It's been nearly two years since former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan was forced to retire from active competition due to health-related issues--namely concerns over concussions he had sustained while wrestling. However, things may be changing for the Smackdown Live general manager after a new interview.
In fact, Bryan is hinting that there is a plan in place, should he be cleared for active competition ahead of Wrestlemania 34. "I used to think that the percentage of the WWE ever clearing me was low. I think, with the stuff that I have done, it has gone a little higher, but I don't know how much higher," he tells The National, while promoting WWE. "There is one way to go if I don't get cleared and then there is another way to go if I am cleared. I am hoping to be cleared, but I don't know which way it goes."
According to Bryan, at this very moment, he is not cleared. However, he's adamant that he has done everything he possibly can to get cleared by the company--including getting cleared by every doctor he's seen. However, WWE has always maintained that the only way he'd wind up back in the company's ring is if he was given the green light by one of its own doctors. WWE executive Triple H explained in January, "If the belief is that he's not healthy enough and it is a risk for to perform, then I don't know why we would ever allow him to step in the ring unless it can be proven otherwise."
These new developments are interesting, given that Bryan's contract is reported to be expiring later in 2018. Making things even more intriguing is the rumor that WWE has already approached Bryan about a smaller role at Wrestlemania.
Twitter account Wrestle Votes, which has broken WWE news in the past, cites a source claiming WWE wanted Bryan involved in a match, though he would take very few bumps and only do light work in the ring. According to the source, Bryan turned down the offer as he wants to do more.
Whether this all amounts ti Bryan returning to the ring at Wrestlemania 34 remains to be seen. However, nearly two years after his retirement, it's never seemed more likely that he would lace up his boots for one more match. As for where he'd be most effective on the card, the easiest choice would be turning Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn into Owens and Zayn teaming against Bryan and Shane McMahon. It would give all four men a marquee match on the show and allow Bryan a chance to ease his way back into active competition. Then again, there's also a ready-made feud with The Miz, stemming from their heated Talking Smack exchange in 2016.
Wrestlemania 34 airs like on the WWE Network on April 8. Currently, other matches on the show include Charlotte vs. Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship, and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship. John Cena is also expected to face The Undertaker on the show.
Last week marked the release of Burnout Paradise Remastered, an updated version of EA's popular 2008 racing game. Despite only just launching, however, players already have a chance to pick it up at a discount.
As part of GameStop's big Play Days sale, Burnout Paradise Remastered is on sale right now for both PS4 and Xbox One. The game typically retails for $40, but for a limited time, you can grab it on either console for $30. Likewise, Amazon has dropped the price of the physical version of Burnout Paradise Remastered for both consoles to $30.
The Play Days sale is only available until March 24, giving you a few days to take advantage of the above price if you're considering picking up Burnout Paradise Remastered. In addition to that, the sale encompasses a variety of other new and recently released titles--including Monster Hunter World, Call of Duty: WWII, and Destiny 2--as well as various collectibles and accessories. You can find the full list of discounted items on GameStop's website.
Burnout Paradise Remastered launched for PS4 and Xbox One on March 16, with a PC version slated to follow later this year. It includes a significantly improved version of the original Burnout Paradise, along with eight add-on packs plus the Legendary Cars pack, which introduced vehicles from movies such as Back to the Future and Ghostbusters.
GameSpot called Paradise "a superbly fun racer" and awarded it a 9/10 in our original Burnout Paradise review. Critic Alex Navarro wrote at the time, "Developer Criterion has invented a world wonderfully suited to Burnout's nature, a city built exclusively to cater to your destructive whims. And while a few design hitches here and there get in the way now and again, by and large Burnout Paradise delivers an experience that is both true to the Burnout name and wonderfully fresh-feeling all at once."
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Ever since God of War was revealed for PS4, it's been clear the game would differ from its predecessors in the series. It appeared to have a slower pace, combat seemed vastly different, and Kratos now had a son! As it turns out, those assumptions are true: the game does feel unlike anything the series has seen before.
We recently got to check out the action title's opening couple of hours, and in the video above you can watch resident God of War expert Tamoor Hussain and series newcomer Dave Jewitt discuss what they saw. There's also some great gameplay of Kratos's new ice axe and shield combination.
They go on to talk about how Kratos's son, Atreus, feels relevant to both the story and the gameplay; Kratos is a stranger in the Nordic land he finds himself in, and he relies on his son to teach him about Norse culture and to decipher the people's runes and language. Atreus also helps out in combat, so he's doesn't feel like a burden, as many video game companion characters do.
Burnout Paradise Remastered has entered the UK physical sales chart at No.1, according to sales monitor Chart-Track. For the week ending March 17, the racing game was the best-selling boxed game in the UK, with fellow new entry Kirby Star Allies debuting at No.2.
Second place is still an impressive finish for the Nintendo Switch platformer: it's the most successful launch ever in the UK for a Kirby game, with the previous record of No.15 jointly held by 3DS titles Kirby Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Below the two new games it's a familiar story in the top 10. FIFA 18 rises one place to No.3, while Grand Theft Auto V (No.4) and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe round out the top five. The only other new entries for this week are the current-gen version of the Devil May Cry HD Collection, which debuts at No.13, and fantasy RPG Beast Quest, which manages a No.35 finish in its first week on sale.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
The first three months of 2018 have already seen some great TV shows, including Altered Carbon, The End of the F***ing World, Black Lightning, Everything Sucks, and the return of Jessica Jones. But there's loads more to come. While fans will have to wait until 2019 before we get more Stranger Things and Game of Thrones, there are still a ton of small screen goodies worth getting excited about. There's the return of some of 2017's best shows (Mindhunter, Ozark, Black Mirror), more offerings from Marvel and DC, some lavish reworkings of classic sci-fi and horror properties, and a handful of intriguing new titles. So here's the biggest TV shows to watch over next nine months...
Krypton
SYFY, March 21
SYFY takes a step into the DCEU with Krypton, a Superman prequel series created by David S. Goyer (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight). The program will follow Superman's grandfather, Seyg El (Cameron Cuffe), as he fights to bring honor back to the House of El, while attempting to save Krypton from falling into complete chaos. The series is billed as a prequel but the timeline will allegedly take place in the past, present, and future. And since this is a DC show, we're expecting other comic-book heroes--like Adam Strange and Hawkwoman--to make appearances too.
The Terror
AMC, March 26
Based on Dan Simmons' best-selling 2007 novel, The Terror is a bleak period horror tale in which the crew of an Arctic expedition experience a series of increasingly horrific events, from starvation and cannibalism to being stalked by a terrifying ice monster. It's produced by Ridley Scott, and the trailers make it look like a lavishly produced, seriously scary slice of nautical chills.
Roseanne
ABC, March 27
Roseanne was one of the defining comedies of the late '80s and '90s--it took the standard sitcom family format and applied it to a situation that was immediately relatable to its millions of fans, as the Conners struggled with work, money, and relationships. The original cast, including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalfe, and Sara Gilbert, have reunited after 21 years for a new batch of episodes. The new season has clearly rewritten the controversial events of the original run's finale (which included the death of Goodman's character), but if the first trailer is anything to go by, the chemistry between the actors is still there, so expect laughter and tears in equal measure.
Lost In Space
Netflix, April 13
The iconic '60s sci-fi series is getting a big-budget makeover from Netflix, and the first trailer appeared recently. It looks a lot darker and more dramatic than the original, but the plot remains the same--the Robinson family find themselves stranded on an alien planet after a colonisation mission goes wrong. The cast includes Molly Parker (House of Cards), Toby Stephens (Black Sails), and Parker Posey (The Good Wife), with Game of Thrones and the upcoming Hellboy reboot director Neil Marshall helming several episodes.
Fear the Walking Dead, Season 4
AMC, April 15
Although Fear the Walking Dead still doesn't get anything like the viewing figures of The Walking Dead, the spin-off is improving with every season, which is something that can't be said of the main show. Season 4 will see the most overt crossover between the two series to date, with Lennie James joining as troubled, stick-wielding fan favorite Morgan. He's not the only addition to the cast either, with Garret Dillahunt (Deadwood), Maggie Grace (Taken), and Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) all set to play new characters, plus a change of location from Mexico to Texas. While it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for each new season of the main show, we're excited about Fear the Walking Dead's return.
Westworld, Season 2
HBO, April 22
It's been about a year since Westworld's first run ended on HBO. Throughout a season filled with jaw-dropping twists and gut-punching revelations, the end of Season 1 left fans with so many questions. Hopefully, the answers will be delivered once Season 2 hits the cable giant. While speculation has us wondering if the show will follow the path Michael Crichton's original film took--could Delos introduce audiences to a Medieval and Roman World in 2018?-- there's a surefire bet the new episodes will be rife with chaos. Oh, and Samurais. There's totally going to be Samurais.
Cloak and Dagger
Freeform, June 7
On the fact of it, the upcoming Marvel show Cloak and Dagger seems similar to Hulu's own Marvel series Runaways--runaway teens coming to terms with their emerging superpowers. But Cloak and Dagger, based on the popular '80s comic book, should make for a more darker and emotional ride. Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt play two kids who are living on the streets of New York, using their control over darkness and light to fight a drug epidemic sweeping the city.
Marvel's Luke Cage/Daredevil
Netflix, June 22 (Luke Cage)
Iron Fist and The Defenders may have cracked the impeccable partnership Netflix cemented with Marvel but that doesn't mean all hope is lost with the comic book giant's street level heroes. While Frank Castle came in to disrupt Marvel's small screen universe, it's clear that Daredevil and Luke Cage still have more work to do.
Sharp Objects
June, HBO
The HBO drama is inspired by Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name. The series stars Amy Adams as a journalist who heads home after a stint in a psychiatric facility, only to find herself investigating the murder of two girls. If you take the tone and subject matter of Flynn's previous work (Gone Girl) and add Jean-Marc Vallee's (Big Little Lies) directorial skills into the mix, it's easy to see Sharp Objects' edgy allure.
Doctor Who Season 11
BBC, October
It's always exciting when a new actor takes on the role as the iconic Timelord, but the debut of the thirteenth doctor this October is a really big deal. Jodie Whittaker replaces Peter Capaldi and is the first woman to play the Doctor. Whittaker had a brief appearance at the end of the recent Christmas Special, but fans will have to wait until October to see how her portrayal differs from previous incarnations. There's a new showrunner too, as Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall succeeds Steven Moffat. Finally, the Doctor's assistant is to be played by comedian Bradley Walsh.
Maniac
Netflix
Maniac will probably be one of the weirder series of the year. Given the names attached, though, the show comes with huge buzz. Cary Fukunaga helms the dark comedy, which stars Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, and Justin Theroux. The story centers on a patient living in a psychiatric hospital who escapes reality by living his life inside a fantasy world maintained solely inside his own mind. It sounds bonkers, but if Fukunaga brings the same sensibilities he brought to True Detective, the network may have a winner on its hands.
Titans
DC digital channel
While the quality of DC's movie output has been variable (to say the least), its roster of TV shows remains remarkably consistent. Titans is the latest addition. A live-action version of the Teen Titans, it's been in development since 2014, but shifting channels and cancelled pilots has meant very slow progress to the screen. But it is finally set to premiere in 2018, on DC's currently untitled new digital service. Australian actor Brenton Thwaites (Gods of Egypt, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) plays Dick Grayson/Robin, leading a team of young superheroes that includes Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Netflix
The Coen Brothers are coming to TV. That sentence alone should get people excited. The duo--who brought classics like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men to the big screen--will both write and direct a new western anthology series for Netflix. The six episode program will star Tim Blake Nelson, with each episode following a different character and story. Not much else has been announced regarding the series, but that's fine. The Coen Brothers are coming to TV and that's pretty awesome.
The Umbrella Academy
Netflix
A comic book property outside of Marvel's purview is on its way to Netflix. The Umbrella Academy comes from the mind of My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. The series tells the story of some not-pregnant women who suddenly give birth to a bunch of superpowered babies. Taking place in an alternate timeline--one where JFK is still very much alive--the story follows seven kids as they undergo training to save the world. Ellen Page has been tapped to star in the program, and Way will serve as producer.
The Twilight Zone
CBS: All Access
Since anthology TV shows are all the rage now, it seems only right that the granddaddy that started it all come out of retirement. Jordan Peele (Get Out, Key and Peele) and Simon Kinberg (Deadpool, Logan) have teamed up to bring a new Twilight Zone to the masses. Sure, multiple versions of The Twilight Zone have graced the big and small screen over the past 60 years--some better than others--but now seems like the perfect time for the series to return.
Ozark, Season 2
Netflix
When Ozark premiered last year, many compared it to Breaking Bad, both in terms of its plot (an ordinary family man who chooses a life of crime) and its mix of violent thrills and dark humor. But the show quickly grew into its own thing and emerged as one of 2017's most enjoyable original series. Season 2 already has a teaser and has been shooting since last fall, so there's a good chance of it arriving in 2018. Jason Bateman returns as money-laundering dad Marty Byrde, with Laura Linney as his estranged but equally duplicitous wife Wendy. As Bateman says: "It's a good escalation of everything as far: danger, the business challenges, and--domestically--our relationship."
Watchmen
HBO
Zack Snyder's Watchmen movie was visually stunning, to be sure. The story, however, was a bit lacking. Is it possible a TV series is the right way to go? We'll soon see, as HBO has tapped Damon Lindelof (LOST, The Leftovers) to helm a small-screen adaptation of Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel. There's huge buzz behind the series, but fans have sort of been left in the dark on what to expect. Will this draw from Moore's comic, the 2012 prequel story, or DC's 2017 sequel, Doomsday Clock?
The Haunting of Hill House
Netflix
Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald's Game) is one of the best horror directors working today, and 2018 will see him turn his talents to TV. Produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin TV, this is an adaptation of Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, which was also turned into the classic 1963 movie The Haunting (the less said about the 1999 remake the better). Annabeth Gish (Sons of Anarchy, The West Wing) stars as Mrs. Dudley, the caretaker of a haunted estate, with roles for Timothy Hutton (All the Money in the World) and Gerald's Game's Carla Gugino. Flanagan has written and directed the whole 10-part series, and this could be one of the year's great horror shows.
Luther, Series 5
BBC
Fans of Luther were both excited and dismayed when the series returned for a two-episode fourth season in 2015. With a busy actor like Idris Elba playing the title role, sometimes schedules can be tight. That said, it looks like Elba has donned his signature tweed coat for another go-round as brilliant detective John Luther. We don't know what sort of gruesome crimes he will be investigating, but one thing is for certain: Idris Elba is at his best when the world is at its worst. Right now, John Luther is the hero we need and deserve.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Netflix
Channeling the success of Riverdale, another Archie Comics story was in the works at The CW. But due to their concern of having too many witch shows--the network's Charmed reboot is still on the horizon--the untitled Sabrina the Teenage Witch series was handed over to Netflix. The series will explore the origins of the half-witch, half-mortal as she battles the evil forces that threaten her friends and family. Tonally, Deadline describes the series as being "in the vein of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist."
Mindhunter Season 2
Netflix
This is another Netflix show without a confirmed release date, but star Jonathan Groff has said that the second season of the period crime thriller is to start shooting early this year, so a late 2018 premiere is possible. The first season of Mindhunter showed that producer David Fincher was just at home with small-screen serial killer thrills as he is in movies such as Zodiac and Seven. The balance between a seriously dark crime procedural and a beautifully performed, character-driven drama was exceptional, so hopes are extremely high for Season 2.
Black Mirror, Season 5
Netflix
Netflix has confirmed that Charlie Brooker's hugely acclaimed sci-fi anthology series will return for a fifth season. While the streaming giant is yet to announce a release date, the previous two seasons arrived a year apart, so there's good chance we might see Black Mirror Season 5 before the end of the year. Season 4 was the strongest season to date, so expect the next one to deliver more disturbing but darkly funny predictions about the way technology continues to shape our lives. Can't wait.
Castle Rock
Hulu
The Stephen King renaissance has shown no sign of slowing down and with Castle Rock, Hulu's aiming to bring the author's story universe to the small-screen. The program's cast features names like Sissy Spacek, Bill Skarsgard, and Melanie Lynskey. But what makes Castle Rock so special is the connected nature of the anthology series itself. Fans should expect to see familiar stories, characters, and themes that originated in the author's previous works. There may be a decent wait before Pennywise the Dancing Clown returns to the big-screen, but that's okay. We're about to head back into Shawshank Prison, and that's pretty dang cool.
Are you in need of new shows and movies to binge? Thankfully, Netflix has your streaming fix thanks to a large number of new originals and a few films being added to the service over the course of the week.
The most notable title arriving on the streamer is the second season of Santa Clarita Diet, the dark zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a member of the brain-eating undead community. The first season was a funny and bizarre trip into suburban life when you're a zombie, and Season 2 will likely continue the trend. The new episodes will see Joel McHale, Maggie Lawson, and Gerald McRaney join the cast in guest roles.
The first season of anime Sword Gai The Animation will also debut on the service this week, along with Netflix originals Alexa & Katie, Dinotrux Supercharged, The Mechanism, and Requiem. Additional titles for the week include In Search of Fellini, Conor McGregor: Notorious, and Red Trees.
Sea of Thieves developer Rare is known for its sense of humor, and with its new game, it appears to be focusing more than ever on embracing its community. Those two things have come together to make for a special day one patch--which is not at all what you likely think.
It's customary for games in this day and age to receive large updates on day one that add essential features or make big changes or fixes. Rare has decided to poke fun at that and leverage the fact that it has a game where eyepatches are en vogue. As pictured in the image below players can now acquire a Day One Patch--an eyepatch with the number 1 on it. It can be purchased for one gold from the General Clothing shop from now until March 29.
This is a callback to an early suggestion from Reddit user Jefabell, who recently proposed this exact idea. Rare doesn't shy away from its inspiration either, as the item's description reads, "A message in a bottle from Jolly Jefabell washed ashore. Eyepatch makers read it and said, 'aye.'"
HTC's next iteration of its Vive VR headset, the Vive Pro, is coming soon. Following its reveal earlier this year, HTC has now confirmed both a price and release date for the headset, along with a promotional offer to encourage early adoption. And with the introduction of a new model, HTC is slashing the price of the existing Vive.
Vive Pro will be available for $799/£799, HTC has announced. Notably, that's only for the headset itself--that price doesn't include any controllers, base stations, or the wireless adapter. By contrast, the basic Vive includes two controllers and two base stations in addition to the headset. That package has seen its price cut by $100 and is now available for $499/£499 with a free copy of Fallout 4 VR.
The Vive Pro begins shipping on April 5 and is now available for pre-order on the Vive website, among other places. Purchases of the headset made by June 3 come with a free six-month Viveport subscription, which gets you an allotment of free games each month.
Vive Pro has dual OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880 x 1600, which is a marked increase over the standard Vive's 2160 x 1200. When we tried it back at CES, we found it to be a notable improvement and thought Vive Pro might be the best VR headset to date.
While the lack of included controllers and base stations isn't ideal for first-time Vive buyers, HTC notes that existing Vive owners can easily upgrade. The headset-only package can be purchased to replace their current headset, with the old base stations and controllers working with Vive Pro.
On the heels of the Western release of Kazuma Kiryu's last chapter with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Sega has announced that we'll soon be able to relive the earlier days--Yakuza Kiwami 2 is coming to PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe on August 28, 2018. The Japanese version, called Ryu ga Gotoku: Kiwami 2, has been out since December 2017, but the localized version is now on the way. Kiwami 2 is the remake of the original Yakuza 2 that came out for the PlayStation 2 back in 2006 (Japan) and 2008 (West).
Yakuza 2 picks up one year after the events of the original game where Kiryu finds himself stuck in inter-clan drama yet again. Turmoil inside the Omi Alliance (rivals of Kiryu's own Tojo Clan), turns animosity into a war in the streets of series-long home Kamurocho. This is all thanks to a coup within the Omi led by the main villain Ryuji Goda. The son of an old Tojo chairman has to return to the yakuza lifestyle to protect the families, with plenty of help from Kiryu of course. And the beloved, yet unhinged Goro Majima also has to pitch in to keep the clan afloat.
Familiar faces like Makoto Date, Osamu Kashiwagi, Haruka Sawamura are central characters to the plot, alongside the Osakan detective Kaoru Sayama who makes her series debut to keep a sharp eye on Kiryu. This is only the setup for the rollercoaster ride that is Yakuza 2.
A completely new addition in Kiwami 2 is a whole campaign called The Truth of Goro Majima where we get to play as the man himself and uncover how he became a construction business tycoon just before the events of Yakuza 2. Playing as Majima was a highlight in the prequel Yakuza 0, and fans got to peer into the personal life of one of the series' most distinguishable characters.
We get another dose of everyone's idol, Goro Majima!
Kiwami 2 uses the new Dragon Engine which is the graphical foundation for Yakuza 6. It provides the best visual fidelity the series ever had, but also allows players to enter shops and buildings without loading times, even during fights. Yakuza 2 brings fans back to Tokyo's fictional red-light district of Kamurocho and also takes us to the riverside Osakan town of Sotenbori; these two locations will look better than ever with the Dragon Engine.
Yakuza isn't complete without its minigames; Golf Bingo and Virtual On are a few of the smaller things to get into. However, the fan-favorite Cabaret minigame from Yakuza 0 makes a return along with the most-valuable platinum hostess Yuki. Majima will also get the Clan Creator minigame as seen in Yakuza 6.
This isn't the first time a PS2-era Yakuza game was remade. Yakuza Kiwami came to the West last year and modernized the series' first release with additional substories, the Majima Everywhere subplot, and tweaks that made the storytelling more cohesive. Voiceovers were re-recorded to capture the improved localization, one aspect the series is known for, and Kiwami 2 is getting the same treatment.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be available both digitally and physically for $50; pre-ordered and first-run copies will come in a special steelbook with artwork of Kazuma Kiryu and Ryuji Goda.
If you're in the market for new games to play, you now have a chance to pick some up for cheap. GameStop has kicked off its Play Days sale, a limited-time event that offers some nice discounts on various titles and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
From now until March 24, customers will find deals on an assortment of games for each platform, including some that were just recently released, like Burnout Paradise Remastered, which is already on sale for $30. Additionally, Capcom's incredibly successful new game Monster Hunter World is available for $45, while the newly released Scribblenauts Showdown is $20.
In terms of hardware, all Xbox One wireless controllers are $10 off, and customers can save up to $10 off of select Switch accessories. While the Xbox One X itself isn't discounted, those who pick one up during the sale will get a digital copy of Sea of Thieves for free. A number of toys and collectibles are also on sale, including Pokemon TCG decks and packs. You can find the full list of deals during the Play Days event on GameStop's website.
Spoilers for Netflix's Jessica Jones including the finale of Season 2 below!
In the newest episodes of Jessica Jones, Trish "Patsy" Walker spends a lot of time trying to become a superhero, and she causes Jessica a lot of pain as a result. Don't hold it against her, though. Trish didn't have a choice. It's just who she is.
See, in the comics, Patsy Walker moonlights as the costumed superhero Hellcat. If Jessica Jones' latest season is any indication, it won't be long before her Netflix counterpart is following suit. Patsy's alter-ego is just part of the story, however. How Patsy goes from teen idol to spandex-clad hero in the comics is an odd and fascinating tale--and if you're caught up on Jessica Jones Season 2, it's going to sound awfully relevant.
Just a normal teenage girl
In the Marvel Universe, Patsy has always been a star. She beat the Fantastic Four to the spinner rack by almost 20 years. By the time Tony Stark got around to strapping an arc reactor to his chest, Patsy's flagship comic was already celebrating it's 105th issue. Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Thor? Patsy's older than all of them.
In 1944, Timely Comics (the company later known as Marvel) launched Miss America Magazine, a hybrid publication that combined comics with fashion and dating tips from Hollywood stars, profiles of up-and-coming celebrities, and advice columns. While the 16-year-old superhero Miss America was positioned as the magazine's big draw (her name is in the title, for goodness' sake), Patsy Walker quickly stole the show.
When Patsy made her first appearance in Miss America Magazine #2, writer Otto Binder described her as "wholesome" and "mischievous"--in other words, "a typical teenager" who "might be your next-door neighbor." Patsy Walker's teen adventures proved to be a perfect fit for the magazine. While Miss America is busy fighting an electric-powered supervillain, Patsy spends her debut trying to woo the hunky musician Swoon Strong before her would-be boyfriend, other fans, and her bratty younger brother can get in the way.
If you've ever read Archie comics, you know what Patsy Walker was like. Patsy has a beleaguered love interest, Buzz Baxter, and a foxy rival named Hedy Wolfe. Most of Patsy's struggles involve finding new jobs, surviving school and suburbia, and navigating her ever-turbulent love life. They're silly stories, but many are remarkably well made. Cartoonist Al Jaffee was the main artist on Patsy's books for years until Harvey Kurtzman snatched him up for MAD Magazine, where he's been ever since. That's a lot of talent, and it shows on practically every page.
Patsy became a star almost immediately, and while Miss America disappeared from her own magazine just a few issues after its debut, Patsy stayed for the duration--and then some.
A few months after her debut, she got her own comic book. In 1952 Patsy and Hedy shared the spotlight in a series called Patsy and Hedy. A third spin-off, Patsy and Her Pals, launched in 1953.
Patsy Walker, Patsy's flagship series, ran from 1945 until 1967. Cancellation wasn't the end for the teen star, however--she just needed a career change to bring her in line with the times.
All grown up and on the prowl
Technically, Patsy Walker ushered in the Marvel Age of Comics. In June 1961, Patsy Walker #95 was one of the first two titles to carry the name Marvel Comics on the cover (the other was Journey into Mystery #69). Patsy didn't officially join the Marvel superhero universe until a few years later, however, when she and Hedy gawked at the stars attending Reed Richards and Sue Storm's wedding in The Fantastic Four Annual #3.
It's a single panel cameo, but it was enough to convince writer Steve Englehart that Patsy was a part of the larger Marvel Universe. In Englehart's Amazing Adventures #14, Patsy gets caught up in a fight between police and the X-Men's Beast. This wasn't the same flighty teen girl that fans remembered, however. This Patsy was all grown up. To drive the point home, Amazing Adventures #15 opens with Patsy in a slinky nightgown, something that Englehart seems pretty proud of.
Patsy helps hide Beast's real identity from the police, and Beast repays the favor in Englehart's Avengers #141 by convincing Captain America to let Patsy tag along on a mission. Naturally, Patsy gets caught up in the action. At the end of Avengers #144, Patsy dons a fallen villain's costume and christens herself Hellcat. Buzz, Patsy's estranged husband, serves as Hellcat's first nemesis.
Englehart liked Patsy as a hero because, unlike other Marvel characters, she's "a typical girl." Patsy's past wasn't marred by tragedy. She wasn't caught in a lab accident, she wasn't forced to wear a costume, and she's not driven by guilt or vengeance. She just wants to help.
Patsy, bringing two different worlds together
Hellcat went on to have a number of adventures with the Avengers and the Defenders, including marrying the Son of Satan himself, Daimon Hellstrom, befriending She-Hulk, and committing suicide (don't worry, she got better). Patsy's strangest story, however, happened when Marvel tried to reconcile her superhero career with her lighthearted past.
In Defenders #89, Hellcat's friends learn that, when Patsy was a child, her mother wrote and drew a series of teen humor comics starring Patsy Walker. As Hellcat tells the story, the comics became incredibly popular, transforming Patsy into a teen idol. In other words, all of those Patsy Walker comics from the '40s, '50s, and '60s? Those exist in the Marvel Universe too, making Patsy just as much of a star there as she was here.
That's the foundation for Trish's arc on Jessica Jone. On Jessica Jones, It's Patsy! was a television show, not a comic book, but the basic beats are the same: an overbearing stage mother, a reluctant teen idol, an accidental entry into the world of superheroes, an association with the Defenders, and a quest to become a hero herself.
In the comics, Patsy doesn't battle addiction or fight off nosy fans, but she's got some (literal) demons of her own. She married Daimon Hellstrom, the actual son of Satan, in The Defenders #125--naturally, Buzz Baxter crashes the wedding--and later committed suicide thanks to his influence. If you thought that Mama Walker was overbearing and controlling on Jessica Jones, in the comics she tried to sell Patsy's soul in exchange for everlasting life. Whether it's on the screen or on the page, Patsy's got issues.
That doesn't stop her from trying to help the people around her, however. That's Patsy's whole deal, even if they don't always make the best decisions along the way. Or, to put it another way: when Trish busts out cat-like reflexes and catches her cellphone during her last scene in Jessica Jones' sophomore season, it's not just a random plot twist. It's destiny.
Fortnite developer Epic has kicked off a new limited-time mode in Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For the next few days, players will be able to jump into the short-lived Blitz mode, which promises "swift storms and lots of loot."
Blitz was one of the new limited-time modes Epic teased last month for Battle Royale. As the studio previously described, the mode features much shorter matches than usual, which Epic says makes them "faster [and] more intense." In Blitz, the maximum duration of a match is only 15 minutes, and each match begins with the storm circle already closing in.
On top of the shortened match times, loot availability has been adjusted in Blitz mode. The likelihood that treasure chests and ammo boxes will spawn during a match has been significantly increased, and Floor Loot spawns "nearly 100% of the time." The spawn interval of Supply Drops and their descent time have also been decreased, while harvest resources have been doubled.
Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for Blitz mode, but limited-time events in Battle Royale typically run for about a week, giving you only a few days to participate before it is removed from the rotation. You can find more details about Blitz mode on the official Fortnite website.
Blitz mode rolls out shortly after the release of Fortnite's 3.3 patch. Along with an assortment of bug fixes, that update moved Smoke Grenades into the Vault. In their place, Epic introduced Supply Llamas and a new weapon in Battle Royale: remote explosives, which can be placed on the map and detonated from a distance. Another weapon, the Boogie Bomb, has also been "temporarily disabled" due to a bug, although it will return to the game once Epic has resolved the issue.
By Anonymous on Mar 19, 2018 09:00 pm GameSpot gets a special visit from multiple indie game developers for games such as Dead Cells, Black Future 88, Milanoir, Carrion, Frost Punk and Noita during GDC 2018.
Sea of Thieves is a big release for a variety of reasons. It's the first big original game from Rare in quite some time, the first big Xbox One exclusive of the year, and the first of Microsoft's games to launch day and date on Game Pass. Whatever your reason for playing, you'll be doing so at a different time depending on where in the world you reside. Although it has a release date of March 20, this is an online-only game, and servers go online at various times in different regions.
The first players are actually already online--regions like New Zealand, Australia, and Japan are already in, but you'll still be waiting if you're located in the West. Those in the UK won't get online until late tonight--12 AM GMT on Tuesday, to be precise. In the US and Canada, meanwhile, servers go online at 9 PM PT/12 AM ET, so you'll actually be able to play on Monday if you're not in the Eastern Time Zone.
A full schedule for when servers come online can be seen on the Sea of Thieves website. This gradual rollout will hopefully prevent any online connection issues from popping up, but you can keep an eye on the situation with Rare's server status page.
As noted above, Xbox Game Pass member will get access to Sea of Thieves for free at the same time the game goes on sale for Xbox One and PC. That allows you to play for as long as you remain a Game Pass subscriber. Alternatively, you can get a free copy of the game right now by purchasing an Xbox One X.
Unfortunately, reviewers weren't granted access to Sea of Thieves in advance of its release, so we don't yet have a review. You can check back in the coming days for our impressions of the game. In the meantime, check out the 10 things we learned from the recent beta.
This week's biggest games are all about working together. In Sea of Thieves, you and your pals can run your very own pirate ship. In Attack on Titan 2, you can team up to take down the titular titans. And in A Way Out, your only path out of prison is playing cooperatively. On the single-player side, you can solve cases with everyone's favorite electric mouse in Detective Pikachu, or save the world in Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
Sea of Thieves -- March 20
Available on: Xbox One, PC
If I tell you that Sea of Thieves is all about gathering a pirate crew with your friends, you can probably figure the rest out: you can explore a massive ocean, run a tight ship, battle other crews, search for buried treasure, and so much more. You might even run into a kraken or two.
Maybe your crew would rather defend your hometown from giant, people-eating freaks. This follow-up smash-hit anime game picks up right after the first, and this time you'll be able to play the whole thing in co-op, or take on the challenge alone with new co-op characters.
A Way Out is a forced co-op game--one player controls Leo, the other controls Vincent--where your goal is to escape prison. In practice, this means one of you can be stuck in a cutscene while the other explores or approach a situation from multiple vantage points.
Don't expect to be choosing starters and earning gym badges in this Pokemon adventure. Instead, you'll guide a talking Pikachu and his human helper Timmy as they solve cases around town. There are plenty of clues to find and suspicious characters to interrogate.
This RPG sequel had its own set of delays, but it'll soon be time to help King Evan restore his stolen throne. New to the game are the Pikmin-like Higgledies, which can be commanded in battle. And you'll definitely be having plenty of those across the game's expansive world.
GameSpot gets a special visit from multiple indie game developers for games such as Dead Cells, Black Future 88, Milanoir, Carrion, Frost Punk and Noita during GDC 2018.
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