Category Archives: Comics

Sep 9 2012

Baltimore Comic-Con

I admit this might be lazy but….

I wrote a detailed blog post about my experience at Baltimore Comic-Con on my other site No Kids, Will Travel.  I will add here that the Con experience is great.  The Baltimore Convention is still a comic book based gathering.  The hall is filled with comic book vendors and artist.  If you are looking for something rare or want something signed this is a great convention for just that.  You don’t have to wade through a million gaming gamers or both after booth of elaborate setups promoting movies. You just have to watch for geeks with their push carts stacked with long boxes.

http://nokidswilltravel.com/2012/09/09/baltimore-comic-con/

Jul 21 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

I have heard the naysayers, even before walking in the door to the theater, but learned years ago if you want to watch a movie and enjoy it you have to block all of that out.  Having blocked the people who may not be able to appreciate a film on its own merits (you know those who complain because they thought it should be this or that way and are not willing to get over their preconceived notions) I took a seat in the large IMAX theater and braced myself and my bladder for what I knew was a longer-than-average runtime.

The story takes place several years after the last installment, showing Gotham as a city that has come into its own.  The city is no longer a massive slum filled with crime but a city reaching for its potential.  I don’t think that I’m giving too much away when I say the bright and sunny Gotham is about to come crashing down.  I’ll move away from the plot now and focus on the acting.

Christian Bale reprises his role as a Batman who feels like he has nothing to live for or to lose. He brings and emotion, and sometimes even levity, to the complex, broodiest hero of the DC Universe.  The lines of dialogue delivered in the angry whispers of Bale’s Batman have forever changed the way we think the character speaks.  He gets hurt, badly and often, and his body has been destroyed by the punishment of years of crime fighting. He brings a very human quality to Batman, reminding us that he is only a man with all of his physical weakness.

Anne Hathaway does an amazing job as Catwoman, playing the thief with all the charm and moral flexibility a career criminal should have. She plays her (like all the Noland characters) as a real person, not the caricature some of the movie portrayals have gone to in recent years. I think her performance may have been the best of the whole cast.

Tom Hardy as Bane is hard for me to describe.  The character is so far from what I’m used to in the pages of the comics.  Hardy did his best, and I’m sure acting through a mask covering most of your face is hard.  Still, I felt like Bane was a paper villain.  The character was given layers of back story and motivation but in the end was just a thug.   I just wasn’t impressed by this strong man villain.

The rest of the cast, including Oldman, Cain and Freeman did their usual bang-up job in the supporting roles of Gordon, Alfred and Fox.

The effects, both practical and CG, were great. I never found it hard to suspend my disbelief.  The plot was strong and moved and didn’t make me feel captive in my seat thinking “wow this is long.” Noland focused on telling a trilogy that had a beginning, middle and end, and that is a big part of the strength of this franchise. He created a story that was strong and told well.  Christopher Noland found a great way to wrap up his Dark Knight trilogy with finality. No spoilers, but he did leave the slight thread of hope for the story to continue.

I would see this film again and recommend it.

Jul 6 2012

Amazing Spider-man!

The Amazing Spider-man was simply amazing. I was skeptical of a Spider-man reboot so quickly after the last one wrapped up in 2007. The new “Amazing Spider-man” stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker (aka Spidey). Garfield’s interpretation of Parker can only be described what you’d imagine if James Dean played a superhero. The Parker we meet is still smart, but not quite the nerd as previously portrayed. He is a bit of a loner, but still your average high school boy, trying to fit in and talk to the girl he has a crush on.

The choices of Sally Field as Aunt May and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben bring some energy to the roles often portrayed as frail, elderly and partly clueless. Field’s May is sharp and witty and lets us know she is made of stern stuff, the strength you know that will get her by as a widow. Sheen’s Ben is wise and kind and still an authority figure, one you know will instill the values that will make Spider-man. I’m comfortable I won’t spoil anything in saying, as my wife remarked, it’s sad that Sheen’s character has to die in the first hour.

 Rhys, who I loved his tour de force role as a wiry kicker in The Replacements, plays Doctor Connors, a brilliant geneticist, whose breakthroughs are, shall we say, pivotal to the plot.  Rhys again ads a great depth to a role we’ve seen before.
 We now come to one of my favorites: Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, a classmate, Parker’s crush and the daughter of a police Captain played by Denis Leary.  Stone does a great job as a modern heroine; she is not only pretty but proactive in her own defense.  She doesn’t need to wait to be rescued, but still will need it. I love Emma Stone in her roles in Zombieland as well as in Easy A. I hope her character sticks around for the next film.
The effects in the film are seamless. My greatest complaint in the previous films was you could tell when Spidey switched between CG and live action. Also, I almost applauded when he had a pice of technology to fire his webs from his wrists and he didn’t just start spinning them himself.
I loved this film and it is all thanks to the script and the exceptional acting in the cast.  I cant wait for a sequel. And if Marvel really wants to make my day, they’ll make one where Spider-man joins the Avengers just like in the pages of my comics.
May 5 2012

The Avengers

What happens when you put a group of super powered “humans” together in one place? In the DC universe you get the Super Friends aka Justice League, in the Marvel Universe you get the dysfunctional ego ridden Avengers. The hero’s of the Avengers are not only The World’s Mightiest Hero’s but some of the world’s most complex.
I have been waiting for this movie for years. The chance to see some of my favorite super hero’s on one screen has been a dream. I then heard that Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy VS, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse) was directing and I knew they had the right man of the job. Whedon is not only a terrific storyteller and creative director but he is a fanboy. His love for comics is well know and he in my eyes was the right person for the daunting task of wrangling the an A-list cast and the cast of characters, many of which have very, very complicated back stories starting in the 1930’s.
I have to say success was achieved. The first minutes of the film are filled with action and the action almost never stops. The story, which I won’t give anymore away than the trailers let you know, is about the origin of the Avengers as a team. The World facing alien invasion lead by Thor’s brother Loki and the effort by S.H.E.I.L.D the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, to combat the invasion by assembling the best we have to offer to fight it off.
I don’t think the success of this film would have been possible without the long wind up by Marvel Studios to make the previous Ironman, Capitan America, Thor and Hulk films. The back ground given in those films gave you a primer on the universe and the background on several of the characters involved. You didn’t have to be told that Tony Stark is an ego maniac or that Thor is not of this world or that Cap is true of heart and conviction. The small introduction you got to Black Widow in Ironman 2 and Hawkeye in Thor as well as the easter eggs involving Nick Fury at the end of each film go along way with giving the Avengers a running start.
The action is fast and the story is sound filled with good dialogue and jokes that will keep you and the kids laughing. You even got to see some of the matchup you’ve dreamed about as a kid like Thor vs. Hulk and speaking of the Hulk, Mark Ruffalo may have just made the definitive interpretation of Bruce Banner the Hulks less violent side. I think this is saying a lot considering that there have been two other actors portraying the Hulk in 2003 and 2008.

We’ve seen NYC blown up every way to Sunday. We seem to try to make it an art. The destruction was viewed by a detached bus mirror, through the back of a broken taxi window and in the reflection of the shattering glass of buildings. The creativity gave us a new way to look at the city we seem to love to destroy. I for one if living in the Marvel Universe would not want to live in New York which seems to have a disaster every week.
I loved this movie in case you couldn’t tell. I recommend it you adults and youngsters. The PG-13 rating seems to be for violence. The violence is often against nonhuman looking creatures. So Assemble your friends and head to the movies for Avengers.

Apr 8 2012

G.I. Joe Resolute

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G.I. Joe -Resolute
I was blown away by this animated action flick. I came across it while perusing the Netflix library and consider myself better for it. The animation is top notch and the story was well thought out, it’s not a knowing is half the battle kind of story we grew up with. I mean you see people get shot in the freaking head. The attention to detail was great as the guns fire you see the empty brass jackets ejecting from the chambers.
The story was adult and filled with the subtext. A story line that addresses the love triangle that existed between Duke, Scarlett and Snake Eyes at least in the comic book is brought to a subtle head.
If you grew up watching G.I. Joe I whole heartily recommend watching Resolute.

Mar 8 2012

Grimm Has Never Looked Sexier

I have recently come across a great comic series Grimm Fairy Tales by Zenescope. I know that it has been around for years but its new to me. I will admit right off the bat the Zenescope artist depiction of characters like Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella as vixens and temptresses was a great hook. The story is very complex and hard to follow for someone new to the tales. I cI have recently come across a great comic series Grimm Fairy Tales by Zenescope. I know that it has been around for years but its new to me. I will admit right off the bat the Zenescope artist depiction of characters like Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella as vixens and temptresses was a great hook. The story is very complex and hard to follow for someone new to the tales. I can discern from where I came in there are two or three realms or dimensions earth, fairytale world, and darker one. There is of course an ongoing battle of good versus evil too. The hero’s and anti-hero’s are all “highborn”, I’m not sure what that means other than they are not human but look it… and are incredibly hot. The art work is amazing though. I found even if the story didn’t make sense because of being a late comer you could tell it was a rich, deep, well written plot with many variables. The art work alone is wonderful. The characters are really interesting takes on classic heroines. The Cinderella in this universe is a sociopath working for the big bad, who wheedles a sword and likes the dried blood on her skimpy outfit. I do have to say I’m partial to the interpretation of Red Riding Hood as a psychologist, with her own problems and that was before she was dragged into the world of the supernatural. I really like this series and once I get caught up I think I might love it. an discern from where I came in there are two or three realms or dimensions earth, fairytale world, and darker one. There is of course an ongoing battle of good versus evil too. The hero’s and anti-hero’s are all “highborn”, I’m not sure what that means other than they are not human but look it… and are incredibly hot. The art work is amazing though. I found even if the story didn’t make sense because of being a late comer you could tell it was a rich, deep, well written plot with many variables. The art work alone is wonderful. The characters are really interesting takes on classic heroines. The Cinderella in this universe is a sociopath working for the big bad, who wheedles a sword and likes the dried blood on her skimpy outfit. I do have to say I’m partial to the interpretation of Red Riding Hood as a psychologist, with her own problems and that was before she was dragged into the world of the supernatural. I really like this series and once I get caught up I think I might love it.

Feb 18 2012

Justice League No.5

I can’t say enough about the New 52! and Justice League. The new JLA grabbed hold of me at issue one and has me waiting each month to get the new one. I even go beyond that, when I get one I save it until I have time to savor it as I read. The art is spectacar and the interpretations of these usually squeaky clean characters as a dysfunctional group of super powered badassness. I also find it appropriate that in this issue, number 5, the most self centered loner superhero, Batman is the one who calls for organization and team work. He makes the argument to Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) that they need to work together and leads me to my favorite panel of the book. So pick up Justice League No.5. If your in Frederick check it out at Beyond Comics on Buckeystown Pike or Brainstorm Comics on Patrick Street downtown.

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Feb 3 2012

Abrams to start a Reveloution

J.J. Abrams Gets Green Light For A REVOLUTION

The new sci-fi show to air on NBC is set in a world were all forms of energy are gone. I’m thinking a post apocalyptic Gilligan’s Island, no cars, no phones, and no electricity.

The description released by the studio is as follows “A high octane action drama from J. J. Abrams following a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.”

J.J Abrams has proven himself a innovative director over the last decade with mind bending shows like Lost and action shows like Alias, mmmm Jennifer Garner in a catsuit. He even brought his own genesis effect to the Star Trek universe with a blockbuster hit, something that hasn’t happened for Star Trek for a long time, by revamping the story and even changing the rules of the Star Trek universe (alt-timeline).

I just hope this new foray into a world with no electricity doesn’t shutdown a Bad Robot.

In Other New..

Matthew Vaughn has been signed to direct a sequel to X-Men First Class, this is great! The even better part is the uber-talented Michael Fassbender will reprise his role as the master of magnetism Magneto. Jennifer Lawrence who did a superb job adding depth and motivation to Raven Darkholme aka Mystique is under contract to return as well. The earliest speculations at the plot only have that it might take place later than the 60’s. I vote we skip the 70’s and tap into all the kids my age who got to know the X-men in the 80’s. The greatest coup would be if they could just get Hugh Jackman to join as Wolverine.

Jan 30 2012

SuperGirl

Super Girl Issue 5  The New 52

The lost girl Kara has had an interesting few days, she woke up in a strange land, was attacked by robots, kidnapped into space and experimented on, oh yeah, her baby cousin is a grown man and has superpowers and so does she.  She also is told her planet has been destroyed.  So what does she do? What any super powered young woman would do hold your breath and fly through space back to where her planet once orbited.  Her home the City of Argo was floating in space with the rest of the krypton’s’ rubble.  What happened to her parent? Her friends? A cryptic message from her father points at trouble but is unclear what happened leaving the reader guessing too.

I’m not sure if this is the beginning of a story arc or the end of the first one.  I’m thinking it could be either.  The definitive proof that Krypton is gone should help her come to grips that earth is her new home.  So, I hope we start getting down to the brass tacks of her trials of fitting into human society and dealing with the duel identity thing.  I always find that one of the most interesting parts of the story.  I do have to say regardless the storytelling is excellent and the art work is great.  Kara aka Super Girl looks hot, but without looking slutty.  She is supposed to be the girl next door with superpowers; I hope this reboot of the character doesn’t forget that.