NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 130: "The Edge of Destruction" is Up!

"How dare you!  Do you realize, you stupid old man, that you'd have died in the Cave of Skulls if Ian hadn't made fire for you?"
"Oh, I..."
"And what about what we went through against the Daleks?  Not just for us, but for you and Susan, too, and all because you tricked us into going down to the city."
"But I..."
"Accuse us?!  You ought to go down on your hands and knees and thank us. But gratitude's the last thing you'll ever have, or any sort of common sense either."
-- Barbara Wright and the First Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Edge of Destruction"

This time, special guest companion Fred Firestine from the Psych Rewind podcast joins me for a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "The Edge of Destruction", the third serial from Doctor Who Season One in 1964, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman!

In this episode, Fred and I discuss things like my finally getting to talk to Fred, Fred's Doctor Who background, Doctor Who podcaster and convention organizer Ken Deep, the books Whographica and Doctor Who: The Complete Visual Collection, Tom Baker's 85th birthday, the early confusion of episode titles with overall story titles, "The Edge of Destruction" being commissioned to fill out the initial 13 episode order, Fred's thoughts on how to watch classic Doctor Who, Susan trying to stab Ian with a pair of scissors, the Doctor's healing bandage, the TARDIS' water dispenser providing water in pouches instead of cups, the Doctor and his companions becoming seriously paranoid, the Twilight Zone episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", the Doctor threatening to throw Ian and Barbara off the ship, the Doctor not really knowing how to pilot the TARDIS, the Doctor trying to make amends with Barbara after their huge fight, Ian and Barbara getting frustrated by not getting back to their own time, Jo Grant as an inspiration to young girls, the Doctor slipping his companions a mickey, shipping Ian and Barbara, the fault locator freaking out, marking with a felt pen where the fast return switch is located, the Doctor explaining a toggle switch to Susan, the first sign that the TARDIS is sentient, our favorite lines of the story, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, some feedback from Holly from Wisconsin and Paul from Australia, the recent classic Doctor Who blu-ray season sets, a quick health update on Karen, and more!

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Be sure to come back next week as Jesse Jackson and I finally discuss "Genesis of the Daleks", the fourth serial from Season 12, featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan, and the first appearance of Davros!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

BLACK PANTHER Becomes First Superhero Movie Nominated for Best Picture

Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the nominations for the 2019 for the 91st Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars.  As many expected, the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther was nominated for Best Picture, becoming the first superhero film to receive the nomination in the major category.

Despite the Best Picture nomination, Black Panther received zero nominations in the acting, directing and screenplay categories.  However, the film did receive seven nominations in total, for Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Music (Original Score), Best Music (Original Song), Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

Meanwhile, Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, which many fans consider to be a better overall film than Black Panther, received only one nomination, for Best Visual Effects.  In addition, the critically-acclaimed animated superhero films Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Incredibles 2 received one nomination each for Best Animated Feature Film.

 The 91st Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, February 24, 2019.

AMERICAN GODS Season 2 Trailer Teases the War of the Gods

This is America.  The greatest story ever told.

STARZ has released the first trailer for the second season of American Gods, the fantasy drama based on the novel by Neil Gaiman.  The series, which debuted in 2017, has faced a considerable struggle for its second season, with original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, along with actors Gillian Anderson and Kristin Cheonweth, leaving the show. 

The one-hour drama centers on a war brewing between Old Gods and New Gods, as the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily lose believers.  Their challengers are an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs.

In Season 2, the battle moves toward a crisis point, as the destinies of gods and men collide.  While Mr. World (Crispin Glover) plots revenge for the attack against him in the first season, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) throws in his lot with Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane)’s attempt to convince the Old Gods of the case for full-out war, with Laura Moon (Emily Browning) and Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) in tow.

A council at the House on the Rock explodes into chaos, sending deities both Old and New on quests across America that will converge on Cairo, Illinois, forcing Shadow to carve out a place as a believer in this strange new world of living gods — a dark world where change demands commitment, and faith requires terrible sacrifice.

As the one minute, 50-second trailer begins, Mr. Wednesday tells Shadow, "When people first came to America, they brought us with them.  We are the ancient ones.  And they built churches, cathedrals, or they'd erect a stone circle.  Gradually, they abandoned us old, forgotten gods.  Now, there are new gods growing in America...and they want to destroy us.  Wars are coming, Shadow -- I've a big role for you.  Time...to ride."

Later, in a separate scene, Shadow tells Laura, "There's something special going on here and I feel a part of it."

"He is dangerous," Laura replies, "and I want you to believe that."

"There's always a cost with him," remarks Mad Sweeney.  "You just haven't paid it yet."

"This is America," Mr. Wednesday says late in the trailer.  "The greatest story ever told.  Are we ready?  I am."

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official STARZ account on YouTube...



American Gods returns to STARZ for Season 2 on March 10, 2019.

GHOSTWOOD 048: "Lonely Souls" is Up!

"It is happening again.  It is happening again."
-- The Giant to Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: "Lonely Souls"

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 "Lonely Souls," the seventh episode from Twin Peaks Season Two, featuring the arrest of Ben Horne, Julee Cruise singing at the Roadhouse, and the big revelation of Laura Palmer's murderer!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like Xan hanging up on me, Xan's turn to have bronchitis, Rob Morrow on Saturday Night Live, Xan crushing on Chris-in-the-Morning, Xan's cheap Pan's Labyrinth cosplay, Ben Horne as J. Jonah Jameson, Harold Smith's really bad housekeeping, Maddy reading the paper with Leland and Sarah, Bobby and Shelly realizing their insurance money making scam isn't making them much money, Leo wanting his new shoes, Ben's confession to Audrey, Ben having Laura's picture on his desk and not Audrey's, Shelly quitting her job at the Double R, Nadine wondering who Shelly is, Nadine crushing her milkshake, Bobby not using a claw hammer properly, old-school microcassette tapes, Audrey wanting Cooper to arrest her father, Audrey ignoring Harry, mayonnaise not belonging on bologna sandwiches, Pete learning his dead wife is alive and she's a racist crossdresser, Sarah doing the Frogbug dance, Julee Cruise performing at the Roadhouse, James trying to reassure Donna she's not a completely horrible person, the Giant's BOB Signal, Leland straightening his tie, BOB's horrible murder of Maddy, Xan watching Fire Walk with Me before watching Season 1 and most of Season 2, our spouses keeping themselves entertained while we talk about Twin Peaks, me watching Twin Peaks live while in college, the moment I realized Leland killed Laura, David Lynch being a master of making you feel uncomfortable and on edge, Laura being okay with dying, Stellan Skarsgård being cast as Baron Harkonnen in the new Dune movie, and more!

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Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I continue our commentary tracks as we watch "Drive With a Dead Girl," the eighth episode from Twin Peaks Season Two, featuring the introduction of Vivian and Ernie Niles, Pete visiting Ben in jail, and Leland going for a drive in his convertible!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

First SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME Trailer Reveals Mysterio

Peter Parker has a job to do.  Is he going to step up or not?

Sony Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: Far from Home, the sequel to 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.  In the film, our friendly neighborhood superhero (Tom Holland) decides to join his best friends Ned Leeds, Michelle "MJ" Jones, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation.  However, Peter’s plan to leave superheroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent.

The two-minute, 30-second trailer opens with Peter's aunt, May Parker (Marisa Tomei) thanking Spider-Man for appearing at a benefit for the homeless.  After being swarmed by photographers, Spidey gives the crowd two thumbs up and later high-fives Aunt May backstage.

Harold "Happy" Hogan (Jon Favreau) suddenly arrives with a big novelty check for $500,000, signed by Pepper Potts, and apologizes for being late.  Happy awkwardly compliments May on looking nice and she responds in kind.  "New dress?" asks Happy.

"Yes, it is," smiles May.  "How'd you know?"

Peter watches the two flirting back and forth, until Happy abruptly stops after realizing that he's been watched.  "What just happened?" asks Peter.

As the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" starts playing, we see Peter as he starts preparing for his school trip to Europe, buying toothpaste and picking up his passport from the Post Office.  Aunt May runs down the last-minute checklist with Peter, asking him if he packed his suit.

We see Peter in his bedroom, debating about whether to pack his Spider-Man suit.  He closes his closet door, as we hear him say, "I just wanna go on my trip with my friends.  Europe doesn't really need a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."  Peter then closes his suitcase, with us left wondering if he packed his costume or not.

After boarding the plane, we see Peter and his friends in Venice, Italy, enjoying a gondola ride and taking pictures.  Later that night, Peter and MJ (Zendaya) are dressed up in some sort of hall.  "You look really pretty," compliments Peter.

"And therefore, I have value?" replies MJ in a deadpan tone.

Peter shakes his head no, looking flummoxed, until MJ says, "I'm messing with you.  You look pretty, too."

In a separate scene, Peter talks to Ned about just wanting to spend some time with MJ, and Ned starts talking about the first time he fell in love.  Suddenly, Ned pauses in mid-sentence, with a tranquilizer dart in his neck, and collapses to the floor.  Peter hears the thud, turns and is shocked to see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) sitting behind him.

"So nice to finally meet you...Spider-Man," says Nick.

"You're Nick Fury," remarks Peter, taking the toothbrush from his mouth.

"Put some clothes on.  Let's go for a ride."

Peter gestures to Ned, who is sleeping on the floor and snoring.  "Is he gonna be okay like that?"

"You might want to turn him over, so he doesn't swallow his tongue," replies Nick.

As the European trip moves to London, England, Peter remarks in a voiceover.  "I think Nick Fury just hijacked our summer vacation."

We see a fleeting glimpse of Nick and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) firing their weapons at a large rock creature, along with a lightning storm directly over the Tower Bridge.  "You got gifts, Parker," says Nick, "but we have a job to do.  Are you going to step up or not?"

Next, we quickly glimpse a fire creature, Peter in his stealth Spider-Man suit, and a large water creature in Venice before seeing Happy advise Peter, "We're all alone, your friends are in trouble...What are you gonna do about it?"

As Peter fights the water creature, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) suddenly appears in a cloud of smoke.  "You don't want any part of this," says Mysterio as he attacks the water creature with some sort of energy and flies around it.  Mysterio's traditional bowl-shaped helmet from the comics appears as well.

In the final scene, Peter and his classmates are watching a TV news report about Mysterio.  Betty Brant (Angourie Rice) asks, "Who is that guy?"

"He's like Iron Man and Thor rolled into one," replies a male classmate.

"He's no Spider-Man," remarks Eugene "Flash" Thompson (Tony Revolori).

"What is it with you and Spider-Man?" asks MJ.

"What, he looks out for the neighborhood, has a dope suit, and I really respect him," replies Flash, before turning his attention to Peter.  "'Sup, Dickwad?" he says to Peter, not realizing he's Spider-Man.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below, thanks to the official Sony Pictures Entertainment account on YouTube...




Spider-Man: Far from Home is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 5, 2019.

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Spinoff with Michelle Yeoh's Phillipa Georgiou in Development

CBS All Access, it's time to switch your name to Star Trek All Access.

Deadline is reporting that CBS All Access is officially developing a spinoff series to Star Trek: Discovery, starring Michelle Yeoh as the Mirror Universe version of Phillipa Georgiou.  

According to the article, the new series will focus on the "continuation of Yeoh’s Discovery Season 2 adventures in Starfleet’s Section 31 division."  The project, which is in the very early stages, is from co-executive producers Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt.

Remarked Yeoh, "I’m so excited to continue telling these rich Star Trek stories.  Being a part of this universe and this character specifically has been such a joy for me to play.  I can’t wait to see where it all goes – certainly, I believe it will go where no woman has ever gone before!'"

Star Trek executive producer and overseer Alex Kurtzman said in a statement, "Michelle has shattered ceilings, broken boundaries, and astonished us with her grace and gravitas for decades.  ”As a human, I adore her.  As an actor, I revere her.  Erika and Boey are remarkable, exciting writers who bring a fresh perspective to the world of Star Trek, and we’re all thrilled to explore the next wild chapter in the life of Captain Philippa Georgiou."

Yeoh, 56, is a Chinese-Malaysian actress best known as Wai Lin in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and as Yu Shu Lien in the films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny.  She's also appeared in the films Moonlight Express, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Reign of Assassins, Kung Fu Panda 2, Police Story 3: Super Cop, Mechanic: Resurrection, and Morgan.  In addition, she appeared on the 2016 Marco Polo TV series as Lotus.

Created by Lisa Randolph, the Mirror Universe version of Phillipa Georgiou first appeared in the Star Trek: Discovery episode "The Wolf Inside" as a female Terran who was the Emperor of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe, an alternate universe, during the mid-23rd century.  After the Discovery crossed over to the Mirror Universe, Georgiou's reign as Emperor ended following a coup, but she was rescued by Michael Burnham of the prime universe.

With Georgiou and Burnham aboard, the Discovery engaged its spore drive and crossed back into the prime universe, having overshot their arrival time by nine months.  Over nine months, the Federation war with the Klingons had taken its toll, with Starfleet losing one third of its fleet and over twenty percent of its territory occupied.  Georgiou offered to bring the Klingons to their knees once and for all.  If she got her freedom, she would assure victory for the Federation.  The war concluded when Georgiou planted a hydro bomb within a volcano on Qo'noS.  Preventing Georgiou from detonating the device, Burnham gave the detonator to L'Rell, who used the threat of detonating the device to force the leaders of the Great Houses to accept her leadership and ordered Klingon forces to halt their advance on the Federation.

In a scene deleted from "Will You Take My Hand?", after having been granted her freedom in return for participating in the Qo'noS mission, Georgiou took over an Orion cabaret on Qo'noS.  During this time, she was approached by a Section 31 operative, who recruited her as an asset.

Star Trek: Discovery returns to CBS All Access for Season 2 on January 17th.

GHOSTWOOD 047: "Demons" is Up!

"What does BOB want?"
"He is BOB, eager for fun.  He wears a smile...Everybody run."
-- Dale Cooper and MIKE, Twin Peaks: "Demons"

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 "Demons," the sixth episode from Twin Peaks Season Two, featuring Leo Johnson's homecoming party, the on-screen debut of David Lynch as Gordon Cole, and Cooper's conversation with MIKE!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like our third attempt to record this episode, Ghostwood Mad Lib audio, the Veil's Total Depravity album, Jeff Goldblum's new jazz album, Carrie Fisher rattling off a long piece of Star Wars dialogue, paying tribute to the late Penny Marshall, Super Dave Osborne & "Mean" Gene Okerlund, the history behind the name "Fumio Yamaguchi", more of the movie Sunset Boulevard, Ian Abercrombie, Harold's orchids as a sexual metaphor, Donna using Harold's agoraphobia to her advantage, the Bookhouse being dimensionally transcendental, Audrey looking great even strung out on heroin, Harry's book of mug shots without names, Ben as the Second Worst Father of the Year, Twin Peaks' fascination with plaid, Harry needing to charge Donna with obstruction of justice, David Lynch's mini-pompadour, Nadine pouncing on Ed, Josie's arrangements never working out, BOB vs. Jason Vorhees, Maddy saying goodbye to James, Ben and Josie's blackmail foreplay, Leo's homecoming party, Gordon wanting to have a private conversation with Cooper, more of Harry constantly eating, actually playing Windom Earle's chess game with Cooper in real life, another round of "BOB or Leland", Mr. Tojamura being both racist and stereotypical, Ray Wise knowing how to work a crowd, Return of the Pink Panther, MIKE being very theatrical, my leaving the "Through the darkness of future past" speech on a college blackboard for people to find, transitioning from the Laura Palmer mystery to the Windom Earle storyline, James' storyline that nobody cared about, the Aquaman movie being more for my wife Lori, Danny the Street coming to the Doom Patrol TV show, and more!

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Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I continue our commentary tracks as we watch "Lonely Souls," the seventh episode from Twin Peaks Season Two, featuring the arrest of Ben Horne, Julee Cruise singing at the Roadhouse, and the long-awaited revelation of Laura Palmer's murderer!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 129: "Resolution" is Up!

"So that's what you've been doing.  Reconstructing yourself from memory and remnants... and spare parts?"
"I am rebuilt!"
"What do you call this look?  Junkyard chic?"

With Karen once again lost in time and space, my partner in time Jesse Jackson joins me once again for a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, we review "Resolution", the Doctor Who 2019 New Year’s Day special, featuring Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, Daniel Adegboyega as Aaron Sinclair, Charlotte Ritchie as Lin, and Nikesh Patel as Mitch!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like our failed attempts to record "A Christmas Carol", getting one last Christmas present, the latest update on Karen, one Dalek being more of a threat than a thousand of them at once, Jesse being called "Mr. Chris", my recommendation of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel Good Omens, people being offended by a Brexit gag, the Thirteenth Doctor's first encounter with the Daleks, the Mother Boxes from the Justice League movie, a Kaled mutant being able to pilot humans, the Doctor being assertive, reminding people of good reasons to travel with the Doctor, Lin and Mitch as potential companions, the debut of Ryan's dad Aaron Sinclair, Chekov's Microwave, some fans expecting Doctor Who to be written just for them, our favorite quotes of the episode, a quick Reverse the Polarity segment, some feedback from Holly from Wisconsin, David K. Proctor, and Paul from Australia, Jesse needing to scale back as co-host, my open call for some fill-in co-hosts, and more!

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

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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 three weeks as Jesse, Karen and I help fill the void of not having new Doctor Who with "Genesis of the Daleks", the fourth serial from Season 12, featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan, and the first appearance of Davros!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

STARGIRL Casts Luke Wilson as Stripe

Stargirl just got herself a sidekick.

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Universe series Stargirl, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, better known to DC fans as the robotic superhero S.T.R.I.P.E.  Wilson joins Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Rex Tyler/Hourman, Brian Stapf as Ted Grant/Wildcat, Henry Thomas as Charles McNider/Dr Mid-Nite, and Anjelika Washington in an undisclosed role.

According to the article, Stripe is described as "Pat Dugan once went by the less-than-inspired superhero name of Stripesy, sidekick to a young hero known as the Star-Spangled-Kid and later Starman of the legendary Justice Society of America.  Today, Pat has left his sidekick life behind him.  But when his new stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore, discovers Pat’s secret past and takes on Starman’s legacy to become Stargirl, Pat is forced to come out of retirement and once again become a sidekick — to his stepdaughter — this time piloting a 15-foot robot called Stripe."

Showrunner Geoff Johns, who created Stargirl, remarked on the casting, "When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and saw Bottle Rocket, I became a huge fan and admirer of Luke’s.  And I literally wrote this part for Luke, hoping that someday and somehow he’d play Pat Dugan.  I only envisioned him, and now I feel like I won the lottery!  Luke’s talent, humor, compassion — his presence and professionalism — and his creative collaboration, his ideas — we’re so lucky to have him alongside Brec in Stargirl."

Wilson, 47, has appeared in the films Idiocracy, Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, 3:10 to Yuma (2007), My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Charlie's Angels (2000), Rushmore, Blades of Glory, The Skeleton Twins, and Scream 2.  His television appearances include episodes of The X-Files, That '70s Show, Entourage, Drunk History, Enlightened, and Roadies.

Created in 1941 by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman, Patrick "Pat" Dugan first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #40 as a young man who helped a young Sylvester Pemberton III against Nazi spies posing as protestors at a movie on July 4, 1941.  Pemberton and Dugan became the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, in order to battle Nazi spies and fifth columnists during World War II.  They devised a series of acrobatic maneuvers that allowed them to build upon one another's strengths -- the Kid's agility and Dugan's prowess.  They also built the Star Rocket Racer, a bubble-topped limousine with the functions of a rocket and helicopter.

The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy were members of the superhero team known as the Seven Soldiers of Victory as well as the All-Star Squadron.  After battling the Nebula Man, the Seven Soldiers were lost in time in 1950 and rescued decades later by the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America.  Batman, Hourman and Starman retrieved Stripesy from being trapped in ancient Egypt.

Upon his return, Dugan married a woman named Maggie, who left him to raise their son Michael on her own.  In addition, Sylvester Pemberton's black sheep relative Arthur had stolen Dugan's patents during their disappearance.  Upon hearing about this, Sylvester returned the patents to Pat, and the two reconciled.  Dugan later assisted Pemberton after he became involved with Infinity, Inc., until Pemberton's death at the hands of Solomon Grundy, who used the deadly touch of Mr. Bones to murder the hero.

Dugan married for the second time and settled in Blue Valley.  His stepdaughter, Courtney Whitmore, became the second Star-Spangled Kid, partly in order to annoy him.  This led Dugan to develop a robotic suit of armor equipped with a range of ballistic weapons and utilities.  He assumed the identity of S.T.R.I.P.E. (Special Tactics Robotic Integrated Power Enhancer), in order to accompany Courtney and protect her during her adventures.

This will be the first time S.T.R.I.P.E. will appear in live-action, although the character did appear in several episodes of the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Phil LaMarr) and the animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters (voiced by Dan Gilvezan).

Stargirl is currently expected to debut on DC Universe on August 9, 2019.

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. THE FATAL FIVE Animated Cast Announced

Get ready to face the future.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the upcoming animated DC Universe Original Movie Justice League vs. The Fatal Five has announced its voice cast, which features a mix of returning and new actors, along with the animated debut of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz.

According to the official synopsis for the movie, "Justice League vs. The Fatal Five finds the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance when the Justice League faces a powerful new threat — the Fatal Five!  Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman seek answers as the time-traveling trio of Mano, Persuader and Tharok terrorize Metropolis in search of budding Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz.  With her unwilling help, they aim to free remaining Fatal Five members Emerald Empress and Validus to carry out their sinister plan.  But the Justice League has also discovered an ally from another time in the peculiar Star Boy — brimming with volatile power, could he be the key to thwarting the Fatal Five?  An epic battle against ultimate evil awaits!"

The cast includes:

Elyes Gabel (Scorpion, Game of Thrones) as Thomas Kallor/Star Boy
Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol) as Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern
George Newbern as Clark Kent/Superman
Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Susan Eisenberg as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
Peter Jessop (Mass Effect) as Tharok
Matthew Yang King (Batman Ninja) as The Persuader
Sumalee Montano (This Is Us) as Emerald Empress
Philip Anthony Rodriguez (Grimm) as Mano
Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) as Bloodsport
Daniela Bobadilla as M'gann M'orrz/Miss Martian
Kevin Michael Richardson as Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific
Noel Fisher as Querl Dox/Brainiac 5
Tara Strong as Imra Ardeen/Saturn Girl

Created in 1967 by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, the Fatal Five first appeared in Adventure Comics (vol.1) #352 as a gang of supervillains assembled by the Legion of Super-Heroes to help them destroy the Sun-Eater threatening Earth.  They battled the Legion numerous times, in various incarnations, with Validus killing Lyle Norg, the Legionnaire known as the first Invisible Kid.

The Fatal Five has appeared in other animated projects, including the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far from Home" and the Legion of Super Heroes animated series.  In addition, the Persuader appeared in the Smallville episode "Legion", the only member of the group to appear in live-action.

Justice League vs. The Fatal Five is expected to arrive on direct-to-video sometime in Spring 2019.

TITANTALK 019: "Titans Season One Review" is Up!

"It's a Justice League thing."

-- Donna Troy, Titans: "Donna Troy"

Hello again, Titans fans!  My fellow TitanTalker Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of TitanTalk: The Titans Podcast!  This time, we're joined by loyal TitanTalk listener DJ Nik to review Season One of the DC Universe series Titans, featuring the highs and lows of the show’s 11-episode first season, along with hopes and predictions for Titans Season Two!

TITANS TOGETHER!

In this episode, Jesse, Nik and I discuss things like thanking Nik for his great intro, Nik's background as a comics fan, Batman storylines "Batman: Year One" and "Knightfall", swearing on Titans, the debut of Hawk and Dove, crushing on Minka Kelly, Alan Ritchson as Aquaman, the frustration of never getting to see Bruce Wayne, the introduction of the Doom Patrol, Elasti-Woman becoming a more freakish character, Curran Walters as Jason Todd, Jason having elements of Tim Drake, whether or not Angela was evil all along, Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, Hank meeting Dawn, Geoff Johns' skill as a writer, Hawk being a victim of child abuse, Starfire finally getting her memory back, Seamus Dever as Trigon, the strange decision to end Season 1 on a "What If" episode, room for improvement in Season 2, waiting for Hawk, Dove & Jason Todd to join the main storyline, wondering when "The Judas Contract" storyline will begin, how Superboy and Krypto will factor into Season 2, how I would structure Titans Season 2, Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing, seeing Donna Troy in costume, the possibility of getting Aqualad and Arsenal, and more!

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BATWOMAN Gets Pilot Order from The CW

One step closer to a Batwoman TV series.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that The CW is moving forward with a Batwoman series, based on the DC Comics character, and has given a pilot order.  David Nutter, who previously directed the pilots for The CW's The Flash and Arrow, will also helm the Batwoman pilot.

The proposed series, starring Ruby Rose as Batwoman/Kate Kane, is from showrunner and writer Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries) and executive producer Greg Berlanti.

The article's official description states, "Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city's criminal resurgence.  But don't call her a hero yet.  In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham's symbol of hope."

Rose debuted as Batwoman in "Elseworlds", the three-part CW Arrowverse crossover event that aired last month across The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl.  During the crossover, Batwoman was established on Earth-1, the same as Green Arrow and The Flash.  The character was introduced as Bruce Wayne's cousin, who protects Gotham in Wayne's absence after he mysteriously left three years earlier.  She also took charge of Wayne Enterprises, planning to redevelop it into a real-estate development firm.

In "Elseworlds, Part 2", she arranged for the bail of Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, and Kara Danvers after they were arrested by the Gotham City Police Department.  After the heroes confronted Doctor Destiny/John Deegan in Arkham Asylum, he arranged a mass breakout, which Kane helped stop as Batwoman.  Following the battle, Batwoman told the heroes to leave Gotham, after they got what they needed.  Supergirl revealed she knows who Batwoman is after using her X-ray vision, and mentioned Superman's relationship with her Earth's Batman.  At the end of "Elseworlds, Part 3", Batwoman called Oliver to tell him that a now-incarcerated Deegan had made "friends" with the Psycho-Pirate inside Arkham.