Category Archives: Marvel

Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/16/13

The week after Marvel puts a new Thor movie in theaters, they put a new Thor comic on the shelves. I hope someone in their publishing division got a promotion out of that genius move. The comic even has Malekith in it! Talk about synergy! Marvel should also be grateful that Jason Aaron writes an awesome Thor. Who could have guessed that the Asgardian God would be such a hot commodity these days?

He’s not alone, we’ve got swell comics for Batman, Nightwing, Spider-Man and the X-Men. Though Superman and Wonder woman break the streak with their ho-hum attempt at romance. Oh well. Love isn’t for everybody. But it might be for the teenagers in the original X-Men. Those kids are all about feelings. The hilarious and adorable All-New X-Men #18 wins Comic Book of the Week with ease. Check out their fancy new costumes!

I wish I had a costume that cool

Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #18, Batman #25, Nightwing #25, Superior Foes of Spider-Man #5, Superior Spider-Man #21, Superman/Wonder Woman #2, Thor: God of Thunder #15.

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Now Angel Gets the Pink Slip

Peter Holmes is at it again with his Ex-Men clips. I like the Angel wings they made, they look pretty awesome. But I think Holmes is losing track of what made the first one so funny. He was actually kind of in character when firing Wolverine. Now he’s just giggling at the most obvious X-Men traits. Still funny though.

Forgotten Characters: Gauntlet and Southpaw

Whatever happened to Gauntlet and Southpaw?

One is a surly, loud-mouthed superhero drill instructor. The other is a rebellious teenage rapscallion. Both are wielders of gigantic, alien fists – but only on one hand each. And together, Gauntlet and Southpaw are one of the most clever ideas comic writer Dan Slott ever came up with.

But where the heck have they been hiding?

The gloves never necessarily look the same

Dan Slott has had a very busy career writing for Marvel Comics, tackling everyone from She-Hulk to the Great Lakes Avengers. Now he’s the head Spider-Man writer, and has been guiding Marvel’s flagship character for years. So with this kind of prominence, how could two of his most interesting characters have disappeared? You’d think the guy would have enough pull to get them added to the Mighty Avengers or the New Warriors or something, right?

The mysteries of Gauntlet and Southpaw need to be revealed! Join me after the jump to learn a bit more.

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6 Things I Want To See in the Netflix Defenders

The deal Marvel made last week with Netflix to air four separate live-action superhero shows is still a little hard to believe. I wasn’t around in the 60s and 70s, when Batman, Wonder Woman and the Incredible Hulk all had successful and popular TV shows, so the idea of actually pulling this off is still very daunting. But then, the same could have been said about The Avengers movie, and that was a clear success. So I have the utmost confidence that Marvel and Netflix are going to pull off shows for Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and then unite them as The Defenders. They’re probably going to be awesome.

This scene verbatim

And like most forms of superhero entertainment, you know I have my own opinions. There’s still time for Marvel to hire me to be a writer on one of these shows, but until then, this blog is all I have to share with you my ideas for this bold new TV venture. So join me after the jump for the 6 things I want from these shows.

Other than a writing credit, of course.

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Review: Thor: The Dark World

Hit me with a giant hammer and call me ‘Sean Ian Nails’, Marvel has done it again with Thor: The Dark World! The new film is so good you’ll wish you knew a few great ‘Thor’ puns to use on your friends. I wish I had a few right now because this movie is worth every cringe-inducing accolade one could think up.

Thor: The Dark World is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Marvel Studios, combining exciting action with strong character work and just the right amount of humor. Your thides will be thore from laughing so hard.

Movie Rating: 9/10 – Great.

The new Thor film is bigger, badder and far more entertaining than the first, once again proving beyond all doubt that Marvel can turn Thor into an A-List action hero. I never thought it possible. I always figured Thor was too complex a character. But three times in a row now, he’s wielded that hammer like a true cinematic star. Children dress up as Thor for Halloween and play with his action figures. Loki is beloved by men and women alike. And with movies as good as The Dark World, I hope they’re doing it for a long time to come.

But some critics seem to think otherwise. Of the few negative reviews I’ve seen online, a lot of them complain about this being yet another superhero movie, yet another outing from Marvel’s Avengers franchise. I don’t know what their problem is, but I don’t particularly care. I can’t get enough of these superhero blockbusters, and Marvel has yet to disappoint me. Think about it: it’s safe to expect that we will get a certain number of action movies out of Hollywood each year. It’s just the way our system works. Well I would much rather watch a movie starring Thor that’s this damn good than watch one starring Tom Cruise in whatever generic action film Tom Cruise has signed on for this time.

Superheroes have replaced actors as the primary draw in Hollywood, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Join me after the jump for the full review.

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