Wednesday Round Up

Hello all! I have been rather silent lately, and for that I will apologize.

I was originally going to wait to post again until next week, but something remarkable happened. Moon Knight. So I decided that I would take the time before work to address the high’s and lows of last weeks comics, before I dive into my stack for this week (Batgirl, Royals, and Hawkeye!)

Moon Knight #1: This book makes me want to do a proper review, so I will be posting one about that shortly. I will attach the link here once it is completed.

Magneto #1: This book was different than I expected, as the internal dialogue of the character emphasized what I like about villains. Instead of getting a long monologue with stereotypical villainous schemes, we find Magneto contemplating himself and his past actions as he hunts down a killer who target mutants. This reflection on who he is and admission that he is a bad guy, was well worth the read.

Green Arrow #29: Much like Batman and Two-Face #28 went under the radar, I think this book will too. The ending of Batman and went largely unnoticed, even though it saw the demise of Two-Face. This book too has a shocking ending, as an arrow glides smoothly through Ollie’s face, leaving him dead on the ground. Granted this is a comic, and dead isn’t dead, the last scene is rather startling. This book did have one major flaw, in my mind. Diggle. This book forces the character down our throat in an attempt to have some semblance of continuity with the Arrow television show. I for one prefer my two separate. TV and film are where comic characters go to die, and having a stellar book like Green Arrow feel like it needs to stoop down and attract the audience of a shitty television show is disgusting.

Arkham War #6: Much like Green Arrow, I was disappointed by the conclusion to what was one of the best Forever Evil tie ins. Instead of having the final scene with Bane taking control of the city, I found myself distracted by this.

Really? It’s been almost two years since the film debuted, yet someone at DC decided now was a time to incorporate Bane’s Dark Knight Rises jacket? I’m not even sure what he said for the last two pages as I was appalled that Bane was doing his best Tom Hardy impression. What could have been a dramatic and important conclusion just turned into a distracting reminder of what I dislike.

Earth Two #29: While I have sung the praises of Tom Taylor early in his run, I am beginning to grow weary of this book every month. For three issues now, nothing has happened. More people die, while the plot isn’t significantly advanced. Early on we saw the death of Green Lantern, Doctor Fate is not legitimately crazy, the Atom is either armless or dead, and the list of casualties continues to grow. It’s not as if I dislike bad things happening in my comics, but the overwhelming amount of bad has gotten difficult to read.

That concludes my thoughts for some of the talking points from last week. I will post my review of Moon Knight #1 shortly for your reading pleasure.

Until the next time,

Rn

Continuing the Evil

Hey there everyone! As I am still finishing up school, the past few weeks have been dominated by mid terms, papers, and other uspeakable academic related horrors. That being said, I am hopefully back on track to providing you daily commentary on all things nerdy.

The thing I have been meaning to discuss the most is the multiple spin off books that have come out of Forever Evil, as that is the comic event that is consuming most of my attention and money at the moment.

After a rather strong villains month in September, DC attempts to keep the pace with the rest of the Forever Evil brand in September, and so far it hasn’t been all that great. Forever Evil #2 was extremely well done, and I look forward to that more than any other book in the event. Arkham War #1 was nothing more than a long Bane monologue. We saw nothing significant happen, and featured very little of Arkham or of War. Though this is due to the nature of a set up issue, this issue still lacks much to be desired.

Additionally, Rogue’s Rebellion wasn’t sensational either. Though I enjoyed it much more so than Arkham War, this issue too felt more like staged rehashing than it did a new story. Majority of the issue is either nothing new, or nothing relevant. This issue did create a great dynamic between Captain Cold and the Mirror Master. I was shocked as to how well it was done, and glad to see at least two of the group were done arguing.

Justice League of America was also uninteresting. Though we see the fact that all of our heroes are trapped inside a sentient prison, nothing in the prison makes sense. We see Wonder Woman crying and ashamed, Superman attempting to reverse time, and Shazam destroying and murdering the city. All of this seemed like a far cry from the hereos we know best. And though the prison may be psychological it has yet to demonstrate why it can break our heroes so easily.

Perhaps the creme of the crop was Suicide Squad. The issue features two SS teams both believing to be hired by Waller, when one is actually working against her. This issue unites Deadshot, Harley, and Captain Boomerang and pits them against the combined forces of the Unknown Soldier, Steel, and Power Girl. The concept that these heroes and villains could potentially work together is enough to make any fan excited, but what was more exciting was the appearance of Steel. Steel is one of my favorite characters in DC’s arsenal, and has only shown up in three different series to date (this, Rotworld, and Action Comics). I am definitely excited to see where this goes in the future, and where Matt Kindt takes these characters.

Is there anything you particularly loved or hated out of the tie in books we’ve gotten thus far? If so, be sure to let me know.

Until the next time,

Rn

Ravingnerd Reviews: Bane #1

The biggest Bat-book of the week, Bane headlines a weak group of villains on this fourth week of Villains Month. What Bane has going for him is a strong sense of characterization that has been built up steadily over the course of the New 52. Additionally, this book has the mastermind of a writer that is Peter J Tomasi behind it. With all this in mind, here is what I like about the issue.

1. Bane is a hero… to some people.
2. It does a brilliant job at creating a compelling origin for the character that feels like the best of comics and newer media interpretations of the character.
3. The story was excellent, and very well done. Nothing we shouldn’t have expected from Tomasi.

Rating before reading: 6
Rating after reading 7

This book does a great job at creating a compelling and different story for Bane. Bane can peak pretty easily as the hyper masculine and monstrous foe of Batman, and that often eclipses his brilliant mind and nack for strategy. This issue sees him use that intelligence for his own purposes as he masterminds the entire plot behind the upcoming Arkham war. While the asylum inmates have been busy carving up Gotham into their own playground, Bane has been supplying and training the inmates of Blackgate to help him achieve his goal. As savior of Gotham City. This issue elevates Bane’s desire for conquest above a desire to break people, but to be it’s savior. Tomasi adds a cult like feel, as Bane’s followers gleefully worship him and his way of life to an excessive and terrifying level. While Bane spends the entire issue making his way to Gotham (with a refreshing recap of his origins and his character on the way), his plan unfolds as Blackgate is cracked open and his army is readied. Armed with refined Venom, Bane’s soldiers promise to help Bane achieve his goal of dominance over the city. He isn’t concerned with labels of heroes or villains, the strong will inherit the Earth and the weak shall feel his fist.

Leave it to Tomasi to stave off a week of dull and almost pointless Bat-books with a terrifying and awesome tale that has direct consequences to the New 52. Bane cares nothing for the Crime Syndicate or their message, he only wishes to see Gotham become his, as he takes his place as the cities savior.

This book definitely makes me more excited for Arkham War as we finally get to see the other side of the picture.

Until the next time,

Rn

Ravingnerd Reviews: The Dark Knight Rises

No spoilers. Spoilers are evil.

I would like to take this time to extend my sympathies and condolences to the victims and their family and friends of the Aurora shooting. It is almost unimaginable to think that an escapist fantasy such as movies or comic books could also be the target of such a violent and senseless act. Once the charity fund is established, I urge all of my followers to contribute in any way. It’s at tragic times like these that our community of people is at its best, and I intend to continue that tradition.

Now that I have said that, I will get right into it. Last night I had the privilege to watch the Nolan trilogy on the big screen. I enjoy Batman Begins thoroughly and was excited for Dark Knight. As many of you know however, I was displeased with the Dark Knight. In almost every way imaginable. The looming darkness that prevailed through the entire movie prevented me from really enjoying the escapist fantasy I was trying to be apart of. This of course, left me anxious and honestly less than excited for the Dark Knight Rises. I will now conduct a review in my usual fashion.

The Cast: The cast is all instantly recognizable to us, the actors have been consistent and great. I won’t spend too much time on the older actors, because we know how great they are. I do feel the movie was hurt by…. eliminating…. one of the cast members early in the movie. The entire cast is terrific, and I know there are bound to be dozens of others whom are also displeased with his early exit. Christian Bale is better at Batman than he was in Dark Knight. His voice seems less fake, and he seems more naturally suited for the role. For the first time ever. Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves once again why he is one of the most talented younger actors and in just minutes creates a character that we want to see more of. Now the question is, do I start with Tom Hardy or Anne Hathaway? I’ll start with the one that appears first. While Tom Hardy is a consistently strong actor, his performance is marred by his mask. At times he’s brilliant, but often it’s hard to understand what he’s saying. It gets to the point where you are trying to concentrate hard on what he is saying, which forces you to miss key things in the movie. The character he portrays is done better than I had anticipated, but is hurt by some of the twists and turns of the plot. Anne Hathaway delivers as Catwoman. While you can complain about her costume all you want, it’s her character that really shines. She is the Catwoman the world wants to see, she is exactly what Catwoman is supposed to be, and she is exactly what the movie needs her to be. Plus the brilliant Marion Cotillard is always a pleasure to see.

The plot: Is intricate and well done. While people have complained at the length of the movie, I felt it was perfect for the story they were telling. I could have done without opening scene, but that’s just me. While the movie was dark, it was not nearly as dark as Dark Knight. If you liked that about Dark Knight, then we probably shouldn’t speak on the subject again. I got a different underlying theme. The theme I left the movie with was redemption and hope. Both of which are much better in my books than overwhelming darkness and grit.

Fighting/Action/Drama/Suspense: While I felt it was missing quite a bit of suspense, everything else was spot on. Tom Hardy may have a hard time speaking with his mask, but he can throw an incredible punch (go watch Bronson on Netflix now). Hathaway is a capable fighter, and Bale shows just how powerful Batman is. The action is also some of the most cinematically pleasing points in the movie. coincidentally they are also some of the darkest. But hot damn they are beautiful!

Obscure Nerd References: Just one. I saw this film with a group, when a certain line is said in the movie my friend and I turned to each other and squealed with excitement. No one else in the theatre quite knew why. However we did. Other than this, there are many overt references to the Batman mythos. You’d pretty much have to have lived in a cave your entire life not to catch them. Why do I feel there was a joke in there somewhere?

The Closeness to the Comic it Hails from: This movie is one part Dark Knight Returns and one part Knightfall. This being said, the movie surpasses anything within either of these comics. It takes ideas established in both and presents a unique movie interpretation. I appreciated how accurate many scenes in the movie were, but also appreciated just how good the movie was at taking the ideas from bad comics and making them good. Yes, I may or may not just have stated Dark Knight Returns is bad. This being said, Nolan’s movies are still very far off from any Batman universe I’ve ever read about and this movie was still a bit more gripping and gritty than I’d like to see from an escapist fantasy about a man in tights. But hey, I’m a comic guy, not a movie guy.

Comparison to other like films. It is very similar in feel and quality to Batman Begins, this movie shines because it is nothing like it’s predecessor, which is often claimed as one of the greatest films of all time. Dark Knight Rises is to Dark Knight what Kingdom Come is to Watchmen. You may not understand what that means, but I do. And in my opinion it is a very good thing.

Favorite Part of the Movie: The fact that Nolan’s trilogy is over. While it ended on a high note, the franchise is finally finished. I no longer have to count the months until we are free from it. We are finally done.
Least Favorite Part- The awkward plot twist involving Bane and another nameless character in the film. It’s just awkward and SOOOO not Batman.

The Dark Knight Rises earned a rank of……
Are you ready?
Like really ready?
Can you stand the excitement?

9

Yes, Dark Knight Rises was a brilliant movie. A movie that I could watch over and over again. It exceeds all expectations (though they were rather low) and makes the entire trilogy so much better than it was before this movie. This movie saves Nolan’s trilogy from being judged by the harsh views of this nerd. And for that, I am thoroughly pleased with. I know that many of my friends, followers, and contacts did not enjoy the movie. I know their reasons and accept those reasons, just as I now accept the reasons you love a movie I so vehemently dislike (Dark Knight). While I am always open to your opinions and debate, I am hoping that my opinions will be respected, as I am respecting yours.

Until the next time, live long and prosper.

Rn