Cosmic Book News

James Gunn Shows Off ‘Superman’ First Look At David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan On Set
James Gunn Shows Off ‘Superman’ First Look At David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan On Set
‘Transformers One’ Trailer Is Here Starring Chris Hemsworth
‘Transformers One’ Trailer Is Here Starring Chris Hemsworth
Fantastic Four: LaKeith Stanfield Rumored As Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: LaKeith Stanfield Rumored As Silver Surfer
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Featured Articles

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Comic Book News Marvel

Review: Nova #6 (Wells)

The Loeb-otomization of the Nova concepts and legacy continues.

This snooze-fest of an issue finds NINO returning from his cameo in AvX. You know – the one where he says he has to ask his mom’s permission to join the Avengers. He asks and she says no. Finally, someone makes a reasonable adult decision about a 14-year-old participating in kill-or-be-killed combat. Or so it seems. Then there’s some boring conversation between NINO and his mom. Then NINO sees his would be girlfriend who thinks he might be NINO. Then NINO has a confrontation with the school bully and doesn’t use his powers even though he wants to use them. Then there’s more boring conversation with the school Principal. Then there’s some pseudo teen rebellion nonsense in response to the Principal. Then there’s more boring conversation with mom where she relents. Then NINO flies off to Long Island to look for trouble. With all the talking heads, clichés, and lack of action – you’d swear Bendis wrote this one. But he didn’t.

Zeb Wells wrote this one, and he made good on his promise to keep up the Loeb-otomization by continuing to write the lead character as an annoying idiot.

I recently read an article where Rich Rider’s Nova was said to be Marvel’s most “identifiable cosmic hero.” I know some would argue Silver Surfer or Captain Marvel, and others Thor, but I would argue that Silver Surfer, Captain Mar-Vell, and Thor are not human. I think it’s more accurate to say Rich Rider’s Nova was Marvel’s most identifiable Human cosmic character, and in his latest iteration he embodied what the fans wanted from such a character – strength, competence, confidence – a “Cosmic Captain America” as it were as leader of the Nova Corps. Instead, Loeb, Brevoort, and Wacker – in a total misread and misunderstanding of cosmic and cosmic fandom – replaced the “Cosmic Captain America” with NINO and a series of silly, cutesy, smarmily sentimental, predictable comic book clichés aimed squarely at the prepubescent crowd. One half-way expects Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo to show up and help NINO solve a mystery.

It’s telling that what garnered the most interest from readers was the Black-Ops Nova Corps. That sort of storyline is the basis for a great deal of popular SF. Cosmic fans grew up with Star Trek and Star Wars. They’re interested in military science-fiction. Of course, the architects got rid of the Black-Ops Novas faster than they did Rich Rider. Hey architects: try listening to the fans for a change. The tanking sales on NINO should be telling you something – and it’s not that it would make a great little Disney movie for the kiddies. Mr. Perlmutter – does Disney really want to send the message that child soldiers are a good idea (especially when the UN is in the process of condemning child combatants as internationally immoral)?

On the up side, Medina’s art is impressive as are Curiel’s colors. The art and colors are the most interesting thing about the book as usual. And Medina’s rendering of NINO makes him look slightly less ridiculous wearing the uniform of a soldier.

What can be said about the letters page that can’t be said of any annoying used car sales pitch on any late night TV commercial? Editor (and I use the term loosely) Stephen Wacker even has the audacity to claim he’s a Rich Rider fan. He certainly has a funny way of showing it when he’s not blowing smoke on the NINO letters page. I remember innumerable instances where he’s posted derogatory comments about Rich Rider and Rich Rider fans at a certain website (that shall remain nameless – wink -) that caters to fawning, undeserved praise of NINO and quashes any dissent.

So save your money on this one guys. It’s really not worth adding to anybody’s collection. You saw this same story with Peter Parker and Flash Thompson back in the day. No need to read it again. If you want that – go back and read Peter Parker and Flash Thompson. Those were better told stories.

At the end of the issue, NINO asks, “Who needs a hero?” The answer is, “We do. And it’s not you, NINO!”

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Comic Book News

COVER SHOOT: Top Five Comic Book Covers for 7/17/13

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 
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1.  Fables #131 (Vertigo/DC):  Joao Ruas continually creates some of the best artistic pieces seen in comics today. This piece in particular, grabs the reader with a myriad of techniques that tantalize the eye. From the bold use of color on the “Round Table,” to the simplistic sketches that decorate the background, this one has it all. But, it is the gaunt and burdened faces of King Arthur and his men that truly grab the reader and make them want to learn more.
 
 
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2.  Superior Carnage #1 (Marvel): Artist extrordinaire, Clayton Crain, makes a stunning rendition of Marvel’s most ravenous psycho — Carnage! No one has made Carnage look more maniacal than Crain! Utilizing the background as dead space makes the crimson spilling forth that much more eerie and the layers upon layers he used to accentuate the sinew and movement of the symbiote, — perfect!
 
 
 
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3.  Batman ’66 #1 — SDCC Variant Edition — (DC): Okay, this one is going to be hard to find but that doesn’t make it any less cool! Done by Mattel, this cover pays homage to the camp and innocence of the “60’s television show while making it a unique collectable that fans will be clamoring for! You may not be able to find it at your local shop, or be able to get it cheap, but it’s worth a try to have such a “swingin” book in your collection!
 
 
 
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4.  Harbinger Wars #4 — Variant Edition — (Valiant):  Juan Doe has been doing his stylized “propaganda” covers for awhile now, but this one will surely stand out above everything else this week. Stark, bold, black and white lines help to off set the violent oranges and reds of the background formulating in a dizzying array of complex shapes and figures. The figurehead of Toyo Harada prominently displayed above all else gives the cover a central, powerful image that commands notice. This one is outstanding!
 
 
 
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5.  Thor: God of Thunder #10 (Marvel):  Esad Ribic is one of the most soft spoken and underrated artists in comics today. For a man that is so quiet, his covers explode off of the racks! This complex image of Thor battling the God Butcher is exquisite in scope and execution. The painted image conveys so much raw emotion and power that you can practically hear the rage bellowing from Thor’s lips. With stark color contrasts and a dynamic visage, this cover hammers the competition!
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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Pacific Rim (2013)

Let’s Go Voltron Force!

A Film Review of Pacific Rim

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

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Well, not exactly, but Guillermo del Toro’s giant f’ing robots vs. giant f’ing monsters-scifi action-extravaganza has certainly set the table for a series of non-Transformers films to be promptly adapted, mass produced and shuttled to your local cinemas ASAP. Yes, yes, Michael Bay’s Transformers were very visually dynamic films and certainly showed off the proficiency of today’s technology not to mention the talented digital artists behind those computers, but the stories within Bay’s films didn’t exactly have the same impact as the look of the bots. I respect the fact that Pacific Rim is a film that attempts to be more serious than displaying Shia LaBeouf screaming at his mother to “put away the booties!” That’s not to suggest that this film is entirely gloom and doom as Charlie Day’s contributions see fit to break up the tension regularly. But it does suggest that having more respect for your own subject matter can work with impressive CG to galvanize better filmmaking in general and more satisfying end products in particular. Film adaptations of Voltron, Robotech and MechWarrior are sure to come, and the stories within those fictions are much more dramatic than giant f’ing robot films have delivered so far, so let’s hope whoever helms those projects expands on del Toro’s playbook.

The teasers for this film brought a high level of anticipation, but I’m not going to lie; I had serious reservations due to the fact that it was a brand new Hollywood IP and del Toro’s history with Hellboy, Blade II (sperm removal?) and Pan’s Labyrinth didn’t suggest he had the pedigree to deliver a story on as massive a scale as Pacific Rim. There’s a difference between being a talented creature designer and being able to aptly envision things as large as skyscrapers smashing each other and their environment into oblivion. Thankfully, del Toro was not intimidated by the scale as well as the vast number of visual effects artists contributing to the overall spectacle. His leadership delivers a sci-fi-action film that is visually impressive, contains satisfactory human elements of drama while maintaining good pacing throughout to deliver a very entertaining, CG-heavy movie. Pacific Rim is easily one of this summer’s better popcorn flicks, but it is by no means perfect.

Part of the problem is that this story requires a heck of a lot of setup and this is reflected in the inordinately long introduction that precedes the title flash on the screen. Co-writers del Toro and Travis Beacham have an interesting story on their hands, but this film is intent on highlighting the end of a drawn out, global conflict over the course of many years. This is a difficult task to accomplish for any script because it demands the audience to accept a lot of bullet points on faith alone without any form of emotional investment in characters or situations. As a result, what seemed like explaining the important detail of the Pacific Rim disturbance in the first place actually gets glazed over because ultimately, this movie is concerned with getting right into the action as soon as possible. Details like describing the use of giant robots as defense and their functionality gets the same kind of treatment. In fact, just about every instance of uniqueness that the story presents receives the same kind of brief lip service which gives the audience yet another “end of the world” scenario that seems formulaic, predictable and all too familiar. This is one of the reasons why this film counters with so many scenes featuring the giant robots at work because quite frankly, when they do what they do, the audience is suddenly less concerned with plot, dialogue and character. When compared to del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim has the intelligence of an episode of Sesame Street (no offense Big Bird), but dumb can still be fun. It has just enough human drama as depicted via the pilot teams for the “Jaegers” (what the giant f’ing robots are called). The special relationships they share with each other keeps the story disciplined. Character development is as much of a wash as the story’s details, but simply seeing these individuals work together is a real treat and, as it turns out, a vital infusion of the human element in a film where almost everything on every single frame is digital fabrication.

As for all that action, it really is something special to see. The cinematography by Guillermo Navarro gives the audience all kinds of dynamic angles while juxtaposing them with excellent close-ups to get us as close to the action as possible. In many respects, the action is framed like some of the best boxing films of the past, and yes, once the punching begins, those familiar with Real Steel will begin to notice some parallels. All of the fighting is essentially savage fisticuffs between robots and monsters, but naturally there are moments where “special attacks” are used to finish off opponents. Oh yes, plenty of lasers, missiles, giant swords and buzz saws abound which don’t exactly channel the awesome power of the Blazing Sword, but it comes awfully close. What helps the viewer really appreciate this mammoth combat is the fact that movement within the frame is relatively slow when compared to other contemporary action films. Remember, the combatants are still the size of buildings and they simply do not demonstrate the agility of Bruce Lee. The action sacrifices fluidity for shear, wrecking-ball brutality, but make no mistake, this is a plus for Pacific Rim. The only thing I would have amended to the overall philosophy behind capturing all of this digital mayhem is to cut to more super wide shots to really give the audience a more appropriate sense of scale to these titans having at each other. Sure we see plenty of buildings and cities getting turned to rubble, but seeing large things get stepped on like a 3 year old steps on his or her Matchbox cars gives the viewer a whole new perspective on destructive force.

Pacific Rim boasts a cast filled with mostly newcomers who produce satisfactory performances in their respective roles, but the best belongs to the one recognizable veteran: Idris Elba as Marshall Stacker Pentecost. The Marshall is the man in command who’s in charge of the Jaeger Program and exudes everything you need in a prototypical leader. Dignity, respect, presence and dominance are all balanced by Elba’s temperance which makes him the kind of leader soldiers go the extra mile for as opposed to cowering in fear or scheme in spite of. The true main character, Raleigh, played by Charlie Hunnam, produces the typical white man, pretty boy save the world with something to prove performance, which is fine, but what was truly lacking was the flaccid romance he shared with onscreen love interest Mako, played by Rinko Kikuchi. Yet again, the romantic angle of any action film gets chopped off at the knees because there just isn’t enough screen time, but man, actors got to have chemistry to even have a chance to show chemistry. I didn’t even realize that Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses) was in this film, but his golden nuggets of screen time shared with fellow bumbling scientist played by Burn Gorman (The Dark Knight Rises) were welcome moments of reprieve without shifting the tone of the film to ridiculous.

Pacific Rim may have had a budget on the same level of the AAA comic book adaptation ($180 million), but it certainly isn’t being marketed as such. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film underperforms in North America for this specific reason, but also because word of mouth will not spread like wildfire in its favor. This film delivers a very specific kind of sci-fi action, and if you aren’t into giant f’ing robots, you lose 80% of this film. I also wouldn’t go so far as to qualify this film as a must see, but during a summer that has been filled with good, but not great blockbusters, Pacific Rim is worthy of consideration. Sci-fi seems a tad underrepresented in 2013, and though del Toro’s love letter to Mecha-centric fiction is a little light on brains, it certainly delivers some serious brawn. If you’re bored with name brand adaptations, check out the Rim, just be sure to activate interlocks, have your dynotherms connected and get your infracells up so you can get your megathrusters to GO!

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Comic Book News

COVER SHOOT: Top 5 Comic Book Covers For July 10th, 2013

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

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1. X-O Manowar #15 – Variant Edition – (Valiant): Kekai Kotaki gives a gloriously rendered cover that explodes off the racks and exudes pure energy! From background to foreground, every inch of this cover is exquisite! His sense of action and power is heightened by the choice of an angled perspective making the cover seem fluid throughout. Highly detailed and electric, nothing shows as much force as this cover this week!

 

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2. Batgirl #22 (DC): Beautiful and haunting, this cover by Alex Garner tells a complete tale in a single image. You can feel the anguish and pain pouring out from every brush stroke, compelling the curious buyer to grab it off the racks and learn more. The use of shadow and the vibrant contrast between Batgirl and the Bat symbol, relate to the idea that the person behind the mask matters less than the overall iconic status portrayed by the symbol itself. Garner has created something pure and engaging and quite symbolic in his own right.

 

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3. Ultimate Comics Ultimates #27 (Marvel): Michael Komarck creates a stunning digital image that is sure to get heads turning in shops all week. From the read-out screens hovering in the background to the creepy “mad scientist” image in the foreground, everything screams classic “Sci-fi” in this cover! The use of a greenish hue behind the central figure gives an overtly eerie feel to the cover, one heightened by the image of an incapacitated Tony Stark. Awesome!

 

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4. Quantum and Woody #1 – Variant Edition – (Valiant): To begin, this is a beautiful painting of a goat by Tom Fowler! The juxtaposition between the royal blue background and the stark white of the goat makes the image stand out amongst all other comics. But, it’s not the image so much as the sheer brilliance in technology that lands it a spot on COVER SHOOT this week! This cover is also enhanced with a QR code that is found over the goat’s mouth. When using your Smartphone or Android device to activate the code you will hear the goat “speak” to you! Now, Valiant has done this before with Harbinger #1, but how cool is it to have a goat baying to you and utter “Quantum and Woody?” Cool enough for me!

 

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5. The Lone Ranger #16 (Dynamite): This cover is simplistic yet, perfect! Francesco Francavilla does an astonishing job of breaking down a cover to the core of what it should be — eye-catching! The magnificent contrast between the overwhelming blue and the brilliance of the “glowing” moon is breathtaking, creating a total image that transcends everything else between the covers. It exudes a relentlessness, a determination that will defy all odds, and overall, it tells the tale of a lost soul seeking vengeance with only one beautiful image.  

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Comic Book News

COVER SHOOT: The Top 5 Comic Book Covers For July 3rd

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

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1. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #10 (DC): A constant addition to COVER SHOOT, Jae Lee, creates eerily alarming covers that draw the eye to a central image by diluting the background and using stark, contrasting colors. Through his meticulous line work and expertise at using shading to accentuate the image, Lee has created some of the most awe-inspiring covers to date. His skill makes the images he creates transcend past the realm of “comic art” and into the plane of just Art!

 

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2. Next Testament #2 — Variant Edition (BOOM! Studios): Haemi Jang creates a stunning modern art cover than will overshadow any book on the rack! Using a myriad of colors, Jang fascinates the eye, all the while drawing it into the center of the book where he sums up author, Clive Barker’s, horrific tale with two famous quotes. It is a great juxtaposition between the color and prose that does exactly what it needs do to stun the buyer into grabbing a copy for a closer look.

 

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3. The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1 — Variant Edition (Marvel): My daughter and I just love Scottie Young’s “Baby” variant editions he has been doing for the past few years. They may seem simplistic, but his line art is some of the best “cartoon” style renderings on the market today. These covers have become so popular that other companies are now doing their own “kid’ version covers, but none breed the sheer hilarity and enjoyment that Young’s do! Try to find them at your local shop — if you can!

 

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4. Shadowman #8 — Variant Edition (Valiant): David Mack, creator of Kabuki, gives fans an amazing “collage” style painted cover that exudes so much emotion — it’s scary. This is a stunning cover, filled with layer after layer of exquisite detail and hue. It conveys the overall tone of the book perfectly, dark and morose and laced with a heaping helping of fear! Everything David Mack creates is just astounding and instantly gallery worthy!

 

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5. The Shadow #15 (Dynamite): Alex Ross is the pinnacle of “life like” comic art and this cover shows off his skill perfectly. From the use of angle to show velocity and depth, to the perfectly painted facial features, Ross gives fans the raw emotion and fun of great comic covers with the skill of “high end” art. Everything is done perfectly to convey action with absolutely no action at all, making it as stunning as it is skillful.

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Comic Book News

COVER SHOOT: The Top 5 Comic Book Covers For June 26th

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

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1. B.P.R.D.: Vampire #4 (of 5) (Dark Horse): Fabio Moon creates a cover that is simplistic but overpoweringly eerie in the same breath! Buried in complete darkness, the figure, spider, vampire claws, whatever it may be , is coming for you! It is so surreal, it is actually tough to want to touch this book — and that’s what makes it such an amazing cover! 

 

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2. Daredevil #27 (Marvel): Artist, Jock, is known for his ability to enhance the aspects of modern art, melding them with classic comic styling to create visually stunning images. This cover encompasses the recent tales of both Foggy Nelson and Bullseye in such an iconic fashion, centering them in the middle of Daredevil’s world of chaos. It is both bold and memorable!

 

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3. The Unwritten #50 (Vertigo/DC): Now, this is a true work of art! Yuko Shimizu creates a classic Japanese style cover reminiscent of ancient parables. Complex and exquisite, the border detail alone makes this cover better than anything else on the shelves this week, there is no way it could possibly be missed!

 

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4.  Batman/Superman #1 -Variant Edition- (DC): Jae Lee made a breathtaking cover, but Kenneth Rocafort’s variant cover is what piqued my interest more. Dark and foreboding is what we expect from from a Batman rendition but not so much from a Superman one. The faceless alien with burning eyes is completely unsettling and the confidence that the Dark Knight exudes in the forefront, is only heightened do to the fact he has such a powerful ally directly behind him! What makes this cover even more interesting is the fact DC challenged Rocafort, a Superman artist, to portray Batman more predominately for this cover, taking him out of his comfort zone. If this is the type of cover we get when Rocafort isn’t at ease, imagine what he does when he is!

 

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5. Justice League of America #5 (DC): David Finch brings us a cover that, although the style has been done before, is striking and beautiful. The juxtaposition between the vibrant colors of the flag and the ominous, stark black of the background makes this image stand out on the racks. The image is so well drawn that you can feel the sorrow in our heroes hearts just from the simple images of their hands alone. Plus, any image of a coffin prominently displayed on a comic cover equals instant curiosity from any fan. Perfect!

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Comic Book News

Review: Batman/Superman #1

There are moments in our lives that resound more than others. A special event, a tragedy or a first meeting with someone that will change our lives. These milestones define us, make us better or worse than we once were.

Greg Pak and artists, Jae Lee and Ben Oliver, use these same circumstances to bring together DC’s biggest icons for the “first” time. Their defining moments, shared tragedies along with prolific upbringings, are used to build upon their mythos and create something that is truly noteworthy. Pak portrays their rivalry/friendship in a perfect manner. Bruce Wayne, before the cape and cowl, has an instant dislike towards the future savior of Metropolis. Their brief encounter leads to immediate judgment from both parties, branding each other as the drunkard, playboy and the other, a sanctimonious blowhard. It’s nothing fans haven’t seen before, but the pristine writing form Pak and the beautiful art of Lee, bring it to a level never done quite as well as this. It will become a moment that fans won’t soon forget.

As for the first encounter of the Batman and Superman, I won’t reveal the circumstances behind it but, it is explosive to say the least! Utterly jaw-dropping visuals assault you as you take in the sheer brutality and power of these two individuals. The internal thoughts of our heroes, as they take each others measure, is pitch perfect. Pak makes them come across as arrogant and bold, passing judgment upon their foe again and underestimating each other in the process. The naive nature of the fledgling heroes is what Pak is trying to portray and he does it with panache.

Overall, the story is the perfect portrayal of Bruce and Clark, Batman and Superman, in the early days of their careers as future pillars of the DC Universe. The underlying tale of why these two are strewn together is both intriguing and thought provoking, but it is the rhetoric, both internal and external, between these two that will make this book unforgettable!

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: World War Z (2013)

The Zombie Apocalypse: Roland Emmerich Style

A Film Review of World War Z

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

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Zombies, zombies, zombies. George A. Romero made them cool in 1968, and they’ve been a mainstay in American cinema ever since. But why are we constantly drawn to these brain-eating, walking corpses? Surely, we can’t all be so morbid with some latent desire to be frightened, threatened and otherwise mortified just “cause.” The key element to the zombie mythos is the theme of survival which effectively represents humanity’s ironic ability to do so despite our real-world history of constantly trying to annihilate each other. It’s all about hope ladies and gentlemen; specifically hope against impossible odds, and that’s something that appeals to everyone, period. Do you know what other genre of fiction revolves around this theme exclusively? Disaster films do this almost as well as zombie stories, but their weakness is exposed as a diluted intimacy as the narrative may be experienced by a smaller group of protagonists, but is always reflected via impersonal global destruction.

Perhaps this unlikely genre pairing is the true reason why World War Z had a myriad of production woes, setbacks, rewrites and creative conflict paving its own road to completion. Disaster and zombie movies have always had extremely different scales to how they told their stories and their combination posed a significant challenge. Sure, lots of zombie apocalypse films make reference to the rest of the world succumbing to the plague, but the audience never really sees the destruction that’s wrought everywhere else because (for the most part) Z-films just don’t have the budget to digitally create such images. Brad Pitt must have maxed out his celebrity favors to help accumulate the near $200 million dollar budget for World War Z, which only shows off its high production value only in certain instances. There are plenty of scenes that pull wide on city wide destruction, but there are as many (if not more) scenes that are minimal, enclosed and prototypical of lower end, undead affairs. Instead of synthesizing a consistent visual style to allow the audience to appreciate both types of settings, director Marc Forster is content to bite off both Roland Emmerich and George Romero in every other scene and jumping back and forth between them is a little jarring.

Nothing represents this sensation better than the fact that the zombies themselves behave so differently in the two settings I just outlined. They are an amped-up, ant-like and hive-minded swarm of monstrous destruction during the big budget sequences while they sputter to standard staggering and lunging whilst indoors. Funnier still is the fact that the bi-polar nature of the zombies is reflected in the screen story of World War Z thanks to the combined efforts of Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof and J. Michael Straczynski. Every scene in this film fluctuates between hot action sequences and cold (uninteresting) dialogue/exposition. A stronger dedication to characterization could have compensated by making the audience care more about UN investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and therefore care more about scenes that weren’t visually dynamic. But that’s the big problem with this story. While desperately trying to deliver something fresh from a genre that has been a tad overexposed in recent history, the audience gets nil on Gerry’s back story and only the fact that he loves his family to sympathize with. What the heck even is a “UN investigator?” At first, I presumed it was some sort of investigative journalist, but Gerry’s skill set is more reminiscent of a mercenary. And why are a mercenary and his family worthy of the special attention and treatment they receive to be involved with a concentrated effort to save the planet in the first place? Bear in mind, these are the issues that surround the main character, so don’t even think you’ll get anything else from any other character in the cast.

Plot details may be either non-existent or glazed over, but the action, explosions, gunplay and visual effects are front and center. It is in the area of the visual spectacle where World War Z flexes its strongest muscle. Just about every wide angle is a money-shot of destructive anarchy, but the composition of these shots is almost entirely CG. Vehicles, explosions and (of course) the zombies are as fake as Megan Fox’s “talent,” but the fact that the audience never gets too close during these moments allows the filmmakers to mask the “fakeness.” The frame is filled to the brim with so much activity that it is impossible to lose interest, but the proficiency of the CG action is a double edged sword. When juxtaposed with the close-up action driven by standard ballistics and practical effects, the wide angle CG severely outclasses the rest in terms of impact and satisfaction. Traditionally, the opposite has been true even among the most CG-heavy Hollywood films. It’s true that there’s an awful lot of running the audience must endure, but hey, it’s still a zombie movie posing as a disaster film (or is it the other way around?), so there must be running. Still, the action throughout World War Z amounts to some of the best popcorn from a Z-film since Zach Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead.

This film will forever be known for its association with Brad Pitt due mostly to the fact that actors of his caliber simply do not make zombie movies. It will never be known as one of Pitt’s best performances, roles or otherwise contributions as an actor. I understand that the nature of this movie is in a rush to get to the conflict, massive set pieces and intimidating destruction, but it never stopped one of the best hybrid-disaster films in ID4 from giving us characters the audience gave a damn about. In all honesty, I could have used a lot less Joe Black from Pitt in World War Z and a hell of a lot more Tyler Durden. The world may be crumbling all around you and your family is out of harm’s way, so your character plays it cool and collected for the remainder of the movie? Where’s the anger? Where’s the aggression? Is Brad Pitt’s Gerry Lane a secret saint that disallows himself to go feral in the least to fight the good fight? Pitt’s performance equates to too much of a nice-guy-dad to be entrusted with saving the world from walking cadavers. Tom Hanks (the perpetual celebrity nice guy) gave us a bad ass performance in Saving Private Ryan, but he also had the luxury of an R-rating to give the audience a more realistic and horrific take on a soldier in various war zones.

, but it never entwines the audience with enough intrigue to become fully immersed in the fictional danger of this world. Good disaster and zombie films deliver a tiered escalation of loss and destruction, but this film paints the world as having ended at the onset of hostilities. Without delivering that sense of loss, there’s no chance for a character, let alone the audience, to appreciate the road to saving it. I loved the zombies whenever they behaved like a tornado of gnashing teeth, and I loved the action whenever I was exposed to an epic scale. Unfortunately, other aspects of a good Z-film like devotion to character and character relations are noticeably absent in WWZ so it’s difficult for the audience to make a personal connection to the loss of civilization when no main character loses anyone close to them during the overall conflict. World War Z is the polar opposite of AMC’s The Walking Dead, but it’s still an entertaining (albeit safe and formulaic) depiction of zombies on film. The fiery hype that preceded this film should have been doused the instant we all learned this film was rated PG-13. Recent history has shown that not all movies fall prey to that shameless, money-grabbing rating, but I simply don’t think anything less than an R can deliver a solid zombie apocalypse.

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Comic Book News

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (Bendis)

If I were to free associate, the first words that come to mind in describing this issue are: boring, un-imaginative, hackneyed, wordy, un-balanced in terms of verbiage vs. action, and un-exciting in the single action sequence. I could go on but it’s just too sad to see the decline from the imaginative, exciting, fast-paced, and fresh Volume II to the terribly generic and ponderous Volume III. Yep – the architects got their hands on it and turned it into just another sub-average Avengers-like book, and it painfully obviously shows.

There’s a lot of exposition about the Guardians in the first three quarters of this book, but the Guardians themselves only appear in the last few pages of the book for a real yawner of a battle sequence followed by Star-Lord, once again, acting out his daddy issues. Basically, Star-Lord commits treason, and it’s hard to see how he could ever realistically reconcile with Spartax in general and his father in particular. Now there’s a writing black hole that even Gaiman is going to have a hard time fixing as it basically makes the Guardians pirates now and forevermore. What a dumb decision. Royal outlaw you can come back from – royal traitor – well – not so much. Does Bendis actually put any thought into this hack writing?

Poor Rocket is reduced to a catch-phrase shouting caricature of himself in Bendis’ desperate attempt to reduce him to a marketable icon which can be plastered on tee shirts sporting an image of the gun-toting raccoon and the phrase, “Blam! Murdered you!” How sad. Bendis has so painted himself into a corner with this approach to the character that basically all Rocket says in this issue is the catch phrase and variations of it. The great thing about Volume II was that – despite his appearance (which would naturally lend itself to reduction to silly cutesy-ness in the hands of the wrong writers) – DnA never reduced him to such a caricature. Instead – they did the un-expected and played him as a smart-assy but competent “force to be reckoned with” and Star-Lord’s second in command. Bendis and Loeb seem to be hell bent on turning Rocket into a silly, hot-headed, “shoot everything in sight,” pseudo-bad-ass who callously brags about “murdering” other soldiers.

I ask again – do Bendis and Loeb actually put any thought into this hack writing?

Groot gets to shine, but Gamora and Drax are under-utilized as usual. Of course, Tony Stark gets a whole lot of panel time. What a surprise. And once again he’s totally out of place in this book. His attempts to bribe the Spartax soldiers come across as more annoying and stupid than funny. I hope Gaiman does the sensible thing and drops him from this book like the rotten potato he is. That would be a good start toward cleaning up Bendis’ train wreck.

I’m getting really tired of this Council of Kings thing that Bendis focuses on way too much in each book. They come across as a bunch of arrogant and terribly un-interesting jerks, and I just want them to go far away as they make totally boring villains. The art has declined somewhat in this issue. Looks like McNiven drew much less than in past issues. Bad mistake on Marvel’s part. A lot people were only buying this book for the art. Expect sales to fall. Ponsor’s colors remain at their usual best and help to partially make up for the decline in the art.

In summary, Bendis has reduced this book to the level of any sub-average generic Avengers book you can pick up off any shelf at any comic book store. If you substituted anyone from any Avengers roster for the Guardians, the book would read exactly the same. “Cosmic” is just a background setting in Bendis’ parochial Earth-centric approach to the characters and concepts. No awe and wonder. Plenty of generic talking and generic action. With a few minor tweaks, the story could just as easily take place at the center of Marvel’s universe – Long Island. The architects think that this approach will make the characters more “relatable” to the typical Marvel reader. Yeah – Norse Gods, billionaire playboys, WWII era super-soldiers, big green rage monsters, super-spies, a man with spider powers, mutants with indestructible metal skeletons/claws, and wisecracking assassins – they’re all 100% relatable to the typical comic book reader. But these “cosmic” characters – they’re just too “far out” for the typical comic book reader to fathom.

Get a clue architects – before you run cosmic irreparably into the ground.

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Comic Book News

COVER SHOOT: The Top 5 Comic Book Covers For June 19th

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

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1. Batwoman #21 (DC): Although the black and white version of this cover is stunning, the simple swath of crimson bleeding across makes this one that much more compelling. J.H. Williams III has always pushed the envelope with his use of dead space but the use of the diagonal layout helps make it more pronounced and tricks the eye into believing Batwoman is falling faster than she should be for Killer Croc!

 

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2. Miniature Jesus #3 (Image): Ted McKeever makes a truly artistic cover, devoid of color but rattling the senses with everything else. The pristine line work and stellar background makes the image project off the page, but it is the composition of the beasts tearing through that conveys the emotion of the entire book and tells the tale of Chomsky in a single, terrible image.

 

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3. It Girl & the Atomics #11 (Image): Michael Allred is a pop icon that brings fresh and exciting ideas into everything he touches. This gloriously colorful, retro style cover by Michael and Laura Allred, cannot help but draw attention to itself on the rack. The simple layout with stunning background will literally “pop” no matter what book resides next to it!

 

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4. Age of Ultron #10 -Variant Edition- (Marvel): Okay, so this is the “big” finale to Marvel’s less than mediocre crossover, but I won’t be buying it for Angela’s first Marvel appearance. I will, however, be thoroughly impressed by this variant cover. Bleak and monstrous, it exudes the overall feeling of dread that the future holds, all the while drawing your eye to the single, luminous figure that stands beneath it all. It is a startlingly intricate picture that comes across as simplistic, yet stunning. 

 

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5. Supergirl #21 (DC): Mahmud Asrar makes an explosive cover that will surely make any books around it on the rack tremble in fear. With a stylishly designed background, this cover conveys only one message — Supergirl is pissed and someone’s going to pay! The foreground melds perfectly with the burning red background symbol, making the entire cover breed rage before you even look at Supergirl’s facial expression. Absolutely perfect!

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Man of Steel (2013)

I’m More Than a Man in a Silly Red Sheet

A Film Review of Man of Steel

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

The DC/Warner Bros. alliance begins its rise to challenge Marvel’s Avengers Initiative with Man of Steel, and it certainly was a heck of a way to start.  This movie is big; like Michael Bay on steroids, crack and crystal meth, BIG!  It also looked really expensive to make with the expected cornucopia of CG effects constantly lighting up the screen.  All of the different POV perspectives on these shots as well as the aerial angles kept the audience amazed and engaged.  It also paid homage to the quaint origin story made famous in the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner films in a way that communicates the drama and exposition without letting it run on for too long.  It also established Henry Cavill as the face of the Superman/Justice League franchise moving forward because the man has serious acting chops, is in peak physical condition and can be as impactful with his dialogue as he is with his fists.

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Impactful.  Bang!

I am no particular fan of Zack Snyder mostly due to his efforts in Sucker Punch and Watchmen, but it’s all good because even he couldn’t screw up a story penned by the likes of David S. Goyer (Da Vinci’s Demons) and Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy).  As fantastic as Superman’s abilities are and as epic a scale as this film presents, there remains a conscious effort in the script to keep the story grounded in reality.  This was certainly one of the concerns when Man of Steel was first rumored to involve the man who created the definitive depiction of a realistic Batman onscreen.  The concept of Batman isn’t as much of a stretch because with enough tech, training and resources, anyone can be Batman (which also happens to be that character’s appeal).  NOT just anyone can be Superman, so how can an alien make a realistic connection with audiences that know full well that he is not human?  You do it by highlighting character relationships, and in the case of Man of Steel, three keys unlock a character we can relate with.  Superman’s relationship with his father, Jor-El, brings out his morality.  His relationship with his human parents, the Kents, brings out his humility.  And of course, his relationship with Lois brings out his determination and inspiration. 

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There’s enough Lois & Clark, but there could have been more.

Those story elements were meant to converge on the question of whether a being with such powers should ever present him or herself to humanity, and just about every practical reason to remain anonymous is addressed from several perspectives, not just those within Superman’s camp.  Unfortunately, the story also had to include a significant action element in the form of a bunch of pissed off Kryptonians with an axe to grind with the House of El, so Superman doesn’t exactly have a say in the matter.  It’s a real shame, too, because extending a preemptive olive branch could have expanded the few scenes Superman shares with various American, government officials which gives the audience some laughs and food for thought as a plain speaking super being lays it all out for an organization that personifies the concept of control.  Fighting Kryptonians also cuts into Superman’s relationship with Lois a bit as I feel the romance that clearly gets established right away, was a bit rushed – but I guess all the ladies swoon for the man with the big “S” for “Swag.” 

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Swag.  That’s right.

Clearly, the filmmakers wanted just about every basic element about this updated version of Superman to be firmly planted in the ground as quickly as possible before moving forward with any sequels or expanded fiction.  Part of me appreciates this strategy for being extremely efficient by conveying Clark’s youth via flashbacks, while another part of me feels the drama from those missing moments take a back seat to explosions.  It’s not an easy task to address an origin film in this way, but Goyer and Nolan make enough of the right decisions to error on the side of balance between the drama and action.  Overall, the story is entertaining and intriguing without any significant lapses in continuity while managing to deliver a whole lot more of Kal-El’s Kryptonian heritage and the events that preceded his home planet’s demise. 

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Don’t worry son.  The origin tale will be quick and painless.

Do you know what $225 million tells me?  It tells me that a movie with that kind of budget had better deliver some phenomenal visual eye candy via effects and CG, or else I’m demanding my money back.  Thankfully, Man of Steel delivers the best onscreen effects and action sequences to date in the summer of 2013, and they all begin with the depiction of Superman’s powers.  Not all of his iconic abilities are on display (as he’s clearly still learning to “test his limits”), but the ones he does show like flight, super strength, invulnerability and heat vision are very impressive.  As excellent as they all look, the use of sound, from muffled grunts to the vibrations on the ground and in the air, enhances the guttural effort Kal-El exerts to do the amazing things he does.  Kryptonian combat has a significant presence in the very beginning and end of Man of Steel which delivers fairly standard issue laser blasts, space ships and otherworldly technology at work.  These all looked fine, but presented nothing you haven’t seen before in the likes of Avatar, T2 or (here’s an obscure reference) The 6th Day.  I could say the very same thing for the destruction of Metropolis at some point, which features some pretty scary buildings collapsing all over the place that were inspired from movies like Green Lantern and just about every other disaster film (ahem, pun intended right there). 

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Uh, you guys know I’m on YOUR side, right?

I wasn’t as sold on the entire cast’s performance as our EIC outlined in his Man of Steel reflection.  Actors like Diane Lane as Ma Kent and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White are there strictly for star power as their moments to shine are limited, and they don’t do too much with them when they are front and center.  I was particularly unimpressed with Lane as she seems to overact the crotchety old lady persona a bit to sell her advanced age which the make-up department didn’t exactly hit a home run on either.  Kevin Costner is almost in the same boat for this criticism, but his contributions were worth it thanks to the poignant moment that explains his character’s tragic passing.  The best supporting character, by far, was Jor-El played by Russell Crowe who officially begins his comeback from Les Misérables right now.  I respect that he got into a bit better shape for this film, but his impeccable line delivery, presence and ability to gaze through the camera’s eye resonates with the audience. 

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I don’t wanna hear nothing about no Javert!

I never liked most of Superman’s rogue’s gallery nor the fact that we were going to revisit General Zod in this reboot once again.  The first moment Michael Shannon spoke a single line of dialogue was an instant wash for his performance in my book because I could never get past the awkwardness of his voice.  I don’t know if he was purposely trying to grate his rear molars as he spoke, but he seemed like an over-angry, over-powered, spoiled little jerk who couldn’t lead fish to water.  The real villain that stole the show for me was Antje Traue as Faora-Ul who is fairly attractive in as plain as Hollywood gets, and her diminutive stature wouldn’t seem to pose much of a threat to Superman, right?  Wrong!  Not only does she kick some serious ass, but she delivers the perfect villain’s voice, stare down, threat and general demeanor.  Why these crazy Kryptonians aren’t following her is completely beyond me.

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Explain it to everyone how I’m a superior villain to Zod.

Of course, a Superman origin story ultimately boils down to him and Lois, and although I like the casting of Henry Cavill and Amy Adams in these roles, I haven’t quite bought into their onscreen chemistry which I am completely aware that they didn’t exactly have many opportunities to fully explore here.  Cavill is (unfortunately) another perfectly cast, British born actor for this role thanks mostly to his exquisite physical condition and piercing blue eyes.  He approaches his character with respect and dignity, so it matters not if he delivers dramatic lines in a spandex body suit.  His performance as Superman isn’t going for adorable charisma like Christopher Reeve.  He’s going for a simple man that has great ambitions for the future with even greater powers to accomplish them with.  Adams could take a page out of Cavill’s book and loose a little “adorableness” to revisit the assertiveness she displayed in The Fighter in order to deliver a slightly less girly, Lois Lane.  I like my Lois the way I like my coffee: BOLD!

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I was going for “bold,” but now I need dental implants.

I have no doubt that Man of Steel will probably be the best blockbuster, action adventure film you will see all summer long, so now’s the time to break out those loose dollars you were hiding in the cookie jar.  This is a movie worth seeing on the big screen, but not necessarily on an IMAX screen as (once again) the 3D effect is nice, but it could be distracting to some and doesn’t deliver a game-changing experience.  This movie sets up DC and Warner Bros. quite nicely to move their own franchise forward in a realistic-enough world that rivals The Avengers.  The thing is, I don’t believe they could find a dedicated enough actor who has everything Cavill brings to the table and more (in the form of experience) to project the character of Batman on equal footing as the blue boy scout than Christian Bale himself.  Seeing Man of Steel actually reaffirmed my belief in Justice League working as a film adaptation, but only with that particular Dark Knight.  It’s just too bad that we didn’t get any post-credit teaser at the end of Man of Steel which my natural paranoia interprets as those who control the franchise not having a clear vision for their own future.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: This is the End (2013)

Bro Comedy Shenanigans

A Film Review of This is the End

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

So you’re a hot, young Hollywood starlet who’s had a few significant hits on the film scene that makes you worthy enough to start rubbing elbows with some of your peers in “the biz” who already happen to be established.  You all start seeing each other at the same parties, banquets and award shows and start becoming real life, actual friends.  You’re going to tell me that you’re somehow not interested in getting all your boys together to make a movie filled to the brim with all of your own peeps?  Of course you are, and although we’ve seen this “Avengers Effect” at work before (see Ocean’s 11 and several other franchises), we haven’t exactly seen it come to fruition in the comedy genre.  Seth Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg came up with a script that essentially took the talents of a bunch of comedic Hollywood A-listers to South Beach (that’s an NBA reference, folks) in order to deliver some very inappropriate, often vulgar, curiously framed and utterly random series of events that delivers both shocks and guffaws.

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Emma Watson ain’t wielding no wand!

The plot of the victimized Hollywood celebrities is an amalgam of several “end of the world” scenarios with a hint of fantasy here and a dash of dogma there for a little flavor.  What makes the story unique is that every celebrity plays themselves during the apocalypse and the audience is given a hilarious sneak peek at these people’s “supposed” lives prior to hell breaking loose and how they deal with it afterwards.  According to Seth Rogen (via imdb.com) the script, “combined real characteristics of the actors who then produced bizarre alternate version(s) of themselves with elements that had absolutely nothing in common with the cast.”  The script may have called for its actors to produce evil, mirrored visions of themselves for the camera, but this actually has more fun with the public’s perception of most of these individuals which is naturally based on the history of their fictional roles. 

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How much “real” is in the cast’s performance?

For instance, James Franco is referenced as being some sort of a “Renaissance Man” for his numerous talents outside of acting, but his history of trolling critics that rub him the wrong way is equally well known.  A Jack of all Trades that gets ultra sensitive if someone tells him “no” is exactly the kind of person that would assume a leadership role in a survival situation (and in the movies, this is the character everyone would want killed off because of poor decision making and being a general *sshole).  Let’s just say that none of you will be surprised at how James Franco plays “James Franco” in This is the End.  P.S. note that several of the cast came to Seth Rogen as individuals who expressed difficulty in acting the way parts of the scripted called for, but Franco never turned anything down.  Is this the professional result of a finely honed actor, or a man being completely natural by acting like a tool?  You decide.

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I’m clearly the best actor here so recognition as anything less will have consequences!

Michael Cera’s performance as “Michael Cera” is an intriguing one in that his cocaine dependency in this film has him behave in what we would all presume is the furthest from his real life behavior than anyone could possibly imagine.  And why?  Because Michael Cera plays Michael Cera in every film; or at least that’s the public perception thanks to the history of his eerily similar roles.  If the shear distancing from one’s self was the only way to evaluate performance, Michael Cera gives the audience the best acting of his career, but it isn’t really.  We can all see shades of Super Bad here and there and he doesn’t exactly stick around long enough to fully explore the new “Michael Cera.” 

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This is the closest Michael Cera ever gets to Rihanna ever again.

Danny McBride?  I’m sure he’s a real sweetheart of a human being . . .  to his friends and family, but he certainly comes off like a cocky jerk.  Guess who becomes the antagonist?  My favorite moment was when he squares off verbally with James Franco and simply watching these two tremendous egos explode at each other onscreen is pure cinematic genius.

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*uck your house, Franco!

Jonah Hill?  Well, he isn’t skinny Jonah anymore, but that actually helps because he seems to have rediscovered his funny bone.  Playing the perpetual peacemaker for the duration of the film only to reveal the deepest of animosity to some of his co-celebrities is actually quite insightful in presenting your garden variety, Hollywood fake: smiles and rosy cheeks on the outside, while biting through his or her tongue on the inside.

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Jonah Hill is “America’s Sweetheart?”  Since when? 

Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel are our main characters whose relationship is the engine for our story which basically revolves around the comfort and/or fakeness of Hollywood circles that intertwine and may explain why some individuals are synonymous while others are always feuding.  They are both funny enough in that they play the straight men to virtually all of the ludicrous tomfoolery being exerted by the rest of the cast.  Whenever there’s even the slightest attempt to get somewhat serious, these moments involve at least one of them. 

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Buddy heroes . . . from Canada.

However, my MVP of this entire production must be Craig Robinson who shows incredible diversity, willingness to shift gears physically and emotionally while being totally funny in every instance.  Robinson easily has the most charisma out of this entire cast and his consistency is impressive in that he steals virtually every scene.  However, what impressed me most was the dramatic scene of concern and remorse he shares with Jay Baruchel in the second act which highlighted one of the few poignant moments of This is the End.

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Shhhh.  I’m the best part of this movie.

There isn’t a heck of a lot of action, but there sure is a decent amount of visual effects that start at the midpoint of the film and only increase in scale and frequency from there.  Most of this film takes place indoors so the production team took advantage of incorporating CG and practical effects to make for some amazingly proficient “wow” moments while throwing in a couple of obligatory “gross” ones.  I found the CG of the various demons to be extremely well done for a film that had an estimated budget of only $25 million which certainly means that most, if not all, of the cast worked for scale (and whatever marijuana Rogen scored for them behind the scenes).

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Taking a walk outside reveals the sh*t-storm.

There isn’t much to say about This is the End other than it’s the most celebrity layered, buddy-survival-comedy that anyone has ever seen.  You don’t even need to like anyone in this cast because their performances (overall) tend to evoke distaste anyway.  And we Americans certainly do enjoy “hate-watching” thanks to the popularity of most “reality” TV programs out there.  This movie belongs in anyone’s library to be whipped out whenever a bunch of friends come over and the only order of the day is getting stoned.  Yeah McLovin’ is present, but he’s not enough to justify the $10 plus dollars you need to up chuck to see this in theatres.  Save your bucks for Man of Steel.

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This is the closest the rest of Superbad gets to Rihanna ever again.

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Comic Book News

Review: The Walking Dead #111

As a tribunal converges in The Kingdom, Neegan pays a visit to our hero’s community in look for his monthly “tribute” unbeknownst to Rick! What happens when that “tribute” is not ready? All I’ll say is that you have to have “guts” to survive in the world of The Walking Dead!

Robert Kirkman continues to set the stage for an ultimate showdown between Neegan and Rick’s factions, but it is the journey to it’s eventual conclusion that has been quite intriguing. Steeped in suspense with an underlining of perpetual horror, this issue is another slow burn tale that gets all the players on the field to see how they play together. Andrea, Michonne, Rick, Ezekiel and Jesus prepare their troops for battle with a vast array of training techniques while miles away, Neegan has a plan all his own. 

Kirkman has a knack for creating multi-faceted characters that exude confidence, if not a sense of arrogance. None so far have even come close to the twisted narcissism of the Neegan character! He seems bi-polar, if not certifiably insane and his flippant tantrums, ranging from overtly coy to down-right brutal, make the reader hold their breath every time he enters the stage. He is fantastic because of his ever-swinging moral compass and Kirkman is brilliant for not just making him another Governor knock off.

Fast paced, this issue is over before you know it but the ending is another shocker that no one will ever forget!

Ah, Neegan, you are so witty!

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Comic Book News

Review: Batman #21

When a new origin story is announced throughout the comic world, a resounding “Ugh!” can be heard almost everywhere. The venom is spewed even more vehemently when it pertains to an iconic character. So, when it was announced that Scott Snyder would be doing a definitive “origin” story for the New 52 Batman, you could feel the shudder creep across all aspects of the genre. But, in this case, it was a shudder of excitement!

Combined with Greg Capullo’s spectacular art, Snyder continues to build upon his vision of the Dark Knight, one that new readers and the most die hard of fans can agree upon as one of the best Batman runs in the past decade! 

Scott Snyder does not bring a razing to the old origin, in fact, it is done with reverence and integrity and handled with the utmost care. He brings iconic images from the Batman mythos – a coin, a car, a cane – into the tale to give a sense of nostalgia all the while creating his own niche to his ever widening classic tales of the Bat. He does not truly touch upon the continually told tale of the birth of the Batman, rather he weaves a tale within the tales of old to heighten them even further. From a boy’s love of Gotham, a young vigilante’s quest for order, to a hardened hero’s battle to bring life back to a broken city, Snyder creates a “look behind the curtain” tale of the life of one of the most iconic characters ever created.

It is heartwarming to see glimpses into a wide-eyed Bruce Wayne’s childhood, one where a father and son bond within the solidarity of a garage. And it is quite exciting seeing how that same boy grows to be a man fine tuning his driving skills in the back-up story by longtime collaborators James Tynion IV and Rafael Albuquerque. They are fantastic glimpses into the heart of a hero that builds upon the basic origin tale that has been told numerous times. But it is also these same glimpses, these finite moments that push that classic tale further than it has ever been before, stretching it from iconic to epic in a single issue!

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Comic Book News

Review: Superman Unchained #1

Scott Snyder takes on DC’s “Big Blue Boy Scout” in an explosive and stunning read that will have longtime fans feeling rejuvenated and ecstatic!

The dynamic duo of Snyder and superstar artist, Jim Lee, combine their masterful talents to DC’s oldest superhero. But, does all the hype pay off, especially for five dollars? This skeptic must give a resounding — Yes!

From the first page, you can feel Snyder’s skillful presence in every word and realize this is a Superman story that goes deeper than just the flash bang heroics of years past. He gives us a character that genuinely feels epic. His motions are calculated and even though he my feel a twinge of panic internally, he does nothing but exude confidence and calm to those he is saving from imminent danger. He is a hero that would exhaust every possibility before showing the populace an ounce of doubt and that is the true core of Superman. So, what makes this book different than all the others?

The tale is one veiled in secrecy. There are many components at play and the underlying current that Snyder exudes is one of insecurity. Something is hiding in the world and it may become the catalyst that will eventually crack the Man of Steel. The best part is that it is none of the usual suspects, unless it is and Snyder has given us a red herring! This threat is deeper than anything else seen before, something that will strike true fear in the heart our hero, something that will shake his confidence in his own abilities.

What takes this particular series over the top besides Scott Snyder’s story? The inclusion of Jim Lee on art of course! Everything Lee touches exudes energy! What character is more iconic, explosive and impressive than Superman? None that I can think of! Lee is the perfect compliment to Snyder and even the “down time” character pieces seem more powerful with Lee on art chores!

My only issue with the book is the fold-out poster that contains part of the story within it. Fans will not want to remove it in order to read those parts and it hinders the story slightly. An outstanding, fold-out Jim Lee poster that could be removed and displayed without defacing the integrity of the book would have been a better option! 

So, Happy 75th Superman, Snyder and Lee have made me a fan all over again!

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Comic Book News

Cover Shoot: Top 5 Comic Book Covers For June 12th

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

 

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1. Thumbprint #1 (IDW):  Comic rookie, Vic Malhorta (Tiger Lawyer), unleashes a simple yet drastic cover to introduce writer Joe Hill’s novella, of the same name, to the world of comics. The stark comparison between the the pristine white and ragged crimson makes it bold enough to grab the buyer’s wandering eye and enticing enough to get this thriller onto their pull list!
 
 
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2. Green Lantern Corps #21 (DC): Bernard Chang’s artistic statement explodes off of the page, leaving buyers no other choice but to be mesmerized by the juxtaposition of the blood red(lantern) and the jade green. Guy’s ring and eye almost seem to be glowing with intensity, making you focus intently on them rather than the brutality surrounding them. Chang’s color palette may be minimal with this one but it will still blow you away!
 
 
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3. Peter Panzerfaust #11 (Image): Tyler Jenkins beautifully rendered cover is immersed in detail, which more than makes up for the lack of color. Actually, it is the sheer lack of color that I chose this particular piece! While surrounded by a myriad of hues on the comic shelf, this cover will act as a focal point for the eye. It is a veritable black hole of beauty that will draw the eye directly to it, making it the perfect negative to the usual Polychrome genre!
 
 
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4. Superman Unchained #1 — Variant Edition — (DC): Although Jim Lee’s original cover is quite impressive, I feel like the “Superman breaking through something” cover has been done to death. Also, with 10 covers in total, I chose one that has a nostalgic touch and humbles Superman in the same breath. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Trish Mulvhill create a classic cover for the Man of Steel’s 75th birthday, showing that even the strongest man on earth can be put in his place by the woman he loves. It is pristine and fresh and offers fans something we don’t get to see very often in the world of the New 52 Superman — a phone booth and Lois Lane!
 
 
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5. New Avengers #7 (Marvel): Mike Deodato is no stranger to stunning covers and this one is more of the same! With the iconic Avengers emblem in the background, Deodato uses an overhead perspective to showcase his figures in an amazing way. His aerial view transforms the layout to mimic a boxing match where the pugilists battle atop the very logo they both seek to protect, sullying it’s symbolism by their actions. With a blanched white background that seems to make the figures levitate, Deodato has created something simple and clever!
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Movie News Reviews

Review: Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 8: The Lovers

Da Vinci = Jerry Lewis as The Errand Boy

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 8: The Lovers

By: Lawrence Napoli

[Attention: Major spoilers and end of season commentary ahead!]

 

Season 1 concludes with The Lovers and the theme of this episode is “tying up the loose ends” with what I hope will be a more adventurous and bold ambition for season 2.  Usually, the resolution of subplots is a satisfying experience for the viewer who is invested in any series, but I did not feel the satisfaction for many of them, despite the thoroughness of the attempt to address every character’s particular issue.

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I am unimpressed.

Subplot #1) Da Vinci FINALLY expresses to The Turk, Al-Rahim his frustration for being led around by the nose thanks to the Sons of Mithras and their quest for The Book of Leaves which they entrapped Leo with by linking its fate to that of his own mother’s.  The reason this fizzles is because Da Vinci has really become obsessed with this quest himself and he is all too willing to continue on as he has been regardless of his whining and complaining.  Leo knows this, The Turk knows this, and thus the entire exchange is a waste of time other than directing Da Vinci towards his new destination.  The Turk owns Da Vinci’s left testicle.

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Years from now we’ll get this Da Vinci guy to do all the hard work and . . .

Subplot #2) The fate of Giuliano Medici runs its course.  We were all fooled by the way last week’s episode ended, but in order to more closely resemble the history of these events he is dispatched while attempting to save his brother during mass.  Giuliano, played by Tom Bateman, was easily becoming my favorite character in this show because he stopped behaving like a spoiled little brat and started rising to the occasion to be a leader whenever possible with charisma and confidence.  His presence will be missed, but having his mistress Vanessa (with whom Giuliano had relations once) discover she’s pregnant and inform the skewered Giuliano of this fact in the final moments of his life felt incredibly rushed and swept under the rug.  This was a moment of high drama that required more time to see through and it failed as a result.

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I was supposed to “handle” Giuliano.

Subplot #3) Lucretia the spy and Da Vinci have it out and despite that, their relationship is still up in the air.  As quickly as Da Vinci is to slit her throat, he is just as quick to massage her tongue with his own and the scene they share is obviously meant to show that both individuals (despite their best efforts) are hopelessly in love with each other, but neither have the courage nor the sense of self to do anything about it.  For a man so determined to not be defined by anyone else, Lucretia owns Da Vinci’s right testicle and his interactions with Lorenzo throughout this episode suggest he may eventually pay for this relationship.  Da Vinci seems content to remain a slave to Lucretia’s affections.

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You complete me.

Subplot #4) We all find out who the old man being held in Rome’s prison is, and I must say that I was not expecting him to be the Pope’s twin brother.  The show is taking immense liberties with this angle and although we have no idea why he chooses to remain in prison, we do know his council helped facilitate Rome’s campaign to unify Italy and increase the church’s power.  The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure Leonardo did not notice the family resemblance from last week’s episode, but the very fact a twin exists reveals a major plot point for how I think this series will culminate.  [Major spoiler supposition ahead]  Da Vinci may involve himself in a plot to swap the imprisoned twin with the evil Pope Sixtus who is known for commissioning the creation of the Sistine Chapel (an act not particularly on the mind of a Pope desiring to instigate a holy war with the Ottoman Empire).  This will lead to Da Vinci crossing paths with none other than Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  

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I can always find “another way.”

Subplot #5) The Pazzi Conspiracy fully engages and its result is pending.  “The Lovers” has a ton of swordplay after Giuliano bursts through the church’s doors to expose the Pazzis.  I actually enjoyed the action, the throat slicing and the fact that everyone (even the priests!) get down and dirty.  If you know the history [attention: historical spoiler ahead], the Pazzi’s fail at assassinating Lorenzo, but it remains to be seen if this will cause a brief moment of internal calm for Florence at a convenient time when Leonardo needs to go away on an oceanic voyage.  The only thing I didn’t like about this is how it ends with the very last scene before the credits roll.  This scene catches the action literally in the middle and it resolves nothing to the audience.  It’s the kind of cliff hanger left for in-between episodes or commercial breaks, but not the end of a season (Editor’s Note: And not having to wait until 2014! – EIC Matt McGloin).

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This Pazzi comes with a Kung-fu action chop.

Subplot #6) Lorenzo discovers Da Vinci is his rival for Lucretia’s affections.  Just as Lorenzo is professing his love for Da Vinci for his heroic intervention, he sees Lucretia’s ring, and that love instantly turns into vile hate.  This development really felt like Goyer threw this in at the last possible second because Lorenzo’s reaction seems a bit odd.  If he really loves Lucretia, it makes more sense for him to become depressed and indifferent to his immediate fate, and if he survives, that sadness can turn into hate which motivates Lorenzo to “hunt” Da Vinci throughout season 2.  If Lorenzo’s ego is simply wounded by someone like Da Vinci sharing the same woman, he would certainly get upset, but he wouldn’t seek blood-lusting vengeance as if Da Vinci slept with his actual wife.  Da Vinci is, after all, saving Lorenzo’s butt from assassination.

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Do I love my wife and family more than my mistress?

All of the above happens in this single episode and each subplot is done a severe disservice by splitting the audience’s attention amongst them all.  Perhaps creator David S. Goyer felt the need to conclude with the Pazzi conspiracy because he didn’t want any major issues lingering between seasons.  If this is the case, that means Goyer must have something amazing waiting for the audience with Da Vinci’s adventures abroad.  If not, Da Vinci will continue to be conveniently side tracked from his journey to stay in Florence, and we will all be treated to everything we’ve already seen before.  Florence could continue to be an interesting place to explore had Goyer given Da Vinci – and the audience as a proxy – a reason to stay.  Ending season 1 after Da Vinci’s infiltration of the Vatican seemed to be a more natural place to take a breather because significant plot twists occurred, Da Vinci accomplished a major victory, yet significant danger remained for the future of Florence to address in season 2. 

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I am really, *ucking pissed off!

Season 1 of Da Vinci’s Demons was a successful experiment in making a television series.  The reason I describe it as merely a test is because its quality in many production levels was inconsistent and the sum of its episodes do not constitute a full season of anything.  Here are some things Goyer needs to address for season 2: First, you must give the audience at least 12 episodes because if you don’t, there’s no reason for you to evolve your story telling formula, which means more abbreviated character and plot development and you will be called out on it.  Second, get a little more money for effects.  Although this is the kind of show that doesn’t require an abundance of visual effects, it is still about Leonardo Da Vinci and he invented a couple of cool gadgets along the way and we need to see more of his infernal devices at work.  Third, Da Vinci’s desire to learn of his mother’s fate better pay off because it has thus far been set up to be a massive let down.  The first half of season 1 shows Da Vinci having a blast with his own devices and discovering “truth” at his own pace.  The Turk shows up and tempts Leonardo with a massive carrot and the man hasn’t returned to jubilant discovery since.  This plot arc seems to be setting Leo up for that heaping helping of humble pie so Da Vinci can learn “humility,” the key word left out of Solomon Ogbai’s final words to Da Vinci in “The Devil.”

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Da Vinci must learn his lessons, or this goes right up you know where.

I need to see a lot more follow through from Goyer and his entire production staff.  If you’re only given another 8 episodes for season 2, then give the audience 8 episodes that take full advantage of the characters you’ve introduced and TAKE YOUR TIME!  I’m sick and tired of merely paying lip service to plot points and twists that have the potential to be really juicy.  Give your fine cast of actors more time to ACTUALLY ACT.  We need MORE moments of DRAMA that play out organically.  Only time will tell what season 2 and the future of Da Vinci’s Demons as a franchise has in store, but the concept of “evolution” should be the first and foremost thought in Goyer’s mind at the writer’s table, behind the camera and in the editing booth.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: The Purge (2013)

Did I Just See an Argument Supporting Video Game Violence?

A Film Review of The Purge

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

Human beings: Are we smart animals or transcendent beings?  Are we inherently violent or is our behavior the result of other, more complex forces at work?  Believe it or not, but The Purge is a horror/thriller that makes an attempt at some social commentary in regards to this very topic.  Having seen the trailers, I was expecting something pulpy, raw and completely void of intelligence.  The hook of this story alone makes it one of the smartest horror/thriller films I’ve seen in a long time.  I must reiterate though, this praise is reserved strictly to the framework of the story and the fictional reasoning behind allowing American citizens to embrace total anarchy and their inner bloodlust with zero consequences.  There are a number of turns to typical, horror filmmaking techniques that snatch greatness away from this film and most of that is attributed to deficiencies in character development.  Still, The Purge manages to make you think while it entertains and that’s something horror films simply don’t do these days. 

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Bad people are coming for you!

I can see this film being quite polarizing in that it could fire up gun lobbyists, religion, rich people and the political right in general, but most of the audience I sat with was more concerned with seeing new ways to be scared of home invasion and accumulating a high body count in the process.  The elements of the story that makes The Purge “horrifying” and “thrilling” happen to be its glaring weaknesses as the same foreground-background reveals are combined with jump scares, POV stalking and surveillance footage.  As frightening as real-world home invasion is, what the audience experiences in this film is tame compared to its contemporary brethren.  Lots of the horror standards are present story-wise: rebellious teenage daughter, family disconnect, social ignorance, false sense of security, revenge and of course “sacrificing the innocent.”  All of these elements fail to be impactful in any way because these themes are all too familiar to us and writer/director James DeMonaco delivers them in such conventional fare that it does inspire several instances of eye-rolling in response.  And speaking of eye-rolling, the main characters inspire nothing but; thanks mostly to their frustrating behavior which clearly does not jive with people (of means) living in a world where “The Purge” is a reality.  Once again, people acting in this manner are key conventions of horror by playing up the whole “we are the causes of our own demise” angle that allows danger to infiltrate where it wouldn’t normally.  Under the harsh lens of industry-standard horror filmmaking, The Purge simply follows the rules without pushing the envelope which makes for a dissatisfying horror experience, but perhaps this film was not meant to be seen as strictly that?

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Yes we’re scared.  Convention 1.

This film makes some pretty direct political, ethical, moral and economic statements concerning the current state of the union and applying them to some fictional circumstance in the not so distant future actually inspires a moment to pause.  First, DeMonaco clearly feels that the super rich are big problems in today’s economy because their monopoly over the accumulation of wealth is apparently fueled by their willful ignorance of how that affects everyone else.  Of course, the posh suburbs support “Purge” violence because it never hits their homes thanks to the state of the art security systems they all pay for and it provides for the euthanizing of undesirables like the homeless, the hungry and the poor who cannot afford the same kind of “protection.”  Second, the proliferation of high powered weapons in society is something DeMonaco views as troubling.  “The Purge” allows for Class 4 weapons (assault rifles and auto-shotguns) and lower to be used which means flame-throwers, grenade launchers and bazookas are a no-go.  This movie is not meant to look like The Expendables, but it makes you wonder why so many gun enthusiasts in the real world are so desperate to hold on to their assault weapon “rights” when there isn’t a fictional day in the calendar year that allows for legalized hell on earth and we are all tasked with our own security.  Third, DeMonaco obviously lumps government in the same boat as the super rich as part of the problem for passing such an utterly ridiculous law in the first place, but also for the fact that the most influential government representatives are immune from “The Purge.”  Conveniently, people like the president, governors, mayors and senators are not to be harmed in any way.  In the end, The Purge is a hyper envisioning of what the writer/director sees in American reality today and by seeing the extremes, people can become more aware and upset over the more subtle economic and political policies of control such as The Patriot Act and legalized government surveillance that brings us closer to a life free from liberty.

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The Purge: land of free cadavers, home of the brave with big guns! 

There seems to be an inordinate amount of action for a horror/thriller film such as this.  The first half of the film is hard at work setting the audience up for what seems to be some significant urban assault and surprisingly, the movie actually goes there.  There is a decent amount of gunplay at work as well as what seems like a random proficiency with hand to hand pugilism.  These scenes are actually shot fairly well and although they don’t do much to heighten the suspense, these moments are satisfying to watch.  The only thing that seems a bit off with the action is who actually engages in it and how well they perform without being established as having training of any kind.  For example, there is a moment close to the climax of this film where the father of the Sandin family inexplicably turns into Rambo and dispatches a number of threats in sequence with barely a scratch on him.  The logistics of this entire film borders on the absurd so buying into these leaps in expertise isn’t too difficult, but a little more back story and character development could have easily reconciled this.

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Honey, I got this.

The performances within The Purge all hinge upon father and mother Sandin played by Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, respectively.  Despite being amongst the wealthiest of a pristine upper class community, they are not depicted as base snobs in any way.  Hawke and Headey both go for composed performances with slight alterations.  Hawke’s James Sandin is really excited about his work directly leading to his family’s increased status so the energy he exudes approaches that of “the annoying rich guy making everything his business,” but this gets pulled way back once danger ensues.  Hawke transforms into an average Joe protecting his family quickly without being overburdening or annoyingly over-heroic which makes it easier to sympathize with him.  Headey begins as a fairly engaged mother who doesn’t really give off any sort of elitist vibe, but her transformation goes directly to a quivering weakling which seems too stereotypical for women in horror films and certainly makes no sense for any adult cognizant of the real danger that begins in the USA every March 21st. 

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You may have seen this before in any other horror film.  Convention 2.

Every other performance from support to antagonists plays off the strength of this relationship.  The Sandin children played by Max Burkholder Adelaide Kane do their jobs by performing as frustrating children seem to always do in survival situations on film.  Plainly put, they are always liabilities.  Ms. Kane’s arc turns her into a damsel in distress and Burkholder represents the moral/ethical counter perspective to the existence of “The Purge” as policy.  Their performances feed the strength of their parents as characters, which is fine as a baseline, but they never evolve beyond pure support.  The same is true for the antagonists who want to “purge” the Sandin family.  Preppy psychotics with an elitist perspective on their violence having a positive contribution to society sounds interesting, but that idea has been overdeveloped in horror.  Rhys Wakefield is the only villain who reveals his face and therefore is the only performance that can be evaluated.  His smug ego lights up his demented smile, but his character never shifts status from that plastic demeanor even when you assume that increasing bloodlust would turn anyone into a much more ravenous creature.  Normally I call for more interesting villains, but in this circumstance I was fine with keeping these bastards as flat as possible because doing so would backtrack on DeMonaco’s social commentary. 

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Is there really a difference?

The Purge is an interesting film that finds more fans with members of the audience who are more seasoned and are politically and socially engaged.  Teens and Tweens going to see a mindless slasher/brutality film will be disappointed because this movie simply doesn’t do those things that well.  Anyone else that goes for basic thrills and scares will be let down because the tension never elevates to a fever pitch.  In fact, the whole concept of “The Purge” is the only thing that makes this film worthy of existence.  Exploring this new “law” and the events that allowed “The New Founders” of America to tack it on to the constitution would have added 40 minutes of runtime and turned it into a completely different movie.  Removing the spectacle of reckless abandon and the base essence of “releasing the beast,” would have made this a much more difficult film to sell investors and if that doesn’t happen, movies (especially horror films) don’t get made.  I will, however, suggest that real people in the real world do need a form of release and escape from the grind of getting by day by day, but that needs to be done through a proxy such as watching movies, reading books or playing video games.  Oh yes, even the most holy of rollers will agree with allowing digital aggression when the alternative is your neighbor knocking on your door and shooting you in the face.

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Comic Book News

Cover Shoot: Top 10 Comic Book Covers For June 5th

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

 

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1. Astro City #1 (Vertigo/DC): Alex Ross is a living legend of “realism” art in the comics genre! Focusing on bringing true depictions of comics characters to life, his paintings have graced covers too numerous to count but they all stand out above the rest on the racks. What makes this cover extra special is that it is the debut of Astro City for a new generation. Ross brings that aspect across stunningly as the Samaritan opens the door for, not only the other heroes, but to let fans into their world as well! Perfect!

 

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2. Herobear and the Kid Special #1 (BOOM!Studios): Simple and classic, artist/writer Mike Kunkel, brings his modern American style of “cartoonism” back in this wonderful all-ages special. Crisp and clean, Kunkel keeps the cover to the “bear” minimum which helps to accentuate his skill of a single image on a bold background. This makes Herobear appear iconic and solidifies it as a stylised logo with but a single image!

 

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3. Archer & Armstrong #10 — variant edition (Valiant Entertainment): Retro is all the rage right now and nothing means retro quite like the 8-bit variant covers that have been popping up everywhere! Matthew Waite’s “Donkey Kong” rendition is a cut above the rest due to him implementing specific examples regarding the characters throughout the cover. Just check out little drunk and sleeping Armstrong in the bottom corner to see how Waite mimics his cover with the hilarity writer Fred Van Lente brings inside the book!

 

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4. Fearless Defenders #5 (Marvel): Piggybacking off of the retro game theme, Fearless Defenders has an amazing Street Fighter cover this week! Mark Brooks does a spectacular job paying attention to detail in this one, the logos are even the same! Mark Brooks always has unique ideas to bring to the covers of this book, from action figure themes to paper doll cut-outs, he truly does his best to make this book stand out on the rack.

 

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5. Suicide Risk #2 (BOOM!Studios): Tommy Lee Edwards makes this cover scream off the racks with a blitzkrieg of colors that convey the chaos that awaits you inside! Lead character, Leo Winters, may be in a cacophony of exploding color but Edwards directs the reader upward to his eyes, where a stoic calm resonates and lets the reader know that below the surface, Leo Winters is deducing what his next move is. Fantastic!

 

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6. Ten Grand #2 (Joe’s Comics/Image): Ben Templesmith is known for his mesmerizing line work that ensnares you with it’s complexity. Nothing resonates that fact more than this cover. With A stark white background all we can focus on are the two characters embracing in the middle. Nothing matters to them except each other, the rest of the world has fallen away. A cover should give you a sense of what the issue is about, THIS cover tells you what the entire series is about in a single image! Stunning!

 

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7. Daredevil: End of Days #8 (of 8) (Marvel): Continuing with the beauty of single image covers, we gaze upon Alex Maleev’s haunting rendition of Daredevil. Juxtaposed against a white background, the stark crimson frame of DD can only draw attention away from the other books that may surround it on the racks. It is a powerful images that tells the reader the hero is weary of his quest and yet stoic enough to stand against evil. Maleev is one of the top cover artists of today and this is more proof as to why!

 

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8. Earth 2 #13 — variant edition (DC): Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund combined to make an amazing color cover to this issue, but it is the line and ink version that is visually more astounding! Booth exudes enthusiasm in his line art that is sometimes overshadowed during the coloring process, but here we can see the pure emotion of Captain Steel as he is set ablaze capturing the the very essence of Booth’s line! There is something magical about crisp line and ink pictures that resonate with readers, this one is awesome!

 

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9. Avengers #13 (Marvel): Simple line and ink can convey great emotion to a reader, then again, so can a cover that is so crammed with action that you are completely blown away! Lenil Francis Yu gives you an adrenaline rush from the first glance of this book and it makes you gravitate towards it immediately. His upward scale drives the eye from the twisted pile of heroes toward the looming threat above them, making the cover ominous as well as action packed! Few can manipulate such a magnitude of characters and convey that amount of emotion to a reader in a single image, few but the Yu!

 

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10. Black Bat #2 — variant edition (Dynamite): I have watched Jae Lee evolve from an artist trying to find his own style to becoming one of the best cover artists in the business today! His balance of the subject and the juxtaposition of pure black against a vibrant background makes a truly astonishing cover. It seems overtly simple but it is a highly detailed melding of the creeping stark black of shadow with hint shades of grey. The sinister swathe of red draws the eye in and you can’t help but gravitate to that bold red logo as it screams off of the rack!

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Comic Book News

Review: Archer & Armstrong #10

A brand new story arc awaits you in this months pages of Archer & Armstrong #10! Slightly building off of what we learned from last months amazing zero issue, Fred Van Lente amps up the action and intrigue in a tale that mixes hilarity and truly compelling plot devices into one of the best series on the market today!

Mary-Maria comes a callin’ when Archer and Armstrong seek out information regarding Archer’s latent powers in America’s most highly secured places — Area 51! Unbeknownst to the duo, Archer’s “dead parents” souls have been trapped in Mary-Maria’s body and they want nothing more than the obliteration of their “son!” Van Lente blends perfect comedic retorts and some intrigue that will change the relationship of Archer and Armstrong and the rest of the Valiant Universe in vast ways!

The subtle hints that Van Lente reveals to the reader as his characters progress through a bevy of chaos, is what drives this series past just being an action romp. It is that underlining intrigue and genuine camaraderie that keeps the reader vested in these characters that otherwise could become another cheesy “buddy book” under a lesser skilled writer. Paired with Pere Perez’s stunningly vibrant, eye candy renditions of the characters and you have a book that will please even the most fickle of readers!

Get to your local shop now and demand Archer & Armstrong be placed on your pull list immediately! Then kindly ask them if they still have any of the 8-bit variant covers left. Donkey Kong, anyone? Too cool!

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Comic Book News

Review: Shadowman #7

In this harrowing issue that will change the world of Shadowman forever, Jack Boniface discovers that to defend the earth from ultimate evil, he must choose to separate himself from from everything he holds dear and trust an ancient power more demonic than anything he has ever seen!

Justin Jordan pulls the gloves off for a highly intense issue that is teeming with action, moral dilemma and a final panel that will completely change the future of Jack Boniface and the Shadowman loa forever. Coming off of the single best issue to date, Shadowman #0, this issue has a hard time living up to the characterization bestowed upon us from last month but more than makes up for it in the sheer volume of action throughout. There is no time to catch your breath as all out destruction is displayed before your eyes as even the Deadside has more than it’s share of terrifying action sequences that culminates in the final pages! I don’t want to give any spoilers but a tower of impaled souls will need a few sacrifices in order to continue to grow in power!

Jordan continues to push the envelope with this series and does a perfect job of whetting the readers appetite for next months chilling issue. Besides a storyline that pushes Jack to the brink, artist Neil Edwards makes his full issue debut at Valiant comics with this issue and fans will be pleasantly pleased by the Marvel alums rendition of the Shadowman! 

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Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 6/5/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This is the weekly “quick pick” of the best 5 comics to hit the shelves! Whether they are riddled with action, have the best dramatic sequences, blast you with a bevy of shock and awe or make you feel like a child again, these are the books EVERYONE should be reading! This “DOC’s” prescription for having the best week possible — begins with these Top 5 books! (In no particular order!)

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1.  Astro City #1 (Vertigo/DC):  Kurt Busiek makes a triumphant return to the world of Astro City and comic fans rejoice! One of the nineties most acclaimed and inspirational looks at the super hero genre returns this week under the Vertigo banner! The media has been praising this book for the past few months and it shows, local stores were sold out in minutes and second printings are sure to be in the future for those arriving after the initial “running of the bulls” when they opened! One of my personal favorites from yesteryear, Astro City is a sure fire hit!
 
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2.  Ten Grand #2 (Joe’s Comics/Image):  JMS and Ben Templesmith forge a unique and disturbing tale of a lost love and how far you would go for just five more minutes of contact with them. The tale of Joe Fitzgerald is both stunning and gut wrenching as we watch a man perish over and over again in order to make up for past sins and that five minute window of bliss with his departed Laura. This book is something special and another instant sell-out!
 
 
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3.  All-New X-Men #12 (Marvel):  Bendis has his original X-Men come face to face with Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers in a book that is both nostalgic and heart warming. The meeting of “young” Cyclops and his “older” brother Havok will bring an instant smile on your face and make you wish for simpler times in the Marvel U.! Bendis may not know a thing about how to write Cosmic, but he does a hell of a job depicting the “Merry Mutants!”
 
 
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4.  Kick -Ass 3 #1 (Icon/Marvel):  This is it, folks! The final chapter in the life of Dave Lizewski as Kick-Ass and it is as hilarious as when we first read about him in 2008. Hit-Girl is imprisoned, the heroes are losing interest in protecting the streets and High School is over. What does a young hero with no powers do now? Take cool “Batman-esque” photos at his parents grave is what! And maybe kick a little ass as well! Plus, there are six interlocking variant covers that merge to make one awesome poster!
 
 
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5.  Avengers Arena #10 (Marvel):  Dennis Hopeless crafts a stunning and emotional tale yet again, and this time, you WILL hate Dennis Hopeless for the ending! From the initial page you know in your bones what is going to happen and even though you pray that it won’t, you are still shocked by the outcome. This has been a fantastic book from the start and has more depth than anyone would have ever thought. I implore you to give this book a try, you will be hooked!
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Movie News Reviews

Review: Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 7: The Hierophant

Da Vinci = Danny Ocean

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 7: The Hierophant

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

Yes!  Redemption episode!  The last episode of Da Vinci’s Demons saw a chance encounter with Dracula (or Vlad the Impaler) of all characters and as interesting as that may sound for an historical reinvention that tiptoes the borders of fantasy, it was plain ridiculous.  It made little sense to viewers and even less relevance to the story that’s been developing thus far in the previous six episodes.  Be that as it may, David S. Goyer comes back with a vengeance in “The Hierophant” which gets the story firmly back on track by having Da Vinci become embolden enough to confront his opposition directly.  We’re going to Rome!

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Pope Sixtus has some cool toys.

For this entire series, the audience has been told how Pope Sixtus IV and his cronies have been directing events across Europe not merely by the strength of arms, but by manipulating the faith and secretly acquiring and hoarding fundamental knowledge of the natural world and by extension, the nature of man.  The Vatican’s control over the latter element has been what Da Vinci has dedicated his life in pursuit of, and thanks to his efforts in “The Devil,” he has his bearing to discover the actual resting place of The Vault of Heaven.  All he needs is Count Riario’s half of the key.  I enjoyed the planning and preparation scenes where Da Vinci, Nicco and Zoroaster consider the options of actually penetrating The Vatican’s defenses.  It reminded me of the best parts of the Ocean’s 11 Trilogy in that it comes off as a good old fashioned B&E to a highly secured installation.  I also liked how the entire episode tied back into the Medici’s immediate troubles as well as Da Vinci’s personal quest seamlessly (as if the last episode didn’t even happen). 

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Another of Da Vinci’s devices at work?

If you thought that Da Vinci’s Demons was moving too slowly for your taste, The Hierophant not only ups the pace, but fills it up with many subplots coming to ahead.  Riario vs. Da Vinci?  Check.  Giulino searching for the spy?  Check.  Remember Riario’s prisoner?  Check.  What’s most impressive about the volume of twists in this episode is that nothing feels like it was discarded as soon as it was introduced and every new development leaves the audience with new and satisfying information that ups the tension and gets your brain thinking about what could happen next.  Oh yes my friends, everything is coming together at the right time with only one episode left which I eagerly anticipate, but I am also somewhat disheartened because 8 episodes does not a full season of ANY television show make.  By the way, if any of you were really anticipating that exciting rematch with Dracula, you will be disappointed by its absence here (thank God!).

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The man is still not to be trifled with.

I’d also like to take a moment to commend all of the show creators for doing their best to root this fiction in the past.  I became personally aware when I was inspired to research Pope Sixtus and the extent to which his savagery on the show may or may not have been reflected in how he ruled in the history books.  My research brought me to the Pazzi Conspiracy and I was astounded at the accuracy the show was in trying to hold true to the bullet points of that conflict.  Unfortunately, I conducted this research prior to watching “The Hierophant” which actually spoiled some of the episode for me and I am fearful for how much of the plot moving forward I may have inadvertently ruined as well.  So if you don’t happen to be a history buff and still want to be surprised by this show, do NOT research key words like: Renaissance Florence, Medici, Sixtus or Pazzi.  Do it after the first season ends.  Perhaps invigorating the viewer’s interest in actual history is the greatest compliment that can be paid to any period piece?

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Who is the mysteriously masked, red rider?

The final episode of this initial season of Da Vinci’s Demons is coming up and the table has been set for suspense, intrigue and wonder.  The only thing that “The Lovers” needs to do is match the energy, pacing and relevance of this episode.  It is a natural tendency for the filmmaker to constantly up the ante, push the envelope, raise the stakes and so on and so forth, but doing so without discipline would be a sure fire way to end the season on a sour note.  Goyer needs to hammer home nagging concerns for Da Vinci before properly sending him off on a brand new quest against new forms of opposition, circumstances, handicaps, etc.  “The Hierophant” set up all the pins perfectly and it is left to “The Lovers” to knock them all down.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Ombis: Alien Invasion (2013)

(Note: For purposes in reporting we would like to note that Cosmic Book News EIC Matt McGloin was an extra in the movie )

 

Local Indie Means Pulp Horror

A Film Review of Ombis: Alien Invasion

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

It never ceases to amaze me how “no budget” independent films almost always involve some element of horror.  As a genre, horror has a history of filmmaking rooted in rollback production costs, and thanks to the ever increasing quality of digital camcorders and off the shelf editing software, amateurs everywhere are feeling the itch to make movies.  Horror appears to give the filmmaker the shortest route between making their dreams into reality, and there are a number of reasons why: 1) horror seems to inspire a lot of local, volunteer labor; 2) horror can succeed with even the simplest of practical effects made from household items and YouTube walkthroughs and 3) horror doesn’t require the highest acting level from its cast because the audience will be more interested in looking for monsters and gore.  There are more fringe benefits to horror, but despite them all, very few films show capable of distinguishing themselves from the rest of the pack.  This brings us to the Western New York success story of Ombis: Alien Invasion which is, in every sense, a horror film masquerading as sci-fi, but unfortunately does little to give the audience anything we haven’t already seen from the likes of Troma or Fangoria.

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Your formal introduction to slime zombies from space.

Since this film was made for the miraculously low price of about $32,000 thanks to DefTone Pictures and its co-financiers, I am stunned that more attention was not given to the basic story, character development and dialogue that could have communicated both in a more compelling and practical manner.  The script is the foundation of any film, and if the story isn’t interesting, its visual depiction doesn’t have much of a chance to make it better.  It’s also the least expensive element of the filmmaking process to produce.  Of course, local filmmakers do not have the resources of a James Cameron to make entirely new and fantastic worlds come to life on screen, but that doesn’t mean simpler stories, using common locations and local talent can’t also be interesting.  Writers Janeen Avery, Terry Kimmel, Mark Mendola, Michael Sciabarassi, and Adam R. Steigert (also the director) attempt to blend the basic elements of a zombie movie with the more colorful garnishes of an alien invasion and apply them to a formulaic model as tried-and-true as horror itself: an unsuspecting town in Nowhere-sville, USA is confronted with a supernatural force and all hell breaks loose.  This idea is entertaining enough in the sense that a ghost haunting a house, or a child being possessed, or a mad dog killer is on the loose are equally entertaining tropes.  Doing something more with these archetypes such as using allegory or metaphor is an excellent way to transform common stories into uncommon experiences.

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Who could that shadowy figure be?

Ombis features a script that is unconcerned with anything but the obvious so what you see is exactly what you get.  In lieu of adding intrigue via context, the writers overcompensated by throwing in underdeveloped plot twists that aren’t set up well and fizzle when trying to pay off.  A town trying to fend off alien zombies is one thing, but adding intergalactic bounty hunters, a shadowy governmental agency, and a tale of youthful redemption is plainly impossible to develop with any level of satisfaction in an 85 minute film.  This script was in desperate need of some serious focus, and the best evidence of this is the fact that the story begins to unfold from the perspective of Sheriff Bracket, but then inexplicably shifts to former high school football star Mark.  These two characters could have (and should have) been written as one which would have allowed the audience a more streamlined point of view in addition to better main character to identify with.  In the end, the plot, characters and dialogue have resulted less from basic narrative structure and more from late night fanboy discussions of “you know what would be cool?”

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Folks, I happen to be an authority on what’s cool.

The true artistry of Ombis lies not within the fiction, but in the technical production value and cinematography that is spearheaded by director Adam R. Steigert.  Far too often, student and indie films fall in love with static camera shots while mixing in the occasional Dutch angle to feign “art.”  I am very impressed with how active the camera is throughout Ombis as it tracks, pans and tilts with the action consistently which animates the frame and keeps the pace up for the film in general.   The background soundtrack adds another layer of credible production value which is well composed to accentuate the emotional tenor of just about every scene and only occasionally washes out the dialogue track as a small post-production faux pas.  The digital/visual effects of this film aren’t exactly cutting edge, but are masterfully cut away to and juxtaposed with practical effects (such as the crawling green Jello) which yields a clear idea of the action and what the supernatural threat is all about. 

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Something bad is coming.

The performances throughout Ombis provide glimmers of brilliance, but are often overshadowed by amateurs in need of point-by-point direction just to keep up.  As for the standouts, Richard Satterwhite’s performance as Sheriff Bracket is both charismatic and genuine and his particular strength lies in shifting facial expressions which makes a clear connection to the audience.  The only hiccup he demonstrates is when he loses patience with another actor in scenes where they are not giving back the same energy he is sending them.  Jason John Beebe provides the lion’s share of the stunt work as Mark and provides a worthy performance as the secondary protagonist (or is he the primary?).  He plays the role of a younger man quite well, and he demonstrates confidence in his line delivery with just about everyone, but comes up a tad short in generating chemistry with his onscreen girlfriend which has less to do with an acting deficiency and more to do with a lack of opportunity as provided by the script.  The final stand out performance was that of Alexander S. McBryde who plays the mysterious Mr. Gray.  He is done somewhat of a disservice from the script due to the fact that his character and the organization he represents gets absolutely zero setup as they kind of show up out of nowhere once the weirdness starts to happen around town.  McBryde presents the best example of an actor doing more with less because he doesn’t have many scenes to work with, but the presence he exudes, thanks to the bass in his voice, makes the audience pay attention to him whenever he’s onscreen and he leaves an unforgettable impression.

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No one is safe from the Ombis.

Ombis: Alien Invasion is a success in that it was completed with an overall proficiency that not every independent film provides with minimal finances and a volunteer cast/crew.  It is not an easy task to accomplish such a feat given the handicaps.  That being said, the entertainment value of this film caters strictly to fans of cult, pulp horror films.  For a movie like this to have a shot at wider, more diverse audiences, serious polish needs to be considered.  Over ambition can muddle any production as global audiences may observe with future super productions such as the next Star Wars, The Avengers 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past.  Too many characters, too many plot devices and too many gimmicks can add up to too many distractions that can sink a film before it even sets sail.  Ombis seems intent on doing far too much without being disciplined enough to establish the basics of its own story, and that’s frustrating for an audience intent on making connections.  Of course, most indie monster, slasher, alien and horror films just want to deliver a pulp experience that simply shocks and awes which is fine and dandy, but at the same time gets fenced in with the rest of the herd.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Fast & Furious 6

A Little Left in the Tank

A Film Review of Fast & Furious 6

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

Back in 2001, a little movie called The Fast and the Furious introduced mainstream America to contemporary street racing, NOS and Vin Diesel doing what he apparently does best.  None could have predicted that this series would have turned into such an immense financial success considering it took three different directors before finding one that was truly committed in Justin Lin and his first entry (Tokyo Drift) is to this day regarded as the weakest link.  Lin listened to the fans and got back to the basics of what made this fiction work and the result was a cacophony of stunts that continued to push the envelope, an added level of brawling combat and gunplay, but most importantly characters that had explosive chemistry together.  Fast & Furious 6 is the most recent entry and it’s a rarity to find any franchise capable of holding up to that kind of mileage.  If any of you have concerns regarding the possible sputtering of a series long overdue to be put to bed, know that Fast & Furious 7 is already in pre-production and we’ve just gotten past opening weekend for #6.  No studio is dumb enough to gut that kind of golden calf before at least running it (humiliatingly) into the ground.

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Is the franchise hanging on for dear life?

Writers Chris Morgan and Gary Scott Thompson return to pen F&F6 and they try really hard to duplicate the general plot points of the last film: assemble the team, give them a challenge, car stunts, punches to the face, victory.  It sounds simple enough, but Fast Five was such an incredible experience for being the first to draw in all the marquee characters from the previous films and added The Rock to the mix as the cherry on top.  In effect, the F&F franchise capitalized on an “Avengers” effect even before that movie came out.  Unfortunately, most of what the audience experiences in 6 feels awfully familiar as we see our favorite criminals with hearts of gold doing the same things they’ve done before with the same level of camaraderie.  The story still feels big, but the logistics of getting these main characters back into the conflict seems a tad convoluted and everything else that follows from character arcs to twists come off as slightly ridiculous.

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The team is back.  Now give the audience a reason to stay.

I think the film trailers actually worked against the writers in that they revealed too many major plot twists such as spear hooks into giant planes and the return of Letty, someone believed to have been dispatched as of the fourth film.  Perhaps the trailer reveals wouldn’t have been so bad had there been larger spectacles and/or developments lying in wait, but this was not the case.  To compensate, Morgan and Thompson reach further back into the franchise mythos to resurrect slightly more obscure characters which is nice for nostalgia, but not enough to keep the Fast and Furious formula fresh.  What’s worse is that to appreciate F&F6 you must have seen every previous film because the references to the past and a thematic return to what once was in the very first film is the engine for this film.  That being said, the story is entertaining enough while maintaining that satisfying focus on family as well as a couple of neat developments along the way.

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Guess who’s back?

For a franchise built on car races and stunts, I find it disappointing yet somewhat inevitable for it to have evolved into a more standard action/adventure film.  There’s also a hell of a lot of jumping, falling and launching of bodies in this movie which is an interesting curveball to the action, but seems far too super-heroic even for former street racers, hackers and ex-FBI to be capable of.  F&F6 features the most combat action from gunplay and fisticuffs to date which is executed very well on screen, but plays a second fiddle to the true spectacle: massive set-piece-chaos.  Notable sequences are the car chase around London and the climactic run-in with a military transport plane near the end.  The problem with both of these sequences is that we’ve seen chases similar to the prior and the latter boils down to movement in a straight line for what seems to be a 30 mile runway.  The absurdity of the action mirrors the exponential proficiency of each and every protagonist which, despite the separation in real and in-film time between all the sequels, still feels like Paul Walker is trying to squeeze out an extra 10 horsepower from his cheesy import.  None of this will probably to most fans seeing how a 6th entry in a film series has more to do with luring crowds in with familiarity rather than innovation.  But know this, at no one point does F&F6 outshine its predecessor in any aspect of filmmaking, which leads me to conclude that Justin Lin needs a satisfying and conclusive way to wrap up this fiction for part 7 before it gets recognized as Saw’s spiritual successor.

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Tyrese believes he can fly.

Performances across the board for F&F6 were reliable and expected.  No one outshines anyone else and every character (save for Letty) behaves exactly as they have with no surprises.  That being said, this film is all about Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and every other character, even The Rock, falls in line.  I’m sure Diesel is a great guy to work with, but his emotional range varies between mopey-eyed to angry-mopey-eyed and that’s it.  This is unfortunate considering this film gave his character an opportunity to emote a little more in between bouts of crashing and punching.  Luke Evans as the nefarious Shaw presents as generic of a villain as one can get, but then no villain in a F&F film ever stood out something to truly watch out for either the characters’ or audience’s perspective.  They’re all merely speed bumps to the action and camaraderie.  The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, is noteworthy because he’s still himself and built like he could run through a brick wall without suffering a scratch.  Like the rest of the cast, he doesn’t really show anything new acting wise, so if you are interested in that, I suggest you check out Pain & Gain.

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Can you still smell what I’m cooking?

The true theme of Fast & Furious 6 is: “been there, done that.”  If you want you your fill of action and consider yourself too cool for super heroes, too dumb for sci-fi or too interested in a sex life for fantasy, this film will adequately address your needs.  But it is also by no means a game-changer for this summer as something truly remarkable to see and this will reflect at the box office.  Fast Five represented the peak of what this franchise was capable of accomplishing in terms of story, action and character as well as being a natural end that culminates on a high note.  Dragging everyone back for this film officially feels like going through the motions and I don’t particularly care for that.  The film’s teaser reveal post-credits connects the fiction back to Tokyo Drift (the last sequel in the franchise, chronologically) even seems like jumping the shark because the actor earmarked as the big bad for F&F7 was a real surprise, but in hindsight feels way over the top.  Fast & Furious may be biting off of The Expendables and that franchise is already getting as tired, old and dusty as Stallone himself.

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Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/29/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This is the weekly “quick pick” of the best 5 comics to hit the shelves! Whether they are riddled with action, have the best dramatic sequences, blast you with a bevy of shock and awe or make you feel like a child again, these are the books EVERYONE should be reading! This “DOC’s” prescription for having the best week possible — begins with these Top 5 books! (In no particular order!)

 
 
 
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1. Next Testament #1 (of 13) (BOOM Studios):  Master of horror, Clive Barker, creates an all new comic that is sure to be as controversial as it is compelling. Steeped in religious overtones, this book follows one man’s descent into enlightenment and the rebirth of a creature that will either be worshipped by man or completely obliterate humanity all together! True horror begins with belief, and I believe Clive Barker has created something stunning!
 
 
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2. Earth 2 Annual #1 (DC):  Although James Robinson may have left the DC stable as of late, we still get to enjoy a few more issues by the amazing scribe! This “farewell annual” will certainly leave fans clamoring as we get a definitive origin of Atom Smasher and the debut of the “all new” Earth 2 Batman! Speculations have run the gamut as to just who this Batman will be, everyone from Ted Grant to Hourman have been mentioned, but you will just have to wait and see for yourselves!
 
 
 
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3. X-Men #1 (Marvel):  Okay, so how many X books are there now? Well, this one is special un to itself, and I’m not just talking about the all female roster either! Veteran scribe, Brian Wood (DMZ, The Massive) brings a cohesiveness to the group that is sorely missing in the other books and brings back an old X-villain that will be sure to please fanatical X fans! If you are looking for something new, exciting and overtly fantastic — this one’s for you!
 
 
 
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4. B.P.R.D.: Vampire #3 (of 5) (Dark Horse):  Mike Mignola and the fabulous Ba’ and Moon brothers take Agent Anders directly into the “heart” of horror in this amazing tale of a man that has lost everything except is lust for revenge. But being focused solely on one target leaves you open for an attack from the peripheral, leaving you blindsided by something much worse than you were after! This is a fantastic tale about falling so far that when you eventually get the chance to stand up again, you can barely recognize yourself.
 
 
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5. The Wake #1 (of 10) (Vertigo/DC):  Scott Snyder hangs up the cape and cowl long enough to bring an eerie tale of discovery and wonder that is 50% drama, 50% horror and 100% stunning! Revolving around a “sound” captured on tape, this tale is steeped in creepy suspense that may make you question going underwater anytime soon. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy Snyder’s Batman series, but he is truly a modern master of the horror genre! Find it while you still can!
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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Neither Good, nor Great, but OK

A Film Review of The Great Gatsby

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

One of the “Great American Novels” gets yet another adaptation for the silver screen thanks mostly to the efforts of director Baz Buhrmann in his 2013 vision of The Great Gatsby.  Seeing the teaser trailers for this project back in 2012 certainly had me brewing with anticipation because it looked big, bold and was riddled with star power.  After having seen the final cut, I am once again reminded of the trailer’s ability to make any film look 100% better than what it actually may be.  This film is yet another shameless Hollywood adaptation/reboot due to zero motivation to deliver something original, but makes sense revisiting at this point in American history thanks to the story’s commentary in regards to class, greed, decadence and the human behavior that results from all of the above.  Unfortunately, this film doesn’t quite deliver the same kind of impact from the original novel nor does it deliver the intimacy that defined the 1974 version starring Robert Redford.  2013’s Gatsby had a lot of things going for it, but there were too many things getting in the way of simply telling a good story that ultimately let this film down.

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Things look pretty good from my self-made ivory tower.

The first hindrance for this film was the choice to have the story narrated via a strict regimen of flashbacks by an embittered Nick Carroway.  The world of Gatsby’s decadence is a world that begs to be immersed within, but the film forces the audience’s perspective away from that time period to the present date in the 1930s.  Apparently it was necessary to remind the audience that Nick’s retelling of Gatsby’s story was therapeutic.  This happens far too often during the film which challenges the viewer to invest emotionally in one era or the other. 

This criticism alone would not be so problematic had it not been accompanied by an even greater distracting element to the story: the incessant voice-overs by Nick Carroway that frequently interrupt and abbreviate dialogue scenes and dramatic moments.  Oh yes readers, the voice of Tobey Maguire as Nick Carroway is a constant presence and although this story is meant to be told from his perspective, his character is perhaps the least important.  Nick is the everyman who is put into privileged situations who merely observes the wealthy and powerful at play.  The fact that his image and voice are featured in virtually every scene prevents any other character to take on a life of their own.  The narration is so overbearing that it feels like every plot point is cherry picked for the audience, leaving nothing to independent interpretation. 

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Don’t mind me.  It doesn’t really matter that I’m here.

The third jarring element to this film that I didn’t find nearly as egregious as the previous two was the use of anachronous music selections to fill the background noise of Gatsby’s world with a little more flavor.  I could understand if the choice for using contemporary pop tracks was made to subliminally connect the kinds of things that happened during the 1920s to today, but all I have to do for that is to turn on the news, go to school, go to work or basically wake up in the morning to see rich people taking advantage of poor people.  It has happened at just about every era of humanity in history, but let’s not split hairs here.  The fact that Jay-Z was the executive producer for this film has everything to do with his and Beyonce’s songs (amongst others) being used throughout.  This choice was made less for artistic integrity and more for increasing appeal to the masses because period pieces are not the kind of blockbusters American audiences are interested in turning out in droves for.  Using music that was out-of-time in fictions such as BioShock Infinite or Luhrmann’s own Moulin Rouge worked much better because the nature of those stories were more psychological and fantastic.  This Great Gatsby is a film that barely attempts to approach that level of surrealism. 

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99 problems and a self-absorbed producer is one.

As the director and one of the screenwriters for this film, Baz Buhrmann bears the responsibility for these criticisms.  For someone who has made a career of blowing up conventional filmmaking, I find it surprising he would choose to interpret The Great Gatsby in a manner that forcibly connects all the dots for the audience.  I felt that his visual aesthetics were mostly on mark in terms of framing, camera movement and the use of special effects.  I felt that his best work is experienced during montage sequences that revolve around the consumption of massive amounts of alcohol.  Unfortunately, it appears as though his strength does not lie in conveying what most would refer to as “the standard drama.” 

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Drunken fun.

The visual style of The Great Gatsby features lots of cool, period costumes and settings, but these are combined with certain visual effects that allows the audience to get a much wider view of the tri-state area during the Roaring 20’s.  There are several moments that feature aerial views from miles away that zoom up to or away from the key action or dialogue that is being featured in the scene.  This is a particularly neat effect that my lovely girlfriend observed as a reflection of Gatsby as a character: always wanting to be right there with the important activity, but always feeling like an outsider (a.k.a. so close, yet so far).  This leads to the audience’s exposure to a healthy amount of close-ups and wide-shots which doesn’t necessarily hurt the story, but it takes some getting used to. 

I didn’t care very much for any of the performances in this rendition of The Great Gatsby.  Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan gives the audience a healthy dose of lustful gazes and teasing smiles, but I would have preferred her to share these moments with some of her co-stars so as to develop some onscreen chemistry, of which there is none.  I suppose she cannot be blamed entirely as the script does limit her opportunities, but she could certainly control the projection of her own character.  I found it interesting how she went for more sympathy by portraying Daisy as a victim of circumstance rather than a willing perpetrator of decadent living.  Her rendition of Daisy is not nearly as dainty and superfluous as is depicted in the novel, but doing so works against the sentiment of vilifying the super rich for what they do to Gatsby as stated by several of Nick’s narrations.  Mulligan’s performance felt too neutral for me.

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More of this, please.

Tobey Maguire’s Nick Carroway is supposed to be the audience’s gateway into this cinematic world, but when his character isn’t busy telling the audience what to think; his “in world” character only emits a gradient of bewilderment as his constant emotional state for most of the film.  I understand that his character (as most normal people) would be perplexed by the super rich lifestyle and the kinds of behavior that is considered “acceptable” amongst their ranks.  Tobey gives the audience too much of the deer in the headlights look, but it is his failure to shift status to a more assertive character via improved demeanor and line delivery that fails to sell his character as truly having enough of the decadent BS.  Maguire’s wounded puppy routine works fine up to the point where he starts sounding off in disgust during the film’s third act.  His character simply has no presence in any scene and perhaps this was a conscious choice between the director and actor, but it also does little to generate an emotional connection with an audience meant to appreciate his perspective above all others for this story.

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I’m the true main character (if you didn’t realize by now).

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Gatsby is a character that is seldom depicted as a leader of men with a clear sense of purpose and a demonstrative presence.  His character’s introduction is veiled in this kind of false confidence only to be revealed as being manically uncertain, naive, and uneasy.  I can appreciate DiCaprio’s choice to portray this character in this manner due to the truth of his origin, but these moments out-number and out-class the scenes where Gatsby is meant to generate sympathy via the charismatic honesty he is meant to share with Nick and Daisy.  These genuine moments simply pale in comparison to moments when it seems he’s about to have an aneurism when he fails to impress Daisy or sweats bullets when he’s clearly not in control of a situation.  The unconfident Gatsby comes off as too over-the-top while the sincere Gatsby struggles to dig out from underneath Carroway’s narration and limited screen time.   

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I may have hemorrhoids.

My favorite performance was that of Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan whose role as the de facto antagonist doesn’t exactly have the same internal conflicts as any other character, but the straight-forward manner in which he plays it is refreshing amidst an ocean of generally weak characters.  Tom represents “old money” in every respect which reflects the pinnacle of self assurance (whether it’s justified or not).  He’s actually charismatic when he’s not being a bigoted misogynist who best represents the concept of “men as pigs.”  Yet, the fact that his performance never succumbs to rage or looses full control suggests that he genuinely believes in his position, regardless of how far from reality it may actually be.  I can respect that kind of confidence in a character (even in a villain) and the escalation of Tom’s bourgeois methodology gives the audience some consistency they can count on.

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Where the elite meet to eat.

The Great Gatsby isn’t a terrible film because it still showcases some serious production value as well as some interesting social commentary for anyone attuned to context.  Unfortunately, this is not a film I would recommend people to catch in theatres ASAP.  Film, as an art form, is meant to communicate through showing and not telling.  2013’s Gatsby is a film that can’t stop telling you everything and it gets very annoying, very quickly.  The audience needs to see full conversations between characters, not the Cliff’s Notes version.  The audience wants characters to prove what they are on screen through action, not exposition.  I’m not even sure if the spoon-fed drama is worse than the immense spectacle the trailers seemed to guarantee, yet the final film didn’t exactly deliver.  The hype and expectations for The Great Gatsby were certainly through the roof, but it simply falls way short.  Hopefully, the rest of the summer will prove to be more prosperous.

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Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/22/2013

 

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

This is the weekly “quick pick” of the best 5 comics to hit the shelves! Whether they are riddled with action, have the best dramatic sequences, blast you with a bevy of shock and awe or make you feel like a child again, these are the books EVERYONE should be reading! This “DOC’s” prescription for having the best week possible — begins with these Top 5 books! (In no particular order!)

 

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1. Green Lantern #20 (DC): So, we may already know the final outcome due to a “shipping issue,” but this is book isn’t just about the end of the “Wrath of the First Lantern” crossover. This is the final farewell to writer, Geoff Johns! The man who brought Hal Jordan back from the dead, created the rainbow rings, dredged up Nekron from the depths of mediocrity and gave fans THE best run on GL in decades! This issue will touch on everything Johns has brought to the book from day one and will leave fans clamoring for more! As he paves the way for Robert Venditti to take over the book, fans cannot help but feel a bit melancholy over his departure. Geoff Johns has become synonymous with Green Lantern and he will be sorely missed. Thanks Geoff, it’s been a hell of a ride!
 
 
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2. Occupy Comics #1 (Black Mask Comics): A collaboration of more than fifty of the best writers and artists in the business, this artistic tribute and sponsor of the Occupy Movement is more than just a comic — it is a record of modern history as it happens! A volunteer based anthology of prose, art and true comic form, Occupy Comics, was funded by a Kickstarter program last year and will eventually be turned into a hardcover edition. With ground-breaking creators like Alan Moore (Watchmen), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Mike Allred (Madman) and David Mack (Kabuki) at the reigns, this is a veritable “who’s who” of the beset of the best! So, let your money speak for something more and get Occupy Comics #1!
 
 
 
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3. Half Past Danger #1 (IDW): You want to know what this comic is all about? It would actually be easier to tell you what it isn’t about! This is Stephen Mooney’s epic pulp noir tale that includes everything a comic fan could want! Protagonist, Tommy ‘Irish’ Flynn must keep his troops alive through a tour of the South Pacific in 1943, but it isn’t just the German army that is a threat. They need to look out for DAMES – DINOSAURS – and – DANGER – as this yarn completely blows you away! A fantastic read that will remind you of great comics from the past!
 
 
 
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4. Daredevil #26 (Marvel): Mark Waid has been turning the screws on Matt Murdock as of late, but it is the story he has been telling about Foggy Nelson that has been riveting! Foggy, DD’s best friend and confidant, has been diagnosed with cancer and no amount of super powers can help him. It is the soul searching and the bravery he finds in the faces and minds of children in the hospital that truly gives him a fighting chance. Waid breathes reality into the comic world as we empathize with these characters and we, and Foggy, are stronger for it! Plus, we finally find out the TRUE fate of a classic DD villain! No spoilers — I think you can “hit the mark” all on your own!
 
 
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5. Lobster Johnson: Satan Smells A Rat (Dark Horse):  Yes, I LOVE pulp noir stories and you should too! Mike Mignola returns to his justice branding vigilante in this new one-shot revolving around the murders of skid row bums. It is up to Hellboy’s boyhood idol to find the diabolical fiend that’s been dumping bodies and slap them with the burning claw of justice! Buy it for the name, love it for the all out zaniness! 

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