Harley Quinn, Volume 3: Welcome to Metropolis

It's just too hot to be in Gotham right now. So Harley and Poison Ivy hightail it to Metropolis! If they're going to make it big in Superman's hometown, they've got to find a place to live, find jobs, and even make friends, like Jimmy Olsen and Bizarro!

Then Harley Quinn finds herself in the hottest water imaginable when she awakes in Hell. It's okay. This isn't a spoiler since the back of the book talks about Harley's final destination. 

A very interesting collection of stories. Many years ago, I saw a Bizarro Harley Quinn action figure and thought to myself that DC will do anything to sell action figures. Little did I know, that the Bizarro-Harley was taken from an actual comic! Okay, maybe this one was a spoiler. But these books are nearly 15 years old now!

Another interesting aspect of this volume is for an early 2000s book there is a frank depiction and defense of homosexuality. It's not something I have a problem with in this book. It's just how bent out of shape people are on social media about gays in comic books nowadays. Even though I wasn't actively collecting or reading comics at the time these Harley Quinn comics were being released new, I really do not recall people losing their minds over the same-sexual content of this series. 

Maybe I missed something. Well, there is one thing I miss- the utter civility of comic book fans, new and old in 2000-2005. 

Another great addition into the Harley Quinn mythos, though I wasn't so fond of the J'onn J'onnz storyline. It just didn't seem to fit. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Radioactive Man: A Radioactive Repository, Volume One

As a fan of the Simpsons comic books, I've come across a couple of single issues of Radioactive Man. I had noticed that some issues were numbered really high, like in the 6 and 700s. I thought it was quite odd as the Simpson title hadn't even hit the 200s yet (at the time.)

Well, at a recent library graphic novel rummage sale, I found this issue for just a few dollars and I ended up getting my answer about the high numbers. See in the Simpson universe, Radioactive Man has been going on since the 1940s. The books are published by Bongo Comics. In a unique art becomes life way, the real Bongo Comics issued several issues of Radioactive Man classic releases as they would have appeared on the shelf of the Kwik-E Mart.

The issues were from different decades of the history of Radioactive Man, going all the way to his 1940s origin to the swinging 60s and onto the grim 90s. To make the release of these books complete, Bongo went on to collect those issues as well as add in a few extras to create this compendium of the most important chapters in the life of Radioactive Man and his sidekick, Fallout Boy!

This book goes so far as to have the great Paul Dini (creator of Harley Quinn) to pen a forward about the history of how Radioactive Man came to be and his extensive run on stage, screen, and TV. 

It's all rather quite funny and silly. And to only pay $4, it was a freakin' steal. I can even overlook a few of the continuity errors, since I'm not really 100% sure if they were intentional or not. 

Bongo went on a few years later to put out a second set of classic issues. To my knowledge, there has never been a volume two. So, I've got several new books on my wish list. Amazon has a few copies for less than $20. Original SRP was $25.99, so there's a great chance to get a bargain. There's no Simpsons characters in this book. But the frequent and hilarious appearances of Richard Nixon make up for that.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Cyko KO #1 (Family Comic Friday)

They say to not judge a book by it’s cover. It’s a good thing I didn’t listen to whomever THEY are or I wouldn’t be sharing this week’s Family Comic Friday offering with you! This week’s selection is Cyko KO #1 from Alterna Comics. And I chose this book thanks to the awesome cover!

Cyko KO #1
Writer/Artist: Rob Feldman
Letters by Peter Simeti
Background by Toon360
Published by Alterna Comics

Let’s start with that crazy cover. It’s got our hero, Cyko KO, racing down a river of lava, while being attacked by a radio-controlled squid! First of all, it looks like it was drawn by those amazing Hanna-Barbera illustrators of such shows like Jonny Quest and Herculoids. Then it has elements of the silly 1960s Batman TV episode in which the Caped Crusader has a surf-off against the Joker. And third, it looks completely off-the-wall wacky!

I’m not sure what Cyko KO is. Is he a robot with faulty programming? Is he a complete loon with a cool looking mask? Regardless, he’s the newest fourth-wall breaking totally insane superhero in the vein of Freakazoid, The Tick, Madman, Harley Quinn, and Deadpool. But unlike the last three heroes, Cyko KO is appropriate for all-ages.

Cyko KO is the creation of animator and illustrator Rob Feldman. For the past few years, Feldman has been bringing Cyko KO and friends to life in a series of animated comic shorts based on classic cartoons from the 70s and 80s. Along with Jonny Quest, Cyko KO has a definite Scooby-Doo and Space Ghost vibe to it.

Feldman held a successful 2017 Kickstarter campaign to turn Cyko KO into a graphic novel coloring book. Due to the project’s amazing outcome, the folks at Alterna Comics got the KO-fever and became the publisher of the Cyko KO: A Comic Book Adventure You Can Color! Spurred on by sales, Alterna  commissioned Rob for a Cyko KO miniseries of which I am sharing the first issue with you!

The story of this issue finds Cyko KO and his sidekick/girlfriend Peaches on the way to the beach for the annual surf contest. The heroes are alerted to the mysterious presence of a giant squid and the disappearance of their friend, Dippy Dolphin. But before the duo can investigate the kraken, Cyko KO is challenged by his arch-enemy Cudo Cano to the ultimate surf-off ever- in the lava fields of a nearby island volcano!

I loved just about everything about this issue. The art was retro awesome! The backgrounds were so amazingly crafted. The story was very silly with some great one-liners and crazy twists and turns. Though I was not very impressed with the last couple of pages. They felt a little rushed in terms of art style. But the yucks were still great!

Cyko KO is a three-issue limited miniseries. Rated E for Everyone, it’s got a cover price everyone will love- just $1.50! Issue #1 debuted in stores on July 25th in print and is available now! One caveat- you’ll have to wait another 60 days until issue #2. The horrors! I don’t know if I can wait that long. I guess I’ll have to re-read issue #1 again… and again… and again...

Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #40

Those meddling kids of Mystery Inc., along with Scooby-Doo, take to the Louisiana bayou to investigate the report of a Voodoo Queen. In her command are dozens of zombies: mindless townsfolk kidnapped from a neighboring parish. When it looks like the Cajun witch is just about to capture the teenage detectives, to their rescue comes the legendary Swamp Thing. But can he save the day when another unexpected player enters the swamp. One so rotten, so evil, the only side he’s on is his own!

Scooby-Doo Team-Up! #40
Written by Sholly Fisch
Art by Dario Brizuela
Published by DC Comics

Yet another entry in the Scooby-Doo Team-Up series that proves why I love this all-ages crossover so much! The opening page reads like a lost Alan Moore tale of the Green. The art of that page and several other panels involving the mutated body of former scientist Alec Holland look like never-before-seen works by the late Bernie Wrightson! And this is coming from what is traditionally thought of as a kid’s book.

SDTU offers some much more than the same old Scooby-Doo plot. Yes, some of the earlier issues ran the gamut of having Shaggy and Scooby act as bait for the villain of the month. But the series has evolved into one that reflects the lore of the DC Universe and the nostalgic fun of multiple Hanna-Barbera properties. I’ve even gotten to where I enjoy the running joke about pulling masks off bad guys as it’s done so creatively now.

Writer Sholly Fisch (Teen Titans Go!) has become a master at scripting the DC kids titles. His brilliant has allowed for him to trim off any rough edges of his writing talents. In return, Fisch has smoothed those quirks out into this diamond of a book that awaits my pull box every month!

As for Dario Brizuela, I once was upset that he reused characters and set pieces ad nauseum. But Brizuela has really upped his game in the past year adapting his art style to match that to some of the great artists who created the monthly guest star of SDTU.

Next Month, the series returns to the Hanna-Barbera side of things with a pairing with Penelope Pitstop. But I am really looking for to the issue after that as the Mystery Gang will be matching wits against some of the most feared gorillas of the DCU! Start saving your pennies. It’s an issue not to be missed, no matter how old you are!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

This review was also published concurrently at Outrightgeekery.com.

Harley Quinn, Volume 2: Night and Day

Spinning out of the events of the first volume (Preludes and Knock-Knock Jokes), Harley Quinn has ended things with the joker and starts her own gang. Now on her own, a price has been placed on Quinn's head for destroying that Gotham villains theme park. It seems like just about every criminal element known to the Dark Knight is after her including Two-Face, Killer Croc, a some petty criminal named Matches Malone.

Plus, Harls has a sleepover with her friends in a two-parter that will bring the safe house down- literally! 

I enjoyed this volume very much. Really enjoyed it! In fact, I think I liked it more than volume one! Karl Kesel has amped up the insanity, stuffing this book with laughs, and having added so much sex appeal and heart. Kesel also adds to Harley's origin with a look at her tumultuous college days.

The art also gets better and better than that in volume 1. Along with Terry Dodson, a number of guess artists take a swipe or two at the Joker's EX-girlfriend including Larry Lieber, Paul Chadwick and Amanda Conner. One neat element is the frequent change over from more traditional DC looking Harley Quinn to Animated Series classic Harley, especially when we go inside Quinn's head. It's a really neat plot device that pays homage to the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm days introducing us to the Maid of Mischief.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn, Volume 1: Preludes and Knock-Knock Jokes

A businessman seeks to turn Gotham City into the next vacation destination. His plan is to infringe of the copyrights of the Batman's Rogues Gallery and freely use their likenesses in a villain themed theme park. Upset that he wasn't asked, the Joker seeks to get the permission and respect he fells that he is due.

Feigning illness, the Clown Prince of Crime manipulates his gal pal Harley Quinn to do his dirty work for him. The Joker really just wants to get her out of his hair.  But with this new batch of responsibility, Harley starts to feel independent and gains a new sense of worth-while. Thus starts the beginning of the end of the relationship of Harley and her Puddin'.

I was very excited about finding the volumes that reprint this entire first series devoted to the Joker's girlfriend. I've been a Harley Quinn fan since day one and I really want any and everything of her's in terms of comic books and trades. These are among some of the most difficult and not cheapest ones to find.

The Final Night's Karl Kesel does a really excellent job here. I thought only Paul Dini was able to write definitive Harley Quinn stories. I can now add Kesel to that list. 

As for the art, I was really impressed with the work by husband and wife team Terry and Rachel Dodson. They add a very soft ink whimsy to Harley. It's a stark contrast to Bruce Timm's very sharp curves used in Batman: The Animated Series. Yet, the Dodson touch works!

Volume One was a wild ride. I can't wait to see where volume 2 goes next!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Meets Batman '66 #1

The Batman '66 franchise continues it's run of epic crossovers with some of your favorite characters from the swinging 60s. This time Batman and the Boy Wonder are joining forces with Archie and his friends from Riverdale High in the 6-issue miniseries Archie Meets Batman '66!

Written by Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci
Art by Dan Parent
Inks by J. Bone
Published by Archie Comics & DC Comics

Poison Ivy has unleashed a deadly botanical creation on the attendees of the 1966 Gotham City World's Fair. As The Dynamic Duo are tasked with stopping the chaos, Batman's greatest foes are teaming up once again to bring the world to it's knees! Only Catwoman, The Joker, Riddler, and Penguin aren't targeting Gotham. Instead they have their eyes on a defenseless plum ripe for plucking- Riverdale!

Meanwhile, Veronica has noticed that her father is acting rather strange. As she goes to the Riverdale police for help, she finds that the police chief is acting just like Mr. Lodge! Has Veronica uncovered a sinister conspiracy among the rich and powerful of her burg?

Issue #1 of Archie Meets Batman '66 moves the all players into position. However, if you are expecting to see the World's Oldest Teenager hanging out with Batman and Robin, you will have to wait until issue #2. Not having the two parties meet is the standard structure for a multi-issue cross-industry crossover. While I love crossovers, it's always infuriated me when this happens. Yes, there are a few cases of both stars of a crossover joining forces right from the start. But those instances are the exception, not the rule, when it comes to team-ups.

Despite the lack of having Riverdale and Gotham's elite join forces, this first issue was rather good. There's some awesome cameos, of which I expect more in the remaining 5 issues. But there was one noticeable anachronism in this story. As I mentioned earlier, the story is set during Gotham's 1966 World's Fair. Yet, there's Batgirl in the crime-fighting mix with Batman and Poison Ivy. Jeff Parker and/or Michael Moreci: somebody made a big goof as Batgirl didn't appear on Batman until 2 years later!

I had zero issues with the amazing art by Dan Parent. The Die, Kitty Die artist was a long-time illustrator for Archie Comics. His art style became the standard for how Archie was to look in the early 90s through much of the 2000s.  His renderings of the Batman Family in the style of Archie Comics is very retro cool!

Twice in the past two years, residents of Riverdale have had their lives turned upside down by Gothamites.  But this go-round is a very different beast from Harley and Ivy Meets Betty and Veronica. That series was a little more aimed at older teens and adults. Archie Meets Batman '66 has an almost universal all-ages appeal that should delight fans of both franchises- ONCE THEY FINALLY MEET!

While this issue will let you down a bit, the awesome cliffhanger is going to perk you up like 12 cups of espresso. The Caped Crusader dancing the Batusi while the Archies play Sugar, Sugar is more than a given, gonna happen in this miniseries. You're just going to have to wait a few issues for it to occur.

Archie Meets Batman '66 #1 debuted in print and digital medias on July 18th, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The review was originally posted July 16, 2018 at Outrightgeekery.com.

The Weatherman #1

In the somewhat distant future, the people of Earth have colonized Mars after a bio-terrorist attack decimates much of the planet. On Mars, weatherman Nathan Bright is living the life. He's extremely popular, has a nice home, decent car and a great dog. Plus, with a second date with the local barmaid down the street, Nathan's love life is looking pretty good too!

And then they kill the dog!

I was enjoying this book. I knew from reading the previews that Nathan is supposed to become a fugitive as he tries to uncover who framed him for the terror attack on planet Earth. Towards the end of this premiere issue, I was wondering when it was going to get to the supposed premise of the story. 

And then they kill the dog!

With John Wick-like rage (okay, maybe I wasn't that bad), I was thoroughly pissed off at series writer and creator Jody Leheup (Shirtless Bear Fighter.) Nathan's dog was such a sweetie and never did anything wrong and then they had to up and kill her. And they didn't just put the pup to sleep. No, they blew her freakin' brains out. Now I am pissed at artist Nathan Fox (Blue Estate) too. He didn't have to be that violent with her! 

What really gets me is despite how upset Leheup and Fox made me, I want to know what happens to Nathan Bright! 

I have to give begrudging kudos to Image Comics. You can me an exceptional first issue. You reeled me in around the 20-page mark and then BLAMMO!, the comic book shock of the year! But at that point, as appalled as I was, you had me hooked. 

In perhaps the worst treatment of a made-up canine since that tear-jerking episode of Futurama, I hold out hope. The creators of Futurama realized their blunder and made things right, having the dog and his owner be reunited in a time-warped twist in the series finale. Hopefully, Leheup and Fox will make things right with Nathan Bright and his beloved doggie by the end of this intense series.

Worth Consuming!- But I am giving you the lowest good rating possible as you killed the dog!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Nurses #2

The Nurses was a CBS medical drama that ran from 1962-1965. Due to another show from ABC with the same name, the show changed it's name to The Doctors and the Nurses. The show starred Zina Bethune as intern nurse Gail Lucas. Her nurse mentor was played by Shirl Conway.

I found this Gold Key comic during my annual pilgrimage to the 301 Endless Yard Sale. I paid $2 for it and when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. In fact, I think the comic book called out to me. Yet for all that, I know nothing really about this book, other than what I researched. 

I know nothing about the show's stars or really the show itself. Except, that I remember my mother telling me a very long time ago that she loved the series. She claimed that it was one of several TV shows that inspired her to become a nurse. So, I really did have to have this comic book you see.

For a comic book adaptation from the 1960s, this is actually one of the better ones. I've been learning that when a TV show inked a deal with a comic book publisher, there was very little time to mock up issues- nor was there very much info on what to go on. For example, when Marvel got the rights to Star Wars, several characters hadn't even been cast or designed yet. That's why Jabba the Hutt looks like some weird great turtle dude instead of a slug. When Gold Key, the very publisher of this comic book, got their hands on Star Trek, they colored all of the uniforms wrong and supposedly made Uhura and Sulu white in one issue by mistake.

I am wondering if knowing next to nothing about this series was what made it a good read. I didn't have any background knowledge in this series to be upset if there were any mistakes. The artwork itself looked really good, like of a young Neal Adams quality. Plus, the stories themselves were very interesting and engrossing. 

There was also a pre-9-1-1 story about a pair of men called the Rescue Crew who have to save a man having a heart attack from a ship leaking gas. But in order to move the man, they have to use Oxygen, which is highly flammable. It was a very creative story for 1960s drama comics. Unfortunately, I can't find further info on that series either and I really would like to find more of their exploits. 

A great gem of a comic. It was retro. It was in really good shape. Plus it's kinda fueled my new addiction- finding comic books of movies and TV shows from the 50s-70s.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong

Yu-Jin wakes up covered in blood and without any memory of the night before. He vaguely thinks he heard his mother crying out his name at some point. But he really isn't certain. When he goes downstairs to check on her, Yu-Jin finds his mother dead on the floor. Her throat have been slit straight across by a sharp object. 

Now Yu-Jin must piece together what happened the night before. All he can remember is his mother calling his name- maybe. If she did scream his name, was it because she was crying for his help or begging him for her life?

I first heard about The Good Son a couple of weeks ago on The Tonight Show. Jimmy Fallon was just about to go on Summer vacation and he wanted something to read. Fallon had selected 5 books. It was up to the audience to vote on which. While The Good Son was not the winner (The Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi was the overwhelming victor) it was this Korean thriller that interested me the most of the quintet of novels.

The Good Son's author, You-Jeong Jeong, is supposedly considered the Asian Stephen King. At least, that's according to Jimmy Fallon. That plus the premise I previously mentioned were what sold me on finding this book. I must tell you, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would. 

I went to my local library and discovered on a computer that the book was on the new book shelf. However, due to a glitch in the database's programming, the author's name was recorded as Chong. Apparently, Chong is the Americanized version of Jeong. Thus, it was catalogued and shelved in error. Thus, if you are looking for this book at your local library and you can't find it in the J's, check under C for Chong.

At just over 300 pages and written/translated in a very smooth and engaging pace, this was a quick read. It was very deceptive at times. Though the novel was not as scary as I was expecting from the South Korean version of Stephen King, The Good Son did have a couple of eerie moments. 

The book was translated by award winning translator, Chi-Young Kim. I would be very interested by someone who has read The Good Son in it's native language to tell me how it differed from the English interpretation. There's a very legitimate question here- did I enjoy the creativity of You-Jeong Jeong? Or was it the choice of words by Chi-Young Kim that won me over? Either way, I would be more than willing to read more from either the author or translator!

Going on a quick vacay? Or want a summer read for a rainy evening? The Good Son will fit the bill. 

It's a bloody mystery without being gory. It's a sensual thriller without being overtly sexual. And it was this close to being what Jimmy Fallon was going to read while on his summer hiatus. Just don't do what he did and miss out on this international chiller from Penguin Books.

Written by You-Jeong Jeong
Translated by Chi-Young Kim
Publisher: Penguin Books
US Release: June, 2018

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was published concurrently on Outrightgeekery.com.

The Beef #5

When I finished issue #4, I had commented that the chapter was a vast departure from the formula of the previous 3 issues. I also had hoped that this final issue would put things back on track. Unfortunately, that train derailed.

The issue starts with Ghandi, of all people, explaining the insemination and birthing process of cattle. It's basically bovine torture porn for about 9 pages. While it didn't put me off eating meat, it did make me more sympathetic to those 4-stomached grass feeders.

The last 15 pages of this issue returns to the story of protagonist Chuck. Turned literally inside-out once more, the production manager faces off against the Vodino family for the ultimate time. It's perhaps the most gratuitous fight to ever grace a comic book since the reign of Robert Kirkman's Invincible. Did they have Ryan Otterly doing the inks for this?

I was mixed at the ending. The Beef is a mini-series in which nothing is sacred. Okay, maybe the cows are... It's completely unpredictable and completely insane! But I really enjoyed it. 

Once again, do not skip out on the behinds the scenes pages on how this issue cover was crafted. It was very interesting. I would kill for a book on how to make creative covers if it was written and crafted by Shaky Kane and John Roshell. Their amazing techniques are that crazy good!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ruinworld #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Pogo and Rex are adventurers looking for fame and fortune in the ravages of Ruinworld.
Their latest round of excitement takes them to an atoll that houses a treasure chest.
However, the chest is protect by an enchantment and neither our stalwart fox or cowardly
pig are qualified to dismantle such a powerful spell. But that won't stop either of them from
trying

Are you not familiar with the characters of Pogo or Rex and their home of Ruinworld?
Don’t worry! I’m not either. But that’s where we will be travelling in this week’s Family
Comic Friday.

Ruinworld #1
Published by Kaboom
Written by Derek Laufman
Art by Derek Laufman

Ruinworld is the international comic book hit by Derek Laufman. It blends funny
animals with the settings of Dungeons and Dragons for an all-ages comedic romp
through spooky castles, destroyed forts and seedy marketplaces. Laufman has
been publishing stories starring Pogo, Rex and their friends several years now and
their mishaps in the business of treasure hunting has made the duo worldwide
superstars.

The already established storylines of Pogo and Rex was my only issue with this
issue. Kaboom doesn’t start off with reprinting the first ever exploits of the comedic
fox and pig duo. Instead, the publisher gives Laufman free reign to craft an all-new
5-issue miniseries for Kaboom’s readers in the US. So when Pogo and Rex start
name dropping other characters from Ruinworld, it’s going to be a little bit confusing
for new readers.

Ruinworld might be an all-new land for American readers but it’s not being treated
as such by Kaboom. This lack of starting Ruinworld in the New World at the very
beginning might actually hurt this new series. However, I am here to tell you that
if you can overlook that concern, you are really going to enjoy this book.

Derek Laufman really brings these characters to life both in word and illustration.
Pogo and Rex are a great comedic duo and they play off each other’s weaknesses
very well. Not only do the lead characters have a sort of Martin and Lewis straight
man/silly man vibe, there’s an almost Waiting for Godot sort of quality that exudes
heart and hubris to the characters.

The artwork of Laufman is very good. It’s got that classic funny animal quality that
countless comic books have had for decades. Yet, there’s a worn-in kinda of feel,
similar to that Star Wars or Harry Potter. Nothing is spit polished clean in Ruinworld.
That is really a good thing or otherwise, you’d have to call this series Cleanworld.

The first issue was very enjoyable once you get past the lack of introduction of
the characters; both main and off page. The book was quite funny while also being
a little bit spooky. Ruinworld is considered all-ages, but some scenes and
characters may be a tad intense for readers under the age of 8. A good rule of
thumb with Ruinworld for those with young children: if Scooby-Doo is too scary
for your child, this series will need to wait for a year or two.

Ruinworld #1 debuted in store on July 11th, 2018 and  is available in both print
and digital formats.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review published concurrently on Outrightgeekery.com.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

This review was co-written with my wife, Jan.

Warning: Spoilers For Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BD Wong, & James Cromwell
Directed by J.A. Bayona
Written by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow

The Jurassic Park franchise went very dark and extremely sad in the latest entry, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Case in point is that tragic scene where the island home of the dinosaurs is destroyed by a raging volcano. With all this dinosaur cruelty, where is PETA when you need it?

The premise of Fallen Kingdom is that thanks to the no longer dormant volcano, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing (played Pratt and Howard) must return to the destroyed park to rescue as many creatures as possible. In the dramatic last breath of Isla Nublar, many thunder lizards meet a grizzly end. But it’s the final dinosaur seen on the island that will bring you to tears.

As Owen and Claire look back at Jurassic Park, a long neck dinosaur runs to the water’s edge alone and in need of rescue. Unable to help, the poor brachiosaurus is killed off by the volcano. It’s a tear-jerking scene.

Making things even more heartbreaking is that it was later revealed by director J.A. Bayona that the poor dino is the very same one Alan Grant saw in that epic reveal scene from the first Jurassic Park movie. And the director planned all of this on purpose!

In my opinion, J.A. Bayona is a mean director who left the poor girl to die on the island in the lava- just to make people cry! “I think it’s a beautiful moment — it’s sad but it’s beautiful, and it’s so relevant,” the director has been quoted as saying. Had I known that little segment would have made me upset- I wouldn’t have gone to see Fallen Kingdom!

After the destruction of the island, the protagonists learn that they’ve been duped. Those financing the mission aren’t interested in rescuing the animals from destruction. Instead, they want to manipulate the prehistoric refuges as weapons of war.

As result in this movie, the characters are either looked at as either heroes or villains that you hope become dino-chow. It’s rare that you find a movie where you want the cast to either live happily ever after and the other half to die violently. There’s no middle ground throw away characters that you have very little care for in this film.

Plus, that long anticipated scene with Jeff Goldblum’s return as Dr. Malcolm was superfluous. He’s used as a link to the past Jurassic Park franchise. However, his role serve served no other apparent purpose in the plot.

Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance was something else that bothered me. She was a strong female lead and based on her character, you would not expect her to scream at every danger. Yet, she shrieked more than that 10-year old character Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) did.

One thing that has been a consistent issue for me throughout all the movies is how contained to the island the dinosaurs have been for 5 movies. For example, there are pterodactyls on Isla Nublar. These are dinosaurs that can fly. Being only 150 miles away from Costa Rica, what’s kept them from causing destruction in other countries? It’s a plot point that has never been truly addressed.

Another issue with this movie involves large majority of the action scenes. Many of them, including a large jump off a cliff into a very deep part of the ocean, would not have been survivable. There are quite a bit of scares in this film as well. If you are a jumpy viewer, Fallen Kingdom was effective in this part.

If watching lovable ancient reptiles needlessly die makes you sad- Fallen Kingdom will to that to you! If you enjoy watching baddies become their just desserts at the hands of dinosaurs- you will enjoy this movie. One way or the only, don’t expect to leave this film feeling 100% satisfied.

The events of this movie has set things up for a third and final installment in the Fallen Kingdom potion of the Jurassic Park Franchise. But I refuse to watch it if J.A. Bayona cannot guarantee that there will no be another tragic scene as that long neck’s death throes.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

In this day and age, it's not easy to review a movie like Ant-Man and the Wasp without giving away some major spoilers. When we last saw Paul Rudd's Ant-Man/Scott Lang, he was in a hi-level security facility rotting away for his involvement in helping a fugitive Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War. 

Thanks to Lang, Dr Henry Pym and his daughter Hope (Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly) are wanted fugitives. While on the run, the father and daughter team believe that they may have found a way of rescuing Pym's wife Janet Van Dyne, who became a victim of the Microverse decades ago during a blotched mission for SHIELD. 

The key to Janet's rescue is of course, Scott Lang. As seen in the events of the first Ant-Man film, Scott was able to enter and successfully return from the Microverse: a feat previously thought impossible by Dr. Pym. Thus, Pym must break Lang out of jail while Hope purchases components for a way to save her mother by a sketchy arms dealer played by Walter Goggins (Justified). But that plan is complicated by a mysterious player (Killjoys' Hannah John-Kamen) who can phase in and out of reality like a ghost.

There's a ton of plots floating around this film. It's almost to the point of being chaotic. It's very Marvel in that sense but I am not 100% sure that's a good thing. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp is perhaps the most like a comic book come to life of any of the Marvel films. To me, Ant-Man is quintessential Marvel in that his family of stories are both super-heroic and very scientific and that is no small feat as Hank Pym stories also have a lot of heart.  

But it felt like it took a very long time for things to finally come together. There was minutiae aplenty in this film, like seeing Dr. Pym using giant-sized ants build his lab or how Scott Lang's relationship with his daughter has had to evolve thanks to his antics in Germany with Cap. Yet, to get to the meat of the movie, you have to sit through a bunch of appetizers.

Of course if you have an Ant-Man, eventually you are going to have a Giant-Man. That is explored thanks to The Matrix Trilogy's Laurence Fishburne's appearance of Bill Foster who worked on something called Project: Goliath with Pym during his SHIELD days. But again, his direct contributions take a long time to finally come together.

One thing that this Ant-Man film does better than the first movie is be funny! Michael Pena returns as wisecracking Luis. Reformed from his days as a thief, he along with buddies Dave and Kurt are back, this time as home security consultants  for a firm called X-Con. The trio of Pena along with rapper T.I. and David Dastmalchian stole the movie with their antics. Marvel- if you are reading this, you need to make an X-Con comic book!

Ant-Man and the Wasp is roughly 118 minutes long. The most important thing about this movie isn't what happens first 110 minutes. All Marvel Cinematic fans have their eyes on Avengers 4 and only about the last 8 minutes really ties into Infinity Wars and it's sequel. 
There's a key 2-word phrase during the last 8 minutes of film that I think plenty much sums up what the Avengers must do in order to defeat Thanos. It's huge and I think it will change the Marvel movie universe forever. 

However, if you want to know what those words are, you'll have to see Ant-Man and the Wasp for yourself, playing in theaters everywhere right now. You'll get no spoilers from me on that subject. But if you figure out the phrase, give yourself a big No-Prize! You'll have earned it for sitting through this massively small entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.