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Action Comics Vol. 2 #1 Review!

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:05:40 +0000

I’ve been a Superman fan for literally as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid I always had a cape on and knew the John Williams Superman score by heart. I grew up as a Superman purist. So when I first heard about the DC New 52 line, I was skeptical. Starting over, practically from scratch with the Big Blue Boyscout was going to be a stretch for me. My mind was eased, however, when it was announced that Grant Morrison would be the writer on Action Comics. Grant Morrison is one of the best writers we have in comics today, and he understands Superman like no other writer I’ve ever seen. He wrote All Star Superman, which is in my opinion the best Superman story ever. So how does he revamp the Man of Steel? He doesn’t. And that’s why it works.

Action Comics opens with the Metropolis Police Department storming an upscale penthouse. They make it to a balcony where Superman, clothed in work boots, scuffed jeans, an “S” tee shirt and his iconic cape holding a wealthy construction mogul over his head. This is something we’ve never really seen before: Superman squaring off against the law. This sets the tone for the whole book. Superman has been at it for only six months. He can’t fly. He’s still bullet proof, but anything stronger can knock him down and make him bleed. And he doesn’t know anything about Krypton. He states his motivation quickly. He believes “the law works the same for rich and poor alike.” Superman is a social crusader here. His abilities are small scale to start with, so it only makes sense that the kind of villains he faces are small scale as well.

This book is not your father’s Superman, although it may somewhat be your grandfather’s Superman. Grant Morrison’s spun gold once again and shows that he may very well be the best Superman writer out there. While we’re not given a whole lot in the way of character driven dialogue for our first issue, this is a fantastic and bold set up. The relationships between Superman and his supporting cast is dealt with quickly and efficiently. Characters are introduced quickly so time is not wasted. It feels like the opening scene of an action movie, which is fitting considering that it’s Action Comics. The book is action packed throughout and does not disappoint in that regard. After the let down that the Grounded storyline delivered, it feels good to see Superman kicking butt and taking names again.

The artwork by Rags Moralis is wonderful. He gets just the right amount of grit and realism in the mix while still maintaining the wide-eyed wonder that we associate with Superman books. He renders Superman as a powerful figure without being overly muscular. Each character looks unique, which is a plus among today’s comic art field since a lot of comic artists these days do not seem to have learned how to make each character look like their own person.

Action Comics No. 1 is a great introduction to the world of the New 52. This is the comic that should’ve been used to start out the relaunch, since Justice League No. 1 really felt like a missed opportunity. This issue ends on a great cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more, but not in an unsatisfactory way. This is a must buy for Superman fans, DC fans, or comics fans in general.

Batman Beyond is Back!?!

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:20:10 +0000

Okay, when I was a kid I loved the show Batman Beyond. The show was awesome because it took a hokey idea (in this case, Batman in the future) and made it awesome. What made it cool was that there wasn’t a reliance on old school villains and allowed for the futuristic Batman Terry McGuinness to come into his own as a character. It also helps that the show had boss animation (including an awesome opening). The show led to the movie Return of the Joker which was one of the coolest animated films I had seen in a long time (if you gotta see it, see the director’s cut. Sooooo worth it kiddies.)

Well now DC is set to bring the character back for a new miniseries called, appropriately enough, Batman Beyond. The miniseries puts a darker edge on the concept of the series while keeping the spirit and ideas of the original in tact. The story really emphasizes the differences between Bruce Wayne and Terry, showing how they both own the Batman mantle in their own unique way. If you are a Batman Beyond fan like me (and there are many), definitely check it out.

Bryan Singer to return to X-Men!?!

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:52:58 +0000

Okay, I am a huge X-Men fan, especially the movies. While the third film isn’t as good as the first two, I still managed to get some enjoyment out of it. I was really happy to find out this morning that Bryan Singer, the director of the first two films, is wanting to direct a fourth installment, that the producers have already said they want to happen. I know this is a really brief post, but this could prove to be awesome, since Singer clearly knows X-Men better than Superman.

If you want to pick up the original trilogy, or even X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which I didn’t enjoy as much, but it’s still entertaining), then you can do so here!

X-Men Trilogy (X-Men/ X2 – X-Men United/ X-Men – The Last Stand)

X-Men Trilogy (X-Men / X2: X-Men United / X-Men: The Last Stand) [Blu-ray]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

What’s going on with the new Superman movie?!?

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:17:12 +0000

Okay, so remember way back when I did that post about DC potentially losing the rights to Superman? But how if they had a new film rolling by 2011, everything would be A-Ok? Well guess what! According to new DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson, a new film for the man of steal is NOT being planned. On ANY level whatsoever. I’m sorry, but I’m fairly certain that if the flagship character of my company (granted, Supes shares that status with Batman) was in jeopardy of no longer being mine, I’d be doing something about it, right? But nope. So far absolutely nothing is going on. Apparently they’re in Green Lantern mode. It’s like the company is taking stupid pills. Look, the goal of the DC Entertainment creation was to spearhead their most popular, as well as their lesser known, properties into media outside of comics, and to not have a new Superman film be immediately in production, especially when a Judge sais the equivalent of “Make it or lose the big blue boyscout,” it makes me wonder if the company is in good hands with Nelson as the President.

And then there were rumors that comic writer Mark Millar had made a pitch to the suits at DC Entertainment. Not true. In a recent statement Millar said that he never does pitches, because it’s basically giving them free material, which is why he sticks to comics. He said the only person who has heard his proposal for a Superman movie is director Matthew Vaughn, whom he said is the only one he’d want to work with on a Superman movie. I say turn the production over almost entirely to the talented writers and artists in the comics division of DC Entertainment. This way you get a Superman story done the RIGHT way. Granted, they’re doing something similar with the Flash film in development, with comic writer Geoff Johns attached as the writer, but I think it’s time that that method is used for EVERY comic movie based on a major franchise. Look, preproduction can take anywhere from 6 months to a full year, and that’s if it’s a rushjob. Superman does NOT deserve a rush job, but at the same time, you’ve got probably a hundred talented writers who already have Superman scripts ready to at least be rewritten. Point is, Superman is the flagship character (once again, next to Batman), so treat him like it before you lose him.

JJ Abrams on Star Trek Sequel

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:47:53 +0000

Ok, so I feel like I should go on the record and say I was NEVER a Star Trek fan. I hated it with a passion, in fact. I thought it was stupid and didn’t understand why so many people liked it. Then I saw JJ Abrams’ Star Trek movie. And suddenly I got it. I realized what it was supposed to be. I realized the majority of my hatred was aimed at anything that was done AFTER the original 60s series. When I watched this movie, I realized what that the movie did what Star Trek always did. It brought sci-fi down to our level and commented on social issues and things like that. That’s where all of the other series failed (aside from the terrible special effects). So now there is word about JJ Abrams having a sequel in the works, but he’s already saying he won’t rush it. Here’s what he had to say in an interview with Scifi Wire.

“The ambition for a sequel to ‘Star Trek’ is to make a movie that’s worthy of the audience and not just another movie, you know, just a second movie that feels tacked on. The first movie was so concerned with just setting up the characters — their meeting each and galvanizing that family — that in many ways a sequel will have a very different mission. it needs to do what [the late 'Trek' creator Gene] Roddenberry did so well, which is allegory. It needs to tell a story that has connection to what is familiar and what is relevant. It also needs to tell it in a spectacular way that hides the machinery and in a primarily entertaining and hopefully moving story. There needs to be relevance, yes, and that doesn’t mean it should be pretentious. If there are simple truths — truths connected to what we live — that elevates any story — that’s true with any story.”

Couldn’t agree with him more. Here’s hoping that the new film doesn’t take forever to come out and that it rocks even harder than the first film did.

Spider-Man 4: Will It Redeem 3?

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:31:25 +0000

Ok, so when Spider-Man 3 came out, it obviously didn’t meet the hype. There were too many story elements, it was too goofy, and just wasn’t as good as it should have been. I will say, however, that James Franco easily had the best acting of anybody in that film, no matter how goofy the situation he was in.

Anyway, back on track, Spider-Man 4 is on the horizon with a date of May 5, 2011. Look, I’m not trying to say Spider-Man 3 was the best movie ever, but there was simply too much in it that was good to dwell on what was bad. If you do your research, you see that Sam Raimi was forced to put in Venom and other story elements that he cared nothing about. The end result was rushed, despite his wishes. It is a prime example of why you don’t mess with a director’s vision. So here’s the thing, this is why I think Spidey 4 will be much better.

Sam’s back in full control of the sequel. That’s an immediate plus. Since he did Drag Me To Hell, he’s had more of a chance to unwind. Seriously, folks, he had been doing Spider-Man movies for almost a decade, it was obvious he was fatigued by the time the third one rolled around. Drag Me To Hell gave him a vacation to get back to his roots and get back into Spidey mode.

Another reason it’s going to be better is for two words: Bruce. Campbell. While the man with the mighty chin has only had cameos in the previous films, it has just been announced that he will be playing a major character in the third one, a fact that makes me very happy.

And finally, I think Spider-Man 4 will be better because they’re taking their time with it. Raimi knows that he took a lot of heat for 3, and has publicly stated he plans on fixing his mistake. So come on. Cut the guy a break and give the movie a chance.

If you want to pick up the first three movies, you can do so here!

Spider-Man – The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray]

Spider-Man – The Motion Picture DVD Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3)

Dark Knight Sequel Rumors

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:52:02 +0000

Ok, so ever since the Dark Knight took movie screens by storm last year, everyone wants to know what’s going on with the new movie. While there has been extremely little confirmed about the film here are some of the hottest rumors. Some are likely, and some I can go ahead and debunk right here right now.

So first of all, Megan Fox is NOT Catwoman. This was “leaked” by the same people that said Eddie Murphy would be the Riddler. It’s simply not true. Fox even said so. There, the easy part’s out of the way.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky. At San Diego Comic Con, Gary Oldman, who plays Commissioner Gordon to those not in the know, stated that filming for the sequel would begin in summer 2010. It’s not known if this is true or if he’s just messing with us, but let’s hope it’s true.

The next rumor that has yet to be confirmed is that not only will Christopher Nolan return as the director on the third film, but that he wants to shoot the whole thing in the IMAX format, like he did with the opening scene, and we all know how amazing that looked. Let’s hope that this, too, is true.

We’ll have to wait to see if these rumors are true or not, but in the meantime, if you need to further satisfy your Dark Knight fix, you can pick up the DVD and Bluray here!

The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]

The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)

What the Marvel/Disney Deal REALLY Means

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:33:15 +0000

So, it made some major waves last week that Marvel Comics was being bought by the Walt Disney Company. A lot of comic fans started immediately being afraid, and even I was initially terrified. When I heard the story, this was my initial reaction:

But when I stopped and thought it through, I realized something: it’s actually not as bad as we think. In fact, it’s probably a GOOD thing. Before fanboys and girls start worrying as to whether Goofy will start appearing next to Wolverine (that would be an awesome team-up, though), here’s why it’s a good thing. First of all, a rep from Disney has already said that they have no plans whatsoever to mess with Marvel’s day to day operations as a comic book publisher. That’s an immediate sigh of relief. The next reason it’s good is because this is strictly a movie deal. No, seriously, it is. Marvel is essentially running out of money for its films. Iron Man 2, while a guaranteed success, is breaking the bank, and Disney is stepping in to deepen pockets of the company. That’s it and that’s all. It’s just like when they bought Pixar. Pixar’s operations have hardly changed, if at all, since Disney bought them. If anything, this means that Marvel will have more money to play around with for their movies. So odds are, this is a positive thing. But we’re just going to have to wait it out and see what happens.

Scott Pilgrim

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:52:20 +0000

Scott Pilgrim is seriously one of the best comics out there right now. If you love Megatokyo, then you’ll love this. That’s really all there is to say. It’s awesome, and awesome things should be read. If you want to pick it up, then here ya go! Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 2: Scott Pilgrim Versus The World (v. 2)

The coming of Kick-@$$

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:59:27 +0000

Ok, for those not in the know on comics, Mark Millar is basically the shiznit. He’s the guy that wrote Wanted (I’ll never understand how anyone could justify calling the film they did an adaptation), Superman: Red Son, and a few billion other stories that are just plain good. His most recent work Kick-@$$ (the censoring is an attempt to keep it PG, lol) is no exception. For censoring reasons, let’s just call it K-A.

K-A tells the story of Dave Lizewski, a typical comic fan/pop culture junkie. He’s an obsessive fanboy who questions “Why hasn’t anyone ever dressed up like a superhero and fought crime in real life?” So he puts on a costume, grabs a couple of fighting staffs for weapons and heads out to fight crime….only to have a massive beatdown uncorked on him and then get hit by a car. You’d think that would put an end to his dreams os superheroism, but nope. He keeps at it, and finally builds a reputation as the superhero K-A (still censoring, lol) after he’s caught on video keeping some people from beating a guy up in a parking lot long enough for the cops to arrive.

It’s not long before he’s an internet sensation and sets up a myspace to help people. Upon investigating a myspace message from someone needing help, he finds it’s a trap, and is nearly killed before a little girl dressed as a superhero leaps into the room….and proceeds to decapitate and dismember everyone. Calling herself Hit Girl, she is teamed up with a large superhero named Big Daddy. And not long after this encounter, K-A teams up with another wannabe hero who calls himself the Red Mist.

I will say that this is hands down one of the more brutal comics I’ve read in a long time. John Romita Jr.’s artwork is gorgeous, as always. The book reads like R-rated Stan Lee. There is only one major problem I have with the book. Dave just isn’t a very strong character. I mean, yeah, he’s an everyman sort of a character, which is fine. It’s just that Big Daddy and Hit Girl are the more interesting characters. When two supporting characters feel like they deserve their own book more than the main character deserves his, there’s a problem. Another problem is that Dave isn’t entirely likeable. I know what you’re thinking, “who is?” but how can we sympathize with a character whose sole reason for trying to be a hero is simply boredom? I understand that the comic comes with the learning curve for him, but he just doesn’t seem to be growing as a character. Maybe if Millar does a sequel story, that part can be fixed.

I’m not saying I don’t like the book or characters, mind you. I think this is one of the most inventive and fun comics to come out in a very long time, and I definitely reccomend it to any comic fans of any kind (except maybe the squeamish).

I feel I should also go on to mention that the comic is being turned into a movie (what comic isn’t these days?) directed by Matthew Vaughn, who directed Layer Cake and Stardust. Mark Millar has been very heavily involved with the film’s production (unlike with Wanted) and it is being very closely adapted from what I’ve read. The movie’s already been given an R rating for the script alone, which is to be expected. It’s expected sometime later in 2010, and I’m looking forward to it. It looks like a mix of the first Spider-Man movie and Superbad, which should equal some genuine hilarity. After seeing some footage with Nic Cage in it, I think this will be his comeback.