Hello all and welcome to the 04/08/14 edition of The Comic Shop!
To avoid spoilers for the hottest April movie release of all-time I will mainly talk about the performances, and direction of the film in this review.
To start it is hard to believe that the Russo brothers have never directed an action film before. The majority of their previous directorial work was on comedy tv shows ("Arrested Development" & "Community") and comedy movies like "You, Me, and Dupree". While they do have a fair amount of humor in "The Winter Soldier", which at this point is the norm for Marvel films their action direction is absolutely stellar. The movie is filled with tightly-cut, waist-up, fast moving action and it rarely takes a break for anything other than bare minimum exposition.
Chris Evans really has a stranglehold on the Steve Rogers character. He is equal parts heroic, comedic, and is the type of go-for-it-all leader that will inspire.
Anthony Mackie brings a lot of youthful exuberance, loyalty, and humor to his role as The Falcon. This was a star making performance for Mackie, and I could totally see him in the lead in his own future Marvel film.
Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow gets the ultimate respect from the Russo's in this appearance for the character. Instead of being reduced to eye candy or a scared helpless woman as we have seen at moments in her previous appearances ("Iron Man 2" & "The Avengers"). This Black Widow is a fully functioning ass kicker who can hold her own with the other heroes. In this portrayal I feel that the Russo's have set the template for the most effective use of super heroines. I, for one, would much rather see a Ronda Rousey-style ass kicker than another damsel in distress. For that reason I applaud what the Russo's accomplished in this movie.
My only complaint on a base level is that there was not enough Winter Soldier in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". For sharing the title he is not in it much and says even less. Part of that is by design, but I still could've done with a few more minutes of Winter Soldier screen time.
While the first entry "Captain America: The First Avenger" was a WWII movie that had a superhero in it this entry is a spy-thriller that also happens to be a superhero movie. As with the original it successfully captures the essence of the chosen genre and serves to further the development of the title character.
Overall I have to say this is one of my favorite superhero movies to date. I hesitantly place it in the company of "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-man 2" at the top of my list.
For more discussion check out my next entry where I will get into spoiler territory and I will tie it together with "Iron Man 3" to talk about how the stage is now set for "Avengers: Age of Ultron".
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Comic Shop Deux: The Electric Boogaloo......movie talkin' edition
Hello friends and welcome to the March 25th edition of The Comic Shop!
Lot of topics to cover today predominantly film, but I might branch out into a couple of on the page thoughts...
First I'll say this....I have not been a fan of 70-80% of what I have seen come out about "X-men: Days of Future Past". The release of today's trailer gave me a little bit more positivity about the project. I can't say precisely what it is that I like about it, but I have a more favorable opinion of it nonetheless. To give Bryan Singer & crew credit there are some things I feel that they have gotten right in the series as a whole.
Off the top of my head I like what they have done with the Magneto, Mystique, and even Ellen Page's Kitty Pride. I really like the star power in this ensemble cast with Michael Fassbender & Sir Ian McKellan as Magneto, Patrick Stewart & James Mcavoy as Xavier, Hugh Jackman, Ellen Page, Jennifer Lawrence, and many others. I will give credit where credit is due, but I do expect them to address the glaring continuity errors and reestablish Scott Summers if not Jean Grey as well.
I like Evan Peters in his roles on the anthology horror series "American Horror Story", but I feel that in costume and look his Quicksilver does not pass the eyeball test. Time will tell with this project, but I'm more willing to give it a chance now.
Second.... Really cool set photos hit the net today for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" I love the costume choices that they have made for Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver in this iteration. I can see the twins being a fantastic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I give Aaron Taylor Johnson a lot of credit for getting himself into a heroic shape for this film and his other vehicle "Kick-ass". In other news with this project the "Building a universe" special teased an appearance of the Hulk-buster armor, which makes this blogger tingly all over.
Third... Exciting times as we sit a little over a week away from the release of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". I feel somewhat alone as a huge fan of the first entry, because I have heard some negativity about the project. Overall though I think that was the only way to introduce Cap, and it had the right formula of sci-fi, intrigue, and military service to capture the essence of what makes Steve Rogers the greatest hero of multiple generations (in the Marvel Canon). I'm really looking forward to this movie because I love the Winter Soldier character, and it will be nice to see Agent 13 & Crossbones introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In other news with Cap talks about the heavy in the third installment of the franchise have started up with it being suggested that a deranged Cap clone from the 50's MIGHT be the next villain. I enjoyed what Ed Brubaker did with the Cap Clone in his run with the character, but I'm not sure how a clone story would play with a large audience.
Fourth...FROM THE PAGES OF DC: I have to admit that even with the Batfan that I am I'm going through a little fatigue with Scott Snyder's "Year Zero" as in my opinion it has lived past it's sell by date. I will continue to buy the book because it's by no means terrible, but I am ready for the time to shift back to "current" day. I'm also not a fan of the "Batman: Eternal" weekly series that is coming up, and as much as I love Batman and like Snyder I hope it fails.
Fifth...FROM THE PAGES OF MARVEL: Mark Waid ushered hornhead into Marvel NOW! officially with the release of "Daredevil #1". Essentially this was a new volume of Waid's DD run, but he has drastically changed the status quo for the character. I was not initially a fan of the move out West and away from Hell's Kitchen, but it is fun to see Murdock adjust to life in a new city.
Lots of big news for Spidey as creator Dan Slott announced his November event "Spiderverse" that will feature every Spider-man EVER. Not to be outdone Brian Michael Bendis has promised a sequel to his universe crossing tale "Spider-men". I'm not sure what to think about either at this point, but it looks like Spidey is in for a big year.
FINALLY..... As promised on my Facebook Fan Page I want to delve a little into the choices made by the crew attached to the "Fast 7" movie. Specifically the choice to hire four body doubles and use CGI to complete Paul Walker's role in the film. Allegedly, there is still over half of his role to film. I have conflicted thoughts about this proposal, because on it's face value I think it's a shameful grave robbery. I realize that it has been done before like Brandon Lee's role in "The Crow" in example; however, I think that was intended to be a one shot project (and I'd like to pretend that it is) and not the latest installment in a annual franchise release. I think if the family is okay with it and it gets money to his foundation and his daughter that would be okay as well. To hedge though I have a sneaking suspicion that the CGI won't look real. That could make for a very awkward & uncomfortable viewing experience. It's a different thing to digitize a fantasy character like the Hulk or Smaug than to digitally manipulate stock footage of a person's face.
That's all for today I apologize for my long winded rants, but I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write so I had a lot to get out.
The good news is I will be back on my regular schedule next week. Which means more time to plan, prepare, & write.
Thank you for reading and see you next time at The Comic Shop!
Lot of topics to cover today predominantly film, but I might branch out into a couple of on the page thoughts...
First I'll say this....I have not been a fan of 70-80% of what I have seen come out about "X-men: Days of Future Past". The release of today's trailer gave me a little bit more positivity about the project. I can't say precisely what it is that I like about it, but I have a more favorable opinion of it nonetheless. To give Bryan Singer & crew credit there are some things I feel that they have gotten right in the series as a whole.
Off the top of my head I like what they have done with the Magneto, Mystique, and even Ellen Page's Kitty Pride. I really like the star power in this ensemble cast with Michael Fassbender & Sir Ian McKellan as Magneto, Patrick Stewart & James Mcavoy as Xavier, Hugh Jackman, Ellen Page, Jennifer Lawrence, and many others. I will give credit where credit is due, but I do expect them to address the glaring continuity errors and reestablish Scott Summers if not Jean Grey as well.
I like Evan Peters in his roles on the anthology horror series "American Horror Story", but I feel that in costume and look his Quicksilver does not pass the eyeball test. Time will tell with this project, but I'm more willing to give it a chance now.
Second.... Really cool set photos hit the net today for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" I love the costume choices that they have made for Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver in this iteration. I can see the twins being a fantastic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I give Aaron Taylor Johnson a lot of credit for getting himself into a heroic shape for this film and his other vehicle "Kick-ass". In other news with this project the "Building a universe" special teased an appearance of the Hulk-buster armor, which makes this blogger tingly all over.
Third... Exciting times as we sit a little over a week away from the release of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". I feel somewhat alone as a huge fan of the first entry, because I have heard some negativity about the project. Overall though I think that was the only way to introduce Cap, and it had the right formula of sci-fi, intrigue, and military service to capture the essence of what makes Steve Rogers the greatest hero of multiple generations (in the Marvel Canon). I'm really looking forward to this movie because I love the Winter Soldier character, and it will be nice to see Agent 13 & Crossbones introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In other news with Cap talks about the heavy in the third installment of the franchise have started up with it being suggested that a deranged Cap clone from the 50's MIGHT be the next villain. I enjoyed what Ed Brubaker did with the Cap Clone in his run with the character, but I'm not sure how a clone story would play with a large audience.
Fourth...FROM THE PAGES OF DC: I have to admit that even with the Batfan that I am I'm going through a little fatigue with Scott Snyder's "Year Zero" as in my opinion it has lived past it's sell by date. I will continue to buy the book because it's by no means terrible, but I am ready for the time to shift back to "current" day. I'm also not a fan of the "Batman: Eternal" weekly series that is coming up, and as much as I love Batman and like Snyder I hope it fails.
Fifth...FROM THE PAGES OF MARVEL: Mark Waid ushered hornhead into Marvel NOW! officially with the release of "Daredevil #1". Essentially this was a new volume of Waid's DD run, but he has drastically changed the status quo for the character. I was not initially a fan of the move out West and away from Hell's Kitchen, but it is fun to see Murdock adjust to life in a new city.
Lots of big news for Spidey as creator Dan Slott announced his November event "Spiderverse" that will feature every Spider-man EVER. Not to be outdone Brian Michael Bendis has promised a sequel to his universe crossing tale "Spider-men". I'm not sure what to think about either at this point, but it looks like Spidey is in for a big year.
FINALLY..... As promised on my Facebook Fan Page I want to delve a little into the choices made by the crew attached to the "Fast 7" movie. Specifically the choice to hire four body doubles and use CGI to complete Paul Walker's role in the film. Allegedly, there is still over half of his role to film. I have conflicted thoughts about this proposal, because on it's face value I think it's a shameful grave robbery. I realize that it has been done before like Brandon Lee's role in "The Crow" in example; however, I think that was intended to be a one shot project (and I'd like to pretend that it is) and not the latest installment in a annual franchise release. I think if the family is okay with it and it gets money to his foundation and his daughter that would be okay as well. To hedge though I have a sneaking suspicion that the CGI won't look real. That could make for a very awkward & uncomfortable viewing experience. It's a different thing to digitize a fantasy character like the Hulk or Smaug than to digitally manipulate stock footage of a person's face.
That's all for today I apologize for my long winded rants, but I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write so I had a lot to get out.
The good news is I will be back on my regular schedule next week. Which means more time to plan, prepare, & write.
Thank you for reading and see you next time at The Comic Shop!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Magneto: Mutant Messiah, Movie release dates, Indy Comic con, and other topics
Happy Sunday everyone!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Comic Shop!
Lot of topics I want to get into today so I'm gonna jump right in................
First.....
Cullen Bunn's "Magneto" is nothing short of phenomenal. Bunn has a unique aptitude for stripping down this character to his most integral traits. This Magneto is in stark contrast to other iterations of the master of magnetism. In years past we've seen him cast as the leader of a nation, the leader of an anti-human faction, the leader of the X-men, a zealot, and a terrorist. While in days gone by we might have seen Magneto travel through the skies in a magnetic field this one tools around in a beat up old suburban. We've seen Magneto be usurped in both status and influence by Cyclops and others. This is Magneto in the post-AvX Marvel Universe and it is rather enjoyable. I don't want to spoil too many plot points, but I will say that it was a fantastic read and a worthwhile addition to any buy pile.
Second....
Many a wave were made earlier this week when Disney/Marvel announced that they will release "Captain America 3" up against WB/DC's "Batman vs. Superman still unofficially titled project" on May 6, 2016. New-comic-movie-fan-dude-bros and even prestigious publications like "Forbes" are already claiming victory for Disney/Marvel. What they fail to realize is that there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY both of those movies will be on the same day. The rising comic film tide has raised all ships, but this would be potentially damaging for both studios. I will tell you now that someone will either experience "production problems" or have to do "reshoots" that will alter the release schedule. As a movie fan it would be cool to go to one at midnight and the other the next morning, but I don't think the head to head competition is necessary or beneficial to anyone.
Third...
I am a very proud Hoosier after this weekend. Indy Comic Con on many fronts was an amazing success. While I do have to say that there is a lot of room for improvement I think it was a great first effort. Event planners anticipated about 10,000 visitors for the entire weekend and received over 15,000 on Saturday alone. The event planners have already committed to having more room and a vastly improved Indy Comic Con for 2015. I would suggest that they have it at a different time of year where they don't have the intersection of St. Patty's day, the Big Ten Tournament, and what I believe was a library convention. This weekend was also the time that Las Vegas was having their Con so that probably kept some celebrities/artists/etc. from coming. Things are definitely looking up for the future of the Indy Comic Con. Very exciting! I'm happy for the businesses downtown as well that have toiled through a brutal winter. They surely experienced an outstanding sales day on Saturday.
Fourth....
This week in the "Superior Spider-man" turns - The "Goblin Nation" storyline carries on. I don't want to spoil anything but it brought a smile to my face when Otto had to stop to ask himself "What would Parker do?"
I know there were other things that I wanted to cover, but I'm blanking on them at the moment so let's call it a day.
Thank you for reading!
See you next time at The Comic Shop...
Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Comic Shop!
Lot of topics I want to get into today so I'm gonna jump right in................
First.....
Cullen Bunn's "Magneto" is nothing short of phenomenal. Bunn has a unique aptitude for stripping down this character to his most integral traits. This Magneto is in stark contrast to other iterations of the master of magnetism. In years past we've seen him cast as the leader of a nation, the leader of an anti-human faction, the leader of the X-men, a zealot, and a terrorist. While in days gone by we might have seen Magneto travel through the skies in a magnetic field this one tools around in a beat up old suburban. We've seen Magneto be usurped in both status and influence by Cyclops and others. This is Magneto in the post-AvX Marvel Universe and it is rather enjoyable. I don't want to spoil too many plot points, but I will say that it was a fantastic read and a worthwhile addition to any buy pile.
Second....
Many a wave were made earlier this week when Disney/Marvel announced that they will release "Captain America 3" up against WB/DC's "Batman vs. Superman still unofficially titled project" on May 6, 2016. New-comic-movie-fan-dude-bros and even prestigious publications like "Forbes" are already claiming victory for Disney/Marvel. What they fail to realize is that there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY both of those movies will be on the same day. The rising comic film tide has raised all ships, but this would be potentially damaging for both studios. I will tell you now that someone will either experience "production problems" or have to do "reshoots" that will alter the release schedule. As a movie fan it would be cool to go to one at midnight and the other the next morning, but I don't think the head to head competition is necessary or beneficial to anyone.
Third...
I am a very proud Hoosier after this weekend. Indy Comic Con on many fronts was an amazing success. While I do have to say that there is a lot of room for improvement I think it was a great first effort. Event planners anticipated about 10,000 visitors for the entire weekend and received over 15,000 on Saturday alone. The event planners have already committed to having more room and a vastly improved Indy Comic Con for 2015. I would suggest that they have it at a different time of year where they don't have the intersection of St. Patty's day, the Big Ten Tournament, and what I believe was a library convention. This weekend was also the time that Las Vegas was having their Con so that probably kept some celebrities/artists/etc. from coming. Things are definitely looking up for the future of the Indy Comic Con. Very exciting! I'm happy for the businesses downtown as well that have toiled through a brutal winter. They surely experienced an outstanding sales day on Saturday.
Fourth....
This week in the "Superior Spider-man" turns - The "Goblin Nation" storyline carries on. I don't want to spoil anything but it brought a smile to my face when Otto had to stop to ask himself "What would Parker do?"
I know there were other things that I wanted to cover, but I'm blanking on them at the moment so let's call it a day.
Thank you for reading!
See you next time at The Comic Shop...
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Thoughts on "Terminator: Genesis", "Batman: Arkham Knight", and other topics
Hello everybody and welcome to The Comic Shop!
Just wanted to let you all know that due to a temporary change in my work schedule it will be hard for me to post weekly during the month of March. I apologize for my absence and tardiness. Lets jump into the handful of topics for today's post.
First.....
We are learning more and more about the newest addition to the "Terminator" film franchise. Recent news said that "Terminator: Genesis" will serve as a sequel, reboot, and prequel all in one. Essentially think of JJ's "Star Trek" and you have a general idea of how they are going to go about kick starting a new series of films. I am admittedly not the biggest "Terminator" fan as I only really enjoyed "T2" and "Terminator Salvation", but I am intrigued to see where this new franchise is going. Having Emilia Clarke ("Game of Thrones") take over as Sarah Connor doesn't hurt my odds of watching the movie either :) .
Second....
Rocksteady Games announced their next entry into the Arkham game series with "Batman: Arkham Knight". The announcement trailer was amazing, but at this point I am not ready to invest in an Xbox One or PS4 console so I will have to be happy just reading about it.
Third.....
"Forever Evil" #6 hits store shelves tomorrow. The issue promises to unveil the final fate of fan favorite Nightwing. As far back as "Infinite Crisis" DC Editor Dan Dido has had a desire to kill off Dick Grayson, and lets hope he still does not get his wish.
Fourth...
More casting news from "Gotham" has hit the web with a young Bruce Wayne and young Selina Kyle being cast. I'm excited to see this show, but I do have a bit of trepidation about the timeline. For instance Oswald Cobblepot is a grown man during the time frame of this show while Bruce is a child. Not as intimidating when Batman is beating up on a guy twice his age. We will see how the timing works out when the show sees the light of day. A review of an early draft posted on Deadspin.com suggested a lot of winking at the audience and not in the way that "Arrow" peppers in easter eggs, but so bad that they are beating people over the head with the references. Time will tell, so lets hope for the best.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading! See you next time at The Comic Shop!
Just wanted to let you all know that due to a temporary change in my work schedule it will be hard for me to post weekly during the month of March. I apologize for my absence and tardiness. Lets jump into the handful of topics for today's post.
First.....
We are learning more and more about the newest addition to the "Terminator" film franchise. Recent news said that "Terminator: Genesis" will serve as a sequel, reboot, and prequel all in one. Essentially think of JJ's "Star Trek" and you have a general idea of how they are going to go about kick starting a new series of films. I am admittedly not the biggest "Terminator" fan as I only really enjoyed "T2" and "Terminator Salvation", but I am intrigued to see where this new franchise is going. Having Emilia Clarke ("Game of Thrones") take over as Sarah Connor doesn't hurt my odds of watching the movie either :) .
Second....
Rocksteady Games announced their next entry into the Arkham game series with "Batman: Arkham Knight". The announcement trailer was amazing, but at this point I am not ready to invest in an Xbox One or PS4 console so I will have to be happy just reading about it.
Third.....
"Forever Evil" #6 hits store shelves tomorrow. The issue promises to unveil the final fate of fan favorite Nightwing. As far back as "Infinite Crisis" DC Editor Dan Dido has had a desire to kill off Dick Grayson, and lets hope he still does not get his wish.
Fourth...
More casting news from "Gotham" has hit the web with a young Bruce Wayne and young Selina Kyle being cast. I'm excited to see this show, but I do have a bit of trepidation about the timeline. For instance Oswald Cobblepot is a grown man during the time frame of this show while Bruce is a child. Not as intimidating when Batman is beating up on a guy twice his age. We will see how the timing works out when the show sees the light of day. A review of an early draft posted on Deadspin.com suggested a lot of winking at the audience and not in the way that "Arrow" peppers in easter eggs, but so bad that they are beating people over the head with the references. Time will tell, so lets hope for the best.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading! See you next time at The Comic Shop!
Friday, February 21, 2014
"Guardians of the Galaxy" first impressions and other news....
Hello good people and comic fans!
Welcome to the 02/21/14 edition of The Comic Shop....
First.....
If you haven't watched it yet be sure to take a peek at the first trailer from "Guardians of the Galaxy". I think this looks like it will be a blast to watch. Chris Pratt's Star-Lord seems to be very Han Solo/Indiana Jones-esque and I really am looking forward to seeing him play the role for a full two hour movie. The whole trailer gives this humble blogger the impression that this movie will be very much like a serial (in the vain of a "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones"). Marvel is just amazing in the way that they have embraced the fun of these characters. I think if you compare what is being done by Marvel to DC/WB, Sony, and Fox it's not even a competition at this point. They have really embraced what make their characters timeless and endearing. In the world that they have created we could have X-men in actual costumes! (if they had the rights).
Second....
In response to the release of the "Guardians" trailer Fox released more images for "X-men: Days of Future Past". This is a project that I was initially excited about, but the more that I have seen released the less I am excited about it. It could surprise, but I think going with Bryan Singer was a bad move. Especially so when Matthew Vaughn did such a job restarting the series with "X-men: First Class". In all truthfulness I don't think film is the best medium for the X-men, but I'll talk more about that later.
Third....
Fox came forward with another news item this week with the casting of the first family of superheroes in the "Fantastic Four" reboot. Headlined with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, Kate Mara as Sue Storm, Miles Teller as Reed Richards, and Jaime Bell as Ben Grimm the casting has drawn the ire of fanboy nation. I absolutely loved Jordan in "Chronicle" and Kate Mara has been good in a plethora of projects. I can't say too much about the other two, but it is quite obvious that Fox is attempting to skew younger with this project. It seems as if Fox is trying to pander to the "Twilight" crowd with this and the some of the new X-men character designs. Time will tell, but this project could surprise.
Fourth....
Lot of TV news going on right now. The bigger news has revolved around "Gotham" at this point with Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy, Grounded for Life), Jada Pinkett Smith (One of the shitty Matrix movies, 2nd most talented person in the Smith household), and Ben McKenzie (The OC, Southland) signing on for significant roles in the proposed television series. "Gotham" seems promising and could be a real win for Fox television.
I think television is the medium that will lend itself to better storytelling with comic characters in all honesty. Imagine how great a weekly live-action X-men television show based out of the Xavier school could be. We are living in the golden age of television with more money, more stars, better writers, and many other factors of success playing to the small screen. "Arrow", "Walking Dead", "Smallville", and many others have proven that long-form comic stories can be better told on the small screen. With "Flash", "Constantine", "Gotham", the Marvel Netflix shows, and many others headed to television it is safe to say that it could be the new trend in comics branching out to other media.
Fifth.....
John Wesley Shipp (The Flash) has been cast in television's new version of "The Flash" and it makes me very happy. The 90's show was by all accounts not very good, but it was one of those things that I enjoyed as a kid. It will be interesting to see what role Shipp takes on, but it will be cool to see him pass the torch to the next generation of scarlet speedster.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++SPOILER++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This week in "The Superior Spider-man Turns".......
I think that this year has been Otto's swan song. I think Otto will defeat the Green Goblin, and in doing so will have gotten his one big victory in life. Otto will be able to go into that quiet night knowing that he defeated an unstoppable enemy and insurmountable odds. Now that's not to say we will never see Doc Ock again, because in all truthfulness we've seen a surrogate Ock before (as recently as 2001ish during Strasynski's run on "Amazing Spider-man"). It may just be a long time before we see the Otto Octavious version of the character again. I think it will be a fitting send off to a fantastic character if it plays out the way that I hope it does.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++No More Spoilers++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I think that's all for tonight. Thank you all for reading!
See you next time at The Comic Shop!!
Welcome to the 02/21/14 edition of The Comic Shop....
First.....
If you haven't watched it yet be sure to take a peek at the first trailer from "Guardians of the Galaxy". I think this looks like it will be a blast to watch. Chris Pratt's Star-Lord seems to be very Han Solo/Indiana Jones-esque and I really am looking forward to seeing him play the role for a full two hour movie. The whole trailer gives this humble blogger the impression that this movie will be very much like a serial (in the vain of a "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones"). Marvel is just amazing in the way that they have embraced the fun of these characters. I think if you compare what is being done by Marvel to DC/WB, Sony, and Fox it's not even a competition at this point. They have really embraced what make their characters timeless and endearing. In the world that they have created we could have X-men in actual costumes! (if they had the rights).
Second....
In response to the release of the "Guardians" trailer Fox released more images for "X-men: Days of Future Past". This is a project that I was initially excited about, but the more that I have seen released the less I am excited about it. It could surprise, but I think going with Bryan Singer was a bad move. Especially so when Matthew Vaughn did such a job restarting the series with "X-men: First Class". In all truthfulness I don't think film is the best medium for the X-men, but I'll talk more about that later.
Third....
Fox came forward with another news item this week with the casting of the first family of superheroes in the "Fantastic Four" reboot. Headlined with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, Kate Mara as Sue Storm, Miles Teller as Reed Richards, and Jaime Bell as Ben Grimm the casting has drawn the ire of fanboy nation. I absolutely loved Jordan in "Chronicle" and Kate Mara has been good in a plethora of projects. I can't say too much about the other two, but it is quite obvious that Fox is attempting to skew younger with this project. It seems as if Fox is trying to pander to the "Twilight" crowd with this and the some of the new X-men character designs. Time will tell, but this project could surprise.
Fourth....
Lot of TV news going on right now. The bigger news has revolved around "Gotham" at this point with Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy, Grounded for Life), Jada Pinkett Smith (One of the shitty Matrix movies, 2nd most talented person in the Smith household), and Ben McKenzie (The OC, Southland) signing on for significant roles in the proposed television series. "Gotham" seems promising and could be a real win for Fox television.
I think television is the medium that will lend itself to better storytelling with comic characters in all honesty. Imagine how great a weekly live-action X-men television show based out of the Xavier school could be. We are living in the golden age of television with more money, more stars, better writers, and many other factors of success playing to the small screen. "Arrow", "Walking Dead", "Smallville", and many others have proven that long-form comic stories can be better told on the small screen. With "Flash", "Constantine", "Gotham", the Marvel Netflix shows, and many others headed to television it is safe to say that it could be the new trend in comics branching out to other media.
Fifth.....
John Wesley Shipp (The Flash) has been cast in television's new version of "The Flash" and it makes me very happy. The 90's show was by all accounts not very good, but it was one of those things that I enjoyed as a kid. It will be interesting to see what role Shipp takes on, but it will be cool to see him pass the torch to the next generation of scarlet speedster.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++SPOILER++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This week in "The Superior Spider-man Turns".......
I think that this year has been Otto's swan song. I think Otto will defeat the Green Goblin, and in doing so will have gotten his one big victory in life. Otto will be able to go into that quiet night knowing that he defeated an unstoppable enemy and insurmountable odds. Now that's not to say we will never see Doc Ock again, because in all truthfulness we've seen a surrogate Ock before (as recently as 2001ish during Strasynski's run on "Amazing Spider-man"). It may just be a long time before we see the Otto Octavious version of the character again. I think it will be a fitting send off to a fantastic character if it plays out the way that I hope it does.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++No More Spoilers++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I think that's all for tonight. Thank you all for reading!
See you next time at The Comic Shop!!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
What can comics learn from Netflix? and a Conspiracy Theory (for your eyes only)
Welcome back! Your humble blogger had to take a week off to get some personal affairs attended to, but I'm back and ready to unload with two new posts this week.
First...as a discussion point last week was absolutely absurd with the amount of comics that came out. "Batman", "Batgirl", "Superior Spider-man", "Nightwing", "All-New X-men", the finale of the initial "Sons of Anarchy" arch, and many, many more. It's great for comics, great for a comic store, but not so good for the old pocketbook. I digress though....
Onto the main topic.....
While slamming through the new season of "House of Cards" on Netflix it occurs to me that comic companies, the big two specifically, could learn something from the way that Netflix presents "House of Cards" and it's other original program. If you are not familiar with the show, basically it is a political thriller. The unique thing about it is that the entire new season is released at one time. The showrunners made the choice to have each new episode end abruptly and poignantly. They do not build to false climaxes to entice viewers to return the following week because they don't have to. It is a more natural form of long form storytelling. It also makes the payoff at the end of the season more meaningful because we do not have 22/12/13 mini-cliffhangers each week.
So how would this translate to comics? We have seen one-time trade releases in the past. "Superman Earth-One" parts I and II were one day releases as well as "Batman Earth-One". These were self contained stories with a structured beginning-middle-end with no false climaxes getting in the way of telling the complete story. Marvel is about to release "X-men: No More Humans" which spins out of the "Battle of the Atom" epic. Once again this is a one-shot deal.
Too often in our modern climate publishers rely on cheap tricks, marketing, and other chicanery to move books rather than relying on good old storytelling. I would argue that while the business still will and should lean heavily upon monthly releases it would be in the best interest of publishers to release books like "Damien: Son of Batman" as a one-shot deal instead of spreading it out over several months. In the monthly books that in between events the publishers publish one or two self contained stories a month. One comic with a beginning-middle-end not tied to another comic, and not reliant on a false climax to get the reader to buy the next issue.
Just suggestions, but something has to change. With Scott Snyder's "Batman" being the ONLY title to surpass 100K in January with no other title cracking 90k that is a concern...
Now look over your shoulder because it's CONSPIRACY THEORY time...close the blinds...put the dogs outside...and don't breathe a word......
For the purposes of this discussion please open a new tab, go to YouTube, and watch the first trailer for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". Pay specific attention to the dialogue of Robert Redford's character. He says something to the effect of "Sometimes to create a new world you have to build on top of the old one". That sounds awful Reich-like does it not???
The cosmic cube (tesseract) in the comics has the ability to not only transport a person, but also has the ability to transport a consciousness. Could our favorite crimson cranium be occupying space in Robert Redford's noggin'? Most of us know who the "Winter Soldier" is, but I won't spoil it for my readers that don't. We know that something is afoul at SHIELD from the first two trailers, and my money would not be on Mutha Fukkkin Sammy Jackson's Nick Fury being behind it.
For now it's just a theory nothing more, but it could be much, much more.......stay tuned.....
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" trailer has not dropped as of yet, but I will post it over on our Facebook Community page when it does.
I have not caved in to go see the new movie referred to as "Robocop" yet, because of my pledge to see #noremakesin2014...
Thanks for reading! See you next time at The Comic Shop.
First...as a discussion point last week was absolutely absurd with the amount of comics that came out. "Batman", "Batgirl", "Superior Spider-man", "Nightwing", "All-New X-men", the finale of the initial "Sons of Anarchy" arch, and many, many more. It's great for comics, great for a comic store, but not so good for the old pocketbook. I digress though....
Onto the main topic.....
While slamming through the new season of "House of Cards" on Netflix it occurs to me that comic companies, the big two specifically, could learn something from the way that Netflix presents "House of Cards" and it's other original program. If you are not familiar with the show, basically it is a political thriller. The unique thing about it is that the entire new season is released at one time. The showrunners made the choice to have each new episode end abruptly and poignantly. They do not build to false climaxes to entice viewers to return the following week because they don't have to. It is a more natural form of long form storytelling. It also makes the payoff at the end of the season more meaningful because we do not have 22/12/13 mini-cliffhangers each week.
So how would this translate to comics? We have seen one-time trade releases in the past. "Superman Earth-One" parts I and II were one day releases as well as "Batman Earth-One". These were self contained stories with a structured beginning-middle-end with no false climaxes getting in the way of telling the complete story. Marvel is about to release "X-men: No More Humans" which spins out of the "Battle of the Atom" epic. Once again this is a one-shot deal.
Too often in our modern climate publishers rely on cheap tricks, marketing, and other chicanery to move books rather than relying on good old storytelling. I would argue that while the business still will and should lean heavily upon monthly releases it would be in the best interest of publishers to release books like "Damien: Son of Batman" as a one-shot deal instead of spreading it out over several months. In the monthly books that in between events the publishers publish one or two self contained stories a month. One comic with a beginning-middle-end not tied to another comic, and not reliant on a false climax to get the reader to buy the next issue.
Just suggestions, but something has to change. With Scott Snyder's "Batman" being the ONLY title to surpass 100K in January with no other title cracking 90k that is a concern...
Now look over your shoulder because it's CONSPIRACY THEORY time...close the blinds...put the dogs outside...and don't breathe a word......
For the purposes of this discussion please open a new tab, go to YouTube, and watch the first trailer for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". Pay specific attention to the dialogue of Robert Redford's character. He says something to the effect of "Sometimes to create a new world you have to build on top of the old one". That sounds awful Reich-like does it not???
The cosmic cube (tesseract) in the comics has the ability to not only transport a person, but also has the ability to transport a consciousness. Could our favorite crimson cranium be occupying space in Robert Redford's noggin'? Most of us know who the "Winter Soldier" is, but I won't spoil it for my readers that don't. We know that something is afoul at SHIELD from the first two trailers, and my money would not be on Mutha Fukkkin Sammy Jackson's Nick Fury being behind it.
For now it's just a theory nothing more, but it could be much, much more.......stay tuned.....
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" trailer has not dropped as of yet, but I will post it over on our Facebook Community page when it does.
I have not caved in to go see the new movie referred to as "Robocop" yet, because of my pledge to see #noremakesin2014...
Thanks for reading! See you next time at The Comic Shop.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
A column, some news, and a sort of review....
About a month ago "Batgirl" writer Gail Simone took to her twitter account, as she often does, to pose a question to her followers. Simone asked in very general terms for her followers to name the last breakout comic book character that was not based on ultra-violent behavior. Her definition of breakthrough was; a top selling book, cultural influence, appearance in films, and other criteria. The masses struggled to say the least. Her reasoning is that the rise of Deadpool, Harley Quinn, and other characters is because of a fundamental change in the people that read comics.
A quick look at books that came out this week alone gives credence to the rise of the anti-hero. Consider the fact that this week "Forever Evil", which is about a group of villains banding together with the expressed purpose of killing the Justice League's evil doppelgangers. This week also saw the launch of "Loki: Agent of Asgard" as a new Marvel Now! title. Loki has gained quite a bit of notoriety from his film outings in "Thor", "The Avengers", and "Thor: The Dark World". Marvel has taken this as a sign that Loki, a trickster god and all around bad guy, should be the protagonist in his own ongoing series. Furthermore, "The Joker's Daughter" made another one-shot appearance at DC, and "Magneto" has his own limited-run series upcoming for Marvel.
As I have written about here several times this past year we watched as eternal villain Doctor Octopus tried his hand at being a "Superior Spider-man" and I have enjoyed every minute of that ride. Hell, even the "All-New X-men" decided to join evil Scott Summers' Xavier School.
What does this say about us? Is the day of a bright and shining superhero passe? Do we crave a finality and resolution to our superhero stories? Have we deemed the use of lethal force necessary?
If the characters that we once identified as villains are now the sort-of good guys who are the new villains?
I have to wonder aloud if this "new" Justice League that has been teased will be the norm going forward. With Black Adam and Luthor as a surrogate Superman, Deathstroke as a lethal justice Batman, and on down the line. I highly doubt it but I suppose it is entirely plausible.
I know that I've asked more questions than usual in this column, but it's more or less a new phenomenon. I would hope when the anti-hero stories become less compelling that things would get back to the norm, but I can't say I don't enjoy some of this storytelling.
If we think about it enough it's pretty easy to see the anti-hero influence in other media. On television for instance we have all of the following: Meth Kingpin Walter White (Breaking Bad), Serial Killer Dexter Morgan (Dexter), all of the gang members (Boardwalk Empire), Sociopathic Status Seeker Frank Underwood (House of Cards), Hannibal (Hannibal), Sgt. Brody (Homeland), and many, many more.
NEWS.....
First....
Big news from DC in that Geoff Johns ("Forever Evil", "Blackest Night", "Aquaman", "Green Lantern", "Flash", "Superman: Secret Origins") will join John Romita Jr. as the new creative team for the publisher's "Superman" title. As readers we have been stuck in Lobdell-hell for far too long, and thankfully his run with the Man of Steel has come to an end. Look for that coming up this spring.
Second....
Ripped from the headlines at Bleeding Cool Evangeline Lilly (Lost) has been cast as the female lead in the "Ant-man" movie. I would have much more to write about this, but I think I'd rather google pictures of Evangeline Lilly........
oh, um anyway Third.....
Allegedly, according to Bleeding Cool, Fox would be open to having a female version of Dr. Doom. Which of course explains why Fox should not make movies. All joking aside I would be open to it as long as we are talking an A list actor, but I think it would be better off having a male actor in the role.
Fourth....
The Super Bowl has come and gone, and was a tremendous waste of time for everyone involved but the Seahawks & their fans. What is newsworthy comics-wise is that we got a glimpse at new trailers for "Trans4mers: Age of Extinction", "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", and "The Amazing Spider-man 2". If you haven't seen them yet check em out over on youtube, and I will try to share the links on my Facebook Page for this site. Just gonna give a quick reaction to all the trailers:
"Trans4mers: Age of Extinction" - While I'm not in love with them making another Baysplosion Transformers movie it was pretty freaking cool to see the Dinobots even though Optimus was riding one for some reason.
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" - I loved the graphic novel, and while it looks like this isn't an entirely faithful adaptation it looks like it captures a lot of the espionage and intrigue of the graphic novel of the same name.
"The Amazing Spider-man 2" - This movie's action sequences look absolutely spectacular. I like the villains that they' chose to have in the movie, and the trailer was just a thrill ride. My only gripe is the "dumb Aunt May" routine they seem to be doing it's not funny, and it's wholly unnecessary.
Review-ish...............
As you know from my reviews I'm a big fan of the Marvel books "Superior Spider-man" and "Daredevil". Today I decided to see what was up with the "Trial of Jean Grey" series, and I was blown away by another title in the "All-new X-men" tie in portion of that book. For this "sort of" review I want to group all three together.
The color palette chosen by the inkers on these three books are very similar. Bright and vibrant like what we may have seen in an earlier time in comics. The art is a fun non-realistic style which adds to my personal enjoyment. Finally and most importantly they have writers that really understand the heart of the characters they are crafting. I just had to give a little praise to the Marvel group, because I do not do a great job of doing that on a weekly basis.
That's all for today...Happy Reading....and I'll see you next time at The Comic Shop!
A quick look at books that came out this week alone gives credence to the rise of the anti-hero. Consider the fact that this week "Forever Evil", which is about a group of villains banding together with the expressed purpose of killing the Justice League's evil doppelgangers. This week also saw the launch of "Loki: Agent of Asgard" as a new Marvel Now! title. Loki has gained quite a bit of notoriety from his film outings in "Thor", "The Avengers", and "Thor: The Dark World". Marvel has taken this as a sign that Loki, a trickster god and all around bad guy, should be the protagonist in his own ongoing series. Furthermore, "The Joker's Daughter" made another one-shot appearance at DC, and "Magneto" has his own limited-run series upcoming for Marvel.
As I have written about here several times this past year we watched as eternal villain Doctor Octopus tried his hand at being a "Superior Spider-man" and I have enjoyed every minute of that ride. Hell, even the "All-New X-men" decided to join evil Scott Summers' Xavier School.
What does this say about us? Is the day of a bright and shining superhero passe? Do we crave a finality and resolution to our superhero stories? Have we deemed the use of lethal force necessary?
If the characters that we once identified as villains are now the sort-of good guys who are the new villains?
I have to wonder aloud if this "new" Justice League that has been teased will be the norm going forward. With Black Adam and Luthor as a surrogate Superman, Deathstroke as a lethal justice Batman, and on down the line. I highly doubt it but I suppose it is entirely plausible.
I know that I've asked more questions than usual in this column, but it's more or less a new phenomenon. I would hope when the anti-hero stories become less compelling that things would get back to the norm, but I can't say I don't enjoy some of this storytelling.
If we think about it enough it's pretty easy to see the anti-hero influence in other media. On television for instance we have all of the following: Meth Kingpin Walter White (Breaking Bad), Serial Killer Dexter Morgan (Dexter), all of the gang members (Boardwalk Empire), Sociopathic Status Seeker Frank Underwood (House of Cards), Hannibal (Hannibal), Sgt. Brody (Homeland), and many, many more.
NEWS.....
First....
Big news from DC in that Geoff Johns ("Forever Evil", "Blackest Night", "Aquaman", "Green Lantern", "Flash", "Superman: Secret Origins") will join John Romita Jr. as the new creative team for the publisher's "Superman" title. As readers we have been stuck in Lobdell-hell for far too long, and thankfully his run with the Man of Steel has come to an end. Look for that coming up this spring.
Second....
Ripped from the headlines at Bleeding Cool Evangeline Lilly (Lost) has been cast as the female lead in the "Ant-man" movie. I would have much more to write about this, but I think I'd rather google pictures of Evangeline Lilly........
oh, um anyway Third.....
Allegedly, according to Bleeding Cool, Fox would be open to having a female version of Dr. Doom. Which of course explains why Fox should not make movies. All joking aside I would be open to it as long as we are talking an A list actor, but I think it would be better off having a male actor in the role.
Fourth....
The Super Bowl has come and gone, and was a tremendous waste of time for everyone involved but the Seahawks & their fans. What is newsworthy comics-wise is that we got a glimpse at new trailers for "Trans4mers: Age of Extinction", "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", and "The Amazing Spider-man 2". If you haven't seen them yet check em out over on youtube, and I will try to share the links on my Facebook Page for this site. Just gonna give a quick reaction to all the trailers:
"Trans4mers: Age of Extinction" - While I'm not in love with them making another Baysplosion Transformers movie it was pretty freaking cool to see the Dinobots even though Optimus was riding one for some reason.
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" - I loved the graphic novel, and while it looks like this isn't an entirely faithful adaptation it looks like it captures a lot of the espionage and intrigue of the graphic novel of the same name.
"The Amazing Spider-man 2" - This movie's action sequences look absolutely spectacular. I like the villains that they' chose to have in the movie, and the trailer was just a thrill ride. My only gripe is the "dumb Aunt May" routine they seem to be doing it's not funny, and it's wholly unnecessary.
Review-ish...............
As you know from my reviews I'm a big fan of the Marvel books "Superior Spider-man" and "Daredevil". Today I decided to see what was up with the "Trial of Jean Grey" series, and I was blown away by another title in the "All-new X-men" tie in portion of that book. For this "sort of" review I want to group all three together.
The color palette chosen by the inkers on these three books are very similar. Bright and vibrant like what we may have seen in an earlier time in comics. The art is a fun non-realistic style which adds to my personal enjoyment. Finally and most importantly they have writers that really understand the heart of the characters they are crafting. I just had to give a little praise to the Marvel group, because I do not do a great job of doing that on a weekly basis.
That's all for today...Happy Reading....and I'll see you next time at The Comic Shop!
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