In the last update for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, developer Infinity Ward is bringing back an intense spin on Gunfight, introducing a new variant to Cyber Attack, and having a little fun with April Fools’ Day.
Gunfight will see the return of a Snipers-Only 3v3 playlist, which is pretty self-explanatory. The regular 2v2 mode will add another play to each team and cycle through snipers only, making the cramped and quick matches a real test of precision.
Cyber Attack is also getting a new spin with a Pro variant, which removes the need to revive teammates and automatically respawns them back into the game. This should give the mode a much more chaotic feel, as players can return to the action a lot faster than before.
It wouldn’t be an update on April 1 without some mischievous fun, and Infinity Ward is delivering it with two new playlists. The first, named I Have Trust Issues, seems to suggest you’ll be playing on Shipment, but instead puts players in a 24/7 playlist of matches set on Piccadilly instead. The second, COD Players Only Want One Thing, does put you on Shipment, with a cycling mosh pit of modes and 10v10 player teams. If you thought Shipment was cramped before, guess again.
If you’re signed up for a ComiXology Unlimited subscription and want to read the best Batman stories the service has to offer, then you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the greatest Batman comics and graphic novels available to read right now with a subscription.
ComiXology is a digital comics platform where you can purchase and read comics on your device of choice — desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. ComiXology Unlimited is a subscription service where for a monthly fee you’re granted access to a library of over 25,000 select titles (and for a limited time there’s a 60-day free trial period). Note that ComiXology Unlimited is only available in the U.S.
Before you dive into our list, know that in some cases only part of a series is available to read on ComiXology Unlimited, meaning you’ll have to pay for the rest if you want to continue reading the whole story. We’ll point that out where appropriate and offer our best suggestions on how to proceed from there.
You can check out the list by flipping through the slideshow below or keep scrolling to read it as an article.
For what’s arguably the best Batman story of the past decade, it may come as a shock that The Black Mirror doesn’t even feature Bruce Wayne under the cowl. That’s right, this articulately structured thriller follows Dick Grayson during his time as the Dark Knight and shows him faced with a pair of mysteries as complex as they are horrifying. This tale not only proves without a doubt that Dick deserved to take up Bruce’s mantle but adds exciting new aspects to Gotham City and the Gordon family, making for a fresh and enthralling read. The final page still manages to leave us with chills every. single. time.
Batman: Hush
By Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee
If you’ve never set aside the time to read Hush, now’s your chance. The complete story is on ComiXology Unlimited and is considered a modern Batman classic. Introducing a new villain that’s just as formidable and intriguing as any member of the Rogues Gallery you already know and love, Batman: Hush is an incredibly personal tale for the Dark Knight rendered with gorgeous visuals. -Kelly Knox
Batman: The Long Halloween
By Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Another Batman classic that you can read in its entirety, The Long Halloween takes place during Bruce Wayne’s early days as the Dark Knight. A mysterious foe known as Holiday only kills once per month on, you guessed it, holidays. Batman races against time to find the killer before another victim is claimed in this timeless thriller that features numerous iconic Batman foes. -Kelly Knox
Batman: Year One
By Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
Maybe THE Batman book, Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One is a retelling of the Dark Knight’s origin in a gritty Gotham. Bruce Wayne, only 25 years old, returns home at the same time police officer Jim Gordon moves to Gotham with his wife. Bruce dons the cape and cowl to take on mob boss Carmine Falcone. -Kelly Knox
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
By Frank Miller
The most iconic and influential Batman comic of all time, The Dark Knight Returns shows an aged Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to battle the corruption of his beloved Gotham City. A must read for any new Batman fan (and a must re-read if you’re a longtime fan and it’s been a while). Only two of four issues are available on ComiXology Unlimited and we must say it’s worth grabbing the other two to finish the tale.
Batman: White Knight
By Sean Gordon Murphy
What if Joker was the hero and Batman was the villain? This inventive spin on the familiar Batman formula takes place in an alternate universe where nothing is as it seems and will make you question everything you’ve ever thought about these two iconic characters and what makes them tick. Only two of eight issues are available on ComiXology Unlimited, so use that as a sampler to see if you enjoy this strange spin before committing to the whole thing.
Batman: Knightfall
By various artists and writers
One of Batman’s most memorable defeats came when Bane broke his back. This is that story. At this point in time, Bane was a newly introduced character, as was Azrael, so reading this comic will take you back to when both characters were fresh to readers and no one knew what to expect or how they would forever impact Batman’s legacy. Knightfall is the first volume in a trilogy that can be enjoyed by itself, but you’ll need to shell out for Knightquest and KnightsEnd for the full story.
Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles
By Tom King and Mikel Janin
This story sees Batman finally pop the big question to Catwoman, but before she answers, he wants to confess his darkest secret, so he tells her the story of his role in a massive turf war between the Joker and the Riddler aptly called “The War of Jokes and Riddles” that took place after his first year as Batman. Even though this is an eight-part storyline in the middle of Tom King’s long-running Batman series, it can easily be read by itself as a standalone graphic novel because it tells a concise story featuring a younger Batman towards the beginning of his crime fighting career and all of the villains appear in their most iconic form. This story is the highlight of King’s Batman run and is gorgeously drawn by master artist Mikel Janin, making it a modern Batman classic.
For a hearty comics meal to binge, check out the New 52 run on Batman by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. This run pits Batman against the deadly and mysterious Court of Owls, the Joker, and the Riddler in a series of epic arcs that push the Dark Knight to the breaking point. This run has been heralded as one of the most introspective and fresh takes on Batman over his many years. The first six volumes of this 10-volume run are available to read on ComiXology Unlimited, which is more than enough to deliver a satisfying experience.
All-Star Batman
By Scott Snyder, John Romita Jr, Jock, Tula Lotay and Giuseppe Camuncoli
If you’re looking for a more focused and action-packed read, then try out All-Star Batman. The first volume features a story where Batman must escort Two-Face across the nation in order to finally restore the villain’s scarred face, only for virtually every assassin in DC canon to show up and try to stop him. It’s like Max Max: Fury Road set in the DC Universe. The second volume shows Batman going up against Mr. Freeze. Poison Ivy, and Mad Hatter to stop an apocalyptic scheme from destroying the world. There’s a third volume of All-Star Batman that’s not included in ComiXology Unlimited. Each volume is fairly self-contained, plus the third volume features new characters you may not be familiar with (Nemesis and The First Ally).
Batman: Detective Comics – Rise of the Batmen
By James Tynion IV, Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez
Batman and Batwoman are the two most experienced crime fighters in Gotham City, but they know they won’t last forever, so this story sees them training the next generation of heroes. The team consists of Tim Drake/Red Robin, Stephanie Brown/Spoiler, Cassandra Cain/Orphan, and, in a surprisingly delightful twist, a reformed Basil Karlo/Clayface looking for redemption. This is a suspenseful and emotional read that ups the stakes for the Bat-family and explores their complicated and often conflicting views on how to live the life of a vigilante. There are seven volumes in this run, but strangely on ComiXology Unlimited after volume one it jumps to volumes four, five and six, so you’ll have to purchase the middle volumes yourself.
Batman R.I.P.
By Grant Morrison and Tony S. Daniel
While everything else on this list can easily be picked up and enjoyed regardless of your comics-reading experience, Batman RIP is infamous for being one of the most challenging comics even for longtime Batman readers. As the ominous title implies, the story shows what would happen if Batman were no more, leaving the Club of Villains to ransack an all-but defenseless Gotham City. But what follows is a great deal more complicated as we witness Bruce Wayne’s mental breakdown and dive headfirst into a nightmarish fever dream composed of decades-old Batman references and a merging of plot threads from across Morrison’s long-running Batman saga. We said it was challenging! But while some fans consider it one of the worst Batman stories to date, others regard it as one of the most ingenious. If you’ve got ComiXology Unlimited, may as well take a shot at it to see what you think.
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Want even more out of your ComiXoloy Unlimited subscription? Check out this list of the best bingeable comics available on the service:
Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing much of the world into self-isolation, being able to find affordable respite has rarely been a more pressing concern. Today we take a look at three recent indie games that deliver us relief, letting us escape to a better place and refocus on finding a connection with others.
Much like video games themselves, holidays are liminal spaces, a kind of between-world that serves to separate us from our everyday existence. They can mark a line in the sand. The version of you that embarks on the holiday is often not the version of you that returns.
Early teen couple Mord and Ben join the former’s adult aunt and uncle, Cloanne and Brad, on an overnight camping trip in Wide Ocean, Big Jacket. They talk, they go on walks, they sit around the campfire, they just sort of, you know, hang out. It’s just one night–and honestly, very little actually happens over the course of the game’s 90-minute play time–but it feels somehow significant. Like, this night was a once-in-a-lifetime event. For those who were present, it mattered. Things were decided. A course was set.
As they arrive at the park, Mord sarcastically notes, “I can’t believe how far we drove just to be in the middle of some trees.” But it’s those trees, that change of scenery, that allow the four people in the middle to reflect on their lives beyond the trees. They don’t take stock; you’re not wading through ponderous self-obsession. It’s not a therapy session for any of them. As Ben says, “Here is a different, smaller life.”
The tone is light and the writing feels effortless. You’ll join Mord and Ben digging holes and doing cartwheels on the beach, Cloanne bird-watching, Brad wandering off to get some more firewood. In each of these vignettes, their interactions feel authentic. The tentative tenderness as Mord and Ben share their first kiss rings as true as their anxiety around a group of older teens who tease them.
Maybe it’s just my age, but Cloanne and Brad are the real stars. Spending time with the kids forces them to revisit the choice they’d made to not have children of their own. It almost boils over into an argument, yet before it does they’ve reconciled, walking in silence, but hand-in-hand, back to the campsite. That one scene has lingered with me ever since, a perfect example of the game’s mature and economical approach to story-telling.
Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is the getaway we could all use right now.
It’s Like: A sweet, coming of age walking simulator in your Animal Crossing village.
Mythic Ocean reimagines the sea as a kind of court of arbitration wherein the gods seek to determine the fate of an eternally recurring world. The current cycle of existence has ended, you see, and there are decisions to be made over which of the gods will govern the next cycle. For reasons not immediately clear, but eventually answered by the game’s end, you have the ultimate say in the matter; your choice will determine how the world is remade.
If that all sounds pretentious and somewhat highfalutin, rest assured, it’s not. Instead it’s an epic tale told on an intimate stage with a focus on empathy and compassion, rather than apocalyptic heroics. The gods in this ocean are endearingly naive, all childlike innocence and impulse, yet lacking in social niceties. Through a series of overlapping, conversation-heavy quests you’re able to help them face their fears, develop some wisdom and generally connect with others to better appreciate their place in the world. Maybe there aren’t any one-size-fits-all answers, the message seems to be, but admitting our own mistakes and forgiving the mistakes of others is a good place to start.
Exploring the seas, via blessedly straightforward first-person “swimming” movement, is pleasingly serene, particularly when wriggling through reed-filled basins and across beds of coral where everything is rendered in soothing greens and warming yellows. Even the odd moment spent probing narrow tunnels or venturing into the darker depths remain tranquil, allowing you to concentrate on tracking down the delightful cast of supporting characters to complete their sidequests.
For a game set entirely underwater, Mythic Ocean is wonderfully warm and inviting. Dive in, the water’s lovely.
It’s Like: Game of Thrones, but everyone is willing to set aside their self-interest, recognise when they’ve wronged others, and priortise the greater good.
Sadly, I couldn’t find a third game about the ocean to round out this month’s column, so hopefully a game about the moon will manage to tide you over.
Luna: The Shadow Dust is a minimalist, puzzle-based point-and-click adventure in the vein of Machinarium or the Samorost series. Entirely wordless, its beautifully illustrated screens challenge you to solve an abstract or mechanical puzzle to unlock the next door and progress. There’s no dialogue to click through, no text descriptions to read, just a handful of hotspots on each screen, a correct order in which to interact with them, and your logical acuity to make sense of it all.
Almost all the puzzles revolve around combining the actions of the two playable characters, a young boy and his little spherical companion, between whom you can switch control at any time. The boy can use things–hit switches, pull levers, move objects, and so on–while his cuddly companion can climb things, squeeze into small gaps and, uh, cross over to the shadow world.
I found the puzzles consistently fell on just the right side of vexing, my progress pausing at each new conundrum long enough to feel satisfying to solve without feeling like I’d come to a complete standstill. Drawing on elements of magical realism, the fantastical nature of the world means there’s a bit of trial-and-error as you work out what clicking on each object does, but the limited parameters of each puzzle–restricted as they are to two characters and a handful of interactable objects–frames their solutions within reach.
The story Luna tells veers close to the melodramatic. The gorgeously hand-drawn cutscenes pull it back from that particular edge, however, their stylistic restraint imbuing a tale of cooperation and self-sacrifice with some genuinely moving moments. Melancholic indie puzzlers are a dime a dozen these days, but they’re rarely executed with such grace.
It’s Like: Samorost trying to find its way out of The Room while futilely trying to avoid inevitable tragedy.
WWE 2K20 and some of the brand’s most iconic wrestlers are coming together to entertain you during your coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine. The WWE Dream Match Mania event will simulate matches between some of the biggest wrestlers in history, and it will have commentary from real WWE superstars to back it up.
Airing April 2 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on WWE’s platforms as well as YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and Facebook, WWE Dream Match Mania will consist of six simulated matches.
Roman Reigns vs. The Rock with commentary from Jimmy and Jey Uso
Sasha Banks vs. Trish Stratus with commentary from Sasha Banks and Bayley
John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan with commentary from R-Truth and Drake Maverick
Seth Rollins vs. Rick Flair with commentary from Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole
Charlotte Flair vs. Beth Phoenix with commentary from both wrestlers
Goldberg vs. Big E with commentary from Big E and Kofi Kingston
Alongside WWE Network and its own platforms, you’ll be able to watch the event on UpUpDownDown’s social media platforms. UpUpDownDown is the gaming channel run by Xavier Woods, otherwise known as WWE superstar Xavier Woods.
Because the simulated wrestling matches are being carried out in WWE 2K20, there is potential for hilarity. When the game launched last October, it was hilariously broken. In GameSpot’s WWE 2K20 review, Richard Wakeling gave the game a 2/10 score and lamented its bugs and crashing issues. It was developed by Visual Concepts rather than longtime partner Yuke’s, which had handled the franchise since it was still licensed to THQ.
Wrestlemania 36 will be taking a different approach because of the coronavirus pandemic, split over two nights and without Roman Reigns because he is immunocompromised. Come back to GameSpot on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 to join the Wrestle Buddies, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring, for full coverage of this unique Wrestlemania event.
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A new Humble Bundle just went up, and it’s a doozy. It comes with 44 PC games, a documentary series, 26 books, comics, and audiobooks, plus a free month of Humble Choice for new members. The games include modern classics like Hollow Knight, Undertale, Into the Breach, and more. On the book side, you get volumes of comics like Locke & Key, The Boys, Saga, Criminal, and Spawn. If purchased separately, the total would come to over $1,000, but all you need to pay is $30. Plus, 100% of the proceeds go to organizations helping fight COVID-19.
It’s one of the best values I’ve seen in a long time. The games come in the form of Steam codes, and some, like The Witness and Undertale, are also available DRM-free. Other highlights include the time-manipulating shooter Superhot, Darksiders I and II, Broken Age, Tropico 4, Jackbox Party Pack 2, Psychonauts, World of Goo, and on and on. It’s a massive collection of excellent games.
The digital comics included in the bundle are also fantastic picks, particularly for lapsed comic readers who haven’t been keeping up with all the big titles of recent years. In addition to the heavy-hitters mentioned above, you get volumes of Red Sonja, Oblivion Song, and Nowhere Men. Also included are self-help books to give you a hand during the current period of social isolation, as well as books to help you learn to make music and code with Python.
Humble Bundle has always had a charitable component, but with this Combat COVID-19 bundle, 100% of the proceeds go to support organizations focused on combating the coronavirus. The charities include Direct Relief, International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, and Partners in Health. These organizations are responsible for delivering protective gear to the medical professionals on the front lines, and for providing medical care for infected patients.
So you get a bundle of great games and books, and you can feel good that you helped contribute to fighting the pandemic. Grab it before April 7 if that sounds like something you’d be interested in. That’s when this bundle goes away for good.
Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle announcements or promotions for coverage.
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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
Bethesda will not be broadcasting a digital showcase in June, despite the cancellation of E3 meaning the developer-publisher can’t hold its traditional press conference this year.
Confirmed in a tweet from head of marketing Pete Hines, the decision stems from the “many challenges” the company is facing due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Given the many challenges we’re facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months.
It sounds as though Bethesda will instead spread its planned announcements out across the year, rather than clustering them into a single show.
Bethesda had previously said that it was planning to show off more from Arkane’s Deathloop, and Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo at the show. Fans will have been hoping for more teases of The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, as well.
With E3 2020 canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some publishers are still planning to give digital presentations around the time that E3 would have taken place in June. Those plans now include one less publisher, as Bethesda has bowed out of its annual presentation.
A statement from marketing VP Pete Hines, who often headlines Bethesda’s E3 presentations, said the company is facing “many challenges” due to the pandemic, and as a result won’t be hosting its digital showcase in June. It does note that the company will still be sharing its plans in the coming months–though it’s unclear if this means a single large digital presentation will still be happening, or if the announcements will be split into individual ones.
Bethesda’s E3 presentations usually pack at least a few surprises, along with details about ongoing content for games like Elder Scrolls Online. We’re not sure what the company planned to show at this year’s event, though it has teased long-term projects like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6.
Given the many challenges we’re facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months.
Call of Duty Mobile imitates the style of its PC and console counterparts, right down to issuing regular content updates as a live game. The latest season is Steel Legion, introducing new game modes, a new map, and some fan-favorite characters.
A limited-time 2v2 Showdown mode pits you and a partner against another squad of two with single elimination rules and random loadouts that change every two matches. The first pair to win six matches wins the round. If no one pulls that off, you go into an overtime capture-the-flag mode. The update reintroduces the 20v20 Battle Royale mode, but now you can play in first-person perspective. Battle Royale also adds two new weapons, the HS2126 shotgun and UL736 LMG.
You’ll also be able to unlock two characters from the Black Ops series, David “Section” Mason and the war robot Reaper. Those are each available through the Battle Pass, which also includes a new RC Shock killstreak. Finally, the update adds the Black Ops 2 map Meltdown.
This follows just after the surprise-launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered on PS4. Though various leaks gave away the secret ahead of time, its exact launch date was unannounced until it was suddenly available on the PlayStation Store. It’s the campaign only, without multiplayer, and it’s a PS4-exclusive until April 30. At that point it will also come to PC and Xbox One.
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The NBA season has been indefinitely postponed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which was infected multiple players, but superstars are making the most of their time off with an NBA 2K20 charity tournament.
Airing on ESPN on April 3, the NBA 2K Players Tournament features 16 NBA players competing in head-to-head brackets for the chance to be crowned champion. Participants include Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond, DeMarcus Cousins, and Trae Young, and their seeds in the tournament were determined based on their player-ratings in the game itself.
Players select eight teams to play with during the tournament and are allowed to use each only once. That means mastering multiple squads and not only passing the ball to your in-game counterpart.
All eligible charities for the tournament are coronavirus-focused, but the winning player will be able to choose one to receive a $100,000 donation from 2K Games, the NBA, and the National Basketball Players Association.
Players only 😏 16 NBA players will compete head to head in the NBA 2K Players Tournament. First Round starts this Friday on ESPN Tweet #NBA2KTourney to tell us who you got as the best 2K player https://t.co/vGw6TgbqB8
The NBA was one of the first professional sports leagues to suspend its season after Utah Jazz center Ruby Gobert contracted coronavirus. Gobert had jokingly touched microphones during a press conference before learning he had the disease and it was more prominent in the United States. The country now has more confirmed cases than anywhere in the world.
The Phoenix Suns made the most of its time off by transitioning to NBA 2K20 Twitch streams for its remaining schedule. NBA 2K20 also encountered issues with simulating results because the season had been postponed, causing crashes in MyLeague mode when trying to find data.
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While the coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak has led to the delay of many movies, it has meant that some films have been released to digital platforms earlier than expected. The successful action sequel Bad Boys for Life wasn’t expected to arrive on video-on-demand for at least another month, but it can now be watched at home. In addition, the first nine minutes of the movie have now been released for free.
This “extended preview” does a good job of reestablishing Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s characters Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, as well giving us the expected action and wisecracking, and setting up the basic plot. Or to put it another way–you’ll know if you’ll want to check out the rest of the movie after you watch it. Check it out below:
Bad Boys For Life is the most successful movie released in the US so far this year, with a $204 million domestic gross. Admittedly, there hasn’t been much competition, given the only other big franchise movie, DC’s Birds of Prey, underperformed at the box office. But with virtually every other big movie that was due a spring and summer release now delayed or postponed, Bad Boys For Life is likely to hold this position for a long time.
Universal was the first major studio to give some of its current theatrical titles early digital releases. The Invisible Man, The Hunt, and Emma all hit video-on-demand on March 20, while Trolls: World Tour is skipping theaters entirely and arrives on April 10. Birds of Prey was also been given an early digital release and has been available since March 24.
