Sharks. These carnivorous creatures of the seven seas peak our interests and swim through our nightmares. Since Steven Spielberg brought Jaws to the silver screen in 1975, generations of people have been hesitant to even dip their feet in the ocean. And it didn’t stop there. The demand for sharks in popular culture has ebbed and flowed over the decades, with a need to ramp up the terror and camp in how they are presented on screen. There have been giant sharks, cartoon sharks, smart sharks, sharks with frickin’ laser beams on their heads, billionaire sharks, sharknados, and prehistoric sharks, to name a few.
Where can they possibly take sharks next? Were you thinking of an intelligent, weaponized, flying, augmented shark built in a secret government facility? Then you might want to pick up this new comic book.
Written and illustrated by Ben Lacy, with lettering by Nikki Powers – this is Shark of War #1.
Story
It’s Jaws if the shark were the hero. It’s Robocop if the cop were a shark. After a massive bioengineered shark escapes a secret military lab, he makes himself the law of the sea. Able to fly, bullet proof, and armed with guns and teeth, he cuts a swath through the bad guys. But the Mob and the evil scientist who created him have a plan to stop him – make even more dangerous creatures.
This book was clearly written by someone with an engineering background. Such is the case with Ben Lacy, who utilizes 30 years worth of knowledge and professional experience to craft the story and dialogue of Shark of War. There is a considerable amount of technical and military jargon. Mix that with camp and excessive violence, which this book is chock full of, and Shark of War fits perfectly in with this recent era of over-the-top shark sci-fi like The Meg and Sharknado.
Art
Lacy’s artwork is a unique choice. You won’t find any traditional comic book line work here. Instead, he opts for computer generated characters and scenery, akin to The Sims. This untraditional artwork style only adds to the exaggeration and campiness that you’ll find in Shark of War. It’s also a testament to creator Ben Lacy, who wanted to make a comic book, and turned to what he knew best to create the artwork – computers. Indie comic book creators, take note. If you have an idea and are passionate about it, do anything you can to get it done and out there.
Conclusion
Show your love for indie comics by supporting Shark of War #1 on Kickstarter. You can also follow the book on its Facebook page for updates and extra tidbits.
Are you an indie creator with a recently published comic book, or one that you’re crowdsourcing? Let us know!
If there is one person who should see VFW, it’s John Carpenter because this movie feels like a love letter to him and his previous work. VFW is a throwback to past grindhouse films that offered some of the best practical effects that you won’t find today. An absolute bloody treat from start to finish and it’s carried amazingly by a group of veteran actors, VFW is sure to go down as a cult classic if it finds the right following.
Director Joe Begos, who has been cranking out some decent indie films over the past few years returns with another home run. VFW takes place in a society suffering from the spread of a fictional drug called Hype. This drug has become an obsession for many, lead to the destruction of towns, and it will become a problem for a group of Vietnam veterans. After a teen steals a stash from local drug dealers and wanders into a VFW post, the vets are forced to defend their turf and the girl. Directed by Begos, and written by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle VFW stars Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, William Sadler, George Wendt, Martin Kove, Sierra McCormick, Tom Williamson, and Travis Hammer.
Fred Williamson, William Sadler, Stephen Lang, Sierra McCormick, and Tom Williamson in VFW
One error in this film is how all the characters are not that developed at all, you spend enough time with them, but you never learn much about these veterans other than they are all old pals and it’s someone’s birthday. However, for a film that keeps it so simple and straightforward, that is enough for the film to work, but not enough to find any investment in these characters. McArdle & Brallier’s screenplay could have been more complex and engaging, but what they put together is still worthy of praise. In this word, America has become a war zone of sorts thanks to the spread of hype, which turns its users violent and desperate for their next fix.
During a night at their local VFW, veterans Fred (Lang), Abe (Williamson), Thomas (Wendt), Lou (Kove), and Shawn (Williamson) are celebrating friendship and Fred’s birthday until Lizard (McCormick) stumbles into their bar with a bag of stolen drugs from Boz (Hammer) and his peers. A local drug dealer in the area, Boz wants his merchandise back, but things become more personal once his brother is killed. From there, McArdle & Brallier put viewers through a gory, action-packed thriller with over the top kills that feels like a loose remake of Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13. VFW moves very fast and has some gritty dialogue for fans of grindhouse films to enjoy.
Stephen Lang as Fred in VFW
Our group of veteran actors gives stellar performances across the board, and Lang just has too much fun with his role. He has a well-established career, but more recently he is known for his portrayal of the blind man in 2016’s Don’t Breathe and in VFW he channels the violence of that character and much more. There is a point in the film where he comes face to face with Hammer’s character Boz and he threatens to cut his heart out in a way that will send chills down your spine. The way Lang delivers his lines and carries the character of Fred makes this a very good performance. Williamson, more specifically Fred Williamson stars alongside his son and the chemistry between them is unmatched.
Begos directs this film with ease, he will keep viewers on the edge of their seat all the way through till the final credits. He has been making quite an impact with indie films and he is a master at having a vision for a film and knowing what to do to make that vision come to life. The cinematography by Mike Testin and Steve Moore’s score is also well done, but Moore’s synth score, which is very much like Carpenter helps elevate the tension in this film. One thing that could have been handled a bit better is the lighting, there a few shots in VFW that are just too dark to make out what is happening, but the different shades of red and blue throughout were great to see.
Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson in VFW
VFW is a barn burner of a film that holds no punches and its one of the best films out right now. It is always great to see a film rely heavily on practical effects for its gore because it just proves that CGI doesn’t always need to be used. Also, it turns out that watching a group of war veterans battle drug dealers and their army of junkies is very entertaining. An obvious love letter to Carpenter, VFW is a relentless, blood-drenched action thriller that doesn’t let up.
Welcome to PANEL BREAKDOWN, a weekly series where we take a look at our favorite panels of a comic book. This week we are talking about the new Marvel Comics series Wolverine #1 “Catacombs,” written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic, colors by Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit’s letters.
Bogdanovic brings a 90s style to his Wolverine with deep dark emotion.
Part 2 – Viktor Bogdanovic
Part 1 – Adam Kubert
Did you pick up Wolverine #1 this past Wednesday, or did the $7.99 price-tag scare you off? Comment below with your thoughts.
Director Zoé Wittock unveiled a new film at Sundance that uses our love for inanimate objects to weave a beautiful story about love and friendship. To help make the motion picture come to life was cinematographer Thoma Buelens.
Jumbo stars Noémie Merlant alongside one of the most iconic amusement park attractions imaginable — a Ferris wheel. In the film, Merlant plays Jeanne, the janitor at an amusement park with Jumbo, the Ferris wheel, at its center. Jeanne and Jumbo form a relationship of sorts. Things get surreal and maybe a little erotic from there.
PopAxiom caught Thomas between the amusement park and World War I to talk about his road to taking the moving pictures that make a movie what it is.
It’s In The Blood
Thomas is a native of Belgium who credits his love for photography to a past that’s alive in his veins. “It was a little bit pre-wired in my DNA. If I go way back, my grandfather worked in a steel mill in the early 20th century, he had a passion for photography.”
Thomas’ grandmother changed the course of destiny. “My grandmother was a really savvy businesswoman, she suggested they move to the city and open a photography shop, and they actually did it. It was successful, and by the 1950s, they were the biggest sellers of photo gear in the area.”
Though part of a photographic family, Thomas admits, “I wasn’t pushed into photography. I got into skateboarding. I was interested in the skateboarding magazines, and in there was all this artistic photography.”
Thomas’ modern love — skateboarding — met the family business. “My father taught me the basics, and I learned it was easy for me to take nice pictures.”
The Right Brothers
The jump from photography to cinematography required a combination of brothers to create a spark. “One evening, when I was around 16 or 17, I get a call from my brother-in-law about a movie on TV that I should watch. It was The Big Lebowski by the Cohen Brothers.”
The spark created a career that’s now 11 credits deep and counting. “I was a regular kid. I didn’t know anything about cinema. I was into Jurassic Park and Independence Day. I watched that movie [Big Lebowski] … my eyes opened. I stopped skateboarding the same week, went into making a short film, and never looked back.”
Thomas started to do his cinematic homework. “I discovered all the Cohen Brothers films, Hitchcock, and on. The masters. I found out you could study [filmmaking], and by the time I was 20, I was doing internships on sets.”
Thomas was in school while also following his passion and the time came to have a conversation. “I sat my parents down in a Chinese Restaurant and told them, ‘If I pass these Christmas exams, I’ll keep studying, but if I fail, I’ll just go and work in cinema.”
The emerging cinematographer’s final grade was an F, as in ‘fate.’ “The day after that conversation, I got a call from the biggest film production company in Belgium who wanted me to come do set photography. I went to the exams and just filled out my name.”
About Jumbo
A bunch of short films, commercials, and features later, Jumbo appeared. “The script came through my agent who reached out to me. I read it and saw huge photographic potential.”
Thomas went through his usual process while reading a script. “… I go through visual references, but I don’t show it to the director right away. I want to get in their minds and their vision for how they see the movie.”
During his interview with Jumbo director Zoé, “… I saw that it was going in the same direction as my references … I showed her my references, and she was surprised. More than fifty percent of references she put together for herself was the same.”
Needless to say, the pair hit it off. “She has a really strong vision and great experience. It was a nice match.”
As one might imagine, shooting a film that heavily involves a Ferris wheel is no simple task. “One of the biggest challenges was really making Jumbo come to life. It’s an inanimate object, but there’s a lot of interaction between Noémie and Jumbo.”
Making the giant wheel come to life was priority number one. “Light is emotion. We added an enormous amount of lights on it. We had to program over 160 lights onto Jumbo.”
The team got together to give Jumbo a heart. “I worked closely together with Zoe and our amazing production designer William Abelo to attach lights onto Jumbo that could change colors in all the ways we wanted. It was a huge challenge to have it all planned out in such a short period of shooting.” Jumbo was filmed in 30 days.
Jumbo Feels
On such a tight schedule, Thomas talks about how they decided on Jumbo’s feelings. “We didn’t have a lot of ‘test days’ so we had one evening where we programmed Jumbo and said, ‘Ok, this is its happy lighting; this is sad; this is shocked.’ That was quite complex …”
On top of the programmed lights, Thomas explains the other bright side. “On top of the programmed lights, we had the film lights, we had to program them as well to work with the lights on Jumbo.”
Now that Jumbo could feel, there was the matter of making the movie. “There’s a scene where Noémie crawls up on Jumbo … It’s eight to nine meters high [26-29 feet]; we had to have stunt cranes and a special crane with the camera.”
In the end, Thomas says, “All of this was a challenge, but it’s what makes a day exciting.”
Collaboration
No matter the size, 99.9 percent of all film crews require teamwork to succeed. “To me, costume design and production design are so important. In a way, even more, important than cinematography because I can only capture what’s in front of the camera.”
Thomas tells us about his work with production design. “In this film, I had a close relationship with William, and we talked in detail about all the colors and textures of things. That makes me a better cinematographer.”
A goal of the film, Thomas says, was “… to not make the film too magical, keep it realistic. We called it ‘Enhanced Realism.’”
Jumbo was a very real Ferris wheel. “We tried to capture as much as possible in-camera. But we did plenty of CGI … there’s some interaction with oil, we did a lot of tests in-camera as a reference for the CGI artist.”
Wrapping Up
Thomas shares some of the joy he feels about making movies. “When you dream of a shot months in advance and then it’s on the monitor, and you can show it to other people, the hairs on your arm stand up. That’s the best feeling in cinema.”
Outside of the DNA that directed him to this business, cinematographers like Roger Deakins are an influence on Thomas. An even more significant influence though is Robert Richardson. “He has such a vast array of styles. One of my favorite movies is Snow Falling on Cedar. It’s such an amazingly shot film. If you compare that with Nixon, there’s such a difference but still beautiful.”
Thomas continues, “Greig Fraser is another one. He really captures something that was a reference for me on this film. The movie Killing Them Softly, which has that ‘enhanced realism,’ it has this documentary feel … but still quite cinematic. It’s one of the reasons we shot on anamorphic.”
“I’m a big fan of anamorphic,” Thomas says, “I shoot about 80 percent of my stuff, features, and commercials, on anamorphic. It gives you a little more scope in a realistic setting.”
What remake would Thomas like to shoot? “I’m always a little afraid of remakes. Mostly, I think, don’t mess with the original. I do believe in sequels, so, imagine, a sequel to something like Seven or Big Lebowski, that would be amazing to have a chance at that.”
Jumbo premiered at Sundance. So, what’s next? “I’m heading off to Tokyo to shoot a commercial, then I’m on pre-production for a World War I movie, which I cannot go into detail quite yet.”
Will you be watching Jumbo?
Thanks to Thomas Buelens and Impact 24 PR for making this interview possible.
Want to read more interviews like this? CLICK HERE.
Gotham is changing for the better, but something is standing in the way. The biggest villains of Gotham have prepared a plan to take down Bruce Wayne. The mastermind of this plan, the Designer, has also made it a point to target his co-conspirators. The first step of the master plan is to hire five of the deadliest killers, lead by Deathstroke. While Batman first captures them, Penguin frees them, only to have them turn and try to kill him. Batman lets the killers get away while Penguin exposits what is going on. What’s going to happen to the caped crusader?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
We open with Penguin flopping into the hospital, demanding the staff see his wound. He tells them that they need to be ready for a fight in case the assassins know he lives. Across town, Batman takes on the lesser-known assassins, eventually leading him to Riddler’s abandoned hideout. He activates a recording, and we see the Designer of the master plan kidnapping Riddler.
Meanwhile, Catwoman and Harley fight off Joker’s gang at the graveyard, discussing how the former will tell Batman her involvement. Before they can get too into it, however, Merlyn and Shiva arrive to try and kill Catwoman. All the while, a new right-hand woman of Joker watches on.
The highlight of the story is the action-heavy sequences with Batman. The past few issues have had us cut away from the action, missing out on the best part of having Deathstroke and the assassins. While we don’t get cool fights with the big names, Batman’s fight with Gunsmith, along with his backstory, has me on the edge of my seat. Along with that, Harley and Catwoman’s fight at the graveyard makes for entertaining viewing.
The problem is that, while fun, it doesn’t really push the story forward. We got the reveal of the Designer, but since the video he’s seen on is muted, we don’t really get a chance to know his character. We’re basically at the same point we were since the end of the first issue. Even the ending can’t get me too excited. We don’t know if it’s part of the current story or setting up for a future arc! I want to get excited about this story. It has so much potential for being one of the best Batman stories. Something needs to be done to fix the pacing or risk failing the series.
Art:
The art continues to do the heavy lifting for the series. Guillem March and Carlo Pagulayan team up for one of the best drawn Batman issues since the start of Rebirth. Every character is well-drawn, and even sillier characters have a menace about them. The Designer is utterly ridiculous, but it has a charm and mystery about it that makes me want to learn more. The colorwork is also well done, giving this chilling vibe as the plot thickens. The art keeps on giving even if the plot doesn’t.
Conclusion:
Overall, we keep running into the same problem this new run has been having: pacing. We do get some sweet action sequences and a neat reveal of the Designer. But all that flash doesn’t provide enough substance to get a reader invested. The art team continues to pull the heavy lifting, giving fantastic designs for characters across the board. A comic can only stand on good visuals for so long, and Batman needs to thrive. The story definitely has the potential of being one of the best, but it needs to pick up the pace. Hopefully, Selina talking to Bruce will fix that, but it seems unlikely.
Image Comics has unveiled the first look at their new series Adventureman, from the all-star team of writer Matt Fraction and artists Terry and Rachel Dodson. The title will be Fraction’s third for Image — joining Sex Criminals and November — along with Jimmy Olsen at DC.
The series seems like it will both hearken back to old pulp stories (along the lines of Indiana Jones and The Rocketeer), while at the same time being firmly planted in the modern world. Here’s the description:
The story of beloved pulp hero “Adventureman” ended with a never-resolved cliffhanger for his legion of fans as their hero faced execution at the vile hand of his ultra-nemesis “Baron Bizarre.” And now, eighty years later, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy seem to be the only two people alive that remember the thrilling Adventureman sagas… but from that memory burns the spark of… resurrection. What if it was all true? What if it all really happened? And what if it was happening again? Where his story ended… her story begins!
Check out the full press release below:
PORTLAND, Ore. 2.19.2020 — New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award winning writer Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals, Hawkeye), artist Terry Dodson (X-Men/Fantastic Four), and Rachel Dodson (X-Men/Fantastic Four) team up for an all-new, ongoing adventure series—Adventureman—from Image Comics this April beginning with a massively extra length and wildly affordable first issue.
“Terry and Rachel and I have been working together a long time on Adventureman and I’m thrilled our giant baby is finally ready for the world. It’s a high-flying, senses-obliterating, earth-shaking, imagination-quaking, adventure and we can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said Fraction.
The story of beloved pulp hero “Adventureman” ended with a never-resolved cliff-hanger for his legion of fans as their hero faced execution at the vile hand of his ultra-nemesis “Baron Bizarre.” And now, eighty years later, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy seem to be the only two people alive that remember the thrilling Adventureman sagas… but from that memory burns the spark of… resurrection. What if it was all true? What if it all really happened? And what if it was happening again? Where his story ended… her story begins!
Dodson added: “Creating Adventureman has been a heck of a journey! It’s been an amazing opportunity to develop new worlds of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Worlds inhabited by enduring and believable characters, making a family. This project allows me to tick off numerous ‘wants’ on my creative list! I hope everyone enjoys the ride as much as we did making it.”
Blending high-octane pulp action, low-flying dirigibles and more art-deco rayguns than you could shake a walking stick at, Adventureman kicks off with a 64 page issue filled to the brim with action and intrigue for the introductory cover price of $3.99.
Adventureman #1 (Diamond Code FEB200011) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, April 29.
Adventureman #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including the official Image Comics iOS app, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.
Amazing Spider-Man #40 hits your local comic book shop on February 26, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive preview for you.
The book is written by Nick Spencer, with art by Iban Coello & Zé Carlos. Ryan Ottley and Nathan Fairbairn worked on the cover. Brian Reber & Pete Pantazis were the colorists on the issue, and you will read Joe Caramagna’s letter work.
About Amazing Spider-Man #40: J. Jonah Jameson’s new gig has proven to be nothing but trouble for Spidey. As you are well aware, JJJ doesn’t take “no” for an answer, so even if Spidey is knee-deep in a world-saving situation, JJJ will always be there to “help” him. But while Spidey is dealing with JJJ and Chance, something is brewing with Kindred and it can’t bode well for Peter.
Where does Spencer rank as a Spider-Man writer? Comment below with your thoughts.
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Peter Parker and Spider-Man with his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962). Amazing Spider-Man #1 hit the newsstand in March back in 1963. David Michelinie and Mike Harris created the villain Chance who first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #15 (June 1986).
Fantasy Island, a film directed and written by the same person who is responsible for 2018’s abysmal Truth or Dare. Blumhouse really needs to stop prefacing these atrocious films as if hot garbage is something to be celebrated. Not only does Fantasy Island fail to deliver, but it also bypasses logic for nonsense and gaping plot holes galore. A premise that was interesting, but ultimately fumbles in every which way possible.
Based on the late 70’s show of the same name, this horror reimagining of Fantasy Island centers on a group of guests at a remote tropical resort where their wildest dreams are brought to life in the form of nightmares. Directed and written by Jeff Wadlow, Fantasy Island stars Michael Pena, Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday, Ryan Hansen, Austin Stowell, Jimmy Yang, and Maggie Q. Honestly, this film will probably be so bad its good for many but I am not one of those individuals. Also, if Wadlow is going to create a running gag of casting Hale in all of his future films, then that will probably be the best indicator that the film is not worth seeing.
Patrick, Gwen, J.D., Brax, and Melanie arrive at Fantasy Island
It seems like every Valentine’s Day a horror film releases and it either becomes a classic like Silence of the Lambs, or it is completely forgettable like Fantasy Island. It would be nice to sit down and speak with the individual who greenlit this project because this film is a complete mess in its writing department. The happenings on the island are all orchestrated or overseen by Mr. Roarke (Pena) and with each twist and turn, the story becomes so illogical and disregards everything that happened prior to tell a brand new story almost. The group of guests consists of Melanie (Hale), Gwen (Q), J.D. (Hansen), Brax (Yang), Patrick (Stowell).
Each with their own personal fantasy and the island grants it upon discussion with Mr. Roarke. Melanie wants revenge on a childhood bully, Sloane (Doubleday) who for some reason was already on the island prior to Melanie’s arrival. This is just one of the minor things wrong with the film as it unfolds. Gwen wants a chance to say yes to a proposal she denied after one year of dating. J.D. and Brax are the two comic relief characters who just want to party with girls and homosexual men. Patrick is looking to meet his deceased father again, as he died serving the country when Patrick was small. Now, none of the characters are really fleshed out other than Melanie because the film spends time resolving her childhood trauma more than any of the other fantasies.
Portia Doubleday and Lucy Hale in Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
Aside from that, the dialogue between these characters comes off as cringe at best and it is just so awful to hear. Getting into the baffling logic, each guest is revealed to be connected to each other from a past event, and a mastermind, of course, is responsible for this one ultimate revenge fantasy. Wadlow’s screenplay suffers here because none of the guest fantasies came to life until they were on the island. It is stated that the guests won a contest to be on the island, so how this mastermind got a fantasy like this to work without being on the island is ridiculous and nonsensical. Also, the twist is so irrational it renders every scene prior unnecessary because if it’s all one big revenge fantasy then there was no need to have the guest go through their own personal fantasies in between.
Lucy Hale as Melanie in Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
On a more positive note, Hale and Q give the best performances here and everyone else just feels uninspired and disingenuous. Pena’s Portrayal of Mr. Roarke is very flat and one dimensional, but so are most of the characters on screen so I guess he was matching the energy of his character and co-stars. Q probably should have been the lead actress, but her arc wasn’t as relevant to the plot in the end. None of the character arcs are relevant until their connection is revealed and it factors into the twist. Again, it is as if a whole different script should have been written to make sense out of the twist because it just shatters the film to pieces logically. Doubleday is great in the series Mr. Robot, but here her character is mishandled, she gives a decent enough performance but still very flat.
Wadlow’s direction is fine, he captures the film wonderfully but everything becomes undone by the script and weak performances. He is capable of directing, but it’s best he leave the writing to someone more talented. The score in Fantasy Island by Bear McCreary is a perfect match for the premise and setting of the film, and McCreary was also responsible for the recent score for Child’s Play, so it wasn’t surprising that he delivered in the sound department yet again. If there is one component that is near perfect for this film, it will definitely go to its score.
Much to no one’s surprise, Fantasy Island is an abomination overall simply because the writing and the acting just aren’t up to par with all the other filmmaking components. Perhaps if someone took the time to make sure the script made sense, the film would have been better. Unfortunately what we have here is yet another crash and burn film that was poorly executed. Fantasy Island had potential, so it’s just frustrating to see that it was squandered for nonsense and a cash grab attempt.
Artemis and the Assassin #1 hits your local comic book store on March 18, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a first look at the interiors of the issue.
The book is written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Meghan Hetrick and Francesca Fantini, colors by Lauren Affe, and letters by Troy Peteri. Phil Hester is the cover artist.
About Artemis and the Assassin #1: What happens when a time-traveling assassin and a spy from 1944 try to kill each other?
For a price, a top-secret assassination organization will travel through time and interfere with watershed moments. Trained as the agency’s top Assassin, Maya is sent to kill Virginia Hall, the deadliest spy of WWII. Charged with carrying important plans about the invasion of Normandy to the Allied troops, Virginia’s death would have a cataclysmic effect on WWII as we know it.
If you like what you see, make sure to let your shop owner know as the final cut off for orders is next Tuesday, February 24.
Check out the first look below
Are you going to add Artemis and the Assassin #1 to your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
The Robot Revolution continues in Machine Man 2020 #1 thanks to Christos Gage, Andy MacDonald, Dono Sanchez-Alamara, Tom Delfaro, Mike Hawthrone, Andriano DiBenedetto, and Erick Arciniega. Does this outing with X-51, the Machine Man run seamlessly or does it need a reboot?
The A.I. uprising has begun, and Machine Man finds himself torn about his place in the revolution! As the battle rages around him, will Machine Man aid mankind’s fight for survival or join his robot brethren in ushering a new age?
Writing
This comic contains two stories, one focusing on Machine Man and the other following his old team, The Midnight Wreckers. The Machine Man story by Cristos Gage finally decides to address the elephant in the room. A character calls out Machine Man on his change in behavior, which hasn’t seemed very heroic as of late. Between his character in Tony Stark: Iron Man and him now leading the robot rebellion, its good someone got around to asking why he decided to become so extreme with his methods.
The second story by Tom Defalco, featuring The Midnight Wrecks helps to add to the world-building of the 2020 event. It showcases what is happening as the robot rebellion is taking place outside of the main focus on Iron Man 2020 and Machine Man. Sadly, it doesn’t really help give any indication where the event. Frankly, the entire issue feels like a side story.
Artwork
Machine Man 2020 #1 has two different teams for the two different stories. For the one focusing on X-51, Andy MacDonald does the artwork and Dono Sanchez-Almara provides coloring. Their work produces some detailed action scenes and is the most stunning part of the issue. The battles Machine Man has against his robotic opponents as he tries to catch up with Jocasta is the highlight of the issue.
With the Midnight Wrecker story, Mike Hawthrone is on Pencils, Andriano Di Benedetto is the inks, and Erick Archiega is on colors. Their style allows for a very cyberpunk style for the characters and the setting. This helps to provide the atmosphere of being cutting edge, which the Midnight Wrecker team was known for in previous stories they appeared in.
VC’s Travis Lantham takes care of the lettering work for both stories. Through proper placement of dialogue boxes, a great flow is established to the battles taking place. Also, it helps to add to effect work whenever Machine Man decides to use his scanners.
Conclusion
Machine Man 2020 #1 reads like a side story and doesn’t give enough time to the main character. It is nice Machine Man is getting the time to explore his decision to care more about robots than humans, but it probably could have been told in a single issue. Instead, its stretched out and half the issue is dedicated to side characters who haven’t been mentioned in years.
