Both issues of Gail Simone’s Batgirl and J.H. Williams III’s Batwoman hit the stands this week, and it was definitely a good time to be a Bat-Lady.
Starting off my pull list for the week was Simone’s Batgirl. I’ve had my reservations about this series before, but this month’s issue read like what a modern take on a Silver Age story should actually look like. There was a heart-warming (also a bit heart-wrenching) scene with Commissioner “Redhead McCoy” Gordon, a runaway train, and a game of tag between a couple of former kid-wonders. Usually, I’m not one to lose myself in nostalgia stories, but Simone manages to pull hers off with tact and even a bit of grace. Also a little spit and blood, but that’s what good stories are made of. The relationship between Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson gets a little more firmly established in the DCnU as the two play a game of chase between Dick’s good intentions and Barbara’s stubbornness. Shippers beware, you will love this issue. Personally, my favorite part of Simone’s Batgirl wasn’t the witty repartee between the Acrobat and the Ballerina, but instead Simone’s ability to pinpoint something that other writers in the superhero universe tend to overlook. The innocence that can’t be saved. Occasionally, a writer will bring this trope out of the closet and give it a Robin domino mask to give a well-meaning hero something to angst about, but Simone weaves the theme carefully throughout all of her stories, and it’s something her heroes (or not exactly heroes) contend with throughout the stories she writes. The way Barbara deals with Mirror’s victims is very real, and it gives the reader that anchor in a world where guys fly around in spandex and Batjets. Again, not being the greatest fan of nostalgia-comics, I found myself wanting a little more, but overall the story itself was solid and fun and fans of Barbara Gordon Batgirl will really love this issue.
Next on the list was Batwoman, part three of the series that’s been teased to readers since last year. In all fairness though, the wait was totally worth it. To say J.H. Williams III’s Batwoman is a visual feast for fine art and comic book lovers alike would be an egregious understatement. Everything about the art in this book is gorgeous, and never at the cost of narrative comprehension. Williams’ has mastered the two-page splash page combining art and concise dialogue in a way that other writer’s should definitely take note of. This particular issue doesn’t necessarily further the plot of the book itself, but readers still get some bone-crunching action for their precious 2.99. What makes this particular issue is the heart of the characters, we get to see a side of Kate Kane that we’ve never really seen before, and my little shipper heart is floating the Maggie Sawyer and Kate Kane boat all the way home after this most recent issue. There are also great moments between Kate and Bette, as well as a really fantastic moment featuring Kate’s father that proves Williams can be just as good with his words as he is with his art. This series in new and fresh in everything it takes on, from relationships to artwork to narrative choices, and it’s the perfect book to hook someone into comics that thought they were just funny-books for old white guys. Let’s just be honest. If you’re not reading Batwoman, you seriously need to reevaluate your life.
J.H Williams III and W. Haden Blackman’s Batwoman series continues to epitomize what should happen when you let a story breathe and allow a master artist and story-teller do most of the heavy lifting . Williams uses a unique way to show what the Weeping Woman does to her victims. Again the first four pages of this book will leave you in awe . As Kate is pulled under water she struggles and the bubbles she creates become panels that show Kate losing her grip on reality. Kate still hasn’t completely forgiven herself for the death of her sister and the Weeping Woman preys off of her fear. However at the last-minute she snaps out of her trance and comes back for air , only to have Agent McDonagh waiting for her.
Batwoman makes a very quick retreat after her standoff and comes home to her cousin and sidekick Flamebird. Kate’s character is further developed as she continues to lash out at those closest to her. Her attempt to stop her cousin from fighting crime herself, turns into a very abrupt argument that leads to her cousin leaving her apartment. Kate believes by pushing the people in her life away she’s making them safer , but its nice to see Williams and Blackman take time out to have her reflect on her actions showing us she’s her harshest critic. We also get to see deeper into her personal life as her Girlfriend shows up when Kate’s at her weakest and she finally lets her defenses down. The focus is then shifted back to McDonagh who decides to question Kate’s father hoping for him to agree with a truth she already knows , that Kate and Batwoman are the same person. When McDonagh doesn’t get the answers she wants she decides to go after Kate’s cousin.
William's art continues to be nothing short of amazing
The issue ends with Flamebird going on patrol alone with McDonagh and The Weeping Woman on her tail. Kate’s finally opening up to someone , but at what cost? After three issues this book continues to deliver a well-rounded story anchored by amazing art and a fresh take on female Superhero as we know it.
Avenging Spider-Man #1
Writer: Zeb Wells
Art: Joe Madureira
Color Art: Ferran Daniel
Avenging Spider-Man is a book done in the tradition of Marvel’s classic Team-Up books, with the idea being that each story arc teams Spidey with one of his Avengers teammates (hence the title) or another Marvel character of equal or lesser renown.
It might seem like a strange idea to give Spider-Man another book considering he already has Amazing Spider-Man, is a member of TWO Avengers teams (Avengers and New Avengers), and — at least for now — remains a member of the Future Foundation (i.e. Fantastic Four, or FF). Ultimately, though, if you’re going to do a team-up book, it probably makes sense to have it anchored by your company’s flagship character. As the relatively short-lived Deadpool Team-Up showed, maybe a wise-cracking-but-schizophrenic, un-killable assassin isn’t the way to go for a book that has a potentially broader appeal.
The first storyline in Avenging finds Spider-Man teaming up with the Red Hulk following a humorous debate between the Avengers regarding who was going to give ol’ webs a lift back to New York City. Has anyone else noticed that the other Avengers don’t seem to particularly care that Spidey’s on the team?
Anyways, for those who don’t know, the green Hulk isn’t the only Hulk in existence. His old enemy General “Thunderbolt” Ross became the Red Hulk at some point a while back. After spending some time continuing to be a villain, he eventually decided he wanted to redeem himself and has been a part of Avengers since around this time last year. He’s still a deadly serious guy, though, which makes him the perfect foil for Spidey’s wisecracks in this issue.
Upon arriving back in New York (Hulk jumps them there), the two heroes find themselves in the midst of an attack by the Mole Man’s moloids — and Hulk finds himself on the receiving end of a Kool-Aid joke that he doesn’t get. The moloids kidnap J. Jonah Jameson after summoning a giant creature to keep Spidey and Hulk busy, and we find out that all is not well in Subterranea (the underground kingdom of the Mole Man).
This is a great first issue overall. I’ve felt Zeb Wells has a good handle on Spider-Man going back to the rotating “Spidey Brain Trust” writing team that existed a few years ago during Amazing Spider-Man‘s thrice-monthly scheduling. There’s some great banter in here between Spidey and Hulk, and Joe Medureira and Ferran Daniel provide absolutely beautiful art that definitely fits the writing’s playful, cartoonish tone.
There are, however, a few things that stick out to me continuity wise that pull me out of the story. I’m not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but Thor died during Fear Itself, so this has to take place before then. The Mole Man was also still King of Subterranea in the last FF storyline, which didn’t hint that he had been overthrown at any point in time. So when exactly does this story take place?
I know the argument against that is, “It’s a comic book! Don’t take it so seriously!” The same people that argue that point, though, are the ones who in the next breath will speak deadly serious about their favorite book. Ultimately, I understand that this story was probably written prior to either of the other two I mentioned, but it would be nice if there were some sort of note indicating where in continuity this happens.
Story: 7/10 (Down from 8 because continuity issues pulled me out of the story)
Art: 9/10
Wolverine #18
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Ron Garney
Color Art: Jason Keith
Wolverine’s impromptu team-up with Gorilla Man last issue ended with the two, along with Wolverine’s kung fu master and some kid who made me think of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, in a series of caves deep below San Francisco’s Chinatown where the Jade Claw is using dragons to mule drugs.
That’s a lot to wrap your head around.
This issue opens with a battle royale involving the villains Razorfist, Soul Striker, Darkstrider and Rock of the Buddha. Wait…Who? I’m not exactly sure who any of these guys are, save for maybe Razorfist, who I seem to remember being killed by Logan in last year’s X-Force: Sex & Violence limited series. Regardless, it’s mentioned that he was killed by Wolverine before…just not killed well enough.
Anyhow, the dragons eventually become involved, and Wolverine and Gorilla Man end up tied between two of them as Soul Striker (these villain names are killing me) recites a villainous monologue before knocking the old kung fu master into a pit and taking the kid away to serve in Jade Claw’s underground poppy fields.
This leads to another villainous monologue later in the issue where Jade Claw explains to the kid that she plans on ruling the world from below ground by controlling the drug trade above ground. Jason Aaron does a lot to establish Jade Claw’s villainy, but so much of it is ridiculous and over-the-top that it’s hard to swallow. (Her least expensive bra costs enough to feed an entire family and she has her feet washed in the still-warm blood of women who fancied themselves more beautiful? This is b-movie grade cheese.)
As a matter of fact, that combined with the banter between Logan and Gorilla Man (and later Fat Cobra, a sumo-ish guy from the Immortal Weapons who randomly shows up this issue) makes this story arc the comic book equivalent of a comedic kung-fu buddy cop b-movie.
I’m not used to having this much humor in Wolverine, but Aaron pulls it off nicely. I’d be interested in seeing him write Spider-Man at some point, perhaps in a limited series. The art by Ron Garney and Jason Keith matches the tone of the story, as well. It’s somewhat gritty, but bright and stylized. Overall, this arc has been a fun ride so far and a nice change of pace from the typical Wolverine fare.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
[amazon_link id=”B00632XWFY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]BUY Wolverine #18 on Amazon[/amazon_link]
Uncanny X-Force #17
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Jerome Opeña
Color Art: Dean White with Jose Villarubia and Chris Sotomayor
After taking a backseat to the action for the majority of the last issue, Wolverine finds himself front and center in Uncanny X-Force #17. Not that he can help it, though. Last issue, Deadpool was frozen and shattered by the Iceman from the Age of Apocalypse universe; Psylocke was still a prisoner of the new Apocalypse, Archangel, and eventually became his new Horse(wo)man of Death; and Fantomex had seemingly retreated and left the others on their own — and after being caught in the ass-end (literally) of the Age of Apocalypse Blob, who could blame him?
It turns out, however, Fantomex had a plan of his own.
As Wolverine is being frozen from the inside out while vainly hacking away at the alternate universe Bobby Drake, who is capable of becoming an ice giant while controlling smaller Iceman “avatars,” Fantomex returns with some other familiar faces from the Age of Apocalypse — that universe’s Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Sabertooth and Sunfire. Turns out, Fantomex only left so he could find Gateway and bring in help.
The rest of the issue pretty much sets the stage for the climactic battle in Uncanny X-Force #18‘s conclusion of “The Dark Angel Saga,” due out in just under a month. All you really need to know about the remainder of this issue (without revealing any major spoilers) is that there’s a fantastically done psychic battle in Psylocke’s mind and Wolverine is charred to a crisp for the second time in as many issues.
Rick Remender does a good job of keeping the story flowing despite the massive amount of action and number of characters he’s dealing with. Despite this, the story does get a little bit confusing as the number of characters involved in any given part increases. Once the conclusion hits stands next month, it will be interesting to go back and read the story all at once in its entirety to see if this confusion persists.
Jerome Opeña’s art remains stellar. It is crisp and basic, reminiscent of books from the ’80s and ’90s. The coloring job done by Dean White with Jose Villarubia and Chris Sotomayor really makes the pages pop, as well.
It’s been somewhat clear how this story is likely to end for a while now (especially since the post-Schism X-Teams were announced), but that hasn’t made watching the events unfold on the way there any less fun. It’s also still possible that the eighth and final chapter of this saga could throw us a curveball. While I’m not sure that some parts of “The Dark Angel Saga” could have been condensed into fewer issues, none of the parts have really felt like filler. That’s something Remender should be proud of.
Its Week one of the new month and that means its time again for me to review two of DC’s best titles of the relaunch , Animal Man and Swamp Thing. If you read my last article on these two books you already know that they are both establishing a link between one another that involves bringing back Alan Moore’s concept of Totems into the DC Universe proper. This is going to be huge for DC , even better writers Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder have built up a fun rivalry trying to top one another with their respective books. Which I have the awesome opportunity to review . Lets get started shall we…
Swamp Thing #3
Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Yanick Paquette and Victor Ibanez
Review Score: 8 / 10
Scott Snyder eases us into this issue by showing us a boy by the name of William who is having trouble adjusting to his unique condition , he has a terminal allergy to Chlorophyll . It causes him to live out his young life in a bubble . His doctor tries to urge him to make friends and tells him how he caught all the fish on his wall. William is more concerned with the fact that those same dead fish are talking to him. Scott Snyder again is able to tell a strong story using both his amazing skill of dialogue and his ability to contrast that with something very dreadful in the background.
We are then taken back to the scene of our Cliffhanger from last issue. The lady in white has her gun pointed at Alec Holland and demands to see him use his powers to control the green. After his short display she then fills him in on why she saved hi to begin with . She has a history with the Other . She lets Alec know that Swamp Thing helped her get rid of the Others influence in her life and she needs him to become the big Green Guy to save little William.
Unfortunately for William and the three kids who came to terrorize him the Other gets to him first. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing next, Scott Snyder definitely isn’t pulling punches and what happens to those three teenage kids and Doctor in the next few pages is nothing short of macabre.The whole book has a strong horror movie quality to it . Yanick Paquette and Victor Ibanez alternate pages in this issue but it never feels jarring. They complement each other well enough to keep things cohesive. They each have a few pages to flex their muscles with just enough gore and violence in this issue to continue to make me squeamish page after page. Swamp Thing is a Mature book and one that takes chances with its art and story direction. This was another issue of setup and more of a slow burn to what should ultimately lead to an amazing next issue full of perfectly rendered moments of terror excellent storytelling by Scott Snyder.
Animal Man #3
Written By: Jeff Lemire
Art By: Travel Foreman
Review Score: 9/10
Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man continues to shock and amaze me with how much he gets out of his characters and plot each issue. Buddy Baker and his daughter Maxine continue further into The Red and we finally get to meet the totems of the Red this issue. Right off the bat the amount of creativity and imagination on the page is astounding . The totems of the Red and visual look of the world created would make Benicio Del Toro jealous, in fact I bet hes reading this comic in hopes of one day giving us an Animal man movie. Yes this book is that good only after a few pages . The Animal Men shed some light on the origin of Buddy’s powers and explain to him why Maxine is the most important piece to the puzzle this issue.
We also get to see Buddy’s wife and son back at home waiting for their family to return to them. Again, the quality of Jeff’s writing between siblings is pitch perfect . I truly care about this family and their well-being . Which is why the middle of this issue works so well. The Hunters Three from last issue are tracking the Baker Family to their home residence at the request of The Other . Two of the three head into The Red to go after Maxine and Buddy and the last Hunter decides to go after his wife and Son. Buddy manages to tap into the true potential of his power as Animal man with mixed results and his wife and Son make a run from the Hunter only to unknowingly allow him back into their lives at the end of the issue . The art once again is great and well thought out . Travel Foreman renders some truly amazing visuals in the first half of the book and manages to capture each characters facial expressions with ease. There is a fairy tale like quality to his work that suits this book perfectly. He continues to push the boundaries with his character designs . My only issue is that his backgrounds seem a little rushed this issue .
Animal Man continues to be a stand out title for DC’s New 52 . One that shows nothing but promise and creativity in its future. Everyone owes it to themselves to check out this book , it’s really that easy for me to recommend to you.
Amazing Spider-Man #673
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Stefano Caselli & Frank Martin
What happens when an entire city of New-Yorkers-turned-spider-monsters are suddenly cured? A whole city of New Yorkers wake up naked on the street.
Few writers could pull off such a scene tastefully (think Austin Powers), but Dan Slott manages to do so by exploring the humor of such an event. The Hercules panel alone is worth the price of admission.
Thankfully, though, Slott’s storytelling ability extends beyond nudie jokes and the amazing spider-scribe weaves several status-quo-altering events into the “Spider Island” epilogue. Kaine, for one, looks as though he will indeed be the new Scarlet Spider in Marvel’s upcoming title of the same name (due out in January). Where he’ll be based is still up in the air, but more on that should be revealed in next week’s Point One #1 collection.
Perhaps an even bigger development is Carlie Cooper discovering that Peter Parker is Spider-Man and promptly ditching him. How was she able to figure this out in spite of the “psychic block” spell that Dr. Strange placed on the world to keep that identity hidden following Pete’s unmasking during 2006’s Civil War? Well, as Strange explains to Pete, he inadvertently revealed his spider powers to everyone during “Spider-Island” — they just haven’t made the connection because everyone had spider powers at the time.
Anyways, the takeaway here is that going forward, people still don’t remember he unmasked during the Superhero Civil War, but they can now learn his identity, so he has to be more careful again. And, of course, Pete being single again sets up the possibility for the Peter/Mary Jane relationship to be reinstated (don’t say you never saw that coming).
Overall, this is an excellent epilogue to an exceptional event storyline — one Marvel should learn from (along with the X-Men: Schism event) with its universe-wide events going forward. Slott maintains a steady pace despite having minimal action, shifts the status quo while keeping fans on their toes, and plants seeds for future Jackal storylines (Surprise! He didn’t actually die, one of his clones did.).
Caselli’s art pops off of the page, and is made even more brilliant by the coloring work of Frank Martin. It’s a bit different from the more cartoonish work of Humberto Ramos, and more along the lines of what I prefer, but both artists are amazing in their own right and I’m continually stoked that they’re both on my (full disclosure here) favorite book.
Part 1 – Is today Halloween? I’m pretty sure it’s Halloween.
In honor of today’s holiday, and because I take joy in complete lack of editorial oversight, I’m going to write about my favorite horror movies, as well as bunch of other shit that has little or nothing to do with comic books. Dig, these are MY favorite horror movies. I make no claim to knowing a lot about horror films in general. Ergo, it would be foolish and irresponsible for me to claim that these are history’s BEST horror films, so I won’t do that. I try my best to only be irresponsible OR foolish, not both at once.
I have film biases: I prefer films from the ‘MPAA Ratings Era,’ that being the late 1960s onward; While a movie doesn’t HAVE to have the word “fuck” in it to be good, I like it better if they CAN have it when they want. So, none of the great Val Lewton-Jacques Tournier films make the list, although I liked [amazon_link id=”B000A0GOF0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Cat People[/amazon_link] and am quite partial to [amazon_link id=”B0000694WH” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Night of the Demon[/amazon_link]. In fact, I absolutely LOVE the footage at the end of [amazon_link id=”B0000694WH” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NotD[/amazon_link], despite the fact that it was forced upon the creators by the studio. It still looks totally baller to me. Another bias, I haven’t seen many J-Horror films – not [amazon_link id=”B002C8YSCE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Audition[/amazon_link], not [amazon_link id=”B000088NQR” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ringu[/amazon_link], not [amazon_link id=”B00005JNJR” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ju-On (The Grudge.)[/amazon_link] I’ve seen [amazon_link id=”B0037C1WF0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Suicide Club[/amazon_link] and that’s about it. I’m not a HUGE foreign film guy in general, although I have seen every movie ever directed by Sabu ([amazon_link id=”B001EI5C5A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Unlucky Monkey[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B002MOE9FO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monday[/amazon_link], The Blessing Bell, etc.,) and 95% of Luis Bunuel’s films and most of Stephen Chow’s output (in the vain hopes of seeing anything NEAR as awesome as his [amazon_link id=”B000F9RB8A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kung Fu Hustle[/amazon_link].) I’m way weak on Italian and British horror too. No Argento, Bava, Hammer Studios, Quatermass films, nothing with Triffids… Jesus Christ, why am I even doing this? I suck! Oh well, here goes. All of the following are in English, unless otherwise noted (I think only one isn’t.)
[amazon_link id=”B000RO9PUU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Witchfinder General (a/k/a/ The Conqueror Worm)[/amazon_link] (D: Michael Reeves, 1968) I saw this for the first time as a child on TV. It was on a local ‘Creature-Feature’ show hosted by “The Son of Svengoolie,” a comedy-oriented character played by Chicagoan Rich Koz. This movie is NOT a comedy – it is a paean to the hopelessness of nobility. It aired under its alias, and I expected (for real) some kind of giant Godzilla of a worm; instead, this flick blew my fucking mind. Vincent Price is the antagonist, vile real-life “Witchhunter” Matthew Hopkins, a creature of Cromwell’s England. He abuses his power to indulge his sadism and to rape and torture women that catch his fancy, with the aid of a brutish assistant. Reined in mercilessly by director Reeves, Price gives the performance of his life, not allowing a single iota of camp sensibility to creep in – he is just EVIL, a human monster. Then at the end, the bad-guy dies, but the film’s protagonist loses, his love loses, ALL OF HUMANITY loses. After completing this film, its director, Michael Reeves, killed himself (overdose of booze ‘n’ pills, probably accidental, still…) Now THAT is talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk. P.S. There’s no giant worm.
[amazon_link id=”B000F3UA8E” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Cemetery Man (a/k/a Dellamorte Dellamore)[/amazon_link] (D: Michele Soavi, 1994) YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE. Sorry to shout, that was rude of me. This film is really amazing, though. I love this film even more than I love compound sentences. It’s hard to describe this one. It’s not straight-up horror – in fact, it’s close to being not frightening at all, although it does have busloads of gore. It’s an existential tragi-comedic zombie film about madness and, y’know, death and love. And loving the dead, and killing the loved, and mixin’ it up a bunch. Rupert Everett is the engineer, er, I mean cemetery caretaker. Anna Falchi is the exemplar of sexual lust itself, her that sends Everett’s blood rushing to the place where blood rushes. They live, they love, they die, they love some more, they live some more, and the whole world doesn’t really exist. I mean actually, not in the movie. Just saying that apropos of nothing.
Searches for Cemetery Man images yield a LOT of pix of Anna Falchi's bazooms. This isn't one such.
[amazon_link id=”B000FS9FE4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Texas Chain Saw Massacre[/amazon_link] (D: Tobe Hooper, 1974) “An insane movie, directed in an insane way.” That’s how my college film teacher, the late and great Dr. Richard DeCordova, described this journey from normality in America to the heart of nihilism. The final shots, Leatherface’s mad dance of hatred, his lust to destroy and consume his victim, the land, the world, the sun itself… those visions tattooed themselves painfully onto my skull. Deservedly a classic.
[amazon_link id=”B003KGBIRK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Videodrome[/amazon_link] (D: David Cronenberg, 1983) All hail the new flesh. Profoundly weird, weirdly profound. James Woods at his peak, when he used to ooze danger from every acne scar on his face. Debbie Harry, young and hot and perverted, saying, “Want to try some things?” “Brian O’Blivion,” the prophet who only appears on a TV screen because he believes that the cathode ray tube is more real than reality. Assassination, cultism, cable TV perversion, nightmare clay-walled torture rooms, suicide. And videocassettes… they’re BETTER than bug-typewriters, because they have TWO rectum-objects, which is clearly why this film is better than Naked Lunch.
"And THAT's not my belly button! Oh, wait..."
[amazon_link id=”B000GBEWH0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Dead Zone[/amazon_link] (D: David Cronenberg, 1983 – not a typo, Cronenberg was just a MUTHA in 1983.) Stephen King didn’t think much of this adaptation, nor does the world in general, but I thought it was fantastic. In one of his too-few lead roles, Christopher Walken is at his peak, being weird and poignant and angry and heroic. As doomed psychic Johnny Smith, he nails it in every scene. Martin Sheen gets to play the President of the USA for the first time (kind of) and is… notably illiberal. Plenty of other excellent supporting players – Tom Skerritt, Brooke Adams, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe – but this is Walken’s film all the way. His delivery of the line, “God’s been a real SPORT to me!” is golden. Yeah, they made a TV series of it too.
[amazon_link id=”B0002CHK1S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Thing[/amazon_link] (D: John Carpenter, 1982) Just a totally cool movie. Paranoid suspense locked in with you. CLEAR!
[amazon_link id=”B005HT400A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Blue Velvet[/amazon_link] (D: David Lynch, 1986) Dennis Hopper’s portrayal of sociopath Frank Booth is amazing, and here’s why: The first few times I saw this movie, he scare the living shit out of me. Then, as time went by, his performance AMUSED the shit out of me. Seriously, I now crack up at his readings of lines like this one to Jeffrey (Kyle McLachlan): ” Do me a favor. Don’t be a good neighbor to her anymore. Or I’ll send you a love letter…[shouting] straight from my heart, fucker! Do you know what a love letter is? It’s a bullet from a fucking gun, fucker! You receive a love letter from me, and you’re fucked forever!” It’s one of the most amazing performances of the ’80s. Hopper was not a large or imposing man, but the madness he sent to his eyes was shocking and delirious. And the subtext is pretty cool too, but I’ll let you figure that shit out for yourself.
"Hnngh! Hnngh! What're these?!?"A laff riot, I'm tellin' ya.
[amazon_link id=”B000UJ48WC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Shining[/amazon_link] (D: Stanley Kubrick, 1980) Another Stephen King adaptation. This one, he out-and-out HATED. King is just NOT a very good judge of his adapted works. Two hours plus of nearly nothing BUT slow burn, capped by a final shot that tells us: Hell is in the world; Evil is forever.
[amazon_link id=”B005J9ZE5I” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn[/amazon_link] (D: Sam Raimi, 1987) You know what’s fun? FUN, that’s what.
[amazon_link id=”B004CP2566″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Repulsion[/amazon_link] (D: Roman Polanski, 1965) Catherine Deneuve is beautiful and batshit cuckoo insane in this one. Roman Polanski outdoes his later [amazon_link id=”B00003CXCF” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Rosemary’s Baby[/amazon_link] in this suspense tour-de-force. Every minute that goes by, the viewer thinks more and more and more, “Something BAD is going to happen.” It does.
[amazon_link id=”B0002I84DK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning[/amazon_link] (D: Grant Harvey, 2004) Please look past the awful title. The kinda-sequel to [amazon_link id=”B002PSSNZE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ginger Snaps[/amazon_link] (D: John Fawcett, 2000), if sequels took place 120 years before their predecessors but depicted the CONSEQUENCES of the earlier film. This film is my favorite of all the great “menstruation-is-a-monster” movies ([amazon_link id=”B00005K3NR” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Carrie[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B00006G8H3″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Company of Wolves[/amazon_link], etc.) The story benefits from being transported to a setting where witchcraft hysteria has a role to play… somewhat hilariously, since werewolves and witches are totally different, right? Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins reprise their roles again (there was a more conventionally set sequel released the same year) as the sisters who have a wee problem with the beast within. Great and weird in the way Canadian horror often is. Ask David Cronenberg. Or Neil Young. (Neil hasn’t made any horror stuff that I know of, but it would still probably be fun to talk to Neil Young.)
It IS a riding hood, I would venture to say.
[amazon_link id=”B0026ATDQE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Host[/amazon_link] (D: Joon-ho Bong, 2006) Mostly in Korean, with a little bit of English from an appropriately near-sighted and cross-eyed American. A reinvention of giant monster films like, you know, Mothra and such. Cloverfield is a good point of comparison, but this film breaks more conventions and carries more emotional weight as well as metaphoric heft. It’s entertaining and edifying, which is nice.
Honorable mentions:
[amazon_link id=”B000ID37KY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Bride of Frankenstein[/amazon_link] (James Whale, 1935) The perfect reaction to being rejected romantically? Destroying the mansion you’re in so it falls upon you and everybody within, while announcing to everybody there, “We belong dead!”
[amazon_link id=”B00000K3TO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Night of the Living Dead[/amazon_link] (George Romero, 1968) Invented the modern zombie story, scary as a knife dancing around your eyes.
[amazon_link id=”B001NHN7TU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tremors[/amazon_link] (Ron Underwood, 1990) Has the funniest use ever of a right wing gun nut survivalist shelter. Pretty good otherwise too.
[amazon_link id=”B000MKXEME” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Re-Animator[/amazon_link] (Stuart Gordon, 1985) Stylistic brother to Evil Dead 2, plus boobs!
Part 2 – Hell, while I’m just doing whatever I feel like, here are some of my favorite webcomix.
The links from the titles mostly go to the FIRST episode. Sometimes, it takes a little while for the series to find its sea legs, but these things are all free and all awesome. In fact, I’m not going to write any commentary for any of these, because while I probably could paraphrase the words “This rules!” ten different ways, the pictures tell more than I really could. Hence, pictures. Mangia!
Amazing Superpowers by Wes & Tony- I couldn’t find their full names anywhere.
Kukuburi by Ramon Perez Axe Cop byEthan Nicholle and Malachai Nicholle – no image here. Come ON, you don’t know [amazon_link id=”1595826815″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Axe Cop[/amazon_link] yet? Go know [amazon_link id=”1595828257″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Axe Cop[/amazon_link]! I consider (spoiler!) President Axe Cop’s prayer to God at the end of [amazon_link id=”1595828257″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bad Guy Earth[/amazon_link] to be THE single funniest thing I have ever read in a comic book, and I’ve read a LOT of comic books. Like, more than seventy!
Hark, A Vagrant by Kate Beaton – this one’s really a gimme as well. Who in the world doesn’t know [amazon_link id=”1770460608″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hark, A Vagrant[/amazon_link]?
Dar by Erika Moen – I ran into Ms. Moen by way of Bucko, the webcomic on which she collaborates with Jeff Parker. Bucko is great too, but I didn’t include it here because frankly I think I talk about Jeff Parker too much.
Awesome Hospital by Chad Bowers, Chris Sims, Matt Digges, and Josh Krach
Not named on-panel (from R to L): Dr. Luchadore, Dr. Motorbike, and Nurse Holding-A-Dark-Gray-Rectangle.
Bun Toons by Ty Templeton. The usual Bun Toon is too long for me to grab and paste here, but the creator of [amazon_link id=”0921451024″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Stig’s Inferno[/amazon_link] and lots of other stuff is still hilarious and great.
And that’s a wrap! I think this might be the first post I’ve submitted before 2:00 AM, so you’d think I’d be able to come up with a not-so-abrupt way to end what I’m saying. Sorry! I’m not good at endings.
The Mighty Thor #7 is about the untold story of Odin and his brother Cul. How Cul becomes the Serpent God of Fear and how Odin loses his eye and the coming of the prophecy of the world tree.
This book is well written and there is so great dialogue between Odin and Cul. Pasqual Ferry’s art is top-notch. The coloring by Frank D’Armata really makes Ferry’s art shine.
The problem with this book and with the Mighty Thor series is continuity or quality control. There is a panel that takes place before the dawn of time in this book and it has Juggernaut, Thing and Absorbing-Man as heralds of the God of Fear. How can this be? Before you blow up your brain trying to figure time travel pause for a second. Is it that hard to create new concept characters for six panels. You already have the designs. One of the other heralds looks like Hulk but he/she is a different color and you can’t tell for sure and the same for the others. Even if you left out the Thing’s rocky look and used his body type.
I wouldn’t find this an issue if it was the first time, but I made sure to reread the Mighty Thor series before issue seven and found several continuity problems. Thor would have a beard and then he won’t. Thor would have armor on, then it would be off. I know that sometimes artists draw pages out-of-order but Fraction might need to communicate better with his artists and make sure the details are straight. The problem when a book is for teens plus and that adults catch these things and expect more when your spending your own money.
Deadpool #45
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Salva Espin & Guru eFX
What happens when the recently-deceased chick who was your therapist/stalker has a freezer full of your dismembered body parts? [Oooh! Oooooh! I know! One of the most bizarre murder cases since Jeffrey Dahmer?]
Actually, they thaw out and heal back together into an evil twin with two right hands. Or at least that’s what they do when you’re Deadpool.
For most of the issue, Daniel Way contrasts what the real Deadpool and Evil Deadpool are doing on their journey from England back to the States. The issue opens with Evil Deadpool hijacking the private jet of an unnamed [and rather douche-y, might I add] billionaire. Meanwhile, the real Deadpool is hiding in the belly of a freighter and eating dog food.
As Evil Deadpool decides he doesn’t want money as much as he wants to set the billionaire on fire and throw him out of the plane, the real Deadpool is having a crisis of conscience. It turns out the freighter he is on is full of kidnapped women from Eastern Europe. Realpool takes out the traffickers as Evilpool kills the jet’s pilots and flight attendant. You get the idea. [And teary eyes when you see the “Good travels, daddy” written on one of the pilot’s lunchboxes.]
[DIDN’T YOU LISTEN LAST TIME, SECOND VOICE? GO AWAY!]
Sometimes, a new artist can be a jarring switch, but Salva Espin’s début as the book’s artist isn’t too much of a departure from Carlo Barberi. Way’s 30-issues-and-counting story of Deadpool trying to find a place to belong or figure out how to die continues to feel fresh without backtracking over the same material. Seeing how dealing with an evil twin of himself makes Wade further explore his conscience as this story arc progresses will be interesting.
[Coming November 16: Flying-On-Fire-Guy #1!]
Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
[amazon_link id=”B005YDB4VM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]BUY Deadpool #45 on Amazon[/amazon_link]
