Thirteen years ago I got together with several of my friends and lined up to watch Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I was never a rabid Star Wars fanboy, but back then I, like many other people, believed that the world was about to witness a cultural milestone. When the prequel trilogy wrapped six years later, everyone knew better, of course, but by then a whole new legion of bitter, disillusioned fanboys had been spawned in their wake, and melodramatic (and somewhat insensitive) phrases like "my childhood has been raped" were coined. The Star Wars prequels had come and gone, but it was hard to argue that the collective cultural landscape was any better for their passing.
Personally, and issues of filmmaking quality aside (acting, script, etc.) I had a number of problems with the very nature of the prequels.
The first was that they told stories to which audiences already knew the various endings. For starters, everyone knew Anakin Skywalker was going to turn into Darth Vader. Everyone knew all the Jedi were going to die, and that their shining, utopian civilization was going to go to the dogs. The Clone Wars were nothing but a scam perpetrated by Chancellor Palpatine to rationalize his conquest of the galaxy. Luke and Leia were born and separated. Sure, there was definitely interest to know how these came to be, and it was enough to sustain people's interest over three movies, but if the internet and box-office receipts are to be believed, people did not enjoy these films as much as they did the original trilogy. To my mind, and for reasons already mentioned, it was impossible that they ever would. For the same reason the Clone Wars TV show held no appeal whatsoever for me; viewers already KNOW that the entire thing is a sham and that just about everyone fighting the war is being manipulated, so what is there that's new to tell?
The second thing I found extremely off-putting was the rather odd sight of an older world having slicker special effects, which was an inevitability considering that the first of the prequels came out sixteen years after the last of the original trilogy. Given the relentless pace of advancement of visual effects technology, sixteen years is an eternity. The first trilogy made use of plastic miniatures and stop motion animation, while the later one had the benefit of computer-generated imagery and, even where practical effects were considered, vastly improved prosthetic technology. Sure, it was established that society had gone to hell because of Palpatine taking over, but did things really have to get that bad? It's not unlike the astonishing CGI of the 2012 film Prometheus looking much better than the relatively clunky effects of the older Alien saga films, all of which supposedly take place after the events in the newer film.
Happily, the new trilogy will have none of this baggage weighing it down, because the events of Episodes I to VI will be long behind whoever the characters are that will inhabit its world, and the filmmakers will be free to tell whatever stories they think will captivate audiences. For the first time in 32 years audiences of a Star Wars film will go into it not knowing what will happen to the principal characters down the road, or how things will turn out in the end. People imagining the recasting of the principal cast of Episodes IV to VI are missing the point; this isn't a remake or a retelling, but a chance to take the franchise where it has needed to go for years: into new territory. The fact that the VFX technology will have, again, improved exponentially in the ten years between 2005 and 2015 is simply icing on the cake.
Of course, there are the embittered fanboys and just-plain cynical people who would say that Disney should leave well enough alone, that the franchise has suffered enough, and that audiences have suffered enough regurgitation of the same old products, what with remake upon reboot upon sequel being foisted upon audiences year in and year out. The easy thing to say to them would be, if you don't like the idea of new movies, then no one is forcing you to watch them.
There is, however, a solid argument to be make for continuing the 35-year-old franchise, and it is simply that anything is worth doing if it can be done well. The Batman franchise was left for dead after Joel Schumacher and George Clooney had turned it into a laughing stock, but Christopher Nolan and his cast and crew came along and came up with movies that will be remembered as genre classics for generations to come. The Star Trek film franchise, a staple of the 70s and 80s had been reduced to spoofs like Galaxy Quest and sequels involving a whole new set of characters with the "Next Generation" movies, until JJ Abrams took a step back from all that had come before and told a story which both respected what had come before and took the franchise in a whole new direction.
Perhaps most recently and notably, the producers of the James Bond films have taken a 50 year old franchise, something which should, by now, be weak in the knees and threatening to collapse under its own weight, and turned in a fresh, and utterly brilliant take on a character almost anyone who's ever watched a movie already knows. It is possible to teach old dogs new tricks, apparently.
The Star Wars universe, in comparison to the Bond-verse and the Bat-verse, is infinitely richer in its possibilities, because it revolves around so much more than the adventures of just one man. There are stories upon stories upon stories to be told here, and considering that new Lucasfilm owner Disney has the pockets for it, and there is, no doubt, no shortage of talent ready to work on it, I am happy they are going for it.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Walking Dead: Season 3 (Episodes 1 to 4)
Caution: Minor Spoilers Ahead
I'm not quite sure why, in the months that I've been posting reviews of The Walking Dead TV series up on my blogs, I have not interviewed individual episodes but have instead elected to review a whole chunk of a given season all at once. Thinking about it, I've come to the conclusion that to do so would feel too much like giving individual review to a few bites of a sumptuous meal rather than the whole picture. It's the same logic behind my reviewing several comic books at the same time as well.
In any case, the first four episodes of season three of TWD have, to my mind been properly epic.
The first two episodes, "Seed" and "Sick" are the nail-biting account of how Rick Grimes and his group of survivors take over a prison, seeing its high fences as the perfect protection from the walkers outside. Because the considerable prison population has turned into walkers, it's a rather challenging task of clearing the expansive grounds, especially since several of the former prison guards are still wearing their riot helmets and are a little harder to kill than the usual walker, with the result that the group take a hit when one of its members gets bitten. Not only that, but they encounter an additional challenge in the form of a handful of still-human prisoners, at least two of whom appear to be particularly murderous.
The third episode, "Walk With Me," is actually the first episode to air since the series began that does not feature Rick (Andrew Lincoln), but it does feature such important characters as Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Michonne (Danai Guria), it signals the return of Daryl (Norman Reedus) Dixon's brother Merle (Michael Rooker) whom audiences last saw chained to a pipe on a rooftop, and most importantly of all features the debut of potentially the series' most menacing character yet, the Governor (David Morrissey). It's an impressively written piece, with the Governor's thriving Woodbury community providing a stark contrast to the hopelessly inhospitable world to which Andrea has become accustomed, though the audience are made privy to the governor's true nature, even if the characters are not.
The fourth episode, "The Killer Within" is, literally and figuratively, a gut-wrenching affair in which the goings-on at the deceptively idyllic Woodbury are played out parallel to a shocking new development at the prison, which has suddenly been invaded by a large horde of walkers, leaving Rick's survivors, who are caught completely off their guard, to fight for their lives, a situation further complicated by the fact that Rick's pregnant wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labor. Andrea, in the meantime, has second thoughts about leaving Woodbury, much to the annoyance of Michonne who does not trust the Governor. At the prison it becomes evident that the walker incursion is a result of someone (and no one knows who) having opened the gates from the inside and turned on the alarms which draws the undead like a beacon, and Rick's group races to turn off the alarms. Suffice it to say, not everyone makes it out alive.
What really amazes me about this fantastic run of episodes is that there have only been four of them in a season of sixteen, and yet the writers and directors have already raised the emotional stakes considerably. Episode one was strong right out of the gate, but most remarkably, episode four played out with the visceral impact of last season's climax, and with more heart-wrenching casualties compared to the deaths of the arguably throwaway characters who were disposed of back then. For all of that, there is still so much that has yet to take place. Rick's group, for example, have yet to meet the Governor and his Woodbury community, and anyone who has read the comics knows that this encounter has cataclysmic consequences. Sure, much of the show has departed significantly from the comics' storyline, but the writers of TWD have made it very clear that their version of the Governor is very much the bastard he was on the printed page, and that an encounter between this man and Rick is not going to end well. The fact that Rick and his group will now come into that inevitable encounter after suffering such enormous loss makes things all the more interesting.
Not only that, but there's so much about the details that make the show all the more fascinating; the anxiety of Merle to look for his brother, for example, and how this could affect his relationship with the Governor is being set up as something interesting. Merle and Daryl, after all, are unique to the TV series, having been created by Frank Darabont and not Robert Kirkman, and so anything they do is nothing of which devotees of the comic book can claim to have any prior knowledge. Another slightly interesting subplot seems to be a bit of infatuation on the part of Rick's tweenage son Carl (Chandler Riggs) with Beth (Emily Kinney), the younger daughter of Hershel (Scott Wilson). After all the writers of TWD killed off Carl's longtime playmate from the comics, Sophia, last season, so they have to give Carl something to do besides kill zombies.
I join the chorus of people complaining that season 2 definitely had its low points. As gory as the finale of that season was there was something innately silly about the way all of the most peripheral characters were served up as zombie chow almost on cue, and that was after the series struggled to rebound from the somewhat controversial "search for Sophia" storyline that some people complained took up too much time.
Season 3, so far, has completely changed the game. It's not even about the bloodletting; it's about how urgent things have felt from episode to episode. The third episode may have been relatively quiet but I would argue it was the most important among the three as it states loud and clear that the biggest threat the cast of characters will face this season is not going to be from the walkers, but a living, breathing man and his posse. Considering that just one man in their prison was able to cause them as much trouble as he did in episode four, one wonders how they would fare against an entire group of armed, ruthless men.
That is something I am quite anxious to see.
5/5
I'm not quite sure why, in the months that I've been posting reviews of The Walking Dead TV series up on my blogs, I have not interviewed individual episodes but have instead elected to review a whole chunk of a given season all at once. Thinking about it, I've come to the conclusion that to do so would feel too much like giving individual review to a few bites of a sumptuous meal rather than the whole picture. It's the same logic behind my reviewing several comic books at the same time as well.
In any case, the first four episodes of season three of TWD have, to my mind been properly epic.
The first two episodes, "Seed" and "Sick" are the nail-biting account of how Rick Grimes and his group of survivors take over a prison, seeing its high fences as the perfect protection from the walkers outside. Because the considerable prison population has turned into walkers, it's a rather challenging task of clearing the expansive grounds, especially since several of the former prison guards are still wearing their riot helmets and are a little harder to kill than the usual walker, with the result that the group take a hit when one of its members gets bitten. Not only that, but they encounter an additional challenge in the form of a handful of still-human prisoners, at least two of whom appear to be particularly murderous.
The third episode, "Walk With Me," is actually the first episode to air since the series began that does not feature Rick (Andrew Lincoln), but it does feature such important characters as Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Michonne (Danai Guria), it signals the return of Daryl (Norman Reedus) Dixon's brother Merle (Michael Rooker) whom audiences last saw chained to a pipe on a rooftop, and most importantly of all features the debut of potentially the series' most menacing character yet, the Governor (David Morrissey). It's an impressively written piece, with the Governor's thriving Woodbury community providing a stark contrast to the hopelessly inhospitable world to which Andrea has become accustomed, though the audience are made privy to the governor's true nature, even if the characters are not.
The fourth episode, "The Killer Within" is, literally and figuratively, a gut-wrenching affair in which the goings-on at the deceptively idyllic Woodbury are played out parallel to a shocking new development at the prison, which has suddenly been invaded by a large horde of walkers, leaving Rick's survivors, who are caught completely off their guard, to fight for their lives, a situation further complicated by the fact that Rick's pregnant wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labor. Andrea, in the meantime, has second thoughts about leaving Woodbury, much to the annoyance of Michonne who does not trust the Governor. At the prison it becomes evident that the walker incursion is a result of someone (and no one knows who) having opened the gates from the inside and turned on the alarms which draws the undead like a beacon, and Rick's group races to turn off the alarms. Suffice it to say, not everyone makes it out alive.
What really amazes me about this fantastic run of episodes is that there have only been four of them in a season of sixteen, and yet the writers and directors have already raised the emotional stakes considerably. Episode one was strong right out of the gate, but most remarkably, episode four played out with the visceral impact of last season's climax, and with more heart-wrenching casualties compared to the deaths of the arguably throwaway characters who were disposed of back then. For all of that, there is still so much that has yet to take place. Rick's group, for example, have yet to meet the Governor and his Woodbury community, and anyone who has read the comics knows that this encounter has cataclysmic consequences. Sure, much of the show has departed significantly from the comics' storyline, but the writers of TWD have made it very clear that their version of the Governor is very much the bastard he was on the printed page, and that an encounter between this man and Rick is not going to end well. The fact that Rick and his group will now come into that inevitable encounter after suffering such enormous loss makes things all the more interesting.
Not only that, but there's so much about the details that make the show all the more fascinating; the anxiety of Merle to look for his brother, for example, and how this could affect his relationship with the Governor is being set up as something interesting. Merle and Daryl, after all, are unique to the TV series, having been created by Frank Darabont and not Robert Kirkman, and so anything they do is nothing of which devotees of the comic book can claim to have any prior knowledge. Another slightly interesting subplot seems to be a bit of infatuation on the part of Rick's tweenage son Carl (Chandler Riggs) with Beth (Emily Kinney), the younger daughter of Hershel (Scott Wilson). After all the writers of TWD killed off Carl's longtime playmate from the comics, Sophia, last season, so they have to give Carl something to do besides kill zombies.
I join the chorus of people complaining that season 2 definitely had its low points. As gory as the finale of that season was there was something innately silly about the way all of the most peripheral characters were served up as zombie chow almost on cue, and that was after the series struggled to rebound from the somewhat controversial "search for Sophia" storyline that some people complained took up too much time.
Season 3, so far, has completely changed the game. It's not even about the bloodletting; it's about how urgent things have felt from episode to episode. The third episode may have been relatively quiet but I would argue it was the most important among the three as it states loud and clear that the biggest threat the cast of characters will face this season is not going to be from the walkers, but a living, breathing man and his posse. Considering that just one man in their prison was able to cause them as much trouble as he did in episode four, one wonders how they would fare against an entire group of armed, ruthless men.
That is something I am quite anxious to see.
5/5
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Review: Deadpool #1
Writers: Simon Duggan and Brian Posehn
Artist: Tony Moore
The popularity of the Marvel Comics character Deadpool has always been a bit of a mystery to me. In the last two or three years, he has had the most appearances in superhero comic books, indeed, the most number of titles bearing his name, of any comic book character other than Spider-Man or Wolverine, or even Superman or Batman. I understand his appeal to limited extent, but I still don't quite see how this translates to multiple titles, especially considering that none of them has ever really enjoyed breakout sales figures. I even enjoyed one volume of Deadpool, specifically Wade Wilson's War (a play on the title of the Mike Nichols' film Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks) on account of some clever writing by Duane Swierczynski and some crackling art by Jason Pearson, but that still did not quite solve the mystery of Deadpool's apparent mainstream popularity for me. He seemed more like a niche market character than anything else.
I'll admit, though, that the first issue of the newly-relaunched Deadpool series by writers Simon Duggan and Brian Posehn and artist Tony Moore has brought me closer to understanding the proliferation of Deadpool's many books than any other incarnation I've seen thus far, though I should qualify that it still hasn't completely clarified the mystery for me.
This issue kicks off a story arc in which a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent uses arcane rituals to summon dead presidents in the hope of "fixing" America. Captain America takes on the first resurrected president, a ghoulish Harry Truman, but when he defeats this zombie by decapitating him, and this grisly solution to the problem makes it to the newspapers, complete with pictures, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides that a more covert approach to the situation is in order, and when Deadpool successfully battles a resurrected Franklin D. Roosevelt in the subways, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides that he's their man for the job. It soon appears that the "merc with a mouth" has his work cut out for them as several dead presidents have been resurrected and have terrible plans for the United States of America.
Deadpool is not just an antihero, he's the quintessential anti-superhero. It's fitting that he's juxtaposed against Captain America, who basically embodies everything that a Marvel hero should aspire to be, considering that in many ways, he is what Captain America is not. Being horribly disfigured, irreverent, and almost congenitally incapable doing the right thing he's the perfect antidote to readers fed-up with traditional superheroics but still wanting some good old four-color action. This story captures that vibe pretty well, though it did not quite engage me the way I might have hoped it would. Still, at the very least the writers eschewed some of the usual narrative tropes associated with the character, like the constant fourth-wall breaking, and managed to create an entertaining story that was quirky without being too self-aware.
For me, however, the undisputed star of this book is artist Tony Moore, whose outstanding work on the first six issues of The Walking Dead comic book series was the reason I picked this up in the first place. As it turns out, his work looks every bit as good as it does in full color as it does in the dull grays of TWD. Of course,considering the antagonists in this story are reanimated American presidents, Moore is, to put it mildly, an ideal choice to illustrate this arc. I'm hoping Moore sticks around for a while.
This issue is a pretty good way to introduce new readers to Deadpool, with a pretty easy-to-follow script, exceptional artwork and the signature quirkiness for which the character has become well known. If the crew are able maintain this kind of integrity in future issues, I hope they're able to push some new boundaries in terms of the sales of the books starring this character, because any newfound love for Deadpool this issue ignites among readers will, to my mind anyway, be well-deserved.
4/5
Artist: Tony Moore
The popularity of the Marvel Comics character Deadpool has always been a bit of a mystery to me. In the last two or three years, he has had the most appearances in superhero comic books, indeed, the most number of titles bearing his name, of any comic book character other than Spider-Man or Wolverine, or even Superman or Batman. I understand his appeal to limited extent, but I still don't quite see how this translates to multiple titles, especially considering that none of them has ever really enjoyed breakout sales figures. I even enjoyed one volume of Deadpool, specifically Wade Wilson's War (a play on the title of the Mike Nichols' film Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks) on account of some clever writing by Duane Swierczynski and some crackling art by Jason Pearson, but that still did not quite solve the mystery of Deadpool's apparent mainstream popularity for me. He seemed more like a niche market character than anything else.
I'll admit, though, that the first issue of the newly-relaunched Deadpool series by writers Simon Duggan and Brian Posehn and artist Tony Moore has brought me closer to understanding the proliferation of Deadpool's many books than any other incarnation I've seen thus far, though I should qualify that it still hasn't completely clarified the mystery for me.
This issue kicks off a story arc in which a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent uses arcane rituals to summon dead presidents in the hope of "fixing" America. Captain America takes on the first resurrected president, a ghoulish Harry Truman, but when he defeats this zombie by decapitating him, and this grisly solution to the problem makes it to the newspapers, complete with pictures, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides that a more covert approach to the situation is in order, and when Deadpool successfully battles a resurrected Franklin D. Roosevelt in the subways, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides that he's their man for the job. It soon appears that the "merc with a mouth" has his work cut out for them as several dead presidents have been resurrected and have terrible plans for the United States of America.
Deadpool is not just an antihero, he's the quintessential anti-superhero. It's fitting that he's juxtaposed against Captain America, who basically embodies everything that a Marvel hero should aspire to be, considering that in many ways, he is what Captain America is not. Being horribly disfigured, irreverent, and almost congenitally incapable doing the right thing he's the perfect antidote to readers fed-up with traditional superheroics but still wanting some good old four-color action. This story captures that vibe pretty well, though it did not quite engage me the way I might have hoped it would. Still, at the very least the writers eschewed some of the usual narrative tropes associated with the character, like the constant fourth-wall breaking, and managed to create an entertaining story that was quirky without being too self-aware.
For me, however, the undisputed star of this book is artist Tony Moore, whose outstanding work on the first six issues of The Walking Dead comic book series was the reason I picked this up in the first place. As it turns out, his work looks every bit as good as it does in full color as it does in the dull grays of TWD. Of course,considering the antagonists in this story are reanimated American presidents, Moore is, to put it mildly, an ideal choice to illustrate this arc. I'm hoping Moore sticks around for a while.
This issue is a pretty good way to introduce new readers to Deadpool, with a pretty easy-to-follow script, exceptional artwork and the signature quirkiness for which the character has become well known. If the crew are able maintain this kind of integrity in future issues, I hope they're able to push some new boundaries in terms of the sales of the books starring this character, because any newfound love for Deadpool this issue ignites among readers will, to my mind anyway, be well-deserved.
4/5
Friday, November 9, 2012
Review: Ultimate Spider-Man 16.1
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: David Marquez
There have been times when Marvel's "ultimate" line of comics felt like nothing more than an excuse to pander to newer, younger readers who could not be bothered to acquaint themselves with over 50 years of continuity. Worse still, there have been times when the ultimate line has felt like a remake of a great song or movie that has failed to capture the essence of the original.
There are times, however, when the writers prove that the ultimate line is more than just a gimmick by delivering thoroughly engaging stories that are not at all possible in the "regular" Marvel universe by turning certain character conventions on their heads. After all,this is the version of the Marvel Universe in which Spider-Man and Wolverine can die, and in which Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four can become a bad guy.
Here, Spider-Man regular Betty Brant is placed firmly in the spotlight. This was my first time to encounter her in the twelve years of the title's existence, but it's established pretty clearly in the first few pages that she is a reporter for the Daily Bugle whose ambitions far outweigh her scruples, quite unlike the sweetheart she was in her first few appearances in the regular line of comics. In this story, which takes place shortly after the events of Ultimate Spider-Man #12, Betty watches a video that was taken at the time the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, went toe-to-toe with his uncle, Aaron Davis, the ultimate universe version of the Prowler, and as Aaron utters dying words to Miles, deduces a connection between the two of them. Believing she can expose the identity of the new Spider-Man, she consults the paper's editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson on whether or not to chase down the story. Jameson says no, but that does not stop Betty, who proves quite resourceful in gathering the evidence she needs for her story. Whether or not she gets to use it, however, is another matter altogether.
Marvel's "Point One" issues are often marketed as "jumping on" points for new readers, but here writer Brian Bendis takes the opportunity to tell an interesting story between the lines, and to take another Spider-Man character into uncharted territory. What's interesting here is how Ultimate Betty Brant and Ultimate J. Jonah Jameson aren't quite so far removed from their mainstream universe counterparts as they might seem; Betty in the regular Marvel U is, in fact, a driven reporter, and Jonah, for all of his bluster and unpleasantness towards Spider-Man, is actually a man of considerable integrity, but these versions of their characters inhabit a world in which Peter Parker has died a hero, and arguably that makes all the difference. The scene in which Jonah says "no" to Betty may seem out of character at first glance (and it doesn't help that David Marquez, whose artwork is otherwise brilliant, has drawn Jonah like an older Tony Stark instead of his usual flat-top sporting, Chaplin-mustache wearing curmudgeon) but it's actually consistent with possibly one of my favorite depictions of Jonah ever, his few pages of glory in the Frank Miller/David Mazzucchelli epic Daredevil: Born Again, in which he tells Ben Urich, who has been cowed by the Kingpin, that he must never allow himself to get scared off a story. There are very incremental degrees of difference, and the dialogue between Betty and Jonah is some of the best I've ever seen from Bendis.
Long-time Spider-Man readers may have problems with the characterization of Betty Brant, but like I said, there is some consistency in terms of her character's ambition, which is simply an amped-up version of her character in the mainstream Marvel universe. She's certainly not evil, but she is selfish and short-sighted, which is arguably an accurate description of many, if not most people in the world. Also, considering that even Reed Richards can be a bad guy given the right push, it stands to reason that even supporting characters can go bad. To my mind, Bendis handled it quite well.
Another intriguing aspect of the story for me, though, which I'm sure will be picked up on in later issues, is the fact that it is now established that Miles' dad's last name is actually Davis, as his name, Jefferson Davis, is stated in the course of the story. It makes me wonder, then, why Miles goes by what is presumably his mother's last name, Morales, apart from what I can only surmise is Bendis' refusal to have Miles share the same name as a famous black musician. Whether his explanation for his is simple or not, I'm pretty keen to read it.
David Marquez, whom I sorely missed last issue, was back with his usual crisp line work, but like I said I was not a fan of how he drew Jonah Jameson, which was a major component of this story.
Forget being a jumping-on point, this issue is a seriously good read for anyone into Spider-Man comics, ultimate or otherwise.
4.5/5
Artist: David Marquez
There have been times when Marvel's "ultimate" line of comics felt like nothing more than an excuse to pander to newer, younger readers who could not be bothered to acquaint themselves with over 50 years of continuity. Worse still, there have been times when the ultimate line has felt like a remake of a great song or movie that has failed to capture the essence of the original.
There are times, however, when the writers prove that the ultimate line is more than just a gimmick by delivering thoroughly engaging stories that are not at all possible in the "regular" Marvel universe by turning certain character conventions on their heads. After all,this is the version of the Marvel Universe in which Spider-Man and Wolverine can die, and in which Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four can become a bad guy.
Here, Spider-Man regular Betty Brant is placed firmly in the spotlight. This was my first time to encounter her in the twelve years of the title's existence, but it's established pretty clearly in the first few pages that she is a reporter for the Daily Bugle whose ambitions far outweigh her scruples, quite unlike the sweetheart she was in her first few appearances in the regular line of comics. In this story, which takes place shortly after the events of Ultimate Spider-Man #12, Betty watches a video that was taken at the time the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, went toe-to-toe with his uncle, Aaron Davis, the ultimate universe version of the Prowler, and as Aaron utters dying words to Miles, deduces a connection between the two of them. Believing she can expose the identity of the new Spider-Man, she consults the paper's editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson on whether or not to chase down the story. Jameson says no, but that does not stop Betty, who proves quite resourceful in gathering the evidence she needs for her story. Whether or not she gets to use it, however, is another matter altogether.
Marvel's "Point One" issues are often marketed as "jumping on" points for new readers, but here writer Brian Bendis takes the opportunity to tell an interesting story between the lines, and to take another Spider-Man character into uncharted territory. What's interesting here is how Ultimate Betty Brant and Ultimate J. Jonah Jameson aren't quite so far removed from their mainstream universe counterparts as they might seem; Betty in the regular Marvel U is, in fact, a driven reporter, and Jonah, for all of his bluster and unpleasantness towards Spider-Man, is actually a man of considerable integrity, but these versions of their characters inhabit a world in which Peter Parker has died a hero, and arguably that makes all the difference. The scene in which Jonah says "no" to Betty may seem out of character at first glance (and it doesn't help that David Marquez, whose artwork is otherwise brilliant, has drawn Jonah like an older Tony Stark instead of his usual flat-top sporting, Chaplin-mustache wearing curmudgeon) but it's actually consistent with possibly one of my favorite depictions of Jonah ever, his few pages of glory in the Frank Miller/David Mazzucchelli epic Daredevil: Born Again, in which he tells Ben Urich, who has been cowed by the Kingpin, that he must never allow himself to get scared off a story. There are very incremental degrees of difference, and the dialogue between Betty and Jonah is some of the best I've ever seen from Bendis.
Long-time Spider-Man readers may have problems with the characterization of Betty Brant, but like I said, there is some consistency in terms of her character's ambition, which is simply an amped-up version of her character in the mainstream Marvel universe. She's certainly not evil, but she is selfish and short-sighted, which is arguably an accurate description of many, if not most people in the world. Also, considering that even Reed Richards can be a bad guy given the right push, it stands to reason that even supporting characters can go bad. To my mind, Bendis handled it quite well.
Another intriguing aspect of the story for me, though, which I'm sure will be picked up on in later issues, is the fact that it is now established that Miles' dad's last name is actually Davis, as his name, Jefferson Davis, is stated in the course of the story. It makes me wonder, then, why Miles goes by what is presumably his mother's last name, Morales, apart from what I can only surmise is Bendis' refusal to have Miles share the same name as a famous black musician. Whether his explanation for his is simple or not, I'm pretty keen to read it.
David Marquez, whom I sorely missed last issue, was back with his usual crisp line work, but like I said I was not a fan of how he drew Jonah Jameson, which was a major component of this story.
Forget being a jumping-on point, this issue is a seriously good read for anyone into Spider-Man comics, ultimate or otherwise.
4.5/5
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Review: Uncanny Avengers #1
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Cassaday
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers of events that took place in the recently-concluded Avengers vs. X-Men miniseries.)
There's something distinctly, almost deliberately schlocky about a comic-book that starts and ends with a lobotomy. It's the sort of thing one would expect to see in the old EC Comics of the fifties, but not in a 21st-century Marvel title starring some of the most popular superheroes on the planet.
Still, it is with this image that Rick Remender and John Cassaday begin and end Uncanny Avengers #1, arguably the flagship title of the new Marvel NOW! line of comic books, and the first of several books that follows the cataclysmic events of the Avengers vs. X-Men miniseries, which left Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, dead, and Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, one of the pillars of the X-Men, in jail. The issue begins with Professor X's funeral, and with Wolverine, of all people, delivering the eulogy.
Anti-mutant sentiment, as a result of the events of AvX, is at a high, and, recognizing this, as well as the fact that in the past the Avengers have done very little to help the mutant community, Steve Rogers aka Captain America wants to assemble a team of Avengers consisting mainly of mutants. Cap wants Alex Summers, aka Havok, the brother of the now-incarcerated Cyclops, to lead the team because of his credentials and long-standing government service with the X-Factor team. The invitation is not a moment too soon as the lobotomized character at the beginning of the story starts wreaking havoc (no pun intended) in the city.
Meanwhile, Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch, longtime Avenger and mutant by birth tries to pay her respects to the late Professor X, when she is interrupted by X-Man Rogue. The two engage in a verbal tussle which quickly degenerates into something physical when they in turn are interrupted by a band of mysterious super-powered individuals who take the both of them out and who then steal something that leads directly to the rather gruesome image at the end of the issue.
Not having followed AvX, I couldn't quite connect with some of the emotions on display here, such as the mutants' resentment, or the Avengers' guilt, but it's to Remender's credit that, knowing the baggage that inevitably comes in the wake of Marvel's biggest "event" since 2008's Secret Invasion, he is quickly able to bring the reader up to speed on what has just happened without too much exposition. This issue is mostly talking heads and in terms of pacing could use a bit more zing, but if nothing else Remender sets up the next issues pretty well.
For me, though the star of the show, here, is John Cassaday, and I was delighted to see him back at work on his first monthly book since his run with Joss Whedon on Astonishing X-Men concluded some years back. Whether it's illustrating the book's more tense moments, like Havok's conversation with a jailed Cyclops, or the fairly impressive albeit brief action sequence that sees the first members of the new Avengers team in action, Cassaday is definitely firing on all cylinders here and I am definitely looking forward to the issues to come.
4/5
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Good Bye Multiply
Five years ago, I started posting most of my ruminations on life in general and pop-culture in particular on Multiply, on the suggestion of a couple of my friends who swore by it.
I loved the format; I could give my reviews stars, and could classify the thing being reviewed. There were limitations--there was no provision for television shows or for certain genres of film or books, for example--but even if there may have been alternatives for reviewing things (I had previously used another blogger.com page all my reviews), I was happiest with Multiply.
Because Multiply was intended primarily a social networking site, however, and because it was basically getting flattened by Facebook, it decided to switch formats; it's basically an online marketplace now, and is now jettisoning everything that isn't related to this purpose, such as pictures, blogs and reviews.
I've taken down the pictures, but it's with a heavy heart that I now have to copy and remove four and a half years of my life in blog posts and reviews.
Anyway, thanks for the place to make my voice heard, multiply. It's been fun.
Here I find myself where I started the whole blogging thing: on blogger. It's nice to be back in familiar surroundings.
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