prez

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    734

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by prez

  1. Avengers movie

    in Comic Book Adaptations

    Posted

    Don't know if anyone cares, but I thought I'd post my new column from today's paper.

    The Rough Cut 4-20-12: ‘The Avengers’ movie — like geek nirvana

    The Rough Cut

    April 20, 2012 - Keith Frederick

    There are a lot of things I could’ve written about in this week’s column.

    The coming season finales of the TV season. The start of the big album release season. Film festivals and music festivals. The Tupac hologram.

    But my mind kept coming back to one thing: “‘The Avengers’ is coming out! ‘The Avengers’ is coming out! Oh my God, ‘The Avengers’ is coming out!”

    To a lifelong comic book geek, I’m not sure there’s anything else that really matters in entertainment right now. On May 4, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and The Incredible Hulk will team up on the big screen, with Hawkeye, the Black Widow and Nick Fury thrown in for good measure. (Insert squealing geek noise here. Make sure it lasts at least four minutes, like in real life.)

    Unless DC’s multitude of rights issues get cleared up and a Justice League movie starts to materialize, it really doesn’t get any bigger than this. The probable blockbuster brings together the big guns of the Marvel universe, after each of them has had a hit film in his own right. This sort of mash-up of hit film characters is unprecedented, really. The closest comparison I can think of is if the characters in “The Expendables” were intended to be Rambo, John McClane and the Terminator, instead of Steroids Stallone, Smirking Bruce and Plastic Surgery Schwarzenegger playing caricatures of themselves.

    For those of you who did not spend your childhood buried in a comic, “The Avengers” debuted in Marvel Comics in 1963, when Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp joined forces to stop Thor’s evil brother, Loki, from causing havoc. The team discovered Captain America frozen in suspended animation in issue No. 4, and he quickly became the face of the team.

    Between then and now, there have been countless deaths and resurrections, many villains and world-endangering battles, an Avengers roster that has included just about every character in the Marvel Universe and enough big stories to fill the multiplex every day for a decade.

    The Marvel Movie Universe is once again joining the heroes together to battle Loki in “The Avengers” — minus Ant-Man and the Wasp, because the world isn’t ready to believe in a shrinking superhero who talks to ants. Yet.

    A few days ago, someone was explaining to me the geekiness of another person by saying that he “knows the real names of all the Avengers, all their powers and their whole backstory.” I just stared, confused, and said, “Why would anyone not know their real names, powers and backstories?” I was then told that I wasn’t normal. Which I was totally fine with.

    I think the bottom line with “The Avengers” movie is that it looks like a blast. Even for non-comic fans, these characters have proven to be interesting and a lot of fun.

    Even if you don’t giggle like an idiot when Captain America looks at the Incredible Hulk and says, “Hulk. Smash.”

    Not that I know anyone who does that.

    Mirror Staff Writer Keith Frederick’s column appears monthly in Go. He can be reached at 946-7466 or by email kfrederick@altoonamirror.com.

  7. Avengers movie

    in Comic Book Adaptations

    Posted

    I think the costumes look very poor there. I don't know if it's the lighting or what, but they look like cheap fabric.

    And, because I'm anal retentive, it really bugs me that Hawkeye and Cap are just randomly carrying their weapons inside the base when we know the shield fits on his back and the bow can be carried fucking somewhere.

    I really have problems.

  12. DC reboot

    in DC

    Posted

    Anyone else read Justice League #5? I have a real problem with a few things:

    - Victor literally minutes ago woke up as a cyborg. But he jumps right into battle with no hesitation and no freak out about suddenly being mostly machine?

    - Hal is written like a total douchebag. He's over-confident, he's stupid and he seems totally unfamiliar with his ring's abilities, just using it as a battering ram again. I don't get it. I thought he was supposed to be an experienced Lantern at this point?

    - Batman just randomly takes his mask off and reveals his secret identity to someone he doesn't know and doesn't even trust? What?!

    - Barry is sweating and out of breath from running? I'm not sure if that's an interesting thing or incredibly stupid.

  13. Watchmen...2?

    in DC

    Posted

    And by interested I mean I'll inevitably watch Scans Daily when the material goes up, decide if I want to buy from there.

    Also, the Epilogue confuses me. Wouldn't a Before Epilogue be the original series?

    Shhhh!!! You stop that logic shit because Dan DiDio does NOT want to hear it!

  15. DC reboot

    in DC

    Posted

    So in the latest Batgirl:

    Babs very casually mentions that she got a "neural implant" that helped her walk again. And there's also a line about her owing Bruce Wayne her life, which makes me think he had something to do with the surgery or finding it or something.

    Just one more disappointing "reveal" in the DCnU.

  16. DC reboot

    in DC

    Posted

    So they're canceling a low-selling war title, and Blackhawks which is almost a war title - to add another war title? (Plus, it's Krul, so it will be terrible.)

    Very interested in World's Finest, though.

  18. Episode 15

    in Avatar: The Last Podcast

    Posted

    See, I love a villain who doesn't get his hands dirty - because he's already kicked all the ass there is.

    The Kingpin is a perfect example. Say what you will about the character, but the IDEA of the character is that he's a guy who never has to do his own dirty work - but don't underestimate him because he's a motherfucker of a fighter.

  23. DC reboot

    in DC

    Posted

    When I covered the issue on Earth-2.net: The Show, that was me talking as a critic. However, as a fan of Batgirl, the book offended me. It took a once-strong character -- arguably one of the strongest characters in all of comics -- and made her a whimpering mess. Everything that made her strong -- and I don't mean her handicap -- was taken away, replaced by poor jokes, one-dimensional characterization, and zero motivation.

    If you like it, great. Taste is subjective. But for me, as a longtime fan of the character, I won't touch the book until the current creative team is gone and I hear the new team makes Barbara as strong as she once was.

    I honestly couldn't agree more.

    On the subject of Batgirl, have they explained how she was able to walk again, yet?

    Nah. In DC's mind, if you want to know that above everything else you're just a naysayer who is also a big old meanie.

  24. DC reboot

    in DC

    Posted

    Batgirl has been very good so far. It's a bit more character driven. I know some readers get turned off by that stuff, (I'm guessing the thought is if there is no action it is kind of boring?) but I love it!

    The Batgirl naysayers aren't upset because it's a character-driven book, but because the story, dialog, and characterization aren't that good.

    Amen.

    And I freaking LOVE the Shade book. Definite trade buy if it keeps up like this.