Jeff Lemire flies through SENTRY #2 with Bob frantically searching for his Confluctor before time runs out and the Sentry appears. Will Bob find the Confluctor in time? Will Sentry finally make an appearance in the real world? And, who stole the Confluctor anyway? Let’s find out!
WRITTEN BY: Jeff Lemire
ART BY: Kim Jacinto and Joshua Cassara
COLORS: Rain Beredo
LETTERS: Travis Lanham
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
SENTRY #2 SPOILERS TOO!
Summary
Bob calls Doctor Strange, Tony Stark, and even tries his friend Billy for help BUT no one helps. After a surprise attack from Misty Knight, Bob wakes up in an underground bunker “for his own protection.” This “protection” doesn’t sit well and the Sentry bursts onto the scene. Issue 2 ends with Bob somehow ending up inside the Confluctor, the Sentry out on the prowl, and Billy as the mastermind who stole the Confluctor in the first place.
The Goods
Lemire dives right into the issue fast and furious. He connects the reader to Bob immediately making everyone on edge. Also, the audience is aware Bob is going to pop, but Lemire dangles the carrot of when. Each turn of the page I wondered when it would happen and why. Excellent job Lemire!
I know very little about the Sentry, his sidekicks, and the Void. However, Lemire drew me into this world and made me care for these characters after only two issues. That is a gift that not all writers have, BUT Lemire has it in spades. I can’t wait for issue 3!
The Art
Jacinto and Cassara do a fantastic job making the art feel real by giving the characters so much detail. The action sequences are dynamic, bright, and vibrant. Furthermore, Beredo’s color choices make the art pop off the page. Jacinto and Cassara know how to draw facial expressions and emotions that fit with Lemire‘s dialogue, AND the panel layout is so easy to follow. All of this mixed with Lemire‘s story and Lanham’s lettering make this issue fun, fast, and a great read.
Should you buy this issue?
Definitely! The art is tremendous and Lemire makes Sentry, as well as Bob, so exciting. Readers know it’s only a matter of time before Sentry loses his &@%!. I had a feeling Billy stole the Confluctor, but Lemire, Jacinto, and Cassara make him seem so evil on the last page. I’m excited to find out what drove him over the top.
Ultimately, you need to get this issue because this sucker is going to get nuclear soon and we’re only on issue 2. Lemire already gave readers Cranio, Sentry, Tony Stark, and his partner turned villain. What more could you want from a comic book?
Should you add this to your pull list?
Issue 1 and 2 have been great. For someone who doesn’t know a ton about the Sentry, Lemire is gradually introducing elements to the character and explaining the inner workings of Bob and his supporting cast. With issues dedicated mostly to the “not so super” Bob, Lemire is making them entertaining, fast-paced, and a ton of fun. Now, with the roof ripped clean off this sucker, I’m excited to see where it goes next. Add this to your pull now because Sentry is on the loose and I have no doubt the poop will hit the air conditioner next issue!
What did you guys think of SENTRY #2? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Musician and actress Hailee Steinfeld was at Hall H promoting her next film BUMBLEBEE, a spinoff of the Transformers franchise. Steinfeld stressed several times the character driving storyline as a major difference in the film compare to previous Transformers movies.
Gerry Duggan’s big cosmic crossover officially kicks off in Infinity Wars Prime. Mike Deodato and Frank Martin come aboard to set the table for an epic that’ll last the rest of the summer.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Doctor Strange and Adam Warlock come together in an old-school Marvel scene to set up a mysterious monstrosity looking to escape Soul World. Warlock is the cosmic equal (arguably better) of Strange, they have a wonderfully contentious chemistry.
Loki is everywhere right now. He’s currently got a major role in Infinity Wars, Thor, and Avengers. The only problem with that is the varying characterizations and motivations from story to story, week to week.
He sets out on an adventure with an Asgardian librarian, in search of the God Quarry we’ve seen recently in Jeff Lemire’s Thanos run. Duggan has been showing the players and pieces on the board, but we’re still in the dark as to how everyone fits in. Shrouding readers in mystery is always the way to go, especially when every little nugget uncovered is exciting.
Speaking of Thanos, the Mad Titan’s quest to once again collect the infinity stones gets cut short. Our new mystery villain shows up and relieves him of his head before eradicating the Chitauri. This is totally the old trope of “new big-bad kills previous king of the villain hill to show their threat level” we’ve seen plenty of times. It may be cheap, but effective nonetheless.
Gerry Duggan has been at the helm of Marvel’s cosmic sector for some time now. He’s done a lot to reestablish this side of the 616 as a healthy and exciting place to be. Bless you Gerry, bless you.
Infinity Wars feels like the culmination of everything he’s accomplished since the start of his brilliant All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy. The scale of this crossover story is massive, this issue carries weight. Duggan is proving each comic that he can properly develop and incubate large-scale stories that pay off.
We’re still treated to great character work as well. Loki’s scene with the librarian is hilarious, Strange and Warlock’s scene hearkens back to the glory days of Abnett and Lanning’s cosmic landscape. Space is the perfect setting for Gerry to play around and see how much he can take on.
Mike Deodato and Frank Martin get us started right. Infinity Wars Prime elevates the story to another level through the art. Every character design is great, there’s a hint of classic costume appeal blended perfectly into each modern look.
Frank Martin’s colors contrast with Deodato’s heavy art perfectly. He gives certain pages and panels a lighter tone and shimmer, without detracting from panels that are meant to be more dramatic.
Another highlight of the issue is seeing Doctor Strange and Adam Warlock go into Soul World using a mystical artifact. We haven’t seen the Sorcerer Supreme wield many magical weapons of late so this was a treat. It’s a visual delight thanks to Frank Martin’s electric blue color and glow.
Other than a really rough panel with Loki’s facial reaction, this another solid effort by Deodato. He excels at these great cosmic set pieces and landscapes. There’s a big, clunkiness to a lot of his characters and devices that works really well in outer space.
Infinity Wars Prime gets the ball rolling. Gerry Duggan continues to make his mark on cosmic Marvel. This story feels like a true culmination of everything he’s been writing since All-New GOTG.
The Sonic The Hedgehog series from IDW Comics has been on a streak of impressive issues in terms of quality for both writing and artwork. Is this the issue which finally breaks the flow? Spoiler: No, it doesn’t which makes it seem like a a new question needs to be asked in these opening paragraphs.
Sonic and Tails close in on the true villain behind the recent attacks.
Writing
The enemy is revealed and it’s not who you think it’s going to be. There will be no spoiler here on who it is but it does appear as if the Eggman who Sonic found in previous issues may be the real one. This is refreshing as Eggman, even when he was known as Dr. Robotonic, has always been Sonic’s main adversary. To have someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes and plotting downfall is a welcome changed.
Sure, in the Archie series there were times when another foe was the main adversary, but it would have been simpler for writer Ian Flynn to take the easy route with a new series and just have Eggman be behind everything. Instead, Flynn takes the more daring road, setting up for more stories moving forward, and other problems for Sonic to face other than Eggman. These unexpected surprises are what makes this series so interesting.
Artwork
The artwork for this issue is insane especially when you realize Adam Bryce Thomas was the only artist on duty. Bringing together the dramatic reveal of the mastermind and the ensuing fight in such an eye catching fashion is is impressive to say the least. Sure, some of Sonic’s facial expressions are a bit off at times but this a minor knit pick compared with the intense details and fluid action which comes through seamlessly.
The lettering work by Corey Breen once again helps with the direction and feel of the action. The placement and fonts used in the sound effects aid in controlling the flow of the battle and makes every punch feel like it is landing with appropriate force behind it.
Conclusion
This series has been an incredible ride and it just finds new ways to get better. The preview at the ends showcases the introduction of another familiar face to Sonic The Hedgehog and hopefully it will only help to keep this series running smoothly. For now, fans can pick up this issue and know they it has the same standard of quality of previous issues.
More Amazing Spider-Man already? You bet! Sometimes the double-shipping efforts of a comic book publisher can be appreciated. Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s second issue keeps the good vibes going in Amazing Spider-Man #2.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Following the extra-sized introductory issue, this week’s Spidey adventure takes the time to scale back and push forward with our new, exciting era of web-swinging. Spencer and Ottley are already heroes on the web-head front, Amazing Spider-Man #2 subtly shows us why.
A lot of this issue is conversation, and it’s damn good entertainment. The opening, with Pete and MJ in bed (reassuring readers that they are really back together), is filled with such real and relatable dialogue. It’s very satisfying to see the greatest couple in comic book history back together and in capable hands.
Nick Spencer proves with this issue that his voice for Peter Parker is so fitting, that he could literally sit there and read his science column to us and we’d eat it up. His quipping and joke misfires are clever in both their execution and fallout.
We’re back to a place with Amazing Spider-Man where we don’t need gigantic, epic story setups to get involved. All we need is Peter Parker and the city of New York. Spencer may have been miscast on a few titles in his time at Marvel, but Spider-Man is clearly the perfect fit we were all waiting for.
We should have known after his Superior Foes of Spider-Man that this would be a great fit. The success of that series is also likely to be a big part of this run going forward. We don’t need big-time villains every arc. Spencer has and will be able to utilize lower-tier villains and make them into superstars.
Ryan Ottley really has a flair for highlighting the humanity in characters. Whether it’s in their eyes, expressions or posture, he’s makes each person’s motives clear to the reader at all times. This becomes extremely apparent with that of Dr. Curtis Connors. There’s a pain and shame in his eyes but also that of determination.
The way Ottley frames things is also crucial to the fluidity of this issue’s narrative. Things like the Spidey outfit peaking out of the closet in a panel where Peter and MJ talk about what obstacles they had in the past.
His web lines are also notable in that you can spend the entire issue paying attention to how they leave and enter frame–it’s accurate every time. There are no webs being spun for the sake of webs being spun.
I know we’re only two issues in, but this is the real deal. We’ve been through enough good and bad Spider-Man runs to know when to spot something special. Spencer and Ottley’s Amazing Spider-Man is going to be at the top of essential Spidey reading lists forever.
Shadowman #5 from Valiant adds another layer to a rich supernatural cake baked by writer Andy Diggleand the creative team that further sets the stage for a war that will dwarf all human wars that came before.
Shadowman is more than just a single character. The protagonist of the book is Jack Boniface and, to some degree, Alyssa Myles. However, the story being set forth in this new run of the supernatural force of nature is much more layered than the usual “superhero” story. In issue five, Jack and Alyssa are nowhere to be found. The story here revolves around one of the previous holders of the Shadowman mantle.
Writing: Andy Diggle
Art: Doug Braithwaite
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Letters: Simon Bowland
Editor: Karl Bowllers
“All I got is hearts.“ – Marius Boniface
WRITING
The new Shadowman series is handled with methodical care by writer Andy Diggle. Reading the series now feels like you’re sitting at a chess table with a supervillain. Diggle — the villain in my weird analogy — is carefully setting up his side of the board while telling a story. There’s a sense that he’s already won, the impending feeling of doom is in the air, pushed forth by the each of the villain’s words. Diggle is taking time to set up a story that is bursting at the seams with tension from issue to issue.
Shadowman #5 further showcases the patience of this book and what Diggle is doing. Our Shadowman, Jack Boniface is lost in a void that’s taking him on a trip through time. Without any ham-fisted exposition, we’re taken back to sometime after the American Civil War has ended. Marius Boniface, the Shadowman of his time, is a war hero but also just wants to be left alone. He’s “tired of savin’ the world.” Marius wants nothing to do with his Deadside alter ego. What he wants is to reunite with a lost love — Sandria. However, Sandria has other plans and so do some locals who don’t like Marius much. But the actions that occur at the end of issue two, nearly two centuries prior, will have consequences in the already unstable present-day world of Shadowman.
ART
The pacing of Shadowman never allows for a complete lack of dynamic visuals. As the story sets a new layer, the beats are accentuated with ferocious action. Artist Stephen Segovia sets the stage for Ulises Arreloa’s colors to create a complex visual world for Shadowman. There is a definite cinematic sense to the book, particularly here in a story set in an old world. The colors reflect a somewhat dated look, like a filter on a camera. The work done by the visual team is consistently fantastic. Shadowman also boasts the coolest and most macabre covers coming out of Valiant. And the unsung hero here is letterer Simon Bowland whose work blends with the art to provide that final layer of immersion.
CONCLUSION
Why aren’t you reading Shadowman? Any fan of the superhero genre, particularly readers who like the darker heroes, will enjoy what Valiant is offering here. There’s excellent world-building, visceral visuals, interesting characters, and wild supernatural chaos at every turn. The ominous ending of issue five is yet another cliffhanger that makes it feel like issue six will never come soon enough.
Chip Zdarsky kicks off Marvel Two-In-One #8 by giving Ben Grimm almost everything he’s ever wanted, except Ben, is on an alternative universe lead by an evil Spider-Man. Are Ben and Johnny stuck there forever? The “THING” is, that’s not even the most significant questions of the issue. Let’s jump in and see!
WRITTEN BY: Chip Zdarsky
ART BY: Ramon K. Perez
COLORS: Federico Blee
LETTERS: Joe Caramagna
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #8 SPOILERS TOO!
Summary
Ben and Johnny have been trapped in this universe for a long time now. How long? Long enough that both of their powers are gone entirely. So, these two knuckleheads set up jobs, a house, and a life while they wait for Amadeus Cho to send out their message for help across the Multiverse.
Ben finally comes clean and tells Johnny that he lied about Reed and Sue being alive. So, the two of them duke it out. While fighting, they accidentally burn down their house and are left with nothing; sounds fun, right.
However, the issue ends with “a” Fantastic Four showing up to help Ben and Johnny. It turns out; this Fantastic Four is run by the Mad Thinker!
The Goods
Ben needed to tell Johnny the truth. It’s great for readers to see Ben come clean, especially since it’s been a theme since issue one. Zdarsky also does a great job of showing readers the love Ben has for Johnny. Ben indeed sees Johnny as a brother. I also left the issue interested in the Mad Thinker’s Fantastic Four. But that’s it; I was very underwhelmed with the issue.
The Art was meh
Perez’ heavy, dark, and thick outlines of characters makes the pages seem rushed and lacking detail. He overuses shadows and cuts panels frequently so that we can’t see characters full faces or simply their faces at all. Why? Is it a style choice that I don’t understand? Sometimes, the shadows are so dark readers can’t tell if characters have mustaches or if it’s their mouth.
When I read a comic, I want to know which character is talking. I want to see his or her face. The faces seemed misproportioned and didn’t resemble the characters very well. Heck, on page 3, one of the panels is all orange.
Should you buy this issue?
This hurts me to say it, but no. The series began with so much promise. However, the past two issues have been let downs. Zdarsky‘s story is fine but it’s lacking the crazy, out of this world storytelling the first six issues had that drew readers in, as well as the fantastic art! For Pete’s Peppers, we had Doom Galactus!
Ultimately, it was boring. Johnny finds out Reed and Sue are dead and they don’t have their powers anymore. I summarized it for you. Plus, Perez’ art lacks detail, Blee’s colors are drab, and nothing pops off the page. Perez draws with thick, huge outlines and I couldn’t tell who was Ben and who was Johnny half the time.
Should you add this to your pull list?
Again, I want to say yes but I can’t. I read this to get my Fantastic Four fix. But, this issue didn’t even give readers that! They weren’t in it at all. And, if readers are looking at these last two issues as a snapshot of the direction of this book, Zdarsky just seems done. The art has gradually become worse, and I genuinely don’t know if this series will end or if it will just go away when the Fantastic Four come back. This is just so disappointing for a book that has been so amazing in the past.
What did you guys think of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #8? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman use their symbiotic relationship to creatively intertwine story and art together giving readers an epic new creation story for these alien symbiotes. You’ll never guess how deep and dark this rabbit hole goes. Let’s dive in!
WRITTEN BY: Donny Cates
PENCILS BY: Ryan Stegman
INKS: JP Mayer
COLORS: Frank Martin
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
VENOM #4 SPOILERS TOO!
Summary
Knull has been around since the early Celestials, and something pulled him from the Void and into the Light. Then, seeing these huge beings, he used his Necrosword to slaughter a Celestial and was banished back to the Void. After escaping his banishment, Knull went out to conquer the cosmos until he was confronted by Gorr the God Butcher. Finally, he was beaten and left for dead after Gorr took his Necrosword.
After his demise from the God Butcher, Knull realized he could use his abilities to control other beings. Thus, he continued his quest for ending the Light until he reached Earth. While conquering Earth, Thor arrived and used Mjolnir to sever Knull’s connection to his symbiotes. Since the link was broken, these foreign pieces searched for hosts and found the closest things they could find; other life forms.
After all that, the symbiotes revolted and billions of them formed around Knull creating the planet Klyntar. Now finally, Knull has been resurrected and is using the Earth symbiotes as his hosts to free him.
The Goods
How about EVERYTHING? This story was so incredibly creative and connected old continuity from THOR: GOD OF THUNDER with the current AVENGERSorigin. Cates and Stegman took the time to think everything through and make sure they paid tribute to what was already done while morphing it into something fresh and new.
To anyone who has not readTHOR: GOD OF THUNDER; you must. It’s a fantastic read and Cates connects it in so well to this story. It just makes sense. Heck, he even connects Beowulf to his story. That’s awesome! Even though Venom takes a back seat in this story, Cates still delivers with action and suspense that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
The Art
As always, Stegman’s art is crisp, clear, and grabs the readers attention. He always adds such amazing detail to his characters, the background, and is great at visualizing scenes and putting the reader right there with the characters. Martin’s color choices are dark and eerie, which totally add fuel to this issue. And lastly, Caramagna’s perfect lettering is placed in specific spots to draw the readers eye to the art without overpowering the page with heavy dialogue.
Keep in mind, and this issue was a backstory and origin of Knull as well as the symbiotes. Typically, stories of this caliber are saturated with words and dialogue. However, Stegman and his art team did a tremendous job spacing the art and words masterfully.
Questions
I left with a few questions. Questions that wouldn’t bring down a score but should get answered before the arc is done. I was led to believe that Knull was around billions of years ago with the First Celestials, especially after seeing the killer Stegman art. Anyway, who came first: Knull or the Celestials? Or, was everything VOID and the Celestials came to fill it? Also, was Knull just always “there?” Readers don’t need the answers to THIS story, but they would be intriguing.
And, how was Knull resurrected? Why now? What happened that triggered his resurrection? Finally, is this the same Void that the Sentry must deal with? I feel these questions are essential to the story and I hope Cates answers them.
Should you buy this issue?
Yes! Cates gives long-time readers the best payoff of all: a deeply interconnected universe. If you’ve been readingAVENGERSorTHOR: GOD OF THUNDER, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Cates continues to find ways to connect horror, space, and Superheroes that’s interesting, clever, and imaginative. This is a must buy this week!
Should you add this to your pull list?
Absolutely! If what I said above about Cates isn’t enough, how about you look back through the art in EVERY issue so far? Stegman and his art team are top notch week in and week out. Cates and Stegman genuinely compliment each other and continue to be one of the best teams in comics right now. Add this series to your pull list and get the back issues 1-3. This team is doing great things that people will be talking about.
What did you guys think of VENOM #4? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Film fandom the world over was shocked and saddened by the news that James Gunn has been fired by Disney and won’t be directing Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 after the discovery of controversial and offensive Tweets he made. There is a petition started by fans to rehire Gunn, and Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff have stated their support for the director. But Disney cares about their image and a new director will need to be found.
Gunn was a director who had a distinct voice and put his stamp on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be a tough act for any director to follow, but Marvel Studios oiled machine and generally been able to find the right people for their projects.
Gunn came from an indie film background, starting his career at Troma Entertainment before making films like Slither and Super. It would be wise for Marvel to hire a director from a similar background for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3.
Lenny Abrahamson Kicking off this list is Irishman Lenny Abrahamson. He has recently received a nomination for an Academy Award for best director because of his work on Room, and his next film is going to be a gothic horror. The real reason Abrahamson is on this list is for work on Frank – a quirky dark comedy that has earned a cult following. Abrahamson even got Michael Fassbender to wear a paper-mâché head throughout the film, and he got to work with Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Scoot McNairy. It would be the type of film that Abrahamson could be used as a calling card to Marvel.
Abrahamson has also been successful in his homeland: he has won Best Director for Film prize at the Irish Film & Television Awards three times and once won the Best Director for Television. Room also earned Brie Larson an Academy Award for Best Actress, and she is now part of the MCU.
Joe Cornish
English director Joe Cornish became an in-demand director after his break hit Attack the Block – an urban set sci-fi that starred FN-2187 (AKA Finn) and the 13th Doctor. Attack the Block was an entertaining genre film that was funny, action-packed and considering its low budget had impressive special effects. The aliens in the movie had a simple yet effective design. Attack the Block also starred a group of boys started as an unlikeable bunch, especially John Boyega’s character but as the film progressed they became more sympathetic – Cornish could pull off this trick for Guardians of the Galaxy, a franchise that looks at the universe’s criminal underbelly.
Cornish has experience with the comic-book genre; he co-wrote the screenplays for The Adventures of the Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and Ant-Man and after directing Attack the Block he was shortlisted to direct A Good Day to Die Hard and Star Trek: Beyond. His next film is set to be a modernized Arthurian tale.
Eli Craig
Eli Craig was an actor turned writer/director, and he made a real splash back in 2010 with his directorial debut Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil was a fantastic parody and deconstruction of the slasher genre when after a series of misunderstandings lead to a group of college kids trying to kill a couple of hillbillies. It was darkly funny – my favorite moment was when a teen ends up running into a wood chipper, and Alan Tudyk tries to pull him out. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil was a hilarious, smart and violent comedy, similar to Super, Gunn’s last find before directed Guardians of the Galaxy.
Craig’s follow-up film was the Netflix Little Evil described as an ‘offbeat comedy about love, family, and the Antichrist.’ It was well received by critics, but audiences were more divided. But it still shows that Craig has a distinct sense-of-humor, and he can translate it to the MCU. Plus if Craig gets the gig hopefully, he can find a role for Tudyk.
Toby Haynes Toby Haynes is a TV director who has worked predominately in the UK. He has directed episodes of popular shows like Sherlock, Being Human and The Musketeers. Haynes’ work on Doctor Who and Black Mirror are the best examples why he would be a good fit to direct Guardians of the Galaxy vol 3.
Doctor Who is a genre show that is in a similar vein to Guardians of the Galaxy and he has directed some beautiful episodes – he handled the Series 5 finale and Series 6 opener. Haynes directed the “USS Callister” episode of Black Mirror – arguably the best episode of Season 4 – and one of the best in the show’s history. “USS Callister” was made as a satire of the original Star Trek series and its effects could match anything in a blockbuster.
Haynes has experience with special effects and actions because of his work on TV. Many British TV directors have become film directors like Ridley Scott and Tom Hooper. It wouldn’t be a stretch for Haynes to step up to make a blockbuster and considering he has worked on many shows with a comedic edge and characters he would be able to fit into the MCU.
Paul King
Paul King is a writer/director with a quirky sense of humor and managed to find mainstream success. Most audiences will know King for his work on the Paddington films, adapting a beloved series of children books in a popular and well-received film series.
King started his career working on The Mighty Boosh – a surreal comedy show that became a cult hit in the UK – and with his debut film, Bunny and the Bull King deliberately used old-fashioned special effect techniques. When King made the Paddington films, he was able to keep his style and sense-of-humor while still being able to make a mainstream material. Marvel has a knack for hiring directors with distinctive styles like Joss Whedon (The Avengers), Shane Black (Iron Man 3) and Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and King could easily do the same with a Marvel property.
Dave McCary
Dave McCary is the type of young director that Marvel likes to hire. McCary has made one film in his career, Brigsby Bear, a critically acclaimed comedy-drama about a man, freed from captivity and sets out to remake the only TV show he was allowed to watch as a child. The film was praised for its optimistic tone and has fantasy sequences that allowed McCary to be flashy and creative with his visions. Like the main character in Brigsby Bear Peter Quill, Gamora and Drax suffered from trauma and McCary could explore this for the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel.
Outside of Brigsby Bear McCary has made short films and directed segments for Saturday Night Live.
Robert Rodriguez
Texas-born director Robert Rodriguez is the king of the modern B-Movie. He made his name with the Spanish language action film El Mariachi, an entertaining movie that was made on an ultra-low budget of $7,000. Since that success, Rodriguez has become known for making gleeful violent, witty and at times self-aware films like From Dusk till Dawn, Planet Terror, and Machete – films that homage grindhouse cinema of the ’70s. He would be able to homage the look and feel cinema of the ’70s and ’80s and would be able to reference films that most people don’t know or even have heard of. He is perfectly adept with action.
Rodriguez has also flirted with more mainstream fare. He created his franchise, Spy Kids, that lasted for four films and he is set to make his first big budget film, the James Cameron produced Alita: Battle Angel, an adaptation of a manga series.
Rodriguez also has experience with the comic book films – he made an incredibly loyal adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City where he used comic panels as storyboards and back in the ’90s he was shortlisted to directed X-Men.
Marjane Satrapi
Born in Iran and based in France Marjane Satrapi is a woman of many talents, working as a writer, director, and artist. Satrapi started her career as working in the comic book industry, working as the writer and artist on Persepolis, a graphic novel based on her childhood in Iran and education in France. Spanning four volumes the graphic novel won numerous awards in France. Her film debut was the animated adaptation of Persepolis which she co-wrote and directed with Vincent Paronnaud and the film was a critical hit. It won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, two Cesar Awards (France’s equivalent of the Oscars) and nominated for the Best Animated Film at the 80th Academy Awards, an award it should have won.
Satrapi first live-action film was the dark-comedy The Voices, featuring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and a talking cat and dog who act as Reynolds’ conscience. The cat encouraged Reynolds’ character to kill so Satrapi should be able to get a grasp of Rocket Racoon’s character.
Satrapi’s next film is Radioactive, a biographical film about Marie Curie and based on graphic novel by Lauren Redniss. It is a film with a lot of promise, Rosamond Pike stars as the famous scientist, Jack Throne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) wrote the screenplay and Anthony Don Mantle is the cinematographer. Satrapi has the filmmaking ability, a risk taker and Marvel have had success getting indie directors to make their films.
Beside from Satrapi’s filmmaking credentials she was a rock fan when she was a child, being a fan of bands like Iron Maiden and AC/DC, so she would be able to match James Gunn when creating a soundtrack.
Taika Waititi Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has quickly emerged as a fan favorite to replace Gunn as director of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 and he would be the most logical choice. Like Gunn Waititi came from an indie background – he made a number of comedies in his native New Zealand and his 2014 horror-comedy What We Do in the Shadows is a cult hit. Thor Ragnarok was clearly influenced by Gunn’s work on Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 – both films used Marvel’s cosmic setting, had a similar style of humor and had an ’80s aesthetics. Waititi and Gunn even had muscular lead actors called Chris. When I first saw the trailer for Thor Ragnarok, I thought it looked like Guardians of the Galaxy 3. It would be easy to see Waititi sit in Gunn’s chair, but the big question is would the New Zealander be interested?
Leigh Whannell Best known for writing horror films like the Saw and Insidious franchises Leigh Whannell has recently moved into directing. His first film, Insidious: Chapter 3 was met with modest critical and audience reaction while his follow-up, Upgrade has been praised by audiences and critics. Upgrade won the Midnighter Audience Prize at the 2018 South by Southwest Film Festival, and the film is on the road to become a cult classic. Upgrade was made on a modest budget, no more than $5 million and it has become known for its humor and fluid action scenes. If Whannell is able to accomplish this with a small sci-fi film from Australia – imagine what he can do with a major Hollywood blockbuster.
Tommy Wirkola
Completing this list is Norwegian writer/director Tommy Wirkola. Wirkola is a B-movie filmmaker who has specialized in the horror and sci-fi genres. He is best known for making the Dead Snow films, comedy-horror that feature Nazi zombies. Gunn started his Hollywood career in the horror genre – he wrote the screenplay for the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead and his debut feature as a director was the horror-comedy. Before making Guardians of the Galaxy Gunn produced the video game Lollipop Chainsaw which starred a scantily clad teenager cutting down zombies – so Disney should be able to overlook a couple of films featuring Nazi zombies.
Wirkola has directed two English-language films – Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and What Happened to Monday. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was blasted by critics upon its initial release but has earned a cult following because of its violence and tongue-in-cheek humor. What Happened to Monday was a dystopia sci-fi film for Netflix and starred Noomi Rapace and Willem Dafoe. What Happened to Monday has a modest 6.9 rating on IMDB but considering the reaction some of Netflix’s most prominent films have received What Happened to Monday is one of the company’s best.
While Wirkola’s films have received decent if unremarkable critical scores, this hasn’t stopped Marvel from hiring directors if they think they are a good fit. Peyton Reed’s best films have been the Ant-Manfilms, Scott Derrickson has a hit-and-miss reputation before getting the Doctor Strange gig, and Jon Watts only made two low budget films when he was hired to direct Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout makes each setting or jaw-dropping sequence an integral part of the film’s high octane, adrenaline pumping narrative resulting in a final product which is both thrilling and stunning to witness.
There are action movies that other actors either attempt to emulate or page homage (ex. The Rock in Skyscraper). Some action movies are so poorly put together that people cringe when anyone mentions their name. Then films like Mission: Impossible – Fallout are made with the intent of pushing the boundaries of a typical action film ultimately blowing expectations out of the water. McQuarrie’s second stint in the director’s chair will widely be considered his best work to date. Mission: Impossible – Fallout belongs in the same discussion as Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Die Hard which are both widely considered two of the greatest action movies ever made.
Left to right: Henry Cavill as August Walker, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt and Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT, from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s narrative centers around the morality of IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). Over the duration of his career, he’s had a real issue with just merely killing these dangerous men and women in the interest of justice being served in a court of law. What happens when your morality leads to theft of three plutonium cores and enables one of the worst men ever to enact a plot of revenge against Mr. Hunt? Could his past actions ultimately bring down IMF’s greatest agent?
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt and Henry Cavill as August Walker in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT, from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
The success of the latest installment of Mission: Impossible is a direct result of McQuarrie’s direction. He has a deep understanding of what the audiences are craving in this new film. It is no longer acceptable to shoot in the more generic locations around the globe. Mission: Impossible – Fallout needed to be a large-scale upstaging of the previous missions to date. Paris, Rome, and London are just some of the stops on this intense journey. Rob Hardy’s cinematography captures the beauty of these locales while still chronicling the most intense action sequences of the year. Hardy used creativity and ingenuity to pull this off. During the HALO jump, he mounted a camera on one of the jumpers masks to capture the film’s seminal moment. During the chase scene in Paris, Hardy shot the truck getting stuck between two buildings from in the front of the vehicle at a higher angle. Doing this allowed the audience to see the jarring motion of the truck getting stuck and the police who were in high pursuit.
Henry Cavill as August Walker in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Lorne Balfe’s musical prowess is on full display as his melodies are woven deftly through each pivotal moment heightening the audience’s sense of impending danger. Mission: Impossible – Fallout‘s pacing is off the charts which matches the imaginative action sequences. The most memorable scene without question had to be the HALO jump. The level difficulty required for an extensively trained Marine to pull that off is high, having Tom Cruise do it is unreal. The helicopter chase sequence is incredible and makes me wonder if this is the type of action we will see in Top Gun 2: Maverick. It’s worth watching this featurette on the stunt to have an idea of the action in this release.
Overall, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is an assault on your nerves causing you to grow tenser as the unceasing number of action sequences unfold defying all logic and reason. Audiences might be exhausted by the end of the film but they sure as hell will be entertained too. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.
