We’ve officially arrived in San Diego!
The First Princess Leia of the Day
A not so great picture of the Throne of Odin
Characters from the new Lego Hero Factory
Lego R2D2 & C-3PO with somone’s child
Bumblebee was HUGE!
Scary!
Go, go Power Rangers!
Green Hornet Girls
Do you have a sibling? Do you take turns torturing each other when Mom isn’t looking? Is you sibling behind you right now? No? Are you sure? Check again! If not, good. If so, you might want to run, pick up this book, and read it in the next two seconds. If that seems impossible [...]
Hey! You seen the picture of the Thor’s costume in Thor, and the concept art for Captain America’s costume in Captain America: The First Avenger? No? Well, i recommend you check them out. They’re pretty cool. Anyways, on to the reviews!
Brightest Day #2: BRIGHTEST DAY! The White Lantern Ring’s still dragging Aliveman around. This time, [...]
Have you ever walked into work with your co-workers saying you’ve already checked in? Have you ever tried to cash a check, and the bank says you’ve already cashed it? How about your date dumping you, claiming that you dumped your soda on her? If so, you might have an evil clone. You should buy [...]
Wasup everyone? My birthday just passed. And by “just” I mean about a month ago by the time you read this. I finally turned five! Kidding. Onto the reviews!
War of the Supermen #0 (of 4): Free Comic Book Day! I found this book. It was at Meltdown Comics. Apparently, they hadn’t run out of all [...]
Do you have a sibling? Do you take turns torturing each other when Mom isn’t looking? Is you sibling behind you right now? No? Are you sure? Check again! If not, good. If so, you might want to run, pick up this book, and read it in the next two seconds. If that seems impossible (which it should), then just hope your sibling isn’t about to kill you. Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown is by Daniel H. Wilson, PhD, the author of such books as How to Survive a Robot Uprising, Where’s My Jetpack?, and How to Build a Robot Army.
This book introduces us to the ancient martial art of Bro-Jitsu. It has been perfected over the centuries by our ancestors, who had their own annoying siblings. Being an only child, these moves seem incredibly mean to me! However, my mom, who has an older brother and sister, says these are perfectly normal. How happy I am that I am an only child.
This book includes 126 moves like the “Delayed Hair Pull,” the “Smother Brother,” the classic “Wet Willie,” “I’m Not Touching You!,” and, of course, the “Guess What? You’re Adopted.” (That last one was used on my mom by her brother.) Bro-Jitsu is split into three sections: Offensive Moves, like the “Not My Fault,” Defensive Moves, such as “Bloody Knuckles,” and Psychological Moves, i.e. the “What’s On Your Shirt?”
The book is written very well, and while it does dabble into the boring from time to time, the moves are very useful, and the pictures help too. In conclusion, another great book from Daniel Wilson.
Total Score: 4 1/2 Stars!
Every year right around January, I start thinking about San Diego Comic-con and how the heck I’m going to snag a hotel as close to the Convention Center as possible. The hotel lottery is always fun and usually unproductive for me. One year I had a staff of six all calling the second the lottery became live and we still didn’t get a room. What usually ends up happening is me on the internet, Craigslist, Google and plain old cold calling hotels and motels till I turn something up.
This year, I’m bringing my dog Ozzy which throws a huge monkey wrench in the works. Still, it’s worth the headache and a possible hotel way out near the TJ border because my year old Ozzy can’t stand to be away from me for any length of time. So it’s a pet-friendly motel, my son Phillip along to dog-sit while we’re at the convention and my business partner/roommate David at his first Comic-con.
My email is loaded with press releases starred for writing about, notes on appointments, interviews and booth numbers. The cell phone is loaded with PR folks phone numbers and I still haven’t heard back on any party invitations except for WGA. Come on guys, where’s the party people?
Also special this year is that TGL is going to have live video from the convention!! Yay! Uh huh, we found a video guy that is going to seriously hook it up. Look out for videos from press panels, the convention floor, live interviews, etc. We’re excited about getting a lot of Comic-con fun posted each day of the show.
Enzo D, as usual will be covering lots of events on the Comics and movies landscape and we’re looking forward to all his photos and stories.
What are we most excited about? WETA!!!!!!! Have you SEEN the teaser trailer of Wind in the Willows yet? The animatronics look AMAZING and that sneaky little view of Mr. Toad at the very end of the trailer has us salivating. Also excited about Showtime, WB, Disney, Sony and others which we’ll write more about in upcoming posts.
Stay tuned for more on TGL as we list the booths to hit, the panels not to miss and other fun Comic-con stuff as we prepare to head out to San Diego and what looks to be the most massive SDCC to date. The San Diego Convention Corp expects sales to be somewhere near 160 million during those four days. Yowza!
We’ll also be Tweeting from the Con as much as we can – follow me at @ginaruiz on Twitter. If you’re going to the convention and have press releases, news, photos, etc, hit us up and let any one of us know – we’ll be more than happy to post.
Harvey Pekar has died. Reports from Cleveland where Pekar was a resident, say he passed away early this morning in his home. Pekar was 70.
Mr. Pekar was the author of the long-running (more than 30 years) autobiographical comic series ‘American Splendor‘ which was adapted into a film by New Line Cinema in 2003 and nominated for an Oscar. Most recently, he was collaborating with several artists and writers at The Pekar Project.
R.I.P. Harvey – this writer and so many others will miss you and your stories.
Hey! You seen the picture of the Thor’s costume in Thor, and the concept art for Captain America’s costume in Captain America: The First Avenger? No? Well, i recommend you check them out. They’re pretty cool. Anyways, on to the reviews!
Brightest Day #2: BRIGHTEST DAY! The White Lantern Ring’s still dragging Aliveman around. This time, he’s brought him to Aquaman and Mera. But that’s not the only “person” Aliveman’s being brought to. And this time, I don’t think Boston can fight his way out. In the meantime, the Atom and Professor Stein try to seperate Firestorm back into Jason and Ronnie, when things go horribly awry. Martian Manhunter discovers who the mysterious woman in his vision is, and Hawkman and Hawkgirl find out who’s behind the theft of Khufu and Chay-ara’s bodies. And they’re not happy. Good story. And since the art is drawn by five different people, and I don’t know who drew what part (except for Ivan Reis), I’m going to say okay art, because I like three of the artists. Total Score: 3 1/2 of 5 Stars!
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 (of 6): I’ll be honest. At first, I had no idea what the !@#$ was going on. But if you hang in there, things will become more clear. Well, more clear, at least. So Bruce wakes up in Gotham City circa 1600, when the followers of God rule, and their town is plagued by witches, dragons, and the devil. And of course, it’s up to Bruce to stop the religious zealots from killing innocents, find out who these witches are, and stop the dragon. In the meantime, Superman, Green Lantern, and Booster Gold are trying to find him, and end up finding out that Bruce is causing time to unravel. And that this was all a part of Darksied’s plan. This series is turning out to be a bit of a disappointment. It’s not nearly as epic as it should be. And the issue #3 takes place in the pirate era, which is strangely anachonistic. The pilgrims were around in the 1600s, and pirates were around in the 14-1500s. Go figure. Good story (it would be better if I understood all of it), and okay art. Total Score: 3 1/2 Stars!
Marvel Zombies 5 #3 (of 5): Marvel Zombies Return and Marvel Zombies 5 are a lot lighter than Marvel Zombies 1, 2, 3, and 4. It’s not bad, just different. Anyways, in a universe where Earth is still in the Middle Ages, the Black Knight has unleashed the power of Ch’thon and the Darkhold, and a wave of zombies has been created. Enter: Machine Man, Howard the Duck, and Jacali Kane! And for a change of pace, instead of Machine Man, Howard, and Jacali fighting zombies, only Jacali fights zombies! Because Machine Man has been mostly destroyed (again) and Howard just isn’t fast enough. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not new. Not really. But then again, it is a zombie story. Not much creative space there. Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 Stars!
Batman #700: Yes, you read that right, folks. Batman’ s 700th issue! And although I get a bit…doubtful at Grant Morrison’s writing at times, I liked this issue. It’s about a crime, committed during Bruce Wayne’s time as Batman, developed as Dick Grayson is Batman, and finally solved during Damian Wayne’s tenure as Batman. It also includes an inspiring montage of the Batmen of the future. (Just imagine “Chariots of Fire” playing as you’re reading it.) Great story, and since the art varies, I’ll say it’s good, since I like most of it. Total Score: 4 1/2 Stars!
New Avengers #1: The Heroic Age! What, you didn’t really think Marvel would end New Avengers, did you? Of course not! So, remember back in New Avengers #54 when Hellstorm was saying that something bad was coming, and that the fabric of existence was breaking? Well, turns out, he was right. And Dr. Strange and Dr. Voodoo finds that one out the hard way. Anyways, since Steve Rogers knows that there’s no reasoning with Luke Cage, Rogers lets him pick his own team of Avengers. After buying Avengers Mansion from Tony Stark for a dollar, Cage assembles a team which should be called, “The Avengers Team of Heroes Who Are All on Five Different Other Teams.” You have Luke Cage (Thunderbolts), Wolverine (Avengers, X-Men), who even says, “I’m and X-Man and on two Avengers teams. Mockingbird says, “Yeah, how the hell do you do that?” to which Logan replies, “Multitasking. It’s my mutant power. Don’t tell anybody.” Mockingbird’s on the team, and so is Hawkeye (Avengers), Spider-Man (Avengers), Ms. Marvel, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and the Thing (Fantastic Four). Oh, and the team is overseen by Victoria Hand. And that’s when things turn bad, of course. Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 Stars!
Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #12 (of 13): Uggh! Another issue of this? As much as I love Deadpool, this is getting boring. So Veronica is a zombie now, and she’s working with Zombie Absorbing Man. And they’re attacking Deadpool. And Deadpool pwns (adult translation: owns) them. And the A.I.M. dudes join forces with them to escape. And they betray Deadpool. Blah blah blah. Okay story, good art. Total Score: 3 1/2 Stars!
Avengers #2: Did you read the Dark Reign: The List: Wolverine one-shot? Because I didn’t. I know the Noh-Varr is in it. But I don’t know much else. Anyways, the Avengers need to get the future. And what better way to do it than with Reed Richards’ help? Well, unfortunately, he’s in another universe or something, so they go to Noh-Varr, now the Protector. And apparently, he knows how to build a time machine. So they go to him. But remember how in issue #1, Wonder Man threatened Steve Rogers? Well, he acts on that. Oh, and did you ever read Age of Apocalypse? Not saying that it has anything to do with this, but it does. I’m not a huge fan of John Romita, Jr.’s art, but you can’t go wrong with him. So, great story, great art. Total Score: 5 Stars!
Hulk #23: WHO IS THE RED HULK? Well, if you read Hulk #22, you’d know. You’d also know who the Red She-Hulk is. But I’m not gonna spoil it for you. I will give you a hint, though. The Red She-Hulk is the Red Hulk’s daughter. And the identity of the Red Hulk is the most obvious person you can think of. And once you learn his identity, you will probably be filled with questions. “Waitaminute. Back in Hulk #6, didn’t we see this person with the Red Hulk?” “Hold on, didn’t the Red Hulk kill this person?” If you do indeed think of these questions, you should read this issue. Oh, and there’s 21 artists in this book. But I like most of them. So great story, good art. Total Score: 4 1/2 Stars!
Thunderbolts #145: I’ll be honest, I’m not liking the new Thunderbolts as much. I still think the first post-Civil War team (led by Norman Osborn, with Songbird, Moonstone, Bullseye and Venom) were the best Thunderbolts. I was a big fan of that team. This new team is good. But not as good. So when last left off with our Thunderbolts, Baron Zemo had come to recruit them into his Thunderbolts. But it turns out he’s not actually Baron Zemo. I’m not telling you who it is, but it’s not him. And then Luke Cage brings the ‘Bolts on their first mission, and it doesn’t go well. Good story, okay art. Total Score: 3 1/2 Stars!
Secret Avengers #2: The Heroic Age! The Secret Avengers are on Mars, and things are not as they seem. Nova has disappeared, a supposedly abandoned mining facility has been recently used, and then the Avengers get attacked by a group of mind-controlled goons. And things just get weirder from there. Great story, great art! Total Score: 5 Stars!
Doomwar #5: Deadpool vs. Dr. Doom! And Deadpool has the Midnight Angels on his side, a team of elite Dora Milaje, all of whom he is in love with. But things don’t really go his way. In the meantime, another player has joined the game: War Machine! And Black Panther doesn’t mind the help. Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 Stars!
The Death of Dracula: The Heroic Age! I know what you’re thinking. What does the death of Dracula have to do with the Heroic Age? Well, the vampires are going to declare war on the humans. And it begins with Dracula being killed by his son, Xarus, and his brother Janus trying to decide who to side with. This was a surprisingly good book. Better than I thought it would be, and it will (hopefully) connect with future books. Great story, good art. Total Score: 4 1/2 Stars!
Green Lantern #55: Brightest Day! The New Guardians vs. Lobo! Who has hired Lobo to kill Atrocitus? Why do we care? Ever since Brightest Day, Green Lantern has gone down in quality. I’ll hang on, but still. Please get better. Okay story, okay art. Total Score: 3 Stars!
That’s it for this month! See you next month and for San Diego Comic-Con 2010!
Have you ever walked into work with your co-workers saying you’ve already checked in? Have you ever tried to cash a check, and the bank says you’ve already cashed it? How about your date dumping you, claiming that you dumped your soda on her? If so, you might have an evil clone. You should buy How To Defeat Your Own Clone and Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution, by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson. Unless your clone has already picked it up.
This book covers everything from popular misconceptions to bioenhancements, and, of course, how you should defeat your own clone. It also covers the (very) basics of microbiology. For example, a clone the same age as you is incredibly hard to do. And one with all your memories is nearly impossible. Plus, that would present many problems. If you know how to use nunchucks, your clone will have the memories of using nunchucks, but that doesn’t mean she can use them.
While filled with scientific facts that get a bit boring after a while, the book is littered with jokes that make you chuckle. And some of the chapters are kind of monotonous. The last chapter, where you learn how to defeat your clone, is definitely the best.
Total Score: 3 1/2 of 5 Stars!
“Don’t take a knife to a gunfight. Admit it, you’ve always wanted those nunchakus but you could never justify the purchase. Well, now’s your chance. You want that cane with the sword hidden inside? Go ahead. How about that ridiculous-looking trident? Tasers, sniper rifles, Gatling guns, trebuchets–it’s all fair game now. While your clone spends all his time training for a fistfight, he’s gonna look pretty stupid when you show up in your amphibious assault vehicle. Actually, you’ll both look pretty stupid, but at least you’ll be the one driving a floating tank.”
Wasup everyone? My birthday just passed. And by “just” I mean about a month ago by the time you read this. I finally turned five! Kidding. Onto the reviews!
War of the Supermen #0 (of 4): Free Comic Book Day! I found this book. It was at Meltdown Comics. Apparently, they hadn’t run out of all of them. So, since I having been following Superman for the last…oh, never, I was able to deduce from this book that Superman and Supergirl thought to enlarge Kandor. I wonder why no one thought of that before. Kandor, along with everyone in it, including Supergirl’s parents, were brought to Earth. But they didn’t feel welcome on Earth, so Alura, Supergirl’s mom, created a planet, called New Krypton, which the Kandorians moved to. General Zod was rescued from the Phantom Zone and chosen as a leader by Alura. Since Superman didn’t trust Zod, and rightfully so, he accepted a position as a general in Zod’s army. He then left the army for some reason and discovered the Zod was, indeed, evil. Sounds like Smallville. In this book, Superman is really…mad at Zod for being, well, evil, and he is showing it. But he’s not the only Superman. Remember, all Kryptonians have powers under the yellow sun. Good story, great art. Total Score: 4.5 of 5 stars!
Brightest Day #1: Brightest Day! Please Note: Since this book comes out bi-monthly, I will not be getting this every month, so you will not always get a review. The same applies to Marvel Zombies 5. The beginning of this book is a continuation of Green Lantern #53. Sinestro, Hal Jordan, and Carol Ferris arrive at the site where the White Lantern Battery crashed. But can any of them lift it? Why is the White Lantern Ring ferrying Deadman (or Aliveman, as Geoff Johns calls him) around? And Aquaman is back with his giant sea creatures! But why are they zombie sea creatures? And why have reports of his return caused a man in some small town on the East Coast to kill everyone in his shop? The answer will make you go, “OMG!” Even if you don’t know what that means. Plus: Why are Khufu and Chay-ara’s bodies being stolen? Great story, great art! Total Score: 5 stars!
Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #2: Okay, I know I said this isn’t a monthly comic that I’m buying. And it isn’t! I…just also got it. But can I just say that I hate the Enchantress? She takes all the women and turns them against all the men. All of them. Good story, and good art. Total Score: 4 stars!
Siege #4 (of 4): THE END OF SIEGE! Who or what is the Void? Can he be defeated? If so, how? What will happen to Norman Osborn, his Dark Avengers, and H.A.M.M.E.R.? Who will be in charge? Who will be the new Avengers? Find out! Great story, great art! Total Score: 5 stars!
Dark Avengers #16: SIEGE! This is the last issue of Dark Avengers! And read Siege #4 first. The fate of Norman Osborn will! Be! Decided! And what about Phobos? How will he handle the death of his father? And what about Victoria Hand? What will happen to her? Great story, great art! Total Score: 5 stars!
New Avengers: Finale: SIEGE! The last issue of New Avengers volume 1! The Hood and Madame Masque have escaped the Avengers and gone to Count Nefaria, Masque’s father for help. But the Avengers aren’t going to let them. And this time, they’ve got a plan. Say hello to Wolverine! Great story, great art. Total Score: 5 stars!
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1 (of 6): Let me guess. You’re thinking: Bruce Wayne was gone? And yes, he was. At the end of Final Crisis in 2008, Darkseid hit Batman with his Omega Beams, roasting him alive. But he wasn’t actually gone. He was teleported through time and space, back to the time of the neanderthals and 2001 monolith, and hasn’t been seen since. Until now. The Deer People are at war with the Blood Mob, led by a familiar Chief Savage. The Deer People have found two things: a spaceship filled with things from the future like a Bat-case and Superman’s cape, and Bruce Wayne. But that’s when the Blood Mob attacks. Good story, okay art. Total Score: 3 1/2 stars!
The Sentry: Fallen Sun: SIEGE! WARNING: SPOILERS! READ SIEGE #4 FIRST! A funeral is being held. For who you might ask? If you don’t know, don’t keep reading! The Sentry and his wife are dead, killed by Thor and Bullseye, respectively. But Bob Reynolds is still a friend of the super heroes. So he gets a funeral. Among the attendants: Cloc, and Scout, the dog Bob apparently had. It’s pretty touching, but not too important. Okay story, okay art. Total Score: 3 stars!
The Avengers #1: THE HEROIC AGE! WARNING: SPOILERS! READ SIEGE #4 FIRST! With Steve Rogers now in charge, he gets to choose a new team of Avengers. And who does he choose? Well, we already know. It’s Thor, Spider-Man, Hawkeye (the real one), Wolverine, Captain America (Bucky), Spider-Woman, and Iron Man. And of course Jarvis. Oh, but you’ll never guess who their leader is. And what Kang wants. Did you ever get around to seeing the Marvel Animated Feature Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow? Well, you might want to. Not saying anything, but you might want to. Great story, great art. Total Score: 5 stars!
Secret Avengers #1: THE HEROIC AGE! SPOILERS AND ALL THAT! The Beast. War Machine. Moon Knight. Valkyrie. Black Widow. Nova. Ant-Man. What do they all have in common? They’re all on the Secret Avengers, Steve Rogers’ new black ops, off the books Avengers team. Led by Rogers and Sharon Carter, their first mission is to retrieve the Serpent Crown, which is in possession of Roxxon, an evil company that does I-don’t-even-know what. Of course, they don’t have it for long. Then Steve finds out that Roxxon’s been digging on Mars. He sends Nova to check on them, and when he doesn’t return, the Secret Avengers go to Mars. But the Shadow Council has a problem with that. And who is with them? Guess. Great story, great art. Total Score: 5 stars!
Thunderbolts #144: THE HEROIC AGE! Steve Rogers has chosen Luke Cage to start a new Thunderbolts team, based off of the Raft. With Songbird and Mach V helping to lead, the team is Crossbones, the Ghost, Moonstone, and Juggernaut, with Man-Thing as their vehicle. (Read it.) But someone’s not too happy about that. Hint: anyone know their Thunderbolts history? Okay story, okay art. Total Score: 3 stars!
Doomwar #4: Dr. Doom has won every round. Now, Black Panther, T’Challa, the Fantastic Four, and the Dora Milaje are trying to destroy each of Doom’s factories. He’s letting them, because it’s all a part of his plan. And T’Challa and Reed Richards know that. They need a way to deviate from Doom’s plan. They need to think outside the box. Way outside the box. Enter: Deadpool! Great story, great art. Total Score: 5 stars!
Green Lantern #54: BRIGHTEST DAY! Atrocitus is having a great time on Earth. There’s tons of rage for him to feed off of. In the meantime, Green Lantern, Star Sapphire, and Sinestro are trying to get the White Lantern Battery to just do something. And succeed. The New Guardians need to find all of entities, and before the mysterious black-cloaked figure does. And what are the entities’ names? Agent Orange: Ophidian, the giant serpent. The Blue Lanterns: Adara, a pterodactyl. Indigo Tribe: Proselyte, an octopus. The Red Lanterns: The Butcher, a giant bull. So there you have it. Good story, and good art. Total Score: 4 stars!
Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #11 (of 13): This series is getting a little boring. As hilarious as Deadpool is, it’s all the same thing. They have to escape the zombie universe, and they have to fight tons of zombies to do it. Okay story, good art. Total Score: 3 1/2 stars!
That’s all for this month, folks! See you in June!
Iron Man 2 was amazing. It was every bit as good as I expected. Although I will say that if I did not have my astoundingly vast knowledge of comic books, I would have been somewhat confused. This movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language. And by the way, sorry about being so late.
Characters:
Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.): The eccentric, billionaire, alcoholic playboy. Emphasis on the eccentric. And playboy. And alcoholic. Oh, and billionaire. He has a huge ego, and a badass suit of robot armor. And the arc reactor in his chest is killing him.
Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow): The former secretary of Stark Industries, a drunk and tired Tony makes her C.E.O. She takes her new job seriously. Very seriously. Probably about as seriously as Tony should have.
Ivan Vanko/Whiplash (Mickey Rourke): This is an interesting character, because he is a mix of the original Whiplash and another character named the Crimson Dynamo. Ivan (which is Dynamo’s real name) lives in Russia (Dynamo’s nationality. Whiplash is American) with his dying father, who helped Howard Stark, Tony’s father, build his enterprise. But poor Anton, Ivan’s father, gets no credit. So now Ivan build’s his own suit of armor (Whiplash’s armor) and goes to enact vengeance on Tony Stark.
Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle): Replacing Terrence Howard as Rhodey, Cheadle plays Stark’s best friend and head of security. But their friendship is tested when Stark gets drunk, gets into the Iron Man armor, and throws a party. So Rhodey steals the silver Mark II suit from the first movie and he and Stark take it outside. Well, more accurately, after the fight, Stark’s house becomes outside.
Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell): Portraying a character who, in the comics, is somewhere near eighty, Hammer is a merciless industrialist who is rivals with Stark and Stark Industries. He will stop at nothing to gain the upper hand, including breaking Whiplash out of jail and putting him to work making an army of Hammer drones to sell to the U.S. Army.
Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson): Natalie Rushman is the new secretary of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts’ right-hand woman. But after a meeting with Nick Fury, head of the worldwide espionage corporation S.H.I.E.L.D. (and yes, I do know what that stands for), Tony finds out that she is one of Fury’s agents, the deadly super-spy Black Widow. In the comics, Black Widow shared an origin not too different from Crimson Dynamo’s. She was a spy for Russia, blackmailed into sabotaging Stark Industries. She seduced the wannabe-hero Hawkeye into being her partner in crime, and they brought misery and destruction down on Stark for years, before she (apparently) dyed her hair red and turned to the side of good.
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson): He is the director of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (See? Told you!). Basically, they’re all super spies. Think James Bond on steroids. The movie version of Fury is actually based on the version from the Ultimate Universe, which, essentially, is another universe with many of the same characters as the regular Marvel Universe, but with somewhat different stories and origins. The Marvel Universe version is white.
Plot:
StarkExpo 2010 is here! And now that the world knows who Iron Man is, Tony’s coming in with a bang! But there’s just three problems. The government wants his Iron Man armor for their army. Obviously, Tony says no, adding “I’ve successfully privatized world peace.” Second, other people around the world, including rival businessman Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries, are trying to build their own Iron Man armors. So far they’ve all failed. Except for one. Ivan Vanko, son of the Russian Anton Vanko, Howard Stark’s old partner. He’s managed to build his own arc reactor and his own suit of armor. Calling himself Whiplash (although you wouldn’t know that from the movie) he attacks Stark while racing at the Monico Grand Prix. And why is Stark racing there? Well, that’s the third problem. He’s dying. The arc reactor that’s saving is life is also killing him. But he’s keeping that from Pepper, the new CEO of Stark Industries, Happy, his bodyguard, and Natalie Rushman, Pepper’s new secretary. And since Stark’s dying, he’s going out with a bang. Which includes partying like there’s no tomorrow. But that makes Rhodey so mad he steals a suit of Iron Man armor. And that gets Nick Fury’s attention.
I will say again, some of this only means so much to me because I know comic books. Others might not understand it as well. Also, stay until after the credits. Again, might not mean as much if you don’t know comics, but stay.
Plot: Great plot! Not many problems. 5 stars!
Character: 4 stars!
Action: 5 stars! The perfect amount of action!
Total Score: 4 2/3 Stars!
Hey, all. Hope you went to Free Comic Book Day! Why wouldn’t you have? It’s free comic books! It should be a national holiday. Also, this morning, I was watching the old Iron Man cartoon. It was one of the Armor Wars episodes, where he’s fighting the Beetle. Iron Man says to him, “It’s gonna be a Hard Day’s Night for you, Beetle!” I liked that. On to the reviews!
Brightest Day #0: Go look back at the panel in Blackest Night #8 where we find out Deadman is actually alive. Notice anything peculiar? Like the fact that he’s wearing a White Lantern ring? This is about Deadman visiting the other eleven Black Lantern survivors. And who is behind the White Lantern rings. Sort of. This leads to Green Lantern #53. Great story and great art. Total Score: 5 of 5 stars
Green Lantern #53: Brightest Day! Hector Hammond is telepathically communicating with the aforementioned person behind the White Lanterns. Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris are reconnecting, until Sinestro breaks up their reunion. Larfleeze is still mad at Lex Luthor, and Ganthet and Guy Gardner are making a deal with the devil. Okay story, good art. Total Score: 3.5 stars!
The Flash #1: Brightest Day! Honestly, I only bought this for the Flash ring that came with it. I kinda skimmed it. Didn’t really read it. So, yeah. Can’t really score this one.
Siege: Spider-Man: Siege! Venom has been impersonating Spider-Man for at least a year now. And Spider-Man has a lot of anger to be worked off. Worked off by beating the @#$% out of Venom. With the help of his new girlfriend (apparently) Ms. Marvel, of course. Good story, great art. Total Score: 4.5 stars!
Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #10 (of 13): As you can tell, I figured out that Merc With a Mouth is a 13-issue limited series. So, this arc is going to go on forever. Anyways, Deadpool’s crew separates from Professor Veronica’s crew and tries to figure a way out of the Zombieverse. Not as easy as it sounds. Unless you flippin’ insane, like Deadpool. Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 stars!
Ultimate Comics Avengers #6 (of 6): It’s about time this series finished. Not that I don’t like it, but it took forever. As Red Skull continues to completely beat the @#$% out of Project: Avengers, Gregory Stark is starting to seriously consider detonating the nuke in War Machine’s suit. Captain America doesn’t want that, because he has a plan. A pretty good plan, too. Great story, great art. Total Score: 5 stars!
Marvel Zombies 5 #1 (of 5): I have to admit, this series is a lot better than I thought. I thought it was just going to be Machine Man going through a bunch of universes killing people. Instead, it’s Machine Man going through a bunch of universes killing zombies with two partners. One is a new character. The other…well, let’s just say I shouted, out loud, “Oh. My. God.” Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 stars!
New Avengers #64: Siege! The last issue of New Avengers Volume 1! Honestly, these last few issues of New Avengers have been a bit…underwhelming. This one was about the Hood and Madame Masque, and what they do after Siege, which I assume is setting up New Avengers: Finale. Don’t worry, this gives away nothing about Siege #4. Except that the Avengers win. Which you probably figured out. Good story, okay art. I don’t really like this Mike McKone’s art. Total Score: 3.5 Stars!
Thunderbolts #143: Siege! The last issue before the Heroic Age! Here’s where all the members of the team reveal their alignment. Who’s actually good? Who’s evil? Who’s in it for the money? Who’s in it for the kills? Who’s still loyal to Osborn? And will Ant-Man ever stop sitting on the sidelines? All this, and the Mighty Avengers pound on them! Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 Stars!
Doomwar #3: Thank god for recaps, because I still haven’t read issue 2! For some reason (probably explained in #2) the X-Men have disappeared. Although Doom has retreated, T’Challa and Shuri still need help. So they turn to the Fantastic Four and hatch a battle plan. Plus, how did Dr. Doom get past that last lock? And what is his plan for all that vibranium? Great story, and good art. Total Score: 4.5 Stars!
Iron Man/Thor: Free Comic Book Day! This technically took place in the Heroic Age, but it doesn’t reveal anything. Basically, the weather isn’t responding to Thor. Tony Stark is approached for an investment in Luna, Inc., who is building a colony on the moon. Tony thinks this is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard, but he then finds out that Luna, Inc. stole his weather weaponizing machines. And Thor is pretty mad. Good story, good art. Total Score: 4 Stars!
So that’s it for this month, folks! See you for my review of Iron Man 2!
Here is my review of The Losers. Based on the comic book series by Thunderbolts and Daredevil writer Andy Diggle and drawn by Jock, this movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality, and language. And before I begin, I have to say that this movie has my favorite line ever: “Yeah, that’s right @!#$%es, I’m using a crossbow!”
Characters:
Clay (Jeffery Dean Morgan): The leader of the Losers, a top-secret CIA hit squad, he has a strong moral compass and is always determined to finish the mission.
Jensen (Chris Evans): In his third of five comic book movies (Fantastic 4, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The First Avenger: Captain America, The Avengers), I must say that after seeing him, I have more faith in him as Captain America than I did after seeing him in Fantastic 4 and Push. Not that he played a Cap-type character, but that he played a completely different character than his other two franchises. Anyways, Jensen is the perverted, hilarious techie who is the speaker of the quote at the top.
Roque (Idris Elba): Roque is a knife fighter who doesn’t particularly care about the mission so much as getting home to his family and life.
Cougar (Óscar Jaenada): Cougar is the team sniper. He’s smooth with the ladies, doesn’t say much, and is a steady shot with any rifle you can find.
Pooch (Columbus Short): The Loser’s transportation expert, he can drive any vehicle. His goal is to get back home to his family in time for the birth of his child.
Max (Jason Patric): Max is the mysterious voice behind the Loser’s missions. When he fails at wiping them out, Clay knows they’ve been betrayed.
Aisha (Zoe Saldana): Aisha comes to the Losers with a proposition: she’ll get them back into the states, and in exchange, they kill Max. But can she be trusted?
Plot
The Losers are on a simple mission in Central America: to mark a terrorist facility for bombing from a fighter jet. However, they realize that there are innocent children in the facility. After a quick, against the rules rescue, the Losers pull out, and sacrifice their helicopter for the children. However, the bomber circles back and destroys the helicopter, killing all the children. The Losers realize this means that Max was trying to kill them. The U.S. Government marks them as deceased, and they fade into obscurity.
Years later, the Losers are incognito in Bolivia, when Aisha comes to Clay with a proposal: she smuggles them back into the country, and they kill Max, with her funding. Despite Roque’s rebuttals, they agree. Back in Miami, the Losers hatch a master plan to capture Max in his own convoy. But is Aisha to be believed?
Plot: 4 stars. Not to rich, but there are no problems with it.
Character: 4 stars. Everyone learns lessons about trusting too easily.
Action: 5 stars. Perfect amount of action.
Total Score: 4 1/3 of 5 stars!
