Circa 1978-1981
Showing posts with label Ant-Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ant-Man. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Captain America - Civil War - A Spoiler-Free Review
After twelve superheroe movies successes, I keep waiting for Disney/Marvel to stumble. Not that I want them to, but I feel that at some point the Marvel Superhero movie ride has got to stop. I thought the same with Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. But, neither of those missed the mark, and neither does Captain America Civil War.
Captain America Civil War is a great comic book movie. It builds on the twelve movies that came before it and it really feels organic and a natural progression. I feared that such a large cast of heroes
would be mishandled, but they weren't. We got individual moments with all of them that and their
interactions really made the whole better than the sum of the parts.
The tone is more adult as the film deals with some serious issues and for the majority of the movie
there's no clear villain for them to fight. They're fighting their identity and ideals in a world that
doesn't understand them and is afraid of them.
This film succeeds because it has heart. A lot of heart, humanity, and a good dose of humor that balances a lot of the story's tension and conflict
While I did miss Thor and the Hulk, Spider-Man and Black Panther were pleasant surprises. Tom Holland as Peter Parker stole the show from Downey Jr. in their scenes together. I was really
happy with the amount of screen time Spidey got and I'm really looking forward to seeing his
feature film. And the same with Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and I can't wait to see how
they explore Wakanda.
Despite a running time 2 hrs 26mins, the movie didn't feel overly long, in fact it left me wanting more.
The only complaint I had was that the film's antagonist wasn't fleshed out, his motivation seemed a bit clumsy.
While the film is the first of the Third Phase of Marvel movies, it wraps up with a new status quo that felt like both an ending and a new beginning. Although we have a vague idea of that new beginning is headed, I guess we'll just have to wait and see where Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 take us.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Avengers Encyclopedia
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Writers: Matt Forbeck, Matthew K. Manning, Dan Wallace, Alan Cowsill, and Glenn Dakin
Published: Sept 2015
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 352
A quick note that a review copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
The size and weight of this encyclopedia is impressive, one could almost say… Mighty. There’s a stunning amount of information jammed into the 350 plus oversized pages. This book isn’t your typical encyclopedia that’s alphabetically divided and feels artificial. Instead you get a well-thought out, thematic division of subject matter, coloured coded for easy reference.
The book respectfully balances the scope of Avengers history from the Silver Age to present. Written by a small army of authors, the encyclopedia breaks down over 250 characters, profiles significant events and storylines, and highlights the various team incarnations. I was also impressed the level of detail presented in the Key Storyline sections that go well beyond a simple summary and make a point of acknowledging comic book creators’ contributions.
The number of images jam packed into each page really pulls you into the book and really gives readers a solid feel for the character or event across the different comic book ages. I really enjoyed the write-ups on Hank Pym, who usually gets overlooked because of his convoluted history and continuity (and not because of his Ant-Man stature).
The Avengers Encyclopedia is the ultimate Avengers reference guide. Face Front True Believers, this volume has it all! If you’re looking to brush up on your Avengers history before Captain America: Civil War, pick up a copy of this book.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Marvel's Ant-Man - A Spoiler-Free Review
I went into the movie really expecting not to like it especially after seeing some early numbers on rottentomatoes.com. But, it turns out I really enjoyed it and it was nice to see the movie's rating climb up to 75%. Marvel succeeds again at pulling off a hit, leveraging some great humor and setting up a really fun heist feel. The acting was solid and cast really had a dynamic together. There were a few flaws in the story that I could overlook as I was swept up in the drama.
I really liked how Marvel continues to shape their cinematic universe, establishing a rich history and backstory. There are some really great tie-ins and guest appearances that will make you smile. It may not rank in the top tier of the Marvel movies, but Ant-Man was a lot of fun. I can help but wonder what the original script by Edgar Wright was like. Perhaps in the DVD bonus features, we'll get a glimpse of what might have been...
If you enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man has a similar feel with a great supporting cast who are almost more co-protagonists. Don't miss this great summer movie!
And make sure you stay for the two extra scenes, one mid-credits, and one after the credits.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Edgar Wright's Ant-Man movie test footage
Check out the test footage for the upcoming Edgar Wright Ant-Man movie:
Monday, November 19, 2012
1981–83: Avengers Sorta Disassembled Part One: If It Ain’t Too Broke…
Guest blog by Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
Marvel recently released the Trial Of Yellowjacket, a paperback containing a huge chunk of early 1980s Avengers continuity. Plenty of reason to look back at these comics that, in retrospect, didn’t just shake up the book’s status quo, but actually demolished it with fevered fury.
As great a read as The Trial Of Yellowjacket is, its rife with glaring omissions and equally baffling inclusions. For instance, the issues leading up to the formation of the featured, ill fated Avengers line up are left out, while fairly forgettable tales like a Hawkeye and Ant-Man team up (#223) or an inconsequential two part romp in Avalon (#225 & 226) did make the cut. The actual TPB doesn’t tell the full story, so lets get that out of the way first.
In the Spring of 1981, Jim Shooter returned to the title with #211. During his previous run, he had written the immensely popular Korvac saga, so the fans were giddy with joy and anticipation for what cosmic tale of wonder he’d come up with next. Little did they know, he planned to tell a completely different kind of story… And he didn’t waste any time getting to it.
The opening pages of #211 feature an uncharacteristically harsh and snippy Cap, who rather randomly announces the team had to downsize the number of active Avengers to six; at least three of the current members would have to step down.
In more ways than one, this spelled the end of the status quo the book had been in since the late 1970s, a time many fans would consider the glory days of the book. It meant the end of an era with founders Wasp, Thor, Cap and Iron Man, fighting along beloved mainstays like Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Not to mention Beast and Wonder Man whose camaraderie really added to the book. In fact, the sales for the book had been steadily increasing every month since 1978. So, why mess with success? If it ain’t too broke, why fix it?
Shooter might have figured that a way to keep the sales momentum going was to shake things up a bit. So, an impromptu membership drive was held, thanks to a little unwanted help from Moondragon. The former Avenger and full time goddess of the mind believed her judgement to be superior, that’s why she decided to pick the best possible new members herself. Using her mental powers, she ordered heroes like Dazzler, Tigra, Iceman and Yellowjacket to Avengers Mansion for an audition. After the team thanked Moondragon for her input by forcibly kicking her out, the new line up was decided on… And this mind boggling scene took place.
Vision, the Scarlet Witch, Beast and Wonder Man all gone in one issue… Ow, and that figure leaping away is long time Avengers associate Jocasta. After Shooter introduced her as Ultron’s rebellious robot bride in the late 70s, she hung around the mansion, ever ready to pitch in but never granted full membership. Her willing departure was truly a symbol of the good old days literally thrown out of the window. Still, onward and upward… by the end of issue # 211, the new team was set and ready to go.
To be fair, with five founding Avengers back on active duty this is hardly a new team. But as issue # 212 proved, all was not well in the world.
Hank Pym had changed. A lot. The kindly inventor turned reluctant superhero had always been in flux. Shifting between power sets and costumed identities almost as often as his wife changed Wasp outfits, he rejoined the team as Yellowjacket but appeared cold, distant and seething with passive aggressive rage.
Reading this dialogue in 2012 is fairly cringeworthy. Pym treats Janet like she’s an irresponsible, air headed nuisance and she seems mostly able to spout trite lines straight from 1950s style romance comics. He can’t even stand to share a car with her.
As seemingly out of character this might have appeared at the time, Jim Shooter recently shared his initial intentions for this Hank & Jan storyline on his blog…
“I reread every single appearance of both characters. His history was largely a litany of failure (…) He was never the Avenger who saved the day at the end and usually the first knocked out or captured. His most notable “achievement” in the lab was creating Ultron. Meanwhile, his rich, beautiful wife succeeded in everything she tried. She was also always flitting around his shoulders, flirting, saying things to prop up his ego.”
Well, forgetting for a minute that Hank, as Ant-Man, managed to trap Loki in Avengers # 1 and was key in the formation of the team… It does stand to reason that one might feel a little insecure if your fellow team members include an Asgardian god of thunder and a gamma powered behemoth.
Finding himself on the team with Thor, genius inventor Tony Stark and Cap, living legend from World War II, might have pushed Pym over the edge. Shooter already had some experience writing a deranged Hank Pym when he gave him another nervous breakdown during his first run (#161 & 162). Pym hasn’t snapped just yet, but if you thought he was frantic at meetings, see what he’s like during the team’s first field mission to stop Linnea the Elf Queen.
Why, yes, Linnea… She and her warrior companion Gorn were introduced in this issue to serve the need for an obligatory fight scene ánd mirror the marital problems of the Pyms. For centuries, Gorn had been content living with Linnea in her magic glade somewhere in Virginia. But one morning, the warrior awoke, hungering for conquest he forced his woman to go on the prowl with him.
Finding it hard to deal with modern times, not in the least because they can’t understand the language, Gorn grows frustrated and actually strikes his woman. Shocked, a teary Linnea takes off, forcing the unreasonable warrior to fend for himself.
Before long, he runs into a street gang and despite his best efforts to show them the true meaning of chivalry, he gets gunned down. When Linnea discovers her man is dead, she goes on a rampage, destroying everything in sight… And this is where the Avengers come in. After a prolonged fight, Captain America manages to talk her down, despite the language barrier. And then, Hank does something incredibly stupid.
Striking down an enemy who had already surrendered (well, sort of) just to prove yourself? It’s a court martial offence. If he’d known what was ahead of him, Hank might have actually jumped towards the car Linnea tried to crush him with. But he was saved by Janet’s timely arrival. Nearly exhausted from flying to Washington DC under her own power, the Wasp manages to blast away the car wreck with her sting.
Already ashamed he needed to be rescued, Yellowjacket was now about to face an official Avengers court martial. Incidentally, the Elfqueen teleported away… Never to be heard from again.
Hank didn’t have that luxury and things went from bad to worse for him, as we’ll see in part two of Avengers Sorta Disassembled: Hit, Miss And Definitely Maybe
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
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