TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: Superhero

Showing posts with label Superhero. Show all posts

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Review: Brandon Lee Gives "THE CROW" Staying Power

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2024 (No. 1982) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Crow (1994)

Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)

MPAA – R for a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas

WRITERS: David J. Schow and John Shirley (based on the comic book series and comics strip created by James O'Barr)

PRODUCERS: Jeff Most and Edward R. Pressman

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Dov Hoenig and M. Scott Smith

COMPOSER: Graeme Revell

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/CRIME

Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Jon Polito, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodriguez, and Kim Sykes

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero and dark fantasy film from director Alex Proyas. The movie is based on The Crow comic book series and on the character that first appeared in the comic book, Caliber Presents #1 (cover dated: January 1989), all created by James O'Barr. The Crow the movie focuses on a musician who returns from the dead a year after he and his girlfriend were brutally murdered to seek vengeance against their murderers.

The Crow is infamous for the death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee (1965-1993), the son of film icon, Bruce Lee. On March 31, 1993, Lee was fatally wounded by a discharge from a prop gun. At that point, Lee had completed almost all his scenes for the film. Through the use of special effects, digital face replacement, stunt doubles, and rewrites, Proyas was able to finish the film, and it was released in May 1994.

The Crow is set in a crime-ravaged and decrepit city that is like Detroit, Michigan, and the story opens on October 30th, Devil's Night (an infamous celebration in Detroit). It introduces rock musician, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), and his fiancée, Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas). They are going to be married on Halloween. Instead, Eric is beaten and murdered. Shelly is brutally beaten and raped and later dies of her injuries.

One year later, Eric Draven rises from the grave as an avenging spirit, The Crow (Brandon Lee). He has returned to killed the men who murdered him and Shelly: T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Funboy (Michael Massee), Tin Tin (Laurence Mason), and Skank (Angel David). Sarah (Rochelle Davis), a young girl who was Eric and Shelly's friend, and Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), and an outcast police officer, become personally involved in Eric's return as The Crow. Waiting in the background, however, is Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), the crime lord who is connected to what happened to Eric and Shelley and who sees The Crow's rampage as a threat to his criminal empire.

Despite the notoriety it gained because of the onset tragedy, The Crow should also be known as a really good film. It was Alex Proyas first major directorial effort, and that shows in the occasional clumsiness in the flow of the narrative. However, Proyas unleashes a film that is highly-stylized and drenched in darkness that has a painterly quality. In other films, this darkness would merely be a case of a poor lighting and mediocre cinematography. Here, the film's production values and contributions from the cinematographer, production design/art direction team, hair and make-up crew, and film editors contribute to the creation of dark and gloomy cinematic art.

Proyas finds the film's substance in Eric Draven/The Crow's quest for revenge. In this film, retribution has depth, weight, feel soul; in that, The Crow is like its comic book source material. Proyas finds power and vulnerability in his lead character the way he finds power and juice in the violence that must happen before Draven can return to his grave.

Proyas, who would go on to direct Will Smith in I, Robot (2004), gets fine performances from a number of supporting actors, especially Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Rochelle Davis. He gets the most out of his star, Brandon Lee, who was likely on the verge of blowing up. In this film, Lee has his own charisma and presence, different from that of his father, Bruce Lee, who made his most charismatic turn in Enter the Dragon (1973). Was The Crow going to be Brandon's Enter the Dragon? I don't know, but Brandon makes The Crow feel solid in its slightest moments and grander in its biggest and most violent moments.

The Crow is a flawed jewel, but not a heavily flawed jewel. Also, I imagine that it is a lot more influential than movie buffs realize. I can see bits and pieces of it in later films like Blade (1998), The Matrix (1999), and The Dark Knight (2008). The on-set death of its star cast a melancholy mood over The Crow, but the determination of the filmmakers, cast, and crew eventually brought it out to the public. The Crow is not a morbid curiosity. It is more like a rose that survived a deluge of misfortune.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, August 22, 2024

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Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Comics Review: "KARDAK THE MYSTIC #1" is Mystically Charming

KARDAK THE MYSTIC #1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Joe Corallo

ART: Butch Mapa

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jack Morelli

EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Butch Mapa

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Skylar Patridge

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2024); on sale in comic book shops August 14, 2024

Rating: Teen+

Eternal high school student and teenage boy, Archie Andrews, and his friends made their debut in M.L.J. Magazines' Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941), and before long, Archie was the publisher's headliner character. In 1946, the company changed its named to Archie Comic Publications, also known as “Archie Comics.”

Archie Comics has also published superhero comic books featuring offbeat characters. One of the stranger ones was initially known as “The Mystic” and he first appeared in Top Notch Comics #1 (cover dated: December 1939). In Top Notch Comics #4 (cover dated: April 1940), The Mystic became “Kardak.”

Kardak debuted in a story by writer Harry Shorten and artist C. A. “Chuck” Winter. Kardak was John Cardy, an American adventurer and professional magician known as “Kardak the Mystic.” He was a superhero magician, employing tricks and mystical powers to fight organized crime and super-villains. He was assisted by his fiancée, Lorna Dorne, and his faithful servant, Balthar. Kardak made his final Golden Age appearance in Top Notch Laugh Comics #29 (cover dated: September 1942).

A modern version of Kardak the Mystic arrives in the new one-shot comic book, Kardak the Mystic No. 1. It is written by Joe Corallo; drawn by Butch Mapa; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Kardak the Mystic No. 1 introduces John Cardy. He is the stage magician, “Kardak the Mystic,” and all he ever wanted was to be recognized for his talents at magic tricks and sleight of hand. However, the audiences for his shows are shrinking, and his loyal assistant, Lorna, believes that they should retire the act and move on with their lives.

Walking down the street one night, deep in his thoughts, John comes upon a magic shop, “Enchantra's Enchantments.” There, he gets an offer he can't refuse – an amulet that would change everything for him. But that kind of power is never free...

THE LOWDOWN: I have been reading comic books, on and off, for decades. I have sporadically read Archie Comics titles over that time. For many years now, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review. Kardak the Mystic No. 1 is the latest.

I really like Kardak the Mystic No. 1. Joe Corallo's story is simple and straightforward, but really engages the imagination. It is a standalone tale, but it suggests a number of possibilities going forward. As I read it, I found my imagination to be quite engaged, and I was always wondering about what came next. The ending certainly left me wanting more.

Corallo's script is transformed impressively by Butch Mapa's art into graphical storytelling with a hint of the supernatural. Mapa's art is clean and smooth, so it captures the obvious emotions, dilemmas, conflicts, and danger that play in this story of transformation. The coloring by the talented Ellie Wright heightens the tension and drama in the story. As a team, Mapa and Wright team-up results in a dark tale that sparkles with playful magic and creepy mysticism.

Wow. I'm impressed, but also disappointed. I don't think that there is much of a chance of readers getting a second issue. Or maybe Kardak can pull of another miracle.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Archie Comics' superhero titles will want to try Kardak the Mystic No. 1.

[This comic book includes a two-page section on the making of Kardak the Mystic No. 1.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://archiecomics.com/

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https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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Sunday, July 28, 2024

Comics Review: "NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #1" Starts a New Reload

NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #1 (OF 5)

DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Valerio Giangiordano

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Valerio Giangiordano with Lee Loughridge

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2024)

Age range: 14+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar. It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Big Game (2023). Published by Dark Horse comics, the new series finds the super-killer, Nemesis, on a mission of revenge. Rogues' Gallery is drawn by Valerio Giangiordano; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #1 opens in the hospital wing of Colton Brown Penitentiary, California. Nemesis was the world's greatest super-villain. Now, he is merely a paraplegic (as a result of the battle with the superheroes that began in Big Game #1) named Matthew Anderson. However, his former acquaintances, a group lurking in their Temple of Panza, can bring him back to what he was, but is he willing to pay the price?

Meanwhile, someone Nemesis hurt is also getting an offer he won't refuse.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. I mark my return with Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery #1.

Nemesis Reloaded #1 was a helluva first issue. This first issue of Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a bit more subdued. It's an introduction to Nemesis' situation and how he got there. This is like Millard's quiet before the storm, but oh, what a storm it will be judging by the last page.

The art by Valerio Giangiordano provides the perfectly dark, edgy, and moody storytelling this issue needs. Giangiordano's art is like a mash-up of the graphic stylings of Frank Quietly and of the late Richard Corben, and it perfectly depicts the restrained intensity of Nemesis' utter insanity. Lee Loughridge colors the art by actually dialing back on the colors, and this steeps the story in darkness even more. Clem Robins, as usual, captures the spirit of Millar's ideas with his pitch-perfect lettering.

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery promises to be a good time. It may also end up being the best Batman comic book in ages.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar's comic books will desire Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

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http://www.millarworld.tv/

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Friday, July 26, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE" Brings the Friends and Family Vibe Back to Marvel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 of 2024 (No. 1978) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references

DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy

WRITERS: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Zeb Wells (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige, Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: George Richmond (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Shawn Reid and Dean Zimmerman

COMPOSER: Rob Simonsen

SUPERHERO/COMEDY/ACTION

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Jon Favreau, Rob Delaney, Morena Baccarin, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Aaron Stanford, and Leslie Uggams with Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Dafne Keen, Ray Parks, Channing Tatum, Blake Lively, Matthew McConaughey, and Wesley Snipes

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

--Once again, Ryan Reynolds' comic talent shines as Wade Wilson/Deadpool, making Deadpool & Wolverine the best Deadpool film.

--Hugh Jackman brings dramatic balance and heft to the wackiness of Deadpool & Wolverine, but Jackman also adds a deft comic touch to the strong bloody violence and rapid-fire coarse language.

--There are multiple cameos and short appearances, but the surprise appearances of four particular characters from earlier Marvel films make Deadpool & Wolverine a winner

Deadpool & Wolverine is a 2024 American superhero film and action-comedy directed by Shawn Levy and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the 34th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is also the third entry in the Deadpool movie franchise.

The film is based on two Marvel Comics characters. The first is Deadpool, a character created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and that first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). The second is Wolverine, a character created by writer Len Wein and artists John Romita and Herb Trimpe and that first fully appeared in the comic book, The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover dated: November 1974). In Deadpool & Wolverine the movie, a space-time organization has set Deadpool on a mission to save his own universe, so he brings in Wolverine to help him.

Deadpool & Wolverine basically begins on March 14, 2018. That is the day that Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the smart-mouthed mutant mercenary, approaches the Avengers organization about becoming a member of the Avengers. It doesn't work, and Wade falls into a deep depression that takes a toll on his relationship with his beloved Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin). It's also time to celebrate Wade's birthday, and his friends gather at the apartment he shares with Blind Al (Leslie Uggams).

In the middle of the revelry, agents of the “Time Variance Authority” (TVA) arrive to take Wade into custody. At TVA headquarters, project head, Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfayden), informs Deadpool that his own Earth/universe, Earth-10005, is scheduled for destruction, but that he can live in another universe. Determined to save his world, Deadpool rejects the offer and goes rogue. He travels throughout the multiverse searching for a version of Wolverine that can help him save his Earth. Eventually, Deadpool finds a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) with a tragic past.

Deadpool and Wolverine spend more time cursing, fighting, and stabbing each other than they do world-saving. However, they end up in a place called the “Void,” where they face its leader, the murderous and ultra-powerful mutant, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). Now, Deadpool and Wolverine are forced together to save a universe, but luckily, they will find themselves joined by an unexpected, but familiar quartet of heroes.

In preparation for Deadpool & Wolverine, I decided to watch the earlier films: Deadpool (2016), Logan (2017), and Deadpool 2 (2018), that lead up to the new film, to one extent or another. However, viewers may find such films as Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), Elektra (2005), and Fantastic Four (2005) to be of most use, although Deadpool & Wolverine also references other films and television series based on Marvel Comics characters.

Deadpool & Wolverine is very much an R-rated comedy like the earlier Deadpool films, but there is more harshly explicit language and profanity galore. There seems to be more gross sexual language in Deadpool & Wolverine than there has been in any other film ever distributed by the Walt Disney Company. At times, it is a bit too much, but only a bit.

As he does in the other Deadpool films, Ryan Reynolds makes the comedy in Deadpool & Wolverine work, via his schtick. Still, one must say that Reynolds' repertoire of clowning, buffoonery, and jestering have become a refined work of comic performance art. I can honestly say that I never feel as if I have had too much of Reynolds as Deadpool.

On the other hand, in Deadpool & Wolverine, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is the dramatic balance to Ryan as Deadpool. Without spoiling anything, Jackman has some deep, emotional moments that require tears in his eyes. Jackman also gets to be powerful, dark, edgy, and grieving as Wolverine without treading on the mournful Logan/Wolverine he gave us in the film, Logan.

There are some excellent supporting performances in Deadpool & Wolverine. Emma Corrin is maniacally, gleefully wicked and evil as Cassandra Nova, and Matthew Macfayden is perfectly sleazy as the sinfully ambitious TVA functionary, Mr. Paradox. The actors that comprise the quartet which assists Deadpool and Wolverine in their crucial assault on Nova's base are a delight, and one of them proves that his is the defining version of the superhero for whom he is most famous. Many of us want to see him again, Disney.

Deadpool & Wolverine is Marvel Studios' funniest “Multiverse Saga” entry. It is not without its faults, and it isn't the best Marvel multiverse film because that belongs to Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). However, Marvel does with Deadpool & Wolverine what it should have done with some of its post-pandemic films: have more substantial guest appearances from classic MCU characters and stars. Most of the heroic things that Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman do in Deadpool & Wolverine are done better with friends.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 26, 2024

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Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL 2" is Funnier and Friendlier Than the Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 of 2024 (No. 1977) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual references and brief drug material

DIRECTOR: David Leitch

WRITERS: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Ryan Reynolds, Simon Kinberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jonathan Sela (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Craig Alpert, Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, and Dirk Westervelt

COMPOSER: Tyler Bates

SUPERHERO/COMEDY/ACTION

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Eddie Marsan, Shioli Kutsuna, Jack Kesy, Michasha Armstrong, and Stefan Kapicic (voice) with Rob Delaney, Lewis Tan, Bill Skarsgard, Terry Crews, Brad Pitt, Alan Tudyk, Matt Damon, Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy, Evan Peters, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Robert Wellman

Deadpool 2 is a 2018 American superhero film and action-comedy from director David Leitch. It is a spin-off film in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film series and is the eleventh film overall in the series. It is a direct sequel to Deadpool (2016) and is also the second entry in the Deadpool movie franchise. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Deadpool, that was created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). Deadpool 2 finds the wisecracking Deadpool trying to protect a fiery young mutant from a time-traveling cyborg.

Deadpool 2 finds Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the smart-mouthed mutant mercenary, doing what he likes to do – brutally slaughter bad guys. However, his violent activities catch up with him at home, and tragedy befalls his beloved Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin). Deep in grief and depression, Deadpool tries to kill himself, but is rescued by Colossus (voice of Stefan Kapicic), the giant mutant who has a body of organic steel. Colossus still wants Deadpool to changes his ways and also wants him to join the X-Men – as a trainee.

On his first mission as a trainee, Deadpool and the X-Men, which includes Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and her girlfriend, Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna), travel to the “Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation.” There, they find one angry teenager, Russell Collins (Julian Dennison), in crisis. He is a young mutant with pyrokinetic power, and he has given himself the unfortunate code name of “Fire Fist.” Deadpool's attempt to save the young man has disastrous results, and now, Deadpool has to save Russell from Cable (Josh Brolin), a time-traveling cyborg who has arrived in the present determined to kill the teen. So Deadpool forms his own X-team, called “X-Force,” with tragically hilarious and hilariously tragic results.

We are nearing the release of the latest Disney/Marvel Studios blockbuster movie, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). I decided to watch and review the previous X-Men films: Deadpool, Logan (2017), and Deadpool 2, that lead up to the new film.

Deadpool is humorous and silly, but it was primarily an action movie with drama and humor. It heavily leans into brutally strong violence, frequent profane language, and explicit sexual references. Deadpool 2 also has brutally strong violence, constant profane language, and some explicit sexual references. However, Deadpool is a comedy, and everything serves the comedy, including the drama, superhero action, and even much of the killing.

As he does for Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds makes Deadpool, a film that could not exist without his schtick. He is the spine of this film's comedy and is the reason so much of it works when it would be disastrous for other performers. The supporting cast is good, but not great. Josh Brolin has his moments as Cable, but the Cable is more of a prop than a persona. Zazie Beetz creates moments for Domino to shine which otherwise wouldn't be there. Julian Dennison is mostly convincing as the angry young mutant, Russell Collins, especially in the second half of the film.

I find Deadpool 2 a definite, delightful surprise. I never expected much of it because I really did not care for what I had previously seen. Now, a full and patient viewing makes me think that Deadpool 2 is an occasion when the sequel surpasses the original.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

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Monday, July 22, 2024

Comics Review: "THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Volume One #1" is Spicy

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS VOLUME ONE #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Kelly Thompson

ART/COLORS: Paulina Ganucheau

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Paulina Ganucheau

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Leonardo Romero; Karen Darboe; Nicoletta Baldari

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2024)

Rated “Teen”

“Destiny Detour!”

“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998 to 2005) is an animated superhero television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, who are three kindergarten-aged girls endowed with superpowers. They were created by the scientist, Professor Utonium, who mixed sugar, spice, and everything nice and accidentally added “Chemical X.” The professor would become the girls' father. The girls and the professor live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The city's mayor frequently calls on The Powerpuff Girls to help fight criminals using their super-powers against the city.

Going back to 2000, both DC Comics and IDW Publishing have published comic books based on “The Powerpuff Girls.” Dynamite Entertainment now has the license to publish Powerpuff Girls comic books. Their new series is Powerpuff Girls Volume One. It is written by Kelly Thompson; drawn and colored by Paulina Ganucheau; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.

Powerpuff Girls Volume One #1 (“Destiny Detour!”) opens in Townsville, the home of Professor Utonium and his three girls: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup – the Powerpuff Girls. These heroes have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil using their ultra-super powers.

On the other hand, what if each of the Powerpuff Girls had a different destiny? Well, there is a visitor at their school, Pokey Oaks Kindergarten, who can change destinies. It's a robot named “Highly Intelligent Machine,” and soon it will have the girls on their way to new directions. However, where does that leave Townsville when it does not have its three young heroines to save the day from a most diabolical and familiar foe?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Powerpuff Girls Volume One #1 is the latest, but it is not the first Powerpuff Girls comic book that I have read.

It is has been five and a half years since I read a comic book featuring The Powerpuff Girls, and that was IDW Publishing's The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo. This was a 2017 hardcover book that collected issues #4-6 of the 2016 miniseries of the same title.

Like that IDW book, The Powerpuff Girls Volume One #1 is simply a fun comic book to read. I was a fan of the original Powerpuff Girls animated TV series and of the series' stars, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. Issue #1's story by Kelly Thompson and the art by Paulina Ganucheau perfectly capture both the storytelling styles and visual aesthetic of the Cartoon Network original. It's sugar, spice, and everything nice, and it is a perfect comic book in which to introduce young readers to the comic book medium and to The Powerpuff Girls!

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the Powerpuff Girls will want to try Dynamite's The Powerpuff Girls Volume One.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Sunday, July 21, 2024

Review: "LOGAN" is Mournful, Violent, and Hopeful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2024 (No. 1976) by Leroy Douresseaux

Logan (2017)

Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity

DIRECTOR: James Mangold

WRITERS: James Mangold & Scott Frank and Michael Green; from a story by James Mangold (based on the characters and stories appearing in Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS: Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAHER: John Mathieson (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Michael McCusker and Dirk Westervelt

COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

Academy Award nominee

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse, Jason Genao, and Bryant Tardy

Logan is a 2017 American drama, action film and superhero movie from director James Mangold. Starring Hugh Jackman in the title role, it is the tenth film in 20th Century Fox's X-Men movie franchise and is also the third entry in the Wolverine film series. Logan is based on the Marvel Comics character, Logan/Wolverine, that was created by writer Len Wein and artists John Romita and Herb Trimpe and first fully appeared in the comic book, The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover dated: November 1974). Logan the movie focuses on a legendary mutant trying to save a mutant child from the evil people determined to capture her.

Logan opens in the year 2029. Mutants are nearly extinct, and no new mutants have been born in 24 years. The aging and ailing Logan (Hugh Jackman) works as a limousine driver in El Paso, Texas. Once upon a time, he was known as “Wolverine,” and he was a member of the legendary band of mutants, the “X-Men.” Now, he and the elderly founder of the X-Men, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), live in hiding. Xavier suffers from a degenerative brain condition, and he sometimes has telepathic seizures that render anyone in the vicinity virtually helpless. A mutant known as “Caliban” (Stephen Merchant) helps Logan care for Charles.

Logan has plans for escape, but a complication arrives in the form of a small girl named Laura (Dafne Keen), also known as test subject “X23.” She is a mutant and her abilities are remarkably similar to those of Wolverine's. However, she is being hunted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and his band of killers, the “Reavers.” They are in service of the research institute, Alkali Transigen, and the scientists there want her back no matter what it costs in terms of lives. Will Logan become the hero Wolverine, again, and help Laura get to a place called “Eden?” Or will he run away from his fate, again?

Having seen the first two Wolverine films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013), I did not go to the theater to see Logan when it was originally released in 2017. [In my defense, I was knee deep in catastrophic family drama at the time.] With the impending release of the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Deadpool & Wolverine, I decided it was time.

My was I missing an excellent film. Logan is by far the best of the Wolverine films, and at the time of its release, it was the best X-Men since 2011's X-Men: First Class. Truthfully, Logan would end up being the last really good X-Men film produced by 20th Century Fox.

Logan, which was rated “R” by the MPAA, is one of the most violent superhero films that I've ever seen. Logan, Laura, and a surprise character called “X24” disembowel, dismember, behead, eviscerate, stab, and chop up what seems like a small town's worth of deserving men of various stripes. Although I can sometimes be a prude about what I see as gratuitous violence in cinema, I love the brutal violence of Logan. In fact, all the action scenes in Logan are brilliant, from the standoffs to the fights and car chases.

However, director James Mangold, a filmmaker with a hugely diverse filmography, makes Logan turn on dramatic storytelling and performances. It is obvious that Hugh Jackman as Logan and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier would give fine performances. Still, actor and comedian, Stephen Merchant, is simply wonderful in the important supporting role of Caliban, bringing pathos and depth to a role that could have ended up being an extraneous freak character.

Boyd Holbrook also brings range and a variety of moods to Donald Pierce, another character that could have been a generic mercenary type. Dafne Keen matches the rage and range of Jackman as Logan. Laura could have been lost in the hurricane that is Logan/Wolverine's story in this film, but Keen makes Laura a force of her own. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Eriq La Salle makes the most of his short time on screen as Will Munson.

Logan is a mournful film. It really is not a sequel to the earlier Wolverine films so much as it is the completion of Logan/Wolverine's tragic, but heroic story arc that buttressed the earlier films. Logan is both an ending and a beginning, and I wish that the care and effort put into this film had been put into some of the other X-Men films.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, July 21, 2024

NOTES:

2018 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green)

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Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Review: "DEADPOOL" Goes in Through the Back Door on the Superhero Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2024 (No. 1975) by Leroy Douresseaux

Deadpool (2016)

Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity

DIRECTOR: Tim Miller

WRITERS: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (based on Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Ryan Reynolds, Simon Kinberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ken Seng (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Julian Clark

COMPOSER: Tom Holkenborg

SUPERHERO/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Gina Carano, Leslie Uggams, Stan Lee, and Stefan Kapicic (voice)

Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film and action-comedy from director Tim Miller. It is a spin-off film in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film series and is the eighth film overall in the series. It is also the first entry in what would become the Deadpool movie franchise. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Deadpool, that was created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, and first appeared in New Mutants #98 (cover dated: December 1990). Deadpool the movie focuses on a wisecracking costumed antihero who seeks revenge against the man who left him hideously scarred after a series of experiments.

Deadpool introduces Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a smart-mouthed mercenary and former special forces operative (“the merc with a mouth”). Wade's life takes a dramatic turn when he meets and falls in love with Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin), a prostitute. However, after a whirlwind romance, Wade discovers that he has terminal cancer, but as he is preparing to accept death, he learns of a lab run by the mysterious Ajax (Ed Skrein). Ajax promises to not only cure Wade's cancer, but to also give him powers and make him a superhero. Unfortunately, Ajax is a lying monster.

Although the experiments leave his face and body hideously disfigured, Wade is rendered virtually immortal when his mutant power activates and gives him incredibly accelerated healing powers. Taking the name, “Deadpool,” Wade goes on a mission of revenge. On the other hand, Colossus, the mutant who has a giant organic steel body, wants Deadpool to join the X-Men and become a superhero. Will Deadpool become a good guy, or will he simply keep piling up dismembered and bullet-riddled bodies on the way to his reunion with Ajax?

We are nearing the release of the latest Disney/Marvel Studios blockbuster movie, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). I had seen Deadpool and Deadpool 2, previously, but I had never reviewed them. I decided that now is the time to foist my opinions upon you, dear readers. I'm also going to watch and review, Logan (2017), the one X-Men movie I have been unable to finish.

Gleefully profane in language and sexual content, Deadpool was a surprise to movie audiences upon its February 2016 original theatrical release. It was an R-rated superhero movie, and it was proud of it. At the time, movie audiences had seen plenty of movies featuring superheroes, ordinary heroes, and anti-heroes, in which the lead character brutally kills his adversaries. None of those films had done it like Deadpool, although 2013's The Wolverine, had tried.

The foul language is in such abundance in Deadpool that there are moments when it all seems like too much, but even in those moments, I started laughing after being repulsed for a few seconds. I think a movie has to be doing something right when it has even Emmy and Tony-winning actress, Leslie Uggams (as Blind Al), dropping F-bombs.

For all the credit I give director Tim Miller and film editor, Julian Clark, for this film's fast action and eye-popping dances of violence, actor Ryan Reynolds makes Deadpool work. Yeah, the sex scenes are a bit too long and too over-the-top, but it never seems as if Wade Wilson/Deadpool is talking too much. Reynolds makes Deadpool different and unique; he makes it work. Eight years after its original theatrical release, Deadpool and its superhero cinema blasphemy still seem fresh.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

NOTES:

2017 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Ryan Reynolds)

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Monday, April 8, 2024

Comics Review: "U & I #1" is Crazy, Sexy, Cool

U & I #1

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: J. Michael Straczynski

ART: Mike Choi

COLORS: Mike Choi

LETTERS: Sal Cipriano

COVER: Mike Choi

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato, Jr. with Lee Loughridge; Mike Deodato, Jr.

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2024)

Rating: Teen+

The Resistance created by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato, Jr., and Frank Martin

U & I is a new six-issue comic book miniseries written by J. Michael Straczynski and drawn and colored by Mike Choi. It is the ninth entry in “The Resistance” universe that began with the 2020 six-issue miniseries, The Resistance. U & I focuses on an unlikely romance between two new “Reborns.” Letterer Sal Cipriano completes the series creative team.

U & I #1 opens in a world in which humanity is still dealing with the “Great Death” (“Big Death”), the planetary pandemic that killed 400 million people. It also caused the emergence of over ten million people called “Reborns.” They survived the pandemic and gained superhuman powers.

The series introduces U, a young man who can heal his body of the most serious wounds and grievous injuries. Today, he will play the hero and save a woman from dangerous mobster hit men.

Then, there is Isabelle. The government believes that she is hiding her powers, but she came out of the “Big Death” better, but seemingly without powers. Still, the government is discriminating against Isabelle, and she is left hungry, homeless, and hopeless after her father's brother – her lowdown uncle – refuses to release her inheritance.

How will fate bring U and Isabelle together?

THE LOWDOWN: AWA Studios' marketing has been providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications since April 2023. U & I #1 is one of the latest.

I have not read any of the comic books in “The Resistance” franchise. I wasn't on AWA's review list during the release of those publications. After reading U & I #1, I do want to read more. Why, you ask? This is another excellent J. Michael Straczynski-written comic book. The flashbacks are riveting, and the present day segments have firmly taken hold of my imagination.

I love Mike Choi's Frank Quitely-like compositions. Choi captures the exhilaration and mystery that surrounds U, while establishing the trials and tribulations of Isabelle. Choi's dazzling colors are a vivid signal to the reader's imagination, while Sal Cipriano's classic-style lettering conveys the futurism and possibilities of this narrative.

U & I #1 is yet another superb AWA Studios debut, and it promises that this series will be another winner from the publisher.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the comic books of J. Michael Straczynski will want to try U & I.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/

AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/

AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios

AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial

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Thursday, February 22, 2024

Comics Review: "GEEK-GIRL #12" Breaks Out the Break-In

GEEK-GIRL, VOL. 2 #12

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES, LTD.

STORY: Sam Johnson

ART: Carlos Granda

COLORS: Chunlin Zhao

LETTERS: Paul McLaren

COVERS: Carlos Granda with Chunlin Zhao; Flinn Douglas with Carlos Granda

24pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Rated T+ / 12+ only

Geek-Girl created by Sam Johnson

“Identity Crisis” Part 2: “Skin and Bones, Waifs and Strays”

Created by Sam Johnson, Geek-Girl is a comic book character that debuted in the 2016 Geek-Girl miniseries, She returned in a second miniseries, 2018's Geek-Girl Vol. 2, which subsequently became an ongoing series. Geek-Girl Vol. 2 is written by Sam Johnson; drawn by Carlos Granda; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Geek-Girl focuses on Ruby Kaye of Acorn Ridge, Maine, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero. Ruby dons a pair of super-tech eye glasses that give her super-powers. Ruby's BFF, Summer James, then talks her into trying to be a superhero, even providing her with a moniker. Now, Ruby is Maine's newest superhero, “Geek-Girl.”

Geek-Girl Vol. 2 #12 (“Skin and Bones, Waifs and Strays”) opens at “Snakeskin's Bar.” Chromex and Dog Woman, friends of the captured costume, Pig Head, have approached Digger Mensch and Terry the Super-Porter. One of them, Chromex, makes Digger a lucrative offer for the whereabouts of Pig Head – a big payday. Meanwhile, Pig Head is getting to know Rosebud and Joe Cyborg.

Ruby returns to headquarters, struggling to understand what happened to her, but her conversation with The Minger is interrupted when the League of Larcenists invades the headquarters. Should Ruby help with the response to this assault or go after the person who has stolen her identity and a lot more.

THE LOWDOWN: Geek-Girl creator-writer Sam Johnson regularly sends me PDF review copies of the latest issues of Geek-Girl, and has been doing so for several years. I enjoy reading about Geek-Girl and her (mis)adventures. I like this comic book enough to believe that encouraging you to give this series a try, dear readers, is one way I can contribute something good to the comic book industry.

Geek-Girl #12 carries over threads from Geek-Girl #11 and the recent release, Fake Geek-Girl #1. Writer Sam Johnson packs most issues with a lot of characters, which can sometime put a drag on the pace of the narrative, as it does here, but only a little. Sam is an imaginative writer and his stories, in a deceptively quiet way, are riveting. He captures the spirit of Silver and Bronze Age superhero team comic books like Marvel Avengers and DC Comics' Justice League. The difference is that Sam captures the eccentricities of both the superheroes and their civilian identities, where as the earlier comic books focus on the weirdness of the superheroes.

Artist Carlos Granda is quite good at capturing facial expressions and the quirkiness and oddness in the way people act in relationship to emotions and speech. Granda's graphical storytelling and compositions capture both the unique nature of Sam Johnson's world and the classic comic book sensibilities of Geek-Girl. All of this really shows under Chunlin Zhao's excellent colors and Paul McLaren's lettering.

Geek-Girl #12 is like the series as a whole, endlessly charming and constantly beguiling. I always want to read this series, and issue #12 makes me hungry for more. I don't know if Johnson wants to make Geek-Girl a monthly comic book, but, dear readers, I wish for that.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of lovable superheroes will find an all-around winner in Geek-Girl.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Geek-Girl #12 can be ordered via Indy Planet at https://www.indyplanet.com/geek-girl-12.

You can get more information about Geek-Girl here or at https://samjohnsoncomics.wixsite.com/geekgirlcomics.

Information about the Kickstarter for Geek-Girl issues #13 and 14 is available here or at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekgirlcomics/geek-girl-identity-crisis.

https://twitter.com/daSamJohnson

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https://twitter.com/Markosia_News

https://markosia.com/

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Comics Review: "THE JAGUAR No.1" - A War of Claws and Feathers

THE JAGUAR #1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Keryl Brown Ahmed

ART: Tango

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jack Morelli

EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Maria Laura Sanapo with Ellie Wright

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Reiko Murakami

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2024); on sale in comic book shops February 21, 2024

Rating: Teen+

Archie Comics has also published superhero comic books. Adventures of the Jaguar #1 (cover dated: September 1961) introduced “The Jaguar,” who was created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist John Rosenberger. The Jaguar was Ralph Hardy, a zoologist who found a magic belt in an ancient temple that gave him flight, strength, animal control, and the enhanced abilities of many animals.

Many years later, New Crusaders #1 (cover dated: October 2012) introduced a new version of The Jaguar. She is Ivette Velez, and now, she is the star of a new one-shot comic book, The Jaguar, No. 1. It is written by Keryl Brown Ahmed; drawn by Tango; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

The Jaguar #1 opens on a passenger bus traveling through Northern Peru. Something is killing the Pampas cats of the region, and a group of zoologists has come together to investigate these mysterious slayings. They know the culprit is a bird of prey, but the method of killing is unlike any of the birds local to the region.

Enter Ivette Velez a.k.a. “The Jaguar.” It’s going to take someone with apex predator abilities to find out what is causing these murders…someone like Ivette! Can the predator, however, become the prey? Who or what is “The Buzzard?” Who or what is “Ai Apaec?” And what does this all have to do with Ivette's tragic past? Can she solve these mysteries and validate the faith her mentor, the original Jaguar, Ralph Hardy, had in her?

I was vaguely familiar with The Jaguar, mainly through DC Comics' early 1990s imprint, Impact Comics, which published updated versions of Archie Comics superhero characters. I have taken interest in Archie's recent one-shot revivals of its superhero characters, beginning with the recent The Darkling, No. 1 (cover dated: January 2024).

However, dear readers, you don't have to be familiar with either version of The Jaguar at all to enjoy the new one-shot comic book, The Jaguar, No. 1. Writer Keryl Brown Ahmed crafts a 21-page story that offers concise origins or back stories for the two major players in this comic book. Ahmed gives the readers everything they need to understand the Jaguar, to enjoy the story, and to be ready for any potential future stories.

The art by Tango recalls the late Darwyn Cooke, and is visually energetic. However, the storytelling is muddled; the page design in chaotic; and the composition is more style than substance. As usual, Ellie Wright's colors are dazzling, and letterer Jack Morelli's work is classic comics cool. Both are an added benefit to Tango's storytelling.

The Jaguar, No. 1 is a surprise, and I enjoyed it in spite of its graphical storytelling flaws. Fans of Archie Comics superheroes will like it, especially because it offers the appearance of another old character, The Buzzard, which first appeared in the 1983 version of The Mighty Crusaders, specifically issue #11 (cover dated: March 1985).

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Archie Comics' superhero titles will want to try The Jaguar, No. 1.

[This comic book includes a two-page section on the making of The Jaguar, No. 1.]

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://archiecomics.com/

https://twitter.com/archiecomics

https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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Saturday, February 17, 2024

Comics Review: "FAKE GEEK-GIRL #1" - How to Spot a Fake or Be One

FAKE GEEK-GIRL #1

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES, LTD.

STORY: Sam Johnson

ART: Carlos Granda

COLORS: Chunlin Zhao

LETTERS: Paul McLaren

COVER: Carlos Granda with Chunlin Zhao

VARIANT COVER: Narcelio Sousa with Chunlin Zhao

24pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2024)

Rated T+ / 12+ only

Geek-Girl created by Sam Johnson

“Identity Crisis”: “Geek-Girl, Interrupted”

Created by Sam Johnson, Geek-Girl is a comic book character that debuted in the 2016 Geek-Girl miniseries, She returned in a second miniseries, 2018's Geek-Girl Vol. 2, which subsequently became an ongoing series. Geek-Girl Vol. 2 is written by Sam Johnson; drawn by Carlos Granda; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Geek-Girl focuses on Ruby Kaye of Acorn Ridge, Maine, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero. Ruby dons a pair of super-tech eye glasses that give her super-powers, and she becomes Maine's newest superhero, “Geek-Girl.” Now, the super-villain, Identity Thief, has tapped into Geek-Girl's mind and taken on her physical form in order to become “Fake Geek-Girl.”

Fake Geek-Girl #1 (“Geek-Girl, Interrupted”) opens as Ruby's best-frenemy, Karin Carpenter, arrives at “Rock” nightclub with her latest boy-toy, Alex. Before long, she is greeting acquaintances Jools, Estelle, and Howard. Her most important conversation, however, is with Danny about Ruby. So which is the real Geek-Girl? Which is the Fake Geek-Girl?

THE LOWDOWN: Geek-Girl creator-writer Sam Johnson regularly sends me PDF review copies of the latest issues of Geek-Girl, and has been doing so for several years. A recent arrival is Fake Geek-Girl #1.

Fake Geek-Girl #1 takes place between Geek-Girl #11 and Geek-Girl #12. It is both a standalone comic book, and it is also part of Geek-Girl #11 Deluxe. Fake Geek-Girl #1 is necessary for regular Geek-Girl fans because the “Previously:” segment on the inside front cover gives a detailed synopsis about the state of the narrative and how Fake Geek-Girl came to be.

This issue is produced by the regular creative team, so it fits quite well. Honestly, “Geek-Girl, Interrupted” isn't as strong a chapter as the ones in the main series, but it quite enjoyable. Also, I find that one needs to read everything Geek-Girl, dear readers. The first reason is because it is necessary, and the second reason is because Geek-Girl comics are super-duper good.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the lovable Geek-Girl will want to read Fake Geek-Girl.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Geek-Girl #11 Deluxe is a great jump-on point for the Geek-Girl series: containing all the content from Geek-Girl #11 (“Identity Crisis”: Part 1) and Fake Geek-Girl #1-Shot (also available as its own comic). You can buy it here or at https://samjohnsoncomics.wixsite.com/geekgirlcomics/geek-girl-11-deluxe

Kickstarter for Geek-Girl issues #13 and #14 are part of a crowdfunding campaign here or at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekgirlcomics/geek-girl-identity-crisis

Buy Geek-Girl comic books here or at https://www.indyplanet.com/?s=geek-girl

https://twitter.com/daSamJohnson

https://twitter.com/Markosia

https://twitter.com/Markosia_News

https://markosia.com/

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Friday, February 16, 2024

Review: Hysteria Aside, "MADAME WEB" is Quite Enjoyable

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2024 (No. 1954) by Leroy Douresseaux

Madame Web (2024)

Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for violence/action and language

DIRECTOR: S.J. Clarkson

WRITERS: Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson; from a story by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless and Kerem Sanga (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCER: Lorenzo di Bonaventura

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Leigh Folsom Boyd

COMPOSER: Johan Soderqvist

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts, Kerry Bishé, Zosia Mamet, José María Yazpik, and Mike Epps

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SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Madame Webb is not the worst film ever, and even with its corny and eye-rolling moments, it is a fast-moving action movie.

Madame Webb and the three young women she protects carry this film past its weirdness with their energy.

Madame Webb is for comic book movie fans looking for entertainment rather than culture war conflict.

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Madame Web is a 2024 superhero fantasy, horror, and action film directed by S.J. Clarkson. The movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, Madame Webb/Cassandra Webb, that was created by writer Denny O'Neil and artist John Romita Jr. and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 (cover dated: November 1980). This is also the fourth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” (SSU) series. Madame Web the movie focuses on a NYC paramedic who starts having visions of a shadowy figure hunting three young women.

Madame Web opens in 1973 in the jungles of Peru. There, scientist Constance Webb (Kerry Bishe) searches for a rare spider deep in the Amazon. At her side is her assistant, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who has plans of his own. They are also surrounded by legends and rumors of “Las Arañas,” a secret Peruvian tribe in which its members have spider powers. In the end, discovery leads to betrayal, death, and birth.

Thirty years later, New York City, 2003, Constance's daughter, Cassandra “Cassie” Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a paramedic. An accident causes Cassie to start having strange visions, which she comes to believe are clairvoyant. These visions of the future feature three young women: Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor) being hunted by a mysterious figure. This man wears a costume; he has enhanced strength and speed; and he can crawl on walls and ceilings like a spider. Forced to confront her past and her psychic abilities, Cassie must safeguard these three young women before this deadly adversary murders them.

Madame Web is fourth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe following Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), and Morbius (2022). In my estimation, dear readers, Madame Webb is the second best of the quartet behind only the original Venom.

In fact, Madame Webb isn't the “worst film ever,” “absolutely horrible,” or any of the over-the-top things haters and trolls are saying on social media. It isn't a great film, but Madame Web is quite entertaining. However, I have ideas about why this new film is getting so much hate. One reason is that there is a corner of social media that is dedicated to dissing films that are largely led by women characters. We saw this in the vitriol and invective directed at the 2016 Ghostbusters film and Marvel Studios' recent target, The Marvels. There are also some structural and narrative reasons that might irritate some viewers, and in order to talk about them, I will have to give you, dear readers, a...

SPOILERS WARNING: Madame Web is a hybrid of superheroes, dark fantasy, horror, action, and mysticism. On the superhero end, only the adversary trying to kill the three young women wears a costume. Sometime in the future of Madame Web's timeline, Julia Cornwall, Anya Corazon, and Mattie Franklin will each be a version of the hero, Spider-Woman, but now they are not. We only see them in their respective costumes in Cassie's visions of the future. Still, in the main body of the story, each actress plays her respective character as if she takes her role seriously. The trio is fun and rebellious, and their energy makes this film hop when it starts to drag.

On the action end, Madame Web has car chases and crashes and eye-crossing fights. The film's mystical angle comes across as a bit hokey, especially when Cassie talks about her powers. However, when Cassie's visions kick-in, they are trippy, confusing, and disorienting; they come and go in so many alternate versions with horror movie intensity.

Madame Web certainly could have been a better film had the main male characters had more development. Screen time isn't the issue. Adam Scott's Ben Parker, to whom you should pay attention, is more errand boy than friend, and the bad guy often comes across as a stock villain.

That said Madame Web is an entertaining film, and Dakota Johnson is good as Cassie Webb, considering neither her character nor this film in general has the benefit of a strong screenplay. Madame Webb is a slightly above-average comic book movie, and it should entertain most fans of superhero movies... except those with culture war agendas.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, February 16, 2024

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Friday, December 1, 2023

Comics Review: "DARKLING #1" is for the Young Adult Readers in Everyone

DARKLING #1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Sarah Kuhn

ART: Carola Borelli

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jack Morelli

EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Maria Laura Sanapo

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: David Mack

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2024); on sale in comic book shops November 22, 2023

Rating: Teen+

Archie Comics has also published superhero comic books. Its most well-known superhero title followed the superhero team, “The Mighty Crusaders.” The Mighty Crusaders title that was launched in the 1980s (cover dated: March 1983 to September 1985) ran for thirteen issues. The Mighty Crusaders #4 (cover dated: November 1983) saw the debut of the new superhero character “Darla Lang/Darkling.” The character was killed off in The Mighty Crusaders #11 (cover dated March 1985).

Darkling No. 1 brings Darla Lang/Darkling to modern comics. This one-shot comic book is written by Sarah Kuhn; drawn by Carola Borelli; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by Jack Morelli.

Darkling #1 opens at Ivy Hollow University, which has a reputation for being haunted. It is the witching hour, and Ivy Hollow student, Darla Lang, wants to connect with the supernatural world. Darla hopes to find a way to free herself of the peculiar voluminous black cloak that has been attached to her since she was a baby.

During a stealthy, middle-of-the-night trip to Ivy Hollow Library, Darla meets fellow outcast student, Phoebe Hayashi. A podcaster, Phoebe believes that she is on the trail of a creepy conspiracy involving missing students. Will Darla find within the hallowed halls Ivy Hollow the answers to the questions about herself and her powers that she’s been seeking

After reading Darkling No. 1, I wish it were an ongoing series. Writer Sarah Kuhn (Shadow of the Batgirl; Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story) offers a delightful mystery tale set in the “dark academia” genre (or immersed in the “dark academia” aesthetic, if you choose). Kuhn offers a breezy story that is both a highly-entertaining stand alone tale and also the beginning of something beautiful in YA comic books if Archie decides to continue it. It's a world in which many readers will want their imaginations to live, at least part time.

Carola Borelli's art and storytelling are engaging, even gripping at times. Borelli captures the thrills, chills, and clique-ish ills of Kuhn's script in a way that brings the world of Ivy Hollow University to life with variety and vividness. Ellie Wright's colors and color effects are the finishing touches to the magical beats of Darkling No. 1, with the great Jack Morelli's lettering giving this story the vibe of a comic book that is perfect for all readers.

Darkling No. 1 will probably be a delightful surprise to everyone, except the creative and editorial teams of this work. Dear readers, let's make this new Darkling a regular comic book thing.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Archie Comics' superhero titles will want to try Darkling No. 1.

[This comic book includes a two-page section on the making of Darkling No. 1.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Friday, November 10, 2023

Review: "THE MARVELS" is a Fun-Filled Marvel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 of 2023 (No. 1938) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Marvels (2023)

Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for action/violence and brief language

DIRECTOR: Nia DaCosta

WRITERS: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik

PRODUCER: Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sean Bobbitt (BSC)

EDITORS: Catrin Hedström and Evan Schiff

COMPOSER: Laura Karpman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of comedy

Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park See-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Leila Farzad, Abraham Popoola, Lashana Lynch, and Samuel L. Jackson, Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Kelsey Grammer

REVIEW SUMMARY:

The Marvels is a direct sequel to the film, Captain Marvel (2019), and a continuation of the Disney+ miniseries, “Ms. Marvel” (2022).

The story brings Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel together to stop a Kree warrior named Dar-Benn from destroying several worlds in a bid to save the Kree home world, Hala.

The film is short and sweet and is also a quirky and weird science fiction superhero film that is similar in tone to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and to the Marvel film, Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

The Marvels' plot is a bit scattershot, but the fight and action scenes are highly energetic, resulting in a fun Marvel film full of likable characters.

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The Marvels is a 2023 superhero film directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Marvel Studios. The film is the 33rd entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also a direct sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel. The Marvels is also a continuation of the Disney+/Marvel Studios television miniseries, "Ms. Marvel" (2022).

The film is headlined by the Marvel Comics character, Carol Danvers, who first appeared in the comic book, Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (cover dated: March 1968), and who later became Captain Marvel. In The Marvels, Captain Marvel gets her powers entangled with two other similarly-powered individuals, forcing the trio to work together to save the universe.

The Marvels opens with a focus on Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire. The collapse of the empire's “Supreme Intelligence” leads to a civil war among the Kree on their home world of Hala. The result is that the planet is becoming barren as it loses its natural resources and its sun is rapidly going dark. Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), the new leader of the Kree, retrieves one of two “Quantum Bands.” She hopes to harness its power and to pair it with her staff, “the Universal Weapon,” as part of her scheme to save Hala.

On Earth, specifically in a home in Jersey City, New Jersey, teenager Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who is also the superhero, “Ms. Marvel,” is dealing with teenage and family issues. Kamala also happens to possess the other half of the Quantum Bands.

Meanwhile, above the Earth, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), now residing at the S.A.B.E.R. space station, has detected a “jump point” (which allows for hyperspace travel) anomaly caused by Dar-Benn. Nick Fury calls in Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), an astronaut who has the ability to manipulate all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, to investigate the jump point anomaly near S.A.B.E.R.

When Monica touches the jump point at the same time as Captain Marvel, it causes a reaction in which Monica, Carol, and Kamala switch places through teleportation. Now, this reaction brings the three young women together in order to stop Dar-Benn from destroying several worlds in order to save her home world, Hala. And Kamala thinks that she, Carol, and Monica can best do this as a team, a super-team she names “The Marvels.

In addition to being a sequel to the 2019 film, Captain Marvel, and being a continuation of the Ms. Marvel TV series, The Marvels includes story elements that appear in the Disney+ Marvel Studios miniseries, “WandaVision” (2021) and “Secret Invasion” (2023). There are also elements from Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). At this point, I wonder if watching Marvel movies means having to be familiar with what has happened in too many previous films and television series. There is also a scene that runs in the middle of the end credits that references other movies based on Marvel Comics characters.

Still, I love The Marvels. I have not subscribed to Disney+, and I only saw the fifth and sixth episodes of the Ms. Marvels miniseries when it was aired on the ABC broadcast network in early September (2023). I love The Marvels because I can figure out what is going on without having seen everything else it references. If I really want to know more, I can read Wikipedia summaries of the Disney+ series that I have not seen.

The Marvels is marvelously enjoyable. It is a science fiction adventure comedy that makes a comedy of physical errors out of every fight. It's more like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) than it is like any other Marvel film. Director Nia DaCosta and her co-writers take time to develop the relationship between Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Also, giving so much time to Kamala family: her mother, Muneeba Khan (Zenobia Shroff); her father, Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur); and her older brother, Aamir Khan (Saagar Shaikh), gives the film a human element that keeps the sci-fi, outer space weirdness of The Marvels from entirely taking over the narrative. Yes, the plot is a bit scattershot, but The Marvels is kinetic and packs a lot energy in its fight and action scenes.

The Marvels also gives us a lighter, funnier side of Nick Fury, and, the delights of Goose, the cat-like “Flerken” alien is multiplied this time. Dar-Benn turns out to be one of the more ruthless and interesting of the MCU's recent villains. And if that isn't enough, The Marvels has one of the MCU's best (if not the best) extra credit scenes. The Marvels is refreshingly short, and while it is more loose than cohesive, it does remind me of one thing. Every trip to the world of Marvel Studios' films is an out of this world experience.

[The film includes one extra-credits scenes that takes place during the middle of the credits (mid-credits).]

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, November 10, 2023

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