TITANS Reportedly Casts Seamus Dever as Trigon

Gaze upon the unholy visage of -- Trigon!

FandomWire is reporting that the upcoming DC Universe digital series Titans, based on the DC Comics superteam, has cast Seamus Dever as the demonic supervillain Trigon.  Dever was previously announced as a Titans cast member back in January, but his role on the series was unknown.

Trigon's involvement has been speculated, following the recent official series description that included "Dick Grayson and Rachel Roth, a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness, get embroiled in a conspiracy that could bring Hell on Earth."

Dever, 41, is best known as Detective Kevin Ryan on the ABC series Castle, and has appeared in the film Hollywoodland.  His other television appearances include episodes of Legion, Mad Men, Threshold, General Hospital, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS, JAG, Charmed, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Drop Dead Diva, and Ghost Whisperer.

Created in 1981 by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Trigon the Terrible first appeared in The New Teen Titans (vol.1) #2 as a sadistic, cruel, and powerful demon of inter-dimensional origin.  Trigon was the result of the mating between a female member of a mystic sect and the god they worshiped.  A side effect of this pairing was that their child was filled with the cast-off evil energies of the inhabitants of Azarath, forming him into their personification.  He was capable of immortality, energy projection, telepathy, size-shifting, super strength, virtual invulnerability, reality manipulation, telekinesis, and matter transmutation.  At birth, Trigon killed everyone around him (including his own mother).  At the age of one, he ruled an entire planet and at the age of six, he destroyed an entire planet.  By the age of thirty, he held dominion over millions of worlds in his dimension.

Thousands of years later, a depressed woman known as Arella chose to join a cult known as the Church of Blood that was trying to kill Trigon. When the ritual was performed, Trigon, disguised as a handsome male, emerged and married Arella.  After making love, Arella discovered Trigon's true nature after seeing his true demonic form.  Trigon sent Arella back to Earth, pregnant and on the brink of suicide when she was found by an extra-dimensional cult.  Brought to Azarath, she gave birth to their daughter Raven.  Raven was brought up to "control her emotions" in order to suppress and control the demonic powers she inherited from Trigon.  During this time, Trigon was aware of his daughter's whereabouts, but rarely intervened, except when a renegade monk of the cult attempted to cast Raven as an infant into another dimension to avert her potential threat.  Trigon struck him down at the moment of the deed, and allowed the cult to keep her safe at present.

As a teenager, Raven learned of Trigon's intentions to conquer the Earth and vowed to stop him.  She initially approached the Justice League, but they refused her on the advice of Zatanna, who sensed her demonic parentage . In desperation, she reformed the Teen Titans with several new members in order to fight her father.  The team was eventually able to defeat Trigon and seal him in an interdimensional prison.  However, Raven still had to fight her father's influence, as he was not completely destroyed.  Trigon eventually escaped and came to Earth, taking control of Raven and destroying Azarath in the process.  The Titans came together and tried to fight Trigon, but were contaminated by his demonic influence and killed Raven.  This allowed the souls of Azarath to possess her and use her as a channel to kill Trigon—the demonic possession had been part of a plan to defeat Trigon, as the Titans would never have killed Raven on their own—blasting him out of existence with a beam of purifying light.

In 2011, as part of the revamped DC Comics continuity known as The New 52, Trigon was redesigned with an extra set of eyes, giving him six in total.  He struck a bargain with the Phantom Stranger to return his offspring Raven/Rachel Roth to him, in exchange for sparing Earth from his armies prepared to search the Earth for her, having already destroyed Azarath years ago.  It was revealed that Trigon has at least four children, with Raven as the youngest.  Her older brothers are named Belial, Ruskoff and Suge, with Belial being the oldest and most civilized, according to himself, of the brothers.

This will be the first time the character will appear in live-action, although he has appeared in various animated projects, including the Teen Titans animated series (voiced by Keith Szarabajka and Kevin Michael Richardson), Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls (also voiced by Richardson), and the animated film Justice League vs. Teen Titans (voiced by Jon Bernthal).

Titans is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in Fall 2018.

THE FANDOM ZONE 144: "Angelville" is Up!

"Bullshit.  She'll come back.  She has to come back."

-- Jesse Custer, Preacher: "Angelville" 

That's right, Karen and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Preacher 3x01: "Angelville"  (Season Premiere)  

Cloak & Dagger 1x05: "Princeton Offense"

Luke Cage 2x02: "Straighten It Out"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like Felicia Day's Twitchstream, Betty Buckley as Gran'ma L'Angelle, Tulip being mostly dead as opposed to all dead, Cassidy viewing his one-night stand with Tulip as a relationship, Gran'ma cutting her daughter's stomach open just to retrieve a swallowed picture, Cassidy eating a scorpion pepper, wanting T.C. and Jody to be more skeevier like they are in the comics, Tulip reliving her childhood as a sitcom in purgatory, the awkward moment when Cassidy tells Jesse that he and Tulip had sex, Tulip's love of Boo-Berry cereal, Tyrone intentionally tanking his foul shot to win the state championship, Cloak & Dagger not beating you over the head with social messages like Supergirl, Tandy infiltrating an escort service in a schoolgirl uniform, Detective O'Reilly doing lines of cocaine to pretend to be a dirty cop, Luke Cage's exhibition for New York Jets' coach Todd Bowles and ESPN, the greatness of Bobby Fish, Mariah having zero respect for Comanche, Misty getting all kinds of crap from her coworkers, Claire needing to back the hell off of Luke, the awkward moment when Luke beats the hell out of an abused kid's father right in front of the abused kid, Karen glimpsing ahead in her life of cougaring, Justina ghosting us, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as Karen and I review new episodes of AMC's Preacher, Netflix's Luke Cage and Freeform's Cloak & Dagger, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 113: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" is Up!

"You are unbelievable."
"And yet, you still find me strangely attractive."
-- Gwen Cooper and Captain John Hart, Torchwood: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"

Back in the TARDIS once again, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I have returned with a new episode of the award-winning Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, we continue our Chris Chibnall Torchwood retrospective and review "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", the first episode of Torchwood Series Two, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, and written by incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" being taken from James Bond, Captain Jack's connection to the end of Doctor Who Series Three, James Marsters as Captain John Hart, Torchwood being considerably less dysfunctional without Captain Jack around, the great blowfish alien car sequence, that awkward moment when Captain Jack wants to pick right up with the team as if nothing happened, Gwen revealing her engagement with Rhys, Captain John Hart's nod to Adam Ant, Jack and John's love/hate relationship, the awkward moment when Captain John learns that Captain Jack can't die, Captain John Hart channeling Princess Leia's hologram, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Paul from Australia and Holly from Wisconsin, Twitter locking out our Next Stop Everywhere account for no good reason, listener Stephanie Marie Freiny offering to guest host, my Fandom Zone Podcast partner Karen Lindsay joining Next Stop Everywhere for Doctor Who Series Eleven, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Jesse and I wrap up our Chris Chibnall Torchwood retrospective and review "Exit Wounds", the Torchwood Series Two finale, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, and written by incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

Someone Claims to Have Seen the TITANS Pilot, Details Revealed

I'd suggest keeping the salt shaker handy, but just in case, consider this is a SPOILER WARNING...

A site called Splash Report is claiming an exclusive for providing the first details on Titans, the upcoming DC Universe digital series based on the DC Comics superteam.  Citing a report from a friend named "Ludens" (the cough-drop company?), Splash Report is reporting that he/she saw the pilot episode, with the following information:

Titans is an "excellent" show that "stands out from the crowd"

"It’s about time we had another excellent superhero television show. It seems, in recent years, that the quality promised to us by the early seasons of DAREDEVIL, THE FLASH, ARROW, and even JESSICA JONES has been forgotten amongst the need to pump out a season every year. While we have a top-notch television in LEGION, we need higher standards across the board to honestly justify the amount of content that is being produced annually. From IRON FIST to SUPERGIRL, the small-screen superhero has been neglected to an almost laughably terrible level. So when a project comes along that stands out from the crowd, it deserves the praise."

The pilot is centered on Robin, Raven and Starfire

"The pilot of TITANS is centered on three heroes, Robin, Raven, and Starfire (Brenton Thwaites, Teagan Croft, Anna Diop), but it begins with a flashback. The Flying Grayson Circus. This flashback is used as both a primer to the backstory of Dick Grayson (Robin) and an introduction to Rachel Roth (Raven). It does a respectable job at making the audience understand Robin’s character, akin to that of Bruce Wayne in the Batman films. It also gives a robust taste of what’s to come with Raven, highlighting her unstable psyche and untapped power. However, the rest of the pilot is structured very much around the individual heroes. Each first Act begins with a chyron separating the protagonists from each other. In this sense, it could be considered similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where each hero is given an introductory film to get the audience invested and are then brought together in an ensemble movie."

Titans is "not a series for children" and "darker than anything DC has put out on the small screen so far"

"TITANS is very much not a series for children. There are multiple f-bombs and s-bombs, among other swear-words that make it seem like they’re going for an R-rating. Moreover, the action is brutal, with bone snaps, people being shot, burned, and mangled. It’s a departure from the more joyful tone that many associates with the group, but it’s a departure that I feel is for the best. It’s refreshing to see a DC show that’s no-holds-barred instead of shying away from the more mature aspects of the mythology. It’s not as adult as something like JESSICA JONES, but it’s far darker than anything DC has put out on the small screen thus far. What separates TITANS from some of Marvel’s darker shows is the fact that it doesn’t ever really aim to be realistic. TITANS doesn’t shy away from the big, fantastical spectacle, and instead embraces the comic roots of the characters. We can have a realistic Robin fight scene, but we can also have Starfire blasting away goons with a burst of fire. It’s a mixture of realism and fantasy that I think works great."

Robin "doesn't work with Batman anymore" and left Gotham for San Francisco

"ROBIN is the first character we are introduced to. At this stage in his life, decades after the Flying Grayson Incident, Dick Grayson is in a terrible place. It’s not the Robin many of you are accustomed to. He doesn’t work with Batman anymore after growing to hate him and leaving Gotham for San Francisco. He’ll sometimes see a shadow of Batman, only to turn around and realize it’s his own. He’s afraid of becoming like Bruce. Nevertheless, he still wears the Robin suit instead of a Nightwing costume (which would make much more sense). In this iteration of the character, Grayson has taken up the career of being a Detective on the police force. We are introduced to some of the series’ side characters like Detective Rohrbach and Wolf, and we also notice Grayson’s plain apathy towards them. See, Robin doesn’t work with people anymore. After what Batman did to him, he’s shut himself off from any relationships, absorbing himself in his work. It’s an exciting choice for the character, and his development throughout the season will be one of its central pillars. We also get a glimpse into the action of the show, which looks to be phenomenal."

Raven may have Trigon "residing inside her" and The Acolyte is a main antagonist

"Here we get a more extensive look into the character of Rachel Roth than in the cold open. We get to see more of her mother, Angela, an insomniac trying to manage taking care of a problematic childlike Raven. It’s been difficult. Raven’s powers are also given some spotlight early on, highlighting a deeply disturbed, almost demonic individual residing inside her. Rachel’s neighbors are well-aware of her strangeness, as are her classmates, who regularly bully her. It’s clear that Raven’s relationships at school are going to be a big part of her story moving forward. It is also within this Act that we are introduced to one of the main antagonists of the story, The Acolyte: a mysterious hitman whose intentions and superiors are unclear, but hint at a more extensive narrative at play. Without spoilers, let’s say that the Acolyte prompts some change within Rachel’s life that launch the entire show into motion."

Starfire's poorly-received first look on the interwebs was from a '70s club "disco party" and isn't her "usual look"

"She is probably the most intriguing character in the pilot episode, introduced in an enthrallingly enigmatic fashion. When we first meet her, Starfire is in smack in the middle of a car crash, her driver is embedded in the bloodied windshield, and armed men are chasing her for a reason unknown to us. Also, I think this is a good time to mention her outfit and appearance, as the recent set photos have caused some controversy amongst fans. Starfire is introduced to us the night after a DISCO PARTY. The reason she looks like someone out of a 1970s club is that she was at one. Her dress and hairstyle aren’t part of her usual look. So, everyone needs to relax a bit and wait for the official image. Okay… back to the story. On the escape, Starfire finds out she has multiple passports and can speak multiple languages— the identity of this woman is an absolute mystery. Some more events transpire (which I won’t divulge into for spoiler’s sake), and she is propelled on a mission that will sow the seeds for TITANS.We are chronologically reaching the end of the pilot, so the following will be very vague to avoid ruining some of the best moments of the episode. Towards the end, the culmination of the previous 50 minutes takes a head. There’s spectacle, violence, and mystery that acts as both a satisfying finish for the episode and a definite beginning for the rest of the show. The absolute greatest, the most jaw-dropping moment of the pilot happens here, and it’s so good. But you’ll have to see the episode yourself to find out what it is…"

Titans is expected to debut on DC Universe sometime in Fall 2018.

THE FANDOM ZONE 143: "Soul Brother #1" is Up!

"I'm Luke Cage.  You can't burn me, you can't blast me, and you definitely can't break me.  You wanna test me?  Step up!  I'm right here.  I ain't goin' nowhere.  You know where to find me.  I am Harlem...and Harlem is me."

-- Luke Cage, Luke Cage: "Soul Brother #1" 

That's right, Karen and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Supergirl 3x23: "Battles Lost and Won"  (Season Finale)  

Cloak & Dagger 1x04: "Call/Response"

Luke Cage 2x01: "Soul Brother #1"  (Season Premiere)

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like wanting Supergirl to find a cure for M'yrnn, M'yrnn's YouTube tribute video, realizing that an anagram of Neo is One, Superman not spinning the Earth backward to go back in time in the first Superman movie, Brainiac 5 needing to permanently ditch his horrible makeup, the Mark Millar limited series Superman: Red Son, Alex getting her promotion to director of the DEO because she's the only one left, Karen's file name First World Problems, Tyrone trying to live a perfect life because he thinks his family blames him for his brother's death, Tyrone's stupid plan of faking a police report, that awkward moment when your dad reveals he has history with a local gang, Tyrone finding his foreshadowing cloak, that awkward moment when the lawyer you think is no good for your mom is actually a decent dude, Lucy Liu directing an episode of Luke Cage, Nick Fury's support for the United Negro College Fund, the creepiness of Mariah making out with Shades, that awkward moment when you shoot Luke Cage with a Judas bullet and it doesn't hurt him, Reg E. Cathey as Luke's dad, new feedback from Justina, Tom Ellis' naked butt being censored, Karen joining Jesse Jackson and I on Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as Karen and I review the Season 3 premiere of AMC's Preacher, along with new episodes of Netflix's Luke Cage and Freeform's Cloak & Dagger, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

DC Universe Streaming Service Reveals Details & Show Synopses

CBR is reporting Warner Bros. has announced more specific details for DC Universe, their upcoming digital subscription service that will feature new live-action and animated series, classic movies and TV shows, a selection of digital comics, and exclusive merchandise.

Beta access for DC Universe will begin in August 2018, with the service going live later in the fall.

The DC Comics selection will rotate and span decades of releases, from Action Comics #1 to recent stories.  The comics can be downloaded for reading on mobile devices.

Oh, look.  Here's the official press release...

DC UNIVERSE is a first-of-its kind digital subscription service that gives fans access to exclusive content and experiences not available anywhere else. With membership, fans will enjoy all-new original live-action and animated series, classic TV series and films, a curated selection of digital comic books, breaking news, an expansive DC-centric encyclopedia, and access to exclusive merchandise. Additional fan features include opportunities to connect with others in the DC community, earn premium rewards and participate in sweepstakes and contests.

“Developing new ways for consumers to access some of our most popular and iconic brands and franchises as well as exclusive new content whenever they want, on the devices they choose, is one of our studio’s top priorities,” said Craig Hunegs, president, Warner Bros. Digital Networks. “The DC UNIVERSE platform gives fans a place to tailor their experience and build a direct relationship with DC in a way they never could before.”

Members of DC UNIVERSE can:

• WATCH exclusive originals and classic favorites;
• READ from an extensive list of curated comic books;
• CONNECT with the DC community;
• EXPLORE the latest breaking news and the ever-expanding DC encyclopedia;
• WIN premium rewards and participate in sweepstakes and contests;
• SHOP for exclusive merchandise.

Fans can sign up today for an opportunity for beta access, which will open in August 2018. Beta access will give members a chance to test the new digital experience and provide valuable feedback on the early version of the service before it goes live later this fall 2018.

“DC UNIVERSE is so much more than a streaming service. It’s a welcoming place for everyone to immerse themselves in their own level of DC fandom, with the epic characters, stories, and experiences they have come to expect from DC,” said Jim Lee, chief creative officer and publisher, DC Entertainment. “We are investing in and creating original, high-quality shows including the new Titans series, and curating the most beloved nostalgic content, while at the same time elevating the comic reading experience to new heights. Nothing this robust has ever been offered to fans before.”

WATCH

At the heart of DC UNIVERSE will be all-new exclusive original live-action and animated series based on DC’s iconic characters. Developed by Warner Bros. Television, Swamp Thing and Doom Patrol are scheduled to debut in 2019, following the dramatic, live-action adventure series Titans which premieres later this year. Warner Bros. Animation is also developing a slate of animated TV series based on existing fan favorites, including Harley Quinn and the highly anticipated third season of the popular Young Justice: Outsiders animated series which are both scheduled to debut in 2019.

• Titans follows young heroes from across the DC Universe as they come of age and find belonging in a gritty take on the classic Teen Titans franchise. Dick Grayson and Rachel Roth, a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness, get embroiled in a conspiracy that could bring Hell on Earth. Joining them along the way are the hot-headed Starfire and lovable Beast Boy. Together they become a surrogate family and team of heroes.

• Doom Patrol is a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman and Crazy Jane. Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder they’re called into action by the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg. Banding together these rejects find themselves on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.

• Swamp Thing follows Abby Arcane as she investigates what seems to be a deadly swamp-born virus in a small town in Louisiana but soon discovers that the swamp holds mystical and terrifying secrets. When unexplainable and chilling horrors emerge from the murky marsh, no one is safe.

• Young Justice: Outsiders features the return of the fan favorite animated series with a huge cast of DC’s most iconic young superheroes – plus brand-new characters, many of whom are just discovering their unique meta-powers and special abilities. Set against the backdrop of a rich, deep world that touches all corners of the DC universe, the season focuses on meta–trafficking, and an intergalactic arms race for control of these super–powered youths.

• Harley Quinn follows Harley’s adventures after she breaks up with the Joker and strikes out on her own in this new adult animated comedy. With the help of Poison Ivy and a ragtag crew of DC castoffs, Harley tries to earn a seat at the biggest table in villainy: the Legion of Doom.

An assortment of DC’s most beloved superhero films will also be available at launch for exclusive streaming windows, including all four original Superman movies as well as a selection of epic animated movies including Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Green Lantern: First Flight, and Wonder Woman. The service will also feature classic TV shows, including the first two seasons of Batman: The Animated Series and the original Wonder Woman series available for the first time in HD.

READ

The DC UNIVERSE comics reader will include native, untethered access across devices from a smartphone or tablet to a living room screen rendered in vivid detail. Fans can scroll through some of their favorite comics from the comfort of their couch with family or friends and see this vibrant art form come to life like never before. A curated selection of thousands of DC comics will be available to DC UNIVERSE members from a library that includes decades of comics creations.

Members can read some of the most famous stories in comic book history such as the first 1938 Action Comics that introduced Superman to the world as well as Detective Comics #27 which first introduced Batman in 1939. Other titles include Geoff Johns and Jim Lee’s iconic Justice League (2011), Swamp Thing (2011) written by Scott Snyder, and Harley Quinn (2013) written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. Rotating selections will cater to both members new to comics and passionate fans looking for hard-to-find titles. Comics can also be downloaded for reading offline on a smartphone or tablet.

“We wanted the DC UNIVERSE comic reader to be a blend of art and technology that would further enhance fan’s experiences of the live-action and animated programming on DC UNIVERSE,” said Dan DiDio, publisher, DC Entertainment. “This hand-curated selection from our decades of comic creations gives fans a thematic digital longbox to carry with them on the device of their choosing or lets them watch exclusive video content on a big screen followed by the comic that inspired it.”

CONNECT

The community within DC UNIVERSE will be a place where members can rate, create and share their own personalized playlists of their favorite heroes and villains. Members can personalize their profile and select their own avatar, be it Superman, Wonder Woman, or another heroic character or symbol. Designed to be a place for finding commonality and sharing favorite rivalries or the latest list of must-read comic books, members will have a forum for posting information, finding friendship and sharing their DC passions in a shared, moderated space within DC UNIVERSE.

EXPLORE & WIN

Latest news, an extensive DC encyclopedia, and chances to win round out the membership benefits of DC UNIVERSE. Short-form news, interviews and previews in daily video segments will keep fans up-to-date on the latest from all corners of the DC universe. The ever-expanding DC encyclopedia, to which fans can contribute, will house bios of hundreds of DC characters and places. In addition, members will have chances to win premium rewards, including game unlocks, first-chance access to pop-culture events, exclusive experiences and more.

SHOP

Exclusively for DC UNIVERSE members, DC Collectibles—the award-winning line of collectibles from DC Entertainment—will offer a wide range of new action figures and collector’s items based on DC’s iconic characters and stories. Members will have exclusive access to all-new six-inch Justice League Animated action figures based on designs from the fan-favorite animated series (2001-2004), starting in fall 2018. In addition to DC Collectibles, members will have access to a wide range of exclusive, curated and hard-to-find DC merchandise from a variety of licensing partners before the rest of the world.

The operation of DC UNIVERSE will be managed by Sam Ades, general manager and senior vice president, Warner Bros. Digital Network, based in Burbank. The digital media executive formerly served as the senior vice president, direct to consumer, for DC Entertainment, where he was responsible for creating and executing DC’s digital marketing strategy.

DC UNIVERSE will be available at launch on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV, as well as the web and mobile web. To learn more and register for an opportunity for beta access, visit dcuniverse.com and follow DC UNIVERSE on social networks including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Spider-Man Spinoff MORBIUS Casts Jared Leto as...Morbius

The Living Vampire is coming to life.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that Sony Pictures' upcoming film Morbius, based on the Marvel Comics character, has cast Jared Leto in the lead role as Dr. Michael Morbius.  The project was first announced in November 2017 as one of several Spider-Man related movie projects being developed by Sony.

Additionally, they report that Daniel Espinosa, who helmed the movies Life and Safe House, will direct the film.  Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama, who worked on the recent Power Rangers movie, have written the script.  The two previously wrote the screenplay for the vampire movie Dracula Untold, as well as the movies Gods of Egypt and The Last Witch Hunter.

Leto, 46, is best known as the frontman for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, as Niander Wallace in the film Blade Runner 2049, and as The Joker in the movie adaptation of DC Comics' Suicide Squad.  In addition, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club, and has also appeared in the films The Outsider, Phone Booth, Panic Room, Requiem for a Dream, American Psycho, Fight Club, and The Thin Red Line.

Created in 1971 by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Morbius first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol.1) #101 as Dr. Michael Morbius, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, who had attempted to cure himself of a rare blood disease with an experimental treatment involving vampire bats and electroshock therapy.  However, he instead became afflicted with a far worse condition, "pseudo-vampirism," that mimicked the powers and bloodthirst of legendary vampirism.  Morbius had to digest blood in order to survive and had a strong aversion to light.  He gained the ability to fly, as well as superhuman strength, speed, and healing abilities. His appearance became hideous, with his canine teeth extended into fangs, his nose flattened more like a bat's, and his skin became chalk-white.

He later sought a cure for his condition, but battled Spider-Man, the Human Torch, and the original X-Men.  In another battle with Spider-Man, Morbius was hit by a lightning strike, which cured him of his pseudo-vampirism while retaining a thirst for blood.  While cured, he was charged with the crimes he had committed as a vampire and was represented by Jennifer Walters, whose dual identity as the She-Hulk was not yet publicly known.  Morbius selflessly saved Walter's life and stabilized her erratic transformations into the She-Hulk with a serum that he had created to cure the remnants of his own transformation.  He eventually resumed his pseudo-vampire state, and first met Doctor Strange.  Alongside Doctor Strange and Brother Voodoo, he battled Marie Leveau, and witnessed the resurgence of true vampires.

During the events of Spider-Island, Morbius was revealed to be the mysterious Number Six working at Horizon Labs.  When Peter Parker tried to investigate the identity of "Number Six," he accidentally provoked Morbius, who had been using the cure to try to develop a basis for his own condition, prompting the staff at Horizon to step up building security.  This drove Morbius to leave, where it was revealed that he had been working with the Lizard, presumably trying to find a cure for both of their conditions.  It was also revealed that Michael Morbius was a college friend of Horizon Labs founder Max Modell.  Using DNA samples from the corpse of Billy Connors, the Lizard's son, Morbius was able to create a cure that would restore the Lizard to human form, but he failed to recognize that the Lizard had fully destroyed Curt Connors' human persona.  They left the Lizard alone in Morbius' lab, allowing the Lizard to release blood into the lab's air supply to provoke the injured Morbius into attacking the other Horizon scientists.  This prompted Morbius to flee the lab with Spider-Man in pursuit.  Morbius was captured by Spider-Man and locked up in a cell in the Raft.  While Peter Parker was trapped in Doctor Octopus' dying body, Morbius offered to help capture Doctor Octopus, who was using Peter's body as Spider-Man, but was turned down.  Morbius eventually escaped from the Raft and fled to Brownsville.

GHOSTWOOD 036: "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer" is Up!

"Damn good coffee...and hot!"
-- Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we continue our commentary tracks as we watch "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer", the third episode from Twin Peaks Season One, featuring Dale Cooper's dream sequence and the first appearances of David Patrick Kelly as Jerry Horne, Miguel Ferrer as Albert Rosenfield and Michael J. Anderson as The Man from Another Place!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like a hot and rainy night in Columbus, Jerry Horne being the douchiest of the douchey, Jerry bringing brie & butter baguette sandwiches to an awkward Horne family dinner, Jerry being more depressed about the Norwegians than Laura's death, beating Xan to the Simpsons reference, wondering where the other male clients are at One-Eyed Jack's, Jerry getting sloppy seconds, Leo trying to be spooky with a flashlight, the original DeflateGate, Nadine's first shot of adrenaline, the only home photo of Leo Johnson looking like a mugshot, Bobby treating Shelly better than Leo, Big Ed's country song, Cooper creating a great blog name, Cooper instructing the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department in the history of Dalai Lama and Tibet, wondering why Hawk wears oven mitts to hold a bucket of rocks, Deputy Andy getting a head injury, Leo being set up as a red herring, Donna and Audrey giggling over Cooper, Sheriff Truman meeting Albert Rosenfield, Nadine's happiness over her silent drape runners, Pete and Catherine's passive-aggressive behavior, the quaintness of accounting ledgers, Leland spinning around to "Pennsylvania 6-5000", Ray Wise actually cutting his hand on the shattered frame of Laura's homecoming queen photo, the dream sequence that raised the bar and made Twin Peaks into a must-watch water cooler show, Kyle MacLachlan 25 years later looking a lot better than Dale Cooper 25 years later, the worst case of bedhead ever, wondering why Harry doesn't insist that Cooper reveal who killed Laura Palmer right away, the Showtime series Red Shoe Diaries, feeling sympathetic to the Twede's Cafe staff who have to deal with Twin Peaks tourists, wanting Buckeye Donuts to sponsor us, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I continue our commentary tracks as we watch "Rest in Pain", the fourth episode from Twin Peaks Season One, featuring Laura Palmer's funeral and the first appearance of Sheryl Lee as Maddy Ferguson!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast 

THE BOYS Casts Tomer Capon as The Frenchman

At last, The Boys are united and ready to unleash Hell.

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming Amazon series The Boys, based on the Dynamite Entertainment comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, has cast Tomer Capon as The Frenchman, a.k.a. Frenchie.  Capon joins Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Karen Fukuhara as The Female, Jack Quaid as Wee Hughie, Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, and Erin Moriarty as Starlight.

According to the article, The Frenchman is described as "the unpredictable wild card of the Boys.  A brutal warrior when the situation calls for it, he’s living a life of no attachments or responsibilities."

In a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, The Boys revolves around a group of vigilantes known informally as 'the Boys,' who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.

Capon, 32, is an Israeli actor who (as Tomer Kapon) has appeared in the films A Tale of Love and Darkness, Wedding Doll and One Week and a Day.  In addition, he's appeared in episodes of the TV series When Heroes Fly, Fullmoon, Combat Medics, Fauda, and Hostages.

Created in 2006 by Ennis and Robertson, Butcher first appeared in The Boys #2 as an unknown person who may not even be French, and was given a possible origin that may be some form of delusion.  Returning home from military service, he was welcomed by the residents of his native Franglais (who curiously refer to him as Frenchie), but soon learned that his lover Marie had taken off with his childhood rival, Pierre.  Renouncing violence, he refused to confront Pierre.  Months later, at a local festival that featured the sport of jousting on bicycles with baguettes while screaming exaggerated Maurice Chevalier impression laughter, his father challenged Pierre to restore the family's honor.  Pierre, fearing certain defeat, toppled the challenger's bicycle with a stale croissant, killing him.  

Renouncing his newfound pacifism, the Frenchman exacted his revenge on Pierre and started drifting from place to place, until he got into a bar fight with an American and was seen in action by Billy Butcher, who promptly recruited him and gave him the special chemical called Compound V that increases strength, reflexes, stamina and durability, and gives the ability to heal wounds faster than normal humans.  What was actually known about the Frenchman was that Butcher had a folder on the Frenchman's membership in the French Foreign Legion.  That, along with his characteristically British usage of the words "mum" and "wanker" and his hometown's name literally meaning "French-English," would suggest a British origin.  The only reference to the truth of the Frenchman's tale was his vow to remain with The Boys "until the bitter end."

After Butcher reassembled the anti-superhero team the Boys, the Frenchman maintained a close fondness for his teammate, the Female.  Once he was made aware of the Female's extra curricular activities worked for the mafia, he attempted to intervene by both appealing to the Female directly and threatening and intimidating one of the criminals hiring her to kill.  He took on the task of 'humanizing' her, and was the first person to have actually treated her with kindness and civility.

The Frenchman eventually lost his right arm during the group's battle with The Seven in Washington, surviving due to Vought-American medical treatment.  In The Boys #69, The Frenchman and The Female were seemingly killed when Butcher bombed The Boys' headquarters, the Flatiron building.

The Boys is expected to debut on Amazon sometime in 2019. 

GHOSTWOOD 035: "Traces to Nowhere" is Up!

"Fellas, don't drink that coffee!  You'd never guess. There was a fish...in the percolator!"

-- Pete Martell, Twin Peaks: "Traces to Nowhere" 

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we attempt our first commentary episode as we watch "Traces to Nowhere", the second episode from Twin Peaks Season One, featuring the introduction of Frank Silva as BOB and Al Strobel as Phillip Gerard, the one-armed man!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like Xan wanting to record Twin Peaks commentaries, both of us wanting a job where we get paid to watch Twin Peaks, the confusion about whether "Traces to Nowhere" is the first episode or the second, TV-friendly David Lynch, how to sync along with our commentary, Dale Cooper as Michael Keaton's Batman, Cooper meeting Audrey Horne, Audrey's itchy palms, Cooper having kidney stones, Shelly being a #MeToo movement waiting to happen, Laura and Donna's YouTube video, Cooper being Sherlock Holmes without being a sociopath, Xan's first choice for our podcast name, the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department ordering doughnuts by the truckload, Big Ed being in an abusive relationship, the awkward moment when Norma bumps into her arch-enemy Nadine, Pete being protective of Josie, Catherine's alliance with Ben Horne, the Sarah Palmer Drinking Game, the first appearance of BOB, Deputy Hawk losing the one-armed man in a morgue, the awkwardness of Bobby's dinner with his parents, Cooper meeting the Log Lady, Ghostwood's zero tolerance abuse policy, James meeting Donna's parents, Dr. Jacoby's Spencer's Gifts aquarium, how Frank Silva became a Twin Peaks cast member, my BOB Funko figure creeping out Xan, the James Woods episode of The Simpsons, Twin Peaks being the first show to challenge American audiences and TV critics, Michael Cera as Wally Brando, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I continue our commentary tracks as we watch "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer", the third episode from Twin Peaks Season One, featuring Dale Cooper's dream sequence and the first appearances of David Patrick Kelly as Jerry Horne, Miguel Ferrer as Albert Rosenfield and Michael J. Anderson as The Man from Another Place!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

Sony Developing Spider-Man Spinoff Movie SILK

Sony really wants their Spider-Man Cinematic Universe.

Deadline has word that Sony Pictures is developing yet another Spider-Man spinoff movie, this time on Marvel Comics' Korean-American superhero Silk.

According to the article, Sony and producer Amy Pascal are in early development on the project, but details are being kept under wraps.

The character recently appeared as Cindy Moon in Sony's Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming, played by Tiffany Espensen, as a member of the academic decathlon team with Peter Parker who showed concern when it seemed that he was leaving.  Espensen reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War, where she was seen on the bus with Peter and Ned Leeds, when Ned made a distraction so that Peter could change into Spider-Man.  It's not yet known if Espensen will star in Silk.

Silk is the latest in a series Spider-Man-related property to be developed by Sony, including Venom, Nightwatch and Morbius.  Silver & Black, which had a director and would have teamed the characters Silver Sable and Black Cat, was reportedly pulled from Sony's schedule and headed back into development.

Created in 2014 by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, Silk first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol.3) #4, following a brief cameo in issue #1.  Debuting as part of the Original Sin event storyline, Cindy Moon's origin was connected to Spider-Man's.  During a demonstration on the use of radioactive rays at a science exhibit, a spider was accidentally exposed to large amounts of radiation.  In its dying moments, the arachnid bit Peter Parker, giving the young teenager amazing powers and allowing him to become Spider-Man. However, mere moments after biting Parker, the spider bit Cindy Moon as well.  Soon after, Cindy’s abilities manifested, including organic webbing (unlike Peter), but she was unable to control them.  Some time later, the character known as Ezekiel approached the Moon family and offered his help with Cindy controlling her newfound abilities.  After six years of training to use her powers, Cindy was locked up inside a facility by Ezekiel to protect her and the other "spiders" from the villain called Morlun and his family known as the Inheritors.

After learning of her existence, Spider-Man immediately searched for Cindy to break her out of the facility where Ezekiel had kept her.  After Cindy was freed, she attacked Spider-Man in a fit of rage, saying that he had doomed them all.  Spider-Man calmed Cindy down by informing her that Morlun was dead.  Cindy made her way out of the facility to finally see the city of New York, stopping only to make a temporary costume out of her webbing.  Telling Spider-Man to refer to her as Silk, she was heartbroken to find that her family had moved. Silk and Peter also find that they were powerfully attracted to each other due to their shared Spider-Sense.  After helping Peter defeat the Black Cat and Electro, accepted a job as an intern at the Fact Channel, where she intended to use the information center to find her family.

After locating her family, Cindy quit her job at the Fact Channel and contemplated what she wanted to do with her life.  After a discussion with her brother and her therapist, she decided to enlist in S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.  With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology, she researched her father's meetings and eventually confronted him about his secret meetings with a mysterious doctor, who turned out to be a Tamara Pearson, also known as Fang.  Fang worked for Ezekiel and was the leader of a splinter group of the Spider Society, claiming to Cindy's father that she would be "curing" Cindy of her powers.  However, her actual plan was to transfer Cindy's powers to herself and use her abilities to take over the Spider Society.  After inheriting Ezekiel's fortune and drugging Cindy's father, Fang kept her eyes on Cindy during and after the bunker.  Silk soon defeated Fang and her father accepted her for who she is.  With a closer relationship to her family closer and her job at S.H.I.E.L.D., Cindy finally felt happiness after so many years.

THE FANDOM ZONE 142: "Chapter 19" is Up!

"What do we do now?"
"Now...we pray."

-- Sydney "Syd" Barrett & Clark Debussy, Legion: "Chapter 19" 

That's right, Karen and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Supergirl 3x22: "Make It Reign"

Legion 2x11: "Chapter 19"  (Season Finale)

Cloak & Dagger 1x03: "Stained Glass"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like the Francesco Mattina variant cover to The Flash #48, my 49th birthday, The CW's fall 2018 schedule, Legends of Tomorrow Season 4 news, Karen's crush on Bigby from the comic Fables, J'onn and M'yrnn being our favorite Supergirl Season 3 storyline, Earth Winn & Fire, Winn not grasping the concept of speaking through a hologram, Chad Lowe aging to keep Rob Lowe young, Brainiac 5 stealing Winn's force shield idea, Red Shirt expendable characters on Star Trek, that awkward moment when Lena Luthor reveals she has Kryptonite that she swore she didn't have, David and the Shadow King's cool astral battle, Syd throwing down a minotaur head and wanting to talk to David, Lenny's +10 sniper rifle, wondering if the David messing with Syd's memories wasn't actually David, Farouk wanting to make Professor Xavier's son love him instead, wondering if David is playing the long game, Casey Kasem's epic rant, Wall of Voodoo's cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", Tyrone going on a voodoo tour of New Orleans, that awkward moment when the girl Tyrone's flirting with gives him a bath, Tandy having a concussion, Auntie Chantelle updating voodoo technology with 3-D printing, new feedback from Justina, my Cloak & Dagger comics recommendation, and more!

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as Karen and I review the Season 2 premiere of Netflix's Luke Cage, the Season 3 finale of The CW's Supergirl, and a new episode of Freeform's Cloak & Dagger, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!