Superior Spider-Man #23 Writers: Dan Slott and Christos Gage Art: Humberto Ramos Colors: Edgar Delgado Publisher: Marvel Comics Lots of ongoing comics today can feature long and sometimes year-spanning story arcs that last up to eleven issues or longer (we’re looking at you, Scott Snyder!). This can make for some truly epic and serious story-telling, …
Hawkeye #6 Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: David Aja Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth Publisher: Marvel Comics Matt Fraction and David Aja’s run on Hawkeye has been critically acclaimed winning two Eisner Awards for Aja’s art. It also has gained a cult following of fans for whom “bro”, “Hawkguy”, and “Pizza Dog” have become part of their personal vernacular. Sometimes Hawkeye can be …
Inhumanity #1 Writer: Matt Fraction Penciller: Olivier Coipel Inker: Mark Morales Colorist: Laura Martin Publisher: Marvel Comics On paper, Inhumanity seems like it could be a cool book or event. There are sci-fi elements (futuristic machines and medicines), political intrigue (who will succeed Black Bolt as leader of the Inhumans), and even some superheroics (the cool Inhuman transformations, …
Superior Spider-Man #22 Writers: Dan Slott and Christos Gage Art: Humberto Ramos Colors: Edgar Delgado Publisher: Marvel Comics One of the more intriguing and entertaining aspects of The Superior Spider-Man so far has been watching Otto’s interactions with the rest of the Marvel universe based on memories from Peter Parker and his own experiences as …
Strange Tales #178-181, Warlock #9-11, Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 Writer: Jim Starlin Penciller: Jim Starlin Finishers/Inkers: Steve Leialoha, Joseph Rubenstein, Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss and Al Milgrom Colorists: Jim Starlin, Glynis Oliver Wein and Petra Goldberg Publisher: Marvel Comics Even before Jim Starlin had gotten his creative hands on Adam Warlock …
Uncanny X-Men 108-109, 111-143 (1977-1981) Writer: Chris Claremont Penciller/Co-plotter: John Byrne Inker: Terry Austin, Colorist: Glynis Wein Publisher: Marvel Along with Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, Chris Claremont’ work on Uncanny X-Men during the late 1970s and 1980s was the most innovative and creative Marvel Comics title. But the comic was at its peak of brilliance when …
This is the Mousterpiece Cinema schedule for the end of 2013 and the first six months of 2014: November 23, 2013: The Jungle Book 2 (2003) November 30, 2013: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) December 7, 2013: Frozen (2013) December 14, 2013: The Santa Clause 3 (2006) December 21, 2013: Babes in Toyland (1961) December 28, 2013: Saving Mr. Banks (2013) January 4, 2014: Toy Story (1995) January 11, 2014: Sleeping …
A few months back, I penned a rather vitriolic piece decrying the state of everyone’s favorite six-clawed murder machine, Wolverine, calling foul on his portrayal as a swaggering, invincible, unstoppable alpha-male sex symbol in most contemporary media. I’m sure many readers were wondering what my alternative would be, and this month’s theme of favorite Marvel …
Sometimes, it’s the small moments in which you find joy. So it goes with Thor: The Dark World, a movie that frequently botches the big-picture details but balances out the messiness on the whole with minute gags, throwaway lines, and offhand glances that are laid-back and assured. The returning cast members have enough built-in chemistry, and the script has enough moments of genuine wit and cleverness, that Thor: The Dark World doesn’t sink despite being weighed down with an enormously, unnecessarily convoluted story.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a movie being just OK. Given the sordid and often embarrassing history of comic book movies, being just OK could be seen as a victory. Of course, given that Thor: The Dark World is a Marvel Studios movie, and is therefore held to a higher standard of quality by fans of the genre, the fact that it is just OK could be seen as a step down, even a disappointment. Either way, The Dark World is a perfectly entertaining bit of sci-fi/fantasy/adventure fare, but it is also the most forgettable Marvel Studios movie to date.
Superior Spider-Man #20 Writer: Dan Slott Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli Colors: Antonio Fabela Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli Publisher: Marvel Like issue #19 before it, Superior Spider-Man #20 was teased as an important chapter that should not be missed. And while it may not have been as action packed as its predecessor, it certainly has set up something interesting …
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #28 Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Art: Dave Marquez Colors: Justin Ponsor Publisher: Marvel To start things off, Ultimate Spider-Man (starring Peter Parker) was the first comic I ever read, and this is probably the last issue of the Ultimate Spider-Man series. (Miles Morales will return in the Cataclysm event which will most likely end the Ultimate Universe.) So …
Apart from the pilot, it has been difficult to recommend Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The previous three instalments are a perfect storm of hackneyed direction, inane scripting and poorly executed action set-pieces. This week, S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t much of an improvement, but Skye’s inevitable betrayal undoubtedly spices things up. In “Girl in the Flower Dress” we learn that Skye’s parents hold a larger place within the Marvel universe; and more importantly, it gives viewers more reason to care about her. While Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) allegiance keeps shifting back and forth, she remains the only character aside from Agent Coulson, who’s wrapped up in some ongoing mystery.
Writer: Dan Slott Art: Ryan Stegman Colors: Edgar Delgado Cover: Ryan Stegman and Jason Howard Marvel often likes to boast how a certain story is going to shake things up and forever change the Marvel universe. So when Dan Slott began teasing across social media and during interviews that Superior Spider-Man #19 was just such a …
Yesterday, Marvel released yet another of their mysterious “All New Marvel NOW” teasers with the words “Ms.” in green on a black background with no creative team listed. Some have theorized that this means the return of 2010’s “Girl Comics” anthology, but I think that it means that Ms. Marvel will return and get her …
The most consistently frustrating thing about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is its absolute refusal to be anything other than a vanilla, middle-of-the-road piece of disposable entertainment. It’s not a show that’s necessarily terrible enough to hate (although some will try) and it’s not anywhere near good enough to like it. The most common response to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has to be a shrug of the shoulders and moving on from there. There’s nothing particularly memorable about anything that it has to work with. Here’s a question for the ages: if this show didn’t have the association with the Marvel universe, would people even be tuning in to watch it? You can ponder that amongst yourselves.
When you go back and watch Marvel’s “Phase One” films (Iron Man to The Avengers), these are all films that excel in being particularly goofy and silly. That’s just Marvel’s schtick. They’re good at it. Their golden boy, Joss Whedon, has always had a talent for the same thing. A Whedon film or TV show can be picked out of a line up for that very reason. There’s simply a certain feel to his (and Marvel’s) work. It’s only logical that the jump from movies to TV on Marvel’s part would mirror that same aspect. What doesn’t work for Marvel, however, is the melodrama created by Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) character.
Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #1 (of 5) Writer: Matt Kindt Artist: Marco Rudy Colours: Val Staples Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles Cover: Rudy & Staples Publisher: Dan Buckley for Marvel Comics Purchase: http://www.comixology.com/Marvel-Knights-Spider-Man-2013-1-of-5/digital-comic/47896 Marvel’s attempt at creating a fresh jumping on point for readers didn’t last too long before readers were forced into cross-over event after cross-over …
The series premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. scored impressive ratings: 12.1 million people tuned in to watch the premiere last Tuesday (based on the adjusted afternoon nationals from Nielsen). Another 3.7 million watched it on DVR later in the week, and another 4.7 million watched the show’s repeat on Thursday evening. Add on another 1.6 million who streamed the pilot online (and who knows how many others pirated the episode), and we’re looking at a minimum of 22.1 million viewers (and climbing). Yet despite the ratings, the pilot was also met with a decidedly mixed reception from fans and critics alike.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1, episode 1: “Pilot” Directed by Joss Whedon Written by Joss Whedon & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen Original air date: September 24, 2013 Airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on ABC With the massive success of the Marvel movies, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives with a guaranteed victory. Since the series is …
Vito Corleone, Tony Montana, Tony Soprano, Walter White. These are a few of the crime lords that have been immortalized in film and television. But before these characters were created, there was Marvel Comics’ Wilson Fisk more commonly known as the Kingpin. He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita Sr. and …
Shortly after Iron Man 3 was released, we reported on an early Iron Man 3 animatic from Marvel’s storyboard artist Federico D’Alessandro featuring the destruction of the Stark Mansion. Continuing in that fashion, D’Alessandro (via Comic Book Movie) released yet another animatic that reveals the ultimate fate of The Mandarin, otherwise known as Trevor. In the movie, Trevor is arrested for …
Hawkeye #12 Written by Matt Fraction Art by Francesco Francvilla Cover by Francesco Francavilla Published by Marvel Fraction soared high in the last issue of Hawkeye, approaching a familiar set up with a fresh and entertaining perspective. This gave us the much-needed break from the moaning and groaning of our hero, who is still hanging …