Category Archives: Reviews
Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron is like a new episode of the biggest, most expensive TV show of all time. It’s not the event that the first movie was, and it might not be as Earth-shattering as I expected, but Age of Ultron is nonetheless a fun, exciting and action-packed movie starring all of our favorite superheroes. And therein lies my biggest complaint, which is really a non-complaint.
There’s a familiarity to Age of Ultron that leads to contentment. The movie doesn’t really give us anything new to get excited about, instead delivering just another solid chapter in this ongoing saga.
Movie Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
I liken Age of Ultron to a TV show because that’s exactly what it felt like while I was watching. I may have been in a packed movie theater, and it’s been three years since the last episode, but Ultron was definitely the ‘monster-of-the-week’ in the latest episode of The Avengers. All of our favorite characters are back, their friendly, comfortable banter is exactly what we’d expect, and everything is more or less tied up in a nice, tidy bow by the end. Lessons are learned, a little romance is slipped in, and now we just sit back and wait for the next episode.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way with any movie sequel before. It’s a weird feeling.
But the episodic feel doesn’t keep the movie from being entertaining. It’s an exciting film from beginning to end. In the big picture sense, the movie is amazing. But when you step back and really think about all the moving parts, it’s not without some flaws. Director Joss Whedon juggles a few too many characters, so that some get a lot of attention — like Hawkeye, in some standout moments — while others are little more than props — like Thor, who spends most of his time dropping hints about future movies.
The new characters are a mixed bag. The titular villain, Ultron, is too entertaining to be menacing. That’s an odd way to describe a super villain, but it’s exactly how actor James Spader pulls it off.
I like Age of Ultron, a lot. It’s not as good at the first Avengers film, largely because the spectacle has worn off, but also for a lot of little reasons. Yet overall, it’s another exciting film in my favorite franchise of all time, despite those little reasons.
Join me after the jump for my full, detailed review. And there will be SPOILERS!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/2/15
This is a great weekend for comics! Not only is Avengers: Age of Ultron tearing up the box office (expect my review tomorrow), but it’s also Free Comic Book Day! And my own comic, Gamer Girl & Vixen, is only two weeks away from launching on Kickstarter! What a time to be alive, I tell ya!
Due to my seeing Age of Ultron twice in as many days, my review pile is a little light this week. Well, light in terms of number of issues reviewed. For some reason, I went on a real nitpicky exploration of Batman #40. You might want to skip that one if you don’t want to hear me drone on endlessly about why I don’t care for Scott Snyder’s Joker.
And skip right down to Bitch Planet #4, the Comic Book of the Week! That series is starting to pick up steam!
And watch out when she gets going!
Over at Word of the Nerd, you can check out my review of Fantastic Four #645. It’s being hailed as the final Fantastic Four comic ever, but trust me, it’s not. The comic isn’t even written as a finale. The Fantastic Four will be back as soon as Marvel is done having a beef with FOX Studios.
Comic Reviews: Batman #40, Bitch Planet #4, Princess Leia #3 and Silk #3.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/25/15
By this time next week, I will have seen Avengers: Age of Ultron. I can’t wait! The anticipation is nearly overwhelming! What am I supposed to do until then? Read comics?! Are you mad? Well, there were some pretty great comics this week.
Not only do we have the headline-making issue of All-New X-Men where Iceman comes out as gay, but we’ve also got the unlikely buddy comedy of Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt in the latest issue of Star Wars! This week also brings us, hands down, the funniest comic book I may have ever read in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4.
This comic is pure spun gold.
I have no way to explain why I find Squirrel Girl hilarious but Deadpool flat. I guess that’s just the way my brain is wired. But from the cover to the final page, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is a laugh riot! And it’s Comic Book of the Week!
This week also brings us a double dip of Valiant Comics! That’s always a hoot.
Comic Reviews: All-New X-Men #40, Divinity #3, Ninjak #2, Star Wars #4 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/18/15
With DC Comics still mired in the murk of Convergence, I get the chance to go outside my wheelhouse this week! Alongside a couple of outstanding Marvel titles, we’ve got the latest issue of Lumberjanes, a series I have been ignoring for too darn long, as well as the first issue of Bloodshot Reborn from Valiant Comics. Valiant has been doing their best to make waves, recently, and I say more power to them.
Though Comic Book of the Week goes to Ms. Marvel #14 for continuing what may be my favorite storyline of the fledgling series so far!
Secret Wars is going to be a real slog at Marvel if we don’t get our monthly Ms. Marvel fix!
Over at Word of the Nerd, you can check out my review of Uncanny X-Men #33. Normally I’d be all over that comic in this column, but Bendis takes a break from his ongoing Cyclops strolling for a filler issue. So no harm done.
Also, only two more weeks until Avengers: Age of Ultron! The anticipation grows stronger with every passing day.
Comic Reviews: Bloodshot Reborn #1, Lumberjanes #13, Ms. Marvel #14 and Thor #7.
Review: Saga #27
Now this is more like it! For the past several issues, Saga has been largely fine. It has never stopped being an enjoyable and entertaining comic, full of great characters, interesting twists and more emotional depth than 10 comics. But it’s also just kind of been…’business as usual’? Is that a good way to put it? I honestly don’t know, because I don’t know what I’m whining about. All I know is that Saga #27 is one of the richest, most enjoyable issues we’ve had in a good long while.
Saga #27
Writer Brian K. Vaughn focuses on just one of his many ongoing plots with this issue, and the attention to detail and to the characters raises this issue to great heights. Prince Robot IV and Ghus the Seal Boy just because the breakout stars of this volume.
Comic Review: 9/10 – Great.
Granted, Ghus has always been pretty amazing, but up until this issue, I always kind of viewed him as a tagalong. He had a great introduction back in the day, but he just seemed like a cute side character thrown in for fun. But with Marko overdosing on crazy space drugs, Ghus steps up in several big ways while he and Robot try and figure out how to save our horn-headed hero.
I’ve said in the past that I don’t really care for drug sequences in fiction. They’re just not my thing. Fortunately, Vaughn and artist Fiona Staples instead take Marko on a series of flashbacks, as if his life was flashing before his eyes. Not only do we learn a bit more about Marko’s troubled past, but these sequences also help to clarify and focus the character going forward. His marriage was falling apart, his family has been kidnapped to parts unknown, and Marko himself has been an emotional wreck. But all of that is settled now, and what comes next should be pure Saga bliss.
As if we should expect anything else.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
