In Royal City #14 from Image Comics, creator Jeff Lemire brings the story of Royal City and the Pike family to an emotional close with the final issue of this Eisner nominated series.
Royal City #14 Written and Drawn by Jeff Lemire Published by: Image Comics
The critically acclaimed, multi-generational saga of the Pike family comes to its conclusion as the ghosts of the past catch up to them and point the Pike Family toward an unexpected future.
Royal City ends much the same way it begins; quietly. But as has been the case with this excellent title from the beginning, it’s a deceptive and subtle kind of quiet because this has been a comic book series that from the very the start has spoken to readers in hushed tones that land much louder inside the head and heart.
This issue specifically is a masterclass in bringing a story to an end. Lemire gives each of the Pike family members (and the town itself really) emotional closure in scenes that sometimes run just a few panels with ‘simple’ images; two people sitting and barely talking, a building being demolished. Yet so strong is the storytelling here that brevity is part of the reason it packs such a punch. This is a writer/artist who does more with a few pen strokes than others do with a plethora of word balloons.
The art is also on par with the writing. Lemire’s line work, like his writing, lands more on the subtle side. This has never been a book that depends on flash or gimmicks with its art. This final chapter has some of the most gorgeous panels in the whole run, and you will find yourself lingering over these images as much as you will find the images lingering in your head.
Royal City‘s legacy will be a quiet one, but no less important. Jeff Lemire is a creator who has had a huge impact on comics with many of his great mainstream superhero work. But Royal City can easily sit next to some of the creator’s early works as a career highlight. You can put this book next to Essex County, Underwater Welder, and Sweet Tooth as classic works from a master artist.
*Author Note*
Much like Lemire, I am a big music fan. Music was a big part of this book (Lemire always included playlists at the end) and I always listened to specific bands when reading Royal City. Here is a bit of a personal band playlist. Look them up. Hope you give them a listen.
Portishead Nirvana Beat Happening Mathew Sweet Modest Mouse Neutral Milk Hotel The Pixies Weezer Tortoise Pavement Wilco D.R.I.
The Outsiders officially are “a thing,” Batman and Karma have their showdown, and the real villain makes an appearance all in this week’s DETECTIVE COMICS #987 as Bryan Hill brings his first arc to a close and opens the door for some exciting stories to come.
WRITTEN BY: Bryan Hill
PENCILS BY: Miguel Mendoca
INKS: Diana Egea
COLORS: Adriano Lucas
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
DETECTIVE COMICS SPOILERS TOO!
To see what happened the last issue, click on the writer’s name below.
Summary
Karma and his henchmen break into Wayne Tech and take a hostage to get Batman’s attention. The new group of Outsiders takes down Karma’s cronies while the Dark Knight overloads his brain with nightmarish memories to oversaturate Karma’s helmet. This gave Batman the upper hand needed to stop Fleet Delmar for good and create a new lifelong villain for the Caped Crusader. However, the issue ends with readers seeing the possible mastermind behind Karma and the events unraveling in Markovia. Bryan Hill’s story is starting to heat up now!
Hill Explains Karma’s Powers
Hill opens the issue by giving readers the entire explanation as to how Karma’s helmet works, possible origins, and it’s enhanced abilities. Now, Hill has dropped some nuggets along the way showing fans what Karma’s abilities “could” be but now readers are certain. The helmet connects to Fleet Delmar’s synapse, and if he’s removed from it, Delmar will become a vegetable. Not only can Karma’s helmet read minds, but it’s alien, increases strength, speed, agility, and magnifies all of the user’s senses and sight.
First Key To My Heart
Hill hits two huge home runs in this issue. The first home run was continuity. Many fans who read more than just one DC Comic, like myself, enjoy an interconnected universe. Seeing Katana bring up events in JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE, was a stroke of genius. Katana references Amanda Waller and Brainiac, which also connect books like JUSTICE LEAGUE and SUICIDE SQUAD as well. Plus, this makes Hill’s DETECTIVE COMICS feel important to the universe while answering questions within his own story. More writers need to drop subtle tidbits from other comics along the way. It really amplifies the story and puts the comic on a whole other level of importance in the DCU.
Second Key To My Heart
Hill finds a way to show a more humanistic Batman without all the fluffy nonsense and confusingly deep storylines and plot twists readers may find in other comics. Bruce Wayne takes the time to know his workers, truly cares for them, and Hill shows this touching side of Bruce that has been missing since Rebirth if not longer. Instead of a cat and mouse game about a proposal that amounts to an engagement, which later amounts to nothing, Hill shows Bruce’s love for the human spirit through his compassion for Fred Morgan. Who? You’ll see.
While Miguel Mendoca and Diana Egea draw a hunched over Batman who looks genuinely concerned for this man, Hill shows The Caped Crusader spitting out details about a man that no CEO or company President would even care to know, particularly one who spends his nights fighting crime. Batman legitimately looks pissed that Karma would attack this security guard who works nights to support his wife’s diabetes. Bruce knows that this nobody, whose employed at Wayne Tech, needs to work nights so he can take his wife to her dialysis treatment during the day. Heck, Bruce was still thinking of Fred even in the mist of his final battle with Karma. Batman asked Duke to look after Fred and get him home to his wife who was probably worried.
Things That I Wasn’t A Fan Of
1) Black Lightning calls out Batman and tells him that he’s “stronger than Batman!” Big words Jefferson. I understand that Black Lightning has abilities, but this phrase is a stretch.
2) I wasn’t a fan of Batman overflowing his mind with memories to beat Karma. I don’t understand how showing Fleet Delmar all of Bruce’s thoughts and nightmares would be enough to paralyze Karma long enough to win. How does Batman let someone into their mind and control what that person sees? It just felt like an easy fix to end the battle and stop the villain. The ”overload” seemed out of character for Hill’s writing so far.
Questions
1. The cover mentions Brainiac, Katana references a file from Brainiac, yet we don’t see him or hear of him in the issue. However, Hill references alien tech in the mask Karma used and Martina, the possible mastermind in Markovia, had an eye that glowed red which shot a laser out frying her business partner. Is Martina Brainiac?
2. Also, Martina references someone named Roderick. Is this a throwback to Roderick the Vampire from the original Outsider’s run? If so, Hill is pulling at fans heartstrings with that shout out and choice of direction in the book. If I’m not mistaken, I think Roderick did work out of Markovia, but I’m not a huge Outsiders fan. I don’t like to read solicits because I don’t want to be spoiled but is Hill setting up an Outsiders book for HIM to pilot?
The Art
Mendoca and Egea illustrated great fight scenes and panel layouts throughout the issue, especially when the “Outsiders” were fighting Karma’s goons. Also, Mendoca and Egea added so much detail during the issue in places readers would least expect. For example, the elevator doors showed the reflections of our heroes looking back at them and the Wayne Tech windows had a glare that reflected the individuals through the glass.
This helped show fans how much intricate detail, dedication, and time this creative team put into the issue, including Adriano Lucas’ colors and Sal Cipriano’s lettering. Together, Lucas and Cipriano naturally send the readers eyes dancing across the pages stopping at the essential parts unknowingly with a cadence and tempo that pleasantly guides fans through the narrative. Excellent job to everyone involved in the issue.
Should you buy this issue and/or add this to your pull list?
Without a doubt, add this series to your pull list. Additionally, buy this issue to see what Hill and company have been doing throughout this story arc. Why? Well, it only took Hill one issue to show a Dark Knight that is more human-centered, levelheaded, sympathetic, and gracious without needing a 25 issue romance. Batman can still be gritty and dark while also caring for the human spirit. In the course of one arc, Hill has progressed Batman farther than his predecessors have throughout Rebirth in any Batman comic. The character appears strong again both physically and mentally. Batman looks like a leader who thinks, calculates, plans, prepares, and organizes before jumping into the problem. Bruce may be depressed still but doesn’t seem moppy or sad. Bruce Wayne feels like Batman again, and it’s refreshing. Thank you, Hill!
What did you guys think of DETECTIVE COMICS #987? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Dancing naked Amazon witches, all access to the Tower of Fate, and plant retirement all in this week’s JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK as James Tynion IV introduces Doctor Fate into the story and gives readers a look at the possible big bad of the story. Let’s plunge in!
WRITTEN BY: James Tynion IV
PENCILS BY: Alvaro Martinez Bueno
INKS: Raul Fernandez
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK SPOILERS TOO!
To see what happened the last issue, click on the writer’s name below.
Summary
After defeating the magical zombie-like creatures inside the Hall of Justice’s basement, Wonder Woman and the rest of her Justice League team head to the Tower of Fate to get answers from the resident Doctor of the Mystical Arts. While Diana, Zatanna, Detective Chimp, and Man-Bat enter the Tower, Swamp Thing goes to the Tree of Wonder to chat with Constantine about retirement.
Doctor Fate talks to Wonder Woman and Zatanna privately about the current magical disruptions while Bobo and Kirk explore the Tower. However, the Justice League Dark team discover that Nabu is actually in control of the helmet and both Kent and Khalid (past owners of the helmet of Fate) are trapped, imprisoned, and not in control. It turns out, Nabu wanted to end magic entirely and opened the door to the Upside Down. Sound familiar? (cough, cough, STRANGER THINGS)
Thoughts
I’m still confused as to why magic is out of whack and how magic originated in our world. Some readers, myself included, need to be guided through a story with the more ambiguous sections of material, especially when its the foundation of the plot moving forward. If I deciphered Tynion correctly, early man unearthed magic and tried to harness its raw power. However, they were not capable of controlling the potency and vigor surrounding it. So, early man bound these newfound magical powers to artifacts, words, and wands. Sound right?
However, where did that power come from? Did man just find it or did man create it from scratch? How did early man learn about magic? How did they harness its power in the first place or realize the need for artifacts? This is something critical that the story’s successfulness hinges on for the future of the series.
Technically, Tynion has the opportunity to set magic in order for the entire DCU henceforth. Tynion quickly glazed over this idea, and it needs a deeper understanding before readers become lost. This is Tynion’s opportunity to remake and mold this part of the DCU. Please don’t mess this up and please take the time to hold the reader’s hands through the heavy, dense, nature of the magical realm and ideals. Now, maybe Tynion will dive deeper into it in future issues, or perhaps it will be left open-ended, but if he explains this correctly soon, the book could be truly magnificent for many years to come with endless storylines and possibilities.
Possible Fix?
Is it possible to get a summary page? This is something Marvel has done for a long time now, and Brian Michael Bendis has even brought with him to DC in books like SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS. If Tynion used a summary page in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, he could clear up some of the heavy backstory and any confusions that readers may have to this point with the plot of the story and direction it’s going. This way, Tynion could still be creative with his storytelling and fix any bewilderment or perplexity readers have throughout the book. I genuinely wish many DC creative teams ventured down this path and took a ”page” out of the Marvel and Bendis’ book.
The Art
Overall, Alvaro Martinez Bueno and Raul Fernandez’ art are solid and impressive. The illustrations are detailed and engaging while Brad Anderson’s colors are intensely vivid amassing a dark overtone that blends perfectly with the theme of the story. Rob Leigh’s lettering adds the perfect icing on the cake to impeccably guide the reader through each panel masterfully.
However, I only had one minor artistic problem. When the witches were dancing at the beginning of the story, I couldn’t tell if it was one woman somehow connected with three heads and arms or if it was three women dancing close together. Later, the dialogue made it seem like the women merged. However, a page later has the women dancing separately. To open an issue, these pages threw me out of the story making it difficult to get back into the rhythm of the comic. Rereading the issue, I understood what was happening with more clarity. However, how many readers take the time to reread an issue for clarity?
Should you buy this issue and/or add it to your pull list?
Yes! Altogether, this issue moved the story forward, incorporated fantastically thorough art, especially of Swamp Thing, and could very well take the magical world of DC Comics in a supernaturally majestic direction. The Justice League Dark team hasn’t worked too well together yet but hopefully, this team will gain some roots, and blossom into the ”Tree of Wonder” I feel it has the potential to be.
Pick this issue up and add this series to your pull list for now. As long as Tynion takes the time to explain the origin of magic, as well as the Tree of Wonder, and why magic is all out of whack, readers will be mesmerized by this series, and it’s potential.
What did you guys think of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #2? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Desiree Akhavan’s The Miseducation Of Cameron Post is a compelling dive into the dangers of misguided ideology and the internal torment one is subjected to when they are forced to conform.
While the film is based on the 2012 young adult novel of the same name, there is much about the film which rings true in 2018. The Miseducation Of Cameron Post doesn’t seek any profound statements but does a beautiful job of laying out the facts (even the absurdities). Akhavan’s latest project is about the comfort of conformity and the gut-wrenching terror of being true to one’s self (even if it means alienating your family members). This film lays out how love can come in many different forms and how being ostracized can amount to someone’s worst nightmare.
Chloe Grace Moretz plays the title role of a closeted high-school junior who is busted making out with the high-school prom queen (Quinn Shephard). Rather than embrace who Cameron is, she is sent off to conversation camp (God’s Promise), which vows to save Ms. Post from a life of being a gay before it is too late.
Counselors Reverand Rick (John Gallagher Jr.) and his sister Lydia (Jennifer Ehle) are very passionate about their cause but come with their baggage. Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck play two campers who end up befriending Cameron, and they develop a bond which helps in weathering this challenging time.
Akhavan and co-writer Cecilia Frugiuele did a fine adopting the original YA novel creating a storyline that is equal parts truth and heartbreaking. The Miseducation Of Cameron Post flourishes when the story is focused on what’s unfolding at camp. Moretz gives a harrowing performance in what is her best role to date. She was extremely careful to avoid portraying Cameron as a mere caricature of LGBT teens around the globe. Audiences will ache when they see her come to terms with her reality (being a homosexual) and then desperately want to undo it. The film would have lost all credibility to me had they avoided the internal struggle LGBT teens face and made the movie just about the camp. Credit to Akhavan for tackling this issue head-on.
Composer Julian Wass wrote the score which struck the perfect somber notes reflective of what was unfolding behind the walls at God’s Promise. We have to remember that in many ways The Miseducation Of Cameron Post is a tragedy. The pressure to abide to a “perceived” norm drives many men and woman to make life decisions which they ultimately regret. Ashley Connor’s cinematography was able to capture the beauty of their surrounding with deep sweeping shots of the area. Connor also made great use of tight shots putting on display a gambit of emotions Post and her friends were going through.
The pacing of Akhavan’s film is perfect. Had the film been any longer, we would have been in danger of seeing The Miseducation Of Cameron Post becoming way too melodramatic. Perhaps the best thing about this release is the perspective it lends to the world. While the film itself is indeed worth seeing, my greater hope is the performance Moretz gives will open some eyes and give hope to those struggling with these similar issues.
After having the worst episode of the series so far, Gundam Build Divers needs to kick the plot into high gear if they want to prepare for the finale. Do they succeed or is it more wasted potential?
Summary
The secret of Sarah is revealed and the Build DIvers will have no choice but to deal with the truth.
Review
SPOILER WARNING
So Sarah’s secret is finally revealed. It’s best if the information is actually heard so the spoiler will not be the discussing Sarah’s origin. Instead, it is how the the reveal becomes the true turning point for the ending of the series.
In the course of the episode, the administrators of the GBN become aware Sarah is the cause of all the recent disasters which have been taken place since the Break Decals were stopped. Instead of handling it internally they decide to let the entire network know she is the problem, essentially making her public enemy number one. This means the rest of the series will be dedicated to the Build Divers having to find a way to defend Sarah against the entire network. Congratulations Gundam Build Divers. You finally found what you were missing: Stakes.
The best part of the original Gundam Build Fighters was the battles actually had consequences. This dynamic was lost in the later series Gundam Build Fighters Try. By adding ramifications to the team’s fight, it makes the battles moving forward much more essential and adds to the anticipation.
Gundam Build Divers has taken a powerful step to recover and actually make the series worth watching. Don’t lose the momentum moving forward. All it needs to is have intense battle for the rest of the series and wrap up with an incredible ending.
Gundam Build Divers is Streaming on The GundamInfo YouTube Channel.
This week’s Wonder Woman #53 written by Steve Orlando sees the end of the current arc, ‘Enemy of Both Sides’. The super busy scribe was able to take a break and talk to us at Monkeys Fighting Robots once again about all things Wonder Woman #53, Hypertime, and a even Jack Kirby!
‘Wonder Woman’ #53
MFR: Steve once again thanks for talking to us. Steve Orlando: My pleasure! I’ll take any excuse to talk comics.
We talked about the last issue (Wonder Woman #52) recently, but for those who are jumping in with this one, can you tell us again what’s going on in ‘Enemy of Both Sides’? Absolutely! Wonder Woman 52 saw Diana, Aztek, and Artemis infiltrate an extradimensional pyramid to rescue a lost Amazon hero. But when they got to the center, they found not a prisoner, but a sentry. They found Atalanta, Diana’s great-aunt, and a culture hero to the Bana-Mighdall, who for decades had been fighting to hold back an invasion from Thirteen Heavens, home of Aztek’s greatest enemy, Tezcatlipoca.
As we join Issue 53, our heroes have decided to take the fight to Thirteen Heavens and cross over into the Sphere of the Gods, where Tezcatlipoca’s terror armies are preparing to raze our world.
Also when we last spoke you said Aztek was one of the coolest characters for you. In this issue, you focus a lot more on Aztek’s enemy, Tezcatlipoca. What makes the Shadow King so dangerous? What makes him interesting to write? You’ll see more about what makes Tezcatlipoca and the gods of Thirteen Heavens unique in this issue (hint: it involves how they see the world, versus how mortals see it). Tezcatlipoca, the Shadow God, is one of the great cyclical builders and destroyers of myth. He is utterly demeaning to humanity, made of matter that is so holy its mere contact with mortal flesh is corrosive. I find him so interesting because so much of our world’s creation narrative is cyclical. And Tezcatlipoca plays on that, tellsAztek that he and Quetzalcoatl, Aztek’s patron, trade places as creator and destroyer, hero and villain, every cycle of creation. He uses lies and insecurities to invalidate Aztek’s mission, and in doing so he pays tribute to many of the great gods of world myth, who often occupy oppositional roles, housing grand philosophical contradictions. Right now, Tezcatlipoca is a mad colonizing god who enslaves the very dead flesh of his victims, but who’s to say, in the world before this one, the roles weren’t reversed? Who’s to say anything we think is true and real from our small mortal perception is really what it seems.
I feel a strong Kirby vibe crackling through this arc. Was Kirby on your mind when writing ‘Enemy of Both Sides’? King[Kirby]is always in my mind – his constant output and creativity are one of the driving forces in my life, as I wrote about a bit in the backmatter to my issue of Kamandi Challenge. I think we often talk about paying homage in art styles, but I think the true homage to King[Kirby]is to force as much raw creativity and love of comics into every page. And with The Enemy of Both Sides, with every superhero story I help tell, I try to do that to the best of my ability. He’s always in my mind, one of the angels on my shoulder along with Tarpe, Rutu, Morrison, Ostrander, Bulgakov, and Abramovic.
Steve, I also gotta give another shout out to the art team! This issue vibrates with energy. What did you think when you laid eyes on some of these pages? Working with ACO and Hugo is always a privilege, and you can see why! These are folks that are pushing the boundaries of comics storytelling and never sacrificing propulsive energy in the meantime. They’re incredible, and seeing pages from them is genuinely surprising, it’s energizing for all the reasons comics is a great form. That’s the gift of real collaboration, you risk a bit, loosening up a script, but the reward is so great it’s an easy risk to take.
You kinda drop a bombshell here by revealing that the ‘Gods of Thirteen Heavens’ are Gods in Hypertime. What about the concept of hypertime made you want to bring it in? I recently heard Grant Morrison talking about Hypertime, last fall, and I think it was a perfect fit for the themes of perception we’re playing within the story. Diana admits her shock in part one at not sensing the pyramid without Aztek’s help, and the story in general puts forth the concept that because of our human limitations, when we encounter gods, we’re really seeing the tip of the iceberg. We can’t conceive, can’t endure the rest of the aspect. To keep us sane, our body adjusts what we see.
And as Grant talked about Hypertime and how, for someone outside of it, time can be seen at once, like a flat plane in a way seen from above, I began to think about what the god side of Aztek’s war would look like. The best way for a mortal hero to fight a god who exists at all moments at once is with a legacy that extends forever. That, to me, is why the generational aspect of Aztek is so strong.
You seem to be having a blast writing these three powerful women. Anything in this issue a favorite moment for you? I loved Artemis saying “This is perfect!” in the heat of battle. I love the moments that cast their reactions in quick succession, such as the reveal of Atalanta in Issue 52: “My god. My hero. My aunt.” I also do love Artemis’s ribbing of Aztek, which I think is a little bit of the tough older sibling, a little bit of a crush maybe too? Maybe she doesn’t know even, but Artemis has been a genuine surprise and blast to work with. The growth between her and Diana through this story is what I’m most proud of.
I do also always love a good Wonder Woman “HOLA!” (*See it above!)
Okay, now the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and a shocker. So without spoiling much, can you tell us what is awaiting Diana when her invisible jet returns to the camp of the Bana-Mighdall in Qurac? A collision of the past and the future! Can heroes ever really return home? The outside world changes you – Diana knows it, Artemis is realizing it, and Atalanta is maybe regretting it. Everything will come to a head at Bana-Mighdall, as the armies of Qurac wait at the door…but who’s really engineering this conflict?
Any interest in writing Aztek more? Have we seen the last of her in Wonder Woman? I would LOVE to work with her more, or even see someone else pick up the baton and go ever more wild with Aztek’s story! Always interested- while she might have stepped out of Wonder Woman, who knows where she’ll show up next?
Melissa McCarthy gives you a behind the scenes conversation about THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS.
About the film: No Sesame. All Street. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is a filthy comedy set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives with a shared secret, one human (Melissa McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together again to solve the brutal murders of the former cast of a beloved classic puppet television show.
The film is directed by Brian Henson from a screenplay by Todd Berger and stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale and Elizabeth Banks.
In honor of BlacKkKlansman getting great reviews, and praising Spike Lee’s direction, people praising the film as “His best ever”, to which I have to ask, “Was it the film that established Lee’s footprint on the cinematic landscape, garnered Oscar nominations, and established a new wave of African-American directors, unseen since the Blaxploitation era of the 70s?” No, so Do the Right Thing still stands as the flagbearer of his directorial career; and since I’m the site’s catalog title critic, I’m here to ask: “Is Do the Right Thing still a great movie almost 30 years later?” The answer is a resounding Yes.
I’m not going to do a plot analysis, so I’ll do what a real film critic and talk about what works. First off, this is a film of with a directorial vision, Lee’s directorial style in Do The RightThing, is undeniably unique; several times, the film eschews the 180 degrees rule, for POV shots, a unique concept that works as: a, talking to a character, or b: talking to the audience.
The beginning of a great shot; when the camera moved in, to show the intimacy of the conversation.
Mind you; this leads to Lee’s cinematic sins, every director has them, some more obvious than others. Lee’s core cinematic sin is the lack of subtlety; his films are loud and outspoken, filled with a revolutionary zeal; that is both infectious and disquieting. My thoughts on cinematic sins is a relatively simple one: it only becomes a problem if it affects the quality of the film. Thankfully, that core sin didn’t bring down Do The Right Thing.
This brings us to the acting, which is excellent. Character actors like Danny Aiello, the late Ossie Davis, John Turturro, and the late Ruby Dee, put on great performances, even actors that I had never heard were putting on phenomenal performances (one of the biggest surprises was the late Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem, a character who says little, yet carries massive plot importance). The film also featured pre-fame appearances of Giancarlo Esposito (pre-Breaking Bad), a pre-Nick Fury (and pre-Jules Winfield) Samuel L. Jackson, and even Nunn was pre-fame (he’d later be cast as Robbie Robertson in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films). Of course, I’m leaving out the main character: Lee himself; he is quite good in his performance. Generally, I would be criticizing a director starring in a film he directed if his performance was terrible, yet Lee portrays Mookie (and the film itself) with a sense of honesty and fairness. So, when events hit the fan, it’s represented in a surprisingly accurate manner.
One of the many Greek choruses in Do the Right Thing
One final thing of note was the use of Greek choruses. Lee uses at least two different Greek choruses during the film; the three African-American gentlemen commenting on the actions and Samuel L. Jackson’s DJ character; both serve this important dramatic purpose. Why did I bring this up? One, you don’t see many Greek choruses in cinema nowadays, let alone two in the same film.
In conclusion, Do the Right Thing, is still a great film. Even though parts of the film have dated, the film more than makes up for it, in strong writing, brilliant performances, and a unique directorial effort by Lee. In short, Do the Right Thing, was the film that Lee needed to put his mark on the medium.
The teenage super genius Riri Williams is ready to step into the spotlight, courtesy of the creative team of Dr. Eve L. Ewing and Kevin Libranda, who will both launch Ironheart #1 this fall.
This is the first opportunity for Ironheart to step out from under Iron Man’s shadow. Now that he is back, she must realize who she wants to be. She has a lot on her plate right from the start in this series as she must face decisions in returning to finish her education at M.I.T., whether she wants to be a superhero or a super genius or whether she just wants a normal life.
“Ironheart symbolizes what happens when you combine incredible strength and might with a sense of love, care and a true desire for justice,” said Ewing. “Not just punishment or showing off or short-term solutions, but real justice. Not to be corny or overly literal, but that’s what it means to combine the power represented by ‘iron’ with the moral compass represented by ‘heart’. Riri’s identity and the place where she comes from means she sometimes has a different perspective than some of her peers on how to deal with people who are doing wrong. There’s a reason she doesn’t just go around blasting everybody to high heaven because, to be real, she definitely could do that if she wanted. But she’s a very tender person at her core, and she doesn’t just want to be a senseless weapon.”
Ironheart #1 goes on sale on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Keep it here and at marvel.com for updates.
Click HERE for the complete Q&A with Eve L. Ewing on the upcoming series and for exclusive looks at some of the variant covers that will drop with the first issue.
