Detective Comics #14 Review

Detective Comics fills a niche right now as a Batman book that allows itself to be more free and more fun than the others. The tone of the series under new writer John Layman is not unlike Batman: The Animated Series, with its copious assortment of iconic Bat villains and a tone that isn't too dark or too comedic. It isn't ambitious or ground-breaking, but it achieves what it sets out to accomplish.

Though Penguin's quest for legitimacy is still the overarching focus of Layman' first arc, Poison Ivy hogs more of the spotlight. Layman attempts to fit his issue into the confines of the other at books, referencing both Scott Snyder's Death of the Family material and Ivy's recent defection from the Birds of Prey. Unsurprisingly, this continuity wrangling does nothing to actually serve the story, and I wish Layman could maintain a more continuity-light and editorial caption-free approach. The interaction between Bruce and Damian also seems odd and unnatural, partly because of the pointless references to other books, but also just because of the odd tenor of Damian's dialogue. But eventually the script shakes free of these shackles and focuses on the conflict at hand. Layman adds further spice to history with a surprise revelation at the end, one that is effectively fleshed out immediately after in the backup feature.

Both Jason Fabok and Andy Clarke provide attractive visuals to round out the solid script. Fabok's art play like a looser but still impressively detailed version of David Finch's style. Clarke's intricate line-work and moody panels stand out equally well. My only complaint is that Fabok's depiction of Poison Ivy's already underwhelming new costume is a bit weak compared to Clarke's.

I won't say that if you only read one Bat-book, to make it Detective Comics. It isn't the strongest of that pack by any stretch. But it still has its definite strengths, and when it isn't forced to reference pointless bits of continuity, it succeeds at offering a nice standalone adventure with plenty of familiar faces.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

X-Men #38 Review

Writer Seth Peck steps up to the plate; Brian Wood’s glorious stint on X-Men couldn't be a tougher act to follow. He plays it smart by distancing his first issue from the team drama and focusing on just Domino as she takes a vacation -- a term that for her means infiltrating a super villain casino -- and crosses paths with Daredevil. Peck has clearly been influenced by Mark Waid’s upbeat take on Hornhead, so much so that I had to double check that Waid wasn’t a co-writer. He goes so far as to have the pair flirt as they beat up baddies, immediately bringing Daredevil #8 to mind, where Daredevil had a steamy team-up with Black Cat. Even though the writing flirts with imitation at times, Peck does enough to make this an enjoyable new direction for the title.

Artist Paul Azaceta stands out as the top reason to buy this book. His style looks loose and fluid while retaining a street-level realism. With the color palette from Rico Renzi full of loud pinks, heavy purples, and a twilight turquoise, the book will leave a lasting impression on your eyeballs. Azaceta not only nails the hard-hitting casino brawl, but the smaller moments of Domino’s subtle luck powers.

The plot steadily builds an interesting mystery before jumping into a fun action scene, but the witty banter that was enjoyable at the beginning wears thin by the end due to repetition. A sense that Peck could have gone further with the material can be felt. Despite my misgivings, this was a good book that has entertains with both lead characters, all emphasized by impressive art.

Joshua writes for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN, where he will air-bend, Force-push, and optically blast his opinion into your brain.

Source : ign[dot]com

Skyfall Director's Vampire Hunter TV Series?

Via Deadline, the co-writer of Skyfall, 007's 23rd film which is already garnering critical praise and smashing box office records overseas, along with the film's director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) are teaming again for a TV drama. But it's not another globe-trotting spy adventure.

John Logan (already signed on to write Bond 24 and 25) and Mendes have already sent out a script to premium cable networks for a vampire hunter "origin story set in the 1800s London in the vein of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," starring such characters as Van Helsing and Doctor Frankenstein, who would be tracking down and killing vampires.

Mendes, with Daniel Craig, plotting how to take down a nest of vamps.

Source : ign[dot]com

Spider-Man's Sidekick Gets the Spotlight

A few months back, we learned that Spider-Man was getting a sidekick. Later, we learned that his name was Alpha and he was a total douche. Now, beginning in February, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Nuno Plati will do their best to change our minds about the character in a new 5-issue mini-series from Marvel.

Fialkov, who recently wrote a spectacular back-up tale in The Amazing Spider-Man #692 with Plati (not to mention that he writes the always rad I, Vampire at DC), told USA Today, ""He was a freak and then he became famous, and now he's infamous and powerless essentially as far as the world knows. He's that creepy kid who used to be on a sitcom when he was 5."

We'll meet up again with the depowered Alpha before his mini-series in The Amazing Spider-Man #700, the events of which will lead directly to the Alpha mini-series. "It's a classic Marvel situation where you've got a kid with power who is making some wrong decisions," added Spidey overlord/editor Stephen Wacker. "That's an inherently dramatic story, watching someone screw up and learning along with them and seeing how they change."

Alpha will move to a new city -- Pittsburgh, PA -- in Marvel's further efforts to spread their heroes, particularly of the spider variety, outside of New York. Why Pittsburg? "Look, any way I can ingratiate myself back to my hometown city and somehow inspire a free trip and free Primanti Brothers sandwiches, I'm 100% behind," joked FIalkov. "It's actually a city about reinvention. It's a city that has transformed itself over and over and over again."

As for Alpha's levels of super-douchery, Fialkov told the paper, "I genuinely believe that Alpha is not a [jerk] like everyone says. He literally is just us. The tragedy in his life is that he was given this great gift and then it was more or less taken away from him. So let's explore what that means and what that does to a kid."

For more on the new Alpha mini-series, head on over to USA Today.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

Spider-Man's Sidekick Gets the Spotlight

A few months back, we learned that Spider-Man was getting a sidekick. Later, we learned that his name was Alpha and he was a total douche. Now, beginning in February, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Nuno Plati will do their best to change our minds about the character in a new 5-issue mini-series from Marvel.

Fialkov, who recently wrote a spectacular back-up tale in The Amazing Spider-Man #692 with Plati (not to mention that he writes the always rad I, Vampire at DC), told USA Today, ""He was a freak and then he became famous, and now he's infamous and powerless essentially as far as the world knows. He's that creepy kid who used to be on a sitcom when he was 5."

We'll meet up again with the depowered Alpha before his mini-series in The Amazing Spider-Man #700, the events of which will lead directly to the Alpha mini-series. "It's a classic Marvel situation where you've got a kid with power who is making some wrong decisions," added Spidey overlord/editor Stephen Wacker. "That's an inherently dramatic story, watching someone screw up and learning along with them and seeing how they change."

Alpha will move to a new city -- Pittsburgh, PA -- in Marvel's further efforts to spread their heroes, particularly of the spider variety, outside of New York. Why Pittsburg? "Look, any way I can ingratiate myself back to my hometown city and somehow inspire a free trip and free Primanti Brothers sandwiches, I'm 100% behind," joked FIalkov. "It's actually a city about reinvention. It's a city that has transformed itself over and over and over again."

As for Alpha's levels of super-douchery, Fialkov told the paper, "I genuinely believe that Alpha is not a [jerk] like everyone says. He literally is just us. The tragedy in his life is that he was given this great gift and then it was more or less taken away from him. So let's explore what that means and what that does to a kid."

For more on the new Alpha mini-series, head on over to USA Today.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

Skyfall Scribe Logan Set to Pen Two More James Bond Films

As Skyfall opens in the U.K. today, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have quietly hired Skyfall writer John Logan to pen not one but two 007 films.

According to Deadline, the writer pitched an original two-movie arc while Skyfall was in production, and he has already begun writing the scripts.

A successful playwright, Logan has also worked on such films as Gladiator, Hugo, The Aviator, The Last Samurai and Star Trek: Nemesis. He also wrote the screenplay for Darren Aronofsky's forthcoming biblical epic Noah, starring Russel Crowe.

Skyfall hits stateside theaters stateside on November 9.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Wanna See Entourage: The Movie?

It's been brewing for nearly a year now, but creator-writer Doug Ellin says he's on page 110 of his screenplay for the upcoming Entourage movie.

As Ellin told Deadline earlier this week, he's set to finish the script this Sunday, adding that executive-producer Mark Wahlberg keeps promising "to kill me if I don't write faster. Every time I see him, Mark says, 'I've made five movies this year. Get going!'"

According to Ellin, the movie picks up about six months after the TV series left off. "There are interesting developments about Ari as a studio head, and that's still the first page for me," Ellin continued. "But foremost is the friendship between the guys who are still hanging out and going to fun parties, and it continues with the same characters."

While development continues moving forward, HBO heads Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo have stated multiple times that they've only heard a general pitch for the film and will still need to read the full script before arranging deals with the principal cast members.

Nevertheless, Ellin remains optimistic. "I'm excited. I feel a lot of positive energy," he said. "Everywhere I go, people ask me, 'Where's the movie?'"

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Meet the New Thunderbolts

Last week, Marvel showed off this teaser:

Now, they've revealed over at Newsarama that writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon will be relaunching Thunderbolts for Marvel NOW! with quite an impressive new line-up. The team will be led by Red Hulk ("Thunderbolt" Ross!) and have membership by Elektra, Venom, Deadpool, and Frank Castle himself, the Punisher. I've never considered Frank much of a team player, but perhaps the outcome of Punisher: War Zone will be leaving him in a different place.

In any case, the book's editor, Jordan White, told Newsarama, "T-Bolts has gone through quite a few shifts over the years, some more radical than others. This one is going to be a pretty big change in that none of the characters or plotlines from the previous series are carrying over. It's a new take, but one that is grounded in that original idea that has always been woven into the fabric of the series, the hero/villain dichotomy, and characters bridging the gap between them. If you look at our roster, every one of our characters is a character who started out as a villain in their first appearances but who has, over the years, made the shift to hero... or at least antihero."

Now that one of the books behind the latest teasers has been revealed, I would expect to hear about the rest very soon. I should note that it's unclear whether or not this will have any effect on Jeff Parker's Dark Avengers series, which was renamed from Thunderbolts earlier this year.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

Lost's Jorge Garcia Lands a Giant Role in Once Upon a Time

Former Lostie Jorge Garcia will soon be coming to ABC's Once Upon a Time and reuniting with showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who both served as writer/producers on Lost.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Garcia will play the Giant in an upcoming episode for Season 2. We already know that Kitsis and Horowitz have a Jack and the Beanstalk episode planned, so it's probably safe to say that's where Garcia comes into play.

Jorge Garcia in Lost

In related news, Once's Jamie Chung, who portrays Mulan this season, recently spoke with TV Guide about her part, and TV Guide also debuted the first photo of her from the series. "I go on a journey with Prince Phillip to find his princess, Aurora," teased the Sucker Punch starlet. "There's this evil spirit that's moving and my character ends up bonding with Sleeping Beauty. And as you've heard, Captain Hook is joining us."

But will Mulan's sword overthrow the Hook? "Definitely," Chung continued. "If you compare the size and length of my sword to his hook, who do you think has the longer reach?"

Once Upon a Time returns to ABC on Sunday, September 30.

Source : ign[dot]com

Andy Nyman Conjures Kick-Ass 2 Role

English actor/writer/magician Andy Nyman has joined the cast of Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall.

It's been a busy month for Jeff Wadlow's comic book sequel, which has also cast newcomers Morris Chestnut, Donald Faison and John Leguizamo. Nyman will play The Tumor, one of the baddies to join the villains' team The Toxic Mega-C***s.  According to Bleeding Cool, the actor will begin filming his role in September.

In addition to the confirmed cast, Jim Carrey and Lindy Booth are also still in talks for parts, with the former still considered a long shot.

Wadlow is directing the film from a screenplay he's adapting from Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s Kick-Ass 2 and Hit-Girl comics.

Source : ign[dot]com

Gearbox: Why Borderlands 2's Story Won't Suck

Gearbox Software knows where the first Borderlands fell short, and in working on Borderlands 2, Lead Writer Anthony Burch can pinpoint precisely why. 2009’s role-playing shooter “feels comparatively lonely because you just don’t have a lot of dialogue pushing you forward and explaining why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Burch says. “Every time an objective changes in Borderlands 2, somebody’s there saying a line of dialogue, explaining why you should care, telling you what you should do next.”

Consequently, the script for Borderlands 2 is five times larger than the first.

Burch is positive about the original Borderlands – a game he had no creative involvement in – but says “there were lots of cool stories that could have been told.” Players responded well to a lot of the side characters, like T.K. Baha, but without reading each piece of mission text they’d never get a full understanding for the substance or subtle humor surrounding them. “There was a lot of good stuff there, but maybe it wasn’t delivered to the player as obviously as it could have been,” says Burch. With a laugh, he continues. “Plus, the ending sucked, and we’ve admitted that a bunch.”

So what’s in that gigantic new script that makes Borderlands 2 so much better?

“Pretty much every new character we have,” he says, giving nods to Tiny Tina and Ellie. “We gave them three to five sidequests to say what their backstory is, what their personality is.” This is especially true of the returning characters – in particular, the Vault Hunters from the first game. “You spend a significant amount of the main plot getting to know who they are now,” says Burch. The Borderlands heroes were about their class, not their character, and most players remember their skill trees more than their personal qualities.

“We have this scary opportunity to give them personalities and have them play off one another,” he continues. Burch and Gearbox spent “a great deal of time” considering “what are their relationships like with each other? How do they treat each other? What have they been up to since the first game ended?”

Communicating with the player using these character interactions, audio logs, radio transmissions, and environmental storytelling is crucial to strengthening Borderlands 2. “It makes you feel like you’re part of a story rather than checking off a bunch of things on a shopping list that are free of context,” Burch explains.

Ultimately, though, Burch would be totally content if you ignored the story and just enjoyed the game. “There's sort of two types of audience member that I have in mind, that I want to satisfy in different ways,” he explains. One of course, is someone who has an emotional response to Borderlands 2. Ideally, that’s awe during an epic scene or laughter at the lighthearted and comedic bits. Burch mentions the recent run of Doctor Who as the touchstone for what he wants to accomplish.

The other audience member “doesn't give a s—t about the story, never gave a s—t about the story in the first game, still continues to not give a s—t about the story. I hope he can go through the entire game, ignore every single line of dialogue I've written, come out at the end of this thing and say, ‘Wow, that game was awesome.’

As long as they don’t “come out saying, ‘Wow, that story ruined the game and I was doing stupid things because the story was taking precedence over the game,’” Burch says, “Then I'm happy.”

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor for IGN's Xbox 360 team. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Fantastic Four: Road Trippin' Through Time

Continuing the downpour of new Marvel NOW! info (including our own scoop about the new Deadpool series), USA Today talked with writer Matt Fraction about taking over Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, and their counterparts the Future Foundation (FF). It seems Fraction is bringing his biggest ideas to the plate for these books as he's joined by Mark Bagley on Fantastic Four and Mike Allred on FF.

First, Fraction described Fantastic Four as a road trip through time and space, referencing an RV trip that a senator took with his wife and kids across the country when he left office."It was this intensive road-trip home-school experience. I don't really know any parent who wouldn't want to do that with the time and money available," Fraction told the paper. But how that pertains to Reed Richards and family in particular, he said, "If they're studying ancient Rome, then by God let's go have lunch with Caesar on the Ides of March. If they're looking at the Big Bang, they're going to watch it from the front row."

According to the article, the family trip will span about a year in their own timeline, but back on Earth only four minutes will have passed. And standing guard to make sure nothing outrageous happens within those four minutes is the new FF: She-Hulk (who currently appears in Fraction's Defenders, which has been revealed to be ending at issue #12), Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Medusa, and a new character named Miss Thing, who Fraction said is a "'Lohan-esque celebutante blonde' he's [Johnny Storm] with the night before he leaves and she's thrown into the middle of this situation. She’s the regular person, she’s the human, she’s the overwhelmed ‘Whaaa?’ of it all."

Of course, despite the good intentions of both teams, that four minute gap does far more damage than Reed anticipated, and three weeks after they return, an older, "half-insane" Johnny Storm stumbles into their lives through the very same time gateway. Presumably, madness will ensue.

The approach to these books certainly seems fresh in a way that only the writer of the equally mind-bending Casanova could do it, and assisted by the likes of Bagley and particularly Allred, this duo of books will surely be the ones to keep an eye on.

"My hope is that it will be quirky in the same way that the Fantastic Four were quirky when they first appeared in the early 60s. We know who they are, we know what they're about, but when they first showed up, it was like a bomb going off in comics," said editor Tom Brevoort. "These were remarkable characters who were doing unexpected things and had a real element of danger to it and excitement and unpredictability. The hope is we'll be able to tap into something akin to that."

"It's very easy to say, 'I want to stay true to what Stan and Jack did.' Well, what Stan and Jack did was invent the entirety of the Marvel Universe in 104 issues," added Fraction. "This is the place to be wildly inventive, and I would like to put as many things down on the page as humanly possible and offer up another dose next issue."

For more with Fraction, Bagley, Allred, and Brevoort, head on over to USA Today.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He's pretty sure the new FF might become his new favorite Marvel book.

Source : ign[dot]com

Arkham Asylum Writer Not Returning for Next Game

Paul Dini, the writer for both Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, has revealed via his Twitter that he won't be returning for the recently announced prequel. In a post on July 27th, Dini said:

Kinda hoped I'd be doing another Arkham game in London during the Olympics.Esp, as I had a good source for tx.Ah, well.

— Paul_Dini (@Paul_Dini) July 27, 2012

If the initial tweet didn't make it crystal clear, the team at ArkhamCity.co.uk went on to look through a series of Dini's tweets to absolutely confirm he won't be returning as the writer for the next Arkham game.

Dini seems a bit broken up over it as well, saying, "I wish I could, but it's not my call." Dini is responsible for not only penning the first two games, but also the beloved Batman: The Animated Series cartoon.

No word has been given about who will replace Dini on the next project.

Anthony Gallegos is a part of IGN's PC team, and loves him some Batman. You can follow him on IGN and get to know him a bit better by reading his Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Cape 1969 #2 Review

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. The first issue of The Cape 1969 went too light on the actual content involving the cape, but here writer Jason Ciaramella -- along with The Cape creator Joe Hill acting as a creative consultant -- gets it just right. Captain Chase is stuck in a Vietcong prison and gets the strangest of cellmates: the naked tattooed man we saw floating across the sky last issue. This time around he plays an integral yet peculiar role that promises to deliver an origin story for the cape that defies all expectations.

Ciaramella’s dreary setting and pitch-perfect dialog go a long way to give this book its realistic feel, and Nelson Daniel’s excellent artwork helps emphasize the downright depressing nature of the plot. He excels on a page with only a word of dialog that features the harsh relationship between a boy and his Commander father. There are no words being spoken, but you can feel a connection being formed between the boy and Captain Chase as he looks on, powerless to help.

A notable point of interest for the first Cape series was its penchant for unexpectedly gruesome violence. A bear hasn’t been dropped on anyone yet, but this issue features a tense scene that earns its disturbing-factor through the pure obscurity of the situation. Even better, Ciaramella’s writing somehow makes the use of an F-bomb feel like the most genuine response Captain Chase could have to his weird predicament. It’s that little piece of magic that I was hoping for, and the creators have delivered.

Joshua is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter or IGN, where he is hell-bent on making sure you know his opinion about comic books.

Source : ign[dot]com

J.J. Abrams' Earthquake Moves Forward

Oscar-winning writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk) has just been hired to write Universal's new Earthquake movie, which will be produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk under their Bad Robot banner.

Deadline reports that, while the studio also produced another film called Earthquake in 1974 starring Charlton Heston, the title and subject matter are where their similarities end. In other words, this should not be considered a remake. Meanwhile, New Line continues development on its own competing Earthquake picture, San Andreas 3D.

Black is currently working on a number of projects, including Under the Banner of Heaven at Warner Bros. and Barefoot Bandit for Fox. He's also adapting the Dark Horse graphic novel 3 Story, which he intends to direct.

Source : ign[dot]com

Larry David Movie Coming to HBO

Comedian-writer Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) is now in negotiations with HBO to develop a new film starring himself, Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton.

The mysterious project was originally set up at Fox Searchlight, however, the LA Times reports that the movie will likely premiere on the pay-cable network instead of the big screen. The film will mark David's first feature screenplay since his 1998 comedy Sour Grapes. Of course, the writer has had a longstanding relationship with HBO over the course of Curb Your Enthusiasm's eight-season run, in which he's played a caricature of himself.

The film could also mean the first major comedy role for Hamm, who has made a steady stream of cameos or supporting/guest roles in comedies like Bridesmades, Friends With Kids, 30 Rock and SNL. David's unique brand of situational dialogue could prove to be an excellent vehicle for the Mad Men star.

While a ninth season of Curb has been rumored, it's probable that this movie will push the series' schedule back (should the deal go through).

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Assassin’s Creed: The Chain Review

The writer/artist duo of Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl caught lightning in a bottle with the first Assassin’s Creed comic series, The Fall. It’s exceptionally rare to find a comic based off a video game that’s not only tolerable, but great. Yet, somehow Stewart and Kerschl were able to perform that miracle, offering up a comic series that catered to both the hardcore Assassin’s Creed crowd and newcomers alike with a set of engaging characters occupying a fantastical world that’s worth diving into headfirst like it’s a pile of hay.

Now, Stewart and Kerschl have returned for a follow-up book called The Chain, which is a direct sequel to The Fall and continues the adventures of assassin Nikolai Orelov in early 1900s Russia and Templar Daniel Cross in modern times. The most interesting aspect of The Chain is that it inverts the dynamics between our lead characters and the people who surround them. Whereas in The Fall, Orelov was shown as a man surrounded by people who loved him and Cross was cast as the loner with no one to turn to, The Chain displays Orelov as the man now on his own and on the run while Cross is treated as sort of a messiah figure for the rest of the Templar order to aspire to. It’s an engaging dynamic shift that puts into perspective how important the people around you are in shaping what kind of person you turn out to be.

But while Daniel Cross might be showered with praise at every turn, The Chain is very much a tragedy on all accounts. This is a story that covers the severing of a family and a man who is truly lost and struggling to find his identity. For Assassin’s Creed fans, these themes are nothing new, but Stewart and Kerschl wrap them in a package that feels fresh while still adding to the overall mythology of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Newcomers to the book should also be able to step away satisfied with the story at hand, even if they aren’t diehard Assassin’s Creed fans. The themes, morals, and delicate character work on display from Stewart and Kerschl are what make this story worth experiencing, not just that it’s tied to the lore of Assassin’s Creed.

Assassin's Creed Returns to Comics

From a visual point of view, The Chain looks just as gorgeous as The Fall before it. Both Stewart and Kerschl share art duties here, and the final results are quite breathtaking. It’s clear both artists gave everything they had to this project and therefore every page is a beauty to ogle over. The art of The Chain is dynamic, expressive, and a great complement to the story at hand, capturing the energetic highs of the book’s actions sequences and the depressing lows of a family being torn apart.

The one area of The Chain that might irk some is the very subdued finale. The book doesn’t conclude on an explosive high note, but instead chooses to end on a quiet moment to drive home its point. I’ll be honest, I read the book’s final few panels and flipped the page fully expecting more story. Denied. The Chain just kind of stops, leaving the reader to his thoughts about the true intention of the book’s final scene. If you like experiencing fiction that leaves you with a carrot on a stick to chew on far after you’ve finished it, then The Chain’s ending should satisfy. But if you want a definitive stamp on these characters, you’re not going to get it here.

The Chain is absolutely a worthy follow-up to The Fall. Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl have done a fantastic job grooming these characters in the vast Assassin’s Creed universe. Better yet, like The Fall before it, both Assassin’s Creed fanatics and newcomers can enjoy The Chain. Whether you fall into the former or the latter camp, The Chain offers a great narrative, engaging characters and beautiful art worth buying into.

You can order a copy of Assassin’s Creed: The Chain through Ubisoft’s Ubi Workshop online store.

Erik is a writer for IGN's Comics channel and co-host of the IGN Assemble! podcast. You can follow Erik on Twitter, or find him here at IGN. Fair warning: prepare for suspect shenanigans.

Source : ign[dot]com

Grant Morrison Leaving Action Comics

Revealed in an interview with CBR today, writer Grant Morrison has unveiled the end of his time on Action Comics and, perhaps more expected, the end of his epic six year run on Batman. His stint on Action will conclude with issue #16 (which should hit in January) while the end of his work with Bruce Wayne will come in Batman Incorporated #12. While Action Comics will definitely be continuing on once Morrison leaves, it's unknown if DC Comics will end the Batman Inc. title with Morrison or have another writer continue the concept on.

Morrison said, "I don’t have any plans for monthly superhero books for a while. Multiversity is eight issues and I’m 30-odd pages into a Wonder Woman project but those are finite stories. I'm not saying that I'll never write superheroes again. It's just that my relationship to them has changed especially after finishing the book and I’m not sure if I want to maintain the same kind of relentless level of production." It might be worth noting that Dan Didio said at San Diego Comic-Con that Multiversity would be coming next year, though that seems to have been its status for multiple years now.

The writer continued by saying, "I think I've kind of worked through everything I’ve ever felt about these characters. It was a bit like going to the psychiatrist and lying on the couch for just long enough to realize 'What was I thinking?' I don't know. I know there are plenty of different ways to use them, but right now I feel like I'm coming to the end of a long intensive period where I was talking about certain ideas using the language of superheroes, if that makes any sense. I want to try out some new ideas and explore the opportunities that keep coming up to write novels and screenplays."

While we're huge fans of Morrison's work on Batman (ranking it #1 in our best runs of the last decade list) and Superman, this news isn't exactly unexpected as Morrison has begun to move onto new projects elsewhere, like his new series Happy! with Darick Robertson at Image. But the man loves his superheroes, so I think it's a safe bet he'll be back in a superhero-verse eventually.

In the meantime, who would be your pick to take up duties on Action Comics?

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com

Godzilla #3 Preview

Writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Simon Gane are doing their best to put Boxer and his Monster Kill Crew through some punishment, and issue #3 finds them continuing their fight against Anguirus in Scotland. Judging from these preview pages, things aren't looking so hot.

Godzilla #3 goes on sale Wednesday.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com

Debris #1 Preview

A couple of months back, we brought you an enlightening chat with our good friend and Image Comics writer Kurtis Wiebe about his new series Debris, which re-teams him with his Green Wake cohort Riley Rossmo to deliver a fantasy epic inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy.

The story centers on Maya, the last hope of humanity, as she's forced to battle the spirits of Earth that take the form of gigantic monsters made of junk. And yeah, it's as cool as it sounds. Courtesy of Image Comics, take a look at the first issue, which hits stands next week.

Final Fantasy Inspires New Comic

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com