Wonder Woman: A Belated Review

Oftentimes here at The Comic Shop Blog I take time before I publish a full-out review of something.  Now part of this is laziness, and part of it is a lack of free time; however, the bulk of it (I like to believe) is to take time to consider a film so I can present you my thoughts without them being reactionary.  It's been out awhile now so consider spoilers fair game... On to the review of "Wonder Woman"...

Good:  Credit belongs to the cast and crew on this film.  Director Patty Jenkins got her first big break and absolutely impressed.  Her work with screenwriter Allan Heinberg successfully told a compelling origin story and in this day in age that is an astounding feat. 

One thing that stood out to me especially was that this was the first major DC film in some time that did not feel like it had to apologize for being a comic book film.  The cast & crew here really dug in to the source material, and did their best to understand the unique motives of each character without assigning them a cliched stereotype. 

I felt that most of the cast was great.  Gal Gadot and Chris Pine really understood their characters and their motivations.  I think Gadot's previous military training was likely a great inspiration for her to tap on to bring Diana's quiet strength to life.  Chris Pine did what he does and that is provide some much needed comic relief.  While some of the humor in these films can be as dated as your uncle telling you the same joke a thousand times the humor in this movie was understated and more conversational in nature. 

NO MAN'S LAND...  In the history of cinema there are iconic scenes that give you an insight into the character with very little to no spoken dialogue. One need only think of the iconic scene of a fully corrupt Michael Corleone having one of his henchmen close the door in his wife's face ever so slowly, or any number of other accounts of visual storytelling.  This scene was one such instance with dialogue only used to set up that the situation was grim & hopeless. With that out of the way it became a character study of Diana of Themysceria. It showed both her naivety & her compassion, and in a grand way explained EXACTLY who this character is and what she stands for.  I loved the simplicity of it and how it did so much character work while at the same time using the visual medium to tell a complete story.  I could go on and on about it, but then I'd run the risk of repeating myself. 

I want to keep this review relatively short, but to add one more good I thought the mix of the Donner style camp with the more modern DC/WB motif was a really great touch.  As a kid that grew up on Adam West & Christopher Reeve I appreciate a certain amount of camp to my superhero stories as it's important to me at least to keep things in perspective.  

BAD:

To me there was only really one thing I would classify as bad and that was the big CGI battle at the end.  I did not feel that it fit the motif of the rest of the movie as it was mostly an understated affair so a giant set piece done in a video game style. I understand why it was there in a big summer blockbuster, but I think the ending would've been a lot more complex with some questions left unanswered and some things left unseen.  I think the ghost of "Superman Returns" will keep us from getting an understated & complex film for some time as one of the chief complaints for that film was that it didn't have a big fight.

UGLY:

Not much about this movie would be easy to call ugly; however, the one thing that absolutely floors me is that the NO MAN'S LAND scene I described earlier was one of the things WB wanted left on the cutting room floor.  That to me explains pretty succinctly the main issue with the DCEU at this point.  WB needs to stay out of the way of the creative team and filmmakers.  I give Patty Jenkins full credit for sticking to her guns to keep this pivotal scene in the movie.


So there you have it.  Overall I think it was a great flick and probably the second best comic movie of the year so far (to me at least) & the best DC in my mind since The Dark Knight Trilogy.  If you haven't seen it at this point I highly recommend you go check it out. 

That's all for this week!  Happy reading and I will catch you next time at The Comic Shop!

Rewriting the flick: BvS

Hello and Welcome to a special edition of The Comic Shop Blog!

I’ve kind of been away from anything current comic wise.  I’m on volume 2 of Knightfall and I am currently reading IT so between everyday life and that reading I haven’t had much time for anything else.  While summer is usually my favorite time of year for movies I haven’t been as motivated to go this year.  I have yet to see “GOTG vol. 2” or “Fate of the Furious” or “King Kong” for a date night I saw “King Arthur” and found it to be pretty enjoyable. 

I just haven’t been high on anything lately we’ve been swimming in a sea of super hero properties and even things that I initially enjoyed (MCU Netflix and the CW DC-verse) have lost my interest completely.  I’m not even going to say it’s the shows because I’m midway through Luke Cage and it’s great, but it is so much of the same types of stories being told over and over that I’m getting burned out.  I don’t know how many more times I can see a big beam of light in the sky with shit hovering around it threatening to end the world and be entertained.  I don’t mean that as a slight to anyone and certainly not to the filmmakers and the people that work so hard to put these movies in the cinema.  All that said I’m very excited for Wonder Woman (writer’s note: loved it and the review is coming) & the new Spidey, but time will tell if they hold my interest or change how I feel about the current state of comic movies.

Anyway on to the meat and potatoes of this entry into the monument of my own self-satisfaction.  I rebook the ever controversial “Batman vs. Superman”.  I’m not going to go through the story beat by beat or have large swaths of dialogue, but you will get the gist of how I would’ve liked to see the story play out.  

Please note the following my story does not contain:  Jars of urine, jolly rancher feedings, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, Doomsday, Lex, flashbacks, flash forwards, nightmares, desert subplots, or WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!?!?!?!?!?  I’m keeping the sister city thing because I like the proximity. I’m also keeping the portugese/kryptonite subplot and hell it’s even LexCorp behind it just no Luthor.  Also my Batman doesn’t kill.  That point is up to anyone how they feel about it, and if you don’t like it write your own version.

- (This is with the opening credits) We open with an internet broadcast of a sit down interview in which Lois (the Daily Planet is moving into multimedia journalism) asks Superman hard hitting questions about the Battle of Metropolis.  Superman is contrite, apologetic, and takes full responsibility for not being ready for a threat like the Kryptonians. He says something like this can never happen again, and that he will work with the governments of the world to make sure justice reigns over all.

- Then comes a montage of Superman working with everyday people to repair the damage from the battle of Metropolis (helping first responders search for victims, etc).  The broadcast follows with a statement regarding billionaire Bruce Wayne pledging millions of dollars in disaster relief for the victims and their families.  

- Cut to at night a couple of hooded thugs running out of a gas station with fists full of money they tell the driver to “punch it”, but the car won’t budge.  They look in the mirror to see the iconic Superman logo.  Superman smiles and says “I believe you have something that doesn’t belong to you” as he holds the back of the car in place with little effort.  He drops them off at the Metropolis police station to a bewildered desk clerk flashes a smile and then walks out of the door to glide back into the skies.

- Superman flies up into the atmosphere and meditates and as he does we hear all the things that he hears and while it’s faint at first we hear a man scream, followed by something inaudible yet very guttural, followed by another scream, and the sounds of flesh being beat upon coming from Gotham.  Superman flies to the scene to investigate and only finds a man beaten viciously.  Superman asks with genuine concern “who did this to you?” The man replies “The Bat”.  “I thought he was a myth” Superman says to no one in particular.

- We are now in a birds eye view above the Batmobile as it winds through the catacombs under the Bat cave.  Bruce exits and discusses the white Portuguese with Alfred who has a dinner prepared for him.  Bruce reveals to Alfred that the man we just saw him beating gave up when the white Portuguese will be coming into the dock at Gotham Harbor. Alfred asks what’s so important that’s on this ship “drugs? Money? Trafficked people?” Bruce doesn’t meet his eyes but just says “A deterrent”. 

- It is daytime now and Clark and Lois are pounding pavement to see what information they can find about The Batman.  Clark even interviews Commissioner James Gordon about it and he says he has no information.  Clark makes note of the floodlight on the roof of GCPD which Gordon plays off.  We then transition into our other sub plot as Alfred under the guise of Matches Malone does recon at a warehouse near Gotham Harbor that he and Bruce suspect is where they will house the contents of the white Portuguese.  We can see from Alfred’s POV that the place is crawling with not so subtly armed henchmen. 

- At night we insert the warehouse fight scene minus Martha.  Batman smuggles the kryptonite in the Batmobile and leaves a pile of battered thugs in the warehouse.  As he drives away he sees the bat signal light up the sky in the distance.

- To the roof of GCPD… Batman arrives and is caught off guard to see not his trusted ally Gordon but Superman standing on the roof.  Superman: “I’ve been admiring your handiwork” Batman: “From here? Must have pretty good eyesight where you come from” Superman: “I’m from Kansas” Batman: “Sure you are”.  Superman: “I’m glad you’re real and I’d like for us to work together, but I can’t have you out here doing what you are doing”.  Batman: “What I’m doing…” Superman “Is vengeance not justice”  Batman: “your idea of justice is knocking over buildings, destroying small towns, and endangering innocents so I really have no intention of listening to lectures from you son”.   Batman: “I will tell you once…stay out of my way”. Superman goes to speak and realizes that Batman is gone.

- This is where I’d put in the montage of Bruce and Alfred training and doing science stuff to put together his armor, and weaponize the kryptonite. 

- Interior the Daily Planet war room.  Perry White is talking to his staff about different story leads Clark appears distracted.  Perry: “Kent, I don’t want you to drop the Batman thing, but I need you to look into this new gang roving around Gotham.  They’ve got a theme and other outlets are referring to them as the Royal Flush Gang”

- This is the last big build of the movie as we see Clark use his investigative skills and Bruce using his to determine that the Royal Flush Gang is planning an attack on the King of Hearts celebrity bachelor auction or something corny like that.

- The two arrive at the event (with Batman sporting his new armor) and they actually work together to quickly dispatch the Royal Flush Gang.  With Batman using blunt force and breaking bones and Superman more passively dispatching his foes.

- The two go to the warehouse on the harbor to discuss things privately.  They begin to argue and Batman reiterates “I told you…to stay out of my way” and he lands the first blow that bounces off Superman’s face. Superman pushes him across the warehouse and says that he doesn’t want to do this.  That’s when Bruce takes lead covers off of these attachments on his utility belt that reveal kryptonite is attached to his belt. Superman is instantly weakened.  *at this point I would have the fight play out much like in the movie, but probably a little bit longer with a bit more back and forth*

- At the end of the fight Superman is beaten and bloodied his suit is in tatters and he’s bleeding.  Batman’s Armor is destroyed much like in the movie.  Then I borrow from the great Frank Miller for the last line in the movie “I told you to stay out of my way…I want you to remember, Clark…in all the years to come…in all your most private moments…I want you to remember my hand at your throat…I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”

- After that I think there would be a subtle montage that plays to the things to come.  

I hope you like what you’ve read and if you don’t that’s cool. There are a lot of holes.  I would’ve liked to do more with Lois, and as I said this isn’t beat-by-beat.  I like the end kind of ambiguous like that I mean I contrived a moment to show the two of them working together, but I wanted it to end on a note that left people wondering what would come next.  Like “Man, I’ve got to see Justice League to see how these people come together”.  

Please note that this doesn’t come out of a place of “hate” for BvS because I don’t hate it I’m just trying to show how simple this concept is without betraying the core values of the main characters.  I tried to my best to play off of the Hope/Fear concept and the ideas of justice/vengeance.  I also tried to show how streamlined it could be without all the other things that were jammed in to try to start a DCEU.

Thanks for reading and I will see you next time at The Comic Shop!

Belated Review: Logan & a quick bit about Power Rangers

Hello & welcome to The Comic Shop!  It's been awhile as I look back and realize that my last post was about Suicide Squad which I received on Blu Ray for Christmas.  So yeah it's been a few days.

Summer movie season is kicking up into high gear with the big, loud, dumb movies that I love so much.  It started early with the phenomenal "Lego Batman Movie" and if you haven't seen it go check it out.  There are so many sight gags & inside jokes that it takes more than one viewing to catch them all.

Anyway on to the heart of the thing with Logan (please be aware that I will be full out using spoilers since it's been out for a few weeks at this point).  Also my thoughts on this are quite unorganized so I apologize.

This is the first movie that I have seen in awhile that I can say that I really enjoyed; however, I also found extremely difficult to watch.  I was initially blown away by just the sheer viciousness of the film with Logan opening by lopping of limbs & tearing people apart it was visually stunning.  I loved it that we finally had a movie worthy of his long time catchphrase "I'm the best I am at what I do but what I do isn't very nice".

There is a lot of violence, gore, and death in this movie. There is no way around that when you are telling a story like this.  That said the biggest death in the movie is the concept of hope.  Every time it looks like our titular hero is going to turn a corner from this dark place that we find him in something profoundly shitty happens.
For instance he gets to have a "family dinner" with the Soul Glow guy from Coming to America & his own ersatz family only to have everyone fucking butchered at the hands of the surprise villain. He gets the kids to the border and then chooses not to give them safe passage and instead take a fucking nap until they get in trouble.

(And I'll just say this the experimenting on kids shit is rough to watch.  I understand it and I get it was a focal point of the X-23's origin I'm just saying it was hard to watch).

I will say that part of my own thoughts on this film were shaped by one of my favorite YouTube personalities that happens to be an X-men freak, and her review was profoundly heart breaking as her life experiences made her more sensitive to the films subject matter than I had even considered.  She also pointed out the heart breaking thing that several ex-servicemen tweeted her to say that Logan's unwillingness to fight, that too tired to pick up arms again that was what PTSD is.  And that is the most heartbreaking fucking thing to think that people that go and fight for our freedoms feel broken and defeated in that nature.

I'm not going to say I didn't like the movie because I had a different frame of reference than the person above.  In my mind the message of the movie is hope, but its burgeoned by all of these profoundly shitty things happening.  In my mind this is X-23/Laura's story and it is one of hope.  Hope that there is an Eden where she will be safe, hope that her father will do the right thing, and with all children there is a hope for a brighter tomorrow.  This is where being a dad gives me this frame of reference because my son gives me hope, because I know he can be a better person than I could ever try to be.  He gives me hope for a brighter tomorrow and to tie it back that's what Laura and the kids in this movie are.  So I think Director James Mangold made the choice to make this movie gut-punch after gut-punch to set up a fulfilling albeit open-ending.

As you can see I have two minds on this film, and honestly that speaks to how wonderful it is.  It was a reprieve from the trite superhero stories that we've been given over and over.  It's a complex movie with so many different layers that it makes you think.  In this instance Fox let director James Mangold make a movie about something (a lot of things to be honest) and then put a superhero character at the heart of it.  That's what makes it fantastic in my mind.  In a world where every other movie is 2 hours of loud drum beats & action figures pounding into one another this is a movie that has legs to stand on it's own.

I'll say this it's not a popcorn flick and it's not a movie that you're going to enjoy everything about, but it is simply fantastic.

Now on to trite popcorn flicks with a less emotional review of Power Rangers.

I have to say I was very surprised by this movie.  It was almost like a mash-up of two very distinct ideas.  The first is this brilliant coming of age story with Breakfast Club elements while the other is your standard superhero fare.  Obviously the two ideas converge and it's actually done pretty well to be honest.  I don't want to say a whole lot about it as it did just come out, but I really enjoyed the tweaks to the characters as it gave them more depth and was a central point to them being able to harness the power.

The villains, I will say, were quite lame.  While I liked the new iteration of the putties, I was not crazy about Green Ranger Rita eating gold and becoming a serial killer, and I was less crazy about whatever the hell Goldar was supposed to be (made me miss the blue dog puppet).

I thought the kids were great.  Billy was quite great, and Kimberly was a smoke-show so that was nice.  Jason was the most fleshed out, but they all had pretty great compelling backstories.

At the end of the day it's a pretty good movie about people from different backgrounds embracing who they are and working together to save the world and fight evil.  And that's all you can really ask for I guess.

That's all folks!  Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again soon at The Comic Shop!

Suicide Squad belated review & other stuff

Hello and welcome to the 08/14/2016 edition of The Comic Shop Blog!

I can’t even really pretend to tell you that I’ve kept up on comic related TV, comic, or movie news for the past few weeks as I have found myself busy with life & life associated nonsense.

That said I have dropped some disposable income on some comics recently.  I’ve been pulling Nightwing, Titans, & Captain America: Steve Rogers and I also picked up the Suicide Squad Rebirth & 2 Deadshot trades (Bulletproof & Most Wanted).  I have not read the Deadshot trades yet; however, I will say that I have found everything else to be quite enjoyable.

• Nightwing – This series has not (to this point) explained how Dick Grayson put the secret identity genie back in the bottle, but it has been very entertaining.  I think part of the creative problem over the years has been that they do not know what to do with Dick to give him a better sense of purpose with this new series he has a big mission that impacts the entire DC universe as he has joined the Parliament of Owls in an attempt to bring them down all over the world.  This fits in narratively as Dick was a child in a traveling circus growing up so it makes more sense for him to be a nomadic character rather than having a city to defend.

• Titans – Wally West made his triumphant return in the pages of “Rebirth” and now has returned to his old friends the Titans (Nightwing, Donna Troy, Arsenal, & Others) this is a monthly and is only 2 issues in, but it has already tugged on the humble blogger’s heart strings.  This is the book that will ultimately bring the DC universe in contact with the author of their pain Doctor Manhattan, so I’m really looking forward to that.

• Captain America: Steve Rogers – This may be the most beautiful comic I have ever purchased.  The artwork is phenomenal and the story is incredibly engaging.  I had lost interest in Cap comics after the outstanding Ed Brubaker run came to a close, but this iteration has got me right back in.  Despite the controversial reveal in the last panel of the first issue this has been a solid restart to the Steve Rogers version of Captain America.

• Suicide Squad: Rebirth – This issue is just setting the table for what is to come for the titular Squad.  I don’t have a real opinion on it yet, but I’m interested enough to see where it goes from here.

THE Belated Suicide Squad Review – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (SPOILERS)

The Good:

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) – I just want to get this out of the way first because I’ve seen other reviewers say that she dipped in and out of accent, and said that in a negative light.  My perception is that it was a conscious decision by Robbie to illustrate just how bat sh!t crazy Harley is.  I could be wrong, but that was my take away.  While I do not like the tattoo motif for her or Joker it was a fresh take on both characters, & we got to see an ever so brief glimpse of the classic Jester costume.  I thought Robbie stole the show in a way that I was doubtful she could, and while it could be a little much at times it was some much need levity in the WB universe.

The Intros:

I really did not want to like the origin stories for each character, but it ended up being one of the stronger points in the movie for me.  While it borrowed a bit from “Guardians of the Galaxy” it was actually better done IMHO.  I will get into this more later, but after thinking about it a bit I thought Joker would’ve been better served to have just been in the flashback & the very end.

THE FUN:

This is the first WB movie with an actual sense of levity, and a diverse & bright color palette.  It’s amazing how such subtle aesthetic changes can affect my opinion of a movie, but that’s how I roll.  I thought the humor was good, and mostly well timed.  I also thought that the frenetic pace of the film kept it from seeming like a long, tedious watch.

THE ACTION:

David Ayer starts giving us action as soon as the movie gets the initial set-up underway, and that was a much needed and welcome change after the tedious pace of “Batman vs. Superman”.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) 

Davis was about as perfect as Waller as I could ask for outside of CCH Pounder.  She was cold and calculating, and absolutely on point.

Other random goods:  I said briefly on Facebook that this was the first movie I remember enjoying Will Smith in since probably “Men in Black”, and I honestly meant that.  While it wasn’t the traditional Floyd Lawton death wish Deadshot of the comics I thought his turn as a parent trying to gain custody of his daughter through all this crazy mess was remarkably relatable and human.  I think he has two of the best action scenes in the whole movie also.  I thought the soundtrack was good if not a little on the nose at points, but it was a welcome change from Zimmer-drums. 

I loved the bromance between Kinnaman’s Flagg & Smith’s Deadshot.  It was a very subtle & well executed show of respect between the two characters that came from different worlds.

Jay Hernandez as El Diablo was pretty damn intriguing especially as we got further into the film.  For the little CGI used on this film it was used well & for good cause.

THE BAD:

The stereotyping:  This movie was so lazy with the stereotyping.  Katana I mostly give a pass, but Croc puttering out monosyllabic “black guy” dialogue & asking for BET as a reward for saving the world was just so stupid.  Not to mention Captain Boomerang with his cans of Fosters that he magically has.  I’m surprised he didn’t ask someone if a dingo ate their baby.  It’s just stupid, lazy, and unacceptable in 2016.  

The Cuts:  There was clearly stuff left on the cutting room floor once again so the studio could put in what they wanted, and once again it hurts the storytelling.  I have to see it again to come up with specific examples, but as I said the frenetic pace is a good and bad thing for this movie.

Joker is marginalized & a love-sick teenager: So Joker should’ve been the villain here.  That’s all I really need to say.  He is a MAJOR character in the DC universe and he is relegated to a side plot to get back his girlfriend.  THAT’S IT. THAT’S the reason he’s in the movie.  An iconic character is reduced to a weepy tween in an effort to appease the Hot Topic crowd.  I liked Leto, but I felt that his characterization was off in this regard.  As I’ve said before these films are open for the director/writers/producers to interpret the characters how they want, but it seems like a waste to me.  Joker would’ve been better suited to be limited to the intro to Harley & the last scene he’s in in the movie.

Rick Flagg is marginalized & a love sick teenager:  Flagg a bad ass special forces dude is also bit by the Romeo & Juliet bug as his whole reason for going through with the mission is to free his beloved June (Carla Delevingne) from the grips of The Enchantress.  He was literally better written in the Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1 than he was in a major motion picture.  While I’ve enjoyed Joel Kinnaman before (on House of Cards mainly) I thought his turn as Flagg was uninspired and uninterestingother than the earlier mentioned bromance. 

THE UGLY: 

The Script:  Good lord I can’t imagine David Ayer (Training Day, End of Watch, Sabotage, etc.) had a hand in writing this.  There is literally a scene where they cut out a character’s heart then Flagg & Lawton look at one another and say “Her heart’s out”.  That magical moment left me sitting in my seat saying “no shit Sherlock we just watched it”.  Smith’s Lawton has some really bad dialogue in which it appears that Ayer wanted him to channel the Fresh Prince in his speech.  

The Villain:  Hmmm let’s cast an Oscar Award winning actor to play one of the DC universe’s most iconic villains, but then subject him to a role in a subplot.  THEN we will cast a model/actor (not the other way around) to be the big bad that is bad for reasons.  All kidding aside I’m glad that WB went full rip-off of “Guardians of the Galaxy” with a bland and uninspired villain.  

I don’t have much more to say.  On a scale to 10 I give it about a 6.5 or 7.  I thought it had some problems and it doesn’t match up to the fun I had watching “Civil War”, but it was one of the best WB movies to date.  (BTW I won’t be calling them DC movies anymore because I don’t want to embarrass WB with that comic shit, since that’s their concern).

I would still say Marvel & “Civil War” won summer movie season 2016, but I think WB has some strong offerings in the future based on the strength of the “Wonder Woman” trailer & the “Justice League” tease.

That’s all for today, happy reading, and I will see you next time at The Comic Shop!

A life with comics reexamined and other randomness

Hello and welcome to the 07/20/2016 edition of The Comic Shop Blog!

I am happy to be back and I have oh so many things to talk about today.

First… Recent events with Captain America, and other characters radically delineating from the status quo has really got me thinking about the way that I look at comics in general.  I think for the better part of 20 years I’ve been looking at comic history the wrong way.  Every time there is a radical change we hear the outcry “Iceman was never gay in his history” or “Thor was never a woman”, and so on.  The thing is that this line of thinking is right & wrong.  True in the publication history these characters never had these character traits thrust upon them, but false in the sense that it is not true history.  Comics by their very nature are folklore or legends that are molded & shaped by the person telling the story.  Each volume resets the meter to zero and allows the next storyteller or storytellers to impart their own unique vision, values, and thoughts into the narrative.  If you happen to not appreciate the current folklore vote with your dollars, and wait for the next volume to come around & the next story to be told.

Second… I chose not to see X-men: Apocalypse as I just dreaded another affair with the entire universe in the balance.  These movies have been as dark & dreary as a Zach Snyder wet dream, and this was a summer that I could not take another go round with destruction porn.  I’ll check it out for $1 out of the Redbox, but by most reports from friends I’m not missing much.  I very much enjoyed “First Class”, “DOFP”, & the first two X-men movies. I find; however, that they suffer from the same fundamental flaw as the Transformer franchise and the DC Snyder Murderverse in that they get that these are characters, but they misread who they are at their core.  

Third… I did; however, see “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” and I really enjoyed for the most part.  They did a lot to change the things that bothered me most about the first one, and I have to say Beebop & Rocksteady were very cool to see in a live action form.  That said I thought Stephen Amell’s prepubescent, wannabe detective version of Casey Jones was grating and annoying, and Tyler Perry was absolutely over the top as Baxter Stockman.  Also how is Shredder alive?  Kind of glossed over that one.  

Fourth…DC’s “Rebirth” has begun and your humble blogger is sooooo happy.  The return of Wally West, the reemergence of Nightwing, and seeing all kinds of “hopeful” changes to what had become a tedious Universe to navigate has me feeling quite good.  With that though…

Fifth… DC has unleashed a hellish middle finger to “Watchmen” creator Allan Moore with the new norm of the Dr. Manhattan being the unseen force causing all the grief for the DC heroes over the last few years.  Not that this particular use of his character is a middle finger, but that they are using the characters explicitly to hold on to the rights is kind of a low blow.  Not that Moore deserves any pity, but it’s a crummy way to do business.  To add to it Moore’s Batman story “The Killing Joke” is due for a limited theatrical release followed by a DVD/Blu Ray that will surely make a nice bit of coinage for DC’s movie division.

Sixth… Speaking of divisions as a consumer I am very concerned about the divided nature of Marvel’s house.  Dr. Strange will represent the first Marvel movie made without the input of the comic division, and I’m not sure how comfortable I am with the leading comic book franchise bailing out on the people that understand the source material.  It hasn’t worked for DC and they reversed course by bringing Geoff Johns onboard for future film products, and it gives me pause to see Marvel moving in that direction.  At the same time the TV & Movie people have had a clear rift and it’s a little disheartening as well as it looks increasingly less likely that there will be much crossover in the future despite the marketing that “it’s all connected”.  I’m okay with Daredevil remaining as a sole defender of an urban area, but Luke Cage, Punisher, & even Jessica Jones have had major impacts on the main Avengers storylines in the past.  That said both divisions seem to be doing quite well for themselves it’s just frustrating to have awkward lip service wedged in once a year on “AOS” to promote the main movie narrative while that courtesy does not go both ways.

I think that’s plenty for today so farewell, godspeed, happy reading, and I will see you next time at The Comic Shop!

Captain America: Civil War - a belated review

Hello and welcome to the 05/22/2016 edition of The Comic Shop!

First...Big news on the page as DC's next big event "Rebirth" kicks off at midnight this Wednesday.  I've seen some of the spoilers and it looks like we are in for one helluva ride.  Let's just say all of the woes of the DC universe over the past few years are because of a certain Doctor we all know.  Not to be outdone Marvel has pushed the release of Steve Rogers: Captain America #1 to midnight the same night.

Second...It's time for a TV roundup y'all.  I'm trying to keep up on "Flash" and although I was not initially a fan of the Zoom redesign I have to say that the story is incredibly compelling.  I've stayed away from "Arrow".  I have to say after catching an occasional "Agents of SHIELD" episode it has piqued my interest so I've started watching that on Netflix.  Season three of AoS just wrapped and it will be on Netflix within the next 2 weeks!

Third...Early screenings of "Suicide Squad" have been very favorable, but so were early screenings of "BvS" so take that for what it's worth.  I've read mixed things about "X-men: Apocalypse", but it looks interesting enough for me to plunk down my $10.

Fourth... "Thor: Ragnarok" has one helluva cast!  Man, joining Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins are Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Karl Urban, and Jeff Goldblum among others.  It's going to be uh uh uh-mazing!

Alright enough of this bullcrap....let's review the billion dollar movie that got outdrawn by "Angry Birds" at the box office this weekend.

If you haven't caught up on the MCU films you may be a little lost with what I'm going to talk about today so go no further.  Also just a word of warning spoilers will lurk heavy.  

Good:

There are so many things that I enjoyed about this movie, but I think the strength for me is that they didn't alter the two headliners much to make the fight happen.  The filmmakers stayed true to who these characters were, and most of the conflict came from their views being naturally different.  The "Civil War" comic upon which this story was somewhat based took a lot of liberties with Cap & Iron Man to not only make them fight, but to keep them fighting.

That said in this movie like in all good stories character is key.

-Props to the Russo Bros for that ONE LINE OF DIALOGUE to address why Tony went back to being Iron Man after the conclusion of Iron Man 3.  In doing so they set up this conflict in a roundabout way.  This Tony Stark isn't addicted to alcohol (like in the revolutionary "Demon in a Bottle" storyline) he is addicted to being Iron Man.  Like any addict he didn't realize he had a problem until he hit rock bottom (losing Pepper Potts in this context).  When the opportunity comes along for someone else to regulate his behavior Tony jumps in with both feet, because he knows he is powerless over his own addiction.  Not only that, but he has seen the physical cost of collateral damage of his invention (in this case the Avengers) once again, as he originally became Iron Man to get his weapons out of the hands of terrorists.

-Cap on the other hand has had a problem with authority & a lack of autonomy going all the way back to when he was a skinny weakling.  He even forged government forms because he was so passionate about doing his part.  This is a constant theme with him that carries through and makes him hesitant to sign on for government authority over the Avengers.  For Steve Rogers the idea is very present that structures become shackles if he is not vigilant.  Another thing that really drives him into conflict in this movie is his desperate need to cling to the the last few remnants of his life from before he went into the ice.  Those being his best friend Bucky (also known as the MK-Ultra styled Hydra Killer The Winter Soldier), and his former love Peggy Carter.  Carter's death I think really puts an emphasis on Cap's search for his friend, and his need to protect him well past a point that one would reasonably walk away. 

-There are a lot of great fight scenes in this movie the airport fight between the two teams is one of the better action pieces I've seen in any movie, and the dramatic intimate finale was absolutely pitch perfect.  It would have stolen away a lot of the drama and emotion to have two full teams going at it in that final showdown.

-Typically when something comes down to a third reboot it's time to pack it in, but Tom Holland has given a new lease on life as Spider-man.  His interactions with Tony Stark, and his constant chattiness during the big airport fight had me in stitches both times I saw this film.

-Black Panther!  Chadwick Boseman conveys a strong, quiet, confidence as King T'challa, and honestly he may be the first true badass take this guy serious character in the MCU.  I got chills both times from the "I'll kill him myself".  The juxtaposition of T'challa choosing justice with Stark choosing vengeance off camera was incredibly powerful and poignant.  I seriously can't wait for the Ryan Coogler helmed solo film.

- Ant-Man!  HOLY SHIT!  that's all I have to say about that.

- Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlett Witch) is still gorgeous, and her weird relationship with Paul Bettany's Vision will surely be a point of interest in the future.

- The Russo's should direct the upcoming "Black Widow" solo.  They have a real respect for the character and I have enjoyed her more in both "Captain America" movies than I have in her other three appearances in the MCU.

- I'm on the fence about this one and you'll see why shortly, but I think Daniel Bruhl's Baron Zemo might be the best Marvel villain to date.  He has a wonderful Dark Knight Joker-esque feel as a guy that just wants to "watch the world burn."

- There are a lot of other things I really enjoyed, but I want to get on to the other parts here.

Bad:

-CONVENIENCE:  seriously this is becoming my least favorite superhero movie troupe.  There is no explanation for a lot of things that people just happen to know in this movie.  Zemo just happens to know that Bucky killed *SPOILERS*?  Zemo knows that the United Nations is going to take unilateral action to censure the Avengers? I realize that it's only a 2 hour movie, but this is something that is present in almost every superhero film.

- Some of the humor was at poor times.  Thankfully they didn't put any quips in the last heart-wrenching scene, and actually played it for the serious part that it was.  The airport fight with all the humor and banter looks more like the Avengers training in the X-men's Danger Room than it does a knockdown drag out fight.

- Nobody said in a Forrest Gump voice "Lt. Rhodes you got you some magic legs"...speaking of poorly timed humor.  Too soon?

Ugly:

- Crossbones.  Now don't get me wrong I loved that Frank Grillo's character made a return, but it was way too brief, and I would've like to see him again down the line.  Not to say it's impossible, but this may have been a quick one-off of the character.

- Stakes.  In this sequel-building and cinematic universe building world we are in there is very little at stake in these movies.  Like I said the last 5-10 minutes of the movie will leave you breathless, but in all truth everyone turns out physically relatively unscathed.  Mentally is a different story, but I digress.  Maybe this is just setting the table for the arrival of Thanos in the Infinity Stone movies, but at some point people are gonna stop believing that Marvel will eventually pull the trigger on the big deaths.


That's it for today...Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time at The Comic Shop!

The pitch & other stuff

Hello and welcome to the 05/04/2016 edition of The Comic Shop Blog!

Your humble blogger is caught up in the anticipation for “Civil War” on Thursday Night!  The Captain America movies have been some of the brightest spots in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this one does not look like it will disappoint!  I will get a review up as soon as I can instead of generating a belated review like I did for BvS.

Speaking of which (FIRST)… I omitted one of the worst things in my mega-BvS break down.  File Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor under ugly.  I usually am not a fan of recasting roles midstream, but I’ve spent the better part of the last month in seclusion praying to Kirk Cameron for a recast of this role for the “Justice League” movies.  I honestly don’t know how to describe how he played that role other than to say he was a billionaire atheist with autism.  His motivations weren’t clear and his behavioral tics were just bizarre.  I am not asking for Gene Hackman/Kevin Spacey land grab Luthor, but something tangible would be a start.  As always the best villains are the hero of their own story, and I just don’t see that from EisenLuthor.

Second…I respect Olivia Munn for turning down a “girlfriend” role in “Deadpool” to play Psylocke in “X-men: Apocalypse”.  She looks great in the role, but I still worry about her screen presence.  Only time will truly tell.

Third…TV ROUND-UP…Punisher is having his own series (!) which I said was the best idea on this very blog when Marvel got the rights back (I’m waiting on my royalty check).  Otherwise I’m behind so I will update you guys when I dive back in to superhero TV.

Fourth…My Indiana Comic-Con haul was all Superman related.  I walked away with nearly the entire run of Max Landis’s “American Alien” and I have to say I kind of love it.  It is a story with great heart, and it alters the Superman mythos in new and interesting ways.  I recommend it.  I also checked out the available issues of “Lois & Clark” which features the Pre-52 Superman living in hiding with Lois & his son Jonathan in the New 52 universe.  It’s a really interesting story, and another super story that I would highly recommend.

Speaking of Superman… (warning this content is super dorky)

“The Pitch”

*keep in mind that this story is told without any regard for continuity in the DC universe new or old.  Some elements have been borrowed from other creators, but the overall story is my own creation*

The Trials of Clark Kent of Smallville  (I’m not married to the title BTW)

The Character:  Clark Kent age 19-21

The Setup:  My story is about Clark in his formative years (although I do not like the Christ-like imagery this is a “Jesus in the wilderness” story or in a more simplistic take it’s a Star Trek exploration mission with Clark).

It is set at a time when the only thing we know about superheroes is old footage of Wonder Woman during WWI.  

Clark only marginally understands that he is an alien, but he has never lost in a fight (although he tries to shy away from them) and has never even bled.  He is not cocky, but is not humble either.  This story at its core is about how the universe humbles Clark Kent, and prepares him to be the protector of Metropolis/Earth.  

After an argument with his father about his responsibility to mankind Clark sets off to explore space to see if he can find others like him, or more information about where he comes from.

The Supporting Cast:  This would be a departure from most of the currently established Superman mythos.  

J:  Artificial intelligence.  This is a Kryptonian Tablet placed in the pod with little Kal-el by his mother.  J is Clark’s only companion for the duration of the journey.  His Kryptonian programming allows Clark to use him to build almost anything.  J comes in very handy as Clark experiences real pain & real fear as he travels through the cosmos through different atmospheres & different solar radiation.

Li’ara:  A slave girl on a distant planet that serves as a love interest to Clark.

K’ashon: The despotic leader of the same planet.

*There will be more but this is just the first arch of the story*

The Universe:  In my mind the universe is a very dark and scary place. It’s like Clark has spent his whole life as big dog in the yuppie neighborhood, and decided to go to biker bar looking for trouble.  The different atmospheres and solar radiation cause new issues for Clark as he becomes exponentially more powerful on some planets, and extremely weak on others.  Not to mention the time away from earth’s yellow sun has slowly eroded his cognitive abilities so he is not as super-smart as he was after drinking in earth’s radiation for most of his years.  

So that is the basic premise of what I would want to pitch if I got the chance to do a Superman story my way.  In my most perfect vision it is a 12 to 15 issue story with 5 issue archs basically serving as each year.  

There is a lot more to it, but that is the basic skeleton.  If you are intrigued by the concept let me know, and if not that is okay too. 

As always thanks for reading!  Be sure to visit your Local Comic Shop on Saturday for “Free Comic Book Day”, and I will see you next time at The Comic Shop!