A few quick picks for today. Remember you can download from Comixology and/or Graphicly on your phone/computer and get paid to read comics at work!

Marvel Comics

Jump back onboard The Amazing Spiderman with issue 679.1. You can’t go wrong with Dan Slott on Spiderman so try this out. Despite the goofy ‘point one’ numbering system this Spiderman title is definitely worth reading.

Image Comics

Mondo #1 has a Mondo price tag (4.99) but it’s 37 pages of ALL Ted McKeever. Head over to Comixology and read the synopsis before adding this to your cart. It’s only a 3 issue series so chances are the whole thing will be available for a dollar cheaper with a few extra pages on completion.

Dynamite Entertainment

Army Of Darkness Ongoing #1. A new AOD series? Ongoing? Looks like we’re getting a female version of Ash named…Ash! This could go either way but if you’re a Horror fan give it a look.

IDW Publishing

Two new Infestation titles this week and neither look incredibly interesting but I took a solemn oath to read the entire crossover for no good reason whatsoever. Infestation 2 Transformers #2 and (cringe) Infestation 2 Dungeons and Dragons #1.

DC Comics

Oooh DC gets the bump to the bottom of the pack today! I go through cycles and while the ‘New 52’ titles started off interesting, stagnation is kicking in. With a new start across the entire line I expected a few draws from the old well but rehashing the Multiverse already? Batman #6 is my single DC title this week.

Reboot? Re-imagining? Rip-off? How you feel about the idea of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” this summer’s super hero action-adventure film starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, may depend on your feelings about the Marvel Comics characters and comics the movie is based upon.

A new trailer for the July release will be in theaters Feb. 10. It is already making the rounds online, though, and it does offer the first glimpses of the Lizard, the main villain in the film, some customary Spidey wisecracking, full views of the new movie costume, and some hints that this may be a darker, edgier version than director Sam Raimi offered us.

Big Shiny Robot! got its two biggest Spider-Man fans … Jerk-bot, a self-proclaimed “traditionalist,” and Kill-tacular-tron … to get their views on the spot. While the two may agree about their love for the Web-slinger, their opinions of the trailer couldn’t be more different. In fact, a debate ensued.

Presenting the case against is Jerk-bot, better known as local movie/geek columnist and reviewer Jeff Michael Vice.

OPENING STATEMENT
First off, let me just say that you cannot and must not judge a movie by its trailer. As a longtime fan of the characters and the comics, I am hoping that “The Amazing Spider-Man” will be if not a good movie, then a fun one.

Let me confess, however, as a longtime fan, I am especially harsh when it comes to adaptations, be they animated or live-action. And I am somewhat of a traditionalist. While I do enjoy Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate version, I still prefer the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita ASM comics … and even the current, Dan Slott/Humberto Ramos ones.

Say what you will about Sam Raimi’s trilogy of films, they showed love and appreciation for the classics. “Spider-Man 2” is about as perfect a printed-four-color-page-to-the-big-screen movie adaptation as there is. Watch it again, after reading those earlier comics, if you don’t believe me. (And skip over “Spider-Man 3” … )

And let me also confess that I am not an Andrew Garfield fan. Thus far, he has conveyed more general cockiness and sheer doucheyness than a likable personality in his performances. Peter Parker? I think not. (Though I will admit that I was wrong about my initial casting misgivings in regards to Chris “Captain America” Evans and Chris “Capt. Kirk” Pine.)

THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE TRAILER
I’ll take these, point by point …

IT’S DARK … TOO DARK.
Having read Spider-Man comics for more than two-thirds of my life, I realize that they are filled with tragedy, drama, pathos, bathos, what have you. It’s part of what makes Peter Parker and his wall-crawling, web-slinging alter ego
so relatable. He rises above the challenges in his life, and never gives up.

However, this new trailer not only looks dark … in term of its nearly constant nighttime and indoors settings … it also looks more brooding than Christopher Nolan’s Batman films. Since this was shot in the 3D format, it’s going to give people eye strain if nothing else.

THERE’S NOTHING NEW (OR NU) IN IT.
Sam Raimi and company already did all this before. And better. Don’t believe me?

Peter Parker being bullied by Flash Thompson and standing up to him? Check.

Spidey being physically beaten and unmasked? Check.

Our hero being hounded by the police? Check.

A would-be father figure who turns into a green arch-villain? Check.

A tentative first web-swing into action? Check.

And so on …

AMALGAMATION, INC.
We were promised new, “fresh” interpretations of the characters, but …

Capt. George Stacy (Denis Leary) taking the place of J. Jonah Jameson as Spidey’s harshest critic. That role was also Aunt May Parker. Speaking of whom, where is SHE in the trailer? (The character is being played by Sally Field, who is at least as big a name as Leary.)

Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) taking the place of Norman Osborn and Uncle Ben Parker as that aforementioned father figure. (Uncle Ben is being played by Martin Sheen, who, again, is nowhere to be seen.)

CLONE SAGA ALL OVER AGAIN?
Again, appearances are deceiving, but those black-and-white flashback bits horrify me. Angst-y, I-miss-my-dead-parents bull pucky is all the rage in films directed at teen/tween audiences, but unfortunately, it also brings to mind criticisms of George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels, which were explored in a lengthy stand-up comedy routine by Patton Oswalt.

Plus, while the dead parents angle was done in Bendis’s Ultimate title, it was first brought up during the dreaded Clone Saga in various Spidey titles. We longtime fans are still recovering from that awfulness.

WOKKA-WOKKA.
Tobey Maguire may have failed to convince as the wisecracking Peter, but at least his attempts at humor were funnier than the stupid taxi bit in the trailer. If that’s the best “funny” moment in the movie, we’re in trouble, folks.

IN CONCLUSION
All along, I have had the feeling Sony Pictures rushed this film into production simply to hold onto the characters and property, and that we might get a bad or at least mediocre movie. This trailer has done absolutely nothing to allay those fears for me.

That being said, I will be among the first … if not the first … to eat my words. I have done it before (again, see the Star Trek and Captain America movies for evidence of that).

However, I have two words for you if you’re being a Pollyanna about this trailer: “Green Lantern.” I was right all along about THAT one, wasn’t I?

P.S. If this is as bad as I now fear, I will welcome the inevitable cinematic rebooting as “Ultimate Spider-Man” that we’ll get. Hopefully with Miles Morales under the mask. Which is what they should be doing in the first place.

And now for the counterpoint, provided by Kill-tacular-tron.

OPENING STATEMENT
I would also like to remind everyone of what Jeff said in his opening statement, judging a movie based off of a trailer is bad form. I am going to try and share my hopes for the film, and what things excite me about the trailer. I will do my best to counterpoint Jeff, but really it is going to be difficult to make any solid arguments based off a trailer.

Spider-Man is my all-time favorite superhero. I probably have a lot more invested in these movies than John Q. Public. “Spider-Man 2” is still one of my favorite films, and probably the all-time-best superhero movie. At least, in my humble opinion. I grew up on Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The early 2000s is when I first ventured into the comic’s world with (Joe) Straczynski’s Amazing Spider-Man run. I probably became a fanatic while reading the Ultimate Spider-Man series.

My love for the character is what I bring to this argument. Although I’m a cinephile, I am by no means a professional movie critic. I will be approaching my side of this argument from a Spider-Man fanatic’s point of view.

REGARDING THE TONE
Last week I received my Comic-Con preregistration packet. The cover story for the included magazine was “The Amazing Spider-Man.” It contained interviews with (director Marc) Webb and (actress Emma) Stone. I was particularly interested in hearing what Webb was hoping to achieve with his rendition of Peter Parker. In the interview he explains that he wants to avoid the same world that Sam Raimi created. Webb felt that, since Raimi did such an amazing job, there was no reason to try and break new ground with the Golden Age Peter Parker.

This is where the seemingly hybrid version of the character comes into play. There are a lot of things I can pick up on from the Ultimate Universe. For instance, Gwen Stacy definitely seems to know Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Mary Jane is privy to this same information in the Ultimate Universe. It has made for some excellent stories. Peter isn’t carrying this burden by himself and often needs a helping hand. Or occasionally a pep talk.

Another similarity to the Ultimate Universe, a great deal of Peter’s life revolves around Oscorp. Norman creates the spider that gives Peter his super powers. He also employees characters that turn into villains, Otto Octavius being one of them. I don’t think Curt Connors working at Oscrop is a bad thing. In fact, I think it tidies up the premise a bit. This brings me to the next point.

THERE ARE NO NEW IDEAS. THERE ARE ONLY NEW WAYS OF MAKING THEM FELT
To say that this Spider-Man movie is treading on similar ground as Sam Raimi’s is kind of a no-brainer. Unfortunately, Sony decided to do another origin story. I, like most fans, would have rather seen another version of Spider-Man without repeating the introduction. That being said, I think with any movie involving Spider-Man you are going to see:

Peter being unmasked at some point.

The police hunting him. Being the “public menace” is a pretty large theme for the character.

His first web-slinging excursion. This is an origin story, full of many firsts.

I see the point Jeff is trying to make, although it’s hard for either of us to make a definitive stand without seeing the film.

SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN
A lot of the ideas shown in this trailer feel very fresh to me. Although Captain Stacy is taking on a similar role as Jameson, he is now taking on the more logical position for his character. Would a police captain be happy that a masked vigilante is running around town making him look bad and possibly putting a lot of lives in danger? I wouldn’t think so. This also creates a more interesting dynamic between Gwen and Peter (knowing he’s Spider-Man) if her Dad hates him.

I would much rather Webb stay true to the characters he is creating on film, rather than the continuity from the comics. How many movies have been ruined by the addition of one-dimensional characters to appease the fan boys. “X-Men 3,” anyone? Hell, even “Spider-Man 3” suffered from that very same problem. Remember Venom?

SMART-ASS
Honestly, any wisecracking from Spider-Man is going to make me happy. There was a serious lack of it in Raimi’s trilogy. I’ve always imagined Peter’s delivery as very dry. Only the Web-slinger finds himself amusing. But, I do agree with Jeff. I hope what we see in the trailer isn’t the “best-of” stuff.

IN CONCLUSION
Being a fan of Spider-Man, I am super-stoked to see this film. I had my reservations earlier on when I first saw the costume. Even the first trailer left me wondering what to expect. It’s probably not the best approach, but I now have high hopes. The darker tone is kind of exciting for me. It almost hints at the overall story involving the Stacys, and the tragedy that falls on their family because of Spider-Man.

I, like Jeff, will be the first to admit it if this movie turns out to be a big stinker. I guess the one thing we can agree on: We both hope this movie turns out better than “Spider-Man 3.”

The Amazing Spider-Man Facebook page unveiled the newest trailer for the Marc Webb directed film in the wee hours of the morning this morning! You can check it out below!

I’ll be honest, I’ve been pretty on board with this reboot from the beginning. I like the cast, I like the director, and now after seeing this latest trailer I like the direction it looks like they are taking it. Spider-Man being a smart-ass? Check. Spider-Man kicking ass? Check. Drama? Check. Humor? Check. Beautiful Gwen Stacy? Check.

I know a lot of you out there have pretty strong feelings about this reboot, thinking it’s too early, or you haven’t like what you’ve seen of Webb’s Spidey thus far, but after seeing this trailer this robot really thinks he’s got something great going here. As always, sound off with your comments and opinions in the comments section below!

The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters on July 3rd, is directed by Marc Webb, and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, and Denis Leary.

At the Tokyo Press Conference, Sony released their official synopsis for The Amazing Spider-Man:

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

This raises a few questions and makes me wonder about the overall story arc for this movie. The biggest question, of course, is what is in that damn suitcase? From the trailer we know Peter gets his powers from the lab that Gwen and Connors work. Maybe it’s the technology for the web shooters? Although that would be some coincidence, him getting spider powers and finding a spider like gadget.

I like the idea that Peter is trying to find himself while discovering more about his family’s past. Being that this is the origin story, and most super heroes don’t hit their stride until the second movie, I think it would be great for the entire movie to be Peter figuring out what to do with his powers. Should he use them for power, wealth, etc… Having the film’s climax be Uncle Ben’s death. This could seal his decision to use his powers for good, and hit the ground running in the second film.

Well, that’s this humble nerd’s thoughts. What are yours?

Source: AICN

Disney have just announced that they are going to have a block of all Marvel comics programming on Disney XD starting on April 1st. The animation block, called “Marvel Universe,” will feature the Marvel animated shows. At this time they’ve only said that the upcoming “Ultimate Spider-Man” cartoon will be a part of it, but one can assume that the returning “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” will also be included. This now means that there will be full nights dedicated animation from the big two, DC announced their “DC Nation” block of programming for Cartoon Network late last year which will include Young Justice, the Green Lantern Animated Series, and a slew of short spotlighting other characters in the DC Universe. Below is the full press release from Marvel/Disney:

Disney XD will launch Marvel Universe, a dedicated Marvel programming block, with the new series “Ultimate Spider-Man” as its centerpiece, on SUNDAY, APRIL 1, it was announced today by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, California. Marvel Universe on Disney XD will be the ultimate place for fans to find exclusive Marvel content, including new animated short-form series, live-action interstitials and the series return of “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”  The block will be home to Marvel’s biggest superstars, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and many more to introduce dynamic stories of action, adventure and heroism to a whole new generation.

Marsh said, “Iconic Marvel heroes and villains and stories with core values of accomplishment, discovery and growth make Marvel Universe a perfect complement to Disney XD and a destination for parents and kids to experience together.”

“Marvel Universe block is an incredible animated ride filled with fantastic action and adventure,” said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television. “The spectacular team of writers and animators capture stories with all the dynamic fun you can imagine. Disney XD is the perfect place for families and Marvel fans of all ages to come together every Sunday.”

Acting as the keystone of the Marvel Universe block, “Ultimate Spider-Man” features a teenage Peter Parker juggling the typical growing pains of high-school with the not-so-typical growing pains of being a Super Hero.  As the newest member of Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, Peter finds himself on a team with four other teenage Super Heroes.

Produced by Marvel Animation, the series’ award-winning creative team includes Joe Quesada (Marvel’s CCO), Paul Dini (“Batman: The Animated Series,” “Lost”), the creative powerhouse Man of Action Studios (creators of “Ben 10” and “Generator Rex”), comprised of lauded creators Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle; and Brian Michael Bendis (visionary behind Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man comic series).

The voice cast includes Drake Bell (“Superhero,” “Drake & Josh”) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (“Boston Public,” “Pushing Daisies”) as Nick Fury, JK Simmons (“Spider-Man”) as J. Jonah Jameson, Stan Lee (“Spider-Man”) as Stan the Janitor, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man”, “Thor,” “The Avengers”) as Agent Coulson and Steven Weber (“Wings”) as Norman Osborn.

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. For more information visit http://www.DisneyXD.com/

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information visit http://www.marvel.com/

I haven’t seen any footage myself from the Ultimate Spider-Man show, but I have heard that it looks like a very fun show. However the most important bit of news, to me, from the above press release is that Clark Gregg will be playing Agent Coleson in the animated universe. This makes me very excited!

Who knew that pornos and comic books would go hand in hand?

Axel Braun did. I have to hand it to the guy, he knew there was a niche for it and he filled it up with a lot of sexy movies with superheroes in them.

If I were Marvel and DC and anyone else, I’d be trying to cut him an under the table deal to license him officially and take a cut of the money, because he shows no signs of stopping. I have been vocally uneasy with supporting something that seems to so blatantly infringe on the intellectual property of these companies, but he’s doing something right because they haven’t been able to touch him.

But the news today is that the Spider-Man parody has been nominated for 16 AVN (Adult Video News) Awards.

From their press release:

“I knew we had struck a chord when several famous comic book writers and artists, and even a much-celebrated mainstream director, contacted me out of the blue to tell me how much they enjoyed the adult movie parody. The word was definitely out that this was worth watching,” says Braun. “Even though I spoofed the iconic upside-down kiss from Raimi’s first movie, I wanted to stay with and spoof the comic version, and I guess that’s why adults in the comic book community responded so positively.”

The parody was launched in July of this year by Vivid Entertainment, the world’s leading adult film studio. Word about Braun’s masterful directing, his fidelity to the characters and his legendary attention to detail quickly spread through both the comic and adult industries.

“The word of mouth and Internet buzz about the parody movie have been incredible, and of course we are all thrilled with the AVN Awards recognition,” noted Braun. “I’m particularly happy, not only because Spider-Man was my favorite character as a kid, but also because I am really proud of how the movie came out, thanks to my amazing cast and crew.”

“Axel kept me posted during every step of production and he was definitely on fire with enthusiasm. Every aspect of the movie got his perfectionist eye, including a great 8-page, 4-color, XXX comic book that we packaged with each DVD,” said Marci Hirsch, VP Production for Vivid. “Axel keeps raising the bar with these parodies, proving that quality is still the key to success in the entertainment business.”

Braun credits much of the success to a wildly talented cast that included XRCO Best New Stud Xander Corvus in the title role; Vivid Girl Capri Anderson as Mary-Jane; Brooklyn Lee as The Black widow, Ash Hollywood as Gwen Stacy, and Professional MMA fighter Aaron Brink, aka Dick Delaware, in a career-defining role as the hi-voltage super-villain Electro. The supporting cast includes Sara Shevon, Tara Lynn Foxx, Lily La Beau, Seth Dickens, Tyler Knight, Michael Vegas, Peter O’Tool, James Bartholet and Award-winning director Rob Black in a hilarious, scene-stealing non-sex turn as JJ Jameson.

Press Release:

AVENGERS VS X-MEN Leads to The Can’t Miss Digital Comic 99 Cents Sale!

New York, NY—December 21, 2011—Not only is everyone talking about Avengers VS X-Men, the comic book event of 2012, but it’s also the holiday season—and that means it’s the perfect time for the most exciting digital comics sale ever! From December 21^st (at 12:01am EST) to December 30^th (at 11:00PM EST), experience the AVENGERS VS X-MEN: MAJOR PLAYERS sale on the Marvel Comics app , featuring some of the most important stories in comics history for only 99 cents per issue!

The world’s greatest super heroes—Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and more—go to war with each other in 2012, but now’s your chance to learn all about the Avengers and the X-Men before the first punch is thrown!

Don’t miss a single issue of the Avengers VS X-Men Major Players Sale, including:

• Amazing Spider-Man #546-601
• Astonishing X-Men #1-24 and Astonishing X-Men Giant Size #1
• Captain America #1-24
• Invincible Iron Man #1-24
• New Avengers #1-25
• Thor #1-12, #600-603 and Thor Finale
• Wolverine: Weapon X #1-16

But remember, this is a limited time offer—it all ends on December 30^th! So fire up the Marvel Comics app right now to take advantage of the Avengers VS X-Men Major Players Sale!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For exclusive Avengers VS X-Men desktop wallpapers visit www.marvel.com

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

During Spike TV’s Video Game Awards, quite a few games released their full length trailers. Among them was Activision and Beenox’s Amazing Spider-Man game. Check it out below:

Obviously not enough to really give us an idea of what gameplay will be like. Although it sounds like this will be a sandbox style game with lots of the web slinging we’ve come to enjoy. While not all video games based off of a movie are created equal, if you recall the video game for Spider-Man 2 is what started the free world web slinging. Which was pretty awesome. I can’t wait to see some more footage.

Via: Mtv

Bethesda is working on another patch for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The new patch will likely fix the resistance problems and backwards flying dragons from version 1.2. Unfortunately, version 1.3, which is in final testing, won’t quite fix all of the lag issues on PS3 yet. Why not? Mostly because they’ve been unable to track down the exact cause. Some of the slowing comes from the PS3 auto-saving, a feature that can be turned off. Other lag problems seem to be a combination of minor issues that haven’t been fully identified. The developer is working with customers to gather game saves and track down the individual issues that may be contributing. While I’d much prefer to see games be completed before they release, it is reassuring that a company will continue to improve on a product you already own without forcing you to buy an updated version. Hopefully the game will be (relatively) bug free soon. In the meantime, check the official forums for some temporary workarounds.

Remember all of those pre-order bonus skins for Batman: Arkham City that we were so excited to see? Remember how we all expected them to be available as DLC sooner or later? Well that sooner is now. Seven skins are available as a single pack for $5. The skins included are 1970s Batman, Year One Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, Earth One, Batman Beyond, Sinestro Corps and Animated Series Batman. The Sinestro Corps skin was previously only available by purchasing the blu-ray of the worst Green Lantern movie ever made. Five dollars doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable for seven skins. But, wouldn’t you rather pay one dollar each if you don’t want all seven?

No official announcement has been made, but apparently GameStop doesn’t need one to let us all know that Assassin’s Creed: Revelations has more DLC coming on January 24th. The Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack looks to be $9.99. No details beyond that are available, but the smart money is on this being additional multiplayer maps from around the Mediterranean. Look for an official statement from Ubisoft soon.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, it looks like Saturday’s VGAs will be full of new game announcements. The latest one being rumored is Activision’s return to the Tony Hawk franchise. This pro skating series essentially created a genre back in the PSOne/N64 era. Activision quickly milked it for all it was worth, eventually leading to franchise fatigue and stupid peripheral add-ons. With the pro skater tweeting that he’ll have an announcement on Saturday – “the same day as the Spike Video Game Awards. Coincidence? I think not” – it looks like we’ll see what Activision plans. Will it be a return to form and have the amazing quality of the third game (my personal favorite), or are they committed to dysfunctional plastic boards and “casual” game play?

Speaking of Activision and franchises, they have announced they will be releasing a licensed game to coincide with the new Spider-Man movie next year. If this surprises you please throw away your gaming console. You obviously don’t deserve anything more technical than your drool-catching bib. As we’ve seen in many recent movie-licensed games, you shouldn’t be expecting to play through the plot of the film. Instead, The Amazing Spider-Man: The Video Game actually takes on the role of epilogue. Beenox is developing, but they’re going back to the web of free-roaming around New York City instead of jumping between dimensions. Seamus Kevin Fahey (Battlestar Galactica, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) is writing. I’ve seen a very short clip of it and Spider-Man looks fantastic in motion, but the city looks a little bland. Expect a full trailer at the VGAs on Saturday.

One game that has made sporadic appearances in VGQH for months looks to be nearing its end time in our spotlight. That’s because Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is finally getting its release on PS3. The game, much like the entire series, has seen its share of troubles getting to release. While 3D and Move support are being delayed for a future patch, the game itself will hit the US PSN on December 27th for $15. If you missed this on XBox last generation, you owe it to yourself to get it now. What a great use for that PSN card you’ll find in your stocking this year.

Another of the announcements to expect on Saturday is The Last of Us, a PS3 exclusive that’s already being teased. A recent teaser video showed footage of a BBC documentary discussing a fungus that eats the brains of ants, but still keeps them mobile. The recent teaser image highlights some sort of American apocalypse. Looks like a zombie game, but I’m hoping for something a little more creative.

A recent Capcom Facebook post appears to be teasing Dead Rising 3. “I’m getting packing for my new adventure – camera, notebook and baseball bat. What else would i need for a break in paradise? – Frank” If anything, this almost sounds like he’s making a cameo appearance in Dead Island, but that wouldn’t make any sense. Somehow I get the feeling we’ll learn more on Saturday.

While we all know there are console fanboys of every flavor many people forget the quiet little contender in the corner that is OnLive. While not a full console like a PS3 or XBox 360, this service does provide many of the same titles via streaming, much like your Netflix. It’s an interesting concept, and one that seems to be successful for them, although I haven’t tried it myself. Bruce Grove of OnLive has been talking about the future of their service and what it will mean in the next generation from Microsoft and Sony. It’s Grove’s opinion that the big two will have to be looking at a streaming service of their own and he feels it’s something OnLive can provide for them. Does this mean we could see an OnLive channel on our PS4’s XMB? Possibly, but he was a little stingy with information about whether or not he’s already talked to Sony. He did say that they had an OnLive client running on PS3 when the Linux OS was operable on that system but it was never released. Could this be the future of gaming? And would Sony or Microsoft want to work with an outsider to develop a console-based version? I could see this as a viable option for trying a PSN title before buying. I could even see this is a plan to save HDD costs by having PSN or XBLA games be streaming instead of downloadable. Beyond the console manufacturers, how would we feel about it?

The sales figures for PSN come out every month, but I never really see them as news appropriate for VGQH. This month was interesting though, so I thought I would share. The best-selling title for November is also the service’s fastest-selling title of all time, inFamous: Festival of Blood. I’m one of the many who bought this gem and it was well worth it. This is a standout example of what a fully-featured downloadable game should be. In the add-on segment of the store, the Nightwing Bundle for Batman: Arkham City has, predictably, taken top honors. Meanwhile, Square Enix should be quite proud, as they’ve taken the top five spots for PSOne Classics (Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy IX) and two of the top five PSP games (Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, and Dissidia 012 Prologus Final Fantasy). With Final Fantasy VI hitting those lists I wouldn’t expect to see Square Enix fall from the top anytime soon.

I don’t know how I didn’t see this one coming, but Media Molecule has a great reason for you to put Little Big Planet 2 back into your PS3. This week’s PSN update saw one of the coolest Sackskins in a very long time, The Muppets! Check out the pic to see who’s included. And if you don’t have LBP2, I wouldn’t recommend rushing out to buy it right now. Not because it’s not a fantastic game. It is. They’ve sold approximately 400,000 copies since Black Friday (including those bundled with new systems). Which means you might just see a fresh new copy waiting under the tree.

Another ratings leak, this time from Korea, gives us our first hint that Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 is imminent. This is not official confirmation, but Anarchy Reigns, another SEGA game, was also in the ratings list and it’s scheduled for release next month. Then again, the last update I heard was that Sonic shouldn’t be appearing again until summer.

And that ends our news snapshots for this week. As mentioned multiple times above, Spike’s VGAs are tomorrow night. I’ll be at a holiday party for my wife’s work and not watching it live. I do plan to DVR it though. Which will be better anyway because I can fast forward past the awards and get straight to the big announcements. Look for all necessary recaps here at Big Shiny Robot!

I don’t often post these, but Chris Yost is writing this book and he can do no wrong. From his work on all the great Marvel cartoons in recent years to his incredible run on Red Robin, he’s fast becoming one of my favorite writers in comics.

Here’s the info from the press release about Scarlet Spider.

Get ready for a new brand of web-slinging action in your first look at Scarlet Spider #1! From the red-hot creative team of Chris Yost & Ryan Stegman, Kaine – the all-new Scarlet Spider – finds himself on the run in Texas after saving New York City from becoming the world’s largest spider nest during Spider-Island. But when his escape is stopped by a super-powered crime syndicate, Kaine must put an end to their corruption the only way he knows how…violently.

“Scarlet Spider is a book that can deal with a character much like Peter Parker but at darker, more difficult place in his life,” said Stephen Wacker, Marvel Senior Editor. “The violent choices he’s made through years of struggle—the sins of youth, so to speak—have come at a brutal cost. He may hope that the things he’s done will be left to the dusty, yellowed pages of history, but someone ALWAYS remembers who you used to be.”

Redefining power & responsibility, no fan can miss the brutal debut of Scarlet Spider #1 hitting comic shops everywhere, this January.

SCARLET SPIDER #1 (NOV110519)
Written by CHRIS YOST
Pencils by RYAN STEGMAN
Colors by MARTE GRACIA
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
FOC – 12/12/11, ON SALE – 1/4/12