Saturday, April 20, 2013

"Captain America: The Death Of The Dream" Comic Review


     Continuing where we left off last week with the death of a beloved hero, this week we will be looking at the death of an icon. Captain America has been the symbol of American idealism for centuries; his heroics served as an inspiration for all military personnel during World War One and it would have been a crime to send him out without a bang. Captain America: The Death Of The Dream was a secret that concluded the Marvel's Civil War story arc. The story was kept very "hush hush" until its release, and when it hit news stands it became national news in all forms of media.


     Captain America: The Death Of The Dream is the next graphic novel to make it onto our genre defining comics list. Killing off captain was a dramatic movie for Marvel to pursue, but when they agreed to put the nail in the coffin they did it with a mystery that Sherlock Holmes would have been proud of. Within the first few pages of the book we see Captain America making his way up the steps of the federal courthouse in handcuffs to make what we assume was an address about the Superhuman Registration Act, something that was the defining basis behind Civil War. A red dot, one shot fired, and a martyr is made. But, it took more than one shot to finish the job; multiple shots were fired but no gunmen were witnessed; thus our mystery for the second shooter begins.


     This novel gets right to the point of it in making Captain America's final moments all within the first issue. The remainder of the book is from Bucky/ The Winter Soldier, Sharon Carter, and Falcon's point of view. From their different perspectives they each are faced with a mystery that must be solved in order to find out who was behind Steve Roger's death; this particular novel is very satisfying to even the avid Marvel reader and has a nice cliffhanger that makes you reconsider the who are heroes and who are wannabes.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

"Angelicomics' Top Ten Moments of Transformation In Comic Book Film"

     Some film adaptations of our favorite graphic novels don't turn out the way we expect them too; and who's to say whether a film is bad or not. What one person likes, another hates; but usually we can all agree that they are entertaining. This week I wanted to look at, what I believe are top 10 moments of transformation in comic book film; these are the moments in film when a character or characters reach a point of realization. If you have never heard of "The Heroes Journey," or "Monomyth," this is a cycle that Joseph Campbell comprised in 1949 that lists a cycle that many writers follow to this day regarding the structure of a story. This cycle had been around way before Campbell solidified it, but to keep it simple we will focus on his diagram. So what I have done is post a diagram of "The Heroes Journey," to see if you can pick up on the moments of transformation of the characters. Now I do warn you there are spoilers if you have not seen these films, and I do apologize for some of the poor quality of these clips; they were all taken from Youtube and I give full credit to the owners of the material. So be prepared to be astonished as we navigate "Angelicomics' Top Ten Moments of Transformation In Comic Book Film."



#10 "The Dark Knight"
      I think it can be argued that the connection between Batman and the Joker as an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object is one of the most accurate depictions of their relationship. In this scene there are actually two moments of transformation; the moment the people on the boats decide not to blow one another up is one and then again when Batman chooses to save the Joker is the second. Both moments bring the Joker into a realization that he was wrong; and even though Batman says he knows "There wont be any fireworks," I think its safe to say he didn't know for a fact that they wouldn't pull the trigger. In his own words, "Sometimes people need to be rewarded for their faith."

#9 "Spider-Man" (2003)
      Such is the life of a super hero; contrary to popular belief, the hero doesn't always get the girl. Here we see our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man realizing that "With great power comes great responsibility" (for the millionth time), and he even has the love of his life throwing herself at him. Of course we all know that heroes have to make sacrifices and so Peter rejects Mary Jane. However, if you notice after he walks away there is that one blip where it appears that Mary Jane realizes that Peter Parker is in fact Spider-Man; she doesn't, but still a moment of transformation for them both? I think so.

#8 "Constantine"
      Speaking of sacrifice, what would a hero be if he didn't sacrifice life and limb for those in need. Here we see John Constantine, dead, and being dragged off to Hell by Lucifer. But wait, is that a moment of transformation? As our "Wild Stallion" (Bill and Ted reference) is desperately being pulled away, a moment of transformation comes over Lucifer! What a shock it must have been for him to be upstaged by a mortal. Not only in this clip do we see Constantine transformed by ascending into Heaven, but we get a humorous scene that pisses off the Devil.

#7 "300"
      This scene from 300 can be somewhat controversial, but we see multiple transformations here as well. First we see Leonidas transformed by the realization of what truly matters to him as the reason for his sacrifice, and then we see Xerxes transformed into a lesser being that was once thought to be a god. This plays along with the theory that "If you make God bleed, people will stop believing in him," it stands to be very true here. The idea that your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die is also a trans-formative moment as we see here Leonidas calling out to his Queen, but then refers to her as his love, making it that much more personal.

#6 "V For Vendetta"
      There are so many moments of transformation in this film it was hard to choose; but for Eve there would be no moment that would come close to her personal transformation. What we see happening here is exactly what V says is happening. By taking away Eve's fear, she has overcome her greatest obstacle and become transformed in the process. At times in stories we can see the transformation more clearly when a physical change has occurred; in this case we get a bald Natalie Portman.

#5 "X-Men: First Class"
      Sometimes transformations are not for the better, as seen here by the anti-hero to become villain, Magneto. We are witness to the grizzly death of Sebastian Shaw, who killed Eric's mother at the beginning of the film. What is great about this scene is that we are able to see Eric take up the mantle of his enemy, by taking his helmet, and he uses Shaw's coin against him. A very trans-formative scene indeed.

#4 "The Punisher" (2004)
      I really love this movie; I don't care what anyone says. The Punisher is such an emotionally driven character and for the most part of the movie, transformations are what seem to drive Frank Castle away from a hero and more into psychopath. However, this scene, near the end of the film, we hear his declaration that he has now become transformed and ready to kick some butt.

#3 "The Crow"
      The Crow was one of the earlier films on this list, and sadly it was Brandon Lee's final film after a tragic misfire on the set. Here we see Eric Draven's character freshly plucked from the grave with his new crow like powers of perception. Earlier in the film he is shambling around the city trying to make heads or tales out of why he is here. In this scene it all comes full circle; some moments of transformation happen earlier in the story, but most happen later which drives for a climactic finish. Make no mistake this is one of the best comic book film adaptations out there and this scene serves as a witness behind the Crow's drive for justice.

#2 "The Avengers"
      The Avengers was one of the highest grossing films ever nade, and so I couldn't not use it. Right before the films climactic, and coolest, scenes we get Bruce Banner's transformation, physically and mentally. He says to Captain America that he is "Always angry," which makes us realize that he has come to terms with himself, and that he is prepared to stop denying who he really is. This transformation sequence serves as another moments in the teams realization that they have finally become unified and fit to take up the title of the Avengers.

#1 "Batman Begins"
     I used this clip in one of my earlier blog posts and for good reason; I get goosebumps every time I watch it and want to jump out a window, (with proper protection of course). The moment that Batman, indirectly, gives up his identity to Rachel, we see him become transformed by removing the burden of withholding his secret from someone he loves. This is very much the opposite of the Spider-Man clip we saw earlier on the list, but still serves as a very satisfying transformation.

     Well there you have it; this has been "Angelicomics' Top Ten Moments of Transformation in Comic Book Film." I hope you all have enjoyed the list, and with a little luck learned something. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts below; and remember to like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/angelicomics or by clicking the picture below to be notified of updates to our blog. Until next time.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

"Batman: A Death In the Family" Comic Review

 

     Some of the best stories ever told get that way because they take risks and stretch boundaries; and then, some even cross the line. Batman: A Death In the Family is one of the most iconic graphic novels you could ever add to your collection. Not only does this book give us one of the most prolific and shocking deaths in comic history, but it dives into some pretty crazy stuff, including foreign politics. When I think of Batman: A Death In the Family, two things come to mind, "This would never fly by today's standards," and, "We brought this on ourselves." The first thing to keep in mind while reading this book is that it was written in the late 80's and so things were not quite as uptight as they are today regarding foreign policy; but in some scenes you have the Joker selling nuclear missiles to terrorists and then negotiating with the Ayatollah Khomeini. The Joker in this time period was just as twisted as he is in today's comics but with a bit more humor added in and a little less psychotic; but that didn't stop him from killing the second Robin, Jason Todd. This event in comic history made us believe that in the comic world it was possible to die and stay dead. It wouldn't be for another 10 years before we saw Jason Todd grace the pages of another comic. As the old saying goes, "Don't shoot the messenger," we can't pass Jason's death on the Joker entirely. The real weight of Jason Todd's death rested on the fans. After a brutal beating with a crowbar from the Joker, Jason lay unconscious in a warehouse about to explode with laughing gas and dynamite; and with Batman rushing to his rescue, fans were given a phone number to call in and seal Jason Todd's fate, and his coffin. Over 10 thousand fans called in, and with a vote of 5,343 votes for Jason to die over 5,271 for him to live, Jason Todd became the next casualty at the hands of the Joker.



     Batman: A Death In the Family was a defining moment in the Batman cannon. The Death of Jason Todd continues to haunt Batman today, and still serves as a reminder that contributes to Batman's hesitancy to recruit someone into his crusade. Eventually Jason Todd does come back to life to become the Red Hood; reminiscent of the Joker's costume prior to falling into the vat of chemicals as told in The Killing Joke. Now a days Jason Todd is back on Batman's side but still holds a grudge, wondering why Batman never sought justice for his death and avenged him by killing the Joker; a burden that still makes Batman question whether or not his decision makes him responsible for the Joker's victims. A Death In the Family was a great story line that didn't just seek to emotionally scar Batman, but also had an educational lesson to go with it, and that is why it belongs here amongst my Genre Defining Comics.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Banner and Hulk in the context of Jekyll and Hyde


     Recently in one of my classes we were assigned to read The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The final chapter of that book was a letter that Henry Jekyll had left his friend explaining that everything that had happened during the first part of the book was entirely true, and that he was in fact Mr. Edward Hyde. For our final project of the class my teacher allowed us the option to rewrite a portion of one of the texts from the class. I felt it was a golden opportunity to put two things I loved to good use; those being comics and writing. So here it is, my adaptation of Dr. Banner and Mr. Hulk.




To whom it may concern,
            My name is Dr. Bruce Banner, and this letter will serve as both my confession and my reconciliation with the world. At the time of your viewing this letter I am either dead or, at the very least, I have allowed my sins to consume me, both mind and body. For the sake of those I love, I pray it be by death that they may be spared the knowledge that you are about to partake of. Within these last simple words you shall come to know the truth of my horrendous ordeal that was both my life’s work and my lifelong curse. Alas, before you subject yourself to this message, be wary that what prayers you may have for me now will soon wilt within shame; for when you have heard my story you shall see no justification regarding my actions, and if but only one request be granted me by God, it be that He show you mercy in this; for I too feel as you soon shall feel, you will see through my eyes, and the truth shall give me no quarter from those who may judge righteously.
            My story begins a few years back, the exact dates I can no longer recall, but the duality of my life feels like I have lived for two men rather than only one. I had sought out to use my youthful but ignorant knowledge to better the world through the use of gamma radiation. The government had hired me to find a means that would save lives in the battlefield by using the radiation as an accelerant that could diffuse hostile situations in times of crisis. Of course this knowledge was never presented to me upon the request that I continue my research under the watchful eye of a government facility. I was naive and a different man than what I am now; the promise of greatness at my fingertips was more than enough to wet my appetite, and my palate was eager to experiment with new things. Little did I know that soon I would learn the error of my thinking, and the realization that men are only capable of deceiving one another is by first deceiving themselves.
            It was only another year that would go by until happiness fell into my life again. My work had become my jealous lover when I was given my assistant, Betty Ross. Betty was magnificent; she stole my breath away from the moment I had first laid eyes on her; and still to this day I have found no equal or opposite to her. We had only started dating when my accident took place; I wish I had had more time with Betty, but much like Frankenstein’s monster I was condemned to walk a solemn road of restlessness. I could not bring myself to share the truth of my work with Betty and therefor saw it wise to forsake her to a life of warmth and love rather than the path I have smashed out for myself.
            It was as poetic as any conventional horror story; one night while working late in my laboratory, an accident occurred while I was working with the gamma rays. Explosions, screaming, and destruction were all that would follow me for the rest of my life. What was once the work of turning men into gods became my vice and exaltation. Yes, this was the manifestation of my inner demon. The intense feeling of power became so intoxicating that I began to believe what people were calling me; indestructible, incredible, unstoppable, were but a few that come to mind. Many newspapers had many names, but one always remained the same; HULK.
            Over the next few months I wrestled with myself in reverence of the beast. Its power was magnificent, but justifying its thirst for destruction was what waned heavily upon my soul. It pains me to write these truths but I only do so that every man may become privy of my mistakes. Eventually I learned that anger was what called forth the beast from the depths of my consciousness; and at times I would beckon it for my own sinful pleasures. Perhaps it is true that the nature of man is the cause of calamity; and I pray you dear reader, forgive me for when I say that living in the shell of my doppelganger, I found paradise.
            Now my story must draw to a close, for even as I write this letter with regret hanging in my heart, I can feel the beast climbing his way out from the pit. The creature has no boundaries and has surpassed all surmountable odd thrown at him; and I am but a single man of no consequence. Truth be told, I am surprised as to how long I have been able to contain my Abaddon; my strength and will have wavered many nights these last few years and quite frankly I am tired. I fear that the beast seeks to consume me now and as I write these words you will take notice that my hand shakes wildly. If this is to be the last legacy I leave behind, I wish it to reveal the damnation that consumes me, and that it allow to fade silently away into the dust from whence I was conceived; but for the creature, let he live to be a testimony to those who seek godhood. I pray once his task has been served that he be dealt with swiftly and to no fault of those who swing the mighty axe of execution. Let the tyranny of the Hulk forever stand as a warning to those men who seek power; let them see how the fruits of their labors spoil before the harvest.
            My pain grows sharper now, both mentally and physically. My beloved Betty, I pray you not learn of this letter, but if it comes to that please know that the man I once was died years ago. The pieces of my heart have become too broken from the destruction I have caused in this world, but my life without you has shattered those fragmented remnants. I beg of you to forgive this wretch of a man inside a hollow machine of emerald. I was blinded by my own guilt and saw it fitting that my last act of humanity be one of piece and not chaos; to let you live a life of your own away from my madness proves that still some part of me remains, even when all seems clouded by rage. I love you Betty, and I beg that you try to find it in your heart to forgive me.
“Whenever science makes a discovery, the devil grabs it while the angels are debating the best way to use it.”  ~Alan Valentine

Unhappily,
            Dr. Bruce Banner
#
     I hope you enjoyed reading my work and would greatly appreciate any feedback regarding this piece. Your criticism helps me become a better writer and so I humble request it. Please feel free to leave any comments below and if you would like to be updated when I add to my blog be sure to LIKE me on Facebook by clicking the picture below. Thank you.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

"Witchblade" Comic Review

 

     This week I wanted to look at a book that has spawned a multitude of adaptations and, in my opinion, revolutionized an art style. "Witchblade" was created by David Wohl, Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner; and was first published in 1995. I wish I was more versed in the history of comics, but most of my reviews come form my personal thoughts and feelings regarding certain stories and how they were told; so with that said, some of the comics I consider revolutionary may not be the first to break certain revolutionary boundaries. "Witchblade" was a story that came out around the time of the big comic boom of the 90s. Along with other stories of a similar genre were "Lady Death," "Gen13," and later on "Magdelena." Eventually a multitude of the Top Cow universe characters made at least an appearance, if not their origins, within the pages of "Witchblade;" "The Darkness" being just one of them.

     The story of "Witchblade" surrounds the young New York police detective, Sara Pezzini. Sara eventually stumbles upon an ancient relic called the witchblade which transforms her into a (semi) armored fighting super-hero. For the most part, the back story behind the witchblade is a clouded one; and its only through its current owner, Kennith Irons, that Sara is able to learn of the witchblade's mystical powers and previous historical wielders. Unbeknownst to Sara, Kennith Irons has his own sinister plot and understands only a woman can wield the witchblade; and so he assumes by controlling Sara he will control the witchblade.


     The first thing that many people notice about "Witchblade" is the art style. Most of the characters have long hair and six packs. This was thing that initially drew me to read "Witchblade," of course the fact that in full garb, Sara appears very promiscuous was another selling point for most people. The story behind "Witchblade" was a unique one. Since its initial launch, many other comics follow the same path of the hero obtaining the special item; and although this is nothing new to the hero's journey, this is the first time I can recall it being done with a woman as its lead role and portrayed with such dark undertones.


     "Witchblade" eventually became a live action TV series in 2001-2002 and starred Yancy Butler in the lead role. Although the series only lasted two seasons I highly recommend the first season to any fan of the book. The second season pulled a time rewind trick which kind of reset the first season, which wasn't a great move in my opinion. Sadly there were some issues that caused the series to end after its second season, but not because of low ratings. A few years later in 2006 another adaptation of "Witchblade" came out in anime and manga form. I recently had a chance to watch the 24 episode series which was thoroughly enjoyable. The show does contain a little more fan service than I would have liked, but the all around story was unique from the comic, and was a fresh twist on the series. Supposedly a "Witchblade" live action movie is in the works, but it has only been speculation as of now.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Virtual Comics: The + and the -


     The idea of having your entire collection of comics in digital format has been getting more and more hype as of late. But even before Marvel and DC had their virtual store, virtual comics were still available to readers in a way that was not very ethical or legal. So the real question is, are virtual comics being presented the best possible way? The convenience of carrying all of your favorite books around to fill in the gaps of time throughout the day in the palm of your hand is astounding; but can we honestly say that reading comics on a tablet doesn't depreciate the effect of reading the actual book. I was recently made aware of this idea when checking out Mark Waid's (Kingdom Come) website Thrillbent.com. There I was directed to a presentation that Mark did in February about how his website is testing different ways to view virtual content in a way that will not depreciate the art and still maintain the illusion; and I was blown away by what the site has to offer in free downloadable comics and highly recommend checking it out. Below is the video of Mark's presentation on reinventing virtual comics.

 

     Personally I am not a virtual comic reader. I like to support my local comic shop once a month and pick up a select few titles I have on hold; none of which have the virtual promo code. I like the idea that some comics offer the virtual comic, but for an additional cost I hardly see the benefit for just one person to have both. I recall being asked a while back that if it was morally acceptable to make a copy of a DVD you own because the original was scratched. The same pertains to music downloads and having a copy on every computer in your house. I feel that comics  are no different and that if you purchase the comic you should get the virtual one at no extra charge. Now, I understand that the cost might be there to pay for the maintenance of the website, but even then are those comics readily accessible at your whim? Last month Marvel.com announced a giveaway of over 700 marvel issue #1 titles on their virtual store for free. The idea was to invest in new readers but they received more online traffic than expected and had to shut down the promotion early. The Marvel store was running slow and no one, even paying customers, could open their comics because they were only available on their site. Since then I have been playing around with the app on my smartphone and found that you actually download the comics to your phone in order to view them; which is nicer but still I find myself deleting them after one read because they will take up too much space if left unchecked.


     After talking about virtual comics at my local comic shop the other day, one of the store patrons mentioned he had a friend from out of state who casually enjoyed comics and so he would buy the hardback and give the download code to his friend. You can't really say the comic book industry is losing money because the cost of the download was paid in full. After our conversation I got to thinking about what a great opportunity it would be to support our troops overseas if there was a site in which you could donate your virtual comic code to send to our troops. I am sure if Marvel or DC really wanted to, they could just donate them for free; but this would still help our economy and give to a good cause. Another thing that came to mind was the idea that if two friends wanted to go 50/50 on a book they would be able to do so, and both would have a copy of the book; of course if they wanted to get technical they could share the same online account and have the virtual comics readily available. Again this all comes down to what is morally acceptable, but the way people are reacting to the economy right now they choose to cut corners.

     I really don't see myself going virtual in the future. The feeling of having the comic in my hand is something I really cherish; and if you watched the video presentation earlier in this article you can see how the current state of virtual comics isn't the best that it could be. I still think virtual comics have a place in our future and I find comfort in the thought that if I travel I will never have to pack another book again; but its still a tossup that will benefit some more than others.

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

"Angelicomics' Top Ten Things Comic Book Movies Are Doing Wrong (but sometimes right)" No. 5-1

     This is a continuation of "Angelicomics Presents the Top Ten Things Comic Book Movies Are Doing Wrong (but sometimes right)" To see No. 10-6 click below. (WARNING: May Contain Spoilers)


#5 - Give Us the Villains We Want to See

Wrong:
     If anyone has ever seen an Uwe Boll film, you would know how far away from the source material his movies really fall. In an interview with the director he mentioned that he likes to take the story and change it because everyone has head that story before. Trust me, we want to hear it again! We have been waiting years for a film to come out so we can witness our favorite characters coming to life on the big screen, so we can yell at all those people who made fun of us for reading comics and say, "Hey, look how cool this actually is." and sometimes we get garbage. I think the Resident Evil series really falls hard to this. We have an idea of how the story should play out, but instead we get random characters thrown in to appease the fans only to have them killed off. Regardless, the two biggest villains that never lived up to their potential were Blackheart from Ghost Rider and Galactus from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Galactus had potential and had a great build up, but failed horribly since he was never seen on screen. This was a character that devoured planets and with all the space shots in the film, not once did we see him. Blackheart suffered worse. I had high hopes that his demonic form would make an appearance, In the comics Blackheart was portrayed as a very tall black figure with tendrils for hair and piercing red eyes. Instead we got the actor who was supposed to be Blackheart being surrounded by a dark aura with dentures. Not very original. On one last note, I felt Bane was a bit of a letdown. I know that the realism of the Dark Knight trilogy was meant to show Bane portrayed from a realistic approach, but he could have been injected with Venom at the end and I would have been satisfied.

Right:
     Originality does have its rewards at times. The greatest villain adaptation on the big screen would have to be Heath Ledger's Joker portrayal. The knife wounds to create the smile were a very welcomed touch that made Christopher Nolan's portrayal of Gotham believable. Thanos is another welcomed figure in the Marvel universe. At the end of the Avengers film we are given only a glimpse of the villain, but it was a fantastic one that leaves you walking out of the theater trying to put everything together to make sense of how he could be the next villain.

#4 - Keep the Basics

 Wrong:
     Sometimes less is more. In some cases things become too complicated, and leave it up to Hollywood to glamorize everything with their patented stamp of approval. To further explain this topic I want to use a few examples where things that were added for the movies, actually made the film worse. My first example is in Green Lantern. The costume they decided to go with was made entirely out of CGI. With computer generated films we see less of the classical styles, much like older Disney films which were all hand drawn. Although a lot of work, if not more, goes into the CGI process, it should be looked at as a tool and not a framework to base everything else upon. Ryan Reynolds costume made audiences cringe because it wasn't believable, nor was it close to the comic adaptation. I feel that all of the X-Men films suffered greatly from this; of course many people can make the argument that the comic book versions of the costumes would be laughable in a live action film, but having at least some of those comic ideas could have inspired unique costumes for the movie. Instead we were given a very bland set of biker jackets that were all the same.

Right:
     Pretty much every comic book film adaptation that didn't stray too far from the source material got it right. Where as some went above and beyond (Spider-man) others kept it fairly basic (Blade). Coming up with the right amount of realism and class is not an easy thing to do. Too much of the classic costumes and you risk looking like a fruit-roll-up. In the Spider-Man tilogy, Spider-Man never uses web shooters like he does in the comics. Although this was not correct in comparison to the comics, I thought that if I was bitten by a radioactive spider, I would like to have the web shooters built in too; again this isn't the most accurate depiction, but I think it was arguably a reasonable compromise.

#3 - Don't Change the Origins

Wrong:
     I feel this one almost deserves to be lower on my list, but I will let you be the judge of that. When you stray from the original story you are asking for punishment. Not only does a bad origin story scream for a reboot, but directors will be tarnished for slapping the creators in the face. Some of you may have heard they are rebooting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, but the director wants to turn them into alien turtles. There have been many outburst on this all over the internet, and even my faith in Hollywood is being shaken. Let's look at some other examples where the origin of characters have hurt the story. The Fantastic Four; Dr. Doom was not on the space station, nor was he made of metal. They did try to correct this in the sequel with Doom's confrontation with the Silver Surfer, but the damage was already done. X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Wolverines past is still somewhat shrouded, but he was never brothers with Sabertooth. Also Deadpool gets a horrible makeover in this film, and I would just like to say that for the record, he never had cyclops' powers.

Right:
     First off, I would like to say you have to be pretty gutsy to try and change the origin of a character. Sometimes you can pull it off though with spectacular results. Now, I have never read the Ultimates but I am sure they retell a lot of the golden age comic origins. I think Thor may have benefited from his origin change, which had originally started with a man finding the hammer of Thor and turning into the god of thunder. Looking at Batman Begins we get a re-telling of Batman's origins; not so much in where he trained, but who he trained with. He was never trained by Ra's Al Ghul, but for the film I think it worked just fine.

#2 - Don't Kill the Heroes

Wrong:
     Sometimes Hollywood directors think they have a liberty to kill off such iconic characters simply to make a memorable film, but more than not they just make a bad film that's not remembered for its good attributes. The X-Men films really shocked me when they killed off most of their star lineup; one even in the first 10 minutes of the film. Even though I have high hopes with the new film entitled "Days of Future Past" to fix all of these problems, you cannot do this. The only time this would be acceptable would be if you have plans to bring them back in the future or its actually been done in a comic storyline.

Right:
     So when have heroes been killed off that it was acceptable? Jean Grey died at the end of X2: X-Men United, she was brought back as the Phoenix in X3: The Last Stand. The Dark Knight Rises would not have suffered if Batman had died in its climactic sequence. We knew that this was Christopher Nolan's final film using the caped crusader, and his idea of Batman was a unique one. He used Batman as a symbol which became a martyr by dying. Although Bruce Wayne lived, Batman died. This was a great way to get the best of both worlds.

#1 - Don't Kill the Villains

 Wrong:
     This is my biggest pet peeve of all comic book film adaptations. Hollywood is slowly learning that this isn't necessary that in the end of every film we need to kill the villain. In my opinion any comic book villain left alive can make a cameo in another film. Fans eat this stuff up. These are the moments in the theater when people lean over to their friends or their date and say "I knew it!" I cannot even begin to make a list where the villain has died in a comic book film, there's just too many. You would think that if most Superheroes vow to never kill, why do the villains die so often?

Right:
     Scarecrow shows up in all three Nolan Batman films and it was welcomed every time. The Joker didn't die in the second film, and although he was never mentioned in the third film we knew he was out there somewhere, and it was satisfying. Loki was brought back for the Avengers. All of these are perfect examples of when Hollywood learned their lesson to keep the villains alive for later use. But in all fairness, Harvey Dent's death was a justified one. His death actually fueled the meaning behind the second film and kick started the plot for the third film; this was a good death.

Final Note:
     Well there you have it, this is my list of the "Top Ten Things Comic Book Movies Are Doing Wrong (but sometimes right)." If you enjoyed this list and would like to comment about it, you can leave comments on my facebook by clicking the picture below.

Monday, April 1, 2013

"Angelicomics' Top Ten Things Comic Book Movies Are Doing Wrong (but sometimes get right)" No. 10-6


      Film adaptations of comic books have been in the main stream now for about 15 years. It wasn't until the release of "Blade" in the late 90's that things really started to take off, and people in Hollywood began thinking this was the new cash cow. Well, regardless of the finished product, they were right. These film adaptations have been keeping a steady flow of our cash into the world of lights and glamor regardless of whether they were good movies or not. The interesting thing about these movies is that most of this generation have never picked up a comic book; instead they have wander into a theater and for the price of three comics they get the whole story, the origin, the battle, the end, and then they usually walk away pretty happy. But what about the "fanboys," what about those of us that grew up with these characters. We are left asking, "Why, Hollywood, why do you spit on my childhood?" and yet still we continue to go back years after year to see if Hollywood has been shown the error of their ways, and fixed things in the sequel.
     I wanted to come up with a list of things, which I feel will point out the what Hollywood is doing wrong to our beloved heroes. But don't get me wrong, they are doing some things very right, and I will point those out too. To my knowledge there hasn't been a list quite like this; so here we go. This is "Angelicomics' Top Ten Things Comic Book Movies Are Doing Wrong (but sometimes get right)." (WARNING: May Contain Spoilers)

#10 - Relaunching the Franchise


Wrong:
     Many of the best known titles have already been exhausted, leaving Hollywood to scavenge around for new ways to reinvent the franchise. In such cases as Superman leading into its second relaunch, the Amazing Spider-Man, and a possible Fantastic 4 relaunch in the works, its hard to keep track of the original story. Some younger generations don't understand what's going on half the time; and when watching one of these movies they see action and adventure and little more. The adults on the other hand are left cringing and worrying "Will I ever see my favorite villains again?" Such is the case with the Spider-Man trilogy. When Venom was announced as a villain in the third movie, I was really excited. I think Sam Raimi did a great job thus far with the first two films, but when we got to see the web slinger's dark counterpart, nothing but disappointment filled my mind. Now fast forward a few years and we have a new series in the Amazing Spider-Man; a great movie that stuck to the roots of the original story and had a very unique story driven villain. But still, the fans are left to wonder when and how the return of their favorite villains, who were used in the original trilogy, will be received. I have no doubt that Venom will make an appearance again, but it just keeps confusing us and adds to the speculation of when and where these iconic villains will show up.

Right:
     Obviously the new Superman film, The Man of Steel, hasn't been released yet, but it's shaping up to be a blockbuster. The new uniform, the blue tights, and still the same synopsis from the original, second film, starring Christopher Reeve. This is how a relaunch should be done. After the disaster of the last film, Superman Returns, it was time for Hollywood to step back and say "Hey, we messed up, lets make it right." They cut their losses and came up with this project. Unlike Spider-Man only being relaunched within a few years of the first 3 installments, I see The Man of Steel as a relaunch of the original four films. We can just forget about Superman Returns... He never really came back anyway.

#9 - Bad One Liners

Wrong:
     There is nothing like sitting in a theater with goosebumps while watching your favorite characters duke it out on the big screen; and then one of them opens their mouths and says something disastrous. Yes we have all been privy to the cliche one liners that keep popping up in movies. To give you an example of what I am talking about, one line stick's to mind...

     Yeah... she just said that. I don't think I had caught that line the first time I saw X-Men in theaters, but sure enough after many years of seeing this movie, this one line from Storm, still embarrasses me to this day. Many others come to mind, most of which come from the first three X-Men films. The Juggernaut's catch phrase, "I'm the Juggernaut, b****," being a horrible line taken from a youtube spoof. Its these kinds of one liners that ruin careers.

Right:
     Every once in a while we will hear a line that sticks with us for the rest of our lives. Those are the kind of moments where the music is just right, the tone, the timing, just everything strikes home. Those are the lines that make careers in Hollywood memorable. My favorite being...

#8 - Dramatic Character Changes

Wrong:
     Sometimes with new directors come new perspectives on a character. Perhaps going from one film to the next there was some inner turmoil that was taking place, which caused the character to go a little mad. However, when the previous film ends on a good note, why should we suspect anything has gone wrong during the time between the two films? Case and point, Ghost Rider; the first film ended, all the loose ends tied up, but now in Ghost Rider the Spirit of Vengeance we see that our heroin is suffering from the loss of his sanity, and now the spirit seeks to take control. The depiction of Ghost Rider was a much more in control character which was pulled off fairly well in the first film, but in the second movie he just feels entirely different and at times its confusing.

Right:
     X-Men, the Last Stand, although not a great movie still had a few good moments. In the beginning of the film we see a very troubled Cyclops who is still mourning the death of Jean from the previous film. His disheveled appearance makes us feel that these last few years between films have taken their toll on the lead X-Man. In The Dark Knight Rises we see a weak and decrepit Bruce Wayne which accurately displays realism and carries over the sentiments of the Dark Knight's ending. We can honestly say that Batman hasn't been out prowling the rooftops in some time while we were away. When he gave up the cowl, he meant it, and that's how it should be.

#7 - Adding Original Characters

Wrong:
     There are millions characters in the comic universe to choose from, but for some reason Hollywood thinks its okay to come up with original characters to try and steal the spotlight. Looking back at Superman Returns, Bryan Singer thought it might be nice to give Superman a son. Interesting idea, poorly executed. There was no story as to how it was possible that Superman would have a son. It was left for the fans to figure out that somehow, in Superman II, when Superman gave up his powers to be with Lois, he impregnated her. Let alone, she has no recollection of sleeping with him after that movie; so whose child did she think she was having. Moving onto Spider-Man 3 we are given the New Goblin. Why was this even a character? There was the Hobgoblin, Demi-Goblin, heck he could have just taken the old goblin costume and I would have been alright with that. But instead we got the super rad hover boarder known as New Goblin. Something completely original, gone so very wrong. Lastly, Superman 3 gave us a machine that could kill Superman; why not just call it Brainiac? Problem solved.

Right:
     Sometimes we get some nice additions to the comic universe. I don't know if many of you will agree with me but because of the Batman the Animated Series we now have such loveable characters as Harley Quinn. Not many other Hollywood adaptations introduce new characters that survive the test of time.

 #6 - Reusing the Same Actors

 Wrong:
     Chris Evans, James Marsden and Ryan Reynolds, this one is directed at you. I am almost willing to forgive Ryan and James just because the probability that a film crossover is unlikely. Ryan Reynolds plays both Green Lantern (DC) and Hannibal from Blade (Marvel); while James Marsden plays both Cyclops (Marvel) and Richard White (DC) in the Superman movie. However, Chris Evan's portrayal as both Human Torch and Captain America are unacceptable. With all the hype about film crossovers nowadays we will never see the Fantastic Four help the Avengers because of this fiasco, or until they relaunch the Fantastic Four. I am all for getting good actors to play these parts, but again, it just confuses people not familiar to the films and sometimes its good to give others a shot in the film industry. If you look at Hugh Jackman, he was barely a blip on the radar until he played Wolverine in the first X-Men film. Now he calls that role his roots.

Right: 
     I really cant say that using the same actors is a good thing, but with new adaptations of previous films I think that sometimes its okay to say goodbye to actors who didn't do the rolls justice and let someone else take over. I felt Edward Norton was a great replacement for the Hulk in his one appearance, but then he was replaced in the Avengers by Mark Ruffalo. I like both performances, but this little screw up is the splinter in the series continuity. Toby McGuire as Spider-Man was great for its time period, but I think Andrew Garfield's adaptation is much more fitting. I also agree that Liev Schreiber's portrayal of Sabertooth in 2009's Wolverine: Origins was a better fit than Tyler Mane's in the original series.