Panels on Pages

Holy Crap! Remember…Superman Red/Blue?

Dan Mahoney — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:51 +0000

Ah, nostalgia! Be it that old cartoon, a favorite toy or a comic book from days gone by, isn’t it great, when out of the blue, the memories come flooding back, and you’ve no choice but to exclaim “Holy Crap! Remember…?”

The 90s were the Golden Age of terrible comic book storytelling, and holding firm right up near the top of that pile of crap are two of the worst things to happen to Superman: Superman Red and Superman Blue.

Following the hugely successful Death and Return of Superman storylines in the early days of the 90s, DC was hoping to reignite some of the excitement around their flagship hero by doing away with some of the pieces of Superman that made him stale and uninteresting. Like his costume. And his powers. And that he wasn’t made of electricity.

A lone figure rose from the devastation caused by the explosion of great ideas: Superman Blue.

Of course, he wasn’t called Superman Blue yet, because the genius that is Superman Red was still being cooked up in the imaginarium. Instead, The Character Soon to be Known as Superman Blue was really just plain old Superman suffering from his secondary mutation – wacky evolving powers. Instead of HEAT vision, now he had ELECTRIC vision. Instead of NOT being made of electricity, now he WAS made of electricity. And instead of looking like Superman…now he looked awful.

Oh, and I think he could talk to computers too.

With his spiffy new look and spiffy new powers, The Character Soon to be Known as Superman Blue – wait for it – “electrified” audiences with a general sense of indifference. There was something missing…something…red. Boom. Enter Superman Red. He’s the same as Superman Blue, except his containment suit is red colored, and he’s got a temper. Armed with two electric Supermans, DC was prepared to take the world by storm.

Fortunately, the storm only lasted until Superman #135, when Superman Red and Blue were reverted back to normal Superman with no other explanation than that he was somehow rewarded with his normal body for saving the world. Good on ya, Superman. Nice work.

Ironically, the idea of Superman Red and Superman Blue didn’t even originate in the late 90s, though the electric angle was certainly a fresh idea. The original invention of the primary color Superman twins came all the way back in 1963, when the immortal Leo Dorfman cooked up what was essentially an Elseworlds tale about two Supermans who teamed up to solve all of the world’s problems so they’d have time to marry BOTH Lana Lang and Lois Lane.

Somehow, I still prefer that story to the electric version.

The First Annual PoP! Fighting Fandom Tournament: Round 2

The PoP! Stars — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:20:06 +0000

Wow! Face it; we all thought we had an idea how round one of the First Annual PoP! Fighting Fandom Tournament was going to turn out. We got some of our predictions right, for sure, but there were some serious upsets. If you missed out on round one, go back and check out the match-ups in the bracket below.

Round Two brings us some less obvious pairings, but that doesn’t mean the decisions will be any harder. Some of these fans are absolutely goddamned terrible. You know who we’re talking about. It might even be you (Spoiler alert: it’s totally you). Without further ado, we present to you Round Two of the PoP! Fighting Fandom Tournament. Voting starts after the jump! Click the links below!

Vote for the worst fans in all of geekdom so that we can crown the absolute Worst. The polls will close at 4:00est this Saturday, June 22nd. Spread the word, share the link, tweet us @PanelsOnPages and use the hashtag #PoPFightingFandom. Your tweets and comments might make it into future installments!

Review: MAN OF STEEL

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:00:27 +0000

Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by David S. Goyer, from a story by Goyer and Christopher Nolan
Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and Laurence Fishburne

When it was first announced that Zack Snyder, the director of stylish and kinetic comic book adaptations of 300 and Watchmen, was hired by Warner Brothers to bring the first and arguably most famous superhero in the world back to the big screen, nearly everyone expected it to be a surefire hit. Then came the unfortunate combination of Snyder’s critically and commercially unsuccessful Sucker Punch and the hugely disappointing Green Lantern film, both of which cast major doubts among comic and film fans on whether Snyder or DC had it in them to successfully bring a non-Batman superhero movie to the big screen. After two years of speculation and doubt, Superman fans can breathe a sigh of relief, because Man of Steel is Zack Snyder’s best film to date and a highly effective reintroduction of Superman to twenty-first century audiences.

Man Of Steel works because, unlike Bryan Singer’s overly reverent 2006 film Superman Returns, it doesn’t attempt to pay homage to the past but instead gives us a fresh take on the Superman mythos. It also works due to its impressive balance of story and action, which many critics and audiences found lacking in Returns. While it does cover the all-too-familiar origin of Superman, it manages to avoid using a great deal of screen time on Kal-El’s exodus from his home world of Krypton and his adoption by the Kents in Smallville. After an exciting and fast-paced introduction on Krypton and an introduction to the megalomaniacal General Zod and his team, the movie then cuts to Kal-El / Clark as an adult searching for more information about where he came from and why he was sent to Earth, with several flashbacks showing his upbringing in Smallville where he discovered that he is from another world. It’s a surprisingly effective method that gets all the familiar stuff out of the way while taking time to develop Clark Kent as a character with existing ties to his adopted planet. The story admittedly slows down a bit as Clark meets Lois Lane for the first time and finds a Kryptonian scout ship that fills him in on all he needs to know about his past and provides him with the famous suit and cape, but the movie really picks up when Zod and his gang come calling and it all culminates in a highly entertaining action climax that takes up the majority of the film’s second half.

Zack Snyder has been accused, perhaps not unfairly, of being incapable of making movies with relatable characters or genuine human emotions, and while Man of Steel isn’t exactly the deepest superhero movie ever made, it does succeed in establishing Superman’s motivations in protecting Earth from Zod’s attacks, mostly through his interactions with his adopted parents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) in a number of flashbacks shown throughout the movie’s middle section. While I do wish we were shown more interactions with Costner and the actor playing the young Clark that didn’t just involve him being told that he was brought to Earth for a reason and needs to be careful about who he reveals his true self to, they did a good job in making Clark into a character that the audience can get behind. Henry Cavill wisely chooses not to emulate Christopher Reeve’s iconic and highly charismatic portrayal of Superman but instead portrays him as a brave but unsure young man trying to find the truth about himself while still trying to do right by a world that he never truly felt a part of. The great Michael Shannon also wisely avoids making any attempts to duplicate Terence Stamp’s wonderfully showy performance in the first two Superman films. His Zod is barely able to contain his rage throughout the film, which makes the times when he finally let loose immensely effective and satisfying. It’s a really fun performance to watch and has, in my opinion, put Shannon in the ranks of the best performances as a villain in a modern comic book movie, right behind Heath Ledger’s Joker and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

Aside from those two impressive performances, however, the actors that make up the supporting cast are mostly hit and miss. Russell Crowe is wonderfully stoic and regal as Jor-El, and Costner and Lane bring a lot of heart and pathos to their roles as the Kents, but the usually-fantastic Amy Adams seems to be phoning it in during her early scenes as Lois Lane and only seems to rise to the occasion when she’s paired with Cavill on screen, with whom she has a good amount of chemistry. Laurence Fishburne is fine as Perry White but is basically playing the same gruff but fair authority figure that he currently plays on the NBC show Hannibal. Most of the other human characters seem to be acting with the same amped-up intensity that Snyder seems to always want out of his actors, which works fine during the big action climax but looks a little silly during the quieter scenes. Regardless, Cavill is able to hold it all together with his vulnerable yet noble portrayal of Superman.

Visually, Man Of Steel plays to Snyder’s strongest aspects as a director. The opening scenes on Krypton are fun to watch, even though some of the shots look too much like outtakes from the fantasy action scenes from Sucker Punch, and some of the Smallville scenes have the visual depth and sophistication of a Terrence Malick film. I enjoyed how the flying scenes were rendered, especially in the way the sound effects were employed to give the impression of Superman breaking the sound barrier due to his speed. It’s a welcome contrast to the way we are used to seeing Superman fly on film. The action scenes near the end of the film are obviously done with the help of computer-generated effects, but they are justified here in the way they show the Kryptonian warriors’ superior abilities when fighting on Earth’s surface. Snyder avoids the temptation to use many of his patented slow motion sequences that have become his go-to visual trick in his films, but when slo-mo is used in the film, it makes sense within the context of the story. The final extended battle between Superman and Zod is a little problematic due to the ridiculous amount of destruction and collateral damage done to Metropolis, but by the time it occurs in the film, the audience is more or less on board for whatever Snyder is willing to throw at them.

Man Of Steel is much darker and more serious in tone than the Superman films we all grew up with, which was to be expected, but it never veers into the utter bleakness of Nolan’s Batman trilogy. There are of course some aspects of the script that don’t make much sense (Lois got clearance to participate in a helicopter attack how, exactly?), but it’s nothing worse than what’s been found in any other comic book movie to date and doesn’t detract from everything that’s good in the film. Overall, this movie accomplished everything it needed to in order to appeal to both general 2013 movie audiences and comic book fans equally, and Zack Snyder deserves credit for that, as does producer Christopher Nolan, who no doubt was able to curb many of Snyder’s more indulgent tendencies. As far as Summer blockbuster films go, Man Of Steel delivers in a big way and will hopefully lead to more quality movies based on DC’s wide array of characters. 4 out of 5 Demolished IHOPs.

PoP! Top 6-Pack: Underrated Sequels

Lee Rodriguez — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:00:07 +0000

The PoP! Stars narrow it down to the cream of the crop in categories ranging from (but not limited to) Comics, Movies, Toys and Geek Culture in general. This is the PoP! Top 6-Pack.

These days, Hollywood is all about sequels and remakes. They’re a known quantity and no one wants to take a risk that could literally cost millions of dollars if a film doesn’t perform as its expected (looking at you, After Earth). Many of the most successful non-sequels are comedies or based upon pre-existing franchises in other mediums like the current crop of Marvel movies or ultra successful book series like the Harry Potter and Twilight series. Jason Statham is the exception to that rule, having starred in no less than three original action franchises in the past decade. It’s his mutant power. So this week, we’re taking a look back at some of the more underrated sequels of yesteryear (and one from today). Warm up your Netflix queue, kiddies.

Return to Oz (1985)

Return to Oz may not be a sequel in the strictest sense of the word, but it absolutely builds upon the ideas and plot from The Wizard of Oz, released over 50 years earlier. Dorothy has already been to Oz once and had her amazing adventure wherein her good friend the Scarecrow was made king of Oz. This movie, however, is not a bright and colorful musical. It is bleak, dark, scary and a feast for the eyes (that much it has in common with its predecessor).

Dorothy gets back to Oz, but this time it’s not a tornado that takes her there; it’s a flooding river she falls into after she escapes the mental institution where she was sent to receive electroshock treatment because everyone thinks she’s crazy. That is the opening to this movie. What follows is a new adventure with new characters brought to life with amazing special effects (not one of them CG. Stop motion ftw). The designs are spectacular and the story itself is engaging. It’s an amalgamation of the second and third books in the Oz series with plenty of original content.

It’s easy to see why kids would be scared of this movie. Hell, it’s easy to see why a kid would pee their pants watching this movie. There are some pretty creepy visuals. It’s a very different movie than the original and it’s amazing how many people have never even heard of it. It’s one of my favorites. It never loses its whimsy even when it’s scary. This is Disney to cry about. If you haven’t seen it, or if it’s been awhile, the whole movie is on YouTube somehow. go figure.

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Is Ghostbusters II as good as the original? Of course it isn’t. Is it a bad movie? No. It most certainly is not. Overall, time has been fairly kind to Ghostbusters II, but it’s still regarded as a crappy sequel for some reason. It uses the five-year gap between the two movies to tell its back story. Instead of jumping right into their latest adventure, we see the Ghostbusters on hard times. After numerous lawsuits for property damage, they’ve been forbidden to use any of their gear and/or to investigate paranormal activity. Egon works in a lab. Venkman is a pseudo TV celebrity and Ray and Winston are working kids’ parties as the Ghostbusters… Things suck unreasonably harder for Ray and Winston.

But of course our heroes find themselves smack in the middle of a case, this one involving Dana’s son, Oscar (She got married and divorced between movies). There’s this ancient evil currently haunting a painting that wants to be reborn in the wee baby Oscar. And Dana… will be mother to the ruler of the world…

In a lot of ways this movie is cheesier than the original. The walking Statue of Liberty is particularly silly. Overall, it is a sillier movie, but it’s not like Ghostbusters was Schindler’s List. It’s not exactly a radical shift in tone, so why does this movie get such a bad a rap? It must be a pink slime infestation. It’s the only logical conclusion.

Gremlins 2: the New Batch (1990)

Everyone loves Gremlins, yet nobody ever talks about its meta-as-sh*t sequel. Gremlins 2 knows exactly what it is. It’s a sequel that pokes fun at the conventions of sequels and even at some of the more questionable parts of its original source material. When Billy is warning a room full of people about the Gremlins, for example, one of them asks “What if he’s on a plane and crosses a time zone? Does that count as eating after midnight?” Then he gets his face bashed in. It’s a real hoot. The movie is also a satire of the excesses of the late 80’s/early 90’s and the obsession with the bigger better thing, personified in Daniel Clamp, the Ted Turner/Donald Trump hybrid character whose building plays host to most of the movie. This movie has 100% more John Glover than the original. That is almost always a plus.

Most of the cast returns for the sequel that finds Gizmo in Clamp’s high-tech office building after Mr. Wing dies. He’s found and brought to the genetics lab renting space in the building. Lucky for him, Billy Peltzer also works in Clamp’s building as a concept designer for Clamp’s real estate division. They’re reunited and, of course, he gets wet. The original movie had a swarm of the little monster running wild in a small town. In this movie, they’re confined to a single building… But that building has a genetics lab, remember? The gremlins find their way to the lab and start dosing themselves with all sorts of ridiculous drugs and serums, giving each unique traits and abilities. One of them even learns to talk thanks to a powerful brain stimulant. It’s hilarious.

In a lot of ways, Gremlins 2 is a live-action cartoon. It’s over the top. It doesn’t take itself seriously for a single moment and it revels in its meta-references. Leonard Maltin plays himself at one point, reviewing the original Gremlins. As he’s tearing into the movie, he’s attacked by three gremlins on set and his show cuts to the network test pattern, which is, of course, now adorned a gremlin.

There are dozens of great gags, including a bit where the gremlins interrupt the movie completely. The theatrical cut had Hulk Hogan demanding they restart it. For the home video release, they’re changing the channels on the TV until they finally put it back. I didn’t see the Hogan bit until I bought the DVD over a decade after I first saw the movie on VHS. Gremlins 2 is a delight.

RoboCop 2 (1990)

Like Gremlins 2, the sequel to RoboCop also has 100% more John Glover than its original, thanks to an awesome bit in one the movie’s several fake commercials. Right away, that gives RoboCop 2 a few points more than any John Glover-less sequel. That’s just how math works, dummy.
Originally from a screenplay written by comics scribe Frank Miller (deemed “unfilmable” and coming soon to a comic store near you), RoboCop 2 picks up where the original left off, except for the part where it doesn’t pick up where the original left off at all. The last scene of the original firmly cements Murphy as the dominant persona. He’d fought through his programming to find his humanity again. When this movie starts, all of that is pretty much gone… sort of… He’s Murphy, but he’s also still largely RoboCop… But he finds his inner Murphy again… Look, no one’s going to say that RoboCop 2 is going to go down in the annals of film as a prime example of genius screenwriting. It absolutely pales in comparison to the original, but it’s still a fun movie. It’s still over the top and ultra violent; it’s just a little more scattered. This is quite possibly the only movie that will ever be made wherein a killer robot starts jonesing for a fix and kills a bunch of people, after all.

That’s right. After several failed attempts to recreate the success of the original RoboCop program with police officers and soldiers killed in the line of duty, the geniuses at OCP decide to put the brain of drug-dealer-with-a-messiah-complex Kane into the body of an enormous killer cyborg. How do they keep him in check? With a giant cylinder full of Nuke, the drug he created. Oh, and after he dies, his 12 year-old protégé takes over the business until he, too, is gunned down. Clearly, it’s a family film.

The effects are great. The jokes are good (though not as good as the original). The plot is… weird. It’s by no means the train wreck that RoboCop 3 is, so take that for what it’s worth.

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)

You know why no one saw Battleship? Because the absolute best cinematic representation of the classic board game is in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. After being killed by evil robot versions of themselves from the future, the Wyld Stallyns challenge Death to a series of games in an effort to escape the afterlife (see also The Seventh Seal), including the classic board game, Battleship.

After a most excellent adventure through time, Bill and Ted journey across the afterlife in the sequel in the hopes of keeping their band together, thus bringing about world peace through the awesome power of their rock. I’ve gushed over Bill and Ted before, but the sequel gets nowhere as much love as the original. Sure, the original is maybe a bit more quotable, but Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey tried to make “station” happen. Time to take it back, internet.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

The original Iron Man is a perfect superhero movie. Not only did it set the stage for the entire Marvel movie universe that followed, it stood on its own as one of the greatest comic adaptations of all time. Why, then, does the sequel get no love? Of course, it’s not like it gets the Batman and Robin treatment, but there is a surprising amount of people that point to Iron Man 2 as the weak link in the Marvel movie universe.

I don’t get it. It’s got bigger action and better effects than its predecessor. It’s got a better Rhodey (sorry, Terrence Howard) and a more fun villain in Justin Hammer. Stane worked really well in the first movie because of his ties to Tony and that overall origin was great. I wouldn’t change a thing. But the sequel is more fun. Justin Hammer (brilliantly played by Sam Rockwell) is essentially what Tony Stark would be if he weren’t successful and cool, and he knows it. He’s awesome. One of the most frequent complaints is that Iron Man 2 is overly bogged down with things to set up The Avengers. I don’t see it. Everything that happens in this movie serves the movie. Compared to Thor’s completely random “Hey, you in the suit. If anything super crazy goes down where you put like a team of super people together… I’ll totally be on your team. Sound cool? Awesome. Peace out while I go slap my brother around” moment in his movie, Iron Man 2 is smooth as butter.

As Avengers got closer, people came around on Iron Man 2, thanks in no small part to the marathon screenings leading up the premiere of the greatest superhero movie ever made. It’s not quite the pariah it once was (and Iron Man 3 is certainly better), but still, Tony’s second outing deserves a better shake.

So there you have it. What say you, internet? Did I miss the mark completely? Is there a beloved sequel you’d place on the list instead? Sound off in the comments below.

It’s New To Me – AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (“Bitter Work” / “The Library”)

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:30:51 +0000

In my years of TV watching, there have been tons of well-regarded shows that have eluded my gaze. Thanks to the magic of Netflix and other online streaming sites, I now have an opportunity to watch these shows and share my thoughts on them. It may be a classic to you, but It’s New To Me!

In many ways, Book Two of Avatar: The Last Airbender can be compared to The Empire Strikes Back. Both have our heroes learning new skills in unfamiliar settings from teachers that are tough and unflinching despite their relatively innocent appearance. Empire of course had Luke learning how to control the Force from diminutive Jedi Master Yoda, while this season of Avatar has Aang learning the skill of Earthbending from Toph, who winds up a bit of a ballbuster despite her young age. From what I’ve heard from fans of the show, this isn’t the only parallel between this season and the fifth episode of the Star Wars saga, which will more than likely grow clearer as this season progresses.

“Bitter Work” mostly deals with Aang as he begins his earthbending training from Toph while simultaneously continuing his waterbending training with Katara. Toph’s increasingly challenging tasks and harsh teaching style contrast greatly with Katara’s encouraging and empathetic methods. When Aang fails to accomplish these tasks and begins to doubt his abilities, Katara tells Toph that Aang responds better to positive teaching methods, but Toph ignores this suggestion and continues to teach Aang her way. Meanwhile, Zuko receives some advanced firebending training from his injured uncle Iroh, who teaches Zuko the technique used to create and redirect lightning that his sister Azula has mastered.

While Aang trains with Toph, Sokka wanders off in search of an animal to hunt and winds up trapped in a crevice as the moose lion cub he was hunting hangs around him. Aang soon finds Sokka and is unable to free him with his airbending. Things get far more dire when the moose lion’s mother arrives and begins to charge at them. Aang is able to drive the creature away and is congratulated by Toph, whom we discover had been watching them during their struggle with the moose lion. She tells Aang that standing his ground like he did with the large creature is the key to successful earthbending. Aang uses this newfound skill to move a large rock, while Toph easily frees Sokka from the crevice. Having found newfound encouragement, Aang enthusiastically continues his training, and Katara congratulates Toph for finally reaching Aang with positive reinforcement.

While this episode doesn’t quite reach the highs of the previous chapters, it’s an important one for both Aang and Zuko, both of whom learn a lot about themselves and what they are capable of. While Aang’s training is focused on more, Zuko’s role in this episode is arguably more interesting, especially when he is told by Iroh that he has the potential to access all four elements and be as powerful as the Avatar. The angry and prideful Zuko of course is reluctant to open himself up to the three other disciplines at this moment, but this information could potentially lead to some interesting situations for his character in future episodes. While short on action and plot, “Bitter Work” plants some very interesting seeds and earns 4 out of 5 Rolling Boulders.

The following episode, entitled “The Library,” is even more of a watershed episode than “Bitter Work” was. The events of this episode provide more than one game-changing events that will more than likely shape the entire series from here on out. The episode begins with the group seeking a much-needed break from their quest and from Aang’s training, with Sokka the only member of the group not willing to deviate from the plan. He laments that, even with Aang learning two of the four skills he needs to fight the Fire Lord, they don’t have any tactical advantage over the Fire Nation or even a way to locate the Fire Lord in the first place. Sokka’s worries are eased a bit when they meet an anthropologist from the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba-Sing-Se named Professor Zei. Zei exhibits a scientific curiosity of Aang as the last of the tribe of Airbenders and shows the gang a map that he’s been following in search of a legendary hidden library that belongs to a Knowledge Spirit that contains many volumes of hidden and valuable information. Sokka, hoping that he can find some information that could help them defeat the Fire Nation, offers to help the Professor locate the library by having Appa fly them to its location on the map.

The team flies across a vast desert looking for this fabled library and finally locate it, but they are shocked to find it almost completely buried under a mountain of sand. They are able to enter the structure through an open window on the topmost tower, with Toph and Appa staying behind. When they enter the library, the team encounters the Knowledge Spirit who lives there, personified as a giant owl named Wan Shi Tong. The spirit tells them that he does not permit humans to enter his library because they always use the knowledge gained in his archive for selfish or destructive goals. Aang promises the spirit that they will not abuse the knowledge gained in their research, and Wan Shi Tong reluctantly permits them entry, accepting offerings from each member of the team including Katara’s waterbending scroll.

While searching through the library’s vast collection of books and scrolls, Sokka comes across a parchment that hints of an upcoming “darkest day” for the Fire Nation. The team is shocked to find that the entire Fire Nation wing of the library has been destroyed (most likely by General Zhao). A fox appears and leads them to a planetarium wing of the library and shows them how to operate it. While in there, the team discovers that a solar eclipse will soon occur that will temporarily render the Fire Nation powerless and completely vulnerable to attack. Sokka loudly celebrates this discovery and is discovered by Wan Shi Tong, who is angered at being lied to and begins to flap his wings in order to sink the library for good. The team then scrambles to escape the library before they are buried alive, while outside the building, Toph tries to slow the library’s descent using her earthbending powers. While occupied by this task, a group of sandbenders arrive and manage to capture Appa. The team manages to escape, though Professor Zei chooses to stay buried with the library, and are shocked to find Appa gone.

“The Library” stands out as one of the most important episodes of the season so far. Not only does it provide a valuable piece of information that will no doubt dictate the rest of Season Two, if not the remainder of the whole series, but its climax provides a major problem for Aang and his friends as they are left without their trusted friend and main source of transportation. It also provided an interesting peek into the mindset of the spirits that occasionally visit this world and how many of them seem ambivalent to the conflicts that occur in the mortal world. The team’s escape from the sinking library is one of the most thrilling sequences I’ve seen to date on the show, and the loss of Appa, a lovable creature whom I’ve grown to adore, was a shocking and tragic twist ending to an already compelling episode. While slightly less consistently awesome than the first season, the tone set by “The Library” makes me confident that Season Two will finish strongly and will provide some truly emotional moments along the way. “The Library” gets 4.5 out of 5 Single Tears.

Make It So: The Squadron Supreme Movie

Dan Mahoney — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:32 +0000

If there’s one thing we geeks love to do, it’s wax theoretical on all the things that could have been, or should be, involving our favorite characters or properties. Whether an unseen final season or a never-produced line of action figures, we want them. Now. Make It So!

In 1969 comic book legends Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema created a new team of supervillains, the Squadron Sinister, to face off against the Avengers. Clearly based on the Distinguished Competition’s flagship superheroes Superman (Hyperion), Batman (Nightwing), Green Lantern (Doctor Spectrum), and the Flash (The Whizzer), the Squadron Sinister gave Marvel zombies a quick peak at what a battle between the two flagship properties might look like. In subsequent appearances, it was explained that, in addition to the Squadron Sinister the Avengers had fought, there was a legitimate superhero team on an alternate Marvel Earth called the Squadron Supreme.

Confusing, I know.

Years later, Mark Gruenwald brought the Squadron Supreme to the forefront with a must-read twelve issue limited series that saw these Justice League copies decide that they had both the power and responsibility to create a utopia on their world. As one would expect, creating a perfect world is more complicated than anticipated and disaster ensues. The series came at a time where comics were telling more “grim and gritty” adult stories, as evidenced by the adult themes and high body count.

Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme is excellent. That’s why I’d like to see it make the leap to the silver screen.

Marvel characters have dominated the recent golden age of superhero films, and what better way to further stick it to DC then to beat them with their own characters. Before you write it off as an impossibility, think back to your feelings towards Guardians of the Galaxy three years ago. A screen filled with Hyperion, Power Princess, Nighthawk, and Doctor Spectrum would play well with a general public who wouldn’t be familiar enough with the DC counterparts to realize they’re not the same characters they’re already familiar with. Imagine an Avengers 3 that pits the Avengers versus a Squadron Supreme intent on world domination. Now wipe the drool away from your mouth.

Kevin Feige, if you’re reading this, and I know you are, let me give you your first piece of advice on the road to a box office smash hit Squadron Supreme movie: cast Peter Dinklage as Tom Thumb. Everyone loves that guy. Make it so. Please.

Counter Culture Spotlight: Aw Yeah Comics!

Thacher Cleveland — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:33:07 +0000

This month we take a look at one of the newer shops in the Counter Culture Clique, Aw Yeah Comics! in Skokie, Illinois. They may not have been open for as long as some of the other shops we’ve talked to but they bring with them a ton of experience, professionalism and a pretty cool mission statement.

What’s your name and what’s your position at the store?

Marc Hammond. I am the General Manager, as well as one of the co-owners of AW YEAH COMICS.

Where are you located?

4933 Oakton Street, Skokie, IL 60077. Just a few minutes walk from the Yellow Line train that goes between Skokie and north Chicago.

How long have you been in business?

This is our 15th month.

The Aw Yeah Comics Crew: Franco Aureliani, Marc Hammond and Art Baltazar.

How many employees do you have and are they a mix of full & part-timers?

One full timer…. me. Seven days a week. We have several people who help during events or emergencies.

How did your store get started?

I have been friend’s with Art & Franco, my partners, for years. During that time, I worked at a large comic and toy store just outside of Orlando, Fl. I wanted to pursue a new challenge, at the same time they were thinking of perhaps opening a store. The timing really just kind of fell into place.

How has having a pair of comic professionals involved in the shop changed how you do business, if at all?

The three of us are always on the same page in how we treat the customers, how we present the comics, and the types of events we like to do. Family friendly, welcoming to new readers, and an atmosphere that is fun. That is the type of experience you get when you see Art & Franco at a convention or signing, so it was crucial that we created that feel here in the store.

Do you carry any non-comics merchandise like toys, games (video, card or board), accessories or other unique items?

We carry toys, t-shirts, posters, and are starting to move into other related merchandise like statues, and other collectibles.

Aw Yeah Comics seems to have a particular focus on young readers and all ages books. Was there a particular reason for that kind of specialty?

Kids are the future of comics. They are the future of…well… everything. The next generation of readers also has the next generation of creators. It is imperative to interest and inspire them now.

What kind of pull-file system do you operate? What kind of discounts, requirements, etc?

Our sub program is free of additional charge. Customers need only have at least one ongoing title on their list to keep their file open, and to come in at least once a month to clear their file completely. In return, they receive 10% off all new comics, back issues, magazines, trades, and hardcovers. They can add or delete items any time via e-mail, in person, or over the phone. They also get Previews at $3, instead of the $4.50 cover price.

How do you rack your comics at the shop? By publisher, by genre, alphabetically, by “family” of titles? Do you have a dedicated new release section or use shelf talkers to point out new releases?

We have a new releases wall. Once they leave that wall, they move to our other recent releases section. We keep three issues or three months worth, for those titles shipped bi-weekly, or mini series’ in their entirety, on the wall before they are moved to the back issues.

What’s that worst thing a comic shop can do?

Ignore and/or belittle new customers. Not paying any attention, or even worse, berating someone for their choice of comics.

You’ve only been open for a short while but how is the direct market different than what you expected when the shop first opened?

I had a pretty good handle on it, since I had been doing this for 11 years before opening the store.

Fair enough. What’s one thing you would change about the direct market?

Marvel and DC should be leading the charge, bringing all of their forces to bear, on creating and sustaining comics geared for children, in order to create a new, and life long lasting readership. Too many of the comics put out by the Big Two are way too dark for anyone under 16. The movies and cartoons are great, but shouldn’t they have the same experience that our generation had growing up with comics. Easier said than done, I know, but they should be putting more effort into than I currently see.

What has been a surprise hit for you in your store lately?

I was surprised and very pleased by the amount of people listening to longtime readers of ASTRO CITY. We had a ton of new readers come looking for it. Luckily, we had the copies we needed.

At the end of the day what keeps you coming back to this job?

Two of my great loves. Comics and People. The interactions created when I get to help one find the other make my day, every time.

Outside the Longbox: 40th Anniversary of Enter the Dragon

Jose Guzman — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:21:54 +0000

Around the world, fans are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Bruce Lee’s iconic master piece, Enter the Dragon, with the release of the remastered 40th Anniversary Edition of Enter the Dragon now out on Blu Ray! For those not in the know, Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee’s first big budget American film, but sadly, also his last full length film with Lee passing away on July 20, 1973, 6 days before the films theatrical release. Though Bruce Lee didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of labor, the waves made from struggles he overcame in his life to be the first Asian lead on the American big screen have rippled throughout space and time inspiring and motivating generations still to this day. With Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee was able to take an action movie with martial arts at its core and use it to show the world the beauty of his people’s culture while sharing his philosophical beliefs.

The man changed the game and reinvented what a martial arts film should be! Enter the Dragon is clearly Bruce Lee’s finest piece of work and from start to finish, from script to fight choreography, Lee left his unique mark on the film while cementing his legacy and the world would not be the same after experiencing his film. With fight scenes that move with the beauty of a ballet, Enter the Dragon showcases Lee in his prime like Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals, leaving you to wonder just how high his rising star would have reached given more time on this earth. Although Lee left us far too soon, it’s clear that his love for life, the arts and thirst for knowledge radiates through his performances and if there is such a thing as “being put on this planet for a purpose”, Bruce Lee has definitely fulfilled his purpose.

Sit back and enjoy PoP!’s tribute to the legend and his magnum opus as we step Outside the Longbox to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Bruce Lee’s, Enter the Dragon!

–The GUZMANIAC

Hidden Gems – Doctor Strange: The Oath

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:52 +0000

With so many big names and big events plastered across the shelves of your LCS, sometimes great comics get left behind buried in longboxes until someone comes along to find these Hidden Gems.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez
Published by Marvel Comics

Doctor Stephen Strange has been a Marvel mainstay for half a century now, and yet he has always been considered more of a B-list character. As the so-called “Sorcerer Supreme,” Strange is truly one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, and yet he’s mostly been used as a supporting player in more popular characters’ books or as a member of an ensemble title such as The Defenders. While his exploits in the pages of Strange Tales or one of his several solo books have a small but devoted following, they have failed to truly find most mainstream success, perhaps because he’s been seen by many readers as too dry and unrelatable. In 2006, writer extraordinaire Brian K. Vaughan of Runaways and Y: The Last Man fame teamed with talented artist Marcos Martin to bring us a five-issue limited series entitled Doctor Strange: The Oath that helped show the good Doctor in a more human light and helped raise his profile in the eyes of many readers to the point where he started to become more of a major player in the 616.

Doctor Strange: The Oath begins in dramatic fashion with Strange’s faithful sidekick Wong dragging his master’s body into the office of the Night Nurse, a fascinating character introduced during Bendis’ Daredevil run who patches up injured costumed heroes. As she mends the powerful sorcerer, Wong fills in the needed exposition by stating that Strange was shot during a robbery at his Sanctum Sanctorum in Manhattan. After Strange comes to, he states that Wong is dying of a brain tumor and the item that was stolen from him is a vial of an extradimensional elixir that Strange had obtained that cures all forms of cancer. The vial was stolen by a mysterious costumed criminal named Brigand who shot Strange with an enchanted pistol that was able to pierce through his magical defenses. Strange declines Night Nurse’s recommendation to rest and sets out to find Brigand and find out who hired him, while she decides to accompany him and Wong in order to administer medical aid to either one of them if necessary. The trio soon discover that Brigand was hired by a prominent figure from Strange’s past who has some less-than-noble intentions for this miracle drug.

Like most Doctor Strange stories, The Oath contains a great deal of mystic and occult elements, but Vaughan’s gift for memorable characters and witty dialogue make it an immensely fun read even for those who aren’t into stories about wizards and demons. Vaughan does a wonderful job introducing Doctor Strange to new readers through his use of flashbacks and expository dialogue that blends in quite well with the overall plot. By tying in the plot of The Oath with the mistakes that Strange made in the past before he became a sorcerer and having him spend the entire story trying to save his friend’s life, Vaughan humanizes a character that for many years was seen as cold and detached by a number of readers. The addition of the Night Nurse adds an amusing foil for the good Doctor to trade humorous barbs with as well.

Even though we get our fair share of monsters and demons in this story, as well as brief cameo appearances from Strange’s most famous foes Dormammu and Baron Mordo, the main threat here is a human one, which again makes this story approachable for new readers. Marcos Martin’s vibrant, eye-pleasing art balances a retro, Silver-Age style with a modern sensibility that appeals to both old and new Doctor Strange fans. The Oath was a critical success when the miniseries was first released and led to Strange having a much higher profile in the overall Marvel Universe, landing him a regular spot in Brian Michael Bendis’ hugely popular New Avengers title. Many readers, myself included, would have loved to have seen an ongoing Doctor Strange book with the same creative team, with Night Nurse acting as the Agent Scully to Strange’s Mulder, but sadly it never came to be, and now with Vaughan working exclusively on his uber-popular creator-owned book Saga, the possibility of such a title coming out any time soon is pretty slim. Luckily, The Oath continues to entertain upon repeated reads and is well worth checking out in order to see what top-notch talent can do with criminally underutilized characters. Doctor Strange: The Oath gets 5 out of 5 “Hoary F***ing Hosts!”

PoP! Top 6-Pack: Zack Snyder’s Best Action Sequences

Jason Knize — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:55:01 +0000

The PoP! Stars narrow it down to the cream of the crop in categories ranging from (but not limited to) Comics, Movies, Toys and Geek Culture in general. This is the PoP! Top 6-Pack.

For whatever reason, Zack Snyder doesn’t get a whole lot of love from genre fans. Many treat him like he’s one sexual harassment claim away from being Michael Bay. Sure, the director’s style is flashy and over-the-top, but that style of his, along with his other technical and creative gifts, are what have made him a success in the movie business, and are the reason he’s behind DC’s upcoming game changer, Man of Steel. One of the big changes from Superman Returns to Man of Steel? Zack Snyder’s seat in the director’s chair guarantees that there WILL be action in a Superman movie. Huge, explosive, slo-mo action. Set to a Hans Zimmer score.

In preparation for this week’s release of Man of Steel, let’s wax nostalgic over some of the big action set pieces that got Zack Snyder the gig.

#1. Dawn of the Dead (2004): “Zombies Ate My Neighbors”

The 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake remains as one of the best horror remakes of all time, thanks in no small part to Snyder’s eye for action. After the neighbor kid and her husband go all Rage Virus-y, Sarah Polley’s Ana attempts to get the hell out of dodge, and finds that this outbreak is not limited to her bedroom. This sequence, quite early in the movie, set the frenetic pace and scope for what would become one of the best action-horror movies of the last 20 years.

#2. 300 (2006): ”This is Where We Fight”

Frank Miller’s 300 was the first comic-property adapted to the big screen by Zack Snyder, and it was the perfect marriage. 300 has long been the standard-bearer for what a Zack Snyder movie looks, sounds, and feels like. In this segment, Gerard Butler, as Leonidas, leads his 300 Spartans against the incoming Persian hordes. Wait until about 3:14 into the clip when Leonidas goes straight HAM in true Zack Snyder style: slo-mo/fast-mo, CGI-blood splatter, and every shot, a “hero shot”.

#3. Watchmen (2009): “Nite Owl Rescue”

After the success of 300, Zack Snyder was tasked with turning Watchmen, forever regarded as unfilmable, into an entertaining, cohesive, less-than-three-hours long superhero flick. While not Snyder’s greatest achievement, it’s the best Watchmen movie anyone could have ever made, and achieved a level of action excitement underneath all of that Alan Moore exposition. In this scene, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre save the residents of a burning building in true superhero fashion. Not shown: Laurie and Dan’s post-mission bang-fest, complete with boots on.

#4. Sucker Punch (2011): “Samurai Fight Scene”

Sucker Punch was when Snyder started to lose people. NOT I. Sucker Punch was an orgy of action, music, and pinup girls that many complained was a just live action video game. Uh…YEAH. I’d much rather a movie pretend to be a video game, than for some of those awful video game adaptations pretending to be movies. In this scene, Babydoll (aka Gwen Stacy with a sword) faces her first boss battle: three gigantic samurai primed and ready to turn her into the cutest little stain on the floor.

#5. Legend of the Guardians (2010): “Use your Gizzard”

No, I didn’t see the Zack Snyder-directed CGI-owl movie. When researching this list, I was surprised to find that despite a 10+ year career, Zack Snyder has done very few large-scale movies, barely enough to fill an entire 6-Pack. Despite being a CGI-kiddie flick about owls, Snyder still manages to bring the action, and in this clip, Geoffrey Rush’s Ezylryb trains Jim Sturgess’ Soren in a rainstorm.

#6. Man of Steel (2013): “It Hurts, Doesn’t it?”

We arrive in the present, Man of Steel is ready to hit theaters, as well as anyone that messes with his Mama. In the first extended clip, Supes wrecks Zod‘s cornhole, then takes him to 7-11 for a Slurpee. Clocking in at a minute and eighteen seconds, this Man of Steel clip already has about 1:16 more action than the entirety of Superman Returns. Can Zack Snyder finally get some respect from the nerd community following Man of Steel? Could Man of Steel and his prior body of work make Snyder the #1 candidate for a Justice League flick? We shall see!

–Knize