Podcasts help me to get through the day. From my three hour, roundtrip commute to and from work, through performing the responsibilities required of me at my job, and even when doing mundane chores at home such as cooking and cleaning, I’m always listening to a variety of shows ranging from film discussions to political debates. One of my all time favorite podcasts, however, is NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. A regular panelist on this podcast is the always enthusiastic author and critic, Glen Weldon. Naturally, when I discovered that he had written a book about my favorite pop culture subject – Batman – I immediately ordered his novel The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture from Amazon.
New York, NY—June 16, 2017—An Asgardian titan. A Wakandan warrior bred to be a king. The very first Sorcerer Supreme.
Since its inception, Marvel has been delivering groundbreaking heroes and explosive stories. Now, prepare to return to the dawn of time, as Marvel introduces you to the first Avengers from 1,000,000 BC – when iconic torch-bearers such as Odin, Iron Fist, Star Brand, Ghost Rider, Phoenix, Agamotto, and Black Panther come together for the startling origin of the Marvel Universe, in Marvel Legacy #1!
The acclaimed team of writer Jason Aaron (Mighty Thor) and artist Esad Ribic (Secret Wars) reunite for an all-new 50-page blockbuster one-shot that will take you through time to the current Marvel Universe, showing you how it’s truly “all connected.” A true homage to Marvel’s groundbreaking stories, Marvel Legacy brings your favorite characters together for exciting and epic new stories that will culminate in returning to original series numbering for long-running titles.
SVP and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort said:
Marvel Legacy #1 isn’t simply a history lesson. Rather, it’s the starting gun to a bevy of mysteries and secrets and revelations that will reverberate across the Marvel Universe in the weeks and months to come! No character, no franchise will be untouched by the game-changing events that play out across its pages. Jason and Esad pulled out all the stops to fat-pack this colossal issue with as much intrigue, action, surprise, mystery, shock and adventure as possible!
Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso added:
Marvel Legacy #1 will present all fans – new readers and current readers – the very best jumping on point in the history of comics. What Jason and Esad have crafted is more grand and more gargantuan than anything we have ever seen before and introduces concepts and characters the Marvel Universe has never encountered. Fans are going to witness an all-new look at the Marvel Universe starting at one of the earliest moments in time carried all the way into present day. Not only will this be the catalyst for Marvel evolving and moving forward, but expect it to be the spark that will ignite the industry as a whole.
This September, prepare to MAKE MINE MARVEL with the most surprising, suspenseful, mysterious, astonishing tale ever told, featuring appearances from almost every beloved Marvel hero! It all leads to the return of a major Marvel icon in a shocking reveal that will leave fans speechless!
True believers: this book has it all! Dive into all the excitement when Marvel Legacy #1 comes to comic shops everywhere this September!
MARVEL LEGACY #1 Written by JASON AARON
Art by ESAD RIBIC
Double Gatefold Cover by JOE QUESADA
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or simply chat with some of your favorite heroes with Marvel’s chatbot accessible through Twitter and Facebook
The title of Jill Lepore’s novel – The Secret History of Wonder Woman – is a tad misleading. Rather than detailing the history of the most iconic, feminist, female superhero, Lepore’s book is more of a biography of Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston (also known by his pen name, Charles Moutlon). Readers who were hoping for more of a trajectory of the fictional Diana Prince might be a little disappointed, but Marston’s story is a fascinating one that puts Wonder Woman’s creation, development, and mythology into a more complete context.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opened last month to an impatient audience. And, though some critics and fans felt that this sequel was too similar to its predecessor, those looking to see a comicbook movie sequel got what they bargained for. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had lots of action. It had lots of jokes. It had lots of attractive people — and one raccoon — engaged in life-or-death situations. And, because the story about the hero saving the planet was getting old, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 features a team of heroes fighting a planet rather than saving it. Yes, if you haven’t yet seen it, the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is none other than Ego the Living Planet, played — when Ego’s in human form — by Kurt Russell.
Always interested in reading the source material for comicbook movies, I started looking around for information on whether Ego and Star-Lord, AKA Peter Quill, had ever met before. Surprisingly, even though both Ego and Star-Lord occupy the same cosmic fringes of the Marvel Universe, they don’t appear to have had much interaction with each other before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. So, why the heck am I writing about this?
Well, way, way back in the 1980s, Star-Lord was, unlike the slightly sappy version Chris Pratt portrays so well in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, a freewheeling cosmic swashbuckler with a super-powerful and sentient spaceship as his only companion. Appearing in issues of Marvel Super Special, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Preview, and Marvel Premiere, Star-Lord had encounters with the Claremont/Byrne-era X-Men and many others.
One of these adventures, featured in Marvel Premiere #61 (cover date August 1981), involved a sentient planet trying to seduce Star-Lord into permanently joining with it telepathically. This sounds familiar to any reader of Jack Kirby’s psychedelic run in the 1960s that saw the creation of Ego the Living Planet, and his extra-terrestrial counterparts Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and the Kree. But, the sentient planet featured in Marvel Premiere #61 is notably not Ego.
Instead, the creation of writer Doug Moench and artist Tom Sutton, this is a speechless but telepathic planet. It relies on psychic connections with its sentient inhabitants in order to thrive.
Star-Lord: “Planet Story” – Apocalypse, How
While investigating a “blue-green gem” of a planet from orbit, Star-Lord, breath-taken at the primordial sights his scanners pick up, decides to go in for a closer look. Upon arriving, Star-Lord is nearly scalded by a geyser and then nearly enveloped by a giant flower. After these close calls, Star-Lord notices some ruins and goes to investigate. Then as he approaches the ruins, a strong earthquake nearly causes the ruins to cave in on him.
He flies away just before the rubble buries him, but a lightning strike and strong wind force Star-Lord through an opening in a gigantic tree. Inside the tree is a crypt with several stacks of empty compartments. Each compartment contains a number of wriggling tendrils that connect to the wall. When Star-Lord approaches one of the compartments, the tendrils force their way out and try to grab him. As Star-Lord makes for the aperture he came in, it closes tightly.
A holographic display appears, showing Star-Lord the co-evolution of the sentient planet and the sentient reptilian species it was home to. Star-Lord is shown scenes that depict the course of evolution of the sentient species native to the planet, one scene depicts the natives of the planet struggling to free themselves from the tendril-laden crypt. They eventually succeed and flee the gigantic tree.
The reptilian species evolves, industrializes, and eventually falls to ruin. After all of the resources run out, the natives of the planet use the little technological know-how they still have to take to the stars. The hologram ends and Star-Lord is left in the darkness of the tree crypt.
Star-Lord “Planet Story” – Two Sides to Every Story
Unsure of why or by whom he was just shown this apocalyptic history, Star-Lord is taken by surprise by a number of wily tendrils. They overpower and subdue Quill who describes unexpected feelings of bliss coupled with the stark realization that he is about to die.
The narrative device then switches tracks, showing the reader the sentient planet’s side of the story. By way of dialogue boxes, the planet describes the telepathic bond it enjoyed with its sentient inhabitants and the loneliness it felt after the planet’s inhabitants eventually won their freedom. Then, the planet continues, after being stripped of its abundance of natural resources, the greedy species left the planet alone, unable to form the telepathic bond it still longs for.
The planet views Star-Lord’s visit as an opportunity to re-engage in the telepathic rapport it enjoyed with its previous tenants. But, Star-Lord will have none of it. He regains consciousness and blasts his way out of the gigantic tree.
Star-Lord: “Planet Story” – A Planet Scorned
Unlike Star-Lord, the sentient planet thinks of the telepathic joining as a generally positive experience. It describes the original, tendril-ensnared occupants of its gigantic tree crypt as lovers and is ecstatic at having a new one in Star-Lord. But, rather than force its new lover back to the crypt after he abruptly blasted his way out, the planet allows Star-Lord to leave. The telepathic link “would be meaningless without the choice,” thinks the planet, “the choice” apparently being the choice to leave or to stay connected via the telepathic link.
Back in orbit, Peter discusses what to do about the planet with his sentient ship. The ship notes that it has the power to destroy the planet, but Peter must give the order. The choice is his. Meanwhile, dialogue boxes show the reader the planet’s thoughts on Peter’s leaving. Depressed at being left for a second time and unable to face its loneliness, the planet wishes for death.
But, after a brief philosophical discussion with his ship, Star-Lord decides to let the planet live. The ship leaves orbit, and the planet waits for “someone blessed with the grace of choice … someone to make the right choice … at last, and forever.”
Star-Lord: “Planet Story” – Final Thoughts
I found this story remarkably similar in tone to the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Beyond the obvious similarity of both stories featuring Star-Lord facing off against a sentient planet, the emotional betrayal felt by both Ego in the film and the sentient planet in this story is also similar. But unlike Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, “Planet Story” doesn’t seek to make the sentient planet Star-Lord’s father. Instead, the planet sees Peter as an unrequited lover.
It’s also interesting that the film and this story end quite differently. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ends with Star-Lord eventually deciding to destroy Ego for all the right reasons, whereas “Planet Story” ends with Star-Lord deciding not to destroy the sentient planet for all the wrong reasons. As Star-Lord himself states at the end of the adventure, “I only hope, ‘Ship,’ that it was a wise choice … but I have a feeling it was wrong, all wrong for the wrong reasons … ”
It was great to read such a progressive comicbook. Like other comics from the ’80s, this one is quite dark, showing readers the de-evolution of a species and the near destruction of a planet. But, beyond simply being dark, “Planet Story” relates the feelings of a planet to readers, providing a stark environmental message.
The planet views the sentient beings who interact with it as ungrateful parasites intent on stripping the planet of its bounty and then moving on. As I’m sure was Dough Moench’s intent, one wonders how our own planet would view the relationship humanity has with it.
The story for Twilight AXIS is based off a novel and takes place a few years after Mobile Suit Gundam: Unicorn. So what exactly does this mean? More UC timeline!
In a change from the regular formula where a kid gets their hands on a Gundam, we finally get to see the other side of things. The protagonists are former Zeon members who are sent out to collect information from an important base used in the One Year War. The main mobile suit is a red Zaku III custom reminiscent of something Char would pilot.
The antagonists are the ones with the Gundam Tristan which is a reskin of Alex from Mobile Suit Gundam: 0080: War in the Pocket. If you’ve never watched it, you missed out on some of the most realistic combat and the atrocities of war. This sets high expectations for Twilight AXIS.
All in all, I can’t wait to watch this new entry to the franchise. The animation looks like something out of Thunderbolt while keeping in some elements from the original. The music is what makes each PV unique as it sounds like it was written for an opera. Good thing this is a space opera am I right?
The negatives
The worrying thing, which isn’t even a deal breaker for me, is we will only get 6 episodes. Another problem is 5 of these episodes are going to be 3 minutes while the last one is going to be 8 minutes. Apparently, only the first episode will be streamable for non Gundam fanclub members, with the rest being exclusively for members.
The PV also revealed the release date for the first episode which is June 23rd.
Extra content!
Yesterday was a good day for Gundam fans all over the world as we also received news as to when Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin V Clash at Loum is expected to drop.
Stellar writing plus fantastic performances from Jillian Bell and the rest of the cast make Rough Night the summer’s #1 Comedy.
Summary
The narrative behind this release is incredibly simplistic and straightforward. Five friends from college meet up in Miami for a bachelorette party weekend. The group consists of the Jess (Johansson) who spends most of her day running her political campaign, Frankie (Ilana Glazer) who can’t seem to keep a job, Blair (Zoë Kravitz) who is having marital issues, Alice (Jillian Bell) who is the overbearing friend that just wants what everyone has, and Pippa (Kate McKinnon) who is Jess’s lunatic friend from Australia. During the drunken and drug-laden debauchery, the girls decide to hire a stripper for the bride to be. Things get a tad bit out of hand, and Alice causes the hired beefcake to lose his balance while trying to straddle him. He falls over and cracks his skull on the tile and dies instantly. The film quickly pivots into this comedy of errors where they try to cover-up their act in hopes of not getting caught. I’m sure most already realize that doesn’t go nearly according to plan.
What Worked
Casting Co-Writer Paul W. Downs as Peter (Jess’s fiancé) was a stroke of genius. He had the right mixture of dorkiness with that slight edge that comes when you are about to have a nervous breakdown.
The storyline from writer/director Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs is well crafted. Walking into the theater, I fully anticipated a story that was merely set-ups for certain punchlines, but that’s not the case at all. Instead of writing something funny, these writers developed scenarios that the actors themselves made funny.
Scarlett Johansson showed off her comedic talents and did surprisingly well (even though she’s the straight lady).
Having most of these women dealing with real issues that plague all of us was certainly the right call. It was that realism that allowed the audience to laugh even harder when things get a little nutty.
Someone needs to write a feature film script and cast Jillian Bell in the leading role. She’s not only freaking hysterical but can project an essence of vulnerability on screen that most woman will relate to.
Normally it’s the men who have the wild night, and the woman is left to have a low key evening and worry. In this case, it’s the women partying, and the men are left home to in the case of this film, attend a wine tasting. The actors played the switch beautifully, and the result was a funnier final product
Ty Burrell and Demi Moore are cast as a couple of red hot swingers that stole the scenes they were in. Don’t want to say how because that would be quite a spoiler.
What Didn’t Work
Kate Mckinnon attempts an Australian accent during the film, and for about three minutes it comes across as cute but slowly becomes one of the few annoying moments of this release.
Overall
Rough Night is everything that Baywatch wishes it could have been (which is huge for me say as I was one of the few critics who liked The Rock’s latest project). While Baywatch focused more on developing funny dialogue and one-liners, Rough Night concentrated on crafting hilarious scenarios then allowed their cast to make it funny. Great comedy can’t be forced and has to occur organically. One could not only refer to Rough Night as a great comedy; it is without question the best comedy to be released this summer. I’m sure throngs of ladies are going to be planning a GNO (Girls Night Out) but let me encourage the men to step up and take your significant other to this release. This film is fresh, freaking hysterical, and certainly doesn’t require a large amount of background knowledge to enjoy the final product.
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t well known for its musical composition, the Spider-Man movies have always had an interesting sound and Michael Giacchino will attempt to deliver the most interesting Spidey theme ever with his Spider-Man: Homecoming score. Entertainment Weekly just revealed the first track from Giacchino’s score, which gives us a small taste of what to expect from the full soundtrack and I’m convinced that this will become Spidey’s most iconic soundtrack.
The track listing for Giacchino’s score has also been revealed and features the iconic 1960s theme, which Giacchino teased on social media a few weeks ago. The listing also teases what we can expect from the film, so if you’re worried about spoilers don’t read any further.
Check out the full track listing below:
1. Theme From Spider Man (Original Television Series)
2. The World Is Changing
3. Academic Decommitment
4. High Tech Heist
5. On a Ned-to-Know Basis
6. Drag Racing / An Old Van Rundown
7. Webbed Surveillance
8. No Vault of His Own
9. Monumental Meltdown
10. The Baby Monitor Protocol
11. A Boatload of Trouble Part 1
12. A Boatload of Trouble Part 2
13. Ferry Dust Up
14. Stark Raving Mad
15. Pop Vulture
16. Bussed a Move
17. Lift Off
18. Fly-by-Night Operation
19. Vulture Clash
20. A Stark Contrast
21. No Frills Proto COOL!
22. Spider-Man: Homecoming Suite
The Queens Community Bank Jingle (Hidden Track)
The Real Reason Peter Quit the Band (Hidden Track)
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is directed by Jon Watts and stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Donald Glover, and Robert Downey Jr.
Marvel released the fourth chapter in their Star Wars comic book crossover this week. It’s been a fun adventure tale teaming the main heroes up with Doctor Aphra. The only thing keeping this from being a homerun is an issue with the art. Enough with the photo realism in The Screaming Citadel.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Thirty-two issues into Star Wars and writer Jason Aaron is still churning out interesting stories. Operating within the limitations of continuity between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back makes this series all the more impressive. The Star Wars initiative for Marvel has been a major success.
The Screaming Citadel is no exception, Jason Aaron and (Doctor Aphra writer/creator) Kieron Gillen combined their efforts to deliver a very entertaining crossover story. The only problem with it is this terribly distracting art direction.
Every dramatic moment for Luke, Han, or Leia hits with less of an impact because the art is taking readers out of the moment for a second.
I’m in no way trying to say that artist Salvador Larroca isn’t talented. Personally, I’ve enjoyed his other work, especially his X-Men art. However, every time the photo realistic faces rear their ugly head, I can’t help but cringe.
Every other pencil in this book is great, especially the Wookiee with the unpronounceable name. It’s the familiar faces super imposed on new bodies that stand out so aggressively that it drags down the whole experience. Every line on these faces looks cheap. To have these beautiful environments and designs, but all you can initially see is a “copy and paste” Luke Skywalker face, wastes the potential these pages had.
The Screaming Citadel Part IV was especially bad, Han Solo probably got it the worst. These faces just don’t match anything else going on in these panels. They stick out like a sore thumb, and I don’t think we need them.
If the art was consistent, maybe it wouldn’t be such an eye sore. Had these pages been entirely photo realistic, the eery likeness wouldn’t stand out. Having it both ways is what makes it look so sloppy and uncomfortable.
I appreciate wanting our beloved characters to look like they do on screen as much as possible, but please just go about a different way. The Star Wars fans reading these comics will be able to differentiate Leia from other characters without it being a movie still.
Fortunately for this creative team, these art hiccups aren’t enough to completely ruin the crossover. The Screaming Citadel is still a very enjoyable story, I would recommend it to any Star Wars fan. I would just ask that they try not to pay much attention to the distracting character faces.
Are you enjoying The Screaming Citadel? Is the art an issue for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Empire Magazine has revealed a new look at Harrison Ford’s Deckard and Ryan Gosling’s K in Blade Runner 2049. In this new look at the sequel, the two characters are preparing to face-off in a cool looking neon bar. I don’t think we need to see the scene to know that Gosling is about to get his a** kicked.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
From executive producer Ridley Scott and director Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas, MacKenzie Davis, Sylvia Hoeks, Lennie James, Carla Juri, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.
In an interview with Vice News, Rachel Talalay talked about her idea behind a She-Hulk movie.
“I have such a strong vision of what She-Hulk should be. The difference between She-Hulk and Hulk is that she loved being She-Hulk. She was the Tank Girl of earlier days in terms of being able to say what she wanted, and when she became She-Hulk, it was like an opening of the door to freedom, to be the person that you wish you could be. That you’re stopped from being as a woman. And that’s the version of She-Hulk that I would love to embrace.”
How do you feel about a potential She-Hulk film? Sound off in the comments below.
MARVEL LEGACY #1
