Comics | the m0vie blog

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Darren

With the release of Marvel’s big-budget superhero action movie Thor this summer, we’re taking a month to celebrate the God of Thunder. Check back each Wednesday for a Thor-related review.

One of the slew of hardcovers released to coincide with Kenneth Branagh’s epic adaptation of the classic Marvel comic book Thor, Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers is basically just a repackaging of the classic four issue Loki miniseries written by Robert Rodi and painted by Esad Ribic in the nineties. Much like Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, the miniseries was repackaged with a slew of extras and re-released in order to capitalise on a hungry market place. (Luthor, as it was rebranded, was released after the success of the another villain-themed graphic novel from the same creative team, the superb Joker). Still, despite the fact that the “Thor &” part of the title was just stuck on there to tie the book to the film, it’s a lovely little story which perfectly captures a lot of the charm and appeal that the Norse backdrop offers to epic comic book stories.

Commander and (mis)chief...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Asgard, comic book villains, comic books, Comics, esad ribic, fourth wall, hardcover, ITunes, kenneth branagh, lex luthor, loki, marvel comics, meta-fiction, metafiction, mythology, review, Robert Rodi, stan lee, thor, thor & loki, thor & loki: blood brothers | 3 Comments »

Thor by J. Michael Straczynski Omnibus (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Darren

With the release of Marvel’s big-budget superhero action movie Thor this summer, we’re taking a month to celebrate the God of Thunder. Check back each Wednesday for a Thor-related review.

J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Thor is a somewhat controversial one. In fact, this rather wonderful omnibus collection comes with little by way of textual extras. There is no introduction from a recognisable figure, nor any scripts included, nor any commentary or interviews. One can almost sense the discomfort in the air. The saga of Straczynski’s run on Thor is a long and complicated one, but it ended with the author departing both the publisher and the comic a lot earlier than anticipated. To this day, both sides have differing accounts of what occurred, and both insist that they are in the right. That’s a lot of subtext behind one lovely hardcover volume, but it’s something that was always in my mind – particularly as I approached the somewhat “crowded” conclusion. Still, it’s a great epic story, albeit one with a slightly disappointing ending.

Hammering home...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: arts, chris hemsworth, Civil War, donald blake, J. Michael Straczynski, jack kirby, kenneth branagh, List of Germanic deities and heroes, mark millar, marvel civil war, marvel comics, marvel omnibus, olivier coipel, stan lee, straczynski, straczynski thor, thor, thor by j. michael straczynski omnibus, thor omnibus, walt simonson | 6 Comments »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume V (Review)

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Darren

In an effort to prove that comic books aren’t just about men in spandex hitting each other really hard, this month I’m reviewing all of Brian K. Vaughan’s superb Ex Machina. And in June, I’ll be reviewing his Y: The Last Man.

If you follow any story to its real conclusion, you always get the same thing. Regret. Pain. Loss. That’s why I like superhero books. Month after month, they just keep going. So no matter what terrible things happen, you know there’ll always be another chance for wrongs to get righted. It’s like, without a last act, those stories never get to become tragedies.

I guess that’s why they call ’em comics.

– Mitchell Hundred, Vice

This is it. The end. The final run of issues where Brian K. Vaughan wraps up his second hugely successful and hugely acclaimed original comic book series, as we follow Mayor Mitchell Hundred through the final traumatic year in Gracie Mansion…

… and beyond.

Ex mayor?

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: brian k. vaughan, comic book, comic book review, comic books, dc comics, ex machina, ex machina (comic), Exmachina, Gracie Mansion, mayor hundred, mitchell hundred, new york, New York City, United States, wildstorm, y: the last man | Leave a comment »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume IV (Review)

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Darren

What’s weird about the fourth ane penultimate volume of Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’ superb superhero political science fiction mish-mash comic book is simple how much fun it is. I’m not suggesting for a moment that the first three volumes were anything less than superb, but there’s a sense of playfulness in this volume which just makes it seem like the creators are have the time of their lives. I was worried after the last volume that the underlying “conspiracy” story would overwhelm the saga as it reached completion, but it’s still just as fascinating and unpredictable as it was back when it began.

Justice for all?

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, arts, Barack Obama, brian k. vaughan, comic book, Comics, ex cathedra, ex machina, Exmachina, grant morrison, graphic novel, Great Machine, mayor hundred, review, ruthless, tony harris, trouble, wildstorm, world's finest, y: the last man | Leave a comment »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume III (Review)

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Darren

We’re at the half-way point in this saga of the superhero mayor of New York City, so that means that Vaughan and Harris are turning things up a few notches. The three central threads of the series – Mayor Hundred’s time in office, his history as a superhero and the conspiracy surrounding his origin – are beginning to intertwine and collide in a variety of interesting ways. Being entirely honest, I’ve always been a bit skeptical about how the series hopes to balance all these different elements, particularly with a relatively short run of fifty issues. As things begin to move to a head, it becomes clear which of these particular threads that Vaughan is going to focus on.

Talk about catching the bus...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: brian k. vaughan, Brooklyn Bridge, Cold War, comic books, Comics, ex machina, Exmachina, Garth Ennis, Kurt Cobain, mayor hundred, mitchell hundred, New York City, power down, smoke smoke, the stars are down, tony harris, wildstorm | 1 Comment »

Joseph Gordon Levitt as Johnny Blake in The Dark Knight Rises…

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Darren

There seems to a strange bit of symmetry here. The same night that I went to see Thor, starring a hero with a fictional identity of “Donald Blake” (which… sorta… makes a cameo appearance), Joseph Gordon Levitt’s role in The Dark Knight Rises is announced as the long-established Batman supporting character John Blake.

Wait, what?

Even I don’t recognise that character. Thankfully, Bleeding Cool have done some digging and they’ve come back with the secret origin of Johnny Blake. He shares a history with the Joker. Follow the link above for the complete story.

More (genuine) thoughts about this casting announcement probably next week (including the “Marion Cotillard really, really isn’t Talia… we swear!” bit), but enjoy this in the meanwhile!

Also, no confirmation that Zack Snyder’s Superman will see Lex Luthor take forty cakes (that’s as many as four tens!), because that would be terrible.

Filed under: Comics, Movies | Tagged: batman, Batman in film, Christopher Nolan, Dark Knight Rises, john blake, Johnny Blake, joker, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, marion cotillard | 4 Comments »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume II (Review)

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Darren

It’s interesting how times change. Ex Machina was originally published in August 2004, written by a New Yorker as something of a response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It’s an exploration of a time when the country needed heroes and figureheads more than it needed politicians and diplomats. Is a superhero in Gracie Mansion any more insane than a cowboy in the White House? However, reading it now it’s interesting to see the similarities between Vaughan’s protagonist, the Honorable Mayor Mitchell Hundred, and Barack Obama. It’s the sign of a good storyteller that the tale remains relevant years after initial publication. It’s the sign of a great storyteller that the tale becomes even more relevant in the years that follow.

He's got the whole world, in his hands...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Barack Obama, comic books, Comics, ex machina, Exmachina, fact v. fiction, fact vs. fiction, Gracie Mansion, graphic novels, Great Machine, life & death, life and death, march to war, Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor, Mayor of New York City, New York City, off the grid, tony harris, Vaughan | Leave a comment »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume I (Review)

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Darren

I don’t think that any creator has had quite the success of Brian K. Vaughan when it comes to original comic book series over the past decade (okay, maybe Robert Kirkman). Both of his famous original books recently came to a close after runs of over fifty issues each, and are both being collected in superb deluxe editions. Ex Machina doesn’t quite have the same dramatic hook or clarity of focus as Y: The Last Man does, but that’s not to say that it isn’t a stunning example of pulp fiction – wonderfully well-written social fantasy which is cleverly observed and even more smartly constructed.

All cogs in The Great Machine...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, brian k. vaughan, Brooklyn Bridge, comic books, Comics, ex machina, Exmachina, Great Machine, Mayor, Mayor of New York City, mitchell hundred, new york, New York City, wildstorm, y: the last man | Leave a comment »

Paul Levitz’s Run on The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Darren

March is Superman month here at the m0vie blog, what with the release of the animated adaptation of Grant Morrison’s superb All-Star Superman. We’ll be reviewing a Superman-related book/story arc every Wednesday this month, so check on back – and we might have a surprise or two along the way.

The Great Darkness Saga is regarded as perhaps the classic Legion of Superheroes story. If you could preserve one of their adventures for the ages, this would likely be it. So it’s great to see DC pulling out all the stops and collecting it in a lavish Deluxe Edition, which includes not only the story arc and extras, but the complete build-up to the saga as well. This collection begins with the first issue of Paul Levitz’s second run on the title (and the recent solicitation of a Curse deluxe hardcover suggests that DC will be collecting all of that very popular run) and goes all the way through to the end of this epic storyline.

The book has its legions of fans...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, art, clark kent, comic books, darkseid, final crisis: legion of 3 worlds, Grantmorrison, jack kirby, legion of sueprheroes, Legion of Super-Heroes, Paul Levitz, superman, the great darkness, The Great Darkness Saga, the legion of super-heroes, the legion of superheroes | 1 Comment »

It’s a Wonder They Stay On: Thoughts on Wonder Woman’s Wardrobe…

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Darren

Well, the first pictures of David E. Kelley’s upcoming Wonder Woman adaptation have hit the web. Lynda Carter loves it and everyone else seems to hate it. Me, I really couldn’t care too much about the costume – I’m just worried about the very idea of a Wonder Woman television show from the creator of Ally McBeal. That’s not a putdown – well, it kinda is – but it’s a more fundamental problem than the outfit she wears (which will likely get retooled repeatedly over the course of the show – assuming the show has a course). Anyway, the outfit gives me an opportunity to wonder about Wonder Woman’s outfit. Is there something wrong with her traditional Lynda Carter look, and is this update an improvement?