This is a loooong one today folks. Had to cover all the stuff from the weekend too. So here ya go.

No Spider-Sense??? – Imagine Wolverine without his healing, or Superman without his flight, or Wonder Woman without her lasso. That’s what the folks at Disney essentially took away from Spider-Man in “Homecoming” as they stripped the web-head of his spider-sense, the second most iconic thing about him, besides his web shooters. Director Jon Watts defended this decision by saying;

I feel like we have seen a lot of Spider Sense in the previous films, so we didn’t really lean into that as hard as they have in the previous films. But I do think it is a really interesting thing to explore.

I’m glad Marvel doesn’t have the rights to X-Men characters, could you imagine Storm without the ability to control weather? “Cus they did it before, AMiRITE?!”.
UGH.

DC TV News – The subject of how to top last years crossover is a big one right now, and Marc Guggenheim addressed this saying;

If we end up doing what we’re talking about doing, it’s going to be pretty cool. The crossover is always the most challenging thing we do, but it’s also the most fun. Every year we feel the pressure [to top ourselves]. I feel like each crossover has topped the previous one. Topping last year’s, that’s a high bar, if for no other reason than what do you do that’s bigger than aliens?

We’ve got some very, very exciting ideas…. Very early on in the process of doing last year’s crossover, Greg [Berlanti] said there’s probably no way to get bigger than aliens, so the best way to make the [next] crossover especially epic is if you can’t increase the bombast, increase the emotional stakes and the emotional payoffs, so that’s a very oblique comment on where our heads are at for this season.

On top of that, we got the first clues as to this fall’s current plot lines for all four shows, with the synopsis’ coming out today for the season premieres.

The Flash season 4, episode 1:

Running up against an evil time remnant version of yourself is something no one should ever have to do, but that’s exactly what faced Barry Allen (aka The Flash) as he fought to save the life of fiancée Iris West from the God of Speed known as Savitar. Barry’s victory was short-lived, however, as an unbalanced Speed Force began to wreak havoc on Central City, forcing Barry to sacrifice himself for the greater good. With The Fastest Man Alive now trapped inside an extra-dimensional energy, and unknown dangers lurking in the shadows, it will be up to Team Flash to free Barry from his own personal Hell.

Arrow season 6, episode 1:

With the future of the team left hanging in the balance, Arrow gave new definition to the phrase “blowing up the show.” The emotional showdown between Oliver Queen and Adrian Chase was the perfect conclusion to a stellar fifth season of The CW’s gritty DC Super Hero series. Now, the focus shifts to uncovering the fate of each and every member of Team Arrow. Could anyone have possibly survived an island-wide explosion, or has the book closed on them, as it has on Oliver’s five-year flashback story? Returning to San Diego Comic-Con for a sixth consecutive year, cast members Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Emily Bett Rickards, Paul Blackthorne, Katie Cassidy, Echo Kellum, Juliana Harkavy, Rick Gonzalez and producers will be on-hand for an eye-opening conversation about the upcoming season.

Legends of Tomorrow season 3, episode 1:

After crash landing the Waverider in a version of 2017 Los Angeles where dinosaurs roam the streets and the skyline is adorned with London’s iconic Big Ben clock tower, the Legends were quick to realize that “we broke time.” Last year, the loveable band of misfit heroes traveled throughout the timeline fixing a series of Aberrations.

‘Green Lantern Corps’ Finds it Director? – We know that the film is being made, and now we’re hearing some ideas as to who’s being cast for the project. The name apparently attached to the project is Rupert Wyatt of the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” fame. This shouldn’t be confused with “War for the Planet of the Apes” director Matt Reeves taking over “The Batman”. The Lantern film is going to do a swap on the Lethal Weapon formula, with Hal Jordan in his 40’s taking on a 20-something John Stewart.

Hal Jordan: Caucasian, 39 – 50. A former military test pilot, he is now a veteran of the Green Lantern Corps.

John Stewart: African- American male, 21 – 30. Prior to joining the Green Lantern Corp, he was a sniper in the military.

David S. Goyer and Justin Rhodes are attached to write the film.

Major Rumor for X-Men: Dark Phoenix – There’s a rumor going around right now from several sites, including The Nerdist, that Magneto will apparently be overseeing some kind of cult-like group, as his new costume is described as to being ‘meant to suggest the imagery commonly associated with cult leaders’. Another rumor, that may tie into the first, is that Genosha; an island off of the western coast of Africa, will be introduced. The island was once home for people who sought to use mutants against their will, but eventually becomes a safe-haven for all mutants. Magneto is sometimes attached to the island.

‘Captain Marvel’ Gets Major Co-Star? – Christopher M of Omega Underground (*shrugs shoulders too*) has implied that Sam Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury in the “Captain Marvel” film. There’s no confirmation from the studios, actors or anyone behind the scenes; so it take it for what it’s worth. However, this seems like too big of a piece of news to miss on, so if he’s reporting it, he must believe in it.

‘Divided States’ Controversy – Image Comics has a little title called “Divided States of Hysteria” and recently the writer of the privately owned title, Howard Chaykin, recently published a graphic and disturbing image of a man mutilated below the waist, hanging in front of a row of stores.

This obviously caused outrage. The book itself is designed to showcase the real possibilities that exist in our world. It’s supposed to cause fear, as it hits close to home. The cover was shocking, but it’s not like this type of thing doesn’t happen in countries all over the world. So when this blew up, Image published a response, saying;

It’s neither Howard’s nor Image’s intention to inflict pain on anyone already dealing with intolerance or hostility on a personal level. We ALL agree that any form of bigotry is wrong, and this comic exists due to anger and frustration over rapidly escalating injustice in a world filled with people too quick to judge others on the basis of their race, religion, or gender association.

The purpose of this series is to sound alarms. THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA is a comic book about the terrifying future we are heading for if our country remains on its current path. Far from an endorsement of the horrible violence depicted or the ugly language used by many of the characters, Howard’s goal is to give us a glimpse into a society crumbling under the weight of ignorance, hatred, and intolerance. It’s unsettling to be sure, but it’s difficult to convey the horrors of a world gone wrong without also showing what it looks like.

These are trying times we are living through, and while this comic puts a spotlight on just how bad things have become and how much worse they could possibility get, it was absolutely NOT meant to harm anyone. We understand, however, that with no foreknowledge of the series’ content, the cover to this issue is painful and offensive.

With that in mind, more sensitivity will be given to future covers of THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA. The original cover to issue #4 will not be used, and the cover for issue #6 will be substituted.

Power Ranger Paying Homage – A San Diego Comic-Con exclusive is on the way that pays respects to Jim Lee’s iconic X-Men cover. (Below)

At the event, BOOM! Studios will be releasing a new Power Rangers issue with the Jim Lee inspired covers.

According to CBR;

The publisher has unveiled connecting covers by Dan Mora (Klaus) for convention-exclusive variants of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #17, Go Go Power Rangers #1 and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual 2017 that offer a throwback to Lee’s classic X-Men #1 cover. Each cover is being sold for $20 USD each; a gatefold variant can be purchased for $100 USD. You can pick up copies at BOOM!’s booth (#2229) during SDCC 2017, which runs from July 19-23 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Quick Hits – James Cromwell of ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ fame was sentenced to seven days in prison for his part in an environmental protest in Wawayanda, New York, due in part to disrupting traffic. “Wonder Woman” passes $700 million globally. Famke Janssen (and hopefully all of us) consider herself done with the X-Men franchise. ‘Power Rangers’ originally would of opened up with more of Zordon’s original team.