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NYCC 2018: Webtoon’s ROAD To NYCC!

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The #1 digital comic platform, Webtoon, is set to return to New York Comic Con with an unprecedented five panels, lanyard sponsorship, and annual Green Room event, announced today. Webtoon will celebrate NYCC with an admirable slate of new and returning titles launching this week including the return of 2018 Eisner Nominee for Best Webcomic Brothers Bond (Kevin Grevioux, Ryan Benjamin), the next installment of Ringo Award Winner for Best Webcomic 1000 (Sanford Greene, Chuck Brown), Backchannel (Stan Lee, Tom Akel, Andie Tong), season 2 of The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn (Tri Vuong), Caster  (Austin Harrison, Zach Howard, Mike Raicht, artist Jason Masters, original score and music by Robert Glasper and original song by Common), Finality (Warren Ellis, Colleen Doran), season 3 of Dents (Beth Behrs, Matt Doyle, Sid Kotian), Shadow Pirates (Sean Galloway, Ian Hopps, Cassey Kuo), season 2 of Nothing Special (Katie Cook), and Eat Fighter (Fred Van Lente, Crystal Skillman, Fernando Pinto) – more information below or visit webtoons.com.

 

Webtoon’s Road to NYCC follows an impressive number of Ringo Awards at last weekend’s 2018 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards at Baltimore Comic-Con with a total of seven including Favorite Hero: Mags (Assassin Roommate), Favorite Villain: Arlo (unOrdinary), Favorite New Series: I Love Yoo, Favorite New Talent: Quimchee, Favorite Publisher: Line Webtoon, Best Comic Strip or Panel: Sarah’s Scribbles, and Best Webcomic: 1000, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene! Webtoon featured creator Katie Cook (Nothing Special) – returning October 9! – gave the keynote address celebrating the success of this digital frontier. Click to watch the Ringo Awards.

 

Road to NYCC Launch Summary:

 

Dents (Beth Behrs, Matt Doyle, Sid Kotian) – Available NOW

Dents is an apocalyptic journey to the year 2111, where more than half of the world’s population has been wiped out by an ancient plague. After a vaccination is developed, there is a massive increase in the birth of identical twins possessing extraordinary powers, known in society as “Dents.” Following an incident at school, Eleanor learns that she herself is a Dent, separated from her twin at birth, and is quickly swept into an underground society of other Dents trying to survive. Dents returns for its final season and epic conclusion.

Link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/sf/dents/list?title_no=671

3

 

Shadow Pirates (Sean Galloway, Ian Hopps, Cassey Kuo) – Available NOW

Mao, leader of The Yakooza Group, is stuck behind bars in Old San Diego following an unfortunate run in with The Shadow Pirates.  After convincing a group of teenagers to aid in his escape by promising them a greater power than they can imagine the ultimate burst they are transported to New San Diego where they begin their adventure to unlock the burst in the form of The Four Horseman: war, pestilence, famine, and death.

Linkhttps://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/shadow-pirates/list?title_no=1455

 4

 

Brothers Bond (Kevin Grevioux, Ryan Benjamin) – Available NOW

2018 Eisner Nominee for Best Webcomic – An exiled prince and his two blind samurai protectors set on a dangerous journey to reclaim their kingdom from demonic forces.

Link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/action/brothersbond/list?title_no=1458

 

 5

 

 

 

 

Backchannel (Stan Lee, Tom Akel, Andie Tong) – Available NOW

From Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment comes a sci-fi story following teenager Tom Tanner, a comic loving, engineering prodigy who was raised by his single father Martin, a police detective.  On the surface, Tom is having an average high school life – struggling to stay on the lacrosse team, hiding his affections for his friend Sally, and trying to keep his head down and grades up. What his father and friends don’t know is that Tom is being recruited by BACKCHANNEL, a decentralized hactivist group causing havoc at prisons across the U.S.

Link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/super-hero/backchannel/list?title_no=1456

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The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn S2 (Tri Vuong) – Available NOW

Continues to follow the journey of the world’s greatest paranormal investigator – Oscar Zahn. Friend to lost souls, enemy of evil, he may lack a body but that doesn’t mean he’s missing a heart!

Link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-strange-tales-of-oscar-zahn/list?title_no=685

7

 

Caster (Austin Harrison, Zach Howard, Mike Raicht, artist Jason Masters, featuring original song by Common and score by Robert Glasper) – October 4

Caster is an original multi-media comic series created by the team at Noble Transmission and featuring an original song and score from Oscar-Winning artist and actor, Common. Bringing together action-packed art and storytelling with original music to set the tone, Caster follows the adventures of a world traveling rare antiques dealer who gets caught up in a world of international espionage.

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Finality (Warren Ellis, Colleen Doran) – October 5

Finality is a heightened crime drama about Felicity Rockall, the world’s greatest criminal investigator, and Amy Ash, the young DCIS special agent assigned to try and control the eccentric genius as they deal with a frightening murder mystery that may prove to be Felicity’s final case.

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 Eat Fighter (Fred Van Lente, Crystal Skillman, Fernando Pinto) – October 6

Eat Fighter is a competitive eating, zombie murder epic that follows Miss, a thirty-something fitness nut who throws away her kale and step-counting ways to become a superstar on the competitive eating circuit.

 

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Nothing Special (Katie Cook) – October 9

Callie thinks that in the grand scheme of the worlds at large, she’s nothing special. With the unexpected addition of friendship and adventure into her life, she’s about to find out that she was very, very wrong.

Link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/nothing-special/list?title_no=1188

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1000 (Sanford Greene, Chuck Brown) – October 11

2018 Ringo WINNER for Best Webcomic – Set in a modern world of aliens, warlocks, zombies, and ancient beasts, 1000 transports readers to a world like no other. The series follows Dragon Son – a supreme entity who’s abandoned all creation – as he struggles to return to his true Dragon form by completing 1,000 acts of repentance.

Season 1:

https://www.webtoons.com/en/action/one-thousand/list?title_no=1217

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Webtoon embark on the Road To NYCC celebrating the 2018 New York Comic Con at the Javits Center in New York, October 4 -7, 2018.  Webtoon is the lanyard sponsor and have five panels featuring appearances by top creators including Dean Haspiel, Sanford Greene, Common, Monica Gallagher – more information on panels below.

 

Thursday, October 4

 

WEBTOON PRESENTS “CASTER” FEATURING COMMON

Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Location: Room 1A10 – Javits Center

Description: Please join us for the launch of Caster, an all-new original digital comic series premiering on Webtoon from Noble Transmission and Freedom Road Productions and featuring original music and score by Common and Robert Glasper. Join Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and 3x Grammy Award winner Common, Freedom Road Productions Managing Partner Derek Dudley, co-creator Austin Harrison, artist Jason Masters, writer Mike Raicht, and Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel for a special look at the series and discussion of this unique series.

Linkhttp://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/66475/Webtoon-Presents-Caster-Featuring-Common

 

Friday, October 5

SPOTLIGHT ON MONGIE (LET’S PLAY)

Time: 3:15pm – 4:15pm

Location:  Anime Fest – Mirai Stage – Pier 94 – NOTE: TIX STILL AVAILABLE

Description: Fans will get a one-on-one experience with the popular creator of Webtoon’s Let’s Play (1.7million subscribers, more than 88 million views, with more than 3 million views per week–and it’s her debut comic!), Leanne “Mongie” Krecic.  Her artwork can be seen on IGN, AdultSwim, YouTube, Freeblades, and ImagineFX Magazine.

Speakers: David Lee, Leeanne “Mongie” Krecic

Link: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Contributors/6647236/Leeanne-Krecic-aka-Mongie

 

WOMEN INCORPORATED: WEBTOON EMPOWERS CREATORS

Time: 6:45pm – 7:45pm

Location: Room 1A21 – Javits Center

Description: Webtoon has one of the most diverse rosters of creators, with more than 65% female creators and 75% female readership – astonishing figures in the entertainment community! Our female creators cover multiple genres including Fantasy, Slice of Life, Horror, Romance, and more. Hear from some of Webtoon’s top creators on how they broke into the business, found their voice, and some of the challenges they met along the way.

Speakers: Tom Akel, Yen Ee aka Fishball (My Giant Nerd Boyfriend), Monica Gallagher (Assassin Roommate), Leeanne Krecic aka Mongie (Let’s Play), Katie Cook (Nothing Special), and Chelsey Han aka uru-chan (unOrdinary)

Linkhttp://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/65974/Women-Incorporated-Webtoon-Empowers-Creators

 

Saturday, October 6

WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL AGE OF COMICS

Time: 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Location: 1B03 – Javits Center

Description: Panel discussion from the big three on the success of digital comics.  No longer does a creator have to wait for print and ship, you can go live when you are ready and get immediate feedback from fans. For creators what it takes to join a platform. For readers, the diversity of content is endless.

Speakers: Heidi  MacDonald (Moderator, Editor The Beat), Tom Akel (Head of Content, Webtoon; co-writer Backchannel), Dean Haspiel (creator The Red Hook, War Cry), Michael  Son (Editor in Chief, Tapas), Michi (creator Born Sexy TomorrowThe God in the Field), Ben Wolstenholme (CEO/co-founder Madefire; creator MO NO)

Linkhttp://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/65982/Welcome-to-the-Digital-Age-of-Comics

 

            Webtoon Creators – Interview SyFy Live stage

Time: 5:30pm

            Location: Show Floor, Level 3, Booth 174

Details: Fabian Nicieza, Reilly Brown, Monica Gallagher, M. Victoria Robado, Tom Akel

 

BREAKING IN AND MONETIZING YOUR COMICS WITH WEBTOON

Location: Room 1A02 – Javits Center

Time: 7:45pm – 8:45pm

Description: Looking to break into creator-owned comics with the world’s largest comics publisher? Hear from creators including Shen (Blue Chair), Fabian Nicieza (Outrage),
M. Victoria Robado (#Blessed), Sanford Greene (1000), and Jin Kim (Webtoon Community Manager/Creator Care) on what it takes to break into the industry, how they’ve built their fanbases through Webtoon, and how to survive once you’re a full-time creator. Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel will walk you through how to publish and promote your own IP on the Discover platform, provide details on Webtoon’s new ad sharing program, their partnership with Patreon, and the eight finalists will be introduced.

Link: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Sessions/66890/Breaking-In-And-Monetizing-Your-Comics-With-Webtoon

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Top Ten Times Willow was the Worst

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With all the discourse surrounding the much anticipated Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, not
to mention Sarah Michelle Gellar’s and Alyson Hannigan’s joint interview on the Today show
discussing the show’s legacy! Many fans have revised their opinions on some of the
original show’s titular characters. One such character is Hannigan’s own, Willow Rosenberg. Once seen as the shy, lovable, nerdy sidekick, now her image is less than rosy. Manipulative? Petty? And maybe worst of all: a bad friend.

10. Easing us in with a somewhat annoying one. In Season 6, Episode 11, ‘Gone’, it is
morning in the Summers household. After throwing out most of Willow’s magical stash as
the fallen wiccan tries to go cold turkey with her magic addiction (more on that later). Buffy
is post-traumatic-resurrection trying to keep it all together after a night of hot,
passionate…fighting with a vampire. Willow appears to be living in the Summers’ home rent-free and is cooking Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) an apology omelette. She is making a
mess while cooking, as one does, but leaves her traumatised friend to clean up after her! Poor
Buffy (you’ll hear that a lot) was just lambasting herself for not noticing Willow’s self-
inflicted downfall. Buffy is literally chopping off her own hair in distress, and no one notices!
The audacity!

9. In Season 3, Episode 2, ‘Dead Man’s Party’, Buffy has returned to Sunnydale after her
secondment in LA. After a traumatic year, Buffy clearly just wants to hang out with her
friends like a regular teenager. Willow agrees to meet Buffy in town to re-bond over
shopping. Yes, Willow did say earlier in the episode that she had school work that she would
have to rearrange, which is fair enough, but at least cancel instead of leaving poor Buffy
(see?) sitting alone waiting for you!

8. Anya (Emma Caulfield), the ex-vengeance demon, was treated pretty coolly by the
Scoobies. Willow was clearly jealous of Anya’s relationship with Xander (Nicholas
Brendon), taking Xander’s attention from her. Throughout the final seasons, Willow treated
Anya like an annoyance at best and undermined her with cruel remarks at worst. In no
episode was this more obvious than Season 5, Episode 11, ‘Triangle’. Willow is brazenly
stealing spell ingredients from Anya’s and Giles’s (her friends) small business. Willow even
says herself she is not “stealing”, she is “…just taking things without paying for them. In what
twisted dictionary is that stealing?”.
Willow comes off as a bully throughout this episode, cruelly mimicking Anya and trying to
make Xander choose between his childhood best friend and his girlfriend. I want to mention
that not only is Willow gay, but has her own girlfriend at this point. So her possessiveness of
Xander comes off as particularly childish.

7. Willow’s irresponsibility with magic becomes a large feature of the series. Even her most
ardent fans can’t explain what she was thinking in Season 5, Episode 17, ‘Forever’ when she
draws Dawn’s attention to a dark spell book. This book encourages 15-year-old Dawn to raise
her mother from the dead. Culminating in what is, in my opinion, one of the creepiest scenes
in Buffy: the shadow of zombie Joyce walking past Summer’s curtained window, returning
home. Presumably, Willow knew the dangers but was fine with a child dabbling in dark
magic.

6. Back to Season 3, Episode 2 ‘Dead Man’s Party’. After not being satisfied standing Buffy
up, she also wants to rant at a clearly distressed Buffy that Willow’s now got a boyfriend and is
practicing witchcraft, AND had no one to talk to about it when Buffy ran away. Bear in mind
that Buffy had to stab her boyfriend through the heart and send him to Hell after months of
his evil alter ego psychologically torturing her. But Willow needs her gal pal.
Very similar to Season 7, Episode 19 ‘Empty Places’ when Willow joined the group pile on,
blaming poor Buffy (and again) for everything that’s gone wrong. And then throwing Buffy
out of her own house (you know the one she pays for?)! In the words of one Buffy fan ‘Y’all
hate her so much, why did you resurrect her?’

5. Going to my personal favourite season, Season 6 (I’m not arguing about it), Episode 10
‘Wrecked’. Willow is caught in the throes of magic addiction. Within the Buffy universe,
magic was a metaphor for lesbian sex, but the metaphor changes in Season 6 to substance
abuse. Willow takes Dawn to what is essentially a magical drug den and leaves her waiting
there for over an hour. Then, high on magic, he proceeds to not take Dawn home, instead
offering to teleport her back home. Willow then gets behind the wheel of a car with Dawn
while high and crashes the car.
Buffy was known to tackle social issues, and its handling of substance abuse was surprisingly
Realistic, mainly due to Alyson Hannigan’s amazing acting!

4. In Season 4, Episode 6, ‘Wild at Heart,’ we get to see the true darkness that appears to live
inside Willow. After being cheated on by her long-time boyfriend Oz (Seth Green), Willow
takes it upon herself to hex both Oz and his cheating partner, Veruca. She casts ‘in the name
of Hell’ wanting to break both their hearts and find no peace or solace…harsh. To be fair to
her, she does stop herself, but Willow, I appreciate you got cheated on, but we can’t just go
about hexing people.

3. And now to one of the best episodes ever! Season 6, Episode 8 ‘Tabula Rasa’ delivers
some serious comic gold, but the premise of the episode is rather disturbing. Despite
promising Tara (Amber Benson), her long-term partner, that she would give up magic for a
week, Willow casts a spell. Tara is understandably upset that the woman she loves cast a
memory spell on her to make her forget their arguments. Willow’s answer to this is to cast yet

another memory spell to make Tara forget the first memory spell (stay with me). Willow also tries to cast a spell on Buffy (you know her friend suffering from depression) to make her forget being in Heaven. As is a staple in the Buffy universe, the spell goes awry, making the whole gang forget who they are, leading to hilarious hijinks.
Yes, it’s one of the funniest Buffy episodes, but if the spell hadn’t accidentally been broken, then they all could have been stuck like that.

2. For such a trailblazing relationship, Willow and Tara have a lot of problems when
scrutinised. Almost everything stems from Willow’s overuse of magic. The relationship
gets darker the more you examine it. As Tara said in ‘Tabula Rasa’, Willow violated her
mind. Some fans have pointed out; not only was the flower Willow used to cast the forgetting
spell (Season 6, Episode 6) is in an oddly convenient place in their bedroom. This begs the
question: how many times has Willow cast these spells? Fans have also pointed out that if
Tara had sex with Willow after any spell was cast on her, she wouldn’t be consenting.

1. As a surprise to literally no one, the number one time Willow was a bad friend on top of
being completely irresponsible, resurrecting one Miss Buffy Summers. Now, many may
argue that after the finale of Season 5, ‘The Gift’, it would be understandable that Willow
would think Buffy was trapped in some Hell dimension.

Ok, let’s stay with that logic. Willow is aware that resurrection spells are extremely volatile,
presumably why the Scoobies have been planning it for weeks. Xander voices it perfectly, in
Season 6, Episode 1 ‘Bargaining Pt 1’, Buffy may try to “eat our brains”. Willow even
comments (Season 6, Episode 3) on how messed up Angel was when he came back from Hell.
Willow could have caused an emotional and physical catastrophe for them all by bringing
back a ‘wrong’ Buffy who still possesses super-strength and super-speed. Spike (James
Marsters) declares in the same episode that he shut down any idea Willow had about bringing
Buffy, back in case it went so badly, they would have to “get rid of what came back”. It’s bad
when the soulless vampire is more mature than you, isn’t it?

Willow Rosenberg is indeed a very complex character played expertly by Alyson Hannigan. Willow has her flaws, but it is those flaws that make her such a compelling character. I, for one, am very interested to see what they do with the character in the reboot.

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Review: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

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From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is a stylish and brutal addition to the ever-expanding John Wick universe. Set between the explosive events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, the film seamlessly slots into the timeline without feeling like a stopgap. Instead, it builds something fresh, introducing a new protagonist on a vengeful journey of her own.

Ana de Armas delivers a fierce and emotionally layered performance as Eve Macarro, a ballerina-trained assassin seeking justice for her family. While her motivations mirror Wick’s, the film avoids repetition by diving deeper into the Ruska Roma and High Table lore. It’s a testament to the world-building that this spin-off doesn’t just feel justified—it feels essential.

As expected, the fight choreography is at its peak—gritty, inventive, and ruthlessly beautiful. Every action set-piece hits with a kinetic energy that’s both thrilling and brutal. This franchise continues to prove that when it comes to stunt work and direction, it’s in a league of its own. Can the John Wick series really disappoint? So far, no.

The story is tight, the pacing brisk, and each supporting performance, especially the cameos from familiar faces, adds weight and continuity to the narrative. Ballerina proves that this universe is more than just one man’s war; it’s a whole underworld waiting to be explored.

With compelling characters, rich mythology, and jaw-dropping action, Ballerina is a strong 9/10—one of the best spin-offs in recent memory.

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The Top 5 Movies of James Gunn — A Symphony of Heart, Humor, and Heroism

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Few directors in the modern cinematic landscape have reshaped genre filmmaking quite like James Gunn. Known for blending irreverent humor with profound emotional depth, Gunn has left an indelible mark on both indie horror and superhero franchises. As he transitions into leading DC Studios, it’s the perfect time to revisit his five finest works—each a statement of his unique voice in an often formulaic industry.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Rating: 9.5/10

A rare sequel that deepens its characters rather than merely expanding its universe, Vol. 2 is Gunn at his most personal. The film wrestles with the pain of abandonment, the search for belonging, and the complexity of father-son dynamics—cloaked in vibrant visuals and a killer soundtrack. Yondu’s “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy” line alone secures its legacy.

2. The Suicide Squad (2021)

Rating: 9/10

Chaotic, gory, and gleefully anarchic, The Suicide Squad is a wild remix of the superhero genre. Gunn injects pathos into misfits like Ratcatcher 2 and Polka-Dot Man, proving his unmatched talent for humanizing the bizarre. It’s a subversive spectacle that doubles as an anti-war allegory—with a giant alien starfish to boot.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Rating: 8.8/10

The film that redefined Marvel’s creative boundaries, Guardians took a gang of obscure comic-book characters and turned them into pop culture icons. With its perfect balance of humor, heart, and ‘70s mixtape vibes, it’s the origin story of Gunn’s mainstream rise and one of the MCU’s most beloved entries.

4. Slither (2006)

Rating: 8/10

Before superheroes and intergalactic misfits, Gunn gave us Slither—a grotesque and hilarious horror-comedy with serious B-movie charm. This film showcases his roots: practical effects, quotable dialogue, and an affection for the genre’s oddballs. It’s disgusting, delightful, and distinctly Gunn.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Rating: 8/10

An emotionally charged finale to the Guardians trilogy, *Vol

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