#also tom and otto would get along fantastically

[inthetowncalledyesterday]

YOU’RE PRETTYBOYHOWL??? I FOLLOW BOTH OF UR BLOGS AND LOVE BOTH OF YOU PROJECTS. EPIC CROSSOVER EPISODE WHEN????

YES!!! aaa it means a lot to hear that, thank you and thank you so much for your support!!!

crossover episode LOL that would be fun, maybe i'll write a story of that someday! tbh i haven't thought about what would happen specifically, but i have thought before that it would be possible, since the VH characters can go to different worlds - there's 100% a key out there that opens to the universe Young's is in (and that's a certified True Fact 😌)

[darkshadow90]

Things I’ve noticed about Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home

 Hey guys. It’s been about a year since Spider-Man: No way Home came out. I’ve watched it several times and I’ve noticed some things I didn’t pick up on the first time and I wanted to talk about them.

I’m not entirely sure how far along the Goblin was in terms of taking full control of Norman but I’m willing to bet he was pretty close to taking full control when he came to the MCU and he was smart enough to know he was in a different universe. Norman looks scared and confused, not knowing why things are different. But the Goblin knows what’s going on and starts taunting him. “Coward. We have a new world to conquer. You make me sick, hiding from who you truly are.” Norman begs the Goblin to leave him alone. It’s a nice reference to how the Goblin only cares about power and if given the opportunity, he might try to conquer the multiverse.

In a way, I feel even more sympathy for Norman. He was sympathetic in the 2002 movie, but I feel like we don’t get to see how terrified of the Goblin he is aside from when he backs away from him in the mirror scene. In No Way Home, we get to see how scared Norman is. When he’s at the shelter with May, he explains that there are times when he’s not himself. He knows when the Goblin takes control he does terrible things. Norman can’t remember what happens and he has no control over what the Goblin says or does. He knows the Goblin could take full control at any moment and he’s afraid the Goblin won’t let him regain control ever again. I think that’s why he sought out Spider-Man. He wanted his help to be free from the Goblin. The heartbroken look on his face when he realizes the things he knows don’t exist in this universe and especially when he mentions Harry are fantastic because it shows that Norman does love Harry. He feels so lost and I can’t help but feel sorry for him.

I also think it’s nice that Norman likes Tom!Peter because it hints that Norman might like every version of Peter. It’s nice to see Peter and Norman working on a new microchip to cure Otto. It also makes me sad because it’s only a matter of time before the Goblin takes control. Norman likes Peter and doesn’t want to hurt him. The Goblin wants to break every version of Peter, and he almost succeeded in breaking Tom!Peter. Just before the Goblin takes control, Otto talks to Norman about how happy he is that he’ll have no more darker half and he’ll be completely free and be himself again. Unfortunately the Goblin wouldn’t let that happen and he takes control. I love when it happens because Peter’s Spider Sense goes crazy to show how dangerous the Goblin is. Even Otto knew something was up because he gave a puzzled look when he saw Norman wander off.

I should probably mention I don’t ship Otto and Norman. I didn’t see anything hinting at a romantic attraction between the two men. I saw two men who have a lot of respect for each other and the fields of science they work in. It’s possible they may have worked on projects together. I saw them being good friends at best, not boyfriends. I do love Willem and Alfred’s chemistry though. It’s great seeing them together on screen. Anyway, When the Goblin takes control he mocks Otto’s concern and says the powers he and the others they’re given are gifts and it makes them gods. The Goblin shows off his god complex and I love how Willem Dafoe shifts from playing a kind, sympathetic and flawed Norman to someone as delightfully evil as the Goblin.

 I think since Norman had nothing to lose in this universe and found out he would die, the Goblin was able to take full control of Norman. If it wasn’t for the cure Tobey!Peter made, the Goblin probably would’ve been in control of Norman permanently. No more Norman, or as the Goblin would say no more weakness. Tom!Peter would’ve had no choice but to kill him and the Goblin was more than fine with it. Thankfully Tobey!Peter steps in before Tom!Peter can kill the Goblin to remind him that Spider-Man doesn’t kill people, he helps them. When Tom!Peter stabs the Goblin with the anti-serum, Norman comes back. “Peter...what have I done?” And I feel sorry for him. I still can’t commend Willem’s dual acting enough. Happy one year anniversary to Spider-Man: No Way Home!

[georgemontague]

Hobgoblins of Wychwood

Back for the fifth time (fourth time in a row!) Wychwood truly is a most marvellous festival and one of my favourite parts of the musical calendar… it never fails to bring a smile to my face and have sun shining in the sky!

This time I was back on my familiar stomping ground on the slightly rearranged (and bigger) Hobgoblin Stage and Adrain of Glovebox Live had asked if I could bring the band this year to make it extra special and different to my usual wandering minstrel show! - with Tom off Touring and Harry too I had to go on a quest for a drummer and bass player bring along… so I asked my dear friend Rupert, who is a brilliant drummer and the most gentle and enthusiastic happy chap ever. We met at college (where he worked in the music tech department) and have known each other for nearly a decade, but in all that time never actually played any music together - he is the man responsible for making my Live at Artix (and Live at the Sundial Theatre) videos on YouTube sound so good. Anyway, the stars did not align for us to get together to rehearse before Saturday so we ended up playing the songs for the first time together on stage… (and Rupert running on only 2hrs sleep as he works night shifts!) but is was AMAZING!

A post shared by George Montague (@georgemontague) on Jun 5, 2017 at 5:09am PDT

Truly one of the best gigs I have ever played and we had so much fun!

The crowd that gathered in the Hobgoblin tent was buzzing with excitement and I was really touched by how warmly and enthusiastically they accepted my exuberant nature, skipping out and leaping on top of one of the tables amidst them barefoot halfway through the set to sing Flame unplugged. Ahh just everything about the whole gig was awesome!

A post shared by George Montague (@georgemontague) on Jun 5, 2017 at 4:49am PDT

THANK YOU for truly one of the most amazing music festival shows I have ever played Wychwood, you freaking ROCKED!! and considering it was the first time Rupert and I have ever played together on stage... WOOHOOO!! Thank You! You can see the ecstatic joy in our faces…

thank you Adrian and Mark from Glovebox LIVE, and Nick our beautiful soundman, plus John for all your help backstage! This was AWESOME!

A post shared by George Montague (@georgemontague) on Jun 5, 2017 at 5:28am PDT

Always an honour to do something for @toyboxcharity every year at Wychwood, your flower garden this year was beautiful and inspired #makemevisible

A post shared by George Montague (@georgemontague) on Jun 5, 2017 at 5:44am PDT

Before my gig I also played a live session and did an interview with Jon Smith for BBC Radio Gloucestershire (behind their van to shield us from the amazing, but very loud, chainsaw wood sculpting) 

A post shared by George Montague (@georgemontague) on Jun 4, 2017 at 12:16pm PDT

it was great to have a good chat and play them an unplugged rendition of my song ‘Otto Orange’ - you can listen again here between 01:08:20-01:17:40 (for the next few weeks): bbc.co.uk/programmes/p053mst3

Afterwards I also caught up with WychwoodFM, doing a post show interview after packing up, and as they asked me if I would come and play a live session in their on-site studio I entrusted them with looking after Gloria (guitar) and Tink (my little red piano) to grab some food…

All in all an absolutely fantastic festival fun time was had by all (you can see more video on my Intagram @georgemontague

Thank you for having me back Wychwood

Main stage with the full band next year?

ciao

G

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1256

Monday April 1, 2019

 Call me an April fool. I thought that the pure joy of comic book collecting was going the way of the Dodo bird but judging from the attendance of yesterday's Capital Comic Book Convention I'm glad to say I am mistaken. No celebrities. No cosplay. No special events. Just a room full of vendors who also love the hobby and collectors looking for unique and fun comics. I want to thank my partner Chris for all his hard work. He made Jee-Riz's booth a standout in the room. "You don't see this sort of stuff very often" was heard more than once.

 Archie #703 - Nick Spencer (writer) Sandy Jarrell (artist) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). So much going on. We find out who attacks Jughead in the woods and why. I want to be a roadie for Josey and the Pussycats. Betty and Veronica enlists the aid of Cheryl Blossom to ferret out if Archie has a new girlfriend. As long as it's not Betty I'm not jealous of the ginger bonehead.

 Avengers #17/LGY #707 - Jason Aaron (writer) David Marquez (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue has some of the cheesiest dialogue I have ever read. I really hope that the Vampire War is over. This Avengers team is a bit too goody two shoes for me.

 Batman #67 - Tom King (writer) Lee Weeks & Jorge Fornes (art) Lovern Kindzierski (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 5. Batman's in his Batman: Year One costume chasing a masked killer. You'll feel like you're watching a Roadrunner cartoon. The guy in the mask is William Ernest Coyote. You're in for a shock when Batman unmasks him.

 Savage Sword of Conan #3 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Ron Garney (art) Richard Isanove (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan is captured by the evil wizard Koga Thun but manages to escape to continue his search for treasure. It looks like he's got to fight zombies to get to the treasure. I got all excited when I saw the cover showing Conan fighting alongside Belit but nothing like that happens at all inside. I'm not reading any more of these. I don't like being played for a sucker.

 Immortal Hulk #15 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Ruy Jose (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I love this couch session with Doc Samson and the Hulk, sans couch. The two talk it out after a sniper shoots Betty and the Hulk. Some of the stuff they talk about is quite insightful. You think they're trying to find Betty but they're not. Their final destination is a surprise.

 Thor #11 - Jason Aaron (writer) Lee Garbett (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Thor goes looking for his best friend thinking he's going to need all the help he can get in the coming War of the Realms. The Lady Freyja has to make her son stop his foolish search. I like the little snippets showing characters we haven't seen in a while and I can't wait to see what their roles are in the war. Get ready true believers, Malekith is about to invade Midgard.

 Avengers LGY #714: No Road Home #7 - Jim Zub, Mark Waid & Al Ewing (writers) Paco Medina (art) Jesus Aburtov (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue features Monica Rambeau/Spectrum. Who better to fight the Queen of Darkness than a being of light. The last page made up for the disappointment I felt reading Savage Sword of Conan #3.

 Heroes in Crisis #7 - Tom King (writer) Clay Mann (art pages 1-6, 11, 17,-19, 23-24) Travis Moore (art pages 8-10, 13, 14-16, 20-21) Jorge Fornes (art pages 7, 12, 22) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). You could read this one issue and it wouldn't make a lick of sense unless you've read the previous 6. I even had a hard time understanding what's going on and I've read every issue. I think the only reason I'm going to read the last two issues is to find out if anything makes sense in the end.

 Hulkverines #2 - Greg Pak (writer) Guiu Vilanova (art) Morry Hollowell with Chris Sotomayor (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). We go from Hulkverine, the Hulk and Wolverine fighting each other to the three of them teaming up. Meanwhile the Leader and Doctor Alba, who created Hulkverine, do the super villain equivalent of what the three super heroes did. The result is going to be very interesting. This is the first I've seen of Guiu Vilanova's art and I think it's great.

 Ironheart #4 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's a rematch with Midnight's Fire. This new super villain reminds me of Miles's uncle Aaron AKA the Prowler. I hope there isn't too much overlap between these two young super heroes, otherwise I will get bored with one of them.

 The Avant-Guards #3 - Carly Usdin (writer) Noah Hayes (art) Rebecca Nalty (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). The team has their first practice and play their first game. Major points to Noah for showing the players following through on their shots. I used to love playing basketball but never made my high school team. So I ended up managing both junior and senior teams and got to practice with them. I would love to find someone my own age to shoot some hoops with right now.

 Black Widow #3 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Natasha's mission to shut down an online pay-per-view torture site goes horribly wrong. I can't wait to see how she gets out of this predicament.

 Sabrina the teenage witch #1 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Veronica Fish & Andy Fish (art) Jack Morelli (letters). This new comic book is more like the TV show than the gritty ghoulish title that was on the racks a while ago. I liked the old show but haven't seen the new one. I had a crush on Melissa Joan Hart. I really like the writing and art in this so it's going on my "must read" list.

 Dial H for Hero #1 - Sam Humphries (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Dave Sharpe (letters). I mainly bought Marvel comics when I got more spending money and could afford new comic books but I did buy this DC title because I liked the concept. Robby Reed was this nerdy kid who finds a rotary telephone dial that changed him into a different super hero whenever he dialled H-E-R-O. he always had different powers and a different costume. This updated version has a kid named Miguel who is an adrenaline junky. An old timey telephone, the whole thing with handset this time, appears before him as he's plummeting towards certain death and he changes into Monster Truck. The Monster Truck pages are quite Kirbyesque. Throw in a page with Damian/ Robin, Lobo, Snapper Carr, Angel and the Ape, Harley Quinn and Alfred and I am hooked. I liked the town troublemaker Summer too. I am looking forward to seeing their further adventures.

 Doctor Strange #12 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Scott Koblish (inks) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Herald Supreme part 1. Stephen Strange is bored but he won't be for long. An alien from a warrior race of mystics comes to Earth to ask Doctor Strange how he defeated Galactus. I guess there's no Marvel comics where this guy is from. Seems the world eater is fixing to eat his planet. The super aggressive Zoloz manages to steal all of Doc Strange's mystical power and banishes Galactus in the Mystic Realms. Read this issue to find out why that's a bad idea. Now it's up to Stephen to keep the big purple planet eater from feeding and destroying our universe too.

 Action Comics #1009 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Steve Epting (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Leviathan Rising part 3. Lois is pissed at Amanda Waller but she reigns in her anger to come up with a plan to find out what Leviathan is. We get to see what Gold Kryptonite does, which is kind of cool. It's fun when something new gets added to a story. Superman's transformation surprised me.

 Sharkey the bounty hunter #2 - Mark Millar (writer) Simone Bianchi (art & colours) Peter Doherty (letters). This one's a fun space romp. The hunter finds his prey but she's not going to come along quietly.

 The Superior Spider-Man #4 - Christos Gage (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I hope this change is permanent but it's going to take some getting used to calling Otto but his new identity Elliot. I like how Anna Maria is the woman behind the man. She teaches him a lesson in humility in this issue. Now I have a craving for Polish sausage.

 Shazam #4 - Geoff Johns (writer) Dale Eaglesham & Marco Santucci (art) Mike Atiyeh (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Yay, my wish came true. We meet Tawky Tawny the tiger in the first 6 pages. This version is quite dapper. The kids get separated with two in the Wildlands, two in the Gamelands and Mary and Billy in the Funlands, contrary to what the cover shows. Who's going to rescue the Marvel Family? The last page will enlighten you. I'm not excited about the movie hitting theatres on April 5 but if it's as good as this comic book, I might go see it.

 Fantastic Four #8 - Dan Slott (writer) Aaron Kuder, Stefano Caselli, David Marquez & Reilly Brown (art) Matt Yackey (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Did someone forget to tell cover artist Esad Ribic that Victorious was female? Doctor Doom has captured both Galactus and the Fantastic Four. He's siphoning off the former's cosmic power and is going to execute the latter. Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny are sure in a pickle. I can't wait to see how they get out of it.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #18 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 2. There's a spectre of danger hovering over Mary Jane in the side story. That's always a good plot twist to keep a Spider-Man fan hooked.

 Daredevil #3 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Know Fear part 3. Daredevil's been shot and is about to be arrested for murder. Detective Cole North aims to bring the suspect in no matter what it takes. I wonder if Canadian Chip Zdarsky picked that name as an inside joke? Just when the "tough-as-nails" ex-Chicago cop is about to succeed, Daredevil is rescued. I chuckled when I saw who it was, and it's not Man-Thing.

 Detective Comics #1000 - Is this worth $9.99 US? You bet your sweet bippy it is. I might even buy one for myself, but which cover to pick? Here are the choices.

 Main cover by Jim Lee (pencils) Scott Williams (inks) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1930s by Steve Rude (art)

1940s by Bruce Timm (art)

1950s by Michael Cho (art)

1960s by Jim Steranko (art)

1970s by Bernie Wrightson (art) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1980s by Frank Miller (art) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1990s by Tim Sale (art) & Brennan Wagner (colours)

2000s by Jock (art)

2010s by Greg Capullo (art) & FCO Plascencia (colours)

 We get 3 pin-ups by:

Mikel Janin (art)

Jason Fabok (art) & Brad Anderson (colours)

Amanda Conner (art) & Paul Mounts (colours)

 Then there's all the terrific stories inside that not only shows Batman as a crime fighter but more importantly for this title as a consummate crime solver. You will find all of Batman's family and rogues gallery in here. I loved how this issue was a feast for the eyes too. I'm just going to list the titles of the stories and their creative teams. If you don't buy a copy for your comic book collection then you're missing out on what will be a classic. With a line up like this you can't lose.

 Longest Case by Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) & Tom Napolitano (letters).

Manufacture for Use by Kevin Smith (writer) Jim Lee (pencils) Scott Williams (inks) & Alex Sinclair (colours) & Todd Klein (letters).

The Legend of Knute Brody by Paul Dini (writer) Dustin Nguyen (pencils) Derek Fridolfs (inks) John Kalisz (colours) & Steve Wands (letters).

The Batman's Design by Warren Ellis (writer) Becky Cloonan (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) & Simon Bowland (letters).

Return to Crime Alley by Denny O'Neil (writer) Steve Epting (art) Elizabeth Breitweiser (colours) & AndWorld Design (letters).

Heretic by Christopher Priest (writer) Neal Adams (art) Dave Stewart (colours) & Willie Schubert (letters).

I Know by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art & colours) & Josh Reed (letters).

The Last Crime in Gotham by Geoff Johns (writer) Kelley Jones (art) Michelle Madsen (colours) Rob Leigh (letters).

The Precedent by James Tynion IV (writer) Alvaro Martinez-Bueno (pencils) Raul Fernandez (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) & Sal Cipriano (letters).

Batman's Greatest Case by Tom King (writer) Tony S. Daniel & Joelle Jones (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) & Clayton Cowles (letters).

And finally Medieval by Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Doug Mahnke (pencils) Jaime Mendoza & Doug Mahnke (inks) David Baron (colours) & Rob Leigh (letters).

 That last story introduces a new (at least to me) Gotham City crime fighter named the Arkham Knight. His story continues in Detective Comics #1001 and I'm going to snag that issue off the racks to find out who he is.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 10 December 2018

Quick Bits:

Astonisher #13 adds Ryan O’Sullivan to the writer’s chair alongside Priest as this arc takes an interesting turn. The idea of the red parasite that’s been haranguing the planet since the first issue being fractured and confused pretty much turns the first twelve issues upside down if it’s indeed true. Great art from Al Barrionuevo, Rodney Ramos, Matt Banning, and Jamie Grant.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Avengers #11 takes a very different approach than the first ten issues or so as Jason Aaron throws more plot developments at us than Ursus Major hurls insults. It’s interesting as it works through the building problems with the US government, attempts at building a coalition of nations assisting the Avengers, Thor and Jennifer Walters’ date, and the surprise heel turn of a once deceased SHIELD agent. All with wonderful art from Ed McGuinness, Cory Smith, Mark Morales, Scott Hanna, Karl Kesel, and Erick Arciniega.

| Published by Marvel

Batman Annual #3 features a very sweet story from Tom Taylor, Otto Schmidt, and Troy Peteri that focuses on Alfred and all that he sacrifices and takes on himself in order to ensure Bruce can continue in his chosen vocation. The art from Schmidt is perfect and the heart and soul, complete with some very nice humour, that Taylor instills in the dialogue and narration are a very welcome change of pace from some of the grim and gritty takes on Batman. I think we need more Batman stories like this.

| Published by DC Comics

The Batman Who Laughs #1 is an interesting counterpoint to the Batman Annual, with a tale of body trafficking, alternate Batmen, and death from Scott Snyder, Jock, David Baron, and Sal Cipriano. It’s dour, bleak, and even more violent, even with corny insurance jokes. I can’t say it’s bad, though, the mystery is interesting, the art is wonderful, and there’s one hell of a cliffhanger, but it is dark.

| Published by DC Comics

Bitter Root #2 features some amazing artwork from Sanford Greene and Rico Renzi. The designs for the monsters, Jinoo or otherwise, are amazing and the feel of the colours, purples and greens, just bathe the story in an otherworldly glow.

| Published by Image

Black Panther #7 begins Book 2, “The Gathering of My Name”, with Kev Walker and Stéphane Paitreau joining Ta-Nehisi Coates and Joe Sabino to provide the art for this story. It’s a little more focused than the first arc, delivering a solid plan for the rebels to reclaim their identities.

| Published by Marvel

Captain Ginger #2 keeps things purring along as the Captain and Ramscoop leave off to follow a signal that they hope will bring them to another ship of cats. Then everything goes to hell aboard the mothership. Love the artwork from June Brigham, Roy Richardson, and Veronica Gandini. There’s also the usual prose pieces and a Hashtag: Danger back-up comic to round out the issue. “Company Policy Regarding Eel” from Mark Russell with a spot illustration from Ryan Kelly is particularly humorous.

| Published by Ahoy

Champions #27 concludes the Weirdworld arc and this volume of the series with the power of friendship. It’s actually a pretty good character arc for the former Nova and some neat stuff you wouldn’t necessarily have expected from Viv. Amazing art and designs from Max Dunbar and Nolan Woodard.

| Published by Marvel

Daughters of the Dragon #2 continues this digital original with a slightly different approach from the others, presenting an overarching story, but within that Jed MacKay is breaking it down into discrete two-part arcs. It works fairly well, giving some very entertaining action stories. The art for these two parts is handled by Joey Vasquez, Craig Yeung, Rain Beredo, and Jordan Gibson and it looks pretty good. There’s some really nice composition in the final confrontation.

| Published by Marvel

Dead Kings #2 is not quite as immediately bleak as Crude was, but it’s pretty close, with Steve Orlando revisiting some similar themes of regret and responsibility in Russia here. This is obviously more fantastical, blending fable and technology in a post-apocalyptic Thrice-Nine, with wonderfully dark art from Matthew Dow Smith and Lauren Affe to bring life to this slowly dying world.

| Published by AfterShock

Detective Comics #994 begins “Mythology” from the new creative team of Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, David Baron, and Rob Leigh and it’s pretty damn good. It feels great to actually see some detective work in Detective Comics and the mystery of why someone would go to the lengths to stage a pair of murder victims to look like Bruce’s parents is intriguing. The art from Mahnke, Mendoza, and Baron is also wonderful. Mahnke’s style is actually fairly restrained here compared to what I’ve been used to, which when combined with this particular blue from Baron, reminds me more of the Batman of yesteryear and the works of Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, Marshall Rogers.

| Published by DC Comics

Doctor Strange: The Best Defense #1 continues this very interesting crossover event. Gerry Duggan, Greg Smallwood, and Cory Petit deliver a wonderful “Old Sorcerer Stephen” or “Doctor Strange: The End” type tale with Strange being almost the sole wanderer in a world where Dormammu and his spawn have conquered the Earth. It’s bleak, horrifying, and beautifully illustrated by Smallwood. It’s also interesting in how it ultimately dovetails the rest of the event. Although it definitely can be enjoyed on its own, this one gives a couple answers to the broader picture of what’s going on.

| Published by Marvel

Dragon Age: Deception #3 concludes with everyone hating everyone else, more or less, and an interesting revelation about the Magister everyone was so incensed about meeting, killing, and/or stealing from. Interesting new developments regarding the Qunari incursion of Tevinter as well. Great art from Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Michael Atiyeh.

| Published by Dark Horse

Electric Warriors #2 gets into the battles between warriors and the mechanics of those battles, what transfers to whom depending on challenge, as an alternate to war. It’s interesting enough on the surface, but Steve Orlando definitely seems to be building something bigger. Great art again from Travel Foreman and Hi-Fi. The designs for the characters are truly amazing.

| Published by DC Comics

The Empty Man #2 pushes the insanity caused by the disease even further. I’m not sure what’s more horrifying, the actions caused by the effects of the disease or the cult popping up around it. Cullen Bunn, Jesús Hervás, Niko Guardia, and Ed Dukeshire are delivering a fairly visceral, thoroughly brutal, horror tale here.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Fearscape #3 endeavours to make you hate the series protagonist, Henry Henry, even more than you already probably do with heinous act after heinous act. It is incredible as to how thoroughly unlikable Ryan O’Sullivan has managed to make him that at this point you kind of just want to see him torn apart by pedantic, pretentious literary critics literally.

| Published by Vault

The Flash #60 gives us more details on Fuerza, the new Strength Force user, and her plight against a corrupt police force in Corto Maltese. Joshua Williamson is definitely making these new characters interestingly complicated while Flash tries to understand the new forces. Great art from Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Tomeu Morey, and Hi-Fi.

| Published by DC Comics

Hawkman #7 brings Hawkman a new origin, and a new reason for being, from Robert Venditti, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Jeremiah Skipper, and Richard Starkings & Comicraft. This new origin nicely builds on Hawkman’s complicated legacy, not invalidating anything, but enhancing why he keeps being reborn in different places, different eras, and gives him a purpose that’s often been lacking in some of his reboots. Great work.

| Published by DC Comics

Hellboy Winter Special 2018 has a trio of tales, each of them spotlighting a different era. The first is a wonderful traditional Hellboy short from Mike Mignola, Ben Stenbeck, and Dave Stewart of a seance gone horribly wrong as they also seem to. The second builds on the vampire mythology from the BPRD: 1946-1948 series amidst superstitious villagers fearing for their crops from Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, and Dave Stewart. And finally a Lobster Johnson tale from Tonči Zonjić of criminals trying to pass off their handiwork as the Claw of Justice. All three stories are very well done, gorgeous art all throughout.

| Published by Dark Horse

Infinite Dark #3 reveals the plans, more or less, that Alvin and Kirin put in place to destroy the station. It’s terrifying, and its source possibly more so. It does kind of make me wonder why people are being driven mad at its reality, though.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Infinity Wars: Ghost Panther #2 concludes this mini, the last of the Infinity Warps. Absolutely stunning artwork from Jefte Palo and Jim Campbell. 

| Published by Marvel

Justice League Dark #6 concludes the Myrra arc as James Tynion IV waxes philosophically through Bobo and Diana about guilt and responsibility, even as the nightmares at the gate get even closer elsewhere. The art from Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, and Adriano Lucas is really damn good.

| Published by DC Comics

Magic: The Gathering - Chandra #1 features some very impressive art from Harvey Tolibao, Joana Lafuente, and Tristan Jurolan. Nice detail, character designs, and beautiful colours.

| Published by IDW

The Magic Order #5 delivers one hell of a twist in this penultimate chapter. Also, very inventive methods of torture. Drop dead gorgeous artwork from Olivier Coipel and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Image

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 is a great debut from Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garrón, David Curiel, and Cory Petit. This first issue mainly gets us back up to speed on Miles’ life and supporting cast, introducing and reintroducing the characters and his connections, largely giving narration through his journal, integrating an exercise from his classes to convey the narrative. We get a robbery and a confrontation with the Rhino that sets up the hook for a larger plot and mystery. The art from Garrón and Curiel is gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Oblivion Song #10 is insane. Another bit of Philadelphia has been popped off into Oblivion by the less stable of the Cole brothers and this issue is the resulting chaos. I’m still very impressed with how Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici, Annalisa Leoni, and Rus Wooton are constantly throwing this book into upheaval, with practically every issue giving a new revelation or upending the status quo. This is just great.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Outer Darkness #2 follows up an entertaining first issue with an outstanding second issue, introducing us to much of the crew and more explicitly the types of horrors that they’re going to encounter in space. John Layman, Afu Chan, and Pat Brosseau have something fairly unique here, with the humour just putting it over the top.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #313 brings this battle with Morlun to an end and with it this series. It’s been a decent tie-in to Spider-Geddon from Sean Ryan, Juan Frigeri, Jason Keith, and Travis Lanham, but it is basically a three issue fight scene designed to keep Peter away from the main plot of the event.

| Published by Marvel

Red Sonja Holiday Special has a fairly entertaining lead story of Sonja learning about Christmas and then becoming embroiled in some weird witness shakedown from Amy Chu, Erik Burnham, Ricardo Jamie, Omi Remalante Jr., and Taylor Esposito. There’s also a classic reprint story from Roy Thomas, Frank Thorne, and Mike Kelleher.

| Published by Dynamite

Redlands #9 continues this arc’s structure of beginning with a flashback, this time giving us a hint of what Casper did before he was indentured to the sisters. This one’s a little light on pushing the narrative ahead very far, but very high on building more atmosphere, and developing a potential new problem for Laurent.

| Published by Image

Shadowman #10 has some really great art from Renato Guedes, Eric Battle, and Ulises Arreola. The trade off of sequences for Jack’s confrontation with Sandria Darque and then the flashbacks between Guedes and Battle is very nice, giving a unique feel to both.

| Published by Valiant

Silver Surfer: The Best Defense #1 has some oblique ties to the rest of “The Best Defense” crossover, mentioning whatever this “train” is, but like the others of these first four parts features a largely independent character study. Jason Latour and Clayton Cowles present a twist on a traditional Silver Surfer morality tale by making it a game between the Surfer and Galactus. Beautifully illustrated, tapping into some of the weirdness of Marvel’s cosmic.

| Published by Marvel

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #3 has Gwen and MJ work out where the Green Goblin’s hideout is with the assistance of this world’s Glory and Betty. This has been an interesting first arc and tie-in to Spider-Geddon from Seanan McGuire, Rosi Kämpe, Ian Herring, and Clayton Cowles.

| Published by Marvel

Star Trek: Waypoint Special #1 is more than worth it just for “My Human is Not” by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Sonny Liew, and Neil Uyetake. It’s an adorable story from the point of view of Spot, beautifully illustrated by Liew. The other three stories in this special also aren’t too shabby, but you’ll want to buy this one for the tabby.

| Published by IDW

Star Wars: Age of Republic - Darth Maul #1 continues this series of one-shots with a spotlight on everyone’s favourite horny Sith Lord from Jody Houser, Luke Ross, Java Tartaglia, and Travis Lanham. The art from Ross and Tartaglia is wonderful. The layouts for many of the action sequences are particularly impressive, knocking things off-kilter to evoke the kind of chaotic fighting style of Maul.

| Published by Marvel

Supergirl #25 goes home to Krypton in the lead story from Marc Andreyko, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Lan Medina, Sean Parsons, FCO Plascencia, and Tom Napolitano. It takes Kara’s quest into another different direction, adding another possible impediment in finding everyone and everything that aided in the destruction of Krypton. There are also a couple of back-ups, one fleshing out Dr. Z’ndr Kol and the other a sweet Christmas story.

| Published by DC Comics

Superman #6 has some absolutely stunning spreads from Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, and Alex Sinclair. The battle between Rogol Zaar and Superman & Zod is incredible, probably some of the best pages I’ve ever seen from Reis. The narration by Superman from Brian Michael Bendis is also interesting as he waxes philosophical about his speed and fighting side by side with Zod. What is less magical is the ending. Superman leaving Zod, even with pressing concerns elsewhere, feels wrong. I don’t know if it’s intentionally a bad decision on Superman’s part that will be addressed, or if it’s just a bad decision from Bendis. It just doesn’t feel like what Superman would do. Otherwise, this is a pretty great issue.

| Published by DC Comics

Titans #31 adds Kyle Rayner to the team as Donna Troy officially takes the lead and a number of the simmering sub-plots converge to kick off a new adventure. Great art from Clayton Henry, Brent Peeples, Dexter Vines, and Marcelo Maiolo.

| Published by DC Comics

Vampirella vs. Reanimator #1 is a damn good start to this mini from Cullen Bunn, Blacky Shepherd, and Taylor Esposito. The art from Shepherd is very impressive. I love the choice to present the story almost entirely in grey tones with spot colours for red and a little bit of sickly yellow, it really makes the art stand out.

| Published by Dynamite

William Gibson’s Alien 3 #2 continues this excellent adaptation of Gibson’s unproduced screenplay by Johnnie Christmas, Tamra Bonvillain, and Nate Piekos. The political aspect and veritable cold war are very interesting additions to the Alien lore.

| Published by Dark Horse

Wonder Woman #60 turns the screw a bit with some unexpected developments for Ares. I’m really liking the art from Cary Nord, Mick Gray, and Romulo Fajardo Jr. While definitely partially the influence of Gray’s inking, Nord’s presenting a somewhat looser, more angular style that reminds me a bit of Frank Miller and Phil Hester which really works for the chaotic and bellicose story.

| Published by DC Comics

Other Highlights: Accell #16, Amazing Spider-Man #11, Animosity: Evolution #9, Asgardians of the Galaxy #4, Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #2, Battlestar Galactica Classic #2, Birthright #34, Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, The Black Order #2, By Night #6, Cemetery Beach #4, DuckTales #14, Elephantmen 2261 Holiday Special, Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1, From Hell Master Edition #2, Giant Days #45, Go Go Power Rangers #15, God of War #2, Goddess Mode #1, Head Lopper #10, Hit-Girl #11, House of Whispers #4, James Bond: Origin #4, Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #5, Joe Golem: The Drowning City #4, The Lone Ranger #3, Mage: The Hero Denied #14, Murder Falcon #3, New Talent Showcase 2018 #1, Patience! Conviction! Revenge! #4, Planet of the Apes: The Simian Age #1, The Quantum Age #5, Red Sonja/Tarzan #6, Rose #15, Sasquatch Detective #1, Sleepless #10, Smooth Criminals #2, Spider-Force #3, Spider-Girls #3, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #27, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #1, TMNT: Macro-Series #4: Raphael, Typhoid Fever: Iron Fist #1, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #39, The Unstoppable Wasp #3, Vampironica #5, War Bears #3, The Wasted Space Holiday Special #1

Recommended Collections: Amazing Spider-Man - Volume 9, Black Crown Omnibus - Volume 1, Blackwood, Britannia - Volume 3: Lost Eagles of Rome, Cloak and Dagger: Shades of Grey, Curse of Brimstone - Volume 1: Inferno, Fear Agent: Final Edition - Volume 4, Giant Days: Early Registration, Go Go Power Rangers - Volume 2, Hillbilly - Volume 3, Ice Cream Man - Volume 2: Strange Neapolitan, Judge Dredd: Under Siege, Scarlet - Book 2, Star Wars - Volume 9: Hope Dies

d. emerson eddy would like to take a moment to finally admit...”I’m Batman”.

[alexbevan8462-blog]

Bridegroom Papa Pep talk Bits Of Fantastic Tips You'll Ever Know

Relationship participates in 2 hearts all together goinged in the guarantee of being husband and wife with each one of lifestyle's tests and also difficulties. Ambassadors from the Great Powers recommended Master Otto not to avoid, and also the king as well as ruler took refuge on an English warship and returned to Bavaria aboard (the same way they had actually related to Greece) taking along with them the Greek royal regalia which they had delivered coming from Bavaria in 1832. I attempt not to deal with that (the best position) way too much," Djokovic told media reporters on Thursday while getting ready for the Indian Wells ATP tournament, an occasion he won in 2008, two months after his Australian Open triumph. The cameras do certainly not reach linger around way too much at Elizabeth's flat either - Tom Corbett does not even tip foot in her domain name - but you may find just what a fantastic contrast the craft directors put together between her and also Rita's areas. As well as exactly what I definitely would not give to have my little girl create one thing enjoy this concerning me. No, I am certainly not self-indulgent, yet all of the years she coped with us, I aimed to be tolerant, understanding, and yet, a father from moderate talk, however of caring guidance and also at times, style when needed and in the suitable context.

As well as while our experts are going to always be sensitive to the one-fourths, fine, this is a wonderful lasting white colored room in front of us, environment-friendly grass blue skies, whatever you desire to contact it and we're heading to make sure that our company continue on that road. But it is actually very important to decide on today baseding upon their interests like some papas like traditional points, some are supporters from hi-tech products, some affection to consume, some enjoy books Therefore, this is necessary to know just what one's father ases if. An unmanageable wall surface of emotional state came over the father as he understood he had actually not met his assurance to educate his boy to enjoy and value life as his very own daddy had performed; he had presumed more regarding where he was actually going compared to where he went to. His dad had gotten the appeal, similar to the one he had acquired many years in the past, completing while he took a trip the planet as an active fly which rarely had opportunity in your home. She remained to make insurance claims to physicians affirming that the papa had intimately misused the youngster when she understood (as an individual with medical training) that those doctors were obligatory press reporters of presumed little one abuse makinged them her agents in bring in extra records to D.H.S. She had videos of the little one which she stated showed that the papa sexually abused the youngster however truly carried out disappoint everything from the kind. I knew the activity effectively together with the roster of fantastic Yankee as well as Cheat gamers, along with a couple of others thrown in: Mystic Berra, Pee Wee Reese, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Pouch Paige and also naturally, the heroic Jackie Robinson. When Will (Will Johnson) got here from West Philly, Uncle Phil (James Avery) boosted: he was actually more from a papa than Will's natural father ever before was actually, integrating Will into a life he definitely would not have actually known if the then-teen had actually remained on the playground, (where he devoted most of his times).

[game-refraction]

Movie Review: Spider-man - Homecoming

I remember fondly the first theatrical Spider-Man movie. I must have seen it at least a dozen times on the big screen, having gone to it four times just on opening day alone; it was one of my favorite movies for years to come. Spider-Man 2 had come along and Alfred Molina’s brilliant portrayal of Otto Octavius was fantastic, and while Spider-Man 3 wasn’t terribly impressive, It did allow me to see ol’ webhead fight a few villains that visually looked fantastic. Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel did a lot of things right and despite my issues with Jamie Foxx as Electro, they were really enjoyable flicks, that again, allowed me to see things I always wanted in a Spider-Man movie.

My favorite era of Spider-Man, in the comics, is Ultimate Spider-Man. This was a separate universe that told modern retellings of classic Marvel characters. Even though the Ultimate universe is no longer around, bits and pieces of it currently still exist, namely, Miles Morales, another of the superheroes to use the Spider-Man name. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a combination of what Captain America: Civil War gave us for the Marvel films version of Spider-Man and that of not only the Peter Parker version of Ultimate Spider-Man (and no, I’m not talking about the recent cartoon) but that of Miles Morales as well, who coincidentally is getting his own animated movie at some point in the near future. In fact, there are several components of this movie that are directly lifted from the Miles Morales arc, but I’ll get into those later.

Spider-Man: Homecoming came about when Kevin Feige, the man in charge of the Marvel films, put together a deal with Sony to reboot the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a deal where Marvel would produce the films and Sony would sit back and collect all the profits from them. While that deal may sound somewhat bizarre, remember that Marvel will still rake in hundreds of millions from any and all toys and merchandise surrounding the film, and be able to use Spider-Man in their other MCU films. It’s really a win-win situation for everyone involved. These deals are good for Marvel because frankly, have you seen many X-Men or Fantastic Four figures around? Nope.

Director John Watts, who is really only known for the 2015 Kevin Bacon movie, Cop Car, campaigned hard to direct the movie. Watts had been wanting to create a ‘coming of age’ movie for several years before hearing that Marvel had intended to go quite young for the Peter Parker role, casting 21-year-old Tom Holland, who would be playing a 15-year-old High School Sophomore. With Watts being a fan of filmmaker John Hughes, it felt like the perfect mix of what Marvel had intended to do and his desire to make that style of a film.

Despite the inexperience that Watts has when compared to several other filmmakers that were possibly up for the job, Kevin Feige, and the team behind creating this Spider-Man MCU reboot, saw his desire to create something that was exactly what Marvel and Sony had in mind, and something that felt faithful to the character of not only Spider-Man, but of Peter Parker as well. In short, Spider-Man: Homecoming was brilliantly crafted.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a coming of age story about Peter Parker, a 15-year-old kid that recently just fought alongside Iron Man and several members of the Avengers. He’s sent back to his normal boring life, well as normal as being a super powered teenager is anyway, and wondering when his next big Avengers-sized mission will be. While stopping various small crimes around his neighborhood, or at least attempting to, Peter is constantly is looking to prove himself, to show Tony Stark that he is ready for the big time, except he very clearly is not. It’s during one of these attempts to prove himself that he stumbles across something a bit more sinister than a simple bike theft; a string of crimes that will put him face to face with the Vulture.

Michael Keaton might be the best Marvel villain since Loki, as he brings such a depth to a character that is normally not known for it. The Vulture hasn’t really been a big villain for Spider-Man for years, if not decades. Adrian Toomes, the name behind the bird costume, is written as a man who will do anything he can for his family. Keaton’s performance outside the costume is just as intimidating as the Vulture is when swooping in, or lashing out with its large metallic wings at Spider-Man. This is a villain that is not looking to take over the city or the world, he just simply wants to make a living to take care of his family, even if he does go about it a bit extreme.

Tom Holland as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man is the real highpoint of the film. Holland brings a believability to the role as a young kid wanting to do the right thing but constantly screwing up. The majority of the movie is Peter getting in way over his head, and fighting for what he believes is right. Tom has great chemistry with everyone in the film, whether it’s his best friend Ned, his Aunt May, his fellow classmates, or even Tony Stark himself. The quips he has during the bank robbery scene are fun, and the way he enters that scene trying to be all cool and confident is really enjoyable and rather hilarious.

What differs from previous movie versions of the character, is that this Peter is very inexperienced and is still getting used to being Spider-Man. While the previous versions tried tapping into that, they still had him far more successful in his attempts than not, and Holland’s Spider-Man is constantly getting batted around and losing almost every single encounter. The film also does not have Spider-Man using his Spider-Sense, and while it’s not used throughout the film, it has been said that he will eventually come to rely on it, just not in the way we’ve seen before. The film is also a lot more grounded, and this is to be taken quite literal, as there isn’t one single city-based web swinging scene like in the previous films. Much of the action takes place in small neighborhoods, far away from sky-reaching buildings, so when Spider-Man needs to get around, he’s either hoofing it, jumping from house to house or riding on the backs of other vehicles.

As I mentioned above, there are several things lifted directly from the Miles Morales version of Ultimate Spider-Man. The Ned character is essentially Miles’ best friend Ganke, in both attitude and overall look. There is also a mention that Miles exists in the movie during a scene where Spider-Man is talking with another character, that while is part of the regular Spider-Man world, this version is based upon the Ultimate Comics version of the character. And while I didn’t catch it on my first viewing of the movie, the license plate of that character’s car is UCS-M01, which translates to Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Issue #1, which is the first appearance of Miles Morales. There are several other easter eggs in the movie to watch out for, and a few names that pop up during the film that while they may not necessarily mean anything right now, they could pave the way for certain characters to make an appearance in future films.

There also isn’t the Uncle Ben origin here, which is a good thing as we’ve already seen it on screen twice before, in fact, he isn’t even referenced by name here. I like the fact that he loses his clothes and backpack almost everytime he goes out to fight crime or investigate something that may be a bit suspicious. Having Aunt May say something like that he’s lost 5 backpacks already, really shows that Peter isn’t as good as this as he could be, and another character in the movie also points out that he really isn’t nailing certain parts of being Spider-Man as well. I also like the fact of seeing Peter having to miss out on much of his social game due to being Spider-Man, and this means letting down those that he cares about, for the greater good.

John Watts does a great job at framing the action and while the movie plays very much like if John Hughes had made the movie, there still is some strong action moments throughout the film. The Ferry scene alone has some really fast paced web swinging and acrobatics on the part of Spider-Man and really showcases the filmmaker’s ability to show that he really understands the fast paced nature of the character. Long time readers of the comics know of the test of strength moment from Amazing Spider-Man #33 in 1966, where Spider-Man must free himself from being trapped under tons of metal and rock debris, a collective weight that seemed beyond his capacity to lift. The movie does a great job at not only how this scene is played out, but the fact that Peter is really out of his element with how inexperienced he really is.

The suit itself is really nice and while I wish the black lines were a bit more pronounced, it’s my favorite of the Spider-Man movie costumes so far, even if it has a few changes made to it visually. I like the web cartridge slots on his hips as it looks really impressive when he pops them in and out of the web shooters, which are more like bracelets than anything built into the suit. The suit also has a voice of its own, much like Jarvis for Iron Man, Spider-Man has Karen, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, who is actually married to real life Jarvis, and Vision, Paul Bettany. The suit has some nice tricks, and provides much of the humor in the movie, with moments where Peter is trying to understand exactly what this suit can do. The eyes are what really set this costume apart as they move and squint with retractable lenses when the expression calls for it and this is directly lifted from the comics, at least visually.

I’ll also mention a part of the movie that many people thought was going to be an issue; Tony Stark. Many assumed that there was going to be too much of him and that he might take away from the movie. He doesn’t, in fact, he only has a small handful of moments in the film and he is here mostly as a guide and mentor for Peter and not the co-star than many assumed he would be. There were several jokes about how this was Iron Man: Homecoming, featuring Spider-Man, and that is easily not the case here.

When the supporting cast was first shown, many of the characters they were playing, who exist in the comics, were of a different race, and this lead to much-unwarranted hostility towards the cast. Tony Revolori, who plays Flash Thompson, actually received death threats. There was also wild speculation regarding Zendaya, a character simply named Michele. And while I won’t spoil if those concerns were warranted, don’t take what happens at face value as the truth behind her role has already been talked about in length by Marvel Film’s Kevin Feige.

I could see some people having issues with how much of the film is via Peter Parker and not Spider-Man, but the fact of the matter is that both of these persona’s need to exist as it is very much what Spider-Man has always been, a delicate balance of being Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Holland excels in the role and his eagerness to impress Stark is through a very believable energy that can be rather contagious. The movie is playful, energetic, and can be a bit dark when it needs to be. Spider-Man: Homecoming really nails all the fun elements of various Spider-Man iterations throughout the character’s rich history, and the fact they chose to adapt so much from Ultimate Spider-Man is just, to me, the icing on the cake.

Tom Holland is the Superior Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Homecoming was seen in ULTRA AVX 3D, where the 3D effects were ok, but not drastically impressive.

Movie Review: Spider-man – Homecoming was originally published on Game-Refraction