Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Studios, 2014)

Directed by Peter Gunn

I am Groot.

I am Groot.

I am Groot.

I am Groot.

…

We are Groot.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Directed by Alan Taylor

My wife and I went to a matinee showing of “Thor 2” Sunday afternoon. We both enjoyed it. Unfortunately I can't say much more than that – it was enjoyable. It did not, however, WOW me like the first one or The Avengers did. Perhaps because it was a sequel, but that doesn't necessarily mean that much to me. There's no doubt it has top-notch visuals, and that it was a good story – in which Loki again steals the show. You just can't help but like that wascally wabbit. Nonetheless, I found the story pretty much utterly predictable – each time what in another movie might be shocking or poignant or otherwise emotionally charged scenes, I knew that Loki was doing what The Trickster God does best, pulling the wool over the other characters' eyes – besides the fact that here was yet another story in which not just the world but ALL OF EXISTENCE IS IN DANGER YAWN. I recognize that it's an inevitability with these kinds of blockbuster movies, but damn it gets old. Which all makes it sound like I did not like this movie. I did. But unlike others in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise of franchises, my wife and I didn't leave the theatre talking about how good it was, and I don't have any burning desire to see it again. I will of course be there for the inevitable “Thor 3,”as well as most anything else I figure they're likely to add to the Marvel Cine'verse, so it did its job in that sense. And I guess not every one of them can or will be awesome.

Cheers, and Thanks for reading.

Quick Hits!

Sometimes I read or watch things quicker than I have time – or motivation, or perhaps even focus – to set down in a full blog post. Nothing against whatever those items are. I feel a compulsion to gratuitously share my thoughts on virtually everything, but sometimes get backed up, and I don't want this to turn into a barrage of short posts. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Anyway, hence the periodic “Quick Hits.”

Screen Shot
from iPhone Kindle app

A State of Disobedience (2003) by Tom Kratman

I've been meaning to blog this novel ever since I proceeded to it directly out of his Caliphate last month, but never got around to it. I reserve the right to come back to it with a more thorough review some time in the future, because I'm thinking I'll eventually read it again. Get past the somewhat contrived opening setting up the Texas Rebellion of ca. 2010 (as best I can figure it), as well as the very transparent identity of the utterly wacko and caricaturishly evil US President “Willie Rottemayer,” and it settles into what I think is a fair depiction of how such a valiant but ultimately outnumbered and outgunned attempt at secession from the rapidly socializing, increasingly morally repugnant and anti-Christian United States would likely proceed. Although it was written a decade ago, and in no way foresaw the explosion onto the political landscape of Barack Obama, just how much cultural, political, and social developments in the succeeding decade (really, mostly in the past five years) do seem to be have been foretold sent chills down my spine as I read. As much as Caliphate did [link], this book struck me as a prophetic wake-up call in the guise of a very compelling and exciting story.  As I titled my Amazon.com review, it seems "Frighteningly Plausible."

The Wolverine (2013)

Directed by James Mangold

The first thing I said when I returned home after watching this movie was, in answer to my wife's query, “It's really nice to go to a comic book movie where the heroes' objective is not 'saving the world'!” Sure, there is plenty of over-the-top action here, there, and yonder, from start to finish but especially toward the end (although the far superior and most memorable sequence is the 300-mph fight atop the bullet-train much earlier), but this is primarily a character story with both an inner and an outer conflict springing from the very nature of The Wolverine. Inner, Logan's actions at the end of the chronologically previous X-Men movie, The Last Stand, literally haunting him with the knowledge that his mutant healing factor makes him potentially immortal while all he loves will eventually die; outer, a Japanese business magnate, Yashida, whose life Logan saved almost seventy years ago at Nagasaki, not understanding that reality – though he thinks he does – striving from his death bed to steal that potential for eternal life for himself. Add a large dose of family and political conflict as well as conflicting issues of love, loyalty, and honor in the exotic locale of Japan and you end up with what I think is perhaps the best story of any of the X-Men franchise.

Cheers! ... and Thanks for reading!

Marvels: Eye of the Camera (Marvel 2010) – The Marvels Project (Marvel 2011)

Last week we were on vacation, enjoying a very nice vacation house that my wife and her siblings rented in Hancock, Maine. Anywhere I have to wear a jacket in June is fine by me! I didn't actually get as much reading done as I intended, although I did finish Sean Howe's Marvel Comics (see just previous blog entry, link). Knowing myself too well, that I tend to be a “binge reader” – that is, I'll obsess over something in particular for a while – I knew that reading the somewhat checkered history of Marvel Comics would send me off into one of my intermittent immersions into that company's properties, I had gone prepared, carrying along a couple of collections that I had purchased some time past. I make no secret of my preference for DC Comics, and to be honest I see little in current Marvel comics that I'm interested in reading (and their pricing structure, even in digital, provides further disincentive), but these two books were perfect for scratching that Marvel Comics itch.

Eye of the Camera is Kurt Busiek's, along with Roger Stern's, quasi-sequel to the near-twenty-years-old classic by Busiek and Alex Ross entitled simply Marvels, which mainly retold the 1960s “Silver Age” of Marvel Comics from the perspective of a photojournalist, Phil Sheldon. It was, of course, Alex Ross's big splash onto the comics scene, beautifully rendered in his practically trademarked fully painted, photorealistic style, but the approach to the story as written by Busiek was, I think, an underappreciated aspect of its success. Between the two of them, Busiek and Ross made the fantastic seem so very real. Well, Ross is not along for this later story, although according to Busiek's afterword he had input into the original idea and gave his blessing to it being developed, and surprisingly, I think that works. No question, I love Ross's work, and I think that it was perfect for the original Marvels, but this is a very different story and I think that Ross's clean, ultimately bright and shiny, often iconic images would be less appropriate for Eye of the Camera than is artist Jay Anacleto's and colorist Brian Haberlin's darker, grittier, more down-to-earth and moody style.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (Harper, 2012)

By Sean Howe

Although I have always been an avowed partisan of DC Comics, I inevitably go through my phases of reading and even collecting various Marvel Comics – most notably from about 1975 through the early 1980s when I was as rabid an “X-Fan” as you'll ever find, and in more recent years acquired a deepening fascination with the wild innovation of the first decade or so of “Silver-Age” Marvel in the 1960s – and I have a more-than-passing familiarity with the basic continuity of that comics Universe itself as well as the history of the comics company throughout its now seventy-plus years. But I'd never, until now, read such a systematic, albeit idiosyncratic, narrative of the full history from beginning until virtually the present as appears here. Howe writes a fascinating story that strips away many of the myths, digging beneath the facade of the “Merry Marvel Bullpen” (to whom he dedicates his work) to reveal the usually less-than-attractive reality of competing creative personalities and interests as Marvel has come back repeatedly from disastrous implosions of its own making and recently transformed into an explosion of multimedia domination.

Quick Hits

Sometimes I read or watch things quicker than I have time – or motivation, or perhaps even focus – to sit down and do a full blog post. Nothing against whatever those items are. I feel a compulsion to blog something for virtually everything, but I don't want this to turn into a barrage of short posts. Hence periodic “Quick Hits.”

Marvel Tales by Alan Davis (Marvel 2012)

This is a collection of various recent works for Marvel Comics done by Alan Davis, who is one of my favorite artists. His style I would characterize as a combination of Neal Adams and John Byrne, with a dash of elegant smoothness of line all his own. Here we find three annuals from 2012 – Fantastic Four Annual #33, Daredevil Annual #1, and Wolverine Annual #1, along with a Thor special from a few years back, Thor: Truth of History. The three annuals actually form a single story arc although each can be read on its own, and tie into one of my favorite properties created by Davis, ClanDestine, a half-djinn English family/reluctant super-team. I like team books; I like family sagas; I love England – ClanDestine is a natural for me. In these stories we learn more about the “black sheep” of the group, Vincent Destine, whose history and fate always hung over the original 1990s series and a subsequent 2000s mini-series like a pall. I'm not sure how the Thor special fits in, although there is one minor character who also appears in the Daredevil Annual. Probably it's more that it was another work by Davis that could be thrown in to make a decent-sized collection. I'm not complaining; anything by Davis is good with me, and this story has its own special charm, presenting a secret history of the Sphinx as well as hilarious miscommunications between Thor and the Warriors Three and denizens of ancient Egypt.

Iron Man Three (2013)

Directed by Shane Black

I got back earlier today from seeing the newest Iron Man movie, a week after it debuted. Last weekend was eaten up by various other activities, duties, and happenings, some good, some not so good. Then this was finals week. But I finished up yesterday and turned my grades in, putting a particularly grueling semester behind me.

My first reaction is that I liked it, very much. I'm such a fan of the first Iron Man movie that I can't say this one is better, but I enjoyed it every bit as well. That is not something I could possibly say about number two, not even during the initial viewing. And frankly, as you may have gathered over the course of a couple of years, more often than not my first impression of a movie like this is positive. Sometimes I even look back at my own reviews after the passage of some length of time has given me a bit of perspective and frankly a bit more objective opinion and thin, "Boy, I was too kind!" Not just movies – I'm the same way with just about anything. But my enjoyment of the first movie has not faded but has rather grown from the initial through repeated viewings, most recently in a cable-channel rerun last weekend. On the other hand, what was a “meh” reaction to the second upon seeing it in the theatre has grown into active dislike as I've caught bits and pieces (never the full movie) in reruns. On the third hand, so to speak, I do look forward to seeing three again.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Directed by Marc Webb.

I'm too far behind on other things to devote a whole lot of time to this, so this is more of a summary of impressions than a review.

I really enjoyed this movie. Andrew Garfield made a believable Peter Parker without being the sad-sack that Tobey Maguire came off as. Once again, as Cliff Robertson in his inevitably brief appearance in the first Sam Raimi movie – has it really been ten years? – Martin Sheen provided a wonderful moral center for the movie, instrumental in the transformation of the boy into a hero. I was less taken with Sally Field as Aunt May, simply because my image of the character is forever informed by the feeble old lady with one foot in the grave that was the staple of the first couple of decades of the comics, including the period of the 1970s-early 1980s which was the only time I've ever read Spider-Man with anything approaching regularity. While rife with difficult-to-swallow coincidence (see especially this blog for a humorous listing), the story more or less held together and brought together the various elements including the mystery surrounding Peter Parker's parents, why he was raised by his uncle and aunt, his origin, and so forth. I've always thought that the Sam Raimi movies lost a good bit of the basic character of the original stories by leaving Gwen Stacy as an afterthought, bringing Mary Jane Watson to the fore as the “first great love of Peter Parker's life.” And she was played very well by Emma Stone – she looked like John Romita's Gwen brought to life. I will say, however, that man, the New York Public School System must be very good, turning out geniuses like Peter and Gwen!

But I was not “blown away” by this movie as I was with the Raimi movies. Perhaps, as a good friend with whom I discussed it immediately afterward put it, I'm a bit jaded with modern special effects, simply expecting them to be excellent as they were here. But the fact is, as “amazing” as the image of Spider-Man swinging through the concrete and steel canyons of New York City remains in “real life,” I didn't find it as awe-inspiring as ten years ago, and I didn't sit there in open-mouthed astonishment this afternoon. And I truly pity the poor soul who wins the job in the inevitable sequel of bringing J. Jonah Jameson to life! I cannot imagine anyone not paling in comparison with J. K. Simmons' spot-on portrayal in all of the Sam Raimi movies.

Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing someone try, in the sequel(s) I eagerly await. Now, if Marvel Studios could just reach some kind of agreement with Sony-Paramount to unify the two movie universes into one truly unified Marvel Movie Universe as are the comics!

Cheers, and Thanks for reading!

The Avengers (2012)

Directed by Joss Whedon

The culmination of several years – and several movies' – build-up pays off, big time. The Avengers is perhaps the best super hero movie I've ever seen. Joss Whedon's writing and directing are brilliant, working to all his strengths, combining action and character development in an ensemble setting. I'm sure if I wanted to I could find things to criticise, but quite frankly I don't want to. Rather, I want to hold onto the incredible feeling of satisfaction, signified by the grin that stayed on my face almost continuously through two and a half hours – punctuated by a couple of instances where I laughed so hard l cried – for as long as I can. I may come back later and give a more in-depth review, but for now I'll leave it at that – I loved this movie!

Three cheers!

Richard Castle's Deadly Storm: A Derrick Storm Mystery (Marvel-ABC Studios 2011)

I mainly started watching the ABC series Castle for Nathan Fillion – like any fanboy, I've really liked him ever since his brilliant portrayal of Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon's Firefly. And Stana Katic ain't bad to look at, either.  I can't say I've been terribly faithful in watching it. I tend to drop in and out, finding it a pleasant diversion that usually doesn't have any overarching story arc that compels me not to miss a week. I go through phases. Often, it's one of my summer shows.

Anyway, the premise – in case you don't know – is that Fillion's character, Richard Castle, is a best-selling crime novelist who, through connections with the New York City mayor, becomes a continuing ride-along, sort of an unofficial partner to homicide detective Kate Beckett (Katic's character) for research in developing his newest main character, Nikki Heat, the heroine of such works as Naked Heat and Heat Wave. There quickly develops, of course, a sexual tension between Castle and Beckett that is generally expressed through amiable sarcasm and bickering reminiscent of the old Bruce Willis-Cybill Shepherd TV series Moonlighting.

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett

In a brilliant multimedia move, the Nikki Heat novels have been appearing in real life (ghost-written, of course) since early in the series' television run. In what I at least consider an even more brilliant move, one of Castle's earlier series of books, the Derrick Storm novels, have been adapted into graphic novel format. Well, at least that's how it's portrayed in the TV series, as a plot point. Of course, it's really a (sort-of) ghost-written “adaptation” of a non-existent book, but the result is sort of the same – a graphic novel that duplicates something of the flavor of the Castle television series, albeit with different characters.

The authors (“of the adaptation”) are Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick; art is by Lan Medina. It's a pretty solid story that basically sets up private detective Derrick Storm as a quasi recruit into the CIA. One thing I like is how the character of Storm is written to closely duplicate the voice of Rick Castle in the television series. You can practically hear Nathan Fillion's speaking the words you are reading. Overall, the mood is very much like an episode of the series. There is the beautiful CIA agent who ends up saddled with this amateur, sexual tension and bickering resulting. But it departs from the generally light-hearted style of the TV series toward the end when tragedy strikes ….

… and inadvertently messes up a lot of the carefully crafted verisimilitude that is designed into this volume. By which I mean, the conceit that this is a product of the character we watch on TV is maintained through lists of Castle's “other books” on the front flyleaf; an introduction wherein Castle tells how his first heroes and inspiration for writing were found in comic books and consequently how gratified he is to find his work adapted into that format by “the remarkably talented Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick,” “brought to life beautifully by Lan Medina's artwork”; and several pages of plot-blurbs and cover images for his other novels – which is where it breaks down, because obviously whoever wrote the blurbs for the “other” Derrick Storm novels hadn't actually read this one! They are absolutely inconsistent with the tragic plot twist at the end of Deadly Storm which leaves a major character unavailable to play a central role in all those later stories.

Unless, this being comics, after all, we have a bit of retconning or rebooting going on here as well!

It's a faux pas that would not detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story itself, unless said reader has (as I did) already perused those blurbs for “later” stories before finishing this one, with the result being a sudden “Huh--? Wha--?” and a feeling of being played wrongly. I also wonder how Bendis and DeConnick intend to write their way out of that box in subsequent Derrick Storm graphic novels which have already been announced, given what seems to have been a very positive reception for this one. Just from reading various comic creators' blogs as well as comic-related message boards it's been apparent that Castle has a substantial fan overlap with the comic book community – probably like me many from our ranks were drawn to it by Nathan Fillion. But hopefully there have been some fans of the show who were not already comic readers who have been drawn into the graphic novel format by this book. That can only be a good thing.

In any case, I found this a very good little read, a bit different from your typical comic book fare. I recommend it as well as the Castle TV show that is its source to comic fans who may not have discovered them already, as well as anyone else.

Cheers, and Thanks for reading!