Jon Favreau Say No To Iron Man 3
Yesterday the news came down the wire that Jon Favreau would not be returning to the Iron Man franchise for the third installment. Seriously, yesterday was just the worst. I mean, this AND Scarlett Johansson breaks up with Ryan Reynolds? I mean O.M.G. guys.
Sorry. That was my attempt to make this blog sound like a blog and I hate myself for it.
Anyhow, J Favs decided that it was best to walk away from the franchise he helped launch for the greener pastures of Disney proper, where he’ll be directing The Magic Kingdom. Speculation seems to be that he doesn’t want to be beholden to Marvel’s over-arching movie plotlines and wants to work on something more in tune with his own sensibilities that he gets to build from the ground up. It’s a respectable move and one that will ultimately be good for Favreau but the effect it will have on Marvel’s franchises is not certain.
Marvel seems hell bent on getting well-known talented directors to helm their projects, sensing the blowback from that Ratner fiasco in the X-Franchise. That’s why we’ve got Branaugh on Thor and Whedon on Avengers. Marvel knows that the people behind the lens inspire faith in the product. Who they’ll get to replace Favreau is anybody’s guess, but considering that they managed to snag Darren Aronofsky for Wolverine II, maybe they’ll get Steven Spielberg or something. Who knows?
Pirates of the Caribbean Trailer
Well. Cap’n Jack’s back.
I can say that just from the trailer this installment looks infinitely better than the last outing. I’m not just saying that because I effing love Ian McShane. In fact, the movie has a lot working against it as Penelope Cruz tends to give me migraines. But it seems like this one has a clear focus on what it wants to accomplish and doesn’t seem to have the baggage of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley’s romantic arc to deal with.
I guess we’ll see come summertime.
Film Review – Black Swan
I know that a good chunk of the population who see Black Swan during its theatrical release are doing so because they want to see Meg Griffin and Padme Amidala make out lezzie style. They’ll probably be dissapointed as that scene is fairly short and not overly graphic if you really think about it. The film that they’ll see however is a slow burn piece that feels like what would happen if Dario Argento directed a ballet version of Showgirls.
First and foremost the film is a character piece. The acting on Natalie Portman’s part is sure to win an Oscar. It’s got that same quality that forces you to leave the theater sure that someone is getting an award. The last time I had that feeling it was for Cristolph Waltz. This time around I get the feeling that the same love will get heaped upon Natalie Portman, especially considering that she is probably best remembered for her less than stellar acting in the Star Wars films. But then again, those movies sucked the acting talent out of everybody not named Liam Neeson. Want proof? Ask Ewan MacGregor.
But back to the film at hand.
Black Swan isn’t the best film Darren Aronofsky ever made. I still say The Wrestler is his best work. This film has similar thematic elements but is too surreal to connect on the same level that his last film did. A good portion of the audience will find fault with the film for not explaining why certain elements of the film even exist. We get that there’s a spiraling-into-dementia plotline here, but we’re never really told what the trigger is directly, and this sort of subtlety angers the modern mainstream audience more often than not.
It’s definitely a fine piece of cinema, but I get the feeling more people will watch the clips of Natalie Portman masturbating or the makeout session on Mr. Skin than will see the film in its entirety and that’s a shame.
THOR Theatrical Trailer
The THOR trailer has hit the web and I figured it’d be prudent to get my thoughts out of the way. The last time an anticipated trailer hit it was for Green Lantern and the only thing I could take away from it was how simultaneously it broke from the established canon while remaining faithful in other areas. With the Thor trailer, we get what seems like a more by-the-book adaptation of the character than with some other characters. The backstory is well established, with Thor being cast out of Asgard by Odin for being an arrogant young god. Obviously they’re weaving hints at the upcoming Avengers film by making SHIELD a heavy part of his arrival on earth.
All I can say is that this looks like another big win for Marvel, especially considering that Thor as a character is one that could be considered one of the more difficult to adapt with his bombastic over-the-top nature. Luckily, Marvel seems to know how to bring out the elements of the character that work without outright changing him. DC, from what has been presented, seemed to think Hal Jordan as he exists in the comics was too boring and decided to shake him up into an almost unrecognizeable figure. I’m glad that’s not the case here.
Weekly Comic Reviews
Yesterday I bought a statue. Yeah. I didn’t have a whole lot of comics this week to put my money into so I bought that Bowen designed Kitty Pryde with Lockheed statue. It’s amazing. Okay, well, I didn’t BUY it as much as make a down payment because the thing is expensive as hell. But it’s a twelve inch statue so I should have expected the damned price to be up there in the multiple digits. I’m rambling again. This happens usually whenI know there’s not much in the way of substance to put into the review section. Check out the pull list and guess why.
ARRIVALS 12-08-2010
BATGIRL #16 2.99
HALCYON #2 2.99
LADY MECHANIKA #1 2.99
NEW AVENGERS #7 3.99
SHADOWLAND AFTER FALL #1 3.99
THOR #618 3.99
THOR MIGHTY AVENGER #7 2.99
WIDOWMAKER #1 (OF 4) 3.99
Yeah, a whopping eight books total. You can thank the light week for the reviews being on time at least, I suppose that counts for something.
HALCYON # 2
I’m really glad I picked this up. This book is a perfect example of the world that exists due to a series of books having been published over time. Specifically this is the child that Watchmen, Wildcats, The Authority, and The Ultimates spawned. As an Image title, we expect a certain tone and attitude from the book, and it’s there in place but at the same time it seems to be making a statement on the way modern comics work. The story of malice being erased and thus making the superheroes obsolete runs parallel to the current feeling that perhaps the overwhelming negativity and bleak cynicism of the modern comic reader is making them obsolete as well. The book seems to be working out in a way that champions the idea of things running their course in due time. It’s a thesis that warns that if things don’t change, nature will erase their usefulness.
It’s good to see Image is publishing so many great titles again. Image more than any company has re-invented itself in the last few years. With Invincible, Chew, The Walking Dead, as well as new titles like this one and Morning Glories, they’ve proved that there is an audience for books that don’t fit the mold that Marvel and DC seem to have poured by pushing writers like Bendis and Johns to the forefront. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with either of those writers, it can’t be argued that they don’t write for the masses in a way that makes the overall product seem diluted and repetitive.
Halcyon, along with the rest of the Image books I’m addicted to at the moment, do a great job of breaking from the norm and that is where their true value lies.
LADY MECHANIKA # 1
Aspen Comics have a certain tone in the same way that Image books do. There is a pattern that is followed in the style that tries to echo that of the late Michael Turner. The artists seem to subscribe to his school of thought in the way they design and push the product. Michael Turner was a nice guy who I was lucky enough to meet before his untimely passing and it pains me to speak ill of the departed but I was never a fan of his style when it came to interior artwork. I love his covers, and always will. It’s the same with Alex Ross in that regard. But the Turner style doesn’t do anything for me as far as interior storytelling. There’s shades of his work here in Lady Mechanika but at the same time it’s not a carbon copy. While I find that the style is all too familiar, as is the steampunk setting, the book itself is interesting and does a good job of giving us interesting characters that feel developed enough to care about, which is a problem a lot of books can’t seem to overcome.
I can say that steampunk fans will immediately love this book, as far as anybody else, that remains to be seen. I think fans of Warren Ellis would enjoy the backwards retro-science sensibilities of the story and I think fans of Turner would appreciate the style and tone. The uninitiated could go either way. It’s $2.99, so you could do worse for your dollar. That much is certain.
NEW AVENGERS # 7
This issue is nothing but talking but all of that is okay because Squirrel Girl is in this issue. So is D-Man. Seriously, for that alone you ought to pick this one up. I can’t really go into more detail than that because I’m still fanboy-ing out over the Squirrel Girl thing. Bendis basically implied that she and Wolverine did the horizontal mambo, so he’s my hero at the moment.
Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.Blah Blah Blah, I have nothing to say that doesn’t include Squirrel Girl.
WIDOWMAKER # 1
While I’m sad to see Hawkeye and Black Canary Mockingbird go, at least they’re getting a proper sendoff in what seems to be one of the more intriguing miniseries of the last few months. Someone is killing off spies in the Marvel universe and so Hawkeye, Mockingbird, her team of espionage masters and the Black Widow must team up to stop it all before it’s too late. The premise is simple but the manner that the action is handled makes it a step above what it might have been under lesser writers. The fact that they’re dealing with the Ronin identity that Hawkeye took up for a while makes me happy, as I was wondering what the hell they were going to be doing with that following Barton’s return to his original mantle.
New readers should be able to follow the action easily, it’s not so entrenched in any particular character’s lore to the point where you can’t pick up the plot threads. Everything seems to be handled organically within the story in a way that makes it seem like the first issue of a new ongoing series. They know they have to inform new readers but they don’t spend time bombarding you with unnecessary exposition. That sort of thing kills momentum and its better to just go with the flow in instances such as these.
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And that’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed my words.
Weekly Comic Reviews
Holy crap, it’s been nearly forever since I posted a review. That’s just sad. I’m sorry. I know you’ve probably been going through withdrawals of some sort. I explained myself somewhat in that post earlier but I don’t think I can really explain how busy I’ve been lately using words. You would just have to touch my mind.
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #13 4.99
BOYS #49 (MR) 3.99
BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER #39 LAST GLEAMING PT 4 (OF 5) 2.99
DAREDEVIL #512 SL 2.99
GENERATION HOPE #2 2.99
JONAH HEX #62 2.99
MARINEMAN #1 3.99
SECRET SIX #28 2.99
SHADOWLAND #5 (OF 5) SL 3.99
SHE-HULKS #2 (OF 4) 2.99
SUPERGOD #5 (OF 5) (MR) 3.99
WOLVERINE BEST THERE IS #1 3.99
And here’s the usual witticisms;
MARINEMAN # 1
You know, I can’t ever remember seeing an Image title and thinking it’d be kid appropriate. Even Invincible, which is one of the best modern superhero books on the stands, is too violent to ever be considered all-ages appropriate. And most Image books are along the lines of Haunt with enough viscera to please established gorehounds. Honestly, Image has been diversifying its books quite well recently with stuff like Skullkickers and Morning Glories so it’s not surprising that they’d have another mold-breaker with Marineman.
It’s actually quite good too. I should probably point that out in a revew. It’s kind of a slow start, but the art is wonderful and the writing simply pops. I feel like this one could stick around on my pull list for quite a while.
SHADOWLAND # 5
The finale of this book is like hitting a brick wall at seventy miles per hour. It’s about as abrupt as you can get. It gets fleshed out in the satellite books, especially the final issue of Daredevil before Black Panther takes over, but the issue itself is short, choppy, and somewhat disappointing. I think the event just dragged on for too long, as most events will do. I can’t really say much beyond that because there’s not a whole lot on the pages to analyze. It feels more like setup for the post Shadowland world than it does a conclusion of the Shadowland arc. It’s sad because the series started off with such great promise.
WOLVERINE – BEST THERE IS # 1
They were stupid not to call this Wolverine MAX. It feels like that’s what they were going for, and I feel like they could have moved twice as many books if they’d labeled it as such. It’s definitely violent and it’s not a cookie-cutter Wolverine story by any stretch of the imagination. Ryp’s style is evocotive of his work for Avatar which only helps make the book feel like a Max title. The first issue was frantic and kinetic as all hell, disorienting at times even. If you’ve been waiting for Wolverine MAX, this is about as close as you’re going to get so go ahead and give it a shot.
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Sorry this is so short. Again, been busy. Reviews next week should be better as I’ll be finished with finals for the most part and should have some time to breathe.
Happy Birthday Ozzy Osbourne!
Happy Birthday Ozzy!
I know we’re a comics website, but I personally am a big rock n’ roll nerd and one of my favorite performers of all time is and always will be Ozzy Osbourne. The guy has crafted a persona that resonates with metal fans in a way that most artists could only dream of. While I still prefer the Dio (R.I.P.) lineup of Sabbath over Ozzy’s, Osbourne’s solo career has in and of itself been spectacular.
Not to mention the fact that the guy is entertaining as all hell even when he’s not on stage. I fully admit that I watched The Osbournes when it first came on a few years back. That stuff was pure gold. I’m sure a good deal of it was staged, but there were some genuine Ozzy moments that nobody could have scripted. It was just pure Ozzy.
Anyhow, its Mr. Osbourne’s birthday today and we thought we’d throw up this tribute to remind people that I’m not all about comic books and gratuitous bondage references.
And here’s the video for the song “Scream” off his latest album. (How effing scary is spider-ozzy?)
Welcome To December
Hey guys, I know I’ve been away for a while what with the Holidays and all, and I know you probably were wondering if I’d even be bothering to come back at all but the truth is that while I’ve been away I’ve been planning big things for the upcoming one-year anniversary of the site’s launch. Right now, as you’ve likely noticed, we’re being hosted on WordPress.Com and while it is a decent enough host, we’re going to hopefully be getting our own server with a more customizeable interface sometime in the near future. I’ve been looking into the best options and feel like I may be able to make a switch soon. What is not apparent at the moment will be whether I can import what’s currently hosted onto the site into the new server. Signs point towards “no” at the moment, so it will almost be like starting over from scratch, which will seem a bit jarring considering how much work I’ve actually put into the site this year.
Next year will definitely bring changes, as we’re hoping to get a bi-weekly web-comic segment added to the site, as well as adding at least one new staff writer to the mix. Hopefully this goes off smoother than I’m anticipating. Anyhow, the regular update schedule will resume tomorrow. I’ll have the reviews up then. The shipping schedule being off this week doesn’t help our kickstart but that’s just the way things are.
Here’s to another year of my rambling nonsense!
Comics Con Queso 
