Superhero Bits: DC Pays Tribute To Kevin Conroy, Wakanda Forever's Great Start At The Box Office & 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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DC pays tribute to Batman actor Kevin Conroy.
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"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is off to a great start at the box office.
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An update on the long-gestating "Green Lantern" show.
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A "Shang-Chi 2" update from Simu Liu.
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All that and more!
Image Comics concludes 30th anniversary celebration with tons of Spawn covers
Image Comics is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and that means that Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" is also celebrating its 30th birthday. To wrap up the celebration in style, Image has announced a series of Spawn-centric covers that will grace its comics in the month of December. Several of those can be seen above, but the list is pretty comprehensive. Those who would like to see the full list and get some more details can do so by clicking here.
HBO Max head of originals Sarah Aubrey updates on that Green Lantern show
HBO Max has been developing a "Green Lantern" TV show for a long, long time now. We recently learned that Greg Berlanti's adaptation has pivoted and will focus on John Stewart. So what's going on? Sarah Aubrey, the head of originals at the streaming service, recently spoke with Variety and updated on the project. Unfortunately, it was a pretty hollow update.
"We remain very excited by the opportunity to make a big four-quadrant space opera with Greg and Sarah for HBO Max."
At the very least, it sounds like it's still moving forward. So that's something.
Marvel Comics celebrates Veterans Day with stunning Captain America art
Happy Veterans Day! Marvel Comics is celebrating the holiday and the veterans all around the world by sharing the above post on social media. Aside from the sentiment, we have a pretty impressive artistic rendering of none other than Captain America. So, even for those who aren't vets, this is worth taking a look at. But for those it does apply to, allow me to say, thank you for your service.
What's going on with Shang-Chi 2? Simu Liu weighs in
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" may be the big surprise of Phase 4 of the MCU, and fortunately it did well enough to warrant a sequel. So what is going on with that sequel? Star Simu Liu recently spoke to Comicbook.com about that, and for now, he doesn't seem to know more than we do. But the good news is, he sounds eager to continue on with the role for some time:
"I think I know as much as anyone else, right? There's going to be a sequel, I think that part was obvious but it was also made official. As far as when I think that's just a question of timing and how well my back holds up through the years. I'll make 40 of them if we can."
For the moment, director Destin Daniel Cretton will be busy with "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," though we'd put good odds on seeing Liu show up as Shang-Chi in that one as well.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets a new trailer in honor of its release
The time is finally upon us, Marvel fans. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has arrived in theaters as of last night (more on that in a minute) after years of waiting. To commemorate the occasion, Marvel has released a new trailer that announces the movie's arrival in theaters while also packaging a bunch of footage we've seen before into a nice, concise package. Less of a selling point to undecided moviegoers and more of a proud announcement, it seems. Either way, it's more of a reminder to those who intend to see it this weekend. The time is now. In the meantime, you can check out our review right here.
DC pays tribute to the late, great voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy
The world was dealt some absolutely terrible news today when it was confirmed that Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of Batman for more than 30 years, has passed away. Conroy gained a reputation for his work as the Caped Crusader, with many referring to him as the "one true Batman." DC took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor with the above message. But that is a mere snippet of the tribute DC put together, and you can read the full thing by clicking here. RIP, good sir. You will be sorely missed.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is off to a huge start at the box office
It's tough to say where things will be at come Monday morning, but "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" got off to a great start at the box office. According to Variety, Ryan Coogler's sequel earned $28 million in Thursday previews, second only to "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" ($36 million) for 2022. That film went on to make $187 million on its opening weekend. So that bodes well for "Wakanda Forever." That said, the original "Black Panther" had a smaller Thursday ($25 million) and opened to $202 million. So really, anything could happen between now and Monday. Either way, it's going to be big.
Batman Bronze Age statue from Kotobukiya
Lastly, the folks at Kotobukiya have revealed this gorgeous new Batman statue that captures the character's likeness from the Bronze Age. Particularly, they are getting the gray and blue Batman from the '70s and '80s, very much in the way he was captured by the late, great Neal Adams. The statue will retail for $160 and is expected to arrive in May 2023. Those who are interested can get full details by clicking here.