Justin Carter, Contributing EditorFebruary 3, 20252 Min ReadImage via Treyarch.At a GlanceAkemann also ran Skydance Interactive, which has made the VR games Behemoth and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.Peter T. Akemann, co-founder of Call of Duty studio Treyarch, recently plead guilty and took a deal after piloting a drone during the Los Angeles fires this past January, which damaged a firefighting aircraft.On January 9, Akemann's drone flew over Palisades as a Super Scooper water dumping plane was dousing the fires. His drone struck the Scooper's left wing and forced it to be grounded for repairs.By pleading guilty, he avoided a potential year in prison, and will have to perform 150 hours of community service in support of Southern California's wildfire relief efforts. He will also pay the $65,000 cost to repair the Scooper.According to the plea agreement, his drone was "at least 2,500 meters away from its launch point, and [he] lost visual sight of the Drone while flying it. [...] Defendant admits that his use and control of the drone recklessly interfered with, and disrupted the operation of the Firefighting Aircraft, and that such Drone operations posed an imminent safety hazard to occupants of the Firefighting Aircraft."In a statement, acting US attorney Joseph McNally said the damage from Akemann's drone "is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders."Per The Verge, Akemann recently left his role as Skydance Interactive's president. He first joined in 2016, and both his LinkedIn and X page have been scrubbed after the verdict.Akemann's lawyers issued a statement saying the Treyarch co-founder is "deeply sorry" for the incident, and that he "accepts responsibility for his grave error in judgment, and is cooperating with the government in effort to make amends."Read more about:CultureTop StoriesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

EA has announced a new Battlefield Labs community testing program to give people the opportunity to test the next Battlefield game. You can sign up for the program now, and EA says that the first phase of testing will go live in the coming weeks for invited players in Europe and North America.As I write this, theres a long queue to attempt to sign up for Battlefield Labs; there are just under 200,000 people ahead of me and my estimated wait time is more than an hour. EA says that your position in the registration queue does not affect your chances of being invited, so if you dont want to deal with the queue, you might want to wait a bit to try to register.Battlefield Labs follows other early testing initiatives from EA like its work with the new Skate game and with the Project Rene game in The Sims franchise. But Battlefield Labs is also likely an attempt to avert another Battlefield 2042 situation; that game had a rough launch and didnt meet EAs expectations.In a video accompanying the announcement, EA detailed how its Battlefield Studios Dice (which created the franchise), Criterion (known for its racing games), Motive (which worked on Dead Space and is making a new Iron Man game), and Ripple Effect (which made 2042s Portal mode) are teaming up on the development of this next game, which will have single player and multiplayer modes. The series is under the oversight of Respawn Entertainment head Vince Zampella following a shakeup shortly after 2042s launch.

Audi is launching a new global nomenclature system for its vehicles to more clearly represent a vehicles type, size, shape, and powertrain.The updated system will still begin with letters like A for low-floor vehicles or Q for high-floor ones. That will be followed by numbers 1 through 8 that help represent the size or classification of the vehicle. However, Audi says it will no longer use odd or even numbers to represent what powertrain technologies it uses. Then comes the body style, which includes Avant, Sedan, or Sportback, where applicable. Finally, Audi will add to the end a powertrain code, including the TFSI (Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection) combustion engine, TFSI e (plug-in hybrid), and E-tron (all electric). The system also replaces Audis two-digit power output representation which really made things confusing.This new naming system will debut with the new combustion engine version Audi A6, which will be revealed on March 4th. You can expect Audi A6 models to have names like A6 Avant TFSI or A6 Sedan E-tron. (Current models will not be renamed.)E-tron vehicles were especially confusing in the past. The original US line was a Q8-style SUV but was just called the Audi E-tron. A Sportback version was made afterward, and both were renamed to Q8 E-tron (which are now being phased out). Today, theres a Q6 E-tron that is similar in size but built on Volkswagens modular Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform shared withthe A6 E-tronand Porsche Macan EV.

The Infinite Echoes Ultimate Ovani Game Sound and Music Humble Bundle is now live. This bundle is a huge collection of game development-oriented sound effects and music packs from Ovani Sound. It also includes dynamic music playback plugins for Unreal Engine, Unity and Godot. The best part of Ovani Humble Bundles is they tend to be all new content, except the plugins. This bundle is organized into the following tiers:1$ TierFunk Music Pack Vol. 2Action Flick Music Pack Vol. 2Classical Music Pack Vol. 3Sci-Fi Horror Sound FX Pack Vol. 2Player Status Vol. 2Destruction Sound FX Pack Vol. 2Mid TierKeys Music Pack Vol. 4Electricity Sound FX PackElectronic Music Pack Vol. 7Superheroes Sound FX PackSci-Fi Horror Music Pack Vol. 2Ethereal Music Pack Vol. 3Childrens Music Music Pack Vol. 2Robotic Beings Sound FX PackJapanese Music Pack Vol. 4Heavy Electronic Music Pack Vol. 3Synth Fantasy Music Pack Vol. 320$ TierCombos, Crits, & Fails Sound FX Pack Vol. 2Casual Music Pack Vol. 5Chiptune Music Pack Vol. 5Dark Fantasy Music Pack Vol. 2Orchestral Ambient Music Pack Vol. 3Ambient Music Pack Vol. 8UI & Menus Sound FX Pack Vol. 4Mixtape Music Pack Vol. 1Environmental Ambiences Sound FX Pack Vol. 4Medieval Fantasy Sound FX Pack Vol. 4Body Horror Sound FX Pack Vol. 2Fearsome Creatures Sound FX Pack Vol. 2Hannah Weeks Voice Over PackBryce Garland Voice Over PackUnity Music PluginUnreal Music PluginGodot Music PluginUsing our links helps support GFS (thanks so much if you do!) and if you have an issue with opening the link, try opening it in a new tab and it should work just fine. You can learn moreabout the Infinite Echoes Ultimate Ovani Game Sound and Music Humble Bundle in thevideobelow.

Large language models (LLMs) have become an integral part of various applications, but they remain vulnerable to exploitation. A key concern is the emergence of universal jailbreaksprompting techniques that bypass safeguards, allowing users to access restricted information. These exploits can be used to facilitate harmful activities, such as synthesizing illegal substances or evading cybersecurity measures. As AI capabilities advance, so too do the methods used to manipulate them, underscoring the need for reliable safeguards that balance security with practical usability.To mitigate these risks, Anthropic researchers introduce Constitutional Classifiers, a structured framework designed to enhance LLM safety. These classifiers are trained using synthetic data generated in accordance with clearly defined constitutional principles. By outlining categories of restricted and permissible content, this approach provides a flexible mechanism for adapting to evolving threats.Rather than relying on static rule-based filters or human moderation, Constitutional Classifiers take a more structured approach by embedding ethical and safety considerations directly into the system. This allows for more consistent and scalable filtering without significantly compromising usability.How It Works and Its BenefitsAnthropics approach centers on three key aspects:Robustness Against Jailbreaks: The classifiers are trained on synthetic data that reflects constitutional rules, improving their ability to identify and block harmful content.Practical Deployment: The framework introduces a manageable 23.7% inference overhead, ensuring that it remains feasible for real-world use.Adaptability: Because the constitution can be updated, the system remains responsive to emerging security challenges.The classifiers function at both input and output stages. The input classifier screens prompts to prevent harmful queries from reaching the model, while the output classifier evaluates responses as they are generated, allowing for real-time intervention if necessary. This token-by-token evaluation helps maintain a balance between safety and user experience.Findings and ObservationsAnthropic conducted extensive testing, involving over 3,000 hours of red-teaming with 405 participants, including security researchers and AI specialists. The results highlight the effectiveness of Constitutional Classifiers:No universal jailbreak was discovered that could consistently bypass the safeguards.The system successfully blocked 95% of jailbreak attempts, a significant improvement over the 14% refusal rate observed in unguarded models.The classifiers introduced only a 0.38% increase in refusals on real-world usage, indicating that unnecessary restrictions remain minimal.Most attack attempts focused on subtle rewording and exploiting response length, rather than finding genuine vulnerabilities in the system.While no security measure is completely infallible, these findings suggest that Constitutional Classifiers offer a meaningful improvement in reducing the risks associated with universal jailbreaks.Figure 5: Constitutional classifiers substantially improve robustness over harmlessness training alone.ConclusionAnthropics Constitutional Classifiers represent a pragmatic step toward strengthening AI safety. By structuring safeguards around explicit constitutional principles, this approach provides a flexible and scalable way to manage security risks without unduly restricting legitimate use. As adversarial techniques continue to evolve, ongoing refinement will be necessary to maintain the effectiveness of these defenses. Nonetheless, this framework demonstrates that a well-designed, adaptive safety mechanism can significantly mitigate risks while preserving practical functionality.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our75k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Creating a Medical Question-Answering Chatbot Using Open-Source BioMistral LLM, LangChain, Chromas Vector Storage, and RAG: A Step-by-Step GuideAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/An In-Depth Exploration of Reasoning and Decision-Making in Agentic AI: How Reinforcement Learning RL and LLM-based Strategies Empower Autonomous SystemsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Meta AI Proposes EvalPlanner: A Preference Optimization Algorithm for Thinking-LLM-as-a-JudgeAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Yandex Develops and Open-Sources Perforator: An Open-Source Tool that can Save Businesses Billions of Dollars a Year on Server Infrastructure [Recommended] Join Our Telegram Channel

DeepSeek AI The Future is Here 0 like February 3, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): M. Haseeb Hassan Originally published on Towards AI. The rise of AI is massively affecting the society. It is not something that will happen someday, it has happened already. AI is being discussed in various sectors like healthcare, banking, education, manufacturing, etc. However, DeepSeek AI is taking a different direction than the current AI Models. With numbers estimating 46 million users and 2.6M app downloads, DeepSeek is growing in popularity with each passing hour.DeepSeek AI The Future is HereSo, where does DeepSeek AI fit in amongst it all? Why is it being heralded as the future of artificial intelligence?Lets look at what makes it unique, how it works, and how it is revolutionizing some industries. We will also compare it with other competing AI tools like OpenAI and ChatGPT-4 and will try to figure out what are its USPs. Lets begin!What is DeepSeek AI?DeepSeek AI is an advanced AI genomics platform that allows experts to solve complex problems using cutting-edge deep learning, neural networks, and natural language processing (NLP). DeepSeek AI, on the other hand, isnt just another fancy AI gadget, its a revolutionary breakthrough. DeepSeek AI can learn and improve over time, as opposed to being governed by static, pre-defined principles. Hence, it does things that mechanized was once thought not to be capable of.How Does DeepSeek AI Work?DeepSeek AI functions using a combination of the latest technologies and adaptive frameworks:Large Language Model (LLM): It uses architectures similar to human neural pathways, processing massive datasets to recognize patterns and, in turn, produce insights.Natural Language Processing (NLP): Increase contextual understanding for diverse applications like diagnostic assessment, financial projection, and customization in suggestions.Quantum-Inspired Computing: Use scalable logic transforms and a quantum computing data cube to speed up data processing, even in the absence of all the quantum hardware.Adaptive Learning Process: DeepSeekIntegration Layer: Its API-first design ensures compatibility with everything from hospital databases to retail CRMs, freeing hospitals from costly infrastructure overhauls.DeepSeek AI Core TechnologiesFeatures of DeepSeek AIAs compared to other AI models, the features of DeepSeek AI are unique. What makes it different from the others are the following outperforming capabilities:Learning in Real-time: One of the major differences between ChatGPT-4 and DeepSeek AI is learning and adapting in real-world scenarios. That makes it a good fit for changing circumstances such as health care diagnostics and financial trading, since it learns from every interaction. This data abstraction with scalable logic transforms is the extra boost we need for the quantum computing data cube for processing volumes of quantum volumes of data. OpenAI is in the business of scaling existing technology, while DeepSeek is pushing the outer limits of computer power.Ethical AI Practices: DeepSeek AI strives to give clear and unbiased answers as a part of its ethical AI practices. It utilizes different datasets, unlike some other AI platforms, to reduce biases and make sure its findings are fair and ethical.Effortless Integration: The underlying architecture is so intuitive that DeepSeek AI can seamlessly connect with existing systems. No matter what size your company is, DeepSeek AI can be implemented without a complete overhaul of your infrastructure.Applications of DeepSeek AIThe DeepSeek AI is not only the best in the theory; its making a difference in the real world. Heres how its being applied in other domains:Medicine: DeepSeek AI may have far-reaching consequences for medicine, with implications for drug discovery and diagnostics. Thats unlike text-based AIs, which assess different types of medical data (genomic, clinical, imaging) in isolation. This provides clinicians with a complete view to make rapid critical decisions. Such AI-led diagnostics can minimize errors by nearly 85%, leading to not just better patient outcomes, but redefined healthcare too. This will lead to rapid and precise diagnoses and treatment plans at lower costs along with better patient care.Finance: The financial sector is being transformed by DeepSeek AI. It is phenomenal in its ability to predict market patterns and check fraudulent transactions in real-time. While the OpenAI tools are best known for generating reports, this tool gives insightful recommendations to complement its content.Retail: The DeepSeek AI solution will allow retailers to boost their revenue, customer satisfaction and efficiency. Hyper-personalized recommendations based on user behaviour increase customer retention and increase sales. This tailored piloting of offerings, similar to the data-driven recommendations that McKinsey says can produce up to 40% lifts in revenue, delivers targeted product recommendations. Moreover, DeepSeek AI improves inventory management by predicting demand and optimizing stock levels, minimizing waste and reducing costs. No one could be blamed for assuming that these dual drivers of sales growth and operational cost savings make DeepSeek AI a true disruptor for retail.Industrial: In one sector using DeepSeek AI for preventative maintenance It can anticipate when a piece of equipment will fail and prevent potentially millions of dollars of downtime. Its a space where traditional A.I. systems struggle, to do.Education: The field in which DeepSeek AI makes the most impact is education. Thats the engine that drives artificial intelligence-powered systems of tutoring to adapt their game for individual students to ensure they succeed.DeepSeek AI vs OpenAIWhile OpenAI ChatGPT-4 have already raised the bar for AI, DeepSeek AI is looking to raise it further. Heres a short insightful comparison:Real-Time Adaptability: While DeepSeek AI has the ability to learn and adapt on the fly, ChatGPT-4 uses a pre-trained machine-learning model.Quantum Computing: In the quantum computing area, DeepSeek AI sees the future in quantum-inspired computing to enhance processing speed, while Open AI is concentrating on finding more applications for existing technology.Innovative AI: DeepSeek AI embodies innovation, employing cutting-edge tech in a way that just makes sense.Integration: Companies of all sizes can harness DeepSeek AI because it has a seamless integration architecture.Comparison of DeepSeek AI vs OpenAI ChatGPT [https://seo.ai/blog/deepseek-users-downloads]Massive Growth of DeepSeek AIDeepSeek AI has a bright future ahead of it. DeepSeek AI Leads the Charge and PwC Estimates this technology will add $ 15.7 Trillion to the Global Economy in 2030.Integrating Quantum Computing: DeepSeek AI is working towards incorporating quantum computing to solve problems quickly. This could have a major impact in two sectors; healthcare and financial.Helping Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): DeepSeek AI is leading the way for AGI which is the ability to perform any cognitive task that a human can.AI for Sustainability: It is committed to creating a positive impact through AI. It is working on how to make every type of business more sustainable and reduce its environmental footprint.Conclusion The Future is HereDeepSeek AI is not just another AI platform it is a window into the future. Its moral precepts, ongoing adaptability and quantum-mechanics-derived computing power are setting standards for AI. DeepSeek AI should catch your attention if you are an AI enthusiast, professional, or plain interested.The introduction of DeepSeek AI to the market made its impact in the way an elite change should, with strategic brevity, integrity within itself, and a smart understanding of real-time learning whilst restricting itself within ethical means. It is revolutionary and disruptive, and it is considering many sectors: medical, financial, etc.How can it benefit you you ask? If you want to see what AI will soon be like, try DeepSeek AI. Get a headstart make a difference now!Stay Tuned !!If you enjoyed the article and wish to show your support, make sure to: Give a round of applause (50 claps) to help get featured Follow me on Medium to stay updated with my latest content Explore more articles on my Medium Profile Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and InstagramJoin thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

How Does Deepseek AI Actually Work? What Makes It Different? 0 like February 3, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Sakshi Shruti Originally published on Towards AI. Insanely cheap AI model is disrupting the marketThis member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.image generated from Leonardo AII know you might have already come across this new wave of AI model turning the world upside down in ways that nobody saw coming.Because who would have thought a 2023-based mere startup somewhere in the world would come up with such a revolution, and beat tech giants in their own game with what? one-tenth of the computing power of a comparable large language model.You might be thinking, Why should you care about this? Well in short this is just as same as you experiencing a Ferrari performance in Maruti 800. Thats essentially what DeepSeek is doing in the generative AI industry. They are providing better performance than open AI for a fraction of the cost i.e. 96% less cost ($60 $0.55). Isnt that mind blowing?Lets begin..AI models in companies like Openai and Anthropic used to learn and train on the massive amount of data gathered from all over the internet to train AI models.Water water all around but not a drop to drink ~ Samuel Taylor ColeridgeHeres the problem, with the quality of data. Most of the good data and authentic data have Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO Shawn Layden has said Sony can't get away with launching the PlayStation 6 console as an all digital, disc-less console.Layden told Kiwi Talkz that, while Xbox has found success in that regard, PlayStation has such a large market share that it would be shutting out too many people by removing physical and offline games from its library."I don't think Sony can get away with it now," Layden said. "I think Xbox has had more success in pursuing that strategy, but Xbox is really most successful in their business in a clutch of countries: the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Coincidentally enough all English speaking countries.Sony's market is globally so huge, I think it would be hard for them to go fully disc-less."Sony, which is the number one platform in probably 170 countries around the world, has an obligation or a responsibility to say, 'If we go discless, how much of my market is not able to make that jump? Can users in rural Italy get a decent connection to enjoy games?'"Layden gave further examples of parts of the market that rely on physical or offline games, such as travelling athletes or military bases, but said PlayStation is likely already investigating how many of those groups it's willing to move away from."Which part of your market will be damaged by going to disc-less market?" Layden asked. "I'm sure they're doing their research on it. And there will be a tipping point, where there's some percentage where you can say, 'Okay that's fine, we can turn our back on that part of the market.' But Sony's market is globally so huge, I think it would be hard for them to go fully disc-less, even with the next generation."This conversation has been ongoing in the video game industry since the PlayStation 4 generation but was ramped up, as Layden noted, by the release of digital only consoles on the Xbox side. Both hardware titans released digital only versions of the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, but Sony has resisted going all in.This is because even its digital consoles, including the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro, can both be upgraded with a separate disc drive to run physical games as normal. With Xbox already having gone all in with the likes of Game Pass, however, and Sony following suit with the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog, many have questioned how long it will be before disc-based games are phased out completely.This comes as sales of physical media, including games, continue to dwindle, and many major publishers are even shipping games in unplayable states without an internet connection, even on disc. The Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows from Ubisoft requires an internet connection to install, for example, while EA released Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in a similar state.With actual discs becoming less of a priority, what would once be included as a second disc (with an install disc and a play disc) is now essentially added as downloadable content.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

IGN Fan Fest is back and bigger than ever with an expanded lineup of games, movies, series, comics, collectibles, and more. Tune in February 24 - 28, 2025 for a live showcase every day highlighting huge reveals, tons of trailers, gameplay, never-before-seen clips, and exclusive conversations with your favorite movie and TV stars. For IGN Fan Fests epic 5th anniversary, the fun kicks off with a brand-new ID@Xbox showcase on Monday February 24 and continues throughout the week with special streams dedicated to games, anime, horror, superheroes and more!IGN Fan Fest Returns February 24 - 28Dont miss exciting reveals from huge games including Monster Hunter Wilds, WWE 2K25, and Alien: Rogue Incursion just to name a few. Plus catch new looks at TV and streaming series like Daredevil: Born Again, Mythic Quest, its new spinoff Side Quest, Survivor, Devil May Cry, The Walking Dead: Dead City, and Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches. Novocaine, The Monkey, The Surfer, and Fear Street: Prom Queen, are just a few of the hotly-anticipated movies coming to IGN Fan Fest. And dont miss a ton of new content from your favorite anime including I Parry Everything, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, Fire Force Season 3, and The Beginning After The End.PlayWe'll also be revealing new details from popular comics series including Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, and Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor.Rounding out the event will be exciting previews of cool products and collectibles from Stern Pinball, McFarlane Toys, and more. Last years IGN Fan Fest featured conversations with the casts of Dune: Part 2, Fallout, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, reveals from games like Powerwash Simulator, Kingmakers, and Dave the Diver, plus exclusive looks at series like Invincible, Abbott Elementary, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. IGN Fan Fest 2025 is just a few weeks away so stay tuned throughout February for the full schedule, more announcements, surprises, and inside looks at what promises to be the biggest Fan Fest yet. Mecha BREAKItching for more multiplayer mecha gameplay? Then check out our interview with Kris Kwok, the CEO of Amazing Seasun Games, which has news to share about their upcoming title Mecha BREAK - the PvPvE game that sees you face off with fellow players in stylish, fast-paced mech battles. Kwok shares insights on the game's recent progress, deep customization, and the inspirations behind its futuristic world and gameplay. Dont miss this exclusive look at the next evolution of mech warfare! Presented by Mecha BREAK.

Any reader of Den of Geek knows that 2025 sees the return of the Fantastic Four and Superman on the big screen, with Daredevil and Spider-Man swinging onto the small screen. But these big-name projects only scratch the surface of all the good things happening in the world of superheroes original home: comic books.For those who prefer their capes and tights in four colors instead of live action, here are our recommendations for the most exciting stories coming over the next year.DC AbsoluteAfter many half-measures and misfires, DC has finally made its own version of the Ultimate Universe, and its even better than we expected. Introduced in last years Absolute Power, the Absolute Universe takes place in a world suffused by Darkseids energy, a bleaker world that calls for darker heroes. While that description might conjure the worst of edgelord comics from the 2000s, the three Absolute books thus far manage to retain the hope and optimism of the source characters. Batman may now be a hulking guy who grew up in the slums of Gotham City, Superman may now be an activist mistrusted by American soldiers such as Lois Lane, and Wonder Woman may be a witch raised by Circe, but they all still fight for truth and justice.DC hopes to build on this solid foundation by adding more characters and taking bigger swings with the line. On March 19, Absolute Flash races onto shelves, from Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles. Absolute Flash features Wally West as the one and only fastest man alive, without a family or other Flashes and without even a Speed Force. One week later, Deniz Camp and Javier Rodrguez make Absolute Martian Manhunter into one of the lines strangest heroes, introducing John Jones (not a misspelling) as an FBI agent afflicted with a virus called the Martian. Finally, Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay introduce the lines first team book on April 2 with Absolute Green Lantern, featuring Jo Mullein, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner.We Are YesterdayAs much fun as the Absolute comics have been, the mainline DC universe has been no slouch either, thanks to the great All In initiative. The company hopes to keep that rolling with the recently announced We Are Yesterday crossover, spearheaded by the legendary Mark Waid. We Are Yesterday sees Superman, Batman, and the Justice League stymied by Gorilla Grodd, who has somehow gained knowledge of the future.Waid has been great for decades, but hes really hit a new stride at DC recently, combining political commentary with old-school superheroics in Absolute Power, infusing new fun into Shazam! and Batman and Robin, and finally giving us a mainline Justice League Unlimited comic. We Are Yesterday promises to continue that vein, which makes it far more compelling than the standard summer crossover. The festivities begin this Junes Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest #38 by Waid and Dan Mora, and will continue into Justice League Unlimited.The Return of VertigoEven six years later, its hard to understand why DC thought it wise to shutter Vertigo Comics, the imprint launched in 1993 that gave us some of the best Mature Readers comics of all time, masterpieces such as Neil Gaimans The Sandman, Rachel Pollacks continuation of Grant Morrisons Doom Patrol, Garth Ennis and Peter Milligan runs on Hellblazer, and more. DCs Vertigo-like Black Label imprint has certainly had some compelling entries, but theres something special about that Vertigo name.So its nice to see DC reinstating the imprint and moving the currently-publishing horror series The Nice House By The Sea by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno under the Vertigo banner. More Vertigo announcements are coming, but editor Chris Conroy has also assured readers that Black Label will stick around, mostly for Mature Readers takes on established heroes, such as Batman: Damned and Peacemaker Tries Hard.Tom King on Wonder Woman and Black Canary: The Best of the BestTom King remains one of the most divisive writers in comics, especially when hes working on mainline ongoing books. While everyone (mostly) agrees that his limited series Vision and Mister Miracle are brilliant, people still gripe about his Batman ongoing and the event miniseries Heroes in Crisis. Yet, the Wonder Woman ongoing that King began in 2023 has been largely well received, even as it heads into a new year. King and artist Daniel Samperes latest storyline, The Battle of Wonder, kicked off with Wonder Woman #17 on January 22, in which Diana and the Wonder Girls of the past and present face off against big bad the Sovereign, the secret King of America.While Wonder Woman continues, Black Canary: Best of the Best reaches its conclusion with issue #6 coming in April. In Best of the Best, King and artist Ryan Sook throw Dinah Lance into a brutal tournament hosted by Lady Shiva, as Black Canary seeks a cure for a disease killing her mother, the original Black Canary. Like most of Kings series, Best of the Best features plenty of philosophical inquiry and deep character work, but its augmented by powerful visuals from Sook.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The New GodsFor some reason, writer Ram V and artist Evan Cagles relaunch of the New Gods hasnt gotten the same attention as others on this list. And thats a shame, because New Gods is one of the best superhero books on shelves right now, a worthy addition to the Fourth World saga originally created by Jack Kirby.New Gods picks up after the death of Darkseid, which threw the universe into chaos. While Highfather tries to keep his people calm, Orion readies for action by recovering the two people who most want to leave behind New Genesis and Apokolips, new parents Mr. Miracle and Big Barda. Ram V captures the mind-bending majesty that made the Kirby stories so indelible while retaining a human element that makes them surprisingly relatable.ZatannaDeticxe teg! With her old-school showstopper costume and her backwards-spoken spells, Zatanna has long been a fan favorite. Jamal Campbell, whose dynamic artwork recently graced the Green Lantern book Far Sector and Superman, hopes to raise the Mistress of Magics stakes even further as illustrator and writer of a new limited series.Releasing in February, Zatanna is a six-issue series that teams the titular magician with her old Shadowpact pal Blue Devil and the mystical Madame Xanadu for a battle against new adversary the Lady White. Of course, the story will also bring new revelations about Zatannas father Zatara and her magical mother Sindella, making the series a family affair.Batman: Hush 2Normally, a decades-late sequel to a favorite series would raise more than a few eyebrows. But Jeph Loeb is doing such great work on the improbable Batman: The Last Halloween that we cant help but be optimistic about Batman: Hush 2, which continues the legendary storyline that ran in Batman from 2002-2003.Hush 2 begins in Batman #158 this March when Loeb and Jim Lee, superstar artist of the original story, take over from outgoing creative team Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimnez. At this point, we dont know anything about the plot, besides the fact that it will revolve around Hush, the alter ego of Bruce Waynes childhood pal Tommy Eliot. One would expect Loeb and Lee to repeat the original series structure of pitting Batman against a series of rogues and, given that Loeb recently told Den of Geek that he thinks King wrote the only good Penguin story, maybe Oswald Cobblepot will be among them.Superman UnlimitedAs much as were trying to celebrate superhero comics for themselves here, theres no question that the upcoming James Gunn film will have people clamoring for more Superman, and DC wants to deliver. The companys Summer of Superman publishing initiative features several compelling offerings, none more so than writer Dan Slotts take on the Man of Steel in Superman Unlimited.If the name Dan Slott doesnt ring a bell, then go back to comic book message boards around 2012, when he wrote a story about Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus mind-swapping, and the former dying in the latters body. That controversial decision led to the Superior Spider-Man, one of the greatest Spidey tales of all time. We dont yet know what Slott and artist Rafael Albuquerque plan to do for Superman Unlimited, but if its half as audacious and rewarding as the writers work for the Marvelous Competition, well love it.DCs Finest Re-ReleasesThe comic book industry has mostly shot itself in the foot while trying to keep up with readership changes, but DC deserves credit for its excellent DCs Finest initiative. Starting in 2024, the company began producing low-priced trade paperbacks in a form factor familiar to the average reader and available in bookstores and major retailers. Even better, the releases reached beyond the obvious choices for some wonderful deep pulls, including Jimmy Olsen Turtle Man stories from the 1960s and Silver Age Legion of Super-Heroes tales.DC will continue the trend in 2025 with an exciting and surprising set of offerings. March 2025 will see the release of The Origin of Plastic Man, reprinting Golden Age issues of Police Comics by Jack Cole; John Ostranders legendary Suicide Squad run; and most importantly The Gorilla World reprints Silver Age sci-fi stories, including lots of tales of super-smart monkeys. And if you dont like super-smart monkeys, you dont like comics.DCs Omnibus CollectionsWhile the DCs Finest reissues seek to engage casual readers, the company will still serve its most passionate readers with its Omnibus Collections. Omnibuses reprint some of the most influential and important runs in the publishers history, giving them the high-end treatment they deserve.In 2025, Keith Giffens thrilling Five Years Later run on Legion of Super-Heroes will get the Omnibus treatment, a dystopian approach to the teens of the future that somehow retains the original characters optimism. Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka omnibus collects the writers 2000s run, which brought Princess Diana into the modern world and put her in the middle of a political thriller. The DC Universe by Steve Ditko omnibus looks at the work the Spider-Man and Doctor Strange co-creator did for the Distinguish Competition, including early stories of the Creeper and Shade, the Changing Man. Finally, for those who like more modern comics, theres the Superman by Phillip Kennedy Johnson omnibus, which includes the gladiator-inspired War World arc.One World Under DoomDoctor Doom has long been the best villain in not just Marvel Comics, but all of fiction, and has therefore been at the center of many major events, including 2015s reality-defining Secret Wars. That storyline saw Doom becoming a god and recreating the world in his image, but he seeks to outdo himself in One World Under Doom, this years major Marvel event. Instead of creating a new world, Doom simply takes the Earth as it exists, using his power as the new Sorcerer Supreme to declare himself ultimate ruler.In the same way that Dooms home country Latveria loves him despite his despotic rule, the rest of the world welcomes their new conquerer. That wont stop Marvels heroes from standing against Doom, as well see in this summers offerings. The lead-up has already begun, but the Earth falls in One World Under Doom #1 by Ryan North and R.B. Silva, which is out Feb. 12.The Ultimate UniverseDooms greatest rival is Reed Richards, no matter which universe theyre in. Over the past year, weve seen what Richards can do when an evil version from the original Ultimate Universe became the Maker and started his own reality, the new Ultimate Universe. Spearheaded by Jonathan Hickman, the new Ultimate Universe has been a runaway success for Marvel, with compelling new takes on Spider-Man, the X-Men, Black Panther, and the Avengers. The line continues to grow, recently introducing new takes on Nick Fury and Wolverine.Thus far, all of the Ultimate books have adhered to an overall narrative about the heroes preparing for the return of the Maker after hes been locked away within his dome headquarters called the City, leaving the world in the control of generals such as the Kingpin, the Enlightened Hulk, and brothers Ra and Khonshu. Eventually, these storylines will lead to the Ultimate Incursion event, which will see the Maker freed from the City and ready to attack the mainline Earth-616. Until then, were still loving Hickman and co.s unique takes on familiar characters.Amazing Spider-Man #1Its not controversial to say that the Amazing Spider-Man has been a controversial title as of late, even if its pretty far from the long-running series lowest points (you whipper snappers dont know about the Clone Saga!). Still, the venerable ongoing would benefit from a refresh and thats exactly what were getting this April with Amazing Spider-Man #1 by veteran writer Joe Kelly and artists Pepe Larraz and John Romita Jr.For those who dont know, Kelly was the writer most responsible for transforming Deadpool from a generic Deathstroke knockoff to the Merc With a Mouth known today and wrote some of the most transformative Superman comics of the 2000s. Kellys Amazing Spider-Man run will get back to basics, complete with Pete out of work and dealing with classic villain the Rhino. But it also features a newly-reformed Norman Osborn, who seeks redemption after being purged of the Goblin identity. That combination of the familiar and the new shows that Amazing Spider-Man is back on the right track for 2025.All-New VenomWe all know Venom, the alien symbiote who overcame rejection from Peter Parker to bond with Eddie Brock. Things have been rough for the Lethal Protector ever since 2020s King in Black and 2024s Venom War, in which the madness of the symbiotes drove a wedge between Eddie and his adult son Dylan.That schism sets up All-New Venom from Al Ewing and Carlos Gmez. True to its name, All-New Venom stars a fun-loving, light-hearted version of the familiar alien hero, paired to a mysterious new host. While most New Yorkers are thrilled to get a friendly neighborhood version of Venom, Dylan Brock will stop at nothing to find out who has bonded with Venom or how he can get his alien back.X-ManhuntThe Krakoa Era changed everything for Marvels Merry Mutants. But with the nations fall long in their past, the X-Men are back on familiar ground, being hated and feared by a world theyre sworn to protect. That mission comes under new pressure in X-Manhunt, launching this March. Building off of the Raid on Graymalkin storyline, which saw the X-Men reunite after the fallout of Krakoa, X-Manhunt sees the team hunted by Corina Ellis, the Warden of a prison designed to hold mutants.X-Manhunt begins with Uncanny X-Men #11 by Gail Simone and Javier Garrn, with Professor X escaping the Wardens grasp, and continues across all of the X-Books, including X-Men, NYX, Storm, X-Factor, and X-Force. It all builds to X-Manhunt Omega #1 written by Murewa Ayodele and Simone and penciled by Gleb Melnikov.Fantastic Four: FanfareFantastic Four has long been the worlds greatest comic magazine, the book that kicked off the Marvel Age of comics. But with a new MCU movie about the FF coming out, it makes sense for Marvel to release a new miniseries about the First Family.Rather than tell a coherent story, Fantastic Four: Fanfare celebrates the amazing diversity in the teams adventures with standalone tales by legendary creators. The first issue alone features work by Mark Waid, Excalibur and X-Men great Alan Davis, and Miles Morales co-creator Sara Pichelli. The celebration begins on May 5, leading to the release of the movie in July.Godzilla Vs. MarvelAfter stomping the heroes of the DC Universe last year, the King of the Monsters comes back to Marvel for the six-issue Godzilla Vs. Marvel series. Where Justice League: Godzilla vs. Kong told a single coherent story, Godzilla vs. Marvel takes an anthology approach, pitting Godzilla, Mothra, and others against Marvel characters in different time periods.The fun begins on March 19 with Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four, written by Ryan North and drawn by John Romita Jr. Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four tells an appropriately gonzo tale in which King Ghidorah becomes the newest Herald of Galactus, forcing the FF and Godzilla team up to protect the planet they both love. Later entries will see Spider-Man, Hulk, and other stalwarts get in on the monster mash.Star WarsWhile the mainline Disney output has been uneven in quality, Marvels Star Wars comics have been pretty solid, fleshing out the world with stories about familiar characters and introducing new heroes such as Doctor Aphra. Marvels ready to get back to fundamentals this May with the appropriately-titled Star Wars #1.Written by Alex Segura and drawn by Phil Noto, Star Wars #1 takes place after Return of the Jedi, truly jumping into uncharted territory (at least in the current canon) for central trioLuke, Leia, and Han. This is the story many fans of the classic Legends timeline have been waiting for since Disney bought the franchise in 2012. Marvel Premier CollectionLike DC, Marvel has honored its past with the Marvel Premier Collection, high-quality reissues of important storylines. Given the excitement surrounding the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, its no surprise that Marvel will re-release the storyline of the same name, written and drawn by Frank Miller. Likewise, the Fantastic Four get the spotlight with Solve Everything, the first major arc by Jonathan Hickman, one of the all-time best runs in the series history.However, two other important storylines getting the Marvel Premier treatment also deserve attention. A Nation Under Our Feet reprints the first issues of Ta-Nehisi Coatess groundbreaking work on Black Panther. A MacArthur Genius and respected cultural commentator, Coates brings a political immediacy to the world of Wakanda. Most fans already know the gist of the Winter Soldiers origin, but the Premier release Captain America: Winter Soldier gives readers a chance to read Ed Brubaker and Steve Eptings spy thriller for the first time. Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesBetween The Last Ronin and the launch of IDWs ongoing by Jason Aaron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been enjoying a comic book rebirth lately. Thats sure to continue in 2025, with Aarons book getting some top-level artists to help him tell iconic Turtles tales.Penciller Juan Ferreyra joins Aaron with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6, which reunites the brothers to deal with a familiar threat, the re-energized Foot Clan. The series promises to bring the heroes back to their roots, retaining the grittiness of the original black and white comics that introduced the Turtles while bringing the four-color fun that made them super-hits.Star Trek: Lore WarIts a crime that every Trekkie knows about the dismal Section 31 movie and very few have been reading the Star Trek comics by IDW. Under the guidance of creators such as Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Christopher Cantwell, and Davide Tinto, IDWs Star Trek line has been telling some of the franchises best stories of late, remixing the line-ups to give us a battle against the cloned Klingon god Khaless and Harry Kim on a secret mission.IDW will keep the big events going in 2025 with Lore War. As its title suggests, Lore War involves Datas duplicitous brother, who had been making trouble with an underground team led by Worf. Thus far, Worf has been able to keep Lore under control, but things get out of hand this year, as he puts his positronic brain to nefarious ends in a storyline that runs across Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant.