Review: Daredevil Season 2 – Episode 6 ‘Regrets Only’ [Spoilers]

By

-

March 20, 2016

Daredevil Season 2 continues with “Regrets Only” an episode that simultaneously slows the pace and provides of the show’s more dynamic action scenes thus far. It begins with Elektra and Matt about to be ambushed by a number of assassins, leading to a fight scene reminiscent of the neon-filled escapade of Bond in Shanghai featured in Skyfall. We immediately see that Daredevil and Elektra fight as if they were dance partners. Their fight with the “Yakuza” is like a ballet, one that demonstrates the skills of both fighters. Their chemistry manifest even in their fighting styles. There is a complementarity to their styles that betrays a common ancestry. Elektra and Daredevil have more in common than even they known and that is beautifully integrated into the episode’s action scenes. This episode also gives us the best look of the new suit which features a lot more red than last season. It comes straight from the pages of Alex Maleev and Brian Michael Bendis’ run on the character.

Meanwhile, we finally get to see Matt play lawyer as he and Foggy go up against DA Reyes. Frank Castle has been assigned a lawyer that even a rookie law student could beat and it’s clear that the unscrupulous Reyes is hopping not only for an open and shut case, but one that solves the question of The Punisher permanently. It’s strange that in a series about a lawyer that we rarely get to see Matt put that Columbia Law School education to good use. This season has gone a long way towards addressing that, with this episode acting as a shining example of why Matt graduated suma com laude. He has a wit and intelligence that is often forgotten about. Foggy normally is left to act as the responsible half of their firm while Matt is busy being Daredevil, but this episode shows that letting the two being that dynamic duo of the legal world can reek dividends, both in terms of performance and character development. Reyes continues to be the stereotypical power-hungry DA and one wonders if there is something deeper to her character. It would be a shame if she were to amount to merely another corrupt DA. Michelle Hurd plays her with such vitriol, you’d swear that her very words could strip paint off a wall. That being said, it’s always fun to have that unethical lawyer to bounce off our heroes. This series loves having foils for Matt to be compared to, but one wonders if Matt is more defined by who he isn’t rather than who he is. With Nelson and Murdock set up to represent Frank Castle in court, it’s clear that Daredevil is teeing up a courtroom drama of epic proportions.

Bernthal gives us a harrowing take on The Punisher in this episode . I’ve previously argued that the character works best as a force of nature, unable to be reasoned with. “Only Regrets” does a fantastic job of humanising Frank Castle and making him a sympathetic character. As Karen helps Frank remember facts about his family such as his children’s favourite toys, we are shown the humanity that would drive someone towards inhumanity. There is an interesting understanding between the two as Karen’s compassion represents what much of the audience will feel towards the character. It’s worth noting that Frank’s actions still remain reprehensible, but this ability to relate to him feeds into the wider moral debate that played out in episode 3 and allows us to make our own decision as to whether or not Matt Murdock is on the right side of that argument. There are some among the audience who would certainly agree that Daredevil is merely a “half-measure”. Certainly a few who placed in similar circumstances, having seen their family gunned down before their very eyes, would take up arms against a sea of troubles and by punishing, end them.

Yung is a fantastic Elektra and this episodes demonstrates her more playful side as she and Matt attempt to break into a Roxxon executive’s office in order to steal a ledger. It also leads to one of the funniest moments of the series thus far as her and Matt pretend to be caught having sex in order to escape from the Roxxon goons. Her entire performance is seductive and the viewer sees her as Matt would have. She pulls us into her world, one of mystery and intrigue. We see that charm and magnetism that made Matt fall in love with her to begin with. In a clever way, like with The Punisher, the show tries to bring us around to her way of thinking and to advocate for her approach to crime-fighting as much as Daredevil’s. Her story-line is crucial for the momentum of the rest of the season. It is through the heist that we are shown the darker side of the Roxxon corporation. Moreover, the group we thought were the Yakuza are revealed to be far more sinister as their leader is shown in possession of a number of severed fingers. Comic fans have known where this one has been going since last season, but their is something unnaturally terrifying to seeing their leader say “Who ever said I was Yakuza?” through grinning teeth.

At the mid-way point of the season, Daredevil is finally starting to see the beginnings of the war that Stick referred to in Season 1. It’s clear that whereas the first season acted as one continuous story, this season is more focused on providing a number of arcs that tie into each other. The “Yakuza” are more than they appear and it remains to be seen who has the upper “Hand”. Some of Frank Miller’s more mystical and unique contributions to the canon are about to make themselves known, but whether they will resonate with the viewership remains the be seen. All the while, Daredevil manages to intersperse a thrilling courtroom drama to ground the series. We have seven episodes left and they will determine whether or not the series has taken on too much of a burden for any single season to deal with.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

C2E2 Exclusive: Gail Simone’s Current and Upcoming Comics

By

Nick Enquist

-

March 20, 2016

Gail Simone’s booth at C2E2 had long lines this weekend, as fans looked to get their favorite Simone book signed. From Deadpool to Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey to Secret Six, and Red Sonja, Simone autographed them all with a smile, and friendly banter. While her past work is something to explore and admire, her current work is exploding with popularity and her plans for ambitious comics in the future.

At Vertigo, the psychological horror Clean Room is a highly rated series that has been described as “something you read if you don’t want to sleep again.” Simone explained that the idea came from her home state of Oregon.

“There is a really, pretty high percentage of Cults in Oregon,” Simone said. “I’ve been aware of that for years growing up there, so I was kind of fascinated by that, and also in our culture today how we have these self-help gurus and people who follow blindly.”

The book focuses on the themes of control, and what it takes for people to be willing to give up their own decision-making abilities. The story is about a young, charismatic cult leader named Astrid, who runs a self-help organization in an office in Chicago. Her office building has a room called the “Clean Room” where Astrid has her followers go if they have a secret she wants to know. Needless to say, those who go in don’t come out the same, and some don’t come out at all.

“A lot of shit goes down in the Clean Room that’s very terrifying,” Simone joked.

Clean Room is Simone’s first foray with Vertigo, but she’s still working with Vertigo’s larger company, DC Comics. There Simone has had the chance to redefine one of her most famous series, Secret Six. While the classic series focused on a group of loveable loser mercenaries her new series of the same name has a very different tone with some new characters and some older characters she had the chance to redefine.

“Some people will say that this current version of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, whatever, is not my version,” Simone said. “What I think about these characters that have existed for 70 plus years is that times change. Characters need to change in order to grab the current audience to talk about things that are important to us now rather than so many years ago.”

She wanted to reflect the changing of time in the new book in some way, and so each character was redefined to help show the current times. It’s certainly a different book from its predecessor and focuses on the internal struggles of these characters that can be very relatable. However, it still has a dark sense of humor and a strange sense of heart with all these characters who find they have a family with each other even when they don’t really like each other.

The future is where Simone showed her most excitement. Especially with a book called Wonderfall. It’s not Simone’s dark, twisted genre that has been featured in this article. Instead, it is an all-ages fantasy epic that takes place in the future, but it is quite a different take on the genre in general.

“It takes place in our world, but it’s completely different, land masses have changed and rearranged, rivers have changed direction,” Simone explained. “It’s not what you would call a typical English style fantasy.”

Co-created with Walter Geovani, Wonderfall focuses on a young girl named Yala, who lives in this bizarre new future that has a lot of rain forest like terrain, and South American aesthetic. There’s no civilization as we know it left, but villages are rebuilding their lives. New creatures are evolving, the world has changed and our hero, Yala is very curious about everything and wants to explore it all with her two Greyhound dogs.

“In [Yala’s] culture, it’s extremely frowned upon and rude to ask questions,” said Simone. “Yala is so curious that she can’t help herself, so she’s in trouble a lot, and she has this secret power that nobody knows about that they thought was lost when the Fall happened.”

Simone went on to describe the upcoming comic as a unique, gorgeous book that explores what’s important to society and humanity in an entirely different way. While also having a “discovery of self” theme. She also hoped that the comic would be a great kids comic that grown-ups could read too.

“There are a few images online, and you can tell that this is going to be amazing,” Simone said.

Clean Room and Secret Six are available for purchase now, along with her other book Surviving Megaopolis. Wonderfall has not had an official release date yet, but be on the lookout for a release date soon.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

C2E2 Exclusive: Tim Seeley on Grayson

By

Nick Enquist

-

March 20, 2016

Tim Seeley is a veteran of the comic book world with great hits like Hack/Slash, Revival, and Love Bunny and Mr. Hell. Seeley is working at DC with a slew of titles that had great success, most famously is his spy thriller comic he co-writes with Tom King, Grayson. The book has been very successful since its debut, but its future is up in the air with the upcoming DC event Rebirth. While he couldn’t tell much about Dick Grayson’s future, Seeley happily looked back on the series and its success.

“They had a series that they were going to do, but they decided not to go in that direction anymore, so they had a very short amount of time to figure out a new idea,” Seeley said. “And someone at DC said, let’s try a spy idea. So they said, ‘what would you do?’ and I was like oh man I don’t know.”

Seeley eventually found inspiration from the Batman INC series from Grant Morrison and Chris Burham. He found that the organization Spyral would be the perfect venue for Dick Grayson’s new career as a secret agent, and give the agency a new home after Batman INC.

“So, I pitched the idea that Dick should join Spyral, that he was working with Helena Bertinelli,” Seeley explained. “And Tuesday the next week they were like, ‘we like it, we have another pitch we like from a guy who was a novelist, but he was actually in the CIA.”

DC liked both pitches from Seeley and writer/former CIA agent Tom King and had both writers work together on creating the Grayson series. They combined their ideas effectively to create a highly reviewed, entertaining series that was a fresh new take on the character. While the series was full of classic spy tropes, and high-octane adventures, Seeley and King, wanted to incorporate real elements of what being a spy can do to you. Specifically focusing on the ideas of loneliness, and isolation that comes from being in a secret organization.

“Tom’s experience in the CIA was obviously nothing like Spyral, it’s completely not realistic,” Seeley joked. “Except for the moments, he brought where it was like, this is what it’s like to be away from your family and friends. This is what it’s like to not be able to tell anyone what you do anymore.”

Seeley described that the general experience of spies was to sit in a room and wait for a phone call. Certainly against the notion that spies run around getting shot at and having choreographed fights on speeding trains. But, Seeley wanted this comic to balance out the crazy escapist adventures with the real world psychological toll it takes.

“When we could get that genuine emotion, how it really feels to do that stuff,” Seeley said. “I think that’s when we did some of our best stuff.”

While Seeley was more than happy to talk about Dick Grayson’s past, he wasn’t as revealing about the future of Grayson after the upcoming Rebirth event. But, he did assure us that there would be big reveals from DC coming up soon.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 – Episode 5 ‘Kinbaku’

By

Mat Douglas

-

March 19, 2016

“You don’t get to break into my apartment and talk to me about trust” – Matt Murdock

The past comes back to haunt Matt Murdock as a face from the past returns. Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung) makes her debut in this episode and the chemistry between her and Matt (Charlie Cox) is evident from the very beginning. Their relationship is told across two timelines. The present, in which Elektra has returned to ask for Murdock’s legal consul in some dealings with her father’s bad investments with the Roxxon Corporation, and 10 years ago, during Foggy and Matt’s law school days. Whatever happened in that absence has not left Matt thrilled to see his ex-paramour, especially now that a relationship is burgeoning with Karen, having almost kissed at the end of the last episode.

Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) is currently attempting to figure out what happened to Frank Castle’s family since the New York press have him painted as a psychopathic loner with no mention of his family or military history. Visiting Ben Urichs’ old job, the New York Bulletin. With the help of Mitchell Ellison, Karen tracks down an old article reporting a gang shootout between the three gangs that Castle had been targeting, and the dots are connected. Castle’s family was caught in the crossfire, leaving him the only survivor.

Foggy Nelson Matt Murdock — Foggy (Elden Henson)

Foggy (Elden Henson) gets involved as well, dealing with the ADA’s office, who will be handling the prosecution of The Punisher. Getting a visit from ADA Tower, asking for their files on the now dead eyewitness to the Kitchen Irish massacre. Not relenting and sending Tower off empty handed, Foggy meets with his antagonistic but attracted to colleague Marci. Marci has left her previous position and is now at Hogarth, Chao, and Benowitz. One of a number of easter eggs sprinkled throughout the episode, Marci lets Foggy know that the DA wants to make an example of those operating outside the law, so that puts people like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and now Frank Castle in the cross hairs.

Matt’s previous relationship with Elektra and his now current kind of relationship with Karen are polar opposites. Elektra knows of the darkness inside and prods him to embrace it, even going so far as to track down Roscoe Sweeney, the man who murdered his father, and pushing Matt to take his revenge. In Karen, Matt sees the good in the world that he believes in, but doesn’t experience all that much, and wants to hold on to it as fiercely as he can.

Elektra, Matt Murdock — Elektra (Elodie Yung) prepares for visitors

Ending on a tense note, Matt goes to confront Elektra about her purpose in returning to NYC and she reveals she infiltrated Roxxon’s computer systems under the guise of a business meeting. It appears the Yakuza are coming to address that intrusion. She also hasn’t forgotten Matthew’s dark side…opening a bag revealing his Daredevil gear as the episode ends.

Light on the action and heavy on plot movement and character development shows the strength this show has. After 2 episodes of heavy action, ‘Kinbaku’ gives all three of the leads something to chew on. You see Matt’s vulnerability, Karen’s tenacity, and Foggy’s understated confidence at being the smartest guy in the room. There are also plenty of easter eggs with the mentions of HB& C, Jessica Jones, and the Roxxon Corporation (a fictional multi-national in the Marvel Universe).

Daredevil is currently available on Netflix

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 Episode 4 ‘A Soul’s Call to Action’ [Spoilers]

By

Jess Morton

-

March 19, 2016

Episode 4 of Daredevil is the pivotal mid-season finale. Everything seems to get tied up in a neat little bow, beginning and ending with the final word on the Irish Mob. This episode almost answers all the questions such as giving viewers a taste of what could happen with Matt and Karen, and, more importantly, giving some serious background on The Punisher.

But first, the opening scene before the familiar and aesthetically-pleasing title sequence. The series thus far has the format of pushing a vital and shocking scene to set the tone of the episode. Episode 4 opens with a shot of several glasses of, presumably expensive, Scotch neat. It’s a funeral of the Irish brothers massacred in the first episode. Remember the ‘father’ repeatedly mentioned in the first Episode? He’s back in Hell’s Kitchen, and ready to stab through skulls with an ice pick. Literally.

The head of this Irish crime family, Finn, wants retribution for his fallen brothers, his stolen cash, and his son. Finn is terrifying, and everything you’d expect from the head of a top crime organization spread over two continents. The character is played incredibly well by Tony Curran. Curran is most recently known for his role in the sci-fi series Defiance. This episode also shows the Irish mob in action. With all the guns, the violence, and the religious undertones.

The writers of Daredevil picked a good crime family to focus on for the first half of the season. Matt Murdock, The Punisher, and the Irish Mob all connect with their relationship to Catholicism.

Viewers finally get tons of background information on The Punisher. In the previous episode, Matt slowly chipped away at Punisher trying to get intel. It’s been obvious from the beginning the man is ex-military, and viewers finally got confirmation in Episode 3. Now how Karen Page hunts down information on The Punisher is one of her several shining moments. The sequence of Karen in Punisher’s old house gives the anti-hero some humanity and speaks to some of the deeper themes of the series. Daredevil has a habit of adding complexity to some their characters by showing viewers important backstory. The Punisher is one of those characters that need a full backstory. Give the viewers a reason for Punisher’s motivations. Karen’s investigations, along with Jon Bernthal’s fantastic monologue give viewers a glimpse of that backstory.

Disappointingly, Karen hasn’t had as much character development this season. The writers still give Karen her moments, especially in her scene with Blake Tower. It’s also nice to see less victimizing of Karen, and more championing of Karen. At this point in the series, viewers can see how Karen has adapted from her horrifying experiences and pushed herself to become stronger. She’s incredibly important to the story, as she’s tough and resourceful enough to keep Nelson and Murdock afloat. Then it Daredevil has to ruin it by making Karen the love interest.

Of course, several questions still remain unanswered. The suits, what really happened to Punisher’s family, the other crime families who desire to take over Hell’s Kitchen, and, of course, Elektra. There’s still nine episodes left.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Mad & Noisy Brewing’s Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager

By

Michael Bedford

-

March 19, 2016

Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – The Brewery

Mad & Noisy Brewing, named for the nearby confluence of the Mad & Noisy Rivers just outside Creemore, Ontario, is a subsidiary label of Creemore Springs, which in turn has been a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Company since being purchased by the beerglomerate in 2005. Being a part of the Molson Coors family, though, doesn’t seem to have changed Creemore Springs much. The brewery’s independent flair is still evident and is represented well by Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager. Their Mad & Noisy label allows Creemore Springs to produce experimental brews outside its mandate of only producing beers that comply with the Bavarian Purity Law. I was lucky enough to visit the brewery recently and picked up an 8-pack Mad & Noisy Brewing’s Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager fresh off of the line.

Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – First Sip

I take a big sip of this unique lager, and as I drink I notice its sharp aroma of citrus as its initial maltiness gives way to a mouth watering bitterness. Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s medium carbonation level promotes its complex flavours, leaving a sharp aftertaste that lingers long after the beer’s gone. Several hoppy beers rely entirely upon their hoppiness to provide a unique taste. Hops & Bolts, instead, allows its strong notes of caramel and malt to balance out its intense bitterness, making it a beer that’s tough to forget.

Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Last Sip

This isn’t a beer that I’d want to drink quickly but with its amazingly balanced flavour, why would I? Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s slightly cloudy honey-amber hue isn’t to be missed, so I strongly suggest pouring this well-crafted brew into a pint glass before drinking. As anyone who’s read any of my previous beer reviews knows, I tend to like hop-forward brews–I think I’ve probably reviewed about 70% IPAs–so if you’re a fan of the same, I strongly recommend this one. If you’re more of a straight ahead lager fan, check this one out if you’re feeling adventurous but consider yourself warned.

Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Other Comments

As with most sharp-tasting beers, you can’t go wrong having this one with some salty and/or deep-fried foods. At the same time though, Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s balance of malty and bitter make this an ideal beer to have with sweets, especially something chewy like a butter tart or sticky bun. Unlike some other hop-forward beers, this one isn’t exceptionally alcoholic, weighing in at 5.3% ABV where some others come in at 6% or more. That said, please enjoy responsibly. Currently available only in tall cans, a couple of them go a long way.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

The Big Lebowski Themed Brewery Tour In Vanouver

By

Sam Casale

-

March 19, 2016

If you happen to be an avid bowler, an enthusiast for White Russian cocktails, or a fan of the Coen Brother’s cult classic The Big Lebowski, then head on over to Vancouver Canada this march 26th for the first Big Lebowski Brewery and Bowling Tour. Vancouver Brewery Tours is hosting their first ever tour based entirely off the movie The Big Lebowski in which participants will bowl, drink, and even recreate the famous “Gutterballs” scene from the movie (which can be seen here). For those of you who have absolutely no idea what any of this means, The Big Lebowski is a movie that follows Jeffery “The Dude” Lebowski” (played by Jeff Bridges) through what might be the most dynamic plot in cinematic history. The movie itself has no real consistent plot and ultimately comes together in the form of a somewhat questionable yet highly quotable experience. However, what gives this movie significance is the fact that it has spawned an annual festival called Lebowski Fest, a national bowling tournament, and even a religion called “Dudeism” that currently has over 300,000 ordained “Dudeist Priest.” The reasoning behind the commotion stems from The Dude’s philosophy and most famous quote “Take it easy man.” This quote is the essence as the film because no matter what situation The Dude is in, he never looses his cool and takes whatever life throws at him. It seems as though Vancouver finally decided to get in on the action and now for one day, tourists and residents alike can simply “Take it easy man.”

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Jeremy Renner Wants A ‘Hawkeye’ Netflix Series

By

Matthew Sardo

-

March 19, 2016

At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, it appeared that Hawkeye’s time was coming to end. There is still a chance that the archer might not survive Captain America: Civil War.

But…

Today, at the Silicon Valley Comic Con Jeremy Renner turn the Marvel Cinematic Universe on its head with one quote. Renner was asked if he would do a Hawkeye series on Netflix like Daredevil.

“I think that’s actually a really great model, if there’s ever a way to explore the character, maybe it’s in that world. These are things that are really not in my control, but I’d be open to it. I’ve really enjoyed getting to explore the character more recently. The Netflix model is where all the character drama goes to now; you’re doing a superhero movie or a Netflix or HBO kind of model. So I’d be open to it. Not up to me, though,” said Renner.

Hey, Kevin Feige! Make this happen. Cancel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and bring a Hawkeye show to Netflix.

Renner would also like to see a Black Widow and Hawkeye movie.

“In a second. I’d love to do that,” said Renner.

Would you like to see a Hawkeye Netflix series or a Black Widow and Hawkeye movie? Comment below.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 – Episode 3 ‘New York’s Finest’

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

-

March 19, 2016

Episode three of this new season gives Daredevil the classic morality debate between frenemies – Daredevil, chained to a rooftop, as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, prepares to blow up the Dogs of Hell. Frank has been set up this season as the anti-Daredevil, giving the Marvel Netflix realm its own civil war, ahead of the upcoming Captain America film. As Frank puts it to Matt, “You’re one bad day away from being me.” While Frank lets Matt into his head, Frank makes it clear that he’s not trying to be a vigilante superhero – he’s on a mission.

Right from the opening image, of Matt being cleaned up by a nun, his religious convictions are set up for the crux of his argument. Matt tries to appeal to Frank’s better nature, hoping he may believe in the superhero’s code. He even asks if Frank has any connections to Christianity, but Franks shoots him down (not literally, of course). While Matt believes in redemption, Punisher has a soldier’s code. He’s a man on a mission, and he doesn’t care for masks – “[Soldiers] don’t get that privilege.” As much as Matt wants to believe he’s out protecting the city in a fair and just manner, Frank is quick to point out that Matt’s villains get back up, unlike Frank’s targets.

Matt isn’t the only Daredevil character who’s out to see the good in others. Both Foggy and Karen want what’s best for their client Grotto, despite the fact that he’s on the run following their failure to wiretap Grotto’s last Irish contact. Foggy helps out Night Nurse Claire with their excess of gang member patients, handling himself much better than with his Dogs of Hell meeting. Karen tries to appeal to Reyes’ assistant Blake Tower, in order to get more answers about Frank. While Tower’s unwilling to put himself in the fray the way Karen does, he slips her the DA’s file on Frank, which leads to the reveal of Frank’s skull wound in a not-so-subtle nod to his comics costume design. All the respective members of Daredevil’s core cast are trying their hardest to keep above the violence and crime in Hell’s Kitchen.

For Matt, this comes to a head once Frank pulls out Grotto and has him confess to the murder of an old woman. Frank then gives Matt his ultimatum – Matt can either kill Frank before he kills Grotto, or kill Grotto himself. Matt opts for neither, instead shooting his chains off to try and fight Frank one-on-one. Frank does kill Grotto, and blows up a couple of Dogs of Hell bikes, but DD knocks out Frank before he can kill anyone else. This then leads to a great fight scene, as Daredevil uses his chain as a weapon to take out all the gang members by himself, in a fight scene that feels reminiscent of the big fight scene from last season.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66feInucFY[/embedyt]

While Matt is the winner, this time, around, it doesn’t solve the conflict of morality that will likely inform the rest of Daredevil’s second season. With Elektra coming soon, and with Kingpin still alive somewhere, Matt will have to decide which of his enemies he can let live, and which ones he may have to put down for good. On the flip side of that, his conflict with Punisher may put Matt in a situation where he may have to defend more criminals like Grotto. Matt will also have an enemy similar to Punisher in his legal life as DA Reyes is a ruthless player who could pound his firm into dust. And while Matt’s righteousness has kept him alive for one season and three episodes, there’s no doubt that this season will make him decide to turn one way or the other at least once. The only question is who else will end up dead because of his choices.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

C2E2 Exclusive: Spotlight on Eliot Rahal

By

Nick Enquist

-

March 19, 2016

Eliot Rahal is a new name on the comic book writing block, but he’s slowly gaining more steam with his comics through Heavy Metal publishing. He attended C2E2 promoting two of his newest books, The Paybacks and The Doorman at the Heavy Metal booth. He excitedly talked about his newest series, his experiences at Dark Horse, and how he broke into comics as well as his other love of stand up comedy.

Rahal started off doing stand up in Chicago when he was a college student at DePaul University. While he liked comic books, he described himself as a late bloomer and didn’t start reading until he was about 17. He read Garth Ennis’ Punisher run, Y The Last Man, Sandman, Joss Whedon’s X-Men run, and other hits that he loved. But, he didn’t even think about being a comic book writer until his college days.

“I didn’t know it was a job you could get and then when I was in college, I was a pretty active reader, still am, I came across [editorial] internships at Marvel,” said Rahal. “I got the internship, and ever since then I’ve been working on my own stuff, and pushing it out there and trying to fight the good fight.”

His first break was a four issue mini series called The Paybacks through Dark Horse comics. The series focuses on a group of b-list former heroes who repossess items of superheroes who are late on their payments. While it’s a story set in a universe of superheroes, the story is about the heroes who lost.

“Something I like about The Paybacks is that [it’s] telling stories about heroes who lost,” Rahal explained. “These are not… the Supermans, and the Batmans, these are the betas. I like telling stories about people you wouldn’t normally hear stories from.”

Rahal’s other book, The Doorman (written with Late Night show writer, Daniel Kibblesmith and drawn by Kendall Goode) is a sci-fi adventure series that focuses on a series of stargates all over different planets that are operated by elevator operator style “doormen.” Described as a parody of shows like Stargate and Doctor Who, but through a different perspective.
Rahal is attracted to these characters, and ideas because they both seem like background characters. “If you pause the screen for a moment, you realize that, ‘oh my God’ that’s a whole life, and there’s something really to explore there.”

While Rahal loves his comic stories, he also makes a career as a stand up comedian, and finds that the two genres can help each other when they need to. He includes a lot of humor in his books, but he finds that stand up comedy has offered him other tools when it comes to his writing. Particularly when it comes to knowing when and how to end the story when it should.

“Stand up gave me the ability to know when to stop, [when writing a story] whether that story is looking for a way to end itself cleanly,” Rahal explained. “Stand up taught me how to do that. I don’t always follow that in my own stand up, but when I’m objectively looking at other mediums I can apply that knowledge there.”

Eliot Rahal still performs comedy in Minneapolis and wherever he can, and has a slew of shows throughout the weekend of C2E2. One of which is a release party for The Doorman at the comic book store Challengers. You can find out more information about Eliot, his comic books, and his comedy shows at his website.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube