Nerd Alert! Marvel gives Han Solo a wife, teases new universe; LaBeouf vs. HAL

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      Your weekly round-up of news from the world of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and all things nerdy.

      CONFESSION TIME: When it comes to Star Wars, I no longer have any idea what's considered to be canon. (I do, however, know what's considered cannon fodder.) When Disney bought Lucasfilm, all the Expanded Universe stuff went out the window. What does this mean for Princess Leia and Han Solo? Will they be depicted in Episode VII: The Force Awakens as an old married couple? A long-standing rumour has it that the pair's wedding was meant to be shown at the end of Return of the Jedi, but that it didn't make the final cut. Assuming that the Organa-Solo marriage is still canon, Marvel has dropped something of a bombshell in the fifth issue of its new Star Wars title. The series, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by John Cassaday and set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, has introduced a new character, Sana, who claims to be Han's wife. And...that's all I know about that so far.

      ALSO AT MARVEL: The House of Ideas is promising new and different things. Actually, the company is promising that, when Secret Wars wraps up in December-ish, the Marvel Universe will be "ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT"! So, if you liked your Marvel Universe just fine the way it was, um, screw you, I guess. But you won't have to wait all those months to get a taste of what's to come. Marvel has announced that a 64-page full-colour magazine revealing "exciting teams, dynamic characters, deadly villains, dazzling creators" and, of course, "more" (there's always more) will be hitting comic shops on July 1. Did I mention that it's free? No? Well, then: it's free.

      It turns out that Marvel is taking this "ALL-NEW" business literally. This means a whopping 55 to 60 new series (all set some eight months after the end of the Secret Wars storyline) plus new versions of iconic characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the Hulk. It seems the company is anticipating—perhaps even relishing the idea of—some fan backlash. In an interview with Mashable, Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said of the new Hulk, "[T]his character is certain to cause debate. The same people who went crazy with female Thor will have a field day with this one." Here's hoping it's a Baby Hulk!

      There's no sign of a new Hulk, infant or otherwise, in this teaser image, but there's plenty of other eye candy:

      Oh, and on a tangentially related note, Marvel Universe LIVE! comes to the Pacific Coliseum June 18 to 20, bringing with it all manner of stunts, pyrotechnics, and people in superhero costumes. No one has sent me comp tickets to this thing, which seems like a shocking oversight when you consider that I'm the only staff writer at any major media outlet in Vancouver who regularly blogs about this sort of stuff. Ahem.

      NOT BE OUTDONE, DC is also making major moves this summer. Starting in June, the publisher is launching 24 new series, with some focusing on classic characters and others reinventing old favourites. Okay, so this was actually announced back in February, but Nerd Alert didn't exist back then. And it's June now. So cut me some slack. Anyhow, the new titles include Batman Beyond, Constantine: The Hellblazer, Black Canary, and Robin, Son of Batman. (See the full lineup, plus the titles of returning series, here.) According to the following video, DC wants to know if you're ready. Are you ready? Because if you're not ready, they'll postpone everything until you are. (Just kidding. They totally won't do that.)

      Anyhow, of all the new series, the one I'm most excited about is writer Heath Corson and artist Gustavo Duarte's Bizarro. Because Bizarro. And also because, based on the below concept sketch (and this preview), it could be amazeballs. Or at least slightly amusing.

      AND IF THAT IS FAR more superhero-related news than you could ever need or want (sorry!), here's a palate-cleanser for you. Our friends at Drawn & Quarterly have announced that Marc Bell and Anders Nilsen will be hitting the road together next month on a reading and signing tour. The pair will visit Main Street institution Lucky's Comics on July 16. Nilsen's profound and beautifully drawn Big Questions was one of my favourite graphic novels of 2011. His latest book, Poetry Is Useless, officially reaches stores on July 14. (Preview it here.) Bell's latest, Stroppy, is slated for a June 16 release. (Preview that one here.) I don't think there are dudes in capes in either of them.

      SHIA LABEOUF CAN do anything he damn well pleases. Or at least that seems to be the point he's making with that hideous rat tail he's been sporting. And now you can do anything you please with Shia LaBeouf. As part of a collaboration with Central Saint Martins BA Fine Art 2015 students, the actor has made a video of himself delivering a series of monologues against a green screen available via a Creative Commons Non-Commercial license. The Internet has, to coin a phrase, lost its shit over this, with YouTubers inserting LaBeouf into a variety of scenarios, including a TED Talk and scenes from films like Se7en and The Empire Strikes Back. My personal favourite so far is this one, which casts LaBeouf alongside Keir Dullea in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. If I were HAL, I'd open the goddamn pod bay doors, importance of the mission be damned.

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