By Charly SHELTON

In January, the CVWeekly started a four part series to showcase some upcoming movies over the coming year, broken down by season, every three months. This is part two of that series, featuring the biggest and best in upcoming movies of April, May and June.

“The Raven,” director James McTeigue, starring John Cusack. Opens April 27.

This film stars John Cusack as the famed writer Edgar Allan Poe who plays detective, trying to stop a serial killer who bases all kills on the author’s various works. This will be one to watch for as it looks like it is going to be a highlight in 2012 movies.

“The Avengers,” director Joss Whedon, starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Opens May 4.

This is the most anticipated movie of the year. Fans have been waiting for this ever since “Iron Man” came out in 2008. And now nerd-God Joss Whedon is directing and writing “The Avengers” movie, teaming up Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye, and (for some reason) Black Widow with S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, against baddies from every corner of the universe. This is going to be an amazing film that needs to be seen on the big screen. Don’t miss it.

“Battleship,” director Peter Berg, starring Liam Neeson, Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna. Opens May 18.

This action movie is about aliens invading and a battleship that has to take them down. So let’s recap – it’s a pop singer and a supermodel starring in a film based on a board game, but now it has aliens. At least this failure will have a good-looking supporting cast.

“Men In Black 3,” director Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. Opens May 25.

Agent J travels to the past to team up with a young Agent K in this third installment of the “Men In Black” franchise. It will be released in 3D.

“Prometheus,” director Ridley Scott, starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender. Opens June 8.

This prequel to “Alien” shows the first crew to encounter the face hugging, acid bleeding, smaller mouth in its mouth aliens from the Ridley Scott/James Cameron directed franchise of films. As “The Thing” did last October, showing the Swedish team that discovered the monster, we will see the story of the first encounter with these aliens and although we know the end (because we see Prometheus in the first film “Alien”) it is no less exciting to watch.

“Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter,” director Timur Bekmambetov, starring Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Alan Tudyk. Opens June 22.

This film, based on the Seth Grahme-Smith novel, follows our 16th president as he lives his secret life as a vampire hunter. Incorporating historical events and characters to justify his actions, we will see Lincoln’s true heroism is not just as a president leading our nation through its darkest time, but actually saving the living from being over-run by the undead.

“Brave,” directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, starring Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson and Billy Connolly. Opens June 22.

This Pixar film is set in the medieval highlands of Scotland and follows Pixar’s first female heroine Merida as she discovers herself and what it is to be brave while trying to unravel a deadly curse on her kingdom. This looks to be a great film, as Pixar always does, and it is not one to be missed in 3D. Usually 3D is an extra expense without much of a payoff, but some of the animation in this film warrants the use of 3D and it will definitely be worth it.

That’s it for this installment, see you again in July with the next three months of movies.

  Charly Shelton