Post-View Show- Captain America; The First Avenger.

Later.

Later will come the deeper analysis, the introspection and the critical thinking necessary to judge a work of fiction with any degree of impartiality. For the moment, I trust you will indulge me as I completely lose what little hold I have over my self-control and urge you to see this film immediately. It is easily the best film Marvel Studios has produced, and (in my humblest of opinions)the best film of Summer 2011. There. I said it. The gauntlet has been thrown to the ground.

Now this may be my post-viewing enthusiasm bubbling forth, and perhaps subsequent viewing will cool my feelings toward the piece. I freely admit I'm a Golden Age/Pulp nerd; set something in the 1930s-40s, throw in some weird science, a diabolical arch-fiend out to take over the world and a stalwart hero to oppose him and I'm in like Flynn. But this movie not only met my expectations, it exceeded them. Joe Johnston and his team have done what I never would've dreamed possible: they have created a film that is a tonal and character 180 degrees from the pinnacle of contemporary superhero movies (Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight) while still managing to make it a complete and total equal in terms of entertainment.

I may need a good night's sleep to mull this over on (it's about 3:15 in the morning as I type these words and the mixture of fatigue and giddiness could be coloring my perceptions) but I encourage you, nay, implore you to seek this film out. It's just plain fun in a way that I think most cinematic blockbusters rolled off the assembly line just aren't anymore. The good guys were true blue, the bad guys delightfully nasty, the good fight was fought, and a hero came into his own. My usual tag of 'recommended' seems pale and inadequate. See this movie and let me know what you think. Me? I loved it. It's easily my favorite Marvel movie of all time, and stands shoulder to shoulder with Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow, The Phantom, and the Fleischer Superman cartoons as a vision of old school heroism and adventure.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to collapse into a satisfied but exhausted heap.

Stac

Ps. Staying until after the credits would be very, very wise. Have a bucket handy to collect your face after it's melted off.

Batman for Quaker Oats.

'Hello, I'm Batman, World's Greatest Detective and professional badass. Before I spend an evening punching criminal scum in the soul, I enjoy a hearty bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. It provides me with the nutrients I need to bring justice to the mean streets of Gotham, and it can help you get through your busy days on the go. With such down-home goodness, it'd be downright criminal not to enjoy a bowl.

And you know what I do to criminals.'


(BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE May 12, 2010.)

Wisdom.

Could there be a Chris Nolan-helmed vehicle that could contain the awesome of a pirate batman, replete with bat-pommelled cutlass and bandoleer-style utility belt?

No.

No there really, really couldn't.

BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE drops May 12, 2010. Prepare thyself.

Boba Fett mows his lawn.

Paying him a dollar every hour for the privilege.

And business? Booming.

Buy Essential Iron Fist Volume 1. It's more than worth it.

Stac

OH MY GOD YES.

http://www.program-glitch-esc.net/
CLICK IT. CLICK IT RIGHT NOW.

Uh. . .yeah. . .so. . .um. . .

The word 'Damn' comes to mind. . .

Truly Escapist Fare: The Mister Miracle Review.

One of the truly great things about this time in popular culture is the oppurtunity that arises to introduce those drawn in to the medium by movies and television to the sheer scope of comics proper. While not as household a name as his frequent partner, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby's influence on the contemporary superhero comicbook cannot be denied. The man co-created a slew of classic characters from Captain America through the Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man. . .the list goes on and on. His art style was nothing if not distinctive, and the scope of his ideas ranged from the contemporary to the cosmic, often within the same issue. He stands as a giant in the industry, and rightly so.

Kirby's style was one of the first I consciously recognized even before I became aware that comicbooks were actively created by individuals, rather than simply magically materializing into a grocery store or pharmacy. I think the first time I ever encountered his art was in an issue of the comics adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, bought as part of those wonderful 'grab-bags' of comics that used be sold in department stores for about fifty cents. Another similar purchase by my parents yielded a copy of The Eternals #1, and years later when I bought a copy of Super Powers #6 at the Green Gables in Fort McMurray, Alberta, I knew immediately that this was more of the same. Kirby's art is powerful, energetic, and dynamic. If it could be summed up into a single word, it'd have to be action; things jump out at the screen, machinery looks intricate and futuristic, figures look primal and idealized, a mixture of primitive and paragon. Kirby's characters don't walk, they stride. They don't jump, they bound. Even when they're standing still there's a sense of a coiled spring ready to snap, that something is about to be unleashed and when it does it'll be sudden, intense, and amazing.

It was through the cartoon SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show that I was first introduced to Kirby's personal opus: The Fourth World. At the time I had no idea that uber-baddie Darkseid, his son Kalibak and the scheming majordomo Desaad were anything more than the creation of Hanna-Barberra and Saturday Morning, but in later years I've come to appreciate Kirby and his creations as perhaps some of the most ambitious and amazing concepts to come out of North American Comics.

The story of the Fourth World begins with an ending:

'There came a time when the old gods died! The brave died with the cunning! The noble perished, locked in battle with unleashed evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!'

From those opening lines in New Gods #1 we're then introduced to the core concepts of this universe: That from the destruction of the realm of the 'old' gods sprung two new worlds, the idyllic and utopian New Genesis and the smoke-filled, fiery dystopia of Apokolips. New Genesis is ruled by the benevolent and wise Highfather in accordance with the will of the Source, a primeval energy said to be part of the very foundations of creation. Apokolips bends to the will of Darkseid, the despotic ruler of this grimy, industrialized and warlike planet who yearns to bend the whole of creation to his will, both through force of arms and the discovery of the Anti-Life Equation, a formula of incredible power that will give him absolute control over the whole of sentient thought. The twin realms have discovered such amazing technologies as sentient supercomputer/companions called 'Mother Boxes' and the powerful 'boom tubes' which can span vast gulfs of space and allow for near-instantanous travel. An uneasy peace has existed between the two worlds thanks to the Pact, a nonagression treaty that culminated in the exchange of the sons of both Highfather and Darkseid. Darkseid's son, the warrior Orion, was raised on paradisical New Genesis, his adventures chronicled in the central New Gods. Highfather's son. . .well his tale is the story of Mister Miracle.

Thaddeus Brown is a down-on-his-luck escape artist who hopes one last big break as the theatrical Mister Miracle will win him a wager placed years ago with a criminal. His sidekick and friend, the dwarf Oberon, is of the opinion that the stunt won't work, but Thaddeus is determined. The pair meet a mysterious young man, Scott Free(yes, it really is his name, explanations to follow) who offers to assist with their act, and displays some feats of ledgermain with eldritch, intricate-looking technology(Kirby-tech was always awesome looking) that aid him in his own escapes that seems almost. . .unearthly. When Thaddeus is killed by the aforementioned criminal in an effort to weasel out of the bet, Scott takes up the mantle of Mister Miracle in an effort to avenge his death. Scott defeats the villains handily, and goes on to become an escape artist and general magnet for trouble. You see, Scott is the only man to ever escape Apokolips. That's a blemish on the reputation of Granny Goodness, denmother of the 'Terror Orphanages' that indoctrinate the Apokoliptian youth into a life of servitude and slavery from near-birth. Scott's luck has him running up against old foes from Apokolips. . .and an old friend as well in the form of Big Barda, leader of the Female Furies--the elite female corps of Darkseid's armies--- and a fellow renegade fleeing the tyranny of Darkseid. Eventually the attacks and pursuit of the two fugitives grow to be too much, and they must return to Apokolips to earn the chance to fight for their freedom in trial by combat.

What I absolutely love about Kirby's work is his energy, the sheer exuberance he managed to put down on the page no matter the subject matter or if it was work for hire. With his Fourth World creations he was given the keys to the kingdom and could essentially tell any kind of story he wanted. And he went for it with a kind of glorious abandon that'd make his daredevil of a protagonist proud. Mister Miracle was an adventure story, but he wasn't a traditional superhero, rather a performer(based in part on stories artist Jim Steranko told of his days as an illusionist) whose unearthly origins often landed him in serious danger. His background was a tragic one, but from the beginning there's a core of optimism and goodness that grants him the potential to be far more than another one of Granny's drones. In fact, he takes her mocking label of 'Scott Free' and embraces it, turning that gesture of contempt into a credo to live his entire life by. Scott values freedom; be it his own, his friends, or the Earth's, and he'll do whatever he can to defend it. He's a compassionate, adventurous soul and easily one of Kirby's finest characters.

Another aspect of the book that I love is that the hero's 'love interest' is anything but the typical damsel in distress. Big Barda kicks ass, a warrior nearly without peer with superhuman strength and resilience. She's the brawn of the pair, where Scott relies more on quickness and his wits. A seasoned, hardened fighter, she nevertheless has a core of goodness to her that even the worst indoctrination and brutality can't squelch. She and Scott fall for each other, but the relationship doesn't feel forced, but rather a natural outgrowth of their situation and cameraderie. Kirby based Barda physically on actress Lainie Kazan, but the interplay between the two characters was apparently based--however slightly--on the relationship between Jack and his wife Roz. That lends a bit of veracity to their relationship, and it makes them feel real. Barda to me is Wonder Woman refined; a badass warrior woman who can be feminine (as in her quite revealing casual attire) but when action calls for it and there's a threat to her safety or her friends she can be utterly relentless (via her warsuit, fearsome martial skills, and her weapon of choice the mega-rod).

The stories are late Silver Age/Early Bronze Age in tone, and the dialogue sometimes veers into the territory of the cheesy, but the book is nothing if not fun. Seriously, how can you not love a book that features a villainous criminal mastermind named Virman Vundabar? Seriously, say the name and try not to smile. Kirby's art is an acquired taste to some, and I'll grant that it's not without flaw but there's just something in his characters and in the way they move, the situations they get into. . .even the covers have an energy that the current crop of 'movie poster' style covers of today just lack. If you haven't read any Kirby and want something self-contained that doesn't require decades of comicbook minutuea committed to memory, or just a fun little adventure serial with a twist of space opera, give Mister Miracle a try

Stac

Through A Glass Darkly: The Justice League Crisis on Two Earths Review.

I have to confess I was initially going to skip out on this review. I mean, really, what do you expect me to say? It's my favorite team of superheroes--The Justice League of America--battling their evil twins from a parallel universe. I mean come on, this is just a recipe for pure awesome. How could it go wrong? The answer is that it does, albeit only slightly. Stick with me and we'll talk about it.

The film opens with Lex Luthor(Chris Noth) and a brightly colored, clownish figure breaking into a secure facility. With seconds to spare (and a delaying action by his associate that costs him his life) Lex uses a piece of stolen technology to jump from his universe to that of an alternate reality, the universe of the Justice League. There he approaches the team for help. His world has been overrun by a group called the Crime Syndicate, a cabal of superhuman criminals who have banded together in an alliance of their five crime families to divvy up the entirety of their world. Beneath a facade of normalcy the Syndicate rules through intimidation and outright violence. Luthor, leader of that world's Justice League, is its sole survivor and needs the aid of our League in order to liberate his world.

Superman(Mark Harmon) is initially skeptical, but the thought of anyone in trouble is enough to sway him to aid Luthor. Batman(William Baldwin) flat-out rejects the notion; they've got enough on their plate on their own Earth, trying to act as a multi-dimensional police force isn't an idea he endorses. Gradually the majority of the League decide it's in the best interests of this other-Earth to come to their aid and join with Luthor, departing for the alternate reality.

Luthor's activities haven't gone unnoticed by the Crime Syndicate; his escape cost two of their members their lives and boss of bosses Ultraman(Brian Bloom) is not happy. Owlman (James Woods) conducts his own investigation whilst simultaneously proposing the division of the deceased bosses' territories. Superwoman (Gina Torres) considers the possibilities of profit on a multi-dimensional scale, while hoods like Power Ring (Nolan North in a dual role) and Johnny Quick(James Patrick Stuart) are about securing their territory and making a quick buck. The nihilistic Owlman keeps his own counsel, but it's clear as the movie progresses that he has his own agenda, a considerably dark one.

Of course, the plot is largely a framework upon which to hang the central premise of the entire flick: superheroes fighting evil versions of themselves. And it's here the film shines. Co-directors Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery bring some sick fight scenes to the piece, with everything from aerial acrobatics to brutal fist fights to accomplished martial arts moves and all points in between. Each hero/villain pairing gets their time to shine thanks to the capable pen of writer Dwayne McDuffie (a longtime comics writer as well as a producer of the original Justice League animated series), who works in a lot of subtle nods and in-jokes for the long-time fans while still keeping it fresh and new enough not to distance it from a more general audience. The character work here is all top notch; the Flash (Josh Keaton) is snarky and fun, Wonder Woman(Vanessa Marshall) gets some moments of epic badassery in the piece, mirrored nicely by Superwoman's own brand of superhumanly powerful insanity. Mark Harmon makes for a really fun Superman(complete with a slight country-boy twang to his speaking patterns) and Brian Bloom makes Ultraman a bit over the top, but it works for the ultimate supervillain in a world of supervillians. Hell, I'd be arrogant and over the top as all get-out if I knew I was king of the heap and had no moral barometer. Martian Manhunter(Jonathan Adams) gets a bit of development in this film as well, as he finds a potential love interest in the daughter of the American President of the other-Earth(called Earth-3 in the comics but never really provided a designation here).

The crown jewel of the piece however has got to be James Woods as Owlman. His portrayal of this character is one of an icy calm with just a tinge of complete and utter madness. Owlman is the Anti-Batman, which means his insanity is such that even the Joker would probably blanch. His plans are horrifying, but he pulls it off with such control--and even near-boredom--that you are at once creeped out and intrigued all at once. His scenes with Batman are incredible, though William Baldwin is at best capable as the Dark Knight. I really wish they'd gone with Kevin Conroy as the caped crusader, but Baldwin gets us where we need to go.

At 72 minutes the film is the longest of the DC Universe animated productions, and I hope that favorable reaction to the finished product will encourage the good people at Warner Brothers Animation to go flat-out for a proper 120-minute/2 hour feature. These films have been improving in quality by leaps and bounds with each release, and I hope they'll bring a greater scope and depth to them as time goes by and it's proven that the audience is hungry for more along these lines.

All this praise is warranted, but I did mention there was a bit of a problem I didn't notice with the film until a second viewing, namely in the character of Batman. The Dark Knight makes some choices in this film (one involving Owlman, the other with another character) that I found to be a bit reprehensible upon a second viewing. Yes, the members of the Crime Syndicate are no angels, but the Batman I've come to know over the years views life as pretty much sacrosanct. To take the life of anyone--even a psychotic criminal--is completely antithetical to the core concept of the character. Now it could be argued that 'this' Batman is a bit of a harsher fellow than the Batman I know, but still. . .Batman's reverence for life is such that he'd never put anyone in jeopardy, even his worst enemies. That's the sole reason the Joker is still breathing after everything he's done (and he's done plenty). Those moments almost took me out of the film, but they're far from a deal-breaker. Still, I wonder what prompted McDuffie to take the character in that direction.

Also included on the disk is the inaugural episode of a new project called DC Showcase; an Anthology-style series of animated shorts starring second or third-tier DC characters. Up first is The Spectre. Done in a washed out, pseudo-1970s grindhouse film style (which after watching Black Dynamite a week or so ago did not go unnoticed) the Spectre tells the tale of Jim Corrigan(Gary Cole) a detective working a homicide case. Of course, this being a DC feature Corrigan is far more than he appears. I won't spoil it for you, but the Spectre is the wrath of the unavenged dead, and yeah, wrath gets dished out in spades in this short. The nods towards horror classics of the '70s was not lost on this viewer, and the short was found to be incredibly fun. I can't wait to see the next feature on the docket, western gunfighter Jonah Hex. Recommended most highly.

Stac

Why Robert E. Howard is awesome:

'He shrugged his shoulders. "I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom's realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer's Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content." ' -Robert E. Howard, 'Queen of the Black Coast'

Geek on the Chesterfield: The Black Dynamite Review.

I was born in 1975 and spent my early years in rural Nova Scotia. As a result I sadly missed out on the grindhouse period of cinema, the period where everything was up for grabs and most films were anything but arty or pretentious in the least. Back then the goal was to put asses in seats, and if a film could transport you for two hours to a place you enjoyed so much the better. Blockbusters weren't filmed, they were the result of word of mouth and the adulation of the crowd rather than being expensive star vehicles. If a film was good, people heard about it and were drawn to the theater. But in the main it was mainly as disposable a venue of entertainment as the direct-to-DVD market is today. If it's released on schedule that's fine by the studio; if it happens to be embraced by the public at large that's an unexpected bonus.

While '70s cinema did indeed run the gamut from serious films to popcorn flicks and all points in between, to the true genre aficionado this is the age of two mighty giants: the Blaxploitation Films and the Kung-Fu Flicks. Individually these two genres were formidable; Blaxploitation gave us everything from biting social commentary (Sweet Sweetbacks's Badasssss Song) to empowered black heroes who took crap from no one and kicked ass, be they male (Shaft) or female (Foxy Brown). But when they came together in a single feature, the results could be intensely awesome (Black Belt Jones) or somewhat silly (Dolemite). The best films tended to be a mixture of both, and it's in this that Black Dynamite shines as both a subtle satire and a loving tribute.

Trying to explain the plot of Black Dynamite would be an exercise in futility, not due to any true depth per se, but simply because we've seen it all before; heroic demigod (Black Dynamite, played gut-bustingly straight by Michael Jai White) returns to his old neighborhood upon the death of his younger brother at the hands of the drug trade. BD is brought back into the fold of the CIA by O'Leary (Kevin Chapman), where he worked for the CIA, and whereupon he broke ranks with the CIA never to work with the CIA again(this film is never afraid to over-exposit to sometimes hilarious effect). With the aid of his old friend and ally Bullhorn (Byron Minns) and a strongarmed pimp snitch called Creamed Corn (Tommy Davidson), Black Dynamite works to rid the streets of drugs, violence, and kung-fu treachery, romancing the fine black activist/feminist Gloria (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) while he does so.

Directed by Scott Sanders and written by Sanders, White, and Minns, this film is amazingly fun. That's it's mandate, and it succeeds brilliantly in not only capturing the escapist feel of the '70s blaxploitation/kung-fu films, but also their incredible, incredible cheesiness. Lines are flubbed (or read complete with stage directions), the boom mike lowers into the shot to bump Black Dynamite in the head, actors in a fight scene are matched up toe to toe and one ticks the other off, only to be replaced by a lighter-skinned stunt double in the next shot. The film is at once two stories; the story of Black Dynamite the movie and the production of the film during the 1970s and all the inherent craziness therein. The film is cheesy, yes, but when it's good it's pretty damn amazing, as when Black Dynamite kicks ass with his kung-fu skills.

Cameo appearances abound, and some make for a good chuckle (such as Aresenio Hall's turn as Pimp Council leader Tasty Freeze) while others make you bust out laughing. Cedric Yarbrough all but steals the Pimp Council scene as Chocolate Giddy-Up, who had my friends and I in stitches. Some of the best cameos and reveals I will not dare spoil, but what I love about the film is it's struggle to find it's plot, so much so that the villain of the piece is consistently one-upped. We think it's one guy, but then the writer must have seen a kung-fu film the night previous and decides it's this guy, then no wait, it's this guy, in one of the most jaw-droppingly incredible scenes I've seen committed to celluloid.

Judging from his body of work (the film adaptation of Todd McFarlane's Spawn, a universal soldier sequel) I had no idea Michael Jai White was this funny or this sharp. He brings a humor to the role when he needs to but when Black Dynamite kicks ass White brings an intimidating physicality to the role, one that's mirror opposite can be seen in Minn's pretty damn pathetic 'kung-fu' as Bullhorn. Davidson as Creamed Corn is pretty funny as well, kind of a pimp C-3P0.

I know it feels a bit like a Mutual Appreciation Society in here, but do you know how incredibly good it feels to sit down with a film that states simply and plainly 'I'm here to entertain you, not beat you over the head with how Impressive I am'? And that's how I felt when the movie spun to an end in my DVD player: entertained. Black Dynamite is at once a blast from the past and a breath of fresh air, which in this film market of bloated blockbusters that offer nothing but expensive special effects budgets is something to seriously appreciate. Recommended.

Stac

Ps. Even the trailer is in on the joke, with it's 'cast credits'. This film is so damn fun.

What Spider-Man can, She'll give a whirl: The Spider Girl: Legacy Review.

My friends and I indulge in a weekly ritual we've come to call the Comicbook Run. Basically it means meeting up mid-afternoon on a Sunday and tooling around Calgary, making a slow circuit of each of our favorite four-color haunts. If you've seen the movie Free Enterprise(and if you haven't shame on you, as it's a helluva fun flick), imagine the scene where the four guys are heading to Toys R Us and you've pretty much got our CBRs visualized. It's a chance to get together and geek out completely and it's oftentimes a much-needed stress release valve.

Unfortunately, it seems that I have come to settle into the role of the curmudgeonly bastard, the Dana Carvey/Grumpy Old Man character who often rails against things 'not bein' the way they used to be!' and 'back in my day we had gorillas with jetpacks and we liked it, by God!' sort of character. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a fun role to play and I enjoy venting my pent-up aggression to some of the. . .shall we say. . .less stellar aspects of the genre that've come down the pike lately (time bullets? Deals with the Devil? People getting ripped in half? Give me strength. . .).My brother recently made the crack that there are really only two things I like about mainstream superhero comics anymore:

1)They're out every month

And

2) They're in color.

Everything else seems to just be one more thorn in the cranky old Lion's paw, sure to get him roaring and bellyaching about this, that, and the other thing. Cue laugh track, and we're walking, we're walking. . .

So the question arises; Stacy you magnificent bull-god of a man, is there a superhero comic that you do like? One that you unequivocaly love? And more importantly, is it a book that I (being an unitiated reader curious about comics and wanting to dip my toe in the water) would have a hope in hell of comprehending? My answer, dearest reader, is yes. There is a book that I do love, and have loved for years without reservation or compunction. That book is Spider-Girl(now The Amazing Spider-Girl).

One of Marvel's strengths has been it's ability to play around with it's continuity (unlike certain other Distinguished Companies whose problems with continuity could fill volumes). A longtime favorite title in the Marvel line of comics is What If?, an anthology-style book in which stories can take place outside of continuity and answer famous questions about Marvel heroes (What If Captain America were thawed out of the ice in the '90s, What If The Hulk kept Banner's mind, What If Aunt May were the herald of Galactus(I'm not kidding)). In 1998 an issue of What If? was released that introduced the world to May 'Mayday' Parker, the daughter of the Spectacular Spider-Man. The rest, as they say, is history.

May is the daughter of Peter and Mary Jane Watson-Parker. Peter retired from his life as the Amazing Spider-Man after a final battle with his old enemy Norman Obsorn, the Green Goblin, a battle that left Peter battered and missing one leg and that (seemingly) cost Norman his life. The pair settled down in the Queens neighborhood they grew up in and raised their young daughter May as loving parents(Peter's a forensic scientist for the NYPD and Mary Jane later becomes a guidance counselor). Unfortunately, comicbook fate being what it is it isn't long before their daughter (an athletic lass who dominates the basketball courts) is suddenly making decidedly nimble leaps and bounds that are as clear a sign as any that the proportianate strength, speed, and agility of a spider has passed down the bloodline from father to daughter. Peter and Mary Jane come clean with May, and just in time too as Norman's grandson (and May's childhood playmate) Normie escapes from a mental institution and takes up the mantle of the Green Goblin determined to kill the entire Parker clan, starting with Peter. May, being Peter's daughter and well aware of the correlation between great power and great responsibility, dons one of her father's variant costumes and takes Normie down as the Spectacular Spider-Girl! The issue ends with May, Peter and Mary Jane burning the costume and web-shooters, leaving the past in the past and looking forward to a future as a united family. It was a great little story, easily one of the best the What If? title ever produced, and it was a cult hit after it's release.

This worked out well for Marvel as a whole, as they were looking for a largely continuity-baggage free title to kick off a line of books meant to go back into the mainstream market, rather than the direct market of staight-to-specialty stores (namely comic shops). The Spider-Girl concept (created by longtime Marvel Writer-Editor Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz) was spun (no pun intended) into a line called MC2. The MC2 universe was the Marvel universe some years in the future, with most of the original heroes retired and newer, younger heirs apparent taking on the mantle for the next wave of pulse-pounding entertainment in the merry Marvel manner. Books like A-Next(the Avengers of this new era) J2(Zane Yama, the heroic son of the X-Men villain the Juggernaut), The Fantastic Five(the future's first family and heirs to Marvel's original fearsome foursome) and Spider-Girl rounded out the initial lineup with Wild Thing (the future daughter of Electra and Wolverine, because of course no book line or Marvel series can escape the wrath of GrrrSnktBub) coming along later in the line's run. MC2 was tailor made to sell in Wal-Marts or grocery stores, each book being largely complete in and of itself and handled by a single creative team (DeFalco wrote all the books, while various artists contributed). The line eventually failed (comics being a tough sell during the Age of Pokemon) but it was a noble experiment nonetheless. However, Spider-Girl sales still remained strong, so much so in fact that the book lasted for a record-breaking 100 issues, the longest run of any female Marvel superhero title to date. Why? Let's look into it.

The book was a combination of things: it featured the adventures of a strong, intelligent young woman who--while still being a teenager and caught up in the drama of high school life and the superheroic soap opera--was nevertheless an engaging character. You felt for May and her struggle and wanted her to succeed. Indeed her adventures with her supporting cast out of costume was often just as engaging as her exploits as the wisecracking webslinger of tomorrow.

Secondly, the book was something that most superhero books sadly are not anymore, and that's accessible. Marvel comics is the relative new kid on the block when it comes to the Big Two, but that was still 1963. That's 47 years of continuity, more or less. People like to read a thrilling adventure story, but they also don't want to feel like they have to do homework in order to understand who the characters are and what's going on. With Spider-Girl, everything you got was self-contained to that title. It was in the future, an 'alternate reality' and as such was largely fireproofed against being dragged into the latest crossover du jour. The book was about Spider-Man's daughter, she fought bad guys, that was the basic gist. Simple, clear and direct. It was a comicbook for people who'd like to read superhero comics but were afraid they'd need to devote a good year or two to playing catch-up. A reader of Spider-Girl could walk into the title knowing nothing more than what they'd seen in the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film and feel absolutely at ease. Anything that needed to be explained usually was within the story as it was occuring, so the adventures never lost momentum.

Another aspect to the book is that it's kid-friendly, something else that most books sadly aren't these days. Spider-Girl exulted in action and adventure in a style that's largely been put to the side in favor of decompression and grittier storylines. This isn't a condemnation; it's a business strategy that plays into the aging of the comics reading audience from childhood to teens to twenties to thirties and beyond. But there's just something to be said for a book that you can read as a grownup and enjoy, and then be able to pass to a younger reader without concern. Nobody gets ripped in half in Spider-Girl; it's about as violent as the Indiana Jones movies or the Spider-Man cartoons of old.

Volume One: Legacy, details May's return to webslinging after an absence. Events compel her to don the webs again despite her parents disapproval, but she was raised too well to let people get hurt when she has the ability to help. The book also shines in it's depiction of May's inexperience and her efforts to deal with it; she's got a lot of heart but ultimately she realizes if she keeps charging in without a plan or proper training she's going to get badly hurt. She seeks out her 'uncle' Phil Urich, a former costumed hero in his own right (just which one is a fun little ironic twist) to help train her in dealing with her powers and abilities. May honors her father's wishes and desire not to get hurt, but at the same time she operates from a differing philosophy. Peter Parker was a hero because someone died. May is a hero because her father lived. Her decisive action saved her father's life, and she's determined to make sure that if she can help she will. This makes her an amazingly appealing character. No 'my parents are dead' uberbrooding need apply.

Now it's not all roses (and really, would it be a talk with me if I didn't get a little grumbly?); DeFalco's writing style will definitely take some getting used to if you're more familiar with contemporary fare. The dialogue sometimes veers into expressions of BOLD DELCARATIONS and DRAMA in very much the same kind of style of the classic comics of yore. Much like the old-school superhero comics, Spider-Girl is a drama, and sometimes that drama does come to bite one in the butt. Of course, it's a mild quibble and merely the grit that forms the pearl in my opinion. Ron Frenz (with Pat Oliffe) does some amazing artwork that's a blend of classic Spidey art influences like Ditko and Romita while giving it a life all it's own. The book looks good, and it's design as a manga-style digest volume means it's great for conserving shelf space and durable enough to give to a kid to read.

Spider-Girl's initial title ran for 100 issues before it shut down. . .then it came back as The Amazing Spider-Girl for 30 more. The character is now a regular feature on Marvel's web site as part of their digital comics initiative, but I encourage anyone who enjoys superheroes, fun comics, and books they want to share with younger readers to seek out Spider-Girl (or any of the MC2 books) at their local comicbook shops. Why not make a family Comicbook Run of your very own?

Stac

You will believe.

In which I am very proud.

Livejournal people who can't see the posted video should head to: http://thecanadiandefender.blogspot.com/

New posts delayed for the Xmas season.

I will return with my next review piece shortly, but for now I'm taking a much-needed break to spend time with family and enjoy the holiday season. Here's hoping that you and yours have a joyous solstice/holiday and a happy new year. Enjoy your upcoming turkey coma. . .or vegan turkey substitute coma. As long as you have fun. ^.^

Stac

ETA: Holy crap, my next post will be my 100th. No pressure there, none at all. . .eeek.

After the Oceans Drank Atlantis: The Warlord Volume One Review.

DC Showcase Presents The Warlord Volume One

Written and Illustrated by Mike Grell

Published by DC Comics

Let's talk about the joy of faith rewarded for a moment.

Longtime readers of TCD may recall that my initial review of the recent relaunch of Mike Grell's sword and sorcery hero The Warlord met with a relatively lukewarm review. I didn't hate the book, but it had yet to wow me with the same intensity as I'd remembered from reading my cousin's comics so long ago in Ostrea Lake, Nova Scotia in the early '80s. Hearing that DC was going to be collecting Grell's run on the title into their affordable black and white Showcase volumes gave me some cause to hope, and I awaited it's release with eager anticipation. I plunked down my 23 bucks plus tax and took it home to my To Read pile atop my computer desk. And there it waited. . .

. . .and waited. . .

. . .and waited some more.

I was afraid. Afraid that--as with so many things in our lives--that time and experience would dull my enthusiasm for something that I'd loved so much as a kid. I put off reading it for as long as possible until my pile thinned out enough so that the iconic cover above was staring up at me every morning as I rose to check my e-mail. With no other option open to me, I warily picked up the tome and began to read, hoping against hope that the book would be as epic as I remembered. It wasn't the first time I've been wrong, and it won't be the last.

This book wasn't as epic as I remembered. It was even better.

It's more metal than an Iced Earth/DragonForce double-bill, and that my friends is pretty damned metal.

The premise is elegant in it's simplicity: in 1969 at the height of the Cold War, Lt. Colonel Travis Morgan of the United States Air Force is tapped to fly a reconnaissance mission in that hazy airspace between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. along the North Pole. He's spotted by those rascally Ruskies and his plane is damaged, sending him spiralling out of control. He manages to ditch at the last minute, his navigational instruments having gone haywire, and parachutes into a strange new world. A world of eternal sunlight, a world of ancient technologies that might as well be magic, and primitive beasts from epochs long past. I think the alternating tag lines of the series puts it best:

'From the sky he came, to a world of eternal sunlight and eternal savagery--Travis Morgan, a man with a lust for adventure and passion for freedom! As his fame spreads, so grows the legend of--THE WARLORD.'

And

'In the savage world of Skartaris, life is a constant struggle for survival. Here, beneath an unblinking orb of eternal sunlight, one simple law prevails: if you let your guard down for an instant, you will soon be very dead.'

If you ever wondered what a grindhouse sword and sorcery film would look like, look no further than Mike Grell's The Warlord. The storytelling engine is so simple and so elegant that the work and care that's gone into it might almost be lost. Grell's Skartaris is a world unto itself, a land where time stands still (quite literally, as Morgan finds himself back in his own world at one point to discover the year is now 1977. What have been days and weeks for him have been years for the rest of the Earth) and a variety of perils can be thrown at strong-thewed heroes with a lust for life and adventure. Grell's creation is the heir of heroes like John Carter and Eric John Stark, men from our world who've literally fallen down the rabbit hole into a world where their prowess in combat can be more asset than the liability it might prove in more 'civilized' surroundings. Here, life and death is decided by how quick you are with a sword, and sudden danger lurks around that next corner or over that jungle mesa.

Morgan is our protagonist, but he has a pretty solid supporting cast too. Tara, warrior-princess of Shamballah and the love of his life, Machiste the gladiator turned lieutenant in Morgan's crusade to overthrow the tyranny of his arch-nemesis Deimos(whom will get to momentarily), and Professor Mariah Romonova of Moscow University, an archaeologist and fencing champion who takes Morgan up on the chance to see history's savage past life in the flesh. . .which she tends to bare in an outfit that makes Red Sonja look like an extra in a Jane Austen novel. Grell has a talent for distributing equal measures of beef-and-cheesecake, as most everyone who fights to survive in the savage world of Skartaris does in fact tend to look like they stepped off the cover of Men's Fitness and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Running from marauding dinosaurs, fighting blade to blade against bandits, and wrestling eldritch-spawned horrors amidst ancient ruins from the ancient past probably provides for good cardio and chiseled physiques. Maybe Grell could share the secrets of the Warlord's fitness regimen in the current series.

A good hero is nothing without a good villain, and with The Warlord as our stalwart protagonist Grell meets that challenge with the scheming mastermind Deimos. Replete with his ebony hair, pointed goatee, and wizard robes with flared collar, he is the quintessential evil sorcerer. Of course, as we learn over the series he isn't using actual magic so much as the ancient technologies of the first peoples of Skartaris, the survivors of Atlantis. With their super-science Deimos does his ample best to set himself up as the lord and master of all he surveys. It's just too bad Travis Morgan is always on-hand to topple his every scheme, even killing our villain fairly early in the series. Of course, you can never keep a good baddie down long, and Deimos proves to be just as unkillable as the Joker, and even more ruthless given his plots and schemes as the story progresses.

Mike Grell's artwork is a joy to behold; he clearly has a blast depicting Morgan cutting loose with sword and .44 pistol against dinosaurs, dragons, and assorted dastards. Unlike some other Showcase editions the artwork here is actually helped by black and white format, giving the reader an appreciation for the detail and frenetic energy Grell bring to his battle sequences. Grell's prose is lean and services the story in carrying things through from the jolting start of each issue to it's conclusion, usually tying things up with our heroes in triumph(though on occasion he delves into an epilogue that foreshadows storm clouds to come). These books are products of the late 1970s, where newsstand distribution was still king and each story had to work hard to provide a complete reading experience in and off itself. Threads are picked up over the course of the 29 issues contained herein, but this book is tight, lean, mean and refreshingly free of the decompression of more contemporary fare.

This book was everything I hoped it could be and more. If you want an enjoyably escapist read that's self-contained and doesn't require a degree in comics continuity I'd encourage you to seek out Showcase Presents The Warlord Volume One. It's a comic that takes the sword and sorcery genre in all it's ale-swigging, sword-slinging, vine-swinging glory and runs with it. A delight from start to finish, I recommend it as highly as I can.

Stac

HG World Season Zero, Episode 5: All The Greenery is Comin' Down Boy.

HG World: An Original Zombie Horror Serial

HG World Afterparty 03: The Miracle of Birth.

HG World Afterparty 03 ~ "The Miracle of Birth: Podcast E...

HG World: An Original Zombie Horror Serial

The Dynamic Duo of Kandor: The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird Review.

Superman: The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird

Written by: Cary Bates, Paul Kupperberg
Inks by: Allen Milgrom, Romeo Tanghal


I love the Silver Age of Comics. The period encompassing the mid-1950s through the late 1960s is one of my favorite eras of the entire genre. Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent had led to the crackdown of the Comics Code, which put EC Comics and their various horror, crime, and suspense publications out of business. In the wake of the Code, DC Comics underwent a second renaissance under the editorial leadership of Julie Schwartz, who reintroduced Golden Age heroes like the Flash, Green Lantern, and the Atom with a science fiction spin in keeping with the UFO/Sci-Fi (an ugly term, but apt for the period) craze sweeping the nation. The Marvel Age of Comics, with it's heroes burdened with their own personal drama in addition to the perils common to the superheroic community, was just around the corner. DC's big three; Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, had been going strong since the 1930s, although by the dawn of the Silver Age their adventures had been running continuously for about twenty-odd years apiece, and it could be a struggle to keep the concepts fresh.


It was in the Silver Age that so much of Superman's rich mythology really locked into place; Krypton as Utopian paradise, the Fortress of Solitude, the Phantom Zone, Supergirl. . .and the Bottled City of Kandor. Truly one of the more bizarre (not Bizarro, we'll cover him another time) creations of the time, the city was once a thriving community on Superman's home planet of Krypton that had been shrunk down and placed in a bottle by the android villain brainiac as an addition to his growing collection of alien cultures. This spared the people of Kandor when Krypton exploded and one day Brainiac's marauding took him to Earth where he ran afoul of Superman, who managed to liberate Kandor from Brainiac's clutches and return them to his Fortress of Solitude. Unfortunately, while Superman could devise temporary ways to shrink himself down and enlarge the populace contained within, he could never find a lasting solution to their predicament. That was the supreme irony of the concept; there was an entire city of millions of Kryptonians alive and well. . .and stuck at mere inches in height.


With Kandor, Superman could visit Krypton, or at the very least a piece of it, which led to some interesting stories (the creation of the Superman Emergency Squad being one of them; a band of Kandorian heroes who would journey beyond the bottle where--while tiny--they still gained the full suite of superpowers common to Kryptonians under a yellow sun, clad in little red and blue uniforms to aid Superman should he ever need them). . .and the sheer insanity which I'm about to share with you. Submitted for your approval: Nightwing and Flamebird, the Batman and Robin of Kandor!


During a visit to Kandor, Superman and his pal Jimmy Olsen soon discover they're public enemy #1 due to a villain's plot, claiming Superman has kept the people of Kandor as 'pets' when he had the means to enlarge the city all along. On the run from the lynch mob, they seek sanctuary with a friend of Superman's father Jor-El, who doesn't believe the outlandish claims of the villain and shelters Superman and Jimmy while they plan their next move. Realizing he'll be captured the instant he steps outside in his brightly-colored Superman attire, and powerless beneath Kandor's simulated red sun, Kal-El decides to crib from his pal Bruce Wayne's playbook and creates the secret identities of Nightwing and Flamebird, two very. . .familiar caped crusaders based on two avian creatures native to Krypton. With the aid of some Batman-esque gadgets and Kandorian super-science (not the least of which are a pair of sweet rocket belts), Nightwing and Flamebird save the day, with Kal and Jimmy cleared of the false charges while saving the city from potential destruction.


It was an insanely goofy one-off story. . .but apparently it must've clicked with the reading audience, because every once in a while Nightwing and Flambird would return. The costumed identities were eventually inherited by Kal-El's cousin Van-Zee(who was practically Kal's twin. . .it's comicbooks people) and ex-Phantom Zone convict Ak-Var, who became the second pair of heroes to don domino mask and rocket belt to roam the streets of Kandor in the Nightmobile (seriously), battling Kandorian criminals and mad scientists and ensuring their city is safe for the law-abiding and the just. Throw in a secret base known as the Nightcave(yep), and you get a recipe for something very familiar. . .but something a bit unique as well. The stories collected in the Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird are backup tales to the Superman comics of the 1970s, so more than ten years later the adventures of Kandor's dynamic duo were still entertaining readers.


By no means is this collection a reinvention of the genre a la Watchmen or Kingdom Come, but it is quite entertaining. There's just something so wonderfully absurd about seeing the Batman archetypes played with in the Superman universe, especially in the city of Kandor, which we see as futuristic and solemn, a place of high science, portentous announcements, and Marlon Brando. The art ranges from '50s art deco (Schaffenberger) to 1970s Neal Adams/Gil Kane hybrid (Rogers), but Kandor's Utopian look remains largely intact. Van-Zee and Ak-Var aren't quite Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson, but a pair of heroes with some interesting quirks. Van is a scientist, husband, and father trying to ensure Kandor's continued safety while Ak-Var is an ex-con who's gotten a second chance at a better life and is determined not to squander it. The villains here aren't the grotesque carnival of Batman's rogues gallery, but rather mad scientists, monsters, and other assorted menaces that might plague such a science fiction setting. Brainiac makes a return appearance, and gradually an overarching plot develops in the form of a criminal mastermind known only as the Crime Lord, an evil genius gathering various Kryptonian relics who turns out to be. . .but that'd be telling, wouldn't it?


In a marketplace where each month seems to bring another 'Event'--that you absolutely must read now because things will never be the same again--The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird is a relic of a bygone era. A time when a backup feature only had 10-12 pages to entertain, and the creative teams made damn sure you left with your money's worth. The concept was absurd, but it's made to work so well that the occasional cheesiness (Nightcave? Really?) can be forgiven for the sake of a cracking fun adventure story. If a nit has to be picked, it's in the fact that the debut story for the concept isn't included in this collection, but is instead found in the Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor trade. Which is understandable, (it is one of the better Kandor-based stories) but still a bit of a letdown for those wanting the total NW&FB stories in one location.


Nightwing and Flamebird appear to be undergoing a third renaissance in the pages of Action Comics, with yet another character pair in the title role. For a simple, done-in-one anthology of fun Batman-esque tales with a Superman twist that's enjoyable for readers ages eight to eighty, you'd do well to give The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird a read. Recommended.



Stac

DUDE.

http://www.ironsky.net/site/

Watch the teaser. NOW.

Good God, the only thing that could make this any more amazing is if there was a division of gorilla troopers. With jetpacks.

I gotta siddown. . .