Guardians of the Galaxy Just Gets Better Every Day!

New extended trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy reminds us all why we can’t wait to see this movie! Is it August yet?

What more is there to say? That trailer is amazing! The extended scene of banter towards the end is utterly delightful! Everything about this movie just looks so much fun.

Arrow Keeps Piling Them On

At least two more comic book heroes will be joining the TV show Arrow next season: the Atom and Katana! I’m excited to see Arrow continue to give us quality DC cameos, though neither one of them is on my list of hopefuls. The Atom is a pretty big deal, being a solid member of the Justice League. In fact, beyond the Flash and Black Canary, this is our fourth Justice Leaguer in this TV universe. And Katana has a special connection to the Green Arrow in Jeff Lemire’s current comic storyline, The Others. Both represent different weapon clans, the Sword and Arrow clans, respectively. Maybe that will come up, though I kind of doubt it.

The Atom will be played by Brandon Routh.

Routh, of course, both started and stopped his career playing Superman in Superman Returns. Poor guy. He was darn good in the third season of Chuck, and in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. According to the news, Ray Palmer will be the new owner of Queen Consolidated, so he’s gonna be a businessman with a focus on the applied sciences division. Will he be shrinking? Who knows!

Maybe DC is trying to get their shrinking superhero onto screens before Ant-Man next July. You know what…that’s probably exactly it!

Katana will be played by Devon Aoki.

Aoki starred in Sin City as a badass sword-wielding warrior woman, a role she’ll hopefully fill in Arrow too! Apparently she’s going to be a contact of Oliver’s in the Hong Kong flashbacks, though like with Deathstroke, she’ll hopefully show up in the present day too.

I’m perfectly happy with these castings. Arrow is one of my favorite shows right now, and I look forward to more comic book characters popping up! Everyone except Nightwing, though.

Stop the Universe, There Are Glorious Forces at Work Here

Theologians will be debating the existence of a higher power until the end of time. But this weekend, I received evidence that there is indeed a greater power at work here. And apparently, they’re watching me.

It is as if the universe coalesced into a single item that now exists solely for me. I can perceive no other reason why this toy exists other than some cosmic force peered into my brain and made it a reality.

How else can you explain Hasbro making a legitimate, fully transforming action figure of Dispensor, the Mountain Dew Transformer from the first movie.

Do the Dew!

I’m speechless. Both because of the awesomeness of this toy and out of fear that someone really is reading my thoughts. Why else would Hasbro make a Dispensor action figure seven years after the first movie came out?! He was on the screen for 10 seconds! And it’s not like he’s some new commercial tie-in.

They changed the name from ‘Mountain Dew’ to ‘Mood Whiplash’ on the toy, so it’s not like Hasbro is getting any advertising money.

Dew It, To It!

So why make this action figure unless someone had recently read my List of the 6 Most Underrated Movie Transformers!? Dispensor is #1 on that list! But I only wrote that list a week ago! Someone knew in advance how much this character makes me giggle!  His mere existence is cause for such giddiness!

And now he’s a real toy!

What are you trying to tell me, universe?! That you’re listening to me, you’re really listening? Well then, message received! Loud and clear!

Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/5/14

Happy Day after Independence Day! Did everybody watch the movie, Independence Day, like I do every year? Or should do every year…I need some Fourth of July traditions. I need to be more patriotic. And there’s nothing more patriotic than reading comics! Especially Captain America comics…which I didn’t do this week. Man, I’m bad at this.

Anyway, I mostly read Marvel comics this week, because DC didn’t have much of anything to tickle my fancy. We’ve still got new Batman Eternal, because I’m still subjecting myself to that series. But we’ve also got new issues of X-Factor, Magneto, Moon Knight, Original Sin and the first issue of Legendary Star-Lord. If you’re wondering why they added the word ‘Legendary’, well, it’s kind of obvious once you read the comic, but not for the reason Marvel probably wants.

Thor: God of Thunder #24 wins Comic Book of the Week for another one of those quieter, talking heads issues that Jason Aaron does so well with this series. I tell ya, Thor has never felt so grand and yet so personable.

Needs more Beta Ray Bill.

Comic Reviews: All-New X-Factor #10, Batman Eternal #13, Legendary Star-Lord #1, Magneto #6, Moon Knight #5, Original Sin #5 and Thor: God of Thunder #24. 

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Review: Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #3

Now things are starting to heat up! Last issue was definitely build-up, with Miles preparing to tell his girlfriend the big news, and bad guys moving around the background. Well in the new issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, Brian Michael Bendis shifts into a higher gear, setting up what will no doubt be an exciting climax! The new Spider-Man vs. the Green Goblin! Katie Bishop panicking! Ganke proven right?! The tension ratchets up in a big way this issue, from a threat that’s actually born from the Spider-Man universe. Not since Prowler or Venom has a battle felt so important in this comic.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3

But the best is yet to come! Bendis starts toppling over some of his dominoes in this issue, and we’ve still got more story to go!

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

The stakes just feel more real in this issue than they have in awhile. Every time Bendis is forced to add Miles to some big Ultimate Universe crossover, the stories lose that important tension. Who really cares about Miles getting thrown into a big Ultimates battle against Hydra? Or Miles swinging around helping people while Galactus threatens the world? Miles, and Spider-Man, are best left as street-level heroes. I’ve always said it, and I’ll continue to say it. Seeing Miles struggle to tell his girlfriend that he’s Spider-Man, or panicking in the face of the Green Goblin, is a great Spider-Man comic.

Miles Morales is a fun character. He may not be as iconic as Peter Parker, there’s no way he could be. But Bendis is doing a great job with Miles. He’s grounded, he’s human, and he’s driven to be a hero. He’s got a lot to learn ahead of him, and the story of that discovery makes for great comics.

Though once again, rumors of the Ultimate Universe’s destruction are on the wind. Apparently Miles is going to crossover with All-New X-Men in a few months? And something big and interdimensional appears to be on the horizon for next Spring. Bendis even drops a clue/tease in this issue, if you can believe them. I don’t know what to think. I still don’t want Miles to be shuffled off to the regular Marvel Universe. But, obviously, that decision is out of my hands.

Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!

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