Comic Review: The Massive - Black Pacific

    I’m torn.  On the one hand, I really dig the 70s environmental/apocalyptic vibe of this comic, with its retro-art and sprawling Lion Uris (without the racism) vibe.  On the other hand, the pacing seems to be somewhere just behind that of a snail.  And there’s a hint at something that I don’t like at all, that feels extremely weird and wrong in a book of this type.  This is only the first volume, however, of what I assume (and hope) is a limited series with a planned direction and known ending.

    The plot is pretty simple.  The world has fallen apart due to series of natural and manmade disasters.  A group of environmental activists have survived, and decided their mission isn’t over, and that this new world needs them.  However, their primary ship, The Massive, has gone missing, and they’re on a quest to find it, following a dwindling trail of breadcrumbs.  That’s it.  Like Lost, it takes on complexity and depth by use of frequent, revelatory flashbacks that develop the overall plot and the characters involved.  By the end of the volume, you’ve got a pretty good idea of the motivations behind two core members of the crew, Callum Israel and Mag Nagendra.  But you also have an enigma in Mary, the mysterious black woman who does her own thing and knows stuff.  This prompts me to ask, what exactly is it with comics and mysterious black women?  Almost immediately, she reminded me of Agent 355 from Y: The Last Man, which made me think of Michone from The Walking Dead.  What’s the deal, comic industry?  Are you trying to say something?  Or, am I just reading too much into some coincidence?  It’s with Mary that the most fertile seeds of my discontent are sown.  If Brian Wood has the plans for her I think he does, I feel like calling a preemptive “Bulls#!+” right now.  But, I’ll wait and make sure.  She could be responsible for a genre change I am not OK with.

    While I think there’s potential here for something really cool, I don’t feel like the first volume is strong enough.  Maybe more needed to happen, or some kind of dramatic reveal was needed.  But no.  It just kind of ends.  If I were a smarter guy, I probably would not read further, but I probably will.  The back end of the trade does feature some introductory stories, which actually kind of cement my trepidation with where this series is likely headed, which is not where I want to see it go.  But though there are a few genuinely intriguing bits, it’s all kind of blah.  Actually, that makes it feel even more like a lot of those 70s movies with a message, that have a lot going for them, but come off as somewhat hollow and a bit boring.

The Massive: Black Pacific
Author: Brian Wood
Artists: Kristian Donaldson, etc.
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
ISBN: 978-1-61655-132-2

-Matt

Comic Reviews: The Walking Dead 1&2

Volume 1

15 years ago, zombies were the black sheep of the horror world.  You typically had to raid the video rental shelves for Italian movies from the 70s to see anything you hadn’t already seen a dozen times.  The list of really good subgenre films could be counted on two hands, and that was including some fringe titles like Dead Heat.  Fast forward to today, and frankly, the walking dead are kind of played out.  Too many movies, too many comics, too many TV shows.  More important, too many bad ones.  Still, when it first hit the stands, The Walking Dead was a breath of fresh…well, it was welcome.  The series was everything this zombie starved fan was hungry for.  Like the author, I had always wanted to follow the characters (those few who might survive) after the credits began to roll.  What happened to those folks on the helicopter at the end of Dawn of the Dead?  What was up with that island in Day of the Dead?  What happened to New York City after Zombie?  What would have happened to the badass reporter in Nightmare City (among other names) if he wasn’t hooked up with that idiot woman who kept complaining that everyone deserved it?  Would he have found more explosive TVs to throw?  Well, that’s what this comic was created to explore; the ‘and then…?’ factor.  Awesome.

Re-reading the first trade all these years later, I totally see what I saw in it at that time, though to tell the truth, it’s not that great.  That said, the ending is awesome, and from what I understand, that amazing moment is totally botched in the TV series, which is too bad.  It’s a defining moment in the comic, and should have been in the show as well.  It’s also weird reading it, and remembering all these characters I know won’t make it very far.  I forgot about that couple and their kids.  I forgot one dude even had a kid (shows how long she makes it).  I know there’s a lot of nasty death on its way.  Unlike many later story arcs, much of the death in this one is caused by the undead.  What makes the comic work is what makes the best zombie movies work, the drama of people in a horrible situation.  Zombies are like a natural disaster.  They don’t have a plan, they don’t have a goal, they’re not evil, they don’t want to hurt you.  They just feed on whatever is in front of them, moving without thought for self or for the future.  It is this relentless, mindless danger that makes them far more spirit crushing than many classic monsters and villains.  You can kill a dozen, a hundred, but there are always more, always coming, always lurking, like living under constant threat of bombing.  You just never know when or where, only that eventually, they will strike.

The first arc is not amazing.  Heck, the opening feels familiar for good reason, it’s been done several times (Day of the Triffids and 28 Days Later to point out two).  Heck, I even used it for an abandoned zombie novel I’d written back in the mid 90s (at the time, I was totally lifting it from the Triffids film).  And several of the relationships are pretty standard, with expected twists.  But, by the end, you start to get a sense of the left field attacks Kirkman will wage on you as the series continues; setting you up, making you feel comfortable, then kicking you in the nuts.  I’m not sure if I’m going to be reading the rest of the series (up to what, volume 18 so far?) after this or not.  But I’m tempted, even though I’m honestly kind of done with zombies for a while.

The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone By
Author: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Tony Moore
Publisher: Image
ISBN: 978-1-58240-358-8

Volume 2

Starting with a not too surprising revelation, the story picks up with the aftermath of the disastrous attack on the camp.  Our survivors must move away from Atlanta if they are to avoid the city’s roving hoards.  They meet up with new folk, run afoul of a dumbass with a gun, and find sanctuary…maybe.  The harshness of survival and the fragility of life are forefront.  And we’re still at the point in the series where the zombies seem like the real enemy.  There are hints of the human ugliness to come, but on the smallest of scales so far.  And we see the first real cracks in Rick’s armor, which author Kirkman will spend the rest of the series (as far as I’ve read) systematically destroying.  The relationships that form are interesting, as people try so hard to get a little happiness and human connection.

I’m getting a little of that feeling I had when first reading this series all those years ago, before zombies were so overplayed in books, comics, and movies.  This really is the series I dreamed of in the 90s, when I was consuming every zombie thing I could get my hands on (what little there was).  This is the kind of thing I wanted to do in a roleplaying game, when I still regularly played.  The ongoing story of survival in a world gone so horribly wrong.  And by volume 2, it feels like Kirkman is getting a better handle on things, on how the story will go and how the characters will interact.  Plus, there’s that last couple of pages, that set up the multi-volume arc that is about to begin.  That’s when the real horror, the human horror will become more obvious, when the zombies become what they’re best at being, the quiet, menacing threat that lurks in the shadows.  And when the real villains of the series step forward.

The Walking Dead: Volume 2: Miles Behind Us
Author: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard
Publisher: Image
ISBN: 978-1-58240-413-4

-Matt

Matt’s Week in Dork! (2/10/13-2/16/13)

Still keeping things pretty low key.  Watching a bunch of movies, as always.  And I’ve been doing some reading, and listening to a bunch of 80s tunes.  But otherwise, just kind of hunkered down.


Godzilla, King of the Monsters:  “Well, it’s big.  And terrible.”  This American version of the Japanese film features Raymond Burr as a reporter who gets wrapped up in the madness when the giant monster.  For a long time, this was the only version of the movie I knew, and as a kid, I guess I was naïve enough that I didn’t even realize Burr was edited in to a movie of which he was never originally a part.  It’s much more obvious to me now, but I will say that overall it’s not as clumsy as it could be.  And I guess, if your kids aren’t ready for a subtitled movie, this is a good way to show them the movie.  Burr’s ‘As it Happens’ reporting works pretty well.  In fact, the idea of having him be a reporter, and so an unobtrusive observer is probably the best way to cut him into the film.  Cut to him with lights flickering on his face while he narrates, then cut back to Godzilla burning up the place.  OK.  Sure.  It’s no surprise that I would say the original version is the better film, with better pacing and what have you.  But this is a passable Americanization.

Seconds:  “I wanna go back.”  This has become a perennial favorite of mine.  It’s not an easy watch.  In fact, by the end, it’s quite harrowing.  But Rock Hudson’s performance is magnificent and the creepy story of a company dealing in second chances is up there with the best of The Outer Limits, to which it bares a good deal of resemblance.  Great music, disquieting and claustrophobic cinematography, and an excellent cast work their movie magic, creating devilish tension.  And the film poses several important questions about self, desire, choices, and what makes a man.  But again, it rests on Hudson who goes for it, grabbing hold of the role (and the viewer) and shaking until it breaks.  Awesome.

Tron:  When you look back on this film, of course, there are elements that can’t help but be dated.  Much of the technology was cutting edge, or looking forward to what might be right on the horizon.  But it was 30 plus years ago, and the cutting edge has cut a long way since then.  Nor did technology go in the directions we expected (as usual).  But it’s more than a time capsule of an era when arcades were still popular, when Jeff Bridges was young, and when the internet was little more than a dream in the heads of scientists and science fiction writers.  It’s a visually fascinating adventure into the a new imagined world of programs and users, energy streams and digital highways.  It was a pioneering work in computer graphics, that was largely the product of traditional animation techniques.  A truly original and strange world filled with newly imagined adventures, but with plenty of the old myth-archetypes to go around.  A solid, family friendly science fiction film worth giving a second look.

Doctor Who: Mindwarp:  “My belief is, they await a great leader!  …I am he.” The second story in The Trial of a Time Lord arc opens on a world with crazy light and quickly moves into the danger packed caves below.  When Brian Blessed shows up, you know you’re in for a ride (and watch for the brief xenomorph appearance!).  And dang, this episode cranks up the crazy with gross sea-monsters, mutants, and all kinds of nasty.  Seriously, Brian Blessed is awesome.  He has an amazing ability to chew scenery like gum, but play humor in subtle and hysterical ways.  Though I know him from dozens of great performances, I still kept wanting him to bellow “Gordon’s aliiiiiive?!”  This show had become pretty darned strange by this point, with all kinds of nutty ideas, weird characters, surreal set design and head scratching twists.  This story arc just gets weirder and weirder and I have to admit, funnier and funnier.  I’m not usually a fan of more outright comedy in my sci-fi, but I don’t know, the script is really funny.  And Blessed gets more amazing as it goes on.  And this is the final story of Peri.  I’m not really happy with how she goes out.  It feels a bit arbitrary.  In fact, it feels like it didn’t really happen, and would be figured out/fixed in the next story, but…no.  She’s gone, apparently.

Clash of the Empires (aka Age of Hobbits):  “Stand aside.  This will be a mighty toss.”  In ancient Indonesia (here played by Cambodia), some swell, peaceful pigmy dudes are just chillin when the Rock Men show up with winged iguanas and go on a kill-crazy rampage.  Not cool, dudes.  This is from the amazing, quality hungry studio The Asylum, so you know it’s good.  Dreadful dubbing and a bad script (even using the phrase ‘so, it begins!’ one of the most cliché lines in film) don’t help what is clearly an appallingly low budget film.  But I couldn’t help but start to enjoy the crazy imagination of this one.  In spite of what is obviously a mostly untrained cast of locals recruited to play various baddies and such, there’s a weird appeal to the cast.  And what can I say, I’m always happy to see Christopher Judge.  He needs more work (maybe in better movies?).  And thank goodness Bai-Ling is there to crazy everything up.  Don’t mistake this review for a ringing endorsement.  More of a ‘hey, this doesn’t suck nearly as hard as I expected it would.’

American Experience: Kit Carson:  “Doctor! Compadre!  Adios.”  Like so many people remembered by history, Christopher “Kit” Carson was a man of many faces, a hero, a villain, a legend.  This episode of PBS’s long running series takes us back to the early 1800s when a tough little dude headed into the wilderness of the West to become a Mountain Man trapper and Indian guide.  Harsh times, brutal lives, danger, and with them freedom, adventure, and eventually a sort of glory.  An instrument of the opening of the American West, Carson was a competent man, not tied to our traditional concepts of morality or propriety.  There are elements of Carson that remind me a great deal of one of my favorite figures in history, Sir Richard Francis Burton.  He knows how to act, how to blend, with a population, be it with Native Americans, or Mexicans, or American soldiers.  His story is the kind of thing that could, probably should inspire grand books or movies.  Caught between worlds, he worked for the U.S. government against the people he had learned to respect and in some cases, his love.  The man just wanted to go home to his wife, but was constantly called upon to perform one task or another.  And dang, but his private life was sad.  So sad.

La belle et le bete (Beauty and the Beast):  “For being a beast…Forgive me.”  The War barely over, and Jean Cocteau crafted this lavish and slightly strange version of the classic tale of love, inner selves, and fancy.  The fourth wall creation at the beginning adds an extra dash of whimsy.  The archetypal story of Beauty and the Beast has always hit an especially strong chord with me.  This and Don Quixote (and one could say, they’re not entirely dissimilar), are probably the essence of my own personal mythology.  It’s full of magic and mystery, with creepy animated statues, helping hands, and doors that open and close by themselves.  The sets and locations are beautiful (Belle’s room is crazy).  And Belle is an interesting heroine, frightened, but dutiful and clever.  And it doesn’t take her long to figure things out, to know how the Beast works, and to take control of the situation.  Sure, she doesn’t have all the answers, but she’s definitely a worthy hero for this fantasy adventure.  And there are moments, when the Beast is freaking out where she looks like she’s actually having fun.  Awesome.

I Come In Peace (aka Dark Angel):  When I Come in Peace hit video back in 1990 or ‘91, it was like one of the coolest movies ever.  This and Cyborg?  Masterworks.  Sure, you could say that this is a silly rehash of The Terminator, and you wouldn’t be wrong (still a better rehash of the Terminator than Terminator 2 was!…Send me that hate mail).  But stuff blew up real good, Dolf was awesome (look at his classy apartment…he’s so complicated), and the script actually has enough odd quirks and goofy characters to make the whole thing a blast to watch.  Is this a ‘good’ movie?  Who cares?  It’s a lot of fun.  If you’re in the mood for late 80s B-films with exploding…everything, then this is the movie for you.  Plus, you’ve got to love the White Boys, possibly the most ridiculous gang in movie history.  They look like Patrick Bateman’s crew decided petty crime was more fun than corporate raiding.

The Magus:  Hey, remember when the studios used to put out art films?  That was a crazy time, huh?  Michael Caine is a self-involved jerk who goes off to teach on a Greek island, where he runs into the gregarious but sinister Anthony Quinn.  What starts as a seemingly simple movie about people trying to get over the mistakes of their past turns into a wackier and wackier meditation on love, connection, redemption, guilt, and the nature of Truth.  I don’t know that I would say it’s a good movie, but it’s the kind of bold and strange and chance taking film the studio system developed a profound allergy to and has become the territory of low budget film in our time.  So it is very odd to see such a lavish production for such a singular work.  Greece looks amazing, and Anthony Quinn’s house may be about the coolest place I’ve ever seen.  Caine manages to have the perfect mix of bitterness, sadness, and downright prickishness that lets you find him charming and hope he gets through even though he’s a horrible person.  Again, I don’t know that I liked the film, but it should probably be seen once, anyway.

I started watching Ultraman, the 60s Japanese TV show.  That’s crazy.  NetFlix sent me disk 2 instead of disk 1, so I’m not sure if they set up a bit more in the opening episodes.  But basically, each week the Science Patrol goes out and investigates something.  Then Ultraman (a giant metal guy from space) drops down to fight kaiju (giant monsters) and save the day.  He only has a limited amount of energy from his Sun power, so that means the fights have to be quick.  This was a TV show for Godzilla fans.  Not as good, but an enjoyable supplement.  One thing that’s freaky, though.  Ultraman is always horribly maiming the monsters before he takes ‘em out.  In one episode, they use the Godzilla suit, but add a frill around his neck, and yeah, Ultraman rips it off (leaving a horrible bloody ring wound), then taunts the monster like it was a bull with his own skin frill.  That seems cold.

Gammera the Invincible:  Headline: “Inside Reports of Giant Turtle Controversy”  Being a general is hard, unless you lady sergeant knows how to make coffee.  Thank goodness this takes place in 1965, I guess (I wonder if she cooks a good breakfast, too).  The performances of the Americans in the plugged-in scenes are amazing.  So strange, over the top, and affected.  The movie itself is pretty standard Kaiju stuff. It has its moments, but doesn’t especially stand out.  I’d like to see the original Japanese version, and see if maybe it’s got better pacing or what have you.  Still.  It’s not bad.

War of the Monsters:  “The creature would die by its own rainbow.”  Gammera is back (sort of), and looking for a fight.  Some treasure hunters travel to a tropical island, hoping for fortune and glory.  But the island isn’t quite what they expect.  A mysterious doctor, a beautiful native girl, and an ancient warning stand between the trio and their dreams.  Of course, transgressing in places with names like The Cave of Death brings with it a certain degree of danger; that kind of world shaking Kaiju-type danger your mother always warned you about.  I love Japanese monsters for their completely insane abilities.  Barugon spits a giant tongue-spike out of its mouth that shoots out freezing fog, and its back spines create a super-heating rainbow.  OK.  Sure.  I mean, Gammera is a giant turtle from the time of the primordial soup, who can spit flame and fly via jets that come out of its leg-holes.  So, a burning rainbow mortar isn’t all that weird, I guess.  These films are definitely not of the Godzilla films’ quality level, but this second outing for our Turtle hero is a much more interesting film than the first.  One simple lesson this film teaches is don’t trust a jewel-crazy jackass.

On Friday night, Lisa and Brad hosted the latest gathering of the Justice League of Extraordinary Book Club.  This month’s reading, the first two trade paperbacks of The Walking Dead.  Overall the feelings were positive I guess.  Brad and I are both experiencing a kind of Walking Dead ennui, having both been enamored of the series many years ago, but finding our re-reading of the early arcs kind of frustrating and unsatisfying.  A couple people weren’t really into it at all, but, several enjoyed it quite a bit.  And there was a lot of intense conversation about various aspects.  And of course, as it would be almost impossible to ignore it, a lot of talk (comparing and contrasting…and mostly crapping on) the TV show.  With the glut of zombie films, zombie video games, and zombie literature in the last 10 or so years, my old-time love has been kind of stomped on.  I still do like zombies as a monster and I think there are some great films and books.  And overall, I do think The Walking Dead is an excellent entry in that sub-genre.  But for me, right now, it just didn’t work.  Talk to me again in 10 years (hopefully ten years with few or no zombie films), and maybe I can start getting back into it.

And on Saturday I sat down and read issue 2 of the new Dark Horse series simply titled Star Wars.  I like it.  It’s not amazing or anything, but it’s firmly set in the galaxy far, far away that I loved as a kid.  It feels more like old school Star Wars than a lot of stuff I’ve seen or read in a long time.  I never read the Rogue Squadron books or comics, but it feels like they might be setting the stage for that future, with Wedge and a mixed bag of elite pilots.

-Matt

Comic Review: Invincible

    Like a lot of readers, I’m guessing, I came to Robert Kirkman through The Walking Dead.  Somewhere around the release of the 4th or 5th trade paperback, I picked up volume 1 and began consuming it voraciously.  It’s a dark, brutal, sad, and relentless series, but well written.  Over the years, I saw a few other Kirkman titles, read a couple random bits, but still knew him mostly through his zombie epic.  And honestly, Invincible never captured my interest.  How many caped crusaders and spandex clad heroes do we need?  The character himself reminded me of Spider-Man, who has never been a personal favorite.  But I kept hearing good things.

    Glad I finally broke down and checked it out.  There is a certain Spider-Man vibe to it, with the young guy dealing with high school and college issues, while discovering his own skills and powers, and it comes out of that 60s ‘Silver Age’ mindset.  But it’s surprisingly well written, and well thought out.  The villains and other heroes are interesting, and they have lives.  The matter of fact way everyone lives in a world with superheroes is very charming.

    It is a bit odd that the comic feels fairly ‘all ages’ until it doesn’t.  As I was reading it, I was thinking how it would make a great introductory series for younger readers…then the brutal, bloody, graphic murder sequence happened, and I changed my mind.  Even with that, it’s not so extreme that young teens couldn’t handle it, and the series really is quite good.  There are plenty of interesting twists and turns and some surprise outcomes.

    The art is quite good if often simplistic, and the switch from the first artist to the second is seamless.  The coloring by Bill Crabtree gives it that vibrant 60s look, too.  The character design is great, with equal doses funny and cool.  And there are lots of nerd references.  Obvious ones, like the Guardians of the Globe being the Justice League, and those aliens from the beginning of issue 9 being the Star Trek: Next Gen crew.  But there are also subtler ones, like the Science Dog poster that looks like Tom Strong.  And then there are gags like the trash bag landing in London or the thing about re-using comic panels to save time.  Gold.

    While reading this, I feel like I’m enjoying some of the excitement and expectation that my older comic reading friends must have experienced in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s reading X-Men, Spider-Man, The Flash, or what have you.  I don’t have to be completely versed in decades of mythology to enjoy and understand it.  I’m seeing a new mythology built from the ground up, like those earlier readers.

Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 1
Author: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Cory Walker & Ryan Ottley
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-58240-500-1

-Matt

Brad's Week In Dork! (3/18/12-3/24/12)

Really cranked it out this week.  Between blitzing through The Wire, Double Featuring some Star Trek, re-obsessing over Hellboy, and finally getting a hold on some more Brave & The Bold Batman crack I don't know how I have time for a marriage as well as one of the crazier weeks on the job.  Thankfully, I can still reach epic levels of dork watch in the wee hours of the morning, pounding one movie after the next.  And where last week say my return to Daily Grindhouse with my Shatner's World review, this week I pushed my love for Corman's World.  That documentary hits the street Tuesday and all you crazy Cormanites need to snag yourself the blu ray.  I've watched it three times now and it still hits all the right trashy pleasure centers.  And it inspired me to pick his first film, Five Guns West for this week's cineAWESOME! review.  Need to track down Corman's other early cowboy picture, Apache Woman; if anyone has any ideas please let me know.

TV OF THE WEEK!

The Walking Dead "Besides the Dying Fire":  I've had a lot of problems with AMC's The Walking Dead.  It's got some serious peaks and valleys, and the season finale was no different.  The show opens on the heels of last week's it's-about-time death sequence with a herd of zombies barring down on Hershel's Farm.  Absolutely love seeing all these walkers gather and shuffle their way through the countryside and the resulting fiery assault was definitely thrilling if not confounding (seriously?  Lets all get in our cars and circle wildly blasting/wasting ammunition?).  However, the show introduces at least one element/image from the comic that I was not expecting to appear in this fairly grounded series and it brought a big ol' smile to my face.  But what the hell is with Lori's reaction to her husband having to do what he had to do last week?  Her shirking at his touch was infuriating.  Yeah, I'm looking forward to next season but I'm hoping they can get some of these characters back to making sense.

Justified "Guy Walks Into A Bar":  The show has seemed to flounder a little bit , but Raylan and Quarles' barroom confrontation had me on pins & needles.  For about ten seconds I actually thought Quarles was gonna drop with a bullet in his head.  Instead, the tension is released thanks to a barmaid with a shotgun, which actually drops Raylan in the sack.  Good bye, Winona.  The best bits for me come from the camaraderie between Quarles and his reluctant henchman Wayne Duffy--the poor bastard can only sit back and watch as his bossman brutalizes young chickens.  Creepy Neal McDonough ass nudity.

Star Trek "Space Seed":  Late in the week, my Mondo Gallery Tyler Stout print for Star Trek II arrived and I celebrated with an immediate double feature of Space Seed/Wrath of Khan.  It had been far too long since I had watched any original series Trek and what this viewing of Space Seed proved to me was that I need to crack into the rest of my TOS blus.  Ricardo Montalban definitely owns this episode with his guest spot as 1990s World War III dictator Khan Noonien Singh; his uber-masculinity date-raping his way to the heart of officer red head--"OPEN YOUR HEART" he bends her to his will and it's pretty darn scary.  Thankfully Kirk's still there to throw down with the super man, knocking him out cold with whatever bit of engineering he can wrap his mitts around.  Still, the Captain's gonna learn to regret just dumping the Botany Bay boys on Ceti Alpha Five...but more on that later.

Batman - The Brave and The Bold Season 2 Episodes 13-21:  "Holy Neapolitan, Batman!"  I fall more and more in love with this cartoon with each and every episode I see and the second part of the second season is no different.  We've got Batman & Robin duking it out with The Rainbow Creature who's colorful rays affect the dynamic duo in multiple ways--Green turns ya floppy!  Then there's the Plastic Man/Uncle Sam planetary team-up in which an alien race learns the joys of American Freedom via a sing-a-long Yankee Doodle Dandy!  And don't even get me started on Ace The Bat Hound & Adam West's Protobot smackdown of the Black Mask's goons.  MADNESS!!!!  Beautiful, Wonderful Madness!  If all you know of the Dark Knight is a brooding Christian Bale or the Republican Smasher of Frank Miller's graphic novel than do yourself a favor and revel in the silver age whackness of The Brave and The Bold.

The Wire Season 3:  Another week another season of The Wire consumed.  And it's the best season (and most painful) yet.  The main plot returns to the major crimes division's investigation of Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale, but for me the heart of this season rests with Robert Wisdom's Bunny.  As the mayor's office pushes the department to keep the murder rate under 275, the Major starts to think creatively, asking his officers to ignore minor drug deals--to the point where they set up their own corner dubbed Amsterdam where drug dealers can sell without police concern. It's a fascinating experiment that naturally can't go well in the current political climate.  The build of this season was typically intense for the series, and there was at least one death that knocked me flat on my back.  However, it's Bunny's arc that elevated the show over your typical cops & robbers programming.  And yeah, I gotta admit that The Wire has now become my favorite Crime Show.  Better late than never.

MOVIES OF THE WEEK!

Five Guns West:  ‎"All I Got Left Is My Life, I Aim To Keep It." Roger Corman's first time behind the camera is not a revelation. But it's a solid, cheap Western. The Confederacy pardons five outlaws in an effort to free a Yankee stagecoach of its gold fortune. But most of the film is spent waiting...waiting...waiting...as tensions between the five outlaws build while Dorothy Malone's rancher keeps thrusting herself in front of the gang's soft headed psychotics. There are glimpses of Corman's brilliance--one central location used to its fullest and glimpses of brutal, sexually sinister dialog. Five Guns West will probably only be remembered as Corman's first film, but it deserves more than to be so simply dismissible.  For further ramblings read my latest Westerns review over at cineAWESOME!

21 Jump Street:  "Fuck You Science!...Fuck You Miles Davis!" Wait--what? I actually enjoyed a film starring Channing Tatum!?!?!? Has anyone checked Hell, are they building igloos down there? But dang, the big screen revival of 21 Jump Street had me busting at the gut with some of the sharpest stupid quotables of the year, and the Hill/Tatum chemistry is sweet when its not downright creepy. Honestly, I'm still in shell shock that I enjoyed this as much as I did but the script grabs the ridiculous seriousness of the HIgh School Undercover program and drives it to brutal (and sometimes violent) comedy gold. Hopefully Korean Jesus will grant us a sequel.

Casa De Mi Padre:  ‎"Mexico is not for cowards." (Translated from Spanish) In the same fashion in which Black Dynamite celebrates as well as mocks the blaxploitation genre, so does Casa De Mi Padre for the telenovela--and it's not a little chuckler, but a fullblown gutbuster. Will Ferrell's ranchero struggles to find his place within the family while engaging with the Jaguar God, scoring with his brother's hot captive fiance, and taking on Gael Garcia Bernal's Canadian Slim drug dealer. It's goofy as heck, but when Ferrell claims "I Am Armando Alvarez" I also found myself cheering his badassery. Imagine Three Amigos era John Landis taking on the violent grindhouse mimicry of Robert Rodriguez.

The Three Musketeers:  The Four Mediocre Musketeers join forces to tackle Orlando Bloom's fancy pants Lord Falderal, Mads Mikkelsen's horse offending Rochefort, Christoph Waltz's armored Cardinal Richlieu, and Milla Jovovich's twirling swordstress Milady. And it's in 3D!!!!! Or was if you saw it in theaters (which I doubt) or have one of them newfangled televisions. Honestly, all the CG and 3D and ridiculous airships in the world couldn't raise this film above a snooze. Paul WS Anderson should just stick with the Resident Evil movies.  No one was asking for, or wanted another Three Musketeers adaptation.  Please stop.

The FP:  ‎"Yo, For Reals." I wanted oh-so-desperately to enjoy this post-apocalyptic Dance Dance Revolution gang war film, but the enjoyment of the ridiculous premise does not extend beyond the two and half minute trailer. When BTRO dies in the cage against L Dubba E, it's up to his brother JTRO, KC/DC, and BLT to find the right combo of montage to tackle Lee Valamassy's viscious grills--and why should we care? Cuz L Dubba E has stopped the flow of liquor in Frazier Park and without liquor there's no hobos, and without hobos there's no ducks...yeah, The FP is all about Ducks. But this is a one trick pony that doesn't garner more than a few chuckles. Bonus points for James Remar narration and Clifton Collins Jr clown fro cameo.

Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan:  ‎"I Don't Like To Loose." The bravado of Admiral James T Kirk is brought to the test when Ricardo Montalban's Khan Noonien Singh returns from the past to unleash his hate upon the entire crew of the USS Enterprise. Essentially a sci-fi collision of wills, Star Trek II deserves every ounce of praise as the single best movie in the franchise; an exploration on aging and loss as much as a fantastic high seas adventure exchanging cannon blasts for phaser fire. And despite what hope the sequels bring, the emotional climax still brings a lump to my throat.

Excalibur:  Once you've seen the incestuous horror of John Boorman's Excalibur than you'll never need another telling of the King Arthur legend. Splashed with psychedelic lighting and buckets of blood, this film roars like the figurehead who sits at the Round Table. Nigel Terry as our King is a naive monster who deserves to inherit his father's lust and Nicholas Clay's Lancelot is a pompous beauty until he's just a bearded terror on the battlefield. But really, this picture is all about Nicol Williamson's Merlin and Helen Mirren's Morgana Le Fey. Animals.


COMICS OF THE WEEK!

With the recent release of Hellboy Volume 12: The Storm and The Fury, I decided to go back and re-read all the trades leading up to this momentous Mignolaverse arc.  Marathoned these four books late Firday night/early Saturday morning.  Reinvigorated my love for HB.

Hellboy - Strange Places:  The last book to be completely written and drawn by Mike Mignola, Strange Places begins with a nice little bit of African Mythology, turns into another monster beat 'em up with the fish lady Bog Roosh, and eventually unveils not only the origin of the Dragon Ogdru Jahad, but Hellboy's own Right Hand of Doom. Hellboy, once more, comes face to face with his apparent destiny and he's given another opportunity to pound it away. Strange Places is definitely not a book for newbies to jump into, but fans of the series will get some much desired answers and a whole lotta new questions. And the epilogue with Sir Edward, Queen Mab, and Gruagach succinctly sets up the Epic War about to hit England in Darkness Calls.

Hellboy - Darkness Calls:  This marks the first collaboration between Mike Mignola & Duncan Fegredo, and even though it might feel a little off at first, you will quickly come to appreciate Fegredo's twisty style. Darkness Calls is the beginning of the end for Hellboy...or at least the current version of "end". After the events of The Island, Hellboy must contend to the Witches of England who would have him for their king. Hecate, the Queen of Blood, is on the verge of reawakening thanks to the toadish Igor Bromhead and the Baba Yaga wants to snatch Hellboy's eye for her revenge. Lots of plot and buildup in this volume, but there is also an excellent skeleton army attack, a sword fight with the Witchfinder General Henry Hood, and an epic battle with Koshchei The Deathless. As fun as this comic can be, Darkness Calls reminds us that the world is at stake, and Hellboy must face his destiny if he's to save us from damnation.

Hellboy - The Wild Hunt:  The Osiris Club invites Hellboy to partake in the tradition of The Wild Hunt, a group of noblemen tasked in the slaughtering of England's Giants. But there's treachery afoot as the pieces of the witch Nimue are gathered by the pigbeast Gruagach, and the shadowcast fairy folk plot revenge against man. The Wild Hunt is one of my all time favorite Hellboy trades; I absolutely love how past short stories like The Corpse and Box Full of Evil are revealed to be significant markers in the saga, and how the origins of Hellboy are connected to the mythology of Great Britain. War is Here. Nothing will be the same again. Ragna Rok.

Hellboy - The Storm and The Fury:  The Second Stage in Hellboy's saga concludes with The Storm & The Fury and it is without a doubt, the single best trade of the franchise--a statement I don't make lightly, knowing full well that Mike Mignola is the true artist of Hellboy's story, but Duncan Fegredo accomplishes great feats with his work here, delivering images equal to and sometimes superior to those found in previous volumes. The Noble Dead of England have risen to follow Hellboy into battle against Nimue and The Dragon, Great Britain will never look the same. Great Moments for all the supporting players; Morgan Le Fey's motives nearly reveal themselves, the poor pig Gruagach witnesses the sad product of his revenge, and the Osiris Club seems to miss the point again. And the climax! ARGH! I need Mignola's next chapter immediately!

Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, and The Storm & The Fury complete one of my all time favorite story arcs in comics and if you have never dipped into the Mignolaverse than you are most certainly missing out on the mediums best work.

--Brad