Nerd Alert! Captain America: Civil War trailer released; Marvel offers crash course

Welcome to Nerd Alert!, your weekly round-up of news from the world of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, animation, and all things nerdy.

EAGERLY AWAITED mostly because it features every character who has ever been in a Marvel comic, Captain America: Civil War doesn't even come out until May—is it even finished?—but this week we got to see not only the trailer, but some new posters (like the one above) featuring ol' Cap and Iron Man squaring off. Ant-Man and Spider-Man are allegedly in Civil War, but the trailer isn't big on bugs, just various Avengers and whatnot.

JUST IN CASE YOU need a crash course in all things Marvel, the publisher has launched a series of short videos introducing its key characters and superheroic teams. The aptly titled Marvel 101 videos can be found on Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel. Here's a taste of what to expect:

BECAUSE EVERYTHING NEEDS a reboot, Lost in Space is being revived for a new Netflix series. For you young 'uns out there, the original Lost in Space aired on CBS for three seasons and dealt with the challenges faced by a family from Earth who set out to colonize another planet. (If you're wondering how successful they were with that, see the title of the show.) There was an attempt at a revival in the '90s with a movie starring Matt LeBlanc. It tanked at the box office, as all movies starring Matt LeBlanc must. Watch for the new series to hit Netflix... in the future. I know I have expressed my disdain for the "gritty reboot" in the past, but in this case it may be warranted. After all, it could hardly be less gritty than the original.

WHAT DO YOU GET when you take the audio for the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and mix it with clips from the so-bad-it's-almost-good-but-not-quite 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special? You probably weren't wondering, and maybe you still aren't, but here's the answer:

CALLING ALL COMICS creators! Want to exhibit your work at the next Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, which will take place Roundhouse Arts & Recreation Centre on May 21 and 22, 2016? If so, you should know that the deadline to apply is December 1. Click here for full details.

OH, AND IF YOU'RE an artist who is proficient in three dimensions, you might want to consider submitting a new design for the World Fantasy Awards trophy. I told you a couple of weeks back that the body that bestows those awards has decided to retire the Gahan Wilson–designed H.P. Lovecraft bust that has served as the trophy for the past 40 years. Evidently hoping to avoid tying the awards to any single, fallible human (the use of Lovecraft's image engendered controversy thanks to the author's racist views), the call for submissions reads: "The ideal design will represent both fantasy and horror, without bearing any physical resemblance to any person, living or dead." That oughta do it!