Month: January 2021

Nintendo eShop Down, Seemingly Due to Monster Hunter Rise Demo Demand

The Nintendo eShop is currently down for unscheduled “emergency maintenance”, which may be due to demand for the recently released Monster Hunter Rise demo.

The eShop has been down for at least 4 hours at time of writing, with Nintendo’s Japanese customer support Twitter account repeatedly apologising for the issues, but offering no timescale for a fix.

While neither Nintendo or Capcom has specifically commented on the connection, the outage coincides with the release of the demo for Monster Hunter Rise, which includes two quests and two tutorials for the upcoming Switch exclusive.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/07/monster-hunter-rise-hunting-a-mizutsune-gameplay”]

Developing…

IGN UK Podcast #574: The Big 2021 Games Preview

Cardy, Dale and Jesse are here to all the games that they’re looking forward to (potentially) playing in 2021. Half of them probably won’t actually be released but we can only hope for the best. Before getting to that long list though we talk through some of the games, films and TV shows that we enjoyed over Christmas which ranges from regency romance to cannibal infested woodland.

Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: [email protected].

IGN UK Podcast #574: The Big 2021 Games Preview

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=ign-uk-podcast-episode-500-photos&captions=true”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Cobra Kai Season 3 Breakdown & Best Moments

Plus, Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz) discusses Miguel’s recovery, William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) talks about his bond with Miguel, and Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso) and Peyton List (Tory Nichols) talk about Sam and Tory being the new Daniel and Johnny.

Dave and Chris give their overall reactions to Season 3 and talk about the ending. They discuss what worked, including Kreese’s origin story, Kumiko, Hawk’s redemption, and Miguel’s recovery. In contrast, they also talk about what didn’t work, such as Robby’s storyline, and lots of misunderstandings. And of course, Season 3’s best moments, like Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence finally teaming up!

Logan Director James Mangold Calls for Fox News Boycott Following Riots

James Mangold, the director of movies like Logan, Ford vs. Ferrari, and Walk the Line, is speaking out in the wake of yesterday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a series of tweets, he called on fellow producers and directors to boycott Fox News.

“Watching lawlessness in our capital–thugs supporting a coup–& deeply saddened,” Mangold wrote in a tweet. “The Murdochs have inflicted so much racism, sexism, and virulent lies & damage to our nation.”

Mangold wants movie makers to deprive the Fox News Network not just of appearances, but ads too. “Fellow content makers, we must cancel appearances on Fox & use our power to keep ads 4 our shows off Fox,” he continued.

Mangold’s words are resonating with many following the riots, but some pointed out that some of the director’s most successful films, like those listed above, were made for Fox. “I’m sorry, but when did you realize this? Before or after you made MULTIPLE movies for Fox? I respect your work, but talk about hipocrisy. You’ve helped this. The Murdoch’s have been known a**holes for decades. This is where it was leading,” one user replied. Mangold responded, saying that “there’s a difference between a**holes and traitors, but you still make a good point. I should’ve stood up sooner. We all have lines we draw, often we draw them too late, hoping for change. I regret ever helping the Murdochs make a dollar in the past. They are deplorable.”

Disney dropped the Fox name from its movie and TV studios following its acquisition of Fox’s library last year, and Fox News is a separate entity not included in that acquisition, so Mangold isn’t endangering any of his planned or potential future projects with these statements.

Now Playing: 5 Things To Check Out If You Liked Logan

DC’s Justice Society: World War II Movie Cast Revealed

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Comics have announced the cast for the upcoming Justice Society: World War II film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will feature an ensemble cast led by Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace, Castle) as Wonder Woman and Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol) as The Flash. This new film will therefore be a continuation of a series of collaborations between those two actors, who first worked together in the DC Universe Movies series in 2013’s Superman: Unbound.

They top a cast that also includes Elysia Rotaru as Black Canary, Chris Diamantopoulos as Steve Trevor, Omid Abtahi as Hawkman, Matthew Mercer as Hourman, Armen Taylor as Jay Garrick, Liam McIntyre as Aquaman, Ashleigh LaThrop as Iris West, Geoffrey Arend as Charles Halstead/Advisor, Keith Ferguson as Dr. Fate, and Darin De Paul as Roosevelt.

A drawing showcasing the designs for some of the starring superhero team in Justice Society: World War II has also been released, which you can see below.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Justice Society: World War II comes from a script co-written by Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, DC Super Hero Girls) and Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Batman: Soul of the Dragon).

The film is expected to hit HBO Max, though a release date has not yet been announced.

Netflix’s Cobra Kai Season 3: Why Sam And Tory Are The New Daniel And Johnny

Now that the third season of Cobra Kai is out on Netflix, we’re left with a lot of questions about the future. What happens next between Johnny and Daniel? How will Kreese continue to ruin lives in the valley? And most importantly, how many massive karate brawls can happen before all of these teenagers are sent to prison? What the show is also doing, though, is showing how history can repeat itself.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 3 of Cobra Kai on Netflix. If you haven’t seen the new episodes, stop reading now and get to it.

When first introduced in Season 2, Tory (Peyton List) seemed to be the perfect foil for Sam (Mary Mouser). She was a girl with an edgy attitude, plenty of fighting skill, and wound up dating Sam’s ex, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña). By the end of the season, though, what could have been seen as a normal teenage rivalry went into overdrive during the high school karate riot heard ’round the world. Tory did some serious damage to Sam, all because of a boy.

No Caption Provided

If that sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it before. This particular story is well in line with the plot of The Karate Kid, in which Johnny (William Zabka) and his Cobra Kai goons wreak havoc on Daniel’s (Ralph Macchio) life after Ali (Elisabeth Shue) leaves one for the other.

Of course, times are different now and this generation’s version of Johnny and Daniel are taking things to extremes the original movie couldn’t have fathomed, whether it’s the aforementioned karate riot of the insane Christmas brawl throughout the LaRusso house in the Season 3 finale, which left kids bloodied and battered.

Where does it end, though? The feud between Johnny and Daniel essentially continued for three decades, only finally coming to some kind of peace in Season 3 of Cobra Kai. Are Sam and Tory doomed to suffer the same fate? Honestly, the most likely answer is probably.

“I think, in my brain, it would take quite a long time to get there because there’s just so much anger and damage on both sides,” Mouser told GameSpot. “I like to imagine that this rivalry continues on for another 30 years. And we find out then.”

No Caption Provided

While it does sound like a great idea for a sequel series, the actress did admit seeing the two of them work together is’t out of the realm of possibility.

“I think that my dream moment is when some other enemies come in and Tory and Sam have to team up for a brief moment to take them out,” she said. “And then immediately after they’re like, ‘But screw you and see you later.'”

Given how dedicated the two are to their opposing ideals, though, don’t bet on that happening anytime soon. In fact, when asked about what the immediate future between Sam and Tory looks like, List could only say, “This is only going to get worse, and this isn’t going to get better anytime soon.”

Cobra Kai Season 3 is streaming on Netflix now.

Now Playing: Cobra Kai: Martial Arts Expert Reacts to Season 2 School Fight

Path Of Exile Developer Gives An Update On The Sequel

Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile has remained a popular free-to-play action-RPG since its debut in 2013. While the current game is still getting regular updates, the developers also have plans for a sequel, which was announced in 2019. Unfortunately, 2020 turned out to be a chaotic year for many, and developer Grinding Gear Games had to adapt to sudden changes in plans.

Along with our chat about the Echoes of the Atlas expansion, managing director of Path of Exile Chris Wilson gave us an update on Path of Exile 2. The sequel is Path of Exile’s next leap forward as a free-to-play action-RPG, adding in a new story, world to explore, and classes to level up and outfit with loot. While development is still progressing, Wilson spoke candidly about how the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the progress, and it may be a bit longer before we see the sequel’s release.

“[Development] has been a bit slower than I would have liked, it was the biggest casualty of COVID–and I hate to blame COVID because it seems like everyone is doing that–but it really has had an impact on us,” said Wilson. “That’s mostly because we’re still committed to getting our normal expansions out, we’re not going to allow problems to affect our current maintenance of the game, so that means we’ve had to pull developers from PoE2 from the last year back onto this game. That’s been fine, and there’s plenty of work there, but that does mean it’s been a bit rocky with the sequel’s work being done behind the scenes. It also doesn’t help that with New Zealand’s borders being closed, we can’t hire other developers from overseas. But to cut a long story short, things have been slow.”

During our talk about the newest expansion, Echoes of the Atlas, Wilson explained that one of the added benefits of moving chairs around within the studio was that creatives working on the sequel have been able to apply new tricks and upgrades to the original game. The next expansion will introduce 11 new maps into the Atlas endgame, and each one will feature more dynamic camera work, updated graphics, and other updates to the presentation that puts it above the more common tile-sets in the game.

Despite the silence about anything related to the game, Wilson stated they plan to share more details about the game in 2021. In addition to keeping the current game up to date, Grinding Gear Games plans to roll out new info about what’s to come with the sequel.

“But that hasn’t bothered us in an existential way; last year, Path of Exile had its best year yet and we see 2021 being even better. We’re committed to getting the sequel out because we’ve already made that promise to players, so we plan to have a very transparent approach to showing the game this year. We really don’t see value in hiding what we have for the sequel, so we want to reassure you players that it’s going well.”

For more info on Path of Exile, be sure to check out our recent coverage on the expansion, which is set to release January 15 on PC, with a console launch on January 20.

Now Playing: Path Of Exile 2 – Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Monster Hunter Rise Early Access Demo Gameplay

Monster Hunter Rise marks the first brand-new Monster Hunter game to release on Nintendo Switch, and much like Monster Hunter World before it, it shakes up the series’ formula in some novel ways. Perhaps its biggest innovations are the Palamute and the Wirebug, both of which are showcased prominently in the game’s free Switch demo.

We had a chance to play an early access version of the Monster Hunter Rise demo, sampling its two training missions and its two proper hunts. The former are designed to show newer players the ropes, while the latter send you off to slay the Great Izuchi–one of Rise’s new monsters–and the returning Mizutsune.

You can check out some gameplay of all four demo missions in the video above. For more on the game, be sure to check out our roundup of everything we know about Monster Hunter Rise, as well as our preorder guide for a detailed look at the game’s different editions and preorder bonuses.

Monster Hunter Rise launches on Switch on March 26. Capcom is also releasing three Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo figures alongside the game that same day, which will unlock exclusive gear in the title.

Monster Hunter Rise’s Wirebug And Palamutes Are Game Changers

Although Monster Hunter has been around for nearly two decades now, it wasn’t until 2018’s Monster Hunter World that the series truly exploded in popularity. Thanks in no small part to its myriad quality-of-life refinements, World opened the traditionally dense franchise up to a new audience and became Capcom’s best-selling video game to date, and the series’ next installment, Monster Hunter Rise for Switch, builds upon World’s strides with a greater emphasis on exploration and mobility.

We had a chance to play an early access version of Monster Hunter Rise’s forthcoming demo, which offered a small taste of the game’s different weapons and features. The demo consisted of two training missions, designed to acclimate players to the game’s basic controls and new mechanics, as well as two proper hunts: a “beginner” quest to slay the new Great Izuchi, and an “intermediate” quest revolving around the returning Mizutsune.

The backdrop for both hunts was the Shrine Ruins, an expansive bamboo forest dotted with cliffs, stone shrines, and waterways. The locale lent itself particularly well to showing off the Wirebug, Rise’s most notable new gameplay wrinkle. Like Monster Hunter World’s Slinger, this creature functions as a sort of grappling hook, allowing you to swing through the air and wrangle monsters. Despite these cursory similarities, however, the Wirebug is functionally quite different from the Slinger. For one, rather than latching directly onto a monster, you’ll be using the Wirebug primarily to slingshot yourself toward or away from it, making the tool more about mobility.

You begin each quest with two Wirebugs on hand (and can temporarily pick up a third one while out in the field). To use them, you need to hold down the ZL button and press either X to swing up into the air, A to propel yourself forward, or ZR to swing in the direction your character is currently facing. The Wirebugs can be used consecutively, but each one will have a brief cooldown period afterward, so you’ll need to deploy them with care while in the heat of battle. There’s a bit of a learning curve to using the Wirebugs given the different button combinations you need to remember, but once you get the hang of things, these actions make maneuvering around the world much more enjoyable than previous Monster Hunter games.

The Wirebugs have a few additional uses as well. If you deploy one while your weapon is drawn, you’ll unleash a special “Silkbind” move. Each of the game’s 14 different weapon types has a unique attack when used in conjunction with the Wirebugs, which helps them retain their distinctness and gives you an incentive to experiment with different weapons. Moreover, if you attack a monster enough times with Silkbind moves, you’ll eventually ensnare it, opening the opportunity to mount it and initiate the new Wyvern Riding mechanic. While atop the beast, you can command it to attack another monster or launch it into a wall or some other nearby object, stunning it.

Taken all together, these actions dramatically alter how you approach hunts. This is especially true for something like the Great Sword, my own preferred weapon. Maneuvering around with the Great Sword has never been particularly graceful, especially when the weapon is drawn. Thanks to the Wirebug, however, I was able to close the distance between a monster much more quickly and even use the Wirebug to dash away, retreating just before it could retaliate. This greater degree of mobility feels very satisfying and adds another layer of nuance to monster encounters.

Maneuverability in general seems to have been a big focus for the development team, as the game introduces other ways to get around more quickly. This is obvious in Rise’s other headlining innovation, the Palamute, a new canine companion that can accompany you on hunts. While the Palamute offers some offensive assistance when battling monsters, it’s particularly invaluable when it comes to traversal. At any point during a quest, you’re able to hop on your Palamute and dash around without depleting any stamina. Not only is this a significantly faster way to travel than roaming about on foot, you can also run vertically up climbable walls while riding the Palamute, letting you reach elevated areas in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

No Caption Provided

Even more importantly, you can pick up materials and use items while riding the Palamute. This comes especially in handy during a hunt, as you can hop on your Palamute and run around while sharpening a dulled weapon with a whetstone, something you could previously only do while stationary (thus leaving yourself open to attack). After a couple of hours of questing with the Palamute, it’s difficult to imagine playing a Monster Hunter game without it.

Rise also incorporates many of the other quality-of-life improvements introduced by Monster Hunter World. Potions, steaks, and some other items can be consumed while on the move, even on foot, so you’re no longer forced to come to a standstill when using an item, as you were in older Monster Hunter games like Generations Ultimate. You can also fast-travel back to camp from the map screen and pick up endemic critters. These function like items and offer a helpful bit of aid during your hunts, encouraging you to explore and collect resources.

Although we’ve only sampled a small portion of Monster Hunter Rise, its new mechanics enhance the series’ gameplay in appreciable and exciting ways. Rise launches for Nintendo Switch on March 26. The game’s free demo goes live publicly later tonight, January 7, and supports solo and online play. As is the case with the full game, however, you will need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the demo online. The game is also releasing alongside three new Amiibo figures that unlock special layered armor sets. You can read more about Monster Hunter Rise in our preorder guide.

The 21 Most Anticipated Comics of 2021

The comic book industry had a pretty great year in 2020, despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic and major editorial shake-ups at DC. 2021 is looking even better, with major projects like Reign of X, Star Wars: The High Republic and Future State all vying for your hard-earned dollars.

As we look ahead to the new year, here are 21 comics, graphic novels and books that should definitely be on your radar in 2021.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=the-21-most-anticipated-comics-of-2021&captions=true”]

Reign of X

01

In 2020, most of Marvel’s X-Men comics were united under the Dawn of X banner, with each title exploring a different angle of the dramatic new status quo for mutantkind. Now that the X of Swords crossover has concluded, X-Men head honcho Jonathan Hickman and his team are beginning the next major phase – Reign of X.

With Krakoa having triumphed in Otherworld and gained thousands of new citizens in the process, things are looking up even more than ever for the mutant race. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t major challenges ahead, including both new and old enemies and growing divisions within the Quiet Council. If Marvel’s Reign of X teaser art is any indication, fans can look forward to big developments like the return of the Shadow King and Arcade and the birth of Nimrod. Along the way, we’ll see creative team shake-ups and entirely new series make their debuts in 2021.And we can only assume this is all building to another major crossover event in the latter half of the year. After the reign may well come the fall.

Future State

02

DC is kicking off 2021 with an ambitious, two-month crossover event wherein most of their ongoing books are temporarily replaced by limited series set ten years or more in the future. Future State sheds light on the DCU a decade after the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal, revealing a world full of new possibilities and a younger generation of heroes rising up to replace the old. Not only that, Future State promises to deliver some truly excellent creative pairings, whether it’s John Ridley and Nick Derington on Future State: The Next Batman or Jen Bartel writing and drawing Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman.

Nor is Future State a simple, hypothetical detour into a possible future timeline. While we don’t know exactly how these stories will intertwine with DC’s regular publishing lineup, it’s clear that at least some of these new characters will continue to appear after Future State itself has wrapped up.

Snow Angels

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/22/comixologys-snow-angels-exclusive-official-trailer”]

Jeff Lemire and Jock are easily two of the biggest names in comics today, but they’ve never actually worked together on a project. That finally changes in February thanks to Snow Angels. This comiXology Originals series is set in a post-apocalyptic winter wasteland where a handful of survivors cling to life in a region known as The Trench. These survivors are forbidden from ever leaving, but what happens when that fundamental law is finally broken?

Eternals

04

Things have been pretty quiet on the Eternals front at Marvel Comics, particularly after these highly evolved beings were slaughtered in a 2018 issue of The Avengers. But as with most characters in the Marvel Universe, the Eternals never stay gone forever. They’re making their grand return in 2021, just in time for the franchise’s MCU debut.

The new Eternals series looks to provide a perfect entry point for this quirky franchise, and one that emphasizes the team’s connection to Thanos. Marvel has certainly picked the ideal creative team to relaunch Eternals, with The Wicked + The Divine writer Kieron Gillen joining forces with Secret Wars artist Esad Ribic.

Batman/Catwoman

05

Technically, Batman/Catwoman launched in December, but so far we’ve only gotten a brief, tantalizing taste of this long-awaited follow-up to Tom King’s Batman run. The series will continue to play out over the course of 2021, showing the evolution of the Bat/Cat romance in three separate timelines. We’ll also see The Phantasm worked into Batman’s comic book mythology for the first time and learn how the Joker ties into this sordid love triangle. Batman/Catwoman is shaping up to be a worthy conclusion to a modern classic, in no small part because artist Clay Mann is delivering what may well be the best work of his career.

Scott Snyder’s Best Jackett Press

06

Writer Scott Snyder kicked off the new year with the conclusion to his and artist Greg Capullo’s latest DC epic, Dark Nights: Death Metal. But having laid the groundwork for Future State and a revitalized DCU, Snyder’s next step is to shift focus to his creator-owned work. For Snyder fans, 2021 is all about Best Jackett Press, a new publishing imprint that allows Snyder to join forces with some of the biggest names in the business. First up is Nocterra, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi book featuring art from Batman’s Tony S. Daniel. Fans can look forward to several more announcements over the course of 2021.

Venom #200

07

Marvel is in the midst of the King in Black crossover as 2021 gets underway. The symbiote god Knull has come to Earth, and things are looking pretty bleak for Venom and his allies. But even though this is the climactic story writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Stegman have been building toward since 2018, it doesn’t appear that King in Black marks the end of Cates’ Venom saga. Immediately following the conclusion of this crossover, the monthly Venom comic will celebrate a big milestone with Venom #200, an issue that promises to redefine Eddie Brock’s place in the Marvel Universe and set the stage for whatever is coming next. It sounds like the perfect way to get in the mood for Venom’s return to the big screen this summer.

Swamp Thing

08

DC will begin publishing a revamped and consolidated line of monthly comics in March once Future State has wrapped up. None of these books has us more excited than Swamp Thing. Not only is the new series the first ongoing Swamp Thing comic since the New 52 series wrapped in 2015, it features rising star Ram V as its writer. V was our pick for the best comic book writer of 2020 thanks to his work on Justice League Dark, Catwoman and Blue in Green, so the prospect of him taking over our favorite plant elemental is definitely exciting.

Ditko Shrugged: The Uncompromising Life of the Artist Behind Spider-Man

09

Steve Ditko was one of the most enigmatic creators in the comic book industry, right up until his tragic passing in 2018. He co-created one of the most iconic heroes in pop culture, yet he shunned publicity and lived his entire life by a strict moral code. Ditko Shrugged promises to shed more light on Ditko’s mysterious life and the forces that shaped him. Writer David Currie is uniquely qualified to tell that story, drawing on years of correspondence with Ditko and the artist’s own work to paint a better picture of a reclusive legend.

Star Wars: The High Republic

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/star-wars-the-high-republic-explained”]

To date, most Star Wars comics and novels in the Disney era have stayed very close to the events of the movies, fleshing out specific moments and bridging gaps. With the advent of The High Republic, creators now have a chance to paint on a much broader canvas. The High Republic isn’t a singular story, but rather a collection of interconnected tales (both novels and comics) that all spring from a single instigating event 200 years before the movie era. Those who still pine for the storytelling freedom of the Expanded Universe may find plenty to like here. And now we know this ambitious saga will spill over into live-action, as Leslye Headland’s Star Wars series The Acolyte is also set in the High Republic era.

Post-Death Metal Batman Books

11

DC may be consolidating its publishing lineup in 20021, but there will never be a shortage of promising Batman comics on the stands. James Tynion IV is continuing his ongoing Batman run after Future State, with Joker War artist Jorge Jimenez returning for a major Scarecrow storyline. Tynion is also launching the first ongoing Joker comic in 40 years alongside artist Guillem March, with the series showcasing the international manhunt for the Clown Prince of Crime.

We’re also very excited for the new creative teams announced for Detective Comics and Nightwing. Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora will helm the former, and Injustice: Gods Among Us’ Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are on board the latter. In short, the Batman line will be packed with creative firepower in 2021.

Millarworld

12

While we’re still waiting to see the first fruits of Netflix’s purchase of Mark MIllar’s Millarworld imprint, Millar himself is keeping very busy on the comic book side of things. Millar recently tweeted an image teasing a number of new books set to launch in 2021 and 2022. While he didn’t reveal the names of those books, the creative talent alone – including Frank Quitely, Olivier Coipel, Stuart Immonen and Travis Charest – is more than enough cause for excitement.

Marvel’s Alien & Predator

13

Marvel may not publish as many licensed comics as they did back in the ’80s, but both Star Wars and Conan have become major weapons in their arsenal in recent years. Now Marvel is adding Alien and Predator to that arsenal. In addition to publishing new omnibus collections of Dark Horse’s back catalog, Marvel will kick off brand new projects that expand on the movies. The first of these is Alien, from Marvel Zombies Resurrection writer Philip Kennedy Johnson and Star Wars artist Salvador Larroca. We assume a Predator series will also be announced for a 2021 debut, with even more spinoffs to follow.

Haha

14

Clowns are scary enough as it is, but now writer W. Maxwell Prince is tapping into the true horror behind the laughter. Haha takes the winning horror anthology formula of Prince’s Ice Cream Man (which was among our nominees for the best comic book series of 2020) and applies it to clowns. Even better, each issue will feature a different talented artist, including Vanesa Del Rey, Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Roger Langridge.

X-Men Legends & Demon Days: X-Men

15

As psyched as we are for Reign of X, we understand that Marvel’s current X-Men status quo isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, the publisher has two new X-books lined up for an early 2021 debut that promise to take a very different approach to the franchise. The first of these is X-Men Legends, where each issue brings back classic X-Men creators to tell new stories set during those classic eras. For example, Fabian Nicieza and Brett Booth are finally solving the mystery of the elusive third Summers brother, and Walt and Louise Simonson will tell a new tale set during their classic X-Factor run.

Elsewhere, Peach Momoko is completely reimagining the franchise in Demon Days: X-Men, which takes a samurai fantasy approach to characters like Psylocke and Wolverine. Momoko was among those inducted into Marvel’s Stormbreakers program last year, and Demon Days will show exactly why she deserves the honor.

Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone

16

Any new Locke & Key content is good news, but even more so when it involves a crossover with one of the most critically acclaimed fantasy comics of all time. Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone blends these two franchises together, as a member of the Locke family is dragged into the Sandman Universe’s version of Hell. Hell & Gone is anything but a simple detour for the Locke & Key franchise. Creators Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are still steering the ship, and the book is designed as a lead-in to the long-awaited World War Key storyline.

Justice League

17

When Brian Michael Bendis announced he was leaving the Superman line to tackle an even bigger DC project, there was really only one place for him to go. Bendis is reuniting with The Defenders artist David Marquez in March to take over DC’s flagship Justice League comic. In the tradition of Bendis’ landmark New Avengers run, the new League roster will be an unusual mix of iconic favorites and unpredictable newcomers like Queen Hippolyta, Black Adam and Naomi. As an added bonus, Justice League Dark writer Ram V is continuing his run in the form of a recurring backup story.

Abbott: 1973

18

Writer Saladin Ahmed is spinning storytelling gold wherever he turns, but 2018’s Abbott is easily among his strongest works to date. That’s why we’re so happy to see Ahmed reuniting with artist Sami Kivelä for a sequel dubbed Abbott: 1973. This sequel is set against the backdrop of the election of Coleman Young, Detroit’s first black mayor, with Detective Elena Abbott drawn into another dark, supernatural conspiracy.

The New Daredevil

19

Daredevil #25 really threw us for a loop in December, as writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto introduced the new heir to the mantle of Daredevil – Elektra. Needless to say, the series will undergo a dramatic shift in 2021 as Elektra settles into her new role and Matt Murdock continues fighting to stay alive in prison. The series was already among Marvel’s best monthly comics, and we don’t see that changing in 2021.

DC’s YA Graphic Novels

20

DC may be publishing fewer monthly comics in 2021, but the company is placing an ever greater emphasis on standalone graphic novels for the YA market. As the massive success of YA projects like Raina Telgemeier’s Guts shows, that’s clearly where the market is shifting in recent years. DC has several promising new books lined up for 2021. We can’t wait to read The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel, a family-friendly Hellblazer revamp from Jughead’s Ryan North and Derek Charm. We’re also intrigued by I Am Not Starfire, which features Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani exploring the plight of Kory’s gloomy daughter Mandy.

Serial

21

Terry Moore has a real knack for creating deep, nuanced female protagonists. And then there’s Zoe, the underage, bloodthirsty killer who quickly became a fan-favorite character in Moore’s Rachel Rising. Zoe is getting the spotlight all to herself in Moore’s newest project, Serial. We’re looking forward to a gory, lighthearted alternative to apocalyptic drama of Five Years, though with the same impeccable character work we’ve come to expect from Moore.

For more on the year ahead, here’s what to expect from Marvel in 2021 and all the movies (probably) coming out this year.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.