Review: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY: THE BIRTH OF KRAKOA Delivers Golden Age Action

Marvel surprised readers when Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1 popped up in the September solicitations. I have to say…this one-shot adventure turns out to be a very pleasant surprise.

Creators Dennis Hopeless and Djibril Morisette-Phan take us to the South Pacific at the tail-end of World War II. There, we find Nick Fury on a mission that radiates with the best of ‘40s-era action and horror titles.

Birth of Krakoa is colored by Rachelle Rosenberg and lettered by Travis Lanham.

The introduction on the first page sets the tone off right, telling us the squad is “known for their daring and determination in the face of the slimmest odds!” The story unfolds with Fury and his team’s new mission derailed by an atomic bomb test. The Howling Commandos then find themselves stranded on the bombed-out island, slowly losing their wits to radiation poisoning and desperation. As time passes, though, the squad discover they’re not stuck on any ordinary island…this rock is alive.

Loving the Classic Vibe

The creators clearly want to capture the vibe of Golden Age comics. Fortunately, they do a great job of it here.

First, we have plenty of omniscient narration throughout. This perfectly captures the dramatic delivery of the era to which Hopeless and Morisette-Phan pay homage. At the same time, the comic borrows on a lot of the tropes of EC horror titles popular in the post-war years. There’s a supernatural mystery unfolding (literally) under Sgt. Fury’s feet. It’s like a mash-up of Tales from the Crypt and Two-Fisted Tales, and the combination comes together nicely.

The story is paced well. It creeps out across the book and ratcheting up the tension nicely, while the art really helps sell the story. We have lots of heavy, thicker lines and shadows, but with a modern crispness and eye for dramatic shots and layouts. There are moments when the two aesthetics clash, and the artwork is more reminiscent of Morisette-Phan’s work on Image’s Glitterbomb. However, it’s not enough to drag the work down. Rachelle Rosenberg’s color work is excellent here as well, allowing figures to slip into the shadows or pop out at the viewer at just the right time.

I highly recommend Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1. It’s great for fans of golden age action and horror titles, as well as anyone who wants to see The Sarge delve into the weird side in the run-up to Halloween.

Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1 is in stores Wednesday, September 12th.

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Review: INFINITY WARS #3 Introduces The INFINITY WARPS

Anthony Composto - EIC

Infinity Wars #3 is out today from Marvel Comics, introducing the “Infinity Warps” and throwing the Marvel Universe in disarray once again.

With Requiem tearing through the Marvel Universe, Loki whispering around its fringes and a new threat looming to devour everything, the very fabric of reality warps around the heroes of Earth… and the only way through winds through infinity itself!

The book is written by Gerry Duggan, drawn by Mike Deodato Jr., colored by Frank Martin, and lettered by Cory Petit.

This series is definitely appealing to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that’s not a slight against it. It’s bringing together all of Marvel’s heavy hitters, from the Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy, in a big-ass, epic cosmic brawl. Plus, Duggan writes in some of that witty banter that the MCU is known for. It’s a fun story that doesn’t feel like it’s pandering to the movie fans; it’s accessible, but definitely rewards fans who know Marvel Comics lore.

That being said, the story can lose you pretty quickly if you’re not paying attention. Duggan is not only playing with Infinity Stones, but changing the way they work. It gets confusing, especially when dealing with the Soul and Reality Stones. Certain things happen in this issue where you’ll think, “what just happened?” or “why is that character acting like this?” But the confusion is part of the story. The characters themselves are questioning how and why the Stones are different now. Remind yourself that this is only part three of six. Answers are (hopefully) coming. In the meantime, the questions are a great way to keep you coming back for the next issue.

And yes, this issue finally answers “who are the Infinity Warps?” and sets up the seven Infinity Wars spin-off titles we’re getting between now and December.

Deodato Jr.’s more realistic art style and Martin’s muted colors add a weight to the story and make it feel significant. The stakes always seem higher when the art looks more familiar to our own world than a cartoon. Deodato’s use of panels continues to be a highlight of this series. The dense page layouts break single moments into sections, giving special emphasis to certain characters, or even certain details (like an eyeball), adding to that emotional weight. It also slows time down for those pages, and the fact that he’s playing with time in a story involving the Time Stone is amusing, if not curious.

Don’t get discouraged if you’re still confused – or even more confused – after reading Infinity Wars #3. There will be answers at the end of this journey. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy Mr. Duggan’s Wild Ride.

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FANTASTIC FOUR #2: Kids Grow Up So Fast

Brandon J. Griffin

Dan Slott and Sara Pichelli dive into what the Future Foundation have been up to all this time. Fantastic Four #2 is the reunion we’ve been waiting for, but is it in a hurry to get somewhere?

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

Superhero comics work best when the creators can have fun simply playing around with the different rules. Little moments like Molecule Man changing their coffee from Colombian blend into Sumatra insure that it’s not always serious and drab to be a member of the Fantastic Four.

The scenes where these god-like explorers are completely human are what makes this book believable. Dan Slott seems to have his finger on the pulse of Fantastic Four‘s strengths. At the heart and soul of every great FF story is the family element and it’s a heart that’s pumping proudly here.

Franklin Richards is applying the game No Man’s Sky‘s concept to reality, playing god to a whole new batch of universes. The idea of the Richards family giving back to the multiverse by expanding it is a sweet sentiment in the most Reed Richards way.

Seeing Val flirt with a boy is like when you see your younger cousins after a few years and are shell-shocked by how they’ve grown. The kids are starting to grow up a little bit, it’ll be an adjustment for both readers and Richards alike. The kids are sure to provide plenty of future development moments–especially with their uncle Ben.

The Griever At The End Of All Things comes out of nowhere as a brand-new antagonist. She’s got a great design, complete with a bad-ass ship and walking-butthole henchman! I really enjoy her calling everybody “ephemerals.”

There’s something missing in the script’s pacing or layout, the gravity of her arrival (and death of Molecule Man) doesn’t feel as grand as it probably should. She’s hellbent on undoing all the Future Foundation’s multiversal patchwork. The action starts rolling without giving this awesome threat the time of day.

As much as I love seeing Sara Pichelli draw every major character that Marvel has, I feel a bit shortchanged that Reed’s solution was to just summon every hero and their mother. However, the next issue will probably be a beautiful fight followed by a heartfelt welcome home by all of the 616’s heavy hitters–that could be pretty great.

However, even if that’s the case it seems like this story is in a rush to get there at the expense of what appears to be a really interesting villain. Only time will tell, the next issue could make me eat my words–I hope it does.

Slott seems to be in a rush to get things back to normal for the Fantastic Four as quickly as possible. That would usually be welcomed, but in the FF’s case it’s too much to sweep under the rug.

The “first family” has been off the board for too long to just get back to basics. Chip Zdarsky’s brillaint Marvel Two-In-One has been showing us the heavy toll the Future Foundation’s absence has taken on Ben, Johnny, and the world. To not dig into that from Reed and Sue’s perspective would be a disservice to the creators who have crafted great stories out of the absence of the Fantastic Four.

These are all opinions based on assumptions made from reading just the second issue of Fantastic Four. All of those concerns aside, it still feels really great to have this title back in our hands. Long live the FF!

Sara Pichelli’s artwork is stunning. Every new species and environment that Franklin cooks up is very much it’s own. The beating heart of this family is felt through every emote and action the members make. Pichelli makes her characters do some major “acting” and doesn’t shy away from spectacular action sequences.

I have an issue with the “4” font on the new FF uniforms. There are a few panels where they look like a straight-up lightning bolt “S,” similar to Ms. Marvel. At least they aren’t wearing red! Other than that, the redesign is slick and modernized just enough.

Colorist Marte Gracia uses a diverse palette of colors to bring these different universes to life. There’s an extra layer of life and emotion in our character’s faces thanks to Gracia as well as an added layer of menace to our new adversary. Letterer Joe Caramagna keeps us from losing our place in the pages with heavier amounts of dialogue from multiple Future Foundation members.

Fantastic Four #5 is a solid read, albeit one that raises questions and concerns. Dan Slott has a great handle on each character individually, his vision for the bigger picture remains to be seen. Sara Pichelli does wonders ushering the first family into a new era.

Similar to how Reed and Sue feel about their kids growing up too fast, FF #2’s pace could be problematic for those looking to take their time with our long lost Fantastic Four members.

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5: Spencer & Ottley Becoming Marvel’s Top Duo

Brandon J. Griffin

Spencer & Ottley are quickly becoming Marvel’s top pairing. Amazing Spider-Man #5 does so much without overexerting itself. This series should drag people back to superhero comics that have moved on from the genre.

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

Spencer’s sense of humor that we saw during his Superior Foes Of Spider-Man and Astonishing Ant-Man blends perfectly into Peter’s roommate situation. There’s probably no better writer for injecting personality into lower-level supervillains than Spencer.

Boomerang may not be among the all-time great rogues in Spidey’s gallery, but thanks to Spencer he’s being further solidified as a Spider-Man supporting character in general. The prominence of Boomerang’s comedic relief takes a lot of weight off of Spider-Man’s shoulders for comedy bits.

The emphasis on Peter Parker’s supporting cast is a major element to what makes this run so special already. Early in the Ditko/Lee run that started it all, the more the characters around Spidey were fleshed out, the more the book started to stand in a league of it’s own. Nick Spencer recognizes what makes this title special and hits all the right notes without retreading.

Another great hallmark of Spider-Man comics, and all great comic books really, is an effective mystery villain operating in the shadows! “Who did that to Stromm?! Why did he say those words?” It’s hard not to hear these questions at the end of the issue in Stan Lee’s 1960s voice as he teased readers to come back next issue.

It’s impressive how much Spencer & Ottley are able to milk out of the two Peters. Their every interaction is great, especially the farther from each other they become. Pete’s sacrifice to save Spidey and the deterioration of what makes him Spider-Man is a hilarious scene. It zigs when most others would have zagged, and plays out flawlessly. Peter-Man forever!

Spider-Man separated from Peter Parker ends up being funnier than Deadpool has been in a very long time. Having his untimely and corny jokes get on Pete’s nerves was a nice touch. As was the line “I can feel myself trying to be funny again” once the two merge back together.

There’s a lot to love about the finale of Amazing Spider-Man #5 once the tale of two Peters concludes. Taskmaster and Black Ant’s interrogation scene is a memorably hilarious moment. They’re getting the proper Spencer villain treatment as well.

Those short jungle pages we’ve seen over the past few issues turn out to be Kraven The Hunter’s glorious return to the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. His tease and reveal generate plenty of excitement.

Spencer & Ottley aren’t lingering too long on anybody, moving a lot of pieces around at once. They’re dealing out the right amount of screen-time and nobody is wearing out their welcome. It’s the punk rock philosophy applied to comic books. These appearances are well-crafted two minute punk songs that we want more of.

Ryan Ottley has settled into the world of Spider-Man so nicely. You can see plenty of Invincible in his characters, but mostly this is what Spidey and his supporting cast were meant to look like and there’s no turning back.

The little things that Ottley is capable of doing with minimal pencils at times is astounding. He can deliver a detailed high-concept design that’s fully functional as well as perfectly cartoon a character’s mood shift with a single line.

Spider-Man fans should be reveling in the fact that he’s ours now and the new standard for drawing our favorite wall-crawler. We are truly blessed in this new era.

The only thing that bugged me in this entire issue was Peter having Felicia Hardy’s avatar in his phone contacts be her as Black Cat. That’s a pretty ignorant use of somebody’s secret identity–or is that not a secret? Who cares, this is a great comic book.

Colorist Laura Martin is a splendid compliment to every strength that Ottley has. She does wonderful things with character’s hair and costumes, providing a brilliant contrast to Ottley’s more minimalist panels. Veteran letterer Joe Caramagna keeps the energy light and the ship afloat. This is a spectacular creative team from top to bottom.

Amazing Spider-Man #5 is another home run for Marvel’s new darlings. Spencer & Ottley should be celebrated and appreciated by every Spider-Man fan reading comics. There hasn’t been this great of a jumping-on point for Spidey comics in over a decade.

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Review: CASTLE ROCK Season Finale

Matthew Sardo

The season finale of Castle Rock hits Hulu Wednesday and boy did it pack a punch, as you will question your humanity by the time the credits roll.

The spoilers will be kept to a minimum as the emotional impact of the series and episode are more important than plot details, but there will be a few. So, turn back now if you haven’t watched the episode and want to enter the finale pure.

The Queen was the best episode of the series, as it was the most LOST type of story. Then, Henry Deaver put a twist on the series and made you question reality and how big the Castle Rock Universe could be. The finale, Romans, regarding quality and entertainment rests somewhere in the middle of those two episodes.

What Romans did well was not hold back on the death. As the body count escalated quickly, the intensity of the episode rose as well. (I wrote WTF! on my notepad five times throughout the episode.) The death was not just for shock value, it had meaning and made you question good and evil. This is to be expected in a Stephen King novel, but to translate those concepts to a show is harder than it looks, which is a credit to Dustin Thomason’s script and Nicole Kassell’s direction.

Going into the series with a LOST mentality helps, as you already know not every plot thread will be wrapped cleanly. Also, the interpretation of the finale will be different for everyone. Since Castle Rock is an anthology, who knows what we’re going to get with season two. With all of that said, the finale did enough for this viewer to enjoy the series. What will elevate the episode in the coming weeks are the debates and theories with my friends until the first episode of season two.

The way the finale is written, André Holland had to carry the episode and he did an exceptional job. Holland’s best work didn’t even involve speaking, as his character had the weight of the world on his shoulders along with shock and awe. Holland demands your compassion in the finale, and by the end of the episode, you openly give it.

Melanie Lynskey’s work on the series was a pleasant surprise, and her character Molly Strand was the most entertaining. Sissy Spacek has a scene in the finale that perfectly represents the quality and skill level she brings to the show, and if you listen carefully, you might get the answers you seek. Scott Glenn is not in the finale, but he deserves credit for his work on the series as well. The love you felt between Alan and Ruth is because of the talents of Spacek and Glenn.

Overall, Castle Rock is the second quality Stephen King series Hulu has produced, and I look forward to the third.

What did you think of the first season of Castle Rock? Come back here after you watch Romans and comment below.

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Taika Waititi Talks Diversity And Ideas In Hollywood

Jonathan Bruce

September 12, 2018

Taika Waititi is riding high on the success of Thor: Ragnarok, but he’s got more projects in the works.

Furthermore, the director also has an strong opinion on Hollywood itself.

In an interview with Indiewire, Waititi discusses the need for representing diversity. He also takes note of the film industry needing new voices.

“We’re in a really cool place right now: Hollywood is running out of ideas,” he says. “They are scrambling for ideas and stories, and where do they turn? Indigenous people, ethnic people, they turn to Korea, Japan, they turn to anywhere outside of America for films that they can remake for things that are outside of their comfort zone, because that’s where the interesting stuff is.”

Apart from Ragnarok, Waititi is known for his smaller-scale indie movies that focus on characters and plot. He also feels that filmmakers need pursue their original stories rather than rely on what has come before.

Thor: Ragnarok — Image via Marvel Studios

“If we just ride it, and just be true to our own vision and our own stories and our own voices,” he explains. “And not conform to that, and not go like, ‘oh, it’s like “What Happens in Vegas,” but with brown people,’ maybe there’s a good film in there, but if we stick to our own guns, I think we’re in a good place. Speak your truth.”

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Review: GUNDAM BUILD DIVERS: Episode 23

Anthony Wendel

The final battle has begun as Gundam Build Divers starts to move towards its finale. Will it be an event worth watching or does it crash at the start.

Summary

The Build Divers must face impossible odds to rescue Sarah.

SPOILER ALERT

Review

The main draw of this episode is the action which comes from the Build Divers facing off against an overwhelming number of opponents. The first element of note is Yukki finally debuts his new mobile suit which has been teased since the second opening first aired. Luckily, the new suit delivers with an impressive display of what kind of power it has up its sleeve. It definitely would have been disappointing if the suit was destroyed in its first time out.

The second aspect to bring up is the fight between Tigerwolf and Shahryar. Sadly despite the two being bitter rivals since the first time they were shown together, their battle is less tooth and claw than one would hope. Instead, they come to an understanding and decide to fight together moving forward. It doesn’t totally bring down the overall episode score but considering the way the battle was advertised in the episode preview it seemed like it should have been.

The final element which needs to be mentioned is the underhanded scheme the Game Master tried to pull. He was willing to destroy Sarah, despite the terms which were laid out to decide her fate. If it weren’t for Kyoya stepping in, he would have straight up murdered her. This does help to show Gundam Build Divers has succeeded in obtaining the kind of drama and consequences which made Gundam Build Fighters a joy to watch. One can only hope the series ends with just as much intensity with the final two episodes.

Gundam Build Divers is Streaming on The GundamInfo YouTube Channel.

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Image Comics’ DIE to Mashup Fantasy and Gaming in December

Michael Stagno

September 11, 2018

An upcoming, ongoing series, via the creative team of Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, will combine fantasy, horror and role-playing, of the board-game variety, but promises to tug at our collective nostalgic heartstrings.

The series is titled, DIE. It follows a group of genre-loving teens, telling the story of their complicated relationships, and how their youthful actions directly impacted them as adults. The premise, listed below, paints the picture of what to expect from this series.

In 1991, six teenagers sat down to play a role-playing game. They disappeared without any explanation. They had vanished. They were found two years later. In a forest. Over 50 miles away. When asked where they’d been, they could only respond, “I can’t say”. No one ever found out where they had gone or who could have taken them. Everyone was just glad they escaped. The year is 2018. The teenagers are now adults. They are about to discover … No one escapes.

“DIE is a lot,” Gillen said. “It’s simultaneously the most character-led and accessible book I’ve done, while also being one of the absolute weirdest. My jokey two word pitch is, ‘Goth-Jumanji’.”

Fantasy just got real, as DIE is coming to shelves in December! Be sure to keep up with both its official website and imagecomics.com, leading up to the release, for more news!

Click HERE for the complete interview with Gillen and Hans, via THR, and the official preview pages below. You excited for this series? Tell us in the comments section below.

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SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER Teaser And Images

Matthew Sardo

September 10, 2018

Netflix and Dreamworks released the first teaser and images for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Monday morning.

The new animated hits Netflix on November 16 and looks to have the similar animation in the vein of Voltron: Legendary Defender.

About the show:
DreamWorks She-Ra and the Princesses of Power tells the story of an orphan named Adora, who leaves behind her former life in the evil Horde when she discovers a magic sword that transforms her into the mythical warrior princess, She-Ra. Set in a world where women are unabashedly at the forefront, the series brings forth indomitable female characters each with their unique abilities and flaws to empower and entertain audiences everywhere.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power feature the voice talents:
Aimee Carrero as Adora/She-Ra
Karen Fukuhara as Glimmer
AJ Michalka as Catra
Marcus Scribner as Bow
Reshma Shetty as Queen Angella
Lorraine Toussaint as Shadow Weaver
Keston John as Hordak
Lauren Ash as Scorpia
Christine Woods as Entrapta
Genesis Rodriguez as Perfuma
Jordan Fisher as Seahawk
Vella Lovel as Mermista
Merit Leighton as Frosta
Sandra Oh as Castaspella
Krystal Joy Brown as Netossa

Noelle Stevenson, who has won Eisners for Lumberjanes and Nimona will serve as She-Ra‘s showrunner. According to Netflix, the 26-year-old will present a modern take on the ‘80s girl power icon by giving a generation of young fans a warrior princess that is tailor-made for today.

Are you excited for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power? Comment below with your thoughts.

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INTERVIEW: Eugene Lee Designs Sets For ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Broadway, And Beyond

Ruben Diaz

September 10, 2018

Set Designer Eugene Lee joined Saturday Night Live back in 1974, just before the show began and he’s been there ever since creating the sets that our “not ready for primetime players” play on, and soon he’s releasing a book.

Lee’s experience on Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an extension of a career devoted to designing sets. The nearly 80-year-old Lee also designs for Broadway, has earned Tony’s Emmy’s (including one just a day before this article went live) and a place in the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Lee makes anywhere between 10 to 14 sets a week for SNL. So, Monkeys Fighting Robots caught Lee just before the storm of a new Saturday Night Live season begins on September 29th.

Past & Present

Eugene was born in Wisconsin and fell in love with theatre early on “I was always interested in set design; from high school on. It was never a question.”

As we speak, Eugene’s famous hardworking work ethic is in full-swing “I’m sitting here trying to do a 30-second film for the Emmys.” No biggie.

Of Saturday Night Live he says it plain and simple “Saturday Night is a terrific show to work on.”

Time Keeps Moving

Naturally, after you’ve been somewhere for 40 years a lot of things change “Saturday Night Live used to be a lot less corporate when we started. It was a bit wilder.”

And after 40 years, there aren’t many originals left “Every year we would take a picture of everyone that was there since day one. Last few years we haven’t done it because there’s not many of us left. You can count the people on one hand. It’s a little sad. But we get new people in, new actors, writers, we bring them into the family.”

Outside of Saturday Night, there are still some improv moments to deal with “I’m looking at a drawing from an architect. The building [“30 Rock,” where SNL shoots] needs a hallway put in, and I just want to make sure they don’t mess with my stage.” Again, as we talk, Eugene is working. Also, there aren’t many times someone says ‘my stage’ and it’s frighteningly accurate. After all, Lee built the damn thing!

If there’s one negative to Saturday Night Live “If I have any complaints about it is that Saturday Night is a late night show. We work really hard and really late.”

What’s changed in set designing for SNL? “Not much, but they want it more realistic now. We have to keep up with the times.”

Interviewing the Interviewer

At this point, Eugene asks me a question to remind him the name of our publication “We’re Monkeys Fighting Robots.” Eugene responds with “I love it.”

Eugene’s advice for others about work is “If you like what you’re doing that’s a good thing. If you like what you’re doing, then it’s not a job.”

What’s Next?

Saturday Night Live gets going again at the end of September. As Eugene and SNL prepare to get going “I’m waiting for Wicked to go to China so I can go there.”

Something else that’s wicked-awesome comes from Eugene soon “I wrote a book a few years ago.”

The book wasn’t going to happen until Eugene headed out to speak at an event held by a Pulitzer winning novelist. “On this table is a little mock-up of my book and I wasn’t going to bring it, but it just happens that someone saw and asked ‘What’s that?’ I save everything, so it [the book] has all these old photos of Saturday Night. The gentleman said ‘I’ll publish your book.’ So we started working on it. The book weighs nine pounds.” That’s light considering the 40 years of SNL history that’s sure to be stuffed inside.

After 40 years, what does Eugene say about retiring? He borrows an answer from a very close friend “They ask Lorne Michaels how long he’s going to do this and he says ‘As long as I can.’”

Eugene’s (a yet-untitled book) will be out in time for Christmas. And I’m a huge fan of SNL. Just putting it out there. 🙂

Thanks to Eugene Lee and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.

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Loving the Classic Vibe

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

Summary

Review

Past & Present

Time Keeps Moving

Interviewing the Interviewer

What’s Next?

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD