Category Archives: Marvel

J.J. Abrams and His Son Are Gonna Write Yet Another Spider-Man Comic

Marvel currently has a bajillion Spider-Man titles coming out. There’s Amazing Spider-Man, Symbiote Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Miles Morales – Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, and I made one of those up. Which one did I make up? Spider-Woman, because that’s not currently a comic, but it totally could be if Marvel wanted!

Anyway, on top of all that, Marvel is going to come out with a new adjectiveless Spider-Man this fall, written by Hollywood director J.J. Abrams and his son. Perhaps this could have been an Ax Cop situation, where the younger partner is, like, 5-years-old and hilarious, but no. Abrams’ son is 20.

JJ Spidey 01

Sure looks like Spider-Man

Honestly, I don’t particularly care. Here’s a New York Times announcement interview if you wanna read more. I don’t think anything has been revealed yet about the story, other than Abrams has an idea for a new villain, who will surely be forgotten about before too long. Remember all those fancy new villains we got with Brand More Day? Of course you don’t.

I’ll probably check it out for my weekly comic reviews…if I feel like it. But J.J. Abrams using his clout to get his son to write a Spider-Man comic isn’t particularly enticing to me. I’ve probably liked plenty of Abrams’ movies, but I don’t think that’s going to automatically transfer over into great Spider-Man comics.

Of course, I’m not currently reading any of those titles I listed above. I need to read more Spidey comics…

Also, it should be noted that Marvel preceded this announcement with a cryptic social media countdown over the past week, starting at the number 4. Why do you start a countdown at 4? I didn’t bother posting any of the cryptic hints on my blog because I don’t really want to play the PR/marketing game. I leave that up to the professional comic book websites that are getting paid for clicks.

I’m still just me plugging away at this little blog for kicks and giggles.

Can’t wait for Spider-Man: Far From Home in two weeks!

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6 Things I Want to See in the Inevitable MCU X-Men Reboot

The seemingly impossible has happened and Marvel Studios has acquired the movie-making rights to the X-Men from Fox. Dark Phoenix came out two weeks ago to thundering boos, signaling the end of nearly 20 years of X-Men movies as we know them. Now, in a few short years, Marvel Studios will try their hand at rebooting the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I am perfectly fine with this.

XMen MCU Hopes 01

It was a simpler time

I have gone on record several times stating that I did not want the X-Men to join the MCU. We didn’t need them. The Avengers were doing just fine on their own! But Endgame has come and gone and Marvel is going to need new and exciting properties, so I can live with bringing the X-Men on board. I even had a couple ideas for how Marvel could make it happen organically. Also, fair warning, this whole list turned into a lot of very specific ways I would write the X-Men movie myself…sorry about that. I got a little carried away.

Anyway, in the shadow of Dark Phoenix, here are six things I want to see in Marvel Studios’ eventual MCU version of the X-Men! It worked for Spider-Man, after all!

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How Avengers: Endgame Should Have Ended; Done Right

I have a contentious relationship with the How It Should Have Ended people, in that they don’t know and don’t care who I am, and I am mostly just annoyed at how they sometimes don’t stick to their one great gimmick. Thankfully, those folks go back to their gimmick in a great way with Avengers: Endgame!

Quality video. A nice reminder that they know what they’re doing. And it’s great to see them go all out for that “Avengers Assemble” scene!

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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/15/19

I’m traveling this weekend to visit my writing partner, Kristi McDowell, to talk comics and hang out. I need to post more stuff about the next volume of Gamer Girl & Vixen to you good henchies! Remind me next week to introduce you to all the new characters. Anyway, only a couple of comics this week for me.

Giant-Man ends a little sloppily, but I’m OK with that. Wonder Twins is solid and enjoyable, but missing a little something. Comic Book of the Week goes to a rather nice issue of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

Squirrel Girl Arctic Outfit 03

And miles to go before she sleeps…

Meanwhile, I’m going to read but not review Event Leviathan at DC Comics. I’m not reading many DC Comics these days, but I have been reading Action Comics and it’s led to this Big Event. The first issue is fine, if all set-up. I’ll let you know if it gets any better.

Comic Reviews: Giant-Man #3, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #45 and Wonder Twins #5.

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6 Mutants Who Would Have Been Better than Dangerous Dreadlocks Guy

I saw Dark Phoenix last weekend and it’s fine. It wasn’t a trainwreck — pun intended — and it wasn’t a masterpiece. It was just another perfectly fine and generic X-Men film; mildly entertaining with some solid special effects. I’m not going to do a full review of the film because I really only have two thoughts: I can’t wait for Marvel to do it better, and I’m still annoyed whenever these films fill out their mutant ranks with movie-original nobodies.

Dangerous Dreadlocks Guy 01

Look! I managed to find a picture of him online!

Who the hell was Dangerous Dreadlocks Guy? According to IMDB, his name is “Ariki”, but that means nothing. He’s not from the comics. Reading the internet tells me this character was supposed to be “Red Lotus” from the comics, but nobody’s ever heard of Red Lotus, and the character in the movie bares no resemblance to Red Lotus anyway.

The X-Men movies were always doing this. It’s insane. Remember the guy who threw spikes in The Last Stand? Or the guy who’s arms would regrow when Wolverine cut them off from The Last Stand? Or the various nameless student characters in the background, like that kid who could change the channels without looking or the kid with the blue tongue in X2?

What I’m saying is: there are hundreds of available mutant characters in the X-Men comics. Why did the movies insist on creating no-name nobodies to fill supporting roles? To let off this steam, here’s a list of mutants who could have been used instead of Dangerous Dreadlocks Guy.

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