How Guardians of the Galaxy Should Have Ended
This video wasn’t so bad. I should have known a stupid Batman/Superman diner scene was coming, but it was actually kind of funny in places. So kudos to the HISHE people, they put out a video worthy of such an amazing movie. Now if only the DVD could be hand-delivered by super models to my house, I would be even happier.
Though I think we all know how the movie really should have ended…
Review: Teen Titans #4
In a previous decade, the content of Teen Titans #4 would have made me ecstatic. It’s an issue about Tim Drake using his brains and his skills to defeat an infinitely more powerful foe. It should be a testament to just how damn cool Robin can be. But this is Teen Titans in the New 52, so don’t anybody get their hopes up.
What Teen Titans #4 is instead is a showcase for writer Will Pfeifer’s S.T.A.R. Labs plot and his apparent love of Manchester Black. So simmer down, Tim Drake fans; despite his starring role in the issue, he has zero personal impact on the story.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
Is it really so hard to write a comic that’s actually about the Teen Titans? I’m not sure if the previous writer, Scott Lobdell, ever managed to do it in 30+ issues. Lobdell only ever wrote about his plots or the bad guys; rarely did his stories ever actually grow from the Titans themselves. Even when he wrote about the characters’ origins, it was never about them. Wonder Girl’s origin story was all about her ex-boyfriend the super-villain, and Kid Flash’s origin story was all about this big space civil war and his role in that.
Pfeifer is a little better, but he’s relegated all of the stories about the Titans themselves to merely sub-plots. The main plot, the one about the villainous Algorithm and her attacks on S.T.A.R., is all about Algorithm and her villainous boss, Manchester Black. Teen Titans #4, especially, is all about Black and his drama. Tim Drake just happens to be caught up in that drama. But for all Tim actually does to drive or impact Black’s story, he could be swapped for any other Titan or any other superhero, for that matter.
And Teen Titans #4 also features one of the most baffling endings I have ever read in this comic. The only reasonable explanation for this ending is that Pfeifer is just toying with us and it’s totally fake. Otherwise, Teen Titans is just never going to get any better.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
The Graysons Will Appear on Gotham!
I come to you with exciting news today, Robin fans! Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller has promised a “prenatal Robin” in an upcoming episode of the FOX show! All joking aside, Heller promised a future episode in the first season will feature Richard and Mary Grayson, and will even show how they got together in this pre-Batman world!
Before it all comes crashing down…
This was, of course, No. 1 on my list of the 6 Things I Want to See on Gotham!
And there is no better way to earn my love and adoration than references to Robin – and you know the episode will be full of so many references to robins, birds, red breasts and whatever else! As much as I’m enjoying Gotham, it has no idea how to be subtle. Harvey Dent made his first appearance on this week’s episode, and the VERY FIRST THING they had him do was flip his trademark coin! Come on!
Still, this is the kind of news that will keep me watching Gotham! So good work there, Bruno Heller, you’re keeping at least one fan.
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6 Other Marvel Characters Who Could Go ‘Superior’
Marvle Comics loves adjectives! The Amazing Spider-Man! The Uncanny X-Men! The Incredible Hulk! The Invincible Iron Man! You don’t see DC giving Batman or Superman adjectives. It’s almost a Marvel Comics exclusive! And in recent years, they’ve started mixing and matching the adjectives to make new comics! The Uncanny Avengers, The Amazing X-Men, etc., etc. It’s like a game of musical chairs!
Well this week we’re talking about Marvel’s newest, most dastardly adjective: Superior! When a comic is given the ‘Superior’ moniker – like last year’s Superior Spider-Man or the new Superior Iron Man – it means the hero and the villain are about to switch places!
To the tune of $1 billion+
Heroes becoming bad guys, and vice versa, is a long-standing comic book tradition, but Marvel has found a way to glam it up and get some extra mileage out of the idea. I’m all in favor of this push, especially if they do it well. Writer Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man was an amazing comic book, and Superior Iron Man has a cool new armor, so that’s something. But Marvel isn’t the sort of company that lets go of a good idea. I can imagine all sorts of Superior comics in the future – and here are six!
The New Peanuts Movie Might Not Be Terrible
The new Peanuts movie might not be terrible in the sense that the Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks movies were terrible. This doesn’t appear to be a half-live action attempt to modernize Peanuts with painful pop culture references. Based on this first teaser trailer, it looks like just an animated Peanuts movie – of course, considering past animated Peanuts movies, the bar is set pretty darn high.
So far, I like the animation. It’s a neat, computerized style without being completely computer animated. I dig it. And it’s clear that Blue Sky are keeping the classic look. I just don’t have any idea what the movie is going to be about. Is it a new Peanuts Christmas? Because you can’t top the original Peanuts Christmas. So what’s the plot?
Also, I suddenly realized just how dated Snoopy’s ongoing battle with the Red Baron might be. The Red Baron doesn’t exist in popular culture anymore other than from Peanuts cartoons. Any child who sees that trailer and wants to know why that doggie is flying his doghouse in Paris is in for one heck of an explanation.
“Well you see, son, once upon a time the entire world was at war…”
Henchman-4-Hire 