I stopped by my local library and pick up a comic book consolidation. It's called "Identity Wars" and involves Spiderman, Deadpool and Hulk transported to a parallel universe for adventures with their doubles. It's composed of three annuals from each of their solo series. Like a review request, I will examine plot, character and polish before assigning a grade.
PLOT
Identity Wars is three separate stories that unite into one larger narrative. As an author myself, I consider it a model for this sort of structure. Each story can stand alone by virtue of self-contained plotting and unobtrusive exposition regarding the other two stories, but they also flowed into and connect with each other. In fact, the ending of Spiderman's story and the end of Hulk's story make a neat, fitting and impressive connection.
Spiderman's story is rooted in how his counterpart is recognized as the greatest, and only, superhero in the world in addition to being an industrialist CEO on par with Tony Stark. The "For Want of a Nail" effect is strong here; Uncle Ben didn't die because the bullet merely injured rather than kill him.
Deadpool's story records his conflict with Deathmask, a crime boss. Alternate Wade Wilson is "the overlord of the underworld" and Deadpool wants to do something about that. Despite the violence of the story, it is pretty comical as per usual with the Merc with a Mouth.
Hulk's story is one of separation. Bruce Banner doesn't transform into the Hulk in this alternate universe because his counterpart is the successor of Dr.Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme banished the hulk to Hell and has become a demon due to its corruption. Thanks to a deal Mephisto made with another mortal, it is loose. The story is a powerful thing and pairs well with Spiderman's along the lines of Great Power and Great Responsibility.
The Identity Wars end in the classic superhero fashion: "And The Adventure Continues"
CHARACTERS
As an alternate universe, the story takes a look at how circumstances could have changed the three heroes.
For Spiderman, the bullet that killed Uncle Ben only wounded him here. That event causes his advice, "with great comes great responsibility" to shift to "with great power comes a responsibility to stay powerful". This change is reflected in a Spiderman who is so powerful that every other superhero quit due to feeling superfluous, and whose moral compass has a significant shift towards the Well-Intentioned Extremist angle.
Deadpool's story is comical. That is to say it is black comedy where he and his supposed counterpart "Death Wish" have bloody good fun together. His real counterpart is "Death Mask", a crime lord. He's more concerned with killing the guy then his backstory. Since he is "Wade Wilson" it's likely a multiple-choice past anyway.
Hulk's story, like Spiderman's, has an interesting twist. In this universe, Bruce Banner became a disciple of Doctor Strange and cast his version of the Hulk into Hell. He is now a wizard instead of a scientist, and his Hulk is now a genuine demon due to Hell's corruption. The 616 Bruce Banner is now also Hulk free as a side effect. Between science, magic, and hellfire, it's like this boiling down of power to its purpose.
POLISH
The artwork looks great. The layout of the cells is engaging and easy to follow.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Identity Wars" an A+
Click here for the next review request: Keepers of the Dawn
Click here for the previous book review (a request): "Winterreise"
Showing posts with label comicbook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comicbook. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Friday, July 31, 2015
Movie Review: Antman is a mega fun
I watched Ant-Man on the day it came out, but it is only now that I have time to review it. This is a heist movie taking place after Avengers: Age of Ultron concerning the Pym Particle technology for shrinking things. I will examine Plot, Character, and Polish and then assign a grade.
PLOT
First of all, I want to dispel any misconception that this movie is a re-tread of Ironman. While it looks similar due to both the hero and his evil counterpart wearing powered armor and the conflict is over the armor's proper use there are numerous differences. The most important of which is that this movie is a heist movie. It revolves around a plan to steal the prototype Yellow Jacket armor from Daren Cross and delete all the data on it so another cannot be built. The second is that Daren Cross is a legitimate creator of the Yellow Jacket; Hank Pym refused to tell him the formula or even confirm that it was a real thing and not just a hoax, so he reinvented it. The roles of Iron Man and Iron Monger are then, in part, the opposite in this film. A third point is the difference in cast but that will be in the CHARACTERS section.
I like the plot because I think it is has a sound foundation and built up. The Evil Plan is established, Scott is recruited, trained to stop it, the plan develops and then the heist is carried out.
Personal conflicts and arcs are wrapped around this basic structure to flesh it out and give it meat. It can be both silly ("Baskin Robins Always Finds Out") and profound (The speech about second chances).
The ending is satisfying. It closes the conflict of this movie while pointing to new adventures for Ant-Man in future MCU projects.
CHARACTERS
Scott Lang is about as far away from Tony Stark as one can get. He's much closer to Average Joe than the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" in both his everyday demeanor and the world that he inhabits, which includes roommates and annoying retail jobs. The only reason he's included in Hank Pym's plan, is because he is both trustworthy and expendable. In fact, I'd say he has more in common with Steve Rogers.
This is what made him so engaging and interesting as a character. Scott Lang is truly a hero for the little guy. He's not a famous war hero, a (demi) god, enormous green rage monster, a super spy, etc. He's just a guy in a suit and he didn't even make the suit. What he is underneath the suit is just as heroic as anyone else in the MCU. Enough comparisons with other heroes; Scott stands on his own without them.
He is quite the devoted father. It's clear that his daughter Cassie means the world to him. All of their scenes are adorable. He has a streak of self-depreciating humor that is shown most prominently during his scene with Falcon. For a third point, he's a modern day Robin Hood.
Hank Pym is a grouchy old man but it's easy to see the rusted heroism inside of him. He plays a Big Good role in this film directing and training Scott. His dynamic with his two apprentices has Star Wars overtones (the bad original one and the good new one), which is cool.
Luis, Kurt, and Dave, A.K.A. "The Three Woombats", are great for comedy, but they are also more than just funny guys. They're skilled at what they do and, aside from their (off-screen) petty crimes, heroic in and of themselves.
Darren Cross makes for a great mix of hamminess and villainy while also distinct from other MCU villains. He has this Well Done Son Guy complex with Hank, but at the same time, it's more of a Surpassed The Teacher sort of thing. His offhand comment about "morning meditations" also sticks out.
Hope Van Dyke is an interesting character because, as she points out, she is far better suited to be The Hero of this story than Scott. She works at the place, she knows the technology, she has Cross's trust, and she knows "how to punch". This leads to a More Hero Than Thou with her father for the first half of the film. Scott takes the role not because he's better qualified, as would be the case in another film, but because he is expendable.
She's not a love interest. The make out with Scott at the end occurs off screen and so quickly that it's more a joke than honest romance or ship tease. Her reconciliation with her father is by far the more important relationship in terms of emotional content (just like how Scott's relationship with his own daughter is more important to him). However, if there's an Ant-Man II, I imagine that this will change because there's a Generational Xerox thing going on with Ant-Man and Wasp.
POLISH
As has become standard with Marvel Studios, this movie looks fantastic. It has smooth pacing, it has great special effects, and hilarious jokes.
Trickster Eric Novels gives Ant-Man an A+
The next movie review is X-men Apocalypse
Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
PLOT
First of all, I want to dispel any misconception that this movie is a re-tread of Ironman. While it looks similar due to both the hero and his evil counterpart wearing powered armor and the conflict is over the armor's proper use there are numerous differences. The most important of which is that this movie is a heist movie. It revolves around a plan to steal the prototype Yellow Jacket armor from Daren Cross and delete all the data on it so another cannot be built. The second is that Daren Cross is a legitimate creator of the Yellow Jacket; Hank Pym refused to tell him the formula or even confirm that it was a real thing and not just a hoax, so he reinvented it. The roles of Iron Man and Iron Monger are then, in part, the opposite in this film. A third point is the difference in cast but that will be in the CHARACTERS section.
I like the plot because I think it is has a sound foundation and built up. The Evil Plan is established, Scott is recruited, trained to stop it, the plan develops and then the heist is carried out.
Personal conflicts and arcs are wrapped around this basic structure to flesh it out and give it meat. It can be both silly ("Baskin Robins Always Finds Out") and profound (The speech about second chances).
The ending is satisfying. It closes the conflict of this movie while pointing to new adventures for Ant-Man in future MCU projects.
CHARACTERS
Scott Lang is about as far away from Tony Stark as one can get. He's much closer to Average Joe than the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" in both his everyday demeanor and the world that he inhabits, which includes roommates and annoying retail jobs. The only reason he's included in Hank Pym's plan, is because he is both trustworthy and expendable. In fact, I'd say he has more in common with Steve Rogers.
This is what made him so engaging and interesting as a character. Scott Lang is truly a hero for the little guy. He's not a famous war hero, a (demi) god, enormous green rage monster, a super spy, etc. He's just a guy in a suit and he didn't even make the suit. What he is underneath the suit is just as heroic as anyone else in the MCU. Enough comparisons with other heroes; Scott stands on his own without them.
He is quite the devoted father. It's clear that his daughter Cassie means the world to him. All of their scenes are adorable. He has a streak of self-depreciating humor that is shown most prominently during his scene with Falcon. For a third point, he's a modern day Robin Hood.
Hank Pym is a grouchy old man but it's easy to see the rusted heroism inside of him. He plays a Big Good role in this film directing and training Scott. His dynamic with his two apprentices has Star Wars overtones (the bad original one and the good new one), which is cool.
Luis, Kurt, and Dave, A.K.A. "The Three Woombats", are great for comedy, but they are also more than just funny guys. They're skilled at what they do and, aside from their (off-screen) petty crimes, heroic in and of themselves.
Darren Cross makes for a great mix of hamminess and villainy while also distinct from other MCU villains. He has this Well Done Son Guy complex with Hank, but at the same time, it's more of a Surpassed The Teacher sort of thing. His offhand comment about "morning meditations" also sticks out.
Hope Van Dyke is an interesting character because, as she points out, she is far better suited to be The Hero of this story than Scott. She works at the place, she knows the technology, she has Cross's trust, and she knows "how to punch". This leads to a More Hero Than Thou with her father for the first half of the film. Scott takes the role not because he's better qualified, as would be the case in another film, but because he is expendable.
She's not a love interest. The make out with Scott at the end occurs off screen and so quickly that it's more a joke than honest romance or ship tease. Her reconciliation with her father is by far the more important relationship in terms of emotional content (just like how Scott's relationship with his own daughter is more important to him). However, if there's an Ant-Man II, I imagine that this will change because there's a Generational Xerox thing going on with Ant-Man and Wasp.
POLISH
As has become standard with Marvel Studios, this movie looks fantastic. It has smooth pacing, it has great special effects, and hilarious jokes.
Trickster Eric Novels gives Ant-Man an A+
The next movie review is X-men Apocalypse
Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Read for Fun: Deadpool Classics #1
I've seen Deadpool in a lot of media but I've never read a genuine comic about him before, so I bought the last part of Dracula's Gauntlet and then an issue of the AXIS series from Marvel NOW. I like them both so I decided to delve into Deadpool's history and buy Deadpool Classics Number 1. This includes his first appearance in New Mutants #98, Circle Chase 1-4, Deadpool(1994) 1-4 and Deadpool 1997 #1 As usual there will be plot, character and then polish.
PLOT
For being a mercenary, Deadpool doesn't do much mercenary work in the middle two stories. They're plenty interesting but it seems strange. The Pirates That Don't Do Anything. This is resolved in the final story of the collection which sees three cases of mercenary work; one for In Media Res, one for the main story, and a final one as a sequel hook.
The middle two stories have Deadpool being pursued by someone. It's a case of neither hero nor villain; just protagonist. They lack a driving arc that is present in the fourth and final one. Perhaps this is due to it being Deadpool's first monthly series instead of a limited series but they don't feel as thick in terms of story telling.
They're enjoyable but not memorable is what I would say.
CHARACTERS
In the third story Deadpool calls himself "The merc with a mop" and this is indicative. This collection doesn't have the silly Deadpool munching on chimegangas but a serious Deadpool given to moping. In these stories he's pretty depressing in how he talks about ugly he is, and how unfair the world is and stuff like that. I'd say the first genuine bits of comedy don't come until the last story, which is the only one to include Blind Al.
Deadpool is solidly a jerk with a heart of gold in these stories (save the first where he's basically a villain of the week). He's rude, selfish and egotistical but he does the right thing in the end.
Juggernaut is in two of these stories, which is fun. Both of them involve him working with Black Tom and both times fighting for a macguffin with Deadpool. The second time Deadpool is the Macguffin.
Blind Al is great. She provides both a comedic and personal role that is missing in the other stories. He doesn't have anyone to engage in Snark to Snark Combat in those stories and she's also the only one that he doesn't involve violence as either as ally or enemy. (A threat of a box trip is defeated by a counter threat to his happy meal toy collection.)
POLISH
There are a bunch of different writers and painters here, but it all looks good as far as I can tell.
Trickster Eric Novels gives Deadpool Classics #1 a C+
PLOT
For being a mercenary, Deadpool doesn't do much mercenary work in the middle two stories. They're plenty interesting but it seems strange. The Pirates That Don't Do Anything. This is resolved in the final story of the collection which sees three cases of mercenary work; one for In Media Res, one for the main story, and a final one as a sequel hook.
The middle two stories have Deadpool being pursued by someone. It's a case of neither hero nor villain; just protagonist. They lack a driving arc that is present in the fourth and final one. Perhaps this is due to it being Deadpool's first monthly series instead of a limited series but they don't feel as thick in terms of story telling.
They're enjoyable but not memorable is what I would say.
CHARACTERS
In the third story Deadpool calls himself "The merc with a mop" and this is indicative. This collection doesn't have the silly Deadpool munching on chimegangas but a serious Deadpool given to moping. In these stories he's pretty depressing in how he talks about ugly he is, and how unfair the world is and stuff like that. I'd say the first genuine bits of comedy don't come until the last story, which is the only one to include Blind Al.
Deadpool is solidly a jerk with a heart of gold in these stories (save the first where he's basically a villain of the week). He's rude, selfish and egotistical but he does the right thing in the end.
Juggernaut is in two of these stories, which is fun. Both of them involve him working with Black Tom and both times fighting for a macguffin with Deadpool. The second time Deadpool is the Macguffin.
Blind Al is great. She provides both a comedic and personal role that is missing in the other stories. He doesn't have anyone to engage in Snark to Snark Combat in those stories and she's also the only one that he doesn't involve violence as either as ally or enemy. (A threat of a box trip is defeated by a counter threat to his happy meal toy collection.)
POLISH
There are a bunch of different writers and painters here, but it all looks good as far as I can tell.
Trickster Eric Novels gives Deadpool Classics #1 a C+
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