I really got behind on watching comic book themed movies over the past year. But as I am focusing primarily on teaching, professional writing, and being a house husband, I am finally catching up on lost time for me.
One such case was eventually getting to see 2016's Doctor Strange on DVD. The film stars Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character. Here, Doctor Stephen Strange is a world re-known surgeon who loses the use of his hands after a car crash. After a number of experimental procedures, Strange becomes destitute and no longer able to practice medicine.
Informed of a miracle worker in the Far East, Strange meets the Ancient One. But this healer's practices are a little bit unconventional as they are related to the mystical arts. Desperate to try anything, Strange becomes a pupil and eventually a master of magic and incantations.
Meanwhile, a former student of the Ancient One named Kaecilius is now a follower of the dread Dormammu, master of the Dark Dimension. The sorcerer is plotting to unleash hell on earth. To do this, Kaecilius must take control of the three portals that link Dormammu's realm with ours. The villain already has control of the gateways in London and New York and it's up to Doctor Strange to prevent Hong Kong from falling into Kaecilius' hands. But to do so, Stephen will have to rewrite not only the laws of order and nature but that of physics itself too.
I really enjoyed this film. Doctor Strange hadn't really been one of my favorite characters as I prefer horror comics over those devoted to mysticism. (My mother on the other hand was a huge fan of Doctor Strange and would have loved this movie.) Anyways, I've seen every Marvel film up to this point and didn't think I should make a habit of skipping any now. Plus, it stars Cumberbatch! How could I say no?!
Benedict Cumberbatch was the perfect choice to play Doctor Strange. He's got that arrogance of Strange's down pat and he infuses such cheeky humor into his roles. Literally, Doctor Strange is a paranormal version of Sherlock Holmes and I really can't wait for a sequel. I only wish Martin Freeman could play Strange's mystic partner Wong. Well- sorta. It's just not Sherlock without Watson.
Marco Polo's Benedict Wong was really good as Doctor Strange's faithful manservant Wong. Only in this film, Wong is more of Strange's superior, a Doctor Watson in a way, as he's an accomplished sorcerer who doubles as the librarian at the Ancient One's compound. He was also great comic relief but in no way was he dumbed down as a 'Guy Friday' as has been the case in a number of Doctor Strange comics.
Another character that was the source of some controversy was having acclaimed British actress Tilda Swinton (Orlando) play the Ancient One. In the comics, this character is Asian and a male. Some haters weren't so much upset that the Ancient One was now a woman but they sure were furious that she was cast as white person. Oddly enough, I never saw anyone furious that Chiwetel Ejifor's Mordo was now black as opposed to Asian as in the original books. But I thought both Swinton and Ejifor were great in this movie and I had no issues with anyone's casting---- Wellllllllllll.....
Let's talk about Rachel McAdams for a minute. The Notebook actress plays the love interest in the film. Her role is that of Dr. Christine Palmer, a fierce surgeon who gives Strange some tough love during his lowest moments on the road to recovery and healing. I love that the film doesn't have McAdams play a damsel in distress. Doing so would really ruin the flow of the film in my opinion. But I have heard that McAdams was playing Night Nurse. Then I hear it's Rosario Dawson's character on Daredevil and Luke Cage who is Night Nurse. In reality, neither actress is playing the role of Night Nurse, who is actually named Linda Carter. Can't anyone get this straight?
The character of Stephen Strange is due to play a large in the Infinity Gauntlet movies currently in production. But I really hope that Doctor Strange will get another solo film- or two- or three. As long as it's Cumberbatch, I'll be watching. I might even make it to the theatres to see it this time...
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
Victorian true crime writer and artist Rick Geary recounts the events of the Lizzie Borden murders. A big fan of Geary's, I was ecstatic to read his take on the crime. In college, when I was a history major (not culinary), I did a research paper on Lizzie Border. It was a fascinating murder mystery that due to Border being found not guilty, is still considered unsolved to this day. Plus, this case was when I realized that my focus of study wasn't going to go the traditional route. But then again, when do I do anything like everybody else???
Rick Geary's work is one that collects the clues all the way from eyewitness accounts to sensationalized reporting to the court cases themselves. In no way does Geary express his bias onto the story. It's just the facts and nothing but the facts. Well, in the case of the Borden murders, since a suspect was never found guilty of the crimes, there's theory. But again, those theories are based on police and medical examiner findings and not the author's opinion.
I hit the mother lode at my local library recently. I've got 5 more Rick Geary graphic novels left to read and with it getting closer to fall and October, I am getting pumped to read some spooky stuff. You can't build upon the Halloween atmosphere any better with Gothic mysteries. Especially when these case files are all true!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
Celebrate the life and art of DC Comics legend Joe Kubert in this collection of stories. Joe Kubert Presents in a decades old project that Kubert had been pitching for quite some time. It features stories starring some of Kubert's most iconic characters including Hawkman and Sgt. Rock. There's also tales of heroes that Kubert dreamed of doing but never got the chance such as the last boy on Earth, Kamandi and Jack Kirby's rhyming hellion, the Demon.
Some stories are either all-new material or never before published works. His stories of SPIT, an 18th century waif who takes up on a whaling ship hearkens to Kubert's inspiration of Melville's Moby Dick. Then explore the first few chapters of the Redeemer. This era-spanning adventure tells of a man who is constantly reincarnated in order to prove his worth as the redeemer of humanity. This was originally to be a 12-issue maxi-series in the 80s but for one reason or another, it just never got past the initial product stages.
Not all of these stories are of Joe Kubert's. Hoping to share the spotlight with some unsung friends of his, Kubert highlights fellow war illustrator Sam Glanzman and up-and-comer Brian Buniak.
Sam Glanzman was a Navy seaman in the Pacific theatre during World War II. His adventure's aboard the USS Stevens are chronicled here. The level of detail on the ships and planes is amazing. His stories are powerful and tear-jerking. It's amazing stuff.
Brian Buniak was tasked with writing and drawing a multi-issue episode of the Angel and the Ape. Based on an idea by Joe Kubert, Buniak has the unlikely detectives solving a pair of murder attempts on identical twin restaurateurs and then taking on a mad scientist who has created an evil android version of Ape!
Overall, Joe Kubert Presents was a fantastic read. It's tragically poignant that this was Kubert's last work. It's almost as if the art educator knew that his time was coming to a close. If his Sgt. Rock story was the last story to chronicle the DC Comics war hero, I would be more than okay with that.
With a slew of Kubert pieces along with the long awaited Redeemer chapters and Sam Glanzman's recounts of WWII, this is an essential read for DC fans and collectors of war comics. Who am I kidding?! This is a must read for any comics fan!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.
Writer: Matt Nixon
Art and Cover: Toby Cypress
Published by Image Comics
Everything you know about the invasion of Iraq is a lie.
Instead of trying to find weapons of mass destruction, the US military was attempting to stop Saddam Hussein from utilizing genies! Every time a dictator uses the supernatural to take over the world, our government sends in a special unit of paranormal operatives to end the threat. Then the Pentagon retcons the events to the media as military actions!
When a retired alcoholic member of these paranormal forces, suffering from PTSD, falls off the wagon, he threatens to expose the whole operation. That’s where Brandon Ross, a former member of the Paranormal Ops, comic in. Ross accepts the mission to bring the rogue agent down in hopes of expunging his criminal record. But when civilian lives are to be used as collateral damage without thought to perpetuate the retcon lie, Ross too goes rogue. And that’s when things start to go pear-shaped…
The first issue of Retcon is one that I can’t quite put my finger on.
Writer Matt Nixon (Motel Hell) crafts a story that I was hooked as soon as they mentioned genies. That was like page 3 or 4. But with a name like Retcon, I know that the history changes of the government is just the tip of the iceberg. I expect future issues to dive deep into the conspiracy of that the American history we believe in so dearly didn’t really occur as we were told.
The artwork was a different story. It’s very, very rough stuff. The illustrations of Blue Estate’s Toby Cypress are dirty as art can be. There’s nothing clean here. Part of that works because the story itself is a about the mess of lies made by conspirators and generals. However, it’s also done in such a way, that I’m not fully convinced what I was supposed to see is what actually happens. If I’m right, then I think I’ve got a problem with Retcon.
While I want to stick with this series, I’m going to wait until the trade before I go further. There's an extensive interview in the back of the comic. There, the series creators Nixon and Cyrpess promise to reboot the story often in a sense that Retcon is like a gritty version of Groundhog Day. I really fear that I am going to miss out on so much if I wait every month for the next chapter.This comic is going to require re-reading previous issues to keep details, which I expect to be retconned frequently, straight. Truly, this series might work best as a multi-volume graphic novel, released quarterly in larger chunks than a 32-page monthly.
Retcon is a series that has great promise.
But it’s going to be such a head trip that the monthly format might hurt sales. I wouldn’t even get attached to any of these characters as by next month, they might not really existed anymore. By having chunks of this story be retconned monthly might anger some to readers. I foresee it get to to the point that the readers might just not only lost in the plot. They may up and lose interest in the book over time. We shall see...
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
Article originally published September 14, 2017 on outrightgeekery.com.
Don't worry- it's not permanent.
I'm subbing for another Chef this week and didn't have time to devote to a Family Comic Friday this week. I will also be filling in next Friday as well. So come back September 29th for our next edition.
Until then, keep checking in as I'll have other reviews of films, TV, and books set to post in the coming days.
Have a Great Weekend!
Mr. Mxyzptlk is super-bored. Annoying the Man of Steel just doesn't have that pizzazz it once does. So the inter-dimensional imp goes on a trek through the multiverse to find some fun.
Mxy winds up in the Looney Tunes universe where he meets the Do-Do. In this new world of wonder, the prankster is inspired to take the characters who inhabit the Do-Do's universe and have them give the superheroes of the DC Universe a run for their money.
It's the Justice League's greatest challenge as Looney Tune meets the World's Finest. Now the World's Fastest Man is challenged by Speedy Gonzalez for the title of Speedster. Superman must answer the question 'What's Up Doc?' And Gotham has a new protector- the Duck Knight! The excitement is just too much for Mr. Mxyzptlk who wants to make the Looney Tunes permanent resident's of his earth. Only the combined forces of the residents of both dimensions can save the day and prevent the DC Universe from becoming a laughing stock!
This super-sized comic collects the Superman/ Bugs Bunny crossover from 2000 and it's a bit confusing. When DC collected this series, they re-titled it the DC/Looney Tunes 100-Page Spectacular. Yet the cover still lists the original Superman/ Bugs Bunny title. I'm not really sure what DC's thought process was behind this. But when I was requesting this book from my local comic book store, we had a devil of a time trying to figure out how to order it because the titles didn't match. So if you are trying to find this book online or in a store, who knows how the seller is going to have it listed or filed away.
Mark Evanier (New Gods) penned a great crossover that had me chuckling. One of the best running gags is when the Connor Hawke Green Arrow discovers music genius Michigan J. Frog singing for him and then he clams up everytime Connor shows him around. "I swear, this frog can sing!" This wouldn't work with the Oliver Queen GA. Connor is such a straight man, that to slowly have his sanity unravel because of a frog, is brilliant!
The art by the legendary Joe Staton was perfect as well. The Batman artist has proven over the past 40 years that he's got what it takes to illustrate the members of the Justice League. But how he seamlessly blends the Looney Tunes characters with those of the DCU is further evidence of Staton's genius.
Not everyone was a fan of the DC/ Looney Tunes crossovers. Well, except for the Batman/ Elmer Fudd Special. Everybody loved that (and it was great!) But even if you are NOT a fan of funny animals, this is one special you should not gloss over!
A perfect read for comic book fans of all ages.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars but only because of the very confusing title!
Well it took a while but I finally got to see Wonder Woman in theatres. I had every intention of going sooner than I did. But this quarter of teaching has been a little more busier than I expected. We've got this new online teaching system that means we're having to transfer over stuff from the old system to the new. Things that are supposed to only take an hour to do are taking me three or four. But my wife thought it was time for me to get out of the house some, so she took me to see Wonder Woman.
The film starts off after the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. We see Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) working at a museum in Paris when she accepts a package from Bruce Wayne. The package is the old photograph that Diana was trying to steal back from Lex Luthor. Wayne kept his promise from the first movie and recovered the item and had it sent back to her. At which point, Diana reflects on her life on Themyscira and decision to join the world of men.
(Spoilers Below...)
On Themyscira, Diana is the crown princess. She longs to train as the other warriors among her do. But her mother Queen Hippolyta forbids it. See, during the final war of the gods between Zeus and Ares, in his last act before dying, Zeus created a powerful god killing weapon to stop Ares should he ever return. Diana thinks that the God Killer is a sword that she steals from the Themyscira armory. In reality, the God Killer is her.
When Steve Trevor (Star Trek's Chris Pine) crash lands on Themyscira, Diana is alerted to the horrors of the first World War. She believes that Ares is behind the destruction and secrets herself and Trevor on a ship in order to stop him. When she learns of a German General, played by Danny Huston, who has perfected a lethal gas that even gas masks cannot prevent, the warrior princess is convinced that he is Ares. Thus, Diana leads a team of mercenaries, along with Trevor, behind enemy lines to stop him from carrying out his master plan.
(Okay, you can stop covering your eyes...)
Wonder Woman was a good movie. Yes, I think in some ways, it was quite superior to Batman V. Superman. But there were a few things about the film that got on my nerves. The biggest annoyance is not just Wonder Woman's fault but something that I am getting tired with the superhero genre as a whole- the use of slow motion during fight scenes. While this looks impressive on video games, I think it ruins the fast pace flow of an action scene. I'm also getting sick of repeats- that's when say a building explodes and they show the same explosion from multiple angles. It's just not needed.
I think Patty Jenkins did a very go job directing the film. She managed to bring out an array of emotions and qualities from the actors to a point that I felt that they all had an amazing chemistry with each other. Jenkins didn't allow Wonder Woman to fall into a trap of being classified as a sexpot or overly Amazon. Diana was allowed to be sensitive while vulnerable- a sort of Sgt. York in that she's a pacifist but willing to fight for justice when diplomacy cannot be attained. Plus her fish out of water approach to 1918 England was very well played by Israeli actress Gadot.
Jenkins also did a great job keeping the true of identity of Ares secret. As a former film studies minor, I've gotten really good at figuring mysteries out. But I was completely shocked when I found out who the villain really was. And excellent job on the social media community keeping their mouths closed on the reveal as well!
I'm very glad my wife made me get out of the house and go see Wonder Woman. I am really glad that my bride decided to go with me. For the most part, with exception of not knowing who a few characters were, she followed it very well. Having not seen Batman V. Superman didn't hurt her either.
One thing I was on the fence about was the decision NOT to include Lynda Carter in the film. The actress played Wonder Woman on TV from 1976-1979 and it's her most iconic role. I was first disappointed to her that she wouldn't make some sort of cameo in the film. But now, I only think it would have cheapened the continuity and feel of the film adding that little bit of nostalgia. Besides, I think Supergirl is doing a great job of honoring Carter's contribution to the role by having the actress play the President of the United States on the CW series.
Overall, Wonder Woman was a spectacular film that firmly establishes something comic book aficionados have known for decades- Wonder Woman is a flagship member of the DC Universe and is here to stay. Sadly, it took over 75 years for studios to realize this and give her a much due solo action film.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
