Fuller House is still actually a thing, so much so that they filmed it and they’re putting it on Netflix and everything!
The fullest Fuller House trailer is here. Candace Cameron-Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber stopped by Ellen recently to discuss this latest ill-conceived nostalgia reboot and, once Cameron-Bure was done hijacking the interview, they showed us an extended trailer for the show.
The trailer starts around 2:30, unless you wanna fight through the awkwardness:
The quick synopsis says “D.J. Tanner-Fuller is a widow and mother of three. Things become too much to handle, so she asks for help from her sister Stephanie and her best friend Kimmy.” Because Michelle is apparently still the most self-centered little monster in the whole family and couldn’t be bothered to help out.
All the wonderful (terrible) humor is still in tact it seems, and Kimmie Gibler is so funny with her 90s slang callbacks. L.O.L. But there’s an air of sadness and desperation hanging like a cloud of poor writing over the entire thing. Especially from Jodie Sweetin.
Fuller House premieres on Netflix February 26. So… watch it? I guess. Or don’t.
AMC’s Preacher has added Jackie Earle Haley as Odin Quincannon, one of the comic’s most twisted villains.
The report at i09 describes Odin, via the AMC Press Release, as a “’small, decrepit man with the unscrupulous iron will necessary to be the most powerful man in Annville County, Texas’ who, like his comic book counterpart, runs the slaughterhouse in Salvation.” If anyone can do small and decrepit, it’s Jackie Earle Haley.
Odin Quincannon is easily the most disturbed of the villains in Preacher, and asking him in the first season of the show also hints that storylines will be shuffled around a bit. Odin didn’t appear until later in the series. He also was a little disturbed when it came to meat lying around his slaughterhouse, but the less said about any spoilers of his character (for people who never read the comics) the better.
Preacher doesn’t have an official release date yet, but expect it at the end of 2016 some time.
Daniel Bryan Retires & Authority Drama Ensues On WWE Raw!
Early on Monday, February 8th 2016, former indie wrestler turned WWE superstar Daniel Bryan announced he was retiring. It sent shockwaves on social media & became a talking point heading into Raw that evening.
But like most weeks, this episode of Raw still opens up with Stephanie McMahon and the political drama that is the Authority vs. seemingly everyone. This time it was a contract signing for the WWE Fastlane main event! Stephanie tries to start her promo but ‘Daniel Bryan’ chants fill the arena. Mrs. McMahon-Hemsley attempts to continue but is cut off by Dean Ambrose! She once again goes to speak but Roman Reigns’ music cuts her off. Without fail, the final member of the Fastlane main event Brock Lesnar arrives with Paul Heyman following him.
Heyman grabs the mic and begins to do his introduction but a rather irritated Stephanie cuts him off saying “everyone already knows what your name is”. The three men start signing the contract one by one. The peacefulness ends as Stephanie leaves the ring. Dean gets in Brock’s face so Brock throws him into Roman. Brock then throws a table at Roman and hits his F5 finisher on Dean Ambrose. He leaves the ring and Triple H joins his wife Stephanie on top of the stage to enjoy the drama.
After the fairly standard Raw intro, we get a highlight reel of some of Daniel Bryan’s early work. This seems to be a theme throughout the night; paying respect to the great performer.
Next we get Kevin Owens making his entrance to face off against Dolph Ziggler. These two have fought quite a bit the last few months but their in-ring chemistry is wonderful so it’s always a delight to see. Their match is the usual delightful slugfest but this time Ziggler picks up the win using a little bit of cheating. Owens throws a bit of a hissy fit after the match…this isn’t the last of their feud by a long shot. Will they face off at Fastlane with a stipulation?
Next up is Alicia Fox vs Charlotte. Foxy comes out by herself this week as Brie Bella will be by her husband Daniel Bryan’s side. Charlotte has her father Ric Flair in her corner. The two have a good match; Charlotte always brings some good matches out of Ms. Alicia Fox. I almost feel this would have been a better pairing for a Fastlane match than Charlotte vs. Brie but alas, this Monday night fight shall suffice for now. Charlotte wins with a spear & her submission finisher ‘The Figure 8’.
Up next we have The Miz & his talk-show segment MizTV! He begins to talk about AJ Styles and his encounter with him last week but before he can finish his rant, Chris Jericho interrupts him. Jericho comes out to berate Miz and make fun of his low budget attempt at a talk-show. Chris Jericho suggest they do an episode of his show ‘The Highlight Reel‘ and suddenly, crew members begin to change the set to make it look like Jericho’s show.
Jericho has hijacked now Miz’s segment. The men bicker at one another and that brings out AJ Styles to shut them up. Miz attacks Jericho but Styles runs in for the save. He then faces off with Jericho. These three men have some issues with one another and what a match they will all have.
Next we get one of two “throwaway” matches in a row as Ryback takes on Bray Wyatt. Standard match between the two as Bray picks up the win quickly. No indication that we might be seeing Wyatt family member Braun Strowman fight Big Show at this month’s Fastlane like previous hinted. What will come of the post match attack that Bray and the Wyatt family did to Ryback?
The second throwaway match of the evening was Titus O’ Neil vs. ‘Social Outcast’ Adam Rose. A quick promo followed by a quick win for Adam Rose didn’t add anything to the show.
The hype to see Daniel Bryan is setting in fast…
But before all that, we get Dean calling out Brock Lesnar. The scrappy Ambrose calls Lesnar soft and picks a fight with the much bigger man. As expected, Brock man-handles Dean but the ‘Lunatic‘ Dean doesn’t let up. He even uses a distraction from Roman Reigns’ music to deliver a lowblow to Brock. This was an effective way to promote the upcoming WWE PPV main event during a night where everyone wants to know what will happen to Daniel Bryan. It also helped make Dean Ambrose look like a worthy adversary for ‘The Beast‘ Brock!
We have The League of Nations member’s Alberto Del Rio & Rusev taking on luchadors Kalisto & the returning Sin Cara! Quite the thrilling but short match; the evil pairing of Del Rio & Rusev proved to be a bit too much for the two masked high-flyers. The feud with Alberto Del Rio & Kalisto for the WWE United States title has been losing steam; will they get the fire going again before their match in a few weeks at Fastlane?
In the second women’s wrestling segment of the night, Sasha Banks comes out for commentary while her former tag-team partner Tamina takes on Becky Lynch. Recently, Banks has been helping Lynch and turning her back on her former teammates.
Tamina picks up the win against Becky Lynch, which I think is one of the first singles wins for Tamina in quite some time! It’s also announced at the upcoming PPV Fastlane; the team of Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch will take on Tamina & ally Naomi. I love seeing two separate and solid women’s segments going on during the show.
After The Dudley Boyz & The Usos came together earlier in the night to take on team of The New Day, we get an 8-man tag match with The Dudley & Usos taking on The New Day & Mark Henry in a tables match. The backstage segment of the New Day trio trying to get Mark to join their team was another laugh-out-loud moment from the team. They will be forever entertaining in my eyes. The Dudley Boyz showed aggression throughout the match; something they have seemingly been lacking since their returned. The match ended with Big E of The New Day getting put through a table by The Dudley’s.
But they were not done yet…they suddenly turned on The Usos and put both brothers through a table. This new heel turn from the veteran team of ECW originals will surely help them out with the rest of their run here in WWE. The Boyz work best when they can be aggressive & take no prisoners. I’m looking forward to seeing how the tag-division contiunes to build heading towards Fastlane & Wrestlemania this year.
And now, the moment we all tuned into Raw to see. Daniel Bryan makes his way down to the ring to finally address the fans about his health and his retirement. Not since the great Edge retired in 2011 has the fans and a wrestler been so emotional. Bryan enters the ring and soaks up all the love the crowd has to give him. It’s heartbreaking to see.
Daniel Bryan spoke from the heart and told everyone that he has had a number of concussions over the years. Those concussions have affected him more so than he’d like to admit, which is why he is now retiring. He holds back tears multiple times during this segment. The man has done so much for pro-wrestling in his 16 years as a performer and everyone seemingly loves Daniel Bryan; it’s sad to write about this now. The segment and the show ends with Daniel Bryan shaking hands of fans and wrestlers who have joined him at ringside. His wife Brie Bella joins him and they do the ‘YES, YES, YES’ chant together.
The episode comes to a close and so does the storied career of Daniel Bryan.
Stone Cold was a film written around The Boz (Brian Bosworth), not the other way around. I don’t know if that’s really true, but it sure seems that way. The 1991 biker gang cop action flick, soaked in ultra violence and an unflinching dedication to the Macho-est of Macho Codes, is brutal, nihilistic, and all the Boz anyone ever needed.
Brian Bosworth was one of the greatest college football players in the history of the game, a crushing monster of a linebacker at The University of Oklahoma who mixed speed and strength like no other. Then, he became a slave to his own celebrity, and The Boz was born. The Boz had ridiculous colors and designs cut into his majestic mullet hairdo, he wore crazy sunglasses, and he was all brash bluster, roided to the gills. Once his NFL career fizzled – thanks in no small part to Bo Jackson – The Boz sought a new avenue to push his id on the masses. What better place to show off his biceps than a film about a brazen undercover cop infiltrating a murderous biker gang?
The Boz is Joe Huff, a cop on suspension for being too much of a badass, who we first meet shopping in a grocery store being taken over by maniacal uzi-weilding robbers in a standalone scene, ya know, kind of like James Bond’s opening sequences. Because grocery stores are great spots for armed robbery. Huff foils the robbers with some canned veggies and canola oil and, when the cavalry arrives, he smugly tells them “clean up on aisle five.” This guy is a badass, am I right?!
Huff’s personal life is all about having stunning nude women sleeping in his bed and blending up weird smoothies for his pet Komodo Dragon. Of course. The “cops,” personified by an incredibly germaphobic Sam McMurray (Raising Arizona) come calling again, and they want him to infiltrate a biker gang who is dead set on revenge. Let’s talk about that for a minute… One of the members of this biker gang shotgun blasts a priest through a stained glass window right in the middle of a baptism. There’s never any explanation for it. That’s the sort of morally reprehensible villains we’re dealing with here. When the shooter is sentenced to life in prison, the judge who sentenced him is killed with a bomb in his fishing boat, which seems pointlessly violent. Because it is. Now some hotshot district attorney is trying to get the death penalty for the killer, and the gang needs him wiped out. That’s their entire motivation.
Anyways, The Boz, er, Huff, goes undercover as Joe Stone, and meets both the super villain and his number one henchman. The super villain is Chains, played gleefully by the great Lance Henriksen. His number one guy, Ice (these names are terrific), is an unhinged madman played by unhinged madman go-to, William Forsythe. Ice doesn’t trust “Joe Stone,” but Chains sees merit in having a mountain of muscle in his corner. And here Stone Cold falls into some conventional story plots. I mean, more conventional than everything we’ve had before this. The film transitions from a sweaty biker compound to sweaty nightclubs, to sweaty other stuff. And the action grows increasingly more Gonzo.
In the climactic action set piece, a motorcycle flies up the steps inside a courthouse, down the hallway, and flies through a window, crashing into a helicopter which then bursts into flames and falls to the ground, landing on a police car that also explodes. It’s one of the greatest summations of an entire film in a single moment there has ever been. Stone Cold is big and sweaty and violent and filled with hate; it’s everything a 13-year old boy needs in his movies. Sadly, The Boz never reached these heights again in his acting career. It was certainly a niche group of films he could star in, ones that called for a leading man to be completely devoid of charisma or acting ability. But here, in this one moment in time, The Boz shined brightly on the big screen.
Superhero movies are driving people to actually pick up comics again, some for the first time since childhood, others for the first time ever! Tons of fans look to the source material in order to prepare for an upcoming flick, but what is the best starting place? Here is the Essential Reading for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The Dark Knight Returns
Harry Lennix read an excerpt from this seminal story when Batman v Supermanwas first announced back in 2013. Zack Snyder has stated that the film is heavily influenced by it, and the trailers have confirmed that.
The dark, gritty Batman coming out of retirement. The battle armor. All of that comes from The Dark Knight Returns. It’s the quintessential Batman tale, the one that forever changed the character, and his relationship with Superman is at the core of it. This is necessary reading for anyone going to see Batman v Superman.
Brian Azzarello’s modern day classic is told from the perspective of Lex Luthor. Since Jesse Eisenberg will be playing the iconic villain come March, this miniseries is a great way for new fans to take a look inside his head. It shines a light on his warped sense image, and further develops his reasons behind hating Superman. Luthor is a much richer character than the plain-jane evil billionaire that most casual fans know from 1978’s Superman.
On top of the Luthor analysis, the series has an awesome side story involving both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. It digs into the distrust between him and Superman, and shows exactly how low Bruce is willing to stoop for peace of mind.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Most of the stories on this list involve epic battles between Batman and Superman. “Public Enemies,” on the other hand, shows the heroes at their best: as close friends.
In the first arc of Superman/Batman, the pair are declared enemies of the state by President Lex Luthor. They go on the run, chased by some of their own super-friends, and try to both clear their names and save the day. This is an incredibly enjoyable read that showcases the very best of the characters’ relationship.
Justice League: Origin
The film is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. So, before the Justice League makes its big screen debut, why not read the latest incarnation of its origin? The New 52 gets a lot of flak, but this story is actually one of its best. It exemplifies the strongest aspects of the various League members, like the savagery of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, and the wit of Green Lantern and Flash. And yes, it shows how Superman and Batman meet, and it involves a scuffle.
The duo’s first meeting was also retconned for the New 52 in the first arc of Batman/Superman, which is worth checking out. How did they meet in Justice League AND Batman/Superman, you ask? Read them both and find out.
The Man of Steel
In 1985, DC rebooted their entire line of titles for the first time with Crisis on Infinite Earths. In 1986, they updated Superman’s origin story in The Man of Steel, which became the boy scout’s definitive backstory for 17 years. It’s an iconic miniseries that anyone interested in the character should read.
Issue three brings Batman into the fold, recounting how the two met in the new continuity. It’s not as dark and gritty as DC stories would later become, but it does give a great insight into how Bruce Wayne’s mind works, and how he relates to Clark.
Batman: A Death in the Family
The Batman v Superman trailer shows that Bruce has an old Robin suit on display in the Batcave, defaced with Joker-themed graffiti. Any fan worth his or her salt knows that this suit belongs to Jason Todd, the second Robin, who died ruthlessly at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime. It remains to be seen if Jason’s death will be visited in Dawn of Justice, or perhaps in a Batman solo film, but interested fans can read the original story from the late-80’s now. Keep a box of tissues handy.
See also: Under the Red Hood (a.k.a. the best of the DC Animated films).
Batman: Hush
Hush is a straight-up Batman detective story. However, Superman does cameo in a few issues, and it turns out to be one of the absolute best brawls between the two.
The fight is a prime example of how the Dark Knight is able to hold his own against the Man of Steel. In spite of that, the post-battle conversation between the two is actually even better. It shows just how strong their relationship is, and how deeply they trust one another, despite their differences. Read Hush for the story, the throw-down, and the bromance.
Superman: Red Son
On another Earth, Kal-El’s rocket landed in the Soviet Union, where be becomes the champion of the common worker, fighting a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.
For every Yin, there must be a Yang, so of course there is a Soviet Batman as well. And, just like the regular Dark Knight, he doesn’t trust someone with as much power as Superman. This is a great read just to see the two tussle, but don’t expect to see any story elements in Dawn of Justice.
Dishonorable Mention: The Death of Superman
The Death of Superman is one of the most reviled stories in comic book history. It helped almost kill the entire industry, and forever ruined the concept of death in comics. Don’t believe it? Just watch NerdSync’s video on the topic. The Death of Superman comes into play around the 5:35 mark.
However, this is the introduction of Doomsday, who looks to be the villain that brings the heroes together in Batman v Superman. So read this just to get some basic understanding of where the character comes from. Or, save yourself the pain and watch Max Landis’ (somewhat) amusing short film instead.
DC has also released a trade paperback of Batman and Superman’s greatest battles for just $9.99, but it only contains an issue or two from each story. New time readers are much better off reading the full stories from the list above.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is in theaters March 25, 2016.
Deadpool is an iconic and interesting figure for Marvel, as he represents a rather different type of character. He’s neither fully a hero or villain. He’s both a protagonist and a comic relief. In fact, his comedic, wacky personality contrasts with his profession as an assassin, giving him his “Merc with a Mouth” title. It’s this specific paradox that is explored in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, as Wade Wilson is stripped of his bright demeanor and turned into a true killer.
Cover for the first issue, teasing some of Deadpool’s high-profile targets
The premise of Cullen Bunn’s story is that Deadpool is brainwashed by Fantastic Four villain Psycho-Man, meant to turn him into his minion. Unfortunately, Psycho-Man turns off Deadpool’s humorous brain-boxes and replaces them with the voice of a stone-cold killer. From there, Deadpool goes on to kill Marvel’s more well-known characters – the Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, even the Hulk. It’s a grand show of not just his savagery, but also of his cunning and strategy – he doesn’t just rush out and start stabbing willy-nilly. Instead, he utilizes things like Pym particles, Arcade’s machinations, and Puppet Master’s magic action figures. He manages to take out every adversary thrown in front of him, and by the end, he gets popped into our real life universe, ready to kill the people creating the book. Yeah, way meta.
Cool guys don’t look at explosions.
The turnaround of the character’s goofiness works so well because it’s something that we’ve never really seen before. Sure, we got a taste of a more bloodthirsty Wade Wilson in the Ultimate Universe, but I don’t know many people who stuck with that universe long enough to read that. Out of all the different Deadpools barreling through the multiverse, they’re almost always cracking jokes. It’s the same sort of happy-go-lucky attitude that makes Spider-Man so lovable, and why Deadpool often teams up with the webhead (including their new series!) What makes this concept work so well is that every aspect of the Deadpool we know and love is flipped on its head – including his constant fourth-wall-breaking dialogue. As Deadpool realizes he’s the only person who knows he’s a comic book character, he knows the only real way to kill all Marvel characters – including himself – is to go to the source. It’s why he kills his own writers, and why he tries to kill famous literary characters in the sequel story, Deadpool: Killustrated. It’s what makes this story so deliciously dark – he’s no longer a joke, he’s The Joker. He’s a focused assassin, trying to wipe every hero out of existence, and he’s real good at it.
While Fox’s film, coming out this Friday, seems to be a fantastic take on the character we know and love, true believers should definitely give Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe a read. For those interested, you’ve still got plenty of time to read the full bloody trilogy before this weekend, along with these five other great storylines.
Studiocanal released the international trailer for the thriller High-Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston. The film is an adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s novel, directed by Ben Wheatley.
The last time I felt goosebumps like that was after I saw the trailer for Drive. There is something about 70s computer music that is calming and uneasy all at the same time.
1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Robert Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the lifts fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea. Only much later, as he sits on his balcony eating the architect’s dog, does Dr. Robert Laing finally feel at home…..
High-Rise stars Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss.
The film will be available overseas on March 18 and then in the US on April 28.
Daniel Gerson has passed away today after struggling against brain cancer. Gerson co-wrote scripts such as Monsters Inc., Monsters Universityand Big Hero 6.He also provided additional story material for the likes of Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. Let’s look back at some of the films he was involved in.
Monsters Inc. is now known as something of a classic. Like the best of Pixar it’s imaginative, funny and surprisingly emotional. Gerson joined forces with Andrew Stanton to craft the final screenplay for the film. What’s amazing about most of Pixar’s films is how clean they feel in their storytelling. So many movies, even the great ones, you can sort of see the seams of the process, but this is not easily found in Pixar’s work. Part of that is the great effort the likes of Gerson put into the script. He also wrote the script for the sequel, Monsters University, and although it’s not in the same league of high-quality sequels such as the Toy Story 2 and 3, it was very worthy of its predecessor. It transformed a lot of the first movie’s pathos into something different and successfully funny and moving, with many memorable hilarious moments of its own.
His latest achievement was the screenplay for Big Hero 6. Much like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen,Big Hero 6has been seen as its own kind of resurrection for Disney animation, bringing back the sort of quality in storytelling and visuals (albeit CG) that people expected of Disney during its golden era. Big Hero 6 not only is a great superhero movie, but it’s also a great film about friendship. Watching it, I thought that I could see a movie about these characters just hanging out and it still could be a great film, simply because of the quality and appeal of the characters and the world they’re in.
With these films, Daniel Gerson has left his mark in the animation world. His writing collaborations with the likes of Disney and Pixar are a testament to his talent and the nature of collaborative filmmaking that although standard, it doesn’t always leave behind these sort of gems. He will be missed.
“Are you comfortable with the content in Deadpool? He is Rated T+.”
Even on the slowest day of the week, we will ask this question a minimum of five times at the store. With over 300 ongoing or limited-series titles covering our comic wall all with teen plus ratings, it is not surprising that this question has become a requirement. What is surprising, however, is the amount of confused looks from parents we receive.
Over the past 77 years comics have been filled with messages towards the political agenda, adult themes and bad guys with maniacal plans to take over the world. But before the 1980’s any improper joke would go over a child’s head, imagery was less outright sexual or violent and the attitudes of the superheroes were far more chummy. Then there were also the comic based media characters like Adam West’s 1966 Batman or Christopher Reeve’s 1978 Superman. These superheroes were pictured more as boy scouts than crime fighters. They laughed in the face of evil, voiced a silly quip, escaped the villain’s trap and always, always saved the day.
But those are no longer our superheroes. Captain America has gone from punching Hitler in the face to a man in his 70’s still holding on to his soldier mentality. And Superman went from saving Lois Lane from burning buildings followed by playful flirting to having sexual forays with Wonder Woman before running off to join the Justice League.
Though many of the underlying themes may not have changed, the comic industry as a whole has. Superheroes are still saving the world from evil but instead of a pun and a good punch to the jaw it is with graphic violence, sexual overtones and honest language. This makes for a far more entertaining story-line with our ever expanding acceptance to realism in both the fictional and non-fictional realms, but is creating a huge gap between mature and all-age titles.
“My kids love Deadpool! They have all his stuff; clothes, backpacks, toys. I am sure the content cannot be that bad if they sell his product to kids!”
My jaw dropped when I heard that response. The woman was standing with one of her aforementioned children who MIGHT have been six-years-old. My staff and I are not the type of people to ever tell a parent how to raise their kids. It is not our place. So the moment a parent approves their children reading books at all maturity levels, we back off. But we always double check when parents, understandably, cannot believe (or never even considered) a book’s rating when characters as graphic as Deadpool are marketed to their children. At those points we usually dwindle just long enough to explain the character’s contents before walking away. And the difference between explaining that a book is rated teen and explaining that Deadpool’s upcoming film is rated a hard R often causes the parent to question the book.
Deadpool has been a PG13+ character (we only suggest him to 15+) since his inception in The New Mutants #98 (1991). His creators Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld have often fielded questions about his adult language (which Deadpool even mocks during an appearance in Wolverine Origins #23), aggressively comedic attitude and even his sexual orientation. He breaks the fourth wall, makes penis jokes and kills with a passion. He can be hilarious and obnoxious at the same. All and all, that equates to some of the best lose-yourself, empty-your-mind reading currently available. But it is specifically aimed at mature readers.
Yet Deadpool is not the only character that should be the hot seat. As a devote Bat-Family fan, it is hard to not be able to offer kids some of the best Bat-titles that have been on the market in years. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman (N52) has been a page turning, event filled, mind trip. But I cannot offer it to children. Batman has been fighting conspiracy, gangs and super villains in Gotham for 76 years, but the reality Snyder and Capullo’s series carries is far too much for a child to comprehend. Besides, Death of the Family (Batman N52 Vol 3) is one of the most graphically dark Joker-centric Bat-books. EVER! But that is not all, in 1988’s Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin, the DC Comics fan base actually phoned in a 1-900 number and decided whether or not to kill off Jason Todd, the second Robin. If you have not read it yet, spoiler: He dies!
And I have not even touched on titles from small-press and independent publishers. These books will have a multitude of themes ranging from space operas like Bryan K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple’s Saga to historically based graphic novels, such as Art Spiegelman’s 1991 series Maus, a biographical comic based on his father’s Holocaust Survival story. (A book that is still required reading in thousands of High Schools across the United States.) Or even to books like Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead. A series that was received so well AMC snatched it up and turned it into one of the most popular television shows currently on television. But there is a large dissimilarity between allowing your kids to watch a cable regulated television show and a non-restricted creator own comic book series.
Yet, the problem does not simply lay with a lack of knowledge of the rating system. It truly goes back to marketing. Stores like Hot Topic have almost as much Walking Dead product as Harry Potter and, no matter the rating nor her limited amount of clothing, Harley Quinn toys and merchandise are available in stores like Target and Toys ‘R Us. Then, like so many other things, it circles back to Deadpool.
Marvel has put his face on everything. Clothing, school supplies plus every sort of toy and statue imaginable. He is also available as a playable character in LEGO Marvel’s Super Heroes which has only carries an E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) rating. The unrated YouTube videos featuring scenes from his self-named M (Mature) rated video game are only a Google search away. And he has even made a guest appearance in DisneyXD’s Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-man. With his easy accessibility, can it be considered unreasonable that children would not be interested in Deadpool? Why wouldn’t they want to read a book centered on an outspoken, sometimes sexually driven, unkillable, gun-happy Mercenary?
At my store, we have fifty feet of comic racks hosting over 300 titles. A few of them can, potentially, be glanced through by pre-teens, but none of them are truly considered appropriate for all ages. No, not even Boom! Studios Jem and the Holograms, just ask their creators! With mass marketed characters like Deadpool but only meant for enjoyment by a specific demographic, this only creates frustration and widening gap in the market.
But! Even though the hole is only getting deeper, there are still a few options for your kids. Whenever you stop into your local comic’s retailer please ask for assistance. We love showing off our comic knowledge and will happily help you find something for your child. Even for the young Deadpool fan:
Just in time for the opening of his upcoming film, Marvel released the Deadpool and Woverine Digest appropriate for all ages. Well, really it is more kids eight-years and up. The book has four separate, previously printed, mini-stories: two Deadpool and two Wolverine (also considered a mature-only character). The wording is not only plentiful and may become too much for smaller children, the font is also too tiny for newer readers. There is also the fact one of the characters uses guns and swords as their main fighting tools and, though the word “kill” is never actually used, Deadpool is Deadpool and he outwardly admits that he is a Mercenary. But, for those kids really desperate to try a Deadpool book, it is only $9.99 and does not have any heavy themes that require much explanation or an over abundance of violence. A perfect pick-up for your would-be Deadpool fan!
Make sure to ask about it at your local comics retailer today!
A second trailer for the film The Jungle Book was part of Sunday’s Super Bowl 50, and it touches on several familiar plot points. We see Mowgli flee his wolf-den home after the Bengal tiger, Shere Khan, threatens to enforce the law of the jungle food chain. The man-cub is aided by his friends Baloo the bear and Bagheera, a black panther who insists on reuniting Mowgli with other humans.
The Jungle Book, which also stars (the voices of) Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken, and Giancarlo Esposito, swings into theaters April 15.
