Archive for May, 2014

Review: All-New X-Factor #6

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

All-New X-Factor #6I totally need to catch up on all that went down with New Mutants… cause damn Doug, what the hell happened?

It seems like David is building a team of very broken people. They all have had a pretty crappy time of it lately, really, they’ve had a crappy time of it for quite some time now, but this is of course no reason to assume they can’t do the job. I think once David is finished with his team… shit is gonna go down and we’ll have some very angsty character rebuilding… this is gonna be fun… depending on your definition of fun.

I’m kinda thrown by Serval’s sub-plot, I am sure it will be important, but it is kinda like a bad soap opera so… yeah…

As for Warlock and his Dad… truly the best WTF ever. Clever. I love it.

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Review: Nightcrawler #1

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 26, 2014| 2 Comments »

Nightcrawler #1Who doesn’t like Nightcrawler? I mean, honestly? In both the real world and 616, he’s beloved by everyone.

It’s great to see him back, and written by one of Marvel’s best writers, Chris Claremont. Now, it would be understandable for Kurt to have a bit of a soul searching period seeing as he did die, come back, and it only cost him his soul. That’s where I thought this story was going and I couldn’t wait to see what Chris had cooked up.

Then halfway through the book we get one of the most awkward transitions I’ve seen in a long time.

I suppose it’s not too unrealistic for Amanda not to be phased with the previously thought dead Kurt appearing in her apartment, after all, this is the Marvel Universe and he is an X-Man, but hasn’t this woman ever seen an episode of Supernatural? But the whole thing is literally “Honey, I’m back from the dead” straight to “okay, let’s make out”. And in only half a page.

Then the rest of the issue is a random attack and stuff gets blown up and Amanda gets shoved to the side even though she’s a kick ass magic user.

You okay Chris?

p.s. bonus points to Samnee and Wilson for getting Rogue on the cover… I hope this whole Uncanny Avengers farce is over soon so Kurt can reunite with his sis…

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Review: All-New X-Men #25

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

All-New X-Men #25Man, the Watcher is a bit of a dick, isn’t he?

This issue is just a filler and excuse to slap on some ‘monumental’ ‘buy this issue’ ’cause reasons’ fodder to hike sales. It has nearly nothing to do with any of the actual plot other than to say that Hank is having misgivings for mucking up the time stream. File this under crap we already know.

Still, some of the art is pretty awesome, and the random ‘fan fiction esque’ stories thrown in there were pretty hilarious.

But otherwise this is just another waste of filler space as there are so many maybe’s and possibilities that we don’t even know if anything that is said even matters. It could literally all be the product of the Watcher being, well, a dick and messing with Hank.

Meh.

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Review: Black Widow #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Black Widow #5This title is starting to spin its wheels.

Natasha is a spy, but she’s not really been acting much like one.She’s getting all her information from other people then later lamenting that she’s spending too much time trusting others and not doing things herself or going by her gut. Does any of this seem right to you?

This is Black Widow we’re talking about here, by now we should be knee deep in intrigue and film noir, not just random jumping from one fight to the next. It seems that Edmondson understands this as he has Natasha comment previously that she’s a spy, not Hawkeye or Iron Man or whatever… so why isn’t he making her a spy? He seems to be purposely making her do the worst spy job ever and letting her recognize that she is.

Is there a point to this? Will I suddenly be wow’d later when it all comes together? Cause at the moment this is less Maltese Falcon and more Knight & Day. Not a good thing…

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Review: Deadpool #26

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 24, 2014| 1 Comment »

Deadpool #26Let’s go kill Hitler… again.

The trope of going back in time to kill Hitler is getting pretty worn, but in true Deadpool fashion, it gets flipped on its head in this issue. Instead of going back to kill Hitler, in this story Hitler gets the time machine and goes back to kill his nemesis, Nick Fury.  What follows is somewhere between campy and classy as we visit the 40s and see Deadpool try to keep Fury alive, even so much as calling on bff Cable to come save the day.

As filler issues go, it’s pretty random and fun, all things considered. I always enjoy a story that can turn convention on its head.

But I would have expected more lead up into the ‘wedding’ issue that is up next… perhaps I should have been reading The Gauntlet online… kinda a cheap shot to get more signed up the Marvel online comic book store… but that’s marketing for you…

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Review: Magneto #2

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Magneto #2Magneto has issues.

PTSD, megalomania, a general lack of fucks to give… he’s the ultimate villain in that you want to be sympathetic to his cause but he’s still a murdering bastard.

Here we get some of the sympathetic side of him as we’re told a story showing what it was like for him as a Jew in Germany during the holocaust. Bunn doesn’t sugarcoat anything, it was pretty bad. It’s hard not to want to feel for Max (thank goodness Bunn remembered his name was Max!).

But does it excuse Magneto’s more extreme measures? That’s an existential question that I think Bunn is trying to ask and possibly answer.

At least Magneto recognizes he’s turned into a kind of monster, but how far will that realization get him?

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Review: Marvel Knights: X-Men #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , on May 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Marvel Knights X-Men #5This limited run in the Marvel Knights imprint comes to a close with issue five… and it’s not what I was expecting.

The story has been pretty dark and gritty (in a good way), giving us a really nice look at the downside of being a mutant. Not to mention this series played up the use of mutants as an analogue for minorities and anyone who is different. The way it was so well written, this was one of those times where I would have accepted a death or two as a realistic and purposeful outcome of the story.

Instead, we get a message of hope. The girl who messed up fixes her mistake and helps the girl who feels the weight of her mutation like concrete boots.

This entire series has been a breath of fresh air from the typical writing seen lately in comics so I really should have seen this coming. This is an old-school ending, a throw-back to a time sorely missed.

It would be great if we could get more of these Marvel Knights series by Revel, or just more writing like this in general. Marvel really should take note.

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Review: Amazing X-Men #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 18, 2014| 2 Comments »

Amazing X-Men #5We get down to the final battle of Father vs Son… and it proves why you should always bet on blue.

Everything in the last four issues has basically lead up to Nightcrawler becoming human again so that he can get his own solo (not that I’m complaining about him getting his own solo). He takes on his dad and pulls a bigwhammy on him, essentially clipping his wings. The side effect of defeating Azazel being that Kurt becomes human… and loses his soul.

Did he literally lose his soul or was that more metaphorical than literal?

It pains me to think of Kurt in that kind of a situation, he’s a good man with a strong moral compass, but he did what he had to in order to save millions. It’s the kind of tough call that a man like him would make.

How will this affect the team? How will this change Kurt? Can I give him a hug? I really think he needs a hug…

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Channing Tatum is the next Gambit

Posted in News and Editorials, tagged , , , , on May 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s been confirm that Channing Tatum will play Gambit in I guess the next X-Men movie since it doesn’t specifically say he will be in DOFP (and the film has been screened several times already).

I’m not opposed to Tatum as an actor, he does comedy very well actually as the straight man of the standard comedy duo. But does he fit my idea of Gambit? Of course  not, because in my mind I have envisioned the perfect Gambit, a combination of traits seen in all the comics, animated series, and Kitsch, brought together in the most charming and sexy Cajun to ever walk the Earth.

Could I sit here and complain about how Tatum ‘doesn’t fit because…’ and rattle off reasons both real and imagined? Sure, that’s what the internet is for.

Could I sit here and give just as many reasons why this might just work because lord knows we’ve all said certain people couldn’t pull off a character and then ended up eating crow later? Oh yeah.

But I’m not going to sit here and do either because I’m trying to come to terms with the idea that whatever is in my head will never, ever, match up to what I will get, even if the studio is trying to please me. Because the thing is, the studio isn’t trying to please me, I’d be lucky if they are just trying to please their audience. Most times they are trying to simply please the studio and those with the purse strings. Some are just blatantly making their own fan fiction.

So I will not sit here and complain. I will not sit here and cry. I will not let this break my heart because my ideal is not shared by others.

Maybe he’ll pull it off, maybe he won’t.

The great thing about comics and movies… there is always next time.

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Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S01E21 “Ragtag”

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , , on May 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

aos-ragtagThis was quite possibly the most ‘comical’ episode of the season. And by comically I mean comics.

From the suitcase of gadgets courtesy of Trip’s Howling Commando grandfather, to May’s backfliping down the hall and hanging up the phone, to Phil’s version of a large file transfer, this episode really did read like a comic book. But instead of coming off too cheesy, it really tempered the pace of the last few episodes which have been pretty heady with the right touch of angst. This episode was a reprieve from the finale which is probably going to make us all scream and cry and throw things.

Now, the episode wasn’t all fun and games. In fact, towards the end it pretty much gave us a healthy taste of what we’re going to expect in the finale… which is OMG WTF?

At this point I’m not sure if they want to redeem Ward or not… they start the episode with some back history… explain why he is the way he is… give him that ‘manipulated by Garrett into thinking he’s the be all and end all’… in fact, Ward reacts much like a child would to Garrett’s worsening state. But when  he’s given the chance to change, to do the right thing, he literally throws Fitz and Simmons out of the airplane. And I mean literally literally…

Sure, an argument could be made that Ward could have done a whole lot worse other than dropping them from what looked like a single story, maybe two, nothing that they couldn’t live through. But he still dropped them. He made that choice.

They are painting Ward into a corner he can’t get out of.

Loki much?

 

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