by Stone Marshall | Dec 22, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
It is the biggest war in Marvel Universe, which is why it was split into two. But nevertheless, Thanos of Titan (played by Josh Brolin), the single and the most difficult supervillain The Avengers will have to face head on – shouldn’t they need more helping hands to defeat him? If so, will we see other Marvel superheroes like Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Inhumans, The Defenders and others listed in the Marvel Universe to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War?
“It’s complicated!”
That’s what Avengers: Infinity War co-director Anthony Russo toldSUPER Interessante (via Comic Book Movie) when asked whether The Defenders will help The Avengers in their fight with Thanos and his cohorts. Anthony will direct alongside his brother Joe.
Anthony explained, “The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others.”
But they are all under Marvel Cinematic Universe, right?
Well, here’s the complete transcript of what Anthony has to say about this possibility, or not:
“It’s complicated. When we start to serialize the telling of stories it’s difficult. You have to have a lot of control and focus on the course of history. The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others.
Then there is the possibility of a crossover, but it’s more complicated. It is a smaller scale version of the problem that exists when remembering that Fox holds the rights to some of Marvel’s most popular characters, as does Sony and others. As storytellers, we only have control over what happens in Marvel movies, but everything is possible, Spider-Man (whose rights were held by Sony) became possible!”
Well, guess it’s still possible after all. But the question is, if it is possible, how will they fit in all those superheroes so they can come up with a story or two?
And if it is really possible to let other superheroes to join the bandwagon, while not have the X-Men and Fantastic Four gear up once more. After all, it will be the greatest battle the world will ever see.
Indeed, it’s really complicated.
Avengers: Infinity War Updates and Rumors: X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Defenders and Other Marvel Superheroes – It’s Complicated, But Possible
by Stone Marshall | Dec 21, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
After a long wait, Howard the Duck is finally coming toMarvel’s Avengers Alliance. It was revealed that Howard would be the holiday lockbox hero for December and as of Dec. 18 Agents will have a chance to earn lockboxes by completing Daily Missions and doing other weekly tasks.
So be sure to log-in everyday to complete the Daily Missions and get the weekly tasks done quickly because those give 20 lockboxes in Avengers Alliance.
Patch notes for Howard the Duck has not been posted yet but we’ll update when it does.
But enough about that, let’s dive into what makes the next Tactician hero in Avengers Alliance tick.
Howard’s passives Playdom
Howard has a few passives that include Anger Management and Private Eye. Anger Management gives Howard a stack of Grit when he’s attacked and gives him a chance to gain an extra turn when attacked.
Private Eye, like Jessica Jones, has a chance to apply Target Focus on enemies. Howard also gets a chance to give Howard Fatal Intel when enemies perform an action.
Howard’s first attack Playdom
Howard’s first attack is “Eat My Glove!” which has Knockout Punch — stunning a target with Combo Setup automatically — and True Grit, which consumes all stacks of Grit to deal extra damage.
Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom
Fury’s Closet is Howard’s second attack and is a multi-function action. The first item in the closet is Coulson’s BFG, which ignores defense and gives all allies One for All and All for One. These two buffs lets allies have a chance to counter and follow-up single-target attacks.
Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom
Reinforcements is a quick action summon attack that applies flanked and Cornered on one enemy.
Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom
Neurotripe is a quick action buff that has all the effects of the Neurotrope to your allies. It’s a very powerful item.
Part of Howard’s second attack. Playdom
Friggin’ Sword of Hope has Desperation Attack, Paragon Exploiter and is stealthy. It also applies Open Wound to one enemy.
Howard’s third attack Playdom
Quack-Fu applies Pressure Point debuffs, Combo Setup and Incapacitation to one enemy.
Howard’s fourth attack Playdom
Duck-tini is a free action buff that applies Feeling Ducky to Howard. This new buff gives Howard the Duck a chance to evade attacks, counter enemy attacks, follow-up after ally attacks, and ignore enemy defense when attacking. It also gives Howard a stack of Grit whenever this procs.
Overall, Howard the Duck is looking to be a powerful new hero who can work with a number of heroes. But let us know who you plan to use Howard the Duck with in the comments section below.
Marvel Avengers Alliance Update: Howard The Duck Is Holiday Lockbox Hero
by Stone Marshall | Dec 21, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
4TH UPDATE WRITETHRU, FRIDAY 2 PM: Distribution executives are in complete awe and just can’t believe what they’re witnessing hour by hour. After shattering the box office industry’s preview-night record with $57 million on Thursday, Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set to knock over opening-day and weekend records left and right. You can scratch out that $110M opening day we heard about earlier. Force Awakens Friday — which includes that $57M it made in Thursday previews — is between $130M-$145M per industry estimates (not Disney). This puts Force Awakens in an opening-weekend range of $250M-$275M; a gross that sends Universal’s Jurassic World current opening-weekend record of $208.8M back to the Stone Age.As we saw with Universal during the opening weekend of Jurassic World, Disney is being very conservative with estimates. At this point, they see a $100M+ Friday and a $200M+ weekend. Saturday is a wild card day and will determine if Force Awakens gets to this stratosphere level, specifically because it’s a big holiday travel and shopping day. 80% of the Force Awakens pre-sales were bought for the following days in order: Thursday, Friday and Christmas Day. Hence, many foresee Saturday as the day that could benefit from the most walk-up business, and both Disney and exhibitors such as AMC continue to emphasize there’s millions of tickets available.With eye-boggling grosses like this, what could possibly come in second this weekend? Many are betting that 20th Century Fox’s Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip makes an estimated $18M at 3,653 theaters after a Friday that’s between $5.5M-$6M. Universal’s R-rated comedy Sisters with its intent on hooking females, is looking at $6M today for a $17M opening in third place. The film, suffocated by Star Wars, couldn’t bust $1M in previews last night, settling for $769K.
Among holdovers, Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 will have the benefit of slotting fourth with an estimated 45% decline for a fifth weekend of $6.3M and a running cume of $255.1M. Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s In The Heart Of The Sea will be down 55% in its second session with $5.1M and a 10-day cume of $20.2M. As to whether all films in the marketplace will reap from Force Awakens’ rising tide, we’ll have to wait until we get past Christmas Eve when all holiday distractions cease for moviegoers.
Previously, Warner Bros.’ 2011 finale Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 owned the preview record of $43.5M and the opening day of $91M. 47% of Force Awakens’ Thursday night gross came from 3D, with Imax generating $5.7M at 391 hubs; that’s close to double the previous preview night record set by Avengers: Age Of Ultron of $3M.
How were the preview grosses calculated? Non-Disney sources with access to hourlies tell us that the previews for Force Awakens were weighted from 7 PM until 6 AM on Friday. When Warner Bros. generated $43.5M from Deathly Hallows 2 they counted the grosses from those showtimes between midnight Friday until 6 AM; after 2 AM, there was only a smattering of them. This raises questions as to how Disney will count showtimes for the first day of Force Awakens. Will the opening record be based on a 29-hour day (Thursday 7 PM shows through those ending at 11:59 PM today)? Or a 35-hour day inclusive of those shows ending at 6 AM on Saturday? One analyst noticed that heading into post-6 AM shows today that business for Force Awakens is tracking down 10% from the preview shows.
The No. 1 film outside of previews last night? Lionsgate’s Mockingjay – Part 2 which made $895K from 3,651 locations; its current B.O. is $248.8M. In The Heart Of The Sea was second with an estimated $735K at 3,103 and a first week’s cume of $15.1M. 20th Century Fox was wise not to battle the Force last night with its fourthquel Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
MovieTickets.com continues to report that 94% of the site’s ticket sales are for Force Awakens — surprise, surprise. A majority of tickets at 42% are being sold in pairs, which means people are attending the film alone. Group tickets of 3 or 4 are being snapped up respectively at 15%. Only 4% of all Force Awakens tickets buyers are purchasing six tickets or more.
Rentrak’s PostTrak unveiled last night the following audience breakdown (which they monitor throughout the weekend): Force Awakens is largely drawing older males at 71% guys, 53% over 25. A majority of the audience at 94% are grading the J.J. Abrams film either excellent or very good, which is a remarkable score rarely seen on PostTrak. Close to half of the audience say they attended Force Awakens because it’s part of a franchise they love. More than half the audience polled say that Force Awakens exceeded their expectations. 72% said they decided more than a week ago that they were going to Force Awakens, while 24% said they decided tonight to buy a ticket to the film.
Also as of last night per PostTrak, a majority of the audience watched Force Awakens in RealD 3D at 44%, followed by 2D at 32% and Imax 3D at 16%.
PREVIOUSLY, 6:52 PM: “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” one exhibition insider told us as Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens is cruising toward an earth-shattering Thursday night preview record tonight. We’re literally hearing from our non-Disney sources that it 
could push to $50M — and some say much higher. That would be phenomenal and better than the record set by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows-Part 2, which made $43.5M from midnight showings in 2011. From Valencia, CA to New York City, shows are selling out back-to-back. “Every time a show is added, it sells out,” said another exhibitor.
In Manhattan, some theaters are playing Force Awakens 24/7. By 4:50 PM today at Edwards suburban Valencia 12, 30 minutes north of L.A., the first four shows of the night starting at 7 PM were completely sold out, with a throng of folks clustered outside the multiplex since 10AM. At the Landmark Theatre on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, Force Awakens is playing seven times tonight, with most theaters packing in an 80% capacity. We’ve heard of some West Coast theaters playing the film until 4:30 AM. The Hollywood Arclight on Sunset is showing Force Awakens for 24 hours straight.
“I can tell you this: No one has ever seen anything like this,” said one distribution insider. “It’s very possible that it could go over $50M.” The exec also says that if theaters are playing this film all night long, The Force Awakens can get to $100M in one of the fastest times ever.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Sets Its Sights On A $130M-$145M Friday & $250M-$275M Weekend
by Stone Marshall | Dec 20, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
Shmi Skywalker Lars
Born; 72 BBY. Died; 22 BBY
The mother of Anakin Skywalker and therefore the one we must thank for essentially starting both the original trilogy series and the prequels. She spent almost her entire life as a slave before Watto lost her in a bet to Ciegg Lars, who freed her and married her. She died in the arms of her son after being captured by Sandpeople.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Born; 41.9 BBY. Died; 4 ABY
The only child of Shmi Skywalker it was Anakin who was foretold to be the chosen one who would destroy the Sith, bringing balance to the force. A promising young Jedi, father to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo and husband to Padme Amidala, it was his love of Padme Amidala that would lead to his fall to the Sith, under the influence of Darth Sidious. Anakin would redeem himself many years later, killing his master and saving his son in the process.
Cliegg Lars
Born; 82 BBY. Died; 20 BBY.
Cleigg is the man who freed Shmi Skywalker and married her, becoming Anakin Skywalker’s step-father in the process. He is also the father to Owen Lars, who would go on to become Luke Skywalker’s adopted father.
Jobal Naberrie
Born; 76 BBY. Died; N/A
The second mother whom is the key to the Star Wars saga; Jobal was the mother of Padme Amidala and her sister Sola. She is seen sparingly throughout the saga but most saddening was her appearance at the funeral of her daughter. Her date of death is not known and it is unclear how far she lived past the creation of the Galactic Empire.
Ruweee Naberrie
Born; 77 BBY. Died; N/A
The father of Sola and Padme, Ruweee married Jobal in 51 BBY and like his wife does not get mentioned hugely in the saga…aside from a couple of deleted scenes from Episodes II and III. It is unknown when Ruweee dies but he was also present at his daughter’s funeral in 19 BBY.
Sola Naberrie
Born; 50 BBY. Died; N/A
The sister of Padme Amidala and later the maternal aunt to Luke and Leia Skywalker, Sola is four years the senior of her sister and it is likely she survived beyond the creation of the Galactic Empire.
Padme Amidala
Born; 46 BBY. Died; 19 BBY
Birthname; Padme Naberrie
Much like her daughter, Leia, the Senator from Naboo had a strong political mind – serving first as Queen of Naboo and later as a representative in the senate – but wasn’t afraid to face more physical conflict.
The Mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo and wife to Anakin Skywalker it was the unfortunate attempts of her husband to save her from death that inevitably caused it. Her funeral was held on Naboo in 19 BBY after the end of the Clone Wars.
Luke Skywalker
Born; 19 BBY. Died; between 45 ABY and 137 ABY.
The son of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, and his wife Padme Amidala as well as founder of the New Jedi Order. He was raised by his Uncle Owen Lars and Aunt Beru. It was Skywalker’s natural gifts as a Jedi that would lead to his role in bringing down the empire and redeeming his father.
Owen Lars
Born; 52 BBY. Died 0 BBY
The son of Cleigg Lars, and by extension step-brother of Anakin Skywalker and uncle to Luke Skywalker. He and his wife Beru raised Luke after the death of Padme and the fall of Anakin. He was killed alongside his wife by the Empire in their attempts to track down C-3PO and R2-D2.
Beru Whitesun Lars
Born; 47 BBY. Died; 0 BBY.
Beru served as the maternal figure in Luke Skywalker’s life, encouraging him to follow his dream of joining the Rebellion, as opposed to her husband Owen who was afraid he would follow the path of his father and turn to the dark side. She died with Owen at the hands of the Empire, freeing Luke to go with Obi-Wan Kenobi to rescue Leia.
Leia Organa Solo
Born; 19 BBY. Died; N/A.
Birthname; Leia Amidala Skywalker
The twin sister of Luke Skywalker and one of the founding members of the Rebellion, it is Leia’s bravery and determined attitude that saw her assume roles as both a diplomat and later a Jedi Knight. She had a significant role to play in the downfall of the Empire and in the years following the destruction on the Empire she would go on to marry Han Solo.
Bail Organa
Born; 67 BBY. Died; 0 BBY.
Bail Organa is the adoptive father of Leia Organa Solo and husband to Breha Organa. He was a close friend on Padme Amidala and following her death took in her daughter and raised her as part of his noble family. His was killed on his home planet of Alderaan as it was destroyed by the first Death Star.
Breha Organa
Born; Between 59 BBY and 49 BBY. Died; 0 BBY.
Birthname; Breha Antilles
Breha was the Queen of Alderaan and wife to bail Organa. She was Leia Organa Solo’s adoptive mother and raised her alongside her husband following the death of Padme Amidala. She died with her husband and millions of others when the Death Star destroyed Alderaan.
Han Solo
Born; 29 BBY. Died; N/A.
Han Solo joined the Skywalker line upon marrying Leia Organa Solo, not bad for a simple smuggler. After being commissioned by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to take them to Alderaan, Solo got in deeper than he expected and ended up fighting many a battle in the name of the Rebellion. He would later marry Leia and father three children with her.
Mara Jade Skywalker
Born; 17 BBY. Died; 40 ABY.
At one time Mara Jade was the Emperor’s hand and was assigned to destroy her future husband Luke Skywalker. After failing to do so the pair had several other encounters and eventually could not deny their feelings for each other and married. They had one child together, Ben Skywalker. She was killed by her Nephew Jacen Solo after learning he had become a Sith Lord.
Ben Skywalker
Born; 26.5 ABY. Died; N/A
Ben Skywalker is the only child of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker and grandson to Anakin Skywalker. Named after Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben was a strong warrior, much like his ancestors and fought in many key battles in the years that followed the creation of the New Republic.
Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus
Born; 9 ABY. Died; 41 ABY.
The first son of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and twin brother of Jaina Solo, Jacen was a promising young Jedi, serving predominantly under the teachings of Luke Skywalker. However a vision of him killing his former master saw him turn to the dark side and submit to the tutelage of Lumiya. He would eventually be destroyed by his sister Jaina.
Jaina Solo Fel
Born; 9 ABY. Died; N/A
The only daughter of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and twin sister to Jacen Solo, Jacen trained alongside her brother at the Jedi Praxeum and became a promising warrior. She took part in many key battles, crucial in preserving the New Jedi Order. She killed her brother after learning he had fallen to the dark side and become Darth Caedus.
Anakin Solo
Born; 10.5 ABY. Died; 27 ABY.
The final child of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and younger brother of Jacen and Jaina. Anakin had a strong weight on his shoulders with the name is parents gave him but more than lived up to it with his impressive fighting ability. He met his heroic end at the hands of the voxyn, saving the lives of many of his family members and other Jedi in the process by sacrificing himself.
The Definitive Star Wars Family Tree
by Stone Marshall | Dec 19, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
While the popular game systems are two years old now, plenty of families are new to the current generation of consoles. Microsoft Xbox One, Sony Playstation 4, and Nintendo WiiU continue to top holiday wish lists.
Here are some games and accessories suitable for the gamer in your life:
New on the WiiU are two additions to the Mario franchise, celebrating a 30th anniversary this year. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash adds jump shots for extra power and a mega mushroom to one-up the competition. An online mode allows you to compete with players around the world. ($50, nintendo.com). Also new this year, Super Mario Maker gives you the ability to create your own Mario lands and game play. Edit and modify levels, play as different characters, hide treasures within levels you create. Super Mario Maker works with Amiibo characters bring toys to life right on your Wii U game controller. ($60, nintendo.com)
The 2DS handheld gaming system plays most 3DS games, but in a less-expensive 2D format. A bundle with the new direct-from Japan phenomenon Yo-Kai Watch + Nintendo is available for under $100. Yo-Kai Watch is also available for a variety of other Nintendo systems as a standalone game or download. ($40-$100, nintendo.com)
Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, for Xbox One or Playstation 4, is a family-friendly adventure game where players are challenged to help Snoop find Charlie Brown and friends. Rated E for “Everyone”, the game is available from The Peanuts Movie Official Store powered by relentlessGenerator. ($50,http://store.snoopystore.com/)
Minecraft has quickly risen up the charts to be one of the most popular games of all time. Available for nearly every gaming system, Minecraft is newly available for the Wii U. The game’s creator, Majong studios , was purchased by Microsoft in 2014. Pick up Minecraft for $20 on Xbox One at the Microsoft Store or via. digital download for game consoles, computers, or mobile devices. ($20, microsoftstore.com)
Halo 5 is the latest installment in the “first-person shooter” series by Microsoft Studios. The game features a new story and three new worlds with extensive multiplayer content and updates available online. The new Xbox One-optimized game has been rebuilt for the new, faster, processor of the latest-generation console. ($50, microsoftstore.com)
The Elite Controller by Microsoft, for XBOX One, is a fully customizeable game controller with a pro-quality feel. It’s not the cheapest controller; pick it up and you’ll know why. The $150 controller allows users to swap out components and reprogram buttons to suit an individuals game play. It has already proven to be a tough find this holiday season so if you’re looking for one order early! ($150, microsoftstore.com)
Many of the latest games are available as digital downloads for instant gratification. Those looking for a gift might opt for a traditional boxed copy more suitable for wrapping.
Video games top holiday wish lists again this year. KING 5 tech reporter Brian Westbrook shows what’s hot in gaming.
Great gifts for gamers
![PS4 vs. Xbox One Console Sales War [POLL] – Sony Beats Microsoft in November 2015](https://www.stonemarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/ifa-2013-consumer-electronics-trade-fair.jpg)
by Stone Marshall | Dec 18, 2015 | Awesome Book News |
The PS4 has returned to its rightful spot as the best-selling console for the month of November after it’s minor loss to the Xbox One the previous month
If it’s any indicator, this news arrived shortly after the results of the Black Friday console war, with the PS4 winning that weekend also. The poll we posted the week prior seemed to concur with those results, however the tides have seemed to shift with our most recent poll asking users which console they’re likely to buy for the holidays.
Xbox One currently stands with 46 percent (2124) of the votes, the PS4 with 43 percent (2022), the Wii U with 2 percent (106), and 6 percent (322) have opted not to buy any.
Both the PS4 and Xbox One were offered at $300 on Black Friday, and Sony has recently stated that they plan to carry that deal into this Christmas season. Xbox One has yet to announce a special holiday deal, making it benchmarked at $350.
While both consoles had a successful Black Friday weekend, Sony has announce this year to be its biggest. Sony’s Eric Lempel also added that November 2015 was the “biggest month ever for PlayStation Store indicating a strong digital marketplace complementing healthy retail sales.”
“We are sincerely grateful that gamers across the globe have continued to choose PS4 as the best place to play since launch two years ago,” Andrew House, the group chief executive at PlayStation stated. We are committed to bringing engaging games and entertainment services to users worldwide. Thanks to the support of our partners, PS4 continues to be the premier platform for game and interactive entertainment innovation.”
Microsoft hasn’t shared any sales figures, but claims that the Xbox One set new records for console sales, game sales, and Xbox Live engagement.
PS4 vs. Xbox One Console Sales War [POLL] – Sony Beats Microsoft in November 2015
