Nerdvana's Zone Zine (August 2018)

NERDVANAMEDIA.COM

Vol. 1, Issue 1 • AUGUST 2018

zone zine time of our

lives

DOCTOR WHO in the early Eighties: big, bold and bonkers!

PAGE 2 PLUS:

Lots of Big Finish audio news • 5 Latest D&D game worlds and supplements • 6-7 Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns • Star Wars books • 8 • Solo home video update • 9 Comics 10 • Gaming 11 • Movies/TV 12-13 • San Diego Comic-Con photos 14

COVER STORY • TELEVISION

BIG BANG 2

Early 1980s D episodes show Doctor Who world-building at its biggest

BY JAYSON PETERS octor Who on Twitch Presents has been a great way to rediscover the classic British science fiction series. Yeah, I can watch most of them either on DVD or BritBox (and a few on VHS, yes), but there’s something fun about being a part of an event like this on a platform like Twitch, watching others rediscover the material and many more discover it for the very first time.

Maybe they only knew “new Who” before this — maybe they’ve never watched any. Either way, it’s been fun to see it happen in realtime.

Doctor Who in the 1980s was a time of great change. It’s when the classic, ethereal theme tune got its first major rockin’ upgrade since it was developed in 1963, and it was the end of stunning seven-year run for Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. (“But the moment had been prepared for...”) Peter Davison stepped into the role in 198182, bringing a youthful vigor that would see the show through to its 20th anniversary and beyond.

While it’s the beginning of a darker era, it’s also one where vast concepts are explored and sweeping, imaginary worlds are created, bringing an even more serialized feel to entire seasons of Doctor Who programming beyond just the self-contained, four-part episodic structure of most stories.

This is a renaissance in more ways than one. Beyond a changing of the guard, the years when John NathanTurner was producer of the venerable program showed a greater respect for out-there sci-fi world-building that, in many ways, hasn’t been eclipsed since, either in the remainder of the ‘63-’89 original run or the revival that

In the early 1980s, Doctor Who regenerated, as Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor) handed the TARDIS keys over to Fifth Doctor Peter Davison. Along the way, the series explored big sci-fi concepts and significantly upped its world-building game.

began in 2005 and continues this fall with the coming of the Thirteenth Doctor, and the first woman to play the role.

This high-concept brand of Doctor Who world-building really it overdrive in the run-up to the sci-fi series’ 20th anniversary.

BIG HAIR - BIGGER IDEAS Far more than New Romantic, glam rock fashion, this was an era of high strangeness in Doctor Who. As the Fourth Doctor is wrapping up his affairs, seeking a long-overdue revamp of his persnickety TARDIS in “Logopolis,” he drags the audience through preInformation Age concepts like non-volatile computer bubble memory. But that isn’t enough; they must be introduced to block transfer computation — mathematics that can literally change the physical world. On the planet Logopolis, this is the key to rebooting an obsolete TARDIS’ faulty chameleon circuit — but, secretly, it’s also the key to dragging our universe past its point of total structural collapse. And collapse it does begin to do, after another renegade Time Lord, the evil Master, meddles in the delicate labors of the Logopolitans.

“Logopolis” is the culmination of a story arc structured around the concept of entropy that began in Season 18’s earlier “E-Space Trilogy” — “Full Circle,” “State of Decay” and “Warrior’s Gate” — and carried through the rest of the season’s “Keeper of Traken” and “Logopolis,” and streched a bit into the following season’s “Castrovalva.”

E-Space is a small universe — literally, and like the rest of the stories in the season it shows macro-world-building on fa micro-scale. If you extend to the previous stories

at the beginning of the season, “The Leisure Hive” and “Meglos,” you can see the beginning of this exploration evolving.

But it’s “Logopolis” that illustrates the concept most starkly: A TARDIS falling apart; the Master possessing another’s body after decaying at the end of his 13 natural Time Lord lives; the entire Metulla Orionsis star system and its idyllic Traken Union, wiped out as the end of Logopolis’ interventions begin closing the gateways between the known universe (N-Space) and E-Space.

In “Castrovalva,” the first full episode starring Davison, the Doctor’s companions are led to a world called of the same name (inspired by the trippy M.C. Escher lithograph of, also, the same name). Here, they expect to find a place where the Time Lord’s regeneration unfold in peace after the violence on Logopolis and Earth’s Pharos Project facility. Of course, it’s really another trap laid by the Master, but here the ultimate destruction — a reduced TARDIS’ escape from the Big Bang, aka Event One — gives way to an exploration of recursion, or procedures folding in upon themselves. Castrovalva doesn’t actually exist, but it’s yet another example — possibly the most poignant — of a remote society at its end.

In all the Twittering back and forth amid Doctor Who on Twitch, a misstep of mine drew the engagement of writer Mags L Halliday, author of several Doctor Who-related novels, novellas and short stories. Her description of the story arc in question really struck me: “’cut off societies’ facing destruction as part of their life cycle! Lots of decay, stagnation and loops. Just like the run in to Tennant and Capaldi regenerations.”

SNAKES AND ANTI-MATTERS The Doctor Who universe of this era doesn’t consist entirely of crumbling hermit kingdoms, of course. Some of its best world-building takes place amid vast, galactic civilizations playing out in intimate settings more fitting of the series’ budget.

The Fifth Doctor era gave us the Mara, an ancient demon that possesses the Doctor’s companion Tegan Jovanka. She first becomes ensnared in the early Davison tale “Kinda” on the outwardly primitive world and colony candidate Deva Loka, but this Big Bad is revisited in “Snakedance,” where a still-possessed Tegan steers the TARDIS and we learn the mighty Federation was established after its founder defeated the Mara and its own ancient Sumaran Empire. But the Mara came from the human inhabitants’ own hubris in harnessing powerful mind crystals. On Manussa, the Mara ensnares the heir to the Federation before being defeated by the Doctor’s mental discipline.

Also the name of a seductive Buddhist demon and all-around enemy of enlightenment, the Mara was a big concept rife for even further exploration and world-building, as audio drama house Big Finish Productions and several Doctor Who novelists saw and mined for material. (Even the 21st century Who spinoff Torchwood would make reference to the Mara.)

With a name like “Arc of Infinity,” it’s hard to sound any grander. This region of Doctor Who space also known as Rondel is the stage for a return to the Doctor’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 3

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

What’s all this, then?

You’re looking at an experiment.

For 11 years — since Aug. 22, 2007, in fact — Nerdvana has been plugging along, first as a blog at Arizona’s East Valley newspaper, then, later, as an independent venture (March 2016).

So, why a print format? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Consider this more a virtual print edition — a prototype, or proof of concept. To be honest, it was a way to try and keep my layout skills in practice during a months-long stint of unexpected unemployment, but also something I’ve wanted to try for a long time.

Way back in Nerdvana’s days as a newspaper blog, I flirted with the concept of a periodical collection or digest of content, weekly or monthly, with a print-style cover image just for fun.

Here’s an example from way back in 2009. It was just an attempt at a magazine-style cover illustrating a roundup of links to all the stories in the previous week.

But the idea lodged in my brain, even though I didn’t keep doing it.

It’s hard to imagine Nerdvana has been going for so long. I’m still working on making the enterprise more self-sufficient financially and even, I hope, able to give back to our core contributors. Crowdfunding sites like Patreon are one possibility I’ve been exploring. This will become more pressing with the loss of my “day job” and with our website services up for renewal in a year’s time.

In one form or another, Nerdvana has been helping you find your inner nerd since 2007. Taking ownership of my creation nearly two years ago was something I’d long dreamed of doing and, when it happened, it came about very quickly, with little time for strategizing.

As the calendar flips on Nerdvana’s 11th year, I hope we can connect more, work smarter together, and serve our many geeky communities more consistently than ever before.

— Jayson Peters 4

Vislor Turlough (Mark Strickson) brought a devious charm to the TARDIS in Doctor Who’s “Black Guardian” trilogy.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

homeworld, Gallifrey, by the mad erstwhile hero Omega, forgotten and trapped in an anti-matter universe, who tries for the second time in Doctor Who to return to life here. Not something we really see in the show, the Arc of Infinity refers to a curve between dimensions allowing the anti-matter Omega to be shielded during his return, giving him time to try to bond with a body he can use in our universe — the Doctor, of course.

This bit of Doctor Who world-building adds to the Time Lord mythos, which has become extensive in both eras of the series to the point the world was retconned out of existence and then retconned back for the program’s 50th anniversary.

EVENT ONE, PART DEUX Back in “Castrovalva,” the Master tried to trap the Doctor’s TARDIS in the holocaust of the Big Bang, aka Event One. But in “Terminus,” the middle tale of the “Black Guardian Trilogy,” (following “Mawdryn Undead,” in which a race of renegades try to use stolen Time Lord technology to extend their lives), the TARDIS visits a spaceship teeming with lepers that takes them to a station in the center of the known universe: Terminus. It’s really another ship, one that accidentally traveled backward in time and ejected its fuel during an emergency, sparking the Big Bang. (Event One explained.)

Against this bleak backdrop shines a beacon of hope, as Nyssa of Traken — no longer the scared sole survivor of her world, but a confident and brave scientist — leaves the TARDIS crew to stay behind and help the needy. So the Fifth Doctor era loops back to its explosive beginning before it can surge forward ...

“WINNER TAKES ALL” “Enlightenment” is the final story of the “Black Guardian Trilogy,” which introduced the scheming companion Vislor Turlough as a pawn of the titular Guardian under orders to kill the Doctor

in revenge for denying him the allpowerful Key to Time years earlier — another attempt at grand-arc storytelling, but one that was more fragmented. (Pun intended.)

In “Enlightenment,” we meet the Eternals — beings who seek the ultimate prize, actual enlightenment itself, while using mortal “Ephemerals” for entertainment and fodder as they compete in a regatta among the stars.

The spirit of competition extends into the 20th anniversary special, “The Five Doctors,” as most of the Doctor’s previous incarnations are reunited in Gallifrey’s primeval Death Zone as part of an ambitious Time Lord’s ploy for his own prize: true eternal life. “The Game of Rassilon” here, long forbidden, pits some of the universe’s most dangerous creatures against one another, all to challenge the Doctor to snag the prize for a shadowy schemer. Not only did “The Five Doctors” celebrate many of the show’s bygone friends and foes — the Brigadier, Time Lords, Daleks, Cybermen — but they would return at many points throughout the surrounding seasons in the time of the Fifth Doctor, another example of reflection amid progress.

HUMANITY’S END “Frontios” brings the TARDIS to a far-future colony of desperate humans escaping the Earth’s ruination, at a delicate time in its development when the Doctor is hesitant to disturb or even to be seen to interfere. We see the TARDIS nearly destroyed and pulled back together by the gravity-controlling Tractators, forgotten universal boogeymen who want to turn planets into engines of conquest. The new series’ “Utopia” visits a similar enclave at the end of time, where another version of the Master awaits in exile and anonymity, even from himself ...

In “Resurrection of the Daleks,” human forces finally have Davros, the unhinged

creator of the evil Daleks, under lock and key; it’s a snapshot of an epic history the show returns to again and again in all its forms, as the show’s most iconic villains rise from humble beginnings as mutated misfits to masters of Earth and most of the known universe, to challenge the Time Lords themselves in a war that devastates creation and shaped the narrative of 21st century Doctor Who. Of course there are other feats of world-building throughout Doctor Who’s long history; the era described here just represents an extraordinarily rich tableau of creations that make it so easy to get lost with the Doctor. You don’t really find such grand arcs or meta-serials before it; the lost “Galaxy 4” and epic “The Daleks’ Master Plan” in the First Doctor era, and the stranding of the Third Doctor on Earth as scientific adviser to U.N.I.T., stand as some of the few exceptions.

The aforementioned “Key to Time” uses a McGuffin meta-plot, but ultimately strings together several unrelated (if most interesting) tales. The Seventh Doctor would put his companion Ace through trial after trial while playing a dangerous ongoing chess match (literall) against the evil Fenric across the late-’80s seasons 25 and 26, the show’s last.

But it’s not until you get into the 21st century iteration of the program that you find a more consistent use of story arcs, and the very phenomenon of spinoffs (attempted in the 1980s with K9 and Company, which turned out to be a oneoff) that would take off in this century is, itself, an illustration of how much Doctor Who world-building was going on — or trying to, despite the confines of tradition.

Doctor Who world-building is more than just creating interesting and fantastical characters, locations and conflicts that stick in one’s mind years after the credits roll. It can also be exploring the higher concepts of science and reality itself in all its twisted possibilities.​◆

ADVERTISEMENT

Copyright © 2018 • EST. 2007 NerdvanaMedia.com PUBLISHER/EDITOR Jayson Peters CONTRIBUTORS Jayson Peters Bob Leeper David Buck IMAGE CREDITS Bob Leeper, David Buck, BBC, Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm, Nintendo, Dark Horse Comics, Wizards of the Coast, Studio Ghibli, Big Finish Productions NERDVANA LOGO Scott Kirchhofer CONTACT service@nerdvanamedia.com

SCIENCE FICTION

AUDIO DRAMA Big Finish starting to limit CD availability

BY JAYSON PETERS Big Finish Productions, who have held the license for official and original Doctor Who audio plays since the turn of the century, announced Monday it was starting to cut back on offering physical copies of its content.

New releases will be pressed onto compact discs and will be available for purchase in that form for at least a year, but then demand will be analyzed and lower-selling titles may be allowed to go out of print in CD form.

“In the last five years, we’re proud to say that we’ve managed to buck the general trend in the

audiobook market specifically, where physical releases are now few and far between,” the company explained in a statement.

“But with physical production costs increasing and with 20 years of back catalogue to consider, we’ve been obliged to re-assess our approach in order to safeguard our ability to continue producing the stories you love.”

The company said it has managed to buck the audiobook market’s general trend toward fewer physical releases over the last five years, but in the last year and half has observed significant changes in how

listeners consume their releases.

That has mean a big increase in download-only sales and a corresponding drop in demand for physical media, Big Finish said.

The company also said there may be more releases with a strictly limited CD run, such as the recently announced Class spinoff series, but cases like that will be clearly promoted as limited edition.

“On balance, we’d very much prefer to invest in creating brand new stories rather than in stock which could end up gathering dust in our warehouse for a number of years,” Big Finish said.

“I’m an avid collector of

physical merchandise and I know a lot of our customers at Big Finish are as well. I much prefer having a boxset with artwork to look at and a booklet to read, so I will always try to ensure that Big Finish continue to produce as many of our releases on CD as possible,” said Big Finish chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery.

“However, Big Finish has not increased CD prices since 2004.

During that time, CD production costs have inevitably increased.

This change in policy will ensure that those that wish to buy physical copies will still be able to do so and will be alerted if a production is due to be discontinued on CD.”

“The Chimes of Midnight,” starring India Fisher as Edwardian adventuress Charley Pollard and Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, is one of Big Finish Productions’ most acclaimed original Doctor Who titles.

Doctor Who audio producer beams into Final Frontier

BY JAYSON PETERS Big Finish Productions, known for full-cast audio dramas based on classic TV’s Doctor Who, is setting course for a new frontier with audiobooks set in the Star Trek universe.

According to the company’s weekend podcast, an audiobook in the Star Trek: Prometheus series is coming “soonish.” (See our July 4 update below.)

The three Prometheus books are a German-generated offshoot of Star Trek publishing that were released for the sci-fi series’ 50th anniversary in 2016.

They were written by Christian Humberg and Bernd Perplies with assistance in English by prolific Trek novelist Keith R.A. DeCandido. The series fits into continuity with Pocket Books’ line of Star Trek novels set after the movie Star Trek: Nemesis, after the events of the epic crossover book series “The Fall.”

The first book in the series, Fire With Fire, deals with mysterious terrorist attacks against the United Federation of Planets and its Klingon Empire neighbors that stoke tensions in a region of space already crippled by conflict. The titular ship — USS

Prometheus — first appeared as an experimental “multi-vector attack” vessel in the “Message in a Bottle” episode of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager, and is described in the Fire With Fire synopsis as “Starfleet’s most powerful vessel” serving in the year 2385.

Big Finish may be known primarily for adapting British properties like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Blake’s 7, The Avengers, The Prisoner, Judge Dredd and Sapphire & Steel, but it has recently ventured into original storytelling, and has also looked across the pond to produce adventures based on American TV universes like Stargate and Dark Shadows.

Although the Star Trek: Prometheus audiobook project appears to be more of an enhanced reading than full-cast play, who knows where such a partnership could lead? As Capt.

Jean-Luc Picard said in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series finale: “Sky’s the limit.”

On July 4, 2018, Big Finish released the first two Star Trek: Prometheus digital audiobooks along with details on the upcoming third volume.

“Fire With Fire” and “The Root of All Rage” are now available, read by Scottish actor Alec Newman (whose credits include Star Trek: Enterprise as well as Syfy’s Dune miniseries).

Volume 3, “In the Heart of Chaos,” is set for a December release.

The downloads are available for $12.99 each U.S. Big Finish said: “Let us know what you think of these Star Trek novels, and if you’d like to hear more Star Trek stories given the Big Finish treatment, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

‘Eleventh Doctor Chronicles’ set for August debut Matt Smith hasn’t yet been pulled into Big Finish Productions’ orbit to star in Doctor Who audio dramas based on his time as the Eleventh Doctor, but there will soon be four new narrated stories about that era available.

“The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles,” coming in August, will be narrated by “The Tenth Doctor Chronicles” presenter Jacob Dudman, with appearances

by Danny Horn and Simon Fisher-Becker reprising their roles as Kazran Sardick and Dorium Maldovar, respectively.

Go here for Big Finish’s descriptions of the four stories that comprise the set: https://wp.me/p7jz0b-xff

Jacobi to return as ‘War Master’ Sir Derek Jacobi is back this December for the start of a new series of full-cast audio adventures starring his War Master character.

The War Master: The Master of Callous brings back the Doctor’s greatest foe in new four-part adventures furthering his exploits in the Time War, with releases stretching into December 2019.

Big Finish cast Jacobi last year in a set of four adventures for the critically acclaimed audio series The War Master: Only the Good.

Jacobi appeared on screen as the Master only once, briefly late in the third season of 21st century Doctor Who. “Utopia” in 2007 cast Jacobi alongside David Tennant, Freema Agyeman and John Barrowman as Professor Yana, a secret identity of the Master following the Time War. In a few fleeting minutes, his incarnation of the Doctor’s arch nemesis made an unforgettable impression.

The new audio series, Master of Callous, stars not only Jacobi’s Master but also another 21st century Doctor Who character, the tentacle-faced Ood, also from Tennant’s time on Doctor Who. — Jayson Peters

5

ROLEPLAYING GAMES

True Blood actors Joe Manganiello, left, and Deborah Ann Woll help unveil the new Dungeons & Dragons storyline, “Waterdeep: Dragon Heist” during a live streaming event at the Line 204 Studios on Friday, June 1, 2018, in Los Angeles.

STREET SMARTS

D&D teases next storyline - a heist in Waterdeep The Stream of Many Eyes has spoken: The next Dungeons & Dragons adventure storyline will be Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, in stores Sept. 20.

Announced Friday as a weekend of Twitch D&Dcelebrity action kicked off, the hardcover book provides tons of detail for running adventures in a fantasy city such as Waterdeep, one of the grandest cities in the Forgotten Realms campaign world. Players need to use diplomacy, intrigue, stealth, and their wits to follow clues and solve puzzles in this daring, urban treasure hunt.

The $49.95 adventure, described below, is for character levels 1-5:

Famed explorer Volothamp Geddarm needs you to complete a simple quest. Thus begins a mad romp through the wards of Waterdeep as you uncover a villainous plot involving some of the city’s most influential figures. A grand urban caper awaits you. Pit your skill and bravado against villains the likes of which you’ve never faced before, and let the dragon hunt begin!

Also announced: the 256-page adventure Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, set in the iconic Undermountain mega-dungeon, as well as a Dragon Heist-themed set of polyhedral dice for $25.

— Jayson Peters

Magic card content comes to D&D with Ravnica Wizards of the Coast has owned both Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons for many years now, but rarely have the two brands commingled except in free, online only D&D supplements based on Magic card game settings.

That changes Nov. 20, 2018, when the Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica comes out. The book will contain everything fans need to play D&D in the fan-favorite Magic setting of Ravnica, populated by 10 rival guilds, each with its own ethos and agenda.

“Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering have been asking for years about when these two amazing brands would play together,” said Nathan Stewart, director of D&D. “With the huge surge in popularity of D&D and Magic’s commitment to bring the lore and storytelling to life, the timing seemed perfect. Ravnica is full of adventure possibilities and I can’t wait for fans to jump in to embody a member of one the iconic guilds. I will personally be making a new character for Rakdos.”

“This fall, Magic returns to the beloved plane of Ravnica with the release of the Guilds of Ravnica set for the trading card game and the D&D book Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica which will include classes, races, monsters and setting information on the ten opposing guilds,” said Elaine Chase, Vice President, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing for Magic: The Gathering. “It’s super cool for fans of D&D and Magic to be playing together in the same multiverse.”

“We’re excited for fans to dive deeper into the robust world of Ravnica as they adventure as a member of their favorite guild,” said Aaron Forsythe, Senior Design Director for Magic: The Gathering.

“Picking up Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica is a great way for D&D and Magic fans alike to tell a part of Ravnica’s story with their friends around the table.”

— Jayson Peters 6

Eberron returns!

Wizards also announced Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, a new document written by Keith Baker available online now in the Dungeon Masters Guild online marketplace. Fans can use this as a jumping off point to create their own monsters, adventure modules, and other tabletop content set within the Eberron world, and can put it up for sale themselves on the DMs Guild.

The magic-heavy, film-noir setting of Eberron first debuted in the days of the 3.5 Edition, back in 2002, when author and game designer Keith Baker won a “Fantasy Setting Search” contest. The D&D team has been working with him to update the setting. The first step is this digital release, which will serve to collect feedback on adjusted races, dragon marks, new backgrounds and more.

“It’s been sixteen years since I planted the first seeds that would become Eberron, and watching it grow has been an amazing journey,” Baker, said. “So many good people have been involved in creating the world we see today, and it’s been wonderful to see it come to life. I can’t wait to see what people do with the world!”

— Jayson Peters

D&D

ENTER THE TOME OF FOES Dungeons & Dragons lore at its richest ...

BY DAVID BUCK There are no small betrayals …

One should never steal secrets from a wizard such as Mordenkainen. A dire warning from the great wizard himself graces the beginning of the latest Dungeons & Dragons game supplement. His Tome of Foes provides something for everyone and expands the game in a meaningful way.

This is one of the few D&D books I’ve read through from start to finish, rather than using it as a reference book. It’s compelling, with beautiful illustrations and two covers, one for the standard release and a deluxe variant that was exclusive to hobby stores.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.

THE BLOOD WAR The history of the Blood War is rich and deep. Presented informatively, with sidebars of the wizard’s own notes, the reader learns the motives of each side in the conflict. There’s a brief tour of the Nine Hells and its denizens and leaders before launching into the section on the demons of the Abyss. There’s extensive information here on using the various demons and devils in your game, as well as guidelines for developing devil, cambion and tiefling NPCs with ties to the various infernal entities.

I found this section genuinely fascinating and enjoyed the way so many hints from previous books — the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and many of the adventures — were tied together in this one.

Combined with the deeply intriguing layout of the Nine Hells and the novel-like approach of the narrative, I found myself becoming engaged with the material and interested in using the Blood War as a backdrop to a future campaign.

A history of elves and dwarves The Tome of Foes continues its narrative with a deeply detailed section all about the elves. Some interesting and fun information fills out this section nicely. The introduction of elven deities is a nice touch and learning more about the life cycle of an elf offers some insight into effectively roleplaying your own elven

Continuing recent tradition, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes was released in two editions: one standard, available wherever Dungeons & Dragons products are sold, and another limited edition available first at dedicated hobby shops.

character. I learned way more about elves and dwarves, their life cycles, their rivalries and their different character types from these two chapters than I ever did from playing D&D over the past two decades.

The section on the Duergar reveals their uniquely interesting origin and provides some interesting roleplaying/story hook ideas. I may have to return to this section for a future adventure.

The artwork here is amazing and the new stats provide exceptional roleplaying opportunities and adventure hooks for use in your games.

They’re long and detailed, but worthwhile. The same goes for

the wonderful section on gnomes a few chapters later. But before we learn about the gnomes, there’s a chapter on one of my favorite old-school races: the Gith.

RUMINATIONS ON THE GITH The section on the Gith covers both the Githyanki and the Githzerai. What struck a chord with me here is how similar all of this is to the lore and backstory from the original AD&D 2nd Edition Spelljammer campaign setting.

There’s a ton of background information on the lich queen herself as well as history and rules for the Gith spelljamming

helms. It’s section like this that make me believe we’re going to get an updated version of that campaign setting in 5th Eedition.

If so, I’m very much looking forward to it!

Previously, Volo’s Guide to Monsters enlightened us about the spelljamming methods of the mind flayers, while simultaneously introducing those Spelljammer mainstays, the Neogi.

It’s all coming together nicely, but if D&D in space isn’t your cup of tea, the rules for the Gith are worthwhile in their own right.

The artwork and lore are worth the price of admission on their own merits.

THE BESTIARY Rounding out the Tome of Foes is the extensive bestiary.

Revealing stats for over 100 new (or old, depending on how long you’ve been playing) monsters, this section is ideal for your continuing D&D adventures. Some of the creatures are downright creepy, like Sorrowsworn and, well, half the bestiary, really. The famous Astral Dreadnought is given the 5E treatment here also.

I enjoyed the section on new troll variants and appreciated the inclusion of all the different elf, gnome, dwarf and Duergar options discussed in throughout the book. Another Spelljammer favorite, the Giff, make their 5E debut here as well.

These gun-toting, mercenary hippopotamuses are so much fun to play. Tortles are amazing and the extensive information on all the demons and devils of the D&D universe is invaluable for any DM wishing to run the Blood War for their games — or to simply use them as part of their own stories. While I’m not sure if I’ll ever use half of these creatures, it’s nice to have the option, not to mention the artwork and lore are worth the price of admission on their own merits.

FINAL VERDICT If you’re a DM and/or love the lore, history and legacy of D&D, pick this book up! Players can use it as reference for playing the various races throughout the Tome of Foes. Ultimately, it’s one of the best D&D supplements since Xanathar’s Guide to Everything to come out so far.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s the Holidays in July!

It’s never too early to get ready for all the imaginative storytellers on your list. Here’s what Dungeons & Dragons has in store this season.

D&D fans young & old will have plenty to celebrate this year!

ADVENTURES OUTLINED

CORE RULEBOOK GIFT SET Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and DM’s Screen

Adults and kids alike will delight in coloring these deviously drawn pages from Todd James, with descriptions by Adam Lee. Adventures Outlined is available everywhere on August 21!

Have a friend who is itching to get into the game?

Want a super-handy case to hold all that D&D goodness?

This core rulebook set—featuring refreshed covers—will look beautiful on any gamer’s shelf.

Available October 30!

WATERDEEP: DRAGON HEIST

THE 123S OF D&D and THE ABCS OF D&D Every parent out there is asking: When can I start teaching my kids about D&D?” And thanks to these amazing children’s books, the answer is “Now!” Kids can learn their letters, numbers, and love of D&D with read-aloud friendly rhyming couplets from Ivan Van Norman, and adorable illustrations from Caleb Cleveland of Hunters Books. Pick up these books on October 23!

SPECIAL EDITION CORE RULEBOOKS GIFT SET

This book has everything a DM needs to run a D&D adventure set in the legendary city of Waterdeep. You’ll need to use deception and diplomacy to find the hoard of gold hidden in the city before more powerful and nefarious factions do.

Enter Waterdeep on September 18!

WATERDEEP: DRAGON HEIST DICE SET This dice set includes two d20s, plus a nifty life-tracker to keep a handle on your hit point totals as you uncover secrets in Waterdeep. Roll with advantage on November 13!

Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and DM’s Screen The special alternate covers from Hydro74 have been delighting D&D fans since 2016’s Volo’s Guide to Monsters. Now you can surprise that special gamer on your list with a set of all three core rulebooks in an attractive slipcase, all showing off Hydro74’s unique style.

Grab this set in game stores only, starting October 19!

©2018 WIZARDS.

7

STREAMING

A WAR LEFT Star UNFINISHED ...

Wars: The Clone Wars coming back for UNTIL NOW! 12 episodes on Disney’s streaming service

BY JAYSON PETERS Star Wars: The Clone Wars is coming back.

At the 10th anniversary panel at ComicCon on Thursday, a revival was announced to standing ovations and thunderous applause.

#CLONEWARSSAVED

The hashtag we’ve been waiting to see and use since 2013 ...

Lucasfilm announced in a press release shortly thereafter that the new series would comprise 12 episodes that will live on Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.

Launched in 2008 on Cartoon Network and canceled in 2013 after Disney bought Lucasfilm and started its own Far, Far Away animation empire with the nowrecently concluded Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars did get a shortened 2014 fifth season, “The Lost Missions,” which ran on Netflix and brought many storylines to a close. (You can currently watch the entire Clone Wars series, and the 2008 animated feature that started it, on Netflix.)

It looks like the new Clone Wars content will deal with the long-teased Siege of Mandalore with former Padawan Ahsoka Tano returning to help the Jedi as the galactic conflict drew to a close leading up to Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith. Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein and Dee Bradley Baker (Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, respectively) all seem to be involved.

That’s possibly Mandalorian heiress Bo-Katan Kryze in the hologram behind

Bo-Katan Krieze and Ahsoka Tano return for a new series of episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Ahsoka in the teaser trailer, so that means we may hear Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) again as well. And with the Siege of Mandalore in the picture, it’s hard to imagine Sam WItwer not returning as Darth Maul — especially after lending his voice to the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Dave Filoni, who helmed the show as supervising director during its original run, resumes his role on The Clone Wars continuation.

“I honestly didn’t think we would ever

The prequels strike back ...

8

have the opportunity to return to The Clone Wars,” Filoni said. “Thanks to the relentless fan support and the team behind Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, we will now get to tell more of those stories. We feel a tremendous responsibility to make something that lives up to the legacy that George Lucas created with the original series and I think our team, many of whom worked on the show from the beginning, has risen to the challenge.”

Star Wars’ much-maligned prequel era is at last getting some love from the Galaxy Far, Far Away’s publishing line, even as the fallout from The Last Jedi schism continues to roil fandom.

Thrawn: Alliances, which came out July 24, helps kick-start this prequel renaissance by taking place across two different eras: during the Clone Wars, before Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, and before Episode IV — A New Hope and during the run of the Star Wars Rebels animated TV series. In the earlier era, the Timothy Zahn novel sees impulsive Republic General Anakin Skywalker encountering the alien Thrawn while searching the

Lucasfilm said the new Clone Wars episodes will continue storylines introduced in the original series, which explored the events leading up to Revenge of the Sith., and will see the return of classic characters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as fan-favorites Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. Another animated series, the anime-inspired The Force Awakens prequel Resistance, is due this year on Disney Channel.

Unknown Regions for his charge and secret wife, the Senator Padme Amidala.

Years later, Thrawn — by now an Imperial Grand Admiral with complicated agendas of his own — teams up with Darth Vader to investigate events connected to that long-ago team-up. Last month at San Diego Comic-Con, a few new books in the prequel era were announced, including Master and Apprentice, a tale by best-selling author Claudia Gray of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as Queen’s Shadow, a Padme book by Ahsoka author EK Johnston: We can expect Queen’s Shadow and Master and Apprentice in early 2019. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

— Jayson Peters

VIDEO

Solo: A Star Wars story is coming to digital video Sept. 14 and Blu-ray Sept. 25.

CHEWIE, WE’RE HOME ...

Solo: A Star Wars Story video release set

Solo: A Star Wars Story comes to digital video Sept. 14, with a physical Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc and on-demand video release Sept. 25.

Extensive bonus content takes fans behind the scenes to experience compelling discussions with the starstudded cast and screenwriters Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan (writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), a revealing feature on Chewie and his enduring friendship with Han, a close-up look at the original version of the Millennium Falcon and Han’s first time piloting the infamous ship, the creation of the film’s otherworldly settings and pulsepounding action sequences, and eight never-before-seen deleted and extended scenes.

• Proxima’s Den • Corellian Foot Chase • Han Solo: Imperial Cadet • The Battle of Mimban: Extended • Han Versus Chewie: Extended • Snowball Fight!

• Meet Dryden: Extended • Coaxium Double-Cross Bonus material may vary by format and retailer: • “Solo: The Director & Cast Roundtable” — Sit down with director Ron Howard and the stars for an intimate and entertaining discussion of the film’s making.

• “Team Chewie” — See what it takes to bring your favorite Wookiee to life in this lighthearted look behind the scenes.

• “Kasdan on Kasdan” — Iconic Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan

and son Jonathan share what it was like to write the movie’s script together.

• “Remaking the Millennium Falcon” — Track the transformation of the most famous ship in the galaxy, from Lando’s swank and impeccable pride and joy to Han’s strippeddown hot-rod freighter with “special modifications.”

• “Escape from Corellia” — Get behind the wheel for the making of this highoctane chase through the streets of Corellia.

• “The Train Heist:” Explore the challenges and thrills of creating this action-packed sequence, including its remote location and spectacular effects.

• “Becoming a Droid: L3-37” — Meet the newest droid—and the talented actor who helps bring her to life.

• Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso • Take an in-depth tour of the roughand-tumble bar where strangers mix and gamblers risk all in the legendary card game, Sabaac.

• “Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run” — Join Han and Chewie at the controls of the Millennium Falcon to see how this legendary moment in Star Wars history unfolds.

• “The Millenium Falcon: From Page to Park” — An exclusive look at the history of the most famous ship in the galaxy, its origin and development, and how it will translate in one of the most anticipated expansions in Disneyland’s history.

— Jayson Peters

Ron Howard directed Solo: A Star Wars Story, starring Alden Ehrenreich (right).

Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan, at right, wrote the script for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

9

COMICS

ALT-REBOOT? William Gibson’s unused Alien 3 script bursts to life at last as 5-issue comic book miniseries

In space, no one can hear canon cops scream …

The Alien movie franchise is a mess, and while there have been attempts to reboot it with a followup to Aliens that would ignore Alien 3 and Resurrection, those plans seem to have fallen through, at least for now.

Still, an alternate vision of that universe won’t be denied. Now, Dark Horse Comics is adapting a version of the Alien 3 script by cyberpunk sire William Gibson.

While Gibson was a contributor in the early phase of the writing for Alien 3, ultimately most of his

concepts never made it into the final film. “As the father of the cyberpunk genre with titles like Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive, Dark Horse is thrilled to see Gibson’s vision fully realized for the first time,” the company said last month.

Dark Horse released a synopsis for their alternate adaptation: “Following the deadly events of Aliens, the Union of Progressive Peoples intercepts the spaceship carrying the hibernating bodies of Ripley, Hicks, Newt, and Bishop.

But unbeknownst to them, they have also picked up another

deadly passenger whose discovery will unleash a race between two governments to weaponize the xenomorph in this horrifying and poignant Cold War-themed thriller.”

This “what if?” features an intense script by Gibson (Neuromancer, Agency, Count Zero, Archangel), cinematic art by Johnnie Christmas (Angel Catbird, Firebug, Sheltered), vibrant colors by Tamra Bonvillain (Doom Patrol, Wayward, Uncanny Avengers), and a slate of variant covers by James Harren, Daniel Warren Johnson, Paolo Rivera, Tradd Moore, and Christian Ward.

— Jayson Peters

SEE MORE OF THE PREVIEW: https://wp.me/p7jz0b-xff 10

GAMING

RETRO DEADLINE Still got Wii Points? Virtual Console, Wii Ware access closing for good with Nintendo Wii Shop Channel

BY JAYSON PETERS It’s long past the deadline to add funds to a Nintendo Wii Shop Channel account — if you’ve missed all our warnings and how-to guides so far, you’re out of luck. But, if you managed to buy Wii Points before March 26, 2018, and you haven’t spent them all yet, you still have a little time to use them.

Jan. 30, 2019, is when the Wii Shop Channel will be closed for good — and, with it, access to the deep library of Virtual Console and Wii Ware titles available there. So be sure to use any existing Wii Points by the end of the day Jan. 29 — you won’t get a refund, according to Nintendo.

After that, you’ll still be able to play any games you’ve downloaded, as long as your hardware holds up — but you won’t be able to download them again if you’ve removed them from your Wii storage.

That’s where SD cards come in.

The Wii only holds 512 MB, but SD cards up to 2 GB in capacity are supported, as well as high-capacity SDHC cards up to 32 GB. You can even play games directly off of a slotted SD card (this wasn’t always the case — but if you’ve kept your

console updated, you should be good).

SD cards also will work for storing games and playing them from the Wii U’s Wii Menu; that’s a way to use the newer Wii U console, which followed the Wii and preceded the Switch but was never as popular as either, to emulate as an original Wii with all its services and software.

If you have a Wii and want to transfer its content to a Wii U, Nintendo has a process for doing so (complete with a helpful video) — but before doing this, you should be warned that it’s a one-way, permanent procedure.

Also, the option to do this will no longer be available starting Jan. 30 once the Wii Shop Channel shuts down; that’s because there’s a transfer utility that must be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel, and you already know that capability is ending.

Check out and share this post for more information about making the most of the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel’s last days. including what the various kinds of Wii Ware and Virtual Console games will cost if you’re lucky enough to have a few Wii Points still in your account: https://wp.me/p7jz0b-vKG

Super Metroid

11

WOO-HOO! NOSTALGIA WARD • TELEVISION

20 classic DuckTales episodes that never get old

BY JAYSON PETERS The announcement that Disney was bringing DuckTales back to television in 2017 has no doubt re-ignited interest in the 1987-90 animated series of the same name, just as Capcom’s DuckTales Remastered game did back in 2013.

Yes, it glorified greed, but it also had heart and some impressive storytelling.

I’ve re-watched many classic DuckTales episodes on DVD and compiled a list of 20 outstanding adventures with plots and messages that still resonate today.

Of course, there are more than 20 great DuckTales episodes — it’s hard to find a truly bad one with no redeeming qualities.

But these are the ones I find myself watching again and again with my son when I pull out the old DVDs, except for the last three on the list — they’re not yet available for home viewing, unless you purchase them digitally from a service likle iTunes or your cable company.

Perhaps if the remastered video game and new Disney Channel series can kindle enough new interest, Disney will get off its duck and release the remaining episodes, or just bring the whole flock to Blu-ray …

“TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN SUNS” I’m cheating a bit right out of the gate.

This is actually five episodes that served as the series premiere event, setting things up with a terrific adventure tale that sees Donald Duck (in one of his rare appearances in the show) joining the Navy and leaving nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie to live with tight-fisted Uncle Scrooge. At first the arrangement is not a harmonious one, but the rambunctious boys bring out the lonely miser’s better qualities when they show him their cool-headed wits in one adventure after another. The plot, involving a model ship that’s really a treasure map, shares some elements with Steven Spielberg’s 2011 bigscreen Adventures of Tintin, which makes sense when you know that Carl Barks, upon whose comics many DuckTales episodes are based, was a contemporary of Tintin cartoonist Georges Remi.

If you love old Scrooge McDuck’s adventures, you’ll also find much to love in Tintin’s many exploits.

“CATCH AS CASH CAN” This four-part serial pits Scrooge against rival Flintheart Glomgold in a contest of riches to determine which duck controls a new natural resource: firefly fruit. Donald returns when Scrooge’s fortune, concealed as ice cream cargo, gets hijacked by Glomgold’s agents, then gets dumped into the ocean’s deepest trench where Scrooge finds the lost continent of Atlantis — they key to winning the contest and coming out ahead, naturally. By now, DuckTales had become the master of the animated serial.

“THE CURSE OF CASTLE MCDUCK” Revisiting his roots in bonnie Scotland, Scrooge and the boys and young Webby uncover a Druid conspiracy that draws elements from Sherlock Holmes’ Hound of the Baskervilles.

“SWEET DUCK OF YOUTH” I learned more about Ponce de Leon from this episode than from any history class. I also learned that getting old sucks, and that even great adventurers weren’t immune — and that in the end, you’re only as old as you feel. The story’s twist on the Fountain of Youth legend is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

“HOTEL STRANGEDUCK” Scrooge acquires the haunted castle of a mad scientist and tries to turn a profit as a high-class hotelier. This episode has some of the series’ most memorable guest characters, jokes and motivations.

“EARTH QUACK” Memorable action scenes highlight this story of a subterranean civilization that’s directly based on one of Barks’ own.

“BERMUDA TRIANGLE TANGLE” Like many DuckTales episodes, this survival story is richly layered for a

children’s show, and rewatching it recently made me think of Battlestar Galactica.

“SPIES IN THEIR EYES” Military-industrial intrigue, spy jokes by the speedboat-load and Donald Duck.

What more do you need?

“SPHINX FOR THE MEMORIES” Donald returns again and gets mixed up in an ancient Egyptian spirit cult. Yes, there’s a mummy — no, it’s not the one in the show’s opening credits.

“SEND IN THE CLONES” Sorceress Magica De Spell in what I believe is her first appearance in the TV series, as always trying to get her hands on Scrooge’s lucky “Number One Dime.” And the Beagle Boys, magically transformed into doppelgangers of Huey, Dewey and Louie! And one Webra Walters, interviewing Scrooge McDuck at the worst possible time.

“ARMSTRONG” Inventor Gyro Gearloose invents an omnipotent robot that’s the answer to everyone’s problems — until, of course, it takes control of everything, a la Skynet, before the Internet was really a thing we knew about.

“ROBOT RAIDERS” Gyro, having (sort of) learned his lesson from the previous episode “Armstrong,” invents four human-powered, giant robotic construction machines for Glomgold — but the Beagle Boys steal them and cause havoc.

“MAGICA’S SHADOW WAR” A great story that sees Scrooge and Magica team up when one of her schemes to snag his lucky charm gets out of hand.

“PEARL OF WISDOM” A great morality play that had me calling every large marble I had “The Great Masher.” You had to be there. Actions have consequences, and primitive doesn’t mean

stupid.

“TIME TEASERS” Gyro’s time-pausing raygun gets stolen by the Beagle Boys after being more innocently abused by Huey, Dewey and Louie. Say it with me now: “It gets wildly out of control!”

“BACK OUT IN THE OUTBACK” Teamwork is the lesson underlying this Australian mystery adventure when Scrooge’s sheep ranch is besieged by “willy-wisps” who shave off all the wool under cover of night.

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST HARP” Raiders of the Lost Harp A great adventure with Magica, a talking mystical artifact and Scrooge learning the value of fair play, yet again. And a rampaging giant minotaur statue that crosses the ocean floor on foot to follow the stolen artifact to Duckburg.

“ALLOWANCE DAY” I fondly remember this episode: Huey, Dewey and Louie try to fool Scrooge into thinking it’s Saturday so they can get their allowance early — but the gag spirals out of hand (imagine that!) and “goes viral” before going viral was a thing. The result is global chaos. Unfortunately, this episode isn’t among the three volumes released on DVD so far.

“MY MOTHER THE PSYCHIC” Gizmoduck’s (think: Iron Man meets Inspector Gadget) mother gains prescient abilities, but it’s not all it’s quacked up to be. Also not available on DVD. “DOUGH RAY ME” I first learned about inflation from this episode, in which a musical note causes duplicated coins to keep duplicating. Not yet available on DVD. • What are your favorite DuckTales episodes? Share them at NerdvanaMedia. com, NerdvanaMedia on Facebook and @nerdvana on Twitter!

The new reboot of DuckTales pays homage to the classic comics upon which the TV adventures are based.

12

ANIME • CINEMA

STUDIO GHIBLI FILMS BACK IN CINEMAS Studio Ghibli Fest is back for a return engagement this year in select theaters making it easy to catch some of the more obscure and fantastical creations to come out of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s operation.

Last month, Princess Mononoke was screened. (It’s a film I saw five times in cinemas during its original U.S. run.)

In 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies, Aug. 1213 and 15, two siblings struggle to survive World War II’s fiery final months in what the late Roger Ebert called one of the most powerful films about war.

My Neighbor Totoro, also from 1988, screens on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and 3.

This iconic family favorite also deals with siblings and their encounters with friendly forest spirits in rural postwar

Japan during their mother’s illness.

2001’s Academy Award-winning Spirited Away returns to the big screen Oct. 28-30.

Its English version includes performances from Suzanne Pleshette, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.

The festival wraps up Nov. 18-20 with 1986’s Castle in the Sky, the story of a young girl who falls out of the sky and into the arms of a boy who helps her search for a floating island where a long-dead civilization promises fantastic secrets. English voices include James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, Mandy Patinkin and Andy Dick.

Studio Ghibli Fest tickets and details are available at FathomEvents.com.

— Jayson Peters

Grave of the Fireflies

My Neighbor Totoro

ANIME • NETFLIX

DRACULA’S CURSE Netflix will debut the second season of its animated Castlevania adaptation Oct. 26.

Producer Adi Shankar made the announcement, and debuted some preview art, on Thursday while attending anime expo in Los Angeles.

Based on the Nintendo Entertainment System title Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, the series has drawn acclaim both as a video game adaptation and a horror anime in its own right, with solid writing

by Warren Ellis. Oct. 26 can’t come soon enough!

In his newsletter, Ellis talks about keeping things under wraps and shares an additional piece of key art: We are releasing no details on story content, additional characters or any other thing. If I even tried, Netflix would have me poisoned by tomorrow morning. So, for better or worse, all you know is how long it is and when it’s going live.

I’ve seen cuts for two trailers, but I believe they were only for Anime Expo on July 5. I’ll run them if and when they’re released to the public. These here are all three of the approved key art pieces for the season 2 announcement on the 5th.

I’m not really allowed to let anyone look behind the curtain. So it’s going to be a long three/four months for me, because I’d love to talk about what is very likely the best voice cast in serial animation today, about director Sam Deats and the frankly astonishing crew at Powerhouse, about our Emmy-award-winning composer Trevor Morris, and to apologise to our fine animation services team in Korea,

who I believe I’ve murdered with a couple of the episodes.

I will say that one episode had Sam in tears, twice, and also reduced our marketing queen at Netflix to tears, while she was on a plane. So, if you enjoyed Season 1, then you have around 110 days to get your body ready. We are releasing no details on story content, additional characters or any other thing. If I even tried, Netflix would have me poisoned by tomorrow morning. So, for better or worse, all you know is how long it is and when it’s going live.

I’ve seen cuts for two trailers, but I believe they were only for Anime Expo on July 5. I’ll run them if and when they’re released to the public. These here are all three of the approved key art pieces for the season 2 announcement on the 5th.

I’m not really allowed to let anyone look behind the curtain. So it’s going to be a long three/four months for me, because I’d love to talk about what is very likely the best voice cast in serial animation today, about director Sam Deats and the frankly astonishing crew at Powerhouse, about our Emmy-award-winning composer Trevor Morris, and to apologise to our fine animation services team in Korea, who I believe I’ve murdered with a couple of the episodes.

I will say that one episode had Sam in tears, twice, and also reduced our marketing queen at Netflix to tears, while she was on a plane. So, if you enjoyed Season 1, then you have around 110 days to get your body ready.

— Jayson Peters

A scene from the upcoming second season of Netflix’s Castlevania animated series, based on the Nintendo game Castlevanioa III: Dracula’s Curse.

13

EVENTS • COSPLAY

COMIC-CON PHOTOS BY BOB LEEPER IN SAN DIEGO • MORE: https://wp.me/P7jz0b-xo5

14