Category Archives: Avengers
Continuing My Pre-Avengers Coverage
Because when the Internet loves something, the creativity dial is turned up to 11. Here is another comedy/parody trailer made for the upcoming The Avengers movie. This one takes footage from all the old TV movies about the superheroes, splicing them together to make a 70s-era movie trailer. It’s just neatorific!
My Blog Exists to Spread Videos Like This One
If my blog wasn’t meant to share videos of The Avengers trailer reshot using their action figures, then I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Fortunately, this video exists, and I’m sharing it. I love how they used the Thor-buster Iron Man figure for his fight with Thor, and I love the use of the multiple Iron Man figurines throughout. Not to mention the cameos that we all wish could actually happen in the movie. Hats off to Pitch Films.
Less than two weeks until the film comes out, people!!
Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #2
And lo, it was on like Donkey Kong! The epic battle of the Avengers vs. the X-Men has begun! Friend against friend! Husband against wife! Hero against hero! And with that, I’ve pretty much summed up the entire comic. The two teams come to blows very quickly in this issue, and it’s a little bit disappointing. I realize all of these characters are superheroes, and so fighting just comes natural to them. But holy cow does every single character just jump straight into a big brawl without a moment’s hesitation. All of the motivation behind the fighting seems to have dried up.
Avengers vs. X-Men #2
This is just a big, dumb fight issue with far too many characters to keep track of any of them. Though this comic tries its hardest. No wonder Marvel is also publishing a spin-off title that is nothing but fights – because none of them actually happen in this issue.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
But none of that is to say this was a bad issue. It’s still a very entertaining comic, and the end reveals that maybe we won’t just have 12 issues of boring fisticuffs. Because quite honestly, if this is all we can expect from the fights for this series, then count me out. This’ll be the most boring Big Event comic ever. Very little of the characters’ histories with one another are touched upon when they come to blows, and most of the fights happen off panel – or in that other comic book. And I’m not even sure if that spin-off comic is even out yet.
So basically what we get here are a few very short vignettes about fights that don’t happen in this comic, and then a medium-sized twist for the ending to catapult us into next issue. Cyclops and Captain America have another discussion during the fighting, but it’s not as good as the one last issue that kicked off the fight. But then this comic has a new scripter, so that could explain it.
That would also explain the silly purple prose found throughout the issue…Join me after the jump for a full synopsis, spoilers and more hot Avenger on X -Men action!
A New Hawkeye Series for People Who Really Like Hawkeye
Personally, I’ve never cared for Hawkeye, so I doubt I’ll have any interest in this comic. But holy hot damn does it have some amazing covers!
I just love a stylish comic book cover
The new series was announced Saturday at C2E2, the comic book convention going on this weekend in Chicago. That cover, and it’s partner that I’ll post in a minute, are drawn by superstar artist David Aja. The comic is going to be a reteaming of Aja and writer Matt Fraction, who last collaborated on the incredible Iron Fist series from a few years ago. That comic was so good that it even got me interested in Iron Fist! And the Iron Fist covers were equally as awesome.
So this series is already building a lot of hype. It’s due out in August.
Free archery lesson!
Wow those are awesome covers.
Anyway, a new Hawkeye series is a great idea from Marvel. Hawkeye is never going to be more exposed than when he appears in next month’s The Avengers movie. This will be the most high profile he has ever been. So capitalizing on that success with a new comic is a good idea.
On a personal note, I’m getting a good giggle from the very swift evolution of Hawkeye’s costume in the past year to coincide with the movie. Marvel has found themselves in a bit of a pickle, because the movie costume is based on the Ultimate Universe costume, but they can’t exactly have one of their normal universe characters just switch to an identical Ultimate costume.
This is Hawkeye’s classic costume:
All purples and blues, with a full face mask, loin cloth and other superhero tropes. He’s worn a variation of this costume since he debuted. It’s one of those classic costumes. But in anything other than comic books, it could look a little silly. So when Marvel put Hawkeye in The Ultimates, they gave him a much more realistic looking leather costume. As was the style in that book.
I’m a huge fan of The Ultimates, and of Ultimate Hawkeye’s costume. It’s a great look for the character, and is not adorned with all the silly purple decorations of the classic costume.
So it’s no surprise that when Marvel decided to add Hawkeye to The Avengers movie, they picked his sensible Ultimate costume over his flamboyant classic costume.
But then getting back to the topic of Hawkeye’s new high profile, Marvel has to capitalize. There has been no great proof that the movies actually get people to buy more comics, but there is always the chance that somebody is going to see the movie and then want to read more about Hawkeye. But when they go to the comic shop, as recent as last year they would see Hawkeye in his purple costume. Visual continuity is important. If the fan is looking on the shelves for movie Hawkeye, give them something similar. So in recent months, Marvel has given Hawkeye a new costume.
Though based on those new comic book covers, he might be reducing his costume to just a T-shirt soon enough. Still, it’s an awesome design that draws heavily from the Ultimate and movie versions, while retaining some of its classic roots. I’m definitely a fan of the new look. Real men wear purple.
So hopefully Hawkeye fans are excited at this news.
I Really, Really, Really Want Spider-Man to Hook Up with Ms. Marvel
Let’s talk about romance in comic books for a minute. Even with all the big fights and awesome powers, superhero stories almost always have a little romance in them. Superman has Lois Lane, Batman has Catwoman, Cyclops and Wolverine were always fighting over Jean Grey; love has always been a key component to comic books. As it should be.
But I have to ask, why, oh why, do superheroes never hook up with other superheroes?
And can we change that by getting together Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel? Please? They’d be so cute together!
They could even fight super-villains together! Adorable!
When it comes to superhero relationships, they really only seem to have one option: stay in love with the character they were hooked up with way back when they first debuted. Comic book fans notoriously hate change and want to maintain the long-standing status quo. That history is what keeps these classic couples together, moreso than anything that actually benefits either character. So modern day comic book writers would rather retread old ground in the romance department than give the fans something new and exciting.
But I want that excitement!
In recent years, comic book publishers have been taking baby steps into the realm of giving their characters new relationships, thereby creating new dynamics and new stories. Like Storm and Black Panther or Cyclops and Emma Frost. Well now I want these publishers to embrace this idea and forge full steam ahead by taking the most love-lorn of all superheroes, Spider-Man, and giving him an awesome, new super-powered girlfriend!
