Category Comic Books

Mar 28 2014

Batman: 75 Years Old & More Popular Than Ever

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Batman is celebrating his 75th anniversary this year so let’s take a look at why this character has such an enduring legacy. Batman is a very versatile character that seems to be at home in any era. He got started in 1939 during the Depression and has gone through many changes during the years. One just has to look at his comic books through the decades, the Batman TV series of the ’60s and The Dark Knight film of 2008 to see how easily and successful Batman can be and reflect the times that he is existing on. This means he appeals to a wide audience and will continue to attract fans and not become irrelevant regardless of whether he appears in either comics or movies. Another trait that makes the Caped Crusader interesting is the fact that he has no superpowers.

All of his strengths and arsenal are the result of years of training and brain power. He does not have the luxury of a mutation or any outside force to give him his powers. Batman batman 2does it the hard way. This means he can be more vulnerable, but also somewhat more relatable as well. This doesn’t mean that he is not just some wag with a cheap costume. He uses his many resources to make himself into a first class fighter and detective with a formidable arsenal (like the always cool Batmobile or Batwing) to fight crime.

Any discussion of Batman’s popularity must also include his rogues gallery of villains, some of the most interesting in the genre. Obviously the best one is his nemesis the Joker, the insane killer clown. Who wouldn’t be afraid of that? Not to mention other classic characters like The Penguin, the Riddler, his former ally Harvey Dent a.k.a. Two-Face and his sometime love interest Catwoman. All are in their own right fascinating characters who are in some ways as popular as Batman himself. These iconic characters all show up in highly successful comics, movies and video games that are some of the best to have been created.

The 1989 Batman movie was a phenomenon that foreshadowed the super hero craze of today, which includes the critically acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy. He is so popular that he will be featured in the upcoming sequel to Man Of Steel and the eventual Justice League film. The Caped Crusade has also conquered the world of animation with many excellent animated series like Batman Beyond and Beware The Batman.

ccccIn regards to other media, the Batman: Arkham video game series for the PS3/Xbox 360/Wii U and soon for next gen systems is widely regarded as one of the best to feature a super hero that has ever been created. These include Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Batman: Arkham Knight. All of this illustrates why Batman is still, after 75 years, a very popular and relevant character that will continue to entertain audiences for years and decades to come.

C.S. Link

Mar 24 2014

New Trailer For X-Men: Days Of Future Past

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If anyone is tired of seeing yet another trailer or footage for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 can revel in the new trailer 20th Century Fox released today for X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

One thing noticeable about this trailer from the teaser released last year are the Sentinels! We get some interesting glimpses into the mutant-hunting robotic nightmares that plague the X-Men. Another thing is that we get to see much more action shots, which should delight those actionphiles that need a further reason to see the newest X-Men film. While Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) fans should be happy since he is obviously one of the major characters in the latest X-Men film, it’s clear that Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy) and Magneto (Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender) are prominent characters, too. They seem to be center of the conflict going on in the latest trailer. OTH, the super-fast mutant Quicksilver (Evan Peters) still looks bleech.

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There’s the feeling from watching the footage is that most of the film will probably take place in the 1970s rather than the post-apocalyptic future seen from at the trailer’s beginning. Regardless, in Bryan Singer’s hands and based on what’s been shown so far, X-Men: Days Of Future Past is one of the must-see films for this summer.

Waldermann Rivera

Feb 19 2014

New Trailer For Guardians Of The Galaxy

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After what seemed like forever, Marvel Studios finally unveiled the first official trailer for the upcoming film Guardians Of The Galaxy. Based on the comic book of the same name it’s about Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and a band of alien misfits and outlaws who get into a grand outer space misadventure.  Guardians Of The Galaxy is one of the most anticipated films for this summer and for non-fans, this excitement is surprising given that the film is based on one of the lesser known properties of Marvel Comics. Some may even claim that this thing is a gamble for a Marvel movie because unlike other properties that weren’t well known like Elektra and Ghost Rider, this film looks like a lavish big budget affair with a big name cast (Zoe Saldana, John C. Reilly, Benecio Del Toro, etc.).

It’s not really surprising when you think about it. The premise is waaay out there and it doesn’t fall into the formula for a Marvel film. One look at the trailer shows that it seems more like Farscape or Star Wars than the latest Iron Man film. We see lots of weird aliens, dazzling special effects, big fight scenes and the center of it all is the self-important and goofy Peter Quill. Pratt’s introductory scenes in the trailer suggest that his character will be cut from the same cloth as his other loony character, Andy Dwyer from Parks & Recreation, only more serious and with a touch of John Crichton thrown in.

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But hands down, the big highlights were Rocket Raccoon and Groot. They look outlandish and you have to give Marvel and director James Gunn credit for not holding back on these two aliens. Rocket Raccoon and Groot look like they just stepped out of the comic books and they could be the breakout characters. Just imagine the toy shelves this summer cluttered with plush Rocket Raccoons! It’s a no brainer.

Many of the fast paced shots were identical to those seen in that brief, grainy bootleg trailer that has been on the Internet since last summer, complete with Blue Swede’s “Hooked On A Feeling” playing in the soundtrack. Seeing it in high-definition was just gravy.

All this hoopla over a trailer in the end won’t matter much if the film fails to deliver. But Guardians Of The Galaxy looks like another sure-fire winner for Marvel.

Lewis T. Grove

Feb 1 2014

Recent Superhero Film Casting

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The big news blazing across the Internet lately has been over the recent spate of castings for roles in upcoming superhero films. Normally, the news would bring about satisfied grunts from fans all over, but some decisions and even just the rumors have been quite controversial.

Initial Grumblings

It all started in earnest late last year with the revelation that Israeli actress Gal Gadot will play Wonder Woman in the upcoming Man Of Steel sequel. Many were very surprised by this decision and some complained that she was too skinny. Guess what? So was Christopher Reeve and bulked up just fine and in time for Superman.

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There were some grumblings around that time when fans learned that Elizabeth Olsen will appear as Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch in next year’s The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. But in the end, most had enough confidence in director Joss Whedon to give the actress the benefit of the doubt. Besides, the main cast will reprise their roles, so how much screen time will Olsen have anyway?

Then, a couple of weeks ago, fandom started raising ire when it was announced that Michael Douglas will play Hank Pym in the Ant-Man movie that is also coming out next year.  pymWhile Paul Rudd’s casting as Scott Lang, the film’s main character was acceptable for many, a bunch of whiners started going off about Douglas’ age and that the choice veers significantly from the version seen in the comic books. In the end, the movie will be about Lang and it does follow the comic books’ canon. Scott Lang did take over the Ant-Man duties from Pym and made a name for himself. Douglas is an Oscar-winning actor of high caliber and he can add needed depth and pathos to Pym. So he should be fine.

After that the Internet really went into a tizzy when rumors about the potential cast for the Fantastic Four reboot started surfacing. Director Josh Trank has been working overtime on Twitter to deny many rumors, yet it wasn’t enough to satisfy Fantastic Four fans. Trank denied in August of last year that actor Miles Teller wasn’t in consideration to play Reed Richards, but recent rumors have it that he has the role locked up along with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm. Things seemed to calm down a bit when actor Josh Gad, rumored to be the pick for Ben Grimm, went on record to deny this latest claim. Continue reading →

Jan 22 2014

Let’s Recast The Fantastic Four The Right Way

ff21It looks like 20th Century Fox is going ahead with their reboot of the Fantastic Four, and many fans are already up in arms over that development. They fear the reboot will be as bad as previous attempts and the negative reaction is so intense that many are hoping it stays in development hell rather than being filmed.

What is so troubling for them and myself included are the casting choices being mentioned in the trade papers. While Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch is an intriguing, though out-of-left-field possibility, some like Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic just left me wondering what the hell is going on with the casting director. Has anyone looked tellerat this actor? He looks like a dweeb! I’m sorry but nothing about Teller gives the impression that he is a gifted scientist type. And given how young he is, it’s pretty clear that the filmmakers are going to emulate the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic book, which if you ask me wasn’t good at all. The comic book isn’t even being published anymore! Making the superhero team a bunch of child prodigies was a mistake and took out vital parts of what makes the team so fun. See, they’re a family unit, with Reed Richards as the father figure, Ben Grimm as the grumpy but lovable uncle, Sue Storm as the mother figure and her brother Johnny being the impulsive kid in the bunch.

But that doesn’t seem to be the way that Fox is going. Getting a bunch of young actors for these roles is more important to them since they want the movie to appeal to the teenagers. The problem is that the kind of teenagers they’re trying to attract don’t care about the Fantastic Four and probably wouldn’t see the reboot anyway. Then many of the teenagers that do care about the FF will probably be so turned off by the radical changes that they will boycott the film.

Let’s pretend that we’re actually in charge of casting the Fantastic Four reboot. Forget about trying to get the popular young actor and let’s try to stay faithful to the comics. After all, the Fantastic Four put Marvel Comics on the map with their novel approach to super heroics. Now I know that the following choices won’t even be considered, but they’re who I would pick for a new Fantastic Four film.

hammReed Richards/Mr. Fantastic: Going with a twentysomething is the wrong approach to Marvel’s premier scientist. Reed is the 21st century equivalent of an Einstein and he should look the part. As the leader of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic should be portrayed by a more mature yet fit actor. There are many excellent choices out there for the role and even Ioan Gruffudd did a decent job as Mr. Fantastic. For the reboot Jon Hamm would be fabulous (pun intended) as Reed Richards. He’s the right age for the part (Reed is roughly in his early forties), looks intelligent and emotes a grounded and mature quality needed for the leadership role. Other choices: Casey Affleck; Misha Collins

Sue Storm/Invisible Woman: Jessica Alba, the previous actress to portray Richards’ fiancé then wife rankled many alice evefans who didn’t think she was right for the part. Putting aside her ethnicity, Alba lacked that motherly/big sister/peacekeeper quality needed for the role, but she wasn’t the worst casting choice–more on that later. Now hands down, Alice Eve, most recently seen on Star Trek Into Darkness is a perfect pick for Sue Storm. She looks the part and has the acting chops to pull off the role easily. Eve can do the more brainy and modern interpretation of Storm seen in the comics and can be a tough lady when needed. Other choices: Evan Rachel Wood; Blake Lively Continue reading →