Review: SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – A Solid Foundation

May 16, 2018

Well, that’s the last time I ever believe the internet. See, going into the press screening of SOLO: A Star Wars Story, I’d heard that the film was going to be a mess. The film switched directors near the end of production. The lead couldn’t act. It was even said that Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy’s position was being threatened.

Uh-huh.

I’ll admit that even I had my doubts. I was one of those folks who wondered aloud why Alden Ehrenreich was cast as the lead when Harrison Ford-clone Anthony Ingruber was out there doing a killer Han Solo impersonation on YouTube.

But then I remembered River Phoenix as a young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, giving a performance where he captured the essence of the character without really mimicking Ford. And that’s what Ehrenreich does with Han Solo in what is a fairly solid portrayal of everyone’s favorite Correllian scoundrel in his early years.

Along with Ehrenreich, we have Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett, a man who is a mentor of sorts to young Solo. Emilia Clarke plays Qi’ra, the love interest with a story arc that runs parallel to Solo’s. Donald Glover steals every scene as Lando Calrissian but is nearly outmatched by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3-37, a pilot droid that brings plenty of laughs but is also involved in one of the film’s most poignant scenes. We also shouldn’t forget Joonas Suotamo who dons the Wookiee costume to reprise the role of Chewbacca as he did in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Following a script by Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Silverado), director Ron Howard (Willow, A Beautiful Mind) gives audiences a relatively straightforward and fast-paced film that is full of background details intended to please long-time Star Wars fans. If you go into the movie with the expectation of simply being entertained, you’ll have no problem enjoying it while munching on your movie popcorn. There’s plenty of action and humor, with a few plot twists along the way. Ehrenreich and Clarke are serviceable as star-crossed lovers, but it’s when Ehrenreich works with Harrelson and Glover where the moments ring the truest.

For all the baggage and backstory SOLO must carry, the film handles it in workmanlike fashion. I should have known that when you have the an Oscar-winning director like Howard and a screenwriter like Kasdan working on your movie, it’s going to be a good time at the very least. While it may not have the highest stakes, SOLO still has enough thrills and humor to make it worth an evening out at the cinema.

Finally, SOLO is steeped in the lore of that galaxy far, far away, but folks who have never seen a Star Wars film before can enjoy this one without needing a whole lot of backstory.

I know I should have always done this, but next time I hear certain elements of fandom crying about a film they have yet to see, I’m just going to block them out. I’m also going to keep from being that kind of fan on social media. Punch me if I am.

For what appears to be the first of a Han Solo trilogy, SOLO: A Star Wars Story is a pretty good first step.

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Review: KICK-ASS #4 Creates A Chaotic and Frantic Reading Expirience

Manuel Gomez

Kick-Ass #4 by Mark Millar, John Romita Jr., Peter Steigerwald, and John Workman explodes with what is basically one long action-scene that ends in a hell of a cliffhanger.

Kick-Ass #4
Written by: Mark Millar
Art by: John Romita Jr.
Colors and Digital Inks by: Peter Steigerwald
Letters by: John Workman

Kick-Ass Created by: Mark Millar & John Romita Jr.

Patience is trapped while trying to bust a local gang operation and save an innocent man from torture. Surrounded by gangsters, armed with only her wits and combat training, she must fight her way out and get back to her family. With Violencia now hunting her, desperate for revenge, how long before the villains find out who’s under the mask?

Writing

The greatest thing about this issue is the relentless pace. Millar has written what is essentially one long action scene (think John Woo movies) that also allows for some great character development for Patience because of the excellent interior narrative we are getting as well. As everything turns to shit in minutes, Patience’s military mind goes to work and we see that there is much more in her arsenal that billy club and fists. Her keen mind saves her and it’s wonderful to watch.

There is a great moment at the end where the collision between Patience’s family life and her mission as Kick-Ass takes a deadly turn. No spoilers here. Go read it!

Art

Brutal beatdowns and car chases are the highlights on these fantastic pages. Romita Jr. changes up the panel and layouts a bit this issue, incorporating some smaller panels and panel sequences to create speed and the result works great. The whole issue feels chaotic, loud and fast. It’s experienced rather than read.

There is also some amazing coloring and inks that add a layer of atmosphere to the action, especially the scenes with explosions and spreading fire.

Conclusion

Each issue of Kick-Ass has left the reader wanting more and issue #4 is no different. This continues to be a series that is just plain a pleasure to read.

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Image Comics Exclusive: SCALES & SCOUNDRELS Variant Cover Reveal

Anthony Composto - EIC

May 16, 2018

Scales & Scoundrels, the fun, all-ages fantasy series by Sebastian Girner, Galaad, and Jeff Powell, is celebrating its third arc with variant covers riffing off popular role-playing card games like Magic: The Gathering, and Monkeys Fighting Robots has your first-look at the covers courtesy of Image Comics!

The five covers are all done by series artist Galaad and will accompany issues 11-15, running August through December of this year. They resemble beloved RPG character cards, “upon which you can find each character’s class, traits, affiliation, and other interesting tidbits, including character quotes.”

Check out the covers here:

When asked about what RPGs mean to him, and why the team chose this theme for the covers, writer Sebastian Girner had the following to say:

“Card games have long been a staple of role-playing games and the fantasy-genre especially. I was always struck by how with a single drawing and a few lines of flavor text or lore, one small card can send the imagination off on a journey. With these covers we want to sample some of that purity, and introduce our cast of scoundrels to readers far and wide. Hopefully they’ll find their imagination piqued and get pulled into our magical world.”

Which of the covers is your favorite? Comment below!

Scales & Scoundrels volume 1 is available now; volume 2 is out July 11th.

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Get In Gear With RPM In MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #27

Anthony Wendel

The “Shattered Grid” event from Boom Studios covering both Go Go Power Rangers and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers continues to leave a heavy impact on both the rangers and the readers. Can the creative team keep the energy going and the interest alive as the event continues?

Summary

With Lord Drakkon seeming to be getting the upper hand, Zordon sends a message to Power Ranger teams across dimensions in an effort to call for assistance. Who answers the call first? Why Dr. K of Power Rangers RPM and The Coinless.

Writing

This issue has more gravitas to it after reading the recent Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual (Note: If you really are invested in this event, it will would a very good idea to go check out the annual before the event goes any further.) Lord Drakkon seems to be conflicted or at least troubled by the actions he took in the annual. Of course, given how much death and destruction he has already caused there will be little need or chance for him to have any type of redemption. He’s become a villain who has done what many thought impossible, taking on several teams of Power Rangers all at the same time.

Writer Kyle Higgins allows for some great moments to happen between the characters in this issue. There is great dialogue between Jason and Lauren which is very captivating. Watching two red rangers from different teams talk about the difficulties of being a Power Ranger is engaging. These are the kind of moments fans always wished the series would offer to help the characters feel more human. Also, the team meeting up with the Coinless, the original rebellion force to fight Drakkon seems natural and already a part of the Power Rangers mythology even though it was introduced less than a year ago. This just goes to prove the power Higgins has a writer and how well his stories have helped to shape this new incarnation of the Power Rangers.

Artwork

The art in this issue helps to tell a story all on its own. The two page splash as Zordon is sending out a message to all the different ranger teams as they battle against Drakkon’s armies is of particular note. Daniel Di Nicuolo on pencils and Simona Di Gianfelice on inks capture the look of the different ranger teams in a remarkable way.

The color work by Walter Baiamonte helps with the multiple locations which are utilized. The command center, desert around Corinth City, and the post-apocalyptic world the coinless call home all have a different feel to them thanks to the attention paid to the colors.

The lettering by Ed Dukeshire helps with the different settings as well. Character accentuate more as information is being explained to get their point across while the few down moments come off as docile yet tense.

Conclusion

The “Shattered Grid” event is going strong and it doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon. It is issues like this which make Mighty Morphin Power Rangers essential reading for both new and old fans of the franchise.

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NINJA-K #7 Review: Setting The Stage For All-Out War

Ruben Diaz

Ninja-K #7 from Valiant Entertainment sees the super-soldier fully recovered from his wounds and putting together a team to fight against the nefarious forces preparing to unleash hell on Earth.

Ninja-K is the story of Colin King, a super-spy for the British MI6. King, as Ninja-K (the 11th graduate of the ninja programme), fights evil around the world. However, in the series, it’s not only technological enemies or other ninjas who stand in King’s way. Ninja-K takes place in the Valiant universe and crosses over with the supernatural forces of the Deadside from Shadowman and involves plenty of alien shenanigans brought about by X-O Manowar. In Ninja-K #7, techno, extraterrestrial, and supernatural forces come together in Mexico for an epic showdown.

Writing: Christos Gage
Art: Juan José Ryp
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: A Larger World Studios
Editor: Karl Bollers

“Are you familiar with the expression ‘Nuke It From Orbit?’” – Ninja-K

WRITING

Ninja-K is a plot-driven action comic, and so from issue-to-issue, there is a set-up and then a fight. It’s reminiscent of venerable TV shows like NCIS or any of those sort of procedural action shows. However, Ninja-K #7 plays more like the first half of a two-part episode. The issue begins soon after the previous one with Ninja-K recovering from his wounds. In classic, badass superhero fashion, he recovers super-fast, sits up, and pulls off all the medical things attached to his body. Ninja-K is inspired to rise by the appearance of Livewire, his girlfriend, and another super-being. Livewire, aka Amanda McKee, is a technopath which is able to control machines with her mind.

For most of Ninja-K #7, we’re sifting through a lot of exposition, most of it delivered by Neville Alcott, King’s handler from MI6. The primary action of this issue involves Ninja-K and Livewire going around gathering other team members. The plan is to form a group capable of countering each of the members of the bad guys and take them down. To do this, the good guys bring aboard Dr. Mirage, a psychic who communes with the spirits of the Deadside and Punk Mambo, a voodoo priestess with an unusual way of using her unique powers to summon monstrous spirits. The foursome comes together and boards a giant robot, the first weapon in their plan to take out their enemies.

ART

Artist Juan José Ryp continues the steady work he’s established throughout the new series. Even with all the good guys and bad guys involved in the story, there’s no visual confusion. Everyone has a definite style, attitude, look and set of colors that readily identify them and exemplify who they are. One villain, Kostiy the Deathless, is a stone-headed immortal with endlessly rotting flesh who carries a massive stone mace. Another is an abomination and a Frankenstein of sorts. There’s little action in this issue, but Ryp and colorist Jordie Bellaire combine to keep the mood pushing the story forward. The action near the end is sudden and spectacular too.

CONCLUSION

Ninja-K #7 furthers the narrative of various powerful forces on a fast-track to an ultimate showdown. This issue is a lot of exposition, but if we’ve learned one thing about this series it’s that some satisfying and wild action follows its set-ups. Gods, monsters, and technology are ready to wage war in Mexico, and the cliffhanger ending is another one from Valiant that will make readers want to see what comes next.

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Review: BATMAN #47 Reveals A New Side To Booster Gold and His Motivations

Manuel Gomez

Batman #47 by Tom King, Tony Daniel, Sandu Florea, and Tom Eumorey uses its time-travel hijinks to distill both Batman and Booster Gold to their core and turn this dark arc into a tale about heroism.

Batman #47
‘The Gift’ Part 3
Written by: Tom King
Art by: Tony Daniel
Ink Assists by: Sandu Florea
Colors by: Tom Eumorey
Letters by: Clayton Cowles

As Booster Gold, Batman and Catwoman zero in on the time anomaly, what they find and their actions to correct it will have ramifications on all of the DC Universe.

Writing

After the gut-punch that was thrown in the last issue, the narrative jumps a full year forward and slowly reveals the outcome and details. Tom King, again being the clever writer he is, slowly dishes out the details of what happened when an adult Bruce Wayne watched his parents die. Not surprisingly the outcome is still similar to the one we all know, just skewed. Bruce has not become Batman, but he still has become obsessed with the murders and still is using his skills and resources to do something about it. But this isn’t a superhero Bruce, this is a straight-up revenge-seeking man who wants nothing but to kill those involved.

Booster Gold has also had a rough year, looking like a man ravaged by his actions. In a neat page that makes great use of King’s beloved ‘nine-panel grid’, we get a distilled origin of Booster in his own words that seem light at first, but then slowly reveals the deeper motivations that drive him. This has been as much a Booster Gold story as it has been a Batman one.

The best writing in the issue comes at the end though, when Booster and Bruce (and Skeets) travel back to the actual real murder of Bruce’s parents to course correct it all. And King does something great in that he is able to re-tell the grossly over told Batman origin story in a way that still impacts and feels fresh. It won’t get spoiled here, but it’s a great ending to what has been a fun ride of a story.

Art

Last issue, the art team had to pull off some graphic and disturbing images. With this chapter, it’s all about faces and emotions and they fucking kill it (pun intended). There are a lot of facial close-ups, tense talks and even some quiet moments. The contrast to the sort of stuff done earlier shows you that Tony S. Daniel is capable of a large range of storytelling that is only pushed further by the inks by Florea and the colors of Eumorey.

Conclusion

“The Gift” ends with everything back to normal, but it still achieved its goal of telling a twisty-turny time travel story that really is less about exploring ‘What If’ and ‘Elseworlds’ and more about what makes these beloved characters work the way they do. “The Gift” here is for the readers in the end.

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Explosive New ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Trailer Released

Kieran McLean

May 16, 2018

Tom Cruise has done some truly insane stunts over the years, but the latest Mission: Impossible – Fallout trailer teases his craziest one yet.

More – MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT Poster Lands Ahead Of The Trailer

A brand new trailer was just released for the sixth instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, which gives us an excellent new look at Ethan Hunt’s most dangerous, personal and explosive mission ever. The trailer features a lot of action, a lot of explosions and a lot of Henry Cavill’s moustache, which looks just as glorious as you remember.

Check out the trailer below:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiHiW4N7-bo[/embedyt]

“The best intentions often come back to haunt you. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise – “Top Gun,” “American Made,” “The Mummy”) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin – “Saturday Night Live,” “The Boss Baby,” “Beetlejuice,” Simon Pegg – “Star Trek,” “Ready Player One,” Ving Rhames – “Pulp Fiction,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson – “The Greatest Showman,” ”The Girl on the Train,” Michelle Monaghan – “The Bourne Supremacy,” “The Heartbreak Kid”) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill (“Justice League,” “Man of Steel”), Angela Bassett (“Black Panther,” “American Horror Story”), and Vanessa Kirby (“Me Before You,” “The Crown”) also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie (“Jack Reacher”) returning to the helm.”

Mission: Impossible – Fallout lands in cinemas on July 27.

Source: Paramount Pictures

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Watch Ryan Reynolds And The Cast Of DEADPOOL 2 Hit The Red Carpet In New York

Matthew Sardo

May 15, 2018

Ryan Reynolds with the cast and crew of Deadpool 2 took over New York Monday night for the red carpet premiere of the film.

Watch the interviews below.

Check out our review: DEADPOOL 2 Is Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe

How many times will you see Deadpool 2? Comment below.

About the film:
After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

Deadpool 2 is directed by David Leitch, from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and stars Ryan Reynolds, Zazie Beetz, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Josh Brolin, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic, and Leslie Uggams.

Deadpool 2 hits theaters May 18.

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One Limb Left: Microsoft Needs Better Exclusive Content

Nick Battaglia

May 15, 2018

As the number of days until E3 continue to count down like players during a round of Fortnite, excitement grows. With each passing day, gamer’s from all over discuss and predict what will happen. While leaks have already sprung, one thing looks to be certain. Microsoft will likely take last place when it comes to exclusive properties once again.

Amid the plethora of leaked (though not confirmed) titles by Wal-Mart listed below, Microsoft looks to be focusing on sequels. Particularly Gears of War 5, and Forza Horizons 5. What adds to the validity of this leak is the release of two trailers for Bethesda’s Rage 2.

Now to be fair Sony did just release God of War, and last year Nintendo teased Metroid Prime 4 at E3. However, nobody saw those titles coming, especially the latter of the two. Also it has been a long time since new iterations of the two properties have hit a home console. This goes back to my article about release dates.

The longer you wait to release a new property or a sequel to a major property, the better the reception. Putting out a new Gears of War every couple of years is fine, but it’s not exciting. Sony announcing a Spider-Man game that’s an exclusive is exciting, Nintendo teasing Samus’ return to console is exciting and makes me want to buy a Nintendo Switch right now! The Last of Us Part II while I don’t think it’s needed has me intrigued.

I cannot think of an exclusive that would make me want to go out and buy an Xbox One. But here is how Microsoft can make that happen. You own Rare, use them! Tease a new Battletoads, make a new Perfect Dark, let people know a new Conker is coming.

Try to resuscitate PlatinumGames’ Scalebound which was cancelled last year. The truth is this, you can have the power of a computer in an Xbox One X, but its library means so much more. Create new stories and properties while building on old ones. Not every exclusive has to be original, it just has to be something that makes me feel like I’m missing out.

As of right now I don’t. Also the better exclusives you have, the more you can bundle them with your console. Part of what sold me on getting a PlayStation 4 was it came with a copy of The Last of Us which I hadn’t played prior to buying the console. Microsoft, you cannot go through another E3 and make myself and others feel like you have nothing special to offer.

Announce a major acquisition of a studio and trust them to make a game that will please people. Don’t just do what you did with Lionhead Games (makers of the Fable games) and acquire them, only to neglect them, causing them to close their doors as Lionhead did in 2016. Do something, anything. Just don’t think you can get by with the Fenix family and Master Chief alone, embrace new things.

Right now you’re looking like a kid who doesn’t want to try new foods. But the truth is if you tried them out, you’d like them. Use E3 2018 to blow myself and others away.

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Marvel To Introduce Ms. Marvel after Captain Marvel, Says Kevin Feige

Aric Sweeny

May 15, 2018

Marvel Studios will introduce Ms. Marvel in their cinematic universe after Captain Marvel has been established, as confirmed by studio president Kevin Feige.

“We’re doing Captain Marvel right now. Captain Marvel is shooting, right now, with Brie Larson,” Feige told the BBC. “Ms. Marvel, which is another character in the comic books, the Muslim hero who was inspired by Captain Marvel, is definitely in the works. We have plans for that one once we’ve introduced Captain Marvel to the world,” Feige added.

Since the future of the MCU is largely unknown following Avengers: Infinity War, Ms. Marvel could enter the universe in a prominent role. Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, made her debut in Captain Marvel #14, nearly five years ago. Inspired by Captain Marvel, Khan is a teenage Pakistani American, and Marvel’s first Muslim superhero; the character is also part of both The Avengers and the Secret Warriors in the comic books.

Are you looking forward to Ms. Marvel making her debut in the MCU? Who should play the character? Comment below, let us know!

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