Category Archives: Marvel
The Ant-Man Test Reel…Sort Of!
Remember that test reel of Ant-Man footage that director Edgar Wright filmed and then showed at San Diego Comic-Con? Of course you do. I know I remember, and I’m eagerly awaiting its public release. Well artist Samurai Jack (no relation…I think) saw it in San Diego and he decided to make his own animated version to share with all us fans! This looks pretty damn neat.
So a Little Movie Called The Avengers Came Out on DVD Today
And guess who bought it! Remember back when buying DVDs was a regular thing? The Avengers is possibly only the second DVD I’ve bought all year, and the first one was an oldie just needed to complete an old collection. We, as a people, just don’t buy DVDs anymore – and yet it’s still OK to buy them as cheap Christmas presents. What’s up with that?
Anyway, in honor of The Avengers, check out this rather hilarious Honest Trailers takedown of the film. Funny stuff.
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #15
The classic Bendis ‘talking heads’ issue is back, and it is glorious! Though I kind of wish there were more characters and their relationships were a little better defined so that the issue could be even better…but this is still good comics. Writer Brian Michael Bendis is renowned for his skill with dialogue. It’s what made the early issues of the original Ultimate Spider-Man so good. His characters were so rich, their scenes together so much fun, that the book couldn’t help but be a hit. Well in this new issue. Bendis slows things down and gives new protagonist Miles Morales a chance to just hang out with his friends and family and be himself.
Ultimate Spider-Man #15
And if they had something a little more substantial to talk about, this issue would be perfect.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
Here is another example of me wishing I used decimals or fractions. The writing in this issue is top notch as Miles, his best friend Ganke, and his parents react and respond to the various big events that have occurred over the past few issues. His parents have to deal with the police investigation into Uncle Aaron’s death, and Ganke gets to geek out over Miles’ new web-shooters. This is top notch stuff and very entertaining. But there’s also a…shallowness to it. Several school officials appear, but we don’t know their names, so they don’t really matter. We finally learn Miles’ father’s name, which goes to show you how deep a character he is. And we get to meet Ultimate Maria Hill! But all of it remains kind of skin deep, I’m afraid.
At least the ending is pretty awesome. Though I still contend that this series would be much better without the need to squeeze the ‘Divided We Fall/United We Stand’ nonsense into the book. Did you guys here that Ultimate Captain America is going to become President? I love when the mainstream media reports on these events from the Ultimate Universe, because I have a hard time imagining a non-comics fan trying to distinguish between the Ultimate characters and the ‘real’ characters.
Either way, join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
The Greatest S.H.I.E.L.D. Job Application Ever
Want to get a job working on Joss Whedon’s upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. television show? Well you’re going to have to get in line behind Adam Levermore, because he has gone above and beyond the call of job hunting duty.
What the heck was Grant Imahara doing there?
Anyway, Levermore and his C-List Hollywood buddies made that as an audition, of sorts, to be a graphic designer on Whedon’s new show. That is amazing. That is truly geektacular. I hope he gets the job now. Granted, I don’t know if he’s any good as a graphic designer. But that’s impressive nonetheless.
Review: X-Factor #244
It’s Banshee’s turn at the plate in Breaking Points, and she knocks it out of the park with a touching, personal look at her character. The mysterious ‘guest’ she’s been hiding the past few issues is revealed, and by the end of the issue, her status quo is changed in a very significant way. It’s a sad change, but still cool in its way. Part of me thinks it’s a little too easy, and a little too apropos of nothing, but it definitely works. Throw in some good art and some strong appearances by the rest of the cast and you’ve got yourself a very nice issue of X-Factor.
X-Factor #244
Who could ask for anything more?
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
For the most part, writer Peter David has been doing an acceptable job of cleaning house in X-Factor. I know that X-Factor is going to remain relatively untouched in Marvel NOW!, but that doesn’t mean he might not give it a fresh coat of paint or something. Ditching a few members of the bloated cast is a great idea, in my opinion, and he’s been doing a fine job in figuring out what to do with these guys. PAD takes a strong, hard look at Banshee in this issue, and the emotions that drive her, but he does so with a character he created only a few issues ago, a character that doesn’t have the history or the impact to be such a big deal in Banshee’s life, in my opinion. But it works. PAD shakes things up, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
PAD also manages to work his magic with Havok and Polaris, two characters who have definitely suffered from being suddenly, unceremoniously dropped into this comic. There are some continuity conflicts with Avengers vs. X-Men, but who cares? I’m curious to see if PAD will play any part in preparing Havok for his upcoming leadership position in Uncanny Avengers. He seems to be doing a nice job of preparing Polaris for her stay in X-Factor.
But more on that later. Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
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