Origin story

Most sci-fi movie fans, and probably most people in general, remember the hook to the original Planet of the Apes movie series. The adventure starred actor Charlton Heston as a time-lost man who’d found himself trapped in a horrific age where humanity had lost control of the world, giving rise to the titular “planet”.

But while that version of the lore has been formerly forgotten in the face of a new movie series, it’s about to come roaring back. That’s thanks to Marvel Comics, who’ll be launching Beware the Planet of the Apes, a four-issue limited series that will serve as a prequel to the first set of movies.

Here’s a (mostly unlettered) preview of what to expect:

Into the Forbidden Zone! In a hostile world run by aggressive gorillas, scientists Cornelius and Zira are the only apes alive who see value in the mute, dumb human race—but even they know human capabilities have severe limits. So when their nephew Lucius goes missing, it is with great trepidation that they turn to a human ally, a young woman who will someday earn the moniker “Nova”…

“I’ve been entertained and intrigued by Planet of the Apes ever since I got a Mego Doctor Zaius doll as a birthday present, and my local television station ran the original pentalogy every afternoon for a week in the summertime,” Guggenheim shared. “In many ways, Apes is one of the OG franchises, filled with mystery, fascinating characters, and some truly off-the-wall surprises. That’s the spirit I’m working to evoke with BEWARE THE PLANET OF THE APES.”

Marvel Comics press release

Written by Marc Guggenheim and with art by Álvaro López, look for Beware the Planet of the Apes #1 (of 4) on the stands this coming January 3rd.

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The show takes place on (surprise, surprise) a cursed island that has been racked by a strange plague. After the island’s foolish king develops a remedy that ends up turning the population into monstrous creatures, prophecies depicting a flame-headed hero who will kill the crazy King begin to appear.
As it so happens, this beheaded hero is real, but saving a kingdom isn’t on his schedule and he just wants to be left alone. Well, guess who isn’t going to be left alone…

There will be ten episodes, each around seven minutes long. They initially will be available exclusively in France, and then made available worldwide sometime after. A launch date hasn’t been announced as of yet, but here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long for it.

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Blast from the past

3D Realms is known throughout the industry for their games. Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein, Rise of the Triad, Max Payne, Prey; 3D Realms were amongst the big boys of first person shooting for a long time. So you can imagine the excitement upon hearing that they are not only working on another shooter, but that it’s available on Early Access.

Now, I disagree with Early Access on principle, but you’ve all heard why it’s bad, so I won’t waste your time. I also won’t give away the story of WRATH: Aeon of Ruin. Mostly because I never found out about it, but also because I don’t want to ruin it (hehehe) if it turns out to be a good one. No my friends, today we will be talking about the true meat of the game. The very thing that brings all of us to this medium in the first place. The Gameplay! Also, the audio and visuals, but mostly gameplay!

Gore-soaked gameplay

Alright, so let’s get this out of the way first. WRATH is very fun. It’s cathartic, fast paced, weapon swapping, monster killing fun! If I was more into this stuff, I would waste hours just running around killing monsters with big scary guns. Unfortunately, I personally prefer to have a reason to murder demons, but even a foppish story fop like myself can enjoy the gameplay in this. That’s how fun it is. One must never forget, however, there are always problems.

My first big problem with WRATH came from playing the game a few days later. I unfortunately live in a country ravaged by power outages, but some gaming time finally came up and WRATH had an update. Fully updated and ready to jump back in, I found out that any save made before the update was no longer compatible. All of my work was suddenly gone, which is a poor restarting point.

The next big problem is the game’s constant issue with hit tracking. I shoot a demon in the face, and it dies. Good. I’ll shoot the same demon in the face two rooms later, expecting it would die, only to have it rip my nipples out for suggesting the very notion. Not good. I first thought it was a matter of range, but it doesn’t make sense when a chest shot from across the room kills the hellspawn, but a chest shot at point blank range doesn’t.

There is a bit of a gliding problem, like there is with almost every game from this era, which isn’t too bad but can make jumping onto things suck. The game also boasts good and bad surprises. Bad in the form of the cheapest jump scares money can steal, good in the form of monsters doing weird stuff in the right conditions. I shoot a creature’s head off in a supposedly new way, it’s shoulder blades unfurl into arms to attack me! Brilliant!  

There is a weird sort of customization to this game, that comes in the weaponry. The era of gaming that WRATH is recreating here is known for being unforgiving, and the weapons start off being mostly about efficiency. The next weapon you pick up tends to have more of a punch than the last, until the shotgun. After that, you get a machine gun that shoots fangs, that doesn’t seem to do as much damage or even shoot as far. I kept using it on the assumption that it would help against some new enemy, but nothing cleared rooms quite like my shotgun so there was no reason to use it.

I suppose it might affect one type of enemy more, or maybe it hits for less but trades off by having more hits? Regardless, it seems like a style choice more than anything. Which is cool! Don’t get me wrong, I’m an efficiency person in most games, but if I see something cool that doesn’t do too much worse it’s my go to from then on. Doing damage is fun, but these games are almost about the spectacle as much as they are about the catharsis. Like they say, you eat with your eyes first.

A vision of a bygone age

Speaking of eating with your eyes, I’m glad to see that 3D Realms brought not only the gameplay from the 90s, but the graphics as well! It’s uncanny how much WRATH truly looks like an expansion to Quake sometimes, and it makes you wonder, why? Doom got rebooted recently with new graphics, and it only enhanced the experience, so what is the reason for the old look? Well, nostalgia, obviously. Old 3D Realms is trying to slip a fast one past us, get those extra bucks by tugging at our memories.

That’s not to say that the visuals are awful, just old. Not even a Shovel Knight kind of old where they replicate the colour pallet and style of an old system, it just looks like another old game. I had to check that I was actually playing a new game more than once, which is a bit pathetic. Surely 3D Realms has the capital for some better graphics by now. While I’m dreaming, can we stop making this about demon killing? We all accept violence in games now, so you don’t have to appeal to the nutcases with your super edgy games anymore. Let us have some fun and colour in these games, please!

On a more professional note, the first level of the game is set in a snowy cathedral/graveyard with what seem like catacombs. It’s kind of…boring. There’s really nothing else to it. The demons sometimes spawn with these red swirly bits, but basically everything else is grey and white. It’s just kind of lame and takes away from the fun. Here you are, shooting demon heads off with your double-barrel death stick, and it feels like you’re being filmed by a pretentious art major.

Finally, the sound design in this game is weird. Running into icicles sounds like breaking a window, crackling fires sound like dripping water, all of the monsters scream at you like you’re a casting agent for Hell’s Idols and this is their big shot. The only good part of the sound design is the gunshots, which are loud and proud baby! They give the weapons a good weight and make them pretty satisfying to use.

So far, so decent

I would recommend WRATH to anyone who enjoyed old school shooters, or anyone who wants a cathartic demon killing experience. When I mentioned not knowing the story earlier, as a funny joke, I truly had no intention of finding out. Playing this game becomes all about the gameplay and all ideas of story really seem pointless.

So, buy WRATH, but I’d advise wait for the full edition. You never know what they might change in the end. This is Early Access after all. Hopefully they will make the environments more interesting, ramp up the graphics and fix the sound design. Even if they don’t though, the game is still just plain fun!

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin
Release date: November 22nd, 2019, in Early Access
Platform: PC
Publisher: 3D Realms, 1C Entertainment
Developer: KillPixel

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Back in black… and red

The Merc with a Mouth’s got an all-new story, and he’s got a friend along for the ride: his old pal, Weasel! It’s a killer-for-hire team-up that will make every other mercenary story look like a fairytale…because this isn’t your friendly neighborhood Deadpool. This is Deadpool bringing you the action the old-fashioned way in an all-new limited series, and it’s going to be a wild, bombastic and bloody ride!

Writer Cullen Bunn has been bringing fans twisted and epic stories of Wade Wilson in Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars, and Deadpool: Back In Black. Now, he’s teaming up with Amazing Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley for a collaboration fans will not want to miss – featuring ninjas and knife-wielding speedsters and surprises that will test Deadpool’s emotions in ways not even Deadpool can imagine! This Is one action-packed ride that fans will not want to miss – and it all starts when DEADPOOL: ASSASSIN #1 arrives in comic shops this June!

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Ninja… G.

Valiant is proud to present your first look inside NINJA-K #4 – a spectacular standalone jumping-on point for the EXPLOSIVE NEW ONGOING SERIES from renowned writer Christos Gage (Netflix’s Daredevil) and incendiary special guest Juan José Ryp (BRITANNIA)! On February 14th,discover the untold story of NINJA-G – the first female operative of MI-6’s most deeply classified intelligence unit – and its perilous ramifications for the modern-day Valiant Universe!

At the height of 1970s Britain, MI-6’s covert “Ninja Programme” has just activated its first female agent: NINJA-G! As financial instability grips the nation and anarchy brews in the streets, can MI-6’s newest ninja recruit counter a steady tide of double agents, double crosses, and dueling nation states that will take her from the leather-padded corridors of London to the most severe corners of the Soviet Bloc? The life expectancy of a ninja agent is never long…but just how and why are NINJA-G’s missions still impacting Ninjak’s deadly manhunt in the modern day? And could her legacy hold the secret to decoding the murders of the Ninja Programme’s last surviving members – before Colin King is scratched off the list once and for all?

On February 14th, learn the hidden history of Valiant’s cold warriors as acclaimed writer Christos Gage and guest artist Juan José Ryp debrief with an essential and self-contained jumping-on point for the winter’s must-read super-spy thriller, only in NINJA-K #4 – featuring covers by CAFU (RAPTURE), Adam Pollina (X-Force), Roberto de la Torre (THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE), and Juan José Ryp (BRITANNIA)!

Plus: Continuing in NINJA-K #4, veteran artist Ariel Olivetti (Punisher War Journal) joins NINJA-K mastermind Christos Gage for the next installment of an essential back-up feature revealing the top-secret origin of NINJA-A, the operative that birthed the “Ninja Programme” amidst the raging fires of the First World War’s Western Front!

But first: In comic shops everywhere tomorrow, Colin King accepts a new mission from high-octane storytellers Christos Gage and Tomás Giorello (X-O MANOWAR) for Valiant’s latest blockbuster ongoing series in NINJA-K #1!

For nearly a century, MI-6, the most elite branch of Britain’s clandestine intelligence service, has honed a ruthlessly effective, top-secret division – THE NINJA PROGRAMME – into one of its nation’s most finely wielded weapons. Tasked as the first and last line of defense for queen and country, this small shadow army of agents and assassins has produced a succession of notable assets, including NINJA-A, the Queen’s silent weapon of World War I; NINJA-E, the globe-trotting secret agent that pulled the Cold War back from the brink of Armageddon; and, most recently, NINJA-K, aka Colin King, a brash but fearless instrument of lethality that has saved the world from madmen and terror at every turn. But now…an unknown enemy is hunting and killing members of THE NINJA PROGRAMME one by one – and NINJAK is next on the list.

On November 15th, Ninjak inherits MI-6’s dark legacy…only to find himself drawn into a manhunt through a cold, calculating world of espionage and international intrigue in NINJA-K #1 – featuring covers by Trevor Hairsine (DIVINITY), rising star Lucas Troya, Tonci Zonjic (Who is Jake Ellis?), Kenneth Rocafort (The Ultimates), and David Mack (Kabuki)!

For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,Instagram, and ValiantEntertainment.com.

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.

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The Facts

Released Aug. 27 by Capcom, the trailer shows “Street Fighter V’s” next DLC character, the fortune teller Menat, in action. Utilizing orbs as both straight forward blows, timed attacks and traps, Menat can juggle and control foes with ease. She can also teleport and pull in enemies from a distance, providing a wide and versatile attack range.

The trailer also revealed the 30th anniversary costumes for more of the game’s characters, set to release the same day as Menat on Aug. 29, 2017.

Author’s Take

While she may end up needing to be nerfed and balanced a bit, Menat is one of the better characters to be added to “Street Fighter V’s” roster. Her move set has good variety and her lighter fighting style is a good change of pace from characters like Akuma or Ed. Here’s hoping she finds a place with fans once she launches tomorrow.

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The Facts

In a trailer released July 16 during EVO 2017, Arc System Works teased a new cross over fighter currently in development. The game will include characters from the “BlazeBlue,” “Persona 4: Arena” and “Undernight: Inbirth” games, as well as characters from the “RWBY” animated series by Rooster Teeth. The game currently has a 2018 release window.

Author’s Take

Of all the series that would be in a cross over game, these certainly weren’t the first that came to mind. All the same, it’s one of the coolest surprises to come out of EVO 2017 and there’ll be plenty of fans – myself included – clamoring for more information on it in the coming months.

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The Facts

In a summer update video streamed July 19, Telltale Games revealed that new seasons for three of its biggest properties were in the works. The first, “Batman: The Enemy Within,” received a teaser trailer which picks up where the last season left off. John Doe, AKA The Joker, provides a menacing monologue to Bruce Wayne, teasing him as one of the overarching villains before the trademark green question marks of The Riddler fill the screen. The first episode, “The Enigma,” launches digitally on August 8 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Android and iOS mobile devices. A season pass disc release will follow in October.

The studio also revealed they would release the final season of “The Walking Dead” series in 2018. Players will once again play as Clementine in her search for AJ, a young boy and the only other survivor from the group she formed in the second season. Through their choices, players will help Clementine decide who she wants to be, who she wants to be with and how, bringing a close to her adventures.

Finally, “The Wolf Among Us” season two was teased to be in development. The developers, writers and voice actors for the game thanked fans for their patience, saying the game currently has a 2018 release window.

The full summer update video can be viewed below:

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The Facts

In a new trailer released July 16 at EVO 2017, “Dragon Ball Z” mainstay Trunks takes center stage with iconic attacks and combos from the show. The trailer is the first to show Trunks in action since his character was revealed to be in the roster for the upcoming Arc System Works fighter last month.

It was also revealed that the game’s closed beta would begin July 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. Trunks will be one of the characters available during the beta.

Author’s Take

It’s already been said many times over, but Arc System Works is clearly putting a lot of effort into capturing the style and flair of the “Dragon Ball” series for “FighterZ.” In this trailer alone, the different moves Trunks uses are spot on recreations of iconic moments from the manga and anime, from his sword combo against Frieza to his vertical finishing blast against Cell. Here’s hoping they can hone the experience even more following the Beta.

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The Facts

In a teaser trailer released July 1, Bandai Namco revealed that “Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Brittania” will receive a North American release in the near future. The trailer showed bits and pieces of gameplay with the characters Ban, King, Gowther and Meliodas in combat. During the reveal at Anime Expo 2017, the game was revealed to have an early 2018 release window.

On their official site, Bandai Namco describes the game as action oriented with a fast paced and high tension fighting style that would be expected of the series. It will also boast lush 3D environments and an adventurous storyline with plenty of places to explore in Brittania.

While “Seven Deadly Sins” has had mobile game releases in Japan, “Knights of Brittania” will be the series’ first console release and first game released in America.

Stay tuned for more information on the game as it becomes available.

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