Arcade Sushi editor-in-chief Luke Brown is an experienced video game journalist who has contributed to Official Xbox Magazine and Games Radar. As ComicsAlliance's senior editor, he spends most of his time dishing on the latest action figures, collectibles, and gaming trends.
Luke Brown
Justice Comes to the Farm Thanks to the New Bat-Cow Super-Pet Plush
Next spring, the wild world of the DC Super-Pets will finally see the addition of arguably the greatest hero to ever roam the pastures of Wayne Manor. Sure, everyone credits Ace the Bat-hound with keeping the grounds secure, but have you ever seen Ace do anything but curly up next to one of the 74 fireplaces the mansions holds? I thought not. No friends, the real hero of Gotham's green fields isn't a caped canine, but instead caped cattle.
Bat-Cow is the hero we deserve, and thanks to DC Collectibles, he'll soon be able to keep all your other Super-Pet plushes safer than they've ever been.
Kylo Ren’s Unmasked Star Wars Black Series Convention Exclusive Fulfills His Destiny [Review]
The toy-collecting world may have had its fill of Kylo Ren this past winter when the leader of the Knights of Ren and wannabe Sith Lord was one of the few characters you could find in abundance at retail, but the character is still too important a part of the new Star Wars trilogy to completely ignore. That's why this fall, he'll be returning in the latest Star Wars Black Series wave in an unmasked version that shows Ben Solo as he truly is beneath the helm.
Of course, if you happened to be at Star Wars Celebration Europe or San Diego Comic-Con this year, you had an opportunity to get a hold of this new Kylo Ren early in a deluxe package. The new figure was part of Hasbro's cheeky convention exclusive plan to offer two Bens --- one being the original Jedi Knight, Ben Kenobi, and the other Han and Leia's jerkface son, Ben Solo. Though many Black Series collectors and Star Wars fans likely already have a Kylo Ren on their shelves, this one is actually the best of the bunch so far.
Star Wars Rebels’ Sam Witwer and Tiya Sircar Ponder the Futures of Darth Maul and Sabine at SWCE [Interview]
This fall, Star Wars Rebels returns to the air after one of the most spectacular finales in Star Wars television history. There are a lot of questions hanging in the air about the fates of Ezra, Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper, as well as the forces of evil potentially driving them apart, like Darth Maul. We got a sneak peek of the upcoming season at Star Wars Celebration Europe, and it only intensified our desire to learn more about what's in store for our favorite characters.
We caught up with stars Sam Witwer (Darth Maul) and Tiya Sircar (Sabine) after checking out the premiere to talk about the futures of their respective characters, and what it's like having to keep so many secrets for so long.
Ghostbusters Dimensions Lets You Become an Actual Pretend Ghostbuster for a Day
Since I was a kid, nary a day has gone by that the dream of being an actual, for real Ghostbuster hasn't crossed my mind. Growing up with the franchise, my household was a treasure trove of almost all the Ghostbusters goods you could imagine. Never got that Firehouse playset, but I did have that sweet role-play proton pack, trap and Ecto goggles. I don't quite fit into those anymore though, so it's a little hard for me to pretend without investing the time and effort into building my own proton back and kit as a number of similarly aged Ghostbusters fans have already done. Until now, that was pretty much the only way to indulge the fantasy. Then The Void came along with its new hyper reality experience.
Teaming with Sony and Madame Tussaud's, The Void opened up Ghostbusters Dimensions as part of the new Ghostbusters Experience at the Times Square location of the wax museum franchise. While virtual reality is breaking through in a large way this year, Void ramps things up by completely immersing you in not just a visual experience, but a completely interactive one. Once you suit up with your headset, backpack and blaster, you are in the world of the Ghostbusters, and it's up to you to explore the space and eliminate the spectral menaces inside. All those hours of running around my neighborhood blasting phantoms was finally going to pay off.
E3 2016: Being the Tip of the Spear in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Infinity Ward is pitching Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare as a clear cut story about good versus evil. As the first Call of Duty game from Infinity Ward to be developed on Activision's three-year cycle for the franchise, the developer has spent a lot of time thinking about how it can progress the narrative beyond the traditional perspectives we typically see from the franchise. In the upcoming Infinite Warfare, players will no longer be a mere tool of war, they'll be the tip of the spear.
Rivalries are Renewed in Familiar Fashion in Transformers: Earth Wars [Review]
A long, long time ago, a massive spaceship crashed on Earth. Thanks to an opportune volcano eruption, the inhabitants of the ship were woken up just in time to enjoy the '80s. Unfortunately, not everyone on the ship is a good person... or robot. While the Autobots befriend the humans they encounter in the hopes of finding a way back to their home planet, the Decepticons immediately set to work on a plan to eliminate the Autobots, take over Earth and return to Cybertron to rule.
Over the years, the story of the Transformers has taken many forms, from different animated series to movies, comics and games. One thing always holds true though --- Autobots and Decepticons really can't stand each other. That rivalry serves as the backbone for Hasbro's newest mobile game, Transformers: Earth Wars. A base-building strategy game, Earth Wars follows suit with Clash of Clans and Rival Kingdoms, putting you in charge of creating the perfect base for your faction and working to stop the other side. The formula might be similar to what you've seen before, but Earth Wars has enough new wrinkles to make it stand out beyond the license.
‘Civil War’ Spider-Man Gets His First Figure This Summer in Marvel Legends 3-Pack
If you somehow have been living on a derelict space station that only just crashed back down on Earth and you missed out on the months of hype for Captain America: Civil War, I guess it's a little late for a Spider-Man spoiler warning. To be fair, even Marvel couldn't help but spill the beans on the webhead's arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by showing him off in trailers and images well before the film hit theaters. Oddly though, while there is plenty of Captain America and Iron Man merchandise to be found from the new film, there's nary a Spider-Man figure to be seen. That changes this summer.
DC and Vertigo Comic Book Releases for June 2016 [Solicitations]
Courtesy of DC Comics, ComicsAlliance brings you an advance look at new periodical comic books, collected editions, graphic novels and collectibles going on sale in June 2016 (and in some cases beyond) from the publisher’s superhero line and the mature readers Vertigo imprint.
This month it all goes down. The DC Rebirth is in full effect, with nearly every single title in the catalog getting reshaped to suit the future of DC Comics' publishing plans. In an effort to revitalize the line and go back to the legacies of each and every character, the DC Universe is getting shaken up in a big way. Starting in June and running through the following months, nearly every book, character and creative team is getting a major shake-up. The DCU will never be the same again.
It’s Time to Cut Hot Toys a Check for Its New Civil War Falcon Figure
Falcon is the man. Dude gets some serious chiding about his running from a superhero hopped up on TRT, HGH and any number of other substances deemed illegal for use by the Olympics, the USADA, the NSAC, the Sokovia Accords and people who think sports were better when people didn't have to wear helmets. And for what? Because he couldn't keep up with a morning jog? It was basically the Marvel movie version of "Do you even lift bro?" Yet Sam Wilson still opened his door to Steve Rogers when he needed a place to crash, and even helped him overthrow a HYDRA insurgency within SHIELD in spite of how rude Captain America was to him. Falcon is the man.
While he's gotten a figure from Hot Toys before, this latest version is much closer to the comic character we've all come to know and love since his arrival decades ago. The more realistic, militarized version worked well for a debut in Captain America: The Winter Solider, but the revamped model with red highlights helps separate him from the drab gunmetal of enlisted characters like War Machine. While it's not quite as rocking as his current comic look, the Captain America: Civil War Falcon still manages to have a signature look that gives him a bit more personality on the crowded battlefield.
Telltale’s R-Rated Batman Adventure Arrives This Summer
Telltale Games' Batman is coming for you and he's coming this summer. During the "Batman: Telltale Unmasked" panel at SXSW today, Telltale's team gathered to discuss the game in (little) detail, offering a bit of insight into what to expect from its second DC Comics adventure game. While much of the game is still very much under wraps, Telltale did spill the beans on the release window. Summer might not be a definitive timeline, but there are several major conventions during those few months wherein a more concrete announcement might take place.
The other major reveal was more about the tone of the upcoming Batman adventure, which will stay very much in line with previous Telltale games like The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead. While this won't be the first time a potentially "M" rated Batman game will see release, the panel compared it to an R-rated film, which may raise some eyebrows. There's been a bit of consternation around the director's cut of the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice feature, and knowing that Telltale's game might be in that same vein might turn a few fans off.
The Bad Guys Come Out to Play in New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan Trailer
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are finally getting the 3D action game they deserve, and they couldn't have asked for better company. Platinum Games has a strong catalog of excellent action games, with a few not-so-great ones sprinkled in, to be fair. Still, even in those that don't quite qualify as memorable for the right reasons, the actual action was almost always still remarkable. After the success of Transformers Devastation, Platinum again turned its eye to another '80s cartoon, albeit this time with a benefit of a modern comic backing it all up.
Based in the IDW universe of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Platinum's game will let players take on the roles of all four Turtles in co-op brawler that looks to add another notch in the developer's "Good" column. Where the first trailer was a bit of a broad overview of what to expect from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, this latest video (exclusively revealed on IGN) gives us a better look at the bosses from the Foot Clan and Dimension X that will put our heroes to the test.
Corsair VOID Surround Headset Review
The kind of headphones you use for music offer a bit of insight into your tastes. You might be content just to use the little buds provided with your phone, as they're fairly perfunctory but work just fine. Then again, you might want a more personal space with your music, and may have invested in a better set of headphones that sonically immerse you in your own world. The same could be said of gaming headsets, which have exploded these past few years as online gaming, eSports, and streaming have become more commonplace. Some players might be fine with the default headsets packed in with their consoles, but others will want a more specific bit of gear tailored to their exact needs.
The Corsair VOID Surround falls between the basic and high-end experiences, offering a comfortable set of over-ear headphones with sound quality that puts the budget earpieces to shame. Though it doesn't have quite as much depth or range as some ultra premium competitors, Corsair's latest headset does do everything they can do nearly as well at a fraction of the price.