6 Comic Book Life Stories I Want to Read Next
I just finished reading Fantastic Four: Life Story this past weekend and I rather enjoyed the comic. It accomplishes exactly what it sets out to accomplish, and has some fun along the way. I also enjoyed Spider-Man: Life Story a couple of years ago. I really like this comic book concept overall and I want to see it used more.
The Life Story concept, used at Marvel Comics, takes our favorite comic book characters and ages them in real time through real decades of American history. For example, Spider-Man got his powers as a teenager in the 1960s, and then each issue tells Spider-Man’s life story through the decades, where he’s a young adult in the ’70s, an adult in the ’80s, middle-aged in the ’90s and so on, up to the present day when he’s an old man. And each decade is highlighted by the actual comics of that decade. For example, Venom doesn’t show up until the 1980s, and it’s a middle-aged Spider-Man dealing with the Clone Saga in the ’90s. And Miles Morales doesn’t show up until he did in the real world in the 2010s, when Peter Parker is an old man.
It’s a neat concept, putting these fantastic characters into more realistic, real-world settings and events, while telling a larger story about their life and their impact on the world. Fantastic Four: Life Story was all about family, the sacrifices we make for them, and what we sacrifice about them in our lives, knowingly or unknowingly. I don’t know if Marvel has any other plans for future Life Story comics, but join me after the jump for the heroes I would like to see featured.
Read the rest of this entryThe New DC TV and Movie Universe is Here and It Looks Great!
Today was the big day for DC Comics, Warner Bros and the new co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran. There has been so much swirling around since the pair were announced for a new, slate-clearing take on the DC Universe, all leading up to today: the announcement of the first 10 projects in the new cinematic universe.
Well those projects are here and they look great! I am fully on board with everything announced and look forward to watching all of it in the years ahead! You can check out the official DC on their website, and read my rundown of the projects below. Apparently, all of these movies and shows will have the chance to intermingle actors and characters, which is neat, obviously. They’re also going to be separate from existing projects, like Joker 2, The Batman 2, the Harley Quinn cartoon and those various Teen Titans cartoons.
More power to James Gunn, Peter Safran, DC, Warner Bros. and all of them!
Superman: Legacy – Movie
This is the big ticket item that everything is going to depend on, I bet. The next big Superman movie, focused squarely on Superman. That’s the right way to go, in my opinion. Gunn has indicated that he’s using All-Star Superman as inspiration, and that’s a great idea. That’s the greatest Superman story of all time, in my opinion, and it gets Superman exactly right. So that is the right way to go.
Superman: Legacy will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”
Gunn is writing the script, will hopefully direct, and it’s already scheduled to come out on July 11, 2025.
Creature Commandos – Show
I’m in. This one looks weird and special, and I am totally in. A cartoon series on HBO Max about a bunch of funky creatures going on military operations? Like Frankenstein and Bridge of Frankenstein and Weasel from Gunn’s Suicide Squad? Count me in without a moment’s hesitation!
Creature Commandos is already fully written by Gunn — awesome — and is already in production for seven episodes.
Waller – Show
Viola Davis is going to return as Amanda Waller to do her own series in between seasons of Peacemaker. So obviously Peacemaker, and perhaps even Gunn’s Suicide Squad, will be part of the new DCU. That’s fine by me. I loved both of those projects and would hate to lose them in this shakeup. And if Gunn needs time to come back for Peacemaker season 2, having the characters spin-off into an HBO Max show about Amanda Waller sounds fine by me.
Lanterns – Show
A big, live action Green Lantern show has been in the works for years with very little to show for it. So Gunn and co. probably took the reins on that and have turned it into Lanterns, a True Detective-style mystery procedural starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart as space cops.
I love the world of the Green Lanterns, and I would love a gritty, live action TV show about them doing cop stuff. So bring it on!
The Authority – Movie
This one should be really interesting. I’ve never read any of the original Authority comics, so I have no real connection to the characters or the team. But they’re a pretty bold choice for another big DC movie in this era. Will audiences be able to just get on board? Will it be too much too soon? Obviously I’m confident they’ll pull this off, but i think this one is their biggest swing in this slate.
Paradise Lost – Show
This is the one I’m least sure about. They’re promising a Game of Thrones-esque show about the birth of Themyscira and the world before Wonder Woman. What were their politics like? How was the society of Amazons formed? These are interesting ideas, but I’m not entirely sure they’ll be able to pull it off. It’s just such a nebulous concept without any real established story behind it.
Remember when DC did the show Krypton? About the politics of Krypton during the time of Superman’s grandfather? Yeah, I don’t either. No word on whether or not Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is still part of this new slate of projects.
The Brave and the Bold – Movie
I love Robin, you all know that. But I dislike Damian Wayne as Robin, even if he’s apparently James Gunn’s favorite Robin. So this is a mixed bag for me. Obviously, I’ll take any live acton Robin I can get, especially if this is the start of a really Bat-family heavy movie Batman continuity. We’re still going to get The Batman – Part II starring Robert Pattinson; that’s going to be in its own continuity. But The Brave and the Bold will be Batman’s big debut in the new DCU, with a focus on Damian Wayne. Does this mean we’ll get a Dick Grayson as Nightwing cameo? Maybe, who knows.
But yeah, I’m on board. I will gladly watch a movie focused on Damian if it also means we’re getting a movie focused on Robin.
Booster Gold – Show
Yeah, baby! This is one to get really excited about! Booster Gold is going to get a live action TV show on HBO Max and that’s brilliant. It’s going to focus on a “superhero’s imposter syndrome” and that’s a great focus for a show. Booster Gold is such a fun and easy concept to understand. He’s a hapless schmuck from the 30th century who steals a bunch of future tech and travels back in time to the 20th century, where he can use that tech to seem like he has super-powers. Booster Gold should have gotten his own project a long time ago, but in the hands of James Gunn, it should be better than ever possibly anticipated.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – Movie
Jumping right into a live action Supergirl movie is an interesting choice, though I suppose it’s not that big of a deal, considering we’re jumping right into a Superman movie. They should work well together, especially in establishing shared continuity. Give the new Superman actor an immediate place to show up again before his sequel.
This is going to be based on the recent comic by writer Tom King. I read and enjoyed the first few issues, and then picked up the whole thing in graphic novel form. It’s next on my list for bedtime reading, so I best get to that right away.
Swamp Thing – Movie
Last, but not least, is a new Swamp Thing movie. I don’t have any real connection to the character, so I’m not particularly interested or concerned. There has been a ton of great Swamp Thing content over the years — so I’ve heard — so I’m sure they can come up with a really great story.
Whew! And that is the whole list of shows and movies. They all look pretty great, they all look very diverse is style and superheroes. I’m definitely excited. It’s going to be called “Gods and Monsters,” which is a pretty simplistic title, if you ask me. And it’s also subject to change, if need be.
Whatever happens, I’m on board for all of it!
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None of My Favorites Have Been Nominated for the X-Men
It’s that time of year again! Time to vote for who we want to join the X-Men. I still love this idea. I also still think that one year of comics is not nearly enough time to really get a roster to gel as a team or as characters. But the novelty of the whole thing is still too good to pass up, so I’m all for it.
Unfortunately, none of the nominees this year are in my pool of favorite X-Characters.
In previous votes, both Strong Guy and Avalanche were in the running — though hardly contenders. That was fun. This time around…I dunno. I think I’d vote for Juggernaut, or maybe Dazzler, even if she’d have to give up being an X-Terminator to join the X-Men.
Honestly, why isn’t anybody writing a Dazzler comic where she forms a mutant rock band and goes on tour? There are so many modern comic book writers eager to tackle Dazzler. We had X-Corp, a comic about the business side of Krakoa. Why not a comic about a mutant rock band on tour?
Anyway, I’m getting off topic. You can vote for the newest member of the X-Men here.
And hopefully next year, the likes of Multiple Man, Mimic, Strong Guy, Toad, Blob, Avalanche, Stacy-X, Cecilia Reyes, Marrow, Maggott or others will run for membership!
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The New Dungeons & Dragons Movie Looks Good To Me
Sadly, I have never played Dungeons & Dragons proper. I’ve played video game versions. I’ve sat in on some games my friends were running while I was there visiting. But I’ve never had the opportunity to sit down with a group of friends and play a full game. I think I’d be great, I think I would love it; but life has not yet found the way for me to play. I’ve got to live with that.
And while I do, I’ll go see the new movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, in the theaters in a couple of months.
I think the movie looks really fun. I don’t know how well it will do in the theaters, but they’ve got a good cast, good CGI, and a real plethora of things and gewgaws from the games to really flesh it out. I think that’s exactly what is needed. Hopefully it’s enough to keep audiences interested. Who wouldn’t enjoy a movie franchise along these lines? Critical Role is doing good work with the idea in their live shows and their Vox Machina cartoon. Why couldn’t another one succeed as well?
Though the new movie probably won’t have Critical Role’s charisma…
Anyway, Honor Among Thieves comes to theaters on March 31, which will be here before you know it.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 1/28/23
We’re back with another solid week of new comics, as we are every week. Was this the best week of new comics ever? No, sadly not. Was it the worst week? Nah. Just a pretty average week. Though this week did see the return of Saga!
Comic Book of the Week goes to X-Terminators #5 for a very enjoyable wrap-up to this excellent series! This is the sort of X-Men ongoing I could get behind.
Meanwhile, I’m probably going to skip Sins of Sinister. I’m just not into crossovers these days anymore. More my loss. I also finally beat Pokemon Violet! I really liked the open world aspect of the new game, but the whole thing wasn’t very fulfilling. Perhaps they’ll do better with the next one. Also, I started watching Lockwood & Co. like I mentioned yesterday, and I’m enjoying it so far!
Comic Reviews: Action Comics #1051, Justice Society of America #2, Saga #61 and X-Terminators #5.
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