There are still a few months left in this year, but 2016 has already been a strange one - and nothing has been weirder than the recent rash of clown sightings across the country. Over the summer, dozens of crazed clowns have been spotted in the U.S. as they try to scare both adults and children. The epidemic has officially passed the point of concerning as citizens are now legitimately scared of these troubled pranksters.That is why one New York county put Batman on the case.

In a Facebook post, the Fairport Police Department told its followers that they recruited Batman to take down the clowns since they’re allegedly part of the Joker’s crew.

“BREAKING NEWS FROM FAIRPORT!” the post reads. “The Fairport Police have received a lead in the Crazy Clown epidemic that has been gripping the nation. We have received information that these clowns are the henchmen of . . . you guessed it . . . the Joker.”

“Since verifying this new information, the Fairport Police Department have recruited the assistance of America's Favorite Caped Crusader, BATMAN! Batman has been given a Fairport Police Uniform and Police Car to be on patrol in the Fairport area on alert for any suspicious activity. Please call 911 if you observe anything suspicious and we will signal Batman from atop the Village Hall where the blue light shines. Have a safe and Happy Halloween from the members of the Fairport Police Department.”

There’s a new slate of Marvel shows coming to Disney+ soon. During Disney’s Upfront presentation, Marvel Studios revealed that Agatha All Along will be flying onto the streamer on September 18. Two episodes will be available at launch, with episodes becoming available weekly thereafter. Meanwhile, audiences can expect Daredevil: Born Again in March 2025. Ironheart is also coming in 2025, though the studio didn’t say when, exactly, to expect that series. (via Deadline)

Yesterday, fans learned an X-Man would be joining the ranks of Marvel’s premier super hero team this summer, and today, it’s revealed to be none other than the goddess herself— STORM IS EARTH’S MIGHTIEST MUTANT! Storm will join the cast of Jed MacKay’s current run starting in August’s AVENGERS #17. The issue will also mark the debut of new series artist Valerio Schiti! Fresh off his bold work on G.O.D.S., the acclaimed artist known for his breathtaking action and dynamic character work takes the helm just in time for this exciting new era. Krakoa’s tragic fall has made the Avengers realize how vital a mutant voice on the team is, and they’ll settle for nothing less than the most prominent and beloved mutant super hero on the planet! A pop culture icon, Storm has assembled with the Avengers before—in both comics as well as other forms of media—but never like this! Not only will the Avengers need her Omega-level power for the battles ahead, but they’ll need to rely on her unique expertise and leadership skills as MacKay’s overarching plots involving Kang, the Twilight Court, and more kick into high gear. This only marks the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a monumental period for Storm as she’ll also headline an all-new solo ongoing series launching later this year! In the aftermath of Blood Hunt and Fall of the House of X, the Avengers are licking their wounds and reassessing their goals. One member takes the initiative by approaching Storm, hoping to add her strength and perspective to the team’s upcoming missions! And the roster won’t be the only thing shaken up when a deadly threat sets its vengeful sights on Earth! On the decision to add Storm to the lineup, MacKay said, "When we were putting together thoughts for X-Men, one problem kept coming up—Storm needed to have a presence in a book befitting her status, but it would be weird for her to be on an X-Men team if she wasn't the leader. The solution was simple—she needed to be on the global stage, among equals, and what better place for that than the Avengers? We're excited to bring Storm back to the Avengers and show what adventures she'll get up to as part of Earth's Mightiest Heroes!" On being the new AVENGERS artist, Schiti said, "As a reader, I am a great fan of Jed's run, and I really love the way he writes the team: not just as fellow soldiers, but as a group of friends with a shared past. At the same time he doesn't hold back on action and fight scenes! The balance between these two moods is exactly what excites me the most when I have to start a new gig!" "I have a soft spot for the mutants, so you can imagine my happiness when I knew that Storm was joining the team,” Schiti continued. “It's always fun to draw her powers, her body language, and her outfits. There's just one challenge: you always have to remember that she's not just a mutant, she's a goddess!" Check out Joshua Cassara’s electrifying AVENGERS #17 cover now. Stay tuned later this week for the full announcement of Storm’s new solo ongoing series and reveal of her new costume!

The Tomb Raider TV series is moving forward at Amazon. A year and change after The Hollywood Reporter revealed Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge was writing and producing an adaptation of the popular video game turned action movie Tomb Raider, the retail giant/streamer has handed out a series order for the live-action series. A worldwide casting search will begin soon for an actress to play Lara Croft in the series from Legendary Television. The surprise announcement was made Tuesday during Amazon’s first trip to woo Madison Avenue ad buyers at TV’s Upfront week in New York, with the news arriving after another video game adaptation, Fallout, has become a breakout hit for the service. The Tomb Raider TV series is the first project to stem from a massive rights deal with Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment. A feature film and at least one video game in the Lara Croft franchise are also in the works as Amazon plots a Marvel-like franchise with all of the projects connected.

Bestselling creator Maria Llovet (Crave, Luna, Porcelain) returns with this sexy one-shot compilation of her three-part story—previously published in the Image 30th Anniversary Anthology—titled, All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night. This complete, criminals-to-lovers tale is set to hit shelves in July from Image Comics. In All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night, Mamen is a young art historian who has become a jewelry thief because of a trauma from her past. Damon is a hitman tired of his bosses. Oblivious to their secret lives, they meet cute and promise to go on a date. But fate unites them before they planned, as both witness each other’s crime. "This one-shot was initially created as an 'origin story' of a bigger project of mine, so in this edition I’ve decided to include a lot of extra material and info where the readers will know more about these characters that I love and their future adventures," said Llovet.

All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night one-shot will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 3:

Cover A by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM238

Cover B by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM239

Cover C by Jesús Orellana - Lunar Code 0524IM240

Cover D (1:10 copy incentive virgin variant) by Orellana - Lunar Code 0524IM241

Cover E (1:15 copy incentive) by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM242

Cover F (1:20 copy incentive virgin variant) by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM243

All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night one-shot will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Amazon continues to have faith in The Boys. The series has been renewed for Season 5, the company announced during Tuesday’s Upfront presentation. The news comes about a month before the fourth installment is set to hit Prime Video. The eight-episode Season 4 premieres on June 13 with three episodes, followed by a new episode each week, ending with the season finale on July 18. In Season 4, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late. The Boys is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers. Eric Kripke developed the series for TV and serves as showrunner and executive producer. (via Deadline)

The Barbarella feature starring Sydney Sweeney is getting more oxygen. Edgar Wright is in talks to direct the film for Sony Pictures, with Jane Goldman and Honey Ross in talks to write the script, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The project is still in early development and is planned as a new take on the character that originated in a French comic series from Jean-Claude Forest. Barbarella, a mercenary who travels the universe, was portrayed by Jane Fonda in a 1968 movie version that has become a cult favorite. Sweeney’s involvement in the new film was announced in 2022. Wright is known for helming films including Last Night in Soho, Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. His next project is set to be a new adaptation of The Running Man for Paramount Pictures that will star Glen Powell.

Fan-favorite Cliff Rathburn (The Walking Dead, Brit) will launch an all-new, four-issue science-fiction miniseries titled, Remote Space. This tale will kick off in June from Image Comics. Remote Space is set in the year 2450 and Earth is dying. The human species has gone down two different evolutionary paths. One used cybernetic augmentation to adapt to space travel. The humans left behind used genetic manipulation to adapt to earth's worsening climate. For earth to survive, civilizations need to collide. "I am proud of what I've done with Remote Space and I think anyone who buys a copy will be happy with their purchase," said Rathburn.

Remote Space #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 12:

Cover A (wraparound) by Rathburn - Lunar Code 0424IM209

Cover B (1:10 copy incentive) by Ryan Ottley - Lunar Code 0424IM210

Remote Space #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Jason Statham (Fast & Furious) has been set to lead a new action-thriller from director Baltasar Kormákur (Everest), which Black Bear is launching this week for the Cannes market. In the currently untitled film, Statham will play Mason who lives in isolation in a remote Scottish island. When he rescues a young girl from the ocean in a terrible storm, he sets a chain of events in motion that brings a violent attack to his hideaway, forcing him back into the world to confront the ghosts of his past. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in November in the UK and Iceland with production services and filming to take place at Kormákur’s RVK Studios facility in Reykjavik. The script comes from Ward Parry. (via Deadline)

These apes are going to need a bigger boat for their cash! 20th Century Studios‘ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has come in over expectations with a $58.5M opening. Sunday came in at $16.5M, down 19%, a strong attributable to Mother’s Day. Who knew moms were fans of the Planet of the Apes movies? Typical Mother’s Day Saturday to Sunday drops are around the -28% range. That’s now the third highest opening for an Apes movie after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($72.6M) and Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes ($68.5M). Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes only cost $160M, which is cheaper than Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes which cost $190M before P&A. As Deadline reported yesterday, there’s hope for summer in a movie that can beat its tracking projections. Not everything is destined to become flat footed.

Susan Backlinie, the actress seen in one of the most terrifying cinematic moments in history, has passed away at the age of 77. Backlinie played the skinny-dipping swimmer attacked by the shark in the opening scene of the 1975 horror classic Jaws. She would later re-team with director Steven Spielberg to parody that same scene in his film 1941. From their her career moved more into stunt work for films and television including work on The Great Muppet Caper, Day of the Animals and The Fall Guy television series. No cause of death has been released. She is survived by her husband, Harvey.