Superhero Bits: Across The Spider-Verse Gets A Poster, Invincible Season 2 Arrives In 2023 & More
(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)
In this edition of Superhero Bits:
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"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" gets an official poster.
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Hugh Jackman reveals an important detail about "Deadpool 3."
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"Invincible" season 2 gets an unsurprising release window.
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AfterShock Comics is in trouble.
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All that and more!
McFarlane Toys is having several days of holiday giveaways
The folks at McFarlane Toys are getting in the holiday spirit by giving away several DC Multiverse prize packs. So you (yes, you!) could win some free action figures based on classic DC characters, such as the Shazam and Dark Flash featured above. The contest runs for six days and those interested in entering can do so with a few clicks of a button. Those who wish to throw their hat in the ring can do so by clicking here.
AfterShock Comics has declared bankruptcy
Mere days after we learned that AfterShock Comics owes several creators money, it has come to light that the company has filed for bankruptcy protection. As reported by Comicbook.com, the publisher is now going through bankruptcy proceedings in an attempt to save the company. That said, they assure that the business will continue despite the financial issues.
"After much deliberation, AfterShock Comics LLC has voluntarily filed a petition for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code to enable the Company to restructure its senior secured facility as well as being in a position to secure additional financing to continue to operate its business. The intent of this decisive action, among other considerations, is to allow the Company to maintain operations in the ordinary course including, but not limited to, paying employees and continuing existing benefits programs, upholding and following through on commitments to contracted creators, as well as vendors who supply goods and services related to marketing, merchandising and advertising. AfterShock will continue to operate, publish and market comic books and graphic novels to supply to direct market retailers and mass accounts through its distributors in accordance with all federal, state and local guidelines."
We'll see what happens in the coming months but it seems one of the indie publishers trying to compete with the likes of Marvel and DC is having a rough go of it, at least for now.
A succinct recap of Daredevil's Marvel Comics history
The "Daredevil" show on Netflix (now on Disney+) helped make Matt Murdock an A-list character with the mainstream public. And with "Daredevil: Born Again" currently in development, the Man Without Fear figures to be a big part of the MCU's future. So, for those who maybe aren't as familiar with his exploits in the pages of Marvel Comics, the above video takes us through the character's history, highlighting some of the biggest moments through his decades of fighting crime in Hell's Kitchen. Sure, you can't possibly touch on everything in just four minutes, but this is a pretty solid overview for those who would like to learn a little bit more about this lawyer by day and hero by night.
Marvel Snap reveals ambitious plans for the future
"Marvel Snap" could have been an online card game and an attempted microtransaction cash grab. Instead, Marvel decided to craft a genuinely great game that actually took home Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards recently. Now, as we can see above, a recent blog post from the game's official site laid out some of the ambitious plans the developers have for the future. An important distinction is that everything listed in that first tab is in the final stages and should be coming soon.
"Items listed here are in the final phase of development, and these features are almost ready to release to players! We're cleaning up, polishing art, and squashing bugs. Our Quality Assurance teams scrape over all the little details to ensure we have as smooth an experience for players as possible. Once features are 'Coming Soon,' we can start to plan release dates, timelines and share some insight with players."
Much to look forward to in 2023, it would seem. Those interested in downloading the game can do so by clicking here.
Yes, Invincible season 2 arrives in 2023
While it is not at all surprising, we do indeed have confirmation that "Invincible" season 2 will debut on Prime Video sometime in 2023, following a rather long break. This comes directly from Vernon Sanders, the Head of Television at Amazon Studios. Speaking with Collider, the executive promised that "2023 is going to be a great year for people." He was pressed about the animated comic book adaptation, specifically, and simply said "yes" in regards to the show debuting next year. So there we have it! Hopefully, we'll have something more concrete sooner rather than later, but at least we've got a release window.
Deadpool 3 will feature some time travel, it seems
We know for sure that "Deadpool 3" is happening and that Hugh Jackman will, once again, reprise his role as Wolverine. However, the actor has made it clear that he intends to keep the events of 2017's "Logan" intact, meaning his death in the future of the "X-Men" timeline will remain. So, what's the deal? Well, in an interview on SiriusXM (above), Jackman confirmed the seemingly obvious and revealed that there will be some time travel shenanigans through the Marvel multiverse.
"All because of this device they have in the Marvel world of moving around timelines, now we can go back because, you know, it's science. So, I don't have to screw with the 'Logan' timeline, which was important to me. And I think probably to the fans too."
So yeah, it looks like Wade and Logan are going on an R-rated, multiversal adventure. This figures to be a great deal of fun. "Deadpool 3" is currently set to hit theaters on November 8, 2024.
Legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer has kind words for superhero movies
Journalists can't resist asking legendary filmmakers about comic book movies. It always results in headache-inducing press cycles as well as conversations on social media. Now, one of the most prolific producers in history, Jerry Bruckheimer, has weighed in on the topic. Fortunately, his comments aren't likely to kick up much dirt. The "Top Gun: Maverick" producer, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, was asked about his feelings on superhero flicks. In short? He's very much in favor of them.
"They're wonderful. They entertain audiences and people love them. You saw that with Spider-Man: No Way Home during the pandemic. They get a very young audience, and the theaters need it. But then Top Gun came in and initially drew an older audience, but eventually it got everybody."
There was a small caveat, as Bruckheimer also said "The market is so overwhelmed with all the terrific comic book films that get made. But [audiences] also love real cinematography on real locations." But, essentially, he doesn't see Marvel as the death of cinema. He seems to see them as necessary.
Behold, the first Easter-egg filled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse poster
Lastly, Sony Pictures has unveiled a new poster for next year's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," which will delve even deeper into the multiverse than "Into the Spider-Verse" did. If the trailer didn't make that clear enough, this poster is loaded down with Easter eggs pointing to characters we can expect to see in the film. While we won't go over everything here, producer/writer Chris Miller did weigh in on Twitter, confirming some eagle-eyed fans' suspicions. Yes, that is Spidey from "Spectacular Spider-Man" on the poster. We'll see who else comes along for the ride when the movie hits theaters on June 2, 2023.