Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 82
May 11, 2014
Film Review: Amazing Spider-man 2
In the sequel to Amazing Spider-man, Peter Parker struggles with keeping his promises to Captain Stacy to keep Gwen out of the dangers entailed in being Spider-man as he continues to be in love with her. At the same time, Spider-man faces new threats with the creation of Electro, and then Harry Osborn ascends to Oscorp believing that only the blood of Spider-man can cure him of the degenerative disease he inherited from his father.
Plus side:
The biggest plus of this movie that makes it work is Andrew Garfield. Garfield portrays the best and most likable Spider-man ever. He's still human, flawed, and struggling, but he's not near as whiny as previous versions.
Spider-man has grown from the brooding teenager to a compassionate and caring hero. The scenes with kids are priceless. Spidey can take on threats and kick tail and take names but that's not the first resort. His efforts to talk down Electro and Green Goblin are great. Peter Parker has some great moments with Aunt May and Gwen Stacy. You never get a feeling that Spidey or Peter's being a jerk.
I also have to applaud the way Spidey's webslinging was portrayed. He's never more graceful and being Spider-man never looked more fun than in this movie.
I think that Garfield could be to Spider-man what Christopher Reeves was to Superman in the 1970s or what David Tennant was to the new Doctor Who.
Emma Stone was also great as Gwen Stacy and Dante DeHaan turned in a muli-faceted performance as Harry Osborn.
Negatives
This is a case where great actors were betrayed by a mediocre and often undisciplined script. Director Marc Webb two scenes featuring Shailene Woodsley as Mary Jane Watson in order to make the film more focused. I don't fault him for that. The problem was that Webb didn't go far enough to produce a film that could be focused. The movie actually begins with long flashback scene featuring Peter's dead father Richard Parker fighting a bad guy to to ensure his file is uploaded. Yes, we have the most expensive Uploading a File Scene in history.
We also have scenes that go nowhere. When Max Dillon is turned into Electro as a result of an Oscorp accident, Emma works for Oscorp becomes suspicious and searches the company directory and finds she's not there which arouses suspicion and she's chased by Oscorp security. She tells this to Peter and theorizes that Electro is Dillon and that Oscorp is covering it up and our heroes do nothing about it and once Ms. Stacy leaves the building , the villains don't seem to care about it either.
The biggest offenses has to do with the two villains. It's not just that the movie has both Electro and Green Goblin, it's how it handled both villains. Electro can be an awesome threat in the comics and could be a great movie villain, but here the character isn't really given a chance to shine. He has one battle with Spidey and is then locked up for most of the film and then has a second battle with Spidey. Both are too short.
The Green Goblin has historically been Spider-man's most destructive foe, one who battled him to the point of death multiple times. In the movie, Harry Osborn stumbles upon Goblin equipment in a place he's been led to for something else and so in a matter of minutes, grabs the suit and glider and flies to battle Spider-man. that makes the battle with Venom in Spider-man 3 look well-designed.
The film also features a key death and this person was helping Spidey fight Electro and after Electro was dealt with, this newly powered Goblin shows up and causes the death in an utterly cheap scene.
With a lesser actor, this movie was absolutely reak, but Andrew Garfield is a joy to watch as Spider-man even though the script is a deadlier foe than either the Green Goblin or Electro.
The movie ends on a cliffhanger and hints of a Sinister Six film. It's a prospect I have mixed feelings on. On the one hand, Spidey v. the Sinister Six is the type of classic battle that can be awesome if done right. However, If Webb bad this much trouble managing a film with two villains, how is he going to do with six?
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Plus side:
The biggest plus of this movie that makes it work is Andrew Garfield. Garfield portrays the best and most likable Spider-man ever. He's still human, flawed, and struggling, but he's not near as whiny as previous versions.
Spider-man has grown from the brooding teenager to a compassionate and caring hero. The scenes with kids are priceless. Spidey can take on threats and kick tail and take names but that's not the first resort. His efforts to talk down Electro and Green Goblin are great. Peter Parker has some great moments with Aunt May and Gwen Stacy. You never get a feeling that Spidey or Peter's being a jerk.
I also have to applaud the way Spidey's webslinging was portrayed. He's never more graceful and being Spider-man never looked more fun than in this movie.
I think that Garfield could be to Spider-man what Christopher Reeves was to Superman in the 1970s or what David Tennant was to the new Doctor Who.
Emma Stone was also great as Gwen Stacy and Dante DeHaan turned in a muli-faceted performance as Harry Osborn.
Negatives
This is a case where great actors were betrayed by a mediocre and often undisciplined script. Director Marc Webb two scenes featuring Shailene Woodsley as Mary Jane Watson in order to make the film more focused. I don't fault him for that. The problem was that Webb didn't go far enough to produce a film that could be focused. The movie actually begins with long flashback scene featuring Peter's dead father Richard Parker fighting a bad guy to to ensure his file is uploaded. Yes, we have the most expensive Uploading a File Scene in history.
We also have scenes that go nowhere. When Max Dillon is turned into Electro as a result of an Oscorp accident, Emma works for Oscorp becomes suspicious and searches the company directory and finds she's not there which arouses suspicion and she's chased by Oscorp security. She tells this to Peter and theorizes that Electro is Dillon and that Oscorp is covering it up and our heroes do nothing about it and once Ms. Stacy leaves the building , the villains don't seem to care about it either.
The biggest offenses has to do with the two villains. It's not just that the movie has both Electro and Green Goblin, it's how it handled both villains. Electro can be an awesome threat in the comics and could be a great movie villain, but here the character isn't really given a chance to shine. He has one battle with Spidey and is then locked up for most of the film and then has a second battle with Spidey. Both are too short.
The Green Goblin has historically been Spider-man's most destructive foe, one who battled him to the point of death multiple times. In the movie, Harry Osborn stumbles upon Goblin equipment in a place he's been led to for something else and so in a matter of minutes, grabs the suit and glider and flies to battle Spider-man. that makes the battle with Venom in Spider-man 3 look well-designed.
The film also features a key death and this person was helping Spidey fight Electro and after Electro was dealt with, this newly powered Goblin shows up and causes the death in an utterly cheap scene.
With a lesser actor, this movie was absolutely reak, but Andrew Garfield is a joy to watch as Spider-man even though the script is a deadlier foe than either the Green Goblin or Electro.
The movie ends on a cliffhanger and hints of a Sinister Six film. It's a prospect I have mixed feelings on. On the one hand, Spidey v. the Sinister Six is the type of classic battle that can be awesome if done right. However, If Webb bad this much trouble managing a film with two villains, how is he going to do with six?
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
May 10, 2014
Comic Book Reviews: Justice League Unlimited, Batman Adventures, and Star Trek
Review: Justice League Unlimited #8:
Is the Question crazy? Maybe, the best way to address that is to write a comic where most of it is him narrating to himself about himself, while wandering about the Justice League Watch Tower. Then he goes to investigate and has three suspects as to who planted a bomb on the Watch Tower and he ends up talking to only one of them.
The problem with this issue is that so much of it is spent with nothing interesting going on. There are no grand vistas, no alien landscapes, no evocative visuals, no witty dialogue, just page after page of internal monologue with the story really not moving until the last few pages. This isn't as bad as some stories in this series, but it's not great either.
Review: 1.75 out of 5.0
Batman and Robin Adventures #5:
This All Ages book actually is a pretty entertaining Joker story. The Joker beaks out of Arkham to kill a guy who owes him $20 by slapping him to death with a banana but that all changes when he hears a psychiatrist declare the Riddler the most brilliant criminal in Arkham. This sets Joker determined for revenge and sets Batman as having to protect the riddler.
This is just a good solid Joker story that portrays a joke that can be a true clown prince of crime but who also is deadly dangerous. The plot works beautifully and the result is a well-written and well-thought out comic.
Star Trek #33 (Gold Key):
In this Issue of Star Trek, we're given exposition, way more exposition than belongs in a comic book. It's right near the front, so the whole thing becomes boring before we get to the plot. It all centers around the Big Bang theory and Spock, Kirk, and the Enterprise reaching the spot where they think it all happen. The Enterprise is caught in an anomaly where there's a barrel and inside the barrel is James T Kirk in a blue shirt. But this isn't a parallel universe. This is the James T. Kirk from the previous Universe that's been waiting around in suspended animation for several billion years. We're told that the entire universe plays out exactly the same way each time and that only one person actually has free will and that our Kirk needs to let Blue Shirt Kirk replace while our Kirk gets into the suspended animation barrel and is jettisoned into the void.
Our Kirk refuses and Blue shirt Kirk challenges him to a duel to the death which we're told is done in accordance with Star Fleet regulations. Yes, Star Fleet has approved rules for duels to the death.
This is just a stupid story but with two Kirks, it's not all bad.
Rating: 1.75 out of 5.0
Is the Question crazy? Maybe, the best way to address that is to write a comic where most of it is him narrating to himself about himself, while wandering about the Justice League Watch Tower. Then he goes to investigate and has three suspects as to who planted a bomb on the Watch Tower and he ends up talking to only one of them.
The problem with this issue is that so much of it is spent with nothing interesting going on. There are no grand vistas, no alien landscapes, no evocative visuals, no witty dialogue, just page after page of internal monologue with the story really not moving until the last few pages. This isn't as bad as some stories in this series, but it's not great either.
Review: 1.75 out of 5.0
Batman and Robin Adventures #5:
This All Ages book actually is a pretty entertaining Joker story. The Joker beaks out of Arkham to kill a guy who owes him $20 by slapping him to death with a banana but that all changes when he hears a psychiatrist declare the Riddler the most brilliant criminal in Arkham. This sets Joker determined for revenge and sets Batman as having to protect the riddler.
This is just a good solid Joker story that portrays a joke that can be a true clown prince of crime but who also is deadly dangerous. The plot works beautifully and the result is a well-written and well-thought out comic.
Star Trek #33 (Gold Key):
In this Issue of Star Trek, we're given exposition, way more exposition than belongs in a comic book. It's right near the front, so the whole thing becomes boring before we get to the plot. It all centers around the Big Bang theory and Spock, Kirk, and the Enterprise reaching the spot where they think it all happen. The Enterprise is caught in an anomaly where there's a barrel and inside the barrel is James T Kirk in a blue shirt. But this isn't a parallel universe. This is the James T. Kirk from the previous Universe that's been waiting around in suspended animation for several billion years. We're told that the entire universe plays out exactly the same way each time and that only one person actually has free will and that our Kirk needs to let Blue Shirt Kirk replace while our Kirk gets into the suspended animation barrel and is jettisoned into the void.
Our Kirk refuses and Blue shirt Kirk challenges him to a duel to the death which we're told is done in accordance with Star Fleet regulations. Yes, Star Fleet has approved rules for duels to the death.
This is just a stupid story but with two Kirks, it's not all bad.
Rating: 1.75 out of 5.0
May 9, 2014
Book Review: Robin Archives, Volume 2
The Robin Archives, Vol. 2 by Jim MooneyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This second archive of Robin solo stories includes adventures from Star Spangled Comics #86-#105.
These are not as good as those in Volume 1. Part of the problem is actually Batman who effectively took over the strip #88-#95 in hopes of saving it from low circulation numbers. In Issue #96, Robin ceased being the cover feature and these went back to being stories featuring just Robin.
Some of the highlights include:
-A story where criminals make a counterfeit of Batman's utility belt (#89)
-A powerful boy inventor who accidentally discovers a way find Robin's Secret Identity (#96)
-Another bout between Robin and the Clock King (Called the Clock in this story) (#97)
-Robin encounters a wanna be second Boy Wonder (#98)
-Robin takes a wild killer dog under his wings and helps his go straight #100)
The lowlights are quite a few. We have some just goofy stories such as Robin running for Batman as a birthday present (#91), the attempted introduction of a wheel based criminal (#99), and the Underworld's attempt to rig school popularity contests (#101).
The worst story was probably #103 where introduces Roberta, the Girl Wonder and Robin lets her fight crime and allows her to over the, "She's a girl!" against fighting crime but then comes up with something even more stupid, and executes a plan to end her career that's one of the most jerky things done in comics.
Still, if you're fan of the Golden Age Boy Wonder, this is a worthwhile read even if the stories have lost a step.
View all my reviews
May 8, 2014
Book Review: Spider-man: Revenge of the Sinister Six
Spider-Man: Revenge of the Sinister Six by Adam-Troy CastroMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Sinister Six are back and they have an even more sinister backer named the Gentleman who was an enemy of Peter Parker and Spider-man, but Peter Parker first. Can Spidey stop the six and their newest recruit, a mysterious young woman named Pity. This time their battle against Spider-man is personal as they have a full itinerary of mayhem all designed to highlight's Spidey's failures over the years.
This is not a graphic novel but a full length novel. I got this book by my mistake when I put in an interlibrary loan, but was intrigued enough to give it a read anyway (plus it came from the public library in my home town) and I wasn't disappointed.
The novel does a lot right. The most important thing is, without being preachy, the book portrays the true nature of the evil of the Six. Comics either gloss over it or create all consuming darkness, but this book has the feel of a Gary Cooper movie in that sense of this being a true battle between good and evil.
Another thing Castro does well in this book is imagining how the Marvel universe would actually function. From Television, you get the idea that superhero worlds are places where aliens or supervillain battles shock people. This book gives a realistic look at a world that's adapting with insurance products for supervillain attacks and yes, growing maturity in how the media covers the subject.
As a fan of the Peter-Mary Jane marriage, I also have to love how Mary Jane is portrayed here as she manages to take down one of the Six herself in a way that speaks to her courage.
While this book was part of a series, I didn't feel like I needed to pick up Gathering of the Sinister Six to know what was going on.
The negatives of the book: Well at 435 pages it could lose 100 pages and not lose anything in the plot department. Castro takes us to Avengers headquarters for an entire chapter when all that happens is that Spidey can't get information. He even shows a scene of Cap watching coverage of the battle even though it doesn't tie into the story. We see the death of Richard and Mary Parker in the prologue and then we actually know that Peter knows about it. Why we needed to see this on screen...you got me. Castro felt a need to show or tell us everything which makes the book start kind of slow and the ending has the same problem as the epilogue's biggest feature is a long infodump on the Gentleman's backstory.
I also would have liked to have seen more of the interaction between Peter and Mary Jane rather than being told about it.
I can forgive this because Castro's prose novel does such a good job of recreating Spidey's world. While getting this book was an accident, when I read the sequel, it'll be deliberate.
View all my reviews
May 7, 2014
The Best Superhero Animated Series of All Time #4: Iron Man: Armored Adventures
The idea behind Iron Man: Armored Adventures is one that just screamed: stupid. Have a teenaged Tony Stark and a teenaged Rhodie along with a teenaged Mandarin.
I really expected to hate this series and at the start I did. In fact, I think I went months between watching the first and second episodes of this series, but eventually got hooked.
The idea of making an Iron Man show for kids based on Iron Man as portrayed in the comics would be an interesting idea except for one problem:
Tony Stark in the Marvel Universe is a jerk. When making a series for kids, having a middle aged alcoholic womanizer as your main character isn't going to work.
But the show was at risk of being infantile.
Instead, once it got going Armored Adventures became an amazing TV series. The computer animation allowed for some great looking battle scenes and some extremely well-done designs.
More than that, while other programs and comic books have pledged fresh spins on comic book characters, Armored Adventures actually delivered while still managing to stay true to many key parts of Marvel history.
The way it told the story of Armor Wars over ten episodes was not only better than the 1990s TV series, it was actually better than the original comic book. It introduced elements like Technivore and Extremis in ways that were actually inventive.
The characters were fascinating to watch. Their spin on characters like the Living Laser and Madam Masque were great touches. The series also allowed Tony, Rhodey, Pepper Potts, and even Gene Khan (the Mandarin) to have character arcs.
The series wasn't problem free. While its take on the issues surrounding Armor Wars was more realistic, it had some bizarre takes on the law that were just stupid. Yes, sometimes there were battles that were gratuitous (yet still somewhat awesome) and perhaps Tony Stark was more like Tom Swift at times, but to me this series was a pleasant surprise and showed that with a clear plan, respect for characters, and compelling ideas, a series can do something radically different and still produce a great series.
I really expected to hate this series and at the start I did. In fact, I think I went months between watching the first and second episodes of this series, but eventually got hooked.
The idea of making an Iron Man show for kids based on Iron Man as portrayed in the comics would be an interesting idea except for one problem:
Tony Stark in the Marvel Universe is a jerk. When making a series for kids, having a middle aged alcoholic womanizer as your main character isn't going to work.
But the show was at risk of being infantile.
Instead, once it got going Armored Adventures became an amazing TV series. The computer animation allowed for some great looking battle scenes and some extremely well-done designs.
More than that, while other programs and comic books have pledged fresh spins on comic book characters, Armored Adventures actually delivered while still managing to stay true to many key parts of Marvel history.
The way it told the story of Armor Wars over ten episodes was not only better than the 1990s TV series, it was actually better than the original comic book. It introduced elements like Technivore and Extremis in ways that were actually inventive.
The characters were fascinating to watch. Their spin on characters like the Living Laser and Madam Masque were great touches. The series also allowed Tony, Rhodey, Pepper Potts, and even Gene Khan (the Mandarin) to have character arcs.
The series wasn't problem free. While its take on the issues surrounding Armor Wars was more realistic, it had some bizarre takes on the law that were just stupid. Yes, sometimes there were battles that were gratuitous (yet still somewhat awesome) and perhaps Tony Stark was more like Tom Swift at times, but to me this series was a pleasant surprise and showed that with a clear plan, respect for characters, and compelling ideas, a series can do something radically different and still produce a great series.
May 3, 2014
This Week's Comic Reviews
Despite what most of the online sources say, the Annual of this series was written by Jeff Parker, not Mark Waid who wrote the main series. The story was not bad per se but it was a tad repetitive. Iron Man is the key guest star and he appeared back in Indestructible Hulk #2, only a year previously. The big opportunity of the issue would be exploration of the relationship between Bruce Banner and Tony Star, but compared to what Waid did back in Issue 2, this doesn't add much.
The book begins with four pages of a man speaking to a college seminar where both Tony Stark and Banner attended. If the book has a big point it's that there's not enough spending on non-defense related science. Whatever the merits, the argument is pounded in with a sledgehammer, so it's just annoying. The interactions between Hulk and Stark are okay, but it really feels like Parker didn't read the main title as he trode over a lot of familiar ground. The art is good and some of the traps were clever, but not so the resolution.
Annuals used to be huge stories worthy of reader's attentions but this story just doesn't do it. It features too much pointless talking, a retread of themes explored less than a year ago, and a villain who makes one and only one appearances. You may enjoy this book more if you haven't been following the series, but given the price of annuals, if you haven't been following the series, why bother?
Review: 2.25 out of 5.0
Silver Surfer, Vol. 7, Issue 1:
My curiosity was peaked about the Silver Surfer when I read the preview in Superior Spider-man. I have very limited experience with the Surfer beyond his Silver Age Fantastic Four appearances, and cartoons and found this pretty easy to follow as it established his backstory as a herald of Galactus and also introduced Dawn Greenwood who, based on the preview, will end up travelling the galaxy with the Surfer. (Doctor Surfer, perhaps.)
Dawn and the Surfer are apart until the last page. Dawn lives at a family run New England Bed and Breakfast in Anchor Baby and her sister decides to become a world traveler while Dawn is a homebody who only shows any regrets about the path she's chosen towards the end of the book.
The Surfer meanwhile has found a species that hidden itself from him seeking his assistance on their very big and crowded homeworld. This one point in the book where the art kind of failed as the Planet just looked very crowded and busy and it really should have been more breathtaking based on the dialogue.
The story was okay throughout but some of the changes towards the end really peaked my interest Nothing breathtaking happens, but for a first issue, I think it does it's job. It introduces the characters and some interesting concepts, and personally I'm looking forward to more from the Surfer and Dawn.
Rating 3.75 out of 5.0
Masks, Issue 7:
At this point, the story has gotten to the point where it's not moving a whole lot. Our heroes have finally gotten to their location. We have the introduction of a very convenient army and we finally learn who's behind the Justice Party. The book is competently done and sets up Issue 8
Rating: 3.25 out of 5.0
The book begins with four pages of a man speaking to a college seminar where both Tony Stark and Banner attended. If the book has a big point it's that there's not enough spending on non-defense related science. Whatever the merits, the argument is pounded in with a sledgehammer, so it's just annoying. The interactions between Hulk and Stark are okay, but it really feels like Parker didn't read the main title as he trode over a lot of familiar ground. The art is good and some of the traps were clever, but not so the resolution.
Annuals used to be huge stories worthy of reader's attentions but this story just doesn't do it. It features too much pointless talking, a retread of themes explored less than a year ago, and a villain who makes one and only one appearances. You may enjoy this book more if you haven't been following the series, but given the price of annuals, if you haven't been following the series, why bother?
Review: 2.25 out of 5.0
Silver Surfer, Vol. 7, Issue 1:
My curiosity was peaked about the Silver Surfer when I read the preview in Superior Spider-man. I have very limited experience with the Surfer beyond his Silver Age Fantastic Four appearances, and cartoons and found this pretty easy to follow as it established his backstory as a herald of Galactus and also introduced Dawn Greenwood who, based on the preview, will end up travelling the galaxy with the Surfer. (Doctor Surfer, perhaps.)
Dawn and the Surfer are apart until the last page. Dawn lives at a family run New England Bed and Breakfast in Anchor Baby and her sister decides to become a world traveler while Dawn is a homebody who only shows any regrets about the path she's chosen towards the end of the book.
The Surfer meanwhile has found a species that hidden itself from him seeking his assistance on their very big and crowded homeworld. This one point in the book where the art kind of failed as the Planet just looked very crowded and busy and it really should have been more breathtaking based on the dialogue.
The story was okay throughout but some of the changes towards the end really peaked my interest Nothing breathtaking happens, but for a first issue, I think it does it's job. It introduces the characters and some interesting concepts, and personally I'm looking forward to more from the Surfer and Dawn.
Rating 3.75 out of 5.0
Masks, Issue 7:
At this point, the story has gotten to the point where it's not moving a whole lot. Our heroes have finally gotten to their location. We have the introduction of a very convenient army and we finally learn who's behind the Justice Party. The book is competently done and sets up Issue 8
Rating: 3.25 out of 5.0
May 2, 2014
Book Review: Ducktales: Rightful Owners
Ducktales: Rightful Owners by Warren SpectorMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
I picked this up via Interlibary Loan after reading 12 issues of the great continuation of Darkwing Duck put out by Boom Studios. I was hoping for the same quality here.
Unfortunately, it misses by a mile. I was never expecting much other than a comic that captured the fun of DuckTales and instead I got this. The plot itself is massively contrived with Webby coming to the conclusion that Scrooge should return all the items in his collection to their "rightful" original owners. Scrooge to the idea until John Rockerduck decides to do it and it becomes a competition between them. I'll allow contrivance as this is Ducktales, but the way the plot plays out is dumb. The story manages to be boring and repetitive, poorly paced, and nonsensical (and not in a funny way). The villains are incompetent and stupid. In addition, the characters are portrayed way differently than they were on the TV show as they are often way out of character. Scrooge's reliance on Gladstone and his luck in Issues 3 and 4 is problematic to say the least v. the TV show. In addition, apparently someone at Boom apparently noted that Ducktales lacked a strong female lead and decided that Webigail needed to be changed to fill that need. Thus in Issue 1, we have Webigail acting like she's been hanging with Occupy Duckberg and suggesting that Scrooge made Eskimos poor by finding gold in the Klondike and then giving a feminist lecture to the boys in Issue 2.
This bizarre Politically Correct tilt of the stories was out of place for DuckTales, but everyone goes along with it until the last two to three pages when the story contradicts the entire point it was trying to make throughout the book. I rarely give out one star reviews but this book was an absolute fail on every level. The only good thing about it was that many of the covers looked nice---but most of them also didn't have anything to do with the story.
I'll take this back to the library, so it can be returned to its rightful owners and they are welcome to it.
View all my reviews
April 28, 2014
The Best Superhero Animated Series of All Time #5: Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series was the second big entry in the DC Animated Universe and it had so much that went right for it. It all began with a great theme that sent your mood perfectly for action and adventure.
The production team that work on Batman: The Animated Series also worked on this series, but they didn't try to make Superman a clone. They saw how it need to be different. Superman had its own sense of style and tended towards brighter colors and moods fitting with superman.
Superman: TAS featured a wide swatch of Superman's rogue's gallery from the big guns like Superman, Luthor, and Brainiac to Metallo, Bizarro, the Parasite, and Lobo, Mister Mxyzptlk and of course there was the menace of Darkseid throughout the series. The series also introduced us to Livewire, who later became a mainstream villain in the DC Universe.
Most episodes were adventurous romps, that were fun and well-written. Yeah, there were a few weak ones such as, "Unity" and "Hand of Fate." but they also managed incredibly touching scenes like Superman at the grave of Dan Turpin, who in the absence of Superman had stood up to Darkseid, saved the Earth, and gotten killed for it. Supermansaid, "In the end, the world didn't need a superman, just a brave one."
This was a solid series that took a different spin on the DCU from Batman and the result is a classic that stands up today.
The production team that work on Batman: The Animated Series also worked on this series, but they didn't try to make Superman a clone. They saw how it need to be different. Superman had its own sense of style and tended towards brighter colors and moods fitting with superman.
Superman: TAS featured a wide swatch of Superman's rogue's gallery from the big guns like Superman, Luthor, and Brainiac to Metallo, Bizarro, the Parasite, and Lobo, Mister Mxyzptlk and of course there was the menace of Darkseid throughout the series. The series also introduced us to Livewire, who later became a mainstream villain in the DC Universe.
Most episodes were adventurous romps, that were fun and well-written. Yeah, there were a few weak ones such as, "Unity" and "Hand of Fate." but they also managed incredibly touching scenes like Superman at the grave of Dan Turpin, who in the absence of Superman had stood up to Darkseid, saved the Earth, and gotten killed for it. Supermansaid, "In the end, the world didn't need a superman, just a brave one."
This was a solid series that took a different spin on the DCU from Batman and the result is a classic that stands up today.
April 26, 2014
Comic Book Reviews
As I write Superhero Stories, it's important, I regularly read Comics, both newer and older. I've begun posting reviews on Amazon. Most of these are available in digital form through Comixology excluding Mr. T & the T Force.
With that said, here are the recent reviews of books I've read in the last couple weeks (mostly digital versions):
Flash (2011- Present) #21:
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, the chase scenes with Kid Flash was fun and it was great graphic art. Barry's concern for the Kid Flash was actually kind of touching and there's a nice sense of mystery. Unfortunately, Kid Flash's reaction shows the tendency of modern comics to make their characters total jerks.
Plus knowing that someone is out there killing people related to the Speed Force, Barry continues to chase Kid Flash even after concluding that the Kid had nothing to do with it. Still, there was a building of tension and I'm concerned about Iris West and we'll find out what happens next in Issue 22.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5.0
World's Finest (2012-) #0
This book illustrates the difficulty of doing an Issue 0 for a two character book because Levitz tried to: 1) introdouce Huntress' origin, 2) introduce Powergirl's origin, and 3) explain how they met, and include the gut-wrenching death of Catwoman, Huntress' mom on Earth 2. The result is a rush work where the death doesn't even feel real or have the full impact. That's not to say there weren't a few good moments, but this should have been double length to allow time to develop the actual story.
Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0
Superman Adventures (1996-2002) #43:
One of the Mother Boxes belonging to a goon of Apokolips falls into the hand of a common thug and despite the fact that Apokilops thugs are defeated by the score by not only Superman but other Earth-based heroes. However, a common thug with one becomes undefeatable as it talks to him like a stereotypical mother.
The thug is a boring character and the story is hard to follow. Plus Superman's actions when he finallys meets the villain aren't really worthy of the man of Steel. Just the worst issue I've read of this book.
Rating: 1.25 out of 5.0
Batman Beyond (2012-2013) #21:
Following on the heels of Batman's epic battle against the Jokerz, this book sets up Batman's next story, "The Sound and the Fury." We catch up with Max who has been out of the book for a few issues as the Jokerz storyline comes to an end. Now a supervillain wants to use her to destroy the city. The end of the battler with the Jokerz gives Terry a brief moment to reflect on whether this is what he wants from his life but that moment ends very quickly as he has to deal with the next threat.
Overall, this book works for what it is. It transitions us into Sound and the Fury and leaves Terry facing an old enemy. I look forward to issue 22.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Superman Beyond (2012-2013) #18:
This story stars out with a lot of Speechifying and Internal Monologuing by Supes, but quickly gets back to the true emotional case. The story in this series has been solid as Superman several years before had liberated a group of enslaved people from their tormentors and now the formerly dominant race blames them for the rebellion while the people Superman freed are still being oppressed.
This is a War Superman doesn't want to take part in, but he's not left much of choice once the action truly gets under way and the ending hints at a very strong finale for the series.
Rating: 4.25 out of 50
Superior Spider-man #31 (2013-2014):
In this double length issue Dan Slott wraps up the loose threats of the Goblin War and the Superior Spider-man Saga. The first part of the comic Goblin War: Conclusion is the better part of the book and it even features a classic Spider-man ending with Spidey walking away in a bit of a downcast way. It really fits as a classic Spider-man story and a fitting return for Peter Park.
"Actions Have Consequences" wrapped up the entire Superior Spider-man saga and I have mixed thoughts on that. It truly acknowledged the consequences of having a supervillain run around in Spider-man's body for a year, but the way it wrapped up with Mary Jane felt like Slott and Marvel had once again been jerking around the audience, bringing Mary Jane and Peter back together towards the end of the original Amazing was merely Slot messing with the readers once again and for those of us who hate One More Day this was only another twist of the knife. (I'll have more thoughts on this in a future article.)
What actually intrigued me was the preview for Silver Surfer #1 which looks to be a good comic and there's probably more chance of me reading that than the new Superior Spider-man.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Mr. T and the T-Force #1:
his book does a great establishing shot at Mr. T in this universe where he is fighting a one man war on drugs. While it has its goofy moments, its heartfelt and sincere with a nice mix of Mr. T action and a solid cliffhanger.
With that said, here are the recent reviews of books I've read in the last couple weeks (mostly digital versions):
Flash (2011- Present) #21:
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, the chase scenes with Kid Flash was fun and it was great graphic art. Barry's concern for the Kid Flash was actually kind of touching and there's a nice sense of mystery. Unfortunately, Kid Flash's reaction shows the tendency of modern comics to make their characters total jerks.
Plus knowing that someone is out there killing people related to the Speed Force, Barry continues to chase Kid Flash even after concluding that the Kid had nothing to do with it. Still, there was a building of tension and I'm concerned about Iris West and we'll find out what happens next in Issue 22.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5.0
World's Finest (2012-) #0
This book illustrates the difficulty of doing an Issue 0 for a two character book because Levitz tried to: 1) introdouce Huntress' origin, 2) introduce Powergirl's origin, and 3) explain how they met, and include the gut-wrenching death of Catwoman, Huntress' mom on Earth 2. The result is a rush work where the death doesn't even feel real or have the full impact. That's not to say there weren't a few good moments, but this should have been double length to allow time to develop the actual story.
Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0
Superman Adventures (1996-2002) #43:
One of the Mother Boxes belonging to a goon of Apokolips falls into the hand of a common thug and despite the fact that Apokilops thugs are defeated by the score by not only Superman but other Earth-based heroes. However, a common thug with one becomes undefeatable as it talks to him like a stereotypical mother.
The thug is a boring character and the story is hard to follow. Plus Superman's actions when he finallys meets the villain aren't really worthy of the man of Steel. Just the worst issue I've read of this book.
Rating: 1.25 out of 5.0
Batman Beyond (2012-2013) #21:
Following on the heels of Batman's epic battle against the Jokerz, this book sets up Batman's next story, "The Sound and the Fury." We catch up with Max who has been out of the book for a few issues as the Jokerz storyline comes to an end. Now a supervillain wants to use her to destroy the city. The end of the battler with the Jokerz gives Terry a brief moment to reflect on whether this is what he wants from his life but that moment ends very quickly as he has to deal with the next threat.
Overall, this book works for what it is. It transitions us into Sound and the Fury and leaves Terry facing an old enemy. I look forward to issue 22.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Superman Beyond (2012-2013) #18:
This story stars out with a lot of Speechifying and Internal Monologuing by Supes, but quickly gets back to the true emotional case. The story in this series has been solid as Superman several years before had liberated a group of enslaved people from their tormentors and now the formerly dominant race blames them for the rebellion while the people Superman freed are still being oppressed.
This is a War Superman doesn't want to take part in, but he's not left much of choice once the action truly gets under way and the ending hints at a very strong finale for the series.
Rating: 4.25 out of 50
Superior Spider-man #31 (2013-2014):
In this double length issue Dan Slott wraps up the loose threats of the Goblin War and the Superior Spider-man Saga. The first part of the comic Goblin War: Conclusion is the better part of the book and it even features a classic Spider-man ending with Spidey walking away in a bit of a downcast way. It really fits as a classic Spider-man story and a fitting return for Peter Park.
"Actions Have Consequences" wrapped up the entire Superior Spider-man saga and I have mixed thoughts on that. It truly acknowledged the consequences of having a supervillain run around in Spider-man's body for a year, but the way it wrapped up with Mary Jane felt like Slott and Marvel had once again been jerking around the audience, bringing Mary Jane and Peter back together towards the end of the original Amazing was merely Slot messing with the readers once again and for those of us who hate One More Day this was only another twist of the knife. (I'll have more thoughts on this in a future article.)
What actually intrigued me was the preview for Silver Surfer #1 which looks to be a good comic and there's probably more chance of me reading that than the new Superior Spider-man.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Mr. T and the T-Force #1:
his book does a great establishing shot at Mr. T in this universe where he is fighting a one man war on drugs. While it has its goofy moments, its heartfelt and sincere with a nice mix of Mr. T action and a solid cliffhanger.
April 23, 2014
Last Day of Powerhouse Hard Pressed Giveaway
Today is the last day of the Powerhouse Hard Pressed giveaway on Story Cartel. Download your copy and once you write your review, you're entered to enter a host of fabulous prizes including Kindle and $10 Amazon/Barnes and Noble Gift cards.
Christians and Superheroes
I'm a Christian who writes superhero fiction (some parody and some serious.)
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
- Adam Graham's profile
- 69 followers
