io9:

Over two decades ago, Battle Chasers—Joe Madureira’s “arcane punk” adventure series known for its languid release pacing—came to an end on a cliffhanger fans never got to see the conclusion of. Now, at long last, Madureira is finally delivering it.

io9 can exclusively confirm that Battle Chasers #10 will complete its long, long road to publication this June, setting off a new story arc for the fantasy series. Having hopped from Wildstorm in the late ‘90s, Image—which, three years ago, published an anthology of the first nine issues of the series that has gone to multiple reprints—will release the series, with Ludo Lullabi joining the book on art.

Talk about an unreal, completely unexpected announcement from the world of comics.

I adored Battle Chasers, as an anime-obsessed teen who loved Joe Mad’s run on Uncanny X-Men. The idea that the comic is picking back up 22 years later is something I never thought to occur, especially since the RPG video game seemed to be the proper destination for the tale.

I’ve no idea if this will be good, but at the least, I’m intrigued!

Apple TV / YouTube:

In the third season of “Ted Lasso,” the newly-promoted AFC Richmond faces ridicule as media predictions widely peg them to finish last in the Premier League and Nate (Nick Mohammed), now hailed as the “wonder kid,” has gone to work for Rupert (Anthony Head) at West Ham United. In the wake of Nate’s contentious departure from Richmond, Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) steps up as assistant coach, alongside Beard (Brendan Hunt). Meanwhile, while Ted (Jason Sudeikis) deals with pressures at work, he continues to wrestle with his own personal issues back home, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) is focused on defeating Rupert and Keeley (Juno Temple) navigates being the boss of her own PR agency. Things seem to be falling apart both on and off the pitch, but Team Lasso is set to give it their best shot anyway.

Thanks Apple UK YouTube for having this a smidge early.

What can I say? We’re at the Return of the Jedi season.

New season starts March 15th. Can’t wait!

Deadline:

Five years after Netflix inked their first ever European overall series deal with Dark creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the studio has re-upped with the duo in a splashy eight-figure pact, we can reveal.

The German writer-creators, who most recently made big-budget mystery drama 1899 for the streamer, are now turning their attention to comic book adaptation Something Is Killing The Children, on which they join Boom! Studios! which also has a deal with Netflix.

Ever since I started reading Something Is Killing The Children, I just knew it was ripe for a TV or movie adaptation.

Add the Dark duo working on it, and you have something very promising.

If nothing else, expect to see a ton of monster bandanas sold at your local Hot Topic / Box Lunch.

EW.com:

Ultimate Marvel changed everything. Launched in 2000, the comics imprint from the major superhero publisher reimagined iconic characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men as if they had been freshly invented at the dawn of the 21st century. The goal was to energize readers who might be intimidated by decades of publication history, and it succeeded. In particular, artist Bryan Hitch’s work with writer Mark Millar on The Ultimates made the Avengers cool and provided a useful blueprint for the eventual Marvel Cinematic Universe (from inventing the Chitauri aliens to drawing Nick Fury to look like Samuel L. Jackson). More than a decade later, writer Jonathan Hickman brought the Ultimate Marvel universe to an end with Secret Wars.

Now, EW can exclusively reveal that Hickman and Hitch are teaming up for a new comic series, Ultimate Invasion, which will feature elements from the Ultimate Marvel universe. The Maker (an alternate version of Reed Richards) and Miles Morales (perhaps Ultimate Marvel’s most important original character, though he wasn’t created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli until 2011) are both set to play major roles in the story.

I can’t say I had “Marvel Brings Back The Ultimate Universe”, on my bingo card, even what might be a one-off event?

Though, this line sounds ominous…

When Hickman departed X-Men comics with 2021’s Inferno event, he told EW that Marvel had “an expectation for me to write bigger books that have a wider reach than” regular monthly ongoing comics. His tease that Ultimate Invasion will involve “a new way of thinking about and enjoying” Marvel comics seems to fit that bill.

I know, long time since I’ve reviewed, right?

Welcome back.

The year is 2023, and the nerds have, unabashedly, won. It seems every week brings us a new Star Wars/ Star Trek / video game adaptation / comic book movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit its 31st film¹, and began its fifth phase, with this release — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

And how bizarre is that? When I started this blog in February 2008, we were all just hoping that Iron Man would defy the odds and be a great adaptation of a B-Level hero and The Dark Knight would be a decent follow-up to the shockingly good Batman Begins.

Now we’ve got dueling comic movie universes, with DC looking like it might finally have its shit together with new leadership, and Marvel starting another phase of its (perhaps?) long-in-the-tooth franchise with a third Ant-Man movie.

That’s where we’re at now, people. THREE. ANT-MAN. MOVIES.

Dig into the power of Paul Rudd all you want, but this should not be. Ant-Man has been lucky to string three issues together, let alone three movies.

And who would have thought that this would be the lynchpin of this series of Marvel movies, introducing the awesome Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country) as Kang — yes, the guy whose action figure got dusty on pegs in stores nationwide for YEARS.

It’s a surreal mix to hang $200 million on.

And that’s the odd background that this perfectly fine movie lands in. It’s fine. Not great. Good at best. But fine overall. It’s not a disaster, it’s not the misfire that Eternals was, it’s not going to become a meme joke of a bad movie like Thor: The Dark World was (which I kinda thought was OK, honestly), it’s capital F, Fine.

The setup is actually pretty simple. It’s a few years after Avengers: Endgame, Scott Lang (the eternally cool Paul Rudd) is sort of a cult hero. Not the superstar a Tony Stark or Steve Rogers is, but he can live his life. His love interest, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly, whose political opinions you shouldn’t google) is running an incredible science division of the reborn Pym Van Dyne company, along with her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, happy to be here). Hope’s long lost mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) has returned from the Quantum Realm (basically, where Tardigrades live), though she doesn’t want to talk about it. Scott’s even written a book about his life, Look Out For The Little Guy!

It’s a shame he’s just having some issues reconnecting with his daughter Cassie, now an adult (thanks, The Blip®!). It seems that Cassie (Kathyrn Newton) is striking out a bit, but showing some scientific prowess. So much so that she’s building a way to map the Quantum Realm! Which sends Janet’s blood running cold…just in time for them all to get sucked into the Quantum Realm themselves.

The worry? A soft spoken, green and purple jumpsuit wearing man named Kang, who also calls himself A Conquerer. Who you may recognize from — though, really don’t need to have seen — the Disney+ series Loki.

Seems he has a history with Janet, he wants out of the Quantum Realm, and it’s gonna take the whole Ant-Man family to figure it out.

And that’s where the problem of this movie really lies.

There’s two fighting elements here, one micro, one macro.

On the micro (heh) side, there’s a really fun Journey to the Center of the Earth-by-way-of-Rick and Morty adventure here, filled with grumpy telepaths (William Jackson Harper), flashlight headed beings, Broccoli Men, and some weird goo guy obsessed with holes (voiced by David Dastmalchian, the only of Scott’s old crew to return, though as an entirely different character.)

It’s in this mode that the movie really sings. Amazing visuals, stunning creature and character designs that I only would’ve loved more if they were practical. I would love to just see a romp with the Pym Van Dyne Langs in this world.

But on the macro level, it’s time for the MCU to establish a big bad. And though he is performed admirably by Jonathan Majors, and I cannot wait to see him in more, bigger movies ahead…this is not the movie for this weight.

Ultimately, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania starts to sag whe these elements collide, and more than anything, I just wished they had picked a lane. And that’s sort of the issue with where we’re at 31 movies into the this franchise. A movie cannot stand alone, it must feed into the bigger world. And Scott Lang, Avenger though he may be, cannot anchor an Avenger-level adventure.

Sometimes, small is best, and I thought that 3 movies in, Marvel recognized what they had here. Instead, we get stuck with neither side getting what they want, as hard as they try.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in theaters now.

1. 31. Like the flavors at Baskin Robbins. Get it? I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but, well done, Marvel. ↩