Fanboys Anonymous

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture?

WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.



MOVIES

Paul Bettany cast as the Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

My take: Another great casting announcement. Additionally, this turned many rumors on their ears, helping solidify some while dismissing others. This is one movie I don't mind hearing casting announcements for. I am confident in Whedon's ability to handle a large cast.

The Dark Knight story is set to influence the Batman vs Superman movie.

My take: Ugh. Seriously, you guys. How many times do you need to rehash someone else's success? Not only has that story been done to death, but you belittle it every time you reuse it. I do not want to see a new "version" of that story, even if it's a neat idea to see it in live action. Do something nobody expects: something new.

Star Wars Episode VII shooting schedule released.

My take: The magic starts in May of this year and they have 16 months to not screw it up. Now it's up to us, the fanboys and girls, to just leave the production alone until then.

TELEVISION

Seth Rogen takes lead on Preacher adaptation for TV series.

My take: As long as they don't take this in a Green Hornet direction, I think this will turn out OK. I will assume Rogen is intending to make sure the series is closer to the original book, where in the wrong hands it might get mishandled.

Two casting announcements for The Flash tickle my '90s bone.

My take: Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) and John Wesley Shipp (1990's The Flash) joined. I really like Cavanaugh, and I enjoyed Shipp's series when I was younger. It's encouraging to see DC making some good decisions for a change. If you have read previous articles by me, you know I have a little bit of a grudge against the company since The New 52 launch.

COMIC BOOKS

Robocop reboot tie-in coming from BOOM!

My take: Ever since I read the prequel comic series for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, I highly recommend these books for any fan of the properties. The Star Trek one explained where Spock was and what he did before the movie started, which we only got a glimpse of in the actual film. It helped flesh out the time travel aspect of the film substantially for me.

"Death of Superman" story to be rehashed in DC Superbooks.

My take: The New 52 sounds more and more like an "Ultimate" universe every week. The reboot was a disaster from the beginning, and even their backpedaling doesn't make any improvements. Retelling a story that happened solely for promotion and sales back in the early '90s is just more ammo in the "they're out of ideas already" column.

January sales figures show decline from 2013.

My take: We hear the industry is bouncing back, but numbers are all over the map. DC and Marvel shared the top ten sales spots, but DC relies waaaay too heavily on Batman for sales. They need to get their act together. Hopefully Geoff Johns on Superman can help out (at least for 4 or 5 issues).

HOLLYWOOD

The LEGO Movie cameos a host of celebrities.

My take: Maybe this is the wrong category and should be in "movies." However, and no spoilers, this project played as a labor of love and has a host of guest voices. To have a film injected with so much passion that pretty much any performer asked to come on board did so is impressive. It is fun to know how everyone involved was attracted to the project. Considering that there is a host of LEGO movies already out there, it's easy to see this one stood out from day one. Projects like this are fun to watch when you know everyone involved had a great time making it.

TECHNOLOGY

Flappy Bird removed from your gaming options.

My take: I never actually played it. However, I'm intrigued by the creator's decision to remove the game completely rather than sell. It's an interesting tale of fame coming with a price.