‘New Super-Man’ Hitting Its Stride

By

-

Gene Luen Yang’s New Super-Man hasn’t been getting the attention it deserves. One of the strongest and most unique titles of DC Rebirth is starting to get more acclimated in the larger world of superheroes. Hopefully this draws more readers to a title that’s really starting to hit its stride.

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

Kenan Kong and the Justice League of China address some inner turmoil, rescue some civilians, and face Emperor Superman. Kenan finds his dad, learns of his mother, and the Suicide Squad show up.

Now that we’re deep into the world and development of Kenan Kong, I don’t ever want to be without it again. Kenan’s journey has been completely unique from any Superman related title that came before.

New Super-Man has maintained being a pleasing DC title, while barely getting involved with other major characters outside of the Superman crossover. Yang keeps the book fresh and readers on their toes, it has no problem standing on its own.

That being said, this arc sees Amanda Waller deploy the Suicide Squad into the mix. They arrive on the scene and kill Emperor Superman. I was disappointed in how easily he was disposed of, all it took was Deadshot and a kryptonite sword.

Task Force X’s appearance felt out of place and unnecessary. I would rather have met the China equivalent. Their involvement could make or break this arc.

This cast of characters have grown together a great deal over these fourteen issues. Their relationships and dialogue are a highlight every issue as their now fully established and familiar with readers. The Justice League of China is a much more dysfunction family than the others.

Whatever mysterious, multi-self, dimensional drama Master I-Ching is dealing with in the background, it’s interesting. He’s been a standout character in recent issues. Also, Robinbot is everything that is right about comic books.

One of the many charms of the series is how it serves up some absolutely ridiculous developments in a very digestible way. Not every creative team can pull of the Deilan is a giant snake thing.

Aside from Gene Luen Yang’s script, the aesthetic and color scheme of New Super-Man is crucial in helping this book truly differentiate itself from other DC titles.

Other than the Suicide Squad, this is another solid issue. It’s not that this book should stay separate from the rest of the world, it’s just that it clashed here and different flow together very well. These were very clearly two different groups of characters from two very different comics.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Comic Show Episode 8: MISTER MIRACLE Depresses and REDLANDS Terrifies

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

August 9, 2017

Welcome to the eighth episode of the Comic Show by Monkeys Fighting Robots! Anthony and Matt have a lot to discuss with you today: Are Mister Miracle and Redlands great stories, or do they just have great artwork? We also review Kill Or Be Killed from Image, and beat reporter Tony Wendel stops by to talk about the Power of the Dark Crystal comic from Boom!

Buckle up, True Believers! Episode 8 of the COMIC SHOW by Monkeys Fighting Robots is here.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN:

04:15 – Mister Miracle #1
Anthony – 4.75 Monkeys
Matt – 4.5 Robots

27:05 – Tony Wendel Beat Report: Power of the Dark Crystal

39:30 – Kill Or Be Killed #11
Anthony – 4.3 Monkeys
Matt – 4 Robots

52:22 – Redlands #1
Anthony – 4.7 Monkeys
Matt – 3.75 Robots

01:05:50 – Sacred Creatures Follow-Up

Thank you for listening!

Do you want to be our FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.

Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.

Reviews are greatly appreciated – How to Rate and Review a Podcast in iTunes

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Watch Cable In Action ‘Deadpool 2’ Stunt Video

By

Matthew Sardo

-

August 9, 2017

‘Deadpool 2’ is currently filming in Vancouver and Global BC got a shot of Cable in action jumping over a car and on to a freight truck. There’s also bonus footage of Deadpool buzzing along on a scooter.

There isn’t much there but Cable has the power to jump over cars and the finese to land the jump like a ninja thanks to a stunt double. If the dialogue matches the action the scooter scene could be one of the funniest parts of the film.

“I think Deadpool 2 will comment on anything that’s happening in movies today especially in superhero movies,” producer Simon Kinberg told Slash Film. “The sort of glut or saturation of these movies and the proliferation of sequels is definitely something we’ll play around with.”

The film 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 on June 1, 2018.

What do you think? Comment below.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Gritty New ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Set Photos – Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer

By

Matthew Sardo

-

August 9, 2017

The hype machine that is Star Wars is just getting warmed up with the release of new images from ‘Star War: The Last Jedi,’ featuring more details and information about the film, via EW.

The images provide a good look at Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer, Finn in a Ski Speeder on Crait, the caretakers on Ach-to Island, Porg, Praetorian Guards, and Canto Bight. Rian Johnson brings a gritty style to the Star Wars Universe compared to the polished J.J. Abrams look.

Johnson talked about Crait when the trailer was released – “It’s way out there. It’s very remote. It’s uncharted. It’s a mineral planet and so there are mines on it,” said Johnson.

As more and more information is revealed, fans will want another trailer.

About ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

The Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern, and Kelly Marie Tran.

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ hits theaters on December 15.

How many times will you go see ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’? Comment below.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Milla Jovovich Joins the New ‘Hellboy’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

-

August 9, 2017

Resident Evil and Fifth Element star Milla Jovovich has joined the cast of the new Hellboy, that new Hellboy movie that Guillermo Del Toro’s not doing.

Neil Marshall is directing this new reboot/continuation/whatever, and Jovovich will be playing the Lady of the Lake alongside David Harbour – who will don the red mask as Hellboy – and Ian McShane’s Professor Broom. And make no mistake, Neil Marshall is more than up for this task. the guy directed The Descent, Dog Soldiers and, get this, a new Lost in Space pilot for Netlflix. Sure, it sucks that Del Toro isn’t back, but Marshall can handle this. Plus it’s going to be rated R.

The cast is shaping up nicely as well. Ian McShane is awesome of course, and David Harbour has the heavy intensity to step into Ron Perlman’s shoes. Or… hooves. Jovovich has spent far too many years on the Resident Evil trash fire franchise, but she has talent beyond that role. At least now she might be able to show some of it off.

Hellboy, which was originally saddled with The Blood Queen as a subtitle, will be here at some point in 2018, though a specific date has yet to be attached.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ‘Mister Miracle’ #1 Is The Defining Comic Of 2017

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ Mister Miracle #1 is finally out, and it opens just like the Mister Miracle comics of old. Gerads uses Ben-Day dots to give the art a classic feel, and King uses the exact narration that Jack Kirby opened the original Mister Miracle #1 with in 1971. Yup, just like the good ol’ days. Oh, and the imagery beneath the narration shows our titular hero sitting on the bathroom floor having just slit his wrists. Maybe this isn’t such a familiar Mister Miracle story after all…

Mister Miracle (2017) is the story of Scott Free, New God and the world’s greatest escape artist. But as Scott says, “Everything was getting really easy. Boring-easy.” So he makes an attempt on his own life as a “trick.” The ultimate escape act to escape the inescapable: death. He survives, but the world he returns to doesn’t feel quite the same. It only confounds him more. Scott barely gets a respite before being called back into the war between New Genesis and Apokolips, his two homes.

In many ways, this is the defining comic of 2017. King’s script echoes feelings that torment many of today’s world citizens – Americans in particular. We’ve become bored and restless; anxiety and depression are running rampant. We have a hard time accepting our reality (both our personal realities and the realities of world politics) and we often question “is this real life?” We want to escape but feel trapped. There are shades of King’s Vision story here as well – the dread and terror of living in the modern world – but Mister Miracle seems to be taking these themes to a much deeper and far darker level.

This comic isn’t just a depressing reflection of our own world though. There’s also a prominent layer of mystery and intrigue to King’s story. If you love stories that make you question what is real, and not in a figurative sense, then this series is for you. There are moments in Miracle that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It fills you with unease and tension as you wait for the other shoe to drop. Gerads throws in some very subtle visuals that amplify that feeling and keep you on the edge of your seat, itching to turn the page and learn more. Speaking of whom…

As smart and intriguing as Tom King’s script is, Mister Miracle #1 truly is The Mitch Gerads’ Show. Gerads is a triple threat on this book – penciler, inker, and colorist – and he fires on all cylinders. His inking in particular stands out. There’s a layer of filth on these pages that emphasizes the dark and gritty story being told. It’s raw and messy. Such is life. Gerads utilizes subtle tools like mimicking tape residue or warping panels to reflect Scott’s own warped reality. With art this smart, with as many layers to dissect and analyze as the story itself, you know you’re in for a treat.

This issue is told almost entirely in 9 panel grid pages, a hallmark of Tom King scripts. This could easily slow a story down, but Gerads seizes it as an opportunity. He gave each panel 110%, and it shows. 153 panels and each one holds weight (and that’s just the grid pages – his splash pages are even heavier). It just further proves that King and Gerads are one of the best teams working in comics today. They’re each able to take what the other one gives and elevate it to new heights.

Mister Miracle (2017) is a very different take on the New Gods than we’ve seen before. Where Kirby’s original stories were bright and kinetic, King and Gerads are taking an introspective and muted look at the Fourth World. Issue one is admittedly low on Kirby-style action, but it’s not an action comic. It’s an intellectual comic, something you can discuss over a glass of whisky (or whatever drink makes you feel smart). Yet it doesn’t isolate readers who just want an interesting story without the philosophy. Surely there will be larger action down the line. With Gerads himself describing the series as “New Gods: Rebirth,” you wouldn’t expect anything else. For now though I’m content to bask in the glory, wallow in the sadness, and ponder the meaning of life as Tom and Mitch throw Scott back into the fires of hell that he escaped from so long ago.

Mister Miracle #1 is in stores now. Listen to Mitch Gerads himself discuss the book with us here.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Hostile Negotiations Explode In IDW’s ‘First Strike’ #1

By

Anthony Wendel

-

A Hasbro comic book event! A new era of peace is dawning as Earth formally joins the Cybertronian Council of Worlds. That is… until Baron Ironblood joins Destro, Storm Shadow and other nefarious villains in a terrorist attack on Iacon! As chaos takes hold on Cybertron, it will be left to Scarlett and the rest of G.I. Joe on Earth to discover the true purpose behind the attack before both worlds descend into all-out-war!

Writing

Here we are again. Another IDW event which is set to shake up the status quo and rearrange the Hasbro Universe. Last year’s event Revolution saw the different properties of G.I. Joe, Transformers, Rom, M.A.S.K. and the Micronauts come together and be recognized as a part of a single continuity. Unfortunately, many thought the event was a bit rushed. Will First Strike feel the same way?

Writers Mairghread Scott and David A. Rodriquez make a point to give everyone an understanding of what has happened so far. It starts with a flashback to Optimus Prime proclaiming Earth part of the Cybertron Council of Worlds and showcasing how this moment started the ball rolling to where the story currently is. This issue also works to establish a center narrative point instead of jumping all over the place like in the previous event. The main team of the current G.I. Joe comic is doing the investigation work into the terrorist attack on Cybertron, giving the reader a good focus into what is happening. The story is slower in the right way, taking the time to analyze what is happening instead of just rushing through. So far so good here.

A back up story by John Barber called the Origin of Evil is provided, which sets up how the bad guys got together and decided to stage this massive attack. Nice concept and its good to help expand the characters a bit more, but given how this is a major event, the concern of if these pages could be spent elsewhere comes up.

Artwork

The main story has Max Dunbar on art and Andre Zarate doing the colors. Together, this pair offers some great detail work on both the humans and the robotic characters, an accomplishment which is harder than some may think. Also a lot of intensity can be felt during the action scenes.

The backup story features Netho Diaz on pencils, Walden Wong on inks, David Gracia Cruz on colors. Props to this team for the general sense carnage and tension which is created through these villains have a sit down conversation. Nice use of blood on the wallpaper by the way, really ties the room together.

Conclusion

So far, First Strike feels better than Revolution in terms of pacing. The atmosphere is captivating but not overwhelming and the backstory of the villains is a nice touch but may prove to be unnecessary. It’s a good event but given what has happened previously, the real question will be if the event can stick the landing.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Preacher Feature: Holes

By

Joshua Versalle

-

August 8, 2017

Preacher Feature is a weekly analysis of the AMC show Preacher based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. In this column, we will give a breakdown of the events from the previous night’s show, including how they relate to the comics, and speculate as to what’s going on and what might be coming up. This is to say that there will be spoilers, both actual and potential. If you have not yet watched the episode in question or are watching the show without reading the comics and don’t want to have any foreknowledge of what might happen to Jesse and company, then you would do well to stop reading this now.

Looking to get caught up? Here’s a link to last week’s article.

Closing Time

Eugene is still in Hell’s version of a prison cafeteria, gettin’ swole and trying not to be so nice that he gets noticed by the guards. He can’t really deny his helpful personality, though, and so gets sent to “The Hole”. Instead of mere solitary confinement, this hole contains a device called an extrapolator, which seems to cause the victim to live out their worst fears. Eugene ends up back in the bedroom of a suicidal Tracy Loach. However, instead of reliving his last few minutes before becoming Arseface, he lives an alternate reality in which Tracy reveals she likes Eugene back, but has promised herself to none other than Jesse Custer. Eugene’s greatest fear seems to be his preacher, to whom Eugene looks up, getting a handy from his crush. After a dose of the extrapolator, Eugene seems primed to accept an offer of help from his bunkmate Adolph Hitler, who has his own plans to escape Hell.

Meanwhile on Earth

The gang on Earth is not doing much better. Cassidy is torn trying to decide whether to bite his terminally-ill son Denis and turn him into a vampire. Tulip is still trying to get over her brush with death. Getting shot in the chest for money only goes so far, so she decides to patch holes in the apartment’s walls left by The Saint of Killers’ gun. While doing so, she meets Featherstone, a Grail agent who is surveilling Jesse. Featherstone has once again taken on the disguise of a woman on the run (this time from an abusive ex) and she and Tulip bond over Boo Berry cereal (PSA – Boo Berry will turn your poop blue).

Jesse is still trying to find God and to do so he travels to his local electronics store and asks some tech dorks to enhance the audition tape to see if they can find a serial number on the gun (you know, like on “the shows”). The too-helpful clerks think Jesse is the one holding the gun and that he wants them to get rid of the evidence, so they scrub the footage, leaving Jesse with no leads. As the clerks are shredding the disc, we see it is marked Property of Grail Industries.

Hopefully this means we will be seeing more of Herr Starr in the next episode. It was disappointing not seeing him after such an awesome introduction last week. The show falters when they focus too much on strictly emotional conflicts. With The Saint trapped in the bottom of a swamp, it needs a villain to drive it.

Easter Eggs/Connections to the Comics

Cassidy reveals his first name, Proinsias (which I’ll admit I have read for years in the comics and never knew how to pronounce) while on the phone to someone named Seamus.

Questions/Theories

Will Eugene ever get out of Hell?

Who is this mysterious Seamus on the phone with Cassidy? Do we have another Irish vampire on our hands?

Best Line

“You ever put on a bullet-proof vest and get shot in the chest?” – Tulip O’Hare

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Disney Pulling Their Films From Netflix to Start Streaming Service

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

-

August 8, 2017

We are rapidly approaching peak streaming services, as now it seems Disney will remove all of their properties from Netflix and open their own streaming service.

According to the report over at The Verge, the Mouse purchased BAMTech, a streaming service that they will now put together with ESPN to create their own streaming empire:

Netflix won’t lose its Disney movies right away. Disney says it plans to cut Netflix off starting with the studio’s 2019 films, and Netflix says it’ll be able to keep all the Disney movies it gets through the end of that year. That means Netflix should get the next two Star Wars movies, but it’ll miss out on the new trilogy’s final installment. “We continue to do business with the Walt Disney Company on many fronts, including our ongoing deal with Marvel TV,” said a spokesperson for Netflix.

This is just another name on the ever-growing list of companies and brands making their own platforms. The streaming world is getting so fractured that if you put them all together they might very well be more costly than cable or satellite.

It’s also another bold stroke from Netflix, addition by subtraction perhaps. They are clearly aiming to have their content and that alone on their platform, and this is simply a step in that direction. This news comes on the heels of the company making their first purchase, comic-book publishing company Millarworld.

No news yet on the price of Disney’s new streaming service, so stay tuned.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

EXCLUSIVE: Parker Coppins Talks Disney Show ‘Parker Plays’

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

-

August 8, 2017

Parker Coppins is a YouTuber who’s been doing comedy-gaming content for years. Now, Parker is the star of Disney’s new gaming show ‘Parker Plays.’ MFR talks to him about the new show, how he started on YouTube, and more!

Continue

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube