GKIDS and Fathom Events are teaming up to show six Studio Ghibli films in movie theaters this year. The event, titled “Studio Ghibli Fest 2017”, begins in June and ends in November.
Here’s the list of films coming back to theaters, and when they’ll be shown.
My Neighbor Totoro – June 25 & 26
Kiki’s Delivery Service – July 23 & 24
Castle In The Sky – August 27 & 28
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – September 24 & 25
Spirited Away – October 29 & 30
Howl’s Moving Castle – November 26 & 27.
Tickets for the event go on sale April 28. If you’re eager to know exactly when they drop, sign up for Early Ticket Access via the official website.
Will you be checking out any of these classic Ghibli films in theaters? Comment below, let us know!
Here’s the simple truth with Inhumans Prime #1, it’s Marvel making their latest push for the Inhumans franchise. By golly, they want Inhumans to happen and they are going to make it happen. This issue is Marvel’s way of establishing the next line of comics for this franchise. Already this one-shot story has a lot to prove to get people onboard this line of books. Especially with a TV series on the way too. Al Ewing is one of Marvel’s best writers and even with his pedigree he is going to have a rough time to sell me and readers on this. So, enough of the introduction of fun and wonders. I cannot delay any further as I begin my adventure into Inhumans Prime #1.
Here is how we’re going to break down Inhumans Prime #1, we’re going to start out with is this thing friendly to a new reader?
Seriously is this comic friendly to a new reader?
This is a tough call. The ultimate story here is about the Inhumans figuring out how they fit in now. This explores the aspects of how the Inhumans are going to operate from now on, that’s a cool idea. If I was someone walking in off the street though, I’d be wondering what is happening here. Al Ewing breaks down many ideas and sets up a lot of the new concepts, yet making a connection to anything is rough. You get a cool battle scene to start with and a neat introduction or two, but it never gels together as much as you’d like. Yes, potentially a new reader could dive into this but it would be tough. Though there are some shining spots to the comic which I do definitely want to mention. It’s not all negativity here folks.
So what are the cool parts of this comic?
I would say the best aspects are the parts that play the smallest roles in the book. The potential setup for whatever Black Bolt is up to has potential. However this Maximus story plays out has a lot of potential too. There’s also a cool bit with one unlikely character that sets up many upon many cool ideas. I like the character of Captain Swain, she’s a lot of fun so wherever she shows up, I’m in. There is stuff to like here and I will be curious how the idea of royalty in the Inhumans sorts itself out. This could be interesting to see play out. There is stuff to definitely keep an eye on, I just wish that it could have had a more organized feel to it. I was supposed to be focusing on the cool parts but, man this comic is rough.
Well I guess that went well, what do you think about the art in Inhumans Prime?
Oh man, okay so I hemmed and hawed about this one. I saw the art team here and immediately I got curious. I saw Ryan Sook and I cheered because Sook doesn’t do interiors often and that’s cool. Then there’s a new or at least new to me artist here named Chris Allen. I’m not sure how the art duties were separated here but this was a mixed bag of tricks. For one thing there are talented inkers involved, Sook is an inker here along with Walden Wong and Keith Champagne. Paul Mounts is a strong colorist so on paper this shouldn’t be a bad looking comic. Sadly this becomes a mess of a comic art wise with shining moments here and there. Which is where I need to explain myself further as to why this is a mess.
I wish I could figure out how the art is divvied up here. Some of the art looks great, especially at the beginning. The double page splash with the Inhumans is beautiful for one thing. Most of the opening pages look amazing. Then as the comic rolls on the art gets a bit rougher. Expressions start looking weirder and it doesn’t work well at all. The inking and coloring does help but it only helps so much in hiding a rough looking set of pages. It’s one of the rougher looking books art wise I have dealt with from a big company in quite a long time. I’m trying not to be a jerk but I can’t help but notice the rough aspects of a comic. Especially when the rough parts hit me like a beam of light on a dark and stormy night.
Oh well, I guess that could have been worse. So is Inhumans Prime #1 worth grabbing?
It depends, if you really like the Inhumans you may like this a lot more. There is stuff to like here and I do plan on checking out the line as there are things within that have my attention. If you are only a casual fan though, you’ll probably want to skip this one. It’s not essential reading by any means as the books than spin out of this will work just as well on their own. I also hate not liking this more because I really do dig Al Ewing’s writing. Sadly though, everyone has an off day and this one just happened to miss more than hit. A shame but it doesn’t turn me off his writing, just didn’t work as well as I liked and that’s okay.
May as well wrap the Inhumans Prime adventure up now by golly. Oh what a ride indeed.
That was Inhumans Prime #1, it had some high spots and a whole lot of low spots. This was one of the tougher books for me to read in a long time. At least I can say that I gave it a go and hopefully the rest of the Inhumans line is better than this. It can’t help but be better than this.
Warning. Your connection to reality has suddenly quit. Now reconnecting. Stop whatever it is that you are doing and check out the trailer for Hulu’s new sci-fi/horror anthology series, Dimension 404.
“In the darkest depths of cyberspace, there is a lost dimension, home to wonders unseen, terrors unspeakable, and stories unlike any ever told.”
So says the eerie narrator (voiced by the one and only Mark Hamill). Each episode is self-contained, and will tell a story about an internet or technology-related terror. Going through the trailer, the great Patton Oswalt sets us up for something that is “going to suck.” But suck it did not, Mr. Oswalt. What follows for the next 75 seconds is a neon blast of old school scares and an array of familiar faces. Given the nature of these anthology series such as The Outer Limits, it will most likely not end well for these characters.
The show may hit a little too close to Black Mirror territory. However, Dimension 404 looks like it’s bringing much more popcorn fun and camp akin to an 80s sci-fi/horror flick than the hit British series.
Dimension 404 is produced by RocketJump, a digital studio founded in 2010 by Freddie Wong, Matthew Arnold, and Desmond Dolly. Their site has an impressive collection of original videos. Most notably, they are known for the action/comedy web series Video Game High School. The show takes place in a future where video gaming has become the world’s most popular sport, its best players are taken to stardom. The RocketJump team called Dimension 404 “the biggest project” they have undertaken to date – and for good reason.
Dimension 404 has a stellar cast including Lea Michele, Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Megan Mullaly, and Mark Hamill as the narrator. The first of the six hour-long episodes will stream on Hulu beginning, fittingly, on April 4 (4/04).
Will you set your streaming devices to Dimension 404 when it airs? Let us know in the comments!
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe addition to Netflix was ‘Iron Fist,’ the consensus was ‘meh.’ But the nerd debate around the series was intense. With the release of the ‘Justice League’ trailer and a new ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ trailer the nerd rage runs high and Matt & EJ ask why?
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 116 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
Do you want to be our SUPER-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.
About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:
A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.
Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who’s EJ Moreno? Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
Wrestlemania 24 is hands down one of the all-time best cards. That show had it all. A stellar Money in the Bank ladder match. Add in a legendary bout between Shawn Micheals and Ric Flair. Then an epic triple threat of Triple H, John Cena and Randy Orton. It ended in a classic of an Undertaker streak match versus Edge. Seeing as the WWE is making a return to Orlando 9 years later for Wrestlemania 33 they seem to like the chance for history to repeat itself.
24 Recap
After balling my eyes out at the moving ending of the match between Micheals and Flair, I fondly remember meeting the eyes of other wrestling fans and making the pledge. The pledge was uttered briefly in passing, and with vicious intent. “Taker loses, Orlando burns”. I hope something similar is going on to Roman Reigns’ detriment. I also recall standing in lines for Meet and Greets, Axxess, and Hall of Fame entry talking to people about what they hated about the card we paid premium package money to watch live. Its a common problem among wrestling fans. We’re never quite satisfied. Fickle is the spice and we put that ‘ish’ on everything.
The Truth
Truth is people are selling Wrestlemania 33 short, just as they did Wrestlemania 24. In no other form of entertainment is hindsight 20-20 like it is in wrestling. The issue is obvious. You can’t judge a performance till its done. Wrestling happens in the moment. Suspension moves in the rise and fall of the crowd. Greatness breathes in the instincts of the performers. It lives in the now at all times and the now constantly changes.
So let’s talk about this in the now. Wrestlemania 33 has legacy behind it like no other Wrestlemania in recent years. Interestingly enough it actually features an abundance of diversity in matches and performers. An unheard of aspect from the days of Wrestlemania 24. If someone told me 9 years ago that I’d see a repackaged ROH Kevin Steen as Kevin Owens facing US Champ Chris Jericho in a grudge match along with AJ Styles facing Shane McMahon at a Wrestlemania I’d suggest less time in the sun. However this reminds me that no one has ever accused wrestling fans of being clairvoyant no matter how much they claim to be in every online forum. Perspective is the key. This return to Orlando is a sign that it is important to look back at where we’ve been to appreciate how far we have come.
The Revolution is STILL at Hand
We have come so far that we have the still thriving Women’s revolution. This features the upgrade to being labeled superstars and not divas. Add to that the context which is a highly anticipated Fatal Four Way for the Raw Women’s title with the cream of the crop in Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax. Not to be out done, the Smackdown Woman’s champ Alexa Bliss is saying ‘come take it’ to all who dare to speak of it. That alone labels this as a legendary moment that will be talked about as wrestling hallowed ground for decades.
Unlike most of the more recent Wrestlemanias this is a ceremonial handing off by some of the biggest there is. There is a rite of passage happening here. As Wrestlemania 24 concluded many arcs, Wrestlemania 33 is planning on beginning many new ones. The next class of NXT upstarts that joined us last year are having their times right now. They are mixing it up rather well with seasoned talent. From the shape of this card there will be some substantial torch passing.
The Card
Goldberg and Brock Lesnar are the big names and the draw for obvious reasons. The match will most likely go down as previous ones have. Owens – Jericho will burn down the house. I have no doubt. Triple H and Rollins will be all that was ever intended in old versus new gunslinger style. It doesn’t get more brass than that. AJ Styles and Shane McMahon will leave everything out there. You know it, I know it. We will all be changed when its over. As I write this I feel that chill that goes along with those words. I expect to cringe and roar at the Tag Team Championship Triple Threat match. Keep your eyes on Big Cass. His time is coming very soon.
The only match I’m really not sure about what we may get is Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin. The potential there is a teeming undercurrent that can possibly blow up or fizzle. I’m rooting for the first. Please don’t get me started on LOVING Maryse back in the ring with the bite that Nikki Bella returned with. For once it seems The Miz and Cena have to back lead the ladies. Neville and Austin Aries should show us something truly special. Undertaker and Roman Reigns is going to surprise. Whether for good or ill it will be talked about. I have an inkling of controversy kindling regarding a roaming healthy Finn Balor who has no match to pass his time. Whatever will he do!?!?
Did I Miss One?
Why no, I haven’t mentioned Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. As a matter of fact I won’t say anything about the match. That feud is speaking for itself. I can do no better than the two men engaged in it have done. The build has been a bit of legacy beauty that only people who watched their daddies can even appreciate. Barbarism and legacy coming together to attain the mastery level of “I can teach you no more,” done in a Randy Orton pose. The buzzards are weak with it. Gentlemen, on with the show.
What are your thoughts on this coming Wrestlemania 33 card? How does it compare to previous cards?
Well, maybe not everything. Choosing Dan Stevens as the leading man was a good way for Noah Hawley and FX to hedge their bets. And reinforcing the cast with reliable, top notch performers like Bill Irwin and Jean Smart was a great way to further solidify the odds that Legion would succeed on some level. Even the riskier casting choices, like Aubrey Plaza as the Shadow King’s primary manifestation, or Rachel Keller, an actress whose only significant acting credit to date was a role in Fargo season two, were fairly safe, considering the range they’d shown in earlier performances.
But almost everything else about the show walks a precarious line. Consider the opening sequence of “Chapter Eight,” which consisted of nearly eight minutes of a character who hadn’t been seen since the premiere. To spend so much time on a minor bad guy who hadn’t been seen in six episodes was a strange decision, especially in a finale with so many loose ends to tie up. On its own, the element of humanization the writers were clearly going for worked; Clark is not just a villainous interrogator, he’s a family man with a partner and an adopted son who are devastated when he nearly burns to death. Although it would have been better placed in a different episode, the sequence functioned as it was supposed to, and suddenly Clark became sympathetic.
The trouble is that at some point while watching this sequence, I realized that I was possibly learning more about Clark than I ever knew about David, the main character of the show. When I evaluate a character and their development, whether in my own writing or someone else’s, I try to list five distinct personality traits that aren’t direct consequences of the story. If it’s too hard to list five simple things, then the character probably isn’t very developed. While Dan Stevens gives a great performance, and the material gives him a lot to work with, I can’t actually list five things about David. He’s kind of a smart-ass, but only sometimes, and he loves Syd. Oh, and he’s technically schizophrenic, depending on who in the story you choose to believe, although even that isn’t simple to determine. But that’s it. And that’s not troubling to see in a main character.
The other characters are largely the same, too. Melanie Bird is a charismatic leader, yet there’s a certain gentle motherliness to her. But how much of this is in the writing, and how much of this is Jean Smart’s performance? The same goes for Syd Barrett, whose relationship with David is the only significant thing about her, other than the performance, once again. The way she and David play off of each other, the easy chemistry they share, was a great source of early characterization, but at then end of the day, it isn’t enough. Viewers should care about Syd and David for reasons beyond simply how much they care for each other.
Having reached the end of the first season, it’s safe to say the show is at its best when it’s taking risks. While some of these, like the finale opening sequence, may have varying degrees of success, the best episodes of this season were those in which abstraction and form and void all overlapped. Chapters One, Four, and Seven were all the most playful and unconventional, and it is no coincidence that these were easily the best three episodes of the season. When the show returned to a more normal structure, like in Chapters Two and Eight, the cracks in the facade became a little more apparent.
Which is not to say that Legion is a bad show. This first season was far more creative and self-assured than any opening salvo outside of Twin Peaks, and when the risks are successful, they are goddamn magic. The jaw-dropping visuals and cinematography, the random Bollywood- or Chicago-inspired dance numbers, and the blearily abstracted voyages into the astral plane were easily the best parts of early 2017 TV. The fact that the show was so strong so often while attempting to rewrite the superhero playbook is a true testament to the storytelling capabilities of Mr. Hawley and Co.
Other random thoughts:
-Aubrey Plaza is a ton of fun as the Shadow King, and watching her find the breadth of her range outside of deadpan snarking has been riveting. That being said, the show is better off using her instead of the other manifestations of the Shadow King. That awful yellow thing that looks like Jabba the Hutt by way of Donald Trump is not scary at all. The more time it spends on screen, the more time I have to think about how stupid it looks. And The World’s Angriest Boy in the World feels derivative of the Babadook, who is a far more successful monster.
-The death of the Eye was a shock to me, and feels like a bit of a misfire. It felt as though he was killed so that the story appeared to have consequences, without actually getting rid of Ptonomy (who is awful) or one of the Loudermilk twins. He was an intriguing villain, and I was looking forward to learning more about him. In retrospect, I realize I never even fully understood what his power was.
-Speaking of powers, it took way too long for the show to explain the exact relationship of Kerry and Cary, and I vaguely recall Melanie being telepathic, but if so, it was literally only utilized in a single scene. When you make a show about mutants, one of the most important things to establish right from the beginning is what they are capable of.
-Hopefully next season Jemaine Clement gets bumped up to series regular, because in a show full of strong performances, he was easily the most captivating presence on screen. Hawley is phenomenal at taking typically comedic actors and finding interesting dramatic uses for them.
I never thought in my entire life I would ever see the Suicide Squad teaming up with the Banana Splits. Now for more than a few of you reading this, you have no idea who the Banana Splits are. They’re a rock band from a live-action Hanna-Barbera series that ran for two years from 1968-1970. Put it this way, they were animals and they sang the cheesiest pop imaginable. In this continuity, the band is mistaken for a group of metahumans and this is where our strange story begins. My word this annual to say the least was a ride. Yeah that fits, this is a wacky, zany, odd ride. Let the madness begin as I try and break down the glorious madness that is Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Annual #1.
I still cannot believe this annual even exists. Yet I am glad it does. Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Annual #1 is a strange but magical experience.
The first bit of this leading up to the Banana Splits and Suicide Squad team up is quirky. I think it’s because Tony Bedard is trying hard to make this work initially. Think about this a minute, most readers are going to have no idea who the Banana Splits are. Why do you think I put that intro explaining them to you? I only know them because I watched Cartoon Network a lot in the early days. The Banana Splits have to overcome a lot and I think Bedard knows that going in. The ultimate bubblegum pop/rock band, the Banana Splits with the Suicide Squad, that’s bonkers. Yet in a weird way he manages to make this work. Surprising everyone, including me.
There are many, upon many moments where even I was wondering what in the world I was reading. Bedard takes you on a surreal ride from the police pulling over the band to how they end up in Belle Reve Penitentiary. It will make you laugh while your brain is processing this glorious madness before you. While this is all going on you have the Suicide Squad in need of a rescue, which is where the Banana Splits come in. Did I mention I cannot believe this story works? I think it’s all about how Bedard makes each member of the band a genuine character, rather than a goofy pop band. Even as the story becomes more of a general rescue mission, it becomes a great little fish out of water adventure.
It’s in the interactions of how the teams come together. Characterization is important and that is what helps to make this team-up go over as well as it does.
That’s the key to this story. Characters are key. As rough as the introduction to the Banana Splits is and how they work in this story, the second half of the tale delivers. They may not be metahumans, but they’re a capable crew in their own right. In turn Bedard has great character moments between the Squad and the Splits. It’s a good team dynamic on both fronts and I think that’s ultimately why this ends up working as well as it does. That and the ultimate ending to all this is hilarious and completely delightful.
It doesn’t hurt that Ben Caldwell’s art is animated and energetic, adding such a great energy to this tale. Mark Morales lends a strong line to accentuate the cartoony nature of the art and giving it life. Then you have bright and beautiful coloring from Jeremy Lawson that really helps to set the tone for the story. Extra props to A Larger World’s Troy ‘N’ Dave as their letters were large and bombastic, adding yet another element to this tale. Strong characters, a quirky and strange story, with gorgeous art make this a blast to read.
One aspect that I don’t want to have lost in this conversation is the back-up story with Snagglepuss. I’m excited for this one.
Mark Russell is setting up a take on Snagglepuss like no other and I want more now. I’m getting ahead of myself here but trust me, this is cool. Most of what people know of Snagglepuss are his catchphrases, “Exit, Stage Left”, “Heavens to Murgatroyd”, and that’s about it. They may know the basic idea that he’s a pink mountain lion that wants to be an actor but not much else. This is one of those that I’m mainly familiar with because his cartoons played on TBS and again, a lot of Cartoon Network in the 90’s. Yet Russell aims to dive deep into Snagglepuss as this back-up sets up the upcoming ongoing series.
In this back-up tale it talks about Snagglepuss’s dealings with the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) and trying to get him to name names. It’s a serious yet hilarious exchange as Snagglepuss is barely fussed by this Committee. Russell’s exploration of his writing and how it caught the Committee’s attention, funny yet terrifying if you know the time period. This is 1954 and the fear is real but I like how it is handled. After all that I love the chat Snagglepuss has with Augie and I love how the aspect of writing is talked about here. It’s such a dynamic discussion. The flashback that illuminates it is darkly perfect for how it all comes together, I really enjoyed it all.
Here’s where I talk about one part of the series that I am curious to see how it is explored.
One new character development with Snagglepuss has my attention. Mark Russell is going to explore his life as a gay character. You could tell it was there in the old cartoons but now they’re going for it and I dig that. As I take a quote from an interview Russell did with HiLoBrow.com,
“It’s obviously ignored in the cartoons ’cuz they were made at a time when you couldn’t even acknowledge the existence of such a thing, but it’s still so obvious; so it’s natural to present it in a context where everybody knows, but it’s still closeted. And dealing with the cultural scene of the 1950s, especially on Broadway, where everybody’s gay, or is working with someone who’s gay, but nobody can talk about it — and what it’s like to have to try to create culture out of silence.”
I will say that as well characterized Snagglepuss is, the art is going to divide people on this one.
Snagglepuss is a great character and well handled, that’s spot on. Howard Porter is an amazing artist and since they veer realistic with these stories, hyper realism it is. I have seen discussions where people are harping on how it is too realistic. I have to note this though, it’s the end panels that people are focusing on. Those are the ones that veer into a sort of odd uncanny valley. As you see it all together though, I think it works for the most part especially in the flashback scenes. There’s a softer touch to Porter’s style for those and it lends itself well to the animated nature of Snagglepuss. It does come together in the end and the ultimate tone for what Russell is conveying to the audience.
I also think the coloring in this helps tremendously, Steve Buccellato keeps to keeping a sort of calm vibe to the story. It’s muted but it still has moments that pop out at you at times. Yet the flashback is there the colors really shine, it’s bright and dynamic to help increase the impact of it. The coloring is but one of the shining stars of this adventure. I have to say how much I love Dave Sharpe’s lettering for this. There’s one particular bit near the end of the flashback that struck me. I like how it conveyed how serious it was while still maintaining a cartoon like aspect to the piece, that impressed me.
To put it all together as this is a lot to digest, The Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Annual is a lot of fun with a great start to an upcoming new series in Snagglepuss.
For as weird but ultimately wonderful the Suicide Squad/Banana Splits story is, the Snagglepuss story is a great balancer. The entire annual itself is well worth reading. I’m glad I got to spend some time with it and I get a feeling a lot of you will dig this too. Definitely a solid buy and well worth your comic dollar.
We have been getting a ton of great teasers and trailers and promos this week, and this new trailer for War Of the Planet of The Apes might be the best one yet.
Check this out:
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.
This looks on par with the previous entry. Dark, foreboding, the tone of finality. The success of this new Apes franchise is when big studio filmmaking gets everything right. It’s also great to be in the middle of a Woody Harrelson renaissance. He needs to be in as much as possible.
Aside from Serkis and Harrelson, War Of the Planet of The Apes stars Judy Greer, Steve Zahn, and Sara Canning. It’s directed by Matt Reeves, who will go from this to The Batman, and it opens July 14.
Today, I’m reviewing Dumbing of Age Book Two, rather long-windedly titled I Beg You, Don’t Cast Your Body Into The Cragged Shame Pits of the Lustwolves. For clarity’s sake, I’m calling it The Cragged Shame Pits of the Lustwolves. Although I suppose that isn’t all that much clearer without context.
In the first book of Dumbing of Age, which I reviewed here, David Willis introduced the core cast of the comic and some of its major conflicts. The cast of the Dumbing of Age webcomic are rebooted versions of his characters from earlier comics.
In its second year, the webcomic spread its focus from its central characters to others who had played mostly cameo roles so far. The most important of these are Amazi-Girl/Amber, Ethan and Dina.
Sarah, Dorothy, Billie and Joyce discuss what to do in the aftermath of Joyce’s assault, and Sal and Walky end up as part of the discussion mostly by accident. After Sal’s advice that the police won’t do much, Joyce decides not to report her assault.
In the meantime, Ethan Siegal is struggling with being gay. He came out before university, and is regretting his decision. Amber, his ex-girlfriend and best friend, isn’t helping the situation. She helped him come out to his family and friends, but is now avoiding him (and beating up criminals at night as Amazi-Girl).
Amber and Danny, computer science compatriots, are flirting. However, Danny’s decided he’s interested in Amazi-Girl instead. After some doubts, Amazi-Girl and Danny start going out. However, Danny’s complete lack of observation skills makes things… difficult.
Sarah, Joyce, Dina and Billie go shopping. They run into some of Sarah’s old friends, and things get violent. Afterwards, Sarah explains to the others what happened to her old roommate – the previously mentioned drug user, Dana. Turns out, Dana’s mother died, and her illegal drug habits threatened both Dana’s life and Sarah’s mental health and scholarship.
Joyce’s desires towards Ethan mingle with her trauma and overall sexual repression, and she has a terrifying dream in which she and Ethan are intimate – and Ethan turns into Ryan.
DUMBING OF AGE BOOK TWO: REVIEW
By this point, the comic is definitely heading into darker territory. Joyce’s assault colours her interactions with everybody, and the entire book revolves around sex and sexuality. The humour is still omnipresent, but fewer and fewer of the final panels are punchlines, and more of them are quiet punches to the gut. Or, occasionally, very frightening ones.
The one significant flaw of this book’s plotlines is Ethan. Recently out of the closet, he’s an average Jewish nerd, exhausted from a summer of homophobia. However, his plotline – dating the otherwise sweet but drastically sheltered and homophobic Joyce and going back into the closet – is more than a little upsetting. The humour of the comic hasn’t balanced out yet, and the writing treats Joyce’s struggle seriously while joking about Ethan’s every few pages. This isn’t helped by the fact that everybody else can apparently tell that Ethan is gay; Sarah makes a comment about it within a few moments of meeting him.
In defense of the comic, though, it’s the first explicitly queer storyline. There are others later on, which handle the topic with some more grace.
Overall, Dumbing of Age Book Two continues the excellence of the first, with a few hiccups in representation. Joyce’s characterization is the driving force of the comic, and Walky and Dorothy’s relationship puts most romances to shame.
Have you been keeping up with Dumbing of Age? What did you think of these arcs?
War Machine, based on the Michael Hastings book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan, is getting the Netflix treatment. It’s also getting the Brad Pitt treatment.
Yes, Pitt is back playing an idiosyncratic, quirky military dude, pulling all of his now-recognizable stunts with the character. See for yourself:
In a film for our times, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General’s roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody – raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today. His is an anti-establishment, pro-soldier exploration in the form of an absurdist war story of a born leader’s ultra-confident march right into the dark heart of folly. At the story’s core is Brad Pitt’s sly take on a successful, charismatic four-star general who leapt in like a rock star to command NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to be taken down by his own hubris and a journalist’s no-holds-barred expose. War Machine addresses the debt we owe to soldiers to question the purposes to which they are being directed.
The tics, the hair, the weird accent, the flippant delivery, that jaw-jutting thing… it’s all here. I don’t mind Brad Pitt’s cooky acting style from time to time, but it’s not for everyone. Plus, David Michôd directed the fantastic Animal Kingdom, so have faith in that.
