NEWS HAPPENING IN THE COMIC BOOK WORLD:
Marvel NOW is giving more updates about what’s to come when they do their own little renumbering/reboot and I’m actually starting to look forward to it more. Like the new Captain America that will have the creative team of Rick Remender as writer and John Romita Jr. aka JRJR, doing the artwork for the book. This team already makes me wanting the change up just so I can find out what they are going to do with the character.
I’ve been really enjoying Rick Remender’s work on Uncanny X-Force and Venom. He’s been writing these books with some good plots that make them hard to put down. Who would have figured that Venom would actually make it past a 5 issue run and it to be entertaining, especially after all those mini series that came out from the 90’s. And the Uncanny X-Force is much more than a book that features a killing team. From the start there’s been one main story, the team working with each other, and it’s worked. They’ve had to make hard decisions, a lot more tougher than any other superhero that’s been saying they have a hard decision to make cause when was the last time Daredevil had to decide on the fate of a kid Apocalypse and if they should kill him or let him live to quite possibly grow up to become one of the worst people in the universe? Yeah, he hasn’t, but the X-Force team has and they made the choice and because of that choice they’ve had to face even harder choices. I know how could it be a harder choice than that last one but read Otherworld in issues 20-23 and then follow it up with issue 24 Frozen Moment, then you will see the difference in choices this team has to make and how well Rick Remender writes.
Not only is Captain America looking good but so is Deadpool. I’ve always been a fan of Deadpool, he’s funny (or can be when written to be), he’s basically a ninja, he has a healing factor (or did), he almost resembles Spider-Man in looks, and he carries swords (and uses them). Now as cool as he looks and him being a ninja, it’s always been the comedy that’s been given the character that makes me come back to this book. When done right Deadpool does what no other comic title does, it gives a story that’s filled with action, a point, and lots of laughter. With the debates he has with his inner voices, who are different from each other yet the same, DP bringing up the fourth wall to other characters who think he’s even more insane, and how he will just say something so random and unexpected for the conversation that I can’t help but laugh. That’s why I’m now excited about the new creative team of the new Deadpool because writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have said that they are going to make Deadpool the way he is supposed to be, a story with good comedy in it. It won’t hurt any that Tony Moore will be doing the art for the book. I think with his work on The Walking Dead, Punisher, and Venom he can blend them to give this dark yet realistic feel to Deadpool.
COMICS IN THE MOVIES:
The good news that every fanboy wanted to hear, Joss Whedon is going to write and direct the Avengers 2 movie. Exactly why is this such great news? Did you not see Avengers? Joss Whedon gave the world one of the best comic based movies that has ever been made. Now we will not only get him writing and directing the sequel, he’s going to help create a television show based in the Avengers world.
At this point not much has been said about either movie or TV series but it’s a comfort knowing Joss Whedon is doing and is connected to them. Now the speculation can start about the movie, what will it be about, what villain will be in it, and probably the most important question, what heroes will be on the team? Guessing at least one main plot point and villain should be simple enough, something dealing with space/cosmic and Thanos.
With Marvel doing the phases thing, coming up is Phase Two that features the 5 movies of Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Solider, Iron Man 3, Ant Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, we can almost guess at the plot, villain, and possibly a new member(s). Again, plot cosmic, this would fit with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Thanos we’ve already seen at the end of the first movie and fits with Guardians of the Galaxy so those make sense. As for new member(s), Dr. Hank Pym is Ant Man as well as one of the founding members of the Avengers team along with Janet Van Dyne aka Wasp. Both of these characters would be the first guesses if Joss Whedon adds new members to Avengers 2.
But would 2 new characters be enough in the sequel or would even adding 2 be too much? One of the fears with Avengers, at least for me and some of my friends, was that Avengers was going to fall apart because it had such a large ensemble of characters, characters that were already each in their own movies as the main character, and actors that are the main star rather part of a team of main stars. Though with Joss Whedon at the wheel he already knows how to write for a ensemble cast and he found that perfect balance of characters being used while keeping the flow of the movie moving without centering it around just one character. So now the fear is if he adds more characters will it be the tipping point making the movie be too much to take in or too much to stay coherent?
The bad news, at least to me it was, is the talk about Warner Brothers wanting Ben Affleck to direct Justice League. If he does this movie it will already be ruined. He has 5 credits to his name as director, 2 of those are shorts, which leaves him with only 3 movies for experience. Considering how much money comic based movies make, how big they have become, and that Justice League contains 3 of the most well known, world wide popular characters of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, is picking Ben Affleck really the wise choice?
I don’t think so because he don’t have enough experience with directing. Not only that but I remember his character of Daredevil, yeah I know he didn’t direct that but he did give his take on the character of Matt Murdock/Daredevil and he destroyed it. I don’t think he has the understanding of the characters or the experience as a director to create a great Justice League movie and like Daredevil, a cool character that could have had his own franchise, will not be touched again for who knows how long or if ever again.
UPCOMING TITLE THAT LOOKS PROMISING:
Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1
Written by Brain Azzarello
Backup Written by Len Wein
Art by Lee Bermejo
Backup Art by John Higgins
Cover by Lee Bermejo
Cover Price $3.99
Release Date August 15, 2012
I’m looking forward to this issue, like a lot of people are, because it’s about Rorschach. He’s my favorite character out of all the Watchmen because he seemed more real and he was just a tough, mean dude that didn’t take anything from anyone, including the other Watchmen. So getting a new story about him will be or should be really cool.
BOOK TO READ THIS WEEK:
Spider-Men #4
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Sara Pichelli
Covers by Sara Pichelli, Jim Cheung, and Mike Deuodato
Cover Price $3.99
Release Date August 8, 2012
So far this has been one of the best Spider-Man stories that I’ve read in a long time. It’s very emotional, with adult, alternate Earth Peter Parker confronting Aunt May and young and alive Gwen Stacy in a world where their Peter Parker is dead. Though as emotional as the story is, it wouldn’t be nothing without the great art of Sara Pichelli giving the characters realism. This book would be emotional with only the art to look at and it would still have a big impact on the reader. The only downside to this story is that it’s issue #4 of a 5 issue limited series and I’m already wanting a lot more than 5 issues.
RANDOM THOUGHTS BY ME FROM ME:
While reading Spider-Men #4 a interesting question was brought up that I didn’t think about until I read it. One that makes sense considering the story that I’m reading is about Earth 616 Spider-Man/Peter Parker coming to Earth 1610 to meet Spider-Man/Miles Morales and finding out that Spider-Man/Peter Parker of Earth 1610 is dead.
Well, it’s nothing new with the alternate worlds, we as a comic reader have known about them for a very long time, hence all the numbers like Earth 616 and 1610 (how many more there really are is up to Marvel, right now on wikipedia there’s a list that give numbers that reach 1,789,002). Why I bring this up though is that the one thing that remains the same with all these different versions of Earths is that they have the same characters on them. Though there is a Peter Parker he might not be Spider-Man or he might be evil, he could be a business owner, or he might have continued on with his career in entertainment where he’s rich, famous, and Uncle Ben is alive, anything goes. But the point is that Peter Parker is there.
So in issue #4 of Spider-Men a very interesting question was brought up by Miles Morales to Peter Parker, is there a him in Earth 616?
Is there?
This is a very interesting question that I would like to know the answer to. Once Peter is back will he be going on a search for Earth 616 Miles or will this idea be dropped and forgotten? What will the Miles Morales of Earth 616 be like? Young, old, around the same age as Peter, will he have any powers, be a hero, a villain, or could he be someone that could make a difference in Peters life? All questions I would like answers to.
CHARACTER OF THE WEEK 32:
Gwen Stacy/Mary Jane Watson
Sticking with this months 50th anniversary homage of Spider-Man, this weeks characters are Gwen and MJ. These two leading ladies have done more, meant more, and supported Peter Parker and Spider-Man more than any other character in the Marvel U. Gwen was his first true love. Oh sure you could say that Betty Brant was but she really wasn't, Betty was more his first date infatuation. Gwen, she's Peters first true love, she had him tormented when he wasn't around her, and when she died Peter's world shattered. Even now he still has feelings for her, he still thinks about her, and the pain will be there with him. This is one character that has made a huge impact in the comic world considering she was only in a few issues many years ago and since then she's still talked about, still used as an influence with Spider-Man, and has fans (like me) wanting more of her(though not that junk of her and Norman Osborn having twins while she was in Europe, that's one plot line that should have been taken out with the whole Brand New Day reboot).
Not to be overshadowed is MJ. This girl picked up the pieces of Peters shattered life after the death of Gwen and from that moment on the two became connected. So much so that they eventually got married, which again that whole Brand New Day story line took the marriage away but come on at least let her still be a part of his life. Anyways, before I go on a tangent, MJ is Peter's soul mate, she has always known that he was Spider-Man and never told anyone, she has given him support for everything he does, and she's a strong character. Even though it was taken away, MJ was a good match for Peter, I've always enjoyed reading stories with her in them, and considering that they have wrote books about her and her relationship with Peter/Spider-Man, she is another character that the fanboys can't get enough of.
