Training Dragons is Still All the Rage
I liked the first one, and I’m definitely looking forward to How to Train Your Dragon 2. It’s a fun little franchise. Though I’m always a little annoyed when seemingly ordinary protagonists are retconned to having been the chosen one all along. Hiccup’s mom just happened to already be an experienced dragon rider? So Hiccup’s discovery of tamable dragons, and becoming the first dragon rider of his village, is no longer much of an accomplishment.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 4/12/14
I am not often someone who toots his own horn – usually – but I think it’s time to share with you all that I’ve been picking up some other blog duties on the side of Henchman-4-Hire. I volunteered a few months ago to write additional comic book reviews for the website Word of the Nerd. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? I write a different style of review for them, adding to my already big workload here.
So just in case you’d like to read some additional reviews of mine, you can check out my takes on Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1 and Nightcrawler #1 this week. Sometimes my reviews have overlapped between the two sites, but why do that when I can just share with you lot some other reviews I’ve written around the webs!
And no way am I going to abandon the weekly Hench-Sized reviews! This week sees the return of the All-New Ghost Rider, Captain Marvel and Secret Avengers, with the debut issue of Batman Eternal, DC Comics’ big new weekly Batman series. Does it live up to the hype?
No, no it doesn’t.
The second issue of Secret Avengers wins Comic Book of the Week for its playful style and strong characters. But Captain Marvel wins moment of the week with a guest appearance by Carol’s cat Chewie! Cats in comics are my kryptonite. I’m not ashamed to admit that.
Both ‘Carol’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ would be good names for cats, I think. Or maybe just ‘The Captain’. Or even ‘Captain Cat’. I could do this all day.
Comic Reviews: All-New Ghost Rider #2, Batman Eternal #1, Captain Marvel #2, Secret Avengers #2 and Superman/Wonder Woman #7.
Do You Want to Watch Some Batman?
If I was Bruce Timm, legendary creator of Batman: The Animated Series, I would also spend my free time making professional-grade Batman shorts.
This little video is making the rounds on the Internet as Timm’s contribution to Batman’s 75th anniversary. It’s an interesting little piece, even though it seems Batman’s best weapons are a rock and a tree limb. And do we really need to acknowledge Batman’s original design in modern adaptations? Do we really have to admit that there was a time when Batman thought big, floppy bat ears and small, purple gloves were a good idea? Can’t we just gloss over that?
Review: All-New X-Factor #6
Six issues in and all of the members of the All-New X-Factor have signed up. I like the casual way the team has come together, with everybody just sort of asking if Danger, Cypher and Warlock would like to hang out. But I wish writer Peter David focused more on that element of the series. It would be a wonderfully subversive twist on the idea of a superhero team, especially starring these characters in this Marvel Universe. Everyone in All-New X-Factor has been here before. They’ve all been members of different superhero teams, some long-lasting and some not. The idea that they’re all randomly grouping up together for form yet another new team, and what everybody thinks of that, would be an interesting – and I think entertaining – focus for the series.
All-New X-Factor #6
And I think PAD recognizes this, but I fear he’s still a little too focused on general superheroics. All-New X-Factor isn’t looking to be subversive. It isn’t looking to be anything more than just another superhero comic, and in the All-New Marvel NOW!, that’s just not good enough anymore.
Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.
All-New X-Factor is growing on me just a little. The comic is becoming more rewarding to read, though if I wasn’t dedicated to doing these long reviews, I probably would have dropped the comic by now. Why am I dedicated to these long reviews? I dunno. I guess I owe it to the memory of Multiple Man to keep them going. But it’s just not a very catchy, entertaining comic. It’s readable and well put together, which can’t be said for every comic on the stands. But All-New X-Factor is unimpressive. It doesn’t really seem to have anything to say, and all of the characters are kind of just hanging out waiting to see if they’ll still be a comic by the end of the year. PAD tries to inject a little humor and humanity in the characters, but it’s not enough, and it’s just not as good as the last volume. PAD doesn’t have the same handle on these characters as he did on the last roster, and it shows every time he engages in a little playful banter.
The new issue is mildly entertaining, especially in how PAD deals with the Magus. One might say the ending of this issue was unexpected, but I kind of saw it coming. There were only two ways X-Factor was going to deal with the Magus, and this was one of them. In today’s day and age, this was definitely a predictable ending – not that I didn’t prefer it over the obvious fight climax. X-Factor has done enough fighting in only six issues. But this sort of twist ending is a little anti-climactic, though at least it serves its purpose of getting Cypher and Warlock on the team. The status quo of the Magus has changed, but I don’t imagine there are too many Magus fans out there to deal with the potentially ruffled feathers. It’s a solid wrap-up to last issue, and like I said, I’m enjoying the casual way the team is coming together. I just wish PAD put more focus on that perspective.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
The 6 Best Little Sisters in Pop Culture
My little sister’s birthday was last week, and I’m still having a hard time believing that she’s in her mid-20s. It helps that we live several states apart and only see each other on the major holidays. But still, come on, world! Cut me some slack! There’s no way she’s that old now. Regardless of age, I still love her, and the best way I know how to show love these days is with a List of Six dedicated to her.
This also qualifies as her birthday present.
“Happy Birthday to you…”
I did a similar list a few years ago for my brother around his birthday. But in researching this list, I discovered that brothers are a much bigger deal in pop culture than sisters. His list was all about awesome brother teams, like Mario and Luigi, but that sort of thing apparently doesn’t exist very often in pop culture when it comes to sister siblings. What’s up with that? Besides the obvious gender inequality inherent in all of fiction.
Still, I ain’t buying her a real present. So here’s a list of the 6 coolest little sisters in pop culture!
