It’s no surprise that one of the more anticipated games of 2012 for The Flickcast is Prototype 2. Since getting a peek at San Diego Comic-Con and getting hands on at NYCC, we are counting down to Prototype 2′s April 24th release date. Also looking forward to the release are the folks at Dark Horse Comics. Starting February 15th, Dark Horse will be launching an all digital three part web series focusing on filling in the events of what transpired between the first game and Prototype 2.

The first entry, “The Anchor,” illustrated by Paco Díaz, continues the story of Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first game, while the second story, “The Survivors,” illustrated by Chris Staggs, follows a small group of residents of New York trying to escape the city after it has been transformed into NYZ with the outbreak of the Blacklight virus. The third and final story, illustrated by Victor Drujiniu, is “The Labyrinth” and provides fans a deeper look into the backstory of PROTOTYPE 2′s new protagonist, Sgt. James Heller.

Continue Reading →

With Comic-Con in San Diego kicking off today the announcements of new and exciting projects are going to start coming fast and furious. Sadly, there won’t be anything about Vin Diesel — at least in this case. See what we did there?

Instead, this particular announcement concerns a different star (well two, actually): Director Guillermo del Toro and Dark Horse Comic. That’s right, del Toro is teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to bring his horror novel The Strain to the pages of a comic series.

Written in conjunction with novelist Chuck Hogan, the novel concerns a mysterious airplane that lands at JFK Airport and then goes dark on the runway. The Center for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders.

However, he isn’t the one able to really solve the mystery. Instead, an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem, who suspects a darker purpose behind the event, realizes an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness is responsible.

Adapted by writer David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Kull), with art by Mike Huddleston (MK Ultra), the first issue arrives in stores on December 14.

With Comic-Con only about a week away expect lots more announcements of events, panels, signings and more over the next several day. This time around its the folks at Dark Horse Comics with the announcement.

They’ve got a whole bunch of events planned for Comic-Con including stuff at their booth, panels in various Con rooms and a green screen full of exciting showings.

To make things easier, we’ve included the full press release so you can make sure to include Dark Horse in your Comic-Con planning. Check out out right here:

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2011 SCHEDULE! SIGNINGS, PANELS, AND GREEN SCREENS, OH MY!

July 13, MILWAUKIE, OR—It’s here! San Diego Comic-Con 2011 is upon us, and Dark Horse Comics is telling you all the goods ahead of time! Plan accordingly!

SIGNINGS
Wednesday, July 20
7:30 p.m.—Preview Night Reveal

Thursday, July 21
11 a.m.— Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
11 a.m.—Tara McPherson (The Art of Tara McPherson)
12:30 p.m.—Eric Powell (The Goon)
2 p.m.—Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce) *Ticketed by Lottery
3 p.m.—Morgan Spurlock (Supersized)
3:30 p.m.—Jerry Robinson (Jet Scott)
4:30 p.m.—Jill Thompson (Beasts of Burden)

Continue Reading →

With E3 over, the next big summer event in the geek world is Comic-Con in San Diego. Every year, more than a hundred thousand people descend upon San Diego, taking over the city and enveloping it in geekdom.

There isn’t a corner you can turn without seeing a Green Lantern T-shirt or a bar you can walk into that doesn’t have a revised comic book inspired martini list. It is nerd paradise.

But, Comic-Con isn’t all Batmobiles and conversations with Jim Lee. There is a darker side to the Con that becomes increasingly apparent (and annoying) once you get there.

As much as we love the Con, there are a few things we wouldn’t mind living without for our week in San Diego.

Twilight

The past few years, Comic-Con has been invaded by screaming teenage girls and even louder overeager cougars in search of their first glimpse of the latest trailers of the Twilight saga. Twilight is not comics. It’s not even geek.

Ask any person on the street to tell you what they imagine a vampire looks like before Twilight came out and not a single one would mention “sparkles.” The vampires that most people love revolve around sex and violence, not good Christian values and celibacy. Real vampires don’t shimmer, they kill people.

Continue Reading →

For years we have been teased with the possibility of the Dark Horse comic R.I.P.D. coming to the big screen. Now it looks like it will finally happen.

Super producer Neal Moritz (The Fast and Furious, Green Hornet, Luke Cage, Every other upcoming movie you can think of) has been successful in his talks with the man who is becoming a comic book movie regular, Ryan Reynolds (X-men Origins: Wolverine, Green Lantern, Deadpool) and has gotten him to star in the film. In addition, it appears Moritz has scored again, as now rumored to be joining the project is none other than McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation).

McG is currently working on the troubled  This Means War. Unfortunately, This Means War has been a passion project for McG and now that Fox is backing the film it will be his first priority.

With McG’s history of directing big budget blockbuster movies, the expectation is that Universal is looking to take a risk, with them betting that R.I.P.D. will become a summer blockbuster.

R.I.P.D. (Rest in Peace Department) follows the adventures of two dead cops, one recently deceased and the other who died centuries ago, who police the dead. In addition to Reynolds, rumored for the co-starring role opposite is Zach Galifiniakis.

Do you think McG is the right fit to direct? Who do you think would be better? Sound off and let us know!

TNT and Dark Horse Comics will be teaming up to produce a comic book and webcomic prequel to the upcoming Falling Skies television series.

Falling Skies is an upcoming series that will be produced by Dreamworks Television, with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer.  The TNT series will star Noah Wyle (ER), and involves the aftermath of an alien invasion, with the hopes for  humanity resting  on a few survivors. It will debut in the Summer of 2011.

TNT and Dark Horse are distributing an exclusive, limited edition comic book that tells the back-story of the series during the New York Comic Con in October. Then, starting in November, fans can begin downloading an extending webcomic every two weeks, via iTunes, TNT.tv, or Darkhorse.com.

The comic and webcomic are a novel way to drum up early interest in the series prior to its debut.

In addition to Wyle, the series will star Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights), Maxim Knight (Brothers and Sisters), Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) and Will Patton (Armageddon.)  Wylie and Bloodgood will be signing autographs at the Dark Horse International booth at the San Diego Comic Con on Friday afternoon.

We’ve been fans of BioWare and EA’s Mass Effect game around here since its debut way back in 2008. Now, as things often do, the game has expanded into other areas like a comic book from Dark Horse Comics. Obviously, the game is pretty popular and has sold well and that success seems to have carried over into the comic world as well because according to Dark Horse’s official press release, the first issue of the comic has completely sold out.

The comic, called Mass Effect: Redemption, serves as a prequel for the new Mass Effect 2 game and tells the backstory for event that lead up to all the action in the game. Sound cool? It is. If you want to know more, check out all the following from the press release:

Just in time for the arrival of the hit series’ second issue, in stores today, Mass Effect: Redemption #1 will be reprinted to fill demand after selling out across the country.

Mass Effect: Redemption tells the exciting backstory that leads up to the events of Mass Effect 2, the recently released video game developed by the award-winning creative team at BioWare. The game’s lead writer, Mac Walters, takes up the pen to give fans exclusive insight into the events that unfolded between the conclusion of the original Mass Effect and the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars: Legacy), this four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies in this rich science-fiction landscape.

Continue Reading →

If you’re a fan of Eric Powell’s awesome comic book series The Goon but often find yourself having trouble getting to the comic store to pick up the recent issues, then you’re in luck because this post is for you. According to Dark Horse Comics, publishers of The Goon, several issues of the comic including the graphic novel Chinatown, the Mystery of Mr. Wicker and The Goon #7 are going digital and will be available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Intrigued? Thought so. Check out all the sccop from the official Dark Horse press release.

THE GOON ARRIVES ON THE iPHONE THIS WEEK AND IS BACK IN PRINT WITH THE ALL-NEW BUZZARD MINISERIES THIS SUMMER

Fans and critics alike rejoiced in 2008, when creator Eric Powell took his redneck zombie noir, The Goon, monthly for an entire calendar year. Following the release of the landmark graphic novel Chinatown and the Mystery of Mr. Wicker, Powell laid out his most complex story line to date, spanning twelve issues. In 2009, the creator celebrated the tenth anniversary of the title, releasing a special anniversary issue to coincide with a burlesque anniversary party in his honor in Nashville, followed by a special all-silent issue in November. While both were strong standalone issues, the significantly lighter release schedule left fans wondering what’s next for the madcap mercenary.

Continue Reading →