Behold! The first poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier has hit the internet!

While it’s pretty basic stuff, the image of the shield with all of the paint chipped off is pretty cool and could mean a lot of things. Is Cap putting in overtime fighting the world’s villainy? Does the shield perhaps lack the ol’ red, white, and blue to signify something else? Or did he just scrape it off to better match his new blue and white duds for this film? Maybe Cap is just more fashion-forward than any of us thought . . .

Knowing Marvel, I’m sure there is some meaning to this, and if you are familiar with the Winter Soldier story line from the comics I’m sure you have a dozen ideas in your head as to what the significance of this is. With Comic Con just around the corner I’m sure we will be getting some more details about what to expect from this film aside from the numerous set photos we’ve been seeing. Of all the Marvel movies on deck leading up to The Avengers sequel, I think this is the one I am most excited for and I am very optimistic that we will see a great film adaptation of this titular story line.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters on April 4, 2014.

You can follow Arse-bot and all the pointless thoughts he puts out into the interwebs on Twitter @Arse_bot

Her Universe announced this morning that they will release a line of clothing branded with The Walking Dead. The clothes, pictured below will be available online at Her Universe, as well as San Diego Comic Con.   Ashley Eckstein, the founder of Her Universe admits to being an avid walking Dead fan and is excited to see the line launch.  If I have to pick a favorite it’s the “Dead Inside” hoodie for sure, what do you think ladies? Are you in?

Press Release after the gallery.

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Ashley Eckstein’s Her Universe Enters the Zombie Apocalypse With
New Fangirl Apparel from AMC’s “The Walking Dead”

NEW YORK, NY – July 9th, 2013 – Her Universe™, a leader in female genre merchandise, announced today a license deal with AMC to create a collection of women’s apparel based on the network’s series, “The Walking Dead.” “The Walking Dead” by Her Universe collection, featuring images, characters and phrases from “The Walking Dead” series on fashion tops, leggings, hoodies and dresses, will be available online at HerUniverse.com, San Diego Comic-Con and select retail outlets beginning this summer.

“There is certainly an expanding fan base of women who faithfully watch ‘The Walking Dead’ and this collection of unique apparel and merchandise is targeted just for them,” said Her Universe founder, Ashley Eckstein. “I am a huge fan of ‘The Walking Dead’ and I was thrilled with the opportunity to design Zombie fashion for fangirls. The story lines on this show are very emotional, compelling and addicting! As a fan, I am excited to have more apparel options made for women.”

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” reigns as the most watched drama series on television for Adults 18-49. The series tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and has garnered two Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-up and a Golden Globe® Award nomination for Best Television Series –Drama.

Ashley Eckstein is founder of Her Universe and known to sci-fi/pop-culture fans as the voice of Ahsoka Tano on the animated series,Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

I didn’t want to review this book.

Hell, I didn’t even want to finish it.

Star Wars: Crucible, billed as one last hurrah in for the Big 3 (Luke, Han, and Leia) in the expanded universe is nothing short of a boring, weird descent into things I just didn’t care to see in a Star Wars novel.

For the most part, the novel is harmless. It’s easily ignored and I would recommend that unless you’re hellbent on reading every book in the Star Wars EU, you just skip this one entirely.

And I apologize in advance, but there will be spoilers for the rest of this piece.

Crucible starts with Han and Leia Solo, two of the most important people in the galaxy, showing up to an asteroid field to help Lando Calrissian deal with some pirates in his mining operation. Small potatoes for a last hurrah, right? But more is going on that it seems and there’s some Mandalorians involved, and some guys from the roleplaying game, and a weird force nexus thing that means Luke Skywalker needs to come help with Lando’s mining dispute.

And some people (not me) thought the taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems was bad…

The story meanders from there, it’s bland and I’ve tried hard to lose the details since I read the book, but it’s many of the small details that stuck with me and made me just despise this book.

For one, there is plenty of prose that just isn’t that good. There were instances where Luke would say something like, “May the Force Be With Us.” And then the very next line of text would be something like, “But the Force wasn’t with them and torpedoes exploded around them.” That’s not an exact quote, but it’s pretty close. It’s just…  things like that, little details that make me feel like the whole thing is tone deaf to Star Wars. With Luke as the main point of view character for that chapter, even though it’s written in third person, there’s no way “the Force was not with them” would fly. How could something like that get by a Star Wars fan of any stripe?

Another particularly bad part of the book is when they suddenly need disguises to visit a casino and Luke and Leia just happen have passable make-up and Mission: Impossible quality disguise kits to instantly transform them into a Twi’lek and a Devaronian.

“But Bryan,” you’re saying, “That’s absurd. How would anyone buy Leia as a Twi’lek? Even with make-up, her lekku wouldn’t move.”

But the answer is simple. She spends the entire time in disguise twitching them manually with the Force. But even that would have been harder because inside the lekku was wear they were hiding their lightsabers from casino security.

I know, right?

It doesn’t make sense to me either. This ranks up there among Construction Worker Wedge finding weird shock paddles to discover Force ability and Bus Driver Admiral Ackbar, both from Jedi Search.

You know what else rubbed me the wrong way?

Creepy Leia.

In a spectacularly silly plot development right out of Blade Runner, there are replicant-like bio-clones in the book. And, since subtlety is no longer required in licensed tie-in fiction, anyone can easily guess that when the replicant character starts stealing Han and Leia’s blood, we’ll be seeing Han and Leia clones before the book is done.

And Han does. He sees a “creepy” clone of Leia.

And starts calling her in his head Creepy Leia. It seems far too contemporary a term or usage of the word to fit in Star Wars, and seeing Han use it in context was laughably bad.

And the Blade Runner like replicants? They all had problems. Like Jurassic Park and Deep Space Nine level problems. Remember the Lysine contingency in Jurassic Park? Remember the Ketracell-White from Deep Space Nine? Both the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and the Jem’Hedar in DS9 needed an exterior application of certain protein sequences and chemicals to survive. It was a way to control them and keep a handle on what they were doing.

Well, no surprises here: if it was good enough for Jurassic Park and Star Trek, by the Force, it’s good enough for the “creepy” clones here in Star Wars.

After dealing with explosions, pirates, Mandos, replicants in need of Lysine, and weird RPG based threats, Luke, Han, and Leia enter a Wonderland of the Force that may or may not be related to Mortis from The Clone Wars. Inside they morph and die and come back in a trippy sequence where they only song I could think to score it with was not John Williams based, but instead Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. It was an LSD trip to Nth degree.

After they escape their deaths, they all come out and vow to take some time off and retire, riding off into the sunset of space one last time, and then talking about their retirement more and their need for it in case we didn’t get the hint.

And why in the world would I want to read page after page of Han Solo being tortured?

I would argue that this book is the single best reason we can give for hoping that Episode VII forces this Expanded Universe timeline into full, alternate timeline status.

It just wasn’t good. I’m sorry. Troy Denning seems like a very nice guy, but this book was simply not good. And for that, you just shouldn’t buy it. Or read it. Or even acknowledge its existence.

Zero Stars.

A copy of this book was provided by Del Rey/Random House for review.

Paizo Publishing, the powerhouse behind one of my favorite games, Pathfinder, announced their publishing schedule for the next year+ of supplements. Many of which I’ll be getting as soon as I can get my hands on them.

I’m playing Pathfinder with regularity and have found every new release from Paizo to be full of excellent material for me to use an adapt.

Perhaps the book I’m most excited for on this list is the Bestiary 4. Those books are always gorgeously illustrated and full of the most useful things for GMs: statblocks.

Here’s their full press release.

Be sure to come back for more images and information as we get it.
 

REDMOND, WA (July 8, 2013): On the heels of PaizoCon, the publisher’s annual fan convention, Paizo Publishing, LLC, leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels, announces key products for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, set to be released in the latter half of 2013, and into 2014.

Visions of War: The Art of Wayne Reynolds

August 2013/$29.99

This 256—page, 10—year retrospective of fantasy artist Wayne Reynolds includes full-color covers, interior art, and card art from award-winning work on brands like the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering, and gorgeous paintings and sketches never seen before!

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 4

October 2013/$39.99

The mightiest monsters and foulest foes of nightmare and legend—demon lords, kaiju, juggernauts, and Great Old Ones, including Cthulhu! Terrors like nosferatu vampires, clockwork dragons, twisted fleshwarps, and sadistic tooth fairies are among the more than 250 monsters, new familiars, player-friendly races, and other allies also rise to aid characters in combating this host of horrors.

Strategy Guide

April 2014/$29.99

The Strategy Guide hardcover is chock full of 128 pages of invaluable advice on how to make and advance your character, and gives an extensive look at the rules of the game to help you explore the world and survive the terrible dangers of the adventuring life.

Pathfinder Adventure Path: The Mummy’s Mask

Starts February 2014/$22.99 monthly

The Mummy’s Mask Adventure Path casts the heroes as tomb raiders and explorers, delving into ancient ruins to discover the means to defeat an ancient pharaoh returned from the grave, and takes characters into a land of majestic pyramids, buried sphinxes, and crumbling ruins.

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods

March 2014/$39.99

This 300-page hardcover details the chief gods and goddesses of Golarion’s Inner Sea region. It includes new prestige classes, subdomains, and spells empower characters to be champions of their deities, as well as dozens of new traits, feats, magic items, and more to unlock the power of the gods for characters of every class

Pathfinder Battles: Legends of Golarion

October 2014/see paizo.com for pricing

 The greatest heroes and most fearsome foes of the Pathfinder world come alive on the gaming gable with Pathfinder Battles: Legends of Gloarion, the brand new Pathfinder Battles pre-painted miniature set from Paizo Publishing and WizKids Games. This set features 55 all-new pre-painted sculpts drawn from the gorgeous art of Paizo Publishing’s award-winning Pathfinder Campaign Setting. With figures drawn from more than 5 years of fan-favorite Pathfinder RPG releases, this set is a celebration of the world’s best-selling fantasy roleplaying game.

For more information on these and the other newly scheduled product releases, the 2013-2014 Paizo catalog is now available to download for free at paizo.com.

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game builds on more than 10 years of system development and the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming to create an unparalleled fantasy roleplaying experience. Players need only the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook to play, but Paizo Publishing produces a wide range of books and accessories to enhance your Pathfinder experience, from hardcover rules compendiums to complete campaigns to packets of beautiful, full-color maps. For more information, please visit paizo.com.

After the abysmal failures of the late 90s, Disney’s hand drawn animation efforts had taken a turn for the worst and no one expected much from them. But from 2000 to 2002, they came out with a trifecta of movies that defied expectations and, to my mind, resurrected their hand-drawn talents for a while longer.

All three movies that came out in that period were re-released on Blu-ray recently (along with their cheapquels of less quality.)

Each of them are worth owning and re-watching. All of them look stunning on Blu-ray. All of them are a delight.

We’ll take them chronologically.

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

Off the heels of the well received but fairly standard retelling of Tarzan from the year before, The Emperor’s New Groove was something different altogether. Settling in with a highly stylized indigenous South American vibe, the film took all of the things I hated about Hercules and seemed to make them good, somehow. Like Hercules, it has too much anachronistic pop culture and self-awareness to it, but instead of being annoying, this film makes it charming and timeless.

David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, and Patrick Warburton assembled to create a memorable voice cast that still gets quoted around my house to this day because the film is just so fun and funny. On rewatching, it still has a very breathless pacing to it that helps. And, like I said, it takes the weaknesses of Hercules, does them right, and turns them into strengths.

Perhaps they’d been paying attention to the Pixar model and fashioned a story that works on a variety of levels, with jokes that still go over the heads of my children and land squarely on my funny bone.

This film belongs in your collection, for sure.

Moving on to my favorite of the three films released:

Atlantis (2001)

Atlantis was as much a departure from The Emperor’s New Groove as The Emperor’s New Groove was from Tarzan. The directors took the bold adventure storytelling of Disney’s early live-action films and married it with the visual style of Mike Mignola and created a pulpy steampunk-like adventure, years before it had hit the mainstream.

Rewatching this film, I truly believe it was ahead of its time. The storytelling is fantastic, it’s equally funny and dramatic, it feels like the period it’s set in, and, above all, the visuals are gorgeous.

The story revolves around Milo Thatch, voiced by the always great Michael J. Fox, and his quest to find the lost city of Atlantis with the help of mercenary adventurers. The voice cast is filled out with the likes of Don Novello, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy, and Corey Burton, making it truly pop. It took risks most Disney films don’t, as well, making it all the more daring and alluring to an audience member like me. There’s a femme fatale character, strong and sultry. There’s a good guy turned villain in a twist with a voice perfect for the part. There’s just the right mix of comedy and adventure and excitement and it culminates into a battle the likes of which was clearly inspired by Star Wars.

It’s a breathtaking film and truly the first time I saw Mignola-like images moving in a way that seemed organic.

This is an underrated masterpiece of Disney animation and I hope it stops being overlooked.

This is definitely worth picking up for your collection. Immediately. Watch it and I dare you to tell me otherwise.

Last on the list of this renaissance is:

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

This film is a fun sci-fi adventure with a heart, set in a very stylized, water-color backgrounded Hawaii. The main protagonists are a bratty little girl and a bratty little alien who learn lessons about loyalty and who they are and what the meaning of family is.

This film works for me to a degree. It’s not one I rewatch with any regularity, the story after a few viewings seems bland, but that’s not really what you’re watching it for. For my money, this film shines the most in the animation and vibe. Who would ever think to match beautiful water-color backgrounds of Hawaii and the tone set by Elvis music to a science fiction fish out of water story? The vibe is the thing I love the most about this movie and it’s the thing I’m saddened to see go the most with this push for all 3D animated filmmaking.

There’s a charming warmth to the look and feel that you simply can’t replicate with 3D animation.

I do like this movie, but it’s the least of these three. It’s one my kids like much more than I do, and will probably watch it much more often than I do.

If you want this movie, don’t hesitate to add it to your collection as well.

Den of Geek has recently unearthed a previously unpublished interview with Richard Marquand, the director of Return of the Jedi. Sadly, Marquand passed away only a few years after the release of Episode VI, but he’s left an indelible impression on our favorite galaxy far, far away.

This interview took place in 1984, just a year after the release of Return of the Jedi, and three before Marquand’s passing.

You should really go to Den of Geek to read the whole thing, but a couple of my favorite highlights:

How did you feel when you learned that you were going to direct the third and final chapter of the Star Wars saga?

I was a great admirer of George Lucas’ work. I really loved American Graffiti and Star Wars. That was already a good step because it meant I was going to work in a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. Secondly, I am a tremendous Star Wars fan; I know the story means an enormous love to me. I love the characters. In a way, I felt like a young man who knows the music of Beethoven extremely well, and who is finally asked to play it with the London Symphonic Orchestra.

So, obviously, you’re scared, but fear is a very necessary part of what you do. But, at least, you feel it is your chance, because you know how it should fit, because you know what you’re doing − or you’ll find out in rehearsal, with the orchestra, and so on. It was a great feeling.

[Irvin] Kershner was absolutely perfect for the middle film, which is a dark, troubled and anguished film. That’s the kind of character Kershner is himself; he’s very amusing socially, but his mind is full of dark torments and worries. George was the perfect man for Star Wars because he understands gags. He’s got a great story sense. He’s got tremendous appreciation of all the little gags and jokes. But I think I was probably the right guy for the third film, because I like the great virtues: I love loyalty, friendship, love…

… happy endings?

Yes. I love happy endings. [laughs]

He goes on to talk about his experiences on the film as well as his plans for the futre.

It really is a fascinating interview. I’m sorry we didn’t get more work out of Marquand, and I’m very sorry that he wasn’t around to see the new renaissance of Star Wars. Based on his descriptions of the Directors, wouldn’t it have been something to see Marquand’s take on Attack of the Clones and Kershner’s Revenge of the Sith?

Head to Den of Geek for the rest.

Be sure to listen to Full of Sith for the best in conversations about Star Wars.

If you missed the part of the headline of this post that said “SPOILERS!”, then here is your final warning that there are potential Amazing Spider-Man 2 spoilers in this post. They may just be rumors, but you have been warned.

Still with me? Great. Here we go.

It has been previously reported that we will, in fact, see the Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 along with Electro and Rhino. There are rumors that they are building up to a showdown between Spider-Man and the movie version of the Sinister Six and these villains will fill three spots on that roster, presumably to be joined by others in the following movie(s). Chris Cooper is on board to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (in a supposed Iron-Man-like armor thing), but Movie Web is reporting that it will not be Norman Osborn who becomes the Green Goblin, but instead his son Harry, played by Chronicle‘s Dane DeHaan.

Movie Web also notes that the climax of the film will take place in an Oscorp power plant and that Gwen Stacy’s “death” will only be a “fake out” in this film – her “real” death will come in either Amazing Spider-Man 3 or 4. And finally, they also note that there will be a post-credits stinger (mini-movie) that will lead directly into the next film.

How’s that for some potential spoilers for you?!

Marc Webb tweeted all sorts of on-set pictures and teases during the shooting of Amazing Spider-Man 2, and couple that with the no shortage of rumors and spoilers that have been flying around, I have officially given up on what to expect from this film. I am in the camp that really enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man and am very much looking forward to the sequel. My concern, however, is that they are just trying to pack too much into the film. We’ve seen this time and time again with superhero films where the thought process is more villains equals more action, and more action equals a better movie and the result have been less than great.

With regards to Harry Osborn, not Norman, becoming the Green Goblin, I just don’t know. There’s a part of me that is bothered by this and feels that it is an unecessary change, but another part that feels this could be interesting. This is not comic book Spider-Man, this is Amazing Spider-Man movie Spider-Man, so I’m willing to see how this change plays out on screen – but I am not without reservations.

We will have to wait until May 2014 to see how much of this is all true when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hit theaters!

You can follow Arse-bot and all the pointless thoughts he puts out into the interwebs on Twitter @Arse_bot

I think they nailed who Deadpool was. Now I’m interested to see how he interacts with Spider-Man himself.

Here’s the text of the press release for this episode:

Ultimate Heroes. Ultimate Villains. Ultimate Responsibility.

Spider-Man must lead his team of teen heroes against the greatest assembly of super villains the world has ever seen! Season Two of the hit series ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN continues as Spider-Man comes face to face with the Marvel Universe’s most unhinged hero – Deadpool! Spider-Man envies Deadpool’s free-spirited life, but that all may change after one day in Deadpool’s madcap world!

Don’t miss the next amazing episode of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN debuts this Sunday at 11a/10c inside Marvel Universe on Disney XD.

TED put together a series of videos that explore the science behind Superheroes, narrated by none other than the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, James Arnold Taylor.

They’re all fascinating to watch, worth watching for the animation and voice work alone, but you’ll also learn something while you’re at it.

And that’s half the battle, right?

And if you enjoy the voice work, you’re going to want to go follow James on Twitter. He’s running a promotion, giving away autographs and prizes in his race to hit 10,000 followers. Go follow him and tell him @swankmotron sent you.

During my trip to Paris back in May I was invited by the French Garrison of the 501st to their May 4th event at the LEGO store in Paris.

Up to that point in my trip to France, I’d not seen a whole lot of Star Wars in the country. There were some bits of street art (like those posted below) were the only signs of Star Wars I saw on the streets of Paris.

The other bit of Star Wars I found was in the one comic-book store, Album, where they had some French language versions of Star Wars books and comics. I couldn’t find any Star Wars books of any kind in any of the normal brick and mortar bookstores in France.

(I also found it curious that I, Jedi was split into two books, and Mirax rated mention in the title of the first volume–Moi, Jedi Tome I – Mirax a disparu…)

When I’d emailed back and forth with the members of the French 501st Garrison, I was excited to talk to them about what life as a Star Wars fan was like in France and to find out how it differed with the United States. The first thing I’d noticed is that fine art is what saturates the culture and the advertising in Paris, as far as I saw. I didn’t see a single ad for Iron Man 3 in the city, the only place I saw anything for the film was at the movie theatre where I actually saw the movie. So, popular culture in the United States is a very different thing than in France.

I was excited to see how they celebrated May the Fourth in Paris.

On the Fourth, I ventured to a mall on the outskirts of Paris (which was itself odd since it was in a modern part of a town that doesn’t seem to have many modern parts) where the French Garrison would be holding an event at the LEGO store.

There, I got to chat with Rudy Thomas and the French Garrison CO, Arnaud Miralles, who were both truly nice guys, excellent representatives of the Legion.

They explained to me that Star Wars movies were popular in France, but they hadn’t taken a stranglehold of the culture like they did in the United States. They also told me that in France The Clone Wars was viewed as a show much more for kids and people in the Garrison were cautiously optimistic for Episode VII. I was surprised to see that they only do a troop every month or two, where some Garrisons in the United States seem to be doing troops every week.

Here’s a shot of me (standing, second from the left) with members of the garrison and my travel companion, Patty.

You can see the gallery of images from the event, as well as pictures of the Star Wars street art in Paris in the gallery below.

For the latest and best in Star Wars conversations, listen to the Full of Sith podcast.