The CW released the second trailer for ‘DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow’ Season 2 Friday afternoon with our first look at Stargirl.
Season One could have simply been a long movie as you only need to watch the first two episodes and the last two episodes to get the complete story. It will be interesting to see the showrunner, Mark Guggenheim learned a lesson in season one and can create a more compelling reason to watch the show.
The DC TV Universe will be a packed schedule in October. ‘The Flash’ season 3 will premiere Tuesday, October 4 at 8 pm on The CW, Arrow season 5 will premiere in the same timeslot on Wednesday, October 5, Supergirl season 2 on Monday, October 10, and Legends of Tomorrow season 2 on Thursday, October 13.
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander star in The Light Between Oceans, directed by Derek Cianfrance, a romantic period piece that’s tedious and jejune. Cianfrance, whose best known for his work on Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond The Pines, manages to turn a very predictable and simplistic narrative into an uncomfortable two hours and two minutes that will have audiences crying tears of joy once it limps to its tepid conclusion.
The film centers around post-WWI Australia, and the veteran Tom Sherbourne (Fassbender). Sherbourne is still dealing with the post-traumatic stress of seeing all his friends die in combat and the guilt of being the only one of his pals to survive. In the beginning, he applies to be a lighthouse keeper on the remote but gorgeous island of Janus. The place is so remote that the last person to hold the post went insane. For some, this job might be torture but for Sherbourne, he embraces the isolation.
Predictably, he meets Isabel (Vikander), who just so happens to be the one girl who can see beneath the scars and tell that he’s a good person. The courtship is minimal at best, more of a polite conversation. Isabel wants to visit Tom out at Jannus, but the rules forbid it unless they are married; and with that, they give each other the nod, and we are jarringly transition to their wedding day (an entirely realistic and romantic turn of events).
Isabel and Tom have a baby, but tragedy strikes and they lose the child. We go through an oddly placed montage of Isabel and Tom looking forlorn off into the distance until Isabel tells Tom (once again, jarringly) that she’s ready to try again. Once again, everything seems to be going well and tragedy strikes again and they lose a second child. Unnecessary.
This sends Isabel into a tailspin, but something happens. In the midst of her grief, a boat washes up on shore and in it is a dead man, who looks like he’s been at sea for weeks, and a baby, who looks like something you would see in Gerber ad – a totally realistic look for a child who’s been at sea for weeks. The film now becomes a question of morality: Should Isabel and Tom tell the mainland about this abandoned child or just pretend that the baby is their own?
In Blue Valentine, Cianfrance focused heavily on the beginning of a relationship, and the end, with a family torn apart. His brand of filmmaking is successful at shining a light on the pain and suffering of his characters. If Cianfrance had created this film in the same way he had done his others, the focus would have been about the pain a woman feels when they either lose a baby or can’t have kids. Vikander has shown an ability to tackle dark source material; she did just win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl. Here, however, we are force-fed melodramatic scene after melodramatic scene of Fassbender wrestling with this moral dilemma.
How many times must we be subjected to his character staring off into the distance as he wrestles with this decision? How many times must we watch Tom sit in “painful” silence? Even after deciding to allow Isabel to keep the baby, we still are forced to endure even more wistful looks from inside the lighthouse. The movie quickly morphs from a potentially intriguing look at the pain of losing a child to boring, melodramatic hodge-podge.
Speaking of a hodge-podge, this film takes a turn for the worse when Tom and Isabel decide to head to the mainland to get their baby, Lucy, christened. While on the mainland, everything seems to be going well as they head to the church for the ceremony; then Tom notices a grieving women next to a tombstone. Now most everyone in the world would just go about their business, but not Tom. He has to see what this woman is up to and low and behold … it’s Lucy’s real mother, Hanna, played by Rachel Weisz (dramatic sounder).
So instead of shifting the narrative towards Isabel, the film fumbles some more with Tom wrestling even more with this new moral dilemma. Wash, rinse, repeat. He even goes so far as to leave a note to her real mom saying the baby is fine and being loved and not to worry – because that’s gonna make her feel better. Weisz is woefully miscast in this film. She is far from believable in the role of the grieving mother/wife. Her performance exhibited minimal pain and her Crocodile tears were transparent. She views Lucy as more of a possession than an actual child, and she lacks the pain of a person who has been longing for her daughter for four long years. In retrospect, Cianfrance would have been better off casting her in the role Isabel or not casting her at all.
By focusing way too much on the Tom narrative and introducing Hannah, a character with little believability, Cianfrance strips his film of its heart and turns it into a dull collection of melodramtic drivel. If he made strides towards balancing the story, then the film would have had some promise but, alas, this is what we are left with. I can’t say I’m shocked by this as most forgetful films are released towards the end of August. The best is yet to come.
This one hurts. Legendary character actor Jon Polito, known best for his supporting roles in Coen brothers films like Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing, The Man Who Wasn’t There and The Big Lebowski, has passed away. He was 65.
Polito starred in over 100 films and dozens of TV shows and Broadway productions, Vulture reports. His other credits including his role in Homicide: Life on the Street, as well as guest turns on popular shows like Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Bunheads, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Raising the Bar, Monk, Medium, Masters of Horror, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gilmore Girls, The Chronicle, The Drew Carey Show, Roseanne, Mad About You, The Equalizer, Tales From the Crypt, Crime Story and Murder, She Wrote, just to name a handful. He’ll certainly be missed.
Polito’s death was announced by John McNaughton, the director behind Wild Things and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, on his Facebook page. He wrote the following regarding his friend’s passing.
Very sad to learn that my dear friend and collaborator, Jon Polito has passed away. John is probably best known for his work in Coen Brothers films, notably Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing and The Big Lebowski. Jon and I worked together in TV starting with episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, some pilots and Masters of Horror. He appeared in over 100 films, countless TV episodes and on Broadway. Jon was a born actor and will be deeply missed by his legion of friends, fans, family and of course his long time partner, Darryl Armbruster to whom I send my condolences. R.I.P. old pal.
Polito is one of those guys you always see on the screen but sometimes don’t recognize. Hopefully that’ll change in light of his passing. I always found his presence warm and inviting, and every performance was distinctly his own. He was last seen in an episode of Major Crimes. His last performance will be in The Maestro, set for release next year.
The film industry is a massive business, making well over 10 billion dollars annually on cinema sales in the United States alone. Despite its massive haul, the business is not as profitable as it would seem on paper. A lot of movies fail to garner anywhere near as much as a studio would have wanted, and some turn into huge loses for their studios. 2011’s Mars Needs Moms for instance is considered one of the biggest box office bombs in recent memory, as it only grossed 39 million worldwide on a 150 million dollar budget. While a loss of 110 million would be bad enough for any studio, the story of Mars Needs Moms’ box office performance is actually a lot worse than you might think.
In order to understand exactly how poorly the film performed, you need to know two things about box office analysis. The first is that a movie’s reported production budget only represents what it cost to make the film itself. It does not include costs for marketing and distribution. While those costs vary from film to film, it tends to follow that the bigger the budget, the more a studio will spend to market it. If you look at http://ispot.tv, a site dedicated to following TV ad spending, you can see that most films spend a minimum of 15-20 million dollars. This is only for TV ads in America, and does not include ad spending in other countries or online.
The second thing it’s important to keep in mind while watching box office results is that a studio only keeps about 50% of a film’s gross, while the other 50% goes to the cinemas. The exact division of gross does vary a bit from studio to studio, as well as country to country when looking at the international market, but on average it tends to be a 50/50 split between a film’s studio and cinema chains. As such, a simple rule to keep in mind is that a movie needs to make at least double its production budget before it’s considered to have broken even.
If we return to Mars Needs Moms for a second look with those things in mind, we see how disastrous the box office haul of the film really is. It had a reported production budget of 150 million, and a likely marketing budget of at least 50 million worldwide. So the film had a likely cost north of 200 million, yet it only grossed about 40 million at the worldwide box office. Once the cinemas took their share, the film’s studio would only get about 20 million, for a loss of approximately 180 million. While they’re likely to have recouped some of that loss through DVD sales, potential merchandising, and TV screenings, the film did end up costing its studio a lot of money.
It is also important to note that not every movie that loses its studio money is considered a flop or a box office bomb. This depends on how poorly it does overall. While a film like Mars Needs Moms is a definite bomb, a film like Gods of Egypt (145m haul on 140m budget) is a softer loss, though still a big disappointment for its studio. Comparatively, a film like Alice Through the Looking Glass (290m gross on a 170m budget) is considered a small loss, as the studio is likely to close some of that initial box office loss through DVD sales and TV screenings. The closer the film gets to doubling its production cost during its initial box office run, the softer you can consider the loss for the studio.
In season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the villainous Borg were introduced. The half-man, half-machines with the somewhat uncreative name were a species focused on improving themselves by assimilating other species and technology. The Borg tormented the crew of the Enterprise and the rest of the Trek-verse ever since. The Borg aren’t a new idea as countless movies, TV shows, books, and comic books have introduced some form of cyborg, usually as a villain. As technology grows smaller and more integral to our lives, we’re becoming a bit cyborg-ish ourselves. Are we also all doomed to be villains?
Author, computer scientist, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil introduced the idea of the singularity a few years back. Wanna-be scientists might see “singularly” and think physics and you’d be right. Kurzweil borrowed the term to describe a new phenomenon he sees happening within the next few decades.
The tl;dr of Kurzweil’s Singularity: We’re soon to merge with smaller, more powerful technologies in order to process the growing amounts of data our brains weren’t designed to handle.
Kurzweil explains his ideas in this video:
Half of me thinks, bring it on! I’m a science fiction fanatic and being some super-human machine-man sounds pretty damn cool. I think the most popular attachment would probably be an arm that can also pour beer. The other half thinks, well this is great, but never in my lifetime. Yet, another half of me, meaning I’m 50% more than a regular person which amounts to a fat joke about myself, thinks this is a terrifying dehumanization.
All this brings me to rattling off some of the best cyborgs in fiction:
Hugh the Borg who could feel.
The Borg Cold, calculating, un-humans introduced way back in 1988. The Borg’s first few appearances were terrifying as enemies with a single-minded agenda — to make you part of them. Later episodes introduced Hugh and Seven of Nine, Borg with “personalities” and “feelings” who explored the species in an entirely different way.
Believe it or not they love to cuddle.
Cybermen
Dr. Who’s longtime nemesis … nemes-i … nemesisees … enemy, the Cyberman have been villain-ing for 50 years, premiering on Dr. Who in 1966. Cybermen are more machine now than flesh, but were once all soft and spongey just like us. In a way, the Cybermen are a further evolution of where the Borg are going only with prettier design. Cybermen are the Mac to the Borg’s raggedy custom PC.
Just another girl-next-door who kills Yakuza cyborgs.
Molly Millions
William Gibson’s novels are voyages into an intricate world that mixes man and machine more than any other. The cyberpunk genre introduced Molly Millions, a tough-as-nails cyborg who first appeared in the short story “Johnny Mnemonic.” Someone once told me that they made a movie based on Johnny Mnemonic starring Keanu Reeves but I like to believe it was a dream I had while near-death from a fever. Molly Millions is one of Gibson’s best characters and easily one of the most badass female characters in science fiction.
Does Cyborg pee? Asking for a friend.
Cyborg
As we speak, Victor Stone is in the process of his greatest challenge … being included in the DC cinematic universe. Cyborg’s comic book origin is a bit Frankenstein-ish as the son of scientists who experiment on their son. Later Vic’s scientists parents use cybernetics to save his life. Cyborg has endured as a premiere character since his introduction in 1980.
I have Iron Man inside me. Ewww, Tony, gross.
Iron Man
That’s right, super-genius, billionaire, playboy, Tony Stark is also a freakin’ cyborg. Early on, when his machine parts are keeping him alive, they are a hinderance that the Iron Man suit helps him overcome. But later, Stark gets the suit built into his bones with nano-technology. #ImWithCyborg
Darth Vader
C’mon, no list about cyborgs should ever be without one of the most iconic cinematic villains ever. Darth Vader is a gentle, potato-headed, half-man in a high-tech suit that keeps him alive and makes him one imposing opponent. If you’re fan of the Prequels then Vader is a whiny child-murderer who was carved up like sushi and revealed in one of the most iconic terrible scenes in movie history. My Facebook relationship with Vader is complicated.
If we’re going to end up half-man, half-machine, which kind of cyborg would you choose to be?
Honorable Mention: RoboCop
#CyborgLivesMatter
As one final point of soon-to-come cyborg WTF-ery there’s this:
If you love ‘Best in Show,’ Netflix jump started your heart Thursday with the first trailer for Christopher Guest’s ‘Mascots.’
https://youtu.be/swTWozTxQ-E
‘Mascots’ is a new comedy from Christopher Guest, director of ‘Waiting for Guffman’ and ‘Best in Show.’ Starring many of his regular troupe of actors, this latest film takes place in the ultra-competitive world of sports mascots where they compete for the most prestigious award in their field, the Gold Fluffy.
The Netflix original film stars Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Ed Begley, Jr., Christopher Moynihan, Don Lake, Brad Williams, Zach Woods, Chris O’Dowd, Susan Yeagley, Sarah Baker, Tom Bennett, Kerry Godliman, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Hitchcock, Maria Blasucci, John Michael Higgins, and Jim Piddock. The film was written by Christopher Guest & Jim Piddock and produced by Karen Murphy. Mascots will launch globally on Netflix on October 13.
Steven breaks a fortune teller machine at the Funland arcade and has to replace it by acting like he is the game. From there it becomes a more comical episodes. Though these kind of episodes can be hit or miss, there still something which can be taken away from this one.
As Steven tries to give people the answers they want he finds it more and more difficult. Especially as he meets with an old acquaintance of Mr. Smileys. This is probably for Steven’s own good and is the reason why Garnet allowed him to have access to her future vision once again. The boy tries too hard to be a people pleasure, wanting to make everyone happy. Anyone who has tried to do this in real life knows it’s exhausting and often results in the person trying to make everyone content becoming unhappy in the process. Considering he needs to work on becoming a more mature character as the series goes on, this is a step in the right direction. This is the best way to look at a more comedic lighthearted episode.
It’s also interesting to see how the show made a breaking the fourth wall joke. As Mr. Smiley talks about how he used to be a comedian, this could easily be a reference to how the character was previously voiced by Sinbad. The character has been portrayed by actor Coltron Dunn since season two.
With any luck there will be less episodes like this which are less than necessary to the overall story. It has been possible to have episodes where the side characters of Beach City are featured yet the overall plot of the show can be advanced. This episode was serviceable but others which follow this format sadly haven’t all been as good.
The cast of Spider-Man: Homecoming just gets better and better. According to VarietyIron Man director Jon Favreau will reprise his role as Happy, Tony Stark’s bodyguard in the upcoming reboot.
Robert Downey Jr. is also set to return as Tony Stark, but this will be the first time fans have seen Favreau in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie since his smaller role in Iron Man 3.
This story is still developing and no further details have been revealed.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is currently filming in Atlanta, with Tom Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker, and Jon Watts in the directors chair. The film also stars Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, and Zendaya. The film is scheduled for release on July 7, 2017.
Are You Excited To See Favreau Return In Spider-Man: Homecoming? Let Us Know In The Comments Section Below.
Namor and The Human Torch didn’t stay pals very long after their team-up in Marvel Mystery Comics #17. Thrilling girls and boys of all ages, the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch find themselves duking it out once again in Human Torch Comics #5b ((cover date Fall 1941) check out this article for information on why there are two Human Torch Comics #5‘s).
Human Torch Comics #5b opens on Namor and three other figures (Death, Hitler, and Mussolini) riding horses with weapons brandished. They are “The Four Horsemen of Destruction,” bringing to mind a particular biblical quartet. The next page features a sweeping shadow of Mars lurking on the American horizon.
Golden Age Civil War – A Super Dinner Party
“If only my people were more violent, this may never have happened!”
After this stark introduction, we see some familiar faces sitting down for a banquet. Casey, a colleague of Jeff Mace The Patriot, has been assigned to cover the war in Europe for the Consolidated Press. The Angel, The Patriot, The Human Torch, Toro, and Casey have gotten together for a farewell dinner. Unfortunately, Namor is unable to attend because he was called back to Atlantis by his mother. (Pfffff!)
As the group of friends toast the absent undersea prince, we cut to Subby himself happening upon a naval battle near his home. As he’s done a hundred times before, Namor breaks up the battle by twisting the rudder of a Nazi destroyer into a “shapeless mass”. But, after diving down to his undersea hometown, Subby finds that the battle overhead has taken its toll on Atlantis. Wreckage and corpses cover the seabed: Atlantean dwellings are in ruins.
Golden Age Civil War – Rathia Cometh
“I’m a well-toned fish-lady with a conehead. Wanna’ make something of it?”
After a joyous reunion between Namor and his mother, a new Atlantean “beauty” named Rathia makes her debut in Human Torch Comics #5b. Rathia suggests to Namor that the only way to stop the war between the Allied and Axis forces, which have been devastating undersea cultures like hers and Namor’s, is to do battle with both groups, and declare undersea superiority over all. Namor calls a special war council of the submarine races and finds support for his war from all delegates. But, though Namor is only interested in the welfare of his undersea comrades, Rathia convinces him to try for world domination!
Back in New York, The Human Torch, Toro, and The Patriot are seeing Casey off. But just before he leaves, Casey receives a telegraph from Namor telling him not to risk covering the war. Casey ignores the cryptic wire, and heads to the Eastern Front. The Human Torch says that he’ll come along to find out all he can about Namor’s odd message.
Golden Age Civil War – Atlantean Interventionism
At the Eastern Front, Casey is up close taking pictures of the battle. Things are going pretty poorly for both sides when a massive whirlpool opens up in a nearby river. The whirlpool becomes a tidal wave, and several Nazi and Russian troops are pulled underwater. Casey nearly dies, but The Human Torch and Toro flying overhead manage to save the drowning reporter. Casey is then ordered to London to cover a story there. The Human Torch and Toro decide to take a trip to Atlantis to meet with their mercurial pal Namor.
“WWND?”
Back in Atlantis, Namor is feeling pretty good about his chances for victory. He brags to Rathia that undersea peoples all over the world have been sending him formidable troops and weaponry. The two would-be dictators appear to have developed a romantic relationship; Rathia suggests that with the combined might of the submarine races they’ll be able to dominate the world both above and below the waves. Namor, she says, will be called a second Napoleon.
Golden Age Civil War – Namor Bonaparte
Don’t laugh at Subby when he’s primping.
Namor, imagining himself as a more successful and much taller Napoleon, gets a visit from The Human Torch and Toro. Rathia warns that conquerors have no friends, only pawns, and Namor decides to use the fiery duo as his allies, willing or otherwise. Flying over Namor’s kingdom, The Torch and Toro get sucked underwater by the same type of whirlpool machine Namor used to bust up the Eastern Front.
“This is even worse than that time the Torch spanked me!”
Toro makes fun of Namor, likening him to a preening Mussolini, as he poses in front of the mirror. And, Namor, who has no time for the flaming lad’s sense of humour, slaps him across the face. Namor declares himself the dictator of the world. The Torch and Toro go on the offensive but Rathia floods the room, and the Torch is forced to swim to the surface for air (even though he’s an android).
Toro doesn’t make it out in time. Namor instructs Rathia to revive the boy and put him in a dungeon cell while Namor goes after the Torch. But, the Torch manages to escape, saying he’ll attempt to rescue his young sidekick as soon as he’s warned the Russians and Germans that Namor’s on the warpath as well. Unfortunately, when he does, both sides believe that the Torch’s warning is just propaganda from the other side. The battle continues.
“No! My mustache is better!”
Golden Age Civil War – Ka-Zar’s Ark
The Human Torch decides to fly to London. He hopes that Casey will publish the true story of the Sub-Mariner’s involvement in the war. But, as he flies over Africa, the Torch decides to first warn Ka-Zar of Namor’s involvement in the war, and his tactic of using whirlpool machines to drown people. The Torch instructs Ka-Zar to build an ark, and, with a mighty “Karooo! Aiee!” Ka-Zar sets to the task with the help of his animal friends.
The Human Torch makes it to London, and Casey prints a story concerning Namor’s attempt at world domination. The public doesn’t believe it, though, so The Patriot meets with the US president to convince him of its truth. The president is convinced, and orders that SCUBA equipment be distributed to civilians.
“‘A tunnel under the sea?!’ I said! ‘What could go wrong?’ he said!”
Back in London, the Torch convinces Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill to provide him with troops to launch a surprise attack on Atlantis. With the troops in tow, the Torch melts a tunnel to Namor’s undersea kingdom. Sadly, Namor detects the Torch’s intense body heat with a “photo-electric eye” machine, and floods the tunnel. The entire regiment of British soldiers is wiped out. The Torch narrowly escapes: the reader sees the outline of the grim reaper in close pursuit.
Golden Age Civil War – A Whale of An Army
If you’re willingly comparing yourself to Goering, you may be a megalomaniac
The Sub-Mariner is once again preening in front of a mirror, but this time he compares himself to Goering. Unwilling to give up on rescuing Toro after the deaths of the British troops, the Torch attacks Namor in his private dressing room. Namor challenges the Torch to an old-fashioned fist fight, and the Torch knocks Namor out. An asbestos gun at the ready, Rathia appears and stops the Torch from continuing his assault.
Namor takes the Torch as his prisoner, and, by drugging his food (but he’s an android!), brainwashes him into slavery. At Subby’s command, the Torch obediently destroys a British convoy plane, its pilot, and all munitions aboard. Convinced of his drug’s effectiveness, Namor reveals his troops to the mentally conditioned Torch.
“But why does it need to look like a whale?”
Namor shows off his fleet, replete with “devil-fish,” man-eating sharks, steel whale-boats that hold 3000 combatants, and enough whirlpool machines to flood the entire planet. Rathia swims up to the unlikely duo and reports that Toro is delirious and threatening to drown himself. Namor shows some evidence of having a moral compass when he says that he draws the line at killing children, and orders an Atlantean doctor to visit the poor kid.
Golden Age Civil War – Toro’s Escape
“Maybe I shouldn’t have slapped him so hard … “
In a relatively sad Golden Age moment, we see Toro losin’ it. The Atlantean doctor orders Toro removed from his flooded cell to be admitted to an Atlantean hospital. The doctor examines Toro and finds that he’s delirious with pneumonia, which he likely caught while imprisoned. Namor rests, haunted by nightmares accusing him of endangering Toro’s life. But, the young delirious prisoner escapes when his nurse falls asleep. He flies off to England, hoping to find the Torch there.
Later, a British soldier finds Toro lying unconscious on an English beach. The Brit takes Toro to an English hospital. Toro cries out several names in his delirium, Casey’s among them. Toro’s new nurse calls Casey, and the American reporter visits Toro in the hospital. Toro tells Casey that the Torch is underwater with the Sub-Mariner, and raves, “Maybe they’ve gone fishing!”
Golden Age Civil War – Mussolini Non Grata
In fact, Namor and The Human Torch are launching an attack on all of Europe! They seek to take the continent by storm in a far-reaching pincer maneuver ranging from the Rock of Gibraltar to the Russian arctic. Subby’s whale navy takes the south while the Torch attacks from the north. Now that’s hubris!
Mussolini, having heard of the Sub-Mariner’s attack on the Rock of Gibraltar, sends submarines to assist him. In fact, Mussolini believes he is sending his subs to assist Hitler. But, when the Italian subs arrive, Namor and his navy destroy them, having no interest in sharing the glory of the battle.
Even without the assistance of the fascist undersea navy, Namor and his fleet manage to force a British surrender. The undersea prince now controls the Mediterranean Sea.
Golden Age Civil War – Karooo?
“I really didn’t need to get two of each kind of fish … ah well.”
Again, thinking from a continental perspective, Namor covers his rear before pushing on to invade Europe. Using his turbine machines, the undersea despot sends a massive tidal wave over all of Africa. Luckily, for him and a bunch of his animal pals only, Ka-Zar completed his ark in time to avoid the unfathomably large tidal wave. Presumably, the wave drowns just about everyone else on the continent, but this is never mentioned in the story.
As Africa drowns, The Human Torch breaks off gigantic pieces of Russian glaciers, and, by super-heating parts of them, sends them steaming toward Moscow. Adding a bit of North American immediacy to the Golden Age Civil War, the Torch unknowingly sends another glacier speeding toward the western-most continent as well.
Golden Age Civil War – Jim Hammond, All-American Android
As the steam-powered glacier destroys Russian homes, the reader again sees the Grim Reaper, this time walking among the snowy carnage. An opportunistic Hitler reflects that the progress of the glacier will help his troops, attacking from the south. We see the Grim Reaper lean over Hitler’s shoulder: he reminds the mustachioed madman that Death wins every war.
Back in Moscow, Stalin addresses the Soviet troops before they take on the approaching glacier. The Russians use explosives and artillery fire to chip away at the approaching ice but they have limited success. Thankfully, as the Torch flies by the US embassy he stops and recognizes the waving form of Old Glory. The sight of his homeland’s flag snaps the Torch out of his brainwashed state. And, realizing he’s not being a very decent guy, he stops the glacier in its tracks by using his flaming body to melt a giant ditch for it to fall in.
Golden Age Civil War – The Human Torch Saves Canada
His mind again his own, the Torch gets a radio call at the US embassy in Moscow. It’s Casey who tells him that Toro is in a London hospital, and would like to see him. But before the Torch flies to London, Casey tells him about the second glacier heading for North America. So, it’s off to Canada for The Human Torch.
Alas, Casey’s conversation with the Torch is intercepted by one of the Sub-Mariner’s whale boats. And, learning of the Torch’s betrayal, the Sub-Mariner meets his erstwhile slave in Canada. The two have a bit of a dust-up, but the Torch is able to stop the advancing glacier before it kills any Canadians (“Way to go, eh?”). In the confusion, though, Subby manages an escape, so the Torch flies to England for a reunion with his young pal Toro.
Golden Age Civil War – “V for Victory!”
“Why would I want to be treated in the States? Medical bills there are insane!”
The Human Torch offers to take Toro to an American hospital, so that he can recover without the threat of being bombed. The brave sidekick, recovered from his delirium, refuses. Toro elects to stick out his recovery in London in solidarity with the other children in the hospital. Sadly, there isn’t much time for the Torch to visit the gift shop. While Toro and the Torch have their happy reunion, the Sub-Mariner unleashes the full might of his underwater turbines on Berlin, submerging the city.
The image of Mars again appears, this time astride the watery wreckage, laughing at the drowning victims of war as they plead for their lives. For those keeping track, this is the 2nd appearance of the Roman god of war in this story, and the fifth appearance of a mythical apparition.
Golden Age Civil War – Gibraltar? I Hardly Know ‘Er!
Unleashing another even larger deluge, Namor successfully destroys the German ground forces. But, from the stresses applied to it during the recent whirlpool activity, the Rock of Gibraltar falls into, and plugs, the Strait of Gibraltar. This blocks off and drains the Mediterranean Sea. Italy’s navy runs aground on the muddy seabed. Mussolini reflects that his predicament is “like being caught in a barrel of spaghetti”.
Subby and his troops take advantage of the drained sea. Having no difficulty fighting in the mud, they attack the helpless Italians on the mucky seabed. But, when the Torch appears to lend the Italians a hand, The Sub-Mariner takes off. The undersea dictator knows that with the water drained from the sea his fleet will be easy pickings for the Torch. Namor takes one of his whirlpool turbines, and uses it to reset the Rock of Gibraltar in its rightful place. The water floods back into the Mediterranean, and the sudden deluge utterly destroys the Italian navy.
Golden Age Civil War – New York Is Sinking
Luckily, Timely Comics was unharmed.
Unfortunately, the Sub-Mariner’s fleet of whale boats is still afloat. And, after sinking an American battle fleet, Namor sets his sights on New York City. Again, Namor uses his turbines to flood the land. And, though the populace is ready for the deluge, with diving equipment and water-tight shelters, Namor’s tidal wave destroys most of the city, and presumably drowns the enfeebled and bedridden.
The Human Torch solves the problem by, again, digging a big hole. He melts through layers of earth under New York City until he comes to lava, then he makes a U-turn and heads back above ground. The Sub-Mariner’s whale boat fleet follows the rushing water and Namor unwittingly steers his fleet into the Torch’s sinkhole. The water, reacting to the heat of the lava, turns into steam. The whale fleet must retreat since their boats can’t take the intense heat.
Golden Age Civil War – Et Tu, Jim?
The Sub-Mariner manages to escape the deadly steam, and, in his haste, flies right into the face of the Statue of Liberty. He enters the observatory deck but The Human Torch is hot on Subby’s heels. The Torch corners Namor, and Subby has an epiphany. Namor thinks of Brutus murdering Caesar, of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, and of himself stopped at every turn by The Human Torch. The Sub-Mariner surrenders, saying that Rathia’s “spell’s broken”. Namor says he only wanted to put an end to war, but that Rathia perverted his altruistic aim.
“If I give up now, I can still blame everything on my girlfriend!”
The Human Torch tells Namor he can help “square accounts” by radioing Rathia to call off the Atlantean attack on the US, and recall all troops to Atlantis. Namor makes the call, and Rathia recalls the troops. But, as soon as she does, Namor dives into the water and makes a beeline for Atlantis in order to settle with Rathia.
Golden Age Civil War – Rathia, Public Enemy
The Human Torch, aboard an American ship, follows Namor to Atlantis. And, it’s a good thing too, because when the Torch arrives he finds The Sub-Mariner unconscious awaiting execution. Using the same principle that allows underwater blowtorches to work, The Human Torch keeps his flame on underwater. After knocking the axe that would kill Namor from his executioner’s hands, the Torch uses his fiery form to destroy the underwater turbines, and Rathia surrenders against overwhelming odds.
The final wrap-up of the story informs the reader that the American president has dropped all charges against Namor and the Atlanteans, on the condition that they “behave”. Rathia, though, will stand trial as Public Enemy #2, second only to Hitler. It just goes to show you, you can’t trust a Baltic fish-lady when world domination is on the line.
Golden Age Civil War – Fishy Bits
Well, True Believers, that’s that, Human Torch Comics #5b in all its glory. On top of having the honour of being the first multi-title crossover in what would become the Mighty Marvel, this story, weighing in at 60 pages, also represents Timely Comics’ first graphic novel. Its haunting artwork showing the reader apparitions of vengeful gods astride the battlefield, and its depiction of real-world villains like Mussolini and Hitler show that this isn’t a story for little kids. It’s a story that underlines the brutality of war and the need for heroes.
Of course, The Golden Age Civil War isn’t perfect. Aside from Rathia taking the role as Namor’s scapegoat for war crimes he undeniably committed, there are some strange parts to this story. For instance, why does Casey cover the Eastern Front, and not The Patriot whose alter-ego is Jeff Mace, reporter? The Patriot is barely in this story. When he is, he acts more like a liaison to the American president than a superhero. Also, why is The Angel in this story at all if he’s just in it to be a dinner guest?
Much more pressing, why don’t The Human Torch and Ka-Zar care about the well-being of the human population of Africa, who presumably drowned while Ka-Zar and his animal buddies were riding the waves in their ark?
Keep in mind that the creative team behind this story was working around the clock pumping out colourful adventures by hand. The editorial timeline for these four-colour adventures was tight, and pages were few. In today’s comics market, this story would likely have comprised four to six issues, and had plenty of pages left over to address the details. This wasn’t the case in 1941. So, considering its creators’ hectic timeline, the level of detail in this story is amazing.
Golden Age Civil War – Retcons? You Bet … cons
Well, we’ve come to the end of the Golden Age Civil War. But, luckily, there are still plenty of retcons that retell this and other Golden Age stories. So if you’ve enjoyed reliving the Golden Age of comics with me, The Timely Comics Watchamacallit, and don’t want this ride to end, take heart! Check out my review of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s six-part mini-series Captain America: White, a 2015 retelling of Cap and Bucky’s early days fighting in World War II. ‘Nuff said.
The Rangers must face a seemingly all-powerful threat entirely on their own without the guidance of Zordon. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Jason must lead the Rangers through these darkest of times.
Writing
This story is making the most of what it has available. It is doing what few other Power Rangers books did before, and is telling stories which couldn’t have been told in the story. Well, other books did tell stories which couldn’t have been made in the show, but they weren’t as entertaining or gripping as this new series by Boom! Studios. The fact that the plot is continuous and ever changing really helps to make it stand out amongst previous comic series starring the characters. Here, the Rangers must really think outside the box in order to properly deal with their enemies.
Writer Kyle Higgins really is showcasing a more mature Power Rangers story than ever which is what many aging fans have been looking forward to. I just wish he would tone down the bickering a bit, which is coming from the Rangers issues trusting Tommy. Hopefully his actions in the next issue will finally prove he’s someone who has their back.
Artwork
This issue is filled with great moments thanks to Hendry Prasetya on art and Matt Herms on colors. The villain of the issue, the Black Dragon, and his abilities would not have been as powerful without their work. It’s especially noteworthy when his attacks start to blast the Rangers out of their suits and back into their human identities. It looks much more impressive than any attempt to show the Rangers losing their powers has ever been, even in the show.
Conclusion
This is a fantastic issue with a lot of memorable action in it. It also ends on a nail biting cliffhanger. Now if the writer can tone done the distrust amongst the team, then this series will be even better.
Isabel and Tom have a baby, but tragedy strikes and they lose the child. We go through an oddly placed montage of Isabel and Tom looking forlorn off into the distance until Isabel tells Tom (once again, jarringly) that she’s ready to try again. Once again, everything seems to be going well and tragedy strikes again and they lose a second child. Unnecessary.
