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The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 6/5/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

This is the weekly “quick pick” of the best 5 comics to hit the shelves! Whether they are riddled with action, have the best dramatic sequences, blast you with a bevy of shock and awe or make you feel like a child again, these are the books EVERYONE should be reading! This “DOC’s” prescription for having the best week possible — begins with these Top 5 books! (In no particular order!)

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1. Astro City #1 (Vertigo/DC): Kurt Busiek makes a triumphant return to the world of Astro City and comic fans rejoice! One of the nineties most acclaimed and inspirational looks at the super hero genre returns this week under the Vertigo banner! The media has been praising this book for the past few months and it shows, local stores were sold out in minutes and second printings are sure to be in the future for those arriving after the initial “running of the bulls” when they opened! One of my personal favorites from yesteryear, Astro City is a sure fire hit!

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2. Ten Grand #2 (Joe’s Comics/Image): JMS and Ben Templesmith forge a unique and disturbing tale of a lost love and how far you would go for just five more minutes of contact with them. The tale of Joe Fitzgerald is both stunning and gut wrenching as we watch a man perish over and over again in order to make up for past sins and that five minute window of bliss with his departed Laura. This book is something special and another instant sell-out!

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3. All-New X-Men #12 (Marvel): Bendis has his original X-Men come face to face with Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers in a book that is both nostalgic and heart warming. The meeting of “young” Cyclops and his “older” brother Havok will bring an instant smile on your face and make you wish for simpler times in the Marvel U.! Bendis may not know a thing about how to write Cosmic, but he does a hell of a job depicting the “Merry Mutants!”

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4. Kick -Ass 3 #1 (Icon/Marvel): This is it, folks! The final chapter in the life of Dave Lizewski as Kick-Ass and it is as hilarious as when we first read about him in 2008. Hit-Girl is imprisoned, the heroes are losing interest in protecting the streets and High School is over. What does a young hero with no powers do now? Take cool “Batman-esque” photos at his parents grave is what! And maybe kick a little ass as well! Plus, there are six interlocking variant covers that merge to make one awesome poster!

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5. Avengers Arena #10 (Marvel): Dennis Hopeless crafts a stunning and emotional tale yet again, and this time, you WILL hate Dennis Hopeless for the ending! From the initial page you know in your bones what is going to happen and even though you pray that it won’t, you are still shocked by the outcome. This has been a fantastic book from the start and has more depth than anyone would have ever thought. I implore you to give this book a try, you will be hooked!

Review: Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 7: The Hierophant

Da Vinci = Danny Ocean

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 7: The Hierophant

By: Lawrence Napoli

Yes! Redemption episode! The last episode of Da Vinci’s Demons saw a chance encounter with Dracula (or Vlad the Impaler) of all characters and as interesting as that may sound for an historical reinvention that tiptoes the borders of fantasy, it was plain ridiculous. It made little sense to viewers and even less relevance to the story that’s been developing thus far in the previous six episodes. Be that as it may, David S. Goyer comes back with a vengeance in “The Hierophant” which gets the story firmly back on track by having Da Vinci become embolden enough to confront his opposition directly. We’re going to Rome!

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Pope Sixtus has some cool toys.

For this entire series, the audience has been told how Pope Sixtus IV and his cronies have been directing events across Europe not merely by the strength of arms, but by manipulating the faith and secretly acquiring and hoarding fundamental knowledge of the natural world and by extension, the nature of man. The Vatican’s control over the latter element has been what Da Vinci has dedicated his life in pursuit of, and thanks to his efforts in “The Devil,” he has his bearing to discover the actual resting place of The Vault of Heaven. All he needs is Count Riario’s half of the key. I enjoyed the planning and preparation scenes where Da Vinci, Nicco and Zoroaster consider the options of actually penetrating The Vatican’s defenses. It reminded me of the best parts of the Ocean’s 11 Trilogy in that it comes off as a good old fashioned B&E to a highly secured installation. I also liked how the entire episode tied back into the Medici’s immediate troubles as well as Da Vinci’s personal quest seamlessly (as if the last episode didn’t even happen).

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Another of Da Vinci’s devices at work?

If you thought that Da Vinci’s Demons was moving too slowly for your taste, The Hierophant not only ups the pace, but fills it up with many subplots coming to ahead. Riario vs. Da Vinci? Check. Giulino searching for the spy? Check. Remember Riario’s prisoner? Check. What’s most impressive about the volume of twists in this episode is that nothing feels like it was discarded as soon as it was introduced and every new development leaves the audience with new and satisfying information that ups the tension and gets your brain thinking about what could happen next. Oh yes my friends, everything is coming together at the right time with only one episode left which I eagerly anticipate, but I am also somewhat disheartened because 8 episodes does not a full season of ANY television show make. By the way, if any of you were really anticipating that exciting rematch with Dracula, you will be disappointed by its absence here (thank God!).

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The man is still not to be trifled with.

I’d also like to take a moment to commend all of the show creators for doing their best to root this fiction in the past. I became personally aware when I was inspired to research Pope Sixtus and the extent to which his savagery on the show may or may not have been reflected in how he ruled in the history books. My research brought me to the Pazzi Conspiracy and I was astounded at the accuracy the show was in trying to hold true to the bullet points of that conflict. Unfortunately, I conducted this research prior to watching “The Hierophant” which actually spoiled some of the episode for me and I am fearful for how much of the plot moving forward I may have inadvertently ruined as well. So if you don’t happen to be a history buff and still want to be surprised by this show, do NOT research key words like: Renaissance Florence, Medici, Sixtus or Pazzi. Do it after the first season ends. Perhaps invigorating the viewer’s interest in actual history is the greatest compliment that can be paid to any period piece?

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Who is the mysteriously masked, red rider?

The final episode of this initial season of Da Vinci’s Demons is coming up and the table has been set for suspense, intrigue and wonder. The only thing that “The Lovers” needs to do is match the energy, pacing and relevance of this episode. It is a natural tendency for the filmmaker to constantly up the ante, push the envelope, raise the stakes and so on and so forth, but doing so without discipline would be a sure fire way to end the season on a sour note. Goyer needs to hammer home nagging concerns for Da Vinci before properly sending him off on a brand new quest against new forms of opposition, circumstances, handicaps, etc. “The Hierophant” set up all the pins perfectly and it is left to “The Lovers” to knock them all down.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Ombis: Alien Invasion (2013)

(Note: For purposes in reporting we would like to note that Cosmic Book News EIC Matt McGloin was an extra in the movie )

Local Indie Means Pulp Horror

A Film Review of Ombis: Alien Invasion

By: Lawrence Napoli

It never ceases to amaze me how “no budget” independent films almost always involve some element of horror. As a genre, horror has a history of filmmaking rooted in rollback production costs, and thanks to the ever increasing quality of digital camcorders and off the shelf editing software, amateurs everywhere are feeling the itch to make movies. Horror appears to give the filmmaker the shortest route between making their dreams into reality, and there are a number of reasons why: 1) horror seems to inspire a lot of local, volunteer labor; 2) horror can succeed with even the simplest of practical effects made from household items and YouTube walkthroughs and 3) horror doesn’t require the highest acting level from its cast because the audience will be more interested in looking for monsters and gore. There are more fringe benefits to horror, but despite them all, very few films show capable of distinguishing themselves from the rest of the pack. This brings us to the Western New York success story of Ombis: Alien Invasion which is, in every sense, a horror film masquerading as sci-fi, but unfortunately does little to give the audience anything we haven’t already seen from the likes of Troma or Fangoria.

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Your formal introduction to slime zombies from space.

Since this film was made for the miraculously low price of about $32,000 thanks to DefTone Pictures and its co-financiers, I am stunned that more attention was not given to the basic story, character development and dialogue that could have communicated both in a more compelling and practical manner. The script is the foundation of any film, and if the story isn’t interesting, its visual depiction doesn’t have much of a chance to make it better. It’s also the least expensive element of the filmmaking process to produce. Of course, local filmmakers do not have the resources of a James Cameron to make entirely new and fantastic worlds come to life on screen, but that doesn’t mean simpler stories, using common locations and local talent can’t also be interesting. Writers Janeen Avery, Terry Kimmel, Mark Mendola, Michael Sciabarassi, and Adam R. Steigert (also the director) attempt to blend the basic elements of a zombie movie with the more colorful garnishes of an alien invasion and apply them to a formulaic model as tried-and-true as horror itself: an unsuspecting town in Nowhere-sville, USA is confronted with a supernatural force and all hell breaks loose. This idea is entertaining enough in the sense that a ghost haunting a house, or a child being possessed, or a mad dog killer is on the loose are equally entertaining tropes. Doing something more with these archetypes such as using allegory or metaphor is an excellent way to transform common stories into uncommon experiences.

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Who could that shadowy figure be?

Ombis features a script that is unconcerned with anything but the obvious so what you see is exactly what you get. In lieu of adding intrigue via context, the writers overcompensated by throwing in underdeveloped plot twists that aren’t set up well and fizzle when trying to pay off. A town trying to fend off alien zombies is one thing, but adding intergalactic bounty hunters, a shadowy governmental agency, and a tale of youthful redemption is plainly impossible to develop with any level of satisfaction in an 85 minute film. This script was in desperate need of some serious focus, and the best evidence of this is the fact that the story begins to unfold from the perspective of Sheriff Bracket, but then inexplicably shifts to former high school football star Mark. These two characters could have (and should have) been written as one which would have allowed the audience a more streamlined point of view in addition to better main character to identify with. In the end, the plot, characters and dialogue have resulted less from basic narrative structure and more from late night fanboy discussions of “you know what would be cool?”

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Folks, I happen to be an authority on what’s cool.

The true artistry of Ombis lies not within the fiction, but in the technical production value and cinematography that is spearheaded by director Adam R. Steigert. Far too often, student and indie films fall in love with static camera shots while mixing in the occasional Dutch angle to feign “art.” I am very impressed with how active the camera is throughout Ombis as it tracks, pans and tilts with the action consistently which animates the frame and keeps the pace up for the film in general. The background soundtrack adds another layer of credible production value which is well composed to accentuate the emotional tenor of just about every scene and only occasionally washes out the dialogue track as a small post-production faux pas. The digital/visual effects of this film aren’t exactly cutting edge, but are masterfully cut away to and juxtaposed with practical effects (such as the crawling green Jello) which yields a clear idea of the action and what the supernatural threat is all about.

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Something bad is coming.

The performances throughout Ombis provide glimmers of brilliance, but are often overshadowed by amateurs in need of point-by-point direction just to keep up. As for the standouts, Richard Satterwhite’s performance as Sheriff Bracket is both charismatic and genuine and his particular strength lies in shifting facial expressions which makes a clear connection to the audience. The only hiccup he demonstrates is when he loses patience with another actor in scenes where they are not giving back the same energy he is sending them. Jason John Beebe provides the lion’s share of the stunt work as Mark and provides a worthy performance as the secondary protagonist (or is he the primary?). He plays the role of a younger man quite well, and he demonstrates confidence in his line delivery with just about everyone, but comes up a tad short in generating chemistry with his onscreen girlfriend which has less to do with an acting deficiency and more to do with a lack of opportunity as provided by the script. The final stand out performance was that of Alexander S. McBryde who plays the mysterious Mr. Gray. He is done somewhat of a disservice from the script due to the fact that his character and the organization he represents gets absolutely zero setup as they kind of show up out of nowhere once the weirdness starts to happen around town. McBryde presents the best example of an actor doing more with less because he doesn’t have many scenes to work with, but the presence he exudes, thanks to the bass in his voice, makes the audience pay attention to him whenever he’s onscreen and he leaves an unforgettable impression.

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No one is safe from the Ombis.

Ombis: Alien Invasion is a success in that it was completed with an overall proficiency that not every independent film provides with minimal finances and a volunteer cast/crew. It is not an easy task to accomplish such a feat given the handicaps. That being said, the entertainment value of this film caters strictly to fans of cult, pulp horror films. For a movie like this to have a shot at wider, more diverse audiences, serious polish needs to be considered. Over ambition can muddle any production as global audiences may observe with future super productions such as the next Star Wars, The Avengers 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Too many characters, too many plot devices and too many gimmicks can add up to too many distractions that can sink a film before it even sets sail. Ombis seems intent on doing far too much without being disciplined enough to establish the basics of its own story, and that’s frustrating for an audience intent on making connections. Of course, most indie monster, slasher, alien and horror films just want to deliver a pulp experience that simply shocks and awes which is fine and dandy, but at the same time gets fenced in with the rest of the herd.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Fast & Furious 6

A Little Left in the Tank

A Film Review of Fast & Furious 6

By: Lawrence Napoli

Back in 2001, a little movie called The Fast and the Furious introduced mainstream America to contemporary street racing, NOS and Vin Diesel doing what he apparently does best. None could have predicted that this series would have turned into such an immense financial success considering it took three different directors before finding one that was truly committed in Justin Lin and his first entry (Tokyo Drift) is to this day regarded as the weakest link. Lin listened to the fans and got back to the basics of what made this fiction work and the result was a cacophony of stunts that continued to push the envelope, an added level of brawling combat and gunplay, but most importantly characters that had explosive chemistry together. Fast & Furious 6 is the most recent entry and it’s a rarity to find any franchise capable of holding up to that kind of mileage. If any of you have concerns regarding the possible sputtering of a series long overdue to be put to bed, know that Fast & Furious 7 is already in pre-production and we’ve just gotten past opening weekend for #6. No studio is dumb enough to gut that kind of golden calf before at least running it (humiliatingly) into the ground.

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Is the franchise hanging on for dear life?

Writers Chris Morgan and Gary Scott Thompson return to pen F&F6 and they try really hard to duplicate the general plot points of the last film: assemble the team, give them a challenge, car stunts, punches to the face, victory. It sounds simple enough, but Fast Five was such an incredible experience for being the first to draw in all the marquee characters from the previous films and added The Rock to the mix as the cherry on top. In effect, the F&F franchise capitalized on an “Avengers” effect even before that movie came out. Unfortunately, most of what the audience experiences in 6 feels awfully familiar as we see our favorite criminals with hearts of gold doing the same things they’ve done before with the same level of camaraderie. The story still feels big, but the logistics of getting these main characters back into the conflict seems a tad convoluted and everything else that follows from character arcs to twists come off as slightly ridiculous.

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The team is back. Now give the audience a reason to stay.

I think the film trailers actually worked against the writers in that they revealed too many major plot twists such as spear hooks into giant planes and the return of Letty, someone believed to have been dispatched as of the fourth film. Perhaps the trailer reveals wouldn’t have been so bad had there been larger spectacles and/or developments lying in wait, but this was not the case. To compensate, Morgan and Thompson reach further back into the franchise mythos to resurrect slightly more obscure characters which is nice for nostalgia, but not enough to keep the Fast and Furious formula fresh. What’s worse is that to appreciate F&F6 you must have seen every previous film because the references to the past and a thematic return to what once was in the very first film is the engine for this film. That being said, the story is entertaining enough while maintaining that satisfying focus on family as well as a couple of neat developments along the way.

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Guess who’s back?

For a franchise built on car races and stunts, I find it disappointing yet somewhat inevitable for it to have evolved into a more standard action/adventure film. There’s also a hell of a lot of jumping, falling and launching of bodies in this movie which is an interesting curveball to the action, but seems far too super-heroic even for former street racers, hackers and ex-FBI to be capable of. F&F6 features the most combat action from gunplay and fisticuffs to date which is executed very well on screen, but plays a second fiddle to the true spectacle: massive set-piece-chaos. Notable sequences are the car chase around London and the climactic run-in with a military transport plane near the end. The problem with both of these sequences is that we’ve seen chases similar to the prior and the latter boils down to movement in a straight line for what seems to be a 30 mile runway. The absurdity of the action mirrors the exponential proficiency of each and every protagonist which, despite the separation in real and in-film time between all the sequels, still feels like Paul Walker is trying to squeeze out an extra 10 horsepower from his cheesy import. None of this will probably to most fans seeing how a 6^th entry in a film series has more to do with luring crowds in with familiarity rather than innovation. But know this, at no one point does F&F6 outshine its predecessor in any aspect of filmmaking, which leads me to conclude that Justin Lin needs a satisfying and conclusive way to wrap up this fiction for part 7 before it gets recognized as Saw’s spiritual successor.

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Tyrese believes he can fly.

Performances across the board for F&F6 were reliable and expected. No one outshines anyone else and every character (save for Letty) behaves exactly as they have with no surprises. That being said, this film is all about Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and every other character, even The Rock, falls in line. I’m sure Diesel is a great guy to work with, but his emotional range varies between mopey-eyed to angry-mopey-eyed and that’s it. This is unfortunate considering this film gave his character an opportunity to emote a little more in between bouts of crashing and punching. Luke Evans as the nefarious Shaw presents as generic of a villain as one can get, but then no villain in a F&F film ever stood out something to truly watch out for either the characters’ or audience’s perspective. They’re all merely speed bumps to the action and camaraderie. The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, is noteworthy because he’s still himself and built like he could run through a brick wall without suffering a scratch. Like the rest of the cast, he doesn’t really show anything new acting wise, so if you are interested in that, I suggest you check out Pain & Gain.

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Can you still smell what I’m cooking?

The true theme of Fast & Furious 6 is: “been there, done that.” If you want you your fill of action and consider yourself too cool for super heroes, too dumb for sci-fi or too interested in a sex life for fantasy, this film will adequately address your needs. But it is also by no means a game-changer for this summer as something truly remarkable to see and this will reflect at the box office. Fast Five represented the peak of what this franchise was capable of accomplishing in terms of story, action and character as well as being a natural end that culminates on a high note. Dragging everyone back for this film officially feels like going through the motions and I don’t particularly care for that. The film’s teaser reveal post-credits connects the fiction back to Tokyo Drift (the last sequel in the franchise, chronologically) even seems like jumping the shark because the actor earmarked as the big bad for F&F7 was a real surprise, but in hindsight feels way over the top. Fast & Furious may be biting off of The Expendables and that franchise is already getting as tired, old and dusty as Stallone himself.

Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/29/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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1. Next Testament #1 (of 13) (BOOM Studios): Master of horror, Clive Barker, creates an all new comic that is sure to be as controversial as it is compelling. Steeped in religious overtones, this book follows one man’s descent into enlightenment and the rebirth of a creature that will either be worshipped by man or completely obliterate humanity all together! True horror begins with belief, and I believe Clive Barker has created something stunning!

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2. Earth 2 Annual #1 (DC): Although James Robinson may have left the DC stable as of late, we still get to enjoy a few more issues by the amazing scribe! This “farewell annual” will certainly leave fans clamoring as we get a definitive origin of Atom Smasher and the debut of the “all new” Earth 2 Batman! Speculations have run the gamut as to just who this Batman will be, everyone from Ted Grant to Hourman have been mentioned, but you will just have to wait and see for yourselves!

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3. X-Men #1 (Marvel): Okay, so how many X books are there now? Well, this one is special un to itself, and I’m not just talking about the all female roster either! Veteran scribe, Brian Wood (DMZ, The Massive) brings a cohesiveness to the group that is sorely missing in the other books and brings back an old X-villain that will be sure to please fanatical X fans! If you are looking for something new, exciting and overtly fantastic — this one’s for you!

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4. B.P.R.D.: Vampire #3 (of 5) (Dark Horse): Mike Mignola and the fabulous Ba’ and Moon brothers take Agent Anders directly into the “heart” of horror in this amazing tale of a man that has lost everything except is lust for revenge. But being focused solely on one target leaves you open for an attack from the peripheral, leaving you blindsided by something much worse than you were after! This is a fantastic tale about falling so far that when you eventually get the chance to stand up again, you can barely recognize yourself.

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5. The Wake #1 (of 10) (Vertigo/DC): Scott Snyder hangs up the cape and cowl long enough to bring an eerie tale of discovery and wonder that is 50% drama, 50% horror and 100% stunning! Revolving around a “sound” captured on tape, this tale is steeped in creepy suspense that may make you question going underwater anytime soon. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy Snyder’s Batman series, but he is truly a modern master of the horror genre! Find it while you still can!

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Neither Good, nor Great, but OK

A Film Review of The Great Gatsby

By: Lawrence Napoli

One of the “Great American Novels” gets yet another adaptation for the silver screen thanks mostly to the efforts of director Baz Buhrmann in his 2013 vision of The Great Gatsby. Seeing the teaser trailers for this project back in 2012 certainly had me brewing with anticipation because it looked big, bold and was riddled with star power. After having seen the final cut, I am once again reminded of the trailer’s ability to make any film look 100% better than what it actually may be. This film is yet another shameless Hollywood adaptation/reboot due to zero motivation to deliver something original, but makes sense revisiting at this point in American history thanks to the story’s commentary in regards to class, greed, decadence and the human behavior that results from all of the above. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t quite deliver the same kind of impact from the original novel nor does it deliver the intimacy that defined the 1974 version starring Robert Redford. 2013’s Gatsby had a lot of things going for it, but there were too many things getting in the way of simply telling a good story that ultimately let this film down.

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Things look pretty good from my self-made ivory tower.

The first hindrance for this film was the choice to have the story narrated via a strict regimen of flashbacks by an embittered Nick Carroway. The world of Gatsby’s decadence is a world that begs to be immersed within, but the film forces the audience’s perspective away from that time period to the present date in the 1930s. Apparently it was necessary to remind the audience that Nick’s retelling of Gatsby’s story was therapeutic. This happens far too often during the film which challenges the viewer to invest emotionally in one era or the other.

This criticism alone would not be so problematic had it not been accompanied by an even greater distracting element to the story: the incessant voice-overs by Nick Carroway that frequently interrupt and abbreviate dialogue scenes and dramatic moments. Oh yes readers, the voice of Tobey Maguire as Nick Carroway is a constant presence and although this story is meant to be told from his perspective, his character is perhaps the least important. Nick is the everyman who is put into privileged situations who merely observes the wealthy and powerful at play. The fact that his image and voice are featured in virtually every scene prevents any other character to take on a life of their own. The narration is so overbearing that it feels like every plot point is cherry picked for the audience, leaving nothing to independent interpretation.

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Don’t mind me. It doesn’t really matter that I’m here.

The third jarring element to this film that I didn’t find nearly as egregious as the previous two was the use of anachronous music selections to fill the background noise of Gatsby’s world with a little more flavor. I could understand if the choice for using contemporary pop tracks was made to subliminally connect the kinds of things that happened during the 1920s to today, but all I have to do for that is to turn on the news, go to school, go to work or basically wake up in the morning to see rich people taking advantage of poor people. It has happened at just about every era of humanity in history, but let’s not split hairs here. The fact that Jay-Z was the executive producer for this film has everything to do with his and Beyonce’s songs (amongst others) being used throughout. This choice was made less for artistic integrity and more for increasing appeal to the masses because period pieces are not the kind of blockbusters American audiences are interested in turning out in droves for. Using music that was out-of-time in fictions such as BioShock Infinite or Luhrmann’s own Moulin Rouge worked much better because the nature of those stories were more psychological and fantastic. This Great Gatsby is a film that barely attempts to approach that level of surrealism.

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99 problems and a self-absorbed producer is one.

As the director and one of the screenwriters for this film, Baz Buhrmann bears the responsibility for these criticisms. For someone who has made a career of blowing up conventional filmmaking, I find it surprising he would choose to interpret The Great Gatsby in a manner that forcibly connects all the dots for the audience. I felt that his visual aesthetics were mostly on mark in terms of framing, camera movement and the use of special effects. I felt that his best work is experienced during montage sequences that revolve around the consumption of massive amounts of alcohol. Unfortunately, it appears as though his strength does not lie in conveying what most would refer to as “the standard drama.”

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Drunken fun.

The visual style of The Great Gatsby features lots of cool, period costumes and settings, but these are combined with certain visual effects that allows the audience to get a much wider view of the tri-state area during the Roaring 20’s. There are several moments that feature aerial views from miles away that zoom up to or away from the key action or dialogue that is being featured in the scene. This is a particularly neat effect that my lovely girlfriend observed as a reflection of Gatsby as a character: always wanting to be right there with the important activity, but always feeling like an outsider (a.k.a. so close, yet so far). This leads to the audience’s exposure to a healthy amount of close-ups and wide-shots which doesn’t necessarily hurt the story, but it takes some getting used to.

I didn’t care very much for any of the performances in this rendition of The Great Gatsby. Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan gives the audience a healthy dose of lustful gazes and teasing smiles, but I would have preferred her to share these moments with some of her co-stars so as to develop some onscreen chemistry, of which there is none. I suppose she cannot be blamed entirely as the script does limit her opportunities, but she could certainly control the projection of her own character. I found it interesting how she went for more sympathy by portraying Daisy as a victim of circumstance rather than a willing perpetrator of decadent living. Her rendition of Daisy is not nearly as dainty and superfluous as is depicted in the novel, but doing so works against the sentiment of vilifying the super rich for what they do to Gatsby as stated by several of Nick’s narrations. Mulligan’s performance felt too neutral for me.

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More of this, please.

Tobey Maguire’s Nick Carroway is supposed to be the audience’s gateway into this cinematic world, but when his character isn’t busy telling the audience what to think; his “in world” character only emits a gradient of bewilderment as his constant emotional state for most of the film. I understand that his character (as most normal people) would be perplexed by the super rich lifestyle and the kinds of behavior that is considered “acceptable” amongst their ranks. Tobey gives the audience too much of the deer in the headlights look, but it is his failure to shift status to a more assertive character via improved demeanor and line delivery that fails to sell his character as truly having enough of the decadent BS. Maguire’s wounded puppy routine works fine up to the point where he starts sounding off in disgust during the film’s third act. His character simply has no presence in any scene and perhaps this was a conscious choice between the director and actor, but it also does little to generate an emotional connection with an audience meant to appreciate his perspective above all others for this story.

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I’m the true main character (if you didn’t realize by now).

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Gatsby is a character that is seldom depicted as a leader of men with a clear sense of purpose and a demonstrative presence. His character’s introduction is veiled in this kind of false confidence only to be revealed as being manically uncertain, naive, and uneasy. I can appreciate DiCaprio’s choice to portray this character in this manner due to the truth of his origin, but these moments out-number and out-class the scenes where Gatsby is meant to generate sympathy via the charismatic honesty he is meant to share with Nick and Daisy. These genuine moments simply pale in comparison to moments when it seems he’s about to have an aneurism when he fails to impress Daisy or sweats bullets when he’s clearly not in control of a situation. The unconfident Gatsby comes off as too over-the-top while the sincere Gatsby struggles to dig out from underneath Carroway’s narration and limited screen time.

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I may have hemorrhoids.

My favorite performance was that of Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan whose role as the de facto antagonist doesn’t exactly have the same internal conflicts as any other character, but the straight-forward manner in which he plays it is refreshing amidst an ocean of generally weak characters. Tom represents “old money” in every respect which reflects the pinnacle of self assurance (whether it’s justified or not). He’s actually charismatic when he’s not being a bigoted misogynist who best represents the concept of “men as pigs.” Yet, the fact that his performance never succumbs to rage or looses full control suggests that he genuinely believes in his position, regardless of how far from reality it may actually be. I can respect that kind of confidence in a character (even in a villain) and the escalation of Tom’s bourgeois methodology gives the audience some consistency they can count on.

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Where the elite meet to eat.

The Great Gatsby isn’t a terrible film because it still showcases some serious production value as well as some interesting social commentary for anyone attuned to context. Unfortunately, this is not a film I would recommend people to catch in theatres ASAP. Film, as an art form, is meant to communicate through showing and not telling. 2013’s Gatsby is a film that can’t stop telling you everything and it gets very annoying, very quickly. The audience needs to see full conversations between characters, not the Cliff’s Notes version. The audience wants characters to prove what they are on screen through action, not exposition. I’m not even sure if the spoon-fed drama is worse than the immense spectacle the trailers seemed to guarantee, yet the final film didn’t exactly deliver. The hype and expectations for The Great Gatsby were certainly through the roof, but it simply falls way short. Hopefully, the rest of the summer will prove to be more prosperous.

Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/22/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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1. Green Lantern #20 (DC): So, we may already know the final outcome due to a “shipping issue,” but this is book isn’t just about the end of the “Wrath of the First Lantern” crossover. This is the final farewell to writer, Geoff Johns! The man who brought Hal Jordan back from the dead, created the rainbow rings, dredged up Nekron from the depths of mediocrity and gave fans THE best run on GL in decades! This issue will touch on everything Johns has brought to the book from day one and will leave fans clamoring for more! As he paves the way for Robert Venditti to take over the book, fans cannot help but feel a bit melancholy over his departure. Geoff Johns has become synonymous with Green Lantern and he will be sorely missed. Thanks Geoff, it’s been a hell of a ride!

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2. Occupy Comics #1 (Black Mask Comics): A collaboration of more than fifty of the best writers and artists in the business, this artistic tribute and sponsor of the Occupy Movement is more than just a comic — it is a record of modern history as it happens! A volunteer based anthology of prose, art and true comic form, Occupy Comics, was funded by a Kickstarter program last year and will eventually be turned into a hardcover edition. With ground-breaking creators like Alan Moore (Watchmen), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Mike Allred (Madman) and David Mack (Kabuki) at the reigns, this is a veritable “who’s who” of the beset of the best! So, let your money speak for something more and get Occupy Comics #1!

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3. Half Past Danger #1 (IDW): You want to know what this comic is all about? It would actually be easier to tell you what it isn’t about! This is Stephen Mooney’s epic pulp noir tale that includes everything a comic fan could want! Protagonist, Tommy ‘Irish’ Flynn must keep his troops alive through a tour of the South Pacific in 1943, but it isn’t just the German army that is a threat. They need to look out for DAMES – DINOSAURS – and – DANGER – as this yarn completely blows you away! A fantastic read that will remind you of great comics from the past!

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4. Daredevil #26 (Marvel): Mark Waid has been turning the screws on Matt Murdock as of late, but it is the story he has been telling about Foggy Nelson that has been riveting! Foggy, DD’s best friend and confidant, has been diagnosed with cancer and no amount of super powers can help him. It is the soul searching and the bravery he finds in the faces and minds of children in the hospital that truly gives him a fighting chance. Waid breathes reality into the comic world as we empathize with these characters and we, and Foggy, are stronger for it! Plus, we finally find out the TRUE fate of a classic DD villain! No spoilers — I think you can “hit the mark” all on your own!

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5. Lobster Johnson: Satan Smells A Rat (Dark Horse): Yes, I LOVE pulp noir stories and you should too! Mike Mignola returns to his justice branding vigilante in this new one-shot revolving around the murders of skid row bums. It is up to Hellboy’s boyhood idol to find the diabolical fiend that’s been dumping bodies and slap them with the burning claw of justice! Buy it for the name, love it for the all out zaniness!

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Back to the Past and Into the Future

A Film Review of Star Trek Into Darkness

By: Lawrence Napoli

Before getting right into this review, I’d like to chalk up a victory to internet speculation; which is basically two thumbs way, way up to all of you. Back when J.J. Abrams was tapped to reboot this franchise with a throw back perspective of the original crew’s adventures, message boards all over the net lit up with likely plot points, villains and scenarios. Abrams’ first adaptation in 2009 gave the audience a fresh new take on Kirk, Spock and the rest, but its success as a story was heavily dependent on plot points made famous in both the original series and feature films. This brings us to the images leaked from Star Trek Into Darkness while in production and even more specific predictions hit the internet thanks in large part to the manner in which Abrams’ first story played out. J.J. certainly played coy in response to all the rumors and speculation, but the fact remains that several key predictions of the online community regarding this film are accurate. So again, I say to you all: well done! Your insight serves you well.

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Tron or Trek?

The basic plot for this film continues to make similar allusions to the past exploits of the original crew which is at times its greatest strength as well as its greatest weakness. What’s good about this aspect to the screenplay is the fact that the nostalgia generated from the audience does much to bolster the sympathy factor for every character as well as the stakes they are contending. Of course, what’s bad happens to be predictability; specifically in regards to new characters that are introduced and situations that come off as far too familiar. J.J. went on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show talking about how he continued to want to make these reboots appealing to more than just “Trekkies,” which is all well and good seeing how the “money demographic” of males 18-25 is less likely to be familiar with Kirk and Spock’s original adventures. If these tales worked once before, why wouldn’t they work again with an even bigger budget? However, what’s most impressive about the script is that despite all the action and all the past references is that writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof still manage to make Star Trek Into Darkness an intimate exploration into both Kirk and Spock, what binds them together as well as what drives them forward. This intimacy chains to the rest of the cast which really promotes a family dynamic amongst the crew and this makes the audience care that much more. Overall, the script delivers a very accessible sci-fi adventure that focuses on action, but delivers dramatic character interplay minus the scientific jargon that tends to fill out the dialogue of standard issue Trek.

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Star Trek’s version of WMDs perhaps?

As for the action, it is a cavalcade of CG wizardry, wire-work and wreaking havoc with pyro which is exactly what this rebooting effort has been all about thus far. What’s interesting, though, is that Into Darkness continues to not favor starship warfare as the de facto action option. Certainly a budget of $190 million dollars can afford us a glimpse into futuristic people doing futuristic things without the aid of toy models. Just about every character gets put into harm’s way with their boots on the ground which makes for some satisfying chase sequences and hand-to-hand fisticuffs at various points throughout. As important as those elements to a Star Trek adventure may or may not be, seeing the Enterprise (or its respective counterpart) in action has always been a mainstay. As iconic a vessel as that starship will always be, it is severely underused in this film. Granted, the plot gives the audience a myriad of exposition to explain this little detail away, but the Enterprise is still vital in our protagonists accomplishing their goals. I would have liked to see a lot more space ship action, and I’d really like for the production team to dim the lighting and décor on the bridge a bit. For crying out loud, it seems like the command crew is operating within a tanning booth in the middle of an Apple Store!

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More Enterprise please.

Star Trek Into Darkness continues to showcase some of the best examples of ensemble performances you’ll find in blockbuster films thanks to a number of larger names such as Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Karl Urban being comfortable with the smaller, support roles of Uhura, Scotty and “Bones” McCoy, respectively. As much as I’d like to see more of the command crew stand out, shifting the focus of a Star Trek movie away from Kirk and Spock is like shifting the focus of an X-Men film away from Wolverine: It just isn’t going to happen. Still, J.J. seemed very diplomatic in partitioning specific moments for everyone to shine as well as bringing new characters such as Alice Eve’s Carol into the fold who will undoubtedly play a more significant role in Treks to come. Peter Weller (a.k.a. Robocop) takes a break from his voice over work to do some live action as the fairly creepy Admiral Marcus. His talents are better served behind a microphone.

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Was this moment the real reason Alice Eve was tapped for this role?

And speaking of creepers, Benedict Cumberbatch as XXXX equates to the best performance you’ll see from a villain this entire summer. Of course, I refer to his character as XXXX because it’s a major spoiler who he really is, and that gets instantly spoiled if anyone checks out imdb.com. If you know your Trek mythos, allow yourself this additional little surprise by limiting your spoiler-free research to right here at cosmicbooknews.com. That being said, this man has an incredibly intimidating voice that could redefine what it means to be a villain these days in Hollywood (and it already seems to be paying dividends in his additional film work as he has also been cast as the Necromancer in The Hobbit sequels). He doesn’t seem much to look at, but his domineering presence exudes from his dulcet tones. Cumberbatch’s performance was a welcome return to respectable villainy unlike Eric Bana’s Nero in the last film which amounted to one of the worst villains ever conceived in the realm of science fiction.

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This is how you do the stare down.

Chris Pine does a respectable job as he continues to embody a young James Tiberius Kirk, and Zachary Quinto continues to amaze with his various reproductions and slight alterations to Leonard Nimoy’s performance during the original television series. Separately, these men accomplish everything required of their characters, but in the scenes they share, I seem somewhat lost in buying their friendship has evolved to such a degree in such a short time to make their decisions in the third act come from a natural place. It’s not exactly a lack of chemistry I am describing as Pine and Quinto nail the knucklehead/straight man routine quite well, but with only the plots of two films to build their camaraderie, it feels like Kirk and Spock are still feeling each other out and this uncertainty would not translate to such reckless abandon, both exhibit towards the end of the film. Still, their evolution as Kirk and Spock progresses despite the fact they take a giant step forward in their shared “bromance” here. I’d like to see Pine take it down a notch in terms of projecting Kirk as a hot-head, so as to accentuate his suave and smarmy appeal. But perhaps this balance is only attributable to the unique efforts of Mr. William Shatner?

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Hunny, what if it was just us? Would J.J.’s Star Treks still hold water?

Star Trek Into Darknessis a very fun adventure for both adults and kids, men and women. There’s lots of CG eye candy, action and character intrigue. It is a fine example of popcorn films doing their best to entertain. A third Star Trek adaptation from Bad Robot and J.J. Abrams is inevitable, but that film will most certainly have to take more steps into uncharted territory than its brethren in terms of plot points. It’s not enough for J.J. Abrams to remix the tales of old with the aid of youthful exuberance and an old Vulcan from the future giving you tips along the way. There needs to be more separation before anyone with a cursory knowledge of Trek knows the entire story before it even hits the theatres. Outside of this dependence on the past, the Star Trek reboots continue to prove as worthy diversions of summer fun.

Movie News Reviews

Da Vinci’s Demons Review: “The Devil” (Episode 6)

Da Vinci = Van Helsing

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 6: The Devil

By: Lawrence Napoli

For the first time in this show’s brief history, an episode follows immediately where the previous episode left off which is exactly what the audience needed seeing how last week’s episode: “The Tower,” ended with the unexpected return of Dr. Bashir . . . er, The Turk played by our good friend Alexander Siddig. Unfortunately, what “The Devil” reveals in furthering Da Vinci’s quest for discovery, meaning and purpose really starts to get muddled in what seems to be an incredibly random side quest as is suggested by The Turk himself.

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Warning: There’s a lot of male nudity in this episode.

Attention readers: This is where my Van Helsing reference comes into play and how it corresponds to the individual for which this episode (“The Devil”) was named, and that’s all you’re going to get from me. Even if we are talking about the same time period in history as it pertains to Da Vinci and “Person X,” there are a number of reasons why this chance encounter vexes me greatly. First, I can understand the novelty of writing something like this into the story, but this kind of plot twist feels an awful lot like jumping the shark which makes no sense for a show that very recently got picked up for a second season as of last month. Second, introducing “Person X” as a relevant character to this story completely undermines every form of opposition Da Vinci has encountered so far. Third, it just seems too farfetched for how this drama was established; that being, an attempt to explore the fantastic conspiracy and prophecy of Da Vinci’s work and influence within the context of his country’s political stability.

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Simon Belmont could handle him. Can Da Vinci?

It all boils down to what this Book of Leaves journey really means for both Da Vinci and creator David S. Goyer. Who’s to say how it will end and what Da Vinci will ultimately learn from it, but let’s not forget that merely introducing this mystery to the character (as a means of resolving some deeply felt mommy issues) motivated Da Vinci to get his work out of the studio and into society. That connection is what makes this interpretation of Da Vinci interesting and easy to empathize with. The further Da Vinci drifts towards the Book of Leaves, the further he drifts from every other character this show has so painstakingly connected to the fate of the main character and this sensation is simply impossible to deny once the credits roll for this episode.

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If you see me, that means the Book of Leaves, which means everything else disappears!

Since Da Vinci’s relevance to the overall plot seems to take a hiatus, more supporting characters and subplots come to the forefront. The three brewing subplots that are touched upon are Lorenzo’s political leadership, Giulino’s continued ascension to a contributing member of the ruling family and Rome’s nefarious leadership imploding on itself. By themselves, these plots are all very interesting so long as they connect back to the main character. This is why Da Vinci’s diminished capacity resolved so well during last week’s episode. Unfortunately, none of these situations make a connection to Leonardo’s field trip, they feel rushed because they all happen during this episode and they accentuate Da Vinci’s absence which benefits no one.

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We may be getting lost.

Thanks to “The Devil,” I am concerned that interesting characters like the spy and Count Riario continue to fade to obscurity thanks to the introduction of even more new characters that seem equally important to the events surrounding Europe’s landscape as well as Da Vinci’s quest. I do not take kindly to being introduced to characters who are set up to fulfill certain roles, only to be ushered away from them to satisfy a particular aspect of Da Vinci’s quest which still doesn’t actually get him a step closer to his goal. It seems like an unreasonable sacrifice for the viewer to make when the strength of this show has been about making interesting connections between characters and situations. Viewers should not have to wait for another episode to at least get a hint of some connection.

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Do you remember when I was a promising villain?

I didn’t care for much of this episode other than two quotes which I feel are central to Da Vinci as well as being significant social commentary 1) “Hell exists if the evil of this world exceeds our belief to conquer it.” And 2) “All things are possible. Even defeat.” The first suggests the kind of empowerment felt initially by Da Vinci to do something with his gifts and the second suggests Da Vinci ought to address his greatest weakness: lacking any sense of humility. Perhaps these ideas will take form in next week’s episode: “The Hierophant.” Or perhaps Da Vinci will have a run-in with Medusa.

Comic Book News

Review: Nova #4 (Loeb & McGuinness)

Hear those wails of agony when you open issue #4? It’s the sound of Wolfman, Abnett, Lanning, Giffen, and everyone else who has ever written a good Nova story screaming their rage at what has been done to the Nova concepts. You don’t hear Loeb’s voice because he’s never written a Nova story. He’s only written bad NINO stories – and issue #4 continues that sad trend.

Remember when Star Trek fans hated Wesley Crusher because he detracted from the adult orientation of the show? Some writers just couldn’t resist the cutesy, silly, child oriented, hackneyed writing device where Wesley was smarter than all the adults, wiser than all the adults even though he had no actual experience/training, and “saved the ship” while all the experienced adults just fell all over themselves lost in their own incompetence. Yes, that only happened in a couple of episodes – mainly because fans loudly expressed their outrage about being talked down to and refused to accept the degradation or juvenilization of the concepts that made Star Trek great. Thanks to fan rejection, Wesley was eventually written out of the show. Too bad comic book fans won’t demand the same quality Star Trek fans demanded when faced with a similar situation.

Enter Loeb’s NINO to “Wesley Crusher-ize” the Nova concepts (thus the figurative screaming of all the writers who wrote Nova well in the past). Unfortunately, NINO survived the blast from the Chitauri warship that concluded issue #3. He was just “playing possum” to fool the lamest villains in the cosmic rogue’s gallery. After being inspired to attack the lead warship by his experiences playing video games and watching Star Wars (I’m not being sarcastic here – this is actually part of the little twerp’s “reasoning”), NINO is captured by fallen Black Nova, Titus, who is now in league with the Chitauri. Together, Titus and the Chitauri have managed to construct an Ultimate Nullifier and for some reason they want to use it on Earth. I guess they didn’t read the part of the instruction manual where the user is destroyed, too? Anyway – Titus explains how all the Black Novas were killed, NINO outsmarts Titus and grabs the nullifier, then stupidly takes the nullifier back to Earth and hides it in a garbage can outside his home. Of course, Titus follows and threatens to kill everybody NINO holds dear. We’re promised that the story will be concluded next issue. If only that meant that next issue would be the last ever – we could all stop screaming in agony. Sadly, there will be more NINO to further sully the Nova concepts and legacy.

Just when I thought this storyline couldn’t possibly get any more silly and child-oriented – Loeb ups the level of stupid juvenility and proves me wrong. Leaving aside the implausibility, recklessness, and immorality of sending an untrained and inexperienced 15-year-old child into kill-or-be-killed combat, how is it that NINO is able to fool and overpower an experienced Black Nova like Titus? Why would NINO bring an Ultimate Nullifier back to Earth where it could be used to destroy the planet rather than take it into deep space and destroy it? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And speaking of stupid – why would Loeb kill off the only compelling characters he has created in this sorry excuse for a cosmic comic book? The Black Nova Corps was really the only partially interesting and innovative thing about Loeb’s hijacking of the Nova legacy and concepts. He kills all of them in this issue. What a stupid decision. But, of course, the “architects” mistakenly believe that “Nova” works best as a Spiderman-ish powered-down angsty teenage “Lone Ranger” flying around Long Island and hanging out with Daredevil.

Yup – I said Daredevil. “Cosmic” is now to visit Hell’s Kitchen – reduced to as street level as you can get. Editor Stephen Wacker thinks that a NINO and Daredevil team-up would be a grand idea as he falls all over himself in the letters page pretending like that (wink) “fan-suggested” story idea wasn’t already in the works. Wacker then condescendingly dismisses another fan’s complaint about alienation of the established Rider Nova fan base as essentially fanboy whining. This from an editor who regularly appears on forums to insult and otherwise antagonize the Rider Nova fan base. Here’s another idea Wacker: Team NINO with Casper the Friendly Ghost. Maybe do a cross-over with Archie and Jughead, too. That would help capture the demographic you’re aiming for with NINO wouldn’t it?

Of course, McGuinness’ art and Gracia’s coloring remain at their expected first-rate level. The art and coloring are really the only interesting thing about this book. The storyline is just hackneyed child-oriented fantasy that you’ve seen in other comic books many times in the past. So save your money and avoid this sad degradation of the once great Marvel Cosmic line. Vote with your dollars and bring this cutesy, child-oriented, insultingly bad book to its deserved end. That’s the only way to show the “architects” how wrong they are. Let’s show the “architects” that we want a mature, powerful, badass Rich Rider Nova continuing the Nova legacy – not a silly, cutesy, angsty, immature, annoying little twerp sullying the Nova legacy.

Let’s show them that we want Nova – not NINO.

Movie News Reviews

Review: Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 5: “The Tower”

Da Vinci = Liberace

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 5: “The Tower”

By: Lawrence Napoli

My titular suggestion of whom else I feel Da Vinci channels in this fifth episode of Da Vinci’s Demons is more than a reference to the many examples of “air piano” he displays throughout as he attempts to work out the predicament he finds himself in. Indeed, last week’s episode ended with an extreme curve ball that saw him in handcuffs at the very moment he was finally receiving full acceptance and praise within the epicenter of Florence’s power. Even during the Renaissance, it was a very bad idea to get on the wrong side of anyone in power because the manner of “due process” the viewer witnesses here apparently requires no evidence to see a person be jailed indefinitely. Ah, but Da Vinci’s powers of observation and reason are equal to the task as his abilities are easily applied to just about any situation; not just inventing cool things. It’s not about being smarter than everyone else (because he’d avoid being Florence’s whipping boy amidst the intercession of Rome), but about cutting to the quick faster than everyone else which reveals the true benefactor, the true motive and the true conspiracy that seeks to remove Da Vinci from the game in which Florence’s freedom hangs in the balance.

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Bat shit crazy!

Although we see plenty of scenes of Da Vinci in prison, the engine of this episode is the court room drama that seeks to make his imprisonment permanent. These moments are perhaps the most pleasing of this episode because it gives the audience an entirely unique format in which to experience the story. The extra twist to these proceedings shows a certain someone pledged with Da Vinci’s defense. This begins to redefine their relationship to a level of mutual respect viewers have not yet seen and have these characters ever experienced in their lives. Unfortunately, this does mean this episode is very heavy on dialogue and not particularly abundant with action, laughs and visual effects.

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Witness for the defense.

It also means that other characters continue to step to the forefront in terms of their impact to the story and their ability to connect with the audience. Da Vinci’s Demons continues its strategy of paralleling conflicts that shows the Medici’s attempt to sure up their financial situation by securing a foreign account while displaying Da Vinci’s personal plight. As it turns out, this subplot is equally important and shockingly, not mutually exclusive to Da Vinci’s imprisonment. These scenes give the audience a much clearer view of what the Medici family represents, the kind of people they really strive to be and their vision moving forward into the future. In just about every episode prior to The Tower, the Medici’s are portrayed as your average ruling class snobs that are completely out of touch with “the people.” Certainly, Da Vinci’s influence has been bridging that gap, but Lorenzo’s sales pitch combined with Giulino’s charm gives us a reverse perspective from the top down that doesn’t repulse or disgust. Knowing Lorenzo’s manic nature, I don’t fully trust his high minded idealism as I could easily see him turn on Da Vinci (and by extension, the audience) instantly if he saw profit in it.

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Not even this ugly beard will prevent me from getting to the truth.

The Tower is easily my favorite episode thus far mostly due to the court room drama format. Although this episode is less concerned with the Book of Leaves, it ends with the surprising return of a person who set Da Vinci on this path of discovery in the first place. The audience is treated to more cryptic imagery that doesn’t exactly make sense so hopefully we will discover the connection between Da Vinci and the Vault of Heaven before this first season is over. The one thing I don’t care for at all is the fact that Riario and his Roman conspirators are not seen once during this entire episode. Although, I imagine this situation will be rectified in next week’s episode entitled “The Devil”. God only knows how Da Vinci will continue to survive, let alone discover the Book of Leaves, despite the immensity of his adversity.

Comic Book News

Review: Harbinger #12

Before you read this review you need to ask yourself,” Why do I read comics?” “Is it for the heroes in intense situations?” “Is it for the exceptional writing that makes these situations come to life before your eyes?” “Is it for the depth of character the writer builds upon so that these heroes resonate with us?” “Is it the amazing art that visually draws us into the world the writer has created?”

If you answered,”Yes,” to any of these questions, I have one more for you. “Have you been reading Harbinger?” If you said, “Yes,” then you know how great a book this has been. If you said, “No,” let me change your mind!

Harbinger #12 continues the Harbinger Wars crossover that has been waging through Harbinger, Harbinger Wars and Bloodshot for the last few months. We see Peter Stancheck’s Renegades finally come face to face with the psiots that have escaped from Project Rising Spirit, as well as how these young powerhouses have been dealing with their new found freedom. A clash between these groups is inevitable, children with power to shake the earth are not always welcoming to strangers, but it is the soul, the emotion of this book, not the action, that will truly grip you.

Joshua Dysart writes some of the most compelling characters on the market today. Teamed with the exceptional artistry of Khari Evans, Dysart has not only built visually intriguing characters, but ones that fans can empathize with. These characters have a humanity deeply rooted within their bones, something most super heroes tend to lack. They have fears, hopes and dreams as well as wield godlike powers! They are the everyman living in a scary world with the ability to change it for better or worse.

In this issue we see how manipulation, torture and a life of solitude can change a person. It is unnerving, to see Harada’s early attempts at activating psiots but, it is even worse when Peter meets Chronos and we know the same thing has been done on children! The duality of Chronos and Peter is what drives this tale. Even though Peter did not have an ideal childhood, being institutionalized and left by his mother, he eventually got to live in the outside world, while Chronos did not. Similar to a point, you can see what Peter could have become where it not for his chance for freedom and friendship. Chronos, on the other hand, had no escape until now and the world will pay for the sins committed against him. He is a fascinating character and a true image that Dysart can make every new character as rich and emotionally stirring as the rest!

So, if my little review hasn’t swayed you about Harbinger, I have another idea. For a single dollar you can get yourself the Valiant One Dollar Debut Edition of Harbinger #1. One dollar can open up your eyes to a whole new world of comic greatness. Don’t you think you can spare a dollar to broaden your horizons? I do!

Comic Book News

Review: Archer & Armstrong #0

When companies tend to do zero issues, it can become a toss up of whether it will be used as an origin tale or something congruent with a current tale running though the book. In the case of Archer & Armstrong’s zero issue, it is a bit of neither, a bit of both but undoubtedly — so much more!

Fred Van Lente uses this very special issue to minimize the hilarity that usually accompanies each tale, in order to give the reader a solemn look at Aram and his brothers on a quest that will forever change them. Loosely melding The Epic of Gilgamesh with his own “epic” tale, Fed Van Lente has created a mesmerizing tale of brotherly kinship that will resonate with readers on an emotional level. It will make one ponder the everyday aspects of life that truly matter, the single moments that rise above the the rest. The dance, the song, the love are to be cherished, for they will be gone before we know it and they will only live on in memory.

This issue will also have readers seeing Aram(Armstrong) in a slightly different light. He begins in normal Aram style, awaiting five women for nightly festivities, but as he speaks with Archer, a poetic almost melancholy aura emerges from him. As the ancient tale of his adventure with his brothers progresses, we find he is more noble sage than drunken ruffian, a duality to the character that further pushes him to the forefront as one of my favorite characters!

If you didn’t believe Fred Van Lente was a masterful writer before — you will now!

Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/8/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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1. Uncanny Avengers #8 (Marvel): Rick Remender is a repeat performer and a constant member of The Top of the Pile, and for a good reason! His amalgam team of Avengers and X-Men are not only at odds with the biggest threats to the world, but are at odds with each other as well. The deception and secrets has made these heroes question the integrity of everyone, leaving the reader with an aura of continual awe and merriment. Plus, who gets to kill a Celestial? Rick Remender — that’s who!

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2. Batman and Red Hood #20 (DC): Peter J. Tomasi may be leaving Green Lantern Corps after this weeks issue, but you NEED to check out what he is doing for the Batman mythos as well! Since the death of Damian Wayne, Bruce has been lost, swimming in despair and rage. So, he calls upon the first Robin to have died and they take out their pain on the snipers that attacked Damian on that fateful day! But, what seems to be a reconciliation between Bats and Red Hood may end up destroying their partnership forever! A great look at the emotional side of two great characters that will never be the same again!

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3. Harbinger #12 (Valiant): The third chapter of the epic Harbinger Wars crossover, this issue shows just how brutal children with massive powers can be! Especially, since these powerhouses have been tortured, belittled and separated from the rest of humanity all their lives! This is a fantastic character piece that showcases the perfect balance of emotion and action on many levels. Stunning!

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4. X #1 (Dark Horse): Duane Swierczynski has not only revamped the killing machine, Bloodshot, for Valiant Comics, now he has brought back the most brutal vigilante to ever grace the pages of Dark Horse as well! X is a non-stop menagerie of brutality that will ensnare you in the filthy underground world of Arcadia. Now, with a journalist on his trail, will X let up on his reign of terror he has placed on the worst criminals of the city? Hell No! Great stuff!

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5. Justice League of America #3 (DC): Geoff Johns has taken a motley crew of “heroes” and made them into one of the most interesting reads every month. This issue sees the truth behind Green Arrow’s attackers come to light and the “team” set up one of their own! Plus, Stargirl gets a dose of reality from Amanda Waller and Catwoman gets a little too close for comfort with Martian Manhunter in a great back-up story by the acclaimed writer of Mind MGMT — Matt Kindt! Two amazing writers for one low price! Who could ask for anything more?

Comic Book News

Review: The Walking Dead #110

Don’t be mistaken by the cover, you won’t be able to whet your appetite for action in this issue! Although, Kirkman does rectify the situation with an intense look at the expanded world of TWD, a slow burn build up of a larger battle to ensue.

Fans may see this issue as just another actionless issue that doesn’t give you any shock and awe, but it is this type of issue that truly broadens the scope of the book past all the other “zombie” books that litter the racks. It is the building of emotional ties to the characters that gives the biggest payoff when something horrible occurs, the tether that keeps fans interested is built by the issues that rely on characterization and not always the shock!

The book is broken up into three distinct tales, focusing on small individual groups, that merge into one grand overall tale. The first aspect deals with Jesus and ramifications he must endure after having told Kal EVERYTHING about the plan against Neegan! It showcases the fear and hatred that Neegan has bestowed on everyone he meets and just how much others are willing to do to survive.

The second story arc revolves around Rick and his “hit squad” traveling to and eventually meeting with Ezekiel, the “king” of The Kingdom. It deals with the division of the crew and their ideas on the newly acquired “friendship” with Ezekiel. It is a nice piece and well thought out, especially since we get to see wonderment in Carl’s eye again.

Finally, the second arc branches into the third as we see Michonne and Ezekiel find a camaraderie out of their mistrust. Beginning with the drawing of swords and ending with a smile, this was the best part of the book. We receive both Ezekiel and, his pet tiger, Shiva’s origin tale and find this new character quite intriguing. He is a man that has taken the challenge of leadership upon himself in a similar fashion as Rick has, but choosing a higher moral compass.

This is another well written tale that will become a stepping stone for a grander finale, it may leave the “action junkie” in all of us a little depressed. But, all you have to do is look at the cover of June’s issue #111 to get that adrenaline pumping once more!

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The Walking Dead #111

Movie News Reviews

Da Vinci’s Demons Review: Episode 4: “The Magician”

Da Vinci = Batman

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 4: “The Magician”

By: Lawrence Napoli

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The end of last week’s episode saw Florence all but folding in on itself what with “demonic” possession, spies amongst the ruling family and the flippant Leonardo Da Vinci of all people being relied upon to tip an inevitable conflict with Rome in his own country’s favor. This episode escalates the situation to the closest we’ve all come to witnessing a field battle along the lines of Braveheart or The Patriot, but to have such a conflict only halfway through such an abbreviated, first season could possibly spoil the finale. Thus, we are all given a nice tease as to what we may expect when Florence and Rome set their armies against each other.

As a character, Da Vinci becomes more and more difficult to get a grasp of during this episode which is not necessarily a bad thing considering David S. Goyer’s conscious efforts to portray the man as physically incapable of containing and channeling the brilliance within him. As the title of this review suggests, Da Vinci demonstrates the same DIY, self confidence and determination as a certain Dark Knight. However, it is Leonardo’s sudden change of heart amidst his constant pondering of the Vault of Heaven, the Book of Leaves, the security of Florence and keeping the Medici’s off his ass where this connection is demonstrated by an oddly timed moment of clarity. Rome is on Florence’s doorstep which forces Da Vinci’s rumination to a depressing state in which he all but admits the constant and perpetuating destructive nature of man, which leads to a flip flop (of sorts) concerning his own infernal devices and a rash reaction that surprises every single character.

Da Vinci’s manic nature can be a bit frustrating to accept because he is brilliant and charming and clearly the protagonist of this show, but his attention span is short, his motives still seem a bit selfish and even his own friends are getting irritated by his actions. No, he’s not as easy to like as Iron Man because Da Vinci’s comedy isn’t nearly as frequent, but Tom Riley continues to evolve this character with peaks and valleys in a way that challenges the viewer. I love the fact that Da Vinci is in a world of his own to the point where everything could be collapsing around him and he still wouldn’t care less about such a detail if it interrupted one of his thoughts. It may come off as hubris on steroids, but his unconventional means haven’t backfired yet.

Riario gets back into the direct plot after a brief hiatus last episode to once again come off as the smooth talking sonova-B; he actually is to once again match wits with Da Vinci and the rest of his cohorts from Florence. I like how each confrontation has escalated in terms of the venue and stakes, but I don’t like how Riario is constantly behind the 8 Ball. For someone who claims leadership over a network of spies and information control, he doesn’t have very good facts about Da Vinci the man, his propensity for bravado and his excellent showmanship. As a result, this character is starting to look a little weak to me, and when you factor in his character being handled by Rome in a similar fashion as Florence treats Da Vinci, I expect to see this rabid dog cut loose sooner than later which will make him more threatening and a better villain overall.

This wasn’t a week for special effects of any sort which was kind of a disappointment. Plot twists involving the spy’s conspiracy and the Medici family’s political agenda ate up a lot of time that could have been used to show us all a little more of “Leo Land” from a visual effects perspective. Alas, there’s a lot of dialogue and minimal action and how this episode ends doesn’t suggest the promise of more action in the next episode: “The Tower.” Still, Da Vinci’s pursuit of the Book of Leaves progresses slowly but surely which gives the viewers an explanation as to why this opportunity landed in Florence of all places.

Overall, this was a decent episode that could have been better had it delivered on any one of its various teases (especially one that involves a rather large set piece). I’m really starting to hate Lorenzo as a character and wondering if everyone in Florence would be better off if his brother (who isn’t the blathering idiot he usually is for this episode) was calling the shots. I like what the spy continues to do and I like how any internal conflict about what is being done gives way to self preservation; which yields a more devious character. As for next week’s episode, I really want to know how Da Vinci’s big mouth is going to get him out of this one.

Comic Book News Marvel

Thanos Rising #2 Review

It is a crying damned shame what’s being done to cosmic in the vain pursuit of mass market appeal. Well – mass comic book reader appeal to be more precise. Loeb has turned Nova (in name only) into a child-oriented teen Spiderman clone, Bendis has turned Guardians of the Galaxy into an Earth-centric Avengers-like book re-characterizing Star- Lord et al into clichéd and unrecognizable caricatures of their former glorious selves, and now Aaron is apparently turning Thanos into an utterly disgusting run-of-the-mill psychotic serial killer – a Dexter with none of the cleverness or appeal of Dexter. And it’s not even working to attain the desired sales figures – so cosmic is being run into the ground for no reason other than the vanity of Loeb, Bendis, and the other “architects.” Like I said – a crying damned shame.

In the previous issue, Thanos was portrayed as a weird, un-likeable, pitiable little kid manipulated by Death into starting down the pathway toward becoming her avatar. In this issue, that excruciating process continues with Thanos being portrayed as a cruel, callous, brilliant, but psychotic little jerk taking pleasure from the tortured screams of his animal and Eternal victims as he vivisects them over the course of several hours and then whines about how nobody loves him. Death is constantly at his side, flirting with him and using his sexual attraction to her to encourage his sick pursuits while at the same time spurning all his overt sexual advances – an apparent attempt by the writer to explain Thanos’ death fetish. A terribly sexually frustrated Thanos even threatens to rape Death – but Death stops him cold – humiliating him, browbeating him, and otherwise psychologically castrating him as she urges him to kill again and again. Yeah – that Death is a real evil bitch. The torturing of innocents throughout this book was hard to tolerate, but the final scene of this book where Thanos begins vivisecting his helpless psychotic mother so disgusted me that I honestly don’t know if I can pick up and read another issue of this train wreck.

Now you all know that I like edgy, adult-oriented comic books, and I can even enjoy knife-kill horror stories such as Seely’s excellent and recently sadly ended Hack/Slash series, but this Thanos Rising series is pushing the boundaries in a bad way. If the writer was trying to evoke an emotionally unsettling response, he certainly succeeded – but not in such as way as to motivate me to continue buying the book. There is literally no joy to this book and that makes it a tough read. Plus – it sullies the appeal of Thanos as a villain – making him unrespectable, creepy, and disgusting (like the child murderer he’s being portrayed as) rather than how he ALWAYS SHOULD BE PORTAYED – as a force to be reckoned with.

I get it that Thanos is a tough character to write – full of inconsistencies and contradictions. This storyline is not the way to resolve the inconsistencies and contradictions. It would’ve been better to just deal with them the old fashioned way: don’t think about them too much and write a good adventure story. There is no logic or reason to Thanos’ craziness. That’s why crazy is called crazy and Thanos is called “The MAD Titan.” This attempt to impose a dark psychological background story onto Thanos to explain his madness just feels wrong and stands in stark contrast to the best Thanos stories told to date.

Giffen’s excellent Thanos series was the best portrayal of Thanos since Starlin’s early work with the character. In Giffen’s series, I could begrudgingly like and respect the brilliant magnificent bastard that was Thanos at the same time I was disliking him and hoping he would ultimately fail – all while blithely ignoring every logical contradiction inherent in the character. Now THAT’s the Thanos I want to read. This Thanos Rising portrayal of a confused, easily manipulated, sexually frustrated, psychotic, cruel, sick, whiny little jerk preying on helpless innocents? Nah – I don’t want to read this – I just want to see the Eternals put him out of his misery medieval style and as soon as possible.

The art and coloring of this book are certainly adequate to good, but they are not enough to save it.

Basically, this book is an embarrassment to the Thanos mythology. I don’t see how this is going to make a whole bunch of new Thanos fans eager to see him on the big screen for the second Avengers movie. In fact, the opposite is more likely. Frankly, I’ll be glad when this mini is over and (hopefully) forgotten as it is just one more black eye to cosmic courtesy of the architects.

What a shame.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Iron Man 3 (IMAX 3D)

Phase 2 Fizzle

A Film Review of Iron Man 3

By: Lawrence Napoli

Thanks to Robert Downey Jr. (and him alone), the Iron Man franchise has become a household name for the Marvel/Disney Super PAC that isn’t named Spider-Man, Wolverine, Mickey Mouse, Indiana Jones or Luke Skywalker. His performance breathes life into the inanimate and has raised the bar substantially for actors taking roles in the contemporary action/adventure/blockbuster film that is more than likely based on a comic book. Unfortunately, Iron Man is still a man, and apparently Downey isn’t interested in doing these movies for the rest of his career. Yes, Downey is in for The Avengers 2 (which is what Phase 2 is all about), but Iron Man 3 is clearly the official beginning of phasing out Tony Stark from this film universe (thus confirming the rumor that alpha personalities tied to this franchise are walking away) and this impacts Iron Man 3 in a negative way. The parallel to The Dark Knight Rises are undeniable and though we can debate over which final chapter was better than the other, both films could have and should have been more than the final product we all witnessed. Iron Man 3, like Iron Man 2 before it, is guilty of being an average (but expensive) blockbuster. It isn’t fresh and inventive like the first Iron Man, nor does it approach the greatness of Marvel’s The Avengers. For this entire movement of putting the Marvel Universe on film with the infinite resources at its disposal, the crime of going through the motions is inexcusable.

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Is Iron Man flying or falling? You be the judge.

Once enough people fork over the cash to see Iron Man 3 (and don’t you even consider the increased prices for digital DLP projection or IMAX because the 3D effect is 100% NOT worth it), we will finally know what Joss Whedon meant when he was quoted as saying “Now what am I supposed to do now? What am I going to do in Avengers 2?” Everyone in the news media press presumed this was some posturing to the effort made by director/co-writer Shane Black by acknowledging that Whedon’s own plot for the next Avengers would somehow pale in comparison to what others have described as Iron Man’s “epic,” “bombastic,” and “incredible,” third installment. Go ahead and watch the film, then think about that quote one more time. Whedon wasn’t bowing. He was pulling the last strands out of his balding dome over the plot and character limitations imposed on him as a result of Iron Man 3. There are no spoilers here, so if you want to know what I’m talking about, read EIC Matt McGloin’s thoughts. There are only so many places Whedon can go with the Avengers’ MVP and now those possibilities are cut in half.

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So buddy. Where do we go now?

Ultimately, the story of Iron Man 3 is a whole lot of blather that involves Tony Stark’s spring cleaning of some trivial domestic issues back in the US. The Mandarin is blowing up American landmarks and he’s a crazy terrorist that needs to be put down. I found it hilarious how his buddy James Rhodes actually makes reference to this situation: “Aren’t you running around with the Super Friends now?” as to suggest that his involvement in this plot is a little low-ball for Tony. What was suggested as a terrorist plot for some sort of world control boils down to a personal grudge between massive egos in this fictitious, scientific community. What was hinted as Tony becoming an even more devoted partner to Pepper Potts is glazed over thanks to a time consuming, Sherlock-ian investigation and is used as a shameless plot device to usher in what will be the end of Robert Downey Jr. in these films. What would have been possible in seeing the fallout of the invasion of New York is completely swept under the rug with another convenient plot device of Tony’s frequent panic attacks which allows this script to ignore The Avengers completely.

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You know, I could have used you in The Avengers.

I didn’t like any of this. It reaffirms the fact that while Iron Man is a cool Marvel personality, he has the worst rogue’s gallery of every major comic book hero. It tells me in a world where aliens have invaded and can potentially invade again, terrorism in any capacity is somehow still relevant. This script only introduces more important, personal issues with Tony Stark (the man) only to ignore them in order to focus on the active plot of pitting Iron Man against some obscure villain. The story is still funny in that it still shows off Tony Stark as an ego driven, genius, philanthropist, playboy, but there’s just so much of it shoved in your face from start to finish that the audience is left wondering if even Stark is taking any of this seriously even when he gets angry after the conflict hits way too close to home. The climax and resolution of this film treats the audience like children by presenting us with several brand new toys (plot twists) and then taking them away immediately, never to be seen again. The bullet points of Iron Man 3 too closely resemble those of Iron Man 2 and nothing that happens in this film (even in the post credits teaser) introduces, suggests or even slightly hints at anything that could be happening for The Avengers 2. Perhaps this is Hollywood mimicking the comic book industry by employing a lot of writers all in charge of their own projects and are somehow expected to be relevant to the crossover arc the company as a whole is trying to promote. Whedon was right. I have no idea what the heck he’s going to do with Tony Stark now.

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Don’t tell me the dream is dead.

Iron Man 3 is not a total loss (despite the fact it is a big disappointment) and most of that credit goes to the action and visual effects on display. $200 million yields plenty of massive set pieces that get devastated from gun fire, missiles and massive explosions. It also yields lots of awesome Iron Man aerial maneuvers, combat and technology. I must say that it was a real treat to see Stark’s ‘Iron Family’ at work during the climax, but my criticism of them is twofold. First, they only pay off in a minimal way thanks to how they end up (but that’s another writing criticism) and second, the different armors don’t really show off their individual specializations very well. The only one that stands out is the ‘Hulk Buster’ armor we’ve all seen in the trailers, which is used to do one thing and never seen again. As a result, the Iron party is more like a lot of copy/pastes with different paint jobs that still look sleek and realistic, but all do the same thing. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Robert Downey Jr. engaging in a lot more action out of the suit in this film, but those sequences are surprising at displaying Tony Stark’s martial prowess (I’m pretty sure Matt Murdock isn’t his sensei). I like that the plot forces Tony out of the tin can for no other reason than giving the audience something different to look at which is still stimulating, though not as sexy as the suit. Eye candy alone will see this film easily double its budget, but it won’t see Avengers money.

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Here we come to save the day.

I have no complaints about the performances in Iron Man 3 because the overall cast demonstrates their veteran prowess. Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian is your stereotypical bad guy/crazy evil genius, and I knew his character was going to be that way because the man’s made a career of playing *ssholes in movies. Don Cheadle, the man who should have been established as James Rhodes in the first Iron Man, produces another fine performance as the Iron Patriot who secretly pines for a resurrection of War Machine which produces a few memorable laughs amidst Stark’s constant “I’m a needy genius” comedy throughout. Jon Favreau is thankfully limited to screen time in the beginning of the film as Happy Hogan (ugh, how is he still skulking around the sets of these films?). Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen presents a character meant to be plagued by the ethics/morality of science unchecked (which is a plot point that dies before given a real chance to live), but she is hilarious when making reference to her role in Ben Affleck’s The Town in the beginning of the movie. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts is once again personable, elegant and charming, and I really enjoyed when her character is called upon to get her fists dirty, but that too is muffled thanks to shoddy writing. Paul Bettany simply does not get enough credit as the voice of Jarvis in all of these films, so I’ll give him a much deserved shout-out now because his dignified delivery is matched only by his brilliant comedic timing.

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Wait a minute! We can do stuff outside of the armor?

A word on Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3: I totally get what they were trying to do with this character, but I cannot fathom how Shane Black lured an actor of Kingsley’s caliber into this film with the red herring his character represents. Let’s not confuse the quality of his performance with the irrelevance of his character. Kingsley delivers; plain and simple. You may think the lines of dialogue we’ve all heard in the trailers may sound annoying thanks to his disjointed delivery, but that goes away to reveal something much more entertaining, hilarious and actually thought provoking when considering the world’s modern experience with terrorism. Perhaps the uniqueness of the satire is what hooked Sir Ben; that and one fat paycheck.

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I am more (or less) than what I appear to be.

Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. It’s all been said and it’s all true once again.

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Seriously? Were you expecting anything less?

This movie was good, but it is not great. Iron Man 3 is very entertaining in presenting amazing visual effects while coalescing them with uniquely hilarious dialogue and circumstances. Unfortunately, without any effort to move the Avenger franchise forward with Tony Stark’s individual efforts in this film, it makes this story a complete waste of time. It’s great that Tony still cares about stuff at home, both in his country and his personal life. It’s great that he’s still at work doing his innovative Iron-Man-thing. It’s great that he feels anguish over the invasion of New York. But let’s expand on all of those plot points, not just leave them behind in the dust. For a character all about transformation and improvement, there really isn’t a concept of change that matters for Tony Stark. He’s the same human dynamo that is simply put into another dangerous situation that he can skillfully address thanks to his own efforts. A $200 million dollar investment should be thinking about doing more than giving me another day in the life of the amazing Tony Stark especially when you consider the future of the character moving forward. Phase 2 is in like a lamb, and it is left to Joss Whedon to insure that it goes out like a lion.

Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 5/1/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

This is a “quick pick” look at the Top 5 comics that EVERYONE should be reading this week! Whether it’s rife with astounding visuals, has top notch characterization, is filled with emotional strife, has a bevy of high octane battle sequences or is just a plain ol’ great read — these books belong at the “Top Of The Pile!” (In no particular order!)

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1. Shadowman #0 (Valiant): Fan favorite, Justin Jordan, truly out does himself in this melancholy origin tale of Valiant’s biggest bad of all time — Master Darque! From birth to his “re-birth,” Justin Jordan weaves sympathy, angst and hatred into the very fabric of the Master Darque character, creating a book that far outshines everything Jordan has done thus far in his career! Although Shadowman isn’t in the book at all, you are so enthralled with his greatest villain you won’t even mind!

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2. Ten Grand #1 (Joe’s Comics/Image): Written by, CBN creator Matt McGloin’s favorite comic scribe, J. Michael Straczynski and drawn by fan favorite Ben Templesmith, not only is Ten Grand is a moving tale about loss and what you would do to regain everything, it is also the relaunch of the Joe’s Comics imprint created by JMS! Though this style of tale about choices and the ultimate ramification has been done before, it is the art of Templesmith that astounds the reader with every page. Come for JMS’ morality play, stay for a true masterpiece by Templesmith. That’s if you can find it! The buzz surrounding this book has led to instant sell outs at numerous shops, so be vigilant or the world of second printing awaits you!

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3. Superior Spider-Man #9 (Marvel): So, I believe that Dan Slott is actually addicted to controversy! Well, he will definitely get his fix after this issue! By now you have probably all heard about the ending of this book, but that is not the reason it made it on the Top of the Pile. The internal struggle between the consciousness of Peter Parker and Doc Ock is what drives this book — and it is astounding! Peter having to place his memories in the line of fire against his own fears was extremely jarring. Seeing Uncle Ben being shot again and the Green Goblin slaughtering Gwen Stacy with a laser was highly emotional, but it is the frailty of Peter that makes this issue great even if it will drive fans crazy!

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4. The Victories: Transhuman #1 (of 5) (Dark Horse): Dubbed as being “Super F$%#!d Up!,” Michael Avon Oeming’s super hero team tale is exactly that! This second installment of The Victories stories has the team dealing with a new villain that is more powerful than anything they have seen before! Even if they do save the world, are they strong enough to overcome their internal demons in order for all of them to survive? Graphic, vulgar and overtly amazing, this is a book that you should not miss!

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5. Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible #2 (Dark Horse): Mike Mignola and Scott Allie converge on this unnerving tale of Abe Sapien’s journey to not only find where his altered form fits in to this new and frightening world, but also to see how far this world has changed humanity in it’s wake! Rich and deeply jarring, this tale of fear of the unknown will make you question just how “human” humanity can be in a mob mentality. Fascinating! Plus, be sure to check out the CBN exclusive interview with Scott Allie regarding all things Dark Horse with our very own managing editor, Byron Brewer!

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Pain & Gain (2013)

Mischief. Mayhem. Steroids.

A Film Review of Pain & Gain

By: Lawrence Napoli

[Readers, please humor me by reading the following paragraph]

You’ve just finished a 3 hour work out and you’re sore all over. You’ve put in the work, but now you want to max out on a final bench press before you call it a night. You start off real slow, just to make sure what’s left of your muscles can take it and then you speed it up. Just as you start to pick up the pace, the gym manager shouts out 5 minutes to closing; you keep going. That babe you were trying to impress all night finally cuts you a look and a smile and your adrenaline spikes; you go faster. You notice some fed up mother dragging her screaming children out of day care and then she curses out loud, calling her kids rotten bastards. It all pisses you off and you go even faster. The cleaning crew starts making their way to the main area of the gym, but while one talks the other doesn’t notice the free weights left out on the floor; he trips and falls flat on his face which gets you to snicker. You’re feeling a good burn now, but the manager shouts your name to get the hell out and he stomps over to your direction only to collide with a six foot blonde, taking both to the ground. Turns out she’s a transvestite (because mesh shorts + no underwear was too revealing as she went down) and she proceeds to spill a giant bag of dildos she was smuggling out of the gym (where did she get them in the first place?). Everything just got weird, but you’ve never felt stronger or lifted more in your life so you still keep going. A homeless man then stumbles through the front doors, drops ‘trow and defecates right there on the spot. The lactic acid rushes over you, you’re way past pure exhaustion and you feel the dry heaves of vomit curdling up only to realize your arms have already given out. The weights crash down on your chest and roll to your throat, effectively choking you out. The paramedics revive you and you feel lucky to be alive, but you don’t feel particularly good right now.

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We’re here to pump you up!

I just spoon fed the entire experience of watching Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, a true crime story of muscle heads turning to kidnapping, torture and murder in Miami in pursuit of the American dream. Of course, there are no spoilers here, but imagining someone’s final set of the day with all the distractions I mentioned combined with an ever increasing pace is exactly what the viewer will see, hear and feel when they buy a ticket to ride this crazy train. Every aspect of the filmmaking process: the camera movement, the soundtrack, the dialogue, the action and the lighting mimics the relentless pace of “the final set” in such an undeniable way that I have to admit that this film is Michael Bay’s most artistic film. Please understand, however, that Bay has always been the stereotypical “Hollywood Guy” that could only tell a story if there were explosions here, explosions there; explosions everywhere! I am certain this film takes several liberties with some of the facts regarding the exploits of Daniel Lugo, but in moments where viewers couldn’t possibly believe what they were seeing was true, the film reminds the audience that this all still happened. Bay shelves his love for pyro with a slight over-abuse of the slow motion visual effect, but there is no mistaking the “bigness” of this film as anything other than a Michael Bay production even without the presence of giant robots or Sean Connery.

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There’s gotta be at least 1 explosion.

The actual plot of Pain & Gain is relatively straight forward and as basic as crime stories get, but screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely apparently binged on Neveldine and Taylor’s Crank franchise prior to writing this script. As a result, manic characters, perpetuating stereotypes, absurd plot twists, and vulgar tone mixed with pure adrenaline turns the crimes committed by Lugo and co. into one hell of an entertaining adventure. Comedy is the key element that pushes the plot forward through a combination of ridiculous dialogue and absurd slapstick. But here’s the catch. These crimes still happened in reality and they ruined/ended the lives of many real people. I cannot help but think that making such a spectacle of Lugo’s exploits in this particular way diminishes the real life tragedy. The counter to this sensation is the fact that Lugo and his crew are depicted as little more than stereotypically dumb body builders who are incredibly high on themselves, extremely gullible and view the rest of the world as somehow owing them more simply for being as awesome as they are.

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This scene was probably more serious in real life than in this film.

Satire is certainly at work here, but as I mentioned earlier, this film never lets up on the single-minded/self-minded nature of the story which disallows the audience to reflect on the utter horror of the crimes thanks to the fact that these meatheads are constantly making themselves look like hilarious idiots. If Pain & Gain is trying to expose the folly and corruptibility of ego-maniacal behavior, this message gets lost amidst the spectacle. The main reason for this is that even when the main characters/antagonists fail, they are never depicted as pathetically low as any of their victims. The audience had more than 4/5 of this film to understand the fact that these men were denser than lead and the fact that the story does not definitively shift to a serious tone pulls back on punches at the end of the film that should be going for a climactic knock out. For a film to be as true of a story as this was, no other was in more need of reality checks.

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I’m as grounded as any character gets in this film.

Pain & Gain is a character driven story and without good performances all around, no film can claim a true cast of “colorful characters.” The one actor the audience would never expect in a film such as this is Ed Harris who plays P.I. Ed DuBois and his presence exists to lend some of that grounded seriousness I just complained that was lacking throughout. As great of an actor as Harris is, his character is simply not important enough in terms of screen time to allow his dialogue and demeanor to leave a lasting appeal. Tony Shalhoub does a solid job as target #1 Victor Kershaw, but he isn’t asked to lift anything heavier than the token scumbag that doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy from anyone. Ken Jeong and Rebel Wilson use their specific talents of awkward/absurd comedy to ratchet up the laughs, but neither are given true moments to perform outside of those boundaries.

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Are you a “do”er?

The one performance I was actually disappointed in was that of Anthony Mackie as Adrian Doorbal. I’ve made note of his promising performances in films like Real Steel and The Adjustment Bureau, but he easily stands in the shadow of his other two co stars. A large part of the problem is the fact that he’s playing a body builder and although he’s significantly larger than the skinny body type I’ve always seen him as, he simply doesn’t have the tone and definition of any other muscle head he stands next to (including extras). This takes a large chunk of credibility away from his character and it could have been compensated with a truly marquee performance, but comedy is not Mackie’s strength; it’s drama.

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I look better in Falcon’s armor anyway.

Marky Mark hit the gym a bit more than Mackie prior to filming as his arms certainly showed an upgrade, but the trailers to Pain & Gain made it seem as if Wahlberg was juicing for years. Much of the film is narrated from Daniel Lugo’s perspective as he is technically the main character of this sordid tale of excess fitness. What can I say? Wahlberg knows how to portray flawed confidence, gullible ignorance and absolute absurdity with a straight face. This is vital to Lugo as a character because communicating his disconnect from any traditional morality/ethics in favor of a fitness/self-help inspired credo of “simply doing = godly” explains how this real person was more cartoon character than carbon based life form. Unlike the role he played in The Fighter, Wahlberg is not required to do anything more than play up the meathead in this film and I can only give so much credit to what amounts to a type cast. Wahlberg must have some kind of unspoken/unwritten/unknown connection with Josh Brolin because he has the same tendency of being overshadowed by some (if not all) of his supporting cast. And speaking of whom . . .

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Muscles are my reality. Fitness is my life.

The Rock/Dwayne Johnson/The Brahma Bull is the true star of Pain & Gain. First, being the only true athlete of the cast, he proved that being built like a tank could indeed be improved upon because he looks to have added 20 pounds of pure muscle on top of his already intimidating frame. The man is in impeccable physical condition, but I don’t want to know how many chemicals are coursing through his veins. That aside, Johnson as Paul Doyle is the only character that seems to show any sign of struggling with the jaded nature of the crew’s affairs and this works to his advantage as an actor. He isn’t a talented enough of an actor to actually display a complete shift in demeanor from clueless athlete to tortured soul, but he can keep a straight face while reciting ludicrous lines of dialogue thanks to his experience in the WWF/E. The result is a specific hilarity that actually generates sympathy for the simpleton he plays and let’s just say that when his character rediscovers cocaine, the audience will experience a comedy level beyond the peak of The Rock’s most famous rants of the mid 1990s.

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My boys can smell it. Can you?

Pain & Gain was a tricky film for me to digest due to the intense delivery of so much character development & interactivity, action, comedy and absurdity in such a short amount of time. On a pace rating of 1-10, this film starts at a 9 and exceeds 15 with virtually no time outs. This film is a constant chain lightning of laughs and grotesquery, so the viewer better beware. I like that this film seemed to paint the culture of extreme fitness gone way too far as the true culprit, but the script doesn’t do much to address issues like steroid abuse other than in the first 10 minutes of the film. It appears as though sociopathic tendencies can develop from obsessive devotion to any of life’s sub-cultures and it’s interesting to observe how most involve the “improvement of self” in some way, shape or form. Had this film shown an ability to shift gears to a more serious drama at the right time, Michael Bay would have had a much better film on his hands than an audaciously entertaining romp through the chemically enhanced purple hills of muscle beach. Without reading more meaning into it, Pain & Gain is the first comedy of the summer that’s worth your time thanks to decent performances all around, but an inspired effort by The Rock. That is, of course, if you know what he’s cooking.

Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Shadowman #0

Justin Jordan and his motley crew of artists, has created an enthralling, sickly sweet and chilling tale that gives fans a definitive origin to the most powerful creature in the Valiant Universe — Master Darque!

Known as the biggest, baddest villain to ever cast a shadow across the Valiant Universe, Master Darque is one of the most dramatic characters created in the past twenty years. Now, with the twisted imagination of Justin Jordan, modern readers can be enthralled once again by a tale that showcases the brutal birth of this destructive character.

From birth to “death”, Jordan and his fantastic artistic team will fascinate you with Master Darque’s origin, a wickedly jarring tale of witchcraft and the hell that parents can render upon their children. It showcases the deconstruction of innocence, the betrayal of loved ones and the forging of true evil through desperate measures. It is the pinnacle of characterization, an enthralling tale that lulls you in with the false hope of a happy ending, that maybe just maybe, all could turn out differently. But, alas, this is an origin tale of true evil and true evil cannot begin without a fall from grace!

Utterly breathtaking, Justin Jordan has truly surpassed everything he has done so far for the Shadowman mythos. This is the new high water mark for the series and I, for one, cannot wait to see what comes next!

Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Harbinger Wars #2

Fans were blown away with, not only the all out action of the first issue of this crossover, but with the overall ease with which the casual reader can immerse themselves into the storyline. In a market plagued with mediocre crossovers that strive more on gaining your hard earned cash instead of delivering a quality product, Valiant stands as the shinning example of how to please it’s fans! If you were enthralled with the first issue, the second in the series will utterly take your breath away!

Written by Joshua Dysart, with story conceptualization done by both Dysart and Duane Swierczynski, Harbinger Wars #2 is a tidal wave of all-out action that is stunning on all aspects. The reader is given the chance to delve deeper into the seediness of Project Rising Spirit and witness the re-birth of another long forgotten Valiant concept bound to thrill readers all over again! Though I won’t spoil any part of this outstanding tale, I will say that you will see some horrific deeds take place and the true heart of Toyo Harada will forever darken the corners of the Valiant Universe!

Masterfully crafted by Joshua Dysart and crew, Harbinger Wars is bound to become one of the most comprehensive, overtly exciting and reader friendly crossovers ever written. It is steeped in emotional duress, shockingly horrific circumstances and riddled with action sequences that will blow your mind! It is the blueprint as to what ALL crossovers should be like no matter what company employees you!

Comic Book News

Valiant and Image Present: Dollar Days!

That’s right, folks! Just as the dog days of summer begin to creep upon us, Valiant and Image Comics present one cool deal to help beat the heat and not your wallet!

To help kick off Free Comic Book Day, May 4th, Valiant and Image Comics have decided to re-release some of the most sought after first issues of the past twelve months — for only a dollar each! Eleven total issues will be re-released on May 1st, five Valiant issues and six Image ones, and you can have them all for a measly ELEVEN DOLLARS! In a market that usually sells comics for $3.99, this is the perfect opportunity for anyone to inquire about books that may have slipped past them the first time around and are now fetching a hefty price for first editions! Below is a list of all the books you SHOULD be reading!

To help celebrate their one year anniversary, Valiant is actually re-releasing every first issue of all their books. Written and drawn by some of the best comic creators in the business, Joshua Dysart, Justin Jordan and Fred Van Lente to name a few, you just can’t go wrong with any of these books. I highly recommend them all, but be quick to grab as many Harbinger and Bloodshot copies as you can due to the extremely popular Harbinger Wars crossover!

Valiant One Dollar Editions: Archer & Armstrong #1, Harbinger #1, Bloodshot #1, Shadowman #1 and X-O Manowar #1

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Although Image does this promotion every year, this group of books in particular, are some of the best series they have put out to date, including the all-ages adventure series Super Dinosaur written by The Walking Dead creator – Robert Kirkman! Be sure to grab extra copies of Mind the Gap and the insane version of Peter Pan everyone loves — Peter Panzerfaust, too!

Image Firsts: Bedlam #1, Great Pacific #1, Mind the Gap #1, Morning Glories #1, Peter Panzerfaust #1 and Super Dinosaur #1

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With Free Comic Book Day just around the corner and a bevy of comic book movies hitting this summer, there is no better time to become a comic fan! So, get out there, grab eleven books and tell your local comic shop owner, “I’d buy that for a dollar!”

Movie News Reviews

Da Vinci’s Demons Review: Episode 3 “The Prisoner”

Da Vinci = Bill Maher

A Show Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 3: “The Prisoner”

By: Lawrence Napoli

Bang! Just as I made an observation concerning the formulaic structure to this show’s episodes, director David S. Goyer goes and throws me a curve ball. Get out of my head, man! Unfortunately, the first couple of minutes of this third episode are no less cryptic, chaotic and curious by cutting to several characters in a sequential order that doesn’t make any sense unless you watch the rest of the episode. Perhaps the purpose of starting every episode in this manner is meant to reflect Da Vinci’s personal thought process which is an incomprehensible collision of ideas that would only make sense to fellow human dynamos. As it is, it’s still somewhat of a frustrating way to start an episode, and even if one were to put the confusing juxtaposition aside, the first moments feel like this entire episode is going to be rushing through some plot. Thankfully, this intro is only a momentary decent into madness.

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The story that is taking form by the end of this episode is certainly branching out to some very interesting places as well as featuring even more established characters and their respective subplots. In fact, Da Vinci takes a bit of a back seat to his supporting cast this time around which makes for more screen time for Giulino Medici (Tom Bateman), Count Riario (Blake Ritson), Clarice Orsini (Lara Pulver) and an as yet unidentified wild card who happens to be introduced in this appropriately titled episode: “The Prisoner.” All that can be said about this new character is that he comes from an older world of wisdom – the very same kind which Da Vinci seeks in his quest for ‘The Book of Leaves,’ and it certainly appears as though “Mr. X” and This third episode unloaded hefty amounts of plot twists and developments that I simply was not expecting: Lorzeno vs. his brother, Lorezno’s wife vs. his mistress, the Pope vs. his enforcer, the enforcer vs. the prisoner and science vs. religion. That last, thematic, conflict is the heart of this particular episode as what appears to be a series of hideous demonic possessions has become quite alarming to the people of Florence so much so that even Da Vinci must take notice and investigate. All right, so maybe Da Vinci isn’t exactly Bill Maher as he isn’t completely dismissive of the devil, but he is still looking at the overall picture as well as the acute details to find nothing but suspicious timing to all of the events he observes.

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I really enjoy the dichotomy this series is delving into between the world of faith, mysticism and religion against the world of fact, reason and science. What’s interesting to think about is that those who are authorities in either world don’t exactly find that much separation between them in how they maintain and utilize their power and influence over others. They also seem to be the kind of people who are so far removed from the trials and tribulations of normal people (i.e. the SUPER rich). This is why Da Vinci presents such a compelling protagonist. At this point in his life, he is only now being recognized for his talents, yet he is still a no-name and is treated as such by those threatened by his abilities (those in power). He is certainly a champion of the people, but this episode is also clear that his own personal demon known only as obsession can get the better of him at times and it remains to be seen if this fatal weakness will be revisited in next week’s episode: “The Magician.”

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Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 4/24/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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1. Uncanny Avengers #7 (Marvel): Rick Remender has crafted a series that has fans debating, completely awestruck and overtly excited! This week he melds a storyline from Jason Aaron’s amazing Thor: God of Thunder into his own tale and the payoffs are incredible! Tensions flare between our “mutant” and “non-mutant” heroes but that isn’t the main draw of this book. If you are a cosmic fan, this issue will give you something you have never seen before! What could make a Celestial ever feel sadness? You have to read it to believe it!

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2. Jupiter’s Legacy #1 (Image): Frank Quitely brings his artistic talents to Image Comics to render a book that will become an instant classic! Written by fan favorite Mark Millar, Jupiter’s Legacy, is an up close and personal look at the lives of the children of the world’s greatest super heroes. But, how can they truly become their own heroes when they will always be in the shadows of their astounding parents? For that matter, why would they want to spend their days slugging it out with world conquering villains when they can just relax and let the “old folks” save the day! A very poignant look at the perils of youth, blind obedience and the failing economic climate of the modern world. Fantastic stuff form a fantastic team!

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3. Joe Hill’s Terrifyingly Tragic Treasury Edition (IDW): This over-sized extravaganza of horror laced tales by Stephen King’s son, is just the thing to keep you up at night. This $10 book may seem like a steep price tag for reprints of four previously released tales but, believe me, it is well worth it! Inside you will find the “Kodiak” one shot, that will have you never wanting to go in the woods again, the Eisner Award winning tale “The Cape” about a man that chooses to use his power of flight to right a wrong, the Locke and Key short “Open the Moon” and the final off-beat tale of Seth Fisher in “Freddie Wertham Goes to Hell.” Creepy and thought-provoking stuff that will whet your appetite for the release of Joe Hill’s new novel, NOS4A2, about a child abductor that comes out April 30th!

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4. B.P.R.D.: Vampire #2 (Dark Horse): Thematically reminiscent of Herman Melville’s classic Moby-Dick, this tale of longing and revenge is turning out to be an instant classic in and of itself! Beautifully horrific art by brothers Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba helps to solidify Mike Mignola’s tale as a pure masterpiece of cryptic wonderment. Haunted characters, vampire cults and plenty of witchcraft will make you second guess those shadows looming in the corners!

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5. Avengers Arena #8 (Marvel): Let’s begin with talking about an ending, shall we? Why would we start at the end you might ask? Because that’s what EVERYONE will be talking about after today! Some fans will cheer, some fans will protest but all fans will get involved with the discussion about the end! Especially, since some endings are actually new beginnings — cryptic enough for ya? Dennis Hopeless has created an outstanding series that is character driven, shocking and enthralling. Plus, there still is that ending that hangs over our heads!

Movie News Reviews

Review of Da Vinci’s Demons Episode 2: The Serpent

Da Vinci = Sherlock Holmes

By: Lawrence Napoli

The tale of how Leonardo Da Vinci fits (supposedly) into the political climate of Renaissance Italy and perhaps a greater global web of conspiracy and control continues with “The Serpent.” In this second episode, I already see a structural pattern that may be developing for the remainder of this initial season in that substance induced visions set Leo on the path for which his exploits will follow. The mystery and cryptic nature of Leonardo’s visions dangerously tip toe along the line that separates intrigue and absurdity. This really puts an unnecessary burden on the viewer to really want to see the episode through to the very end before he or she has decided to make that kind of commitment on a Friday night filled with channel surfing. Perhaps creator David S. Goyer’s desire to designate substance abuse during this time period as common as drinking wine ought to be shelved in favor of a slightly more traditional hook to begin episodes. The story of Da Vinci’s Demons is certainly layered with more than enough juicy plot to keep viewers coming back for more that it shouldn’t give them excuses to turn away from the very start.

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Stay with me. The investigation is just getting started.

As for the plot, Leonardo’s pursuit of a once thought, mythological source of knowledge known only as ‘The Book of Leaves’ continues via baby steps in this episode that certainly comes off as an investigation worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Da Vinci continues to use his photographic powers of observation and deduction to connect the events that unfold before him in the city-state of Florence to clues that are vital to his fated path of enlightenment. What makes this episode work a tad better than the first is that other characters are given more opportunities to develop independent of Da Vinci’s presence which not only makes each character rounder, but makes Leonardo’s interaction with them that more meaningful. I also like how this episode reveals the maestro as more than a selfish artisan, but as a loyal patriot to his native Florence. It’s an important development that finally establishes Da Vinci as a hero and not simply smarter than everyone else. Overall, the plot’s progression continues to intrigue as it leaves the viewer with a new destination in mind for our hero which may lead him to entirely new shores.

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It looks like I will be Da Vinci’s nemesis.

It seems as though the budget allotted to each episode via Starz precludes the possibility of having episodes strictly devoted to action and set pieces that require the use of prolonged special/visual effects to get the idea across. Where “The Hanged Man” episode used sparing visual effects for a couple of Da Vinci’s inventions and his “bullet-time vision, “The Serpent” uses effects for his inventions and a harrowing escape involving a rapid ascent via pulleys. Yes, budget limitations can be used to a filmmaker’s advantage in that it forces one to rely on spectacle less and writing/performance more. However, it can also lead to predictability, because if a very elaborate effect is used early in an episode, chances are the audience will not see another. I understand that this is a very nitpicky criticism, but if the idea is to show Da Vinci’s works as awe-inspiring, then showing more visual effects is an inevitability that the budget may not have accounted for.

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Perhaps one of Da Vinci’s infernal devices at work?

The only other character I’m starting to be interested in beyond Da Vinci himself is Lucrezia Donati, played by Laura Haddock, and yes, my interest goes beyond the regular nudity her character engages in. Being a secret agent for Rome (which isn’t portrayed in the kindest light), she is meant to infiltrate the ruling Medici family and report her findings. However, her budding relationship with Da Vinci and her proximity to Lorenzo may have compromised her self-serving nature. She appears to be showing genuine affection to Leonardo, but it may still be her ingratiating herself into his inner circle for nefarious ends. Either way, Lucrezia is a woman to watch for her fate may be more closely tied to Da Vinci’s than any of us realize.

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Keep your eyes on the prize Leo; not the thighs.

I enjoyed this second episode, but I am disappointed at the fact that this first season is already 25% complete. With only 6 episodes left, I feel the show may not have accomplished enough plot-wise to justify a second season which traditionally means a new direction, characters and stakes. Unless, of course, the “second season” is simply “season one: volume 2,” which would make more sense if released within the same year; along the lines of what AMC does with The Walking Dead. Too much downtime between volumes of the same season without some evolutionary leap in the storytelling process would lose viewers and ultimately kill the show. Next Friday’s episode “The Prisoner” will reveal even more, but it remains to be seen how only 8 one hour-long episodes can effectively communicate the conflict between one man of singular intelligence and talent against a sea of corruption, control, greed and violence.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Oblivion (2013)

Obligatory Obliviousness

A Film Review of Oblivion

By: Lawrence Napoli

I appreciated this film as a slightly above average sci-fi adventure. Initially, I was very excited to see this because I was under the impression that it wasn’t a comic book retrofit or an adaptation of any kind, but the title sequence somewhat dashed those hopes as Oblivion was co-written, produced and directed by Joseph Kosinski based on his (unpublished) graphic novel of the same name. The movie trailer peaked my interest due to the sleek look of high technology being juxtaposed with nature, and when you add Tom Cruise to the equation (this being his 2^nd sci-fi film role) Oblivion seemed like a fresh, new spin on sci-fi that audiences would drool over. Then the reality of the film set in. Again, I’m not suggesting that the ultimate execution of this film made the whole experience a wash, but it was a disappointment because the fact remains that it is about as original as your average “zombie apocalypse film.” As a matter of fact, Oblivion = Independence Day’s general idea + Vanilla Sky’s spoon-fed exposition+ Minority Report’s set design+ Armageddon’s culmination + The Matrix’s mind games. Wow, this must mean that Oblivion is the greatest movie ever made right? Let’s just say this film falls well short of that particular designation.

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Just waiting around (for a truly inspired film).

The writing effort behind Oblivion is very inconsistent. The outline of the story’s plot coupled with the main character’s expository narration lays out an intriguing set up for the first half of this film. The idea of two solitary humans maintaining what’s left of planet Earth (for whatever reason) is made personal by the constant inflection of every line of dialogue/narration by Jack (Tom Cruise). The scenario is basic, easy to identify with and the audience cares about Jack because he’s very unassuming; which is a bit of a stretch for an actor like Cruise who has a history of playing more intense characters. Where the writing falters is in the plot details and regular dialogue amongst the rest of the cast. At about the midpoint of this movie, the story takes a turn towards convolution and without properly established exposition and character development, the audience is less inclined to make the leaps of faith that this film demands.

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All work and no explosions make Jack a dull boy.

From that point on the plot gaps take over and become more and more pronounced with every passing minute. Characters are suddenly making decisions and doing things that are completely out of sync. People and places that seemed important suddenly aren’t (and vice-versa); which leads me to the rest of the dialogue. Personal connections between Jack and the rest of the cast were meant to occur, but 50% of everything that is said is filled with brand new plot details that need some kind of explanation which dilutes the impact of the emotive words between anyone that’s meant to be significant to the main character. Writers Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gadjusek and Michael Arndt must have had ideas for a much longer film (think Lord of the Rings), but time and budget restraints must have forced a hasty evolution of the story that is extremely awkward to witness. I would point to those limitations before outright, literary incompetence because the first half of the film was very well established. Tougher writing choices in the beginning to alter the plot directly would have yielded a more seamless, cinematic experience along with an ending that was equally surprising AND satisfying.

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Do you know where this story’s going?

Production designer Darren Gilford certainly used his experience with Tron: Legacy well with his efforts in Oblivion. The elegant, yet simplistic living quarters belonging to Jack and Victoria are deliciously post-modern and tech savvy. Jack’s jet/helicopter/hover hybrid vehicle is just as sleek and streamlined as his apartment and those aesthetic looks also translate to some practical combat applications. I also enjoyed the “hominess” of Jack’s lakeside hideaway on the planet’s surface. Though not as sophisticated, Jack’s earthly retreat has all the amenities, yet provides an interesting contrast to the sterile white, glass and metal elements of his decadent living quarters in the sky. The look and feel of Oblivion screams high production value in every moment. Those familiar with Tron: Legacy will notice several aesthetic set, prop and vehicular similarities (if not direct copies) with this film and while critics may frown at this filmmaker’s low-jacking of his own material (thank you Michael Bay), the design choices in Oblivion worked well in this fictional world.

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Home solutions inspired by The Jetsons

I would not qualify Oblivion as an “intense action film,” but it has two distinctly satisfying action sequences that put this film’s CG and special effects departments in the spotlight. The first is an aerial chase sequence that involves a healthy amount shooting, explosions and maneuvers that seemed eerily similar to the Millennium Falcon’s escape from Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. The second is an extended ground assault where Jack’s acumen with small arms is put on display (p.s. there’s plenty of pyro at work here as well). There is a very small element of hand-to-hand combat, but this isn’t a kung-fu flick. All in all, the action is not what drives this film forward, but it helps a great deal in keeping the audience in the driver’s seat.

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Action, engaged.

Oblivion is not a film that boasts an ensemble of marquee performances. Tom Cruise does what Tom Cruise does; which is to say he does his best to make a big budget, Hollywood film look as good as it can from his end. He looks great, his physicality is in top form, but his chemistry with the rest of the cast is weak and despite diminished opportunities to develop said chemistry in scenes meant to do exactly that, he could have made a better effort. He’s done so in the past. Morgan Freeman is the other big name in this cast, but his impact is minimal as his character is basically a Macguffin for the entire film. Six and a half minutes of total screen time seems beneath an actor of Freeman’s caliber, but then he probably isn’t approached with too many sci-fi roles nowadays. How far has Melissa Leo fallen since her Academy Award role in The Fighter? Her very small part in Olympus Has Fallen is followed up with a throw-away as Sally (someone who is only seen via video screen) in this film. Love interests Victoria and Julia played by Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko respectively do the best they can at providing polar opposite alternatives for Jack (disciplined soldier vs. loving rebel). Unfortunately, these women (along with the rest of the cast) don’t have the chance to really make their characters their own. There’s simply not enough time when considering Tom Cruise must apparently be in every scene.

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Is this where we start acting?

Oblivion, like Avatar before it, is a sci-fi adventure that borrows heavily from many stories, films and fictional scenarios made popular in the past. The main difference that separates the greatness of Avatar from the monotony of Oblivion is the dedication to character and placing the importance of character relations over the immensity of plot and exposition. Good characters can cover up many shortcomings in a film production because they are the most direct connection between the moving image and the audience. As likeable as Jack is, his archetype is as common as his name and with no other dynamic personalities to bounce off of; any perceived potential for his character dissipates. This film is the first real sci-fi installment of 2013 which is entertaining, but not all that thought provoking (i.e. the essence of the Summer Blockbuster). This film is worth seeing at some point, but don’t rush out to the theatres for it and certainly don’t even consider seeing it in IMAX or 3D. Having said that let me explain to the reader what ultimately soured me on this film.

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Oh dear, Giuseppe’s about to get on his soap box.

There is a scene that is essentially ripped from the rooftop scene in Vanilla Sky where an important potion of Oblivion’s mysterious plot is revealed, explained and resolved in a way that is patronizing to the characters and to the audience for having invested in the story thus far. This moment instantly invalidated any positive interest I had and insulted me as a viewer for having to be lectured on a left-field, curveball of a plot twist when this movie should have showed me through well planned and executed action. What highlights this eye-rolling low point is the fact that everything that is said in that instant, actually gets shown not moments later in the film at which point I threw up my arms in frustration. The first half of Oblivion seemed like a movie that was going to go somewhere interesting, but it really takes you down an avenue of broken dreams that we’ve all seen and heard before in X number of cinematic adventures before it.

Comic Book News

“Just What the DOC Ordered: Your Summer Movie Reading List!”

“The Book Is Always Better”

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

Another comic book inspired season is upon us at your local theater and no fan is happier than I am! With intense blockbuster sequels, franchise dependent re-dos and some obscure independent debuts, it is a cornucopia of genres that is sure to make us believe, cheer and possibly question the reason they are being made in the first place! Comic fans and non-fans alike will be making their way to theaters in droves this summer, but where do these bigger than life movies come from? From the back issue bins of comic shops of course, and I’ll give you the rundown in order for you to catch up on some inexpensive summer reading before you drop $20 a ticket for 3D IMAX seats! Without further ado, Lights!,Camera!,Action!

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Let’s begin with a movie that has comic fans heated and Tom Cruise fans jumping on couches in delight! Oblivion! Opening on April 19th, Oblivion is another look at a post-apocalyptic world that portrays Tom Cruise as a human version of Disney/ Pixar’s Wall-E! While this is being advertised as coming from the 2012 graphic novel by indie publisher Radical Studios, written by the movies director Joseph Kosinski(Tron:Legacy), the graphic novel doesn’t actually exist! At the 2012 San Diego Comic Con, “concept art” pamphlets were handed out to fans to promote the alleged book, but it never came to fruition. As a matter of fact, it is questioned if a graphic novel was ever truly going to be in the works or if the “concept art” for it was only to help push Kosinski’s movie idea to the forefront! Looks like it worked! You can find the “concept art” books on eBay for varying prices but don’t get fooled into thinking you are acquiring anything more than beautiful visuals! But, if you are looking to get your hands on a Radical Studios graphic novel that will actually in a more productive manner that just conceptualizing, I suggest you get your hands on the Hercules:Thracian Wars TPB for around $15! You have plenty of time before the Rock lays the smack down next July to get as much reading done as you can!

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Next up is Iron Man 3, starring fan fave Robert Downey Jr. and releasing everywhere on May 3rd! By now everyone knows the tale of Tony Stark, even if we do want to forget Iron Man 2, but how much do non-comic fans know about this years two big baddies that will threaten our hero? To help ease you into the rivalries between the Mandarin, Dr. Aldritch Killian and Tony here are a few “must reads” to get you ready for battle! To find the first appearance of the Mandarin you will have to grab yourself a copy of Tales of Suspense #50 from 1964. Now, you have two choices, you can go for the 8.5 CGC graded version that will set you back $1,245 or you can download a copy from Comixology for #1.99! Your choice! But, if you are like me and like to actually hold a book you are reading, you can acquire a copy the Revenge of the Mandarin hardcover published in 2012 for around $15. Between the covers you will find reprints of Iron Man #8-#14(1998), Fantastic Four #15(1998) and Iron Man/Captain America Annual ’98, and stories that revolve around Tony losing control of his armor, the Mandarin destroying things and War Machine coming to Tony’s aid. I also recommend Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s stunning Iron Man: Extremis TPB(2007) that gives you issues #1-#4 of the series and also gives the first taste of the Extremis armor that will be featured in the film as well as the depth of Dr. Aldrith Killian cunning to destroy Tony at all costs. This one will set you back another $15 bucks but it’s well worth it!

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June 14th will be the day that makes or breaks DC and Warner Bros movie franchise! Not only does the Man of Steel have to save the world from battle hardened Kryptonians, he also holds the weight of building a cohesive “movie world” on his shoulders! What looks to be an amazing movie seems too far away for fans to wait. So, until we “believe a man can fly” again you can satisfy every super need with a single book. DK Publishing put out the Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel in 2002 but has just updated the cover with a more modern picture that reflects Supes New 52 costume. For $20 you can get all the general knowledge you need about Clark Kent and his alter ego. If you are looking for something a little more in depth and see how a a hero goes from boy to “super” man, I recommend Geoff Loeb and Tim Sale’s Superman: For All Seasons. It is a coming of age book that will meld nicely with the more human side of Superman that seems so prevalent in the movie trailers. Also, for something more brutal, pick up Superman Vs Zod TPB(2013) for $12.99. This collection reprints Adventure Comics #283, Action Comics #473, #548-549, DC Comics Presents #97 and Action Comics Annual #10 and contains all the best battles of a pre New 52 DC Universe!

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July 19th gives the comic book industry some offbeat indie comics to check out on the big screen. Both are starring a bevy of big name actors and actresses but will that be enough to drive non-comic fans into the seats. It might not be enough to drive comic fans into the seats either! These “off-beat” movies are going to need as much help as they can to beat out the “Big Two” movies this summer, so let’s build their fanbase with a little reading! First up is RED 2. Now, RED 2 doesn’t really have a comic attached to it, and the first movie was so different from the original Homage Comics(an imprint of Wildstorm Productions now owned by DC) three issue action/suspense shooter, by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, that it really didn’t matter if you read it or not. So, instead of checking out the goofball comedy/action flick starring Bruce Willis, try the 2009 Red TPB for $15 instead! Then check out the 2010 prequel, written and drawn by Cully Hammer, Red:Eyes Only($4) which explains what horrific event took place to make Paul Moses retire from the CIA. in the first place!

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Second up on this day is the “dead cop” buddy movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges in a strange time travel, body jumping, demon killing western called R.I.P.D. This comic was an original four issue series that focused on a character named Nick Cruz who was killed and after 100 years of service in the R.I.P.D. was given the chance to find out who murdered him. R.I.P.D. Vol.2: City of the Damned is a four issue movie prequel series that focuses on Roy Pulsipher and his partner Nick Walker as they expel demons in the Wild West and find the true history of Roy Pulsipher’s past. Both are great reads and can be had for dirt cheap! R.I.P.D. Vol.1 (2nd edition) published by Dark Horse, will only set you back $12.99 while R.I.P.D. Vol.2: City of the Damned can be bought as a bundle on Dark Horse digital downloads for a mere $5.99 for all four issues! That’s WAY better than spending $20 for a migraine at the theater!

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The Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman, cuts it’s way into theaters on July 26th and fans are anxiously awaiting anything to purge their minds of the horrendous Wolverine:Origin fiasco! Based on the classic Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s Wolverine #1-4 solo series from 1982, this movie is getting fans “x-cited” again and July couldn’t come soon enough. There are hundreds of Wolverine stories out there but you only really need to acquaint yourself with a single storyline this time in order to fully immerse yourself in Logan’s Japanese adventure. Considered THE best Wolverine story, you can get your hands on a CGC 9.8 graded copy for around $250 or you can try and find yourself a first edition hardcover reprint of the four issue series for around $50. Me, I think I’ll stick with a newer edition that collects Claremont and Miller’s Wolverine #1-4 for a measly $14! As soon as I get my Barnes and Noble rewards coupon –it will be even cheaper!

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August heats up with the prequel to 300, 300: Rise of an Empire! Now, this one is going to be a little tricky! When Zack Snyder made the original 300 from Frank Miller’s outstanding graphic novel, he actually had a one stop shop in order to procure Miller’s artistic vision. This time around there isn’t one to get! Well, not really. See, there is no graphic novel for 300:Rise of an Empire, there isn’t even a solo comic series to get all the ideas from either. This time around, Frank Miller and Dark Horse comics released Miller’s prequel story, revolving around the egomaniacal Xerxes, in a series of comics. Beginning in (and helping to re-launch the series in 2011) Dark Horse Presents #1 and finishing in Dark Horse Presents #6, you can acquire the entire story that the movie will be based on. Now, that doesn’t seem too bad, especially since you can still find copies at your local comic shop. The bad part is when you see the price tag when you finish acquiring the story! You see, each issue of DHP comes in at a hefty 80 pages and will cost you around $8 each! That’s $48 for a single story! But, with no collected edition in sight, at least at this time, that’s the only route you have to read the original story. Me, I’ll just pay the $15 at the movies and sit in awe like I did with the first one!

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Finally, on August 16th, Mark Millar unleashes his foul, brutal and awesomely good Kick-Ass series on the big screen again! Kick-Ass 2 will show us all how villains can make heroes even better than they were, when the Mother F*#*#! tears down Kick-Ass’ world! Vibrant, funny and extremely violent this sequel actually needed two different comic series to make a single movie! But don’t worry you can still acquire them both for under $50! First you will need to pick up the Kick-Ass 2:Balls to the Wall TPB(2012), in which everything in our hero’s world comes unraveled. A super hero team is formed but the streets aren’t what the need to look after, it’s the past that will kill them. This trade will cost around $15 and can be found at your local comic shop undoubted paired with this next trade. The Kick-Ass 2 Prelude:Hit-Girl hardcover was just released on March 6th and tells the tale between the first and second Kick-Ass series. It follows Mindy in her quest to lead a “normal” life and put the katanas down. It is a great read that shows how socially awkward such a badass character is in the “real” world. This hardcover will run you about $20 but it’s well worth the cover price! You don’t need to read them both in order to enjoy the story but who doesn’t want to know how Hit-Girl handles High School?

So, before you go and spend an ungodly amount of money at the movies, at least give yourself some background information on them before you do. Plus, it’s always more fun when you can enjoy the “Easter eggs” movie studios love to throw into their films. Or, if you don’t get to see them for any reason, at least you will have the knowledge that you have the best version sitting directly in front of you, waiting to be enjoyed whenever you want!

Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for 4/17/2013

The Top of the Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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1. Fanboys Vs. Zombies #13 (BOOM! Studios): Don’t have enough space faring heroes in your life? Who can’t live without a little more zombie action? Well, BOOM! Studios solves all of your nagging problems this week as Fanboys Vs. Zombies takes a treck to “where no one can hear you scream!” That’s right, it’s the “all space” issue as three of our heroes get locked in an escape pod with a zombie and are jetisoned to “where no man has gone before!” A fun book laced with enough “geekisms” that no one will be disappointed!

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2. Daredevil: End of Days #7 (Marvel): Bendis may have lost the battle with acquiring fans to his lackluster Guardians of the Galaxy book, but he is writing a fan favorite with this future tale of Daredevil. Is Matt Murdock really dead? All signs point to yes, so who is the hero in the Daredevil costume? This is a fantastic read that follows Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich on a case to find the truth while visiting almost every character in the Daredevil mythos! This is a real treat for any DD fan!

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3. Bloodshot #10 (Valiant): Continuing through the Harbinger Wars arc, Bloodshot must now become more than just an elite weapon of mass destruction. He must become a protector to some of the most powerful and dangerous children ever born! This is a true character piece that evolves the Bloodshot character to new heights of greatness while allowing for all the standard mayhem and bloodshed too!

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4. The Black Beetle:No Way Out #3(of 4) (Dark Horse): Sometimes you need to turn the dial back and enjoy some classic pulp heroes in all their gritty glory! Well, you can’t go wrong with Francesco Francavilla’s creater owned Black Beetle series. Evocative in both prose and renderings, this is a series that is a true work of art on so many levels. So, grab a fedora and hit the streets with this amazing book!

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5. Justice League #19 (DC): Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis continue to shift the Justice League into new and exciting directions. As new recruits are courted for admidtance to the team, who stole information from the Justice League? Was it one of the recruits or could there be descention in the ranks of the core Leaguers? Tempers flare and the cover says the rest! The seeds of war have been sown and this will lead directly to the Trinity War crossover that begins in July!

Comic Book News

Advanced Review: X-O Manowar #12

When Aric of Dacia was bonded with the Shanhara, the X-O armor, all he dreamed of was revenge against the Vine that destroyed his life. Seething from the atrocities against himself and his people, Aric vowed to wipe all remnants of the Vine’s touch from the Universe. But, what happens when his vengeance blinds him from everything else, especially since there is a secret that proves Aric may not be the last of his kind?

Continually proving that this book is more than the sum of it’s parts, Robert Venditti crafts a fantastic tale about a warrior that may lose himself in the red rage of vengeance, thus becoming the very thing he hates the most! X-O is a true warrior’s tale that focuses not only on all out action, but the journey of a man that has lost everything. With surprises, plot twists and the general evolution of the character, Venditti has transformed a sci-fi epic into an amazing opus for the ages!

The Planet Death storyline continues to astound readers as the scope of Aric’s rage changes in this issue. Could there actually be remnants of his fellow Visigoth alive even under the Vine’s oppressive thumb? Can Aric refrain from the ultimate slaughter of the Vine in order to learn from them, be worshipped by them and to eventually coexist with them? Or will he become something more horrific, more vicious than the Vine ever where all in the name of revenge?

For the answers to everything, get X-O Manowar #12 this week and prepare yourself for Revolution to unfold next month!

Cosmic Book News

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