCC website is correct, Topps artists will be on hand to draw you a sketch when you buy this variant. If that’s true, this might be a great way to get your convention sketch collection started.

Archer and Armstrong # 14 NYCC Variant – Valiant Comics – Booth #2028
Price: $??
Unlike most NYCC variants, which are just recolored covers emblazoned with the NYCC logo, this variant cover has Archer and Armstrong at NYCC. Or maybe it’s cosplayers dressed as them.

Mighty Avengers #2 Cosplay Variant – Marvel – Booth #1354
Price: $10, Limited to 2,000
Okay, this variant is definitely cosplayers, Avengers cosplayers. Avengers cosplaying other Avengers. This wins the award for Most Fun Variant Cover at NYCC 2013.

Written by David Henehan.

October 7, 2013 by Billy Henehan

NYCC 2013: Sunday Panel and Screening Highlights

You did it! You survived New York Comic Con until Sunday! By today you’re probably a little achy in the feet, especially if you’ve been NYCCing it up for all four days. Thank goodness for the chairs in panel rooms. Here are the cooler panels and screenings where you can rest your legs.

10:45 – 11:45 – Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio – 1A06
The Sunday DC panel is a NYCC tradition, and it usually one of the best panels of NYCC. This panel is less about promoting and more about a dialog between Dan and DC’s fans. If you have some constructive criticism for DC, this is the venue to air it.

11:00 – 12:00 – Q&A with Gareth David Lloyd – 1A23
Have a question for Torchwood’s Ianto Jones? I do: will he sing? Because of John Barrowman sings at his Q&A, I want Gareth David Lloyd to sing too.

11:00 – 12:00 – TimesTalks: Adventure Time – Empire Stage 1-E
I feel like having a TimesTalks focused on Adventure Time elevates Adventure Time’s cache and gives it a certain legitimacy. To me, this signifies Adventure Time not just being entertainment, but a genuine touchstone in this period of pop culture.

11:00 – 12:00 – Marvel Plus Member Event – 1A08
Are you a Marvel Plus member? It’s basically Marvel’s comic version of Netflix. It opens up a sizable portion of Marvel’s back catalog to you. I recently signed up for a Plus membership and love it. One of the perks of the plus membership is the ability to attend this specially ticketed panel. I’m very excited to check it out.

11:00 – 11:45 – Mark Duplass Autographing – Booth #2319
I applaud Mark Duplass for being the rare actor at NYCC who is not charging fans for his autograph. Bring your copy of The League, Safety Not Guranteed or Cyrus and let him know how much you love his work.

12:00 1:00 – Marvel: House of Ideas – 1A22
This panel is all about Marvel’s digital platform. If you’re thinking about going digital, this is the panel for you.

12:15 – 1:15 – The League – Main Stage 1D
The League is one of the funniest shows on TV. You should watch it, even it you don’t play fantasy football. Watch if for what these friends put each other through for the sake of a fantasy trophy.

12:15 -1:15 – Star Wars Origami – 1A03
Sunday is kids day at New York Comic Con. If you have your kid with you today, here’s a fun activity you can partake in together.

1:15 – 2:15 – Women of Marvel – 1A06
Some of the top female creators in the industry will be talking about what it’s like to a woman in the comics industry.

1:30 – 2:30 – The Following Special Video Presentation and Q&A – Empire Stage 1E
The entire cast, including Kevin Bacon, will be here. The Following was one of the breakout shows of last season. Come here to see what’s in store for season two.

1:30 – 2:30 – Warner Archive Presents: Almost Forgotten Heroes – 1A10
There was almost a live action, prime time Superfriends show? Why can’t footage of this exist?!?

1:30 – 2:30 – Marvel Minimates: A Toy Line Turns Ten – 1A08
I love Minimates. I can’t believe they’ve now been around 10 years. There will be special Minimate prizes given out at the end of the panel. If you’re a fan of this toy line, be sure to be here.

1:30 – 2:30 Aw Yeah Comic Drawing Competition and Hullabaloo with Art Baltazar and Franco – Family Room 1B02
Here’s another great Kids Day event to bring you child to. Art and Franco, the creators behind Tiny Titans and Aw Yeah Comics are terrific. Your kid will definitely have fun here.

2:45 – 3:45 – The Making of Return of the Jedi – 1A23
Return of the Jedi turned 30 this year! Come here and see photos and hear stories from the film’s production. Wear your Scout Trooper helmet.

4:00 – 5:00 – Superior Spider-Man and Friends – Empire Stage 1E
Superior Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s top selling, best written and best drawn titles month-in and month-out. Rumor has it that big news will be coming out of this panel. Return of Peter Parker, maybe? Or a third Superior Spider-Man title, perhaps? Dress as Superior Spider-Man or The Doctor and make Dan Slott’s day.

October 7, 2013 by Billy Henehan

NYCC 2013: Saturday Panel & Screening Highlights

Say hello the busiest day of New York Comic Con. There are some very cool panels and screenings today. Companies know today is the busy day, and most of the stellar programming is scheduled for today. That said, it might even be worth going to a panel you’re only mildly interested in just to take a break from the crowds. Ah, seating, glorious seating…

11:00 – 12:00 – Archer: Discussion and Q&A – Main Stage 1-D
Pretty much everyone on the show will be here. What a great way to start Saturday. Can’t make it to Javits in time? You can watch it on the internet live here: www.newyorkcomiccon.com/nycclive.

11:15 – 12:15 – 50 Years of Doctor Who – 1A23
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like any of the actors associated with Doctor Who will be here. But creators of the comics and TV series will be here to talk about the long lasting endurance of Doctor Who during the past 50 years.

11:15 – 12:15 – IDW: The Ultimate Panel – 1A10
Well, this is an interesting one. Has IDW had a presence at New York Comic Con over the past few years? I want to say no. I’m glad they’re appearing here this year. I only wish the special edition of the Jeff Smith Artist Edition was debuting here as well. But good news: Darwyn Cooke will be on this panel. Hello, Parker news.

12:15 – 1:15 – Marvel Video Games – Empire Stage 1-E
Remember when licensed video games sucked? I guess in some cases they still do. But Marvel’s games have been good lately. I’m definitely looking forward to Marvel: Lego. Or is it Lego: Marvel. Either way, I’m in.

12:15 – 1:15 – Diamond Select Toys: Best of All Worlds – 1A01
Do you love Diamond Select Toys? You want to be here.

12:15 – 1:15 – Superman 75th Celebration – Main Stage 1-D
Superman is 75! Mike Carlin, the group editor behind the Death of Superman and Dan Didio, the head honcho of DC responsible for the death of any decent stories in the Superman comics (sorry, couldn’t resist) will be on hand to talk about comic’s most iconic character.

12:30 – 2:30 – Yaya Han – Celebrity Cosplayer Autographing – Booth 2537
Celebrity cosplayer? This is a thing? Really?

1:00 – 1:30 – Stan Lee Photo Op-Saturday – Photo Op, Autographing Area
Quite possibly the best 60 bucks you’ll spend this weekend.

1:15 – 2:15 – Marvel: Inhumanity & All-New Marvel Now – 1A06
Interested in the future of the Marvel Universe? This is the panel you need to be at. Inhumanity is Marvel’s follow-up to Infinity and many titles will be launching under the All-New Marvel Now banner. Be there!

1:30 – 2:30 – Justice League: Forever Evil! – 1A22
I find it weird that Geoff Johns isn’t listed as an attendee for this panel. I would find it even weirder if he doesn’t show up for it.

2:00 – 2:15 – Andrew McCarthy Photo-Op – Booth #2142
Only if we can recreate the poster to Weekend at Bernies.

2:00 – 3:00 – Scott C. Signing The Great Showdowns The Return – Booth #2142
Scott C.’s The Great Showdowns is one of the best purchases I made at New York Comic Con in 2012. Go to this signing. Scott is super nice and last year he drew characters in everyone’s books.

2:30 – 4:00 – IFC’s Back to Back Comedy Event Comedy Bang! Bang! & The Birthday Boys – 1A06
This should be a very funny panel. If your energy is running low at this point in the day, and you need to rest your dogs, this might be the perfect place to sit, relax and laugh.

2:45 – 3:45 – Star Wars Rebels: The Might of the Empire – Empire Stage 1-E
Of course this would be on the Empire Stage. New Star Wars TV show! It takes place during the classic trilogy! Eeeeeeeee!!!!!

2:45 – 3:45 – The Thrilling Adventure Hour World Domination Tour – 1A14
Fresh from their two sold out shows Friday night at The Bell House in Brooklyn, the writers and cast of The Thrilling Adventure Hour will be at this panel moderated by Greg Rucka. Sorry, IFC, but this might be the funniest panel of Saturday.

3:00 – 4:00 – Archie Comics: Zombies, Heroes, Cartoons, Movies and More!
No lie, Afterlife With Archie is the comic I’m most excited for this fall.

3:40 – 4:00 – Gillian Anderson and David Duchovney Photo Op – Photo Op Booth, Autographing Area
Look, if you’re going to spend $220 on this, wear a black suit, white shirt and black tie. Don’t wear your stained I WANT TO BELIEVE t-shirt from 1996. Do it right!

4:00 – 5:00 – Marvel: Cup o’ Joe – Empire Stage 1-E
Expect a lot of those one word press releases to have their secrets revealed here!

4:00 – 5:00 – Valiant Comics: Must Read Valiant – 1A01
Valiant controls less than 2% of the comics market, but it’s a very loyal, energetic and vocal audience. They’re still starting up their new shared universe. Now might be a good time to jump in.

4:00 – 5:00 – Neil deGrasse Tyson Autographing – Autographing Table 7
Neil deGrasse Tyson is the coolest scientist since Bill Nye. It’s a free autograph AND you get to talk to Neil deGrasse Tyson! Bring you copy of Action Comics 14!

4:15 – 5:15 – Robert Kirkman’s Skybound – 1A08
Here’s your go to spot for all Robert Kirkman news non-The Walking Dead related!

4:30 – 5:30 – Roberto Acquirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla Autographing – Booth #1936
I previously mentioned how excited I am for Afterlife With Archie. The creative team of that comic will be signing it here. Expect me there.

5:00 – 6:00 – Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD – Main Stage 1-D
Tuesday Night Movies is reviewing every episode of this series. I’m loving the series so far and am very much looking forward to this panel.

5:15 – 6:15 – DC Comics: The New 52 – Empire Stage 1-E
This panel happening at the same time as the Agents of SHIELD panel might explain the nice, enjoyable lull in show floor traffic around 5:30 on Saturday.

5:30 – 6:30 – Hanna-Barbera and the Designs of Alex Toth -1A03
Alex Toth is cool.

5:30 – 6:30 PM – Abrams Presents the Adventure Time Encyclopedia Panel with the Lord of Evil and Marceline the Vampire Queen – 1A08
6:45 – 7:45 – Adventure Time Encyclopedia Autographing – Autographing Table 21
If you are a fan of Adventure Time, here is the panel for you. There will be a reading from this book from the cast. If you can’t make tonight’s signing at NYCC, there are other signings scheduled at Forbidden Planet and Bergen St Comics this week.

6:30 – 7:30 – AMC’s The Walking Dead – Main Stage 1-D
If you want to attend this panel, get here early. There will undoubtedly be a long line to get in, and I’m guessing more people interested than there are seats. The cast will be here and they will be showing footage from the upcoming fourth season.

6:30 – 7:30 – John Barrowman Q&A – Empire Stage 1-E
Depending on the quality of the questions, this could be one of the coolest panels of NYCC. I hope John Barrowman does a song.

7:45 – 8:45 – Batman: Arkham Origins – Empire Stage 1-E
Is there an upcoming video game more anticipated than Batman: Arkham Origins? Not in my house, there isn’t.

8:00 – 10:00 – NYCC Charity Auction – 1A17
I’ve been following Mike Negin on Twitter. He runs the NYCC Charity Auction and has been posting pictures of the art that has been donated. All I can say is wow! You need to go to this auction. The money raised goes to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, a very worthwhile cause. Check out @MightyMikeNegin on Twitter for a peek at the art. You’ll be glad you did.

Written by Nicholas Doyle.

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Monthly Archives: October 2013