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!
Static Shock: Blackout is Here!
I posted the teaser trailer for this fan film a few months ago, and now that the whole 13-minute video is out, I thought I’d post the whole thing! I never cared for Static Shock, but brilliance in geek filmmaking should be praised. The team does a good job and it’s well shot. The character definitely fits with the more amateurish feel.
It was made by a guy named Stefan Dezil and his people. Definitely worth your time.
Review: Scarlet Spider #4
What could have been a mediocre fight issue gets knocked up a notch in the climax, reminding the readers why the Scarlet Spider is not just a copy of Spider-Man. He’s tougher, he’s more badass and he can be excitingly brutal. Writer Christopher Yost uses that to great effect to elevate an already OK story into something more by the end.We’re also, possibly, seeing an expansion of Scarlet Spider’s rogues gallery, which is only going to help. And his supporting cast continues to develop.
Scarlet Spider #4
The only problem is that Scarlet Spider has yet to do anything that really wows me. But the series is still young.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
Let me first say that the Assassin’s Guild is an odd choice of antagonist for Kaine, especially in only his fourth issue. They are primarily a Gambit-related group, so I have no clue why someone thought they’d be a good fit for Scarlet Spider. Unless someone at Marvel tried to think of what existing villains could have a reason for being in Houston, Texas. They wanted someone familiar for Kaine to fight. The problem is, I have no clue if any of the Guild members in this issue have ever appeared before, other than their leader, Belladonna. They may all be brand new characters created for just this issue, in which case they are just nameless, pointless opponents for Kaine to fight.
And that doesn’t make for a good rogue’s gallery. Unless they stick around as villains Still, the art is fantastic and the big fight is a lot of fun. And like I said, Yost uses Kaine’s darker nature to add some fun twists to the story.
Battle Beasts Are Making a Comeback
Somebody call up VH1’s ‘I Love the 80s’ because they need to make a new episode! The freakin’ Battle Beasts are making a comeback in a big way this summer! Obviously the world is on a big 80s nostalgia trip, with Transformers, Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe movies coming out. But who could have possibly thought that the Battle Beasts would ever be back?
What’s that? You don’t remember the Battle Beasts? Of course you do! Just look:
Revel in your childhood!
I had a ton of these little guys when I was a kid. They were these neat little figurines based on animals, and each one had a special heat-sensitive rubbing area on the front that revealed their power element: fire, water or wood. Really, wood? Yep! And you were supposed to play a game of Paper, Rock, Scissors with them. Instead, I’m pretty sure I just played with them like normal action figures.
Am I the only one getting chills from this picture?
You can check out a gallery of all the Battle Beasts here. I had a blast just looking through them, recognizing the ones that I had.
I definitely remember Sledgehammer Elephant.
The name sums him up pretty nicely
And Octillion Octopus.
We have a weaponized octopus, people!
Man oh man, just looking at those galleries takes me back.
But the good news is that Diamond Select Toys and IDW Comics have teamed up to bring the Battle Beasts back in 2012! You can read all about it here, but I’ll sum it up for you. Basically, Diamond Select got the license for Battle Beasts back in 2009. Since then, I guess they’ve been looking for something to do with the toys. And it seems they have settled, with proper introductions planned for the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekend.
The two companies are going to recreate the story of Battle Beasts, giving them a plot and main characters. IDW is then going to publish a comic book about them.
Instead of a walrus, may I suggest an elephant? Possibly with a sledgehammer for a hand?
Something about the Battle Beasts coming to Earth and interacting with humans. Sounds meh, but who knows! That plot has worked for the Transformers. Here’s a look at the cover of the comic book:
I want to buy it right now!
Then, later this year, Diamond Select is going to produce mini-mates of the new Battle Beasts characters. They won’t be like the old versions, but instead be based of Diamond’s mini-mate design. I really like the mini-mates, and own several myself. Diamond has been getting into a lot of different brands with their mini-mates. Just the other day I had to stop myself from buying Ghostbuster mini-mates.
I can only hope that 'wood' remains a key factor of the games
Hooray 80s notalgia!
I Don’t Normally Watch Movie Clips, But Damn These Are Exciting
I’m not a fan of watching movie teaser clips that are released as part of the build-up to a new movie. But The Avengers has released several so far, and I haven’t been able to help myself! I’m so excited for this movie! I don’t like watching the clips because when I’m finally watching the real movie in theaters, there will come a point when the film gets to the clip and I’ll be reminded that I already saw this brief moment on my computer at home. It will momentarily take me out of the movie!
But clearly those fears aren’t stopping me from sharing this cool moment between Tony Stark and Loki.
By the way, is anyone else not happy that so far Loki seems to be the only villain in this movie? I didn’t think he did a good enough job as the villain in Thor, let alone being the main villain in The Avengers.
Also, The Avengers had a sneak peek Hollywood premiere this week. And those select few who got to see the movie wrote about it extensively on Twitter. The site comicbookmovie.com was kind enough to collect all the Tweets so we could start to see what people think of the movie. The outlook is very good, it seems.
