I'll readily admit it seems a bit prosaic to write something like this, considering I'm hardly the first person ever to come with a "top ten" list, but so thoroughly have I enjoyed the work of writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee on Marvel Comics' Daredevil title that I cannot simply let them go without doing a little more than just eking out reviews of their last few issues. No, these guys fully deserve a proper paean to their creative glory, and as inadequate as this effort may be, it's worth taking just the same:
1. Kirsten MacDuffie - Strictly speaking, MacDuffie is a creation of Waid's and Paolo Rivera's. However, Samnee has really put his own stamp on easily one the most interesting non-superhero characters, male or female, appearing in a superhero book that I have seen in a long, long time. I have to say I am fairly disappointed that she hooked up with Matt, as I think the playful sexual tension could have played out a while longer, but considering that Waid held off on it for years I guess he waited long enough. The beauty of her character is that, even if they break up, there's still a way to keep her in his life (as she is, like him, a lawyer, after all) and the playful banter could go on and on. Kirsten is hardly a sidekick, and it is so gratifying that Waid has introduced such a powerful (and empowered) female into Matt's world. Kirsten is like an intellectual Elektra, really.
2. Classic characters and Some Interesting New Ones - Stilt-Man? Check. Leap-frog? Check. Jester? Check. Bullseye? Check. Elektra? Check. The Owl? Purple Man? Check. Kingpin? Double check! The duo's thirty-odd issue run reads like a virtual who's who of Daredevil's rogues gallery and his supporting characters. Samnee admitted in an interview that he and Mark really wanted a crack at all of the classic characters,and the nice thing was how organic all of these appearances were to the stories they were telling. I was particularly impressed by how Waid was able to handle Bullseye, a character who was apparently dead at the end of the last creative team's run on the book, and while I'm obviously spoiling things a bit by revealing that he wasn't dead, it's still worth checking out what Waid and Samnee did with him. The introduction of a new character, Ikari was pretty cool, too.
3. Smiling Matt - It was stated at the very outset that Waid's run would mark a return to a more lighthearted approach to the character, but the fact that Daredevil spent so much of the arc with a smile on his face was a welcome change for a character who had spent so much of his life enduring one ordeal after another. I have two of Frank Miller's seminal stories, Born Again (with David Mazzucchelli) and Man Without Fear (with John Romita, Jr.), and most of Brian Michael Bendis' run with Alex Maleev, and I'm pretty sure I could count on one hand the times Matt has smiled in ALL of those stories. The thing is, Daredevil has endured a lot in his life, but he's got a lot to be grateful for, and quite honestly, happy about, and it's nice to read a creative run that finally reflects that.
4. Hello San Francisco - I have never been to the United States, so one American city is the same to me as another, but the vast majority of Marvel comics I have in my collection has stories that take place in New York City, so it really did make for a refreshing change of pace when Waid and Samnee relocated Matt and his supporting cast with the relaunch of the title last year.
5. Ready...Fight! - When I read Man without Fear I had an inkling of how incredible a fighter DD was, but as much as I enjoyed his work, I felt a little let down by Romita,Jr.'s depiction of this fighting skill, which either didn't look very dynamic or resorted to the cheat of having close up panels of his foot or fist in someone's face. It didn't look terribly graceful. Some years later, Alex Maleev attempted to depict DD's fighting skills and they did look impressive sometimes, but they also looked extremely static. Fast forward to Samnee's run, and lo and behold, not only did he show Daredevil showing some serious martial arts skill, but also made it look quite dynamic, possibly the best-looking choreography seen in the book since Miller's days.
6. No More Questions, Your Honor - I have said this before, but one thing I really enjoyed about this book was the impression I got that Waid went to some effort to show that Matt is as comfortable in a court room as he is leaping across the New York City skyline. I may not be licensed to practice law in the United States but I certainly recognized citations of international law and rules of evidence, and appreciated both Waid's dialogue and Samnee's depiction of the inside of a courtroom. Also, this facet of Matt's character shows that he isn't all about recklessness and gambles; Waid emphasizes that at the end of the day, Matt is one smart cookie.
7. A Little Help from My Friends - although Daredevil has never been a completely isolated character from the rest of the Marvel Universe, he has been a bit of a loner. Even though he joined the Avengers for a spell a few years ago he didn't suddenly turn into a team player. It was nice, then, to see Matt getting a regular helping hand from a more "mainstream" Avenger in Henry Pym. The story introducing the cooperation was well-written, too: Dr. Doom had introduced nanobots that negated Matt's hyper-senses. Even after that story, Pym stuck around until Matt packed up and left for SF, and was even crucial to a story in which Matt had to fake Foggy's death. Also, there were quite a few Avengers who helped Matt out in his extended battle with Bullseye.
8. Waid's Crusades - I don't usually get or expect social commentary from my comic books, and the little I get often feels a tad heavy-handed, like Mark Millar's full-on diatribe against the Patriot Act in Civil War, but Waid's preaching is a little easier to digest. He has had things to say on racially-charged killings, gay marriage and even processed food, with this last one being a running commentary given Foggy's diet. In fact, having Foggy battle cancer, which was a new twist on the Foggy-in-peril trope that many writers have leaned on over the years, was a subtle way to rail against the evils of having so many chemicals pumped into today's foodstuffs.
9. Records will Show - One aspect of this story that I also liked was how, no matter how buoyant the tone of storytelling was, there was always an acknowledgement of where the character had come from and what he had been through, which made the storytelling on the whole that much more effective by adding that element of tension. The running question throughout the run was: how long can this last? How long will it be before Matt's life spirals out of control and he hits the skids again? Waid and Samnee didn't just let these questions linger; they answered them, and I was happy to see that they were kinder to Matt than most creators since the character's creation have been. They also demonstrated for their entire tenure that to tell great stories does not always mean having to be unbelievably cruel to the lead character. Sure, Matt's adventures under Waid and Samnee certainly involved a fair share of tribulations, but nothing on the level of having his girlfriend murdered in front of him or having his apartment blown to pieces.
10. Look Ma, No Gimmicks! - For better or worse, 2013's extended Spider-Man story arc called "Superior Spider-Man," in which Doctor Octopus took over Peter Parker's body, had readers hooked; sales were better than they had ever been. I can admit that I am one of the people who was sucked in; I have every single issue of that series. The thing was, the main hook for me was finding out how and when Peter Parker would come back so one could say that, with all due to respect to Dan Slott and his rotating roster of artists, my devotion was, in part, due to a long-running gimmick. This was not the case with Waid and Samnee. Apart from DD's moving to another city, there was no radical shift of status quo to keep me coming back, so my being hooked was just a case of two creators turning in their best work, month after month (though Samnee took occasional breaks) to give the best stories of the character that I had ever read.
I am happy to note that Waid and Samnee are already at work on their next project together, but it's entirely possible that this is the last time readers will see them together on Daredevil, and if that is indeed the case I would like to give them a heartfelt thanks for making Daredevil a book I just had to pick up every month for three years!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Every Party Ends: A Review of Daredevil #18
written by Mark Waid
illustrated by Chris Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
lettered by Joe Caramagna
edited by Sana Amanat
Matt Murdock finds himself having to summon every ounce of skill and guile at his disposal to get his two friends, Foggy Nelson and Kirsten MacDuffie, out from under the clutches of Wilson Fisk, the deadliest foe he has ever known. Ironically enough, the key to his victory and even his very survival may be the man whose reckless actions put him at the mercy of the Kingpin in the first place, Max Coleridge, the Shroud, who has taken control over the digitally-enslaved Leland Owlsley. Coleridge has an interest in seeing Daredevil prevail as Fisk is also holding his estranged girlfriend, Julia Carpenter, hostage. The question is: will it be enough to save the day?
While it is quite sad to see the end of the tenure of this creative team on one of my very favorite comic book characters, considering how much I have savored their run, it truly gratifies me to see them end their stint in such fine style. Without giving away too much I think it's fair to say that Waid and Samnee really end this series on a high note, which is not the most common thing for this character, for whom tragedy seems to be a rather inescapable reality. Well, at the risk of sounding a little "spoilery" I think it's fair to say that Mark and Chris cut Matt some slack this time around.
I feel I must commend Waid for his pretty sneaky misdirection all throughout this rather large storyarc, which dates all the way back to the first issue of this new volume. He clearly had something big in mind for the Owl when he basically plugged him into every single digital device in the world, but it played out quite differently from the way I had thought it would. Likewise, it seemed as though Waid was setting up a status quo in which Matt would be beholden to Fisk, but again, Waid subverted expectations, but all in service of some really fantastic storytelling. Waid may have a lot of years and books under his belt, but to my mind this is his very best work, and that's really saying something considering that this is someone whose work includes the likes of Kingdom Come, and a rather definitive run on Fantastic Four a few years back with the late Mike Wieringo. I was quite happy to learn that Waid was as happy about his work on this title as fans like me were.
This issue wasn't quite the high point of his run (and truth be told I'd be hard pressed to name a single issue I like more than any of the others) but it was a great way to close out a run that will undoubtedly go down as one of the best remembered in the history of this title, even if it did feel like a few loose ends were tied a little too neatly. But one thing that Waid really seems to get about this character, arguably more than any other author since Frank Miller, is that as a man without fear, Matt can be quite reckless (after all, we're talking about someone who, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, once attacked the Kingpin only to get flattened and dumped in a river strapped into a rusted taxicab).
It's not that Matt never has a plan, because the truth is, he usually does, even in this situation when his back is against the wall, but for these plans to work there's always some element of risk that he accepts. He isn't Batman; he doesn't have all the angles figured out before everything happens, but he does read the situation remarkably well, plan for it, and adapt if things don't quite go as planned. As I observed when reviewing the first issue, Matt's strength is how he can think on the fly, and while on at least one occasion Waid has depicted Matt as a little too reckless, on the whole his characterization has really been spot on. Bendis had more than a few moments of brilliance when he handled this book over ten years ago, but Waid wrote his stories on a whole other level, though to be fair, the character Waid had to work with had a considerably richer history thanks to Bendis' stories. Mark, you will definitely be missed.
For me, though, the real find of this entire run was Chris Samnee, whose work I actually already enjoyed coming on board. The irony for me, as I may have said in a past review was that I actually thought he was a poor fit for this particular title given his forties-style artwork that clicked so well with the "period" books he worked on like The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom and Captain America and Bucky. Not only has Samnee proven to be supremely versatile, his work has put a lot of other artists, including a few who have even worked on this book, in the shade. His fight choreography, for example, only highlights how static the fight scenes drawn by Alex Maleev (during Brian Bendis' tenure) used to look. His skill as a visual storyteller is easily on par with John Romita Jr., whose Man Without Fear limited series written by Miller remains one of my favorite stories about this character, and while he isn't the flashiest of artists in the mold of a Jim Lee or David Finch, he is, to me anyway, far more effective at making the pictures on the page jump out at me. He and the likes of David Aja, Jamie McKelvie, Sara Pichelli and David Marquez represent a new generation of artists who are just fantastically talented but whose sensibilities are finally emancipated from many of the visual tropes that have crystallized over the years, especially after the comics book boom (and crash) of the 1990s. Great comic book art is about so much more than cross-hatching and pin-up poses, and thanks to Samnee and those like him, this generation of fans can see it as clear as day.
It thrills me to know that the Waid/Samnee tandem are off to their next big Marvel book. The fact that it has yet to be announced fills me with hope that this is going to be something big. I can hardly wait!
8.5/10
illustrated by Chris Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
lettered by Joe Caramagna
edited by Sana Amanat
Matt Murdock finds himself having to summon every ounce of skill and guile at his disposal to get his two friends, Foggy Nelson and Kirsten MacDuffie, out from under the clutches of Wilson Fisk, the deadliest foe he has ever known. Ironically enough, the key to his victory and even his very survival may be the man whose reckless actions put him at the mercy of the Kingpin in the first place, Max Coleridge, the Shroud, who has taken control over the digitally-enslaved Leland Owlsley. Coleridge has an interest in seeing Daredevil prevail as Fisk is also holding his estranged girlfriend, Julia Carpenter, hostage. The question is: will it be enough to save the day?
While it is quite sad to see the end of the tenure of this creative team on one of my very favorite comic book characters, considering how much I have savored their run, it truly gratifies me to see them end their stint in such fine style. Without giving away too much I think it's fair to say that Waid and Samnee really end this series on a high note, which is not the most common thing for this character, for whom tragedy seems to be a rather inescapable reality. Well, at the risk of sounding a little "spoilery" I think it's fair to say that Mark and Chris cut Matt some slack this time around.
I feel I must commend Waid for his pretty sneaky misdirection all throughout this rather large storyarc, which dates all the way back to the first issue of this new volume. He clearly had something big in mind for the Owl when he basically plugged him into every single digital device in the world, but it played out quite differently from the way I had thought it would. Likewise, it seemed as though Waid was setting up a status quo in which Matt would be beholden to Fisk, but again, Waid subverted expectations, but all in service of some really fantastic storytelling. Waid may have a lot of years and books under his belt, but to my mind this is his very best work, and that's really saying something considering that this is someone whose work includes the likes of Kingdom Come, and a rather definitive run on Fantastic Four a few years back with the late Mike Wieringo. I was quite happy to learn that Waid was as happy about his work on this title as fans like me were.
This issue wasn't quite the high point of his run (and truth be told I'd be hard pressed to name a single issue I like more than any of the others) but it was a great way to close out a run that will undoubtedly go down as one of the best remembered in the history of this title, even if it did feel like a few loose ends were tied a little too neatly. But one thing that Waid really seems to get about this character, arguably more than any other author since Frank Miller, is that as a man without fear, Matt can be quite reckless (after all, we're talking about someone who, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, once attacked the Kingpin only to get flattened and dumped in a river strapped into a rusted taxicab).
It's not that Matt never has a plan, because the truth is, he usually does, even in this situation when his back is against the wall, but for these plans to work there's always some element of risk that he accepts. He isn't Batman; he doesn't have all the angles figured out before everything happens, but he does read the situation remarkably well, plan for it, and adapt if things don't quite go as planned. As I observed when reviewing the first issue, Matt's strength is how he can think on the fly, and while on at least one occasion Waid has depicted Matt as a little too reckless, on the whole his characterization has really been spot on. Bendis had more than a few moments of brilliance when he handled this book over ten years ago, but Waid wrote his stories on a whole other level, though to be fair, the character Waid had to work with had a considerably richer history thanks to Bendis' stories. Mark, you will definitely be missed.
For me, though, the real find of this entire run was Chris Samnee, whose work I actually already enjoyed coming on board. The irony for me, as I may have said in a past review was that I actually thought he was a poor fit for this particular title given his forties-style artwork that clicked so well with the "period" books he worked on like The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom and Captain America and Bucky. Not only has Samnee proven to be supremely versatile, his work has put a lot of other artists, including a few who have even worked on this book, in the shade. His fight choreography, for example, only highlights how static the fight scenes drawn by Alex Maleev (during Brian Bendis' tenure) used to look. His skill as a visual storyteller is easily on par with John Romita Jr., whose Man Without Fear limited series written by Miller remains one of my favorite stories about this character, and while he isn't the flashiest of artists in the mold of a Jim Lee or David Finch, he is, to me anyway, far more effective at making the pictures on the page jump out at me. He and the likes of David Aja, Jamie McKelvie, Sara Pichelli and David Marquez represent a new generation of artists who are just fantastically talented but whose sensibilities are finally emancipated from many of the visual tropes that have crystallized over the years, especially after the comics book boom (and crash) of the 1990s. Great comic book art is about so much more than cross-hatching and pin-up poses, and thanks to Samnee and those like him, this generation of fans can see it as clear as day.
It thrills me to know that the Waid/Samnee tandem are off to their next big Marvel book. The fact that it has yet to be announced fills me with hope that this is going to be something big. I can hardly wait!
8.5/10
The Penultimate Chapter: A Review of Daredevil #17
(w) Mark Waid
(a) Chris Samnee
(c) Matthew Wilson
The stakes have never been higher for Matt Murdock as he learns that Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin of Crime, has no interest in cutting a deal to help Matt out of the mess that the actions of Max Coleridge, a.k.a. the Shroud, have made of his life; rather, Fisk simply wants to end Matt's life, and he has a capable ally in Ikari, the similarly enhanced Ninja who almost killed Matt the last time they fought. The lives of Foggy Nelson and Kirsten MacDuffie hang in the balance. Matt fights for his life and those of his friend, but there may yet be a wild card that could shift the balance. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen...
I will say this right now, and with utter conviction: there will come a time, if it has not already, when this creative team is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, John Romita, Jr., Bill Everett, Joe Quesada and Brian Bendis, and other creators who left an indelible mark on this character. In short, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these guys will go down in history as all-time greats. It's hard to find new superlatives for a book that I consistently lavish with praise in almost every review I write, but with one issue to go in what is certainly destined to be remembered as a "fabled" run, Waid and Samnee truly are pulling out all the stops. As DD bad guys go, they went for the biggest one of all in their last arc with the Kingpin.
What really impresses me about this issue, as it did last issue, is how Waid and Samnee managed to turn Fisk into a truly credible menace to Matt again, both through circumstance and through their masterful depiction, through dialogue and imagery, of this truly formidable character. After all, this was not the Kingpin who made Matt's life a living hell back in the days of Frank Miller. He's been broken and stripped of power, and is basically a shadow of his former self. Waid quite cannily recognizes, however, that this can actually make him even more dangerous.
The highlight of this issue is the DD-Ikari rematch, and just when one thinks that we'll be subjected to the sight of Matt fighting a climactic battle in his three-piece suit, which he's been sporting since issue #15, he does quite the bit of prestidigitation and changes costume with a simple tear-away motion, even managing to put on his mask in the same gesture.
As egregiously late as this review is, given that I've already read issue #18, which I will naturally review next, I couldn't close out my love of this run without acknowledging this issue.
These two guys really will be a hard act to follow, so for my part, I have decided to follow them to wherever it is they're going (and Samnee has already intimated that he, Mark, colorist Matt Wilson and even letterer Joe Carmagna will all work together again very soon on a top secret Marvel book)!
9/10
(a) Chris Samnee
(c) Matthew Wilson
The stakes have never been higher for Matt Murdock as he learns that Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin of Crime, has no interest in cutting a deal to help Matt out of the mess that the actions of Max Coleridge, a.k.a. the Shroud, have made of his life; rather, Fisk simply wants to end Matt's life, and he has a capable ally in Ikari, the similarly enhanced Ninja who almost killed Matt the last time they fought. The lives of Foggy Nelson and Kirsten MacDuffie hang in the balance. Matt fights for his life and those of his friend, but there may yet be a wild card that could shift the balance. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen...
I will say this right now, and with utter conviction: there will come a time, if it has not already, when this creative team is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, John Romita, Jr., Bill Everett, Joe Quesada and Brian Bendis, and other creators who left an indelible mark on this character. In short, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these guys will go down in history as all-time greats. It's hard to find new superlatives for a book that I consistently lavish with praise in almost every review I write, but with one issue to go in what is certainly destined to be remembered as a "fabled" run, Waid and Samnee truly are pulling out all the stops. As DD bad guys go, they went for the biggest one of all in their last arc with the Kingpin.
What really impresses me about this issue, as it did last issue, is how Waid and Samnee managed to turn Fisk into a truly credible menace to Matt again, both through circumstance and through their masterful depiction, through dialogue and imagery, of this truly formidable character. After all, this was not the Kingpin who made Matt's life a living hell back in the days of Frank Miller. He's been broken and stripped of power, and is basically a shadow of his former self. Waid quite cannily recognizes, however, that this can actually make him even more dangerous.
The highlight of this issue is the DD-Ikari rematch, and just when one thinks that we'll be subjected to the sight of Matt fighting a climactic battle in his three-piece suit, which he's been sporting since issue #15, he does quite the bit of prestidigitation and changes costume with a simple tear-away motion, even managing to put on his mask in the same gesture.
As egregiously late as this review is, given that I've already read issue #18, which I will naturally review next, I couldn't close out my love of this run without acknowledging this issue.
These two guys really will be a hard act to follow, so for my part, I have decided to follow them to wherever it is they're going (and Samnee has already intimated that he, Mark, colorist Matt Wilson and even letterer Joe Carmagna will all work together again very soon on a top secret Marvel book)!
9/10
Saturday, August 29, 2015
A Legend Returns: A Review of "Spiral" (Published in The Amazing Spider Man 16.1, 17.1, 18.1, 19.1 and 20.1)
written by Gerry Conway
illustrated by Carlo Barberi
The Spider-Man character has fifty-three years of publication history and has thus been handled by many creators over the years, both writers and artists alike. Apart from co-creator Stan Lee, however, few of them have left a truly indelible mark on the character especially considering how many reboots and status quo changes he has been subjected to over the years. Gerry Conway, however, who took over writing duties from Lee sometime in the 1970s, is one of those writers who has truly left a mark on the character, and on the greater Marvel Universe in general. This is the man, after all, who wrote the story of Norman Osborn killing Gwen Stacy, and who co-created (with Ross Andru and John Romita) Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher.
Prior to late last year, Gerry had not written a Spider-Man comic book in several years. He's not exactly retired; he's still a relatively spry 63 and has been busy primarily writing television shows, as well as comic books from rival publisher DC.
His return to Spider-Man is a rather welcome one, though, especially considering that regular series writer Dan Slott seems to be slumping a bit in his form.
"Spiral" is, at its heart the story of police detective Yuri Watanabe, a character created by Slott and introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #600 several years ago, who also moonlights as the vigilante the Wraith, and the journey she takes as her precinct finds itself engulfed in a gang war involving Tombstone, Hammerhead, Mr. Negative and erstwhile good guy turned burgeoning crime boss the Black Cat. Spider-Man, fresh off his universe-hopping "Spider-Verse" adventure, teams up with the the Wraith to address this rather serious threat, but even their combined efforts may not be enough to stop the criminal onslaught.
I remember reading a new Fantastic Four comic book written by Stan Lee about four or five years ago, and I was really take quite aback by how atrocious the dialogue was. The guy was basically stuck in the 60s. Conway, in contrast, pretty much has a bead on how people talk today, which is not to say that everyone talks like a "hipster" but simply that the dialogue shared among the characters sounds like conversations one would hear from English-speaking people these days. I suppose the fact that Conway's been writing more than a newspaper comic strip over the years has helped keep his dialogue sounding fresh and contemporary.
More importantly, though, Conway's storytelling prowess seems very much intact, even in this day of decompressed storytelling. After all, this is someone who told stories in the heyday of done-in-one stories, or those that only needed very few issues to tell something complete. More than a few of the five issues of this saga deliver pretty satisfying endings even as the greater narrative continues. Most of the storytelling, as stated, focuses on Yuri Watanabe's growing frustration with the limitations of playing by "the rules" which her job as a police officer requires. Perhaps it's Conway's background in police procedural dramas talking, but Watanabe is a lot more interesting than she was when Slott was writing her. Spider-Man is the voice of conscience here, and his own personal, tragic history makes him all the more authoritative (though of course Watanabe doesn't know any of it). Conway makes good use of the Slott-creations Wraith and Mr. Negative, and ironically, it's his own creations Tombstone and Hammerhead who get minimal face time here (though Hammerhead is pretty prominent in the second issue of the series). Outside of Wraith and Mr. Negative, the Black Cat, who remains the single most significant negative fallout from the entire "Superior Spider-Man" storyline, has the biggest role, and Conway handles it quite well. Of course, his Spidey "voice" is just as spot-on as it's always been. Welcome back, Gerry.
I wasn't too crazy about Barberi's art; he comes across too much as "Mark Brooks-lite" but his character work is serviceable and Marvel could have done a lot worse in terms of choosing artists.
I was a little peeved at this ".1" marketing strategy, which they pulled with this and with the "Learn to Crawl," the prequel miniseries Marvel launched parallel to Peter Parker's return to the webs last year, but I get it; the idea is to get more people to buy these miniseries than normally would if the series was sold as something outside the regular title. Well, it worked in my case; I have both those miniseries.
I wouldn't mind seeing Conway back on TASM for a slightly longer stint, and I'd really be happy if he came with an A-list artist next time, like Arthur Adams who did the covers of the first two issues. Oh, to dream...
8.5/10
illustrated by Carlo Barberi
The Spider-Man character has fifty-three years of publication history and has thus been handled by many creators over the years, both writers and artists alike. Apart from co-creator Stan Lee, however, few of them have left a truly indelible mark on the character especially considering how many reboots and status quo changes he has been subjected to over the years. Gerry Conway, however, who took over writing duties from Lee sometime in the 1970s, is one of those writers who has truly left a mark on the character, and on the greater Marvel Universe in general. This is the man, after all, who wrote the story of Norman Osborn killing Gwen Stacy, and who co-created (with Ross Andru and John Romita) Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher.
Prior to late last year, Gerry had not written a Spider-Man comic book in several years. He's not exactly retired; he's still a relatively spry 63 and has been busy primarily writing television shows, as well as comic books from rival publisher DC.
His return to Spider-Man is a rather welcome one, though, especially considering that regular series writer Dan Slott seems to be slumping a bit in his form.
"Spiral" is, at its heart the story of police detective Yuri Watanabe, a character created by Slott and introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #600 several years ago, who also moonlights as the vigilante the Wraith, and the journey she takes as her precinct finds itself engulfed in a gang war involving Tombstone, Hammerhead, Mr. Negative and erstwhile good guy turned burgeoning crime boss the Black Cat. Spider-Man, fresh off his universe-hopping "Spider-Verse" adventure, teams up with the the Wraith to address this rather serious threat, but even their combined efforts may not be enough to stop the criminal onslaught.
I remember reading a new Fantastic Four comic book written by Stan Lee about four or five years ago, and I was really take quite aback by how atrocious the dialogue was. The guy was basically stuck in the 60s. Conway, in contrast, pretty much has a bead on how people talk today, which is not to say that everyone talks like a "hipster" but simply that the dialogue shared among the characters sounds like conversations one would hear from English-speaking people these days. I suppose the fact that Conway's been writing more than a newspaper comic strip over the years has helped keep his dialogue sounding fresh and contemporary.
More importantly, though, Conway's storytelling prowess seems very much intact, even in this day of decompressed storytelling. After all, this is someone who told stories in the heyday of done-in-one stories, or those that only needed very few issues to tell something complete. More than a few of the five issues of this saga deliver pretty satisfying endings even as the greater narrative continues. Most of the storytelling, as stated, focuses on Yuri Watanabe's growing frustration with the limitations of playing by "the rules" which her job as a police officer requires. Perhaps it's Conway's background in police procedural dramas talking, but Watanabe is a lot more interesting than she was when Slott was writing her. Spider-Man is the voice of conscience here, and his own personal, tragic history makes him all the more authoritative (though of course Watanabe doesn't know any of it). Conway makes good use of the Slott-creations Wraith and Mr. Negative, and ironically, it's his own creations Tombstone and Hammerhead who get minimal face time here (though Hammerhead is pretty prominent in the second issue of the series). Outside of Wraith and Mr. Negative, the Black Cat, who remains the single most significant negative fallout from the entire "Superior Spider-Man" storyline, has the biggest role, and Conway handles it quite well. Of course, his Spidey "voice" is just as spot-on as it's always been. Welcome back, Gerry.
I wasn't too crazy about Barberi's art; he comes across too much as "Mark Brooks-lite" but his character work is serviceable and Marvel could have done a lot worse in terms of choosing artists.
I was a little peeved at this ".1" marketing strategy, which they pulled with this and with the "Learn to Crawl," the prequel miniseries Marvel launched parallel to Peter Parker's return to the webs last year, but I get it; the idea is to get more people to buy these miniseries than normally would if the series was sold as something outside the regular title. Well, it worked in my case; I have both those miniseries.
I wouldn't mind seeing Conway back on TASM for a slightly longer stint, and I'd really be happy if he came with an A-list artist next time, like Arthur Adams who did the covers of the first two issues. Oh, to dream...
8.5/10
Sunday, August 23, 2015
A Review of "Seconds" (an Original Graphic Novel)
written and illustrated by Bryan Lee O' Malley
Whatever media they are presented in, original works of fiction, especially those done well, are a real treat.
Canadian comic book creator Bryan Lee O'Malley, best known for the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels, has come up with a story that, in today's superhero-obsessed culture, feels like a breath of fresh air, even if, like the story's main character it is a somewhat flawed work.
Katie is a twenty-nine-year-old chef for the popular restaurant Seconds, but for all of her success as an upwardly mobile young professional, she has a lot of unfulfilled dreams and frustrations. She can't seem to get her own restaurant off the ground, and her love life, apart from the occasional tryst with her sous chef Andrew, is dead on arrival, which she particularly regrets considering her failed relationship with the hunky Max.
Things change, however, when she discovers something strange in the room in which she lives in the uppermost floor of the restaurant: a mushroom, and a journal with instructions. Katie learns that this is a magic mushroom, that will, together with the journal enable her to rewrite a portion of her life that she chooses by literally writing it down in the journal, as well as her desired outcome.
Katie thinks nothing of this strange little ritual until she has what seems like the worst day of her life as Hazel one of the new waitresses at Seconds gets scalded with hot oil and a chain of events follows that takes things from bad to worse in short order. At this point, Katie wishes nothing more than for the day to be completely erased, and so she tries the mushroom and journal, with surprising effects.
Things get particularly scary when Katie finds a whole stash of mushrooms. She has a lot of mistakes she'd like to erase, but no idea of how her actions could affect the world around her.
As original concepts go, Seconds is pretty good, and Lee O' Malley is no slouch in the execution either. Watching Kate's life take all kinds of twists and turns as she rewrites mistake after mistake is incredibly engaging, and to my mind, Lee O'Malley tapped into something quite primal here. After all, absolutely everyone makes mistakes, and of those who make mistakes, many, if not most people would like nothing better than to erase those mistakes. In that Katie is the avatar for probably most people who would ever pick up this book, and Lee O'Malley plays this up to the hilt. It is utterly spellbinding to see Katie pile "rewrite" upon "rewrite," in part because I was curious as to how it would all pay off in the end.
The problem is that, as the story progresses, Lee O'Malley seems to lose a handle on where he wants the story to go, and wraps it up rather hurriedly, giving the entire affair an ending that feels somewhat perfunctory and, dare I say it,cliche. The problem is that there is an incongruousness between what Lee O'Malley attempts by opening this Pandora's box and the manner in which he resolves the entire story. It feels like a wasted opportunity when it's all done. Also, as far as the art is concerned, I am really not fond of manga knockoffs, and Lee O'Malley, whose designs for Scott Pilgrim and his world were actually pretty original and memorable, disappoints here with characters that look that they were picked out of random manga, though I will give him points for making his lead short and dumpy.
What irks me about this book is how much promise it starts out with, only to cop out in the last act. Lee O'Malley should have taken a little more time to think of where the story could have gone, because it could have been such a wonderful fable about actions and their consequences, and how as people, sometimes the best thing we can do is live with our mistakes, but Lee O'Malley takes a pretty abrupt narrative shortcut and gives us something a lot more conventional. Katie is a thoroughly selfish character, like most people are, and yet it struck me that she got through this entire book without really learning anything.
Who knows? Maybe he's being subversive with his unwieldy combination of heady premise and hackneyed ending.
This book could have been a lot better than it was.
6.6/10
Whatever media they are presented in, original works of fiction, especially those done well, are a real treat.
Canadian comic book creator Bryan Lee O'Malley, best known for the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels, has come up with a story that, in today's superhero-obsessed culture, feels like a breath of fresh air, even if, like the story's main character it is a somewhat flawed work.
Katie is a twenty-nine-year-old chef for the popular restaurant Seconds, but for all of her success as an upwardly mobile young professional, she has a lot of unfulfilled dreams and frustrations. She can't seem to get her own restaurant off the ground, and her love life, apart from the occasional tryst with her sous chef Andrew, is dead on arrival, which she particularly regrets considering her failed relationship with the hunky Max.
Things change, however, when she discovers something strange in the room in which she lives in the uppermost floor of the restaurant: a mushroom, and a journal with instructions. Katie learns that this is a magic mushroom, that will, together with the journal enable her to rewrite a portion of her life that she chooses by literally writing it down in the journal, as well as her desired outcome.
Katie thinks nothing of this strange little ritual until she has what seems like the worst day of her life as Hazel one of the new waitresses at Seconds gets scalded with hot oil and a chain of events follows that takes things from bad to worse in short order. At this point, Katie wishes nothing more than for the day to be completely erased, and so she tries the mushroom and journal, with surprising effects.
Things get particularly scary when Katie finds a whole stash of mushrooms. She has a lot of mistakes she'd like to erase, but no idea of how her actions could affect the world around her.
As original concepts go, Seconds is pretty good, and Lee O' Malley is no slouch in the execution either. Watching Kate's life take all kinds of twists and turns as she rewrites mistake after mistake is incredibly engaging, and to my mind, Lee O'Malley tapped into something quite primal here. After all, absolutely everyone makes mistakes, and of those who make mistakes, many, if not most people would like nothing better than to erase those mistakes. In that Katie is the avatar for probably most people who would ever pick up this book, and Lee O'Malley plays this up to the hilt. It is utterly spellbinding to see Katie pile "rewrite" upon "rewrite," in part because I was curious as to how it would all pay off in the end.
The problem is that, as the story progresses, Lee O'Malley seems to lose a handle on where he wants the story to go, and wraps it up rather hurriedly, giving the entire affair an ending that feels somewhat perfunctory and, dare I say it,cliche. The problem is that there is an incongruousness between what Lee O'Malley attempts by opening this Pandora's box and the manner in which he resolves the entire story. It feels like a wasted opportunity when it's all done. Also, as far as the art is concerned, I am really not fond of manga knockoffs, and Lee O'Malley, whose designs for Scott Pilgrim and his world were actually pretty original and memorable, disappoints here with characters that look that they were picked out of random manga, though I will give him points for making his lead short and dumpy.
What irks me about this book is how much promise it starts out with, only to cop out in the last act. Lee O'Malley should have taken a little more time to think of where the story could have gone, because it could have been such a wonderful fable about actions and their consequences, and how as people, sometimes the best thing we can do is live with our mistakes, but Lee O'Malley takes a pretty abrupt narrative shortcut and gives us something a lot more conventional. Katie is a thoroughly selfish character, like most people are, and yet it struck me that she got through this entire book without really learning anything.
Who knows? Maybe he's being subversive with his unwieldy combination of heady premise and hackneyed ending.
This book could have been a lot better than it was.
6.6/10
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Sex Criminals Vol. I and 2
written by Matt Fraction
drawn by Chip Zdarsky
Reading Sex Criminals, I was struck by how far Image has come from a bunch of ex-Marvel artists writing and drawing their thinly-veiled knockoff superhero stories.
It's basically the story of librarian Suzie and bank worker Jon who are quite unhappy with their lives, the former because her library is facing foreclosure by a bank, and the latter because he basically hates his life, but most of all, his job at the same bank that's about to foreclose on Suzie's library. Aside from their hatred of the bank, they have one other thing in common: when each of them has an orgasm, time stops moving. They hook up, and discover the fact that they share a gift, and do what any disgruntled working class heroes would do: they decide to rob the bank. The problem is, however, their actions are not without consequences, and as they soon learn, in terms of their strange gift, they are not alone.
I know it's been years since Image Comics have diversified as an alternative to the "big two" of comic books, but truth be told I still get taken aback by how startlingly original some of their new material can be. I still remember them as the publisher formed by a bunch of disgruntled Marvel creators who wanted to get rich(er) off their own highly derivative superheroes. They may be raking in the big bucks these days with The Walking Dead, but it's gratifying to see them still giving creators the chance to find their own voice without the constraints of handling someone else's intellectual property.
As original material goes, Sex Criminals is a really special book, and the good news for everyone outside the man-child set is that, despite the obvious opportunity for the creators to go off the deep end in terms of titillation considering that the word "sex" is not only in the title but an integral aspect of the story, they show remarkable restraint. Rather than depict Suzie in cheesecake fashion (though she isn't exactly the plain jane most people in real life tend to be), artist Zdarsky goes for something much more subdued, and Jon is barely attractive at all, as if to smack home the point that these people are anything but superheroes.
Zdarsky's art, however, isn't really all that stellar, and while he's a serviceable storyteller, the real star of the show here is Fraction, who has really created something special here. The comic book is funny and sad and honest, and just...works for me. Fraction's greatest achievement here is making these two characters, whose motivations are basically rather selfish (for all of their rationalizations in the contrary) utterly compelling. It's not always the easiest thing to do; Bryan Lee O'Malley, the creator of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World tried something similar in his original graphic novel Seconds (which I will review next) and basically failed.
The about it is that I, as the reader, could empathize with these people primarily because I believed that, put in the same position and given the same opportunity, I would more or less do the same thing.
My only hope for this series is that I hope that it is finite, as I don't see the conceit supporting a Walking-Dead-length epic without dipping into schlock at some point. Right now, though, ten issues in, there's still a lot Fraction and Zdarsky can do with this concept and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what they've got.
8.5/10
drawn by Chip Zdarsky
Reading Sex Criminals, I was struck by how far Image has come from a bunch of ex-Marvel artists writing and drawing their thinly-veiled knockoff superhero stories.
It's basically the story of librarian Suzie and bank worker Jon who are quite unhappy with their lives, the former because her library is facing foreclosure by a bank, and the latter because he basically hates his life, but most of all, his job at the same bank that's about to foreclose on Suzie's library. Aside from their hatred of the bank, they have one other thing in common: when each of them has an orgasm, time stops moving. They hook up, and discover the fact that they share a gift, and do what any disgruntled working class heroes would do: they decide to rob the bank. The problem is, however, their actions are not without consequences, and as they soon learn, in terms of their strange gift, they are not alone.
I know it's been years since Image Comics have diversified as an alternative to the "big two" of comic books, but truth be told I still get taken aback by how startlingly original some of their new material can be. I still remember them as the publisher formed by a bunch of disgruntled Marvel creators who wanted to get rich(er) off their own highly derivative superheroes. They may be raking in the big bucks these days with The Walking Dead, but it's gratifying to see them still giving creators the chance to find their own voice without the constraints of handling someone else's intellectual property.
As original material goes, Sex Criminals is a really special book, and the good news for everyone outside the man-child set is that, despite the obvious opportunity for the creators to go off the deep end in terms of titillation considering that the word "sex" is not only in the title but an integral aspect of the story, they show remarkable restraint. Rather than depict Suzie in cheesecake fashion (though she isn't exactly the plain jane most people in real life tend to be), artist Zdarsky goes for something much more subdued, and Jon is barely attractive at all, as if to smack home the point that these people are anything but superheroes.
Zdarsky's art, however, isn't really all that stellar, and while he's a serviceable storyteller, the real star of the show here is Fraction, who has really created something special here. The comic book is funny and sad and honest, and just...works for me. Fraction's greatest achievement here is making these two characters, whose motivations are basically rather selfish (for all of their rationalizations in the contrary) utterly compelling. It's not always the easiest thing to do; Bryan Lee O'Malley, the creator of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World tried something similar in his original graphic novel Seconds (which I will review next) and basically failed.
The about it is that I, as the reader, could empathize with these people primarily because I believed that, put in the same position and given the same opportunity, I would more or less do the same thing.
My only hope for this series is that I hope that it is finite, as I don't see the conceit supporting a Walking-Dead-length epic without dipping into schlock at some point. Right now, though, ten issues in, there's still a lot Fraction and Zdarsky can do with this concept and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what they've got.
8.5/10
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Deal with the Devil: A Review of Daredevil #16
written by Mark Waid
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
Considering the long and complicated history between Matthew Murdock, also known as the vigilante Daredevil, and crimelord Wilson Fisk, once the Kingpin of Crime, which culminated with the Kingpin going to jail over a decade ago, it's quite a narrative feat to actually bring Murdock to the point where he would ask Fisk to help him out, but that's precisely what the series' current creative team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have done.
Thanks to the machinations of Max Coleridge, a.k.a. the Shroud, who, in a strange twist, has control over a hyper-powered Owl, who as of issue four has now acquired the ability to hook himself up to every single electronic gadget within an unspecified range, Daredevil's attorney-client communications have been blown wide open. Even though Daredevil outed himself at the conclusion of his previous series, it turns out he had plenty to hide, including the whereabouts of Foggy Nelson. Unfortunately, even Matt's attempt at a Faustian bargain with his greatest enemy may not be enough to bail him and his friends out of this latest pickle.
As Marvel have confirmed that issue #18 will be the last one for this series, and this creative team, I'm basically just counting the days till I discontinue my collection of this title, along with most of the current lineup of titles I've been collecting. I'm actually grateful Marvel is wiping the slate clean; it gives me the chance to take a little breather from collecting for awhile.
That said, I will really miss this title and issues like this remind me why. This issue marks the first time that Waid and Samnee have truly plumbed the Miller era of Daredevil, and the issue has quite a few visual and written references to Miller's monumental "Born Again" storyline from the mid-80s, and a wonderful, if slightly disturbing dialogue free, caption free page which depicts the two of them standing in an art gallery, with presumably Fisk fantasizing about different ways in which Matt Murdock would die, all of which are depicted in different art styles by Samnee. It's an astonishing visual, and really demonstrates why Samnee is one of the best artists working today, apart from being arguably the best visual storyteller since John Romita Jr.
Incidentally, prior to this book, Marvel put out a strangely timed ".1" issue, Daredevil 15.1, which is basically an anthology featuring some pretty neat short-stories, including one by Waid and Samnee another by Marc Guggenheim and Peter Krause, and one written and drawn by Samnee, all of which are flashbacks. There was nothing in it quite as meaty or satisfying as Waid's and Samnee's regular work, but it was a pretty enjoyable read just the same.
9.5/10
(8.5/10 for issue 15.1)
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
Considering the long and complicated history between Matthew Murdock, also known as the vigilante Daredevil, and crimelord Wilson Fisk, once the Kingpin of Crime, which culminated with the Kingpin going to jail over a decade ago, it's quite a narrative feat to actually bring Murdock to the point where he would ask Fisk to help him out, but that's precisely what the series' current creative team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have done.
Thanks to the machinations of Max Coleridge, a.k.a. the Shroud, who, in a strange twist, has control over a hyper-powered Owl, who as of issue four has now acquired the ability to hook himself up to every single electronic gadget within an unspecified range, Daredevil's attorney-client communications have been blown wide open. Even though Daredevil outed himself at the conclusion of his previous series, it turns out he had plenty to hide, including the whereabouts of Foggy Nelson. Unfortunately, even Matt's attempt at a Faustian bargain with his greatest enemy may not be enough to bail him and his friends out of this latest pickle.
As Marvel have confirmed that issue #18 will be the last one for this series, and this creative team, I'm basically just counting the days till I discontinue my collection of this title, along with most of the current lineup of titles I've been collecting. I'm actually grateful Marvel is wiping the slate clean; it gives me the chance to take a little breather from collecting for awhile.
That said, I will really miss this title and issues like this remind me why. This issue marks the first time that Waid and Samnee have truly plumbed the Miller era of Daredevil, and the issue has quite a few visual and written references to Miller's monumental "Born Again" storyline from the mid-80s, and a wonderful, if slightly disturbing dialogue free, caption free page which depicts the two of them standing in an art gallery, with presumably Fisk fantasizing about different ways in which Matt Murdock would die, all of which are depicted in different art styles by Samnee. It's an astonishing visual, and really demonstrates why Samnee is one of the best artists working today, apart from being arguably the best visual storyteller since John Romita Jr.
Incidentally, prior to this book, Marvel put out a strangely timed ".1" issue, Daredevil 15.1, which is basically an anthology featuring some pretty neat short-stories, including one by Waid and Samnee another by Marc Guggenheim and Peter Krause, and one written and drawn by Samnee, all of which are flashbacks. There was nothing in it quite as meaty or satisfying as Waid's and Samnee's regular work, but it was a pretty enjoyable read just the same.
9.5/10
(8.5/10 for issue 15.1)
Saturday, June 13, 2015
A Rant, Pure and Simple
There's something vaguely amusing about the fact that Marvel Comics' latest event has borrowed its title from a much older comic book event, one thirty years older in fact, that was ls. ched not to sell comic books, but action figures. I have no idea if the book itself is any good, but I do know an irritating cash grab when I see one, and in fact I fell for several, even as recently as two years ago when I purchased Infinity and, after being blown away by the artwork, was appalled at how incoherent it felt without the tie-in books. Sure, there were all the "in case you're just checking in" blurbs on the first pages of every issue after the first one, but it really just wasn't very readable, certainly not in the way that Mark Waid's and Chris Samnee's Daredevil is readable. Hickman is now writing Secret Wars which is reason enough for me to say, "um, no thanks."
Right now, I'm actually reading Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Seconds, and while this doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly renounce superhero comics and turn into some sulking hipster that decries all things mainstream (especially since Lee O'Malley apparently doesn't hire a very good proofreader, assuming he has one at all), it was just so refreshing to read something that doesn't feel so blatantly like a product being sold, but read more like an actual story, which is kind of why I got into comic books in the first place.
I'm sure that countless other geeks and enthusiasts have written much longer pieces on this very same topic, with much more earth-shaking realizations, and in truth this post was originally conceived as a lament as to how audiences have rejected Hollywood's one recent attempt at originality (Brad Bird's Tomorrowland), and have instead embraced retreads of properties that are decades-old (Mad Max: Fury Road and Jurassic World) but I think that would be better off over on my other blog, and I have quite a bit more to say on that.
I will admit that there is a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel for me, as I am looking forward to David Marquez (of Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man fame) being promoted to the Marvel Comics A-list, but really, the fact that yet another "status-quo shattering" event has smashed sales records yet again means that we can probably look forward to yet another "event" in a year or two.
I honestly miss the time when people read comics because talented writers and artists told good stories, and not because ten thousand titles were all tied into each other, promising the end of (insert comic book universe here) as we know it.
Right now, I'm actually reading Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Seconds, and while this doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly renounce superhero comics and turn into some sulking hipster that decries all things mainstream (especially since Lee O'Malley apparently doesn't hire a very good proofreader, assuming he has one at all), it was just so refreshing to read something that doesn't feel so blatantly like a product being sold, but read more like an actual story, which is kind of why I got into comic books in the first place.
I'm sure that countless other geeks and enthusiasts have written much longer pieces on this very same topic, with much more earth-shaking realizations, and in truth this post was originally conceived as a lament as to how audiences have rejected Hollywood's one recent attempt at originality (Brad Bird's Tomorrowland), and have instead embraced retreads of properties that are decades-old (Mad Max: Fury Road and Jurassic World) but I think that would be better off over on my other blog, and I have quite a bit more to say on that.
I will admit that there is a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel for me, as I am looking forward to David Marquez (of Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man fame) being promoted to the Marvel Comics A-list, but really, the fact that yet another "status-quo shattering" event has smashed sales records yet again means that we can probably look forward to yet another "event" in a year or two.
I honestly miss the time when people read comics because talented writers and artists told good stories, and not because ten thousand titles were all tied into each other, promising the end of (insert comic book universe here) as we know it.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Loose Ends: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #s 16 to 18
written by Dan Slott
drawn by Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks)
I didn't review the end of the much-hyped "Spider-Verse" crossover because if I may be honest, I was quite disappointed with how that event turned out both in terms of story and in terms of the art. The talented Olivier Coipel didn't even finish the series, and the guy who drew the issues in his place, the competent but unremarkable Giuseppe Camuncoli, a Spidey veteran, turned in work that was below even his own standards, never mind Coipel's, so along with my lack of time, I also suffered from a lack of inclination.
Even though this mini-review is quite late, I felt it worth writing if only to weigh in on what I think is the last storyline before yet another potential major status quo shakeup in the line-wide event called "Secret Wars."
Much to the chagrin of Peter's partner Sajani, his project of a prison for supervillains is pushing through. Parker Industries' biggest competition for the project, however, namely Alchemax, isn't about to go down without a (dirty) fight; they hire freelance corporate saboteur Ghost to bring the whole place down around Parker's ears. Of course, he doesn't count on Spider-Man being on the premises. Meanwhile, in a parallel story, Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat, who was once Peter's girlfriend and a part-time superhero, hatches a scheme to get revenge on a woman who pawned off all of her belongings, and in the process free herself from anyone's control ever again.
Though I found his inter-universe spanning "Spider-Verse" to be extremely underwhelming, especially at the end, I am looking forward to another of Slott's major projects, specifically his "Renew Your Vows" miniseries. With this story, Slott basically seems like he's knocking down everything he's been building up ever since he became the regular writer of this title five years ago and to be honest I'm still on the fence about whether or not that's a good thing. With one brief story arc Slott's basically wiped out Parker Industries current raison d'etre, and though Sajani and Peter's ex-girlfriend by way of Doctor Octopus, Anna have a nanotechnology project in the pipeline, it's hard to see Peter keeping the company afloat much longer, barring a complete about face in the way he does things. Incidentally, the recent Amazing Spider-Man annual by Sean Ryan and Brandon Peterson (which I didn't review either, because I didn't like it much), took great pains to demonstrate just how important Peter's company is to him, which is, not particularly. Still, even though Parker Industries may be out of the picture soon, I really hope we don't see a return to the old status quo of Peter living off freelance photography. I think the character deserves some kind of progression here; after all, he does have a doctorate now.
After several months away, Humberto Ramos is back, and while I don't exactly welcome him with open arms, I will say that his art here is better than Camuncoli's awful, rushed work in the last few chapters of Spider-Verse. I won't exactly miss him when Slott teams up with Adam Kubert for "Renew Your Vows" but I'm glad that he did the last pre-Secret Wars Spider-man story. It seems fitting, considering he relaunched this title to much fanfare a little over a year ago.
7.5/10
drawn by Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks)
I didn't review the end of the much-hyped "Spider-Verse" crossover because if I may be honest, I was quite disappointed with how that event turned out both in terms of story and in terms of the art. The talented Olivier Coipel didn't even finish the series, and the guy who drew the issues in his place, the competent but unremarkable Giuseppe Camuncoli, a Spidey veteran, turned in work that was below even his own standards, never mind Coipel's, so along with my lack of time, I also suffered from a lack of inclination.
Even though this mini-review is quite late, I felt it worth writing if only to weigh in on what I think is the last storyline before yet another potential major status quo shakeup in the line-wide event called "Secret Wars."
Much to the chagrin of Peter's partner Sajani, his project of a prison for supervillains is pushing through. Parker Industries' biggest competition for the project, however, namely Alchemax, isn't about to go down without a (dirty) fight; they hire freelance corporate saboteur Ghost to bring the whole place down around Parker's ears. Of course, he doesn't count on Spider-Man being on the premises. Meanwhile, in a parallel story, Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat, who was once Peter's girlfriend and a part-time superhero, hatches a scheme to get revenge on a woman who pawned off all of her belongings, and in the process free herself from anyone's control ever again.
Though I found his inter-universe spanning "Spider-Verse" to be extremely underwhelming, especially at the end, I am looking forward to another of Slott's major projects, specifically his "Renew Your Vows" miniseries. With this story, Slott basically seems like he's knocking down everything he's been building up ever since he became the regular writer of this title five years ago and to be honest I'm still on the fence about whether or not that's a good thing. With one brief story arc Slott's basically wiped out Parker Industries current raison d'etre, and though Sajani and Peter's ex-girlfriend by way of Doctor Octopus, Anna have a nanotechnology project in the pipeline, it's hard to see Peter keeping the company afloat much longer, barring a complete about face in the way he does things. Incidentally, the recent Amazing Spider-Man annual by Sean Ryan and Brandon Peterson (which I didn't review either, because I didn't like it much), took great pains to demonstrate just how important Peter's company is to him, which is, not particularly. Still, even though Parker Industries may be out of the picture soon, I really hope we don't see a return to the old status quo of Peter living off freelance photography. I think the character deserves some kind of progression here; after all, he does have a doctorate now.
After several months away, Humberto Ramos is back, and while I don't exactly welcome him with open arms, I will say that his art here is better than Camuncoli's awful, rushed work in the last few chapters of Spider-Verse. I won't exactly miss him when Slott teams up with Adam Kubert for "Renew Your Vows" but I'm glad that he did the last pre-Secret Wars Spider-man story. It seems fitting, considering he relaunched this title to much fanfare a little over a year ago.
7.5/10
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Well, That Was Quick: A Review of Daredevil #s 14 and 15
written by Mark Waid
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
I've long suspected that the comic book incarnation of Daredevil was headed for some major upheaval in order to bring the series a little more in line with what people might have seen in the character's spectacular new television series (the subject of my previous review). A little over a year after they set up Matt with a brand new status quo in San Francisco, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee tear it all down in the span of two issues as Matt comes face to face with his greatest nemesis in his new home, and it isn't quite who he expects it to be. This series also introduces Jubula Pride, Leland Owlsley's daughter, alongside whom Matt fights, and who might end up more a liability than an asset. EVERYTHING, from Matt's law practice to his burgeoning book deal, is thrown into jeopardy, and with pretty much everyone who isn't close to him pretty much having turned against him, Matt finds himself turning to the unlikeliest of persons for help.
Mark Waid has been an extremely prolific writing superstar for quite a while now, but having scored a gig writing one of Marvel's best-selling Marvel titles Princess Leia and an Avengers book later this year I imagine something had to give, and considering he's been writing Daredevil since 2010, a stint almost as long as Brian Michael Bendis' back in the beginning of the new millennium, it was the logical choice.
As swan songs go, this arc is proving to be quite exceptional, though I do feel a tinge of regret that Waid is bringing Matt's new setting crashing down on his head so soon, though like I said before, I understand the imperative behind it all, especially considering the reappearance of a certain very important character who hasn't shown up in the pages of this title in years.
There's so much this story has going for it, in particular the fact that Matt's ongoing book deal for his life story has spurred him to a rather radical change in his crime-fighting wardrobe. The change in Matt's look, though I actually find it kind of silly, is really emblematic of Waid's whole approach to the series; it is as refreshingly different from what has preceded it as Frank Miller's noir take was from the stories that had come before him. It's hard to discuss what has made this year-long arc feel so unique without veering into spoiler territory, but I will say that Waid has managed to subvert a few superhero storytelling conventions in the years he's been writing this book, and this latest arc, most likely his last, is no exception.
Between the two of them, Waid and Samnee (and before him, Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin), have truly made this book a joy to read, and an outstanding reminder that superhero comics can be exceptionally entertaining even if they aren't independently published.
Truth be told, I don't know if it's Waid or Samnee I'll be missing more, as the energy Chris brings to the book is really spectacular, and something I enjoyed equally when he was drawing the first five issues of the defunct Captain America and Bucky series several years ago. If there's any justice, there will be a Captain America book in Samnee's post-Daredevil future.
I could be lucky; perhaps it will still be Waid and Samnee steering old Hornhead into yet another new chapter of his extremely colorful life, but if not, well, like I said before, thanks the for great stories, guys. Including this one.
8.5/10
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
I've long suspected that the comic book incarnation of Daredevil was headed for some major upheaval in order to bring the series a little more in line with what people might have seen in the character's spectacular new television series (the subject of my previous review). A little over a year after they set up Matt with a brand new status quo in San Francisco, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee tear it all down in the span of two issues as Matt comes face to face with his greatest nemesis in his new home, and it isn't quite who he expects it to be. This series also introduces Jubula Pride, Leland Owlsley's daughter, alongside whom Matt fights, and who might end up more a liability than an asset. EVERYTHING, from Matt's law practice to his burgeoning book deal, is thrown into jeopardy, and with pretty much everyone who isn't close to him pretty much having turned against him, Matt finds himself turning to the unlikeliest of persons for help.
Mark Waid has been an extremely prolific writing superstar for quite a while now, but having scored a gig writing one of Marvel's best-selling Marvel titles Princess Leia and an Avengers book later this year I imagine something had to give, and considering he's been writing Daredevil since 2010, a stint almost as long as Brian Michael Bendis' back in the beginning of the new millennium, it was the logical choice.
As swan songs go, this arc is proving to be quite exceptional, though I do feel a tinge of regret that Waid is bringing Matt's new setting crashing down on his head so soon, though like I said before, I understand the imperative behind it all, especially considering the reappearance of a certain very important character who hasn't shown up in the pages of this title in years.
There's so much this story has going for it, in particular the fact that Matt's ongoing book deal for his life story has spurred him to a rather radical change in his crime-fighting wardrobe. The change in Matt's look, though I actually find it kind of silly, is really emblematic of Waid's whole approach to the series; it is as refreshingly different from what has preceded it as Frank Miller's noir take was from the stories that had come before him. It's hard to discuss what has made this year-long arc feel so unique without veering into spoiler territory, but I will say that Waid has managed to subvert a few superhero storytelling conventions in the years he's been writing this book, and this latest arc, most likely his last, is no exception.
Between the two of them, Waid and Samnee (and before him, Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin), have truly made this book a joy to read, and an outstanding reminder that superhero comics can be exceptionally entertaining even if they aren't independently published.
Truth be told, I don't know if it's Waid or Samnee I'll be missing more, as the energy Chris brings to the book is really spectacular, and something I enjoyed equally when he was drawing the first five issues of the defunct Captain America and Bucky series several years ago. If there's any justice, there will be a Captain America book in Samnee's post-Daredevil future.
I could be lucky; perhaps it will still be Waid and Samnee steering old Hornhead into yet another new chapter of his extremely colorful life, but if not, well, like I said before, thanks the for great stories, guys. Including this one.
8.5/10
Sunday, May 3, 2015
The Very Best Thing to Come From Marvel in 2015: A Review of Season 1 of "Daredevil" (yes, all of it)
directed by Phil Abraham and various
written by Drew Goddard, Steven De Knight and various
When I heard that Marvel Studios had reacquired the film rights to "Daredevil" from Twentieth Century Fox, I was overjoyed, though I wasn't particularly thrilled when, after Marvel spent a year or so trying to figure out what to do with the property, they decided to make it into a television series, which would only be available via download from Netflix.
Having finally seen the thirteen episodes of season 1, however, I realize that the television format was one of the best possible things that could have happened to this character.
Daredevil is the story of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) a young lawyer from Hell's Kitchen who was blinded as a boy by toxic waste but left with the extraordinary enhancement of his remaining four senses. By day, Matt seeks to defend the oppressed with his fellow graduate of Columbia University, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). By night, however, Matt dons a black mask and, using a truly formidable set of martial arts skills, wages war against organized crime in the Kitchen, much to the concern of the local crime leaders like Leland Owlsley (Bob Gunton) Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), Nobu (Peter Shinkoda), the Ranskahov Brothers Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff) and Anatoly (Gideon Emery), and the leader of them all, the enigmatic Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) who, for much of the first few episodes, is present only through his consigliere Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore). Murdock's self-imposed mission to dismantle crime in Hell's Kitchen has him busting up human trafficking and drug running operations, but what he doesn't realize is that Fisk's grand plan is bigger, and more destructive, than even the heinous crime already polluting the city. Taking Fisk down won't be an easy task, considering he has almost all of the police and judiciary in his pocket but Matt has a few allies, such as Foggy, the plucky Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), grizzled journalist Ben Urich (Vondie Curtis-Hall), and his mysterious blind mentor Stick (Scott Glenn), who may yet tip the balance in his favor.
After Mark Steven Johnson's disastrous "Daredevil" feature film starring Ben Affleck back in 2003 nearly ruined the character for non-comic book fans, I am happy to declare that this series has done for DD what Batman Begins managed to do for Batman after Joel Schumacher killed the franchise. More than simply bring the character back to life, albeit on a smaller screen, this series has imbued him and his world with the respectability and gravitas that his printed adventures have long warranted. Integrating the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is clear from the constant references to the climactic New York battle of The Avengers) has also helped ensure that this character is firmly anchored on an established narrative bedrock.
While showrunners Steven DeKnight and Drew Goddard take full advantage of the format to truly flesh out Matt's character, drawing from his truly rich history in the comic books, they quite cannily spread the snippets of his past throughout the series. The very first scene in the series shows the aftermath of the accident in which Matt loses his sight. It is an act of heroism, namely pushing an old man out of the way of a truck transporting toxic waste, that results in both Matt's disability and enhancement, but it is some hard, unrelenting training from a gruff, unforgiving old man that sharpens Murdock into a living weapon, and years of difficult experience involving pain and loss that ultimately spur him on to seek justice with his fists. All of this plays out in a brilliant parallel to the current goings-on of the series, and even as the audience sees Matt's decidedly unorthodox lifestyle unfold, we are made to understand why he does the things he does.
Daredevil has always been a particularly unique hero; he's the only one constantly conflicted by what he does. After all, seeking out and beating up criminals is not exactly consistent with Matt's duties as an officer of the court, and breaking criminals' bones is not exactly the turning of the other cheek that Matt's religion, Roman Catholicism, prescribes, and judging by the fact that the adult Matt's very first scene is in a confessional, and the fact that he spends several other episodes talking to a priest (Peter McRobbie) about his doubt and guilt, he is keenly aware of this. Cox, Goddard, De Knight, and their team of writers and directors clearly understand that this is one of the central aspects of the character, and their ability to convey this convincingly is as crucial to their success as the astonishingly choreographed martial arts put on display during most of the thirteen-episode season.
Special mention must go out to the actors for really immersing themselves in these roles. British actor Cox doesn't just acquit himself well as Murdock/Daredevil, he completely owns the role, and, if the online buzz is to be believed, he has guaranteed for himself a position of greatness in the hearts of fanboys everywhere along with the likes of fellow Brits-turned-comic-book-icons Andrew Lincoln and Christian Bale. He says the fact that he is, himself, a Catholic has helped him connect with Daredevil's inner struggle, but whatever his inner convictions, his ability to inhabit the character is vividly played out on the screen.
Of course, a comic book hero needs a truly formidable villain to define him, and Vincent D'Onofrio suits the role of Wilson Fisk to an absolute "t." This is no mean feat, considering that the Kingpin of Crime is nearly as iconic a character in the Marvel pantheon as old Hornhead himself (and arguably even more so, considering that he was originally created as a Spider-Man villain). Apart from shaving his head and putting on the considerable heft associated with the character, D'Onofrio creates a unique voice for Fisk, both physically and emotionally that captures the character's larger-than-life nature, though with his bald head he vaguely channels memories of his role as Private Pyle in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. D'Onofrio's triumph is that he manages to convey, in equal measure, Fisk's humanity and his utter repulsiveness. One can see where he's coming from and therefore empathize with him to an extent but can still also hate him to his core.
The good news is that, as strong as these actors are, they still receive able support from the rest of the cast. Elden Henson is particularly capable as Foggy Nelson, considering that he must not only serve as the constant comic relief throughout the series but must shift dramatic gears considerably later in the season. After all, as I said in one of my many reviews of the ongoing Daredevil comic book series, Foggy Nelson is Daredevil's oldest living supporting character and is, to Matthew Murdock, what Aunt May is to Peter Parker. In short, Henson has a lot to live up to, and while I wasn't always fond of the pseudo-hipster vibe Henson gives off with his long hair and line delivery, I think he did a commendable job with a character who could have been pure camp. Henson certainly isn't operating on the level of Cox or D'Onofrio, but he definitely keeps up with them. Deborah Ann Woll, last seen slinking onto the screen in True Blood, has a slightly different take on the character than I was expecting to see upon her introduction, but considering what she ends up doing in the comic books it seems the show's writers are keen on taking her in some interesting directions fairly early. They basically have the Silver Age "damsel in distress" bit play out in the first episode, after which it's a whole new ballgame. It was amusing to see their take on the Matt-Foggy-Karen love triangle, though Matt (for now) is mostly left out of it, as his romantic attentions are focused largely on the MCU's version of the Night Nurse, Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). Though fans of the comic may be disappointed that sparks don't fly between Matt and Karen right away, I suspect the writers are saving that bit for later seasons, along with a lot of other goodies.
Apart from getting the main character and his supporting players right, though, this show deserves credit for taking some pretty daunting risks. In an era where the film editor is equally, if not more important to the presentation of a fight scene than the choreographers and actors, this show actually featured a fight scene between Matt and multiple opponents that lasted for three minutes, with next to no cuts, though there was the occasional (and very rare) wipe. I'm almost certain they would not have been able to pull off a sequence like that in a feature film considering that, as impressive as the fist fights in Captain America: The Winter Soldier were, they still suffered from quite a bit of the too-quickly-cut-to-see malaise that has been en vogue since Matt Damon started kicking everyone's ass as Jason Bourne at the beginning of this millennium. It's quite an impressive sequence all on its own, though other episodes feature more "conventional" fight scenes. Still, Matt gets hurt, and bleeds, unlike many of today's scratch-proof heroes. That's another refreshing change, really.
Finally, what really has me excited about the prospect of a second season is the knowledge that there is still so much more possibility in terms of the stories that can be told. Only passing mention was made of Elektra, the Greek assassin who was Matt's first great love, and that's surely something they could explore later on. Also, hints are dropped as to the existence of the ninja clan the Hand. Considering that one Japanese mosbster gave Matt a really hard time, a whole clan of ninja might make for some really spectacular season-long fireworks. Finally, there is plenty of room to tell arguably one of the greatest Daredevil stories of all time: Born Again.
Unfortunately, that second season is over a year away, but the good news is that all thirteen episodes of this small screen epic are quite eminently re-watchable, and to anyone who may have been disappointed with the box-office behemoth that is Avengers: Age of Ultron and is looking for something different from Marvel, I humbly suggest you grab yourself a copy of this.
10/10 (Yes, in my honest opinion the show is THAT good).
written by Drew Goddard, Steven De Knight and various
When I heard that Marvel Studios had reacquired the film rights to "Daredevil" from Twentieth Century Fox, I was overjoyed, though I wasn't particularly thrilled when, after Marvel spent a year or so trying to figure out what to do with the property, they decided to make it into a television series, which would only be available via download from Netflix.
Having finally seen the thirteen episodes of season 1, however, I realize that the television format was one of the best possible things that could have happened to this character.
Daredevil is the story of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) a young lawyer from Hell's Kitchen who was blinded as a boy by toxic waste but left with the extraordinary enhancement of his remaining four senses. By day, Matt seeks to defend the oppressed with his fellow graduate of Columbia University, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). By night, however, Matt dons a black mask and, using a truly formidable set of martial arts skills, wages war against organized crime in the Kitchen, much to the concern of the local crime leaders like Leland Owlsley (Bob Gunton) Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), Nobu (Peter Shinkoda), the Ranskahov Brothers Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff) and Anatoly (Gideon Emery), and the leader of them all, the enigmatic Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) who, for much of the first few episodes, is present only through his consigliere Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore). Murdock's self-imposed mission to dismantle crime in Hell's Kitchen has him busting up human trafficking and drug running operations, but what he doesn't realize is that Fisk's grand plan is bigger, and more destructive, than even the heinous crime already polluting the city. Taking Fisk down won't be an easy task, considering he has almost all of the police and judiciary in his pocket but Matt has a few allies, such as Foggy, the plucky Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), grizzled journalist Ben Urich (Vondie Curtis-Hall), and his mysterious blind mentor Stick (Scott Glenn), who may yet tip the balance in his favor.
After Mark Steven Johnson's disastrous "Daredevil" feature film starring Ben Affleck back in 2003 nearly ruined the character for non-comic book fans, I am happy to declare that this series has done for DD what Batman Begins managed to do for Batman after Joel Schumacher killed the franchise. More than simply bring the character back to life, albeit on a smaller screen, this series has imbued him and his world with the respectability and gravitas that his printed adventures have long warranted. Integrating the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is clear from the constant references to the climactic New York battle of The Avengers) has also helped ensure that this character is firmly anchored on an established narrative bedrock.
While showrunners Steven DeKnight and Drew Goddard take full advantage of the format to truly flesh out Matt's character, drawing from his truly rich history in the comic books, they quite cannily spread the snippets of his past throughout the series. The very first scene in the series shows the aftermath of the accident in which Matt loses his sight. It is an act of heroism, namely pushing an old man out of the way of a truck transporting toxic waste, that results in both Matt's disability and enhancement, but it is some hard, unrelenting training from a gruff, unforgiving old man that sharpens Murdock into a living weapon, and years of difficult experience involving pain and loss that ultimately spur him on to seek justice with his fists. All of this plays out in a brilliant parallel to the current goings-on of the series, and even as the audience sees Matt's decidedly unorthodox lifestyle unfold, we are made to understand why he does the things he does.
Daredevil has always been a particularly unique hero; he's the only one constantly conflicted by what he does. After all, seeking out and beating up criminals is not exactly consistent with Matt's duties as an officer of the court, and breaking criminals' bones is not exactly the turning of the other cheek that Matt's religion, Roman Catholicism, prescribes, and judging by the fact that the adult Matt's very first scene is in a confessional, and the fact that he spends several other episodes talking to a priest (Peter McRobbie) about his doubt and guilt, he is keenly aware of this. Cox, Goddard, De Knight, and their team of writers and directors clearly understand that this is one of the central aspects of the character, and their ability to convey this convincingly is as crucial to their success as the astonishingly choreographed martial arts put on display during most of the thirteen-episode season.
Special mention must go out to the actors for really immersing themselves in these roles. British actor Cox doesn't just acquit himself well as Murdock/Daredevil, he completely owns the role, and, if the online buzz is to be believed, he has guaranteed for himself a position of greatness in the hearts of fanboys everywhere along with the likes of fellow Brits-turned-comic-book-icons Andrew Lincoln and Christian Bale. He says the fact that he is, himself, a Catholic has helped him connect with Daredevil's inner struggle, but whatever his inner convictions, his ability to inhabit the character is vividly played out on the screen.
Of course, a comic book hero needs a truly formidable villain to define him, and Vincent D'Onofrio suits the role of Wilson Fisk to an absolute "t." This is no mean feat, considering that the Kingpin of Crime is nearly as iconic a character in the Marvel pantheon as old Hornhead himself (and arguably even more so, considering that he was originally created as a Spider-Man villain). Apart from shaving his head and putting on the considerable heft associated with the character, D'Onofrio creates a unique voice for Fisk, both physically and emotionally that captures the character's larger-than-life nature, though with his bald head he vaguely channels memories of his role as Private Pyle in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. D'Onofrio's triumph is that he manages to convey, in equal measure, Fisk's humanity and his utter repulsiveness. One can see where he's coming from and therefore empathize with him to an extent but can still also hate him to his core.
The good news is that, as strong as these actors are, they still receive able support from the rest of the cast. Elden Henson is particularly capable as Foggy Nelson, considering that he must not only serve as the constant comic relief throughout the series but must shift dramatic gears considerably later in the season. After all, as I said in one of my many reviews of the ongoing Daredevil comic book series, Foggy Nelson is Daredevil's oldest living supporting character and is, to Matthew Murdock, what Aunt May is to Peter Parker. In short, Henson has a lot to live up to, and while I wasn't always fond of the pseudo-hipster vibe Henson gives off with his long hair and line delivery, I think he did a commendable job with a character who could have been pure camp. Henson certainly isn't operating on the level of Cox or D'Onofrio, but he definitely keeps up with them. Deborah Ann Woll, last seen slinking onto the screen in True Blood, has a slightly different take on the character than I was expecting to see upon her introduction, but considering what she ends up doing in the comic books it seems the show's writers are keen on taking her in some interesting directions fairly early. They basically have the Silver Age "damsel in distress" bit play out in the first episode, after which it's a whole new ballgame. It was amusing to see their take on the Matt-Foggy-Karen love triangle, though Matt (for now) is mostly left out of it, as his romantic attentions are focused largely on the MCU's version of the Night Nurse, Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). Though fans of the comic may be disappointed that sparks don't fly between Matt and Karen right away, I suspect the writers are saving that bit for later seasons, along with a lot of other goodies.
Apart from getting the main character and his supporting players right, though, this show deserves credit for taking some pretty daunting risks. In an era where the film editor is equally, if not more important to the presentation of a fight scene than the choreographers and actors, this show actually featured a fight scene between Matt and multiple opponents that lasted for three minutes, with next to no cuts, though there was the occasional (and very rare) wipe. I'm almost certain they would not have been able to pull off a sequence like that in a feature film considering that, as impressive as the fist fights in Captain America: The Winter Soldier were, they still suffered from quite a bit of the too-quickly-cut-to-see malaise that has been en vogue since Matt Damon started kicking everyone's ass as Jason Bourne at the beginning of this millennium. It's quite an impressive sequence all on its own, though other episodes feature more "conventional" fight scenes. Still, Matt gets hurt, and bleeds, unlike many of today's scratch-proof heroes. That's another refreshing change, really.
Finally, what really has me excited about the prospect of a second season is the knowledge that there is still so much more possibility in terms of the stories that can be told. Only passing mention was made of Elektra, the Greek assassin who was Matt's first great love, and that's surely something they could explore later on. Also, hints are dropped as to the existence of the ninja clan the Hand. Considering that one Japanese mosbster gave Matt a really hard time, a whole clan of ninja might make for some really spectacular season-long fireworks. Finally, there is plenty of room to tell arguably one of the greatest Daredevil stories of all time: Born Again.
Unfortunately, that second season is over a year away, but the good news is that all thirteen episodes of this small screen epic are quite eminently re-watchable, and to anyone who may have been disappointed with the box-office behemoth that is Avengers: Age of Ultron and is looking for something different from Marvel, I humbly suggest you grab yourself a copy of this.
10/10 (Yes, in my honest opinion the show is THAT good).
Sunday, April 12, 2015
A Review of "Conquer": The Season 5 Finale of "The Walking Dead"
directed by Greg Nicotero
written by Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman
As a result of the meltdown of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) last episode, in which he ranted, and waved a gun at half the residents of Alexandria, Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) decides to hold a meeting in which the residents will decide what to do with him. One of the genuine possibilities is that he may be exiled. Elsewhere, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) seem to stumble upon a wealth of supplies, only to find themselves in a walker infested trap, from which they are rescued by the nomadic Season 1 veteran Morgan (Lennie James). Meanwhile, Nicholas (Michael Traynor), the Alexandria resident whose cowardice two episodes ago cost Noah (Tyler James Williams) his life, tries to lure Glenn into the forest and kill him. Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) attempts to commit suicide-by-walker, only to change his mind, except that he leaves the gate open as he blunders back into Alexandria. Meanwhile, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) has hit rock bottom, and at one point even lies in a pit with destroyed walkers. She turns to Fr. Gabriel for guidance, not knowing just how much he hates her and the rest of Rick's crew. Rick sees the open gate, tracks down the walkers who made it inside, and makes his findings known to Deanna and her group. Pete shows up, and things do not end well.
This episode demonstrates just how much this series has become a victim of its own success; while there is quite a lot to like about what happened here, this episode was quite notably anticlimactic, much like the last season-ender was.
What was notable, though, was the writer's understanding that killing someone isn't always limited to their physical body. Something Rick does at the very end of this episode, a line he emphatically crosses, right in front of someone who holds him in very high esteem, is, in a way, not unlike the grisly death of Noah that Glenn saw happen with his very own eyes. It's interesting to see how this will play out, especially with the impending threat of the "wolves."
I still confess to feeling a little disappointed at how so much was basically left hanging by this episode.
One of the highlights for me was the appearance of Morgan, who shows off some serious fighting skills as he dispatches two of the members of the wolves with a simple bo staff. Unlike Tyreese and Noah, this is one black character who can clearly take care of himself, and I certainly hope he does, especially considering how violently the last two major black characters got killed off.
Still, it peeved me that this episode still seemed more about setting up the next big confrontation than actually resolving anything, but then, like I said, to subvert fans' prognostications, I guess they had to forgo things like major character deaths and other kinds of twists. I'm still not sure why Norman Reedus said that fans would cry at the end of this episode; maybe he meant from the disappointment they would feel seeing so little happen in almost ninety minutes of air time.
Ultimately, while I think it's disappointing that the show runners gave such a subdued ending to such a harrowing season, part of me gets that the effect they were really going for was to show the impact that events of the past season have had on the characters. In that, I think it was a success. It just wasn't the kind of season-ending climax I was hoping to see.
7.5/10
written by Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman
As a result of the meltdown of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) last episode, in which he ranted, and waved a gun at half the residents of Alexandria, Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) decides to hold a meeting in which the residents will decide what to do with him. One of the genuine possibilities is that he may be exiled. Elsewhere, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) seem to stumble upon a wealth of supplies, only to find themselves in a walker infested trap, from which they are rescued by the nomadic Season 1 veteran Morgan (Lennie James). Meanwhile, Nicholas (Michael Traynor), the Alexandria resident whose cowardice two episodes ago cost Noah (Tyler James Williams) his life, tries to lure Glenn into the forest and kill him. Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) attempts to commit suicide-by-walker, only to change his mind, except that he leaves the gate open as he blunders back into Alexandria. Meanwhile, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) has hit rock bottom, and at one point even lies in a pit with destroyed walkers. She turns to Fr. Gabriel for guidance, not knowing just how much he hates her and the rest of Rick's crew. Rick sees the open gate, tracks down the walkers who made it inside, and makes his findings known to Deanna and her group. Pete shows up, and things do not end well.
This episode demonstrates just how much this series has become a victim of its own success; while there is quite a lot to like about what happened here, this episode was quite notably anticlimactic, much like the last season-ender was.
What was notable, though, was the writer's understanding that killing someone isn't always limited to their physical body. Something Rick does at the very end of this episode, a line he emphatically crosses, right in front of someone who holds him in very high esteem, is, in a way, not unlike the grisly death of Noah that Glenn saw happen with his very own eyes. It's interesting to see how this will play out, especially with the impending threat of the "wolves."
I still confess to feeling a little disappointed at how so much was basically left hanging by this episode.
One of the highlights for me was the appearance of Morgan, who shows off some serious fighting skills as he dispatches two of the members of the wolves with a simple bo staff. Unlike Tyreese and Noah, this is one black character who can clearly take care of himself, and I certainly hope he does, especially considering how violently the last two major black characters got killed off.
Still, it peeved me that this episode still seemed more about setting up the next big confrontation than actually resolving anything, but then, like I said, to subvert fans' prognostications, I guess they had to forgo things like major character deaths and other kinds of twists. I'm still not sure why Norman Reedus said that fans would cry at the end of this episode; maybe he meant from the disappointment they would feel seeing so little happen in almost ninety minutes of air time.
Ultimately, while I think it's disappointing that the show runners gave such a subdued ending to such a harrowing season, part of me gets that the effect they were really going for was to show the impact that events of the past season have had on the characters. In that, I think it was a success. It just wasn't the kind of season-ending climax I was hoping to see.
7.5/10
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Late to the Party: A Review of Episode #15 of The Walking Dead Season 5
"Try"
directed by Michael Satrazemis
written by Angela Kang
It seems silly to write a review of the penultimate episode of Season 5 of The Walking Dead, considering that the season finale is almost a week old now, but considering that unfortunate circumstances conspired to prevent me from sitting down to write a review, and considering I've reviewed just about every episode since the season resumed earlier this year, it would be a shame not to give my two cents, even if everyone already knows what happened. Arguably, given that there's no longer any risk of spoiling anything, perhaps it's the best time to write a review.
Quite a bit happens: In "Try" a lot of things are revealed, and at least one major plot thread comes to a head as Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) upon learning that Alexandria's resident surgeon Pete (Corey Brill) has been beating his wife Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), with whom Rick just happens to be infatuated, decides to punish him. This does not sit well with Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) who mourns the death of her son Aiden (Daniel Bonjour). Meanwhile Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) in their recruitment sorties, come across a victim of a grisly murder; a woman tied to a tree who has only just been consumed by walkers. She has the letter "w" carved into her forehead. Carl (Chandler Riggs) finally finds out why Enid (Katelyn Nacon) sneaks out of Alexandria on her own, and gets to know her a bit better.
Having the Rick/Jessie/Pete storyline come to a head was an interesting call on the part of the show runners especially in the lead up to the climax, and while to my mind they failed to effectively follow through on this twist with "Conquer" (which I will review in short order), they succeeded in showing just how fragile Rick's mind really is as a result of all he has endured, and how a combination of rage, frustration with a system he does not agree with, and just plain old libido can reduce him from his group's hardened leader into an incoherent, blubbering mess.
Andrew Lincoln is in really top form here. What grates on the viewer as well as on Rick is knowing that he's right, and yet no one will believe him because he basically looks like a raving lunatic waving a gun around at the end of the episode. The cards are pretty much stacked against Rick as the episode ends, and this is, quite honestly a fitting set up for what should have been an epic climax.
8.5/10
directed by Michael Satrazemis
written by Angela Kang
It seems silly to write a review of the penultimate episode of Season 5 of The Walking Dead, considering that the season finale is almost a week old now, but considering that unfortunate circumstances conspired to prevent me from sitting down to write a review, and considering I've reviewed just about every episode since the season resumed earlier this year, it would be a shame not to give my two cents, even if everyone already knows what happened. Arguably, given that there's no longer any risk of spoiling anything, perhaps it's the best time to write a review.
Quite a bit happens: In "Try" a lot of things are revealed, and at least one major plot thread comes to a head as Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) upon learning that Alexandria's resident surgeon Pete (Corey Brill) has been beating his wife Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), with whom Rick just happens to be infatuated, decides to punish him. This does not sit well with Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) who mourns the death of her son Aiden (Daniel Bonjour). Meanwhile Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) in their recruitment sorties, come across a victim of a grisly murder; a woman tied to a tree who has only just been consumed by walkers. She has the letter "w" carved into her forehead. Carl (Chandler Riggs) finally finds out why Enid (Katelyn Nacon) sneaks out of Alexandria on her own, and gets to know her a bit better.
Having the Rick/Jessie/Pete storyline come to a head was an interesting call on the part of the show runners especially in the lead up to the climax, and while to my mind they failed to effectively follow through on this twist with "Conquer" (which I will review in short order), they succeeded in showing just how fragile Rick's mind really is as a result of all he has endured, and how a combination of rage, frustration with a system he does not agree with, and just plain old libido can reduce him from his group's hardened leader into an incoherent, blubbering mess.
Andrew Lincoln is in really top form here. What grates on the viewer as well as on Rick is knowing that he's right, and yet no one will believe him because he basically looks like a raving lunatic waving a gun around at the end of the episode. The cards are pretty much stacked against Rick as the episode ends, and this is, quite honestly a fitting set up for what should have been an epic climax.
8.5/10
Sunday, March 22, 2015
It Begins: A Review of Daredevil #13
written by Mark Waid
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
As early in as the first four issues of this relaunched edition of Daredevil, creators Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have been setting Marvel's favorite blind lawyer, Matt Murdock a.k.a./Daredevil up for a showdown with one of his oldest enemies, Leland Owlsley a.k.a. the Owl. This isn't going to just be another hero-villain slugfest, however, considering that the Owl, as of issue #4, has received a serious upgrade. After seeing what these creative team can do, I am convinced that when DD and the Owl throw down, it's going to be an epic read.
Alas, this issue does not contain that battle, but it does tease it ever so cruelly.
What Waid and Samnee deliver instead is a charming little done-in-one. Matt and his new law partner Kirsten have finally taken the endless mutual flirtation that has characterized their relationship since her character was introduced in 2010 to the next level. They were, prior to this issue, already "boyfriend/girlfriend" but at the end of last issue, Matt went and said the "l" word and things have taken on a whole new meaning, a whole new level of intimacy, and, for a man who's buried girlfriends killed by his enemies and had his only wife confined to a mental hospital, a whole new level of paranoia. It seems Daredevil's fears are borne out when Kirsten is kidnapped from a coffee shop by a mysterious assailant. Things, however, are not quite what they seem.
Of all the comic books published by Marvel that I have bought over the last few years, only two have managed to maintain a consistent standard of both writing and art over an extended period of time, the first being Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, which has had Brian Bendis teamed up with David Marquez for something like three or four years running, with the odd fill-in artist, and this. To my mind, Waid and Samnee trump even the vaunted Bendis and the immensely talented Marquez because although Bendis's stories often tend to get bogged down by his penchant for decompression, Waid can pretty much handle any size of story; he can do big arcs, small arcs, two-issue arcs, and one shots. His characters talk with their own distinct voices and don't...basically all sound like the same person talking. At the end of the day, this is really the best superhero comic book on the stands as far as I'm concerned.
The only tragedy for me is that the days of this team, telling stories in this tone, may be well be numbered after things come to a head with the Owl.
In less than a month, Daredevil's new Netflix series will launch, and from all indications, it most definitely will not have the same tone that has been employed in the comic books for roughly the last half decade. No, this show quite clearly takes its inspiration from the noir storytelling that put the character on the map years ago, in the hands of Frank Miller. Marvel now being the well-oiled marketing machine that it is, with its comics' running narratives frequently being rejiggered in order to be more in line with what people are seeing on the big (or small) screen, it is not at all far-fetched to imagine Marvel editorial finally taking Daredevil from his (relatively) happy place and thrusting him back into the grime of Hell's Kitchen, or some psychological/emotional equivalent for him.
Maybe I'm just paranoid; maybe the only thing Marvel will do to mark the occasion is reprint all old Frank Miller comics and those of his imitators, like Brian Bendis, and maybe they'll leave my one little patch of comic-book paradise alone.
If they don't, these remaining Waid/Samnee issues will be all the more precious to me.
8.5/10
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matthew Wilson
As early in as the first four issues of this relaunched edition of Daredevil, creators Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have been setting Marvel's favorite blind lawyer, Matt Murdock a.k.a./Daredevil up for a showdown with one of his oldest enemies, Leland Owlsley a.k.a. the Owl. This isn't going to just be another hero-villain slugfest, however, considering that the Owl, as of issue #4, has received a serious upgrade. After seeing what these creative team can do, I am convinced that when DD and the Owl throw down, it's going to be an epic read.
Alas, this issue does not contain that battle, but it does tease it ever so cruelly.
What Waid and Samnee deliver instead is a charming little done-in-one. Matt and his new law partner Kirsten have finally taken the endless mutual flirtation that has characterized their relationship since her character was introduced in 2010 to the next level. They were, prior to this issue, already "boyfriend/girlfriend" but at the end of last issue, Matt went and said the "l" word and things have taken on a whole new meaning, a whole new level of intimacy, and, for a man who's buried girlfriends killed by his enemies and had his only wife confined to a mental hospital, a whole new level of paranoia. It seems Daredevil's fears are borne out when Kirsten is kidnapped from a coffee shop by a mysterious assailant. Things, however, are not quite what they seem.
Of all the comic books published by Marvel that I have bought over the last few years, only two have managed to maintain a consistent standard of both writing and art over an extended period of time, the first being Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, which has had Brian Bendis teamed up with David Marquez for something like three or four years running, with the odd fill-in artist, and this. To my mind, Waid and Samnee trump even the vaunted Bendis and the immensely talented Marquez because although Bendis's stories often tend to get bogged down by his penchant for decompression, Waid can pretty much handle any size of story; he can do big arcs, small arcs, two-issue arcs, and one shots. His characters talk with their own distinct voices and don't...basically all sound like the same person talking. At the end of the day, this is really the best superhero comic book on the stands as far as I'm concerned.
The only tragedy for me is that the days of this team, telling stories in this tone, may be well be numbered after things come to a head with the Owl.
In less than a month, Daredevil's new Netflix series will launch, and from all indications, it most definitely will not have the same tone that has been employed in the comic books for roughly the last half decade. No, this show quite clearly takes its inspiration from the noir storytelling that put the character on the map years ago, in the hands of Frank Miller. Marvel now being the well-oiled marketing machine that it is, with its comics' running narratives frequently being rejiggered in order to be more in line with what people are seeing on the big (or small) screen, it is not at all far-fetched to imagine Marvel editorial finally taking Daredevil from his (relatively) happy place and thrusting him back into the grime of Hell's Kitchen, or some psychological/emotional equivalent for him.
Maybe I'm just paranoid; maybe the only thing Marvel will do to mark the occasion is reprint all old Frank Miller comics and those of his imitators, like Brian Bendis, and maybe they'll leave my one little patch of comic-book paradise alone.
If they don't, these remaining Waid/Samnee issues will be all the more precious to me.
8.5/10
A Not-so-New Hope: A Review of Star Wars (The new comic book series) #s 1 to 3
written by Jason Aaron
drawn by John Cassaday
colored by Laura Martin
I suppose an inevitable consequence of both Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm belonging to the Walt Disney Entertainment Company (or whatever its corporate name is), is the publication by the former of comics about the filmed properties of the latter, specifically, a little old property known as "Star Wars."
Appropriately enough, the first ever comics based on George Lucas' "Star Wars" were published by Marvel Comics back in the 1970s, before either company had been assimilated by what is arguably now the largest entertainment conglomerate in the world.
This series apparently takes place immediately after the conclusion of the very first Star Wars film, otherwise titled Episode IV: A New Hope. The Death Star has just been destroyed, and the Rebel Alliance is looking to an even greater dent in the Galactic Empire's chokehold on the galaxy. This three-issue story arc features all of the rebel protagonists from that film, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2, on a mission to destroy an empire weapons factory. Things go awry when it turns out that Darth Vader is at the very same factory.
I never read any of the old Star Wars comics, but knowing that they were published, and trying to figure out where this particular episode fits in the scheme of nearly forty years of publication history is a bit of a headache, so I tried as best I could to appreciate the story on its own terms. It was a little awkward reading a contemporary story featuring characters that appeared in the 1970s, especially since Cassaday quite accurately captures the likenesses of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as they actually appeared in the first Star Wars movie. Han and Luke, in particular, look as if they've embarked on this mission immediately after the ceremony at the end of Episode IV, as their clothes are identical.
The good news, though is that once I got past the sense of something overly familiar I was able to enjoy the story, both for Aaron's script and for Cassaday's (and Martin's) eye-popping art. The highlight of Aaron's script is, of course the banter between Han and Princess Leia, but it is still, overall, a good read, though for all of the official trappings it still reads like very pretty fan fiction. In a sense, I suppose, it can be considered fan fiction considering that the authors are clearly quite fond of these characters and this world. Cassaday, pardon the pun, is the real draw here, and the fact that he's on this book augurs very well for this series in general; for the time being at least, Marvel is putting its big guns to work on its "Star Wars" line of comic books.
I was particularly entertained by temporal "mashup" of sorts in which Episode IV characters went around on speeder bikes (not introduced to the film world until Episode VI) and walkers (introduced in Episode V), as well as those floating tanks that were introduced in the prequels. Storywise, though, there's really precious little these three issues add to such a long-running, revered canon. It's not quite as engaging as the Disney's new ongoing animated series "Rebels" but the good news is that the potential for some interesting interstitial narrative is laid.
As a first effort, from creators who clearly have affection for this universe, this story isn't bad.
8/10
drawn by John Cassaday
colored by Laura Martin
I suppose an inevitable consequence of both Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm belonging to the Walt Disney Entertainment Company (or whatever its corporate name is), is the publication by the former of comics about the filmed properties of the latter, specifically, a little old property known as "Star Wars."
Appropriately enough, the first ever comics based on George Lucas' "Star Wars" were published by Marvel Comics back in the 1970s, before either company had been assimilated by what is arguably now the largest entertainment conglomerate in the world.
This series apparently takes place immediately after the conclusion of the very first Star Wars film, otherwise titled Episode IV: A New Hope. The Death Star has just been destroyed, and the Rebel Alliance is looking to an even greater dent in the Galactic Empire's chokehold on the galaxy. This three-issue story arc features all of the rebel protagonists from that film, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2, on a mission to destroy an empire weapons factory. Things go awry when it turns out that Darth Vader is at the very same factory.
I never read any of the old Star Wars comics, but knowing that they were published, and trying to figure out where this particular episode fits in the scheme of nearly forty years of publication history is a bit of a headache, so I tried as best I could to appreciate the story on its own terms. It was a little awkward reading a contemporary story featuring characters that appeared in the 1970s, especially since Cassaday quite accurately captures the likenesses of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as they actually appeared in the first Star Wars movie. Han and Luke, in particular, look as if they've embarked on this mission immediately after the ceremony at the end of Episode IV, as their clothes are identical.
The good news, though is that once I got past the sense of something overly familiar I was able to enjoy the story, both for Aaron's script and for Cassaday's (and Martin's) eye-popping art. The highlight of Aaron's script is, of course the banter between Han and Princess Leia, but it is still, overall, a good read, though for all of the official trappings it still reads like very pretty fan fiction. In a sense, I suppose, it can be considered fan fiction considering that the authors are clearly quite fond of these characters and this world. Cassaday, pardon the pun, is the real draw here, and the fact that he's on this book augurs very well for this series in general; for the time being at least, Marvel is putting its big guns to work on its "Star Wars" line of comic books.
I was particularly entertained by temporal "mashup" of sorts in which Episode IV characters went around on speeder bikes (not introduced to the film world until Episode VI) and walkers (introduced in Episode V), as well as those floating tanks that were introduced in the prequels. Storywise, though, there's really precious little these three issues add to such a long-running, revered canon. It's not quite as engaging as the Disney's new ongoing animated series "Rebels" but the good news is that the potential for some interesting interstitial narrative is laid.
As a first effort, from creators who clearly have affection for this universe, this story isn't bad.
8/10
Monday, March 16, 2015
Oh S**t: A Review of "Spend," Episode 14 of Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" (SPOILERS GALORE)
directed by Jennifer Lynch
written by Matthew Negrete
THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER-FILLED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. ANYONE WISHING TO AVOID SPOILERS IS ADVISED TO AVOID READING IT
The rottenness of Alexandria is slowly exposed to Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group as it is revealed exactly what their secret to survival is: the willingness to abandon their own people in the name of self-preservation. This occurs on two separate occasions. In one, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) is assigned by Alexandria's community leader Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) to work on construction of the expansion of Alexandria's walls. During construction, the group are attacked by walkers, and in the ensuing firefight, their lookout, Francine (Dahlia Legault), is knocked from her perch by a stray bullet. To Abraham's surprise, the foreman, Tobin (Jason Douglas) orders his men to stand down instead of trying to save Francine. Abraham intervenes and inspires the other construction workers to help, to Tobin's embarrassment. It is later on Tobin's recommendation to Deanna that Abraham gets the job of foreman.
The second instance, however, is much more gruesome as Glenn (Steven Yeun) goes on a supply run with Noah (Tyler James Williams), Tara (Alanna Masterson), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Aiden (Daniel Bonjour) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor). In particular, they require replacement parts for their solar panels to keep the power grid running, so they head to a fairly large warehouse. There is an abundance of walkers in several areas in and around the warehouse, but the group is well-armed and reasonably careful, until Aiden, in dispatching a walker that was once a soldier, accidentally shoots a grenade on his body, causing an explosion in the warehouse, as a result of which all hell breaks loose. Tara is gravely wounded, Aiden is impaled and eventually eaten by the walkers, and in their efforts to escape, Glenn and Noah are abandoned by Nicholas, resulting in Noah's grisly death, which Glenn witnesses, horrified, from behind a revolving glass door. Eugene finds the courage his character has not had since he was introduced, and saves both Tara and the remainder of the group by running to get the van and distracting the walkers.
Meanwhile, Rick investigates the destruction of Jessie's (Alexandra Breckenridge) owl statue, while Carol (Melissa McBride) has an unexpected visitor in Sam (Major Dodson), Jessie's son, who caught Carol stealing guns from Alexandria's storage and whom Carol threatened to feed to walkers if he told. From her snippets of conversation with Sam, and a brief visit to his house in which Jessie's husband Pete (Corey Brill), refuses Carol's request to talk to Jessie, Carol deduces that Pete is beating Jessie and possibly Sam, and tells Rick he must kill him.
Meanwhile, Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) the Episcopalian minister whom the group saved from certain death at the beginning of the season, has a little heart-to-heart talk with Deanna in which he does not exactly have kind words for Rick and his group.
I haven't been this disturbed by a character's death since Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) killed her sister Mika (Kyla Kennedy) back in season 4. Noah's extremely graphic demise as he is ripped apart by walkers is arguably the most gruesome death that has befallen anyone who has belonged to Rick's group since the series began.
What makes Noah's death truly disturbing, though, is that even though the character has only been around for a few episodes, it really seemed as though the writers had plans for him, especially in view of the fact that Beth sacrificed her life for him. It also seemed as though Nicholas, the character whose cowardice and refusal to work together with Glenn in extricating them from the revolving door in which the three of them had found themselves trapped, was simply going to get his comeuppance and that would be that, so Noah's death felt a bit out of left field, thus adding to the shock. Even from a cynical standpoint I figured that, as a black man and one with a limp at that, Noah's days were always numbered, but I didn't figure they would kill him so soon, and so brutally. The actor who played him never even made it to the opening title crawl. He never even had a full-blown story arc.
Finally, a bit of the dialogue exchanges between Nicholas and Aiden, just before the group abandoned their futile attempts to pull him off the wreckage on which he had been impaled, disclosed that this was the way of Alexandria: to leave their own people behind. This was also reflected in Tobin's reaction to Francine's falling helpless into the midst of walkers. Noah was a victim of that very philosophy, and Glenn nearly was too. It was scarce gratification or consolation to see Glenn catch up with and beat up Nicholas as the latter tried to commandeer the van from Eugene, whose redemptive arc was probably the sole positive note in this unrelentingly bleak episode.
I wasn't angry at Noah's death, because unlike that of Beth and later, Tyreese, it didn't feel pointless or badly written, but I was genuinely, deeply shaken. I think it's to the writer's credit that I honestly could not feel the anger or disgust that punctuated my viewing of "What Happened and What's Going On" but actual shock and sadness.
Still, it's hard to blame the people furiously calling the show's writers racist. After all, three black men have been killed in the course of the season, and four "minority" characters given that Beth, as a woman, also occupied a position of somewhat less privilege than, say, Rick or Daryl (Norman Reedus). One writer even reportedly stated in an interview that Beth was killed to help Daryl develop as a character which, if true, makes them unbelievably crass. By betraying the group at the end of the episode, Father Gabriel has, I would think, basically marked himself for death, too, which would make him the fourth black man to die over sixteen episodes (though notably, he did something similar in the comics and is still around). If Morgan (Lennie James), who has been tailing Rick's group since he reappeared early in Season 5, finally joins up with them in Alexandria, he had better stay with them for a loooooong time.
Daryl makes a brief appearance in this episode, having settled into his new job as recruiter, but Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) are absent. They have their own running story lines brewing, and they are sure to come to a head in the two remaining episodes, especially considering that the last one will be ninety minutes long.
With two episodes left in the season, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. What is really going on between Pete and Jessie? Why does the reclusive teenager Enid (Katelyn Nacon) sneak out of Alexandria periodically, and what is she hiding? Who carved the "W" on the forehead of the walker Carol killed while she was meeting outside Alexandria with Rick and Daryl? Who was the group of psychopaths who cut the residents of Noah's decimated Atlanta community in half and left the zombified top halves stuffed in a truck? Who are the "Wolves?"
The answers to many, if not all of these questions will, if this episode is any indication, most likely be drenched in blood.
8.5/10
written by Matthew Negrete
THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER-FILLED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. ANYONE WISHING TO AVOID SPOILERS IS ADVISED TO AVOID READING IT
The rottenness of Alexandria is slowly exposed to Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group as it is revealed exactly what their secret to survival is: the willingness to abandon their own people in the name of self-preservation. This occurs on two separate occasions. In one, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) is assigned by Alexandria's community leader Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) to work on construction of the expansion of Alexandria's walls. During construction, the group are attacked by walkers, and in the ensuing firefight, their lookout, Francine (Dahlia Legault), is knocked from her perch by a stray bullet. To Abraham's surprise, the foreman, Tobin (Jason Douglas) orders his men to stand down instead of trying to save Francine. Abraham intervenes and inspires the other construction workers to help, to Tobin's embarrassment. It is later on Tobin's recommendation to Deanna that Abraham gets the job of foreman.
The second instance, however, is much more gruesome as Glenn (Steven Yeun) goes on a supply run with Noah (Tyler James Williams), Tara (Alanna Masterson), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Aiden (Daniel Bonjour) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor). In particular, they require replacement parts for their solar panels to keep the power grid running, so they head to a fairly large warehouse. There is an abundance of walkers in several areas in and around the warehouse, but the group is well-armed and reasonably careful, until Aiden, in dispatching a walker that was once a soldier, accidentally shoots a grenade on his body, causing an explosion in the warehouse, as a result of which all hell breaks loose. Tara is gravely wounded, Aiden is impaled and eventually eaten by the walkers, and in their efforts to escape, Glenn and Noah are abandoned by Nicholas, resulting in Noah's grisly death, which Glenn witnesses, horrified, from behind a revolving glass door. Eugene finds the courage his character has not had since he was introduced, and saves both Tara and the remainder of the group by running to get the van and distracting the walkers.
Meanwhile, Rick investigates the destruction of Jessie's (Alexandra Breckenridge) owl statue, while Carol (Melissa McBride) has an unexpected visitor in Sam (Major Dodson), Jessie's son, who caught Carol stealing guns from Alexandria's storage and whom Carol threatened to feed to walkers if he told. From her snippets of conversation with Sam, and a brief visit to his house in which Jessie's husband Pete (Corey Brill), refuses Carol's request to talk to Jessie, Carol deduces that Pete is beating Jessie and possibly Sam, and tells Rick he must kill him.
Meanwhile, Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) the Episcopalian minister whom the group saved from certain death at the beginning of the season, has a little heart-to-heart talk with Deanna in which he does not exactly have kind words for Rick and his group.
I haven't been this disturbed by a character's death since Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) killed her sister Mika (Kyla Kennedy) back in season 4. Noah's extremely graphic demise as he is ripped apart by walkers is arguably the most gruesome death that has befallen anyone who has belonged to Rick's group since the series began.
What makes Noah's death truly disturbing, though, is that even though the character has only been around for a few episodes, it really seemed as though the writers had plans for him, especially in view of the fact that Beth sacrificed her life for him. It also seemed as though Nicholas, the character whose cowardice and refusal to work together with Glenn in extricating them from the revolving door in which the three of them had found themselves trapped, was simply going to get his comeuppance and that would be that, so Noah's death felt a bit out of left field, thus adding to the shock. Even from a cynical standpoint I figured that, as a black man and one with a limp at that, Noah's days were always numbered, but I didn't figure they would kill him so soon, and so brutally. The actor who played him never even made it to the opening title crawl. He never even had a full-blown story arc.
Finally, a bit of the dialogue exchanges between Nicholas and Aiden, just before the group abandoned their futile attempts to pull him off the wreckage on which he had been impaled, disclosed that this was the way of Alexandria: to leave their own people behind. This was also reflected in Tobin's reaction to Francine's falling helpless into the midst of walkers. Noah was a victim of that very philosophy, and Glenn nearly was too. It was scarce gratification or consolation to see Glenn catch up with and beat up Nicholas as the latter tried to commandeer the van from Eugene, whose redemptive arc was probably the sole positive note in this unrelentingly bleak episode.
I wasn't angry at Noah's death, because unlike that of Beth and later, Tyreese, it didn't feel pointless or badly written, but I was genuinely, deeply shaken. I think it's to the writer's credit that I honestly could not feel the anger or disgust that punctuated my viewing of "What Happened and What's Going On" but actual shock and sadness.
Still, it's hard to blame the people furiously calling the show's writers racist. After all, three black men have been killed in the course of the season, and four "minority" characters given that Beth, as a woman, also occupied a position of somewhat less privilege than, say, Rick or Daryl (Norman Reedus). One writer even reportedly stated in an interview that Beth was killed to help Daryl develop as a character which, if true, makes them unbelievably crass. By betraying the group at the end of the episode, Father Gabriel has, I would think, basically marked himself for death, too, which would make him the fourth black man to die over sixteen episodes (though notably, he did something similar in the comics and is still around). If Morgan (Lennie James), who has been tailing Rick's group since he reappeared early in Season 5, finally joins up with them in Alexandria, he had better stay with them for a loooooong time.
Daryl makes a brief appearance in this episode, having settled into his new job as recruiter, but Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) are absent. They have their own running story lines brewing, and they are sure to come to a head in the two remaining episodes, especially considering that the last one will be ninety minutes long.
With two episodes left in the season, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. What is really going on between Pete and Jessie? Why does the reclusive teenager Enid (Katelyn Nacon) sneak out of Alexandria periodically, and what is she hiding? Who carved the "W" on the forehead of the walker Carol killed while she was meeting outside Alexandria with Rick and Daryl? Who was the group of psychopaths who cut the residents of Noah's decimated Atlanta community in half and left the zombified top halves stuffed in a truck? Who are the "Wolves?"
The answers to many, if not all of these questions will, if this episode is any indication, most likely be drenched in blood.
8.5/10
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
The Order of the Day: Sexual Tension (A Review of "Forget," Episode 13 of Season 5 of "The Walking Dead") (mild spoilers)
directed by David Boyd
written by Corey Reed
After several episodes on the road, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors still find themselves trying to settle into Alexandria. Community leader Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) invites them all to a party. Aaron (Ross Marquand) reaches out to Daryl (Norman Reedus) the one member of the group who adamantly refuses to mingle, while the two of them are out hunting. Rick dispatches Carol (Melissa McBride), who has effectively packaged herself as harmless, to find out where the Alexandria folk have hidden their guns and sneak out a few, which she does, and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) who has lost both her boyfriend Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) and her brother Tyreese (Chad Coleman) in the course of the season, still grapples with her grief and rage. There's a little bit of walker-slicing action here as Daryl and Aaron attempt to tame a wild horse, only to run afoul of several of the undead.
This episode had a slightly more relaxed vibe than the last one. There was none of the hostility that marked the last episode, such as the late scuffle between Glenn and the self-appointed alpha male Aiden Monroe (Daniel Bonjour), though Rick's secret "council of leaders" meeting with Daryl and Carol, and her consequent gun-retrieval errand shows that the group are far from relaxed.
The bigger surprise, actually was the sexual tension aspect that played out over the show.
The more overt manifestation was when a slightly inebriated Rick stealing a kiss on the cheek from the married Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), who seems more than willing to reciprocate the brewing affection. This basically continues a narrative thread subtly opened during the last episode when the very-friendly Jessie greeted Rick with supplies and cut his hair. The somewhat frosty interaction between Rick and Jessie's husband Pete (Corey Brill) later that episode seemed to set the tone for things to come, and this episode takes things a bit further. Readers of the comic book series may recognize this particular plot thread and recall how it plays out, though of course the show is often pretty well-known from deviating substantially from the comics. What I found more interesting was that basically the show's writers seem to have no qualms about casting Rick as the wife-stealing bad guy in this scenario. While I'm willing to cut Rick some slack given what he's been through and the probable fact that he hasn't had any sex whatsoever since his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) was killed off several seasons ago, I can't help but wonder how far from grace the show's writers are willing to let him fall.
Perhaps even more interesting, however, is the dynamic between Daryl and, of all people, Aaron, with whom he spent majority of this episode. Aaron spends most of that time trying his best to connect with the distant, hostile Daryl. From his Aaron's openly expressed admiration for Daryl's skills as a tracker, to his act of inviting him to join him and his lover Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) for spaghetti dinner, to his act of gifting Daryl with a motorcycle, to finally, his act of offering Daryl a job as Alexandria's new recruiter, it seems pretty clear that, at the very least, Aaron is interested in sparking a friendship with Daryl. Call me malicious, though, but I cannot help but wonder if there's something more to it than that, at least on Aaron's part. He would be the second new character apparently willing to two-time their longtime companion, though his union with Eric seems a rather happy one, in contrast to Jessie's somewhat strained marriage to Pete.
Romantic implications aside, though, Daryl's budding friendship with Aaron, platonic or otherwise, may nonetheless have a direct impact on how things unfold in the remainder of the season. Rick and Carol remain cautious as ever, and when the two of them and Daryl congregate outside the walls of Alexandria and Carol hands out the guns she has filched from storage, Daryl turns down the one offered to him. This represents a seismic shift in his character; from the least open, most suspicious member of the group, almost overnight Daryl has turned into the one of the most eager to embrace his new life without reservation. I'm not criticizing the writers for this; I think it's a bold move and I hope it pays off well. It really helps that Daryl does not exist in the comics because now there's no telling where his story could eventually go. I used to think that killing him was one of the most important things the show could do with his character but now that the show has opened up the possibility of him turning against his longtime traveling companions, I realize that there are so many other possibilities.
And then there's the mystery of the walker Carol shot outside Alexandria with the letter "w" carved into its forehead, something which will no doubt figure when the season reaches its climax.
As the fifth season nears its end I realize that the show has settled into a routine of sorts; every season-ender is punctuated by violent upheaval or something truly terrifying. Season one ended with the destruction of the center for disease control, season two ended with the destruction of Hershel's farm, season three ended with the destruction of the prison, and season four ended with the group being held captive by cannibals, and only because, at the time, the group didn't have a home or base of operations to destroy. What makes things interesting after all this time is observing the permutations and watching how things will play out once the climax rolls around.
The problem is, though, that time around, though, the show's writers have squandered quite a bit of the "shock value" of any of the deaths, with three important character deaths in the course of the season, two of which felt utterly pointless. This could blunt the impact of any lives that may be taken at the all-important season climax, unless some really important lives are taken.
Still, I must credit them for managing to build up some real tension for the finale in three weeks' time.
Dan dan daaaaaaan....
8.8/10
written by Corey Reed
After several episodes on the road, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors still find themselves trying to settle into Alexandria. Community leader Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) invites them all to a party. Aaron (Ross Marquand) reaches out to Daryl (Norman Reedus) the one member of the group who adamantly refuses to mingle, while the two of them are out hunting. Rick dispatches Carol (Melissa McBride), who has effectively packaged herself as harmless, to find out where the Alexandria folk have hidden their guns and sneak out a few, which she does, and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) who has lost both her boyfriend Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) and her brother Tyreese (Chad Coleman) in the course of the season, still grapples with her grief and rage. There's a little bit of walker-slicing action here as Daryl and Aaron attempt to tame a wild horse, only to run afoul of several of the undead.
This episode had a slightly more relaxed vibe than the last one. There was none of the hostility that marked the last episode, such as the late scuffle between Glenn and the self-appointed alpha male Aiden Monroe (Daniel Bonjour), though Rick's secret "council of leaders" meeting with Daryl and Carol, and her consequent gun-retrieval errand shows that the group are far from relaxed.
The bigger surprise, actually was the sexual tension aspect that played out over the show.
The more overt manifestation was when a slightly inebriated Rick stealing a kiss on the cheek from the married Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), who seems more than willing to reciprocate the brewing affection. This basically continues a narrative thread subtly opened during the last episode when the very-friendly Jessie greeted Rick with supplies and cut his hair. The somewhat frosty interaction between Rick and Jessie's husband Pete (Corey Brill) later that episode seemed to set the tone for things to come, and this episode takes things a bit further. Readers of the comic book series may recognize this particular plot thread and recall how it plays out, though of course the show is often pretty well-known from deviating substantially from the comics. What I found more interesting was that basically the show's writers seem to have no qualms about casting Rick as the wife-stealing bad guy in this scenario. While I'm willing to cut Rick some slack given what he's been through and the probable fact that he hasn't had any sex whatsoever since his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) was killed off several seasons ago, I can't help but wonder how far from grace the show's writers are willing to let him fall.
Perhaps even more interesting, however, is the dynamic between Daryl and, of all people, Aaron, with whom he spent majority of this episode. Aaron spends most of that time trying his best to connect with the distant, hostile Daryl. From his Aaron's openly expressed admiration for Daryl's skills as a tracker, to his act of inviting him to join him and his lover Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) for spaghetti dinner, to his act of gifting Daryl with a motorcycle, to finally, his act of offering Daryl a job as Alexandria's new recruiter, it seems pretty clear that, at the very least, Aaron is interested in sparking a friendship with Daryl. Call me malicious, though, but I cannot help but wonder if there's something more to it than that, at least on Aaron's part. He would be the second new character apparently willing to two-time their longtime companion, though his union with Eric seems a rather happy one, in contrast to Jessie's somewhat strained marriage to Pete.
Romantic implications aside, though, Daryl's budding friendship with Aaron, platonic or otherwise, may nonetheless have a direct impact on how things unfold in the remainder of the season. Rick and Carol remain cautious as ever, and when the two of them and Daryl congregate outside the walls of Alexandria and Carol hands out the guns she has filched from storage, Daryl turns down the one offered to him. This represents a seismic shift in his character; from the least open, most suspicious member of the group, almost overnight Daryl has turned into the one of the most eager to embrace his new life without reservation. I'm not criticizing the writers for this; I think it's a bold move and I hope it pays off well. It really helps that Daryl does not exist in the comics because now there's no telling where his story could eventually go. I used to think that killing him was one of the most important things the show could do with his character but now that the show has opened up the possibility of him turning against his longtime traveling companions, I realize that there are so many other possibilities.
And then there's the mystery of the walker Carol shot outside Alexandria with the letter "w" carved into its forehead, something which will no doubt figure when the season reaches its climax.
As the fifth season nears its end I realize that the show has settled into a routine of sorts; every season-ender is punctuated by violent upheaval or something truly terrifying. Season one ended with the destruction of the center for disease control, season two ended with the destruction of Hershel's farm, season three ended with the destruction of the prison, and season four ended with the group being held captive by cannibals, and only because, at the time, the group didn't have a home or base of operations to destroy. What makes things interesting after all this time is observing the permutations and watching how things will play out once the climax rolls around.
The problem is, though, that time around, though, the show's writers have squandered quite a bit of the "shock value" of any of the deaths, with three important character deaths in the course of the season, two of which felt utterly pointless. This could blunt the impact of any lives that may be taken at the all-important season climax, unless some really important lives are taken.
Still, I must credit them for managing to build up some real tension for the finale in three weeks' time.
Dan dan daaaaaaan....
8.8/10
Saturday, March 7, 2015
A Review of "Remember" Episode 12 of The Walking Dead Season 5
directed by Greg Nicotero
written by Channing Powell
This episode, Alexandria is introduced in earnest as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the other survivors are welcomed into Aaron's community. Of course, given the succession of hellish experiences Rick's group has endured since the governor destroyed the prison back in season 4, it's perfectly understandable that they have trouble assimilating into a new community, but they all know they need this, and it is this underlying knowledge, helped along by the patient prodding of community leader and former Congresswoman Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh), that spurs them to give it the old college try.
Monroe has thought of everything for them; housing, "stress debriefing" in the form of taped interviews, and jobs. Carl (Chandler Rigg) meets kids his own age, and tries to be a "normal kid" again. Carol (Melissa McBride), during her interview, keeps quiet about her violent, warrior-woman life and packages herself more as a den mother, which results in her getting a job as a caregiver for old people. Glenn (Steven Yeun) gets recruited to go on supply runs by Monroe's son, Aiden (Daniel Bonjour), and Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are offered jobs as the community's police officers. Rick even finally shaves himself and gets a haircut from a comely resident named Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), who, it is disclosed later in the episode, happens to be married.
Daryl (Norman Reedus) remains aloof and on edge.
Settling down proves difficult, however. Carl is restless, and voices concern to his father than living there could make them weak. Glenn's supply run with Aiden sours quite quickly when Aiden's "pre-game" ritual, which involves chaining up walkers and tormenting them, nearly costs Tara (Alanna Masterson)her life and which ends with Glenn getting into a brief scuffle with Aiden, ultimately getting the better of him, and with Daryl getting involved in the fight as well against Aiden's lieutenant. Rick breaks it all up, though.
Out of caution, the entire group sleeps in the same house despite being offered two very large houses to sleep in. In the end, though Monroe respects Rick's decisions, but that doesn't make him any less wary of what could happen.
What impressed me about the writing of this show was how efficiently writer Channing Powell sets up what is certain to be a hell of a season finale, it strikes me that not a single minute here is wasted on the extended conversations that have irked enough people over the years to earn this show the nickname "The Talking Dead." Every conversation leads to something. Every moment of silence is pregnant with possibility. The show's writers have laid their cards on the table, and are clearly setting up a doozy of a season finale. It strikes me that there is no "bait and switch" here like there was in Season 4, when the beacon of hope that was Terminus turned out to be another nightmare; it's fairly clear that the crap is going to hit the fan, and soon.
What I particularly liked about this season was how it focused on the "core group" or the Season 1 vets and Michonne. The more obvious indicator of this is that it's only the season 1 veterans (and Michonne) whose video interviews are played throughout the episode, though one presumes they all went through the process. It also hews fairly closely to the comic book version of this story, though Deanna Monroe was originally Douglas, and a couple of characters were a little different (and Andrea, unlike her televised counterpart, was still alive). It's indicative of how important that story was to the group that the people behind the show endeavored to reproduce those scenes as faithfully as possible.
Of course, Daryl Dixon remains the wildcard here, not having been part of that story at all. I've already said my piece on how important I think Daryl Dixon's death could be to this series, but if the show runners are ready to pull (or have already pulled) that particular trigger, they aren't letting anything on right now.
I don't know what's coming in the last few episodes of this season, but to my mind "Remember" does a hell of a job setting us up for a wham bang finale.
8.8/10
written by Channing Powell
This episode, Alexandria is introduced in earnest as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the other survivors are welcomed into Aaron's community. Of course, given the succession of hellish experiences Rick's group has endured since the governor destroyed the prison back in season 4, it's perfectly understandable that they have trouble assimilating into a new community, but they all know they need this, and it is this underlying knowledge, helped along by the patient prodding of community leader and former Congresswoman Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh), that spurs them to give it the old college try.
Monroe has thought of everything for them; housing, "stress debriefing" in the form of taped interviews, and jobs. Carl (Chandler Rigg) meets kids his own age, and tries to be a "normal kid" again. Carol (Melissa McBride), during her interview, keeps quiet about her violent, warrior-woman life and packages herself more as a den mother, which results in her getting a job as a caregiver for old people. Glenn (Steven Yeun) gets recruited to go on supply runs by Monroe's son, Aiden (Daniel Bonjour), and Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are offered jobs as the community's police officers. Rick even finally shaves himself and gets a haircut from a comely resident named Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), who, it is disclosed later in the episode, happens to be married.
Daryl (Norman Reedus) remains aloof and on edge.
Settling down proves difficult, however. Carl is restless, and voices concern to his father than living there could make them weak. Glenn's supply run with Aiden sours quite quickly when Aiden's "pre-game" ritual, which involves chaining up walkers and tormenting them, nearly costs Tara (Alanna Masterson)her life and which ends with Glenn getting into a brief scuffle with Aiden, ultimately getting the better of him, and with Daryl getting involved in the fight as well against Aiden's lieutenant. Rick breaks it all up, though.
Out of caution, the entire group sleeps in the same house despite being offered two very large houses to sleep in. In the end, though Monroe respects Rick's decisions, but that doesn't make him any less wary of what could happen.
What impressed me about the writing of this show was how efficiently writer Channing Powell sets up what is certain to be a hell of a season finale, it strikes me that not a single minute here is wasted on the extended conversations that have irked enough people over the years to earn this show the nickname "The Talking Dead." Every conversation leads to something. Every moment of silence is pregnant with possibility. The show's writers have laid their cards on the table, and are clearly setting up a doozy of a season finale. It strikes me that there is no "bait and switch" here like there was in Season 4, when the beacon of hope that was Terminus turned out to be another nightmare; it's fairly clear that the crap is going to hit the fan, and soon.
What I particularly liked about this season was how it focused on the "core group" or the Season 1 vets and Michonne. The more obvious indicator of this is that it's only the season 1 veterans (and Michonne) whose video interviews are played throughout the episode, though one presumes they all went through the process. It also hews fairly closely to the comic book version of this story, though Deanna Monroe was originally Douglas, and a couple of characters were a little different (and Andrea, unlike her televised counterpart, was still alive). It's indicative of how important that story was to the group that the people behind the show endeavored to reproduce those scenes as faithfully as possible.
Of course, Daryl Dixon remains the wildcard here, not having been part of that story at all. I've already said my piece on how important I think Daryl Dixon's death could be to this series, but if the show runners are ready to pull (or have already pulled) that particular trigger, they aren't letting anything on right now.
I don't know what's coming in the last few episodes of this season, but to my mind "Remember" does a hell of a job setting us up for a wham bang finale.
8.8/10
Friday, March 6, 2015
A Late Review of "The Distance" or Episode 11 of "The Walking Dead" Season 5
directed by Larysa Kondracki
written by Seth Hoffman
As I write this, I have already seen Episode 13 of "The Walking Dead," but I was so pleased with what I saw that I feel I have to weigh in before moving on to the next episode, or to just do a "two for one" review.
Following the survivors' harrowing experience of wandering for days without transportation, food or water, they again find themselves facing hope once more as the mysterious Aaron (Ross Marquand) comes to them, offering them sanctuary in a community that he swears is safe and sustainable. Having been burned by one unfortunate experience after another with fellow human beings, however, Rick and his group exercise utmost caution, with Rick himself knocking Aaron out while he's making his initial pitch for the group to join his community, and then having Aaron tied up while his group checks out Aaron's claims of having a vehicle big enough for all of them. Later the group tries driving to the camp, using a road other than the one Aaron claims is cleared of walkers, and things go disastrously wrong.
After being bitterly disappointed with the mid-season premiere, I was glad to see an episode as well-written as this one, which is focused primarily on Rick and which draws on all of the years of his character's experience to inform his decisions and his extremely cautious approach to a new situation . My irritation with the episode that turned out to be Tyreese's swansong was how his death was basically brought about by uncharacteristic, badly-written carelessness. Here, Rick is in full-on paranoid mode, which is somewhat understandable considering that it was not too long ago that a place he and his group believed to be friendly and welcoming turned out to be a den of cannibals.
The effectiveness of the writing, though, is down to how well Aaron is presented, helped along by a very sympathetic performance by Marquand. As a viewer, I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, and wanted to hate Rick for his antagonistic attitude...but I couldn't. That was the triumph of this episode; everything Rick's people did was informed by their harsh experience, and it was therefore impossible to blame them for thinking the way they did. At the same time, while a less effective script or performance would have made it easy to dismiss Aaron's promises as yet another too-good-to-be-true utopia, this script, ably realized by Marquand's well-nuanced performance, really sold his pitch effectively.
Time will tell if Aaron's community is the haven he says it is, and if the comics are any basis things will get a whole lot worse before they get better, but whatever happens I am grateful for this episode, which set up the introduction of Alexandria quite effectively.
8/10
written by Seth Hoffman
As I write this, I have already seen Episode 13 of "The Walking Dead," but I was so pleased with what I saw that I feel I have to weigh in before moving on to the next episode, or to just do a "two for one" review.
Following the survivors' harrowing experience of wandering for days without transportation, food or water, they again find themselves facing hope once more as the mysterious Aaron (Ross Marquand) comes to them, offering them sanctuary in a community that he swears is safe and sustainable. Having been burned by one unfortunate experience after another with fellow human beings, however, Rick and his group exercise utmost caution, with Rick himself knocking Aaron out while he's making his initial pitch for the group to join his community, and then having Aaron tied up while his group checks out Aaron's claims of having a vehicle big enough for all of them. Later the group tries driving to the camp, using a road other than the one Aaron claims is cleared of walkers, and things go disastrously wrong.
After being bitterly disappointed with the mid-season premiere, I was glad to see an episode as well-written as this one, which is focused primarily on Rick and which draws on all of the years of his character's experience to inform his decisions and his extremely cautious approach to a new situation . My irritation with the episode that turned out to be Tyreese's swansong was how his death was basically brought about by uncharacteristic, badly-written carelessness. Here, Rick is in full-on paranoid mode, which is somewhat understandable considering that it was not too long ago that a place he and his group believed to be friendly and welcoming turned out to be a den of cannibals.
The effectiveness of the writing, though, is down to how well Aaron is presented, helped along by a very sympathetic performance by Marquand. As a viewer, I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, and wanted to hate Rick for his antagonistic attitude...but I couldn't. That was the triumph of this episode; everything Rick's people did was informed by their harsh experience, and it was therefore impossible to blame them for thinking the way they did. At the same time, while a less effective script or performance would have made it easy to dismiss Aaron's promises as yet another too-good-to-be-true utopia, this script, ably realized by Marquand's well-nuanced performance, really sold his pitch effectively.
Time will tell if Aaron's community is the haven he says it is, and if the comics are any basis things will get a whole lot worse before they get better, but whatever happens I am grateful for this episode, which set up the introduction of Alexandria quite effectively.
8/10
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
A Review of The Walking Dead, Season 5, Episode 10: "Them" (Mild Spoilers)
written by Heather Bellson
directed by Julius Ramsay
After last week's infuriating mid-season debut, last night's episode of the top-rating zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead slowed things down a bit with an episode that, for the first time in a long time, had the group dealing with issues like hunger, thirst and lack of shelter, as they are forced to walk after their vehicles break down. Still reeling from a succession of shocking deaths, namely those of Bob (Laurence Gilliard Jr.), Beth (Emily Kinney) and Tyreese (Chad Coleman), the group of survivors, in particular Tyreese's sister and Bob's girlfriend Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), Beth's sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) who spent much of season four wandering around with Beth, begin to feel the emotional burden of their collective physical and emotional ordeal, and the ties that bind them become increasingly strained. Suddenly, they are no longer just threatened by walkers or rival humans but by the lack of basic needs for survival, and later, by the elements.
I made no secret of how I felt about last week's episode, which, for all its artsy-fartsy trappings, was basically a sloppily-written kill-off episode. While this new episode is far from my favorite work from the series' creators, for me it improves over the last one in terms of writing, by pitting the characters against the elements and lack of supplies for the first time since, well, possibly, ever. Rick and his group have always been able to find supplies, shelter and provisions with relative ease, even in the tumultuous post-prison episodes that saw the group scattered. Even the late Gareth (Andrew J. West), of the Terminus cannibals, pointedly said to Rick, just before the latter hacked him to death, that he looked like he had never been hungry. Well, this episode changes that, although the writers bail the characters out at the last minute.
There are quite a few "talking dead" moments throughout the narrative, which threaten the overall pacing of the episode at some points, but the good news is that the episode is still chock-full of walkers, especially since the crew spends most of their time out in the open. It was fun to hear Andrew Lincoln's Rick finally say the title of the show after five long years.
All told, however, while the episode does have a few things to say about grief, optimism and the ties that bind (and what can weaken them), I couldn't shake the feeling that it was basically a placeholder of sorts, something to keep the characters busy while the writers set up the next big story arc which, as far as I can tell, officially begins at the very end of the episode.
After the nail-biting cliffhanger of Season 4 led to a season that, to me, has been one disappointment after another, I truly hope this bodes well for my favorite crew of apocalypse survivors.
7/10
Monday, February 9, 2015
A Review of "What Happened and What's Going On" Episode 9 of "The Walking Dead" Season 5 (SPOILER ALERT)
written by Scott Gimple
directed by Greg Nicotero
How do you follow one truly pointless, gratuitous character killing? With another one, only this time, target the most predictable target for extinction, a narrative cliche so old it was a running joke in movies and television years even before they invented the internet meme.
Rick Grimes's (Andrew Lincoln) crew splits up with Rick, Tyreese, Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Glenn (Steven Yeun) taking Noah (Tyler James Williams), the nurse whom the late Beth (Emily Kinney) saved from captivity in the Atlanta hospital before her death, back to his community, which, they hope, could be a safe haven for them as well. Unfortunately, it has been overrun, apparently by other humans, who have left a trail of death and destruction in their wake, leaving Noah despondent. Rick, Michonne and Glenn begin to forage for supplies, while Tyreese attempts to console Noah, who then runs to his house to see what has become of his family. Predictably, they find nothing but death. Curiously, Tyreese, after seeing the shadow of a walker in the house, suddenly and rather inexplicably finds himself transfixed by pictures of Noah's twin brothers, one of whom is lying dead and eviscerated on the bed.
(Spoiler alert)
He then gets bitten by the other twin, just before Noah destroys what was once his brother. Tyreese gets sick, has visions/hallucinations of the ghosts of past characters, then dies.
Yup. They went and killed the black guy.
To be more accurate, they killed off the show's longest running black guy, and the second one this season, after Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) died earlier this season. I'd be offended if I wasn't so amused. It feels particularly insulting that they killed them almost right after they introduced two new black characters, namely the aforementioned Noah, and an Episcopalian priest named Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam)...almost as if they were replaced. It's like some guy wrote on Twitter: lose a n***a, gain a n***a.
Tyreese was at the heart of some very interesting story threads in this show. His arc, in which he forgave Carol (Melissa McBride) for having killed his girlfriend in the prison back in season 3, was incredibly moving, and the moment he forgave her was the lone bright spot of the unrelentingly dark episode "The Grove" back in season 4. For me, "The Grove" will go down as one of the series' best-written episodes ever, and while Tyreese's death does nothing to change that, I really feel that a character who participated in an episode that important deserved a far better sendoff than this poor excuse for an episode. It would have made more sense had he been killed in a melee with a rival group of humans, especially considering that he wasn't willing to kill any.
Instead, in defiance of all character logic, he allows himself to be distracted in a house where he's ALREADY spotted a walker's shadow, and as a result gets bitten. This is a veteran of two and a half seasons; such carelessness on his part is unforgivably sloppy by the writers. The idiocy of his carelessness is highlighted by the fact that he tells Noah that he will enter the house first, and exercises utmost caution. He lets his guard down for...what? A picture of two kids he's never even met? Was it because they were black? Could this episode have been written any worse?
Considering my last post was about the only death that would really matter to this show, I find myself highly disappointed that the show's writers went for one of the easiest, most obvious targets imaginable, namely the black guy who refused to kill people (humans, that is, not walkers).
I don't care how many dead characters made cameo appearances to "welcome" Tyreese into the afterlife. In fact, I'm even pissed that the writers didn't even think of bringing back Tyreese's dead girlfriend Karen (Melissa Ponzio) for this gratuitous cameo sequence. I don't care if the governor (David Morrissey) showed up again. I don't care if Tyreese's ticket was long overdue for punching. This episode still felt like some shockingly lazy, perfunctory writing, and conjures up images of white guys in suits making the creative decisions.
(End spoiler alert)
There's nice, artsy shot selection and some pleasant, wistful, rustic music playing throughout the episode, which gives it a bittersweet tone. The actors involved pretty much give this episode everything they've got. There are generous helpings of walkers.
I normally appreciate little touches like this. However, this time, none of these things could prevent this episode from leaving a truly terrible taste in my mouth.
4/10
directed by Greg Nicotero
How do you follow one truly pointless, gratuitous character killing? With another one, only this time, target the most predictable target for extinction, a narrative cliche so old it was a running joke in movies and television years even before they invented the internet meme.
Rick Grimes's (Andrew Lincoln) crew splits up with Rick, Tyreese, Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Glenn (Steven Yeun) taking Noah (Tyler James Williams), the nurse whom the late Beth (Emily Kinney) saved from captivity in the Atlanta hospital before her death, back to his community, which, they hope, could be a safe haven for them as well. Unfortunately, it has been overrun, apparently by other humans, who have left a trail of death and destruction in their wake, leaving Noah despondent. Rick, Michonne and Glenn begin to forage for supplies, while Tyreese attempts to console Noah, who then runs to his house to see what has become of his family. Predictably, they find nothing but death. Curiously, Tyreese, after seeing the shadow of a walker in the house, suddenly and rather inexplicably finds himself transfixed by pictures of Noah's twin brothers, one of whom is lying dead and eviscerated on the bed.
(Spoiler alert)
He then gets bitten by the other twin, just before Noah destroys what was once his brother. Tyreese gets sick, has visions/hallucinations of the ghosts of past characters, then dies.
Yup. They went and killed the black guy.
To be more accurate, they killed off the show's longest running black guy, and the second one this season, after Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) died earlier this season. I'd be offended if I wasn't so amused. It feels particularly insulting that they killed them almost right after they introduced two new black characters, namely the aforementioned Noah, and an Episcopalian priest named Fr. Gabriel (Seth Gilliam)...almost as if they were replaced. It's like some guy wrote on Twitter: lose a n***a, gain a n***a.
Tyreese was at the heart of some very interesting story threads in this show. His arc, in which he forgave Carol (Melissa McBride) for having killed his girlfriend in the prison back in season 3, was incredibly moving, and the moment he forgave her was the lone bright spot of the unrelentingly dark episode "The Grove" back in season 4. For me, "The Grove" will go down as one of the series' best-written episodes ever, and while Tyreese's death does nothing to change that, I really feel that a character who participated in an episode that important deserved a far better sendoff than this poor excuse for an episode. It would have made more sense had he been killed in a melee with a rival group of humans, especially considering that he wasn't willing to kill any.
Instead, in defiance of all character logic, he allows himself to be distracted in a house where he's ALREADY spotted a walker's shadow, and as a result gets bitten. This is a veteran of two and a half seasons; such carelessness on his part is unforgivably sloppy by the writers. The idiocy of his carelessness is highlighted by the fact that he tells Noah that he will enter the house first, and exercises utmost caution. He lets his guard down for...what? A picture of two kids he's never even met? Was it because they were black? Could this episode have been written any worse?
Considering my last post was about the only death that would really matter to this show, I find myself highly disappointed that the show's writers went for one of the easiest, most obvious targets imaginable, namely the black guy who refused to kill people (humans, that is, not walkers).
I don't care how many dead characters made cameo appearances to "welcome" Tyreese into the afterlife. In fact, I'm even pissed that the writers didn't even think of bringing back Tyreese's dead girlfriend Karen (Melissa Ponzio) for this gratuitous cameo sequence. I don't care if the governor (David Morrissey) showed up again. I don't care if Tyreese's ticket was long overdue for punching. This episode still felt like some shockingly lazy, perfunctory writing, and conjures up images of white guys in suits making the creative decisions.
(End spoiler alert)
There's nice, artsy shot selection and some pleasant, wistful, rustic music playing throughout the episode, which gives it a bittersweet tone. The actors involved pretty much give this episode everything they've got. There are generous helpings of walkers.
I normally appreciate little touches like this. However, this time, none of these things could prevent this episode from leaving a truly terrible taste in my mouth.
4/10
Two-For-One: A Review of Daredevil #11 and #12
written by Mark Waid
drawn by Chris Samnee
My favorite creative team working in comics today does it again.
After tangling with a more "classic" villain in the last story arc, Daredevil finds himself dealing with a somewhat different threat in this two-issue story: a motorcycle-riding showboat named Stuntmaster. The problem arises when the original Stuntmaster, George Smith, approaches Matt Murdock and asks him to sue the man currently wearing the costume, who has the backing of a wealthy pharmaceutical company. The problem is that George has no cause of action, given that he sold the rights to the Stuntmaster character several years before. Matt has no choice but to tell George the truth, until he hears that George has killed himself. Matt, as Daredevil, then decides to take the fight to Stuntmaster, who has called him out to perform a very dangerous stunt on the Golden Gate bridge. Things, however, are not quite what they seem...
These two issues weren't quite the home-run for me that the Purple Man storyline was, but they still hit the spot. The first issue is mainly spent setting up the big confrontation for the second, but the payoff is pretty handsome as we get to see Daredevil engaging in quite a few feats of derring-do, like jumping off a bridge and even driving a convertible with his billy clubs while standing up. I think it was Chris Samnee who made a cameo as the driver of the Dodge Charger convertible that DD commandeers.
The story also feels like a bit of filler, given that Waid's already set up a pretty big storyline involving longtime DD villain the Owl, but it's a welcome break from what, if the promotional materials are any indication, looks to be yet another major shakeup for the character. Something to cleanse the palate, so to speak.
I confess, I'm a little worried about this whole impending "Marvel reboot" business because of the implications it might have for this title. Still, Waid and Samnee have had a good, long run on this book even prior to the renumbering, so if they decide to move on, I'm grateful for the exceptional stories they've given for the last three years.
I look forward with bated breath to DD's climactic confrontation with the now supercharged Owl!
8.1/10
drawn by Chris Samnee
My favorite creative team working in comics today does it again.
After tangling with a more "classic" villain in the last story arc, Daredevil finds himself dealing with a somewhat different threat in this two-issue story: a motorcycle-riding showboat named Stuntmaster. The problem arises when the original Stuntmaster, George Smith, approaches Matt Murdock and asks him to sue the man currently wearing the costume, who has the backing of a wealthy pharmaceutical company. The problem is that George has no cause of action, given that he sold the rights to the Stuntmaster character several years before. Matt has no choice but to tell George the truth, until he hears that George has killed himself. Matt, as Daredevil, then decides to take the fight to Stuntmaster, who has called him out to perform a very dangerous stunt on the Golden Gate bridge. Things, however, are not quite what they seem...
These two issues weren't quite the home-run for me that the Purple Man storyline was, but they still hit the spot. The first issue is mainly spent setting up the big confrontation for the second, but the payoff is pretty handsome as we get to see Daredevil engaging in quite a few feats of derring-do, like jumping off a bridge and even driving a convertible with his billy clubs while standing up. I think it was Chris Samnee who made a cameo as the driver of the Dodge Charger convertible that DD commandeers.
The story also feels like a bit of filler, given that Waid's already set up a pretty big storyline involving longtime DD villain the Owl, but it's a welcome break from what, if the promotional materials are any indication, looks to be yet another major shakeup for the character. Something to cleanse the palate, so to speak.
I confess, I'm a little worried about this whole impending "Marvel reboot" business because of the implications it might have for this title. Still, Waid and Samnee have had a good, long run on this book even prior to the renumbering, so if they decide to move on, I'm grateful for the exceptional stories they've given for the last three years.
I look forward with bated breath to DD's climactic confrontation with the now supercharged Owl!
8.1/10
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